Guido Darezzo and the History of Written Music an Example of the Topic Arts Essays by

Guido Darezzo and the History of Written Music During the medieval era of music history, music was not documented and transmitted the same way that it is today. Rather than a choir learning a new song by looking at a piece of sheet music and sight reading, oral transmission was used. In plainchant music, for example, a leader or conductor would teach the choir a song by first singing it. The choir would then sing back the same melody or phrase in an emulative manner. This method of learning music, however, changed during the 11th century, when Guido d'Arezzo formulated the world's first version of the musical staff that used music notes rather than numbers to indicate a certain pitch. Along with other tools such as the Guidonian hand, Guido developed valuable methods of teaching and transmitting music, especially to plainchant singers of that period. Although his system has since been refined and simplified, Guido's contributions to music theory greatly assisted young singers of his time, allowing them to read and learn new piece s more efficiently than through oral transmission alone. Need essay sample on "Guido D'arezzo and the History of Written Music" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Guido's musical developments, at the time, made the most significant impact upon those who participated in plainchant music. Plainchant music is interchangeably referred to as Gregorian chant music, which was a major part of medieval culture. It is religious-based music that was believed to be the only style music that was acceptable to be performed in churches, and it is still performed in certain cathedrals or Catholic churches today. In plainchant, there are absolutely no instruments accompanying the singers. Instead, the pieces consist of specific pitches and words that are combined to result in a full, chant-like sound that echoes throughout the vicinity of the church or cathedral. Plainchant music was not considered to be as modern forms of vocal performance in the sense that it is intended solely for entertainment and audio pleasure. Since it was performed only in a religious environment, plainchant was meant to enhance a person's susceptibility to a spiritual or religious exp erience-that their minds would be more open and focused on God and the messages that were to be heard in church. College Students Usually Tell EssayLab specialists: How much do I have to pay someone to write my assignment online? Essay writer professionals recommend: Custom Essay Order Buy Written Essays Cheap Essay Writing 24 Buy Essays Online Prior to Guido's system of written staff music, singers depended upon oral transmission in order to learn new pieces. What is interesting about oral transmission is that, contrary to what some may think, the oral system was not used simply because a written form of music had not yet been created. Learning music by repeating what a singer heard from their leader or conductor is based on memory, which was believed to be a form of art. Oral transmission, therefore, was a way of exercising the art of learning through memory-a valued technique that dates all the way back to the days of ancient Greece. This particular way of learning was relatively simple, especially since more primitive forms of plainchant only consisted of one part-that is, all members of the choir would sing in unison and there was only one melody to be learned. Oral transmission began to lose its effectiveness, however, once the concept of harmonies and split parts was introduced to plainchant. By 1100 the practice of singing in two parts moving together was becoming more elaborate and soon a third part would be added. Such developments created problems for choirs and choir masters looking for well coordinated ensemble singing. Up to this time musical notation, such as it was, consisted of mnemonic marks rather than precise indications of varying musical pitches. To teach a group of singers a piece of plainchant in unison is relatively easy; but when more than one part has to be taught, it becomes much more difficult for all singers to remember their individual melodies. Consider a choir that is attempting to learn a three-part chant simultaneously. The first group of singers is able to memorize their parts without any difficulty. Then instructor then moves on to the next two groups and teaches them their parts in the same manner. By the time the third group has learned their harmonies the first group is likely to have forgotten their part of the chant or has confused some of their melodies with the other two groups. Even with the form of written music that was used in the early 11th century, those mnemonic notations approximated a tone rather than being a specific representation of one single note. As plainchant music advanced and became increasingly more complicated with the introduction of harmonies, it was evident that singers would require a more advanced form of written music in order to efficiently and effectively learn new pieces. In order to understand the importance of Guido's contributions to music, it is important to understand the difference between the world of music back then and how it is today. Many of the most talented and successful musicians, such as The Beatles' Paul McCartney, have proven that one does not necessarily have to be able to read or write music in order to be considered a successful composer. They are able to compose, however, because there is a standardized system of music that consists of notes and chords that can be played in a given sequence in order to create a complete musical phrase. In the 11th century, there was no such system and notes were thought of as random pitches rather than part of a series of musical patterns that complemented each other. It was not until Guido d'Arezzo, a monk from a small town in Italy, developed a new way of writing music that notes and pitches became standardized. Guido, who was highly intelligent and referred to today as a musical genius, received his education at the Benedictine monastery located in Pomposa; and it was there, that he worked as a choir director who was soon known for teaching choirs new chants in record time. This is one of the earliest examples of how written music served to teach music much faster than oral transmission alone. Guido single-handedly changed the future of written music when he developed the four-line musical staff, or stave, in the mid-11th century. Although a five-line stave is used today, Guido's four-line version was based on similar theory. With this system, "...notes were represented by diamond shaped marks. Each move up the grid, from a line to the space above it, represented a fixed interval, usually a single tone". Hans-Joachim Braun describes the relationship between Guido's musical stave and his time period in the following statement: Guido's system anticipated the European fascination with labour saving devices and this in the one area which in other cultures was almost intended to be laborious. Where the Asian musician expects to spend years memorizing the vocabulary of his art, the choir at Arezzo and soon the choirs of all Europe's cathedrals, freed from that particular chore, were