Saturday, August 31, 2019

Notes on A Constable Calls by Seamas Heaney Essay

Seamus Heaney tells us about a memory from his childhood. A policeman visits his family farm to take a record of the crops that Heaney’s father is growing. The description of the bicycle is our first indication that the policeman is not welcomed and that he is seen -by Heaney at least –as an intimidating, unpleasant figure. Everything in the description of the bike hints at this. The ‘fat black handlegrips’ sound ugly and unpleasant, and seem to suggest that the bicycle’s owner might be similarly unappealing. The dynamo is ‘cockedback’, reminding us of the trigger of a gun. The pedals are ‘relieved / Of the boot of the law’, implying that the constable is a man whose presence causes pressure and discomfort. He represents ‘the law’ and is therefore disliked. At that time in Northern Ireland, most Catholics would have viewed the police as an oppressive force. The descriptions of the constable reinforce that idea. The harsh ‘k’ and ‘g’ sounds in the opening stanzas emphasise the harshness of the authority the constable represents and they also create a sense of tension. It is clear that the constable is not welcome in the Heaney home. His hat is on the floor: nobody has taken it from him or offered him a place to put it. Again, the physical description of the constable focuses on unattractive aspects of his appearance. His hair is ‘slightly sweating’ and marked by the cap he has been wearing. The idea of his oppressive presence is again picked up by the reference to the ledger (record book) being ‘heavy’. The young Heaney is filled with fear as he watches the constable. He stares at his gun and remembers every detail of it in its holster. The tone of the poem is one of fear. Meanwhile, the constable continues to record the family’s crops. Heaney’s father answer’s the constable’s questions with curt, one word replie s, showing how unwelcome both he and his interrogation are. The young boy is terrified to hear his father lying about the crops. He knows that there is a line of turnips which his father has not admitted to, and in his horrified imagination, he sees his father –and maybe even himself –being taken to the barracks and thrown in a cell. The constable takes his leave, putting the ledger away. Heaney refers to it as the ‘domesday book’ because he is so terrified that his father will be judged and punished for his  little lie about the turnips. This name for the ledger also reinforces the idea of the constable belonging to an oppressive force which holds the threat of violence over people like Heaney’s father. Of course, the young boy is grossly exaggerating the policeman’s power in this instance. To a small child, the lie about the turnips seems enormous, but in reality, nobody would be thrown in jail for such a minor offence, even if it were to be discovered. However, young Heaney’s emotions towar ds the constable reflect his father’s dislike and resentment of being held to account for his crops. The constable looks at the young boy and says ‘goodbye’. This reminds us that the constable is, in reality, just a man. This is the only instance of his humanity. It is not likely that he wishes to appear threatening or intimidating, but that is how he is viewed by the Catholic community. He is seen as a representative of an unwelcome, despised, oppressive authority. Outside the window, the constable is for a moment just a shadow. There is something shadowy about the descriptions of him throughout the poem. We never learn any details about him as a person: what we learn of him is based on the images of menace and threat.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Compare and Contrast Essay: Reading vs. Listening to Music Essay

Reading and listening to music are both entertaining and good hobbies to fill up your free time, but there are also problems presented when choosing a book to read or a song to listen to.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Reading is more educational compared to listening to music† says Science Daily. â€Å"Reading can increase your vocabulary and comprehension ability while music doesn’t† says CNN. Reading can be more of a conversation factor than music. People can share their feelings and opinions towards certain books. They can also talk about music and what it is good for. Music is good for many things, such as doing chores. Playing music and listening to it are two different things. Playing music engages more than the ears; it also engages your eyes and your mind. It can also increase your attention span. You can share your passion for music by listening to it or dancing to it with your friends. â€Å"Teens who spend more time listening to music than reading books are more likely to suffer from depression.† says CBS. And in agreement The Register says â€Å"Research has shown that listening to music all the time as a teenager turns you into a doleful depressive (or alternatively that being a doleful depressive teenager makes you listen to music all the time). Youngsters who read, by contrast, tend to be in tiptop mental health.† Even though music and books may seem really different they also have a few similarities. Music and Reading both can be enjoyed any where and are good hobbies that can have a positive and negative influence on a person. Phones now are able download music and e-books so it makes them portable. Even though books don’t require electricity, music does.(The exception is live music). If your device for listening to music runs out of battery, you are unable to listen to music. On the other hand, reading requires adequate lighting; if you don’t have enough lighting , reading can actually damage your eyes. CNN also says â€Å"Activities such as reading and listening to music at midlife for both sexes are also protective against dementia, the study suggests.† â€Å"Research papers in the neurochemistry of music found that music can improve the function of the body’s immune system and reduce levels of stress.† says  Medical News Today. As we have examined the similarities and differences of reading and listening to music, and it is your choice to choose between them. I personally feel that reading is more beneficial than listening to music. Read more:  Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Political Thories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Political Thories - Essay Example He believes a society’s central authority can only decree that moral judgement. This presents Thomas belief in an autocratic and absolutist government. Thomas believes that absolutist government is the only government that can guarantee peace for humankind. Thomas presents the three laws that govern societies search for peace. The first being humans have the power to utilise all means they know to preserve his life. The second law all men have a natural right to all things and lastly the making of contracts is necessary to assure peace. The two treaties of a government represent the moral role of a government. The first treaty focuses on the rights of kings (Locke 16). Locke disagrees with the argument that man is born a slave to the kings. Locke presents his belief in reason and ability of man to govern himself according to Gods law. Locke believes that all men are naturally in a perfect state of freedom (Locke 8). Locke’s belief is in agreement with Thomas idea. The second treaty is Locke’s definition of power as the right to make laws for the protection and regulation of property. The laws work because people accept the laws and because they are for the public good. The second treaty is the proposed solution for political upheaval in England and other modern

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Power of will and choice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Power of will and choice - Research Paper Example Among many other works of literature we have studied are ‘the hunger games’ by Suzanne and ‘twilight’ by Myer which are all topical and hence the following analysis. Books of literature are normally written to communicate certain topics as shown and the two books are no exception. This paper therefore intends to analyze the thematic representations these two books as they are written in the contemporary US environment. Our analysis revolves around the theme of power in choice as presented within the two books. Power dynamics within the ‘hunger games’ is seen through the eyes of two young persons engaged in the games which are conducted annually with a motive of selecting the district to which food aid would be advanced. The plotting of the story covers the disparity in power between formerly thirteen districts but currently twelve and the capitol, which ideally represents power (Collins, 3-18). The capital district capitol represents the source of power or influence and which is depicted to rule over the rest of the districts. Poverty, hunger and general misery is shown to dominate the twelve districts while great wealth and technological advancement is what characterizes the capitol district. As a way of executing the power, the capitol district invents a mechanism through which food and such other humanitarian aid would be advanced to the rest of the districts through the hunger games, which are conducted annually. Every district therefore selects young representatives who would participate in fighting contests and the winner defines the district, which will receive the food aid over the year. The capitol district is therefore shown to have the capacity and power to advance food aid to the rest of the districts at will though this is not the case. The program to involve the districts in the hunger games is shown through the literature to be informed by the selfish ambitions of the power district to rule through oppressio n. Totalitarian governance in the country is the main thematic depiction of the book, which shows how capitol adopts the games in order to punish the twelve districts because of rebellion in the past, which lead to destruction of the thirteen districts. Besides, the fights, which are televised, serve as entertainment to the capitol while at the same time conveying the message of capitol’s power as well as lack of remorse towards the twelve districts. In fact, this is therefore a clear depiction of power influence and the theme of wrong choices as contrasted with good choices. To begin with, the adoption of such annual games has historically been developed from the fateful rebellion, which led to total destruction of the thirteenth district after all the districts within the country chose to revolt against capitol and its rule. Choice was therefore involved in the decision and the capitol district equally chose to retract through so much power that led to total destruction of one of the districts. Besides, out of choice, the capitol district and its power devised the games, which involve young adults who are selected through lottery to participate. Besides the games being entertaining to the capitol dwellers, they serve as memorial to the power of the capitol district as well as the capitols lack of remorse. It is therefore worth noting that capitol had the capacity to help other districts without engaging them into such deadly wars and rule effectively through equal regard to all persons. This is not however the case as revealed through the mechanisms adopted to exert authority towards the natives of the rest of the d

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Multiple questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Multiple questions - Essay Example I discovered later that the battery was an Eveready rechargeable and I don’t have a battery charger at home. If only I have read the book before the incident, I could be more specific and relate well with the store owner. 2. Just last month I visited a very close friend who is also our neighbor. I bought a pizza and I invited her family to share with the food. When we opened the pizza box all were happy except my friend. She told me that she was happy and fine but her facial expression showed she’s disgusted. She went upstairs and later reappeared. Later on, I learned from her mother that she doesn’t eat veggies like mushrooms, green peppers and red onions, and she has an allergy towards black olives. I also learned that she told her to go downstairs. Nevertheless we altogether enjoyed the time. I should have been more alert; when she looked disgusted it only means one thing–she doesn’t like it. Indeed, it pays to be more conscious and aware. In the future, I will know first persons whom I will have an interpersonal relationship with. 3. Since I am an African-American, I carry a remnant of African cultural heritage. Although the influence of America is great these days, I still think like an African, talk like an African-American and I value our kind of music, behaviors and even tradition. I still value our extended families. Of course, since I also carry an American cultural lineage, I also cherish things like the Hollywood. Ultimately, my preferences have shaped the kind of culture I’m living with. Culture is important in interpersonal communication since it can effectively send the message across without barriers. More significant is to know the culture of the person we’re interacting with to attain a resolution and understanding. Since we had a bitter history of racial discrimination, I have been very assertive with my rights and our equal privileges with the Whites. Sometimes, I get unconsciously aggressive to defend

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Impact of Information Technology on the Role of Human Resources Term Paper

