Saturday, November 30, 2019

Swot Anaylsis free essay sample

I have read and understood the rules on paraphrasing and referencing and followed these conventions carefully. Signed: Seon Wall, Christopher Moore, Daniel Bates Date: 12 October 2012 1. Introduction The project provided is intended to describe the history of Sony Computer Entertainment and to give a SWOT analysis of the company. Its purpose is also to give references, a conclusion and an appendix all in our own work. 2. Company History Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Company was the original name for Sony. It was renamed to Sony to help give it the edge over competition which turned out to be a great success. Sony has released many different products over the years from transistor radios, computer chips, floppy disks, transistors, game consoles and mobile phones. The first Sony-trademarked product was a pocket sized radio in 1957. It sold for precisely U$40. In the early 1990s, Sony Computer joined with Nintendo to create a Game console known as a PlayStation. We will write a custom essay sample on Swot Anaylsis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Sony and Nintendo combined two pieces of equipment together, Sonys CD-ROM drive with the graphic expertise of a workstation. The PlayStation was first released in 1994 in Japan, due to serious competition Sony decided to take technology a step further and decided to make production in the US a year later. Several years after the PlayStation, Sony decided to design their own website known as PlayStation. com which helped to sell game consoles and software online. Also in 2000 the PlayStation 2 was created and sold worldwide. This console has become the most successful gaming device ever made. â€Å"Sony have sold roughly 1. 52 billion ps2 consoles† since they have been released till 2011. The PSP was next on Sony’s list of creations. It was a handheld device and â€Å"first released in March, 2005 in the UK†. You could connect to the Ps2, Ps3 and other PSP’s on this handheld console. This device was said to  signal Sonys large-scale entry into the handheld gaming market. Shortly after releasing the PlayStation Portable (PSP) an upgrade of the PlayStation 2 was created. Simply enough it was known as the PlayStation 3. â€Å"The PS3 resets the bar in the entertainment industry by introducing a built in blue ray player into the device†. The main features on the PS3 would include its ability to use PlayStation Network. â€Å"PlayStation Network (PSN) is a multiplayer gaming and digital media online service used only for the PlayStation 3. PlayStation Network was hacked by a popular known hacking group known as Anonymous. This caused Sony to close down online services for three days. Anonymous announced that roughly 10 million accounts had been hacked. After hack nightmare, Sony bars lawsuits with new terms of service (TOS). I believe that Sony have made PlayStation Network much safer to use after the attack and are much aware of hacking. The PS3 is the best known for home entertainment purposes on the market†. This device is in competition with Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo Wii consoles. Launched in 2006, the  PS3  was redesigned in 2009 designed much slimmer and lighter and has now sold in the region of 66m units worldwide. â€Å"We can say with a fair amount of certainty that between 500,000 and 600,000 u nits were sold but will not know the exact figure until all of the finalized data is in†. 3. SWOT Analysis |Strengths |Weaknesses | |1. High Quality Products |1. High Prices | |2. Well Known Brand |2. Shared Market with Competitors | |3. Future Awareness |3. Damaged Reputation | |Opportunities |Threats | |1. Wide range of products |1. New competitors | |2. Developing Market |2. Price competition | |3. Online Market | | Table 1 SWOT Summary 3. 1 StrengtHs 1. All Sony Computer Entertainment product meets the high technology demand in the US and Europe. The best known product of Sony Computer Entertainment is the Playstation series; this is a great example of high quality products that Sony Computer Entertainment manufactures. 2. Sony Computer Entertainment is a very strong brand which gives it brand loyalty and credibility in their business relationships all over the world. The Sony Computer Entertainment brand name is worth over 10 billion dollars which may sound good, but Sony Computer Entertainment has lost 12% of its value in a single year. They are now ranked the 85th most valuable brand pposed to 25th in 2009. 3. Every console is anticipated with great excitement and this imminent product launch gives Sony Computer Entertainment confidence for the future. Sony Computer Entertainment will have a lot of anticipation for the launches of the Playstation series worldwide. In Japan alone Sony Computer Entertainment sold over 80,000 Playstations within 24 hours of the launch. 3. 2 weaknesses 1. Due to Sony Computer Entertainmentâ₠¬â„¢s high quality products, many of the products they sell are very high in price. This means that competitors have an edge on Sony Computer Entertainment. Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii are Playstations strongest competitors because they manufacture there products cheaper there for selling them at a cheaper price making it more affordable to the average person that wants to play games etc. 2. Sony Computer Entertainment has a shared market with multimillion dollar companies. Such as Microsoft, Nintendo and the biggest one of them all Apple. All these companies pose a big treat to Sony Computer Entertainment and there market range. Sony Computer Entertainment lost millions of dollars in revenue when the Nintendo first released the Nintendo Wii, because the Nintendo Wii is recognised as a much more family orientated console opposed to the Playstation 3. 3. Sony Computer Entertainment lost over 170 million dollars when the Playstation Network got hacked into in 2011. A lot of users switched to Xbox when the Playstation Network got hacked, Sony Computer Entertainment Countered this problem with the announcement that they will be giving all users who had Playstation Network account two free downloadable games. But this still didn’t fix all their reputation, and do this day Sony Computer Entertainments Reputation is damaged. 3. 3 opportunities 1. With Sony’s wide range of products they can easily branch into other sectors of the entertainment industry. At the moment Sony have: Phones, home consoles, handheld consoles, televisions, computers, mp3 players etc. They are a very versatile company and with the loyal customers who buy all their products, they will find it easy to sell whatever they bring out so long as it’s new and innovative. 2. With Sony being in the entertainment industry, which is a developing market, they have an unlimited amount of opportunities to further their products and push technology to the limits. We already see smart-phones, next generation consoles and smart-televisions. In 2015 the new next generation consoles are expected to be released, which will give Sony a chance broaden their product quality. 3. The online market nowadays is vastly taking over buying discs. Sony can now sell all their products for the Playstation 3 on the Playstation 3 store. This will decrease shipping costs, packaging costs and will also be able sell the games straight to the user, instead of retail stores. 3. 4 Threats 1. One of the biggest threats in the industry is new competitors. This can be very harmful to a company because a new competitor means they have new fresh ideas. This would keep existing businesses such as Sony on their toes. For example; for the first quarter of 2012 Nintendo Wii had more sales than both Microsoft and Sony. The Nintendo Wii is not a brand new product but, it is newer than both the Playstation 3 and X-box 360. 2. Another big threat is this industry is the price of products. Price is a big factor when trying to sell products. Usually the lower the price the more the company sells. A lot of companies are lowering their prices for their products so that they can compete with the other companies who are trying to sell similar products, for example; Sony’s Playstation is in direct competition with Microsoft’s X-box and Nintendo’s Wii. 4. Conclusion I conclude that Sony Computer Entertainment is a very versatile company which has many strengths and opportunities in which it can expand itself into other areas of the entertainment industry and surpass its competition.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

