Can terrorism be defeated Discuss in terms of both the military and Essay

Can terrorism be defeated Discuss in terms of both the military and non-military responses to the threat - Essay Example These conflicting opinions are now in the process of ripening and it is hoped that it will not be long before they find their application in practical terms. Discussion Older theorists have proposed that terrorism can be defeated if certain principles are followed. Terrorists often win because we respond to terrorism the way terrorists want us to respond. If our response is not in accordance with the terrorist's will, they fail to achieve their objective. So, it should be realized that the choice is ours. If we can learn to refuse to act upon the will of terrorists, we can hope to defeat terrorism, although we cannot always prevent it (Fromkin, 1975). Such ideas have dominated the minds of intellectuals of the past, but keeping in mind the present scenario of the world, we can infer that such ideas are far from reality. The previous two decades have seen a rise in the tendency to control terrorism using the military approach. The idea of intervening within states for the resolution o f military conflicts appeared prominently in the international scenario in the early 1990s, when in the Gulf war and later in Cambodia the international community played its role (Snyder, 2008). Subsequent years have seen a surge in such military measures and a collective effort on part of many countries to contain terrorism and limit it to its origins. They have, however, resulted in a growth of terrorist activities across the world, let alone stopping its spread. Our recent experiences of waging war against terrorism have only made us realize some bitter realities of the life. Most modern discoveries in neuroscience, anthropology, human evolution and paleoethnology have favored the idea that Homo sapiens are not inclined towards killing others of their own species. The similarity between a 'killer in uniform' and a 'killer without uniform' is striking. Both have to be fed with 'hatred' in the process of de-humanizing them, during which they are trained to overcome their natural te ndency to allow others to 'live' (Ram & Summy, 2008). Such discoveries have led us to believe that the military approach is, in fact, not the solution to the problem of terrorism. Theorists of insurgency have focused on the element of preserving public sympathy during military actions to gain benefit after takeover of states. Similarly, an indirect approach to contain insurgency, which is termed the 'hearts and minds' approach, emphasizes the need to gain public support by political means (Snyder, 2008). Such observations have favoured the non-military approach for the solution of terrorism. Democracy is considered by some to be the solution for terrorism. This may be true in some cases, but again it has its own limitations. In many European states where democracy is the rule, a number of terrorist groups have emerged, which not only fail to comply with the norms of democracy for their own expression but also use democracy as a tool to augment their deleterious activities (Snyder, 2 008). Such observations have led us to believe that perhaps, the non-military approach is too 'soft' for terrorism oriented mentality. So, the lesson learnt during war on terrorism is that terrorism cannot be defeated; instead, it can only be attenuated, reduced and controlled to some degree. Unrealistic hopes of completely sweeping

Effects of Mass Media Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Effects of Mass Media Worksheet Essay What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century?| The major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century included the radio, television, and communication gadgetry, such as personal computers, cable TV, DVDs, DVRs, direct broadcast satellites, fax machines, cell phones, smartphones, and PDAs.For a large part of the 20th century, televisions and radios where stationary devices. More recently, devices such as, laptops, ipads, and smartphones allow people to view magazine articles, radio programs, songs, TV shows, and movies, from almost any location they want. On the Internet, multiple images, texts, and sounds are digitally reproduced and transmitted globally. These devices are constantly being update to provide consumers with the newest technologies possible. The Internet and social media, such as Facebook and e-mail are other large developments in the evolution of mass media. In fact, Facebook alone has more than 500 million users worldwide. Social media allows people from all over the world to connect through ongoing online conversations, share stories and interests, and to produce their own media content. This also gives people the choice to upload photos and homemade videos, and share them with others around the world.The media convergence has allowed media marketers to consolidate multiple media services such as, cable connections, phone services, television transmissions, and Internet access, under one corporate umbrella. For example, when a company owns more than on media outlet they can have a reporter or producer to create multiple different versions of the same story for multiple media outlets. This helps companies to manage resources and maximize profits. How did each development influence American culture?| The rapid development of cable television and the Internet have caused traditional leaders in communication to lose some of their control o ver information. For example, ABC, CBS, and NBC lost some of their audience to other networks, like MTV, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Comedy Central, and radio talk shows. Internet Bloggers have become a large factor in the news as well because blogging allows anyone to speak  their mind at any time. The Internet and social media are changing the ways in which we absorb and interact with the media culture. Sending letters through the mail has, to some, become a thing of the past, as e-mail has become the quickest way to send communication to one person or a group of people in a matter of seconds. In addition, several repressive and totalitarian regimes have had difficulties with controlling messages sent through the borderless Internet.Along with these types of developments, we have also seen differences in the types of content that is put on news shows, television shows, video games, radio shows, and the Internet. From personal problems to dangerous stunts, this type of content has consumers worried about the overwhelming amount of information now available. Research indicates that there is a connection between aggression in children and violent games and entertainment shows. According to Campbell (2012), â€Å"children, who watch nearly forty thousand TV commercials each year, are particularly vulnerable to marketers selling junk, food, toys, and â€Å"cool† clothing†. The evolution of mass media has come a long way, but it plays a controversial role in society. | Resource Campbell, R., Martin, C.R., Fabos, B (2012) Media culture: An introduction to mass communication (8th.) New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Mass Media Effect On Promoting Copycat Mass Murders Media Essay

