My Personal Accomplishment version 2

There are two experiences, which are very important to me. The first is being part of the Leland High School Speech and debate Team. The second is doing volunteer work at the World Children’s Fund (WCF). These experiences make me proud because they help me develop myself and give back to society at the same time. Through these experiences, I am able to enrich others as I enriched myself. Debate has always been my favorite subject. Engaging in a debate incorporates two distinctive life-learning skills. They are public speaking and problem solving. Most people are afraid of speaking in front of many people. However, I do not seem to be like â€Å"most people†. I do not fear public speaking. Instead, I enjoy it. I relish the feeling of standing in front of many people and being free to express myself. I savor the exhilaration of knowing that people listen to what I say. This makes me feel important and fulfilled. However, it is not only the feeling that matters. The skills, values and knowledge I acquire are also important. Through debating, I am able to develop my critical thinking and my creativity. I learn to examine arguments carefully and quickly to be able to retort wisely and on time. Debating also helps me improve my focus. A problem to be debated has certain limits. Relevant issues and controversies should not be ignored. Similarly, irrelevant issues and controversies should not be introduced. Lastly, debate exposes me to a wide range of topics- from international issues to national issues. Many facts I learned through debating, such as the Jenna 6 incident, has helped me a great deal during my high school years. I also learned a lot from seminars and trainings such as the Parliamentary Debate Camp held by the Stanford University National Forensic Institute. Another reason debate is important to me is that it helps me develop a sense of fulfillment. It helps me believe that I am capable of doing something. In the Parliamentary Debate Camp, I became a quarter-finalist in the Parliamentary Debate Varsity Division. I was also awarded the Super Distinction of National Forensic League this fall. I am able to prove my leadership skills by being the Chairman of the Parliamentary Debate Team. As the leader, I am responsible for around thirty freshman students and some older members. It is my responsibility to give lectures about debating and help others develop the capability to compete in upcoming tournaments. I run two classes a week and had completed over 100 PowerPoint lectures, by the end of the second semester last year. I also hold mock debates and private tutorial sessions to help other students to catch up. As the Chair, it is also my responsibility to communicate with other schools that are interested with debating, and give advice and information to administrators, students, and parents. For example, just last year, I assisted Bret Harte Middle School in creating a debate team. I confer with parents and students at the Bret Harte Middle School Cafeteria and give them tips on how to create a successful debate team. Knowing that people trust me with these responsibilities and that I am able to perform these responsibilities gives me a sense of accomplishment and allows me to believe in my own abilities as a debater, a thinker, a team member, a teacher and a leader. Another experience that I value the most is doing volunteer work for the WCF. It is a non-profit organization engaged in giving humanitarian aid to help and rescue children in need in developing countries, including those who are abandoned, distressed, endangered, exploited, homeless, hungry, sick or suffering. I coordinate production of humanitarian packages for distribution. We place stuffed animals, drinking water, MREs, antibiotics, band-aids, medical equipments, and other essential items into boxes and ship them to countries such as the Philippians, Africa, Vietnam and other developing nations. I consider helping in the WCF as one of my community obligations. It is an â€Å"obligation† because I believe that it is my duty as a member of society to always give back. Even though I cannot carry out more demanding roles like going directly to other countries, my contribution is also important. I feel that I am actually changing the world little by little. Through these experiences, I am able to give kindness and aid to others the same way that I received kindness and aid when I needed them most. Like these children, there was a time in my life when I was in need of help and attention too. This happened when I first came to the United States in 1996. I was then a foreigner who does not know how to speak English and communicate with the people around me. This made my assimilation into the American culture difficult. However, a few individuals took initiative to help me fit in. These individuals inspired me and my assimilation happened faster. Looking back, I still remember a 7-year-old child on his first day of school as a foreign exchange student sitting on a bench alone. He is bewildered with the English language and is too afraid to try to speak. He cried all night that night in bed. The next day, he expected to be alone again, but someone reached over and stuck a cookie in his mouth- a chocolate chip cookie. This led to a conversation and, by the time lunch break ended, the two children were already best friends. This initiated his acceptance into the society that he did not yet fully understand. It is a wonder how this foreign exchange student grew up to be me, not anymore alone and afraid of not being understood. It is also a wonder how, after eleven years, Corey Tucker, the boy with the cookie, is still my true and best friend. Yesterday, I proudly recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Even though I do not fully understand the meaning of â€Å"America†, I understand that America is the place where I belong. This feeling of acceptance was made by the kind efforts of the friends I made that day, most especially by Corey. Through the years, many other Corey Tuckers came into my life. This time, I want to be a Corey Tucker too. I want to be able to help others and give back the kindness I have received before. At present, knowing that I am able to do this through my debate class and the WCF gives me a feeling of calmness, peace and satisfaction that money cannot buy.

Clearwater Technologies

Clear Water Technologies : A Case Study QTX is a sales support server that allows multiple users to simultaneously maintain their sales account databases. These databases covers contact information, quote histories, copies of all communications, and links to the customer's corporate database for shipping records. The basic QTX package consists of a processor, chassis, hard drive, and network interface, with a manufacturing cost of $500. The package provided simultaneous access for 10 users to the system, referred to as 10 â€Å"seats. Each seat represented one accessing employee. The product line consisted of 10-, 20-, and 30-seat capacity QTX servers. Each incremental 10 seats required $200 of additional manufacturing cost. Yearly sales were at the rate of 4,000 units across all sizes. In initial sales, approximately 30 percent of customers bought the 30-seat unit, 40 percent bought the 20-seat unit, and 30 percent bought the 10-seat unit. Customers who needed more than 30 seats ty pically went to competitors servicing the medium-to-large company market segment.Clearwater set a per-seat manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) that decreased with higher quantity seat purchases, reflecting the customer perception of declining manufacturing cost per seat. Clearwater also saw this as advantageous because it encouraged customers to maximize their initial seat purchase. Clearwater typically sold its products through value-added resellers (VARs). A VAR was typically a small local firm that provided sales and support to end users.The value added by these resellers was that they provided a complete solution to the end user/customer from a single point of purchase and had multiple information technology products available from various vendors. Using VARs reduced Clearwater's sales and service expense significantly and increased its market coverage. These intermediaries operated in several steps. First, the VAR combined the QTX from Clearwater with database software from other suppliers to form a turnkey customer solution.Second, the VAR loaded the software with customer-specific information and linked it to the customer's existing sales history databases. Finally, the VAR installed the product at the customer's site and trained the customer on its use. Clearwater sold the QTX to resellers at a 50 percent discount from the MSRP, allowing the VARs to sell to the end user at or below the MSRP. The discount allowed the VARs room to negotiate with the customer and still achieve a profit. The Upgrade Initially, the expectation had been that the 30-seat unit would be the largest volume seller.In order to gain economies of scale in manufacturing, reduce inventory configurations, and reduce engineering design and testing expense to a single assembly, Clearwater decided to manufacture only the 30-seat server with the appropriate number of seats â€Å"enabled† for the buyer. Clearwater was effectively â€Å"giving away† extra memory and ab sorbing the higher cost rather than manufacturing the various sizes. If a customer wanted a 10-seat server, the company shipped a 30-seat capable unit, with only the requested 10 seats enabled through software configuration.The proposed upgrade was, in reality, allowing customers to access capability already built into the product. Clearwater knew that many original customers were ready to use the additional capacity in the QTX. Some customers had added seats by buying a second box, but because the original product contained the capability to expand by accessing the disabled seats, Clearwater saw an opportunity to expand the product line and increase sales to a captive customer base. Customers could double or triple their seat capacity by purchasing either a 10- or a 20-seat upgrade and getting an access code to enable the additional number of seats.No other competitor offered the possibility of an upgrade. To gain additional seats from the competitor, the customer purchased and ins talled an additional box. Because customers performed a significant amount of acceptance testing, which they would have to repeat before switching brands, the likelihood of changing brands to add capacity was low. The objective of this morning's meeting was to set the price for the two upgrades. As QTX product manager Rob Erickson stopped to collect his most recent notes from his desk, he reflected: What a way to start the week.Every time we have one of these meetings, senior management only looks at margins. I spent the whole weekend cranking numbers and I'm going in there using the highest margin we've got today. How can anybody say that's too low? He grabbed his notes, calculator, and coffee and headed down the hall. From the other wing of the building, financial analyst Hillary Hanson was crossing the lobby towards the conference room. She was thinking about the conversation she had late Number MSRP to VAR Unit Unit of Seats End User Price Cost* Margin** 10 $8,000 $4,000 $500 87 . 5% 20 $14,000 $7,000 $700 90. 0% 30 $17,250 $8,625 $900 89. % TABLE 1 *Unit cost reflects additional $200 for memory capability for each additional 10 seats. **Margin _ VAR Price _ Unit Cost VAR Price Number Original Original Actual Actual of Seats Unit Cost Unit Margin Unit Cost Unit Margin 10 $500 87. 5% $900 77. 5% 20 $700 90. 0% $900 87. 1% 30 $900 89. 6% $900 89. 6% TABLE 2 Friday afternoon with her boss, Alicia Fisher, Clearwater's CFO. They had been discussing this upcoming meeting and Alicia had given Hillary very clear instructions. I want you to go in and argue for the highest price possible. We should absolutely maximize the profitability on the upgrade.The customers are already committed to us and they have no alternative for an upgrade but with us. The switching costs to change at this point are too high since they've already been trained in our system and software. Let's go for it. Besides, we really need to show some serious revenue generation for the year-end repor t to the stockholders. Hillary had not actually finalized a number. She figured she could see what the others proposed and then argue for a significant premium over that. She had the CFO's backing so she could keep pushing for more. From the parking lot, Brian James, the district sales manager, headed for the rear entrance.He, too, was thinking about the upcoming meeting and anticipating a long morning. I wish marketing would realize that when they come up with some grandiose number for a new product, sales takes the hit in the field. It's a killer to have to explain to customers that they have to pay big bucks for something that's essentially built in. It's gonna be even tougher to justify on this upgrade. At least with the QTX, we have something the buyer can see. It's hardware. With the upgrade, there isn't even a physical product. We're just giving customers a code to access the capability that's already built into the machine.Telling customers that they have to pay several thou sand dollars never makes you popular. If you think about it, that's a lot of money for an access code, but you won't hear me say that out loud. Maybe I can get them to agree to something reasonable this time. I spent the weekend working this one out, and I think my logic is pretty solid. Price Proposals Once everyone was settled in the conference room, Rob spoke first: I know we have to come up with prices for both the 10-seat and 20-seat upgrades, but to keep things manageable, let's discuss the 20-seat price first.Once that number is set, the 10-seat price should be simple. Because the margin on the 30-seat unit is the highest in the line, I think we should use that as the basis to the price for the upgrade. He went to a whiteboard to show an example: If a customer is upgrading from a 10-seat unit to a 30-seat unit, they are adding two steps of capacity costing $200 each to us, or $400. $400 /1-0. 90 _ $4,000 to the reseller, and $8,000 to the end user. We keep the margin structur e in place at the highest point in the line. The customer gets additional capacity, and we keep our margins consistent.He sat down feeling pleased. He had fired the first shot, had been consistent with the existing margin structure, and had rounded up the highest margin point in the line. Brian looked at Rob's calculations and commented: I think that's going to be hard for the customer to see without us giving away information about our margins, and we don't want to do that, since they are pretty aggressive to begin with. However, I think I have solved this one for us. I've finally come up with a simple, fair solution to pricing the upgrade that works for us and the customers. He walked over to a whiteboard and grabbed a marker:If we assume an existing 10-seat customer has decided to upgrade to 30-seat capability, we should charge that customer the difference between what the buyer has already paid and the price of the new capacity. So . . . New 30-seat unit $17,250 Original 10-seat unit $8,000 Price for 20-seat upgrade $9,250 It's consistent with our current pricing for the QTX. It's fair to the customer. It's easy for the customer to understand and it still makes wads of money for us. It also is easy for the customer to see that we're being good to them. If they bought a 20-seat box in addition to the 10-seat box they already have, it would be costing them more.He wrote: New 20-seat unit $14,000 A new unit provides customers with redundancy by having two boxes, which they might want in the event of product failure, but the cost is pretty stiff. Upgrading becomes the logical and affordable option. Hillary looked at the numbers and knew just what she was going to do. That all looks very logical, but I don't see that either of you has the company's best interests at heart. Brian, you just want a simple sale that your sales people and the customers will buy into, and Rob, you are charging even less than Brian. We need to consider the revenue issue as well.These people have already bought from us; are trained on our hardware and software and don't want to have to repeat the process with someone else. It would take too long. They've got no desire to make a change and that means we've got them. The sky is really the limit on how much we can charge them because they have no real alternative. We should take this opportunity to really go for the gold, say $15,000 or even $20,000. We can and should be as aggressive as possible. All three continued to argue the relative merits of their pricing positions, without notable success.Jefferies listened to each of them and after they finished, he turned to a clean whiteboard and took the marker. I've done some more thinking on this. In order to meet the needs of all three departments, there are three very important points that the price structure for these upgrades must accomplish: 1. The pricing for the upgrades shouldn't undercut the existing pricing for the 30-seat QTX. 2. We want to motivate our buye rs to purchase the maximum number of seats at the initial purchase. A dollar now is better than a potential dollar later. We never know for sure that they will make that second purchase.If we don't do this right, we're going to encourage customers to reduce their initial purchase. They'll figure they can add capacity whenever, so why buy it if they don't need it. That would kill upfront sales of the QTX. 3. We don't want to leave any revenue on the table when buyers decide to buy more capacity. They are already committed to us and our technology and we should capitalize on that, without totally ripping them off. Therefore, while Hillary says â€Å"the sky's the limit,† I think there is a limit and we need to determine what it is and how close we can come to it.If we assume that those are the objectives, none of the prices you've put together thus far answers all three of those criteria. Some come close, but each one fails. See if you can put your heads together and come to a consensus price that satisfies all three objectives. OK? Heads nodded and with that, Jefferies left the conference room. The three remaining occupants looked at one another. Brian got up to wipe the previous numbers off the whiteboards and said: OK, one more time. If our numbers don't work, why not and what is the right price for the 20-seat upgrade?

