Castles of Norway

Abstract Norway has a rugged terrain and a cold climate. Its most famous castle, named Akershus, is located in Oslo, Norway and was built in medieval times. Its architecture was advanced for that time period, and was extremely important in the protection and defense of Norway. Akershus was also a fortress as well as a castle, which led to better protection. This was also in the time of the Vikings, the much feared defenders of Norway, who were known to be very brutal in war.It was rebuilt, updated, and repurposed several times throughout history, and is now a trademark in Norwegian history and culture, serving as a large tourist hub. There have been many castles over the centuries that people have appointed the best because of their location, defense, architecture, or history; such as the Windsor Castle, Holyrood Palace, Buckingham Palace, and the Chateau de Versailles. However, another, lesser known castle seems to be right on par with these beauties: the Akershus castle in Oslo, No rway.Akershus beats the standards in all of these categories and more, which is most likely the reason it is plainly the most famous castle in Norway. It was created and protected by the Vikings in the medieval ages, and to this day stands tall in strong, just as it did at the turn of the fourteenth century. Location Norway has a very rugged, mountainous terrain, containing some of the highest points in Europe north of the Alpine-Carpathian mountain range with only one-fifth of its total area less than one hundred-fifty meters above sea level (Norway – Topography, n. . ). The main river, the Glama goes through the Southeast and is three hundred-eighty miles long. Much of Norway has been scraped by ice, and there are one thousand, seven-hundred glaciers totaling some three thousand, four-hundred square kilometers. There are many great harbors and almost numberless fjords, along with vast strings of islands stretching all along the coastal areas of Norway. Norway’s clima te is also somewhat harsh, yet seemingly mild when compared to other locations at its latitude. Snow covers the ground at least three months a year.During the summer months, when the sea is cooler than the land, the situation is different; then the west winds cool the coast more than the inland so the warmest summers are in the inland valleys of the southeast. â€Å"Average temperatures vary between negative ten degrees Celsius in January in Spitzbergen and sixteen degrees Celsius in July in Oslo. † Even though there is much snowfall, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream keep the seaports clear of ice, but the inlands are cooler in the winter months because of the mountains blocking out warm winds (Norway, n. . ). In northern Norway, there is continuous sunlight in certain parts of the summer. â€Å"In northernmost Norway, the sun stays above the horizon for about two and one-half months. Southern Norway never has continuous daylight, though it averages nineteen hours of dayli ght a day in midsummer. † The further north you go, the longer this period of twenty-four hour light lasts. The opposite happens in the winter, where the sun hardly ever rises at all. During these times, the Northern Lights, also called an aurora, can be seen in the sky (Norway, n. d. ).Defense Norway had one of the best, most feared, and well known armies in all of the medieval ages: the Vikings. â€Å"The Vikings were greatly feared for their strength and skill in battle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Their primary choice of weapons consisted of spears, swords, and others alike (Top / Weapons, n. d. ). Viking's swords were double-sided steel and relatively lightweight. They also had large battle axes, used to cut through an opponent's armor. The wealthiest Vikings had coats of mail, which were coats of metal links put together to protect them from arrows and such.While every Viking wore a helmet, they offered little protection. This was meant to protect the rest of the body that a helmet ca n't protect. The Vikings’ helmets were made of either leather or iron. There is a common misconception that they wore double-horned helmets into battle, when really, those were only used for ceremonies. Another misconception is that they often used archery as a method in battle. The Vikings mainly used methods of archery for hunting. They also used them for battle occasionally, but mostly for long-range shooting.However, when applied in fighting, they were very useful in large battles (The Vikings, 2011). The Vikings’ main enemies were the Christian Monasteries, as they were Pagans, not Christians like most people in Britain. â€Å"A Viking robber did not think twice about robbing a Christian church. Christian monasteries in Britain were easy to attack, because the monks in the monasteries had no weapons. † (Why Did Vikings, 2012). â€Å"The unification of Viking settlements along the Norwegian coast was well advanced by the time of St. Olav’s death in 1 030.He is credited with overseeing the population’s conversion to Christianity. A period of civil war ended in the thirteenth century when Norway expanded its control overseas to parts of the British Isles, Iceland, and Greenland. Norwegian territorial power peaked in 1265, and the following year the Isle of Man and the Hebrides were ceded to Scotland. † The Hanseatic League and the Black Death weakened Norway greatly. The royalty died out in 1387, and the union that Denmark, Norway, and Sweden tried forming had also soon fell apart (History, n. . ). Architecture In Norway, one of the main resources is wood, so much of the architecture is based around that. This still reigns true today, all over Norway. There were wooden churches built on wooden posts in the ground in the Middle Ages, known as stave churches. Norway was always a little behind on architectural advances made in the rest of the world, and when they did reach Norway, they made little impact. One of the adva nced that made a larger impact was the Baroque-inspired Barony Rosendal (The Evolution of Norwegian, n. d. ).They had double-handled saw to fell a tree, wedges, crowbars, pickaxes and hammers for stonework, and the anvil, bellows and hammer for smithing; at this time, everything was done by hand, which means they needed a blacksmith, a woodworker, a mason, and a carpenter (Tools for Medieval, 1999-2012). This castle is made only of brick, and is the only one of that nature in Norway. Akershus was built on the ridge of a cliff opposite of the harbor bay, and the highest point of this ridge lays a high tower. The main entrance of the castle is guarded by a draw bridge and a portcullis.The weakest point is on the east side, guarded by a dry moat and a ring wall. This is what makes it better than most castles of that time (Hericher, 1998, p. 69-70). Specifics Akershus was first built in 1299, and has changed multiple times since then. In 1592, it was turned into a fortress, and was then changed into a Renaissance castle in 1637-1648 (Akershus Castle, 2008-2012). It is located at approximately Latitude:  59. 9, Longitude: 10. 7 and was funded mainly under the order of King Hakon V, along with some extra money from the church (Rongen, 2004-2012; Hericher, 1998, p. 0). Today, the Akershus castle is used as a source of tourism. The Armed Forces Museum is now located inside the fortress and displays the military history from medieval times to years following WWII and it's free to visit the museum (â€Å"Akershus Castle – Museums,† 2008-2011). It is used for major events in the Norwegian government as well. It also happens to be the headquarters for the Ministry of Defense. You can go on tours of the full castle, and there are many important items and rooms on display such as the one shown in Figure 1.King Sigurd I, King Haakon V, Queen Eufemia, King Haakon VII, Queen Maud, King Olav V and Crown Princess Martha have all been buried here (â€Å"Royal Mau soleum (burial,† n. d. ). In general, Akershus is the most famous castle in Norway because of its strategical location, its perilous defense, and its outstanding architecture. The Vikings and this fortress held Norway together through the medieval ages, so that Norway is a strong remnant of what a country can be when it is backed by dedication and hard work, much like what was put into Akershus.Today, it has become the celebration and joy of Norway, as they proudly display it to the world, and rightfully so. References Akershus castle [Web brochure]. (2008-2012). Retrieved from Innovation Norway website: http://www. visitnorway. com///? pid=74461 Akershus castle & fortress (Akershus Slott) [Brochure]. (1997 – 2011). Retrieved from CustomWeather, Inc. website: http://www. viator. com/-attractions/Akershus-Castle-and-Fortress-Akershus-Slott/-a2722 Akershus Castle – Museums. (2008-2011). Akershus castle (Akershus festning) [Brochure]. Retrieved from Everycastle, inc . ebsite: http://www. everycastle. com/-Castle. html The evolution of Norwegian architecture [Government article]. (n. d. ). Retrieved 2012, from The Norwegian Museum of Architecture website: http://www. norway. org/utnorway//// Hericher, A. -M. (1998). Norwegian medieval castles: Building on the edge of Europe. In Chateau gaillard (pp. 69-70). Brepols. History. (n. d. ). Background note: Norway [Database]. Retrieved from http://www. state. gov/////. htm Norway [Fact sheet]. (n. d. ). Retrieved from WeatherOnline Ltd. website: http://www. weatheronline. co. uk///. htm Norway –

Sports Psych Evaluation on” We Are Marshall”