Mass Media Effect On Promoting Copycat Mass Murders Media Essay This research paper highlights on the ways that the mass media has encouraged the copycat murders. The copycat effect is used in reference to the situation for which a sensational publicity about the violent acts of murders or suicides causes the tendency to result in more of similar effects through imitation. The Media influence or media effects are terms used in media studies, in psychology, communication theory and in sociology in reference to the theories concerning the ways in which the mass media affect the way in which the audiences think or behave. The critiques of the influences of media suggested that media can weaken or delimit an individuals capacity in acting autonomously by connecting the world to the individuals and reproducing of self-images of the society, this characteristic of media is ascribed as an influence which is reminiscent of the telescreens, These Include all the kinds of media namely; the newspapers, TV, Radio, Internet and the Books. . The media generates information in a networked setup, it then publishes the information using the articles, videos, and the photos to the consumers, this influences the individuals ability to interpret the delivered information while at the same time it potentially influences the unrelated cultural and the personal beliefs, basing on the propaganda model. The Mass media content which is created for the newsworthy events and the untold stories have consequences on the consumers and culture can also be influenced. The media has a strong social and cultural impact upon the society. This is due to its ability to reach a wider audience with strong and influential messages. The Television broadcasts have a lot of control over the content delivered to the society depending on the number watching and the times in which the same content is viewed. The internet creates the space for diverse political opinions, social and the cultural viewpoints and a higher level of consumer participation. The process of agenda-setting is almost the unavoidable section of news gathering in the large organizations which are stakeholders of the mass media. The media is not a crude agent of propaganda, but it organizes the public understandings by providing the overall interpretations that are preferred by, and in most cases it is least challenging especially to those with the economic power. News coverage of violent crimes serves the public interest, depending on how much coverage is necessary if it is necessary to cover every violent crime and the level of detail. (McCombs Shaw, 1972) The coverage of crimes in the society can be a valuable tool in decision making. If the Individuals are properly informed, they can make rational decisions basing on their personal safety. In case the population has been misled, may it be intentionally or not, depending on the nature of the crimes, and the rarity or commonality of the said crimes. When the coverage is an endless repetition of the apparently meaningless tragedies, then it causes a numbing effect on the population. The public interest may be the justification for the coverage of the mass murders, but in reality profit is the real motivation, since the mass media are in the business of making money and therefore the mass media cannot ignore mass murders. The allegations the mass media unintentionally promotes the mass murder is a serious one. Hence the mass media determine the appropriate level of coverage and it is necessary to cover every such crime. There is need for the media to devise the methods for discouraging the shoot your way to temporary fame which encourages copycat murders. It is evident that this problem has not been adequately addressed in the existing works on the media ethics. Literature Review A review on a number of the recent works in this field have suggested a trend the general problems of psychological and economic harm caused by inaccurate or unethical mass media reporting has been considered in great depths, However the very severe form of harm which is the unintentional encouragement of copycat murders has not been specifically discussed. A Noted author and the cultural behaviorist Loren Coleman explores how the medias over-saturated the coverage of the murders, suicides, and the deadly tragedies made an impact on the society. This is The Copycat Effect-the phenomenon in which violent events spawn violence of the same type. He recognizes the emerging patterns of the Copycat Effect, how to deal with and counteract the associated consequences as individuals and as the culture. Loren Coleman translates the academic research on the copycat effects an understandable form in which He brings the imitation of violence to reality through the detailed case studies and the pe rson-centered examples, such as the sensationalized reporting on suicide, sniper sprees, suicide via the airplane, suicidal cults, the post-office killings, and the teenage suicide. The media is largely in a state of denial on how its coverage on the death incidents contributes to the violence and destruction of lives in the society. Loren Colemans in The Copycat Effect examined the major news events, which were encouraged and promoted by the mass media, and those which get repeated in lesser-known incidents which were covered primarily by the local news. Klaidman Beauchamp (1987, pp. 93-123, pp. 201-7)) discussed the issues on journalistic-induced harm, but only with respect to the damaged reputations and the business losses. Pointed to the problems of the news organizations which created the news events, including the problems international terrorism, they did examine the possibility that the journalists efforts can play a part in causing a specific murder. Lambeth (1986) provides a thorough theoretical model in addressing the ethical issues on journalism, However, he fails to address the problem of media-induced harm. Hulteng (1981, pp. 71-86) sampled out the ethical codes of a number of the American newspapers; he reprinted the complete text of codes of the ethics for the Associated Press Managing Editors, the American Society of the Newspaper Editors, and the Society of the Professional Journalists. All these ethical codes address the issue of harm and balance in a very general way but do not directly discuss how the coverage of a particular criminal act can lead to the copycat crimes. The news media is supposed to satisfy both the obligation of accurately informing the public about the nature of the societys murder problems, and the obligation of the stockholders to keep the circulation up. The inevitable public boredom with the coverage of the meaningless little murders makes this an impossible act to balance. The media coverage on some murders in the sensational manner has been customized in many events. The editors justify this time-honored tradition basing on the economic considerations and in light of the major roles. The editors need to figure out the many innocent lives that will be sacrificed in order to boost the circulation, or promote the political agendas. These mass media studies suggest that that there is need for standardized means in which a kind of crime violence should be given the attention proportionate to its size, in relation to the its magnitude, and base on the importance of its victims. The Violent crimes of all types should be highlighted, in a relative way to other causes of suffering, which are proportionate to the social costs. Meyer (1987, pp. 155-156) points to the problem of the unbalanced reporting of the health and safety issues in the mass media causes the wild and inaccurate notions on the relative risks of various causes of death. He gives an example where a surveyed group of the greatly underestimated deaths caused by the emphysema, relates to the deaths by homicide. Meyer described one of the studies carried out by researchers at the University of Oregon, in which it was found that the pictures formed inside the heads of the people who were interviewed tended to be influenced by the spooky, violent world of the newspaper content as compared to the real world. It is important that the studies recognizes how the misleading portrayal of the real world can become an artifact of the popular morbid curiosity, that the newspapers must satisfy or lose in their circulation, this reflects what Meyer terms as, The Distorting Effects of the Perceptual Models. In brief, the journalists through the mass media enhance certain assumptions in their work. They make use of the facts which do not fit into the journalists perceptual model that tends to be downgraded in its importance or ignored. This study bases on the facts which include the statistical analysis, even at the most basic level, but the primary liberal arts orientation given to the journalists comes to the forefront takes the precedence. (Meyer, 1987, pp. 48-50) David Lesters (1989) study titled, Media Violence and Suicide and Homicide Rates. He summarized the two reports extracted from the National Coalition on the TV Violence. The first report asserts that there exists a negative correlation between the suicides and violent, media related issues, and a positive correlation in relation to the homicide at the same time. The second report asserts somehow similar, which does not statistically signify the relationships between the best-attended films, suicide and the homicide. Lesters shows that the National Coalition on the TV violence is not an objective source, Lester did not attempt to analyze the methods used, or critically evaluate the significance of these reports. There are serious problems that prove or disprove the causal relationships that exist between the television entertainment and the violent behavior; therefore there is no reason to assume that the television news provides the easier opportunity for such research. Methodology This research employed a web based survey in gathering data on the Media influences and promotion of the copycat murders. I analyzed news coverage of the mass murders in Time and the Newsweek for the period ranging 1984-91 for the evidence of the disproportionate, coverage of certain categories of mass murder in a manner that influenced the occurrence of the subsequent incidents. I used this design in order to trace the root of copycat murders and at the same time justify the hypothesis which assumes that copycat murders are accelerated by media influences.. The instrument was divided into two parts; The Descriptive Analysis, which describes the influences of media in the individuals ability to commit a crime as a result of the interests developed from the media highlights.. The Critical Analysis, which assesses the extent to which the American based print media, perpetuates the copycat murders. This involved the analysis of two main Newspapers, the Times and the Newsweek based on their modes of reporting the violent criminal incidences. Sample description and selection the copycat murder cases In this research work the random sampling procedure was used in the process of data collection on the copycat murders, this was due to the nature of the topic which required many sources of information concerning the influences of mass media on copycat murders. The contexts for the study were based on the distinctive nature of the internet. Data was collected in the process of evaluation of the influences of the mass media and the mode in which the copycat crimes. Results    Table 1 shows the data gathered on the different types of murde , it is clear that the arson mass murderers and the knife mass murderers received relatively very little attention from the Time and the Newsweek. The data shows that, there is a very large discrepancy between the amount of coverage that given to the arson mass murders, and the mass murderers involving the guns exclusively. The fire arms leads with a factor of almost nine times as much coverage as seen from the comparison between the coverage given to the exclusive firearms mass murderers and to the arson mass murderers. Murderer Month/Year Dead Newsweek sq. in. Newsweek Sq. Inches/Dead James Huberty Jul-84 22 157.50 7.16 Sylvia Seegrist Nov-85 2 0.00 0.00 William Bryan Cruse Apr-87 6 0.00 0.00 David Burke Dec-87 43 57.75 1.34 Robert Dreesman Dec-87 7 0.00 0.00 Ronald Gene Simmons Dec-87 16 78.75 4.92 Richard Wade Farley Feb-88 7 0.00 0.00 Laurie Wasserman Dann May-88 2 54.00 27.00 Patrick Purdy Jan-89 6 370.34 61.72 Joseph T. Wesbecker Sep-89 8 52.50 6.56 James E. Pough Jun-90 9 0.00 0.00 George Hennard Oct-91 24 78.75 3.28 Firearms Murders 152 849.59 5.59 There is a large discrepancy that exists; however, this is because of the many articles which mentioned Patrick Purdys crime. But even with the exclusion of all coverage of Patrick Purdys crimes (there is still a very charitable assumption on the data by the Time and Newsweek, in consideration of the centrality to the Wesbeckers actions of the Times coverage), the square inches per dead body for the firearms mass murderers is still more than 5 times the coverage when it comes to the arson mass murderers. This dramatic difference was shown by Plotting the square inches per dead body mass media coverage on the selected murderers incidents as shown below. Plotting of the firearms mass murder coverage against time also showed some interesting results, as shown in Figure 2. In this case, the mass murder coverage rose dramatically with the crimes committed by Laurie Wasserman Dann and Patrick Purdy There is a sudden dived back from high to very low levels especially during the pre-Dann levels with the Wesbecker incident. The Time newspaper which is more prone to the coverage of the firearms mass murders before Dann and Purdy, was the noticeably restrained of the two magazines as seen in its coverage of the mass murders from Wesbecker and onwards. There is a unique relationship pertaining the Time seen from the connection between their coverage of the Purdy, and the Wesbeckers bloody rampage? Discussion The cases analyzed included the following; On January 17, 1989, a homosexual prostitute who was also a drug addict with a very long history of the criminal offenses and mental disturbance, Patrick Purdy, directly to the Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California. He firebombed his car, entered a playground during the recess time carrying a Chinese gun, a semiautomatic version of the full automatic AK-47), he shot to death five children, wounded 29 other children and the teacher, then shot himself in the head using a 9mm handgun. The Initial coverage of the Purdys crime was relatively restrained, where only the essential details were reported. The Time paper gave Purdy just part of a page in the first issue after the crime titled (Slaughter in a School Yard, 1989). The Newsweek gave a single page titled Death on the Playground, and pointed to the four prior attacks on the school children, it started with the Laurie Dann. The Newsweek included Purdys photograph in its article. Newsweeks article (Baker, Joseph, and Cerio, 1989) quoted the authors of a book with the content on mass murder: Theres a copycat element that cannot be denied. A week later, Patrick Purdys name had received a lot of attention, and consequently his fame increased. At one point the front cover of the Time openly showed the AK-47 and the AR-15 which were crossed, beneath the outline of the U.S. which was stylized into a jawless skull, and titled, Armed America. Inside, the George Churchs The Other Arms Race, (1989) this occupied almost 6 ½ pages, opening with Patrick Purdys name. Consequently the articles referencing Purdy or his criminal act continued to appear in Newsweek and Time for several months. Within the same year, On September 14, 1989, Joseph Wesbecker who was a disabled employee of the Standard Gravure Co. in the Kentucky entered into the printing plant similarly carrying the AKS and a 9mm handgun. A reminiscence of Purdys scenario, the Wesbeckers actions were shortly detailed by the UPI wire service stories, particularly the William H. Inmans which was titled Wesbeckers rampage is boon to gun dealers (1989a): The most important fact is how the news coverage of the Purdys crime influenced Wesbeckers actions, and eve the identification of the weapon of choice for such an act of savagery. ( Inman, 1989) The police investigated this incident and at Wesbeckers residence, they found the manuals on weapons and an article published on February 6 issue of Time magazine devoted to the mass killers, including the one on Robert Sherrill, who slaughtered 14 people in the Oklahoma post office three years ago, and another one on Patrick Purdy, who killed five children with the AK-47 assault rifle in the Stockton, Calif, in January 1989. The same AK-47 was the main weapon used by Wesbecker. It is obvious that Joseph Wesbecker was not a healthy and well-adjusted person driven to commit his crime as a result of the sensational news coverage. The Time newspaper might have been responsible for having indirectly caused the horrible crime; this temptation could have been avoided. The editors of the Time might have foreseen the high probability for this kind of coverage promoting the copycat crimes. In analyzing of the data, this research paper based on two related issues: The level of the coverage that was given by the print media, the Time and Newsweek where certain crimes appeared to encourage the unbalanced people, who were seeking a lasting fame, by copying these crimes as we seen in Joseph Wesbeckers 1989 homicidal rampage. The analysis of the quantity of the press coverage which was given to the mass murder as in the case of the Newsweek and especially the Time which gave the undue attention to the particular type of mass murder, hence to the detriment of the public safety. Conclusion There are some positive effects from the mass media portrayals of the violence murders, according to a study the print and television have significant effects on the copycat murders some news reports have the major effects of promoting the copy cat violence and the killings. Therefore study conclude that the reporters are in need of some kind of guide on how the violence murder should be reported so as to avoid the potential negative effects that emanates from the mode of reporting to the public. There is the need to develop a journalistic style guide to determine the type of information which is recommended due to the potential positive or the negative effects. (Cairns, 1990, Price, Merrill, Clause, 1992, Wood, Wong, Chachere, 1991) The mode coverage of crime incidences in the society forms a very valuable tool in an individual decision making. The properly informed Individuals, can make rational decisions basing on their personal safety. If the population has been misled, be it intentional or not, it depends on the nature of the crimes, and the rarity or commonality of the said crimes. If the coverage involves an endless repetition of the apparently meaningless tragedies, it can cause a numbing effect on the population. The mass media generates information in a network, then the collected information is published using the articles, videos, and the photos to the consumers, this has the influences the individuals ability to digest the delivered information while at the same time it potentially influences the unrelated cultural and the personal beliefs, basing on the propaganda models. The Mass media content is created from the events and the untold stories which have effects on the consumers and their cultural orientation.

The Bacchae Essay -- essays research papers

In The Bacchae, Euripedes portrays the character of Pentheus as an ignorant, stubborn, and arrogant ruler. These character flaws accompanied with his foolish decisions set the stage for his tragic downfall. Pentheus' blatant disregard to all warnings and incidents, which prove that Dionysus is truly a god, lead him to his own death. In the end, his mistakes are unforgiving and his punishment is just.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the play, the audience cannot help but feel merciless towards Pentheus. In his opening scene, Pentheus does not heed the warnings bestowed upon him by Teiresias and Cadmus. Before Pentheus even meets Dionysus, Teiresias offers him wise advice: 'So, Pentheus listen to me. Do not mistake the rule of force for true power. Men are not shaped by force. Nor should you boast of wisdom, when everyone but you can see how sick your thoughts are. Instead, welcome this God to Thebes. Exalt him with wine, garland your head and join the Bacchic revels'(19). Cadmus carefully tries to persuade his grandson by adding, 'For even if you are right and this God is not a God, why say it? Why not call him one? You have everything to gain from such a lie'(20). Pentheus shows no respect for the elderly or their wisdom by replying, 'Go! Run to your Bacchic revels. I want none of your senile folly rubbing off on me!'(21). This response alone reveals a great deal about his disposition. He will not let any 'old fools' tell him what to do. However, it is ironic that Pentheus' rejection of the advice of these 'old fools' proves to be his first step towards his fatal end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next scene brings Pentheus and Dionysus face to face. Pentheus starts the conversation thinking he has the upper hand because he has more power over the situation. 'Untie his hands. Now I have him in my net, no amount of agile tricks can help him slip away' (25). However, it is clear to the audience that Dionysus is in control. He is provoking Pentheus by responding with quick, saucy remarks. 'Those who look for filth, can find at the height of noon' (28). Pentheus becomes frustrated. He needs to feel in control so he begins to hurl threats at Dionysus, 'I'll throw you in my dungeon.' Throughout this scene, Dionysus drops numerous hints that he is indeed the son of Zeus, 'He (Dionysus) is here now. He sees what is being done to me' (29). He for... ...gh. He has given Pentheus numerous warnings and opportunities to obey and worship him. Pentheus, due to his exceeding incompetence, has overlooked all of them. Because of his refusal to conform, he deserves punishment and it is a fate the audience has come to welcome. Dionysus now takes control over Pentheus and his all his actions. He humiliates Pentheus by dressing him in women's dress and parading him throughout Thebes. Dionysus then leads him up to Mount Cithaeron where he is caught spying on the Bacchae by his crazed mother, Agave. She proceeds to tear him to shreds with her bare hands. This is the end for Pentheus, and ultimately, due to his constant ignorance, a just death. Although the punishment may seem rather harsh, the audience is appeased by Pentheus' death. Pentheus is incapable of making any sensible decisions. His arrogance and controlling nature is apparent in every action and choice he makes. Pentheus rejects so many hints and opportunities to realize Dionysus' real identity. In his refusal to pick up the signals, he accepts his fate: death by the hands of his own mother. It is almost as if his death, through his refusal to act sensibly, is a form of suicide.