Motorcycle and financial services Essay

Abstract The strength of Harley-Davidson’s brand and dominant market position give the firm a wide moat, in our opinion. However, weaker consumer spending and tight credit markets are presenting the firm with some significant near-term challenges. In addition, we believe the firm must carefully broaden the appeal of its brand to secure its long-term success. Harley-Davidson is a cult brand that resonates around the world. There are more than 1 million members of the Harley Owners Group, and every year several hundred thousand Harley fans attend biking events at Daytona, Fla. , and Sturgis, S. D. It’s no wonder that over 50% of Harley’s revenues are generated from repeat sales and these sales are at premium prices to other motorcycle brands. In addition, with almost a 50% share of the U. S. market, Harley also achieves economies of scale greater than most of its competitors. A Harley is not just a bike it is an investment. brand loyalty, its economies of scale, and its network of mostly exclusive dealers have created significant barriers to entry, and as a result, Harley has achieved historical operating margins of over 20% and returns on invested capital of over 40%, excluding the financial services segment. JIT Principles JIT is an operational strategy which helps in making inventory levels lean. An organisation which goes for synchronous manufacturing incorporates JIT to have lower inventory levels. Synchronous manufacturing encompasses techniques of JIT to achieve the target. Organisations which have implemented JIT and are using synchronous manufacturing have a very lean system. It has minimum wastage and the highest possible quality. These organisations are cost effective and generally have higher margins than their competitors. This results in higher level of efficiency in the organisation and a better work environment. BPI helps in management of inventory and related operations. It is very important that organisation understand the importance of new methods and reengineer their processes in line with the requirements. The minimum level of inventory which is required as WIP is determined by the organization and then control efforts are put in so that there is always the minimum level available and it would never cross the maximum level. This is done because one cannot hold high levels of inventory because it comes at a very high cost and is an occupational and can be a operation hazard. The strength of Harley-Davidson’s brand and dominant market position give the firm a wide moat, in our opinion. However, weaker consumer spending and tight credit markets are presenting the firm with some significant challenges and we believe the firm must carefully expand the appeal of its brand to secure its long term success. Harley-Davidson is a cult brand that resonates around the world. There are more than 1 million members of the Harley Owners Group, and every year several hundred thousand Harley fans attend biking events at Daytona, Fla. , and Sturgis, S. D. It’s no wonder that over 50% of Harley’s revenues are generated from repeat sales and these sales are at premium prices to other motorcycle brands. In addition, with almost a 50% share of the U. S. market, Harley also achieves economies of scale greater than most of its competitors. The intensity of the firm’s brand loyalty, its economies of scale, and its network of mostly exclusive dealers have created significant barriers to entry, and as a result, Harley has achieved historical operating margins of over 20% and returns on invested capital of over 40%, excluding the financial services segment. Despite its strong brand, sagging consumer spending on high-ticket items is likely to continue to depress volumes in the near term, and we expect the economic downturn to prolong the period of failing sales through 2010/11. The firm has already cut production in an attempt to trim costs in line with faling demand. in addition, just over half of Harley’s motorcycle revenues are derived from retail sales made on credit. We think that the lack of available funds on the wholesale markets and the shrinking of the number of qualifying customers will make it difficult for the company’s financial services division to continue to support retail sales by providing credit to customers. Harley must address some long-term challenges. The firm has been focused on a narrow demographic group (around 89% of customers are male) and the median age of Harley’s customers has been on a long-term upward trend. We believe that the firm must find ways to broaden the appeal of its brand without alienating its core customer base. Harley has grown in recent years in the international market , and revenues generated abroad have risen to 25% of total revenues in 2007 from 19% in 2004. Although the firm has recently introduced a performance motorcycle for the European market, I think that it may find it difficult to deliver customized products for overseas markets while supporting its brand franchise. Risk Harley’s revenues could be severely hurt by a further weakening of the global economy and increased reductions in consumer spending on high-ticket discretionary items, and the firm may not be able to securitize its receivables if the asset-backed security market is slow to recover. Harley’s sales are focused on a thin demographic segment: 35- to 54-year-old males. In our opinion, the firm must broaden its appeal in order to secure its long-term profitability, but any missteps in marketing its products to other demographic segments could damage the brand. Harley-Davidson’s brand resonates around the world, and it has particular strength in its key target market of 35- to 54-year-olds.   Historically, Harley has generated free cash flow at around 15% of revenues, allowing the firm to develop a strong track record of returning cash to shareholders through dividends and stock repurchases.   Through the downturn, Harley’s management has been careful to maintain spending on research and development and marketing, important steps in maintaining the strength of the brand, in our opinion. The firm has worked successfully with its network of dealers to significantly reduce dealer inventory over the last 12 months.   Harley’s core demographic, the baby boomer generation, is aging, and that’s likely to reduce demand for Harley’s products in the future. In order to mitigate the negative impact on revenues, the firm must improve its penetration in other segments. * Harley is likely to continue to face some severe short-term head winds, with anemic consumer spending likely to hurt revenues through 2010. The large inventory of used Harley motorcycles is likely to contribute to Harley’s near-term challenges, as a greater number of under-pressure consumers may opt for a cheaper used model in the secondary market.   The turmoil in the credit markets is likely to raise the cost of the short-term capital required to fund HDFS.   Despite raising the retail rate on its loans, I expect the operating margins of HDFS to come under severe pressure through 2009. HDFS may also find it difficult to raise financing for retail credit in the wholesale markets. This could restrict the number of loans the firm can make to customers and thwart the firm’s attempts to support retail sales volumes. Inventory Management in Harley Davidson Growth: Historically, the strong spending power of the baby boomers, Harley’s core demographic, has been favourable for the motorbike manufacturer. As the baby boomers age, however, I expect slowing domestic revenue growth to be only partially mitigated by international expansion. Profile: Harley-Davidson is the world’s leading manufacturer of heavyweight motorcycles, parts, and accessories. It sells the Softail, Sportster, Dyna, Touring, and VRSC models under the Harley-Davidson name, and it also manufactures the Buell brand. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides wholesale financing to dealers and retail financing and insurance brokerage services to customers. Strategy: Harley leverages its strong brand to sell a broad range of motorcycling-related products. The firm is attempting to broaden its appeal to more demographic groups by expanding its product line-up. It is also focused on international expansion, and it has introduced a new performance-based bike in an attempt to increase its share in overseas markets. Management: I think the quality of corporate governance at Harley-Davidson is above average. I applaud the firm for splitting the chairman and CEO roles between two individuals, although I am concerned that the relationship between the two individuals serving in these roles may weaken the chairman’s ability to provide independent oversight. CEO James Ziemer’s career at Harley blossomed under the leadership of former CEO and current Chairman Jeffrey L. Bluestein. In addition, although nine of the firm’s 12 directors meet the NYSE definition of â€Å"independent,† a total of six of them have served on the board for over a decade, and I believe that their long-term relationships with management, together with some related-party transactions, may further compromise their independence. Having said that, the Harley-Davidson board does contain a solid range of legal, accounting, and executive experience. Management compensation is skewed to long-term incentive components, and I think that this aligns the interests of the management team with those of shareholders. The firm has a strong track record of returning cash to shareholders, both through dividend disbursements and share buyback programs. Harley Reports Lower 3Q Earnings I am leaving our fair value estimate for Harley-Davidson in place following the release of third-quarter earnings, which were in line with our expectations. Revenue fell 8% year over year, to $1. 42 billion, as the economic downturn hurt retail sales volume, which declined 14%. The bright spot was international sales, but only a small part of the 11. 3% rise in international revenues was attributable to volume increases; most of the increase was caused by favourable currency movements. At Harley-Davidson Financial Services, the customer finance division, third-quarter earnings fell 28% from the same period last year, to $35. 6 million, because of lower securitization income and the write-down of some finance receivables held for sale. I was pleased to note that the firm is being proactive in securing alternative sources of funding for the finance division, in the event that it cannot raise funds in the unsecured debt market. However, we expect that Harley’s funding requirements would be met comfortably by its bank credit facility, if required. Supply side & Economic Scenario Given the continued macroeconomic deterioration and tightness in credit markets, I am raising our fair value uncertainty rating for Harley-Davidson. The company’s growth has decelerated during the last three years, and year-over-year shipments were down 15% last quarter. In addition, we see significant downside risks to the contribution from Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Last quarter, financial services income was down 43% because of a $20 million reduction in securitization gains. Financial income was also affected by a $6 million write-down in retained securitization interests. Since that time credit markets have seized up, and it’s likely the firm will report increasing charge-offs on consumer loans in the coming quarters. Summary Business process reengineering is very critical for companies and industries which survive on innovation. Sometimes there are cases when old processes in the company are dying and their is a pressing need to rejuvenate then. This process of is known as business process reengineering. A company that does not innovate dies out in the market. Old operations over time die down and new process needs to be rebuilt into the system. This is where the concept of business processes engineering is very critical. The objective of the paper is to critically evaluate symptoms which suggests organisation to go for business process reengineering & then come up with one of those symptoms and write a detailed analysis of it. References: http://www. emeraldinsight. com. / Gao, F, Li, M.& Clarke, S. (2008). Knowledge, management, and knowledge management in business operations. Nonaka, I. (2005). Knowledge Management: Critical Perspectives on Business and Management. Taylor & Francis. Tait, A & Richardson, K. A. (2010). Complexity and Knowledge Management Understanding the Role of Knowledge in the Management of Social Networks. IAP Goldman, A. (n. d. ). Eliminating Bottlenecks. Retrieved 28th March, 2011, from http://www. gaebler. com (n. d. ). Retrieved Mar 27th, 2011, from Customer Relationship MAnagement: http://www. customerthink.com (n. d. ). Retrieved Mar 27th, 2011, from More is not value Proposition: http://sinekpartners. typepad. com Auction site. (n. d. ). Retrieved MAr 27th, 2011, from Harley Davidson Value: http://harleyauctionsite. com Harley Davidson USA. (2011, MAr 27). Retrieved Mar 17, 2011, from Harley Davidson: http://www. harley-davidson. com Impact Factory. (2010, Feb 2nd). Retrieved mar 27th, 2011, from http://www. impactfactory. com http://www. h-dsn. com/genbus/links. jsp Management Research Review. (2000) Johan Van Nimwegen, Brian H. Kleiner, Volume 23 issue 7/8.

Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech Essay

Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech - Essay Example But that is not what was desired by Martin Luther King. The purpose of the speech was to demand equality and justice for African Americans. What makes the speech remarkable is its content and the passion with which it was delivered. Before the success of American Civil Rights Movement the condition of blacks in America was deplorable. They didn’t have equal rights and were discriminated against because of the color of their skin. The whole movement was triggered by small resistances such as that of Rosa Parks. On 1st December 1955, she refused to give up her seat for a white man. As a consequence of her refusal action was taken against her and she lost her job. This incident created a furor in the black community. Martin Luther King was a great admirer of non-violence. He was greatly inspired by Gandhi and wanted to campaign for his people’s rights in a non-violent manner. He indeed visited India in 1959 and was impressed by the way Indians had fought for Independence with non-violent methods (Ramdin, 2004). After the speech, Martin Luther King cemented his position has one of the greatest political orators of all time. It is a lesser known fact that much of the speech was an improvisation. There was an original speech and it was present right before him on the podium. But after sensing the mood and sentiments of the people and on encouragement from Mahalia Jackson, Martin Luther King decided to touch their hearts. He spoke from his heart about the pain of African Americans and how they felt under the oppressive laws. He spoke about his dream of seeing black and white people living together in harmony. The dream stretched far beyond the present times and touched the future generations as he dreamed about black and white kids playing together and going to school together. Many experts believe that after this speech Martin Luther King became the most powerful person in America at that time. He was the founder of Southern Christian

Law of Tort Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Law of Tort - Assignment Example Surv conducted surveys in a manner that was negligent and in violation of their contract of service (Spiers 365). GMAC forwarded their claims to the Webb Resolutions Limited. The proceedings initially involved a total of four valuations. Two were solved and two remained in question. The discrepancy arose due to the difference in the E. Surv valuation and the right price valuation. The damage claim in both instances was a total of $ 46,445 plus interest (Sloan 453). When it comes to the discharge of the value’s duty of care, the supplier agreement dated 22nd September in the year 2004 between E. Surv and GMAC, had not been expressed by E. Surv to the surveys. However, was not clear that those terms governed their conduct (Salmond 228). To establish a loss, the defender must have had the responsibility of the duty of care to the lender. This has to be clearly expressed to both parties. In a tort, the duty of care will always be owed to the lender to the surveyor (Osborne 398). Such circumstances should be accompanied by a contract of the engagement under which the surveyor will have a code of conduct under which he can carry out his services. Such a contract should have the expression of the fact that the work is to be carried out with sufficient care and skill (North 234). If the valuation is done in a negligent manner, it will constitute a violation of the contract. If such an event takes place, then the court will have the responsibili ty of stepping in to establish if such clauses are enforceable or reasonable (Mcdeen 338). With regard to the margin of error test, there is a raging debate as to whether attention needs to be paid to the methodology of the surveyor while conducting a valuation or if the focus ought to be on the output of the valuation (Macod 227). The logic behind this argument is that the end justified the means. If an era was made in the methods and procedures used, it is overlooked if the results of the valuation

Can we identify a compound that could be added to spermatozoa in vitro Assignment

Can we identify a compound that could be added to spermatozoa in vitro to enhance their motility - Assignment Example In particular, sperm motility is an important parameter because it indicates the integrity of the sperm tail and axoneme structures as well as the status of mitochondrial metabolic machinery (Saharkhiz et al., 2013). The World Health Organization uses a 40% cut off as the lower limit of progressive sperm motility. Although the exact cause of asthenospermia is not clear, there is growing evidence that it may arise due to hyper-viscosity of semen, varicoceles, autoimmunity of the sperm cell, and necrospermia resulting from immotile cilia (Kartagener) syndrome (Saharkhiz et al., 2013). Overall, reduced sperm motility indicates epididymal or testicular failure that can be caused by various factors. Currently, treatment of male infertility has focused mainly on the traditional in vitro fertilization (IVF) approach and newer interventions such as micro-epididymal sperm aspirations and microsurgical fertilization. However, these techniques are uncommon in andrological practice. Current research efforts in this area focus on the use of chemical stimulation of spermatozoa. A number of chemicals can stimulate sperm motility including the addition of compounds known to exhibit phosphodiesterase inhibition (PDEI) activity to enhance sperm motility in vitro without compromising sperm morphology and function. PDEIs are a class of related compounds such as pentoxifylline (PTX) that selectively catalyze the hydrolysis of 3’ phosphate bond in cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) phosphate or cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate (cGMP). In one of the pioneering studies on in vitro stimulation of sperm motility, Shen (1991) demonstrated that Pentoxifylline (PTX) increases motility (velocit y) of ejaculated human spermertozoa both in in vitro aesthenozoospermic samples in oral therapy. Related studies have shown that PTX added in sperm suspensions increases sperm motion within 10 days with the motility characteristics persisting

Technological and Economic Factors Affecting Business Environment Essay

Technological and Economic Factors Affecting Business Environment - Essay Example This paper will investigate the changing business environment of the travel industry over the last five years. It will further examine the technological and economic factors that affect the airline industry in UK. Technological Factor The first business in travel and tourism to embrace technological innovation is the airlines industry (Buhalis, 2004, p.1). Dale, et al. (2006, p.4) indicated in his book the early technology adopted by the air travel. Viewdata system was the first technology that connects â€Å"tour operators and travel agencies via terminals.† It grants travel agents to book flights based on the preferences of their customers. In the 1950s, they develop the Computer Reservation System (CRS) to make direct bookings via the system. With the development of Global Distribution System (GDS), travel agents across the globe can access the available flight and seats for travellers. The timeline of technological innovation of the airline industry shows of their early im provements. Therefore, by the year 2005, the airline industry has developed its own booking system to gain competitive advantage. Capoccitti, et al. (2010) indicate the operations improvement of the airline industry by using technology in managing the CO2 emission. The concern of stakeholders, which affects UK travellers, is on reducing the gases that harm the earth’s atmosphere. ... Currently, the travellers can utilise their mobile phone to check-in via the internet, which adds customers’ experience (Boyle, 2011). Hence, innovation and technological advancement are critical to the viability of the airline industry in the new global business environment. Impact of Technology The development of technology increases the competition among the airlines industry because it changes the processing method, the information dissemination, and communication process. With the evolution of technology, the business environment is rapidly changing, which tightens competition. According to Khosrowpour (2003, p.237), airline companies compete with travel agents to obtain a high market share because they refer other airline companies with available flight to customers. Furthermore, Doganis (2006, p.197) states that information technology aids companies in their distribution system and revenue management. The effective forecasting method of most companies is due to the impr ovement of technology, which allows them to predict sales based on the available seats. Hence, it stimulates other companies to adopt technology because it benefits both customers and companies. Moreover, the demand of customers changes. They want fast and accessible service, which motivates companies to improve services. Aside from accessibility, technology is essential for companies that cut cost or expenses. Economic Factor According to the Civil Aviation Authority (2008, pp.1-6), the decline of the traffic growth in UK commenced in the year 2005. This was affected by the 2001 bombings in the United States that instilled fear for most travellers. The security was stabilised to guarantee the safety of leisure and business travellers. Furthermore,

