H. G. Wells Essays (198 words) - Invisibility In Fiction

H. G. Wells H. G. Wells James Lee May 09, 2001 The Invisible Man Grove Block 4 235 Pages Watermill Press, INC. The Invisible Man is a science fiction story of a scientist who finds a way to turn himself invisible. He travels to this small town hiding his identity by wrapping himself in bandages creating wild fantasies of who his real identity is. He stays at the Coach and Horses Inn hosted by a Mrs. Hall who patiently puts up with her new strange house guests irritability. The stranger goes about his experiments and wishes to be kept alone. Through all this, this mad scientist terrorizes the people of the town by acting as if the town all of a sudden was haunted by ghosts or spirits. Is this stranger all what he appears to be or is there more hidden under those bandages? Yes, more or less. This scientist has found a way to turn himself invisible but can not find a way to become normal again. This is what drives him insane. H. G. Wells works wonders with this novel. He grips you with the suspense and carries you along with the adventure. I would recommend this story to anyone interested in science fiction at its best. Biographies

Fleshing Out and Flushing Out

Fleshing Out and Flushing Out Fleshing Out and Flushing Out Fleshing Out and Flushing Out By Maeve Maddox Suzanne Baal notes: [an] error that Ive been hearing lately is flesh it out vs flush it out. I couldnt find any examples on the web of flesh it out being confused with flush it out, but I did find numerous comments made by people who say theyve heard the error: My last two bosses always talked of flushing out plans I never took the opportunity to correct them (and neither did anyone else, apparently). It drives me nuts when people use phrases that they dont understand! †¦one of my lecturers often interchanges them [flesh out and flush out] though its obvious hes meaning flesh out. I hear this CONSTANTLY among my colleagues and can hardly sit still and not correct them. Flush, this flush thatthey mean flesh!!! In the discussions I browsed, many of the commentators seemed to associate only one meaning with flush, that of flushing a toilet. Flesh Out vs. Flush OutEither way its disgusting Heres the thingflush it out only makes sense if your getting rid of something, and start all over. First, lets look at the expression to flesh out. As a verb, flesh has several meanings, but in the figurative phrase to flesh out, it means to add details to something that exists only in a preliminary, incomplete form. The metaphor is that of a skeleton or framework being built up with flesh or clay. To flesh out the complex arrangements, several studio musicians were brought in to read a heavily doctored score I remember saying I would do some character designs and begin to perhaps flesh out some ideas in writing for the beginning of the new story arc. OConnor has fleshed out his sound to create something truly inspiring The OED has ten entries for the word flush. Here Im concerned with only two meanings of flush as a verb. Flush, in the sense of moving water, comes from a Latin verb meaning to flow. We use it to mean to cause water to flow, as in flushing the toilet. Let children flush the toilet †¦so they arent afraid of the noise. Do not teach your cat to flush Flush can also mean to cleanse, usually by a rush of water. I was told that we need to flush out our coolant†¦ †¦products that remove ear wax may include a rubberized bulb for flushing out residue. This diet flushed out whatever was going on, Another meaning of flush is to cause to fly up This flush is not connected with the Latin word for to flow. Its origin is uncertain. It could be a imitative of the sound of rustling wings. In pheasant hunting, the hiding birds are flushed by men called beaters. Like me, youve probably seen movies with scenes set on English country estates where the local farmers form a line to flush the birds so that the gentry can shoot at them. †¦they waited for an almost solid line of beaters to flush the game toward them. †¦most woodcock shooting in Ireland is of the walked-up variety where it is more likely that birds will be flushed in groups rather than individually. The hunting term flush is often used figuratively: Robbers Flushed Out After Gun Battle With Police CIA chief hopeful of flushing out Osama This headline plays on the meaning of both kinds of flush: Cops Flush Out Suspect from Sewage Hideout To sum up: You flesh out a plan. You flush toilets and flush out toxins. You flush out game or people who are in hiding. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good WithOn Behalf Of vs. In Behalf Of20 Tips to Improve your Writing Productivity

Political Effects of WWI Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political Effects of WWI - Research Paper Example They were Germany and Austria-Hungary (in 1918), Ottoman Empire (in 1922) and Russia (in 1917) (Mintz). Germany was recognized by Allied Powers as a country which launched WW1 and thus, was deprived of its overseas territories, and territories were retroceded to France in order to remain a unified German country (Effect of World War). Austria-Hungary, where the WW1 had nominally started from, was forced to cede Hungary and Balkan territories which later, proclaimed independent countries of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Czechoslovakia. Ex-empire was â€Å"trimmed down to primarily cover areas dominated by Austrian-German populations† while giving up territorial parts for Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia (Effect of World War). The Ottoman Empire, which before WW1 put together the most of Middle East lands and Turkey, was falling down due to the loss in WW1, but also to inner revolts. After the war Turkey was occupied by Allied forces, Palestine and Mesopotamia were annexed by Britain and France (Effect of World War). Later, â€Å"colonial revolts in the Middle East and in Southeast Asia† caused formation of modern independent Arab states on ex-Ottoman territories (Mintz). Russian Empire was the only winner country among ceased empires, and the reason of its fall was Russian Civil War of 1917. In this way, by the end of WW1 Russian monarchy was overthrown (Effect of World War). Bolsheviks came to power and Baltic territories - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, - managed to proclaim independence. Along with Germany, Russia gave up a part of Empire for Poland. All other territories later constructed the USSR, headed by Vladimir Lenin (Myson). A new Russian political regime, Bolshevism and later, Communism, was established as a part of a general trend. Citizen of the countries, especially of ones which experienced the greatest losses in WW1, were disappointed in their governments, and thus, new regimes started to increase

