Saturday, October 26, 2019

Unit 1 Info Tech ? Outcome 3/Assessment Task 2 ? Investigation Report :: essays research papers

Unit 1 Info Tech – Outcome 3/Assessment Task 2 – Investigation Report To complete this assessment task, it stated to study and analyze different events that I did during three days. I was asked to describe the sources of information, describe the nature of the information, technologies used to produce it, the qualities and the usefulness of the information. The different types or sources and information consisted of Text, numeric, sound and visual. These are all major ways that information is transmitted to the public. Sound, Visual and Text are the most common ways, as everyone sees them at least 10 times a day. These are shown if forms such as newspapers, magazines, via radio or television, billboards and over the Internet. The information shown originates from ideas, and from what the public wants. An example of this is the news. Major stories are so well organized and picked very carefully. It must appeal to the whole community, in a very strong way, whether it is about a killing, some major court hearing and even something popular in parliament. Probably one of the major things that a news reporter has to think about is â€Å"who is the news targeted at†? Target audience can make the difference between the story being eye catching and appealing to the public, or being just another ordinary story. Depending on what audience the story is aimed at, determines what time the story will be shown, or on what page. For example, the sport is always shown at the end of the news and on the last pages of the newspaper. Accuracy, completeness, consistency, validation, appropriateness and timing are major parts needed to get a message across. Accuracy is very important, yet some news reporter’s change the story around a little to keep viewers and readers interested. Validation and timing is very important, because viewers want to be updated with current news. The information that was shown as texts, picture and sound were the 3 main points that attract people. Sound because it is easy to get through to people without them doing much, reading because people look at the papers everyday as well as billboards, and picture because everyone watches the television at some stage of night.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Edge Detection in Claud Classification

It is a certain number of gradient operators using small arrays of pixels were tested in this study, in order to check their capacity to properly detect significant boundaries between different CTT and eventually cloud types. This capacity is 14 visually tested against direct CTT images. Among the detectors applied are the Canny, Roberts, Sobel and Kayyali 15 SENW (to be named here SENW) edge detectors, and the Harris corner and edge detector. The Roberts edge detector employs mainly 2 pixels in a 2*2 matrix for each computing direction (horizontal and vertical). The test conducted show a lesser sensitivity to edges i.e. the variation range of gradients is limited compared to the other methods.The Canny 18 method uses a 5*5 pixel matrix, that undergoes preliminary filtering before the use of a smaller-array gradient detector, making the calculation procedure longer. The Sobel detector uses a 3*3 matrix where 6 pixels practically contribute to 20 the gradient. The SENW edge detector i s based on the Sobel approach for edge detection but employs mainly 4-corner 21 pixels (upper and lower left, and right) in a 3*3 pixel-matrix, the remaining 5 pixels between the corners are set to zero.  The Harris detector detects both edges and corners.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Virgin Group – Richard Branson

RICHARD BRANSON’S VIRGIN GROUP —Problems— Although certainly notorious, Richard Branson’s Virgin Group has experienced several problems. In the short-term, brand overextension has become a threat since the company has entered multiple markets. Brand overextension leads to damaging the comprehensive Virgin brand. Since the Virgin brand itself is the company’s greatest asset, protecting the brand image is critical. The Virgin brand image has a connotation of value and lifestyle. Due to many joint ventures, licenses, and alliances with other companies, the objective of the â€Å"Virgin experience† could be destroyed.Furthermore, as Virgin becomes more global and more adaptive to individual cultures, the customer experience will certainly vary, again leading to brand overextension. For example, although the United Kingdom may condone Virgin’s racy and edgy advertisements, other parts of the world, as our group testifies, views such materia l quite explicit and even shocking. Thus, while Virgin enters different markets, negative impacts can arise, hindering Virgin’s brand. A second short-term problem is Virgin’s financial information that is fragmented, hard to locate, and even interpret.With the company’s different alliances and joint ventures, questions about the financial health of the Virgin group were being asked. Thus after examination, Virgin faced financial challenges that led to negative cash flow. This was mainly due to the Branson’s approach of stand-alone basis where the most profitable company’s revenues financed new market entrances. Despite some profitable areas of Virgin, many did not generate