Dream Children

An Analysis of Lamb’s Dream Children Or Charles Lamb as a Romanticist Charles Lamb was a famous English prose-writer and the best representative of the new form of English literature early in the nineteenth century. He did not adhere to the old rules and classic models but made the informal essay a pliable vehicle for expressing the writer’s own personality, thus bringing into English literature the personal or familiar essay. The style of Lamb is gentle, old-fashioned and irresistibly attractive, for which there is no better illustration than Dream Children: A Reverie. From the analysis of this essay we can find Lamb’s characteristic way of expression. Dream Children records the pathetic joys in the author’s unfortunate domestic life. We can see in this essay, primarily, a supreme expression of the increasing loneliness of his life. He constructed all that preliminary tableau of paternal pleasure in order to bring home to us in the most poignant way his feeling of the solitude of his existence, his sense of all that he had missed and lost in the world. The key meaning of the story shows the beauty that resides in sadness. There are remarkable writing techniques to achieve such an effect. Through the stylistic approach to Dream Children, we can see that Charles Lamb is a romanticist, seeking a free expression of his own personality and weaving romance into daily life. Without a trace of vanity of self-assertion, Lamb begins with himself, with some purely personal mood or experience, and from this he leads the reader to see life and literature as he saw it. It is this wonderful combination of personal and universal interests, together with Lamb’s rare old style, which make the essay remarkable. 1 Lexical Feature 1. Old-fashioned but elegant diction Lamb prefers to use archaic words in order to reach a certain distance between the author’s real life and his whimsies, such as: (1) and how in her youth she was esteemed the best dancer (esteemed here means admired, respected) (2) here Alice's little right foot played an involuntary movement, till, upon my looking grave, it desisted (desisted here means topped doing) (3) and how the nectarines and peaches hung upon the walls, without my ever offering to pluck them (pluck, also a poetic word, here means pick) (4) he had meditated dividing with her, and both seemed willing to relinquish them for the present as irrelevant (meditated here means thought, and relinquish means give up) 2. Repetition of the word here When regarding for beautiful things and fine actions, Lamb does not f orget to show to the readers the pictures of the children–real children until the moment when they fade away. He repeats the word here altogether eight times, to portray the children’s response. For example: (5) Here Alice put out one of her dear mother's looks (6) Here John smiled, as much as to say, â€Å"that would be foolish indeed. † With this repeating word, we can see these children almost as clearly and as tenderly as Lamb saw them. If we take the essay’s main purpose into account, we will find the more real they seem, the more touching is the revelation of the fact that they do not exist, and never have existed. Sentence Feature 2. 1 Loose structure and post-modification Generally speaking, the tone of this essay is relaxed and comfortable, which can be attributed to Lamb’s use of loose structure and post-modification. Let’s study the sentence below: (7) Children love to listen to stories about their elders, when they were children; to stretch their imagination to the conception of a traditionary great-uncle, or grandame, whom they never saw. If ap plied to daily communication, the former part of this sentence seems tediously long. However, here it gives us a sense of comfort and enjoyment, for in the essay it causes our sympathy with the author of the fondness of innocent children. Therefore, we do not feel weary. 2. 2 Cohesion Sentences in Dream Children are long, sometimes containing more than eighty words in one. The author makes them cohesive with the help of coordination, conjunctions, as well as some adverbs. For instance: (8) Then I went on to say, how religious and how good their great-grandmother Field was, how beloved and respected by everybody (Adverb then and the coordination how†¦how†¦how†¦ here function as cohesive devices. (9) but still she lived in it in a manner as if it had been her own, and kept up the dignity of the great house in a sort while she lived, which afterwards came to decay, and was nearly pulled down, and all its old ornaments stripped and carried away to the owner's other house, where they were set up, and looked as awkward as if some one were to carry away the o ld tombs they had seen lately at the Abbey, and stick them up in Lady C. ‘s tawdry gilt drawing-room. (Conjunction and here functions as a cohesive device. 3 Article Feature 3. 1 Narration enlivened by depiction of the children. As is illustrated in sentence (5) and (6), the author’s narration of the great-grandmother and his brother is enlivened by a certain depiction concerning the children. Incidentally, while preparing his ultimate solemn effect, Lamb has inspired us with a new, intensified vision of the wistful beauty of children–their imitativeness, their facile and generous emotions, their anxiety to be correct, their ingenuous haste to escape from grief into joy. This vision gives us an impression that they seem real, thus makes the revelation in the end touching and pathetic. 3. 2 Unexpected ending Dream Children begins quite simply, in a calm, narrative manner, representing Lamb as sitting by his fireside on a winter night telling stories to his own dear children, and delighting in their society, until he suddenly comes to his old, solitary, bachelor self, and finds that they were but dream-children. In the end of the essay, we read: (10) that I became in doubt which of them stood there before me, or whose that bright hair was; and while I stood gazing, both the children gradually grew fainter to my view, receding, and still receding till nothing at last but two mournful features were seen in the uttermost distance, which, without speech, strangely impressed upon me the effects of speech; â€Å"We are not of Alice, nor of thee, nor are we children at all. The children of Alice called Bartrum father. We are nothing, less than nothing, and dreams. We are only what might have been, and must wait upon the tedious shores of Lethe millions of ages before we have existence, and a name. † Reflecting upon the essay, we will surely be obsessed by the beauty of old houses and gardens and aged virtuous characters, the beauty of children, the beauty of companionships, the softening beauty of dreams in an arm-chair–all these are brought together and mingled with the grief and regret which were the origin of the mood. 4 Rhetorical devices Lamb introduces some rhetorical devices to make his essay vivid and profound, such as: (11) and how the nectarines and peaches hung upon the walls, without my ever offering to pluck them, because they were forbidden fruit, unless now and then (metaphor) (12) till I could almost fancy myself ripening too along with the oranges and the limes in that grateful warmth (empathy) Lamb’s use of Humor and Pathos in Dream Children/ Pathetic beauty presented by Lamb From 1820 through 1825 he contributed a series of essays to the  London Magazine  which were immensely popular. Though he wrote under the pseudonym Elia, these essays, like his letters, are intimate revelations of Lamb's own thoughts, emotions, and experiences of literature and life. He touches on few disturbing subjects. He prefers instead to look to the past for a sense of calm, stability, and changelessness. Yet beneath the wit, humor, and humanity of such essays as â€Å"A Dissertation upon Roast Pig,† â€Å"Witches and Other Night-Fears,† and â€Å"Dream Children,† one finds a gentle  nostalgia  and  melancholy. This bitter-sweet  tone remains the  hallmark  of Lamb's style. Bunyan once said â€Å"Some things are of that nature as to make One’s fancy chuckle while his heart doth ache†. The nature of things mostly appeared to Lamb in that way. Lamb does not frolic out of lightness of heart, but to escape from gloom that might otherwise crush. He laughed to save himself from weeping. In fact, Lamb’s personal life was of disappointments and frustrations. But instead of complaining, he looked at the tragedies of life, its miseries and worries as a humorist. Thus his essays become an admixture of beauty and pain as well as humour and pathos. Examples of his keen sense of humour and pathetic touches are scattered in all of his essays. Let’s focus our discussion on Dream Children: A Reverie. In Lamb’s  writing  wit, humour and fun are interwoven and it is humour which is most notable for its extreme sensitiveness to the true proportion of things. Lamb often brings out the two sides of a fact and causes laughter at our own previous misconceptions. Therefore it borders on the painful realization. Thus his humour is very nearly allied to pathos. They are different facets of the same gem. In his essay Dream Children: A Reverie Lamb talks of personal sorrows and joys. He gives expressions to his unfulfilled longings and desires. He readily enters into the world of fantasy and pops up stories in front of his dream children. He relates his childhood days, of Mrs. Field, his grandmother and John Lamb, his brother. He describes how fun he had at the great house and orchard in Norfolk. Of his relations he gives us full and living pictures – his brother John is James Elia of My Relations, but here is John L-, so handsome and spirited youth, and a ‘king’. John was brave, handsome and won admiration from everybody Charles’ grandmother Mrs. Field is the other living picture. She was a good natured and religions – minded lady of respectable personality. Narrator’s sweet heart Alice Winterton is the other shadowed reality. The dream children, Alice and John are mere bubbles of fancy. Thus Lamb’s nostalgic memory transports  us back to those good old days of great grandmother Field. But even in those romantic nostalgia the hard realities of life does not miss our eyes. Death, separation and suffering inject us deep-rooted pathos in our heart. Whereas Mrs. Field died of cancer, John Lamb died in early age. Ann Simmons has been a tale of unrequited love story of Charles Lamb. Notably the children are millions of ages distant of oblivion and Charles is not a married man but a  bachelor  having a reverie. In his actual life Lamb courted Ann Simmons but could not marry her, he wanted to have children but could not ha ve any. Thus he strikes a very pathetic note towards the end of his essay when he puts the following word into the mouths of his imaginary children, â€Å"we are not of Alice, nor of thee, nor are we children at all †¦ We are nothing, less than nothing, dreams. We are only what might have been†. Alice is here no other that Ann Simmons the girl Lamb wanted to marry, but failed to marry her. In fact, the subtitle of the essay – ‘A Reverie’ which literally means a daydream or a fantasy – prepares us for the pathos of the return to reality although the essay begins on a deceptively realistic note. Although Dream Children begins on a cheerful note, the dark side of life soon forces itself upon Lamb’s attention and the comic attitude gives way to melancholy at the end of the essay. Throughout the essay Lamb presents his children in such a way that we never guess that they are merely figments of his imagination – their movements, their reactions, their expressions are all realistic. It is only at the end of the essay that we realize that the entire episode with his children is a daydream. We are awakening by a painful realization of the facts. Lamb’s humour was no surface play. In fact, Lamb’s humour and pathos take different shapes in different essays. Sometimes it is due to his own unfulfilled desires, sometimes it is due to the ill-fortunes of his relatives and friends and on some other occasions it is due to his frustration in love etc. If his ‘Poor Relations’ begins humorously of a male and female poor relation, he later gives us a few pathetic examples of poor relations who had to suffer on account of poverty. Again in his ‘The Praise of Chimney Sweepers’ Lamb sways between humour and pathos while describing the chimney sweepers. Similarly the essay ‘Dream Children’  is a beautiful projection of Lamb’s feelings and desire to have a wife and children of his own. It is humorous that in his dream he is married and has two children of his own while he had a disheartening frustration in love. Thus Lamb has painted both the lights and shades of life in full circle. His is the criticism of life in pathos and humours Why is the essay entitled â€Å"Dream Children†? Ans: Charles Lamb entitled the essay â€Å"Dream Children† because he never married and naturally never became the father of any children. The children he speaks of in the essay were actually the creations of his imagination or fancy. 2. Who was Field? How does Lamb present her before his dream children? Ans: Field, pseudonym for the actual person, was Lamb’s grandmother. Lamb presents her as an ideal grandmother in an imaginary and inflated way before his â€Å"dream children†Ã¢â‚¬â€she was extremely pious, fearless and compassionate person besides being the best dancer of the area in her youth. 3. Why is the essay entitled â€Å"A Reverie†? Ans: The essay is subtitled as a ‘reverie’ because Lamb  never married and so he never had children. In the essay he created an imaginary picture of a happy conjugal life—a picture which finally dissolves into nothing as he comes back to reality. 4. How does Lamb present his brother John L—? Ans: Lamb’s elder brother, John L—in his youth was a handsome, high-spirited, strong and fearless person. He loved Lamb very much. But subsequently in his old age he became lame-footed and spent the rest of his life in utter hopelessness, irritation and pain. . Whom does Lamb refer to as â€Å"faithful Bridget† by side? Ans: Lamb had a sister, Mary Lamb, who did not marry since she had attacks of insanity. She has been referred to here as â€Å"faithful Bridget† because she never married and was Lamb’s only companion in his life. At the sudden breakdown of his reverie, he finds her s eated by his side. 6. What, according to you, is the most striking feature of the essay and why? Ans: The chief characteristic feature of the essay is the author’s mingling of pathos and humour. Lamb begins the essay in somewhat deceptive fashion, describing the incidents, full of humour. But gradually he reduces the tone towards the end describing the tragedies of his personal life. 7. How does Lamb present the autobiographical elements in the essay? Or, Why is the essay called a personal essay? Or, What type of essay is Dream Children? Ans: Dream Children is a personal essay. Lamb presents the characters and incidents from his own life—the sketches of his grandmother, Field, his brother—John Lamb, his sister—Mary Lamb, his tragic love-affairs with Ann Simmons. But Lamb is always playing with facts and fictions and transforms the real into the literary. 8. How does Lamb show his knowledge of child psychology? Ans: It is surprising that without ever having children Lamb had acute sense of how children react to the happenings in the world of the adults. By deceptively referring to the meticulous reactions of his dream children, he succeeds in catching the reader immediately. The aesthetic impact of the essay becomes more effective for this reason. 9. â€Å"†¦ till the old marble heads would seem to be live again†¦ o be turned into marble with them†Ã¢â‚¬â€Where does the expression occur? Explain the context. Ans: Lamb told his â€Å"dream children† that in his boyhood he would enjoy rambling in and around the great country house in Norfolk. He would gaze at the twelve marble busts of Caesars in such an intensely meditative way that it seemed to him after some time that those were coming back to life again, or that he w ould be himself transformed into marble with them. 10. Where does the expression â€Å"busy-idle diversion† occur? What does the author mean by this? Ans: Lamb told his â€Å"dream children† that in his boyhood he would enjoy rambling in and around the great country house in Norfolk more than the sweet fruits of the orchard. He would remain busy with this though he had no work to do. 11. â€Å"When he died though he had not been†¦ died great while ago†. Who is referred to as ‘he’? Why is he spoken of? Ans: Lamb loved his brother John L— very much. But very shortly after his death it seemed to him that death had created such an immeasurable vacuum in his life that it made impossible for him to comprehend the significance of the difference between life and death. 2. â€Å"†¦ such a distance there is betwixt life and death†Ã¢â‚¬â€Explain the significance of the line in light of the context. Ans: the immediate absence of his brother John Lamb created by his death forced Lamb to feel the gulf the difference between life and death. He understood that death created a permanent absence a s the dead cannot be restored to life. Again, death is unknowable and Lamb was forced to reflect on his brother’s absence in this way. 13. â€Å"†¦ the soul of first Alice looked out at her eyes with such reality of re-presentment that I came in doubt†Ã¢â‚¬â€Who was Alice? What does the word ‘re-presentment’ mean here? Ans: In the course of his day-dreaming when Lamb looked at his dream-daughter, her physical resemblance reminded him of his dream-girl Alice W—n, a fictitious name for Ann Simmons who did reciprocate his love. 14. â€Å"But John L—(or James Elia) was gone forever†Ã¢â‚¬â€Who was James Elia? Why does the author say this? Ans: At the end of his day-dreaming Lamb coming back to reality finds his sister (Bridget) Mary Lamb by his side; but he realises and remembers that his brother James Elia or John Lamb had died and would no more be with them. So he laments his loss thus. 5. â€Å"Here Alice put out one of her dear mother’s looks, too tender to be called upbraiding†Ã¢â‚¬â€What does the word ‘braiding’ mean here? What makes Alice react thus? Ans: While describing the great country house in Norfolk, lamb tells his â€Å"dream children† that the chimney piece of the great ha ll was decorated by the curving of the story of Robin Redbreasts. At the information  that a foolish person pulled it down, Alice’s countenance changed, which suggested that it should not have been done. The word ‘braiding’ here means castigation or censure. 16. How does Lamb record Alice’s reactions to his story-telling? Ans: While listening to Lamb’s personal tale, Alice reacts firs by spreading her hands when Lamb says how good, religious and graceful person Field had been. Alice reacts to it either in great astonishment or putting up some pious gesture. She also cries out When Lamb talks about his elder brother’s pain and death. 17. How does Lamb record John’s reactions to his story-telling? Ans: At the information of the great house being stripped off its ornaments John smiled, which suggested the foolishness of the work. He was trying to look brave and impress upon his father that he would not have been afraid of the ghosts like his father. At the end of the story, when Lamb was talking of his elder brother’s pain and death, John, like Alice, began to cry. Exercises 1. Give a pen-picture of Field. 2. How would you comment on the style of the essay? 3. â€Å"†¦ We are only what might have been, and must wait upon the tedious shores of Lethe millions of ages before we have existence and a name. †Ã¢â‚¬â€Explain the context. Or, What is the significance of the river Lethe here? Or, Why are the shores of Lethe called ‘tedious’ Or, Why should the ‘dream’ children wait for million years for their existence and name?