The Impact of Information Technology on the Role of Human Resources - Term Paper Example The paper discusses the crucial interaction between HR and information technology in an organization. In its initial years of adoption, IT was performed more routine functions, such as those of the personnel department, as opposed to the more sophisticated roles of the HR However, the current information technology (which includes ERP, employee databases and management systems, SAP as well as the more holistic HR information systems (HRIS) the role of IT has transformed from performing tactical, routine tasks to those involving more strategic contributions towards the organization. The fact that both HR and IT have undergone strategic transformations over the years has increased the researcher’s interests in exploring the linkage between the two. On the contrary, however, the little empirical examination has been done in this area. A model proposed by Leavitt indicated a linkage between people, structure, tasks, and technology. According to him, technological change is driven by organizational change. The concept is elaborated by Dewett and Jones who claim that IT contributes towards information efficiency as well as information synergies by achieving the former through enhanced output and quality of information and ensuring the latter by enhanced coordination amongst various groups within the organization. One increasingly interesting aspect of organizational change has been that of the changing nature and role of the HR. HR experts have assumed the prominent roles of partners and change agents. The role of HR as a business partner allows the HR professionals to contribute to the accomplishment of organizational goals, develop strategic outcomes for the business, as well as help the business accomplish the ‘strategy should follow structure’ rule. The role as a change agent involves HR professionals facilitating the process of change in organizations, ensuring that the HR setup facilitates change rather than hampering it, and enhancing and r ewarding competitive behaviors within the organization. At the same time, however, the change has been slow which is mainly due to HR involvement in mundane tasks such as paperwork and manual processing of CVs. It is believed that IT has facilitated the HR transition from performing administration and tactical tasks to more strategic ones by shifting the burden of tactical work from HR to IT. It has been observed that by delegating the bulk of administrative tasks to IT, small businesses are in a better position to deal with strategic planning and success models. Furthermore, research has suggested that the relationship between organizational performance and IT is vague. In fact, as claimed by some, it is a dual-edged sword. The relationship presents what is known as a â€Å"productivity paradox†. This term accurately depicts the situation of organizations that have made significant investments in IT but have not yet reaped its benefits. At the other end, however, are the pot ential benefits of IT on HR due to outsourcing, collaboration, and computerization of service delivery platforms. Eastman Chemical is an organization that is on the verge towards outsourcing the administrative aspect of its HR.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Management Accounting and Finance in U.K. museums and music Dissertation

Management Accounting and Finance in U.K. museums and music organisations - Dissertation Example Therefore in the following sections we will discuss about the historical background of the UK, the economy of the country, the political factors related to the overall administration of the country, the various social factors, the cultural aspects, the leisure activities and the financial aspects of both music organizations and museums. Background The European cultural funding have long been the subject of resentment for the arts organizations & artists of America. However over the last two years that is after 2010, as the severe minded conventional governments took step against the background of a profound fiscal emergency, countries across the European continent have focused on the arts segment for ruthless cuts. The most spectacular changes are taking place in countries that have conventionally been the major devotees of culture namely the Netherlands and the United Kingdom while locations that have been historically less charitable to the arts & culture of the society are now edg ing their funding to a meager amount. On the continent and in the nation of UK, art spaces, individual artists and museums have long been supported almost entirely with public funding, an arrangement that's tough to comprehend in the private-fundraising system prevailing in the U.S. For instance, In the Netherlands the proficient and talented artists used to get almost lifetime grants and accommodation allowance so that they could create art devoid of the requirement for a job for earning, and their unsold creations were bought by the government. In France, there was, until lately, specific unemployment assistance, planned to rush artists over amid performances. In nations... The European cultural funding have long been the subject of resentment for the arts organizations & artists of America. However over the last two years that is after 2010, as the severe minded conventional governments took step against the background of a profound fiscal emergency, countries across the European continent have focused on the arts segment for ruthless cuts. The most spectacular changes are taking place in countries that have conventionally been the major devotees of culture namely the Netherlands and the United Kingdom while locations that have been historically less charitable to the arts & culture of the society are now edging their funding to a meager amount. On the continent and in the nation of UK, art spaces, individual artists and museums have long been supported almost entirely with public funding, an arrangement that's tough to comprehend in the private-fundraising system prevailing in the U.S. For instance, In the Netherlands the proficient and talented artists used to get almost lifetime grants and accommodation allowance so that they could create art devoid of the requirement for a job for earning, and their unsold creations were bought by the government. In France, there was, until lately, specific unemployment assistance, planned to rush artists over amid performances. In nations like the, Hungary, Spain and UK all art museums were once supported with no private funding. Now the situation is changing fast. "The greatest impact within the visual arts will be on emerging productions or new works, and mainly in countries where the contemporary visual arts market is weak," said Luca Bergamo, secretary general of Culture Action Europe, a pan-European art advocacy organization based in Brussels.

Distributed Power System Network with Renewable Sources Assignment

Distributed Power System Network with Renewable Sources - Assignment Example In the past years, the increase in the petroleum prices, coupled with tendency of fossil fuel reserves and their dangerous effects that cannot be avoided and the lack of political stability in the sources of energy regions have led to the renewable energy systems study (Air-X, 2008). In this case, electrical energy is outputted by the systems of renewable energy systems like fuel cells and photovoltaic panels in direct current form. As a result, regardless of the fact that the electrical energy produced by the wind turbines is directly proportional to the wind velocity making it alternative current (AC) , undergoes conversion back to dc energy by the converters found internally in the small-scale turbines of the wind that are utilized in structures like buildings (Cete, 2010). This network is then injected with Direct Current energy. Thus, the DC energy outputted through the wind turbines, fuel cells and photovoltaic panels. The DC energy produced cannot be used readily by the consum ers without having been converted to AC energy. This is given the fact that the consumer uses electricity in AC form. The conversion from DC to AC has a few challenges like the improvising of DC to AC converter. There are also disadvantages related to this conversion are; energy loss, partial energy degradation, harmonics production, cost and dimension increase (Siemens, 2009). Electrical energy transmission from the place of produce to the consumer, pose the predicament of losing energy. To avoid this predicament, we need to avoid the use of the DC to AC conversion to produce the AC energy. Thus in this study, a Mat lab © simulation software will be made for hybrid system of Direct Current system and thereafter, it will be applied, in the process of production of DC energy through RHESs and in this manner the DC loads like freezer or refrigerator, 44 compact florescent lamps, fans, TV circulation pump, and vacuum cleaner consume the DC energy in a way that it is not converted int o the form of AC (Colorado, 2010). This is will be presented in this paper project as we get to discuss the simulation of the renewable energy. It is for this reason that the unit distribution of the DC energy ought to be established for the fuelling of the hybrid energy cell system of photovoltaic wind. INTRODUCTION It is indisputable; technologies in the energy have a main function in the development based on the economic and small scale level, which varies from domestic, society to region, nation and international. Conventional fossil fuel sources like coal, oil, natural gas are becoming rare as the time goes by. Additionally, by the using the sources of fossil fuel, it is predictable that they pollute the nature in the end process, resulting to the global warming through the formation of the greenhouse outcome thus the world is turned into a night mare that is not desirable for anyone to live in. Thus, sources of renewable and alternative energy got significance that has greater priority over the history of the mankind. (Air-X, 2008). There has been an increase in the study of renewable and the new kinds of energy due to the current sources of energy output that make a quick entry into the tendency of exhaustation that the raw material prices rise significantly, as their effects affect the human health and environment in a negative way. The some challenges faced in the use of these kinds have increased the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Retirement Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Retirement Age - Essay Example Nevertheless, this paper will focus on expressing my stance on the issues regarding retirement age, whereby I will determine the most appropriate age at which a person should remain in employment. There is need to consider that at full retirement age people are entitled to full and unreduced retirement benefits, though this can be received either at the early retirement age of 62 or at the late age of 70, or retire at any time between the age of 62 and 70. I suggest that one should consider the benefits of early retirement, despite the argument that these benefits are reduced by a fraction of percentage, every month prior to full retirement age. However, most Americans are no longer willing to go for an early retirement; in fact, most of them argue that they plan to retire after 65 (Meyer, 2013). Basically, these plans can be attributed to increasing gap of more 636 retirees for more than two thousand adults in America as indicated by the Gallup survey. I do not support the policies that allow order people to work indefinitely, since age cannot be considered a guarantee of ability. There is need to give younger employees chance to work since they have more energy, experience and skills compared to older staff, who remain in the same unit for a long period of their career. In this case, early retirement should be made compulsory in order to offer a chance to incorporate new ideas in the organization. Nonetheless, there is need to set age limits since numerous people are willing to continue working due to lack of plans and roles. Order people are entitled to be rewarded by the society for their labor, whereby they can be offered a pension and liberty for enjoying their leisure. In addition, there are numerous young people who are unemployed leading to frustrations experienced in low-level position (Meyer, 2013). Opponents of the motion to make early retirement mandatory have argued that this can be considered a way of denying them freedom and right to work; in fa ct, this is considered a way of depriving the society valuable experience and ideas. In addition, they argue that workers should be given a chance to be flexible over their retirement age, which can benefit the society (Meyer, 2013). However, I do not agree with these notions, since they contribute to denial of chances for young people to secure employment or develop their careers. On the other hand, there are arguments I can support in regard to offering order people to work as much as they can; for instance, in professions such as scientists, artists, and politicians. Moreover, most of the order people in these kinds of professions are workaholics; hence, they prefer working until their death. In this case, they are not willing to idle at home every day after they retire since they are used to going to work. A good example of these people is Mrs Schweer, who was the oldest politician in America working at the age of 105. Some people may consider implementing regulation of retireme nt age to be wastage of time and resources, but I do not see it that way (Brandon, 2013). In fact, I can argue that there are very many things that those executives, who are formerly trained, can do such as mentoring the young population to become better. Therefore, instead of continuing to work in their old age, they should use this time to share their experience and knowledge with young people for the future of the nation (Brandon, 2013). The government

