Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Digital Film Making Industry Essays - 787 Words

The Digital Film Making Industry Digital filmmaking is quickly changing everything about filmmaking. Everyone from professionals to amateurs are currently seeing great advancements in many aspects of the industry. Every year thousands of independent films are made. The vast majority of these films are created using digital cameras and basic home computers. A few years ago this was impossible due the sheer cost of quality 35 millimeter cameras, and extremely expensive editing equipment. Now anyone can make a relatively high quality digital film with a 1000 dollar camera and a 2000 dollar computer. With a setup like this films can be shot and edited, also special effects and CG sequences unimaginable to even professional film†¦show more content†¦Independent filmmakers are not just using the internet to distribute their movies but also selling these digital movies to film studios. Miguel Artetas Chuck and Buck was completed for about 500,000 dollars using a completely digital process. If they would have used standard 35 millimeter film it would have cost them 1.4 million dollars to shoot. They sold the movie for 1.1 million and made a nice profit of 600,000 dollars. If they would have s hot the film using 35 millimeter cameras they would have lost 300,000 dollars. Currently about 99% of all major movies are shot are done so using standard 35 millimeter film. The film is then scanned into a computer, edited and then put back on to 35 millimeter film. Each copy of the film costs about 1000 dollars to make and weighs about 70 pounds. Digital films however can be stored on large servers or in physical form in DVDs, which is much more practical, and with today’s technology hard to differentiate form analog film. Some movie studios and directors have already switched completely to digital. Digital cameras have progressed enough that their image quality is close to the traditional format. Spike Lee shot both of his 2000 films, Bamboozled and The Original Kings of Comedy using Sony digital cameras. These cameras are relatively cheap and are affordable enough for the many people to own. Even though 99%Show MoreRelated The Impact of Digital Technology on the Film Industry Essay1626 Words   |  7 PagesThe Impact of Digital Technology on the Film Industry The purpose of this research assignment is to put forward a convincing argument in how digital technology in the last four years have completely revolutionised the whole film industry. This thesis will attempt to focus on the main disciplines of film making and the impact that technology has had on each area. Firstly, this article will look at recent changes in the pre-production area of film making followed by what new equipment and storageRead MoreThe Negative Impact Of Digital Technology On The Film Industry1594 Words   |  7 Pages Digital Technology has taken over the world. We are now in the era where the access of digital technology is used at a frequent rate. As a result, digital technology has developed a major impact on the film industry. The transformation of the use of digital films has created a result of new advancement within technology, such as HD, 4K, 8K, and 3D films. With the birth of these visual technologies, it has created an eye-catching experience for the entertainment of the audience. Although the developmentRead MoreThe Evolution of Film-Making Technology1417 Words   |  6 PagesFilm Industry has been expansively affected by the changes in technology. The mechanical and digital innovations give cause to the influence of equipment, distribution and the way in which films are made and consumed. New trends shape directors and filmmakers to expand creatively towards telling stories in motions. The film industry has developed to one of the most important tools of communication, its cause so powerful affecting the way individuals and societies think, act and behave. Among theRead MoreThe Rise and Fall of Kodak Company1655 Words   |  7 Pagesa company that would inculcate these ideals and turn around the photography industry. Considering the fact that London at that time was the center of attraction for photographic business; it was a perfect place to start a new business. Eastman never let go of his vision, he received his first patent for the plate-coating machine in 1879. The plate coating machine was faster, more proficient method to get pictures on film in the camera, it began a stepping stone in creating cameras for everyday peopleRead More Digital Technology and Filmmaking Essay examples1565 Words   |  7 PagesDigital Technology and Filmmaking Since the first movies were first made, they have been shot using film of various sizes, such as 8mm, 16mm, and 35mm. Within the past few years, technology has brought digital cameras to the film industry, and now they are being used in independent and Hollywood films. The recent low budget film The Blair Witch Project was primarily filmed using a Sony VX1000 digital camera, and the movie The Celebration was totally filmed using this camera and the Canon XL-1Read MoreImpact Of Digital Media On Cinema1690 Words   |  7 PagesFoster 2011). These changes can be observed through the ways films are promoted and exhibited have also been affected by the use of digital media. The following sections will provide a detail analysis of these changes. Tryon (2009) examines the transformation of cinema to the digital form. The proliferation of new portable technologies sparked the debates about the changes in the film industry. On the one hand, there are concerns that digital media and home entertainment systems threaten the futureRead MoreKodak Vs. Digital Photography825 Words   |  4 PagesIn consumer film photography, Kodak was clearly the market-leading incumbent. Based on the information provided in the case it was certainly possible for Kodak to have become the leader in consumer digital photography if they had followed the actions described below. Kodak’s top management and its internal research team had anticipated the threat from the digital photography to their film photography business way back in 1980s. In fact, Kodak introduced the world’s first electronic image sensorRead MoreTopic: Making Movies Mean More.Introduction. Convincing1371 Words   |  6 PagesTopic: Making Movies Mean More Introduction Convincing Audiences to go for a movie in a Unique way is always being a Crucial part in Cinema History. Cinema has become a dominant medium of Creativity and communication globally. Influence of to be entertained and informed comes to consideration while thinking about a cinema’s Targeted Audience. The word Entertainment here means The Act of diverting, Amusing or Causing someone’s time to pass agreeably, something that occupies the attention agreeablyRead More Digital Film Technology Revolutionizes the Film Industry Essay1334 Words   |  6 PagesDigital Film Technology Revolutionizes the Film Industry       With the release of Star Wars: Episode I the Phantom Menace, in March of 1999, digital film technology officially filtered itself in to main-stream Hollywood. Digital film technology is the latest and probably most revolutionizing new technology to hit Hollywood.  Ã‚  The use of digital film allows for infinite editing capabilities and endless benefits to distribution and special effects.  Ã‚  The use of digital film allows for producersRead MoreAn Investigation into the Social Aspect of Digital Cinematography1420 Words   |  6 PagesTitle: An investigation into the social aspect of digital cinematography. Motion picture was developed in the 1890’s and exploded in popularity over the next 40 years. This was mainly due to it being a new form of audio and visual entertainment. Theater was popular because it was a marvel of modem technology, relatively cheap, and, above all, provided patrons with an escape from their difficult lives. It means the everyday men and women now had a place to go to relax and be entertained. This gave

Monday, December 16, 2019

Continuity Of Foreign Policy Of The Obama Administration

University of Westminster School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages Project Module Continuity in Foreign Policy of the Obama Administration By: Chao Huang †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Project Supervisor: Ali Tajvidi March 2016 I. Introduction The formulation of US foreign policy has always been a controversial issue with different views emphasizing on various factors—the role of the president, the influence of the congress, the impact of interests group and public opinion, etc—in the process of decision making. This project intends to discuss the extent to which the Obama Administration is to change the direction of the US foreign policy. First, the characteristics in the US foreign policy making is explored to show how critical the presidential pre-eminence is to the policymaking. Second, a revisit to the Clinton and George W. Bush Administration is made to trace the pattern of the US foreign policy. Third, the Obama Doctrine is studied to identify the policy continuity and the sporadic changes. Based on the analysis, the project comes to the conclusion that continuity still prevails in the Obama Doctrine and the changes are only made in a minor and incremental fashion. II. Characteristics of US Foreign Policy Making The uniqueness of the US politics and the plurality of its culture has made the formulation of the US foreign policy a complicated process. However, according to Wittkipf, all of the factors that contribute to the policymaking fall intoShow MoreRelatedThe Changes the Obama Adminsitation Has Made in Foriegn Policy959 Words   |  4 PagesThe US has received criticisms due to its post-9/11 foreign policy. Its policy created shifts in alliances and became a polarizing issue both domestically and internationally. The US has had a significant shift since Barack Obama took office, moving away from the foreign policy that was in place under George W. Bush. †¢ Discuss the major changes the Obama administration made to US foreign policy. †¢ Analyze these changes in the context of the international system level, state level, and individualRead MoreThe Triangular Relationship : Harper The Us Cuba987 Words   |  4 Pagesgovernment and that of the various US administrations. Since taking office in 2006 the two Conservative administrations of Stephen Harper have coexisted with two US Administrations, the last years of the Republican George W. Bush and the whole cycle of the Democrat Barack Obama. Some Canadian scholars observe a greater ideological and political affinity between the Harper government with Bush’s policies than with those of Obama. It is well-known that US foreign policy during the Bush years was very assertiveRead MoreThe Lead Policy Maker Of The United States Of America Essay1681 Words   |  7 PagesThe lead policy maker in the United States of America is President Barack Obama. In his recent speech at the commencement of the United States Air Force Academy, President Obama shared four related to America’s foreign policy and role in international politics. In his four lessons, the President emphasized themes of power and security, which are the basis for the traditions of liberalism and realism - received emphasis. The writing that follows will analyze President Obama’s themes of intellectualRead MoreIs The Cold War Really Over?1430 Words   |  6 PagesThe term â€Å"cold war† has rose again as new conflicts emerged from the Cold War era. After the prolong conflict between the West and East, the two sides continued their movement to bring sphere of influence over foreign countries. Th ere are factors that concern upon the political events in foreign nations such as the War on Terror, Russian intervention in Ukraine, and ISIS emergence in Iraq and Syria. The United States declared war on the Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization who was involved in the 9/11Read MorePolitical Prediction In Israel1513 Words   |  7 Pagesscheduled date for the next Israeli legislative election is November 5, 2019. However, the government could hold early elections if it chooses to do so. Among all four sectors, geopolitical future looks the most worrisome. Political Prediction The continuity of political stability is predictable for a three-year time horizon. The democratic system in Israel is highly developed and entrenched. There was a peaceful transformation of power last year. Benjamin Netanyahu won fair and free elections in MarchRead MoreUnited States Foreign Policy Since 19451802 Words   |  8 Pages The Second War World changed the scope of American foreign policy dramatically. The United States had historically sought to stay out of disputes in continents outside North America. The nation had sought isolationism during the Great War of 1914-1918 until it became necessary to protect innocent American lives. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was also inclined to remain uncommitted in the struggle that began in Europe in 1939. It was not until the end of 1941 that a direct attack against theRead MoreCyber Security: Threats, Response and Improvement Essay example2704 Words   |  11 PagesCyber Security: Threats, Response and Improvement INTA 651 National Security Policy Dr. Kevin P. Reynolds Texas Aamp;M University Prepared by: Jason Jimà ©nez Cyber Space and its Security Cyberspace, or the Internet as an interchangeable reference, is the electronic medium of computer networks and systems in which online communication and enterprise takes place. Originally, the Internet served to interconnect laboratories engaged in government research. However, since 1994, the decentralizedRead MoreWOMEN SHOULD BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO BECOME A LEADER Essay2467 Words   |  10 Pageswomen hold a superior position in any organization and also the advantages of women’s nature itself. The first factor that entitled women to become a leader is a fact that shows most of universities students are women. A study by Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) found that 49.2% women opt for higher education in United Kingdom whereas the male only clock for 37.2%. This fact was supported by United Nations (2010) figures that indicate 51% of worldwide universities students are women. TheRead MoreThe Recent Terrorist Attacks Of Paris And San Bernardino1841 Words   |  8 Pagesthe most recent ones were in Paris and San Bernardino. On November 13, 2015, shooting and bombings in the city of Paris left 129 dead (Prial). This immediately began to reverberate on Europe’s vexed migration debate and prompted criticism of its policies in the Middle East (Foy and Hille). Less than a month later on December 2nd, Tashfeen Malik helped kill 14 people at a holiday party in San Bernardino. She was born in Pakistan, and gained legal permanent resident status last year after she marriedRead MoreThe Recent Terrorist Attacks Of Paris And San Bernardino1841 Words   |  8 Pagesthe most recent ones were in Paris and San Bernardino. On November 13, 2015, shooting and bombings in the city of Paris left 129 dead (Prial). This immediately began to reverberate on Europe’s vexed migration debate and prompted criticism of its policies in the Middle East (Foy and Hille). Less than a month later on December 2nd, Tashfeen Malik helped kill 14 people at a holiday party in San Bernardino. She was born in Pakistan, and gained legal permanent resident status last year after she married