Human Condition †Away by Michael Gow Essay

Literature can reflect the human condition by presenting aspects of our existence, including the wide range of emotions, our mortality and the transformations which differentiate us as a species. Examples of texts which do so include the play Away by Michael Gow, the photo â€Å"Woman on Bondi† by Marco Bok and the poem â€Å"Ode To A Nightingale† by John Keats, which provide similar and contrasting views on these aspects of humanity. Away by Michael Gow, first published in 1986, is an Australian play set in the 1960s, following the Vietnam War, which explores the mortality, loss, restoration and transformation experienced in our existence. Gow suggests that Tom is the catalyst through his characterisation of Puck in â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† in the opening scene. He alludes to Tom’s role as a healer, as it is through his death that others are able to begin the process of restoration – â€Å"Give me your hands, if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends†, while adding elements of magic through the play-within-a-play. Tom engineers the play’s upheaval through the ‘Puckish’ curse – â€Å"I hope you have a rotten holiday† and by conjuring up the storm further into the text, which causes both great conflict and the restoration of the characters. The mortality of our existence is also expressed through Tom. By reading the excerpt from â€Å"King Lear† in the final scene, Tom undergoes a cathartic transition, reflecting upon his foreshadowing death and finally accepting its inevitability – â€Å"while we unburden’d crawl towards death†. Gow’s casting of Tom as Lear insinuates that he has completed his role as the healer and is ready to face his destiny. Despite the tragic overtones conveyed through these lines, the concept of a new beginning is also implied through the stage directions and setting – â€Å"The light becomes bright, summery, morning† and thus reflects the positive aspect of being able to accept our mortality. The concept of loss and restoration is portrayed through Coral, whose process of healing is triggered by Tom’s role in â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream†, with Gow using a soliloquy following the performance allowing Coral to express her emotions and reach out to the audience – â€Å"What angel wakes me from my  flowery bed?† The repetition of this line throughout the dramatic monologue reinforces her ‘awakening’ from depression and dysphoria, with the angel acting as a recurring motif for Tom’s role as the healer. The â€Å"flowery bed† can also be interpreted as Tom’s deathbed and thus, she unknowingly foreshadows his fate. Gow uses the play-within-a-play, â€Å"The Stranger On The Shore†, to express Coral’s final acceptance and restoration. This play demonstrates love, sacrifice and death, with Coral’s role allowing her to experience the greatest change. The repetition of the line â€Å"I’m walking† emphasises this change and portrays her healing. Gow also uses the lighting of the bonfire as a symbol for the death of old beliefs and a signal for new life, â€Å"They’ve lit a bonfire on the beach. Look!†. Similarly, Gwen goes down the path of restoration, as she is initially encapsulated within a shell formulated from her materialistic mentality, â€Å"We’ve got a brand new caravan. Everything you could want.† Her change in attitude is triggered by the storm which Gow uses as symbol for cleansing, bringing in elements of magic – â€Å"The FAIRIES return and stage a spectacular storm†. The emotional breakdown of Gwen as she receives news of Tom’s illness also expresses her change and she seeks forgiveness from Jim, â€Å"You must hate me? I’m sorry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The clichà ©d expression – â€Å"There’s a terrible taste in my mouth† as Gwen tries to take the Bex Powder also emphasises her transformation. Thus, Away echoes the human condition by expressing aspects of our existence which deal with our mortality and the transformations we may experience. Bibliography â€Å"Away†. Gow, Michael (1986)†Michale Gow’s Away†. Beckett, Wendy (Glebe: Pascal Press, 1993)

