Where the Wild things Are Film - 869 Words

To escape the reality of this undeniably complicated world, would be something so distant to even consider, yet it would not be impossible to. The film â€Å"Where the Wild Things Are† unconsciously portrays an attempt at this escape through the leading role, Max and his fellow Wild Things. Max’s Journey could be considered a quest for sanity and morality in the sense that his everyday life initiated him to escape this reality and experience a much preferable life in which would be considered his safe space, where he was unknowingly faced with his own deepest aspects of himself through the personalities and conflicts of others leading him to further learn his place in the world. It is evident that Max tries to escape his reality and get†¦show more content†¦Max used a fantasy world to help him better understand and cope with his emotions and problems. Through the wild things brought a sense of comfort and left Max feeling wanted, which was something he was de prived of at home. The wild things were alike Max in various ways, he felt welcomed, safe, understood and most of all wanted. It is merrily obvious that without fantasy, it is nearly impossible for a child to fathom the more complicated things in life on their own. Through fantasy brings understanding and the ability to keep continuous hope through life because with imagination comes hope and imagination is the root to all beginning of understanding. Max begins to find sanity through the wild things, he experiences every feeling he has dealt with through the personalities and situations of his fellow friends. Through dealing with the emotions and conflicts of the wild things, each character easily becomes scene as a shadow of one of Max’s feelings. Whether it be through Carol, who seemed to have similar attributes as a father figure, yet was just as out of control as max was said to be, or Alexander who was neglected and belittled compared to others, just like Max was. All the characters in some way project Max’s personality and put a twist on his reality so that it is based on them instead of him, which allows him to better understand and deal with such concepts and issues. A great poet Schiller once said â€Å"Deeper meaningShow MoreRelatedReflection On The History Of America961 Words   |  4 Pagesthis semester ends, I can begin to reflect on what I have learned. This journal will summarize that I have learne d and how my attitudes have changed. I will also address what text I enjoyed most. Finally, I will compare and contrast the films: Into the Wild and Wild as well as which movie spoke to me more. This semester I have learned more than I thought I would. I learned about the history of America in a very different way. I have read many books about the history of America but never haveRead MoreReview Of Woody Allen s Wild Strawberries 1661 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Ingmar Bergman has been openly described by Woody Allen as a major influence in his craft of making films. Throughout the years of his career, spanning over decades, Allen has been heavily drawn to Bergman’s style as an art form, enough to impact his own style of telling stories in the cinematic medium. Bergman’s strong method of telling a story was truly riveting and groundbreaking in the entertainment industry, especially for the development of Swedish cinema. As for AmericanRead MoreThe Killer Whale Exhibitions, Blackfish Is An Effective Documentary By Film Maker, Gabriela Cowperthwaite1501 Words   |  7 Pagesinternal machinations of SeaWorld s killer whale exhibitions, Blackfish is an effective documentary by film maker, Gabriela Cowperthwaite. The film depicts graphic images, testimony, and data aimed at the public’s assumption that these cherished amusement parks are fun and safe. One of the ways in which the film successfully reaches audiences is in its way of emotional appeals. For example, the film found a member of the whale hunting crew who first went out and captured orcas to be trained to entertainRead MoreFinding Magic Within The Wild1394 Words   |  6 PagesFinding Magic Within the Wild To McCandless and many others that share the same love for nature, it plays a very important role in several choices made by him throughout the film. In retrospect, the same can be applied to SpongeBob SquarePants on an easier to understand level. Now, SpongeBob doesn’t leave his wealth and his family to live on his own, but he does have magic in the wild, just like the magic bus Chris McCandless used as shelter throughout the weeks. This was called the magic conchRead MoreExistentialism : Wild ( 2014 ) And Into The Wild1739 Words   |  7 Pages Existentialism: Wild(2014) and Into the Wild(2007) For this paper, both movies used to explain Existentialism are adapted from real stories. The first film is Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed and the second is Into the Wild, starring Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless. In Sartre’s definition of existentialism, human existence precedes essence, therefore leading to meaning, purpose and identity. When Chris and Cheryl leave their family, friends and everything else they knowRead MoreComparing Brave New World and Blade Runner 1324 Words   |  6 Pagesrelationships, and humanitys understanding of the wild, are shaped and reflected in Blade Runner, by Ridley Scott, and in Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) through their composers use of the contrast between true nature and the wild. The human relationship with the wild is tenuous, and this is shown within both texts. More often than not, nature is understood simply as a force to be dominated, controlled or exploited for the benefit of humanity. The new wild is one created by human society however, althoughRead MoreChris Mccandless And Henry David Thoreau755 Words   |  4 Pages Both Chris McCandless and Henry David Thoreau explore the idea of authentic living and simplicity, throughout both texts they portray their ideas to the audience. The film Into the WIld largely encaptures the ideas of Henry David Thoreau, sometimes by quoting him, especially his extremely famous piece Where I Lived and What I Lived For. It is very obvious to the audience that Chris is a fan of Thoreau’s writing and he connects to it greatly. Chris is able to portray to the audience that he hasRead MoreThe Tale of Bigfoot1634 Words   |  6 PagesCanada. The natives told this tale of a group of giant hairy wild ape-man like people that protect the forests to give reason for respecting nature and preserve order. Bigfoot sightings have spread throughout the United States and the world. Our fascination with this creature have spiraled into almost mass hysteria among people to find and prove this creature is real. I decided to observe and analyze the film Bigfoot. When watching the film Bigfoot created in 1970 directed by Robert Slatzer and starringRead MoreThe Character s Views On Love1078 Words   |  5 Pagesmoney. Holly states, â€Å"Never love a wild thing†¦ if you let yourself love a wild thing, you’ll end up looking at the sky.† She refers to herself as a wild thing and is warning him not to love her. The sky is also described as an empty place where things disappear, which relates back to her view on love. Louis, who is Samantha’s love interest, wants to love her and despite her constantly running away from it, he fights for her because he believes love is a good thing. Paul, who is Holly’s love interestRead MoreSecondhand Lions By Director Tim Mccanlies971 Words   |  4 Pagesone where all could experience, and that is true love. The film that will be analyzed is called Secondhand Lions by director Tim McCanlies, it is based on a boy named Walter is dropped off by his mother, who lies to him frequen tly, so Walter doesn’t know whether to believe her or not, but she drops him off with his two uncles named Hub and Garth, out in Texas. These two men have lots of adventures and lived life to the fullest. Walter has a lot to learn from the two uncles. Throughout the film it

The Internship Is A Comedy Directed By Shawn Levy

The internship is a comedy directed by Shawn Levy. It is about two friends Bill (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) who got fired from their watch salesman job. Therefore Billy goes to search for jobs with people with few skills but the they were not satisfied with that so bill had a vision that they would work for Google company. He then informed Nick in order for them to go and apply for the interview which was successful because they were given the chance to be interns at the company. They struggled to fit in because they were the eldest interns and they did not have high IQs. They were then formed into a team by Stuart who worked for management who became their team leader. The team did not get along well because of cultural diversity however when Billy and Nick inspired them to work together they were able to succeed and complete the tasks well which they ended up winning but the last challenge had a few misaps however they got through that and they won the competition because they had googliness and they were given full time employment at google. Management and leadership There are a lot of different scenes that show the different kinds of leadership that is present however I will only discuss a few scenes. Kevin has an autocratic type of relationship with his employees. The scene with Nick and Kevin at the store shows this. By Kevin talking inappropriately with Nick and his behavior towards the customers was inappropriate he is very casual with employees. HeShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesorganization that deny equal opportunity to perform or unequal rewards for performance Unwanted sexual advances and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that create a hostile or offensive work environment Overt threats or bullying directed at members of speciï ¬ c groups of employees Jokes or negative stereotypes; sometimes the result of jokes taken too far Exclusion of certain people from job opportunities, social events, discussions, or informal mentoring; can occur unintentionally

C.S.I †Myth vs. Reality Free Essays

Jennifer Weaver L. Leggo Law Monday April 19, 2010 C. S. We will write a custom essay sample on C.S.I – Myth vs. Reality or any similar topic only for you Order Now I – Myth vs. Reality Crime Scene Investigation is a series that followers investigators that use evidence to solve murders. The show is very popular due to its courageous matter and popular characters. However, despite CSI’s popularity it has been heavily criticized for realism to actual crime solving. CSI portrays an inaccurate, to say the least, image of how police solve crimes. To begin with, CSI has depicted many manifestations to people who watch it. Two main things noticed in the episode watched are the myth of crime scene investigating and DNA testing. The show does a really good job â€Å"hollywooding† the field of forensic science. One clear myth of the show is it’s characters and how attractive they are. Forensic scientists are more likely to look like fat men with glasses rather than sexy women who wear camisoles to a crime scene, as seen in the show. In addition, the show depicts solving a case as easy and not time consuming, when in reality the majority of these cases would take months or even years to solve. Moreover, when collecting evidence and DNA in the show, it shows DNA results returning in a matter or hours when it would normally take years. This false interpretation contributes to viewers manifestation of DNA testing in real cases; thinking that its an easy process. The only reality of the show found was when one of the investigators collected a finger print, however, even that was glamorized because a print would never come out so clear, as it did in the show. Overall, the show itself is a good show, it is very entertaining, from its graphics to the acting, however, its realism is non-existent and it exemplifies the forensic field falsely. How to cite C.S.I – Myth vs. Reality, Papers