Motivation affects learning

IntroductionMotivating employees in an organization means helping them perform their work, compensating them for their labors, and solving problems that arise. Consequently, human resource management plays a central role in this especially since they are responsible for how people are treated in their own unique kind of organization. Effective managers are concerned about their employees.It has been revealed that by applying techniques to motivation and training, people will be inspired to examine the incentive and recognition programs. These programs can improve employees’ life. This way, proper reporting is done and the staff are not disillusioned. Managers provide reward programs promptly. It states that â€Å"When training is linked to a reward program, employees are motivated to absorb the content, and that translates it into improved performance. This paper looks into the different ways of motivation especially in the organizational aspects so that learning is facilitat ed and hastened.Gellerman (1992) defines motivation as the â€Å"art of helping people to focus their minds and energies on doing their work as effectively as possible.† The task is to motivate everyone, at all times, through every possible technique or approach available and apt for the situations. They need to enjoy themselves in the process. There are many questions that have to be answered, such as who are the people, what are their job tasks, how do they get paid, with whom do they work? Because of these varied and ever-changing elements in motivation, this is not a simple or easy task†.   The difficulty is that all people are different from one another in many ways; hence what might motivate one person does not necessarily work for another person – different strokes for different folks.Effects of Good Relations with EmployeesGood motivational techniques with the employees result in good service of the company because the employees feel good and satisfied and they deliver their service better than those who are not contented with their jobs.  By providing good human relations with the employees, they will be highly satisfied and they will be more productive.  The management that provides opportunities for the employees to grow and develop will be more successful as the employees will be challenged to do better.Employees can also feel their value when they are motivated accordingly and when they are given programs that would make them feel they deserve the job responsibility.  As a result, the workers will support the management more and in the end everybody benefits, the employees develop their potentials and gain high job satisfaction giving the management less problems and a higher productivity turnover, and in due course the business thrives. As part of your â€Å"welcome to our fastfoods business,† find out what their dreams  Ã‚   are, how they think that business should work for the customers, what they hate, and what they like. Ask how they have used technology in the past.The entrepreneur’s perception on subordinates will greatly affect decisions between the two dimensions they are going to emphasize. If they assume that their people are responsible and capable, there would be less control and leaders would put more reliance on their people. Otherwise there would be a large amount of control on their workers.   But more than the well-established organizational design and properly selected leadership style, Beer emphasized the importance of people because without the capabilities of these people, the goal of effective organization would be difficult to attain, or worse, would never be reached (Beer, Michael).Organizational behavior’s emphasis on people makes the management understand their employees more and make them committed in pursuing a common organizational goal of productivity and effectiveness. One of the strategies in building the performance of a worker is through motivation. People who are satisfied with their job are motivated to be more productive. In order for the manager to effectively motivate his employees, he must have knowledge on what determines their motivation.Again, under the principle of cause and effect, and the studies on the behavior of organization, an effective leader could formulate a motivation technique that would fit into the needs of the workers and encourage them to be more productive. Understanding what moves workers to work more productively would make the decision of the leaders in coming up with a motivational technique more acceptable to the workers and in turn would give favorable results for the whole organization.Businesses continue to succeed because of the value it places in their service and the clients.  However, without its human resources, no one will be able to deliver its service.  No technology can take the place of human resources.  The employees are the most important resource in any way.  H umans can adapt and improve, be taught and learn.  Technology will always be mere tools of humans, either using it to improve himself or to destroy himself.Good management see their employees grow in the company and as persons of their own rights.  They see them highly motivated to â€Å"achieve their goals, gain positive perspective, have that power to change, build self esteem and capacity, manage their own development and help others with theirs.† (Goleman, 2005) Moreover, they appreciate the value of building a climate of honesty, openness and trust; understand what they want from work so they can be aligned with each other in terms of expectations and aspirations; encouraging others  to do well and complimenting those who perform well and who work at best in an effective organization. (Goleman, 2005)Importance of Employee Motivation and TrainingPeople experience failure in one way or another. But if there is a positive consistency in one’s life (that is, if one consistently learns from his mistakes and mature through them to bring harmony and balance in his life), one can, for the most part, avoid repeating the same mistakes. Time is the vehicle that allows one to make course corrections, and time allows him to recover and improve. High achievers will see the future as an endless opportunity because of all they can learn and accomplish – rather than seeing doom and disaster because of missed opportunities and   â€Å"what might have been† in the past.Things are clarified and the process is checked if well understood. People are not left clueless about how things need to be done. Clearly, if the process is well understood, it stands a chance of being described and automated. A chain of reactions and influences causes a very fast ripple effect and things are controlled early on especially if it is in connection with rumor mills. But, whether it is rumors racing through the company at warp speed or a change in how people r elate to each other after reorganization, one cannot help but be conscious of the effect. What is important is that things are communication well to everyone (Cheese and Thomas 2003).Based on research on entrepreneurial and diversified businesses successful firms have competitive markets that have fast, high-quality, and widely supported strategic decision making processes.   Indeed, the remarkable success of high performance teams is not the result of luck. It is the predictable outcome of intense concentration on values, proper motivation and strategies on cultivating what the German writer Goethe called â€Å"the genius, power and magic† in ourselves.We have been burdening managers for years with an impossible task, telling them they ought to motivate others single-handedly, when the most a manager can do for others is to jump-start them – inspire them. Real motivation catches internally, after the mission is clear. Peak performers draw productivity from deeper re serves that are inexhaustible – from the sources of motivation. You can tell people to value excellence. You can insist that they increase their productivity. You can emphasize the need for changing their behavior. You can attempt to train people and motivate them to upgrade their job skills and increase their effectiveness. But until an individual makes a personal commitment to achieving peak performance or makes that internal decision to excel, nothing much will happen (McClelland, D. 1955).REFERENCESBeer, Michael. â€Å"Organizational Behavior and Development.† (n.d.) Retrieved Jan. 13, 2007 at

Learn How Many Total Electoral Votes There Are

Learn How Many Total Electoral Votes There Are In the United States, the president and vice president are elected by the Electoral College rather than the popular vote of the people- and, as of April 2018, there are a total of 538 electoral votes. This system of indirect democracy was chosen by the  Founding Fathers  as a compromise between allowing Congress to elect a president and giving potentially uninformed citizens a direct vote.   The history of how that number of electoral votes came to be and the number needed to elect a president is an interesting story. Electoral Votes Background Former U.S. Treasury Secretary  Alexander Hamilton  wrote in Federalist (Paper) No. 68: Nothing was more to be desired than that every practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption.  The Federalist Papers, authored by Hamilton,  James Madison, and John Jay, represented an attempt to convince the  states to ratify the Constitution. The framers of the Constitution, and many in leadership positions in the 1780s, feared the influence of the  unwashed  mob. They feared that, if allowed to directly elect the president, the general populace might foolishly vote for an unqualified president or even a despot- or the  masses might be unduly  influenced by foreign governments  when voting for a president. In essence, the Founding Fathers felt the masses could not be trusted. Hence, they created the Electoral College, where citizens of each state would vote for a slate of electors, who theoretically were pledged to then vote for a specific candidate. But, if circumstances warranted, the electors could be free to vote for a candidate other than the one to whom they were pledged. The Electoral College Today Today, each citizens vote indicates which electors he would like to have represent  him during the Electoral College process. Each presidential ticket has a group of designated electors ready to respond should their party win the popular vote of the people during a presidential election, which occurs every four years in November. The number of electoral votes is derived by adding the number of senators (100), the number of members in the House of Representatives (435), and three additional votes for the District of Columbia. (The District of Columbia was awarded three electoral votes with the passage of the 23rd Amendment in 1961.) The total number of electors, then, adds up to 538 total votes. To win the presidency, a candidate needs more than 50 percent of the electoral votes. Half of 538 is 269. Therefore, a candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes to win. More About the Electoral College The total number of electoral votes does not vary from year to year because the number of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate does not change. Instead, every 10  years with the new census, the number of electors shifts from states that have lost population to states that have gained population. Though the number of electoral votes is fixed at 538, there are circumstances that can arise requiring special attention. There is a constitutional process that goes into effect in case of a  tie in the Electoral College.Most states use a winner-takes-all method, where the candidate who wins the states popular vote is awarded the states entire slate of electors. As of April 2018, Maine and Nebraska are the only states that do not use a winner-takes-all system.Because of the way electors are apportioned, the presidential candidate with the most votes by the citizenry does not always win the election and become president. This was the case with  Hillary Clinton, who  won the popular vote by nearly 3 million ballots  in the 2016 presidential election, but  Donald Trump  became president because he  received 290 out of 538 electoral votes, 20 more than the 270 electoral votes he needed to win.