cash. Therefore, as Virgin grows, a more systematic approach must be implemented to create synergies between businesses. Long-term problems also exist for Virgin.First is Branson’s close affiliation to Virgin. What happens if the public tire of his exploits? What will happ en to Virgin when Branson 1 leaves? An implication of these questions is that Virgin needs Branson. Virgin’s strong brand is fortified by Branson’s own personal values. A second long-term problem for Virgin is the company’s little formal structure and management system. Although this structure presently works for Virgin, allowing the company to be viewed as entrepreneurial and innovative, in the long-term creativity must be managed at Virgin. Company Analysis— After analyzing Virgin through various analytical frameworks including internal/external analysis, SWOT analysis, and value chain analysis, we have discovered the importance of Virgin’s strong brand and diversification strategy. In sum, Virgin’s strongest capability is the company’s strong brand. The brand’s foundations of entrepreneurship and eccentricity result in Virgin being a strong customer-oriented company. Since the Virgin brand is so strong, the company has been able to diversify into many new markets.Diversification for Virgin is made possible by joint ventures and strategic alliances that are ultimately less risky. Thus the Virgin brand leverages Virgin’s resources. Furthermore, Branson’s values are revealed in the Virgin company. The brand image, which is the motor of the company, results in innovative start-ups that keep Virgin both successful and sustainable. —Alternatives— To continue Virgin’s success, we have identified several alternatives. First, Virgin could go public; thereby gaining additional capital that could be used to fund new start-ups.The disadvantage with this alternative is that Virgin would be forced to abide by formal accounting rules, which Branson states he does not favor. Furthermore, Virgin’s brand could become diluted since the image would move towards a more traditional stance. 2 A second alternative is that Virgin’s management could designate Branson’ s su ccessor and prepare that person to take on the task of CEO. The advantage of this alternative is that the fate of Virgin is not attached to Branson alone. This could help separate Branson from the Virgin brand that allows Virgin to flourish as a company, and not merely an extension of Branson himself.Additionally, new leadership could prove beneficial for Virgin’s long-term success, and namely deciding Virgin’s structure. However, Branson’s absence could also weaken the brand in the short-term. Since the public easily identifies with Branson’s traits as loyal and fair, customers could perceive Virgin negatively. To thwart such initial negativity, Virgin could slowly implement the new successor, allowing him or her to also revel in the spotlight alongside Branson. Thirdly, Virgin could dispose of unprofitable companies.This consolidation would result in money saved and the creation of a more formal organizational structure. Therefore, across the board, Vir gin would be able to have a more uniform decision processes. Consolidation would also reassure investors since the corporate structure would be less complex and financial data more readily available. The motives for diversification are growth, risk reduction, and profitability. If Virgin cannot achieve those goals through the diversification strategy, then there are no reasons why Virgin should keep unprofitable companies.Focusing on related industries would then give Virgin expertise; and thereby creating both value for shareholders and exploiting economies of scale. Furthermore, Virgin could allocate resources among the firms more efficiently, giving Virgin better future strategy formulations. 3 —Recommendations— One must analyze Porter’s essential tests that that include the attractiveness test, cost-ofentry test, and the better-off test, to determine whether a diversified strategy has a sustainable competitive advantage.Because Virgin’s strong brand i s firmly embedded in the company’s corporate structure, the attractiveness test reveals that many—though not all (example is the unprofitable Virgin Money)— of Virgin’s diversified companies are attractive. Secondly, costof-entry must be considered. For Virgin, many entry costs are feasible, because profitable Virgin companies support the new start-ups. And thirdly, the better-off test shows that new companies within Virgin must be profitable and add value.Although many new companies do not add financial benefits, the new companies do add brand value. Thus the answer to the question whether Virgin is a successful diversified company is clearly yes. Overall the diversification works quite well. However, we do recommend that Virgin exit the unprofitable industries and consolidate. This would be beneficial in the short-term as capital immediately becomes available. Furthermore, this would also help Virgin in the long-term as only profitable companies remain, allowing Virgin to increase revenue.In looking at Virgin’s long-term success, we recommend that Virgin continue its short-term strategy of further developing expertise in key areas. Thus, long-term market saturation would be avoided, while also maintaining Virgin’s strong brand awareness. Despite Branson’s strong presence, we also suggest that Virgin slowly implement a successor. Virgin’s brand is about personality—indeed the company needs a strong focal point. As humans are not immortal, the slow implementation of a new personality could also capture the public’s attention. 4 5

