Adidas History Essay

Adidas was founded in 1924 in Germany by two bothers Adi and Rudolf Dassler. The company was first named Dassler shoes and later became Adidas. By the Dassler shoes being seen in the Olympics this really helped the company get its name known. However, in 1948 Rudolf Dassler leaves to start his own company which is now known as Puma. Once Rudolf left his brother came up with the famous three stripes logo and changed the name to Adidas. The 3 stripes were created to keep the foot stable, but ended up being the logo. Throughout the years Adidas was seen in the Olympics, and it was the leading brand making their shoes highly sought after by Olympic athletes. In 1978, Adi Dassler passed at age 78 and his wife Kathe ran the company. Six years later Kathe passed and the company was left for their son Horst Dassler to run, and three years later Horst passed at age 51. After Horst’s death Adidas ran into some major financial problems, and later Bernard Tapie comes to make an attempt to save the company. Well to be honest, later down the road a hip-hop group named Run-DMC came and put Adidas on another level just like Jordan did for Nike, and the rest is history! They even made a song called â€Å"My Adidas†, and it was a hit all around the world. After Run-DMC came to Adidas they even had their own signature line. Run DMC is still making Adidas money today just like Jordan is still making Nike tons of money these guys are true legends to the â€Å"Shoe Game†. Adidas has worked with many famous people and has a signature shoe line for Stan Smith, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady aka TMAC, Missy Elliot, and many others. (The Shoe Game) Adidas America, Inc. manufactures and wholesales sports footwear, apparel, and accessories. It offers tennis, running, and basketball shoes; women’s and misses’ outerwear; men’s and boys’ clothing; and women’s and children’s clothing, as well as rubber or plastic footwear. Adidas America, Inc. was formerly known as Sports, Inc. and changed its name to Adidas America, Inc. in 1993. The company was incorporated in 1975 and is based in Portland, Oregon. Adidas America, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Adidas AG. (Inside View) Sportswear giant Adidas gets a new headquarter for its 1700 staff members in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Their new home surely matches the German reputation for quality engineering. I also love the  excess of white used for the interior design, pretty sure their cleaning company has a great time doing their job. (Nimvo) MISSION OF THE COMPANY The adidas Group strives to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry with sports brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle. †¢ Adidas is consumer focused and therefore it continuously improve the quality, look, feel and image of its products and its organizational structures to match and exceed consumer expectations and to provide them with the highest value. †¢ Adidas is innovation and design leaders who seek to help athletes of all skill levels achieve peak performance with every product it bring to market. †¢ Adidas is a global organization that is socially and environmentally responsible, creative and financially rewarding for its employees’ and shareholders. †¢ Adidas is committed to continuously strengthening its brands and products to improve its competitive position. †¢ The Company is dedicated to consistently delivering outstanding financial results. MISSION OF THE MARKETING PLAN To devise a marketing plan and formulate strategies which would help in the achievement of the marketing objectives of the company which are, Market penetration – gaining market share across all markets in which it compete Market development – expanding into new markets and addressing new consumers Awareness – increasing awareness and visibility across all brands, providing clear and consistent messaging and supporting product initiatives at the point-of-sale. TARGET MARKETS — The target market of Adidas is the urban youth with the brand proposition competition to lifestyle. The principle consumption centers namely the metros are also a potential target market! MARKET NEEDS †¢ Comfort †¢ Durability †¢ Style †¢ Price †¢ Brand SITUATION ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGE COMPETITIVE SCOPES OF  ADIDAS Porter’s five forces of competition framework view the profitability of an industry as determined by the five forces of competitive pressure. It is a simple but powerful tool for understanding where power lies in a business situation. It helps a firm in understanding its current strength in the industry. It also brings into light the strengths of the competitors. With a clear understanding of where power lies, a firm can take reasonable advantage of a situation of strength, improve a situation of weakness, grab the opportunities and keep away from taking wrong steps. This makes it an important part of planning a strategy for any firm in any industry. At the same time, the tool helps in identifying whether new products, services have any future prospect and the potential to be profitable. (Scribd) Five forces analysis for Adidas: Threat of entry (Low-moderate) Threat of Substitute (LOW) Supplier Power (Low) Buyer Power (High) Rivalry (HIGH) Chapter 3 book page 60 Expectation of Suppliers Global Sourcing is a key organization of the adidas Group and its primary responsibility is the creation and implementation of sourcing strategy, supporting the diverse needs of all the brands (adidas, Reebok and Tailor-Made-adidas Golf), product divisions, categories and regions within  the Group. The Company strives to become the leading organization in the industry by establishing an adaptive supply network which excels in speed, innovation, agility and connectivity. This could not happen without the support and commitment of its product suppliers. Thus this is essential for them to share the same values and principles so as to drive the success of the supply chain as a whole. What does Adidas look for in its product suppliers? Overall Competence Regarding its product suppliers as strategic business partners, Adidas recruit them based on a number of criteria which comprise the overall competence of a supplier: 1. Vision: with a vision to become the leading organization in the industry through establishing an adaptive supply network which excels in speed, innovation, agility and connectivity, Adidas expect it suppliers to share this vision, and participate proactively in developing these core capabilities and contribute to the overall supply chain. 2. Supplier Partnerships based on Shared Values: adidas Group seeks suppliers who have close alignments with their values and demonstrate great passion for adidas Group products and brands. Adidas suppliers should strive to become leaders in the fields of performance culture, social and environmental affairs, quality, efficiency, price/value, and innovation. 3. Technical Capability: the Company seek product suppliers with advanced technical capabilities, not only limited to product innovation and quality, but also with the ability to perform business electronically and flexibly enough to upgrade their systems to adapt to future market demands. It suppliers should continuously promote communication and information visibility throughout the supply chain. 4. Leadership: adidas Group seeks suppliers who have a clear and aligned  vision for their organization. The suppliers’ leadership teams are expected to build positive working culture and lead their workforce to achieve improvement and performance targets on a continuous basis. 5. People Management: The Company looks for suppliers who commit to talent management. Suppliers should maintain a professional organization structure which includes dedicated development / merchandizing, planning, industrial engineering, quality and information technology teams, as well as committing to deliver lean operations, competitive cost structure, and cost transparency. 6. Workplace Standards and Ethics: The Company believes better working conditions yield higher quality, efficiency and flexibility to meet customer needs. Suppliers should provide their workers with competitive wages, safe and good working and living environments as well as proper incentives for higher quality and productivity (e.g. lower average working hours in general, decent accommodation and fringe benefits, etc.). 7. Financial Stability: The Company seek suppliers who are financially stable and comply with international and local statutory regulations for the interest of maintaining a viable supply chain and protecting adidas Group shareholders and consumers in the long term. Suppliers should be willing to share selective financial information with adidas Group upon request. Risk Management To minimize risks in Adidas business operations, the adidas Group and its suppliers should actively build and take action plans to manage the following types of risks: 1. Social -They adhere to their established Code of Conduct, the â€Å"Workplace Standards† of Engagement (SOEs) 2. Political – They minimize asset and cash exposure in countries which are considered to be politically unstable. 3. Regulatory – They actively review and adjust sourcing strategies annually to minimize trade restrictions exposure 4. Legal – They utilize extensive legal procedures to combat counterfeit operations in order to minimize the risk of infringement of trademarks and patent rights related to adidas Group products 5. Natural – They maintain high safety standards and have disaster recovery plans in place to deal with such circumstances Business Culture To ensure Its business operates in an efficient and effective manner, adidas Group has established a unique business culture which comprises the following: 1. Right Product at the Right Time – Suppliers are expected to deliver the right products at the right time and in the right quality. The aim is to shorten the end-to-end supply chain lead time from raw materials sourcing to the delivery of final products. 2. Quality Excellence – Quality is one of the main focuses for adidas Group. Its suppliers should ensure all products manufactured meet the defined set of standards. 3. Continuous Improvement – Product suppliers are expected to continuously embrace and drive positive changes and make necessary investments to achieve operational improvements in their organizations. 4. End-to-End Mindset – Suppliers are expected to share equal responsibilities with adidas Group in building an optimum supply network so as to achieve maximum and sustainable total profitability for all stakeholders. 5. Performance Culture – Suppliers should instill a performance culture by continuously setting and meeting aggressive yet reasonable business targets. Customer-Focused In today’s fast-moving world with ever-changing consumer needs and demands, it is crucial for adidas Group and its supply base to keep abreast with the changes and align its development and product allocation strategies closely to market trends. The Company expects its suppliers to instill this customer-focused mindset and be fully committed to the implementation of its development and product allocation strategies. Cost Efficiency As part of a global organization, Adidas focus on the best interest of the entire supply network. It achieves this by driving Performance Culture, Quality, Reliability and Innovation which will enable its suppliers to offer leading price and value. Adidas suppliers are expected to collaborate on improvement programs that continuously increase efficiency and reduce cost. This means that suppliers should utilize productivity and efficiency gains to offset increasing cost drivers and minimize impact on customer prices (Adidas Group) References: http://theshoegame.com/Adidas-History.html http://www.insideview.com/directory/adidas-america-inc http://www.nimvo.com/adidas-head-quarters-in-germany/ http://www.scribd.com/doc/8760709/Adidas http://www.adidas-group.com/supplierrecruitment/expectationonsuppliers.aspx?loc=en

Bakhsh letter

As an international pilot with 11 years experience, I would make a great addition to your flight staff. I am trained and certified to fly by both the Unites States’ Federal Aviation administration and the Saudi Arabian General Authority of Civil Aviation, having studied on planes in both of the countries. Because I am fluent in both English and Arabic, I am a great asset to any company with flights into Northern Africa.From my enclosed resume, you will note that I have a strong record of accomplishment during my time as a pilot. I began as first officer on a Boeing 737 and move up to my final position as first officer on a Boeing 777 before being made captain of a McDonnell-Douglas 90. Since then, I have been again promoted and currently serve as Captain of an Embracer E170.In addition to my flight experience, I have had international pilot training courses with Boeing, in Seattle, WA, USA, and Embracer in Zurich, Switzerland. I am a responsible Captain, taking the utmost care to assure that my aircraft is well-cared for and my passengers arrive safely at their destination. Thank you for taking the time to review my resume and credential. I look forward to the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how I may be an asset to your company. Sincerely, Ca. Hani Atef Bakhsh

