Clever Marketing in the Luxury Fashion Industry Essay

Clever Marketing in the Luxury Fashion Industry - Essay Example Talented designers, nowadays, unlike their counterparts from before, can no longer merely rely on their talent. In fact, they are forced to share profits such as the Gucci Group and the LVMH in order to increase their sales through marketing. Without a doubt, the luxury fashion industry makes use of clever marketing strategies in order to keep the brand alive. It is then in relation to this that this research seeks to look into the concept of clever marketing and how this posed implications to the industry. Furthermore, this paper also examines the said strategies and how these affect the companies. In order to achieve this then, the researcher employs the questionnaire method in order to gain the perceptions of the members of Gucci, LVMH, and Richemont with regard to clever marketing and how these affect them. a Luxury, style, and elegance have traditionally been associated with the French way of life. In fact, the first so-called ‘grands against’ were found in their capital and these were associated with values of sensuality, luxury, innovation and premium service. Added to this was the manner by which the architecture conveyed senses of majesty and power thereby defining the shopping experience for the wealthy consumers. Hence, fashion becomes more than just a matter of clothes and accessories. Rather, it has been of vital importance and influence that structures the culture, identity, and lifestyle of a certain society, Okonkwo. Central then to this luxurious shopping experience is coveted products that are authentic, exudes quality and craftsmanship, and most importantly, demonstrate exclusivity.  

Pepsico Case Study Essay Example for Free

Pepsico Case Study Essay 1. I felt that Nooyi’s Letter to Shareholders was fairly effective. She starts by mentioning that â€Å"the greatest challenge in business today is to renew a successful company through positioning for long-term growth and profitability but also performing in the current marketplace.† Her opening statement accurately reflects her emphasis in the letter. She goes on to make several statements that are important for investors to hear about making investments for future growth. She highlights Pepsi’s ongoing global growth initiatives (innovating globally by delighting locally) and also discusses Pepsi’s healthier offerings, both of which I feel are appealing concepts for shareholders in today’s market. She also makes some important statements about ongoing efficiency and leveraging the brand. Her letter does a good job of answering potential questions that the stockholders may have on thePepsico Case Study current status of the company as well as future plans. While her focuses are effective, I felt that some additional detail about growth within their â€Å"healthy† segment could’ve helped her argument as well as continued discussion on Pepsi’s ethics. Overall, her letter is a great pitch for prospective investors domestically and abroad. 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis seemed to paint a more pessimistic view of the future of PepsiCo than Nooyi’s letter. They bring up several factors in order to prepare shareholders for potentially rough times. Part of these factors includes mention of a California proposition, which would force warning labels on unhealthy food. Potential layoffs and a possible knock to Pepsi’s credit rating are also discussed. Furthermore, management recognizes that they are operating in a highly competitive market. Some of Pepsi’s core, high margin products are losing market share to Coke products. Ongoing success is dependent on effective promotion and marketing and Coke has been a leader in this area. Pepsi management recognizes the need to innovate to remain competitive and proper positioning is key. It could prove to be an issue if they don’t properly anticipate shifts in demand. There are also concerns about potential climate changes, and other regulat ory measures. These things could severely impact production and demand for certain segments of Pepsi’s products. 3. 4. Market to Book Ratio compares the market value of the firm’s investments to their cost. Current Ratio is current assets divided by current liabilities and gives a measure of short-term liquidity. Debt to Equity Ratio is a measure of a company’s financial leverage calculated by dividing its total liabilities by stockholders equity. Total Asset Turnover is sales divided by total assets and assists with an understanding of dollars generated relative to dollars in assets. Times Interest Earned Ratio measures how well a company has its interest obligations covered and is calculated by dividing EBIT by Interest. Profit Margin is calculated by dividing net income by sales. ROA is a measure of profit per dollar of assets and ROE is a measure of how stockholders fared during the year. Finally, EPS gives us market price per share of stock by dividing net income by shares outstanding. 5. Over the past three years, revenues and expenses have increased. Net profits have also increased. Debt to Equity has increased over the last few years. Profit margins have decreased and focus has shifted to less profitable products. ROA has been decreasing as well. Daily sales in inventory are decreasing. Intangible assets, including goodwill, have greatly increased. Also, Return on Capital Investment has decreased. 7.Operating Activities: 1) Other net decreased by $688. 2) Accounts Receivable is increasing. Financing Activities: 1) Acquisition of non-controlling interests 2) Cash Dividends 3) Repurchase of dividends 4) Long term debt is down from 2010-2011. Investing Activities: 1)Acqusition of WBD 2) Change in Gross Fixed Assets (decreasing debt in 2011) 8.In her Letter to Shareholders, Chairman Nooyi made a good case for increasing shareholder value in the short and long runs. She’ll need to encourage management to continue to innovate and achieve high sales in the current market while at the same time focusing on future investment and continued global expansion and presence. Transparency with investors is important for building trust and confidence. Marketing and promotion will be another key element to PepsiCo’s continued growth among the high level of competition already existing in their many segments. Reduction of accounts receivable can lead to better bottom line results, efficiency, and reduction of long-term debt through the repayment of principle. PepsiCo should also continue to expand its â€Å"healthy† product line such as sports drinks, whole grain healthy snacks, etc. to take advantage of market trends.

A Comparison of Crying of Lot 49 and White Noise Essay -- comparison c

A Comparison of Crying of Lot 49 and White Noise    Pynchon's novel The Crying of Lot 49 has much in common with Don DeLillo's book White Noise. Both novels uncannily share certain types of characters, parts of plot structure and themes. The similarities of these two works clearly indicates a cultural conception shared by two influential and respected contemporary authors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Character similarities in the two novels are found in both the main characters and in some that are tangential to the plots. The two protagonists of the works, Oedipa Maas of Lot 49 and Jack Gladney of White Noise, are characters struggling to make sense of their worlds, and yet, both are afraid to face pure, filtered truth. Oedipa is inadvertently sent on a quest, which she embraces as a possible mechanism of bringing new meaning into world of tupperware parties. On her journey Oedipa is innundated with new and baffling information which she is either a series of clues to a counter culture or Pierce Inverarity's attempt to extend himself beyond his death. This dichotomy sets up the theme of binary opposites in novel. Oedipa's journey does not end in a final choice of one realm or the other, confirming one of the novel's other assertions, that excluded middles are "bad shit" ( J. Kerry Grant eloquently discusses Oedipa's journey in terms o f binary opposites and a search for meaning in the introduction to his A Companion to "The Crying of Lot 49" (pp. xv-xvi)).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jack Gladney also involves himself and his family in a series of journeys, which are searches for safety and understanding, yet share Oedipa's focus on finding a new reason for existence. Jack and his wife Babbette are afraid of dying. Their worries, conversations,... ...s comfort in bulk, Babette runs the stairs of a football stadium, and both become involved with the intensely neurotic Dylar conspiracy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The concept of enframing, the reducing of something to a representation which man produces and consumes, is prevalent in both these novels as well. In White Noise the most obvious examples are "The Most Photographed Barn in America" (pp.12-13) and Nature T.V., and in Lot 49 it can be seen in the man made lake, Lake Inverarity. Enframing is an example of both the possibility of a meta-conspiracy, and of mankind's attempt to shield himself from reality. The mass produced and readily consumable objects and ideas that appear in both novels are presented as being the possible result of a conspiracy to homogenize and control people, or an attempt by people to distance themselves from the real world and truth.   

Charitable Organization and British Way

The article â€Å"The advert that beggars belief† by Alexander Chancellor is about beggars in India and Great Britain, they talk about how many beggars there are and what they are using their money on when they get some. Many people try to convince themselves that it's a stupid idea to give beggars money because they use them quite often on many stupid things. Westminster Council making a campaign there says if you give beggars money you â€Å"actually' are guilty in cause of theirs death.It is a bad campaign because they give a wakeup call to people and says it is a bad thing to give money to beggars and you should not do it, because you don't know what they are going to use their money on and if you do It you can cause their deaths. They call you to stop giving them money. 2. Give an outline of the carious attitudes to charity as expressed In texts. The four texts show the different views of giving charity, there are many ways to donate money today, from when you give a coi n to a beggar you see at the streets to end a text on your mobile phone to a charitable organization.The article â€Å"the advert that beggars belief' has a negative attitude to beggars, In Britain they don't want to give beggars money because they says It can cause their lives because they use the money on drugs or something like that. In the article â€Å"Charity never dies, It only sleeps† we hear about the British way of thinking to Improve our own and our families lives, It Is best also to Improve the lives of those around us. It Is a conservative way to think everyone has to be equal.In the article â€Å"the year of charltalnment† they talked about that there are so many charity organizations and you have to focus on one and that helps the famous people with, Angelina Jolle helps to focus on Sierra Leone. 3. Comment on the following statement â€Å"to Improve our own and our families' lives, It Is best also to Improve the lives of those around us. † In th e text â€Å"Charity never dies, It only sleeps† It Is the Brltlsh way of thinking: to Improve our own and our families' lives, It Is best also to Improve the lives of those round us.It Is on way out of many to think that everyone has to be equal, there are many people there think of this, and many people think that you have to be selfish about this, and don't give money to beggars. 4. Write a reply to the article The advert that beggars belief In the form of a letter to the edloter. Summary: Charitable Organization and British Way By Namer going to use their money on and if you do it you can cause their deaths. They call you 2. Give an outline of the carious attitudes to charity as expressed in texts. at beggars belief† has a negative attitude to beggars, in Britain they don't want to give beggars money because they says it can cause their lives because they use the money on drugs or something like that. In the article â€Å"Charity never dies, it only sleeps† w e hear about the British way of thinking to improve our own and our families lives, it is best also to improve the lives of those around us. It is a charitainment† they talked about that there are so many charity organizations and you have to focus on one and that helps the famous people with, Angelina Jolie helps .Comment on the following statement â€Å"to improve our own and our families' lives, it is best also to improve the lives of those around us. † In the text â€Å"Charity never dies, it only sleeps† it is the British way of thinking: to improve our own and our families' lives, it is best also to improve the lives of those around us. It is on way out of many to think that everyone has to be equal, there are 4. Write a reply to the article The advert that beggars belief in the form of a letter to the edioter.

