Thursday, December 26, 2019

Analysis Of The Novel Bless Me Ultima - 1536 Words

Life is full of cohesive decisions, nothing makes the facile. But the worst ones are your personal koans and tormenting ambivalence is just the sense of satori rising. Eventually allowing a new sense of understanding and openmindness towards life greatest questions. Throughout this novel Bless Me Ultima B: Rodolfo Anaya Antonio is gradually tormented by his conflicting ideals directly caused by the deaths of three figures. Each death has Antonio slowly†¦show more content†¦As stated in the novel (Anaya Page 22) â€Å" It was to be said after one made his confession to the priest, and as the last prayer before death. Did God listen? Would he hear? And where was Lupito’s soul winging to? â€Å". This proves to be a pivotal moment in the novel the backbone to the questions that cling on to Antonio soul like an anchor that gradually drowns him in his search for answers to his paradoxical questions. He starts to question God and whether he would forgive Lupito’s actions or send his soul to an eternity of damnation. This is a key aspect to evaluate as he starts to question authority of the all supreme ruler which is ever so impressive coming from somebody as young as Antonio who is still naà ¯ve and gullible to what the Catholic church tells him. Another example of how death played a pivotal role in shaping his religious ambivalence we must look at the death of Narciso. To give some perspective on to why Narciso death was so devastating for Antonio we must first look at another character named Tenorio. The dynamic between Tenorio and Narciso is the classic Good vs Evil matchup. Tenorio is introduced as the father of the town witches who cast a curse on Antonio’s Uncle. To make a long story short after the events of the curse transpire one of Tenorio’s daughters die and casts the blame on Ultima he starts to become consumed by hate and it sets him on a path of vengeance. Narciso is far from the model hero having been cast in theShow MoreRelatedBless Me, Ultima Literary Analysis714 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† by Rudolfo Anaya Literary Analysis Throughout the context of â€Å"Bless Me Ultima,† it is evident that there are many motifs and examples of dichotomy. I believe that Anaya uses the previously mentioned elements of literature in order to provoke his readers’ thinking and help embody a struggle of understanding the world we live in. Motifs in this novel include: family, dreams, religion, education, and the list continues. For examples of dichotomy, the idea of good versus evil isRead MoreBless Me, Ultima Literary Analysis Essay714 Words   |  3 PagestSam Ennis Period #4 20 September 2012 â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† by Rudolfo Anaya Literary Analysis Throughout the context of â€Å"Bless Me Ultima,† it is evident that there are many motifs and examples of dichotomy. I believe that Anaya uses the previously mentioned elements of literature in order to provoke his readers’ thinking and help embody a struggle of understanding the world we live in. Motifs in this novel include: family, dreams, religion, education, and the list continues. For examplesRead MoreBless Me Ultima Chicano Literature1592 Words   |  7 PagesIntroductory Paragraph Bless Me, Ultima is a Chicano novel written by Rudolfo Anaya in 1972, which includes a magical realism plot. Chicano literature is especially significant in this novel because it helps create a cultural identity for the main character and his community. 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In this chicano inspired novel, Antonio Marà ©z, the six year old protagonist, is perpetually faced with instances of dissimilarity throughoutRead MoreCultural, Religious and Language Conflicts in Bless Me, Ultima1732 Words   |  7 PagesCultural, religious and language conflicts in Bless Me, Ultima Bless Me, Ultima, written by Rudolfo Anaya and published in 1972, has become one of the most widely read as well as critically acclaimed novels in the Chicano literature. It is first in the trilogy of novels by Anaya, with Heart of Aztlan (1976) and Tortuga (1979) following it. This novel can be viewed from many angles as well as layers, as it intertwines issues or themes of psychological maturation, social changes, identity crisis andRead More Bless Me, Ultima: The Cultural Distress Of A Young Society Essay example3164 Words   |  13 Pages Bless Me, Ultima: The Cultural Distress of a Young Society An answer to the discussion question of whether or not there is a defined border culture would need a great number of years in field research, but we can also observe a few of the characteristics of such border culture just by looking at scholastic essays and books related to the topic. Within the research that I did, I found a number of scholars who, while defining the border, mention all the specific or special characteristics of thisRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1982 Words   |  8 Pageswith the unspoken laws of the community is not difficult as the knowledge of who is socially acceptable to talk to and who is thought of as more of an outsider than a neighbor is not hard information to come across. Harper Lee highlighted this in her novel To Kill A Mockingbird by telling the story of life in Maycomb County, Alabama, through the eyes of Jean Louise Finch, whom everyone called Scout. While Scout, her father Atticus, and her older brother Jem were considered to be at the top of Maycomb’sRead MoreAtticus, Scout, And Jem Finch2314 Words   |  10 Pagesof prejudice and to treat every â€Å"class† or â€Å"wrung on the ladder† equally. Her experiences made her a better person and, although she is still growing up, she is learning to treat everyone with respect and to treat every race kindly. Task #2- Bless Me, Ultima Many people are very fascinated and concerned with the idea of death. Antonio witnesses many deaths through his young like and as he does, it seems to shape the way he grows and understands the world, both positively and negatively. He was introducedRead MoreReview Of Yann Martel s Life Of Pi Essay1337 Words   |  6 Pagesquestion Pi about what caused the Tsimtsum to sink. He tells his story, which they do not believe, so he offers them a more plausible version, with the animal characters replaced by other humans, which casts doubt on the original story. Throughout the novel, the story is interrupted by the author’s notes on Pi as he is now, telling this story to the author. After recovering in Mexico he went to Canada, where he spent a year finishing high school and then studied Religion and Zoology at the UniversityRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Holden Talks With Mr. Spencer Essay1569 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis: This quote is from the part when Holden talks with Mr. Spencer. Since Holden failing all his classes except one, Mr. Spencer is advising Holden about the importance and the impact of his actions in his life. Holden’s perception of adults is depicted when he curses Mr. Spencer in his mind. By nodding silently to Mr. Spencer’s words, Holden actually disrespects adults. We can easily perceive that Holden feels alienated when Mr. Spencer tells him that he is one of those people on â€Å"the other