Accounting and Financial Management for HIH Group - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theAccounting and Financial Management for HIH Group. Answer: Introduction HIH group was the second largest general insurer in Australia with 217 subsidiaries. The company was established in the year 1968 as MW Payne Liability Agencies Pty Ltd as an underwriting insurance business in Australia. The mission of the company is to capture a large market share in the general insurance industry of Australia and to adopt different channels for distributing its products. The company has acquired different businesses in insurance industry. The collapsed of HIH insurance is the largest failure in the history of Australian business. One. Tel was a telecommunication company established in 1995 by Brad Keeling and Jodee Rich in Australia. The company is expanding its business operations in USA and Europe by the adoption of customer driven approach and low pricing strategy (Fleckner and Hopt, 2013). One.Tel company is one of the fastest growing companies in Australia and got the second highest ranking in the industry. The shareholders of the company has made substantial investment in the company for the purpose of overcoming cash crisis and resulted in ceasing its trading in 2001. It was the fourth largest telecommunication company in Australia. It had two million customers and operations in eight countries (Fleckner and Hopt, 2013). ABC Learning center was established in the year 1988 in Brisbane Australia. It is considered as the dominant player in Australian long day care. The company has adopted a franchise model and expanded the learning centers in different regions of Australia. In addition to this, ABC Learning has become a leader due to which other companies in the industry follow the company which results in the formation of corporate care provided by those companies whose shares are traded on Australian stock exchange. Along with this, the child care centers in Australia were not for profit organizations which are supported by government subsidies. The company has managed 18 child care centers and considered as a major player in private childcare sector of Australia. For the promotion and growth of the sector, the government has provided subsidy to families through direct payments (Margret, 2011). The company has expanded its business operations in different regions of Australia by acquiring properties in prime locations and single day care centers and child care groups. The company has listed on Australian stock exchange in the year 2001 which results in provision of the capital for further growth. The company owned 2238 centers in Australia, US, New Zealand and UK in the year 2008. There is a growth in the market capitalization of Aus $ 2.5 billion in the year 2006. Besides this, in the year 2007, the after tax profit of A$ 143.1 million and revenues of Aus $ 1.7 billion. In the year 2008, the ABC Learning centers have collapsed and went into liquidation (Huang, 2009). Reasons for Collapse The main reasons behind the collapse of the HIH Insurance is the presence of debts of Aus$ 5.3 billion. The company has liquidated in the year 2001. There was a decline in the share prices of the company to Aus$ 0.175 in the year 2001 from Aus $ 1 in 2000. It has a direct negative impact on the stakeholders of the company that were interested in taking protection from unforeseen calamities. Besides this, the main reasons for the occurrence of collapse include improper pricing of past claims on the policies and inadequate provisions for insurance claims. There was an occurrence of the mismanagement of the core operations of the business. Besides the other reason behind the collapse of HIH insurance was the self indulgence and corporate expenditure which raised concern for risk management and corporate governance in the company. The company failed to provide transparent information and disclosure of the deteriorating position of the financial statements (Mirshekary, Yaftian and Cross, 2005). The main reasons for collapse of the telecommunication company named One.Tel include failure of performance of the duties by the directors and management, lack of internal controls and absence of independence in the audit function. Besides this, other reasons for the occurrence of collapse of One.Tel company include strategic mistakes, unbridled growth, failed expectations and wrong pricing policy. There is a presence of lack of involvement of directors and management in the operations of the business (Jones, 2011). The company has adopted management by crisis approach in place of forward planning. The company has misstated its profits and cash flows generated from different activities to meet its obligations. Along with this, the directors of the company failed to establish strong agency relationship with the shareholders and get the approval of excessive loans for the expansion of the business without implementing an appropriate system of audit and control. They have violated diffe rent sections of Corporation Act 2001 i.e. 180, 181, 182 and 183 (Sievers, 2009). Besides this, the actions of the directors are not in the good faith and best interests of the company. In addition to this, the management and financial personnel has failed to exercise their duties with diligence and due care because there is a lack of their involvement in day to day operations of the company. Besides this, the company has failed to state the true financial position to its shareholders due to which the company has collapsed and unable to recover from it. Along with this, the financial statements of the company were audited by two different accounting firms i.e. BDO and Ernst Young. The auditing firms have not fulfilled their roles and responsibilities in an effective manner (Campbell and Houghton, 2005). BDO has issued unqualified reports which leads in material misstatement. The company has purchased lot of non-audit services from its auditors which created conflict of interest between individuals within the auditing firms. Out of five ethical principles which are followed by auditors i.e. objectivity, due care, professional competence, integrity and confidentiality, the auditors have breeched some of the ethical values i.e. integrity, professional behavior, and objectivity. The auditors did not comply with different laws and regulations which result in the breach of professional behavior (Kirby and Drury, 2012). There is also a presence of some inherent risk such as increased outlays beyond the financial capacity of the firm. In addition to this, the company is offering telecom services to subscribers at low prices than the payments made by the company. Along with this, the billing system of the company has failed as it lacks in providing the bills to customers in quick manner and take receipts from them on time due to increase in the number of customer base of the company (Gaylord, 2001). The main reasons for the collapse of ABC Learning include debt repayments, weak operating cash flow, business model, capital expenditure and accounting. In order to repay the debt, the company has sold 60% of its US subsidiary due to which there is a decline in the share price from Aus $ 8.62 to Aus $ 0.54. This is the reason that it has been delisted from Australian stock exchange. In addition to this, in the financial statements of the company, there is a large amount of intangible assets such as goodwill and childcare licenses as it has recognized large number of licenses for operating the childcare centers (Kruger, 2011). The company has shown increased amount of licenses and goodwill in the year 2007-2008 to Aus $2.4 billion and Aus $ 271 million in a respective manner from Aus $647.6 million and Aus $37.4 million respectively. Along with this, there was also an impairment charges for such intangible assets amount to Aus $ 2 million and Aus $ 8.4 million for goodwill and childcare licenses in a respective manner for two years. Besides this, these intangible assets become worthless in the year 2008 when a company faces crisis. Besides this, there is also a presence of inherent risk related to valuation of the assets (Garvis and Manning, 2017). In addition to this, the company has appointed three auditors namely KPMG, Ernst Young and Pitcher Partners who had provided unqualified opinions to the company. The company has total liabilities of Aus $1.1 billion which has reclassified the current liabilities to non-current liabilities. The main reason behind it is the refinancing of the funds. In the year 2007-2008, the profit for the company has fell to 42% due to covenants for debt and one off charges. Along with this, the company has not generated enough cash flow from operating activities for the purpose of payment of salaries, interest, dividends and suppliers (Garvis and Manning, 2017). Consequences of collapse of One.Tel, HIH insurance and ABC Learning Centers There is a need for the senior managers to have a knowledge regarding the difference existed between managing and directing. It is essential for the manager or director in board of directors to act in the best interests of the company. There is a need to clearly communicate and delegate roles and responsibilities to every member of the organization. This helps in effective management and increased productivity of the organization. In addition to this, there is a need to frame code of conduct which takes into consideration management and legal guidelines such as culture, risk management programs and monitoring and review of the operational, project and strategic activities (Cheng and Seeger, 2012). There is also a requirement of understanding of the activities carried out by the organization by directors which facilitates in the monitoring in a regular manner the attendance at board of directors meetings and familiarity with the financial status of the company. Besides this, it is also found out that it is ineffective to increase the customer base if it not result in an increase in the profitability of the company (Clarke, 2017). There is also a need to establish and implement strong internal controls, effective management scrutiny, financial reporting quality and full disclosure of company affairs to its stakeholders (Caliyurt and Crowther, 2008). It is also requisite for non executive members should interact with middle and lower level management to provide transparency of the operations carried out by the firms. Besides this, the investors who have large share in the company should take active participation in the management of the firm. The board of directors should control the agenda and monitor the behavior of the management in an effective manner (Ferran and Ho, 2014). Conclusion It can be concluded that the collapse of HIH Insurance, One.Tel and ABC Learning are the largest corporate scandals in Australia. It can also be concluded that HIH Insurance was established in the year 1968 and considered as a largest general insurer company in Australia. Besides this, One.Tel was the fourth largest telecommunication company established in the year 1995. ABC Learning centers was the company that provides child care services in Australia and established in the year 1988. It can also be summarized that One.Tel company has collapsed in the year 2001. Along with this, HIH insurance has also liquidated in the year 2001. In addition to this, ABC Learning centers has liquidated in the year 2008. The main reasons behind the collapse of these companies include presence of large amount of liabilities which the companies were unable to pay, improper pricing of previous claims, weak operating cash flows, misrepresentation of the financial statements by auditors and so on. To avo id liquidation, there is a requirement for the companies to clear communicate and delegate roles and responsibilities to members of the organization. Along with this, it is also required by the non executive directors to communicate with the middle and low level management in order to bring transparency in the operations of the business. References Caliyurt, K.T. and Crowther, D. (2008) Globalization and Social Responsibility. USA: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Campbell, T. and Houghton, K.A. (2005) Ethics and Auditing. USA: ANU E Press. Cheng, S.S. and Seeger, M.W. (2012) Lessons Learned from Organizational Crisis: Business Ethics and Corporate Communication. International Journal of Business and Management 7(12), pp. 74-86. Clarke, T. (2017) International Corporate Governance: A Comparative Approach. USA: Taylor Francis. Ferran, E. and Ho, L.C. (2014) Principles of Corporate Finance Law. UK: OUP Oxford. Fleckner, A.M. and Hopt, K.J. (2013) Comparative Corporate Governance: A Functional and International Analysis. USA: Cambridge University Press. Garvis, S. and Manning, M. (2017) An Interdisciplinary Approach to Early Childhood Education and Care: Perspectives from Australia. USA: Taylor Francis. Garvis, S. and Manning, M. (2017) An Interdisciplinary Approach to Early Childhood Education and Care: Perspectives from Australia. USA: Taylor Francis. Gaylord, B. (2001) Liquidation of One. Tel of Australia is outlined. [Online]. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/06/business/liquidation-of-onetel-of-australia-is-outlined.html [Accessed on: 5 September 2017]. Huang, P. (2009) The Australian Dream and $1 Properties. USA: Interactive Publications. Jones, M.J. (2011) Creative Accounting, Fraud and International Accounting Scandals. USA: John Wiley Sons. Kirby, J. and Drury, B. (2012) Investing For Dummies. USA: John Wiley Sons. Kruger, C. (2011) Numbers finally start to add up as operators go back to basics. [Online]. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/business/numbers-finally-start-to-add-up-as-operators-go-back-to-basics-20110121-19zy6.html [Accessed on: 5 September 2017]. Margret, J.E. (2011) Solvency in Financial Accounting. UK: Routledge. Mirshekary, S., Yaftian, A.M. and Cross, D. (2005) Australian corporate collapse: The case of HIH Insurance. Journal of Financial Services Marketing 9(3), pp. 249-258. Sievers, B. (2009) Psychoanalytic Studies of Organizations: Contributions from the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations (ISPSO). London: Karnac Books.