We Are Marshall We Are Marshall is movie about the Marshall University football team of 1970, who almost all died in a plane crash coming home from an away game. The only members of the team that remained were the players left at home because of injuries, and one coach who drove home because of a recruiting trip. Normally Sports Psychologist could find things to work on with any team but with a new coach coming in to rebuild the program who just suffered an unruly loss the issues are heightened by the pain, struggle, and stress to win for those who could no longer play.The Marshall Heard struggled with adapting and accepting different leaders, having the motivation to win even though they were all mainly freshman playing against teams of mostly juniors and seniors, the new and old players working together to have a common goal , sticking together and developing team cohesion and, honoring the other players. There were so many things this team had to overcome to find the common will t o win. Cooperation was a main concept that the Heard had to achieve in order to have success at anything after this tragedy.Not only did they have to get their teammates to cooperate with each other and the new coaching staff, they also had to get cooperation from the student body and the school board. After the plane crash the school board decided that it will be best for everyone if they suspend the following season and give the school time to grieve and get back to normal. When the remaining players heard about this they decide to rally the school together to get the board to allow them to play the following season.They got the student body to chant, â€Å"We are Marshall,† outside of the meeting of the school board when the final decision was being made to not have a season. With the cooperation of all of their peers the Heard was allowed to continue on with the season as previously planned. Before we even get in to cooperation with the entire team these few players remai ning had to present a common goal to the student body and organize an event so that they school would allow the team to have a season so they could honor their teammates in the following season.A big struggle with this program was having strong leadership, and following the leadership. The players who were left had to deal adjusting from being just part of a team to leading a new team of freshman. They had their times when leading was tough for them, Ruffin a player who was left at home because of a shoulder injury stepped up and became the main captain and leader of the team. Ruffin had times where he didn’t lead by example and because he felt like the new players did not respect his former teammates he blew up and picked a fight.Later on in the movie Ruffin’s shoulder injury returns and worsens, he is told that he cannot play the second half of the game. Although many players would sulk in there injury Ruffin showed his true colors and his leadership ability when he went out in the second half and was his team’s biggest cheerleader. He did everything he could to help his team out even though he would not benefit from it. Ruffin led his team with pride and he expected the team to play to the best of their ability to honor the players from the previous year who could no longer play.Also in We Are Marshall the president filling in since the true president of the University also died in the plane crash as well, lead the school and had faith in the new coach and the team to turn things down although he was getting criticized for it. He approved hiring a new coach and for the recruiting to start, he got the NCAA to make an exception to the rules stating that freshmen could play so they could have a team. He lead by example and did everything he could to help the football program. When the town and some board members questioned his decisions he stood by them and did what he believed to be the right thing to do.Motivation was very important for this team. The players who remained from the year before were motivated by their friends, coaches, and teammates they lost. These players felt a sense of duty to these players that they needed to play well and get things back together for their teammates who could no longer play. These upper classmen and the coaching staff had a hard time getting this type of motivation in to the new players. Ruffin and other returners had times where they tried to get the freshmen to understand what they were working towards but the freshmen just didn’t have the same loyalty and connection to the old team. According to Vlachopoulos, athletes with high intrinsic motivation have better self-appreciation and are more successful in their activities compared with their intrinsically less motivated mates† (Bollok, Takacs, Dobay & Kalmar, 2011)You could see this, because Ruffin had an internal motivation to play to the best of his ability to honor his teammates who died, he had more of a driv e to do well and he expected everyone else to do their best too. The coaching staff saw this struggle as ell, they could see that the whole team was not motivated to get the job done. Before one game the coaches had the team meet them at the memorial of six players who lost their lives and were too badly deformed after the crash to identify who they were who had been buried together because â€Å"They are still a team,† said Dr. Aldred P. Wallace in an article from The Herald newspaper after the accident . There he talks to them about what happened and how those players literally gave their lives to do what rest of them were doing.This pep talk stirred up something in the boys and that night they won their very first game. Along with the trip to the cemetery also came group cohesion. When the coaches talked to the team about what happened with the team before them and got the new players to have respect and feel a tie to the players who were no longer alive the group gelled b etter. Once the whole team respected the passed players and coaches they found a common goal. Watching this film the game after the trip to the cemetery was so different than what had been shown previously.Once this group found their cohesion and common goals they succeeded. The dynamics of this team differed from any other team in the NCAA at the time. At this time it was against NCAA rules to allow freshmen to play. As if being the youngest team competing in the NCAA at the time wasn’t enough of a challenge, as previously stated they had some players who had a lot of respect for the former players and those who figured they didn’t know them so they didn’t really matter. Team members and team dynamics have to depend on and support each other to accomplish a shared goal†(Chandel 2) without good team dynamics it makes it a lot harder to get your goal achieved. Obviously every team has differences on it but usually not things that could set them back as bad as these could. Being the youngest team to take the field came with all sorts of challenges, lack of experience, smaller players, and less maturity. At the beginning these new kids had little respect for others and what had happened, this caused a divided team.Once the team was all on the same page and they got their differences sorted out they performed well, better than anyone expected. Communication is key in any team sport, but when players have baggage and built up frustration and aggression it is even more important. The remaining players had some held in frustration for a number of different reasons resulting from the plane crash. This came out at random times such as, during practice, in the locker room, and even in the dorm.Not only was communication needed on the field it was needed outside of football. If the remaining players could have better communicated their feelings about the crash with their new teammates and got them to understand what they were going through they may not have had so many problems becoming a team as they did in the beginning. Once the importance of the players of the 1970 team was understood by the freshmen they worked with their upperclassmen better. They had a mutual understanding of what needed to be done and why and this helped them succeed.In the movie We Are Marshall a team must overcome the challenges of having a completely new team and coaching staff as well as the challenges a coach and a few players have in dealing with the loss of the rest of the football program. Every sports team has to adjust each year to maybe a few coaching changes or new freshmen coming in but to have to rebuild an entire new program is completely different. The Heard of Marshall faces issues anywhere from team cohesion to leadership changes. New players have to step up to help the new coach out and the coaches have to try everything they can think of just to keep the team from killing each other.This movie is one of the greatest stories of a team overcoming adversity and coming together. ASHVIN M. CHANDEL Role of Group Dynamics in Team Sports, : Indian Streams Research Journal (June ; 2012) Bollok, S. , Takacs, J. , Dobay, B. , & Kalmar, Z. (2011). External and internal sport motivations of young adults. Biomedical Human Kinetics, 3(1), 102. Retrieved from http://versita. metapress. com/content/J27L830PG4223742 Withers, B. (1970, November 16). The crash. The Herald- Dispatch. Retrieved from http://media. herald-dispatch. com/mucrash/index. php? p=1_61

Donne’s Poetry Essay

This essay will look at the form, structure and content of â€Å"The Relic† in an attempt to offer an explanation as to what the poem is about. It will examine the metaphysical poets, and discuss the techniques employed by them to express their views. â€Å"The Relic† consists of three 11-line stanzas which incorporate tetrameter (four metrical feet), pentameter (five metrical feet) and two tri-meter (three metrical feet) lines per stanza. It is written mainly in iambic pentameter and has a rhyming pattern of aabbcddceee. This gives the poem a songlike quality which is associated with this type of lyric poetry. Each stanza is made up of a single sentence which, with the help of the meter, forces the first four lines of each verse to be read rapidly. The caesura then slows down the reading, causing the reader to reflect more deeply on what has been said. In the first line of â€Å"The Relic†, Donne uses images allied with death. This makes it easy for the reader to mistake the theme of the poem as being about dying. By using the personal pronoun ‘my’ (l. 1) placed alongside the noun ‘grave’ (l. 1) it is suggested that it is Donne’s own grave which is being made reference to, thus reinforcing the impression of a mournful poem. However, when Donne goes on to describe the exhumation of his and his lover’s corpses, after they have rotted away, the poem changes from embodying death to celebrating love. The reader becomes aware that although he is dead, death is not the true significance here. The move from death to love is introduced with: ‘A bracelet of bright hair about the bone,’ (l. 6). This line could be interpreted as a wedding ring joining the couple together; adding to the intensity of their love. However, this is explained in ‘The Funeral’ (p 309) as ‘a lock of hair tied about his arm’ (p 309). This explanation could detract from the power of the line. The line seems to have more potency without this knowledge, adding an extra dimension to the poem, so allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about the relationship between the couple. The juxtaposition of a grave with a pair of lovers is a powerful, paradoxical metaphor that is shocking to the reader. This pairing would not automatically be seen as romantic but Donne succeeds in conveying this impression. By indicating that the gravedigger would ‘think that there a loving couple lies,’ (l. 8) after noticing the ‘bracelet of bright hair about the bone,’ (l.6), Donne successfully communicates that ‘The Relic’ is a poem about eternal love; love has survived beyond death. This collocation of opposing elements is a technique often employed by the metaphysical poets to express their thoughts and feelings. The metaphysical poets were influenced by Neo-Platonism ; a system of philosophical and theological doctrines . However, this highly abstract and over theoretical approach to poetry can make it less accessible; alienating a vast selection of readers. Poetry should not only be about intellectual superiority which, it could be argued, is often associated with the metaphysical poets. This appeared to be the view of Samuel Johnson, who was the first to label this generation of authors ‘The Metaphysical Poets’: The most heterogeneous ideas are yoked by violence together: nature and art are ransacked for illustrations, comparisons, and allusions; their learning instructs, and their subtilty surprises; but the reader commonly thinks his improvement dearly bought, and, though he sometimes admires, is seldom pleased. T. S. Eliot, whilst admitting the difficulty in defining metaphysical poetry, opposed Johnson’s view. When considering ‘Donne’s most successful and characteristic effects †¦ ’ he used sections of the line ‘A bracelet of bright hair about the bone,’ (l. 6) to illustrate his approval of their methods: †¦ the most powerful effect is produced by the sudden contrast of associations of ‘bright hair’ and ‘bone’. This telescoping of images and multiplied associations [†¦ ] is one of the sources of the vitality of their language. (p 1099) If we look again at line 8 of â€Å"The Relic†, it is noticeable that the gravedigger would only ‘think that there a loving couple lies,’ (l. 8). It would be logical to assume that a husband would be buried with his wife, so the use of ‘think’ (l. 8) is puzzling. By following this with the apparently polysemous ‘lies,’ (l. 8) the poem could be read differently, altering the entire meaning to suggest that their love was only a fantasy. Another characteristic of metaphysical poetry is its tendency to use religious imagery to express its views. Towards the end of the first stanza, â€Å"The Relic† introduces the concept of ‘their souls, at the last busy day,’ (l. 10). This has been interpreted as a veiled reference to  judgement day and leads the reader smoothly into the second stanza where the images of death are replaced with a high lexical density of religious vocabulary. Donne uses lexis such as ‘mis-devotion’ and ‘doth command’ (l. 13); ‘Bishop’ (l. 15); ‘relics’ (l. 16); ‘Mary Magdalen’ (l. 17); and ‘miracles’ (ll. 20-22) in order to extend the religious metaphor, introduced at the end of the first stanza, to evoke powerful images in the mind of the reader. Donne raises the question, in line 17, of who the ‘I’ really is here? It has been suggested, all through time, that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus and perhaps even bore him a child. This idea of Mary Magdalene’s companion perhaps being Christ seems to be a concept that the metaphysical poets would enjoy debating; so adding a cerebral quality to their work. The line ‘All women shall adore us, and some men;’ (l. 19) juxtaposed with the repetition of ‘miracles’ (ll. 20-22) adds credence to the idea that Christ is lying beside Mary Magdalene, especially when the reader takes into account the reference to ‘harmless lovers’ (l. 22). The fact, that this couple ‘wrought’ (l. 22); which means moulded or formed; ‘miracles’ (l. 22) suggests that the ‘I’ (l.17) could be a reference to Jesus. The suggestion that when the couple are finally dug up they will be presented to ‘the Bishop and the King,’ (l. 15) further strengthens this connection with Christ. A Bishop (who is a senior member of Christian clergy) is thought to be a successor of the twelve Apostles of Christ by some churches, and a King is the ruler of a kingdom. Only the most important of people would be afforded the privilege of an audience before either of these men. In the first stanza it is automatically assumed that Donne is the man lying in his grave. This is simply because he is the author of the poem and he uses the possessive pronoun ‘my’ (l. 1) in the first line. This poses the question, if he was referring to Jesus, was Donne likening himself to Christ? The reader is left to wonder. There is a shift in focus from the overtly religious second stanza to a more reflective account of the couples love in the final stanza. It is implied, in the first line, that the relationship was not as perfect as previously indicated. The use of the adverb ‘First,’ (l. 23) placed before ‘we loved well and faithfully,’ (l. 23) could indicate that at a later date the couple did not love each other quite as honestly as they had once done. This is followed with what could be considered as a lament from someone who has lost their lover. The use of the past tense, with the verb ‘knew’ (l. 25) rather than ‘know’ seems to signify an ending to the relationship which has occurred whilst the couple were still alive. This is reinforced with the line: ‘nature, injured by late law, sets free: / These miracles we did;’ (ll. 30-31). Therefore the injuries caused by human law are more important than the ‘miracles’ (l. 31) of their love, which are insignificant as they are set ‘free’ (l. 31) or cast aside. This indicates their love was not strong enough to conquer the laws of their time. This could also be a further reference to Christ and Mary Magdalene as, had they had a relationship, they could both have been forced to forego their love for Christianity; an idea that Donne would perhaps want to offer up for consideration. In the final lines, if we take ‘measure’ (l. 32) to mean prosody (the study of poetic meter) and language to mean the lexis being used, the vocabulary seems to be reflective of the poem itself. These lines appear to say he feels he should communicate the information to others but is unsure whether he should tell others of the ‘miracle’ (l. 33) he feels the woman besides him was. As the poem is already doing this, it is playing a game with the reader. In conclusion, Donne uses specific poetic techniques in an effective and striking way. However, the reader often gets lost in trying to define exactly what he is trying to say. It could be argued that the power of poetry should lie in its subjectivity; each reader being able to take away what they want from the reading. After all, in the words of Cleanth Brooks : There is no ideal reader, of course, and I suppose that the practising critic can never be too often reminded of the gap between his reading and the â€Å"true† reading of the poem. (p. 1368) Bibliography Brooks, C. (1951) The Formalist Critics, The Norton Anthology Theory And Criticism, ed. Vincent B. Leitch, General Editor, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2001). Collins, W. (2005) Collins English Dictionary, Suffolk: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Conner, M. Dr. http://www. eng. fju. edu.tw/English_Literature/period/metaphysicals. html [accessed February 2008]. Eliot, T. S. (1921) The Metaphysical Poets, The Norton Anthology Theory And Criticism, ed. Vincent B. Leitch, General Editor, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2001). Johnson, S. (1783) From Lives of the English Poet, The Norton Anthology Theory And Criticism, ed. Vincent B. Leitch, General Editor, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2001). Princeton University. (2008) http://www. thefreedictionary. com/neoplatonism, (USA: Farlex, Inc) [ accessed February 2008].