buy custom National Health Service essay

buy custom National Health Service essay The principle that distinguishes a national health service from all other forms of medical and health care delivery is that it is a delivery system accountable, through the body politic; to the population it serves. Introduction The preceding statement articulates the intent and focus of the British National Health Service (NHS). As we wend our way through the various health care systems in this paper, we should note that the NHS has historically been characterized as a health model for the entire worldve. At the same time, the NHS has been vilified for being underfinanced, overly centralized, and creating potentially life-threatening patient queues. Regardless of how the current system is assessed, the NHS, like all health care systems, emerged as the result of politically motivated interests as well as historically significant events. The National Health Service Act (England and Wales) of 1946 aimed to introduce a comprehensive health service designed to secure enhancement in the bodily and psychological wellbeing as well as the prevention, identification and treatment of the diseases or sickness. Before this, government responsibility (at local and national levels) for individuals health and welfare was much more limited. There was no centralized, co-ordinated set of health services as there is today. For instance, before the NHS, hospital services were provided by a patchwork of voluntary (charitable) foundations, municipal (local government-run0 hospitals, and private hospitals and clinics. The NHS, which began treating patients in July 1948, was a landmark in health policy in two important ways. First, it was a centralized and government-dominated style of policy-making, despite the power of the medical profession to shape and alter policies locally. This traditional pattern of uniformity and control of the NHS by the Department of Health in London is now giving way to less centralized approach- not least because of the introduction of devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. However, compared with health systems in North America and in most European countries, it remains a uniquely uniform and centralized health service. Second, the introduction of the NHS represented a landmark because it was among the most socialistic and radical policies in the post-1945 Labour governments welfare state programme. The NHS formed a central pillar in the welfare states ambition to provide equal care for everyone from the cradle to grave. However, the NHS not only represented fairness, equality and freedom from the worry of not being able to afford medical treatment, it also represented a turning point in policy about where the responsibility lay for peoples health and health care. Along with the benefits of a free National Health Service came the assumption that it was now primarily the states responsibiity to look after people and take responsibility for their health. Although health care in England can be traced to the development of hospitals in the tenth century,the National Health Service has its historical origins in the emergence of friendly societies during the nineteenth century. These societies are characterized as a natural growth of associations of persons, often earning their livelihood in a similar fashion, who paid money into a common fund for some form of insurance purpose. In addition to the friendly societies, the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 was intended to provide the poor and the sick with health care. As the industrial revolution progressed throughout the nineteenth century, rural populations were increasingly forced into urban centers. Because of this movement, the government became more concerned with public health issues such as sanitation. As a result, a central authority-a central board of health under the Privy council was established to address the increasing knowledge of disease patterns. In addition to ensuring universal coverage, the newly created NHS provided hospital treatment, freely available for the whole population and financed by insurance contributions Physicians, however, were less than enthusiastic about the NHS. As a result, concessions, such as allowing them to maintain private practice and not requiring them to become salaried civil servants, were included[4]. Organizationally, the NHS consisted of a tiered system of central administration, regional hospital boards, local health authorities and executive councils, and a tripartite of providers: hospital, community, and family practice services (5). The bill creating the NHS was passed in 1946, but it was not officially implemented until July 5, 1948. The NHS is an entitlement that ensures a number of rights to UK citizens. These rights include the following: To be registered with a general practitioner (GP) To be referred to as a consultant acceptable to him or her where the GP thinks it necessary; and To receive emergency medical care at any time. Originally, the NHS was divided into three major components under the auspices of the minister of health: regional hospital boards, local health authorities, and executive councils. As with all health care systems, the NHS continues to experience structural change. The first major reorganization of the system occurred in 1974 with the objective of increasing the efficiency of the service delivery. In the process, the three original components were to be replaced by a structure of complete integration combining all these sectors into one comprehensive organization. These reorgannization efforts resulted in the creation of regional health authorities (formerly the regional hospital boards) and area health authorities (formerly the local authorities). The executive councils remained but were put under the control of the Family Practitioner Committee that was directly responsible to the Department of Health and Social Services. Further reorganization of the NHS occurred throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1982, the area health authorities (which were created in 1974) were eliminated. Concomitantly, private health care opportunities increased through the efforts of the conservative Thatcher government. By the mid-1980s, 10% of the population was covered by private insurance. The second change was a new management style. A 1983 document by Roy Griffiths, director of a supermarket chain, outlined a management structure for the NHS. This structure would incorporate general mangers at all levels of the NHS and reduce the role of doctors and nursing representatives in the decision-making process. The third change involved an increased private sector within the health care community. Growth in this sector has been limited but consistent with social class position. Interestingly, the movement toward a large role for the private sector has had the effect of solidifying the medical communitys support for the NHS. Perhaps most important is the impact the private sectors has had on the long-term care. Here, the private, and voluntary, sectors became the largest producers of institutional long stay care for the elderly by 1987. Conclusion As have been reflected above, there were several short term significance that the National Health Service brought to the people of United Kingdom. The paper has reflected on NHS having some significance on the lives of women, it led to an improved health for the nation, improved medical knowledge as well as treatment, the reorganization and restructuring of the healthcare system as well as the change in the role of government. The indicative started by the then secretary Aneurin Bevan was born in Manchester; many did not think that it was to be a huge success in terms of healthcare provision. Today, NHS stands out for its noble principles which uplift the presence of healthcare service being accessible to all people and financed entirely from taxation. Despite the major progress brought by NHS in the health sector, there are several challenges that have been met with one of them being that some people feel that NHS has not done enough, and that the budget allocation being allocated s hould not be the case. However, the majority feel that NHS achieved a great milestone in the short duration after its inception. 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Friday, November 22, 2019