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Monopolistic Competition and Effective Demand

Question: Discuss about the Monopolistic Competition and Effective Demand. Answer: Introduction: The imperfect competition where there is existence of a few producers selling differentiated products in the market in known as monopolistic competition (Nikaido, 2015). As the products are differentiated, hence they cannot be perfect substitutes. The market for monopolist products has the following characteristics. They are: Differentiation of products Existence of multiple firms There is no barrier in the entry or exit of firms Imperfect information Power of taking independent decision (Assenza et al., 2015) There are very few firms that exhibit the monopolistic nature in the economy. The coffee industry, chain of restaurants and industry for beverages are the few industries that exhibit this nature of monopolistic market. Both these industry produces different products in the market (Bertoleti Epifani, 2014). Say there can be difference between Brazilian coffee and coffee purchased from South India. Similarly two different restaurants offer different cuisines to their customers and hence show the monopolistic nature. In this answer the concept of natural monopoly has been elaborately discussed after from the perspective of the coffee industry in Australia. Background of the industry: Australias coffee industry was first resurrected during the 1980s after its collapse in the 1800s. Over the recent years the country has seen enormous growth in their coffee industry. The peoples love for the hot beverage makes the caffeine industry grow in leaps and bound (Adams et al., 2016). The country has special liking for strong coffee and instant brewing coffee. According to Senior Consumer Analyst Niraj Lalka, Australias love for this caffeine product grew with its introduction in the country by the migrants of Europe. But the European were more habituated at having strong liquors of coffee whereas the Australian prefer their coffee mixed with milk and fresh cream. The caffeine industry within the country in the last decade saw enormous growth and is expected to grow further. But in contrast to this scenario, the famous American caffeine brand, Starbucks saw faced severe crash in their growth portfolio in Australia (Wong, 2014). According to the analysis on the industrys gro wth and trend it has been observed that the country is expect an increase in their revenue by 6.9%. The expected revenue that the country predicts to earn in the year 2016-17 is $5.5 billion (ibisworld.com.au, 2015). Also the people have been inclined towards this drink as it reduces their scope of early death. According to an survey on health it has been observed that regular drinker of coffee and other caffeine products has lower risk of death via type 2 diabetes, heart problems, suicide and neurological disease. The answer now focuses on the monopolistic features of this industry and its impact on the economy. Key features with example: The monopolistic market is the structure where there is existence of a large number of sellers who produces similar kind of goods and services with a bit of product differentiation to make their products more appealing in the market. As already discussed above the coffee industry shows this nature, we now look at the different brands that are being preferred in the country. Also unlike the perfectly competitive market the various brands in this market has individual say and control (Stiglitz Rosengard, 2015). Amongst the different types of sellers in the market there are quite a few specialized brands that are responsible for selling coffee within the whole of Australia. Starbucks coffee, Frisco-Bay, Gloria Jeans, Seatles Best coffee, Green mountain coffee, Maxwell house and Folgers are few named to be mentioned in this respect. This different brand reduces the concentration of power within the industry. The firms earn short-run economic profits. But under this monopolistic situatio n the firms are not guaranteed with long-term profit, rather it can be said that there is no such profit in the market of monopolistic competition. Behaviour of firm and impact on consumer: The behaviour of the firms under the monopolistic market can be shown in two parts, the short run stage and the long run stage. The diagram below helps in elucidating the scenario: In the diagram above it is seen that the monopolistic firm in the short run earns profit. The quantity of goods and service supplied by the monopolist is decided at the intersecting point of marginal revenue and marginal cost curve (case, Fair Oster, 2012). Though the monopolistic firm is characterized by a few sellers but still the firm cannot charge any random price like the monopoly firm. This is because each firm produces similar goods with little product differentiation and increase in price of one good may induce the consumers to switch over their choices and consumes other brands. So here in this diagram we see that the short run profit of the coffee industry with monopolistic nature has profit equal to the upper rectangle as marked in the diagram. This diagram shows the monopolistic firm in the long run. The firm maximizes their production by selling at the point where MC =MR. Beyond this point, production implies loss as the cost is greater than the revenue. Even in the long run the monopolistic firm is unable to attain the allocative efficiency as shown by point B in the figure where MC= market price. So under this scenario the firm is able to earn only normal profit in the economy. The normal profit is the situation where the firm just has the capacity to survive in the market by having their total revenue equals to total costs. As the firms cannot randomly charge any price they want barred by their cost constraint, hence the consumers are better off in this situation than in complete monopoly. The existence of multiple numbers of firm ensures that people has a wide variety to choose from and this gives them the capability to create an impact on the market price as well. Adani mining group has planned to invest in a project of thermal coal mine. According to e report of 2014, the subsidiary group has planned to invest a whole lot of $16.5 billion in the project of Galilee Basin (abc.net.au. 2016). The company has a plan to make this project as the biggest mining project of Australia as well as one of the leading mines in the world. The company targets to produce around 60 million tonnes of coal each year from this mine. But no project is pareto optimal. If it has been pareto optimal it would have already been implemented by now and not left over for the Adani Wilmar group to do so. The cost associated with this project not only affects the company but also affects the environment, the people and the economy as a whole. The negative impacts can be connoted as the negative externality of the industry. Here through this answer it has been tried to focus on the externalities associated with the project. Negative externality is an economics term which means the loss or negative impact on a people, group or society as a whole due to a transaction in the economy (Henderson, 2014). In other word, if anyone other than the producer and consumer get affected by the production and consumption process then it is negative externality. It is shown as follows: The government of Australia has been very serious with this project of Coal mine. On other hand Larissa Waters, Senator of the Greens declares that this has been a hasty action of the government without any far-sight associated with it. The problems associated with the mines are as follows: immediate impact on air pollution, water pollution and long term impact on human health and ecosystem (Morrice Colaguri, 2013). The negative externality can be reduced by strict regulations set by the higher authority of the government. Few steps that they can take are as follows: The very first step that government can take is to ensure strict property rights and disallow the company to use the land in establishing the industry that has high risk associated with it (Betz, 2015). In certain cases the government cannot help but allow the industry to grow due to several reasons. In such cases there are other ways of regulating the market. The government should try on investing on projects that involves growth of renewable energy. Nowadays the whole world is trying to shift their energy use into the renewable type. Investing in this sector can have greater long term positive impact on the economy by generating employment, reducing pollution and creating an overall improved standard of living. They can set permits and quotas beyond which the industry cannot pollute the country (Betz et al., 2015). High level of taxes can be imposed on per unit of pollution caused by the firm so that the firm reduces their pollution emission to reduce their cost of production. The government can also help the affected people by providing better yet cheap health facilities and subsidies in the health sector. These subsidies can be collected from taxing the polluters heavily. References: Adams, B., Gans, J., Hayes, R., Lampe, R. (2016).Does Organizational Form Drive Competition? Evidence from Coffee Retailing(No. w22548). National Bureau of Economic Research. Assenza, T., Grazzini, J., Hommes, C., Massaro, D. (2015). PQ strategies in monopolistic competition: Some insights from the lab.Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control,50, 62-77. Bertoletti, P., Epifani, P. (2014). Monopolistic competition: CES redux?.Journal of International Economics,93(2), 227-238. Betz, M. R., Partridge, M. D., Farren, M., Lobao, L. (2015). Coal mining, economic development, and the natural resources curse.Energy Economics,50, 105-116. Cafes and Coffee Shops in Australia Market Research | IBISWorld. (2015). Ibisworld.com.au. Retrieved 25 December 2016, from https://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry/default.aspx?indid=2015 Case, K. E., Fair, R. C., Oster, S. M. (2012).Principles of economics. Prentice Hall,. Henderson, J. V. (2014).Economic theory and the cities. Academic Press. Here's what we know about Adani and the Carmichael mine project. (2016). ABC News. Retrieved 25 December 2016, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-05/what-we-know-about-adani-and-the-carmichael-mine-project/8094244 Morrice, E., Colagiuri, R. (2013). Coal mining, social injustice and health: A universal conflict of power and priorities.Health place,19, 74-79. Nikaido, H. (2015).Monopolistic Competition and Effective Demand.(PSME-6). Princeton University Press. Stiglitz, J. E., Rosengard, J. K. (2015).Economics of the Public Sector: Fourth International Student Edition. WW Norton Company. Wong, V. (2014). Starbucks Has An Australia Problem'.Businessweek. com.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Introduction to Political Thought Essay Example Essay Example