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Dangers of Revolution Essay Example

The Dangers of Revolution Essay Example The Dangers of Revolution Essay The Dangers of Revolution Essay Essay Topic: Leviathan After years, indeed decades, of living under the dictatorial rule of President Ben All ordinary citizens took to the streets in protest. In short order, the popular uprising moved into the capital city of Tunis and ultimately forced All from power. Within months the governments of Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria all saw similar uprisings, to varying degrees of success. In the case of Egypt, dictator Embark was ousted but six months later the country still struggles with implementing a new constitution. In Bahrain and Syria government security forces inducted violent crackdowns on dissidents, murdering thousands of their own citizens. In Libya, after months of intense fighting between revolutionary and government forces and the assistance of NATO, the regime of Miramar Quadratic was ousted as well. Dubbed the Arab Spring by Journalists and other observers, the uprisings are undoubtedly a historic event, having unseated, or attempted to unseat, some of the most constant regimes in the region and, indeed, in the world: . Regimes [that have] survived over a period of decades in which democratic waves rolled through East Asia, eastern Europe, Latin America, and sub-Sahara Africa. 2 In many political and analytical circles around the world the speed, ferocity and contagious nature of the uprising surprised many, leaving world leaders scrambling for a coherent policy. For some, this translated into broad declarations of support for democracy. For others, a more reserved calling for 1 Wrig ht, Robin. July/August 2011. The Arab Spring is a Jobs Crisis. The Atlantic. 58. 2 Game Ill, F. Gregory. July/August 2011. Why Middle East Studies Missed the Arab Spring. Foreign Affairs. Volt. 90 (Issue 4). 1. 2 optimistic regarding the chances of democracy taking hold in the aforementioned action-states and spreading to other countries in the region, the reality is quite different. While democracy should be encouraged throughout the world, there should be no misconceptions that democratic rule in every country would benefit the national security of the United States. A number of factors, including the lack of democratic institutions, the strong presence of Islamic fundamentalists, economics and even civilization identity all conspire to pull many states into chaos and propel anti-democratic leaders to power. Moreover, popular uprisings and democratic elections in other Middle Eastern nation-states (namely Iran, Afghanistan and Lebanon) have shown that democracy in the developing world shouldnt be blindly supported. Purpose Statement One of the primary strengths of social science research, particularly in the fields of political science and international relations, is that it excels at explanatory research. That is, looking at past events, determining the why behind a plethora of variables and explaining how those variables impacted the actions and decisions that were made. While this research has aspects of explanatory research, the central thesis is ore predictive in nature in that it is attempting to determine what will or may happen in the future based on current and past events. Admittedly, the latter form is not nearly as strong as the former for a variety of factors including the fact that not all, or even most, of the information is available at the time of writing. For example, the body of academic literature was 3 BBC Monitoring Middle East. May 20, 2011. Reactions to President Beams Middle East Speech. From Lazier. Net. 3 expanded at the end of the Cold War with the demise of the Soviet Union. This occurred because researchers finally had access behind the Iron Curtain to interviews, documents and even the nation itself. Similarly, in a decade, the events surrounding the Arab Spring will likely have far more depth and context that can be accessed in the fall of 2011. Nevertheless, predictive research is vital to the understanding of current events and the world order and in some instances, such as George Seamans Foreign Policy article advocating a policy of containing the Soviet Union, can provide a framework for policy-makers. While goals of this research are not nearly as lofty, it does hope to inform a specific area of international security and offer possible outcomes that other researchers may have missed. Indeed, while some Journalists and editorials have mentioned the possibility that a democratic Middle East could quickly turn against the United States, few academics have considered it. This is at least partially because of the the aforementioned strength of social science research being explanatory. Therefore, this research hopes to inform and enrich the body of literature by determining the possible negative outcomes of the Arab Spring and specifically skiing: What are the transnational and international impacts of the 2011 uprisings, This research will draw from a variety of sources, however, as mentioned above, the body of academic literature on this subject is somewhat thin. While relying on periodicals can prove problematic due to the daily, and sometimes hourly, news cycles, in this instance they will be informative simply because of the lack of other sources. Moreover, in making the argument outlined below, this research will utilize content analysis of periodicals from the late sass and compare the language to similar magazines and newspapers from 2011. The thesis of this research is that the 2011 uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa will cause long-term instability throughout the region because of civilization clash. For claritys sake, the 2011 uprisings refer to the so-called Arab Spring that began in Tunisia and continues today. 