Contemporary issues in multimedia and information technology

Contemporary issues in multimedia and information technology Media and the rising ease of information access have facilitated major legal and societal concerns in the past. Digital convergence and globalization in the present societies raise intricate legal, societal and ethical issues, regarding information access, privacy rights, intellectual property rights and freedom of expression (Gupta, 2005, p. 123).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary issues in multimedia and information technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Because information and Communication Technology is an instrumental tool for gathering information, it should be availed as a basic human right. However, this right is abused all over the world for various reasons such as political stability, anti terrorism campaigns, economic advancements, personal greed and for religious causes. Governments have had concerns over the liberty and use of technologies, in regard to national securities. In addition to this, it is becoming more difficult for governments to control accessibility to the global information systems. Because if this, the fundamental concern over ICT is creating a balance between information access and marinating national security (Schultz, 2006, p. 118). The ethical issue is how a government can decide on controlling access, to what extent, and what kind of information they should control. The media has made it possible for people to access information as well as communicate globally. An example of this is the happening in Egypt, in January 2011, when people use internet media and social sites to organize protests against the then Egyptian president. Because of these concerns, it has been important for governments to come up with strategies of combating incidences of malicious attacks, computer crimes, fraud, and violations of rights. Governments need to inform citizens of the security risks involved in internet and media information access. While it is important for governments to control information flow for national security, it is also important for them to make their citizens aware of the need for the control. Creating a balance between access and security should not be a difficult decision for governments to make because the ICT sector has recognised global ethical issues that affect the industry, and as such, devised ethical guidelines on how to handle such. In addition to these, there are legislations that guide information handling, access and use. If a country recognises the citizen’s right to obtain information, as well as the importance of obtaining these information, it would not selfishly deny them the right. However, in cases such as the Egypt saga, they are globally recognised as selfish attempts by government leaders to deny citizens their right to access information (Liebowitz khosrowpour, 1997, p. 78).Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Le arn More Following the rising insecurities and ethical problems associated with digital communication, recent political persuasions seem to be focused on creating greater surveillance on communications. They hope that this will solve the problem of digital crimes, as well as help them maintain safety in their territories. This may not be the case, as every country has its own security concern, which may not be important to another country. Because of the differences in their needs, it is difficult to find a comprehensive solution to all their concerns. This may in turn create conflicts and tensions between countries. Governments already have ways of controlling access to certain types of information that may lead to national insecurity. In case where there is need to keep information private from the public, there should be constitutional legislations that apply in order to maintain peace. It is important for governments to have these policies, provisions, and legislations t hat guide information and media freedom in early enough, so as to prevent abrupt protests. When the citizens, as well as the media are aware of government’s actions to prevent information access, they are less likely to act in defence. In addition tom this, governments should apply the global acceptable conditions for deciding on which information is considered a national threat, and how to keep it private from citizens. The same conditions are also applicable when formulating the provisions for media freedom, as well as personal freedom to information access. It is only possible for a country to devise its own legislations regarding digital communication, basing them on the global acceptable standards of information handling. This way, the country will be able to create laws that are suitable for its citizens, while maintain the global peace, regarding digital communication. References Gupta, V (2005). International Communication: contemporary Issues and trends in global inf ormation revolution. Boston: Concept publishing company Liebowitz, J and Khosrowpour, M (1997) Cases on information technology management in modern organizations. New York: Idea group IncAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary issues in multimedia and information technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Schultz, R (2006).contemporary issues in ethics and information technology. New York: Idea group Inc Contemporary Issues in Multimedia and Information Technology Every day people can observe the changes which are connected with the information technologies and multimedia. It seems that modern scientists can create any technologies with any possibilities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary Issues in Multimedia and Information Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The limits are only in our mind. Nevertheless, recent inventions support the idea the possibilities of our brain can be combined with information technologies. The progress in computer technology is enormous, and it is related to the aspects of the social and economical development. Today information technologies are in a constant progress. Several years ago it was impossible to imagine computers which can be controlled with the help of our brain. Nevertheless, today such technology exists and develops to present more opportunities for people. â€Å"In this newly developed technology, the scientists c onnect a computer with the human brain, and then program it to read the thought of that brain† (Brown 2011). This project can present the hope for the physically challenged people. The possibilities of such computers are rather difficult to overestimate, and they can be used in different fields of people’s social life. Moreover, scientists state that they â€Å"will be able to put tiny, permanent implants in people’ brains, and this will do away with the need for a keyboard or mouse† (Brown 2011). That phenomenon which was considered as a miracle earlier can become the part of our everyday reality in the future. Furthermore, â€Å"the potential to manipulate computers or machinery with nothing more than a thought† is really great (Grabianowski, n.d.). It can open a new age in the development of the opportunities of medicine, business, and entertainment. Thus, the level of people’s interaction with computer technology has shifted from using ke yboards to simple touches and then to using their brain. It was the start for the development of new horizons in the interaction of computer devices not only with people but also with the objects of their surroundings. It is the time when ‘iPad with legs’ appears as the touch-screen table and it â€Å"can recognise many gestures, hands and users at once as well as other physical objects placed on the table† (Moses 2011). In the future such devices will be used in airports, big shops, and hotels because their suitability is confirmed. It can be one of the most convenient ways to interchange the information.Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The possibility to exchange the information is considered as one of the most significant today. This tendency has affected the development of such a notion as a ‘digital divide’. It means that those people who have no access to modern information technologies have no opportunity to act in the information world at the same level as those who have the access (Hertz 2011). If we compare the possibilities of information technology and multimedia in the 2000’s with contemporary inventions, we can state that the progress is remarkable. The system of social and economical values also changes. Information, multimedia, and technology become the key factors for the human society because they give people a chance to be involved in the world information processes. References Brown, M., (2011).  Scientists create thought-controlled computer. Web. Grabianowski, E. How brain-computer interfaces work. Web. Hertz, M. B., (2011).  A new understanding of the digital divide. Web. Moses, A., (2011).  Microsoft Surface 2 imminent: More than a big iPad with legs. Web.

