Paintings - Amalgam of Emotions and Cultures Essay

Paintings - Amalgam of Emotions and Cultures - Essay Example The paper "Paintings - Amalgam of Emotions and Cultures" will focus on how the art of paintings has been viewed in two different cultures namely the African culture and the Asian culture by throwing ‘light’ on the rock art and paintings that was practiced by the Asian and the African people. The painting media followed in both the cultures will also be discussed. â€Å"African paintings first emerged as those that still appear on rock and in caves.† The African paintings were discovered in Nambia and are thought to be approximately 27,000 years old. (Plessis). In addition, there were nearly 30,000 rock paintings scattered throughout the Drakensberg Mountain in South Africa. (Plessis). Thus these artistic medium was used by the ancient Africans to convey certain types of information, depict the day to day activities, to relate to certain key events and importantly to communicate with the spirits of the ancestors. Thus in this manner the rock art was used a vital li nk between the physical and the spiritual worlds. On the other hand, the Asian Paintings encompasses a wide array of paintings and sculptures from different parts of Asia. Thus each geographical area has developed their unique style of expression, painting styles and methods, techniques, etc. They were the blend of various cultures and traditions. â€Å"The Asian paintings reflect influences from different religions and cultures.†The Chinese paintings are considered to be one of the oldest paintings among the Asian paintings. The Japanese paintings are known for their varied styles. The themes of historical significance and the Buddhist themes are portrayed in the Korean paintings. The Indian paintings on the lines of African paintings originated from the caves and they date to the pre-historic period. Thus all form of the Asian cultures has their unique style and history. With this brief introduction about the Asian and the African paintings, the next concept about the views of the rock art and paintings in the Asian and the African culture will be discussed. Rock art was a common way of expressing emotions among the ancient Africans. Thus it has been estimated that Africa has more number of Rock art sites than any other continent and they are widely distributed. (Plessis). Archeological reports reveal the fact that in most parts of the African continent namely Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa has the densest concentration of the rock art. â€Å"The region has both the rock engravings (Petroglyphs) and rock paintings (Pictographs).†(African Rock art and Painting). Especially the South African rock art encompasses the rock paintings of the hunters-gatherers, farming communities, etc. On the other hand the Asian rock art was considered to be the mixtures of aesthetics which reveals the events and philosophy of the past. Thus in the evolution of mankind from the Homo erectus to the Homo sapiens, these Asian rock art depicts the images of the early man. The Asian rock art unlike the African art started 40,000 years ago during the upper Paleolithic era. The custom of rock art also followed in the Mesolithic age and it gained its final development in the Chalcolithic era. Among the Asian rock art paintings, the Indian Rock art are considered to be the most ancient and significant since they reflect the development of the Indian civilizations of Indus and

Biography of Julius Caesar Essay Example for Free

Biography of Julius Caesar Essay Julius Caesar was born in 100BC to the aristocratic family of Gaius Caesar and Aurelius. He lost his father when he was sixteen. He got married to Cornelia in 84BC. He refused the order by Sulla to divorce his wife and went on exile to Asia where he learnt ‘the art of war’. He returned to Rome after Sulla’s death and was subsequently elected quaestor. After the death of his wife, He married Pompela, who was related to Pompey [one of his political associates]. In 65BC he was elected curule aedile and three years later the praetor. He became governor of Farther in 61BC and formed the first triumvirate, with Pompey and Crassus, in 60BC. He was elected consul in 59BC and same year married Calprnia. He was appointed governor of Roan Gaul in 58BC and perfected his rule with the conquest of Gallic Gaul. The Roman Civil war began in 59BC and culminated in Caesar’s rise to greater leadership role until on March 15th, 44BC the unprecedented happened. Caesar’s life is captured in prose through the literary prowess demonstrated by Antony Kamm. He shows his depth of knowledge and insight into the complex nature of Caesar’s story. His study of scholastic work proves useful, as it brings fresh insight into understanding the life and character of this great Roman leader. He shows the military leadership Caesar undertook and how it can influence our understanding of leadership in those days, as different from ours. Julius Caesar is presented in the context of human relationships he devised and others that shaped his life. Kamm also narrates cultural, religious and military landscape of the Roman republic in light of Caesar’s journey through life. Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Cicero are shown as partners in progress or dishonor. Sevilia and Cleopatra are accorded the plausible position Caesar gave them. III. MAIN IDEA The main idea of the book is that Julius Caesar is more than the stories we have heard; that he is far beyond the myths that surround his life history and that his life is a symbol of balanced service. In the vein, Kamm raises his character to the pinnacle of a superhero worthy of emulation and applaud. IV. SETTING The book contains 155 pages of well constructed account of a roman hero. It details in smooth prose the ‘Pilgrim’s progress’ of Gaius Julius Caesar and his life impacted the entire populace pf ancient Rome. It is written in well separated chapter properly linked and facilitated with ease of coherence. This account is well researched to suit the demands of the twenty-first century. V. IMPORTANT CHARACTERS The story of Julius Caesar is an interesting adventure of a bold man whose life is comparable to that of other great people like Alexandra, the Great. ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ those are his words; they clearly confirm his strength of character and charisma. He lived true to his dream, dedicated to the course he wished and vehement in the pursuit of the same. In his pursuit of honor, the influence of his mother can not be forgotten. He lost his father when he was only sixteen but his mother took him through the painful lessons of life. Indeed, he is an example of a leader except for the tyrant nature of his leadership style: he led a number of fights to victories against nations with immense military support and ammunitions. There are lesson from every stage of his journey on the Earth, from his growth with his influential parents, to his youth and the concomitant exuberance he enjoyed. His rise to limelight is worthwhile and his fall to betrayal et coup is notable. Cassius acts in conjunction with Brutus culminated in the assassination of Caesar; they suffered for this. Many people have been endeared by this kind of life. They have attempted to cave a niche for themselves n through the use of words and symbols to re-present this roman general. Julius Caesar’s live, as captured by Plutarch in his historical outlook on lives of notable roman generals, speaks volume that can not be expounded by a single perspective of an individual. As a result, there have been many historical accounts and biographies in honor of Caesar apart from William Shakespeare’s play. VI MOST INTERESTING EVENT From the historical account of Cesar’s life, many events are important. He refused the order by Sulla to divorce his wife and went on exile to Asia where he learnt ‘the art of war’. He returned to Rome after Sulla’s death and was subsequently elected quaestor. He later married Pompela, who was related to Pompey [one of his political associates]. In 65BC he was elected curule aedile and three years later the praetor. He became governor of Farther in 61BC and formed the first triumvirate He was elected consul in 59BC. He was appointed governor of Roan Gaul in 58BC and perfected his rule with the conquest of Gallic Gaul. The Roman Civil war began in 59BC and culminated in Caesar’s rise to greater leadership role until on March 15th, 44BC. After his death, Rome continued to war for many years. The most important was his assassination by a ‘coup’ planned by Cassius, supported by Marcus Brutus, his close friend, and other senators. Cassius convinces Brutus of the need to eliminate Julius Caesar because of the possibility of turning Rome’s republic into a monarchy through Caesar’s lineage. The senators agree to this. Cesar approaches senate in the morning of the assassination; on his way, he was warned by a soothsayer to ‘Beware of the Ides of March’. He ignores the warning and heads for the Senate where he rejects a request brought before him, as expected. There, he was beaten to death. He however notices the presence of Brutus among his killers, and exclaims the popular clause: ‘Et tu, Brutus’ meaning ‘And you, Brutus’. Thereafter, Brutus delivers a logical speech at his funeral to convince the Roman people of the reason for Caesar’s assassination which was followed closely by the powerful and excellent rhetoric of Marcus Antonio that moves the mob to drive Marcus and his cohorts from Rome. The triumvirate comprising Marcus Antonio, Octavius and Aemilus become the rulers of Rome and fights to victory with the army of the assassinators; Brutus and Cassius commits suicide in the face of defeat. VII CONCLUDING SENTENCE Kamm has proved his ability to synthesize facts from complex details into smooth prose. And Julius Caesar remains head of state in ancient or modern times applied himself so assiduously to such a range of physical and intellectual activities, and excelled at them all. REFERENCE KAMM A. JULIUS CAESAR: A LIFE. September, 2006.

Nature Vs Nurture Mario Puzo - Peter Cary :: essays research papers

Nature Vs. Nurture Mario Puzo’s, Omerta, reflects the theory of Thomas Hobbes In the state of nature, where the theory states, that in the state of natureâ€Å"†¦no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.†(The Modern Age: Ideas In Western Civilization, Page 37-30) In Peter Cary’s, True History of the Kelly Gang, which conveys the theory of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, â€Å"Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains. One thinks himself the master of others, and still remains a greater slave than they. How did this change come about? I do not know. What can make it legitimate? That question I think I can answer†¦human beings were good in the state of nature and that in civilization there is the basis of corruption.† (The Modern Age: Ideas In Western Civilization, Page 35- 38) Mario Puzo’s, Omerta, suggests the theory of Hobbes, that the state of human society is based on human nature and genetics, whereas Peter Carey suggests the theory of Rousseau in his novel, True History of the Kelly Gang, nurture is the main influence, and that geography and human government control future human development, where every subject is or can be subject to change. In Omerta, Don Raymond Aprile adopted Astorre, who had the genetics of a great Mafia Don. In the novel True History of the Kelly Gang, Ned Kelly loses his father at the age of 12 and is left to be raised by his mother and small extended family. In Omerta, Astorre has two brothers and one sister who have little influence on his decisions, whereas in True History of the Kelly Gang, Ned also has siblings but they play a far more significant role in his upbringing, mainly because they can not care for themselves and need his help to survive. In Omerta, Astorre grows up around violence and illegal activities a nd has a natural talent for being a leader. Ned Kelly, on the opposite end of the spectrum, has grown up in a remote area with a corrupt judicial system, and he commits his crimes because of the constant changes in his life. Omerta begins with the assassination of a retired mob boss, Don Raymond Aprile. The novel then flashes back into the history of Raymond Aprile.