Business Proposal for the Launching Commercialisation of Tropical Health Drink

Business Proposal for the Launching Commercialisation of Tropical Health Drink Business Description Since it was founded in 2005, Tropical Coffee House (TCH) has become one of the most preferred small-sized establishments for people who like to blend unique leisure experiences with the art of healthy living. Headquartered in London, TCH operates several other outlets in Essex, Kent and Surrey in line with its core mission of taking memorable experiences and quality services to the customers’ doorstep.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Business Proposal for the Launching Commercialisation of Tropical Health Drink specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More TCH has enjoyed huge popularity among young and working class high-end customers who enjoy spending for quality and experience, rather than quantity and price leadership. TCH is embedded in a family business model, although it has over the years shed off the family tag by recruiting professionals based on merit and engaging in efficient manageme nt of key resources to remain competitive in today’s dynamic markets (Sirmon Hitt 2003). TCH offers a wide range of products and services, which include blended coffee, diet-sensitive burgers and hotdogs, organic and fruit concentrate health drinks, cakes, sauna baths and gym facilities. Most of its existing products and services are priced at a premium to penetrate the upper-end consumer market segment which remains substantially underrepresented in most European markets. Recently, the company’s management undertook customer satisfaction surveys and found that most high-end consumers are attracted to health drinks prepared using â€Å"high protein† and â€Å"natural† products (Jacobsen 2015). Having seen this as an opportunity for growth, the company’s management and selected beverage professionals have been working on the formulation of a product that uses â€Å"high protein† and â€Å"natural† ingredients to develop a high-value h ealth drink. These efforts have produced a new product known as Tropical Health. TCH has also seen the need to blend the new product with different natural flavours (e.g., orange, strawberry, lemon, vanilla etc) to provide consumers with choices and enhance diversification (Barett, Balloun, Weinstein 2000).  The main objective of this business proposal is to demonstrate how Tropical Health will be launched into the market and also to seek for financial and managerial support from potential backers. Investors in the industry might want to know why TCH is keen on diversifying its health products at the expense of more traditional products such as blended coffee and diet-sensitive burgers. The truth of the matter is that contemporary consumers have become more health-conscious and available literature demonstrates that there is a huge market for products developed using high protein and natural ingredients (Jacobsen 2015). Business Opportunities Potential Customers Tropical Health w ill target high-end, health-conscious consumers who have the means to sample the best that the market has to offer. The company is targeting customers who want to spend their money on innovative products that provide substantial health benefits in spite of their premium cost. This market segment is substantially underutilised in the United Kingdom (U.K.) as most companies in the sector target low and middle-class consumers.Advertising Looking for proposal on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consequently, the targeting of this consumer market will enhance customer value by assisting the company to fulfil the needs of this particular segment. It will also assist TCH to become more popular and to develop a reputation for its Tropical Health brand, hence creating competitive advantage (McMillan 2013). Geographical Area TCH intends to launch Tropical Health in its London establishment, although there is a possibility for expanding into other outlets in Essex, Kent and Surrey depending on initial demand. London has a wide range of high-end customers due to its reputation as a business and commercial hub. Additionally, the city is densely populated and is also known as the preferred destination for international conferences that bring together moneyed delegates from all over the world (Lewisham Business n.d.; London n.d.). As such, potential investors should realise that TCH has a high potential to succeed in launching its high-protein health drink due to city’s population dynamics, socioeconomic endowment, and reputation as a global business hub. Business Competitors Although the U.K. experiences high competition in the health drinks industry (Creating New Choices 2014), only a few companies specialise in the production of fleshly squeezed juice with 100% fruit content equivalent. Some hotel establishments such as The Ivy, River Cafe, Cibo and Fat Boys are known to provide v arious variants of fruit juice and health drinks to high-end consumers within London and its environs. Most of these competitors have a huge capital base and have been in operation for a long time. However, research demonstrates that these competitors rely on organic and energy-boosting ingredients to make their health products despite the fact that health-conscious customers are increasingly being attracted to high-protein health drinks (Jacobsen 2015). This strength serves to guarantee potential investors and managerial professionals that, although the competition for the health drinks market in the U.K. may be stiff, there are still areas that can provide excellent opportunities for growth if TCH becomes keen on exploiting prevailing consumer needs and expectations (Stokes Wilson 2010). Marketing Strategy Costing and Pricing Launching a new product often occasion managerial challenges due to difficulties in setting the appropriate costing and pricing budgets (Luan Sudhir 2010). TCH has identified how products with similar attributes have historically responded to the variables of costing, as demonstrated below. It is important to note that pricing of the new product will be premium-based not only to recover costs but also to achieve alignment with intended target customers.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Business Proposal for the Launching Commercialisation of Tropical Health Drink specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Table 1: Costing for Tropical Health Cost Description Amount Fixed costs Costs that TCH must pay irrespective of the quantity of the health drink produced or sold (e.g., rent, insurance, advertising/promotion) â‚ ¬260,000 Variable costs Costs that fluctuate directly with the level of business activity or sales, such as raw materials costs, production costs, and labour costs â‚ ¬550,000 Total â‚ ¬810,000 Sales Projection Based on the previous sales of T CH’s organic health drinks, it is estimated that the company will sell â‚ ¬1.5 million worth of Tropical Health in the first two years of production. Sales are projected to grow at 30 percent annually for the next three to six years. Potential investors might query how these figures have been formulated. It is important to note that the estimations are based on the ready market for high-protein health drinks (Jacobsen 2015), as well as the actual sales realised by TCH in its organic health drinks segment. Marketing Plan Product: Tropical Health fulfils customers’ needs due to its immense health benefits. Place: TCH intends to use its main outlet in London as the preferred distribution channel for launching the new product. However, depending on demand, TCH will use its other establishments to reach a wider customer base and projected sales objectives. Price: Tropical Health will be priced at a premium as it targets high-end consumers. Although the price of the new p roduct will be determined by factors such as production costs, market share and target customers, the underlying justification is to price it at a premium to achieve product and customer differentiation (Barett et al. 2000). Promotion: TCH will use viral marketing and word-of-mouth to advertise the new product with the view to not only differentiating it from competitors but also developing a good relationship with customers (Barett Weinstein 2015). It is important to satisfy potential investors by underscoring that the preferred promotional tools are cost-effective and easy to use (Barett et al. 2000; Luan Sudhir 2010).Advertising Looking for proposal on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Business Operations Operational Function Although TCH operates under a family business model, it has six professional managers with wide experience, master’s level education, and other key competencies in entrepreneurship. The company has adopted an innovative management style, whereby work-flows are results-oriented and senior manager always strive to develop new and better ways of doing things (Benfari 2004; Armstrong 2009). TCH intends to use competitive recruitment to hire three more food and drink specialists to assist it in blending high-protein natural ingredients for use in the new product. Competitive recruitment will also be used to hire two senior managers and several support members to oversee the commercialisation of the new product. Most managerial decisions are made through consultation, though a few important ones must be sanctioned by TCH’s founder. Finally, managers and employees are compensated and rewarded based on education, responsibilities, and i ndividual productivity. Products and Services Offered TCH can be termed as a small enterprise interested in the provision of premium-priced products and services (e.g., blended coffee, diet-sensitive burgers, health drinks, cakes, sauna baths and gym facilities) to lock into the high-end market segment. Tropical Health product will be a new addition to the company’s staple. The new product is intended to satisfy an emerging market for high-protein and naturally blended health drinks (Jacobsen 2015). Personnel TCH utilises Mintzberg Five Parts of an Organisation model to not only recruit employees into respective areas of the business, but also to ensure alignment of human capital between and among the sections. This model will be utilised in the development, launch and sale of the new product. The five parts include (1) the operating core which is responsible for performing the basic work of developing the new product by securing inputs, processing them and arranging for the product’s distribution to customers, (2) the strategic apex which is responsible for formulating and implementing strategies that are designed to facilitate the achievement of organisational objectives, (3) the middle line managers who are responsible for linking the strategic apex to the operating core by managing information flows up and down the hierarchy and by coordinating the work of junior staff, (4) the techno-structure which consists of food and drinks specialists who are responsible for setting the standards relating to work processes, outputs and skills, and (5) the support staff who are responsible for providing back-up services to other components of the organisation (Quader 2007; Armstrong 2009). Finances Revenues It is expected that the launch and commercialisation of Tropical Health will bring approximately â‚ ¬1.5 million in sales revenues within the first two years of business. TCH’s organic-based health drinks brought â‚ ¬800 million in profits within the first two years, implying that the new venture is bound to impact positively on the company’s bottom-line. Going by the high demand for high-protein, naturally-blended health drinks in the market today (Jacobsen 2015), it is anticipated that the sales revenues for the new product may surpass â‚ ¬2 million within the first two years if senior management adopts an effective marketing mix and if the company serves a wider geographical reach (Barett Weinstein 2015). These sales revenues justify why potential backers should consider investing in the launching and commercialisation of the new product. Expenses Fixed and variable costs for the launching and commercialisation of Tropical Health product are around â‚ ¬810,000. If provisions for unforeseen expenses are made, it is correct and justifiable to argue that all expenses for the launch and commercialisation of Tropical Health will not surpass the â‚ ¬1 million mark. These expenses are viable for a small business enterprise that wants to make it big in the high-end consumer market. However, financial and managerial support is needed from potential backers to offset these costs and spur the product line into profitability. Financial Projections Owing to the prevailing high demand for high-protein, naturally-blended heath drinks not only in London but also in other major cities in Europe (Jacobsen 2015), it is expected that the sales revenues for the new product will grow at annual rate of 30 percent for the next three to six years after the launch of the new product. It is projected that TCH will be able to attract potential investors, who will finance all activities related to the new product for the next 12 to 24 months in return for a 10 percent stake of the product’s net revenues for the next five years. Alternatively, potential investors may undertake a 50 percent equity financing in return for a 5.5 percent stake of the product’s net for the next three years. Thes e arrangements are critical in helping TCH to expand its product offerings to other areas and outlets within eight to twelve months after launch with the view to becoming a market leader in the provision of high-protein, naturally-blended health drinks to the high-end consumer segment. Reference List Armstrong, M 2009, Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice, 11th edn, Kogan Page, London. Barett, H, Balloun, J Weinstein, A 2000, ‘Marketing mix factors as moderators of the corporate entrepreneurship-business performance relationship: A multistage multivariate analysis’, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, vol. 8 no. 2, pp. 50-61. Barett, H Weinstein, A 2015, ‘Corporate entrepreneurship, the marketing mix, and business performance’, Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 46 no. 1, pp. 144-150. Benfari, RC 2004, Understanding and changing your management style, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA. Creating new choice s: The 2014 UK soft drinks report 2014, britishsoftdrinks.com/write/mediauploads/bsda_annual_report_2014.pdf. Jacobsen, J 2015, ‘2015 new product development outlook’, Beverage Industry, vol. 106 no. 1, pp. 56-65. Lewisham business growth strategy 2013-2023: Strengthening Lewisham’s economy by creating growth and local jobs n.d., https://www.lewisham.gov.uk/mayorandcouncil/aboutthecouncil/strategies/Documents/LewishamBusinessGrowthStrategy2013-2023.pdf. London: A destination guide for associations n.d., http://cdn.londonandpartners.com/cvb/files/LP%20Association%20Directory_Interactive.pdf. Luan, YJ Sudhir, K 2010, ‘Forecasting marketing-mix responsiveness for new products’, Journal of Marketing Research, vol. 47 no. 3, pp. 444-457. McMillan, J 2013, The importance of market segments, mcmillantech.co.uk/articles/MarketSegments.pdf. Quader, MS 2007, ‘Human resource management issues as growth barriers in professional service firm SMEs’, Journal of Services Research, vol. 7 no. 2, pp. 115-161. Sirmon, DG Hitt, MA 2003, ‘Managing resources: Linking unique resources, management and wealth creation on family firms’, Entrepreneurship: Theory Practice, vol. 27 no. 4, pp. 339-358. Stokes, D Wilson, N 2010, Small business management and entrepreneurship, 6th edn, Cengage Learning, Boston, MA.

