Harriet Tubman’s Great Achievements Essay

Harriet Tubman was a hero that completed many brave and selfless acts. She was born in Maryland in 1822 and by the age of 5, she was already working. She got married in 1844, to a free black man, but she was still a slave. Finally, in 1849, her master died and she decided to escape. That is when her great achievements began. Her first great achievement was operating the Underground Railroad. Her journeys to grant other slaves were hundreds of miles long. She traveled from Maryland all the way up to St. Catherines, Canada on foot. She took them all the way to Canada to get them away from the danger of the Fugitive Slave Act which was an act that made Northerners turn in runaway slaves. Harriet was 28 when she made her first rescue and 38 when she made her last. All of the 23 fugitives were collected in Dorchester County, Maryland. To avoid capture, Harriet took trips at night in December, took slaves on Saturday nights (Sunday was a free day and they wouldn’t be needed until Monday), and never met the fugitives at plantations. This was a great achievement because doing this was very long and had many dangers that were all avoided by Harriet even thought she had up to 11 people with her. The next great achievement of Harriet was when she was a spy and rescued 800 slaves in one night. One year after the start of the Civil War, Harriet Tubman was asked by the government of Massachusetts to join the Union troops in South Carolina. She there lead a team of eight black spies to operate behind the enemy lines and provide information for a Union raid to free slaves. The Combahee River raid took place on June 2, 1863. This was a great achievement for â€Å"Moses† ,(Harriet’s nickname, given to her because she was leading slaves to freedom), because she helped 800 slaves in one night. Harriet’s next achievement was becoming a nurse for the Massachusetts 54th  Volunteers , an all black group of solders. These solders attacked Fort Wagner in Charleston Harbor and Harriet was there to care for the wounded. While working, Harriet never got paid by the army so she had to sell baked goods and root beer to the solders. Even thought Harriet worked so hard, her actions were never recognized by the army. She never received pension and only took her rations 20 times. This was a great achievement. Finally, Harriet’s last great achievement was taking care of poor and sick people. Harriet took the 48 years from the end of the Civil War to her death to taking care of poor and sick people in her home. She typically had six to eight people that she was caring for. In a quote from her, she states that she took care of the old, paralyzed, blind, and people with other sicknesses. These achievements were all great, but I feel that Harriet Tubman’s greatest achievement was when she was a spy for the Union and helped free 800 slaves. Compared to the other achievements, I think this one is definitely more heroic and deserving of more praise. Harriet Tubman was an amazing hero that will never be forgotten because of her compassion and bravery.

Gattaca and 1984 Insight

Stephanie Sadaka Mr. Sisti April 26th, 2010 ENG 4U1 Literary Insight Paper After reading the novel 1984 and watching the movie Gattaca, I was able to perceive many concepts and similarities and differences between both pieces of art. Gattaca, directed by Andrew Niccol, shows a story of a society where life is controlled by genetics, rather than education or experiences. Based on your DNA, society determines where you belong, and your future. This allows no room for people to gain experiences and to grow, as they are confined to a specific lifestyle. It is evident however in the film that Vincent tries to violate societies’ structure, by playing the role of a navigator, using his blood samples and urine. George Orwell, the author of 1984, shows a similar concept, where life is controlled by the Party and where the main character, Winston, tries to defy the Party. Although it is obvious that both works have a dystopian society, the societies within it struggle to achieve a utopian society instead. Through its intense depiction of struggles to fit in and altering way of life to be accepted in society, Gattaca enhanced my understanding of the impact that surveillance has in 1984 and how it has limited the people to prosper in life within society. Due to the dystopian society, the totalitarian government is enforcing surveillance which plays a negative impact on the characters and the plot. Throughout the novel 1984, it is noticeable that surveillance throughout the city plays a deep role in the growth of the characters. Surveillance had an underlying impact on the love connection between the main characters Winston and Julia. When engaging in a love affair, it is vital to spend time with one another and to show affection. The surveillance that the Party has enforced upon the society hindered their love connection and the ability to pursue a serious relationship. By not allowing citizens to show love and affection to one another, they are enforcing loneliness and isolation within the society, which ultimately leads to the lack of social skills and ability to care or love. Gattaca allowed me to understand this issue in 1984, because in the film Gattaca, the love between Vincent and Irene was kept a secret from society as they couldn’t show love and affection towards one another in public. This caused them to rebel against society, by meeting up secretly and showing affection towards one another outside the public eye. The surveillance that the Party enforced within society did not allow the people to enjoy hobbies or areas of work they may excel in. Instead of allowing citizens to spend time doing things they may enjoy, they obligated them to do what the Party needs. This is obviously shown when Winston is trying to write in his journal in his room. Instead of freely writing about the topic of his choice, he sits in the corner to write because he fears the consequences that the Party may enforce on him if they found out. Gattaca opened me up to this idea due to the fact that Vincent’s dream is to travel to space, yet due to his genetic make up, society does not permit him to do what he enjoys. People are under surveillance at all times, therefore they may never experience what they enjoy due to the constant fear of being caught. Not only did Gattaca allow me to view a different side of how love and hobbies may be restricted due to surveillance, it has also given me a view on how surveillance causes people to change who they truly are. Instead of expressing their true selves and bringing forth their assets to society, the characters are wearing a mask around others, by acting or pretending to be like someone they are not. Vincent in Gattaca is hiding his true identity in society in order to pursue his life long dream of travelling to space. In order not to get caught, he must mirror the life of another character and must not let society find out his true identity. This broadened my understanding about the Party’s surveillance on society and the effect it had on the growth of the characters. Due to the Party’s constant surveillance over people, the characters are hiding their true selves and playing the role as a perfect citizen in front of the cameras, as they are confined to a specific lifestyle and in order not to face the Party’s consequences. Throughout the novel, Winston is always hiding his thoughts about the Party and about Big Brother, although he is completely against it. However, in order to ensure that he does not get caught, he must act as though he loves them and agrees with their power over society. Surveillance is shaping these characters to be a perfect representation of what they are expected to be, instead of being who they are. In conclusion, it is evident that surveillance has taken a toll on the characters in these pieces of art. Gattaca helped me understand and notice the severe impact that surveillance has on society and the impact it has on the lives of the citizens in 1984. The characters are covering their true selves in order to be accepted and to fit within the society. Not only is surveillance restricting their ability to show love and affection, it is also preventing the characters from expressing what they enjoy, and being who they are by living to their full potential. This new perspective has helped me understand the underlying significance that surveillance has on society in both 1984 and the film Gattaca and the restrictions it placed on the many characters.

A Brief Note On Slash And Burn Agriculture Essay -- Agriculture, Sociolo

Slash and Burn Agriculture is a widely used method of cultivating crops in usually temperate or tropical regions. It is the process which forested land is clear cut and any remaining vegetation is burned, the ash remains contain a nutrient rich top soil that helps fertilize crops. After years of cultivation the fertility of the soil decline and weeds increase, causing the farmers to shift to a new plot. Traditionally the old plot was left uncultivated, reverting itself into a secondary forest of bush and within a decade it could be reused. By the early 21st century the plot is usually maintained in a permanent deforested state, causing farmers to move to new plots and aiding to the destruction of Earth’s resources. Slash and Burn Agriculture is a significant step in history because it leads to more early human settlements and the destruction of natural habitats. Groups of hunters and gathers turned to slash and burn agriculture and domestication of various animals, which provides more nutrition per hectare then hunting and gathering on their own. Thus leading to more deforestation to convert forests into crop fields and pastures as the need for more nutrition grew as the population steadily rose. Early slash and burn agriculture wasn’t done in excessively large areas as it is today, the land was controlled by a family till the resources were exhausted and it was left to refurnish itself over time. Now slash and burn agriculture is particularly destructive. Now the land is being burnt down in excessive amounts; leading the loss of habitat and species, increase of carbon into the atmosphere, soil erosion, water contamination, and landslides. All of which is contributing to the dwindling of earth’s na the creators of the AP World Civilization book by Pearson’s by Peter N. Stearns (Author), Michael B. Adas (Author), Stuart B. Schwartz (Author), Marc Jason Gilbert (Author). II. What is the author’s point of view? The author’s point of view seems unbiased, factual writing depicting a few reasons why early man would leave cave paintings depicting the first conscious historical accounts of human experience. III. What is the intent or purpose behind the document? The intent behind the document is to inform and explain the theories behind why they left cave paintings. IV. Who is the intended audience? The intended audience can range from school students to those who are interested in learning about how Paleolithic cave paintings can teach us about the past; more precisely their culture, way of life, tools used to make the art work, and give us a glimpse into the past.

Power and Politics in California Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Power and Politics in California - Essay Example The State of California however, had weak party structure with the segments of party which was in the government, the organization of the party and the party which was in the electorate. The ranks of the party were then affected by the instability in the ties between the major party and the number of voters which is growing. In regards to this then, there have been changes and variations in the electoral fortunes for the democrat’s and republican parties. In the year 1994, the republicans almost became the dominating party in the state of California but this was resolved when Bill Clinton carried it and regained control for the democrats. Even after Schwarzenegger was voted in as the governor, the strength of the republicans has not increased nor decreased. This could due to the fact that the attachment of voters to parties in California is not very stabilized. In that case then, party affiliation cannot be used as an assurance in determining the political success. Strengtheni ng of parties has since then deemed better because many argue that politics based on parties are more democratic than those based on interest groups. The objective of political parties is to increase support among citizens but this is not the case for interest groups. The system based on party politics will make voters feel the worth of their votes and this will encourage other potential voters to participate in the voting process in future.

