Mr. Smiths case in an ethical, legal and moral perspective Essay

Mr. Smiths case in an ethical, legal and moral perspective - Essay Example From this paper, it is clear that the mental health act allows that the service provider can make decisions on behalf of the patient provided that it is proven that the patient is mentally incapable to make choices. For this reason, a discussion between the involved parties resulted to an agreed decision.To conclude the task, it is clear that there are situations where the legal and ethical guidelines interact to help an individual to make a decision. At the same point, there are similarly clear variances between law and ethics that results to dilemmas. The practitioner, therefore, needs to be aware of the resemblances and the variances and in what way they affect the decisions made. It is necessary to remember the theories and moral principles that guide the moral obligations to be taken. Law is a key consideration when effecting any decision and must be considered in all ways. Law is different from the moral principles because it is enforceable in a law court while moral decisions are not backed by any enforcement authority (Benbassat&Baumal, 2012).It is also necessary to set up methods that guide the decision-making process to hasten the process and save time which is key when it comes to saving a life. Having mentioned all the above, I believe that if all health practitioners have diverse information concerning the different case they are faced with in their daily practice as a dilemma, they will be in a better position to deliver quality services to the patients at any time.

Data Envelopment Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Data Envelopment Analysis - Essay Example Their job involves selecting the efficient player for the match out of the whole team. Coaches tend to have problems in choosing the first eleven players to field for crucial football matches. Most football teams have more than twenty players yet; only fourteen players—eleven active players and three substitutes take up the slots. To beat this dilemma, the coaching staffs have come up with various strategies that help them to determine the finest players for the crucial matches facing the teams. For a player, good performance in the preference list for the coaching staff means that he is able to deliver for the team. The overall performance for any team relies solely on the effort of each player because a win for any football team, is an ultimate goal for any football team in the world. The Castrol EDGE index is the latest common technology that analyses and ranks each player’s performance in a football match. The ranking system is a creation of Castrol, which initially was to rank the players at the Men’s club association football under the sponsorship of FIFA. The system considers the duration for the players actions and the power of the opposition team. Currently, the Castrol EDGE index is used to rank the performance of all the footballer players participating in the top five Europe’s leagues in the football season, 12-month period. To build the Castrol Index Ranking, the first step involves finding the â€Å"Castrol Index Score† for every player in each tournament, league, or Championship league match. The second step is to weigh the Castrol Index Score to get the â€Å"Castrol Ranking Points†. The final step, the cumulative points, earned in each match played in the tournament or 90 the divided by the total number of minutes the player played multiply league. The Castrol Index Ranking = {(90 x the Total Castrol Ranking Points) / Total minutes played} During the UEFA EURO 2012, for each player, the Castrol EDGE Ind ex considered every save; pass, tackle, and shot to determine the effect of such actions on the respective team’s probability to either score or concede a goal. The number of points that a player receives depends on the zone of the action within the pitch. So are the number of points awarded for blocked shots, intercessions, and tackles. As for attempts to score, the Castrol EDGE index points to the attacking player but penalizes the goalkeeper conceding the goal. Deductions results for the fouls that arise. Table 1 The Table beside shows the top ten Players of the UEFA EURO 2012 according to the Castrol EDGE index ranking. The ranking scales down the magnitude of prowess the football player ever displayed during the UEFA EURO 2012 event alongside the rest of the players. The ranking also determines a player’s ability to perform in the game of football, and further helps to estimate the market value of a football player during the inter-clubs transfer window. The coach ing staffs around the world easily rely on the Castrol EDGE index to prepare line-ups for various matches ahead of their football teams. Good rankings for a player tend to boost the confidence in the coaching staffs for their players, a fact that can be justified since each player earns a point for every complete action during the football match, which also reflects the player’s ability