Stages of Growth Diagnostic

Various models illustrate the growth of businesses. The size of a company and stages of growth are used as the standards for determining business growth. This paper will examine a growth framework based on existence, survival, success, take-off and resource maturity phases.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Stages of Growth Diagnostic specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Existence At this stage, the organisation is at infancy and the owner is struggling to attract clients. For a small business, the owner handles all management duties including supervision of junior staff and decision-making. Many small business start-ups fail at this stage due to various challenges. Some businesses that succumb to these challenges are sold off at net present value (Poole 2002, p. 75). Survival Businesses at this stage have successfully overcome the challenges of the first stage. At this stage, the business has enough capacity of custom ers who are satisfied. The main objectives for the business are to break even and gather enough funds for expansion. The number of employees start to increase although the decision making function is still performed by the owner. At the end of this stage, the business may achieve growth in size and profitability. Some businesses however remain at this stage for a long period surviving on marginal returns until they cease operations based on the decisions of the owner (McKeown 2007, p. 61). Success Businesses at this phase have achieved growth and have collected enough funds that are capable of financing expansion. Market penetration and the volume of customers at this stage are healthy. The business can either expand or remain at this level while providing the owner with funds for diversification since the profits are above average. An increase in size of operations and the accompanying revenues prompt the owner to hire competent managers to oversee various functions within the busi ness (Singh 2010, p. 15). The systems are developed and financial planning and other methods are introduced to ensure smooth operations. To ensure survival, the company should adapt to changing conditions in the industry especially competition. For instance, many automobile makers did not make it past the 1970s and 1980s since they could not adapt to changing conditions (Rao 2002, p. 214).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Take Off The company at this stage experiences rapid growth and the main concern is financing the growth. The owners delegate most of the duties to managers to improve efficiency. The managers should be competent enough to handle environmental dynamics. The systems at this stage are under duress from growth and they are therefore improved to accommodate the extra workload. Planning and decision making are improved. For decisions to be made by the owner, vari ous factors have to be considered due to the increase in stakeholders and independence of the business from the owner. To graduate to the next level, the owner of the business must show maturity in management and financial planning (Churchill and Lewis 1983, p. 126). Resource Maturity The objectives of a company at this stage are to strengthen and manage well the financial gains achieved from the other stages. To cope up with the rapid growth, the company should also expand the management or it will succumb to the ineffectiveness arising from growth. At this stage, the business should be a separate entity from the owner. The systems should be broad and well developed. Moreover, the company should have adequate staffs who are experienced in their fields. List of References Churchill, N Lewis, V 1983, The five stages of small business growth, Harvard Business Review, New York. McKeown, L 2007, Predictable success: Getting your organization on the growth track, Green Leaf Group Press, New York. Poole, M 2002, Handbook on organizational change and innovation, Oxford University Press, New York. Rao, M 2002, Organization design change and development, Discovery Publishing House, London.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Stages of Growth Diagnostic specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Singh, J 2010, Evolutionary dynamics of organizations, Oxford University Press, New York. This essay on Stages of Growth Diagnostic was written and submitted by user Lea Y. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Oklahoma City Bombing, 1995

The Oklahoma City Bombing, 1995 At 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, a 5,000-pound bomb, hidden inside a rented Ryder truck, exploded just outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The explosion caused massive damage to the building and killed 168 people, 19 of whom were children. Those responsible for what became known as the Oklahoma City Bombing were home-grown terrorists, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. This deadly bombing was the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil until the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack. Why Did McVeigh Plant the Bomb? On April 19, 1993, the standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidian cult (led by David Koresh) at the Davidian compound in Waco, Texas ended in a fiery tragedy. When the FBI tried to end the standoff by gassing the complex, the entire compound went up in fire, claiming the lives of 75 followers, including many young children. The death toll was high and many people blamed the U.S. government for the tragedy. One such person was Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh, angered by the Waco tragedy, decided to enact retribution to those he felt responsible- the federal government, especially the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). In downtown Oklahoma City, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building held numerous federal agency offices, including those of the ATF. Preparing for the Attack Planning his revenge for the second anniversary of the Waco disaster, McVeigh enlisted his friend Terry Nichols and several others to help him pull off his plan. In September 1994, McVeigh purchased large amounts of fertilizer (ammonium nitrate) and then stored it in a rented shed in Herington, Kansas. The ammonium nitrate was the main ingredient for the bomb. McVeigh and Nichols stole other supplies needed to complete the bomb from a quarry in Marion, Kansas. On April 17, 1995, McVeigh rented a Ryder truck and then McVeigh and Nichols loaded the Ryder truck with approximately 5,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. On the morning of April 19th, McVeigh drove the Ryder truck to the Murrah Federal Building, lit the bombs fuse, parked in front of the building, left the keys inside the truck and locked the door, then walked across the parking lot to an alley. He then started to jog. The Explosion at the Murrah Federal Building On the morning of April 19, 1995, most employees of the Murrah Federal Building had already arrived at work and children had already been dropped off at the daycare center when the huge explosion tore through the building at 9:02 a.m. Nearly the entire north face of the nine-story building was pulverized into dust and rubble. It took weeks of sorting through debris to find the victims. In all, 168 people were killed in the explosion, which included 19 children. One nurse was also killed during the rescue operation. Capturing Those Responsible Ninety minutes after the explosion, McVeigh was pulled over by a highway patrol officer for driving without a license plate. When the officer discovered that McVeigh had an unregistered gun, the officer arrested McVeigh on a firearms charge. Before McVeigh was released, his ties to the explosion were discovered. Unfortunately for McVeigh, almost all his purchases and rental agreements related to the bombing could be traced back to him after the explosion. On June 3, 1997, McVeigh was convicted of murder and conspiracy and on August 15, 1997, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection. On June 11, 2001, McVeigh was executed. Terry Nichols was brought in for questioning two days after the blast and then arrested for his role in McVeighs plan. On December 24, 1997, a federal jury found Nichols guilty and on June 5, 1998, Nichols was sentenced to life in prison. In March 2004, Nichols went on trial for murder charges by the state of Oklahoma. He was found guilty of 161 counts of murder and sentenced to 161 consecutive life sentences. A third accomplice, Michael Fortier, who testified against McVeigh and Nichols, received a 12-year prison sentence and was fined $200,000 on May 27, 1998, for knowing about the plan but not informing authorities before the explosion. A Memorial What little remained of the Murrah Federal Building was demolished on May 23, 1995. In 2000, a memorial was built on the location to remember the tragedy of the Oklahoma City Bombing.

Response to Progress Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response to Progress Report - Essay Example Also I would like to see the questionnaire form, so please send it to me a.s.a.p. What exact periodicals have you chosen for your secondary research? And have you surveyed the representatives of government agencies? Taking into account significance of the analyzed problem, we are planning to invite directors of different organizations, public agents and independent foreign guests from Germany, who are able to be in our city on December 14th, 2002. Therefore, let’s put the date of presentation forward on 15th of December at 10 a.m. in conference hall. In this respect, I am waiting for your draft form of the report on December, 10th. Due to the importance of the impending event, there are some instructions, which I want you to follow. Please pay attention to health centers and hospitals and represent brief information about their performance and financial indicators. In addition, provide detailed analysis of statistical findings in our region compared to neighboring areas. Do not forget to explain the procedure of charity and main directions of its usage. Give instructions concerning agencies within our organization, which need charitable donations drastically. Furthermore, after the presentation it will be useful to spread business cards with contact information of our agencies to all guests. In addition, I would like to get some recommendations from you, suggesting how to solve the problem of decline in charitable donations. Please show me preliminary draft with any possible propositions by the end of the next week. Also in two weeks I would like to make a public action that will raise people’s awareness and propagandize charity. I want you to draw a plan of this event, displaying information about all requirements for materials, needed quantity of assistants and

Economics Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics Assessment - Assignment Example Gross Domestic Product (GDP) The GDP is an important primary economic indicator for assessing economic growth of a country as it impacts on the businesses, industries and people. The economic growth measured by comparison over a period of time indicates trends in the economy. GDP Real growth rate refers to GDP growth on an annual basis adjusted for inflation and measured on year-over-year basis. GDP real growth rate North Korea South Korea 2012 (est.) 2.7% 2011 (est.) 0.8% 3.6% 2010 (est.) -0.5% 6.3% 2009 (est.) -0.9% The GDP real growth rate of South Korea during 2010 to 2012 reflects the effect of slowdown in the international economy consequent upon the US subprime crisis and financial crisis in Europe due to its level of exposure to international trade. The strength of the country’s economy could be assessed meaningfully by comparing its GDP growth rates with the other developed countries’. ... The developing countries like India (4.5%) and China (7.9%) have higher GDP growth rates as they were not affected by subprime or European financial crisis. North Korea’s GDP growth compared to many of the developing and under-developed countries has been poor. The country had negative growth in 2009 and 2010 against good performances of several Asian and African countries during this period. The industrial development achieved by South Korea over the period of time is linked to its external trade and GDP growth as can be observed from the following table. External Trade of South and North Korea (USD 100 million) North Korea (A) South Korea (B) B/A 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 Trade Amount 41.7 63.2 8916.0 10796.3 213.8 170.8 (22.3) (51.3) (29.9) (21.1) Exports 15.1 27.9 4663.8 5552.1 308.9 199.0 (42.5 (84.2) (28.3) (19.0) Imports 26.6 35.3 4252.1 5244.2 159.9 148.6 (13.2) (32.6) (31.6) (23.3) Notes: 1) Excludes bilateral trade between North and South Korea. 2) Figures in par entheses represent rates of growth over the previous years. Source: The Bank of Korea, p. 6. â€Å"Historically, from 1971 until 2012, South Korea GDP Annual Growth Rate averaged 7.23 Percent reaching an all time high of 18.20 Percent in September of 1973 and a record low of -7.30 Percent in June of 1998. South Korea’s economy became one of the most diversified and technologically advanced in the world in the last 50 years† (Trading Economics, 2012). The sanctions imposed on North Korea by the US and European community has affected the country’s internal trade severely. Apart from South Korea, other trading partners of North Korea are mostly the developing nations of the world. The comparative performance of the two countries reflects the weakness in the political system

Commodity chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Commodity chain - Essay Example Among the alternatives to the traditional plastic grocery bags, the study of Environmental Agency UK Draft Report showed that that cotton bags has the lowest potential for global warming. Compared to the traditional plastic grocery bags that is made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), cotton bags can only pose to be harmful to the environment after using it 131 times compared to HDPE bags usage of only 3 times (The Green Supply Chain Editorial Staff, 2011). Cotton, which is the basic material of reusable cotton bags are grown in 90 countries but the four main producing countries of cottons were China, India, USA and Pakistan accounting for three quarters of the world’s output of cotton (UNCTAD). Most cotton bags however came from India and China due to the ready availability of raw materials (cotton) and cheap labor. The process begins with the harvest of the soft fiber that grew around the seeds of the cotton in a cotton plantation in India (or China). The fiber is then spun into thread to make it into a yarn. It is then weave into a cotton cloth which can be later sewn into a cotton bag. The plantation, harvest, spinning, weaving and sewing is done India (and China) due to the cheap cost of growing the cotton (land) and also the cheaper cost of labor. Unlike other products where the several stages of production are separated, producing the cotton bag can be done in one country where a single or a few number of company can do the planting the raw materials to producing the final goods because it only use one raw materials (cotton) and the process of its production is uncomplicated. The process of producing it is however labor intensive which made it a competitive product of India and China because of its lower labor cost. When the final product is already manufactured, the reusable cotton bags then undergo a process