(not so sure about that)management and information system Essay

(not so sure about that)management and information system - Essay Example Of course, a lot of firms would like to know the different winning strategies that easyJet made in engaging its business online, given that a lot of business are now being done and facilitated by the internet. From this premise, this paper then would try to look at the approaches that easyJet used in establishing its presence on the internet. In this case, the researcher would try to look at the step by step approaches that easyJet made as it established its online presence as a key component of its growth. In addition, the researcher would also try to look into the different relevant scholarly readings to analyze the different approaches that easyJet made, in order to more accurately point out why these approaches actually came to be so much successful. At the end of the paper, the researcher would then summarize the different approaches that easyJet made in establishing its presence online, and would briefly give some recommendations on what may be learned from the approaches that easyJet made. ... to fly and operate on any route within the countries belonging to the European Union, which was before dominated solely by flag-carrying airlines (Pritchard, 2002). Due to this agreement, which provided for the deregulation of the airline industry for 10 years, easyJet actually began its existence (Pritchard, 2002). In the year 1995, easyJet actually began to operate, wherein the aviation company started to accommodate flights from London to nearby Edinburgh and Glasgow (Pritchard, 2002). By virtue of the companies earlier strategies, which involved offering lower fare for these routes, as well as aggressive advertising and publicity events, the company soon began to grow, albeit slowly at first (Pritchard, 2002). However, soon enough, the company began to grow rapidly by the time that it positioned itself in the world of e-commerce, and utilized the internet for projection, marketing and sales (Pritchard, 2002). In fact, just only after 28 months, the company was actually able to re ach its one millionth seats sold (Pritchard, 2002). Now, the company has already grown rapidly, being able to sell its third millionth seat, and has already merged with Go, a separate low-cost airline that was actually established by the British Airways, the flag carrier of the United Kingdom and Great Britain (Pritchard, 2002). Online Positioning and easyJet’s Success One of the first approaches that easyJet made was actually to venture into e-commerce, which was a relatively bold move for any company at that time (1998). But what is the definition of e-commerce? According to Dr, Mamooh Shah, e-commerce is actually â€Å"all electronically mediated information exchanges between an organization and its external stakeholders† (Shah, n. d.). In addition, Shah also outlines the different

Ancient and Medieval Political Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Ancient and Medieval Political Theory - Essay Example i The Greek way of distinguishing what justice and democracy really are, passes through the analyses of various philosophical minds. The definition of the same with regard to the Republic by Plato and the character Thyrasymachus is justice is â€Å"serving the interest of the stronger†, and secondly, is the obedience to the laws of one state†. However, Socrates thinks that the two assertions cannot be real explanations since the predicates they carry do conflict in one way or another. Plato rounds up by defining justice as â€Å"the greatest good†. In the definition of what democracy is, the philosopher, In Gorgias, through Socrates, Plato, thinks that â€Å" a criminal who does wrong without receiving any punishment is the most wretched person of all† (Plato, 115) Through Socrates, Plato makes attempts that are repeated in a way in order to give good reason for the fact that justice is a tool meant to design all the needs of the people in the society who are powerful and rich. Consequently, Plato was able to prove that the justice had a liaison in the inherent meaning though acting in line with democracy. In that context Plato does claim that there is democracy in Athens which most people in their argument do attest to. He argues through Socrates, that in a society or country, or city that has democracy, it is not easy for an individual to get his or her justice. He defined justice as a virtue that is helpful in the development of an order basis with proper integration of the societal role and does not make interference with any other societal part. The meaning as depicted sounds a bit controversial given the fact that it does relate to the meaning of justice in the traditional realm and the rationale developed basing on fair play. Plato thinks that political justice is â€Å"harmony in a structured political body† Justice is when three parts of the soul (spirited appetitive, and reasoning) work

Drug Patch Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Drug Patch Design - Research Paper Example NASA approached me to design this patch. The design I came up with in my mind was of a patch that could be worn by all astronauts and which would last at least for 60 hours so that less umber of patches would be needed. In my present project I will be studying and analyzing the rates of diffusivity in different skins while altering parametes such as diffusivity (D), thickness of membrane (L) and concentration of Scopolamine drug (Cp). The next layer would be the reservoir layer where a certain diluted concentration of the drug would be present. It must be remembered that the concentration is extremely important since even a slightly higher concentration would have serious deleterious effects (Parrott,p1).The layers beneath this would all be permeable such that they allow the drug to slowly diffuse out of the reservoir layer and travel up to the skin. Once the drug reaches the skin it would diffuse into the skin and enter the blood. Therefore a person wearing this patch would have a constant dose of a diluted form of the drug which would help one in overcoming motion sickness and perform duties efficiently. The patch I designed was tested a few times and recorded the values of skin thickness, diffusion rate, time and range of flux. While running the test simulations I studied 3 different test diffusivities and 3 different membrane thickness along with 7 different concentrations. All the tests run under the different test parameters helped me construct the graphs from where I obtained important conclusions. Looking at the graphs we can see that with time both concentration as well as flux gradually reduce and come to a zero. My patch that I finalized worked with all skins and concentrations. The main scope of the test stimulations was to come up with a patch design that would be beneficial for astronauts. Firstly it must meet the time criteria i.e. it should last for several hours. Secondly the concentration should be just right. If the drug

Susan Meiselas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Susan Meiselas - Essay Example The Maryland Art Source web page dedicated to Meiselas tells how she was given grants in order to begin film and photography programs in the school houses of the rural south. Later she was able to combine her teaching ideas with oral history and photography and she continued to work with teachers in New York city at the Center for Understanding Media. In 1976 she joined the Magnum Photos co-operative. The members portray and interpret world events , issues and people.Since that time Meiselas worked as a freelance photographer. She is best known for her pictures of human cruelty and coverage of human rights issues in Latin America, travelling in 1977 to Nicaragua to photograph the civil war then being conducted, with huge loss of life, between the forces of the dictator General Anastasio Somoza Garcà ­as and his Sandinista opposition. In 1981, she photographed a village in San Salvador which had been destroyed by the armed forces and also took photographs of the El Mozote massacre which took place in the same year when Salvadorean soldiers , who had been trained by the military of the United States, killed some 1000 civilians in the name of an anti-guerilla campaign. Her work is known world wide Meiselas has had many one-woman exhibitions in Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Her photographs are included in more permanent exhibitions both in America and elsewhere. She has been honored with many awards in recognition of both her work and her courage including the Robert Capa Gold Medal for outstanding courage and reporting in 1979 given by the Overseas Press Club for her work in Nicaragua. This was followed by the Leica Award for Excellence in 1982, the Engelhard Award from the Institute of Contemporary Art in 1985. In 1992 she was named as a MacArthur Fellow. The Maria Moors Cabot Prize was given by Columbia University for her coverage of Latin America and she also

COURSE REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

COURSE REPORT - Essay Example In the writing of any work, acknowledgement of the source of material is necessary (Ng 93). Through the course teaching, I have come to have an in-depth understanding of how to cite in Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style. As a result, I was able to reflect on the mistakes I have made in previous assignment and how I could have avoided them. Since personal interview is a source of information, which could be used in writing an essay, its coverage in the course, provided me with more knowledge. There are numerous forms of writing, contract essay being included. The course gave an in depth analysis of writing intermediate level compressing contract essays. This was essential in the formation of my strong base, which will be very helpful in handling other levels of essays. In addition, the course gave an intensive coverage of grammar. This enhanced my sentence structure and word choice, which has continuously been reflected in my writings. In writing of any piece of work, not all views on a subject/idea are the same. As a result, it is usually necessary to take into consideration the opposing views, which usually give a new dimension of looking into issues. Through the course training, I got an understanding on how I would effectively write an opposing view. The contribution of the course to my personal and professional development cannot be neglected. It improved my grammar and citation proficiency as well as providing me with more knowledge on writing essays. As a result, I would to appreciate all persons who contributed to its successful delivery either directly or

Restaurant Business as One of the Most Rewarding Type of Small Essay

Restaurant Business as One of the Most Rewarding Type of Small Businesses - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that restaurant business is one of the most rewarding types of small businesses. The researcher has witnessed one of his uncle’s advances so much economically because of owning one of them. His restaurant is a fast food restaurant located in the middle of one of the busy streets in Saudi Arabia. The main types of food served at the restaurant are chicken, chicken burgers, fries,  burgers,  pizza, sandwiches, junk food among other fast meals. Fresh fruit juices are also served at the restaurant. The restaurant offers quick dining for those who have time to sit and eat but for those who have no such time, quality food packaging services are offered. The legal ownership structure of the business The legal ownership structure for the restaurant in question is the sole proprietorship. The business is classified under sole proprietorship type of business because only one person legally owns the business, and he and t he business are treated as one entry. He did not partner with anyone in or outside the family in the setting up of the business or running it. Instead, he is the overall manager of the business, overseeing operations, and employees like chefs, customers attendants, and cashiers. At the end of every month, all the profits or losses are upon him alone and he carries liability for any debts incurred. Alternative possible structures An alternative for the sole proprietorship is General Partnership. However, their losses are determined by the extent of their investment. Peacock states that as for a Limited Liability Company, no partner is personally liable for any debts incurred by the business. Before commencing with business, all partners make a written agreement detailing the organization of the business, alienability of interests, provisions of management, and distribution of profits and losses. Sole proprietorship as the most appropriate structures Sole proprietorship is the most ap propriate type of business ownership structure, especially for a small business. It is best fitted for hardworking individuals and those who can learn to sacrifice for a better tomorrow. This is because the owner can decide to plow back a large portion of the profits accrued over a period just to ensure that the business expands within a short period. As for partnerships, not all partners could be ready to make this sacrifice. It is easy to make decisions in sole proprietorship since opinions are sought before undertaking anything. Such structure protects a business from the weaknesses that are found in some form of partnerships with family businesses where decisions are emotionally driven instead of being driven by logic. The owner is not obliged to hire any family members but qualified persons for the business. Out of the hard work of the month, there is no one to take away any portion of the profit from the owner. Reed points out that such business is not subject to government ta xes.