Educational leadership styles Which one fits you

Educational leadership styles Which one fits you If you’re looking to take your career in education to the next level, part of that means understanding what kind of leadership skills you have- and how you’d apply those in your job. Because educators are already a pretty diverse crowd, it should be no surprise that leadership styles can vary pretty widely too. So let’s look at the main types of educational leaders. The AuthoritarianThis sounds severe, but the authoritative leader is the one who is able to set a clear direction or implement a new vision. This means the leader is a decision-maker, often the final say. The authoritative leader is often the cheerleader-in-chief, motivating a team (or multiple teams) toward a single goal. The authoritative leader is a confident, strong voice, and comfortable making decisions. If you feel more comfortable giving orders than taking them taking them, then this might be your style.Pro: Things get done how you want them done.Con: Team members may have trouble connecting t o this kind of leader, since they’re less engaged in the decision-making process.The Team BuilderThis kind of leader, also known as an affiliative leader, focuses on building, maintaining, and repairing relationships. The affiliative leader’s priority is on harmony and collective productivity. This type of leader typically strives to get input from others and have good relationships with everyone on the team, rather than hand down assignments.Pro: Team members feel valued and connected.Con: Poor performance is sometimes ignored in favor of maintaining larger group harmony.The PoliticianThis kind of leader, also known as the democratic leadership type, works on consensus. This leader has the final say, but relies on having other stakeholders weigh in as well. The diverse perspectives can foster creativity and innovation, because everyone is able to give input and share their points of view.Pro: Team members feel more engaged because they have a say in the process.Con: D ecisions may not happen quickly if you’re waiting for mass buy-in.The CoachThe coaching-focused leader prioritizes team development over immediate achievement. Meeting goals is about the process, and providing feedback and instruction to make sure that members of the team are able to succeed in the project at hand, or on a more long-term basis. It’s also a natural leadership style for many teachers, who are already accustomed to nurturing talent to hit milestones. In this role, the coaching leader often delegates tasks and responsibility to help team members understand and learn in a hands-on way.Pro: This is a very forward-thinking leadership style, and encourages team members to set and achieve their own goals.Con: It can be time-consuming to incorporate feedback and ongoing training. Also, if team members are resistant to learning, that can also slow overall progress.The VisionaryThe visionary leader is focused on innovating and improving outcomes. For these leaders , the status quo is less important than setting goals and improving how students learn, how teachers work in the classroom, etc. The visionary leader typically spends a lot of time brainstorming and engaging others in common goals.Pro: Employees feel empowered to find new ways to accomplish goals.Con: Sometimes focusing on the big picture can lead to neglect of the everyday, or less interesting tasks at hand.There is no one-size-fits-all leadership style for an educator, or even a school. So depending on your personality and your goals, it may be that one of these suits you really well- and others not at all. Whatever your leadership style is, it’s important to nurture those qualities and find leadership opportunities that work for you.

Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Analysis - Case Study Example It is a fact that Natureview is the main player in the natural food channel with a market share of 24%; however, in order to raise $20 million revenue by the end of 2001, the company has to re-strategize and increase its sales and output if it is to use this channel. The $13 million the company accrued in 2000 is not sufficient enough to offset its debt and may lead to absorption of the company by a larger firm. The second option of entering the supermarket channel has both merits and demerits. The main advantage of this channel is that products will be sold at lower prices than in natural food retail shops due to less number of middlemen in the supply chain. Lower prices lead to higher demand and ultimately higher returns. Furthermore, supermarkets take stocks in bulk than wholesalers in the natural food channel who take small quantities and break them further to distribute them to small retailers. On the other hand, Natureview would be forced to pay $10000 slotting fee per SKU for each retail chain. This means that the company may be forced to pay millions of dollars to be able to distribute throughout the country. In addition, the manufacturer will also have to incur marketing, advertising and trade promotion expenses including hiring of marketing personnel. Under this channel, the small scale manufacturer will be forced to expand its production to meet the high demand in the supermarkets. The first option would be to expand six of the best selling 8-oz brands to one or two selected supermarket channels in the region. The second option would be to expand four SKUs of 32-oz size nationally. The third option would be to introduce two SKUs of the multi-pack line into the natural foods channel specifically for children. The first option would yield higher returns for the company as the 8-oz brands are the most popular among consumers. However, for this option to be viable Natureview has to meet the

Bussiness plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bussiness plan - Essay Example Diamond B will receive start-up funding from a Colorado lending institution, namely a commercial bank, requesting a loan for $50,000 to cover start-up and miscellaneous expenses. The following represents the start-up needs for Diamond B: Diamond B will operate inside of lower-cost strip mall space, in a centralized location, with over 1,200 square feet of retail space. This was chosen to avoid the high start-up costs of building new constructions so that more money could be devoted to product variety. This will give Diamond B more flexibility by being in the strip mall and allow the company to expand without concern over the expenses of real estate agents. Diamond B can simply work on a contracted lease that allows for easy exit if the business ever decides to move or expand. On the start-up chart, frozen foods represent the different ice cream bars, sandwich cookies, and fresh frozen pizzas that will be available to customers. Refrigerated items include a variety of sodas, energy drinks, and other dairy products such as milk and cheese that customers of all varieties will require. Non-perishable foods include magazines, cigarette lighters, and other basic convenience products found commonly in this type of store model. Promotions are a high expense on the start-up list as it is necessary for Diamond B to set up a strong brand immediately after launch. The company will use the logo strongly in its promotional materials so that customers have awareness of Diamond B and can recognize it on sight. The Diamond logo will be trademarked for intellectual property reasons and for building a better competitive image. These materials include in-store displays, posters, direct mailing literature sent to random customer households, and other needed advertisements for pre- and post-launch of Diamond B. Computer systems on the start-up list include the different credit card machines that will be needed to perform basic transactions, along with inventory monitoring