Study com

Takes time and implies careful attention looking below the surface to find the motivation and context as well as what assumptions are involved and what is not there. Criticism: A close analysis of a text resulting in evaluation. O A close analysis and judgment of something Not always negative, you can evaluate a text and be positive. Illnesses both positive negative or even neutral feedback o Not Just taking something at face value, you're talking critically o Looking innate the surface Critical Questions you might ask. What are the implicit and explicit assumptions in this article and are they reasonable? How reliable is the source of this argument bias/who is the source What's the purpose of this argument/ goal/ consequences? Why is this argument being made? What context or motives might have prompted it?Barnett and Bedaubs Components of Critical thinking Imagination Analysis Evaluation Examples that require critical thinking Riddles Argument A course of reasoning Making a case in favor or against something A critical claim with support and reasoning Example mastery Text Any sort of artifact that can be studied for Information Speech Essay novels Movies, TV shows, songs, press release, corporate annual report Anything that uses communication to get their point across. A one sentence summary of your argument.Will make a claim about the text you're looking at, it should take a position and then it should provide reasoning for that position. Summarizes your overall argument with both your position and reasoning. Rhetoric The strategic use of symbols to persuade o But it doesn't always have to be to persuade, it can be used to teach o Doesn't eve to be words it can be pictures Rhetoric is the argument People that use rhetoric o Advertisement o Politicians Finding the available means of persuasion in a given equation. Aristotle definition)Most important thing to remember while editing o USE A DICTIONARY Media criticism How they portray certain parts of society I. G How they portray movies Criticism of the news and media The way that system constitutes what we consider to be news 3 questions Where does news come from? Who decides what you see/hear/read? What are the functions of fact and opinion 2 classic studies 1. Warren Breed 1995 â€Å"Social control in the newsroom† a. . News is produced by reporters . Reporters are directed/influenced by . Editors Newspaper policy 2. Other reporters 3. Reporters learn from by osmosis iii. They read how other reporters write They are steered by Editor preferences b. The desire it see their stories be â€Å"news† c. And the desire to succeed.Sacred Cow Comes from the religion Hinduism o They hold cows sacred News media are often hesitant in publishing anything that will portray any person that is well-liked in the community or support the newspaper/media financially in a negative way. O Local figure 0 Joe Property 2. David Manning White, 1950 a. The â€Å"Gate Keeper† study I. There a re a series of â€Å"gate keepers† 1. Main source of control of what ends up being reported and what doesn't end up eyeing reported it. Each has the power to define what is or isn't news iii. If the gate keeper rejects a â€Å"story, â€Å"the work of all those who preceded him in reporting and transmitting the story is negated† ‘v. Decisions are 1. Highly subjective 2.Based on experiences, attitudes, expectations of gate keeper Facts vs.. Opinion in the news Opinion writing in the newspaper o Editorials 0 Official statements of the news paper Responses from of the reader. Columns/opinions/ Pieces/pop-De Essays gathered from other media outlets or the public Do not reflect the opinion of the newspapers outside opinions Front page news part 3 Rhetoric Plato Allegory of the Cave Fact represents an extended metaphor that is to contrast the way in which we perceive and believe in what is reality. The thesis behind his allegory is the basic tenets that all we perceiv e are imperfect â€Å"reflections† of the ultimate Forms, which subsequently represent truth and reality.The Matrix o The movie suggest that if people were given the choice they would choose to know the truth o Shallowness of Rhetoric Slogan We poked you in 84 will poke you again in 86 o Plato had a problem with this since it lacked knowledge Dialectic: Discussion or debate, the way that Aristotle wrote Georgia Difference Among Gorgons, Aristotle, and Plato: Plato was Aristotle teacher and firmly disbelieved in rhetoric and hated calling it a sham and cookery while Aristotle had a better understanding of rhetoric and wrote the most important book over it. Georgia was a sophist and a teacher of rhetoric whom Plato wrote about in order to make him sound stupid. O Socrates gets Georgia to admit that there are two types of persuasion Knowledge (convoy some type of knowledge) 0 Belief without knowledge Scarcities gets Georgia to admit rhetoric is belief without knowledge

Dread Scott essays

Dread Scott essays The Dred Scott case was the final blow to Abolitionists. It ended the notion of freedom for African Americans. What makes this case interesting is the role the justices play on the issue of slavery. In 1856, a slave, Dred Scott, sued his master, Doctor Emmerson. Scott claimed that Emmerson had taken him from Missouri into the Northwest. The Supreme Court finally processed the case in 1857 and Chief Justice Taney delivered the decision on March 6th. It declared three things. First, according to the constitution, Negroes are not citizens of the United States. (Daily Courier) Secondly, the Ordinance of 1857 had no independent legal effect subsequently to the adoption of the constitution, and could not operate of itself to confer freedom or citizenship within the Northwest Territory on Negroes, not citizens by the constitution. Lastly, he also declared the Provision Act of 1820, commonly called the Missouri Compromise, so far as it is understood to exclude Negro slavery from and communicate freedom and citizenship to Negroes in the northern part of the country is unconstitutional. (Illinois State Register) Justice Catron stated that because the plaintiff was a Negro of African blood, he then had no rights as a citizen of Missouri to maintain a suit in the Circuit Court. (Tourolaw) This case gave hard blows to Abolitionists. Seven out of two judges reinforced what the south had been endorsing for many years, that slavery is beyond the limits of the Constitution and that it [slavery] is guaranteed by the constitutional compact. Southern papers mocked the Union and its abolitionist and praised the Supreme Courts ruling. It is apparent in here from one article, It appears that we, Secessionists, have been all the while not disturbing the law, not intruding novelties upon the country, not seeking to break up established principles, but that we have been simpl...

BUCHANAN Last Name Origin and Meaning

BUCHANAN Last Name Origin and Meaning The Celtic last name Buchanan  has several possible origins: A habitational or geographical surname meaning who came from the district of Buchanan in Stirlingshire, a location near Loch Lomond in Scotland. The place name is thought to derive from  the Gaelic elements buth, meaning house and chanain, meaning of the canon.An anglicization of the German buchenhain, meaning beech wood. Most last names originate in more than one area, so to learn more about your Buchanan last name or to identify a Buchanan family crest that may have belonged to an ancestor, you really need to research the history of your own specific family. If you are new to genealogy, try these steps to begin tracing your family tree. Surname Origin ï » ¿Scottish Alternate Surname Spellings BUCKCANNON, BUCANNON, BUCHANON Famous People With the BUCHANAN Last Name James Buchanan  - 15th President of the United States Where Is the BUCHANAN Name Most Common? The Buchanan surname is interestingly most commonly found today in New Zealand and Australia, according to surname data from WorldNames PublicProfiler. It is also a fairly common surname in Canada, the United States and United Kingdom. Within the UK, the name is by far the most prevalent in Scotland, especially in Stirling, where the name originated, as well as the Western Isles.  The top cities for the Buchanan last name worldwide are all in the UK and Ireland: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Liverpool and Aberdeen. The Buchanan surname currently ranks as 117th most common in Scotland, according to surname distribution data from Forebears. Data from the 1881 British census showed that Buchanan ranked highest in Dunbartonshire at #15, followed by Stirlingshire (27th), Renfrewshire (59th) and Lanarkshire (60th). The largest density of individuals named Buchanan, as a percentage of population, can be found in Anguilla, where one in 585 people use that last name. Genealogy Resources for the BUCHANAN Last Name Meanings and Origins of the 100 Top Scottish SurnamesInterestingly, Buchanan is the 67th most popular Scottish surname in the United States, but doesnt even crack the top 100 in Scotland. See which Scottish surnames are more popular! Buchanan Y-DNA Surname ProjectOver 200 men with the Buchanan last name have already tested their DNA and joined this project to help identify Buchanans of Scottish or Irish heritage into broad family groups. BUCHANAN Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Buchanan last name to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Buchanan query. FamilySearch - BUCHANAN GenealogySearch and access records, queries, and lineage-linked online family trees posted for the Buchanan surname and its variations. FamilySearch features over 1.2 million results for the Buchanan last name. DistantCousin.com - BUCHANAN Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Buchanan.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

George Orwells Use of Appositives in A Hanging

George Orwells Use of Appositives in A Hanging An appositive- a noun or noun phrase that identifies or renames another noun- is a handy way of adding details to a sentence. The term comes from the Latin word for placing close by, and an appositive usually appears right after the word or phrase that it renames. Youve just seen one example of an appositive- in the first sentence of this article. Here, from the opening of George Orwells essay A Hanging, are two more: We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages.He was a Hindu, a puny wisp of a man, with a shaven head and vague liquid eyes. A few paragraphs later, Orwell lines up a pair of appositives to identify another character: Francis, [1] the head jailer, [2] a fat Dravidian in a white drill suit and gold spectacles, waved his black hand. In each of Orwells sentences, the appositive could be substituted for the noun it renames (cells, Hindu, Francis). Or it could be deleted without changing the basic meaning of the sentence. Set off by commas, such appositives are said to be nonrestrictive. In some cases, an appositive might be thought of as a simplified adjective clause (a word group beginning with who or which). This next sentence, for example, relies on an adjective clause to identify the subject, hangman: The hangman, who was a gray-haired convict in the white uniform of the prison, was waiting beside the machine. Now look at George Orwells original version of the sentence, with the adjective clause reduced to a more concise appositive: The hangman, a gray-haired convict in the white uniform of the prison, was waiting beside the machine. Viewed this way, appositives offer a way to cut the clutter in our writing. And that, youll have to admit, makes it a handy little device- a compact grammatical structure. NEXTFor a more detailed discussion of appositives, see How to Build Sentences with Appositives.

Interoperability and Middleware Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interoperability and Middleware - Research Paper Example This was aimed at improving the service offered by the ICT sector. After this development, the ICT sector became more comprehensive and demanded more research and advancements on telecommunications and computing network flexibility (Lerner, 2002). Today interoperability standards are applied in ICT world to improve effective communication compatibility, exchange of data and services. The smooth interaction between two or more components of the operating software for communication compatibility, services and data exchange can be termed as inter-operatibility. Interoperability is a necessity in ICT because it is a tool that increases the connectivity of computers via the internet and offers a solution to operational costs. Furthermore, its software has been proved to be of quality provided heterogeneity is maintained, for instance, on systems written in different language programming; running on different hardware programs and operating system; using different data representation; impl ementing unlike syntactic or semantics interpretations; and using different control platforms (Puder, Ro?mer & Pilhofer, 2006) For interoperability heterogeneity to be realized there has to be a middleware software package. Today, there are many telecommunication and computation industries that offer middle ware products. The industry built middleware product essentially develops a connector that makes interoperability system to configure for use. Middle ware refers to application software that serves the purpose of a transition layer or exchange of resources between two networked counterparts. It also merges and incorporates two networked counterparts to communicate with each other either running on the same or different platforms. Middleware software applications are divided into two major categories, application management and resource management. In application management invokes specific services that perform given tasks for them. This application management is also divided int o other two categories, the higher and the lower, that is dependent on the level of service abstraction the middleware offers. The lower application known as inter-application management communication middleware operates with remote procedure calls in general while the higher application middleware totally abstracts the network by substituting procedure calls with direct service calls. The second middleware category, resource management, acts as resource management utility. Just like the first category it is divided into two groups, higher and lower resource management dependent on the type of resource managed by the middleware. The higher resource, also referred to as database middleware, manages software related resources such as transaction processing and database access as these resources are related to the database while lower resource middleware manager, also known as resource middleware, manages hardware related resources like CPU, hard drive space and memory (Puder, Ro?mer & Pilhofer, 2006). At the time of manufacture its main aim was to set up new standards of addressing the issue of differences that occur due to heterogeneous networks. It also provided for grid distinctive characteristics like file sharing, processor and additional grid functionalities such as API (application programming interfaces) with a primary concern aimed in resource

