Creative Piece for as Level English Literature Coursework Comparing Two Film Adaptations of ‘Hamlet’ Essay

Kenneth Branagh takes Hamlet from play to screen in an intense, full-length adaptation and he got it right! Gregory Doran also takes a whack at bringing Hamlet from the stage to the screen but with a more modern-day interpretation. Branagh restores Hamlet’s greatest scenes and brings out the most in Shakespeare’s awe-inspiring revenge-tragedy plot; in both performance and direction, Branagh displays energy and cogency. The language has the upmost clarity and makes the film feel accessible and comprehensible for a range of viewers. Branagh’s pragmatic approach, which includes short illustrative ‘flashbacks’, work as a perfectly credible cinematic device that helps the audience to understand the complex scenarios. Branagh tends to rant on and shout throughout the film, especially in his soliloquys, but to the audience it could feel commanding and passionate and so it creates quite an impressive effect. The musical scores are generally helpful, although on occasions they don’t quite fit in with the mood, for example in Act 4, Scene 4, during Hamlet’s speech, the music just made it more humorous rather than serious and dramatic, honestly it sounded more like a cheesy American speech with a flag in the background! At the start of the film, the setting is a bit weak, with the shaking of the earth and the appearance of the ghost proving to be a poor attempt at special effects! However the film then gets flooded with colour and majestically inviting grand halls and rooms which are truly beautiful. The BBC’s adaptation of Hamlet (2009), takes a modern-day approach; from the start it is clear that this adaptation is modern dress, Hamlet wears jeans and a T-shirt and he kills Polonius with a handgun, as well as there being Helicopters and women in military roles. Some dialogue and scenes were ‘trimmed’ and adapted to suit viewers of the modern day and unlike the exuberant, bravura styling of Branagh’s version, Doran has favoured a more refined minimalist dramatization. Whilst the production design is theatrical, Doran directs the camera in a manner that is more typical of television; he uses a few cinematic flourishes and can reach angles that would be impossible on the stage. The use of modern CCTV may enforce the element of surveillance but their clumsy, intrusive functioning is more distractive rather than innovative. It is interesting however how Doran puts a camera in Hamlet’s hands to highlight that character’s observations of others. Onstage, Tennant made eye-contact with the audience, bringing  viewers into the plot and the tense impression of the play; this quality was also apparent in the film where Tennant looks directly into the camera, enhancing the meaning behind the text whilst recreating the theatrical intimacy. Branagh doesn’t stray from the original text in his exciting adaptation of Hamlet and the cast, acting, set and overall production was brilliant and can really captivate viewers. However despite the fact the former Doctor Who star tackled his role with an excellent fierceness, Doran’s modern-day approach was nowhere near as dynamic as Branagh’s performance.

Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and juliet essay : who plays a tragedy Romeo and Juliet: Who is Responsible for the Tragedy? Does Fate play a role? Who is responsible? This question is always asked of any conflict, and usually no one wants to admit that it was his or her fault. It then must be determined what the conflict was, who is responsible, and to what extent. Shakespeare’s, Romeo and Juliet, is based on a conflict. In Romeo and Juliet the conflict turns into a tragedy. Now that we know what the conflict was, which is a tragedy, the next step is to determine what a tragedy is?A tragedy is a conflict that ends up with something very sad happening. In Romeo and Juliet, the tragedy, is that both of these lovers kill themselves, to join the other in death. â€Å"For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo† (5,3,309-310). The next step in the problem solving process is to assess who is to blame for the tragedy. To do this we must first determine the different types of ro les played in a conflict. There are 5 main roles; there is cause, an instigator, retaliator, passivist, and moderator.The first is the cause, which can be a person or thing, that starts everything, and sometimes people don’t even realize that they are playing this part. In Romeo and Juliet, one of the causes is the ancient feud between the families. Tybalt says â€Å"What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee. † (1. 1. 61-62) The second is the instigator, who is usually very mean, and something that they do or say, is usually the cause of conflict. What this person does or says is meant to provoke someone.Tybalt says to Romeo â€Å"Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford No better term than this: thou art a villain. †(3. 1. 53,54). These words are designed to provoke Romeo to fight. The third role, is that of the retaliator, who responds to the provocative nature of the instigator. Mercutio says to Tybalt â€Å"Consort ? What, dost thou make us minstrels? And thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords. Here’s my fiddlestick, here’s that shall make you dance†(3. 1. 40-43) in retaliation to a verbal jab made by Tybalt. The fourth is the passivist, who does nothing to hinder or help in the conflict.Usually someone who hasn’t decided who is right and hasn’t picked a side. The fifth is the moderator, who is trying to prevent or stop the conflict from happening. Benvolio is trying to prevent a fight when he says â€Å"I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire: The day is hot, the Capels are abroad, An if we meet we shall not escape a brawl, For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring. † Now that we have determined the roles played in a conflict, it makes the next step, of determining who is responsible, and to what extent easier. Shakespeare wrote this tragedy with a lot of complexity to it.I know this because each of the people inv olved play more than one role throughout the play. First the Ancient Grudge, is a cause of fighting between the families. It has played a major role in the development of hatred in some of the people, for instance, Tybalt has picked up a hatred for the Montagues, from his Uncle Old Capulet. This Ancient Grudge has caused two brawls previous to the one we see at the start of the play. Prince says â€Å"Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets. †(1. 1. 1-83) By this speech we learn of the nature of the ancient grudge. I believe that the ancient grudge is to be blamed for quite a bit of the tragedy, seeing as none of the fighting would have happened if there was no grudge, and Romeo would have been allowed to marry Juliet, without the secrecy. Second Tybalt is to be blamed for most of the tragedy, because he started the first fight on the street. He also started the fight on the beach. He killed Mercutio, which caused Romeo to retaliate and kill him. Throughout the play Tybalt is always the instigator, he is always looking for a fight.He says himself that he hates peace â€Å"What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. †(1. 1. 61,62) Romeo played an important role in the tragedy, but should not be blamed for any of the tragedy. He played the role of a Moderator, most of the time, like when he was on the beach and Tybalt challenged him to fight he says â€Å"Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting. Villain am I none; Therefore farewell, I see thou knowest me not. †(3. 1. 5-58) He also plays the role of the retaliator when Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo goes after Tybalt to avenge Mercutio’s death. Romeo says â€Å"for Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads, staying for thine to keep him Company: Either thou or I, or both must go w ith him. †(3. 1. 117-120) so in this sense Romeo’s only fault was that he killed Tybalt, but Tybalt had tried to kill him, and had killed Mercutio, so Romeo should not be blamed. Mercutio’s is but, a very little bit to blame, for his own death, which made Romeo kill Tybalt, and then get Banished for that crime.Mercutio wasn’t going looking for a fight, But he wasn’t looking not to fight either. When Tybalt, comes and wants to fight, so Mercutio responds by challenging him to a fight as well. Mercutio says, â€Å"Here’s my fiddlestick, here’s that shall make you dance. †(3. 1. 41,42) We also learn that he is very proud. â€Å"Men’s eyes were made to look, and let them gaze; I will not budge for no man’s pleasure, I. †(3. 1. 47,48) From these passages, from the book, I have decided that Mercutio played the role of the retaliator.Therefore his fault is only in that of Tybalt’s, so that he should only be slightly blamed. Benvolio’s Role in this conflict was nothing but as a passivist/moderator. I came to this conclusion when he says things like â€Å"I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire: The day is hot, the Capels are abroad, And if we meet we shall not escape a brawl† And â€Å"We talk here in the public haunt of men: Either withdraw unto some private place, or Reason coldly of your grievances, Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us. †(3. 1. 43-46) By these speeches he is always trying to prevent or postpone the fight.In this case Benvolio is not to blame at all, but rather should be commended for his attempts for peace. Friar Lawerence is to be blamed also, for he had great idea’s of peace after he married Juliet to Romeo. He validated the marriage of these two people, because of his ideas, and he didn’t do the right thing, which would be to tell the parents, and make them see that Romeo and Juliet were really in love. And to let the parents decide what would be best. He messed that up, and then he messed up some more, when he helped Juliet to deceive her parents, by faking her death.He continues to screw up to protect his original mistake of marrying Romeo and Juliet. Juliet’s Parents also contributed by forcing her to marry Paris, and this forced her to fake her death, to get out of her marriage, and to get to Romeo. They were unaware of her previous marriage, so it is not really their fault. After determining this, there is still some confusion over the fault of some people, so that we have to look upon another factor, which may make things a little clearer. That factor is fate. Before determining what role fate played we must first determine the meaning of fate.Fate stems from the Ancient Greek Mythologies, when there were three female goddesses, who were believed to spin a thread that was your life, and they would shake it, to shake up your life. It was also believed that the Fates were in charge of when you died and when you did die, they cut the thread. To make that more clear, Fate, is when something happens or is going to happen, and you have no control over it. It tells us right in the prologue that Romeo and Juliet’s love is fated â€Å"A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life. I don’t really believe in fate, but in this fictional tragedy, fate was an excellent choice to explain some of the things that happened. In conclusion this exciting tragic romance, has utilized a intricate web, in the responsibility for the tragedy, so that no one can be held entirely responsible, and no one is left without a part in tragedy. The way that Shakespeare makes a person play more than one of the basic roles, throughout the conflict, is a stunning way to spark interest, because people are confused by a sudden change of attitude or character. This process leaves the audience, trying to understand, so they become intrigued.

Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface

Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 1/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface by Karen D. King, RDH, MHeD and Dr. Rosalee Seymour, Associate Professor, EdD, RN Abstract This report presents the results of a usability evaluation of the Web design interfac e for an instructional unit prototype on Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers. Usability is defin ed as the measure of a product’s potential to accomplish the goals of its users (Dumas, 1999). The unit and the Web interface were designed to deliver instruction to undergraduate dental hygien e students.The three randomly selected users/subjects for this evaluation were from an undergrad uate class of dental hygiene students. This report describes the usability evaluation planning, im plementation, data analysis methods, and results. The results demonstrate that conducting usabilit y evaluations help to determine the organization and ease of navigation of an interactive, Web- base d, instructional unit. Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface Computers are used to educate, in many instances, with conventional interfaces that i nclude those used to create documents and manipulate data.A Web interface, which was tested in t his case, is very different from a conventional one. The Web is a domain that must be instantly u sable and support many communication modalities. Web designers must focus on the computer user whose goal is to gather information rather than to create documents or manipulate data (Raj ani & Rosenberg, 1999). It is critical that the accomplishment of the users’ goals be the primary objective o f a usability evaluation (UE) of Web site interface design.Users will not be able to access correc t pages unless the constructed site reflects their needs and contains a navigation scheme that allow s easy access to the desired information (Nielsen, 2000a). In Web interface designs the properties of color, sound, navigation, and place ment must be considered from a different perspective than with c onventional interfaces. Usability evaluation purposes. The faculty of the Department of Dental Hygiene, where this evaluation was conducted developed an oral pathology course for undergraduate student s in dental hygiene and wanted to deliver it via a Web design interface.The instructional unit o n Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers is the prototype for nine instructional units to follow. It was anticipated that conducting a UE, on the prototype instructional unit Web interface, would enable identification of any usability issues or problems relevant to this Web interface before the constru ction of subsequent instructional units. In keeping with Rajani and Rosenberg (1999), the primary purposes of this UE were agr eed upon as: 1) to determine if the Web-based Herpes Simplex and Apthous ulcer prototype is easy t o navigate 13/3/2013 0:50Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 2/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm and meets the goals of undergraduate dental hygiene students, 2) to use any identifie d problems to revise this unit, 3) to make recommendations on the construction of additional units based on this prototype, 4) to save faculty time, and 5) to insure students’ goals will be met in t he Web interface format. The Literature Usability evaluations include a range of methods for identifying how users actually i nteract with a prototype or completed Web site. Planning of a UE egins with a statement of the ove rall purpose and objectives for the investigation and a clear identification of the problem (Hom, 1999; Instone, 1999). In a typical approach a UE is conducted while users perform tasks and a modera tor watches, listens, and records for later data analyzes and reporting of results (Fichter, 2000) . The next steps are the identification of the subject/users and the design of the study. Graham (2000) describes many ways to get feedback about the usability of a Web site. Gra ham (2000) recommends that a moderator observe a user representing the site’s target audi ence as they navigate the site.Graham (2000) cautions moderators against the interruption of the subject/user while conducting any observations. Nielsen (2000a) also recommends that the user/subj ects be representative of the target audience and not colleagues or others who may know too m uch about the site. Nielsen (2000a) recommends that user/subjects perform specific tasks durin g a UE as opposed to asking them to just play on the test site. These test tasks need to be re presentative of the types of tasks that users will actually perform on the Web site within the Web in terface being tested.Nielsen (2000a) suggests that the moderator solicit comments from users as they progr ess through to task completion to help determine their thought process. Hom (2000) refers to thi s encouragement of user comments during the evaluation as the ‘think aloud protocol’. H om (2000) des cribes this technique as one in which the user verbalizes any thoughts, feelings, and/or opinions while interacting with the test site. The inclusion of the ‘think aloud protocol’ all ows the moderator to qualitatively measure how the user approaches the Web interface and what consideratio ns they keep in mind when using it.For example, a user verbalizing that the sequence of steps, d ictated by a task, is different from what was expected, could demonstrate an interface problem (Ho m, 2000). Hom (2000) recommends using the qualitative ‘think aloud method’ in conjunction with performance measures. The performance measures add to the data collected noting such things as: 1 ) the time it takes for a user to complete a task, 2) the number and type of errors per task, 3) the number of users completing a task successfully, and 4) the satisfaction of the user with the si te (Nielsen, 2000a).After determining the study design and identification of the users, Spool et al. (199 9) in agreement with Nielsen recommend development of specific tasks for users to perform during the UE. In addition to a task list, Hom (1999) advocates during the planning phase of UE that on e specify materials needed and the site evaluation environment. Rubin (1994) agrees that the U E process needs test users from the target population to evaluate the degree to which a product meets specific 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface /12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm criteria. Rubin (1994) describes six basic elements of a UE: 1) a clear statement of the problem and/or evaluation objectives, 2) a sample of users, which may/may not be randomly cho sen, 3) a setting representative of the actual work environment, 4) observation of users who either use or review a representation of the product, 5) a collection of quantitative performance and qualitative preferences measures, and 6) an analysis leading to recommendation for design of the product evaluated.When analyzing data from having conducted a UE, rather than supporting hypotheses one is looking for patterns to identify common problems, in the remarks or observations, between use rs (Dumas, 1999; Hom, 1999). Performance data is statistically analyzed while qualitative data, collected by observing the user’s actions and opinions, is analyzed for trends. The data analysis results should lead to identification of strengths and recommendations for improving the site or pro duct (Nielsen, 2000a; Spool, et al. 1999; Hom, 1999; Dumas, 1999). Usability Evaluation: The Case This UE was conducted because usability problems, within any prototype, are important to discover prior to the costly, time consuming, construction of a web interface for additional i nstructional units. The specific purpose of this UE was to determine if the Web interface presented the H erpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcer prototype interactive educational unit in a way that allowed underg raduate dental hygiene students to successfully achieve unit outcomes.Specific objectives for this usability evaluation were to determine: 1) navigational and/or organizational problems with the Web interface, 2) the presence of any confusing term inology in the site, 3) if the site meets the goals of the user, 4) if the users can complete the as signed tasks, and 5) user’s attitudes toward the Web site. Methods A description of the UE environment, user selection criteria and profiles, usability evaluation process, the task list, and evaluation measures for this study follow. Usability evaluation environment. The UE took place in the moderator’s private campus office.This is a quiet, well-lit room with a comfortable temperature, equipped with a Dell computer workstation, which was used for the evaluation. A sign reading â€Å"Usability Evaluation in Session. Please Do Not Disturb† was posted on the closed office door to prevent interruptions and distractio ns. The UEs were co nducted on July 2, 2001, at 1:00 p. m. , 2:00 p. m. , and 3:00 p. m. Subject/users interacted with the Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers Web interface one at a time. Each subject /user had 20 minutes to complete the usability evaluation. Subjectuser selection and profile.Three randomly selected undergraduate dental hygi ene students, from a target population of 24 (class of 2002), became subjectusers. All 24 students will be required to take the oral pathology courses including the instructional units reflect ing the results of this UE. Alphabetical order by user’s last name determined the order of subjectuser participation. In order to be selected the subject/users must have met the following criteria: 1) be an undergraduate 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 4/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm ental hygiene student, 2) have successfully completed one academic year of the Denta l Hygiene Program, 3) have previous experience with the Internet, and 4) have previous experien ce with Web browsers The demographic characteristics of the users for this evaluation were that: 1) they all were female, 2) ages 25, 22, and 43, 3) all had successfully completed on e academic year in the Dental Hygiene Program, 4) all had previous experience with the Internet, and 5) all had between 1 and 3 years experience with Web browsers. Administration protocol. Prior to the UE a training packet and session of 30 minutes were provided to each subjectuser.The training session included a brief description of the UE proce ss, purpose and objectives, and the UE protocol instructions. Each subject/user was given an opportun ity to review the packet and ask any questions before agreeing, by signing a consent form, to be a voluntary participant. The UE packet included: 1) a user profile questionnaire, 2) a task list , 3) a statement of the purposes of the evaluation, 4) evaluation instructions, and 5) a consent form. Prior to each actual UE every subjec tuser was again given a 10-minute review of the UE instructions and opportunity to ask questions.Subjects/users were told it would take one hour to complete the entire UE process; 20 minutes to complete the task list. According to Nielsen (2000a) , a UE time of 30 minutes or less is adequate to conduct a UE. An additional 15 minutes allowed time for the user to verbalize about the Web interface and to complete a follow up questionnaire to de termine their attitude towards the Web interface. The remaining 15 minutes of the hour the moderat or used to review notes of comments and observations and to make corrections so that no misunder standing would occur later in interpreting results.Shneiderman (1998) suggests the moderator rewrite UE notes as soon as possible, reducing moderator errors in note interpretation later. The subjectusers were required to use the’ think aloud method’ (Hom, 2000) to provid e subjective data in conjunction with the collection of various perfo rmance measures. The performa nce measures included: 1) the time it took the user to complete the task list; 2) the number of er rors per task, 3) the number of users completing the task list successfully in the allotted time, and 4 ) the attitude of the user toward the Web interface.In addition, the moderator collected qualitative data by observing each user during completion of each task and taking notes regarding their f acial expressions, opinions expressed, and verbalized thoughts while completing UE. The mo derator made notes on the opinions and thoughts of the user following UE. Finally, the subje ctusers completed a questionnaire to describe their attitudes about the Web interface. Implementation Piloting the UE administration protocol.A Department of Dental Hygiene professor, fa miliar with the Internet, Web browsers, and oral pathology pilot tested the UE administration protoco l one week prior to testing subjectusers. The moderator provided the pilot test user with the s ame pre UE instructions and task list that would be given to subject/users. The pilot test resul ted in no problems with the UE administration protocol. The moderator observed the pilot test subject/us er and collected the same quantitative and qualitative data that was to be collected from th e research 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 5/12 http://ojni. rg/602/usability. htm subjectusers. The results of the pilot test showed that the UE protocol could be use d with subject/users without revision. Pre-training for UE. At 12:30 p. m. July 2, 2001, the subjectusers arrived for the pr e UE training session. The moderator distributed the UE packet and described the purpose and proce dures of the UE. The users were given an opportunity to review the UE packet and to ask questions . Each of the three subjectusers signed consent forms before leaving the pre UE training. Administration of UE. Each of the three subject/users arrived at the moderator’s offi ce for the UE.The moderator reviewed the evaluation instructions and gave time for any additional q uestions to be answered. The following sequence of events occurred for the three users, each: a) beg an the UE , 2) completed the task list, 3) responded to questions about the evaluation experience, 4 ) added thoughts or opinions regarding interaction with the Web interface, and 5) left the mo derator’s office in 45 minutes each. The administrator used the remaining 15 minutes of each of the t hree hours to rewrite portions of notes taken during observation in preparation for the UE report o f results.Task list and description. The tasks were identified using the purposes and objective s of the UE. The task list includes 10 primary tasks for subjectusers to perform in navigation of the Website interface for the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers prototype. The task list beginning wi th accessing the Website via the interface and progressing through the instructional unit follows. Because many of the 10 primary tasks were repeated the actual count of performing tasks is 31. Task 1 – with the browser open go to www. etsu. edu/cpah/dental/dcte760.This task was chosen to determine if users, indicating they had between 1 and 3 years experience with a Web b rowser, would have a problem accessing a Web site when given only a Web address without a dir ect link. Task 2 – read the instructions on the first page of the Web site and click on the lin k that it directs you to go to first. This task was to determine the clarity of the Web interface in p roviding instructions for beginning the instructional unit. Task 3 – click on Assignment 1 Task 4 – access the discussion forum and enter your name and email address.This task helped determine the Web interface design, by allowing for observing if users had difficulty locating the discussion forum area and/or entering information into it. Task 5 – When done in discussion forum, re turn to Assignment 1. This task will ident ify if users have difficulty returning to the designated page using the Web interface. Task 6 – Click on Assignment 2 Task 7 – Read the content on Apthous Ulcers. This task requires users to read content on a Web page on the site. Task 8 – Click on the images on this page to enlarge them. This task determines the e ase of click navigation to enlarge thumbnail images. 3/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 6/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Task 9 – Return to Assignment 2. This task determined if users could navigate the We b interface via a link taking them back to a designated page in the Web site. Task 10 – Answer the study questions in Assignment 2. The study questions direct the user through a series of multiple-choice items in a linear fashion. Correct responses allow the u ser to continue to the next question while incorrect responses require the user to go back to the que sti on and make another attempt to answer.Users cannot go to the next question until the previous q uestion is answered correctly. This task requires navigating through a series of questions with the potential for going back and forth if an answer is wrong. This task determined if users could succe ssfully navigate the Web interface to the study questions Task 11 – When the study questions are all answered, return to Assignment 2. This tas k again measures their ability to use the Web interface to return to a designated page in the Web site. Task 12 – Click Assignment 3. Task 13 – Read the entire case 2 Herpes Simplex.Again, users are required to read c ontent on the Web site but they must use the Web interface design to do it successfully. Task 14 – When you have finished reading Case 2, return to Assignment 3. This task de termined if users could navigate the Web interface to a case study contained within the instructi onal unit and return to a designat ed page in the Web site. Task 15 – Click on Assignment 4. Task 16 – Go to Case 1. Task 17 – Fill in the diagnosis form. This task required students to locate a case, fill in case study information obtained from previous exercises.This task measures the Web interface’s ease of navigation using forms to complete information. Task 18 – Submit the Form. This task demonstrates if the Web interface allows for ea sy form submission upon completion. Task 19 – Return to Assignment 4. User must complete a form by diagnosing the case s tudy patient in this assignment. This task determined if users could easily navigate the case stud y, fill in the appropriate form fields, submit the form, and return to the designated page in the We b site. Task 20 – Click on Assignment 5. Task 21 – Go to the reflection form.This task demonstrates if the Web interface all ows users to navigate to the reflection form. Task 22 – Write your reflections on the unit on the form. A form to reflect on the in structional unit is required for assignment 5. This task demonstrates if users will be able, through thi s Web interface, to make text entries in the appropriate form fields in the reflection form. 