How Oil Drilling Works Essay - 1238 Words

People in the U.S. use oil every day. Powering cars, heating homes, and providing electricity are just a few examples of how we use oil fuels in our daily life. Where would we be if we woke up tomorrow and couldnt fly because there was no fuel, or products containing plastic were taken off the market? In fact, oil is a part of everyday items such as crayons, bubble gum, and deodorant (Mooney 19). Oil is the number one source of energy in the U.S. today. However, the U.S. imports 140 billion worth of its oil supply every day from unstable regions such as Canada and Mexico (news desk). This makes our addiction to oil an even more dangerous game. Dependence on foreign oil, also leaves the U.S. vulnerable to fluctuations in global supply and†¦show more content†¦As history has shown, the refining and transporting of oil can sometimes end up releasing oil into the ocean as well. Oil is drilled from the ocean floor through powerful offshore oil rigs. Natural seeps can also occur. This is when crude oil that seeps in the ocean water from geologic formations beneath the ocean floor. Despite these risks, the growth of the global oil businesses continue to grow and our need, and ultimately our dependency on it, grow right along with it. Arguably, the greatest impact of off-shore drilling on the environment is indisputable. There are 3,500 drilling rigs and platforms, 79 of them deep-water wells, in the United States alone (CBSNews). Many of these off-shore rigs are located in the Gulf of Mexico and directly impact these ecosystems with negative impacts ranging from black carbon to blowouts (Oceana). However, larger impacts can be catastrophic such as the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 people and destroyed 125 miles of the 400 miles of Louisiana coastline (Bp). The accident continues to mire the company in lawsuits and court hearings. BP settled criminal charges with the Justice Department two years ago for $4.5 billion in penalties, but the oil company faces billions of dollars more in costs from a federal civil trial inShow MoreRelatedWhat Happened At The Macondo Well1007 Words   |  5 Pagesinhabitants. There are many ways we do this, offshore oil drilling being one of them. Offshore oil drilling is the process of drilling into the earth and pulling up petroleum, a natural fuel source made of decomposed organisms. While there are many positive effects, there are too many negative ones for oil drilling to continue. Offshore oil drilling is too dangerous to be considered safe for use in the ecosystem. Not only is it too dangerous, oil rigs are made in an environment many would deem tooRead MoreHow Drilling Should Be Approved For Their Families1614 Words   |  7 PagesHitting an oil well on someone’s land is the dream of a lot of oil miners. Most oil miners have never seen a new well being tapped, that’s because of the technology available to people. Most oil miners will never experience the tapping of a fresh oil well. For the most part, all the untapped oil deposits are in endangered landscapes that are protected by sanctions, and or preservation laws. With all that untapped oil lying dormant in a deposit, it infuriates people that believe in drilling to provideRead MoreCurrent Ethical Issues on Oil Spill1482 Words   |  6 Pagesconsumptions of oil have led to increased prices of gasoline whereby alternative forms of energy production are sought. With this in mind, offshore drilling can be a viable option for satiating the need of oil and also to boost the economy of the nation. In this report, I am going to discuss how the current Deepwater Horizon rig explosion has led to disastrous oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico causing environmental problems and also discuss how the oil spill if resolved a nd with safe and secure drilling techniquesRead MoreOffshore Drilling1527 Words   |  7 Pages Offshore Drilling Does anything out weigh the importance of our planet’s health? You would be surprised by the number of people who look the other way when it comes to keeping the planet clean. Offshore drilling is just one of the major environmental issues that has existed for many years and still continues to be a problem. The topic of offshore drilling not only touches on environmental issues but also political, economic, and ethical issues. All of these tie into the huge debate over offshoreRead MoreOil Drilling Essay examples1403 Words   |  6 PagesCrude oil is black gold that has been even sought out even in the ancient times. The Chinese in the fourth century drilled 800 feet deep oil wells to burn the oil to produce salt. Oil has a long history. America’s has massive oil demands and off-shore drilling has become a temporary solution and scientist are trying to find alternative sources of energy that can last us a very long time. There are many disadvantages and hazards when i t comes to offshore drilling. Theses disadvantages can affect theRead MoreOil Spills Caused By Offshore Drilling Essay1390 Words   |  6 PagesOils spills caused by offshore drilling in California (Santa Barbara) Introduction: This paper is about the effects of offshore drilling particularly it discusses â€Å"oil spills caused by offshore drilling in California†. These oil spills that are caused by offshore drilling affect the environment in the long run. Even some of these impacts on the environment by oil spills last for decades (Larry West). For example when an oil slick arrives at the beach from a huge oil spill then it sticks to eachRead MoreOffshore Oil Drilling and the Deepwater Horizon Spill of the Gulf of Mexico1591 Words   |  7 PagesOil is a very important fossil fuel that is used for various sources of energy. Oil supplies power to industries, fuel for transportation, heat for buildings, and provides raw material for plastics, paints, textiles, and other materials (hybrid cars). To access this fossil fuel, oil drilling is used. Land-based oil drilling became less productive and as the global stipulation for energy increased, technology, law, and geology impacts stepped in and push ed the exploration of oil away from shores (CITE)Read MoreChesapeake Energy Operates Under The Natural Oil And Gas Industry878 Words   |  4 PagesEnergy operates under the natural oil and gas industry. While government’s economic data may separate operations within this industry, the industry covers a broad range of activities and is separated into three segments: upstream, downstream, and midstream. Activities within this industry by oil and gas companies include exploring for crude oil or natural gas, drilling into wells, and such transportation of oil and natural gas. Just as any other industry, the gas and oil industry have major risks thatRead MorePetroleum Engineers : The Natural And Most Economically Sound Method For Success997 Words   |  4 Pagesrecently where it has seen barrels of oil for less than 35 dollars. This is not the first time the oil and gas industry has been in a down turn, and it will probably not be the last. However, petroleum engineers are prob lem solvers and with the many different specialized branches of petroleum engineers this setback is another problem to be solved. Petroleum engineers have a firm background in geology, mathematics, engineering, economics, and physics course work. Consequently, this means a petroleumRead MoreThe Production Of Oil Production910 Words   |  4 PagesAbdullah Althawwad. Topic: oil production. Specific purpose: I want my audience to understand the process of the oil production from the extraction from the field to the oil refinery. Main idea: in this speech, I will discuss the oil production stages from locating the field, to the extraction, and refinery. Type: scientific technical presentation. What I see from my audience that they do not have the enough knowledge about the oil production and what is the process that the oil went through until consumption

The International Congress Of San Sebastian - 1289 Words

Architect Rafael Moneo A Spanish architect won the Pritzker Prize in 1996 and he was the only spanish architect that has received it . His most symbolic work in spain is Atocha Train Station (Madrid), Kursaal Congress Center (San Sebastià ¡n), the wineries of Julian Chivite Estella (Navarre), and the concert Auditorium (Barcelona) among others. Rafael s Latest Work †¢ Extension of the Museo del Prado (Madrid) †¢ Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Museo Nacional de Arte Romano de Mà ©rida (Spain) †¢ Museo de la Ciencia de Valladolid (Spain) †¢ Davis Museum at Wellesley College †¢ Museo de Bellas Artes de Houston †¢ Museum of Fine Arts (EEUU) †¢ Moderna Museet och Arkitekturmusset THE KURSAAL CULTURE CENTRE Concept The International Congress of San Sebastian (Kursaal Auditorium) is composed of two huge glass cubes. Rafael describes it as a stranded rock next to the Cantabrian, some areas connected underground, sheltering in their bowels two multipurpose auditoriums, an exhibition hall, a restaurant and parking. The Kursaal is composed of two large translucent glass cubes deformed and oriented with respect to Mount Urgull in the west and the Ulà ­a in the east. These blocks, with their unbalanced geometry, seem to assume the scale and nature of the bay. Description In the first of the stranded rocks, is the auditorium. The room has a rectangular shape with a flat deck and around the ground floor there are: counseling, telephones, and toilets. Access to the top of the room is via rampsShow MoreRelatedBenito Juarez1244 Words   |  5 PagesJuà ¡rez was born in the village of San Pablo Guelatao, Oaxaca on March 21, 1807, located in the mountain range now known as the Sierra Juà ¡rez. His parents, Marcelino Juà ¡rez and Brà ­gida Garcà ­a, were peasants who both died when he was three years old. Shortly after, his grandparents died as well, in which his uncle then raised him.[2][3] He described his parents as indios de la raza primitiva del paà ­s, that is, Indians of the original race of the country.[3] He worked in the corn fields and asRead MoreEssay on A Short History of the Basque Country3639 Words   |  15 PagesLehendakari (President). The Autonomous Governments immediate action was to pronounce the Ikurrina or Basque flag as official and to create the Basque Army and the Basque University. The Basques fought heroically against oppressive international troops, especially after the great offensive that began with the bombarding of Durango on 31st December 1937 (520 dead and 730 wounded between this offensive and that of 2nd April). Then on 26th April came the merciless, criminal Read MoreTheory of Democratic Peace2965 Words   |  12 Pagespolitical ideology is the reason for the existence of the democratic peace theory, which contemporary democratic peace theorists believe such as Kant, Doyle, and Russett. The liberal views make this theory true because liberals are peaceful with international relations and develop stable environments. Based on these views there are normative and institutional arguments. The normative argument explains that it is not normal to solve disputes with violence but to solve disputes through negotiationsRead More Drug Testing in the Federal Workplace Essay example2206 Words   |  9 Pagestested submits to an observed test. The agency can do an onsight test and if the urine is negative it can be discarded. However if the urine is questionable then it is sent to a lab for urinalysis. The most commonly use lab is Pharm-chem Lab located in San Francisco, California. Job Performance and Substance Abuse Job performance is greatly effected by substance abuse. This can include alcohol and or illegal drugs. M ost supervisors have had more training in management skills, personnel policiesRead MoreEssay on Slavery in Latin America4587 Words   |  19 Pagesindependence began in 1810 under the leadership of Juan Martà ­nez de Rozas and Bernardo OHiggins. The first phase (1810-14) ended in defeat at Rancagua, largely because of the rivalry of OHiggins with Josà © Miguel Carrera and his brothers. In 1817, Josà © de San Martà ­n, with incredible hardship, brought an army over the Andes from Argentina to Chile. The following year he won the decisive battle of Maipà º over the Spaniards. The New Nation OHiggins, who had been chosen supreme director, formally proclaimedRead MorePre-Columbian Period9302 Words   |  38 PagesVà ¡squez de Ayllà ³n, Pà ¡nfilo de Narvà ¡ez, Sebastià ¡n Vizcaà ­no, Juan Rodrà ­guez Cabrillo, Gaspar de Portolà  , Pedro Menà ©ndez de Avilà ©s, à lvar Nà ºÃƒ ±ez Cabeza de Vaca, Tristà ¡n de Luna y Arellano and Juan de Oà ±ate.[15] The Spanish sent some settlers, creating the first permanent European settlement in the continental United States at St. Augustine, Florida in 1565.[16] Later Spanish settlements included Santa Fe, Albuquerque, San Antonio, Tucson, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Most Spanish settlementsRead MoreTimeline of Philippine History6991 Words   |  28 PagesDate | Event | 1500 | | Rise of  Kingdom of Maynila  under the  Bolkiah  dynasty | 1521 | March 16 | Ferdinand Magellan  lands on  Homonhon  with three small ships, named the Concepcion, Trinidad and Victoria. Magellan calls the place the  Arcigelago de San Lazaro  since March 16 is the feast day of Saint Lazarus | | March 28 | Magellan reaches the Philippines | | March 29 | Blood Compact between Magellan and Rajah Kulambo of Limasawa | | March 31 | The  first mass on Philippine soil  is celebratedRead More The Rise of Mexican Corn Production in the Face of Cheap Imports5269 Words   |  22 Pages Economists expect there will be winners and losers when trade develops. Corn producers were expected to be one of the losing sectors. The NAFTA agreement was structured to help phase in the effects, but the sector felt the full pressure of international prices and trade flows very quickly. Despite this, production, as a measure of winners and losers, has increased. Economists also predict that the factor inputs within the country should adapt to the new trade patterns and expand in the exportRead MoreChildren With High Functioning Autism9243 Words   |  37 Pageshowever, the International Autism Coordinating Committee (IARC) noted that only 4% of all studies in 2010 on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) individuals were lifespan studies (Office of Autism Research Coordination, National Institute of Mental Health, and Thompson Reuters Inc., on behalf of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, 2012). The scarcity of research and poor prognosis for young adults with autism has recently gained national attention, as a bill was brought to Congress called theRead MoreThe Marijuana Growers Guide9909 Words   |  40 Pages [21.7] Bibliography [22] FOREWORD Marijuana, or cannabis as it is known internationally, is a plant whose presence is almost universal in our world today. Conservative international reports estimate that there are now 300 million cannabis users. Recent reports indicate that 10 percent of the adult population in the United States are regular users, a figure which is probably similar for many countries in Europe. Its use is