Growth Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Growth Analysis - Essay Example Its continued innovation, which is marked by continued research and development activities has enabled it grasp customer needs and services (Ignatiuk, 2009). The move by dell Inc to develop modern technologies like the blue ray disc technology puts it strategically to the demands and preferences of global customers (Ignatiuk, 2009). Since Dell Inc sells a range of products, it has competitive advantage of economies of scale. The use of communication technology strategically puts it at a better position to create a collaborative relationship with its customers and network partners (Sigismund et al., 2009). The use of proactive marketing staff helps keep the company’s long-term objectives active. Since loyal customers are part of primary asset for organizations, Dell Inc has continued to create customer loyalty over years. This comes in terms of catering for customer needs by offering customized systems that cater for their needs. It is also noted that customer service and support is equally enhanced in Dell operations including online services. Diversification of the market is evident in several ways. Dell has been able to open up manufacturing centers in various parts of the world. This can be argued to be a key factor of targeting new and more customers (Sadler & Craig, 2003). It is also argued that its strategic management and objectives and the organizational culture reflects its mission and vision statements. With the mission of Dell being to be the most successful at bringing the finest customer experience in the market it serves, and the vision being to interact with customers in the global community and serving their needs with the changing technologies, it is apparent that dell has worked hard to accomplish

Business ethics take home exam Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business ethics take home exam - Coursework Example However then whichever constitution that permits authoritarianism requires it, and whichever constitution that necessitates non-dictatorship disagrees with one of the other requirements, therefore, the paradox of shared choice. The set of requirements across diverse likely votes polished welfare economics as well as differentiated Arrows establishment from the pre-Arrow shared welfare utility (Kavvadias 98-99). The original position as explained by Rawls entails at least two important elements of features.   Foremost, the original position is a condition in which people are rationally self concerned.   Next, the original position is a condition in which people are deficiency of all information exact to their ultimate lives.   This information deficiency stretches from personal factors like the deposit of natural endowments a person will be conceived with, to wide shared considerations of what locality, moment as well as culture a person will be conceived into (Rawls 29-35) The â€Å"Foremost Principle† addresses the fundamentals of the legitimate composition. It maintains that society should assure every inhabitant â€Å"the same claim to a completely sufficient plan of equal essential rights and freedoms, which plan is attuned with the same plan for all.† The second standard addresses rather those features of the fundamental construction that shape the allocation of opportunities, administrative centers, wages, material goods, and in overall social advantages. The initial part of the second standard maintains that the shared structures that shape this allocation must fulfill the conditions of â€Å"fair equity of opportunity† (Rawls 29-35). c. Rawls claims that a rational individual in the original position would choose the principles of justice as fairness over the principle of average utility. What is his reasoning to support the