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Gay Marriage Is The Last Drive For Gay - 2622 Words

Gay marriage has been a major social and political issue in America for the past decade. The gay rights movement was believed to have started after the Stonewall Riots in 1969. It has gained momentum over the past forty years to expand both gay rights and increase greater acceptance to homosexual relationships. This momentum inevitably resulted in a demand for the rights of gays to marry legally. Today, gay marriage is the last drive for gay rights. The history of the gay rights movement wasn’t as publicly known until the Stonewall Riots in 1969. The riots were a sequence of violent protests that were committed by the gay community. The Stonewall Riots are known as one of the most important events known to date that has lead to the gay†¦show more content†¦The riots started an entirely new outlook on gay rights. In San Francisco during 1978 Harvey Milk made a difference that would forever change the United States. Harvey was the first openly gay government worker that the United States had. He was elected city commissioner in 1970 and he served only 11 months in office. Before Harvey was assassinated he passed a bill that outlawed sexual orientation discrimination. Dan White was the man who assassinated Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone. Although Harvey Milk’s time in office was extremely short-lived he was one of the few people who wanted to publicly make a difference for other people who were just like him. The White Night Riots happened on May 21, 1979 in San Francisco. The riots were a series of violent events that happened because of the verdict of Dan Whites conviction. Dan White was the man the assassinated Mayor Moscone and Harvey White. White had been convicted of voluntary manslaughter, the lightest possible conviction over first-degree murder. It outraged the gay community so much that it set off the most violent reaction sine the Stonewall Riots. The gay community refused to apologize for their actions during White Night Riots. This increased the political power in the gay community. In November Dianne Feinstein was elected Mayor and she had made a promise to appoint a pro-gay Chief of Police. This increased recruitment of gay people in the police forced and

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Important social issues Essay Example For Students

Important social issues Essay Are people who excel in sports more likely to be given a break?When looking at a topic such as this one. You need to ask yourself the following questions: Are athletes given special privileges? Do those with more power than the players affect the outcome of an athlete? Over time, athletes have been helped but there also has been people that were not helped, chosen to take the fall. Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden are two men that seem to be given every chance in the world. They repeatedly have been suspended by MLB. And they repeatedly get let back in to play again. They are two examples of stars being allowed to play after serious offenses. Shoeless Joe Jackson was supposedly involved in the Black Soxs scandle of 1919. They said that he took a bribe to throw the series, but he played his heart out in that series. Joe hit the only home run and batted .375 to lead all players. We will write a custom essay on Important social issues specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now But he was still black listed by the Major Leagues and stricken from the record books. Joe wasnt involved in the throwing of the series, but found guilty mostly to save Mr. Comiskeys good name. Pete Rose bet on baseball that is known. But he still swears that he never bet on his own team. When he was caught he was banned from baseball. It was a serious offense but it seems minor in all that athletes get away with today. He bet on baseball, he should be punished, but not to allow one of the best baseball players of all-time into the Hall of Fame seems stupid. These two players are two examples of athletes not getting special treatment. Ray Carruth was sentenced to 19-24 years, convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and shooting to harm an unborn child. This was a case that could go both ways. Did Ray get punished more by the jury because he was an athlete or did he get of easy by not getting murder 1 because he was an athlete. There were many athletes that testified on his behalf. This might have swayed the jurors. Even on a broader sense other famous people are given second and third chances. Robert Downey Jr. has been arrested countless times, but he keeps on doing T.V. and movies. But is it the athletes in control or is it the people that pay their salaries. The owners and the boards really decide on how a player is punished. If the player is needed or an all-star, he is more likely to be given a lesser penalty. In the case of Shoeless Ho the owner of the team didnt let Joe give his testimonies to the court. Joe was the only on of the eight not to do so. If he would have been heard, Mr. Comiskey might have be fined or suspended also. My opinion on this topic is that athletes are treated differently with their punishments. Professional athletes money plays a large role in their punishments (example O. J. Simpson, he had the money to buy a great team of lawyers). Athletes today are also watched on every major television station. That also helps in the case of a trial. It is likely that the jury will know who the athlete is, possible helping his chances for a not guilty verdict. Athletes are treated differently and will continue to be as long as people allow them to be. important social issues Essay Example For Students important social issues Essay Are people who excel in sports more likely to be given a break? When looking at a topic such as this one. You need to ask yourself the following questions: Are athletes given special privileges? Do those with more power than the players affect the outcome of an athlete? Over time, athletes have been helped but there also has been people that were not helped, chosen to take the fall. Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden are two men that seem to be given every chance in the world. They repeatedly have been suspended by MLB. And they repeatedly get let back in to play again. We will write a custom essay on important social issues specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now They are two examples of stars being allowed to play after serious offenses. Shoeless Joe Jackson was supposedly involved in the Black Soxs scandle of 1919. They said that he took a bribe to throw the series, but he played his heart out in that series. Joe hit the only home run and batted .375 to lead all players. But he was still black listed by the Major Leagues and stricken from the record books. Joe wasnt involved in the throwing of the series, but found guilty mostly to save Mr. Comiskeys good name. Pete Rose bet on baseball that is known. But he still swears that he never bet on his own team. When he was caught he was banned from baseball. It was a serious offense but it seems minor in all that athletes get away with today. He bet on baseball, he should be punished, but not to allow one of the best baseball players of all-time into the Hall of Fame seems stupid. These two players are two examples of athletes not getting special treatment. Ray Carruth was sentenced to 19-24 years, convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and shooting to harm an unborn child. This was a case that could go both ways. Did Ray get punished more by the jury because he was an athlete or did he get of easy by not getting murder 1 because he was an athlete. There were many athletes that testified on his behalf. This might have swayed the jurors. Even on a broader sense other famous people are given second and third chances. Robert Downey Jr. has been arrested countless times, but he keeps on doing T.V. and movies. But is it the athletes in control or is it the people that pay their salaries. The owners and the boards really decide on how a player is punished. If the player is needed or an all-star, he is more likely to be given a lesser penalty. In the case of Shoeless Ho the owner of the team didnt let Joe give his testimonies to the court. Joe was the only on of the eight not to do so. If he would have been heard, Mr. Comiskey might have be fined or suspended also. My opinion on this topic is that athletes are treated differently with their punishments. Professional athletes money plays a large role in their punishments (example O.J. Simpson, he had the money to buy a great team of lawyers). Athletes today are also watched on every major television station. That also helps in the case of a trial. It is likely that the jury will know who the athlete is, possible helping his chances for a not guilty verdict. Athletes are treated differently and will continue to be as long as people allow them to be. . Important social issues Essay Example For Students Important social issues Essay Are people who excel in sports more likely to be given a break? When looking at a topic such as this one. You need to ask yourself the following questions: Are athletes given special privileges? Do those with more power than the players affect the outcome of an athlete? Over time, athletes have been helped but there also has been people that were not helped, chosen to take the fall. Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden are two men that seem to be given every chance in the world. They repeatedly have been suspended by MLB. And they repeatedly get let back in to play again. We will write a custom essay on Important social issues specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now They are two examples of stars being allowed to play after serious offenses. Shoeless Joe Jackson was supposedly involved in the Black Soxs scandle of 1919. They said that he took a bribe to throw the series, but he played his heart out in that series. Joe hit the only home run and batted .375 to lead all players. But he was still black listed by the Major Leagues and stricken from the record books. Joe wasnt involved in the throwing of the series, but found guilty mostly to save Mr. Comiskeys good name. Pete Rose bet on baseball that is known. But he still swears that he never bet on his own team. When he was caught he was banned from baseball. It was a serious offense but it seems minor in all that athletes get away with today. He bet on baseball, he should be punished, but not to allow one of the best baseball players of all-time into the Hall of Fame seems stupid. These two players are two examples of athletes not getting special treatment. Ray Carruth was sentenced to 19-24 years, convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and shooting to harm an unborn child. This was a case that could go both ways. Did Ray get punished more by the jury because he was an athlete or did he get of easy by not getting murder 1 because he was an athlete. There were many athletes that testified on his behalf. This might have swayed the jurors. Even on a broader sense other famous people are given second and third chances. Robert Downey Jr. has been arrested countless times, but he keeps on doing T.V. and movies. But is it the athletes in control or is it the people that pay their salaries. The owners and the boards really decide on how a player is punished. If the player is needed or an all-star, he is more likely to be given a lesser penalty. In the case of Shoeless Ho the owner of the team didnt let Joe give his testimonies to the court. Joe was the only on of the eight not to do so. If he would have been heard, Mr. Comiskey might have be fined or suspended also. My opinion on this topic is that athletes are treated differently with their punishments. Professional athletes money plays a large role in their punishments (example O.J. Simpson, he had the money to buy a great team of lawyers). Athletes today are also watched on every major television station. That also helps in the case of a trial. It is likely that the jury will know who the athlete is, possible helping his chances for a not guilty verdict. Athletes are treated differently and will continue to be as long as people allow them to be. .