Design Experiment

Design Experiment: Enzyme Inhibitors. Research question: What is the effect of adding lead nitrate solution on the activity of amylase enzyme? Aim: To test the effect of adding nitrate solution on the activity of amylase. Background Information: Inhibitors are molecules which repress or prevent another molecule from engaging in a reaction. They are substances that attach themselves onto an enzyme and reduce or prevent the enzyme’s ability to catalyse reactions. Competitive Inhibitors are inhibitors that occupy the active site of an enzyme or the binding Site of a receptor and prevent the normal substrate or ligand from binding.An active site is a region on the surface of an enzyme to which substrates bind and which catalyzes a chemical reaction involving the substrates. Thus the inhibitors prevent the enzyme activity when the concentration of the substrates is very low. As the substrate concentration increases so does the enzyme activity. Non-competitive inhibition is an Enzym e inhibition in which the inhibiting compound does not compete with the natural substrate for the active site on the enzyme but inhibits reaction by combining with the enzyme-substrate complex after the complex is formed.An example of a non-competitive inhibitor is ATP. When ATP accumulates it binds to a site other than the active site on the enzyme phosphofructokinase. In doing so it changes the enzyme conformation and lowers the rate of reaction so that less ATP is produced. Hypothesis: There is an inverse relationship between the mass of lead nitrate and the ability of amylase to convert starch into maltose. Variables: Independent Variable: ?The mass of lead nitrate dissolved in each of the solutions. Dependent Variable: ?The change in the color intensity of the iodine. Controlled variable: Time: the reaction was allowed to proceed for twenty minutes. ?Temperature: the water bath was set at 40? C. This was to provide the optimum conditions for the enzyme activity. ?Volumes of the respective solutions: The volume of the starch solution (10 cm3), the volume of the amylase (10 cm3) and the volume of water (5 cm3). The exact volumes were measured out with the help of a syringe. Materials: 1. Syringe 2. 6 test tubes 3. Stop watch 4. Water bath 5. White spotted tile 6. 5% amylase solution 7. Iodine solution 8. Lead nitrate crystals. 9. 6 boiling tubes. 10. A pipette. Procedure: 1.The water bath was fixed at 40? C. 2. The six boiling tubes were labelled A-F and then each was filled 10cm3 of starch solution with the help of a syringe. 3. Different quantities of lead nitrate were then added to the 6 test tubes labelled 1-6. The quantities were: 0. 00gm; 0. 10gm; 0. 20gm; 0. 30gm; 0. 40gm and 0. 50gm. 4. In the test tube 10gms of 5% amylase was then added. 5. The contents of each test tube were then transferred to the boiling tubes i. e. the contents of test tube 1 were transferred to boiling tube A and so on. 6. The boiling tubes were then placed in a water bath wit h a fixed temperature at 40?C. 7. The reaction was allowed for 20 minutes. 8. A drop of iodine was added on to the spotting tile. 9. After 20 minutes the boiling tubes were removed from the water bath and using a pipette a drop was withdrawn from each test tube and placed on the white tile containing the iodine solution. 10. The effect of the drop of liquid on the iodine was then noted. Change of color of the solution on the iodine solution. Mass of lead nitrate ( ±0. 01 grams)Color of the solution 0. 00Light Green 0. 10Light Green 0. 20Light Green 0. 30Dark Green 0. 40Darker Green 0. 50Dark Blue 1 2 3 4 5 6Data processing: Iodine solution is used to test for starch. If starch is present in a substance then the iodine solution would turn blue black. If no starch is present then it remains as light brown. In the above experiment boiling tubes E and F contain starch. This was because they contained greater mass of lead nitrate and therefore has reduced the ability of the enzyme (amy lase) to hydrolyse starch into maltose. The blue-black color remained indicating that the solution contained greater amounts of starch. In the boiling tube A the color was the lightest because lead nitrate was not present.Thus the starch could bind to the active site of the amylase and could be broken down into maltose easily. Therefore in the test tube A starch was broken down in the solution and hence none was left. In boiling tubes B and C the solution was relatively darker because the mass of lead nitrate was greater but not great enough to stop the reaction completely. Therefore the greater the mass of lead nitrate, the darker the solution will form since a darker color indicated the presence of starch. The starch remained because of the effect of the inhibitor which reduced the capacity of the enzyme to break down starch into maltose.Data Presentation. Thus the graph shows that a darker color perseveres if a greater mass of lead nitrate is added. This is because the bigger out come of the inhibitor prevents the hydrolysis of the starch and so many molecules of starch still remain in the solution without being broken down by amylase. Therefore the color intensity of the solution and the mass of the lead nitrate share a direct relationship. Conclusion and Evaluation: Mass of lead nitrate added is directly proportional to the color intensity of the solution.This is because a greater mass of lead nitrate reduces the ability of the amylase to breakdown starch into maltose. Therefore lead nitrate acts as a non-competitive inhibitor reducing the enzyme’s ability to catalyse the reaction. Lead nitrate is non-competitive because it affects the enzyme’s activity even though it is present in small quantities. The hypothesis were proven since the lead nitrate changes the shape of the active site of the enzyme and prevents some starch molecules from binding to the active site for catalysts. According to the results obtained from the experiment, my hypoth esis is accepted and is correct.My hypothesis was, â€Å"There is an inverse relationship between the mass of lead nitrate and the ability of amylase to convert starch into maltose. † Despite the results obtained were correct and proved that the experiment was a success a few variables emerged during the performance of the experiment that if improved could result to a more accurate result. We didn’t have enough time to do this experiment over and over again so we didn’t have enough results to compare. Another important factor that may have influenced in our experiment was the quantity taken of the lead nitrate. We didn’t have any colorimeter so our result might not be accurate.

Phase 1 Individual Project

Phase 1 Individual Project The Classroom Predicament Case Study Violet has persuaded Adrian into taking a risk on plagiarism by using someone else work. I think her rate should be a 2. However because Violet is not the student in this case she cannot be held responsible for her actions. Although I do feel that maybe if she would have helped Adrian with some of the work load on the job Adrian could have took the time to write her own paper. Encouraging a student to cheat is just as wrong as the student that has decided to submit a paper that is not one’s own.Louise is not the student in this case but he/she obviously has been or is a student. Therefore he/she is well aware of Academic Integrity Policy. I will have to rate her at a 3 because she did send the email as an attachment to Adrian. Encouraging a student is just as guilty as submitting the assignment essay writer life hacks. Professor Johnston because of his job at the University he is not able to bend the rules for Adr ian. I think the Professor should be rated at a 4.There are many ways to help students that are in this type of situation (overwhelmed) because many students prefer to take time away from school and never return. Dean Richards cannot be held responsible for his actions because he is only following protocols. Therefore he can only talk with Adrian and Professor Johnston to get an understanding of her actions. He will have to be ranked at a 5. Adrian is the most responsible I think she should be rate at a 1. Adrian is aware of the Academic Integrity Policy and she understands the consequences that are listed.I think Adrian should have took the time to write her own paper during her down time whether it was on her lunch break or even after work. However because the paper has been submitted I think Adrian should try to go back and submit her own work and see if the Professor would accept it and just deduct points for what she has done. An alternate strategy is to talk to the Professor i f that does not work I think she should talk to her Academic Advisor or even the Dean to take some of her load off until she is able to handle things at a normal pace again.I believe if she would have communicated with her boss she would have been in a better situation to catch up and complete all of her assignments on time without plagiarizing. In the future I recommend Adrian talk with her boss as well as her co-worker’s to get the help she need at work in order not to lose focus on her job. Then for her school work if she feels she is not able to perform at her best even with putting her all into it I think she should just take a break and try it later. Now she has a penalty on her record for plagiarizing.Students that are working full-time and have a family are faced with these situations often. There are many ways to communicate with school faculty to get the help one may need or even ones co-workers on the job. Rob was Adrian’s boos in this situation. I do not th ink that Rob is aware that Adrian is a current student in this situation and there is nowhere in the reading it is mentioned. I think Rob should be rated at a 6 because she is swamped at work with things to complete and because of her workload increase she is not able to maintain her assignments as a student.

The Physics of Sound essays

The Physics of Sound essays Sound surrounds us at all times. The ring of an alarm clock or the whistle of birds may wake us up in the morning. Through out the day, we hear a variety of sounds; for instance, the banging of pots and pans, the roar of traffic, and the voices of people. When we fall asleep at night, we might listen to the sounds of frogs croaking or the wind whistling. All sounds have one thing in common. This being that the vibrations of an object makes every sound. When an object vibrates, it causes the air around it to vibrate. The vibrations in the air travel out from all directions of the object. They then reach our ears, and the brain reads them as sounds. Many sounds we hear travel through the air; however, they can also travel through solid objects like the earth. Our voice is made in the larynx, which is a part of the throat. Two small pieces of tissue are spread across the larynx. These pieces, called vocal chords, make the opening smaller. Air from he lungs quickly passes trough the tightened chords, causing them to vibrate. The vibrations make the sound of the voice. The tighter the chords are, the faster the vibrations and the higher the resulting sound. If a rock is thrown onto a still pond, several waves travel out from the place where the rock hit the surface. Likewise, sound moves in waves through the air or some other medium. The understanding that sound travels in the form of waves may have originated with the artist Leonardo Da Vinci in 1500. Generally, waves can be spread transversely or longitudinally. In both cases, only the energy of wave motion is spread through medium. No portion of the medium actually moves very far. As the waves caused by the moving object travel outward, they are carried by a medium. This movement causes compression. As the movements move backward it is called rarefractions. Sound requires a medium to travel; therefore, it cannot travel in space, which is a vacuum with no medium. ...