Compound Tenses in English Grammar

Compound Tenses in English Grammar In English grammar, compound tense is a traditional term for a verb construction that uses more than one word to express a meaning related to time. A verb construction that uses only one word is called a simple tense.Compound tenses are made up of auxiliary verbs  (or helping verbs) combined with other verb forms. The perfect, past perfect (also known as pluperfect), progressive, and (in some cases) future are forms traditionally regarded as compound tenses in English. Examples and Observations Simple Tenses vs. Compound TensesThe distinction between simple and compound tenses corresponds to the distinction between affixes and words. A simple tense form of a verb is a single word, usually augmented by a suffix (less often a prefix). A compound tense form consists of several words, at least one of them an auxiliary. The work done by the affix in a simple tense form and the auxiliary in a compound tense form is broadly the same; it expresses some distinction in the general area of time. . . .What is potentially confusing here is the fact that English, like many European languages, uses the past participle (e.g. taken) both for the perfect (a compound tense) and for the passive voice. Note that the English passive is formed in a way quite parallel to the formation of compound tenses, i.e. with an auxiliary and a participle. But, of course, passive is not a tense.(James R. Hurford,  Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994)[W]hen the father comes in from wo rk, he eats, and finally the mother herself eats alone or with the smaller children, who probably have already eaten what they wanted with the others.(Jack E. Weller,  Yesterdays People: Life in Contemporary Appalachia. University Press of Kentucky, 1995) I wash my face, dress and go downstairs where my wife  is feeding the  baby.(Julius Lester,  Lovesong: Becoming a Jew. Arcade, 2013)Anyone who  has read the  judgments of Lord Denning or Lord Atkin will know the importance of the way the facts are presented.(Alan Paterson,  Final Judgment: The Last Law Lords and the Supreme Court. Hart, 2013)Dana  had left the office  to tend to the children, and Keith puttered around the church, unable to do anything productive. He finally left.(John Grisham, The Confession. Doubleday, 2010). Perfect Aspect and Compound Tenses The perfect is a past tense that is marked by means of an auxiliary verb rather than by inflection, like the preterite. The auxiliary is have, which is followed by a past participle. Examples are given in [40] along with their non-perfect counterparts:[40i] a. She has been ill. [perfect]   b. She is ill [non-perfect][40ii] a. She had left town. [perfect]   b. She left town. [non-perfect][40iii] a. She is said to have spoken fluent Greek. [perfect] (b) She is said to speak fluent Greek. [non-perfect]In [ia] and [iia] the auxiliary have is itself inflected for primary tense, has being a present tense form, had a peterite. These constructions thus have compound tense: [ia] is a present perfect, [iia] is a preterite perfect. In [iiia] have is in the plain form, so this time there is no primary tense, no compound tense.(Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum,  A Students Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2005) Expressing the Future With Compound Tenses Past and present are the only English simple tenses, using one-word forms of the verb. Future is expressed in English as a compound tense, with two words, using the modal auxiliary will, e.g. will come; the corresponding past tense came is just one word.(James R. Hurford,  Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994)  Bessie was baffled. How do these birds live? Where do they sleep at night? And how can they survive the rains, the cold, the snow? I will go home, Bessie decided. People will not leave me in the streets.(Isaac Bashevis Singer, The Key. The New Yorker, 1970)