Monday, December 2, 2019

Michael Porter Operations Strategy At 7 Days Inn free essay sample

Days Inn Case Analysis Questions 1. Based on Michel Porter’s views on operations strategy, please analyze how 7 Days Inn obtains competitive advantages by determining the portfolio of services through the vertical cutting approach. The traditional situation in hotel industry is that, the more you pay, the higher quality you get. But actually, most of the businessman just needs a comfortable bed and a hot water in bath. The vertical cutting approaches make this available and the price is lower than the traditional hotel. With this strategy, 7 Days Inn obtains a great competitive advantages against its competitors and earn the opportunity to the following fast expend. 2. â€Å"Management first, franchise later â€Å"has been the expansion strategy frequently used by international chain enterprises. However 7 Days Inn creatively come up the â€Å"franchising with management â€Å"in 2008. Please analyze the network economic effect of chain, and the characteristics and appropriate conditions of leased and operated hotel ,managed hotel and traditional franchised hotel. We will write a custom essay sample on Michael Porter: Operations Strategy At 7 Days Inn or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The network economic effect of chain benefit 7 Days from 3 angles. Firstly, it reduce the cost of purchase and management. Secondary, it helps to occupy and maximize the market share. Last, it is a good approach to promote the 7 Days brand by open more and more branch hotels. Lease is a more flexible way to run the business, and it will use less cash flow and get more net income. But the franchising with management approach is a more flexible way for their expend. In this way, they use the investor’s investment and keep the control at the same time. It is a better way comparing with the traditional franchised hotel. 3. 7 Day Inn implements operations dept. anagement ,matrix management, and shepherd management sequentially to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of chain management. Referring to Amit and Zott(2012),please discuss how an enterprise constantly makes business model innovation ,how to turned business innovation into enterprise values and how to derive, sustain and enforce the capability of innovation. As the company become big ger, some problems are inevasible. The supervisor of company should make some change to deal with these problems. Sometime, they need an innovation of their business model. To turn business innovation into enterprise value, the supervisor should take all the changing situation into account. In this way, you will find one or two key factors for you to improve and abandon the others. In the 7 days inn case, the supervisor will focus on the encouragement, so the shepherd management strategy born. 4. Please analyze the psychological impact of shepherd management of on the hotel managers. Then, please identify the possible reasons why such a number of hotel managers resign. What do you think Lin Yuezhou should do to solve the resignation problems Most of the managers will treat it as their own business and try their best to run the hotel. In the way, the talent managers can show their ability, and benefit company at the same time. The possible reasons for the managers’ resign are: a)They frustrate with the conditions they face, either because of their ability or the limit resource. b)They earn enough money and experience, and they think they can run their own hotel. c)They get a better offer form the competitors. Mr Lin should put more focus on this problem because it is a drain of talent person. Lin should find the main reason of their resignation and do the relatively disposal. 5. What do you think of shepherd management? As 7 Days Inn come into the thousands hotels era, do you believe that the bonus of shepherd management has been used up? How to solve the problem of management inefficiency? Where should the operations strategy of 7 Days Inn head? The shepherd management benefit 7 days in the relatively small scale. But when the branch hotel number become bigger, the shepherd management strategy will do harm to the management team for it increase the difficulty of control. I agree that the bonus of shepherd management has been used up when 7 Days Inn come into the thousands hotels. As the hotel numbers become bigger, the 7 days inn’s management team is losing control of their branch hotel because they give to much power to the managers. They can’t easily valuation the performance of each hotel. To solve the problem of management inefficiency, I suggest 7 days inn to setup an command sub-system in their internal system. Since 7 days inn’s internal system is powerful, adding a sub-system is easy and most of the manager will use this system to get news form management team.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Music Industry and Technology

Music Industry and Technology Thesis Statement Changes in the information and communication technology directly impact on the music industry. Emergency of new technologies has shaped the music industry so far and will also determine the future of the industry. Advancements in technology have influenced the music world both positively and negatively.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Music Industry and Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The advancement of technology over the last century has revolutionalized how music is made, distributed, marketed and listened to. The use and invention of MIDI, Sequencers and the advent of the internet has promoted file sharing, music downloading and piracy. On the other hand, there are also many gains accrued to both customers and artistes due to same technologies. Introduction This paper explores both the positive and negative impacts of technological advancement on the music industry. The paper fur ther describes some of the technological innovations and analyses how the innovations have contributed to the positive growth of the music industry. Moreover, the paper looks into the future of the music industry based on changes occasioned by technological development. The final section of this paper highlights how various technologies have shaped the music industry and what it all means in terms of future music production and distribution. Technology and Music Industry Music production requires the use of gadgets or instruments. As a result, advancement in the music industry is directly dependent on the technological changes. Technology changes affect the way music is composed, recorded, produced and distributed. As technology improvements are registered in the world of communication, so also does the music industry become very dynamic. Technology has made it easy to produce and reproduce music. Due to efficiency in music production, mass production of music recording is very easy (Beken 242). Mass production is easy because technology enables easy reproduction of recorded music. The ease to reproduce music is positive because it helps artistes to serve mass markets. However, the ease in reproduction has led to the piracy phenomenon. Piracy is where individuals reproduce music without permission of the rights owners. There is much debate with regard to whether music piracy serves any meaningful purpose. On one hand, piracy is more or less like fraud. However, piracy is not entirely bad. Through piracy, musicians are heard by many and this blows their popularity to high ratings.Advertising Looking for term paper on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A musician is like a brand and the extent to which they are able to connect with fans makes a great difference. Therefore, although music piracy leads to recording companies making losses, it in a way helps musicians in mounting popu larity. With the advent of the internet, piracy has gone really hi-tech and easy to execute. Although internet