My Poem Essays - Prayer, Scout Prayer, Nelle A. Coley, Free Essays

My Poem Essays - Prayer, Scout Prayer, Nelle A. Coley, Free Essays My Poem When we were young,I just knew I would find you.I might not of known you,But I knew what you were feeling.The day we met I knew it was you,The one in my dreams.When I think of you I know my prayers have been answerd.All now that I can hope for is that you will always love me.And when the day comes that we shall part,and leave one another.... Just think tomorrow we will meet again. Sometimes I feel,That this might be the end.But you always reasure me and say that this is only the begining. You say that you love me,But sometmes I wonder.Like when you say the things you do.I love you and even though I get confussed,I know that you love me. And I will never let you forget this...We have made it this far,we are here till the end! ________________________________

Primary Government Contract Types

Primary Government Contract Types There are three primary types of government contracts: fixed price, cost reimbursable and time and materials. Fixed price contracts have a negotiated price that remains the same over the life of the contract so the amount you will be paid remains the same. Cost reimbursable contracts involve the government paying for the actual cost to complete the work. Cost reimbursable contracts have a variety of schemes for providing a fee or profit to the contractor. Time and materials contracts have agreed to rates for labor and materials that do not change over the contract and are billed as incurred. Time and materials contracts can have annual escalation rates incorporated in them to reflect increasing costs. Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF) A cost plus incentive fee contract is one where the vendor is reimbursed for costs incurred plus fee based on a formula tied to costs. The fee formula can vary and is normally designed to encourage the contractor to keep costs down. Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) A cost reimbursement contract where the objectives of the contract are determined to be completed by subjective means. The contractor receives reimbursement for their costs plus the award fee. Cost plus award fee contracts can not be used when cost plus fixed fee or cost plus incentive fee contract would be more appropriate. Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) A cost plus fixed fee contract reimburses the contractor for the cost incurred to complete the work plus a negotiated fixed fee. The fee does not change based on cost of the work. Cost is calculated based on actual amounts paid for labor and materials plus fringes, overhead and general and administrative rates. Fringe, overhead and general and administrative rates are computed annually and reflect the actual corporate costs. Many government contracts are cost reimbursable. Firm Fixed Price or FFP contracts have detailed requirements and a price for the work. The price is negotiated before the contract is finalized and does not vary even if the contractor needs to expend more or less resources than planned. Firm fixed price contracts require the contractor to manage the costs of the work in order to make a profit. If more work than planned is required then the contractor may lose money on the contract unless a contract modification is obtained. Firm fixed price contracts can also be more profitable if costs are closely managed. Fixed Price Contract With Incentive Fee Target (FPIF) The fixed price contract with incentive fee contract is a firm fixed price type contract (as compared to a cost reimbursable). The fee can vary depending on whether the contract comes in above or below planned cost. These contracts do contain a ceiling price to limit the government’s exposure to cost overruns. Fixed Price With Economic Price Adjustment Fixed price with economic price adjustment contracts are fixed price contracts but they contain a provision to account for contingencies and changing costs. An example is the contract may contain an adjustment for an annual salary increase. Time Materials contracts have rates negotiated before contract award for the cost by labor category and materials. As work is completed the contractor bills against the rates agreed to in the contract regardless of the actual cost. Know which contract type is planned in advance of submitting a proposal as well as during contract negotiations. Knowing the contract type allows you to plan the project and how best to manage it for success. Before a company can get a cost reimbursable contract it must have an approved accounting system.

How is the city written, by consumerism (focus on Shopping and Essay

How is the city written, by consumerism (focus on Shopping and fashion) - Essay Example Consumerism has created a mass market by bringing millions of products and changing the perspective of people in relation to how the city is written (Warde, 1996). This paper seeks to discuss how the city is written by consumerism. In addition, the paper will present argument on consumerism in fashion in industry in London. â€Å"If there is one agreement between theorists of modernity and those of post modernity, it is about the centrality of consumption to modern capitalism and contemporary culture. To thinkers as different as Werner Sombart, Emile Durkheim and Veblen Thorstein at the turn of the twentieth century, consumption was a decisive force behind modern capitalism, its dynamism and social structure† (Trentmann 2004, p.373) According to Richards (1990), consumerism has undoubtedly defined the existence and modernity of today’s metropolitan cities. London, being a focal point of Europe, has been a home to people from all around the globe. While commenting on con sumerism as a phenomenon, Stearns (2001) regards a consumerist society in which many people formulate their goals in life partly through acquiring goods that they clearly do not need for subsistence or for traditional display (Stearns 2001, p.9). According to Mullins, Natalier, Smith & Smeaton (1999), the theoretical propositions, of how a city is written by consumerism, in relation to the concept of consumerism are largely classified as pessimistic views and liberal views. The pessimist point of view considers consumerism as a byproduct of capitalism whereas the optimistic view states that consumerism allows people to improve their objective and subjective well being, with opportunities being available to enhance leisure freedom and to facilitate the pursuit of happiness in writing the city (Mullins, Natalier and Smith 1999, p.44). In its literal meanings, Warde (1996) implies that the diversity of patterns involved in consumerism is expressed more openly than before and relating t his open expression to London, one can say that the city has dwelled on this notion quite substantially. The ever increasing consumerism in London has come in many facets beginning from history to the current times, and the most prominent among them was the historical exhibition. The Great Exhibition in 1851, which expressed consumerism in every way possible through displaying the intent of consumerism, which was to promote the living standards of people in the city by increasing income through the buying and selling in the exhibition. As Peter Corrigan (1997) describes, the London’s culture on consumerism can be traced back historically during the period of Elizabeth I (Jayne 2006, Beer, 2007), however, consumerism has greatly changed from history and is particularly different in the way people consume products. The fact of the matter is that London’s metropolitan face was emphasized through the display of its potential and advancement (Auerbach and Hoffenberg 2008). However in the past, it has grown due to industrial revolution, and therefore resulted in the different practices such as impulse buying (Eade 2000). The aristocrats among the people living in the city of London updated their consumerism concerns through regulating their

Designing for organizational Effectiveness Essay

Designing for organizational Effectiveness - Essay Example Companies can adopt organization effectiveness technique as a parameter to assess growth and the rate at which goals are attained. There are numerous methods that can be used to conceptualize how organizations work. For instance, Gareth Morgan described a model that can be used to study organization effectiveness. In the model, Gareth uses metaphors to study organizational effectiveness; that is, machine, organism and brain (Morgan 17). Machine in used as a metaphor for explaining the mechanical aspect of organizational effectiveness. It seeks to investigate issues such as complexity in structure, competition and random changes that take place in the organization’s external environment. It is important to identify that the system of command within an organization influences its effectiveness. In addition, the functioning of an organization is dependent on its structure. Complex structures and systems of command are sometimes confusing and, therefore, result in dismal performance of an organization (Daft 79). Structures within an organization should be simple and easy to work with in order to boost efficiency and performance. In essence, research has shown that bureaucracy in organizational structure is a core determinate of performance in any enterprise. Organization structures that facilitate good customer relations and conducive working environment have proved to be the best in management. However, different organizational structures fit different organizations. In this regard, enterprises should conduct comprehensive research when deciding the type of structure to adopt. Competition in the market highly influences the performance of an enterprise. For an organization to survive in a competitive environment, certain measures must be put in place to ensure that operations are not interrupted. It is essential for an organization to study the surrou nding environment cognitively in order

The Multicultural Affects of Communication in a Large Company Essay

The Multicultural Affects of Communication in a Large Company - Essay Example A company is referred to have a multi – cultural workforce where the employees of the company is a variety of ethnic, racial, gender, and religious backgrounds. In the current time with the high levels of globalization this is a growing trend and although a very unorthodox management style, this is proving to be a relatively well accepted form of workforce management. Several benefits have been recognized with having a diverse set of employees and management staff for every company irrespective of its size. Some of these benefits include higher creativity, better decision making, and greater success in marketing especially to foreigners, better economic opportunity distribution and even the upliftment of community especially for the ethnic minorities (Kenig, 2008). Despite the benefits the diverse work cultures also led to numerous issues within organizations, especially large organizations as well. The issues include higher costs, interpersonal conflicts, discrimination issues, and most essentially communication breakdowns. A multi – cultural organization involves several people with different dialects and multi – cultural communication everywhere. Large companies are faced with numerous issues due to the multi – cultural languages. The first and highest impact is on the marketing processes of the company. Second, people from different cultures have different approaches and perspectives for work; this is a very common fact. For a team to be effective and efficient in large companies, it is essential that all members of the team – work on the same page to bring up the team together. However, with the different views and styles of approaching work, and with the language differences, it would be very difficult to keep in track, and in pace the overall team performance (Sellin & Winters, 2005). Various communication styles among various cultures are different and hence this could also be a major cause for a