4 Civilization clash, the variable that this paper seeks to argue will cause problems in the region for US national security is derived from Samuel P. Huntington article, later a book, titled The Clash of Civilizations. Written nearly two decades ago, Huntington work is particularly helpful in explaining where potential areas of inflict may be in the future. For the dependent variable, long-term instability, creating a metric to quantify it has proven troublesome. This is because the evidence to fully support the thesis has yet to occur, however, by using the historical example of Iran before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution this research may be able to predict certain key factors to the stability of a nation. Internally, economic indicators such as unemployment rates, GAP growth, trade balances, population below the poverty line and inflation rates all contribute to the stability of a nation. Additionally, the religious, social and political trustees and the role the military has in internal affairs all play a role. Externally, security agreements and partnerships, refugees and conflicts all work together to strengthen or undermine a country. For the purposes of this research, because developing an accurate index/matrix would be a research project in and of itself, we will utilize the excellent work of Dry. Mayer R. F. AAA-Roadman, Mr.. Hair Balkan and Dry. Garage Herd of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. 4 In the Stability Matrix the researchers take into account a variety of economic, environmental, military and security, political and social factors, assigning each variable a level weighted from one to three: Each factor is given a score of 1-3, where 1 indicates that the factor contributes to stability, 2 indicates that it makes a borderline contribution to stability, and 3 indicates that it contributes to instability. 6 The matrix utilizes indexes from other governmental and non-profit institutions and combines them into a comprehensive database. Some factors listed are beyond the scope of this research, but its application will nonetheless provide clarity 4 Dry. Neff R. F. AAA-Roadman, Mr.. Hair Balkan and Dry. Garage Herd. December 20, 2006. Proposal for a Stability Matrix. Program on the Geopolitical Implications of Globalization and Transnational Security. Geneva Centre f or Security Policy. Http://www. Gasp. Chi/content/download/ matrixpdPDF See Appendix 2, attached as a separate document due to formatting issues. Ibid. 5 and measurement to the issue of instability. Theoretical Framework Just as international law gives policy-makers and lawyers a framework from which to analyze and decide what can be done, International Relations Theory gives the policy- akAkers framework from which they can analyze and decide what should be done. While International Relations Theory includes dozens of competing worldviews, one of the oldest traditions is that of realism. Dating back to ThDuchessesnd his History of the PePeloponnesusar, realism makes several key assumptions about the international order. First, the international system in anarchic. By anarchic, the traditional definition is typically used, that is, in the literal sense of absence of rule, lack of government anAnarchyoes not imply chaos, absence of order; it is simply the bsabsencef hierarchical political order based on formal subordination and authority. 7 Second, realists assume that states are at the center of the international order. This means that states are the primary actors in the world: states go to war with one another, states sign treaties with one another, states trade with one another. A chief criticism of realism has been its inability to factor noonstagend non-governmental organizations into the equation. Realists typically respond that NGNagstill lack the power and the abilities of states. 8 Although, in the 21st century, this response can, at immimesignore the realities of the world. Third, the principal concern of a state is its own security and survival. 9 Because the international system lacks a leviathan, states are on their own to develop a military, an economy, a 7 Jack Donnelly. Realism and International Relations. (Cambridge press: New York, 2000): 10. Ibid: 7-8. 9 Ibid: 7-8. 