Introduction to Political Thought Essay Example Paper Essay Introduction to Political Thought Essay Introduction â€Å"This house believes that democracy is undesirable for a good society†.Seminar four took the form of a debate between supporters and opponents of democracy. Two speakers made their case, each putting forward their argument. The remaining members of the group then discussed the issues raised and decided if they were in favour or against democracy. This log seeks to record the events of the debate.The argument for the case of democracy was presented first. The following represents how the argument was put forward.For democracy The word democracy comes from the Greek for ruled by people through any form of government they choose. The public must obey the rules so surely they should, at least, have a hand in creating the rules. This way they public are more content and happier to obey the laws as they are less likely to feel alienated by them and indeed there would be less discrimination. Rousseau set out the idea of a ‘social contract’ where by citizens agree to obey the law. They give their consent to be governed and that also constitutes an agreement to obey any laws the government makes. Every citizen should take part in democracy, and participation should not be limited to those with education or wealth. Locke argues that basic right of human beings cannot be taken away, so therefore, the people cannot hand over power to an elite group or ruler.o Locke goes onto ague that any person willing, or desiring to do the job of leading the people must only want that position for selfish reasons. Be they egotistical, megalomaniacal or material. It is argued that anyone wanting the job, therefore, is unsuitable. The media has made democracy easier. In that there are more ways to stay informed, such as the traditional newspaper, to the internet. People have much more choice now also. They need not continue reading or watching biased coverage of politics. Instead they can switch on to the likes of BBC Parliament, Sky News, BBC News 24, or rolling radio news services such as DNN. With so much choice and diversity, it is easy to see why the media has been an advantage to democracy.o Also, the internet has opened up new ways of participating in politics an has made government institutions much more accessible. Online petitions and pressure groups with online membership facilities all contribute to an increase in participation opportunities. Elections are held with intervals, and so, in the time between voting, people become more ‘worked up’ and more likely to participate at the next election. Elections also act to guarantee a degree of participation each time. The function of elections is to choose our government; however, if we feel we have made a mistake in our choice, we have a legitimate means to remove those in power. However, in the past this has not always been the case as revolutions have taken place in order to oust a government or administration. There is no longer any need for violence or illegal overthr ows. Democratising nations are on the rise and those nations who have not been democratic for long have seen a better way of life for their citizens. There are many more nations going over to democracy also, which is testament to its success. Finally, it is argued that people who do not vote or participate in politics have no right to an opinion on any political matters.Against democracy There are more efficient system of government than democracy. For example, in the UK, we practice democracy with a ‘first past the post’ (FPTP) electoral system, but this method often means that the UK is not fairly represented in the Commons, as the system does not accommodate proportional representation. Some people, it is argued, will always feel left out, as the majority rule means that minority groups are not always provided for. There cannot always be laws that are in everyone’s interests. Democracy can be very dangerous, as in representative democracies, there is a huge am ount of power handed over to those who may abuse the powers and act on behalf of the people, without their express consent. An example of this happening is the Iraq war, with Britain and the USA acting against the will of many citizens. Representative democracy does not fully represent the views of the people, it can be argued, as members do not always act on behalf of their constituents. Instead, members act on behalf of pressure groups, which sponsor them, their own interests and the interests of the party.o Acting on behalf of the party can also be argued is acting for yourself, as members vote with the party on issues in order that their career stays on track. As often voting against the party can mean no further career progression within the party. Plato saw democracy as an inefficient form of government. He suggested that skilled individuals should be in charge of departments within government, providing a professional base of knowledge, meaning the state can be run much more efficiently.o Further to this, Plato suggests that leaders should be fully trained with education and experience in the field. This way the state is run the very best way, by someone who knows exactly what to do and how to do it. It’s common sense really, as we train people for any other occupation, such as bus driver, or plumber, so why not the Prime Minister?o It also means that people are more comfortable with their leader, and trust that he or she will do a good job. People will always listen to those who have better knowledge in a field, such as doctors or dentists, and therefore, people would be happier obeying laws and such set forth by a skilled leader.o It could be said that a leader from a non-democratic state has the potential to become a dictator, as the power they have overwhelms them. However, with the leader being trained and educated, it is much more likely for a leader of a democratic state to become a dictator. This is because the leader with education knows that a dictatorship is not a good form of government.o Rulers, also, would have limits, so as corruption would not occur. Voting is also an issue for debate, as people use their vote in different ways. Firstly, people vote as they wish, and vote for the party closest fitting their own ideology. Secondly, some people vote simply to follow others. For example, the Sun newspaper often changes its political allegiance. Often when it does, the party they support gains extra votes. Thirdly, people will vote with morals and so will vote on a particular issue, such as the war, rather than a party’s whole manifesto. It was said that people should listen to the unelected leader so they know what they need rather than what they want.o There is no guarantee that elected representatives know what their constituents want in the first place, and if they do, of course they are not necessarily going to act on that. Rousseau suggests that instead of people voting on laws and policies, as they may in a democracy, they should all come together in a large open forum to discuss and create laws. This way also, people will obey the laws as they have taken part in making them.1 If people were more community spirited and part of a group, then they are much less likely to break laws. Further to this, if people feel part of a group, they are more likely to think of others when creating laws in a Rousseau fashion as detailed above. â€Å"The greatness of democracy is nothing but an illusion.†EvaluationBoth arguments were detailed and considered, however, there are a few criticisms that could be made about each speech.Neither of the speakers used many examples to back up their arguments, be it philosophical or examples from reality. Case studies would have made their arguments stronger and would have added a new depth to the debate. Also, the mention of key thinkers could have been improved, using more examples and philosophy in order to strengthen a point, or indeed make a fresh one.I felt that some arguments, while interesting and related, were irrelevant. For example, the argument made for democracy used the increase in media coverage as a reason for why democracy was good. However, it doesn’t really explain why democracy is good; it simply means that there is an increase in media activity. Secondly the case against democracy said, in her first point that there are more efficient systems of government than democracy, however, she failed to mention any. There was one point that seemed to make no sense at all. The case against democracy set out Rousseau’s ideas where by people would come together in a large open forum to make laws, yet this seems to me to be a form of direct democracy and so, the speaker was inadvertently advocating democracy.Extra ArgumentsThere are several points worth raising which were neglected in the debate. For democracy.o Democracy protects the individual. Democratic societies have better education which creates a better society as well as a more rounded individual. Education can also be used for employment enhancing the economy.o Democracy can strengthen a community as it promotes political societies, which create a community spirit. People then feel a sense of belonging and solidarity.o Democracy protects us from the interests of individuals. This is due to the lack of a dictator and the checks and balances a democratic government provides. Against democracy.o Dominant religious bodies can impose their values of the wide population through government. Although many people may subscribe to such beliefs, not all people will, but religious policies may find their way into law. Such as prayer in primary schools. Although children from other religions are not forced to take part, they may feel alienated by the practice.ConclusionThe debate was extremely interesting, as never before had many of us thought properly about living with a non-democratic government. The arguments against democracy we re compelling and convincing, and there certainly are holes in the democratic process that many of use would never have thought about before now. Equally the argument for democracy was convincing too.I think it’s hard to imagine now living in a non-democratic Britain, and the way we are governed is most likely for the best, but it is certainly interesting to look on non-democratic states with more respect.1 This point about Rousseau was made for the argument against democracy, although it seems to support democracy. Essay Body Paragraphs to Political Thought Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Deviance Essay Example