The Opera Singer As An Actor Music Essay

The Opera Singer As An Actor Music Essay In this dissertation emphasis will be placed on the marriage of three concepts namely: good voice singing technique, musicality and acting for opera (building the character) in the training of a successful opera singer hereafter referred to as the singer-actor. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the essential skills that needed to be acquired by the modern opera singer. The rationale therefore, is to provide guidelines for the minimum requirements for the training of the opera singer as singer-actor. Taking into consideration the demands on opera singers when taking part in an opera, the study was guided by the following question: How does the knowledge of good voice (a sound singing technique), musicality and building a character role benefit the opera singers performance? Evolving from the main research question, the following sub questions were formulated: What is a good voice within classical voice training methods? How can musicality contribute to an opera singers performance? What are the demands to build a character role? General and specific aims: The general aim of this study was to determine how the knowledge of a good voice, musicality and building a character role, benefit the opera singers performance. Specific aims: The specific aims of this study are: to define a good voice To define musicality to determine how building a character role contribute to an opera singers performance. Due to the limited nature of this study, only a literature study will be done. As an extension of this study, the researcher would follow an interpretivist paradigm with a qualitative approach which strives to comprehend the important skills an opera singer should have according to contemporary South African opera singers and their view of the importance of acting ability for successful opera. The study will be conceptualised in terms of and based on the following frameworks: The voice Musicality Acting ability Relationship between music and text For opera to retain its artistic relevance to, and impact on, the fabric of arts and culture, it can be argued that there are three fundamental elements to the performance of opera which need to be addressed, and which require academic input (herformulering), discipline regarding musicality as well as focussed tuition and practise (sweeping statement. Wie se so?). In a world of ever-increasing media coverage of artistic and musical artists and events, together with an ever-increasing sophistication of a wider audience, it is becoming increasingly challenging for the artist, and in particular, the opera singer, to be successful in his career. Key to this challenge is that the opera singer is left with no choice other than to develop skills beyond the purely technical expertise. It is imperative that, in order to be extraordinary and thereby successful, the opera singer has to master three co-functioning disciplines, namely the good voice, musicianship and acting ability (sit bronne in). Singers tend to take acting classes separate from their vocal training in order to improve their acting skills. However, they mostly discover that taking classes in spoken drama and dialogue helps up to a certain point, but when going back to singing opera, the acting strategies learnt in the drama class do not always migrate to the performance of the aria (cf. Bean: 2007:167). This lack of transition is a result of the unique relationship between the music and the stage character in opera, which is not taken into account in the training of purely spoken (non-musical) drama. Thus, the one aspect that separates the acting of a spoken drama from that of opera is the music that is performed by instruments and the human voice. (Bron) (Prof. Jak: kommentaar is dat dit self evident is, of vroeà «r genoem moet word). The argument specific to this dissertation is that the preparation and development of the opera singer (or singer-actor) has to facilitate three equally important, inter-linked and overlapping platforms of the Good Voice (singing technique), the discipline of musicianship and The Ability to Act (building the character). ( dink dit is aan die begin gesà ª) In order to deliver a masterful opera performance, the singer actor needs to depict a character successfully. The opera singer needs to be a singer-actor who has mastered the following three pillars (Good Voice, Musicianship and Acting Ability) of the craft and art of Opera Performance. Each of these pillars deserves equal attention with particular reference to the input, mentoring/development and training curriculum of the opera singer (Bron) Further to the intention of the dissertation, it will be important that there are appropriate and comprehensive definitions of these three equally important elements that are based on the relevant literature and which build on the existing body of knowledge in this field. Specifically, this study will integrate the definitions of A Good Voice, Musicianship and Acting Ability in terms applicable to the Singer-Actors optimal performance of Opera. Furthermore, in this dissertation emphasis will be placed on singing techniques, the elements of musicianship, and various relevant acting strategies in the training of a successful opera singer. This dissertation will also include the identification of relevant areas of scholarly attention and future academic research that will add to the existing body of knowledge in this arena. An in-depth literature study of relevant and contemporary sources on these topics have been done to guide the research. Method of research The following methods of research were used to answer the research questions: Consulting of the following databases: JSTOR, Google Scholar, Periodical archive online and IIMP; Literature study Interpretation of information and conclusions A study of Largo al factotum from Puccinis Il Barbiere di Seviglia on the basis of the score and recordings, in order to ensure a common understanding of how the study could apply to the aria Before the conceptualized terms will be discussed, a concept clarification of the relevant issues at hand, will be provided. 1.1 Concept clarification The Good Voice / The self-amplified singing voice The good voice can be defined as the ability of the opera singer to project the voice in a way that its heard over and above the full orchestra accompanying the singers. This view correlates with the description of Gilfrey (2007:1) who describes the voice as a classical technique, a manner of singing that projects the voice over a large orchestra in a large theatre. Four elements are essential to produce a sound, namely a vibrating object, a power source to make the object vibrate, a medium through which the vibrations are transmitted and apparatus to receive the vibrations (McKinney,1999:20). The self-amplified singing voice as described by Gilfrey (2007:1) is the single most important element of opera; the one that distinguishes opera not only from spoken drama, but also from rock and pop music, from jazz and from musical theatre (as it is performed today). Optimal Acoustic Output Acoustic output refers to the optimal projection of the voice to enhance the correct and optimal usage of the voice as an instrument. According to Titze (2002: 367 376) mean glottal airflow (or, alternatively, glottal resistance) has been a target for optimising vocal output power in voice therapy and singing training. Glottal airflow refers to the space between the vocal cords (the fleshly parts of the air passage inside the throat) which produce the sound of the voice by fast or slow moments, in which this space is repeatedly opened and closed (Longman, 1980:484). Generator / Breath Management / Breath Breathing is a natural process which begins at birth an ends with death. This is a natural process for which no training is acquired. The rate of breathing is governed by the bodys need for oxygen and needs no conscious controls. The essential difference between breathing to live and breathing to sing, lies in the amount of conscious control exerted (McKinney, 1994: 46). In other words, the breathing process is a spontaneous event for the normal person, but a skill that needs to be mastered by the opera singer to optimise breath control and support for the voice. Vibrator The word vibration of the voice refers to The function of the vibrator is to set the column of still air in the throat and also that in the windpipe in vibration. The vibratory element of the larynx consists of a highly skilful compromise on the part of nature which enable the opera singer to phonate without interfering with the breathing capacity (Kelsey, 1950: 66). This vibration is a function of the larynx; a device similar to the diaphragm of a sound-system speaker, is the anatomical device through which the sound is created while simultaneously allowing the singer to continue breathing through the same gap (or slit) by which the airflow is controlled. This control is the output of extensive skill learning, disciplined practise and deliberate conscious control (Kelsey, 1950: 66-67). Structure and Function Resonator / Supraglottic Activity The word resonator refers to an apparatus for increasing the resonance of sound (Longman, 1980:942). For the purpose of this study, the word resonance can be defined as secondary vibrations produced by sound waves from another vibrating body (Lessac, 1997:13). He also distinguishes between two types of resonance, namely direct or enforsed resonance and indirect or sympathetic resonance. Direct resonance occurs when a vibrating body is placed in direct physical contact with another substance. For the opera singer direct resonance could be the sound resonating with the outer surfaces of your teeth. Indirect resonance occurs when the sound waves of a vibrating body set up vibrations in a substance some distance away. Sympathetic resonance occurs as the vocal sound waves, travelling through air space from the vocal folds, make contact with the hard pallet and then with the nasal bone (Lessac, 1997:13). The ability to resonate can therefore be described as the amplifying of the human voic e. This amplifying can be divided into three sections, including the air contained in the lungs and windpipe, the air contained in the throat and, that contained in the suprapalatal cavity. Each of these can be seen an air-conditioner. Classical Technique (sit nog iets in of haal uit, PL) In popular usage, art or serious music as opposed popular music The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Musicians. CHAPTER 2: The Good Voice in Classical Singing Before the good voice can be discussed, the anatomy of voice production needs to be clarified in short. Lessac (1997:14) defines the term voice box of human sound box as the cavity or enclosure where the tone is strengthened, amplified and enriched by resonance and wave reflection. According to Lessac, the voice box comprise two areas: a major adjustable area right above the larynx and the oral cavity and nondadjastable area in the pharynx, the nose, the forehead and adjacent structures. This soundbox can be describe as the singing meganism of which all the parts interdependent of each other, eah of which plays a crucial role in producing the good voice. The good voice as defined in par 1.1 takes years of concentrated training. This focus on singing technique is the primary focus of most singers studies (Gilfrey, 2007:1). A whole voice approach is beneficial for both singer and actor; however actor training programs dont include singing, and vice versa. Acting is becoming increasingly important for the opera singer, but is seldom supported by the prerequisites of theatre voice and movement (Melton Tom, 2003:135). Sà ª nog iets oor hoekom training belangrik is. Singing is both a science and an art. Most teachers have at least some appreciation for a scientific singing method and those who dont often claim to have discovered some long-lost piece of wisdom. This wisdom is generally already incorporated in the teachings of a well-trained singer. There are some fads that come and go but a singer with good technique and access to his or her emotions will please any audience and have a much broader career with greater longevity (Brown, 2004: 97-104). Technique is central to singing opera, but singing is also an art form, and no art form can be realised by the use of technique alone. Merging voice technique, musicality and emotion through competent acting skill is something that must be taught from the very beginning of the Opera Singers development of his/her career. This is because, when occupied in the emotion of the moment, the good voice will acquire nuances that are quintessentially important to conveying the emotional elements of the opera and will thus elevate the singer to a higher level of performance and riveting engagement with the audience. Gebruik onderstaande as daar nog inligting daaroor is, anders voeg saam, PL Every aspect of the voice, used directly of indirectly affects the whole mechanism. For example alignment and breathing are integrally connected to the performers range, resonance and articulation. For this reason, some of the relevant aspects affecting the good voice, will be discussed below. 2.1 Vowel modification Vowel Modification and Primal Sound Christy (1961) means that an important criteria for good singing habits is the homogenic shaping of vowels, in other words, they should sound as if they fit together, the vowels must be consistent with each other. Many professional singers never master the art of even vocal production. This can be ascribed to vocal coaches not fully grasping the concept of vowel placement. When this concept is fully understood it is impossible for a singer to not produce vowels freely and comfortably. In the first volume Christy states that once a single vowel is mastered the singer must focus on uniting the remaining vowels in accordance with that of the first. He means that the different vowels should attain a similar sound without losing its distinctive character. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦this is another way of saying vowels have to be equalized by having a common, fundamental tonal characteristic. The fundamental tone of the human voice is the huh sound. According to Christy this sound should be considered the basic reference to vowel placing because the uh sound is the most natural sound that can be produced, as the pharynx is relaxed and in its natural position. Oren C. Brown concurs with Christy, but describes the uh sound as the primal sound: Primal sounds are involuntary. They are the sounds you were born with. In Beijing , Basel or Boston, a babys cry at birth is his primal sound. In 1963, Peter F. Oswald mad a phonetic analysis of the babys cry. He labeled the initial sound as a schwa [Éâ„ ¢], (uh as in about), which linked the cry to a babys first word, mama [mÉâ„ ¢mÉâ„ ¢]. Mama is the first word spoken by babies throughout the whole world. In Korea the word is ama, with the vowel preceding the consonant. (Brown 1998) p. 1 The sound identified by both Brown and Christy can therefore be described as the primal- or natural relaxed sound. As practical advice Brown suggest testing the sound through a range of exploratory exercises: making the huh sound in a short repetitive sequence (as if laughing), or a long relaxed sustained huh (like a sigh). He also suggests sliding the huh up and down the vocal range noting that the sound becomes lighter in the higher range and darker in the lower range. He means that this is natural and advises the singer to note his or her voices natural inclinations. Judith Litante also mentions in Natural Approach to Singing (p32) that the vowels used in Italian forms a basis for the study of vowels in singing. She believes that they are pure. The reason for this is that Italian vowels are a compact basis for both English and other non Latin based languages. In English one finds many diphthongs. She means that employing these pure vowels or primal sound, as previously mentioned would eliminate the distorted pronunciation of diphthongs; for example extending the last syllable when singing say, it becomes sayee or kind becomes kieend. When the vowels are aligned and the vocal structures are in a natural posision, these kinds of distortion is eradicated. 2.2 Breath management Breathing techniques need to be considered holistically and consciously controlled until it becomes an unconscious competence. Sufficient and natural supply of air is needed for voice production. A good posture is an essential part of breathing and should be developed to support the opera singer in his breath management (Brown, 2004:17). This view is supported by Mckinney (1994:46-64) who state that there is a direct and positive correlation between correct posture (diaphragm control, and muscular movements of the chest, back and abdomen) and effective breathing in singing. According to McKinney (1994:48) breathing has four stages, namely a breathing-in period (inhalation), a setting-up-controls period (suspension), a controlled-exhalation period (phonation) and a recovery period. These stages should be repeated till the opera singer has the ability to go through the stages unconsciously. This process can be compared to the person who learns to drive a motorcar and has to concentrate on each step till he gets the ability to perform all the steps automatically. For the opera singer this refers to preparing to breathe, preparing for the phrase, physically singing the phrase and recovering in order for the process to repeat. 2.3 The vibrator 2.4 The resonator 2.5 The articulator Classical Opera training and singing versus Singing pop or secular music The single most important element of opera, the one that distinguishes opera not only from spoken drama, but also from rock and pop music, from jazz and from musical theatre (as it is performed today), is the self-amplified singing voice. This is a voice produced with a classical technique, a manner of singing that projects the voice over a large orchestra in a large theatre. The learning of the singing technique this voice requires, takes years of concentrated training. This focus on singing technique is the primary focus of most singers studies. CHAPTER 3: Musicianship How the Classical Singer Accesses Demonstrates Musicianship To acquire musicianship a high level of artistic interpretation of songs and knowledge of repertoire is required through years of training. One can not over emphasize the importance of musicianship. It is simply not suffice for a musician to have a musical ear, theoretical and musical knowledge, play an instrument or respond emotionally to music. The artist must be a musician i.e. a singer (Christy Vol 1: 7). According to Miller (Principles of singing p1) a singer can acquire musicianship through classes, studying an instrument (ex. Piano), performing in choirs or through private study and the self-exploration of music. Even though a singer that has exceptional vocal talent, he should receive professional music training and the participation in solo or choral ensembles especially in the first year of study. Many vocal teachers might disagree with this statementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ A singer with a natural talent and an ear for music must be able to imitate sounds and pitches and not just h ear this internally, for example; in a singing lesson the student listens to the vocal teacher and then imitates the vocal sound of the teacher. The same principle applies with rhythm. A sound inner sense of rhythm will contribute to the holistic musicianship of the singer. Besides musicianship, there is also the interpretation of music. According to Christy (1961: Vol 2:110) Interpretation is the emotional and artistic portrayal; the summation of all music. According to Christy (1961:Vol2:110) Musicianship is the science of music and interpretation . A good singer should be familiar with all styles of music and song literature. The singer must be trained in a style and in the interpretation of songs in a particular style. A song has a style that must be established and followed through to the end. It is possible for a singer to become comfortable with a particular style that he can do well in, but he will not realise that what he steers clear of could be very valuable for his musical development. Therefore the teacher should analyse, guide and discuss the songs with the singer, in order to identify the accompanying details of expression. (Christy 1961:Vol2:110-111). The basis of musicianship include the abilities to read and interpret rhythms and intervals, playing the piano accompaniments, acquiring knowledge of the basics of theory and harmony, music and musicians in terms of vocal and instrumental style, schools and song literature. (Christy 1961:Vol1:7) According to Christy 1961:Vol:109, (quoting Curt Atler in the art of accompanying and coaching: 1965: 219) interpretation may be defined as the singers act of expressing and communicating meaning, mood and epic, a comedy, or just an expression set to music all in capsule form. To interpret music is to express or reproduce it intrinsically by the singer, in the score. Due to the limitations in music notation, it is the responsibility of the singer to interpret and express the fine distinction between tonal colour, tempo and intensity of the composers interpretation. The expression can be found in the text and in the setting. According to Christy 1961:Vol2:112, when the same song is sung by two sensitive artists, it is highly unlikely that the general style, tone, colour and mood will be markedly different; however, dynamics, tempo, word accentuation, and innumerable details often are. Thus, the keys must be studied by the singer in order to express and keep the interpretation on trac k. The two requirements for interpretation include the fidelity to the composers intent and that it must contain an essentially creative element of the interpreters own making, illuminating the subject with fresh light. (Christy 1961:Vol1:190). Furthermore, the expression must be honest, sincere, simple and direct, which means that nothing must be added or placed over the music that will distract attention from the work itself. Also, the singer must reproduce the music with insight, imagination and vitality in his own unique way it must not be copied from others. Interpretation has four main factors including appropriate and fervent mood or emotion, eloquent diction, adequate technique and a natural, sincere stage presence. (Christy 1961:Vol1:190). EMBELLISHMENTS Embellishments comprise of, but are not limited to the appoggiatura, acciaccatura, mordent, gruppetto or turn, trill and the portamento. These are techniques that are of vital importance in the interpretation of music. In the appoggiatura, the singer usually has to apply his own taste due to its indeterminate value. There are some accented notes in a melody that form the bass of the intervals since they lean on the next note to which they descend. The appoggiatura was used by singers long before it was written down, because of the enjoyable sound and is often absent in the score. (Shakespeare: 115). The acciaccatura and mordent is different from the appoggiatura as it is written with a stroke through the stem and tail. This does not have an affect on the value of the next note but it is sung much quicker. The acciaccatura is usually a small note where as the appoggiatura is written as a whole note. (Shakespeare: 115). The gruppetto or turn is a group of three or four notes. If the higher interval is a tone, the lower tone is a semitone and if both intervals are semitones it is known as a chromatic turn. (Shakespeare: 115). Sung in rapid alternation with the note of the scale above it, the trill is an embellishment that has a principle note that belongs to the harmony of the composition. A trill is usually finished with a turn. (Shakespeare: 115). The portamento carries the voice from one interval to the next, then passing lightly through the intervening tones. It also indicates a phrase and the Legato rendering of a passage. (Behnke: The technique of singing: 99) Legato Slur Intonation Colour in the voice timbre (emotion) Following the conductor Discuss the concept of DISCIPLINE Technical aspects According to Hayward (see 1994:205) style can be interpreted in many different ways. Interpretation can be defined as communicating understanding. Interpretation can best be expressed in a persons own language according to James Nolan in his book Interpretation, Techniques and exercises. Expression and conveying of meaning, feeling and idea through sound can be defined as interpretation (Christy 1967:109). CHAPTER 4: Acting Within the South African context, this integration of The Good Voice, Musicianship and Acting is deficient. There are various reasons for this lack of attention given to the development of acting skills with singer-actors. One is that there are not many qualified tutors in South African institutions that combine the field of acting and musical performance. Another reason is the absence of appropriate development programs and relevant material in curriculums. As a result, there is less interest from students to pursue a career as a singer-actor. In support of this argument, Knobel and Steinert (2002:155) claim that the acting teacher should be just as important to you as your singing teacher and can be of great help to you throughout your singing career. Interestingly enough, contrary to this understanding are the arguments of authors such as Bean, Goldovsky and Balk, who posit that acting classes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are very often of little benefit to the singing actor Bean (2007:167). These two opposing views illustrate that there are no consensus among academics about the importance of acting skills (al dan nie) of the opera singer. This statement is underpinned by the neglect of some higher education institutions offering voice training, where little or no training in acting is provided. In the quotation below, Bandelj truly captures the spontaneous physiological, psychological and emotional reactions which authentic acting can bring about in the actors performance. When a singer acts and sings in a mechanical way, it often comes across as disjointed or in some cases ridiculous. It is the emotion that breathes life into the song and makes it relevant, connecting with the audience and transcending facial contortions (Bandelj, 2003:393-394). To avoid that, an actor should utilise the all the involuntary muscle contractions that emotions evoke in the body, either by recalling their own past experiences or imagining themselves personally going through what the character is experiencing. This makes the whole action more believable. Gilfrey, Bonavia agrees that the ability to act, though considerably under-estimated, is not the only or the most necessary qualification for the operatic stage. Acting in opera is a comparatively modern accomplishment (Bonavia, 1915:79). This observation, by Bonavia, pays homage to the deeply rooted tradition of well-respected opera singers being famous for their magnificence of voice; but of their skill in acting there is hardly any mention to be found anywhere (Bonavia, 1915:79). ( Dink hier aan enige ou opera wat opgevoer is en waar daar slegs aandag aan die sang gegee is) Ultimately, Bonavia contradicts (to some extent) the previous argument by identifying an exception. That is Chaliapin who, according to Bonavia, provides the audience with ever-changing shades of facial expression à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the whole character left vividly impressed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Chaliapin is the ideal actor (Bonavia, 1915:80). In terms of the attempts made at acting within the Opera world, there is a history and tradition of operatic gesture and the surprising persistence of melodramatic effects and gestural overstatement (Smart, 2004:26). While this is certainly applicable to the Nineteenth Century, we need to be cognisant of how this tradition of gestural overstatement may be (erroneously) assumed to be the only acting required of the singer actor in the twenty-first Century. That is, even in the times of Verdi, the role of gesture à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (grew) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as formal conventions loosened (Smart, 2004:136). The appropriate question therefore is, to what extent have formal conventions loosened further, particularly in a world hallmarked by electronic media and social networking? As indicated in the introduction, Television and DVDs, have provided unrestricted access to Opera to an ever-increasing sophisticated and demanding audience in the entertainment space. This view is further reinforced by the writing of RePass (1953:10-18) who states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(PL). Building the Character The creation of a character role by the singer-actor is the basis and starting-point of the combination of singing and acting. While it cannot be doubted that an excellent singing technique à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (viz., The Good Voice and Musicianship) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is essential to the success of any opera singer, other skills required for a convincing performance, among them acting, are often given less attention by singers and their teachers (Gilfrey, 2007:1). Innate talent is not the sole factor as the ability of a singer-actor to create a character role is severely impacted by the cultural beliefs of what acting is and also how it is measured. When keeping this in mind it becomes evident that the creation of a character, especially in the case of singer-actors, are based on the teachings of Konstantin Stanislavsky better known as the method acting technique. The method acting technique is an approach that the Russian actor developed to whose approach stresses the internal preparation of actors (Bandelj, 2003:393). This focus differs from that of the other schools of acting namely The English School of Acting, The Bertold Brechts epic theatre and Japanese Noh Drama. The interaction experienced by the singer-actors on stage and the director with the constant feedback assures a more lifelike portrayal. The fundamental driver of method acting is the wish to reproduce reality. All (acted) behaviours and interactions need to be seen to be psychologically, emotionally and socially authentic and plausible, while concurrently acting as an integrating mechanism to the plot and to the other cast members. Drawing on his/her own experiences and observations the actor needs to appear spontaneous while using objects in both a symbolic (or metaphorical way) and a literal way (Bandelj, 2003:393). This, and the additional use of props to facilitate the portrayal of the situation, are all tied together by the passion of the actor and the pursuit of truth as art imitates life or indeed verisimilitude (Bandelj, 2003:394). The quality of the voice has much more to do with the correct training and technique, rather than the singers natural endowment, especially later in life as the singer ages. *The W questions to build a character role (also mentioned in the PowerPoint) Who? What? Where? When? Why? And HOW? Contributing Elements to Building a