Asian Popular Culture In Globalization Contexts

Asian Popular Culture In Globalization Contexts Globalization is a process of cultural, economic, politics and religious integration all over the world. Globalization has brought about great changes on the ideologies, communication, and transportation. The Asian popular culture has also undergone great changes under the background of globalization. During the globalization process, the Asian popular culture has played an important and critical role. The Asian popular culture has exerted great influence on the world culture. The Chinese Kung Fu and the Japanese animation are the typical examples which have brought about great impact on the world popular culture. The case of the Chinese Kung Fu in the film industry and the Japanese animation images will be further studied in the following passages. Case 1 Chinese Kung Fu in the film industry In recent years, the Chinese Kung Fu films have been popular all over the world. Many Hollywood films contain the Chinese Kung Fu elements. The philosophy in the Kung Fu such as go with the nature has been wide spread (Royo, 2009). Learning Chinese Kung Fu has become a fashion among many foreigners. The images created by the Chinese Kung Fu actor Bruce Lee, Jacky Chan and Jet Lee have influenced people of several generations. The director Ang Lees film Chinese Kung Fu film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has won the 2000 Academy Award including the Best Foreign Language Film, Best Cinematography, Best Music, Original Score, and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration. The 2008 animation Kung Fu Panda of DreamWorks has again fired a Chinese Kung Fu fashion. In the film, besides the martial arts and the Panda which are of strong Chinese characteristics, other Chinese elements have also been included, such as the chopsticks, Chinese costumes and Shifu(master). In this film, the Chinese philoso phies have also been involved. As a matter of fact, the Hollywood films which take Chinese historical stories as the main theme, or which involves Chinese elements are in a great number. The Chinese Kung Fu has already been rooted in the film audiences minds. Most western film goers believes that if the protagonist in the film has been equipped with Chinese Kung Fu, he is sure to beat his opponent no matter what impediment or unfavorable condition the protagonist is in (Belton, 1996). Due to the influence of the film industry, the Chinese Kung Fu has been widely spread all over the world and become popular. Many foreigners including the westerners as well as those in the Asian countries as well come to china to study Chinese martial arts or Kung Fu. The Shaolin Monastery becomes an ideal destination for the fans who love the martial arts of Bruce Lee or Jacky Chan. The Shaolin Monastery in the Henan Province in china is on the Songshan Mountain which is one of the four renowned moun tains in china. The Shaolin Monastery has a long tradition of martial arts and the monks in this monastery are all master hand in martial arts. The name of Shaolin Monastery has been spread by many films. Every year, the Shaolin Monastery receives thousands of foreign tourists who interested in the martial arts and the Kung Fu lovers who want to study martial arts. The monks of the Shaolin Monastery will put performance every year all over the world and their performance is enthusiastically welcomed by the foreign audience no matter they love Kung Fu or not. The Chinese Kung Fu gradually becomes a part of popular culture with the help of the film and the film itself has been popular enough. The Kung Fu has also becomes popular among the Chinese. Many elements in Chinese Kung Fu have been incorporated in peoples daily exercises to keep fit. Case analysis Chinese popular culture as the bridge between the eastern and western culture under the background of globalization From this case, the Chinese popular culture has played a role of bridging the western and eastern culture. Under the background of globalization, culture diversification is an inevitable trend under the background of globalization. The integration and infiltration of the alien culture and the local culture is an inevitable process for the development of the culture. No culture can develop and evolve through isolation and insulation with the outside world. Therefore, the Chinese popular has played the role of bridging the western and eastern culture through the popularization of the martial arts, a major part of the Chinese popular culture. This bridging process promotes the culture diversification as well as the development of various cultures. In the past, the western people have little knowledge about china and the Chinese has distorted knowledge about the western countries as well as some Asian countries. During the communication and exchanging with the foreign cultures, more fore igners become interested in knowing more about the unique culture of china which they had little knowledge. Due to more direct communication with the outside world, the Chinese know more about the foreign cultures. In the case of the Shaolin Monastery, on one hand, the foreigners come to china to seek the martial arts in their minds, on the other hand, the Shaolin Monastery organize monks to put performance in foreign countries to display the essence of the martial arts in their minds. The Shaolin martial arts therefore become an industry which will bring about profits to the Shaolin Monastery and can provide martial arts teaching service for the public particularly to the foreigners. There are many other labels in Asian popular cultures such as the Japanese animation and Judo, like the Chinese martial arts, they have all played the role of the bridging the different cultures. Case 2 Hello Kitty and Japan Hello Kitty is a world famous cartoon image which came out in 1974 in Japan. Hello Kitty can be regarded as the prime representation of the Japanese popular culture as well as the world popular culture. This simple cat image with bowknot on the head and with no mouth has become popular for almost 30 years all over the world. The image of Kitty can be seen on cup, notebook, cell-phone, toy, watch, computer and etc. Almost on most of the daily utensils, the image of Kitty can be seen. There are 22,000 products are labeled on the image of Kitty and sold to over 40 countries all over the world (Craig, 2000). In the year 2004, McDonald pushed a mini decorative pendent of Kitty. This pendent has become so popular that in Taiwan the lovers took this pendant as the symbol of their love. In Singapore, a commotion happened when people were queuing to buy the happy meal with the theme of Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty has brought about 50 million dollars profits to its copyright owners every year (Cr aig, 2000). Not only kids love Kitty, the adults even the old people loves Kitty. For a child, Kitty is a lovely toy; for an office lady, Kitty brings her back to her innocent childhood; for a father, Kitty gives him a chance to show his love and care for his children who loves Kitty very much. People of different age, taste, style, gender and wish are attracted by this lovely little cat. Unlike Garfield or Mickey Mouse which are backed by fascinating films and books, there are no stories, movies, TV series, books about Kitty but Kitty has become a cultural symbol for it successfully satisfied peoples desire for innocence. Not only Kitty is welcomed by the general public, Kitty and her family members, friends, boy friend are all welcomed by the people all over the world. Many people have a desire to collect a whole series of Kitty products. The scene that people wait in long queue just to buy the newly come out Kitty product can usually be seen. Kitty is not just a successful produc t; it becomes a lifestyle of some people. It reflects peoples inner motives, desires and emotion. It is a cultural product which arouses fierce discussion among scholars and politicians who are blamed to manipulating the image to realize the political purpose (Zoonen, 2004) . Case analysis Hello Kitty, urban syndromes and animation diplomacy The popular of Hello Kitty has two reasons. The first one is that with the acceleration of the industrialization and urbanization, people feel more alienated and lonely. The interpersonally relationship becomes more impersonal and cold. Under the urban culture of strong pressure, depression and competition, people tend to ease their pressure and gain care and love from lovely objects. Hello Kitty is a product which just fulfills the need of the vulnerable urban people with various urban syndromes. Hello Kitty can be regarded as the representation of the lovely culture which exists to ease peoples pressure and satisfy their longing for love under the background of globalization which makes the urban syndromes more severe. The second reason for the popular of Hello Kitty is that the Japanese government has made efforts to promote the Japan image and the soft power of Japan by promoting Hello Kitty and other renowned cartoon images. Thus the further and enduring popularity of Hello Kitt y has close relation to the governments efforts. The promotion of the Hello Kitty of the Japanese government is with the intention to promote Japanese culture and Japanese image all over the world. Some western media believe that Japans overseas image has close relation to the image of Hello Kitty. The fact attests to this saying for in May 2008, Hello Kitty becomes the tourism promotion ambassador of Japan (Desai, 2004). On March 19th, 2008, the Japanese Foreign Ministry held a special ambassador inauguration (Desai, 2004). The animation image Doraemon, a blue machine cat was appointed as