Friday, August 23, 2019

Nurse practitioner school Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nurse practitioner school - Personal Statement Example I was subsequently requested to work in specialty surgery by a vascular surgeon due to my efficiency, experience, and expertise in various aspects of nursing. I did this for several years as I also worked and furthered my studies to obtain my registered nurse (RN) license. This was later on followed by working as a charge nurse in a very busy trauma center where I gained more knowledge in performing a variety of administrative and clinical duties by providing quality care nursing and coordinating total nursing care for patients and residents alike. My other duties had included implementing specific programs, procedures, and processes, expediting work flow but still ensure accuracy in quality health care, and being actively involved in many committees that recommended and implemented various evidence-based practical measures in nursing. I went on several medical missions in the past and these experiences were instrumental and influential in my desire to obtain a masters degree in nursing. Medical mission trips are very good ways to get grounded in reality and give back to underprivileged people right here within our own borders (Fahlbusch & Bromiley, 2003). The work of a nurse is quite challenging but is also extremely rewarding which is why I desire to obtain a masters degree in due

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Investment policy statement Essay Example for Free

Investment policy statement Essay Return Requirements: * Tax minimization – a continuing collateral goal * Inflation adjustment enhancement of investments- real growth of capital with possible extra return if possible. Risk Tolerance: * Investment risk – very low risk 1. The Muellers have been managing their own investments and are familiar with risk but may not understand volotiliity completely due to their high portion of volatile stocks within the portfolio 2. Want to provide for their daughter’s college education 3. Very high tax bracket (30% on income and 20% on net realized gains) Constraints: Time Horizon: The Muellers are relatively young and have still a lot of time to work and likely saving for retirement is in their agenda. The main goal is to provide for their daughter’s education and expenses associated with it. This goal would be considered long-term but is relatively short in comparison to possible saving for retirement. Liquidity Requirement: There is an ongoing stream of income available. Their may still be some liquidity needs in order to provide for the expenses of the college education along with life expenses associated with both The Muller’s and their daughter. Taxes: The family is in the highest of brackets. Future investments should take that into account on an indefinite basis. Tax-sheltered investments should be considered and will likely benefit the family more than high yields that are taxable. Legal and Regulatory: The Muellers would like to monitor their own investments, so their investments are generally only governed by state law. Unique Circumstances: Past unsuccessful investments of $100,000 can be used to offset tax distributions on net realized gains. Most important aspect and is unique to the saturation, Incoming expenses of $90,000 for the first year of college and then consistent four more years of $40,000 of college expenses.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Effect of Potential Difference on Copper Coating

Effect of Potential Difference on Copper Coating Design Research Question: What affect does the potential difference (V) across the circuit has on the copper coating on an iron metal? Hypothesis: My hypothesis is based on the Ohm’s Law which states V = IR, where V is the potential difference across the circuit and ‘I’ is the current present in the circuit and ‘R’ is the resistance. (When ‘R’ is constant) The above equation states that as the current increases, the electron flow will also increase. Thus increasing the potential difference across the circuit which in turn increases the copper coating on iron metal. Variables: Independent Variable: Potential difference Dependent Variable: Change in mass Control Variable: Concentration of the electrolyte Resistance of the circuit Temperature Distance between the electrodes Materials Required: Voltmeter (0.2 V) Ammeter (0.1 mA) Copper Plate Sand paper Iron nail Rheostat Connecting Wires Electrolyte (1M CuSO4 solution) Beaker Alligator Clips Weighing Scale (0.01 g) Diagram of the experiment: Procedure: Set up the experiment as shown in the diagram above. Take a sand paper and remove the rust from iron nail. Now place the iron nail on a weighing scale to get its weight. The iron nail should be now attached as the anode The potential difference should be kept as 1V Pour the electrolyte into a beaker and dip the iron nail into it for about 10mins. After 10mins, remove the iron nail and dry it. Repeat the above procedure for V = 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3. Steps (1-8) should be repeated twice. Process the obtained data and record the observations. How to control the Control Variables: To control the concentration of electrolyte, make sure that the same electrolyte is used throughout the experiment. Resistance should be kept constant for the Hypothesis to be true, and for this a rheostat is used in the experiment by which resistance can be controlled. The experiment will be performed in a closed lab environment to ensure that the conditions of the equipment are not affected by changing atmospheric conditions. The distance between the electrodes should be kept constant because if the electrodes are not kept in a constant position, the rate of transfer of electrons will increase hence the mass deposited will also increase. Data Control and Processing Raw Data Table:- The Raw Data Table consists of the data obtained from two trials and is shown below in a tabular form Table 1 Table 2 Qualitative Observation: Reddish-Brown coating on the iron nail when it is dipped in the electrolyte. When the current is passed, due to the flow of electrons from anode to cathode, the copper coating thickens as if it is trying to displace the iron. The iron nail becomes blunt due to the heavy deposition of copper. After taking down the readings and noting the associated qualitative data, the raw data table is now processed and the data is represented graphically so that a better analysis could be done. Processed Data Table: The processed Data table consists of two tables showing the change in mass after the data is obtained. A graphical representation of the data is also done. Processed Table 1: Change in Mass was calculated by subtracting the initial mass from the final mass, For V = 1.0  ± 0.1, Change in mass (ΔM) = Final Mass – Initial Mass = 1.596g – 1.560g = 0.036g Similarly, Change in Mass was calculated for different Potential difference shown in the table. Processed Table 2: Similarly for this table, For V = 3.0  ± 0.1 Change in mass (ΔM) = Final Mass – Initial Mass = 1.889 – 1.797 = 0.092g Graphical Representation: Trial 1 The above graph shows the relationship between Change in mass and Potential Difference. The obtained graph resembles a linear graph and the error bars are plotted. A trend line is also made to pass through all obtained values. From the analysis of the graph of Trial 1, it can be observed that as the Potential difference increases the change in mass also increases which means that the amount of copper deposited increases with increasing potential difference. Similarly, graph for trial 2 is shown below, Graph 2 The graph obtained for Trial 2 also resembles a linear graph but there are some differences between the graph obtained for trial 1 and trial 2. As Potential difference across the circuit increases, the Change in mass also increases which means that the copper coating thickens with increasing Potential difference. Further Calculations are done to find the exact difference between both the trials, Calculations: For trial 1, The equation for the graph is y = 0.0296x + 0.005, Finding the slope of the above graph, m = 0.0296 Slope = 0.0296 gV-1 The slop obtained from differentiating the equation states that when 1V is increased, 0.0296 of Copper deposition takes place. This cycle continues for 1V increase. Calculating the moles of Copper, Moles = Moles = Moles = In Copper Sulphate, a +2 charge is present on Copper hence the required electrons will be as follows, Calculating the transfer of charge, Charge transferred = = 89.60 C Increase in the current = = 0.149 A For Trial 2, The equation of this graph is y = 0.03x + 0.0058 By differentiating the above equation, m = 0.03 gV-1 Calculating the moles of Copper, No. of moles = Mass à · Molar Mass Required amount of moles = = 9.44Ãâ€"10-4 mol at 1 p.d Calculating the transfer of Charge, Charge transfer = = 90.95 C Increase in the Current = 90.95 C à · 600s = 0.151 A Conclusion and Evaluation Conclusion For Trial 1, The Charge transfer obtained is 89.60 C For Trial 2, The Charge transfer is 90.95 C The difference between both the charges = 90.95 – 89.60 = 1.35 C Uncertainty of the experiment cannot be found out because the slope of both the graphs are different. From the graph, it is seen that, Evaluation The major reason for this deviation from the trend line plotted in the graph indicates that the resistance was not controlled properly. The graph is plotted on the basis of the Ohm’s Law stating, when the Resistance ‘R’ is constant but in this experiment, both trial one and trial 2 have different value for Charge transfer thus it can be concluded that the experiment was not accurate because of the presence of fluctuating Resistance. Errors that may have occurred The major reason for the experiment going wrong was due to an improper rheostat. The rheostat didn’t have a proper grip between the coil and movable scale. The scale may not be properly attached to the coil hence leading to a deviation between the obtained values. While removing rust from the iron nail using a sand paper, it may have had happened that some amount of rust remained on the surface of the iron nail and was not removed due to ignorance. The experiment was performed for approximately 4 hours. The experiment on the whole was not performed on a single day and hence some discrepancies in the solution may have had happened. The instruments used maybe were not calibrated properly. Number of trials taken in the experiment is only two which is very less as it does not give a big picture of the errors occurred while performing the experiment. How to improve the experiment The experiment can be improved to a greater extent by using a rheostat which has a good grip between the coil and the moving scale. This can be done by checking the instruments before performing the experiment. A fresh iron nail should be taken for the experiment. If it is not taken, then due to carelessness, some rust may remain on the iron nail and at one point it will become so thick that removing it with a sand paper won’t be possible. The experiment should be conducted for a shorter period of time and should be performed on one day itself because if the solution is kept open, it may happen that the solution will degrade or will react with air. Instruments with proper least count should be taken to avoid any systematic error. A minimum of five trials should be taken to reach an accurate conclusion.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Post Bureaucracy And Network Society

