The Theory Of Everything By Stephen Hawking - 1566 Words

The general consensus in the academic world is that knowledge is power that can solve humanity’s problems. Sometimes, it is clouded by greed, or it lights the way for a better humanity. Scientists experiment to prove new theories, artists sculpt to express emotion and theologians study to provide interpretations of biblical stories. Therein lies the problem, while society is always searching for knowledge, to date there is no singular â€Å"foolproof† method of obtaining it. In the movie â€Å"The Theory of Everything,† Stephen Hawking has a â€Å"eureka† moment when pulling a sweater over his head and seeing flames through the material. In this case, it seemed that serendipity played a role in his search for truth. This led me to wonder, to what extent is the discovery of knowledge a matter of serendipity that can then go on to solve problems? While an exploration of whether knowledge is produced only to solve problems in the Natural Sciences may be mor e obvious, its application to Mathematics and Indigenous Knowledge may draw some interesting observations. Knowledge can be produced using a variety of different methods. However, in the natural sciences sense perception through observation is used primarily. This can be seen through the work of researchers who often observe the results of experiments and trends in order to analyze different phenomena and perspectives. While there are many scientific methods based on scientific thinking using logic and predictability, the idea thatShow MoreRelatedEssay on Stephen Hawking Biography1328 Words   |  6 Pagesminds of millions. His theories have baffled the minds of great thinkers. His discoveries break the laws of which we thought governed the universe. He is a man whose work has changed the ways we look at the universe, our galaxy, our solar-system, and our planet. His name is Stephen Hawking. He has written many books, attended two universities, and is a renowned scientist. From conception to the present, Stephen Hawking has lived a very interesting life. Stephen William Hawking was born to Frank andRead MoreEssay on The Existence of Black Holes1308 Words   |  6 Pagesbefore I was introduced to a scientist by the name of Stephen Hawking. The introduction was very informal. In fact, I have never even seen him. My first introduction to Stephens theories came when I read a popular book that Stephen wrote called A Brief History of Time, in this book he attempts to explain some of his most complicated theories. These include the topics of black holes, imaginary time, and the origin of the universe. Stephen is the front runner in his field. Many of his peers considerRead MoreStephen William Hawking : Stephen Hawking1379 Words   |  6 PagesStephen Hawking Stephen William Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 to Isobel and Frank Hawking in Oxford, United Kingdom. As a young boy, Stephen showed a passion for science and the sky. In his early years, Stephen was known as a bright kid outside of school. He was ranked third to last his first year at St. Albans, but that did not bother him because he had his mind set on things aside from school. Early Life Stephen Hawking is a Physics professor at Cambridge University, locatedRead MoreStephen Hawking : The Great Minds Of This Era1319 Words   |  6 Pagesinfluential people in fields from science to literature. Stephen Hawking has made an astounding impact through his studies in physics and cosmology. Not only is he known for his many works, Stephen Hawking is honored even more for his fight against ALS. Stephen Hawking is one of the great minds of this era with his exceptional ability to think and overcome adversity from his early childhood into his current age of seventy-three. Much of Stephen Hawking’s childhood experiences changed and developed himRead MoreStephen Hawking : A Man Of Introspect1325 Words   |  6 PagesStephen Hawking: A Man of Introspect Throughout the years, there have been many influential people in fields from science to literature. Stephen Hawking has made an astounding impact through his studies in physics and cosmology. Not only is he known for his many works, Stephen Hawking is honored even more for his fight against ALS. Stephen Hawking is one of the great minds of this era with his exceptional ability to think and overcome adversity from his early childhood into his current age of seventy-threeRead More Stephen Hawking Essay1350 Words   |  6 Pages Stephen W. Hawking Stephen W. Hawking has a mind set that is beyond todays general way thinking. His attempts to identify a grand unification theory that unites everything we know about the physical world and science far exceeds any realm of thinking that has ever graced this earth. Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 in Oxford, England. He spent most of his childhood in and around London, and was always a bit of a self-educator. He was interested in the stars, and his family used to lie outRead MoreA Brief Note On The Ice Bucket Challenge1825 Words   |  8 Pagesand happens to be the other name people refer this disease as. I answered with â€Å"Stephen Hawking†, and people would give me a bewildered look as if asking me â€Å"who the heck is that?† I would stare back in absolute shock and little bit of horror, because honestly, who has not heard of the man that basically theorized black holes and extended Einstein’s idea of general relativity with quantum physics theory. Stephen Hawking, who is a little less than a god, is â€Å"arguably the most famous scientist aliveRead Moreâ€Å"How can we understand the world in which we find ourselves?† In The Grand Design, a 2010 book700 Words   |  3 Pagestheoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, two authors claim that they have found a philosophical approach – Model Dependent Realism (MDR) – as the solution to this fundamental question of philosophy. Combining the ideas raised from methodology of mathematics and Physics, MDR leads a possible path to reconcile the uncertain nature of modern science and the idealistic pursuit of absolute truth – perhaps the theory of everything (TOE). According to Hawking and Leonard, Model DependentRead MoreEssay on A Brief History Of Time by Stephen Hawking1532 Words   |  7 PagesA brief history of time by Stephen Hawking is a novel about the known range of time from the big bang up to black holes. Hawking talks about different theories and how they have changed over time from Copernicus to himself. He combines all known physics and astrophysics and displays them quickly and simply. He states that the goal of science is to able to accurately describe the universe in one theory. As he tells about theories that have disproved other theories of that time, it is proof that scienceRead MoreThe Greatest Heroes Of Stephen Hawking1999 Words   |  8 Pagesquote from the famous Stephen Hawking, which shows that intelligence is not measured by how much you know, but rather by what you do with what you know. Stephen Hawking has continually showed the many characteristics of a hero through his life, even while fighting with amyotro phic lateral sclerosis. Stephen Hawking grew up in England and was diagnosed with ALS at a very young age. However, he did not let this stop him from shaking the foundations of science forever. Stephen Hawking is considered one

The Era Of The 1920s - 2434 Words

The 1920s was a pivotal era in women’s fashion—an era that saw Prohibition, Jazz and celebration of war’s end. Gone was the hourglass figure of the 19th Century, swept away by the World War I, and replaced by the figure of a modern, independent woman. This book covers fashions from 1920 to 1924, an often overlooked period of fashion which was a time of transition between the draped and layered fashions of the post World War I era and the free and easy gowns of the jazz age flapper. Before the Roaring Twenties, women were still wearing floor-length dresses with corsets, and crinolines, arms and legs were covered, hair was long. This Gibson girl look was set the standard for beauty, fashion and manner. And the Victorian attitudes toward dress and etiquette created a strict moral climate. Until 1920s things changed quickly, the women was given the right to vote, they began to attend college. The Equal Rights Amendment was proposed in 1923. The World War I was over and men wanted their jobs back. Women, though, who had taken up men’s jobs while they were at war, had proved themselves worthy of men’s jobs, so many organizations and feminist reformers took up the task to encourage gender equality. Many important things happened in the 1920’s like prohibition and jazz music. Something that is also very significant is that this was the decade where fashion began entering a modern era. After decades of Victorian style, clothing such as corsets and petticoat, fashion was finallyShow MoreRelatedThe New Era: America in the 1920s700 Words   |  3 PagesAmerica in the 1920’s was called the new era. It is called a new era because it became a turning point in American society, and marked a separation from the 19th century and the 20th century. We soon begin to develop our own social norms, music, and culture as we evolve into a modern nation. The 1920s was also a time of significant economic, political, and social change. The new era economy reflected the industrialization that the country had just undergone. Although there was a recession fromRead MoreProhibition During The Era Of 1920-1933 Essay814 Words   |  4 PagesProhibition Essay: By: Savannah Crawford During the era of 1920-1933 could best be characterized as the path to a sober nation. This time of history consisted of the eighteenth amendment which was passed on October 28th 1919; Volstead Act. The Volstead act was created to carry out the movement of prohibition. In addition, Prohibition is the legal prohibiting of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks for common consumption according to dictionary.com. Furthermore, this amendment concurs thatRead MoreThe Progressive Era During The 1920 S973 Words   |  4 PagesThe progressive era during the 1890’s and 1920’s in the Unites States saw an economic expansion with the aid of the industrial capitalists, a growing population with immigrants coming to the United States seeking a better life through labor with American industrialization, and government corruption being eliminated progressively by political reforms like the Sherman Antitrust Act. This era also had complications such as racial tension between immi grants, poor working and living conditions amongstRead MoreThe 1920S Were An Influential Era In American History For1413 Words   |  6 Pages The 1920s were an influential era in American history for the development of women’s rights and ideals following World War I. The concept of the perfect housewife was being more widely rejected as women began to work outside the home, provide for themselves, and vote. It was a time in which young women could express themselves more freely than ever before. The drinking of alcohol and the smoking of cigarettes became more widely acceptable for females to do in public. Women would cut their hair shortRead MoreThe life and accomplishments of Al Capone during the prohibition era in the 1920s.2535 Words   |  11 PagesDuring the prohibition era of the 1920s, if one wasnt an enemy of Alphonse (Al) Scarface Capone, was he, in many eyes, a hero? Due to his savvy street smarts and the corrupt rebellion of the decade, Al Capone was not only a popular commentary of the time, but is now a legend. His classic boy from the ghetto turned generous multi-millionaire story only adds to the heroism seen in this most famous Chicago mobster. Chicagos industries, open spaces and four seasons were an enormous magnet for theRead MoreCompare and Contrast the Current Era of Globalization with the First Age of Globalization (1850s-1920s). What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization in Its Current Context?1720 Words   |  7 Pagesname: Hyde Zhu Student number: 220089143 Course code: MM202 Assignment question: topic 1 Compare and contrast the current era of globalization with the first age of globalization (1850s-1920s). What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization in its current context? Word count: 1530   Unit Coordinator: Dr Tony Ramsay I am going to contrast the current era of globalization with the first age of globalization in many different aspects, in the mean time analysis the merits and demeritsRead MoreThe Roaring 20 s Era Of Growth And Reform1309 Words   |  6 PagesThe era of the 1920s, also known as the Roaring 20’s, was a revolutionary time in which radical changes struck the American nation, drastically increasing advances in society and economy. New and different forms of dance, music, clothing, behavior, and lifestyle were developed nationwide. The Antebellum Period in the late 1700s increased rebellion, similar to the Roaring 20’s era of growth and reform. As this time period brought profound changes, conflict, cultural excitement, and experimentationRead MoreThe Role Of Media And Technology During The 1920s And 1930s1535 Words   |  7 PagesThe development of 1920s and 1930s media and technology was extremely influential upon the period of time immediately after. Media in the 1920- 30s and its relevance to the years that followed, focusing on the western world. Through the journalism and writing movements during the era, new technology was exposed to the public and impacted events in the years that followed. The term technology can also apply to machinery, medicine and weaponry; however, none of them corresponded with the changes toRead MoreThe Changes in the Role of Women throughout Different Eras1381 Words   |  6 Pagesrole of women changes tremendously throughout several eras. Women in the Puritan era are restricted to most rights in which men have, while women in the 1920s are more independent and rebellious against communal standing. In the Puritan era, the rights of women are from dreadfully restrictive to none. Puritan women are personified to be women who continually do what they are told, otherwise known as being â€Å"the good wife.† Later in the Victorian era, women began to feel imprisoned because they have suchRead MoreThe Street Empire9 16 Words   |  4 Pages The United States has had its share of economic prosperity, but none as thriving as the 1920s era, labeled the â€Å"Roaring Twenties†. The 1920s era saw great political and social change to the United States society. The US economy blossomed, and the nations total wealth more than doubled in the 1920s era. As a result of this social and political change as well as the success of the economy, transformed many Americans into a consumer society. The great economic success during the time period also