Cell Membrane Electron Transport Chain Biochemical

Cell Membrane/ Electron Transport Chain / Biochemical Pathway Essay, Research Paper 1. The cell membrane construction is critical to the life of the cell. The cell membrane is shaped as holding a phosphate caput at the really outer surface, and two fatty acid dress suits hanging from it. The membrane is dual, so at the tip of the fatty acid dress suits, there are two more fatty acid dress suits attached to another phosphate caput. This is what it looks like: The ground the cell membrane is shaped like this is chiefly to command the H2O flow in and out of the cell. Water is really of import to the cell: if excessively much H2O enters the cell, the cell will detonate, and if excessively much H2O leaves the cell, the cell will shrink up and decease. This is how the cell membrane controls H2O flow: the phosphate caputs are polar, and somewhat attract H2O. However, the fatty acid dress suits in between are non polar, and repel H2O, so the fatty acid dress suits prevent excessively much H2O from come ining or go forthing the cell. With this tough membrane, there has to be a manner for things to come in the cell. This is where the channel proteins come in. They act as gateways to the cell. There are many ways to come in the cell. Some ways require energy, while others don? T. The ways that require energy are put into a class called active conveyance, while the ways that don? T require energy are put into a class called inactive conveyance. An illustration of active conveyance is the proton pump. The proton pump is an built-in portion of chemiosmosis, and it pumps protons from an country of low concentration to an country of high concentration. This requires energy since things like to travel from an country of high concentration to an country of low concentration. An illustration of inactive conveyance is facilitated diffusion. This is r eally easy since the atom is traveling from an country of high concentration to an country of low concentration and through a channel protein made precisely for its size and s hape. 2. These membranes are really of import to the negatron conveyance concatenation. This is because they house the membrane proteins that make up the negatron conveyance concatenation. The two negatron conveyance ironss are similar in that they both make Adenosine triphosphate by chemiosmosis, and they are different in the fact that they pump protons in different waies: the negatron conveyance concatenation in the thylakoid bed pumps protons in the cell ( from an country of low concentration to an country of high concentration ) so the protons are forced out through the ATP synthetase channel. The negatron conveyance concatenation in the chondriosome membrane pumps protons out of the cell ( from an are of low concentration to an country of high concentration ) and so they are forced into the cell through the ATP synthetase channels. 3. Biochemical pathways play a really of import function in our organic structure. A biochemical tract is fundamentally a group of enzymes that all work on a substrate to turn it into the terminal merchandise. This is how it works: the reactant binds with the first enzyme to go reactant # 2, so reactant 2 binds with enzyme 2 to go reactant 3, and reactant 3 binds with enzyme 3 to go reactant 4, and so on. This goes on until the last reactant binds with the last enzyme organizing the terminal merchandise. When the cell has sufficiency of the terminal merchandise, the manner it shuts the biochemical tract is really interesting. The allosteric site of enzyme # 1 is shaped like the terminal merchandise, and when there is a high concentration of the terminal merchandise, it binds with the allosteric site of enzyme # 1, altering the form of the active site of enzyme # 1. Therefore, reactant # 1 can no longer adhere with enzyme # 1, efficaciously closing down the full procedure. When the ce ll needs more end-product, it removes the end-product from the allosteric site of enzyme # 1, and reactant # 1 can adhere with enzyme # 1 to organize reactant # 2, and so on. Thus, the biochemical tract is back in concern.

Experience of the group assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Experience of the group - Assignment Example No other occurrence can be as overwhelming to a given group’s efficiency and operation as conflict. At the same time, conflict can also be of benefit in assisting group members face reality and establish new answers to serious challenges (Hjertà ¸, 2006, p.7). Conflict within groups may be considered as inevitable in high achieving firms. Several studies have brought an invaluable insight into the extent of the relationships between conflict and group operations. Since the 1950s, there have been three decades of major contributions in the study of group conflicts. In the early ‘90s, studies on various perspectives of intragroup conflicts and their links with group performance increased. The causality between the two conflict dimensions, which are cognitive and emotional, and group performance, has attracted a lot of inquiries. This has constantly accelerated to a significant amount of researches from then on (Hjertà ¸, 2006, p.7). For a long time, the general impression has been that the link between E/R dynamics of group conflicts and group performance is positive is negative, while the causality between C/T dimensions of conflict and group performance is positive. Later, researchers, however, showed that most of the scientific researches carried out in the last decade, in fact, showed that also the C/T dimensions of group conflict are not positively, but negatively correlated to group performance and efficiency. One of the major weaknesses of previous group conflict studies is that they always put much emphasis on the supposition that all members of a given group view the same amount of conflict, overlooking the assumption that group members possess differing perceptions concerning the extent of conflict existing within a given group(Hjertà ¸, 2006, p.7). Most of the studies conducted on group conflict focus on shared team properties, or the common experiences and perceptions that the team members share. Thus, they often ignore the presence of

Cryptosporidium Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cryptosporidium - Essay Example The division of the organism occurs rapidly with 12-14 hours being the time taken for one generation. This rapid division results in large accumulation of the organism within the intestinal tract of the hosts beginning with the ileum and followed by infection of the duodenum and the large intestine. In case of individuals with a suppressed immune system the organism can also colonize in the stomach, biliary and pancreatic ducts and respiratory tracts. The major clinical signs of cryptosporidiosis are watery diarrhea, loss of weight and cramping of the abdominal region, nausea, vomiting, anorexia and headache. Individual can also have a low-grade fever during the infection stage. In addition, immunocompressed individuals can also suffer from electrolyte imbalance. The time taken for the oocytes to be shed in the feces is about 4 days and they can be shed in the feces for 6-12 days in case of healthy individuals and for a longer period in immunicompressed people (Aquatic pathogens). In the case of healthy individuals, the organism will generally disappear within a month of infection. In case there is severe diarrhea and dehydration anti-diarrheal drugs and rehydration therapy is given to patients. The treatment regimen for immunocompressed individuals could be more elaborate especially when the infection becomes chronic resulting in chronic diarrhea, dehydration, wasting and even death (Aquatic pathogens). As the diease is principally a water-borne disease, the parasite can exist in untreated water which is contaminated with the feces or other sources containing the organism. Proper water treatment methods undertaken by municipal and public water carriers can help to disinfect the water and kill the organism. As the organism is resistant to chlorine treatment, the watersheds can be protected through hygienic maintenance and proper coagulation and filtration methods. Use of ozone or UV radiations for water treatment can also provide additional

Final Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final - Case Study Example The three main functions of this system are closely interrelated as seen from recent designs of commercial buildings (David 12). The system provides ventilation, maintains pressure between occupied spaces and reduces air permeation. The process through which air moves to and fro the spaces is known as room air distribution (David 14). It is quite prevalent that modern building designs integrate the installation and control systems into heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems. In commercial buildings, engineers analyze the design of the building, and they specify heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to be used in the premises. As for small buildings, the system can be purchased and installed. This is because code-conformity inspections and building permits regarding the system installation are mandatory for all building sizes. Therefore, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry has become a global enterprise (David 5). Some of the basic roles of the industry include system construction and design, maintenance, operation, manufacture of the equipment and sales. Also, the industry is used as a research and educational centre. In this system, heating is easily achieved through heating equipments or via radiation. Ventilation is also beneficial in this system. This is because ventilation sustains adequate mixture of breathable gases, hence; eradicating odor and contaminants from the occupied space (David 20). This ensures that the occupants of the space are productive and healthy. In this case, ventilation can be achieved through mechanical distribution systems which are powered by fans and natural ventilation. Lastly, air conditioning is enhanced through heat removal. This is normally achieved through radiation and convection which is achieved through the heat pump systems (David 29). As analyzed above, the

Learning Points Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Learning Points - Assignment Example This collectively places the medical practitioner in the best position to note the possible kinds of infections, there causes, and how best to handle it or them. The main purpose for a diagnosis- according to Neal-Boylan (2011) the primary intention for effective diagnosis and treatment of any illness inclusive of the cardio-infections is to decrease the risk factors, which play a part in the progression of the cardiovascular disease as well as heart failure. For this case, the diagnosis is important because it helps the medical professionals and the patients reduce the fear for the reoccurrence of angina, control of diabetes, reduction of blood pressure, and engagement in physical activities among them weight loss. Need for conservation treatment- as per the document by Deming & Riddick-Grisham (2011), conservation treatment is one among the best strategies of disease infection. It includes undertaking all the precautionary medical measures on the verge to ensure a comprehensive treatment of an infection, for this case, angina. Some of the pivotal schemes of conservation treatment for this case include checking of blood sugar four times a day, taking all the medications as prescribed by specialists, and seeking for immediate medical attention in case any reactions occur. Other additional conservation treatment for this case are keeping records of blood sugar, body weight, and blood pressure and presenting them to the concerned practitioners in the consecutive visits of the medical facility. With reference to Bailey & Trybulski (2012), there are a number of prominent features of patient education for clinical case including what they need to avoid and what they ought to embrace in attempts to speed up the healing or treatment process. Some of the main features of patient education for this case include: Embrace the appropriate eating habits, that is as per the

Resource Based Analysis of Marks & Spencer Plc Essay

Resource Based Analysis of Marks & Spencer Plc - Essay Example The present research has identified that clothing stores of Marks & Spencer are the leading retailers in the UK market and specialize in providing women’s wears, lingerie, and menswear. Their food stores are also leading in the UK market due providing fresh foods which are of high quality. The marketing and distribution of their products into the various markets and stores is done by utilizing the service of huge wholesalers, online stores and through a telephone. The company’s stocks are registered in the London stocks exchange. This paper will first assess the importance of capabilities and how they contribute to the competitive advantage of the organization. Then, analyze Marks & Spencer plc resources and capabilities using ratio analysis, value chain and VRIN. Resource-based view (RBV) is a business model which holds that business can attain a massive competitive advantage over the rival businesses by utilizing their resources and capabilities properly in alignment with the environment of the business. This implies that the business should possess resources and capabilities which are superior to those of their rivals in order to attain the competitive advantage over them. This will prevent the rival businesses from replicating the resources and capabilities of the company thus declining their competitive advantage. Capabilities are used in resource-based view to indicate the ability of a firm to apply its resources effectively and efficiently with the sole aim of gaining the competitive advantage over the market. Strategies of a company are formulated to address the future productivity of the company. Strategies of a company are formulated to address the future productivity of the company. Strategies are formulated to address any occurrences and incidences in the market and how to respond to changes in the market due to pressures or influences which appear from time to time in the market. The first strategy utilized by M&S was the brand name.