Role of Interstimulus Delay in Iconic Memory

Role of Interstimulus Delay in Iconic Memory Sensory memory is the initial structure in the Atkinson and Shiffrin’s modal model of memory. This memory structure temporarily stores information from sensory stimulation for processing and transferring to short-term memory. Within fractions of seconds, this memory will degenerate if remain unattended (Shiffrin Atkinson, 1969). There are two kinds of sensory memory which is iconic memory and echoic memory. Iconic memory is crucial as it stabilizes vision despite the presence of saccadic movements which disturbs visual adaptation to stimulus (Ciccarelli White, 2012). Hence, any delay in between the sensory stimulation and the recollection will cause an effect to the iconic memory. The question is; how much are we able to recall from our iconic memory after a period of delay? In 1967, Neisser coined the term iconic memory and assumed that all visual information are initially held there before being transported to longer lasting memory upon cue (Gegenfurtner Sperling, 1993). Iconic memory involves vision persistence where trails of light retained for fragments of second in memory (Goldstein, 2011). Haber (1983) described iconic memory as the availability to perceive the information briefly after terminating visual stimuli. The persistence and decay of the visual information in iconic memory is first presented in Sperling’s partial report (Sperling, 1960). In partial report paradigm, there is a brief delay prior to the selection cue in reporting the stimuli. The brief delay or known as the interstimulus interval (ISI) which is a time period in between two stimuli (Reed, 2013). ISI is the interval between the end of the visual stimulus and the onset of the cue tone before reporting the displayed information in the partial report technique (Chow, 1985). The effect of ISI on iconic memory in partial report can be explained by Sperling’s theory of iconic memory. Sperling stated that observers have the ability to temporarily store a large capacity of visual information, however as the information decayed rapidly due to the delay, the subjects were only able to report an average of 4.5 items (Sperling, 1960). Hence, as the interval prolonged, the effectiveness of iconic memory decreases despite the large capacity in storage. Besides that, another theory that can explain the cue delay in partial report is the Bundesen’s theory of visual attention. This quantitative model assumed that the sum of perceptual processing resources which determines the rate of processing is inadequate for the information displayed. Processing resources are used to filter information as distractor and target using selective attention. After the allocation of the processing resources, the information races for encoding in the limited capacity visua l short-term memory (Petersen and Andersen, 2012). As the encoding process is time consuming, the information decays as the selection cue delay prolongs thus affecting the items recollection. The partial report paradigm was pioneered by Sperling’s (1960) dissertation in Harvard University. Due to the subjects’ immediate-memory capacity in whole report, he devised a technique called partial report which was to only report a particular array of items arrangement according to different cue tones for each rows projected after the stimulus was displayed. Three to four items per row were used due to limited perceptual span. Higher tone was for upper row, medium tone for middle row and lower tone for lower row. In his study, he aimed to investigate on information decay by measuring the accuracy of the report. This study was conducted on 5 trained subjects who were scheduled for 3 sessions weekly for a total of 12 sessions. Before the subjects report the information, he delayed the instructional tone for 0.0s, 0.15s, 0.30s and 1s after the stimulus display. The results indicated steep decline in accuracy of report as the delay was longer. 91% of the subjects were ab le to accurately report the stimulus but as the delay increased to 1s, the accuracy declined to 69%. He concluded most visual information were registered in the sensory memory but decayed rapidly within fractions of a second (Sperling, 1960). Through his research, he was able to show that in testing immediate-memory, not just knowing the limit of the perceptual span actually is but the ability to recall the items seen needed to be measured. With his findings that perceptual span is actually larger than the ability to recall them, his pioneering study pointed to the discovery of sensory storage. Another study conducted by Merikle (1980) in University of Waterloo, Canada supports the findings by Sperling (1960) in terms of cue delay effect in partial report. This experiment aimed to test on partial report superiority as the cue delay increased for both categories (letters or numbers) and spatial cues (top or bottom). The partial report and whole report were tested on 18 subjects where they were shown 90 sets of stimulus displays from both types of stimulus and the cue were delayed for -250ms, 0ms and +250ms and. The results indicated that spatial cues are more effective than category cues. Both types of partial report condition performed better than whole report, but the decline in performance was greater than whole report when cue were more delayed (Merikle, 1980). This study illustrated that the advantage of partial report is compromised as the cue delay increased. Perhaps, the advantage is due to instruction to report according to rows enhances the accuracy as it involves spatial processing of the stimulus compared to whole report. On the contrary, Darwin, Turvey and Crowder (1972) findings did not show any significant change in partial report over time. This study was conducted on 12 Yale University undergraduate. In contrast to previous studies by Sperling (1960) and Merikle (1980), auditory stimulus was presented and the indicating cue was in the form of slide projection. A set of 20 stimuli with combinations of monosyllable letters and numbers were given over headphones and the ISIs was 0s, 1s, 2s and 4s. They were asked to report the item and the location as indicated in the stimuli. The findings showed that there are no significant differences of performance between each interval (Darwin et al., 1972). One might argue that perhaps this is due to the echoic memory and not iconic memory. However, Sperling’s (1960) assumption on sensory storage decay across time in partial report should apply to auditory memory. Thus, the result should indicate significant rapid decrease of accuracy in partial report. The insignificant finding could be due to the complex instruction that also tests on their spatial processing apart from recalling the items. Furthermore, Kuhbandner, Spitzer and Pekrun (2011) investigated on the consequences of emotion-inducing stimuli on the iconic memory decay. 45 with 32 females and 13 male students from University of Munich took part in this study. Emotion-inducing stimuli which were threatening, neutral and positive stimuli consisted of objects and animal pictures. The indicator was shown in a form of arrow after the ISIs of 14ms, 71ms, 229ms, 500ms and 1000ms. 8 trials were conducted for each stimuli conditions and delays. The subjects reported 4 chosen items out of 12 verbally. As expected, the iconic memory degenerated rapidly as the delay time increased however, for threatening stimuli; the results indicated slow decay of information (Kuhbandner et al., 2011). From this study, we can observe that emotion encourages persistence in iconic memory regardless of the delay period. Perhaps, due to the higher number of females in this study affected the results as emotional perception are different acros s genders. This study suggested that emotional processing occurred faster than selective attention in iconic memory processing. As we can see from previous studies discussed, various adaptations of Sperling’s (1960) partial report paradigm ware used. However, most studies on partial report that supported Sperling’s findings were conducted at least thirty years ago. A current study on the interstimulus delay effect using neutral stimulus on iconic memory needs to be conducted in order to observe whether Sperling’s assumption are still applicable to this date. Past researches have conducted partial report experiments using traditional tachistoscopes (Sperling, 1960; Merikle, 1980) however for this present study, CogLab 2.0 computer application were used for better and more comprehensive material in data collection. For this research we aimed to observe the effect interstimulus intervals on the iconic memory. Iconic memory was measured by the percentage of the recalled items. We hypothesized that the increase in interstimulus interval decreases the percentage of recalled items. Methods Study design In testing out the hypothesis, we conducted an experiment with repeated measure design. Data was gathered through convenient sampling. For this study, the independent variable was the interstimulus interval (ISI) whereas the dependent variable was percentage of the recalled items. Participants Participants in this study consist of 28 (10 males and 18 females) undergraduate Sunway University psychology students who are enrolled in Cognition and Perception course with the age range of 18 to 35 years old. As a part of the coursework, students were rewarded with 1% credit for participating. In selection of participants, the inclusion criterion was those who are wearing visual and hearing aids whereas the exclusion criterion was non-psychology students. Measurement In conducting this experiment, we have used Wadsworth CogLab online laboratory 2.0 (Goldstein, 2011) computer program. Specifically, under the sensory memory section, we have selected partial report experiment. Interstimulus interval. The interstimulus interval was between the end of the stimulus matrix display and cue tone onset. Each interval was varied at 20milisecond (ms), 100ms, 300ms, and 1000ms. Percentage of recalled items. The numbers of correct letters reported for each delay trials are recorded and totaled regardless of the order of the letters. The percentages of the scores are then calculated according to each interstimulus interval conditions. Procedure Ahead of the tutorial class, every student was informed to bring their own headphones to reduce distractions during the experiment. All students who were present on the day of the experiment gathered in the computer lab with one computer for each student. This experiment was only conducted in one session with all participants at once with estimated time of completion at about 20 minutes. All participants were assigned to complete every condition of the interstimulus intervals. As the class started under the supervision of a lecturer, the students were allowed to read the instructions and start the experiment at their own pace. They were required to fill in their student ID and put on their headphones before beginning the experiment. As they started, they were exposed to 3 different cue tones to familiarize them with indicator tone on which row to report. Low-pitched tone was for bottom row, medium-pitched sound for middle row and lastly high-pitched tone for the upper row. For a tota l of 60 trials, each trial started as they pressed the space bar and they had to fixate their vision on a small asterisk at the screen center. After one second and a half, 33 matrix of alphabets appeared on the screen for a duration of 150ms. The interstimulus interval started after the matrix flashed and at the offset of the tone. A tone was played as the indicator and the letters of the indicated row were typed. These procedures were repeated for each trial and the students were asked to keep their eyes fixated on the center throughout the experiment. The results were immediately displayed for each participant on their performance and submitted to e-Learn for pooled data collection. Results To test the decrease of percentage of recalled items as the interstimulus interval increases, the results were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA due to the nature of the experiment where all conditions were tested on within the same subjects. Interstimulus interval was classified as categorical variable with four conditions (20ms, 100ms, 300ms, and 1000ms) whereas the dependent variable, the percentage recalled was a continuous variable. The results illustrated significant decrease from the 20ms to 100ms interval on the percentage recalled, Wilk’s Lambda = .011, F (3, 25) = 4.56, p = .011. To observe the informational decay pattern, further test of pairwise comparison demonstrated that there was there was a significant decline between the 100ms interval and 1000ms interval (mean difference= 8.730; p = .02). Furthermore, between 300ms interval and the 1000ms, there was a significant decrease (mean difference = 8.10; p = .009). However, no significant decrease was found from 20ms interval to 100ms interval (mean difference = 1.99; p = 1.00) to 300ms interval (mean difference = 1.35; p = 1.00), and to 1000ms interval (mean difference = 6.75; p = .136). In addition, there was no significant decrease found between the 100ms interval and 300ms interval (mean difference = .635; p = 1.00) but. Generally, since there are greater decrease from 100ms and 300ms interval to 1000ms interval, there were overall decrease across the increasing interstimulus intervals. The mean scores for each interstimulus interval are shown in table 1. Table 1 Mean and standard deviation of percentage of recalled items after interstimulus delay Discussion This research was carried out to examine the effect of interstimulus delay on the effectiveness of iconic memory. Our hypothesis was testing on whether longer interstimulus delay causes lower performance in the percentage of the test items recalled. The statistical analysis on our data showed that there was indeed a significant decrease in percentage of recalled items across the increasing length of interstimulus interval thus supporting our hypothesis. Our result was found to be consistent with the findings from previous studies (Sperling, 1960; Merikle, 1980) which showed that the information decayed as the time delay increased. On the contrary, our outcome did not support the findings from the studies conducted by Darwin et al. (1972) which indicated no significant difference between the interstimulus intervals and study by Kuhbandner et al. (2011) which indicated persistence of iconic memory despite 1000s of delay. A possible reasoning for this finding is the iconic memory decayed over time due to the use of neutral stimulus items where 12 random letters were briefly displayed. These random letters were non-relatable to one another to make sense of the information. According to the Atkinson and Shiffrin’s (1969) modal model of memory, the sensory memory acted as the pathway to the short-term memory and the information decayed rapidly if remained unrehearsed before further processing of the information. Thus, as the stimulus displayed provided no significance for participants to further process in short-term store and stimulates the information decay. This justification can be supported by the finding by Kuhbandner et al., (2011) as the usage of the emotion-inducing stimulus, particularly threatening stimulus caused longer visual persistence due to the human survival instinct. Hence, the type of visual stimulus used explains why iconic memory is short-lived. Besides that, another possible rationalization on decreasing percentage of recalled items over time was due to blinking. The blinking action momentarily disrupts our vision as we are receiving the visual stimuli. Thomas and Irwin (2006) claimed that blinking restrained cognitive processing from their findings in conducting partial report experiment. Their findings showed that more errors were found under blinking condition. As blinking hinders cognitive processing, it is aligned to the Bundesen’s theory of visual attention where limited processing resources is available hence it requires more time to process more information (Petersen and Andersen, 2012). Blinking puts further setback in the information processing thus leading to the decay of unattended information. Strengths and Limitations As we conducted this experiment in one session where all participants were tested in one sitting, all participants experienced similar external conditions including lighting and temperature that may affect the attention. The similar extraneous conditions contributed to the strength of this study. Besides that, a relatively large number of samples for experimental design research also helped to strengthen this study. For limitations, the convenience sampling method of only conducting the research on a class of psychology students is not representative of the population in Sunway University. Thus, it is difficult to generalize our findings as psychology students are more familiar with the CogLab experiments and the theoretical assumption of partial report. Furthermore, this test was conducted early in the morning as soon as the class begins. The students were not in full-alert state during that hour as they rushed to get to class hence may affect their cognitive processing. Future studies and implications To improve the present study, one of the ways that future researcher can apply is to conduct the experiment on subject from different courses in this university. To remove any biasness in sampling, psychology students should be an excluded as they have basic knowledge on cognitive processing. Besides that, another way to improve this study is by using other types of visual stimulus such as combination of letters and numbers per row to see whether it has an effect on their iconic memory. The current finding suggests that there should be very short intervals in between visual aid presentation especially in videos and movies for visual persistence. Besides that, the finding implies that rehearsals from longer duration of visual display help in retaining the iconic memory. Conclusion In conclusion, this study focuses on iconic memory where we assumed that the percentage of recalled items decreases as there is increase in interstimulus interval. The statistical data analysis indicated that there is a significant decrease in percentage of recalled items as the interval period prolonged. The iconic memory theory (Sperling, 1960) and theory of visual attention (Petersen Andersen, 2012) explained on how the delay affects the iconic memory performance. Iconic memory performance decreases over time due to the decay of information. The finding from this study has implication on filming industries to edit their video materials to reduce the iconic memory effect as cut-scene changes.