To encourage research and development can determine the success of Essay

To encourage research and development can determine the success of business in the market place - Essay Example ion, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies invest highest in the R&D area and gain most significant advantage from the resultant invention or discovery, if successful. Thus, pharmaceutical companies practice well-designed strategies for greater functioning in the research area. In the present study, we thirty-five subjects of diverse pharmaceutical background and having their hometown as UK participated in this study. There were 19 males and 16 females with the mean age of 37.6 years. The sample predominantly consisted of pharmaceutical professionals who have been actively involved in at least one research related project. In addition to a short introductory information items, the subjects completed all the essential items as presented in the â€Å"Know Pharmaceutical Research† (KPR) questionnaire. It consisted of 21 items with dichotomous (yes or no) response choices. The KPR questionnaire was administered for collection of the thoughts, ideas, experiences, and knowledge and believes as pertinent to pharmaceutical research. It is essential to note that the participants were contacted by means of email notification(s). The same sequences of events were repeated for data collection from 35 professionals of India with the mean age of 41.2 years. The results revealed that the participants considered investment in the area of R&D in the pharmaceutical companies as an important step for the monetary profit of pharmaceutical business. Quite a significant number of pharmacy professionals highly recommended investment in the area of R&D department. The professionals in both India and UK almost equally realized the benefit of investment in the R&D department. Thus, the reason for less investment in the R&D area in India as compared to that in UK can be ascribed to the relative lack of monetary sources. The present thesis is an attempt to respond with the most scientific base to the questions pertinent to the encouragement in the research and development area as

Should Alcohol Sales Be Allowed at College Sporting Events Essay

Should Alcohol Sales Be Allowed at College Sporting Events - Essay Example I acknowledge that beer and chips are a traditional part of any spectator sport activity, which is why our university has been quite lenient over the years regarding the entry of alcohol into the stadiums and sports arenas. As a student body, we know the risks involved in binge drinking and we acknowledge that the university authorities constantly remind us that we must know how to place the alcohol â€Å"in the belly and not in the brain†. But there will always be students who overstep the bounds and get drunk either before, during, or after the game. It is important that you understand that the recent violent actions of some students have nothing to do with the sale of alcohol at the college sporting events. The sale of alcohol is a necessary evil when it comes to keeping a college or university sports program alive. While the budget during the year for the sport is set aside by the board of trustees of the school, that does not mean that the amount set aside will be suffici ent enough to cover all of the necessary expenses that the team will incur during the year. The coaches already admitted that the revenue from alcohol sales helps to keep the team in active play. The alcohol sales help to augment the shortage in the budget. While it is true that there is a tendency among the students to abuse alcohol at the sporting venues, that is not to say that all of those who drink excessively will be prone to acts of violence. The same goes for tailgating parties that occur prior to the events. Alcohol is one of the main drinks served at such parties which occur prior to the game. In this situation, the alcohol serves as a bonding instrument for the students, who come together pre-game in order to celebrate and prime themselves for the game ahead. Although alcohol is abundant at tailgating parties, there has never been any conclusive evidence to prove that the alcohol consumed by the spectators pre-game has anything to do with their mindset and actions once th ey enter the stadium. Spectator violence is something that usually happens in Europe but only began to emerge in the United States. Not all of the spectator violence is alcohol related. There are other ways and means that opposing teams can get on each other's nerves or egg each other on. Acts as simple as taunting, teasing, gesturing, destruction of public property, and physical challenges can all lead to spectator violence. But that does not necessarily mean that alcohol is to blame for the actions of the students. There are other reasons, such as being high on illegal drugs, that contribute to the problem of spectator violence. To automatically assume that excessive alcohol intake by the students is the primary cause of violence means that you are barking up the wrong tree. Remember that there is a high police profile at these stadiums during these events due to security concerns. These law enforcers are the first line of defense when it comes to silencing a drunk spectator. Gran ted that the police cannot guard every student that enters the venue. But the guards at the gate can definitely tell who is entering intoxicated. In which case, a Breathalyzer test can automatically be administered in order to prevent the outbreak of misunderstanding and violence at the venue. The drinking starts long before the students enter the venue. Therefore, the students who try to enter the venue drunk can and should be denied entry until the sober up. Keep in mind that restricting alcoholic intake at the sports venue just means that the students will get their alcohol fix before, during, and after the game in another manner. A manner that will most likely cause spectator violen

To encourage research and development can determine the success of Essay

To encourage research and development can determine the success of business in the market place - Essay Example ion, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies invest highest in the R&D area and gain most significant advantage from the resultant invention or discovery, if successful. Thus, pharmaceutical companies practice well-designed strategies for greater functioning in the research area. In the present study, we thirty-five subjects of diverse pharmaceutical background and having their hometown as UK participated in this study. There were 19 males and 16 females with the mean age of 37.6 years. The sample predominantly consisted of pharmaceutical professionals who have been actively involved in at least one research related project. In addition to a short introductory information items, the subjects completed all the essential items as presented in the â€Å"Know Pharmaceutical Research† (KPR) questionnaire. It consisted of 21 items with dichotomous (yes or no) response choices. The KPR questionnaire was administered for collection of the thoughts, ideas, experiences, and knowledge and believes as pertinent to pharmaceutical research. It is essential to note that the participants were contacted by means of email notification(s). The same sequences of events were repeated for data collection from 35 professionals of India with the mean age of 41.2 years. The results revealed that the participants considered investment in the area of R&D in the pharmaceutical companies as an important step for the monetary profit of pharmaceutical business. Quite a significant number of pharmacy professionals highly recommended investment in the area of R&D department. The professionals in both India and UK almost equally realized the benefit of investment in the R&D department. Thus, the reason for less investment in the R&D area in India as compared to that in UK can be ascribed to the relative lack of monetary sources. The present thesis is an attempt to respond with the most scientific base to the questions pertinent to the encouragement in the research and development area as

Characteristic of a Research Problem Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Characteristic of a Problem - Research Paper Example After clearly identifying a research problem, it must be translated into a research hypothesis stating a relationship between variables in a number of populations. Therefore, the assignment tend to reflect on the connection of the research problem, the research hypothesis, along with the existing variables (Tacq, 1997). A research problem happens to be the initial step, while, at the same time, the most significant requirement within the research problem. It acts as the basis of a research study, therefore, through ideal formulation, an appropriate study tends to be bound to take place. In order for a researcher in solving a problem, he or she must understand what the problem is, thereby comprehending what one is attempting to do. A research problem, along with the manner in which the researcher formulates it ascertains every step followed when undertaking a research study. Formulating the problem happens to be input into the study while the output turns out to be the quality of research report’s content. As a result, a research problem is in most cases accompanied by a research question. A research question is responsible for the identification of the phenomenon undergoing study (Jeffrey & George, 2000). When defining a research problem, it is essential to bear in mind that is must be specific instead of general. In stances whereby a problem is specific, as well as focused, it turns out to be more answerable compared to if it is general. As a matter of fact, there is a perception that a well formulated research problem happens to be half solved. Therefore, research formulation appears to be like the identification of a destination before embarking of the journey; in the lack of a destination, it is not possible to make out a route, let along the shortest one. Similarly, lack of distinctive research problems, it is impossible to have a clear, economical plan since the research problem happens to be the foundation of the research problem; with the type, along with the design of the building being dependent on its foundation. The majority of research in humanities tend to revolve around the four P's; they comprise of People, Problems, Programs, as well as Phenomena. There are a number o f considerations to contemplate when choosing a research problem that comprise of interest, ethical issues, magnitude, availability of data, measurement of concepts, relevance and level of expertise. However, studies indicate that, on top of these factors, the sociological paradigm, time factor, the researcher’s values, unit of the chosen analysis, the researcher’s methodology and the level of reactivity inherent in a method considered suitable for gathering data should also be put into consideration (Tacq, 1997). There are a number of characteristic that should be put into consideration concerning a research problem, they include (Lynn & Ronald, 2010): a) Idea: Every research problem statement starts with the introduction of the idea the researcher in interested in studying. For instance, if the researcher is studying the impact of parenting technique on the self esteem of children, there is a need to read everything concerning parenting techniques, as well as what is already known concerning the impacts different techniques have on self-esteem. Clarify why the idea is significant; give details concerning the importance of children's self-esteem for the creation of prosocial society, along with the parenting techniques that are a primary element in the creation of self-esteem. In this case, the problem statement might be: "The aim of this research is to explore which of four parenting techniques has a connection with positive children’

