Understanding the Statistics of Visual Learners

FACT: Approximately 65 percent of the population is visual learners. FACT: The brain processes visual information 60,000 faster than text. FACT: 90 percent of information that comes to the brain is visual. FACT: 40 percent of all nerve fibers connected to the brain are linked to the retina. FACT: Visual Literacy is the ability to encode (create a visual language) & decode (understand a visual language).FACT: Visual aids in the classroom improve learning by up to 400 percent. FACT: Students who are twice exceptional (2e) are often visual learners. 1. It is a lot less time consuming to watch a movie than it is to read a book plus you can do it all at once. When reading a book you have to keep stopping and starting where you left off. 2. In a movie you can see exactly what is going on (i. e. action, drama, romance); whereas in a book you really have to use your imagination.Time is of the essence – I read a lot and I read fast but if I were to spend my entire weekend doing not hing but reading I’d be pushing to finish three novels (admittedly I read fantasy and they tend to be huge but still). If I spend the entire weekend watching movies (unless I’m watching Lord of the Rings or something equally epic) I can probably knock over about twelve movies. Movies skip out a lot of detail that appears in books, plus they don’t need to describe scenes to you, they just flash a picture and move on.They are quicker in conveying the story. Special Effects – Now it has been pointed out that our imagination has no limitations and special effects do so things that sound really good in books sometimes look quite ridiculous in movies. However, my imagination is limited by my sense of reality and so when a book has a car crash I see a little ding and a bit of broken glass, where as a movie will usually just blow the car up in a spectacular show of carnage.Logically I know the car probably wouldn’t blow up but watching it on the screen I c an go with it. Reading about it, I will usually tone it down. Action sequences – yes you can read action sequences but I find them quite dull. Particularly sword fights. Please do not describe everything single thrust and parry to me if you expect me to still be reading by the time the battle is over. However, in movies†¦ they define the show don’t tell theory. It is a lot more exciting to watch a sword fight than to read a blow by blow commentary on a sword fight.

Equality Act Essay

Learning intentions: Investigating the legislation that protects all groups covered Breaking down the key features of the legislation Assessing the ways in which the legislation addresses their needs Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the legislation To consider how a range of care workers would use anti-discriminatory practise Success Criteria Can I name the legislation that protects all groups covered? Can I explain the key features of this legislation? Can I assess how this legislation meets the client’s needs? Can I evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this act? Research Questions: 1. New definitions of discrimination As well as direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation The Equality Act outlines three new categories of discrimination that certain groups of individuals are protected against. Define the three additional types of discrimination below: 2. Who is protected under the Equality Act (protected characteristics)? a) Age- The Act protects employees of all ages but remains the only protected characteristic that allows employers to justify direct discrimination, i.e. if an employer can demonstrate that to apply different treatment because of someone’s age constitutes a proportionate means of meeting a legitimate aim, then no discrimination will have taken place. The Act continues to allow employers to have a default retirement age of 65, as long as the default retirement age remains. b) Disability- The Act includes a new protection arising from disability and now states that it is unfair to treat a disabled person unfavorably because of something connected with a disability. An example provided is the tendency to make spelling mistakes arising from dyslexia. Also, indirect discrimination now covers disabled people, which mean that a job applicant could claim that a particular rule or requirement disadvantages people with that disability. c) Gender reassignment- It is discriminatory to treat people who propose to start to or have completed a process to change their gender less favorably, for example, because they are absent from work for this reason. d) Marriage and civil partnership- The Act continues to protect employees who are married or in a civil partnership. Single people are however not protected by the legislation against discrimination. e) Pregnancy and maternity- The Act continues to protect women against discrimination because they are pregnant or have given birth. f) Race- The Act continues to protect people against discrimination on the grounds of their race, which includes color, nationality, ethnic or national origin. g) Religion or belief- The Act continues to protect people against discrimination on the grounds of their religion or their belief, including a lack of any belief. h) Sex- The Act continues to protect both men and women against discrimination on the grounds of their sex. i) Sexual orientation- The Act continues to protect bisexual, gay, heterosexual and lesbian people from discrimination on the grounds of their sexual orientation. http://www.fpb.org/hottips/601/The_Equality_Act_2010:_protected_characteristics_and_types_of_discrimination.htm 3. Research examples of discrimination and place them into the chart in the correct place Type of Discrimination Example Direct discrimination For example, when people are treated less favorably than others because they have some ‘irrelevant’ characteristic; i.e., they are from a different ethnic background or belong to a religious minority. Indirect discrimination For example, a dress code that requires women to wear a knee length skirt (which has no direct relation to their ability to carry out their work) could be indirectly discriminatory against women from certain cultural or religious groups. Harassment Victimisation For example, a person is victimized (punished or treated unfairly) because  they have made a complaint, or are believed to have made a complaint, or supported someone who has made a complaint (this is a form of harassment). Discrimination by association For example, refusing to promote a woman who has some caring duties because her mother has recently had a stroke is discrimination arising from association. Perception discrimination For example, a heterosexual man who has a gay friend cannot be discriminated against because someone believes (wrongly) that he is also gay. Third party harassment For example, a waitress of Asian origin has complained on several occasions to her employer that a particular customer has been making racist remarks to her. The employer should take steps to protect the employee from harassment by a third-party, such as banning the customer from the restaurant.

Women’s Emancipation in the 21st Century

Name: Lola Purba SCN: 1223420 Subject: Writing Teacher: Ms. Jane Persad Women’s Emancipation in The 21th Century â€Å"†¦When you educate a man you educate an individual, when you educate a woman you educate a whole family†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Johnetta B, Cole wisely stated. Cole’s quotation draws an analogy that it is more important to educate women, because educating women means educating the members of family. For this purpose, women deserve education as men; likewise, women want to be treated equally as men. Thus, women’s emancipation has gained the same rights and opportunities as men to get the equal chances in life.The 21th century emphasis on women’s emancipation has caused an increase in women’s education, independency and workforce integration. Women’s liberation has brought them to obtain equality in education. The equal opportunity in education means that women have the same prospects as men to extend education up to high degree. M ark J. Perry (2010), professor of economics and finance in the Flint Campus of the University of Michigan, writes that women earned more doctoral degrees than men, 50. 4 % to 49. 9 % respectively.In other words, he explains that the number of women who reached doctoral degrees is fairly higher than men; however, it shows that women have a future prospect of high degrees education. This means that, the chance for women is not only having education but also obtaining high level education is widely open. Thus, women’s equality has broadened their opportunities to get better education. To be free from old social limitations and customs also allows women to attain independency. Women’s independency indicates that they have their own rights to choose what the best for their lives.Independency can be implemented by permitting women to take part in every chance in society. An example of independent woman in Indonesia was Raden Ajeng Kartini, the Javanese aristocrat, who was bo rn in 1879, in a small town on the northern coast of Central Java (one of the Indonesian provinces). She was the pioneer of women’s equality in Indonesia. She fought for women’s independency and symbolized the struggle against Dutch colonial arrogance. She protested against the conventional thoughts, which women were more likely staying at home and raising children.Later on, she provided schooling for women in Java because she wanted all the women could require education, and become independent, even though women were not allowed to be self-determining. As a result, her movement has enlightened womanhood in Indonesia to be independent. Her ideas and her actions have been a source of inspiration for the emancipation movement in Indonesia. Wide opportunity of education for women has made broad opportunity to implement the knowledge in the workplace. Women also have rights to be equal and actively involved in the workplace.For instance, in the recent days, they are truste d to have some important positions, such as presidents, parliament members, lawyers, or other jobs which are commonly dominated by men. Moreover, many organizations are seeking top-management positions, such as senior executive and decision-making roles to be taken by brilliant women. Hence, what are the benefits having more women in top-management positions? Initially, integration between work and family lead them to have good management. Secondly, the empathetic and ability-to-listen characters direct them in managing teams, mentoring and developing trust among the members.Thus, these abilities have led women to incorporate their knowledge in the place they work. To conclude, achieving education, being independent, and integrating their knowledge in workplace are the clear proofs of women’s equality in 21st century. Emancipation era has allowed women to be well-educated, independent and well-cooperated people. In the future, there will be more women’s domination enga ged in every chance in society. Isn’t it amazing to have more ‘super women’ with their brilliant ideas to make the world situation better?

EASTERN FOODS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

EASTERN FOODS - Essay Example This project aims at presenting an outline indicating the way forward for the eastern foods expansion plan in the United Kingdom. The concept of human resources is significant within any given business. It basically concerns the welfare of employees in the organization as well the manner the employees interact with one another towards the realization of the business’s goals. Various challenges are deemed to face the eastern foods business in line with the management of human resources. The issue of culture is an issue that presents challenges to many organizations. The human resource team of eastern foods will have to take the initiative of ensuring that diverse aspects within the organization are well controlled. Other critical challenges that the eastern foods will have to address in the management of human resources include; developing a plan for staff recruitment, ensuring coordination of staff, developing ways of training its employees and motivating them to work towards the targeted business goals. Accounting is another crucial feature of organizational structure that the company will have to address. ... Another very important challenge in line with accounting is financial reporting. This basically involves the presentation of financial reports such as financial statements at the end of a specified time. Financial reporting will pose a challenge to the business necessitating the need for the management team to ensure that it develops ways of fostering better ways of keeping records. Financial reports provide very crucial information in regards to the performance of the business hence they are used in facilitation of decision making process in the organization. These challenges shall aid in the developing of an organizational structure by the management on how to carry out financial management. Marketing relates to all activities that aid in creating awareness about a business and promoting sales. Marketers make a business and its products to be well known to customers. For the eastern foods business there are some challenges in line marketing that will assist the management team of e astern foods to have an idea on how to structure their marketing strategies they include; ensuring high customer service standard, ensuring that queries and complaints presented by customers are well handled and developing ways for the diversification of the business’s marketing campaigns (Pollan 2009, p.65). Another crucial challenge in line with marketing involves the issue of finances. Marketing activities especially when a new business is being developed in a hew region cost quite high. Operations management involves activities that involve dealing inventory issue in the business in this case the challenges related to operational management include; developing ways of order supplies, ensuring organization