William Somerset Maughams Stylistic Peculiarities free essay sample

William Somerset Maugham. Stylistic pecularltles. Maugham became a witty satirist of the post-colonial world and wrote over thirty plays, mainly light satiric comedies. At one time he had four dramas running simultaneously; only Bernard Shaw has had more plays on at the same time in London. The British Library holds many of Maughams published plays, and the Librarys Lord Chamberlains collection contains a considerable number of typescripts. Though Maugham doesnt denounce the contemprorary social order, he is critical of the morals and the narrowmindness. Realistic portrait of life, keen aracter observation and interesting plots coupled with the beautiful expressive language, he has a simple clear unadored style. His stories could be caracterized by great narrative facility, an Ironic point of view, cosmopolitan settingsand an astonishing understanding of human nature. Giving Maugham his due for brilliance of style and a pointed rldlcule of many social vices, such as snobbishness, money- worship, pretence, self-interest, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on William Somerset Maughams Stylistic Peculiarities or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page , we realize his cynical attitude to mankind. It Is quite obvious that when describing the corruption of modern society, he Is not indignant but rather amused. His habitual attitude is that of expecting little or nothing of his fellow men. His ironical cynicism combined with a keen wit and power of observation affords him effective means of portraying English reality without shrinking before its seamy side. Maughams style is clear-cut and elegant. The attitude of the novelist to his character seems mostly to be cynically sarcastic. A play upon contrasts and contradictions lies at the basis of Maughams sarcastic method in portraying his characters. Credit must be given to Maugham for being extremely resourceful In moulding the portrait. Maughams irony Is bitter. It is rather prominent in the solemn ring of emphatic parallel constructions Into which all the flowery expressions are arranged. A reiteration of the emphatic constructions before homogeneous attributes also sounds mocking enough. Each paragraph In his stories forms a complete unit. Today, Maugham Is probably best known as a short story writer. His clear, lucid and economical style makes easy reading and his short stories have been reprinted frequently in collected editions. Maugham said himself: l have never pretended to be anything but a story teller.

Psychology-Ch. 4 Sleep and Dreams Flashcard

Psychology-Ch. 4 Sleep and Dreams

Business Management essay

Business Management essay Business Management essay Business Management essayBusiness management is essential for me because I have a great desire to successfully manage people and business projects, as well as to develop effective business-related policies.   I want to major in business in order to pursue my Bachelor’s Degree and become a true professional in business management. The reason that I am applying for the scholarship is that it will help me to pay for my academic tuition, academic resources (books, programs, etc.) and spend much more time on my studies.Today I have to work full time in order to advance myself with a degree in business management. I am currently pursuing my Associate’s Degree, but I am not going to stop my education. To become a true professional in business management, it is necessary to learn more about the key business strategies that will help to enhance management practices and develop the proper skills and abilities. I am going forward to achieve my Bachelor’s Degree.I am curre ntly pursuing a career course that will help me to advance my leadership and management skills and have the opportunity to work in an advanced management field.   My specific academic goals contribute to my professional growth. Some of my academic goals include:To develop effective leadership and management skills in order to apply these skills in practice;To improve my academic performance in order to become more professional in decision making and goal setting practices;To develop good technical skills in order to apply new technologies in business practices;To learn more about business management strategies that could be applied in practice;To learn how to identify and successfully resolve various organizational and business problems;To develop my communication skills that are necessary in achieving strategic goals;To learn more about strategic planning in business;To use my skills and abilities to continue maintaining a â€Å"B† average;To do everything possible to keep satisfactory attendance.My career plans depend on my academic achievements and work experience. I know that business management is not an easy field to work in.   I will be focused on my professional development. My work experience involves dealing with conflicts within management, problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, discrimination, as well as personal development. I have been well trained to deal with standard operating procedures and implementation of such standards, to satisfy the Department of Defense and be in compliance with the established laws and regulations of our Federal Government.In addition, I will do my best to develop professional skills in business management practices that will help me to make good management decisions in my future career. To be a good manager, it is very important to develop not only effective interpersonal communication skills, but also good intuition, which helps to make effective management decisions.   I need general know ledge in HR management, finance and accounting operations. I know that Bachelor’s programs in this field are effective in achieving the established academic goals. The greatest pleasure for me would be to pass exams successfully. I believe that my personal skills and abilities will be useful in achieving my academic goals. I am self-confident, hard-working and persistent. I know that to become a good manager I should study hard. I know that a good manager should be competent in three key areas: managing people; managing and developing processes and policies; and managing and developing oneself. I believe that my Bachelor’s program in business management will help me to develop the proper skills to become competent in the above mentioned areas. Today I pay due attention to my personal development. I successfully deal with stresses and conflicts. A good manager should know how to avoid stressful situations which may lead to conflicts in the workplace. Besides, I use my c reativity in decision making process to demonstrate the best traits of my character. Innovative ideas in business management provide massive opportunities for successful implementation of the established strategic goals.Thus, it is necessary to conclude that my specific academic goals and career plans will motivate me to study hard. I know that to become a professional in business management, it is necessary to never give up and be quick about solving any problem or overcoming any barrier.   I realize that my academic and career goals are the essential goals I should achieve in the nearest future. Achieving these goals will help to succeed in the realization of my personal potential in profession and career. Business management practices guarantee professional success if a manager is goal-oriented and creative. One of my great desires is to pursue my Bachelor’s Degree in order to become a true professional in business management. I believe that I will be able to apply my be st skills and abilities to succeed in academic performance and become a well-trained specialist. My work experience will help me to be confident in everything I need to do to attain my academic goals and career plans.

The Original Boss--William Tweed

The Original BossWilliam Tweed The Original BossDuring the "Golden Years" of America, in the middle of the 19th century, it seemed as though nothing happened in New York City unless the Boss wanted it to happen. William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, a formidable politician, ruled and corrupted the city so shamelessly in the years right after the War Between the States, that his name became synonymous with dishonesty. Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge could not proceed until Tweed got a seat on the bridge company board. It was reported that he redirected more than $6 million of the city's money into his own bank account. Known among political reformers as the forty thieves, The Tweed Ring [Peter Sweeny, city chamberlain; Richard B. Connolly, city comptroller; and Oakey Hall, mayor (to name a few)], "sold" money-making franchises to companies they controlled, padded construction bills, practiced graft and extortion, and exploited every opportunity to plunder the city's funds, the Boss was a figure to be reckoned with.Englis h: Caricature of Boss Tweed by Thomas Nast.Both beloved by many of the city's poor immigrants yet the target of pointed jabs from political cartoonist Thomas Nast, these were two opposite faces of the Boss.There is little question that the Tweed Ring practiced thievery and that Tammany Hall had a series of reoccurring scandals. An estimated 75 to 200 million dollars were swindled from the City between 1865 and 1871. Yet, there is more to the story than a confrontation of the machine form of city government and the ideology of reformer exhortations. Tammany represented a form of organization that wedded the Democratic Party and the Society of St. Tammany (started in 1789 for patriotic and fraternal purposes) into an interchangeable exchange. The weave of city politics was the triangulation of the Mayor's office, the Democratic Party and the social club organization. During the...