Studio Production Essay Example for Free

Studio Production Essay With academic reference, research and analyse what your studio role involves both technically and creatively from pre production to production of a studio programme. And with reference to your team’s studio programme, discuss your role and how you contributed. Introduction The purpose of the â€Å"Studio Production† module was to produce a live studio programme in a team, starting from the pre-production stages right through to the live studio broadcast. Each member of the team was assigned a studio role that they would carry out throughout the course. The different roles available will be discussed in more detail later. Television studios supply the appropriate environment and coordination for making live studio programmes. Everything that goes on within a studio can be properly controlled and gives you the opportunity to get the best use out of the equipment; such as cameras, lighting and sound etc. Television studios are convenient and spacious enough to create sets and hold an audience. The audience are often there to interact; either by asking questions, or simply to laugh in the right places and give the presenter(s) someone to bounce off. Live studio programmes generally come as daytime or late night chat shows or discussion programmes. Research Daytime television has programmes such as: Ready, Steady, Cook, Paul O’Grady, This Morning and Loose Women. The media is the biggest cause for stereotyping, and daytime television is usually directed more towards women, who stereotypically are the ones at home in the day, whilst the man is at work. They are also for students and OAP’s who are also thought to be at home watching television. As these programmes are intended for the daytime, the content of these programmes must be suitable to be shown before the watershed. Late night television programmes are on after the watershed, so are allowed to be more risque. These programmes usually consist of a presenter, guests and some debates for factual or entertainment value. Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, Match of the Day, Parkinson and the Friday Night Project are all examples of late night shows. Discussion shows like Jeremy Kyle, Trisha Goddard and Question Time are often on during the day too, again its target audience being women, students and pensioners. There is usually a presenter who raises three or four different news or topical issues that are discussed, or problems are solved. There are many different roles that need to be undertaken in order to make a live studio programme: †¢Producer – they create the show and are responsible for the studio equipment and crew, as well as the content and timing of the programme. †¢Director – it is their visual input that makes the programme what you see. They are responsible for the overall flow of the programme, the shots, what cameras and graphics are to be used and to direct the crew. Vision Mixer – they are responsible for the output of the live programme. The director instructs what shots and graphics are needed and when and how they are transitioned, whilst the vision mixer gets it done. †¢Presenter – the one who delivers it all to the audience, reading from the autocue and adlibbing. †¢Scriptwriters – they write the programme script , so often the producer, presenter and prompt operator will be involved in the scriptwriting process. †¢VT Graphics – Graphics, titles and Astons are all designed and created for the programme. The VT’s are the videos used as cutaways in the programme to essentially give the presenter a break and to possibly change the scenery/area. Both work closely with the vision mixer. †¢Lighting – lights up the set, presenters and guests accordingly. †¢Sound – testing sound and responsible for the audio set-up. There are usually two sound engineers working on one programme. †¢Camera Operator – operates the camera. The director tells them what shot they want and the camera operator generates it, quickly framing and focusing on the person/object. A basic studio programme would have at least three or four cameras. †¢Floor Manager – manages the studio floor and making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be, controls the audience and passes on instructions to the presenter and guests on the programme. †¢Prompt Operator – inputs the script into the autocue, runs the autocue for the presenter to read. A daytrip to London’s Leicester Square Studio to watch TRL was organised, in order to get a feel of a live studio programme in transmission. Vision Mixing Vision mixing is similar to editing, only in real-time, as you are editing for a live studio programme, so you only have one chance to get it right. Once a moment has passed you cannot get it back, so timing and initiative are extremely important qualities to ensure for being a vision mixer. Like post-production editing, the cuts between takes want to look seamless and subtle, not clunky and obvious. The aim of the vision mixer is to follow the action. Viewers do not want to look at a shot of an inanimate person whilst someone else talks, they want to see who it is doing the talking. The vision mixer listens to what shots the director wants and how they want the cuts to look, and it is their job to bring the directors instructions to life. There are two main screens the vision mixer needs to be aware of: the â€Å"preview screen† and the â€Å"programme screen†. The preview screen shows what will need to go live next. Such as if camera 2 or a VT needs fading in, then it should be displayed ready to fade in on the preview screen. The programme screen shows what is currently being broadcast. A For-A VPS-700 Ginga Video Production System was used as the video switcher for the studio programme. It is a 12 input switcher, allowing for: 3 camera channels, 2 VT playback channels, a graphics fill key, an internal still store and also internal matte generators. Along the bottom of the switcher are two rows of thirteen numbered buttons (numbered 1-12, for the twelve inputs). These numbers represent a channel input that is being used for recording. For example, Camera 1 will generally be fed through button 1. Camera 2 is on 2, Camera 3 is on button 3 etc. The very first button on the row is â€Å"Black† which brings up an empty black screen. This is used to begin and end a programme: â€Å"fade to black†. The top row of buttons represents the ‘live’ buttons and when in use, will be lit in red. Red means â€Å"Live†. Whatever button is on here will be being shown on the programme screen. The bottom set of buttons will be what is displayed on the preview screen, and the buttons will light up in yellow, meaning they are ready to go live. There were six screens in the gallery that were assigned to channels on the switcher, so the first six channel inputs (the most used ones) were easy to view, without needing to set them up on the preview screen: 1. Camera 1 2. Camera 2 3. Camera 3 4. VT 1 5. VT 2 6. Graphics The transitions that could be used to edit between shots are cuts, mixes or fades. There are also many effects that the For-A VPS-700 Ginga could do. The come under wipes, digital video effects and downstream keys. Wipes do not manipulate the video source and are used by an inbuilt key. They can be used for graphic transitions, but are not ideal for live television productions as look quite juvenile. Digital video effects (DVE’s) can make picture-in-picture effects and change the position of the frame. Downstream keys (DSK’s) are used for Astons, logos and for rolling credits. â€Å"Back to the Movies† The chosen type of live studio programme that Group 3 chose to make was a quiz show. This was chosen because the majority of programmes being made by the other groups were late night chat shows, so a quiz show would stand out more from the others, as well as also providing more of a challenge to make. Quiz shows need to be spontaneous and can be unpredictable when it comes to people answering questions and what will be said. A good deal of the content is scripted, but the guests cannot be given scripted answers, as this would make the idea of the quiz fake. This meant that guests on the programme would not be able to rehearse all of the rounds or hear the questions that they would be answering in advance, so that they would not know them during the live broadcast. This means that cameras would not know which people to frame and focus in advance, nor would the director or vision mixer know who would need to be shown on the programme, until the guest buzzed in. This makes for harder work than a fully scripted programme, as well as impulsive shots to be taken by the camera operators and vision mixer. Being on a film course, the quiz show was decided to be based upon film questions, and separated into four rounds: †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Quick-fire† round – random film questions, teams buzz in to answer. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Guess the Odd One Out† round – each team is shown four images of film celebrities. They need to guess who is the odd one out and why. â€Å"Guess What Happens Next† round – each team is each shown two film clips. Using their imagination instead of knowledge, they need to guess what happens next. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Movie Tagline† round – Each team is given different taglines from films, they need to guess what the film is. The director instructed that as a contestant spoke, the vision mixer would select the appropriate camera set up to capture the action. This involved a lot of quick switchin g, because during the quick-fire rounds, any of the four contestants could be answering. This meant that for this round, one of the three cameras needed to be on Team 1, another on Team 2, and the other camera on the Presenter at all times, because any of the teams could be answering the questions, and depending on the length of their answer, the action may switch back to the presenter. The presenter sits in the middle of the set, with a team of two guests to either side of him. The presenter has two buzzers to himself; one with the noise signalling a wrong answer, and the other making a noise to signify that the answer to the question is right. To make things easier for knowing who to switch to, the teams each had a separate buzzer noise, so that the director, cameras and vision mixer would realise who was about to speak, before they began. â€Å"Back to the Movies† starts with a fade from black to the opening 30 second VT on channel 4. The last ten seconds of the VT are counted down, and the establishing shot of the set is set up ready on the preview screen, through channel 2. The title graphics naming the show are faded onto the screen at this point, using the downstream key. They are faded back out, and a direct cut is made to show a shot of the audience clapping. Another direct cut is made to show the presenter, whilst his name is faded on and off screen, followed by direct cuts to introduce the teams, and again the graphics are faded in to show their team names. Direct cuts are used mostly throughout the show, as the cuts need to be quick and often you do not know in advance who will be the next to speak. The only fades used are for the graphics, VT’s and at the start and end of the show, when the programme is faded to black. Conclusion The idea of a quiz show was different to the more expected late night chat show that seemed to be a favourite among most students. It also provided more of a challenge because of its unpredictable nature that kept the crew on their toes at all times, and helped things to be less tedious. New guests each time helped to keep the atmosphere fresh during rehearsals. The only hindrance with â€Å"Back to the Movies† was the lack of cameras within the studio, as there were some shots that were just not doable with only three cameras and five people on set.

