Saturday, August 31, 2019

Great Society: Big Ideas

School Desegregation Montgomery Bus Boycott Tallahassee Bus Boycott Freedom Rides March on Washington Children's Crusade Freedom Summer Selma March and Bloody Sunday own words) Boycott – refusal to deal with something, such as a business, as a protest to force some kind of change Civil disobedience – intentional breaking of a law in a nonviolent or passive manner Civil Rights Movement – social movement of the asses ND asses to establish equality and civil rights for African Americans Integration – acceptance and equal access for all people into a group or place Segregation – enforced separation of groups Social activism – use of direct action to bring about social change 7. 03: Minority Rights: The Big Ideas How were the Civil Rights Movement and other social movements of the asses similar? How were women viewed by most of society in the asses? How did this change in the ASSES?What was the Equal Rights Amendment? What happened to it? Who were the United Farm Workers? How did they fight for their cause? What was the Native American Power movement? How did life change for Native Americans in 1953? What did Native Americans gain through social activism in the asses and early ASSES? Gray Panthers (Who were they and what did they fight for? ) National Organization for Women (NOW) (What were their goals? ) Betty Friedman Phyllis Scholarly Cesar Caves Events (Describe the event, its causes and effects) Civil Rights Act of 1964 (How did it affect different minority groups? ) 1961 – President's Commission on the Status of Women Title IX was passed

Friday, August 30, 2019

Management position within hospitality industry

The most complex work in the hotel in terms of communication and of coordinating and completing working documents is done by Floor Managers. These employees often supervise others who perform service tasks directly for the guests. Floor Managers are responsible for liaising between Room Attendants on the guest floors and managers in the housekeeping office.Qualifications required are a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in hotel management, and work experience in hospitality industry. At the basement-level housekeeping office, Floor Managers report and monitor room status and special room requests received from other parts of the hotel. They check the computer-generated status reports for discrepancies from their visual checks of the actual rooms. If a room coded for check-out appeared occupied on the floor, they would check the Expected Departure report on the computer to see if the guest had actually checked out (Bardi 2002).Usually, the main requires are:SupervisionInvent ory managementQuality ControlCoordination of other managers and staffShipping and receivingDocumentary control (Floor Manager Position 2007).The responsibilities are:Each one supervises 15 Room Attendants and two Housemen, covering three to four floors, or 240–320 rooms.On the floors, they check the status and progress of room cleaning, inspected rooms and augmented the Room Attendants' work.One of their duties, for example, is putting triple bed sheets and extra amenities in VIP rooms.They have to get the extra sheet, then take some of the bedding off and remake the bed. The number of VIPs they had to do beds for is never predictable, and they have to squeeze them into their regularly scheduled activities.The number of floors and rooms Floor Managers are responsible for varied, too, because of airline employee guests, who rarely checked out until after the day shift finished, and because of movement in the predicted house counts (overall room occupancies) (Powers and Barrows 2002).The Floor Managers are all in the office together at three times during the day: the beginning and end of the shift, and during the midmorning clearing and briefing meeting. These are busy, but not clearly structured times, with managers picking up special supplies, double-checking irregularities in the room status reports, answering phones. In Hilton Hotels, for instance, Floor Managers work is organized as follows:workday starts, between 7 and 8; the Floor Managers come in and prepared their own worksheets for the day; they check the 6:30 a.m. room status reports and special requests, along with the log book confirming their floor assignments;  then they go up on the floors to check the room status and supply needs with each Room Attendant, who has verified their status as soon as she/he arrives on the floor;Floor Managers then return downstairs to check and adjust room assignments against the Coordinator's log book (Powers and Barrows 2002). For example, some rooms in th e early-morning computer status report noted as vacant and clean may have become occupied in the interim. Or vacant and clean rooms may have become VIP or rush rooms, which Floor Managers would hear about in the office and have to inform the Room Attendant about. In many cases, Floor Manager’s position is called a â€Å"supervisor†.Floor Managers themselves have to identify VIP rooms and they have to spend extra time to set up the rooms, and collect and deliver the extras. The VIP rooms could not be neglected, and they are seldom blocked (assigned by Front Desk) in advance. So throughout the day, Floor Managers have to monitor upcoming VIP rooms and prepare them in time for the guests' arrival (Powers and Barrows 2002).Work stress and pressure is a remarkable feature of this position. Very often, checking room reports against their lists, for example, is interrupted by a ringing telephone or a co-worker's query. Most often the interruption involves a guest's urgent req uest, which demanded an immediate response. People write down notes, speak on the phone to guests, page others to fill requests and relay orders to the Centralized Action Room. Several talks at once; seldom are the exchange restricted to two people (Stutts 2001).Floor Managers work primarily from photocopied forms attached to clipboards that they fill out each day as they completed their work. The worksheets serve as organizational tools, memory aids and long-term records, to be boxed and stored for a prescribed number of years. From my observations throughout the hotel, the computers stored information on sales, purchases, personnel and payroll, and guests and occupancy rather than any detailed records of daily work.And unless each Floor Manager is equipped with a hand-held computer, inputting such information would have been impractical when there is already a paper record. In the basement office, Floor Managers also check for recent special requests like rush rooms or VIPs, or th ey receive them as phone messages, occasionally via pager (Stutts 2001).ReferencesBardi J.A. (2002). Hotel Front Office Management Wiley; 3 edition. Floor Manager Position (2007). Retrieved 01 July 2007, Powers T., Barrows C.W. (2002). Introduction to the Hospitality Industry. Wiley, 5 edition. Stutts A. (2001). Hotel and Lodging Management. An Introduction. Wiley.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Under the Influence Analysis

â€Å"Under the Influence† Rhetorical Analysis In â€Å"Under the Influence†, Scott Russell Sanders recreates his memories and feelings of loss, anger, and fear from his childhood inflicted by his alcoholic father. Sanders shares that growing up with a drunken parent can have a serious long-term effect on a child. He educes awareness and empathy for others by using similes, imaginary, and allusions to recreate battles against his father. Sanders writes to support other victims and to let them know they are not alone.Sanders opens his essay with a very direct fact: â€Å"My father drank†. Although this sentence is simple, his story is not. In the next sentence, he uses a simile to describe his father’s transformation with every alcoholic binge. Sanders wrote that his father â€Å" drank as a gut punched boxer gasps for breath, as a starving dog gobbles food compulsively, secretly, in pain and trembling†. He uses this simile to show that his father wa s not a social drinker, but a man who would drink just to drink.Sanders then uses imaginary to create a typical scene in his house while his father is drunk. He describes his father drinking from bottles of wine, cylinders of whisky, and cans of beer, then his father passes out in his recliner. Later, Sanders’s mother awakens him, which is when the fighting begins. This imaginary creates a sense of sadness and empathy for Sanders, for this was a daily issue for him. Sanders’s purpose for writing â€Å"Under the Influence† was to show that people do not act like themselves when consumed by alcohol.When alcohol takes over a person, they are to be feared. While continuing the story, Sanders begins to use different terms for the word â€Å"drunk†, such as tipsy, pickled, plowed, juiced, and looped. He points out that some of these words are meant to be funny, but the irony is that this is not a funny matter. The irony creates a sense of remorse for the people who suffer the way Sanders suffered growing up. As an adult, Sanders is able to accept the fact that his father suffered from a disease; however, this was not always easy for him to grasp.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Effective Use of Common Experience in The Lottery and Araby Essay

The Effective Use of Common Experience in The Lottery and Araby - Essay Example Both writers use recognizable situations and characters as effective tools, but in vastly different ways. Jackson uses typical characters and settings to deceive the reader into a complacence which is rudely shattered by the unexpected ending. On the other hand, in Araby, Joyce contrasts the commonplace situations and characteristics of the secondary characters with the uncommon emotions of the protagonist. In both cases, the reader is able to identify with the commonplace characters and situations in the narratives: this is the major contributing factor that has made The Lottery and Araby stand the test of time. Jackson sets her short story in an ordinary, commonplace village, and peoples it with typical, recognizable characters, with whom the reader can easily identify. This effectively serves to intensify the uncommon horror of the ritualistic stoning of Mrs. Hutchinson at the climax. The characters are reassuringly familiar: Mr. Summer, whose â€Å"wife was a scold,† and O ld Man Warner who shows the senior citizens’ resistance to change. The casual gathering of the people in the village square in the â€Å"warmth of a full-summer day† , the children at play, the everyday conversations taking place: the children talking of school, the women gossiping, the men â€Å"speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes†, the cheerful banter surrounding Mrs. Hutchinson’s late arrival – all these are shared experiences that lull the reader into complacency.