Bertrand Russell (1912) The Value of Philosophy and Brie Gertler Essay

Bertrand Russell (1912) The Value of Philosophy and Brie Gertler (2008) In Defense of Mind-Body Dualism - Essay Example Deliberating fundamental questions on the meaning of life, human nature, the cosmos, etc do not have any commercial value. But a life lived without such philosophical speculation is quite limited and enslaved. Philosophy helps us to broaden our intellectual and emotional horizons by subjugating our self-interest. It cultivates in us to focus on the non-Self, which liberates us from individual petty concerns and veers our consciousness toward bigger questions on the human condition. In other words, if specialized disciplines in science are preoccupied with the ‘how’ question, philosophy is concerned with the ‘why’ question. As Russell aptly terms it, philosophy helps us to move beyond the ‘here and now’. In doing so, it makes us separate from the particular circumstances of history and culture, thereby experiencing a universal mode of existence. Uncertainty is a basic feature of philosophy, where various answers are proposed for any given question. It is this element of uncertainty that distinguishes philosophy from other scientific disciplines. But instead of causing ambiguity, the open-ended speculations actually enhance our imagination and identify novel solutions. As the magisterium of our mind is expanded we become calmer and more secure. Unlike the defensive and anxious behaviour of the unenlightened person, the one well-versed with philosophy is able to negotiate all sorts of contingencies in life with relative ease. I totally agree with Russell’s assessment of the value of philosophy. I strongly believe that philosophy should be moved into mainstream academia, away from its perception as an esoteric pursuit. Today, almost every major problem in society is caused as a result of an unenlightened citizenry. With education increasingly becoming skill-oriented or vocational, generations of adults graduate from college without social consciousness. Studying philosophy mitigates this phenomenon by prompting us with valid questions. And in

Economic policies of the UK on overcoming global financial crisis of Essay

Economic policies of the UK on overcoming global financial crisis of 2008 - Essay Example Every crisis has a unique cause, as well as characteristics; however, the following are typical amongst the factors responsible for generating this disaster: overshooting of markets; rise in credit; excessive debt leveraging; incorrect view of dangers; a country’s capital flight; off-balance sheet procedures by banks; macroeconomic policies that are non-sustainable; deregulation with no appropriate system of supervision; and latest financial instruments utilized in an inappropriate manner. The distinctiveness of the current disaster is that it happens to be a combination of a financial crisis coming from one of the largest world economy, i.e. the USA, with a universal downturn. The present financial crisis got triggered by the replete of the housing bubble, together with the consequent sub-prime mortgage crisis within the USA. Although the crisis has not yet been thoroughly analyzed, there are suggestions by experts that a number of causes explaining the reasons for the sub-pr ime crisis, which exploded in August 2007 in the USA ( Hansjorg & Milka 2011, p.36). There are two significant trends in the years resulting in the crisis; firstly, interest rates had been dropping since the 1980s, secondly, following the financial crisis in Asia during 1997–1998, countries began accumulating foreign exchange reserves, aided by the current account deficit of the US. The majority of countries diverted part of their reserves to sovereign wealth funds put into higher-yielding assets compared to the US Treasury, in addition to other government securities, streaming into high technology stocks and, following the â€Å"dot.com Bubble† spout in 2000, to housing markets within the USA and countries such as the UK. The continuous falling of interest rates, along with the large...This paper clearly outlines the effectiveness of the economic response of the UK to the global financial crisis challenges. Every crisis has a unique cause, as well as characteristics; however, the following are typical factors responsible for their origination: overshooting of markets; rise in credit; excessive debt leveraging; incorrect view of dangers; a country’s capital flight; off-balance sheet procedures by banks; macroeconomic policies that are non-sustainable; deregulation with no appropriate system of supervision; and latest financial instruments utilized in an inappropriate manner. In March 2011, the Government published its â€Å"Plan for Growth† This plan had four ambitions: creating the most competitive system of tax within the G20 group of key economies; making the UK the best place within Europe for starting, financing and growing business; encouraging investment, as well as exports as a key to a more balanced economy; and finally creating a more educated workforce that happens to be the most flexible within Europe. Amongst the measures announced were a lessening in the tax rate on the profits of businesses; an internationally competitive tax rule governing multinational organizations; tax enticement for company investment; an embalm of deregulation particularly for helping small businesses; additional investment within infrastructure, science, vocational training, research and development. In 2009, the international leadership of the UK through its chairmanship of the G20 assisted the world in taming the worst economic crisis. It succeeded in drawing the leaders of the world's main economies at the G20 Summit thereby agreeing on strongly coordinated action of stabilizing the world economy.

Angela McRobbie’s Analysis of Jackie Essay Example for Free

Angela McRobbie’s Analysis of Jackie Essay This essay will be exploring Angela McRobbie’s analysis of Jackie and why the magazine has seen a new found popularity in recent years. Jackie was a popular British weekly teenage girls’ magazine published by Scottish company D.C. Thomson which was published from 1964 up until 1993. It was named after the children’s author Jacqueline Wilson who worked for D.C. Thomson at the time. The magazine was most popular with girls in the age range of 10 to 14. Before Jackie made its debut, magazines aimed at teenaged girls were normally romance orientated comic strips such as Mirabelle, Romeo and Valentine. Although Jackie did indeed feature romantic stories, they were not the main focus of the magazine. Features that had normally previously featured only in women’s magazines such as problem pages, fashion pages, reader’s true life stories, and hair and beauty advice were now introduced to a teenage population. Indeed Jackie was written by the women’s magazine department of D.C. Thomson rather than the one focused on children’s comics such as The Beano and The Dandy. Taking all this into consideration, it could be argued that Jackie provided the blue print for the modern teenage girl’s magazines. In her analysis, McRobbie says she feels that Jackie tapped into the biological nature of teenage girls, when they start to become more curious about their changing bodies and start to show an interest in the opposite sex. The Cathy and Claire problem pages were a popular feature with readers of the magazine, and many problems readers wrote in with mainly focused on boys and other common problems that come hand in hand with growing up. McRobbie believes that one purpose of the magazine was to prepare girls for the â€Å"brief flowering† period that many young working class women in that time had before marriage but after they had just left school and started work and so had freedom and a disposable income to go out with their friends to pubs a nd dances and buy adult items such as clothes and make-up. Richard Hoggart discusses this period in his analysis of working class teenage girls in his book The Uses of Literacy. One feature Jackie was famous for was its photo stories that provided a stepping stone to fame for celebrities such as Fiona Bruce and Hugh Grant, which were usually of a romantic nature, in the style thought to appeal to the young women of the target audience. These provided girls with a romantic ideal which McRobbie discusses in her analysis of the magazine, McRobbie believes that young girls are conditioned to seek romantic based  relationships instead of sexual ones and that romantic stories like the ones that featured in Jackie and other magazines aimed at teenaged girls at the time helped to reinforce this. Again, these can seem comically clichà ©d and dated by the standards of today. In fact, one of the reasons that Jackie may have regained popularity is that this style of article, although probably reasonable at the time written, seem almost laughable and maybe also politically incorrect by today’s standards (for example one article featured in The Best of Jackie Annual on ways how to attract boys suggests that a girl should try sitting on a park bench â€Å"looking tearful†, and a fashion feature refers to plus sized girls as â€Å"fatties† and very slim girls as being â€Å"stick like†). To many people in 2012, these almost seem like satire. Indeed, on the popular bookselling website Amazon, The Best of Jackie Annual and it’s spinoffs such as Dear Cathy and Claire The Best of Your Favourite Problem Page can be found under the sub-category â€Å"Humour†. A feature that can be found in The Best of Jackie Annual, which had previously been published as a part of an actual Jackie Christmas annual, on how to survive Christmas parties advises the readers to be wary of drunken bosses and uncles making passes at them. This is disturbingly mentioned in a casual and almost light hearted fashion, like it is a common occurrence to be expected, and perhaps even tolerated. The idea of a girl so young being put in a vulnerable position with a much older man, especially one who is in a position of authority or a relative, would be unlikely to be treated in this fashion today. This article may appear humorous to some people in a dark way, simply because it is so shocking and highly inappropriate by today’s standards. Another reason why Jackie may have seen a new increase in popularity is because older women, who would have been readers of Jackie in the past, may want to look back at their youth and remember a much simpler time before they had children to worry over, bills to pay, jobs (or lack of them) and mortgages. Looking back on the past is something which has always been very popular with people and becomes more common during times of economic recession, like the one Britain (and Europe in general) has been struggling with in recent years. There are numerous discussions on the internet in forums with older women talking fondly about their experiences and memories of reading Jackie. When Jackie stopped being published in 1993, D.C. Thomson realised a new magazine aimed at teenaged girls called Shout,  which could possibly be seen by some people as a rebranding of Jackie. Shout is still being published today and I compared a recent copy of Shout from May 2012 to a copy of Jackie from June 1981. Both magazines feature a celebrity on the front cover, with Shout having Cheryl Cole and Jackie having Adam Ant, and both also have tampon adverts on the back covers. A similar layout to that which Jackie used, and which McRobbie discusses in Jackie: An Ideology of Adolescent Femininity, is used in Sh out. Problem pages, fashion pages, celebrity gossip, hair and beauty advice, â€Å"pin-ups† of attractive male celebrities, horoscopes and reader’s true-life stories all feature in both magazines, although there are clear generational differences in these articles between the two magazines. Advice given in the problem pages of Shout is more concerned with more serious issues such as sex and alcohol abuse and also offers career advice. In the days of Jackie’s popularity girls were not often encouraged to stay on to do further education after the compulsory school leaving age and usually got married at an age which would be considered very young today, whereas today many girls go on to go to college and university and choose to put off marriage and having children to a later stage in life, if they opt to at all. Jackie also contained sewing and knitting patterns, which are things which are no longer common hobbies with teenaged girls today. This is likely due to fashionable clothing being sold cheaply in supermarkets and high-street stores such as Primark and Asda. The popularity of teenage magazines is currently on the decline, with many once popular magazines no longer being published. This is possibly due to the fact that the features of teenage magazines such as celebrity gossip, hair and beauty tips and updates on the latest fashions are readily available on the internet. Even if a young girl finds herself in need of advice there are now websites such as Yahoo Answers, Girls Ask Guys and Answerbag where she will be able to get (possibly dubious) responses to her question quickly from a variety of people across the world and there is also websites set up by charities offering advice on more serious matters such as abuse, bullying, drugs and sexual health. It is also worth having a brief look at the context of the magazine’s existence, with the early-mid 1960s being a reasonable period of progress in Britain. In the nation of Labour leader Harold Wilson’s â€Å"white heat† † (Sandbrook, 2005:737) – a nation still getting over the war, but  proudly (if cautiously) advancing in what historian Dominic Sandbrook called â€Å"a new era of creativity and progress† (Sandbrook, 2005:737)– it is only natural that Britain’s young women would have a need for their own entertainment and place for advice. While it is true that this is not the intended focus of the essay, such a background should not be ignored, and may go some way towards explaining the magazine’s eventual demise(arguably, rebranding) in the very different world of the 1990s.