the foreign ambassador of Japan which was an unprecedented event. Hello Kitty and Doraemon have both bore the responsibility of improving the image of Japan. This culture diplomacy taken by the Japanese government is regarded as animation diplomacy (Desai, 2004). The Japanese popular culture has been successfully used by the government to improve the countrys soft power under the background of glo balization. Japan has taken advantage of its popular culture to improve its influence on the world. The influence of the Asian popular culture on the flow of people The flow of people and the Asian popular culture is an interaction process. On one hand the Asian popular culture influences the flow of people and on the other hand the flow of people makes the Asian popular culture more diversified and spread in a wider range. As to the influence of the Asian popular culture on the flow of people, before discussing this issue, first of all, the categories of flow of people will be discussed. The flow of people can be divided into the flow within the country and the flow among different countries. The flow of people can be permanent or temporary. The Asian popular culture has exerted influence on both the four kinds of flow of people. Most people migrant with the hope that they will reach a better destination to live or settle down and the image of better destination to some extent is build on the popular culture. For the popular culture is the easiest access to understand the culture of another nation. The Asian popular culture has great impact on the temporary flow of people. The major part of the temporary flow of people is tourists. For example, with the popular of the Chinese Kung Fu film all over the world, people from various countries come to china to find out whether the Kung Fu in the film is real. Thus they go to the Shaolin Monastery to see the monks so as to satisfy their curiosity. Some frantic Kung Fu lovers even stay in Shaolin Monastery to study the martial arts. From large number of tourists from all over the world received by the Shaolin Monastery, it is easy to infer that the popular culture has exerted great impact on the temporary flow of people. In Japan, the situation is quite similar. Large numbers of tourists come to Japan just want to visit the Hello Kitty Museum or to buy the Doraemon products which can only be purchased in Japan. Moreover, within the same country, flow of people can still be caused by the popular culture. Most young people are willing to live in the part of the country where the po pular culture is thriving (McDonnell, 2000). Those young people may try to find a job or travel in those parts in the country, thus the flow of people becomes more frequently within the country. The influence of the Asian popular culture on the ideas The Asian popular culture has great influence on the ideas of people all over the world. A countrys image has close relation to the countrys popular culture. Take the Chinese popular culture as an example, the Kung Fu in the films seem incredible and mysterious to the foreigners particularly the westerner. Thus image of china in the westerners minds are usually mysterious. Besides, with the spread of the Chinese popular culture, the traditional Chinese philosophy is also spread to all over the world. The unique traditional Chinese culture which put emphasis on the harmony between human and nature has greatly influenced the westerners ideas. More westerners begin to learn the profoundness of the Asian culture and begin to have further study on the eastern culture by the help of the popular culture. The Asian popular culture plays the role of the media in spread the ideology of the Asian (Huat, 2004). Another example is Japan. Japan has made great efforts to establish sound national im age through promoting it popular culture. The cute Hello Kitty and other animation images make the image of Japan milder and friendly. The Japanese animation exerts great impact on the ideas of the teenagers all over the world particularly the teenagers in Asian countries. The teenagers will wear like the characters in the animation or wear the ornaments the characters in the animation wear (McDonnell, 2000). The success of the Japanese film Spirited Away has popularize the eastern philosophy all over the world. Its great impact on the ideas of people can be demonstrated by the recognition of this film from the international society. This film has won many prizes including Best Animated Feature in the 2001 Academy Award. The animator Hayao Miyazaki who directs this film is world-renowned and his other works are also welcomed by the people all over the world. Through his works, the Japanese and Asian culture and philosophy has been wide spread which makes the outside world knows more about Asian and Japan (Iwabuchi, 2002). Hayao Miyazakis work is the integration of the Asian ideology and ideologies from other parts of the world. This is a forceful demonstration that Asian popular culture has great impact on the ideas of people from all over the world. The influence of Asian popular culture on the trends In most Chinese Kung Fu films, the masters in the films usually wear the traditional Chinese garment (Tang suit) and the female characters usually wear cheongsam. With the spread of those Kung Fu film, the traditional Chinese garment and cheongsam become popular all over the world. The Chinese costume elements such as red embroidered peony can usually be seen in the Fashion Week in Milan. The fashion industry all over the world has integrated the traditional Chinese costume elements in the trends. The most wanted gifts of the foreign tourists in china are the traditional Chinese garment and cheongsam. The above example demonstrates that the popular culture has exerted even changed the trends and fashion. Moreover, the popularity of the Chinese Kung Fu films also promoted the trends of Chinese study. For a time, learning Chinese becomes a trend and fashion among the westerners. Another example is Japan animation. Not to mention the Hello Kitty that is a trend itself. The large sale an d peoples frantic purchasing of the Kitty products demonstrate the charm of Kitty. Kitty has changed the fashion industry which usually means slim models, glorious ornaments, luxurious brands and dazzling shows. Kitty ignites a new concept that loveliness and simplicity can also be a trend. The trend is as a matter of fact, the reflection of the mind set and metal state of the people (Tay, 2009). The Asian popular culture to some extent changes the mindset and metal state of the people. Moreover, the Korean TV series has also fired a trend in Asian countries, especially in china. The Chinese youngsters, teenagers and even housewives and office ladies become interested in the Korean culture such as costume and food (Chua Iwabuchi, 2008). Their ideas about the country Korean are mostly based on the TV series (Dator Seo, 2004). In conclusion, the popular culture has changes and influenced peoples ideas to a large extent. The influence of Asian popular culture on the cultural products Before discussing the influence of Asian popular culture on the cultural products, the concept and scope of the cultural products should be identified. The cultural products are the products which come out from the culture or are closely related to the culture. The typical cultural products are books, softwares, magazines, computer games, films, TV shows. Asian popular cultures influence on the films is obvious. The Judo, Kung Fu elements in the Hollywood films are welcomed by the foreigners. The computer games based on Kung Fu Panda and Japanese animation figures have been sold all over the world and welcomed by the teenager and computer game lovers. The Asian popular has brought about great profits to the cultural industry. The success of Kitty is another example which demonstrates the influence of the popular culture on the culture products. The Asian Kung Fu film and the Japanese animation are all examples that the popular culture has exerted great influence on the cultural produ cts (Malik, 2009). The western media and newspapers cover large amount reports on Asian culture and tradition and the one of their motivations is to satisfy the westerners curiosity about the eastern culture elements in the popular cultural products such as films and animation. The cultural products are no longer monopolized by the American MTV, MacDonalds and hip-hop. The cultural products have integrated more Asian elements due to the spread of the Asian popular culture which are welcomed under the diversified and internationalized world (Pieterse, 2009). Conclusion This essay has discussed the role of Asian popular culture under the background of globalization. The world under the background of globalization becomes more diversified. The Asian popular culture has adapted itself to the more diversified world and acts as the bridge between the western and eastern culture. In this essay, the cases of Chinese Kung Fu and Japanese Hello Kitty are discussed in detail. The above two can both be regarded as the typical representation of the Asian popular culture. During the process of globalization, the above two cultural labels have interacted with the world culture. They changes the world culture and at the same time be changed by the world culture. They are the promoter of the Asian popular culture and the world popular culture is no longer dominated by the Americans strong popular culture such as Starbuck and MTV. The migration of people, the change of peoples ideas, the various trends, and the cultural products are all greatly influenced by the po pular culture. The popular culture is a major part of a nations culture whose impact can never be ignored.