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Understanding of the importance of literary techniques Essay - 1

Understanding of the importance of literary techniques - Essay Example Robert Browning is a master craftsman when it comes to the use of dramatic monologues in his poems. The Dramatic monologue is defined as â€Å"a literary, usually verse composition in which a speaker reveals his or her character, often in relation to a critical situation or event, in a monologue addressed to the reader or to a presumed listener† (Dramatic Monologue-Definition of Dramatic Monologue). Browning’s "My Last Duchess" possesses all these criteria of a dramatic monologue. The speaker in the poem is not the poet himself. In fact, Browning’s speaker in the poem represents a ‘psychological portrait of a powerful Renaissance aristocrat’ (Duke Ferrara) and the poem very well draws, in the minds of the readers, the image of a submissive presumed listener who pays heed to the Duke’s narration of the failings and imperfections of his late wife (My Last Duchess: Introduction). However, the reader can perceive from the dramatic monologue that t he so-called imperfections of the dutches are nothing but expressions of her virtues and her courtesy towards her servants. The very opening lines of the poem are quite suggestive. The lines, â€Å"Thats my last duchess painted on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive† clearly demonstrates the presence of an unseen audience or listener and the reader understands that the duchess is no longer alive. Similarly, towards the end of the poem, when the Duke states that â€Å"This grew; I gave commands;/Then all smiles stopped together† the reader grasps that it was he who ordered her murder. The actual character of the Duke is thus revealed through the dramatic monologue even when the listener remains absolutely silent. Thus, the poem’s elements of soliloquy (as there is only one speaker) and its dramatic, and lyrical qualities make it a perfect example for dramatic monologue and it is the effective use of dramatic monologue that offer new dimension to the theme an d treatment of

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethics - Essay Example They therefore, greatly encourage critical thinking so as to make the right decision under the given circumstances. In the contemporary environment of fast changing dynamics of socio-cultural and economic environment, ethical consideration and morality have become big issues, especially in the corporate world. The multicultural societies encompassing people from different race, color, culture and nations have increasingly become common across the globe. The inclusion of diversity within and outside the business paradigms have turned into major ethical issues that must be addressed. In fact, racial differences and lack of understanding of cross cultural values have fast emerged has vital ingredients of workplace conflicts leading to unethical conduct. I believe that rational thinking rather than emotions or intuition is the key facilitator for ethical decision making process. Rationalizing events and looking at the pros and con of the situation are major tools of critical thinking tha t helps to come up with right solution that is fair and is based on informed choices. The interpretation of events and human behavior must be accompanied by proper dissemination of information. The understanding of the issues promotes wider acceptance of the decisions made.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Free