Resume,letter,executive summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Resume,letter,executive summary - Essay Example I graduated in year 2009 with a degree in Electrical Engineering, minor in telecommunications applications. I took the state exam for Electrical Engineer Licensure in April of 2010 and passed with the grade of 93.8%. Although I do not have any substantial experience as a licensed Engineer just yet, I have had exposure working for an Engineering firm in 2009, whereby as was tasked to coordinate directly with the resident Electrical Engineers and to provide the necessary assistance in their operations. Some of the projects I was involved in are on semiconductors and vector works. Though limited as my hands on exposure could be, I believe that I was able to gain a considerable amount of knowledge to equip me as I take on my first real job after graduating and obtaining my license. The skills and expertise of an Electrical Engineer are required in construction projects, particularly on the assembly of electrical and electronic systems needed to mobilize the construction team, and post-project to provide the structure the needed electrical system to function according to its design. The person to hold an entry level Electrical Engineer position is not really expected to have intermediate experience on circuit breakers, transformers, induction motors, and other equipment. However, he must have basic knowledge on the principles and basic know hows. He must be able to discuss the principles and apply the concepts as he is prepared to go hands on later on after a period of immersion. Electrical Engineers in an entry level position are expected to assist in the design, implementation, maintenance and improvement of electrical instruments, facilities, products and equipment for various purposes, including commercial, domestic, and industrial purposes. They are also expected to be knowledgeable on the operations of computer-assisted engineering and design software to perform tasks needed to complete a project. As these personnel are still starting up their

Risk management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Risk management - Essay Example Because of this, it is in order to posit that drilling not only readily brings serious risks, but listing 30 of the most significant physical accident risk sources may also thus be in order. List of risks 1) Structural or infrastructural collapse 2) Trips, slips and falls 3) Explosions and fire outbreaks 4) Oil spills 5) Human error 6) Natural forces such as strong wind, hurricane or tropical storm 7) Unsupportive environmental conditions such as soggy ground after rainfall. This may lead to the infrastructure giving way or the rigs not holding firmly to the ground 8) Poisoning 9) Long-term cumulative environmental impacts of offshore drilling which may trigger anoxic conditions, and thereby harming the environment, flora and fauna 10) Ice or glacial action 11) Helicopter accidents 12) Crane accidents and malfunction 13) Earthquakes 14) Falling debris 15) Incompetence, inadequate training and fatigue 16) Drowning 17) Dumping of drilling fluids and metal cuttings into the ocean 18) Ai r pollution 19) Pipeline leakages 20) Water transport accidents 21) Flooding 22) Negligence such as the failure mark equipment, leading to burns and cuts 23) Contamination of food 24) Mercury poisoning and resulting health complications 25) Hearing loss to humans and marine life 26) Climate change due to burning of fossils which produce black carbon 27) General feeling of malaise 28) Cancer 29) Radiation 30) Attacks by marine life Scale 1-10 Risk sustained 1 Trips, slips and falls 2 Oil spills 3 Structural and infrastructural collapse 4 Explosions and fire outbreaks 5 Natural forces such as hurricane, strong winds 6 Long-term cumulative impacts 7 Negligence such as failure to label equipment, leading to burns and cuts 8 Unsupportive environmental conditions 9 Poisoning 10 Hearing impairment Trips, Slips and fall Like all other industries, offshore drilling is also characterized with slips, trips and falls. The concomitance between trips, slips and falls and offshore drilling is unde rpinned by the fact that oil rigs and mining site surfaces are always covered with oil. These forms of accidents are so common among offshore drillers that they have been established to occur on any surface- littered decks, rough dried-up, slimy or smooth surfaces included. Loose hatch covers and other objects which protrude into a walkway may also occasion trips, slips and falls. Schermerhon (2011, 45) points out that some of the measures that have been put in place to ensure abatement of slips, trips and falls include the designing, recommendation and subscribing to proper shoe wear. Proper shoe wear includes thick and tough leather boots which are complemented with rubber soles. Rubber soles have firm grips, since mostly, slips are brought about by a very low coefficient of friction. Likewise, the heavy duty nature of these boots succour offshore drillers from being injured when they dash their feet against metallic or concrete erections. Another step that has been used to abate slips, trips and falls is raising awareness on the same, and emphasising the importance of education on safety precautions such as neatness, proper outlaying of the work environment, proper dressing, and erection of warning signs. Another risk that accompanies offshore

The United States Never Had a Closed-door Policy Essay Example for Free

The United States Never Had a Closed-door Policy Essay Lawmakers and policymakers in the United States can continue to enhance American diversity through immigration.   As the world moves toward becoming a global society, American diversity will ehance the global positioning of the United States.   However, careful management of immigration must remain a top priority.   The United States must have stringent immigration policy to prevent entry of undesirable aliens.   But the country should not close its door to good foreigners who want to enhance and develop their talents in the USA.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America   has never turned good people away.   The USA has always been open to new ideas from others.   The US constitution is the product of a synthesis of divergent inclinations, from which comes the most effective constitution in history.   It has always been, and will continue to be, US   policy to give those who have the resolve to succeed every opportunity to thrive in this country. Persons aspiring to become US citizens are generally the cream of the crop in their home countries.   Most are very successful in their fields of expertise.   They are prepared to compete globally and will most likely be successful in the USA.   Since they are already top achievers   they will enhance the competitive edge of this country.     Just as American Blacks, who came here as slaves, are doing well in every field, it is important to remember that most Americans are descendants of   foreign countries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A closed door Policy is not the American way.   Americans are naturally competitive.   The USA has prevailed in nearly every war or battle it has recently engaged in.   The USA has experienced several economic depressions, always recovering successfully.   The USA is not intimidated by the influx of foreigners with various backgrounds, training, and experiences.   The USA can prevail against any competitor because US citizens have a competitive edge.   These experiences have sharpened the USA’s instinctive ability to prevail against any adversary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this age of globalization Americans must not hide in cocoons.  Ã‚   To do so would be counterproductive to maintaining this country’s competitive edge.   The advent of the internet has placed everyone on equal footing with others.   Therefore the USA is able to face competition head-on and remain at the top of the global competitive scale.   Being the primary world super power, the whole world looks to the USA for guidance and as a role model in international affairs.   If the USA puts the brakes on its own national and international policies, the rest world will slow down with it.   The problem is that several countries are waiting and willing to quickly assume the role of world leader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of these aspiring countries is China which already has political, economic, and diplomatic clout with many countries.   China maintained a closed door policy for centuries, eventually finding out the hard way that it was counterproductive.   Now that China’s doors have been opened to outsiders, the nation is experiencing an economic boom unlike any that has been recorded in China’s history. In fact, some economic leaders in other countries are of Chinese descent.   While some Chinese immigrants have attained citizenship status in and adopted foreign countries as their home, their loyalty remains with China.   This gives China a major advantage in dealing with aggressive US policy toward other countries.   Therefore the USA must not be complacent in its role as world super power.   Nor can the US risk cultural isolation from the rest of the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This does not   mean that the USA   has to be liberal in screening prospective immigrants.   The USA   must retain its strict policy against illegal border crossings, especially since many illegal immigrants are instrumental in bringing drugs from Mexico and South America. Failure to secure our borders means that The USA will continue to lose the war on drugs while losing an important generation of Americans to those drugs.   It also means that the crushing burden of failed immigration and homeland security policies will continue to fall exclusively on the shoulders of working men and women.   Not only do illegal aliens, and those who employ them,   cost the nation tens of billions of dollars in social services, principally in health care and education, but they also depress wages for American citizens. (Dobbs 2005)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unskilled foreign labor must be minimized   because it is a   burden to health care programs.   Unskilled foreign labor also creates undue competition for local unskilled workers.   What the USA   needs is for those who have special skills and talents to help improve American society.   The Commission is concerned about unskilled workers in American society.   In an age in which unskilled workers have far too few opportunities available to them, and in which national welfare reform policies will require thousands more to find jobs, the Commission sees no justification for the continued entry of unskilled foreign workers. (Briggs 2001)    The United States must strike a delicate balance between maintaining a strict immigration policy and keeping the borders open to those who will enhance the nation’s reputation.   Americans must remember that that their diversity has helped this country through times of political and economic depression.   The United States continues to be the model for global citizenship. Therefore, policymakers must continue to create policies that enhance that position.   Finally, lawmakers must secure the borders so that the U.S. economy is not overrun with illegal activity and American social structures is not compromised by uncommited or unproductive residents.   The United States of America must be a union of people, from different races and nationalities, whose capabilities are synthesized to push this nation to further greatness.   Works Cited Briggs, Jr., Vernon M. American Unionism and U.S. Immigration Policy. Center for Immigration Studies.   Aug 2001. 1 Mar. 2008. http://www.cis.org/articles/2001/back 1001.pdf. Dobbs, Lou. U.S. policy on immigration is a tragic joke. Arizona Republic 28 Aug. 2005. 1 Mar. 2008 http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/ viewpoints/articles/0828dobbs0828.h tml.