Importance of Quality Development to Supply Chain Term Paper

Importance of Quality Development to Supply Chain - Term Paper Example EliteClean’s supply chain aligns with the business strategy where the basis of competition takes the order of the process. This is enhanced through development of high quality goods to create competitive advantage. In addition, the firm has an overall market-winning criterion since the supply chain aligns to needs of the customers. The supply chain of this firm enables bundling of purchasing volume with other segments other than creating different lines of products. Consequently, this results into developed distribution channels that assure the firm of its global presence as well as strong relationship with key customers. It is also undisputable to note that supply chain within EliteClean is adaptive thereby enhancing the relationship between various departments and regions through regional distributional channels. Despite the many strengths enjoyed by EliteClean within its supply chain, the process suffers the weakness of not incorporating technology. Contemporary world is changing rapidly due to advancements and improvements in technology. So far, EliteClean’s supply chain does not incorporate technology. What’s more, this supply chain of the firm does not explicitly revise its strategies in respect to power positioning as well as new competitors. Since the firm produces different products, it would be more effective through enhancement of segmentation of customers. The retailers may demand a reduction in price an action that may reduce the company’s revel of income in their moneybag. These may occur because of the retailer claiming that the market demand of the product has gone down. Moreover, they may also insist that they are incurring many expenses in their running hence leading to reduced profitability. The company may increase its services by employing various measures that include selling of its cleaning products directly to the consumer. Consequently, there will be improved sales volume hence earning more income and profitability. EliteClean may also increase its services by conducting a market research directly to the consumers.

Functional and Structural Modeling Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Functional and Structural Modeling - Coursework Example Introduction Functional modeling generally deals with the activity of developing models of devices, objects and processes of a system based on their functionalities. It is basically concerned with representing knowledge about functions which forms a basis for solving problems related to system representation. It shows how general system goals are achieved through the realization of the sub goals via the system sub functions. According to Tauber, functional model represents a part of the designer’s intention, the design rationale. (pg 12). Structural modeling on the other hand entails data structure description, that is, it describes the structure of data that is supports the business processes of an organization. There are different ways of representing the structure of data used in a system including class diagrams, object diagrams and CRD cards. Structural modeling Structural modeling in system analysis and design is useful in various ways but the main purpose of structural models is to represent ideas, things and important concepts in the application domain. In addition, structural models are used to create a vocabulary for analysts and users. According to Wixom, It is also used in order to reduce the schematic gap between the real world and the software world ( chpt 7 pg 6) Classes, attributes, relationships and operations constitutes the four major components of structural modeling. Classes are templates for creating objects or instances and can either be concrete or abstract. Classes’ example may include user interface data structure and application domain. Class diagrams are used in structural modeling to represent classes, show their attributes, operations and their relationships. Attributes on the other hand are used to describe classes and only important and relevant attributes to the task are included in the structural modeling. An attribute can be public, private or protected depending on its visibility type. Objects or instances can t ake actions known as operations while relationships show how classes are associated. Operations can be broadly grouped into update (changes value of attributes), query (makes information about state available) and constructor which create an object. Functional modeling Functional modeling include various design element such modules, processes inputs and outputs, interfaces and design of databases and files. A fully functional system is made up of a collection of small independent subsystems called modules. The modules are coded and designed separately after which they are brought together to form a complete and fully functional system. Shared use and size are some of the factors to be considered while coding a designing a module. Limiting the number of instructions in a module ensures a small size module which recommended compared to a large module. Duplication of functions in modules should be avoided by creating a single module which can be called by other modules in case of need. System functions consist of processes which are specific acts with definable beginning and ending points beside inputs and outputs. Processes may be distinct but share certain common properties such as: processes identify what is done and not how, they posses definable starting and ending points, processes are carried out irrespective of organizational structure. Interface is an important part of any computerized system since it provides the platform for the user to interact

Marketing Prodcts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Prodcts - Research Paper Example This paper seeks to discuss the farm product and the service component produced by Holden Trucking Services. Type of product Holden trucking services produces Barley. Barley is a healthy cereal grain high in fiber, protein, maltose and sugar that alternatively can be used for malt syrup sweetener. Fermented, barley makes the perfect ingredient for beer and various alcoholic beverages. It also has a nutlike flavor, chewy texture and is similar to wheat berries though its color it slightly lighter. Barley has varied functions; it can be used for nutritional purposes, as an ingredient in making beer and as feeds for farm animals. Barley has a robust nutritional benefit to consumers. According to research, barley’s soluble fiber lowers the risk of getting coronary heart diseases and reduces cholesterol levels; also it contains insoluble fiber responsible for minimizing the risk of diabetes type 2 and colon cancer. It grows to about 30 inches high in dry subtropical regions experie ncing cool growing and short seasons. The crop is resistant to diseases compared to other cereals; however, sometimes it is attacked by diseases like rust and virus diseases. Service components There are various reasons why addition of services enhances growth opportunities and high profit margins. Innovations and improvements in service normally results in more loyalty, and increased customer satisfaction eventually impacting in higher profits, cost of sales lowered and attracting potential customers. Documentation as a service is a language that goes with or accompanies a product. It often shows its design, development and marketing strategy in clear terms. Documentation will indicate how to improve products and reveal loop holes in sales funnel, which would have eluded the seller. It is also able to put the seller into contact with prospective customers and investors (Blythe, 2006). Another service is transportation/logistics. This is the process of getting products to its intend ed destination. There are many phases involved; there is transporting the product from the firm to the storage facilities the other getting the product to the customer. Luckily, Holden trucking services happens to be in the said service meaning that transportation costs will be lower compared to if the service was outsourced This will ensure that the produce will reach the intended customer on time (Grewal & Levy, 2010). Storage is another service equally important. It allows the seller to store product when it is not needed and helps to avail the items when demand is bigger than the immediate creation bearing in mind that it is a seasonal product. Barley is stored in refrigerated warehouses since it can easily go bad if left in normal warehouses. Packaging, blending and branding plays a crucial role in marketing a product. It not only attracts the customer to try out ones product but also protects the product from damage. Also, packaging assists in portraying information and direct ions about the product. Packaging again is used also to differentiate one brand from another (Blythe, 2006). Expansion to a product line This involves changing product into different forms to meet varied business opportunities and attract more customers. Barley can be used to produce different products thereby creating a product line. Barley has various uses some of them being nutritional as animal feeds and as an ingredient in making beer and alcoholic drinks. As a

Business , fortune companies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business , fortune companies - Research Paper Example The road was long for Adolf, from a 15 year old orphan to working in a local brew station; this gave him his maiden thoughts. Water from the Rocky Mountains, as they say about it, has given Coors and collaborates a decent rise in the corporate world (Enz, 2010). Thus the only way they market their beer, a strategy that has won them a fortune. With no money and no job, Coors has continued to dominate the business corridors until 2005 when he joined ideas with Molson to stick their company as the fifth largest brewing plant in the world. As it dates today, Coors has an outstanding figure of $13.5 billion in assets and $6.2 billion in revenue. Hence Coors Brewing Company is an example of an immigrant’s success story. The virtues of timing, persistence, and smart investment have all worked for the poor Coors and his company. This is the reason why he is in the Fortune 500 U.S.A Companies. Molson Coors spreads its administration characteristics from the management makeup, operations, marketing, and financial structure (Plunkett & Plunkett, 2009). The company’s management structure starts from the President, who is the CEO of: Europe and Asia (Peter Swinburn) -Next in line is the President and the CEO of Molson Canada (Kevin Boyce) -followed by the Global Chief Financial Officer (Stewart Glendinning) -Global Chief People’s officer (Ralph Hargrow) -Chief Commercial Officer (Mark Hunter) -Global Chief Legal Officer/ corporate secretary (Samuel Walker) -Global Chief Synergies Officer (Cathy Noonan) -Global Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer (David Perkins) -and finally the Global Chief Technical Officer (Gregory Wade). As it is typical with many companies, Coors business process has seen it adopt a model of organization, which they call Coors Enterprise Process Structure (Enz, 2010). This has become the formal method and system of duty and reporting the relationship that ought to control, coordinate and

Picassos Guernica and Beckmanns Departure Art in the 19th Century Term Paper

Picassos Guernica and Beckmanns Departure Art in the 19th Century Politics - Term Paper Example Art in the 19th century had observed a series of changes and movements significant in catering new types of visual representation before a modern audience. At the turn of the mentioned century, the world had experienced two significant World Wars which inevitably led to noticeable influences in visual arts – in paintings to be exact. From two of the most famous movements during the 19th century, namely Cubism and Expressionism, artists such as Pablo Picasso and Max Beckmann had showcased the core essence of visual arts in the Modern Age. With such context laid down, this paper will focus on the Spanish Cubist painter Pablo Picasso and his famous work, Guernica and the German Expressionist painter Max Beckmann and his work, Departure.This essay will then argue that Picasso’s Guernica and Beckmann’s Departure showcase innovative feats in their respective styles and form and present significant struggle against Fascism prevalent during that period.The entirety of th is paper will tackle the analysis of historical content of both artworks. It will discuss how each piece symbolizes their respective campaigns against the Fascist regimes in Europe at that specific period. The 19th century was a moment in history when different ideologies emerged and Europe.These ideologies were used for propaganda and for an imposition of power amongst the weaker nation-states.In the time of Pablo Picasso,his homeland Spain was subjugated under civil disputes between the Revolutionary forces of the newly established government and the Fascist group led by General Franco .1 This civil struggle in Spain was an important factor which contributed to the theme that was used by Picasso in Guernica. With the civil revolution at its height in Spain, intellectuals, government officials and some of his co-artists and colleagues marched to before his house in Paris in order to seek his sympathy by a means of creating a mural.2 As what can be depicted from this piece of inform ation, Picasso at the period of the Guernica was already an influential artistic figure. The Spanish people believed that his artistic capabilities can, indeed, influence the Spanish people to advocate peace between the warring groups. However, Picasso’s sentiments were with the newly established Republic; his vision was to avoid any means of political art whatsoever.3 This seemed an unprecedented reaction from the artist. However, his views towards the political theme of the mural requested from him would come into fruition after a very devastating event that had swept his former convictions away. On April 27,1937, Guernica, a small Basque village in northern Spain, was unjustifiably bombed by the heavy war machines of Adolf Hitler. The Third Reich’s reason was defiantly for mere bombing practices only. This type of violent exercise caused Guernica to burn for three straight days and a huge loss of 600 civilians.4 The atrocities caused by the Fascist Germany had immed iately reached Paris and Picasso’s residence. The massacre created huge demonstrations upon the streets of Paris.5 This particular event moved the artist and compelled him to do the mural. His inspiration was plain and simple- Guernica. The historical sketch about testify to what Picasso’s Guernica is. The painting is highly political because it sends a definite message to its audience. The content of Guernica presents many symbolisms that cater to the historical background of what was happening in Spain at that time. In the painting, the key figures which relate the war-related disaster happening in Spain were the woman with outstretched arms, the agonized horse and the bull.6 These mentioned figures are classic and universal representations and themes in art which simply symbolize Spain.7 The resentment and the suffering attributed to these images as what is etched upon Picasso’s mural clearly present a horrifying stage in Spanish affairs.