The Character of the Curate and Marian in Old Mrs. Chundle by Thomas Ha

The Character of the Curate and Marian in 'Old Mrs Chundle' In Thomas Hardy's short story, 'Old Mrs Chundle', the Curate is a well-respected, well-mannered and considerate man. He is determined to spread the word of God to Mrs Chundle. Mrs Chundle is also a considerate woman. She does not regularly visit the church and lives alone in South Wales. At the beginning of the story, the Curate asks for some lunch from Mrs Chundle. At first Mrs Chundle did not hear the Curate, so he has to repeat what he asked earlier. The Curate is an open man; he is not ashamed of asking food from others and is willing to dine with an old woman. This shows that the Curate is a friendly man and he does not judge people. The Curate strikes up a friendly conversation, which eventually leads to Mrs Chundle lying about visiting the church once a week. Due to this, the Curate thinks he and Mrs Chundle have something in common as ho belongs in the same church, which Mrs Chundle lied about. He hopes to see Mrs Chundle again which shows that the curate has become quite friendly with her and also shows that he is a pleasant man. When the Curate is talking to his rector, he finds out about the lie Mrs Chundle told. His view of Mrs Chundle changes for a short while. He now thinks of her as a wicked woman. In Eudor Welty's short story, 'A Visit Of Charity', Marian is a typical 14-year-old teenager. She is a campfire girl trying to gain a few points by visiting old ladies in an 'Old Ladies Home'. At the beginning of the story, Marian, holding a potted plant, jumps off the bus, stops for a moment besides a prickly dark shrub and then proceeds towards the Old Ladies Home. She says to the nurse at the desk, 'I'm a Campfire girl I ... ...had not avoided her, Mrs Chundle would have had the joy of listening to God's words once more before she had died. Marian had not particularly learnt an important lesson. She is only a young adolescent. The only reason she had visited the old ladies was for a few points. When Marian came out of the Old Ladies Home, the first thing she did was take out her apple from under the bush and took a bite out of it. This shows that Marian was not affected in anyway from her experience with the old ladies. She had not gone to visit the old ladies out of her own choice but only for herself. The Curate had learnt the most from his experience as he showed the signs of confusion, guilt and had to ask for forgiveness from God. Marian had just taken a bite out of her apple as soon as she got out. She showed no signs of sympathy and compassion toward the old ladies.

Effective Decisions

Saumya Bhattacharya expressed her thoughts on how to come up with effective decisions and how to prevent its downsides. She quoted the source from the book of Michael J. Mauboussin, Chief Investment Strategist and a Professor of Finance at Columbia Business School, called Think Twice—Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition. Mauboussin’s first step is to have enough knowledge in the situation that you have. This would help in making effective decisions if you are understand what you are getting into. He mentioned an example of Stephen Greenspan that confirms that sometimes it is better to be wise rather than being just intelligent. Essentially, he mentioned having a decision-making journal, that whenever you have an important decision to make, you can write the decisions you have come up, how you arrived at it, and assume what are the effects of your decisions. Changing voices especially writing was challenging. It can be intimidating because it is not a common way of expressing to us non-writers. Eventually, we have to get used to in a business writing way and even scholarly way. Both are essential because in writing you have to consider your readers and what level of knowledge they can comprehend. Sometimes we tend to overly express our thoughts through fancy words that lead to deviation in the main thought, unclear message, and disorganized thoughts. To avoid this, you must be brief, use familiar vocabulary and must be logical. I can classify the differences of business writing vs. scholarly writing into three categories: purpose, format, and its readers. In business writing, you are trying attain specific goal to complete a job while scholarly writing also known as academic writing that is commonly used in academic fields. It is usually based upon research of the chosen subject. Business writing often has a brief content like memos, reports and evaluations. In academic writing, we have essays, term papers and lab reports that are usually required to have extensive research and good sources. Scholarly writing can be used to support managerial writing because it is usually based on research and mostly written by experts. Sometimes you might need to have a good source that can prove your statement correct or to prove others’ statement wrong or vice-versa. Whether you used scholarly or business writing, as long as you keep it simple, clear, and consistent, your readers will understand what you are trying to convey. References Bhattacharya, S (March 7, 2010). HOW TO DECIDE EFFECTIVELY. Business Today, Vol. 19 Issue 5, p157-157. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=968c482b-8197-48ac-9de1-e51638e99332%40sessionmgr112&vid=2&hid=101 University of Houston-Victoria. ACADEMIC VS. BUSINESS WRITING. Retrieved from http://www.uhv.edu/ac/business/academic.aspx (July 18, 2013) Walden University (2013). SCHOLARLY WRITING. Retrieved from http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/312.htm (July, 18, 2013) May, Claire and May, Gordon (2012). EFFECTIVE WRITING A HANDBOOK OF ACCOUNTANTS. One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458: Prentice Hall. Ask.com. Retrieved from http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-scholarly-writing (July 18, 2013)

The Changing Meaning of Mural

The Changing Meaning of Mural The Changing Meaning of Mural The Changing Meaning of Mural By Maeve Maddox Because I am used to thinking of a mural as a painting on a wall, I was startled to hear a local radio announcer refer to a contest for artists to submit designs to paint â€Å"murals† on storm drains. Storm drains are on the ground. They are also rather small. I think of murals as being quite large. Here’s the definition from the OED: mural (noun): a painting executed directly on to a wall or ceiling as part of a scheme of decoration. I was surprised to see ceiling included in the definition. Mural derives from the Latin word for wall: murus. The Latin adjective is muralis, â€Å"of or relating to a wall.† According to the OED, mural in the context of painting is an American coinage dating from 1908. In earlier British usage, a mural was â€Å"a fruit tree grown against and fastened to a wall.† In US urban settings, mural is used in its customary sense, but recently it has come to be used of paintings made on sidewalks, on streets, and even on such things as benches. Here are some examples from news stories originating in different parts of the country: Last year, the CARE neighborhood in partnership with Banner Neighborhoods painted a street mural in the intersection at the south side of the market. - Maryland. University Facilities and Services is coordinating a project featuring storm drain murals to encourage pollution awareness. - Illinois. Monroe Municipal Mural on sidewalk - Georgia. This year another ten local artists were chosen to  paint murals  on ten  storm drains  in the Springfield area.  - Missouri. The new FABnyc  sidewalk mural, fashioned by  Ecuadorian artist Raà ºl Ayala is among our favorite public artworks to surface this year. - New York. â€Å"Only rain down the drain,† reads a mural painted on a concrete bench on the west side of Matthews Street halfway between Green Street and Springfield Avenue. - Illinois. This expanded meaning for mural has resulted in the creation of the retronym â€Å"wall mural.† For Drew and me, painting wall murals has been a great source of extra income. Its finally time to put the finishing touches on the Library Wall Mural and seal it. We completed a big full color wall mural in Naga Gallery. Purists may cringe at the idea of â€Å"sidewalk murals,† but if the painting on a ceiling can be called a mural, I suppose that a large painting on the floor or the ground might reasonably share the term. To refer to a painting or design on a small surface such as a bench or a storm drain as a mural, however, seems to be an unnecessary stretch of meaning. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FuturePeople versus Persons30 Words Invented by Shakespeare