A Sociological Approach To The Simpsons :: essays research papers

I’m going to start off by saying that until now I never actually thought there was a difference in the way those cartoon characters (the Simpsons) were approached, depending on their gender (not that I watched them too often or anything). First of all I’ll have to break the characters in two groups, because you cannot compare old people with children. So the first group will be composed of Lisa and Bart (the children) and the second one of Marge and Homer (the parents). Just by taking a glance at the show you see that it portrays the typical image of the â€Å"traditional American family† of the last decade: mom stays home to cook, clean and take care of the kids, while the husband provides for the family. The little boy is very violent doing a lot of â€Å"cool† things, and of course never studies, while the little girl is very quiet and smart. There are certain traces of stereotypes in almost all the activities in which the characters engage and that seems to be meant in a funny way. For example, in one episode, Lisa and Bart are taken hostages by a prison escapist in a zeppelin. Using a computer inside the zeppelin you could write on an electronic board outside the zeppelin. Lisa discovers that and writes a message to let everybody know that they are in there and in the middle of it she puts these flashing red hearts... I wonder if they would have done that if Bart were the one writing the message! This other time Bart gets himself a fake ID, rents a car and goes away for spring break with some friends (he of course lies to his parents); meanwhile Lisa stays home and has fun by going to work with her dad. What’s the message here? ‘Boys go off and do crazy things, but girls must stay home, close to the family.’ Bart is always the one who has all the adventures and does all the exciting funny things and Lisa is the smart quiet one always getting him out of trouble. She never holds any grudges, while Bart is mean to her most of the times and always gets his revenge; in other words ‘girls, you be silent, boys have the right to do anything.’ But enough of the youngsters, lets talk about the adults too. As I’ve said before, Marge is a housewife; she never directly disagrees with Hommie, her husband, and she’s always the one spoiling the children.

Effects of Equality in “Harrison Bergeron”