Life Cycle Environmental and Economic †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Life Cycle Environmental and Economic. Answer: Introduction: The Holden Company is a historical figure in the Australian automotive industry and has been doing business for the past one and a half decades. The company launched its first car model called the 48-215 in the year 1948, which was an immediate success in the automotive market of Australia. The company became an integral part of the people within the country and the name is often associated with its own status and symbolizes a spirit of strength along with adaptability (Thomas and Holden 2016). The company presently employs around 6300 people from Australia and has produced more than seven million vehicles. The company is a part of the General Motors (GM), which is one of the largest automobile industries in the world since 1931. The company caters to the domestic and international clients and is an exporter of best quality engines across the globe and provides expertise in the markets as well (Holden and Risebro 2015). The operational activities of the company are located in Fishermans Bend, which deals with the manufacturing of the engine parts along with administration; the Dandenong area provides expertise in the operation of the spare parts and the Lang Lang area in Victoria along with Elizabeth in South Australia are the places where the manufacturing plants of the company are located (Ewing, Wagstaff and Powell 2013). The retail sales of Holden Australia according to the 2007 market saw an increase of 14 percent of the market share, as the company was able to sell 146,680 number of car units. The brand called Commodore alone was sold in 57,300 numbers of units and continued to be the most popular car of the Australian people for twelve years in a row. The plant that is located in Elizabeth produced a total of 107,795 numbers of units out of which the exports for the company reached to 36,354 units. Apart from this, the engine operations that are located in Victoria produced a total of 269,421 number of four and six- cylinder engines, which was exported to different places across the globe (Holden and Risebro 2015). Internal environment of the company The company was established in 1856 and shows the legacy of its brand in the Australian market. Most of the people can easily associate the brand with themselves, as it has served the community for a long period. The company provides employment opportunities to more than 6000 people, which has helped them in leading a better life and helped in increasing the economy of the country. The company is known to make minivans and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), which are preferred in the Australian and the entire market as well. The company also has a strong image in the Australian and the New Zealand market, which has helped them in increasing their sales and generating better revenues. The merge with General Motors has helped the company in gaining international recognition, as the company is known all around the world (Sharma and Strezov 2017). The company mainly focuses its sales on a regional basis and tries to be competitive in its home and New Zealand market. The presence in the global market and the shares in the international market for the company are negligible when compared to other manufacturers in the automobile industry. The weak presence of the company in the international has made it difficult for the company to increase their sales in those particular markets (Bunyan 2015). The model Chevrolet/ Holden Volt is one of the products of the company that will help the company in increasing its volume of sales. The company needs to capitalize this opportunity so that they can capture the international market as well. The company needs to tap the resources that are present in the Asian and the African continents. This will help the company in increasing their volume of sales. The company can also develop their cars in a better manner with the help of the parent company that is General Motors, as they can provide better insights about new models of designs to the company (Morris 2013). The shift from the fuel cars to the electric or hybrid cars, which has increased has caused a problem to the company, as they majorly deal with cars that dawns a trendy look to the customers. The Korean and the Japanese car manufacturers have established their companies in a better manner, which has caused a problem for Holden in entering in to new markets that may provide opportunities for the company. The goodwill of the brand does not have a better reach in all the geographical locations on the earth (Mutze 2017). The government of China since the inception of 2013 is creating problems with the sale of the foreign products, as it is encouraging the local people in the intake of the local products. Before 2013, it was seen that the agencies that are based locally helped in encouraging the people in purchasing foreign goods. The rules and regulations of the government have had a huge impact on the automobile industry and made it mandatory for them to follow the safety procedures. The government has imposed custom duties and regulations of trade, which are complex for the marketing procedure of the company. The government has to be given a certain sum of shares so that they can keep a check on the ongoing practices within the company along with the taxation rules (Garcia 2017). The fluctuations in the price of the fuel along with the demand of the customers that is relative in nature, as they look for solutions that are economical in nature. The company needs to conduct a thorough research of the market so that they can have a better understanding of the high-end and the hybrid cars that are plying within the country. The prices of steel are also fluctuating in the marketing, which will pose as a threat for the company in the Chinese market (Shende 2014). The company has to understand the social needs of the Chinese customers so that they can provide the customers with the choice of vehicles that may be suitable for the consumers. The company also needs to give preference to the social status of the people in China so that they can be provided with the choice of cars that they want (Kapinski et al. 2014). The technology has been advancing on a regular basis in the current market and the Chinese economy is considered to use the latest technologies that are available to them. the company needs to set up their manufacturing plants in the country and hire robots in the production process so that the units that are manufactured in the company can be increased to a great extent (Zhou et al. 2015). The business has to be set up keeping in mind the rules and regulations that are present in the country so that they are not violated. The laws of safety along with the custom laws have to be followed by the company so that they can set up their business in a proper manner. Holden is known to follow all the rules and regulations that are present in the countries and ensures that the company is under the guidance of the laws that are present in that country (Hao 2014). The company has to follow the environmental laws as well, as China is highly polluted and they need to reduce the carbon emissions so that they can operate in a successful manner. The company needs to take the environmental pledge that is the CERES Principles, which consists of ten points about the environmental guide to the business (Zhou et al. 2015). The company produces various kinds of vehicles such as sports vehicles along with luxury and fuel efficient cars. This helps the buyers, as they get a wide range for selecting their vehicles according to their purchasing power. The company tries to manufacture the products according to the demands of the customers so that it can help them in increasing their value in the local market. The company provides the cars to the customers according to the capacity of the usage of the customers. The cars that are luxurious in nature are manufactured for the elite group while the young people prefer sports cars. The middle class people are more in to cars that are fuel efficient in nature. The cars are manufactured in the range of 1500-2000cc, which extends up to 7000cc as well for the sports cars. These cars are all built according to the demand that the company has in the market place (Andre et al. 2015). The company will try to attract the all section of the customers, as the products that are being manufactured by the company will cater to the needs and preferences of all sections of the society. The cars that have a higher price will be preferred by the elite classes that are living in the country, which will act as a status for them. The middle class people will be interested in the cars that will help them in saving their costs in every month. The customers who are adventurous will try to purchase the sports cars from the company, which will help in them in providing them with a thrilling experience (Jahanshani et al. 2014). The company is trying to manufacture hybrid cars so that it can help in protecting the environment in a better manner. The SUV vehicles that the company is manufacturing will be introduced in a new and upgraded manner, which will get a makeover known as Holden Special Vehicles (HSV). This will be done with the help of the local manufacturers so that their ideas can be taken up for completing the project. The CEO of the company has stated that these cars will come in different varieties and models, which will help the customers in having their own preferences. The old varieties of the cars will be launched in a new manner so that it can provide a new design to the customers, which will help in boosting up of the sales. The company will try to provide stiff competition to Ford in the custom car market, as they are trying to enter the market with new varieties of products (Fang 2013). The company can also provide valuable services to its customers in a new manner. The company can provide free services to the high end customers along with the loyal customers if their cars break down while driving on the road. The company can provide help lines to the customers so that if any accidents that might take place can be handled in an efficient and a better way. The customers can ask for help from the company and the company will provide the customers with another car at their current location so that the customers can reach their destinations safely. This will help the company in having a better understanding with the customers and strengthen the relationships as well (Jahanshani et al. 2014). The marketing mix serves as a basic foundation for a company to understand and formulate the strategies that will help them in campaigning in a new market. The analysis of the market is based on the macro and the micro parameters, which helps in understanding the characteristics of the brand and the presence that it has over the world (Baccarellla et al. 2014). The marketing mix consists of the factors that are as follows: The product that the company needs to introduce in the market will be the cars that are compact in nature so that the traffic problems can be avoided. The cars will be produced according to the needs and preferences of the customers and according to the rules and regulations that are laid by the government. The standards of the environment need to be maintained by the company so that the products can be pliable in the new market (Du, Hu and Damangir 2015). The pricing of the cars needs to be done based on the current economic conditions so that the customers can be interested in purchasing the products. The company needs to set the prices according to the range of income of the middle class group of people so that they can afford to purchase the products. This will help the company in maintaining its equilibrium of price in the market (Raj, Sasikumar and Sriram 2013). The company needs to choose an appropriate place for launching its product so that it can help in selling of the products in a better manner. The manufacturing and assembling plants have to be located in a better environment so that the products that have been manufactured can be transported to the showrooms in an efficient manner. This will help the company in increasing its sales in the market, as the operational cost will decrease to a great extent (Colmom and Hulsmann 2014). The use of extensive advertisements has to be done by the company so that the customers can be aware of the product that that the company wants to sells in the market. The promotional activities will help the company in spreading awareness about the product among the customers. The use of newspapers and magazines along with the social media platforms will help the company in explaining the details of the products to the customers so that they can get to know about the product in a better manner. The company needs to evaluate the effectiveness of the electronic media as well, which will help them in attracting the prime time customers towards the company as well (Baccarella et al. 2014). Conclusion Therefore it can be concluded that the company needs to set up its business in the Chinese market with respect to the following criteria that has been mentioned. The right customers have to be targeted so that they can help in increasing the sale of the products for the company. The company needs to evaluate the external factors in a better manner so that they do not face any barriers while entering the market. The rules and regulations of the country have to be maintained in a better manner by the company, which will help them in setting up of the company easily. The promotional activities that will help the company in spreading awareness about the product will help in increasing the sales of the product so that the customers can get the benefit of using the product that is being manufactured by Holden. The price that will be kept by the company will be based on the average level of income that is present in the market so that the customers will be willing to try out the product, wh ich will be easy on their pockets as well. The company first needs to try the exporting method, which is that the products need to be imported from Australia so that it can help in understanding the dynamics that are present in the market. Reference List Andre, D., Kim, S.J., Lamp, P., Lux, S.F., Maglia, F., Paschos, O. and Stiaszny, B., 2015. Future generations of cathode materials: an automotive industry perspective.Journal of Materials Chemistry A,3(13), pp.6709-6732. Baccarella, C.V., Scheiner, C.W., Trefzger, T.F. and Voigt, K.I., 2014. High-tech marketing communication in the automotive industry: a content analysis of print advertisements.International Journal of Business Environment,6(4), pp.395-410. Bunyan, M., 2015. A Plan for the Future of Australian Manufacturers: Developing Management, Leadership and Innovation. Colmorn, R. and Hlsmann, M., 2014. Strategic perspectives for electric mobility: some considerations about the automotive industry. InEvolutionary Paths Towards the Mobility Patterns of the Future(pp. 155-168). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Du, R.Y., Hu, Y. and Damangir, S., 2015. Leveraging trends in online searches for product features in market response modeling.Journal of Marketing,79(1), pp.29-43. Ewing, M.T., Wagstaff, P.E. and Powell, I.H., 2013. Brand rivalry and community conflict.Journal of Business Research,66(1), pp.4-12. Fang, E.E., 2013, May. Customer participation and the trade-off between new product innovativeness and speed to market. American Marketing Association. Garcia, D.A., 2017. Analysis of non-economic barriers for the deployment of hydrogen technologies and infrastructures in European countries.International Journal of Hydrogen Energy,42(10), pp.6435-6447. Hao, H., Ou, X., Du, J., Wang, H. and Ouyang, M., 2014. Chinas electric vehicle subsidy scheme: Rationale and impacts.Energy Policy,73, pp.722-732. Holden, H. and Risebro, N.H., 2015. Introduction. InFront Tracking for Hyperbolic Conservation Laws(pp. 1-51). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Jahanshani, A.A., Hajizadeh, G.M.A., Mirdhamadi, S.A., Nawaser, K. and Khaksar, S.M.S., 2014. Study the effects of customer service and product quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Kapinski, J., Deshmukh, J.V., Sankaranarayanan, S. and Arechiga, N., 2014, April. Simulation-guided lyapunov analysis for hybrid dynamical systems. InProceedings of the 17th international conference on Hybrid systems: computation and control(pp. 133-142). ACM. Morris, S., 2013. Improving energy efficient, sustainable building design and construction in Australialearning from Europe.ISS Institute, Australia. Mutze, G., 2017. Continental?scale analysis of feral cat diet in Australia, prey?switching and the risk: benefit of rabbit control.Journal of Biogeography,44(7), pp.1679-1681. Raj, M.P.M., Sasikumar, J. and Sriram, S., 2013. A Study On Customers Brand Preference in Suvs and Muvs: Effect of Marketing Mix Variables.Researchers World,4(1), p.48. Sharma, A. and Strezov, V., 2017. Life cycle environmental and economic impact assessment of alternative transport fuels and power-train technologies.Energy. Shende, V., 2014. Analysis of research in consumer behavior of automobile passenger car customer.International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications,4(2), p.1. Thoms, D. and Holden, L., 2016.The motor car and popular culture in the twentieth century. Routledge. Zhou, Y., Wang, M., Hao, H., Johnson, L. and Wang, H., 2015. Plug-in electric vehicle market penetration and incentives: a global review.Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change,20(5), pp.777-795.