The Nature of Construction Problems: Past and Present

The Nature of Construction Problems: Past and Present ABSTRACT: This paper aims at deriving a comprehensive understanding pertaining to the different construction difficulties that have been faced in the past and are being faced now in the present also. It provides a vivid analysis of why the problems were faced, the nature of the problems and how they were dealt with. It has been a long time since the first inception of architectural ideas that had crept into our ancestors’ minds. Right from the Stone Age, man has actually been into this act of constructing stuff for making his life easy. At the very juncture of the Metal Age, he got a further boost with the advent of new materials and construction techniques. Furthermore, came the times when architecture was at its peak. Everywhere in the world there was zeal to construct structures that not only made life comfortable for man, but also soothed his eyes. The classical orders of the Greeks packed the punch of serving as better structural members along with being a visual treat. The Romans had been articulate in constructing an efficient system of water supply in the form of a series of arches together being called as aquaducts. It still stands as an example people look up to design urban spaces. Egyptians were no less. They were meticulously constructing pyramids and mortuary tombs that were way beyond the human scale. They had designed the first forms of conveyor systems in building construction. Similarly, India saw the construction of a lot of architectural wonders. Right from the construction of the monolithic stone structures of the Ajanta-Ellora caves and the temples of Mahabalipuram to the Islamic structures of Taj Mahal and the Humayun’s tomb it had been a marvellous leap in the form of architectural progress. Finally came the times of controversies about architecture when Gustav Eiffel proposed the construction of an all metal structure now called the Eiffel tower. There was a lot of noise about the fact that how it would finally look when it was constructed in Paris. Many people said that it might turn out to be a scar on the face of the city. But, now fortunately it is known as the first thing that helps us identify the city of Paris. There have also been controversies about Zaha Hadid’s designs. She is one of the pioneer architects as far as t he use of fluidic forms is concerned. Her designs have almost always been at the helm of criticism by the senior architects of her times. But, she has been articulate in executing her own designs. Similarly, in the recent times Frank O’ Gehry had faced a lot of challenges in bringing up his work called Bilbao museum. He has been criticised like hell up to the level of being called the mad architect. Now as we come up to the fact of such progress in the field of construction, can we deny that there have been no difficulties in the construction of these age old structures? No will be the answer. As we go back to the times when the monolithic stone structures of the Kailasa temple was constructed, we get to know that no good technology was available at that time. However, they have managed to actually make it possible to form a massive temple out of a single rock. Imagine that how the person who started the construction, actually just used a chisel and a hammer to build such a huge temple. It is said that he started from the top and kept on chiselling till the bottom. It is evident that this wonderful construction must have taken a long time to come up. But, it has not been constructed by a single sculptor. Imagine the difficulty in passing on the same knowledge about the structure to so many artisans over the ages. There might have been several changes made to this temple structure during the construction. This must have made it even more difficult for the sculptors. Now raises the question of managing the waste that was generated in this process. How were all the cut out st ones used? Yes, they were used to make roads and for pety constructions. But wasn’t it really difficult to manage these heavy masses? Yes, it must have been tedious. A similar structure had come up previously. The Konark temple in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa had a huge contribution in raising the architectural taste of the people of the country. In this construction, they used the method of constructing sand ramps as it was being constructed towards the top end. This had actually ensured that the structure didn’t get decayed during the construction process. However, this structure had made use of a huge pole at the centre in the form of a magnet that gave the massive stone structure all its strength. This had been acquired by the British during their reign in our country. But, later on what it was used for nobody knows. Just imagine how that huge magnet was made to stand just by the use of very basic tools. This speaks of the difficulty in constructing structures belonging to the typology of stone temples. Now, when the importance of Constantinople came into existence, there was a sudden need for the construction of several public buildings. At that time there was a huge recession in the field of construction in Europe. There was a shortage of resources, funds, architects and even labourers. This thing gave rise to a new form of architecture. This form of architecture came to be known as Polymath Architecture. In this form of architecture the existing buildings were used to build several other buildings. The Roman basilicas were used to build the Basilican churches that formed the basis of Christianity. The columns of the condemned buildings were actually truncated to get a uniform size. As a result, the buildings were having a size very close to the human scale. Explicitly or purposely, this form of architecture happened to be more close to people. Even the foundations of several buildings were used to meet the needs of the times. The rotunda buildings were used to used to build bapti steries when the question of child baptism came into existence. These spaces required a kind of radiating building plan in order to accommodate the required activity. So, the unavailability of resources at that time was addressed in such a way. Now, when we come to construction of buildings that are built with the on public money, the question of minimalism comes into existence. The usage of minimum amount of resource and funds comes into existence. Taking the example of a case, when an architect is given task of designing a public building, he has to make sure that he does not raise the cost of the building to the height of making it unfeasible. Nowadays, in case of construction of public buildings, the factor of tender pops up. The person coming up with the most apt design within the least of cost frame usually gets the project. Such a case can be taken up when it comes to the Bilbao museum. It was designed by Frank O’ Gehry. He had gone through the criticism of the entire world because of his design. His design was so complex that it made use of aircraft design software. He had actually gone to the point of overusing resources. The frames of the building were made using thick steel sections. A large layer of fabri c was used to cover the building. Above this a layer of titanium sheets were used. Around twenty four thousand square meters of such were used. As a result of this, he was criticised over the fact that a similar functionality and aesthetics was achievable with lesser use of resources. But, he had paid no heed to what the people said. He has a concept of a fish just because he had memories of going to a fish market with his grandma. This vague justification brought about a lot of talks throughout the world. Luckily, the titanium prices had gone down at that point of time. So, he had the privilege of not getting the project cancelled. When residential projects are taken into consideration, there are several pety issues that come up. Funds remain limited in most cases. There have been cases when construction of a single house has gone through a ceasework period of more than a year just due to the lack of funds. Other religious issues play a vital role in our country when it comes to construction of residences specially. Several people actually back out when the architect is reluctant to listen to his specifications about how the building should be. Industrial buildings have challenges that are totally different as compared to other buildings. They should have the ability to actually justify all the government norms regarding the minute points like waste generation and hazard safety factors. They should have special anthropometric specifications but they should not use too much of space. So, as we come to conclude this, we can actually see that several issues are getting solved in this context. Several architects are coming up with innovative ideas to actually cater to the ideas of the government and the environmental impact assessment bodies to make a statement regarding this matter. So let us hope for a hassle free and green future ahead!!! References: History Of Architecture by Sir Bannister Fletcher Construction Delays: Extension Of time and prolongation claims by Roger Gibson

Standardized Testing and No Child Left Behind :: Standardized Testing Essays

Policy Identification and Explanation Every year, students are required to participate in standardized testing. Why would each student be forced to take such tests every year? This is because of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB). In the NCLB Act of 2001 Public Law 107-110 115 Stat. 1445-6, it states that, â€Å"each state plan shall demonstrate that the state has adopted challenging academic content standards and challenging student academic achievement standards that will be used by the state, its local educational agencies, and its schools to carry of this part† (The NCLB LAW). The NCLB Act of 2001 Public Law 107-110 115 Stat. 1445-6 is based on the development of state content and academic achievement standards which are measured by state assessments and compared to the â€Å"adequate yearly progress† expectations. Each state is allowed to develop their own standards. History/Background Standardized tests date back as far as 2200BC, when the Chinese government administered written exams to candidates interested in being in the Civil Services (Young, 2005). The exams were mostly memorization of established wisdom. By 1803, exams were widespread throughout Europe as a way to get into a respected college. Standardized tests didn’t appear in the United States until the mid 19th century. Written exams were introduced in Boston in 1845 for government funded schools and in 1851, Harvard started the first entrance exams. From 1900-1915, psychology was a big influence on the tests that were administered. During this time, Lewis Terman helped expand Alfred Binet’s ideas about an intelligence test. This later, in 1916 became known as the IQ test. In 1926, colleges began using the SAT, a multiple-choice exam. This was a great advancement in the form of standardized tests. The SAT made grading easier and the testing more consistent. The SAT replaced any written test for college entry. For the next 19 years, the number of IQ tests increased substantially (Young, 2005). During these 19 years, different tests are created from the inkblot tests to the scholastic multiple choice test. At the start of the 1960’s, a book was published called, The Tyranny of Testing (Young, 2005). This book started the criticism due to the issue of standardized testing. The strongest criticism was standardized testing wasn’t helping students to achieve and reach their full potential. This statement was backed by the Russians launching of Sputnik in 1957. American’s began to wonder why the Russians had beaten us into space.

Crime †Morality Essay

Giving credit to the definition given above, morality describes the principles that govern our behavior. It guides us or our course of actions. Since childhood, we have been told by our dear parents to always do good and act right. We were taught on how to be disciplined. Even in school, since nursery, kindergarten and especially during elementary, good morals and right conduct were always reminded to us by our dear teachers. But what happened to these values upon reaching secondary school? Students in these years tend to be more carefree and they want to do things their way. They crave for independence and freedom leading to rebelliousness and loss of values if their desires weren’t considered by their families. Does that mean that growing up at the same time losing the virtues come at the same time? What happened to the manners that were ought to be followed by heart? Their was once a teenage boy that was known in the neighborhood to be a thief since he was young. He had been caught many times and been to jail for many times too. He is always making promises not to do the crime again but still endures to repeat the act many time. He was asked why he’s doing such thing at a very young age where in fact he still have his parents? He was questioned of not being taught of choosing right from wrong. Then he answered â€Å"Are morals more important than the needs that I have to fulfill? You are lucky because you have your parents that can provide your necessities. But what about me? My siblings? † His resemblance was too pitiful that he doesn’t have the parents who are good providers. But it conferred to a realization that we can’t put the blame to the parents. The family’s suffering from poverty affecting not only the family’s stand of morality but also the perspective of each family member. Crime statistics shows that as of year 2007, 65,944 crimes were committed or 115. 6 crimes per 100,000 population and 17. 4% of these were because of robbery. That’s according to the PNP records. The cause of robberies were primarily caused by POVERTY. So in the minds of most people and of the Filipinos, fighting against hunger is better than having an integrity with an empty stomach. That there are more important things to consider than just being in line of doing good and upright. But isn’t it easier to consider fighting against poverty and following morals? Than being able to commit crime and unrighteousness because we wanted to achieve our wants and needs? It’s like cheating during exams to get a high grade the same way easier to study hard to get high grades. If we just work hard, there will be mountains hard enough to climb and trials that we can’t survive. If we’d just work on our faith in God, live up our religion to help us to take the right path of doing the good way and at the end, we might get what we want and it might be greater than we’d expect.