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 7/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Task 23 – Submit the form. The task determined if users could navigate the Web inter face to send the completed reflection form electronically.Task 24 – Return to Assignment 5. Determines if users via the Web interface, can eas ily return to a designated page in the Web site. Task 25 – Go to the course evaluation survey. An evaluation form is included in this instructional unit to determine student attitudes and satisfaction levels with the instructional un it. This task measures if the Web interface allows the user to easily locate a survey on the site. Task 26 – Complete the course evaluation survey. This task determined if users using the Web interface, could easily navigate a form to reply to the questions. Task 27 – Submit the survey.This task measures whether the Web interface allows use rs to easily submit form information electronically. Task 28 – Return to Assignment 5. This task measures the Web interface as it allows u ses to return to designated pages in the Web site with ease. Task 29 – Go to the discussion forum. This task determined if the users could open t he forum and is a test of the Web interface design and its ease of promoting discussion. Task 30 – Make a forum entry indicating that you have finished the usability evaluati on. This task measures the Web interface design’s success with entering comments into a discussion forum.Task 31 – Return to Assignment 5. This task measures the Web interface designs succ ess with returning users to designated pages in the Web site. (N=31 navigational tasks) Non-task performance measur es. Following Nielsen, (2000a) subjectusers were asked t o use the ‘think aloud method’ in conjunction with performance measures. The quantitative measu res to be evaluated included the: 1) amount of time to complete the task list, 2) number of err ors per task, 3) number of users completing the task list successfully in the allotted time, and 4) at titude of users toward the Web interface.In addition to the quantitative measures, the administrato r collected qualitative data during and after the usability evaluation by each user. This UE was designed to measure the ease of undergraduate dental hygiene student user s navigation through the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit prot otype Web interface. Although all task completion or non completion allowed for tests of the in terface, the following three questions focus more directly on navigation of the prototype Web inte rface: Do all the navigational links in this Web site work correctly?Is the or ganization of this Web site consistent? Is there any confusing terminology regarding navigation and organization on this Web site? Results The success or failure on each task performed as well as the qualitative data collect ed from the 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 8/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm post-test interview and the post-test questionnaire are reported. Because the tasks in the UE were short, the quantitative data collected was based on the entire task list and not on each task independently. Users had adequate time to complete the enti re task list.There were 31Website interface navigation tasks completed by three subject/users with a total of seven navigation errors. 1. User #1 took 20 minutes to successfully complete the task list with one Web i nterface navigation error. 2. User #2 took 18 minutes to successfully complete the task list with three Web interface navigation errors. 3. User #3 took 19 minutes to successfully complete the task list with three Web interface navigation errors Task 1 –Users #1 and #2 completed task #1 easily and were able to successfully open t he designated Web site without Web interface navigation error.User #3 entered the Web site address in the search line of the Web browser, an error message was returned by the browser, and then the user entered the Web site address in the address line of the browser and was able to successfully access the home page of the instructional unit via the Web site interface. In this c ase the navigational error relates to lack of knowledge about where to type in a Web address in a Web browser. Task 2 – Read the instructions on the first page of the Web site and click on the lin k that your are directed to go to first.User #1 asked, â€Å"Do I make the decision myself to go to assi gnment 1 or to the course syllabus? † The administrator did not answer this question as the instruct ions on the Web page indicated the first link. Th is error, while not significant since both links ta ke the student to the appropriate Web page to begin the instructional unit as well as the usability evaluat ion, could add user frustration to the mix. Users #2 and #3 use the Web site interface on the first page of the Web site to readily access the needed location.Task 3, 4, and 5 – Click on Assignment 1 and enter your name and email address in the discussion forum. When this task is complete, return to Assignment 1. User #1 was unable to re adily use the Web interface to access the discussion forum. This user consistently scrolled to the bottom of any page before making any choices about where to go next. This scrolling is not consider ed an error in the prototype but could indicate that the Web interface design needs revision to stop this behavior. Once the discussion forum was accessed, this user asked, â€Å"Is this where I go to post my name? The administrator did answer in the affirmative and the user continued with the task. Upon completion of the discussion forum entry user #1 could not navigate back to the desig nated page. The administrator finally intervened and instructed the user to use the â€Å"back† button on the browser. The user then looked for the â€Å"back key† on the keyboard. Further instructi on from the administrator got the user back on task. When user #2 realized that the task involved a discussion forum, the user indicated n o previous 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 9/12 ttp://ojni. org/602/usability. htm experience with discussion forums of any type. Her response was â€Å"Am I being timed, b ecause here is the first problem? † The administrator reassured the user that there is as much ti me as needed to perform the task. Upon submission of the discussion forum entry, user #2 chose the â€Å" back† button on the browser quickly. User #3 got to the discussion forum easily, but then asked, â€Å"Am I the subject? † The administrator informed the user that the responses in the form fields did not matter and that any i nformation could be entered in any field.Upon submission of the form entries, user #3 used the â€Å"back† button on the browser but indicated that she thought only one click of the â€Å"back† button was sufficient. All users successfully completed the task. The Web interface design was not the culprit in these task struggles. Tasks 6, 7, 8, and 9 – Click on Assignment 2. Read the content on Apthous Ulcers. Cl ick on the images to enlarge the view. Return to Assignment 2. Users #1 and #3 did not click o n the images to view a larger version of the image. Both disregarded this portion of the task com pletely.Perhaps the images were large enough for them. User #2 opened the larger view of the images a nd returned to the designated page in the Web site indicating no problem with the Web interface d esign in the area of enlarging images. All users returne d to the designated page in the Web site, but only one user completed the entire task successfully. Tasks 10 and 11 – Answer the study questions in Assignment 2. When the study questio ns are all answered, return to Assignment 2. All users navigated through the study questions ea sily.User #1 expressed embarrassment, because the administrator of the UE is also a faculty member in the Department of Dental Hygiene, and the user did not want the administrator to know if the answers to the study questions were incorrect. The administrator reminded user #1 that the an swers to the questions were not the purpose of this evaluation. The Web site was being evaluated n ot the knowledge of the user. User #1 continued to navigate through the study questions, but indicated distress any time she chose an incorrect response to a study question.It is assumed this frustration related to having to go back and continue to answer until the answer was correct befo re going on. User #2 quickly re alized that the links chosen by user #1 were a different color. Sin ce all users participated in the UE on the same computer, the visited hyperlinks were apparent. U ser #2 easily navigated the questions with much less distress about incorrect responses, because sh e realized that her peers had chosen incorrectly as well. User #3 also noticed the visited hyperlinks and navigated the questions without incident.However, user #3 had a problem choosing answers beca use the hyperlink was on only one letter, the user had trouble positioning the mouse pointer exactly over the single letter link. The user clicked several times before realizing that the link ar ea was very small. This indicates an area of the Web interface design that needs improvement. All users successfully completed these tasks. Tasks 12, 13, and 14 – Click on Assignment 3. Read Case 2. When you have finished re turn to Assignment 3. Users #1 and #3 quickly read the case and returned to the designated We b page.Use r #2 appeared to have accidentally clicked the wrong link and could not locate Cas e 2. The administrator provided instruction because the user seemed frustrated. After the user located the correct page, there was no problem completing the task. Here it is hard to distingui sh if this is a 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 10/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Web interface design error or not. Tasks 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 – Click on Assignment 4. Fill in the form. Submit the form. Return to Assignment 4. This was the first form in the Web site.User #1 began with â€Å"OK, what is this? † The user had never filled in a form and submitted it through a Web site. Users #2 and #3 both accessed and filled in the required information in the form fields and returned to the designa ted Web page easily. User #1 took more time, but successfully completed the task. Tasks 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 – Click on Assignment 5. Go to the reflection fo rm. Fill in the form. Submit the form. Return to Assignment 5. This was the second experience with the Web interface using a form. All three users accessed, filled in the form, and submitted the form wi thout a problem.Task 25, 26, 27, and 28 – Go to the course evaluation survey. Complete the course eva luation survey. Submit the survey. Return to Assignment 5. Users #1 and #2 had difficulty loc ating the survey link on the page. Once the survey evaluation link was located, no user had any difficulty completing the task. User #3 completed the task easily, but after submission of the form, the user clicked on the â€Å"back† button to return to the designated Web page in the site. As use r #3 clicked on the â€Å"back† button she said, â€Å"Is it erasing the form information if I am going back wi th the back button? The moderator assured her the action of the â€Å"back† button would not erase fo rm input after submission. Task 29, 30, and 31 – Go to the Discussion Forum. Make a forum entry indicating that you have finished the UE. Return to Assignment 5. By task 31, all users were familiar with th e site and had no trouble navigating the discussion forum and returning to the designated page in the W eb site. Upon completion of the task list, each user had the opportunity to comment on the Web site and offer suggestions and opinions. The following were offered:User #1 indicated that she would be more comfortable if the administrator had not bee n watching her progress. She indicated being watched so closely made her very nervous and she th ought the site would have been much easier to navigate on her own. She indicated that she like d the set up of the Web interface and asked if there were going to be other sites like this for her u se in the dental hygiene curriculum. User #2 indicated that she liked the site and thought it was easy to use. User #3 lik ed the site and would like similar sites for other topics in the dental hygiene curriculum.She indi cated that she did not like using the ‘back button’ after all the forms. All three users expressed nervo usness about being watched by the administrator. Discussion A sample of three users completed this UE. Nielsen (2000b) indicates that three to f ive participants in a UE are adequate. Usability problems were identified in some part of nine of the ten primary tasks on the task list. In addition, some of the problems as told by the users, rela ted to: 1) the administrator present during the UE was also a professor in the Department of Dental Hygiene in 3/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 11/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm which the user is a student, 2) the evaluation was conducted during the summer school session, and 3) all users were also students in the administrator’s class. Users reported being mo re nervous about the site content in the presence of this administrator. In future UE studies th e us ability administrator should be a neutral observer The questionnaire completed by the users following the usability evaluation demonstra ted user satisfaction with the site.Shneiderman (1998) suggests users should give their subje ctive impressions of the Web interface. All but one of the responses indicated that the us ers were satisfied with the site’s navigation and organization. The users indicated that the t erminology used in the site was clear, they were able to complete the assigned tasks easily, the site me t their needs, and the users liked the appearance of the site. The only responses not scored as sati sfactory were related to using the â€Å"back button†. Overall, all three users indicated the ease of na vigating the Web site interface was satisfactory. RecommendationsIt is evident from the results of this UE that Web-based interfaces for instructional delivery should be evaluated for usability problems. Corrections, suggested by the results, to the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit prototype and Web interface should be made and the site re-tested before continuing development of the remaining nine courses in the oral pat hology Web-based instructional unit series. The usability evaluation of the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers Web-based inst ructional unit prototype resulted in the following recommendations for improvement to the Web site n avigation and organization. . This may be one time when the use of standard link colors should be violated. Students using the same computer to complete an instructional unit would be able to discern the answ ers chosen by the student previously using the computer. Changes in the Web interface design for te sts so that the link color does not change when a user chooses a particular response is recommended. 2. When assigning form submissions, provide a link to take the user back to the designated page in the Web site. The users in this UE did not like using the brow ser’s â€Å"back† button after completing the forms nor following entries to the discussion forum.The Web site interface desig n will be changed so the confirmation pages following discussion forum postings and submission of forms will take the user back to the page accessed immediately prior to the form or discussion f orum. 3. The hyperlinks for the answers to study questions were not large enough. Cli cking on a one letter link made users have a hard time identifying the link. This Web site interfac e design will be corrected so that the entire cell in which the letter choices are located will be the hyperlink. ConclusionsThe UE conducted on the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit pro totype Web design interface proved to be a successful method for the determination of usability problems in a 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 12/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Web-based instructional delivery method. The users identified usability problems with the Web interface as well as with their own skill or lack of skill with using any browser. Re commendations for revision have been identified by the researcher and will be implemented. Authors NoteShould anyone wish to examine the Website and review the Herpes Simplex and Apthous U lcer instructional unit prototype it can be accessed at http://www. etsu. edu/cpah/dental/dcte760/. References Dumas, J. , & Redish, J. (1999). A Practical Guide to Usability Testing. Portland: In tellect Books. Fichter, D. (2000). Usability Testing Up Front. Online, 24 (1), 79-84. Graham, J. (2000). Usability Testing Basics. INT Media Group. Retrieved June 30, 2 001, from the World Wide Web: http://clickz. com/print. jsp? article=2053. Hom, J. (1999). The Usability Testing Toolbox.Retrieved June 10, 2001, from the Wo rld Wide Web: http://www. best. com/~jthom/usability. Instone, I. (1999). User Test Your Web Site: An Introduction to Usability Testing. Retrieved July 1, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://instone. org/keith/howtotest/introduction. html. Nielsen, J. (2000a). Designing Web Usability. Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing. Nielsen, J. (2000b). Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users. Jakob Nielsen’s Alertb ox. Retrieved June 12, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www. useit. com/alertbox/20000319. html. Rajani, R. , & Rosenberg, D. (1999).Usable? Or Not? Factors Affecting the Usability of Web Sites. CMC Magazine. Retrieved June 23, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www. december . com /cmc/mag/1999/jan/rakros. html. Rubin, J. (1994). Handbook of Usability Testing. New York: Wiley. Shneiderman, B. (1998). Designing the User Interface. Strategies for Effective Huma n-Computer Interaction. Third Edition. Reading: Addison-Wesley. Spool, J. , Scanlon, T. , Schroeder, W. , Snyder, C. , & DeAngelo, T. (1999). Web Site U sability: A Designer’s Guide. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc. 13/3/2013 0:50