6 political and social structure. All of which are threatened by other nation-states who are invariably interested in expanding their own power. Therefore, realists typically place hard power, that is military strength, above soft power issues of economics ndNDolitical influence. Fourth, drawing from the third point, power relations are a fundamental feature of international affair s. 10 As mentioned above, states view the surest way to ensure its own survival is to expand its power. Typically, expanding power results in war. While there are additional criteria that various scholars add to realist theory, these four are the most common assumptions that form the core of the theory. Drawing from these assumptions, this research will expand the definition of realism to include non-governmental organizations. This is because, while realism is exceptionally well- uitiedo explain the behavior of and interactions between nation-states, it tends to have difficulty understanding non-state actors. However, if we treat such actors and strategies many of the realist assumptions about the world still line up. More difficult still is the inclusion and application of Samuel P. HuHuntingtonheory of the Clash of Civilizations. First postulated in a Foreign Affairs article in 1993, and later in a 1996 book, HuHuntingtonheory was hailed as asasnnovative as George KeSeamansontainment theory, and derided as racist and xenophobic. Despite the criticism evevolvedgainst it, the theory is included for two reasons: First, in the eighteen years since its publication, the Clash of Civilizations has shown itself to effectively explain, at least in broad strokes, the world of the 21st century. Second, and even more importantly, it is a theory that, if not by name then by attributes, is frequently quoted by A1AAAaeda and other IsPsalmistss a call to arms for its supporters. 11 Therefore, this research would be remiss to simply ignore HuHuntingtonork. 10 Ibid: 7. 11 CiCoevalCarl J. 2009. The Contours of A1AAAaQaedaedia Strategy. Studies in conflict -reremainsvoVolt2: 853875. 7 At the core of the The Clash of Civilizations is the desire to examine the short- comings of past theories in explaining the post-1990 world and define a new paradigm for international relations. Huntington begins by outlining four possible worlds in which one could find themselves. The first, deemed One World: Euphoria and Harmony12 directly responds to Francis FuFuchsiashe End of History which asserts, among other things, that we may be witnessing ththend of history as such: that is, the end point of mankinds ideological evolution and the ununiversalisticf Western liberal democracy as the final form of government. 13 Ultimately, watching the genocide and cultural conflict that persisted throughout the 19sassHuntington concluded that this world paradigm was simply too divorced from reality. 4 The second paradigm Huntington considers is Two Worlds: Us and Them. 15 This paradigm permeates the majority of human conflict, from the Cold War to the Ancient Greeks, East versus West, Global North versus Global South, Core versus Periphery, it is simple and direct, but in the end is too simplistic to explain an increasingly complex international order. 16 The third paradigm is what Huntington calls 184 states, more or less. 17 Essentially an update of classic realism, this piPicturef the world is a highly useful starting point for analyzing international affairs and explains much state behavior. States are and will remain the dominant entities in world affairs . ovOverallhis stassistaradigm does provide a more realistic picture of and guide to global politics than the one- or two-world paradigms. 18 However, according to Huntington, states are gradually losing power and sovereignty to non- state institutions and actors. The last paradigm is Sheer Chaos19 and is characterized by failed states, massive refugee and humanitarian crises and the prbreadf terrorism. While there certainly are areas of the world that match this description, adopting this as a paradigm 12 Huntington Samuel P. 996. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order. Simon Schuster: New York, New York: 31 . 13 Ibid. 31. 15 Ibid. 32 16 Ibid. 33 17 Ibid. 33 18 Ibid. 34 19 Ibid. 35 8 offer little to no explanation on insight into the future. 20 Thus, Huntington concludes that a new approach, a new way in which to view the world is needed. Rejecting the overly simplistic and the overly complex, he aims for something of a middle path, a allanceetween reality and parsimony. 21 Creating a cicivilizationodel, Huntington divides the world into nine civilizations. For the cicivilizationpproach, there are four key assumptions: The forces of integration in the world are real and are precisely what are generating cocounterforcef cultural assertion and cicivilizationonsciousness. The world is in some sense two, but the central distinction is between the West as the hitherto dominant civilization and all the other, which, however, have little if anything in common among them. The world, in short, is divided between a Western one and a onmonoesterany. Nation states are and will remain the most important actors in world affairs, but their interests, associations, and conflicts are increasingly shaped by cultural and cicivilizationactors. The world is indeed anarchical, rife with tribal and nationality conflicts, but the conflicts that pose the greatest dangers for stability are those between states or groups from different civilizations. 22 Huntington identifies nine distinct civilizations: Western, Orthodox, Islamic, African, Latin American, SiSonicChinese), Hindu, Buddhist, and Japanese, and lays out a new map of the world. While clearly each civilization has overlap within certain areas and nation-states, and each civilization is far from hohomogeneousithin the defined regions, HuHuntingtonap provides some insight to the cicivilizationaradigm: 20 Ibid. 36. 