Example Creative Project Analysis as Film Studies Essay Example for Free

Example Creative Project Analysis as Film Studies Essay In my storyboard I started with normal diegetic sound to create the normal, realistic atmosphere of sounds such as gates creaking and the wind blowing. This is so the audience is aware of the surroundings, considering no establishing shot was used prior to this to show the setting also generates a dark and mysterious atmosphere to begin with, leaving it to the audience’s imagination to guess what is going to happen as no hints to the genre have even been made yet. Then we have non-diegetic sound as music influenced by the beat from Jaws starts to play. This makes the audience feel uneasy and unusual as they realise something bad may happen because of the sinister music. I was conscious of the significant use of music to create atmosphere within the horror genre and therefore wanted the soundtrack to emphasise the tension on screen. The music gets louder and louder as the attacker gets closer to the victim to emphasise the fact that there is danger ahead and something bad is clearly about to happen. The music stops just before the murder as the girl screams as it is inevitable now that the girl is going to die, it builds up tension more and pulls you into a false sense of security. At the end the only sound we hear is the diegetic sound of the attacker laughing, this is so all the focus is on her and shows she has no guilt over what she has done, leaving the audience wondering about the character so it keeps it interesting and intriguing for them to watch. Costume is used in this storyboard to show normalcy. The attacker is dressed like a normal teenage girl so the audience can somehow relate to her as well as the other character and to suggest she is just another typical modern girl, which is why it is a shock to the audience when she kills the other girl and impacts so greatly. The killer in this film is also a female because they are usually seen to be damsels in distress that need saving so you’d never expect her to kill someone, which is another way I have attempted to make the film be original and shock the audience. Women serial killers may not be as strong as a male would be but they have a bigger impact on the victims and on the audience watching, the influence for this idea comes from films such as Friday The 13th, Audition and Phenomena. The props in this storyboard are also significant, especially the use of the knife in the picture when the attacker is at the door. The use of the knife is taken from the 1996 slasher/horror film scream which greatly influenced the film and how the killing took place, this is to help when marketing to a specific target audience and so the audience can have something to compare the film too without it being too over-predictable. In picture 10, the girl is being killed and has a teddy bear in her hand; this is to imply she is young, innocent and vulnerable and also shows that she is just a normal child in the comfort of her own home and was not expecting anything like that to happen, which is an effective contrast to when she is being stabbed. The lighting used was very dim and minimal throughout as it was shot at night so the killer could hide in the shadows effectively to make her seem mysterious at first and to make the audience wonder about her. This is to play on the audience’s natural fear of the dark and shadows, which is a usual characteristic of the genre and is seen in many other horror films. The main camera shots used where over the shoulder shots and point of view shots from the killer itself, this is so the audience can actually identify with the killer and the audience will drive pleasure from the actions of the killer because if the audience is there to see a horror film they expect there to be deaths and blood as it is typical of the genre itself to play on natural human fears. During the attack there is rapid use of camera movement such as a zoom used to intensify the stabbing action and to put it in clear perspective for the audience. The extreme close up at the end is also used to emphasise on the psychotic glare of the killer as she laughs and is meant to unnerve the audience. In my creative sequence I wanted to use micro features in keeping with the horror genre in order to create audience response. My choice of sound, mise en scene and cinematography was done so to maximise the effect of my chosen scene and to effectively make a different type of horror film with an addition of originality and an addition of normal generic conventions, overall I think it was successful.

Structure of an Organization Essay Example for Free

Structure of an Organization Essay Organization structure refers to the method which the organization utilizes to distribute its workers and jobs across the organization so that the tasks of the organization can be performed and the goals of the organization be achieved. Therefore, there exists a number of such structures e.g. divisional, multidivisional, matrix or functional structure. This paper evaluates the usefulness of functional and multidivisional structures. Gareth Jones (2007) defined the organizational structure as the total number of ways whereby the workforce of the organization is distributed into different tasks and their coordination then is realized among such tasks. Adner Levinthal (2001) observed that the way in which organization structure evolves is as a result of the shift in competition from innovation in product to innovation in process. This change, as the market for the products or service of the firm grows, causes the structure of the firm to grow as well and may therefore turn from functional to multidivisional. Utterback Abernathy (1975) observed that after an organization is formed it compete with other organizations in the market on the basis of its differentiation strategy. They start off on the basis of product differentiation and as they grow further, they change their focus from product alone to cost differentiation strategy as well as economies of scale. This leads them to invest more in the manufacturing process and other processes to make their product stand out as a specialized one. Tushman Anderson (1986) observed that this process may not be uniform every time. Some technological or technical discontinuity might cause this process to halt and thus start it all over again. They further observed that some companies may also focus on process innovation to stand out against competitors e.g. Toyota. However, other companies might like to continue on the basis of differentiation strategy e.g. BMW. Therefore, the lifecycle model represents a significant framework for organizations to devise their strategies and the processes they need to focus on in various competitive environments (Oster, 1994; Porter, 1980) Utterback Abernathy (1975) also defined the ways whereby the evolution process of the organization shapes up  the strategies of the firms. Gort Klepper (1982) gave effect to lifecycle model of industries by employing microeconomics supply side rationales as well as evolutionary economics. They nevertheless derived the same results. They too observed that organizations evolved first on the basis of product differentiation and on the basis of functional model and gradually shifted towards the increase in the number of firms under their auspices. When they reach at the peak they have a number of firms under their umbrella which require for a more in-depth management causing them to shift towards divisional management. This stage is called the maturity stage of the organization. This is the stage when the firm is stable from low level to the top (Utterback Suarez, 1993). Lifecycle theories all agree that organizations start on the basis of competitive strategies and as they evolve their structure experiences change. The early stage of any organization witnesses product innovation. The organizations usually focus on bringing innovation in a product that they launch in the market to distinguish it from the rest. The product is designed as per the latest needs of the consumer but existing needs are also satisfied by the product. Utterback Abernathy, 1975 They then gave the examples of the product innovation in market by organizations i.e. the new products which were launched in market to compete with existing products on the basis of innovation and meeting the latest needs of the consumers e.g. AC systems were introduced to compete with DC systems and internal combustion engines were introduced to c ompete with steam engines. Utterback Abernathy (1978) observed that in the initial stages when the product is being launched by the new organization, that organization is usually of small structure and the aim of such organization is to respond in a fast paced manner to the demands of the customers. However, when the firms get to the stage of maturity, they focus on the improvement of the process along with that of the product. They then involve the employment of latest technology and produce a dominant product e.g. AC systems came up as a dominant product compared to DC systems and internal combustion engines came up as dominant products as compared to steam engines. This transition from product innovation to innovation in process along with the product causes most of the organizations to change their structures so that new capabilities can be acquired by them. Talha (2005) described functional structure of the  organization as the one which involves the people being grouped together in a tight group to pe rform same activities or utilize same technologies and in the same department. This is therefore usually the structure of smaller organizations. This structure has its own weaknesses and strengths. Jones (2007) observed that functional structure represents that design of the organizational structure whereby the people involved possess common expertise, skills and resources. The aim of organizations structured in this manner is to enhance their effectiveness so that their goals can be achieved by them. Jones (2007) said that the main advantage of this type of structure is that people work closely together so they work in a team like manner and have the opportunity to learn from each other. They tend to be more specialized over time as well as productive. Since they possess same expertise and skills therefore they can also supervise each other conveniently. This enhances the effectiveness of the organization. Brews (2004) observed that functional structures first started to appear in 20th century when the industrial age started to emerge. The main concern for the management in that age was the efficiency of the organizations. The functional structure involved few managers which were at top while at bottom there were people. These people were organized as per the activity they used to perform. Authority was descended onto from top to bottom. However, despite the advantages enunciated above, there were also problems related to the functional structure. These were mostly two fold i.e. they involved communication and control problems. With the growth of the organizations and with the growth in its units and people, it became difficult to communicate since people and units became distant from each other in the same organization and it became difficult to measure the capability of the groups with few managers. It also gave rise to location problem i.e. it became difficult to locate every unit at one place while on the other hand if they were located at different locations it again gave rise to communication problems. (Jones, 2007) The control problem related to the management of wider number of people and units within the organization. It became difficult to control a large number of people possessing different skills as per the needs of the organization by same little number of managers. It also became difficult to gauge the problems and demands of the customers as the organizations grew as managers were busy in finding ways to coordinate with  widespread units/people while having little time to pay heed to customer queries, etc. Therefore, as organizations grew they started to get divided in various divisions with each division having its own management system. Each division then could have its own functional management system. This is what is referred to as multidivisional structure. (Jones, 2007) Such multidivisional structures arose due to different types of people working in the same organization, having had the need to establish different units in the organization to meet customer demand s and develop innovative products, increased integration and increased vertical differentiation. In such instances organizations usually gave effect to multi divisional structure to meet the management needs of the organization. The focus of the multi divisional structure is to create small divisions within the organization with each division having its own management. Robbins (2009) observed that in multi divisional structures, each unit of the organization usually has its own management which is structured on a functional pattern. He believed that multidivisional structure is viable for those organizations whereby the same product requires different parts to be assembled to form one product and that such product is sold in various markets. Jones (2007) said that at the heart of the multi divisional structure is the corporate headquarter which is entrusted with overseeing the managers of each division of the organization. A number of Fortune 500 companies e.g. Nestle, General Motors, Pepsi Co and Coca Cola have multi divisional structures. Dessler (2004) observed that the main feature of the multi divisional structure is that the organization is â€Å"departmentalized†. He said when an organization grows successfully and a number of other brands also comes under its auspices e.g. as there are a number of brands acquired by Coca Cola over time, then it has to maintain different units for different purposes. For example, the unit entrusted with the responsibility to find marketing channels in USA may lack the competency to find marketing channels in Europe or China in which instance it would be a separate unit having such responsibilities. Each region would thus have its own unit but of the same organization and each unit may have its own management structure as well. Ireland (et al. 2011) observed that functional structure is relevant and appropriate for smaller organizations and for those organizations which have just begun their operations. They gave example of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. that the store started  off with functional structure in the beginning and progressed further. Moreover, Ireland (et al. 2011) also argued that one cannot apply the same structure to each organization. It is the circumstances of each company and organization which dictate the need for the relevant structure. Thus, organizational structure represents the fashion in which organization organizes itself from top to bottom. It may be functional in the starting when the organization has just begun its operation while it may be multidivisional when the organization is huge in terms of its operations, products and services such as Fortune 500 companies. Bibliography Adner Levinthal (2001): Demand heterogeneity and technology evolution: implications for product and process innovation. Management Science 47: 611-628. Brews (2004): Exploring the Structural Effects of Internetworking. Strategic Management Journal, 25(5), 429–452 Dessler (2004): Management: Principles and Practices for Tomorrow’s Leaders. USA: Pearson Education Gort Klepper (1982): â€Å"Time Paths in the Diffusion of Product Innovations,† Economic Journal 92(3) (1982), 630-653 Ireland (et al. 2011): The Management of Strategy Concepts and Cases. USACANADA: South-Western Jones (2007): Organizational theory, design, and change (6th Ed) Prentice Hall Oster (1994): Modern Competitive Analysis. Oxford University Press: New York. Porter (1980): Competitive Advantage. Free Press: New York. Talha (2005): Organizational structure. Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Tushman Anderson (1986): Technological discontinuities and dominant designs: a cyclical model of technological change. Administrative Science Quarterly 35: 604-633 Utterback Abernathy (1975): A dynamic model of process and product innovation. Omega 3:639-656. Utterback Suarez (1993): Innovation, competition, and industry structure. Research Policy 22:1-21