The Vice Chancellor Larking University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

The Vice Chancellor Larking University - Essay Example Majority of the PCs in the college use Microsoft Operating System although some of the computers are still running on Office 97. The college has achieved a milestone in networking all the computers although not all PCs have been networked there is increasing trend of networking them. With a population of about 3000 students, the University has been thinking of providing the laptop to the student the expense of which will be reduced from their fees. There has been increased pressure to make sure that the students accept the offer of the laptops because whether they accept them or not, they will still be charged in the school fees. This has been in line with the introduction of my Course system on the university website which is used by lecturers to post notes and exercises. There has also been declining number of student who is attending lecturer since they can download everything from the internet. How can the college achieve a competitive edge through the harmonization of the usage of the internet? The aim of the university in introducing the use of computers has been to ensure that there is an efficient delivery of services. Therefore it has come upon with a strategy of ensuring the all the administrative staff and the lectures use the same minimum IT/IS platform which is Intel PCs with 1GB memory and running XP and Office 2003. The University also aims at connecting all of them to the internet and Outlook email service. In the evaluation, this is one of the most important strategies that the university can use in order to achieve maximum use of computer technology in the university. If the university chose to sell the existing PCs and buying new ones, then the first step would be to find a way of storing the data based on the computers and then selling all of them. Then they would come up with a procurement procedure.