Personal Report for Financial Services Term Paper - 1

Personal Report for Financial Services - Term Paper Example Its equity jumped to QR 5.3 billion, and its profits for the years was QR 0.78 billion (Jaghoub, 2013). QIC offers several services caged under Personal and Business Insurance. Under personal insurance QIC offers Home Care, which essentially covers your home and everything within its confines. Premier Automobile Insurance is tailored to insure your vehicle, family and whoever else is caught up in an accident or car crash involving your automobile. Travel care covers clients on holiday in whatever part of world by providing quality medical care and life insurance (Ali, 2013). Under the Business Insurance segment, QIC offers corporate medical and Motor insurance for companies under their plan. They also offer Marine and Aviation Insurance, which essentially covers cargo that is transported via water and air, most of which is vulnerable to natural hazards, pirate activities, collision and pollution liabilities (Ali, 2013). They also cover any damage to the sea vessels or aircrafts during the course of freight.QIC also diversifies into financial advisory and real estate, which has seen its margins grow exponentially in the recent past. Under real estate, the company invests its funds in property development and purchase of real estate. QIC management team also offers financial consultancy services to other companies with the aim of steering them into profitability (Ali, 2013). The service quality of QIC is exemplary. It offers a wide array of services, most of which are tailored to met specific needs. They are known to make payments on time incase claims are made. Their valuations are commensurate to the damage inflicted on an individual or property (Ali, 2013). Being an underwriter in its on right, QIC has been issued a Rating A/Stable in financial strength and Issuer Credit, confirming that the company is excellent in risk adjustment capitalization, above average

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Reflection Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Reflection Paper - Assignment Example Finally, the instructor was accommodative and ready to explain points that were challenging, and hence, the course was both educative and entertaining. There are several lessons I learned about myself. I learnt the need to set achievable goals and mark major milestones in my life. It is essential to set achievable goals, achieve the goal, and strive to achieve the next goal. I set up the goals because it is easy to succeed when one knows where they are from and where they are heading. I have learned that I am self-conscious health wise and focus on living a healthy life. In addition, I am considerably responsible at a personal level and make service an essential part of everyday life. Responsibility is essential because it enhances positive relationships with others at both a personal and a professional level. Through this, I gained new ideas and modified some of my existing concepts on leadership. I have learned that I am a credible person. There are some basic things I have learnt about leadership that have helped me hone my leadership skills. It is necessary to maintain credibility with people. Credibility ensures that followers believe in a person and believe what they say. Without credibility, it is difficult to attract honesty from other people. Although it is often a challenge to keep promises and maintain credibility, credibility is one of the qualities that confirm great leadership. At a personal level, it makes one a better person, while on a professional level, it enhance trustworthiness and improves interpersonal relationships in a work place. I plan to use the information I have gained in this course in my life. I intend to enhance my quality of life and further sharpen my skills on leadership through practical training. I will do this through working on my talents in various fields, and enhancing an identity that enables me to discover other talents. This personal development is also useful at the professional level because it can enable me

Monday, August 26, 2019

Research design proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Design - Research Proposal Example It is important to denote that descriptive research is effective in providing information concerning the behavior or characteristics of a particular group. Furthermore, a descriptive study is always carried out for purposes of demonstrating an association between things surrounding the world. Looking at this research, the researcher it is descriptive in nature. This is because it requires a researcher to make observations on the factors that cause domestic violence amongst the Hispanic community, and thereafter come up with a more reliable and accurate conclusion concerning the issue. Furthermore this research is concerned with analyzing the relationship amongst individuals. Berk (2006) denotes that one of the major characteristic of a descriptive research design is that it used to analyze the association between two or more groups. On this research qualifies to be use the descriptive research design for purposes of achieving its mandate. In carrying out this research, the researcher will rely mostly on three very important tools of descriptive research design. These tools are, observational, survey, as well as case study approaches (Creswell and Clark, 2007). Under observational research, the researcher will have the responsibility of identifying a group of particular Hispanic households, and analyze their ways of life, this includes whether there is violence or not amongst the identified families. This would therefore force a researcher to choose a population, and on this basis, the best strategy of choosing the population would be the use of a simple random technique. That is, the researcher will identify a least ten households, and randomly choose five, for purposes of observing their ways of life. Under case study approaches, the researcher will mainly rely on secondary sources of data collection to achieve this objective (Creswell and Clark, 2007). The researcher will have to look at journals, books, and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Article critque Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Article critque - Essay Example Stark says that managers must also include all employees who work in the organization as part of the planning process, instead of only relying on other finance officers. Stark suggests that there needs to be a plan that establishes the business need for a forecast and that it should be followed for best results. He outlines a plan for them. In order to create a plan, Stark suggests that when the organization is making the forecast, they should use at least two years of data. This data should include data from "multiple healthcare information systems (HIS), spreadsheets, small departmental databases and enterprise data warehouse information (p. 2). These sources will give the most accurate forecast. He suggest that data has to come "in their pure form" to make the forecast completely accurate. They also have to find a way to gather the information before it is purged from their system (he explains that most healthcare organizations purge data around the two year mark). Once the information is gathered it should be examined in a visual way either through trend, distribution or scatter graphs to see whether it is "clean data" or "to find anomalies" (p. 3). Once the information is gathered, a model is then build using either a "cause and effect, time series [or] judgment model," depending on the needs of the particular hea lthcare business (p. 3). According to the biographic information, Stark is VP of product management for an organization called MedeFinance. Although he works in finance the model he used seems to be left up to the individual organizations to interpret as to how to use it. Parts 3 and 4 of the model that have to do with building the model and evaluation of the model are difficult to understand for the lay person. If this was something that was being explained to employees other than financial people, it would be better written in laymens terms. Also, some financial managers may have difficult understanding the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Financial data analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Financial data analysis - Essay Example Likewise tools to predict the stock price of the companies, there are certain tools which specifically used to predict the price of a region or a city (Carcello J et al., 2010). The prices pertain to the Wheat Kansas is comparatively higher than that of the Wheat No. 2 Soft Red in almost all the time period. Lots of fluctuation has been found among the prices of both of the prices of the wheat. The average price of Wheat 2, Soft Red is $ 630.48 while the average price of Hard Kansas is $ 860.054. The average price movement for Soft Red Wheat is -0.10744% while the average movement of Hard Kansas is -0.07618. Standard Deviation which is one of the most important things from the aspect of finance and statistics is also applied on the same. From the analysis, it is found that the deviation from the mean for Red Wheat is 4.51%, while it is 3.45% for Hard Kansas. It means that the price of Hard Kansas is comparatively less risky than that of Red Wheat in total. Every organisation runs for the sake of economic profit and to do the same, different actions and strategies would certainly take into consideration. Organisations are of different kinds and there would be different strategies would be applied for enhancing the revenue of the companies (Borodovsky & Gogarten, 2010). Economic downturns and external pressures are always difficult for the companies as a whole because it relates to both short and long term economic prosperity of the companies as a whole. From last few years, the stance of organisations and its productivity are quite blurred merely because of the economic crisis and high external pressure were on a higher side at that time. Finance is a big field, in which there are number of things present and everything has its own importance and significance. There are certain things that come under the ambit of finance and among them; the name of forecasting is one of

Friday, August 23, 2019

Apple Inc. Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Apple Inc. Paper - Essay Example lifornia. The company was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the year 1976 as Apple Computers Inc. Apple Inc is involved in the manufacturing of digital electronics and computer hardware equipments. The company’s name was changed to Apple Inc in the year 2007. The company is listed on NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange. Apple Inc has become the synonym for innovation with its cutting edge technology (Apple, 2012). The company has been constantly delivering products and services as per its mission and vision. The mission and vision for the Apple Inc is to be the most innovative company and design and manufacture products that are innovative, unique and provides the customers a whole new experience. The company can be referred to as the pioneer of technology. Apple Inc has made the technology look simple yet distinctive through its products and services. The product of the company includes iPhone, iPod, iPad, Mac, iTunes, speakers, printers, etc. All the products of the company possess unique features and have become hugely popular amongst the people. The company has so far been able to increase the level of eagerness of customers with every product launch. Every product of the company set a new bench mark both in technology and sales across the globe. The products of Apple Inc are sold worldwide through its retail outlets, direct sales, online store, and through third party sellers as well (YahooFinance, 2012). Apple Inc may be leading the way in the technology field but still faces stiff competition from some major players such as Google, Research in Motion and Hewlett Packard. These companies are no less innovative with their products and services. They are amongst the most admired companies in the world and significantly have large number of customer base as well. To have an edge over its competitors Apple Inc has been following a generic strategy. The company’s generic strategy can be discussed below: Competitive Advantage Apple Incâ₠¬â„¢s competitive advantage over its competitors lies in providing high value to its customers which justifies the high price of its products. Cost Leadership Strategy Apple Inc’s cost leadership strategy has always to set average price of the products to garner maximum profit. This strategy has been successful because of the high value company offers to the customers through its innovative products. Example: Recently launched iPad offers great value to its customers through differentiating features such as 5 megapixel iSight camera, 4G connectivity for faster browsing (Apple, 2012). Differentiation Strategy The prime generic strategy followed by Apple Inc is the differentiation

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Mountain Property Essay Example for Free