Business Law - Use of Contracts in E-commerce Assignment

Business Law - Use of Contracts in E-commerce - Assignment Example Business transaction costs can be reduced by low communication cost strategy. It can allow the organizations to focus on their core business activities (Lee, 1998, p.4). Moreover, organization can buy several external services through this cost reduction strategy. Frauds and opportunistic behaviour can take place in a strong long-term relationship between two different organizations. Supreme mutual trust can pose limited risk. Moreover, it will help the organizations to reduce their risk management costs. E-commerce involves synchronization between several organizations implementing effective communication technology. This synchronization can be attained in the form of a virtual enterprise or an electronic enterprise. Contracts play an important role in both these cases. In global electronic market, contracts are referred as the agreements on a particular business transaction. Contract can be considered as the collaboration agreement for a longer time period in a virtual enterprise. These cooperation agreements involve integrated business process. This integration can be attained in several ways but generally shared database and inter-organizational workflows are the major sources of this integrated business process. The study will discuss the use of several contracts in the e-commerce business. Content A contract can be defined as an agreement between several parties that is based on specific mutual commitments. One-sided commitment cannot be considered as a contract. Exchange of several goods and services between two or more than two parties can be termed as mutual commitment. In most general cases, one party provides services or goods and other party pays for those exchanged goods and services. Moreover, enforcement mechanism in places is highly essential in a contract. It ensures both identification and punishment of breaking a promise or commitment. As of now, every contract can be made through online in UK. Business transactions are generally divided into three successive phases, such as contract preparation, contract negotiation and contract fulfilment (Daskalopulu and Sergot, 1997, pp. 6-8). Contract preparation can be referred as the information phase. On the other hand, contract recognition can be referred as agreement phase. Contract fulfilment phase has limited negotiation activities. In this phase, several buyers select a specific product or service. It indicates that the buyers want to purchase that product or service. On the other hand, sellers deliver the product or services to the buyers after, before, or at the time of payment. This exchange process becomes more complicated in B2B process as the price of products or services may be not fixed. Moreover, the delivery process can become more difficult in several B2B processes as in International Trade. In these situations, the contracts are more elaborative in nature. These include several specifications in some fulfilment processes’ form (Chirku and Kauffman, 2000, pp.7-12). Moreover, these contracts help to indicate the disputes’ resolve process. Legal system is struggling due to rapid pace of e-commerce development. It is discussed earlier that mutual exchange of goods and services can be referred as contract. Written contract is the e-commerce legal tool. These contracts can

Teen Pregnancy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teen Pregnancy - Research Paper Example The United States has the highest number of teen pregnancy in the world with recent statistics revealing that nearly 46% of teenagers in the ages of 15-19 have indulged in sex (Teen pregnancy statistics). In order to reduce this growing rate of teenage pregnancy, abstinence from sex is widely recommended for teenagers by many conservative politicians and health personal by educating teenagers about the effects of pre-marital sexual practices. However, many pediatricians and health counselors have expressed that mere teaching of sexual abstinence would not be sufficient and have recommended that teenagers should have access to birth control and emergency contraceptive options which would be helpful, especially in cases where the teenager was forced in to sex. (Teen pregnancy statistics). Hence, despite the various views expressed teenage pregnancy can be effectively controlled and managed through adequate knowledge about sexual practices and access to birth control measures in additio n to sexual abstinence. At a younger age the sexual intercourse is mostly non-voluntary or unwanted (Teen pregnancy statistics; Facts on American; Tanne, 2005). And such unprotected, unwanted sex increases the risk of pregnancy or being affected with sexually transmitted diseases (Facts on American). Teen pregnancy not only affects the physical and mental strength of the teenagers, the children born to such teenagers also suffer from problems such as low-birth weight and tend to perform less well in school compared to children born to adult mothers (Teen pregnancy statistics). People, who believe that sexual abstinence is the only best way to reduce the occurrence of teenage pregnancy, stress that it is better not to teach teenagers more than what is required about sex as it would only result in an increased involvement towards sexual practices. Rearing a teenager with the right family values will definitely help to alleviate unnecessary thoughts about sex and sexual activities at a

In this chapter the writer uses the setting of the chapter to explain the feeling of all the main characters Essay Example for Free

In this chapter the writer uses the setting of the chapter to explain the feeling of all the main characters Essay In this chapter the writer uses the setting of the chapter to explain the feeling of all the main characters. When we first meet the family they are walking down a road which is all dirty and surrounded by dirt. The nature around them is dying out or rotting. This we can apply to both characters feeling; Micheal feels like his marriage spoiled or ruined his chance of a good life or any fortunes. Whereas Susan feels like she is dying or has died in Micheals heart since he is ready to sell her like he wouldve sold a horse in an auction. Hardy uses nature many times in this chapter. At one time when Micheal is auctioning Susan we are told that a sparrow flies in and everyone watches the sparrow till it disappears. This could in fact be showing us Susans position. Everyone watches her till she is able to go out of the tent with Newson the sailor. Hardy uses a lot of contrast to show the readers Micheals two sides, in this chapter. In the last chapter we saw Micheal in his drunken state which was his dark side. We saw his greed and bad temper. In chapter 2 though we see Micheal when he is sober and when he finds out what he has done. He shows determination in finding his wife and takes responsibility, however even in this chapter we see Micheals bad side when he blames Susan for being simple minded enough to think the auction was binding. Also we see his negative points when he is too proud of himself to tell people why he is searching for his wife. We straight away see that these two sides of Micheals will be a great factor in this book. In this chapter Hardy relives the walk to Weydon-Priors. Only this time the people walking are in a more loving situation. Also there are two women. The women obviously feel love for each other because they are holding each others hands. The fact that they are both wearing black gowns straight away gives us an idea of why these two women have come back this way. Also this is the first time we see Elizabeth- Jane in her grown up state and we see that she is brought up as a very nice girl. Although we see straight away that she is brought up in a rich lifestyle when she tells her mother that the infirmity tent isnt respectable. At this point e see for the first time that Hardy adds suspence when he decides to bring Susan back to Micheal. The reader wonders why Susan is so determined to meet him. He main question is why ahs Susan never told Elizabeth when she is old enough to know. Casterbridge is described in great detail and because Hardy has a gift for description we can almost see the town come to life. We also find that the town is eager to spread gossip when two women willingly tell Susan about the gossip of the bread and the town. We can see from detailed point that the public will be a very important point in the book. Micheal also reveals his caring point when he tells the towns people that the wheat is not really safe to eat. We also se that Micheal is true to his oath not to drink, when in his meeting he only drinks water. Near the end of the meeting we see the Angry Micheal side when he makes a sharp retort. We see a description of Farfrae and immediately we can tell that he is the total opposite of Henchard. Both in looks and we think in personality. Also through the names of the pubs and inns we can see that maybe Hardy is trying to make a point. When they go to the three mariners then Hardy could be trying to say that they are among the waves of chance. The fact that chance plays a big role in this novel and especially in this chapter. Its by chance that Farfrae hears about the corn and has the solution or that Elizabeth-Jane notices him and that they all stay at the three mariners. Also the way Michael misses his family by a few minutes on his way to see the man. We can assume that Hardy is proving the powers working against mankind in this chapter. In this chapter we see little irony when Elizabeth-Jane says that they must stay at the fancy inn yet then gets a job as a serving maid which is not too respectable it self. While we can say that Elizabeth-Jane is making sacrifices for her mother, we can still remember that the towns people have seen Elizabeth serving them and they will remember her face later on. Also in this chapter we pity Michael when we learn that he is lonely and we guess that what he wants is a business partner or a friend. Farfrae is straight away the person that comes to mind. Though again we see a bit of fickleness in Michaels attitude when he cannot even remember the old mangers name. Farfrae then decides to sing fro the towns people and its by chance that the people are in the mood for his sad songs and Elizabeth-Jane who has been eyeing him, has her heart set on him. When the townspeople talk to Farfrae we know straight away that he has the ability to charm people and when he sings he is charmed them further. We can assume that the reason that the townspeople like the sad songs is because they feel like the story of the song represents them in a way, with their lost ideals. We can even see a bit of this in Micheal himself. Also Elizabeth-Jane misinterprets the songs that Farfrae sings and when her mother says he Elizabeth assumes its about Farfrae. These misunderstandings prove to be a problem later on. In the next chapter wee that both Susan and Micheal have to turn towards the younger generation to save themselves. Susan saves her marriage by sending Elizabeth-Jane with the note to Micheal and Micheal saves his business by begging Farfrae to say on as manager. When Elizabeth-Jane takes the walk through the town it creates a time of suspense because it is stalling the meeting between Micheal and Susan and it cuts the conversation between Micheal and Farfrae. Mostly though it shows us just how much power Micheal ahs in his town socially and business wise. Again we see a contrast between Michaels sides when at first he acts kindly towards Elizabeth-Jane, when he learns who she is. Also when he sends back Susan five guineas we feel that he is almost trying to buy her back since five guineas are how much was paid for her before. Yet we see his cold side again when he coldly turns down Joshua Jopp about his interview and he has created a new enemy at the same time. Later also Micheal explodes on Elizabeth-Jane and cannot even calm himself down. Also in this chapter we see a proud side of Michael when he asks to see Susan in a secret place and will not see her in public incase they might be seen and found out. Slowly we will see this part of his attitude be a big part of his downfall. In the next chapter when Micheal has asked to see Susan in the ring and we get the description of the place it automatically sets a place for something negative to take place. Almost a place where nothing positive can happen. Hardy backs this himself by saying, the boys cannot make this a good cricket field. This ring is maybe meant to show Hardys life in a way that Hardy is known for his architecture and his liking to the Greek mythology in a way. The Roundness representing the coliseum and the positiveness being kept away by ghosts of the past like the killed gladiator or the woman who was strangled. This is like a metaphor in a way to their relationship. Micheal will fall in battle and his control is so tight on Susan it might almost be strangling her. The next chapter gives us an idea of our speculation is chapter 3 about another woman in Micheals life. We learn that this woman is infact living in Jersey. We already know that when a person is included in Hardys plots he is never easily forgotten so when we hear about this woman we straight away know she will affect the plot. Again this chapter reveals a lot when Micheal reveals to his best friend that he is very lonely and would like a friend. We guess straight away that he ahs also made a mistake when he reveals his whole past to someone he has only known for a day. He tells Farfrae everything and doesnt think of any consequences that could later occur. We see Farfrae first ability in this chapter after he handles his position very well with his new boss. Even though he has plans to eat alone he decides to dine with Micheal and when he is asked about help on how to handle his problem with the lady in Jersey he gives an answer that could start the first sign of discord between the two people. He tells Micheal that he should firstly tell Elizabeth-Jane the truth about her mother and father and he disagrees and gets rather angry. Yet he forgets that it was him who in the first place told him about all his past secrets. In this chapter we finally see Micheal openly court Susan and then propose to her. Even though this should be good new the whole chapter caries ill will which is mostly carried by the townspeople. We can maybe use the natures reaction to show out the feelings of Micheal and Susan. When the two enter the church to get married it is raining quite badly and it is very dark almost showing how the two really feel about each other. Hardy uses these nature effects to show the reader how the two feel about each either. By hiding the meaning of the nature effects it almost showing that the two have hidden their feelings about each other. The townspeople also add most of the uneasiness. They dont actually know the secret about the wedding but they have an idea that something is not right. They immediately feel that Susan is not at the same class as Micheal which is ironic because Michael is the one with the worst background out of the two. In this chapter we know for sure that something about Elizabeth-Jane is being hidden because not only does Micheal keep going on about her hair colour but he starts asking her to change her second name. Also we find out that Micheal maybe getting rather annoyed with Farfrae when he gets angry at little things that Farfrae says. At one time he even dismisses Farfraes opinion by saying dont take too much thought about things. Also since Elizabeth-Jane has started growing in her new place she starts to bloom a certain beauty. Yet she still remembers her old lifes