Magic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Magic - Essay Example In the novel of Lord Dunsany’s The King of Elflands Daughter, magic was first described as the folly of Alveric’s people. Through its parliament, they demanded from Alveric, the son of the Lord of Erl, for magic to rule over them. This wish was granted only that it had terrible consequences. Such, the clichà © â€Å"be careful what you wished for† might have originated from this novel because Alveric’s people got what they wished for, no matter how seemingly impossible it was but with an unthinkable consequence, they themselves became part of magic. Magic should not have been granted but Alveric yielded to the demand of the parliament no matter how foolish it was. Its folly of demanding magic to rule over earth was encapsulated in this passage in the novel delivered by the spokesperson as; â€Å"For seven hundred years, the chiefs of your race have ruled us well; and their deeds are remembered by the minor minstrels, living on yet in their little tinkling songs. And yet the generations stream away, and there is no new thing† (Dunsany 1). Magic, as pronounced by the anxiety of Alveric meant as something inappropriate for the people of the earth. It is because magic follow different laws which is only applicable to the nature of the fairies and cannot be applied to earth. Magic here meant a wish that is desirable that should not be done but was demanded anyway by the parliament of Elk demonstrating the folly of man. The quest and victory of Alveric in the Elfland proved that magic is not compatible on earth. True, he may have initially prevailed over the magic of Elfland, but in the end, he was lost when his elven wife Lirazel was gone. During the entire quest from acquiring magic until actually having it in the Elfland, magic proved to be precarious among the people of Elk and is something more than they can handle. Magic in Lord Dunsany’s The King of Elfland’s Daughter first meant the

Amazon Kindle And Its Innovativeness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Amazon Kindle And Its Innovativeness - Essay Example At the same time, institutional economics define innovation as an important economic activity for reducing transaction costs and thereby improving operational efficiency. According to Leger and Swaminathan (n.d), the evolutionary economics defines innovation entirely different from neoclassical theories and assumptions; and it illustrates innovation by reconciling the micro and macro evidence. In the context of international trade, â€Å"endowments and factor prices, market structure and competition, and demand pull factors† are the determinants of innovation. Sundbo (2003) reflects that innovation process is generally classified into three types such as product innovation, process innovation, and strategy innovation. Tidd, Bessant, and Pavitt (2005) state that under product innovation, an organisation tries to bring a new product or service to life with intent to meet customers’ changing requirements whereas the process innovation attempts to increase a firm’s bottom line profitability, managerial control over costs, productivity, and employee job satisfaction. In the view of O’Marah (2005), the process innovation also benefits customers by increasing efficiency in supply chain activities such as timely product or service delivery. Finally, strategy innovation is about restructuring the prevailing industry methods of creating customer value for the purpose of adding additional value to the company’s market stature and creating new markets and customer groups for wealth maximization.

The Role Of Social Performance Of Organizations Assignment

The Role Of Social Performance Of Organizations - Assignment Example A business has to consider the social factors for proper operation and efficient functioning. A successful organization is the one that one that can create a relationship that can last for a long time with its customers. How the two relate should be of a mutual benefit i.e. the decisions made by the business and the social policies should be in line with the principle of shared value. A successful business is always brought about by the improvement in the living standard of the people where the organization operates.Apple Company was developed in 1/04/1976 bb Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who are the co-founders. Apple Inc. is a multinational corporation that was incorporated on January 3, 1997. It designs, manufactures, and sells electronics, software, online services, portable digital music players, and laptops. By revenue, it is the second largest information technology in the world after Samsung Electronics, and the third in the world in terms of mobile phone makers. Its main serv ices and products are iPad, iPod, iPhone, Mac, Apple TV, a package of users and professional software application, OSX and iOS operation systems, iCloud, and many other accessories, services, and offerings. Apple Inc. is best known for its creative and proprietary software and hardware and has reached many milestones in the world of technology in the recent years. Studies have shown that it is among the most admired organizations in the world and it tops in innovation and management of employees (Linzmayer, O. W 2004).

Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Scenario - Essay Example Loyalty and vision are both essential and provide employees with a pursuing path. In this report, an elaborate study will be presented which will determine the responsibilities and performance of the employees. Besides this, analysis will also signify the need for developing interpersonal and transferable skills. The organizations require that the employees work together and develop the strategies which help them in appropriate problem solving. All these studies signify the need for developing self-awareness and promote teamwork. This highlights the skills of individuals and presents a conclusion which proposes the ways through which useful human resource can be gathered by the organization. TASK # 1: DETERMINE OWN RESPONSIBILITIES AND PERFORMANCE 1.1 MANCHESTER COLLEGE LIP FOR DEVELOPING RESPONSIBILITIES AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES Performance monitoring process is essential for individuals as it helps them in defining the career scope. The individuals require appropriate planning fo r setting goals and performing all the relevant actions required for progressing. Measuring the activities must be done through adequate planning, implementing, monitoring and reviewing the plan. This requires evaluating the needs, measuring impact and designing the services which are required for progressing within the relevantly designed model. (ACC, 2009) The measure of the responsibilities and performance makes the individual aware of the plan of action required to follow. Defining the scope of development can be done through the use of this model. For the individuals, the plan should be structured using all the available information which has been provided through the LIP model provided at the Manchester College. Three Months Acquire the expertise which reflects on the Academic performance. Plan and structure goals acquired for the future. Assess the current situation and develop an understanding of the goals which need to be acquired. Categorize the significance of job and ali gn it with the course which is being studied. Assess the support required for learning. Six Months The course learned and its relevant application with the job. Compare all the skills which include interpersonal and communication skills and how they may assist in acquiring the gains in the future. Prepare for the studies ahead of time after reviewing the date of the curriculum. Prepare for the assessment and rate the course preparation while studying the course. Nine Months Acquire complete knowledge and skills required for the training. Measure the competencies and further develop the skills keeping in mind the SMART goals. Enhance the technical knowledge and skills. Set own personal targets and ensure that no compromise is made while acquiring those targets. The performance objectives developed from the model will assist with the progress and create a whole new level of competence. 1.2 ACTION PLAN USING THE SMART TARGETS Goal setting is an essential process for completing the goal s. It is effective as it identifies all the facets and highlights all the hurdles which may arise during the success phase. The individual goals which are made determine the accomplishment of the strategic goals. The goal setting theory is one of the most influential and practical theories. Thousands of companies across the globe use this

Macro economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Macro economics - Essay Example Inflation that comes with recession is normal but hyperinflation is a nightmare. Hyperinflation occurs when inflation is out-of-hand making a currency lose its value while prices soar at an alarming rate ( Sheffrin, 341). Inflation is actually a normal part of an economic cycle which occurs at certain times in a year, but when inflation is not headed towards equilibrium, hyperinflation happens. Among the world’s worst case of inflation, Hungary stands out due to the phenomenal nose-dive of its currency – the pengo. This happened to Hungary between the last quarter of 1945 towards July 1946. In order to fully understand the magnitude of this hyperinflation, it must be pointed out that a year before the hyperinflation ( 1944 ), the pengo’s highest denomination was only 1,000. A year later, the highest denomination was already a staggering 10,000,000 pengo. It meant that one needs an awful lot of money to purchase an item due to the low value of currency. This instance did not end the cycle , it even got worse when the pengo reached its highest denomination in 1946 – a shocking 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 pengÅ‘. The rate of the pengo was fluctuating faster than the weather as radio announcements were made daily to adjust its rate. Even when the pengo was replaced by the forint ( new currency ) in 1946, still the value of the circulating Hungarian amounted to â€Å" one-thousandth of one US dollar† ( Judt 87). In fact, some pictures from old Hungarian newspapers depict people sweeping the almost useless banknotes. In contemporary times, this can be compared to the hyperinflation that occurred in Zimbabwe; however, the Hungarian incident is more severe as â€Å" the inflation reached a peak of 1.3 x 11016 percent per month (prices double every 15 hours)† according to the rep ort of Zimbabwe Situation in 2008. There are many reasons why hyperinflation occurs in an economy. Among the prevalent factors are economic depression, aftermath