The Fighter (film 2010) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Fighter (film 2010) - Research Paper Example Director David O. Russell’s seamlessly interweaves HBO raw footage of an addiction documentary, intimate psychologically complex family scenes, boxing training and spares, and professional boxing matches. All these elements serve to create a visceral, emotional, artistic experience for audiences as the story is framed within reality, yet we feel privy to private, behind-the-scenes moments and well as competing character perspectives. To vary the film quality of the documentary, daily life and training, and the professional matches and create an aura of authenticity, Russell employed a variety of techniques. He recreated footage from the HBO documentary High on Crack: Lost Lives in Lowell using circa 1990-1 Datacams. He filmed on the actual streets of Lowell and surrounding neighborhoods capturing local life and people—their postures, dress, and Name 2 attitudes. While Amy Adams and Christian Bale, are not Boston-natives, casting Mark Wahlberg as the Micky Ward secured a natural Boston accent from an identifiable Bostonian. In an interview with James Bell, Russell comments, â€Å"We were saturated in the people and the place† (para. 16). ... ed the HBO Datacams and sports film crews to create an authentic use of angles and distances from actors to enhance the believability of the fight scenes. Russell also used long takes to for pivotal fight scenes as Wahlberg had trained to build up the stamina for this type of film work. All of these factors tightly intersect to strengthen the authenticity of the film, draw audiences into the Boston-oriented world of this family, and create cinematic variety balanced by overall visual cohesion. Since The Fighter was based on an actual family’s experience, part of the reception inevitably includes how the family members react to their screen portrayals and image. While Ward and his charismatic brother accepted the film, as evidenced by their short clip at the film’s conclusion, many of the sisters did not agree with actresses cast to play them nor with their interpretations as a loud, brash, excluding unit of women. Also, the dominant matriarch Alice, who acted as mother and boxing manager to her two sons, greatly disagreed with her portrayal in the film. While during interviews actress Melissa Leo respectfully focused on Alice’s pioneering efforts as woman working in the Name 3 masculine world of boxing and engineered Dicky’s iconic match with Sugar Ray Leonard, Alice still felt the movie showed her to be more interested in making money off her sons, particularly Micky, as well as turning a blind eye to Dicky’s crack addiction. In general, few critics or audience members expressed dislike for The Fighter. Robbie Collin from News of the World and Kevin A. Ranson from MovieCrypt.com both disparaged Bales performance as egocentric and overshadowing of Wahlberg’s main character. However, many critics found Bale performance in keeping with the self-centered

Motorsport Technology A Subsystem Of A Modern Racing Car Essay

Motorsport Technology A Subsystem Of A Modern Racing Car - Essay Example By regulation, the tyres feature a minimum of four grooves in them, with the intention of slowing the cars down. A slick tyre, with no indentations, is best in dry conditions. Both front and rear tyres are typically 660 mm in diameter. They can be no wider than 355 mm and 380 mm at the front and rear respectively. Slick tyres are rumoured to be reintroduced as of 2009 but the FIA regulations (though they can be changed) still have Formula One using "grooved" tyres in 2008. There are several factors affecting the performance of formula 1 cars' tyres that should be considered before designing it. These factors include the road conditions, temperature, humidity, contact area with the ground and a few others. In tyre design, there are three main considerations - the profile and size, the tread, and the compound. Racing tires are highly specialized according to vehicle and race track conditions. Tyres are specially engineered for specific race tracks according to surface conditions, cornering loads, and track temperature. Tyres have also been specially engineered for drifting. Racing tyres are often engineered to minimum weight targets, so tires for a 500mile race may run only 300miles before a tyre change. In 2005, tyre changes were disallowed in Formula One, the compound was harder as the tyres had to last the full race distance (around 300km). Tyre changes were re-instated in 2006, following the dramatic and highly political 2005 United States Grand Prix. For the 2007 season Bridgestone is the sole tyre supplier and have introduced four compounds of tyre, two of which will be made available at each race. The harder tyre is more durable but gives lesser grip, and the softer tyre gives more grip but is less durable. Both compounds have to be used by teams in a race and the softer tyre has a painted white stripe in the second groove. Each team must use each specification during the race, unless wet or intermediate tyres are used during the race, in which case this rule no longer applies. In extremely wet weather, such as that seen in the 2007 European Grand Prix, the Formula One cars were unable to keep up to the Safety Car in deep standing water due to the risk of hydro planing. Rubbers used in tyres are generally styrene-butadiene co-polymers, natural rubber, or polybutadiene. These can be blended in whatever ratio is desired. The styrene content can be varied to give a hard wearing rubber, or a high styrene cling rubber to maximise wet grip at the expense of heat build up. Everything is a compromise aimed at giving the best performance for a particular application. For example, when a new circuit is laid down the surface is very abrasive, and polybutadiene has a superb abrasion resistance to sliding on sharp surfaces. However, it is hopeless in the wet, since grip suffers appallingly. In car racing of course, grip is everything. The second most important variable is the carbon black type that is used. As a general rule, the finer the carbon black, the higher the abrasion resistance, and the higher the heat build-up in the rubber compound in service. There is another variable, the "structure' of the carbon black, a measure of the agglomeration of

Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Geography - Essay Example now an ever-present danger of homogeneity and important cultural aspects of a nation are being gradually replaced such as the national language that is slowly being replaced by English. Europe today is considered an old continent in demographic terms. Most of European nations suffer from slower birth rates and longer lifespans due to advances in medicine. These two factors combined to make most European nations suffer from declining populations with profound implications for economic growth, its pension system and competitiveness. There is now a growing backlash against immigration to Europe from the outside as it undermines the respective national identities. This makes multi-culturalism a very tricky issue with most host countries. The recent killings in Oslo, Norway is symptomatic of the cultural clashes in which Europe is being gradually Islamized by the tide of immigrants who are attracted to Europes progressivism in its social, political and economic policies (Hegghammer 1). Asylum seekers abuse these policies and claim asylum status although not qualified; many immigrants simply want to avail the generous benefits provided by European countries. Some call fo r a counter-jihad. Recent internal migrations from those poorer countries do not solve overall population decline. Europe does not have a common culture except perhaps its social democracy today. Essay 2 – the breakup of the USSR and the collapse of the Soviet communist system has profound effects on its economy and culture. The shift towards the capitalist free-market economic system has left many former members of the Russian Domain struggling to adjust. Some countries that were lucky enough to have natural resources are benefiting from the new liberalization and privatization programs implemented to attract foreign direct investments to their countries. Examples are Ukraine (with a good agricultural economy and a manufacturing base that is quite robust) and some Central Asian countries like

The Threshold of the Newfound Heroism Assignment - 1

The Threshold of the Newfound Heroism - Assignment Example The Odyssey mostly narrates the story of the adventure of Odysseus; his journey towards home after Troy has been destroyed. His heroic journey was filled with obstacles and seemingly insurmountable complications, which made the story of his going home all the more epic and grandiose, to begin with. Â  Even during the war between the Greeks and the Trojans, Odysseus has already been regarded and thought of as a hero by his people. His persona commanded respect and admiration, not just from his own people, but also from their adversary, the people of Troy. He has also proven how cunning he is when he successfully masterminded the plan of giving a Trojan horse filled with Greeks to the people of Troy, which led to the demise of the latter. Â  The occurrences during his ten-year journey back to Ithaca are not to be belittled. Aside from being a personal favorite of the God of War, Athena, Odysseus proved to be an expert tactician, strategist, and deception artist. He is the persona of a thinking warrior, calm and collected, rarely displaying an act of hubris. These characteristics made him eventually admirable to Zeus and the other Gods, except to Poseidon, who has always been irate towards him. Â  It would mean little or as much as nothing if Odysseus had all his cunning brilliance, but lacking in character virtues as well. Unlike the other fellow Greek heroes and leaders during his quests, Odysseus was always taken as sensible and self-restrained. Such qualities complimented and went well with his shrewd intelligence, besides having the guidance of the goddess Athena. Odysseus’ character to maintain his composure and get a hold of his self could be seen in many of his adventures. Â  Upon his trip home, Odysseus was stranded on the island where Calypso lived.

Class observation report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Class observation report - Essay Example Moreover, they were able to understand and produce simple questions and statements. This class of nine students consisted only of Latin ethnic group. Spanish was their first language. Some students were relatively new arrivals who needed some basic survival skills and others had been in the United States for over six months and never felt the need or desire to combine learning English and working at the same time. However, all of them shared the intention to learn English in order to find a decent job or to improve their language and to get job promotions. Several key factors had been put in consideration while conducting the observation for this class. The first factor was the identification of errors made by the students. The second factor was the way the instructor assessed the errors that students made during class activity. The duration of the classes was one hour and fifteen minutes each with a break of fifteen minutes. The classes were held in normal classrooms, as well as in computer labs. In normal classrooms, students focused on topics that dealt with grammar skills, speaking, and small passages of reading, whereas in computer lab, they were offered opportunity to practice through specific writing assignments, such as, how to write a CV, or the etiquette of sending E-mails for job employment opportunities, and learning a new vocabulary. Textbooks were required in these classes, however, students were provided with a lesson sheet and guidelines for every class. In the classroom, the instructor gave five incorrect grammar sentences and asked the students to identify the errors in each sentence. This was a type of warm up activity to assess what the students had learned in the previous class and to get them ready for the coming lesson. One of the given sentences was, ‘I can’t come to class the last week because I was sick’. Regarding this sentence, one thing that I found very interesting was that all of the seven students were only ab le to identify one error in the mentioned sentence and that error was the past form of ‘can’t’. They were unable to identify the missing article ‘the’ because of which they produced the sentence wrongly. The interesting finding in this observation was that students were not able to recognize all errors and repeated the same mistake while attempting to identify the errors in the provided sentence. According to students, when they were asked by the instructor why not they were unable to identify the second error, they said that in their L1 the use of the article ‘the’ in a sentence like this is considered correct. Another error produced by the students which captured my attention was regarding the way the instructors began addressing the new lesson after the warm up exercise, which was about the present perfect. The instructor started by defining the present perfect tense and telling the proper condition to use it, however, the students we re struggling in grasping that information. Therefore, the teacher provided an example in the students’ mother tongue (L1) and another one in English which was, ‘Have you been drinking’, and asked the students to pair in one group to provide some examples. He gave them ten minutes to finish this exercise. The first example the students provided was, ‘I have drunk three cups of coffee today’. With attention to the previous sentence, the reason why I chose this particular error among other errors was that the students were

Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance - Essay Example "Virulence" and "pathogenicity" refer to the ability of bacteria to cause disease. "Bacteria are complex (while viruses must "live" in a "host" (us), bacteria can live independently) and so are easier to kill" (Antibiotics, Bacteria and (usually not) Viruses 2007). The traditional criteria for establishing that a bacterium is responsible for a disease have been Koch's postulates, which were developed in 1882. Although serving well for many years, these postulates have limitations: (1) not all bacteria can be cultured, (2) not all members of a species are equally virulent, and (3) adequate animal hosts are not always available. Host susceptibility is an important virulence factor for bacteria. The first important step in bacterial pathogenesis is adherence to a host cell. This occurs by means of pili, which consist of long rods that extend out from the bacterial surface. The tips of the pili contain proteins that attach to host cell receptors. In some cases, "pilin, the protein subuni ts of the pilus shaft, attach to the host cell's receptors. In addition to pili, bacterial surface proteins called adhesins attach firmly to the host cells" (Walsh 2003, p. 34). Sometimes the host makes antibodies against pili or adhesin proteins, and this induces the bacteria to make different types of adhesins. Only Gramnegative bacteria make adhesins; the mechanism of how Gram-positive bacteria attach to a host cell is not known (Walsh 2003). The virulence of many bacterial pathogens is due to the toxins they produce, which disrupt normal cell functions and cause cell death. Scholar and Pratt (2000) explain that "exotoxins are proteins that are excreted by dividing bacteria. Exotoxins that attack a variety of cell types are called cytotoxins" (p. 76); those that attack a particular cell type or tissue have specific names, such as neurotoxin, leukotoxin, hepatotoxin, or cardiotoxin. Exotoxins can be associated with a specific bacterial disease. In addition to toxic proteins, pathogenic bacteria also produce hydrolytic enzymes that degrade host tissues and disseminate bacteria within the host. Heat-shock proteins produced by bacteria stimulate autoimmune responses so that host antibodies and T-cells attack healthy host cells (Scholar and Pratt 2000). The essential property that differentiates antibiotics from antiseptics is that they are sufficiently selective to allow their use within the body, rather than just on the surface. This selective toxicity is not absolute but it is quantifiable as we shall see in chapter 6. There is, therefore, always room for improvements and developing drug licensing regulations seek improvements in the comparative safety of antibiotics. "Antibiotics work by destroying either the proteins that build a bacterium's cell wall or the protein-producing ribosomes" (Greene 2000, p. 23). The drug must inhibit the target bacteria at lower concentrations, usually much lower, than those concentrations that produce toxic effects in humans. Some antibiotics can be given in very high doses without toxic effects, e.g. penicillins, but others may produce serious toxicity at levels that are not much above those required for treatment of infection. Many alterations to antibiotics have been made to improve this select ivity; though with some antibiotics this is virtually impossible to achieve. The most selective antibiotics tend to be those that inhibit a process in bacteria that does

Case assignment for sport facilities and venues Study

Assignment for sport facilities and venues - Case Study Example The dilemma being faced by Atkins is similar to the one faced by many expanding business organisations that is to decide whether or not expand their operations beyond a certain point in terms of cost and profitability. ... This growing seasonal demand versus the diminishing capacity is an operational challenge at Golden Shores.The problem remains that this demand is not permanent or steady through out the year.The aim would thus be for a profit sustainable methodology to apply to the capacity planning decision that faced operations management for the tennis facilities. Some statistical calculations Next pertaining to the query about the number of tennis courts which will be needed in July 2004 and its comparison to the present capacity as well as the way ahead for the planning for the next season in terms of capacity by Ms Atkins it is possible to show the following workings. These workings take into account the peak months of usage as well as the past use of the facility.The rate at which the demand is increasing and the cost of utilising 100% capacity of each court alongwith tariff management. It can be seen from Exhibit 3 that July and August are the peak months for Guest nights with the total court hours peaking to 2885 hours. The factors or the formula I would suggest for Ms Atkins would be to focus on capacity decisions which determine other measures of service management such as productivity, growth, change, and competition. GS tennis courts will have to as a part of the service industry provide services as and when they are demanded because it cannot be inventoried.The cost would the demand variability which will lead to alternating periods of idle service workers or facilities and consumer waits. This cost has to be subtracted as a trade off to the cost of idle resources versus consumer retention since a dissatisfied consumer base is likely to hurt the long-term profits and