Evaluation of a Business Code of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluation of a Business Code of Ethics - Essay Example 17). FedEx moves more than 25million packages per day and they deliver approximately 6.5 billion packages each year (Shactman, 2012). The mission statement for FedEx is: FedEx Corporation will produce superior financial returns for its shareowners by providing high value-added logistics, transportation and related information services through focused operating companies. Customer requirements will be met in the highest quality manner appropriate to each market segment served. FedEx Corporation will strive to develop mutually rewarding relationships with its employees, partners and suppliers. Safety will be the first consideration in all operations. Corporate activities will be conducted to the highest ethical and professional standards (Farfan, 2012). Section 2: Analysis The type of ethical system that FedEx uses is a rights-based system. In their Code of Ethics (the Code), they emphasize the rights of the people, whether they are employees or customers. As an example, the Code is wr itten in regular language so that everyone can understand what is said. The Code also has typical questions and answers after each section so that anyone reading the Code can apply what the code says to specific situations. FedEx emphasizes that â€Å"Lawful and ethical behavior is critical to our continued success and is required†(FedEx, 2012, â€Å"Code† p.5) . The company also states that although the entire Code is important, there are some parts that will effect employees and contractors, while other parts of the Code may be more relevant to management. They have created a Code that is important for everyone to read, understand, and ask questions if they do not understand something. How the Code is Used and its Results The major aspects of the Code state that anyone who sees anything that is against the Code should report these instances. This seems to create challenges because some people may something they think is a violation and this may not be the case. Manag ement. Management is responsible for their own adherence to the Code, but they also are responsible to make sure that their employees are also adhering to the code. Managers are to be the example to all employees of both ethical and lawful behavior. The company believes that â€Å"Proper business conduct encourages loyalty from our team members† (FedEx, â€Å"Code†, p. 5). They expect managers to have a high level of positive conduct in every situation. Managers are expected to respect the company and its employees and to read and understand the Code on many levels. They are to take charge of their departments and take seriously any reports by their employees about Code violations. They are also supposed to make sure they take appropriate action when there are violations. Managers are also supposed to monitor the employees to anticipate any problems that may occur. As an example, they are to â€Å"anticipate, prevent, and detect† (FedEx, â€Å"Code†, p. 6 ) any violations within their departments. Employees. FedEx has in place a way for employees to complain if they see a violation of the Code. As an example, if an individual feels they have not been promoted because the manager is making a biased judgment instead of one made on merit, they can follow the protocol to have this assessed. Anything that happens in the workplace that they feel is against the Cod

Negative Effects of Electric Card and Gas Cars Essay

Negative Effects of Electric Card and Gas Cars - Essay Example Ozone O3 causes global warming, breathing difficulties, chest pains, lung tissue damage, and coughing. Particulate Matter may cause asthma, coughs, lung damage, heart attacks, cancer, and premature death in extreme cases. Unburned hydrogen carbon may cause cancer and while reacted with nitrogen oxides it causes the ozone. Nitrogen oxide causes lung irritation and lung damage. Subject to these effects, it is quite clear that both electric and gas cars have adverse effects on the environment and our health (Natural Gas 1). However, quantifying which type of car harbors the most significant effects is a tall order. Nevertheless, the source of electricity in an electric car clearly defines the amount of pollution created by an electric car. Hence, the source of electricity and location of deployment determines the level of pollution between the electric and gas cars. Where the source of electricity is clean, little pollution comes to place while an unclean source leads to more pollution from a gas vehicle. Hydroelectric power is a clean source of electric power while coal or oil is unclean sources of electricity (Wilkins 1). However, major sources of electricity are neither clean nor unclean thus the challenge of gauging the level of pollution. At the same time, both cars have merits that may outweigh the pollution they cause. Nevertheless, all factors considered, electric vehicles have a great potential to pollute much less than internal combustion engine vehicles. However, when the application of electric cars is in totality, they pose a great risk to pollution than gasoline vehicles. As such, there have been many studies to ascertain the actual position of pollution while comparing the electric and gasoline vehicles. This paper will seek to establish the most efficient car by comparing their negative affects to the environment and health of persons. In achieving this, the paper will address various aspects relating to both cars. In conclusion, the paper will com pare the two cars with a hybrid car and deduce which is better. Fuel consumption price  of the cars One of the factors that will help us to analyze the negative effects of electric and gas car is their fuel consumption and by extension their fuel consumption cost. In the year 2011, about one third of the total petroleum imports went to the transport industry (U.S. Department of Energy 1). It is factual that gasoline cars consume more petrol or diesel than the electric cars (United States Environmental Protection Agency 1). At the same time, in the US the cost of electricity varies in wide dimension to the cost of gasoline. As such, the cost of fuel consumption varies from the gas to the electric car. This cost also varies from one state to another where charges 8 cents per kilowatt-hour while Hawaii charges 36 cents per kilowatt-hour. The electric car's energy consumption rate is in kWh per 100 miles (kWh/100m) where one needs to multiply the recorded figure by the relevant electr ic rate to get the cost per 100 miles. Various utility companies set the cost of electricity depending on the time of use and level of use. Indeed, the consumption cost of either a gas or electric car will equally depend on the make of the car. Overall, there is an approximate 30% fuel

The rest of the play Essay Example for Free

The rest of the play Essay The opening scene of A View from the Bridge contains a lot of clues and preparations for what is to come in the rest of the play. By just reading the title, the reader can tell a lot about what events will occur. The opening stage directions suggest the theme of the play before any characters are introduced, which is very significant. The first few lines of each persons speech hints at the type of character that each person is going to be, and many clues are given away to what is going to happen and why. The set can also give the audience some contextual information- by showing what time period it was in. This hints to what the story may lead to because of the particular things going on at this time in America, and also the idea of the American Dream. The title of the play is very significant. As the first thing you read, you can use it to predict/ sum up what will happen in the play. Obviously, you cannot tell from the title exactly what the plot will be, and what type of characters involved, however you do get an idea of the type of play that it is. The title A View from the Bridge can be interpreted as the idea of somebody watching down on a series of events. As the play is set in America, it is likely that the Bridge is Brooklyn Bridge, so you could see this as Alfieri watching Eddies household from Brooklyn Bridge. This is associated with the theme of Greek Tragedy, in that it gives the idea of someone watching down on what is happening. This shows a definite sense of inevitability and fate- showing that someone can see what is going to happen, but it cannot be avoided because it was meant to happen, suggesting that the characters are isolated and fate will run its course, and those watching from the bridge cannot intercept. Therefore just by looking at the title of the play, you know that it is going to be tragic- usually associated with a death. Another interpretation of the title is that Alfieri is the bridge, in that he is the bridge character between the audience and Eddie and his family, because his character enforces the Greek Tragedy theme, and the general theme of inevitability. His character represents the reality, as he shows the audience what the play is about and prepares them for what is to come. This interpretation also gives a sense of isolation of Eddie, as Alfieri connects to the audience-, which could also show that not only Alfieri, but the whole audience is seeing the View from the Bridge. The opening stage directions are important because this is the first time that the audience will see the set, and will begin to make assumptions or predictions about what is going to happen. They are very long and specific- again showing that everything is in its place, and fate will run its course. The first indication of death in these stage directions is in the second sentence: The front is skeletal entirely- this is very early in the play, straightaway suggesting that the tragedy will be happening soon.

Defining the Concept of Voice Through an Assessment of Shakespeares “Twelfth Night” Essay Example for Free