Post Bureaucracy And Network Society Organisations around the world have changed their structures, the internal managerial strategies in order to survive within a competitive market and hence evolved to best suit the external environment they operate in. Every organisation in todays time has to be profitable in order to be in business and therefore it must organise its structure, (Grahame .F. Thompson 2003 Oxford University Press). In the 21st century a revolution of globalisation, Information technology and cultural change has made corporate organisations to re-think and re-structure themselves to better suit the needs of workers, employers, consumers and the future of the company as a whole. There has been a social change in the division of labour and concepts of Post Fordism and flexible specialisation has come up in the last quarter of a century, (Tony J. Watson 2003 Routledge). In this essay we will see the shift from factory type bureaucracy towards a network society and the emergence of post bureaucratic organisa tions in todays economy which is based on knowledge and innovation. But this leaves us with an argument that is a post bureaucratic organisational form predominant in the network society/knowledge based economy? In the latter part of this essay we see some evidence of bureaucracy and its elements still present in Network Organisations. To understand this and come to a reasonable conclusion we must know what are bureaucratic organisation, post bureaucratic organisations and network organisations. As we know that bureaucracy is a highly structured system of administration it was seen in the late 1920s as being highly successful in the era of capitalist and mass production and administrative complexity. Thus, due to its nature of being machine like it ignored moral, ethical and emotional values and was efficient. The control and co-ordination of work task through a hierarchy of appropriately qualified office holders, whose authority derives from their expertise and who rationally, devise a system of rules and procedures are calculated to provide the most appropriate means of achieving specified ends. (Tony J. Watson, 2003, Routledge, sociology, work and industry fourth edition, pg-86). Bureaucracy had a hierarchy and decision making which flowed from top level managers to low level skilled and unskilled workers. In Weber ideal model Weber argued that without a proper filing system the bureaucratic organisation would fail and many organisations followed that and had highly secre tive filing systems. Managers and workers were allocated task according to technical expertise. There was a framework of rules to be followed for the production and functions to be carried out. Decisions made were not affected by emotions or personal preferences but defined by system of rules and under the official jurisdictional area. But the ideal form is for us to understand that it is unachievable but through which reality can be compared. (Tony J. Watson, 2003, Routledge). Bureaucracy is a concept of sociology and political science and can be seen in many government agencies, large manufacturing firms, hospitals, and many academic institutions, (Reference). As the government of states grew larger during the modern period, modern bureaucracies arose and especially following the Industrial Revolution, (Osborne David and Gaebler Ted, 1993, Plume). The major changes which gave rise to the factory system was that the workforce of labour shifted from hand production such as working i n the fields to a power driven machinery system. This revolution made division of labour more complicated, hierarchy gave managers more control, superior supervision and coercive authority, enabled capitalist to take greater reward, moral machinery was introduced to break the resistance from employees, and reduction of skill on which workers relied caused a reduced labour cost, (Paul Thompson and David McHugh, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan). (Give Examples of British companies as well as worldwide) Bureaucracy was at its height with the rise of the factory system. It was transforming organisations into technically superior system of administration and production. Coordination between man and the machine and with the introduction of the assembly line everything changed. Organised and detailed planning were the key features of Technical superiority. Rationality helped large firms achieve more out of the workers by allowing them to do simplified work in a formalised manner to achieve efficiency and limit the decision making power to the top down hierarchy. Limiting workers decision making and increasing efficiency by ground rules clearly defined without personal prejudice and emotional values. Control was achieved by reducing and restricting vital information and knowledge lead to more direct control from the management. Organisations used bureaucratic structures not only to retain the most earning but many of its features benefited the workers, there was job security, grievances procedures and demarcation, etc. This wave caused the workers something to look forward to and see the organisation in a positive manner, (Paul Thompson and David McHugh, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan). Taylorism and Fordism Taylors principles were based on bureaucracy and the phenomena were called scientific management. This was a typical example where an organisation was successful at the time when bureaucracy was at its heights. This was not an ideal type Webers model but it saw social aspects of the organisation where employees were also benefited but the big chunk of profit was taken by organisation. Employees were given specialised routine tasks and which being mechanised with proper coordination of human work effort led to Scientific management. It had a success with organised labour; in which manager had a concept of soldiering on the employee because Taylor thought that it is a tendency for men to take it easy without proper supervision. He had one best way of organising work. In counties like France and Britain experiments on Taylors scientific management started taking place, his ideas of time study and piece rate working gave rise to Taylorism, (Thompson and McHugh, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan). One of the models of Taylorism states that an official can work his way up the career hierarchy within a few years from being a simple worker to a middle level manager and even in some cases as high as the top management. This was the minimum interaction model describe by littler (1982), (Tony J. Watson, 2003, Routledge). In many parts of Britain and Europe Bedeaux system came through and Sweden and Germany followed districting paths but were influenced by Taylorism, (Thompson and McHugh, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan). Henry ford was Fordism became popular after the assembly line was introduced in factory working which increased efficiency many folds. This was the era of mass production were the employees were consumers and part of the market. What made the car factories a success were his detailed supervision, planning management strategies and close supervision. Ford gave his employees something to look forward to in terms of material benefits such as incentives, high wages, and could have a ford car of their own in a number of years. This made them loyal and a sense of trust emerged, (Tony J. Watson, 2003, Routledge). Post Bureaucracy and Network Society Post Bureaucratic organisations emerged when organisations found it difficult to cope up with strict rules and defined boundaries of the bureaucratic structure. With the introduction of advance technology being used in the modern age the organisational structure has changed in many large-scale industries. The age of mass production seemed to be over and highly specialised customer need analysis had to be done. During the time of Henry ford cars were produced in bulk which was standard in its appearance, style and technology. Nowadays we have entered the 21st century where cars are customised according to the needs of a specific customer. We have shifted from a factory type mass production to a customer oriented knowledge based economy where many authors believe bureaucracy is of the past. The ideal type of post bureaucratic structure has more of a dialog based and discussion rather than commands given where individual expertise is given credit. Here we see flat hierarchy which was ne eded in network society to work efficiently on project based process and group tasks, (Heckscher .C, Donnellon .A, 1994, Sage Publications). The changes that are prominent in the network form of organisation are that there are workers and groups with flat hierarchy who take decisions based on their knowledge and expertise. There are team based group doing projects and working together either from the office or from other sites. Networks have proved a useful alternative conception in analysing how a range social activity is organised and governed at a number of levels, (Graham .F. Thompson, 2003, Oxford university press). In modern organisations the concept of flat organisational structure has been introduced and work has been divided into many groups and teams of professional workers, where a set of employees take decisions at various levels of the work process. This also contributes to the innovation where employees have the freedom to make decisions and exercise their expertise. M ost of the employees are treated with formal equality and joint membership in the network organisation, (Graham .F. Thompson, 2003, Oxford university press). Basically what the author is trying to say is that network organisations gave more freedom to work and a sense of equality amongst the workers and employees. This can be seen in highly value added services, like education, medicine, law firms etc. The Network organisations are based on a high trust culture; it has low level of formal division of labour. Networks developed as business shifted from bureaucratic system to a more flexible system because organisations had to survive in the age of technology, innovation and globalisation. The rise of post bureaucratic structure was thought to be due to three major factors such as globalisation, information technology and cultural change. Globalisation caused high degree of competition as the markets to expand and overstretch national boundaries. Many organisations opened branches in other countries and corporate culture was born. This was the era of professionals where knowledge and networking were given importance. Because bureaucratic structures could not cope up with change and adaptability Post bureaucratic organisations had more flexible control process and were more proactive towards its environment. Making connections and providing service was part of almost every organisation regardless of its size and nature. Another major change that gave rise to Post bureaucracy was the change of technology and innovation. Information technology is required for an organisation to stay in business without communication and innovation a business cannot survive in long term. Some people suggest that culture also influenced Post bureaucratic rise in the network organisation. Consumers are given importance in the network society is based on consumerism, relativism and individualism, unlike in the bureaucratic structure, (Manuel Castells, 2000, Blackwell Publishers). Evidence of Post Bureaucratic Forms in Network Organizations (Castells, Journals) Many authors such as Castells suggest that post bureaucratic systems are the only way of the future of the knowledge based economy. This is a very hardcore and too optimistic approach yet we see that a pure bureaucratic organisational structure has failed to adapt into a network society. We know that due to change in administration in knowledge based economy bureaucracy has been replaced by a more flexible and adaptable organisational structure. Social, technological and economic change, multi-tasking work and the need for analysing data at different levels has shifted network society to engage the workers with high trust, empowerment, de-centralised decision making in knowledge economy, (Give Examples).Many organisations stared de-bureaucratizing because Webers concept of control was seen as an exercise of control on the basis of knowledge but in network organisations there had to a freedom to exercise indirect control where employees would practise self discipline and very less s upervision was needed. They had to exchange information and knowledge to be innovative which meant being proactive towards the environment for a long-term survival for the organisation. The concept of disagree to agree is used as friendly constructive discussion for decision making. We know that through empowerment high performance work systems are possible which has shifted from a factory type system where one could not act out of the official jurisdiction of their job description. In many value added organisations empowerment given to employees can lead to success of the firm/company (give example). (Paul Du Gay, 2005, Oxford University Press). Total quality management and customer satisfaction are relatively new methods of the Post-Bureaucratic structure which are used by organisations in the network society and knowledge based service industry. The famous legend in automobile industry Henry Ford ideas of mass production have shifted to some extent to a customised vehicle for a s pecific customer. An article by John Ovretiveit showed that TQM was applied to many hospitals and clinics across Europe became widespread since the 1990s. This method helps organisations deliver better quality control and customer satisfaction essential in knowledge based economy, (John Ovretiveit, 13/2 [200] 74-79, International Journal of health care quality assurance). TQM has been seen as a useful tool but many experts believe that it is difficult to evaluate and is difficult to implement. Whereas we see that in bureaucracy implementation and supervision were regarded highly and Taylors scientific management made it easy for firms to implement policies and evaluate them according to tasks specified to workers according to their official jurisdiction. As Richard Sennett says that there are three deficits of structural change are loyalty, informal trust and adaptive information faced by firms trying to de-bureaucratise, (Richard Sennett, 2004, Yale University Press). Evidence of Bureaucratic elements still present in Network Organizations (Reed M, Journals) Many Organisations have started to re-bureaucratize because there is a problem with the high trust, empowerment, shared responsibility and personal treatment. The concept of re-bureaucratizing has been discussed by many authors that instead of organisations shifting from bureaucracy they simply clean up the bureaucracy in their organisation (Heckscher .C, Donnellon .A, 1994, Sage Publications). Webers Ideal model of bureaucracy can be re-theorized to include any non-contradictory attributes. His ideal type thus cannot yield a clear distinction between bureaucratic and post-bureaucratic organizations, unless bureaucracy is flattened into hierarchy, and post-bureaucratic into non-hierarchical. But hierarchy cannot be eliminated from complex organizations, and bureaucracy can be re-theorized to include any non-contradictory attributes. (Harro M. Hoopfl, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 19 No. 1, 2006, 8-21, Emerald Group Publishing Limited). Charles Heckscher, the author of The Post-Bureaucratic Organisation talks about the theory of contingency, which is clearly not bureaucratic in nature. The best form of organisational structure should be that which suits the environmental complexities and uncertainty when organisations shift to knowledge based economy. If organisations work under the highly bureaucratised system they would not be able to work effectively, but it is argued that bureaucratic forms have a greater capacity mobilising human energy and cooperation. The author of Lost in translation Simon Norton suggests that Anglo-American approaches of new public management may not be suitable and elements of bureaucracy are still present in public sectors in Japan. The finding of the research is that such systems are popular and work for countries like USA and UK. The findings also suggest that Japanese organisations give priority to the long term survival of firms and its group rather than thinking for individual perfor mance and benefit, for example through reward mechanisms for innovation and demonstration of personal initiative, are at odds with the Japanese tradition of amae and Confucianism; instead, reformers should evolve reform policy around the concept of groupism (Koh, 1989). (Simon Norton, 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited). This research shows us that Although Japan being technologically advance it still values its culture and traditions indicates elements of bureaucracy which means that even after entering a knowledge based environment flat hierarchy may not be so suitable as perceived by many authors. In some organisations in network society direct control is being observed in which employees are monitored and supervised. Another finding by Rachel Parker and Lisa Bradley suggests that bureaucratic values within public sector organisations are prominent although there is an evidence of changing economic trend and new public management is emerging. The control and hierarchy in publ ic sectors show a reverse of what post bureaucratic values impose in an organisation. The employees viewed the monitoring and quality management systems as bureaucratic. Public sector organisations have been motivated less by financial considerations than by political considerations, including the public interest, (Perry Rainey 1988). (Rachel Parker and Lisa Bradley, The Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, Vol 26, No 2 (December, 2004) 197-215). The transition towards a post-bureaucratic society is evident but the process is slow and cannot leave behind elements of bureaucracy as we have not entered a fully knowledge based economy. This is not a claim by me but, in my opinion it is like two sides of the same coin where elements of both bureaucracy and post bureaucracy are present in the modern knowledge based economy and a hybrid form emerges.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Military Essay -- essays research papers

