Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Essay Example Expressionism took many forms including theatre, cinema and art (www.artmovements.co.uk). Other movements including Fauvism, Post- Impressionism and Impressionism heavily influenced the art itself. However Expressionism evolved beyond all those, incorporating many of the elements of each type but also imparting extreme violence and exaggeration of brushstrokes, as well as harsh and intense colour to the canvas in order to convey their personal emotional response to the scene. In 1880 two events took place that led to the rise of Expressionism. The first was the unification of Germany and all its controlled states into a single federation or empire by the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck (www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk). This resulted in the appointment of Wilhelm II, the King of Prussia, (Germany's biggest state) to the position of Emperor of Germany. Wilhelm's governance and his policies led to social and political unrest in the empire and eventually led to World War I. Kirchner was born in Aschaffenburg, the son of a chemist in the paper industry. Though his parents encouraged his artistic tendencies they did not consider it a profession and after his schooling, his parents sent him to an architecture course in a Technical College in Dresden (http://tigtail.org). While there he formed an artists group with two other students, Heckel and Schmidt- Rotluff. They called themselves Die Brucke, literally, The Bridge. They considered themselves to be a bridge from the old set ways into the future of art and society in Germany. Kirchner was the driving force of this group and his work endures as a striking commentary on German society at the time. His most famous works as his art developed were those belonging to his "Streetwalker" series. Two of those paintings, Potsdamer Platz (1914) and The Street (1913) will be discussed as an example of how the period in which he lived influenced him. In order to fully comprehend the import of his work it is also necessary to understand the time in which he lived. Germany from 1880 to the time of the Great War was undergoing great turmoil on several fronts. Firstly it was a time of immense expansion on an industrial and technological front (Myers and Praeger, p11). Artists all over Europe were invigorated by this infusion of modernity. However Germanys unified empire was beginning to crack. After the appointment of Wilhelm as Kaiser there was a growing rift between the Emperor and his Chancellor Bismarck on various issues of social policy and he finally forced Bismarck to resign in 1890. With the dismissal of the Chancellor Wilhelm forced the passing of several policies that were completely unsuitable for a technologically developing nation (www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures). He also adopted political stands that led to the development of World War I. On the social front things were not much better in Germany during this period. Women's rights were virtually unheard of; women were unable to vote until quite late, they had very few legal financial rights and job opportunities and marriage and children were the only way for a respectable woman

Global Communication Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Global Communication Worksheet Essay Your supervisor wants to send a brief e-mail message, welcoming employees recently transferred to your department from different regions across the company, which are Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Create a clear and concise welcome message that would be appropriate for these groups of employees. Research the communication style of each of the following countries: Brazil Russia India China Transcribe the following welcome message for the employees from each country: I wanted to welcome you ASAP to our little family here in the States. It’s high time we shook hands in person and not just across the sea. I’m pleased as punch about getting to know you all, and I for one will do my level best to sell you on America. Complete the table below with your transcribed welcome messages. Also indicate whether each of the countries are more individualistic or relationship focused, and whether they are direct or indirect in their communication. Country Transcribe Welcome Message Relationship or Individualistic? Direct or Indirect?

We Must Raise the Minimum Wage Essay -- Increase Minimum Wage Essays

Minimum wage is the lowest wage an employer can pay their employees. There is a Federal minimum wage and in some cases a State Minimum wage. The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25. An employee who makes $7.25 an hour and works 40 hours a week, will earn about $14,000 per year. The Federal government deemed that the poverty line is anyone who makes less than $17,000 a year (â€Å"Federal Minimum†). Therefore anyone that makes minimum wage lives below the poverty line. As president Obama said in his state of address, "In the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty† (â€Å"Federal Minimum†). This essay will examine the problem of low minimum wage and explore ways to resolve this issue. There are two types of minimum wage in the United States. The first type of minimum wage is a Federal minimum wage. Federal minimum wage is established by the Federal government and is the lowest set amount of money an employer can pay its employee (â€Å"Federal minimum†). On the other hand, an individual State may set its own minimum wage. The States under the Tenth Amendment have the right to accept the federal minimum wage, or states may set their own minimum wage. Roughly 20 or more states have set their own Minimum wage laws. Some states set their own minimum wage because some states have higher cost of living. An example of cost of living is the price of gasoline. Gasoline in the state of Hawaii cost just about four dollars per gallon, where as the state of Oklahoma cost roughly three dollars a gallon ("Update: Minimum Wage"). Economists point to inflation as the main cause for low minimum wage. Inflation is described as â€Å"a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of mone... ...e Minimum Wage Is Stuck at $7.25; It Should Be $21.16 — or Higher." Inequality.org. Inequality, Facts On File 24 July 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. Berfield, Susan. "Fast-Food Wages Come With a $7 Billion Side of Public Assistance." BloombergBusiness. N.p., 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. "Federal Minimum Wage." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 13 May 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2013 Henderson, David R. "Raising the Minimum Wage Will Not Reduce Poverty." Poverty. Ed. Viqi Wagner. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "The Negative Effects of the Minimum Wage." National Center for Policy Analysis, Brief Analysis. Vol. 550. 2006. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. "Update: Minimum Wage." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 15 July 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.

Othello – Power of Words

Othello Words of Power December 12, 2011 The famous saying, â€Å"The pen is mightier than the sword† means that with words and brains, it can become a greater weapon than a sword. If such a person was to have this power with words, then one shall lead to great things, if the person wishes to do so. In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago uses his skills with persuasion and words to captivate the minds around him in reaching desired outcomes. Iago definitely demonstrates his powers with his words in the play on many occasions. He firstly captivates Roderigo in doing whatever he chose him to do. The simple minded Roderigo was not the only one, as Cassio is set up into Iago's traps next. Lastly the great Othello is wrapped up by Iago's tongue and is tossed around as Iago's will. To catch a fish, bait and a hook is required, in the drama Iago plots, Cassio is the bait. Cassio is the man who provokes Othello and unknowingly kills Othello. Iago's intentions were to take Cassio's position in the ranks, because Othello gave the position to Cassio instead of him. Iago does this by exploiting Cassio's biggest flaw, his lack of drinking. Iago uses his fancy speech and talents in song, â€Å"King Stephen was a worthy peer†¦ ith that he called the tailor lown. † (II. iii 89-92) ,to encourage Cassio to drink multiple doses. This causes Cassio to get in a fight which results in Othello removing his position. â€Å"Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. † (II. iii 262-265) After being de-ranked by Othello, Cassio is haunted by the fact that he lost his reputation, but Iago convinces him reputation is worth nothing. Later on however, he tells Othello that reputation to him is everything. This is just another example of Iago's way of manipulating people's thoughts of him. Post being de-ranked by Othello, Iago convinces Cassio to talk to Desdemona about getting his rank back. Iago tells Cassio, if he can get Desdemona to sweet talk to Othello about you, then you will get your position back for sure. Cassio agrees with Iago having no clue this is just to make Othello jealous. Iago chooses Cassio to be used as bait because Othello already thinks Cassio is more suitable than himself for Desdemona. Cassio fails to recognize any of the jealousy by Othello so he continues to try and get on the good side of Desdemona, which just leads to more jealousy by Othello. Iago trapped Othello and Cassio in a predicament that they cannot escape. Roderigo, a simple man with a simple mind, a man who lets himself trust others more than his own judgment at times, is completely clouded by Iago's words. From the first pages of the play, Roderigo is seen doing what Iago chooses and obeying willingly. â€Å"Were I the Moor I would not be Iago. In following him I follow but myself†¦ For daws to peck at. I am not what I am. † (I. i. 57–65) Here Iago clearly states his motives and expresses that he is not who he appears to be. He is letting everyone know the nice, kind Iago is not the true self. Despite all this, Roderigo is still wrapped up in Iago's lies and continues to do as Iago wishes. Roderigo spends all his money on Iago to hope that Iago can work his â€Å"magic† and make Desdemona his. Iago is constantly letting Roderigo know that Desdemona will soon be his, he tells Roderigo Desdemona will soon come to her senses and run to him: â€Å"It is merely lust of the blood†¦ and go without her. † (Shakespeare, I. iii. 377-404). Even when Roderigo was on the verge of killing Iago because the promises are not coming true, he is still convinced by Iago to do one more task. This ultimately leads Roderigo to his death, because Roderigo never stopped to think everything through. When Roderigo fails to accomplish what Iago planned for him, Iago backstabs him and kills him. The dramatist Iago, is willing to do anything to keep things running smoothly for him. Iago uses Roderigo to set off his drama show, and Roderigo is played by Iago wonderfully. The general of Cyprus, the man who has won countless wars, and the hero of the city, Othello. Despite all these winning characteristics, he still lost to the twisted words of Iago. Othello, an honest black man who falls in love with Desdemona, and she him. At the beginning of the play, Othello had full trust in Desdemona and was happily married to her. As Iago steps in however, that all changes. â€Å"I'll have our Michael Cassio on the hip,  abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb. For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too. Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me. â€Å"(II. i. 305-308) Iago says his plans to gain Othello's trust, just to betray him in the end. Othello treats Iago like a brother, and is constantly calling him â€Å"Honest Iago†. Iago's plan to destroy Othello is to destroy his love with Desdemona. He does this by making Othello think Desdemona is unfaithful. Iago acts very smoothly, directing the actions of others without them knowing his true intentions. Iago would often be reluctant to speak, seeming innocent. When he does this to Othello, it gets Othello's curiosity to set off. â€Å"I prithee, speak to me as to thy thinkings, as thou dost ruminate, and give thy worst of thoughts, the worst of words. † (III. iii. 131-133) Othello begs for Iago to speak here, because he cannot bare not knowing what Iago knows. With the speaking abilities of Iago, he is able to lie with such perfection that Othello has no choice but worry about his words, worry if Desdemona is really being unfaithful. Even when Othello would put this idea in the back of his mind, Iago would constantly remind him of it. The cleverness of Iago is demonstrated when he would look like he is helping a person, but the truth is otherwise. â€Å"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss. â€Å"(III. iii. 165-167) Iago seems like he is trying to warn Othello about jealousy, but by saying this he is actually getting Othello more jealous. Othello is unaware the entire time of Iago's plot to get what he wants. As Iago's lies dig deeper into Othello's mind, Othello is forced into an incurable sense of hopelessness about Desdemona, and Othello makes the grave mistake of killing her. Othello's trust in Iago left him listening to no one else, even when he's wife pleaded she is telling the truth. This is the effectiveness of Iago's way with words, and how he uses that to set up his drama, plotting everyone against each other to his benefits. Language, the human's way of communication, a necessity amongst the population, a tool and occasionally, a weapon. Iago's way of speech gives him the advantage over others. In the book Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago uses his way of words to create situations that will lead to a result that favours himself. He manipulates Othello, Cassio, and Roderigo in ways that destroy each other but benefiting him at the same time. Iago expresses this characteristic throughout the play and he turns what would be a fairy tale ending story, into a drama with a tragic ending. Work Cited: Shakespeare, William, and Roma Gill. Othello. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1993. Print.