Free Essays on Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the greatest and most ingenious men that history has produced. His contributions in the areas of art, science, and humanity are still among the most important that a single man has put forth, definitely making his a life worth knowing. Da Vinci, born on April 15, 1452, is credited with being a master painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist. He was born an illegitimate child to Catherina, a peasant girl. His father was Ser Piero da Vinci, a public notary for the city of Florence, Italy. For the first four years of his life he lived with his mother in the small village of Vinci, directly outside of the great center of the Renaissance, Florence. Catherina was a poor woman, with possible artistic talent, the genetic basis of Leonardo’s talents. Upon the realization of Leonardo’s potential, his father took the boy to live with him and his wife in Florence (Why did). This was the start of the boy’s education and his quest for knowledge. Leonardo was recognized by many to be a â€Å"Renaissance child† because of his many talents. As a boy, Leonardo was described as being handsome, strong, and agile. He had keen powers of observation, an imagination, and the ability to detach himself from the world around him. At an early age Leonardo became interested in subjects such as botany, geology, animals (specifically birds), the motion of water, and shadows (About Leonardo). At the age of 17, in about 1469, Leonardo was apprenticed as a garzone (studio boy) to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. In Verrocchio’s workshop Leonardo was introduced to many techniques, from the painting of altarpieces and panel pictures to the creation of large sculptural projects in marble and bronze. In 1472 he was accepted in the painter’s guild of Florence, and worked there for about six years. ... Free Essays on Leonardo Da Vinci Free Essays on Leonardo Da Vinci Leonardo Da Vinci Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the greatest and most ingenious men that history has produced. His contributions in the areas of art, science, and humanity are still among the most important that a single man has put forth, definitely making his a life worth knowing. Da Vinci, born on April 15, 1452, is credited with being a master painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist. He was born an illegitimate child to Catherina, a peasant girl. His father was Ser Piero da Vinci, a public notary for the city of Florence, Italy. For the first four years of his life he lived with his mother in the small village of Vinci, directly outside of the great center of the Renaissance, Florence. Catherina was a poor woman, with possible artistic talent, the genetic basis of Leonardo’s talents. Upon the realization of Leonardo’s potential, his father took the boy to live with him and his wife in Florence (Why did). This was the start of the boy’s education and his quest for knowledge. Leonardo was recognized by many to be a â€Å"Renaissance child† because of his many talents. As a boy, Leonardo was described as being handsome, strong, and agile. He had keen powers of observation, an imagination, and the ability to detach himself from the world around him. At an early age Leonardo became interested in subjects such as botany, geology, animals (specifically birds), the motion of water, and shadows (About Leonardo). At the age of 17, in about 1469, Leonardo was apprenticed as a garzone (studio boy) to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. In Verrocchio’s workshop Leonardo was introduced to many techniques, from the painting of altarpieces and panel pictures to the creation of large sculptural projects in marble and bronze. In 1472 he was accepted in the painter’s guild of Florence, and worked ther... Free Essays on Leonardo Da Vinci Background Leonardo was born in the town of Vinci in the Tuscan hills, on April 15, 1452. This is known from his grandfather, Antonio, who wrote down the details of the baptism: A grandson of mine was born, son of Ser Piero, my son, on April 15, Saturday at three in the night (11 pm). He was baptized by the priest Piero di Bartolomeo, Papino di Nanni Banti, Meo di Tenino, Piero di Malvolto, Nanni di Venzo, Arrigo di Giovanni the German, Monna Lisa di Domenico di Brettone, Monna Antonia di Giulliano, Monna Nicolosa del Barna, Monna Maria, daughter of Nanni di Venzo, Monna Pippa di Previcone. The names following that of the priest were of the witnesses, five men and five women as tradition demanded. Noticeably, the boy's mother is not present at the time of baptism. Leonardo's father was Piero Da Vinci, and of his mother only her name "Caterina" in known. Caterina is understood to have been a peasant girl, or perhaps a barmaid. When the young boy was born, he lived with his mother for the first few years of his life. It is intriguing that in all of his writings, Leonardo never mentioned his mother, even though there is evidence that later on his life he was aware of who she was. The Da Vinci's were a family that had been established in Vinci since the 13th Century. Many generations of notaries had given the family a status, and the title of Ser which was passed down to Leonardo's father. Although it is very difficult to find information about Leonardo's ancestors, this is a brief genealogical table: Ser Piero di Ser Guido (d. 1412) | Ser Antonio di Ser Piero di Ser Guido (1372-1464) | Ser Piero da Vinci (1426-1504) | Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Ser Piero, Leonardo's father was a man of great virility, who lived... Free Essays on Leonardo Da Vinci Leonardo Da Vinci Leonard Da Vinci once said, â€Å"There can be no greater or lesser mastery over oneself.† Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the greatest inventors and scientists of recorded history. His genius was unbounded by time and technology. His ways were driven by his appetite for curiosity and intuitive sense of the natural wonders around him. Leonardo Da Vinci was dedicated to the discovery of truth and his contributions to science and art were legendary. There are many people who are considered geniuses in their own field of expertise, but Leonardo Da Vinci stands out as a true genius of many fields of expertise. He not only created masterpieces of art, but also contributed heavily to the fields of engineering and architecture. He also designed and sketched machines and inventions that were clearly ahead of his time. He did not limit his creativeness with accepted means of his time, and had the courage to experiment with new and untried ideas, even if it meant failure on his part. Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, which is now a part of Italy. He was the illegitimate son of a notary public and a peasant girl. Leonardo’s father noticed his potential artistic talent and took him to Florence to start his education. Leonardo was recognized by many to be a Renaissance child because of his multitude of talents. He had keen powers of observation and imagination and had the ability to detach himself from the world around him. Leonardo showed an early interest in subjects such as botany, geology, animals, and natural elements, he was also very intrigued by shadows. When he reached the age of seventeen, Leonardo became an apprentice to one of Florence’s leading painters and sculptors, Andrea del Verrochio. At the age of twenty, Leonardo was accepted in the painter’s guild of Florence, and stayed for six years to learn and work with Verrochio on paintings like, â€Å"The Baptism of Christ†. On this painting, there ... Free Essays on Leonardo Da Vinci Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the greatest and most ingenious men that history has produced. His contributions in the areas of art, science, and humanity are still among the most important that a single man has put forth, definitely making his a life worth knowing. Da Vinci, born on April 15, 1452, is credited with being a master painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist. He was born an illegitimate child to Catherina, a peasant girl. His father was Ser Piero da Vinci, a public notary for the city of Florence, Italy. For the first four years of his life he lived with his mother in the small village of Vinci, directly outside of the great center of the Renaissance, Florence. Catherina was a poor woman, with possible artistic talent, the genetic basis of Leonardo’s talents. Upon the realization of Leonardo’s potential, his father took the boy to live with him and his wife in Florence (Why did). This was the start of the boy’s education and his quest for knowledge. Leonardo was recognized by many to be a â€Å"Renaissance child† because of his many talents. As a boy, Leonardo was described as being handsome, strong, and agile. He had keen powers of observation, an imagination, and the ability to detach himself from the world around him. At an early age Leonardo became interested in subjects such as botany, geology, animals (specifically birds), the motion of water, and shadows (About Leonardo). At the age of 17, in about 1469, Leonardo was apprenticed as a garzone (studio boy) to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. In Verrocchio’s workshop Leonardo was introduced to many techniques, from the painting of altarpieces and panel pictures to the creation of large sculptural projects in marble and bronze. In 1472 he was accepted in the painter’s guild of Florence, and worked there for about six years. ... Free Essays on Leonardo Da Vinci Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the greatest and most ingenious men that history has produced. His contributions in the areas of art, science, and humanity are still among the most important that a single man has put forth, definitely making his a life worth knowing. Da Vinci, born on April 15, 1452, is credited with being a master painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist. He was born an illegitimate child to Catherina, a peasant girl. His father was Ser Piero da Vinci, a public notary for the city of Florence, Italy. For the first four years of his life he lived with his mother in the small village of Vinci, directly outside of the great center of the Renaissance, Florence. Catherina was a poor woman, with possible artistic talent, the genetic basis of Leonardo’s talents. Upon the realization of Leonardo’s potential, his father took the boy to live with him and his wife in Florence (Why did). This was the start of the boy’s education and his quest for knowledge. Leonardo was recognized by many to be a â€Å"Renaissance child† because of his many talents. As a boy, Leonardo was described as being handsome, strong, and agile. He had keen powers of observation, an imagination, and the ability to detach himself from the world around him. At an early age Leonardo became interested in subjects such as botany, geology, animals (specifically birds), the motion of water, and shadows (About Leonardo). At the age of 17, in about 1469, Leonardo was apprenticed as a garzone (studio boy) to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. In Verrocchio’s workshop Leonardo was introduced to many techniques, from the painting of altarpieces and panel pictures to the creation of large sculptural projects in marble and bronze. In 1472 he was accepted in the painter’s guild of Florence, and worked there for about six years. ...

Zheng's Contribution to World Regional Geography Research Paper

Zheng's Contribution to World Regional Geography - Research Paper Example Introduction Zheng He (1371-1435) may not be as well-known, at least in the west, as other explorers of medieval times such as Magellan and Columbus, even though he was earlier and covered a larger area. According to Bishop et al (2004, page 21) he was castrated while very young and taken from his home to the Beijing palace. However according to Israeli ( 2001) the admiral had already decided as a child, after hearing tales from his father, that he would travel across the seas and reach Mecca, the religious center of Islam. In order to do this however he lost home, family, his ethnicity and even his inherited religion of Islam. They cite the legend that even his name was invented. Background Working during what Iwabuchi et al refer ( 2004, page 129) to ‘ the expansive period of the Ming dynasty’ although not widely known, Zheng He is still remembered. In 2004 there were celebrations to mark the 6ooth year since his first voyage, although Jin Wu, a distinguished oceanic s cientist, admits that the literature on his discoveries is thin on the ground. According to Gunde ( 2004), following orders given by the then emperor Yongle, and later by his successor, Xuande. Bloom ( 2010) claims that the emperor was aware that:- The influx of foreign goods and currency would help swell his war chest, and, by enhancing his esteem abroad would help buttress his claim to the throne.’. Zheng He, a eunuch in the imperial service, led seven exploratory expeditions, beginning in 1405 and the last setting out in 1430. The emperor ordered the first voyage when he acceded to the throne and they ceased when he died. Rather strangely perhaps Finlay says that there is no way in which Zheng He could be regarded as an explorer, but purely as a military man acting on behalf of a very militaristic emperor. ( Finlay 2000, page 295) Finlay goes on to describe the controversy as to the long term value of the voyages ( Finlay 2000, page 296) describing how Needham had seen Zhe ng He as scholar leading a scholarly enterprise, in contrast to the aggressively colonizing men who followed him out into unknown seas over the next two centuries. He also cites Janet Abu-Lughod who declared that historians believe it is impossible to solve the riddle of why Zheng He’s voyages failed to lead on to world dominance for China. Also quoted is William McNeill who in 1998 said that â€Å"Chinese navigators might well have rounded Africa and discovered Europe before Prince Henry the Navigator died (in 1460)." Yet, just like Columbus who came later Zheng He :- often did not really even know where he was, believed that India was centered in the Middle East and that Christianity and Islam as well as Buddhism originated there. ( Bloom 2010) His purposes and achievements. When the Han Chinese people overthrew the Mongol invaders and created the Ming Dynasty late in the14th Century, as described by Bloom ( 2010) they inherited the already established fleet of ships, as w ell as a wide spread network of trade routes. The voyages of Zheng He built on these. The expeditions set out west from China, the first voyage reaching Sri Lanka, ( Maritime Lanka, undated) and later his ships went as far as the Cape of Good Hope on the southernmost tip of South Africa, building , at least for a time, a trading empire without imperialism, although Finlay ( 2000, page 294) , says that merchants were less important to the expeditions than the astronomers and geomancers i.e. those who measured the earth, as well as doctors and naturalists searching for new pharmacological useful materials. The mariners had two purposes – to let the world see the glories of the Ming dynasty, and also to enable the emperor to collect