Frontier Thesis Essay Example for Free

Frontier Thesis Essay US History I Honors Frontier Thesis Jan. 14, 2012 Frontier Thesis Analysis Throughout the early 20th Century, Fredrick Jackson Turner changed many people’s views on evolution by creating his idea of the Frontier Thesis. Throughout his entire thesis he explained that the more west the settlers move, the more distant and individualized they become from their homeland of Europe. After receiving his PhD from Johns Hopkins University and later becoming a professor of history at Wisconsin and Harvard University, he became one of the most intelligent men when it came to history. His encyclopedic knowledge of American history earned him the reputation by 1910 as one of the two or three most influential historians in the country at that time. After completing the US History I class, I can confidently say that I agree with Jackson’s thesis. History has proven that as the years progress so does the evolution of the American people. Not only did people evolve more as they moved west, individuals also established their own religion, government, and education system. Religion was a topic that was extremely strict in Europe; it was their way or no way. As more immigrants came to America looking for a fresh start, they realized they had more freedom to do as they pleased, for example, the Mormons. The Mormons were not accepted by many, therefore forcing them to move around the country and expand westward into the unknown territory. The farther into the new territory they went, the farther away they were from anyone who had any say in what they could do. Even though the Mormon religion was frowned upon by many throughout the country and ended up coming to a halt when their leader Joseph Smith died, it was a prime example of how separating from Europe gave people the option to have more of an expression of how they wanted to live them lives. Moving westward showed that the farther west a group of people who were frowned upon travel, the less people wanted to do with them. Government and security were extremely big parts that made the United States become more of an independent country. The United States refused to let one ruler have all of the power, just like they did in England. To prevent this from happening, the US created a democracy. Being controlled by someone who is across an entire ocean made it extremely hard for them to monitor what was going on and moving west made it nearly impossible for the British to even have an idea of what was going on. Putting more distant in between lead to the realization that moving west gave them the freedom of an entire new life. In today’s day and age, the world in which we live in thrives on education. It is proven that the more education that one has, the farther they are able to go in life. Education gives many people opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t have. Depending where you live, you often learn things very differently. For example, in New Jersey many people know about the Civil War, but if you travel down south the Civil War is not common. Many refer to the war as the War of Northern Aggression or the War for Southern Independence. The more west you travel into the United States, the more the story of the Civil War might also change. The more west an individual may move, the more distant and uninvolved they will become in what is going on in with the majority. Every region of the United States has their own criteria and curriculum; this proves Tuner’s Frontier Thesis because the more distant and spread out over an area individuals become the more different and individuali zed their lives become. Fredrick Jackson Turner’s Thesis does an extremely good job of explaining why life is the way it is today. The more distant that is between two groups of people, the more likely they are to go down different routes in life. As generations moved farther west they became more American by losing the traditions of their ancestors in Europe and creating their own. The newer generations begin to pick up traditions from others around them and combine them with what they were taught. As the years go on, nothing can stay the same. Things and people change, which is just a part of life. It is hard to  remain in contact with people who are half a world away. People were bound to become more Americanized as they moved west, it was just a matter of time.

Power Sector Analysis: Porters Five Forces Model

Power Sector Analysis: Porters Five Forces Model More than 63% of Indias total installed capacity is contributed by thermal power. Western region accounts for largest share (30.09%) of the installed power in India followed by Southern region with 27.76%. Unbalanced growth remains the cause of concern for the Indian power sector. Only about 56% of households have access to electricity, with the rural access being 44% and urban access about 82%. Southern region remains the dominant region in renewable energy source accounting for more than 57% of the total renewable energy installed capacity. Indias power generation has grown with nominal rate at 0.65% in 2008 compared with 3.90% increased in 2007. Thermal, hydro and nuclear and wind are the major sources of power generation. Thermal power generation recorded positive growth at 3.25% in December 2008 however hydro and nuclear were recorded negative growth rate at 12.41% and 21.62% respectively in December 2008 compared with December 2007. In April-December 2008 power generation were recorded 2.57% growth compared with April-December 2007. There has been significant improvement in the growth in actual generation over the last few years. As compared to annual growth rate of about 3.1% at the end of 9th Plan and initial years of 10th Plan, the growth in generation during 2006-07 and 2007-08 was of the order of 7.3% and 6.33% respectively. Power Generation is primarily owned by the government (close to 90%) and the rest of the generation capacity is controlled by the private sector. Energy deficit in India has increased over the years. During the year 2007-2008, average energy shortage was 9.0 percent and peak energy shortage was 15.2 percent. As India develops, it is expected that energy demand will increase by more than 8 percent over the medium term. Factors that have been plaguing Indias power sector are capacity shortages, frequent power failures, poor reliability and deteriorating physical and financial conditions. Since majority of power generation is through thermal sources which are dependent on fossil fuels and cause environmental degradation through carbon emissions. Off late the government is laying more emphasis on using hydro and wind energy sources for power generation which are environment-friendly. An analysis of the Power sector using Porters Five Forces model Buyer Power Based on the following parameters it can be said that Overall the buyer has weak power. Low Switching Cost switching cost for the buyers is low as of now but is supposed to increase when new players come in the market as the product in not differentiable i.e. electricity. Buyer size Very small. Oligopoly Threat Very Low. Undifferentiated product As the product i.e. electricity is undifferentiated product, so this increases buyer power. Tendency to switch Buyers will switch to the supplier who is efficient and cost effective. Price sensitivity Not much price sensitive Financial muscle Nothing as compared to PSEs. Buyer independence Low as of now but if more suppliers come into picture as Govt. has sought competition in this market, the buyer power will increase. Product dispensability Very Low. Supplier Power Based on the following parameters it can be assessed that the supplier Power in High. Supplier size Very Large as the suppliers are Large PSEs. Oligopoly threat Small number of suppliers enjoy monopoly, thereby contributing to the supplier power. Switching costs Very high, as only large govt. companies are the suppliers. Player independence Low Substitute inputs As no substitute inputs, so the firms have no choice. Player dispensability High Differentiated input- Inputs are same i.e. electricity in case of company buying electricity from wholesale market and selling to the end-users, and coal or gas in case the company is in power generation field. Threat of New Entrants The Threat of new entrants is moderate based on the following parameters. Low Switching Cost Switching cost for the end-user is low, so it increases opportunity for the new entrants. Undifferentiated product Product is not differentiable i.e. electricity, so the users have the incentive to switch to the low cost supplier. This increases the opportunity for the new efficient entrants. Fixed costs High fixed cost acts as a barrier to entry for new entrants. Little regulation Delicensed generation and multiple licenses in the distribution in the same area of supply acts as an opportunity for the new entrants. Distribution accessible Increasing the threat of new entrants. Suppliers accessible Increasing the threat of new entrants. Market growth High, leading to great opportunities for new entrants. Threat of Substitutes The Threat of substitutes is Weak as per the following parameters. Low Switching Cost The cost of switching to substitutes like gas, solar penal, etc. is high. Rivalry among existing firms The rivalry among existing firms is low as per the following parameters. Competitor size Very Few companies very large in size like NTPC, NLC, NHPC, NPCIL, PGCIL etc. Number of players Very few. Hard to exit Ease of expansion Difficult because of lack of investment and resources. Why should weather derivatives be introduced in India? Estimates suggest that the unutilized hydro power potential of India is in excess of 0.15 Million MW. This figure indicates that there is growing importance of weather dependent hydro and wind based power projects in India. Power generation through hydro and wind depends on a number of critical weather factors such as rainfall, snowfall, wind speed etc. Already weather derivative products based on these indices is being used in a number of countries. With the introduction of availability based tariff the spot market for electricity trading has come up where electricity is bought and sold by market participants like producers, consumers and intermediaries. These developments have taken the market for electricity closer to other normal markets in the economy where derivative trading has been successfully going on. Indian electricity market is still very much controlled by the government unlike the US market which is highly competitive. The Indian government offers a number of subsidies to the consumers thereby absorbing the cost of production and transmission and increasing the fiscal deficit. Introduction of weather derivatives will help in passing the cost to the consumer thereby reducing the burden on the government. Continuous supply of energy to agriculture and industrial sector is essential for the rapid growth of the economy. The government cannot afford to overlook this issue as this would act as a major deterrent to the foreign direct investment. Introduction of weather derivatives would bring in a lot of private participation in energy sector thereby making it more competitive, efficient and robust. Introduction of weather derivatives would serve as an effective risk hedging mechanism for Indian power sector in comparison to other alternatives such as long-term power purchasing agreements. Electricity Derivatives and long term power purchasing agreements: All commodities are being successfully traded on Indian stock exchanges but derivatives trading in power sector has not begun yet. Weather derivatives would be traded soon once the parliament approves the amendment in Forward Contract Regulation Act. Although the electricity derivatives market have not done that well worldwide analysts suggest that unless the spot market for the underlying commodity is well functioning, it is very difficult to have a feasible derivatives market. It would be a difficult task to promote electricity derivatives in India as the spot market in electricity is still in its growing stage and private participation is almost nil. Some of the requirements that should be met for a viable electricity derivative market: An active and competitive spot market with a large number of private participants Government should reduce its control over generation, transmission and distribution of power Availability of adequate number of power exchanges that would cater to the need of each of the geographically segmented electricity market. There should be sufficient surplus power generation capacity available so that power may be transmitted to desired destination without any loss of time. The above features are nonexistent in the Indian market with the majority of the control lying with the government thereby making the electricity market in India highly non-competitive. As per reports it is suggested that in a non-competitive market demand for power should be met by long term power purchasing agreements and a very small percentage should be traded in the spot market because of price volatility. Such agreements hedge the risk of power producing companies but the risk is transferred to the purchasing companies who have to pay the contracted rates. Most of the state electricity boards in India are purchasing power through long term contracts and continue to be in a state of financial bankruptcy. This long term agreements simply shift the price risk to the consumer. In India as of now there are no power exchanges where electricity derivatives are being traded. The above arguments indicate that risk hedging in Indian power sector through electricity derivatives and long term power purchasing agreements may not be a long term solution. Weather Derivatives and their effectiveness for Indian Power sector Weather derivatives are instruments used to hedge the weather dependent risk, which could be termed as financial gain or loss due to variability in daily climatic conditions. In the power sector the weather risk is huge both on demand and supply side as they are dependent on weather related factors. On the demand side the amount of energy required for both heating and cooling depends on the weather. Similarly on the supply side the hydro based power plants are dependent on annual rainfall and snowfall. If the rainfall is insufficient there would be less production and in that case the producers will have to buy from the costly spot markets to meet up the contractual obligation. This is highly risky and hence the hydro based power producers need a hedge against the weather risk. Variation in temperature, rainfall etc means that it would affect the power consumption. Indian electricity market is highly regulated with majority of control related to buying and selling of power is rested with the government therefore price risk in Indian context is not an issue but the volume risk is a major threat. Weather derivatives offer a feasible solution to overcome the volume related risk in Indian power sector as it can be implemented without disturbing the market structure or by making huge infrastructural investments. An essential requirement for trading weather derivatives is the availability of accurate historical and current weather data which is available at the Indian Meteorological Department. The financial market is well developed in India. One important requirement could be developing appropriate weather based indices, designing pricing mechanism for weather derivative contracts and educating the participants about the concept. Once regulatory roadblocks are cleared these contracts could be listed on major stock and commodity exchanges of the country where users, producers and other participants may trade them. State electricity boards and government owned power p roducers would benefit from weather derivatives. Trading in weather derivatives would also bring in a lot of foreign direct investment in power sector as this would be an effective way to hedge volume related risk in power sector. The government needs to open the power distribution to private players to bring in more liquidity and improve efficiency. From above argument it is evident that the weather derivatives are a much better risk hedging alternative as compared to electricity derivatives and long term power purchasing contracts. Selection of Appropriate Weather Derivative Contract A suitable weather derivative contract depends upon the risk tolerance of buyer and the seller weather they are risk averse or risk loving and what their expectations are about the future. Few basic rules before selecting a weather derivative contract: If the parties are risk averse and wish to avoid paying contract premium then variable weather risk can be fixed with a swap contract. If the parties are willing to take risk by paying a moderate to high premium and the probability of price hike is very high then a cap contract can be considered.. If the parties prefer protection from losses due to price decline or lower production more than the benefits from the price rise or increased production then a collar contract is the most suitable one. Swap Contract A weather swap can be constructed for a hypothetical power producer Hydel ltd. if it wants earnings stability from lower rainfall, but would also like to benefit from cold winter conditions without paying a premium. Swap payout structure Cap Contract Assume that a power starves state electricity board wishes to hedge peak load requirement during the summer season. Further, it is assumed that past 20 years data reveals that during the five-month summer season there are 5,000 cumulative cooling degree days (CDDs), on average. After analyzing the relationship between power consumption and historical weather conditions, it is determined that for each CDD above 5,020, SEBs earnings are affected by Rs. 50,000. Therefore, a weather cap contract is structured with a strike value of 5,020 and premium of Rs. 5 million. Cap Contract payout structure Collar Contract Collar contract restricts the natural outcome to upper and lower put boundaries. It is a combination of put and call options. Consider the case of a hypothetical Counterparty Hydel Ltd. The possible payout profile would be: Counterparty: Hydel Ltd. Term: June 2005-May 2006. Index: cumulative inches of rainfall per year, as measured at Station X. Put strike: 40 inches (Hydel Ltd. receives below). Call strike: 60 inches (Hydel Ltd. pays above). Payment: Rs. 10,000 per 1/10 inch. Put limit: 25 inches. Call limit: 80 inches. Premium: No premium. Collar payout structure