Analyzing The Moral Panic Of Media Media Essay

Analyzing The Moral Panic Of Media Media Essay Thompson(1998) describes 5 key elements in a moral panic. It is something or someone who is defined as a threat to values and interests; the threat is depicted in an easily recognisable form by the media, with use of aspects such as Exaggeration, distortion, prediction and symbolisation. This then causes a rapid build up of public concern. Newspaper coverage and news broadcasts are commonly known to exaggerate issues in society which then encourage the public to react timorous to the concerns. Lastly, moral panics are continuously used to result in; a response from the authorities or opinion-makers. Thus, this included changes made evident from law enforcement, the councils and general charity organisations. The final element is that panic recedes or results in social changes. There are many issues that are often subject to moral panics such as Youth Crime/Gun Crime, Binge Drinking, child abuse, sex and violent behaviour, drug abuse, paedophilia, the law and asylum seekers and immigration policy. A moral panic can be defined in several ways, one definition is a kind of short-hand for public hysteria, by definition irrational, and is almost always held to be indicative of someone elses behaviour rather than our own (Critcher, 2003). The media directs its judgments and perspectives at members of society that are classed as unacceptable or deviant. In his book Moral Panics and the Media, Chas Critcher explains that Moral panics involve a  ¿Ã‚ ½heightened level of concern over the behaviour of a certain group or category and the consequences that the behaviour presumably cause for the rest of society(Critcher,2003,pg 23). A moral panic must be manifested in concrete ways in other words there must be a public commentary in the form of media; such as newspaper coverage and news broadcasts. In relation to Thompsons description the media then proposes legislation and social movement activity. The media is acting as a voice for the public; some may argue that it offers biased/distorted views of issues which therefore cause a moral panic. Conversely, it can also be argued that the media plays a crucial role in establishing a moral panic as a way of creating awareness to the public; thus without media involvement this is not possible. A key subject that is continuously making heavy appearances in tabloid newspapers and news broadcasts daily; is Gun/Knife crime which is commonly affiliated with youth culture/youth gangs. To understand how Thompsons, Critchers and other theorists concept of moral panic works, analysis of media coverage is critical. The media has developed and distorted representations of British youth for a long time, and certain coverage in British cinema, documentaries, press coverage and broadcasting have made it evident that the representation of  ¿Ã‚ ½youth ¿Ã‚ ½ is seen as a threat to many. However the coverage differentiates from different forms of media. The coverage of moral panics in broadcasting differs to press; television news broadcasts, are described as unbiased and therefore have a minor affect on moral panics as the impact might have not been on such a large scale. However in major moral panics they tend to have the same large amount of coverage on daily. British Youth are constantly being associated with factors such as drug abuse, low achievers, under age drinking, ASBO ¿Ã‚ ½s , violence; leading to such headlines as  ¿Ã‚ ½Britain a nation of yobs ¿Ã‚ ½. The term  ¿Ã‚ ½yob ¿Ã‚ ½ and  ¿Ã‚ ½thug ¿Ã‚ ½ is commonly used in numerous press cuttings specifically from tabloid newspapers such as ¿Ã‚ ½The Sun ¿Ã‚ ½ and the  ¿Ã‚ ½Daily mail ¿Ã‚ ½. It can be argued that the depiction of a sterotypicaly  ¿Ã‚ ½thug ¿Ã‚ ½ is being used as the  ¿Ã‚ ½Folk Devil ¿Ã‚ ½. Moreover the use of these metaphors are adding to the sensation of the moral panic  ¿Ã‚ ½Yobs must get tough sentences not a slap on the wrist ¿Ã‚ ½,  ¿Ã‚ ½Another stab victim dies, yet yobs with blades could escape with fine ¿Ã‚ ½,  ¿Ã‚ ½Thug stabs student to death ¿Ã‚ ½ and  ¿Ã‚ ½Blade Britian ¿Ã‚ ½. The headlines are poignant and direct, ¿Ã‚ ½1 day. 5 dead ¿Ã‚ ½, this encourages the readers to be aware but also an element of paranoia can be injected provoking public distress, causing a stir in society. There is use of emotive language such as  ¿Ã‚ ½His mother has run out of tears ¿Ã‚ ½ and use of alliterations in  ¿Ã‚ ½Kids killing kids, families in fear, its time to say, No More ¿Ã‚ ½, these are examples of rhetoric which newspapers use to persuade its readers in supporting their views. An example the initial making of a moral panic is a headline used in the Daily Mail;  ¿Ã‚ ½Random attack by thugs every 30 seconds ¿Ã‚ ½. This can be described as heavily exaggerated which provokes public reaction and emotion. On the other hand, youth crime is rapidly increasing, in society.  ¿Ã‚ ½The amplification which takes place through the medias work serves to appeal to the public so that they concur with ready-made opinions about the course of action to be taken. Combined with the opinions of the experts who are wheeled out to give their diagnosis, they reach an agreement about how to cope with the situation in hand, and the problem either disappears or at least deteriorates. ¿Ã‚ ½(Burns:2000). In reference to Youth crime; various  ¿Ã‚ ½anti-gun/knife crime ¿Ã‚ ½ campaigns have been made and according to an article in 2008 from the  ¿Ã‚ ½Sunday Mirror ¿Ã‚ ½ the home secretary Jacqui smith states that  ¿Ã‚ ½thugs carrying knives will face four years in jail ¿Ã‚ ½. It can also be argued that moral panics can result in social change. In Conclusion, Sometimes  ¿Ã‚ ½panics ¿Ã‚ ½ have existed in society for a considerable time but a particular event has triggered the significance; although generally they pass as quickly as they came and are long forgotten. The media ¿Ã‚ ½s involvement plays a crucial role in the establishment of moral panics, as it raises awareness of serious ongoing issues. However it can be argued that it promotes a bias nature which can ultimately prevent the public from the truth.  ¿Ã‚ ½Yobs must get tough sentences not a slap on the wrist ¿Ã‚ ½.(The Sun;2008). The media ¿Ã‚ ½s powerful role can be criticised for using moral panics to enforce the ideas and rules about the government. Moral panics will continue to dominate society and the media; provoking public concern and sometimes legislation but there will always be questions doubting whether it does reinforces public opinion and if it is a voice for the people or a propaganda tool for the rich and powerful.