Thank God for our military A Soldier, a Sailor an Airman and a Marine got into an argument about which service was the greatest. The arguing became so heated that they eventually ended up killing each other. Soon, they found themselves at the Pearly Gates of Heaven They meet St Peter and decided that only he would be the ultimate source of truth and honesty, so they osked him: "St Peter which branch of the American Armed Forces is the best?" St. Peter instantly replied: "I can't answer that. But I will ask God what he thinks next time I see him. Some time later, the four saw St. Peter again and reminded him of the question and asked if he was able to get an answer. Suddenly a sparkling white dove landed on St. Peter's shoulder. In the dove's beak is a note guilded with gold dust. St. Peter says to the four men, "Your answer from the Boss. Let's see what he says." St. Peter opens the note. Trumpets blare and gold dust drifts into the air. Harps play crescendos and St. Peter begins to re ad the note aloud to the four young men: MEMORANDUM TO SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN AND MARINES SUBJECT: Best branch of the United States Armed Services Gentlemen, All the branches of the Armed Services are Honorable and Noble. Being a member of the Armed Forces represents a special calling warranting special respect, tribute and dedication. Each of you has served his country well, with distinction, and beyond the call of duty. Be proud of what you have accomplished. very respectfully, GOD United States Air Force (Retired) I want to be like Jesus After dinner, a six- and a four-year-old were fighting over who would get the last cookie. Back and forth they went, "GIMME!" "NO, IT'S MINE!" Finally, the dad said, "Paul and John, listen to me. If Jesus were in this situation, he would say to the other one, 'You take the last cookie, because I love you'." The older one thought about it, then responded, "O.K. John, you be Jesus." Oh-Man A man was stranded on the proverbial deserted Pacific island for years. Finally, one day, a boat comes sailing into view, and the man frantically waves and draws the skipper's attention. The boat comes near the island and the sailor gets out and greets the stranded man. After a while the sailor notices three huts and asks if there is anyone else on the island. "No", rep... ...ot; and gave it a press. Then the three-year-old yelled with glee, "NOW, WUN LIKE THE DICKENS!" Code of Silence Brother John entered the 'Monastery of Silence' and the Chief Priest said, "Brother, this is a silent monastery, you are welcome here as long as you like, but you may not speak until I direct you to do so." Brother John lived in the monastery for a full year before the Chief Priest said to him: "Brother John, you have been here a year now, you may speak two words." Brother John said, "Hard Bed." "I'm sorry to hear that" the Chief Priest said. "We will get you a better bed." The next year, Brother John was called by the Chief Priest. "You may say another two words Brother John." "Cold Food." said Brother John, and the Chief Priest assured him that the food would be better in the future. On his third anniversary at the monastery, the Chief Priest again called Brother John into his office. "Two words you may say today." "I Quit." said Brother John. "It is probably for the best." said the Chief Priest. "All you have done since you got here is complain."

The war of the worlds Essay -- English Literature

The war of the worlds This essay will discuss how chapter four ‘the cylinder unscrews’ is important to the novel as a whole. ‘‘The war of the worlds’’ was written by Herbert George Wells, the novel was written in response to several historical events. The most important one was the unification and militirisation of Germany. ‘The war of the worlds’ was written in 1894 which later in 1983 was aired on radio broadcast by Orson Wells. The novel is about Martians invading earth because they can no longer survive on mars. The people try everything to get rid of the Martians but in the end nature wins against science. H.G. Wells has included a lot of science fiction in this story which makes this story effective. In the 1st chapter the narrator describes how Earth may be seen ‘by greater, more intelligent forces’ same as humans ‘with microscopes scrutinize the transient.’ This novel is still popular today for the wait of a big film coming out next year. The fundamental reason to why ‘the cylinder unscrews’ is important to the novel as a whole is because it’s the first time we seethe Martians, but there are also many other reasons to why this chapter is important to the novel as a whole. as we can see at the beginning of chapter four we see signs of unease and fear arising ‘the voices were raised †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ the first real evidence of actual fear is in chapter four as well, when the narrator passes the young boy as he heads for home ‘I don’t like it.’ At this point the crowd is also getting more worried and closer to the danger. Further on in the chapter we come to the build up of suspense towards the cylinder being unscrewed ‘I had the sunset in my eyes’ revelation delayed by a description of what people expected to ... ...hing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere.’ The science fiction part is again where the author describes the breathing of the Martians the description of the Martians is part of science fiction but is more of a fantasy and is completely imagined ‘tentacles’. The historical fits in with the chapter because the story was most appealing to the Victorian reader Wells used his scientific knowledge to intrigue the reader. The social concept in the story is symbolic and shows cruse characterisation of the mob. In conclusion this chapter is important to the novel as a whole because it is the first time we meet the Martians base on the evidence in this essay. My views about ‘the war of the worlds’ is that although the writer used a lot of science fiction in the first tree chapters it was really effective when it came to the actual description of the Martians.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Roman propaganda vs. Todays propaganda :: essays research papers

Propaganda is when someone uses allegations, ideas, or rumors to further their own cause and hurt someone else. I do believe that the Romans used this method to make themselves and their empire look better. The Romans might have been some of the first rulers to use propaganda, but since their time we have seen many political leaders use the same methods to make themselves achieve a higher level of affection from the people under them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first sign to me of their propaganda was their architecture. First, I believe the gigantic statues and buildings represent the idea that the Romans had wealth because they could afford to build and decorate such an extravagant thing. Second, I think they were also supposed to portray that they had high intelligence because they could create the architectural wonders that had never been done before. Lastly, I think that they wanted every one to believe their army was undefeatable because most of their statues or monuments portrayed massive victories in battle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that the characteristics that they portrayed helped them in their propaganda by making the people think that the leaders must be worthy because they were able to have all of these things. In my opinion, they built these structures not only to try to make the roman people believe they had all these characteristics, but also for other societies to hear about or see and be either intimidated or astonished by their empire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today’s society, the politicians in the United States do not build elaborate buildings as propaganda. I think the main reason for this is all the architecture of the government was built long before they came into office. For example, the White House in Washington D.C. was built long before President Bush came into office and it was never meant to be changed. Even though they do not build architecture, I do believe they use it when it comes to buildings that are already there. I took notice that when the President addressed the nation during the first few hours of the War he was sitting in his office not in the pressroom. Looking back to me it was as if he wanted to give the impression that it was just another obstacle and he was calm and working in his office at home. Even though the White House is equipped with many offices and people, it is still called the â€Å"White House,† so when the T.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