related downloads lead to loss of revenue on the part of musician and producers, it can be argued that music piracy has improved accessibility to music. Through the internet many fans can have accessibility to songs not easily available in print and even music produced by unknown artistes. Some little known artistes easily create a wave by releasing their little known music to music pirates. With regard to upcoming artistes, the use of internet has increased or made them more inclined towards experimentation. The upcoming artistes are able to test market their music. Through streaming the music on the net, they are able to analyze response to their music and drum up or psyche up fans towards more record sales and huge concert participation. Historically, the music industry in the US was under control of four major companies which included the â€Å"Sony Music Entertainment †, â€Å"Universal Music Group†, †EMI Group† and the â€Å"Warner Music† (Scott 123). These were recording companies that had resources to support their artistes by providing advertisement through radio and music shows (Scott 123). Most artistes struggled to catch the attention of and get signed up by any of the big established labels. Those that could not clinch contracts with these prestigious firms had to go to smaller labels that didn’t have much resource. The smaller producers or labels could not provide as much exposure as the artistes would have liked. Entertainment related advertising requires huge investing. The challenge is compounded by the fact that there are many established artistes who carry the limelight. The cost of production in the music industry has for long remained very high. When an artiste does not contract with the big labels, they get low quality products into the market. For instance, the videos produced by such compa nies are of low quality thereby prompting their not to being shown on television. Technological advancement has made music production easier and even little known labels can now deliver quality. When it comes to advertisement and exposure, the internet through music download has provided a better avenue for artiste to get exposed widely.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Music Industry and Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Technology and Fight against Piracy in the Music Industry As already indicated, improvement in technology has led to easy reproduction of music. This in return has led to piracy or illegal reproduction of music. Although, piracy in some cases works to the advantage of artistes, it is generally a vice that has to be tackled. By downloading music posted on the internet and sampling the same, individuals may like the music and decide to buy other albums are associated with the same artis te. Consequently they may decide to share with their friend, who may in turn end up buying the same copy of music. The positive side of music piracy notwithstanding, this vice has challenged music industry in a devastating way. Its effects have been felt by artiste and also pirates themselves. The law enforcers and the recording industry are on the look out and are cracking down the pirates around the world. Additionally, the consumers who are beneficiaries of pirated albums lose due to the discouragement it serves on artistes. The consumer will enjoy taking the shortcut in order to save some dollars but by not buying original music, the musicians get discouraged thus the music industry suffering. Secondly, when many consumers go for pirated products, the producers are forced to sell the original music exorbitantly so as to recoup production costs. As a result, the genuine consumers continue to suffer and piracy is further fueled or encouraged. Piracy has caused companies in the mus ic industry to lose colossal sums of money. Most recording companies don’t generate sufficient revenues to finance their production costs. Moreover, to remain in the market, most of them use much of the profits that they get to subsidize their music so that it moves in the market. This means that profitability is largely affected. As a result, not much money is available to invest in expansion or to sign in new artistes that would take music to a higher standing. The pirates have not realized how costly it is for the producers or if they do, they are very insensitive whenever they steal the music. Piracy has killed the creativity of most artistes in the music industry. Most songwriters, singers, producers and those involved in the music industry have been deeply affected. This is because the royalties’ and fees that are supposed to be accrued from the business are not realized. This fee is necessary for any artiste to make a living. To add injury on insult, recording c ompany, labels and artiste’s reputation is entirely damaged by the inferior quality that is produced by the pirated music copies.Advertising Looking for term paper on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To ensure that artiste and the music industry remain successful, measures and elaborate framework to counter piracy such as incorporation of anti-piracy campaigns, extensive support from governments, and incorporation of technology enabled anti-piracy catch nets come in very handy. Governments have to develop policies that are pro-industry. Technology experts should come up with measures to easily identify pirated and counterfeit music and the law enforcers should be on alert to exercise justice. MIDI One of the technological developments that have revolutionalized the music industry is ability to synchronize musical instruments with computer technology. Technology advancement in the music industry allows both computers and most of musical instruments to communicate effectively. The efforts to have musical instruments communicate effectively with computers led to the creation of MIDI. MIDI is basically the short form of â€Å"Musical Instrument Digital Interface†. This is a c ommonly used language for transmission of information in an electronic environment between computers (Rumsey 81). This technology facilitates artistes to play instruments which are MIDI enabled and allows their music to be captured by the computer system in form of a MIDI file. When MIDI came into existence, more instruments supporting this form of files were created and enhanced to provide efficient utilization of this technology. MIDI technology has brought about more instruments which support this file formats which include keyboards used by pianist, electronic sets of drums used by percussionist among other instruments (Rumsey 160). The MIDI technology has facilitated the development of MIDI software’s, which are compatible with the instruments developed to enhance performance by musicians. This has assisted musicians’ performances to be recorded at the same time being notated in a real music sequence. MIDI provided a kind of â€Å"real† recording studio whe re musicians got the opportunity to record their music in real time (Rumsey 165). The MIDI software systematically controls the beat of the music being played. MP3 MP3 technology is another advancement that changed the music industry. MP3 is a music sound compression technology which reduces sound sequence into a small file without interfering with the original quality of sound. MP3 files are easily identified with an .MP3 extension. The MP3 technology has help to shape the music world. Technology makes it possible to download huge files of songs and other media files on the internet and compress them in an MP3 player or device and hence having a choice of songs to listen to (Rumsey 55). The technology has helped to save disk space at the same time saving expenses on purchasing storage devices such as CD’S, Tapes and other expensive storage devices. The Internet has played a significance role of promoting the use of MP3 devices. Many websites have promoted the use of MP3 as a device by either giving applications that facilitates