The Theme Of Human And Animal Transformation English Literature Essay

The Theme Of Human And Animal Transformation English Literature Essay Throughout history, animals have held and important place in literature, they act as symbols and representations of society, economics and human relationships. Franz Kafka was born in Prague in 1883 to a upper-middle class Jewish, German family. Although his mother was loving she was somewhat secondary to his upbringing and his highly domineering father was both emotionally and physically abusive. Throughout his life, Kafka always felt somewhat of an outsider as well as being plagued with guilt about his hatred for his father who he perceived as a giant of a man, my father, the ultimate judge, coming to get me in the middle of the night  [1]   As an adult, Kafka lived a double life, working as a clerk by day and writing by night, something that was highly disapproved of by his father. He never married or had children and spent most of his adult living with his parents and sister something that one can see reflected in the Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis, is fundamentally a fantasy novel however, it represents a very real scenario. By looking at the novel from a Marxist perspective one can see a worker being abandoned by his employer and family after becoming unable to work and support them financially which is representative of the proletariat, bourgeoisie conflict described by Marx. Kafkas Metamorphosis is an illustration of a capitalist society dominated by economics and the abandonment of those unable to provide for themselves. If one studies the novel from this perspective we can see that the protagonist Gergor represents the proletariat and his manager the bourgeoisie. Gregor, the protagonist of the novel represents the proletariat, he is forced to work in a job that he hates as a travelling sales man as he is trying to support his family and pay off his fathers debts. Gregors social status would be defined by Marx and Engels as a member of the class of modern wage labourers who having no means of production of their own are reduced to selling their labour power in order to live  [2]  . At the beginning of the novel we learn that Gregor has transformed into an insect. The identity of this creature however, is never disclosed; this is because the characteristics of the insect are relatively unimportant in understanding the conflict and class struggles that are occurring within the novel. Instead the transformation signifies Gergors new inability to work and provides a focus on Gregors value as a labourer rather than a person and how this diminishes when he is no longer able to go out and earn money or support his family. If Gregor is representative of the proletariat his manger symbolises the bourgeoisie he is an example of the class of modern capitalists, owners of the means of social production and employers of wage labourers.  [3]   The manager is not given a name which signifies his lack of humanity and acts superior as a result of his advanced economic position. Kafkas portrayal of the manager makes him highly unlikeable, if anything the reader is lead to empathise more with Gregor as an insect than his human manger. The first to abandon Gregor is his manager who leaves as soon as he realises that Gregor is unable to work and therefore has no value to him. As the worker Gregor is work nothing more than his labour to his manager he is also expendable as the manager knows that he will be able to find a replacement worker. However, one Gregor becomes unable to support his family financially they to abandon him. Marx claims that the bourgeoisie has torn away from the family its sentimental veil and has reduced the family relation into a mere money relation  [4]  . Kafkas metamorphosis is a clear example of this, Gregor worked in a job he hated for years trying to support his family who abandon his the minute he is unable to continue. His father is the most emotionally unattached and deals with Gregor in the harshest manner. Gregors presence seems to anger his father as he clenches his fists and throws fruit at the insect  [5]  . Although his mother and sister Grete are initially upset and sym pathetic towards Gregor his sister brings him food and cleans his room- this affection dwindles over time as they cease to receive any financial support from Gregor. Grete even begins to refer to her brother as it and states that if the bug was really Gregor he would have realised long ago that it isnt possibly for human beings to live with such a creature and he would have gone away of his own free will  [6]  . Her indifference towards her brother shows that as a result of his transformation he has ceased to exist to her. The relationship of the family was based on shared wages and once Gregor could no longer contribute to that he no longer existed within the family relation. This is further supported by the fact that as a result of Gregors inability to work his father and sister have to start earning a living. His father takes over as head of the household and his sister flourishes in her new occupation, becomes more beautiful and earns the respect of her parents. Even his mo ther becomes stronger and starts to work more around the house. It seems that Gregors transformation forces the family into working for themselves and not being reliant on their son. The eventual conclusion to the Gregors story is his inevitable death, once he transformed and was no longer able to feed himself his life depended on the charity of his parents who considered him useless and a financial burden and locked him away. However, rather than being upset at their sons death, his family appear relieved their economic needs superseded any emotional attachment that the family had to Gregor and therefore they could not love him once he became a strain on the family. Following his death Gregors family travel to the country, they discuss the economic benefits of not having to support Gregor and then move on to talking about Grete. They discuss her marriage and the financial benefits of this, it appears that while Grete is financially useful to the her parents she is welcomed as part of the family but the novel ends with a subtle warning that if she started to become a burden she could have the same outcome as Gregor. Pig Tales by Marie Darrieussecq was published in France in1996 more than 50 years after the publication of The Metamorphosis. However, like Kafka Darrieussecq the transformation of an animal to provide a critical analogy of society. In this case our protagonist, an unnamed narrator living in Paris slowly turns into a pig, which the reader is encouraged to believe is a result of her amoral lifestyle. Her gradual transformation into an animal is reflective of the changes occurring in the society she lives which is becoming more right wing as a result of consumer capitalism. The novel follows the life of this nameless girl and begins with her being interviewed at a perfume store where the director tells her that The important thing [is] to look lovely and well groomed at all times  [7]  . Pig Tales was highly successful and very popular amongst adult readers, Sallie Muirden argues in her essay on the novel that this success could be because of the way that Darrieussecq channels cont emporary female resentment about the patriarchy in a post-feminist era, in particular theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ continued control over what women do with their bodies.  [8]   Through her book, Darrieussecq is articulating experiences and feelings that the modern day female reader will be able to relate to. She dealing with issues concerning the womens body and womens rights but in a post-feminist manner, as she is arguing that one may not have an issue with selling their body and may in fact enjoy working as a prostitute. Although this may be criticised by early feminist as being degrading to women I think what Darrieussecq is really fighting for is that we dont see her protagonist as a victim but rather as women making her own choices and decisions with regard to her body. Equally, Darrieussecq is not condemning the women in this novel, rather, she is criticising the social circumstances the narrator finds herself in which is most like a result of her lack of education which makes it hard for her to concentrate  [9]  . Her inarticulateness and naivety make it easier for those around her who are corrupt (mainly the men in the novel) to take advantage of her which is shown at the beginning of the novel when she is sexually assaulted by the director during her interview The director of Perfumes Plus was holding my right breast in one hand and the job contract in the other  [10]  . As a result it takes her a long time to realise that it is her participation in this corrupt act that are causing her apparent transformation and that she must resist form amoral behaviour in order to remain human. However, there is still something about the narrator that makes the reader empathise with her, she is very sincere and has much emotion for others which can be seen in her relationships with Yvan the werewolf and her lost pig babies, I licked the poor mites as carefully as I could. When they grew cold, I felt as though I couldnt go on. I curled up in a ball and didnt th ink about anything any more  [11]  . Here her response is protective and tender which supports my belief that she is inherently good but living in society that is corrupt.

