Euro essays

Euro essays In the global economy, the U.S. dollar dominates the market. In order to balance the overwhelming control the U.S. has, a new union was created, the European Union. In 1946, Winston Churchill first envisioned a union of this magnitude. In January of 1992, its initial 12 members founded the European Union (EU). They were, in alphabetical order, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and United Kingdom (XE 1). In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden join the EU (CQResearcher 1027). A few years later, it was decided the EU would adopt a common currency. This new currency would be called the Euro. Its main function would be to reduce swings in currency values to make it cheaper to trade both within Europe, and with surrounding nations. It would also help to balance the power that the US Dollar has over the global economy. It would also help to stabilize prices. It has other benefits within the participating parties, such as making prices fall by forcing companies to become competitive by fighting for the lowest price. It will also raise awareness of unfair pricing by not having to convert between currencies (CQResearcher 1027). Consumers and businesses alike will enjoy lower borrowing costs. It will also make it easier for tourists to travel between the member countries by not having to trade currencies, and just being able to keep one large sum of money. All of the members of the EU were invited to adopt the common currency, but there were standards that needed to be met before they were allowed to join. Applicants needed to reduce inflation, and budget deficits, while stabilizing their exchange and interest rates. The countries inflation must also not exceed the average inflation rates of the three best performing member states by 1.5%. United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden all chose not to accept the invitation, and Greece did n ...

10 Terms of Gender Identity

10 Terms of Gender Identity 10 Terms of Gender Identity 10 Terms of Gender Identity By Mark Nichol Are you confused about the language of gender identity? As we learned from a recent post about ethnic identity, the best way to learn what words to use to distinguish one or more people by their physical characteristics is to ask them. Unfortunately, this approach is not as easy as it seems. Those who wish to describe ethnic identity or gender identity often have a category, rather than one person, in mind, and any two people with similar characteristics (for example, a pair of American Indians, or two lesbians) are likely to have divergent preferences. Likewise, any effort to obtain sanction for one term or another from an organization claiming to represent people with nonheterosexual gender identities (or people with a certain ethnic identity) will not result in universal acceptance of the term by those it is meant to refer to. Why do we even need distinctive terms to discuss intersecting identities with nebulous boundaries? The answer to this question is another question: How can we hope to communicate about sexuality and gender without a common vocabulary? There is such a vocabulary, but, like humanity, it is necessarily fluid. But here are terms and definitions that many people agree on: 1. Bisexual: A term for a person sexually attracted to people of both the same sex and the opposite sex. 2. Dyke: A term for a woman sexually attracted to other women; some people consider it offensive, although many lesbians have reclaimed the word and self-identify as dykes. 3. Fag: A term for a man sexually attracted to other men; some people may consider it offensive, although many gays have reclaimed the word and self-identify as fags. 4. GLBT: An inclusive initialism for those self-identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transsexual. A more inclusive and as yet uncommon variant is GLBTQ2IA; the additional elements refer to â€Å"queer, questioning, intersex allies.† 5. Gay: An inclusive term for those attracted to people of the same sex or not exclusively attracted to people of the opposite sex, although it is often used in the phrase â€Å"gays and lesbians,† which places men and women in separate categories, and can thus refer either to both genders or men only. 6. Genderqueer: A term for those who refuse to be confined to a single gender role. 7. Lesbian: A term for a woman sexually attracted to other women. 8. Queer: An inclusive term for those attracted to people of the same sex or not exclusively attracted to people of the opposite sex; some people may consider it offensive, although many who that fall under that definition have reclaimed the word and self-identify as queers. 9. Same-gender loving: A self-evident term used by those dissatisfied by traditional terminology. 10. Transgender: A term for a person who presents as having a gender other than their original one. This usage is not to be confused with transsexual, which refers to someone in or beyond the process of gender reassignment involving physiological changes, or transvestite, a word for someone who whether occasionally or frequently, whether publicly or privately, and for any one of various reasons wears clothing associated with the opposite gender. (Transgender inclusively encompasses these and other terms.) In general usage, it is usually safe to refer to â€Å"gays and lesbians† to refer to the entirety of people whose sexuality is not strictly heterosexual. GLBT is a more inclusive term, though it is often used fallaciously in the phrase â€Å"the GLBT community,† as if such a cohesive entity exists. The connotation of this phrase seems to be that there is such a community, but only in the sense of people united in solidarity for civil rights for anyone falling under the GLBT umbrella. However, the phrase would seem to exclude heterosexual people sympathetic to the civil rights concerns of GLBT people. It’s perhaps best to restrict use of the initialism to usage such as â€Å"GLBT issues.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with HeartSocial vs. Societal6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know