Bruises on Lillian-Jean Essay Example for Free

Bruises on Lillian-Jean Essay Hans it like a strategic carefully manoeuvred battle, getting advice from her father. She also gets Big Ma, her grandmother to braid her hair so Lillian-Jean could not pull it in the fight. For a 9 year old she is very bright and discerning, as she leaves no marks or bruises on Lillian-Jean, so there is no evidence for anyone to accuse her of the beating. Cassie gets full satisfaction as she gets Lillian-Jean to give her a full apology; excusing her and her family for all the ill treatment they had given her family. I also feel that Cassie learns to be prudent in order to protect her family and her community. Harsh experience such as the incidents in Strawberry, have taught her to defend herself with intelligence and skill. A whole train of events led up to the exciting climax: the family were having financial difficulties because of Mr Logans injury, so they are entirely dependent on their crop. However, in order to deflect attention from TJ, Mr Logan sets fire to the crops. Soon after the fire, Cassie realised that Papa had set fire to the crops, sacrificing a quarter of the Logan cotton crop to save TJ. At this point, Cassie gains awareness of how vital it is that she keeps such information to herself. Had she been her former, outspoken self, her whole family would have suffered greatly as a result. Despite Cassies more obvious traits of thoughtlessness and outspokenness, she can also be extremely sympathetic and understanding. This is evident in her relationship with TJ whom she really does not like. Cassie dislikes his attitude of believing he is superior to his fellow citizens. Like Cassie, he fails to comprehend at that point in life where his status lies. Over time, TJ constantly betrays the Logan family. He is deceitful and he causes Stacey to fail his class test. Also, he instigates the loss of Mrs Logans teaching job and finally requires the familys help in the end, in his time of need. Although Cassie imagines all of the bad things that she would like to happen to him because of the hurt he had caused her family, she sympathises with the agony that he and his family were to encounter after his stupidity. As well as being outspoken, Cassie is a sensitive character who shows great consideration for others. This is evident in her relationship with Jeremy. Jeremy is a local white boy who wants to befriend the Logan children. However, relationships between Black and White children are strongly frowned upon, and so great awkwardness surrounds this situation. At one pint in the novel, Jeremy delivers some Christmas gifts, but is quickly dismissed by Mr Logan. As he dejectedly slides out of the door Cassie shouts, Merry Christmas, which makes Jeremy smile. Instinctively she knew how to make him feel better. As we progress through the novel Cassie begins to grow up, becoming wiser and realising that she has to take risks in order to defend things that are important to her. However, she is most careful in her risk taking and tries to reduce the danger to herself. Cassie learns the value of not telling everybody, everything she knows. Her mature attitude comes across effectively in the TJ incident. Once, Cassie would have wanted to know the whole story about TJ Averys run in with the law. At that point she knows that it was something her brothers did not need to know, as it would only frighten them. Cassie realises that if the boys need to know, her Mother and Father would inform them of the details, as it is not her place to frighten them. Cassie demonstrates that, despite her earlier outspokenness, she has learned to accept her status in society. Throughout the novel, Cassie goes through the same experiences as many adolescents, such as parental conflict and the desire for independence. However, as a young Black girl growing up in the prejudiced Deep South of America during the 1930s, she also experiences unwarranted hardships due to her colour. During the course of this novel, Cassie learns to deal with these hardships, and as a result she matures very quickly. This maturity comes at a price, for Cassie she learned that she must sacrifice honesty and dignity in order for her and her family to survive. Gemma-Louise Nicol 5R1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mildred Taylor section.

Chemistry Essays Ethanoic Acid

Chemistry Essays Ethanoic Acid The characteristic smell of vinegar comes from the inclusion of ethanoic acid. The characteristic smell of vinegar comes from the inclusion of ethanoic acid (CH3COOH), also known as acetic acid.   However, unless pure distilled vinegar is purchased, with a guaranteed and stated composition, there are other acids present in vinegar.   These include: citric acid HOOCCh1C(OH)(COOH)Ch1COOH), malic acid (2-hydroxybutanedioic acid)   HOOCCH(OH)Ch1COOH lactic acid (2-hydroxypropanoic acid) CH3CH(OH)COOH tartaric acid – (CHOH)2(COOH)2 For the purposes of this investigation the most volatile acid – ethanoic acid, is taken to be a measure of the acidity.   An attempt will be made to purify the vinegar so that it is mainly the ethanoic acid that is contributing the acidic content, but this cannot be guaranteed.   Vinegars chosen will be malt vinegar (A), red wine vinegar (B) and cider vinegar (C). Stage 1 – removing the colour from the vinegar Materials required 100cm3 of Vinegar samples A to C. 3 volumetric flasks, labelled A to C (250 cm3) 3 conical flasks, labelled A to C (250 cm3) Activated charcoal Metal spatula Glass stirring rod Filtration funnel Filter paper Method Place vinegar samples A in volumetric flask A and add 1 spatula measure of activated charcoal.   Stir well using clean glass rod.   Filter resulting mixture through filter paper and funnel into conical flask labelled A. Repeat using vinegar sample B with flasks labelled B; Likewise sample C. Note that the filtration process may need to be repeated if colour remains in the vinegar.   If charcoal is not fully removed from mixture then suction filtration may be required. Stage 2 – distilling the vinegar Due to the presence of other acids and additive to the vinegar the mixture needs to be distilled to purify the mixture to ethanoic acid and water. Materials required Distillation column and separating funnel Pear shaped flask Conical Flasks A to C from stage 1 Anti bumping granules Bunsen burner Heatproof mat Clamp and stand Goggles Ice bath Universal indicator paper Pippette Method Add filtered vinegar sample A to a pear shaped flask and set up distillation column above Bunsen, using clamp and stand.   Ensure all gaps are well sealed. Wash conical flask A with distilled water and use for collection of distillate Arrange column so that distillate drips into conical flask A, placed in ice bath. Gently heat mixture in pear shaped flask until distillate begins to collect in conical flask.   Test to see when all volatile acid has been distilled by placing drops of distillate onto universal indicator and checking pH colour. When pH registers over 7 cease heating. Repeat using vinegar samples B and C using clean apparatus. Stage 3 – determining the concentration of ethanoic acid Option A chromatography Materials Filter paper with pencil line drawn 2cm from bottom edge and pencil spots marked and labelled at 2 cm intervals along it Samples of ethanoic acid of known concentration eg 0.01 mol/dm3, 0.1 mol/dm3 and 0.05 mol/dm3 Glass beaker Vinegar samples A to C Glass pipette Water tweezers Bromocresol green indicator solution Household plant spray bottle gogglesMethod Place spots of known concentration ethanoic acid on each of the labelled pencil spots on the filter paper.   Place spots of vinegar samples A to C on remaining spots.   Place chromatogram in beaker with water up to 1 cm, ie below pencil line. Leave until water has spread  ¾ up filter paper.   Remove with tweezers and leave to dry. When dry spray with bromocresol green solution from household plant spray bottle until paper is damp but not sopping.   Dry chromatogram. Compare colour of indicator of samples A to C to known concentrations of CH3COOH, the one closest in colour would represent the actual concentration.This m ethod would not be chosen in the final experiment, as there is a lot of subjectivity to comparing the colours.   Also the technique of spraying the chromatogram is not easy to master. Option B – titration using sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Equations and scientific calculation methodology Ethanoic acid (CH3COOH) is a weak acid , which only dissociates partially in solution with water.   As an acid CH3COOH donates protons, which are accepted by water in solution to form the hydroxyonium ion: CH3COOH (aq) + h10(l) ↔ CH3COO-(aq) = H30+(aq) Sodium hydroxide is a strong base, so it dissociates fully in water: NaOH(aq) {+ h10 }↔ Na+(aq) + OH-(aq) {+ h10} Note, that the water is effectively unchanged by the NaOH as the strong base dissociating causes an excess of OH-, which would shift the normal water dissociation equilibrium h10 ↔ H+ + OH- to the left. When titrated 1 mol of CH3COOH would react with 1 mol of NaOH in a neutralisation reaction to form the salt and water: NaOH (aq) + CH3COOH(aq) ↔ CH3COONa (aq) + h1O(l) Therefore if a known amount of a known concentration of NaOH is used to titrate a known volume of vinegar, the concentration of ethanoic acid in the vinegar could be calculated as shown in the example below: Molarity of solution x volume of solution = number of mols used. If 23ml of NaOH is used to titrate 20ml of vinegar and Molarity x volume / 1000 = no of mols used 1 x 23/1000 = 0.023mols of NaOH used to neutralise 20ml vinegar As 1 mol of NaOH is needed to neutralise 1 mol of CH3COOH then 20ml of the vinegar solution must also contain 0.023mols of CH3COOH. Using molarity x volume /1000 = no of mols used with the data that is known: Molarity x 20 / 1000 = 0.023 0.023 x 1000 = molarity x 20 0.023 x 1000 / 20 = molarity = 1.15M Therefore the vinegar is of concentration 1.15M.However, it is known however that vinegar contains around 5% ethanoic acid in water.   Therefore it can be assumed that the concentration of ethanoic acid would be closer to 0.1 mol/dm3 than 1mol/dm3.   As 1mol of CH3COOH neutralises 1 mol of NaOH, it would therefore be sensible to use NaOH of 0.1 mol/dm3. Part i – standardisation of alkali NaOH solution left for any length of time includes gases that have diffused in from the air.   Therefore, in order to be certain that the concentration is precise the alkali should be newly mixed immediately prior to use. Materials Sodium hydroxide (solid) Distilled water Measuring cylinder Glass stirring rod Metal spatula volumetric flask (1000 cm3) Method As NaOH has a molar mass of 40g/mol to make a 0.1 mol/dm3 solution 2.0g of NaOH(s) should be dissolved in 500ml distilled water in a volumetric flask and stirred until dissolved.   Part ii titration of ethanoic acid with NaOH Materials Burette White tile Clamp and stand Funnel Conical flask (250cm3) Volumetric flask (250cm3) Phenolphthalein indicator solution Phenol red indicator 0.1M NaOH solution Vinegar samples A to C Method Fill clean burette with 0.1M NaOH solution. Place 10cm3 of vinegar sample A in conical flask with a few drops of phenolphthalein indicator. Add NaOH to vinegar sample slowly, swirling flask to ensure mixing.   Phenolphthalein will turn from colourless to pink at the equivalence point (the point at which the amount of moles of one reactant is just enough to react exactly with the measured amount of the other reactant) as there would be the same amount of NaOH and CH3COOH present in the flask, leading to a neutralisation reaction, as explained above.   It will be assumed for this experiment that the end point and equivalence point are the same. The experiment would be repeated with vinegar samples B and C.   The experiment would also be repeated using phenol red as an indicator.   This would be expected to change from yellow to red at the equivalence point . The amount of 0.1M NaOH used could be used to calculate the concentration of ethanoic acid in each of the samples, via t he equation: Molarity x volume / 1000 = no of mols used Risk assessment and safety – chemicals NaOH is an irritant and can cause burns.   Ethanoic acid is a corrosive agent.   Phenolphthalein is an irritant and can cause burns. Goggles and protective clothing should be worn throughout.   If chemical comes into contact with the skin the area should be washed with plenty of clean running water.   If a large area of skin is affected or skin shows signs of burning (eg redness / swelling) medical advice should be sought immediately. If chemical comes into contact with the eyes wash out immediately with sterile eye wash.   If chemical is ingested wash out mouth with clean water and seek medical advice immediately. Do not induce vomiting as this may cause further damage. Do not breathe fumes of fresh NaOH solution.   Ideally experiment should take place in a fume cupboard.   If fumes are inhaled move immediately to an area of fresh air.   In case of difficulty in breathing medical advice should be sought. Risk assessment and safety equipment Burette should be filled with a funnel and should not be above shoulder height to avoid spillage. Goggles and protective clothing should be worn when using flames. Long hair should be tied back and loose clothing fastened securely when using flames.Care should be taken when assembling distillation equipment so that breakage does not occur.   Particular attention should be paid when inserting one tube into another and this should not be done in palm of hand in case of slippage and possible damage to hand. References and Bibliography Daintith, J. (ed) 1990, A concise dictionary of chemistry, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Harwood, P. Hughes, M. 2001, Acids and bases in Chemistry A2, eds. P. Harwood M. Hughes, 2nd edn, Harper Collins, London, pp. 28-53. Hunt, A. 2001, Physical Chemistry in A2 Chemistry, ed. A. Hunt, 1st edn, Hodder Stoughton, London, pp. 6-86. McNeil, K. 2004, COSHH Standard Assessment for Work in Chemistry Research Laboratories. University of Bristol Online. Available at: http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/safety/chemicalhazards.htm, Accessed 8th February 2006 . The Nuffield Foundation 2003, 13th November 2003-last update, Investigating Vinegars tutorial, The Nuffield Foundation Online. Available at: http://www.chemistry-react.org/go/Tutorial/Tutorial_4948.html   Accessed, 7th February 2006.