Leading a Diverse Workforce Essay Example for Free

Leading a Diverse Workforce Essay 1.0Introduction This report is an introduction to the circumstances of the diverse workforce. It explains the causes of diverse workforce leads into past, present trends. Where focus has centred on the consequences, there are some advantageous and disadvantageous outcomes which lead to â€Å"pay-off† of the organization. Therefore, discussion moves forward to the difficulties that managers would face and the management solution. The report concludes with a discussion 2.0Causes of Diverse Workforce â€Å"Workforce diversity is a workforce consisting of a broad mix of workers from different racial and ethnic background of different ages and genders, and of different domestic and national culture† (Naik, 2012). The emergency and development of diverse workforce is basically the result of globalisation, which is the current developing trend of the world. To meet the challenge of globalisation, it is extremely necessary for an organisation to have a diversity strategy than a domestic one (Naik, 2012). The diverse strategy enables the organisation to enlarge their customer base and market since the various backgrounds of employees make it much easier to communicate with global customers. There is also another cause of diverse workforce which is the requirement of the law and responsibility for the society (McInnes, 2013). There are usually some disadvantaged people in our communities who may suffer discrimination and a lot of hardships. In consider of that, the government has made anti-discrimination legislation to protect the rights of those disadvantaged people. Therefore, the organisation recruits people such as women, aboriginal and disabled individuals to form a diverse workforce as abid ance by the law and as a social obligation. 3.0Past and Present Trends The trends of the workforce diversity in the organisation are dramatically difference between past and present, for the aspect of gender, generation and cultural. As the globalisation is prevalent around the world, especially in Australia where the place is encouraging multiculturalism and immigration, there are more organisation engage the workers with different  cultural, it makes the workplace more diverse, such as the Vodafone and ANZ Bank. For example, ANZ Bank started to promote a diverse workplace since 1990s. They believed that the staff with a vibrant and diverse background and life experience can help to forge strong connections with all their customers. Besides, in the past, the women in the workplace were automatically assigned to temporary or part-time jobs because their first priority was taking care of their families. It shows that most of the gender work in an organisation is male. However, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2011, p.3) indicate s that â€Å"The proportion of women in the Australian workforce and in leadership positions is increasing since 1960 with 52% and compared with 70% in 2009†. Nowadays, most women tend to work as a permanent worker and do not see it as temporary because women are become more independent. Therefore, the gender diverse in the workplace has a huge change from homogeneous to diverse, thus the organisation have been learning to treat women as the equals of men and discrimination against female employees are now against the law. 4.0Consequences of Diverse Workforce 4.1The advantages of having diverse workforce First of all, it can increase an organisation’s creativity, flexibility and innovativeness (Cole, 2013). More fresh ideas and different perspectives could be provided by diverse employees from various cultural backgrounds and mind-sets since they are more willing to think outside of the box (Belcher, 2014). Secondly, the diverse workforce can attract more different customers as the employees are capable to communicate across cultural boundaries which therefore give the organisation a competitive edge and help meet the needs and wants of globalisation better (Belcher, 2014). What is more, the image and reputation of an organisation could be enhanced through a group of diverse people and then retention can be improved because it appeals to some other competent talents (Cole, 2013). Loyalty of employees would also be reinforced since they are in a fair and friendly working environment. Last but not lease, the proper utilisation of diverse workforce will result in greater producti vity (Belcher, 2014). 4.2 The disadvantages of having diverse workforce In fact, diverse can lead to a conflict and some negative effect. Jensen (2011, para. 10) demonstrates that â€Å"Communication is the key to breaking down the cultural; barriers between people†. As people with different cultural may easily have a communication problem, they will always cause misunderstanding which will harm working relationships and damage working environment and atmosphere. Therefore, a company ne beds a well planning to engage different background, culture, experience, ability and age of employees, and provide an effective policy on every member of the workplace. 5.0The â€Å"Pay-off† The advantages and disadvantages of diverse workforce are heatedly debated. As we mentioned above, a diverse workforce can assist an organisation in many aspects such as working environment, productivity and creativity. Generally speaking, a diverse workforce enables an organisation to be much better. Though a diverse workforce would cause some misunderstanding, the problems will be solved as long as the managers are able to handle it. Eventually, with the development of the diverse workforce, it turns out that the benefits outweigh the costs. 6.0Challenges for managers The change of workforce requires leaders to pay more attention to adjust policies for diverse employees made up of ages, genders, nationalities and more. Meanwhile, employees also need to know how to work and communicate with people who are different with dissimilar cultural background. â€Å"Diversity management practices are specific activities, programs, policies, and any other processes designed to improve management of diversity via communication, education and training, employee-involvement, career management, accountability and cultural change† (Cieri, Costa, Pettit, Buttigieg, 2008, p.6). The people with various cultural backgrounds a typical kind of diversity. They could forge strong connections with customers coming from diverse background; however, it might cause conflicts and misunderstandings because of their different understandings for things. In this case, in order to make full use of this kind of employees and force a nice working environment, managers are su pposed to deliver the concept of accepting and understanding other cultures and let the employees share  cultural value. Multigenerational team is another kind of the diverse workforce. Because of backgrounds, circumstances or the different education level, multigenerational workforce is much easier to bring about conflicts and misunderstandings. As a result, the function of leaders becomes significant and essential. They analyse and manage conflicts, organise all the work. More importantly, leaders know what kind of job each generation is qualified. For example, the younger generation is more likely to do the creative work while the older generation is better to do with the management. Conclusion As it enters the 21st century, workforce diversity has become an essential business concern. Diversity could be a positive factor to contribute to the local business, but misunderstanding is a major barrier. Australia as a developed country is attracting people from all over the world to come for study and work. Therefore, the government should make a comprehensive policy to improve diverse workforce issue, such as the working condition and foreign workers’ permission standard of the entrance system in Australia. Person with disability is a typical kind of diversity. They might have achievements that the normal people could not reach. Although they are not as efficient as others, they might have specific achievements that normal people could not reach. In this case, in order to make full use of them, leaders give this group more welfare as well as set up particular facilities to assistant them to work more efficiently and effectively. Reference list: Cieri, H., Costa, C., Pettit, T. Buttigieg, D. (2008). Managing a Diverse Workforce: Attraction and Retention of Older Workers. Retrieved from http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/mgt/research/acrew/ageing-workforce-wp-2008.pdf Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2011). Human Resources: Managing Diverse and Inclusive Workplaces, p.1-9. Retrieved from www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Document/Mange-Diverse-Inclusive-Workplace.pdf Jensen, M. (2011). Special Issue on: Impacts of Diversity in the Workplace: Maintaining Open Communication. Aviary Group. Retrieved from www.aviarygroup.ca/special-issue-on-impacts-of-diversity-in-the-workplace-maintaining-open-communication/ McInnes, R. (2013). Workforce Diversity: Changing the Way You Do Business. Diversity World. Retrieved from http://www.diversityworld.com/Diversity/workforce_diversity.htm Naik, P. (n.d.). Challenge for Business Survival-Managing Workforce Diversity. IOSR Journal of Business and Management. Retrieved from http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jbm/papers/7th-ibrc-volume-2/15.pdf