Food Safety College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Food Safety College - Essay Example The government at all levels has a role to oversee the enforcement of laws and regulations which are created for food safety. Although there are various agencies which take note of the health and safety of the public especially when it comes to the food they take, the presence of enforcement programs at the local health department is necessary. It can more far-reaching since it would be very well supervise whether everyone concerned adheres with it and violators can be easily identified. However, even with the presence of these enforcement programs, there are still many cases of food-borne diseases. This turns the focus to the food handling practices. Food handling practice may be the main cause of the persistent cases of food-borne illness. In many food establishments in the country, food handling training with particular mention to sanitation procedures has been inadequate because it is usually done quickly. This result to dangerous food handling practices related to temperature control, personal hygiene and prevention of cross-contamination. This makes effective training programs very important. The FDA Food Code recommends the certification of food safety managers as a way of demonstrating food safety knowledge. Studies have shown that sanitation in food service establishments are greatly affected by food safety training and certification (Almanza et al., 2004). In addition, the behavior of food handlers also determines food safety. If they be careless in preparing the food, it can result to contamination. Many food handling practices and sanitation procedures however can be learned through food safety training. This highlights the significance of food safety training as a very effective approach to food safety. Thu s everyone working in food establishments should undergo adequate food safety training and must be certified before they are allowed to work with food. Food safety must be ensured at all times. Since consumers may get sick with improperly prepared or contaminated foods, all food employees must undergo proper and adequate training with regards to food handling practices and all food establishments should deem it necessary. Mosquitoes are the most common vectors of many pathogenic microorganisms. A mosquito bite can sometimes result to a fatal disease. Hence, it is important that the community has enough knowledge on how to reduce the risk of acquiring these diseases. West Nile virus (WNV) is a group of disease-causing viruses usually carried by a female Culex pipiens mosquito. Each bite of this mosquito can transmit the West Nile virus. Worse is that people who become infected does not show symptoms. Only few show signs of fever and body aches but can further infect the brain and the spinal cord making it life-threatening. In places where it its endemic, it was observed that not all mosquitoes becomes infected and infection does not occur with all that individuals that are exposed to mosquitoes (Bren, 2003). According to Jesse Goodman, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, West Nile virus can be transmitted through organ transplant and blood transfusion. Aside from that, a September 2002 case in Michigan suggests that breast milk can transmit WNV. These cases however are rare. The common cause though is

Negotiations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Negotiations - Assignment Example The data uncovered through this preliminary negotiation process will help to establish a more effective stance and the most consistent message that will provide the best, supposed results. Field analysis and effective use of the information will determine potential contingencies based on what counteroffer the negotiator believes will be offered after the initial offer has been proposed. Cost analysis occurs in the preparation stage that will determine the most effective bidding process, thus impacting offers proposed. Closing the deal involves an agreement of the bid, determining what the final offer should be in the process based on cost analyses. Further, these phases and positions do not apply equally, as distributive negotiation is concerned with maximizing gains while integrative seeks more mutual party gains. For instance, cost analysis in the planning process may have identified that mutual gains would deplete the value-added benefit of a chosen bid. Thus, seeking cooperative (integrative) strategies could create the need to firm up a final offer early in the negotiation process. The depth of each step in the negotiation phases will determine whether concessions are made or more aggressive tactics common in distributive negotiation

Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Terrorism - Essay Example The first component is use of violence or involvement of threat. Albeit the modern world has recorded the emergence of cyberterrorism where information and communication systems would be employed, physical violence remains a definitive feature of terrorism. Secondly, the violence should be quest for social or political objective. Finally, terrorism would not be aimed at any particular individual since the aim would be to cause psychological harm beyond the immediate objects or victims of the attack. This randomness aims at creating fear. Thus, a useful definition would outline terrorism as random use of violence or threats by an organized group in pursuance of political or social objectives. Examples of groupings that have met these features and thus considered as terrorists include Al-Qaeda, the Irish Republican Army, IRA and Aum Shinrikyo. There are various reasons that would cause a group to launch a terrorist attack. Political motivations have been reported over years. The traditional Irish Republican Army gives an appropriate example of a terrorist group with modest political objectives which fought what it considered as outside domination. Theirs involved small scale bomb attacks resulting into dozens of casualties to attract the attention of the world but not to a large extent alienate members of their community. Internationally, the dominance of few nations having massive political, economic and military power encourages acts of terrorism. Giving an example of Al-Qaeda, Shimko (299) argues on social and political goals motivated by specific forms of religious fundamentalism as probable causes of terrorism. The surges in terrorists that are religiously motivated have been on the increase since 1991. By 1995, they comprised more than half the recognized active international terrorist groups. The magnitude of the September 11 US terrorist attacks makes it unique. Considering it as war would limit action against perpetrators to military action thus the

Iphone 5 Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Iphone 5 Scenario - Essay Example With respect to the scenario under review, Apple is reportedly the first company to adopt and use relative technology, second generation LTE thin chips from Qualcomm Company. This has given it an upper hand and a competitive edge against its competitors in the telecommunications sector. Using the latest technology, it has been able to explore technological resources and use these in addressing wide ranging and emerging consumer needs. One of the devices that it has manufactured and which it wishes to sell includes the iPhone 5. The main aim for this is to present to the consumer base a smart telecommunication device with ideal features. The purpose of this paper is to undertake research regarding consumer perceptions and expectations of this product. Findings would be instrumental in ensuring that the product is customized to meet consumer needs. This will ensure that its performance in the market is optimal. In addition, the research would provide useful insights regarding consumer trends and changes in tastes and preferences. Based on this, Apple will be able to use its creativity in ensuring that relative needs and preferences and met accordingly. Besides this, market research will provide important information about the innovations of apple’s competitors. ... nship, Breen and Dukta (1998) found out that a significant percentage of the population fancy latest electronic products which meet their tastes and preferences. This can be used to explain why most of the users of iPhone 4S are not happy with the latest development. Ideally, they will be forced to purchase the new product in order to be at par with the market trends and lifestyle expectations. Previous trends regarding the performance of iPhone 4S in the market indicate that the sale of iPhone 5 would be a success. In this respect, a significant percentage of the population that purchased iPhone 4S had never used an iPhone before (Johnson, 2011). Market research ascertains that although iPhone 4 met most of the consumer needs, its low battery and storage capacity limits its effectiveness. Consumers are, thus, still searching for a product that would meet their needs, tastes and preferences in this respect. In their review, Hair, Wolfinbarger, Bush and Ortinau (2009) posit that iPhon e 5 provides the best opportunity for Apple to address these needs. Statistical evidence shows that a significant 35% of the consumer base has promised to buy the product immediately it is introduced in the market (Johnson, 2011). Aggressive marketing can go a long way in increasing this to a greater percentage. Previous trends indicate that consumers tend to gain confidence with a product after it is introduced and tested in the market. Research tools are instrumental in collecting vital data from the respondents. At this point, it is worth appreciating that the data collected is instrumental in credible decision making. It should therefore not only be comprehensive but also representative of the views of the consumer base. This would ensure that decisions made are based on informed

Religion and politics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion and politics - Research Paper Example The objective of this report is to study the debate on tolerance of Islamic spread in America particularly in light of the Ground Zero issue. The debate though centered on a clear agenda of protesting the building of â€Å"mosque† near the ill-fated land, appears to be a sign of deeply rooted Islamophobia amongst Western cultures. In regards to the subject, the report describes the issue vis-à  -vis the multiple perspectives of the American people and the principles of America’s Sacred Ground. It further throws light on the reality vs. what is projected in the mainstream media. Religion and Politics have always crossed their respective lines, however, the interjections in a post-modern world are both intriguing and confusing. The sacred foundations of the American system have been a cause of debate between the conservative rights and the liberals left. Debates have often taken place on the meaning, interpretation and reach of the â€Å"Religious Clauses† of the First Amendment to the Constitution. In the â€Å"Religious Clauses† of the First Amendment have been interpreted by the Supreme Court as (1) the separation of church and state (the â€Å"anti-establishment clause† or â€Å"establishment clause†) and (2) freedom of religion (â€Å"the free exercise clause†).... The American founders found their answers primarily in the work of John Locke. According to Locke, a central Enlightenment Era (c1650-1800) philosopher, the liberty and equal dignity of the people is based on the law of the state of nature (a state prior to the formation of societies). The law of the state of nature considers freedom and equality to be legitimate claims to the state. Central to Locke’s political theology was the need to secure people’s civil rights towards tolerance of their religious beliefs, which he thought was the means to create a peaceful society. It was this convergence of theology and secular philosophy in the thinking of the founding generation that made them base the constitution on the principles of â€Å"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness†. In order to discourage the abuse of â€Å"freedom† (that was the foundation of â€Å"from the people, for the people† government) by the American people, the public forum has a framework and principles (Jones). The framework consists of two-tiers, each of which has basic moral perceptions. The first tier deals with matters appropriate for government action such as enforcement of basic law and order while the second tier deals with persuasion and voluntary actions that are intended to be in public eye. The moral principles of first tier are â€Å"no harm law† (that no one may harm another in his or her life, liberty or property) and â€Å"no hypocrisy law† (that do not do unto others what you would not want done unto you). The moral principles with respect to second tier are â€Å"duties† to raise conscience beyond an individual’s wants and to participate in the whole process. The Ground Zero Mosque Conundrum The problem began when in May 22nd 2010, a local community board in

Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Terrorism - Essay Example The first component is use of violence or involvement of threat. Albeit the modern world has recorded the emergence of cyberterrorism where information and communication systems would be employed, physical violence remains a definitive feature of terrorism. Secondly, the violence should be quest for social or political objective. Finally, terrorism would not be aimed at any particular individual since the aim would be to cause psychological harm beyond the immediate objects or victims of the attack. This randomness aims at creating fear. Thus, a useful definition would outline terrorism as random use of violence or threats by an organized group in pursuance of political or social objectives. Examples of groupings that have met these features and thus considered as terrorists include Al-Qaeda, the Irish Republican Army, IRA and Aum Shinrikyo. There are various reasons that would cause a group to launch a terrorist attack. Political motivations have been reported over years. The traditional Irish Republican Army gives an appropriate example of a terrorist group with modest political objectives which fought what it considered as outside domination. Theirs involved small scale bomb attacks resulting into dozens of casualties to attract the attention of the world but not to a large extent alienate members of their community. Internationally, the dominance of few nations having massive political, economic and military power encourages acts of terrorism. Giving an example of Al-Qaeda, Shimko (299) argues on social and political goals motivated by specific forms of religious fundamentalism as probable causes of terrorism. The surges in terrorists that are religiously motivated have been on the increase since 1991. By 1995, they comprised more than half the recognized active international terrorist groups. The magnitude of the September 11 US terrorist attacks makes it unique. Considering it as war would limit action against perpetrators to military action thus the

Religion and politics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion and politics - Research Paper Example The objective of this report is to study the debate on tolerance of Islamic spread in America particularly in light of the Ground Zero issue. The debate though centered on a clear agenda of protesting the building of â€Å"mosque† near the ill-fated land, appears to be a sign of deeply rooted Islamophobia amongst Western cultures. In regards to the subject, the report describes the issue vis-à  -vis the multiple perspectives of the American people and the principles of America’s Sacred Ground. It further throws light on the reality vs. what is projected in the mainstream media. Religion and Politics have always crossed their respective lines, however, the interjections in a post-modern world are both intriguing and confusing. The sacred foundations of the American system have been a cause of debate between the conservative rights and the liberals left. Debates have often taken place on the meaning, interpretation and reach of the â€Å"Religious Clauses† of the First Amendment to the Constitution. In the â€Å"Religious Clauses† of the First Amendment have been interpreted by the Supreme Court as (1) the separation of church and state (the â€Å"anti-establishment clause† or â€Å"establishment clause†) and (2) freedom of religion (â€Å"the free exercise clause†).... The American founders found their answers primarily in the work of John Locke. According to Locke, a central Enlightenment Era (c1650-1800) philosopher, the liberty and equal dignity of the people is based on the law of the state of nature (a state prior to the formation of societies). The law of the state of nature considers freedom and equality to be legitimate claims to the state. Central to Locke’s political theology was the need to secure people’s civil rights towards tolerance of their religious beliefs, which he thought was the means to create a peaceful society. It was this convergence of theology and secular philosophy in the thinking of the founding generation that made them base the constitution on the principles of â€Å"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness†. In order to discourage the abuse of â€Å"freedom† (that was the foundation of â€Å"from the people, for the people† government) by the American people, the public forum has a framework and principles (Jones). The framework consists of two-tiers, each of which has basic moral perceptions. The first tier deals with matters appropriate for government action such as enforcement of basic law and order while the second tier deals with persuasion and voluntary actions that are intended to be in public eye. The moral principles of first tier are â€Å"no harm law† (that no one may harm another in his or her life, liberty or property) and â€Å"no hypocrisy law† (that do not do unto others what you would not want done unto you). The moral principles with respect to second tier are â€Å"duties† to raise conscience beyond an individual’s wants and to participate in the whole process. The Ground Zero Mosque Conundrum The problem began when in May 22nd 2010, a local community board in