Kyle Chandler Professor T. Payne English 1102 4 February 2013 Effects of equality in â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† written by Kurt Vonnegut focuses on the idea of physical and mental equality, which is controlled by the government in the year 2081; the strong are forced to wear handicaps which hinder their abilities, the intellectual are forced to be unintelligent due to a radio transmitter that won’t allow the individual to think. Vonnegut uses satirical tone and places this story in the future, to show how total equality would not work.Not only does total equality sound absurd it removes the ability for individuals to be different. Individuality means having a quality that separates one individual from another. This means that by having total equality, there is a loss of individuality. In Kurt Vonnegut’s story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, Vonnegut’s satirical, dystopian society in which everyone is average, presents the id ea that handicaps that constitute equality also eliminates individuality, along with self-worth. Throughout â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† every member of society is equal. With the use of handicaps no person can be above average intellect, strength or even appeal.Vonnegut uses word choice that promotes this society is a satire creation early in the story. â€Å"The Year Was 2081, and everybody was finally equal† (Vonnegut 7). By throwing in the adjective ‘finally’, Vonnegut claims that it should have happened sooner, yet as the story goes on it becomes obvious that nothing is attractive about total equality. He opens the second paragraph by introducing the two main characters, George and Hazel. Vonnegut also promotes his satire when the main characters keep losing train of thought due to the fact that George has a handicap that keeps him from thinking too much and Hazel is of average intelligence. There were tears on Hazel’s cheeks, but she’d forg otten for the moment what they were about† (Vonnegut 7). Having the ability to cry and then no longer remembering the reasoning for it is not only below average intelligence, but also inhumane. By showing that the Hazel does not even have the intelligence to remember something that brings enough emotion to produce tears, Vonnegut presents how these handicaps could not possibly be an improvement to the future because to be truly equal you have to be the same as the least intelligent, least strong, and least attractive.He also uses a mocking tone when referring to George’s son Harrison. In the story George starts to think â€Å"about his abnormal son who [is] in jail† but cannot think about it long due to the mental handicap (9). The author uses the word ‘abnormal’ satirically because Harrison â€Å"is a genius and an athlete† and way above average in every manner(10). The use of satire in Vonnegut’s story promotes that handicaps eliminat e individuality by making each character the same. By creating total equality in this society, it abolishes the self-worth of the individuals.People gain self-worth by having a quality about them that makes them superior to others, whether it is their intelligence, a hobby they are good at, or a skill they have acquired. In â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† it is no longer possible to have superior qualities and Vonnegut shows this when the main characters are watching a dance recital on television. Hazel states that the dance was â€Å"nice† yet in reality â€Å"they weren’t really very good – no better than anyone else would have been, anyway† (8). This shows that even if the dancers were talented they could not be proud of their talents or display it due to the handicaps.With no reason for individuals to be proud of themselves there is no longer a need for humans to grow. This normality not only ruins dancing as an art but also ruins all other forms of a rt too. When the musicians play in â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† it is average until the protagonist Harrison, comes in and â€Å"strip[s] them of their handicaps† for a short amount of time (12). The ability to be expressive and different is one of the sole reasons behind art when it comes to musicians and dancers. Artists lose all self-worth that comes with their talent when they can no longer express it.What is the point in developing a skill, if the handicap on it is just going to be increased? Similarly the individual’s absence of self-worth is mainly due to the vacancy of individuality. Handicaps controlling peoples mental and physical ability removes individuality for every human being. With individuality being a character quality that distinguishes them from others, people no longer have the any qualities that separate them from others. Vonnegut shows this with the main character George, even though â€Å"his intelligence [is] way above normal,† George has â€Å"a little mental handicap in his ear† (7).Instead of having his intelligence which sets him apart from the normal members of society, the oppressive society that yearns for equality has diminished his individuality. Throughout the whole story there is only one hopeful scene in which individuality is achieved. Harrison Bergeron, the outcast who breaks the law by not using handicaps when he is incredibly intelligent, strong, and good looking, breaks out of jail and gives the audience a small glimpse of hope. He goes on public television and exclaims that he is â€Å"the new emperor† and that he is â€Å"a greater ruler than any man who ever lived† (12).Even though Harrison is a bad guy towards other characters, he stands for good in the story because he is the only character with individuality and the ability to remove equality. This glimpse of hope does not last long though because the Handicapper General, the head of the police force, comes in and kill s George. The satirical tone in Kurt Vonnegut’s story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† demonstrates that handicaps throughout the story are not actually an improvement, because they remove the individual’s ability to distinguish themselves from others.The restrictions that are placed on people hinder their intellect, strength, and appeal, keeping everyone equal but at the same time, displaying a lack of freedom, self-worth, and individuality. Vonnegut’s satire tone also exaggerates the idea of equality being a good thing, showing that total equality violates human rights. By setting â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† in the future, Vonnegut shows how total equality would be undesirable to the audience. Works Cited Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr. â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† 1961. Welcome to the Monkey House. New York: Dial Trade Paper Backs, 2010. 7-14. Print.

Humans & ability Essay

Humans’ most important ability is our ability to communicate through spoken language. The ability of humans to speak makes us stand out in the animal kingdom, according to many philosophers and scientists. It is just natural for humans to desire to know how we developed the ability of using language in communicating. This paper focuses on how the human language evolved. Through the comparative studies of the apes with the human language, it provided information to humans when the necessity for the language structure was developed. INTRODUCTION Study of Primates Communication Abilities. Since the ‘homo sapiens’ have been considered as the human’s cousin, the language of the apes have been studied. Some believes that the human language evolved earlier than them. The American Sign Language or ASL has been taught to a number of apes. Different approaches were also used from 1970s for some species of apes to be trained and taught disciplines of communication. Comparison of the Primate and Human Communication Abilities. Human children’s development of their language was compared to the studies made on different forms of primates. It was evident on human children that their development comes slowly as they grow older. Children in the earliest age start with a single word utterance. At fifteen months old of a child, utterance of two words comes easier. Protosyntatic structures in the language development of children come next with longer word utterances. At this stage, noun phrases were observed in the language structure too. This kind of language development on children is comparatively the same with many primates studied from 1970s to present. CONCLUSION The ability of primates to communicate with protolanguage may be a sign that apes can actually understand, learn, and communicate. However, in many instances where primates were trained and disciplined, it is also important to consider that none of the subjects were able to be taught to verbally speak. Moreover, primate language studies have never showed any language exhibitions from the primates in the wild. The protolanguage development on the human children may be a similarity on both but the primates lack the gestural complex in humans. Therefore, this comparison shows that the humans have the natural linguistic ability and the primates do not. WORKS CITED William O’Grady, et al. (1997). Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction, 5th edition. New York : Adison Wesley Longman. Pg. 586. Savage-Rumbaugh, S. , Shanker, S. , & Taylor, T. (1998). Apes, Language and the Human Mind. New York: Oxford University Press. Deacon, T. W. (1989). The Neural Circuitry Underlying Primate Calls and Human Language. Human evolution, 4, 367-401.

Barangay Community Record Essay Essays

Barangay Community Record Essay Essays Barangay Community Record Essay Essay Barangay Community Record Essay Essay Introduction Information engineering refers to the aggregation of tools that make it easier to utilize. create. manage and exchange information. One of the exciting ways in which the computing machine serve as a general service tool is in the field of information retrieval and operation. the hunt for facts which. together with the operations done on it. are stored in a cardinal storage. Computer-based information retrieval operates through the usage of package that can offer information services for an establishment. An information service provides a manner to electronically entree. retrieve. and transmit that information. As for the minute. the barangay workers ( Barangay Caramutan. La Paz. Tarlac ) are utilizing the manual procedure in most services the barangay is giving to its occupants. For illustration. in maintaining records and publishing the barangay clearance. The chief job refering the barangay is that they do non hold a centralized and accurate system for hive awaying records they have for these are really of import to them. How they will hold a file care system and will decrease the job of plants they normally do in acquiring. maintaining and updating the files. To work out these jobs. we proposed a system which is called BARANGAY COMMUNITY RECORD. which will be the file care system of the barangay to be used in maintaining their records. The proposed system will besides be a census-like system of each occupant of the barangay for each and every occupant will now hold an designation figure incorporating their personal records. Undertaking Context The proposed system will hold an of import consequence on both the occupants of the barangay and barangay employees who manages the system every bit good as the barangay itself. The execution of the system will alter the methods and procedure that the barangay is being used for maintaining their files. This will besides guarantee that all the records will be in piece of land and updated. The system will besides make a nose count based environment to supervise the population of the venue. The barangay will besides be guaranteed that the file will be protected and safe for it will necessitate mandate before person can entree the system. The survey will besides profit its employees who manage the files and information of the barangay for it will convey easy entree of the information they need. This will besides extinguish dozenss of documents they normally keep and let the system to hive away it in such a manner that can be easy entree. The survey besides benefits its abode for they will be accommodated easy for they will hold an designation that can be used to entree their histories if there are some alterations to be done in their portion. It will besides be easy for them to easy demand some information and services because of the information that barangay have about them. This will besides guarantee the occupants that their information is right secured and maintain through the usage of the proposed system. Purpose and descriptionFor the user to hold a system that can assist them Aim 1. To turn manual system into modern system to the said barangay 2. To convey easiness in accessing the records needed for there will be an option for seeking with the usage of designation figure issued by the barangay. 3. To guarantee that the file will firmly hive away in the system and do a backup of the files if accident occurs. 4. To publish enfranchisement: * Barangay Clearance* Barangay Business Permit* Certificate of Indigency* BARC ( Barangay Agrarian Reform Committee ) Certification Scope and restriction The survey lone trades with the information the barangay. This includes all the indispensable information of all the occupants of the barangay. This information includes personal information and character mention of the individual. Assetss and medical record of each occupant is non included every bit good as the usage of biometries in acquiring the barangay clearance. The proposed system can bring forth studies as the barangay normally done. The information stored can be edited if there are alterations to be done and saves the alterations being done. It can besides cancel information that is no longer needed to maintain.

How to Promote Literacy and Skilled Communication

How to Promote Literacy and Skilled Communication How to Promote Literacy and Skilled Communication How to Promote Literacy and Skilled Communication By Mark Nichol You may or may not agree that English-language usage is deteriorating, but it is clear that many young people are unable to express themselves well in writing according to contemporary standards. How can we develop a population of competent writers? First, we must avoid exaggerated notions of an entire generation of illiterates. It is true that electronic communication media like texting and Twitter discourage careful composition. (Twitter requires conciseness, but coherence is often a casualty.) It is true that absorption in high-tech entertainments such as computer games distracts youth from the rewards of reading. It is true that a tragic focus on quantitative evaluation of students has caused a decline in qualitative expression. But I’ve read lots of articles and books written by people who weren’t even born when I began writing and editing professionally but are already more talented than I’ll ever be. The English language as we know it isn’t going anywhere (not in our lifetimes, anyway). Yes, we must acknowledge that our society does not value the written word the way it used to, but we must not dramatically bemoan the death of literacy. Here’s what we can do, both on an individual level and a societal one, to improve our collective competency in writing: We can advocate for extensive and intensive writing experiences for children that are developmentally appropriate. Don’t push children to learn to read and write when they aren’t ready, but when they are ready, inundate them with meaningful opportunities to express themselves in writing crafting narratives, not filling in worksheets. An effective cumulative process includes modeled writing (demonstrating practically to children how one translates thinking aloud into writing), shared writing (having students collaborate to produce a piece of content such as a collective account of a shared experience or a summary of what they’ve learned), guided writing (monitoring students’ individual writing to help them learn to generate and express ideas), and independent writing (encouraging students to craft their own work by writing and rewriting). We can also teach reading rationally. Public education has suffered from politicized mood swings between various approaches to developing children’s reading skills. Educators, parents, and the general public must accept that phonics is neither a cure-all nor a curse and that whole-language instruction should neither be the sole means of instruction or be avoided. Why not incorporate both approaches? (Indeed, that is the basis of a strategy called balanced literacy.) But this combination should take into account that children are most motivated to learn to read when the material is meaningful to them. They should be encouraged to read their own writing and that of their peers, and although assignment of high-quality reading texts is productive, they should also be given free rein to choose their own reading materials, even comic books and other writing forms that are not necessarily considered substantial. The greatest challenge to literacy, however, is not children’s apathy toward or antipathy about reading and writing, and it is not adults’ bickering about the best teaching strategies. Two other interrelated factors are responsible: inadequate funding for public education and a cultural devaluation of writing skills. Government and school officials have eroded public confidence in their ability to use education funding wisely and effectively to teach children basic literacy skills, resulting in voter skepticism about the wisdom of approving school bonds and other financial resources. Not only does this failure degrade the quality and efficacy of the curriculum, it also results in deteriorating infrastructure in the public schools, which erodes teacher and student morale. But high-quality public education requires carefully considered, long-term planning and generous infusions of funds. Also, the general public hears and sees media reports hyping the peril of poor writing skills in texting and other high-tech communication, and observes these facts firsthand. The business world, and the journalism and publishing industries, do suffer from poor communication skills among workers. But these problems aren’t limited to the younger members of society; they permeate all age groups. The answer is a well-thought-out, well-funded educational system and a network of support including continuing education (wholly or partially funded by employers for their workers) and/or internal mentoring. And we, as a society, must accept that people will shrug off substandard informal writing, but we must also demand that they demonstrate respect for the language and for those they share it with by striving to communicate well. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:"Have" vs "Having" in Certain Expressions20 Criminal Terms You Should Know

Should You Submit Your SAT/ACT Scores?