21 Ibid. 37. 22 Ibid. 36 9 Figure 1 The World of Civilizations: Post-1990 Moreover, because of the increasingly glglobalizesorld, civilizations are coming into contact more and more often which only highlights the differences in culture, language and religion. Upon publication, HuHuntingtonssay created a firestorm of controversy. While considering even a few perspectives that counter the core thesis ouloude a research project in and of itself, it is still useful to understand and rebut some of the criticism. In particular, many academics have criticized HuHuntingtonheory by citing specific examples in the post-Cold War and post-WI 1 period that show the cicivilizationpproach is too simplistic. Their argument is that it fails to take into account clashes within civilizations which, in the case of the RwRwandaenocide, is even deadlier than supposed cicivilizationlashes. Robert Kaplan, a correspondent for Atlantic Monthly and author of several books on, as he calls it, the roreentersf civilization, argues because HuHuntingtonrush is broad, his specifics are vulnerable to attack. 24 He goes on to outline a direct rebuttal put forth by a Johns 23 Ibid: 26-27. 24 Robert Kaplan. February 1994. The Coming Anarchy. In The Coming Anarchy. 2000. Vintage Books, New York. 27. 10 Hopkins professor: The world of Islam divides and subdivides. The battle lines in the Caucasus arAreot coextensive with cicivilizationault lines. The lines follow the interests of states. Where Huntington sees a cicivilizationuel between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Iranian state has cast religious zeal . o Ohe wind . inInhat battle the Iranians have tilted toward Christen Armenia. 25 Kaplan notes that while the professor is correct in his facts, HuHuntingtonheory still holds up because the AzGazerssecular ShShihsview their cultural identity as Turkish. The ArArmeniansimilarly, are not battling the AzGazersecause of religious affiliation but rather because they are Turks, related to the same Turks that massacred ArArmeniann 1915. 26 Additionally, throughout the region TuTurkeyulture is battling Iranian culture, therefore the Iranians and the ArArmenianave a natural enemy in the Turks. 7 Perhaps most interestingly, however, is that the world described by the Johns Hopkins professor is even more dangerous than the one Huntington envisions. 28 While this is but one specific example, this attack is repeated throughout the academic literature. In most instances an analysis such a KaKaplaneveals a world that still supports HuHuntingtonicivilizationheory. The other main charge leveled against this theory is that it fundamentally misunderstands Islamic, SiSonicnd other cultures, in particular citing HuHuntingtonlaims that the failure of Western liberal democracy to take hold in Muslim societies has its source at least in part in the inhospitable nature of Islamic culture and society to Western liberal concepts. 29 Some commentators have argued that the Arab Spring proves cicivilizationheory wrong, particularly that many people in Arab nations do share a universal hunger for liberty. They feel the presence of universal human rights and feel insulted when they are not accorded them. 30 Two points: first, in fairness to Huntington he never claimed that people in 26 27 28 29 Ibid. 28. Ibid. 29. Ibid. 30. Huntington. 116. David Brooks. March 4, 2011. HuHuntingtonlash Revisited. New York Times. 27. 11 Muslim nations have been characterized by autocratic leaders and IsSalamisovements. Second, it is still too early in the revolutionary process to make claims that liberty (especially as Westerners understand it) will prevail over a different kind of autocracy in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and other countries. A far more likely outcome, as Huntington explains, is that these nation-states will adopt certain aspects of liberal democracy but also incorporate their own culture in their electoral and governing processes. This will be expanded upon later in the research. The inclusion of ivvolitionalheory in this research could be understandably interpreted as a misunderstanding of what Huntington sought to accomplish: that is, an alternative explanation to the theories of realism, idealism and others. Instead, its inclusion is actually explained in part by Huntington himself. Huntington agreed with two realist core assumptions: that the world is anarchical and that nation-states are its primary actors. In this authors mind, cicivilizationheory is best understood as a subset of so-called complex realism which recognizes and attempts to correct realisms short- omominousith the inclusion of additional theories. Therefore, complex realism is best understood as having realist assumptions, but recognizing that NGNagsuch as terrorist organizations play a vital role in determining the security of a nation-state and that conflicts, while between states or non-state actors, are, on a systemic level, often between civilizations. Background and Analysis On December 17, 2010 few analysts or policy-makers would have predicted that the suicide of a young man in North Africa would cause one of the greatest uprisings since the end of the Cold War.