Nothing But The Truth Essay Essay

In the novel Nothing but the Truth, many differences are seen between Thando and Mandisa. These differences are seen through their different cultural understandings and their relationships with their fathers. Thando and Mandisa both also have very different views on the Truth and reconciliation commission (amnesty) hearing. In the play, the character of Thando is presented to us as a loving and caring character. Her father, Sipho, in South Africa, raises her. He is very traditional and has instilled the same teachings into Thando. Thando’s cultural roots are present throughout the play. You can see this in the way she mourns her uncles death and refuses at first to go out with Mandisa to Johannesburg. Sipho and Thando also arrange for a cultural funeral which includes the slaughtering of an ox. Thando’s hospitality towards Mandisa and her constant use of African phrases(â€Å"Ndyintombi†¦,†tata†, â€Å"malome†) displays her traditional African roots throughout the play . Labola is also mentioned which is part of traditional African culture. Mandisa, however, is presented to us as almost the opposite to Thando. Mandisa is shown to us as an modern fashion designer who can be selfish. She, unlike Mandisa is outspoken and isn’t afraid to express her opinions even when she is in a home with people she just met. Mandisa is also insensitive to cultural, South African way of living. This is seen in the play when she says to Mandisa: â€Å"Girl! He won’t allow you!† when Thando turns her down when she was asked to accompany her to Johannesburg. She also turns her â€Å"Makhaya† surname to â€Å"Mckay† and does not understand isiXhosa(she keeps asking Thando to translate what her uncle says). It is evident that her cultural roots are lost. Her fathers body had been cremated which was not typical of South African tradition and Mandisa only mourns her fathers death for 2 weeks. Mandisa does not understand that South Africa is not England and is insensitive to the Sipho when he feels violated that his brothers body had been created. She responded to him by insensitively saying : â€Å"that’s what everybody does in England.† Mandisa and Thando both however  love to be called â€Å"African Princess† The relationship that Thando has with Sipho is that of a very obedient daughter who carries out her duties. She rejects Mandisa’s invitation to Johannesburg because her father wouldn’t allow it and never does anything without the consent of Sipho(â€Å"I’ll have to ask tata first†). The duties that she carries out are seen when she doesn’t leave the house without preparing a meal for her father first. She values her traditions and explains the traditions of mourning to Mandisa saying that her father would expect them to â€Å"show some respect for atleast a month as children†. Her obedience is also shown when she says : â€Å"I live under his roof and for as long as I live here, I have to live by his rules.† Her attitude towards her father is respectful and obedient. Mandisa, having being brought up In Engand, away from her cultural roots is very different from Thando. She is not affected by Sipho feeling violated by his brothers cremation and retorts: â€Å"Oh this is ridiculous!, I didn’t come to argue about the ashes.† Mandisa also tries to change Thandos mind about not going to Johannesburg with her â€Å"You don’t have to do what pleases him.† Her independence and tendency of speaking her mind and not caring about others perception of her, makes her seem to be insensitive and disrespectful towards the older generation. Thando and Mandisa also have different views of the TRC hearing and don’t agree on how the amnesties were being dealt with. Mandisa’s views are unsympathetic towards the TRC because she is angry at the fact thatsomeone can commit murder and still be forgiven without being given justice. Her view is cynical and her talk of revenge shows an unsympathetic side to her character. She thinks that the concept of Ubuntu is â€Å"giving in too easily† and that the amnesty process is too lenient. Her vengeful side is shown when she agrees with Sipho when he says that the minister of security should be judged by a black judge and that he should serve prison for many years when Sipho was drunk. Her answer was always : â€Å"yes†, â€Å"that’s more I like it†, â€Å"Exactly.† Mandisa believes that the government has ‘sold out’ for ‘international approval’ and has not considered the peoples need for revenge  and that full disclosure was not given at the amnesty hearings(she points out that it is still not known who gave Craig Williomson his order) and argues that there was an â€Å"outcry against him receiving amnesty.† Thando on the other hand, works at the TRC and has a very positive behavior towards the process although she can see the dirt to it . â€Å"One gets confused sometimes especially when so many lies are told.† She believes that it was the wrong thing to do to be vengeful-â€Å"Where would revenge get us besides more violence?† She personally believes that re-building the nation is what matters most. Thando embraces forgiveness: â€Å"If all those who suffered can forgive, so can you.† She also contradicts to Mandisa’s accusation of the TRC being too easy by reminding her that some people such as Derby-Lewis had been punished. Although there are many differences between Thando and Mandisa, the sisters also share many similarities. African heritage is important to both of them- they both enjoy being called African princess by their fathers and Mandisa refers to SA as â€Å"home† – â€Å"I am happy to be home.† She also speaks of listening to stories about home. Thando’s defensive and quick response to Mandisa when she disrespects their lifestyle â€Å"show some respect for our tradition† shows her protective and possessiveness of her African roots. Like Mandisa, Thando is also an independent thinker. This is present throughout the play when Thando is always contradicting to whatever Mandisa says about the amnesty â€Å"Some people like Derby-Lewis have been punished† and her open-mindness is shown when she explains to her father that some black people in SA are also practicing cremation in todays times. Both sisters are so different, yet so alike.

Free Essays on Pop-up Adds

Pop-up Ads: The Most Annoying Advertisement Ever In today’s electronic market, new ways to get potential customers’ attention have become of utmost importance. Some internet sites, it seems, will stop at nothing to get you to come to their site. This ruthless advertising frenzy has birthed an abomination: the pop-up ad. What better way to get a person to come to a specific site than to put a big advertisement right in their face whether they want it or not? Many of these pop-ups don’t even have the name of the site on them, merely some game or offer of a â€Å"special prize† for those unwitting dupes that click on them. In fact, some don’t even require you to click on them. They merely need you to â€Å"mouse† over them.1 One site with such a pop-up ad is Orbitz.com, a major proponent of this style of advertisement. In one month, they delivered more than 400 million pop-ups or pop-unders. This form of advertisement continues annoy me. Whenever I get onto a site and receive 3 more open sites that I really didn’t want to go to, it never fails to make me leave the site posthaste. However, on the flipside of things, it has proved to me to be an effective form of advertising. I will occasionally see a site promoted in one of these ads and be intrigued by it. From a profit-seeking point of view, using pop-up ads is a good idea. If a company gets more â€Å"hits,† than they can sell more ads, and thus make more money. From a customer loyalty point of view however, I believe that pop-up ads are detrimental. If a person goes to a site, and each time he does so is bombarded by a flurry of new windows advertising for things he doesn’t want, the less likely he is to come back to that site.... Free Essays on Pop-up Adds Free Essays on Pop-up Adds Pop-up Ads: The Most Annoying Advertisement Ever In today’s electronic market, new ways to get potential customers’ attention have become of utmost importance. Some internet sites, it seems, will stop at nothing to get you to come to their site. This ruthless advertising frenzy has birthed an abomination: the pop-up ad. What better way to get a person to come to a specific site than to put a big advertisement right in their face whether they want it or not? Many of these pop-ups don’t even have the name of the site on them, merely some game or offer of a â€Å"special prize† for those unwitting dupes that click on them. In fact, some don’t even require you to click on them. They merely need you to â€Å"mouse† over them.1 One site with such a pop-up ad is Orbitz.com, a major proponent of this style of advertisement. In one month, they delivered more than 400 million pop-ups or pop-unders. This form of advertisement continues annoy me. Whenever I get onto a site and receive 3 more open sites that I really didn’t want to go to, it never fails to make me leave the site posthaste. However, on the flipside of things, it has proved to me to be an effective form of advertising. I will occasionally see a site promoted in one of these ads and be intrigued by it. From a profit-seeking point of view, using pop-up ads is a good idea. If a company gets more â€Å"hits,† than they can sell more ads, and thus make more money. From a customer loyalty point of view however, I believe that pop-up ads are detrimental. If a person goes to a site, and each time he does so is bombarded by a flurry of new windows advertising for things he doesn’t want, the less likely he is to come back to that site....