Geology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Geology - Essay Example Similarly, the Heilbrunn Cosmic Pathway is another wonder to be marvelled at in the way markers signify that each path implies a billion years of expedition. Every vital piece of information concerning the Milky Way Galaxy including elliptical galaxies, galactic disks, and initial generation of stars among others is quite fascinating. Our journey along the Pathway is comparable to a journey down the astronomical history of objects that were essential in the creation of the solar system. We learned that the light coming from such objects would have to travel billions of years prior to being seen by our naked eyes. In the Hall of Minerals, everyone was further astounded by bearing witness to several minerals which may consist of a single element or a range of elements in combination. I was specifically enthralled by the Patricia Emerald which was found to be a 632-carat rare uncut gem. It is perhaps with its illuminating effect of green at varying light shades that enabled me to feel a mixed sense of awe and calm at the time. Altogether, the collection of stones makes an impressive scene of priceless treasures to behold. Upon arrival at the Hall of Human Origins, we discovered certain facts that have not been encountered yet in the class. It is such a delightful learning experience to have come to find out that human evolution is truly a complex process across times. With the evolving species of mankind as demonstrated in the exhibit, I am inclined to adhere more to faith that God does exist though the theory of evolution is irreconcilable with the biblical accounts because the formation of human intelligence since the earliest human form and epoch has been a work in progress. While this developmental stages take place, one certainly could not help thinking of a possibility of an intervention by an all-knowing being

Mohammad Ali wikipidia analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mohammad Ali wikipidia analysis - Assignment Example I would break the article down into various sections discussing the personal and professional life of the sportsman. The first section would be titled, ‘About Mohammad Ali.’ This would be a general summary of the personality. The other section would be ‘His personal life.’ The section would discuss anything to do with his education, family, interest, among others. I would then discuss ‘His Professional life.’ this is where I would discuss his role in the sports industry. The last section would be ‘other contributions he has made.’ In this section, I would discuss his role in the social life, especially racial justice, in the United States. All the sections would be accompanied by images of the character in the sports world, especially those that have been used in different popular newspapers and magazines. The part of the article that would be potentially controversial is the contribution of Ali in the social life in the United States. The aspect of racism would trigger discussion among racist personalities that may prompt hatred for the sportsman, not for who he is, but what he does outside his profession. To find and verify the information of the article, I would look for all books, journals, websites, and news collections that discuss Mohammad Ali and compile the

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example In order to delve further, it is important to establish IHRM and its functions in today’s multi-national companies (MNCs). â€Å"...the International Organisation will be called on to operate across a wide variety of competitive environments and yet somehow balance these diverse social, political and economic contexts with the requirements of the original home context.† (Dowling et al, 2008, pg25) IHRM is a relatively recent addition to the field of human resources, developed mainly because of the rapid pace at which businesses are getting internationalized as a result of globalization (Scullion, 2001). Even though IHRM’s operations are based on the same four parameters of domestic HRM mentioned above, it is much more complex as it deals with sensitive cross-cultural issues and calls for proper education of the local behaviour in terms of culture, values, business practices, and employment laws of the host country of a subsidiary of an MNC (Torbiorn, 1997). Hence IHRM can be defined as, â€Å"the HRM issues and problems arising from the internationalization of business, and the HRM strategies, policies and practices which firms pursue in response to the internationalization of business† (Scullion, 1995 cited in Scullion and Linehan, 2005, pg4). The four parameters of HRM are then extended into three main issues for IHRM, namely, the management and development of expatriates; the internationalisation of management throughout the organisation; and, creating a new corporate culture that would reflect on internationalising the whole organisation, by focusing on increasing the international experience of staff, to be able to effectively counter the frequency of cross-cultural interactions as a result of investing abroad (Hendry, 1994). As a result, IHRM covers a much wider spectrum of worldwide management of people (Dowling et al, 1999, 2008), and is concerned with how MNC’s manage their ‘geographically dispersed’ workforce by being able to dispose their resources to obtain and maintain ‘local’ and ‘global’ competitive advantage (Schuler et al, 2002, single quotes mine).

Long-Term Investmet Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Long-Term Investmet Strategy - Essay Example A normal life insurance policy functions as a financial coverage for a person and his/her family in case of the person’s demise. Apart from that, a person can also enjoy a number of other returns, which the person would get after the contract matures. These profits are paid in a structured settlement or slabs (Oviatt 19). Life insurance is an agreement between both an insurer and an insured (insurance contract holder), where the insurer guarantees to pay a selected receiver a sum of cash (the "benefits") upon the passing away of the insured individual. Relying on the contract, other proceedings such as critical illness or terminal illness might also prompt payment. The contract holder normally pays a premium, either as a lump sum or regularly. Other expenses or costs, for instance funeral expenses, are also, at times, incorporated in the benefits. I raised a family, which always works hard to achieve their goals. This is because I also work hard in life to achieve my goals. Af ter retirement, the main thing I want to do is reward my children plus my wife for the hard work we have put to erect our family. Knowing that I will be retiring at the age of 60, and my two sons and one daughter all have well paying jobs plus my wife takes pride in taking care of her flower farm, the only thing I can think about is life insurance as a long term investment strategy for my people. I feel that if I will still be alive after my retirement days, then that money will help raise my family appropriately, but if I will be gone, then my wife or children will use that money constructively. I prefer life insurance since I can have a chance to grow that money without using it for a long time. The benefit to the policy holder is "peace of mind", bearing in mind that the death of the insured individual will not end in financial suffering for lenders and loved ones. It is feasible for life insurance contract payouts to be made so as to aid in supplementing retirement benefits. Nev ertheless, it should be vigilantly considered all through the funding and design of the policy itself. Life policy is an official contract of the terms, as well as the conditions of a contract, explaining the limitations and restrictions of the insured party. Detailed exclusions are frequently written into the policy to restrict the legal responsibility of the insurer (Oviatt 25). They normally have common examples, which are claims associated with fraud, suicide, war, civil commotion and riot. Life insurance has various types of bonuses. The main two, however, include reversionary bonus and terminal bonus. A reversionary (yearly) bonus is rewarded at the end of every year. The yearly bonus might comprise of two parts. The assured bonus is a sum usually expressed as a fiscal sum per ?1,000 sum assured (Oviatt 25). It is determined at the beginning of the contract and normally cannot be changed. The rest of the yearly bonus will rely on the investment return attained by the money sub ject to smoothing. The terminal bonus, on the other hand, is paid at the maturity of the policy or, at times, at the surrender of the contract. It is, at times, referred to as the concluding bonus. The terminal bonus stands for the insured’s entitlement to an amount of the fund, which has been held back for the aim of smoothing. In various

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example In order to delve further, it is important to establish IHRM and its functions in today’s multi-national companies (MNCs). â€Å"...the International Organisation will be called on to operate across a wide variety of competitive environments and yet somehow balance these diverse social, political and economic contexts with the requirements of the original home context.† (Dowling et al, 2008, pg25) IHRM is a relatively recent addition to the field of human resources, developed mainly because of the rapid pace at which businesses are getting internationalized as a result of globalization (Scullion, 2001). Even though IHRM’s operations are based on the same four parameters of domestic HRM mentioned above, it is much more complex as it deals with sensitive cross-cultural issues and calls for proper education of the local behaviour in terms of culture, values, business practices, and employment laws of the host country of a subsidiary of an MNC (Torbiorn, 1997). Hence IHRM can be defined as, â€Å"the HRM issues and problems arising from the internationalization of business, and the HRM strategies, policies and practices which firms pursue in response to the internationalization of business† (Scullion, 1995 cited in Scullion and Linehan, 2005, pg4). The four parameters of HRM are then extended into three main issues for IHRM, namely, the management and development of expatriates; the internationalisation of management throughout the organisation; and, creating a new corporate culture that would reflect on internationalising the whole organisation, by focusing on increasing the international experience of staff, to be able to effectively counter the frequency of cross-cultural interactions as a result of investing abroad (Hendry, 1994). As a result, IHRM covers a much wider spectrum of worldwide management of people (Dowling et al, 1999, 2008), and is concerned with how MNC’s manage their ‘geographically dispersed’ workforce by being able to dispose their resources to obtain and maintain ‘local’ and ‘global’ competitive advantage (Schuler et al, 2002, single quotes mine).

Reform on The English Libel Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reform on The English Libel Law - Essay Example However, does the Defamation Bill reflect these concerns? This essay seeks to critique the current Defamation Bill (As Amended on Report, ordered to be printed on 5 February 2013) particularly focusing on Clauses 4, 5 and 6 thereof. The said Clauses provide for some of the defences to an action for defamation. Clause 4 Clause 4 refers to the truthfulness of the imputation which if shown by the defendant to be substantially true, then it may be a defence in an action for imputation (Defamation Bill, Clause 4). Additionally, where there are two or more distinct imputations, the defence of truth will not be diminished if the imputations which appear to be substantially true, those not shown to be substantially true do not significantly injure the claimant’s reputation (Defamation Bill, Clause 4). This clause seeks to substitute the previous common law defence of justification (Shaw & Chamberlain, 2011, p. 49). The defendant must show that the imputation made is ‘substantial ly true’, a stand of the common law (Chase v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2002] EWCA Civ 1772). Although there is no definition on what is â€Å"substantially true,† still, there is no ambiguity as to the meaning of truth (Mullis & Scott, 2011, p. 12, citing the Oxford English Dictionary). ... 12). Although it should be the claimant that should have the burden of proof to demonstrate the falsity of an imputation since the former is in a better position to demonstrate such, this is not always true as the facts would wholly rely on the kind of imputation made (Mullis & Scott, 2011, p. 12). The terms â€Å"substantially true† and â€Å"serious harm† on claimant’s reputation, were not defined in the bill and opens a wide interpretation as to its meaning (Mullis & Scott, 2011). Litigation may likely occur especially on the demarcation between those considered as substantially true and which are not, or those considered as a significant injury to a claiman t’s repute (Young, 2011). Further, although the truth may be known, it may nevertheless be difficult to establish (Flood v Times, [2009] EWHC 2375 (QB)), (Young, 2011). There is no criterion to lessen the probability of increasing false information especially as to those which may occur after publication (Young, 2011). It would be hard to comply with the required responsible journalism especially where the imputation was false, but was nevertheless supported by sufficient evidence that the statement was true at the time when such a statement was published by the responsible publisher (Young, 2011). Clause 5 This is the defence of â€Å"Honest Opinion† and sets forth the conditions that it must be a statement of opinion; such opinion is of public interest; the â€Å"honest person could have held the opinion† based on â€Å"a) a fact which existed when the statement complained of was published; and (b)  a privileged statement published before the statement comp lained of† (Shaw & Chamberlain, 2011, p. 49, citing the Defamation Bill).