Types Of Data Compression Computer Science Essay

Types Of Data Compression Computer Science Essay Data compression has come of age in the last 20 years. Both the quantity and the quality of the body of literature in this field provide ample proof of this. There are many known methods for data compression. They are based on different ideas, are suitable for different types of data, and produce different results, but they are all based on the same principle, namely they compress data by removing redundancies from the original data in the source file. This report discusses the different types of data compression, the advantages of data compression and the procedures of data compression. 2.0 DATA COMPRESSION Data compression is important in this age because of the amount of data that is transferred within a certain network. It makes the transfer of data relatively easy [1]. This section explains and compares lossy and lossless compression techniques. 2.1 LOSSLESS DATA COMPRESSION Lossless data compression makes use of data compression algorithms that allows the exact original data to be reconstructed from the compressed data. This can be contrasted to lossy data compression, which does not allow the exact original data to be reconstructed from the compressed data. Lossless data compression is used in many applications [2]. Lossless compression is used when it is vital that the original and the decompressed data be identical, or when no assumption can be made on whether certain deviation is uncritical. Most lossless compression programs implements two kinds of algorithms: one which generates a statistical model for the input data, and another which maps the input data to bit strings using this model in such a way that probable (e.g. frequently encountered) data will produce shorter output than improbable data. Often, only the former algorithm is named, while the second is implied (through common use, standardization etc.) or unspecified [3]. 2.2 LOSSY DATA COMPRESSION A lossy data compression technique is one where compressing data and its decompression retrieves data that may will be different from the original, but is close enough to be useful in some way. There are two basic lossy compression schemes: First is lossy transform codecs, where samples of picture or sound are taken, chopped into small segments, transformed into a new basis space, and quantized. The resulting quantized values are then entropy coded [4]. Second is lossy predictive codecs, where previous and/or subsequent decoded data is used to predict the current sound sample or image frame. In some systems the two methods are used, with transform codecs being used to compress the error signals generated by the predictive stage. The advantage of lossy methods over lossless methods is that in some cases a lossy method can produce a much smaller compressed file than any known lossless method, while still meeting the requirements of the application [4]. Lossless compression schemes are reversible in-order for the original data can be reconstructed, while lossy schemes accept some loss of data in order to achieve higher compression. In practice, lossy data compression will also come to a point where compressing again does not work, although an extremely lossy algorithm, which for example always removes the last byte of a file, will always compress a file up to the point where it is empty [5]. 2.3 LOSSLESS vs. LOSSY DATA COMPRESSION Lossless and lossy data compressions are two methods which are use to compressed data. Each technique has its individual used. A compression between the two techniques can be summarised as follow [4-5]: Lossless technique keeps the source as it is during compression while a change of the original source is expected in lossy technique but very close to the origin. Lossless technique is reversible process which means that the original data can be reconstructed. However, the lossy technique is irreversible due to the lost of some data during extraction. Lossless technique produces larger compressed file compared with lossy technique. Lossy technique is mostly used for images and sound. 3.0 DATA COMPRESSION TECHNIQUES Data compression is known as storing data in a way which requires fewer spaces than the typical. Generally, it is saving of space by the reduction in data size [6]. This section explains Huffman coding and Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW) compression techniques. 3.1 HUFFMAN CODING Huffman coding is an entropy encoding method used for lossless data compression. The term means the use of a variable-length code table for encoding a source symbol (such as a character in a file) where the variable-length code table has been derived in a particular way based on the estimated probability of occurrence for each possible value of the source symbol. It was developed by David A. Huffman while he was a Ph.D. student at MIT, and published in the 1952 paper A Method for the Construction of Minimum-Redundancy Codes [4]. Huffman coding implements a special method for choosing the representation for each symbol, resulting in a prefix code (sometimes called prefix-free codes, that is, the bit string representing some particular symbol is never a prefix of the bit string representing any other symbol) that expresses the most common source symbols using shorter strings of bits than are used for less common source symbols [5]. The technique works by creating a binary tree of nodes. These can be stored in a regular array, the size of which depends on the number of symbols, n. A node can be either a leaf node or an internal node. Initially, all nodes are leaf nodes, which contain the symbol itself, the weight (frequency of appearance) of the symbol and optionally, a link to a parent node which makes it easy to read the code (in reverse) starting from a leaf node. Internal nodes contain symbol weight, links to two child nodes and the optional link to a parent node. The process practically starts with the leaf nodes containing the probabilities of the symbol they represent, and then a new node whose children are the 2 nodes with smallest probability is created, such that the new nodes probability is equal to the sum of the childrens probability. With the 2 nodes combined into one node (thus not considering them anymore), and with the new node being now considered, the procedure is repeated until only one node remains, the Huffman tree [4]. The simplest construction algorithm is one where a priority queues where the node with lowest probability is given highest priority [5]: 1. Create a leaf node for each symbol and add it to the priority queue. 2. While there is more than one node in the queue: Remove the two nodes of highest priority (lowest probability) from the queue. Create a new internal node with these two nodes as children and with probability equal to the sum of the two nodes probabilities. Add the new node to the queue. 3. The remaining node is the root node and the tree is complete [7]. Figure (1). 3.2 LEMPEL-ZIV-WELCH (LVW) COMPRESSION Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW) is a data compression algorithm created by Abraham Lempel, Jacob Ziv, and Terry Welch. It was published by Welch in 1984 as a development of the LZ78 algorithm published by Lempel and Ziv in 1978. The algorithm is designed to be fast to implement but is not usually optimal because it performs only limited analysis of the data. LZW can also be called a  substitutional  or  dictionary-based encoding algorithm. The algorithm normally builds a  data dictionary  (also called a  translation table  or  string table) of data occurring in an uncompressed data stream. Patterns of data (substrings) are identified in the data stream and are matched to entries in the dictionary. If the substring is not present in the dictionary, a code phrase is created based on the data content of the substring, and it is stored in the dictionary. The phrase is then written to the compressed output stream [8]. When a reoccurrence of a substring is found in the data, the phrase of the substring already stored in the dictionary is written to the output. Because the phrase value has a physical size that is smaller than the substring it represents, data compression is achieved. Decoding LZW data is the reverse of encoding. The decompressor reads the code from the stream and adds the code to the data dictionary if it is not already there. The code is then translated into the string it represents and is written to the uncompressed output stream [8]. LZW goes beyond most dictionary-based compressors because it is not necessary to keep the dictionary to decode the LZW data stream. This can save quite a bit of space when storing the LZW-encoded data [9]. TIFF, among other file formats, applies the same method for graphic files. In TIFF, the pixel data is packed into bytes before being presented to LZW, so an LZW source byte might be a pixel value, part of a pixel value, or several pixel values, depending on the images bit depth and number of colour channels. GIF requires each LZW input symbol to be a pixel value. Because GIF allows 1- to 8-bit deep images, there are between 2 and 256 LZW input symbols in GIF, and the LZW dictionary is initialized accordingly. It is not important how the pixels might have been packed into storage; LZW will deal with them as a sequence of symbols [9]. The TIFF approach does not work very well for odd-size pixels, because packing the pixels into bytes creates byte sequences that do not match the original pixel sequences, and any patterns in the pixels are obscured. If pixel boundaries and byte boundaries agree (e.g., two 4-bit pixels per byte, or one 16-bit pixel every two bytes), then TIFFs method works well [10]. The GIF approach works better for odd-size bit depths, but it is difficult to extend it to more than eight bits per pixel because the LZW dictionary must become very large to achieve useful compression on large input alphabets. If variable-width codes were implemented, the encoder and decoder must be careful to change the width at the same points in the encoded data, or they will disagree about where the boundaries between individual codes fall in the stream [11]. 4.0 CONCLUSION In conclusion, because of the fact that one cant hope to compress everything, all compression algorithms must assume that there is some bias on the input messages so that some inputs are more likely than others, i.e. that there will always be some unbalanced probability distribution over the possible messages. Most compression algorithms base this bias on the structure of the messages i.e., an assumption that repeated characters are more likely than random characters, or that large white patches occur in typical images. Compression is therefore all about probability.