Planning Process Paper Essay

I will compare the planning process to my current workplace. Followed by what I believe would be more crucial and why I think that. Also, I will briefly go over why I do not believe organizations can over-plan during this process. The Basic: Planning Process Step #1: Situational Analysis—This step is where you would typically answer the question, â€Å"Where are we now? † (Amicaall). In my current workplace, the main focus in this step is to be sure that the customer is aware of the customer survey that lucky few may receive. Now, the goal is to be sure the ones who may receive this survey are honest when filling it out with the most accurate information. All survey’s are read and sent to the dealership the vehicle was serviced, or purchased. Therefore, any concern from the customer will highly be considered. We assure that ever individual that has an opportunity of receiving one of these important surveys is aware when delivering the vehicle after any services. So that if there is an issue with the service, that they please notify us before filling out the survey this way we are sure the customer is happy with all services. Also, so that the consumer will know how honesty we stand by our word of correcting and listening to their suggestions by making them happy right away. â€Å"Planners should gather, interpret, and summarize all information relevant to the planning issue in question. A through situational analysis studies past events, examines current conditions, and attempts to forecast future trends† (Bateman & Snell, 2007). By us being sure that are customers are aware of the survey ahead of time, we are more than likely to get a better knowledge of where we may need to focus more on improving or attempting the consumer’s ideas. By doing so, we are more like to achieve reaching our goals. Step #2: Alternative Goals and Plans—â€Å"based on the situational analysis, the planning process should generate alternative goals that may be pursued in the future and the alternative plans that may be used to achieve those goals† (Bateman & Snell, 2007). A lot of our goals set at work are not just to be sure that all customers are happy but also that they know if there’s something that has not instantly been put into effect that we are still in the process of doing so. It may be something that takes a little more financial effort as well as time. For example, a lot of customer have mentioned the would like if their vehicle was washed and vacuumed after every service. We state the following to the customer when this is brought to our attention, â€Å"As of now we are relocating to another facility, fortunately we will be in a bigger building that will also have a car wash available. But for now we have washed your windows and vacuumed the vehicle. We look forward to being able to serve you better. Step #3: Goal and Plan Evaluation—â€Å"next, managers will evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, and potential effects of each alternative goal and plan† (Bateman & Snell, 2007). This is pretty simple; the goal and plan evaluation is discussed every morning within our manager meetings. Some of the ideas in plans they’ve discussed in meetings are the following: complimentary snacks, drinks, opening a Starbucks coffee station and mai ling/emailing great coupons, specials off of services, even possibly a parking garage. The managers gather together to see what is best benefiting the customers and if there are any new ideas that may be brought to their attention. One, manager even stated he over heard a customer state to another customer, â€Å"that it wouldn’t be a bad idea if they had wireless internet so that I could continue to work while my vehicle is being serviced, you would think they would be caught up with the technology no days. † If so what they plan on doing to implant them, are they realistic and attainable? While in the meeting they’ll discuss several ideas and examples of how to keep all eyes and ears open for any future goals and plans. Step #4: Goal and Plan Selection—â€Å"once managers have assessed the various goals and plans, they will select the one that’s most appropriate and feasible† (Bateman & Snell, 2007). After everyone discussing and gathering information from consistent consumers the dealership has decided to select the following as plans for the future; parking garage, complimentary drinks, a Starbucks station that consists of snacks, breakfast and lunch sandwiches up for purchase. Until the Starbucks station has built their customers, we have coupon vouchers so that the customer may have their first Starbuck’s Drinks for free. As all these ideas come out the next step would be to be sure the news letter gets mailed and emailed out to all of our customers and consumers. The newsletters will state all goals and plans that have been selected for our future facility. Step #5: Implementation—â€Å"once managers have selected the goals and plans, they must implement the plans designed to achieve the goals† (Bateman & Snell, 2007). Well, as of now the dealership has implemented a lot of the planned goals. By this I mean, we now have a Starbucks station filled with snacks and many different beverages. We also have put a refrigerator full of all types of sodas and water all complimentary for all customers and purchaser of Toyota Sales and Service. As for the Parking Garage and Car Wash they are both in the works, we have blue prints showing where the next facility will be built. Step #6: Monitor and Control—â€Å"although it is sometimes ignore, this step in the formal planning process is essential. Planning works in a cycle; it is an ongoing, repetitive process. (Bateman & Snell, 2007). Now, the way the company monitors and tracks all the works in cycle is by asking all customers that look like they have purchased or used the vouchers if they enjoy having Starbucks. All mentioned it’s a great change and they all thanked the company for taking the time to listen to their ideas. The managers noticed that all surveys they were receiving had plenty comments about how the changes really benefit them. A lot commented on the wireless internet how covenant it was to have service performed on their vehicle and it didn’t even seem that they weren’t at work because they could still use their computer and complete work assignments. To management it seemed that they were on the right track, by listening to the customers they could make most of them happy and keep their business. By doing so it seems that they’re helping to provide a better workplace as well as a great setting for people to achieve personal as well as career goals. In conclusion, an organization can not be very successful if they do not stay within the basic planning process. As I’ve explained above every step is very important, though one I believe is most crucial and that is Step #! Situational Analysis. The reason why I feel this is most important is because if you analyze a situation incorrectly then you may be headed in the wrong direction as far as improving. The situation may not need any correction or improvement at the time, therefore the situation that needs most improvement may be overlooked. I don’t believe that any organization may over plan because the more effort put into planning the more correction or ideas m ay be created. This will prepare the organization for several different scenarios.

Omani Teachers Use (perception) of ICT in classes after taking an Research Proposal

Omani Teachers Use (perception) of ICT in classes after taking an ICDL(international computer driving liscence) training course - Research Proposal Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ABSTRACT To discover how Omani teachers have transformed in their Information communication technology teaching strategy to groups of students after ICDL or International Computer Driving License training is the interest of this study. It will look into policy documents of the company that sponsored the training programme and the policy makers of the Ministry of Education. The researcher will use descriptive quantitative research in gathering the data. Questionnaires will be prepared and sent to the corresponding teachers who successfully finished the programme and obtained the license to teach the same. Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION The teaching of Information communication technology to groups of students through classroom instruction is of essence for learners to cope with the needs of the 21st century lifestyle and business ways after graduation. In almost every human transaction nowadays ICT is involved. Besides, ICT have just turned out to be one that is a progressive technology in nature; hence the need for continuous upgrading of what is the latest for those who have learned the technology already, and for the learned educators to pass on the knowledge to learners. Background of the Study Internationally, instruction and education in the higher level of formal schooling in some institutions have seen so much transformation with the emergence of information technology as a primary discipline towards modern communication and business transactions strategy. Not only is the demand rising in the first world countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, but, it is also intensifying in developing...In almost every human transaction nowadays ICT is involved. Besides, ICT have just turned out to be one that is a progressive technology in nature; hence the need for continuous upgrading of what is the latest for those who have learned the technology already, and for the learned educators to pass on the knowledge to learners. Internationally, instruction and education in the higher level of formal schooling in some institutions have seen so much transformation with the emergence of information technology as a primary discipline towards modern communication and business transactions strategy. Not only is the demand rising in the first world countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, but, it is also intensifying in developing economies like Oman. Nonetheless, even in a highly industrialized economy like the United Kingdom, information communication technology or ICT have still to be incorporated into primary curriculums (Williams and Easingwood, 2003). Currently, enthusiast as well as experts in the field of information technology have organized themselves and offered trainings with corresponding certificates of complet