Deviance Essay Example Deviance Essay Deviance Essay Charles Wingate Principles of Sociology Professor Ciliberto Paper #4 Deviance Deviance is the recognized violence of cultural norms. The concept of deviance is very broad because norms are what guide human activity. Deviant acts are known as crime, which is the violation of a societys formally enacted criminal law. Criminal deviance varies from a wide range including minor traffic violations, and major violations such as robbery and murder. Society tries to regulate peoples thoughts and behavior through social control. Social control can be informal such as parents raising their children when they do well, or punishing them when they do something wrong. Cases of serious deviance involve the criminal Justice system. How society defines deviance, who is branded as deviant, and what people decide to do about deviance all do with the way society is organized. Psychologists think that personality is shaped primarily by social experience; which allows for deviance to be viewed as the result of unsuccessful learning within socialization. From the symbolic-interaction perspective theorist would say deviant behavior is learned or is part of socially constructed reality that emerges in nteraction . Our social experiences along with the society by which we live in determine our odds of acquiring deviance. The Labeling Theory is the idea that deviance and conformity result from how others react to what people do, not necessarily the act of what they do. As far as deviance is concerned, people may define the behavior in a number of ways. Deviance can be classified as both primary and secondary. Primary deviance according to Edwin Lemert is norm violations that provoke slight reaction from other and have little effect on a persons self-concept. In ontrast Lemert refers to secondary deviance as the change in self concept, or when a person begins to employ deviant behavior as a means of defense, attack, or adjustment to the problems created by social reaction. A stigma is a powerfully negative label that greatly changes a persons self-concept and social identity. Once people stigmatize an individual, they may engage in retrospective labeling, which is the act of interpreting someones past in light of some present deviance. An example of this is if someone were to find out that their neighbor was a child molester, theyd utomatically think he always wanted to be around children anyw?aY, based on his past. Another prime example of this is the situation that occurred with Penn state. Now that the whistle has been officially blown on Sandusky, everyone is saying that the reason why he hosted these underprivileged young men for the football camps was so that he could take sexual advantage of them. People may also engage in projective building of stigmatized person, which uses a persons deviant behavior to predict their future actions. Once someone finds out that another person committed a deviant act, they will assume that the person is oing to continue with these deviant acts until they get caught and punished. The thus increasing the chance that they will indeed come to pass. Like Coolers Looking Glass Self, the social construction of reality is a variable process of detection, definition, and response. Sometimes individuals try to label behavior that they do not like, as deviant instead of as different. They even go as far as labeling them as mental illnesses. Psychiatrist Thomas Szasz stated that in order to avoid this practice is to abandon the idea of mental illness completely. Just because someone is different to he point where they irritate us, does not mean that we should define them as being mentally ill. It is imperative to think critically about how we define the word different. Szasz believed that those who are truly mentally ill cannot help their condition in the same way that a patient with cancer cannot help theirs. He also felt that ordinary people without the proper medical knowledge should not give off the diagnosis. People often try to medicalize deviance by using clinical diagnosis. If someone does something that is bad, the label is scientifically swapped to sick hile good changes to well. Alcoholics were originally viewed as weak people but now, alcoholism is considered a disease which means are alcoholics are not bad, they simply are not well. This leads to deviance being a learned behavior because the deviant person themselves will soon begin to believe that they are not well, and will use this as an excuse for their actions. Sutherlands Differential Association Theory claims that a persons tendency towards conformity or deviance depends on the amount of contact with others and who encourage or reject conventional behavior. Studies have shown that young people are more likely to engage in deviant behavior if they believe that their peers are doing so as well. In a gang environment, current gang members resocialize new members to norms that oppose those of the dominant culture. From the gang, these new members learn that stealing, carrying a gun, and using drugs are acceptable behaviors, whereas they were not before. In the meantime, the norms they learned at home are no longer acceptable within the gang environment, and they must reject those norms and values to accept the new ones. Current gang members also teach new members how to commit pecific deviant acts, such as hotwiring a car or breaking into a home. Even, in highschool a lot of the rebel students try and get other student to cut class, dont do homework and pull fire alarms. The norms that the school administration has put on these students are no longer deemed cool to the rebel students and now they try and change other student to engage in deviant behavior. Travis Hirschis Control Theory states that social control depends on people anticipating the consequences of their behavior. Hirschi links deviance to four different types of social control. The first s attachment, String social attachments encourage conformity. People who feel a strong attachment to other people, such as family or close friends, are less likely to be deviant. If people have weak relationships, they feel less need to conform to the other persons or groups norms. They are more likely to commit a deviant act. The second is opportunity. Individuals who have a sincere commitment to legitimate goals are more likely to conform to societys norms. Those goals could be a legitimate job, higher education, financial stability, or a long-term relationship. When people ave little confidence in the future, they are more likely to engage in deviance. Also, extensive involvement in legitimate activities such as having a Job, and attending and respect for authority figures restrain tendencies toward deviance. We define deviance by what social institution teach us is right and wrong. Growing up in a low income section of Brooklyn NY; my views of deviance are slightly different than many others. Many people view selling drugs as a deviant behavior but as the Notorious BIG (famous rapper) said when I was hustling Just to make some money to feed my aughter would you call a person deviant if they are trying to provide for their family? In reference to murder, social institutions such as school and media taught me that killing is wrong, but significant others taught me its killed or be killed if someone is gunning for you, you have to gun back for them. Being in this class sociology has shown two sides of me. Although I know what the normal standard of deviance is, what I was taught in order to survive contradict social institutions. I would be a prime example to reflect the opinions of symbolic-interactionist in reference to deviance, being that is learned.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Test Taking Tips for Parents to Help Your Kids

Test Taking Tips for Parents to Help Your Kids With increased emphasis on standardized tests in todays schools, helping a child navigate the demands of taking tests is a necessary task almost every parent has to face. It may be your child taking all the tests, but youre the one who needs to help him through it. Here are some test-taking tips for parents to help you get your child ready. Test Taking Tips For Children Tip #1: Make attendance a priority, especially on days that you know standardized testing will be administered or there is a test in the classroom. Though its important for your child to be in school as many days as possible, making sure hes there when the test is taken helps to ensure he wont lose more learning time because he has to make up a test during school. Tip #2: Make a note of test days on the calendar from spelling quizzes to big high-stakes tests. That way both you and your child know whats coming and will be prepared.​​ Tip #3: Look over your childs homework daily and check for understanding. Subjects like science, social studies and math often have cumulative exams at the end of units or chapters. If your child is struggling with something now, it wont be easy for her to have time to try again to learn it just before the test. Tip #4: Avoid pressuring your child and provide him with encouragement. Few children want to fail, and most will try their hardest to do well. Being afraid of your reaction to a bad test grade can increase anxiety, which makes careless mistakes more likely. Tip #5: Confirm that your child will be receiving any pre-determined accommodations during tests. These accommodations are detailed in his IEP or 504 plan. If he doesnt have one but needs some assistance, make sure youve communicated with his teacher about his needs. Tip #6: Set a reasonable bedtime and stick to it. Many parents underestimate the importance of a rested mind and body. Tired children have difficulty focusing and are easily flustered by challenges. Tip #7: Make sure your child has enough time to wake up fully before he has to go to school. Just as rest is important, so is having enough time to get his brain engaged and in gear. If his test is first thing in the morning, he cant afford to spend the first hour of school groggy and unfocused. Tip #8: Provide a high-protein, healthy, low-sugar breakfast for your child. Kids learn better on full stomachs, but if their stomachs are full of sugary, heavy foods that will make them sleepy or slightly queasy, its not much better than an empty stomach. Tip #9: Talk to your child about how the test went, what he did well and what he would have done differently. Think of it as a mini-debriefing or brainstorming session. You can talk about test-taking strategies after the fact as easily as beforehand. Tip #10: Go over the test with your child when he gets it back or when you receive the scores. Together you can look at any mistakes he made and correct them so he knows the information for the next test. After all, just because the test is done doesnt mean he can forget everything he learned! And perhaps most important, watch your child for signs of stress and anxiety, which is an all-too-common occurrence among children today. The stress can be caused not just by tests and test-taking, but by increased academic demands in elementary school as well as increased amounts of homework and decreased time spent on stress-relieving activities and recess. Parents can help by keeping a close eye on their children and stepping in when they see signs of stress.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Organizational Behavior (Paraphrase) wall-mart Essay

Organizational Behavior (Paraphrase) wall-mart - Essay Example In accumulation, professionals have pointed out that in the core values of globalization; organizations are now going to deal with people from variant cultural, social and sociological backgrounds that have resulted in enhancement in the importance of organizational behavioral study. (RobbinsStephen P. Robbins (Author) †º Visit Amazon's Stephen P. Robbins Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you an author? Learn about Author Central & Judge, 2007, 523) Furthermore, readings have signified that there appears a continuing alteration and transformation in the inclinations of organizational behavior in the organizations owing to a number of factors, such as human resource diversity, internet oriented workplaces, employer- employee relations, etc. In order to comprehend the impact of organizational behavior, this paper will focus on the Wal-Mart. In the Wal-Mart, chief liability of work is on the managers that put labors to carry out work proficiently. Furthermore, the company has dual care tendency; of employees, along with the consumers by upholding and observing the MARS model that stresses primarily on four agreed factors of motivation i.e.: perception, ability, role and situational factors.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The role of e-CRM Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The role of e-CRM - Research Proposal Example The research questions set out for the study may not be exhaustive however the proposed research is set out to find suitable answers to these questions that will in fact help the researcher to establish a case for e-CRM and its applications for small and medium in developing countries that are currently facing tougher competitive conditions not only from the local big corporations but also foreign companies that are seeking stronger position in these markets. E-CRM that has been defined in several ways is considered to be one of the most recent developments that have given a new insight to customer relationship management by companies. One of the definitions of e-CRM states that â€Å"E-CRM uses information technologies in order to support strategically the execution of CRM. E-CRM is a combination of hardware, software, process, applications, and management commitment designed to support an enterprise-wide CRM business strategy that will optimize customer satisfaction, customer loya lty, financial performance, etc†.The role of e-CRM is considered to be of high significance for SMEs as it allows such businesses to achieve efficiencies and competitive advantage. Business can use various internet functionalities to overcome hurdles in trade and adopt an approach that is not restricted geographically and can yield better opportunities for SMEs. The use of e-CRM is not simply recording consumer data over the internet but could also be used to provide real time personalization for interaction with customers.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Los Angeles Urbanism and Urban Landscape Essay Example for Free