Femme Fatale in Victorian Literature Essay

INTRODUCTION Victorian Era was the big step in the overall cultural development of England. Many, presently famous novels and poems came to light during this period. Mainly writers, who (in their style of writing) openly manifested their opposition to the strict moral law which was significant those days. Universal etiquette of behavior, wealth and the family name in the social hierarchy ladder were very important to be perceived as aristocracy. Class division within the society was clearly marked. The pattern of a female character in Victorian novel which gained popularity very fast that time was Femme Fatale pattern which is also known as deadly woman. I have chosen such topic, because I am of opinion that femme fatale type of character is the most interesting of all female identity types. Furthermore, Victorian period is a time of a changing role of the women in the British society, which gives us very contrastive background, in which behavior of such woman was something immoral, controversial but also brave. Charles Dickens is widely perceived as the greatest novelist of the Victorian Era. He is the creator of fictional characters, which are known all over the world and are used as universal patterns through centuries till now. Ch. Dickens in his work described in a perfect way English Victorian society as well as its rules. Dickens, through his life experienced many difficulties, which shaped his identity and had immense influence on his own, specific style of writing. His thirteenth novel Great Expectations was one of the greatest among Victorian Era works. The main character Pip, is growing and developing through the whole story which is why the novel belongs to the Bildungsroman genre. What is more, Great Expectations novel was firstly published in the serial form in weekly magazine All the Year Round so it can be also defined as serialized novel. The plot of this story is quite complicated, bringing the reader much of surprise because of unexpected turns of action and character, like the most significant change in the story is when the main hero suddenly becomes rich person and his life has been rapidly changed. But it is not main hero on whom I am going to focus in the first chapter of my diploma paper. It will be the woman of his dreams. The woman, who was unable to return a feeling back to him, as well as to anybody else. Her name is Estella Havisham and she is the first example which I am going to analyze in my work. The second writer from Victorian era whose fictional character I am going to analyze is William Thackeray. William Thackeray, the next one of the greatest writers in Victoria Era, was born into British high society in 1811. He experienced mostly comfortable and easy life until he reached 22 years old. Till that time he managed to squander most of his fortune. The main reasons which led to that situation were gambling and the Indian Banking Crisis. We can say that during his life he experienced on his own what is like to be rich and poor. That is why he could objectively depict the view of British society of his times. This is exactly what he had done in his famous work entitled Vanity Fair. In 1847 He started publishing short stories in Punch Magazine, which means that similarly to Great Expectations, it was also serialized novel. Although first chapters of this novel were written years before, they were not available for the wide audience. The whole story was completed and published as a book in 1848. That time also it received the subtitle A Novel Without a Hero. Very soon it became successful. CHAPTER ONE: FEMME FATALE AND VICTORIAN SOCIETY 1Victorian Period – Overall information The period 1837-1901 is named Victorian after Queen Victoria who ruled English country that time. It was a time of a big change when English Victorian Society was divided into three main classes: upper, middle and lower which was also called working class. Each class is characterized by various occupations, ways of life and etiquette. The upper class consisted of the nobility, such as dukes, earls, and viscounts. They were often related to the royal families of Britain and Europe, and their society was distinct and separate to the other two classes – certain expectations had to be met by everybody. Most of these ‘aristocrats’ did not have a profession, as their families had sufficient funds to live in affluence. However, many were captains of industry, especially mining or ship building. The middle class consisted of rich families who were respectable, but lacked a â€Å"title†, and often had skilled professions, such as a doctor, or a teacher. At the beginning of the Victorian times, they were a small proportion of the population. However, the effects of the Industrial Revolution meant that more people could be defined as ‘middle class’, because of improvements in education and more opportunities of leveling from the lower class to upper one. The lower class (working class) were made up of the rural and urban poor, who had often low skilled, dangerous, dirty and boring jobs (often all four) that they had to take because of the lack of education. A handful could actually be defined as ‘lower middle class’, but because they often lived in terraced housing areas, they were defined as working class. There was also a class below the working class – paupers. They lived in extreme poverty, often because of old age, unemployment, illness or strained resources. Sally Mitchel in her book clearly points out that Most working people earned just enough to stay alive, and could be thrown into poverty by illness, layoffs, or a sudden misfortune such as a factory fire that caused even short-term unemployment. People in unskilled and semiskilled jobs generally needed additional income from several members of the family. (Mitchel 19) Etiquette was one of the most significant thing that time. Education of the woman would not be completed without teaching rules of proper behavior. Not only women but also men had to obey this set of rules during many daily activities even the simplest one. What kind of jewelry as well as when and where one should wear, who to walk with, who to dance with, how and when to speak to a stranger, were all very critical knowledge. For men, there were rules about bowing, where to sit and next to whom, even about the circumstances in which it was appropriate or not to smoke or drink in front of ladies. Running a house without servants was almost impossible. The number of servants one could afford was a sign of one’s wealth. The bigger house, the more servants were hired. They were usually divided into two groups: indoor (butler, housekeeper, maids) and outdoor: (coachman, groom, a gardener). Being a servant wasn’t well-paid job but thanks to tips, a servant could earn extra money. Next, very significant thing which was obligatory mainly in upper class society was dance. It was the essence of every ball which was one of the greatest entertainment that time in English society. Balls were organized on many occasions and created opportunity to know noble men and women from upper class. In Victorian Britain the ideology of separate private sphere to the woman and sphere of business and politics to the man was clearly marked. The home was regarded as a haven from the busy and chaotic public world of politics and business, and from the harsh life of the factory. In Victorian times, you could travel one of three ways: by train, by horse, or by foot. The most common means of transportation was by far the horse. It was used by rich and poor. The rich owned fancy coaches that had every accessory one could ever need for living on the road, and the poor would go about town on the cheap omnibuses that carried twenty people at a time. 2Femme Fatale The term femme fatale comes from French and it states mainly in the opposition to another popular image of a Victorian woman called Angel in the House. ‘Femme Fatale is a woman who is sexually attractive but cruel and dangerous to men who have a relationship with her’ (Macmillan Dictionary, Femme Fatale definition). There were many famous female characters in the history who suit very well to this image even before the term Femme Fatale has been created. To the most famous examples belong: The femme fatale has always been a well-known archetype in literature, art and movies. The tradition of the femme fatale is long and versatile and can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt, with its iconic Cleopatra. Especially in the fine arts, the femme fatale has been portrayed in many metaphorical ways: as a vampire, nymph, fallen angel or sorceress. She flourished in the 1940’s century film noir, where the combination of aggressiveness and sensuality in women was a central topic (Place, 1998: 57). We can find many examples not only in written form but also in movies, where tempting and lethal women can be found as well: Sharon Stone in BASIC INSTINCT (1992), the Bond Girls or Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones in CHICAGO (2002) were all very seductive, but dangerous. Hence, based on van Dijkstra’s extensive historiography, the femme fatale can be defined as a woman who is mysteriously seductive and uses this quality to outsmart men. Her resistance against male domination exists of beauty, charm and sexual allure: she tempts the male target and drives him crazy by denying him her affection. (1986, 237) To summarize: key aspects of the femme fatale are mystery, beauty, seduction and, most importantly, danger. The most conventional image of the perfect Victorian woman who states in opposition to Femme Fatale woman can be found in the title of a long poem written by Coventry Patmore: The Angel in the House. The pure woman’s life was supposed to be entirely centered on the home. She preserved the higher moral values, guarded her husband’s conscience, guided her children’s training, and helped regenerate society through her daily display of Christianity in action. If she successfully made the home a place of perfect peace, her husband and sons would not want to leave it for an evening’s (morally suspect) entertainment elsewhere. (Mitchell 266) 3 William Makepeace Thackeray – Vanity Fair William Makepeace Thackeray was born in Calcutta, India, in 1811. He was son of Richmond Thackeray, an Indian Civil Servant, and his wife Anne. Just a few years later his father died, his mother remarried, and the shy and young William was sent to England where he would deal with the harsh realities of isolation at Charterhouse, a private school in London. He then went on to attend Trinity College, Cambridge. Thackeray abandoned his studies without taking a degree, having lost some of his inheritance of twenty thousand pounds through gambling. During 1831-33 Thackeray studied law at the Middle Temple, London, but had little enthusiasm to continue his studies. Soon after He went to Paris to unsuccessfully try his hand at painting. It was in Paris that he met and married Isabella Shawe (1816–1893) in 1836, with whom he would have two surviving daughters, Anne Isabella and Harriet Marian. Back in England he suffered massive financial losses, which is why he had to start writing articles, reviews, essays and sketches as a journalist. Travel articles about France such as his Paris Sketch Book (1840) and The Yellowplush Correspondence (1841) were among his first efforts appearing in various magazines and journals including Fraser’s, Punch, and The Times. He also illustrated many of his own works. After the birth of Harriet, Isabella started on what was to be, until her death, numerous bouts of depression, an extensive search for a cure, and ultimately a slow spiral to insanity. She would live apart from William, rarely seeing him or her daughters. Thackeray remained close to his daughters all his life. Anne was his secretary for a while and they both lived with him at his house in London before marrying. The disintegration of his marriage however would have a profound effect on his life and was reflected in the characters of his novels, including the loveless marriage between Rachel and Frank Castlewood in The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. (1852) and its sequel The Virginians (1857). Haunting the Literary Clubs of London including the Garrick Club, Thackeray also travelled the Mediterranean, A Journey from Cornhill to Grand Cairo (1846) the result. Book of Snobs (1848) and Vanity Fair (1848) followed soon after, but it was not until The History of Pendennis (1850), his semi-autobiographical novel that Thackeray’s success as a humorist was confirmed. He then embarked on a series of lectures published as English Humorists of the Eighteenth Century (1851) and Four Georges (1860), based on the Hanoverian Kings, from his tours of the United States in 1852-53 and 1855-56. In 1860 Thackeray became editor of the monthly literary journal Cornhill Magazine, but died suddenly three years later, in 1863, at the age of fifty two. He lies buried beside his mother in the Victorian Garden cemetery Kensal Green in London, England. Charles Dickens wrote a glowing tribute to him in Cornhill Magazine. William Thackeray is mostly known for his great novel â€Å"Vanity Fair†. The novel was written in 1848. The book brought Thackeray prosperity and made him an established author and popular lecturer in Europe and in the United States. Vanity Fair with its second title A Novel without a Hero is a novel published in 1847–48, satirizing society in early 19th-century Britain. The book’s title comes from John Bunyan’s allegorical story The Pilgrim’s Progress, first published in 1678 and still widely read at the time of Thackeray’s novel. â€Å"Vanity Fair† refers to a stop along the pilgrim’s progress: a never-ending fair held in a town called Vanity, which is meant to represent man’s sinful attachment to worldly things. The novel is now considered a classic, and has inspired several film adaptations, the most recent being the 2004 film starring Reese Witherspoon. In 2003, Vanity Fair was listed on the BBC’s The Big Read poll of the UK’s â€Å"best-loved novel†.[1] 4 Charles Dickens – Great Expectations Charles Dickens is widely perceived as the greatest novelist of the Victorian Era. He is the creator of fictional characters, which are known all over the world and are used as universal patterns through centuries till now. Ch. Dickens in his work describes in a perfect way English Victorian society as well as its rules. Dickens, through his life experienced many difficulties, which shaped his identity and had immense influence on his own, specific style of writing. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 1812 in Portsmouth. He was son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. Until he finished 11 years he and his family moved two times. He was very clever boy. When he was young, he read many novels, especially the picaresque novels of Tobias Smollett and Henry Fielding. From the early stages he took private lessons, first in dame school, and then at a school run by William Giles, a dissenter, in Chatham. In 1822, the Dickens family moved to Camden Town, a poor neighborhood in London. By then the family’s financial situation had grown dire, as John Dickens had a dangerous habit of living beyond the family’s means. Eventually, John was sent to prison for debt in 1824, when Charles was just 12 years old. In 1860 Dickens started to publish short stories for the weekly magazine â€Å"All The Year Round†. Although intended for weekly publication, Great Expectations was divided into nine monthly sections, with new pagination for each. At the beginning, his serialized story was not so famous as A Day’s Ride by Charles Lever, which was published in the same magazine but soon lose favor with the public. Dickens, during one year of publication (1860-1861), wrote thirty six episodes. The novel gained title Great Expectation and became very successful among works of Victorian era, showing simultaneously Dickens’ peak and maturity as an author. Nowadays, novel is regarded as very important and is taught in many English classes. The main character Pip, is growing and developing through the whole story which is why the novel belongs to the Bildungsroman genre. In many respects, it contains themes and emotions directly related to the author’s experience. For instance, the description of Pip’s childhood has some affinity with Dickens own life. Also, Estella seems directly inspired from Maria Beadwell, a lady whom Dickens loved; Beadwell snubbed him coldly because of his low social status. The plot of story is complicated, bringing the reader much of surprise because of unexpected turns of action as the most significant change in the story when the main hero suddenly becomes rich person and his life has been rapidly changed. But it is not main hero on whom I am going to focus in the first chapter of my diploma paper. It will be the woman of his dreams. The woman, who was unable to return a feeling back to him, as well as to anybody else. Her name is Estella Havisham and she is the first example which I am going to analyze in my work.