Mastring Management 4330 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Mastring Management 4330 - Essay Example Chet fails to do advance daily planning, leading to reliance on memory. This wastes time in relation to trying to remember each and every single detail that fits in the daily schedule of discharging managerial duties. Only one accomplishment list should be made for effective and efficient time management (Watson and Idinopulos 126). However, this is not observed in the case. Another violated time management principle in the case is the failure to prioritize tasks. Chet wants to address all issues that are brought to his attention. He even tries to address issues that he cannot resolve. Other violated principles include the principles of setting deadlines, reserving personal time when on is not accessible, and listing long term objectives (Watson and Idinopulos 127). Chet’s level of stress can be attributed to organizational problems in his place of work. Managers need to maintain constant communication and functional relations among themselves. However, plan managers in the case operate as single entities and do not have time for each other. Constant communication and discussions regarding organizational operations and performance are essential in ensuring managerial coherence. Since this aspect is lacking in the organization, Chet’s stress levels build up. The organization is made up of a number of firms. Chet is required to work across these firms from time to time. Transfers between firms leaves Chet stressed, especially due to the fact that shelving of ideas occurs in the process of transferring Chet between firms (Watson and Idinopulos 152). The structure of the organization does not account for Chet’s absence in any given firm. Personal productivity in the workplace is highly influenced by individual personality and character. Chet’s personality significantly influences his performance in the workplace, and subsequently exacerbates his stress level. Chet is ignorant of external elements that do not relate to

Financial planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial planning - Assignment Example In the absence of the business knowledge, the company would not capable of competing effectively. 2. Investors are instrumental to economic growth. Dissatisfaction of the investors elicits disengagement from doing business in a given location (Taylor, 2012). The consequences of such moves include deterioration of economic growth. Thus, the interest of the clients comes first when designing policies that would affect business environment. Insensitive policies client’s demand often restrain investments. Similarly, clients often prefer to dissociate with businesses that fail to address their concerns. Good business policies affect investors as well as their clients. Conflict of interest is a critical concern to business growth because it affects the way investors would do business. Many investors are willing to engage in businesses that have limiting conflict of interests. 3. First, the business will be uncompetitive in the target market. Inappropriate advice limits the ability to address the needs of the consumers in target market resulting to lack of competitiveness. Second, inappropriate advice precipitates business failure because the company would be incapable of meeting the expectations of the clients (Taylor, 2012). The viability of the business largely depends on appropriate measures that it takes when handling the needs of the consumers. Lastly, inappropriate advice elicit inappropriate responses, for example, if the business does not receive appropriate advice on how to manage address the concerns of the employees it might end up loosing talented workers. Largely, the advise should be tailored towards addressing the business needs. 4. This strategy would change image of the business and consumer brand promise. The design of products tends to influence the image of the company in the eyes of the consumers. Improving the company’s products with respect to clients needs is one the mechanism of

Socioculture Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Socioculture - Research Paper Example During the â€Å"Trail of Tears† towards the end of the 1830s, many Native American Cherokees were forced to shift from their homes to Oklahoma; nearly 20% of their total population did not survive this migration. This coupled with the onset of diseases and the rise of colonization ensured that the number of Cherokees dwindled and today, only a fraction of their population remains. Although, with the recent modernization and modern policy implementations, their population has spread to many different areas of America from eastern America, which is where they had concentrated themselves as a result of the â€Å"Trail of Tears†. The southwestern part of America is one of the most fascinating places, geographically, of Cherokee settlement. This area is agriculturally intensive and houses Cherokees in small settlements which are characteristic of the area’s overall culture. Native Cherokee Indians from the Northwestern Coast were famous for making totem poles and oth er handicrafts. Many of the tribesmen and tribeswomen belonging to this area were employed in boat making, wood carving, lumbering and other similar activities. Initially, the Native Cherokee Indians held a lot of power and status in America. This was because, as a group they had the largest land holdings. But the status of the Native Cherokee Indians deteriorated once the white men set foot on their land and slowly started taking over; first they took their land and eventually the power that came with its possession. The negative effects of the white people taking over and assuming the power position have not faded from the face of the Cherokee nation; there still remains in their reservations a high level of unemployment and resultant poverty. Progress towards development is being made; however, the past of the Cherokee people will always have an imprint on their prospective future (Ballas, n.d). The Cherokees have very strong and vibrant religious beliefs and practices and related

Actue MI (RE Write) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Actue MI (RE Write) - Essay Example Through this experience, I am able to indicate the various problems that were experienced by my patient as a result of their illness, specifically as they relate to the three primary issues of blood glucose level, anxiety and pain, which has been exacerbated by the patient’s new physiology. It has been widely recognised that holistic care is of increased interest within the nursing profession as understanding is gained regarding the complex cyclic relationship between a person’s physical health and psychological health (Messer & Meldrum, 1995). While the interest is increasing, this is not a new discovery as the World Health Organization, as early as 1946 (cited by Roper, Logan and Tierney, 1998), defined health as a â€Å"state of complete mental and social well-being† rather than the generally accepted definition of the absence of illness or infirmity. Clearly, there is a real need for recognition and support for more than the patient’s physical well-being within the nursing profession. A holistic approach to nursing would include caring for the obvious physical needs of the patient, but also providing assistance and caring for their spiritual, emotional, social and cultural needs as well. In discussing the care of my selected patient, it will be demonstrated how these holistic considerations were a part of the overall care provided, especially within the context of the registered nurse’s role. For the purposes of this study, I will refer to my selected patient as Mrs. Harris (patient profile, appendix 1). This is in direct accordance with the confidentiality codes listed in the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2004) Code of Professional Conduct. In addition, I will not refer directly to any client, colleague or Trust with which I was engaged while making this study. Mrs. Harris, 75, was brought by ambulance to the Accident and Emergency department accompanied by her husband and two grown daughters

Atokawa Advantage Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Atokawa Advantage Management - Essay Example While a substantial part of the reporting and operational requirements of Atokowa is currently being addressed by the system, the strain of expansion would only exacerbate the situation. If the expansion initiative of Custom Print and the Online Ordering strategy is suspended the growth of Atokowa will be stunted and its spiral decline will commence because the current difficulties in the system will only feed on itself. The initiatives of George Hargreaves and Hayley Atokowa will diversify the revenue stream of Atokowa and at the same time expand the market while widening the client demography of Atokowa. However, implementing it at this time will only triple if not double the operational problems of Atokowa implementing it after the completion of an Enterprise Resource Planning Solution roll-out would be ideal if not the best. ... Under the leadership of Jonathan, Atokowa has expanded to several stores all around Australia catering mostly to individual and business customers in and around the locality where Atokowa stores are at. This paper would present the analysis of the operation of Atokowa to determine challenge areas, improvement areas, and growth areas. The purpose of the analysis is to recommend solutions that will enable Atokowa to resolve its current issues if there are any and respond to the demands of the ever-changing market landscape in the stationary and office supply retail industry. This report shall first present the result of the analysis conducted on the operation of Atokowa that will define in detail the analysis of focus areas. After the analysis of the focus areas, an assessment of the focus area shall be concluded for purposes of recommending possible solutions to the challenges posed in the focus area. Due to constraints, this paper shall only present the observations in the analysis and not the process in which the analysis was conducted and the observation was arrived at. In summary, the analysis in the operation of the focus areas shall be provided in seriatim as it was presented in the report. The conclusion or assessment shall follow afterward then the recommendations that should be undertaken by the management of Atokowa to resolve its current challenges. Please note that this paper shall only focus on the technological solutions to resolve the operational and management challenges of Atokowa. Analysis of Current Systems and Operations The following focus areas were highlighted in the analysis of the business case of Atokowa.  

International Human Rights Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International Human Rights Law - Essay Example war lasted for several years and it was in 1918, when the war came to an end, irrespective of the outcome, leaving massive bloodshed, manslaughter, misery, orphanage, annihilation and demolition of human ethics, morals and ignorance of the respect of humankind behind as its everlasting impressions on the history of the world.1 The great powers of the world, still hungry for power and possession, momentarily recognized the need for an organization that could prevent future mishaps like that of World War I and laid the foundations of League of Nations, LN. The role of LN was to safeguard the rights of minorities and to serve as a platform that shall provide opportunities to Great Powers of the world to bring their differences on the table. LN was to play the role of a negotiator, arbitrator and mediator to help the dust settle down and to prevent animosities from growing into battles and wars. The formation of LN was an indication of the fact that whatever happened, World War I could have been prevented and the aims could have been achieved in a better manner. LN was to serve a body that would recognize and safeguard the right of humans irrespective of their colour, cast, race and religion. LN was formed with a broader perspective to serve humanity not only by preventing future wars but also by addressing t o and focusing up on areas that were never streamlined and subjected to international attention in the past. LN also comprised bodies that were aimed at defining and securing rights of labour and highlighting public issues at an elevated platform such as health, opium and rights of refugees. But in 1939 the world witnessed another jolting war, World War II, that led to the demise of LN, as LN was created to prevent wars and within a few decades of its existence the world was at the verge of another war, this time even bigger in its magnitude and bitter in its essence.2 More than 100 million humans participated in this war, belonging to various regions, religions