Grendel: Apples and Pain :: Free Essay Writer

Grendel: Apples and Pain Grendel has a sarcastic and cynical mind, which serves to entertain both him and the reader. Through his expositions of situations, we see humor where others would simply see violence, and irony where others only fact. These others are the humans, the Danes, unwitting neighbors of Grendel, forced to stand night after night of slaughter. What is a traumatic and terrifying experience for them, is simply a game to Grendel, and the reader. Grendel bursts in on the Danes, ready to kill, and they squeak. They are funny in their fear, laughable in their drunken fighting. The reader is focused on Grendel’s perception of the Danes. The deaths go by easily, because of the humor involved. It does not cross the reader’s mind that these are people Grendle is killing. The humor allows the reader to sympathize with Grendel’s position, that of the predator. The prey is not meaningful, only nutritious and entertaining. It is a macabre humor, which accentuates how no death is nobl e, it is simply death. By making the Danes un-heroic and un-ideal, cowards and drunkards, the author is presenting the reality through the humor. In contrast to the drunken lurching of the others, Unferth comes toward Grendel with speeches and bravery. He is a puffed up as a peacock, proud and ready to die for his king, his people, his ideal. Grendel simply states, â€Å"He was one of those.† Grendel sees Unferth with a clear and unbiased mind. He is ridiculous. His exaggerated heroism, his words, even his first move, to scuttle sideways like a crab from thirty feet away, is laughable. Grendle does with him what he does with no other Dane in the story, he talks. Unferth offers Grendle death, and Grendle sends back taunts. The reason this scene is funny is because the taunts are sharply accurate. The self-sacrificing hero is shown to be a spotlight loving fool, serving only his own reputation. Grendel continues talking to Unferth, making the poor wretch angrier by the moment. At one point, he compares Unferth to a harvest virgin. Unferth attempts to begin his own speeches, but is always cut off by Grendel, who has another barb to throw at him. Finally, Unferth screams and charges, his voice breaking. This scene, of escalating argument, presents a different type of humor. While the first was a slapstick, exaggerated and dark humor, the argument is more sarcastic, intelligent and cutting.