Importance of Natural Product Synthesis

Importance of Natural Product Synthesis History of medicine dates back practically to the existence of human civilization. Historically, the majority of new drugs have been generated from natural products and from compounds derived from natural products. Natural products, including plants, animals and minerals have always been a source of therapeutic agents for many years. Natural products sometimes exhibit pharmacological or biological property that can be of therapeutic benefit in treating diseases. As such, natural products are the active components not only of most  traditional medicines  but also of many newer medications. Furthermore, synthetic analogs of natural products with improved potency and safety can be prepared and therefore natural products are often used as Lead Copmpounds for  drug discovery. In fact, natural products are the inspiration for approximately one half of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs. The birth of the natural product synthesis dates back to 1828 when Friedrich Wà ¶hler synthesized urea, a naturally occurring substance from ammonium cyanate. This event as trivial as it may seem by today’s standards not only gave birth to a boundless science called organic synthesis but also contributed to a demystification of mother Nature by burying the fact that synthesis of nature’s molecules is her exclusive domain. The second major achievement in the field of organic synthesis is the synthesis of acetic acid from elemental carbon by Kolbe3 in 1845. It is historically significant because Kolbe coined the word Synthesis for the first time to describe the process of assembling a chemical compound from other substances. The total synthesis of naturally occurring pigments alizarin in 1869 by Graebe and Liebermann and indigo in 1878 by Baeyer represent landmark accomplishments in the field. Probably, after urea, the most spectacular total synthesis of the nineteenth c entury was that of Emil Fischer’s (†¡)-glucose not only for the complexity of the target but also for the considerable stereochemical control that accompanied it. Figure 1: Although the precedent was set in the nineteenth century, it was only in the twentieth century the field of total synthesis started to flourish when Robert Burns Woodward synthesized Quinine. This event ushered in the modern era of total synthesis and Woodward who received the 1965 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for several brilliant examples of total synthesis such as his 1954 synthesis of strychnine, cholesterol5 is regarded as the father of modern organic synthesis. Figure 2: Today the art of organic synthesis has improved to astoundingly high levels of sophistication. Through its practice, chemists are able to synthesize organic molecules of all types of structural motifs and for all intents and purposes. Some modern classical examples of total synthesis include the synthesis of prostaglandin PG2ÃŽ ± and Ginkgolide by E. J Corey, Ingenol by Wood, Brevetoxin by Nicolaou, Vancomycin by Evans, Taxol by Holton6, Nicolaou7, Wender and Danishefsky8 groups independently. The discipline of natural product synthesis today, is an important field of investigation whose dividends stretch from new scientific knowledge to practical applications. Considered by many as the flagship of organic synthesis, natural product synthesis symbolizes the power of chemical synthesis at any given time and defines its scope and limitations. It also serves to improve chemical synthesis by attempting to push its frontiers into higher molecular complexity, diversity, and efficiency. they can synthesize not only the molecules of nature and their analogues, but also myriad other organic molecules for potential applications in many areas of science, technology and everyday life Introduction to THF-containing natural products Tetrahydrofuran (THF)-containing natural products widely occur in several important families of biologically active compounds, such as the annonaceous acetogenins [1] and polyether antibiotics isolated from Streptomyces organisms (ionomycin, lonomycins A–C, or monensin) [2]. It’s worthwhile at this juncture to discuss few THF ring containing natural products such as which have been of paramount importance to the mankind and also to the researchers who have been actively involved in the synthesis and isolation of these natural products. Acetogenins Acetogenins abbreviated as AAGs are a group of THF-Containing natural products isolated from Annonacae species which are vastly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. They exhibit different biological activities such as antitumor, ant-imalarial, anti microbial, anti protozoal, pesticidal activities2. The common structural features of acetogenins include several free hydroxy groups with various stereo centers, differently located oxygenated functional groups and tetrahydrofuran (THF) ring(s) along the long hydrocarbon chain with an ÃŽ ±, ÃŽ ²-unsaturated ÃŽ ´-lactone moiety at the end. Uvaricin, a bis THF acetogenin was the first of the AAGs isolated from Uvaria acuminata in 1982. It exhibited potent anti-cancer activity by inhibiting NADH cells in the mitochondrion. The total synthesis of Hexepi-Uvaricin was published by Hoye in 1994 and subsequently first total synthesis was achieved by Keinan in 1998. Montanacin D is a non classical acetogenin isolated from the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Annona Montana16 by Qin group in 1999, possessing a 4,8-cis THP ring along with a 16,19-trans THF ring. Ionomycin Amphidinolides Amphidinolides constitute a series of unique cytotoxic polyketide macrolides obtained from marine symbiotic dinoflagellates of the genus Amphidinium, which are symbionts of Okinawan marine flatworms Amphiscolops spp.1 They exhibit potent cytotoxic activity against murine lymphoma L1210 cells and human epidermoid carcinoma KB cells. Given below are some important Amphidinolides that incorporate a THF-ring in their structure Pectenotoxins Pectenotoxin (PTX)-group toxins are a group of polyether macrolide compounds found in microalgae and bivalve molluscs of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and some parts of Europe. Their presence in shellfish was discovered due to their high acute toxicity in the mouse bioassay after intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of lipophilic extracts of shellfish. Pectinotoxins are exclusively produced by Dinophysis species. In shellfish they are always accompanied by closely related okadaic acid (OA)-group toxins. The common structural features of (PTX)-group toxins include a spiroketal group, three THF-rings, a bicyclic ketal and a six-membered cyclic hemiketal (Allingham et al., 2007). PTX2 is beleived to be the main precursor, from which many PTX-group toxins are derived through biotransformation during metabolism in the gut of bivalves. It is suggested that an oxidation of PTX2 occurs, leading to the formation of other PTX-group toxins, including PTX1, PTX3, and PTX6 PTX-group toxins have been shown to cause cell cycle arrest, cell death and apoptosis. The wide range (10-9 and 10-6 M) of effective concentrations of PTX-group toxins as well as the apparent resistance of some cell lines to the cytotoxic effect of PTX-group toxins indicate the existence of cell-specific factors affecting the sensitivity of biological systems to this group of natural compounds. Studies have confirmed that PTX2 induces apoptosis in several cell lines through multiple mechanisms, involving the perturbation of the cell cycle machinery, inhibition of mitotic separation and cytokinesis through the depolymerization of actin filaments. Oscillariolide and Phormidolide Oscillariolide is a halogenated macrolide isolated from a marine blue-green alga Oscillatoria sp. from Gokashowan-Bay, Mie Prefecture. It exhibits significant cytotoxic activity in the echinoderm egg assay. Phormidolide, a closely related macrolide was isolated from the extract of a laboratory culture of an Indonesian isolate of the cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. It displayed cytotoxicity towards drine shrimp with a LC50 of 1.5  µM. The characteristic features of both oscillariolide and phormidolide include a trisubstituted bridged THF macrolactone with a long polyhydroxy chain containing a unique terminal bromo diene. Structural elucidation revealed that the polyhydroxy side as well as THF ring of both compounds have same stereochemistry Chagosensine Chagosensine is a sixteen-membered chlorinated macrolide isolated from the methanolic chloroform extract of a bright yellow sponge Leucetta chagosensis usually found in the coral reefs of Red Sea, Aqaba Gulf (Israel). the extract of the Leucetta sp. sponge exhibited potent ability to inhibit the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway. A new mechanism for the action of naamidine A and inhibition of tumor cells was shown.