USS Eisenhower Collision Essay -- U.S. Military

On the morning of August 29, 1988, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was returning to her homeport in Norfolk after conducting a six-month deployment in the Mediterranean Sea. She had performed extremely well in exercises and was set to receive the Battle â€Å"E.† The carrier had recently taken on approximately 500 Tigers in Bermuda, joining their parents for the final leg of the voyage. Also, the Secretary of the Navy was aboard that morning, and had been present on the bridge prior to his departure at 0807. 14 minutes later, at 0821 according to the deck log, the Eisenhower struck the Spanish bulk carrier Urduliz, which was anchored in a designated anchorage area, â€Å"A,† in berth â€Å"Z.† As stated above, the Eisenhower had not been in Hampton Roads in six months. While deployed in the Mediterranean, the Entrance Reach Channel was narrowed and moved slightly northward on March 30th, 1988.The crew of the Eisenhower was informed of the changes, but had yet to navigate the channel in its new configuration until the morning of August 29th. The track that the Eisenhower was to follow led along the northern edge of the previous configuration of the channel, which should have put her 400 yards off the anchored Urduliz. That morning, visibility was at least 5 miles, and the bridge watch was aware of the Urduliz for at least 30 minutes prior to the collision. However, the Eisenhower was off track the according to radar fixes between 0810 and 0817, during which time no visual fixes were taken. The reason for the lack of the more accurate visual fixes was that when the new buoys were placed to delineate the reconfigured channel, they were quite literally few and far between. Such placement made it extremely difficult to take visual fixes. The two key ... ...orks Cited Dennison, Patrick J.. "A Case Study of the USS Dwight D Eisenhower Collision and its Implications." Defense Technologies Information Center. 25 Jan 1994. http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA274926 (accessed Mar 23, 2012). Evans, Mark L.. "Dwight D. Eisenhower." Naval Historical Center. 27 Sep 2006. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/d6/cvn69.htmhttp://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/d6/cvn69.htm (accessed Mar 23, 2012). Kolstad, James L.. "NTSB Safety Recommendation M-90-1 through -7." National Transportation Safety Board. 22 Feb 1990. http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/1990/m90_1_7.pdf (accessed Mar 23, 2012). Kolstad, James L.. "NTSB Safety Recommendation M-90-8." National Transportation Safety Administration. 22 Feb 1990. http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/1990/m90_8.pdf (accessed Mar 23, 2012).

THE SECOND COMING BY WILLIAM YEATS Essay -- essays research papers

William Butler Yeats, a multitalented individual won the Nobel Prize in 1923. Born the son of a well known Irish painter and religious skeptic had many influences in his life. Eventually, he converted to Paganism from Christianity. He is till this day considered one of the greatest poets that ever lived. To understand the meaning of William Butler Yeats poem â€Å"The Second Coming†, you must first understand the difference between Christianity and Paganism. Yeats was raised as a Christian and turned to pagan mysticism later in his life. Therefore, we can find the subject of this poem by tracing his flow of thought through Christianity up to the point when he diverged from it. Christianity is based around the soul. The soul becomes healthy by its removal from the sin, which it inherits in the world. A healthy or virtuous soul is close to God by contact with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be considered the spirit of God on earth. Jesus Christ is thought to be the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, therefore the embodiment of virtue. In contrast, Pagans worship the spirit of earth as a god, believing it to be the ultimate force, which is neither good nor evil. The religion states the more base human tendencies that Christians would call sinful would be glorified as the reflections of nature. These would include pursuits of pleasure, luxury, or sexual gratification. Many modern pagans especially the ones Yeats associated with do not dispute the ideas of Christianity concerning God but they do not worship him. Early leaders of this movement, like Alister Crowley, with whom Yeats was associated with considered themselves Satanists in this right since Christians equate the spirit of the world with the devil. Yeats was certainly a Christian at some point in his life and makes allusions to Christian faith in â€Å"The Second Coming†, which would indicate that he lends some credence to it, so we can assume that he took the Satanist point of view. As the world turned towards paganism so did Yeats. The poem, while on one level is an earnest description of the change that is occurring to mankind, it is also an earnest illustration of his change to paganism. The opening eight lines illustrate the strife Yeats had seen in his lifetime from a Christian point of view. They describe man as moving away from God in a desperate tone, obviously not written by a pagan. Upon his cries to... ... Alliteration â€Å"surely some†, â€Å"stony sleep†. Onomatopoeia is also on display â€Å"vexed†, â€Å"slouches†. The piece also includes some simile â€Å"blank and pitiless as the sun†, and metaphor â€Å"stony sleep†. The tone is set early on in the poem. It opens with a neutral tone; the non-realistic imagery makes the opening disengaged. The impact of the first two lines is not lent by tone, but by their peculiarity and imagery. The sense of devastation that pervades the poem is introduced in the second part, it is explicitly stated that â€Å"things fall apart†, and this is further emphasized by the words â€Å"anarchy†, â€Å"blood-dimmed tide†, â€Å"passionate intensity†. However, the poem itself, which is so far dealing in abstractions, lacks this passionate intensity. Its tone could be described as anxious. In conclusion, â€Å"The Second Coming† is about William Butler Yeats belief in Paganism. He vividly describes this religion and compares it to Christianity in his poem. This message although hidden can be uncovered through careful analysis and patient reading. This poem is Yeats way of telling people that the world will start to switch to paganism and as he already did at the time of writing this great piece of work.