American Cinema of the 1970s A Failure or The Golden Age Essay Example

American Cinema of the 1970s: A Failure or The Golden Age? Essay How do we define failure and success?   Failure is not achieving the desired end.   It is the condition of being inefficient and insufficient.   On the other hand, Success is achieving what is desired.   The standards of failure and success are always subjective and relative to the person or group who is judging an idea or an event.   It is never objective.   The word desire in itself is very subjective.   We have different desires.   We differ in what we value and what we deem as important.   Some may contest by saying that their opinion or verdict is based on facts and is purely impartial.   But to say that someone is totally unbiased is in effect saying that the person is inhuman.   The fact that a subject was chosen to be studied is somehow biased.   It goes to show that the subject is of importance or is interesting to the person to merit his time and effort in studying it.   The way that some events or ideas are emphasized and some are downplayed is ba sed on personal preference. Using the framework of subjectivity in any kind of analysis will be very useful in the discourse on the American Cinema in the 1970s.   I am now faced with two opposing views.   On one side are the proponents of the American 1970s Cinema as a failure.   On the other side is the group who refers to this period as the Golden Age of Cinema.   Both may have their own valid points and both may have their weaknesses.   In the analysis of the American Cinema in the 70s, both groups could have focused on different aspects of the Industry.   Each group could have their own set of ideals on what Cinema should be.   It is possible that these ideals may be opposing or they could also share some ideals but may be clashing in some. We will write a custom essay sample on American Cinema of the 1970s: A Failure or The Golden Age? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on American Cinema of the 1970s: A Failure or The Golden Age? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on American Cinema of the 1970s: A Failure or The Golden Age? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Let us start with a background of the social, political and economic situation of the United States in the 1970s.   The 70s saw the worst recession after 40years.   Richard Nixon was forced to resign as President due to impeachment charges relating to the Watergate scandal.   Social movements, specifically the anti-war demonstrations increased because of US involvement in the Vietnam War.   An event directly connected with anti-war demonstrations is the Kent State University tragedy where four students were killed by National Guardsmen when they open fired on demonstrators.   The Supreme Court released a decision to legalize abortion.   These are just some of the important events in the 1970s. The economic and socio-political climate of the 70s greatly affected the Film Industry.   The sale of tickets went down due to bad economy.   People considered movie-going as a leisure activity and thus made it a least priority.   They also considered watching movies as one of those non-worthy activities.   They felt that movies are a distraction to more important activities or to issues that are greatly affecting the country and its people. Another noteworthy effect on the movie-going statistics in the 70s is the gaining popularity of  Ã‚   Television.   Television and its wonders kept the audiences of the 1970s glued too their Television sets at home (San Filippo, 2001).   Television programs and sitcoms touch based with the reality of everyday life. The shows reflected the lives of ordinary American families in the 70s, even showing lifestyles of the 50s creating nostalgia.   A more damaging effect on the Film Industry is the introduction of the Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) which took away some of the Industry’s business.  Ã‚   There was a decline in movie-going due to the accessibility of home videos. This is the starting point for the advocates of the 1970s as a Cinema of Failure.   The Film Industry needed to draw the attention back to patronizing of their films.   They need something to revive the Industry.   That something was provided by the emergence of a new generation of players in the Industry like university-educated directors and actors.   They took a risk and experimented with young alternative film-makers while the Hollywood professionals and moguls faded and a new breed of film makers surfaced (The New Decade for Film-makers).   These young film makers took up film courses and were very skillful and technical in terms of production.   At a certain point, it was all good.   Fresh ideas from young directors gave a new take on film-making.   Their films tackled contemporary social issues with characters that are believable and with astounding visual effects (Huggins).   These directors were given the autonomy they needed for experimentation and so trie d all sorts of combination to make the movies appealing.   They were provided big budgets which allowed them to utilize elaborate productions.   Their creative juices were encouraged to flow and storyline or visual effects restriction was not common.   Auteurism was very much alive.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is the method of analyzing films in terms of the distinct characteristics of a directors work which makes him or her the author or auteur in French (Auteur Theory).  Ã‚  Ã‚   It gives ownership of the film to the director’s personal artistic vision. The American audience saw this new spirit in the Film Industry which intrigued and enticed them to watch movies again.   Movie Characters and plots which mirrored the present social and political state of society made the films interesting and relevant.   People were able to connect to the movies and can very well relate to the characters or to the feelings evoked by these characters.   Cinema at that time was a reflection of society.   It challenged norms and rules which were very evident in the social and political arenas.   People were questioning leadership motives and abilities, and were seeking reforms in social matters. If you look at what was happening at that time, one would wonder why critics continue to call this era as a failure.   Their contention was that this period in the 1970s Cinema history was short lived.   The brief glory days were overshadowed by big blockbuster films which capitalized on form rather than content.   Studios spent a lot of money with these blockbuster films.   The focus was placed on box-office earnings and the production concentrated on youth-oriented films with incredible special effects (The New Decade for Film-makers).   The studios experimentations paid off and finally had the formula of success in their hands.   They found the key to great financial rewards through the blockbuster films which were promoted to mass audiences. The two monumental blockbuster films from this decade include Jaws (1975) by Steven Spielberg who was then 27 years old and Star Wars (1977) by the George Lucas who was 33.   Both films were amazing successes earning rentals of more than $100 million (The New Decade for Film-makers). Through these two films, the studios did not need to experiment further.   They already had the formula in their hands so what they did was to create blockbuster films following the recipe of Jaws and Star Wars to increase their profits.   This was the time when the creativity drought set in.   Critics claimed that the human interest and thought-provoking stories were sacrificed for more popular and mainstream topics with very simple and predictable storylines.   Films had no focus on content and no relevance to society’s ails and issues.   Film-making as an art of storytelling was soon overshadowed by film-making as a business.   The major film studios controlled the Industry and the independent producers and directors have no place to go. On the other side of the fence are those who believe that The American Cinema in the 1970s is The Golden Age of American Cinema.   Film-makers showcased their creativity without having to think of restrictions on form and content because the Industry experienced a loosening of film censorship at this time.   Elements of violence, nudity, sexuality and extreme language were all needed to make the films closer to reality.   These elements have to be incorporated in the film to a certain extent to give life to the characters and give the story a touch of realism. The formats of the films produced in this decade were not only mentally challenging, but they are also stimulating and entertaining.   The cinematic effects were admirable due budget was really set aside and not constrained for this purpose. It is in this decade when movies from different genre were made to cater to a diverse audience.   Movies reflecting the political and social conflicts within society were shown.   These movies were reflections of the sentiments of the people about certain issues at that time.   Two of the more relevant movies shown were The Parallax View (1974) and All the President’s Men (1976) both by Alan J. Pakula.   The Parallax View was based on the issues of conspiracy surrounding the Watergate Scandal.   It was about a reporter whose girlfriend mysteriously died after witnessing an assassination.   He believed that the death of his girlfriend was a conspiracy to silence her.   He then goes undercover so he can gain access to the Parallax Corporation, which he discovered was recruiting and training political assassins.   The film used the wholesome themes of family and home, and also involved violent scenes or images to put forth the message that violence and political a ssassinations are existing in the American realm (Millikan, 2007).  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All the President’s Men was also a movie based on the Watergate Scandal.   The movie was about two Washington Post reporters who discovered the Watergate conspiracy.   After uncovering the conspiracy, they were placed under surveillance their lives were in grave danger.   Although the movie showed that the President eventually resigned, the point of the story did not end there.   The story wanted to bring the message across that even if the problem was solved, there are still existing problems and issues will come up in the future.   It is important that the people maintain constant vigilance (Millikan, 2007). Both of the movies mentioned above are great examples of movies relevant to the times.   Other conspiracy thrillers include the Conversation (1974) by Francis Ford Coppola, Chinatown (1974) by Roman Polanski and Three Days of the Condor (1976) by Sydney Pollack.   These political thrillers catered to adult movie-goers.   The offbeat comedy drama genres with movies like The Shampoo and Midnight Cowboy also had adults as the audience base. The Film Industry had to produce a film which catered to the whole family.   This was when Star Wars was born.   Star Wars catered to both the young and old alike.   Though sentiments of critics claim that Jaws and Star Wars placed an end to the Golden Age of American Cinema due to the introduction of blockbuster movies, it has to be emphasized too that these movies were all-encompassing in that it reached different markets.   The box-office status was attained because they did not only target a specific market or they did not specifically target the adults only.   Instead, they were open for appreciation by the whole family and this is what happened.  Ã‚   Other family oriented movies which also showcased other talents like singing and dancing were Saturday Night Live and Grease.  Ã‚   The movie Close Encounter of the Third Kind (1977) also proved to be a family spectacle. The movie Rocky (1976) with Sylvester Stallone and directed by John Avildsen made a tremendous impact on audiences because it created a hero for the people who were at that time experiencing transitions in leadership and failed representations.   The people had a hero in Rocky idealizing the values of reaching the top through hard work and determination.   Sequels were made of Rocky along with the very successful movie The Godfather (1972).   The movie Exorcist (1973) inspired Horror film-makers as this movie caught the interest of young thrill-seeking audiences. The contemporary style of advertising to increase sales started during the 70s.   Upcoming movies or new releases were advertised in Television to increase audience awareness of the showing dates.   The first movie to ever benefit from a Television marketing campaign is Jaws.   The promotion of movies and actors through the print media started with People Magazine.   This allowed the people to monitor the new releases and to get to know the celebrities better.   This technique was likewise very effective and up to this date is being utilized. The 1970s ushered in most of the styles and strategies used in the Film Industry today.   Most of the movies made in this decade are known by even the young generation of today.   The 1970s was a decade of rebirth, experimentation, risks, emergence of talents and new strategies, and of failures and successes. Critics who call the 1970s American Cinema as a Cinema of Failure have their points.   Likewise, advocates of the 70s Cinema as The Golden Age have their own points.   These are subjective opinions which I cannot even negate unless no concrete evidence was used as support for the arguments.   The question now is who merits the most number of valid statements.   Before I even attempt to answer this, let us discuss the nature of the Film Industry as a whole. Film can be considered a mix of different media.   The story came from prose fiction.   The acting or drama originated in theatre and the sound came from music.   Film is also a business.   It exists to make profit and to pay the salaries of the workers.   With these premises, I can now adequately respond to the question of validity of the statements of both sides. Let me start with the business aspect.   The critics argued that the content and the artistic side of the Film Industry were sacrificed for big profits and that the blockbuster films hindered the studios from being creative and further investing in experiments.   The point is real but is not practical.   The studios cannot afford to miss out on profits or cannot rely on break even results because of the tremendous amount of investments involved.   If they do not earn money, they will not have the funds to continuously create other films.   They would not have the funds to pay the salaries of the workers.   They would not afford the salaries of the actors.   In short, if no money comes in then there will be no business to run.   Regarding the issue of experimentation, this cannot sustain any business.   The reason why businesses have their trade secrets is because of the value of a formula for success.   There should always be one consistent and stable factor in ac hieving the desired results. I do not think that the artistic expression in films was totally ignored.   In fact, it was very evident.   It just came in a different package.   Artistic expression and storytelling skills were not longer limited to elaborate dialogues or storylines, but they were also reflected in the form and the effects of the movie. The times are changing and in order to keep up with it, we have to embrace the new ideas or concepts that go along with it.   The state of the Film Industry now, like how it was in the 1970s may not be the same tomorrow.   Someone could wake up tomorrow with a brilliant idea to revolutionize the existing system.   It could mean further success, but on the contrary, it could mean failure to some sectors of society.   We each have our own opinions and views.   We of course stick to them, but it will not hurt if we open ourselves a bit to new information and new ideas. References Autuer Theory. (n.d.). [online].[Accessed 6th June 2007]. Available from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auteur_theory San Filippo, M. (2001, Oct). American Films of the 70s: Conflicting Visions. [online].[Accessed 5th June 2007]. Available from Senses of Cinema: http://esvc001106.wic016u.server- web.com/contents/books/01/17/american_70s.html Huggins, N. (n.d.). When the Lunatics Took Over the Asylum. [online].[Accessed 5th June 2007]. Available from Futuremovies: http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/filmamaking.asp?ID=110 Millikan, J. (2007, Jul 07). The Conspiracy Thrillers of the 1970s. [online].[Accessed 6th June 2007]. Available from Stylus Magazine: http://www.stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=1092 The New Decade for Film-makers. (n.d.). [online].[Accessed 5th June 2007]. Available from Filmsite: http://www.filmsite.org/70sintro.html