College applications are rarely straightforward, and as the process evolves over time, aspects that used to be fairly standard are becoming less so. This is especially true of standardized tests. While some colleges still place a great deal of weight on SAT or ACT scores, sometimes even using them as an initial screening tool, other colleges no longer require them at all. This leaves some college applicants wondering when and if they should submit their SAT or ACT scores. In this post, we’ll discuss how to decide when to submit your scores and when to withhold them. If you’re planning to apply to college this season, don’t send those score reports without reading this post first. Testing policies are different at each school. Some colleges require that you submit every score from every test you’ve taken. Some want to see only your highest section scores. Other colleges want to see only your highest composite score. It can all get a little confusing when you’re trying to apply to seven or eight different schools. Luckily, checking the score policy at each college is usually fairly straightforward. For one, when you log onto the CollegeBoard’s Score Report page and begin to select the schools you’d like to send your scores to, the form will automatically suggest which scores to send based on that specific school’s testing policy. This is a great tool, but it’s no substitute for doing your own research. The admissions page for each college generally lists its testing policy in an obvious place. If you can’t find it, check the FAQ page or contact the office of admissions directly. Â   The bottom line is that you need to understand the specific testing policy at every school you apply to in order to make an informed decision. Before you send any score reports, research the testing policy at each school on your list and come up with a score report plan for each school individually. Our students see an average increase of 250 points on their SAT scores. At , we recommend choosing only one standardized test and sticking with it. This means that if you choose the ACT, you should focus exclusively on the ACT, and the same vice versa if you choose the SAT. We know, though, that sometimes students choose to take both tests. In this case, you might have a trickier time deciding which score to submit, or wondering if you should submit them both. Â   You should only submit both scores if both are exceptionally impressive. Submitting both scores still won’t necessarily set you apart from someone who submits only one equally as impressive score, but at least it can’t hurt. If you’re not sure how impressive your scores are, you should look up how they compare to the test scores of last year’s admitted students. You can generally find this information through a simple web query. Your scores are considered impressive if they place comfortably above the 75th percentile of admitted students. Â   If your scores on the ACT and SAT are not equally impressive, do not submit both. Instead, only submit the scores that place you higher amongst other admitted students. Again, use the information available from a web query to see how last year’s admitted students faired. Then, select the scores that place you closer to the top. For example, if your SAT scores place you at the 75th percentile of admitted students, but your ACT scores place you at the 50th percentile, stick with your SAT scores. Even though your ACT scores are comfortably within the acceptable range, they aren’t as impressive as your SAT scores, and submitting them could take away from the good impression left by your SATs. Test optional schools are one of the scenarios that elicit the most questions about submitting test scores. While testing policies used to be fairly black and white, test optional schools definitely leave a gray area. In general, when a college application lists smoothing as optional, you should considered it required unless it will ultimately be a big strike against you. Basically, this means that you should still submit your best SAT or ACT score to a test optional school, unless it is poor enough to really count against you. You can determine this by checking the scores of admitted students from last year. If your score places you below the 25th percentile, think twice about submitting it. It might be best to discuss your options with your guidance counselor or eliciting advice from ’s Applications Guidance service. Here, you will be paired with a personal admissions specialist from a top a college who can provide step-by-step guidance through the entire application process, including selecting which, if any, scores to submit. To learn more about test optional schools, check out our post What Test-Optional Means for College Admissions . Of course, your best offense is always a good defense, so we suggest avoiding any questions about submitting test scores by maximizing your SAT or ACT performance from the get go. If you achieve a score you’re proud to submit, you won’t have to worry about it. For advice about preparing for standardized tests, check out these important posts: For more help preparing for your standardized tests, consider the benefits of ’s full service, customized SAT Tutoring Program , where the brightest and most qualified tutors in the industry guide students to an average score increase of 140 points.

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example The researcher of this essay aims to analyze that nevertheless, the present business environment needs to examine the cost of implementing the activities so that it does not exceed the budget. The activities should be monitored so that appropriate data is collected for balancing the different operations of the organization. The actions of the managers have a respective impact on stakeholders (Banerjee, 2011; Panwar, et. al., 2008; Schwartz, 2011). The main aims of the paper are to decipher the importance of CSR against the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and provide a detailed discussion regarding different stakeholder groups. The report also examines different stakeholders of Coca-Cola CSR, sustainability and GRI.Coca-Cola Company is the largest beverage company in the world, whose main goal is to refresh its customers with soft drinks. The portfolio of the company consists of 16 billion dollar brands that include Fanta, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Powerade, Minute Maid and Del Val le (Coca-Cola Company, 2013). The company has gained recognition globally by providing sparkling beverages and ready-to-drinks and juice drinks to the customers. The sustainability framework of the company is divided into three parts: Me, We and World. It is the shared vision, which highlights that the company works together with the stakeholders to add value and create the positive difference for the communities and customers that they serve. â€Å"Me† aims at improving the personal well being of company and customers (Coca-Cola Company, 2013; The Coca-Cola Company, 2015a). The company offers low or even no-calorie beverages in the market, which helps the individuals to stay fit and healthy. Coca-Cola also organizes physical activity programs for the population, where they operate. It also provides transparent information regarding the nutritional value of the products on the front side of the bottle.

Blogs Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Blogs - Article Example The consumer knowledge leads to active role of the consumers in putting forward relevant queries on the products sold and also clears any confusion that may be present in the minds of the purchasers. China, for example has overtaken the US in the automobile market sales in 2009. This is due to the fact that with the spread of globalization, the Chinese consumers have become increasingly knowledgeable and aware about the automobile products. The tastes and preferences in the market have become rationale due to the aspect of consumer knowledge. The availability of information with the customers prior to the point of transaction provides an idea on the value of the product and also judges the aspects of price, economy, efficiency and product safety. Thus consumer knowledge enables to take informed decisions and influences the purchase behavior. Is impulse buying really impulsive? There are many instances happening around us where it could be observed that customers take decisions of pur chase just by looking at the product. It apparently looks as if the customer had no intentions of purchase just a few moments back but suddenly decides to buy the product. Researches on impulse buying suggest that these impulses exhibited by the customers are primarily the effects of underlying emotions and feelings or sentiments that are instigated at the occurrence of a specific event. This means that the intentions of obtaining the product features are hidden which comes out due to the impulse of a certain incident. It would be unreasonable to think that the customers have never experienced such emotions or feelings before and that sudden flow of emotion and feeling has led to the purchase of the product. The marketing specialists look to utilize the impulse buying behavior of the consumers in order to increase the sell of their products. For example, a customer going to purchase clothes and garments is not likely to buy cakes and chocolates. However, marketers adopt the techniqu es to bring out the basic needs and desires of the customers in order to influence impulse buying. The chocolates, cakes, fashionable toys are displayed in the counters. The electronic items and accessories may be wrapped up with national flags of a particular country. By looking at these items, some customers experience sudden flow of emotions and passion. This leads to the intent of purchase and thus influences the purchase decision. Market segmentation methods vary from one company to another The companies are better off in targeting a segment of the market rather than focusing on the entire market. This would lead to a more profitable and sustainable business as the product and services offered by a company may not fulfill the needs of the broader market (Kotler 15). In order to narrow down on the market segment whose needs are fulfilled by its products and services, an analysis of the target market segment is necessary. The cost of the marketing and promotion of its products an d services are reduced and increased revenues are earned by the company from the identified market segment. The companies undertake market segmentation based on the features of their offered products. For example, a merchant selling umbrellas and water-proof jackets may divide the market based on

Organizational Behaviour Cases Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organizational Behaviour Cases Analysis - Essay Example As what usually happens, differing responsibility requirements cause communication issues between managers and employees because many managers have a hard time balancing task and social-emotional role demands; in the case of Helen (who used to have a very satisfactory working relationship with Dan), she might just be overwhelmed with her new responsibilities and it is possible that she too -- just like the rest of the firm’s rank and file -- have her own private worries about the future of her career that caused her to change her ways in dealing with those under her command. Millennium’s downward communication structure exacerbates the adjustment difficulties taking place since the merger. In an ideal scenario, Helen should have established an open door policy wherein any organizational member below her (most especially Dan) can communicate directly without going through the chain. Likewise, she must place Dan in the picture and enlighten him on what is to be expected from the merger and how this will affect their standing in the company, how such organizational development might influence the way their career paths will go and how the two companies’ coalition will shape their future. However, this is not what has actually taken place. Together with the change in organizational structure, Helen also changed her methods of dealing with Dan; she has become mum about things that should have been discussed and just went about her way as if no drastic changes have transpired within the company. She has become so inaccessible that Dan started to distrust her; her â€Å"remoteness† amplified the anxieties that Dan has been going through since Millennium decided to merge with the Chicago-based organization. Similarly, despite the practiced downward communication structure within the company, Dan should have taken the initiative to talk to Helen and open up his apprehensions and concerns about his future with the firm so that he wouldn’t