The Sukhoi Superjet Essay Example for Free

The Sukhoi Superjet Essay The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is fly-by-wire regional jet with 75 up to 95 seats[1]. Since the jet industry faces many competitors, it is an important action to design an effective marketing strategy, which includes a SWOT analysis. Strengths: *Equipped with two Saturn/SNECMA PowerJet SaM146 turbofans1 *has   10-15% lower operation costs than its competitors, which areEmbraer E-Jets and   the Bombardier CSeries programs1. This will enable Sukhoi Superjet 100 to sell at a lower price and hence making it more affordable. As a result higher sales, profits and market share occurs. *has a wider cabin and thus offers more comfort1. Not only is it cheaper but also more comfortable, hence establishing a competitive advantage for the Superjet 100. *The Superjet 100 airliner family is being developed based on the principle of maximum standardization of frame assemblies and systems1. This will enable Superjet 100 to perform more economically while keeping expenditures at a rational level. *The aerodynamics and design of the aircraft of the family are based on proven advanced technology to minimize technical risks at the stage of design, testing and operation1. A higher security attracts more satisfied customers, which could lead to positive publicity and thus higher demand and value of its shares. Weaknesses: *Completion of the deal to order 25 Sukhoi Superjet 100 with Dalivia was delayed2. Dalivia could consider to buy from its competitors, hence this would provide Superjet’s 100 competitors with a competitive advantage, sales, profits and market share. Opportunities: *Air France3, Lufthansa4, SAS5, Iberia6, UTair Aviation, MDLR Airlines and Merpati Nusantara Airlines7 are potential customers. *Malev Hungarian Airlines and Scandinavian Airlines System are reported to finalize their orders and an Indonesian airline is reported to be the airliner1. *Alliance Air of India has also showed interest in the Sukhoi Superjet 1008. *Armavia signed a multimillion-dollar agreement to buy four Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes for regional flights1. These orders will offer Superjet 100 to reach more customers, since if passengers feel satisfied; hence it could lead to repeat sales an word-of-mouth advertising, which then creates higher demand, sales and profits; hence airlines will then purchase more of the Sukhoi Superjet 100. Threats: *Its competitors Embraer and Bombardier offer much more comprehensive after-sales and maintenance network9. After-sales service is important for maximizing customer satisfaction and it can also lead to having a competitive advantage. In fact a research showed that 1 dissatisfied customer tells 11 others who then 5 others10, which would worsen the image of the product quickly, and thus lower sales, profits and market share occurs. [1]Sukhoi Superjet 100.[online].http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Superjet_100, cited as ’19.5.2008’ 2 Airliner World, January 2007 3 [online].http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRNews1/FRNews03/FR030323.htm#RRJ, ‘cited as 19.5.2008’ 4 Suchoi wants to sell 40 SuperJets-100 and negotiated with Lufthansa.[online]. http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=donett=urlintl=1fr=bf-hometrurl=http%3A%2F%2Fde.rian.ru%2Fbusiness%2F20070517%2F65659192.htmllp=de_enbtnTrUrl=%C3%9Cbersetzen, ‘cited as 19.5.2008’ 5Scandinavian Airlines seriously mulls Sukhoi RRJ for SAS regional affiliates.[online]. http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/news/company/?id=606, ‘cited as 19.5.2008’ 6 Sukhoi Chief on RRJ program.[online]. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2005/russia-050405-rianovosti08.htm, ‘cited as 19.5.2008’ 7   [online].http://lenta.ru/news/2007/10/24/ssj/, ‘cited as 19.5.2008’ 8 Paris Air Show: Sukhoi Civil-Alliance Air talks for SuperJet 100 at an advanced stagenews.[online]. http://www.domain-b.com/aero/june/2007/20070622_sukhoi_civil.htm, ‘cited as 19.5.2008’ 9 Export driven: The Sukhoi Superjet.[online]. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/02/06/211879/export-driven-the-sukhoi-superjet.htm, ‘cited as 19.5.2008’ 10 2005. Stephen Chapman, Cassy Norris, Natalie Devenish, Llian Merritt. Business Studies in Action, chapter 9

Economics Coursework - Demand Essay Example for Free

Economics Coursework Demand Essay Manufacturers and dealers want UK to follow Europe into scheme to give cash to drivers who scrap old cars to buy new The government was facing renewed pleas to bail out Britains ailing motor industry yesterday as figures showed sales of new cars had dropped by almost a third year on year. Only 313,912 cars were registered in March a 30.5% fall in sales from this time last year, figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed, prompting fresh calls for the government to pay motorists to trade in their old cars for new ones. The motor industry and lobby groups are hoping this months budget will include a scrappage scheme, under which car owners are given a financial incentive of about à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,000 to swap their old vehicle for a new greener model. Treasury officials have told the industry they are seriously considering including such a stimulus in the budget a fortnight tomorrow although ministers publicly insist that no decision has been taken. A scrappage scheme in Germany which offers car owners à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,500 (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,263) for getting rid of any vehicle over nine years old has attracted more than half a million buyers, with sales soaring 40% there in March. The SMMT estimates that 280,000 Britons would take advantage of a similar programme over an 18-month period. This would cost around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½560m, a figure the SMMT told the Guardian would involve a net cost of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½150-160m. The rest of the money would come from the VAT charged on new cars. But green groups counselled against such a knee jerk response and said the money could be better used to fund sustainable transport solutions. Some environmental organisations fear funds could be diverted from existing pots of money set aside by the government for investment in green technologies, such as the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½400m earmarked in the pre-budget report for an environmental transformation fund, which supports the development of new low-carbon energy and energy efficiency technologies in the UK. Pro-motoring lobbyists argue that if the government does not move quickly to boost the industry, further jobs would be lost and some manufacturers may transfer their business to other countries. In Whitehall, the debate is still swirling over the wisdom of adopting a scrappage scheme. Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, said in February that his department was examining the experience of other countries, notably Germany, to see whether it would work in Britain and carmakers were asked to produce costed proposals, but no decision has been made. David Cameron told the Guardian in January that the Tories were looking at the idea but he was yet to be convinced. In the meantime, demand for cars has crashed across the world, throwing the global industry into its biggest crisis and forcing American giants General Motors and Chrysler to the brink of bankruptcy. Manufacturers in the UK have also been hit, with factories such as Hondas plant at Swindon mothballed and thousands of jobs cut. Last months decline in sales follows falls of 30.9% in January 2009 and 21.9% in February. March, when new number plates are issued, is a key period for the industry and traditionally accounts for nearly a fifth of annual sales. If things do not improve, the SMMT is forecasting that only 1.72m new vehicles will be sold in 2009, compared with 2.13m in 2008. However, there was one bright note with the rise of the small car segment, where sales increased 84%, indicating a trend towards downsizing among consumers. The top three best-selling models were the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Focus. Yesterday SMMT chief executive, Paul Everitt, said: March new-car registrations are a barometer of confidence in the economy, from businesses and consumers alike. The fall in the market shows that the government needs to do more to boost confidence. A scrappage scheme will provide the incentive needed and the evidence is clear that schemes already implemented across Europe do work to increase demand. The UK is the only major European market not to implement a scheme. Edmund King, the president of the AA, said: The latest figures show the stark difference between a country with a scrappage scheme and one without. A vehicle-scrappage scheme has the potential to reduce emissions, reduce accidents and their severity whilst giving a boost to the UK motor industry. There are many benefits from getting older gross polluters off the road. But green groups counselled against introducing such a scheme. Peter Lipman, policy director at Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, said it would be a really, really bad idea, wherever the money is coming from. There are so many better ways of spending government money if you are trying to deal with both the recession and climate change, he added. The RAC motoring strategist, Adrian Tink, said: The introduction of any car-scrappage scheme needs to be contingent on balancing the economic benefits with a concern for the environment. The scheme needs to be as much about getting old, high-polluting cars off the road as it is about stimulating car sales. The dire sales figures bode ill for the economic recovery because new car sales are seen as a key indicator of consumer confidence. When the UK went into recession in the early 1990s, new car registrations dropped for 27 successive months. At one point, sales that had reached an annual peak of 2.3million in the late-1980s dipped as low as 1.5million. IB Economics: Internal Assessment Commentary Car industry begs for budget boost from Alistair Darling The article Car industry begs for budget boost from Alistair Darling found on the web page of The Guardian discusses the effects of the current recession on the car industry, particularly in the UK. The article states according to the SMMT a 30 % fall in sales from the year before at the same time. In order to take a first step to solving the problem the motor industry hopes to impose the scrappage scheme.. The drop of demand for cars during the recession creates an example of the laws of demand and supply. Demand is the quantity of a good or a service that consumers are willing and able to purchase at a given price in a given time period. Supply is the willingness and ability of producers to produce a quantity of a good or service at a given price in a given time period. Consumers being aware of the recession will rather save their money than choose to spend it on luxury purchase. The fall in income due to the recession has, according to the laws of supply and demand and assuming that all other things stay equal (Ceterus Paribus), caused the fall of demand. Although the article doesnt state a percentage of the fall in income of the population, the income elasticity of demand for vehicles can be described as at least unitary if not elastic, the examples will make an attempt to prove this. Income elasticity of demand measures the proportionate response of quantity demanded to a proportionate change in income. The article gives two proves for that: First, the thought of the coming recession has already let people stop buying cars by 30.5% from one year to the other. People wont buy any luxury goods in bad times. And second, subsidising car buyers by about 2000à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (scrappage scheme) will increase the purchases in a month by 40%. The fall in demand will also cause an excess supply even if the motor industry stops production directly. All car producers will hence have a massive amount of cars that are just not being bought because there is no demand. According to the rules of supply and demand, as demand falls, quantity supplied decreases as well. In this particular case, the quantity supplied decreases as well but probably not as much as it could to find a new equilibrium, the price at which supply equals demand. Why this is the case will be explained after the following The following graph will show how a fall in demand will cause the demand curve to shift to the left and therefore a fall in the quantity supplied of cars to find a new equilibrium. It can be seen that cars sales fell by nearly 25 % from 2008 to 2009 As stated above, this development is not quite that what happens in reality. According to the rules of unemployment, unemployment is a lagging factor and the demand for labour depends on the demand for, in this case, cars. That means that it begins to rise some time after the recession began. This is because of several reasons such as that firms want to keep skilled workers and will delay redundancies hoping that things might get better. Since firms want to keep skilled workers they would have to keep up the production to a certain extend. Of course production will decrease what will cause cyclical employment but to a certain extend production will be kept up to occupy the workers. The term cyclical unemployment can be defined as occurring when the economy is growing more slowly than estimated as the demand for labour is interdependent on the demand for goods and services. This situation cant be kept up for long because firms lose money spending more money on workers they try to keep than actually gaining through sales and go bankrupt if the recession doesnt end or if they are not being subsidized by the government. Hence the motor industry searches for ways of pushing demand. A possible solution could be the scrappage scheme which encourages motorists to swap their old cars against new ones by giving the buyer about 2000à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ directly. The effect of the scheme on the demand for cars can be seen on the following diagram: Demand rises again due to the encouragement and shifts the demand curve to the right again. Concluding one can say that the law of supply and demand is displayed in the real world. In the article Car industry begs for budget boost from Alistair darling it is clearly shown how recession can affect the demand for cars and how therefore demand for labour interdepends on demand for, in this case, cars. Furthermore it can also be stated that things like the scrappage scheme can encourage demand again.

