The Financial Markets Essay Example for Free

The Financial Markets Essay The development of the regional markets to global level and innovative developments in the technology field has greatly boosted growth and expansion of financial markets. Capital markets in the emerging economies are quite evident and this is a direct result of global links in financial development policies. The rapid economic growth and industrialization process in the emerging economies is also attributed to the globalization of the financial markets which significantly promote capital inflows (Agtmael 2007). On the other hand, economic problems and financial crises in other nations could easily be transferred to other countries as a result of these interactions. This was evident with the Asian currency crisis of 1997 that affected the major economies of the Asian region; the Russian financial crisis that saw countries of former Soviet Union suffer an economic depression and the disintegration of the long-term capital management in 1998 (Kahn 1979). Many countries have now undertaken a process of finding a solution to such occurrences in future and the most notable research is that conducted by the Japanese central bank. The World Disinflation Trend Structural changes in the global financial market have influenced the international, market environment in terms of prices of products. In 1990s the world experienced a change in disinflation rates reflected by a notable increase in the supply of products to the world market as a result of the rapid industrialization in the emerging market economies. Development and innovative technology plus anti-inflation policies adopted by many nations also played a significant role in the disinflation development. The inflation rates in the Group of eight (G-8) countries declined by about 3-4%, these countries are the greatest economies in the World of all nations and they include; United States, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, Britain, Russia and France (Drori et,al 2006). Significant of them all is Japan which has experienced a faster deflation rate resulting in prices of consumer goods ranging from less than one to about zero percent. The European countries and the United States are the great beneficiaries of the disinflation phenomenon that resulted from the economic polices in the early 1990s. These nations has earned real economic base for their financial and commercial activities leading to a steady expansion of economy and consumer price stability (Kahn 1979). The European monetary union is a great success due to reduced inflation in the member countries. The great economic depression was an eye opener to most of the countries and this lead to change in economic policies of many central banks in different nations. Most of the nations that are in the developing stage are currently mare concerned about the threat of price decline which has not occurred for quite some time now since the great economic depression. These economic development have lead to better financial services in the US and European nations. The federal reserve reduced its rated from 6. 5 % to 1. 25% between 2001 and 2002, the European central bank on the other hand reduced refinancing rates by half and by the year 2003 it was about 2. 0 % from 4. 75% in the year 2001 (Drori et,al 2006). Central banks in the group of eight countries are concerned about calls by other economies to reduce short-term interest rates. Such conventional monetary policy is intended to stimulate economic activities that target the lower zero bound short term interest rates. Such policies are borrowed from the bank of Japan which established the trend in 2001 (IFM 2003).

Presenting Reality In Documentaries

Presenting Reality In Documentaries The term documentary stems from the verb to document to convey information on the basis of proof and evidence to support it, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. In the realm of films and cinema, a documentary is a film that is an attempt, in one fashion or another, to show reality as it really is. In this essay, we shall be concentrating on the documentary by American filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. By the end of this essay we should hopefully reach to a conclusion whether Morgan Spurlock used the medium of documentary film effectively in order to represent the truth. The latter will need an in depth analysis n observation of the style of documentary Super Size me is and how it has been treated and presented by the filmmaker. The ultimate aim of documentary is to find the perfect way of representing the real is what Stella Bruzzi believes is the function of a documentary. As she states it herself, the aim is to find the perfect way of representing reality. The three underlined words are themselves hypothetical terms that are not certain, hence this is the first indication that documentary might not necessarily achieve its aim. Documentary style of films are still under debate as to how real can they be, this probably why Stella Bruzzi uses the word find instead of a more commanding and certain word. Therefore, what is really a documentary according to different theorists? John Grierson, the first writer to use documentary as a term in his review of Robert Flahertys Moana, came up with his famous dictum that documentary is the creative interpretation of actuality. Griersons essay First Principles of Documentary argued that documentary was cinemas potential for observing life could be exploited in a new art form; that the original actor and original scene are better guides than their fiction counterparts to interpreting the modern world; and that materials thus taken from the raw can be more real than the acted article. Contrary to Bruzzis idea of representing reality, Grierson believes in interpreting it. Interpretation can be in form of re-enactment. So the question that arises is how realistic is a documentary that has actors and scenes guiding the flow of the film? Any re-enactment or borrowed situations can be manipulated to reflect the directors idea, which leaves hardly any space for 100% reality. In addition to John Griersons explanation about documentary, Bill Nichols (2001:165) suggests that documentaries have a sense of realism which other genre of films lack as the realism in documentaries represent what the eyes and ears experience in everyday life. Morgan Spurlock achieves the degree of realism and transparency explained by Bill Nichols in realism in documentary film. Morgan Spurlock presents his point against fast food by living, observing and literally eating it. He documents his 30 days Mc Diet effectively that the audience has little or no hesitation to question the transparency and authenticity (Bill Nichols:165). Morgan Sprulocks objectives for making Super Size Me were to investigate the reasons and claims about USA having an epidemic of obesity. As he sarcastically says in the beginning of his documentary; The biggest