Curious Incident of a Family Break Up

Curious incident of a family break up Mark Haddon expresses the importance of family relationships within society itself. He does this through the clear and perfect understanding of the deficiency and absence of love portrayed between his parents and himself. Christopher’s suffering of Aspergers syndrome is transparent towards his parents as they find it difficult to react to Christopher’s behavior.Both parents had to deal with Christopher’s persistent obsession with mathematics, numbers (prime numbers used throughout the beginning of every chapter) as their son is a single minded human being with and extraordinary talent faced upon factual data that only he can obtain as many cannot. Christopher’s mother is an important factor among his life as he is told a lie from his father about his mother passing from cancer. But in fact from the hard troubled arguments from the relationship of his parents towards each other, Christopher’s inability to deal wi th affection is a huge factor of why Mr. and Mrs.Boone are driven apart. Christopher does not understand how affection works, which would mean that Mr. and Mrs. Boone do not have a romantic relationship to begin with. If Mr. and Mrs. Boone do not show affection towards each other, it is not setting a very good example towards Christopher. When Christopher’s mother wrote him, she said,† We had a lot of arguments like that, and by the end we stopped talking to each other because we knew it would end up as an argument and go no where. I felt really lonely† (107). Mrs. Boone is giving an example of how she runs away from all her problems leading up to when she left Christopher.The stress of having to raise a child like Christopher drove her to leaving the family. Christopher can be difficult and irritating in many ways because he is unable to show how he feels towards his parents, so they never know how he is feeling. Also, he never knows how his parents are feeling. When Christopher's mother said, â€Å"Christopher, let me hold your hand, just for once. Just for me will you? I will hold it hard†(194). Christopher told her that he did not like holding hands. It proves that he has no knowledge of what love means and affection towards your family. Also, Mrs.Boone said, â€Å"I could not walk for one month, do you remember? Your father had to look after you. I remember looking at the two of you and seeing you two together and thinking how you were really different with him. You were a lot calmer, and it made me sad, because it made the think that you did not need me at all(108). This quote can be confusing, because it is portraying that Mrs. Boone as upset that Christopher did not need her, but yet she leaves the family because of the stress of her autistic child. Mrs. Boone has a confusing way of showing affection, leading Christopher of not having a very good example of a mother.The lack of communication between Mr. and Mrs. Boone and Chr istopher puts a tremendous amount of stress on the family because the Boone’s never know what Christopher may be thinking or wanting at that time. Mr. and Mrs. Boone has to adjust to his ways of communication making it difficult for other people to understand how he communicates. For example, when the policeman grabbed Christopher, but they were never meaning to harm him(8). Christopher thought that by the policeman grabbing him they were trying to hurt him, when only they were trying to get his attention.Also, Christopher does not understand the importance of communication which means that i does not mean a lot of him. The Boone’s do not always know Christopher’s needs and wants. This leads up to Mr. and Mrs. Boone fighting over their views of what Christopher wants. Mrs. Boone would get very stressed out about not knowing what Christopher wants and just basically give up. Christopher can be a difficult child because he can sometimes not know when it is time to stop, and that is what is making Mrs. Boone so stressed out. Christopher might think it is time to play when really Mr. and Mrs. Boone are wanting some quiet time to relax.Haddon persuades the important quality of Truth throughout the novel towards the direction of our society. Christopher’s obsession with truth is organized among the world through his perceptions on the basis. During the story as he feels secure, he needs order and certainty, and facts and logic provide this security. Christopher feels the need to be ‘scared’ and yet ‘shaky’ towards the things that didn’t happen which makes him feel insecure etc. ‘Metaphors’ are a language technique in which Christopher cannot understand. He believes metaphors bring lies towards society as they are false stories and fiction falls within the limits of lies.Christopher accepts ‘similes’ as this technique provides truthfulness and they also emphasize the appearance of what two things have in common. With the acceptation of hard facts within Christopher’s life he refuses to obtain the knowledge and believe of god and the afterlife. Christopher says that he ‘can’t tell lies’. This is the way he truthfully copes with life itself and the imaginary events which fill him with ‘the infinite number of things’. Christopher then pushes the boundaries of lying to himself through continuing the investigation when he told people for example his father he would stop.His father then tends to find out with the quote of â€Å"you knew exactly what you were doing†. During the novel we find out as well as Christopher that his mother is true in fact alive. This is a great impact among Christopher as he hates lying as he quotes â€Å"A lie is when you say something happened which didn’t happen. † Another quote is â€Å"I do not tell lies. Mother used to say that this was because I was a good person†¦i t is because I can’t tell lies. † The repetition and usage of the word ‘And’ creates a sense of comforting and secureness for Christopher as well as a few number of rituals.The usage of ‘And’ provides Christopher with the ability to recount every information or incident he has accounted. As for me it is annoying to read but the fact that Christopher has a good memory for speech is observed. One of the rituals Christopher obsesses with is the observation of cars on the way to school as he organizes them into red meaning good and brown and yellow meaning bad. He implies this to his normal day routine. So if he sees a red car he will have a good/normal day but if he sees a brown or yellow he knows his day isn’t going to go too well. Mr. Jevons asked me whether this made me feel safe, having things always in nice order and I said I did† The justification he gives for using these rituals is formed on the ‘scared’ and Ã¢â‚¬Ë œshaky’ responses which mean that his great need to impose order on a lack of a word is in use. Christopher believes telling the truth is an important aspect among lives as he is revealed that his father killed Wellington the dog and told him that his mother had passed which makes Christopher become very frightened of his father.Christopher flees in terror as he quotes â€Å"†¦he could murder me, because I couldn’t trust him, even though he said, ‘trust me’, because he had told a lie about a big thing† The composer achieves real aspects of telling the truth and telling a lie which happens on a normally daily basis. Christopher’s constant need for attention pushes the Boone’s apart because they have no time for themselves. Mr. and Mrs. Boone revolve their lives around Christopher’s needy lifestyle which led to them to spending every moment with Christopher. Mr.Boone says how he is going to get Christopher ready for his bath, change him, and get him ready for bed(115). This is an example of how he spends every moment revolving his life to Christopher’s need for help because of his disability. In the book, The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher display a long list of the things that his mother and father have to deal with on a daily basis with his disability(46). All of these things are responsibilities and other things that Mr. and Mrs. Boone have to keep on their minds through the day.Having an autistic child is like having a second job to Mr. and Mrs. Boone. Mr. Boone gives no attention to Mrs. Boone, because he is always pursuing his life towards the neediness of an autistic child. Mrs. Boone may the want attention from another male, leading her to putting all of her attention towards another lifestyle. This stressful lifestyle caused Mrs. Boone to leave and want to have another life of no worries or responsibilities. Also, Christopher says that he is nervous about his pare nts getting a divorce because they have a child with behavioral problems(45,46).This explains one of the reasons why Mrs. Boone wanted out of the family because she wants to have children that do not give her such a headache every single day. Christopher’s confidence of truthful matter, in logic and facts, does not defend him from the real society. His many efforts to pursue the truth of Wellington’s murder results in the discovery of his understanding with the world as it is based on a lie. Christopher also learns that although he likes to have things â€Å"in a nice order†, real life is often very deranged, and he cannot always control this.By the end of the novel the composer achieves Christopher’s balance as he returns to normal life, he is regained both parents and has the knowledge that he has coped in difficult circumstances. Mark Haddon achieves the novel with great aspects of this and portrays the actual concerns among a society. Mr. and Mrs. Boo ne would have a much more suitable relationship if they would set their priorities straight, and make time for each other to be able to go out and have a romantic night together. Obviously, they did not have a romantic relationship, so that could have driven Mrs.Boone away from the family, along with the difficult lifestyle of raising Christopher. In conclusion, Christopher lived a very spoiled lifestyle by being shown attention by his parents all his life. He could not help that he had to have attention shown towards him because of his disability, but it led to the miserable lifestyle between Mr. and Mrs. Boone. If they could have balanced out their schedules, Mr. Boone would not have had to lie to his child about his mothers death, when really she moved away while having an affair.