Defining the Concept of Voice Through an Assessment of Shakespeares â€Å"Twelfth Night† Essay Defining the Concept of Voice Through an Assessment of Shakespeares â€Å"Twelfth Night† Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Literary voice is a multifaceted subject that involves both linguistic and stylistic aspects. The readers and editors often significantly demand the involvement of originality and creativity. The level of creativity is required in the development of lasting and satisfactory understanding of the development of the voice. According to Hunter College Reading/Writing Center common characteristics of ‘voice’ is â€Å"Distinct from the terms persona, narrator and tone, voice is associated with the underlying vision of a writer, her general attitude toward the world. † This paper is a fervently articulates the definition of voice through the linguistic choices of Shakespeare’s in his famous play Twelfth Night in evident through his passion for drama and poetry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The voice when applied in rhetoric it demonstrates the clarity of the visions and thoughts of the writer. Voice is specific to every individual more artistically conveyed in the works of writers. The uniqueness of every piece of writing as a piece of artistic work is subject to the distinct figurative role or a unique commentary of the creator â€Å"writer†. Plays are composed of literal and allegorically unique to develop individuality for the play that is meaningful and captivate. Voice is defined as the distinctive tone or style identifiable of literary work or author.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Twelfth Night demonstrates a tonal play written out to sound like a poem, where there is rhythmic balance in the pronunciation of the lines. Most importantly, the content reflects a unique commentary that speaks beyond what is given in the play. Any individual who is accustomed to the work of William Shakespeare would be able rapidly to detect that Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s works through his techniques of writing. Shakespeare uses a unique combination of writing techniques such as twisted iambic pentameter and soliloquies. At the start of Twelfth Night, Orsino, a Duke, demands if music creates love, then â€Å"Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting† (1.1.2). If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That strain again! it had a dying fall: O, it came oer my ear like the sweet sound, That breathes upon a bank of violets, Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more: By using iambic pentameter, Shakespeare defines Orsinos character to be different from those of different social class. Here, Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter in a distinct way by switching the tones around to create a different tonal pattern. Instead of the regular iambus of one stressed and one unstressed beat (ba-BUM) for ten syllables straight, he makes a modification to some syllables in order to emphasize certain words.SIR TOBY BELCH Approach, Sir Andrew: not to be abed aftermidnight is to be up betimes; and diluculosurgere, thou knowst, In act 2 scene 3, The syntax and the preceding semicolon on the first line direct the stress on give at the beginning, but the resulting pattern is choppy and almost dactylic in its meter. He often uses this technique on characters tha t had a higher social status in his plays. On the contrary, those characters of a lower status were deemed not to have the leisure to experiment with literature speaking in regular prose or verse. For example, Malvolio, a butler, attempts prose in the beginning but changes to speak in verse like, â€Å"Daylight and champain discovers not more: this is open. I will be proud I will read politic authors,† (2.5.155-157). Iambic pentameter shows control and yet the emphasis here is on the instability and the intensity of class difference. Thus, Shakespeare’s manipulation of regular iambic pentameter to create differential approach to the field of play each character has. This inherently configures a reflection of his unique voice, and this leads readers to think that, in literature, voice is distinct and unique to develop a persona.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another literary device that commonly found in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is soliloquy, which involves a character speaking his or her thoughts aloud. The ideas conveyed by the actor are a way providing information from Shakespeare own point view on certain situations. In 2.2 of Twelfth Night, Viola, disguised as Cesario, conveys her realization of the mistakes she caused due to her disguise: Disguise, I see, thou art a wickedness, Wherein the pregnant enemy does much. How easy is it for the proper-false In womens waxen hearts to set their forms!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alas, our fraility is the cause, not we, For such as we are made of, such we be. How will this fadge? My master loves her dearly,And I, poor monster, fond as much on him,And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me.What will become of this? As I am man,My state is desperate for my master’s love.As I am woman, now, alas the day,What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe! (2.2.26–38)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This soliloquy serves a purpose of developing context outside of the literal play. In real life, people don’t typically speak their thoughts aloud when alone. Shakespeare’s use of soliloquy is a active interpretation of what the audience does not yet understood. Thus, the conscious choice to use a soliloquy is representative of Shakespeare’s voice because, it develops Shakespeare’s style of presenting mental or non-visible information to become visible to the audience. Soliloquy adequately conveys the strength of Shakespeare to back audience into the scene of play through understanding of the event. Secondly, it develops in a way where Cesario is aware of the whole plot and takes on a role in knowledge as an audience. Furthermore, this foreshadows of how there will be a conclusion to untie this lie, and chaos Viola has created through her disguise. These complex ideas are voices for Shakespeare’s readers to notice through his voice beyond the literal sound of the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A complex idea beyond the authentic voice of the play also develops the style that is distinct to Shakespeare. In the same scene, Shakespeare also personifies the concept of a â€Å"disguise† to render a style of narration. Shakespeare uses apostrophe, and aside or address inanimate objects as though they are alive. For example Cesario concludes that â€Å"Time,† which she addresses as a character, must unravel this madness, as she cannot undo Olivias confusion, â€Å"O, Time, thou must unravel this, not I† (2.2.39). In this soliloquy, Caesario highlights the weakness of women, the subjectivity of love and the conflicts presented by appearance versus reality. The use of monologue, apostrophe and iambic pentameter in combination create Shakespeare’s voice. It sets his writing apart from other writers who present a similar plot. For example, Ewon Leslie’s She’s the Man incorporates scenarios from Twe lfth Night but is written in an entire different voice and style. Both presenting a story plot of a woman in disguise of men creating a chaotic love web, She’s the Man, is different as the literal voice was of modern English. Which does not use poetry, soliloquy, nor personification. Through examining Shakespeare’s use of personification and soliloquy, audiences can see that idea of voice is unique on its own and cannot be imitated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, it is not only a unique concept to developing a figurative voice for Shakespeare, but also a voice in writing. â€Å"It is one of the last of the Elizabethan comediesreflecting the anxieties and uncertainties of its historical moment,† and â€Å"first seventeenth century comedy, and is in many ways a beginning -of-century play, inaugurating a new poetics: some commentators have been it as the first of the ‘ dark comedies’† (Elam 2). This explained through his scene, which prepares us for dramatic irony when Maria, Sir Andrew, and Sir Toby write the letter to Malvolio, under the pretence of Olivia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maria   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I will drop in his way some obscure epistles of love; wherein, by the colour of his beard, the shape of his leg, the manner of his gait, the expressure of his eye, forehead, and complexion, he shall find himself most feelingly personated. I can write very like my lady your niece: on a forgotten matter we can hardly make distinction of our hands. As we, the audiences are aware of the deception, because Malvolio himself is not aware of it when he finds and reads the letter during Act 2, Scene 5. Presuming the letter is for him, and from Olivia, he proceeds to embarrass himself. This structure of the voice develops as Shakespeare style in dramatic irony where the audience becomes important to the play. Voice here holds a distinct figurative role to incorporate audience into understanding voice of Shakespeare. A further technique that is commonly used by Shakespeare and is, therefore, representative of his voice concerns the way in which he in corporates the audience into play. According to Keir Elam, Twelfth Night, â€Å"pleasures and trials of spectatorship† (Elam 3). By having spectatorship and asking audience for appraisal, establishes the use of dramatic irony. Audience is present and indulging in the same space as the characters through the lines: Sir An. Here comes the fool, i faith. Look, here comes a fool. Fes. How now, my hearts! Did you never see the picture of ‘We Three’? Hello, my friends! What a pretty picture, three fools all together. Sir To. Welcome, ass. Now let’s have a catch. (2.3.12-17) Taking this even further, Shakespeare typically uses a fool to breaks the fourth wall. The fool is present in this piece as he is in many of Shakespeare’s plays; for example, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream invites the audience to be with them. This analysis of the way Shakespeare uses tone, mood, style and figurative techniques through the fool to demonstrate his thinking and logic provides further insights reflecting his personality and ability to manipulate what is perceived. However, in She’s the Man, a movie that â€Å"relate only to the plot of the work, the poetry and character being all his own† (Hudson 8), the fool is the audience (not a character). The story presented in She’s the Man has every potential to be another copy of Twelfth Night because it shares a similar plot. Referencing stories outside set Twelfth Night apart from She’s the Man, such as that Twelfth Night’s â€Å"setting of the play, Illyria , as an exotic and unfamiliar location associated with literary romance, lyricism, and illusion,† (Entland, 149). However, the way it is written, its voice, sets it aside from Twelfth Night, which was very much a play written for characters to perform.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This leads the audience to form the conclusion that voice is something that is expressed and received by the initiator and a receptor. As such, it was important for Shakespeare to develop a style that was unique to him as, through his writing, he expressed himself: his voice was an extension of his thoughts, feelings and emotions. Through using a combination of technique and language, Shakespeare’s voice conveys his opinions, likes, and interests to set up the mood.In fact, the place cannot be found because it is a myth. Thus, voice become unique in bringing the reader to notice outside information that interests the author. Another interesting concept that is presented through the voice of Twelfth Night is the social classicism turn around and move to talking about Shakespeare’s voice of who he is.. In Twelfth Night, the characters fail to adhere to social expectations: â€Å" how community diagnoses madness when a person f ails to perform his known identity member of a particular class as well†(Schiffer 234). Rise of people who will form the bourgeoisie class matter due to crumbling of aristocrats.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The play contains a trick on a set of individuals who think they are exercising power and control. Malvolio, a mere butler, perceives himself to be superior to Toby, an alcoholic aristocrat and Maria, a servant. Toby, though an aristocrat, does not exhibit much power initially, but in the end does have most of the power. Toby and Maria’s letters ultimately drive Malvolio out of control. This demonstrates the modernist revolution in the arts during the late Renaissance in the service of the avant-garde. And possibly reflect Shakespeare’s stance in studies was open to movements such as structuralism and feminism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to the literal elements of Shakespeare’s voice that are described in the lines of Act 2 Scene 2, there are also figurative aspects that set his work apart from that of other playwrights and authors. According to Christine Ashby, a language researcher, the production of voice and its use as a tool are separate from the thinking of the individual. Figurative voice represents the voice of the person expressed through their idea, concept or logic. Twelfth Night is a play about the â€Å"dramatization of currently fashionable issues such as gender and sexuality† (Elam 2). This adheres to the famous recurring plot that is typical of Shakespeare’s plays as expressed through the idea of a love triangle, star-crossed lovers, where women is deemed to be powerless when it comes to love. For example, Act 2 Scene 2, Viola expresses how women are subjects to love for men. This derives from a larger social commentary outs ide of the play. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through assessing the work of Shakespeare, voice can be both literal and figurative. It reflects the author’s thoughts, desires and provides insights into what the author would like the audience to think, or how he or she would like them to receive the play. Shakespeare’s voice is reflected in his unique style and techniques. The aspects of his work that sets him apart from others work in combination to give his work his voice. Examining Shakespeare’s work has refined definition of voice as an accurate literal sound of the writer, distinct figurative role, a unique commentary. References Ashby, Christine. Whose Voice Is It Anyway?: Giving Voice and Qualitative Research Involving Individuals That Type to Communicate. Disability Studies Quarterly. Syracuse University, 2011. Web. 06 Dec. 2014. http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/1723/1771. Glossary of Literary Terms. HUNTER COLLEGE READING/WRITING CENTER WRITING FOR ENGLISH COURSES. Ed. Anna C. Rockowitz. Hunter College Reading/Writing Center, 1998. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. http%3A%2F%2Frwc.hunter.cuny.edu%2Freading-writing%2Fon-line%2Flit-terms.html. Hudson, Henry N., Rev. Shakespeares Twelfth Night; Or, What You Will. Boston: Ginn, 1895. Print. Schiffer, James. Twelfth Night: New Critical Essays. Abingdon, OX: Routledge, 2011. Print. Shakespeare, William, and Elizabeth Story Donno. Twelfth Night, Or, What You Will. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1985. Print. Shakespeare, William, and Keir Elam. Twelfth Night, Or, What You Will. London: Arden Shakespeare, 2008. Print. Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night; Or, What You Will. New Haven: Yale UP, 1954. Print. Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare. London: J. M. Dent, 1935. Print. The New Temple Shakespeare. Shes the Man. Dir. Andy Fickman. Prod. Lauren Shuler-Donner and Ewan Leslie. By Ewan Leslie. Perf. Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, and Laura Ramsey. DreamWorks Distribution LLC, 2006. Voice. Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2014. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voice. Source document