Claude McKays Harlem Shadows Essay -- Harlem Shadows Claude McKay Ess

Claude McKay's "Harlem Shadows" During the Harlem Renaissance, the black body was considered exotic and the "flavor" of the week. Society had an obsession towards black women, in general, blackness. However, the white race wanted to listen to their music, mingle with the women, and enjoy the other finer luxuries that the black society could afford. Even the art was captured by this idea of the exotic and contentment in being "black." The masquerade began as members of the white race tried to pass as black and during that experience gain some satisfaction from their own lost and confused existence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Claude McKay was unique in style and tone, yet still followed the other artists by topic. The exotic in Claude McKay's "Harlem Shadows" is apparent. McKay is developing the exotic throughout the text and saying that black exoticism is the only way that Africans can survive in America. McKay wants the African American to embrace their bodies, but there is an element of pity to the work. He feels that embracing the exotic in your own body is the way that the black person can become African American. Ignoring the culture fails to guide black Americans to discovering his or her identity. As a Harlem Renaissance writer, Claude McKay tried to guide African Americans to accept the African culture along with the exotic characteristics involved in it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "Harlem Shadows", McKay tries to express how a black woman survives everyday life in America. He writes, "I see the shapes of girls who pass/ to bend and barter at desires call." McKay identifies with the black desires that these women can not avoid. It is in their nature to turn and exchange their bodies. However, the most important reference McKay makes is the use of the word barter. The dictionary meaning of bartering is to exchange services without the exchange of money. These girls are not receiving money for each desire they fulfill. For the girls to continue satisfying desires without receiving anything in return, McKay implies they are enjoying the act. Also, that these woman need to complete these desires to survive. Another prominent aspect of the line is that McKay uses the term girls instead of women. Thus proving that even from an immature age, black females are not able to suppress their exotic nature and desires. Therefore, McKay is encouraging w omen to embrace their own African roots, n... ...ng, "Follow my example." That is how the girls can save the culture and realize their identity. He wants the girls to find a better way to exhibit their sexual tendencies and embrace the culture. The girls nightly behavior is shameful and not the way to living the culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout "Harlem Shadows," McKay is telling the young girls to express their natural sexuality, but to find a different way. The behavior that they are displaying is more disgraceful and should not be considered Black culture. McKay shows how the girls have lost their innocence and spread the black culture to the white race, yet McKay implies that their idea of the culture is tainted as the girls themselves are. Claude McKay makes reference to his example being the girl's saving grace to the true black culture and each girl's true identity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, in his message McKay has to make the girls exoticized and objectified before he can explain the way to change and the ultimate survival. By objectifying the girl's McKay attaches his poem along with the rest of the writers at the time. He is writing the same topic of exoticism, black culture, and resuscitation from a lost and confused existence.

Overfishing Effects More Than Just the Ocean

Salmon migrate yearly from the open Pacific Ocean to the coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest in order to spend about 5-6 weeks reproducing. During this time bears also migrate to these coastal areas to feed on the salmon which is a large part of their diet. This natural interaction has been an important factor of the ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest for many years and now that humans have imposed on this process by overfishing we are seeing changes in the ecosystem itself. While knowledge of this issue has been around for about 30 years, scientists only began researching it beginning in the early 90’s. According to this research the ongoing problem of overfishing is already beginning to show its effects on the ecosystem, what may happen to the forests and animals of the Pacific Northwest if this issue is not resolved? Through the research of Dr. Tom Reimchen and other scientists, an interaction between salmon and the forests of the Pacific Northwest has been discovered. Each year black and grizzly bears travel from far away to the streams and rivers in the Pacific Northwest to feed on the salmon that migrate there during their six week spawning period. This causes a local interaction, when the bears catch a fish they take it into the forest so they can eat it and not be disturbed. Usually the bears only eat about half of each fish they catch and leave the rest on the forest floor, which is then consumed by birds, other small animals and insects. Through the decomposition of the salmon as well as the bodily wastes of the bears and other animals, the soil in the forest absorbs nutrients as well as nitrogen from the salmon. â€Å"The use of stable nitrogen isotopes allows us to identify the relative contribution of salmon to the ecosystem† (Reimchen 2001: 14), this research showed that nitrogen 15, an isotope of nitrogen is present in a large number of the plants in the Pacific Northwest forests. Nitrogen 15 is mostly found in marine algae and salmon are highly enriched with it so it makes sense that the plants use the remnants of the salmon as a sort of fertilizer to make them grow causing large scale interaction. The presence of the nitrogen in the plants of the Pacific Northwest forests does not mean that the plants necessarily need it to grow. In another experiment performed by Reimchen he sought to answer this question, â€Å"I examined yearly growth rings of 13 trees of similar size from sites differing in (salmon) carcass density. Average growth rate over the last 50 years was 2. 5mm per year within 10m of the stream where carcasses were most abundant and less than 1mm per year where carcasses were not present† (Reimchen 2001: 14). These results are debatable because other factors such as the amount of rainfall and sunlight they get effect plant growth too, but another observation which backs the theory that nitrogen helps the plants grow is that the amount of salmon brought into the forest by the bears each year varies directly with the amount of salmon coming back to the stream each year. In the conclusion of his research thus far Reimchen believes that if it is not stopped, â€Å"†¦ the result of deforestation and overfishing will have ecosystem-level consequences for the remaining forests† (Reimchen 2001: 16). Due to the overfishing of salmon by humans, the migrating salmon population has reduced 80-90 percent in the last 100 years. In nature predators and prey coexist in equilibrium, but with human interference the salmon can not reproduce fast enough to keep up with the amount being caught resulting in a large decrease in their population. Although there are programs like the MSY or maximum sustainable yield in place which tells fisheries how many fish they are allowed to catch, they do not factor in the natural predators of the salmon and therefore they throw off the balance of the ecosystem. A direct result of over fishing is the harvesting of salmon in fish farms, the salmon are raised in net pens that usually float in areas off the coast. The biggest problem with fish farming is the fish escaping into the wild, for example in 1997, 360,000 salmon escaped from a single farm off the Washington coast. The salmon raised on fish farms are, â€Å"†¦ ed concentrated feed and medication to maximize the conversion of feed into growth while minimizing the loss of fish due to disease and escape† (Reimchen 2001: 139), the effects of the salmon raised on farms escaping into the wild may be genetic, ecological, and can cause problems with disease and parasites. The genetic problems the farm salmon can cause are they will interbreed with wild salmon and disrupt their genetic adaptations, replacing their genetic variability and their evolutionary potential. The competition for food, space, and habitat between the farmed and wild salmon could also be a problem. Farmed fish sometimes get sea lice or ISA a contagious lethal virus that they can pass to the wild salmon. All of these factors are depleting the amount of wild salmon as well as altering the way the salmon live. Another contributing factor to the decline of the salmon population is the political ecology involved. On one side there are the people willing to do anything in their power to protect and restore the status of the salmon in the pacific northwest, but on the other more powerful side are the people who see the salmon as a huge money maker and are doing everything they can to continue overfishing so they can profit from it. The fisheries not only catch salmon so they can sell it locally, but where they get the most money from is shipping it to large grocery store chains across the country. They must overfish in order to meet the demands of the stores they supply or else the stores will go to another source for salmon, so many fisheries ignore the problem and continue overfishing because they think that if they stop someone else is just going to come in profit off of what they are not catching. The problem with overfishing and fish farms are not only harming the salmon population, but if nothing is done about these issues it will effect the animals in the pacific northwest as well as the vegetation. Black and Grizzly bears get around 75% of their yearly dietary requirements from the salmon, with the amount of salmon available becoming less and less each year the bears are not going to have enough to eat and their population will decrease as a result. I also think that with the introduction of the farmed salmon and the diseases they can carry the bears may get sick and die from eating diseased fish. With less bears the vegetation in the pacific northwest will also suffer because less salmon will be transferred into the forests where the plants can absorb the nitrogen and the plants will not grow as much or as quickly, it may also make the plant population less diverse. I believe that the overfishing needs to be controlled by more extreme measures so that the salmon can be allowed to reproduce naturally and keep their population up. If companies sold salmon raised in a fish farm at lower prices and raised the price of wild salmon this may help as well because the more expensive it is, the less people will buy and the fishing companies will not have to catch as many. Its kind of like how you can go to the store and buy either regular fruit or pay extra for organic, and there is always people who are willing to pay more. I also think that fish farms should not be integrated in the coastal waters, they should be in a completely different location than the wild salmon so there is no chance of them escaping and contaminating the wild salmon. In addition to the repercussions of fish farming and overfishing on the ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest forests, deforestation is another action by humans that is threatening this area. With the growth rates of the trees already falling due to lack of nitrogen from salmon and humans cutting them down at an alarming rate, it is inevitable that unless serious steps are taken to protect both the salmon and the forest itself from humans the ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest will fail and the forests will be completely destroyed. References 1)Frissell, C. (1995). Topology of Extinction and Endangerment of Native Fishes in the Pacific Northwest. Conservation Biology, 7. http://www.jstor.org/pss/2386432 2)Reimchen, T. (Fall 2001). Salmon nutrients, nitrogen isotopes, and coastal forests. Ecoforestry. 3)Sachs, J. (15, Jan. 2010). Icon for an Endangered Ecosystem. http:// www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2010/Icon-for-an-Endangered-Ecosystem.aspx

Notes of a Native Son Essay

Notes of a Native Son Summary James Baldwin uses a lot of ethos in his essay to show his position as a black man encountering the hardships during his era. Despite being a generation of now free men, Baldwin tells his everyday situation and responses he received that show that he was not close at all to being free in the society. It is with this story we get to see his idea of fighting the injustice begin to bloom, and led him to become a well-known writer exploring the social issues in the mid-20th American era. Baldwin made it clear that before he developed a certain hatred towards the whites, he never felt that there was a difference between his white friends and his black friends and everyone was treated the same. This is still a situation we see today where children would play with other children regardless of their background but as they grew up, society puts the stereotypes in their heads and saw the world differently, in which Baldwin would grow up to see the world different as well. If there is a revolvi ng theme around this story, it is the theme of birth. In the beginning, there was a physical birth of James Baldwin’s sibling, moments after his father died. This could metaphorically translate as his father’s legacy being carried down through another child. James Baldwin Notes of a Native Son Analysis The ending was a birth of an idea, of how his father’s death and all the experiences Baldwin had encountered translated into an idea of fighting the injustice he was receiving. One word that stood out to me in the passage was perdition. Baldwin’s father claims that Baldwin’s naà ¯ve perspective of the whites was going to send him to perdition. Perdition has an extremely strong meaning, and in the Christian context, it is used to describe people who chose to turn away from God and thus cannot be saved nor forgiven, in a way being sent to the eternal pits of hell. Baldwin’s father is sending out a warning of what is yet to come for Baldwin, who would see how his view about the world will be changed forever by his life in New Jersey and that one American Diner situation. Baldwin would see the world the same way his father had seen, with the same bitterness his father carried till his death. Baldwin said that he had contracted a blind fever, which I believe t hat the blind fever was a metaphorical way of describing the emotional build-up of the treatment he received as a black man. Works Cited Hochstetler, J. M. Native Son. Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan, 2005. â€Å"Native Son.† Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Son. Wright, Richard. Native Son. New York, Harper &Amp; Bros., 1940.