Advances in hydrogen cell technology for automobiles Essay

Advances in hydrogen cell technology for automobiles - Essay Example Since 2003, Honda has been operating a 'Home Energy Station' on an experimental basis in Torrance, California. This station is works on alternative fuel technology while carrying out all the activities necessary for the home. Here hydrogen is generated from natural gas and heat and electricity requirements for the home are fulfilled using fuel cell cogeneration. Even a car in the home is powered by hydrogen cell. Such efforts have indeed shown results as well. The Carbon Dioxide emissions from such a house are stated to be 30 percent less than those for an average household that uses a gasoline and commercial electricity1. If such efforts can be matched by other fuel efficient technologies, our environment would become much more pure and the looming threat of catastrophe in the form of global warming will surely subside.The amount of carbon dioxide that melts into the atmosphere as a result of our routine actions creates footprint of carbon. In fact at times, we unknowingly tend to p erform some actions which lead to an increase in our carbon footprints on the environment, which proves detrimental for our own survival. Inefficient use of energy, inefficient housing stock, using carbon emitting fuels in our cars, rampant industrial activities etc. are the key factors being blamed for an increase in carbon footprints. The society seems to have become wiser in many ways has now started widely discussing 'how carbon footprints can be effectively reduced by adopting an energy efficient lifestyle. Hydrogen cell technology, an upgrade on hybrid electric motor, is a promising technology which will provide pollution free travel for us in near future. Efforts are on for such technology for quite some time now. The then US President George Bush had announced in 2003, an ambitious $1.7bn investment plan to turn US into a world leader for hydrogen powered automobiles (Twist, 2004). In fact the ongoing recessionary trends around the globe have impacted the automobile sector q uite adversely and in UK there are demands from many quarters to provide stimulus for its sustenance. This seems to have provided a reason to the UK government to think about greener technologies. Therefore while announcing a 2.3 billion rescue package for Britain's carmakers on January 28th Lord Mandelson commented that this is being done to pave the way for greener motor industry (Webster and Buckley, 2009). After the increasing concerns of carbon footprint, the automobile industry has experimented with a number of alternatives fuel technologies like electric vehicle, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) etc. and these technologies have certainly helped in reducing carbon from the vehicle emissions, but the hydrogen powered vehicle produces very low or zero tail-pipe emissions (May, 2004). With governments and international bodies calling upon all concerned for reducing the carbon content, the vehicle manufactures have certainly taken a note. EU for example has proposed a target of 5.75 percent of transport fuel consumption for bio-fuels by 2010 (May, 2004, pp305). The technique involves extracting hydrogen from water or any other source. In a running vehicle the solar cells provide electric current for separating hydrogen from the stored water which is then used for producing torque for running the motor. For a vehicle, the Tandem Cell technology uses two photo-catalytic cells in series which are coated with a nano-crystalline - extremely thin - metal oxide film. These cells capture full spectrum of UV radiation from sun. The novel coating then captures the electrons and passes on to conductors as electric current. Though, Hydrogen power can also be produced from hydrocarbons, like oil and gas, or coal but in that case the byproducts or the waste also becomes a source of pollution, so this method is not used

BUT WHY IS IT ART Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BUT WHY IS IT ART - Essay Example A remarkable advancement in this field has been realized owing to these efforts. This knowledge has an aspiratory effect on those interested in arts as a career and works as a yard stick to making artwork finer. The field has experienced diversity in approach which has seen it transform lives and perception on skills relevant to it. Computerization of some procedure and mechanisms is worth mentioning as it brings about positive impact in art work. As such, an analysis of two artists who have exhibited interesting skills will be scrutinized in the sections to follow. In this essay, I will make my argument that marketing skills, critical analysis skills and communication analysis skills count as the most important fresh skills required by the contemporary artists. As such, I will use the work of Richard Schmid, Colin McCahon, Abdessemed and Pedro Cabrita Reis to demonstrate the reason as to why these skills are crucial. Diversity as a factor that cuts across the work of these artists will be considered so as to make its importance vivid. Richard admits of realizing lots of change in art work as a career. His work in painting reflects the change by modernity exhibited in every piece of painting. Despite his age, advancement is inevitable making him work towards attaining world class status in painting works. Just how he does this would be the most relevant question at this point. Transition through attitudes is one of the success skills adopted by Schimid in defining his identity in painting. This is in line with the twentieth century dogma which is looked into when considering painting and drawing as an art. Must adhere to ideologies of the time include idea expressiveness, inventions of unique ideas, and manipulation of space. Craftsmanship became overridden by extreme order and total distortion which dominates all through painting and drawing art work. He considers other

Brief Introduction of Abbottabad and Pakistani Support Network Essay Example for Free