Free Will vs. Determinism Essay Society walks about day-by-day living their lives and never really thinking or breaking down how their day unfolds or why it plays out the way it does. Some people have said that individuals have a choice and are able to decide on where their day goes. Others on the other hand would argue this assessment and state that your day and your life as whole are all pre determined. The different is free will vs. determinism. Do you believe we live in a free will world or has everything been planed out and is determined to happen no matter what? To start out on finding an answer to this question we must first break down the two terms and a bit about their background and what they mean to us as an individual walking around day-to-day living our lives. We will start off with the more depressing of the two, and that being determinism. Determinism is the philosophical view that everything in a person’s life including behavior, human conditioning, and previous events have already been planned out and will happen that way no matter what we do. Mostly this means that our lives essentially our out of our control. Imagine if you will the universe unfolding from a state of very small matter and as it unfolds and expands and life is form it just continues to grow and build. Life goes on and society works the way it is built. Then over billions of years the universe contracts and everything is essentially erased or reversed. After it completes this cycle it starts it all over again recreating the events that it just created previously. Some believe that this is what is happening in our world and with our universe now. Some also believe that this is infinite and will happen for eternity, stating that everything has already happened before and will continue to happen over and over again in the course of existence. Now you may be thinking, â€Å"I have a choice on what I do† well not according to this theory or any of the other ones in determinism. This idea is what some would put in the category of materialism. Materialism states that the only thing that truly exists is matter in a physical state, â€Å"that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. † (Ott) SO with this theory there is a bunch of cause and effect included. One physical thing must happen in order for the other to happen, even in your thought process. Yes, that’s right even in your brain. This states that your thoughts are all physical and chemical things happening (hormones cause emotions) to create your thoughts and what you do. Are you a robot? Next we have behaviorism. Many people have studied this idea but Skinner is probably the best known for his research on the topic. Behaviorism falls in the category of human conditioning. It also states that we are pleasure seeking animals and that we are determined to search and find the things that give us that pleasure. This falls in the determinism section because we have no choice with this essentially. We will only go after the things that make us feel good, all the way down to even helping a homeless person with some spare change. We do this because it makes us as an individual feel good that we helped someone else in need out. Also a lot of this has to do with when you do a good deed you are rewarded by society, given a nice pat on the back and encourages you to do that more often leading you in the direction you are going. Last but not least there is Psychoanalysis, or know to some as the Freudian psychology. Sigmund Freud is highly attached to this type of determinism and approach to life. Freud believed that we as an individual have an unconscious state of mind and a conscience. Think of it as an ice burg in the ocean. Above the water you have the tip of the iceberg, or the conscience state of mind. It is there it is aware it is obvious and clear. Then below the water you have a massive part of the iceberg that is not visible. We cannot see it and it is hidden, in fact we choose not to explore it from fear of what it may do to us. The part below the water could be looked at as your unconscious state of mind. Freud believed that your unconscious state was leading and guiding you to do things you do with out you even realizing it. These things were memories and thoughts that you have repressed mainly as a child or due to any traumatic experience. Freud would use psychology as a method of trying to bring these unconscious states to the surface so that a person could identify what they were doing and why it is that they were predetermined to do so. Sigmund Freud also came to the conclusion that each person holds with in them three states. These three states would be super ego, ego, and id. Ego would be our self-aware state of mind that you are conscience of. Super ego would be your moral value, and your id (translating to â€Å"it†) would be the sexually aggressive part of you. He felt that this â€Å"id† was what really guided you to do the things you do. It is almost as if you’re super ego and your id battle each other everyday trying to tell you what to do and when to do it. Freud was an evolutionary thinker and still to this day has many followers in his system. To go in the opposite direction we have free will. Free will is the approach to life that we have choices and decisions, and we make them every day to determine what it is that we do with our day and even with our life. Out of the two this is the less depressing approach. I personally like this approach and thought on how we live better. Free will contradicts determinism and goes the opposite direction in its logic and explanation. The followers of free will did not believe in determinism for many reason but the biggest and most important is that they believe that determinism erases responsibility for our actions. This is called indeterminism, meaning â€Å"a philosophical position that maintains that any form of determinism is incorrect because it is ultimately metaphysical†(White) So, lets look at some of the ideas and structure of free will and some of the people who had and still do have a huge influence on the approach to how we live our lives. Aristotle was a huge part of free will; he was a Greek philosopher and a student of Plato. Also is thought that he was a teacher to Alexander The Great. Aristotle was known as a common sense philosopher, believing that most of what we do is by our choices. He also believed this choices were voluntary and involuntary as well. He also believed that â€Å"the lives of individual human beings are invariably linked together in a social context†(White) Next we have William James an American psychologist and philosopher best known for his views on free will and philosophy as well as pragmatism. Pragmatism is the belief that what ever works, works because it is true. Basically validity of an idea lies within its practical consequences. This gives an individual free will by letting them think and make choices in an analytical sense. Coming up with an idea or approach to a situation but then presenting another route that is just as enjoyable or likely to be taken in the situation. If a person looks at a situation and how they will approach it and the outcome seems bad in comparison to goo then they have the choice not to go down that route giving us free will. Determinism would state that you have no choice and that you will go the route you were meant to go along. I don’t know about you but I like thinking that I have choice over if I want to go a painful route or an enjoyable route. Jean-Paul Sarte was a French existentialist and philosopher. He was famed on believing that existence precedes essences, meaning that everyday life come before the core part of what we (human) are made up of. He also stated that we are all â€Å"condemned to be free†. This meaning that we are held responsible for our own actions. There is no getting out of anything that we have chosen to do, this statement hold opposite form determinism in every way. The idea is that we are allowed to make choices but if we make the wrong choice then we must take responsibility for these choices and actions since we made them, and that life is not pre determined causing me to make them. Some individuals may choose to not take responsibility for their actions by just choosing not to make a decision all together. This is what is called living in bad faith. Living in bad faith is the idea that an individual chooses to not take an action or choices in certain situations. This is still part of free will because you are consciously making that choice and decision to do well†¦ nothing. Last but not least Sartre stated, In order to make myself recognized by the Other, I must risk my own life. To risk ones life, in fact, is to reveal oneself as not-bound to the objective form or to any determined existenceas not-bound to life Both determinism and free will have their strong arguments but I guess when you really think about it that is what philosophy altogether is really about, logical arguments. It is interesting how each can present to an individual things that we have all lived or experienced in our everyday lives. When I personally break it all down to decide what I think makes more sense I cant some to a conclusion on what I think is truly going on. Maybe I am living in bad faith and maybe that is my belief in free will, because I am able and willing to try to make a decision on which means more to me. But if determinism has its way with me then I am doomed in a sense and have no control over what one I will end up siding with. My money says that I continue to debate the two for the rest of my life. Just for my mentality sake I for the time being will side with free will. The idea of free will gives most people and me in this world faith in something, faith in the idea that they have control over their lives and can make decisions and reach things that may seem impossible. Determinism has its cool points especially when including and involving science, in fact the logic and physical evidence that follows with determinism can be quite convincing at times, but is just to depressing of a thought at the moment. Speaking for most of the world, I am sure that me and anyone else wants to think and feel that our lives are unplanned and that what we do in them will matter not to the world but more importantly to ourselves. Free will takes my vote and I am declaring it as the winner†¦ that is until determinism takes that from me.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The World Needs a Little Courtesy Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Es