Monday, October 21, 2019

George Herbert Essay Example

George Herbert Essay Example George Herbert Paper George Herbert Paper Essay Topic: George Herbert Poems Herberts is visibly devout and requires very little in-depth reading to realise this. Hes so focused on the deliverance of a religious message that he even structures the poems shape according to the context to the poem, which is obviously indicative of his piousness, but what appears in his poetry is also that despite this devotion, its never quite enough. The most obvious example of a poem wherein the context is delivered not only through language but very powerfully through structure as well is The Altar, where the poem itself is structured eponymously as an altar. Herberts rather unusual way of layering his poetry with allusions to what it is about is however undeniably effective in emphasising the clarity of the message and perhaps also as a mean to please God at the same time through the devotion of this literary altar. The Altar, like much of Herberts poetry, is rather straightforward and plain and doesnt contain much complexity, save structurally, and it may be because they are devotional poems to God, and he thus keeps it simple so as to humble himself. The piety of his poetry is really understandable, given that he was in fact a minister until his death in 1633, even choosing to become a rural vicar in favour of his position as Member of Parliament. Suffering from tuberculosis in his later years, it is clear that he became more aware of his mortality and consequently more devout, which is evident in Virtue. Virtue is not as dense as The Altar and follows a more conventional type of writing, though Herbert still uses anABAB rhyming scheme and Virtue is an Iambic Tetrameter. : Typical of Herberts style of writing, despite that Iambic pentameter was becoming more popular at the time, being particularly promoted by Shakespeare. The poem follows the path of life. The stanzas start with beautiful and happy things but finishes with a darker, unhappy ending. This was how life was seen at the time. Everything was beautiful when you were young but as time goes by; life loses its colour and becomes more of a hardship. Each stanza starts with sweet description of the things which appear beautiful to humans; Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright and Sweet rose, whose hue angrie and brave. The first line also features a strong use of sibilance, that adds emphasis and force behind the poem and it is also the first line of the poem which provides an opinion of the poem almost immediately. The stanzas are split into 2 moods, of a happy side and a depressing, morose side. This shows the two sides of the poem and life. Like Herbert, many of John Donnes poems have a religious background, owing to his time as Dean in St. Pauls Cathedral, as well as a wilder side, as he was an adventurous man who sailed and fought in naval battles against Spain. Donne also secretly married the daughter of his boss without permission and inevitably received a lot of criticism for this. Perhaps because of this, Donne wrote many religious and passionate, but at the same time forceful poems. Holy Sonnet 10 is an Iambic Pentameter, and follows an ABBA pattern as opposed to ABAB used by Herbert. However Holy Sonnet 10 does not follow this pattern, as halfway through the poem the pattern changes to CDCD which is the same as Herbert, then however, the final 2 lines are in an E, E pattern which is completely random from the other poems I have studied. Donne may use these sudden changes in pattern to project an atmosphere depending on the mood he wants to convey. These changes may reflect Donnes temperament and wild ideas. Holy Sonnet 10 uses more grammatical and metaphorical structures than Herberts poems. He uses enjambment, plosive letters, paradoxes, sestet and octaves, alliteration and metaphors. Even at the beginning of the poem, the first line can be said powerfully. Batter my heart, Batter is an explosive word and adds emphasis right at the start of the poem. This already gives an impression of the poem and shows Donnes preferred style. Knocke, breathe, shine are all actions that imply a direct approach, it is also related to the three persons of God, mentioned in line 1; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. This is to further emphasizethe idea by relating to God. Enjambment is used at the end of the first line as it runs on into thesecond line, this keeps the words and rhythm flowing. There are also examples of enjambmentat the end of lines 3 and 12, this keeps the atmosphere going at important points and maintains the mood. Line 4 also contains a more violent and wilder relation to the line 2 actions. breake, blowe, burn as opposed to knocke, breathe, shine. Already it is clear how Donne uses religion and passionate, wild ideas in his poems. But Donnes poetry never comes off quite as lacking in faith, as Herberts does. In the 7th line, Donne makes a reference to reason ruling man instead of God. Being quite a heretical thought at the time, it is however Biblically rooted -it was believed that it was reason that separated humans from animals and so is humans defining characteristic. Donne goes on to say that reason sometimes fails man and betrays him, but God is always there and will forgive men. This shows Donnes faith in God, which is much the same as Herbert. Donne however seeks accepts the inevitable and gives himself up to God and imprisonment. The whole idea of God imprisoning and ravishing a person is completely paradoxical when God is seen as a forgiving being. To show this, Donne has made the last 2 lines, paradoxes. You enthrallmee, never shall be free and ever chast, except you ravishmee. While Donne is more daring and passionate, he is still more fervent in his belief that God will be there, where Herbert is less certain, evident by his devotion within the poetry that still lacks a sense of drive.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