History And Contributions Of Helicopters History Essay

History And Contributions Of Helicopters History Essay The helicopter has earned a stout reputation as a workhorse for the myriad of tasks that they can perform. The ability of rotary wing aircraft to be able to not just fly in forward and reverse but to remain stationary in flight has helped American aviation in both the civilian and military realms. Tasks that would have previously required many more resources to complete or put additional workers at an increased risk have now been placed in the helicopters lap. Rotary wing aviation may be young in practical applications but the technology is not new. American aviation would be augmented not by space age marvels but from technology based off of an ancient toy. History Ge Hong It is thought that the first instance of a man-made rotary wing device dates back to ancient China. Around 400BC a man by the name of Ge Hong had noticed how a sycamore seed fell to the ground in a circular fashion. Using the sycamore seed as inspiration he built a toy called the bamboo dragonfly. It was a crude rotor system that featured feathers attached to a center stick. When spun in the hand the wings would lift the toy up and out of the users hands (Gibbs-Smith, 1962; Samuels, 2006). Leonardo da Vinci The next major instance of rotary wing design comes from the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci. In 1483 da Vinci had designed what was called the aerial screw (Samuels, 2006). Though it is not believed to have been built, the design for this crude helicopter did incorporate an onboard power unit (Gibbs-Smith, 1962). Some of his writings would go on to highlight the importance of some of the aspects of modern aerodynamics we understand today: center of gravity, center of pressure, and streamlining (Aerospace: The Flight of Discovery, 1992). Sir George Cayley Sir George Cayley, known as the father of modern aerodynamics, had also studied the design of helicopters. Cayley had designed and built an unpowered helicopter glider that did fly, albeit only a few feet (Tucker, 2010). This was done using a design based upon an earlier helicopter toy created by Frenchmen Launoy and Bienvenu which took their design ultimately from those ancient Chinese toys (Gibbs-Smith, 1962). He felt that the original design could be perfected. His new designs would feature counter-rotating blades to help with the torque produced by a single rotor (Seddon, Newman, Seddon, 2011) Sir George Cayley has been credited as stating To be of ordinary use, they [flying machines] must be capable of landing at any place where there is space to receive them, and of ascending again from that point (Gibbs-Smith, 1962). This would sum up precisely what helicopters should and would do. Igor Sikorsky Next we jump ahead to the 1930s with Russian immigrant Igor Sikorsky. Sikorsky had already established himself in aircraft design and construction through the S-38 clipper seaplane used extensively by Pan American Airlines as well as various other designs (Ingram Stansell, 2010). He had dreamed for a long time of creating a rotary wing aircraft and had studied Leonardo da Vincis designs (Turner, 2000). A German designer had created the first manned powered helicopter but it would be Sikorsky that would make the first mass produced design (Seddon, Newman, Seddon, 2011). His VS-300 would be the first of Sikorskys helicopters and through military support would become the R-4, a design using a single main rotor and a single tail rotor (Turner, 2000; Aerospace: The Flight of Discovery, 1992). Designs previous to this had two main rotors in tandem in order to counteract torque generated by a single rotor (Ingram Stansell, 2010). The Sikorsky R-4 would be one of the first designs to be u tilized in a theater of war. The U.S. Army and British Army would use them towards the end of WWII for rescue of downed aircrew in the Burma theater (Turner, 2000; Tucker, 2010). Civilian Applications We have seen how the modern design of helicopters progressed from simple toy to complex flying machine. The genie was out of the bottle and the capabilities were not lost on civil aviation in the U.S. The civilian populace has seen the helicopter used from rescue to construction work and agricultural use. It has helped to save countless lives and increase companies profits alike. Medical and Lifesaving The medical field has used the helicopter extensively in life-saving ambulance duties. With the introduction of helicopters first responders could now reach the scene of an accident in less time than a ground based ambulance. It would also allow rescuers to access areas that are either too remote or too distant (Chandrakanth Bangalore, 2011). A good example of this would be medical rescues from offshore oil rigs (Ozdamar, 2011). These air ambulances would carry all necessary lifesaving equipment to treat trauma patients enroute to the hospital for further care. Over the last few decades the number of helicopters being utilized for civilian air ambulance has increased to nearly 900 (Chandrakanth Bangalore, 2011). This increase in response time allows more lives saved through rapid treatment during what is known as the golden hour (Chandrakanth Bangalore, 2011). This is the critical time for a trauma patient to receive advanced care and surgical intervention to prevent long-term dam age to vital organs (Golden hour, 2009). Besides carrying patients onboard the helicopter, it can also be utilized to carry supplies for disaster relief on an external cargo hook. This can allow a greater amount of needed supplies, such as vaccines, to reach those in need than a ground vehicle can. This is especially true if the roads to access the disaster area are impassable (Ozdamar, 2011). Cargo Lifting It is from this external cargo capability where civilian aviation gains great use. Construction firms have used helicopters to aid in building construction where cranes might not be optimum or even possible. Igor Sikorsky again saw the potential of the helicopter in the cargo lifting role and designed what would become the crane helicopter or Skycrane (McKenna). During a dissertation Sikorsky would mention the need for a helicopter of this particular type to transport items that when preassembled were too bulky to transport by other means. His aim was to be able to deliver items that were preassembled and ready to use thereby cutting down the overall construction time required (McKenna). One incident that showcases the need for helicopters, as well as those with cargo capabilities, would be in December of 1967. A Chevron offshore oil rig experienced an emergency and required a replacement 8,000 pound hydraulic pump be delivered to restart operations. At the time the weather was foul and would not permit normal sea-bound delivery (which on a normal day could take up to 26 hours). Within 22 minutes a Skycrane had delivered the much needed pump and restored operations which in turn saved Chevron financially (McKenna). Utility Companies The electrical utility industry would utilize the unique capabilities of the helicopter but not for its cargo capability. Electric companies would seize the helicopter to perform daunting maintenance on high-power lines. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which contains a seven-state service territory and over 17,000 miles of power lines, has used helicopters for electrical line maintenance and inspection, setting poles, and stringing wire (Herring Feerst, 2005). This availability helps to reduce maintenance times and costs using minimal crew. This is critical especially in times of severe weather when needing to inspect and repair power lines. The TVA can get maintenance teams, with tools, to any spot on the line in quicker time than a truck and give the electrician a more stable platform to work from at height (Herring Feerst, 2005). Agriculture Farmers have used aircraft from an early start to help control their crops. Through the use of crop dusting farmers were able to keep pests from consuming crops and destroying a valuable source of income. Crop dusting would also be used to fertilize crops. Aviation had been seen as a time saver in that an airplane could cover a greater area in less time than a traditional machine. Helicopters would enable farmers to have even greater and more even coverage when spraying crops thanks to the ability to hover and enter tight, confined areas (Aerospace: The Flight of Discovery, 1992). The downwash created by a helicopters rotor system would be the key to an even distribution of chemicals. With this the chemicals would be dispersed more evenly to include the underside of plant leaves. Another of the advantages given a helicopter over an airplane is that a helicopter can refill at the farm without having to make a return trip to an airfield, thus saving time (Aerospace: The Flight of Disco very, 1992). Military Applications The U.S. military has always looked for what the next great weapon can be. The helicopter was certainly one of those. Almost as soon as Igor Sikorsky produced the R-4 in quantity the U.S. military has found ways to implement them to great success. Much like their civilian counterparts the military helicopter has been used in lifesaving, transportation of personnel and cargo, but also with a new combat role. The helicopter gunship has become an indispensable tool in the U.S. militarys arsenal. Medical Evacuation Before weapon technology advanced and military planners knew what helicopters really could accomplish they were being used as a rescue platform. Towards the end of WWII the U.S. used the Sikorsky R-4 to rescue flyers that were downed in the water or in other hard to reach areas in the Burma theater (Turner, 2000). This was normally accomplished through the use of PBY-4 Catalina seaplanes. The R-4 helicopter could get to those pilots that were in the dense jungle or near a coastline. This capability would decrease the amount of time that both the downed flyer and the rescue aircraft were subject to engagement or capture by the enemy. Also in 1944 an R-4 (belonging to the Coast Guard) helped to deliver blood plasma to sailors wounded during an explosion aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer (Seddon, Newman, Seddon, 2011). From these moments in the waning days of WWII the helicopter would always be seen as a method of saving lives on the battlefield. During the Korean War a Bell design would earn the moniker of Angel of Mercy. The Bell H13 (Bell 47) was utilized extensively to rescue wounded soldiers from the battlefield and deliver them to Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (Seddon, Newman, Seddon, 2011; Driscoll, 2001). Thanks largely to the use of helicopters the mortality rate during the Korean War was 2.4%, the lowest to date for any major war (Driscoll, 2001). From the WWII, to present day conflicts helicopters are still widely used by the U.S. military for medical evacuation contributing to continued low mortality rates. The Bell H13 would be replaced by the Bell UH-1 Huey and eventually the Sikorsky H-60 series. Cargo and Utility Helicopters The Korean War was the first war where the U.S. military found widespread use for the helicopter. The helicopter would be used for artillery spotting and observation giving the observer a better view of the battlefield for calling in artillery support. Unlike the fixed wing counterpart the helicopter could loiter for longer and operate from bases closer to the frontline (Samuels, 2006; Tucker, 2010). Ground based combat units would come to utilize helicopters to transport not only personnel but much needed equipment by helicopter. With the use of helicopters ground commanders could reach areas previously unreachable through ground transportation or at least risk to lose valuable resources in effort. Helicopters could airlift artillery pieces to hilltops to quickly aid in ground support from high ground or deliver troops far behind enemy lines (Samuels, 2006). The war in Vietnam would become largely known as a helicopter war due to the extensive use of helicopters to wage war. It was from this war that much of modern rotary wing warfare doctrine was derived. Though the U.S. Marine Corps had first pioneered airmobile helicopter warfare during the Korean War it wouldnt be until the Vietnam War that this practice was employed in a wide spread fashion (Tucker, 2010). Cargo would follow closely behind. Helicopters that were designed with cargo transport as a primary mission were entering the scene for much the same reason. In order to deliver crucial supplies to remote locations in substantial quantity the U.S. would use helicopters such as the CH-54 Tarhe (Sikorsky Skycrane), UH-34 Choctaw, SH-3 Sea King, CH-47 Chinook, and its smaller cousin the CH-46 Sea Knight (Tucker, 2010; Polmar, 2012). The CH-54 had a payload capacity of upwards of 20,000 pounds depending on the model (McKenna). Heavy lift helicopters could deliver artillery, light tank s, or even bridges to the frontlines. Very little was beyond the capability of the CH-54 (McKenna). To demonstrate the versatility of cargo aircraft the U.S. Navy utilized first the UH-34 then later the SH-3 for retrieval of crewmembers from the ocean as well as retrieval of NASAs Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space capsules after re-entry and splashdown (Polmar, 2012). Gunship The Vietnam War also saw the first uses of the gunship in combat. In previous wars the close combat support role was left to low flying propeller airplanes. The U.S. military found that helicopters could be a weapons platform given the ability to hover or operate in confined spaces without needing an improved airfield to conduct operations. Initially the U.S. military would use existing airframes such as the Bell UH-1 and attach offensive armament such as rockets and grenade launchers. Though crude it proved the gunships worth and would lead to development of more advanced purpose built gunships such as the Bell AH-1 Cobra, the first attack helicopter (Tucker, 2010). So important and versatile was the AH-1 Cobra that the U.S. Marine Corps still utilizes the Cobra today. It has gone through several avionics upgrades to meet current military aviation demands (Update on Cobra-Huey upgrade program, 1996). As technology advanced, with it too was the gunship. Using lessons learned from Vietnam the military looked for a new attack helicopter with even more capabilities. One of the early designs was the AH-56 Cheyenne. It could fly over 200 knots while carrying TOW anti-tank rockets and a 30mm cannon. It would also utilize advanced targeting systems. Ultimately this program would be cancelled in part to budget constraints (Prouty Yackle, 1992). The next gunship to be developed and used to this day would be the Boeing AH-64 Apache. It can fly 180mph, up to 1,100 miles in range, and carry 2.75 inch rockets, Hellfire anti-tank missiles, and a 30mm cannon (Aerospace: The Flight of Discovery, 1992). This airframe would become a flying tank killer. Presidential mission and the Osprey One mission that showcases how important rotary wing aviation has become to the U.S. was the decision to use helicopters to transport the President of the United States, the First family, and other members of government. The U.S. Marine Corps squadron HMX-1 has largely used the VH-60N, and the VH-3D (Corps unveils new presidential helicopter, 2005). Both of these were modified from existing airframes in service in the military to serve in Very Important Person missions. The U.S. Marine Corps has looked into replacing their current fleet of presidential helicopters with the MV-22 Osprey (Sanborn, 2011). The Osprey is already currently in use with the U.S. Marine Corps. This new airframe blurs the line between airplane and helicopter through use of large tilting engines and rotors. The MV-22 can start as a helicopter with the engines rotated vertically and mid-flight rotate the engines horizontal to fly as an airplane. This allows the Osprey great versatility in regards to areas of operation and mission types (Hanifen, 1995). The U.S. Marine Corps can use this airframe to transport cargo and equipment much like an airplane or cargo helicopter or insert a larger number of troops compared to the modernized UH-1 still in use by the U.S. Marines (Hanifen, 1995; Update on Cobra-Huey upgrade program, 1996). The U.S. Air Force has kept an eye on the Osprey as a contender for use as a combat search and rescue platform as part of its CSAR-X program thanks to its capabilities (Rotorcraft report, 2009). Summary and Conclusion Helicopter design started with humble beginnings as a toy in ancient China. Through the ages it has progressed to be a vital part of both civil and military applications. It has served in as many roles as the pioneers of the field can think of them. Countless lives have been saved by use of helicopters. Stranded mountain climbers and hikers or even people stranded due to natural disasters have come to expect rescue as a norm when before helicopters they would have been left to their own for survival. The U.S. military has seen helicopters as a vital tool to bring the war to the enemy regardless of terrain. With them the military can press the attack from a closer distance bearing powerful weaponry and just as easily ensure wounded receive critical care in a timely manner. Mortality rates are at their lowest thanks in part to the ability to transport wounded quickly from the battle to the hospital. Next on the horizon are unmanned aircraft to do those missions deemed dull, dirty, or dangerous. The hover capability of unmanned helicopters lends itself to observation, attack, or resupply missions without exposing crews to unnecessary risk. Same can be said for any utility companies that join in the project. Use of unmanned helicopters for wire inspection or even police duties would decrease the work hour cost while maintaining the same workload.