The World Needs a Little Courtesy Doesn't anyone show common courtesy anymore? When I was younger, I never knew what my parents meant when I heard them ask that question. I thought people were polite. I never had any problems with rude people. Now that I am older, and actually experience people outside of school, I understand what my parents meant. What happened to people saying "Excuse me" when they want to walk past you? Don't people know what it means when someone says this to them? When I say "Excuse me" to someone the individual stares at me as if I just spoke a foreign language or said something insulting. Then the individual still doesn't move. I don't know how many times I have been standing somewhere, and instead of someone saying "Excuse me" to get by, he or she just shoves past. How was I to know the person was standing behind me? I guess I should have used the eyes in the back of my head. I have also seen grown men push past pregnant women, elderly couples, and even handicapped people as if they weren't even there. When my boyfriend was on crutches and we went shopping, people would run into him with their carts. He had to stop and get out of their way and they would act as if it was an inconvenience to them that he was on crutches. I look out for pregnant women, the elderly, people on crutches or in wheelchairs, someone with his or her arms full, and people with children. I move out of their way. Am I just more aware of my surroundings than other people? What happened to holding doors open for other people? I don't mean for just women, the elderly, or the handicapped. (I am a twenty-five-year-old female,... ...ould be because parents do not have the support of the teachers and schools. Teachers are a big part of a child's life, but they are not allowed to correct a child's behavior because they could be reprimanded for doing so. If we do not teach our children to respect their elders, to help others, and to say please and thank you, then eventually common courtesy and politeness will be lost. Did you ever realize how a reaction you get from a stranger, or even someone you know, could affect the mood of your day? Or how polite or rude that person was? Did you ever feel a little happier after doing something nice for someone? For most of us, our days are filled with stress. Being courteous to someone or smiling or saying "Thank you" might just change both of your moods. Try it sometime. It might just change your whole day. Thank you!

Monday, November 11, 2019

Blockade Runners

Blockade Runners. A blockade runner is usually a lighter-weight ship used for evading a naval port. Often blockade running is done in order to transport cargo, for example to bring food or arms to blockade a city. Other times blockade runners would carry mail in an attempt to communicate with the outside world. The blockade runners during the American civil war were seagoing steam ships that were used to make it through the union blockade that extended some 3,500 miles along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines and the lower Mississippi River.These ships had to go undetected they sually traveled at night. If any of the runners were detected by union ships they would simply try to outmaneuver or outrun the union ships. The typical blockade runners were privately owned vessels often operating with a letter of marque issued by the Confederate States. Inbound ships usually brought things that were badly needed supplies and mail, they often carried things like cotton, tobacco and ot her goods for trade. If a blockade was detected they would either be captured or destroyed.There were an estimated 2500-2900 attempts to run the blockade with at east 80% success. Some of the famous blockade runners were; The Bat, The Britannia, The chameleon, The Condor, The Falcon, The Hansa, The Lizzie, The Stag, and The ptarmigan. The Steamer Denbigh. – We are glad to learn that this steamer, reported to be ashore and a wreck in her late attempt to run out of this port in a fog, is not damaged to the extent supposed. She has been relieved of her cargo and is now afloat, and is expected up to-day. The enemy's fleet discovering her unfortunate position tried to vent their spite upon her.They succeeded in hitting her but once in her wheelhouse, doing her no damage. She was defended by the guns of Fort Morgan, which succeeded in putting three shots in one of the blockaders and driving the rest off. The enemy's ship that was struck was sent off in the direction of Pensacola, s upposed to be disabled. The energy of Gen. Higgins and his command in defending the unfortunate ship is highly commended. Word count: 363 Bibliography: Wikipedia, famous blockade runners, newspaper article Mobile Register February 4, 1864. Denbigh runs around near Fort Morgan.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Narratives of Adolescence Explored Through the Harry Potter