HR Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HR Finance - Assignment Example The hospital requires ensuring that it operates under a budget in order to meet all the demands. It seeks to establish cheaper and effective actions for all renal vein cases. It can get a cost effective location and get a bigger space in order to accommodate the increasing number of patients with renal cases (Dunham-Taylor& Pinczuk, 2006, p.4). In this specific project, the community will incur lower IOP appointment with opticians below â‚ ¤17 and less OCT accredited assessment below â‚ ¤38. Additionally, budgeting for this hospital is essential in order to improve the quality of services offered at the hospital. In most cases, patients are willing to pay higher fees for good qualities. The hospital can hire more professionals in an attempt to increase the profit margin, which will enhance growth. The increased number of renal patients requires to be addressed since it is a challenge to the society. Additionally, an OCT machine is expensive for the hospital to purchase; therefo re, it can be obtained through hire purchase form the manufacturing company. This machine will enable the increased number of patients to be attended perfectly within the shortest time possible. This machine will be highly profitable to the hospital since it will ensure that all patients that visit are treated and all necessary tests carried

Individual and society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual and society - Essay Example Psychosocial explanations have emerged in an attempt to explain the different holdings on sex and gender values. This essay will discuss the new unifying religion in the society in relation to the different explanations used to describe the interpersonal and societal relations. The essay will also discuss on the love personality of Victoria Beckham and Hillary Clinton together with my view of their involvement into romantic affairs. The essay will also incorporate the societal expression of romantic love and the different perceptions in the modern society compared with the traditional expressions. Other groups that have emerged to express on gender issues include human sexuality researchers, religious liberals, and secularists. Others have described romantic love and desire to be a different religion and have dominated in areas like America. They believe that it is one religion that brings total fulfillment and is covered in music, movies, and writings too (Brown, 2006: 183). The modernized societies give individuals the freedom to choose on their involvement into romantic affairs at the individual desire to do so. This is unlike in the traditional societies where individual choice of partners was not given the opportunity and rather the elderly in the society did match making. According to the American’s love religion, they have even set aside a high holy day of the romantic faith in February and they call it Valentine’s day. This religion recognizes that shortcomings and disappointments are inevitable since the standards set by individuals are too hard for humans to meet (Beck & Gernsheim-Beck, 1999: 76). This religion recognizes the individual desires to give pleasure at the expense of other sources of joy like sports, play, friendship, careers, and travelling, which give pleasures from different dimensions. The religion holds that, lack of romantic love results to isolation and malnutrition of emotions. There exists detrimental effects of

Organizational Behaviour Cases Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organizational Behaviour Cases Analysis - Essay Example As what usually happens, differing responsibility requirements cause communication issues between managers and employees because many managers have a hard time balancing task and social-emotional role demands; in the case of Helen (who used to have a very satisfactory working relationship with Dan), she might just be overwhelmed with her new responsibilities and it is possible that she too -- just like the rest of the firm’s rank and file -- have her own private worries about the future of her career that caused her to change her ways in dealing with those under her command. Millennium’s downward communication structure exacerbates the adjustment difficulties taking place since the merger. In an ideal scenario, Helen should have established an open door policy wherein any organizational member below her (most especially Dan) can communicate directly without going through the chain. Likewise, she must place Dan in the picture and enlighten him on what is to be expected from the merger and how this will affect their standing in the company, how such organizational development might influence the way their career paths will go and how the two companies’ coalition will shape their future. However, this is not what has actually taken place. Together with the change in organizational structure, Helen also changed her methods of dealing with Dan; she has become mum about things that should have been discussed and just went about her way as if no drastic changes have transpired within the company. She has become so inaccessible that Dan started to distrust her; her â€Å"remoteness† amplified the anxieties that Dan has been going through since Millennium decided to merge with the Chicago-based organization. Similarly, despite the practiced downward communication structure within the company, Dan should have taken the initiative to talk to Helen and open up his apprehensions and concerns about his future with the firm so that he wouldn’t

Individual and society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual and society - Essay Example Psychosocial explanations have emerged in an attempt to explain the different holdings on sex and gender values. This essay will discuss the new unifying religion in the society in relation to the different explanations used to describe the interpersonal and societal relations. The essay will also discuss on the love personality of Victoria Beckham and Hillary Clinton together with my view of their involvement into romantic affairs. The essay will also incorporate the societal expression of romantic love and the different perceptions in the modern society compared with the traditional expressions. Other groups that have emerged to express on gender issues include human sexuality researchers, religious liberals, and secularists. Others have described romantic love and desire to be a different religion and have dominated in areas like America. They believe that it is one religion that brings total fulfillment and is covered in music, movies, and writings too (Brown, 2006: 183). The modernized societies give individuals the freedom to choose on their involvement into romantic affairs at the individual desire to do so. This is unlike in the traditional societies where individual choice of partners was not given the opportunity and rather the elderly in the society did match making. According to the American’s love religion, they have even set aside a high holy day of the romantic faith in February and they call it Valentine’s day. This religion recognizes that shortcomings and disappointments are inevitable since the standards set by individuals are too hard for humans to meet (Beck & Gernsheim-Beck, 1999: 76). This religion recognizes the individual desires to give pleasure at the expense of other sources of joy like sports, play, friendship, careers, and travelling, which give pleasures from different dimensions. The religion holds that, lack of romantic love results to isolation and malnutrition of emotions. There exists detrimental effects of

Resistance of a wire Essay Example for Free

Resistance of a wire Essay Jack has been given a second hand D. C. dynamo and lamp. He wants to attach these to his bicycle and produce most light without blowing the bulb. What wire should he use? Variables: The variables in our investigation are The length of the wire The diameter of the wire (SWG) The type of wire Types of wire: Nichrome: 80% Nickel 20% Chromium Alloy. Constantan: 60% Copper 40% Nickel Alloy. Copper First of all we decided to test the resistance using a Multimeter. This would give us a rough idea about what the resistances of each wire are. Our lengths of wire were all 30cm long. Our results were as follows WIRE RESISTANCE ? Copper 0. 6 Nichrome 1. 2 Constantan 4. 3 Later we realised that we were using wires with completely different SWGs. To make it a fair test we needed to use wires with the same SWG. We repeated the test using a length of 30cm and an SWG of 32. Our results were as follows Our results changed dramatically. WIRE RESISTANCE ? Copper 0. 9 Nichrome 5. 8 Constantan 2. 9 Testing the current + Voltage Next we decided to test the current and voltage so that we could get a more accurate figure for the resistance. We set up a circuit consisting of, a power pack, ammeter and variable resistor in series. We also had a voltmeter in parallel to the wire we were testing. The readings we take off the ammeter and voltmeter allow us to figure out the resistance using a simple equation: Voltage ? Current = Resistance. Our circuit looked like this A variable resistor allows us to control the current going through the circuit. We needed to keep it as low as we could to avoid a heating effect in which ohms law would not take place and our results would not be accurate. Type Of Wire Current (I) Voltage (v) Display complete essay The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Types Of Pollution And Their Causes Environmental Sciences Essay