The Formation of Rocks in Ireland Essay Example for Free

The Formation of Rocks in Ireland Essay It is the most widespread type of intrusive igneous rock at the earth’s surface. Igneous rocks form when molten rock is erupted at a volcano and then cools and hardens to form solid rock (Holden, 2012). Granite rock is created when magma is forced between other rocks deep within the earths crust. The magma then cools due to the drop in temperature and crystallizes in caverns deep within the earth. The molten rock cools quite slowly over time, which allows the crystals to grow and develop inside the molten rock. Granite is transported to the surface of the earth by plate tectonics. The collision of continental plates moves the granite from deep within the crust of the earth to the surface. Granite is found in Ireland in the Wicklow Mountains. (http://www. talktalk. co. uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0015252. html) Granite is distinguished by three features. Firstly, granite is composed of large mineral grains that bind tightly together. Secondly, granite always contains the minerals of quartz and feldspar. (http://www. windows2universe. org/earth/geology/ig_granite. html) These minerals give granite a light complexion, generally a pink or white colour. Thirdly, almost all granite is igneous and plutonic. This is because it formed from a fluid state, which was magma and it formed in a huge, deeply buried body also known as a pluton (http://geology. about. com/od/more_igrocks/a/granite. htm). Basalt Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock. Basalt is commonly dark in colour. It has a fine-grained mineral texture which is due to the rapid cooling of the molten rock after it is erupted at a volcano. The rapid cooling occurs due to being exposed to the cooling air or water on the surface of the earth. Holden, 2012) Basalt is formed generally in three different environments: Oceanic divergent plate boundaries, oceanic hotspots and at hotspots and mantle plumes beneath continents. Basalt forms at oceanic divergent plate boundaries at mid-ocean ridges. At mid-ocean ridges convection currents pull the plates apart creating a rift valley. This allows hot rock from deep within the earths mantle to melt and erupt onto the seafloor forming bas alt. (Honan, 2011) At oceanic hotspots basalt is also formed. Hotspots are areas in the cente of tectonic plates where hot plumes of magma force there way to the surface. Basalt is formed at these hotspots when an eruption occurs on the ocean floor. If the eruptions are repeated enough times the basalt can build the volcanic cone larger and larger to form an island. The Hawaiian Islands are an example of this. (http://geology. com/rocks/basalt. shtml) Basalt is also formed in a continental environment where mantle plumes or hotspots can deliver large quantities of magma up to the earths surface. These eruptions generally form from fissures or vents and they produce some of the largest basalt flows on the continents. (http://geology. com/rocks/basalt. html) Basalt can be found in Ireland in the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim. Limestone Limestone is a sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rocks are created by the processes of chemical or physical weathering . The sediment which is created from the processes of weathering can accumulate over time and eventually build up and harden to form solid rock. (Holden, 2012) Limestone in Ireland formed about 300 to 350 million years in warm shallow seas when Ireland lay close to the equator. Over millions of years the bodies of dead marine creatures such as shellfish and coral fell to the seafloor and built up on the seabed. Mud and sand particles from rivers also fell to the seafloor and added to the sediment. Over time the weight of the accumalting sediment compressed the sediment. Water and air was pushed from the pore spaces and calcium carbonate from the sediment binded the rock together. The process by which loose grains of sediment are compressed to form solid rock is called lithification. (Honan, 2011) Chemical weathering and eroison of limestone rock produced unusual landscapes in Ireland called karst landscapes. An example of a karst landscape in Ireland is the Burren in County Clare. Honan and Mulholland , 2007) Sandstone Sandstone is an inorganically formed sedimentary rock. It forms when particles of igneous, metamorphic and other types of sedimentary rocks are transported by rivers and gather on the seafloor or in lakes. The sediment layers then become compacted and over time cemented together by silica to form sandstone rock. (Honan S. , 2011) Sandstone in Ireland was formed 400-350 millio n years ago when Ireland was situated 30 degrees south of the equator. During this period Ireland was experiencing some very dry desert conditions. Many large rivers flowed across the dry landscape carrying the sediments which over time formed Old Red Sandstone which can now be found in the Cork and Kerry Mountains. (Honan and Mulholland , 2007) Schist Schist is a metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rocks are produced from existing sedimentary or igneous rocks usually as a result of partial melting and recrystallization. The changes normally occur where there is high pressure such as under hundreds of metres of bedrock or where rock is crushed at the meeting point of tectonic plates. Many metamorphic rocks have a layered structure due to this intense external pressure. Metamorphic rocks are often harder and more resistant than sedimentary rocks. (Holden, 2012) Schist in Ireland was formed through regional metamorphism. This is when large areas of rock covering many thousands of square kilometres are metamorphsed. Schist in Ireland was formed about 400 million years ago during the Caledonian folding period. The rocks changed due to huge pressure on the rocks created by plate movement. This deformed the rocks and forced them deep into the earth’s crust where they were heated to temperatures up to 1,000 degrees.