Los Angeles Urbanism and Urban Landscape Essay Development and population movements begin and end in the city centers. It is in the city centers that various activities and concentrations of high degrees of social and economic communications and interactions converge. In fact, the city center is often a city’s historical core, susceptible to a series of major transformations in the process development. This space in the city symbolizes the dynamic and intensive congregation of diverse people interacting to satisfy varying needs and demands. However, the city center exists as an integral part of a broader urban system, which provides a context in understanding the characteristics and changes in the city center. At the same time the city center, as the hub of new ideas, influence developments in the broader urban system. Through the processes and systems of the city center, it can significantly influence urban structures and development perspectives. The transformation of a city starts and builds momentum in its city center because it is at the core of the city that changes often emerge to spread throughout the city’s periphery. Studying the urbanism and urban landscape of cities would reflect the manner and extent that city centers influenced the development of the cities of today. Los Angeles is a non-conventional city because it has more than one city center. This makes the exploration of the impact of city centers on the development of a city of significant interest. While a city center highly influences the urban landscape of a city, the existence of a number of city centers would mean greater diverse intersecting influences on the city’s urban landscape. The discussion focuses on the urbanism of Los Angeles as expressed through the periods of change in its urban landscape, based on the interrelationships of history, people, economy, and politics; and expressed through development, planning and structures, culminating into how Los Angeles looks and feels today. Periods of Urbanism Changes in the Urban Landscape of Los Angeles Los Angeles, as it is today, is the result of a series of historical, socio-economic and political developments expressed through structures as artifacts of the resulting urban landscape. There are five distinct periods in the urbanization of Los Angeles. The distinguishing factors of these periods are the key changes in the patterns of social life and key developments in the structural landscape of the city centers and the city itself. Development Period (1870-1900) The pattern of growth of Los Angeles was not from the creation and spread of a city center but through the simultaneous developments of different ranch communities. After California became an American state and Los Angeles incorporated as a city in 1850, massive migration occurred from the Midwest to make Los Angeles a majority Anglo territory, albeit there were Mexicans, American Indians, and even Chinese already forming part of the multicultural population . Economic activity revolved around the ranches that sprouted in three areas defined by the geographic landscape, which are beach areas, foothills and mountain ranges, and the plains . These geographic landscapes determined the varying development of these areas since the beach areas meant reliance on fishing and other water-based industries, the rich plains meant strong agricultural outputs, and the mountain ranges supported cattle herding, logging, and mining. The rise and fall of these economic bases depending on factors such as weather, socio-cultural issues, economic conditions, and political situations determined the direction and pace of development of these areas on which the city centers of Los Angeles formed. Economic opportunities in Los Angeles led to the massive migration of Chinese, Japanese and Mexican laborers into the city. The population grew from 20,000 in 1870 to 230,000 in just a decade. The great number of Chinese immigrants led to the establishment of China Towns contiguous the major ranches, which became the economic centers. The interaction of different cultures due to close proximity resulted in racial conflicts as exemplified by the massacre of twenty Chinese individuals in 1871. Competition for work and threat of encroachment into an urban space that is becoming smaller through the influx of people caused racial issues. There was need for development to keep up and accommodate the needs of the growing population. The surge in urbanization of these areas commenced during the 1880s and continued for two decades when the federal government subsidized the development of the ports in Los Angeles, railroads, roads, aqueducts and reservoirs, and other key facilities such as schools and hospitals. Prior to and during these periods, the federal government with the help of city officials also continued surveying lands and allocated these for public and private use. The allocation of land to the private sector established close public-private partnership that directed the areas for development and provided the local support for the various infrastructure projects that would serve both the private and public sector. The federal government then played an important role in spurring the urban development of Los Angeles. During these two decades, the structural landscape of Los Angeles involved the establishment of households around the key facilities such as roads and railroad or along the waterways. There were buildings for school and hospitals. Business was also thriving due to economic growth resulting to the establishment of structures for commerce and leisure. The emerging communities were also organized according to racial background as with the China Town for the Chinese and the Latino communities for the Mexicans. However, these structural changes were happening at the different city centers independently and these city centers do not necessarily have close ties. As such, this period expressed fragmentation. Progressive Era Roaring Twenties (1900-1920s) The end of the period of development came about in the mid-1890s due to the economic depression. This led to the realization that relying primarily on agriculture and real estate development as the major economic activities was not sufficient to support continuous urban development. Promoters or prospectors of Los Angeles from the government and the private sector looked at industrialization, with manufacturing as the more sustainable economic base. It was during the 1920s that Los Angeles experienced growth from its manufacturing sector . During this time, the petroleum industry experienced major breakthroughs in search of black gold. Rise in production led to the growth of petroleum processing firms or refineries. The petroleum industry financed motion pictures leading to the establishment of Los Angeles as the leader in the production of movies. Hollywood developed as early as 1910 but it was during the 1920s that motion production rapidly increased and eighty percent of motion pictures shown worldwide came from Hollywood . In addition to petroleum production, other manufacturing industries also emerged in Los Angeles. The aircraft manufacturing industry developed through the pioneering efforts of the Lockheed brothers and Donald Douglas. Expansions of the ports in Long Beach and San Pedro also supported the growth in commerce and trade with products coming in and going out of Los Angeles. These economic developments paved the way for further changes in the urban landscape of Los Angeles. The renewed economic growth led to the further migration of Mexican laborers into Los Angeles together with Chinese and Japanese immigrants. The massive flow of workers made Mexicans the largest non-Anglo group in Los Angeles. The larger population of non-Anglo groups in Los Angeles made the city more culturally and racially diverse than other cities in other regions of America. At this time, the population reached 1. 24 million . Diverse cultural influences affected the development planning and structures of Los Angeles. The factor that truly incorporated Los Angeles was the boom in automobile use , with massive consumption supported by the petroleum and other industries. During the 1920s, Los Angeles was the top city in terms of car ownership and registration. The development of roads interlinked the various city centers within Los Angeles, which at this time already numbered forty. The new city centers were formerly small communities that developed from the discovery of petroleum reserves. Concurrent, with the integration of Los Angeles as a city, its massive thirty-two story city hall was erected in 1928. It symbolized the integration of the different city centers as key contributors to the development of Los Angeles. Urban planning revolved around the city hall as the hub. Nevertheless, the different city centers continued to pursue different paths of development expressing the persistence of fragmentation . Concurrently, Los Angeles started to experience problems in traffic and parking. The influx of people also created the problem of urban space resulting to the expansion of land development outward. This led to the development of communities in San Fernando Valley towards the north and lands near San Pedro port towards the south. In the city centers, development looked upwards to create space leading to the construction of taller buildings for residential and business purposes. Emerging social problems also spurred the rise in leftist politics that challenged the current direction of development. The challenges were intensified by the onset of the Great Depression in 1929. Period of Renewed Metropolitan Development (1930s-1950s) The developments during this period were in response to the Great Depression as well as the accumulating problems experienced by Los Angeles, particularly traffic and parking with more cars bought and population congestion with massive influx of people even during the economic downturn, although at a lower rate than during the roaring twenties. The solution to the Great Depression was to boost further industrialization via incentives for business growth. During the 1930s, the local government set out to develop and control its own electric and water companies. The price of electricity was relatively lower when compared to other major cities. The development of the city’s own water supply also eased the difficulties experienced by the labor force, resulting to a less leftist relationship with companies. These incentives led to the establishment of other industries such as rubber and tire manufacturing and iron and steel production in the 1940s, also partly in response to the demands of the Second World War. The aviation industry also experienced further growth. Many manufacturing plants were built in the city centers and fringes of Los Angeles as 479 new manufacturing plants were added to the already one thousand existing ones. The rise in new industries alleviated the declining socio-economic conditions of the growing population of workers. The solution to population congestion in the city centers was to build outwards and upwards. During the 1930s, there remained enough land space, comprising fifty percent of surveyed jurisdiction of Los Angeles but these lands were in the fringes and undeveloped. Residential areas were built in the eastern and southern areas of Los Angeles primarily to cater to the working class. Communities such as Beldevere, Maywood and South Gate emerged. The houses were usually one to two stories with large lawns and steep inclines relative to road built on mountainous areas. In the city centers, residential buildings, which are modest in height, also emerged; but scattered across different areas unlike the rows of apartment building that emerged in other major cities. These parallel developments led to different directions of development in downtown Los Angeles and the primarily residential suburbs. The solution to traffic and parking was initially the regulation of parking areas and time but this did not alleviate the problem . The private sector was left to provide solutions to this problem, which resulted in scattered and piecemeal responses from the business sector. Surface parking lots emerged by demolishing small and old buildings. Then multi-story parking lots also emerged. Basement parking garage of department stores accessible directly through the elevators also formed part of the solution. More and more, the perks of buildings and competitiveness of establishments were in response to the demand for parking, particularly the contiguous location to parking amenities. In the case of department stores, hotels and other business establishments, there were frequent movements to new locations, further away from downtown, in response to the traffic and parking problems since customers prefer stores close or with parking spaces. As such, the business and commercial center stretched to cover a wide area unlike the closely packed business and commercial center in other cities. Restructuring Era (1960s-1990s) Economic growth in the manufacturing sector continued in the 1960s up to the late 1980s. The growth in manufacturing was due to the inflow of military or security related contracts due to the Cold War. Aviation, tire manufacturing, and car production industries remained key industries. In addition, new industries, particularly garments manufacturing also emerged with the flow of overseas, mainly Asian capital into Los Angeles. The ports of Los Angeles also comprised a convenient incentive for merchants or traders. In comparison, while the economies of Chicago and New York de-industrialized in the 1970s, the economy of Los Angeles continued to grow. The economic growth led to the further growth in population, which now reached 8. 5 million in the 1980s. However, towards the end of the 1980s, manufacturing slowed down due to the withdrawal of security-related contracts with the end of the Cold War. Federal spending on security decreased or shifted to other priorities. This led to the significant rise in unemployment. In 1992, the extent of the problem found expression in the riots of laborers, since the fragmentation of manufacturing opportunities also weakened unionization. Nevertheless, the services sector providing white-collar jobs remained strong. This led to the socio-economic divide with racial underpinnings. Most of the laborers were Mexicans, Asians and Blacks while most of the white-collar workers were Whites. The urbanization of Los Angeles involved two aspects, one is continued economic growth and the other is fragmentation of socio-economic class. This led to the restructuring of the city. The rise in the services sector and the development of the technology-based industries led to a different path in urban landscape. More architectural infrastructures emerged displaying advancements in both art and technology while the restoration of old architectural works expressed the developments in urbanization of Los Angeles . However, fragmentation was apparent in the development that centered only on certain areas such as the business and commercial centers while the residential areas surrounding these developed areas, which minority groups primarily populate, remained unchanged and continued to deteriorate. In the suburban areas, two streams of development emerged. On one hand, the established residential communities retained the historical look of low buildings with wide lawns and the white picket fences. On the other hand, newly established communities expressed the new trends in artistic and architectural designs to express a diverse visualization of structures captured in the term edge city . Modern Period (2000-Present) The modern Los Angeles is a diverse and fragmented metropolis. While the urban landscape has changed, diversity and fragmentation remained the static characteristics of Los Angeles. Diversity finds expression from the fusion of different cultures starker in the city than in other major cities. The interaction between cultures affects the psyche of urban society and finds reflection in the fragmentation of its urban landscape. In addition, the diversification of economic base of Los Angeles from agriculture to manufacturing to services has an impact on the diversification of the activities and movements of people reflected in structures. Even fragmentation is diverse and multi-tiered. One reflection of fragmentation is the layering of the population of Los Angeles based on socio-economic class, which continues to widen. Another reflection of fragmentation is the classification of Los Angeles into four distinct ecologies, each representing different social networks and diverse infrastructures. The first ecology is surfurbia, which refers to the beach areas expressing the more laidback aspect of Los Angeles. The beaches developed into high-end communities of private residences and exclusive resorts as well as open beaches linked to hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and other commercial shops catering to both locals and tourists. The second ecology is the foothills, primarily consisting of residential areas reflecting the fragmentation into traditional and modern structures. On one hand, the older communities in the foothills reflected the traditional monotony of similar looking houses. On the other hand, the new communities reflected variances in architectural design. The third ecology is the plains of id, comprised of residential areas also reflecting the fragmentation between the old and the new, patches of agricultural land, and some remnants of the manufacturing factories. The fourth ecology is the autopia characterized by the mechanized features of the city including its interconnected roads and freeways. However, fragmentation is not only in terms of ecological space but also of the perspectives of the residents of Los Angeles, explained through the concept of social fragmentation and the widening cultural gap. In addition, the common experience of fragmentation and changes in economic structure created networked co-dependence among these four ecosystems with employment centered in the sufurbia, plains and autopia but expansion in real estate concentrated in the plains and foothills. The intersection of people between these ecologies increased. As such, the building of infrastructures no longer sufficed as catalysts of development because of the need to consider the impact on other ecologies and the need to address the deeper issues of socio-economic fragmentation and cultural gap. The focus of urban planning started to move from decentralization dependent on the private sector to centralization, under the management of the local government. Conclusion The urbanism of Los Angeles shows the manner that four city centers evolved into distinct ecologies to create the diversification and fragmentation of Los Angeles. These city centers also dramatically transformed the urban landscape of Los Angeles in a manner that maintained diversity and fragmentation. The moving force of these city centers are the changing activities and dynamics of people in response to natural and manmade challenges. However, Los Angeles never ceased to change and it continues to experience rapid change, particularly moving towards the growing co-dependence between the city centers due to socio-cultural, economic, political and environmental challenges requiring greater centralization in urban planning. With this current trend, Los Angeles would experience another period of urban renewal and restructuring in the future. Bibliography Abu-Lughod, Janet. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles: Americas Global Cities. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1999. Banham, Reyner. Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 2009. Fogelson, Robert and Robert Fishman. The Fragmented Metropolis: Los Angeles, 1859-1930. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 1993. Garreau, Joel. Edge City: Life on the New Frontier. New York: Random House, Inc. , 1992. Gottlieb, Robert, Mark Vallianatos, Regina Freer and Peter Dreier. The Next Los Angeles: The Struggle for a Livable City. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 2005. Longstreth, Richard. City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing in Los Angeles, 1920-1950. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1997. Mitkovic, Petar and Milena Dinic. â€Å"City Center Organization and its Influence on the City Structure. † Architecture and Civil Engineering 3(2004): 41-56. Scott, Allen. â€Å"Resurgent Metropolis: Economy, Society and Urbanization in an Interconnected World. † International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 32(2008):548-564. Scott, Allen and Edward Soja. The City: Los Angeles and Urban Theory at the End of the Twentieth Century. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 1998. Sitton, Tom and William Deverell. Metropolis in the Making: Los Angeles in the 1920s. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 2001. Varnelis, Kazys. The Infrastructural City: Networked Ecologies in Los Angeles. New York: Actar, 2008.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Nonprofit and For-Profit Hospitals Essay -- Health Care, Long Term Car