Balance And Stability

A true athlete develops his entire body to compete with the very best in his sport. He trains both his mind and body to reach his goals. His mind should be able to handle the pressure and stress that are involved in his competitive sport. He must be emotionally fit to compete in his sport; otherwise, he’ll lose or fair far below his expectations. His body should also be able to act and react in the right manner. The mental, emotional and physical aspects of his game must all come together as one.Whether an athlete is a catcher in baseball, a center in basketball, or a quick-running lineman in American football, he must perfectly develop all his faculties to achieve an above average level of balance and stability in his sport. Athletes should pay more attention to balance and stability because these factors are extremely critical in the success of their goals. The terms balance and stability may seem to have the same meaning, but they don’t (Carr, 2007, p. 89). These ter ms however, are very much related to each other. Balance and stability don’t always go together.Depending on the sport, an athlete may have more balance and less stability or none at all and vice versa. Both of these factors are necessary in almost all physical sports though because athletes have to constantly move their bodies while staying on the ground. Balance is a person’s ability to get rid of forces that ruin the evenness or equilibrium of things. Almost all people have balance to some degree. Young and old people use balance to stay on their feet while they're walking, running or hopping. Balance is also used in other movements, such as when a person tiptoes or dances a complex routine.Maintaining one's balance gets harder as the person encounters obstacles in his path. For example, a running back maintains excellent balance while he pierces the defense of the opposing team. In basketball, a point guard also displays above average balancing skills as he dribble s the ball around players guarding the basket (Carr, 2007, p. 89). There are many levels of balance. Not all people have the same level of balance. Athletes typically have greater balance than normal people because they arduously train to improve it. The concept of balance has been used in various sports for a very long period of time.As Sprunt (2000) and others noted, the term off-balance is also widely used in different types of sports. Thus, a basketball player may be said to have been caught off-balance if he loses his footing as he scrambles for the ball. Generally, it is not good to lose your balance in any kind of sport (Sprunt, 2000, p. 63). Balance itself is related to another important factor in executing movement: stability. Stability is the ability to maintain a person’s balance while encountering things that ruin that balance. To put it another way, stability is how balanced a person is.Different athletes have different tactics that increase the level of their st ability as they encounter forces that may be going against them. According to Foran, athletes typically face gravity, air resistance and friction when performing in sports (Foran, 2001, p. 119). For this reason, some athletes train hard to raise their stability to the level of being as steady as a rock. Sports shows typically have play by play slow-motions that showcase moving stability by players of different sports. For instance, stability is clearly shown on highlights of football plays.A football player displays excellent balance when he reaches out for the ball whizzing through the air. He jumps high using a single leg and lands gracefully on the same leg. However, that excellent balance may be disrupted by a rampaging opponent that slams into him as he's floating above the ground or standing on one leg. After the dust clears, you'll usually see the other player down on the ground because he traded stability for balance. Compare the previous example of a 300 pound lineman with his body arched and his center of gravity positioned low.This athlete can receive the hammering force of a 400 pound lineman, pushing him to get out of the way. The athlete does not drop to his knees, spread-eagle on the ground because his stability is way off the charts. If the lineman is really stable, he may even have the ability to push back his opponent or ram his way through the defense, sending him crawling on the ground. In this case, his opponent is the one that lacks stability and so he pays dearly for it (Foran, 2001, p. 119). Also, stability may be harder to maintain if forces are coming from many different directions.A lineman may be able to defend against the opponent directly in front of him, but he may not fare as easily if the opponent comes from his left, right or back. It's still possible to hold a great level of stability however, if the athlete's position is correct and if he has the right body to counter massive objects that's coming at him from different direc tions. Almost all kinds of physical sports showcase balance and stability. Sports like baseball and basketball are no different because athletes continuously move their bodies in these sports.As Thompson and Baldwin (2007) observed, athletes in these sports and others must do various drills to improve their balance. They must train their core muscle groups to have the excellent level of balance and stability that their sports require (Thompson and Baldwin, 2007, p. 369). In baseball, balance and stability are shown in the role of the catcher who tries to catch baseballs sent flying by the pitcher. In basketball, balance and stability are exemplified by huge, tall centers or post players that play near the basket.It is important to note that these sports are played very differently but both of them require superb balance and stability nonetheless. First, the baseball catcher has to have great physical attributes such as fast feet and hands, mighty arms and excellent balance and stabi lity. He spends much of his time on the baseball field crouching and anticipating the ball that the pitcher will throw. His weight is distributed on his heels. He bends his knees so that his upper leg is parallel to the ground. You'll also notice that his backside is positioned close to his heels.His back must not curve and shoulder blades must be positioned a little bit backward to give him more stability. To further increase stability, he must hold his head up high and he must hold out his glove. This unique crouching position is supported by the baseball catcher's amazing balance and stability (Thompson and Baldwin, 2007, p. 369). The baseball player in the previous example shows linearity in his balance and stability. Remember that balance is a person's ability to get rid of forces that ruin the evenness or equilibrium of things.Compare this to stability which refers to the level at which a person can maintain his balance while encountering things that may ruin it. Simply put, l inear stability occurs when you are able to resist an object that tries to move you. In the previous example, the catcher's stability is put to the test when tries to stop a ball that's flying toward him at 80 or 90 mph (Thompson and Baldwin, 2007, p. 369). Stability that is based on linear movement is influenced by the mass of the moving object that carries force and the object that tries to stop that force.The moving object here is the ball that flies toward the pitcher and may end up in the catcher's resisting hands. For many catchers, reaching the optimal stability that is based on linear movement is very easy. Baseball is a tough sport because it requires players to have great balance and stability while maintaining focus on the ball that's flying toward them. The catcher in the previous example must train hard to be able to block bad pitches and throw out runners who attempt to steal bases. In some cases, the catcher may have to abandon his crouching position to block a bad pi tch.This move trades stability for balance to catch the ball. The crouching position shows the three most important principles of a stable body (Mull, 2005, p. 174). First, the catcher increases his stability by broadening his base. The resulting position is that the catcher's feet are wide apart and firmly on the ground. Second, the baseball catcher centralizes his line of gravity by straightening his back and holding his head up high. Third, he crouches with his knees bent to lower his center of gravity, further adding to the stability of his whole body.When all of these positions are combined, the catcher comes up with a stable crouching position that allows him to easily move his whole body when catching a flying ball even when it is outside the normal zone. Stability is also based on an athlete’s capability to move his line of gravity forward, anticipating a fast-approaching force. This type of movement may unbalance him for a short duration of time, but the force of the approaching object might restore him to his previous balance. This is not the case though for a baseball catcher who blocks bad pitches.Even though the ball flies fast toward the catcher, its mass is still little compared to other balls. The catcher then puts his line of gravity directly in front of the approaching ball but quickly restores his balance. He also usually drops to his knees to bring down his center of gravity and increase his stability. Balance and stability can also take each other’s place in baseball. For example, balance and stability are reversed when a runner steals a base and is challenged by a catcher. The catcher positions his line of gravity directly in front of the fast-approaching force to throw the runner out.Another skill of a baseball catcher is throwing the ball to the base, which consists of applying force rather than resisting it. The catcher tends to rise to keep his line of gravity in the center and avoid falling down before throwing the ball . His weight is transferred to the back of his foot as he moves his body backward to throw the ball. There are also cases where the player who throws the ball temporarily moves his center of gravity outside the area where support is strongest. As the ball is thrown, the center of gravity moves from the back of the support area to the center and then to the front.The dynamics of balance and stability can also be seen in the sport of basketball. There was a time when post players were players that are massive and tall. This allowed them to block offensive players that run to the basket. Today, however, post players are not that huge anymore and they have better footwork. They are faster and more agile, so they can keep up with quick short players that have many tricks to drive to the basket. While post players of the past and today are different, they both still use the principles of balance and stability when playing their game.A post player or a center receives huge forces when guar ding the basket. This is a prime example of static stability in the face of opposing forces (Moran and McGlynn, 1997, p. 56). Post players from the opposing team constantly push and pull him to get him out of the way. Mass is important in being a post player to have enough balance and stability to withstand those vicious offensive moves. The more massive a player is, the greater is his stability. For example, Shaquille O’Neal or Shaq was extremely successful because of his extraordinary mass. There was a time when basketball experts claimed he weighed around 380 lbs.90 percent of that weight consists of muscle tissue and other nonfat tissue. Because of O’Neal’s great mass, other players find it very difficult to break his defense. Offense under the basket is also easy because his defenders just seem to bounce off him. His level of stability is excellent, which makes him an almost perfect post player. The perfect post player though, is not the perfect basketball player. In fact, a player who has a great mass often finds it difficult to change his direction when moving. In this case, quickness and agility are sacrificed for stability and balance.This is similar to a rampaging sumo wrestler that gets easily thrown out of the ring when his quick opponent steps to one side. Post players though, typically play within a very short distance from the basket, so their weakness in terms of quickness and agility is hard to exploit. New centers or post players like Yao Ming have less mass but are quicker and more agile. They are less stable because of their small base, but they can change direction quickly, which is useful in guarding against fast players that drive to the basket. Tall players however, may have lesser balance than shorter players because their center of gravity is very high.You’ll notice that short players are very balanced even when they are dribbling around a number of defenders because their center of gravity is nearer to the ground. Having a wide base is extremely important in being a post player (Chandler and Brown, 2008, p. 87). For this reason, many post players spend long hours in the gym to build their body and widen their base. If a post player’s base is not wide enough, he’ll find it harder to stop offensive attacks coming directly at him from the opposing team. Blocking a player with a small base is easy if the post player’s base is large.Another important factor in being a good post player is the center of gravity. It’s always best to lower a player’s center of gravity to increase his balance and stability. The reason why post players play with knees bent is that they have to widen their base and lower their center of gravity. It’s not always best to widen the base and lower your center of gravity though, as the post player will be sacrificing his height. This makes him vulnerable to high-jumping players from the opposing team who can always drive to t he basket and jump high against the short post player.A post player may also move his base forward to face the opposing force. Moving the line of gravity forward stabilizes the post player, helping hem to successfully guard the basket. It’s not advisable to move the center of gravity too near the front of his base though, because this might result in the player losing his balance. In conclusion, applying balance and stability when playing different sports is important to athletes for them to achieve their goals. Both athletes and coaches should pay more attention to balance and stability to be more successful in their sports.Various sports skills should be honed and trained so the athlete becomes more effective. The physical, mental, and emotional aspects of his game must all come together and become one. While other attributes such as agility and speed are also important in executing different sports skills, balance and stability are very basic in almost all kinds of sports. Without balance and stability, an athlete has a higher chance of failing in his chosen sport. He must constantly weigh the pros and cons of developing balance and stability over other attributes.He may also review the tradeoffs between balance and stability because each one presents their own advantages in a sport. He’ll be more effective in his chosen sport once he perfects his balance and stability. References Carr, G. (2007). Mechanics of Sport: A Practitioner's Guide. Detroit, MI: Human Kinetics Foran, B. (2001). High-performance Sports Conditioning: Modern Training for Ultimate Athletic Development. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Sprunt, K. , Kerwin, D. , & Fowler, N. (2000). An Introduction to Sports Mechanics: A HomeStudy Pack Providing Sportspeople with an Introduction to the Basic Mechanics of Movement. Coachwise. Thompson, W. , & Baldwin, K. (2007). ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer: Techniques, Complications, and Management. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Moran, G. , & McGlynn, G. (1997). Cross-training for Sports: Programs for 26 Sports. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Chandler, T. J. , & Brown, L. (2008). Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Mull, R. , Bayless, K. , & Jamieson, L. M. (2005). Recreational Sport Management. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.