Career Passports and Career Portfolios Essay

Portfolios have long been used in some professions to showcase professional work and skill. In education, portfolios have also been used for assessment, including self-assessment (Lankes 1995; Pond et al. 1998). Both career portfolios and career passports reflect this dual focus—students assess themselves in the process of developing a product, and the resulting product showcases and documents their experiences and skills. A distinction is sometimes drawn between a portfolio as developmental and a passport as summative (Bridging the Gap 1993). With portfolios, more emphasis is put on the developmental process of self-assessment, planning, and goal-setting; with passports, more emphasis is put on the final product that sums up the results of the process and communicates them to others. In practice, however, both passports and portfolios represent a combination of developmental process and summative product. The value of the passport or portfolio is also twofold: students come to an awareness of their own skills and experience, and employers have richer, more detailed information for hiring decisions than is provided in transcripts and diplomas. As early as the mid-1980s, Charner and Bhaerman (1986) advocated a Career Passport as a way for secondary students to identify and document their work and nonwork experiences and to translate those experiences into statements of skills specifically related to work. The process was necessary for students to understand what they had to offer to employers; the resulting Career Passport provided employers with critical information to supplement the information in school transcripts or even resumes. The Ohio Individual Career Plan (ICP) and Career Passport. The Ohio Career Passport is the capstone of students’ career decision-making process, begun before the ninth grade (Gahris n. d. The planning and decision making involved in the ICP process lead to each student’s Career Passport, an individual credential housing an array of formal documents that students use in the next step after high school. Components include a letter of verification from the school; a student-developed resume; a student narrative identifying career goals and underlying rationale; a transcript (including attendance); diplomas, certificates, licenses, or other credentials; and a list of any specific vocational program competencies. The state recommends housing tho se components in a consistent, easily recognizable folder. Students develop ICPs through career interest and aptitude assessment, exploration experiences, preferably through job shadowing, and annual review and revision in high school. The ICP and Career Passport can be developed in any statewide curriculum area but most often this occurs in English or social studies, with assistance from the computer instructor and guidance counselor. Classroom support materials include elementary, middle, and high school Career Development Blueprints and sample activity packets (Classroom Support Materials n. d. ). All Ohio schools are required to provide students the opportunity to complete the ICP and Career Passport in a structured classroom setting and local school boards may make the Career Passport a graduation requirement for their district, although parents may choose not to have their child involved. The South Dakota Career and Life Planning Portfolio. The Career and Life Planning Portfolio is a collection of work that documents a student’s skills, abilities, and ambitions (Division of Workforce and Career Preparation 1999; â€Å"DWCP Wins National Award† 2000). Usually organized in a standard jacket with color-coded folders, documentation can include both examples of work and information on career and education planning, skills employers want, projects/work samples, and assessment results. The Portfolio, which is not required, can be used for a variety of educational purposes, but its ultimate use is to house the projects and work samples that demonstrate to a prospective employer that the student has the skills and talents the employer needs. Based on a model developed by the Sioux Falls School District and tested at 25 state high schools, the Portfolio is accompanied by curriculum materials, activities, and resources for teachers. Career Certificates The Wisconsin Employability Skills Certificate. The Employability Skills Certificate Program is designed for students who do not participate in the Cooperative Education Skills Certificate Program and the Youth Apprenticeship Program (Lifework Education Team 2000). The Employability Skills Certificate, issued by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, recognizes students’ mastery of the employability skills identified by the U. S. Department of Labor’s Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS). To participate in the voluntary program, local districts must provide three required components: Instruction and assessment of SCANS skills—Instruction can be provided in any curriculum area, and demonstration and assessment can occur either in the school or in the community. School-supervised work-based learning experience—Considerable flexibility is allowed for local districts in providing work-based learning experiences, which can include existing cooperative education, work experience, internships, or service learning programs. A minimum of 180 total work hours is required; occupation-related instruction is not required. Career planning—Working with parents and school personnel, each student develops a written Individual Career Plan (ICP) to make appropriate career, educational, and occupational choices. The ICP identifies tentative career goals and concrete, specific steps after high school to realize those goals; schools manage the ICP process and provide objective data both for original development and periodic reevaluation. The Connecticut Career Certificate (CCC). Part of the continuing School-to-Career (STC) system, the CCC verifies that a student has mastered a set of employability, academic, and technical skills identified in a partnership between the state Departments of Labor, Education, and Higher Education and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (Connecticut Department of Labor 2001; Stickney and Alamprese 2001). The CCC is awarded by state-approved local districts to students who achieve all required competencies in one of eight career clusters. Academic standards (reading, writing, communication skills, math, science, and computer knowledge) are based on state-determined levels of performance on one of four assessments: Connecticut Mastery Test, administered to all 8th-grade students; the Connecticut Academic Performance Test, administered to all 10th-grade students; the voluntary Scholastic Assessment Test; or the voluntary Comprehensive Adult Students Assessment System, Level C or D. Employability standards (attitudes and attributes, customer service, teamwork, and adaptability), which are integrated curriculum frameworks for all eight career clusters, are correlated with SCANS skills. Both academic and employability standards are common across all eight career clusters, whereas technical skills and standards vary by cluster. The number of CCCs awarded has increased from 101 statewide in 1997-98 to 569 in 2000-01. More substantial percentages of high school students participated in STC career development activities—for example, 72 percent in career counseling and 50 percent each in career interest surveys and portfolio development. The Oregon Certificates of Mastery. By the school year 2004-05, all Oregon high schools will be required to offer the Certificate of Advanced Mastery (CAM). Designed to prepare students for success in their next steps after high school, the CAM documents each student’s academic and career-related knowledge and skills (Oregon Department of Education 2001). In the 2001 CAM model, academic skills include state performance standards in English (reading, speaking, and writing) math, science, and social science; these are four of the seven standards required for the state’s Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM), which also include art, second language, and physical education. CAM candidates can meet the four required CIM performance standards either through CIM knowledge and skill tests or through CIM work samples. The six career-related learning standards—†fundamental skills essential for success in employment, college, family and community life† (p. 2)—include personal management, problem solving, communication, teamwork, employment foundations, and career development. To earn a CAM, each student must develop, review, and update an education plan for next steps after high school; develop an education profile to document progress and achievement; meet performance standards for applying academic and career-related knowledge and skills in new and complex situations; demonstrate career-related knowledge and skills; participate in planned career-related learning experiences; and satisfy the four CIM standards. Students can select specific areas of their education profile to document and communicate specific knowledge and skills to specific audiences, such as employers, and supplement that with a record of personal accomplishments, experiences, and skills. Other examples could be added to those presented here. Oklahoma’s 2001 Career Activity File: Career Portfolios K-12 (2001), Arizona’s Career Pathways: An Implementation and Resource Guide (1997), and Michigan’s proposed Content Standards and Working Draft Benchmarks for Career and Employability Skills (Using Employability Skills 1998) all address the same need for students to communicate knowledge and skills not captured well by traditional diplomas and transcripts. Whether an empty structure to fill or a carefully defined credential to earn, career passports, portfolios, and certificates provide a new means for students to document the whole range of knowledge and skills—employability, academic, or technical—they have to offer to employers. Effective practices in developing and using career portfolios and passports involve defining the roles of different actors, addressing issues of portfolio or passport design, and facilitating students’ developmental process (Wonacott 2001). Issues related to career passports, portfolios, and certificates that have not yet been addressed include student outcomes and success (e. g. , employment, starting salary), program coordination and cooperation across states, and the possible development of a national model.

Sigmund Freud and Freud Hank

Fardad Muhammad Baig 2014-02-0338 Personality Theories Uzma Mazhar 1) What personality (or character) type does Hank display according to Freudian theory? Provide evidence for your answer. At what stage is Hank fixated, according to the Freudian perspective? Find evidence of fixation in the case study. What might have caused this fixation? According to Freud Hank’s displays the Oral Aggressive personality type. This personality type is characterized by envy, manipulation of others, and suspiciousness. ‘Oral aggressive’ people are often perceived as envious, pessimistic, cynical, sarcastic, scornful and contemptuous.Hank perceives others as shallow and is sarcastic about others. Hank is fixated at the oral stage. Orally-fixated people often seek gratification through smoking, thumb-sucking, nail-biting and chewing objects like pens and pencils. Hanks resort to smoking and eating when he is stressed. This fixation occurs as a result of his mother’s overprotec tiveness. His mother used to fulfill his needs instantly. This resulted in his habit of instant gratification which could not be fulfilled later in life. His mother use to shut him up with cookies.This is me was a clean sign that he had dependency issue towards his mother. The mother did not discipline her son which can lead him to have unbalance state of mind. After reading the case study, I believe the mother is part to blame for Hank’s fixation because he was spoiled into a self-centered person, without him even noticing. 2) Would Freudian theory describe Hank's eating and argumentative behaviors as being internally or externally motivated? Explain the motivation. Freudian Theory will describe Hank’s eating and argumentative behaviors as being internally motivated.His habit of eating is a sign of fixation at the Oral Stage as a result of which he resorts to excessive eating and smoking when he is in stress. His argumentative nature expresses his discontent towards o thers because these people did not give him as much attention as his mother did. He, therefore, is angry at others. As a child he was exposed to immediate gratification by excessive feeding. These evidences show that these behaviors were internally motivated. 3) Find an example of a Freudian a Freudian defense mechanism that Hank uses in this description. Explain it.Hank habits alienate people, including Sally. However, when Sally left him Hank thought that she broke up with him because of his weight problem and then he goes on to blame her for her shallowness. He is ‘rationalizing’ here. He is focusing on other reason whereas the real problem lies within him which he is not willing to accept. 4) Find an example of regression in the case study. Explain it. When Hank thought about the previous week he felt stressed. To lower his stress he starts eating the ice cream. After this he starts smoking which also helps him to reduce the tension. This is an evidence of regressio n.In a state of stress Hank regresses back to the Oral stage and seeks gratification through excessive eating and smoking. 5) Would a Freudian therapist view Hank's weight problem as a behavioral problem, in and of itself, or as a symptom of another problem? Explain. A Freudian Therapist would view Hank’s weight problem as a symptom of his fixation at the oral stage. Instead of confronting a stressful situation Hank regresses back to the oral stage and seeks instant oral gratification through smoking and eating. This is the cause of his weight problem. It is also possible that his weight problem can be addressed as a behavior problem.Children learn to behave in a certain manner by observing other people. Since Hank's didn’t have any friends, he was not able to learn from others. 6) What therapeutic techniques would a Freudian therapist, like the one in this case study, likely use? What state of consciousness would be the focus of the therapy? What brings healing in Fre udian therapy? A Freudian Therapist will use the therapeutic technique of Free Association for Hank’s therapy. Psychoanalysis assumes that people are often conflicted between their need to learn about themselves, and their (conscious or unconscious) fears of and defenses against change and self-exposure.Hank’s will be allowed to talk about anything he wishes but this will lead him to talk about the things which matter to him the most. This will instigate a journey of co-discovery which can enhance Hank’s integration of thought, feeling, and selfhood. The unconsciousness will be the focus of the therapy. The therapist will try to make Hank realize his weaknesses so that he can work on them. In Freudian therapy, or psychoanalysis, healing occurs when repressed thoughts and feelings are brought in to consciousness. This allows the patient to develop a stronger ego and resolve internal conflict.