The Weather Hazards Associated With Hurricanes

The Weather Hazards Associated With Hurricanes Every year, from June 1 to November 30, the threat of a hurricane strike looms in the minds of vacationers  and residents of  U.S.  coastlines. And its no wonder why. Because of its ability to travel across ocean  and land, a hurricane is almost impossible to outrun. In addition to having an evacuation plan in place, your best line of defense against hurricanes  is to know and recognize its  main hazards, of which there are four: high winds, storm surge, inland flooding, and tornadoes. High Winds As pressure drops inside of a hurricane, air from the surrounding atmosphere rushes into the storm, generating one of its trademark characteristics: winds. A hurricanes winds are among the first conditions to be felt during its approach. Tropical storm-force winds can extend as far as 300 miles (483 km) and hurricane-force winds can extend 25-150 miles (40-241 km) from the storm center. Sustained winds pack enough force to cause structural damage and carry loose debris. Remember that hidden within maximum sustained winds are isolated gusts that actually blow much faster than this. Storm Surge In addition to being a threat in and of itself, wind also contributes to another danger: storm surge. While a hurricane is out to sea, its winds blow across the ocean surface, gradually pushing water out ahead of it. A hurricane’s low pressure assists in this. By the time the storm nears the coast, water has â€Å"piled up† into a dome several hundred miles wide and 15 to 40 feet (4.5-12 m) high. This ocean swell then travels onshore, inundating the coast and eroding beaches. It is the primary cause of loss of life within a hurricane. If a hurricane approaches during high tide, an already risen sea level will lend additional height to a storm surge. The resulting event is referred to as a storm tide. Rip currents are another wind-induced marine hazard to watch for. As winds push water outward toward the shore, water is forced against and along the shoreline, creating a fast current. If there are channels or sandbars leading back out to sea, the current flows violently through these, whisking along anything in its path - including beachgoers and swimmers. Rip currents can be recognized by the following signs: A channel of churning, choppy waterAn area with a noticeable difference in color when compared to the surrounding oceanA line of foam or debris moving out to seaA break in the incoming wave pattern Inland Flooding While storm surge is the main cause of coastal inundation, excessive rains are responsible for the flooding of inland areas. A hurricanes rainbands can dump up to several inches of rain per hour, especially if a storm is moving slowly. This water overwhelms rivers and low-lying areas. When rainbands release water for several consecutive hours or days, this leads to flash and urban flooding.   Because tropical cyclones of all intensities (not just hurricanes) can produce excessive rains, freshwater flooding is considered the most wide-reaching of all tropical cyclone-related dangers. Tornadoes Embedded in a hurricanes rainbands are thunderstorms, some of which are strong enough to spawn tornadoes. Tornadoes produced by hurricanes are typically weaker (usually EF-0s and EF-1s) and shorter-lived than those occurring across the central and midwestern U.S. As a precaution, a tornado watch is usually issued when a tropical cyclone is forecast to make landfall. Beware the Right Front Quadrant A number of factors, including storm strength and track, influence damage levels caused by each of the above. But you may be surprised to learn that something as seemingly insignificant as which one of a hurricanes sides first makes landfall can also greatly increase (or lower) the risk of related hazards, especially storm surge and tornadoes. A direct hit from the right-front quadrant of a hurricane (left-front in the Southern Hemisphere) is considered the most severe. Thats because its here where the storms winds blow in the same direction as the atmospheric steering wind, causing a net gain in wind speed. For example, if a hurricane has sustained winds of 90 mph (category 1 strength) and is moving at 25 mph, its right front region would effectively have winds up to category 3 strength (90 25 mph 115 mph). Conversely, because winds on the left side oppose steering winds, a reduction in speed is felt there. Using the previous example, a 90 mph storm with 25 mph steering winds becomes a 65 mph effective wind. Since hurricanes continually spiral counter-clockwise (clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere) as they travel, it can be difficult to distinguish one side of the storm from another. Heres a tip: pretend youre standing directly behind the storm with your back in the direction its traveling. Its right side will be the same as your right. So if a storm is traveling due west, the right front quadrant would actually be its northern region.

List of Supplies for High School Students

List of Supplies for High School Students One of the best ways to  be successful in high school is to have  a complete set of study items on hand. Not only will you be prepared for just about every assignment, youll also avoid time-consuming last-minute trips to the store.   General Supplies for All Grades Some supplies are necessary to have  year after year, no matter what grade youre in. Right before the new school year begins, invest in these items and youll be good to go. You dont have to spend a lot of money to have a full stock of supplies. Many of these items can be found at dollar and other discount stores. Backpack3-ring binderPocket foldersNotebook DividersColored pencilsNo. 2 pencilsErasersPencil sharpenerPencil casePensHighlightersMarkersLined notebook paperGraph paperSpiral notebooksComputer printer paperFlash driveGlue stickHand sanitizerLocker organizersOrganizer/plannerPaper clipsScissorsStapler3-hole punchPoster paintsPoster paperPublic library card Extra supplies might be necessary as well but will differ from school to school and class to class. Check with your teachers for specifics. Supplies for 9th  Grade Students beginning their first year of high school may take a variety of classes. Depending on your course schedule, supplies may vary. Algebra I Scientific calculator with fraction key Geometry Scientific calculator with fraction keyCircular protractorRuler marked with inches and centimetersCompass Foreign Language 3x5 colored index cardsForeign language dictionary  (or  smartphone app)Electronic translator (or smartphone app) Supplies for 10th  Grade Many students are likely to take the following classes in 10th  grade. Depending on your course schedule, supplies may vary. Algebra II Scientific calculator with fraction key Geometry Scientific calculator with fraction keyCircular protractorRuler marked with inches and centimetersCompass Foreign Language 3x5 colored index cardsForeign language dictionary  (or  smartphone app)Electronic translator (or smartphone app) Supplies for 11th Grade Juniors should be prepared for typical 11th-grade classes by having these supplies on hand: Biology II Science/Biology dictionary (or  smartphone app) Calculus Graphing calculator, such as TI-83 or 86 Accounting Four-function calculator with percent key Foreign Language 3x5 colored index cardsForeign language dictionary (or  smartphone app)Electronic translator (or smartphone app) Supplies for 12th  Grade Plan for these typical senior-year classes with the following items: Marketing Four-function calculator with percent key Statistics Scientific calculator with fraction key Chemistry or Physics Scientific calculator Foreign Language 3x5 colored index cardsForeign language dictionary (or  smartphone app)Electronic translator (or smartphone app) Additional Supplies If your familys budget allows, these items will also be helpful in your studies: Laptop or Notebook Computer: You will likely have access to a computer lab on campus or at the public library, but a laptop or notebook computer with a click-on keyboard will allow you to do your work anywhere.Smartphone:  While your teachers will likely not allow phones in the classroom, having access to a smartphone will enable you to use a wealth of education-related apps and websites.Printer/Scanner:  Although you may be able to print your work out on your schools printers, having one at home is much more convenient- and it will allow you to check your work more easily. Make sure to get one with scanning capabilities. Scanners can be used to  create study guides from your books, which will help you in everything from preparing for tests to writing a research paper.Post-Itâ„ ¢ Easel Pads:  This item is useful for brainstorming, especially in a study-group setting. Its basically a pad of giant sticky notes that you can fill with ideas and list items and then stick to a  wall or any other surface.   Smartpen by Livescribe:  This is a favorite tool for math students, who may get it during a lecture in class, but then lose it when they sit down to work the problems on their own. The Smartpen  will allow you to  record a lecture while taking notes, and then afterward  place the pen tip on any word or drawing and listen to the part of the lecture that was taking place when those notes were recorded.

Oil Industry Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Oil Industry Master - Essay Example This hike in price of oil comes with several causes as well as consequences. There are many factors that lead to a significant rise in oil price when the cost of producing it remains constant. Also, a rise in price brings with it several challenges to the economies of net importing countries and opportunities for exporting countries. The factors affecting the oil price in an international scenario tend to be on the demand as well on the supply side in both short and long run. The effects of oil price happen to be on the business side, consumer side and pure macroeconomic side. This paper investigates into the major factors that bring about a change in the price of oil, in particular, in the recent scenario of oil price hikes. It emphasises what actually has led to such unexpected oil price shocks in the recent years. The paper also sheds light on the effects of changes in oil price on businesses and economies around the world by way of affecting production, consumption, investment and major macroeconomic indicators. The recent dramatic rise in oil price has led the scholars to investigate into the factors affecting the price of oil in short and long term. ... The major demand-side factors that affect the price of oil are economic growth and increased consumption etc. On the other hand, the major supply-side factors playing a role in increasing oil prices are incapability of OPEC to produce more, inability to gauge future demand and political factors etc. Other important factors influencing the price of oil are speculation and futures trading. The point that is important here is that both the demand and supply related factors as well as some apparently uncontrollable factors combine to cause such unexpected hike in international oil price as witnessed in the last few years. In the beginning of last century when oil was considered to be sufficient for world consumption, the economic growth was limited to a few countries. Most of the oil was imported to the highly developed countries of that time to fuel their industries and transportation etc and the consumption of oil was also limited as compared to present times. As the time passed, major changes in the world economy began to mark their presence. More and more countries entered the race of economic growth with certain prominent countries like the United States, Britain, and other European countries accelerated their economic growth. Barrell and Pomerantz also propound that "changes in oil prices have been associated with major developments in the world economy" (2004, p152) This economic growth came about through obviously a thorough industrialisation process in these countries enhancing the demand for more and more oil. Thus, a rapid economic progression of already developed countries has led to ever rising consumption of oil, causing a deterioration of world