APA citation and zotero Essay Example for Free

APA citation and zotero Essay 1. A general â€Å"res earch s hows† type of statement that is supported by at least three different sources (e.g., three research articles) Zotero is an extension of Firefox web browser that enables users to save on books, article and other materials on which one is able to retrieve their citations (Morton, 2011; Vanhecke, 2008; Lewis, 2008)               2. A paraphrased sentence citing a single source with three to six authors Zotero retrieve and imports citation information from a number of sources such as newspaper, and commercial Web sites, and Web-based databases such as PubMed (Trinoskey, Brahmi, Gall, 2009, p. 225).                3. A subsequent sentence citing the same source as in Step 2 that correctly uses et al Air pollution is low in developed countries comapared to industrialised countries where it is high as evidenced by particular locations in Canada (Hystad et al, 2011, p. 1128).                4. A short quoted passage that is cited correctly. Make sure to include the page number and place the punctuation correctly He argues that, â€Å"Zotero’s note-taking feature is very practical. Users can enter small notes on a particular reference by simply typing in an input field. These notes are saved automatically and organized in conjunction with the citation information,† (Vanhecke, 2008, p. 275).                  5. A second quoted passage that is 40 words long or longer, which is formatted correctly as a block quote and cited correctly with the page number and punctuation placed correctly He explains how Zotero note taking works: Zotero’s note-taking feature is very practical. Users can enter small notes on a particular reference by simply typing in an input field. In addition, Zotero is integrated with Microsoft Word and other word processors and works in all computers formats (PC, Mac, and Linux). Features such as formatted citation export make it very simple for users to create a list of references in the perfect format desired for a manuscript or other use. Users can create a reference list by dragging and dropping citations, (Vanhecke, 2008 p. 275) References Hystad, P., Setton, E., Cervantes, A., Poplawski, K., Deschenes, S., Brauer, M., Demers, P. (2011). Creating National Air Pollution Models for Population Exposure Assessment in Canada. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119(8), 1128 Lewis, L. A. (2008). From the Front Lines: An Academic Librarian Reports on the Impact of APAs New Electronic References Guidelines. Reference User Services Quarterly, 48(2), 128-131. Morton, A. (2011). Digital Tools: Zotero and Omeka. Journal Of American History, 98(3), 952 Trinoskey, J., Brahmi, F. A., Gall, C. (2009). Zotero: A Product Review. Journal Of Electronic Resources In Medical Libraries, 6(3), 225. Vanhecke, T. E. (2008). Zotero. Journal Of The Medical Library Association, 96(3), 275 Source document

Definition And Characteristics Of Cluster Computing

Definition And Characteristics Of Cluster Computing The evolution of networks and especially the Internet is that nowadays, they need more resources to process data more quickly. Given that the use of a machine could not meet these requirements, it appeared that the act of distributing the spots over several machines to run simultaneously would remedy this problem. In what follows, we describe the different characteristics of a cluster and its various categories. Then we will look networks (architecture, topologies, components ,). Then finally we will discuss how communications are in clusters. 2 Definition and characteristics of a cluster Were talking about clustering, server cluster or farm Computing Technologies for designer consolidate multiple independent computers (called nodes) to enable management comprehensive and go beyond the limitations of a computer to: Increase availability Facilitating the scalability Enable load balancing Facilitate management of resources (CPU, RAM, hard disks, network bandwidth). Clusters of servers are an inexpensive method, residing in the establishment of multiple computers apparatre network that will be a single computer with more capabilities (more powerful, etc..), they are widely used for parallel computing. This maximizes use of resources enables the distribution of different treatments on nodes. A major advantage of a cluster is he no longer need to buy expensive multiprocessor servers but it is now possible to settle for smaller systems that can connect to the following one to other according to changing needs. There are different types of cluster: Extended distance cluster: This is a cluster with nodes located in different data centers separated by distance. Extended distance clusters are connected through a cable which guarantees high-speed network access between nodes until all the guidelines for the fault tolerant architecture are followed. The maximum distance between nodes in a cluster distance scope is defined by the limits of technology and data replication limits networking. Metropolitan Cluster: This cluster geographically distributed within the confines of a metropolitan area requiring authorization for filing of cabling and network components for data replication redundant. Continental Cluster: This is a group of clusters that use networks of roads and service networks public data replication and cluster communication to support failover package between different clusters in different data centers. Continental clusters are often located in different cities or countries and may extend over hundreds or thousands of kilometer. 3 General architecture of a cluster A cluster is essentialy composed by more than one machine (PC, server ), operating system, interconexion technologies, parallel programming environment, middleware and application- cation. Fig 1 : General architecture of a cluster 4 Differents classes of Cluster 4.1 High availibility cluster 4.1.1 Architecture Fig 2 : Architecture of a hight availibility cluster 4.1.2 Definition High availability clusters are used to protect one or more sensitive applications. To do this, the application and all the resources necessary for it will be controlled permanently. For powerful protection application, include this protection in the hardware, the network and operating system. Generally, several products are used to protect multiple applications on a same node but there are solutions that can protect as many applications as you want. With these solutions, we are not obliged to raise all applications and can be made case by case basis. If the cluster software reconnat failure then, initially, it will try to restart the X resource both locally on the same node. Then, if this resource does not restart, the software will start the application switch to another node. In any case, the customer will notice that the application is located on another node in the cluster and their access APPLICATION as before. The typical high availability clusters contain only a few nodes but can use clusters involving 32 or 64 knots. If a cluster contains more than two nodes, so we can define different switching planes. This can be useful to decrease the reduction of performance after a seesaw. 4.2 High Performance cluster 4.2.1 Architecture Fig 3 : Architecture of a hight performance cluster 4.2.2 Definition The main function of a high performance cluster (also called High Performance Technical Clustering HPC) is to increase the power of a PC. To perform this, it is necessary to cut the stain that has been carried out into sub-tasks. The result is the total sub-tasks. The Management Unit to coordinate all the sub tasks and the node that receives the result are the only critical points (single point of failure). These components can be protected via a high availability cluster. The crash of one of the nodes is not a disaster because the work of this node can be done by another. The performance of the cluster but it will weaken the cluster always work. 4.3 Load balancing cluster Architecture Fig 4 : Architecture of a load balancing cluster Definition A Cluster is a load balancing server farm with the same function. A splitter is required to distribute the requests of users each node, it verifies that each node has the same workload. The application will be sent to the node that has the fastest time in response to it. This algorithm can provide better performance at anytime. The performance of the cluster depend on the dispatcher. It will choose the node that has the opportunity to address the application of the user as quickly as possible. Without any protection the cluster load balancing can be a SPOF (single point of failure). Best is to add redundancy to this cluster. If one node is no longer in working condition, the cluster will work as same. The dispatcher will identify the dead node and does include more in its calculations, the overall performance of the cluster then it will decrease. The web-server farms (Google. ..) represent an example of cluster load balancing. 5 Inteconnexion technologies Today, improved network technologies help achieve more efficient cluster. These must integrate the speed interconnect technologies to support the wide bandwidth and low latency communication between nodes in the cluster. Because these two indicators measure the performance of interconnects. The selection of a technology cluster interconnect network depends several factors, such as compatibility with the hardware in the cluster, the operating system, price and performance. In what follows, we will detail some of the most used technologies. 5.1 Myrinet Myrinet (ANSI / VITA 26-1998) is a high-speed network protocol designed by Myricom to be used as system interconnect multiple machines forming a cluster. Myrinet causes much less overhead network on its own communication protocol that most used protocols such as Ethernet, and then offers a higher bandwidth, less interference and less latency when using the system processor. Although it can be used as a traditional network protocol, Myrinet is often used by programs that know how to use it directly, negating the need for system calls. Physically, Myrinet uses two fiber optic cables, one for sending data and one for reception, each connected to a machine via a single connector. The machines in question are connected to each other through routers and switches with low latency (the machines are not directly connected to each other). Myrinet also offers some features that improve tolerance to errors, mostly managed by the switches. These features include flow control, error control and st atus monitoring of each physical connection. The fourth and final version of Myrinet, also named Myri-10G supports a throughput of 10 Gbps and is interoperable in terms of physics with 10 Gbps Ethernet standard (cables, connectors, distance, type of signal). 5.2 Infiniband It is a computer bus has high-speed. It is intended to both internal and external communications. It is the result of the merger of two competing technologies, Future I / O, developed by Compaq, IBM, and Hewlett-Packard, with Next Generation I / O (ngio), developed by Intel, Microsoft, and Sun Microsystems. InfiniBand uses a bi-directional bus with low cost, and enjoying a low latency. But he will remain very rapid, as it provides a throughput of 10 Gbps in each direction. InfiniBand uses a technology that allows multiple devices to simultaneously access the network. Data are transmitted as packets, which together form messages. The InfiniBand is now widely used in the world of HPC (High Performance Computing) as a PCI-X or PCI-Express APPOINTED HCA (Host Channel Adapter) operating at 10 Gbit / s (SDR, Single Data Rate), 20 Gbps (DDR, Double Data Rate) or 40 Gbit / s (QDR Quad Data Rate). It also requires specialized network using switches (or switches) and InfiniBand copper cables o r type CX4 Fiber for long distances (using an adapter to Fiber CX4). The protocol allows the use of InfiniBand these cards natively by making use of the protocol VERBS or software overlays: IPoIB (IP over InfiniBand) that presents an Ethernet layer on top of Infiniband and thus the possibility to configure an IP over InfiniBand ports. SDP (Sockets Direct Protocol), which presents a socket layer over InfiniBand. SRP (SCSI RDMA Protocol) which allows frames to encapsulate SCSI over InfiniBand. Some manufacturers offer windows InfiniBand attached storage rather than Fibre Channel. These overlays offer lower performance in the native protocol, but are easier to use because they not require the redevelopment of applications to use the InfiniBand network. In the world of HPC libraries MPI (Message Passing Interface) generally use the native layer to deliver directly VERBS best possible performance. Gigabit Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) is a term used to describe a variety of technologies used to implement the Ethernet standard has a data transfer rate of one gigabit per second (or 1000 megabits per second). These technologies are based on twisted pair copper cable or fiber optics. They are defined by the IEEE 802.3z and 802.3ab. Unlike other Ethernet technologies, Gigabit Ethernet provides flow control. The networks on which they are located will be more reliable. They are equipped with FDR, or Full-Duplex Repeaters that allow multiplex lines, using buffers and localized flow control to improve performance. Most of its switches are constructed as new modules for different models of compatible Gigabit switches already exist. 5.4 SCI (Scalable Coherent Interface) SCI Scalable Coherent Interface, IEEE Standard 1596-1992 is a providing a shared memory system has low latency across a cluster. SCI can use a memory extending to the set of the cluster, thus ridding the programmer to manage this complex. This can be seen as a kind of BUS INPUT / Output processor-memory via a LAN. The facilities of programming it offers and the fact that SCI is an IEEE standard has made it a fairly popular choice for the interconnection of machines in a high performance cluster. 6 Comparison of Interconnect technologies This comparison includes the main criteria for judging the performance of a cluster and by needs and resources of each organization technologies will vary. Gigabit Ethernet Infiniband Myrinet SCI Bandwidth 850 230 Latency (Â µs) 10 01/02/10 Max nods 1000 > 1000 1000 1000 Table 1 : Comparison of Interconnects technologies 7 Performing test A group of authors Pourreza, Eskicioglu and Graham led the ratings performance of a number of technologies we have presented above. The parameter they have taken into account is the timing of the execution of the same applications on cluster nodes identical. They tested a number of standard algorithms namely NAS Parallel Benchmark and the Pallas Benchmark and some applications of parallel computing the real world on the first and second generation Myrinet, SCI, but also on FastEthernet (100Mbps) and Gigabit Ethernet (1000Mbps). The results obtained are presented below. These tests were performed on a cluster has eight nodes under RedHat 9.0 with kernel 3.2.2 and gcc 2.4.18smp. Each node has: A dual Pentium III; a 550 MHz processor with 512 MB of SDRAM memory shared; local disks (all activities of entry-exit in the experiments are performed on local disks to eliminate the effects of access to NFS). Each node also has the first and second generations of Myrinet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet network interface card and point-to-point SCI (Dolphin WulfKit). All interfaces of network cards are connected to dedicated switches except those of SCI which are connected to a mesh configuration (24). 7.1 Bandwidth Fig 6 : Bandwith of four interconnects H. Pourreza,Graham,Eskicioglu Latency Fig 7 : Latency of four interconnects H. Pourreza,Graham,Eskicioglu The basic performance of different interconnect technologies in terms of bandwidth and latency are presented respectively in Figures 1 and 2. This indicates that Fast Ethernet is significantly lower than all the others, and Gigabit Ethernet is visibly lower than SCI and Myrinet shows that despite a bandwidth substantially similar. From these results, it is clear that Fast Ethernet is probably only suitable for applications related to the calculation. Conclusion The competitive nature of business and progress of research fields have created a need for computer systems scalable, flexible and reliable. Advanced applications now require a large computing power. Clusters provide a solution to his problems. Clusters represent a promising future for this new concept provides scalability in the world of data processing. Thanks to the different technologies we use to implement them, there are networks that are becoming performants. Because these new technologies can have high bandwidth and low latency. Performance tests carried out have demonstrated that some technologies were more efficient than others. When setting up the cluster, it should choose an architecture and an appropriate network topology to avoid excessively reducing network performance. The use of cluster is less expensive than buying a supercomputer, since it uses the resources of several machines on which the spots are distributed and most of the clusters using the Linux operating system which is a powerful system around because of its flexibility, workability and low cost. Sources : The essence of Distributed Systems : Joel M. Crichlow Parallel Computing , Theory and Comparisons : G. Jack Lipovski, Miroslaw Malek Parallel Computers : Hockney Jesshope Parallel and Distributed Computation, Numerical Methods :Dimitri P. Bertsekas, John N.Tsitsilklis. Practical Parallel Processing, An introduction to problem solvin in Parallel : Alan Chalmers and Jonathan Tidmus.