Fire Crackers :: essays research papers

Our Lives Versus Firecrackers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bong! Bong! Bong! These are the typical sounds one would hear passing by a Chinatown around February of every year. Indeed, these are the sounds of firecrackers, which are distinctive features Chinese people use to welcome a new beginning on Chinese New Year. However, can anyone imagine how many people have died or have been injured by these explosive features? According to a report, a firecracker storage area in China caught fire which caused the death of forty-seven people. An event of happy celebration unfortunately ended up being a tragically one. This leaves a question that needs to be answered: Should people's lives be sacrificed in order to keep the tradition of New Year celebration?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being a Chinese, I truely understand that Chinese New Year is the most important and most celebrated holiday for Chinese. In addition, firecracker displays are always the first event to be launched off as the New Year arrives. According to older generations, firecrackers are considered not only a sign of getting rid of the old and welcoming the new, but are also believed to be able to dispel the evils. As a result, Chinese families deem the activity as an important one. However, it seems like this tradition is kept at the expense Lee 2 of innocent people's lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In fact, firecrackers can lead to significant casualties if people don't use it appropriately. In recent years, firecrackers are bannedb in some states in America. There are a total of 11 states that ban all types of firecrackers while some states only allow few types of firecrackers. Most leniently states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida still allow all types of firecrackers ( Essoyan; Los Angeles Time ). The administration of some states has refused to allow the setting off of firecrackers during Chinese New Year celebration because these state governments believe that these explosives are too dangerous. Moreover, firecrackers have also been banned in China, after the firecracker storage area explosion incident.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition to its explosiveness, firecrackers are hazardous to people's health and lives. First of all, according to sources, firecrackers can trigger pneumonia or bronchitis caused by inhaling the smoke generated by firecrackers ( Kammerer; South China Morning Post ). Furthermore, many children do not realize the danger firecrackers can cause and are often burned and injured by these substances. Even adults can be physically harmed by firecrackers if they do not pay enough attention during the usage.

John T Gatto: Against School: Agree or Disagree?

â€Å"Against School† is an argumentative essay that tells about how the public education system incapacitates the children of today. It was written by John Taylor Gatto. In this reading, Gatto claims that the public education system causes children to become bored with themselves, to conform to the way of the school and its teachers, and it causes them to lack the ability to deal with issues that go on in the real world, outside of school. Gatto’s explanation for this is that it is partially the teachers’ fault. The students become bored because the teacher is actually bored with teaching the subject. Students would be adamant to learn if they were given and education and not a â€Å"schooling†. They need to be encouraged to have the qualities to succeed in life instead of sitting in a prison style confinement, forced to learn material that society deemed appropriate. Summing up his essay, Gatto states that he believes that the students should be able to manage themselves. After reading Gatto’s argument, my only reaction was to agree with him. I believe that the public education system only influences us to conform to society and the government. We’re only taught what they want us to be taught. To me, students need more than that. They need the skills to not only succeed but to survive and to keep on succeeding throughout life. The material needs to be taught and explained how retaining the knowledge will help them in the future. If we don’t know how it will benefit us in some way then it’s almost meaningful. There’s no reason to remember it. In conclusion, I agree with Gatto’s argument because I think it is something most students can relate to. We’ve all had a boring teacher, teaching a boring class, that we thought meant absolutely nothing to us. But if we’re forced to take the class, then there must be some reason for it.