Brief Introduction of Abbottabad and Pakistani Support Network Essay The world’s most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011 in a US Navy SEALs raid at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. He was 54 years old at the time of his death. The news of Osama’s death spread like a wild fire in the entire world. It was a huge victory for the U.S. in the war against terrorism and to eradicate Al Qaeda and a huge defeat to Al Qaeda. The news created a mix reaction in the world. In the U.S., crowds of young and old poured out on streets late at night chanting â€Å"USA, USA† while half way across the world in Pakistan, where Osama was killed, crowds were enraged at his death, held rallies and chanted â€Å"death to America,† and held mock funerals in his honor. Before going in to the details of the background and aftermath of his death, a brief introduction of the city of Abbottabad is very significant which shows why Osama was staying there. Abbottabad is located in Northern Pakistan and is famous for its cool weather and beautiful terrain. It is the Aspen of Pakistan. Since, my family is from that region, hence growing up I used to spend my summers there. It was a summer getaway hill spot for us and the city was always crowded of tourists from across the world. It is a heaven for the retirees too. As Osama was getting old and weak, this city was a best place for him to stay as it had a mixture of both urban facilities and natural scenery. See more: how to start a paragraph According to the U.S government, Osama was hiding in Abbottabad for about five years as one headline at CNN’s website states, â€Å"Officials: Bin Laden complacent in Pakistan, no sign of escape plan.† The question arises how he got in Pakistan and was able to stay there and had no plans to flee. A hypothesis can be made that Osama had a deal with Pakistani intelligence agencies and was able to escape from Afghan mountains to a comfortable city of Abbottabad. This city houses Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) where every year thousands of army soldiers are trained. The whole city is built around Army barracks, schools and hospitals. The security of Army institutions and personnel had increased many folds due to the suicide attacks in recent years. A follow up question arises how Pakistani government and intelligence not knew where Osama was hiding. He was living peacefully under the nose of the military base camp. Living in Pakistan for 19 years, I often read this phrase in newspapers saying, â€Å"Even a bird can’t fly without the orders of ISI.† ISI is a famous Pakistani intelligence agency known for its role in South East Asian conflicts. ISI has been using jihadi militants to keep a check on Pakistani politicians, on Indians in Kashmir and on the government in Afghanistan. I personally think ISI knew where Osama bin Laden was, had a deal with him, provided him protection with a huge compound with barb wired high walls and security cameras and that is how he was able to stay so comfortably in Pakistan. I have absolutely no doubt that Pakistani intelligence did not know where he was. After Osama’s death, according to CNN’s website, Al Qaeda vowed to attack Pakistanis and Americans. Al Qaeda proclaimed that Osama’s death was because of â€Å"handful of traitors and thieves.† This statement clearly shows that Al Qaeda had a deal with handful of officials in Pakistani government or ISI to gain protection for their leader. Without Pakistanis protection, it would not have been possible for a foreigner like Osama, who could not even speak the local language, â€Å"hide† in Pakistan for several years. Works Cited: * Al Qaeda threats, terror plans surface. (06 May 2011). Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-06/world/pakistan.bin.laden_1_bin-laden-terrorist-network-sheikh-osama-al-qaeda?_s=PM:WORLD. Date accessed: 12 May 2011. * Starr, B., Benson, P. (12 May 2011). Officials: Bin Laden complacent in Pakistan, no sign of escape plan. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/12/us.bin.laden.compound/index.html?iref=allsearch. Date accessed: 12 May 2011. * Walsh, D., Adams R., MacAskill, E. Osama bin Laden is dead, Obama announces. (2 May 2011). Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama. Date accessed: 12 May 2011.

Graeme Base and Animalia :: Artists and Artwork, art

Structural Frame Art Materials and techniques: Graeme Base uses air brushes, brushes, scalpels, pencils, water colours, transparent ink, technical drawing pens and some use of the computer. He mixes a lightness of text, sometimes with alliterative tongue-twisters and sophisticated language made up of stylized illustrations full of hilarity and details that challenge readers' point of view. The book, Animalia contains over 1,500 objects including things such as food, musical instruments, and characters as well as the featured animal for each letter. Base also includes an image of himself when he was young as an extra for the watchful eye on every page. Line, tone, shape, colour, texture and pattern: Graeme Base uses lines of different thicknesses to make the drawing look more realistic. He also uses different tones of colours. An example would be from ‘Six Slithering Snakes Sliding Silently Southward’, the main snake’s body and tail contains at least four different colours. He also repeats the way the books are place in the library. Symbolic Meanings: The Lion symbolises royalty, the books symbolise wisdom and the golden fur and mane of the lion symbolises power (because gold is usually worn by rich people). Cultural Frame Graeme Base was born in 1958 in Amersham, England, and moved to Australia in 1966 at the age of 8. he is now an Australian Citizen but when he came to Australia, he said that he felt like an outsider. He went to Swinburne Institute of Technology and studied the diploma of Art. At school, the only way to impress his friends was to study and learn visual arts. He grew fond of flora and fauna and loved the land (which is where he got his ideas from). He then enjoyed poetry and wrote his first picture book; My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch. Graeme Base says that much of what he uses in his illustrations is a result of his childhood. "Everyone is influenced by their childhood. The things I write about and illustrate come from a vast range of inputs, from the earliest impressions of a little child, others from things I saw yesterday and still others from completely out of the blue, though no doubt they owe their arrival to some stimulus, albeit unconscious. I have a great lo ve of wildlife, inherited from my parents, which show through in my subject matter, though always with a view to the humorous—not as a reflective device but as a reflection of my own fairly happy nature.

