Thursday, November 28, 2019

Lady Anne Clifford

Introduction Lady Anne Clifford’s lineage had a profound influence on her life course. She was the only child of Countess Margaret Russell and George Clifford. Anne’s father was the Earl of Cumberland; the Clifford properties were under his name, and he had the right to bequeath them to whomever he saw fit.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Lady Anne Clifford specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, when making this decision, he had to follow an entail that kept the family property in the line of the oldest heir. In the year 1605, the Earl passed away and unjustly willed the family estate to his brother and nephew. It was this injustice that strengthened Lady Anne’s resolve to fight for her rights. People with the greatest impact Anne’s mother had the greatest influence on her life. Shortly after the Earl of Cumberland’s death in 1605, Margaret made claims on her daughter’ s behalf for the family estate. This set the pace for what was to follow when Anne grew older. Although the court rejected those pleas in 1606, it soon upturned this decision in 1607 following Margaret’s work. She looked up the archival records of the Clifford family and made the case for Anne’s right to inherit the property. Regardless of the judges’ decision, Lady Anne’s uncle was unrelenting in his claim over the estates; he refused to hand them over to Anne. It was Margaret’s strong resolve that set the pace for what her daughter would eventually take up during her entire life (Williamson 41). Margaret stood by her daughter when all other parties opposed her. It was her mother who strengthened her resolve to fight the injustice that her father had accorded to her (Clifford 59). This parent emphasized the fact that her husband had broken the entail. She also spoke candidly to her daughter by telling her the realities of the situation, and her ch ances of success. At the time, her father had willed the property to his brother and nephew if the earl’s brother died. Throughout her life, Lady Anne’s cousin was only a few younger than her. Further, his father was alive at the time when the lady was contesting the will. It was highly unlikely that she would ever own the lands if she followed her father’s will. Lady Anne’s mother made these intricacies quite clear to her daughter and supported her throughout the battles.Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When Lady Anne’s mother passed away, Anne was deeply devastated by the death. She felt that the only person who supported her life’s quest was gone. Additionally, she emphasized the great values that her mother had instilled in her. In fact, Lady Anne asserted that her mother’s influence was of much greater importance to her th an any nobility or lineage that other people desired. This explains why Anne went through great trouble to arrange for her mother’s burial. Several entries in her diaries reveal the pride that she had in her lineage. She documented even the most trivial deeds demonstrated by her kinsmen. It was her mother who initially informed her about this history. However, Anne did a lot of personal research regarding this issue, as well. Her mother ignited a passion for Westmorland during her early days. She was her educator and primary source of information regarding their family (Clifford 9). Even during the last portion of her journey, she was still able to instill a sense of pride in the land. Generally, Lady Anne’s life was influenced by her parents. In legal terms, she descended from a line of wealthy Clifford’s, most of who controlled a series of castles in the kingdom. Her parents’ decision to marry each other set the stage for what her life would become in t he future. Nonetheless, the Lord of Cumberland, Anne’s father, was an extravagant man whose voyages left his family in profound debt. It appears that this senior Clifford made the decision to will his brother and nephew prior to his death because of these problems. He felt that his brother was wealthy enough to remove the Clifford properties from debt. Alternatively, it could be his bias towards female heirs that caused him to overlook his daughter in the will. Whichever the reason, the Earl of Cumberland affected his child’s life course by making a life-altering decision during her childhood.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Lady Anne Clifford specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lady Anne’s husbands had less impact on her life than did her parents. This partly stems from the nature of the relationship she had with them as well as the fact that they were two in number. Her first husband, Lord Do rset, felt that his wife was a lovable woman, but she lost her sense of reason whenever she focused on the family property (Clifford 33). Dorset cared little for the rich history and heritage of Lady Clifford’s family. He felt that it was troublesome to manage properties as tenants were stubborn and claimants to the properties were relentless. Instead, he felt that his wife ought to reach a compromise that would grant her vast sums of money in exchange for her birthright. It is for this reason that her husband became a negative force in her life. The Court of Commons held that all the lands that belonged to Lady Anne’s father were to be given to her uncle and cousin. Her husband tried to persuade her to abide by these rulings. Unlike her mother, who supported her and urged her to fight for her birthright, her husband sided with her foes in this matter (Williamson 12). He merely wanted a speedy conclusion to the dispute and possibly some monetary rewards. It was only th rough Lady Anne’s stubbornness that the Court failed to exert its decision upon her. She refused to sign the award and affirmed that the decision was not binding to her. On the 1st of January 1616, Lady Anne met the Archbishop of Canterbury. He tried as much as possible to persuade her to agree to the court’s decision. However, the Lady was adamant with regard to the matter. The clergyman came with a series of Lords and noblemen to convince her to sign the award. After much convincing, Lady Anne decided that she would buy more time by seeking counsel from her mother. She had to do this by the 22nd of March. At the time, Lord Dorset made it clear that she had to sign the award. He used all manner of tactics to get her to make this decision. For instance, on their way to her mother’s location, Westmoreland, her husband got into a bitter argument with her and even abandoned her in the midst of the journey. During this same period of time, he instructed his servants to leave his wife alone unless she chose to go back to London (Williamson 78). It was only her mother’s support that got her through such difficult times. As a result, her first husband did little to impact her life positively. He was a force of regression in her attempt to reclaim her inheritance.Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The threats of separation from her husband caused this noblewoman to think twice about her businesses as she wanted to preserve the marriage. Nonetheless, her commitment to the family fortune supplanted loyalty to an unsupportive husband. Her second husband was just as toxic as the first. However, he had some legal use to her that her first husband did not. While Anne’s mother had a more personal impact on her daughter, her second husband provided a legal one. Society, at the time, placed disproportionate value on a man’s opinion. Consequently, even though Phillip Herbert, the Lord of Pembroke, subjected Anne to profound stress, his opinions protected her. It was widely acknowledged that Herbert was deeply involved in politics. He believed in the strength of parliament over that of the crown. Conversely, Anne leaned more towards the crown than parliament. It is her husband’s inclinations that caused parliament to keep away from her inheritance. Therefore, her se cond husband’s impact on her life was more of a statement than a daily factor. Conclusion Almost all the family members in Anne’s background opposed her right to inherit the family estates. Her father bequeathed it to someone else; her two husbands encouraged her to give it up while her uncle and nephew fought hard to own it. It was her mother who was the only family member that supported her claims. She initiated the battle in her early days and then nudged Anne on when all others opposed her. Therefore, it was her parent who had the greatest impact upon her. Works Cited Clifford, Anne. The diaries of Lady Anne Clifford. London: The History Press, 2003. Print. Williamson, George. Lady Anne Clifford, her life, letters and work. 2010. Web. This essay on Lady Anne Clifford was written and submitted by user Terrell Huber to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Three ways to make an impact with numbers