Mountain Property Essay As Martin’s friend and attorney, I would advise him that he is the sole owner of mountain property. Since the property was purchased as a joint tenancy with a right of survivorship, Martin is now the only living tenant. Right of survivorship automatically divides the interest of the deceased tenant equally among the remaining tenants, until there is only one. Peter evidently misunderstand the right of survivorship when he indicated in his will that his share was to be transferred to his son Andrew. According to the text, under joint tenancy, all are co-owners of equal shares and may sell their shares without the consent of other owners. Their interest can be attached by creditors ( , p. 354). Since Peter never sold his share, Andrew has no claim, and therefore the creditor has no case, since the property in question was never legally Andrew’s. I would advise Martin that Otis has probable reasoning to believe he is in the right and North Carolina law could possible side with Otis in this case. Under North Carolina Adverse Possession Laws, if the occupant has resided on the property uncontested for a period exceeding twenty years he may be granted the title. In addition, it has been over 20 years since Martin had checked on the property. The justification for adverse possession in North Carolina is that it gives title to the person who gives a beneficial use to the land. Otis has been utilizing the land openly and publicly, this can be quantified by him building a residence on the property, thus giving him statutory period for adverse possession. If Martin had checked on the property over the years, he would have noticed Otis was trespassing and could have contacted the authorities to remove him if he refused. Coastal Property In reference to Martin’s legal rights with his beach house, I would advise Martin to file an appeal to the city taking his property under eminent domain. In order for eminent domain to be upheld, the property must be used for the good of the public, and not for transfer to another private party. In Kelo v. New London, Justice Stevens states â€Å"On the one hand, it has long been accepted that the sovereign may not take the property of A for the sole  purpose of transferring it to another private party B, even though A is paid just compensation.†(p. 361 ). Since the Tar Heel Family Resort is most likely a private venture, it clearly is not intended for public use. Public use would include parks, public transportation, museums, etc. Although the resort will be bringing additional jobs and tax revenue to the city, Martin’s house could only be seized by the city in this scenario if the house was beyond repair. In Berman v. Parker (1954), the court allowed the District of Columbia to establish eminent domain over personal housing that was beyond repair to construct public use facilities with the remainder of the land to be sold to private parties in order to generate low-cost housing. I would advise Martin that the city has no right to condemnation of his property under law and the court system would rule in favor of his appeal, just as it has in the past. Personal property I would first advise Martin to contact the police and file a report if he had not done so. I would also have Martin contact his insurance company, they may be willing to lend a hand in this scenario to prevent having to pay Martin the settlement cost if he had full coverage. I would then refer Martin to: NCGS 25-2-403. Power to transfer, good faith purchase of goods; â€Å"entrusting† 1. (1) A purchaser of goods acquires all title which his transferor had or had power to transfer except that a purchaser of a limited interest acquires rights only to the extent of the interest purchased. A person with voidable title has power to transfer a good title to a good faith purchaser for value. When goods have been delivered under a transaction of purchase the purchaser has such power even though (a) the transferor was deceived as to the identity of the purchaser, or (b) the delivery was in exchange for a check which is later dishonored, or (c) it was agreed that the transaction was to be a cash  sale, or (d) the delivery was procured through fraud punishable as larcenous under the criminal law. (2) Any entrusting of possession of goods to a merchant who deals in goods of that kind gives him power to transfer all rights of the entruster to a buyer in ordinary course of business. (3) Entrusting includes any delivery and any acquiescence in retention of possession regardless of any condition expressed between the parties to the delivery or acquiescence and regardless of whether the procurement of the entrusting or the possessors disposition of the goods have been such as to be larcenous under the criminal law. (4) The rights of other purchasers of goods and of lien creditors are governed by the articles on secured transactions (article 9) and documents of title (article 7). Benjamin committed the act of larceny when he took Martin’s car. Larceny is a matter of state criminal law, so the definition may vary slightly by state, but it can generally be defined as the secretive and wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal property of another with the intent to permanently deprive the rightful owner of its use or possession. ( p. 157). The real question is, who is responsible for accepting these stolen goods? The above NC law states that the car dealer could be held responsible for accepting stolen goods without proof of ownership. The car dealer should not have accepted the car without a title in hand or written/verbal confirmation from the lien holder. Martin will most likely have to sue the car dealer in order to gain control of the car if the police do not force the stolen property to be returned to the rightful owner. References Satterlee, A. (2013). Organizational Management and Leadership: A Christian Perspective (2nd Edition). Raleigh, NC: Synergistics International Inc.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Programming and Commercial Effects on Children Essay Example for Free

Programming and Commercial Effects on Children Essay Many parents are not aware that commercial programming can have the same effect on childs cognitive learning as the programming the children are watching. The Merriman-Webster (2012) dictionary defines cognitive as, Of relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (as thinking, reasoning, or remembering). Research has been done on childrens programming as well as commercial television to show the effects on todays youth. Even though suggestive adult humor can be found in childrens programming, the impact commercials have toward children is just as important to watch. Television can provide opportunity for children to learn however it should not be a teacher or babysitter for todays youth. Questions like, If a program is scheduled at all hours of the day and into the night, does this make it appropriate for younger children to watch? should be just one of the many parents should ask when allowing children to watch specific television programming. Intentional or not, programmers use television to influence todays youth. With todays ability to view childrens programming on a multitude of different stations and different channels for each station, it is amazing on how much of todays programming for young children have hidden layers of adult humor. Television writers put subtle instances of adult humor in to childrens programming which allows for them to draw in ratings from a wider range of viewers. Rice (2009) conducted a study on popular childrens cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants in which it states the show is directed toward an age group of approximately 2 to 11 year olds, however research shows that it has a variety of audiences in all age groups. Nearly a quarter (22%) of the viewers ranged from ages 18 to 49. Along with this research, Rice also notes on the schedule of the show to emphasize how it is directed toward a large range of viewers. The show was slotted to air between early morning hours to even later hours, up until close to midnight which by then most of the targeted age group would ave been in bed for a few hours by the time of airing. Rice also recorded subject analysis data for several age groups. In information collected from high school students, the majority of them seem to identify with the shows side kick known as Patrick Star. A large majority of respondents say they watch the show because it is funny, entertaining, and hilarious (Rice, 2009, paragraph, 46). On the other hand, when college students were polled they more or less chose to watch because it helped them unwind from a stressful day, possibly like a treat for their bran after a hard day of class work. If a show that is targeted for a much younger age group has a relaxing type of effect, it would be interesting to see how it influences the target age group. When childrens programming is actually aimed towards a large range of viewers how adults choose what their children should watch could have an important impact on how they develop. In recent, years television networks an writers have taken a more proactive approach in educating youth through television programming. Some of this can be seen by the creation of junior channels. Channels like Nick Jr. or Disney Jr. ave created programming geared toward preschoolers and toddlers that use colors and characters to peak their interests. One of the more influential television stations that support child develop has been the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). PBS has had constant influence in child development with shows like Sesame Street and Barney Friends and now offer new programming like Bob the Builder, Teletubbies and Thomas Friends. These shows focus on learning in the early stages of a preschoolers development by reaching the alphabet, numbers, dancing, singing and even emotional responses. According to The Journal of Media Literacy (2012), To capture and hold viewer attention, each Dora episode features a linear narrative shaped around a high-stakes adventure with serious consequences. It calls upon viewers to interact with the television to help Dora overcome a series of structured challenges. When children hear that they did a good job or a positive response, they tend to want to interact more and thus keeps them interested in the programming. Along with current programming on television, networks have started developing DVDs to sell to parents when current programming might not peak a childs interests. Big Companies like Disney, the Brainy Baby Company and Sesame Workshop have started developing age specific programming. When a large company starts to invest in developmental programming, it gives a better sense of satisfaction as the brand is well known. DVD series like Baby Einstein, Brainy Baby and Sesame Beginnings all have their own niche and targeted age range however all promote development and learning. Kikorian, Wartella, and Anderson (2008) state shows like Baby Einstein target viewers from as young as one month old and covers a wide range of topics such as music, art, language and poetry while Sesame Beginnings targets children starting at six months of age. This show features younger versions of the Muppets of Sesame Street and promote interaction between children and their caregivers. Kikoran et al. (2008) also discussed the unique effect of television on children under the age of two and suggests that some research shows that exposure to television during the first few years of life may be associated with poorer cognitive development. This question could be geared toward the overall television experience which includes commercials and the actual programming. With the importance of what is appropriate for children to watch in television, parents seem to be more concerned with actual programming then what is played in between. However, studies have shown that these commercials can be just as influential to our youth. With promotion of movie trailers, current television shows and video games violence is in pure view for children to see and it is less monitored then the actual program. In order to track this data, the authors in an article in the Journal of Advertising had to define how children and their parents viewed violence. For the children defining violence was much more broad as one child responded with, Violent is fighting with weapons, with swords, blood, and gore and another stated, Violence is bleeding really bad. Sometimes its when somebody falls down and theyre scratched or bleeding really bad (Brocato et al. 2010). Parents were more unified with defining violence with violence consisting of blood, gore and death. Children seem to think that it is the mother that stresses the importance of them not watching while the fathers feel it is alright as long as they are watching it with them. Both parents shared a common theme in that the commercials are not the issue but the actual programming. Parents also shared that by being present they could address sensitive issues like violence when it happens. Reading through the study it was surprising to see possible limitations that could have address more issues. Parents could have been asked while being present when the issue arose how did the child react to the situation. Another question that might have been asked is how did the child react to the actual discussion about the topic. Was the child more interested in the programming or on what the parents had to say. Ultimately the article had a good basis for what were the more glaring issues and how both the parents and children valued what was played in commercials. Intentional or not, programmers use television to influence todays youth. This could be from how they act from watching their favorite television program, to desiring a new toy or video game that was currently seen on a commercial. Parents should take the time to watch what their children are watching. One way to see how a childs favorite program can affect them is to watch the program without the child and then with the child. When watched alone write down instances that might be inappropriate or that draw questions. As the child sits through the program watch how they react to certain situation and then discuss with them on what is positive and what is negative. With correct supervision and discussions, parents have the ability to be a part of the education process with todays youth.