Self-Preservation Is the First Law of Nature Essays

Self-Preservation Is the First Law of Nature Essays Self-Preservation Is the First Law of Nature Paper Self-Preservation Is the First Law of Nature Paper â€Å"Self-preservation is the first law of nature. † The above quote is an often heard line regarding an individual’s response to the demands of nature. It can be said that self-preservation and security outweigh the need to act independently and freely of the constraints of others. This is but one of the ways one can attempt to balance out the desire to act independently but also with the need for security. The idea of resolving these seemingly irreconcilable needs is brought up in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, wherein he writes of two main characters who attempt to resolve their need for independence and security. The playwright utilizes character to suggest that in the attempt to reconcile independence and security, it is ultimately the need for self-preservation that takes immediate priority. A character who is faced with the task of uniting his desire to act independently with his need for security is Hamlet. Hamlet shows a melancholy side to him when confronted by these opposing demands. From his soliloquies, the reader is immersed in the thoughts of a pensive young man who struggles with the need for safety and freedom. He debates whether â€Å"to be, or not to be,† and although he does not hold his life at a â€Å"pin’s fee,† his heart harbors discontent with the â€Å"unweeded garden that grows to seed. † It is seen that he is conflicted with the demands set upon him by his dead father, as well as that of Claudius and the people of Denmark who want to move on from the passing, and he struggles with the desire to resolve his need for security and autonomy in this matter. From this, it is seen that Hamlet values self-preservation over independence as his soliloquies are only words and not actions, and as such, are the product of his own safety thereby allowing him to immerse himself in the safety of this own thoughts. Furthermore, it is evidenced that he is a procrastinator in his quest for independent action, and this ultimately turns out to be his tragic flaw. Even though he is set upon the task of avenging his father’s â€Å"foul and most unnatural death,† he stands â€Å"unpregnant of his cause. It is clear from this that Hamlet procrastinates in order to preserve his own well being and acts in his own self interest despite the desire to take revenge upon Claudius for his father’s death. He does not wish to act independently when his security is put at risk, especially in the presence of a â€Å"smiling, damned villain,† so he procrastinates in order to put off dealing with matters that might jeopardize his wellbeing. Conversely however, Hamlet has been shown to have an impulsive streak in the face of settling his desires for safety and freedom. This is clearly seen when he â€Å"follows [the ghost]† despite the apparitions intentions being unknown. The ghost could be the work of the devil, only to condemn Hamlet to his own personal oblivion, however, he still actively seeks out the spectre because he wishes to learn the truth of the matters concerning his father’s death. As well, he displays decisive action when he says the â€Å"rat dead, for a ducat, dead. † This violent and impulsive action results in the death of Polonius who was eavesdropping on his and Gertrude’s conversation. In both of these examples it is seen that Hamlet acts independently and decisively, with the underlying intent being that of self-preservation. He seeks out the ghost’s intentions because of his desire to live securely despite the rule of Claudius, and he kills Polonius only because he was acting on behalf of his own primal instinct to preserve himself. From these examples it is inferred that in his desire to harmonize safety and the need for independent action, hamlet acts impulsively to secure the security he craves. Lastly, it is seen that Hamlet exudes an aura of intelligence and quick wit when opposed by the daunting task of reconciling safety and independence. He has an innate ability to transform a turn of events to his advantage as is witnessed when the players come to put on a show. He utilizes them in order to â€Å"catch the conscience of the king,† wherein he collects enough evidence to cement the validity of the ghost’s statements. His ability to think quickly is invaluable, as this keeps his wellbeing a top priority while still unifying his need to act freely as well. Another character who deals with the prospect of reconciling his need to act independently with his need for security is Claudius. Unlike Hamlet who is a procrastinator in his deeds, Claudius is a man of decisive action. This is clearly seen when he decides to have Hamlet sent to England with â€Å"fiery quickness† due to his â€Å"antic disposition. † It is evident that Claudius does not deliberate on matters that require immediate attention as â€Å"[he’ll] have Hamlet hence to-night. † From this, it can be inferred that Claudius wishes o preserve himself against a suspicious threat as he manages to actively deal with his adversary as well. In combination with his decisive action, it is known that Claudius is incredibly manipulative in his desire to unify freedom and safety. When Laertes makes his return to Denmark with every intention of avenging his father by killing Claudius, he does everything in his power to give†[Laertes’s soul] it[s] due content. † He placates Laertes’s indignant spirit and as a result, Laertes end up â€Å"rul’d by [Claudius]. From this, it is seen that Claudius utilizes manipulation for the sake of self-preservation while keeping his own independent actions an ulteriot motive. As well, Claudius has displayed a creative and strategic ingenuity when it comes to reconciling his own security and free will. He is determined to be rid of Hamlet, but his strategic nature indicates that he will do so by way of a cunning scheme. When Laertes and Claudius plan hamlet’s demise, Claudius maintains a skillful approach that will allow â€Å"purpose[to] hold there. It is evidenced that Claudius utilizes his own strategic nature in order to act for sake of saving his own flesh. While in the process of working towards acting independently, he also manages to keep his safety a top priority which is his ultimate motive against a dangerous opposition such as Hamlet. Lastly, it is seen that in his pursuit of uniting his own independent action and security, Claudius has shown a paranoid and guilt stricken side to him. He is responsible for the death of his own brother as his â€Å"stronger guilt defeats [his] stronger intent. † However, he cannot truly repent as his â€Å"words [are] without thought,† and as a result, they will â€Å"never to heaven go. † It is seen that because of his desire to remain secure in not only the eyes of the public, but as well as Hamlet and Gertrude, he cannot openly admit to his wrong doings. This is due to the fact that in doing so, he will risk the unbridled and justified wrath of hamlet which will compromise Claudius’s sport on the throne. Just like a scavenger whose actions are cowardly in order to live another day, Claudius too, lives securely to rule in the coming days due to his own inability to act independently. In conclusion, it is seen that in the attempt to reconcile ones desire for independent action as well as security, it is ultimately the self-preserving instinct that takes immediate control. This is clearly evidenced by both hamlet and Claudius in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, who although take different approaches to this matter, fundamentally have the same mentality of keeping their desire to be secure the utmost priority. It is derived from the play that it is almost always security that takes precedence over freedom of actions; however it is up to the members of society to decide for themselves how they wish to approach their own attempt to reconcile their own need for security as well as the desire to act independently. There are many different approaches and ways to attempt this harmonization, and as such, each is tailored to an individual’s unique ability to decipher what it is that one really values and desires.

International Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Economics - Essay Example Social and cultural characteristics also impact the production techniques since the stock of trust among Indians facilitates the maintenance of socially held knowledge that, in turn, allows the social organization of the economic activity of carpet making. In India, values, ideas, human relationships and knowledge of carpet making are transmitted from one generation to another as part of the robust Indian culture. Conversely, the carpet production process in the US is characterized by mechanization of most processes. 2This allows for large-scale production as a single carpet producer uses massive amounts of fiber each day. Resource endowment, in the US, includes massive amounts of financial and intellectual capital, high entrepreneurship and robust technologies. Additionally, income levels are relatively large, enabling entrepreneurship and the establishment of huge companies that churn out massive quantities of carpets throughout the year. Essentially, resource endowment, in the US, including land, capital, labor and entrepreneurship, is quite prosperous. Social and cultural characteristics of the US that impact carpet production include an appreciation for formal training and education, which results in highly skilled and specialized human capital essential for the production process. Question 2 Carpet production is one of India’s oldest industries, dating back to the Mughal Dynasty. However, carpet production centers on the individualistic skills and knowledge of a weaver rather than collective appreciation of carpet making acquired through formal education and training. Due to immediacy to furnishing product, several carpet manufacturing centers have developed across the country. Carpets produced in India are mostly exported since the Indian market for carpets is quite small as a result of the low purchasing capacity of local players. Presently, India’s carpet export is worth Rs.2600 crores while the local market size is approximately Rs.200 c rores. 3The industry has high growth potential as exports increased by 42.23% between 2004 and 2007. 4However, the industry is marred by challenges such as poor market channels, resulting in ignorance within the Indian market. 5On the other hand, the carpet industry in the US is highly developed. The industry shipped 1.969 billion square yards of carpet, in 2003; this was worth approximately $12 billion. Carpet shipments increased to 2.3 billion yards in 2004, demonstrating the massive potential inherent in the US carpet production industry. Presently, the US meets at least 45% of the world’s carpet needs. 6The US carpet industry is characterized by innovations and technological advances that allow for large-scale production of highly-priced goods. Technological progress is one of the primary reasons behind massive growth in the US carpet industry. The US carpet industry is highly organized, allowing for sufficient knowledge in the domestic market. 7 As a consequence, the US effectively meets at least 90% of its domestic carpet needs. Question 3 Latent demand for carpets in the USA pushes the country to become a primary importer of carpet despite being an efficient carpet producer. This is because carpet production, in the US, has been unable to offer complete satisfaction to all domestic needs and wants, resulting in a gap between what is available and desirable. The local US market has a high desirability for hand woven, Indian carpets, which are considered stylish and sophisticated. Conversely,

Discipleship in the Gospel of Matthew Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Discipleship in the Gospel of Matthew - Essay Example he concept of discipleship will be explored and subsequently validated through comparisons to the role of faith, devotional learning and ministry within contemporary Christian communities. The English word disciple customarily denotes a follower, adherent or student of a great master, religious leader or teacher.2 Discipleship, in relation to the teachings of New Testament principles, focuses around Christs establishment of a group of individuals who digest, adopt and consequently administer these lessons to other individuals for the sake of promoting Christian doctrine. Moreover, a primary objective of Christs ministry was to appoint citizens of the community of Israel to the role of disciple where, as He preached and educated them regarding His new covenant, these newly selected ministers were moved to faith for the sake of servitude to Christianity.3 It is crucial to highlight the fundamental principles of new Christian doctrine, as Jesus teachings offered a radical reinterpretation of scripture and Jewish tradition whereby He frames the invitation to an abundant life within a new Christian community through a calling to rigorous discipleship.4 In the New Testament, Christ administers His absolute authority to promote a new doctrine for acceptable living by citing His relationship as the appointed messenger of God. Through His teachings, those who were appointed as disciples formed the nucleus of the modern church and that the pattern of the relationship between Christ and his disciples was essential for the establishment of a communion between the risen Lord and members of His church.5 Thus, discipleship can from God through Christ. It is within the Gospel of Matthew where elements of discipleship are most apparent which point toward the goals of adherents to Christianity and the role of disciples in promoting Christian morality and Gods law for the sake of building not only the modern church, but in establishing salvation for others through ministry. The

Political Transitions in East and South East Asia Essay - 1

Political Transitions in East and South East Asia - Essay Example It is considered undemocratic in the event that people are respected and dignified selectively and with discriminatory perspectives. This concept of democracy illustrates that on some occasions the welfare of one or just a couple of people can be subordinated by the interests of the majority in order to achieve a common good. It is important to note that democracy does not it whatever circumstances promote equality of condition like in communism. Equality of condition comes with favoritism and categorization into groups of similar characteristics. On the other hand, democracy promotes equality of opportunity. According to equality of opportunity, everyone has then freedom to develop his or her talent to totality or as much as he or she cares to. Democracy is founded on the principle that the majority is more often right that wrong. When it comes to politics, democracy dictates that the majority is better positioned to make sane political decisions as compared to the minority or a single individual. One ought to note that sometimes democracy is seen as a trial and error process in which some decisions may not be absolute best but eventually become satisfactory because of its support from then majority faction. Despite the fact that democracy seems to dwell so much on the majority, it is noteworthy that it does not overlook the minority entirely. On the other hand, democracy gives some respect to the minority. This is done by giving then minority a chance to join the majority faction through legal means. Additionally, democracy also ensures that then minority in a society is given equal chance as the majority to voice its views. Compromising can be defined as the process of adjusting, reconciling and blending competing views with the aim of finding common ground that is most acceptable to the largest number of stakeholders involved. Democracy demands for the

The terms Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

The terms Race and Ethnicity Essay The terms Race and Ethnicity are vastly different in meaning. Regardless of their historical definitions which can be lengthy and tend to run off on many tangents. Race to me simply is based on physical characteristics. The color of ones skin, the bone structure, eye color and shape, or texture and color of ones hair. The physical makeup of a person determines their origin of race, for example Black, White or Asian. Race is simply our biological composition. Ethnicity on the other hand is based in culture, where a persons ancestry developed, their national origin being foremost and then their learned culture and background over time becomes ones ethnic makeup. Examples of this are Hispanic, German, Scottish, English, Mexican, or Jewish. For instance I am White but also German, Irish and Dutch and through my family history there are cultural traditions carried on in each generation that have become part of my ethnicity and make me unique but also group me with people from my -specific ethnic background. Ethnicity means sharing cultural similarities such as language, cuisines, dress and traditions that are part of a national culture. As far as the ways these concepts are important to the United States society, there are many, however not all of them are positive. These concepts are important to the United States society because people are recognized for the diversity of their race and culture as represented by each individual group. In my opinion race has been and is still used to determine power in our society and always brings separation by the ways in which its distributed. Classes are formed and people are either lifted to a higher level of class based on their skin color or race of origin and others are suppressed and disallowed to climb higher in society by the same racial definitions. I believe the biggest importance in our society regarding both race and ethnicity is the way people are treated regarding healthcare and the glaring class separation. Whole sections of people can be made to feel alienated or be made to feel inferior if society fails to bring diverse groups together as one mainstream society. Ethnicity as I have seen it has brought groups closer in society. People of diverse nationalities seem to stick together and celebrate their diversity in close knit groupings, gathering at holidays to share cultural traditions. Choosing cohabitation in neighborhoods of common nationalities and cultures, forming alliances with similar fellowships and even encouraging social activities within cultural groups. Everyone can learn from anothers culture and bring their own knowledge to the table to share with others. Our country was founded on diversity and the common understanding that we are all different and all deserve the same respect for our individual values. In order to ensure success in the future of our country we need to broaden our thinking and teach tolerance and appreciation for our differences.