file compression or linking the user to appropriate site where the user can download songs of his or her choice. Moreover, most websites have effectively complied with copyright laws and allows the users to buy music of their choice. The latter have developed their MP3 song formats which ensures that high audio quality is guaranteed at the same time marketing them to allow accessibility to more audiences. However, the use of MP3 and the websites used to promote it illegally is causing the music industry to loose millions of dollars (Rumsey 117). These sites have encouraged copyright violations because it is illegal to alter or copy any music from an audio or CD device and redistribute without being given consent by the owner. Whereas there has been an effort to curtail this form of music piracy, currently, no sure measure has proved to work regarding copyright and secure song distribution standards. Sequencers Sequencers are ano ther technological advancement or innovation that has helped change the music world. This technology has also in a big way had an impact on the music world. This technology has been around in one form or another for quite some time but it found its way into music industry not long ago (Rumsey 219). Sequencer is popularly known to people as â€Å"4 track recorder†. Sequencers facilitate recording of actual sound as it is being played. Sequencers began appearing in the music industry as software’s mostly installed in computers. Early computers didn’t have enough memory to handle the capability of the sound produced i.e. Sound files could take up more space than text conventional files; hence this decreased their usage (Rumsey 118). However, in recent years, sequencers are popularly used by both musicians and non musicians to enhance their music production. The technology has decentralized what was seen as an exclusive work of recording engineers to virtually anyon e. Moreover, the software is cheap and is even offered for free by some parties (Rumsey 222). Sequencing and MIDI technology has facilitated change in the music industry because once these applications are available to an ordinary person; he or she can record his or her own music. Both applications have revolutionalized the music industry and created opportunities for accessibility to wider musical creations; especially for average person (Rumsey 221). Other technological advancements that have changed the music industry include the use of wave files, digital technology, CD-Rom and web pages. Most web pages created by musicians are interactive thus providing real time interaction between fans and artistes. This technology has enabled not only the musicians (those people who have formal education in music and its performance) and almost anyone who has a passion for music to manage to compose, record and share their pieces of work. CD-ROMs are already packaged multimedia which contain s information about different kinds of music, mostly the style and history. Digital technology makes it possible to record live music directly using the computer and writing the music on a CD; a process called â€Å"burning†. E-music stores Technology has successfully enabled the creation of online music databases and the coming up with music programs to support its growth. Programs such as iTunes and Napster music stores have promoted the sale of e-music by charging a fee which is smaller for any song and other media based files (Leonhard 295). Although this sounds much cheaper than buying the original song, in the real sense it has some fee attached and hence many people tend to prefer using other costless methods to get the song they want. Music Applications/programs With advancement in IT, many more music applications and programs have been created. These music applications and programs facilitate fast music download on the internet. Music applications such as cabos, kaza a, limewire, among other applications, facilitate fast download of music files on the internet. These applications have killed the music industry because they get music and other media files absolutely free and without recognition of the owner of the file (Leonhard 121). Although, theses applications provide a standard platform of getting older music that are not available in print or discovering a new artiste but they help to kill the music industry. Internet Files Sharing The emergency of file sharing has facilitated sharing of files and data that is being distributed. File sharing facilitates accessing files, which is stored remotely and allows people to extract, copy, retrieve files or information only if they have access privileges. File sharing is only possible because technology allows or enables it to happen (Frakes 403). File sharing has created an impact in the music industry and has affected the revenue accrued from the sale of music online. Internet has made it possible for users to access thousands of files stored in different locations around the world. File sharing has been facilitated by having sophisticated software’s which makes it possible to acquire genuine music and directs it to unknown server (Frakes 407). From the server, users only have privileges’ of only logging in and accessing thousands of songs then they can make a choice in terms of which songs they want. Open file sharing has provided a mechanism by which millions of files can be shared among artistes and other parties in the music industry. E-File sharing has facilitated reduced probability of people purchasing original music. Most people have favored online file sharing instead of purchasing CDs and tapes (Cusic 87). However, the music industry has inflated prices on its original CD’s making file sharing a route to acquire songs of interests. This has encouraged rapid increase in E-file Sharing. Music Labels Modern labels have changed the way and means of producing and distributing music. The changes in ways of music production and distribution have created a shift in individual artiste engagement of the market. Technology has lowered the cost of production (Cusic 125). As a result, individual artistes can now produce themselves easily. Individual artistes no longer see the need of signing big contracts. The current changes enabled by technology allow modern labels enough flexibility and more prospects (Wang 146). Technology, therefore, does not just mean more money in the banks but also easier production and more creative solutions. Social Networking Websites and Music Recording Industry Technology has provided a platform whereby people across the world can share music and other information at a click of a button. Additionally, social network websites have been on the increase. This proprietor incorporate into their site a database which enables musicians to upload their albums at the same time encouraging their supporters to listen to them free of charge (Burgess 45). Social websites such as MySpace, face book among others have been in the forefront of providing storage space for most of the artistes. Consequently Social websites have provided a platform on which artistes, who by other means wouldn’t have been known, to advertise their music. Through social network sites, musicians are able to promote their albums hence reaching more audiences. MySpace for instance has launched and promoted much successful music careers and has assisted artiste in getting recording contracts (Burgess 67). Future of Music Industry Just like the music industry has so far been shaped by technological advancements, the future of the industry is also pegged on technology. The process of distribution of music will continue to change toward more electronic means and recording companies will be powerless to do anything regarding this. There will be a challenge of securing rights especially with the emergency of digital network s, licensing and e-distribution (David 66). Consequently, online music marketing is likely to expand and become a major avenue of music