Three ways to make an impact with numbers How to make an impact with numbers Numbers can play a crucial role in many of your documents at work. But beware of the trap of thinking that data can speak for itself. You need to do that part. Figures can back up your claims with evidence and help draw attention to your most important facts, trends and comparisons. If what youre writing about is quite dry, theres usually a statistic that will grab your readers attention. Unfortunately, numbers can also have the opposite effect. If they’re poorly explained, they’ll slow your reader to a crawl as they try to work out exactly what youre saying. You risk losing the reader altogether in a sea of context-free figures – and statistics that arent related to their concerns will be no sooner read than forgotten. But there are ways that you can make the most of your figures – and your research – that were going to explore here. Remember these three things and youll be sure to give your numbers real impact. 1. Frame your statistics to show their significance A well-written statistic can capture your reader’s attention by itself. Heres a widely quoted example that dates back to 2007: One in every  £7 spent in retail (in the UK) is spent in Tesco. Its an arresting statistic. But what made it so popular? Lets start with some alternative ways of saying the same thing. Simply talking about the raw numbers of Tescos sales figures wouldnt have had nearly the same effect: Tescos retail sales totalled  £35.6 billion. This won’t mean anything to the average person – you could change the number to  £350.6 billion or  £3.56 billion and many people would accept it as true. (And, more than that, not really know how much they should care.) In other words, without any context, 35.6 billion is just a very large number. Putting the number in context is what starts to give it meaning: Tesco accounted for  £35.6 billion of the  £303.6 billion spent in retail sales in the UK. This gives you a sense of Tesco being a major player in the market. We understand this better now because we have a frame of reference – the overall size of the retail market. But, the numbers are still not framed in a way that most people will directly relate to. After all, most of us dont deal with the retail market – its an abstraction. On top of that, extremely large numbers are hard to understand intuitively. The majority of us do, however, spend money on products and fuel. Saying One in every  £7 spent in retail is spent in Tesco turns this statistic into the very familiar context of the coins and notes in our wallets. At the same time, the problem of talking about big, difficult-to-grasp numbers disappears. Finding your winning examples So how do you do the same thing? As ever, the most important person to consider is your reader. So profile them. By asking what your reader knows and wants, you can more easily set numbers into the appropriate context. For example, lets take these basic statistics: According to data from the Land Registry, house prices in East Sussex rose by over  £18,000 between February 2015 and February 2016. This means that the average home in East Sussex now sells for over  £214,000. The same statistics have different implications depending on whom youre writing for. If you were writing for someone interested in buying a house, you might compare this to the national average house prices. Whereas, if you were writing a report on the cost of living, you could compare this to the median wage in East Sussex. 2. Watch out for unfamiliar units of measurement It’s easy to think of numbers as somehow fundamentally different from words. Of course, in your work documents, they’re alike in one key respect: they both have to make sense to your readers. Whatever specialist area you work in and write about, you always need to be aware of what technical language and jargon might need explaining along the way – and numbers are a magnet for specialist terms. Each domain has its own measures that are widely understood within the field, but widely unintelligible to anyone outside it – from economists measuring Terms of Trade to consultants looking at Net Promoter Score feedback. You can reduce the chances of confusing your readers by thinking about them before you start writing. Do they work in the same field? Do they share your terminology? Are they likely to understand the significance of the measurements? Again, profiling your reader is vital. Youll probably find that, with a little thought, you already have a pretty good idea of what your readers will and wont understand. And if youre still uncertain, try giving a draft of your document to your reader – or to someone you think is similar to them in terms of background knowledge. See if they can understand your technical terms and measurements. If they have trouble, youll either need to explain your terms more clearly or think of a way of rewriting what youre saying in a way that doesnt involve them. 3. Work smart with tables and charts There are three main ways of presenting numbers in your documents: text, tables and charts. These options can complement each other, rather than being strict alternatives. However, in most situations, you will only need either a chart or a table – both is usually overkill. So which should you use? If you need to report lots of precise figures for reference, its better to put them in a table. This saves you from having to write long, hard-to-follow sentences containing all of your values. (Remember too that if most of your readers wont need access to your data, you can always put tables in an appendix rather than in your main document.) Charts and graphs are usually better for showing detailed relationships, relative proportions and trends – but remember that your readers wont be able to read off precise figures. Whichever you use, just including charts, graphs and tables isnt enough. Its very important to interpret them in your text. So always remember to draw out the main implications that are relevant to your reader. For tables, draw out typical values if you want to show a general relationship, or exceptional values if you want to draw attention to a particular figure. For example: Every year, fewer people are using Internet Explorer. Table 1 shows how Internet Explorers usage share has plummeted from 66 per cent in 2009, to just 16 per cent in 2016. For graphs and charts, describe the size and kind of overall trend that youre showing. For example, a graph might show a trough in sales over Christmas or a fluctuating number of support tickets. (For more ways to describe trends, click here.) When youve interpreted graphs and tables well, your reader should be able to understand what they show – and the significance of it – just by reading the text. Putting your interpretation of the graphs or charts data into the body of your text also means you can bring your readers attention to the figures at the relevant point in your argument. Your reader can then test your conclusions by looking at the data for themselves. Keeping your numbers working Although you might think of words and numbers as different languages, in business writing success lies in seeing what the two have in common. Theyre both there to help you achieve the aims and objectives you have for your document – and, ultimately, to meet the needs of your reader. As with all writing, the key to getting your message across is keeping the needs and knowledge of your reader in mind as you write. Do that, and you can be confident that you’ll be making your numbers and research count. Image credit: Jason Salmon / Shutterstock