The global group of energy and petrochemical companies is a multinational company with worldwide recognition The WritePass Journal

The global group of energy and petrochemical companies is a multinational company with worldwide recognition Introduction The global group of energy and petrochemical companies is a multinational company with worldwide recognition IntroductionBACKGROUND OF SHELLLITERATURE REVIEWCorporate Strategy of shellDeliberate or EmergentBusiness StrategyCRITICAL ANALYSIS  Internal Analysis Inbound LogisticsOutbound LogisticsOperationsMarketing and SalesServicesExternal Analysis: EconomicalSocialTechnologicalPorters 5 forcesPower of SuppliersPower of BuyersThreat of SubstitutesThreat of a New EntrantFinancial ReviewsExisting StrategyFUTURE SPECULATION:-REFRENCES:-Related Introduction BACKGROUND OF SHELL Shell, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies is a multinational company with worldwide recognition. Shell is best known for its service stations and for exploring and producing oil and gas on land and at sea. In truth Shell deliver a vast range of energy solutions and petrochemicals to customers, produce and sell petrochemical building blocks to industrial customers on a global scale, invest in making renewable and lower-carbon energy sources, competitive for large scale use. LITERATURE REVIEW Corporate Strategy of shell By being more upstream Shell aims to focus its investments on long term, high return projects to develop oil and gas resources, and grow the companies leading liquefied natural gas business. Downstream profits involves; generating more cash by reshaping integrated oil products and petrochemicals portfolio to enhance operations and focus on growth markets, particularly in Asia. Shell believes that this strategy will improve their business performance and increase their contribution to sustainable development. â€Å"Stronger emphasis on our upstream activities and fast growing markets will help us deliver the energy the world needs for economic growth and poverty reduction†. Shell aims to increase focus on producing cleaner burning natural gas, in so doing reducing dependency on coal. Shell is aware that the growing demand for oil and gas presents sustainable development challenges. Producing and using this extra energy is only sustainable, and socially acceptable, if ways are found to combat the risks to the climate and avoid health, safety and environmental incidents. â€Å"We recognize that we will not achieve our strategy and improve business performance for our shareholders unless we respond effectively to these key environmental and social concerns†. Deliberate or Emergent â€Å"Deliberateness refers to the quality of acting intentionally. When people act deliberately they ‘think’ before they ‘do’. They make a plan and then implement the plan. A plan is an intended course of action, stipulating which measures an organization proposes to take†. (De-Witt Meyer, 2004) Shells’ planning does not take the form of complex and inflexible ten-year plans generated by a team of corporate strategists. Rather, the planning process generates a series of â€Å"what if† scenarios. â€Å"Scenario planning is the process in which managers invent and then consider, in depth, several varied scenarios of equally plausible futures with the objective to bring forward surprises and unexpected leaps of understanding†. The implementation of the planning process allows Shell to make strategic no matter what the future. For a company like Shell it is necessary to have a deliberate strategy as well as emergent. Plans need to be outlined and addressed in order to set company objectives. Large oil spills or uncontrollable air emissions are never planned, for this reason it is important Shell pays attention to being emergent as then it can encounter any problems that may arise. Below is a model showing the distinction between deliberate and emergent strategy. Business Strategy Business strategy is concerned with â€Å"how firms should go about creating a sustainable competitive advantage in each business in which they operate† (De-Witt Meyer, 2004) CRITICAL ANALYSIS   Internal Analysis From literature review:- Michael Porter identified the ‘value chain’ as a means of analyzing organizations strategically relevant activities in order to understand the behavior of costs. Competitive advantage results from carrying out those activities in a more cost-effective way than its competitors. The value chain tool is a great technique to employ in order to single out the firm’s specific competitive strengths and weaknesses. Porter identified primary and support activities as shown in the following diagram: IMAGE SOURCE:   mbaknol.com As it can be seen above Porter has distinguished between the primary and support activities. For the purpose of this report focus will be given to the primary activities whose direct concern is with the creation and delivery of a product or service. Inbound Logistics â€Å"Activities associated with receiving, storing and disseminating inputs to the product, such as material handling, warehousing, and inventory† Due to the size of Shell, and to ensure the smooth running of the many processes involved in a company of its size, there are strict rules to follow. The 1st step of the inbound logistics is receiving. At Shell the initial step would be to find the oil. This is of huge importance and the company invests a lot of money to use statistical analysis to determine the location of oil. Once locating the oil it is essential for Shell to draw up exploration contracts with the countries within whose boundaries the oil was first established. Once the contracts have been approved and negotiations agreed the company can then start its drilling process. Shell’s subsidiary company â€Å"Shell Shipping† is used to ship oil to relevant locations. After the distribution of the oil to its desired location the next process is for it to be stored. Outbound Logistics â€Å"Activities associated with collecting, storing and physically distributing the product to buyers, such as finished goods warehousing, material handling and scheduling† Having recognized how the company extracts and then stores the oil the next process is to successfully distribute that to customers. Having processed the oil in its refineries, the oil is driven out to relevant service stations throughout the country by freight management. Once it arrives at the service station the oil is distributed to different pumps and then is ready for use by its consumers. Operations During this stage of the value chain process, goods are manufactured or assembled. Due to the large number of processes involved in extracting and processing oil, we can establish how large the operation base is at Shell. Shell places a great emphasis on conducting operations in the right and accurate manner. It will be detailed in the operations as to how much fuel needs to be distributed to relevant service stations as well as stating what type of fuel is needed. This is sensitive data and incorrect judgments could result in huge revenue being lost. Marketing and Sales This area focuses strongly upon marketing communications and generating sales. Industry sectors like the oil industry have to try and differentiate their products from those of their competitors. Customers view their end product, petrol, just like that of any other commodity. Shell recognizes the need to build brand loyalty and to establish a returning customer base.   The best way to do this is through advertisement. This report will move on to discuss how Shell has used advertising to its advantage. Services For Shell, after sale service is a difficult benefit to offer. However, as petrol is a consumable commodity it is not something that can be returned or exchanged. Once the petrol has been purchased by consumers it is not within the companies interests to accept an exchange. Shell believes it is necessary to maintain a good name and reputation. The customer satisfaction programme focuses on customer and consumer ratings at BP in comparison to relevant competition. Evaluations are based on actual experience with BP and its competitors. Measures attained in this way tend to be more operational in nature focusing on market execution. External Analysis: From Literature review:- A PEST (Political, Economical, Social and Technological) analysis is used to analyse the external environment. Below a Pest analysis has been conducted; Political: factors that need to concern shell are as follows: Government Taxation Shell having interest in Unsteady Countries Government taxation is a concern for the oil industry because it is already heavily taxed and more taxes could start a process whereby people would start moving away from petrol to find cheaper more sustainable products. Shell have interests in countries where there is no political stability or where there are chances of dangerous wars breaking out. Such as Iraq and Nigeria this is very damaging especially when a company like Shell has invested millions of Pounds on exploration and drilling. Economical The cost of petrol continues to increase causing consumers to wrongly blame the oil companies.   The price of oil is managed by OPEC, an international price fixing body. The OPEC MCs coordinate their oil production policies in order to help stabilise the oil market and to help oil producers achieve a reasonable rate of return on their investments. This policy is also designed to ensure that oil consumers continue to receive stable supplies of oil. Social Consumers are more ethically inclined and the ethical marketplace, in Britain alone, is currently worth 14 billion pounds.   While petrol may not be seen as an ethical purchase, petrol companies can, as well as advertising their product, inform the consumer of the Company’s commitment to the environment. That is advertising the fact that they deal in sustainable energy products. Technological The oil industry is becoming aware of the need to produce efficient and environmentally conscious fuels. We cant use fossil fuels forever as they are a non-renewable and finite resource. Research suggests that we should start using hydrogen. Hydrogen is a colourless, odourless gas that accounts for 75 percent of the entire universes mass. Porters 5 forces There are five stages to the Porters model. These are shown below. Competitive Rivalry One enduring characteristic of the oil industry has been change. Competitive rivalry in the oil industry is very high due to there being very little difference between the products of all the suppliers. BP has learned to be responsive to change and indeed to be at the forefront of the change process. It is not commonly known that oil is refined at shared premises, so in reality all petrol is the same, regardless of the company label given to it and as such competitive rivalry is high. On 11 October 2007, BP announced their intention to simplify their organizational structure. From 1 January 2008, there are only two business segments exploration and production and refining and marketing. Power of Suppliers There are no direct suppliers of the oil industry, and in the case of Shell there are none whatsoever the company has subsidiary organisations to handle all aspects of what the company does.   Countries could be defined as suppliers, since it is there that the oil comes from, but the effect over the oil companies is limited to the law. Power of Buyers Buyers have no power over the oil industry since oil is a commodity that is always in demand. Threat of Substitutes At present there are no substitutes for petrol. While hybrid vehicles are making their presence known, electric cars are not as powerful as fuel consuming cars and are not in demand by the consumer. Threat of a New Entrant It is difficult for a new company to break in to the oil industry as the cost of entry is pricey. Current competitors in the market are having a hard time finding new oil reserves. Porters five forces model is essential in helping understand the industry in depth before any consideration is given to entering it. Financial Reviews Even though the accounts show profits and financial figures from the year 2001-2005, it can clearly be seen that BP has generated a greater amount of revenue. If the financial information is going to be compared to today’s age then BP still lie ahead. Existing Strategy An organization and its environment need to fit. This is expressed in terms of the classic SWOT analysis tool. The tool suggests that a sound strategy should match a firm’s strengths (S) and weaknesses (W) to the opportunities (O) and threats (T) encountered in the firms environment (De-Witt Meyer, 2005) SWOT Analysis Strengths The UK offshore oil and gas industry provides an important indigenous energy supply. As well as being used for energy purposes, oil and gas have other uses, notably as a source of feed stocks for the petrochemicals industry. Much of the UK industry boosts employment in areas where it would otherwise be very low as a result of the declines of shipbuilding, the UK steel industry and other large industrial sites. Weaknesses Large UK offshore oil and gas reserves are becoming more difficult to find and develop economically. Some UK fields are depleted and companies active in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) are now faced with the burden of dismantling and disposing of offshore structures in an environmentally acceptable manner. Variations in oil prices and the unpredictability of international politics mean that the UK offshore oil and gas industry fluctuates in response to these forces. Opportunities Many of the newer discoveries are smaller and more difficult to develop than most of the older fields, thereby presenting a commercial and technological challenge for the innovation of new, economically viable ways of extracting oil and gas. Having now worked in the UKCS for several decades, UK companies, suppliers and consultants have built up extensive expertise that can be utilised overseas. Threats Large international oil and gas companies are placing a greater proportion of their resources in regions outside the UKCS, where development and operational costs are lower than they are in the UK. FUTURE SPECULATION:- Having critically evaluated the strategy of Shell I feel there is a need for them to improve in order to fulfill the desire to become market leader and overtake BP. The company emphasizes through its strategy that it is very environmentally and socially conscious yet its not doing a great deal different from other companies out in the market. I feel now is a good time for shell to invest in something new like hydrogen fuel cells or wind and solar energy.   Hydrogen as a fuel is high in energy, yet a machine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost zero pollution A new investment is expensive but the benefits are huge as it is a new innovation which has been on the cards for sometime. Investing in fuel cells will limit the damage caused to the environment as the technology is environmentally friendly. Millions of pounds, required to clean spillages/leaks, will be saved and a positive public image will be established if not further reinforced. The company has done a lot of research into this technology so it is not something that they have not considered. In the future, hydrogen could also join electricity as an important energy carrier. An energy carrier stores, moves and delivers energy in a usable form to consumers. Shell realizes that hydrogen is a fuel for the future but it needs to be more pro active rather than re active. It should try and introduce this technology into the market REFRENCES:- Bibliography Books .Porter, M.E (1987), From competitive advantage to corporate strategy, Harvard Business Review, pp.43. Hamel, G, Prahalad, C.K (1989), Strategic intent, Harvard Business Review, pp.63-76. RAPHAEL, A. and ZOTT, C. 2001. Value Creation in e-Business. Strategic Management Journal, No 23, pp493-520. Porter, M.E (Response to letters to the editor), Harvard Business Review, pp   COLTMAN, T. R., DEVINNEY T. M. and MIDGLEY, D.F. 2007.   E-Business Strategy and Firm Performance:   A Latent Class Assessment of the Drivers and Impediments to Success. Journal of Information Technology No 22 pp87-101. MOLLER, K. and RAJALA, A. 2007.   Rise of Strategic Nets – New Modes of Value Creation. Industrial Marketing Management No 36 pp895-908. PORTER, M. E. 2001.   Strategy and the Internet. Harvard Business Review, March, pp63-78. SHAFER, S. M., SMITH, H. J. and LINDER, J. C. 2005. The Power of Business Models. Business Horizons No. 48, pp199-207. Websites www.essentialaction.org/shell www.shell.com www.shell.com/static www.juergendaum.com/news www.ukeducation.org.uk (www.alphonso.cipher-sys.com) www.valuebasedmanagement.net www.opec.org energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter20.html www.keynote.co.uk