Overview of 1916 During World War 1

Overview of 1916 During World War 1 Previous: 1915 - A Stalemate Ensues | World War I: 101 | Next: A Global Struggle Planning for 1916 On December 5, 1915, representatives of the Allied powers gathered at the French headquarters in Chantilly to discuss plans for the coming year. Under the nominal leadership of General Joseph Joffre, the meeting came to the conclusion that the minor fronts that had been opened in places such as Salonika and the Middle East would not be reinforced and that the focus would be on mounting coordinating offensives in Europe. The goal of these was to prevent the Central Powers from shifting troops to defeat each offensive in turn. While the Italians sought to renew their efforts along the Isonzo, the Russians, having made good their losses from the previous year, intended to advance into Poland. On the Western Front, Joffre and the new commander of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), General Sir Douglas Haig, debated strategy. While Joffre initially favored several smaller assaults, Haig desired to launch a major offensive in Flanders. After much discussion, the two decided on a combined offensive along the Somme River, with the British on the north bank and the French on the south. Though both armies had been bled in 1915, they had succeeded in raising large numbers of new troops which allowed the offensive to move forward. Most notable of these were the twenty-four New Army divisions formed under the guidance of Lord Kitchener. Comprised of volunteers, the New Army units were raised under the promise of those who joined together would serve together. As a result, many of the units were comprised of soldiers from the same towns or localities, leading to them being referred to as Chums or Pals battalions. German Plans for 1916 While Austrian Chief of Staff Count Conrad von HÃ ¶tzendorf made plans for attacking Italy through the Trentino, his German counterpart, Erich von Falkenhayn, was looking to the Western Front. Incorrectly believing that the Russians had been effectively defeated the year before at Gorlice-Tarnow, Falkenhayn decided to concentrate Germanys offensive power on knocking France out of the war with the knowledge that with the loss of their main ally, Britain would be forced to sue for peace. To do so, he sought attack the French at a vital point along line and one that they would not be able to retreat from due to issues of strategy and national pride. As a result, he intended to compel the French to commit to a battle that would bleed France white. In assessing his options, Falkenhayn selected Verdun as the target of his operation. Relatively isolated in a salient in the German lines, the French could only reach the city over one road while it was located near several German railheads. Dubbing the plan Operation Gericht (Judgment), Falkenhayn secured Kaiser Wilhelm IIs approval and began massing his troops. The Battle of Verdun A fortress town on the Meuse River, Verdun protected the plains of Champagne and the approaches to Paris. Surrounded by rings of forts and batteries, Verduns defenses had been weakened in 1915, as artillery was shifted to other sections of the line. Falkenhayn intended to launch his offensive on February 12, but it was postponed nine days due to poor weather. Alerted to the attack, the delay allowed the French to reinforce the citys defenses. Surging forward on February 21, the Germans succeeded in driving the French back. Feeding reinforcements into the battle, including General Philippe Petains Second Army, the French began to inflict heavy losses on the Germans as the attackers lost the protection of their own artillery. In March, the Germans changed tactics and assaulted the flanks of Verdun at Le Mort Homme and Cote (Hill) 304. Fighting continued to rage through April and May with Germans slowly advancing, but at a massive cost (Map). The Battle of Jutland As fighting raged at Verdun, the Kaiserliche Marine began planning efforts to break the British blockade of the North Sea. Outnumbered in battleships and battlecruisers, the commander of the High Seas Fleet, Vice Admiral Reinhard Scheer, hoped to lure part of the British fleet to its doom with the goal of evening the numbers for a larger engagement at a later date. To accomplish this, Scheer intended to have Vice Admiral Franz Hippers scouting force of battlecruisers raid the English coast to draw out Vice Admiral Sir David Beattys Battlecruiser Fleet. Hipper would then retire, luring Beatty towards the High Seas Fleet which would destroy the British ships. Putting this plan into action, Scheer was unaware that British codebreakers had notified his opposite number, Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, that a major operation was in the offing. As a result, Jellicoe sortied with his Grand Fleet to support Beatty. Clashing on May 31, around 2:30 PM on May 31, Beatty was roughly handled by Hipper and lost two battlecruisers. Alerted to the approach of Scheers battleships, Beatty reversed course towards Jellicoe. The resulting fight proved the only major clash between the two nations battleship fleets. Twice crossing Scheers T, Jellicoe compelled the Germans to retire. The battle concluded with confused night actions as the smaller warships met each other in the dark and the British attempted to pursue Scheer (Map). While the Germans succeeded in sinking more tonnage and inflicting higher casualties, the battle itself resulted in a strategic victory for the British. Though the public had sought a triumph similar to Trafalgar, the German efforts at Jutland failed to break the blockade or significantly reduce the Royal Navys numerical advantage in capital ships. Also, the result led to the High Seas Fleet effectively remaining in port for the remainder of the war as the Kaiserliche Marine turned its focus to submarine warfare. Previous: 1915 - A Stalemate Ensues | World War I: 101 | Next: A Global Struggle Previous: 1915 - A Stalemate Ensues | World War I: 101 | Next: A Global Struggle The Battle of the Somme