Development of a Human Computer Interface

Development of a Human Computer Interface Abstract HCI(human computer interaction) has become one of the important aspect in human life. Signals generated from human body are biosignals and has huge potential to be used as an interface for human computer devices. Multiple devices are present that recognizes these boiosignals which is generated during muscle contraction and converting those signals into some command to be used as an input to the HCI devices. However, the task can be acquired through biosignals which forms a neural linkage with the computer techniques like Electro-Encephalogram(EEG), Electrooculogram(EOG), and Electromyogram(EMG). In past, there have been lots of studies wherein many researchers have used biosignals to control other device. EMG is hence, one of the least explored mechanism form of biosignal to be deployed in HCI and its studies are useful for neuromuscular system as certain diseases may slow down muscle contraction and muscle firing leading to paralysis of muscle. Keywords: EMG, HCI, biosignals, skeletal muscles, neural linkage. 1 Introduction HCI is the one of the research area that emerged in early 1980s, which has expanded rapidly it was previously known as a man- machine interaction. HCI focuses on the interface between user and the computer and deals with the design, execution and assessment of computer system and other related receptive that are for human use. Designing interactive computer systems to be effective, efficient, easy and enjoyable to use is important, so that people and society may realize the benefits of computation based devices [1]. The researchers observes the way human interacts with the computer system and design new technologies and interface that lets human and computers to interaction novel ways [2]. Some of the example of popular HCI techniques are image processing, speech recognition, bio signal processing etc. HCIs goal is to minimize the differences between the humans goal of what they want to achieve and the understanding level of computer to perform the task. It relates knowledge from bot h the human and machine side. Due to its multidisciplinary nature, people with different study areas contribute to its success. Figure 1 shows the areas where HCI can be implemented with distinctive importance. Fig.1. Disciplines contribute to HCI [3] EMG is an electro medical procedure for estimating and recording the electrical signals produced by skeletal muscle. EMG is performed using electromyography, to produce an electrical record or signal called electromyogram [4]. An electromyography detects the electric potential generated by skeletal muscle cells when these cells are activated electrically or neurologically. The EMG technology helps capture gestures as inputs for virtual joysticks, keyboards leading to new application in mobile computing etc [5]. This signal can also be analyzed to detect medical abnormalities, activation level, or biomechanics of human movement. The motor neurons of a human body transmit electrical signals that causes muscle to contract and an EMG translate this signals to graphs, sound or numerical values that can be interpreted by analyst. EMGs signal can be easily acquired using electrodes and it is of two types, dry electrode that is direct contact with the skin that records muscles activity from the surface above the muscle on the skin and require more than one electrode, because EMG recording displays the electric potential difference between two separate electrodes, second is gel or inserted EMG which can be performed using a electrolytic gel as a chemical interface between the skin and electrolyte [6]. A needle electrode and fine wire electrode is the example of inserted electrode. Needle electrode is used in clinical areas and the tip of the electrode is bare and used for the surface detection. Fine wire electrode they are easily implanted in and withdrawn from the skeletal muscles, and is less painful then needle electrode. Thus EMG has a variety of clinical and biomedical applications where it is used to diagnose neuromuscular disease and many other disorders of motor control. 2EMG Used for HCI Studies are being carried out for the use of EMG signals inorder to identify disabilities as a significant number of individuals are suffering from severe motor disabilities, due to variety of causes, such as Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Amythorphic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and so on [7]. Therefore, EMG signal are not only used for identifying neuromuscular disorder but can also be as a control signals for prosthetic devices [8]. It is the least explored compared to others biosignals like EEG, EOG etc. EMGs are natural means of HCI because the electrical signals induced by human muscle movement during its contraction represents nueromuscular movement that can be interpreted and transformed into computers control command. EMG signals can be used for a number of applications including clinical applications, HCI and interactive computer gaming. Basically EMG can be used to sense isometric muscular activity which does not transalate into movement thus making it possible to classify subtle mo tionless gestures and to control interfaces without being noticed and without disrupting the surrounding environment [9]. The EMG signal have different signatures i.e, two peoples gesture might be identical but their characteristics EMG signals are different interms of their age, muscle development skin fat layer and gesture style. One of the problem of EMG is its signal contains a different type of noise that are caused by equipment noise, electromagnetic radiation etc and hence preprossing is needed to filter out the unwanted noise in EMG signal. 3Related works Researchers have worked on regarding how EMG signal is used to command some other devices like prosthetic arm, robots or enabling people with certain disabilities. These are shown in following paper. In 1996 Yasuharu Koike et.al, [10] developed a human interface employing a model of an arm, robot control of an artificial hand, and the learning of motion capability. The aim of this paper was to construct a complete forward dynamics model of the human arm by using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The model has the ability to learn physiological recordings of EMG signals for simultaneous measurement of movement. In 2000 Alsayegh et.al, [11] proposed an EMG based signal where EMG signal is limited to three arm muscles (medial Deltoid) MD, (anterior deltoid) AB, (biceps brachii) BB that was able to recognize 12 arm gestures. The processing of EMG signal is based on arm gestures having unique temporal coordination. The classification technique used is context dependent classification within the framework of Bayes theorem. Not only the unique arm gesture by using EMG signal was developed there were various researchers working in the field of EMG for the people suffering with motor disabilities like hand paralysis, leg paralysis etc. In 2004 Jong sung kim et.al, [12] proposed a natural means of human computer interaction induced by human arms muscle movement and the generated EMG signal to be used as computer commands control. The paper developed an online EMG MOUSE system that controls movement of the cursor, which are interpretation of 6 pre-defined motions, up, down, left, right, click and rest. A Fuzzy Min Max Neural Network (FMMNN) is used as a classifier. In 2005 Inhyuk Moon et.al, [13] proposed a novel wearable EMG based HCI for the wheelchair user with severe motor disabilities caused by C4 and C5 spinal cord injury. The EMG signal is acquired by left, right and both shoulder elevation motion. EMG wearable device directly generates MAV (Mean Average Value) signal from raw EMG. The MAV signal is converted to digital data using AD converter embedded in a high speed microcontroller. The recognized result is sent to the wheelchair controller via Bluetooth communication module. The following year one more paper regarding people suffering from motor disabilities was presented. In 2006 Ki-Hong Kim et.al, [14] developed an interface that relies on EMG signal acquired from human face during contraction of muscle. Electrodes are placed around forehead, cheeks and eyes. The subject was made to perform some actions like blinking of eyes, clenching of teeth, wrinkling of forehead and frowning. The signal is acquired and analyzed using LPC (Linear Prediction Coefficient) and LPC entropy were calculated to find the characteristics information contained in the measured signal. For pattern recognition Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is used. Same year some were working on hand gesture recognition. In 2006 Ganesh R Naik ei.al, [15] proposed an approach to identify hand gestures using muscle activity separated from electromyogram using ICA (Independent Component Analysis). The aim of the experiment in this paper was to test the use of ICA for separation of the EMG signals for the purpose of identifying hand gestures and actions. After the recognition of hand gestures and enabling motor disabilities, in 2008 JonghwaKim et.al, [16] proposed modification of a RC car that is controlled by users hand signs, instead of using remote control unit. The interfacing system first calculates relevant features in the EMG signal of four hand signs, classifies the hand signs into the four classes, and assigns the result to certain steering commands for the RC car. For feature extraction RMS was used calculated by observing last 16 incoming values. For classification KNN and Bayes theorem was combined using decision tree and purpose a control the car via PC. Similarly in 2009 Jun-Ru Ren et.al, [17] studied an Electromyogram Based on HCI. This paper showed a control system using forearm electromyography that is proposed for computer peripheral control and artificial prosthesis control. The system intends to realize the commands of six pre defined hand poses i.e. up, down, left, right, yes and no. Power spectral density (PSD) is used to measure signal power intensity and for classifier the Bayesian classifier is used for extracting feature. In the same year Ahsan et.al, [9] classified EMG signal techniques to help improve interface for disabled people. This paper discusses various methodologies and techniques for interpreting EMG signal. Researchers extended their study to multistep EMG classification in 2010 Armando Barreto et.al, [19] proposed a system that can effectively help disabled people from the neck down to interact with computer or communicate with people through computers using point and click graphic interfaces. The EMG signal is generated using facial muscle with a corresponding cursor movement command. In 2011 surface EMG has attracted an attention of researchers for interface signal. Ishii et.al, [20] studied about myoelectric prosthetic in which arm/hand gesture is distinguished by identification of the surface Electromyogram. For identification of motion neural network is used. In 2012 Takeshi Tsujimura et.al, [21] studied Hand Sign Classification Employing Myoelectric Signals of Forearm. The purpose of this paper was to design an uncomplicated system to identify finger motion and to develop innovative HMI. This paper also distinguishes the hand signs by analyzing the forearm EMG signals. It relies on the proposition that the specific muscles of forearm work even if fingers are moved. Researchers studied through multichannel surface EMG signals and in 2014 Han Li et.al, [4] showed HCI system Based on the multichannel SEMG of the hand gesture recognition based on the feature extraction, identification, classification and control of the SEMG which controls quad copter flight. In this paper, the four different gestures can be distinguished accurately to complete the real-time interactive process. The experimental results show that the HCI system based on SEMG has high accuracy. Auto regression method is used for analysis of SEMG signal and the classification is done using back propogation technique. In 2015 Ahmed Mehaoua et.al, [18] designed a novel EMG based system that aims to control multimedia player in simple, efficient and flexible manner. The objective of this paper was to provide efficient control system seeking to simplify the life of hand amputee persons by allowing them to control media player through EMG signals generated by muscle activation from forearm contraction. The electrical potential generated allows start, stop a video or switching between a set of media. For detecting muscle contraction four steps is used rectification, filtering, linear envelop and onset contraction and turns the signal into usable form. After detection of muscle contraction, system was enhanced by adding commands like start, stop, previous, next and pause. 