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The European Airlines Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

The European Airlines Industry - Essay Example Thus deregulation led to increased number of passengers. Airlines with long-haul routes continued to earn profits but smaller airlines were unable to reap the benefits. Major airlines were allowed to charge higher prices between the individual EU countries and they also signed up different agreements with the USA for long-haul flights. The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, challenged these agreements as it was against the competition rules of the EU’s Treaty of Rome. A new agreement opened up all major European airports to all carriers. This further enhanced competition as the low-cost airlines started competing in the long-haul flights. In addition, terrorism, health scares and war reshaped the European airline industry (SD, 2004). Landing fees are high at the major airports. Â  More passengers are opting for low-cost airlines, thereby affecting the legacy airlines. Other factors that have affected the number of people traveling is advanced technology in teleconferencing, the downturn in the global economy, increased fuel cost and the events of 9/11. Price became controlled on long-haul routes but the legacy airlines found other means to generate profits. The legacy carriers adopted the hub and spoke strategy where they derive economies of scale through full load over long distances. This is less attractive to the smaller carriers. The smaller carriers offer no-frills, point-to-point simple fare structure but without compromising on safety although passengers are not very happy with the service of the low-cost airlines. Consolidation is also taking place in the industry. No airline has a significant competitive advantage over rivals. The airlines face a competitive threat and keep trying different strategies like entering the budget segment or focusing o n the business segment. Â  Global warming is an important factor that airlines consider in their strategy development.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Transparency for an open world Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Transparency for an open world - Research Paper Example Secondly, the controversy also revolves around the quality of photos taken. The photos question the intention of the photographer who took the photos even when the photographs follow the rule which governs photography. Questions are posed as to whether the photo shooting act was intentional or it was accidental. However, most photographs are controversial because majority of the photographers who captures them always fail to follow the rules like those governing the thirds and leads. They fail to consider the affected as they do not enhance the autopsy photos to suit the moods and emotions of the affected and even the public ((Morewitz, 2014).   Ã‚  Thirdly, it is largely speculated that majority of these photos are being displayed for monetary purposes. Individuals who display the photos always sell them to the highest newspaper and media bidders. Therefore, this raises the question on the intent for taking the photos in the first place. This is because companies or agencies posti ng these photos are profit oriented, therefore are capable of paying large sums for the photos just to increase their profits by making headlines on the photos. In my own opinion, I am in support of the public’s right to know the actual cause of a person’s death by being allowed to access the autopsy photos. This is because it clears any uncertainty regarding the cause of death especially those surrounded by controversies. An example is that the case involved maybe that of a public figure and their personality.