Responding to Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Responding to Memo - Essay Example The consequence was that the company suffered a land attack which subsequently forced our networks into a "ping of death" (Liu, Yu, and Jing, 2005). This means that the network was forced into the continued and repetitive transmission of packages which exceeded the allowable size. As you may well recall, the DoS attack paralyzed our systems and cost us in excess of $150,000. Attacks which exploit security holes in hardware and software systems are quite common. Apart from the above described incident, the company was subjected to a second attack as a direct outcome of a security hole in its Cisco IOS router. This, the most popular corporate router, had a serious security flaw which the company only identified after the release of the router and even then did not inform users about (Zetter, 2006). Consequently, our company, just like countless others was attacked through this security hole. In the second place, our identity renders us the target of attacks. It is unlikely that any hacker would deliberately target your daughter's computer and infect it with a Trojan Horse but where we are concerned, the issue is quite different. As a profit-making organization, we represent potentially financially lucrative information (Rhodes-Ousley, Bragg, and Strassberg, 2003). We are targeted by professional hackers who seek out security flaws in our system for the explicit purpose of infecting us, either in order to access our data or to bring our networks to a halt (Rhodes-Ousley, Bragg, and Strassberg, 2003). The fact of the matter is that our department has protected our networks as much as is possible. The fact that we send out malware alerts or often engage in the cleaning up of the system is quite simply because we cannot afford any viruses on our networks. Malware could undermine the integrity of our data and, therefore, we often resort to the exercise of extreme precaution. Indeed, it is quite probable that your daughter's computer has some malware on it but that she is not able to identify it. We, on the other hand, identify and remove all malware. Lastly, Windows OS is ore vulnerable to malware than is Macintosh OS. This is because of security holes in the latter which are not present in the former and because hackers target Windows much more than they do Macintosh (Rhodes-Ousley, Bragg, and Strassberg, 2003). Migrating to Macintosh, however, is not an option both because it would be too costly and because it does not have the software range that we need. P2P Memo To: Salamanika Giorgiopolis, Corporate Counsel From: CISO Date: 05/18/2007 Re: Peer to Peer and Piracy Irrespective of the popularity of Peer to Peer Networks and regardless of the fact that everyone is doing it,' company employees are explicitly prohibited from running P2P programs on company computers or from using the company's network connection to download files through these programs. Apart from the aforementioned being explicitly forbidden under company policies and regulations, it comprises an immoral and illegal violation of copyright laws which the company is not going to abide by. Copyright laws are very precise, leaving little room for manoeuvring or interpretation. As Paradise (1999) clarifies, this body of legislature, determines the fortification of

The benefits of cryotherapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The benefits of cryotherapy - Essay Example In order to achieve this, cryotherapy has become one of the most preferred approaches by doctors to boost the immune system of the human body. Researchers have proved that cryotherapy comes with numerous benefits and patients who have been subject to this technology have indicated admirable outcomes. Cryotherapy basically involves a simple process that entails exposing the human body to very low temperatures. It is â€Å"therapeutic use of cold† (Archer 262). It involves spraying patients with a dry nitrogen mist the cools then skin immediately patients enter a chamber that is specially designed for this purpose. Even though the temperature of the skin is lowered just for a few minutes, the result of spraying patients with skin-chilling dry Nitrogen is often wonderful (Archer 262). When the temperature of the body drops, the immune system of the body is activated to respond, thereby leading to pain or inflammation relief (Eaves 72; Kenner 662; Aigner and Stephens 48). Perhaps, some people are wondering about how it feels when one undergoes cryotherapy. The therapy is very quick and the whole treatment procedure is absolutely painless, which is one of the main advantages of cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is also beneficial because it treats numerous health conditions (Knight and Draper 5). Cryotherapy can be used to treat serious debilitating diseases like arthritis and Fibromyalgia. It is also known to boost the performance of athletes (Millis and Levine 314). According to CryoClinics, cryotherapy remains crucial for facilitating recovery in sports and ensuring highly competitive sports (CryoClinics Para 11). Do you recall the ice bags that team doctors usually put on the head of players when there is head collision of some soccer player hurt his leg? This is fundamentally what cryotherapy technique. â€Å"Welsh rugby team began using cryotherapy in the run-up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup in order to aid their

Evaluation of Open Source Operating System Assignment

Evaluation of Open Source Operating System - Assignment Example There are also companies who concentrate their efforts on open source software like Sun and IBM who consider the open source systems as an opportunity to undermine the monopoly of Microsoft in the computer software. The third group of users is public institutions and government agencies especially in Europe who consider the use of open source systems as a viable alternative for US technology and because of the increased safety and security that can be built in the open source systems.  There are also companies who concentrate their efforts on open source software like Sun and IBM who consider the open source systems as an opportunity to undermine the monopoly of Microsoft in the computer software. The third group of users is public institutions and government agencies especially in Europe who consider the use of open source systems as a viable alternative for US technology and because of the increased safety and security that can be built in the open source systems.  Definition a nd Functions of Open source Systems (OSS) Originally at the time of initial developments, the software was known as ‘free software’ as defined by the GNU project. The term ‘open source’ has been coined later and according to Stallman it is an attempt to express the same kind of concept as that of free software but with a more prudent and palatable approach. The functions of OSS include:(a) Facilitating and monitoring user interface(b) Effective job management to save computer usage time(c) Efficient task management to act as an aid to facilitate multi-task completions(d) Efficient data management to accommodate more volume of data  (e) Better device management for an efficient handling of the associated hardware and(f) Ensuring the security of data which is the foremost requirement of any efficient operating system.

GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS - Essay Example It started when the US sub-prime mortgage market collapsed due to the default on payments. A sub-Prime mortgage is a loan made for homes to borrowers who are not eligible for prime home loans because they either do not have sound credit history or have non at all. For example, people with low incomes, low bank transactions, history of defaults or unemployment, can use these mortgage loans to purchase homes. These loans are generally given out by lenders on higher interest rates, additional fees, penalties for early satisfaction of the loan and other additional costs such as adjustable interest rates (ARM). With such instruments where the borrowers do not have a credit history for the borrowers to base heir decisions on, there is a high risk of default. What was once known as the leader and a strong entity of the economy in 2007, the real estate business took a complete nosedive, which was not expected as the values of houses had not declined since World War 2 and were on a continuous rise after the great depression, and thus, lead to the liquidity crunch in the US market. The mortgage taken by investors had real estate as collateral which eventually lost all its value and hence defaults on payments occurred. The demand for houses increased also during 2001 because the federal government reduced the interest rates, it was the lowest in 2001. This allowed people to invest in more houses and people started buying vacation houses and second homes. The builders continued building more and more houses even after the demand for property started to decrease after a while. The property market became so overvalued that finally the market collapsed, resulting in a rapid decrease in the rates properties and property demands. (University of Iowa, 2008) Many Credit Rating agencies also played a major role in the event. The Mortgage backed securities which were in great demand in the early 2002, continued with the increasing demand and although

Evaluation of Open Source Operating System Assignment

Evaluation of Open Source Operating System - Assignment Example There are also companies who concentrate their efforts on open source software like Sun and IBM who consider the open source systems as an opportunity to undermine the monopoly of Microsoft in the computer software. The third group of users is public institutions and government agencies especially in Europe who consider the use of open source systems as a viable alternative for US technology and because of the increased safety and security that can be built in the open source systems.  There are also companies who concentrate their efforts on open source software like Sun and IBM who consider the open source systems as an opportunity to undermine the monopoly of Microsoft in the computer software. The third group of users is public institutions and government agencies especially in Europe who consider the use of open source systems as a viable alternative for US technology and because of the increased safety and security that can be built in the open source systems.  Definition a nd Functions of Open source Systems (OSS) Originally at the time of initial developments, the software was known as ‘free software’ as defined by the GNU project. The term ‘open source’ has been coined later and according to Stallman it is an attempt to express the same kind of concept as that of free software but with a more prudent and palatable approach. The functions of OSS include:(a) Facilitating and monitoring user interface(b) Effective job management to save computer usage time(c) Efficient task management to act as an aid to facilitate multi-task completions(d) Efficient data management to accommodate more volume of data  (e) Better device management for an efficient handling of the associated hardware and(f) Ensuring the security of data which is the foremost requirement of any efficient operating system.

Radiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Radiology - Essay Example Each of these is important in recognizing radiological feature, ascribing a level of importance to the various finding in a single radiograph, and interpreting them, in conjunction with other available information.Knowledge of the clinical reason for requiring the radiographic investigation will provide background information to link with the radiological finding, and will often pose specific questions that need to be answer. It is important to decide if the question is been adequately answered, and if not plan the next stage of the investigation.Radiology is not limited for some uses; it is used in approximately all the field of treatment of diseases. Radiology is been used in Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Neurology, Renal, Skeletal, and Respiratory Medicine. In these fields different types of radiograph is been used for different fields such as for the complete scanning of brain, CT-scan is used and for the complete bodies a different type. The type of radiology, which is been used in the field of dental surgery, is either plain radiology or a different type, as plain radiology, shows limited evidence of pathology and the signs are subtle. We have to discuss about the usage of radiography in the field of dental surgeries, this can solve the problems regarding the present use of radiography in the dental field. We have to consider the standard guidelines and methods given by the Government organizations for overcoming the problems with radiography used for dental surgeries. About the Dental profession: As we, all know that the dental profession is committed to delivering the highest quality of care to each of its individual patient and... In most of the countries, the health and safety at work statistic’s states that every person working in a hospital or general practice (referred to as HCW’s) has a legal duty to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to prevent cross-infection to protect themselves, their colleagues and the patients. In addition, the management of health and safety regulations 1992 requires that a risk assessment is carried out for all procedures to reduce the possibility of harm to staff and patients. Effective infection control measures are therefore required in dental radiography even though most investigations are regarded as non-invasive or non-exposure prone procedures because they do not involve breaches of the mucosa or skin. The main risk of cross-infection is from one patient to another from salivary contamination of work areas and equipment. HCW’s themselves are not a great risk during radiography but there are no grounds for complacency. This paper makes a conclusion that a dentist must know the patient’s health history and Vulnerability to oral disease, is in the best position to make this judgment in the interest of each patient. For this reason, the guidelines are intended to serve as a resource for the practitioner and are not intended to be a standard of care, requirement, or regulations. A Dentist must always understand the problem of the patient and as per the guidelines; a dentist must perform his operation so that the patient does not complain of any kind of problem in future.

Comparison of the Fantasies and Daydreams of Michael and Walter Mitty Essay Example for Free

Comparison of the Fantasies and Daydreams of Michael and Walter Mitty Essay Michael and Walter Mitty are two men who use fantasies and daydreams to escape from their unhappy lives. They both use them to improve their own experience. Both men are seen as weak, seen as failures by the rest of the world. They both are in denial. Walter Mittys fantasies stem from boredom and are used to boost his self-esteem. I never see a man could hold his brandy like you, sir. In his fantasies, he plays the character of someone superior, a rebel, or a lifesaver, such as a Commander, a doctor, a criminal, or a Captain. The complete opposite of who he is, a nobody. He changes himself completely because he is unhappy with who he is as a person. Walter is not as clever as his characters; Coreopsis has set in. When Walter says this, he thinks he is sounding clever as he is performing an operation but he is not bright because coreopsis is a flower. Michael needs his fantasies to survive desperate situations. He is lonely I am not an attractive companion and has no job. Michael uses his fantasies to deny his situation, to have something he doesnt have in real life. He imagines a family, a successful business, and a large house. These are not unrealistic dreams, they could have happened, but in Michaels case they did not. My Castle is not a splendid place, but it is very comfortable, and it has a warm and cheerful air, and it is quite a picture of Home. Michael cares more about the people there, his family, and his perception of home than material comforts. I have enough and am above all moderate wants and anxieties. Walter is married and feels smothered by his wife who hassles him and feels there is something wrong with him for losing himself in his fantasies. Its one of your days. I wish youd let Dr Renshaw check you over. This may anger and annoy him, which pushes him even further into his fantasies. He never involves her in his daydreams, which suggests that he is not close to her and would rather be alone. Michael almost had a happy marriage but Christiana betrayed him. After her he had no other partner and is lonely, he wants a family. Walter feels inferior to other men. Theyre so damn cockyThey think they know everything. Walter tries to do a man thing by taking the chains off his own car, but fails. When he sees a young, grinning man take them off easily he feels annoyed that he, himself cannot. In his fantasies, he is a strong man, or a smart man. He uses his fantasies to deny his personality. Michaels fantasy starts when he is asked to start a story to entertain his relations but from the depth, length, detail and thought gone into this dream, we know he has thought about this many times before. Walters are triggered by certain pictures or situations. Driving his car triggers a fantasy involving a Navy plane, a hospital triggers him into a doctor, and the Waterbury trial triggers a trial situation where he is a gun-shooting criminal. Pictures of bombing planes and ruined streets trigger a pilot fantasy. Michaels dreams are set in his castle, his home. The scene does not change. I reside, mostly, in a Castle. Walters are set in different locations, on different levels, the ground, and in the air, hurtling eight-engined Navy hydroplane in the courtroom and door of the dugout. This suggests Walter wanted to be as far away, from where he is now as possible. Michaels fantasies are about family, about others. About who he wishes he could be with, his grandchildren, children, wife and his business partner and his family. About closeness with friends and family. It is very pleasant of an evening, when we are all assembled together which frequently happens. Walters revolve around himself. What he does, how he saves people or places and in one dream about what he has done to another person. Michaels could have happened if it wasnt for decisions made by two people, Christiana and his business partner. Walters are pure fantasy, which get facts and words wrong. Michaels and Walters fantasies are an escape from their humdrum lives to a happier place where they would rather be.

Game theory can help us understand firms interactions

Game theory can help us understand firms interactions How can game theory help us to understand firms interactions? Discuss the differences between quantity and price competition. Part I. Introduction Game theory analysis is a useful tool to study the behaviour of firms in oligopolistic markets- the fundamental economic problem of competition between two or more firms. In this essay I will focus on two of the most notorious models in oligopoly theory; Cournot and Bertrand. In the Cournot model, firms control their level of production, which influences the market price. In the Bertrand model, firms decide on what price to set for a unit of product, which affects the market demand. Competition in oligopoly markets is a setting of strategic interaction which is why it is analyzed in a game theoretic context. Both Cournot and Bertrand competition are modelled as strategic games. In addition, in both models a firms revenue is the product of a firms part of the market multiplied by the price. Furthermore, a firm incurs a production cost, which is dependant on its production level. In the simplest model of oligopolistic competition firms play a single game, where actions are taken simultaneously. All firms produce homogenous goods and demand for this good is linear and the cost of production is fixed per unit. In this market a Nash equilibrium in pure strategies exists in both the Cournot and Bertrand models. However, despite the many parallels between the models, the Nash equilibrium points are extremely different. In Bertrand competition, Nash equilibrium drives prices down to the same level they would be under perfect competition (p=MC), while in Cournot competition, the price at Nash equilibrium is unquestionably above the competitive level. Part II. Cournot and Bertrand Competition In 1838 Augustin Cournot published Recherches sur les Principes Mathematiques de la Theorie des Richesses, a paper that laid out his theories on competition, monopoly, and oligopoly. However Joseph Louis Franà §ois Bertrand concluded that Cournots equilibrium for duopoly firms was not accurate. He went on to argue whatever the common price adopted, if one of the owners, alone, reduces his price, he will, ignoring any minor exceptions, attract all of the buyers, and thus double his revenue if his rival lets him do so. Cournot had originally arrived at his equilibrium by assuming that each firm took the quantity set by its competitors as given, evaluated its residual demand and then put its profit maximizing quantity on the market. Here, each firms profit function is stated in terms of the quantity set by all other firms. Next, Cournot would partially differentiate each firms profit function with respect to the original firms quantity then set each of the resulting expressions to zero. In the case of a duopoly, Cournot could plot the equations in rectangular coordinates. Here, equilibrium is established where the two curves intersect. By plotting the first order conditions for each firm (i.e. the profit maximizing output of each firm given the quantities set by rivals) Cournot was able to solve for functions that gave the best reaction for each firm depending on the other firms strategies. In game theory this is known as a best response function. At the intersection of the best response functions i n Cournot competition, each firms assumptions about rival firms strategies are correct. In game theory this is know as a Nash equilibria. Therefore in modern literature market rivalries based on quantity setting strategies are referred to Cournot competition whereas rivalries based on price strategies are referred to as Bertrand competition. In each model, the intersections of the best response functions are referred to Cournot-Nash and Bertrand Nash equilibria consecutively, representing a point where no firm can increase profits by unilaterally changing quantity (in the case of Cournot) or price (in the case of Bertrand). The major conflict between Bertrand and Cournot Competition therefore lies in how each one determines the competitive process which leads to different mechanisms by which individual consumers demands are allocated by competing firms. That is, Cournot assumes that the market allocates sales equal to what any given firm produces but at a price determined by what the market will bear, but Bertrand assumes that the firm with the lowest price is allocated all sales. Being that Bertrand Competition and Cournot competition are both models of oligopolistic market structures, they both share many characteristics. Both models have the following assumptions; that there are many buyers, there are a very small number of major sellers, products are homogenous, there is perfect knowledge, and there is restricted entry. Nonetheless, despite their similarities, their findings pose a stark dichotomy. Under Cournot competition where firms compete by strategically managing their output firms are able to enjoy super-normal profits because the resulting Market price is higher than that of marginal cost. On the other hand, under the Bertrand model where firms compete on price, the limited competition is enough to push down prices to the level of marginal cost. The idea that a duopoly will lead to the same set of prices as perfect competition is often referred to as the Bertrand paradox. In Bertrand competition, firms 1s optimim price depends on where it believe firm 2 will set its prices. By pricing jus below the other firm it can obtain full market demand (D), while maximizing profits. However if firm 1 expects firm 2 to set price a price that is below marginal cost then the best strategy for firm 1 is to set price higher at marginal cost. In basic terms, firm 1s best response function is p1(p2). This provides firm 1 with the optimal price for ever possible price set by firm 2. The diagram below shows firm 1s reaction function p1(p2), with each firms strategy show on both the axiss. From this we can see that when p2 is less than marginal cost (i.e. firm 2 chooses to price below marginal cost), firm 1 will price at marginal cost (p1=MC). However, when firm 2 prices above marginal cost firm 1 sets price just below that of firm 2. In this model both firms have identical costs. Therefore, firm 2s reaction function is symmetrical to firm 1s with respect to a 45degree line. The result of both firms strategies is a Bertrand Nash equilibrium shown by the intersection of the two reaction functions. This represents a pair or strategies (in this case price strategies) where neither firm can increase profits by unilaterally changing price. An essential Assumption of the Cournot model is that each firm will aim to maximize its profits based on the understanding that its own output decisions will not have an effect on the decisions of its rival firms. In this model price in a commonly know decreasing function of total output. Furthermore, each firm knows N, the total number of firms operating in the market. They take the output of other firms as given. All firms have a cost function ci(qi), which may be the same of different amongst firms. Market price is set at a level so that demand is equal to the total quantity produced by all firms and every firm will take the quantity set by its rivals as a given, evaluate its residual demand, and then behaves a monopoly. Like in Bertrand competition, we can use a best response function to show the quantity that maximizes profit for a firm for every possible quantity produced by the rival firm. We observe a Cournot equilibrium when a quantity pair exists so that both firms are maximizing profits given the quantity produced by the rival. Part III. Conclusion In reality, neither model is more accurate than the other as there are many different types of industry. In some industries output can be adjusted quickly, therefore Bertrand competition is more accurate at describing firm behaviour. However, if output cannot be adjusted quickly because of fixed production plans (i.e. capacity decisions are made ahead of actual production) then quantity-setting Cournot is more appropriate.