Knitting In Edith Whartons Roman Fever English Literature Essay

Knitting In Edith Whartons Roman Fever English Literature Essay In writing, it seems as though a writers every word is calculated, each sentence a carefully crafted work of art intended to invoke a thought, idea, or message in a readers malleable psyche. In essence, this is indeed the goal of writing: to convey to others ones own ideas through written words. When viewed this way, a reader is required to read differently than he or she would otherwise. When the reader takes on the challenge of searching for some deeper, more sophisticated meaning within a story beyond that which appears on the page, each sentence becomes a golden nugget nestled in the gold mine of the paragraph as a whole, the reader a miner meticulously working his or her way through the paragraphs in search of the mother lode. With each reading the walls of the story recede, revealing ever more of the intricacies and complexities infused into the story by the writer. Edith Whartons Roman Fever is full of delicately placed words, carefully planned structures, and pieces of the pu zzle conveniently hidden from readers, and yet for reasons unknown it has received very little critical attention in the seventy-five years since its release in 1934 (Bauer 681). Those who have turned their attention toward it, however, seem to have focused largely on the role Mrs. Ansleys knitting plays in the story. In Whartons Roman Fever, the authors mention of Mrs. Ansleys twist of crimson silk is calculated, as the knitting serves to emphasize and symbolize the relationship between Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley as well as to foreshadow the characters dramatic revelations later in the story (Wharton 1 of 12). Color is central to the human understanding of the surrounding world. People associate colors with feelings, places, people, and events in their lives, and each color harbors a different meaning for each individual. Thus, the color used by the narrator to describe Mrs. Ansleys knitting is vital to ones interpretation of the story. The narrator describes it as a twist of crimson silk, and in these five words there exists no shortage of meaning (Wharton 1 of 12). For instance, the knitting is said to be crimson (Wharton 1 of 12). Alice Petry explains it as an insistently passionate color in her article entitled A Twist of Crimson Silk: Edith Whartons Roman Fever' (164). In the article, Petry details the various meanings of the knitting, highlighting also the significance of the knitting within the story. Petrys characterization of the color is not singular to her interpretation of the story: red and its various shades are widely regarded as colors of love and of passion. This passionat e color choice serves to foreshadow the upcoming revelation of the characters as they realize that neither of them knows the whole truth about Mrs. Ansleys tryst with Delphin Slade. Much of the critical attention given to the story has centered on Mrs. Ansleys knitting, and so it is not surprising that critics have emphasized its color. Jamil characterizes the crimson hue of the knitting this way: If black signifies the gloom of guilt, then crimson signifies the heat of sexuality and risquà © youthfulness of romantic passion (99). The black to which Jamil refers is actually the black color of the handbag Mrs. Ansley is carrying, as the story says, Half guiltily she drew from her handsomely mounted black handbag a twist of crimson silkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Jamil 99; Wharton 1 of 12). This innovative comparison between the two colors emphasizes the foreshadowing effect created by the crimson color of the knitting. In much the same way that the human consciousness is heavily influenced by color, so also does the material from which something is crafted play a large part in how one perceives an object or an event. Different substances carry with them various connotations and denotations that must be taken into account when interpreting a story. Thus, just as color is important, the narrators mention of the type of material used in Mrs. Ansleys knitting is key as well. According to the narrator, the knitting being done by Mrs. Ansley is not made of yarn but of silk (Wharton 1 of 12). This seemingly minor detail is actually very significant, and it too foreshadows the characters coming disclosure of what really happened between Mrs. Ansley and Delphin Slade. Silk is often viewed as a very slinky, seductive material, and so this minor detail foreshadows the climactic revealing of the past that is to come. It suggests some kind of covert romantic encounter on the part of Mrs. Ansley and it can even be seen as contextually symbolic. Jamil puts it this way: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the act of bringing out the yarn, which is exquisitely delicate (silk), is the act of bringing the delicate thread out of the past into the present or bringing the present into the past (99). Jamil is not the only one to suggest some sort of connection between the silk and the storys plot, however. Petry also weighs in on the subject, saying, The sensuality and forcefulness suggested by [Mrs. Ansleys] knitting materials will help to render plausible her passionate moonlight tryst with Delphin Slade twenty-five years earlierà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (164). Both Jamil and Petry seem convinced that the narrators mention of the silk is not simply aesthetic; rather, both seem to believe that it is premeditated and deliberate, as it serves as one of the storys most powerful agents of foreshadowing. Mrs. Ansleys knitting does not solely serve to foreshadow the storys climax. Instead, it serves also as a contextual symbol of the relationship shared by Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade. As a result of the narrators descriptions of the knitting, it can be said that the knitting suggests a great deal about the relationship between the two women by its very structure. To knit is, by definition, to makeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦by looping together yarn or thread by means of special needles (Knit def. 1). Because knitting does not normally relate to relationships beyond the context of this story, the use of knitting here acts as a contextual symbol for the relationship between the women. Curiously, this aspect of Mrs. Ansleys knitting has received little critical attention. This does not, however, detract from its magnitude. Knitting is essentially a system of interwoven strands that seem to be completely connected and totally intertwined; the article I Had Barbara: Womens Ties and Whartons Roman Fever' describes the lives of the women in much the same way in the following few sentences: [Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley] move as one, they lean as one, and their expression is the same one. Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley had lived opposite each other actually as well as figuratively for years: a cohabitation, figuratively if not actually alongside their marriages (Bowlby 45). In these few sentences Bowlby outlines just how close the two women really are. Much like the threads of a piece of knitting, the two women cannot get much closer together. The lives of Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade are completely interwoven, and as a result it can be said that the knitting acts as a contextual symbol of the relationship between them. That said, however, even the best knitting will begin to destroy itself with even the tiniest snip of a pair of scissors. Viewed from this perspective, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade represent the strands of silk, the relationship between them is the knitting as a whole, and Mr s. Ansleys encounter with Delphin Slade and its emergence later in the story act as the scissors that will cause the relationship to fall apart. The one-night rendezvous between Mrs. Ansley and Delphin Slade has such far-reaching, severe effects that it eventually unravels the very structure of the relationship shared by the two women, which had heretofore been intimate (Wharton 3 of 12). Edith Whartons Roman Fever is, according to Petry, Probably Edith Whartons best-known short storyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (163). It is bursting with symbols, foreshadowing, plot twists, and vivid descriptions. What sets it apart from other stories, however, is the significance it places on the simple, seemingly innocuous act of knitting. Mrs. Ansleys knitting plays a central role in the story, as it foreshadows the storys climax and symbolizes the relationship between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade. The quantity of times it appears lends credence to the idea that Wharton intended for the reader to place a heavy emphasis on the knitting, and the placement and timing of its appearance is too uncanny and too often to be coincidental. Thus, it can be deduced that the narrators mention of Mrs. Ansleys twist of crimson silk is indeed calculated and is meant to invoke a deeper meaning to the story than would be found otherwise (Wharton 1 of 12). As a result, it cannot be ignored as one of the chief aspe cts of the story, and when included in ones interpretation of the story it in turn makes the story more realistic, more meaningful, and more enjoyable.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Free Billy Budd Essays: A Structuralist Reading :: Billy Budd Essays

A Structuralist Reading of Billy Budd . . . truth is revealed only when formal order is destroyed. - Dryden, p. 209 Not on your life, says Edgar A. Dryden (though not in so many words, of course) to the above in his splendid Melville's Thematics of Form. His argument is essentially to show that while most readers (erroneously) assume that Captain Vere is the story's tragic hero, the fact of the matter is that a "better" reading will reveal him as Melville's target, if you want to know the "truth." I want to emphasize at the outset is that EVERYTHING DRYDEN SAYS IS SUPPORTED BY THE TEXT he is analyzing. In other words, he cannot be accused of reading-into! Well, how does Dryden denormalize (as it were) the reading above? Rather simply even if rather spectacularly. Here's as brief a version of Dryden's argument as I can possibly give you: Captain Vere's argument is very formally ordered and highly symmetrical. Furthermore, it is in keeping with this compassionate and wise man's philosophy according to which (as Melville's text tells us) "with mankind forms, . . . measured forms are everything" (84). Interestingly enough, Dryden points out, the published report concerning the whole Budd affair at the end of the story, which is taken from a "naval chronicle of the time," and which thus represents an "authorized" version of the whole affair (85), is also formally ordered and highly symmetrical. The trouble is that this "authorized" account is totally false. According to this versi on Billy Budd was evil while John Claggart was good, etc. Perhaps, Dryden argues, we may find something in Melville's text that would confirm a suspicion we may already be entertaining - namely, that formally ordered and highly symmetrical arguments may themselves be suspicious. Dryden finds the text in question very close to the one where Captain Vere makes his claim about "measured forms." It reads as follows: "The symmetry of form attainable in pure fiction cannot so readily be achieved in a narration essentially having less to do with fable than with fact. TRUTH UNCOMPROMISINGLY TOLD WILL ALWAYS HAVE ITS RAGGED EDGES" (84; capitals mine). In contradistinction to Captain Vere's argument or the naval chronicle's "authorized" version, then, Dryden asks us to examine Melville's own way of telling his story. Is it formally ordered and highly symmetrical? Free Billy Budd Essays: A Structuralist Reading :: Billy Budd Essays A Structuralist Reading of Billy Budd . . . truth is revealed only when formal order is destroyed. - Dryden, p. 209 Not on your life, says Edgar A. Dryden (though not in so many words, of course) to the above in his splendid Melville's Thematics of Form. His argument is essentially to show that while most readers (erroneously) assume that Captain Vere is the story's tragic hero, the fact of the matter is that a "better" reading will reveal him as Melville's target, if you want to know the "truth." I want to emphasize at the outset is that EVERYTHING DRYDEN SAYS IS SUPPORTED BY THE TEXT he is analyzing. In other words, he cannot be accused of reading-into! Well, how does Dryden denormalize (as it were) the reading above? Rather simply even if rather spectacularly. Here's as brief a version of Dryden's argument as I can possibly give you: Captain Vere's argument is very formally ordered and highly symmetrical. Furthermore, it is in keeping with this compassionate and wise man's philosophy according to which (as Melville's text tells us) "with mankind forms, . . . measured forms are everything" (84). Interestingly enough, Dryden points out, the published report concerning the whole Budd affair at the end of the story, which is taken from a "naval chronicle of the time," and which thus represents an "authorized" version of the whole affair (85), is also formally ordered and highly symmetrical. The trouble is that this "authorized" account is totally false. According to this versi on Billy Budd was evil while John Claggart was good, etc. Perhaps, Dryden argues, we may find something in Melville's text that would confirm a suspicion we may already be entertaining - namely, that formally ordered and highly symmetrical arguments may themselves be suspicious. Dryden finds the text in question very close to the one where Captain Vere makes his claim about "measured forms." It reads as follows: "The symmetry of form attainable in pure fiction cannot so readily be achieved in a narration essentially having less to do with fable than with fact. TRUTH UNCOMPROMISINGLY TOLD WILL ALWAYS HAVE ITS RAGGED EDGES" (84; capitals mine). In contradistinction to Captain Vere's argument or the naval chronicle's "authorized" version, then, Dryden asks us to examine Melville's own way of telling his story. Is it formally ordered and highly symmetrical?