Monday, November 18, 2019

FAR Default and Dispute Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

FAR Default and Dispute - Research Paper Example Despite the establishment of these laws, it is common that disputes arise in the process contracting leading to termination of contracts through a legal process. This paper will examine the FAR process of acquisition, settling disputes that arise within the acquisition process and the available mechanisms through which these disputes can be settled. By considering the acquisition plan that is used by the government, this paper will provide various recommendations that can be sued in to improve the government procurement procedures. FAR provides two mechanisms through which the government can terminate contracts they have entered with suppliers. Either termination for default or termination for convenience can be applied depending on the situation that arises during the contract period. Termination of contracts is one of the strategies that the government employs to streamline its operations with the supply chain and network to ensure that the procurement process is effective and with in the allocated budgets and to accommodate changes that may arise during the procurement process. ... Termination by default takes a legal procedure in-court where the two parties in the contract are required to provide a tangible evidence to prove the authenticity of termination by default. If the government intends to follow this route, then it must prove in a court of law that the contract failed to deliver goods and services with respect to the terms of the contract concerning the quality, quantity, schedule or any other issues states implicitly or explicitly in the bond. The contractor is required to prove to the court of law that the omissions or defiance of the contract terms was excusable or outside the contract agreement. The court judgment is delivered after the enough evidence is tabled by both parties, enough to form a basis for a court ruling. As the number of government contracts increases, cases involving termination of contract for default have become more common. However, the contractor is allowed to appeal if they feel that the termination for default was not a fair part of the contract (Keyes, 2003). Numerous cases have emerged during the government procurement process that has led the government to resort to termination for default. For instance, the government of US terminated a contract for default after a contractor failed to deliver goods that included wire rope terminals and the court upheld the case. In addition, the government demanded a compensation of $14, 457 for goods that were rejected within a warranty period for on the ground that the contractor failed to meet the quality requirements of the contract (Keyes, 2003). The court ruled in favor of the government after assessing the evidence that proved that the contractor had failed to uphold the terms

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Benefits Of Antivirus Protection

The Benefits Of Antivirus Protection This report presents antivirus protection, its definition and different types of. It shows how it is important of this program to protect computer. Because attacker spread viruses around the world, people need strong and effective antivirus program to prevent their computers from these viruses. In this report, will be mentioned the idea of antivirus protection types, how its work and which methods use and benefits of this program. A  computer virus  is a  computer program  that can copy itself and infect a computer. It is also used to refer to other types of  malware, including to  adware  and  spyware  programs that do not have the reproductive ability. In fact, the world has witnessed great development in the computer world and most of businesses have become highly dependent on the computer. Since most computers are now connected to the Internet it is increasing the chance for spreading these viruses which necessitated the presence of powerful software to protect computers from these threats. Antivirus software is a simple tool to use, but it has a large effect. It search on your computer for malicious files, viruses and spyware that are hidden somewhere. The Antivirus (or anti-virus) software is a program that used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Such programs may also prevent and remove adware, spyware, and other forms of malware. These software scan throw the PC of the computer looking for viruses to remove it before the virus start to damage the computer files. There are different types of Antivirus software that have been developed over the years to keep up with the current virus issue such as Conventional Disk Scanner, Memory Resident Scanners, Behavior Based Detection and Start up Scanners. Some of this software can be run upon the users request and others are designed to be run every time the PC id booted up (types of antivirus). 1 of 4 Top Antivirus There is a lot of Antivirus software, but they are not built with the same power. The most powerful Antivirus software is the Shield Deluxe 2011- Antivirus Protection. This antivirus company protects tens of millions of home and business users across the globe. You can set your computer to update viruses weekly and run a complete virus scan. The system can be restored after malicious activity. It controls the status of the system registry and notifies users of any suspicious objects. The second powerful antivirus software is the Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus 2011. It provides complete and easy to use protection from Internet-threats. Then the Norton Antivirus 2011 come after which provide fast, responsive defense against all types of malicious software. The new Norton Protection System employs a multilayered set of security technologies that work to detect, identify, and block attacks. There is also the Panda Antivirus 2011 which is a good choice for windows that keeps the computer protected from any Internet threats. More over there is the Zone Alarm Antivirus software which is the best virus protection with significantly enhanced detection and removal capabilities. There are also the ESET NOD32 Antivirus and mthe Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 which are good on protecting (best antivirus software). How antivirus program work 2 of 4 Antivirus programs are designed to protect computer systems from viruses. These programs provide two levels of functionality when protecting against viruses which are real time protection and scanning of files stored on computer drives or disks (Anti-virus). Antivirus programs can detect viruses by two ways. First way is Footprint of virus program and this method is a common method that used to identify viruses. Footprint is the pattern of data that include file. The purpose of this method is comparing the virus footprint with a library of known footprints that match viruses. Also when using this method, viruses must be as viruses and then added to the library of footprints. Footprint of virus program has a one disadvantage. There is a time period when the virus is released to when the library of known footprints is updated.  Virus will not be recognized during this period and it could affect computer. In addition, Characteristics of program is the second way to detect virus es from computer. This method called heuristic scanning and it examines the actions that the program attempts to take or may attempt to take.  It looks at the type of system function calls that included in the executable code. It looks if this calls too suspicious, may flag the program as a possible virus and ask for user intervention. As footprint method, characteristics of program have a disadvantage which is that there is no time period when the computer is not protected after specific viruses are released (Anti-virus, n.d). Benefits of Antivirus Protection Downloading or buying any antivirus software program give chance for people to buy any desktop or laptop. Antivirus program is the best safe measure to stop and minimize risk and any effects. There are various levels of security protection for PCs and they depend on the particular antivirus program offered by trusted vendors. However, there are many benefits that all antivirus programs offer. First of all, it thwarts any virus that related damage. Any antivirus program helps to prevent damaging operating system and other functionalities of the PC from any virus that PC attached. Second, antivirus program maintains PCs security. This happens by updating antivirus package or creating a firewall to improve a PCs overall security. It helps to keep operation system running and internet resource  accessing and browsing experience. Third, all antivirus programs protect data and information. All information, critical data, presentations, files, documents, photos, and other material stored in the computer are secured from virus attacks infections. Finally, antivirus programs protect financial saving. Any unprotected or less protected PC is easy to attack from viruses. With effective antivirus program that protect the PC, you dont need help from technical support and loss a lot of money (Benefits of Antivirus Protection, n.d). Conclusion In sum up, the use of antivirus program is protecting computers from viruses attack. It helps to prevent data and information to be attacked. Antivirus program is software that installing to computer and use to scan PC to search any viruses can damage the computer. There are different types of Antivirus software that developed to use for production. There are many powerful antivirus programs that built with high quality of protection like Norton and MacAfee. Furthermore, this program can detect any virus by two ways which are footprint and characteristics. This kind of program has many benefits of using, it helps to prevent any virus that related damage to computer maintain CPs security and protect data and information. 3 of 4