people, America has now become the fattest nation in the world, CONGRATULATIONS! This statement by the filmmaker suggests that in teh documentary, the audience will be seeing and hearing the reality that Morgan Spurlock chooses to show them and he has already taken the liberty to express his personal emotions towards the theme of the documentary. Another driving force that led Spurlock to make this documentary was the lawsuit brought against McDonalds on behalf of two overweight girls, who, it was alleged, became obese as a result of eating McDonalds food (Pelman v. McDonalds Corp) in 2003. Spurlock argues that this case against fast food joints is as significant as the criticism faced by tobacco companies. A brief summary of the documentary is that Morgan Spurlock makes himself a test subject of this documentary about the commercial food industry. Rigorously eating a diet of McDonalds fast food, three times a day for a month straight and restricts himself to only 5000 steps a day. Therefore, he lives the life of most American who eat fast food regularly and also hard burn it out in terms of physical exercise. Spurlock is out to prove the physical and mental effects of consuming fast food. While doing this, Spurlock also provides a look at the food culture in America through its schools, corporations, and politics as seen through the eyes of regular people and health advocates. Super Size Me is a movie that sheds a new light on what has become one of our nations biggest health problems: obesity. Critics of the film, including McDonalds, argue that the author intentionally consumed an average of 5,000 calories per day and did not exercise, and that the results would have been the same regardless of the source of overeating. He was eating solely McDonalds food in keeping with the terms of a potential judgment against McDonalds in court documents highlighted at the beginning of the film. The film addresses such objections by highlighting that a part of the reason for Spurlocks deteriorating health was not just the high calorie intake but also the high quantity of fat relative to vitamins and minerals in the McDonalds menu, which is similar in that regard to the nutritional content of the menus of most other U.S. fast-food chains. About 1/3 of Spurlocks calories came from sugar. His nutritionist, Bridget Bennett RD, cited him about his excess intake of sugar from milkshakes and cokes. It is revealed toward the end of the movie that over the course of the diet, he consumed over 30 pounds of sugar, and over 12 lbs. of fat from their food. The nutritional side of the diet was not fully explored in the film because of the closure of the clinic which monitored this aspect during the filming of the movie. Spurlock claimed he was trying to imitate what an average diet for a regular eater at McDonalds-a person who would get little to no exercise-would do to them. Spurlocks intake of 5,000 calories per day was well over twice the recommended daily intake for a sedentary adult male, which would amount to only about 2,300 calories. A typical man consuming as many calories as Spurlock did would gain nearly a pound a day (which is roughly how much Spurlock gained), a rate of weight gain that could not be sustained for long periods. Additionally, Spurlock did not demonstrate or claim that anyone, let alone a substantial number of people, eats at McDonalds three times per day. In fact McDonalds is mentioned during the movie to have two classes of users of their restaurants: There are the Heavy Users, (about 72% of the customers, who eat at their restaurants once or twice a week), and the SUPER Heavy Users (about 22% of the customers, who eat McDonalds 3 or more times a week). But no one was fo und who ate at McDonalds three times a day. This brings out the fact that maybe Morgan was exactly as objective as he should have been. There is a clear exaggeration of his Mc Diet as no one was found to be eating as much fast food as he did. However, the counter argue this claim one can say that maybe not every day but like a few participants in the documentary said the eat fast food up to 3 times a week. So if one spreads those continuous 30 days over couple of months the result might be the same. The only difference left will be that Morgans body and health showed accelerated reaction to the fast food intake because he did it at an extreme level. According to Bill Nichols in Introduction to Documentary (2001:163): Social issue documentaries are usually in expository mode. However, Morgan Spurlock contradicts this statement by making a social issue documentary in a participatory mode making it more a personal portraiture documentary. If super Size Me was to be categorised in the b asic six mode of documentary according to Bill Nichols, it would be a participatory documentary. In the latter, investigation takes a step back to make way for a more responsive and reflective relationship in unfolding the events by the filmmaker (Bill Nichols 2001:119). Super size Me is a personal testimonial where Morgan Spurlocks voice is prominent throughout the overall structure of the film and this is what hold the audiences attention. It will be appropriate at this point to go deeper into the documentary Super Size Me and analyse it in order to understand the objectives and mode of the documentary. Firstly, Super size Me is the idea of an ordinary American filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. This is an important fact to be taken into consideration because eventually the ideology and aim intended by Morgan Spurlock is what will direct the ideas reflected in the documentary, hence, objectivity can be compromised. For reality to be completely present in order to have a real documentary there should be ideally, no draw backs on objectivity in the portrayal of ideas. Secondly, Super size Me is more to do with creating awareness amongst people. Creating awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. This suggests that Spurlock was not aiming at influencing people to completely revolt against fast food but at least beware and conscious of the harmful effects of it. He leaves it upon the audience to make their choice without brainwashing them. Thirdly, Super Size me is what Grierson would categorize under participatory mode, in which filmmakers move from behind the camera and appear as subjects in their own work like Spurlock carries out his experiment himself and becomes the main subject of the documentary. He is the director, producer and writer of the documentary. So much control over a project does make it a very passionate and well organised piece of work; however, with so much power and control over a project, the audience might be getting the side of story which the director has in mind. Hence, can the audience be completely dependent on what is being shown to them and believe that Spurlock was being completely objective? The audience plays a great role in what and how the director delivers the documentary. Super