Monday, August 19, 2019

Salem Witchcraft Trials in The Crucible by Arthur Miller :: The Crucible Arthur Miller Witchcraft Essays

Salem Witchcraft Trials in The Crucible by Arthur Miller Throughout society and throughout literature, vulnerable communities under certain conditions can be easily taken advantage of by a person or group of people presumed innocent. In the play, â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller, there are three main factors that allowed the girls fallacious stories to be believed: Salem’s flawed court system, its lack of diversity in beliefs and religion, and the lack of a strong leader in the town. Although Abigail and the girls initiated the accusations, the responsibility lies with the entire community. It was the deterioration of Salem's social structure that precipitated the murders of many innocent people. The church, legal system and the togetherness of the community fell just to protect social status. Salem’s flawed court system was chiefly responsible. Under their courts, denial was considered a terrible sin. The narrow mindedness of the court possessed an unwritten law that if a name was brought out within the court, without any questioning, that person was presumed guilty. In this system, innocence is not taken into consideration, and the court is convinced they are right only if the victim confesses. There is no hearing for the victim, and even if they are truly innocent, they are only left with two options: They have the choice of denial, which will lead to their execution; or confessing, which gets them thrown into jail. To prove that all these people were actually guilty also played a part in lengthening the tragedy. Herrick, Cheever and Danforth are all full of their own importance and strictness of the court. They ask question after question to each victim until the defendant breaks down and confesses to save their life. Hale, a person who was brought in from out of town to ward off the evil spirits, began to realize the victims’ innocence towards the end. However, he knew the strictness of the court: â€Å"Though our hearts break, we cannot flinch, these are new times.† Another contributing factor was the fact that everyone in the town had the same beliefs. The fact that they were isolated from all other groups of people with different beliefs created a church-led Puritan society that was unable to handle change. The reputation of a family was very important to the members of the community. When the girls were caught dancing in the woods, they lied to protect not just themselves but the reputation of their families.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Contracts Essay example -- essays research papers

Contracts A contract is an agreement that is enforceable by law. Modern business could not exist without such contracts. Most business transactions involve commitments to furnish goods, services, or real property; these commitments are usually in the form of contracts. Use of the contract in business affairs ensures, to some extent, the performance of an agreement, for a party that breaks a contract may be sued in court for the damages caused by the breach. Sometimes, however, a party that breaks a contract may be persuaded to make an out-of-court settlement, thus saving the expense of legal proceedings. A contract arises when an offer to make a contract is accepted. An offer contains a promise (for example, "I will pay $1,000") and a request for something in return (a person's car). The acceptance consists of an assent by the party to whom the offer is made, showing that the person agrees to the terms offered. The offer may be terminated in a number of ways. For example, the party making the offer may cancel it (a revocation), or the party to whom the offer is made may reject it. When the party to whom the offer is made responds with a different offer, called a counteroffer, the original offer is terminated. Then the counteroffer may be accepted by the party making the original offer. REQUIREMENTS OF A VALID CONTRACT For a contract to be valid, both parties must give their assent. They must act in such a way that the other people involved believe their intention is to make a contract. Thus a person who is clearly not sincere in saying that he or she accepts an offer usually is not held to a contract by the courts. On the other hand, a person who secretly has no intention of making a contract but who acts in a manner that leads people to believe he or she had, may be held to a contract. Legally, it is the external appearance that determines whether one is held to a contract. Consideration A contract results from a bargain. This implies that each party to the contract gives up something, or promises to, in exchange for something given up or promised by the other party. This is called consideration. In the example given above, the consideration on one side is the promise to pay $1,000, and on the other, the promise to deliver a car. With rare exceptions, a promise by one party, without some form of consideration being extended by the other pa... ... of money designed to compensate for losses stemming from the breach). Damages are measured by what may reasonably be foreseen as financial losses; unforeseeable losses may not be collected. If an award of money is not compensatory because something about the promised performance was unique, the party who breaks a contract may be ordered by the court to perform as agreed. This is called specific performance. For example, real estate is always considered unique. Therefore, when a party has contracted to sell real estate but changes his or her mind, the court may grant specific performance and order that the deed for the real estate be delivered to the agreed buyer. Most contracts are formed with an implicit understanding that neither party need perform unless the other has completed his or her promised performance. An exception to this understanding occurs when a party has performed most of his or her obligation and the part not performed is relatively immaterial. The doctrine of substantial performance provides that in such a case, the opposite party must perform, although he or she may secure money damages to the extent that he or she was damaged by lack of complete performance.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Pillars of Education Essay

1. Learning to Know â€Å"Learning to Know† is one of the four pillars of education. Pillar of education actually means â€Å"the one that supports education†. The first one that supports education is â€Å"learning to know†, which is a bit natural to answer the question â€Å"Why do we need to learn? †, so the most possible answer would be â€Å"to be able for us to know things†. While this is true, before understanding from what we learn, we have to develop first the skills that are needed to understand these things. So the first pillar focuses on the well-known side of education which is the developing of intellectual skills in particular. These skills include the concentration, memory and the ability of a person to think. Children should have these skills because it will be their starting point or their foundation to learn more complex issues that our world is facing today. Learning is a lifelong process, so the more we learn things, the more we will understand the world around us. 2. Learning to Do The second pillar of education is the â€Å"learning to do†. This implies that we are not only learning to know (to develop intellectual skills), but we are also learning to do things out of the skills that we have developed. We do not isolate these skills on ourselves but we try to be more effective and productive by applying the se skills to develop personal competence, qualities, aptitudes and attitudes. Knowledge and skills will be put into waste if we do not utilize or apply it into real-life situations. The second pillar focuses on the effectiveness and productiveness of a person by developing and applying the skills/knowledge not only to manage one’s life but also to have the ability to be cooperative to the other members of the society and also, for the society itself. This pillar of education teaches us to adapt to the society’s demands. So the more skills we have developed, the more opportunities are accessible/ available for us to apply these skills whether in work or in life. 3. Learning to Be This pillar supports education in developing the total development of an individual. When we say total development, it does not only include the intellectual aspect but also its physical, emotional, social, moral and spiritual which an individual is made up of. It focuses on the individual himself and his personality; what are his attitudes, how does he behave, his beliefs, his interests and so on. So we do not only learn to know or develop skills nor utilize these skill/knowledge but we also learn to be a better individual not just for our family but for the society as well. Children should be taught the traits and values that we want them to develop like being responsible, honest, respectful and other traits that are considered good to develop their personality because knowing oneself first is the key to know others. 4. Learning to Live Together â€Å"Learning to live together is the last pillar of education and is considered as the most essential one. It is not only about knowledge, the application of skills or about the personality but it is the help of these three pillars that we would be able to live harmoniously. This pillar does not only refer to mere interaction and communication made by the members of the society because even if we have this communication, there are still inevitable conflicts that could occur. Knowledge here refers to have information about each other’s history and culture. We have to know and respect their beliefs, traditions and values which in turn they will respect ours. In this way, it can create a strong bond to understand each other’s differences. â€Å"Learning to Live Together refers on how to prevent conflicts in the society. We are also taught to live together with people who have different personality, different beliefs, and traditions and culture because we are not the only person in this world; we have to participate and cooperate to have peace and a just society.