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Opportunities for Excellence :: Philosophy of Teaching Education Essays

The Opportunities for Excellence Like many other students in the public school system, I had my share of â€Å"good† teachers and â€Å"bad† teachers, but I learned valuable things from each of them: from the â€Å"good† teachers, inspiration to enter education and how to be a good teacher, from the â€Å"bad† teachers, if nothing else, what not to be. As important as education is to children’s success in life, they should have as many positive influences as possible. I will strive to be the best teacher I can be, not only to be marked as one of the â€Å"good†, but one of the â€Å"great† teachers of education. As a student, I found the â€Å"good† teachers to be those that went the extra mile to help children fulfill individual interests. Sponsorship of clubs and organizations, home visits, etc. have been traditional methods of supplementing education, but computers and the Internet have given rise to many new avenues, such as e-mail correspondence and more powerful, contemporary research information. Recent coordination of colleges and high schools has also provided students interested in attending college the opportunity to advance their pursuits in continued education by allowing them to correlate their high school classes with the college curriculum for dual credit. I will use these tools, along with many others, to heighten the educational experience for my students. I also recall my â€Å"good† teachers as moral role models. Their upstanding character, fairness and general nature were reflected in their students, as will the traits of future teachers for many years to come. Also, the trend continues for children to have less and less influence at home, be it due to non-traditional families, both parents working, etc. Even more, a greater diversity of classroom ethnicity introduces a broader set of values, and further challenges teachers to be open to other cultures. They are also given the responsibility of enculturation, conveying the appreciation of other cultures to their students. This can amount to as little as contribution and additive methods, appending other cultures’ ideas into core philosophy, to as much as transformation or social action, integrating other cultures into the curriculum as part of the norm. All of these factors leave a greater weight of shaping children’s mindset on teachers. As an upcoming educator, I feel a great responsibility to maintain respectability and general good character as a positive example for my students.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Popular Culture in Today’s Society