Size Me was released in 2004, mainly for the American audience as he directs his attention to Americans by repeatedly saying WE are The taste of what the audience want now is different from what was expected in earlier years when illiteracy levels were at their highest. The audience want something more intellectually stimulating and not propaganda. Moreover, reality and truth in the form of controversy is what really gets peoples attention. This probably the deciding factor when it comes to Spurlock putting together eye catching facts and shocking moments like his depression, or his girlfriend admitting to him being not as good as before during sexual intercourse. Such facts can be hidden or edited out, but the director keeps it, to show his transparency but also to add the elements that sell in todays world. In addition, editing plays a big role in representing reality. The camera can capture all the truth there is to be captured, but the audience eventually see what is presented to them after much chopping done in the editing room. Directors choice of scenes, images and music is what is eventually reflected in the documentary. In other words, only one or a few peoples choice or ideology is selected and presented to the audience. The directors selection does not necessarily have to reflect the reality. Therefore, how is reality ever represented in documentaries? Triumph of The Will (1935) is not only a masterpiece entirely on its own, divorced from political or propagandist considerations, but in its emotional manipulation of the audience represents the very heart of what propaganda is all about. (Barsam, 1992, 130) Riefenstahl is able to create a glorified representation of the NSDAP, or Nazi party, with the use of a music score that invents Hitler as heroic. Her ability to represent a political party so triumphantly is noted in the moving and chilling pieces of cinematography when Hitler gives his final speech and compares his party to a holy order. She captures an essence far purer than the NSDAP, and in a way does more than justice to the partys attempts of propaganda. On the other hand, her achievements in portraying the NSDAP as glamorous can be seen as misrepresenting and a line can be drawn between fact and fiction as to, whether her glorifications are unjust and morally wrong. For the Nazis, the euphoria of a perfect Germany according to them can be portrayed with proper film aesthetics but without directly referring to the contemporary society of the 1930s. The what it would be like if Nazis ruled agenda can be portrayed with the use of abstract visuals and other techniques as long as the real is not referred to, as societies in Germany were not of pure race. The idea of creating a pure race and portraying this in a film is almost mythical, yet alone absurd. In order to portray an Aryan world blatant lies and imaginative discourse would be called for. The ethical implications behind this, is that the people themselves must change in order to create this ideal society. The overly repeated Flag Bearer image depicts symbolism connected to Nazism; the inclusion of a flag bearing the Nazi Swastika symbol represents the militarized power of the party. As a trend in Nazi propaganda, there is enormous emphasis on military symbols in Triumph of the will, triggered deeply felt emotions associated with Germanys former military might. Leni Riefenstahls editing provides an insight into the status of Triumph of the Will as Nazi propaganda. For example, one sequence during Hitlers arrival in Nuremburg is composed of four shots; the first two shots show the old buildings of the city and then a German flag therefore representing the old, traditional Germany. The following two shots depict Hitler and then a Swastika. This sequence typifies how Riefenstahl has represented the Nazi ideology of a return to a mythical epoch by linking the ideals of the traditional dogma with a visionary future. Similarly, before the scene of the city awakening Riefenstahl links a shot of an old church to represent Volakis thought, with the rally camp site to signify the new Germany. Incidentally Hinton suggests that as result of these sequences, Triumph of the Will is more than a document of the 1934 Nazi Party Rally; it is a document of the city of Nuremburg where the viewer gains a sense of the beauty and history of the medieval centre. F urthermore, the use of German and Nazi flags ties in with the use of military symbols inherent in the propaganda of the Third Reich. She also states that; In my cutting room, it was the most difficult work of my life describing the task that took at least five months to fulfil. She explained that she did not care much about chronological accuracy on the screen and that she intuitively tried to find a unifying way to edit the film in a way which would progressively take the viewer from act to act and from impression to impression. With political pressure, adoration for Adolf Hitler, and clearly a propaganda film, Triumph of the will does portray reality in terms of the images used; they are all live and not re-enacted by Riefenstahl. However, it is a biased documentation of the reality. I believe it would have been a real documentary if only there was not so much of glamour shown about the Nazi rallies, and the darker side such as the Holocaust and ghettos were also covered. The latter would have made it a more objective piece of work, making it more of a documentary instead of a propaganda tool. From the information given above about the documentaries in question the first thing that is important to note is the fact that Triumph of the Will was an idea suggested by Adolf Hitler whereas, Super size Me was the idea of an ordinary American filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. This is an important fact to be taken into consideration because eventually the ideology and aim intended by Adolf Hitler and Morgan Spurlock is what will direct the ideas reflected in the documentary, hence, objectivity can be compromised. For reality to be completely present in order to have a real documentary there should be ideally, no draw backs on objectivity in the portrayal of ideas. Adolf Hitler was a Nazi dictator ruling over a powerful country like Germany, his influence and power to pressurise Leni Riefenstahl was unquestionable. On the contrary, Morgan Spurlock was just an independent director. What kind of objectivity and impartiality (two very important subjects to reflect reality) can one expect from a director working under a dictator who controlled the population through fear? The purposes of both documentaries are extreme opposites. Triumph of the Will was intended to be a propaganda political film. Propaganda is after all; a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus possibly lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda. In comparison to this, Super size Me was more to do with creating awareness amongst people. Creating awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an