Ergo, when had decided to examine the movies, two movies in particular came to mind – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Cabana (2004) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One (2010). My Hypothesis is that as the movies progress, or rather, as Harry Potter (the main character) grows up, his surrounding social relationships mature him as well. They shape his personality and consequently, shape the turn of events yet to come. And I would like to explore how they Influence him and why.The movie relates to the topic of the course, as it focuses on narratives of adolescence in European cinema. It takes place In a far off dimension in the United Kingdom, contains a unique combination of basic teen everyday dilemmas, social relationship matters, mental maturity conversion, and various turning points heehawed by a super natural kick. I plan to explore different influences within Harry life – his parents and parent-like role models, his friends, romantic relationships an d rival enemies – to see how those relationships attributed to his maturing.Consequently, the point of focusing on society will result In a comparison of his decisions, which were much associated with protecting his kind and ensuring peace to the generations after him. The matter of taking responsibility for not only oneself, but also others, is very much relevant to the pressure many teens are feeling across the globe today. As the course focuses on gaining content and source for the corning of age subject through films, discussion and analysis of the Harry Potter movies will aim at gaining a general understanding of trauma and its depiction.Therefore, distinguishing between the personal and the social levels will emphasize these findings. In order to fully comprehend the concluding outcome of Harry Potter's development, the basic plot shall be briefed: Harry Potter was born to a wizard and a witch, Lilly (a mugged – has no wizardly blood) and James (pure-blood) Potte r, during the First Hazarding war. HIS parents were members of the order of the Phoenix – an organization led by Albums Tumbledown, purposed to defeat the dark lord, Voltmeter, and his enforcers, the Death Eaters.Voltmeter, hearing the prophecy of Hardy's future causing his defeat, murders Lilly and James with the killing spell. However, his attempt to kill baby Harry fails, as Lilly's love and protection causes the spell to bounce off Harry, leaving him with a lightening-shaped scar on his forehead. The scar 1 OFF Now orphaned Harry is adopted by his aunt and uncle (muscles), who mistreat him and neglect his needs. By locking Harry in his small, dusty under-staircase room and polling their only child right in front of his eyes, Harry develops a dealing mechanism of settled life.He is not aware of his rich wizardly history, or of his magical potential. When Haggard, a half-giant wizard gamekeeper from Hogwash's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry appeared with the school's lett er of acceptance addressed to Harry, an immensely influential turning point had taken over Hardy's life. No longer was he feeling out of place or unneeded – he had finally felt he had belonged somewhere. These feelings encouraged Hardy's sense of purpose in life, especially as he quickly bonded with two other students at Hogwash's – HeroineGranger and Ron Wesley. As fate would have it, Harry and his two new friends were all sorted into the same house – Gratifying. The individual who has not befriended Harry, and mocked the name preceding him was Dorado Malady, and he was sent into the Slithering house. Many relationships have influenced Harry Potter and shaped his unique characteristic individuality. This enabled a reoccurring plot twist of the constellation of his personal relations (family, intergenerational relations, peer groups- friendly allies and notorious enemies, etc. . With time, Harry is exposed to various situations here he is put under a magnifying glass for his choice of actions, although always well intended. It is almost as if he is pressured into maturing all too fast, as from the point of attending Hogwash's Harry deals with constant life threats on his own. Help from his friends and some handpicked school staff is provided, and although much is being done in order to make Harry feel safe and home, it is quite clear that much is being put at stake on the young adolescent's shivering shoulders.In the first movie to be discussed – the Prisoner of Cabana – Harry is in his early adolescence stage, as he is thirteen years-old. His cinematic narrative and inherent conflicts represent a less romantic and more individual growth, as it has mostly to do with family descendents reaching out to him and unveiling the truth behind his parents and their cause of death. However, in the second movie I wish to refer to – the Deathly Hallows, Part One – Harry is eighteen years-old, meaning he is in his late adole scence stage, Just approaching the emerging adulthood stage.This movie puts the spotlight on the threesome's friendship (Harry, Ron and Heroine), as they set out on a mission to find and destroy all of the Hercules, as they are the key to Voltmeter's immortality. Adult presence is not felt particularly within this movie, as there is no guidance or protection from their professors, families or others. The threesome rely on each other, however, this turns out to be a difficult task, as the Dark Forces use black magic and mind games to make the three turn on each other.Overall, the learning process the film offers is a distinguished moral outline of adolescents' development, demonstrated by social relations and interactions. The protagonist – Harry Potter – faces many obstacles in the righteous path of discovering and tears. His character evolves from a clueless, naive and stray form, to a mature, responsible, identity confident state. In this essay I plan on using a vari ety of research materials – the official Harry Potter books and movies, websites, fan pages and open-floor forums.The reason I have decided to use many forms of median resources is because not only am I interested in my interpretation of the character development, but I would also like to review other opinions. Shall my hypothesis be refuted, conclusive evidence must be provided as to what has influenced Harry Potter to fulfill his prophecy – become the error and savior of an entire magical kingdom. Part II: 1. Exposition (central conflict of narration). Which are the antagonistic elements of the film? 2. Intensification of the conflict (Show scenes and explain them) 3.Show development of main characters. What do they learn? How is it expressed in their action? Which fields of adolescence are addressed? 4. Turning points of story (Periphery) 5. Resolution of the conflict? Message of the story (cognitive level) 6. Which feelings/ emotions are conveyed by the film? What was the strongest emotional impression for you? How did it relate to the plot or to certain aesthetically elements of it like music, pictures. Can you describe it as an experience? / (Flabbergasting II) 7.Assessment: How could the filmed be used for educational purposes? What can be learned or experienced? Make a short statement. Work (education, profession, socio-economical situation) Cultural Belief System (Ideology, political and historical Identity) Part Ill: Scientific articles Find at least one scientific article which relates to your subject. It is favorable to use also an article that provides insights to the film, director, genre etc. Give the main arguments of the texts and try to draw a line to the message / (Flabbergasting) of the movie.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Rashomon essays