Revenge of the Killer Genre :: Quentin Tarantino John Cawelti Films Essays

Revenge of the Killer Genre After years of repeated thematic motifs and unchanging, stereotypical characters, films within a genre often lose their vitality. The conventions become predictable and the underlying myth becomes boring and banal. The innovative director will seek to revitalize a popular myth through a "generic transformation" (Cawelti 520). This essay shall demonstrate how Quentin Tarantino borrows a traditional myth from the gangster genre, subverts it and subsequently installs a new, unorthodox myth in its place. The end result is a new type of film that reaches beyond the established confines of the gangster genre. As with Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde, the radical innovations included in Pulp Fiction make it hard to situate the film within mainstream cinema; it is, as John Cawelti would agree, "difficult to know what to call this type of film". While Penn's film and Tarantino's Pulp Fiction clearly acknowledge the conventions of the gangster genre, it is only as a point of departure. Tarantino introduces enigmatic characters and complex incongruities which combine to successfully remove his film from the "conventions of a traditional popular genre" (Cawelti 505). Cawelti describes the myth within the gangster film as "affirm[ing] the limits of individual aggression and violence ... show[ing] how violence evokes its own inevitable doom" (Cawelti 516). In Pulp Fiction and Bonnie and Clyde, the directors subvert the "traditional elements" and the "traditional mythical world ..." (Cawelti 505) is confounded. Thus begin the generic transformations. The directors thoroughly undermine the traditional myths and effectively replace them with myths of their own construction. The complexities of structure, character and theme within Pulp Fiction exceed the conventional boundaries of the gangster genre and the myths commonly associated with gangster films become inadequate. The narrative leads to non-romanticized situations and characters that appear too realistic to be contained within the "inadequate" boundaries of the gangster myth (Cawelti 510). Here then, Tarantino is effectively exposing the inadequacies of the gangster myth. The myth of the gangster is exposure by first firmly establishing the conventional gangster persona. Within the gangster environment, a darkened night club for example, the gangster looks the part; black suit, jewellery, sunglasses and the inevitable guns construct the image of menace. So too do his mannerisms, the gangster is a cocky, self-assured tough guy. The story within the film titled "The Bonnie Situation", provides an example an undermined gangster myth. Here, the two gangsters, Jules and Vincent, must retrieve and deliver a package that has been stolen. Revenge of the Killer Genre :: Quentin Tarantino John Cawelti Films Essays Revenge of the Killer Genre After years of repeated thematic motifs and unchanging, stereotypical characters, films within a genre often lose their vitality. The conventions become predictable and the underlying myth becomes boring and banal. The innovative director will seek to revitalize a popular myth through a "generic transformation" (Cawelti 520). This essay shall demonstrate how Quentin Tarantino borrows a traditional myth from the gangster genre, subverts it and subsequently installs a new, unorthodox myth in its place. The end result is a new type of film that reaches beyond the established confines of the gangster genre. As with Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde, the radical innovations included in Pulp Fiction make it hard to situate the film within mainstream cinema; it is, as John Cawelti would agree, "difficult to know what to call this type of film". While Penn's film and Tarantino's Pulp Fiction clearly acknowledge the conventions of the gangster genre, it is only as a point of departure. Tarantino introduces enigmatic characters and complex incongruities which combine to successfully remove his film from the "conventions of a traditional popular genre" (Cawelti 505). Cawelti describes the myth within the gangster film as "affirm[ing] the limits of individual aggression and violence ... show[ing] how violence evokes its own inevitable doom" (Cawelti 516). In Pulp Fiction and Bonnie and Clyde, the directors subvert the "traditional elements" and the "traditional mythical world ..." (Cawelti 505) is confounded. Thus begin the generic transformations. The directors thoroughly undermine the traditional myths and effectively replace them with myths of their own construction. The complexities of structure, character and theme within Pulp Fiction exceed the conventional boundaries of the gangster genre and the myths commonly associated with gangster films become inadequate. The narrative leads to non-romanticized situations and characters that appear too realistic to be contained within the "inadequate" boundaries of the gangster myth (Cawelti 510). Here then, Tarantino is effectively exposing the inadequacies of the gangster myth. The myth of the gangster is exposure by first firmly establishing the conventional gangster persona. Within the gangster environment, a darkened night club for example, the gangster looks the part; black suit, jewellery, sunglasses and the inevitable guns construct the image of menace. So too do his mannerisms, the gangster is a cocky, self-assured tough guy. The story within the film titled "The Bonnie Situation", provides an example an undermined gangster myth. Here, the two gangsters, Jules and Vincent, must retrieve and deliver a package that has been stolen.

The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Essay

The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, outlines how a society should be run under communism. The document provides truths to what is wrong with society; what causes these wrongs; how they can be fixed; and how this relates to humans and nature. Marx was a political philosopher of German ancestry. Marx and Engels split the document up into four sections: Section 1: Bourgeois and Proletarians, section 2: Proletarians and Communists, section 3: Socialists and Communist literature, and section 4: Positions of the Communists in relation to the Various Existing Opposition Parties. The first section, Bourgeoisie and Proletarians, focuses on the struggle between the classes created in society. Marx refers back to the Middle Ages to show how complicated the class system was. â€Å"In the Middle Ages, feudal lords, vassals, guild-masters, journeymen, apprentices, serfs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (1) all made up different stratas of society. With all of these groups of different trades and economic stability, oppression was bound to happen. Society did not contain many groups and classes as in the middle ages. Society was formed from two basic groups, the Bourgeoisie and Proletarians. The bourgeoisie was a class constructed of people who owned property. These people were the wealthier half of society. The proletarians were those of the lowest class of society. Marx discusses how the bourgeoisie came to be such a strong member of society. This happened through the occurrence of the Industrial Revolution. New machinery changed all of industrial production. With these new advances, Marx describes that the middle class was destroyed and industrial millionaires resu... ...ss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The fourth and final section, Positions of the Communists in relation to the Various Existing Opposition Parties, talks about how communists work with different parties. Marx describes their relationship by stating that they try to find parties that hold similar beliefs. Communists try to find parties that believe in power to the working class and believe in the overthrowing of the bourgeoisie. Marx concludes by saying that the working class must unite and use force to overcome oppressors. The Communist Manifesto, presents the basic beliefs of communism. Marx puts strong emphasis on the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletarians. Marx believes that the proletarians must come together by recognizing that they are all alike and fight the bourgeoisie. Once this happens, then such oppressors will not hold down society as the bourgeoisie.

Education and Martin Luther King

Education is a fundamental way of life. A means to learn something new, the intention is to mentally, physically, and emotionally benefit the person by putting them in a better place than they were previously in before. This is an example of what my dad said â€Å"If could, if I had the power to change something. It would be education, the fundamental base in everyone’s life. † Education is something that leads us to reach our goals and to be successful in life. So primary, we need education to be successful. Education includes moral values, and much more.But nowadays the meaning of education is misunderstood by people. Without education nothing is Achieve. Education is very important in every human life. Some people are not to be educated but they intense is too reached their goals, in my view education means which lead us to our destiny. If you think about Education, it gives us a basic knowledge about our surroundings. It is the first step that helps begin our journe y to reach success. We can reach success without education but we have to work hard or try till we reach our goal or success.Education is not only the way for us to reach our success, but it's just a step to reach knowledge. Education is must for every person on today's life education has become a basic need of every one's life it is a key to success. Education is the key to all we need in life without education and knowledge no one can be successful. Education is necessary for success. Martin Luther King Jr, wrote that‘’ Education should equip them with the proper instruments of exploitation so they can forever trample over the masses’’, meaning that education will give us the things necessary to overcome all obstacles in our life.The need for Education encourages us to be successful. Educations are what leads a human to being successful, and make an improvement in life. Malcolm X provides an argument which states that education is important no matter whe re it is received. Education helps us to understand ourselves better also it helps us to learn about our strengths and weaknesses. Omar Bradley wrote that â€Å"education makes people easy to lead but difficult to drive, easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.’’How can it that someone can be taught something and they grasp the whole concept of it, they understand it fully and still they don’t use it in their life as if the things they were taught meant nothing to them† A fundamental desire of parents is for their children to have a better education. Every parent dreams for their children to be successful in life and that all starts with education, our parents know the true meaning of work, they don’t want us to go through the struggles they went through to be where they are now.They instruct us to do the best in school from pre-k to college because they know it will help us in the long run. They inspire us to do better not only for our futures b ut also our kid’s future. Education gives us a lot of opportunities, not only for us but people around me and our futures children. Education is something that we need in life, something that we need to do so we can become successful in life, education gives us opportunities like jobs, and it gives us a better life. Without education our world would not continue to expand and evolve. Education and Martin Luther King Education is a fundamental way of life. A means to learn something new, the intention is to mentally, physically, and emotionally benefit the person by putting them in a better place than they were previously in before. This is an example of what my dad said â€Å"If could, if I had the power to change something. It would be education, the fundamental base in everyone’s life. † Education is something that leads us to reach our goals and to be successful in life. So primary, we need education to be successful. Education includes moral values, and much more.But nowadays the meaning of education is misunderstood by people. Without education nothing is Achieve. Education is very important in every human life. Some people are not to be educated but they intense is too reached their goals, in my view education means which lead us to our destiny. If you think about Education, it gives us a basic knowledge about our surroundings. It is the first step that helps begin our journe y to reach success. We can reach success without education but we have to work hard or try till we reach our goal or success.Education is not only the way for us to reach our success, but it's just a step to reach knowledge. Education is must for every person on today's life education has become a basic need of every one's life it is a key to success. Education is the key to all we need in life without education and knowledge no one can be successful. Education is necessary for success. Martin Luther King Jr, wrote that‘’ Education should equip them with the proper instruments of exploitation so they can forever trample over the masses’’, meaning that education will give us the things necessary to overcome all obstacles in our life.The need for Education encourages us to be successful. Educations are what leads a human to being successful, and make an improvement in life. Malcolm X provides an argument which states that education is important no matter whe re it is received. Education helps us to understand ourselves better also it helps us to learn about our strengths and weaknesses. Omar Bradley wrote that â€Å"education makes people easy to lead but difficult to drive, easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.’’How can it that someone can be taught something and they grasp the whole concept of it, they understand it fully and still they don’t use it in their life as if the things they were taught meant nothing to them† A fundamental desire of parents is for their children to have a better education. Every parent dreams for their children to be successful in life and that all starts with education, our parents know the true meaning of work, they don’t want us to go through the struggles they went through to be where they are now.They instruct us to do the best in school from pre-k to college because they know it will help us in the long run. They inspire us to do better not only for our futures b ut also our kid’s future. Education gives us a lot of opportunities, not only for us but people around me and our futures children. Education is something that we need in life, something that we need to do so we can become successful in life, education gives us opportunities like jobs, and it gives us a better life. Without education our world would not continue to expand and evolve.