Abolition Movement Essay Example for Free

Abolition Movement Essay Nineteenth century America bore a perplexing set of movements. Most of which aimed largely to reform American society. At this era, America is redefining her identity. Such was a significant time for reformation movement to peak. The Temperance Movement, religious â€Å"Second Great Awakening† and Womens Rights Movement are along some of the major efforts attempted to improve the nation and its people. Most important of all, the Abolition Movement, which the very foundation of freedom in America was redefined. The American abolition movement emerged in the early 1830s as the by-product of â€Å"Second Great Awakening. †[1] Revivalistic tenets led the abolitionist to view slavery as a product of personal sin. They demand emancipation as the price of repentance.[2] This religious revival resulted to thousands of conversions to evangelical religions.[3] Slavery was one of the issues in America which most people sought to end. As early as 1688, the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, took a public stand against slavery.[4] Even though most quakers own slaves when they first came to America. William Buriling, Ralph Sandiford, Benhamin Lay, John Woolman and Anthony Benezet were among the societys members who largely determined their policy. These people were the salient figures who primarily opposed slavery within the society. By late 1700s and 1800s, the Society of Friends declared their protest against slavery. Quakers opposed it on religious grounds. Others contended that slave owners violated the very principles that the Founding Fathers and the Declaration of Independence had established in 1776. Many religious figures had largely contributed to Americas history of slavery. One was Lyman Beecher, one of the countrys prominent nineteenth- century clergymen and a revivalist of Second Great Awakening.[5] Students of the school where Beecher became pastor, debated the issue on slavery and preferred to adopt abolitionism, which the board of the school opposed. In protest many students including Theodore Weld left the school.[6] Religion had intruded on slavery issues even during the establishment of Quakers. It is often said that this group have influence beyond their numbers. Through their social class and background, Quakers have shared an important role in forming Americas history as well as the society. In 1833, the American Anti-Slavery Society was established by William Lloyd Garisson[7] with fellow abolitionists Arthur Tappan, Lewis Tappan, and Theodore Dwight Weld. It attracted a crowd with lecturing agents, petition drives and a wide variety of printed materials, condemning slavery on moral grounds. The organization sent lecturers about the brutality of slavery across the North, including Ohio. Unfortunately, abolitionists appeal of emancipation were rejected by higher institutions as well as individual slave-owners. Some important figures in the emancipation in America were blacks, themselves. Most prominent black during the period started their journey from the oppression of slavery of the Southern states toward more desirable freedom enjoyed at Northern states. In this freedom, they did not grow complacent while their people and family still suffer from inflictions of the institution of slavery. The most famous of this divine ordeal was that of Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman[8] was a slave from Maryland. She suffered all her life from seizures, headaches and hypersomia having had knocked in the head with a heavy iron weight by a slave owner. In 1894 she escaped to Philadelphia where she met with William Still, the Philadelphia stationmaster on the underground railroad. Still, along with the Philadelphia Anti-slavery Society, enlightened Tubman of the workings of the underground railway. Eventually, she became a conductor for the underground railway. Dubbed as the â€Å"Moses of her people†, she helped provide safety and salvation to an approximately 300 slaves. She worked various jobs in order to finance her actives as a conductor. During the Civil War, she served as a soldier, spy and a nurse for the Union. Another women of considerable existence was Soujorner Truth. Truth had been born a slave from Ulster County, New York at a time wherein the state still permits slaves. The anti-slavery law of 1827 freed her from bondage. Her freedom prompt her to be an active abolitionist and a womans rights advocate. Truth became one of the most famous orator of her day. Her passion came from her desire to abolish slavery and help her fellow black. Her speeches against the evils of slavery â€Å"shamed many people who were apathetic and passive†. She also fights for women suffrage. Her speech, â€Å"Aint I, a Woman?†[9] was her legacy. The speech were made at 1851 Convention on Womans Rights after a clergyman remark women as â€Å"too weak and helpless†. Another individual of which probably had the greatest impact for the cause, was Frederick Douglass. Douglass was probably the most important black figure in the abolition of slavery. His accomplishment had impact America on a political scale. His reputation was in an international level. Douglass was born a slave in Maryland. He escaped from bondage and went to New Bedford with the help of a black navy named Ruggles. Although blacks are free in the city of New Bedford, it isnt a paradise. Douglas observed the discrimination throughout the city.   He subscribed to an abolitionist paper the Liberator by William Lloyd Garrison. Through the Liberator, Douglass were introduced to abolitionist movements. Garrison eventually became his personal hero.   Later he became a member of American Anti-Slavery Society. On August of 1841, an abolitionist meeting took place at New Bedford. Garrison saw Douglass, and he eventually recognized the potential. Douglass became an agent for Garrison. He became a traveling lecturer â€Å"touring the Northern states to talk about his life and sell subscriptions to the Liberator†. The young Douglass â€Å"told stories of brutal beatings of slave owners to women, children and the elderly†. He told the story on how he broke the slave breaker Edward Covey[10]. He scorned clergyman â€Å"who warned slaves that they would be offending God if they disobeyed their masters†. He speaks of evil of masters breeding their female slaves. He grew in skill within his trade that people began doubting his credibility. â€Å"How can such a slave have such a commanding master of words?† they told themselves. This provoked Douglass into revealing his true identity through the disclosure of personal details. He published an autobiography entitled â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave† against the protest of his mentor Garisson and some co-abolitionists. The theme of the narrative is about moral force. â€Å"It is a story of triumph and dignity, courage and self-reliance over the evils of brutal, degrading slave system†. The narrative connotes the existing corruption in the human spirit that â€Å"robs both the master and slave of their freedom†. The book became popular in the North as well as in Europe. However, the Federal Law on fugitive slave threatened his freedom. The Law gave Thomas Auld the right to seize his property. The threat prompted his tour in London where he was later joined by Garisson and other abolitionist. August of 1846 at World Temperance Convention in London, Douglass attacked the American Temperance Movement. He felt that temperance activist were hostile to free blacks. Emancipation in Britain is still fresh among its people. In that regard Douglass felt little racial prejudice among the British. He carved connection among British and Europeans who were compassionate for the cause.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tour â€Å"aroused goodwill for the abolitionist cause in the British Isle†. The success in Britain had propelled his reputation to an international level. Douglass established friends and supporters in Britain. In fact, it was his British friends who paid[11] the price of Douglass freedom in America. With his renewed freedom he went to Rochester, New York to settle. The town had reputation of being pro-abolition. The women were also active in fighting for their rights. In here, he established a new anti-slavery publication, named North Star, which was not supported by Garisson. With the North Star he no longer have to cling with white abolitionist group of   Garisson. The widening connection of Douglass open his mind to the political aspects of his cause. He began to question the Garissonian views. For Garisson, â€Å"abolishing slavery through violence is wrong†. Garisson believed he could convince the slave owners into giving up their slaves thus setting them free. A white militant named John Brown[12] helped convince Douglass that â€Å"pacifist means could not by themselves bring an end to slavery.† Douglass believed that the North would never abolish slavery if it could cause the break up of the Union and collapse of the Constitution. â€Å" He therefore decided that slavery would have to be ended through political reforms†. Tension began to rise when Douglass urged North Star reader to be politically active and be involved. The change in principle created factions within the abolitionist circle. He, however, did not allow such disputes to affect what he aspired to do. Douglass became one of the most prominent and respected black of his time. His actions and success boosted the confidence of the black abolitionist. He tried to establish a black vocational school. Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Toms Cabin helped to raise the fund. Furthermore, his Rochester home became the most important station on the underground railroad. He became the superintendent of the entire system in his area. The information regarding the evils of slavery are readily available due to hard work and perseverance of Frederick Douglas and William Lloyd Garrison[13]. However, the popularity of these informations are confined within the anti-slavery circle. In line with this, a fictional novel of abolitionist nature was published entitled Uncle Toms Cabin. The author was Harriet Beecher Stowe, an alleged daughter of Lyman Beecher. Uncle Toms Cabin had been published by weekly installment in the National Era from summer of 1851 to spring of 1852. Nevertheless, its popularity was still within the abolitionist circle. Its popularity gained when the novel was published in full in 1852. Uncle Toms Cabin became the best selling fiction of its time. It is considered by many, as one of the most influential American works of fiction ever published. The fiction had made an impact on Americas inner inquiry and realization of identity and of morality.[14] The success of the novel were founded on Stowes humanization of the slaves. The fiction places the reader in frontal view of the barbarity and â€Å"inhuman disintegration of families† which existed in the slavery system. Mothers were portrayed in their most desolate state when their masters sell their babies to a slave trader. The fiction appeal to the Christian soul as Stowe embodied Christ to Uncle Tom which is a black dutiful, loyal and a forgiving slave. The works of fiction â€Å"arouse the antislavery sentiment in the North and provoke angry rebuttals in the South†. Oppositions of views paved the way to devisions. Slavery was no longer a problem of the south and it concerns the whole nation as a whole. The culmination of all these events leads to a bloody battle between the Union and the Confederate slave states. The Union was fighting for a unified nation. The Confederates, on the other hand, wants to separate from the Union in order to secure their rights to own slaves. This disparity brought America to Civil War from 1861 to 1865. It was this reason why Abraham has been quoted saying to Stowe â€Å"So this is the little lady who started this war.† The status of the South as an agricultural states contributed much to their dependencies on slaves. Slaves were utilized for their manual work on the fields and plantations. In contrast, the North are already being industrialized. Their production was dependent on factories and machineries. It was the bloodiest battle that took place in American soil. The Confederate eventually succumb to the much equip forces of the Union. It was very devastating era that Americans have gone through in order to bring about change which redefined freedom in their constitution. Emancipation of all slaves was decreed to slaves states after the Civil War The abolitionists had their victory through information dissemination. Victory was achieved through rallying speeches that awakened compassion and goodwill of humanity. The rallying cries of the oppressed accused passivity a crime. They have pressured those who claimed to be free to guard and fight for freedom. On the night of the proclamation, Douglass was quoted as saying â€Å"We were waiting and listening as for a bolt from the skywe were watchingby the dim light of the stars for the dawn of a new daywe were longing for the answer to the agonizing prayers of centuries.†[15] WORKS CITED Scott, Donald. â€Å" Evangelicalism, Revivalism and the Second Great Awakening.† TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center. October 2000. Queens College. 18 April 2009. http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/nevanrev.htm McKivigan, John. â€Å"A Brief History of the American Abolitionist Movement.† American Abolitionism. n.d. Indianapolis. 18 April 2009. http://americanabolitionist.liberalarts.iupui.edu/brief.htm â€Å"The Second Great Awakening and the Age of Reform.† Teach US History. 19 April 2009. http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker1.htm William L. Garrison. Ohio History Central. 1 July 2005. A product of the Ohio Historical Society. 18 April 2009 http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=167 Robinson, B.A. â€Å"Religious Society of Friends (Quakers): Quaker History†. Religious Tolerance. 7 February 2006. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 19 April 2009. http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker1.htm Woodson, C.G. â€Å"Anthony Benezet.† Classics on American Slavery. 25 March 2003. Dinsmore Documentation. 19 April 2009. http://www.dinsdoc.com/woodson-3.htm Abolitionist. Ohio History Central. 1 July 2005. A product of the Ohio Historical Society. 19 April 2009 http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=569 Sassi, Jonathan. â€Å"Great Questions of National Morality.† Common Place. 9. 1. ( October 2008): 19 pars. 19 April 2009. http://www.common-place.org/vol-09/no-01/sassi/ â€Å"Lyman Beecher.† Ohio History Central. 1 July 2005. A product of the Ohio Historical Society. 19 April 2009 http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=53 â€Å"Theodore Dwight Weld (1803-1895).† Forever Free.The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. 19 April 2009. http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/foreverfree/theodoreweld.html The Effect of Uncle Toms Cabin. 123HelpMe.com. 18 Apr 2009 http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=16788 Thomas, Sandra. Frederick Douglass:Abolitionist/Editor 19 April 2009. http://www.history.rochester.edu/class/douglass/home.html#contents The Life of Harriet Tubman. New York History Net. 20 February 2008. 19 April 2009 http://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman/life.htm.