“Catch Me If You Can” Analysis Essay

Catch Me If You Can directed by Steven Spielberg tells the story of Frank Abagnale Jr., considered one of the most successful con men of all time. I saw this movie recently after renting it from the video store, I found it so good that I had to buy it. Frank Abagnale Jr. is an astounding and interesting character. The real life Abagnale originally said that he did not believe Dicaprio to be ‘suave’ enough to play the role, but he certainly does pull it off. Dicaprio’s acting is superb, and totally believable as a man who could lie to, deceive, and con everyone he met without once losing any of his charisma or charm. Hanks is also excellent, he plays the role of the obsessed FBI agent well, and also with a likable quality. The interaction between these two characters was great, it was interesting to see a budding relationship slowly build between two characters who were actually positioned against one another. The movie takes place in the late fifties and early sixties over the course of five years of Franck Abagnale Jr. Frank Abagnale lived in a time of innocence and trust. You cannot help but identify with this lonely, troubled and brilliant child who through charm and inventiveness managed to dupe Pan American Airlines out of over two million dollars over the course of five year, all before the age of twenty-one. The brilliance and daring of his crimes inspires a visceral sense of admiration for this character. Who would not want to live the jet set life of a playboy constantly outwitting the authorities at every turn?The foil for this rogue is one Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks in this film. The juxtaposition of these different men brings to mind the fable of the tortoise and the hare. Abagnale represents the hare with his brilliant flight of a life; while, Hanratty embodies the tortoise with his slow trudging but ultimately victorious pursuit of the hare. Character and moral aside a film’s setting and tone are what make it, especially in this case. The setting and tone change rapidly playing with the watchers emotions. Visual clues provide the clues for emotional shifts. Clashes of browns and brights in the school uniforms and teenage styles of the day force a geeky sympathy with the young Abagnale, and the blues and grays of the scenes depicting his home life slow the pace and lend a more serious note to the  dialogue. In the portion of the film devoted to Frank’s exploits across the globe colors are used to show the vast differences between the two main characters’ lives. Scenes involving Carl Hanratty are done in blacks, grays, and whites to encourage thoughts of loneliness. Abagnale’s scenes, however, are done in bright neon, blues, and whites. These scenes are meant to be fun and light with an innocent quality that reminds us of our own childhood, and also tricks us into believing that stealing millions of dollars is somehow okay and justifiable. As Much as tone and color affect the character of the movie, nothing plays a bigger role than the setting. The late 1950s and early 1960s are portrayed in this film as a time of innocence, where a simple switch in wardrobe changed the man. The era of three piece suits and hats was one marked by sharp class divisions. Both children and adults wore various uniforms throughout their daily lives. Appearance was everything in the late fifties, or so Spielberg would have us believe. Simply by picking up a briefcase and putting on a dark hat Abagnale went from playboy to businessman. This is not unlike today where each subculture has their own particular uniform, though I believe we are more discerning than our grandparents that could just be wishful thinking on my part. Each subculture has its own uniform whether they are punks, hippies, or preppies and generally follow it, our need to blend in with the herd fulfilled. A haircut and a shave make a grungy hippie into an upstanding member of society in the eyes of all. We have a need to label and place all things in neat categories. Abagnale used this need to his advantage and exploited it with the style of a teenager. The innocence of the times also played an important role. People wanted to trust Frank Abagnale and to believe there was nothing hiding behind his smile. A piece of paper and a ready wit were all Abagnale needed to become a doctor and assistant district attorney of Louisiana. It is appealing to think that when one tired of a career they simply moved on to another and learned on the job, especially careers as glamorous as those shown in Catch Me If You Can. Hanratty, once again, plays the foil and proves this particular point. A man who works tirelessly and does nothing but good is treated with disdain by everyone he comes in contact with. He lives a  solitary existence, admittedly self-imposed, takes little joy in life, and tirelessly pursues Abagnale for years. He lives in sordid place while the criminal lives the high life. What does this say about our society as a whole? Do we glorify the rogue who breaks all our laws but does it with such style? Do we degrade those that maintain our laws? We do.   We like those who break the laws and live unusual life. This is demonstrated by one particular line delivered by Abagnale Sr., played by Christopher Walken, â€Å"Where are you going tonight Frank? Some place exotic? Tahiti? Paris? You’re winning Frank and don’t you ever stop.†Catch Me If You Can was a major hit when released and it is easy to see why. Steven Spielberg has taken an interesting story and added his own personal touch to create a movie which is engrossing, yet incredibly easy viewing. The movie also has a cast to die for, which is another reason why it succeeds in every possible way. I will also admit that the ending is very nice and quite unexpected, the kind that actually brings a wide smile to the audience’s face. I think the real Frank Abagnale, Jr. is pleased with this film. It proves that even the most sneaky crook could be real likable.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Logical Arguments for and Against Laws Against Using Cell Phones While Driving

With more and more people using cellular phones, a new debate has surfaced. Should there be laws against using cell phones while driving? The statistics about distracted driving, which includes any type of distraction, show that distracted driving causes accidents. According to the United States Department of Transportation, 5,747 people were killed because of driving distractions and approximately 448,000 were injured in 2009 alone (1) Using a cell phone is just another way that driver are distracted. The debate rages on†¦should there be a specific law against using cell phones while driving.Some states are passing laws specifically for inexperienced drivers, just as they restrict the times inexperienced drivers are allowed to drive. For our purposed, however, we will look at the debate over whether or not there should be a law banning general cell phone usage. This is a very sensitive subject, mostly because both sides present some logical arguments, but a variety of fallacies can be found on both sides of this hot issue. This entire debate is nothing new. Distracted driving has been a hot topic since 1905, and there were no cell phones back then.The big advancement in technology then was windshield wiper blades. They were thought to be hypnotic, and distract drivers. (AAA). From there it went to the radio in the 1930’s. Here in the 21st century, we’ve landed on cellular phones. Same debate, different details. When it comes to hands free cell phone usage while driving, both sides have scientific studies and statistics to back up their cases. According to a study funded by AAA Foundation for Traffic safety, using a hands free device holds approximately the same distraction as tuning the radio (AAA).However, there are also reports that having a conversation while driving with a hands free device is much more risky than having a conversation with somebody who is also in the car with you (Dewar 327). A recent study showed that only 2% of people can safely multi task while driving. This was compared to the same amount of people who would make good fighter pilots (Cruz, pg 1). This quote from Matt Duffy shows how some opponents to a law feel. â€Å"I will vow to be careful while on the phone — and to use a headset or speakerphone whenever possible so that I can keep both hands on the wheel.But, I won’t take the vow to quit using the phone in the car. † (Duffy) The â€Å"vow† that Mr. Duffy is speaking of refers to a campaign by Oprah Winfrey. She has heavily campaigned for a law against using a phone without a hands free device and laws against texting while driving. In a press release, she stated: â€Å"My biggest hope for the No Phone Zone campaign is that it becomes mandatory that no one uses their phone in the car or texts while driving—just as seat belts are mandatory, just as driving while drunk is considered absolutely taboo, I'm hoping that this becomes not just law, but second na ture for all of us† (Harpo).We can look at Oprah’s statement as an â€Å"Argument by Analogy. † Her logic says that because we have driving laws about not wearing seatbelts and driving drunk, which are both dangerous activities, we should also have a law about using cell phones while driving, another dangerous activity. Opponents pose some interesting questions, though. As previously stated, there are other activities that distract drivers. Dealing with children in the car, changing the radio station, and eating are just a few. According to the NHTSA, of all 2009 fatalities that were caused by distracted driving, approximately 20% involved a cell phone (pg 8).So, they bring up laws against other distractions. Should there also be laws against these distractions, because they are just as, if not more, dangerous? (Johnstone) If we used Oprah’s argument by analogy, if these activities did cause just as many accidents as cell phones, she would have to back law s against these things, also. But this also presents the â€Å"slippery slope† fallacy presented by opponents. They are saying that if cell phones are banned while driving, we won’t be able to do anything that could be distracting while driving. (Kids?They would just have to walk). Opponents also show that, unlike eating in the car, cell phone usage can actually help with safety. For example, if people call to say they are running late, they may not speed. Accidents and dangers on the road can be reported more quickly (â€Å"Debate†). Another area of debate is enforcement. Already we are seeing that enforcement just doesn’t seem to be working very well. In areas with laws against texting, it is just difficult to catch somebody. Supporters of a law believe that new laws can be enforced, just as laws about using eatbelts and child safety seats were eventually enforced. (Reinberg). In the United Kingdom, where using a cell phone while driving is already ille gal, of 2,000 people only 3% said that they have ever been caught on the phone while driving. Many motorists are investing in car kits and hands free devices.The penalty in England for breaking this law is up to two years in jail. In the United States, for the few states that have laws, fines range from $50 to $600, with possible suspension of your drivers license. (Johnson) One opponent of cell phone laws offered this suggestion: I think instead the penalties for causing an accident while driving distracted need to be stiffened. Perhaps the loss of the license for a few years for causing an accident while texting behind the wheel would be more of a deterrent than the threat of a ticket that probably won't happen. † (â€Å"Alternative†) Opponents of a new law against cell phones repeatedly say that there is already a law against driving recklessly. That two percent of people who can multi-task, should they be pulled over if they are safely driving? What about the almigh ty dollar?Proponents of a cell phone law state how this would raise money for states, save in medical costs and all other costs caused by car accidents (â€Å"Cell Phone Ban†). Opponents say that it would COST more money, tying up the court system, and there would be costs involved in changing cell phone plans (less minutes would be used). Each side has their own statistics and research to back up their positions. It’s a classic case of stacked evidence. Each side is only presenting information that helps their case, and none that might hurt their case.Although states have the authority to regulate the actions of drivers (â€Å"Debate†), it has been shown that it might be more effective to have insurance companies and other markets try to regulate the usage of cell phones while driving. Insurance companies could charge a higher premium for cell phone users. With advancing technology, this may indeed be possible. Recently there was an iPhone app released that giv es ‘reward’ points for not using a phone in a car. It can detect if the phone is moving more than 5 miles per hour (Svensson). The real issue at the heart of this topic is about how much control the government should have over our time. In a perfect world, people would not take risks while they are driving. If a person couldn’t talk while driving, if it hindered their ability to drive, they just wouldn’t talk while driving. Because this debate is truly about governmental control, it will most likely continue for a very long time.WORKS CITED AAA. â€Å"On the Road: Distracted Driving. † AAA Exchange. AAA. n. d. Web. 19 October 2009. â€Å"An Alternative to Laws Against Texting While Driving? † opposingviews. om. Opposing Views, Inc. 21 April 2010. Web. 5 Oct 2010. â€Å"Cell Phone Ban Would Save Money, Research Shows. † Cbc. ca. CBC. 29 Sept 2010. Web. 19 Oct 2010. Cruz, Gilbert with Kristi Oloffson. â€Å"Distracted Driving: Should Ta lking, Texting Be Banned? † Time. com. Time, Inc. 24 Aug 2009. Web. 2 October 2010. â€Å"Debate: Banning Cell Phones in Cars. † Debatepedia. International Debate Education Association. 11 June 2010. Web. 5 Oct 2010. Dewar, Robert E, Paul Erson and Gerson Alexander. Human Factors In Traffic Safety. Tuscon, AZ. Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company, Inc. 002. Google Books. Duffy, Matt. â€Å"I Won’t Take the Oprah Pledge Against Cell Phones While Driving. † Mattjduffy. com. 29 Jan 2010. Web. 9 Oct 2010. Harpo, Inc. â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show Hosts No Phone Zone Day Friday, April 30. † Oprah. com. Harpo, Inc. 29 April 2010. Web. 3 October 2010. Johnson, Geoff with Leigh Montgomery. â€Å"9 States Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving. Is Yours On The List? † csmonitor. com. The Christian Science Monitor. 23 Sept 2010. Web. 19 Oct 2010. Johnstone, Michael. â€Å"What Kind of Laws are Reasonable for Driving While Talking on the Phone? InsightCommunit y. com. Floor 64. 19 Mar 2008. Web. 3 October 2010. Reinberg, Steven. â€Å"Nationwide Cell Phone Ban for Drivers Urged. † Washingtonpost. com. The Washington Post Company. 12 Jan 2009. Web. 4 October 2010. Svensson, Peter. â€Å"Phone App Fights Distracted Driving With Rewards. † Yahoo News. The Associated Press. 13 Oct 2010. Web. 19 Oct 2010. US Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts: Distracted Driving 2009. Washington, DC: NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. 2010. web pdf.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Practical Play Analysis Essay