As a result of the fighting at Verdun, the Allied plans for an offensive along the Somme were modified to make it a largely British operation. Moving forward with the goal of easing pressure on Verdun, the main push was to come from General Sir Henry Rawlinsons Fourth Army which was largely comprised of Territorial and New Army troops. Preceded by a seven-day bombardment and the detonation of several mines under German strong points, the offensive began at 7:30 AM on July 1. Advancing behind a creeping barrage, British troops encountered heavy German resistance as the preliminary bombardment had been largely ineffective. In all areas the British attack achieved little success or was repulsed outright. On July 1, the BEF suffered over 57,470 casualties (19,240 killed) making it the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army (Map). While the British attempted to restart their offensive, the French component had success south of the Somme. By July 11, Rawlinsons men captured the first line of German trenches. This compelled the Germans to halt their offensive at Verdun in order to reinforce the front along the Somme. For six weeks, fighting became a grinding battle of attrition. On September 15, Haig made a final attempt at a breakthrough at Flers-Courcelette. Achieving limited success, the battle saw the debut of the tank as a weapon. Haig continued to push until the battles conclusion on November 18. In over four months of fighting, the British took 420,000 casualties while the French sustained 200,000. The offensive gained around seven miles of front for the Allies and the Germans lost around 500,000 men. Victory at Verdun With the opening of fighting at the Somme, the pressure on Verdun began to wane as German troops were shifted west. The high water mark of the German advance was reached on July 12, when troops reached Fort Souville. Having held, the French commander in Verdun, General Robert Nivelle, began planning a counter-offensive to push the Germans back from the city. With the failure of his plan to take Verdun and setbacks in the East, Falkenhayn was replaced as chief of staff in August by General Paul von Hindenburg. Making heavy use of artillery barrages, Nivelle began attacking the Germans on October 24. Recapturing key forts on the citys outskirts, the French had success on most fronts. By the end of fighting on December 18, the Germans had effectively been driven back to their original lines. The fighting at Verdun cost the French 161,000 dead, 101,000 missing, and 216,000 wounded, while the Germans lost 142,000 killed and 187,000 wounded. While the Allies were able to replace these losses, the Germans increasingly were not. The Battle of Verdun and the Somme became symbols of sacrifice and determination for the French and British Armies. The Italian Front in 1916 With the war raging on the Western Front, HÃ ¶tzendorf moved forward with his offensive against the Italians. Irate at Italys perceived betrayal of its Triple Alliance responsibilities, HÃ ¶tzendorf opened a punishment offensive by attacking through the mountains of the Trentino on May 15. Striking between Lake Garda and the headwaters of the River Brenta, the Austrians initially overwhelmed the defenders. Recovering, the Italians mounted a heroic defense which halted the offensive at a cost of 147,000 casualties. Despite the losses sustained in the Trentino, the overall Italian commander, Field Marshal Luigi Cadorna, pressed forward with plans for renewing attacks in the Isonzo River valley. Opening the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo in August, the Italians captured the town of Gorizia. The Seventh, Eight, and Ninth battles followed in September, October, and November but gained little ground (Map). Russian Offensives on the Eastern Front Committed to offensives in 1916 by the Chantilly conference, the Russian Stavka began preparations for attacking the Germans along the northern part of the front. Due to additional mobilization and the re-tooling of industry for war, the Russians enjoyed an advantage in both manpower and artillery. The first attacks began on March 18 in response to French appeals to relieve pressure on Verdun. Striking the Germans on either side of Lake Naroch, the Russians sought to retake the town of Vilna in Eastern Poland. Advancing on a narrow front, they made some progress before the Germans began counterattacking. After thirteen days of fighting, the Russians admitted defeat and sustaining 100,000 casualties. In the wake of the failure, the Russian Chief of Staff, General Mikhail Alekseyev convened a meeting to discuss offensive options. During the conference, the new commander of the southern front, General Aleksei Brusilov, proposed an attack against the Austrians. Approved, Brusilov carefully planned his operation and moved forward on June 4. Using new tactics, Brusilovs men attacked on a wide front overwhelmed the Austrian defenders. Seeking to take advantage of Brusilovs success, Alekseyev ordered General Alexei Evert to attack the Germans north of the Pripet Marshes. Hastily prepared, Everts offensive was easily defeated by the Germans. Pressing on, Brusilovs men enjoyed success through early September and inflicted 600,000 casualties on the Austrians and 350,000 on the Germans. Advancing sixty miles, the offensive ended due to a lack of reserves and the need to aid Romania (Map). Romanias Blunder Previously neutral, Romania was enticed to join the Allied cause by a desire to add Transylvania to its borders. Though it had had some success during the Second Balkan War, its military was small and country faced enemies on three sides. Declaring war on August 27, Romanian troops advanced into Transylvania. This was met by a counter-offensive by German and Austrian forces, as well as attacks by the Bulgarians to the south. Quickly overwhelmed, the Romanians retreated, losing Bucharest on December 5, and were forced back to Moldavia where they dug in with Russian assistance (Map). Previous: 1915 - A Stalemate Ensues | World War I: 101 | Next: A Global Struggle