Solution of a System of Linear Equations for INTELx64

Solution of a System of Linear Equations for INTELx64 A multi core hyper-threaded solution of a system of linear equations for INTELx64 architecture Richa Singhal ABSTRACT. A system of linear equations forms a very fundamental principal of linear algebra with very wide spread applications involving fields such as physics, chemistry and even electronics. With systems growing in complexity and demand of ever increasing precision for results it becomes the need of the hour to have methodologies which can solve a large system of such equations to accuracy with fastest performance. On the other hand as frequency scaling is becoming limiting factor to achieve performance improvement of processors modern architectures are deploying multi core approach with features like hyper threading to meet performance requirements. The paper targets solving a system of linear equations for a multi core INTELx64 architecture with hyper threading using standard LU decomposition methodology. This paper also presents a Forward seek LU decomposition approach which gives better performance by effectively utilizing L1 cache of each processor in the multi core architectu re. The sample uses as input a matrix of 40004000 double precision floating point representation of the system. 1. INTRODUCTION A system of linear equations is a collection of linear equations of same variable. A system of linear equations forms a very fundamental principal of linear algebra with very wide spread applications involving fields such as physics, chemistry and even electronics. With systems growing in complexity and demand of ever increasing precision for results it becomes the need of the hour to have methodologies which can solve a large system of such equations to accuracy with fastest performance. On the other hand as frequency scaling is becoming limiting factor to achieve performance improvement. With increasing clock frequency the power consumption goes up P = C x V2 x F P is power consumption V is voltage F is frequency It was because of this factor only that INTEL had to cancel its Tejas and Jayhawk processors. A newer approach is to deploy multiple cores which are capable to parallel process mutually exclusive tasks of a job to achieve the requisite performance improvement. Hyper threading is another method which makes a single core appears as two by using some additional registers. Having said that it requires that traditional algorithms which are sequential in nature to be reworked and factorized so that they can efficiently utilize the processing power offered by these architectures. This paper aims to provide an implementation for standard LU decomposition method used to solve system of linear equations adopting a forward seek methodology to efficiently solve a system of double precision system of linear equations with 4000 variable set. The proposed solution addresses all aspects of problem solving starting from file I/O to read the input system of equations to actually solving the system to generate required output using multi core techniques. The solution assumes that the input problem has one and only one unique solution possible. 2. CHALLENGES The primary challenge is to rework the sequential LU decomposition method so that the revised framework can be decomposed into a set of independent problems which can be solved independently as far as possible. Then use this LU decomposition output and apply standard techniques of forward and backward substitution each again using multi core techniques to reach the final output. Another challenge associated is cache management. Since a set of 4000 floating point variable will take a memory approximately 32KB of memory and there will 4000 different equations put up together, hence efficiently managing all data in cache becomes a challenge. A forward seek methodology was used in LU decomposition which tries to keep the relevant data at L1 cache before it is required to be processed. It also tries to maximise operations on set of data once it is in cache so that cache misses are minimum. 3. IMPACT With a 40 core INTEXx64 machine with hyper threading the proposed method could achieve an acceleration of ~72X in performance as compared to a standard sequential implementation. 4. STATE OF THE ART The proposed solution uses state of the art programming techniques available for multithreaded architecture. It also uses INTEX ADVANCED VECTOR SET (AVX) intrinsic instruction set to achieve maximum hyper threading. Native POSIX threads were used for the purpose. Efficient disk IO was made possible by mapping input vector file to RAM directly using mmap. 5. PROPOSED SOLUTION A system of linear equations representing CURRENT / VOLTAGE relationship for a set of resistances is defined as [R][I] = [V] Steps to solve this can be illustrated as Decompose [R] into [L] and [U] Solve [L][Z] = [V] for [Z] Solve [U][I] = [Z] for [I] Resistance matrix is modelled as an array 40004000 of double precision floating type elements. The memory address being 16 byte aligned so that RAM access speeds up for read and write operations. FLOAT RES[MATRIX_SIZE*MATRIX_SIZE] __attribute__((aligned(0x1000))); Voltage matrix is modelled as an array 40001 of double precision floating type elements. The memory address being 16 byte aligned so that RAM access speeds up for read and write operations. FLOAT V [MATRIX_SIZE] _attribute__ ((aligned(0x1000))); LU Decomposition To solve the basic model of parallel LU decomposition as suggested above was adopted. Here as we move along the diagonal of the main matrix we calculate the factor values for Lower triangular matrix. Simultaneously each row operation updates elements for upper triangular matrix. Basic routine to do row operation This routine is the innermost level routine which updates the rows which will eventually determine the upper triangular matrix. For each element of row there is one subtraction and one multiplication operation (highlighted). LOOP B designates row major operation, while LOOP A designates column major operation. Basic Algorithm SUB LUDECOM (A, N) DO K = 1, n – 1 DO I = K+1, N Ai, k = Ai, k / Ak, j DO j = K + 1, N Ai, j = Ai, j Ai, k * Ak, j END DO END DO END DO END LUDECOM Each row major operation (LOOP B) iteration can be independently executed on a separate core. This was achieved by using POSIX threads which were non-blocking in nature. Because of mutual exclusion over the set of data MUTEX locks are not required provided we keep the column major operation (LOOP A) sequential. Also for 2 consecutive elements in one row operation 2 subtraction and 2 multiplication operations are done. These 2 operations each are done in single step using Single Instruction Multiple Data instructions (Hyper threading) Multi core Algorithm SUB LUDECOM_BLOCK (A, K, BLOCK_START, BLOCK_END) DO I = BLOCK_START, BLOCK_END Ai, K = Ai, K / AK, K DO j = K + 1, N Ai, j = Ai, j Ai, K * Ak, K END DO END DO END LUDECOM_BLOCK SUB LUDECOM (A, N) DO K = 1, N – 1 BLOCK_SIZE = (N – K) / MAX_THREADS Thread = 0 WHILE (Thread P_THREAD ( LUDECOMPOSITION_BLOCK (A, K, Thread*BLOCK_SIZE, Thread*(BLOCK_SIZE + 1) ) ENDWHILE END DO END LUDECOM Forward substitution Once LU decomposition is done, forward substitution gives matrix [Z]. Here again Single Instruction Multiple Data instructions are used [L][Z] = [V] for [Z] Backward substitution After forward substitution final step of backward substitution gives current matrix [I] [U][I] = [Z] for [I] Here again Single Instruction Multiple Data instructions are used 5. CACHE IMPROVEMENTS On profiling it is observed that the core processing in above solution happens to be LU decomposition. However if we create threads equal in number to available cores the result was improving but not in same proportion to the number of cores. A VALGRIND analysis of cache performance reveals that because of large size of matrix each row operation was suffering a performance hit due to cache misses happening. If we observe above solution it could be observed any jth is processed for (j – 1) columns. So (j – 1) threads are forked for each iteration of column major operation (LOOP A). The data to be processed refers to same memory location but by the time next operation or thread is forked for the same row the corresponding memory data had been pushed out of lower level caches. Thus cache miss happens. To solve this we adopted a forward seek approach wherein we first pre-process a set of columns sequentially thus enabling more operations on a row to be performed in the same thread. Now the data happens to be at lower level cache as we do not have to wait for another thread to process the same row. Multi core Algorithm with forward seek operation SUB LUDECOM_BLOCK_SEEK (A, K, S, BLOCK_START, BLOCK_END) DO I = BLOCK_START, BLOCK_END DO U = 1, S M = K + U -1 Ai, M = Ai, M / AM, j DO j = K + M + 1, N Ai, j = Ai, j Ai, M * AK, M END DO END DO END DO END LUDECOM_BLOCK SUB LUDECOM (A, N) K = 1 WHILE (K //Forward seek DO J = K, K + F_SEEK LU_DECOM_BLOCK_SEEK (A, J, 0, J, J+F_SEEK) END DO //Multi core K = K + F_SEEK DO L = 1, N – 1 BLOCK_SIZE = (N – L) / MAX_THREADS Thread = 0 WHILE (Thread P_THREAD ( LUDECOMPOSITION_BLOCK (A, L, F_SEEK, Thread*BLOCK_SIZE, Thread*(BLOCK_SIZE + 1) ) ENDWHILE END DO END WHILE END LUDECOM CONCLUSION Results For purpose of computation a sample array of double precision floating point matrix of size 40004000 was taken. Performance numbers were generated on an 8 core INTEL architecture machine. TABLE 4.i A programmer that writes implicitly parallel code does not need to worry about task division or process communication, focusing instead in the problem that his or her program is intended to solve. Implicit parallelism generally facilitates the design of parallel programs and therefore results in a substantial improvement of programmer productivity. Many of the constructs necessary to support this also add simplicity or clarity even in the absence of actual parallelism. The example above, of List comprehension in the sin() function, is a useful feature in of itself. By using implicit parallelism, languages effectively have to provide such useful constructs to users simply to support required functionality (a language without a decent for loop, for example, is one few programmers will use). Languages with implicit parallelism reduce the control that the programmer has over the parallel execution of the program, resulting sometimes in less-than-optimal solution The makers of the Oz programming language also note that their early experiments with implicit parallelism showed that implicit parallelism made debugging difficult and object models unnecessarily awkward.[2] A larger issue is that every program has some parallel and some serial logic. Binary I/O, for example, requires support for such serial operations as Write() and Seek(). If implicit parallelism is desired, this creates a new requirement for constructs and keywords to support code that cannot be threaded or distributed. REFERENCES Gottlieb, Allan; Almasi, George S. (1989).Highly parallel computing. Redwood City, Calif.: Benjamin/Cummings.ISBN0-8053-0177-1. S.V. Adve et al. (November 2008).Parallel Computing Research at Illinois: The UPCRC Agenda(PDF). [emailprotected], University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The main techniques for these performance benefits– increased clock frequency and smarter but increasingly complex architectures– are now hitting the so-called power wall. The computer industry has accepted that future performance increases must largely come from increasing the number of processors (or cores) on a die, rather than making a single core go faster. Asanovic et al. Old [conventional wisdom]: Power is free, but transistors are expensive. New [conventional wisdom] is [that] power is expensive, but transistors are free Bunch, James R.;Hopcroft, John(1974), Triangular factorization and inversion by fast matrix multiplication,Mathematics of Computation28: 231–236,doi:10.2307/2005828,ISSN0025-5718. Cormen, Thomas H.;Leiserson, Charles E.;Rivest, Ronald L.;Stein, Clifford(2001),Introduction to Algorithms, MIT Press and McGraw-Hill,ISBN978-0-262-03293-3. Golub, Gene H.;Van Loan, Charles F.(1996),Matrix Computations(3rd ed.), Baltimore: Johns Hopkins,ISBN978-0-8018-5414-9.