The History of the Invention of the Telegraph

The History of the Invention of the Telegraph When British officials wished to communicate between London and the naval base at Portsmouth in the early 1800s, they utilized a system called a semaphore chain. A series of towers built on high points of land held contraptions with shutters, and men working the shutters could flash signals from tower to tower. A semaphore message could be relayed the 85 miles between Portsmouth and London in about 15 minutes. Clever as the system was, it was really just an improvement on signal fires, which had been used since ancient times. There was a need for much faster communication. And by the middle of the century, Britain’s semaphore chain was obsolete. The Invention of the Telegraph An American professor, Samuel F.B. Morse, began experimenting with sending communications via electromagnetic signal in the early 1830s. In 1838 he was able to demonstrate the device by sending a message across two miles of wire in Morristown, New Jersey. Morse eventually received funds from Congress to install a line for demonstration between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. After an abortive effort to bury wires, it was decided to hang them from poles, and wire was strung between the two cities. On May 24, 1844, Morse, stationed in the Supreme Court chambers, which were then in the US Capitol, sent a message to his assistant Alfred Vail in Baltimore. The famous first message: â€Å"What hath God wrought.† News Traveled Quickly After the Invention of the Telegraph The practical importance of the telegraph was obvious, and in 1846 a new business, the Associated Press, began using the rapidly spreading telegraph lines to send dispatches to newspaper offices. Election results were gathered via telegraph by the AP for the first time for the 1848 presidential election, won by Zachary Taylor. In the following year AP workers stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, begin intercepting news arriving on boats from Europe and telegraphing it to New York, where it could appear in print days before the boats reached New York harbor. Abraham Lincoln Was a Technological President By the time Abraham Lincoln became president the telegraph had become an accepted part of American life. Lincolns first State of the Union message was transmitted over the telegraph wires, as the New York Times reported on December 4, 1861:​ The message of President Lincoln was telegraphed yesterday to all parts of the loyal states. The message contained 7, 578 words, and was all received in this city in one hour and 32 minutes, a feat of telegraphing unparalleled in the Old or New World. Lincolns own fascination with the technology led him to spend many hours during the Civil War in the telegraph room of the War Department building near the White House. The young men who manned the telegraph equipment later recalled him sometimes staying overnight, awaiting messages from his military commanders. The president would generally write his messages in longhand, and telegraph operators would relay them, in military cipher, to the front. Some of Lincolns messages are examples of emphatic brevity, such as when he advised General Ulysses S. Grant, at City Point, Virginia in August 1864: â€Å"Hold on with a bulldog grip, and chew and choke as much as possible. A. Lincoln.† A Telegraph Cable Reached Under the Atlantic Ocean During the Civil War construction of telegraph lines to the west proceeded, and news from the distant territories could be sent to the eastern cities almost instantly. But the biggest challenge, which seemed utterly impossible, would be to lay a telegraph cable under the ocean from North America to Europe. In 1851 a functional telegraph cable had been laid across the English Channel. Not only could news travel between Paris and London, but the technological feat seemed to symbolize the peace between Britain and France just a few decades after the Napoleonic Wars. Soon telegraph companies began surveying the coast of Nova Scotia to prepare for laying cable. An American businessman, Cyrus Field, became involved in the plan to put a cable across the Atlantic in 1854. Field raised money from his wealthy neighbors in New York City’s Gramercy Park neighborhood, and a new company was formed, the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company. In 1857, two ships chartered by Fields company began laying the 2,500 miles of cable, setting off from Irelands Dingle Peninsula. The initial effort soon failed, and another attempt was put off until the following year. Telegraph Messages Crossed the Ocean By Undersea Cable The effort to lay the cable in 1858 met with problems, but they were overcome and on August 5, 1858, Cyrus Field was able to send a message from Newfoundland to Ireland via the cable. On August 16 Queen Victoria sent a congratulatory message to President James Buchanan. Cyrus Field was treated as a hero upon arrival in New York City, but soon the cable went dead. Field resolved to perfect the cable, and by the end of the Civil War he was able to arrange more financing. An attempt to lay cable in 1865 failed when the cable snapped just 600 miles from Newfoundland. An improved cable was finally put in place in 1866. Messages were soon flowing between the United States and Europe. And the cable which snapped the previous year was located and repaired, so two functional cables were operating. The Telegraph Was Depicted In the Capitol Dome Constantino Brumidi, the Italian-born artist who was painting inside the newly expanded US Capitol, incorporated the transatlantic cable into two beautiful paintings. The artist was an optimist, as his lofty depictions were completed a few years before the cable was finally proven successful. In the oil painting Telegraph, Europe is portrayed as clasping hands with America while a cherub offers a telegraph wire. The spectacular fresco inside the top of the Capitols dome, Apotheosis of Washington has a panel titled Marine showing Venus helping to lay the transatlantic cable. In the Late 1800s Telegraph Wires Covered the World In the years following Fields success, underwater cables connected the Middle East with India, and Singapore with Australia. By the end of the 19th century, much of the globe was wired for communication.

Career plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Career plan - Assignment Example He showed early signs of being entrepreneurial and later attributed business practices as a key to his success in acquiring and expanding business. Pickens and his family moved to Oklahoma to Amarillo, Texas in late 1930s.He began studying at the University of Texas after finishing High School and graduated with a degree in geology in 1951 from Oklahoma A&M (now called Oklahoma State University).To kick start the career, the great business leader joined Philips petroleum and worked there until 1954.He then worked in exploratory well digging and later on in 1956 founded Mesa Petroleum. Under the watchful eye of Pickens, by 1981, Mesa grew to be one of the largest independent oil companies in the world. In 1989 Pickens founded Boon Pickens capital management; whose funds dealt with oil and natural gas and which earned him $2.7 billion by 2007.In 1997 T. Boone Pickens created the Pickens Fuel Corp., a company promoting the use of natural gas a cleaner-burning fuel-alternative for automo biles. Researches done by Pickens in the oil industry supported the claim made by other scientists, â€Å"the world’s oil supply is on decline’. As a result he created a fuel company in 1997 that promoted the use of natural gas a cleaner-burning fuel-alternative for automobiles (US Natural Gas). He planned world’s largest wind farm for Texas Panhandle. ... 2. My Career Plan Taking the various internal and external factors into account discussed in the following sections, I have decided to for Finance major in Oil and Gas sector. It is not so much under my control to sketch and build a perfect career. Therefore, I have decided to implement principles and strategies of the American Business leader: T.Boone.Pickens into my career plan. 2.1 Selecting career goals Like Pickens ,the first goal is to create real value and not just earn money and expand personal wealth ( these will invariably have to follow ); To draw out academic and career goals I would rather prefer answering two questions: What qualifications and skills did I acquire ? What knowledge to develop and experience to gather? Then my task will be to complete and submit application and financial aid requirements for admissions to postgraduate ‘oil and gas sector’ financial consultant programs. 2.2 Knowing Yourself Everyone should know and understand his likes and dis likes choosing a career and becoming successful. Listed below are the questions I answered while exploring myself in choosing career: What do I enjoy doing? What am I good at? Which field interests me? How much adaptive am I to changing situations? 2.2.1 Strengths Communication skills. I work intelligently with all kinds of people and understand that each client has different priorities and objectives about projects and work tasks. I keep this in mind when communicating tasks that need to be accomplished with positive reinforcement and awareness of what others are working on. Flexibility to handle change. Since my childhood I had been able to adapt myself easily to any kind of social & cultural