Marshall McLuhans Understanding Media Essay -- McLuhan Understanding

Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media In his groundbreaking work, Understanding Media, Marshall McLuhan posits that technologies in the â€Å"electric age† rendered it impossible for the individual to remain â€Å"aloof† anymore . Over the course of the late 19th to early 20th centuries, while an increasing presence of electric machines in daily life irrefutably signaled our nation’s arrival into the electric age, society’s â€Å"central nervous system [was] technologically extended to involve [each individual] in the whole of mankind,† McLuhan states (20). Previously disconnected, isolated individuals and groups suddenly became compressed, involved in each others’ lives, and unified into a network. As opposed to the preceding mechanical age, this was an age that sought â€Å"wholeness†-- an aspiration that McLuhan refers to as a â€Å"natural adjunct of electric technology† (21). McLuhan believes that great progress was made in the electric age; that wholeness was sought and worked towards eagerly. However, at the turn of the century, three individuals—the philosopher, historian, and writer Henry Adams, the author Henry James, and the escape artist Harry Houdini—seemed to believe society was falling short of the goals that McLuhan claims it held. To these artists, the dreams of making everything seem attainable and everyone reachable were unrealistic; complete global unification, involvement, and wholeness served as a foil for disintegrating interpersonal relations. These American artists saw technology not so much as a device that brings individuals together, but rather as a means of escaping each other, individual social lives, as well as the constraints of the natural world. The Autobiography of Henry Adams, first printed privately in 19... ... not yield wholeness, grant individual freedom, and give Americans the infinite mobility they dream of. On the contrary, technology may cause separation, destruction, and confinement. The question of whether future technologies will unite individuals peacefully or destroy civilizations ruthlessly is just as relevant, if not in fact more pressing today, at the turn of the 21st century, with a global presence of weapons of mass destruction haunting America, than it was at the turn of the 20th century. Based on his law of acceleration and increased danger, Adams might be surprised that America withstood two world wars and even entered the 21st century. But since we have, there is reason to hope that individuals and fellow nations may continue to defy Adams’ fears; that we may continue to â€Å"jump† headfirst into the future, and in doing so, eventually make progress.

Time Machine by H.G. Wells Essay -- Papers

Time Machine by H.G. Wells Works Cited Missing In 1895, Victorian Britain was very much Great Britain- 'the workshop of the world.' Since the Industrial Revolution technological advancement had changed the face of the country (shape, structure and appearance). Heavy industry demanded fossil fuels and therefore there was a heavy demand for mine workers. Growing transport demands led to new roads being built. Life in 802,701 seemed very different to that of 1895, it was a time of easy going and a very laid back time. Everything about this time was different ' The air was free from gnats, the earth from weeds or fungi; everywhere were fruits and sweet and delightful flowers; brilliant butterflies flew hither and thither.' There were two separate forms of life in this time; they were the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi were the weaker of the two beings, and they were used as food for the Morlocks. H.G. Wells describes them in the book 'He was a slight creature- perhaps four feet high- clad in a purple tunic, girdled at the waist with a leather belt. Sandals or buskins- I could not clearly distinguish which- were on his feet; his legs were bare to the knees, and his head was bare. H.G.Wells was concerned that a two heir society was forming when he wrote this book, these two heirs were the ruling privileged clauses (The Haves) and the working class labourers (The Have Not's), so what Wells did was change the two round when he wrote this book, he made the Eloi, who had previously been the mine o... ... gone, in an instant.' The Time Machine is about a man who is a scientist and he wants to see what the future holds for humans, he builds a time machine. The time traveller stops off at various different points in the future but he ends up in the year 802,701 where he finds that the way of life is extremely different, he finds out that there is two distinct species, the Eloi and the Morlocks. He sees how the Eloi are treated as food for the Morlocks and how the Eloi have a life of luxury on the surface whereas the Morlocks are the hard workers working the machines underneath the ground. The time traveller is disgusted with what he sees and is devastated that this is how humans will live in the future, the time traveller stays and helps the Eloi defeat the Morlocks, as he doesn't like the way things work in this life.

Light Essay -- essays research papers

LIGHT: A FUNDAMENTAL FORCE IN OUR WORLD If asked what light is, one could say that it's one of the most basic elements of our world and our universe as we perceive it. It is through sight that we receive 90% of our information. It is through the use of telescopes aiding the naked eye that we are aware of the heavenly bodies around us. It is through light that the energy from the sun is transferred to us. The sun's energy supports the food chain; plants use it to turn water and CO2 into energy usable by other organisms. Solar energy was also used, indirectly, to produce all of the fossil fuels that we consume daily. Since light is such a basic part of our existence, we should have a basic understanding of what it is. What we call light, the intangible, powerful force that powers our world, is somewhat hard to define in real terms. It shares properties with both particles and waves. It follows the same rules as a wave does--it moves in a regular fashion, in a perfect sine wave at a certain frequency. It travels in a straight line, and is subject to refraction. All of these characteristics are found in waves of any type, from radio frequency waves, up to Gamma and X- rays. Light, however, also exhibits qualities characteristic of particles such as neutrons and protons. A photon, or quanta, is the "packet" of energy that is sent in a light wave. Like a particle, the photon is believed to have a fi... Light Essay -- essays research papers LIGHT: A FUNDAMENTAL FORCE IN OUR WORLD If asked what light is, one could say that it's one of the most basic elements of our world and our universe as we perceive it. It is through sight that we receive 90% of our information. It is through the use of telescopes aiding the naked eye that we are aware of the heavenly bodies around us. It is through light that the energy from the sun is transferred to us. The sun's energy supports the food chain; plants use it to turn water and CO2 into energy usable by other organisms. Solar energy was also used, indirectly, to produce all of the fossil fuels that we consume daily. Since light is such a basic part of our existence, we should have a basic understanding of what it is. What we call light, the intangible, powerful force that powers our world, is somewhat hard to define in real terms. It shares properties with both particles and waves. It follows the same rules as a wave does--it moves in a regular fashion, in a perfect sine wave at a certain frequency. It travels in a straight line, and is subject to refraction. All of these characteristics are found in waves of any type, from radio frequency waves, up to Gamma and X- rays. Light, however, also exhibits qualities characteristic of particles such as neutrons and protons. A photon, or quanta, is the "packet" of energy that is sent in a light wave. Like a particle, the photon is believed to have a fi...