Technological Advancements On The Film Industry Media Essay

Technological Advancements On The Film Industry Media Essay Abstract There are mainly three parts when it comes to the impact of technology on the film industry. The first part is how the new tools has benefited or harmed the film industry. These tools include the camera technology, video editing software, adding special effects etc. The second part is how technology has affected the marketing and the audience of the film makers. How the rise of social networks and Web 2.0 world has affected the communication, advertising and distribution of their products with their audience. This will also include the new HD media distribution methods like Blu Ray and HD-DVD that provide better quality for their audience. The third part is about how technology has actually hurt the film industry. The main focus of this area will be about how different technologies have violated the copyright laws. Introduction The film industry has benefited a lot from the ever growing new technology. With the rise of digital filmmaking over the years motion pictures are once again going through a reinvention. One of the biggest benefits the film industry has had with technology is camera technology. With the cheap digital cameras available these days it has been relatively easier for small film companies to produce films. Also more films are produced these days because it is faster to produce films. Now it is also easier and less expensive these days to communicate and share media with the audience with the rise of multimedia mobile phones. Also the audience feedback is given faster and easier. Another biggest benefit of new technology is that it has saved a lot of time in making documentaries and movies. This is because of the new compact digital cameras with ample space. The internet has also had a very big effect on the film industry. Web 2.0 sites like YouTube and other video sites have enabled film makers to interact with their audience more easily. This has also enhanced the relationship with the audience. Article Cited From: (How Digital Technology has Changed) Plan of action My primary medium of research will be the internet. I think there is a plenty research material available on the internet that will be helpful in my research. There will be several case studies that will focus on how technology has helped the film industry. One of the leading case studies will be of recently released movie by James Cameron Avatar. This film is entirely based on animation and special effects. Next I plan on contacting some of the animation and small film businesses and find out their views on how new technology has affected how they produce films. Media Distribution Methods In the past media distribution methods were limited to video tapes and cassettes where the quality of the video was not as good as today and they used random access. This meant that it was not possible to skip directly to a scene. The most common media distribution method currently is the DVD. New technologies like Blu-ray and HD-DVD are also becoming famous. DVDs are one of the cheapest ways to distribute films and the this has been the standard distribution method for films for quite some time. Over the past year Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are becoming more famous and could soon replace the older method like DVD. The reason they are becoming more famous is because of the quality they offer. Users can now enjoy movies on very high definition which is upto 1080p, the highest definition available. The introduction to these new media distribution methods has had both, a good and a bad effect. The advantage the film industry had with this is that they were to charge a premium price for higher quality movies compared to standard quality DVDs and this, in many cases, resulted more profits for them. On the other hand, since people now have access to high quality movies from the comfort of their homes, visit the cinemas less often. Film Animation Tools Autodesk Maya And Film The leading animation software today comes from Autodesk. The two very famous softwares they make are Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max. These two have been used in numerous movies to edit and animate characters. Some animated movies like Monsters Vs Aliens and Avatar. The latest development in digital camera and computer graphics (CG), stereoscopy, is becoming more famous in films these days. Stereoscopic technology uses the characteristics of the human vision which can make characters or objects appear at the front or behind the cinema screen. This creates an illusion of depth. Autodesk Maya enables users to view, create and edit stereoscopic content and enables film makers to uses stereo as a powerful way to help in story telling. The advantage this has is that the audience were drawn more deeply into the movie experience because of the new standards it sets in stereoscopic 3D production using Autodesk tools. (Autodesk Film AVATAR) Fully Featured Animated Film Using Autodesk 9 On 9th September 2009, the movie 9 was released. This was a fully featured animated film with every frame featuring Computer generated inages and characters. All this was matched up with multilayered computer generated images and advanced 3D lighting and camera effects. This whole animated film was made using Autodesk Maya animation software and Autodesk mudbox a sculpting software. With these two tools, all the creative and technical demands this animated 3D film had were met. Autodesk To The Rescue During the making of this movie, animators faced quite a few challenges. The very first challenge faced by the animation team was the timeframe that the work had to be completed in. 14 months. This included everything from start to finish the way the characters looked, the storyline itself, how they would move and the animatics. For the team this seemed an impossible task within the timeframe given and the level of detail and complexity required. During the movie there were a lot of scenes where the characters that dynamically interacted with each other at the same time. There were a lot of virtual stunts done in the movie with characters that had very fine, stretchy burlap mesh with a rigid zipper in front and visible stitching. These mesh textures were really a challenge for the animation team, especially when the characters moved and the animation was difficult. It was a challenge but Autodesk Maya had the capability to accomplish these tasks although it did put Maya to test. All these challenges were met by both Autodesk Maya and Autodesk MudBox. Maya handled most of the challenges like the asset creation, virtual camera and the multilayered 3D animation and all the effects. MudBox helped alongside with Maya to make the highly detailed shapes and models and the ground texture. Animation software like Autodesk Maya has helped the film industry to create movies like these. Without the use of such software, making of such movies would have been impossible. One of the members of the team, Adams, said that Maya is a very robust, fast and it has enabled us to make highly complex 3D structures, a lot of camera moves, explosions and lighting effects. He also states that Autodesk Maya was the best solution that they could have used to make a movie such as 9. (Autodesk Starz Animation) Case Study: The Technology behind The Making Of Avatar Performance Capture While CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) and motion capture is not very new to the film industry, performance capture is something that was just recently invented specially for this movie. As mentioned earlier that Motion Capture is done by placing reflecting markers all over an actors body and these are then interpreted by the computer and converted into CGI. However the difference between a real human expression and computer generated is quite noticeable. Performance capture is something different. In performance capture actors are supposed to wear special head gear which has a camera attached to it which records each and every muscle movement and converts them into digital media. Stereoscopic 3D Fusion Camera System After seven years of research and hard work James Cameron, the director of Avatar, along with his partner, Vince Pace, came up with the most advanced 3D lightweight camera that can shoot both in 2D and 3D mode. Before this invention 3D cameras were very big and weighed about 450 pounds. Digital Animation For this movie the digital animation was done by Peter Jacksons company, Weta Digital. Very professional artists turned the basic renderings into photo-real images using new breakthrough techniques in lighting and shading. Virtual Camera/Simul Camera For this movie two new kinds of cameras were also invented. The virtual camera and the simul camera which work together. The virtual camera isnt a real camera at all but it stimulates another camera that was transmitted computer generated images by super computers. What the simul camera did what fed real time computer generated images to the 3D fusion camera system. Use of Autodesk Digital Entertainment Creation Tools For this movie, James Cameron and his team developed a new way to develop innovative visual effects using advanced virtual cinematography techniques. Using the software a virtual stage was created in which the performance of actors would be captured, applied to computer generated characters and also the ability to view the results in real time. The uncanny valley, which is the noticeable difference between real life human characters and computer generated characters, was overcome by using advanced performance capture and visual Source: (Avatar Behind The Scenes) Motion Capture Motion Capture has been used in the film industry very often. The most basic definition of motion capture is recording the movement and translating that movement into a digital model. To achieve this actors in movies wear reflective markers all over their body which are then interpreted by a computer and turned into digital 3D models. Advantages Of Motion Capture Very fast and it is possible to achieve real time results. Because of this the cost of keyframe animation can be reduced. Very complex movements can be recreated. The amount of animation data that can be gathered is very large. This saves a lot of time. Disadvantages Of Motion Capture Special hardware and software is needed to execute motion capture Movements that do not follow the law of physics can generally not be captured. (Motion Capture) Film Industry and Web 2.0 The amount of users using the Internet these days have grown dramatically over the past years. This has allowed the film industry to reach their audience more easily through online advertising and by the use of social networks such as Facebook, YouTube. Search Engines The internet revolves around Google. The term search online these days means using one of the major search engines. These are either Google, Yahoo or Bing. Search engines also have an impact on the film industry. New movies coming out have their own websites and these are found mostly by search engines showing the relevant results and showing the movie website when users search online for it through search engines. This is the way the relevant websites of movies are found and they reach wider audience. Facebook With over 500 million users on Facebook, this has become an enormous platform to advertise on for film makers of their latest upcoming movies. One of the main reasons Facebook is a huge marketing advantage for film makers is because of the ability for information to be spread virally on it. Facebook groups and fan pages are liked by thousands of Facebook users daily and these are very viral in nature. It is not very uncommon to see a Facebook Fan Page having liked by millions of Facebook users. The above mentioned marketing methods are in fact free and it doesnt cost anything for film makers to create a these pages and they eventually become viral. Facebook also has a paid advertising program that can be used to market just about anything. Fanpages are a great way to know your audience better. Facebook is all about conversation and interaction with people which is why film makers can interact with their audience more easily, ask for their opinions and get to know what they want. There is one main advantage to why paid advertising on Facebook is the best. The reason is because you one can get ultra-targeted audience from Facebook due to all the information that users put on their profile. (Facebook Stats) Above is a screen shot of information from a Facebook users profile. All the information put is put here by the user itself and it contains information about the users location, college/school, sex, martial status, their likes and interests and hobbies. Facebook uses this information to target the right audience through their advertising program. Whenever an advertiser wishes to create an advertising campaign with Facebook he/she is presented with a number of targeting options. These options include the following: Age Location Sex Marital Status Education And Work Likes And Interests Advertisers on Facebook can target their audience based on all of these above criteria which enables them to target only the kind of people that might be interested in what they are advertising, which in this case are movies. YouTube Now owned by Google, YouTube is the most famous video sharing site on the Internet. YouTube has both good and bad effects on the film industry. According to the stats from YouTube.com itself and other sites like website-monitoring.com YouTube exceeds 2 billion views per day. An estimated number of 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every single minute and an average person spends about 15 minutes per day on YouTube. Film Makers know this and have had an enormous marketing advantage and have reached a more wider audience because of this. YouTube has made a separate page especially for movie trailers where they can be uploaded and then made public. YouTube, like most other Web 2.0 sites engages conversation among the viewers and visitors that come and watch videos and movie trailers. This is yet another advantage to the film industry as they can know the opinions of their viewers and get their feedback. Another great feature of YouTube is its ability to share the video virally on other social network sites like Facebook MySpace and others. An estimated number of 46.2 years of video is watched a day from Facebook itself. One important aspect of these Web 2.0 sites is that most of them are interlinked. For example you can use your Facebook account of sign in to several Web 2.0 sites. This makes information on the internet very viral in nature which is a benefit for advertisers. The disadvantage of YouTube is that currently there are about 7,000 hours of movies and TV shows that are put up on YouTube for users to watch for free. Some of these videos uploaded do break the copyright law. These videos are continuously being uploaded on YouTube and there is little that can be done about this. This is just one of the several video sharing sites. There are also others like Vimeo also where copyrighted material are being uploaded every single day by users. (Youtube Facts) Social Bookmarking Social bookmarking is when users bookmark a certain website or web page that they have found interesting and this is then publically viewable to all the other users on that social bookmarking website. Two of the very famous social bookmarking websites online today are Digg and Delicious. These social bookmarking websites are again a great way for information on movies, film to go viral and reach a lot of people. It is again possible to sign into most of these social networks using your Facebook account. One such social bookmarking site is Digg. Disadvantages Of Web 2.0 Broadband Internet Ever since broadband internet was introduced, internet users have been able to enjoy higher speeds in downloads and uploads. This has given a rise in piracy. It is said that one inn four people have illegally downloaded a film. The film studios say that piracy on the net has cost them billions of dollars in losses. The estimated figure as of the year 2006 is $20 billion. It is said that film piracy is going to increase as more people shift to broadband and can download files at higher speeds. (Online Film Piracy Set To Rise) (Film Piracy Cost The Economy $20 billion) File Sharing Sites The main disadvantages when it comes to the internet and Web 2.0 are copyright issues. Since digital data can be easily copied it is very common to see movies being shared on File sharing sites and discussion boards. A lot of these file sharing sites have their servers off-shore, in some other countries where copyright laws dont apply to them. This means that it is possible for them to have lot of copyrighted material on them and users from anywhere in the world is able to download them simply with the click of a mouse button. Peer 2 Peer Networks P2P and torrent sites have become a very common way to share files on the internet. All that is needed is a small piece of software installed on a computer that allows a user to share files directly from their computer. This way millions of users can openly share whatever is on their hard drive with other users on the peer to peer network. This makes it very easy to share pirated movies across the internet. File Sharing Message Boards The term Warez refers to copyrighted material being shared for free and this term is very famous on the internet. A lot of forums and message boards are specially made for this purpose and millions of users download movies and tons of other copyrighted material for free which does a significant harm to the film industry. Portable Digital Cameras Recent portable digital cameras and camcorders have given a rise to piracy. It is now very easy for users to take a portable camcorder or camera into a cinema and record the movie during the runtime. This recording is then sold on DVDs and/or uploaded on file sharing sites and/or peer to peer networks. Conclusion And Evaluation The leap in Digital Animation software has helped the film industry in making more detailed, 3D animated films. Web 2.0 has played a major part in the success of the booming film industry that is present today. With the help of social networks and its viral features, the marketing of new movies have become very easy and also cost effective. Although film piracy is on the rise and more people are using camcorders in theatres and copying off DVDs and posting them on the internet, the film industry has shown a significant amount of growth. Film piracy has cost them millions of dollars but yet film revenues have tripled over the last 25 years. Newly developed CG techniques like performance capture have started a new era to the film industry which is going to lead them into making more better films. It is clear from the above information presented that the advantages of what then new technological advancements have done for the film industry clearly outweigh the disadvantages. 3D cameras and state of the art animation and editing have lead todays movies to be more enjoyable and fun to watch. (The Fact And Fiction Of Camcorder Piracy)