Theme/Vision Guan Hanqing’s Snow in Midsummer centers on the idea of social injustice and human suffering particularly the unfair treatment of poor people during the Chinese Golden Era.   The play must transcend a great sense of oppression as intended by its playwrights to reflect the dark side of the society they were in, as the main character (Dou E) leaves a horrifying curse as her unjust death served as a living proof of how under-class people like her are taken for granted and are short-lived despite living a virtuous life while the evil ones prevailed. This issue still continues in the modern world so it is important that the story lives up to its purpose of making the audience reflect on the existence of tyranny in the society and what should be done in order to put an end to it.   Every main character’s role should be well emphasized in order to make the message of the story more understandable.   The characters must be very much convincing to the extent that they are almost taking the audience back to Yuan Dynasty. An article made by Huo Jianyi, Yuan Dynasty Zaju, tells about how Guan Hanqing himself gave up his profession of being a doctor and chose to serve the public by writing plays that exposed the dark side of the society, particularly the indulgence in wine and women as a way of life especially for the Yuan rulers.   He and his fellow playwrights used their talents and knowledge in exposing tyranny and through their theatrical creations, spoke on behalf of the suffering masses despite the Yuan rulers forbidding it.   The success of this play will be achieved if the same fiery passion is justified by the characters. Stage Type and Settings The play is artistic therefore it would be ideal to use a proscenium or picture frame stage.   It is not necessary to use a traditional proscenium stage with its common features like a large archway near the stage front or a curtain in order to close it during act or scene breaks.   It is enough that the stage is raised several feet enough for the audience to see the view of the play while directly facing it (â€Å"Stage:† Wikipedia). As the Snow in Midsummer is a classic play based on a Han Dynasty folk tale (although popularized in the Yuan Dynasty), the prevailing theme should be based on the said period.   The backdrop must contain both unique and artistic images depicting a usual old Chinese scenario like that of a painting.   Images of courtyard houses should be used.   These residences would represent the different social status that coexisted in that period. Based on Spiro Kostof’s A History of Architecture, traditional Chinese courtyard houses (such as the siheyuan) is composed of several individual houses around a square, where each house is owned by a different member of the family.   Aside from this, more houses can also be constructed for additional family members that need to be accommodated. There must be a strong sense of tranquility and privacy which should prevail and be maintained despite strong and loud scenes in the play. Garden and water is also a usual feature with these residences.   The outermost part of these residences is where strangers are entertained while the innermost one is set apart for intimate friends and family members of the owner. Since the title of the play contains the word snow, then winter is another requirement for the play, in fact for almost the entirety of the play.   This should allow an atmosphere of gloominess to dominate the stage, making the literal coldness of winter almost felt and intensified by the cold hearts of the villains in the play.   The snow plays a critical part in this and it should fall dramatically on stage with the proper sad music background going with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Last but not the least, there must be flowers included.   They should either be illustrated in the backdrop as part of the stage props.   Flowers have been a great part of Chinese art just like the dragon and bird illustrations they use in their antique porcelains.   As a whole, the entire stage must become a big canvass of living Chinese art. Stage Directions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The director is responsible for bringing out the good quality of the characters’ acting and the stage production.   Therefore he must be focused and fully aware of the background of the play so as to properly angle it. Directions are made up of details being heard and seen by the audience.   These should be explained well in the script so as not to confuse the director, the actors or even the designers.   The three kinds of stage directions must be considered, namely:   (1) scene directions, (2) staging directions, and (3) character stage directions. In the script, scene directions are indented at a measurement of 3.5 inches from the left side of the margin and 1 inch from the right.   This indicates the fundamental place and time of the scene with details of the events on stage as the lights come up or become dim (â€Å"How to Format a Stage Play†).   Let us take scene one, act one of the play Snow in Midsummer as indicated in the script:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SCENE ONE (The period was between 1279-1368 A.D.   In a typical Chinese village lives MISTRESS CAI, a widow, who appears on stage with a sign of great anticipation on her face.   She paces at the center of the stage in her long, loose gown with wide sleeves and narrow cuffs.   Then she faces the audience with the same facial expression.) Second is the staging directions.   This contains the description of a certain scene such as the entrance, exit, and struggles of characters on stage, as well as the changes in lighting effects or musical background. MRS. CAI: Where? (The Doctor strangles the widow with the rope. Enter Old Zhang and his son Donkey. As they rush forward the Doctor takes to his heels. Old Zhang revives Mistress Cai.) DONKEY: It’s an old woman, dad, nearly strangled to death. Last would be the character stage directions.   These are short descriptive lines in parenthetical form sometimes placed under the name of the character.   This shows the appropriate body language while delivering a certain line (â€Å"How to Format a Stage Play†).   This particular direction puts more identity on acting.   Here is another example. MRS. CAI (crying): Ah, poor child! How am I going to break this to you? Make up The characters’ makeup for the Snow in Midsummer need not look like that from a Chinese opera although it may be elaborated to reflect its rich culture.   It must enhance their acting and facial expression.   A kabuki effect is suggested if the production team would like to add a little animation to it and lessening its tragic base. Dou E and Mistress Cai’s makeup may use thick foundation with a rosy base to show femininity.   However the application must be heavier on Mistress Cai to distinguish her age along with some fake wrinkles.   The eyebrows must be enhanced with a thick black color while the lips are pouty and deep red. As for the elder male actors (Doctor Lu, Dou Tianzhang, and Old Chang), a yellow base makeup can be used contrasted with a thick pink blush on.   The eyebrows may also be enhanced however for the male antagonist (Donkey Chang), eye brows should be enhanced with an upward effect at both ends.   Once again the appearance of wrinkles should distinguish ages. Basic Pointers for applying stage makeup According to Kate Hillard on her article Application of Stage Makeup, makeup is often applied on thick layers. Unlike the movies where the camera can focus on the actor’s face, audiences cannot afford to this kind of facility on stage plays.   The makeup used for the Snow in Midsummer should be elaborate and bright especially with characters representing the high-class society.   There may also be gradual moderation of the makeup for the middle and lower class members but the artist must make sure that it is enough in maximizing the actor’s emotions on stage.   Sometimes even the dark layers of makeup disappear on the glaring lights. A thick, heavy cream foundation should be applied first which be a little bit darker than the skin tone.   The placing of foundation should be started on the forehead and blended well up to the hairline after which the remaining of the face is covered together with the ears, eyelids, and neck as if this is the actors’ true complexion.   The neck application should also be blended well so as not to create a mask-like appearance.   When it comes to male actors, foundation is applied on the entire neck and back sometimes but this can appear messy.   Following the general foundation, a lighter color is placed over the shadows under the nose and on the chin. When the foundation is done, the blush would follow.   A rosy color is used for the female actresses but this should be applied on a lesser degree with male actors.   It is spread over the cheekbone and about halfway down the cheek mixing it with a down and up motion.   A naturally rosy tone is needed for male actors while it should be darker for the females enough to maintain its visibility on stage especially under the hot lights.   Blush must also be placed over the nose and forehead where it is very slightly blended. The most difficult part would be the eye makeup.   A very white â€Å"highlighter† is first placed along the brow bone (right underneath the eyebrow) and under the eye.   The makeup artist should make sure to give the surrounding eye areas a lightened appearance without leaving white smears.   Following this, an eye makeup should be placed just above the eyelid, below the brow bone, and also beneath the eye which should be a little darker than skin tone.   This should be topped with an even darker color along the eyelid top through a downward blending which can also be used as an eyeliner especially with male actors. For women, an even darker and rosier tone that gives the appearance of a natural eye shadow should be placed over.   It should however be more recognizable on stage and should be placed a little above the eyebrow.   A less rosy color is recommended for male actors though not required.   Furthermore, a dark brown or similar-colored eye lining is placed.   Black color is to be used for dramatic roles that need wild makeup. Lastly, mascara is placed on top of the lashes.   In order to avoid or lessen the errors of putting mascaras, it is suggested to make the actor blink after putting the wand on his/her lashes. Following the eye makeup is the simpler part of putting on the lipstick.   A color that is a little darker than the usual lip color is used for male actors and should be matched with a lip liner.   Either can go first depending on the actor’s or makeup artist’s preference.   The liner should be placed on the outside of the lips and not on the natural line otherwise this will obviously look fake.   It can also be applied all over the lips to make it last better and longer.   A dark lipstick should be applied enough to be seen from the stage even if it looks like a Halloween makeup up close.   It goes otherwise with male actors who should slightly be more natural even on stage. Last but not the least would be the loose powder.   Before it is applied over the face, dip a large brush unto a powder container then shake it to get most of the powder off in order to avoid leaving white smears over the makeup and therefore ruining it.   Loose powder is for holding the actor’s make up even when they are sweating. Costumes Costumes are very important.   They help audiences identify and understand the actor’s character and social rank as well as his traits and gender.   The style and color would greatly suggest the occasion happening on stage.   Colorful clothes and elaborate makeup may bring more life to Snow in Midsummer as this pertains to rich Chinese culture. The main character, Dou E, may use the traditional Ruqun which is used by ordinary women during the Yuan Dynasty.   This is made up of an upper jacket and lower skirt.   The jacket is made of a red marten or sheepskin garment with loose sleeves and gray collars and cuffs.   