Reflections of Pop Culture on Society Popular culture, commonly referred to as â€Å"pop culture†, is constantly changing and heavily influencing people worldwide; one can hardly tell the history of the human race without some mention of pop culture. Pop culture molds and defines the beliefs and values, as well as, influences the actions of society. Social media, as well as the natural ache we all carry to fit in, pushes people to embrace and succumb to pop culture. Pop culture greatly influences what people choose to do, such as: where to eat, what to buy, where to go on vacation, or what music music to listen to.We have all heard an advertisement on the radio for the local restaurants or heard our favorite musician telling us which radio station we should listen to. What about our favorite celebrity boasting about which store they buy their clothes from? We see these people being adored by the public and want to be like them. So we head out to the nearest department store an d buy the same brand of jeans or sneakers. When we see celebrities we want to ne like them, be adored like them. In his poem â€Å"Emily Dickinson and Elvis Presley in Heaven,† Hans Ostrom says that Dickinson â€Å"sports Levis and western blouses with rhinestones† andPresley â€Å"wears baggy trousers and T-shirts, a letterman's jacket from Tupelo High† (759). Ostrom is making reference to how Emily Dicksinson and Elvis Presley are even following current trends in Heaven. Pop culture has a considerable influence on the way we, society, view ourselves and each other. When we look at the covers of magazines and see the thin women and the buff men, we think that is the acceptable way to look and work to make ourselves look that way. We see that as the only way to be considered attractive and acceptable. As people, ant to be like the things we see around us.We yearn to be accepted and have found that submitting to the current fads gains us the popularity and accept ance we ache for. In the essay â€Å"Corn-Pone Opinions† it was said that â€Å"We are creatures of outside influence; as a rule we do not think, we only imitate†(Twain 717). If someone hears that a specific movie receiving good reviews from the people in their neighborhood, they will go see that movie to fit in, whether it seems like something that would interest them or not. Someone will spend their whole life going to see the movies or eating at the restaurants that veryone else likes or other such things because â€Å"the outside influences are always pouring in upon us, and we are always obeying their orders and accepting their verdicts†(Twain 719). Pop culture is often used as a means to reflect someone's views, which are then accepted into the minds of society. An example of this is the 1954 hit, Godzilla. This movie was released with the intent of spreading the political views of the director, Ishiro Honda. However, the version of the movie that became p opular worldwide was â€Å"stripped of the political subtext- and the anti-American, antinuclear messages†(Staples 23). Americans would not want to watch a movie that was dripping in disdain towards the American government's decision to use nuclear weapons. Had Godzilla been shown as more than a â€Å"conventional monster-on-the-loose movie†, it probably would not have been as popular in the United States (Staples 723). Even today people are using social networking sites such as youtube, facebook, and twitter to express their opinions about what is going on in the world (i. e. Kony 2012). Society is also reflected in popular movies and books. Most teen movies follow the same simliar plots with similiar characters.They have a tall, slim female who rules the school with her jock boyfriend. Nowadays the enemy is no longer authority, it is â€Å"other teens and the social system that they impose on one another†(Denby 709). These movies have an outcast who, in the en d, always triumphs and, somehow, overrun the social system. These movies are so popular and successful because it is what the audience wants to see. People can relate to â€Å"the kids who cannot be the beautiful ones, or makeout with them, or avoid being insulted by them†(Denby 709). We view these people as heroes because we, urselves, want to be like them and triumph. Even books are written in a way that makes them more entertaining for their audience. As a child, you read picture books â€Å"using words and images interchangably†(McCloud 738). Then you progressed to chapter books, which had less pictures, but still used both pictures and words to tell the story, and then novels that do not contain pictures. However, today people have begun to lose an interest in reading. We would rather see pictures telling the story because â€Å"words and pictures have great powers to tell stories when creators fully exploit them both†(McCloud 738).Pop culture has a way of forming itself to fit what society is interested in. Pop culture is one of the biggest contributing factors to the way our society works. It works towards forming our opinions and beliefs and even contributes to what we decide to do, buy, eat, etc,†¦ The things we hear about on the radio, the people we see on television and in movies are all parts of pop culture, working its way into our lives and molding our society. In conclusion, the extent of pop culture's relfection on society is a major one; I personally believe that it is nothing but a reflection of our society.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The evolutionary reason reading is hard †and why thats good news