Assess whether or not the changes in the structure of the UK industry E

Assess whether or not the changes in the structure of the UK industry have been beneficial for the economy, industries and the consumer. Over the past 30 years the structure of the UK economy has been transformed. By this I mean there has been changes in the production and employment between the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. In 1964, 1,201,000 people were employed in the primary sector. By 1995 there were only 383,000 people employed in the primary sector. This shows a decrease of 818,000 employees over 31 years. This was mainly due to a contraction of output in the coal mining industries, and the collapse of oil prices in 1986, further contributing toward the declining industry. The second change in the structure of the UK industry was a decrease in output and employment in the secondary (manufacturing) sector. A decrease of 6,027,000 employment was recorded between 1964 and 1995. This is deindustrialisation. The final change was in the tertiary sector, where the amount employed had increased by 50%, from 11,178,000 to 16,527,000, between 1964 and 1995. Increasing its percentage of GDP in the UK. Therefore we can conclude that there has been an increase in employment output in the tertiary sector and a decrease in the primary and tertiary sectors. There has also been a shift over the years from public to private sector production, which creates competition, causing lower prices and benefiting the consumer, while contributing to ...

Essay --

Imagine having to work a 100 hour work week as a slave, being so desperate for food that you eat snakes, rats, and human corpses to stay alive, and being forced to witness public executions of your closest family members. This is the reality for the 176,000 political and associative prisoners living in North Korean prisons with no rights, no trial, and no reason. The world will have to regard the human rights abuses in North Korean as an important issue if we wish to stop the torture, murder, and starvation that it enforces on its people. Recognition for our need for basic human rights is required to understand how North Korea deprives its people from the choices we as citizens of the USA take for granted. The United Nation’s office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights says that â€Å"human rights are rights inherent to all human beings†. These rights include the rights to life, liberty, property, movement, expression, and security. The United States has different rights engrained in its Bill of Rights, like the right to a speedy trial, freedom from harboring soldiers, and the freedom to a militia. North Korea has had its prisons for more than 5 decades, and its background goes back to the Korean War, when they stored their Prisoners of War and the members of the opposition in the camps. They have continued to today, despite the fact that the North Korean government denies their existence. Those on the outside mainly get their information from prison escapees and satellite imagery, and by these testimonies we can only make educated guesses on the population, location, and size of the camps. Shin Dong-hyuk has helped the rest of the world understand what prison life was like, for his story is haunting. He was born in a prison camp... ...t? Indeed, one of the biggest pitfalls that we as people have subsided from is publicizing the rejection of rights from the North Korean peoples, and we have forgotten that we can get out the word to top diplomatic officials on how and when we wish to combat the violations. Spreading the word is one of the most helpful things you can currently do to, as you, as an American, have the right to democracy and the people’s choice in matters, a right that North Korean citizens have been blatantly denied. Get educated on these matters through books, websites and documentaries, then go spread the information you have been given. As support for the prisoners grows, so will support for the human race as a whole, it will be only then that the issue of North Korea’s concentration camps will be brought to the diplomatic table for and by the people wherever they shall reside.

The Stolen Child by W.B. Yeats Essay -- Stolen Child Poem Yeats Essays

The Stolen Child by W.B. Yeats   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Stolen Child†, a poem by W.B. Yeats, can be analyzed on several levels. The poem is about a group of faeries that lure a child away from his home â€Å"to the waters and the wild†(chorus). On a more primary level the reader can see connections made between the faery world and freedom as well as a societal return to innocence. On a deeper and second level the reader can infer Yeats’ desire to see a unified Ireland of simpler times. The poem uses vivid imagery to establish both levels and leaves room for open interpretation especially with the contradictory last stanza.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nature and the land of the faeries present images of freedom throughout the first three stanzas. â€Å"There lies a leafy island†(Stanza 1, Line 3) where the faeries live, which is presumably far away from the world of pain and â€Å"weeping†(chorus) that is reality. The image of an island is used to represent separation from the real world and the freedom that it creates for the faeries. In the second stanza the faeries are â€Å"mingling hands and glances†(Stanza 2, line 6) and leaping â€Å"to and fro†(Stanza 2, Line 8) presenting an image of youth and lack of restrictions. The faeries call the child away to â€Å"the waters and the wild†(chorus) in the chorus. Yeats use of the image water is symbolic of free flowing life. The â€Å"wild† represents the faeries ability to live a life unrestricted by society. The first three stanzas have strong Celtic references that lead the reader to be...