Management and Organizational Structure Issues Essays

Management and Organizational Structure Issues Essays Management and Organizational Structure Issues Paper Management and Organizational Structure Issues Paper This document presents responses to the discussion questions posed in chapter 8 (O. C, Geoffrey Linda, 2009). The chapter discusses about organization structure, teamwork, and communication. Organization structure is the form of an organization that is evident in the way divisions, departments, functions, and people link together and interact. Organization structure reveals vertical operational responsibilities, and horizontal linkages, and may be represented by an organization chart. The complexity of an organization’s structure is often proportional to its size and its geographic dispersal. Business Situation Regarding Spectrum Brand The sections below pretend reference to the above business situation. How To Organize Spectrum Brands Using A Matrix Structure The matrix structure groups employees by both function and product. This structure is based on multiple employee reporting structures. It emphasizes both vertical organizational hierarchy and horizontal relationships. In other words, any employee within a matrix organization reports upwards to functional managers and, based on geographic requirements, may also report sideways to project managers. In this arrangement, employees are responsible to two managers- functional and project managers (O. C, Geoffrey Linda, 2009). Employees can be in one department and report to functional manager, but these same employees may be assigned to different projects and report to a project manager while working on that project. Therefore, each employee may have to work under several managers to get their job done. How To Organize Spectrum Brands Using Multidivisional Structure The multidivisional structure of Spectrum Brands can be broken down into three areas: product, market, and geographic. These are summarized as follows: Product structure: Each product division contains the functions necessary to that specific good. Product structure groups’ employee together based upon specific products produced by the company. Spectrum Brands, for example, can operate with its products such as pet food, pet supplies, grooming product, toys, novelty items, vitamins and veterinary supplies. The company can have a separate division for each product. Market structure: Market structure groups employees together based upon specific market in which the company sells. The company can sell its products to individual consumers and business consumer. So the sales and consumer customer service worked together, and corporate sales and corporate customer service worked together. Geographic structure: This structure groups each organizational function into divisions based on geographical basis. Each division within a divisional structure can contain all the necessary resources and functions within it. Divisions can be categorized from different points of view. Especially if the company is facing problem of controlling its activities on a national or international level is likely to use a geographic structure and group functions into regional divisions to service customers in different locations. Each geographic division can access to a full set of the functions it needs to provide its products. The Most Effective Structure For Spectrum Brands A multidivisional structure can allow Spectrum Brands to coordinate intergroup relationships more effectively than does a matrix structure. Since the company supplies pet products in 48 states and has more than 750 stores, departments can be formed on the basis of geography, customer, product, or a combination of these. This structure can also allow regional managers and employees to be close to their customers and, may develop more relationships that may give managers and employees extra incentive to perform well. Employees’ close identification with their division can increase their commitment, loyalty, and job satisfaction. Potential Communication Problems In Matrix And Multidivisional Structure Information sharing is important in companies like Spectrum Brands because several people may be required for the same piece of work. Because a matrix organization chart is working with more complex communication structure and hierarchy, it needs to be structured properly. One that isn’t properly thought out and executed can be dysfunctional in that it creates confusion rather that clarity. Confusing communication is always a detriment to the organization or a team. Matrix structure increase role conflict and role ambiguity. Reporting relationship in this structure makes employee vulnerable to role ambiguity. Two bosses making conflicting demands on two-boss employee relationships. This conflict and ambiguity can increase feelings of stress. Employees have difficulty in demonstrating their personal contributions to team performance because they move so often from one team to another. And there are limited opportunities for promotion, because most movement is lateral, from team to team, not vertical to upper management positions. Divisional structures normally have more managers and more levels of management than matrix structures have, communications problems can arise as various levels in various divisions attempt to coordinate their activities. As the companies grow and diversify, traditional line structures become difficult to coordinate, making communication difficult and decision making slow (O. C, Geoffrey Linda, 2009). Divisions may start to complete for organizational resources and may start to pursue divisional goals and objectives at the expense of organizational ones. Most Effective Level Of Centralization In Matrix And Multidivisional Structure Multidivisional structures permit delegation of decision-making authority, allowing divisional and department managers to specialize. They allow those closest to the action to make the decisions that will affect them. Delegation of authority and divisionalized work also mean that better decision faster, and they tend to be more innovative (O. C, Geoffrey Linda, 2009). A multidivisional structure makes it relatively easy for organizations to evaluate and reward the performance of individual divisions and their managers and to assign rewards in a way that is closely linked to their performance. Corporate managers can also evaluate one regional operation against another and thus shared ideas between regions and find ways to improve performance. Matrix structures provide flexibility, enhanced cooperation, and creativity, and they enable the company to respond quickly to changes in the environment by giving special attention to specific projects or problems. However, they are generally expensive and quite complex, and employees may be confused as to whose authority has priority (the project manager’s or the functional manager’s) Conclusions The information presented above leads to the following conclusions: 1. The matrix structure groups employees by both function and product. This structure is based on multiple employee reporting structures. It emphasizes both vertical organizational hierarchy and horizontal relationships. 2. In multidivisional structure, divisions (departments) can be formed on the basis of product, market, and geographic structure. 3. In multidivisional structures communications problems can arise as various levels in various divisions attempt to coordinate their activities. Matrix Structure increase role conflict and role ambiguity on two-boss employee relationships. 4. Multidivisional structures permit delegation of decision-making authority, allowing divisional and department managers to specialize. In matrix employees may be confused as to whose authority has priority (the project manager’s or the functional manager’s). Reference Ferrell, O. C. , Hirt, G. , Ferrell, L. (2009). Business: A changing world: 2009 custom edition (7th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin.

Alfred Hitchcock - Profile of the Famous British Film Director

Alfred Hitchcock - Profile of the Famous British Film Director Known as the â€Å"Master of Suspense,† Alfred Hitchcock was one of the most famous film directors of the 20th century. He directed more than 50 feature-length films from the 1920s into the 1970s. Hitchcock’s image, seen during Hitchcock’s frequent cameos in his own films and before each episode of the hit TV show Alfred Hitchcock Presents, has become synonymous with suspense. Dates: August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980 Also Known As: Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, Hitch, Master of Suspense, Sir Alfred Hitchcock Growing Up with a Fear of Authority Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born on August 13, 1899, in Leytonstone in the East End of London. His parents were Emma Jane Hitchcock (neà © Whelan), who was known to be stubborn, and William Hitchcock, a grocer, who was known to be stern. Alfred had two older siblings: a brother, William (born 1890) and a sister, Eileen (born 1892). When Hitchcock was just five years old, his strict, Catholic father gave him quite a fright. Attempting to teach Hitchcock a valuable lesson, Hitchcock’s father sent him to the local police station with a note. Once the police officer on duty read the note, the officer locked young Hitchcock in a cell for several minutes. The effect was devastating. Although his father was trying to teach him a lesson about what happened to people who did bad things, the experience left Hitchcock shaken to the core. As a result, Hitchcock was forever fearful of the police. A bit of a loner, Hitchcock liked to draw and invent games on maps in his spare time. He attended St. Ignatius College boarding school where he stayed out of trouble, fearful of the strict Jesuits and their public canings of boys who misbehaved. Hitchcock learned draftsmanship at the London County Council School of Engineering and Navigation in Poplar from 1913 to 1915. Hitchcock’s First Job After graduating, Hitchcock got his first job in 1915 as an estimator for W.T. Henley Telegraph Company, a manufacturer of electric cable. Bored by his job, he regularly attended the cinema by himself in the evenings, read the cinema trade papers, and took drawing classes at London University. Hitchcock gained confidence and began to show a dry, witty side at work. He drew caricatures of his colleagues and wrote short stories with twist endings, to which he signed the name â€Å"Hitch.