obser ver without necessarily implying understanding. This suggests that Spurlock was not aiming at influencing people to completely revolt against fast food but at least beware and conscious of the harmful effects of it. He leaves it upon the audience to make their choice without brainwashing them. The presentation of Triumph of the Will is what documentary forefather, John Grierson would categorise under Poetic mode. Such documentary thrive on a filmmakers aesthetic and subjective visual interpretation of a subject, in addition to it different music is selected for different scenes, just like in the Triumph of Will. By contrast, Super Size me is what Grierson would categorize under participatory mode, in which filmmakers move from behind the camera and appear as subjects in their own work like Spurlock carries out his experiment himself and becomes the main subject of the documentary. The time period in which both documentaries are set in are also crucial points to be noted. Triumph of the Will was set in 1935 in Germany, where people were in the middle of Nazi revolution and political chaos. In contrary to 2004 America where Super Size Me is shot, the taste of the audience has changed dramatically. Audiences of Super Size Me are not only in America but world around, which wasnt the target audience of Triumph of the Will, the latter was meant for only the Germans. To add to this, Germans in 1934 were comparably less educated than the audience of 2004, because one of Germanys major issues at that time was low education. Hence, propaganda movies worked to its full potential as people would not question or form their own opinions; however, the same cannot be expected from liberal thinking people in 2004. The taste of what audience around the world want now is completely different from what was expected in 1930s. Nowadays, reality and truth in the form of controversy is what really gets peoples attention. One may wonder if 1930s audience would have liked to watch real documentary, what if Triumph of the Will was to include scenes from the concentration camps, how would have the audience responded to the documentary? Lastly, editing plays a big role in representing reality. The camera can capture all the truth there is to be captured, but the audience eventually see what is presented to them after much chopping done in the editing room. Directors choice of scenes, images and music is what is eventually reflected in the documentary. In other words, only one or a few peoples choice or ideology is selected and presented to the audience. The directors selection does not necessarily have to reflect the reality. Therefore, how is reality ever represented in documentaries? Returning to Stella Bruzzis statement, the aim of documentary is to represent the truth. According to her, the way of doing is still being found. Truth can be the body of real things, events, actuality, or fidelity to an original or to a standard. Super Size Me does get close to Stellas definition of documentary. It represents what happens with Americans being addicted to fast food and barely exercising. What makes this documentary a real representation of reality is the presence of objectivity. If Spurlock enjoyed something it was showed and when he was not at his best (scenes of vomiting and depression) that was also shown, to portray both sides of the reality. On one hand, Triumph of the Will with the use or real images and not actors and fabricated scenes, is a way of showing the truth, however, the sincerity lacks because it is a highly biased propaganda. Moreover, with political pressure at that time, there was no freedom of showing a balanced truth, which is supposed to be the real essence of a documentary. To sum up about Triumph of the Will, it is right to say that it does actually document the events such as Nazi rallies and political speeches, but the immense lack of objectivity does not make the propaganda film a real representation of the truth (according to the quote of Stella Bruzzi). On the other hand, Super Size Me does get close to Stellas definition of documentary. It represents what happens with Americans being addicted to fast food and barely exercising. What makes this documentary a real representation of reality is the presence of objectivity. If Spurlock enjoyed something it was showed and when he was not at his best (scenes of vomiting and depression) that was also shown, to portray both sides of the reality. The documentary is also very credible because of all the science backing that it has thanks to the doctors Spurlock had on board for the film. The latter brings a logical reasoning to what is being shown in the documentary, unlike the Triumph of the Will where no space is giving to the audience to make their own opinion. The documentary is also very credible because of all the science backing that it has thanks to the doctors Spurlock had on board for the film. The latter brings a logical reasoning to what is being shown in the documentary. To conclude, Super Size Me is definitely closer to Bruzzis definition of documentary because of the unbiased representation of truth. Nevertheless, in Super Size Me, the experiment is itself not true or completely reliable, as no one eats fast food three times a day for a whole month with only 5,000 steps as exercise. Moreover, Spurlock is a bit too aggressive in trying to bring down one specific chain of fast food joints which is Mc Donalds. He bases his whole experiment solely on Mc Donalds. What about the other fast food companies? Arent their menus as harmful as or worse than Mc Donalds? This makes the documentary a little less objective than what the audience want to believe in because it is after all biased towards giving bad publicity to mostly Mc Donalds. It is however commendable that Spurlock wisely made science the back bone of the experiment. By doing so he bought the logic to the arguments he had against the unhealthy life style of Americans. The realism that Spurlock ex plores in his documentary is the psychological realism which conveys the sense of a plausible, believable and accurate representation of human perception and emotion.'(Bill Nichols 2001:171) Spurlock achieves this realism but making the audience relate themselves to characters and situations which are life like in a universalizing way. After watching Super Size Me, one can either feel more knowledgeable about the dangers of excessive fast food eating or because they have been exposed to constant images of Mc Donalds, actually crave for a meal at Mc Donalds. This goes to emphasize that visual images is what is mostly kept in the audiences minds. On a final note, it seems that the perfect way of representing the truth is yet to be found, till then individual prejudice and biasness will always somehow continue to influence the truth in documentaries however transparent one is, there is always somehow a loophole which will lead to documentaries truthfulness being questioned.