Friday, August 16, 2019

The Presidio San Elizario

The Presidio of San Elizario In 1598, the Spanish nobleman, Don Juan De Onate from Zacatecas, Mexico was leading a group of Spanish colonists from Mexico to settle the newly discovered province of New Mexico. The group traveled for weeks across the desert until it reached the banks of the Rio Grande River near the San Elizario area. Soon afterward, Onate proclaimed possession of this area in the name of his King, Phillip II. The small town of San Elizario is named after the French Saint Elcear, the French patron saint of the military.It is one of the oldest communities in the El Paso Area. The community was established during the late 1700’s. A presidio was built in the area in order to protect the Spanish settlers from the attacking Apache and Comanche Indian raiders. The exact date of when the presidio of San Elizario was first built remains a debate between many local historians. One well known area historian, Metz, writes, â€Å"The original presidio was built around 1773 and that the original chapel was built of mostly adobe and some wood, and took approximately 40 years to construct. Most of the work was done by prisoners, some of them Indian, mostly Apache. (254). As noted by an online source, the presidio itself was surrounded by a double wall of adobe measuring 13 feet tall by seven feet wide. Inside were barracks for soldiers and special officer quarters. Also within the fort were family residences, corrals, store rooms, and a small chapel. This small chapel was built in a box pattern reflecting the early â€Å"European colonialism. † (San Elizario). The chapel has gone through major changes throughout its history, yet still remains close to its original location to this day.As historian John O. West notes, the San Elizario Presidio is often mistaken as a mission. However, the presidio of San Elizario was not created to convert the local natives to Christianity, but in fact was created as a fort or presidio to protect the Camino Real an d other area settlements from Apache and Comanche Indian raiders. (19). An online source also notes that the presidio was involved in numerous military engagements and natural disasters which forced its movement many times throughout it’s early history. (Reyes).According to another historian, Douglas Kent Hall, â€Å"The presidio was moved 37 miles up the Rio Grande in 1780 to its current site. † (131). According to another internet source, â€Å"During the early 1830’s the unpredictable Rio Grande River changed course, virtually isolating San Elizario and its surrounding communities as an island in the middle of the Rio Grande. † (San Elizario). After the US-Mexico War of 1846-1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, establishing the Rio Grande River as the boundary between Texas and Mexico.This left San Elizario to become part of what is now the state of Texas. San Elizario is steeped in both Texas, and Hispanic history. Still remaining today, the San Elizario presidio and chapel has moved many times and gone through many changes since its original construction. One online source notes, in 1829, the Rio Grande flooded completely destroying the â€Å"Chapel at San Elizario. † (San Elizario). A different Website points out that the chapel that stands in the same location today was rebuilt in 1882. (Kohut). Another online source notes, the exterior has changed little from its original construction.The main difference was in the change of the front â€Å"facade,† as this added to the, â€Å"early European colonial,† influence on the contemporary construction of the time. A fire destroyed much of the interior of the chapel in 1935. The inside has undergone dramatic changes since then, again reflecting the influence of â€Å"European architectural style. † With â€Å"pressed-tin† covering the original ceiling covers and beams. Several additions have also been made to the exterior of the chapel . For instance, an orchard has been added to the east side of the chapel and the surrounding plaza.More adobe structures have also been added to the surrounding area in order to add to the formality of the area. The formal rectangular patterned streets and building orientation â€Å"reflects the elements of early Spanish colonialism. † In 1944 the chapel was repainted in order to honor the local soldiers who fought overseas in World War II. (San Elizario). A local college student writes in the Borderlands Website that a â€Å"major restoration of the chapel† began in 1993, however much work still needs to be done to the exterior walls of the structure.The Mission Trail Association, which was formed in 1986, has done much work to uphold the heritage of the chapel at San Elizario and other local Missions. Through their hard work, the Socorro and Ysleta missions, along with the San Elizario chapel have retained their beauty and strength through hundreds of years of faith and devotion. (Reyes). With the help of the Mission Trail Association and donations from tourists and local interest in its preservation, the San Elizario chapel can be a monument for many more generations to enjoy. Works Cited Hall, Douglas Kent.Frontier Spirit: Early Churches of the Southwest. New York: Abbeville Press, 1990. Print. Metz, Leon C. El Paso: Guided Through Time. El Paso, Texas: Mangan Books, 1999. Print. West, John O. â€Å"Presidio Chapel San Elceario: San Elizario, Texas, USA. † The Mission Trail: El Paso/Juarez. Ed. Laura Jusso. El Paso, Texas: Sundance Press, 1996. Print. Reyes, Blanca et al. â€Å"Area Missions are Part of Living History. † Borderlands. Web. 22 Jan 2009. â€Å"San Elizario Walking Tour. † El Paso County History. Web. 18 Dec 2009. Kohout, Martin D. â€Å"San Elizario Presidio. † Handbook of Texas Online. Web. 23 Apr 2009.

Conjoined by Judith Minty is a poem about a broken relationship Essay

â€Å"Conjoined† by Judith Minty is a poem about a broken relationship. Judith Minty uses many similes, metaphors, and analogies to describe an unhappy union of two people and the inseparability of marriage. The sub title is â€Å" a marriage poem† which sets the theme of the poem, but until you start reading you do not realize that it is an unhappy view towards marriage. She uses words with negative connotation such as â€Å"heavy†, â€Å"deformed† and â€Å"accident† to describe the relationship in a marriage. She ends the poem with â€Å"We cannot escape each other. † This is a depressing ending to her poem because she talks about marriage as if it is a prison. Minty uses a simile to describe marriage by writing â€Å"An accident, like the two-headed calf rooted in one body, fighting to suck at its mother’s teats†. She uses the calf with two heads as a symbol of the two people involved in a marriage. Both have two separate minds to think for themselves but are combined in a relationship. When she says â€Å"fighting to suck at its mother’s teats† she talk about how two people in a marriage fight to get their way and their opinion in against each other. This enhances the poem because it shows how she compares marriage to an accident of a two-headed calf with a simile which shows her negative view towards marriage. Judith Minty uses a metaphor when she writes, â€Å"The onion in my cupboard, a monster actually two joined under one transparent skin†¦ † She uses the comparison of the onion to a monster to translate that marriage can be a horrible thing. She uses the transparent skin of the onion as the bond between two people in a marriage. The metaphor enhances the poem because it is the first line of the poem and it sets the unpleasant tone immediately. Minty uses a lot of diction in her poem â€Å"Conjoined† which shows her negative view towards marriage. â€Å"To sever the muscle could free one, but might kill the other. † She uses this sentence to show that divorce could end their unhappy marriage and free one of them, but the other will be left heart broken and hurt. She uses words with opposite connotation like â€Å"free† ad â€Å"kill† to show the opposite reactions of feelings that divorce may have. In this sentence she is referring back to the analogy of Siamese twins, if the twins were cut apart one of them would be free and one would die just like the relationship Minty is talking about. The tone of â€Å"Conjoined† by Judith Minty is a troubled view on marriage. You get a general feel of unhappiness towards marriage with her analogies, similes, metaphors and diction that she uses in her poem. Usually, marriage is associated to positive words such as happy, commitment, love, and unity. In Judith Minty’s poem she uses depressing words when describing marriage. She calls it a â€Å"monster† and an â€Å"accident. † Minty talks about the unity of two people for years as if it was a bad thing. â€Å"†¦ doomed to live, even make love, together for sixty years. † Other people would see a marriage of sixty years as a good thing and would celebrate it.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