† Henley’s Social Club magazine, The Henley, began publishing Hitchcock’s drawings and stories. As a result, Hitchcock was promoted to Henley’s advertising department, where he was much happier as a creative advertising illustrator. Hitchcock Gets Into Filmmaking In 1919, Hitchcock saw an ad in one of the cinema trade papers that a Hollywood company named Famous Players-Lasky (which later became Paramount) was building a studio in Islington, a neighborhood in Greater London. At the time, American filmmakers were considered superior to their British counterparts and thus Hitchcock was extremely excited about them opening up a studio locally. Hoping to impress those in charge of the new studio, Hitchcock discovered the subject of what was to be their first motion picture, bought the book it was based on, and read it. Hitchcock then drew up mock title cards (graphic cards inserted into silent movies to show dialogue or explain action). He took his title cards to the studio, only to find that they had decided to film a different movie. Undaunted, Hitchcock quickly read the new book, drew up new title cards, and again took them to the studio. Impressed by his graphics as well as his determination, Islington Studio hired him to moonlight as their title-card designer. Within a few months, the studio offered 20-year-old Hitchcock a full-time job. Hitchcock accepted the position and left his steady job at Henley to enter the unsteady world of filmmaking. With calm confidence and a desire to make movies, Hitchcock began to help out as a screenwriter, assistant director, and set designer. Here, Hitchcock met Alma Reville, who was in charge of film editing and continuity. When the director fell ill while filming the comedy, Always Tell Your Wife (1923), Hitchcock stepped in and finished the film. He was then offered the opportunity to direct Number Thirteen (never completed). Due to a lack of funds, the motion picture abruptly stopped filming after a few scenes were shot and the entire studio shut down. When Balcon-Saville-Freedman took over the studio, Hitchcock was one of just a few people asked to stay on. Hitchcock became the assistant director and screenwriter for Woman to Woman (1923). Hitchcock hired Alma Reville back for continuity and editing. The picture was a box-office success; however, the studio’s next picture, The White Shadow (1924), failed at the box-office and again the studio shut down. This time, Gainsborough Pictures took over the studio and Hitchcock was again asked to stay. Hitchcock Becomes a Director In 1924, Hitchcock was the assistant director for The Blackguard (1925), a film shot in Berlin. This was a co-production deal between Gainsborough Pictures and UFA Studios in Berlin. Not only did Hitchcock take advantage of the Germans’ extraordinary sets, but he also observed the German filmmakers using sophisticated camera pans, tilts, zooms, and tricks for forced perspective in set design. Known as German Expressionism, the Germans used dark, moody thought-provoking topics such as madness and betrayal rather than adventure, comedy, and romance. The German filmmakers were equally happy to learn an American technique from Hitchcock whereby scenery was painted onto the camera lens as a foreground. In 1925, Hitchcock got his directorial debut for The Pleasure Garden (1926), which was filmed in both Germany and Italy. Again Hitchcock chose Alma to work with him; this time as his assistant director for the silent film. During filming, a budding romance between Hitchcock and Alma began. The film itself is remembered for the myriad of troubles the crew ran into during filming, including having customs confiscate all of their unexposed film as they crossed the international border. Hitchcock Gets â€Å"Hitched† and Directs a Hit Hitchcock and Alma married on February 12, 1926; she would become his chief collaborator on all his films. Also in 1926, Hitchcock directed The Lodger, a suspense movie filmed in Britain about a â€Å"wrongly accused man.† Hitchcock had chosen the story, used fewer title cards than usual, and tossed in bits of humor. Due to a shortage of extras, he had made a cameo appearance in the film. The distributor didn’t like it and shelved it. Stunned, Hitchcock felt like a failure. He was so despondent that he even contemplated a career change. Luckily, the film was released a few months later by the distributor, who had been running short on films. The Lodger (1927) became a huge hit with the public. Britain’s Best Director in the 1930s The Hitchcocks became very busy with filmmaking. They lived in a country house (named Shamley Green) on the weekends and lived in a London flat during the week. In 1928, Alma delivered a baby girl, Patricia – the couple’s only child. Hitchcock’s next big hit was Blackmail (1929), the first British talkie (film with sound). During the 1930s, Hitchcock made picture after picture and invented the term â€Å"MacGuffin† to illustrate that the object the villains were after needed no explanation; it was just something used to drive the story. Hitchcock felt he didn’t need to bore the audience with details; it didn’t matter where the MacGuffin came from, just who was after it. The term is still used in contemporary filmmaking. Having made several box-office flops in the early 1930s, Hitchcock then made The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934). The film was a British and American success, as were his next five films: The 39 Steps (1935), Secret Agent (1936), Sabotage (1936), Young and Innocent (1937), and The Lady Vanishes (1938). The latter won the New York Critics’ Award for Best Film of 1938. Hitchcock caught the attention of David O. Selznick, an American film producer and owner of Selznick Studios in Hollywood. In 1939, Hitchcock, the number one British director at the time, accepted a contract from Selznick and moved his family to Hollywood. Hollywood Hitchcock While Alma and Patricia loved the weather in Southern California, Hitchcock was not fond of it. He continued to wear his dark English suits no matter how hot the weather. In the studio, he worked diligently on his first American film, Rebecca (1940), a psychological thriller. After the small budgets he had worked with in England, Hitchcock delighted in the large Hollywood resources he could use to build elaborate sets. Rebecca won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1940. Hitchcock was up for Best Director, but lost to John Ford for The Grapes of Wrath. Memorable Scenes Fearing suspense in real life (Hitchcock didn’t even like driving a car), he did enjoy capturing suspense on screen in memorable scenes, which often included monuments and famous landmarks. Hitchcock planned every shot for his motion pictures beforehand to such an extent that filming was said to be the boring part to him. Hitchcock took his audiences to the domed roof of the British Museum for a chase scene in Blackmail (1929), to the Statue of Liberty for a free fall in Saboteur (1942), to the streets of Monte Carlo for a wild drive in To Catch a Thief (1955), to the Royal Albert Hall for an assassination misfire in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956),underneath the Golden Gate Bridge for a suicide attempt in Vertigo (1958), and to Mt. Rushmore for a chase scene in North by Northwest (1959). Other Hitchcock memorable scenes include a glowing poisoned glass of milk in Suspicion (1941), a man chased by a crop duster in North by Northwest (1959), a stabbing scene in the shower to shrieking violins in Psycho (1960), and killer birds gathering in a schoolyard in The Birds (1963). Hitchcock and Cool Blondes Hitchcock was known for engaging the audience with suspense, accusing the wrong man of something, and portraying a fear of authority. He also threw in comic relief, portrayed villains as charming, used unusual camera angles, and preferred classic blondes for his leading ladies. His leads (both male and female) portrayed poise, intelligence, underlying passion, and glamour. Hitchcock said audiences found classic blonde females to be innocent looking and an escape for the bored housewife. He didn’t think a woman should wash the dishes and go see a movie about a woman washing the dishes. Hitchcock’s leading ladies also had a cool, icy attitude for added suspense never warm and bubbly. Hitchcock’s leading ladies included Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint, and Tippi Hedron. Hitchcock’s TV Show In 1955, Hitchcock started Shamley Productions, named after his country home back in England, and produced Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which turned into the Alfred Hitchcock Hour. This successful TV show aired from 1955 to 1965. The show was Hitchcock’s way of featuring mystery dramas written by various writers, mostly directed by directors other than himself. Before each episode, Hitchcock presented a monologue to set up the drama, beginning with â€Å"Good Evening.† He came back at the end of each episode to tie up any loose ends about the culprit being caught. Hitchcock’s popular horror movie, Psycho (1960), was filmed inexpensively by his Shamley Productions TV crew. In 1956, Hitchcock became a U.S. citizen, but remained a British subject. Awards, Knighthood, and Death of Hitchcock Despite being nominated five times for Best Director, Hitchcock never won the Oscar. While accepting the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award at the 1967 Oscars, he simply said, â€Å"Thank you.† In 1979, the American Film Institute presented Hitchcock with its Life Achievement Award at a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. He joked that he must be about to die soon. In 1980, Queen Elizabeth II knighted Hitchcock. Three months later Sir Alfred Hitchcock died of kidney failure at the age of 80 in his home in Bel Air. His remains were cremated and scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