BRUNO Surname Meaning and Family History

BRUNO Surname Meaning and Family History From the Italian word for brown, Bruno was often used as a nickname for a person with brown hair, skin, or clothes. From the German  brun, meaning dark or brown. It may also be a habitational surname for individuals who lived in or near a place named Bruno, such as the city of Bruno in Italys Piedmont region. Bruno is the 11th most common surname in Italy. According to WorldNames PublicProfiler it is currently most common throughout southern Italy, in the regions of Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia, and Sicilia. The next part of the world where the Bruno surname is most often found in Argentina, followed by France and Luxembourg. Alternate Surname Spellings:  BRUNI, BRUNA, BRUNAZZI, BRUNELLO, BRUNERI, BRUNONE, BRUNORI Surname Origin:  Italian, Portuguese Famous People with the Bruno Last Name Francesco Fa di Bruno  - Italian priest and mathematicianGiordano Bruno - Italian philosopherDylan Bruno - American actor Where the Bruno Surname Is Most Common The Bruno surname, according to surname distribution information from  Forebears, is most prevalent in Brazil but ranks highest based on the percentage of the population in Italy, where it is the 14th most common surname in the country. Bruno is also a common last name in Argentina. Data from  WorldNames PublicProfiler  also  indicates the Bruno surname is most common in Italy, followed by Argentina, France, Luxembourg, and the United States. Within Italy, Bruno is most common in the southern regions- Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia, Sicilia, Campania, Molise, and Abruzzo, in that order. It is also common in Piemonte and Liguria in the north. Genealogy Resources for the Surname Bruno Meanings of Common Italian Surnames: Uncover the meaning of your Italian last name with this free guide to Italian surname meanings and origins for the most common Italian surnames.The Bruno DNA Project: This group is open to all families with the Bruno surname of all spelling variations from any location in the world. The goal is to join together to use Y-DNA  testing, paper trails, and research to identify other individuals with whom they share a common ancestor.Bruno Family Crest - Its Not What You Think: Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Bruno family crest or coat of arms for the Bruno surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.BRUNO Family Genealogy Forum: This free message board is focused on descendants of Bruno ancestors around the world. Search the forum for posts about your Bruno ancestor s, or join the forum and post your own queries.   FamilySearch - BRUNO Genealogy: Explore over 429,000  results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Bruno surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.BRUNO Surname Mailing List: Free mailing list for researchers of the Bruno surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages.GeneaNet - Bruno Records: GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Bruno surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries.The Bruno Genealogy and Family Tree Page: Browse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Bruno  surname from the website of Genealogy Today.Ancestry.com: Bruno Surname: Explore over 1.1  million digitized records and database entries, including census records, passenger lists, military records, land deeds , probates, wills and other records for the Bruno surname on the subscription-based website, Ancestry.com. References Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 28

Case Study Example In the absence of emotional intelligence, the company will not be able to respond to the changes in the external environment promptly. Instead of the conventional qualities of managers, the company is building more focus on strengthening their emotional intelligence. 10.2) I think that Johnson & Johnson has taken the right initiative to improve emotional intelligence of its employees. Training programs will be helpful in making the employees realize how emotional intelligence can benefit the company and also groom their personality. However, training programs won’t be productive if employees do not practice what they learn from training in their daily activities. So apart from training them on emotional intelligence skills, proper monitoring has to be done to ensure that all managers are engaged in improvement. And yes, it is really fruitful to discuss abilities while evaluating performance so that timely training, coaching and feedback is given to employees so that they fix it up before the results gets worse. 10.3) Emotional intelligence will definitely help Johnson & Johnson avoid recalls because when the emotional intelligence of managers is high, they will be able to have better control on their nerves and they will perform without stress. It will also help them take right and timely decisions when it comes to quality and manufacturing so that recalls can be avoided. Emotional intelligence is a combination of a number of skills such as anger management, stress control, self awareness etc. By mastering these emotions, managers can definitely play a role in escalating profits for Johnson &