Rwanda genocide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rwanda genocide - Essay Example Concerned countries of the world have often refused to act in time to stop these events even though ample signs of trouble were apparent. Racial superiority has traditionally been an issue for various countries, at one point or another in their history, but none worse than that displayed by the Tutsis over the Hutus in Rwanda Feelings of hatred have been translated into outright acts of violence against those viewed as inferior, and this, at times, prompted retaliation against their oppressors as in the case of Rwanda. â€Å"Rwandan genocide took place between April and June 1994. During this tragic period of 3 months, some 800,000 Rwandans died, the majority was ethnically Tutsis, murdered by their rival countrymen, the Hutus† (Le, 2004). The Rwanda genocide was spread out over the span of three months. Hutu uprising against their fellow citizens was triggered when Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu and the then Rwandan president, was killed in a rocket attack at his plane near Kigali airport, on 6 April 1994 (Le, 2004). Tutsi leader, Paul Kagame (the current Rwandan President, but then, the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front) was blamed for the attack and death of the president (Le, 2004). This was denied by Kagame, who blamed the attack on Hutu extremists. Nevertheless, within a few hours of the at tack, violence broke out all over the country; and such violence would not wane for three months after the assassination of Habyarimana (Martin, 2003). By then, nearly one million Rwandans had lost their lives. Media is one of the strong tools and starting point of the progression that led to genocide. â€Å"Radio was extensively utilized as the support medium for sowing the seeds of deep hatred against the Hutus in the penultimate stage, by projecting them indiscriminately as liars, thieves and killers† (Assah, 1994). Hutus, as a race, was thus subjected to intense stigmatization; their eventual annihilation as the only

War on Terrorism Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

War on Terrorism - Coursework Example The United States should not be involved in this war; they have started this war on terrorism and it is in their hand to end it too. Every country should be given the opportunity to solve their own internal problems, and no other country should have the right about invading in another country’s internal affairs (Rashid, 2003). The United States stands for freedom and cares about the life of American citizens, however, when it comes to the war on terrorism, American soldiers are sent to Afghanistan and Iraq to fight, and many of them don’t return to their land. Those who do return suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (Kimmel, Stout & Zimbardo, 2006); war gives fewer benefits and more cost. The most important point here is that the war on terrorism has not suppressed terrorism, but it has created more enemies for the state; it promotes violence, instead of dealing with the acts of terror or strengthening the security of a country. Â  

Examine and analyse the impact of digital media Essay Example for Free

Examine and analyse the impact of digital media Essay Before examining the effect that Digital Media has on society and indeed western culture, we need to discover what the term Digital Media actually means Just what is it that distinguishes Digital Media from previous forms of combined media? It is the fact that the bits that represent text, sound, pictures, and so on can be treated as data by computer programs. A computer program is able to control the order in which various components are presented and combined, and can do so in response to input from a computer user. In other words, Digital Media can be interactive, in a way that, for example, a TV news bulletin is not, and that goes far beyond the simple control afforded by a VCR. Digital Media is a term used to describe any computer application that uses more than one type of output medium, such as text, graphics, video, animation or sound. Strictly speaking, the term media is the plural of medium, just as data is the plural of datum. Digital media has two states: Static and Dynamic. Static digital media are items, which do not have the capability to do something, move or react with the environment, for example, text and graphics. Dynamic digital media consists of audio, video and animation, which all have the ability to stream and play or move, i. e. do something dynamic. There are many areas of society that have been affected by Digital Media including education, commerce, communications, entertainment, among others, which are to be explored in this essay. When discussing education nowadays Digital Media is a vital ingredient not only in the learning of students but also as a teaching aid for tutors. In secondary schools and universities, Digital Media is always apparent in the classroom, lecture hall or laboratory. Digital multimedia teaching materials can be used to present information in more direct ways than traditional books and lessons. For example, film clips and original recordings of radio broadcasts can be integrated with a textual account of events leading up to the Second World War in a history lesson. Virtual Science lessons can take place, where equipment and materials are insufficient; students can work on a digitally mastered piece of software that allows the experiment to occur virtually. In both instances allow pupils to work at their own pace and indeed pursue individual interests they may have. An example of how teaching has been affected by Digital Media is Computer Aided Learning (CAL). CAL commonly uses CD-based digital and multimedia systems for delivering staged lessons and for testing learning. Individual records of progress can be stored on hard disks. Many reference materials designed for browsing, such as encyclopaedias, are now designed in digital media format. Computer Aided Design (CAD) has also had a huge impact on the designing world. Garden designers and house invaders alike can now simply use Digital Media elements to create a life-like 3-Dimensional garden or room. This has allowed CAD to take off and now is commonly used as a norm for such designers. As with the virtual science experiments in schools, Digital Media can be used to produce interactive stimulations of equipment and procedures, in cases where it could be expensive and in some cases hazardous to use the real thing for training. The social impact of Digital Media on education speaks for itself (literally) if students knew less now than their historical counterparts because of the impact of digital forms of educational media, the state of the health of the nations academic benchmarks such as University Challenge would have dumbed-down noticeably. This has not been the case at all; in fact more points are now gained than ever before. Digital Media has a contrasting impact on commerce to that of education. Much of the material used in business is produced for a specific company or client, often in-house. Ebay is the most recognised and most used commercial machine ever, Digital Media has allowed this to happen. Ebay works like a virtual auction, where the public view an image of the item for sale and bid for it. Without Digital Media Ebay would not exist, digitally crafted images have a huge impact on the consumer market, without a well-captured image of the product, customers will not bid. It would be like roulette, you would not know what you are going to get! Digital Multimedia is also extensively used in sales presentations and promotions; for example, computers on sale in a show room often run high quality graphic media to show off their capabilities, and web pages often function as catalogues or brochures. Graphic designers are able now with the use of Digital Media applications are able to create electronic versions of their portfolio. An electronic portfolio can be inexpensively duplicated onto CD-ROM and sent to potential clients, or even posted on a web site as an online virtual exhibition. This is not only the case for graphic designers but also the general trend for documentation is electronic-books or e-books. This move from a hard copy to digital format has provided the opportunity to make use of Digital Media elements such as video clips, animation and images to explain thoroughly and supplement the text. Kiosks are a further of example of Digital Media making and impact on society. Kiosks are used to provide information in public places such as museums, train stations and airports. They are usually using digital touch-screen technology. These kiosks have enabled the general public and in-particular tourists to have access to essential information at their fingertips, literally. Kiosks do have to be robust to withstand frequent use, and occasional misuse, by the general public. An example of where kiosks have had a considerable impact on society is in Toronto, where digital kiosks have been installed in shopping malls, which allow people to pay local taxes and court fines. Digital Media has allowed communications such as teleconferencing to take place. With use of a Wide-area network, including the Internet, online meetings can be carried out in real-time with the use of video and live sound. This technology can cut the considerable costs and time of travelling to meet people face-to-face. Space Invaders was the first video game to change the habits of people on a national scale. Every pub, bar and club had games machines making money spawned whole industry of games manufacturers and the hardware to go with them so jumpers for goalposts was out and Super Mario was in. Whole generations altered their learning streams and we all became soundbite-oriented. Youngsters today probably will only know about the D-Day landings from playing games like Medal of Honour. No one reads a book anymore is the cry from parental bodies and school governors (but its not true witness the meteoric success of JK Rowlings Harry Potter series for one). Actually what is the difference between digitally streaming a novel through headphones or ear buds to the reader and opening the paper pages of a book? One is more eco-friendly than the other, thats all. Some argue that literacy is a major issue, but surveys show that literacy rates have never been healthier. Old fashioned values are having to adapt the romance attached to old format books and magazines is equitable with that between vinyl L. P. s and MP3 format music files. There are still music aficionados who actually prefer the surface noise produced by a stylus on a record to the silence of Dolby-enhanced CDs Most computer games exploit digital media techniques to the fullest. Indeed, it has been this sector of the IT industry, which has led the way in developing compression and other techniques to get around the inherent limitations of the hardware and communication devices.

Frank Herbert and His Classic Novel, Dune Essay -- Frank Herbert Dune

Frank Herbert and His Classic Novel, Dune â€Å"A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.† Princess Irulan speaks these words in the award-winning novel Dune (Novel). Frank Herbert knew this quote was true because he carefully planned his epic masterpiece before he started writing. The novel could only happen after research of a variety of topics. Dune has many different influences and origins. Frank Herbert’s complicated book, covering a variety of themes, took six years to complete (Wikipedia). Frank Herbert was born in Tacoma Washington on October 8, 1920. At an early age, he carried around books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells in a Boy Scout backpack. At the age of eight, he stood on the kitchen table and declared that he wanted to be an author. His maternal grandfather, John McCarthy, said that Frank, only a small child, was much smarter than his age. Frank was very similar to Lady Alia, a character in Dune. They both had the mind of an adult in a child’s body (Dunenovels). Herbert did not immediately become a writer, but started work in journalism. He lied about his age to work for the Glendale Star in 1939. He put his writing career on hold and joined the United States navy during World War II. He married Flora Parkinson in 1941 and divorced in 1945. Herbert fathered one daughter from this marriage (Wikipedia). After the war, Herbert met a young woman named Beverly Ann Stuart in a creative writing class at the University of Washington. Frank’s son, Brian, once said that Frank did not graduate from college because he did not want to take all of the required courses. He only wanted to take the classes that interested him. Herbert and Beverly, his fu... ...ls). The merging of various themes and cultures is part of what has made Dune so popular.The novel has been translated into more than twenty different languages and is constantly being reprinted. The many influences of Dune, including the Arabic words, the Islamic culture, and real ecological problems helped shape Dune into a timeless classic. Works Cited Herbert, Frank. Dune City of publication: Publisher, publication date DuneNovels. 10 Sep. 2004. 12 Sep. 2004 . Wikipedia. 12 Sep. 2004 . O’Reilley, Tim. Frank Herbert. Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., Inc, 1981. Islamic Themes in Frank Herbert’s Dune. 12 Sep. 2004 . Sparknotes: Dune by Frank Herbert. Barnes & Noble12 Sep. 2004 .