3-Dimensional Carbon Nanotube for Li-Ion Battery Anode

3 Dimensional Carbon Nanotube for Li-Ion Battery Anode (Journal of Power Sources 219 (2012) 364-370) Chiwon Kang1†¡, Indranil Lahiri1†¡, Rangasamy Baskaran2, Won-Gi Kim2, Yang-Kook Sun2, Wonbong Choi1, 3* Nanomaterials and Device Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University; 10555 West Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33174, USA 2Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University; 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea 3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of North Texas; North Texas Discovery Park 3940 North Elm St. Suite E-132, Denton, TX 76207, USACorresponding Author *Email: [email  protected] edu Author Contributions †¡These authors contributed equally. Abstract Carbon nanotubes, in different forms and architectures, have demonstrated good promise as electrode material for Li-ion batteries, owing to large surface area, shorter Li-conduction distance and high electrical conductiv ity. However, practical application of such Li-ion batteries demands higher volumetric capacity, which is otherwise low for most nanomaterials, used as electrodes.In order to address this urgent issue, we have developed a novel 3-dimensional (3D) anode, based on multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), for Li-ion batteries. The unique 3D design of the electrode allowed much higher solid loading of active anode material, MWCNTs in this case and resulted in more amount of Li+ ion intake in comparison to those of conventional 2D Cu current collector. Though one such 3D anode was demonstrated to offer 50% higher capacity, compared to its 2D counterpart, its ability to deliver much higher capacity, by geometrical modification, is presented.Furthermore, deposition of amorphous Si (a-Si) layer on the 3D electrode (a-Si/MWCNTs hybrid structure) offered enhancement in electrochemical response. Correlation between electrochemical performances and structural properties of the 3D anodes highlights the possible charge transfer mechanism. Graphical abstract Keywords Li-ion batteries, carbon nanotubes, 3D Cu current collector, anode materials, amorphous Si, a-Si/MWCNTs composite 1. IntroductionLi-ion batteries (LIB) has been widely used as one of the most important energy storage devices in diverse applications such as green electric vehicles (EV), portable electronics and power tools, since it is commercialized by Sony in 1991 [1]. The commercial cell is assembled by carbonaceous anode, separator and a Li containing layered structure cathode (e. g. LiCoO2). In terms of carbonaceous anodes, graphite and soft or poorly ordered carbons (e. g. mesocarbon microbeads or spherical graphite, microcarbon fiber) have been employed.The reasons behind their commercial prominence contain the relatively low cost of carbon, the excellent mechanical sustainability for lithium insertion and desertion (having minimum volume change ) and their formation of a protective surface film with many elec trolytes [2-4]. Nevertheless, fully intercalated highly crystalline graphites have relatively lower specific capacity (372 mAhg-1, the stoichiometric formulae of LiC6) and cannot meet the demands of next generation LIB with respect to high specific capacity and volumetric capacity. To address these issues, other elemental compounds have been explored such as Al, Si, Ge and Sn [5].Among those elements, Si is known to have highest theoretical specific capacity (4,200 mAhg-1), however huge volume expansion/contraction (300–400%) during lithiation/delithiation brings about pulverization, resulting in capacity fading in a high number of cycles. To overcome such inherit limitations of bulk electrode materials, worldwide research groups have intensively focused on novel and suitable nanomaterials such as silicon nanotubes [6], silicon nanowires [7], nano sized transitional metal oxides [8-10], graphene [11] and carbon nanotubes 12-14]. Out of the many nanomaterials available, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted great attention for anode materials due to their high surface area, short diffusion length of Li+ ions and high electrical conductivity [15]. Past researches including from our group have demonstrated outstanding performance of MWCNT based binder-free anodes in terms of high specific capacity, excellent rate capability and extremely or nil capacity degradation during long cycle operation [16-17].However, carbon nano materials are known as low-density materials, which results in low volumetric capacity and low volumetric energy/power density. Therefore higher solid loading of MWCNTs as active materials is one of the most significant issues to be realized in practice. Very recently, it argued that nanotube based active materials have a critical shortcoming in terms of their very low weight per unit electrode area [18].Thus, their gravimetric energy density may not give a realistic picture to commercial application. The critical limitation may lead to s cale-up issues for their potential application in the development of EV. To counter this issue, we propose a new geometry of 3D Cu current collectors, which can play a crucial role in creating higher surface area to accommodate more solid loading of MWCNTs on the uniformly arrayed patterns in the 3D structure, leading to higher specific capacity and C-rate capability.Until now, efforts have been dedicated to employ a number of 3D structured current collectors including carbon papers [19], a self-assembled 3D bicontinuous nanoarchitecture [20], aluminum nanorods [21], and nanoporous nickel [22]. The previous research proved that a self-assembled 3D bicontinuous nanoarchitecture could be one of the ideal electrode architectures in order to realize not only high volume fraction of nanostructured electrolytically active materials (NiOOH/Nickel and MnO2 cathodes) but also their efficient ion and electron transport [20].In addition, ALD coated TiO2 anodes on 3D aluminum nanorod current co llectors showed the 10 times increase in their theoretical area and total capacity (0. 0112 mAhcm-2), compared to those resulted from the same anodes on 2D flat aluminum plate and high rate capability (the capacity ratios at 10 C/0. 5 C and 20 C/0. 5 C of the 3D anode were 0. 4 and 0. 35, respectively. ) [21]. Currently, the diverse types of hybrid anode structures have been designed and synthesized in order to expect the synergetic combination of two different types of nanomaterials for the igher electrochemical performances. As one of the most preferable combinations, MWCNTs/Si hybrid structure can be chosen due to the better mechanical accommodation of MWCNTs of the large volume expansion/constriction of Si during lithiation/delithiation process and the higher bonding strength between MWCNTs and Si. There were some selected reports on MWCNTs/Si composite structures, employing either SiH4 CVD method [23] or sputter deposition [24]. In this study, we present a novel concept 3D anod e system, comprising of MWCNTs directly grown on 3D Cu mesh using catalytic thermal CVD method [25].Electrochemical performances of this 3D anode structure are compared with those of MWCNTs directly grown on 2D Cu foil. Furthermore, enhanced electrochemical properties of a-Si/MWCNTs hybrid structure, synthesized on 3D Cu mesh using a two step process of CVD and sputtering deposition, are presented. Morphology and structure of as-grown MWCNTs and a-Si/MWCNTs hybrid anode structures and their role in the electrochemical performance are discussed. 2. Experimental A Cu mesh (TWP Inc. with average dimensions of 50  µm thickness and 65  µm hole size was prepared. In parallel, a 50  µm thick pure Cu foil (Nimrod Hall Copper, 99. 9% purity) was also employed. Both types of samples were used as substrates for depositing Ti (underlayer)/Ni (catalyst) thin film through a RF and DC magnetron sputtering system. These Ti/Ni thin film deposited samples were cut to 14 mm diameter disc shape f or 2032 button cell assembly, before inserting into a thermal CVD system for direct MWCNT growth.During CVD, samples were heated very rapidly, under an inert Ar gas environment, to the growth temperature of 750 °C, and MWCNT growth began with flow of a mixture of ethylene (C2H4) and hydrogen (H2) gas (1:2 volume ratio) in the chamber. After 50 minutes of growth, the samples were cooled to room temperature within the furnace under an Ar gas envelope. Amorphous Si (a-Si) was deposited further on the as-grown MWCNT samples using the sputtering system with the incorporation of Ti adhesion layer in order to enhance bonding strength between a-Si and MWCNTs.Weights of samples were measured before and after CVD growth to exactly identify weights of the active materials (i. e. MWCNTs and a-Si thin layer). Morphology and structural properties of the prepared anode structures were carefully investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopes (FESEM) (JEOL, JSM-7000F), an energy d ispersive spectroscope (EDS) (Thermo Electron Corporation, NORAN System SIX), a Raman spectrometer (Ar+ laser with ? = 514 nm, 33 mW power) and a field emission transmission electron microscope (FETEM) (FEI, TECHNAI F20).Electrochemical performance for these anodic materials was conducted in a typical coin cell (half cell). The cells were assembled in a CR2032 press. The complete cell assembly was carried out in an argon glovebox under extremely low levels of oxygen and humidity (both individually

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Madame Loisel from “The Necklace” Essay

Madame Loisel is unhappy because she is ashamed of her social standing. Madam Loisel has always dreamed of a luxurious life with servants and such, and is unhappy because she is not wealthy. She becomes even more upset when she is invited to a ball. It upsets her because she thinks she has nothing to wear which is appropriate for the occasion. Then she is upset because she doesn’t have appropraite jewelry. However the base of both of those complaints is that she is unhappy in her social standing. She was a pretty and charming girl, who thought that she should have been born into a life of luxury. But instead, she was born with parents who were â€Å"employees.† Because of this, she was dissatisfied with everything about her life. She did not like the way her house looked, she did not like the food they had. She was not even satisfied with her maid because she wasn’t high class enough either. She thinks that if all her stuff were high class, she’d be happy. It is perfectly natural for people to want what they can’t have, whether it is an expensive item of some kind of forbidden fruit. Such is the case with Madame Loisel in Guy de Maupassant’s shortMme. Loisel was envious of her friend and anyone else who had more than what she had. She felt that she deserved these things. My first example of Mathilde Loisel’s selfishness is â€Å"She had no clothes, no jewels, nothing. And these were the only things she loved; she felt that she was made for them.† (p.133). These sentences show how materialistic Mathilde is and how selfish she is for caring only about gaining these things for herself. She didn’t show any care for her husband who despite their humble living, seemed to be a caring and loving husband who kept a positive attitude about things. She held her love for materialistic objects so high that it consumed her and occupied her mind. My second example of Mathilde’s selfishness is â€Å"Nothing. Only I haven’t a dress and so I can’t go to this party.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Globalization and Boundless Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Globalization and Boundless Market - Essay Example It is the productivity of every nations combined. Information on world's outputs is based on economic data obtained from different countries through international regulatory institutions like the International Monetary Fund, who is involved in the monitoring of economic and financial developments (IMF, 2008) and the World Trade Organization, who oversees nearly 150 countries and 97% of world trade (WTO, n.d.). The indices can be represented by the regular economic parameters such as Gross Domestic Product or Gross World Product (GWP), per capita production, employment rate, and others. World production is greatly affected by trading. Without trading a nation would not strive to produce more of its products where it has comparative advantage. Without the demand from other countries, every nation only produces goods enough for the domestic need. Oil producing countries, for instance, strive to generate greater productivity because of world demands for oil. Food and other agricultural supplies are needed by countries who cannot produce them due to climatic conditions. Other countries provide surplus of labor and expertise. Because of this, world trade is an essential component for increase in world's production. In fact volumes of world trading is a good indicator of the soundness of the world's economy. When world trading is low the world economy is generally down. General pattern of international trade International trade, which forms the bloodstream of the world economy, represents the flow of goods and services from one nation to the other. There are several patterns suggested in terms of trading or import-export arrangements. One of the patterns is that, the nation who lacks the capability to produce a good needed by its constituents buy it from another nation who produce or specialize its production due to comparative advantage such as lower production cost or availability of raw materials. Likewise, the nation that has surplus of a particular product can supply it to others in need. Dean (2004, 312) referred this arrangement as inter-industry specialization. Another pattern referred by the same author describes the intra-industry specialization (313). Two nations who specialize the same industry trade their products. As an example, the US and Japan both manufacture cars but they both trade their respective cars models. Import and exports, however, have their controls and limitations based on regulations and standards. Different countries have their own product quality indices, trade taxes, and other barriers. Attempts however were made to unify regulations and eliminate barriers to world trade. These resulted to the forming of the World Trade Organization. With the molding of the WTO the world embark in a global exchange of goods and services from agricultural to high-end industrial outputs with limited restrictions. As part of its advocacy the World Trade Organization claimed, "It is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible." The Consequence of no-trading Trade sanctions sometimes happen in the world scenario. It occurred many times in the history as a consequence of disciplinary actions against a hostile