Rashomon essays Rashomon by Akutagawa Ryunosuke takes place at the gate called Rashomon in Kyoto. The devastated city had no time to repair the rusting gate. It had become a dark place where unidentified corpses were abandoned. A servant that had gotten dismissed by his master sits on the steps in the pouring rain wondering if he should become a thief to make a living. He sees a fire by the top of the stairs so he sneaks up and looks. There is an old woman pulling hair out of the corpses. By the sight of this, he cannot hold in his anger, he pulls out his sword and pushes the old woman on the ground. She told him, making wigs with the hair was keeping her alive. After a little thinking, he pulls off her kimono and runs off deciding that he had to steal to eat. He abandons her naked on the stairs and disappears into the night. Character. There are two characters, the servant and the hag. The servant had served a samurai for a few years; however, due to the decline of Kyoto, was dismissed. The hag or old womans past is unknown, for the only information the reader has is that she is found pulling out hair from the corpses to make a wig. Both seem like real people with characteristics that are naturalistic. The servant shows his strength and social class with his sword and physical power. The hag has no class but represents the lower class that is striving to live. The characters action questions the reader about the relationship between human nature and inner self. The dichotomy of morality and immorality are correlated through the characters. The servant had decided not to steal before entering Rashomon holding up his morality, however after the hags speech about selling hair to survive, he changes. His morality disappears, as he reaches out for her kimono, sending him into the lower class equal to the hag . The hag is almost like a devil. The servant himself is transformed into one through their interaction. Selfishness is a theme s...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Answer 2 questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Answer 2 questions - Assignment Example In United States, the family decline is apparent due to reasons such as increased rates of illegitimacy, unmarried couple of households and divorce. In US, there has been an extensive increase in the rate of illegitimacy. The birth rate of unmarried women has gone up by a significant percentage. Research showed that the number of illegitimate babies is going up day by day as well increasing the number of single parents. Family divorce is another reason that has tremendously led to family declines (Hobson 76). The family decline is a major has become more obvious in the United States. Parent around the world experiences joys and heartaches due to rewards and challenges of becoming parents. Parenting has remained a baffling subject where everyone has an opinion, but most people do not agree. Parents have a responsibility of preparing children for economic, physical, and psychological situations in which the children must thrive and survive. Being a financial provider is not a choice but a demanding responsibility for parents. Parents often find themselves in a tag of war between the works demands and finding time for their families. Mostly, parents sacrifice their family time for their work by means to ensure that they keep their jobs (Hobson 89). Some parents make a balance between the responsibilities as financial responsibilities and parents as they consider the two responsibilities intertwined. It is quite possible to fulfill the role of a financial provider and a role of a parent at the same time. Maintaining the two responsibilities is realistic as the two r esponsibilities are equally important. Parents believe that fulfilling their role, as the good provider is a fine balance between the families. Parents adjust their work shifts so that they can have time with their children and

Saturday, November 2, 2019

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Midsummer Nights Dream - Essay Example The work was not the most imaginative recreation of the play, but it provided a clear representation with engaging actors who allowed their characters to come through. The costumes provided a feel for the time period in which the play was set and the setting was creatively constructed, allowing for all of the elements of the play to have space in which to play out their roles within the story. The way in which the play was lit added a dimension to the overall production. As always, the text of William Shakespeare created a work in which the actors could suspend the disbelief of the audience and create a production that was magical, while full of beautiful commentary on the human condition. The play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, is a tale of comic twists, the story of young love in which the fae come to play their part by interfering in the lives of humans, twisting their desires to suit their own needs. The director, Kent Thomas, took a cold February day in Denver and transformed it to a warm summer evening. The play was developed around a classic setting with costuming that suggested Napoleonic France. The director situated the actors through their body language well within that time period, the production unified through ideals that created an atmosphere. The actores expressed this unified setting as they engaged more formally with one another, different than if it had been set in a lesser socio-economic surroundings. The characters seemed to be young aristocrats, their socio-economic status clear through their positioning on the stage. The work of the actors was well accomplished, the role of Hermia, played by Caitlin Wise standing out through her execution and presence. Something about her was engaging with the audience that placed focus on her when appropriate. At a moment when she was expressing a comedic frustration, her expressions were very readable, her projection of her voice filling the hall and focusing the audience on he r plight. Likewise, Helena Pistorius as Helena created a very believable character, her voice having a resonance that created a reality within her performance. As she developed her position within the play, she created empathy from the audience in a way that was unique to the role. Lawrence Hecht as bottom created a performance that made the audience laugh as it should, his portrayal with the donkey’s head unique in the way in which he expressed his role as the great queen Tatiana fell in love with him. However, it is the performance by Michael Wartella as Puck that still has me remembering the wonder of the play. He was clever, yet innocent, mischievous, but not evil as he comes across as a delightful fae whose only desire is to create trouble within both the human and fairy worlds. The way in which he expressed the character was not through evil, but through a feeling of joy in the accomplishment of his twisted sense of humor. His little devilries were executed with a belie vability that surpassed the breach of his true self, allowing his characterization to fully blossom and the audience to believe that he was not human, but a transcended being with the ability to muddle in the affairs of the heart. The costuming of the work was some of the most imaginative I have had the privilege to witness. The pieces broke through the time-period from which the play originated, adopting a Napoleonic point of view. The pieces were editorially reflective of the costumes of France during that time period, the dresses reflecting the empire waistlines that Josephine had favored. Therefore, the time period was set in the late 18th, early 19th century, the human characters reflecting this aesthetic. The costuming created a formal mood, the aristocratic air helping to set the socio-economic st