Controversies of Racism Essay

The subject of racism is a continual controversial issue within everyday society. It’s inevitable. Everywhere you go, you’ll come across some sort of discrimination or racism. It’s like we’re programmed to judge instantly, it’s in our human nature. Religion, age and racial discrimination literally surrounds us and we can’t do much to stop it until we change ourselves, and let’s face it that’s probably not going to happen. So the main questions I normally ask myself are: Why are we prejudiced? Is being different that bad? And are we really that different? Hitler definitely seemed to think that we were. So did America back in the 1600’s where the first of racism and black slavery began and half the world’s population in the 21st Century think so too. It was said for many years that Hitler was obsessed with racial â€Å"purity† and spread his beliefs in speeches and writings pronouncing that his race needs to remain pure in order to rule the world. What was his definition of pure? To have blue eyes, fair skin and blonde hair. Who is to say that makes you the perfect being? Absolutely no one. When Hitler and the Nazis came to power, these beliefs became the government motto and were spread publicly in posters, on the radio, in movies, in classrooms and in newspapers. After Hitler took power, Nazi teachers in school classrooms began to apply the principles of racial science. The teachers measured skull size and nose length and recorded the colour of the student’s hair and eyes to determine whether students belonged to the â€Å"true race†. This constant negative message that was being sent out influenced the younger students to continue with racism. The Nazis also began to put their ideology into practice with the support of German scientists who believed that the human race could be improved by limiting the reproduction of people considered â€Å"inferior† such as Jews, people with disabilities, gypsies, black people, and people with skin diseases, Jehovah’s Witnesses and any other flaws humans are born with. Hitler viewed the Jews not as a religious group, but as a poisonous, disgusting â€Å"race†, which â€Å"lived off† other races and weakened them. And so began the Holocaust. Hitler threw innocent Jewish people into concentration camps letting them starve to death, gassing them, burning them alive and countless other torturous acts because they weren’t what he saw to be the ‘’perfect being’’. That may have been around sixty years ago but why does genocide still happen? After the Jewish Genocide, the cold war genocide, Rwanda genocide and just recently the genocide in Darfur occurred. Slavery is a black eye on the soul of America’s history. There has never been an excuse for one human to own another. We humans as a species should always have been treated equally. Why should people own other people? Are human beings animals? How can you hate someone so much by the colour of their skin? There simply is no answer. Slavery began around the 1600’s when the first black man was used as a servant. The slavery continued on, all the way through to the 1900’s where the servants were used to clean, cook food, babysit and do the dirty work around the house while a racist extremist group called the Ku Klux Klan that believed in Hitler’s message abused them with hate crimes and acts of domestic terrorism. Black people were treated like they were the scum of the earth; they were abused, spit on, beaten and in worst case scenario, murdered. They weren’t allowed to go to the same stores, schools, diners, and churches as the white people in America which was a huge disadvantage to the African-American race. When the racial segregation happened, which was a big milestone in history, the African–Americans were allowed to have the same facilities as everyone else, much to Americas disdain. Their freedom was limited; the African-Americans resorted to sitting at the back of the bus, or were only allowed to go to certain public areas. So why it is that racism still exists? What will it take for mankind to realize that despite the colour of a person’s skin, we are all amazing, complex people, who have wonderful characteristics that should be admired and loved? But people also need to realize that some people that were born black didn’t CHOSE to be black. I mean, I’m a black girl but that doesn’t make me hate the whites and love the blacks. Both races are the same to me. I guess equality is such a new concept within everyday American society that many raw emotions still cloud their judgment. Now in the 21st Century, racism still exists and in varying forms. Not only is there racial discrimination, religion is discriminated against also. When you see a Muslim man walking down the street or a woman wearing a burka, do you cower in fear? There is this new phobia called Islamophobia where there is hatred, prejudice or fear of a Muslim person and this term came to use fter the September 11 terrorist attack. But why be scared of only Muslim’s? Everyone is capable of causing great harm to society and just recently the Norway attack occurred and this attack wasn’t done by a Muslim. It was by a Norwegian citizen that no one suspected. This man, Breivik planned the attack to annihilate multiculturalism in Norway and to preserve a Christian Europe. His political views were to conserve his culture and promote Islamoph obia, he also urged Europeans after this attack to restore the â€Å"historic crusades† against Islam as in the Middle Ages. You could say that Islamophobia is the new form of black racism as it is a practice of discriminating against Muslims by excluding them from the economic, social and public life of everyday society. The new law that was passed down in France of not being able to wear the burka is an example. French police arrested two veiled women just hours after the country’s new ban on wearing the burka in public came into force. This law is the first of its kind to be enforced in Europe, and the French police said they will be extremely cautious as there are fears of Muslim women provoking violence while the burka. The law should not push minorities around. I believe that people should be allowed to wear what they want, free of coercion. The burka is a Muslim practice and I do not see the big deal, it is not a security risk. It is believed that Islam has no values in the Western society and is an inferior and violent religious belief. On the contrary, the violent belief is this new phobia. What do you think? Far too many of us speak of equality and hope, yet secretly have hate. Most people will tell you, that they are not racist individuals. Many of these people though, are either fooling themselves, or just don’t want to make a bad reputation for themselves. Everyone is based on little more than stereotypes and stories of that what happened years ago with Hitler and the black slavery. So we need to put aside all the things that happened generations ago. It happened out of ignorance and right now what we need to be doing is unite as one race, stop the negative attitudes and beliefs that permeate around us and try to make the future brighter. Some people believe that racism is in our human nature. Do you think so?