The Spread of Disease In the New World :: American America History

The Spread of Disease In the New World The extraordinary good health of the natives prior to the coming of the Europeans would become a key ingredient in their disastrous undoing. The greatest cause of disease in America was epidemic diseases imported from Europe. Epidemic diseases killed with added virulence in the " virgin soil" populations of the Americas. The great plague that arose in the Old World never emerged on their own among the western hemisphere and did not spread across oceans until Columbus' discovery. Disease and parasitism play a pervasive role in all life. Many of these diseases start with microparasites, which are characterized by their ability to reproduce directly within an individual host. They are also characterized by their small size, short duration of infection, and the production of an immune response in infected and recovered individuals. Microparasites which damage hosts in the course of their association are recognized as pathogens. The level of the interaction and the extent of the resultant damage depends on both the virulence of the pathogen, as well as the host defenses. If the pathogen can overcome the host defenses, the host will be damaged and may not survive. If on the other hand the host defenses overcome the pathogen, the microparasite may fail to establish itself within the host and die. The main objectives of the pathogen are to gain entry inside the host, once inside grow and reproduce, and avoid host defenses. There are three possible routes of infection: respiratory, alimentary, and traumatic. The respiratory route is the easiest and most direct means of entry. Under crowded conditions, the rate of infection is even more rapid. The diseases brought over to America were mainly spread by the respiratory method. The alimentary pathway of infection is through the ingestion of contaminated food and water. Throughout Europe during the 15th century, food and water were contaminated with fecal matter and by unsanitary habits ( i.e. the lack of bathing). The traumatic route of infection is through insect and animal bites. The objective of the host is to "escape" from the pathogen. This can be done through the use of the immune system or by quickly dying. When a host dies with the pathogen still inside the pathogen dies as well. Resistance to invaders evolved as a result of the development of the mechanism of immunity. The development of immunity depends on the recognition of differences in chemical structures of substances.

“Oh the places you’ll go” Dr Seuss and The Road Not Taken Robert Frost Essay

Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away.† These opening lines mark the commencement of the imaginative journey through the world created by Dr. Seuss in his picture book, â€Å"†Oh the Places You’ll go!† ,an allegory of Life and its possibilities. Robert Frost also explores the same concept in his poem The Road not Taken. It is clear from both texts a journey of the imagination influences and shapes one’s perspective of the world and often results in transformation. â€Å"Oh the Places you’ll Go† motivates personal growth through gaining an understanding of the complexities of life, inspiring optimism and perseverance. The Road Not Taken however emphasizes the significance of decisions one makes in their life and how such decisions are the catalysts to the person they become. In the characteristic style of Dr. Seuss, ‘oh the places you’ll go’; is written in rhyme with a light tone. The language is simple, utilizing many metaphors, both visually and written. The imaginative journey alludes to all aspects of life; the positives through grinning purple elephants while the negatives are personified into â€Å"Hakken Kraks†. The author rejoices in everyone’s potential to fulfill their dreams: â€Å"You’ll be on your way up! / You’ll be seeing great sights!† While at the same time, he is realistic about the pitfalls of life: â€Å"grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place† This distinctive style with the balance of absurdity and the relative indifference to the philosophical message being unveiled is what heightens the books appeal to a wide audience. Hence the imaginative journey is not subject to age constraints and as a result, both young and old are able to experience growth or a change in their perspectives. â€Å"Oh The Places You’ll Go† has no distinct characters, except for the direct address ‘you’, supported by a young figure, the indicative of ‘you’ who visually carries out the imaginative journey, over colorful checkerboard landscapes, through mazelike streets. A direct personal link is established and the responder is able to literally perceive the imaginative journey. The Road Not Taken also achieves a personal connection through its style of first person, creating intimacy and the imagery of the road. From this we see the imaginative journey assists the reader in becoming personally involved with the text, the reader is able to engage with the story and hence draw insights and a greater understanding of the issues. Despite â€Å"Oh The Places you’ll Go† portraying both the positive and negative aspects of life, the imaginative journey ends with a return to reality and the optimistic message, ‘And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed!’ Although labeled with the warning â€Å"to be dexterous and deft. And NEVER mix up your right foot with your left.† In contrast to the enthusiastic tone of Dr. Seuss, â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, is contemplative and its message more cautious, to think hard about any forks in the road, for it could â€Å"make all the difference.† He suggests that perhaps journeys have no ending as â€Å"way leads on to way,† one choice is followed by another and it is simply impossible to recreate the past. Hence we can see how one can change as a result of an imaginative journey, even if there is not a destination.

Mgt 311 Learning Team Reflection Week 4

Organizational Development Team D Learning Team Reflection December 3, 2012 This week we learned about the influence of how organizational structure is on behavior. Also we learned how to analyze and influence an organizational culture on behavior. Then there is how power and politics influence people’s behavior. We talked about mechanistic structure and organic structure. When talking about mechanistic structure, the employees know how to present themselves, why there is no room for them to mess up. (Robbins & Judge, 2011).When people are at work they have to act one way compared to the way they act at home. If the business does not put into place a strong organizational culture, then there could be a lot of unethical behavior in the place of business. This would show the people that work at the place of business and the customers that there is a low organizational structure. All work places of some kind of influence of power and politics. Without the right kind of power and politics in the place of business this could cause discord for people that work in the business.If this kind of behavior is not watched it could cause other people in the business to feel left out or not appreciated in the right way. In week four we took a look at power and leadership, here we contrasted the two. Power is the influence someone has over another person and leadership uses power to attain goals. It is important that one does not have to be a leader to have power. Many people have the power to coerce others without having the leadership role. We could relate to formal power and compare it to the workplace. We use the different formal powers; coercive, reward, and legitimate powers every day.When our employees fail to comply with company goals they can get written up which could result in termination. We also use rewards for employees who exceed goals. Exhibit 13-2 in chapter 13 was very humorous; it gave political labels and compared it to effective management. For exam ple, the political label ‘passing the buck' is known as ‘delegating authority' for effective management. The things we learned that made us think more was about virtual organizations. Some of us did not know what the full term meant and now we can say that the company one of us works for is one of the utsourcing companies from a virtual organization. Some of the leading companies have the profit that they do because of the flexibility and low overhead. Organizational behavior is here for the people to have a better understanding of the people they work with. The more that we know our surroundings and the people that work in the place we are able to know how to influence the individual or group. This will help each person to feel a part of the team and in return the business will run better because the people working there will not mind doing the work.

Dicussion questions Essay

How do organizational functions affect organizational structures? How do your organization’s functions affect its organizational structure? How do organizational structures affect organizational functions? How does your organization’s structure affect its organizational functions? An organization is defined as a social unit of people that is structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective goals. The function of an organization directly relates to its structure. To succeed as an organization, all the functional areas must work together. There are different levels of structures: Vertical and Horizontal. Vertical organizational structures means a strict top down or bottom up structure (chain of command is important); horizontal, flat or closer to flat organizational structure (no leaders). While the organization I work for does not participate in any sort of sales, we do protect America through research and being knowledgeable in different aspects of careers. The Air Force follows a vertical organizational structure. There is always a person in charge of someone. To file a complaint, you have to start with the lowest level and work your way up. Organizational structures affect organizational functions depending on the main goal/strategy. The functions and structures of organizations go hand in hand. What are the different types of organizational structures? Which type of structure do you think is the most effective? Why is this structure the most effective? How can organizations determine if they are structured in the most effective and efficient manner? The different types of organizational structures are functional, divisional, and matrix. Functional structure is departmentalization around specialized activities such as production, marketing, and human resources. Divisional structure is departmentalization that groups units around products, customers, or geographic regions. Matrix structure is an organization composed of dual reporting relationships in which some managers’ report to two superiors –a functional manager and a divisional manager. The most effective structure is the matrix structure because it consists of the other functions, both of which would fail without them. Organizations can determine if they are structured in the most effective and efficient manner by analyzing how their business operates. Consider an organization in which you have worked. Draw it’s organization chart, and describe it by using terms from Ch. 8 of the text. Describe your experience with the organization. Did you enjoy working there? Explain your response. The experience I have had with the organization is good. Our organization makes charts for each unit’s supervision. Everyone knows who to contact in case of an emergency or if there is a problem with the chain of command. So far, I have enjoyed working for the military. I appreciate structure and reliability. What evidence have you seen of the imperatives for change, flexibility, and responsiveness faced by today’s firms? By firms becoming learning organizations they can be skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights. Firms should also have a high-involvement organization, which top management ensures that there is consensus about the direction in which the business is heading.