Strategies for Welding Aluminium

Strategies for Welding Aluminium CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION OF THE FSW TECHNIQUE In todays modern world there are many different welding techniques to join metals. They range from the conventional oxyacetylene torch welding to laser welding. The two general categories in which all the types of welding can be divided is fusion welding and solid state welding. The fusion welding process involves chemical bonding of the metal in the molten stage and may need a filler material such as a consumable electrode or a spool of wire of the filler material, the process may also need a inert ambience in order to avoid oxidation of the molten metal, this could be achieved by a flux material or a inert gas shield in the weld zone, there could be need for adequate surface preparations, examples of fusion welding are metal inert gas welding (MIG), tungsten inert gas welding (TIG) and laser welding. There are many disadvantages in the welding techniques where the metal is heated to its melting temperatures and let it solidify to form the joint. The melting and solidification causes the mechanical properties of the weld to deteriorate such as low tensile strength, fatigue strength and ductility. The disadvantages also include porosity, oxidation, microsegregation, hot cracking and other microstructural defects in the joint. The process also limits the comb ination of the metals that can be joined because of the different thermal coefficients of conductivity and expansion of different metals. The solid state welding is the process where coalescence is produced at temperatures below the melting temperatures of the base metal with out any need for the filler material or any inert ambience because the metal does not reach its melting temperature for the oxidation to occur, examples of solid state welding are friction welding, explosion welding, forge welding, hot pressure welding and ultrasonic welding. The three important parameters time, temperature and pressure individually or in combinations produce the joint in the base metal. As the metal in solid state welding does not reach its melting temperatures so there are fewer defects caused due to the melting and solidification of the metal. In solid state welding the metals being joined retain their original properties as melting does not occur in the joint and the heat affected zone (HAZ) is also very small compared to fusion welding techniques where most of the deterioration of the strengths and ductility begins. Dissimila r metals can be joined with ease as the thermal expansion coefficients and the thermal conductivity coefficients are less important as compared to fusion welding. Friction stir welding (FSW) is an upgraded version of friction welding. The conventional friction welding is done by moving the parts to be joined relative to each other along a common interface also applying compressive forces across the joint. The frictional heat generated at the interface due to rubbing softens the metal and the soft metal gets extruded due to the compressive forces and the joint forms in the clear material, the relative motion is stopped and compressive forces are increased to form a sound weld before the weld is allowed to cool. Friction stir welding is also a solid state welding processes; this remarkable upgradation of friction welding was invented in 1991 in The Welding Institute (TWI) [4]. The process starts with clamping the plates to be welded to a backing plate so that the plates do not fly away during the welding process. A rotating wear resistant tool is plunged on the interface between the plates to a predetermined depth and moves forward in the interface between the plates to form the weld. The advantages of FSW technique is that it is environment friendly, energy efficient, there is no necessity for gas shielding for welding Al, mechanical properties as proven by fatigue, tensile tests are excellent, there is no fume, no porosity, no spatter and low shrinkage of the metal due to welding in the solid state of the metal and an excellent way of joining dissimilar and previously unweldable metals. 1.2 ALUMINUM ALLOYS AND WELDING OF ALUMINUM ALLOYS Aluminum is the most abundant metal available in the earths crust, steel was the most used metal in 19th century but Aluminium has become a strong competitor for steel in engineering applications. Aluminium has many attractive properties compared to steel it is economical and versatile to use that is the reason it is used a lot in the aerospace, automobile and other industries. The most attractive properties of aluminum and its alloys which make them suitable for a wide variety of applications are their light weight, appearance, frabricability, strength and corrosion resistance. The most important property of aluminum is its ability to change its properties in a very versatile manner; it is amazing how much the properties can change from the pure aluminum metal to its most complicate alloys. There are more then a couple of hundreds alloys of aluminum alloys and many are being modified form them internationally. Aluminium alloys have very low density compared to steel it has almost on e thirds the density of steel. Properly treated alloys of aluminum can resist the oxidation process which steel can not resist; it can also resist corrosion by water, salt and other factors. There are many different methods available for joining aluminum and its alloys. The selection of the method depends on many factors such as geometry and the material of the parts to be joined, required strength of the joint, permanent or dismountable joint, number of parts to be joined, the aesthetic appeal of the joint and the service conditions such as moisture, temperature, inert atmosphere and corrosion. Welding is one of the most used methods for aluminum. Most alloys of aluminum are easily weldable. MIG and TIG are the welding processes which are used the most, but there are some problems associated with this welding process like porosity, lack of fusion due to oxide layers, incomplete penetration, cracks, inclusions and undercut, but they can be joined by other methods such as resistance welding, friction welding, stud welding and laser welding. When welding many physical and chemical changes occur such as oxide formation, dissolution of hydrogen in molten aluminum and lack of color change when heated. The formation of oxides of aluminum is because of its strong affinity to oxygen, aluminum oxidizes very quickly after it has been exposed to oxygen. Aluminum oxide forms if the metal is joined using fusion welding processes, and aluminum oxide has a high melting point temperature than the metal and its alloys it self so it results in incomplete fusion if present when joined by fusion welding processes. Aluminum oxide is a electrical insulator if it is thick enough it is capable of preventing the arc which starts the welding process, so special methods such as inert gas welding, or use of fluxes is necessary if aluminum has to be welded using the fusion welding processes. Hydrogen has high solubility in liquid aluminum when the weld pool is at high temperature and the metal is still in liquid state the metal absorbs lots of hydrogen which has very low solubility in the solid state of the metal. The trapped hydrogen can not escape and forms porosity in the weld. All the sources of hydrogen has to be eliminated in order to get sound welds such as lubricants on base metal or the filler material, moisture on the surface of base metal or condensations inside the welding equipment if it uses water cooling and moisture in the shielding inert gases. These precautions require considerable pretreatment of the workpiece to be welded and the welding equipment. Hot cracking is also a problem of major concern when welding aluminum, it occurs due to the high thermal expansion of aluminum, large change in the volume of the metal upon melting and solidification and its wide range of solidification temperatures. The heat treatable alloys have greater amounts of alloying elements so the weld crack sensitivity is of concern. The thermal expansion of aluminum is twice that of steel, in fusion welding process the melting and cooling occurs very fast which is the reason for residual stress concentrations. Weldability of some aluminum alloys is an issue with the fusion welding processes. The 2000 series, 5000 series, 6000 series and 7000 series of aluminum alloys have different weldabilities. The 2000 series of aluminum alloys have poor weldability generally because of the cooper content which causes hot cracking and poor solidification microstructure and porosity in the fusion zone so the fusion welding processes are not very suitable for these alloys. The 5000 series of aluminum alloys with more than 3% of Mg content is susceptible to cracking due to stress concentration in corrosive environments, so high Mg alloys of 5000 series of aluminum should not be exposed to corrosive environments at high temperatures to avoid stress corrosion cracking. All the 6000 series of aluminum are readily weldable but are some times susceptible to hot cracking under certain conditions. The 7000 series of aluminum are both weldable and non-weldable depending on the chemical composition of the alloy. Alloys with low Zn-Mg and Cu content are readily weldable and they have the special ability of recovering the strength lost in the HAZ after some weeks of storage after the weld. Alloys with high Zn-Mg and Cu content have a high tendency to hot crack after welding. All the 7000 series of aluminum have the sensitivity to stress concentration cracking. All these problems associated with the welding of these different alloys of aluminum has lead to the development of solid state welding processes like Friction Stir Welding technique which is an upgraded version of the friction welding processes. This process has many advantages associated with it, and it can weld many aluminum alloys such as 2000 and 7000 series which are difficult to weld by fusion welding processes. The advantages of the Friction Stir Welding processes are low distortion even in long welds, no fuse, no porosity, no spatter, low shrinkage, can operate in all positions, very energy efficient and excellent mechanical properties as proven by the fatigue, tension and bend tests. 1.3 Conventional Welding Processes of Aluminum A brief description of the most common processes, their applications on aluminum and limitations are given below. 1.3.1 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW): In gas tungsten arc welding process the heat generated by an arc, which is maintained between the workpiece and a non-consumable tungsten, electrode is used to fuse the joint area. The arc is sustained in an inert gas, which serves to protect the weld pool and the electrode from atmospheric contamination as shown in Figure 2.3. The process has the following features: It is conducted in a chemically inert atmosphere; The arc energy density is relatively high; The process is very controllable; Joint quality is usually high; Deposition rates and joint completion rates are low. The process may be applied to the joining of a wide range of engineering materials including stainless steel, aluminum alloys and reactive metals such as titanium. These features of the process lead to its widespread application in aerospace, nuclear reprocessing and power generation industries as well as in the fabrication of chemical process plant, food processing and brewing equipment. 1.3.2 Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW): Shielded metal arc welding has for many years been one of the most common techniques applied to the fabrication of steels. The process uses an arc as the heat source but shielding is provided by gases generated by the decomposition of the electrode coating material and by the slag produced by the melting of mineral constituents of the coating. In addition to heating and melting the parent material the arc also melts the core of the electrode and thereby provides filler material for the joint. The electrode coating may also be used as source of alloying elements and additional filler material. The flux and electrode chemistry may be formulated to deposit wear- and corrosion-resistant layers for surface protection as shown in Figure 2.4. Significant features of the process are: Equipment requirement are simple; A large range of consumables are available; The process is extremely portable; The operating efficiency is low; It is labor intensive. For these reasons the process has been traditionally used in structural steel fabrication, shipbuilding and heavy engineering as well as for small batch production and maintenance. 