The Dangers of Social Conformity Exposed in The Prime of Miss Jean Brod

The Dangers of Social Conformity Exposed in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie depicts the coming of age of six adolescent girls in Edinburgh, Scotland during the 1930's. The story brings us into the classroom of Miss Jean Brodie, a fascist school teacher at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, and gives close encounter with the social and political climate in Europe during the era surrounding the second World War. Spark's novel is a narrative relating to us the complexities of politics and of social conformity, as well as of non-conformity. Through looking at the Brodie set and the reciprocities between these students and their teacher, the writer, in this novel, reviews the essence of group dynamics and brings in to focus the adverse effects that the power of authority over the masses can produce. Sparks, in so doing projects her skepticism toward the teacher's ideologies. This skepticism is played out through the persona of Sandy Stranger, who becomes the central character in a class of Marcia Bl aine school girls.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sandy's character is even more focally sculpted than the teacher's favored disciples who came to be known as the Brodie Set; a small group of girls favored by Miss Jean Brodie in her Prime. The Brodie Set is a social system and a enigmatic network of social relations that acts to draw the behavior of its members toward the core values of the clique.   The teacher Miss Jean Brodie projects upon this impressionable "set,"   her strong fascist opinions. She controls this group on the basis that she is in her prime.   Her prime being the point in life when she is at the height of wisdom and insight. Sandy pejoratively uses the personality traits and ideolog... ...t this small group level, conformity dispels individual judgement. Sandy projects to us that this kind of social conformity under the pressure of authority, is to be blamed for many social problems and adversities in the individual lives of the Brodie girls, and in society at large. Bibliography 1. Coon, Dennis.   Psychology: Exploration and Application. West Publishing Company: 1980. 2. Costanzo, P.   Conformity development as a function of self blame. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 14; 366-374: 1970. 3. Csikszentmihalyi, M. & Larson, R.   Being Adolescent.   Harper Collins Publisher: 1984. 4. Homans, G.C.   Social Behavior: Its Elementary Forms. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich: 1961. 5. Lodge, David.   The Uses and Abuses of Omniscience: Method and Meaning in Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.   Ithaca, Cornell: 1971.

Oscar Wilde’s Aestheticism Essay

Though Oscar Wilde is the incarnation of the aestheticism schools, we can’t afford to ignore the other artists of the aesthetes. It is imperative that we should give a general introduction to aestheticism in the following paragraphs. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that studies the principles of beauty especially in art. Aestheticism is the collection of all the fruits of aesthetics. â€Å"The word ‘aesthetic’ was first found in Aesthetica, appearing as a Latin word, which is the name of two books written by Alexander Baumgarten, 1714—1762. †(Williams, 2005: 31) Baumgarten believes beauty can be defined as aesthetic, but when it is related to art, the most important part of Baumgarten’s translation of beauty is that beauty is not abstract but can be felt by people through their senses. This translation is the same as the Greek word â€Å"aisthesis†, the original meaning of which is the power of uniting mentally the impressions conveyed by the five physical senses. And in the middle of the 19th century, aesthetic is understood as â€Å"the beautiful†, which is generally related to art. In 1880, the word â€Å"aesthete† was used in a wide range, but contained a derogatory sense. Both the principle and the practice of the aesthetic movement led by Walter Pater were criticized at that time. But the British decadent writers were deeply influenced by Walter Pater. The artists and writers of the aesthetic movement held the view that sensuous pleasure should be provided by arts, not moral or sentimental messages. As a consequence, they did not accept John Ruskin and Matthew Arnold’s utilitarian conception of art as something moral or useful. Instead, they believed that art did not have any didactic purpose; it needed only be beautiful. The aesthetes developed the cult of beauty, which they considered the basic factor in art. In Britain, Oscar Wilde is famous as one of the best representatives of the aesthetes. He believes that art represents nothing but itself, and that art has its own life just as thoughts do.

Money and Academics

Different schools and learning institutions perform differently in terms of providing better academic services. The output is measured using the student output both in the academic and the professional field. However, the underpinnings that characterize all these learning institutions that offer outstanding performances seem to boil down to finances. All schools world wide that display outstanding performance hugely rely on research activities. On the other hand, schools that have no enough funds to support research projects are left confined to pure classroom academics. Research activities expand the scope of the learner’s understanding in a practical manner, thus not only helping to deeply inculcate a concept in the student’s mind, but also equips the same with the capacity to apply knowledge practically. To underscore this fact, all governments in the developed economies disburse funds to learning institutions to boost research activities. In Ohio State University alone, a big fraction of its 750 American Dollars, which has been partially sourced by the Federal government, has been slotted for research activities which will take the shape of field work and internet connectivity. Moreover, the top nine American benchmarks of the research universities are rated highly in academic performance in America. Within this rubric are the Arizona University, Illinois University, Minnesota University, Michigan University, Texas University, the Pennstate University, Wisconsin University, the Washington University and the UCLA (National Science Foundation, 1979). Money playing a pivotal role in eliciting sound academic performance is always concomitant with qualified and well trained teaching and non teaching staff. A qualified teaching staff is always instrumental in explaining both simple and complex concepts in the most effective way, while on the other hand, a qualified non teaching staff ensures effective and efficient coordination and administration of the school. A school that is well administered has all the strategies for success to follow through and does so efficiently. All the intellectual and academic resources that are brought into a common pool ensure success. Learning institutions that are short of finance cannot afford the payment of such personnel. Schools with efficient teaching facilities have better accruals compared to those that lack these. Primary learning facilities such as lecture halls, and writing boards are much needed for effective learning. Schools with dilapidated lecture halls, writing boards, seats and light will definitely produce stunted academic results. Conversely, secondary learning facilities such as laboratories, libraries and computers are also very important if there is to be academic success. Libraries ensure accessibility of information and also shields away distraction while the computer enhances and maintains quick access of knowledge. All top leading learning institutions have adapted the computers which have been installed with the fiber optic cables. Apart from this, their libraries are well supplied with computers which are serviced with the internet. Even the Ohio state university’s one of the smallest branches in the Sillicon Valley has connection with research universities. Almost all researches that aim at ranking universities peg their judgments on internet connectivity in relation to accessibility of information and research output. All these facilities call for money. The schools’ ability to create and sustain departments that provide aids to learning such as counseling centers, centers for linkages and exchange programs is not automatic since their maintenance call for huge capital to maintain the workforce and other running expenses. Centers for linkages apart from establishing direct links between the students and potential employers, also feeds the student fraternity with information on internship opportunities and advise the student on the courses to take in relation to the dynamics of the employment market as well. Exchange programs on the other hand oversee the interschool transfers to help willing students acquire a wider global perspective both on the scope of life and in the field of study. To underscore the importance of counseling in academic excellence, the UCLA University for instance, has the Academic Advantage Program, a counseling center at the UCLA campus to ensure academic based counseling and mentoring program for the 6,000 undergraduates with a dominant aim of bolstering academic excellence. The need for academic based counseling is so rife that centers such as Costello Center which has no affiliation to any school whatsoever, have emerged to offer these services to students who are concerned with the need to realize personal growth in terms of personal, academic, career and social goals. In addition to this, mental health services are offered by the same institutions (Clarke, 2003). Learning institutions that have enough money to support these arrangements have higher propensity to produce more intellectuals than institutions that are financially challenged. Educational institutions that are endowed with enough resources have the capability to sustain continuous spates of free public lectures, talks from professionals, and forums. These programs are of untold values since they do not only allow open dissemination of information or knowledge due to open attendance, but also through the questioning and answering methodology, the student fraternity is challenged to seek more information by further reading. Besides, these schools that are privileged enough to support debates and quiz competitions boost academic dexterity among students. The concept of rewards and punishment are well known and has been recommended by psychologists, educationists and sociologists to be a very effective methodology in teaching and learning. This concept involves rewarding desirable traits and punishing bad ones. Since it is innate in man the desire to have one’s efforts appreciated, it has been the practice of many to use the concept of rewards to motivate hard work so as to elicit good performance. Having known the impact of this methodology, the federal government through the Boston Police Athletic League recently stepped in to congratulate over 100 students for their outstanding performance records. A similar case to this is that one of Charlotte Hand, a Bachelor of Education student in English language, linguistic studies and literature. The above student had given up on pursuing her educational programs due to inability to service her school fees until when she heard of the UCLA’ s incentives that come in the form of rewards of raw academic excellence. Many institutions such as the Ede and Ravenscroft which issue academic gowns in each graduating ceremony and also give 1,000 pounds to the Combined Honors Department to reward non finalists who have an excellent academic track record have increased in number. All these are but few illustrations that stress the importance of issuing of rewards to increase the zest in academic excellence. Schools with large pools of resources are able to achieve this feat and even to stretch it to a broader extent while the financially distressed learning institutions can do this but only in a much constrained condition (Dirks, Elley and Oriner, 1994). Whenever money and resource are scarce, there is a direct effect on school’s examining program by limiting it to the traditional method of examining which is solely exam based. This conventional method of testing is limited in its scope since it does not delve on all the topics and is always occasional. One of the demerits of this procedure is that it places labels on students with low marks as weak, or poor. This stigmatization in turn plummets the student’s ability to learn. In the same wavelength, these financially challenged educational institutions on the backdrop of financial challenges are not able to obtain external exams that would capture well the expected standards of the rest of the students within the learning fraternity. However, other learning institutions are able to embrace more comprehensive methods of examining the students so that their other talents are discovered and nourished as the weak areas are worked on. This has a cathartic effect on the stigma, and therefore accords the student with the chance to improve on feeble areas. Conversely, learning institutions that are bedeviled by financial problems are not able to procure the services of the external markers, making the students vulnerable to subjectivity. This problem is not familiar in developed economies but is very rampart in the developing economies where the latter problem was being exploited by unscrupulous college and university lecturers to award marks to students in exchange of sexual favors. The African continent is rife with such cases. Ameliorations are however being seen in pockets of Africa such as Kenya which has adopted the methodology of using external markers in the end of semester exams since the dawn of the 21 century. Schools and learning institutions that have the financial capability to accord student with learning incentives such as bursaries and educational loans also boost the students’ academic output compared to those that do not. This is because the anxiety that sets in resulting from lack and the fear that occurs out of the anticipation of being dismissed or being suspended from learning always have a reducing effect on one’s the academic output. Just as a government that does not offer learning incentives should not anticipate an intellectually rich population, so should a school that does not issue bursaries and scholarship services to its students expect academic results that only maintain the status quo. It is true that there are cases where students excel in financially challenged schools but this fact must be taken into consideration with the ratio that do not make it in the same schools. The fact that only one student manages decent grades from an institution that is financially challenged is a pointer to the truth that there are many pupils with vast untapped potential from the disadvantaged schools due to the adverse socio-economic conditions. References. Clarke, C. H. (2003). Growth of Canadian universities. US: UBC. Press. Dirks, B. N., Elley, G., Ortner, B. S. (1994). A reader in contemporary social theory. US: Princeton University Press. National Science Foundation (1979).Importance of maintaining Research excellence.US: NAS Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â  