Defend your view of the ethical obligations of advertisers to Essay

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Why is it very important that this world see Jesus as Lord Essay - 1

Why is it very important that this world see Jesus as Lord - Essay Example Here, prophet Isaiah intended to warn the people of Judah against the wrath of God and makes to them a promise that eventually God will comfort his people and will make them strong again. In that context, prophet Isaiah makes many prophesies about Jesus and the coming of the Lord and Savior. It specifically needs to be mentioned here that the word ‘Immanuel’ used by prophet Isaiah to refer to Jesus means â€Å"God is with us† and hence prophet clearly prophesied that not only will Jesus come to Erath, but that Jesus is truly the Lord. Prophet Isaiah goes on to refer to the coming of Jesus as the Lord and savior of the people. Here again prophet Isaiah goes on to prophesy that Jesus is the Lord and Savior. Prophesies about Jesus being Lord is continued on in the New Testament. The Gospels many a time mention Jesus as Lord and declare Jesus to be Lord. These are the word from the Gospel of John, written by John, one of the disciples of Jesus. In this Gospel John writes about the period A.D. 26-30, when Jesus taught and performed miracles. The Gospel of John clearly shows to the people that Jesus is Lord. Believing the scriptural evidence that confirms Jesus as Lord, it is the duty of people to totally surrender to Jesus, as one surrenders before one’s Lord. Going by the fact that Jesus is Lord, it is the duty of the believers to live for Him. For instance, when around 627 B.C., when people of Judah mocked and hated prophet Jeremiah, he prophesied the mercy of God, and the restoration of the people of God, through the coming of Messiah by saying that: â€Å"The days are coming, declares the Lord when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD our Righteousness.† Yet history has stood witness to the fact that time and again people

Cultural Diversity in the Public Sector Research Paper

Cultural Diversity in the Public Sector - Research Paper Example Not that the phrase ‘culture’ was not clarified, but ambiguities and dissimilar opinions began to turn up. It was in the year 1980, when Rappaport defined culture as â€Å"†¦a part of the distinctive means by which a local population maintains itself in an ecosystem and by which a regional population maintains and coordinates its groups and distributes them over the available land.† (233) Now that we have been provided with a verified characterization of culture, the question that still arises is â€Å"What does culture mean to US?† Everybody might have dissimilar responses, but collectively, the norms and traditions of living which have been passed down by our ancestors form our culture. When studying Sociology we can perceive that the term culture holds grand importance when referring to the society and its nature. Hence, the cultural nature of the society can be understood by studying its relation with the individuals who form it. What is ‘cul tural diversity’ or ‘cultural disparity’? Being an aggregate, it would be difficult for any society to grasp the answer, because when a mass of individuals (dependant/ independent) join together there ought to be a discrepancy in the outlook and beliefs, but if we review the previous expression we can discern that it itself is the answer to the former question. Therefore, culture diversity can be characterized as ‘the state of sheer conflict amongst different (sub) cultures of a civilization on the basis of language, customs, beliefs, ideas, norms and values. Cultural disparity is also known as racial or ethnic disparity. The two basic ingredients which shape a society and its components include the government (which wheels the societal set up and management) and the public sector (which practices the system provided by the regime). Hence, when people belonging to various cultural backgrounds begin holding and practicing their very own cultural ideals and b ecome badly informed of the reciprocal correspondence they have with other people, within the society and the organism of government, cultural diversity is at its dawn and it widens. For this reason, Stephen Tierney has also named this dilemma as ‘Multiculturalism’ or ‘Cultural Pluralism’ as he explains that the common factor which the struggles of this problem have is that ‘they reject earlier models of unitary, homogenous nation-state.’ (17) To understand the validity of cultural diversity in the public sector, we better comprehend the relationship between culture and the public sector, foremost. Culture and the public sector share a reciprocal relationship. This give-and-take relationship works with the mechanism that when a cultural reform or change is brought in the society, the rate of acceptance of change increases whereas when a cultural conflict begins to grow the pace of keenness and deliberateness decreases in the society and an unre st is up heaved in all aspects of the society i.e. economic, political, religious and most importantly institutional. â€Å"Culture is the product of learning, rather than of heredity†, says George Peter Murdock (113). Therefore, the problem of cultural diversity depends majorly on the fact how the society adapts to it and how it demands its solution, as this problem is not only developed by the socio cultural conflict but also due to many other un-proportionate reasons. This may or may not include the institutional environment, social stratification, political set up also the intra-cooperation techniques and many other facets to be laid. Cultural diversity leads a society towards havoc and devastation as it causes extreme unrest in the public sector. Following are the effects and their details, of cultural diver

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Film analysis on the movie Pulp Fiction - Essay Example Thus, the movie is merely a cinematic rendition of a shapeless storyline about bad people acting out their roles in a most realistically cruel world. Pulp Fiction presents a story that connects the lives of different people with different evil agenda acting their roles in a society with no values. The film is partly a story of exoneration of evil in an evil society. The movie opens with a scene at the diner, where Pumpkin and Honey Bunny decide to rob the customers and the diner itself. The significance of this scene though can only be known at the end of the film where everything goes back to the diner. At the end, Vincent and Jules get involved in the robbery but when Pumpkin tried to seize the briefcase from him, it resulted in a matter of life and death where all four people were pointing a gun at the next one beside him. Eventually, Jules let go of Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. The characters in the movie are a mixed breed, thus attesting to the senseless pulp fiction quality of the movie. The main characters of the movie include the hired killers Vincent and Jules, upon whom the bulk of the movie is based. Other major characters include Marsellus and Butch, since it was they who both concluded the movie and somehow added some humor to it because of the sodomy scene. Other minor characters include Honey Bunny and Pumpkin, and Brett and his friends. These minor characters, however, added much to the degree of senseless violence in this real pulp fiction. However, although it is pulp fiction, the setting is far from fictitious. It is in fact a setting that is very realistic. As the characters move around the city, they visit a diner, a bar, an apartment, a club, and a pawnshop. These are the major places in an urban area where violence wrought by the characters has transpired. These are the very places, however, where modern-day senseless violence may always take place. Thus, these places are perfect for a

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History 1492-1860 - Research Paper Example The event is significant in history because it shows that the United States was not always a cohesive country. Surprisingly few changes occured after the massacre took place, and not many people were even punished even in the larger conflict. In fact, there is still some controversy over exactly what went on, and exactly who was involved, to this very day. To really understand what happened during the Mountain Meadows Massacre, it is necessary to get a clear view of what was going on otherwise in Utah at the time it occurred The massacre was not just some random act, but one that was caused by many circumstances. It was set within the period of the Utah War, which was an "armed confrontation over power and authority during 1857–58 between the civil-religious leadership of Utah Territory, led by Governor Brigham Young, and the administration of President James Buchanan."1 This conflict itself had been caused by tensions between Mormon and non-Mormon Americans. Non-Mormons thought that the Mormons were heretics, while Mormons felt they were being unfairly criticized because of their correct religious beliefs. These two circumstances led to "a cultural clash between themselves and their neighbors ... and Mormons attempting to defend themselves or strike back before being overwhelmed in a still larger wave of violence."2 Some other reasons for the conflict include incompetence on the behalf of both President Buchanan and Governor Brigham Young, who was also the supreme leader of the Mormon Church. Buchanan "new shockingly little in 1857 about either conditions in Utah or Brigham Youngs likely reaction to his removal as governor" and also made bad choices about who he put in charge of the situation.3 Young, on the other hand, exaggerated things a lot, and his "hostile, violent rhetoric as governor" very quickly created the sort of environment where Mormon settlers who looked to

Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism Essay Example for Free

Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism Essay Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, three of the world’s most dynamic and ancient religions developed in India around the same time. Though each borrowed from, evolved because of, or came into conflict with each other: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism are more than religions, but cross-sections of an entire culture and time period. Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism have many a huge impact on eastern life as we know it. The interactions between humans and environment that these religions have had have been phenomenal. Jainism being the oldest of the three has 12-18 million followers(jaindharmonline.com). Jain migrated from India to other countries beginning with them migrating to Britain and British colonies. In the beginning, a number of â€Å"Gujarati† Jains migrated to coastal towns of East Africa and later moved inland, particularly to Kenya, to open businesses. The Jain community in India represents an affluent and influential minority of the population.Jains now mostly reside in north-east Africa. Buddhism, on the other hand, is the sixth largest religion by population. It has about 367 million followers and is7% of the worlds population(cia.gov). Buddhism spread along land routes of the Silk Road, it underwent profound change. There were great overland trade routes in those days and in later centuries too, that joined China even to the Mediterranean. Along these routes Buddhism spread to northwest India and beyond, along the east-west Silk Route. Hinnduisms origin is much more shrouded though, in terms of its religious development there are now two basic theories that attempt to explain how Hinduism first developed within India, and they both draw on the famous â€Å"ekam sat viprah bahudah vandanti verse† for their effectiveness. One suggests that at some time towards the end of the Indus Valley Civilization a group of nomadic people called the Aryans moved into northern India from the steppes of central Europe or even Asia Minor while the other theory suggests that Hinduism emerged out of India itself(Dasa). The beliefs for these three religions are mostly the same in essence, they were all founded on the beliefs of peace and prosperity. They are also known as â€Å"The Paths of Enlightenment†. Hinduism ,though believed by many to be a polytheistic religion, the basis of Hinduism is the belief in the unity of everything. This totality is called Brahman. The purpose of life is to realize that we are part of God and by doing so we can leave this plane of existence and rejoin with God. This enlightenment can only be achieved by going through cycles of birth, life and death known as samsara. Ones progress towards enlightenment is measured by his karma. This is the accumulation of all ones good and bad deeds and this determines the persons next reincarnation. Jainism has many similarities to Hinduism and Buddhism which developed in the same part of the world. They believe in karma and reincarnation as do Hindus, but they believe that enlightenment and liberation from this cycle can only be achieved through asceticism. In Buddhism, nirvana is freedom from the cycle of rebirth, when a being turns into a state of non-being, or Sunya, looses its identity and becomes nothing. These religions were all derived out of India which used the caste system for their government. The buildings made for these religions were all complex and amazing in nature. Buddhists temples were mostly built in natural environments, such as forests and tops of hills. Hindu temples were built in more urban environments and used red paints for most of their buildings and temples. And Jain temples were also built in more urban places and used beige and gold paints for their buildings and temples. These religions expanded in many different ways, they all originated in India, and started spreading throughout the world. The two that are most know today are Hinduism and Buddhism, Jainism still has about 16 million followers though. Buddhist temples were built along the Silk Road for prayer for the travelers. Hindu kept most of their temples inside of India unlike the Jainist that moved to northern Africa. It spread outside of Magadha starting in the Buddhas lifetime, and with the reign of the Buddhist Mauryan Emperor Asoka, spread across Nepal straight down to China and all the way to Japan and became one of the dominant religions in these parts of Asia(Chung).Hinduism is a religion] of the Indian subcontinent of India, with 80.5% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus. The vast majority of Hindus in India belong to Vaishnavite and Shaivite denominations(Thompson Patts) As part of the reaction against Hinduism during its early years, Buddhism rejected the caste system and other forms of social stratification and instead set up an essentially egalitarian society. There are only two religiously important social groups: the monks, who have dedicated their lives to full time pursuit of religious goals, and everyone else. The monks, as a group, are called the sangha(uwacadweb.uwyo.edu). When the Aryans moved into northwest India, they imposed a caste system to organize the new society created by their arrival. The Hindus then put together a hierarchy of four varnas, which later was expanded to include a fifth category. The caste system, which the Hindus followed, initially served to maintain rigid social boundaries between the invaders and the previous inhabitants. By 80 A. D. the Jains were divided into two sects. The Svetambara or white clad live mainly in northern India today(Sprunger). They are more liberal in their interpretation of Mahavirals teaching regarding nudity and allow their monks to wear a white garment. Women are also allowed in their religion and monasteries accepting the possibility that they may find salvation(Sprunger).