Culture Of Madness Midterm Essay

In the course of the week as directed for the midterm assignment, I was able to hear remarks made to imply that something irrational had been said or had occurred. Of all those time there are two that were in my opinion most interesting. They are as follows;- In the first instance the remark that referred to irrationality was made was during a conversation between two girls. One was telling the other of something that a friend of theirs had said the previous day. The two were chatting away excitedly as one described to the other what had transpired. The remark ‘she can’t be serious’ was made by the listening friend. She remarked this when the other friend told her that their friend (X), a girlfriend not present there, had told her that she wanted to seek the services of a palm reader. The conversation then proceeded by girl H saying that that was her reaction too. Girl B wanted to know why their friend wanted to visit the palm reader. An explanation followed where girl H said that their friend X had read in the internet that palm readers could tell what was going to happen in one’s future. X wanted to know what was going to happen to her so that she could prepare for it and avoid disappointment. The internet had described numerous instances when people were saved embarrassment and disaster when palm readers warned them about it. To this, both girl H and B laughed and agreed that that idea was crazy enough. They made fun on what their friend X would be told by the palm reader. They went on talking asking each other questions discussing their views on the same matter and whether they believed in such things. In the second scenario there was a couple, probably a married one, where the lady told the man that she had quit her job. To this the husband remarked ‘You’ve got to be kidding’. The tone of the woman was casual at the start. In making the remark the man seemed to be in disbelief as one who wanted the statement by the woman not to be true. The conversation proceeded with the lady reaffirming her statement and adding that she had handed in her resignation letter earlier. When asked why she had done that, the woman without mincing her words replied that she had had a dream severally, around three times in the previous week that the building in which she worked was going to collapse killing people with it. The fact that the dream had come to her three times, she believed, meant that she was being warned of what would happen in future and so she had to take precaution. It would be wrong for her to ignore the signs only to regret later. Life was more precious than money and that is why she had made the decision. The tone of the conversation turned serious when the man again remarked, ‘that is crazy’. He seemed very annoyed and thought the wife had done the wrong thing and proceeded to tell her so. The tempers were flared as the woman was in pains to explain why she had resigned and the man was either too angry or disappointed to hear her out. The man termed her beliefs as outrageous and insensible which made the woman even angrier. She finally walked out saying that it was meaningless to have such a conversation with someone who did not want to understand. In the first case when the remark was made it made girl H who was narrating the incident even more eager to continue with it. It gave her a chance to explain in detail why their friend had made such a statement. The response seemed to make the conversation more interesting and implied that the one listening to the story was interested in more information. A reaction that was foreclosed or resisted was one whereby the friend narrating the story could refuse to part with more information about the incident in discussion. The remark also made sure that the conversation stayed on course as it showed that the listener was quite interested in what went on , or why their friend being discussed had said that she wished her mother were dead. The response confirmed the intention of the narrator. Who also affirmed that she thought that their friend could not have possibly been serious that she was going to visit a palm reader. The remark made the narrator know that her perceiving the story as one worth sharing was right. This reassurance made the girl even more eager to tell what transpired and to even give her views about the whole incident. In the second case the remark ‘you’ve got to be kidding’ made the woman seem even more serious in her assertion. It made her reiterate her statement that she had quit her job. It also made her want to give an explanation for her desire before being misunderstood by the man. The remark, also made the situation take an even more serious tone as it actually implied that jokes would be inappropriate at that time or the issue at hand was not a joking matter. The reactions that were resisted were those of turning the matter into a laughing matter when it was serious. Also the chance to dismiss the incident as inconsequential was closed out. The remark showed that the man was very serious about the subject at hand and therefore the woman could not easily divert the conversation or wish it away as trivial. After the remark the conversation seemed to take a very serious tone. First the remark showed that the man was not at all in agreement with what the woman had done and would take a lot to convince him that it was the right thing to do. In fact further along the conversation another remark depicting irrationality was made by the man. This made the woman more agitated as she wanted the man to see things from her point of view and she had not had a chance to make him do this. As the conversation continued it seemed to almost generate into a disagreement with the couple trying to keep their voices low in a public place. In the first scenario if the remark had not been made by girl B, the excitement of the story would have taken a dip. A different statement like ‘Oh yes I have been looking for a palm reader myself’, would probably have come as a shock to girl H who thought the idea of visiting a palm reader to be awkward as well. The conversation would then have turned to a discussion or even an argument for and against the practice of visiting palm readers. Because girl H thought visiting a palm reader was ridiculous maybe the argument would have turned out to be serious making the two friends part ways or agree to disagree. The other case would have been for girl B to answer in a way to show curiosity. For example ‘Oh really what does she want to find out? ’ or ‘oh yeah! , do those things work, can they really tell the future by looking at one’s palm? ’ Because girl B would not have shown support or disagree with what X wanted to do the girls would have continued in a discussion to explore different views concerning such practices. They would each give their different views on palm reading. If the concept of visiting a palm reader would not have been ridiculous to both girls, maybe they would have delved into discussions concerning the same with examples of what they had heard about the same. The conversation would have led to the issues about gift in telling the future, the use of magic, sorcery and the like. The girls may have even agreed to join their friend when going to visit the palm reader. In this scenario the two girls were in agreement that seeing a palm reader was crazy. Though I did not have an opportunity to listen to them for long, I think that they would have described the practice as backward and funny. They would have dismissed it as a practice used by the so called ‘future seers’ to steal money from people who were naive enough to believe that such things were true. They would have termed those people who visit palm readers as superstitious. Some people who because they did not have anything they believed in, were looking for some thing to grasp. They would also have dismissed the practice of palm reading as that for those who were afraid of the future and therefore were looking for ways to manipulate it or even find hope and courage if they found that the future had something good to look out for according to the palm reader. For the case involving the couple if the man had responded in a different way say maybe was more interested in the dreams that made the woman quite her job, the woman would have probably passionately described her convictions for what dreams tell about the future,. The conversation would have gone on and on how other people had dreams that made them avoid disasters. The man would have probably shared some dreams as well and their significance in his life. There would not have been an argument over quitting the job during hard economic times owing to ‘irrational beliefs’. The couple would have agreed that the action taken by the woman was the best for that situation and gone on to encourage themselves that they were going to land another better job for the woman. Since they had taken it upon themselves to warn themselves of an impending danger then fate would have directed them to another equally good or even better job. The couple would have gone on to explore the gifting of some people who have the ability to tell what the future hold using dreams or even visions. They would also have discussed whether it was appropriate to tell some of her friends working at the building to follow her steps so as to be saved from injury or even death. They may have even proposed ways of nurturing the gift like reading books or finding other people with the same gift as the woman then forming a support group so to speak. In this case since the man found the idea of quitting a job because of a dream irrational, he may have dismissed it as superstitious when they met later. He would have wished the dream away as a result of what she had been thinking during the day or a movie she had watched. Her mind had just worked on what it had processed during the day and there was real news about the future from the dream. Believing in dream would have been dismissed with the man saying that if everything that people dreamt had been a forecast of the future then no disasters would have ever hurt anyone as they would be averted in time and save people a lot of grief. The woman on the other hand would defend her case by giving examples of instances when something she had dreamt came true in real life. Apart from this she would argue that the fact that the dream was recurrent it was a clear sign that she needed to take action to avoid the impending danger. Yes -not all dreams depict the future, but the one that had made her wake up feeling anxious an indication that there was more to it than she had imagined, she would defend herself: She would dismiss lack of treating the dreams she had as important as a sign that one did not believe in supernatural occurrences yet there were many that had been documented in books even in the present day. References Lessa, W. , and Vogt, E. (1958). Reader in comparative religion- An anthropological approach. New York. Row, Peterson and Company.