A Case Review On The Shining English Literature Essay

A Case Review On The Shining English Literature Essay Jack Torrence, loving father when sober and aspiring playwright and author accepts a winter caretaker job at an old, large and isolated hotel in Colorado. Jack, his wife Wendy and their clairvoyant son Danny move into the Overlook hotel. Dannys clairvoyance makes him sensitive to super-natural forces and shortly after their arrival at the Overlook he experiences premonitions about the danger the hotel poses to his family, he begins seeing ghosts and frightening visions about the hotels past. Knowing that the caretaking job is important to his father and to the familys future Danny avoids telling his parents about the visions. As winter closes in and the small family become completely isolated Danny realises that his presence in the hotel makes it more powerful, the hotel has difficulty possessing Danny, so it begins to posses Jack, frustrating his need and desire to work. Jack becomes increasingly unstable and the ghosts of the hotel gradually begin to overtake him. With the heavy winter snow leaving them all totally isolated a true horror story unfolds as the hotel attempts to use Jack to kill Wendy and Danny in order to absorb Dannys psychic abilities. Characters: #. Danny Torrence The 5-year-old son of Jack and Wendy, he has the Shining ability which empowers him with various psychic abilities which render him sensitive to super-natural forces; this is what makes him the target of the hotel. Danny has a psychic guide, named Tony taken from his middle name Anthony through which he can see past and future events. At first Tony seems to just be an imaginary playmate but soon becomes a source of fear to Danny, followed by a source of strength towards the end of the novel. Being 5 years old Danny is only just learning to read, so he often becomes confused after some of his visions as they require some reading skill to be fully understood; this motivates Danny to achieve a higher than usual reading skill before he has even started school. With his Shining ability Danny can tap into peoples thoughts but as mentioned above, his age limits his understanding of them. Danny is most definitely a likeable character, he is sweet, caring and has the inno cence and ignorance of a 5 year old, yet he is also very intelligent for his age as he is forced to mature with the insight he has from his shining ability. His psychic insight gives him confidence at times but also scares him. He is enquiring and curious, always trying to further his understanding of things. #. Jack Torrence Jack Torrence is a recovering alcoholic, he lost his teaching position after beating up a student for slashing his cars tires. When he drinks he is very erratic and has an extremely short temper, one night after coming home drunk he broke Dannys arm because Danny would not stop crying; ever since the event his marriage had devalued and him and Wendy were contemplating divorce. However Jacks fatherly instinct took over and he managed to quit drinking and arrange a winter caretaking job at the Overlook, this was all an attempt to prove himself in order to save his marriage. Jack has a certain arrogance and stubbornness about him, he does not like being under authority and often compromises himself or his job by retaliating to it. The above and drinking are his weaknesses and the hotel identifies and uses them to turn Jack against his family and into a monster. Jack seems to be quite a likeable character at the beginning of the novel but as it progresses and the reader witnesses how Jack acts under pressure and his history is revealed one begins to dislike him, yet there is always a bit of pity for him because he tries so hard to make up for his past. #. Wendy Torrence Wendy is Jacks wife and Dannys mother, a likeable, kind, friendly and genuine lady. She had/has a bad relationship with her mother which has influenced her to be the best mother she can to Danny. She is extremely strong and capable; she sticks with Jack despite his alcoholism and short temper. When Jack is possessed she tries to balance staying alive, protecting her son and trying not to completely abandon her husband. Her actions are not always what would seem to be clever but she never disappoints, always keeping the reader in suspense. Her strength is evident in that she seems to be almost immune to the Overlooks evil. Wendy is also a very practical person, this contributes to her saving herself, Dick Hallorann and Danny at the end of the novel. #. Dick Hallorann Dick Hallorann is the chef of the Overlook Hotel and shares the shining ability with Danny. Dick is a true hero in the novel, he is summoned to the hotel telepathically by Danny where he almost loses his life help save Wendy and Danny from Jack. He is also important to Dannys future well-being as he is the first person to verify Dannys shining ability and to name it. Dick is a very kind, likeable, friendly man and is the only character introduced, besides Danny, who possesses the shining ability. #.Horace Derwent Horace Derwent was a self-made millionaire and former owner of the Overlook Hotel and is responsible for most of the Overlooks notorious history. Although it is not clear whether he is alive or not he appears to Jack in the Colorado Lounge as one of the apparitions at the ball. His current involvement in the Overlook is not clear but he comes across as a bad guy. Themes: The Shining is the story of a desperate family, they believe the Overlook is their last chance of making it together. The Overlook however is all about destruction, destroying families by twisting the love within them. The family theme is quite complex, Jack is battling with his own childhood where he had an abusive alcoholic father, Wendy has a bad relationship with her mother who blames her for her parents divorce, Wendy has little family contact other than with Jack and Danny this runs into the other theme of isolation. The isolated Overlook hotel is quite like the family, both have their share of unsavoury pasts and like the hotel these also contribute to the familys isolation (isolation from their extended family and isolation within themselves due to Jacks short temper and drinking). Dannys shining ability isolates him from everyone else, he has to deal with a lot more than the average 5 year old let alone adults, when he meets Dick Hallorann also a shiner his isolation is s lightly lessened. Violence is quite prominent in the novel, the Overlook hotel feeds on violence. Jack is quite vulnerable to it after battling with a violent childhood and still battling with his own violent temper. We see the Overlook take advantage of Jacks weakness as we watch him lose his battle to control his own violence becoming a slave to the hotel. Setting: The novel is set at The Overlook Hotel in Colorado, September 30 December 3, 1975. The Overlook has a long history of violence and questionable deaths. The date sets the novel in the fall and winter of 1975, just post the Vietnam War. The date 1945 is brought up in the novel quite often, with reference to the Overlooks history. 1945 marks the end of World War 2 and the beginning of the Cold War, both 1975 and 1945 were years of extreme post-war anxiety and relief. Making the setting in quite emotion-provoking times. The Overlook however intertwines different time periods, bringing together all of its horrific past. The hotel has so many settings within itself Room 217, the ballroom, the cellar, the boiler room etc that it provides the perfect platform for King to unleash a hell of a horror. Style, form and structure: Written in third person and including perspectives from all the characters with their thoughts included, the novel gives a nice all-round image of each characters personality and character. As perspectives change all the time, you feel as if you are watching a movie; I think this style and structure is why this novel has made such a successful film. My response: I really enjoyed the novel, it was my first Stephen King read and my first horror novel. It was quite difficult to get hooked in the beginning but once the true horror started it was a book I could not put down, the suspense was great. I found it to be truly original and so entertaining with a well-thought out sophisticated plot that will still be great when its re-read for the 5th time. Id say definitely a masterpiece and it lives up to all the praise it has received. Stephen King is truly talented, cant wait to read another one of his books.

Waiting for Godot and The House of Bernarda Alba Essay -- Waiting For

In the plays Waiting for Godot and The House of Bernarda Alba, life and death are significant concepts. Life is meaningless in Godot as they merely wait until death, whilst Bernarda Alba depicts futility of life without passion, love or freedom. The House of Bernarda Alba, through Adela’s rebellious spirit signifies living a life that is passionate, while in Waiting for Godot Beckett seems to imply that life is meaningless. Whilst Waiting for Godot focuses more on the metaphorical aspect of death, The House of Bernarda Alba takes on the literal death through Adela’s suicide. As playwrights, Lorca and Beckett convey their views on life and death through their works. Beckett portrays a cyclical, boring existence in Waiting for Godot, whilst dramatic action is explicitly evident in Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba. Just as their views on life are contrasting, the two playwrights have different views on death as well. This is caused by the major cultural differenc es between the two playwrights. Lorca’s work is set in the Spanish Culture and the Civil War’s social repression, while the views expressed in Beckett's absurdist play is significantly affected by WWII existentialism. Both Beckett and Lorca agree that death is an inevitable occurrence, however they have different views on its significance. Through the characterization of their main characters, the playwrights illuminate their contrasting views on life and death. Through depicting their main characters significant life events, Lorca and Beckett convey their contrasting view on life. Waiting for Godot indicates no purpose for our actions and existence. Reiterating the purposelessness of life, the lives of the character are a repetitive cycle of meaningless conversation an... ...kett conveys his belief that life is merely a waiting period for one's death, in The House of Bernarda Alba, Lorca through Adele's fiery spirit, shows a passionate life. Thus, through the lives of Vladimir, Estragon and Adela the two playwrights' respective views on life were portrayed. The playwrights’ view of death however, is similar, as both view death as a source of change and insignificant event in society. Life and death is a significant theme explored in both Waiting for Godot and The House of Bernarda Alba, and through these plays, the audience inevitably gains new perceptions for life and death. Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. Waiting For Godot. 3rd ed. N.p.: CPI Group, 2006. Print. Vol. 1 of Samuel Beckett: The Complete Dramatic Works. 4 vols Lorca, Federico Garcia. La Casa de Bernarda Alba, Manchester University Press, 1984. Print

Linking Magical Realism and the Sublime in A Very Old Man with Enormous

Linking Magical Realism and the Sublime in A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings      Ã‚  Ã‚   Marquez's "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" links Magical Realism and Sublime literature to one another in such a way that Magical Realism seems to be a genre of the Sublime. This short story was published with a collection of other stories entitled Leaf Storm and Other Stories in 1955. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a native Columbian, has accomplished a great deal in the field of Magical Realism. This particular short story fulfills the requirements for Magical Realism and, at the same time, the Sublime. This fact leads one to believe that Magical Realism is, in fact, a genre of the Sublime instead of the Fantastic. The characteristics of Magical Realism match those of the Sublime much more extensively than those of Fantastical literature. "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" includes many aspects, which may be described as magical. In the story, an old man with a very poor set of wings is found and kept as a pet for several years. These wings were described by the doctor in the story as "...so natural on that completely human organism that he couldn't understand why other men didn't have them, too" (528). The fact that the old man had wings in the first place seems very acceptable to the characters, and this nonchalance is conveyed to the reader. To take an idea or an object that one is familiar with and distorting that image into something unfamiliar is called defamiliarization (Simkins 150). This use of defamiliarization is a very important characteristic of both Magical Realism as well as the Sublime. An angel is something with which most are somewhat familiar; however, Marquez's angel is a completely different type of angel. One e... ...between Magical Realism and Sublime literature seems very obvious when one examines the criteria for each. Marquez's "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" links Magical Realism and Sublime literature to one another in such a way that Magical Realism seems to be a genre of the Sublime. This short story fulfills the requirements of each. However, the requirements are the very same ideas and principles. Thus Magical Realism should be classified as a type of the Sublime. Works Cited Loginus. On the Sublime. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1995. Sandner, David. The Fantastic Sublime. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1996. 51-55. Simpkins, Scott. "Sources of Magical Realism/ Supplements to Realism in Contemporary Latin American Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 145-159.   