Organisational Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Organisational Analysis - Essay Example She meets with an accident, after which she asks Ed Masry, a lawyer to sue the person who hit her. Ed promises her to win the case, but as the only evidence is that of the testimony of Erin herself, the twice-divorced, unemployed single mother stands no chance against a socially respected doctor. In her desperation to find a job, she accuses Ed Masry of failing her and forces him to give a clerk’s job in his own office. Though she lacks the necessary skills and prior experience, she goes about picking her way through the job. While filing papers one day, she comes across a real estate case in Hinkley. What grabs her attention is the fact that there are medical records of the Jensens family amidst the various real estate papers. Taking the permission from Ed to dig further, she goes to Hinkley to meet the family. Her investigations unfold a large conspiracy by the billion dollar company PG&E. The company has been knowingly polluting the area around Hinkley by leaking a toxic chemical called Hexavalent Chromium into the underground water, which causes serious ailments like Cancer. To cover this up, the company had offered to buy the land around Hinkley, thereby resulting in the real estate case of Jensens. It soon becomes apparent to Erin that not just their client, but most of Hinkley’s residents are being affected by Hexavalent Chromium in one way or the other. Erin goes on to persuade Ed and the rest of the neighborhood to take on the mighty corporation through a legal suit. Her determined fight to win the â€Å"largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit†, forms the rest of the story. (Litoff 2011). Although the protagonist is not a typical employee nor does the story evolve around a big time organization, it is a story that is based on reality and has all the elements of an organizational life – individual goals and aspirations, social, cultural

Management report on Intel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management report on Intel - Case Study Example It is essential that Intel move fast to close the gap in embedded segments in order to compete effectively and take advantage of the growing mobile and tablet segment. A company’s strategy should be directed at availing a product or service, which is distinctive from what the competitors are offering or establishing competitive capabilities that the rivals cannot match. Intel has also developed expertise and resource strengths, which have provided the company with competitive capabilities that are hard for the competitors to imitate. Intel has appreciated that winning lasting competitive edge over the rival necessitates that the company build competitive valuable expertise and capabilities, instead of merely having a distinctive product. Intel enjoys high reputation, economies of scale, and capability to innovate technological processes at low cost. Intel has encountered difficulties in its attempt to redefine itself in an era typified by stagnating desktop and net book PC unit. Although, AMD can be regarded as the only major competitor within the PC microprocessor market, Intel encounters intense competition from established firms using ARM technology such as Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and Broadcom. Moreover, the number of processors within the devices are set t rise as the devices becomes more capable (Haberberg, 2014). Besides, Intel can no longer depend on the relationship it has built over the last two decades with firms such as HP, Dell, and IBM; hence, Intel will now be required to forge fresh relationship with cloud service providers (known to be aggressive and cost conscious). Intel has adopted a differentiation strategy as a mode of competition. This is manifest in the products and services possessing high to moderate prices since the majority of clients are ready to pay the premium so as to get the best, most efficient, the fastest, top of the line PC components. The campaign â€Å"Intel Inside† has helped to

Why America should choose to drill for oil in Alaska Essay Example for Free

Why America should choose to drill for oil in Alaska Essay Drilling for oil in Alaska has been one of the most controversial topics in the United Stated for many years. Many U. S geologists have confirmed that billions of barrels of oil lie beneath the Alaskan coastal plain. In the east of Alaska lies The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge considered to be the largest oil field of North America. It is essential for United States to take a plunge in Alaska and seek out this viable opportunity. These fresh barrels of US oil will break away the country’s dependency on the oil rich Middle Eastern countries especially Iraq. The House of Representatives approved drilling in Alaska by passing an energy bill in Aug 2001. This year, the President of United States, lifted the ban on oil and gas drilling in Alaskas Bristol Bay Prices of oil have risen dramatically in the last few years and the nation’s dependency is becoming too costly. It is estimated by the U. S Department of Interior that â€Å"nine to 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil† can be extracted from ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) in North America. This amount of oil is enough to last the entire United States eighteen months. While these statistics might seem trivial but if â€Å"the US consumes about 20 million barrels of oil per day, and at a rate of 1. 5 million barrels per day from Alaska, 7. 5% of Americas oil consumption could be met for over 20 years† (Muhawi). Prices of oil will dramatically fall. These lowered prices of oil could radically improve the economical scenario of United States. In addition to this, American oil imports will also reduce by 15% with the help of the Alaskan oil. American imports are over 25% from the Middle East. Environmentalists who fear that habitats of caribou, polar bears, wolves, and many other species will be destroyed should relax because only 8 percent (1. 5 million acres) is being analyzed for development. This development will cause negligible environmental damage. It is incorrect for media to show snowcapped mountains and polar bears as news footage because it misleads audiences and makes them believe that drilling will be in those areas. Areas that will be drilled are on a small part of Alaska where humans already live. Alaska consists of protected land of 141 million acres which is almost equal to the area of California and New York together. So, the rest of Alaska will remain preserved in its true form. The National Academy of Sciences reported lately that oil drilling had troubled some endangered species and made whaling difficult however it has neither caused huge oil spills nor a decrease in migration of caribou. Caribou herd that passes through ANWR is predicted to be harmed by the drilling of oil. However, people are often unaware that since drilling started in Prudhoe Bay in 1977 it has actually lead to an increase in migration of the caribou herd from 3,000 to 23,000. Many cutting edge technologies are also being introduced to reduce and eradicate the negative effects of the drilling. Thousands of jobs and opportunities will also be created from drilling in Alaska. It is estimated that 250,000 to 735000 jobs will be created. (Drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge). This particular development would help the Alaskans by providing them with greater incomes and purchasing power. It has also benefited Alaskans by providing them with better healthcare and schools and other positive societal and economic effects. People who oppose drilling argue that excessive consumption of United States is a bigger problem. They believe that we should rather focus our energies towards consuming lesser oil. This is a great idea yet very hard to follow. Oil, gas and coal are responsible for running eighty-eight percent of America’s transportation, businesses, and housing needs. No technology, conservation or alternatives can replace these important fuels. Many years of research and testing will bring an alternative or a solution to this problem. Till then we have to rely on our fossil fuels. Another insignificant opposing view is that drilling maybe risky because it might not yield anything. It is also believed to be our last resort and could be used when all our other sources of oil have run out. Both of these views are supported by sentiment and not facts. It is important for the average American to weigh the facts surrounding this controversy and then decide whether Alaskan land should be allowed for drilling oil or not and not be swept away by mere emotion. WORKS CITED â€Å"Making the case for ANWR development†. ANWR. ORG. 2005. Retrieved: 4th http://anwr.org/