Beowulf: Sigemund Episode Essay

One of the best literary devices the author of Beowulf uses is the use of episodes and digressions. Each of these episodes and digressions tell another story apart from the main plot of Beowulf, but sets up an introduction to the main plot. One such episode, the Sigemund episode, tells of valiant King Sigemund who received glory and honor through his killing of the dragon and possession of the hoard. Sigemund became a noble and experienced king, only to be betrayed and brought to his downfall. Beowulf was much the same as Sigemund, and both were great examples of heroes. The Sigemund episode introduces a comparison to Beowulf, foreshadows Beowulf’s downfall, and parallels the irony of Beowulf’s shortcomings. As we see in the following lines: â€Å"Sigemund’s name was known everywhere. / He was utterly valiant and venturesome, / a fence round his fighters and flourished therefore† (897-898), the author introduces Sigemund as an excellent comparison to Beowulf. The author uses the Sigemund episode to set up a better understanding of the character of Beowulf by describing a king much like himself. This allows the reader to understand the character of Beowulf and know what a noble and valiant character he was. The author presents Sigemund as a brave warrior who defeated the dragon, much like the victorious warrior that Beowulf was. And within the Sigemund episode, Heremod is introduced as a wicked king, an exact opposite of Sigemund and Beowulf. This allows the reader to compare the three kings, and promote Beowulf as a noble king such as Sigemund. Another purpose of the Sigemund episode within Beowulf is to foreshadow Beowulf’s defeat and downfall. Sigemund is a noble and mighty king, but is led to his defeat in the following lines: â€Å"†¦ The king was betrayed, ambushed in Jutland, overpowered / and done away with† (901-903). This defeat of Sigemund foreshadows Beowulf’s defeat and death during the battle with the dragon. As Sigemund and Beowulf are both valiant kings, they both are led to their failure and death. This part of the Sigemund episode gives the reader a glimpse of what is to come for Beowulf in the rest of the poem. From this episode, the author uses irony that Beowulf will become a great and mighty king, but also will come face to face with his destruction. The author uses this irony to connect the characters of Sigemund and Beowulf. Not only does the Sigemund episode foreshadow the downfall of Beowulf, but it also sets up a choice that Beowulf has to make. Beowulf has to either chose to be like Sigemund, a courageous and noble king, or take the path of Heremod, an evil king. This gives the reader a sense of uncertainty of the choice Beowulf will make. As the reader, the choice that Beowulf will make is obvious, but this is a huge choice of character for Beowulf. It gives a chance for Beowulf to prove his character, and allows the reader to understand the trustworthiness of Beowulf once he does chose to be a noble king. Among the various episodes and digressions within Beowulf, Sigemund’s episode sets up the best foreshadowing of Beowulf’s life. In all, Sigemund’s episode clues the reader in with what type of character Beowulf is. Sigemund is the perfect comparison to Beowulf, and this allows the reader to expect what is to come for Beowulf. Sigemund’s hymn apart from the main plot of Beowulf accomplished the task of introducing and setting up the destiny for Beowulf.