How Does Margaret Atwood Portray Love

In A Women's Issue, Orpheus (1 and Orpheus (2), Margaret Atwood exposes what love can be and what it can do. Ultimately, Atwood presents love as an evil disguise which brings about misery and not happiness. In A Women's Issue, Atwood shows different scenarios of women in unfavorable circumstances. First there is, â€Å"The woman In the spiked device/ that locks around the waist and between/ the legs, with holes In It Like a tea strainer† (Atwood 1-3). This chastity device was probably created to protect the woman's flagrantly out of love.However, the love of the woman, or possibly the love of virtuous women resulted in he creation of a device that must be insufferable (and unhealthy) to wear. Second there is a woman with, â€Å"†¦ A four-inch/ wooden peg jammed up/ between her legs so she can't be raped† (6-8). In this instance, Atwood presents a barbaric and ironic world. The poem makes it seem as though the woman will get raped the moment she takes out the wooden peg which is very savage. It Is also Ironic that the woman who does not want to be raped has a peg placed Inside herself.Affection is absent, and as the examples continue in the poem, this idea progresses. Exhibit C he young girl dragged into the bush by midwives and made to sing while they scrape the flesh from between her legs, then tie her thighs till she scabs over and Is call healed. Now she can be married†¦ Men like tight women (10-18) In the previous case, a young girl is forced to have her privates changed so that she is pleasing to the opposite sex because they believe men love tight women.The midwives probably think they are showing love to the young girl because they are making her more desirable and fit for marriage, however, this love results In pain and f the poem Atwood poses an interesting question; â€Å"Who invented the word love? † (39). With this last statement, Atwood challenges the view that love is affection for a person and expressed through pass ion. She describes the place between a woman's leg as, â€Å"Enemy territory, no man's/ land, to be entered furtively/ fenced, owned but never surely' (30-32), and men only have â€Å"†¦ Uneasy power† (37).In this poem, passion does not really exist and love is a guise under which humans can be inhumane. In Orpheus 1, love acts as a cover for egotistical need. The poem is told form the respective of Eurydice, Orpheus' wife who was bitten by a viper and died shortly after they were married. Orpheus travels to the underworld, and using his irresistible singing voice, renders Hades powerless. He then leads his wife out of the underworld, but not before he is given the simple condition to not look back at Eurydice until they are out of the underworld.Orpheus is very controlling and never considers what Eurydice may have chosen to do. The poems begins, muff walk in front of me,] pulling me back out/ to the green light that had once/ grown fangs and killed me† (1-4). Th e word pulling implies that Eurydice does not want to go back to the world of the living. Eurydice is also fearful of the world because of the viper that killed her, yet Orpheus is only thinking about his self-satisfaction which he calls love. The poem continues, â€Å"l was obedient, but/†¦ He return/ to time was not my choice† (5-8). Unfortunately, Orpheus is blinded by his ego disguised as love and does not consider whether or not Eurydice want to go with him. Furthermore, it is stated, Mimi had your old leash/ with you, love you might call it† (14-15). Clearly, love is to affection, but a means of control. This overbearing control masked as love resulted in unhappiness. Orpheus looked backed too soon, before Eurydice was out of the cave and thus she, â€Å"†¦ Had to/ fold like a gray moth and let go' (36-37).Orpheus 2 further shows the negative effects that Orpheus' ego-love had. After losing love, which is power to Orpheus, he tries to bring it back, but to no avail. â€Å"He has been trying to sing/ love into existence again/ and he has failed† (13-15). He goes on singing, â€Å"among the gray stones/ of the shore where nobody goes/ through fear. Those with silence† (10-12), however, the others so not want him to continue to sing. â€Å"They have cut off both his hands'†¦ They will tear/ his head from his body in one burst/ of furious refusal. He foresees this, Yet he will go on† (23-27). Ultimately, Orpheus suffers because of his misinterpretation of love. He no longer has the love of Eurydice. He cannot please with his singing any longer. He fails to bring true love and affection back into existence. Ultimately, he suffers a cruel death. In these poems by Margaret Atwood, romantic and affectionate love does not exist. Love is absent and unkind when present. It hurts and takes and leaves pain in its wake.It is like a trench coat, concealing a deadly weapon. Instead of the warm feelings of adoration and p assion, Atwood presents what love really is most of the time – a cover for an unlikable trait – an excuse for unthinkable actions. Simply, love is a deliverer of pain. Who really did invent the word love? Perhaps he was a guilty deceiver, outwitting the world to his own advantage; hiding treachery behind a brilliant smile. Cared about. The word must have been untainted then, still innocent; not yet evil.

Media Culture in Canada Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media Culture in Canada - Assignment Example Canada has two primary languages English and French. Canada has a very unique blend of customs and traditions because of migration into its country; therefore, because of the cultural diversity it’s very necessary for the Canadian government to promote its own culture. The Canadian government faces many challenges because of its influx of citizens from European cultures and an extensive migration between America and Canada. Canada struggled immensely to protect its identity in 1920(Media Awareness Network 1). At that time, Canada introduced commercial radio broadcasting but some politicians were concerned about U.S radio programming. This concern introduced the hybrid system of broadcasting. The policy makers split this system into two parts public and private. The reason behind this division was that Canada wanted its own traditions; as time passed the Canadian government made its own broadcasting law. History Media plays one of the most powerful and important roles in buildi ng nations. Reginald Aubrey Fessenden was the first radio broadcaster in Canada; he is known as the â€Å"Father of Radio Broadcasting†. In 1906, Fessenden broadcasted his first official program. The era of media culture in Canada started in 1906 and noticeable improvements were seen within the next few years. In 1929, the government of Canada took remarkable efforts. The Arid Commission on public broadcasting suggested the establishment of a national radio broadcast network. In Canada, there was an increasing trend of listening to radio broadcast and because they didn’t have any national broadcasting station, they would listen to American radio. This was a major concern for the Canadian government and therefore, they launched their own national broadcasting radio. In 1932, Canadian Radio Broadcasting was founded under the administration of R.B. Bennet’s government. CBC was mainly responsible for innovation in Canadian media culture and all the broadcasting stat ions were under the control of CBC. CBC, Crown Corporation, was based on the model of the BBC. In 1940, an association was founded and named as Radio Artists of Toronto Society. This society was basically established for the radio performers and they were responsible for securing the rights of radio artists (James Lorimer & Company 24). The Association of Canadian Radio Artists was formed in 1943 and it was a flexible, national alliance of a variety of groups of actors. In 1946, FM radio was introduced in Canada but distinct FM service was launched later in the 1960s. In 1952, the era of television broadcasting was started with the launch of stations one after another in Montreal (CBFT) and then in Toronto. The first privately owned station of CBC was a television station in Sudbury and they owned it in 1953. In 1962, the English language radio network was divided into two different services (i.e. Dominion Network and Trans-Canada Network); Dominion Network was dissolved in 1976. Th e Trans-Canada Network was simply known as CBC. Over the next few decades, CBC was known to be the second English language FM Radio network and in 1976 its’ name was changed. It was now known as CBC Stereo (The Wendy Michener Symposium 65). According to the Canadian Broadcasting Act, it is mandatory for the broadcasters to ensure that they are broadcasting authentic information that reflects the points of view of the different cultures living in