selling. The growth and expansion of online music industry is projected to increase. The technologies will double the availability of online database and the download speeds of music will increase. One of the greatest concerns for the future music industry will be piracy and security of files especially due to sabotage maneuvers of rival music camps. There is need for effort towards technology that can help curb piracy and any form of illegal downloads. As of now, technology to guard against piracy and illegal download is yet to gain accessibility in the music industry. The software will greatly improve illegal file download and protect the artistes, music industry and customers as well (David 2). Legislation by governments to protect and institute legal framework to deal with copyright issues, piracy, counterfeits will see the music industry thrivi ng hence making good fortune. Technology and Changing Artiste Attitude Due to technological changes, the attitudes of musicians have also been changing over time. The emergence of new and unknown artistes is expected to change the course of music industry. Many of them do not put much effort in making their original music. Secondly, they do not focus on creating music that is good in itself but rather music that they think people will like. Going into the future, larger recording companies as well are likely to be inclined towards compelling artistes to come up with music that can sell. The concern is with production of music that can easily be taken to by fans once released in the market. Going by technology and already recorded trends, many small independent labels are likely to be the norm of the future. The emergence of small labels allows the artiste to do what he or she deems is best for her music (David 146). It also allows for lesser known artistes to grow at own pace and no t to be held back by recording company requirements. These little known artistes are known to take personal initiative with zeal, they posse’s creative ideas and have clear song structures. Artistes’ attitudes are also changing in terms of what they expect when they produce music. Rather than expecting royalties, artistes are looking forward to other benefits (Burgess 17). Such benefits may include gigs or opportunities for live performances and marketing deals. The music industry should embrace music piracy, instead of fighting it; they should analyze the important ideas behind it because most of the ideas benefit the music industry as a whole. The technology behind should be appreciated as well. The music industry in the future instead of encrypting the CDs, they should come up with a strategy of building a system whereby most of the music is accessible for free, so that if the customers feels that she or he likes the music, it can be easier for him to buy. This proc ess will be inexpensive strategy to support an artiste at the same time positively transforming the impact of â€Å"free music download† Streaming The music industry is being transformed by the emergency of streaming technology. This is seen by most people as an alternative and remedy to the problem of music piracy. This is a feature which allows someone to view a movie or a song partly, without having permission to download it (Cabrera 109). This will be an important step in the music industry because it will enable people to sample new albums and make a choice either to buy it or not. Future of CDs’ Technology advancement is likely to yield the manufacture of rip proof CDs. Such technology will play a major role in curtailing music piracy. Once they are rip proof, it will be difficult for the CD’s to be ripped or copied on a computer system. This will only allow the person who originally bought it to be the one to posses and use (Cusic 110). However, this tech nology will make it impossible for the rightful owners to copy the CD for personal use thus rendering devices such as iPods obsolete. CDS are slowly but surely being faced out as people go for other convenient mediums on which to record and sell music. Digital music downloads, iPods, MP3 are some of the technological devices and mediums that are facing out the CD technology (Cusic 123). The shift from CDS to digital music downloads is facilitated by the availability of fast internet speeds, which allow for quick music downloads at a relatively cheaper cost. Additionally, recording companies and artiste will prefer having an online database for storage of their music which will facilitate accessibility to wider audiences or markets. The online databases will eventually kill the CD technology because audience will prefer purchasing a song directly using their iPods, MP3 players and their computer systems (Cusic 126). E-music music databases for example â€Å"youtube† will reduc e the ability of CD survival because consumers will prefer listening to their favorite music for free; provided they have a steady and fast internet connection. Conclusion Developments in the music industry are pegged on technological advancement. So far technological developments have enabled file sharing, video streaming, piracy, online music purchasing, and music storage by the use of iPods, MP3 players and phones. Through such like devices or platforms both consumers and artistes are advantaged while being disadvantaged in other ways. The technological advancements have provided artistes and their customers with platforms on which they interact whereas doing business in a more elaborate and enhanced manner (Wang 123). The enabling properties of technology have made music production and distribution easy. This has led to artistes being able to sell massively thus creating many billionaires in the industry. However, technology continues to threaten the industry in terms of quality of production and Piracy. Due to technology making recording and distribution easy, everyone has become a producer thus compromising professionalism in the industry. Vices like piracy have become more pronounced due to the enabling effects of technology. Through the internet, stealing music through downloading has increased and mechanisms have to be developed so that both artistes and consumers continue to enjoy the privilege of accessibility offered by the internet while not abusing each other’s rights. Beken, Tom. Organized Crime and Vulnerability of Economic Sectors: The European Transport and Music Sector. California: Maklu, 2005 Burgess, Richard James. The Art of Music Production. London: Omnibus Press, 2002 Cabrera, P, J. IPhone Games Projects. Michigan: Springer, 2009 Cusic, Don. Music in the Market. North Carolina: Popular Press, 1996 David, Matthew. Peer to Peer and the Music Industry: The Criminalization of Sharing. California: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2010 Frakes, Dan. Mac Os X Power Tools. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2004 Leonhard, Woody. Windows XP Hacks Mods for Dummies. London: For Dummies, 2005 Rumsey, Francis. Desktop Audio Technology: Digital Audio and Midi Principles. Massachusetts: Focal Press, 2004 Scott, Michael, D. Internet and Technology Law Desk Reference. New York: Aspen Publishers, 2009 Wang, Wally. Steal this File Sharing Book: What They Wont Tell You About File Sharing. New York: No Starch Press, 2004