To what extent Abigails Party a naturalistic play Essays

To what extent Abigails Party a naturalistic play Essays To what extent Abigails Party a naturalistic play Essay To what extent Abigails Party a naturalistic play Essay Abigails Party written by Mike Leigh was first performed in 1977. The play appears to have no obvious plot and is set in Lawrence and Beverlys house. The play opens as Beverly prepares for a drinks party for their neighbours. A married couple, Angela and Tony, are invited, as is Susan. Susans daughter Abigail is holding her first teenage party where Susan would not be welcome. As the play progresses tensions increase, particularly between Beverly and Lawrence until at the climax of the play Lawrence has a fatal heart attack. Naturalism is drama devised and presented on the basis that the action is to be believed as if it was something that was really happening. Kanstantin Stanislavski was the first to publish theories on naturalism in 1870s. He developed the fourth wall theory where the actors have no interactions with the audience but simply act to each other. This was a sharp contrast to the popular melodrama at that time where the audience were willing participants. Lee Strasberg developed Stanislavskis theories in 1940s at The Actors Studio in New York. He pioneered method acting a system of training and rehearsal for actors which bases a performance upon inner emotional experience (www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk). Lee Strasberg stated that work for the actor lies in two areas: the ability to constantly create reality and the ability to express that reality. When scripting Mike Leigh uses a period of improvisation therefore Abigails Party is expected to be naturalistic. By breaking down different elements of the play it is easier to see exactly why the play can be called naturalistic. Although the characters are naturalistic sometimes they may be hard to believe. The characters may appear exaggerated in that Angela is so nai ve and Beverly aspires to a higher class yet shallow. Nothing happens that is impossible. Some people may say that Beverly is unbelievable but everyone acts when they are playing the hostess. However, Beverlys character is even more worrying because not only does she act around others but she also acts to herself. At the beginning of the play although she is alone she acts as if she is a hostess. As Ray Carney says she is validating herself to her self. (Ray Carneys The Films of Mike Leigh: embracing the World). She has to do this to convince herself that she really is high class and a good hostess. At times Beverly appears to be just a collection of clichi s and a complete stereotype. However, a stereotype is simply someone that seems familiar or has been seen before many times but this does not make her any less believable. The characters are playing a social extension of themselves including aspects of their personality that the audience can relate to which is why they appear naturalistic. It can be assumed that each character in Abigails Party is in fact playing a role at the party. Each of them is behaving as they feel they are expected to at such an occasion and this is different to their normal character. A glimpse of their normal characters is seen at the end when Lawrence collapses and Angela takes control and slips into her role of a nurse. It is hinted that Tony can be short tempered but he appears to be very quiet and takes no active part. He appears to be uncomfortable and contributes only the absolute minimum. His temper and his ability to take action are seen when he shouts at Beverly to turn the music down. Tony and Lawrence appear to be able to see through the characters everyone else is playing but cannot do anything about it because they are not united. They view each other as rivals. Beverly is actively flirting with Tony whilst Lawrence tries to establish himself as Tonys superior. The audience can see how insignificant this small talk is and this provides the comic element. The setting of the play is another area that is naturalistic. The play takes place on the ground floor of a house in the suburbs of London on a spring evening in the 1970s. All of this information can be gathered from the set and conversation. Most of the characters are drinking gin and tonic, which had become a fashionable drink in the 70s. Cheap package holidays had become readily available and Majorca was a popular destination. Angela reveals that her house cost i 22,000 and this confirms that time period. Another clue that the play is set in the 1970s comes from the cars they talk about. Tony says he has an Escort, which was the popular everyday car of that time. Lawrence drives a Mini which a more stylish car in the 1970s. The final aspect, which distinguishes the play as being in the 70s, is the sexism. Whilst the characters are discussing cars Angela reveals that Tony will not let her drive. This is another detail that makes the makes the play naturalistic. The set and choice of music add to the atmosphere of 70s naturalism. Naturalism is also obvious in the staging. Abigails Party was written to be performed on a proscenium arch stage, as it is most naturalistic. A proscenium arch stage allows the decoration of three walls and furnished as if it were a real house. This uses the theory of naturalism as developed by Kanstantin Stanislavski and the audience assumes there is a fourth wall. This is an impenetrable wall between the stage and audience. This means the audience merely observes the play and the actors are acting to each other and never to the audience. This creates a naturalistic play. The only aspect of staging that could be considered to be slightly false is the way all the furniture is placed for easy visibility through the fourth wall. However, in most houses the furniture in the living room is centred round the television so that if we assume that the television would separate the stage and audience then it becomes more naturalistic again. Even so all the acting takes place in a 180i arc whereas life would normally take place in 360i. However, as this is a play the actors cannot talk with their backs to the audience without speaking especially loud, which would detract from the naturalism. The structure of the play is also naturalistic. In Aristotles book The Poetics he states that there are three unities that must be observed in order for a play to be believable. The first of these is that the play should take place in Real Time. This means that whatever time period is supposed to have taken place on the stage it must have actually elapsed. The second of these is that there should be only one location. The whole story should take place in the same place. This avoids any unbelievable moving of sets and therefore makes the play much more naturalistic. The third point is that that there should be only one story line. This not only means that there will be no scene changes but also the audience will not have to stretch their imagination to follow two or more story-lines. All of these points are supposed to make a play more believable and therefore more naturalistic. All of these points are observed in Abigails Party. The themes throughout Abigails Party are mundane and everyday. They relate to most peoples personal experiences, which is why they are naturalistic. One theme is marriage and it can be seen how the relationship between Beverly and Lawrence is full of tension. They annoy each other all evening as Beverlys attempt to be a competent, glamorous hostess is obviously irritating Lawrence. For example when Lawrence wants a sandwich or olives or to put on classical music Beverly always opposes him and actually calls him a boring little bugger. Beverly also says that Lawrence is very good with money. I mean if I want a new dress, make-up, have my hair done, whatever it is the money is there. But, apart from that its just boring This provides the audience with insight to their marriage and Beverlys boredom. Susans problems with marriage are also discussed in the play. Through Angelas lack of tact the audience becomes aware that the private character of Susan is divorced. The audience empathises with Susan and at the same time is embarrassed by Angela and this provides more comedy. Another theme that runs throughout the play is that of regret and dissatisfaction. Lawrence voices his regret of not learning to play a musical instrument and Beverly states how she is not satisfied with her marriage. Although Tony does not express his dissatisfaction himself, through his flirting with Beverly and Angela commenting he usually turns over, his dissatisfaction can be sensed. Angela also talks about the dissatisfaction she has in her relationship with Tony. She says he is quick-tempered and says he is not sympathetic when she is feeling ill. Susan is similar to Tony because she does not voice her dissatisfaction but unlike Tony she does not have a partner to provide the clues. Her dissatisfaction is shown by her reluctance to discuss her private life. The final area where naturalism is present is the rare qualities that Abigails Party possesses. There is no obvious plot in the play and this makes it more believable because everyday life does not have a dramatic or particularly entertaining plot. Even the climatic moment of Lawrences heart attack is followed by a mundane ending and this mirrors real life. . If it was not a naturalistic play the heart attack would be used to make a dramatic climax but it is more realistic as it is attempting to represent a view of real life. Overall it can be said that Abigails Party is naturalistic. There is no plot and the entertainment comes from the observations of daily life. People cannot watch themselves when they are entertaining but if they could then it would possibly have the same cringing result. Abigails Party captures the difference between peoples entertaining selves and normal selves perfectly. It focuses on how drama can occur in the most normal circumstances. The play may not be entirely and completely believable in places. Lawrences heart attack to Beethovens Fifth Symphony could be unbelievable but heart attacks are an everyday risk and can occur at any time. Angela had warned earlier in the play that people with heart problems are businessmen with highly stressful jobs. The fact he dies to Beethovens Fifth Symphony may seem corny but was his choice of music and he was extremely stressed. Also Tony may seem hard to believe because all he does is reply in monosyllables when spoken to but his wife is behaving foolishly and he really does not want to be there. This makes his antisocial attitudes less surprising. In general although some parts may initially seem unbelievable but considered within the scenario most of these aspects appear much more believable. Therefore Abigails Party is a naturalistic play in virtually every aspect.