4Summary of Survey The survey paper focuses on evaluation and detection of an EMG signal and use of this system for real time. There are many classification methodologies and artificial intelligence techniques based on neural network to classify EMG signal. Some of the techniques are ANN, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) etc. 4.1. Back Propagation Neural Network Back propagation algorithm is applied on the multichannel SEMG [18] of the hand gesture recognition based on the featureextraction and control of the SEMG which controls quad copter flight. BP neural network contains three parts: the BP neural network building, the BP neural network traning and the BP neural network classification.BP neural network building is determined according to the input and output charasteristics of the system structure of the BP neural network. The number of the AR (auto regression) model coefficientof input vector is 16 and the number of the output is 4,so theinput layer has 16 nodes and the output layer has 4 nodes. 4.2. Fuzzy Min Max Neural Network Jong-Sung Kim [12] applied fuzzy mean max neural network (FMMNN) as a classifier for online EMG mouse that controls computer cursor. Also, stochastic values such as integral absolute value were used as features for an appropriate classification of the intended wrist motions. 6 predefined wrist motions to left, right, up, down, click and rest operation were determined. 4.3. Hidden Markov Model Ki-Hong Kim [14] developed an interface using EMG signal from human face.For pattern recognition HMM comprised three states and two Gaussian mixtures per state is employed which is used as a classifier. The standalone interface system was implemented and the subject (people as volunteers) were able to make the wheelchair turn left, right, forward and backward by simple action provided by them. Classification is done by comparing the likelihood values of an arbitrary feature sequence evaluated from four HMMs, HMML, HMMR, HMMF, and HMMB for left, right, forward, and backward, respectively, and selecting the model with the maximum value. 4.4. Bayes Network Alsayegh et.al, [11] presented an EMG-based human-machine interface system that interprets arm gestures in the 3-dimensional (3D) space. Gestures are interpreted by sensing the activities of three muscles, namely, anterior deltoid (AD), medial deltoid (MD), and biceps brachii (BB) muscles. The problem of gesture classification is carried out in a framework of the statistical pattern recognition. The processing of the EMG signals utilizes the temporal coordination activity of the monitored muscles to identify a particular gesture. The classification procedure is carried out by constructing successive feature vectors for each gesture. These feature vectors describe the gestures temporal signature. This type of classification is referred to as the context-dependent classification, which is carried out in this study within the framework of Bayes theorem. The development of an EMG based interface for hand gesture recognition is presented by Jonghwa Kim et.al, [16]. For realizing real-time classification assuring acceptable recognition accuracy, they introduced the combination of two simple linear classifiers (K-nearest neighbour (KNN) KNN and Bayes) in decision level fusion. Table 1 provides the summary of the survey in accordance with the methodologies used in various papers. It provides the description of the success rate resulted by the use of classification techniques. Table 1.Summary of major methods used for EMG classification Classifier used Title Researchers Description Back Propagation Neural Network Human computer interaction system design based on surface EMG signals. Han Li , Xi Chen, et.al, (2014) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢93% success rate in the multichannel SEMG of the hand gesture recognition. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Auto-regressive model method is used. Hidden Markov Model A practical biosignal-based human interface applicable to the assistive systems for people with motor impairment. Ki-Hong Kim et.al (2006) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢97% success rate in developing an interface using human face. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Subject was able to turn left, right, forward and backward. Fuzzy Min Max Neural Network A new means of HCI: EMG-mouse. Jong-sung Kim et.al, (2004) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Stochastic values such as integral absolute values were used as feature extraction. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Six distinctive wrist motions can be classified well. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Pattern recognition rate of each wrist motions is above 90%. Bayes Network A practical EMG-based human-computer interface for users with motor disabilities. Alsayegh et.al,(2000) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢classification is done in a framework of statistical pattern recognition. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢classification rate reported was 96%. EMG-based hand gesture recognition for realtime biosignal interfacing. Jonghwa Kim et,al, (2008) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢K-Nearest Neighbour (k-NN) classifier added with Bayes to obtain good result à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Average classification rate reported was over 94%. 5Conclusion Developing better human computer interface will help improve quality of life of people suffering from physical disabilities. EMG signal is one of the natural technique that captures electrical signals from human body for the use of HCI and provides an interface for human and computer to interact appropriotely. This survey paper focuses on the work of various researchers, the methodologies used for the classification of EMG signal. Therefore, it can be concluded from the survey of various paper that neural network has been used as a prominent classification technique of EMG signal for HCI. For future works new and more enchanced classification techniques can be developed besides neural network, a work can be done in creating light weight EMG signal, multiclass hand process and on-line processing. References Dix, A.: Human-computer interaction. (pp. 1327-1331). Springer US (2009) Andurkar, A. G., Andurkar, R. G.: Human-computer interaction. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), vol.2, issue.6, (2015) Human computer Interaction: An Overview, http://www.ee.cityu.edu.hk/~hcso/ee4213_ch1.pdf Li, H., Chen, X., Li, P.: Human-computer interaction system design based on surface EMG signals. In: Modelling Identification Control (ICMIC) Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on (pp. 94-98). IEEE (2014, December) Chowdhury, R. H., Reaz, M. B., Bakar, A. A., Hasan, M. S.: Muscle Technology. 6(12), 2192-2196, (2013) Day, S.: Important factors in surface EMG measurement. Bortec Biomedical Ltd publishers, 1-17, (2002) Barreto, A. B., Scargle, S. D., Adjouadi, M.: A practical EMG-based human-computer interface for users with motor disabilities. Journal of rehabilitation research and development, 37(1), 53, (2000) Ali, A. A., Albarahany, A., Quan, L.: EMG signals detection technique in voluntary muscle movement. In: Information Science and Service Science and Data Mining (ISSDM), 6th International Conference on New Trends in (pp. 738-742). IEEE, (2012, October) Ahsan, M. R., Ibrahimy, M. I., Khalifa, O. O.: EMG signal classification for human computer interaction: a review. European Journal of Scientific Research, 33(3), 480-501, (2009) Koike, Y., Kawato, M.: Human interface using surface electromyography signals. Electronics and Communications in Japan (Part III: Fundamental Electronic Science), 79(9), 15-22, (1996) Alsayegh, O. A.: EMG-based signal processing system for interpreting arm gestures. In: Signal Processing Conference, 2000 10th European (pp. 1-4). IEEE, (2000, September) Kim, J. S., Jeong, H., Son, W.: A new means of HCI: EMG-mouse. In: Systems, Man and Cybernetics, 2004 IEEE International Conference on (Vol. 1, pp. 100-104). IEEE, (2004, October) Moon, I., Lee, M., Chu, J., Mun, M.: Wearable EMG-based HCI for electric-powered wheelchair users with motor disabilities. In: Robotics and Automation, 2005. ICRA 2005. Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE International Conference on (pp. 2649-2654). IEEE, (2005, April) Ki-Hong, K. I. M., Jae-Kwon, Y. O. O., Kim, H. K., Wookho, S. O. N., Soo-Young, L. E. E.: A practical biosignal-based human interface applicable to the assistive systems for people with motor impairment. IEICE transactions on information and systems, 89(10), 2644-2652, (2006) Naik, G. R., Kumar, D. K., Singh, V. P., Palaniswami, M.: Hand gestures for HCI using ICA of EMG. In: Proceedings of the HCSNet workshop on Use of vision in human-computer interaction-Volume 56 (pp. 67-72). Australian Computer Society, Inc., (2006, November) Kim, J., Mastnik, S., Andrà ©, E.: EMG-based hand gesture recognition for realtime biosignal interfacing. In: Proceedings of the 13th international conference on intelligent user interfaces (pp. 30-39). ACM, (2008, January) Ren, J. R., Liu, T. J., Huang, Y., Yao, D. Z.: A study of Electromyogram based on human-computer interface. Journal of electronic science and technology of China, 7(1), 69-73, (2009) Hammi, M. T., Salem, O., Mehaoua, A.: An EMG-based Human-Machine Interface to control multimedia player. In: E-health Networking, Application Services (HealthCom), 2015 17th International Conference on (pp. 274-279). IEE, (2015, October). Ren, P., Barreto, A., Adjouadi, M.: Multi-step EMG classification algorithm for human-computer interaction. In: Innovations in Computing Sciences and Software Engineering (pp. 183-188). Springer Netherlands, (2010) Ishii, C.: Recognition of Finger Motions for Myoelectric Prosthetic Hand via Surface EMG. INTECH Open Access Publisher, (2011) Tsujimura, T., Yamamoto, S., Izumi, K.: Hand Sign Classification Employing Myoelectric Signals of Forearm. CURRENT APPLICATIONS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES, 309, (2012)

Guy Debords The Society of the Spectacle :: Debord Society of the Spectacle Essays