The evolutionary reason reading is hard – and why thats good news This is why reading most documents feels like hard work There’s one thing about reports that people never seem to talk about. Even after 21 years, and training more than 50,000 people to write well, I really cant recall anyone bringing it up. And that secret is this: reading is hard. I don’t mean we find it difficult to read our email or text messages, or even social media. (Though there’s an awful lot more to doing that than you think.) No, I mean reading reports, official guides or any other vaguely technical document is hard. Hard reading is a feeling that’s familiar to us all. We’ve all been there. It’s Friday afternoon and you’re hunched over a dense document, trying in vain to decipher page after page of turgid text. Each sentence seems like an effort as you strain to wrap your head around just exactly what it is the author is meaning to say. More coffee hasn’t helped. You’re now on your third attempt to read the current paragraph and yet – somehow – the words just aren’t going in. And you’re still on the first page. It’s about as enjoyable and effortless as trudging around Ikea on a wet Saturday afternoon – with a hangover. And yet, those words that seem to get lost between the page and your brain are exactly the same ones that someone else thought were the best way to convey important information from their head to yours. Mind-boggling cost I’m not saying this is a new issue – far from it. But these days we have the technology to create these things in vast numbers. Just think how many times something very similar to the above scenario must play itself out in an organisation. The mind boggles at how much that must cost. Yet this is an opportunity as well as a challenge. Reports that are easy to read rise to the top and make way more impact than the rest. They stand out simply because they are different from the majority. And, rather than being a drain on mental resources, they leave us plenty of brain space to consider their implications and make quick decisions on what to do about them. Producing them is easier said than done though. If that were not the case, then everyone would write them and I would have no need to write this blog post. A report thats easy to read is the exception – simply because that’s the type that most people struggle to produce. But theres one important factor here thats easy to overlook. Reading anything is something of a miracle of biology. Understanding that is the key to getting your documents to the top and really making an impact. As you’re reading this, something incredibly complex is going on in your brain. You are looking at greyscale symbols on a screen and converting them into ideas. Abraham Lincoln called it ‘the greatest invention of the world’ – communicating thoughts to the mind through the eye. A human invention And yes, it is an invention. This is not something we evolved to do. We actually evolved to communicate vocally and face to face, over hundreds of millions of years. We’ve been communicating through symbols, what we now call reading, for less than five-and-a-half thousand years. That’s barely a heartbeat in evolutionary terms, and certainly not long enough to have evolved brain structures dedicated to the task. Instead, we take apparatus that we evolved for a whole variety of other situations and co-opt it into deciphering a seemingly endless string of squiggles and dots. We are utilising our brain’s structure for something it was never meant to do. (And on that Friday afternoon, it probably feels like it.) No artificial intelligence can match this feat, even now. You see proof of this every time you answer a website’s demand to confirm that you’re not a robot. That simple statement placed on the site as a graphics file rather than text is all it takes to differentiate you from a cyborg. Narrow focus: your eyes scan text by taking four or five narrow snapshots every second (Dahaene, 2009) Even capturing the words to process is incredible in itself. The fact that you seem to do it easily is just an illusion. In reality, as you are scanning this text, your brain is instructing your eyes to take four or five snapshots every second (known as saccades). There’s only one small area of your retina that has a high-enough resolution to take these pictures (called the fovea), which means that the snapshots themselves are small, too – occupying only about 15 per cent of your visual field. If you stop and freeze your gaze at any one point, you’ll see that you’re only actually focused on one or two words. Each word is then split into fragments, to be reassembled later. And that’s just the start of it. Next, the brain processes the words in the area that all primates – not just us but our monkey and ape cousins – use to recognise symbols and shapes. It’s no coincidence that the shapes most commonly found in nature are also the most common shapes across all written languages – T and L. These shapes (in various orientations) are the most frequent not just in those that use the Roman alphabet – such as English, French, German or Spanish – but Bengali, Thai, Chinese and even the hieroglyphs of the ancient Egyptians. We then cross-check this information against our database of words. Those we recognise get processed down one neural pathway; those we don’t, we mentally pronounce before checking to see if we recognise the sound pattern. We then choose which words we think we’re reading and that (finally) triggers the thought process. Its incredibly complex and to complete it in a fraction of a second takes a lot of brainpower. With most documents, it probably feels like it. You can almost hear the cogs grinding round as it happens. But not all reading feels like hard work. Sometimes you simply don’t notice the cognitive effort going on behind the scenes. In fact, there are many things we read that don’t feel like reading at all. We simply get lost in the flow (even if we didn’t intend to). And that’s the stuff we return to again and again. This doesn’t mean writing that material is easy, of course. Far from it. The old saying ‘easy read, hard write’ has never been more true than when it comes to writing good documents. Make it easier The trick is to write them with the brain in mind. Use good design to make them easy on the eye. Incorporate lots of white space. Use narrow columns that are easy for the eye to scan across and move onto the next line quickly. Use short, powerful words in between the technical ones. Note that this is not the same as eliminating all jargon. Jargon is fine as long as you’re sure that your audience will understand it. But don’t make the process of reading any harder than it needs to be by trying to impress your reader with flowery language. (As Leonardo da Vinci said, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.) Instead, state things as simply as you can, so that the brain doesn’t have to waste cognitive energy on deciphering what you mean. Devise a structure that flows logically. Draw people in at the beginning with a captivating introduction and then keep your reader reading with a document that flows easily from beginning to end. And then finish as powerfully as you started, so that your interaction with the reader doesn’t stop there. You want them to continue thinking about what you’ve written long after they’ve closed the document. Your aim should be to get into their heads, to set up camp in their brains. Communicate your thoughts to their minds through their eyes in as straightforward a way as possible and you’ll really get them thinking. Take this approach consistently and your documents will be in the small minority that resonate with your readers. They may even thank you for it. But even if they don’t, they won’t forget it. And that will put you in a very strong position. References Dehaene, S (2009). Reading in the brain: the science and evolution of a human invention. London: Penguin Liversedge, SP, and Findlay, JM (2000). Saccadic eye movements and cognition. Trends in Cognitive Sciences 4(1): 6-14. Kemmerer, D (2015); The cognitive neuroscience of language. Hove: Psychology Press Rubin, GS, and Turano, K (1992). Reading without saccadic eye movements. Vision Research 32(5): 895-902. Spoehr, KT, and Smith, EE (1975). The role of orthographic and phonotactic rules in perceiving letter patterns. Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception and Performance 104(1): 21-34. Image credit: LookerStudio / Shutterstock

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Lexicology - Definition and Examples

Lexicology s Lexicology is the branch of linguistics that studies the stock of words (the lexicon) in a given language. Adjective: lexicological. Etymology From the Greek lexico- -logy, word study Lexicology and Syntax Lexicology deals not only with simple words in all their aspects but also with complex and compound words, the meaningful units of language. Since these units must be analyzed in respect of both their form and their meaning, lexicology relies on information derived from morphology, the study of the forms of words and their components, and semantics, the study of their meanings. A third field of particular interest in lexicological studies is etymology, the study of the origins of words. However, lexicology must not be confused with lexicography, the writing or compilation of dictionaries, which is a special technique rather than a level of language studies ...The essential difference between syntax and lexicology is that the former deals with the general facts of language and the latter with special aspects. . . . Syntax is general because it deals with rules and regularities that apply to classes of words as a whole, whereas lexicology is particular because it is concerned with the way individual words operate and affect other words in the same context. Although borderline cases do exist in both lexicology and syntax, e.g., in the case of grammatical or function words, the distinction between the two levels is fairly clear.  (Howard Jackson and Etienne Zà © Amvela, Words, Meaning, and Vocabulary: An Introduction to Modern English Lexicology. Continuum, 2007) Content Words and Function Words [T]eachers of English have customarily distinguished between content words, like snow and mountain, and function words, like it and on and of and the ...  Lexicology is the study of content words or lexical items.  (M.A.K. Halliday et al., Lexicology and Corpus Linguistics. Continuum, 2004) Lexicology and Grammar Both grammar and lexicology involve us in an indefinitely large number of superficially different units. In the case of grammar these are phrases, clauses, and sentences; in the case of lexicology the units are words, or more precisely . . . lexical items. It is typical of grammar to make general and abstract statements about the units concerned, showing a common construction despite formal differences. It is typical of lexicology to make specific statements about individual units. In consequence, while the grammar of a language is best handled in chapters devoted to different types of construction, it is normal to deal with the lexicon of a language in an alphabetical dictionary, each entry devoted to a different lexical item.  (Randolph Quirk et al., A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, 2nd ed. Longman, 1985) Lexicology and Phonology [I]t may be thought at first sight that phonology does not interact with lexicology in any significant manner. But a close analysis will reveal that, in many cases, the difference between two otherwise identical lexical items can be reduced to a difference at the level of phonology. Compare for example the pair of words toy and boy, feet and fit, pill and pin. They differ only in one sound unit (the position of which has been [italicized] in each word) and yet the difference has serious consequences at the level of lexicology.  (Etienne Zà © Amvela, Lexicography and Lexicology. Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning, ed. by Michaà «l Byram. Routledge, 2000) Pronunciation: lek-se-KAH-le-gee