Kowloon Motor Bus Co. Analysis

The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd. (KMB) is the largest public bus company in Hong Kong. KMB carries over 2. 8 million passengers per day and operates some 4,000 buses on 400 bus routes cover and across Kowloon, the New Territories and Hong Kong Island. KMB is the only local bus company to hold both ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 certification and has earned the distinction of being one of the few public bus companies in the world to operate profitably without a government subsidy.Innovation – The Way Forward. As a leader in public bus operations, KMB pioneered the development of super-low-floor easy access buses in 1996 to provide comfortable access for people in need. To extend the company's service network without increasing the number of buses on the road, and to offer passengers the convenience of point-to-point travel, KMB operates 61 Octopus Bus-Bus Interchange fare discount packages comprising about 250 bus routes. Cost advantage: To streamline operations and track cos ts, the company uses a computerised Bus Maintenance Management System and an electronic Traffic Operations Management System.These in-house innovations have won acclaim from the Hong Kong Computer Society. Brand loyalty: Outstanding Customer Communications KMB has developed web-based and face to face communication channels to complement the company's widely used award winning Customer Service Hotline. The 24-hour KMB Customer Service Hotline uses geographic information technology in the form of a digital map Passenger Enquiry (PEQ) System to uphold its pledge of first contact resolution for customer enquiries.The system is equipped with 3-D images of over 100,000 landmarks to provide prompt and personalized bus route information. Since its launch, the digital map has won wide acclaim in local, regional and international awards for technology innovation, and the KMB Customer Service Hotline was recently named as the best contact centre of its class in the world. KMB, the winner of th e CILT A ward 2007 – Passenger Transport Excellence organised a Depot Visit and Presentation Session to share their environmental protection works with CILTHK members on 29th March 2008.At the event, KMB was presented with the logo of CILT Award 2007 for use throughout the year to strengthen their reputation as well as a corporate image for their quality service provided to the community. Competitors: Taxi services We observe that in the past 10 years or so, rail, franchised and non-franchised bus and PLB services have all been extended and improved. Against this background taxi services (the vehicle, passenger facilities and the driver's service and driving skills) have changed little. The earlier competitive advantage taxis had as convenient, air-conditioned services has been substantially eroded.Furthermore, the fare is no longer competitive on longer journeys, leading to fierce competition between taxi drivers through discounted services. A better operating environment fo r taxis, thereby allowing them to provide better service to passengers in accordance with the policy objective of providing a personalized, point to point, public transport service. The flexibility and personal service provided by taxis make them ideal for this purpose, provided a suitable vehicle can be found. Once introduced, subsidies may be made available to facilitate those in wheelchairs using the service.

Me, Myself, and Why Problem Set Essay

1. What is the difference between self-interest and selfishness? Why is this distinction important when considering the competitive market economy as appropriate for society? Self-interest is looking out for your best interest and finding the best possible alternatives that will benefit yourself in the business world. Selfishness is putting your own interests above the interests of others and making decisions solely based on how they will benefit you. This distinction is imperative in considering the competitive market that is appropriate for society because you need to make sure that you are looking out for yourself but at the same time you should not make market decisions based solely off your own selfish interests. A selfish business man or woman will never be successful in the long run. 2. Does your textbook present only positive economics and avoid any normative economics? If not, give some examples of normative economics covered in your textbook. The textbook presents both positive economics and normative economics. An example of normative economics that is used in the textbook states â€Å"a value-free interpretation [of economics] leads to all sorts of abuses† (42). Normative economics incorporate subjectivity in to their analysis. Normative economics are heavily influenced by value judgment as well as theoretical situations. Normative economics are the opposite of positive economics. 3. What did Adam Smith believe serves to curb self-interest in an economy? â€Å"People care what others think of them and it is this desire for the good opinion of others that constrains people in their pursuit of self-interest† (41). Adam goes on to say, â€Å"this constraint is reinforced by competition and by the jurisprudence system† (41). Smith believes that others opinions shape what they pursue. Smith opposed the exclusive privileges of corporations and even went as far to oppose  regulations such as taxes which he claims gave individuals the ability to gain an unfair advantage. 4. What does it mean to seek the Kingdom of God in a democratic capitalist economy? How can it be done? Capitalism and Christianity can be combined. It may be difficult to combine the two because many Christians believe that it is better to always put the interests of others before yourself. However, Christ calls us to be good stewards of what He has given us and it is important to be good business men and woman that strive to be warriors for the Lord. Christ has not called us to be mediocre but to rise to the top and to shine for Him. The book states, â€Å"we’re not perfect, but we can strive to act righteously with in a system that accommodates both vice and virtue† (50).

A Comparison Between King Lear and Oedipus Essay

A tragedy is not only an imitation of life in general but an imitation of an action, as Aristotle defined his ideas in the Poetics, which presents Oedipus as an ultimate tragic hero. There is a obvious link between the two characters in that blindness – both literal and metaphorical – is a strong theme in the stories. Issues of self-recognition and self-knowledge are significant for Oedipus as well as King Lear. For Aristotle, Reversal, Recognition and Suffering are key elements in a complex tragedy. The human instinct to seek knowledge of and to know an individual’s character is essential to understand their actions (Aristotle, 1-49). King Lear and King Oedipus find that self recognition and self-knowledge are very important keys to understand their behaviour and as a consequence their lives. They learn by painful suffering that wealth and kingship means nothing and that both are only common men in the end. So all three key terms of Aristotle’s complex tragedy could be found in the plays: reversal, recognition and suffering. At the start of the play, King Lear is defined by his kingship, wealth and power, but when he introduces the ‘love-contest’ over his inheritance, the losing and suffering begins. First and most obviously, he loses his wealth and power. Although the hundred knights and title he retains, having given away his royal power, give him an illusionary security, without his power he is only a poor imitation of a king. It is the Fool who demonstrates with his honest and teasing answers that Lear has lost his identity, not only his property. He says â€Å"All thy other titles thou hast given away; that thou wast born with† (1.4.142) and â€Å"now thou art an 0 without a figure; I am better than thou art now. I am a fool, thou art nothing† (1.4.184). The Fool as well as Kent also tries to show Lear that his decision is not only about property and losing a big part of his identity. It is also about losing his most valuable treasure – his only true loving daughter. The Fool and Kent support King Lear during the play to find his identity, in contrast to Lear’s two elder daughters. They show him his weakness brutally when they do not allow him to keep his knights. This is the last evidence for Lear  that his two elder daughters have only wanted his property and do not care about him as a father. He still does not admit that self-worth and self identity has nothing to do with needs, nothing to do with wealth and power and that love has nothing to do with quantity but with quality. In his pain, he flees the truth as a last solution. The storm scene shows Lear’s madness and his journey to self recognition best, in which he must painfully accept that he is no more than a common man, powerless against the force of nature and the gods. It is not only Lear who has to find himself in this play. The bastard son of the Earl of Gloucester, Edmund, believes himself to be a character without scruple. His only thoughts are selfish and he does not understand that his machinations are ultimately self destructive and false. He plots against his brother and his father to gain power. Not even when his father is blinded as a result of his denunciation does he show any pity. Edmund thinks that he has a natural right to use everything to get what he wants. However, at the end, he realizes his wrong behaviour when he declares, â€Å"I pant for life. Some good I mean to do† (5.3.241). But it is too late – for Cordelia and for him. At the end Lear knows that only the love of his daughter Cordelia is worth living for. Nonetheless Cordelia and Lear die – Lear, wiser than he ever was and so a real tragic hero and Cordelia – a sacrificial victim of this tragedy. Lear finally finds out that true love has nothing to do with property but with knowing oneself and recognizing each other. True understanding of love must mean true understanding of oneself. King Oedipus’s character is similar to King Lear’s. Oedipus is a man, who is fully aware of his strength, intelligence and power. As the solver of the riddle and the national leader of Thebes in a moment of crisis, he is a noble hero and a great celebrity. Thebes high esteem for Oedipus is shown through the Chorus until the bitter end of the play. In the beginning of the play King Oedipus is a person of vast self-assurance. This character attribute is demonstrated in his willingness to take the full responsibility  for dealing with the crisis, the plague. King Oedipus feels certain that he will also manage this crisis as he has done before with the riddle of the sphinx. He feels so self-assure that he even thinks he is able to trick the oracle and the gods by simply fleeing Corinth. But this is a big miscalculation as the play shows. The outline in the story of Oedipus’s self discovery begins when he starts to solve the second riddle, the riddle of Laius death. During this solving Oedipus’ character changes from an honour man to a fearful, condemned man by his tragic fate in the end. The changing of the character is accompanied by the changing of the riddle: the question â€Å"Who is the murderer of Laius?† changes to â€Å"Who am I?† Aristotle in his Poetics discusses this reversal when he speaks of â€Å"a change of the action into the opposite† (Aristotle, 18). As the tragedy moves on, finding the truth for Oedipus becomes an obsession. The dispute between Teiresias and Oedipus demonstrates that Oedipus does not even take the possibility of involvement in something bad into consideration. Teiresias, after he has been provoked, wants Oedipus to find the truth, to acknowledge himself. â€Å"I tell you, you and your loved ones live together in infamy, you cannot see how far you’ve gone in guilt† (418). Although, Teiresias’s speeches are very clear Oedipus negates the truth before himself. The ironic net of facts becomes clearer and clearer. After the entry of the messenger and the shepherd, Jocasta suddenly recognises the truth. She now knows what she is to Oedipus and what guilt lies upon her family. Nevertheless she tries to avoid the truth and tries to save Oedipus when she begs him â€Å"Stop – in the name of god, if you love your own life, call off this search!† (1163). But now, Oedipus wants to know everything so she could only scream, â€Å"You’re doomed – may you never fathom who you are!† (1173). When in the following lines Oedipus claims that he is a son of Chance he is only just entering the circle of increasing knowledge about himself. He soon realizes that outer forces may have impact on his life, but he still relies on his own genius and infallibility. As Oedipus discovers his own identity he has to learn about himself what it is to be a man. He learns that his behaviour and his mistakes are partially responsible for this horrific truth. So he takes the full responsibility for his punishment. In blinding himself he does not die physically but in a sense he is dead. Moving out into the wastelands there is nothing to look forward to except death. The self-recognition of what he  has done and consequently what he is to his children has destroyed him. The play ends in a sense as it begins, with the greatness of a hero. But it is a different kind of greatness. Now it is based on self-recognition and self-knowledge instead of ignorance and pride. Finally Oedipus has gained knowledge of himself and his reality and he realizes that higher forces, such as the gods and destiny have influence. Werner Jaeger declares in his Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture â€Å"to know oneself for Sophocles is to know man’s powerlessness† (Jaeger, 284). And this is to be true for Oedipus as well as for King Lear. King Lear’s and King Oedipus’s awareness of their strength and power is nothing in the end. At the start of the play both kings are majestic figures. Nevertheless not only their character flaws of pride and the exaggerated opinion of themselves lead to this ultimate downfall in the end. Oedipus and Lear cause their own fall partly because they do not know who they are. They first have to find out, through incredible sufferings, that they are nothing more but common men. Both characters symbolize the tragic hero in a perfect sense. The human suffering in these plays is so significant that the reader can almost feel it. Though Oedipus’ fate is determined, the reader still feels sympathy for the tragic hero, believing that somehow he doesn’t deserve what ultimately comes to him. The same applies for King Lear, who gives everything away to his daughters, who will only betray and defraud him. Although in both plays the theme of self-knowledge is very important, it is only one of many ways of entry to the texts. The theme of Blindness, the impact of the Gods and Fate. are other interesting ways to look at the plays. But we learn from the first perspective that self-recognition and learning about oneself has also something positive. No matter how painful the realization, how destructive the outcome there are aspects of growth and gain in it. An important outcome of these plays is that the only person who can tell you who you really are is you by yourself. And this knowledge mitigates the sufferings at least a little bit.