Influence of Religion on Society during the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Cen

Influence of Religion on Society during the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries The undeniable power, force, and influence of religion stand out throughout history. However, according to J. Michael Allen and James B. Allen in World History from 1500, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, religion was exceptionally important, because it had a great influence on everything from government to social order and family relationships (16). Hundreds of years may separate these two time periods and the modern world, but the same positive effects of religion such as unity, security, and a social order are still basic ideals in today’s world. This is also true for the negative effects such as the conflicts that result in war and bloodshed, the separation of social classes, and the corruption throughout the church, especially the recent sex scandal in the Catholic church. In order to appreciate the impacts of religion during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the positive and negative effects of this era must be understood. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, religion gave people a sense of belonging. Belonging to a church was important during this time because it gave people a sense of security and support. This was important because it made it much easier to deal with everyday problems and issues. For instance, diseases and death were extremely common during this time period, because of the lack of medicine and technology. So, religion played an extremely important role in giving people a â€Å"guiding light† to pray for support, health, and help. People also had a sense of spiritual protection in everyday life and also in the afterlife. With a sense of protection, they lived a life with less fear of d... ...o this period, giving people the background of such problems. Works Cited Allen, Michael J., and James B. Allen. World History from 1500. New York: Harper Collins, 1993. Conquest of Paradise. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Gerald Despardieu, Armand Assante, and Sigorney Weaver. Bravo Special Presentation. Class Film. HSS-212-003. Fall Semester. September 12, 2002. Conquistadors. Dir. David Wallace. Narr. Michael Wood. Maya Vision. PBS Presentation, 7 Aug. 2001. Class Film. HSS-212-003. Fall Semester. September 19, 2002. Joan of Arc. Written by Micahel Alexander Miller and Ronald Parker . Dir. Christian Duguay. Perf. Leelee Sobieski, Chad Willett, Peter Strauss and Peter O’Toole. Class Movie. HSS-212-003. Fall Semester. 2002 Mary, Queen of Scots. Nar. Star Jones. A&E Special Presentation. Class Movie. HSS-212-003. Fall Semester. September 26, 2002.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- Critical Analysis

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by Alethea Chong (Ally) ~ Critical Analysis ~ The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a novel that was written by John Boyne. It was first published in 2006. John Boyne was born in Ireland 1971 and is the author of six novels. His novels were published in over 30 languages. Because people were inspired by The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, it has now been made into a featured film. The story The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas revolves around the friendship between a 9 year old German boy and a Jewish boy who is in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp.Bruno the German boy is at Auschwitz because his father is the Commandant of the camp. This story shows Bruno’s innocence and the friendship between him and Shmuel. It also reveals the brutality of the Germans to the Jews in World War II. There are many themes that runs through the story of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. I have chosen friendship brutality and fear as the themes I will discuss. Friendship is the most important among the three major themes.An example of the friendship between Bruno and Shmuel was shown by Bruno when he shared his food with Shmuel when he was hungry. Another example was when they played together and confided in each other. Thus a bond of friendship was developed. My final example of friendship was when Bruno helped Shmuel look for his Papa. Bruno had helped a friend in need. However, they did not succeed in finding Shmuel’s father. Both boys tragically ended their short lives in the gas chambers. Brutality is also one of the important themes in the novel.This is clearly defined when Lieutenant Kotler has beaten Pavel up just because he had spilled some wine on the Lieutenant. Also, an example of brutality would be when Lieutenant Kotler hits Shmuel as he was unfairly accused of stealing food.. This is very brutal as no one should ever abuse a child even if they are Jewish. The last exampled of brutality is the way the Germans treat the Jews. They locked th em up in death camps and concentration camps. The German were very brutal, they show no compassion or mercy to the Jews.The last theme that I believe is important is fear. An example of fear was shown by Pavel. He was afraid to disrespect the Lieutenant as he was easily provoked and might do something unpleasant to Pavel. Lieutenant Kotler was also feared by Bruno and Shmuel. They had to be very careful with everything they said to him. They would be in deep trouble if Lieutenant Kotler found out the truth about their friendship. The final example of fear is how afraid the whole world is of the Nazis because they were very powerful. No one dared go against the Nazis.In conclusion, I believe that this is an excellent and remarkable story. It shows how powerful friendship really is. It also demonstrates how brutal human behavior can be. Although the story’s ending was melancholy, there was always hope, friendship and love. I truly enjoyed this story, I learned something about h istory in a way that made me feel and sympathize for the innocent lives which were lost. The author did a terrific job by making the characters so realistic and interesting. The ending was very surprising and devastating.

Curriculum Development for Small Group Esl Essay

I. Description of Learners This private tutoring course has been developed for three elementary school girls, ages 8 – 11. They are sisters, recent immigrants from Saudi Arabia, who will be living and attending school in the U.S. for approximately two years. These students have been assigned a private English language tutor by Cartus Intercultural Language Solutions on behalf of Chevron Corporation, as part of their family’s transfer package. The students have a language background in Arabic, which is the primary language spoken in their home. They each attend a small, private, international school, where their teachers allow them certain â€Å"ESL modifications†. Information gathered from these students’ needs assessment evaluations (to be discussed in section three) showed them to be in the early production stage of English language development. They have limited listening and speaking proficiency, a firm grasp of the Latin alphabet, and the ability to read and write at about a kindergarten level. The students were very hesitant to speak English initially, which made assessment difficult. II. Course Rationale Cartus’ language trainers develop individualized programs to meet the needs of each participant, based on the results of the initial needs assessment process. Language trainers design programs for such practical applications as function-specific skills and vocabulary and conversational proficiency in order to increase your participant’s competency and confidence. Every aspect of the training program is customized. Considering this scenario, there is no standardized curriculum. Once students’ needs have been assessed, and reachable goals have been determined, then materials must be purchased in order to meet course objectives. The primary stakeholder is the children’s father, the students themselves are the secondary stakeholders, and their elementary teachers could be considered as tertiary stakeholders. III. Needs Analysis Cartus leaves analysis and evaluation up to the individual language instructor. An interview was conducted with the father over the phone to determine his goals for each child. During this conversation he also provided insight into each child’s personality and individual English proficiency. It was then discovered that a previous trainer had conducted an English language assessment while the children were still in Saudi Arabia. This assessment can be seen in Appendix 1. Considering the results of the previous assessment, the instructor conducted one on one interviews with each child trying to gauge their levels of proficiency in the following areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The instructor sought to identify any gaps between what students are able to do and what they are required to do at school. Low beginning level questions, such as the ones listed below, were asked in order to define both preliteracy and literacy skills the students possessed. These initial questions were asked orally. How many brothers do you have? How many sisters do you have? What is the name of your teacher? What is the name of your baby sister? How many fingers do you have? What is your favorite toy? In addition, during the course of the program, one of the children’s teachers was consulted in order to identify more specific goals. IV. Goals and Objectives The students’ father is the primary determiner of their educational goals. He stated, â€Å"They each need to be able to read passages at a faster rate and be able to speak and conversate.† (sic) In order to achieve these goals, the instructor took into account the students’ needs and abilities and set the following objectives to meet the father’s fairly broad goal: * Know the names and sounds of all the consonants and vowels * Understand phonics concepts such as consonant combinations * Follow along, reading, and summarizing simple stories with pictures * Demonstrate understanding of everyday vocabulary * Follow simple oral instructions * Demonstrate understanding of the most fundamental, specialized vocabulary in content areas (e.g., shapes, colors, alphabet, numerals, animals) * Understand nouns, verbs, and punctuation * Understand singular and plural * Understand common and proper nouns * Understand simple past, present, and future tenses. V. Course content Lessons are conducted in the students’ home for three hours four days a week. The instructor has purchased all study materials and supplies to be used for the program. The materials are kept at the students’ home for them to use on their own over the weekend. Occasionally a student will have a homework assignment that needs to be addressed by the language instructor. In those instances the subject matter is incorporated into the curriculum and each student will learn key aspects of the material in a situational capacity. Although the students are of varying ages, due to their intimacy and language background, lessons are often conducted as a small group. It has been established that they challenge one another to speak English and are competitive when it comes to reading and responding to questions in English. They have a positive effect on one another, so the occasional situational content can be either elaborated upon or simplified as needed. Over the first months of the program, lessons were focused on advancing the students from the silent period to initial stages of speech. The students were introduced to concepts of consonants, vowels, and phonics before additional topics were explored. Once students began to speak and read with increasing frequency, they began reading sentences and discussing stories. Recently they have been able to volunteer information about themselves, their day at school, and other activities. Below are examples of lessons on vowel sounds, consonant blends, rhyming, and reading VI. MaterialsThe instructor has purchased compatible study materials to be used and shared by all of the girls. There is no one overaching core book, rather many workbooks, puzzles, games, and story books are used throughout the lessons. In addition to some of the worksheets shown above, those materials include the following: This book introduces consonant combinations such as â€Å"sl†, â€Å"st†, and â€Å"sk†. Students read the instructions and follow the instructions to fill in the blank, match sentences to corresponding pictures, and fill in crossword puzzles. This book introduces consonant combinations such as â€Å"sl†, â€Å"st†, and â€Å"sk†. Students read the instructions and follow the instructions to fill in the blank, match sentences to corresponding pictures, and fill in crossword puzzles. This phonetic puzzle reinforces students’ understanding of long and short vowel sounds, and is also used to increase vocabulary. This phonetic puzzle reinforces students’ understanding of long and short vowel sounds, and is also used to increase vocabulary. This pack of cards is used to refresh student’s memory of past lessons, and also to make short sentences or phrases. This pack of cards is used to refresh student’s memory of past lessons, and also to make short sentences or phrases. These beginning reading books provide pictoral cues to accompany the sentences. Students are able to recognize animals and food in the books and learn their English names. They are also able to practice phonetic reading skills. These beginning reading books provide pictoral cues to accompany the sentences. Students are able to recognize animals and food in the books and learn their English names. They are also able to practice phonetic reading skills. Magnetic letters are used to create words and fascilitate reading phonetically. Students make rhyming words and create new words by adding â€Å"sneaky silent e† to the ends of short vowel sound words. Magnetic letters are used to create words and fascilitate reading phonetically. Students make rhyming words and create new words by adding â€Å"sneaky silent e† to the ends of short vowel sound words. VII. AssessmentBecause these students are not graded or scored, their knowledge and ability must be assessed in less structured, more organic ways. The students attend English language school every day and have certain anxieties in regard to tests and quizzes. Assessment is performed during every lesson to determine what tools and materials are meeting the students’ needs, as well as how the students respond to the materials. The students’ father, as well as comments from classroom teachers provide vital information that the language instructor uses to assess the students, to inform future lesson content, and to raise the bar for students’ objectives.Students are on a break for the holidays, but during their last lesson they were asked some of the following questions:What is a noun?Can you each name three common nouns?What is a proper n oun? How do you write a proper noun?If one is a â€Å"fox†, what are two called?If one is a â€Å"foot†, what are two called?Can you name three words that rhyme with â€Å"cat†?Can you name three words that start with â€Å"sk† like â€Å"skip†?The word â€Å"dime†, does it have a short or long vowel sound?What gives it that sound?How much is a dime worth?What is the opposite of â€Å"up†?What is the opposite of â€Å"hot†?If your body needs food you are _______If your body needs water you are _______Their answers were used to set homework assignments and to establish new goals once lessons resume in January.Observation and interview results have indicated that the students are progressing well into â€Å"high beginner proficiency† and are beginning to understand language and use it in a limited capacity. Typically, they memorize words and phrases and can comprehend and utilize language that they havebeen taught. The curriculum focuses on applying literacy skills to the development of new knowledge. In second language acquisition, social language usually precedes academic language development.Appendix 1. References Dept. of Education, State of Tennessee. 2005. ESL Curriculum Standards: Proficiency Levels. Retrieved December 22, 2012, from http://www.fentress.k12tn.net/ESL Cartus, 2012 Intercultural and Language Training Worldwide. Retrieved December 22, 2012, from www.cartus.comFerlazzo, L., and K. Hull Sypnieski. 2012. The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.FlashKids Editors, 2010. Phonics Blends. U.S. FlashKids Books.Magnetic Letters, 2012, Lakeshore Learning Materials.Richards, J.C. 2001. Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Sight Words, 2012, Lakeshore Learning MaterialsWho Lives at the Pond? Parents. Minibook. Activities: Science & Nature: Ages 3-6. Retrieved December 22, 2012 from www.scholastic.com Worksheets for Young ESL Learners. Retrieved December 22 from 2012,www.bogglesworldesl.com Vowel Sounds Match Ups,