Pelycosaurs, Archosaurs, and Therapsids

Pelycosaurs, Archosaurs, and Therapsids Like archeologists discovering the ruins of a previously unknown civilization buried deep beneath an ancient city, dinosaur enthusiasts are sometimes astonished to learn that entirely different kinds of reptiles once ruled the earth, tens of millions of years before famous dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor, and Stegosaurus. For approximately 120 million years- from the Carboniferous to the middle Triassic periods- terrestrial life was dominated by the pelycosaurs, archosaurs, and therapsids (the so-called mammal-like reptiles) that preceded the dinosaurs. Of course, before there could be archosaurs (much less full-blown dinosaurs), nature had to evolve the first true reptile. At the start of the Carboniferous periodthe swampy, wet, vegetation-choked era during which the first peat bogs formed- the most common land creatures were prehistoric amphibians, themselves descended (by way of the earliest tetrapods) from the proverbial  prehistoric fish that flipped, flopped, and slithered their way out of oceans and lakes millions of years before. Because of their reliance on water, though, these amphibians couldnt stray far from the rivers, lakes, and oceans that kept them moist, and that provided a convenient place to lay their eggs. Based on the current evidence, the best candidate we know of for the first true reptile is Hylonomus, fossils of which have been found in sediments dating back 315 million years. Hylonomus- the name is Greek for forest dweller- may well have been the first tetrapod (four-footed animal) to lay eggs and have scaly skin, features that would have allowed it to venture farther from the bodies of water to which its amphibian ancestors were tethered. Theres no doubt that Hylonomus evolved from an amphibian species; in fact, scientists believe that the elevated oxygen levels of the Carboniferous period may have helped fuel the development of complex animals in general. The Rise of the Pelycosaurs Now came one of those catastrophic global events that cause some animal populations to prosper, and others to shrivel up and disappear. Toward the start of the  Permian period, about 300 million years ago, the earths climate gradually became hotter and drier. These conditions favored small reptiles like Hylonomus  and were detrimental to the amphibians that had previously dominated the planet. Because they were better at regulating their own body temperature, laid their eggs on land, and didnt need to stay close to bodies of water, the reptiles radiated- that is, evolved and differentiated to occupy various ecological niches. (The amphibians didnt go away- they’re still with us today, in dwindling numbers- but their time in the limelight was over.) One of the most important groups of evolved reptiles was the pelycosaurs (Greek for bowl lizards). These creatures appeared toward the end of the Carboniferous period, and persisted well into the Permian, dominating the continents for about 40 million years. By far the most famous pelycosaur (and one thats often mistaken for a dinosaur) was Dimetrodon, a large reptile with a prominent sail on its back (the main function of which may have been to soak up sunlight and maintain its owners internal temperature). The pelycosaurs made their livings in different ways: for example, Dimetrodon was a carnivore, while its similar-looking cousin Edaphosaurus was a plant-eater (and its entirely possible that one fed on the other). Its impossible to list all the genera of pelycosaurs here; suffice it to say that a lot of different varieties evolved over 40 million years. These reptiles are classified as synapsids, which are characterized by the presence of one hole in the skull behind each eye (technically speaking, all mammals are also synapsids). During the Permian period, synapsids coexisted with anapsids (reptiles lacking those all-important skull holes). Prehistoric anapsids also attained a striking degree of complexity, as exemplified by such large, ungainly creatures as Scutosaurus. (The only anapsid reptiles alive today are the Testudines- turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.) Meet the Therapsids- The Mammal-Like Reptiles The timing and sequence cant be pinned down precisely, but paleontologists believe that sometime during the early  Permian  period, a branch of pelycosaurs evolved into reptiles called therapsids (otherwise known as mammal-like reptiles). Therapsids were characterized by their more powerful jaws bearing sharper (and better differentiated) teeth, as well as their upright stances (that is, their legs were situated vertically beneath their bodies, compared to the sprawling, lizard-like posture of earlier synapsids). Once again, it took a catastrophic global event to separate the boys from the men (or, in this case, the pelycosaurs from the therapsids). By the end of the Permian period,  250 million years ago, over two-thirds of all land-dwelling animals went extinct, possibly because of a meteorite impact (of the same type that killed the dinosaurs 185 million years later). Among the survivors were various species of therapsids, which were free to radiate into the depopulated landscape of the early  Triassic  period. A good example is  Lystrosaurus, which evolutionary writer Richard Dawkins has called the Noah of the Permian/Triassic boundary: fossils of this 200-pound therapsid have been found all over the world. Here’s where things get weird. During the Permian period, the cynodonts (dog-toothed reptiles) that descended from the earliest therapsids developed some distinctly mammalian characteristics. Theres solid evidence that reptiles like  Cynognathus  and  Thrinaxodon  had fur, and they may also have had  warm-blooded metabolisms  and black, wet, dog-like noses. Cynognathus (Greek for dog jaw) may even have given birth to live young, which by almost any measure would make it much closer to a mammal than to a reptile! Sadly, the therapsids were doomed by the end of the Triassic period, muscled out of the scene by the archosaurs (of which more below), and then by the archosaurs immediate descendants, the  earliest dinosaurs. However, not all therapsids went extinct: a few small genera survived for tens of millions of years, scurrying unnoticed under the feet of lumbering dinosaurs and evolving into the first  prehistoric mammals  (of which the immediate predecessor may have been the small, quivering therapsid Tritylodon.) Enter the Archosaurs Another family of prehistoric reptile, called the  archosaurs, coexisted with the therapsids (as well as the other land reptiles that survived the Permian/Triassic extinction). These early diapsids- so-called because of the two, rather than one, holes in their skulls behind each eye socket- managed to out-compete the therapsids, for reasons that are still obscure. We do know that the teeth of archosaurs were more firmly set in their jaw sockets, which would have been an evolutionary advantage, and its possible that they were quicker to evolve upright, bipedal postures (Euparkeria, for example, may have been one of the first archosaurs capable of rearing up on its hind legs.) Toward the end of the Triassic period, the first archosaurs split off into the first primitive dinosaurs: small, quick, bipedal carnivores like  Eoraptor,  Herrerasaurus,  and  Staurikosaurus. The identity of the immediate progenitor of the dinosaurs is still a matter of debate, but one likely candidate is  Lagosuchus  (Greek for rabbit crocodile), a tiny, bipedal archosaur that possessed a number of distinctly dinosaur-like characteristics, and that sometimes goes by the name  Marasuchus. (Recently, paleontologists identified what may well be the earliest dinosaur descended from archosaurs, the 243-million-year-old  Nyasasaurus.) It would, however, be a very dinosaur-centric way of looking at things to write archosaurs out of the picture as soon as they evolved into the first theropods. The fact is that archosaurs went on to spawn two other mighty races of animals: the  prehistoric crocodiles  and the  pterosaurs, or flying reptiles. In fact, by all rights, we should be giving crocodiles precedence over dinosaurs, since these fierce reptiles are still with us today, whereas  Tyrannosaurus Rex,  Brachiosaurus,  and all the rest arent!