Unforgiving Weather (Great Gatsby Essay) Essay Example

Unforgiving Weather (Great Gatsby Essay) Essay Example Unforgiving Weather (Great Gatsby Essay) Essay Unforgiving Weather (Great Gatsby Essay) Essay Caleb Figueroa Mr. Bakker Advanced English 11 20 February 2013 Unforgiving Weather In F. Scott Fitzgeralds, The Great Gatsby, life moves fast and theres no time for people to care about each others problems. Now, this is not simply because people have become selfish. Instead, its the fact that pretentiousness has consumed the moral compass of East and West Eggers alike. Fitzgerald shows this ugly truth by using various symbols like cars and colors to represent different things. One motif or symbol that is evident throughout this novel is weatherwhich helps to set the mood f the current situation, foreshadow characters emotions in the coming pages, and emphasize the presence of the theme: The moral corruption of the upper-class, materialistic American. The repetition of different weather patterns is definitely noticeable, and it ends up affecting how the reader views certain situations. And not only does the weather affect the dialogue (they mention how its raining, hot, etc. , but it also affects the overall mood of where the characters are and what theyre doing. The first instance hat one notices this was when Nick, Daisy, and Gatsby were all getting together for tea at Nicks house: The day agreed upon was pouring rain An hour later the front door opened nervously and Gatsby in a white flannel suit, silver shirt and gold colored tie hurried in. (88-89) The fact that it was raining when these characters first interacted gives key insight into the mood of this small get-together and how each of them is feeling. Typically people relate rain to sadness but in this case its used to describe how Gatsby is feeling nervous and ambivalent about seeing Daisy again; hus creating an awkward mood for the beginning of the evening. Weather captures the mood of the current situation, and it can sometimes even offer a small glimpse into the future. These glimpses into the future arent specifically about any event though; instead, theyre usually more like foreshadowing characters emotions in the next pages of the chapter. For example, when Tom, Daisy, Jordan, Nick, and Gatsby are all together on a hot summer day, the situation slowly becomes more and more suspenseful as their time spent together drags on. The next day was roiling, almost the last, certainly the warmest, of the summer. (120) This all happened on the hottest day of the summer for a reason: to show the climax of the story and to show what happens to these uncivilized creatures when theyre put under a heat lamp. Tom is forced to introduce himself to Gatsby and the heat only adds to his steadily creeping opposition of this man. Mr Gatsby! He put out his broad, flat hand with well-concealed dislike. (122) Tom and Gatsbys situation eventually escalates until Tom asks some incredibly personal questions. Toms increasing disgust with Gatsby ends with him asking, What kind of a row are you trying to cause in my house anyhow? (136) By this time, the weather has exhausted everyone to the point where they no longer want to see one anotherespecia lly Tom people tend to forget their manners and go mad. These manners also often include being honest to those around you; which is strange because five of the characters have been living a lie. The situation between Daisy, Myrtle, George, Tom, and Gatsby truly reveals how corrupt Americans were ecoming during the time of The Great Gatsby. It was now becoming a common thing for a rich man to have a mistress, and for a rich girl to simply choose who she wanted to be with. The weather causes this sort of moral corruption to become magnified and obvious: The relentless beating heat was beginning to confuse me and I had a bad moment there before I realized that so far his suspicions hadnt alighted on Tom. He had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world and the shock had made him physically sick. I stared at him and then at Tom, who had made a parallel discovery less than an hour beforeand it occurred to me that there was no difference between men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the sick and the well. (130-131) Georges painful realization that Myrtle was living two different lives parallels how Tom learned about Daisy and Gatsbys small affair. However, in both situations, the common theme is that theyre both corrupt in doing this. Not only did they lie to their partner but they also ontinued with their life as though these problems didnt exist in the first place. This, to me, is a clear sign that the upper-class, materialistic American of this particular time was slowly becoming more and more rotten. One motif or symbol that is clearly evident throughout this novel is weatherwhich ultimately sets the mood of the current situation, foreshadows characters emotions in the coming pages, and emphasizes the presence of the theme: The moral corruption of the upper-class, materialistic American. Time and time again, weather is described and used in certain situations which only helps to show the true face of the East and West Eggers. They live their lives as though theyre perfect when in reality theyre crooked and rotten people. Not everything is what it seems, and under pressure, we see what lies beneath the surface of the characters in The Great Gatsby. And now that weve seen different scenarios where the characters are put under a sort of magnifying glass, one may ask oneself, is Jay Gatsbyor any of the characters for that matterall that great?