Describe the differences between nonprofit and for-profit hospitals. William & Torres provided a table to reflect hospitals ownership, and noted that some hospitals, while owned by one type of entity, may be operating under a contract by another entity, such as a hospital management company (Williams & Torrens, page 185). Some of the largest groups of hospitals in the nation are nonprofit community hospitals (Williams & Torrens, page 185). Nonprofit entities, including hospitals, function under special provisions of corporation law in each state, and under federal and state tax provisions that recognize their community service function (Williams & Torrens, page 185). The nation has approximately 1 million nonprofit entities of various sorts and hospitals have long been a traditional service provider in the nonprofit sector (Williams & Torrens, page 185). Nonprofit entities are generally exempt from most taxes at the federal, state, and local levels including income and property taxes (Williams & Torrens, page 185). These facilities are govern ed by a community based board that has ultimate authority for running these entities. Sponsorship for a nonprofit can come from various organizations, unlike other hospitals with traditional religious sponsorship (Williams & Torrens, page 185). A small percentage of the nation’s hospitals are operated by for-profit businesses (Williams & Torrens, page 186). For-profit hospitals have owners and issue stock to those owners to reflect their equity position (Williams & Torrens, page 185). For-profit hospitals are not just accountable to the community but must also provide a return on investment to the shareholders; they expect to generate a profit to pay a return to the equity inves... ... pays for 47 percent of all nursing facility care, and residents and their families pay for one-third. (Williams & Torrens, page 205). As for as the hospital, Medicare and private insurance are the primary payers from hospital services, with individuals paying relatively little from their pockets (Williams & Torrens, page 205). Critique the current state of long-term care policy in the U.S. After reviewing the current state of the long-term care policy from the United States, it appears to be slowly moving toward extinction. Public policy is not likely to provide any over- arching continuity for long-term care in the near future (Williams & Torrens, page 218). I agree with the idea of Americans engaging in personal planning. Personal planning will assure individual that if he or she needs long-term care it will be available.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Speech introducing the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop

My fellow students and writers, welcome. The honour of speaking to you, the poets of the future, has been bestowed upon me and I hope I will not disappoint. As Stephen Spender once said ‘I fear I cannot make an amusing speech as I read that all geniuses are devoid of humour'. Today I will be speaking about one of the greatest female poets of the twentieth century, and one of my own personal favourites, Elizabeth Bishop. ‘There's nothing more embarrassing than being a poet really'. The words of this modest poet convey the shy hidden qualities of a woman who was spectacular in being unspectacular. Bishop was never preoccupied with the obsolescent idea of being a poet. This gave her a sincerity that transposed to her poetry in expressing the emotional journey that was her life. Her poetry echoes a life well lived with extremes of emotion from the joy of heightened awareness, to abject isolation and depression. Elizabeth Bishop was born in America in 1911. Her father died shortly after her birth and at the age of five Bishop lost her mother to mental illness. These harsh lessons of life, so early learned, left a void in Bishop's life, the void of a settled loving family. Her poem ‘Filling Station' explores the themes of love and family which depicts her longing to be loved and to belong. The poem describes a family living amongst the oil and dirt of a filling station. At first she dismisses the filthy place ‘Oh but it is dirty! ‘ But as in much of her poetry Bishop looks beyond the obvious to find a beauty and homeliness within all the dirt. In this poem she comes to the conclusion that ‘Somebody loves us all'. This short sentence has gained the power of a proverb for me in my life and I'm sure it will hold resonance with many of you too. This comforting thought, wise and true, shows how Bishop reveals the truth through her close observation of the little things in her quest for self-discovery. Bishop's original way of viewing situations is also clear in her poem ‘The Prodigal'. Have you ever wondered what happened to the prodigal son during his transgression from home? Well Bishop did in this clever poem which focuses on the lowest part of the prodical son's life. This effectively simple poem describes mankind's need for companionship, she herself being a self-proclaimed outsider. As an outsider Bishop led a very unsettled restless life described as desperately and energetically nomadic. She once said ‘All my life I have lived and behaved very much like the sandpiper – just running down the edges of different countries and continents'. Here Bishop confesses of a great desire to travel, discernibly in search of the home she never had. Bishop wrote the poem ‘Questions of Travel' which depicts the time she spent in Brazil. Although it was a place of immense beauty, she often felt separate and outside of it. She asks ‘Should we have stayed at home wherever that may be? ‘ which shows Bishop's great loneliness in searching for belonging. In this poem she also questions the human need to travel to strange foreign places. It foregrounds the issue of whether the tourist's quest stems from an innocent desire to savour landscapes of difference or whether it might have a darker motive, resembling the imperialistic desire to conquer and acquire other lands. She then asks if it is childishness that causes us ‘to rush to see the sun the other way around'. More humorously this poem signifies the limitations of human knowledge and understanding of foreign cultures. After all are we not all guilty of inwardly complaining of the intrusive tourists that plague our country annually? Bishop asks ‘Is it right to be watching strangers in a play in this strangest of theatres? ‘ However Bishop's argument promoting the merits of travel will banish the negative thoughts of even the most xenophobic among us. I feel many will enjoy the theatrical differences conveyed in this poem as Bishop is so wry and honest about the differences between locals and tourists. A striking photographic quality of images is atypical of Bishop's poetry. Her poem ‘The Fish' uses language that is imagistic and precise in describing the confrontation between an amateur fisher and a ‘tremendous' battle-worn fish. The poem is rich in imagery, simile and metaphor and uses layering of images which describes in intricate detail the newly caught fish. Bishop is an empathetic imaginative observer as she describes the fish inside and out down to ‘The dramatic reds and blacks of his shiny entrails, and the pink swim bladder like a big peony'. The final line ‘until everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow! And I let the fish go' describes a moment of epiphany and revelation common to Bishop's poetry. Bishop pronounces a merciful verdict on the life of the venerable old fish which contrasts strongly with man's attempt to conquer nature. This moral poem is one to think about the next time you go fishing. My favourite poem by Elizabeth Bishop is ‘First Death in Nova Scotia'. The full complexity of childhood is effectively evoked in this simple poem about the death of her cousin. This is a poem we can all relate to as it captures a child's first experience of death. Although written in her fifties, Bishop manages to capture the confusion she felt as she attempted to understand the finality of death. This poem has quite a chilling quality which echoes the wrong sequence death has taken in extinguishing the life of a child. The final stanza, although chilling, is one of my favourite pieces of poetry. The vulnerability and fear created as the child doubts the presence of an afterlife is true of my experience of death and I'm sure other's. The child Bishop asks ‘But how could Arthur go; clutching his tiny lily with his eyes shut up so tight and the roads deep in snow? ‘ This final line filled with poignancy is a perfect example of Bishop's simple but effective style. Oscar Wilde is quoted as saying ‘One should rejoice in the beauty, the joy and the wonder of life; the less said about life's sores the better'. However, Bishop manages to do both successfully in her striking and distinctive poetry that will give much pleasure for years to come. Her poetry covers topics from death to family and from travel to morality. Her keen eye for detail, her accurate observations and her simple, concise description of the world around us makes Elizabeth Bishop's poetry an animated read. Her poetry boasts genuine feeling which originates from her own harsh experiences in life and often expresses a greater understanding of life and death. Her pleasing style makes her poetry a firm favourite among many amateur writers and poetry lovers. I hope I have instilled in you today the joys of reading the poetry of one of the most influential females of the last century. I will now leave you with a final quote from Elizabeth Bishop's poem called ‘Poem'. This poem maps the reader's experience of reading poetry, from indifference to recognition of a common humanity. ‘Life and the memory of it cramped, dim, on a piece of Bristol board, dim, but how alive, how touching in detail–the little that we get for free, the little of our earthly trust'