Personal Reflection Of My Learning Style

Personal Reflection Of My Learning Style Introduction: After doing this course my weaknesses and strengths become apparent through my lecturers, and my mates. At first, I despised my lecturer critiques, I took it personally, and I thought they were just being nasty to me. After reflecting on their reviews and critiques, I can now say that I actually appreciate all their comments because they make me see where my shortcomings and strength are. They have shown me how to address my shortcomings and improve on my strengths. In the preceding chapters I will aspire to demonstrate what I have learnt, the assessment of my personal learning style and strategic plan I have devised for future essay writing. PERSONAL REFLECTION: Personal reflections constitute a large part of my development learning process that take place spontaneously. I perceive essay writing as a daunting task, this is the experience of most if not all students in my year. Unfortunately no matter how frightening we found it, it is mandatory in every part of our course as we do not sit for exams. I have always struggled with bad grammar, clarity, choice of words, word count, and non-qualitative work. So many times my Lecturers had to return my work to me and asked me to explain a statement that does not make sense to him. Along with struggles of choice of words and grammatical errors came other struggles. I often struggle with researching, academic writing, materials resources and referencing. Beside my imperfect writing also come the problems of footnotes, prioritising, and procrastination. All the aforementioned problems were addressed in this course. What I learned most in the course is that it helps me to study efficiently, enhance my researching skills. The course teaches me to take active step in reading, writing techniques, applying algorithm to read my text in any subject. Though it makes me read and learn slowly but actively. It also provides opportunity for me to interact with fellow students and facilitate group discussion, which enable us to talk about what we learn, reformulate and restructure the information. This course has also strengthened my learning style and has made me to be an aggressive learner. I have learnt so many writing techniques and terminology in this course which I must familiarize myself with, as they are mandatory to apply them in my future essay writing. Not doing that will jeopardise my expected standard. LEARNING PREFERENCES As you can see in the abovementioned chapters, what my writing skills are like. As unique as individual so also everyone has his or her own unique learning styles and preferences. This course demonstrated varieties of ways which students can learn and out of these modes and styles of learning it makes me identify suitable learning styles that are most appropriate for me, which are active and visual learning. To maximise and strengthen my learning it required me to attend lectures regularly, take notes and elaborate them after lectures, record lectures if allowed, talk about what I learn, add diagram to notes whenever ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s possible, work in peer or group. These learning styles also enable me to capitalize on my strength and give room for improvement on my weaknesses. This style of learning helps me to organise and manage my time effectively, it provides me with various approaches to studying, vocabulary building, researching, analytical skills, writing skills and othe r successful learning strategies. My burning desire to excel has plunged me into great analytical thinking, which will enhance my future essay writing and learning. ESTIMATED WORK PLAN FOR COMPLETION OF MY DEGREE In the next chapters I will aspire to demonstrate the strategic sequential steps I will be applying for the completion of my degree course. Approaching my studies with positive habits and perceive it as nothing else but a possession of mind, and in other for me to succeed I have to make decision about my priorities, my time and my resources. I will devise an action plan for the areas I need to develop further and I will give more attention to reflective experience and applying knowledge. Arrange and prioritise myself to eliminate distractions, knowing when I am more focus and productive. Studying at the same time everyday makes me establishes routine and this has become my pattern and I stay clear of scheduling any other things at this time. I will also avoid doing too much studying at one time, stick to my routine and follow the priorities I have set for myself and not allowing any other interest to sidetrack me from my goal. Implementing all this will makes me more systematize, col late the notes I have taken at lectures and in study groups together, reformulate, and restructure them in organization method I can develop. I will Investigate, question what my lecturers taught me, critically view the contents and quality of the lectures as I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to accept what I was taught as what passes from my lecturer notes into my notes without questioning or critically think about it or without reacting. I will also refer to my manual, other textbook, and web sites for assistance. I will also reflect on how I can relay or apply what I learn into my callings. One of my most difficult challenges is procrastination. This makes me struggling meeting up with the deadline and accomplish my goals. After this course, I have started to overcome the problem. However, I still put some things up for later but not as much as before. STRATEGY DEVICE FOR FUTURE ESSAY WRITING Below are the structures I will use for successful production of my future essays writing. First class academic essay writing requires analytical demonstration of my knowledge and skills of the topic. I will analyse, dissect the topic, pre and post the questions to get an overview. I will interpret the question, decode the question, and explain it in my own understanding. What is the main subject or content of the question, focus on the contents or else I will lose the track. Highlight the content. Identify the task, as this is where I am going to extract my essay introduction. I will follow the criteria, the guidelines and look for relevant resources. After doing all this I will start planning my essay, commencement of my essay, timing, what I need to focus on, what need to be included in the essay? The vital information I need to gather, materials needed. The next step I will take is to start researching, at the completion of my research, I will start writing an outline, organize l ist of points I want to make in the essay in a way it will make sense. Start drafting as it comes to my mind, collate them in correct format, and check grammatical errors and spelling. Do additional research to beef up the amount of words required. After doing all this then I will start writing my essay in the following order. An introduction A main body A conclusion A critical evaluation Meeting up with the deadline is very pivotal in essay writing as there is specific time of handing it in, but in situation where it is tough and strenuous I will talk to my lecturer as they are quite considerate and they do usually give extension. Conclusion Having realised that there is no quick or easy way to studying. I can only achieve through endurance, hard work, staying focus, immerse myself into rigorous swotting, and sequentially pursue my action plan. Implementation of the above plan and commitment will make me achieve my goal.

Database Management System vs Information Retrieval System :: IT Essays

1. Differentiate Between Database Management System And Information Retrieval System By Focusing On Their Functionalities. Database Management System According to Modern Database Management eight edition, by Jeffrey A. Hoffer, Mary B. Prescott and Fred R. McFadden database management system (DBMS) is define as a software system that is used to create, maintain, and provide controlled access to user databases. Support Concurrent Updates Concurrent updates occur when various users make updates to the database at the same time. Supporting concurrent updates is also critical to database management as this component ensures that updates are made appropriately and the end result is precise. Without DBMS interference important data could be lost and or imprecise data stored. DBMS uses features to bear concurrent updates such as batch processing, locking, two-phase locking, and time stamping to help make certain that updates are done correctly. Again, the user is not alert all this is incident as it is the database management system’s liability to make sure all updates are stored appropriately Recovery of Data In the event a misfortune occurs, DBMS must offer ways to pull through a database so that data is not eternally lost. There are times computers may break down, a fire or other natural disaster may occur, or a user may enter inaccurate information invalidating or making records conflicting If the database is cracked or spoiled in any way, the DBMS must be able to recover the correct state of the database, and this process is called Recovery. The easiest way to do this is to make standard backups of information. This can be done at a set controlled time so in the event a catastrophe occurs, the database can be restored to the state that it was last at prior to backup. Security Security is the avoidance of illegal users accessing the database. DBMS uses features such as encryption, authentication, authorization and views to provide security to the database. Encryption is when DBMS converts the data in a database to an unreadable format. No illegal person trying to access this information will be able to read it. Authorized users will be able to see it in normal form. Authentication is a technique in which the database officer can identify the person accessing the database. Authorized users are given passwords and successful entry of a legitimate password will allow the user entry into the database, if a password is not effectively entered, the user will be denied access. Authorization is a set of rules that the database administrator (DBA) sets up to specify levels of practice that individuals or groups are allowed to have.

Social Issues Essay -- essays research papers

Is Mcdonaldization Inevitable? George Ritzer’s, Mcdonaldization of Society, is a critical analysis of the impact on social structural change on human interaction and identity. According to Ritzer, Mcdonaldization â€Å"is the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as rest of the world† (Ritzer, 1). Ritzer focuses on four foundations of Mcdonaldization: efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control. These are the commandments of any rationalized corporation. However, they are not carried out from the point of view of the consumer. Efficiency, for example, may entail the placing of great inconveniences upon a consumer for the sake of efficient management. Calculability may involve hiding certain information from the consumer. Predictability and control may involve a company's ability to predict and control consumer behavior, not the consumer's ability to predict what kin d of product or control what kind of service he gets. Ritzer calls such breakdowns "the irrationality of rationalization." Ritzer points out the irrationality of rationality, as all of the supposed benefits of Mcdonaldized systems backfire: waiting in long lines, suspect quality, little or no customer service, little or no customer service, the illusion of large quantities for low prices, and severely limited selection of choice. Throughout Mcdonaldization of Society, Ritzer describes Mcdonaldization as largely negative and often destructive. While Mcdonaldization is rapidly taking over American society and spreading to the rest of the globe, it is not something unjustly imposed on the American people. The consumerist culture of America has groomed the public to seek efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control. These principles grow in importance and value in contemporary America. Even when given the choice to avoid a Mcdonaldized establishment or product, peopl e will flock to it. I agree with Ritzer’s analysis of a Mcdonaldized society, but I feel that Ritzer has failed to provide any real solutions to the Mcdonaldization process. I will support Ritzer’s analysis of the Mcdonaldization process, but also show that it is inevitable and essential in the American society to have a rationalized system. Ritzer stresses that â€Å"Mcdonaldization† does not just refer to robotlike assemb... ...ety, companies are looking to maximize profits and managers are looking to maximize sales. Employers want efficiency and predictability from their workers. They want to be able to control their employees. With so much of the day spent at work and commuting, the only way people can get everything done everyday is to rely on time saving methods. With increasing productivity and development comes an increasingly rationalized system. Regardless of who benefits or to what extent, the universal result is homogenization. Rationalized systems have a pronounced tendency to squash individual tastes, niche markets, small-scale enterprise and personalized customer service. Differences are leveled, wrinkles smoothed, knots cut off -- convenience at the expense of character. An overwhelming sameness develops, along with a decrease in responsiveness. The system that seeks to mimic a machine becomes a machine, incapable of making exceptions or taking risks. I believe that the greatest loss is th at most people know of no other society than the rationalized society and therefore cannot even hope to deviate from it. For good or for bad, our social destiny is to live in such prepackaged settings.

The Real Inspector Hound

Tom Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound, which was written between 1961 and 1962 and premiered on June 17th 1968, is an absurd play that comments on the role of the critic in relation to the play he or she critiques and comments on the interdependent relationship that is formed between critic and actor. The Real Inspector Hound’s plot revolves around a couple of critics, Moon and Birdboot, who become embroiled in a murder mystery while watching a play about a murder mystery; in this sense, The Real Inspector Hound is a play-within-a-play.Through the play’s plot and theme, Stoppard not only comments on the interdependent and mutually beneficial relationship critics have with the theatre, but also on how the theatre and critic must remain separate entities. The Real Inspector Hound is an absurdist play that is highly self-aware, or self-reflexive, of its premise and structure. For the purposes of this analysis, the play Moon and Birdboot are attending will be refer red to as â€Å"the play,† whereas Stoddard’s play (in which â€Å"the play† is contained will be referred to as The Real Inspector Hound.In establishing the play’s and The Real Inspector Hound’s general theme of a murder mystery, Stoppard not only comments on the absurdity of whodunit tales—in this case Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap—but provides a meta-critique of the genre through Moon and Birdboot who attempt to decipher the play they are watching’s plot. In the process, Stoppard also forces The Real Inspector Hound’s audience to attempt to decipher the events within the play—and within the play’s play—as they unfold, thus creating a tertiary level of meta-criticism.Through this approach, Stoppard demonstrates that critics and criticism are not formal roles, but rather that assuming the role of a critic can be done by anybody and that people actively engage in criticism even if they are n ot aware of it. Through his criticism of theatre and the whodunit genre, Stoppard forces the reader, and consequently the critic, to recognize the interdependent and mutually beneficial relationship that is formed between the theatre and the critic.One of the basic premises Stoppard comments on is how critics are dependent on the theatre and how it not only provides them with a source of income and allows them to attain some sort of fame, but also how it allows them to gain insight into some aspect of their lives. One of Moon’s most self-reflexive meta-comments allows the reader to understand Stoppard’s personal concept of the purpose of theatre. Moon comments, â€Å"There are moments, and I would not begrudge it this, when the play, if we can call it that, and I think on balance we can, aligns itself uncompromisingly on the side of life† (Stoppard 31).When deconstructed, Moon’s observation can be applied on two different levels. The first level Moon†™s comment can be applied is to his personal observation of the play he and Birdboot are watching. In The Real Inspector Hound, it is revealed the action taking place within the play’s play mirrors the action that is taking place within The Real Inspector Hound. For instance, in the play it is revealed that Simon is leaving Felicity because he has fallen in love with Cynthia.This ironically parallels Birdboot’s behavior as he has been having an affair with the actress that plays Felicity and has pushed his own wife to the side. It is ironic to not only see how the play mirrors Birdboot’s life, but also how the issue is not so absurd that it does not occur in everyday life. By commenting on the how theatre is a mirror of real life, Moon, as a critic and observer, forces the reader—and his followers—to take note of the messages conveyed through theatre.By analyzing the themes conveyed through theatre, it becomes much more than a simple entertainmen t venue and is transformed into a means for self-reflection. In addition to the parallels created by the adulterous couple in the play and Birdboot, Moon observes and paradoxically foreshadows what occurs in the play by commenting on his role within the critic world. In The Real Inspector Hound, the only reason Moon is given the opportunity to attend and critique the play is because his superior, Higgs, has mysteriously failed to show up.As Moon contemplates about his role and life, and about what will be written on his epitaph, he comments, â€Å"Sometimes I dream of revolution, a bloody coup d’etat by the second rank—troupes of actors slaughtered by their under-studies†¦Sometimes I dream of Higgs† (7). In The Real Inspector Hound it is not the actors that are slaughtered by their underappreciated understudies, but rather the critics who are killed off. By referring to the role of the critic as being one of power, Moon not only comments on the impact the c ritic can potentially have, but also on the necessity for evolution in terms of theatre as an art form. The critic’s livelihood is dependent on artistic revolution and innovation. If a critic is only critiquing the same element or genre, then their input becomes moot and they outlive their purpose as they have lost any power they may have had when their critiques actually influenced people. A critic not only has the power to influence people to attend or avoid a theatre production, but also the critic’s power also lies in how he or she influences the theatre. In The Real Inspector Hound, Birdboot is having an adulterous affair with the actress who plays Felicity in the play.In his defense, Birdboot contends, â€Å"My wife Myrtle understands perfectly well that a man of my critical standing is obliged occasionally to mingle with the world of the foot lights, simply by way of keeping au fait with the latest,† that is to say, that in order to understand and keep up with the ever-changing world of theatre, a person needs to be actively involved in it (10). If a critic is not up-to-date with what is going on in the realm of theatre, it is difficult for him or her to impact either the audience or potential theatre-goer, or to make an impact on the world of theatre.Birdboot also asserts that it is necessary to maintain a certain level of integrity (even if he engages in illicit behavior himself) and is offended when Moon insinuates Birdboot uses his position of power to influence the realm of theatre and promote any actress that is willing to trade (sexual) favors. Birdboot exclaims, â€Å"[To] suggest that my good opinion in a journal of unimpeachable integrity is at the disposal of the first coquette who gives me what I want† is considered to be more of an insult than a statement of truth, despite the fact that it is not intended to question his integrity as a critic, but rather his integrity as a man.Through The Real Inspector Hound, St oppard provides commentary on the thin line that divides critics from actors by highlighting how the theatre becomes irrevocably changed when critics interfere with a production. For instance, when Moon crosses the play’s fourth wall and jumps into the action in medias res, he not only disrupts the action on stage, but also breaks down the wall between critic and actor and becomes part of a world he is merely charged with observing.By breaking the rules of theatre and becoming actively engaged in the action, Moon can no longer provide an unbiased opinion on the play and thus outlives his purpose. His objectivity is removed and as such, so must he be from his position. While the theatre and critic are interdependent on each other for survival, the theatre cannot serve to criticize its audience and can only provide them with a mirror into who they are.Likewise, a critic cannot become part of the theatre without losing his or her reputation; the critic has to remain constantly s eparated from the action while attempting to remain informed about the artists, themes, and artistic movements that are constantly in flux. Through Moon’s and Birdboot’s monologues, Stoppard investigates the role of the critic and demonstrates how critics are constantly fighting to survive within their own industry and how the theatre is dependent on critics to not only influence audiences, but also to secure employment within the industry.In a way, critics are the people who have the most control in the world of theatre and as such, they are constantly in danger as other critics actively fight to be the most respected and influential critic, the one who holds all the power, and the one who gets all the â€Å"perks. † Works Cited Stoppard, Tom. The Real Inspector Hound. Scribd. Web. 14 December 2012, from http://www. scribd. com/doc/92063145/The-Real-Inspector-Hound-Full-Text

Determination of the Fundamental Electronic Charge

ELECTROLOYSIS OF WATER: DETERMINATION OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ELECTRONIC CHARGE PURPOSE: The fundamental electronic charge of water will be determined. A system of collecting the formation of H2 and O2 using two inverted glass collections tubes and a 1-L beaker filled with water will be setup. An electrolyte (H2SO4) will be added to water to make it an electrical conductor. A small amount of electricity will be applied to the water (roughly 400 mA) to oxidize the oxygen and reduce the hydrogen at the same time. The molecular hydrogen and oxygen gases produced will be trapped in the separated, inverted tubes so that their volumes can be measured.In comparing the volume of gases produced, applying Dalton’s Law and the Ideal Gas Equation along with the application of the stoichiometric ratio between the electron and the gases, the fundamental electronic charge will be determined. THEORY H+ ions will join together at the cathode (the negative electrode) to produce H Atoms, and the H at oms will join to form molecules of H2 gas. At the positive electrode (the anode), H20 molecules will decompose to replace the H+ ions lost and release O2 gas. The reactions appear below. H+(aq) + 2e- —> H2(g) Reduction (at the cathode) 2H20(l) —> 4H+(aq) + O2(g) + 4e-Oxidation (at the anode) The volume of H2 and O2 will be directly proportional to the time and current applied to the system. This will provide the number of electrons consumed on a stoichiometric ratio as follows: 1 H2(g) to 2 e-Reduction (at the cathode)(1) 1 O2(g) to 4 e-Oxidation (at the anode)(2) The moles of electrons can be expressed as a rearrangement of the Ideal Gas Equation: Ne = PV/RT(3) Where P = pressure in atm, V = volume in L, R = Gas Constant of 0. 08206 atm mol-1 K-1 and T = temperature in KelvinThe actual electronic charge of water will be calculated as follows: e- = it/NeNx the stoichiometric ratio (1) or (2) above Where i = current in amps, t = time in seconds, Ne = moles of electrons passing through the circuit from equation (3) and N = Avogadro’s number. The actual electronic charge will be compared to the theoretical charge of 1. 603Ãâ€"10-19 Coulombs. 1. Convert height of the solution into mm Hg to get the hydrostatic pressure (pressure due to the liquid left in the gas collection tube): height of solution x density of solution density of mercury 2. tmospheric pressure in the room – hydrostatic pressure = Ptotal (total pressure exerted by the gas trapped in the gas collection tubes) 3. a)Ptotal (total pressure) = PH2 + PH20or Ptotal = PO2 + PH20 b) PH2 = Ptotal – PH20 c)PH2 / 760 = Patm (Pressure) 4. Ne = PV/RT 5. e- = it/NeNx the stoichiometric ratio | | Run 1| Run1| | Run 2| Run 2| | | – (cathode)| + (anode)| | – (cathode)| + (anode)| | | Tube 2| Tube 1| | Tube 2| Tube 1| | | H2| O2| | H2| O2| Run Time in seconds|   | 987. 13| 987. 13| | 1102. 82| 1102. 82| Average Current|   | 0. 303| 0. 303| | 0. 277| A| Height of S olution| Hsol mm| 400. | 325. 0 | | 81. 5 | 314. 2 | Volume of gas produced| Vgas (mL)| 40. 10 | 19. 72 | | 40. 10 | 19. 80 |   | Vgas (L)| 0. 04010 | 0. 01972 | | 0. 04010 | 0. 01980 | Temperature of solution| C| 24. 0 | 24. 0 | | 25. 6 | 25. 6 |   | Kelvin| 297. 15 | 297. 15 | | 298. 75 | 298. 75 | Vapour pressure of water | mm Hg| 22. 377 | 22. 377 | | 24. 617 | 24. 617 | Atmospheric pressure| Patm mm Hg| 770. 50 | 770. 50 | | 770. 50 | 770. 50 |   | Patm| 0. 94567 | 0. 95293 | | 0. 97354 | 0. 95103 | hhg hydrostatic pressure (mm Hg)|   | 29. 41 | 23. 90 | | 5. 99 | 23. 0 | Ptotal (mm Hg) in the tube|   | 741. 09 | 746. 60 | | 764. 51 | 747. 40 | PH2 (mm Hg)|   | 718. 71 |   | | 739. 89 |   | PO2 (mm Hg)|   |   | 724. 23 | |   | 722. 78 | | | | | | | | moles gas n (rearranged Ideal Gas Equation) Ne = PV/RT| 0. 001555 | 0. 0007707 | | 0. 001592 | 0. 0007681 | e- = it/NeN|   | 3. 194E-19| 6. 445E-19| | 3. 185E-19| 6. 604E-19| stoichiometric ratio| Final| 1. 597E-19| 1. 611E-19| | 1. 593E-19| 1. 651E-19| | theoretical| 1. 603E-19| 1. 603E-19| | 1. 603E-19| 1. 603E-19| | Difference| -6. 193E-22| 8. 166E-22| | -1. 028E-21| 4. 801E-21| | % Error| -0. 4%| 0. 5%| | -0. 6%| 3. 0%|