1.3.3 Plasma welding: Plasma welding uses the heat generated by a constricted arc to fuse the joint area; the arc is formed between the tip of a non-consumable electrode and either the work piece or the constricting nozzle as shown in Figure 2.5. A wide range of shielding and cutting gases is used depending on the mode of operation and the application. In the normal transferred arc mode the arc is maintained between the electrode and the work piece; the electrode is usually the cathode and the work piece is connected to the positive side of the power supply. In this mode a high energy density is achieved and the process may be used effectively for welding and cutting. The features of the process depend on the operating mode and the current, but in summary the plasma process has the following characteristics: Good low-current arc stability Improved directionality compared with GTAW Improved melting efficiency compared with GTAW Possibility of keyhole welding The keyhole technique is the high heat concentration can penetrate completely through the joint. These features of the process make it suitable for a range of applications including the joining of very thin materials, the encapsulation of electronic components and sensors, and high- speed longitudinal welds on strip and pipe. 1.3.4 Laser welding The laser may be used as an alternative heat source for fusion welding. The focused power density of the laser can reach 1010 or 1012 Wm-2 and welding is often carried out using the keyhole technique. Significant features of laser welding are: Very confined heat source at low power Deep penetration at high power Reduced distortion and thermal damage Out-of-vacuum technique High equipment cost These features have led to the application of leaders for micro joining of electronic components, but the process is also being applied to the fabrication of automotive components and precision machine tool parts in heavy section steel. 1.4 Weld Defects using Conventional Processes Because of a history of thermal cycling and attendant micro structural changes, a welded joint may develop certain discontinuities. Welding discontinuities can also be caused by inadequate or careless application of established welding technologies or substandard operator training. The major discontinuities that affect weld quality are described below. 1.4.1 Porosity: Trapped gases released during melting of the weld area and trapped during solidification, chemical reactions during welding, or contaminants, cause porosity in welds. Most welded joints contain some porosity, which is generally spherical in shape or in the form of elongated pockets. The distribution of porosity in the weld zone may be random, or it may be concentrated in a certain region. Porosity in welds can be reduced by the following methods: Proper selection of electrodes and filler metals. Improving welding techniques, such as preheating the weld area or increasing the rate of heat input. Proper cleaning and preventing contaminants from entering the weld zone. Slowing the welding speed to allow time for gas to escape.8 1.4.2 Slag inclusions: Slag inclusions are compounds such as oxides, fluxes, and electrode-coating materials that are trapped in the weld zone. If shielding gases are not effective during welding, contamination from the environment may also contribute to such inclusions. Welding conditions are important, and with proper techniques the molten slag will float to the surface of the molten weld metal and not be entrapped. Slag inclusions may be prevented by: Cleaning the weld-bead surface before the next layer is deposited by using a hand or power wire brush. Providing adequate shielding gas. Redesigning the joint to permit sufficient space for proper manipulation of the puddle of molten weld metal. 1.4.3. Incomplete fusion and penetration: A better weld can be obtained by: Raising the temperature of the base metal. Cleaning the weld area prior to welding. Changing the joint design and type of electrode. Providing adequate shielding gas. Incomplete occurs when the depth of the welded joint is insufficient. Penetration can be improved by: Increasing the heat input. Lowering travel speed during welding. Changing the joint design. Ensuring that surfaces to be joined fit properly.8 1.4.4 Weld profile: Weld profile is important not only because of its effects on the strength and appearance of the weld, but also because it can indicate incomplete fusion or the presence of slag inclusions in multiple-layer welds. Under filling results when the joint is not filled with the proper amount of weld metal Figure 2.7. Undercutting results from melting away the base metal and subsequently generating a groove in the shape of recess or notch. Unless it is not deep or sharp, an undercut can act as a stress raiser and reduce the fatigue strength of the joint and may lead to premature failure. Overlap is a surface discontinuity generally caused by poor welding practice and selection of the wrong materials. A proper weld is shown in Figure 2.7c.5 1.4.5 Cracks: Cracks may occur in various locations and direction in the weld area. The types of cracks are typically longitudinal, transverse, crater, and toe cracks Figure 2.8. These cracks generally result from a combination of the following factors: Temperature gradients that cause thermal stresses in the weld zone. Variations in the composition of the weld zone that cause different contractions. Embitterment of grain boundaries by segregation of elements, such as sulfur, to the grain boundaries as the solid-liquid boundary moves when the weld metal begins to solidify. Hydrogen embitterment. Inability of the weld metal to contract during cooling is a situation similar to hot tears that develops in castings and related to excessive restraint of the work piece. (a) crater cracks. (b)Various types of cracks in butt and T joints.8 Cracks are classified as hot or cold cracks. Hot cracks occur while the joint is still at elevated temperatures. Cold cracks develop after the weld metal has solidified. Some crack prevention measures are: Change the joint design to minimize stresses from shrinkage during cooling. Change welding-process parameters, procedures, and sequence. Preheat components being welded. Avoid rapid cooling of the components after welding.8 1.4.6 Lameller tears: In describing the anisotropy of plastically deformed metals, we stated that because of the alignment of nonmetallic impurities and inclusions (stringers), the work piece is weaker when tested in its thickness direction. This condition is particularly evident in rolled plates and structural shapes. In welding such components, lamellar tears may develop because of shrinkage of the members in the members or by changing the joint design to make the weld bead penetrate the wearer member more deeply.8 1.4.7 Surface damage: During welding, some of the metal may spatter and be deposited as small droplets on adjacent surfaces. In arc welding possess, the electrode may inadvertently contact the parts being welded at places not in the weld zone (arc strikes). Such surface discontinuities may be objectionable for reasons of appearance or subsequent use of the welded part. If severe, these discontinuities may adversely affect the properties of the welded structure, particularly for notch-sensitive metals. Using proper welding techniques and procedures is important in avoiding surface damage.8 1.5 Skill and Training requirements: Many of the traditional welding processes required high levels of operator skill and dexterity, this can involve costly training programs, particularly when the procedural requirement described above need to be met. The newer processes can offer some reduction in the overall skill requirement but this unfortunately been replaced in some cases by more complex equipment and the time involved in establishing the process parameters has brought about a reduction in operating factor. Developments, which seek to simplify the operation of the equipment, will be described below but effective use of even the most advanced processes and equipment requires appropriate levels of operator and support staff training. The cost of this training will usually be recovered very quickly in improved productivity and quality. 1.6 Areas for development: Advances in welding processes may be justified in: Increased deposition rate; Reduced cycle time; Improved process control; Reduced repair rate; Reduced weld size; Reduced joint preparation time; Improved operating factor; Reduction in post-weld operations; Reduction in potential safety hazards; Removal of the operator from hazardous area; Simplified equipment setting. Some or all these requirement have been met in many of the process developments which have occurred in the ten years; these will be described in detail in the following chapters but the current trends in the of this technology are examined below. 1.7 New processes: The Primary incentive for welding process development is the need to improve the total cost effectiveness of joining operations in requirement for new processes. Recently, concern over the safety of the welding environment and the potential shortage of skilled technicians and operator in many countries have become important considerations. Many of the traditional welding techniques described in this Chapter are regarded as costly and hazardous and it is possible to improve both of these aspects significantly by employing some of the advanced process developments described in the following chapters. The use of new joining techniques such as Friction Stir Welding appears to be increasing since it does not involve melting. The application of these processes has in the past been restricted, but with the increased recognition of the benefits of automation and the requirement for high-integrity joints in newer materials it is envisaged that the use of these techniques will grow. This is a new process originally intended for welding of aerospace alloys, especially aluminum extrusions. Whereas in conventional friction welding, heating of interfaces is achieved through friction by rubbing two surfaces, in the FSW process, a third body is rubbed against the two surfaces to be joined in the form of a small rotating non-consumable tool that is plunged into the joint. The contact pressure causes frictional heating. The probe at the tip of the rotating tool forces heating and mixing or stirring of the material in the joint. 1.8 Research objectives: The objectives of our project are to: Adopt FSW to a milling machine Design the FSW tools, select its material and have it manufactured Design the required clamping system Apply FSW to plates of an alloy that is not readily weldable by conventional methods Investigate FSW parameters (RPM, Feed Rate and Axial force) Analyze conventionally welded and Friction Stir welded sections then compare their properties. The objective of this research is to characterize the mechanical properties of friction stir welded joints and study the micro structure of the base metal and the weld nugget evolved during the friction stir welding of similar and dissimilar alloys of Aluminum. Aluminum 2024 and 7075 are considered for this investigation. The mechanical properties such as ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, formability, ductility and vickers hardness are measured and an effort is made to find out a relation between the process variables and properties of the weld. The optimal process parameters for the Friction-Stir welding of AA2024 and AA7075 will be defined based on the experimental results. Having understood the significance of FSP, the main objective of this thesis is to investigate the effect of process parameters like rotational and translational speeds on the forces generated during FSP of aluminum alloys and relate these forces with the microstructure evolved in order to optimize the process. The specific objectives of the work presented are: Design and conduct FS processing experiments on aluminum alloy for different combinations of rotational and translation speeds. Measuring the generated processing forces during FSP of aluminum alloys Examine the microstructural of the processed sheets using transmission electron microscope (TEM). Attempt to establish a correlation between these measured forces and the resulting microstructure. Chapter 2 Review of Literature 2.1 General Idea of the Friction Stir Technology This section gives an insight into the innovative technology called friction stir technology. The action of rubbing two objects together causing friction to provide heat is one dating back many centuries as stated by Thomas et.al [1]. The principles of this method now form the basis of many traditional and novel friction welding, surfacing and processing techniques. The friction process is an efficient and controllable method of plasticizing a specific area on a material, and thus removing contaminants in preparation for welding, surfacing/cladding or extrusion. The process is environmentally friendly as it does not require consumables (filler wire, flux or gas) and produces no fumes. In friction welding, heat is produced by rubbing components together under load. Once the required temperature and material deformation is reached, the action is terminated and the load is maintained or increased to create a solid phase bond. Friction is ideal for welding dissimilar metals with very different melting temperatures and physical properties. Some of the friction stir technologies ar e shown in the Fig.2-1. Work carried out at TWI by Thomas et.al [2,3] has demonstrated that several alternative techniques exist or are being developed to meet the requirement for consistent and reliable joining of mass production aluminum alloy vehicle bodies. Three of these techniques (mechanical fasteners, lasers and friction stir welding) are likely to make an impact in industrial processing over the next 5 years. FSW could be applied in the manufacture of straight-line welds in sheet and extrusions as a low cost alternative to arc welding (e.g. in the fabrication of truck floors or walls). The development of robotized friction stir welding heads could extend the range of applications into three dimensional components. Mishra et.al [4] extended the FSW innovation to process Al 7075 and Al 5083 in order to render them superplastic. They observed that the grains obtained were recrystallized, equiaxed and homogeneous with average grain sizes