This is tucked below a maroon skirt with a gray sash accent to maintain its simplicity. The same type of robe costume may be used by the widow, Mistress Cai as they do not necessarily belong with the Mongolian Aristocrats who wore cur coats and fur caps.   Their costumes must reflect their lifestyle and their role enough to bring out the emotion from the audience, however they should not look like paupers but more like average Chinese people however obviously struggling to maintain their dignity.   However, after her execution, Dou E’s costume must change to loose, ghostly white robe with its light fabric.   The red smear of blood from the execution must appear on the cloth as well. The male actors may use the Yiseyi or Zhisunfu garments where upper and lower short garments were put together while adding folds to the waistline.   Furthermore, big beads were hung on shoulders and the back.   The garments can either be course or of fine quality depending on the social rank the actor is representing (â€Å"Costume in the Yuan Dynasty†).   Donkey Chang and Old Chang may use costumes may use colors that shows a status that is more advantages compared to Dou E and Mistress Cai, however not as luxurious as an upper aristocrat.   Donkey Chang’s costume must be provoking and reflective of his selfish being. Of course the apparent hairdo must not be forgotten.   For male actors, it should be the traditional snail-head, seated Buddha feature.   As for females actors (Dou E and Mistress Cai), the hair must be long with the upper portion tied and placed with some simple white floral accents.   Mrs. Cai’s hair must be all brushed up however with a bulky onion bulb appearance. Lighting This is perhaps the counterpart of camera trick.   One of the things that make stage plays breath-taking is the lighting effect.   In fact thanks to modern-day stage lighting, audiences now are able to afford richer visibility of the entire play, thus connecting more with the intense emotions of the actors. A careful outline of Bill William’s Stage Lighting Design shows four important objectives of stage lighting: (1) Visibility, which helps the audience understand the play.   It is influenced by contrast, size, color and movement. (2) Naturalism (and Motivation), where a sense of time and place is indicated. (3) Composition, the overall image of the stage.   Lighting must reveal actors, objects and scenery depending on their importance. (4) Mood (and Atmosphere), which is the psychological reaction of the audience is influenced by lighting effects that gives the stage a sense of happiness, sadness or even boredom. Dou E’s execution would be a perfect example where lighting is â€Å"highlighted† as this scene indicates a transition from a normal way of life to a cursed one.   In this case, the lighting effects must create a great sense of grief , heaviness, and fear among the audience. Casting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A play cannot be a play without the cast.   As the front liners of the production, they are mainly responsible for leaving an impression for the play since they are the ones who have direct contact with the audiences.   Casts are like the main course of a meal.   Prof. Audrey Stanley from the University of California at Santa Cruz presents at least eight points to consider when casting a play: (1) Interpretation of character type and function; (2) Type-casting; (3) Casting against type; (4) Cross-gender casting; (5) Gender- or race-neutral casting. (6) Generational relationships and differences between characters (for instance, how old are Lear’s daughters?); (7) Physical and vocal requirements of different roles; (8) Audience associations and expectations of individual actors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dou E’s character must be portrayed by someone who can show her virtuosity but at the same time must have the ability to transform into a vengeful character.   Her father, Dou Tianzhang, must be played as someone who is old of course but has enough strength to do some laborious works.   Mistress Cai must reflect the same humility as Dou E’s character but of course with a motherly touch.   A trace of burden must be shown on her face from life’s realities as well as how youth has been taken from her.   Donkey Chang need not be good-looking however appropriately dressed.   But his dignified appearance must not conceal his disgusting character. Rehearsals Based on Simon Dunmore’s Advice on How to Approach Rehearsals for a Play, rehearsing is composed of thought, discussion, and doing.   It is an important part of the play where the whole team gets to figure out what will work or not.   That is why it is important to discipline oneself especially when it comes to the script.   Even before the rehearsals, the actor must read it several times so he/she will get to be familiar with the character that he is playing.   He should carry it one hand somewhere at his side and put emotion to the delivery of the line while looking at the script at a side glance.   He must be patient and must take his time in memorizing his line.   In case of long speeches, they should be delivered with much care and thought as single or short lines for it is usually a case where a certain idea starts and is connected throughout the story of the play. Stage directions on the other hand, must be read as possible pointers only.   If they came from how the play was originally done, take into consideration that the present production might be different with the casts and circumstances being new.   Pause and silence is a kind of stage direction that must also be given proper timing and must have appropriate place in the play just like long and short lines.   Also in case of abbreviations, the intention of the playwright must be observed so the essence of the communication will not be lost. Writing down notes either from the director or from oneself will be helpful in remembering how to delivery one’s line properly.   Notes need not be long.   Directors may not be right all the time with regards to the character role.   His long experience in theater acting may not give him enough knowledge or understanding of a certain character the way an actor does.   Therefore, a careful and rational discussion must always be made between the two.   Set and costume designs are also very important.   They affect the way an actor moves about the stage.   These objects must work harmoniously with the people of the play and not become a hinder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rehearsals do not stop within the rehearsal room.   Proper focus can be achieved with proper practicing though it should not necessarily occupy one’s private time. Rehearsal for Snow in Midsummer Below is a sample table for the Snow in Midsummer’s rehearsal schedule.   It is usually done with six to eight weeks but the production team may change it depending on their needs (Sample Rehearsal Schedule). Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Auditions Auditions Call-Backs Post Castlist First Read-Thru Off Construction Crew Meets Block scenes with leads Block scenes with Full Cast Block scenes with leads Begin Set Construction Block scenes with Full Cast Off Work on Set Construction Work scenes with Full Cast Work scenes with leads Work scenes with leads Work on Set Construction Work scenes with Full Cast Work on Set Construction Hang Lights and Set Construction Work through Act I off book Work through Act II off book Work on trouble spots leads only Finish Hang and Rough Focus Act I Run-thru Work on Set Construction Full Cast Paint and Work Day Act II Run-thru Act I Run-thru Act II Run-thru Work on Set Construction First Full Run-thru Complete Set Construction Final Setup Tech and Lights First Tech Rehearsal with Cast Run-thru Full Tech Run-thru Full Tech Costume check Tech Crew Trouble Shooting Run-thru Full Tech Finishing Touches On Set Work on problem areas Full Dress Rehearsal Full Dress Rehearsal Full Dress Rehearsal Full Dress Rehearsal No Makeup Performance Performance Performance The Vision’s Effects on the Audience   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Snow in Midsummer is a play about tragedy and drama.   However, the whole production team must keep in mind that as the story is based on real struggles of poor people in the past, it might leave a great sense of grievance to the audience.   This is good but only to the extent that it will stimulate their sense of awareness since basically, though the storyline dates back to old times, it is very symbolic of the abuse and tyranny that still exist even in our time.   Therefore, there must be a balance by creating a great sense of hope especially during the scenes where a retrial for Dou E’s case was conducted up to the play’s ending.   The play must establish to the audience that life goes on and there is hope and justice even in the hardest of situations. Steve Campsall wrote in Write a Successful Play that plays must create a lasting appeal to the audience.   Every words delivered by a stage performer should send out both meaning and feeling.   That is why it is important to understand the writer’s intention behind the text he has created.    Common methods such as vivid metaphor, powerful imagery, alliteration, use of rhyme or rhythm, etc, are said to be used often by writers (Write a Successful Play: Effects on the Audience).   Behind the scene interactions will help bring one’s natural acting and transcend the same energy and passion.   The audience must be convinced with everything, from the stage settings to the acting.   Not doing so will be crucial and may create passiveness. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Behind a play’s success could be in anything that is a part of it.   From the director’s vision to the actor’s execution, everyone should make sure that everything works harmoniously so that the flow of the play will be well polished on the grand day itself.   It is both inspiring and fun to see actors on stage behaving like they are not actors but rather they own the stage and they are the characters that they are playing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, behind the inspiring acts, elaborate costumes, and colorful props, the message of the story must be retained.  Ã‚   This is one important part that can be shared with the audience.   The lesson that they can learn from watching a play can help them personally.   Once the audience is touched by a play’s story or vision, he/she can use the message or apply it once he goes back to real life. Work Cited â€Å"Stage.† Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.   5 February 2008.   9 February 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(theatre) Kostof, S. 1995.   A History of Architecture.   The Oxford Press.   8 February 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtyard Jianyi, H. 2003.   Yuan Dynasty Zaju.  Ã‚   8 February 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.chinavoc.com/magicn/yzaj.asp â€Å"How to Format a Stage Play.† Script Frenzy Young Writers Program.   2007.   9 February 2008. http://ywp.scriptfrenzy.org/howtoformatastageplay Hillard, K. 2002.   Application of Stage Make Up.   9 February 2008. http://www.essortment.com/applicationstag_rgyu.htm â€Å"Costume in the Yuan Dynasty.† ChinaCulture.org.   10 February 2008.   10 February 2008. http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_chinaway/2003-09/24/content_28414.htm Williams, B. 1997-1999.   Stage Lighting Design.   Objectives of stage lighting.   11 February 2008 http://www.mts.net/~william5/sld/sld-100.htm Stanley, A. 1995-1996.   â€Å"Shakespeare Examined through Performance.† 11 February 2008 http://www.tamut.edu/english/folgerhp/Recipes/7cstply.html Dunmore, S. 25 August 1999.   Simon Dunmore’s Advice on How to Approach Rehearsals for a Play.   11 February 2008 http://www.btinternet.com/~simon.dunmore/rehearse.htm Campsall, S.   2008.   Write a Successful Play: Effects on the Audience.   12 February 2008 http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/mainguides/play.htm Sample Rehearsal Schedule.   Tupelo Community Theatre.   13 February 2008. http://www.tctwebstage.com/schedule.htm