Types Of Pollution And Their Causes Environmental Sciences Essay Pollution  is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes discomfort to the  ecosystem  i.e. physical systems or living organisms.  Pollution can take the form of  chemical substances  or  energy, such as noise, heat, or light. Pollutants, the elements of pollution, can be foreign substances or energies, or naturally occurring; when naturally occurring, they are considered contaminants when they exceed natural levels. Pollution is often classed as  point source  or  nonpoint source pollution. POINT SOURCE POLLUTION A  point source of pollution  is a single identifiable  localized  source of  air,  water,  thermal,  noise  or  light  pollution. A  point source  has negligible extent, distinguishing it from other pollution source geometries. The sources are called  point sources  because in mathematical modeling, they can be approximated as a mathematical  point  to simplify analysis. Pollution point sources are identical to other  physics,  engineering,  optics  andchemistry  point sources except that their emissions have been labeled Water pollution from an  oil refinery  wastewater  discharge outlet Noise pollution from a  jet engine Disruptive  seismic  vibration from a localized seismic study Light pollution from an intrusive  street light Thermal pollution from an industrial process  outfall Radio  emissions from an interference-producing electrical device Types of air pollution sources which have finite extent are  line sources,  area sources  and  volume sources. Air pollution sources are also often categorized as either stationary or mobile. NON POINT SOURCE POLLUTION Non-point source (NPS) pollution  is  water pollution  affecting a water body from diffuse sources, such as polluted  runoff  from  agricultural  areas draining into a river, or wind-borne debris blowing out to sea. Nonpoint source pollution can be contrasted with  point source  pollution, where discharges occur to a body of water at a single location, such as discharges from a chemical factory,  urban runoff  from a roadway  storm drain, or from ships at sea. NPS may derive from many different sources with no specific solution to rectify the problem, making it difficult to regulate. It is the leading cause of water pollution in the  United States  today, with polluted runoff from agriculture the primary cause. Other significant sources of runoff include  hydrological  and  habitat modification, and  silviculture  (forestry). Contaminated stormwater washed off of  parking lots,  roads  and  highways, and  lawns  (often containing  fertilizers  and  pesticides) is called  urban runoff. This runoff is often classified as a type of NPS pollution. Some people may also consider it a point source because many times it is channeled into municipal storm drain systems and discharged through pipes to nearby  surface waters. However, not all urban runoff flows through storm drain systems before entering waterbodies. Some may flow directly into waterbodies, especially in developing and suburban areas. Also, unlike other types of point sources, such as industrial discharge, wastewater plants and other operations, pollution in urban runoff cannot be attributed to one activity or even group of activities. Therefore, because it is not caused by an easily identified and regulated activity, urban runoff pollution sources are also often treated as true nonpoint sources as municipalities work to abate t hem. MAJOR FORMS OF POLLUTION ::: The major forms of pollution are listed below along with the particular pollutants relevant to each of them: AIR POLLUTION Air pollution  is the introduction of  chemicals,  particulate matter, or  biological materials  that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the  natural environment  into the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a complex dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet  Earth.  Stratospheric  ozone depletion  due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earths  ecosystems. NOISE POLLUTION Noise pollution  (or  environmental  noise) is displeasing human, animal or machine-created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life. The word  noise  comes from the Latin word  nauseas, meaning seasickness. The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is mainly  construction  and  transpHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportortation systems, including  motor vehicle  noise,  aircraft noise  and  rail noise.  Poor  urban planning  may give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential area. Indoor and outdoor noise pollution sources include  car alarms, emergency service  sirens, mechanical equipment,  fireworks, compressed  air horns, groundskeeping equipment, barking dogs, appliances,lighting  hum, audio entertainment systems, electric  megaphones, and loud people. SOIL CONTAMINATION Soil contamination  (soil pollution) is caused by the presence of  xenobiotic  (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. This type of contamination typically arises from the rupture of  underground storage tanks, application of  pesticides, percolation of contaminated surface water to subsurface strata, oil and fuel dumping, leaching of wastes fromlandfills  or direct discharge of industrial wastes to the soil. The most common chemicals involved are petroleum  hydrocarbons,  solvents, pesticides, lead and other  heavy metals. This occurrence of this phenomenon is correlated with the degree of industrialization and intensities of chemical usage. The concern over soil contamination stems primarily from health risks, from direct contact with the contaminated soil, vapors from the contaminants, and from secondary contamination of water supplies within and underlying the soil. Mapping of contaminated soil sites and the resulting cleanup are time consuming and expensive tasks, requiring extensive amounts of  geology,hydrology,  chemistry  and  computer modeling  skills. It is in  North America  and  Western Europe  that the extent of contaminated land is most well known, with many of countries in these areas having a legal framework to identify and deal with this environmental problem; this however may well be just the tip of the iceberg with developing countries very likely to be the next generation of new soil contamination cases. RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION Radioactive contamination, also called  radiological contamination, is radioactive substances on surfaces, or within solids, liquids or gases (including the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirable, or the process giving rise to their presence in such places. Also used less formally to refer to a quantity, namely the  activity  on a surface (or on a unit area of a surface). Contamination does not include residual  radioactive material  remaining at a site after the completion of  decommissioning. The term radioactive contamination may have a connotation that is not intended. The term radioactive contamination refers only to the presence of  radioactivity, and gives no indication of the magnitude of the hazard involved. Radioactive contamination is typically the result of a spill or accident during the production or use of  radionuclides  (radioisotopes), an unstable nucleus which has excessive energy. Contamination may occur from radioactive gases, liquids or particles. For example, if a radionuclide used in  nuclear medicine  is accidentally spilled, the material could be spread by people as they walk around. Radioactive contamination may also be an inevitable result of certain processes, such as the release of radioactive  xenon  in  nuclear fuel reprocessing. In cases that radioactive material cannot be contained, it may be diluted to safe concentrations.  Nuclear fallout  is the distribution of radioactive contamination by a  nuclear explosion. THERMAL POLLUTION   Thermal pollution  is the degradation of  water quality  by any process that changes ambient water  temperature. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a  coolant  by  power plants  and industrial manufacturers. When water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the change in temperature (a) decreases  oxygen  supply, and (b) affects  ecosystem  composition.  Urban runoffstormwater  discharged to surface waters from  roads  and  parking lotscan also be a source of elevated water temperatures. When a power plant first opens or shuts down for repair or other causes, fish and other organisms adapted to particular temperature range can be killed by the abrupt rise in water temperature known as thermal shock. SOURCES AND CAUSES Air pollution comes from both natural and man made sources. Though globally man made pollutants from combustion, construction, mining, agriculture and warfare are increasingly significant in the air pollution equation. Motor vehicle emissions are one of the leading causes of air pollution.  China,  United States,  Russia,  Mexico, and  Japan  are the world leaders in air pollution emissions. Principal stationary pollution sources include  chemical plants, coal-fired  power plants,  oil refineries,  petrochemical  plants,  nuclear waste  disposal activity, incinerators, large livestock farms (dairy cows, pigs, poultry, etc.),  PVC  factories, metals production factories, plastics factories, and other heavy industry. Agricultural air pollution comes from contemporary practices which include clear felling and burning of natural vegetation as well as spraying of pesticides and herbicides About 400 million metric tons of  hazardous wastes  are generated each year.  The  United States  alone produces about 250 million metric tons.  Americans constitute less than 5% of the  worldHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worlds_populationHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worlds_populations population, but produce roughly 25% of the worlds  COHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide2,  and generate approximately 30% of  worlds waste.  In 2007,  China  has overtaken the United States as the worlds biggest producer of CO2. In February 2007, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), representing the work of 2,500 scientists from more than 130 countries, said that humans have been the primary cause of global warming since 1950. Humans have ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions and avoid the consequences of global warming, a major climate report concluded. But in order to change the climate, the transition from fossil fuels like coal and oil needs to occur within decades, according to the final report this year from the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Some of the more common  soil  contaminants are  chlorinated hydrocarbons  (CFH),  heavy metals  (such as  chromium,  cadmiumfound in rechargeable  batteries, and  leadfound in lead  paint,  aviation fuel  and still in some countries,  gasoline),  MTBE,zinc,  arsenic  and  benzene. In 2001 a series of press reports culminating in a book called  Fateful Harvest  unveiled a widespread practice of recycling industrial byproducts into fertilizer, resulting in the contamination of the soil with various metals. Ordinary municipal  landfills  are the source of many chemical substances entering the soil environment (and often groundwater), emanating from the wide variety of refuse accepted, especially substances illegally discarded there, or from pre-1970 landfills that may have been subject to little control in the U.S. or EU. There have also been some unusual releases of  polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, commonly called  dioxins  for simplic ity, such as  TCDD. Pollution can also be the consequence of a natural disaster. For example,  hurricanes  often involve water contamination from sewage, and  petrochemical  spills from ruptured  boats  or  automobiles. Larger scale and environmental damage is not uncommon when coastal  oil rigs  or  refineries  are involved. Some sources of pollution, such as  nuclear power  plants or  oil tankers, can produce widespread and potentially hazardous releases when accidents occur. In the case of  noise pollution  the dominant source class is the  motor vehicle, producing about ninety percent of all unwanted noise worldwide. EFFECTS HUMAN HEALTH Adverse  air quality  can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone pollution can cause  respiratory disease,  cardiovascular disease,  throat  inflammation, chest pain, andcongestion. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of  drinking water  by untreated  sewage  in  developing countries. An estimated 700 million  Indians  have no access to a proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrhoeal sickness every day.  Nearly 500 million Chinese lack access to safe drinking water.  656,000 people die prematurely each year in  China  because of air pollution. In  India, air pollution is believed to cause 527,700 fatalities a year.  Studies have estimated that the number of people killed annually in the US could be over 50,000. Oil spills can cause  skin  irritations and  rashes. Noise pollution induces  hearing loss,  high blood pressure,  stress, and  sleep disturbance.  Mercury  has been linked to  developmental deficits  in children and  neurologic  symptoms. Older people are majorly exposed to diseases induced by air pollution. Those with heart or lung disorders are under additional risk. Children and infants are also at serious risk.  Lead  and other  heavy metals  have been shown to cause neurological problems. Chemical and  radioactive  substances can  cause  cancerand  as well as  birth defects. ENVIRONMENT Pollution has been found to be present widely in the  environment. There are a number of effects of this: Biomagnification  describes situations where toxins (such as  heavy metals) may pass through  trophic levels, becoming exponentially more concentrated in the process. Carbon dioxide  emissions cause  ocean acidification, the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earths oceans as CO2  becomes dissolved. The emission of  greenhouse gases  leads to  global warming  which affects ecosystems in many ways. Invasive species  can out compete native species and reduce  biodiversity. Invasive plants can contribute debris and biomolecules (allelopathy) that can alter soil and chemical compositions of an environment, often reducing native species  competitiveness. Nitrogen oxides  are removed from the air by rain and  fertilise  land which can change the species composition of ecosystems. Smog  and haze can reduce the amount of sunlight received by plants to carry out  photosynthesis  and leads to the production of  tropospheric ozone  which damages plants. Soil can become infertile and unsuitable for plants. This will affect other  organisms  in the  food web. Sulphur dioxide  and  nitrogen oxides  can cause  acid rain  which lowers the  pH  value of soil. POLLUTION CONTROL :: Pollution control is a term used in  environmental management. It means the control of  emissions  and  effluents  into air, water or soil. Without pollution control, the waste products from consumption, heating, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transportation and other human activities, whether they accumulate or disperse, will degrade the  environment. In the hierarchy of controls,  pollution prevention  and  waste minimization  are more desirable than pollution control. PRACTICES:: RECYCLING :::: Recycling  involves processing used  materials  (waste) into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce  energy  usage, reduce air pollution (from  incineration) and water pollution (from  landfilling) by reducing the need for conventional waste disposal, and lower  greenhouse gas  emissions as compared to virgin production.  Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the Reduce,  Reuse, Recycle  waste hierarchy. Recyclable materials include many kinds of  glass,  paper,  metal,  plastic,  textiles, and  electronics. Although similar in effect, the  composting  or other reuse of  biodegradable waste   such as  food  or  garden waste   is not typically considered recycling.  Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing. In a strict sense, recycling of a material would produce a fresh supply of the same material-for example, used office  paper  would be converted into new office paper, or used  foamed polystyrene  into new polystyrene. However, this is often difficult or too expensive (compared with producing the same product from raw materials or other sources), so recycling of many products or materials involves their  reuse  in producing different materials (e.g.,  paperboard) instead. Another form of recycling is the  salvage  of certain materials from complex products, either due to their intrinsic value (e.g.,  lead  from  car batteries, or  goldfrom  computer  components), or due to their hazardous nature (e.g., removal and reuse of  mercury  from various items). Critics dispute the net economic and environmental benefits of recycling over its costs, and suggest that proponents of recycling often make matters worse and suffer from  confirmation bias. Specifi cally, critics argue that the costs and energy used in collection and transportation detract from (and outweigh) the costs and energy saved in the production process; also that the jobs produced by the recycling industry can be a poor trade for the jobs lost in logging, mining, and other industries associated with virgin production; and that materials such as paper pulp can only be recycled a few times before material degradation prevents further recycling. Proponents of recycling dispute each of these claims, and the validity of arguments from both sides has led to enduring controversy. PROCESS OF RECYCLING Collection A number of different systems have been implemented to collect recyclates from the general waste stream. These systems lie along the spectrum of trade-off between public convenience and government ease and expense. The three main categories of collection are drop-off centres, buy-back centres and curbside collection. Drop-off centres require the waste producer to carry the recyclates to a central location, either an installed or mobile collection station or the reprocessing plant itself. They are the easiest type of collection to establish, but suffer from low and unpredictable throughput. Buy-back centres differ in that the cleaned recyclates are purchased, thus providing a clear incentive for use and creating a stable supply. The post-processed material can then be sold on, hopefully creating a profit. Unfortunately government subsidies are necessary to make buy-back centres a viable enterprise, as according to the United States Nation Solid Wastes Management Association it costs on average US$50 to process a ton of material, which can only be resold for US$30. CURBSIDE COLLECTION Curbside collection encompasses many subtly different systems, which differ mostly on where in the process the recyclates are sorted and cleaned. The main categories are mixed waste collection, commingled recyclables and source separation.  A  waste collection vehicle  generally picks up the waste. At one end of the spectrum is mixed waste collection, in which all recyclates are collected mixed in with the rest of the waste, and the desired material is then sorted out and cleaned at a central sorting facility. This results in a large amount of recyclable waste, paper especially, being too soiled to reprocess, but has advantages as well: the city need not pay for a separate collection of recyclates and no public education is needed. Any changes to which materials are recyclable is easy to accommodate as all sorting happens in a central location. In a Commingled or  single-stream system, all recyclables for collection are mixed but kept separate from other waste. This greatly reduces the need for post-collection cleaning but does require  public education  on what materials are recyclable. Source separation is the other extreme, where each material is cleaned and sorted prior to collection. This method requires the least post-collection sorting and produces the purest recyclates, but incurs additional  operating costs  for collection of each separate material. An extensive public education program is also required, which must be successful if recyclate contamination is to be avoided. Source separation used to be the preferred method due to the high sorting costs incurred by commingled collection. Advances in sorting technology (see  sorting  below), however, have lowered this overhead substantially-many areas which had developed source separation programs have since switched to comingled collection. Sorting Once commingled recyclates are collected and delivered to a  central collection facility, the different types of materials must be sorted. This is done in a series of stages, many of which involve automated processes such that a truck-load of material can be fully sorted in less than an hour.  Some plants can now sort the materials automatically, known as  single-stream recycling. A 30 percent increase in recycling rates has been seen in the areas where these plants exist. Initially, the commingled recyclates are removed from the collection vehicle and placed on a conveyor belt spread out in a single layer. Large pieces of  corrugated fiberboard  and  plastic bags  are removed by hand at this stage, as they can cause later machinery to jam. Next, automated machinery separates the recyclates by weight, splitting lighter paper and plastic from heavier glass and metal. Cardboard is removed from the mixed paper, and the most common types of plastic,  PET  (#1) and  HDPE  (#2), are collected. This separation is usually done by hand, but has become automated in some sorting centers: a  spectroscopic  scanner is used to differentiate between different types of paper and plastic based on the absorbed wavelengths, and subsequently divert each material into the proper collection channel.[4] Strong magnets are used to separate out  ferrous metals, such as  iron,  steel, and  tin-plated steel cans  (tin cans).  Non-ferrous metals  are ejected by  magnetic eddy currents  in which a rotating  magnetic field  induces  an electric current around the aluminium cans, which in turn creates a magnetic eddy current inside the cans. This magnetic eddy current is repulsed by a large magnetic field, and the cans are ejected from the rest of the recyclate stream.[4] Finally, glass must be sorted by hand based on its color: brown, amber, green or clear. GREEN HOUSE GASES AND GLOBAL WARNING Carbon dioxide, while vital for  photosynthesis, is sometimes referred to as pollution, because raised levels of the gas in the atmosphere are affecting the Earths climate. Disruption of the environment can also highlight the connection between areas of pollution that would normally be classified separately, such as those of water and air. Recent studies have investigated the potential for long-term rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide to cause slight but critical  increases in the acidity of ocean waters, and the possible effects of this on marine ecosystems. Global warming  is the increase in the  average temperature  of  Earths near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. According to the 2007  Fourth Assessment Report  by the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change  (IPCC), global surface temperature increased 0.74  Ã‚ ±Ã‚  0.18  Ã‚ °C  (1.33  Ã‚ ±Ã‚  0.32  Ã‚ °F) during the 20th century. Global dimming, a result of increasing concentrations of atmospheric  aerosols  that block sunlight from reaching the surface, has partially countered the effects of warming induced by greenhouse gases. Climate model  projections summarized in the latest IPCC report indicate that the global  surface temperature  is likely to rise a further  1.1 to 6.4  Ã‚ °C  (2.0 to 11.5  Ã‚ °F)  during the 21st century.  The uncertainty in this estimate arises from the use of models with differing  sensitivity to greenhouse gas concentrations  and the use of differing  estimates of future greenhouse gas emissions. An increase in global temperature will cause  sea levels to rise  and will change the amount and pattern of  precipitation, probably including expansion of  subtropical  deserts.  Warming is expected to be  strongest in the Arcticand would be associated with continuing  retreat of glaciers,  permafrost  and  sea ice. Other likely effects include changes in the frequency and intensity of  extreme weather  events,  species extinctions, and changes in  agricultural yields. Warming and related changes will vary from region to region aroun d the globe, though the nature of these regional variations is uncertain.  As a result of contemporary increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, the oceans have become  more acidic; a result that is predicted to continue. The  scientific consensus  is that  anthropogenic  global warming is occurring.  Nevertheless,  political  and  public debate  continues. The  Kyoto Protocol  is aimed at stabilizing greenhouse gas concentration to prevent a dangerous anthropogenic interference.  As of November 2009,  187 states had signed and ratified  the protocol. The  greenhouse effect  is the process by which  absorption  and  emission  of  infrared  radiation by gases in the  atmosphere  warm a  planets lower atmosphere and surface. It was proposed by  Joseph Fourierin 1824 and was first investigated quantitatively by  Svante Arrhenius  in 1896.  The question in terms of global warming is how the strength of the presumed greenhouse effect changes when human activity increases the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases have a mean warming effect of about 33  Ã‚ °C (59  Ã‚ °F).  The major greenhouse gases are  water vapor, which causes about 36-70 percent of the greenhouse effect;carbon dioxide  (CO2), which causes 9-26 percent;  methane  (CH4), which causes 4-9 percent; and  ozone  (O3), which causes 3-7 percent.  Clouds also affect the radiation balance, but they are composed of liquid water or ice and so have  different effects on radiation  from water vapor. Human activity since the  Industrial Revolution  has increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to increased  radiative forcing  from CO2,  methane, tropospheric  ozone,  CFCs  andnitrous oxide. The  concentrations  of CO2  and methane have increased by 36% and 148% respectively since 1750.  These levels are much higher than at any time during the last 650,000 years, the period for which reliable data has been extracted from  ice cores.  Less direct geological evidence indicates that CO2  values higher than this were last seen about 20 million years ago.[41]  Fossil fuel  burning has produced about three-quarters of the increase in CO2  from human activity over the past 20 years. Most of the rest is due to land-use change, particularly  deforestation. Over the last three decades of the 20th century,  GDP  per capita  and  population growth  were the main drivers of increases in greenhouse gas emissions.  CO2  emissions are continuing to rise due to the burning of fossil fuels and land-use change.  Emissions scenarios, estimates of changes in future emission levels of greenhouse gases, have been projected that depend upon uncertain economic,sociological,  technological, and natural developments.  In most scenarios, emissions continue to rise over the century, while in a few, emissions are reduced.  These emission scenarios, combined with carbon cycle modelling, have been used to produce estimates of how atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will change in the future. Using the six IPCC  SRES  marker scenarios, models suggest that by the year 2100, the atmospheric concentration of CO2  could range between 541 and 970 ppm.  This is an increase of 90-250% above the concentration in the year 1750. Fossil fuel reserves are sufficient to reach these levels and continue emissions past 2100 if  coal,  tar sands  or  methane clathrates  are extensively exploited. The destruction of  stratospheric  ozone by  chlorofluorocarbons  is sometimes mentioned in relation to global warming. Although there are a few  areas of linkage, the relationship between the two is not strong. Reduction of stratospheric ozone has a cooling influence.  Substantial ozone depletion did not occur until the late 1970s.  Ozone in the troposphere  (the lowest part of the  EarthHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_EarthHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Earths atmosphere) does contribute to surface warming. 8 most polluted cities in India ::: Sukinda, Orissa Number of people affected:  2,600,000 Type of pollutant:  Hexavalent chromium and other metals   Source of pollution:  Chromite mines and processing Hexavalent chromium is: a nasty heavy metal used for stainless steel production and leather tanning that is carcinogenic if inhaled or ingested. In Sukinda, which contains one of the largest open cast chromite ore mines in the world, 60% of the drinking water contains hexavalent chromium at levels more than double international standards. An Indian health group estimated that 84.75% of deaths in the mining areas where regulations are nonexistent are due to chromite-related diseases. There has been virtually no attempt to clean up the contamination. Sukinda has been listed in the Top 10 most polluted places in the world by the US-based Blacksmith Institute. Labourers work at a road construction site near Vapi Vapi, Gujarat Number of people potentially affected:  71,000 Type of pollutant:  Chemicals and heavy metals Source of pollution:  Industrial estates If Indias environment is on the whole healthier than its giant neighbor Chinas, thats because India is developing much more slowly. But thats changing, starting in towns like Vapi, which sits at the southern end of a 400-km-long belt of industrial estates. For the citizens of Vapi, the cost of growth has been severe: levels of mercury in the citys groundwater are reportedly 96 times higher than WHO safety levels, and heavy metals are present in the air and the local produce. Its just a disaster, says Fuller. Vapi has been listed in the Top 10 most polluted places in the world by the US-based Blacksmith Institute. Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab Number of people affected:  155,416 Type of pollutant:  High dust and smoke particulate Source of pollution:  Industrial units Gobindgarh in Punjab, also known as Loha mandi, recorded suspended particulate matter (microscopic particles in the air such as dust and smoke) level of 252 micrograms per cubic metre in 2007, 320 percent higher than the national standard level of 60 micrograms. Known for its iron and steel factories, it is one of the most polluted city in the country. The population in Gobindgarh shows a higher prevalence of symptoms of angina and cardiovascular disease. A ragpicker rows boat in polluted Gomti river in Lucknow Lucknow, UP Number of people affected:  30 lakh Type of pollutant:  High dust and smoke particulate Source of pollution:  Industrial units, vehicles Vehicular emissions are the main cause of air pollution in Lucknow. In recent years there has been a rapid rise in vehicular