Home Depot Case Study Analysis Essay

According to the case study, Home Depot Incorporated: The Specialty Retailer of Building Materials, Home Depot, Inc has been incorporated since 1978. The company functions in the home improvement retail industry, which includes multiple markets as do-it-yourself, professional, and renovation home improvement. At the end of 2000, the company had 1,190 brick and mortar retail stores, mainly located in the United States, but slightly less than 100 retail outlets were distributed between Canada and South America. The retail sales of Home Depot are various, and include building materials, home improvement and renovation, lawn and garden, as well as household appliances, supplies, and tools. Other retail sales at Home Depot include cabinetry, tiles and flooring, lighting fixtures. In services, Home Depot offers installation, design assistance, and even instruction/installation assistance. The case study, Home Depot Incorporated: The Specialty Retailer of Building Materials, further shows how Home Depot segments its products into Fix It, Build It, Grow it, Decorate It, and Install it. These segments are based on the three consumer markets, the do it yourself, buy it yourself, and professional customers. This allows Home Depot to seek competitive advantage in specialized retail outlets by defining the characteristics of consumers by their purchase type and buyer characteristics. Home Depot Incorporated: The Specialty Retailer of Building Materials shows that Home Depot’s long-term debt reached $1. 55 US billion in 2002, and total liabilities were at $6. 37 US billion. Home Depot had $177 US million in cash and short term investments as of January, 2001. Their inventory value was at $6. 56 US billion, and the cost of goods sold was $31. 46 US billion, leaving Home Depot with inventory turnover every 76 days. This means that Home Depot incurred more inventory costs in warehousing and distribution, than retail sales supported. Issues in Strategic Management The case study, Home Depot Incorporated: The Specialty Retailer of Building Materials explains that Home Depot’s management issues have several dimensions. First, the increase in retail stores and implementation of specialty stores in response to customer segmentation led to the speculation that Home Depot was having an ‘identity crisis. ’ The diffusion of the core home improvement domain was extreme and initially occurred over a short time line, thus operating expenses climbed. This was combined with a slowing of the do it yourself industry and markets, as well as competition from Lowe’s. In response to this, the CEO at the time, Robert Nardelli, shifted away from the exponential growth strategy and towards reducing warehousing of low-purchase items and boosting in-store item differentiation and sales. Nardelli’s strategy chain was, according to the case study, envisioned as gaining ground in installation and services growth before the competition cornered these markets. The company’s focus then changed from one of brick and mortar growth to one of service industry growth. Thus, Nardelli moved from the traditions of the home improvement industry and towards innovation. In growth strategy, the senior vice president of Home Depot’s management team felt that increasing operational efficiency and maintaining the strength of brick and mortar growth was more important than implementing new service dimensions. The basis of this argument was that traditional growth strategy had a huge success rate since the company’s inception, and multiple trade areas in the Northwest and Southwest United States were largely ignored by major competitors, specifically Lowe’s. The case study, Home Depot Incorporated: The Specialty Retailer of Building Materials, examines that the second management strategy was also in contention, where the executive vice president believed that instead of focusing on the service strategy, or the retail market strategy, Home Depot should maintain its segmentation of consumers into specialty stores, which would allow Home Depot to gain competitive corners of the market that it had not yet explored. In this strategy, Home Depot would be able to market towards the appeal of specialized services. In closing the management strategy analysis, the case study emphasizes the decision of Nardelli as being difficult, as both strategies presented held risk and benefits. Nardelli’s decision making process, therefore, had to be one that focused on the growth initiative of Home Depot, as overcoming competitors, establishing the domains, and segmenting (or not segmenting) the retail outlets. Based on this, the pertinent issues facing management processes at Home Depot are directly related to the growth initiative, growth strategy, and implementation of the growth strategy. Analysis and Evaluation of Issues The concern of Home Depot is to develop a management strategy that enhances growth. There are two main conclusions, as presented in the above case study. First, Home Depot can rely on its traditional method of retail brick and mortar store development with a focus on the under-marketed North-western and South-western United States. Secondly, Home Depot can focus on the development of specialty stores which are geared towards the segmented consumer markets. Key Concepts Lippert, Schwieger, and Schweiger (p 13 2005) examine that options to help a company achieve strategic growth are highly relative to the ability of the company to take action and rely on financial viability. Thus, a strategic growth initiative has the objective to be consistent with corporate growth and profit objectives through the development of key individuals in the organization (Lippert, Schwieger and Schweiger 3005). The focus of the growth strategy should be in the ability of Home Depot to maximize efforts with respect to investment opportunities, gather valuable and real-time data on existing market opportunities and strive for industry-changing innovations on an ongoing basis (Lippert, Schwieger and Schweiger 2005). The concern of either strategy presented to Home Depot is relative to that of all corporate entities. The basic concern is to maximize growth while reducing the risk of the strategy (O’Leary p 37 2005). The underlying strategy of corporate growth initiatives is largely based on innovation, and the engine for innovation is the creation of an efficient connection between technologists, funding, and scale is its abilities (O’Leary p 37 2005). The growth strategies should therefore include diversity in innovation, rather than relying on the older ideals. Based on these key concepts, Home Depot’s optional growth strategies will be evaluated through a SWOT analysis, with a focus on the financial viability and strategic innovation presented. Strengths Home Depot has a strong market position as one of the largest home improvement retail stores in the United States. The sales volume allows Home Depot to maintain strength in domestic and foreign markets. The strong market position inidicates that the traditional growth initiatives have facilitated consumer support. Furthermore, Home Depot has a diversified and balanced brand mixture. The company stocks major branded appliances and a wide range of its own store-branded products. While there has been some worry regarding financial viability, Home Depot has remained the top domestic retailer in the home improvement market, and has a wide range of resources it can use for supporting corporate growth and new market entry. Weaknesses The weaknesses in Home Depot can be identified as a lack of customer service and support, the store has little initiative towards customer service that is easily visible to customers other than the retail store ‘customer service’ line. This shows that Home Depot has lagged behind its competition in providing high customer service quality, and raises a concern for the ability of Home Depot to maintain specialty service stores. The other identifiable weakness of Home Depot is the multiple brick and mortar extensions, which created a diffusion from the central home improvement retail business, and is exemplified by the management decision to ‘cut back’ on building new retail outlets. For the retail store, this creates a loss of square footage, which is vital to maintaining supplier relationships and meeting consumer demands. Opportunities Home Depot’s opportunities lie in the acquisition of new businesses. The company has the financial stability to acquire multiple businesses to further its growth strategy. This could include the service industries and specialized markets. As an opportunity, acquisitions have the ability to save costs over implementing ‘new’ growth strategies. Threats Home Depot’s business is highly competitive. Home Depot must compete against multiple market segments: other home improvement stores, electricity and construction stores, plumbing and lighting stores; cabinet-makers and lumber yards. In the retail segments such as paint, appliances, and tools, Home Depot also competes with discount stores, local, regional and national hardware stores, mail order firms, warehouse clubs and independent building supply stores.