Lads & Lassies

Arthur Gharakhanian Lads & Lassies (LL) ACCU-620 Brandman University Week 4, Assignment 2 November 14th, 2012 Lads & Lassies Introduction Classifying how the income statement needs to be coded for Lads & Lassies is a two step processes. I will be using the data provided in the case along with information from FASB's Accounting Standards Codification. FASB's coding system is being used to help prepare the layout and ensure proper reporting of the items listed in the case analysis. Some minor changes need to be done to the income statement format to make it presentable which will be noted in the analysis.Please reference Appendix A throughout the analysis to see how the income statement is ultimately being constructed. Analysis – 2005 When constructing the 2005 income statement for Lads & Lassies, I will be using a multi step income statement as this is the format that â€Å"includes other important revenue and expense classifications makes the income statement more useful† (Kieso, 2012). We have limited information to use for 2005, but we can still construct an income statement up to gross profit.We will adhere to FASB rule ASC 225-10-S99-2 (Regulation S-X Rule 5-03, Income Statements), which regulates the relevant items and their components which should be separately stated in the income statement and their arrangement for the presentation. This coding rule provides us the guidance on how to label and present the revenue generated by Lads & Lassies. Also included in this rule is the requirement on how to report costs and expenses associated with the applicable sales be reported separately on the income statement. Therefore we will breakout the expenses directly tied to sales on their own line item (Cost of Goods Sold).Lastly in 2005 we will calculate the gross profit, which â€Å"tells us how much money an entity would have earned if it Lads & Lassies didn’t pay any other expenses such as salary, income taxes, office supplies, utility, ren t, etc. † (Kieso, 2012). Analysis – 2006 The accounting reporting standards mentioned in the 2005 analysis still apply, however, there are additional standards that need to be applied in 2006. When constructing the income statement we will have to address the gain on sale of corporate headquarters and the class action settlement.In accordance with ASC 225-20-45-4(d), † the sale or abandonment of property used in the business is being excluded from being presented as an extra-ordinary item† (FASB, 1973). However, when the gain or loss of a building is associated with the movement of corporate headquarters, we would use ACS 225-20-45-16 (Presentation of Unusual or Infrequently Occurring Items). This rule states that â€Å"a material event or transaction that is unusual in nature or occurs infrequently but not both, shall be reported as a separate component of income from continuing operations† (FASB, 1973).Rules ASC 225-20-45-4 & ASC 225-20-45-16 also a ddress the presentation of the settlement received from the class action lawsuit. We must report the gain or loss from the class action lawsuit in other income (expense) section of the income statement. This section will follow the income and cost of goods sold sections, thereby â€Å"adding back† revenue to the gross profit to reveal a new gross profit. These transactions could be considered below the line entries and would follow indirect expenses (salaries, rent, etc. , but since those items are not present these entries will follow revenue and cost of goods sold. Conclusion Using FASB we are able to determine how to properly present Lads & Lassies income statements. The changes that accompany the growing company from 2005 to 2006 are easily Lads & Lassies recorded and presented in the income statements year over year. Being able to distinguish what is an unusual or infrequently occurring item is crucial in determining if it falls under operations or non-operating income ( loss).Although the income statement is not complete as we are missing information regarding expenses not directly tied to revenue, the income statements presented (Appendix A) are complete and prepared to code. References FASB ASC 225-20-45-2. [Predecessor literature: â€Å"Reporting the Results of Operations,† Opinions of the Accounting Principles Board No. 30 (New York: AICPA, 1973), par. 20. ] FASB ASC 225-20-45-4. [Predecessor literature: â€Å"Reporting the Results of Operations,† Opinions of the Accounting Principles Board No. 30 (New York: AICPA, 1973), par. 3, as amended by â€Å"Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-lived Assets,† Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144 (Norwalk, Conn. : FASB, 2001). ] FASB ASC 225-20-45-16. [Predecessor literature: â€Å"Reporting the Results of Operations,† Opinions of the Accounting Principles Board No. 30 (New York: AICPA, 1973), par. 23, as amended by â€Å"Accounting for the Impairm ent or Disposal of Long-lived Assets,† Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144 (Norwalk, Conn. : FASB, 2001). ] Kieso, D. E. , Weygandt, J. J. , & Warfield, T.D. (2012). Intermediate accounting, 14th edition binder ready version. (14 ed. ). Wiley. Appendix A | | | Lads & Lassies Income Statement| Fiscal Year Ending on January 29, 2005| (Figures in Millions)| |   |   | Revenue|   |   | Clothing| $ 70. 60 |   | Sassy Spa| $ 3. 90 |   | Total Revenue|   | $ 74. 50 | |   |   | Less: Cost of goods sold|   | $ 46. 50 | |   |   | Gross Profit|   | $ 28. 00 | | | | | | | Lads & Lassies Income Statement| Fiscal Year Ending on January 28, 2006| (Figures in Millions)| |   |   | Revenue|   |   |Clothing| $ 71. 10 |   | Sassy Spa| $ 11. 20 |   | Transaction value| $ 4. 20 |   | Total Revenue|   | $ 86. 50 | |   |   | Less: Cost of Goods Sold: Clothing| $ 46. 50 |   | Cost of Goods Sold: Sassy Spa| $ 9. 60 |   | Total Cost of Goo ds Sold|   | $ 56. 10 | |   |   | Gross Profit|   | $ 30. 40 | |   |   | Non-Operating Income|   |   | Gain (Loss) on Sale of Building| $ 1. 70 |   | Income from Law-Suit Settlement| $ 2. 70 |   | Total Non-Operating Income|   | $ 4. 40 | |   |   | Net Income|   | $ 34. 80 |

Five Forces Analysis: Adidas

Five Forces Analysis Intensity of Competitive Rivalry There are several firms fiercely competing Adidas for more market share, including Nike, Puma, Reebok and Umbro to name a few. Adidas must ensure that their goods are of a high quality and at a reasonable price in order to keep their market share in this industry. Intensity in this industry is high as there are a large number of organisations with similar products all trying to gain market share. Threat of Entry to the Industry by New CompetitorsThere isn’t very much of a threat of new competitors to Adidas as there are high barriers of entry to this industry, such as, high set up costs, economies of scale, legal barriers, marketing barrier and control over raw materials. This means that not many new organisations could break into this industry, as it would be very expensive to start up and run a company that could be a threat to a major brand such as Adidas. Also, Research and Development costs are to be considered, as the y would be extremely high due to the organisation not having any previous knowledge about the industry or about designing and producing the goods.Another point why it is highly unlikely that a new organisation could enter the industry and compete with Adidas is they will either have to pay out loads of money on factories and machinery for producing their goods, which could backfire if they were not to succeed, or they could try to compete without a factory or machinery for production, this wouldn’t work as the new organisation wouldn’t be able to produce enough products to compete with any leading brands such as Adidas, Nike, Puma, Reebok etc.Threat from Substitute Products or Services There is a threat to Adidas from other manufacturers’ products as there are many companies that produce football boots. However, Adidas produce football boots that have unique features, such as the rubber pads on the boots. Therefore, as Adidas’s products are unique they ha ve an edge over their competitors as non of their products have rubber pads on their boots. This will help Adidas to sell more products and ultimately put the other organisations out of business.Also, substitutes for football boots could also include footwear and sports clothes for other sports as people could take up new sports. Power of Suppliers Adidas raw materials to make football boots are not supplied by a monopoly. This gives Adidas more power to dictate the price at which they buy their raw materials, as there are a large number of competitive suppliers. Power of Buyers Adidas’s products are mainly sold in bulk to major sports outlets such as JJB Sports, JD Sports and Sports Soccer.Also, large amounts of products are sold in bulk to online stores such as Pro Direct Soccer and Sports Shoes. As Adidas rely quite heavily o these buyers they have to sell their products at relatively low prices. However, there are a small amount of customers who buy products directly from Adidas, when Adidas sell their products to one off customers they can dictate the price as Adidas don’t rely on making these sales.

How Does Phonics Develop Early Reading?