Monday, August 12, 2019

What is 'Globalisation' and why is it said to be so important for Essay

What is 'Globalisation' and why is it said to be so important for current international relations - Essay Example Globalization of Economy has taken place thanks to the improvement in transportation technology, and due to the concept of a Free-market society which the WTO is currently promulgating. When different nationalities begin to manage their economic decisions along the same procedures or guidelines or when the economy becomes internationally interconnected globalization of economy is believed to have taken place. There are different viewpoints as to whether the globalization of economy is beneficial or not. In a study conducted by IMF it was discovered that in the last two decades income inequality has risen thanks to financial globalization and technological advancements (which is a factor of Economic Globalization). However it was also discovered that the per capita income has also seen an increase even in the poorer classes. Inequality is on the rise between the different income classes as the well-to-do have a steeper rise in their per capita income as compared to the middle classes. Globalization has raised the eyebrows of even its supporters as they believe that its gains must be more widely distributed to actually encourage other countries to promote globalization. (Falk, 2007) Initially the responsibility of national governments was to protect the citizens of the state by outsiders, provide shelter and to take care of their needs. But as the global scenario has been changing over time the responsibility of the governments has also included becoming members of global organizations for their survival. This has been due to the global ecological changes, an integrated global economy and other global trends decision making has progressed to the global arena. Institutions such as IMF, European Union, United Nations, and World Bank are the major decision makers and enforcers of policies which should be established by member countries. This factor of globalization is the most related to International Relations. With the entrance of America into

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Dance Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dance Paper - Assignment Example Therefore, according to the narrator in the video, respect for other people’s ideas is paramount to encourage tolerance. He adds that silence is the worst form of decision because it stifles opinion on important matters. LaLaLa Human Steps: LaLaLa Human Sex duo no. is video by Edourd Lock and it runs for 1.6 minutes. It involves a gestural dance characterized by fast and difficult partnering during movements while using the horizontal plane. However, there are contrasting views concerning the male dancer’s energy including the body language to that of the female dancer. First, both dancers are vigorous in their undertaking to depict the gestures of sex when done without the necessary precaution (Minton 167). Second, the dominance on stage by the dances is demonstration of the unifying belief of the dangers posed by irresponsible sex. However, issues of gender stereotypes are being pushed in the choreography worth noting. For example, women are cast in the video as passive and, thus, direct recipients of the sexual innuendos. Likewise, the choreography assumes that only men are the stronger sexual beings as opposed to their counterparts. Smoke is a video by Mats Ek and it lasts for 20 minutes demonstrating the relationship between a man and woman namely Niklas Ek and Slyvie Guillem. The use of the wall, hence, is a vital platform to convey the tension between the dancers because it reveals the barrier in sexuality. It also displays the essence of continuation from a neutral background. On the other hand, the camera tricks such as retrograde and close-ups enable the telling of the story to assume authenticity because it makes both dancers in real in the choreography. In that perspective, the dancers mostly use their arms and bellies as surfaces for partnering to send a clear message of sexuality and its undertones. Ms Guillem’s character, however, during her sole takes the form of

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Important Change management in Abu Dhabi police department Essay

Important Change management in Abu Dhabi police department - Essay Example This model was developed through cooperation between the police, city departments and the community. The community policing structure contains police officers, community relations officers, neighborhood watches and other parties. Over the fifty-three years since its establishment, the Abu Dhabi Police Department has seen expansion in both structure and scope. A major motivation to modernize and re-structure the ADP has come from the rapid growth in the population of UAE, especially that of Abu Dhabi. According to 2006 statistics, the UAE population was estimated at 2.94 million, with a growth rate of 6.5%, while the Abu Dhabi population was estimated at 1.5 million (Abu Dhabi Department of Planning and Economy, 2009). This high growth rate has been due to rapid economic growth, which has attracted large-scale immigration from neighbouring Arab countries, the Indian sub-continent, and the Far East. Economic development led to the adoption of advanced technologies even by criminals, who have undertaken ever more sophisticated crimes related to trade, drugs and money laundering. In addition, changes in lifestyles led to weakening of family ties and resulting in many people living alone and isolated. As a result of these changes, the ADP realized that it would have to change its traditional approach in order to improve its performance in preventing crime. More specifically, ADP has made an effort to initiate a Community Policing Program that will engage the mutual participation of the police and the public in crime prevention. To initiate a closer and more casual relationship between the ADP and the local public. Police work does not begin only after theft or other crimes have occurred but should be preventive in nature and include the involvement of the community. More interaction between the local public and the

Who we really are Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Who we really are - Essay Example In the case of a country such as the United States, the exercise of locating and ascribing identities to individuals can be a complex process. A country renowned for being the 'melting pot' of cultures, languages and races, people here can draw upon a range of national, cultural and linguistic heritages. The literary works chosen for this essay deal with such complexities. By perusing these literary sources and by performing further analysis upon them, the rest of this essay will attempt to answer the topic 'Who we really are?'. The question mark in the title is taken as a rhetorical device, meaning that it implies a lack of clear-cut answer to the purported question. In other words, the thesis is that socio-cultural markers used to describe an individual's background cannot be given too much importance and should not be taken as definitive of the person; there are dangers and risks in doing so, and there are many advantages in treating identity as a fluid concept. (Evidence/Support 1) In the write-up The People In Me by Robin D. G. Kelley, the author talks about his own multicultural background and in the process makes a valid observation about Americans in general: â€Å"Although folk had trouble naming us, we were never blanks or aliens in a "black world." We were and are "polycultural," and I'm talking about all peoples in the Western world. It is not skin, hair, walk, or talk that renders black people so diverse. Rather, it is the fact that most of them are products of different "cultures" - living cultures, not dead ones. These cultures live in and through us every day, with almost no self-consciousness about hierarchy or meaning. "Polycultural" works better than "multicultural," which implies that cultures are fixed, discrete entities that exist side by side in a kind of zoological approach to culture. Such a view obscures power relations, but often reifies race and gender differences† (Kelley, 2011, p.483) (Evidence/Support 2) The above passage c learly illustrates how identities work in real-life as opposed to how governmental institutions perceive of them in their census statistics. Indeed, 'polycultural heritage' seems the more plausible characteristic of individual identity, as opposed to rigid categorizations. Similarly, in the poem Executive Order 9066 by Dwight Okita, what we see is an instance of the malleability of one's identity - in this case particularly that of national identity. Fourteen year old Ozawa, who is of Japanese descent, is nevertheless fully acculturated as an American girl. And this reflects in her food habits and other interests. (Okita, 2011, p.187) The poem does remind us of the dangers associated with stereotyping through the example of Denise O'Connor's hostile reaction to her friend Ozawa's heritage. For example, at the tender age of 14, young Ozawa must have found it extremely distressing to have been rebuked, snubbed and treated as a criminal by her closest friend Denise. Even if some member s of the Japanese American community had been spying for the benefit of a war enemy, it is totally not acceptable to include children in the suspects' list, let alone the entire community. The rounding up of Japanese Americans during the Second World War is a real event, albeit a disgraceful one in American history. Hence the poem by Dwight Okita has socio-historical significance. And the lesson we can take away is this: the government's distrust of a section of the population is a gross violation of basic rights of its citizens. And Denise's adverse reaction toward Ozawa is just one example of the unfairness of it. In this case of unwarranted distrust, the victimizers were the ones who acted and felt indignant toward the victims. With the unraveling of more information, it

Friday, August 9, 2019

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

Business Integration - Essay Example Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung is a multinational corporation based in Germany that specialises in the development of business software solutions. The company name translates to Systems, functions, and commodities in Data Processing to highlight company products and services whose target is business enterprises. The products and services are geared towards the management of business operations and customer relations, which enhances productivity (Oslon and Kesharwani 2010). SAP is among the largest software companies globally known to provide products such as enterprise resource planning application (ERP), SAP business warehouse among others. A group of former IBM engineers started the company in 1972 in an effort to develop a software package that incorporated a company’s diversity with regard to supporting departments (Anderson 2011). This would see companies replace numerous business applications within the departments with a single integrated ent erprise system. The vision sought to minimise the enormous complexity and bulk associated with existing applications, and provide the businesses with real-time computing capabilities. Presently, the company continues to offer products and services beyond the initial vision owing to advances in the technology and globalisation. Moreover, SAP products have found home in millions of businesses serving thousands of customers in more than 100 countries. The proliferation in various business industries is aided through partnerships with various support partners such as Microsoft and other developers. Although SAP and its enterprise competitors are distinctly different from one another, each competitor actively participates to sustain the company. For instance, Microsoft provides the operating systems while Oracle serves as the largest database vendor. Among the benefits realised in such associations is innovation, which has seen the integration networking capabilities in SAP’s prod ucts and services. This is essential in the management of large corporations that have various departments concurrently running to fulfil company mandate. Over the years, SAP has receives awards and accolades for their contribution in business management and to the economy. The company boasts of more 60,000 employees who help generate about â‚ ¬16 billion in revenue and â‚ ¬2 billion in profits in the financial year ending 2012. As a software company, SAP commits its resources towards creative solutions for business management. Among the bestselling products is the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), a system consisting of configurable packages presented as software that integrates the best practices while conducting business. The information within the software framework is custom built to meet the needs of the organisation of interest; the packages include information ranging from business practice to academic theory to facilitate the smooth flow of information between vario us departments. This is the highlight of SAP ERP systems, which aims at improving the productivity through enhancing efficiency within the organisation. Organisations seek ERP systems for various reasons and among them are the desires to adopt better business practices, globalisation, increase flexibility, and centralise information among others (Hallikainen, n.d.). The software infrastructure also presents an opportunity for the business to sustain a competitive advantage in the evolving world of information technology in business. This is achieved by ensuring cooperation and integration of various departments in an organisation and is in line with information technology, a key aspect in relation to effective management (Bernroider & Koch, 2003). There are various applications offered by ERP system depending on the needs of the organisation, which include supply-chain management, human resource management, customer relationship manager, and accounting applications. Various applicat ions