Monday, November 4, 2019

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Report - Essay Example These include; total quality management (TQM), product and process design, design flow, vendor management, and waste elimination. This report is based on existing observable evidence in the use of inventory systems in restaurants, and the resulting impact these systems have in improving efficiency. The conclusion made is that implementing this restaurant management system in this restaurant is feasible, but in order to realize the intended benefits employee training will most likely be required. Otherwise, improper use of the system may lead to incorrect inventory management and subsequent order placing. ... This allows for the business organization to obtain information on the sale levels of the individual products, and to determine the ideal interval for replenishing the stock after predefined stock levels are reached. Trail Stock Levels. Inventory management systems make it possible to tell the amount of stock that a business is left with after sales within a given period, and can start orders for items that are low in stock based on the level of currently stocked items. The advantage brought about by the efficiency of inventory management software is the ability to maintain stock at suitable levels, and in so doing maintain customer loyalty because repeat customers only frequent places where they can find the products they want. The inventory management system can be of great importance in the event of a sale's promotion, as it can detect items that are over-stocked, and that can be included in the promotion. In the event that the promotion breeds demand the products, the system can initiate and modify the product orders to match the demand. Inventory and Sales Reporting. Inventory management systems use merchandise movement reports to facilitate the location of revenues produced by the sale of specific products within a given time frame. From these reports, one can identify the undersold stock as well as make sales forecasts built on past performances. This helps the business in planning for the future as it can make decisions on how to continue stocking its inventory based on these reports. OUTCOMES AND ANALYSIS This report explores three areas of scrutiny. These include: 1. What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of an inventory management system? 2. How can the inventory management system be created for adopted by the restaurant? 3. What

Friday, November 1, 2019

TQM in Higher Education Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

TQM in Higher Education - Literature review Example front, changes need to be made to ensure great campus, positive staff attitude, great spiritual environment, less bureaucracy and an enriching student life. According to Gary A. Berg 2008, a large amount of research on Total Quality Management has been focused on for private organizations. However, TQM has been widely used in student service and education fields. Lozier and Teeter (1993) were among the first researchers to focus on application of TQM to higher education. These researchers stress on stakeholder satisfaction as the most significant aspect of TQM in higher education. Juran defined quality as fitness for use and Crossby as conformance to requirements. However, Deming’s definition of is to follow quality as surpassing customer needs and expectations is the one that applies the most to higher education. One of the approaches to quality in higher education is to follow ISO 9000 in educational setup. According to this approach, the staff can be trained to control the behavior of the students (who are customers) rather than their ideas. A combination of responsive systems, implementation framework and staff empowerment would enable successful implementation of ISO 9000 in higher education system. However, some researchers have suggested a change in the education process by eliminating non-productive activities and hence improve the quality of higher education. According to H.J. De Jager & F.J. Nieuwenhuis 2005, there are three important features of TQM in educations according to a specific TQM model. These are leadership, scientific methods & tools and problem solving through teamwork. These three features are integrated to form a great organizational climate, a healthy training & education environment and provision of meaningful data. Customer service acts... This paper approves that the Australian universities brought improvements in their efficiency and accountability while realizing the benefits of economies of scale. These universities were provided additional funds by the government to enable quality assurance practices. However, most of the universities were self-accrediting and lacked external control. Australian Universities Quality Agency was formed to address this limitation. The author also gives example of the Swedish experience in implementing quality in higher education. Here the processes in the universities were decentralized and an improvement led model was followed. The funds were provided to institutions based on their performance and the quality models were customized as per the needs of each institution. This essay makes a conclusion that the quality initiatives in Canadian Universities remain limited to performance indication. This was also introduced with growing pressure from local magazines and government. Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada came up with performance indicators but they were not well accepted by the universities or the public. Most of the universities prefer to use their own list of performance indicators. Therefore, there has been an avoidance of public participation in quality assurance by Canadian universities.