The Impact Of Retaining Older Workers In Modern Organizations In North Thesis

The Impact Of Retaining Older Workers In Modern Organizations In North America - Thesis Example This, when read in conjunction with the above valid hypothesis, implies that the surveyed organizations do not have adequate policies of motivating and retaining older employees. The research recommended that these organizations should pay attention to providing training and development opportunities, clarity of purpose and decision making to the younger employees in order for them to make greater contribution to the organization. The current paper aims to examine the relationship between organizational policies of motivation and retention of older employees and the older workers morale and performance on customer relationship management. The above is found to be worth researching as the organizations are faced with the dilemma of retaining older workers who they presume to have redundant or debilitating abilities or to retire them. However, the researcher believes that the older workers are able to provide their distinct contribution in the form of experience and wisdom and should be encouraged in the organizations. The following paper therefore hopes to provide a valid reason for making the above recommendations. The research will undertake a non-human approach, where secondary data will be collected and analyzed. The research will firstly will delve into the available literature related to the costs and benefits of retaining older workers. This will help in formulating a background for the next section of the research that would deal with a statistical analysis of the research data collected by a consultancy organization, Denison Consulting, LLC. The data collected by Denison Consulting, LLC via its Organizational Culture Survey will be analyzed to test the research hypotheses. The workplace is increasingly becoming diverse with people from different genders, ethnicity, cultures or even different nations come together to perform their jobs. There have been great

Scientific Concept Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Scientific Concept Research - Essay Example The process we call recycling is the act of making used materials into other forms of materials that will benefit the end user and the environment we live in. Everyday we live on resources and produce waste after consumption. However, millions of individuals neglect these waste materials and do not realize their worth for other functions in our environment. So one question comes to our mind, why is recycling important? An old saying goes, â€Å"it’s easier said than done.† I have seen hundreds of world leaders talk about recycling, making our earth a greener place to live in etc. but they have never successfully campaigned for recycling. As soon as they newly elected officers sit on their desk, they forget about their vision and just ride along the power trip. For me, recycling is very essential to us, human beings, because it affects not only ourselves but also our future generations to come. We must preserve the beauty of our environment for our children to see as well. The thought in recycling is comparable to the thought of reincarnation in the Christian bible. As our human bodies decay and our souls depart, we are reborn into other creatures or species and form part of society in a different perspective. When we pass away, our spirit is reborn into a different being. We may be a dog, cat, or insect in the next life. Recycling does the same function through a cycle of waste to a new form of use in society. Science tries to explain the importance of recycling because our world does not have unlimited resources. By providing an alternative of producing new light from garbage, we are able to save nature and preserve it. We can compare recycling to religious practice because religion observes certain rituals and traditions to nurture their beings. Almost any church needs rituals and weekly collection (Ackerman, 1997). They collect resources and impose a â€Å"bringing back to life† of used resources such as