Do Illegal workers help or hurt the economy Essay

While growing up in Mexico, I heard many stories of people who were going to work in the United States, some illegally, so they could provide a better life for their families. To them, they were going to the land of opportunity, where jobs were plentiful for people who were willing to work hard. They planned to go to the United States and do the work that Americans didn’t want, while getting paid more than they could make in Mexico. Many of them sought work in construction, where their lower pay would mean cheaper homes and buildings for Americans. Although there was the risk of getting arrested and deported, it seemed like a risk worth taking to many people. Now that I live in the United States, I have seen the other side of the story. I have seen the economic difficulties that Americans face in their own country. It is even harder for someone like me, who came here legally, but faces challenges that many Americans don’t. I have met people here who are working illegally, and see their daily struggle to survive. I have also met Americans who were born here and have difficulty finding work. Instead of plenty of jobs for everyone, good jobs are scarce with many people fighting to get them. I see the resentment some people have toward those who are here illegally, and working for lower wages, making it harder for others to complete. These observations have made me wonder; do illegal workers help or hurt the economy? Dr. George Borjas, Professor of Economics and Social Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, found that the earnings of US born workers were reduced by an average of 3.7% by immigrant workers, both legal and illegal. The greatest effect was to US born workers without a high school degree as well as young workers. In his research, published in the paper Increasing the Supply of Labor Through Immigration, Dr. Borjas writes â€Å"The 10 million native-born workers without a high school degree face the most competition from immigrants, as do the eight million younger natives with only a high school education and 12 million younger college graduates.† In the study entitled The Economic Logic of Illegal Immigration by Gordon H. Hanson, Professor of Economics at University of California, Gordon discovered that immigration has a modest impact on the economy, pushing incomes slightly lower for low-skilled native workers, and pushing incomes slightly higher for highly-skilled native workers. However, because legal immigrant workers encounter more restrictions and delays in entering the work force, it is illegal immigrations that provide a fluid, low-skilled workforce that is needed during economic booms. Gordon states â€Å"It (Illegal immigration) provides U.S. businesses with the types of workers they want, when they want them, and where they want them. If policy reform succeeds in making U.S. illegal immigrants more like legal immigrants, in terms of their skills, timing of arrival, and occupational mobility, it is likely to lower rather than raise national welfare.† In June of 2011, the state of Alabama passed the strictest anti-immigration law in the United States, known as HB 56. Alabama is an unlikely state for such a law, since only 120,000 of the country’s 11 million illegal immigrants live in Alabama. However, politicians painted illegal workers as an epidemic, contributing to budget shortfalls and high unemployment. Included in the law, is a requirement for police to validate a person’s immigration status if they have â€Å"reasonable suspicion†. The law penalizes anyone who employs, transports, or rents to an illegal immigrant. As a result of this law, Alabama farmers, who opposed the law from the beginning, saw their workforce disappear. In an article appearing in Mother Jones magazine entitled Help Not Wanted, by Paul Reyes, Alabama farmers expressed their frustration with HB 56. Their problem is that the work they have is difficult and requires experience and training that most native workers don’t have or are unwilling to do. In the article, Jerry Spencer, who runs Grow Alabama, a community-supported agriculture (CSA) project, is quoted. During a single month, Spencer employed 75 Alabamians to work on a farm, picking tomatoes. Of the 75 workers, 15 of them showed up more than once and only 3 lasted for the whole month. Spencer says â€Å"A Mexican can honestly make $300 a day at the height of tomato season, but that’s based on $3 per box. The (Alabamian) workers we took up there couldn’t come close. I’m going to be generous and say $20 a day was average. I actually was proud to see how hard they did work, but they couldn’t live up to the efficiency, and therefore the speed and production, that Mexicans could† An earlier law that prohibited employers from hiring illegal workers was the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which was passed by congress in 1986. This act created penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. However, illegal workers have found a way to counter this by obtaining fake Social Security numbers and green cards, which can be purchased easily in most immigrant neighborhoods for a small fee. These false documents allow employers to claim ignorance if caught hiring an illegal worker. This also means that the illegal workers are paid the same way as other workers, along with tax deductions. In an article appearing in Generations magazine entitled Not on the Radar: Illegal Immigrant are Bolstering Social Security, author Eduardo Porter provided the following statistic, â€Å"The estimated seven million or so illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year.† It is important to note with this statistic, that illegal workers are not eligible for Social Security benefits. Their Social Security deductions are being paid to retired legal workers. While illegal workers with false documents are paying taxes and contributing to the Social Security system, illegal immigrant workers also add a financial strain on city and state budgets. For example, in states like California, where one third of foreign born people in the United States live, children of immigrants are affecting public schools. In the book Immigration in a Changing Economy: California’s Experience, authors Kevin F. McCarthy and George Vernez advocate that more education needs be provided in California public schools for English proficiency for immigrant children â€Å"lest they, and California with them, fall behind the rest of the country† warns McCarthy and Vernez. Illegal workers may have dreams of making lots of money while working in the United States, but the truth is that they will face low-level jobs with the likelihood of exploitation. In a study of illegal Mexican workers, which is documented by Francisco L. Rivera-Batiz in the study Undocumented workers in the labor market: An analysis of the earnings of legal and illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States, published in the Journal of Population  Economics, it was found that 93.2% of male illegal workers and 87.4% of female illegal workers worked in service occupations. Furthermore, they made significantly less income than legal workers performing the same functions. Although some of the pay discrepancy is due to their time spent in the United States and English proficiency, it does not explain all of the pay discrepancies. Rivera-Batiz writes, â€Å"The large proportion of the gap in wages between legal and illegal immigrants unexplained by differences in the measured characteristics of these two groups strongly suggests the presence of systematic discrimination against undocumented workers.† After conducting my research, I have been surprised to learn that illegal immigration has a minimal impact on the overall US economy. The most negatively affected are young, low-skilled, less educated native workers, who experience slightly lower wages due to illegal immigrant workers. Highly-skilled native workers actually receive a slightly higher income due to illegal immigrant workers. Illegal workers benefit of course, but they are also easy targets for exploitation, since they are often not paid the same as legal workers performing the same job functions, and do not receive the same benefits that legal workers do. The real winners from illegal immigration are the businesses that knowingly employ illegal workers. They receive a workforce willing to work for minimal wages, and perform jobs that many native workers are unwilling to do. Government agencies also benefit by receiving tax payments from illegal workers, while not having to pay out such benefits as Social Security. For these reasons, I foresee little change in Immigration laws, since the current situation benefits those with the most power and money. Works Cited (1) Borjas, G. J. (2004, May). In Increasing the Supply of Labor Through Immigration: Measuring the Impact on Native-born Workers. Retrieved Mar. 29, 2013, from http:// www.cis.org/articles/2004/back504.html (2) Hanson, G. H. (2007, Apr. 26 ). In The Economic Logic of Illegal Immigration. Retrieved Mar. 29, 2013, from http://www.cfr.org/content/publications (3) McCarthy, Kevin F., Vernez,  George. â€Å"Immigration in a Changing Economy: California’s Experience.† Rand, 1997: 338 EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 19 April 2013 http://www.ebsco.com (4) Reyes, Paul. â€Å"Help Not Wanted.† Mother Jones March/April 2012: EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 19 April 2013 . (5) Rivera-Batiz, Francisco L. â€Å"Undocumented workers in the labor market: An analysis of the earnings of legal and illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States† Journal of Population Economics (1999) 91-116 EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 29 March 2013 . (6) Porter, Eduardo. â€Å"Not on the Radar: Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security.† Generations Spring 2005, Vol. 29 Issue 1: 100-102 EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 29 March 2013 .

My Scarf (Sentimental Value) Essay

Anyone has something that they would consider as a sentimental value, mine would be a scarf. Yes, a scarf, and this scarf is really special to me. It’s not like any other scarf you would see on any shelves in any stores. This one is knitted and handmade by me and my grandmother. We made it together a long time ago when I was just six years old. I was always sneaking up on my grandmother when she would sit in her armchair and knit, I was fascinated of how she made it look so easy. And one day I asked her to teach me how to knit, at first I was really frustrated because no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get it right. My grandmother was laughing and saying to me that no one gets it right the first time and that I needed to be a little more patient and I would get it right. I was watching my grandmother carefully and I was repeating every step after her and little by little with my grandmother’s guidance I finally learned the basics of knitting. After some time I even learned how to make a couple of rows of stitches in a row. One day my grandmother asked me to help her to knit a scarf and so we sat and we started working on it. After a couple of weeks when the scarf was done, I was so proud of myself because not all the girls my age could knit. So the minute it was done my grandma said that I can have it now, that it is mine now, since I was participating in the making of it. I was overwhelmed when she told me that I can have it now. I would actually sleep wrapped in that scarf, would go outside with it, wrap my dolls in it, everything that could a child be possibly doing with it, I’ve done it. And to this day I still have it in my closet and every time I take it out and look at it, it puts a smile on my face, no matter what kind of mood I am in. It always reminds me of my childhood and my kind grandma that taught me how to knit. Bibliography: My personal story