The Importance Of Acoustic Treatment Music Essay

The Importance Of Acoustic Treatment Music Essay Sharp tools make good work!(Chinese Proverb, online) To have a nice recording, we must choose the nice recording studio. To have a nice recording studio, acoustic treatment is the most important progress while building the studio! Why acoustic treatment is so important? Acoustic treatment does make the actual recordings sound better, it is just as important to the mixing process. The purpose of acoustic treatment is to improve the quality of sound in the room. Acoustics Treatment of the studio is very important than the used of the equipments for record the track on. Yet there are still many people they just allocate only a tiny portion of their budget to acoustic treatments when building a recording studio or home studio. It is very important to choose the right type of room and after that we have to testing the acoustic in that room, make sure that everything like the soundproofing of the studio is good. Let say, we can listen to the tracks that recorded in the studio, if we can he ar something like reverb or echo on the track, or the sound is rather flat, that is mean the treatments of the studio have wrong. External interferences, such as the outside noise of people talking or transportation noise, are due to insufficient sound isolation. People always think they can or able to overcome acoustics with equipments but you just cant. Russ Berger, the president of acoustic and audiovisual consultancy firm, Russ Berger Design, told Carolin Heinz in an article for the website Electronic Musician. Beside that, there is another common mistake that people always make, according to Berger, is to confuse sound isolation with the acoustic performance in a room. Sound isolation is simply the process of stopping sound entering or leaving the room. It has no bearing on how sound is absorbed and diffused in the room itself, which are the key determinants of how a recorded track sounds when listened to. Every studio building needs to be acoustically treated as standard professional music or audio studio requirement for professional sound quality. So when building a recording studio, we have to pay much attention to this avoid any frustrations in future during recording and monitoring, without overdoing it to preserve certain amplifying qualities of the room. Page Contents: A) Acoustic Treatment Overview B) Acoustic Treatment C) Construction Details D) Conclusion E) References Treatment Characteristics Acoustic Treatment is so important to the studio it is because we want to prevent standing waves. When the standing wave occurs, it will affect the frequency response of the listening rooms and the recording studio. Beside that, by using the right acoustic treatment, we can absorb or diffuse the sound in the room to avoid the flutter echoes and improve the stereo imaging while the recording and keep the sound from leaking into or out from the room. A correct way of acoustic treatment can lower the reverb time in the larger space or room and reduce the modal ringing in the small room. There are few things and problems that we have to concern while building a studio such as absorption, diffusion, reverberation and isolation. Sound absorption can be defined as when sound that strikes the materials and it doesnt reflected back. An open window is the good example for the absorption because the sound goes through the open window and never reflected back. The more fibrous materials have more absorption; oppositely the denser materials are less absorption. By using the absorption materials in the studio, it can minimize the reflections while the recording going and it can also prevent the standing waves and flutter echoes. But, the control room is treating to be more diffusive than absorptive with the LEDE (Live End Dead End) concept for the monitoring purpose. On the other hand, the recording studios are more likely to be acoustically dead and distributive. In general, low frequency sound has a very bad absorption because of their long wavelength. High frequency is very effective in absorption, essential for reducing the flutter echoes. Product like bass trap is a material for absorption, but is specifically designed in order to absorb the low frequency energy. The good bass trap is the combination of the hard, soft, thin materials. By the way, the back of the trap and the gap between the walls can make it even more effective. Diffusor is used to reduce the reverb or echoes that will be occur in the room that has parallel walls and the flat ceiling. Through the research and books that I have read, all the professional studio designers they agree that periodic reflections caused by parallel walls are best avoided. So, diffusion is always used into absorption to tame these kinds of reflections because diffusion is handful of sound energy using multi-faceted surfaces. Diffusers are commonly made of wood, plastic, or even polystyrene. Jorge Castro (2004, online) explains: diffusion helps in energy control and improves the sound quality in frequencies throughout the middle and high range of the spectrum, and also improves sweet-spot should be sitting to get the best stereo image (imagine that your head and the two speakers form an equilateral triangle). Isolation is to block sound from leaking out from the room and is also to soundproof the room from the vibrations or from the external sound. The good noise controls room can retain the sound within the listening area. Isolation is a very critical question, but the most important is still about the room treatment. Even you will feel something going wrong while you are in the quiet room if its acoustic treatments are wrong. And what can you do for the isolation if your studio is going to build nearby the highway, or beside the train track? Only two things we can do to isolate the sound that are mass and space. This is meaning we have to mass the airborne sound but we still need to space so that the structure borne sound cannot be transmitted. By the way, what about the noise that generated by the HVAC (Heat and Air Conditioning system? So, we have to determine all the noise problems and make everything under the control. Reverberation time will be affected by the absorption. The lower the reverberation time, it is mean there is more absorption. By adding the porous absorber is the easiest way to make the good absorption. Beside that, placing the acoustical foam on those reflective surfaces until the reverberation time is suitably reduced. On the other hand, by removing the absorbing materials will lengthens the reverberation time. Materials With good and correct materials in building a studio, it can help you to recording and mixing your music correctly. A good room, good acoustics can defined as we can get the sound from the speakers in the room and listen through your ears as unchanged as possible. A good studio should have a very good isolation but still as neutral as possible for you to hear the details such as stereo positioning properly. So, the music we have mixed and equalized can sound good and has the good opportunity of sounding good in other rooms as well. Controlling the sound in a room is achieved by selective acoustic treatments. Materials are the source out for the best acoustic characteristics in terms of isolation and diffusion, but since there are many ways and different materials to do this, we try not to go overboard with specialized materials as they can break the budget. Instead to use effective construction methods with typical materials, and whatever that works fine as well as cost-effectiveness. The most important aspect of any studio or home theater probably is the using of acoustic foam. Even the listening room, it can also make or break a project studio. It doesnt matter how much money you will spend on the recording and monitoring equipments. If the room itself doesnt has a good acoustic treatment, the result of the recording will never as good as it could be. Usually the room in which the customer plans to record or perform in is not specifically built with acoustics in mind. If this is the case then acoustic treatment is all the more important. Rooms have their own sound already within the room. While the sound is traveling around the room it will come into contact with different surfaces and other sound waves moving around the room. This means that the room can suffer from a lot of acoustic problems. These could include reflections, reverberation, slap echo, flutter echo, inadequate frequency response, standing waves and modal problems. When all of these frequencies s tarted bouncing around, the sound waves can change because they are clashing into each other. This will absolutely affects the last result for the negative. That is meaning you will start to off with one sound and end up with another sound while in the recordings. When there are two parallel walls, or two parallel ceiling and the floor, it will create standing wave. So the distance between the walls, ceiling or the floor will reinforce some of the frequencies, we can call it by boundaries. This mean the sound will makes exactly one round trip in each cycle of the speaker and the pressure fronts pile up. So, this is why people like to sing in the bathroom while taking the shower because the low frequency of the voice are greatly amplified by the standing waves and it will sounds nice. The installing of the acoustic foam can improved the response of the room and the sound of the room can be under control. The use of the acoustic treatment is the only way that can tell you the accurate while you are doing your recording, mixing, editing, or monitoring as well as not to affected by the room you are in. Whatever you want your room to stay live or dead, good acoustic treatment is the only way to help you to tame the beast that in your room and keep everything under the control. So, you have the ability to record and monitor your stuff accurately. Polyflexà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ ProFoamà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ is fabricated from a UL94 2 lb./cu. ft. polyester urethane, which should only be used in Class B or C spaces. Since Polyflexà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ is flammable, extreme care should be exercised in its use as interior finish the industrys first patented nestable foam. It can be used in any critical listening space. It mounted in a 1 x 1 checkerboard pattern to provide a variable impedance surface, offering moderate passive surround sound. By the way, it will attenuate and disperses specula reflections, as well as scatters 1000Hz and above and control comb filtering arising. In the meantime, it offers a new look in acoustical foam and an attractive and flexible wall treatment for controlling first order reflections. The ProCornerà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ is an effective way to increase low frequency absorption (minimizing low frequency room modes and speaker boundary interference distortion) by increasing acoustical foam thickness in the corner, while visually extending and seamlessly integrating with the Profoamà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ wall design. RPG ® Diffuser Systems Studio in a Box Diffuser and Absorber: Additional panels may be layered to any thickness offering unlimited absorption. The using of ProFoam because its absorption and diffusion properties are sufficient for the studios surface, as its stackable, and for a uniformed look. FIGURE 1: Gypsum board (http://www.bombayharbor.com/productImage/0578747001219286428/Gypsum_Board.jpg) Gypsum board is a typical material used for layering walls, holding insulation fibers, providing a certain amount of damping and as wall surface. It is also used for floors, doors and ceilings treatment. FIGURE 2: Plywood (http://www.stockporttimber.co.uk/st_cms/data/upimages/Plywood.jpg) Plywood to separate gypsum and studs and adhere with soundproofing mat. Chip wood (recording room floor) is an ordinary chip wood for flooring. FIGURE 3: Sound Blocker Membrane (http://www.soundservice.co.uk/images/PRODUCTS_gallery/ACOUSTIC_MEMBRANE/1.jpg) Sound Blocker Membrane have excellent sound insulating qualities and it can be used as a sole sound barrier layer, or as part of a multilayer composite with other materials such as sound absorbing foam and carpet. It acts, as a thin, dense sound barrier layer in walls, ceilings or floors and its most effective when used as one component of a multi-layered construction scheme. It extremely effective at improving the sound and insulation properties of lightweight plasterboard partitions, floors and almost anything else. 2-3 layers used on wooden floors can reduce airborne noise transfer dramatically. Spray adhesive is ideal for sticking these mats to walls, floors, and. FIGURE 4: Mineral Woll (http://www.domesticsoundproofing.co.uk/soundproofing/amw_slabs1.jpg) Acoustic mineral woll is use for the reduction of airborne noise between flooring joist, suspended ceiling and in partition walls, it is a good sound absorbing infill. It consists mainly of silicon-oxide together with a number of other metallic oxides. By using the acoustic mineral woll, it will has more efficient for the purpose of soundproofing than a lightweight thermal insulation, chemically and mom-flammable insert. By the way, this will not adversely affected by any substance. To be ensures there is no water penetration in any direction; it may come into contact with a random of fibres. It does not sustain vermin and will not encourage the growth of fungi, bacteria or moulds. Beside that, it will not react with metal wall ties and wired plastic, masonry or brickwork. While using in a standard stud wall, it can increase the sound insulation performance by up to 150%. It normally will provide a reduction in the reverberant noise level up to 200% when fitted under the roof constru ctions. Besides, it will provides a reduction in air bone noise levels by up to 100% when it fitted in-between the ceiling or the floor joists. FIGURE 5: Resilient Bar  ¼Ã‹â€ http://www.soundservice.co.uk/images/clip_image001.gif ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Resilient Bar is a thin metal channel, which is designed to substantially improve the sound insulation of the plasterboard ceilings and walls. It can easily isolate the plasterboard from the studworks, and it will contact directly to dissipate sound, which is normally being transfer through the frame. Because of the improvements in both impact and the airbone noise, so the sound will normally act well in excess of 300%. On walls the bars should be mounted at right angles to the frame with the narrow mounting flange at the bottom and the wider flange at the top. This allows the plasterboard to draw itself away from the studwork. For ceilings the flanges should be pointing in alternating directions. Mount the bars parallel at a max of 600mm centers. The bars should be screwed to all of the battens with 36mm drywall screws. Bars should be joined by overlapping them by a few centimeters directly over a batten with the corrugated webs nested together and both base flanges screwed through to the batten beneath. FIGURE 6: Gasket (http://www.customaudiodesigns.co.uk/seals/neoprene2.jpg) Gaskets/ Cushioning, self-adhesive EPDM / Neoprene blend expanded foam rubber sealing strip. This is ideal for exposed sealing, damping and cushioning. It age resistant and chemically neutral against the most commonly used lacquers and Plastics and resistant to most caustic chemicals, resistant against ozone, moisture and UV radiation. This is good for isolating and decoupling battens attached to walls and ceilings When a room is soundproofed, builders create sound barriers using specialized materials that easily absorb sound or redirect it toward proper areas. This keeps sound generated in the room from exiting, or gives normal walls acoustical properties so that sound bounces off instead of being absorbed into the wall itself. In soundproofed areas, outside noises are also absorbed, keeping the room quiet, which is ideal for recording studios and similar establishments. Acoustical caulk is a product used in the creation of these rooms. It primary function is to achieve and maintain the specific STC (Sound Transmission Class) value of the system designed to remains permanently flexible and adheres firmly to wood or metal studs, concrete, gypsum board, AudioSealà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ Sound Barrier, and most other types of building substrates. It unique formulation is non-drying, non-hardening, non-staining, and non-migrating and can be used for unexposed applications at perimeter joints, floor and cei ling runners (either wood or metal), cutouts in gypsum board, veneer plaster systems, and other areas where a sound rated assembly is required. By the way, it can also be applied or buttered around all electrical boxes and outlets, air returns, heating and air conditioning ducts, and other utility equipment penetrating wall surfaces for increased acoustical performance. Studio Design Room mode or natural resonant frequency, which is related to the length, width and height of the room, is one of the most important properties in the studio design and it determines its natural resonances. Let say the rectangular room has 3 sets of primary modes, which are length, width and height. So, if you have got a irregular room shape or irregular angled walls, then you have to average the dimensions and get the rough idea of the mode frequency. The larger room it has the better acoustically than the smaller room because larger room because the modes are spaced more closely. Studio Layout Construction Details Dry Walls is a Simple single stud design sufficient for wall because the dry walls are doubled, one on the existing outer wall and one as inner wall. We make the double walls to minimize structural linking. Studs spacing are 24, on center instead of the usual 16 spacing, this yields a slight increase in TL (transmission lost). The walls are angled but room shape symmetrical to provide even dispersion and prevent flutter echo. Diameter approx 5 to 6 Total estimated wall area : Total wall perimeter x Average Ceiling height 239.5 ft * 12.125 ft = 2903.9 2903.9 * 2 = 5807.9sq ft. (http://www.ethanwiner.com/BTPlans.gif) (http://www.ethanwiner.com/BTParts.html) Ceiling angled upwards at 12 degrees from the front to the middle of both rooms and then back down at 12 degrees.10 ft ( 3.05m) min height for optimal drum sound recording. The diameter approx 10. Total estimated ceiling area: 289 + 305.15 + 238 + 295.87 = 1128.02 sq ft. Diameter of floor is approx 10 Total estimated floor area: 280.7 + 296 + 231 + 287 = 1094.7 sq ft. Acoustic Timber Door ¼Ã…’STC 30-35 each leaf. It has a same construction as walls using timber and narrower studs. The dense yet lightweight mineral fiber for more STC and it including gaskets to seal sound, hinges, knobs Total : 6 doors with dimensions of approx 6.5 x 2.7 x 3 Acoustic Window Double Glazed The space between glass panels sealed. Use two different thicknesses of glass to prevent resonant frequencies and sealed enclosure up to STC 47. The distance between the panesis about 150mm. Total: 2 double glazed acoustic window with 6 x 2.5 panes The use of sound lock can reduce -3 dB. As sound insulation by air volume and air sealed by door gaskets. Air-conditioner Duct Damping About the noise-reducing enclosure of air-conditioning by using plywood baffle and installed into the opening of the air-con duct with simple plywood baffle held together with strong and moisture resistant adhesive. The plywood maze slows down the airflow or the air-con, thus reducing noise. The absorbent foam lined/covered on plywood baffle to absorb airflow noise as well as noise from generator. Its 4 ft in length. Example Example of a self-made duct baffle Conclusion: Overall, are acoustics really that important? Even though the quality of the instruments, speakers, recording gear and amps are expensive, but without the good acoustic treatments, all the recording will be bad and it will take you even more time to get your track done. We can noticed that why professional recording studio they spent so much time and money in order to get a good acoustics design but why there is still a lot of people they dont take this seriously and record in their house without doing any acoustic treatment? For an example, MIDI (Musical Instrument Interface), there is countless plug-ins, synthesizers, samples and loops available in the market, and all these elements have become the major elements of music production and major arrangement of popular music nowadays. So with this new popular culture, many people can produce their music or track in the house just only using their computer. Another example such as disk jockey, they have an expensive DJs sets so they gain more flexibility of their creating and producing music with only a laptop computer as such a convenience rise of a fact, they can make satisfaction, high quality music in a more efficient and cost-effective way by using samples, plug-ins, they can perform unlimited var iation of sound, instrument, techniques that without any acoustic treatment needed. But is it possible if a rap artist or vocalist they want to record a good quality track without any good environment? The answer is no. Let say if the rap artist or vocalist they record their song in their house by using a very expensive microphone and gear but without any acoustic treatment, in the result of the recording will be too much room noise on the track such as the ceiling fan in your room, outside traffic and etc, all of these will produce the low frequency rumble. So it will take you a lot of time and it is very hard for you to do the mixing. Equipment is useless if sound is recorded badly. This is why professional recording studio they will spend so much money on the acoustic treatment. Beside to give you the good environment to recording your music and track, and it also because you can get the good quality on your final production. we still need to pay a lot of attention to the space in which we use them. The acoustic treatment of recording studio is very tricky because of the construction materials used and the size of the studio. Restate original argument (are acoustics important) State your findings Compare expensive and cheap home solutions