Guy Debord's The Society of the Spectacle    For decades, Guy Debord's The Society of the Spectacle was only available in English in a so-called "pirate" edition published by Black & Red, and its informative, perhaps essential, critique of modern society languished in the sort of obscurity familiar to      political radicals and the avant-garde. Originally published in France in 1967, it rarely receives more than passing mention in some of the fields most heavily influenced by its ideasÑmedia studies, social theory, economics, and political science. A new    translation by Donald Nicholson-Smith issued by Zone Books last year, however, may finally bring about some well-deserved recognition to the recently-deceased Debord. Society of the Spectacle has been called "the Capital of the new generation," and the co    mparison bears investigation. DebordÕs intention was to provide a comprehensive critique of the social and political manifestations of modern forms of production, and the analysis he offered in 1967 is as authoritative now as it was then. Comprised of nin    e chapters broken into a total of 221 theses, Society of the Spectacle tends toward the succinct in its proclamations, favoring polemically poetic ambiguities over the vacuous detail of purely analytical discourse. There is, however, no shortage of justif    ication for its radical claims. Hegel finds his place, Marx finds acclaim and criticism, Lenin and Rosa Luxemburg add their contributions, and DebordÕs own insights are convincingly argued. It becomes evident quite quickly that Debord has done his homewor    kÑSociety of the Spectacle is no art manifesto in need of historical or theoretical basis. DebordÕs provocations are supported where others would have failed. The first chapter, "Separation Perfected," contains the fundamental assertions on which much of    DebordÕs influence rests, and the very first thesis, that    the whole of life of those societies in which modern conditions of production prevail presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles.   All that was once directly lived has become mere representation. establishes DebordÕs judgment; the rest attempt to explain it, and to elaborate on the need for a practical and revolutionary resistance.    By far DebordÕs most famous work, Society of the Spectacle lies somewhere between a provocative manifesto and a scholarly analysis of modern politics. It remains among those books which fall under the rubric of "oft quoted, rarely read"Ñexcept that few ca

Teachers Need to Feel Empowered and in Control of their Career Essay

What does 2.0 look like? I became a teacher when spiders spun webs and a library teacher when the Internet was accessed through the telephone. I was an early adopter and adapter of everything 1.0. I embraced the magic of the CD-Rom, remember Encyclopedia Encarta. What a revelation. I became a librarian the same year that the card catalogue was replaced by lookup stations. I have no idea about creating a title, subject or author card but boy can I come up with the perfect key words for a Boolean search. During the days of Web 1.0 I taught students who were just as awed by computers and astounded with the Internet as I was. Together we explored this new digital world. Today the digital natives look upon computers and the Internet as a ubiquitous component of school and education. I understand. That’s all they have known. I know that I need to continue to embrace the new technologies. I need to continue to be on the cutting edge, be aware of the newest and coolest, what is the n ext Twitter, Facebook or YouTube and, most importantly, how can this technology be used to impact student learning. To that end I am a teacher leader in the area of technology. If a volunteer is needed for a presentation I’m the one. This year I have used Prezi to present copyright law to my staff at school. I have also coordinated building-wide training for district wide tech competencies assessment. I have been on the school’s technology leadership team since the school opened. I see myself as a leader in the field of technology integration. In order to help students and staff keep current with the software and now apps, that are available. I have embraced LibGuides a data management program that has revolutionized the old library pathfinders and web quest... ...ally policy, but also best teaching practices. These conferences have empowered me to take on these leadership roles in my school district and local NEA association. My primary objective after any of these professional growth experiences is to share them with my colleagues. And to that end I make it a practice to mentor new educators. I am also guide the students to think of the field of education as a valid career choice. I am concerned that with the negative image of education and educators, the poor economic climate that our smartest and gifted students and new teachers will not consider a career as a teacher, or continue in that career. I believe that if teachers feel empowered and in control of their career they will not only remain in education they will make a difference in the life of a child. And they will continue in this worthwhile and important career.

How significant is it that Croesus is not Greek, in Herodotus Histories? :: essays research papers

According to Herodotus, Croesus was the first non greek to come into contact with the Greeks: â€Å"He was the first foreigner, so far as we know to come in direct contact with the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greeks, both in the way of conquest and alliance† Although this statement is unlikely to be true, the significance of Croesus not being Greek is obviously very high. Herodotus tells moral stories using historical figures, Croesus being one of them. For example, the story of him and Solon, which is almost certainly untrue when we see Croesus ignoring a wise person’s thoughts and advice. As his Histories were written for a Greek audience, it wouldn’t have been wise to show a Greek to be so foolish and a barbarian like Croesus would have been a good person to choose. Herodotus, at the time of writing, would have been telling the histories to entertain Athenian people. For entertainment’s sake, Croesus being a foreigner would have been very important, as his life would be a new and untold story that his audience wouldn’t have heard before, whereas had he been a Greek, people knowing about him would have been highly likely. Croesus, we see, while being extremely generous towards the Delphic Oracle, questions and tests it and later makes mistakes in interpreting the prophecies. Any message Herodotus was trying to convey here, again is better done so through a non-Greek, being somewhat foolish, rather than a Greek like his audience. The point of Herodotus’ Histories was to tell the story of the Persian Wars with background from both sides so to find a cause for it. He says in his opening paragraph:

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Thirty-Nine

Stefan hadn't had a plan when he agreed to stay in Matt's place. He just knew he had to save Matt, and now he hoped Damon would come for him. Stefan's wrists ached with a dul , throbbing insistent pain that was almost impossible for him to ignore. He tried once more to pul against the ropes that were holding him to the chair, turning his hands from left to right as far as he could to try and loosen his restraints, but it was hopeless. He couldn't shift them. He looked around dazedly. The room looked both serene and mysterious again now, as it had when he first kicked in the door. A good place for a secret society. Torches burned brightly, flowers were arranged around the makeshift altar. The Vitales had taken the time to clean up after binding him and kil ing the pledges. The ropes were crossed over his chest and stomach and wound around his back; his ankles and knees were tied to the chair legs, his elbows and wrists to the arms of the chair. He was Welltrussed, but it was the ones around his wrists that hurt most, because they lay against his bare skin. And they burned. â€Å"They're soaked in vervain so that you'l be too weak to break free, but I'm afraid it must sting a bit,† Ethan said pleasantly, as if he was explaining an interesting element of the secret chamber's architecture to his guest. â€Å"See, I may be new at this, but I know al the tricks.† Stefan rested his head against the back of the chair and looked at Ethan with fervent dislike. â€Å"Not all of the tricks, I suspect.† Ethan was cocky, but Stefan was pretty sure he hadn't been a vampire for very long. If Ethan was stil human, if he had never become a vampire, Stefan guessed he would look more or less the same as he did now. Ethan crouched down in front of Stefan's chair to look up into his face, wearing the same warm, friendly smile as when he'd tried to convince Stefan to join them. He looked like a pleasant fel ow, someone you wanted to relax with and trust, and Stefan glared at him. The smile was a lie. Ethan was a kil er whose mask was less obvious than those of the other Vitale vampires, that was al . â€Å"You're probably right about that,† Ethan said thoughtful y. â€Å"I imagine there are al kinds of tricks you've picked up in, what is it, more than five hundred years? Tricks that I don't know yet. You could be very useful to me in that way, if you decide to join us after al . There are lots of things you can teach us about al this vampire stuff.† He flashed that appealing smile again. â€Å"I've always been a good student.† Vampire stuff. â€Å"What do you want from me, Ethan?† Stefan asked wearily. It had been a long night, a long few weeks, and the vervain-soaked ropes were hurting his arms, muddying his thoughts. Ethan knew how old he was. Ethan knew what to offer him when they first talked about the Vitale Society. It wasn't a coincidence that he was the one in this room, then; Ethan wasn't looking for just any vampire. â€Å"What's your plan here?† Stefan asked. Ethan's smile grew wider. â€Å"I'm building an invincible vampire army, of course,† he said cheerful y. â€Å"I know it sounds a little ridiculous, but it's al about power. And power's never ridiculous.† He licked his lips nervously, showing a flash of thin pink tongue. â€Å"See, I used to just be one of the ordinary little people. I was just like everyone else on campus. My biggest achievements were good grades on exams or the fact that I had the leadership of some secret col ege club. You wouldn't believe how lame the Vitale Society used to be. Just white magic and nature worship.† He made a little self-deprecating grimace: See how silly I was once. I'm telling you something embarrassing about myself, so trust me. â€Å"But then I figured out how to get some real power.† One of the black-clad figures came up behind Ethan, and Ethan held up a finger to Stefan. â€Å"Hang on a sec, okay?† He rose and turned to talk to his lieutenant. After tying Stefan up, Ethan had efficiently gone back to draining the pledges, one after another, dropping the bodies as soon as he finished with them. They had al gone through their transitions now and were back on their feet. They seemed irritable and disoriented, growling and snapping at one another and gazing at Ethan with undisguised adoration. Typical new vampires. Stefan eyed them warily. Until they had fed thoroughly, they would hover on the brink of madness, and it would be easy for Ethan to lose control of them. Then they would be even more dangerous. â€Å"The pledges need to eat,† Ethan said calmly to the robed woman behind him. â€Å"Five of you should take them out and teach them how to hunt. You lead the hunting party and pick whoever you want to go with you. The rest wil stay here and help guard our guest.† Stefan watched as the Vitales sorted themselves out. Eight of Ethan's fol owers remained, stationing themselves by the sides of the room. Stefan had managed to kil one other during the fight, ripping her throat out, but the body had been tidied away somewhere. Stefan gave a little involuntary moan. It was hard to think straight – he was so tired, and the vervain was starting to hurt him al over, not just on his aching wrists, but anywhere the ropes touched him through his clothes. Damon, please come quickly. Please, Damon, he thought. â€Å"You're going to unleash nine newly made vampires on the campus?† he asked Ethan, his mind snapping back to the matter at hand. â€Å"Ethan, they'l kill people. People who were your friends, maybe. You'l draw attention to yourselves. There are already police al over campus. Please, take them to the woods to hunt animals. They can live on animal blood.† He heard a pleading note enter his own voice as Ethan only smiled absently at him, as if he was a child begging to go to Disneyland. â€Å"Come on, Ethan, it hasn't been very long since you were a human, too. You can't want to stand by and have innocent students murdered.† Ethan shrugged, patting Stefan lightly on the shoulder as he started to walk over to confer with another of his henchmen. â€Å"They need to be strong, Stefan. I want them at their peak by the next equinox. And we've kil ed plenty of innocent students already,† he said over his shoulder. â€Å"Equinox? Ethan,† Stefan shouted after him in frustration. He looked frantical y at the door by which the pledges and their escort had left. It would take them a while to select victims. Not as many students were walking the campus alone at night these days. If he could get free, if Damon came now and freed him, they could stil stop the slaughter. If al these brand-new vampires were al owed loose on campus, there would be a massacre. Ethan couldn't have changed the rest of the Vitale Society al at once, he realized. The number of murders they would have committed newly made as a group would have been impossible to disguise as a few disappearances. This must have been the first mass initiation. And who had made Ethan? he wondered. Was there an older vampire somewhere on campus? Damon, where are you? He had no doubt that Damon would come if he could. Despite their rift over Elena, things had changed enough between him and Damon that he knew he could rely on his brother to rescue him. He had saved him before, after al , when they fought Katherine, when they fought Klaus. There was something rock solid between them now, something that wasn't there a year ago, or in the hundreds of years before that. He closed his eyes and heard himself give a dry, painful chuckle. It seemed like an inopportune moment to start having revelations about his own family issues. â€Å"So,† Ethan said chattily, returning to his side and pul ing up a chair, â€Å"we were talking about the equinox.† â€Å"Yes,† Stefan said, an acid bite to his tone. He wasn't going to let Ethan see how he was yearning toward the door, expectant. He needed to keep his cool, so that Damon could have the element of surprise on his side. He should keep Ethan talking, keep him distracted in case Damon came, so he fixed an expression of interest on his face and looked at Ethan attentively. â€Å"At the time of the equinox, when day and night are perfectly balanced, the line between life and death is at its most weak and permeable. This is the time when spirits can cross between the worlds,† Ethan began dramatical y, moving one hand in a wide sweep. Stefan sighed. â€Å"I know that, Ethan,† he said impatiently. â€Å"Just cut to the chase.† He might have to keep Ethan distracted, but surely he didn't have to feed his ego. Ethan dropped his hand. â€Å"You remember Klaus, don't you?† he asked. â€Å"The originator of your bloodline? We're resurrecting him. With him at the head of our ranks, we'l be invincible.† Everything went stil for a moment, as if Stefan's slow-beating heart had final y stopped. Then he sucked in a breath. He felt as if Ethan had punched him in the face. He couldn't speak for a moment. When he could, he gasped, â€Å"Klaus? Klaus the vampire who†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He couldn't even finish the sentence. His mind was ful of Klaus: the Old One, the Original vampire, the mad man. The vampire who had control ed lightning, who had bragged that he had not been made, that he just was. In Klaus's earliest memories, he had told Stefan, he carried a bronze axe; he was a barbarian at the gate, among those who destroyed the Roman Empire. He claimed that he began the race of vampires. Klaus had held Elena's spirit hostage and tortured innocent Vickie Bennett to death for fun. He turned Katherine, first into a vampire, then into a cruel dol instead of a person, changed her until she was vicious and mindless, eager only to torment those she once loved. Stefan, Damon, and Elena kil ed him at last, but it was nearly impossible, would have been impossible without the spirits of a battalion of unquiet ghosts from the Civil War tied to the blood-soaked battlegrounds of Fel ‘s Church. â€Å"Klaus who made the vampire who made you,† Ethan said cheerful y. â€Å"It was another of his descendants who I found in Europe this summer on my trip abroad. I convinced her to turn me into a vampire. She taught me some tricks, too, like how to use vervain, and how lapis lazuli can protect us from the sun. I put lapis lazuli in the pins we wear now, so al the members have it on them at al times. She was very helpful, this vampire who changed me. And she told me al about Klaus.† He smiled warmly at Stefan again. â€Å"See, you should like me, Stefan. We're practical y cousins.† Stefan shut his eyes for a moment. â€Å"Klaus was insane,† he tried to explain. â€Å"He won't work with you, he'l destroy you.† Ethan sighed. â€Å"I real y think I can work it out with him, though,† he said. â€Å"I'm very persuasive. And I'm offering him soldiers. I hear he likes war. There's no reason for him to turn us down; we want to give him everything he wants.† He paused and looked at Stefan, stil smiling, but there was a note now in that wide smile that Stefan didn't like, a false innocence. Whatever Ethan was going to ask Stefan now, he already knew the answer. â€Å"Does this mean you're not interested in joining our army, cousin?† he asked with mock surprise. Gritting his teeth, Stefan strained against the ropes once more, but they didn't budge. He glared up at Ethan. â€Å"I won't help you,† he said. â€Å"Never.† Ethan came closer, bent down until his face was level with Stefan's. â€Å"But you wil help,† he said lightly, a trace of self-satisfaction in his eyes. â€Å"Whether you want to or not. See, what I need most of al to bring back Klaus is blood.† He ran his hands through his curls, shaking his head. â€Å"It's always blood for this kind of thing, have you noticed?† he added. â€Å"Blood?† asked Stefan uneasily. Young vampires were never sane, in his opinion – the initial rush of new senses and Powers were enough to bewilder anyone. He was starting to think, though, that Ethan's grasp on sanity might not have been that strong to begin with. He'd convinced someone to turn him into a vampire? â€Å"The blood of his descendants, specifical y.† Ethan nodded smugly. â€Å"That's why I was so delighted to find that you were right here on campus. I made a hobby of tracking down the descendants of Klaus this summer, after I'd talked the first one I met into changing me into what she was. Some of them gave me blood wil ingly, when they heard what I wanted to do. Not al of Klaus's descendants are as ungrateful as you. I only need a little more, and then I'l have enough. Yours, of course,† and his eyes flicked up toward the door that Stefan had been surreptitiously watching al this time, waiting for Damon, â€Å"and your brother's. I assume he'l be here any minute?† Stefan's heart plummeted, and he stared openly at the door. Damon, please stay away, he thought desperately.

Knowing Your Audience and Communication Release Essay

On August 5, 2010, The Chilean Copper mine collapse with 33 workers confined in a 2,257 feet hole, which was the size of a mini studio apartment (msnbc.com news services, 2010). Their families, friends, and co-workers were worried frantically about their safety, and not being able to reach the miners left everyone at unease. The Rescuers and the Chilean Copper president’s came together to find a resolution as to the cause of this situation and how to rescue their employees. Families and co-workers of these miners have questions that wanted immediate answers, and it is the companies responsibly to provide answers. The company should have a plan of emergency action for these types of incident and be implemented in training programs when hired or promoted. There should be reputable spokesperson on hand to communicate with families, co-workers, and the media. The first action to take place is to immediately control the situation, and prevent any rumors from uprising through the wo rkplace or the media. Have somebody Reputable from the company to hold a face to face verbal meeting explaining what emergency incident just occurred and what the companies’ plan of action is going to be. It is important to present only facts to this meeting so that there are no assumptions as to what is really taking place. Be honest, open, clear and concise in these meeting so the audience can listen and decode the message the spokesperson is conveying. The spokesperson should be able to answer all questions presented to the room, as long as the spokesperson has evidence to back it up. Otherwise, being honest and saying, â€Å"we are looking into that,† is the best option for this type of situation. If the company has a morning and evening shift, then having the meeting write when both shifts are about to cross would be an effective way to control any rumors, explain the situation, and answer any questions. This will save time so the company can delegate the situation currently on hand. The second action is to have another reputable spokesperson to notify the minors’ families of the incident. The first step to communicating to the miners loved ones is by phone and then a face-to-face verbal communication should take place. It is important to be sympathetic and compassionate when relaying this type of information to the families. Calling each miners emergency contact would be the start but should not provide too much information over the phone, but just ask the family or friend to come down to the job site immediately. Providing information over the phone can create media attention rapidly and cause panic to the person. Hold a meeting as soon as the miner’s family and friends have arrived and provide information that the company has facts on. Do not delude the people in thinking, the situation is worse or better than what the facts actually say, but be honest and clear about the situation. It is a good idea to have a mediator around if the company decides to have a verbally conversation that is one on one with a family member, and this will prevent any rumors as well. Inform the employees and families that it is in the best interest for the company and the families of the miners to avoid answering questions to the media. When speaking to the media without knowing all the facts or going based on what you heard without fully researching the situation can lead to panic and discomfort for the families and loved ones. For instance, in the situation the media publicly announced on August 26, 2010 that it would take the rescuer’s four months to rescue the miners. However, According to msnbc.com news services (2010), Health Minister Jaime Manalich said, â€Å"they would not be rescued before the Fiestas Patrai’s,† and Fiestas Patrai’s is Chile’s Independence Day celebration, held on September 18. That is only forty-four days, and a big differ ence from 120 days. Preventing the media from misleading reports can be achieved by avoiding the media. The company should offer counseling to the families and co-workers to help deal with this situation, and provide any assistance to make this incident go smoother for them. After the company has all the facts and knows what they are facing then have a reputable spokesperson address the media, family, friends, and co-workers with all the facts at hand. This will help all parties understand what they are in for and to start dealing with the situation at hand. Keeping the all parties informed throughout the rescue process though meetings or the media is important. Having somebody from the company to go to the miners loved ones face to face or calling them to ensure that they are well, is a great way to provide answer to the individual parties. This situation affects everyone, families, friends, co-workers, and global. It is never easy to try to control and sustain a crisis like this but avoiding rumors, which are usually just opinions from others around, can help everybody. The miners loved ones just have one care in the world, that is getting them out safe and healthy, and that is all that should matter, but sometimes the media likes to turn embellish the truth. The important thing in this type of situation is too continual to provide information to all parties so they are properly informed. It is better to hear from the people who are actually in the rescue process rather than an outside source. This will provide all parties some ease to their pain even if it is not good information; at least they understand the situation. Reference msnbc.com news services. (2010). Drill breaks through to trapped Chilean miners. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39558833/ns/world_news-americas/t/drill-breaks-through-trapped-chilean-miners/