Document paper proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Document paper proposal - Essay Example Beliefs about the self can also be structured around cultural notions about the status of one’s family. For instance, a woman who bears a child will use her community’s beliefs about mothers to construct her own convictions about who she is. If she is a working mother, she may also use her society’s ideas about different occupations to create her own self identity (Shoemaker 49). Society, for the most part, can help an individual to construct meaningful ideas about their worth. However, this is not always the case, and when society is judgmental towards one’s particular community or gender, it will inevitably influence how people see themselves. According to Mohamed Rafiq, Maya Angelou’s poem, ‘Phenomenal Woman’, appears to have been an exercise in encouraging women to define themselves by qualities other than those stipulated by society (Rafiq, 36). The scholar Mary Lupton, who has studied the poetry of Maya Angelou has also stated that the poetess used statements such as "the curl of my lips" (Line 9) and "the stride of my steps" (Line 8) in her poem, ‘Phenomenal Woman’, to show that a woman is more than a body that has society’s standards of beauty. She wanted to stress that women are already fully female without necessarily adding all the things that society stipulates (Lupton, 5). According to Chasar, Langs ton Hughes, who lived at a time when African Americans were subjected to segregation in all areas of life, allowed his warped self identity to show itself in his poems (Chasar, 59). This is an example of how society’s warped view of something can influence a person’s self identity. In his poem, ‘Cross’, Hughes stated, According to the scholar, Shaduri, Langston expresses regret for saying things that were the result of his doubt in who he was and the worth of that (Shaduri, 94). He had inherited that legacy from his

Creating a knowledge sharing culture (Chapter 11) Essay

Creating a knowledge sharing culture (Chapter 11) - Essay Example Thus, information and knowledge are categorized as different elements that need to be strategically aligned and correlated to provide organizations with competitive advantage. While the explicit knowledge is one that can be easily transmitted, the tacit knowledge focuses on experience and values that are accrued over time. The chapter emphasizes four major parameters of knowledge management: top team support and strategic focus; enabling mechanisms; innovation and continuous improvement; and commitment at individual and organizational level. The team thrives on sharing of knowledge and encourages proactive participation of the members to improve and improvise the performance. The workforce is provided with the facilitating platform of continuous learning through system resources and external exigencies that help it to create benchmark for improved outcome. The managerial leadership also ensures that testing new approaches is encouraged and sharing of responsibilities is intrinsically linked to teamwork. Through rewards and merits, the individuals and teams are motivated to strive for higher productivity. The chapter asserts that a ‘sharing culture’ greatly supports knowledge management. Organization culture can primarily be expressed as the shared vision and collective goals of the organization. The leadership within the organization becomes highly relevant because it promotes shared vision through collective decision making, inspiring the workforce for improved performance outcome. It also helps create an environment of learning and innovation that empowers workers to make decisions on informed choices. Thus, an organizational culture that promotes collective decision making through shared learning is highly successful. It facilitates easy adaptability to changing equations thereby, empowering the workforce and the leaders to recognize the wide scope of emerging opportunities. Another important issue that it incorporates is its inherent tendency

E-commerce A-level Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 16250 words

E-commerce A-level - Coursework Example E-commerce comprises purchasing and selling goods and services in the WWW, and for many companies this is their regular business but extended into the online space, and therefore apart from buying and selling, important are the issuer of money transfers, security, and other aspects of online interaction between companies, customers, suppliers, retailers, middlemen, etc. All in all, in a broad sense, e-commerce denotes all kinds of commercial relations that are connected with setting home-based and international deals in the web: trade mission, factoring, designing, consulting, investment contracts, leasing, engineering, insurance, sale and purchase contracts, bank services, and many other forms of industrial and business cooperation. E-commerce allows to ensure that the businesses be ready to face the new challenges, one of the most important being business globalization. The emergence and development of the IT make it possible for the international businesses to reach out for their customers even in the remotest areas of the world. Conducting business in cyberspace is a way to save money, but surely that is not the only advantage. The rise of e-business has unquestionably changed shopping patterns, forcing retailers to redefine their roles to ensure their place in the market. The variety of goods available to customers at a click of a button and the added benefit of allowing them to shop whenever it's convenient for them, and not during set 'operating hours' has in effect placed the customers in charge. For the companies, the spread of e-commerce marked the necessity to implement into their business model constant interaction with the customers, which is a must for the firms that want to keep up with the consumers' demands, and attract and retail more loyal customers. The Internet is a genuinely new communicational environment, and therefore traditional marketing techniques cannot generally be applied to e-commerce. In the process of studying the marketing model that uses 'traditional' information media for PR, brand promotion and advertising, it was revealed that the use of e-commerce makes it possible for the customers to make decisions independently, and therefore there is a dramatic shift for the consumers from being a rather passive auditorium (as with the traditional marketing) to a powerful force able to influence the companies' activity significantly. Therefore, it is not sufficient for the companies to apply the already existing marketing principles to their e-commerce, as the new Internet environment presupposes the development of principally new approaches to sales, accounting, advertising, dealing with customers, and many other aspects of business activity. In e-commerce, customers play a much more active role in the process of marketing, as they are the bearers of information valuable for the companies. The overall aim of this research is to explore what 'forces' are at work when consumers shop online in the clothing retail. The research will be carried out in the women online clothing retail market, primarily because of the huge investment in the clothing market by both online and traditional retailers, (www.brandrepublic.com) It will comprise two principal elements, a literature search, and an analysis of four retailer websites, two of them are purely online

Risk Management & Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk Management & Project Management - Essay Example Threats are specific events that drive the project in the direction of outcomes viewed as unfavorable (for example, schedule delays, cost overruns, and inferior product performance (Heerkens, 2001). Risk management is an activity that occurs throughout the life of the project. It begins in the planning process and continues until the closing process is completed (Heldman, 2003). Many approaches can be used to address risk and the threats it produces. However, most processes for managing risk tend to follow some variation of a basic four-step approach. The first step is identification, that is, determining what threats exist. In this step, identify all significant uncertainties (sources of risk), including specific threats (also called potential problems or risk events) that could occur throughout the life of the project (Heerkens, 2001). In Project X, the areas of risk are scope, time, cost, and technology. The company would like the AMDS to be able to operate while it is being moved, while it was not included in the design accepted by the DoD. The risk is present in the project scope. Also, the project should take 5 years to complete at a cost of $1.5 billion. Is the team able to complete the project within 5 years within the budget of $1.5 billion There are also risks in the technology. The AMDS may be successful in a demonstration environment.

American Has Too Many Malls Essay Example for Free

American Has Too Many Malls Essay Many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are being threatened with economic destruction by their online competition. I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time looking at this issue, and I believe we’re seeing clear signs that the e-commerce revolution is seriously impacting commercial real estate and will continue to do so. Online retailers are relentlessly acquiring success in many retail categories. As a result, many offline businesses are fighting to survive for their economic life. A number of physical retailers have already succumbed to online competition including Circuit City, Borders, CompUSA, Tower Records and Blockbuster. Many other physical businesses are also showing signs of serious economic distress. While many of these large businesses collapsed due to their inability to compete online, The shopping mall is also in danger from the online shopping revolution. Many malls are closing stores by the thousands, and there are few large physical chains opening stores to take their place. The recession in 2008 was the catalyst for bringing down many of these businesses, but competition from online retailers continued the financial difficulties for many offline retailers. The mall business isnt economically healthy either. Most professionals understand that profound changes are afoot. Don Wood, CEO of federal realty investment trust, says there is too much retail supply in this country. The wall street journal reports: green street advisor (forecasts) that 10 percent of the roughly 1,000 large malls in the U. S. will fail within the next 10 years †¦. Thats a conservative estimate. Many mall CEOs predict the failure rate will be higher. I agree with the above perspectives. A report from Co-Star observes that there are more than 200 malls that have vacancy rates of 35 percent or higher. This is a clear marker for shopping center distress. In short, These malls are becoming ghost towns. They are not economically successful now and will only get less so as online business continues to steal retail sales from physical stores. Hundreds of malls will soon need to be repurposed or demolished. Strong malls will stay successful for a while since retailers are willing to pay for foot traffic and customers, but even they stand in the path of the shift of retail spending from offline to online. However, despite the decline of physical commerce, there has been a huge rise in online commerce. If I were thinking of starting a new retail brand right now, I would unquestionably start it online. many very talented entrepreneurs are doing just this. I personally shop at Bonobos for pants, J. Hilburn for sweaters, Ledbury for shirts and Warby Parker for eyeglasses. In the past, these retailers have started in the mall but they now are starting online. This is a trend that will undoubtedly continue. There will clearly be fewer new offline retailers to take the space vacated by the disappearing brick-and-mortar chains. This puts further pressure on malls to try and make money. While doing research for this article, I came across a fascinating website called deadmalls. com. it is a site that chronicles the stories of hundreds of already or soon-to-be dead malls. Unfortunately for mall owners and people who work inside them, the content on deadmalls. com is about to expand substantially. There just are too many malls in America, and this will only get worse.