Mathematics In The Game Of Chess Maths Essay

Mathematics In The Game Of Chess Maths Essay INTRODUCTION: Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64  squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. Each player begins the game with sixteen pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The object of the game is to checkmate the opponents king, whereby the king is under immediate attack (in check) and there is no way to remove or defend it from attack on the next move. The games present form emerged in Europe during the second half of the 15th century, an evolution of an older Indian game, Shatranj. Theoreticians have developed extensive chess strategies and tactics since the games inception. Computers have been used for many years to create chess-playing programs, and their abilities and insights have contributed significantly to modern chess theory. One, Deep Blue, was the first machine to beat a reigning World Chess Champion when it defeated Garry Kasparov in 1997. Matches between individuals took place as early as the 9th century. The tradition of organized competitive chess started during the 16th century. The first official World Chess Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, claimed his title in 1886; the current World Champion is Viswanathan Anand from India. In addition to the World Championship, there is also the WomenHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Womens_World_Chess_ChampionshipHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Womens_World_Chess_Championships World Championship, the Junior World Championship, the World Senior Championship, the Correspondence Chess World Championship, the World Computer Chess Championship, and Blitz and Rapid World Championships (see fast chess). The Chess Olympiad is a popular competition among teams from different nations. Online chess has opened amateur and professional competition to a wide and varied group of players. Chess is a recognized sport of the International Olympic Committee and international chess competi tion is sanctioned by the FIDE. Today, chess is one of the worlds most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments. Some other popular forms of chess are fast chess and computer chess. There are also many chess variants which have different rules, different pieces, different boards, etc. History Iranian chess set, glazed fritware, 12th century. New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Knights Templar playing chess, Libro de los juegos, 1283. Chess is commonly believed to have originated in North-West India during the Gupta empire, where its early form in the 6th century was known as caturaà ¡Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ga (Sanskrit: four divisions [of the military] infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariotry, represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively). The earliest evidence of Chess is found in the neighboring Sassanid Persia around 600 where the game came to be known under the name chatrang. Chatrang is evoked inside three epic romances written in Pahlavi (Medium Persian). Chatrang was taken up by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia (633-644) where it was then named shatranj, with the pieces largely retaining their Persian names. In Spanish shatranj was rendered as ajedrez, in Portuguese as xadrez, and in Greek as zatrikion (which directly comes from Persian chatrang), but in the rest of Europe it was replaced by versions of the Persian shÄ h (king ), which was familiar as an exclamation and became the English words check and chess. Murray theorized that this change happened from Muslim traders coming to European seaports with ornamental chess kings as curios before they brought the game of chess. The game reached Western Europe and Russia by at least three routes, the earliest being in the 9th century. By the year 1000 it had spread throughout Europe. Introduced into the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors in the 10th century, it was described in a famous 13th-century manuscript covering shatranj, backgammon, and dice named the Libro de los juegos. Another theory contends that chess arose from the game xiangqi (Chinese Chess) or one of its predecessors, although this has been contested. ___________________________________________________ Mathematics In The Game Of Chess Legend has it that the game was invented by a mathematician in India who elicited a huge reward for its creation. The King of India was so impressed with the game that he asked the mathematician to name a prize as reward. Not wishing to appear greedy, the mathematician asked for one grain of rice to be placed on the first square of the chess board, two grains on the second, four on the third and so on. The number of grains of rice should be doubled each time. The King thought that hed got away lightly, but little did he realise the power of doubling to make things big very quickly. By the sixteenth square there was already a kilo of rice on the chess board. By the twentieth square his servant needed to bring in a wheelbarrow of rice. He never reached the 64th and last square on the board. By that point the rice on the board would have totalled a staggering 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 grains. Playing chess has strong resonances with doing mathematics. There are simple rules for the way each chess piece moves but beyond these basic constraints, the pieces can roam freely across the board. Mathematics also proceeds by taking self-evident truths (called axioms) about properties of numbers and geometry and then by applying basic rules of logic you proceed to move mathematics from its starting point to deduce new statements about numbers and geometry. For example, using the moves allowed by mathematics the 18th-century mathematician Lagrange reached an endgame that showed that every number can be written as the sum of four square numbers, a far from obvious fact. For example, 310 = 172 +42 + 22 + 12. Some mathematicians have turned their analytic skills on the game of chess itself. A classic problem called the Knights Tour asks whether it is possible to use a knight to jump around the chess board visiting each square once only. The first examples were documented in a 9th-century Arabic manuscript. It is only within the past decade that mathematical techniques have been developed to count exactly how many such tours are possible. It isnt just mathematicians and chess players who have been fascinated by the Knights Tour. The highly styled Sanskrit poem Kavyalankara presents the Knights Tour in verse form. And in the 20th century, the French author Georges Perecs novel Life: A Users Manual describes an apartment with 100 rooms arranged in a 1010 grid. In the novel the order that the author visits the rooms is determined by a Knights Tour on a 1010 chessboard. Mathematicians have also analysed just how many games of chess are possible. If you were to line up chessboards side by side, the number of them you would need to reach from one side of the observable universe to the other would require only 28 digits. Yet Claude Shannon, the mathematician credited as the father of the digital age, estimated that the number of unique games you could play was of the order of 10120 (a 1 followed by 120 0s). Its this level of complexity that makes chess such an attractive game and ensures that at the Olympiad in Russia in 2010, local spectators will witness games of chess never before seen by the human eye, even if the winning team turns out to have familiar names. ________________________________________________________ Rules The official rules of chess are maintained by the World Chess Federation. Along with information on official chess tournaments, the rules are described in the FIDE Handbook, section Laws of Chess.[2] Setup Pieces at the start of a game A b C d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 A b C D e f g h Initial position: first row: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, and rook; second row: pawns Chess is played on a square board of eight rows (called ranks and denoted with numbers 1 to 8) and eight columns (called files and denoted with letters a to h) of squares. The colors of the sixty-four squares alternate and are referred to as light squares and dark squares. The chessboard is placed with a light square at the right hand end of the rank nearest to each player, and the pieces are set out as shown in the diagram, with each queen on its own color. The pieces are divided, by convention, into white and black sets. The players are referred to as White and Black, and each begins the game with sixteen pieces of the specified color. These consist of one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. ___________________________________________________________________________ Movement White always moves first. After the initial move, the players alternately move one piece at a time (with the exception of castling, when two pieces are moved). Pieces are moved to either an unoccupied square, or one occupied by an opponents piece, capturing it and removing it from play. With the sole exception of en passant, all pieces capture opponents pieces by moving to the square that the opponents piece occupies. A player may not make any move which would put or leave his king under attack. If the player to move has no legal moves, the game is over; it is either a checkmate-if the king is under attack-or a stalemate-if the king is not. Each chess piece has its own style of moving. In the diagrams, the dots mark the squares where the piece can move if no other pieces (including ones own piece) are on the squares between the pieces initial position and its destination. The king moves one square in any direction, the king has also a special move which is called castling and also involves a rook. The rook can move any number of squares along any rank or file, but may not leap over other pieces. Along with the king, the rook is also involved during the kings castling move. The bishop can move any number of squares diagonally, but may not leap over other pieces. The queen combines the power of the rook and bishop and can move any number of squares along rank, file, or diagonal, but it may not leap over other pieces. The knight moves to any of the closest squares which are not on the same rank, file or diagonal, thus the move forms an L-shape two squares long and one square wide. The knight is the only piece which can leap over other pieces. The pawn may move forward to the unoccupied square immediately in front of it on the same file, or on its first move it may advance two squares along the same file provided both squares are unoccupied, or it may move to a square occupied by an opponents piece, which is diagonally in front of it on an adjacent file, capturing that piece. The pawn has two special moves, the en passant capture, and pawn promotion. Moves of a king a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h Moves of a rook a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h Moves of a bishop a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h Moves of a queen a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h Moves of a knight a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h Moves of a pawn a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c D e f g h * Pawns can optionally move two squares forward instead of one on their first move only. They capture diagonally (black xs); they cannot capture with their normal move (black circles). Pawns are also involved in the special move en passant (below). Check When a king is under immediate attack by one or two of the opponents pieces, it is said to be in check. A response to a check is a legal move if it results in a position where the king is no longer under direct attack (i.e. not in check). This can involve capturing the checking piece, interposing a piece between the checking piece and the king (which is possible only if the attacking piece is a queen, rook, or bishop and there is a square between it and the king), or moving the king to a square where it is not under attack. Castling is not a permissible response to a check. The object of the game is to checkmate the opponent; this occurs when the opponents king is in check, and there is no legal way to remove it from attack. End of the game Although the objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent, chess games do not have to end in checkmate-either player may resign if the situation looks hopeless. It is considered bad etiquette to continue playing when in a truly hopeless position. If it is a timed game a player may run out of time and lose, even with a much superior position. Games also may end in a draw (tie). A draw can occur in several situations, including draw by agreement, stalemate, threefold repetition of a position, the fifty-move rule, or a draw by impossibility of checkmate (usually because of insufficient material to checkmate). As checkmate from some positions cannot be forced in less than 50 moves (see e.g. pawnless chess endgame and two knights endgame), the fifty-move rule is not applied everywhere,[6] particularly in correspondence chess. White is in checkmate a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c d e f g h White is in checkmate. He cannot escape from being attacked by the Black king and bishops. Stalemate a B c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c d e f g h Stalemate if Black is to move. The position is not checkmate, and since Black cannot move, the game is a draw. Time control A modern digital chess clock Besides casual games without any time restriction, chess is also played with a time control, mostly by club and professional players. If a players time runs out before the game is completed, the game is automatically lost (provided his opponent has enough pieces left to deliver checkmate). The duration of a game ranges from long games played up to seven hours to shorter