How does phonics develop early reading and how should phonics be taught? The most important skill any child can leave primary school with is the ability to read independently and effectively for meaning. ’ (DFE National Literacy Strategy) Reading has become an integral part of our lives; within the world we live in today we rely heavily on information and environmental text. It is important that from an early age Children are immersed in books everyday.With parents reading short stories to there children daily it will be inevitable that those children will stand a better chance at becoming stronger fluent readers. However distractions at home can have a detrimental affect on children’s development in reading as parents may not have enough time to help this. Many subjects rely on access to texts and an holdup or absence in basic literacy skills will effect progress in these areas. Phonics is â€Å"a method of teaching people to read by correlating sounds with symbols in an alphabetic writing system. (Oxford Dictionaries) Phonics is not something new and has been used in schools to help children learn and read since the â€Å"mid nineteenth century† (Browne 2011, 27) Although it had become less significant within schools during 1950’s it has continued to appear in practice within schools since. Within this essay I will be looking into the role of Phonics within teaching children to read while also looking at the different phonic systems in place and choosing the most effective one.I will be talking about the theory I have learned as well as my experience in schools while on placement with my foundation two class. There are two methods of teaching phonics in the classroom both Synthetic Phonics and Analytical Phonics. I will be concentrating more on Synthetic Phonics as it is considered to be â€Å"the best method for teaching reading. † (DfE 2010, p11) Children are taught to read and spell during the same period. They are taugh t the individual correspondences between sounds that are known as phonemes and written letters, which are known as graphemes.An example of this would be h-a-t = hat. They can also use this technique to pull apart those sounds that would help with spelling of words. For example hat = h-a-t. (Rowlingson) Whereas Analytical phonics is the complete opposite as they will start with a whole word and analyse a part of it. â€Å"In English there are 44 sounds (Phonemes) which are written using 26 letters of the alphabet† (Browne 2011, p27) There are many more Graphemes than Phonemes with most phonemes being represented by a number of different graphemes. Synthetic phonics can be taught in many ways.The Primary Framework for Literacy (DfES, 2006a) gives a progressive plan on how to teach phonics. I found during my time with Foundation year 2’s the teacher I was working with concentrated on implementing four new letters every week as well as recapping what they had learnt from t he previous week. I asked her if it worked well and she certainly seemed to think so. Before she would be doing a new letter a day, although this would allow her to teach at a good pace she noticed the children were struggling to remember all the letters and sounds they would learn.Because of this she had to revise the way she was teaching the phonics to go at a pace the children were comfortable with. She revised her plan so that every day her children would recap over the letters they had previously been taught. I noticed that however much planning was in place that it was always best to go by how the children would cope and over time you will become familiar with the class you are working with and this will come naturally.Once the alphabetic code has been taught you will advance to more complex graphemes and simple consonant-vowel-consonant words to much more complex CVC words. This will give the children a good understanding of being able to read and write these. It also allows them to then combine what they have learnt from the sounds into whole words. This however doesn’t always work with all words that are known as ‘phonically irregular’ also known as ‘tricky words’ as they do not comply to the phonics rules that are being taught.An example of this will be l-i-g-h-t, which clearly won’t make much sense when viewed from a phonics point of view. These words will be learnt by rote, which is a memorizing process using repetition where the teacher feels appropriate based on how successful the child is at reading. By understanding these procedures of reading it is possible to decode entirely unfamiliar words. From my experience within my Foundation year two class I learnt that it was important to keep the phonics lessons short, with around thirty minutes a day dedicated to this.Some people may believe that because it was only a short period of time to cover phonics the lesson will be very restricted with the children ha ving to take in all the information they are being given by the teacher with no participation. While being on placement I witnessed first hand exactly what happens in the typical Phonics lesson; it would start with ‘Fast phonics first’ where the children would watch a musical animation of the alphabet being sang out with the children engaging and singing along.The lesson then covers what the children had learnt the previous week in a short recap while then covering the new letters. This can be done in many ways. The teacher often puts the new letter on the interactive board and plays magic finger which sees the children watch the letter being drawn in the air with her finger and gets the children to copy this and then write this down on there own individual whiteboards which keeps them involved.This way it allows the children to experience an engaging lesson that they will remember, its also important that the teacher recaps on the letters the following day so that the children will keep the letters in there minds much longer. Over my six weeks I saw that the lessons would get gradually harder which follows what The Primary Framework Literacy (DfES,2006a) plan states.The diagraphs such as consonant diagraphs where two consonants join together to produce a single sound the most popular being â€Å"ch† â€Å"sh† and â€Å"th† Vowel diagraphs can also be used such as â€Å"ai† â€Å"ea† and â€Å"oo† etc by using these as well as CVC words it will help with the children’s understanding and knowledge of reading. A structure is very important when teaching Phonics and in Jim Rose’s independent review of the teaching of early reading many people agree with this. The review itself was conducted during 2005 with Jim Rose publishing his discovery early the following year.He talks about how phonics should be taught at the age of 5 years from foundation until year 2 and beyond. It should be Systematic c arefully planned and progressive which fits well to my observations while on placement. It should also be taught discretely daily at a brisk pace with the main point being that children are learning to decode and encode print. The key point from this Rose review however is that â€Å"it is part of a broad, rich curriculum† Meaning it should be used in all areas of teaching the children and not something that is separate.Another scheme would be that of Michael Gove Secretary of state for education who stated â€Å"A solid foundation in reading is crucial to a child’s success as they progress through primary school, into secondary school and then in later life† (Michael Gove 2012) He talks about how expected reading levels of ages 7 and 11 are simply not achieving with the government are looking to raise the standard of reading in the early years of primary school, his idea is that he wants children to read to learn information rather than reading to learn to read . We are determined to raise literacy standards in our schools, especially of those not achieving the expected level – a light-touch phonics-based check will provide reassurance that children in Year 1 have learned this important skill, will enable us to pinpoint those who are struggling at an early age and will give them the help they need before it is too late. (Michael Gove 2012) Systematic Synthetic Phonics is an extremely valuable program that works effectively within the reading and writing of children’s lives however It should be used alongside other strategies such as analytical I briefly mentioned earlier this is because every child is different and just because something works well for one child doesn’t always mean it’s the same for every child. With other strategies it will help every child no matter what the ability maybe. By using more than one program, most topics will be covered that suit the child. â€Å"Phonic knowledge can be taught in many ways† (DfES,2006a). Word Count – 1490

Analysis on ZARA

As for the B2C buying behaviour, many perspectives are included. Firstly, take a look at the cultural factors. Buyers of ZARA are influenced by culture, subculture and social factors. ZARA collects information about its customers via staff members, by different observations and also directly from the buyers. Since ZARA is a centralized brand it focuses on the global trends, though it has decided to move towards geocentric orientation and started to adopt local solutions, too.It is also seen that the income factor is one of the biggest determinants as the brand has relatively high prices. However, it provides value to customers; still not every social class could afford it. Secondly, as far as the social factors are mentioned, buyers can be influenced by their memberships, their activities in different groups, relationships as well as their role and status. For instance, working in a business related area can influence customers to buy formal ZARA clothes as well as being part of a sp ort club can make them buy sporty clothes.While the brand has a lot of segments, it also provides items for sport activities. The role and status is a huge influencing factor. It provides elegant, formal clothes and for this reason ZARA clothes can be bought for showing the already gained position in the society. Among personal factors, the occupation is considered to be the most important since blue collar workers are not even motivated to buy ZARA products.That is the reason why it does not targets other members of the society. Lastly, the psychological factors are the main determinants. The ZARA brand is valuable, it understands the latest fashion trends and also follows the customer’s wants. Therefore, their prices are relatively high as mentioned before. We can claim that clothes obviously belong to our basic needs, but this quality brand is more like in relation to the esteem part if Maslow’s pyramid is considered.

“The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson

The book â€Å"The Devil in the White City† by Erik Larson describes peculiarities of Chicago life in the Gilded Age. It was the time of industrial growth and development of materialism and political corruption. The government wasn’t bothering of checking corruption in financial and political institutions. I think that â€Å"The Devil in the White City† is one of the most interesting and exciting books which has excellently captured the image of the Gilded Age.Nevertheless, the book is not simple as it may seem at the first glance, because the author has managed to combine positive shifts in architectural design and industry with horrible murders committed by serial killer. The book is shocking and thought-provoking. The author challenges traditional ideas and viewpoints offering real picture of what the Gilded Age was in the history. The work is non-fiction and from the very first pages the author introduces two men who are considered to have affected the legend ary World’s Fair in 1893 – Daniel Burnham and Herman Webster Mudgett.Larson describes Burnham as successful architect with credible reputation and experience in building the fair. The author follows him from the very first steps in his career when he was unsuccessful apprentice who had failed to enter Yale and Harvard. In the image of Daniel the author tries to show the audience the way Daniel has created his famous architectural exposition. Larson introduces Herman Webster Mudgett as opposition to Daniel Burnham to shows that there is good and evil. Neither good nor evil can exist without counter-side. Herman Mudgett uses the alias Dr. H. H. Holmes to lure innocent victims with his wit and charm.Actually, Dr. Holms is series killer who sees an excellent opportunity to kill people by attracting them into his ‘castle’ – mysterious hotel. Dr. Holms manages to hypnotize women and to gain their trust and admiration by promising them financial support an d chance to see the whole world. As a result, women are simply vanishing. The most shocking thing is that Dr. Holmes sells their skeletons to universities. Dr. Holmes is a brilliant psychologist. For example, when he sees that people are suspicious he tries to use his charisma and to persuade that he doesn’t know where women are. Firstly it may seem that it is Dr.Holms who is to be labeled ‘Devil in the City’. In the images of Burnham and Dr. Holmes the author shows skillfully that beauty co-exists with ugliness and good co-exists with evil. No period in the history can be marked as good or bad as there are always positive and negative moments. Interestingly, Larson defines these two characters as ‘artists’ providing two different viewpoints towards the World’s Fair. Larson believes that these different perspectives are equally important as they â€Å"embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized the rush of America towards the twentieth century†.(p. xi) Burnham and Dr. Holms are representatives of Chicago in the end of the 1800s. Through their images the author shows how the city looks like from negative and positive sides. Actually, the author is willing to show that his book is about eternal battle between good and evil. However, there are no winners and losers. There is only one devil in the city. Larson takes readers into the minds of cunning killer and skillful architect, though he doesn’t explain who the devil in the city is. This question remains uncertain.The Gilded Age is a matter of particular interest for Erik Larson. In the book he supports his theory in several ways. Actually, book’s chapters provide different perspectives and viewpoints as life in Chicago was dubious in those times. Larson describes perspectives of Burnham and Dr. Holmes stressing that they are equally important to the city’s representation. Burnham is representation of pride and glory, whereas Dr. Holmes represents the dark side of Chicago’s life. Larson argues that World’s Fair plays important role for Chicago and other US cities.For example, he writes that Paris organized an exposition which â€Å"showed off France’s self-proclaimed superiority in art, manufacturing, science, and engineering†. (pxxi) Similar role World’s Fair has played in America. Eiffel Tower was something people had never seen before. And Burnham becomes obsessive with idea to create his own Eiffel Tower. In those times Chicago was extremely dirty town and Daniel decided to change it by changing his way of thinking. The author views in Daniel the chance for improvement and development. Consequently, Dr. Holmes is representative of corrupt side of the city.He is the embodiment of scandal affairs and shady politicians. Dr. Holms is viewed as darkness in the city of lights and joyful hopes. Dr. Holms seems to represent the Gilded Age as, on the one hand, he is smart, char ming and wealthy, and, on the other hand, he is bloodthirsty and wicked. At the end of the novel Larson compares perspectives of Dr. Holms and Daniel Burnham uniting different aspects of Chicago. Burnham and Dr. Holms are different people, but they share similar goals. They are both viewed as architects. Burnham is willing to create something new and to challenge traditional viewpoints, whereas Dr.Holms sets the background for killing. The author â€Å"found it so marvellously strange that both these men should be operating at the same time in history, within blocks of each other, both creating powerful legacies, one of brilliance and energy, the other of sorrow and darkness†. (p. xi) Larson believes that there is no other way to portray the Gilded Age and to show main driving forces in 1893. He shows that technical advances are combined with unimaginable evil. I think that the author is very convincing in his portraying the realities of Chicago life as he doesn’t repr esent only one side.Instead, he encompasses both perspectives. To understand Chicago better one has to look at the city through the eyes of dark devil and white angel. Despite the fact that all events are not real, it seems that the whole book is a true event. Erik Larson has done brilliant job representing all events of the fair in such a way that it is hardly possible to dispute them. However, the book is shocking when the author deepens in details concerning Dr. Holmes and his victims. Nevertheless, every white city has its dark evil.