Quartering Act of 1765 Essay

The terms of the quartering act of 1765 were that each colonial assembly was directed to provide for the basic needs of soldiers stationed within its borders. The quartering of soldiers in colonies caused a huge controversy and played a huge part in the start of the American Revolution. The colonists did not like the formal soldiers of the British. They preferred to have militia men which were soldiers of the colonies. Also, they did not have the money for all that fancy stuff anyway so they stayed basic and they did not like how the British wanted to change them. New York was the heaviest resisters of the quartering act. On January of 1776 the assembly showed that they were by refusing to pay the full amount to the crown. The British did not let them have soldiers until they paid the full amount to the crown and even though we ended up paying that left a mark with the colonists. When 1500 British soldiers came to the New York provincial assembly and when the colonists refused to pay them, they went back on their ships and stayed. The Quartering act played a huge part in the American Revolution because it was one of the things that helped America realize why we didn’t even need the British. Even though this act expired on March 24, 1767, there ended up being a new quartering act. This one of the intolerable acts that the colonists couldn’t stand, and everyone knows that everybody has his or her breaking point and this act may have triggered that. The biggest reason why this was a problem in the colonies is that the quartering act was basically a tax for no reason. The colonists had to give money; food and shelter for protection for people that they didn’t even think were a threat to them. I feel that the quartering of soldiers was kind of stupid and not even necessary. What is the point of the colonists feeding the soldiers when the British are beyond wealthy? The Quartering act of 1765 will always be remembered as one of the biggest factors in why the American Revolution happened. The British could have Easley avoided all of this if they would have just started being fair with the colonists instead of trying to make them pay the money they don’t have on something the British can do themselves. If the British would have never taxed for military support I honestly don’t think the war would have gone so out of hand or even happened at all.

Insanity and Diminished Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Insanity and Diminished Responsibility - Essay Example abnormality of the mind ( R v Byrne ); drug personality disorder (Celebici Trial); involuntary intoxication ( R v Galbraith) ; mental weakness and low intelligence ( Lord Dea's decision ) ; minority ( R v Raven ); physical deformities such as blindness and being a deaf-mute ( R v Pritchard). In the treatise "Partial Defences To Murder" more mitigating factors are added i.e. sufficient provocation by the offended party ( R v Smith ); immediate vindication of a grave offence to himself or his relatives (Table 7); Incomplete self-defence where there is no reasonable necessity of the means employed by the culprit (R v Martin); passion or obfuscation (Case 113); disease or injury (Note 17); jealousy, mercy killing, depression, relationship of victim to the accused (Table 7). The list goes on and on. Insanity is a plea or defence by which the accused at the time of the commission of the act, "was laboring under such a defect of reason, arising from a disease of the mind, as not to know the nature and quality of the act he was doing or, if he did know it, that he did not know that what he was doing was wrong (The M'Naghten Rules). Insanity totally exempts the culprit from criminal liability unless he does it during a lucid interval. If so, he is wholly liable for the crime unless there are mitigating factors attending the crime. Diminished Respons... 2 Diminished Responsibility is defined as a plea or defence in which the accused at the moment of the commission of the crime suffers from some "form of mental unsoundness or mental aberration or weakness of mind", so much so that his "mind is so affected that responsibility is diminished from full responsibility to partial responsibility" ( HM Advocate v Savage). Comparison and Contrast 1. Both insanity and diminished responsibility are mental states. In insanity, there is a mental disorder or a mental disease which causes the deranged person to be deprived completely of reason, discernment or freedom of the will at the time of the commission of the crime. In insanity, there is an absence in the agent of crime of any of all the conditions that would make an act voluntary. On the other hand, in diminished responsibility, there is a mental debility or aberration of the mind or a temporary mental capacity or a temporary mental impairment (Scottish Law Commission 2). Here, there is some degree of reason, discernment or freedom of the will albeit such is beclouded and weakened by the presence of any of the mitigating factors hereinabove mentioned. 2. Insanity totally exempts the offender from criminal liability because the insane person is totally deprived , at the time of the performance of the crime, of discernment or reason or intelligence and is unable to distinguish between right or wrong. In diminished responsibility, as a rule, there is no exemption from criminal liability but there is instead a mitigation or extenuation of criminal responsibility

Expanding Walmart into Turkey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Expanding Walmart into Turkey - Essay Example For instance, the company operates as Walmex in Mexico, Asda in United Kingdom, Seiyu in Japan and Best Price in India. It is worth mentioning that till date the business is located in around 15 countries under 55 different names (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 2013). The Republic of Turkey generally known as Turkey is a transcontinental nation located in the western part of Asia. The country is considered to be a democratic, secular, unitary constitutional republic with diverse cultural heritage. Turkey is measured to be the official language that almost 85% of the people use and English is the secondary language. In terms of the present day statistics, the nation is listed in the 15th position in accordance with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and is placed in the 17th position concerning nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Istanbul is considered to be the most populated state in the nation. In terms of education, turkey is determined to be one of the most literate countries having a literacy rate of almost 94.1% as of 2011, additionally the current health care suspect of the country is considered to be quite sound in comparison with the past. It is worth mentioning that two of the universities of turkey are glo bally recognized as the best universities in the world (CIA, 2013; ZÃ ¼rcher, 2004). The main objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of Turkey that would facilitate in understanding the various factors that are essential for a business to evaluate before establishing in any nation. The study would also provide a recommendation section that would help in understanding whether Walmart’s plan to expand in Turkey would be profitable for the company in the long run or not. Cultural facet is considered to be one of the major constituents that any business needs to consider before expanding in a new country. The vital reason behind this is that it plays a major role in the dynamics of the way in

Organizational Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Organizational Management - Essay Example One of the ways in which employees can be made happy is through employee motivation. This requires knowledge of the above mentioned disciplines and related theories. Due to its importance, employee motivation has been the subject of serious study by many theorists and scholars over a period of time. The objective of this research paper is to study employee motivation Research questions: Money is considered to be a motivating factor for all employees, but studies have indicated that they are motivated by other factors also. The research question in this study is given below. Literature review and methodology: A literature review will be done on the area. A methodology using primary and secondary data will also be used to substantiate the findings. A survey among the employees of the organization where this researcher is working as an administrative head will be conducted Human Resource Management is one of the most important topics of study in the organizational management today. The word organization was used because this area of study affects all types of organizations. They can be the government and government organizations, they can be organizations run for profit like corporations and companies and they can be run not-for profit. In each case managing of the human capital is important for the efficient functioning of the organizations. The field is a very vast one with elements of psychology, anthropology, economics, etc being included in the study. This paper forms a part of a research proposal that looks at HRM in general with regard to the career options of this writer. This writer is working as an administrative head in a large manufacturing organization that is planning to expand into international markets. The proposal will focus on a specific area of human resources management namely managing employee motivation which is an essential

Explore the way in which one or more emotional state is elicited and Essay

Explore the way in which one or more emotional state is elicited and shaped by a particular film, focussing on the consequences of formal and stylistic choices for our emotional experience of the film - Essay Example These include hypnosis, repeated phrases, music and facial muscle movement. Of all the methods used in elicitation of emotions, films are the only easily standardized method and entail little deception that is mostly seen in other methods. Films also present a higher degree of ecological acceptability in that they combine both the visual and auditory stimuli. As a consequence of the combination, films easily elicit a variety of emotions. The ability of a film to evoke an emotion is then compared to other films (Plantinga, 2009, p.71). Films can also elicit various cognition patterns to the audience. General cognition such as memory, assimilation and meta-cognition are enhanced by the film. Most cognitive effects of films relates to the information presentation and the atmosphere induced by the film. It is a normal phenomenon for instance, violence film to elicit violence. The elaboration of this effect is related to the significant cognitive effects of the film. The film Crash elicits a variety of emotional state in the audience. The emotional states elicited majorly relates with the theme of the film and the characters’ interaction in the film (Coan & Allen, 2007, p. 52). Crash is a recent film produced in 2004. Paul Haggis is the producer, co-writer and also contributed to its direction. The film addresses two major concerns including racial tension and the social tension in Los Angeles, California. Crash was inspired by a real life experience where Haggis Porsche was suffered a carjacking in 1991 at Wilshire Boulevard (Villalba & Redmond 2008, p. 72) The characters for the story include a white attorney and the wife, a black detective who had a younger brother and a gang associates. There is a white racist police officer who annoys his more critical partner. It entails a Persian immigrant and an industrious Hispanic locksmith who is a family man. The films stand outs distinctively from other films in that is relatively