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat, Cambodia The temple complex at Angkor Wat, just outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia, is world famous for its intricate lotus blossom towers, its enigmatic smiling Buddha images and lovely dancing girls (apsaras), and its geometrically perfect moats and reservoirs. An architectural jewel, Angkor Wat itself is the largest religious structure in the world. It is the crowning achievement of the classical Khmer Empire, which once ruled most of Southeast Asia. The Khmer culture and the empire alike were built around a single critical resource: water. Lotus Temple on a Pond: The connection with water is immediately apparent at Angkor today. Angkor Wat (meaning Capital Temple) and the larger Angkor Thom (Capital City) are both surrounded by perfectly square moats. Two five-mile-long rectangular reservoirs glitter nearby, the West Baray and the East Baray. Within the immediate neighborhood, there are also three other major barays and numerous small ones. Some twenty miles to the south of Siem Reap, a seemingly inexhaustible supply of freshwater stretches across 16,000 square kilometers of Cambodia. This is the Tonle Sap, Southeast Asias largest freshwater lake. It may seem odd that a civilization built on the edge of Southeast Asias great lake should need to rely on a complicated irrigation system, but the lake is extremely seasonal. During the monsoon season, the vast amount of water pouring through the watershed causes the Mekong River to actually back up behind its delta, and begin to flow backward. The water flows out over the 16,000 square kilometer lake-bed, remaining for about 4 months. However, once the dry season returns, the lake shrinks down to 2,700 square kilometers, leaving the Angkor Wat area high and dry. The other problem with Tonle Sap, from an Angkorian point of view, is that it is at a lower elevation than the ancient city. Kings and engineers knew better than to site their wonderful buildings too close to the erratic lake/river, but they did not have the technology to make water run uphill. Engineering Marvel: In order to provide a year-round supply of water for irrigating rice crops, the engineers of the Khmer Empire connected a region the size of modern-day New York City with an elaborate system of reservoirs, canals, and dams. Rather than using the water of Tonle Sap, the reservoirs collect monsoon rainwater and store it for the dry months. NASA photographs reveal the traces of these ancient waterworks, hidden at ground level by the thick tropical rainforest. A steady water supply allowed for three or even four plantings of the notoriously thirsty rice crop per year and also left enough water for ritual use. According to Hindu mythology, which the Khmer people absorbed from Indian traders, the gods live on the five-peaked Mount Meru, surrounded by an ocean. To replicate this geography, the Khmer king Suryavarman II designed a five-towered temple surrounded by an enormous moat. Construction on his lovely design began in 1140; the temple later came to be known as Angkor Wat. In keeping with the aquatic nature of the site, each of Angkor Wats five towers is shaped like an unopened lotus blossom. The temple at Tah Prohm alone was served by more than 12,000 courtiers, priests, dancing girls and engineers at its height - to say nothing of the empires great armies, or the legions of farmers who fed all the others. Throughout its history, the Khmer Empire was constantly at battle with the Chams (from southern Vietnam) as well as different Thai peoples. Greater Angkor probably encompassed between 600,000 and 1 million inhabitants - at a time when London had perhaps 30,000 people. All of these soldiers, bureaucrats, and citizens relied upon rice and fish - thus, they relied upon the waterworks. Collapse: The very system that allowed the Khmer to support such a large population may have been their undoing, however. Recent archaeological work shows that as early as the 13th century, the water system was coming under severe strain. A flood evidently destroyed part of the earthworks at West Baray in the mid-1200s; rather than repairing the breach, the Angkorian engineers apparently removed the stone rubble and used it in other projects, idling that section of the irrigation system. A century later, during the early phase of what is known as the Little Ice Age in Europe, Asias monsoons became very unpredictable. According to the rings of long-lived po mu cypress trees, Angkor suffered from two decades-long drought cycles, from 1362 to 1392, and 1415 to 1440. Angkor had already lost control of much of its empire by this time. The extreme drought crippled what remained of the once-glorious Khmer Empire, leaving it vulnerable to repeated attacks and sackings by the Thais. By 1431, the Khmer people had abandoned the urban center at Angkor. Power shifted south, to the area around the present-day capital at Phnom Pehn. Some scholars suggest that the capital was moved to better take advantage of coastal trading opportunities. Perhaps the upkeep on Angkors waterworks was simply too burdensome. In any case, monks continued to worship at the temple of Angkor Wat itself, but the rest of the 100 temples and other buildings of the Angkor complex were abandoned. Gradually, the sites were reclaimed by the forest. Although the Khmer people knew that these marvelous ruins stood there, amidst the jungle trees, the outside world did not know about the temples of Angkor until French explorers began to write about the place in the mid-nineteenth century. Over the past 150 years, scholars and scientists from Cambodia and around the world have worked to restore the Khmer buildings and unravel the mysteries of the Khmer Empire. Their work has revealed that Angkor Wat truly is like a lotus blossom - floating atop a watery realm. Photo Collections from Angkor: Various visitors have recorded Angkor Wat and surrounding sites over the past century. Here are some historic photos of the region. Margaret Hays photos from 1955. National Geographic/Robert Clarks photos from 2009. Â   Sources Angkor and the Khmer Empire, John Audric. (London: Robert Hale, 1972). Angkor and the Khmer Civilization, Michael D. Coe. (New York: Thames and Hudson, 2003). The Civilization of Angkor, Charles Higham. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004). Angkor: Why an Ancient Civilization Collapsed, Richard Stone. National Geographic, July 2009, pp. 26-55.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Contributions to Economics and Sociology Vilfredo Pareto Term Paper

Contributions to Economics and Sociology Vilfredo Pareto - Term Paper Example These observations are dispersed throughout the various works by Pareto. Trattato contains the essential features of the philosophy of science as expressed by Pareto.6 Throughout his work, Pareto applied his philosophy of science to develop theories and relate theories to facts. He used this to clearly explain the relationship between the dynamic and the static. He showed that though the static is only a phase, it is a necessary phase of the dynamic.7 The study of facts and consequent development of theories to explain these facts was his dominant occupation. The arguments presented in the Cours are illustrated using many statistical and historical references. In the later stages of his work, Pareto shifted his interest from analyzing statistical data to the analysis of sociological and historical phenomena. Pareto also did a critical examination of many of pseudo-scientific theories. In the Systemes socialistes, he subjects the logical inconsistencies of socialist economic theories such as the Marxist theory to a rigorous analysis. This is an illustration of the critical aspect of his work which is fully expressed in the Trattato. Pareto integrated economic theory into the social sciences. His main goal was to generalize the theory of general economic equilibrium by Walras so that it covers all the social sciences.8 He used the interdependence of social and economic phenomena as a guiding principle for his work. He believed that economic theory was part of a greater whole whose study was necessary, though not sufficient, in order to understand society. Pareto was the first scholar to clearly distinguish between the concepts of ordinal and cardinal utility by...The men that are primarily moved by this class of residues behave like Machiavelli's "foxes."23 They are capable of innovation, experimentation, and departure from common practice, but lack fidelity to uphold the principles and conservative virtues that can insure their stability...