How to Travel Like a Geologist

How to Travel Like a Geologist Geology is everywhere- even where you already are. But to learn more deeply about it, you dont have to actually become a field geologist to get the true hard-core experience. There are at least five other ways you can visit the land under a geologists guidance. Four are for the few, but the fifth way- geo-safaris- is an easier way for the many. 1. Field Camp Geology students have field camps, run by their colleges. For those you have to be enrolled in the degree program. If youre getting a degree, make sure you experience these expeditions, because these are where faculty members do the real work of imparting their science to students. The websites of college geoscience departments often have photo galleries from field camps. Theyre hard work and very rewarding. Even if you never put your degree to use, youll gain from this experience. 2. Research Expeditions Sometimes you can join working geoscientists on a research expedition. For example, when I was with the U.S. Geological Survey I had the good fortune to ride along on several research cruises along the southern coast of Alaska. Many in the USGS bureaucracy had this same opportunity, even some people without geology degrees. Some of my own memories and photos are in the Alaska geology list. 3. Science Journalism Another avenue is to be a really good science journalist. Those are the folks who get invited to places like Antarctica or the Ocean Drilling Program to write books or stories for glossy magazines. These are not jaunts or junkets: everyone, writer and scientist, works hard. But money and programs are available for those in the right position. For a recent example, visit writer Marc Airharts journal from the cenotes of Zacatà ³n, Mexico, on geology.com. 4. Professional Field Trips For professional geoscientists, the most fun are the special field trips that are organized around major scientific meetings. These happen in the days before and after a meeting, and all are led by professionals for their peers. Some are serious tours of things like research sites on the Hayward fault, while others are lighter fare like the geologic tour of Napa Valley wineries I took one year. If you can join the right group, like the Geological Society of America, youre in.   5. Geo-Safaris and Tours For those first four options, you basically have to have a job in the business or be lucky enough to be near the action. But safaris and tours in the worlds great countrysides, led by eager geologists, are for the rest of us. A geo-safari, even a short day trip, will fill you with sights and knowledge, and all you need to do in return is pay some money. Ive built a list of these geo-safaris, and it has a wide range. You can ride a small bus to the mines and villages of Mexico collecting minerals- or do the same in China; you can dig up real dinosaur fossils in Wyoming; you can see the San Andreas fault close up in the California desert. You can get dirty with real spelunkers in Indiana, trek upon the volcanoes of New Zealand, or tour the classic sites of Europe described by the first generation of modern geologists. Some are a nice side-trip if youre in the region whereas others are pilgrimages, to be prepared for like the life-changing experiences they truly are. Many, many safari sites promise that youll experience the geologic wealth of the region, but unless they feature a professional geologist in the group I tend to leave them off the list. That doesnt mean youll learn nothing on those safaris, only that theres no guarantee youll really get a geologists insight into what you see. The Payoff And geological insight is a rich reward that youll take home with you. Because as your eye opens, so does your mind. Youll gain a better appreciation of your own localitys geologic features and resources. Youll have more things to show off to visitors (in my case, I can give you a geo-tour of Oakland). And through heightened awareness of the geologic setting you live in- its limitations, its possibilities and possibly its geoheritage- youll inevitably become a better citizen.Finally, the more you know, the more things you can do on your own.

Financial Services Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Services Marketing - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the term promotional mix is referred to the combination of various promotional methods that can be adopted by an organization in order to promote the products as well as services in the market. The promotional mix related to products and services is different from the financial promotional mix. The term ‘marketing mix’ is a broad concept in the fields of marketing and the promotional mix is considered as the element of ‘marketing mix’. In today’s marketing environment, the promotional mix is much essential as it communicates to customers about the new products and inspires them to buy. The financial services industry has been facing challenges for several years in marketing fields. Though the market of financial industries is considered as a matured one, however, the industries are facing long-standing downward trend. The financial service organizations use traditional approach of promotion mix and the related tools for marketing the services. As a result, it has a negative impact on their impression of marketing. The promotional tools adopted by financial institutions and banks are inadequately received by customers. The promotion of products in the market is conducted with several objectives. An organizational effectiveness can be increased signifying that sales force can be stimulated. There will be a rise in profits as well as the competitiveness of the organization in the market. The sales revenue will enhance and also the awareness level of the products may increase. Through the promotional methods information can be delivered to the target markets and may help in creating desire among the customers. The promotional tools if applied in an efficient manner may assist to improve the image of the products in consumers’ mind. The premium price will also reduce to certain extent (Jackson, 2010). 1.2 Tools and Factors of Promotional Mix Various promotional tools of promotional mix that are used by a marketer for promoting the products as well as services are advertising, promotion, public relations, sponsorship, personal selling, packaging, exhibitions as well as point of sales. In financial service marketing, these tools are used differently by a marketer (Jackson, 2010). Advertising is a paid format of non-personal communication by the utilization of mass media that involves television, outdoor, radio to reach the target market (Jackson, 2010). The financial organizations use television advertisement for creating awareness of the organization as well as their products in the customers’ mind. The constancy along with reliability of organization also assured the customers through advertisement tool. The financial organizations focus on general or corporate themes instead of product-specific themes. The intangible products are expressed through certain actions and events in order to provide its benefits associated with the desired product. Financial Services Act (1986) has set certain conditions in relation to the advertisement of financial services. The advertisement needs to show about the cause of misuse of the products to the customers (Alajmi, 2011). Personal Selling relates to the ‘interaction between a buyer and a seller’ (Jackson, 2010). It also refers to personal communication with the customers about the products as well as services and therefore encourages them to make purchase decision. Since personal selling is interactive, it acts as a vital tool in financial organization. However, the representatives from the organization can easily communicate with the customers by providing them with potential messages and relevant

Occupational Health and Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Occupational Health and Safety - Essay Example Employees are also required to inspect hoses for leaks at every start of each shift. Further, hoses of oxygen and fuel gas, when taped together, should not exceed one-third of the entire length of the hose (osha.gov, 1996). Grease and oil are also potential hazards and OSHA requires that oxygen cylinders be kept away from grease or oil. Greasy clothes and oily surfaces should be kept away from getting in contact with oxygen cylinders, hoses or any other parts of the valves and regulators (osha.gov, 1996). The scenario showed that the cylinders were lying on the floor and were all stored together in the area. This poses a tripping hazard and greater tendency for the cylinders to roll and bump on each other. The smell of the room being similar to a nail-polish remover suggests that there is a leak in the acetylene cylinder. This suggests that the employee was not able to check the cylinders or the hoses for leakage. Further, the welder, not recognizing the smell is in a very dangerous situation because of the high flammability of acetylene. His activity of chipping the welding slag with the torch tip is high risk of creating sparks that can ignite the room and cause an explosion. With him wearing greasy gloves puts him at even greater risk because the material will immediately catch fire since he was already using the welding slag. The scenario given suggests a very unsafe working condition. It is then very important that employees in construction sites, in this case, those involved in welding and cutting, must be aware of the guidelines set by OSHA to be able to prevent any accidents that may occur in the work