Discussing the architecture of Michelangelo

Mannerism refers to a time of European art that began around 1520 in Italy, and lasted until around 1580 to 1600, when the Baroque style of art and architecture began to replace it, but it did continue in many forms until the 17th century. The characteristics of Mannerism include artificial qualities that go against the harmonious, natural elements of High Renaissance art, and a great deal of sophistication, complexity and innovation in design.Michelangelo was one of the greatest practitioners of Mannerism for several reasons. Elegance and innovation are two of the primary elements of Mannerism, and Michelangelo certainly practiced both those elements in his art. Some of his greatest architectural and artistic endeavors contain these elements, combined with sophistication in the design and execution of the works such as the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. The paintings on the ceilings have stood the test of time, and retain their beauty, complexity and eloquence even today.In addition, the concept of painting on the ceiling of a wondrous piece of architecture was also one of Michelangelo's innovations, illustrating how he actively participated in the Mannerism movement. In architecture, Michelangelo also excelled as a Mannerist. â€Å"Mannerist architects were no less interested in ancient classical architecture than were their predecessors, but they found other qualities in ancient Roman architecture to exploit. In fact, they often displayed an even greater knowledge of antiquity than did earlier artists† (Italian Mannerism or Late Renaissnce, 2009).Michelangelo's greatest architectural achievements, such as the Laurentian Library in Florence, helped indicate he was a Mannerist by its' obvious breaking of many architectural rules of the time, showing not only its elegance, but its novelty and sophistication, as well. Michelangelo uses classic design in his building, but adds a new way of assembling them throughout the design in novel and unusual motifs. In th e Palazzo Farnese in Rome, Michelangelo used unnatural and manufactured views throughout the building, another trademark of Mannerist buildings. Many architects view Michelangelo as one of the geniuses of the movement.His, â€Å"Medici Chapel in San Lorenzo was executed, in Vasari's opinion, ‘in a style more varied and novel than that of any other master,' and ‘thus all artists are under a great and eternal obligation to Michelangelo, seeing that he broke the fetters and chains that had earlier confined them to the creation of traditional forms† (Italian Mannerism or Late Renaissnce, 2009). Michelangelo knew how to push the envelope in design and execution, and was interested in change, rather than copying other styles, which are also elements of the Mannerist style of architecture.His greatest Mannerist achievement is St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, a massive project that took him over 18 years to design, and was not completed before his death. This beautiful build ing was dominated by a huge dome that would have been incredible had it been completed during Michelangelo's life. Later changes to the building altered the dome and its effect on the overall building design, but it was one of his greatest achievements, and the innovation and spectacular dimensions of the design helped cement Michelangelo as one of the premier Mannerist architects and artists of the day.Mannerism eventually fell out of favor in Europe, and was replaced by other forms of architecture, including the intricate and detailed Baroque, which followed Mannerism. It was one of the greatest epics of Italian architecture and design, led by one of the greatest artists of all time, Michelangelo. Works Cited Italian Mannerism or Late Renaissnce. (2009, January 16). Retrieved from Italian Mannerism: http://www. cartage. org. lb/en/themes/arts/Architec/MannerismArchitecture/ItalianMannerism/ItalianMannerism. htm Janson's History of Art. (2007). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education , Inc.

John milton

When I consider how my light is spent†, and â€Å"How Soon Hath Time†, the poet refers to his blindness and the use of time. From the death of his infant son, to the death of his wife, down to Milton becoming blind, surprisingly, he had yet to let these obstacles stop him from being the amazing writer/Poet we was. â€Å"When I considered how my light is spent†, is a sonnet referring to his blindness nd his secret obsession with time.Towards the end of this sonnet he questions his God as to why Milton's â€Å"one talent† (line 3) was taken from him (his sight) and how it is possible to serve God with his blindness. Milton knows that he is talented, â€Å"though my Soul more bent to serve therewith my Maker, and present my true account, lest he returning chide;† (lines 4-6) his soul desires â€Å"bent† to use his skills in the service of his â€Å"Maker,† God, but doesn't know how to deal with it: â€Å"And that one talent which is death to hide† (line 3). It is ironic because here is a man who is incredibly talented, et isn't able to use his talents.Because its â€Å"Lodged with [me] useless, though my soul more bent†, where he almost bluntly states that he knows he has an amazing talent, which is his astounding ability to write amazing poems and such writings. â€Å"He does consider his blindness briefly in the poem, but taking Milton's work so literally as to suppose that his blindness was all that he was talking about doesn't give credit to Milton's completely abstract thinking nor his depth of understanding holy literature. â€Å"( Georgii ). The start of the poem goes smooth as he tells the reader is view of being blind.Then midstream the poem he slips into the conversation about god as his maker and how Milton is supposed to serve God in his blind state. He refers to â€Å"Light†, which is also referred to in the bible. He attempts to describe man's relationship with god. I believe he i s referring to light in the form of which Jesus speaks of light when quoting the Bible (all forms) Jesus says, â€Å"and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:15;Contemperary English Version): â€Å"Jesus proceeded here to show them that the very reason why they were enlightened was that others might also see the light, and be benefited by it.When people light a candle, they do not conceal the light, but place it where it may be of use. So it is with religion. It is given that we may benefit others. It is not to be concealed, but suffered to show itself, and to shed light on a surrounding wicked world† (Barne's). In the scripture it also says â€Å"For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that ill not be known or brought out into the open. (Luke 8:17). As I am still referring to Milton's â€Å"Light†. His talent is nothing to hide, but feels as though, due to his loss of sight. Because he can no longer see light he is forced to â€Å"see† in another way. Fore his blindness does not attect ni ty to write, but it only makes it more difficult but not impossible. The bible also states, â€Å"The light of the body is in the eye; therefore when thine eye is single thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body is full of darkness.If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light† Here, eye does not literally mean eye in the sense of seeing but in the sense of what is within a person. Solely speaking that Milton isn't necessarily an evil person but due to his own insecurities feels as though. Because of his â€Å"dark world and wide†, feels he has not yet seen the light. Milton claims his talent is â€Å"useless†, and by not using his talent to write an epic poem, Milton thinks he's wasting it.In the Bi blical story, â€Å"a master gives servants oins (talents) to turn a profit on them; when one servant buries the talent instead, the master chides him for not putting it in the bank and earning interest. The master is supposed to be God† (web. ) So this chimes into â€Å"lest He returning chide†, that he wants his â€Å"true account† meaning he wants to be recognized for what he's worth. His One talent was far more than a biblical day-laborer could expect to earn. â€Å"His state Is kingly: thousands at His bidding speed, And post o'er land and ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait†.Meaning that god is holy and bove all, because he created your talent he only serves those who wait. By the end of this poem he shows that he has learned the conclusion to his hidden talent which is not to sit and do nothing or wait without any effort or prolonging for what you want but Instead, he's trying to say that god only serves those who wait for b etter or remain faithful to his kingly name. While this amazing epic poem stresses the fact that god is behind you, one of his other sonnets expresses otherwise, â€Å"How soon hath time†, talks about aging and how it happens so fast.Hes Just turned 24 and everything is feeling like its going so fast. His life is excelling at a faster rate than he'd like, and he Just wants to do great things with his life. I don't think he feels as he's done enough for where he is, even though he clearly has. At the end he calms down and takes a break. He says the heavens will lead him to where he should be. And he wants to use all of his talents God gave him, and use them to his full potential. â€Å"My hasting days fly on wtih full career, But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th. Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth, John milton When I consider how my light is spent†, and â€Å"How Soon Hath Time†, the poet refers to his blindness and the use of time. From the death of his infant son, to the death of his wife, down to Milton becoming blind, surprisingly, he had yet to let these obstacles stop him from being the amazing writer/Poet we was. â€Å"When I considered how my light is spent†, is a sonnet referring to his blindness nd his secret obsession with time.Towards the end of this sonnet he questions his God as to why Milton's â€Å"one talent† (line 3) was taken from him (his sight) and how it is possible to serve God with his blindness. Milton knows that he is talented, â€Å"though my Soul more bent to serve therewith my Maker, and present my true account, lest he returning chide;† (lines 4-6) his soul desires â€Å"bent† to use his skills in the service of his â€Å"Maker,† God, but doesn't know how to deal with it: â€Å"And that one talent which is death to hide† (line 3). It is ironic because here is a man who is incredibly talented, et isn't able to use his talents.Because its â€Å"Lodged with [me] useless, though my soul more bent†, where he almost bluntly states that he knows he has an amazing talent, which is his astounding ability to write amazing poems and such writings. â€Å"He does consider his blindness briefly in the poem, but taking Milton's work so literally as to suppose that his blindness was all that he was talking about doesn't give credit to Milton's completely abstract thinking nor his depth of understanding holy literature. â€Å"( Georgii ). The start of the poem goes smooth as he tells the reader is view of being blind.Then midstream the poem he slips into the conversation about god as his maker and how Milton is supposed to serve God in his blind state. He refers to â€Å"Light†, which is also referred to in the bible. He attempts to describe man's relationship with god. I believe he i s referring to light in the form of which Jesus speaks of light when quoting the Bible (all forms) Jesus says, â€Å"and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:15;Contemperary English Version): â€Å"Jesus proceeded here to show them that the very reason why they were enlightened was that others might also see the light, and be benefited by it.When people light a candle, they do not conceal the light, but place it where it may be of use. So it is with religion. It is given that we may benefit others. It is not to be concealed, but suffered to show itself, and to shed light on a surrounding wicked world† (Barne's). In the scripture it also says â€Å"For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that ill not be known or brought out into the open. (Luke 8:17). As I am still referring to Milton's â€Å"Light†. His talent is nothing to hide, but feels as though, due to his loss of sight. Because he can no longer see light he is forced to â€Å"see† in another way. Fore his blindness does not attect ni ty to write, but it only makes it more difficult but not impossible. The bible also states, â€Å"The light of the body is in the eye; therefore when thine eye is single thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body is full of darkness.If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light† Here, eye does not literally mean eye in the sense of seeing but in the sense of what is within a person. Solely speaking that Milton isn't necessarily an evil person but due to his own insecurities feels as though. Because of his â€Å"dark world and wide†, feels he has not yet seen the light. Milton claims his talent is â€Å"useless†, and by not using his talent to write an epic poem, Milton thinks he's wasting it.In the Bi blical story, â€Å"a master gives servants oins (talents) to turn a profit on them; when one servant buries the talent instead, the master chides him for not putting it in the bank and earning interest. The master is supposed to be God† (web. ) So this chimes into â€Å"lest He returning chide†, that he wants his â€Å"true account† meaning he wants to be recognized for what he's worth. His One talent was far more than a biblical day-laborer could expect to earn. â€Å"His state Is kingly: thousands at His bidding speed, And post o'er land and ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait†.Meaning that god is holy and bove all, because he created your talent he only serves those who wait. By the end of this poem he shows that he has learned the conclusion to his hidden talent which is not to sit and do nothing or wait without any effort or prolonging for what you want but Instead, he's trying to say that god only serves those who wait for b etter or remain faithful to his kingly name. While this amazing epic poem stresses the fact that god is behind you, one of his other sonnets expresses otherwise, â€Å"How soon hath time†, talks about aging and how it happens so fast.Hes Just turned 24 and everything is feeling like its going so fast. His life is excelling at a faster rate than he'd like, and he Just wants to do great things with his life. I don't think he feels as he's done enough for where he is, even though he clearly has. At the end he calms down and takes a break. He says the heavens will lead him to where he should be. And he wants to use all of his talents God gave him, and use them to his full potential. â€Å"My hasting days fly on wtih full career, But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th. Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth,