INFLATION TARGETING AS A STRATEGY FOR THE CONDUCT OF MONETARY POLICY Research Paper

INFLATION TARGETING AS A STRATEGY FOR THE CONDUCT OF MONETARY POLICY (IN CANADA) - Research Paper Example Monetary policy is one of public intervention measure around at influencing the level and pattern of economic activity so as to achieve certain desired goals. The task of keeping the rate of inflation low is given to authority bodies such as the central bank. Monetary policy covers all the action of the bank of Canada and the government which influence the quantity, the cost and availability of money credit in the economy through open market operations and setting of banking reserve requirements. 2. DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO CONDUCT MONETARY POLICY I. Attainment of full employment Full employment simply refers to involuntary unemployment. Monetary policy can raise the level of employment by encouraging credit availability to labor intensive section like rural agriculture and other small scale factories. Policies that lower the interest rates constitute expansionary monetary and is likely to lead to an increase in investment hence more employment opportunities. II. Price stability Econo mics sometime suffer from inflation and deflation; both have their effects either positively or negatively. Monetary policy helps in controlling inflation pressure. Price stability can be maintained by regulating money through tools of credit control like discount rate and minimum reserve requirement ratio. It helps in maintaining equilibrium in income and wealth inequalities. III. Economic growth expansion Money policies are put in place to ensure that more money is injected in circulation to finance developments of projects, which may in turn cause a price increase. Monetary also controls real interest rates and its effect are clearly reflected in investment. If the central government goes for an affordable and available credit policy by cutting down on the interest rates, the investment level of the economy is encouraged (Ben and Woodford 94). Increase in investment simply means higher economic developments. IV. Balance of payments equilibrium The balance of payments has two aspe cts, that of surplus and that of deficit. The latter reflects stringency of money and the former an excess of money. If the monetary policy succeeds in maintaining monetary equilibrium than the balance of payments, equilibrium can be achieved. V. Exchange rate stability This refers to the value of home currency expressed in terms of any foreign currency. If the exchange rate is volatile, causing rapid changes frequently, the international society might lose confidence in the economy. The monetary policy hopes to achieve and maintain relative stability in the exchange rate. The central bank tries to influence the demand for foreign exchange and also maintaining its stability. VI. Equal income distribution Fiscal policy was s used to maintain economic equality according to some economist. In recent years, it is believed that the monetary policy can also play a role in attaining that equality. It can make unique provisions for the neglect availability like small scale factories, agricu lture and many more by providing for them cheaper credits for longer terms, thus assisting in reducing economic inequalities. Inflation is the increase in general level of prices of commodities in an economy over time. When prices rise, a buyer of goods and services is forced to pay more money for lesser goods and services. This simply means that inflation erodes the purchasing power of money. Inflation rates are used to measure the price of inflation. Economists argue that inflation is generally caused by a growth of the money

Importance of I Have a Dream speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Importance of I Have a Dream speech - Essay Example Many icons still use such phrases to unite people and carry out campaigns and rallies, especially the concluding paragraphs of â€Å"I have a dream† speech: "And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" (Herst, 2007). This has remained a uniting factor among Americans and reminds them of civil rights movement that alleviated racial discrimination and injustices. The speech has consistently depicted America as a country whose credo is liberty and justice for all and that the country men must live up to the precepts of the nation with all of its children (Frady, 2002). Martin Luther King Jr prese nted his speech as a civil rights activist not only black Americans but to all people of Americans. The speech has since promoted idea of unity and equality.   The goal of the speech was particularly for Americans to understand and agree with him.   The speech remains important to the public as it brings the issues of society that affect entire America logically and emotionally. Another importance can be drawn from the issue of civil rights that was clearly brought up by the speech: Martin Luther King Jr used rhetorical strategies to the audience that was racially mixed and viewed them as equal and not different in any particular way. The memory of the public cannot escape the... Martin Luther King Jr presented his speech as a civil rights activist not only black Americans but to all people of Americans. The speech has since promoted idea of unity and equality. The goal of the speech was particularly for Americans to understand and agree with him. The speech remains important to the public as it brings the issues of society that affect entire America logically and emotionally. Another importance can be drawn from the issue of civil rights that was clearly brought up by the speech: Martin Luther King Jr used rhetorical strategies to the audience that was racially mixed and viewed them as equal and not different in any particular way. The memory of the public cannot escape the bravery of Martin Luther King Jr, this is because at the time of the speech, there was an enormous amount of controversy that civil rights were facing. Martin Luther King Jr was even arrested few months prior to his speech in one of his anti-segregation dissents and protests, he however c ontinually fought for civil rights. The goal of the speech was to wholly eliminate all problems between the different American races, particularly Black versus White. In his speech he says: â€Å"But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free.† (Branch, 2006) From the beginning of the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, Martin Luther King Jr brings the public back to when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, the very beginning of America. This Emancipation Proclamation gave hopes and freed all slaves of America.

Analysis of Jean-Luc Godard

Analysis of Jean-Luc Godard ‘The auteur theory can be summarised most simply as an acknowledgement of the director as the primary and shaping force behind a film’ (Craig Keller). How is Godard’s ‘primary and shaping influence’ detectable, if indeed, it is? Introduction The auteur theory was a principle developed in the 1950s by a group of French film critics namely: Eric Rohmer, Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. It was their belief that an auteur was â€Å"the single individual most responsible for whatever personal expression (if any) a movie yielded up under critical analysis†. This definition has become the most universally understood of the auteur theory and therefore the one which will be referred to during this dissertation. These critics wanted to see an end to la tradition de la qualità © of conventional cinema of the 1930s and 1940s a period coined le cinà ©ma de papa. They viewed films produced at that time to be â€Å"literary†, â€Å"lifeless† and not â€Å"truly cinematic†. Inspired by fellow film critic Alexandre Astruc’s camera-stylo theory arguing that â€Å"filmmakers should use their equipment as spontaneously, flexibly and personally as a writer uses a pen† these young critics began to break the constraints of conventional cinema. Prior to the development of the auteur theory, a large majority of films were produced, shot and edited in similar styles. Large studios, with fixed cameras and scriptwriters having overall control were common, thus creating a rigid style of film production. However, in the 1950s and 60s, a period labelled the Nouvelle Vague, French cinema was completely revolutionised. During this time films moved away from the confines of the big studios and artificial lighting; to outside, using light weight Arriflex cameras which sped up the film process. During this period directors began to experiment with several new cinematic techniques whilst implementing their own personal artistic values in films. These directors came to be known as auteurs becoming the ‘primary and shaping force’ behind their films, manipulating scenes to fit their style rather than employing the traditional method of following scriptwriter’s prompts. In terms of the auteur theory Jean-Luc Godard was seen as the truly radical auteur. By most he is today seen as one of the most innovative and artistic directors having created his own ‘Godard style’. As Godard himself suggests, â€Å"les vrais auteurs des films sont les producteurs†¦le cinema n’a d’avenir que si la camera finit par remplacer le stylo†. Godard epitomises a director out to challenge traditional cinema. Through such films as Vivre sa Vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962) and Une femme est une femme he began to interrogate and illuminate conventional cinema via new cinematic and artistic techniques. This dissertation will assess the extent to which Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘primary and shaping influence’ is detectable in his films. In the main body of this dissertation I will consider Godard’s ability to implement his own cinematic style through several inventive techniques. I will consider his ability to challenge the barriers between off screen and on screen reality. Furthermore, I will analyse his use of camera shots, editing techniques, colour and sound so as to demonstrate his pivotal influence on the shaping of his films. I will however, also argue that any kind of definition of the auteur theory oversimplifies the realities of a film making process and can therefore not be seen as a definitive theory. Andrew Sarris explains, one of the premises for an auteur is that the director must ‘exhibit certain recurring characteristics of style which serve as his signature†¦over a group of his films’. I will, therefore, make reference to four of Godard’s films: A bout de Souffle (1960), Une femme est une femme (1961), Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962) and Le Mepris (1963) to demonstrate how Godard yields personal influence in his films. One of Godard’s premises as a film director was his belief that realism was a pivotal part of film making. Godard believed that realism attempted by conventional cinema was â€Å"never exactly the same as reality, and in cinema it is of necessity faked†. It was therefore Godard’s intention to continually experiment with new ideas and make his actors improvise in certain scenes in order to encapsulate what he believed would be the closest thing to real life. Following the release of A Bout de Souffle actor Jean-Pierre Melville who played Parvulesco in the film said Godard’s movie was â€Å"anything shot anyhow†. Godard himself confirmed that â€Å"on A Bout de Souffle I used to write the evening before shooting†. According to Godard, the reason for him doing this was because â€Å"I liked to be surprised. If you know in advance everything you are going to do, it isn’t worth doing. If a show is all written down, what is the point of filming it? What use is cinema if it trails after literature?† Godards obsessive need to shape the smallest minutiae made him standout amongst his peers by firmly embedding him as the autonomous force behind all aspects of the film making process. In addition, if one reads the script of Le Mà ©pris it clearly shows his belief in improvisation to encapsulate real life. In the thirty minute apartment scene in which Camille and Paul argue, the only direction is â€Å"man in hat. Man in towel. Blond woman. Woman in black wig. Sheets on coach. Sheets off couch. Dishes on table. Love. Anger. Contempt. Tenderness.† This therefore forced the actors to improvise in the hope that the scene would be more realistic than just learning their lines by heart. This idea of filmmaking was revolutionary at the time and was a way in which Godard was implementing his own directional style to his movies. As Kreidel suggested in 1980 â€Å"[N]o one has yet made a more modern cinema than Godard†. For those familiar with Godard’s work the quote used above ‘anything shot anyhow’ should strike a chord. His use of the camera to manipulate scenes to exert his own artistic influence over his movies was just one of the ways in which his primary influence was detectable. Godard employed a range of new cinematic techniques in an attempt to escape the classical idea of a passive audience. His work was heavily influenced by Bertolt Brecht’s theory of Brechtian distanciation which encouraged the audience to make their own interpretations of what they were experiencing rather than them being simply led through a piece of theatre. Godard was influenced by Brecht’s theory in encouraging the active engagement of his audience, â€Å"he breaks the illusion of the fourth wall in order to communicate directly with the audience, usually in such an enigmatic way that he seems to be satirising the whole of communication†. In a key scene in A Bout de Souffle Michel, one of the lead protagonists, is filmed having a conversation with himself whilst driving. Traditionally this type of scene would be shot using a fly on the wall technique, Godard instead, by making Michel talk directly at the camera, creates the impression that Michel is directing his words at the audience. Manipulating the camera lens to involve the audience was just one of the techniques that Godard employed. In the opening scene in Vivre sa Vie he utilises a very different technique alienation. Rather than filming this scene in the traditional head-on format Godard places the camera lens behind the lead characters heads. In doing so the audience feels alienated from the conversation between the characters Nana and Raoul especially as their reflection in the mirror distances themselves even more from the audience. In addition, Godard never films the two characters in the same shot which not only highlights the divide between the characters but also the audience from the characters conversation. As Godard himself suggests â€Å"I also converge with the theatre through language: in my film one must listen to people speaking, particularly as their backs are often turned so that one is not distracted by their faces†. By shooting this scene from behind Godard does just that. He forces the audience to interpret the scene through what they hear and not what they see. By exploiting these techniques Godard is undoubtedly heavily exerting his influence on these films as an auteur. Godard’s use of the camera to exert a primary influence on his work often manifests itself in less obvious ways. He frequently extends the length of a single shot or slows down his camera movements to provide the viewer with adequate time to concentrate on a specific image. In Le Mà ©pris Godard is forced to do a slow panning shot in one of the final scenes of the film when Odysseus returns home to Ithica. Godard’s use of colour is so bold in this scene that if he quickly panned across the scene it would not give his viewers adequate time to concentrate on the composition of the colours. The scene is filmed in such a way that it adds to its artistic content. In much the same way as a writer’s style of writing changes or a painters brush strokes alter throughout their career, Godard’s style evolves throughout his films. He employs different techniques in each film but the one constant is his shaping influence on each of his works. In conventional cinema, colour was generally used in order to increase the commerciality of films. When it was occasionally used, it enhanced the mood in separate scenes. Godard employed a far more ambitious use of colour in his work. In his first two colour films Une femme est une femme and Le Mà ©pris he predominantly used primary colours due to his interest in â€Å"modern art: straight color, ‘pop’ art†. Godard used bold primary colours to indicate the characterisation and narrative development in his films but in such a way that it did not act upon the viewer in a directly sensual way. In Godard’s first colour film Une femme est une femme, Angela is intent on having a child with her husband Emile. Emile however, is not so keen on the idea and appears rather blasà © about the subject; he predominantly wears blue in the film which symbolises his rather laid back nature. After being repeatedly refused by Emile on the topic of having a baby, Angela goes to Emile’s friend Albert to have an affair in the hope to conceive. Albert despite being happy to oblige feels no real affection for Angela and this is shown as he mainly wears grey symbolising his disinterest in her. In Godard’s second colour film Le Mà ©pris, he continues the pattern of using colour to represent characters personalities but tends to also use colour to depict how characters emotions towards each other evolve throughout the movie. In the opening scene, Camille is lying in bed with Paul asking him if he loves different parts of her body. In this scene, Godard uses colour filters which are seen as a representative of what is going to happen in the film. If one considers that red symbolises love, white incertitude and blue coldness then it maps out what happens in the film, love to ambivalence to contempt. Furthermore, Godard manipulates colour to mirror personalities. Paul the scriptwriter in the film is seen in a grey suit with blue specks highlighting his passive personality. Jerry the ambitious American film producer is mostly seen in a blue suit, red tie and driving a red sports car which in turn suggests his dominant personality and his lust for Camille. In addition, Camille is shown in several coloured dresses throughout the film so as to emphasize her continual change of emotions. Finally Francesca, Jerry’s secretary wears a red jumper in the scene when she seduces Paul which again emphasizes Godard’s attempt to symbolise emotional currents in the film. It is important to note that several critics have suggested that Godard’s use of primary colours can also be seen as a referent to American musicals, a genre which fascinated Godard. This referent is most evidently seen in the opening credits of Une femme est une femme when bold colourful words flash up on the screen like neon lights, reflecting the lavishness of the American musical. Furthermore, other critics suggest that the primary colours are a referent to either the French flag or American flag. The extensive analysis of these critics suggests that they themselves acknowledge Godard as playing a decisive role in the production of his films. One of Godards most revolutionary impacts on French cinema was his use of editing. Prior to the Nouvelle Vague, directors were focused on attempting to reduce the awareness of the film making process for the audience; enhancing what directors felt was reality.   They would therefore use techniques such as continuity editing which prevented the audience from being aware of any cuts in between scenes, enabling them to be swept up in the film. Godard however, had a strong belief about the basics of cinema in which mise en scà ©ne (the content of individual shots) is continually inflected, articulated and transformed by montage (the editing that drives a film from one shot to another. With this strong belief Godard began to edit using techniques such as the jump-cut. The jump-cut was employed by Godard in his first motion picture A bout de Souffle. Due to a need to reduce the length of the film, Godard systematically cut out whatever could be cut, while trying to maintain some rhythm†. An example of his use of jump-cuts was in the scene when Michel, the criminal, is recognised by a police officer and therefore Michel decides to shoot him. In this scene Godard zooms in on the barrel of the gun which is about to be fired by Michel. Suddenly, when Michel fires the gun there is a jump-cut and the next image is the police officer falling to the ground having been hit. Another notable example of his use of jump cut came later in the film when Patricia is riding in a stolen convertible with Michel. In this scene there are up to seven jump-cuts of Patricias head, creating discontinuity in the scene in a very clear ‘Godard style’. Whilst many critics at the time found his use of jump-cut confusing and disruptive to the flow of the film; many others recognized his â€Å"jagged unruly montage heightened the jagged, unruly mood of a story propelled more by the whims of his characters than the dictates of a predetermined story, which is something evident in his film A bout de Souffle. As has been demonstrated it is clear that Godard exerted considerable influence over the editing process. It is clear that Godard’s films are characterised by a set of stylistic methods. Principally amongst these methods is his use of sound. Prior to the Nouvelle Vague, sound was employed in film to replicate audibly the visual emotion of a scene in order to captivate the audience and make a scene appear more ‘realistic’. Martin Heidegger highlights this tradition by suggesting that viewers have become accustomed to sound’s â€Å"elegant effects† and thus treats them as real. Godard however, firmly believed that in ‘faking’ sound to captivate the audience, one is taking away the realism that he wanted to convey in his films. A point agreed by Richard Roud who suggested that â€Å"even in the most so-called realist film, sound has always been an exception†. It was therefore Godard’s intention to restore sound so that it would captivate ‘real life’ by refusing to edit or remix any previously recorded track, which he defined as sonic realism. One of Godard’s most notable examples of this was seen in A Bout de Souffle. Due to the sound being naturally recorded there are several scenes in the film when some of the character’s conversations are muffled by natural noises. The use of natural sound reaches a peak during the scene in Patricia’s apartment when the noise of the sirens bellowing in through the open window actually drowns out the character’s dialogue. Rather than being a distraction that takes the viewer out of the moment, the use of natural sound here, and throughout the film, only heighten the realism. After all, in life, it would be unrealistic to sit in a room with an open window in the centre of Paris and not hear any intrusive sounds. Jean Collet praises Godard’s creation of realism through sound stating â€Å"[Godard applies] to sound the same demands as for the pictures. [He captures] life in what it offers to be seen-and to be heard-directly.† Godard’s artistic use of sound did change in his career with the development of post-synchronised sound. Prior to the Nouvelle Vague, direct sound was used in films such as A Bout de Souffle. However, with the development of post-synchronised sound Godard was able to talk to the actors whilst filming so as to direct them and after synchronise the sound with the film footage. This also enabled him to implement his artistic Brechtian style of filmmaking in which he alienated his audience. In the opening scene in Vivre sa Vie, Godard uses the soundtrack in ten to twenty second bursts. The scene shows shots of Anna Karina’s face at different angles. In conventional cinema, music would generally play consistently throughout this scene to highlight the emotional state. Godard however, plays it in bursts creating discontinuity in the scene as the soundtrack stops at random intervals. As has been demonstrated, Goddard employs a wealth of techniques in his films to manipulate sound. In playing such a pivotal role, he firmly entrenches himself as the key player in his work. Rarely before had cinema seen someone wield such a crucial influence over all aspects of the film making process. Second Section It is undeniable that Godard has produced some of the most inspiring and innovative films through his use of story line and cinematic techniques. His exploitation of light, colour, and sound, editing and alienating the audience showed Godard had revolutionised traditional French cinema and in doing so has inspired modern day film directors such as Quentin Tarrantino. However, in using Keller’s summary that an auteur is simply the primary and shaping force of his films it is unquestionably oversimplifying the realities of the film making process. As Godard changed so much in his films compared to traditional cinema it is not possible for him to be praised for every aspect of his films creation. Godard said in an interview in 1983: â€Å"I find it useless to keep offering the public the ‘auteur’. In Venice, when I got the prize of the Golden Lion I said that I deserve only probably the mane of this lion, and maybe the tail. Everything in the middle should go to all the others who work on the picture: the paws to the director of photography, theface to the editor, the body to the actors. I don’t believe in the solitude of†¦the auteur with a capital A†. Furthermore, Godard admitted that him and the likes of Truffaut, Rohmer and Rivette whilst taking the plaudits for the auteur theory, exaggerated the significance of the theory so as to establish personal expression as one of the primary values in Nouvelle Vague films. Several theorists have also raised doubts as to the significance of the auteur. Foulcault and Roland Barthes suggest that all creative ideas are moulded by the social and political forces that surround us. They go on to state that ideas are contrived from the knowledge that one has gained from past experiences. If one puts this in the context of Godard’s films it would suggest that Godard’s cinematic ideas and techniques were influenced by what he has learnt from past experiences. An example of this can be seen in his indirect use of Brechtian distanciation. Whilst it is evident that he was inspired by Brecht’s idea of alienating the audience to prevent them from being passive observers can one really claim that Godards cinematic techniques were not the result of Brecht’s indirect influence? Furthermore, when analysing many of Godard’s films, Godard refers to several quotes from the likes of William Faulkner and Edgar Poe. These are quotes which could have been easily edited but instead Godard â€Å"taste for quotation† suggests that he is not the primary and shaping force in his films. Language One of Godard’s obsessions as a director was his use of language and his belief that words could represent anything. Whether his characters are just mouthing words or when they say one thing and then immediately contradict it, it exhibits his desire to become a writer through his films. In doing this he is challenging the use of words and at the same time expressing his desire to be an author, similar to that of being a novelist or playwright. He wants to aspire to the status of being a writer as though cinema is some sort of parvenu that can find legitimacy by talking about poetry of cinema and therefore elevating it to that status. Godard therefore investigated how meaningful words can express the way you feel, through his use of subtitles, language through signs and translation. Vivre sa Vie is a good example of this as the characters speak different languages and therefore need an intermediary, Francesca to put their views across. Furthermore, in one of the final scenes of Le Mepris Camille and Jerry, despite not speaking the same language use signs to express their thoughts. Camille states that she likes to type by gesturing her fingers typing on an imaginary typewriter and Jerry who gestures his reaction to this with his hands stating that she is crazy. One could also suggest that Godard is expressing his own views through the use of language. In certain scenes of Vivre sa Vie it almost appears as if Godard is either articulating his opinions through voiceovers or, uses the characters as mouth pieces of his thoughts. When Nana speaks to the philosopher she says â€Å"that we are all responsible for our actions, we are free, I am responsible (which she repeats five times)†¦you only have to take an interest in things, things are what they are, life is life.† Furthermore, in the scene when Raoul reads an extract of Edward Poe’s book†¦which is in fact Godard doing a voiceover. This Godard style is also a very good alienating technique, as whether he is speaking implicitly or explicitly he is constantly reminding the viewer that he is making a film of which he is the director. So you are therefore never able to simply surrender to the naturalistic credibility of the language in films which was the case in conventional cinema. Rather he is deliberately making the viewer aware of the film making process.

Drug Use Essay -- essays research papers

Trends in drug use among youth are indirectly attributable to trends in society. Although drugs have always been around in one form or another, their early influences on society trace back to just before the 1930’s. Marijuana was a popular drug among Mexican laborers, jazz musicians, and so-called beatniks. Then after major social changes that took place in 1930, "The government cracked down on marijuana use." "In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act†¦made the use and sale of marijuana without a tax stamp federal offenses. This unprecedented event prompted law enforcement officers to arrest recreational users. Some observers speculate that passage of the law resulted from strong anti-Mexican sentiment in the Southwest and from the political power of federal Commissioner of Narcotics Harry Anslinger, who reigned from 1930-1962 and was strongly anti-drugs." ( Glazer ? ) Thirty years later a counter culture emerged with strong anti-war sentiments and a disdain for establishment. The 1960’s were a time of sweeping change and events such as the Vietnam war had caused many young Americans to lose faith in authority. "’Grass’ became an emblem of a generation challenging grownups’ political and social conventions. Marijuana cigarettes, or joints, were widely used at demonstrations protesting the Vietnam War and at the seminal Woodstock music festival." ( Glazer ? ). The revolution would be televised. With youth drug culture becoming widespread and g...

Ancient Civilization Of Mesopotamia

According to some archaeologists, the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia had its first settlements dating back since 10,000 BCE. Due to this, it is considered as one of the birthplace of civilizations. Mesopotamia was also known as â€Å"the country between two rivers. † (Chilvers, 2007) These two rivers that surrounded this fertile land were the Tigris and the Euphrates. I believe that both rivers were one of the significant environmental factors that contributed to the development of the ancient civilization known as Mesopotamia. (Hollar, 2011) The Tigris and Euphrates rivers start out in the mountains of Armenia.They are almost parallel to each other until they merge creating the Shatt al-Arab waterway which then empties to the Persian Gulf. The southern parts of these rivers are calmer, witnessed by the fertile soil that it produces. The Tigris is considerably shorter than the Euphrates, but was found to be more of importance commercially due to it being deeper. Bigger bo ats were able to travel here compared to the flat-bottomed ones that passed through the Euphrates. (Chilvers, 2007) The peoples of this region greatly depended and benefited from these rivers.It produced a land for them to be able to thrive and survive. The earliest of these peoples were known as the Sumerians. The Sumerians relied heavily on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for their agriculture and irrigation needs. They created a system that included cultivating and cropping. Along with proper irrigation and organized labor, they were able to take advantage of the fertile land. By doing this, they were able to produce a surplus of food that enabled them to stay in one place rather than migrating to different regions.They produced crops such as wheat and barley on a large scale. With the massive production of crops, not only did they have enough to feed themselves but they also had enough that enabled them to start on the domestication of animals. They raised different kinds of ani mals, but mainly sheep and cattle. They were able to use these animals not just a source of food, but for other survival needs as well, such as wool for clothing. Plenty of fishes were also caught from these rivers. With the surrounding waters, the land also provided clay which gave them the material to create pots and vases.The peoples of Mesopotamia depended heavily upon these rivers. Without them, their ways of survival would have been different. (Chadwick, 2005) B. The process of diffusion of potato was very important in the early days of human societies. Different varieties of potatoes were first discovered about 14,000 years ago by early South Americans. There were originally 235 different species of potatoes. It wasn’t’ until one specific type was found that the people realized how valuable potato can be.It was around 10,000 BCE that the S.tuberosum species of potato was discovered and domesticated by farmers from the Andes Mountains. The fertile soil and weathe r conditions of the Andes Mountains made it possible for the plants optimal growth. With the summer days and cold nights, they found out different ways to plant and grow potatoes. This led them to discover several varieties that ended up migrating to different societies. (Smith, 2011) By 1200 CE, the Inca Empire civilization was able to grasp the ways of the initial Andeans way of growing and planting potatoes.(Smith, 2011)Peoples of the Andean culture were absorbed into the Inca Empire. They were able to teach the ways that their ancestors have done in the past to grow and domesticate potatoes. After the potato arrived in the Inca Empire, it became their most important crop. With vast lands, they grew and cultivated potatoes extending from what is now known as the southern part of Columbia to the central part of Chile. (Smith, 2011) Due to the massive production of potatoes, they had to find ways on how to be able to store and keep them from spoiling.With enough searching, they wer e able to discover a technique of freezing and drying potatoes. These were called chuà ±os. Because of this process, they were able to save food from the times of famine. Workers from this society were required to build storage houses to store all the chuà ±os. In the year of 1532, the Spanish Conquistadores conquered the Inca Empire which led to further transmission and replication. (Smith, 2011) Today, the potato is a very important to our society’s diet as it was when the Andeans first discovered it.This would have not been possible if it wasn’t for the process of diffusion. C. Throughout the centuries, there have been many geographical and environmental factors that have affected the development and expansion of the United States. Two of these factors which greatly shaped this country to what it is today are the California Gold Rush and the Dust Bowl. The California Gold Rush began in January 24, 1848, when a man named James Marshall discovered gold alongside the American River which is located at present-day Sacramento.He then tells his boss, John Sutter, regarding his discovery. John Sutter tried to keep it as a secret, but people eventually found out and the word traveled. The word kept spreading until it reached the town of San Francisco. Reports were then published in a San Francisco based newspaper, The California Star. (California Historical Society, 2011) After some time passed, words have circulated to the eastern part of the United States. These series of events kicked off the migration of people to head west on a chance to becoming wealthy.It wasn’t only the people of the United States that was enticed with this discovery, but people from all over the world flocked to California. They came from different nations such as China, Australia, and Mexico, which is only a few of many. In 1849, there were ninety-thousand gold seekers that have taken different routes by land or water to reach California. The population of less than 25,000 just before 1849 grew to 223, 856 coming from a special census in 1852. (Udall & Emmons, 2003) Due to this population growth, California was pronounced as the 31st state of the United States.Before 1931, the fields of the Great Plains in the United States have always been a welcoming place for farmers. It wasn’t until that summer that a drought came leaving the land very dry. The main crop wheat that grew here started dying due to the prolonged drought. With the growing winds, the once productive Great Plains has turned into a disaster that is waiting to happen. This became known as the Dust Bowl. (Soomo, 2013, The Dust Bowl) When the Dust Bowl started, about half a million Americans were forced to stay indoors and left with no choices because breathing has become difficult.Winds would reach up to a hundred miles per hour. (Soomo, 2013, The Dust Bowl) For the ones who went outside, especially children, they were required to wear face protection such as masks to cover their faces. This went on for years. The ones who were not able to cope up and live daily like this had to migrate and abandon what they had in the Great Plains. By 1940, about 2. 5 million people left to other parts of the United States. About 200,000 moved to California. (Worster, 1979, 2004) The Dust Bowl was considered as one of the largest migration in American history.

Aunt Jennifers Tiger Essay

Aunt Jennifer’s tigers is a poem by Adrienne Rich illustrating her feminist concerns. In the male dominant world, a women of her time was only supposed to be a dutiful homemaker. This poem through the world of Aunty Jennifer, tells us about her inner desire to free herself from the clutches of abusive marriage and patriarchal society. Poem Summary The first stanza opens with Aunt Jennifer’s visual tapestry of tigers who are fearless of their environment. â€Å"Bright topaz[1] denizens[2] of a world of green† – evoke an image that these regal tigers are unafraid of other beings in the jungle. Bright here signifies their powerful and radiant persona. There is a sense of certainty and confidence in the way these tigers move as can be seen in the line – â€Å"They pace in sleek chivalric[3] certainty†. In the second stanza, the reality of Aunt Jennifer is revealed as she is feeble, weak and enslaved, very much the opposite of the tigers she was knitting. Her physical and mental trauma is depicted in the line – â€Å"find even the ivory needle hard to pull†. Even though a wedding ring doesn’t weigh much, â€Å"the massive weight of uncle’s wedding band, sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand† signifies the amount of dominance her husband exercised over her. This also means that her inner free spirit has been jailed by the patriarchal society[4]. The last stanza starts on a creepy note about Aunt Jennifer’s death. Even her death couldn’t free her from the ordeals she went through which can be seen in â€Å"When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by†. While driving from her parent’s home to Cochin, she notices her mother sitting beside her dozing, her face pale like a dead body and her thoughts far away. This reminds her painfully that her mother is old and could pass away leaving her alone. Putting that thought aside she looked out at the young trees speeding by and children running out of their homes happily to play. These remind her probably of youth and life, her own younger days and her mother when she was young. But after the security check at the airport, looking back at her mother standing a few yards away, she finds her looking pale like the winter moon. She feels that familiar pain and childhood fear of the thought of losing her mother and of being lonely just as she had been when she was young because she was different from other children. She could only keep smiling and tell her ‘see you soon’ knowing full well that she might not see her.

Academic And Practice On Development Studies Tourism Essays

Academic And Practice On Development Studies Tourism Essays Academic And Practice On Development Studies Tourism Essay Academic And Practice On Development Studies Tourism Essay The beginnings of SD require touristry development to be sustainable. Conventionally, Farrell ( 1992 ) defines SD as the demand to equilibrate the economic, environmental and societal elements within development system, so that no constituent is regarded as being attached more importance or being neglected. However, recent old ages have witnessed the instability in development system in footings of poorness, clime alteration, pollution, diseases and resources over-use. Current state of affairs calls for demands to all sectors make part in order to run into the demand of SD. Tourism, as a important economic component, is going the largest sector of international commercialism ( Hunter, 1997 ) . The economic position of touristry shows enough motivations for the execution of STD, under the rules of SD. Thus, SD requires STD to accomplish balanced sustainable ecotourism associated with long-run benefits every bit good as ethical duty ( Wight, 1993 ) .Conversely, STD generates built-in impacts on SD. On one manus, if the rules of STD are besides the general demands of SD, the planning and executions in touristry industry nexus to the demand of finishs absolutely. For illustration, STD associated with generated net income, employment chances, environment protection and inward migration contributes to the concerns of SD in footings of preservation, community based economic sciences and environment economic system integrating ( Wight, 1993 ) . On the othe r manus, Hunter ( 1997 ) argues that the prevailing paradigm of STD is excessively tourism-centric. As a consequence, the concerns of STD have been divorced from the general construct of SD, doing that the policies and execution do non efficaciously lend to SD, and even really travel against the demands of SD. For case, prevailing paradigm encourage to keep and heighten the touristry countries, or even making new 1s, with the ignorance of quality of life and resource use ( Hunter, 1995 ) ; Besides, touristry is regarded as a thrust to the saving of SD with the isolation of other sectors, which causes a combat with other resource users in footings of conveyance, retailing and electricity ( Wall, 1993 ) .Sing the really different relationships between STD and SD, Hunter ( 1995 ) provides two alternate theoretical accounts to show the interaction between STD and SD. In termed Total Immersion theoretical account, the part of STD is wholly a sub-set of the demands of SD ; In Partial Imm ersion theoretical account, the concerns of STD and SD are overlap, that is, tourism-centric concerns do non efficaciously lend to the general demands of SD. This typical theory reveals the current inter-relationship between STD and SD as SD puting general ends to STD, and STD should lend to SD theoretically. However, on a practical context, STD contributes different weight to accomplishing these ends.In most of touristry finishs, sustainable touristry has been treated as an economic and societal activity. For illustration, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, UK, a chiefly rural country that is owned by a series of private endeavors has witness a turning figure of tourers during the terminal of twentieth century. Under this circumstance, a scheme of public-sector counsel has been designed to promote private proprietors to lend to sustainability in touristry industry ( DCMS, 1999 ; ETB and EDG, 1991 ; RDC, 1996 ) . Consequently, the private sectors improve internal operations in foot ings of created employment, responsible buying, waste and recycling. However, they respond to sustainability concentrating on continuing the resources that tourism industry depends, instead than sustainable usage in a more general context ( Dewhurst and Thomas, 2003 ) . As a consequence, the private sectors simply concern tourism-related resources and merchandises to continue the touristry industry to be sustained. Whereas, no 1 collects paper from bins, and the figure of autos waiting out of the park has been more than the streets and auto Parkss can prolong.In some countries, SD has been regarded as a broader end that touristry should accomplish. For illustration, in New Zealand, the Ministry for the Environment ( 2008 ) has examined the SD issues caused by mass touristry in footings of population force per unit areas, air pollution, waste, increasing family ingestion and conveyance. Meanwhile, a national touristry scheme, New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 ( NZTS 2015 ) ( Ministry of Tourism, 2007 ) , was launched with an credence of SD as a basic attack to tourism planning ( Connell, Page and Bentley, 2009 ) . In economic and societal facet, NZTS 2015 encourages private-sector-driven activities and Maori Participation in touristry decision-making, and the public sectors act as a provider in footings of substructure and demand direction ( Page and Thorn, 2002 ) . In economic and environmental facet, the authorities takes actions to supervise and license private sectors to progress resources use efficiency and to supply convenience for travelers to accomplish environment economic system integrating. In societal and environmental facet, the authorities invests in keeping bing and developing new recreational services and installations on preservation lands to back up increased visitant growing without damaging the environment. All these facets create a balanced scheme harmonizing to the enterprises and demands of SD.The above illustrations illustrate Hunter ( 1 995 ) s two theoretical accounts by one which is tourism-centric concentrating on STD as an economic activity, and one which meets the demands of wider SD. There is no uncertainty that Hunter ( 1995 ) believes the latter 1. And he claims that STD should be regarded as an adaptive paradigm , which promotes sustainability by legion elements, but legitimizes attacks under different fortunes ( Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005 ) . After all, SD is mostly of import than STD. It is indispensable to guarantee that, in no fortunes should tourism develop with isolation from the original rules of SD. Otherwise, if tourism-centric attack is adopted, it is possible that programs and actions are taken with ignorance of the demands of SD. Furthermore, sustainability may be regarded as a menace to touristry industry in long term, under which sustainable touristry can decidedly travel against the basic ends of SD both now and in the hereafter. Conversely, Muller ( 1994 ) argues that STD does non needf ully see the petition of SD, but calls for balance between all the elements within touristry industry to accomplish sustainable touristry in long term. This attack is followed by five every bit of import aims: economic wellness, good nature, healthy civilization, a high grade of subjective wellbeing and optimal satisfaction of invitee demand ( Muller, 1994 ) . STD in such a manner that all the aims are considered every bit to guarantee touristry development to be sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.By contrast, there are underlying restrictions of the links between STD and SD, which suggests that the stiff rules and demands of SD can non be transposed to the context of STD. First, the basic end of development is supposed to originate as a effect of economic benefits ( Sharpley, 2000 ) . Despite the broad credence of rules of sustainability in touristry industry, the possible function of touristry in development is recognized as a narrow economic facet. As a conseq uence, this economy-centric position makes societal and environmental facets in sustainability to be easy overlooked. Besides, to some instances, the issues arise between sustainable and developmental ends of STD are in contradiction. For illustration, while it comprises ends of ecological sustainability, STD can non dwell with the development facet of SD. Thus, the attendant aims of STD are non rules of SD. This suggests that Total Immersion theoretical account is unattainable. Besides, as Muller ( 1994 ) claimed, to accomplish the aims of STD, it is non necessary to see the demands of SD. The balanced constituents of the touristry industry can take to STD in long term. However, it is likely that any balance attaches more importance to economic system than environmental facet, and one s balance is another s instability ( Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005 ) . This limited position of Muller s attack proves that development demands to travel beyond touristry to be sustainable.To sum up, this essay reveals the nexus between STD and SD, that is, SD has general demands on STD, and conversely, STD generates specific impacts on SD, which contributes to SD or violates the general demands of SD. Furthermore, Hunter s two possible readings are raised to exemplify the nexus between STD and SD with two relevant illustrations. Last but non least, the restrictions of Hunter s and Muller s attack are identified, but the Total Immersion theoretical account is unattainable in pattern under the fortunes of economic system centred and tourism-centric paradigm within touristry industry. After all, SD is much more of import than STD, but sustainable touristry needs to develop in long term. Therefore, it is concluded that sustainable touristry does non needfully develop under the demands of sustainable development, and sustainable development demand to seek a cross-sector and genuinely incorporate scheme beyond touristry industry. Furthermore, if STD moves off from SD, it is necessa ry to acquire rid of touristry industry, wholly.

Thailand 1997 Case Analysis Essay Example

Thailand 1997 Case Analysis Essay Example Thailand 1997 Case Analysis Essay Thailand 1997 Case Analysis Essay Thailand, 1997 Case Write Up During the 1990s, Thailand experienced remarkable economic growth for a developing nation. This boom in economic growth came from heavy emphasis on international trade, particularly through foreign investment in the financial sector. Using low-wage labor to their advantage, large volumes of labor-intensive products were exported to high wage countries resulting a double-digit growth rate. This accounted for forty percent of GDP. However, their strategy backfired when, due to the economic development, labor costs increased. Lower cost labor went to Vietnam, India, and China, plus a labor shortage within Thailand was occurring. These social issues were paired with an abrupt slow in economic growth rate from 1995 to 1996. Thailand, which was known as one of the fastest growing economies of a developing nation, was beginning to face an economic slowdown primarily due to overspeculation and lack of regulatory procedure of the financial sector. Thailands currency, the baht, was pegged to a basket of currencies with the US dollars holding the most weight. A pegged currency provides security and stability that a floating currency does not. While a floating currency fluctuates day-to-day, hour-to-hour, a pegged currency is much more stable being fixed against another currency (or set of currencies) at a certain exchange rate. This stability in a currency is very attractive for foreign investors and a critical part of Thailands success in an export-led economic development. However, there was a cost to this stability, such as the US dollar appreciating, causing the Thai products to increase in price as well and lose ompetitive value. At time, continuing to peg the baht to a basket of currencies was the best option in order to sustain investor confidence from ambitious foreigners looking for high returns, as foreign direct investment was integral to Thailands success in economic growth. With loans from other Asian central banks to maintain high foreign reserves, it seemed as though the government would be able to support the baht on international markets. However, by 1996 financial institutions and commercial banks were facing insolvency. The property sector had become the argest borrowers in the economy, obtaining loaned money from finance companies via international investors. But, the vacancy rate for new housing was staggering, and finance companies and banks were ordered to reduce lending to protect against bad loans. The lack of proper supervision and regulation of financial institutions from the Bank of Thailand allowed for financial institutions and banks to reach such a state. Established guidelines for proper ethics for financial authorizes along with shrouded financial statements were nonexistent. Coupled with poor infrastructure, using foreign investments to fund the housing sector proved to be an unreliable direction for finance companies and banks to take. After five different governments in four years, rampant corruption within the government system, and a lack of development in infrastructure and regulatory procedures for finance companies and banks, I would not find Thailand a promising investment. As someone who is very avoidant of rtain situations, investment seems entirely too risky, especially it the government nce was on the verge of changing rein once more. Also, transparency of a bank is crucial for investors, so proper decisions can be made. With Thai banks and finances companies not publishing their financial information, that would be very unsettling, everything else considered. If I already had investment in Thailand, I would immediately liquidate it. Although the currency was sound, and the government had a surplus, I would not be confident in the system itself and therefore would pull my investment.

Theoretical Perspective - Definition Examples in Sociology

Theoretical Perspective s in Sociology A theoretical perspective is a set of assumptions about reality that inform the questions we ask and the kinds of answers we arrive at as a result. In this sense, a theoretical perspective can be understood as a lens through which we look, serving to focus or distort what we see. It can also be thought of as a frame, which serves to both include and exclude certain things from our view.  The field of sociology itself is a theoretical perspective based on the assumption that  social systems  such as society and the family actually exist, that culture,  social structure, statuses, and roles are real. A theoretical perspective is important for research because it serves to organize our thoughts and ideas and make them clear to others. Often, sociologists use multiple theoretical perspectives simultaneously as they frame research questions, design and conduct research, and analyze their results. Well review some of the major theoretical perspectives within sociology, but readers should bear in mind that there are many others. Macro versus Micro There is one major theoretical and practical division within the field of sociology, and that is the division between macro and micro approaches to studying society. Though they are often viewed as competing perspectiveswith macro focused on the big picture of social structure, patterns, and trends, and micro-focused on the minutiae of individual experience and everyday lifethey are actually complementary and mutually dependent. The Functionalist Perspective The functionalist perspective  also called functionalism, originates in the work of French sociologist Émile Durkheim, one of the founding thinkers of sociology. Durkheims interest was in how social order could be possible, and how society maintains stability. His writings on this topic came to be viewed as the essence of the functionalist perspective, but others contributed to and refined it, including Herbert Spencer, Talcott Parsons, and Robert K. Merton. The functionalist perspective operates on the macro-theoretical level. The Interactionist Perspective The interactionist perspective was developed by American sociologist George Herbert Mead. It is a micro-theoretical approach that focuses on understanding how meaning is generated through processes of social interaction. This perspective assumes that meaning is derived from everyday social interaction, and thus, is a social construct. Another prominent theoretical perspective, that of symbolic interaction, was developed by another American, Herbert Blumer, from the interactionist paradigm. This theory, which you can read more about here, focuses on how we use as symbols, like clothing, to communicate with each other; how we create, maintain, and present a coherent self to those around us, and how through social interaction we create and maintain a certain understanding of society and what happens within it. The Conflict Perspective The conflict perspective is derived from the writing of Karl Marx  and assumes that  conflicts arise when resources, status, and power are unevenly distributed between groups in society. According to this theory, conflicts that arise because of inequality are what foster social change. From the conflict perspective, power can take the form of control of material resources and wealth, of politics and the institutions that make up society, and can be measured as a function of ones social status relative to others (as with race, class, and gender, among other things). Other sociologists and scholars associated with this perspective include Antonio Gramsci, C. Wright Mills, and the members of the Frankfurt School, who developed critical theory.

How did Plato and Aristotle differ in the way they believed the mind Essay

How did Plato and Aristotle differ in the way they believed the mind should perceive reality - Essay Example In fact we are only describing our image of reality. The materiality we observe, the solidness we feel, the whole of the real world that we know, are, like color, sound, smell, and all the other qualities we experience, qualities manifesting in the mind. This is the startling conclusion we are forced to acknowledge; the stuff of our world-the world we know and appear to live within-is not matter, but mind (Russell). While psychology is interested in the nature of humanity, in understanding how human beings function, psychology is by no means the only field of inquiry that seeks answers to the puzzles of human nature.The earliest roots of the modern discipline of psychology can be traced to two different approaches to human behavior. Philosophy is a means of exploring and understanding various aspects of the nature of the world in general - including human nature. Philosophy operates primarily through introspection - the self-examination ofideas and inner experiences. The second field from which psychology derives is physiology- the scientific study of living organisms and of life sustaining processes and functions. Plato (428-348 B.C.) and Aristotle (384- 322 B.C.) also believed that the mind was to be found within the body. Plato located it in the brain and Aristotle placed it in the heart. Plato and Aristotle had a profound effect on modern thinking not only in psychology but also in many fie lds. With regard to psychology they particularly impacted three areas: the relationship between mind and body, the use of observation versus introspection as a means of discovering truth, the question of what is the original source of our ideas (Sternberg as quoted by Griffin, 2004). Plato's theory of representation is substantially different from Aristotle's, for whom some sensations are objective. Reason for Aristotle need only distinguish between accurate and inaccurate sensory images in order to gain access to the real outside world. For Plato no sensory evidence is objective. Reality is only within the inner, ideal, remembered world. Plato and Aristotle had different views on the nature of reality.Plato had a very different attitude towards representation than Aristotle. Plato believed that reality

The Glycolysis Process in Humans and in Yeast Essay

The Glycolysis Process in Humans and in Yeast - Essay Example These two molecules will each yield 2 ATPs and 1 NADH during the 5-step payoff stage for a net gain of 2 ATPs and 1 NADH (Audesirk, Audesirk, & Byers 2006 p.102). These bonus ATP molecules will be used by the body's muscles as glycolysis converts glucose to energy. The investment stage begins its 5-step process by converting the glucose to a charged phosphate, which is then trapped inside the cell wall, which is impenetrable to ions (Campbell & Reese 2002 p.162). From this point on the process in non-reversible. The reaction in the initial stage expends the first ATP. Step 3 expends the second ATP as fructose 6-phosphate is converted into fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Audesirk, Audesirk, & Byers 2006 p.102). Step 4 will split this molecule into two carbon intermediaries to be processed separately by the generation phase (McMurry & Castillion 2003 p.670). Step 6 oxidizes by the transfer of NAD+ to the sugar from step 5. During step 6-7 of the generation phase the process yields 1 NADH and 1 ATP respectively (Audesirk, Audesirk, & Byers 2006 p.102). Since there were 2 molecules produced by the generation phase, the output is actually doubled. At this point the glycolysis reaction is at a break even point. It has invested 2 ATPs and yielded 2 ATPs. Step 10 creates another ATP molecule by transferring the phosphoenolpyruvate from step 9 to ATP and pyruvate (McMurry & Castillion 2003 p.163).

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 137

Summary - Essay Example There was discrimination even for federal jobs thus blacks could not join the military (Lewis, 1997). To ensure that all the whites supported him in his fight against the blacks, films and newspapers circulated propagandas about the blacks’ ignorance and the cruelty of the black men for instance black men are portrayed as rapists for raping their bosses white women in the south where they were slaves. This led to the formation of Ku Klux Klan that hanged and burnt the black men in public (Lewis, 1997). The increment of stereotyping blacks was rampant and the blacks tried their best to fight for equal rights. During World War 1, America joined the war to help the allies thus blacks joined the army. The black troop fought with honor to prove that they were better than the white soldiers were. In France, the white Americans continued discriminating and stereotyping the black troops and they gave warning to the French soldiers that the black troops were ignorant and lusted for white women and if they welcomed them they would rape their women (Lewis, 1997). The French soldiers discounted these accusations and the soldiers won the war in their favor. After the war, black troops were honored with medals but that was not enough as they only agreed to fight for America to ensure they earn equal rights. The black troops organized other blacks and formed organizations then moved to the north and in New York; they formed more organizations to ensure segregation ended (Lewis, 1997). Since some of the blacks in the organization were intelligent, they joined other philosophers in the verge of identifying their true roots from Africa. Knowing their culture and their ancestors was key in the struggle for equality although they claimed that race was not important in the provision of equal rights but they had to stand as African-American race to ensure discrimination of their race ended. The next step according to this chapter was to end the

You will be analyzing the lateral pass in rugby and the spike in Lab Report

You will be analyzing the lateral pass in rugby and the spike in volleyball - Lab Report Example The environment does not, therefore, affect the skills and movements are based on a set of patterns. In addition, the performer is conversant with what exactly he or she is doing and when. On the other hand, spiking in volleyball is based on an open skill classification. This is because when the environment changes constantly during the game, one has to continually adapt the movements. Skills such as a lateral pass in rugby are externally paced and predominantly perceptual. On the other hand, closed skills take place in a predictable as well as a stable environment (Payton 36). The overall performance objective is the ultimate goal that must be achieved with any kind of sports by the respective players. The Overall Performance objective for a lateral pass in Rugby is an accurate projection with speed, while that of spike in volleyball is a projection with accuracy (Ashby and Heegaard 289). a) To describe body segment motions in the rugby lateral pass, there is a lever action in the elbow and a wheel-axle movement on the shoulder. On the other hand, the spike in volleyball, there are 2 wheel-axle movements, in the shoulder and in the wrist, while a lever motion takes place on the elbow (Payton 76). b) In rugby lateral pass the sequence is transverse flexion at the shoulder, elbow extension, and wrist extension. The starting position is when the player is holding on to the ball and has squared his shoulders towards his ankles. On the other hand, the Volleyball spike-analysis of body segment movements is complex. These movements involve the take off phase as well as coordination aspects during flight phase. The most commonly preferred spike position is position four against diagonal spikes. The flight angle of the ball is also considered while the jump height is essential for the success in volleyball spikes. In addition, body segments contribute in a sequential manner from proximal towards distal in order to increase the

Do Talking Gorillas and Signing Chimpanzees and Bonobos Have Rights Research Paper

Do Talking Gorillas and Signing Chimpanzees and Bonobos Have Rights and What Distinguishes Them from Human Rights - Research Paper Example First of all, human beings must realize the fact that the members of ape family are able to make a number of signs to express their desires and emotions. This is similar to the words and signs used by human beings for communication purpose. Bekoff (2010), states that â€Å"Some of the reports by ape language researchers suggest that nonhuman great apes may be remarkably creative in producing new signing combinations† (p.307). The research works based upon the sign language used by apes prove that they are special among the animals because they make use of signs as the medium of communication and are able to improve the same. On the other side, the chimpanzees and bonobos are able to use some symbols for the purpose of communication. Burling (2007) states that, â€Å"Several captive chimpanzees have gestured spontaneously in iconic or indexical ways to show their human companions what they want† (p.79). The research work based on chimpanzees in captivity proves that they make use of their sign language to communicate with human beings. This is important because chimpanzees make use of their verbal or nonverbal mode of communication to interact with human beings. ... Smith (2002) opines about a bonobo (Kanzi) that â€Å"It would appear that Kanzi in some sense has the faculty of language and, as he can indulge in pretend play, he may also be endorsed with a ‘Theory of Mind’† (p.83). One can see that bonobos make use of sign language as the mode of communication and some bonobos possess comparatively high intelligence. So, these animals are with high intelligence and ability to communicate and they have the individual right to be treated like human beings. Besides, these animals make use of signs to generalize certain objects to a wider context. For instance, the word ‘dog’ is used to signify dogs, not a particular dog. From a different angle of view, this habit of generalization is similar to the children who are not aware of the importance of grammar in communication. But these animals are unable to speak because their vocal cords are not similar to that of human beings. In short, one can see that similarity in i ntelligence between these animals and human beings prove that these animals have certain rights. If human beings possess individual rights, the members of ape family deserve the same. The scenario of human rights is limited to the context of certain rights assigned to human beings. Within this context, the most important right is the right to live. One can see that most of the human rights activists fight to defend this right. At the same time, some members of ape family are special and these animals must have certain rights. For instance, the apes that can use signs and symbols to communicate with each other and with human beings must be considered as similar to human beings. The members of ape family must not be considered as mere animals because their intelligence level

Technology Article Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Technology Article - Assignment Example The Public Switched Telephone Network and the Wired Internet are mesh networks that have been present for some time. Wireless net technology allows the building of electronic networks without having to dig up buildings and streets since it does not need any physical wiring. Besides, it is flexible in coverage and can reach areas that are beyond other wireless technologies and networks (Lee, Zheng, Jianliang, Shresttha& Deepesh, 56). The nodes of WMN are made up of mesh clients and mesh routers. The mesh routers, which usually have minimum mobility, provide access to network for both convectional and mesh clients. WMNs’ interaction with other networks can be made possible through the bridging and gateway functions within the mesh routers (Akyildiz, Wang & Wang, 1). The mesh clients, like desk tops and laptops, can either be mobile or stationery and are able to generate a client mesh network with mesh routers and among themselves. Each node works both as a host and as a router that forwards packets for the other nodes that are not within the range of direct wireless transmissions with their destinations. WMNs may face steep competition from other broadband technologies like the xDsL, cable, satellite internet and Broadband Wireless Local Loop but they posses significant advantages that make them a viable alternative according to Jun and Sichitiu (1). Some of the applications and scenarios where this technology appears to be more affordable and versatile than other wireless or wired technologies include in emergency situations, extensive coverage areas and unwired, under-wired or hard-to- wire areas (Lee et al., 56). Examples of extensive coverage area are stadiums, offices and campus networks while hard-to-wire areas include highways, golf courses and conduits. WMNs are anticipated to reduce limitations and improve the performance of wireless local area networks, ad hoc networks, wireless

Do Talking Gorillas and Signing Chimpanzees and Bonobos Have Rights Research Paper

Do Talking Gorillas and Signing Chimpanzees and Bonobos Have Rights and What Distinguishes Them from Human Rights - Research Paper Example First of all, human beings must realize the fact that the members of ape family are able to make a number of signs to express their desires and emotions. This is similar to the words and signs used by human beings for communication purpose. Bekoff (2010), states that â€Å"Some of the reports by ape language researchers suggest that nonhuman great apes may be remarkably creative in producing new signing combinations† (p.307). The research works based upon the sign language used by apes prove that they are special among the animals because they make use of signs as the medium of communication and are able to improve the same. On the other side, the chimpanzees and bonobos are able to use some symbols for the purpose of communication. Burling (2007) states that, â€Å"Several captive chimpanzees have gestured spontaneously in iconic or indexical ways to show their human companions what they want† (p.79). The research work based on chimpanzees in captivity proves that they make use of their sign language to communicate with human beings. This is important because chimpanzees make use of their verbal or nonverbal mode of communication to interact with human beings. ... Smith (2002) opines about a bonobo (Kanzi) that â€Å"It would appear that Kanzi in some sense has the faculty of language and, as he can indulge in pretend play, he may also be endorsed with a ‘Theory of Mind’† (p.83). One can see that bonobos make use of sign language as the mode of communication and some bonobos possess comparatively high intelligence. So, these animals are with high intelligence and ability to communicate and they have the individual right to be treated like human beings. Besides, these animals make use of signs to generalize certain objects to a wider context. For instance, the word ‘dog’ is used to signify dogs, not a particular dog. From a different angle of view, this habit of generalization is similar to the children who are not aware of the importance of grammar in communication. But these animals are unable to speak because their vocal cords are not similar to that of human beings. In short, one can see that similarity in i ntelligence between these animals and human beings prove that these animals have certain rights. If human beings possess individual rights, the members of ape family deserve the same. The scenario of human rights is limited to the context of certain rights assigned to human beings. Within this context, the most important right is the right to live. One can see that most of the human rights activists fight to defend this right. At the same time, some members of ape family are special and these animals must have certain rights. For instance, the apes that can use signs and symbols to communicate with each other and with human beings must be considered as similar to human beings. The members of ape family must not be considered as mere animals because their intelligence level

To maintain a commitment to professionalism Essay Example for Free

To maintain a commitment to professionalism Essay As a teacher of young children I am aware of my disposition at all times. Being professional is very important in a child care setting. One of my roles is to serve as a positive role model to the children in my child care. I dress appropriately to work effectively with young children. My co-worker and I wear scrub tops, except in summer when hot out. The scrub tops we wear have Disney characters on them, and the kids love them. I am knowledgeable of my profession, and I respect the children, parents and my co-workers. These attributes show my competence in meeting Standard VI. Professionalism- I truly enjoy working with young children in a group setting, and demonstrate a positive attitude in my role. I always come to work with a smile on my face and a bounce in my step. I talk to children, and play with them every day. Children are the light of my life, and it sure shines brightly when they are around. I also take advantage of opportunities to grow professionally by attending workshops, in-service trainings offered by The Child Resource Network to gain knowledge that will help me to become a better teacher of young children. This professional development training also keeps me up-to-date with the latest knowledge and trends in the child care field. I also follow regulations set forth by the state of Indiana to ensure that I am providing the best quality service to children and their families. CS VI a- I decided to work with children when my granddaughter Marley was a year old. At the time I was working for a company CDC for mentally disabled adults. I worked for the company for six years. I dedicated my life to that company. I got blamed for another Susan’s abuse of a consumer. I was told that my job was on line. When they found out it wasn’t me, I was told it would still be in my file. I gave them a 3-4 weeks’ notice and quit. I decided I would not have anyone tell me I abused a consumer when I loved them all like they was my family. I have a handicapped nephew and a niece with cerbal palsy. I thought this is the perfect time to start a daycare, and get to spend all the time in the world with my granddaughter. I couldn’t have choose a better job. I love children, and I was only allowed to have one child. My doctor wanted me to abort with my pregnancy, because I had epilepsy. CS VI b- Keeping a clean center and maintaining equipment. Keeping paper work organized and in the appropriate  places is very important. Positive attitude and positive role model to the children.

Face Recognition Using PCA Algorithm

Face Recognition Using PCA Algorithm Bollini Lokesh, Abhishek Nallamothu, Mr.S.Planiappan ABSTRACT Day by day technology is changing and way of securing and automation is also trending. Facial recognition (or face recognition) is a type of biometric software application that can identify a specific individual in a digital image by analyzing and comparing patterns. Facial recognition systems are commonly used for security purposes but are increasingly being used in a variety of other automation applications. In real time, face recognition algorithms deal with large data base. Execution of these face recognition algorithms take high computational power and time on large database. Our objective is to improve speed of face recognition on large data base by using PCA algorithm. The goal of our proposing PCA algorithm is to reduce the dimensionality of the data by mapping the data into a lower dimensionality subspace while retaining as much as possible of the variation present in the original dataset. We formally prove this algorithm on ORL face data base with best precision. Keywords: PCA: Principle Component Analysis, MATLAB: Matrix Laboratory, ORL: Olivetti Research Laboratory INTRODUCTION Facial recognition (or face recognition) is a type of biometric software application that can identify a specific individual in a digital image by analyzing and comparing patterns. Facial recognition systems are commonly used for security purposes but are increasingly being used in a variety of other applications. The Kinect motion gaming system, for example, uses facial recognition to differentiate among players. Currently, a lot of facial recognition development is focused on smartphone applications. Smartphone facial recognition capacities include image tagging and other social networking integration purposes as well as personalized marketing. A research team at Carnegie Mellon has developed a proof-of-concept iPhone app that can take a picture of an individual and within seconds return the individuals name, date of birth and social security number. Facebook uses facial recognition software to help automate user tagging in photographs. Here’s how facial recognition works in Facebook: Each time an individual is tagged in a photograph, the software application stores information about that person’s facial characteristics. When enough data has been collected about a person to identify them, the system uses that information to identify the same face in different photographs, and will subsequently suggest tagging those pictures with that person’s name. Facial recognition software also enhances marketing personalization. For example, billboards have been developed with integrated software that identifies the gender, ethnicity and approximate age of passersby to deliver targeted advertising. The main aim of this project is to improve the computational speed of face recognition by using PCA algorithm. This can be done by reducing the dimensionality of images, while doing computations on images in data base. We propose a PCA algorithm with reduced dimensionality in calculations, and we formally prove this algorithm on ORL face data base of ten different images of each of 40 distinct subjects with best precision. RELATED WORK The proposed face recognition system by using PCA algorithm overcomes certain limitations of the existing face recognition system. It is based on reduction of dimensionality and extracting the dominating features of a set of human faces stored in the database and performing mathematical operations on the values corresponding to them. Hence when a new image is fed into the system for recognition then it will reduce dimensionality of new image and extract the main features to compute and find the distance between the input image and the stored images. Thus, some variations in the new face image to be recognized can be tolerated. When the new image of a person differs from the images of that person stored in the database, the system will be able to recognize the new face and identify who the person is. The proposed system is better mainly due to the use of facial features rather than the entire face. Its advantages are in terms of: Recognition accuracy and better discriminatory power Computational cost because of reduction in dimensionality and removing of noise from data set Concentrating on main features require less processing to train the PCA. Because of the use of dominant features and hence can be used as an effective means of authentication Principle Component Analysis Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was invented by Karl Pearson in 1901 and is now used in many fields of science. It is a way of identifying patterns in data, and expressing the data in such a way as to highlight their similarities and differences. Since patterns in data can be hard to find in data of high dimension, where the luxury of graphical representation is not available, PCA is a powerful tool for analyzing data. The other main advantage of PCA is that once you have found these patterns in the data, and you compress the data, ie. by reducing the number of dimensions, without much loss of information. The main aim of this project is to improve the computational speed of face recognition by using PCA algorithm. This can be done by reducing the dimensionality of images, while doing computations on images in data base. We propose a PCA algorithm with reduced dimensionality in calculations, and we formally prove this algorithm on ORL face data base of ten different images of each of 40 distinct subjects with best precision. Actually issues arise once performing arts face recognition in a very high-dimensional area (curse of dimensionality). therefore we have a tendency to area unit managing spatiality issues in face recognition performance. important enhancements will be achieved by 1st mapping the information into a lower-dimensional sub-space. Mapping knowledge|of knowledge|of information} into lower dimensional data is feasible by PCA formula. In PCA formula, 1st itll convert all face pictures (N X N pixel) in knowledge base into face vector (N2X1 dimensionality).It hundreds of these face vectors into one matrix (N2X M matrix; here M=number of face pictures in database).It cipher average face vector(N2X1 dimensionality) by doing mean on all face vectors. It calculate normalized face vectors matrix (N2X M dimensionality) by subtracting average face vector from every face vector. It calculate variance matrix to search out out best Eigen|chemist}|chemist} vectors (best Eigen vectors represent best Eigen faces).It calculate signature of image and place it in( M X S dimensionality; here S=number of signatures). PCA converts input image (image for face recognition) into face vector, then it converts into normalized face vector and thereby it verify weight vector of input image. Finally it compare weight vectors and thereby it verify the person. Face recognition bioscience is that the science of programming a laptop to acknowledge a personalitys face. once someone is listed during a face recognition system, a video camera takes a series of snapshots of the face and so represents it by a singular holistic code. once somebody has their face verified by the pc, it captures their current look and compares it with the facial codes already hold on within the system. The faces match, the person receives authorization; otherwise, the person wont be known. the prevailing face recognition system identifies solely static face pictures that just about specifically match with one among the photographs hold on within the information. once this image captured nearly specifically matches with one among the photographs hold on then the person is known and granted access. once this image of someone is significantly totally different, say, in terms of facial features from the photographs of that person that area unit already hold on within the information the system doesnt acknowledge the person and thence access are denied. The existing or ancient face recognition system has some limitations which may  be overcome by adopting new ways of face recognition: The existing system cannot tolerate variations within the new face image. It needs the new image to be nearly specifically matching with one among the photographs within the information which can otherwise end in denial of access for the individual. The performance level of the prevailing system isnt considerable. CONCLUSION The PCA method is an unsupervised technique of learning that is mostly suitable for databases that contain images with no class labels. PCA improve speed of face recognition by mapping higher dimensionality of face image into lower dimensionality. PCA provides best precision in face recognition process. In future we are planning to implement automation in security and automation in attendance by using this algorithm. We will try to get more efficiency and precision by combining this algorithm with other algorithms. We are planning to implement this algorithm for recognizing multi faces by combining this algorithm with other face recognition algorithms. REFERENCES: [1] A.S Syed navaz, T. Dhevi sri Pratap mazumdar â€Å"Face recognition using principle component analysis and neural networks† International Journal of Computer Networking, Wireless and Mobile Communications (IJCNWMC) ISSN 2250-1568 Vol. 3, Issue 1, Mar 2013, 245-256 [2] Lindsay I Smith â€Å"A tutorial on Principal Components Analysis†February 26, 2002 [3] Sasan Karamizadeh, Shahidan M. Abdullah, Azizah A. Manaf, Mazdak Zamani, Alireza Hooman â€Å" An Overview of Principal Component Analysis† Journal of Signal and Information Processing 2013, 4, 173-175 [4] Toshiyuki Sakai, M. Nagao, Takeo Kanade, â€Å"Computer analysis and classification of photographs of human face,† First USA Japan Computer Conference, 1972 [5] Yuille, A. L., Cohen, D. S., and Hallinan, P. W., Feature extraction from faces using deformable templates, Proc. of CVPR, (1989).

Jean-Baptiste Lully Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Giovanni Battista Lulli was born on November 28, 1632. His father, Lorenzo di Maldo, was a miller and his mother, Caterina del Sera, was a miller’s daughter. Lully was born in Florence, Italy and lived there until age 11. While in Italy he studied dance and music; he played violin and guitar. In March of 1646 he moved to France to tutor Mlle de Montpensier in Italian. There he studied composition and harpsichord. Lully was able to hear the King’s grande bande perform, witness balls where the best French dance music was played. When Mlle de Montpensier was exiled from Paris, Lully was released from her service and gained the attention of King Louis XIV. In February 1653 he danced in â€Å"Ballet de la nuit† with the King and less than a month later was appointed the King’s â€Å"composituer de la musique instrumentale de Roi.† Over the next ten years Lully gained control over all the royal family’s court music. This is when he began experimenting with performance practices and changing the basic stylistic features of orchestral music. Lully’s â€Å"petits violons† brought him international fame. At this point Lully focused his career on ballets. They brought together Lully’s two favorite expressions of art: dance and music. The dances he composed shaped what is now known as â€Å"French music.† Between 1658 and 1671 Lully wrote thirty ballets. During this ballet frenzy he received his French citizenship and changed his name from Lulli to Lully. He also elevated his father’s status to â€Å"gentilhomme Florentin.† Also in 1661 Lully was appointed the composer of chamber music for the King. In 1664 Lully collaborated with Jean-Baptiste Molià ¨re and started composing comà ©dies-ballets. He didn’t thing the French language was appropriate for large works but was good for ballets. Perrin, a French composer, introduced opera around this time and Lully thought it was absurd. However, when Perrin’s â€Å"Promone† succeeded, Lully changed his mind. Perrin ended up in prison over a money dispute and Lully bought the opera patent from him. This gave him complete control of French operatic performances. Then in 1673 Molià ¨re died and the King granted the patent for the Royal Theater to Lylly also. Lully’s new operatic style grew out of his popular ballets. He kept the overture, entry music for the dancers, atmosphere and action symphonies, and some of the dances themselv... ...ed. Instrumentalists would only be used in scenes where an instrumentalist would normally be found in life: weddings, festivals, etc. Lully’s influence on the orchestra cannot be overstressed. He dramatically affected its style and importance. His orchestra was emulated all over Europe. Many of the characteristics that Lully developed are still in use today. Bibliography Anthony, James R., â€Å"Lully.† The New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 1980 ed., vol. 14, p. 315-326. Anthony, James R., H. Wiley Hitchcock, Edward Higginbottom, Graham Sadler, Albert Cohen. â€Å"French Baroque Masters.† The New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians. W.W. Norton and Company, 1986. p. 1-63 Buelow, George J., â€Å"Music and Society in the Late Baroque Era.† Music and Society in the Late Baroque Era. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1994. p. 1-38 Harman, Alec and Anthony Milner. Late Renaissance and Baroque Music. Fairlawn: Essential Books, 1957. Heyer, John Hadju. Lully Studies. Cambridge Universal Press, 2000. Lewis, W. H., The Splendid Century: Life in the France of Louis XIV. Waveland Press, 1997 Newman, Joyce. Jean-Baptiste de Lully and His Tragà ©dies Lyrique. UMI Research Press, 1979.

Are Compact Cities a Desirable Planning Goal? :: essays research papers

Are Compact Cities a Desirable Planning Goal?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article written by Peter Gordon and Harry W. Richardson entitled; Are Compact Cities a Desirable Planning Goal? shows various arguments against the reason for compact cities to become implemented. They use the city of Toronto in the beginning of the article to compare it with cities in the United States. Throughout the article many topics and arguments are discussed which are; agricultural land, density preferences, energy glut, the scope for transit, suburbanization and congestion, the efficiency of compactness, technology and agglomeration-congestion trade-offs, downtowns in eclipse, rent-seeking and politics, compactness and equity, and competition among cities. From these issues displayed in the article, many valuable arguments could be agreed with. The authors used valuable data from past research done on the topics discussed in presenting their argument against compact cities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two main points from the article were considered most interesting. The issues of density preferences and energy glut discussed by the authors were quite interesting and have made a valid point. First of all as discussed in the article concerning density preferences, the authors make it clear that most people preferred low-density living as opposed to high-density living. As stated by Gordon and Richardson, â€Å"The choice for low-density living is influenced by instruments promoting suburbanization, such as: preferential income tax treatment of home mortgage interest, subsidies to automobile use, and interstate highway system† (Gordon and Richardson, 96). The previous quote identifies the preference people have concerning suburbanization. Because of preferential income tax treatment of home mortgage interest, subsidies to automobile use, and interstate highway systems low-density living is preferred. One great factor also concerning low-density preference is the fact that more funds are given to highways and parking than transit as stated by the authors. â€Å"Federal, state and local expenditures for highways and parking were $66.5 billion in ’91. Federal, state and local expenditures for public transit were $20.8 billion† (Gordon and Richardson, 96). As seen in the quote, more subsidies are given to highways making having an automobile beneficial. Another key proponent is that congestion pricing and emission fees are not present in most U.S. states making it less difficult to drive long distances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since low-density preference is one key issue concerning suburbanization, another compelling argument is that energy costs are low in the U.S. Since energy is cheap, the cost of gasoline is likewise. It is stated in the article that per capita energy consumption is below the level of consumption as it was in 1973 in the U.

Cramming: Time and Long Term Memory

Universal Vice: Cramming â€Å"Whoops! It's the night before the big exam, and you haven't done a lick of studying all semester. Looking back on it, you know that you should have been hitting the books all those nights you were watching television, but there's nothing you can do about it now. Don't throw in the towel yet, though–it's time to get cramming. † How often do you do this? Most common among high school and college-aged students, cramming is often used as a means of memorizing and the practice of working intensively to absorb large volumes of informational material in short amounts of time.It is a widely-used study skill performed in preparation of an examination or other performance-based assessment. Best stated by H. E. Gorst in his book, The Curse of Education, â€Å"as long as education is synonymous with cramming on an organized plan, it will continue to produce mediocrity. † Students are often forced to cram after improper time utilization or in ef forts to understand information shortly before being tested. Improper time management is usually the cause for last-minute cramming sessions, and many study techniques have been developed to help students succeed in lieu of cramming.Generally considered as a negative study technique, cramming is becoming more and more common among students at the secondary and post-secondary level, not mentioning those who are as young as five years old. Pressure to perform well in the classroom and to engage in extracurricular activities in addition to other responsibilities often results in this kind of study habit, cramming. According to W. G. Sommer, â€Å"students in a university system often adapt to the time-constraints that are placed upon them in college, and often use cramming to perform well on tests†.In his article, Procrastination and Cramming: How Adept Students Ace the System, he states, â€Å"Many students outwardly adapt to this system, however, engage in an intense and priv ate ritual that comprises five aspects: calculated procrastination, preparatory anxiety, climactic cramming, nick-of-time deadline-making, and a secret, if often uncelebrated, victory. These adept students often find it difficult to admit others into their efficient program of academic survival. † Students have crammed for decades. What most of us don’t know is how many use this study strategy.The lit review in the article references a collection of studies that puts the percentage somewhere between 25 and 50. In this research sample, 45 percent were on the agree side of a scale that measured the extent of cramming. These are some of the very pragmatic questions explored empirically by the researchers: How widespread is cramming among students? Do students think cramming is an effective study strategy? Does cramming work, as in how does it affect course grades? And the really bottom line questions: How effective is cramming in the long run?What’s the impact on le arning and retention? Czarina Isabel F. de Leon, a freshman college student of University of the Philippines – Diliman states, â€Å"I believe that many students cram all the time. Maybe, this is due to lack of knowledge with regards to time management and discipline. But honestly speaking, I can say that cramming helps me in some way. I don’t know if it’s just me who feels that cramming stimulates my brain cells more. It seems like I am able to formulate more ideas and to absorb more information whenever I cram for some of my school works and tests.In spite of this, I don’t think that cramming has affected my grades that much because there are so many factors that can influence class marks. If I were to choose from cramming and not cramming, I would definitely choose the latter. This is because I know for a fact that if I wouldn’t cram, I’m sure that my work is clearly done and not just scrapped from somewhere. I do believe that cramming p roduces risky works, in such a way that a person who crams is not sure whether he did his job well or not. Perhaps the question that most needs addressing is this one: How come some exams can be mastered so successfully by students who’ve prepared by cramming? You might think it’s just a problem with multiple-choice exams. Not so. In this study and others, the amount of cramming students reported was not a function of exam type. Are teachers testing too much recall on their exams? It might be interesting to go through an exam and see how many questions can be answered with material you could memorize but not understand at all or well.Cramming is often discouraged by educators because the hurried coverage of material tends to result in poor long-term retention of material. In a 2007 study conducted by University of South Florida psychologist Doug Rohrer, it was determined that last minute studying reduces retention of material and may hinder the learning process in the long term. There is a biological reason for this. The problem is that cramming information places it into our brains in short term storage. This is where you put everyday information that is not really worth remembering.In order to learn we have to transfer information into long term memory. Once there, you can retrieve it far easier over a longer period of time. All information are processed in the brain and stored in short term memory. The problem is that these information sort of overloads the brain and are not kept for very long. Can you remember every single event that happened to you in a given day? Think of the literal thousands of bits of information you are exposed to every day. It's not necessary to remember it all, so the brain dumps it after a time.Can you remember what you had for breakfast the day before yesterday? What shirt you wore? How much lunch cost? How many steps there are in preparing for exams? No. What makes you think you will remember some factoid from clas s that you never heard of before? Sure you may remember it for a day or two, but that's it. Only when you make an effort to remember something repeatedly do you transfer that information into the other kind of memory, long term memory. Cramming fails because you’re relying on short term memory.In spite of these facts, cramming will always be an option for those who need to accomplish a large amount of task in a short period of time. Like any other vices, cramming can be very addictive and may supply us what we need for now, but we may not benefit from it for a long period of time. Since it is continuously done by most of us nowadays, not only by students but also by some adults as well, avoiding it will be very difficult for all of us. It’s like a universal vice that most of us used to live with and it can be applicable for everyone.Cramming is a vice that will forever be present in this world – it may be lessened but will never be eradicated, especially for stu dents like me. â€Å"While cramming probably won't get you an â€Å"A,† it can definitely save you from an â€Å"F. † So suck it up and get ready for a long, hard night. And vow to be a better student from now on. † Works Cited: â€Å"Cramming (education) -. † Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. . Pangilinan, Candy. â€Å"Candidly  » Cramming and homecoming. † PEP. ph: The Number One Site for Philippine Showbiz | Home. 2 Dec. 2007. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. . â€Å"How to Cram for a Test – wikiHow. † WikiHow – The How-to Manual That You Can Edit. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. . Weimer, Maryellen. â€Å"Key Questions about Cramming  «. † Teaching Professor. 02 Dec. 2008. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. . â€Å"Cramming – Definition of cramming at YourDictionary. com. † Dictionary Definitions, Sentence Examples, Synonyms and More. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. . â€Å"Cram – Definition of cram verb (LEARN) from Cambr idge Dictionary Online: Free English Dictionary and Thesaurus. Cambridge Dictionary Online: Free English Dictionary and Thesaurus – Cambridge University Press – Cambridge Dictionaries Online – Cambridge University Press. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. . Handy, Edna Wells. â€Å"Why Students Fail. † Autoredirect to main site. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. . â€Å"The dangers of cramming for exams. † PSU BMB. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. . Weinberg, Tamar. â€Å"How to Cram for Exams – How To – Lifehacker. † Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done. 02 Mar. 2008. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. . de Leon, Czarina Isabel . Personal Interview. 14 October 2009.