Prayer in Public Schools Essays -- Religion in Public Schools

Prayer in Public Schools An issue that has been constantly debated for years is whether voluntary prayer in public schools should be permitted. A student should be allowed to pray voluntarily at the beginning of each school day based on many reasons. Prayer based on moral beliefs reinforce good citizenship as defined by our forefathers. A daily reminder of a need for the belief of good over evil is a necessary part of this society. Daily voluntary school prayer should be re-instated in public schools due to three reasons, the historical basis of the beginning of the United States government, the serious moral decline since prayer has been outlawed, and the government infringement on the constitutional guarantee of individual freedom of personal beliefs. First, a student should be allowed to pray voluntarily at the beginning of each school day because the United States government was originally based on Christian principles. The Declaration of Independence, a document written to express the mission and purpose of this new country, states, ? We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that God endows them, with certain unalienable rights?..? Credit for the rights that Americans hold dear is given to God, the Creator, by the founding fathers of this Nation. In order to understand the basic fundamentals of the US form of government, students need to understand the religious teachings that influenced these early leaders; that is the creation, the providence of God and a final judgement day for accountability. Since the government was formed under these principles, it can only stay strong if students understand these beginnings. The first amendment states ?that congress shall make no law respecting the establi shment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof The first clause declares that the federal government cannot establish a common state church. Many of the US forefathers left Europe because they did not agree with nor want to be forced to support the established state church. The second part of this clause insures and encourages individual religious belief. The demonstration that religion is important to the workings of the government of this country can be seen when every session of Congress opens with a prayer. Why are the governing bodies of this nation allowed to pray daily, but schools are prohib... ...ople of color, women, and others fight for individual rights. If told they could not talk of their beliefs in public, this country would probably face another civil war. But for some reason, those who wish to practice their religion publicly are treated as criminals. In one instance a child who brought her Bible to school to read during free reading time, was sent home and told not to bring the Bible to school again. Silent messages are sent to children when disapproval seems the norm. Future generations accept this infringement on personal rights, and so goes the country and moral responsibility to each other. Voluntary prayer in public schools should be reinstated due to this country?s founding principles, moral emphasis, and first amendment rights of individual freedom. Due to the non-confrontational nature of those who ascribe to religious beliefs, the government has adjusted to those who have been confrontational. The elected officials of this nation need to re-evaluate volunteer prayer in school, and pass a resolution supporting that as long as beliefs are not forced on a student (citizen) the practice of faith and morality through volunteer prayer should be encouraged.

Similarities of hip-hop and the blues :: rap music

Rapping the Blues: The Similarities of hip-hop and the blues Hip-hop is one of the major music genres of today like the blues were in the 1950's. Stanley Crouch views hip-hop as being vulgar and obscene while he sees the blues as being one of the classic music genres. In actuality, these two genres are similar in many ways. A very important part of Stanley Crouch's life is his love for the blues. Many of his essays are related to or have aspects of the blues contained within them. Crouch relates topics that he writes about to the blues, because this is a subject he believes he is very familiar with. In The All American Skin Game, Stanley writes, "Jazz is very important to my vision of life in our time." (Lamb, 1). Jazz gives him a feeling of individuality and community. This means that when individuals push him, and he pushes them back, they both become better individuals as well as a better community. For Stanley, the blues tell the stories of the African-American community. Some of the stories talk about the harshness of their lives, but they also talk about the good times they had. [People] play the blues to get rid of the blues not to get them." (Lamb, 1). When people play or even listen to the blues, they are letting all of their worries go. They are not worrying about their job, the bills, or their kids. They are just trying to enjoy the moment when the blues are playing. The blues are some people's release from the stresses of their lives. To say it lightly, Stanley Crouch does not like the hip-hop genre of music. The dreadlocks, the clothing style, and the "vulgar": gold chains are just a few things he does not approve of at all. (Crouch, 1 ) It astounds him to see how far African-American music has fallen since the days of the Motown. Stanley was quoted as saying this about rap, "It is rudeness, vulgarity, and pornography disguised as ‘keeping it real.'" (Crouch, 1) He also went on to say the hip-hop music genre has the worst impact of all music genres on our culture today. (Crouch, 2) Crouch believes one does not need much talent to become a successful rapper unlike the jazz greats he listens to all the time. In Stanley Crouch's view, the only messages that rappers put in the minds of todays' youth is that they need to have sex, kill people, and do drugs all the time. Similarities of hip-hop and the blues :: rap music Rapping the Blues: The Similarities of hip-hop and the blues Hip-hop is one of the major music genres of today like the blues were in the 1950's. Stanley Crouch views hip-hop as being vulgar and obscene while he sees the blues as being one of the classic music genres. In actuality, these two genres are similar in many ways. A very important part of Stanley Crouch's life is his love for the blues. Many of his essays are related to or have aspects of the blues contained within them. Crouch relates topics that he writes about to the blues, because this is a subject he believes he is very familiar with. In The All American Skin Game, Stanley writes, "Jazz is very important to my vision of life in our time." (Lamb, 1). Jazz gives him a feeling of individuality and community. This means that when individuals push him, and he pushes them back, they both become better individuals as well as a better community. For Stanley, the blues tell the stories of the African-American community. Some of the stories talk about the harshness of their lives, but they also talk about the good times they had. [People] play the blues to get rid of the blues not to get them." (Lamb, 1). When people play or even listen to the blues, they are letting all of their worries go. They are not worrying about their job, the bills, or their kids. They are just trying to enjoy the moment when the blues are playing. The blues are some people's release from the stresses of their lives. To say it lightly, Stanley Crouch does not like the hip-hop genre of music. The dreadlocks, the clothing style, and the "vulgar": gold chains are just a few things he does not approve of at all. (Crouch, 1 ) It astounds him to see how far African-American music has fallen since the days of the Motown. Stanley was quoted as saying this about rap, "It is rudeness, vulgarity, and pornography disguised as ‘keeping it real.'" (Crouch, 1) He also went on to say the hip-hop music genre has the worst impact of all music genres on our culture today. (Crouch, 2) Crouch believes one does not need much talent to become a successful rapper unlike the jazz greats he listens to all the time. In Stanley Crouch's view, the only messages that rappers put in the minds of todays' youth is that they need to have sex, kill people, and do drugs all the time.

Compare and Contrast Economic and Political Effects of the Mongol Rule in the Middle East and China Essay

The Mongols were a nomadic group from Central Asia who joined together under the rule of Ghengis Khan to conquer territory. The Mongols had an enormous affect on the territories it conquered. They generally took on the culture of the peoples they conquered. In China, the Mongols modeled the government similar to China’s but did not allow Chinese members to become a part of the government. They also outlawed the civil service exam. In contrast in the Middle East, Il-Khan allowed local government officials to stay in power and keep their rule as long as they continued to pay taxes. However in both regions the Mongol’s encouraged trade and eliminated tariffs through their empire. In that way they boosted their economies. Politically the Mongols changed the system significantly in China. Although Kublei Khan, the ruler of China during the Mongol ruler tried to model the government after the Chinese bureaucracy as exemplified by his naming the dynasty, the Yuan dynasty and keeping a strong centralized government with regular tax payment. He also outlawed the civil service exam because the Mongols were not well educated. In Addition he only allowed Mongols to be a part of the government. In contrast, in the Middle East Il-Khan kept the government very similar to how it had always been. The leaders of the mongols converted to Islam unlike the Mongols in China who didn’t take on Confucianism, the Chinese tradition. The Mongols in the Middle East also allowed the current leader to remain intact as long as they continued to pay the taxes. Economically, the mongols were very similar in China and the Middle East. In China the Mongols encouraged trade. They protected the Silk Roads from invaders. An example of how the Mongol’s encouraged and welcomed trade is with Marco Polo, a merchant who traveled all around Eurasia and wrote about his journey and travels to the Yuan dynasty. Similarly in the Middle East the Mongols encouraged trade and specifically discouraged agriculture. The Mongols also eliminated tariffs throughout their empire. Because of this trade flourished in the Middle East as it did in China. The Mongol rule in China and the Middle East was very different politically in that the Mongols allowed the leaders in the Middle East to remain while  in China they did not. In addition they took on the Middle Eastern culture more by converting to Islam while in China, they did not take on Confucianism. However the Mongols attempted to take on parts of the culture in both regions. Economically both the mongols in China and the Middle East were similar. In both regions the Mongols encouraged trade and eliminated tariffs. Because of this trade flourished in this time period.