rapid chess games lasting usually 30 minutes or one hour per game. Even shorter is blitz chess with a time control of three to fifteen minutes for each player, or bullet chess (under three minutes). In tournament play, time is controlled using a game clock which has two displays, one for each players remaining time. ________________________________________________________ Notation for recording moves Naming the squares in algebraic chess notation Chess games and positions are recorded using a special notation, most often algebraic chess notation. Abbreviated (or short) algebraic notation generally records moves in the format abbreviation of the piece moved file where it moved rank where it moved, e.g. Qg5 means queen moves to the g-file and 5th rank (that is, to the square g5). If there are two pieces of the same type that can move to the same square, one more letter or number is added to indicate the file or rank from which the piece moved, e.g. Ngf3 means knight from the g-file moves to the square f3. The letter P indicating a pawn is not used, so that e4 means pawn moves to the square e4. If the piece makes a capture, x is inserted before the destination square, e.g. Bxf3 means bishop captures on f3. When a pawn makes a capture, the file from which the pawn departed is used in place of a piece initial, and ranks may be omitted if unambiguous. For example, exd5 (pawn on the e-file captures the piece on d5) or exd (pawn on e-file captures something on the d-file). ScholarHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholars_mateHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholars_mates mate If a pawn moves to its last rank, achieving promotion, the piece chosen is indicated after the move, for example e1Q or e1=Q. Castling is indicated by the special notations 0-0 for kingside castling and 0-0-0 for queenside castling. A move which places the opponents king in check usually has the notation + added. Checkmate can be indicated by # (occasionally ++, although this is sometimes used for a double check instead). At the end of the game, 1-0 means White won, 0-1 means Black won and  ½- ½ indicates a draw. Chess moves can be annotated with punctuation marks and other symbols. For example ! indicates a good move, !! an excellent move, ? a mistake, a blunder, !? an interesting move that may not be best or ?! a dubious move, but not easily refuted.[1] For example, one variant of a simple trap known as the ScholarHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholars_mateHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholars_mates mate, animated in the picture to the right, can be recorded: e4 e5 Qh5?! Nc6 Bc4 Nf6 Qxf7# 1-0 ________________________________________________________ Strategy and tactics Chess strategy consists of setting and achieving long-term goals during the game for example, where to place different pieces while tactics concentrate on immediate manoeuvre. These two parts of chess thinking cannot be completely separated, because strategic goals are mostly achieved by the means of tactics, while the tactical opportunities are based on the previous strategy of play. A game of chess is normally divided into three phases: opening, typically the first 10 to 25 moves, when players move their pieces into useful positions for the coming battle; middlegame, usually the fiercest part of the game; and endgame, when most of the pieces are gone, kings typically take a more active part in the struggle, and pawn promotion is often decisive. Opening A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a game (the opening moves). Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings and have been given names such as the Ruy Lopez or Sicilian Defence. They are catalogued in reference works such as the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. There are dozens of different openings, varying widely in character from quiet positional play (e.g. the Rà ©ti Opening) to very aggressive (e.g. the Latvian Gambit). In some opening lines, the exact sequence considered best for both sides has been worked out to more than 30 moves. Professional players spend years studying openings, and continue doing so throughout their careers, as opening theory continues to evolve. The fundamental strategic aims of most openings are similar: Development: To place (develop) the pieces (particularly bishops and knights) on useful squares where they will have an optimal impact on the game. Control of the center: Control of the central squares allows pieces to be moved to any part of the board relatively easily, and can also have a cramping effect on the opponent. King safety: Keeping the king safe from dangerous possibilities. A correct timing for castling can often enhance this. Pawn structure: Players strive to avoid the creation of pawn weaknesses such as isolated, doubled or backward pawns, and pawn islands and to force such weaknesses in the opponents position. Most players and theoreticians consider that White, by virtue of the first move, begins the game with a small advantage. This initially gives White the initiative. Black usually strives to neutralize Whites advantage and achieve equality, or to develop dynamic counterplay in an unbalanced position. Middlegame The middlegame is the part of the game which starts after the opening. There is no clear line between the opening and the middlegame, but typically the middlegame will start when most pieces have been developed. (Similarly, there is no clear transition from the middlegame to the endgame, see start of the HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_endgame#The_start_of_the_endgameendgame.) Because the opening theory has ended, players have to form plans based on the features of the position, and at the same time to take into account the tactical possibilities in the position. The middlegame is also the phase in which most combinations occur. Combinations are a series of tactical moves executed to achieve some gain. Middlegame combinations are often connected with an attack against the opponents king; some typical patterns have their own names, for example the BodenHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodens_MateHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodens_Mates Mate or the Lasker- Bauer combination. Specific plans or strategic themes will often arise from particular groups of openings which result in a specific type of pawn structure. For example, the minority attack, that is the attack of queenside pawns against an opponent who has more pawns on the queenside. The study of openings should therefore be connected with the preparation of plans that are typical of the resulting middlegames. Another important strategic question in the middlegame is whether and how to reduce material and transform into an endgame (i.e. simplify). For example, minor material advantages can generally be transformed into victory only in an endgame, and therefore the stronger side must choose an appropriate way to achieve an ending. Not every reduction of material is good for this purpose; for example, if one side keeps a light-squared bishop and the opponent has a dark-squared one, the transformation into a bishops and pawns ending is usually advantageous for the weaker side only, because an endgame with bishops on opposite colors is likely to be a draw, even with an advantage of a pawn, or sometimes with a two-pawn advantage. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Endgame a B c D e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a B c d e f g h An example of zugzwang: the side which is to make a move is at a disadvantage. The endgame (or end game or ending) is the stage of the game when there are few pieces left on the board. There are three main strategic differences between earlier stages of the game and endgame: During the endgame, pawns become more important; endgames often revolve around attempting to promote a pawn by advancing it to the eighth rank. The king, which has to be protected in the middlegame owing to the threat of checkmate, becomes a strong piece in the endgame. It is often brought to the center of the board where it can protect its own pawns, attack the pawns of opposite color, and hinder movement of the opponents king. Zugzwang, a disadvantage because the player has to make a move, is often a factor in endgames but rarely in other stages of the game. For example, the diagram on the right is zugzwang for both sides, as with Black to move he must play 1Kb7 and let White promote a pawn after 2.Kd7; and with White to move he must allow a draw by 1.Kc6 stalemate or lose his last pawn by any other legal move. Endgames can be classified according to the type of pieces that remain on board. Basic checkmates are positions in which one side has only a king and the other side has one or two pieces and can checkmate the opposing king, with the pieces working together with their king. For example, king and pawn endgames involve only kings and pawns on one or both sides and the task of the stronger side is to promote one of the pawns. Other more complicated endings are classified according to the pieces on board other than kings, such as the rook and pawn versus rook endgame. Origins of the modern game (1000-1850) A tactical puzzle from LucenaHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Ramirez_de_LucenaHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Ramirez_de_Lucenas 1497 book Around 1200, rules of shatranj started to be modified in southern Europe, and around 1475, several major changes made the game essentially as it is known today. These modern rules for the basic moves had been adopted in Italy and Spain. Pawns gained the option of advancing two squares on their first move, while bishops and queens acquired their modern abilities. The queen replaced the earlier vizier chess piece towards the end of the 10th century and by the 15th century, had become the most powerful piece; consequently modern chess was referred to as Queens Chess or Mad Queen Chess. These new rules quickly spread throughout western Europe, with the exception of the rules about stalemate, which were finalized in the early 19th century. To distinguish it from its predecessors, this version of the rules is sometimes referred to as western chess or international chess. Writings about the theory of how to play chess began to appear in the 15th century. The Repeticià ³n de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez (Repetition of Love and the Art of Playing Chess) by Spanish churchman Luis Ramirez de Lucena was published in Salamanca in 1497. Lucena and later masters like Portuguese Pedro Damiano, Italians Giovanni Leonardo Di Bona, Giulio Cesare Polerio and Gioachino Greco or Spanish bishop Ruy Là ³pez de Segura developed elements of openings and started to analyze simple endgames. Franà §ois-Andrà © Danican Philidor, 18th-century French chess Master In the 18th century the center of European chess life moved from the Southern European countries to France. The two most important French masters were Franà §ois-Andrà © Danican Philidor, a musician by profession, who discovered the importance of pawns for chess strategy, and later Louis-Charles Mahà © de La Bourdonnais who won a famous series of matches with the Irish master Alexander McDonnell in 1834. Centers of chess activity in this period were coffee houses in big European cities like Cafà © de la Rà ©gence in Paris and SimpsonHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpsons-in-the-StrandHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpsons-in-the-Strands Divan in London. As the 19th century progressed, chess organization developed quickly. Many chess clubs, chess books and chess journals appeared. There were correspondence matches between cities; for example the London Chess Club played against the Edinburgh Chess Club in 1824. Chess problems became a regular part of 19th-century newspapers; Bernhard Horwitz, Josef Kling and Samuel Loyd composed some of the most influential problems. In 1843, von der Lasa published his and BilguerHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rudolf_von_BilguerHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rudolf_von_Bilguers Handbuch des Schachspiels (Handbook of Chess), the first comprehensive manual of chess theory. ________________________________________________________ Competitive play Contemporary chess is an organized sport with structured international and national leagues, tournaments and congresses. Chesss international governing body is FIDE (Fà ©dà ©ration Internationale des Échecs). Most countries have a national chess organization as well (such as the US Chess Federation and English Chess Federation), which in turn is a member of FIDE. FIDE is a member of the International Olympic Committee, but the game of chess has never been part of the Olympic Games; chess does have its own Olympiad, held every two years as a team event. The current World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand (left) playing chess against his predecessor Vladimir Kramnik. The current World Chess Champion is Viswanathan Anand of India. The reigning Womens World Champion is Alexandra Kosteniuk from Russia but the worlds highest rated female player, Judit Polgà ¡r, has never participated in the WomenHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Womens_World_Chess_ChampionshipHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Womens_World_Chess_Championships World Chess Championship, instead preferring to compete with the leading men and maintaining a ranking among the top male players. Other competitions for individuals include the World Junior Chess Championship, the European Individual Chess Championship and the National Chess Championships. Invitation-only tournaments regularly attract the worlds strongest players and these include Spains Linares event, Monte Carlos Melody Amber tournament, the Dortmund Sparkassen meeting, Sofias M-tel Masters and Wijk aan Zees Corus tournament. Regular