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Buddhism and Judaism Essay

In this paper I will talk about the history, beliefs and traditions from two different religions. The western religion of Judaism and the eastern religion of Buddhism are the two religions, these two religions have some similarities and some contrasts but they also share some of their own beliefs. Buddhism is the way of life on ending suffering achievable through human’s endeavor. On the other hand,† Buddhism is one of the world’s oldest and most significant religions and it has spread though almost all of Asia. Buddhism was founded 500 years before Christ (BC) and was the first major religion in the world† (Prof. Barker PowerPoint). Its creator was a young prince from India named Siddhartha Gautama† (Molloy pg. 126). On the other hand, the Buddhism religion story began when â€Å"Siddhartha mother Queen Maya had a dream, on a night of the full moon. On that night of the full moon Queen Maya had supernatural dream about a special being known as the Buddha. The dream was about the Buddha being reborn as a human, the Buddha was going to be reborn as the child she was about to have Buddha. When Siddhartha Gautama was born, Maya felt ill after giving birth to Siddhartha and died a few days later†( Molloy pg. 127) On the other hand, when Siddhartha was born they noticed that he had promising sign of a great human being. â€Å"The mark that Siddhartha had mainly means that he will become a Buddha or a world emperor. His father was quite happy with the idea that he could become a world emperor. On the other hand, his father was try to prevent him from becoming a spiritual leader, by keeping him always from things that might send him into a religious direction Siddhartha was kept in one or another of their three palaces, and was prohibited from experiencing much of what ordinary folk might consider quite commonplace. He was not permitted to see the elderly, the sickly, the dead, or anyone who had devoted themselves to spiritual practices. Only beauty and health surrounded Siddhartha† (Video notes of Buddha part 1). Additionally, Siddhartha grew up and he trained in the arts of war. He married when he was 16 years old. But as Siddhartha continued living in the comfort of his palaces, he grew rising restless and curious about the world beyond the palace walls. He finally insisted that he be allowed to see his community and his lands but his father agreed that Siddhartha should still not see the kind of suffering. But one day Siddhartha violated his father rules and visited a close city and he observed the pain of ordinary life. He saw and was moved by what are called the four passing sights what is known as the four noble truths† (Molloy pg. 128). On his journey Siddhartha saw an old man and he learned the process of ageing and that there no stopping ageing. The second sight was when Siddhartha saw a sick man and he learned that everyone could get sick. The three sight that he saw was a dead body and he learned that everyone must die and suffering in life. The fourth sight was when he saw a monk and he learned that they give everything up just so they could end suffering. When Siddhartha return back to his palace he saw his new born son and his wife. He was thinking about the horrible things that he saw outside the palaces, Siddhartha wanted to find out his own answers to life suffering, so he abandoned his family†( video note of Buddha part 2).. Siddhartha went on a journey to find the answers of suffering, by using meditation and fasting and one day Siddhartha saw a musician fixing his guitar, he saw the guitar must be in the middle so the guitar could sound well. He decided he must follow the middle way; he had no idea how he could reach the middle way. In fact, Siddhartha had been traveling for six years and has experience suffering but he still couldn’t find the way to enlightenment. Siddhartha sat under a tree and told himself that he will not leave until reaching enlightenment (video note of Buddha part 3). † Bring the time Siddhartha spend under the tree, he found the prescription to reach Enlightenment and Nirvana that is called The Four Noble Truth (video note of Buddha part 4) The Four Noble Truth are chain about life (1) suffering exists; (2) it has a cause; (3) it has an end; and (4) there is a way to attain releases from suffering† (Michael Molloy pg. 34). Siddhartha was 35 year old when he past the four Janice to reach Enlightenment and Nirvana. Buddha dead by an illness called food poisoning at the age of 80 (video note of Buddha part 5). The religion of Buddhism is still practice in this day. Also Buddha’s teachings were not recognized until several years ago after his death. On the other hand, Judaism is also a system of life, but it focuses on interpersonal behavior and taking routine activities and educational them to something special. According to an overview of Jewish history, was created around 2000 before Common Era (BCE). Moses was one of the leaders of the Israelites, chief the Israelites out of the slave detention occurring in Egypt. On the other hand, Moses received the Law of God on Mount Sinai afterwards. In addition, the Israelites were direct to the promised-land by Joshua in which Samuel assisted in the construction of the kingdom and the new king becoming Saul. Also, Jerusalem was generated by King David while King David’s son, King Solomon had the first temple construct in Jerusalem after King David’s death. The temple was smashed in the70 Common Era (C.  E) â€Å"which brought about the end of the temple-based ceremonial religion and its community spreading of the Jewish individuals all through the world until 1929-1940s when the Holocaust was created† (Molloy pg. 290). On the other hand, the beliefs of the Judaism individuals start with 13 fundamental beliefs that have been accepted for several centuries such as: 1). God exists, 2). God is one and exceptional, 3). God is spiritual,4). God is perpetual, 5). Prayer is to be directed to God alone and to no other, 5). The words of the prophets are true, 6). Moses was the supreme of the prophets, and his prophecies are correct, 7). The Written Torah and Oral Torah were given to Mose, there will no other Torah, 8). God knows the thoughts and deeds of men, 9). God will recompense the good and discipline the wicked, 10). The Messiah will come, 11). His dead will be raise from the dead. 12). The belief of a Buddhist individual begin with an individual going through a cycle of birth, life, and death, this cycle is measured to be reincarnation and can occur many times until the individual resigned his or her needs and his or her self obtaining a status of nirvana. video note of Judaism). On the other hands, Buddhist individuals do not believe in a specific God, prayer, or the obligation for a savior, or eternal life after passing away. After the dead of Buddha, Buddhism has incorporated with local sacrosanct ritual traditions, viewpoints, and customs as the religion extended through Asia. On the other hand, an individual does not have to read the Tipitaka from beginning to end to be familiar with the four noble truths, which are: 1). There is pain, 2). There is reason for suffering 3).  There is termination of suffering 4). There is path leading to the cessation of pain ( Molloy pg. 134). As comparing Buddhism and Judaism several differences occur. For example, the belief that there is only one creator or God is by Jewish religion is not shared with Buddhist religion. Another difference is in the Doctrine that each respective religion follows, Jewish persons follow the Torah and Talmud as with the Buddhist persons following the Tipitaka. Both doctrines are significantly different within the teachings. An additional difference between the two religions is Judaism’s principle to life is to be submissive to God whereas Buddhism’s principle to life is to stop the persistent cycle of reincarnation and obtain Nirvana. On the other hand, Buddhism and Judaism have some similarities. For example, both religions have an authoritarian system that should be pursued but not required. In addition some similarities between Judaism and Buddhism are that Judaism follows the Ten Commandments whereas Buddhism follows the Eightfold Path, which is parallel to the Ten Commandments. Both religions also have structure created for worship their belief; however, their buildings have different names, Jewish individuals name their places of worship synagogues and Buddhist individuals, names their places of worship temples. Judaism and Buddhism individuals have some contrasts. For example, Judaism is a dietary support religion, they believe that a person has one life and they should live to the fullest, using that time to perfect the world. They do not focus on the eternal life, and in fact has no set doctrines concerning the eternal life. On the other hand, the Buddhism has no role for deity in accomplishing, they has no a set of right or wrong behaviors just suggestions, enlightenment is attained by individual endeavor and they believes in the reincarnation (Molloy, pg. 178). On the other hand, one of the Judaism traditions is the Bar/Bat Mitzvah; this tradition takes places when a young individual turns 13 for boys or 12 for girls. It is an event that takes place acknowledging he or she has taken the responsibility to continue to follow Jewish law and has become part of the adult Jewish population. In addition, the Jewish community has several holidays, but they are only 11 that are considered to be important in Judaism. The first was â€Å"the Passover, this holiday begins on the fifteenth day of the Jewish month of Nissan, also known as March/April; this holiday is referred to the walk of God over the houses of Jewish community as he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt also this holiday lasts seven days. During this holiday the community cannot eat grains such as: oats, barley or wheat, but they can eat unleavened bread† (Molloy pg. 04). Also, during these holidays they clean their homes literally from top to bottom. However, their celebration that consists fasting firstborn male children, than there is an exceptional meal made to remind them the objective of the holiday. The second holiday is the Yom Kippur this holiday is the Day of amends. During Yom Kippur holiday the Jewish needs to take a day of fasting and repentance to reconcile their soul with the Creator for t he mistakes they have made in the previous years. However this holiday encourages a Jewish individual to make penitence for the mistakes that he or she has committed against another. In contrast fasting from sunset to the evening previous to the Yom Kippur to sunset the day of Yom Kippur is also an obligation during this holiday. The third holiday is Rosh Hashanah meaning the Jewish New Year. This holiday take place between Labor Day and Columbus Day and this holiday is celebrated for a week long episode and is a manifestation of the past year and a time for resolutions to be made. In addition, the two most important holidays that most Jewish individuals are involving are the Rosh Hashanah and the Yom Kippur. This holiday usually take place twice-a-year (Molloy, pg. 327). On the other hand, Buddhism has different traditions, and they did some celebration too. For example, when an individual is converting in to a Jewish he or she has witnessed and is rising within Judaism. Also Buddhism has three immense branches that are acknowledged today such as: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Each branch appeared after a previous one, also and according to some people’s beliefs that crucial aspects of all three branches existed simultaneously. For example, Theravada means the way of the leaders. It is generally found in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, and claim to have kept the knowledge, it is not likely. First, they passed down teachings in verbally, but finally they wrote them down. The monks beg for food day by day which means the monasteries are in towns, and come back to help their community. However, Mahayana Buddhists has their own set of scriptures, and various are called sutras. Their belief recommends reaching nirvana, not just the monks. The Mahayana Buddhists also worship bodhisattvas which is the one who have gained enlightenment and so possibly will enter nirvana. They decide to be reborn and to stay in the world to assist other people overcome their problems and gain enlightenment. Also Vajrayana Buddhist generally called Tantric Buddhist, are often linked with Tibetan Monks. They are ritualistic like the Mahayana Buddhists. All traditions distinguish the Buddha as an enlightened teacher who communal his insights in order to assist people end pain in agreement with the laws of Karma. Karma is one of the important principals of Buddhism; it’s believed that all is consistent, by having excellent karma is to be reincarnated into impressive content (Molloy pg. 164). Additionally, the Buddhists believe what you’re reincarnated into, is up to your karma in your ancient times life it might be an animal, insect even; male or female all depends on the karma. Consequently all living organisms have the equal importance; even killing a bug generates bad karma. Also Buddhism states that one may never be truly cheerful with hatred in their hearts. It also meaningful out that hatred comes from lack of knowledge, vengeance, disgust, and vengeance only becomes a never ending cycle, and does no all right in the end (Molloy pg. 138). The Buddhism community has some extraordinary holidays held throughout the year and some of the celebrations are related to the birthdays of Bodhisattvas in the Mahayana tradition or other important dates in the Buddhist calendar. However, the most significant celebration occurs every May on the night of the full moon, when Buddhist all over the world, celebrate the birth, Buddha and his enlightenment and Buddha and his death it has been celebrate over several years ago. It has become to be known as Buddha Day Also other important holidays for the Buddhism Community are the festivals, people go to the local temple or monastery and present food to the monks and take the Five Precepts and listen to a Dharma speak. In the afternoon, they hand out food to the poor to make merit and in the evening connect perhaps in a ceremony of circumambulation as sign and respect for the Buddha (Molloy pg. 146). In Conclusion, as focus on two religious (Buddhism and Judaism) I was able to understand the importance and the role of each religious and how this influences the life of each individual. Also, I think that is very interesting to have knowledge of other cultures and to understand their beliefs, traditions and culture.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Misery-----Night by Elie Wiesel essays

Misery-Night by Elie Wiesel essays The autobiographical novel Night, by Elie Wiesel, describes his horrifying experiences and his physical and mental misery throughout the true event of the Holocaust. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word misery as prolonged or extreme suffering. This word fits this horrible tale of murder and inhumanity to man perfectly. Elie suffers physical misery by starvation and certain types of tortures. Prior to his placement into the concentration camps, Elie always had food to eat everyday. Talking about his hunger, he says At about noon they brought us soup: a plate of thick soup for each person. Tormented though I was by hunger, I refused to touch it. I was still the spoiled child I had always been. My father swallowed my ration(39). During the transporting of the captives to Buchenwald, German workmen throw pieces of bread into one of the prison cars for entertainment. The prisoners become barbaric, trying for the scarce amount of nourishment. One man, desperately hungry, kills his own father for a piece of bread. The prisoners seemed to transfer into a pack of savage wolves, fighting each other for survival. One example of the heinous acts of the Germans that stands out occurs at the end of the war, when Elie and the rest of the camp of Buna is being forced to transfer to Gleiwitz. This long, arduous, and tiring transfer seemed like a journey for all of those involved. The painfully cold weather and snow falling heavily did not make the trip much easier. The distance that most people today would not even dream of walking does not even compare to the extensive distance that the prisoners traveled. The Kapo officers, whom controlled the prisoners, often forced the huge mass of people to run, and if one collapses, gets injured, or just simply can no longer bear the pain, they are shot or trampled without pity. In his novel, Elie says Beneath our feet someone let out a rattli ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Meaning of the French Expression Le cinq à sept

Meaning of the French Expression Le cinq sept The informal expression le cinq sept refers to what could be considered a very French version of Happy Hour: the two-hour period after work, from 5 to 7 pm, when (some) people meet up with their lovers before going home to their spouses. Translation: an afternoon tryst. The reality of le cinq sept was openly acknowledged for perhaps the first time in Franà §oise Sagans 1967 novel La Chamade. Just for fun, I had my husband ask his students (aged 40 and up) about it, and they all said they were very familiar with le cinq sept, with one exception. The youngest said she didnt know it, then added a caveat: Mais je viens de me marier, alors qui sait ce qui va se passer dans vingt ans. Incidentally, the French translation of tryst is un rendez-vous galant - further proof that everything sounds better in French. Well almost: for happy hour, the correct translation is heure du cocktail or heure de lapà ©ritif, but instead they usually stick with appy hour. Different in Canada In Quà ©bec, le cinq sept has nothing to do with sex. It refers to a group of friends meeting up to have a drink after work, or before an evening outing to a play or some other entertainment. In this sense, le cinq sept might be translated by happy hour or, if it doesnt include alcohol, just something generic like afternoon get-together or rendez-vous. Source Sagan, Francoise. La Chamade. French Edition,  Pocket, 1990.