Traditional accounting pricing tools are not fit for the 21st century Essay

Traditional accounting pricing tools are not fit for the 21st century - Essay Example This paper illustrates that since the production of the goods had started the price has been a great matter of concern for both the sellers and buyers. The producers and sellers have been coming up with different pricing techniques and strategies that they found perfect in the scenario they are working. With the change in time and modernization of the society, it has become evident for the sellers to adopt new and better pricing strategies to compete well in market and keep up with the expected prices of consumers as the consumers are always having a wider choice of companies to buy the product that they want in most of the cases. Basically the accounting functions may help in price determination in this modern market place because the accounting functions allow record keeping of all business transactions making it possible to easily estimate the costs and then calculating the prices to be charged accordingly. Several pricing tools have been introduced for sellers and producers in or der to the prices for their products effectively. Accurate pricing is very important for each company in order to attain the long term profitability for the company. It is necessary that the objective of the pricing strategies adopted by a company should be a sign of the complete marketing plan of the company. A pricing strategy adopted by the company should be chosen in a way that it helps in maximizing the profits for the company by stabilizing the sales and attracting the potential customers in market. (Gitman 2003, 57). To determine the price of a product, it is greatly necessary for the company to take in account all the expenses made in the production of the good and that add up to the cost of production. The proper and complete consideration of the all the variable and fixed costs would allow the producer to decide over the right pricing strategy to be adopted also taking in consideration the market trends (Glueck 1980, 153). The producers then utilize the pricing tools in or der to determine the right price for their product. The key feature of any business is to determine efficient pricing strategy, which plays a vital role in order to make the customer perception about the business or product. There was an era when manufactures used to determine the price of the items and retailers simply had to follow it, differentiation would be dependent upon shopping experience, convenience, product range, ambience and quality of service of the retailers (Mankiw 2009, 69). The current market of today globally experiences several fluctuations due to which traditional financial models that used to develop keeping in mind specific variables which were not specifically viable. Hence in order to cope up with the modern requirements of the market and in order to cope up with the fluctuations and randomness of the market new concepts needs to emerge. It is often observed from the past that the changing requirements have forced experts to come up with the amendment in the existing models for financial calculation so that the environmental variables that are more significant would be included in the calculations and the variables that are not relevant or are not highly significant would be eliminated from the model. In order to study the effectiveness of the traditional accounting methods and the need of modern accounting method, it is important to analyze the environmental variables of the current market so that the current pricing strategy is appropriate (Ross, Westerfield, and Jordan 2009, 183). The traditional pricing methods are more focused on customers that are time oriented or money oriented where for some customer’s convenience is the most important factor and for others, price is the most important factor. Apart from these two customers there are some proportion of quality conscious customers as well who seek quality at any cost. The correct pricing strategy actually depends upon the nature of the product as

Archimedes Principle Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Archimedes Principle - Lab Report Example Below are tabulated results indicating numerous physical properties of different materials determined through a typical Archimedes Principle experiment. Admittedly, both weight and density are physical properties of matter. Density is calculated by finding the ratio of a material’s mass to that of the material’s volume. Contrarily, weight is the mass of a material in a particular gravitational field. In the calculations, weight was obtained when mass was multiplied by 9.98; the earth’s acceleration due to gravity. In this context, I believe that weight is a variable property which changes with a corresponding change in the external force of gravitational acceleration. However, density is a rather static variable in matter. Density is derived from the unchanging parameters of mass and volume. On the other hand, weight is derived from the unchanging parameter of mass and the changing parameter of gravitational acceleration (Smith 28). Therefore, the experiment’s computations indicate that density describes a material more accurately than weight. When an object is suspended in air, gravity is the only major force acting on that object. However, an object immersed in water is acted upon by two major forces; gravity, and buoyant force. Gravity pulls an immersed object down while buoyant force pushes the immersed object upwards. Consequently, a portion of the object’s actual weight is neutralized by the upward force of buoyancy, thus causing an immersed object to weigh less (Smith 31). Technically, an object does not lose the same amount of weight when immersed in a liquid other than water. First, water and other liquids have different densities. Buoyancy of objects is determined by the ration of an object’s density to that of the reference liquid. Since buoyant forces determine the weight of an immersed object, then the magnitude of buoyant forces acting on a water-immersed object are not necessarily equal to the

Anthropology of Power And Resistance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Anthropology of Power And Resistance - Essay Example For the understanding of anthropology of power, first we have to understand what power is, how it is constituted, and how it works within an allegedly postmodern world in which older rules of authority seem to have decreasing relevance'. The impacts of policy interventions and opportunities at state, supra-state and extra-state levels for example, on the ways in which people evade or ignore the reach of the state in constructing economic power beyond state control; the opportunities for and constraints on ethnic, gender and other group or categorical empowerment offered by institutions such as United Nations agencies and forums, multinational Non-Governmental Organizations, the European Union, the International Court of Justice, the Internet and the global media, among many others; the possibilities for empowerment by manipulating the interstices between local, regional and central levels of state bureaucratic organization; and issues of 'management'". Foucault's conceptualization of power is "individuals are always in the position of simultaneously undergoing and exercising this power. They are not only its inert or consenting target; they are always also the elements of its articulation the vehicles of power, not its points of application. (Foucault, M. (1980) Power/Knowledge, (ed.) C. Gordon. New York: Harvester/ Wheatsheaf). There is also a hint here of that contemporary usage of 'empowerment' which implies the drive by individuals, singly or in combination, to get what they want. But such an approach helps us to understand how socially equal individuals (academic colleagues, for example) can exercise power over others and for themselves and get what they want when they want it merely by ignoring the normal rules of polite social interaction. There are specific circumstances in which the anthropologist is obliged by the dynamics of the public policy process to adopt a more radical position, of the kind associated with a unilocal, univocal and unifocal form of ethnography, where the goal of 'political anthropology' is to achieve a transfer of power from the 'system' to the 'community'. For this reason, it is necessary for the discipline to develop something akin to a 'code of practice', whereby the necessity or desirability of movements between the radical and the moderate position can also be negotiated, within particular political settings, in order to avoid a breakdown in the dialogue which constitutes the discipline itself. A 'political setting' is defined here as something which is necessarily larger than a single 'community', which may be equivalent to a single jurisdiction (or nation-state), but which will normally also have some sectoral component-e.g. 'health', 'conservation', 'mining', etc On the other hand currently disempowered people subvert dominating structures and relationships and come some way towards achieving their goals precisely by not voicing their resistance to hegemonic power openly, but by exercising some other capacity or resource. Patterns of domination can accommodate resistance so long as it is not publicly and unambiguously acknowledged voice under domination includes rumor, gossip, disguises, linguistic

Marketing - Segmentation strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing - Segmentation strategy - Assignment Example Competing is a problem. Financially strong management with a clear commitment to see the company through and keep making profits for the shareholders. Though, when the company started it was the largest facility but soon with the new process, much larger world scale facilities have come up, dwarfing this factory. The company has built a good rapport with the customer which produces the required market capitalisation for the company. Since the market for fertilisers is pretty large there was no dearth of market at any point in time. Opportunities Threats The company is at the threshold of a major change in the agricultural production process because of the continuing increase in the population. It would be wise for the company to capture this market. The market is varying and depends on the success of agriculture across the country. This could become quite seasonal and would cause huge losses of accrued stock if there is no off-take. New types of fertilisers are coming in and the customers are expecting new products from the company. Competition is becoming more and more vibrant and is producing competing products that is hard to match. The new communication systems and the internet have changed the way business is done across the world. It is easy now to ensure that supplies of the material reaches the customers at the right time in the right quantity. The agricultural land in the country is dwindling and is being converted in industrial land. This means there is less land to produce and hence limited fertiliser use. However, there is also the possibility that the smaller land might be using larger quantity of fertilisers in order to bring in the same result in terms of production. Table...Theoretical principles behind the consumer buying decision is matched with the existing reasons based on which the marketing strategy could be fine tuned to suit the market needs. In addition to this, segmentation of the market to clearly target specific products from the company's stable would help in augmenting sales targets and to produce the desired results. This could help in evaluating the business and the marketing strategy of the company. Finally, the consumer perception in terms of the three levels of product / service is visualised and studied to finally close in on the best strategy for marketing the product. The new communication systems and the internet have changed the way business is done across the world. It is easy now to ensure that supplies of the material reaches the customers at the right time in the right quantity. The agricultural land in the country is dwindling and is being converted in industrial land. This means there is less land to produce and hence limited fertiliser use. However, there is also the possibility that the smaller land might be using larger quantity of fertilisers in order to bring in the same result in terms of production. Based on the SWOT analysis done, it is clear that the company should capitalise on the strengths of th