2 Easy Ways to Get Zinc Metal

2 Easy Ways to Get Zinc Metal Zinc is a common metallic element, used to galvanize nails and found in many alloys and foods. However, its not easy to get zinc from most of these sources and you may have trouble finding a store that sells it. Fortunately, its easy to obtain zinc metal from common products. All it takes is a bit of chemistry know-how. Here are two simple methods to try. Where to Find Zinc in a Penny Although pennies look like copper, they are really made with a thin copper shell that is filled with zinc. Its easy to separate the two metals because they have different melting points. Zinc melts at a lower temperature than copper. When you heat a penny, the zinc runs out and can be collected, leaving you with a hollow penny. To get zinc from a penny, you need: United States pennies (minted in 1982 for the right chemical composition)pliersa gas stove or torcha heat-proof container to collect the zinc Extraction Turn on the stove or torch so it will be hot enough to melt the zinc.Hold a penny with pliers and place it in the tip of the flame. This is the hottest part of a flame. If the metal is not melting, make sure its in the right part of the flame.Youll feel the penny start to soften. Hold it over the container and gently squeeze the penny to release the zinc. Be careful with this process, as the molten metal is very hot! Youll end up with zinc in your container and a hollow copper penny in your pliers.Repeat the process with more pennies until you have as much zinc as you need. Allow the metal to cool before handling it. An alternative to using pennies is to heat galvanized nails. To do this, heat the nails until the zinc runs off of them into your container. Use a Zinc-Carbon Lantern Battery Batteries are useful sources of several chemicals, but some types contain acids or hazardous chemicals, so you shouldnt cut into a battery unless you know exactly what kind it is. To get zinc from a battery, you need: a zinc-carbon batterygloves to protect your hands from sharp edgeswire cutterspliers Extraction Basically, youre going to break open the battery and dismantle it. Start by prying the rim or top off the battery.Once the top is removed, youll see four smaller batteries inside the container that are connected to each other by wires. Cut the wires to disconnect the batteries from each other.Next, youll disassemble each battery. Inside each battery is a rod, which is made of carbon. If you want carbon, you can save this part for other projects.After the rod is removed, youll see a black powder. This is a mixture of manganese dioxide and carbon. You can discard it or place it in a labeled plastic bag to use for other science experiments. The powder will not dissolve in water, so it wont do you any good to rinse the battery. Wipe out the powder to reveal the zinc metal. You may need to cut open the battery to completely remove the powder. Zinc is stable in air, so once you have it, you can put it in any container to store it. Safety Information The chemicals in this project are not particularly hazardous, but either method of obtaining zinc should be performed by an adult. Melting pennies presents a burn hazard if youre not careful. Getting zinc from batteries involves sharp tools and edges. Otherwise, this metal is one of the safest chemicals to obtain. Pure zinc metal does not present a health hazard. If all else fails, you could always buy zinc metal online. Its available as a metal ingot or as a metal powder from sellers.

Any topic you choose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Any topic you choose - Essay Example The internet is therefore effectively closing the gap between the buyer and the seller by eliminating the intermediaries or the middlemen. Almost every type of product or service is now available on the net. Be it the airlines, travel industry, books, groceries, toiletries, tax consultants, news media, health care services etc. they are all available on the net, allowing the user to compare different offers and select the best one without actually going to the market place. The term1 "e-business" was coined by Lou Gerstner, CEO of IBM. Today leading online stores and companies have moved beyond the 'one-size-fits-all' approach to 'customization' and internet relationship. Amazon.com, the online book store seems to have adopted this approach quite well in an endeavor to reach out to the book lovers from all over the world. Amazon.com aspires to be2 'earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. Having started its journey since July 1995, the company has earned a distinct identity for itself in online retailing. Since the reach of internet knows no boundaries, it helped amazon.com in diversifying its range of offerings, which further helped in strengthening its image internationally.