Channel Firing Poem Analysis Essays

Channel Firing Poem Analysis Essays Channel Firing Poem Analysis Paper Channel Firing Poem Analysis Paper Essay Topic: Alice in Wonderland Thomas Hardy Poems Essay on Channel Firing by Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardys â€Å"Channel Firing† is a poem written in 1914, four months prior to the start of World War 1. This historical context is crucial to understanding the poem as it expresses the dark and sorrowful foreshadowing of the months before the war, creating feelings of tension, turmoil and unrest. There were, at the time, many young men who did not share the common unease, more so tension turned to excitement, turmoil to eagerness and unrest to anticipation. The split between society in the months leading up to the war is portrayed in Hardys poem. For example, the anonymous character Hardy embodies in this poem states how he â€Å"thought it was judgement day† as he hears gunfire, quite clearly depicting his fear. ‘Channel Firing’, is a dialogue carried out entirely by the occupants of a seaside cemetery, who confuse naval gunnery practice with the thunder of the Day of Judgment. As Fussell suggests, Hardy almost wrote the war before it happened. It is no surprise that Siegfried Sassoon, who wrote the sharpest satirical poems about war, acknowledged Hardy as his master. Hardy had, of course, written about war before this, and very powerfully. Allusions in Channel Firing Possibly an allusion to a childrens tale Alice in Wonderland in which the Mad Hatter is frozen in time and perhaps as a result goes insane, Hardy perhaps draws a comparison between this character and the leaders of humanity. The use of mad as hatters could also be a reference to humanitys aggressiveness and thirst for blood to be a detrimental mindset, or indeed it could depict the primal instincts of man. Another quote that is perhaps important to consider is â€Å"They do no more for Christà ©s sake†. This could be seen to have two meanings, â€Å"for Christà ©s sake† could itself be a curse as is used in modern day in anger or exasperation, or perhaps it could allude to an aforementioned point that humanity goes to war, fights and dies in Gods name, thus meaning that they no longer fight for God. With further reference to religion, the poem seems to allude to, through the use of humanitys unending cycle of violence, a powerless God or a God that does not care. The key way in which this poem slightly differs from other Hardy work is that he accepts Gods existence, even going so far as to introduce him as a character with a stanzas worth of dialogue, â€Å" Till God called, No†. A major factor to take into consideration when studying any of Hardys poems is his religious background.

How Women Became Part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act

How Women Became Part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act Is there any truth to the legend that women’s rights were included in the United States Civil Rights Act of 1964 as an attempt to defeat the bill? What Title VII Says Title VII of the Civil Rights Act makes it unlawful for an employer: to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Now-Familiar List of Categories The law prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin. However, the word â€Å"sex† was not added to Title VII until Rep. Howard Smith, a Democrat from Virginia, introduced it in a one-word amendment to the bill in the House of Representatives in February 1964. Why Sex Discrimination Was Added Adding the word â€Å"sex† to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act ensured that women would have a remedy to fight employment discrimination just as minorities would be able to fight racial discrimination. But Rep. Howard Smith had previously gone on the record as opposing any federal Civil Rights legislation. Did he actually intend for his amendment to pass and the final bill to succeed? Or was he adding womens rights to  the bill so that it would have less chance of success? Opposition Why would legislators who were in favor of racial equality suddenly vote against civil rights legislation if it also prohibited discrimination against women? One theory is that many Northern Democrats who supported a Civil Rights Act to combat racism were also allied with labor unions. Some labor unions had opposed including women in employment legislation. Even some women’s groups had opposed including sex discrimination in the legislation. They feared losing labor laws that protected women, including pregnant women and women in poverty. But did Rep. Smith think that his amendment would be defeated, or that his amendment would pass and then the bill would be defeated? If labor union-aligned Democrats wanted to defeat the addition of â€Å"sex,† would they rather defeat the amendment than vote against the bill? Indications of Support Rep. Howard Smith himself claimed that he genuinely offered the amendment in support of women, not as a joke or an attempt to kill the bill.  Rarely does a congressperson act entirely alone. There are multiple parties behind the scenes even when one person introduces a piece of legislation or an amendment. The National Woman’s Party was behind the scenes of the sex discrimination amendment. In fact, the NWP had been lobbying to include sex discrimination in law and policy for years. Also, Rep. Howard Smith had worked with longtime women’s rights activist Alice Paul, who had chaired the NWP. Meanwhile, the struggle for womens rights was not brand new. Support for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) had been in the Democratic and Republican Party platforms for years. Arguments Taken Seriously Rep. Howard Smith also presented an argument about what would happen in the hypothetical scenario of a white woman and a black woman applying for a job. If the women encountered employer discrimination, would the black woman rely on the Civil Rights Act while the white woman had no recourse?   His argument indicates that his support for including sex discrimination in the law was genuine, if for no other reason than to protect white women who would otherwise be left out. Other Comments on the Record The issue of sex discrimination in employment was not introduced out of nowhere. Congress had passed the Equal Pay Act in 1963. Furthermore, Rep. Howard Smith had previously stated his interest in including sex discrimination in civil rights legislation. In 1956, the NWP supported including sex discrimination in the purview of the Civil Rights Commission. At that time, Rep. Smith said that if the civil rights legislation he opposed was inevitable, then he â€Å"certainly ought to try to do whatever good with it that we can.†Ã‚  (For more information on Smiths comments and involvement, see Jo Freeman’s â€Å"How Sex Got Into Title VII.†)   Many Southerners were opposed to legislation that forced integration, partly because they believed the federal government was unconstitutionally interfering with states’ rights. Rep. Smith may have adamantly opposed what he saw as federal interference, but he may have also genuinely wanted to make the best of that â€Å"interference† when it did become law. The â€Å"Joke† Although there were reports of laughter on the floor of the House of Representatives at the time Rep. Smith introduced his amendment, the amusement was most likely due to a letter in support of women’s rights that was read aloud. The letter presented statistics about the imbalance of men and women in the U.S. population and called for the government to attend to the â€Å"right† of unmarried women to find a husband. End Results for Title VII and Sex Discrimination Rep. Martha Griffiths of Michigan strongly supported keeping women’s rights in the bill. She led the fight to keep â€Å"sex† in the list of protected classes. The House voted twice on the amendment, passing it both times, and the Civil Rights Act was ultimately signed into law, with its ban on sex discrimination included.  Ã‚   While historians continue to allude to Smith’s Title VII â€Å"sex† amendment as an attempt to defeat the bill, other scholars point out that presumably Congressional representatives have more productive ways to spend their time than inserting jokes into major pieces of revolutionary legislation.