liberated for the exploration of new music. The four-line stave not only facilitated the learning of European choirs, but it also gave Europe a sort of advantage over countries who did not yet adopt the use of the stave. Guido's stave provided the foundation for notes that would be added to the set of horizontal lines. The four lines indicated the movement up and down a keyboard-that is, as a note moves from a line up to the space above it, the pitch rises along with it. Alternatively, a note that was shown on a line or space below the previous note would indicate that a singer was to sing a lower pitch. In order to use the stave as a teaching utensil, Guido had to give names to the various diamond-shaped notes that were written on the lines and spaces. If the notes were not labeled, then they would not mean anything. It was Guido's development of solmization that facilitated the learning of notes, pitches, and sight reading amongst singers. Although solmization may sound complicated, it is what gave rise to seven notes that are used today-A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Solmization refers to "...the practice of assigning syllables to notes, [which] greatly simplified the sight-reading of music". Richard Rogers' song "Do, Re, Mi" from The Sound of Music is perhaps the most commonly used form of solmization today, as it is used with children from a young age in order to teach them the seven different notes on a staff. These syllables, however, are based upon Guido's original notes. Guido set an existing hymn addressed to John the Baptist to a new tune... The first note was the lowest note on the scale, and each subsequent phrase began one note higher than the previous phrase. Then Guido used the first syllable of each phrase to name the note of the scale. The hymn's first phrase was Ut queant laxis. So Guido named the first note ut. The second phrase was resonare fibris. So he named the second note re. The hymn had six phrases, and so his charges learned to sing, "Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la." Although there are seven notes within a full scale, most of Guido's chants were confined to only those six. Still, he named a seventh note for those few compositions that required it, and called gamma. Altogether, the scale of seven notes is called the gamut-a word based on the combination of the first and last notes. This was later developed into a phrase that is used today, "run the gamut", which means moving through an entire range. The use of solmization by Guido was not only a genius musical breakthrough at the time of its development, but it was also extremely clever and approachable. Unlike what one may have expected from a new system of music transmission, the "ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, gamma" scale was quite simple to learn, especially with the chants and phrases that Guido wrote in order to simplify written music for his singers. In addition to Guido's note names, the four-line stave, and the song he wrote in order to teach singers musical notes, the Guidonian hand was developed in order to help singers memorize notes and pitches as well. The hand is believed to have been created posthumously, but Guido is still credited for its origin and creation. Upon first glance, the Guidonian hand may be somewhat confusing. It consists of simply drawing of a hand, but there are several numbered and labeled spots, beginning with the tip of the thumb, which is labeled as "ut". The two sequential numbers that continue down the thumb are "re" and "mi", indicating that the different indentations and lines on one's hand can be thought of as a representation of a certain note-yet another mnemonic that could make sight-reading and learning notes even more simple. There are twenty different places, or loca, on the Guidonian hand, each of which represent a different note on the gamut, as well as the steps up and down the four-lin e staff. Mary Carruthers and Jan Ziolkowski explain the diagram as follows: On the hand, these places are the successive fingertips and joints starting with the tip of the thumb and continuing counterclockwise in a spiral motion, with the twentieth place imagined on the reverse side of the nineteenth, which is on the third joint of the middle finger... On the scale, the places are the ascending lines and spaces between them, beginning with the lowest line and ending with the space above the highest, tenth, line. This shows that the order of the twenty places on the Guidonian hand not only represented the different notes of the gamut, but the octave in which they were meant to be sung as well. If a singer was looking at their left hand, their thumb would represent the lowest or starting "ut" on a scale. As they progressed, the notes would essentially snake around their four other fingers, progressively getting higher, and the tips of those four fingers would represent the highest notes of a scale. The Guidonian hand can be considered one of the first attempts to represent the differences between a treble and bass clef, which are both part of today's music staff. The appropriate clefs had not yet been designed, so the Guidonian hand was used instead to indicate which octave a note should be sung in, making it easier for singers of different ranges and assigned parts to distinguish between the different octaves of notes. With the development of his six primary notes, Guido went on to lay the foundation for what is known today as a hexachord. A hexachord involves six pitch classes, which refers to the same note played in different intervals. Similar to what the different places on the Guidonian hand represented, varying intervals affect the location of a certain note on a keyboard. Guido's work on the matter is called Micrologus de disciplina artis musicae, which provided medieval music teachers and composers an outline regarding singing and music as it relates to plainchant. He had written the treatise after his departure from Pomposa around 1025, where he received negative feedback from those who believed his music theory to be unworthy of recognition or following. Guido proved his critics to be wrong once "...Micrologus, which was dedicated to Theodaldus, the bishop who sanctioned it, became enormously popular and was used throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in monasteries and universities". This written work was quite revolutionary for its time, particularly due to its focus on movement up and down the musical scale, as well as Guido's study of intervals. According to Stefano Mengozzi, Guido's work largely impacted the later development of, both, polyphonic sound and the diatonic system. Micrologus also became one of the most influential treatises ever produced during the Middle Ages, as it is currently preserved in more than one hundred different sources that were found throughout the centuries. It has also become one of the most copied pieces of music theory in history to date, which is only further evidence of the innovation and brilliance that Guido's work possessed. By the time of his death in 1050, Guido had produced several manuscripts that have been translated into several languages and are still studied today. The contributions he made to music theory greatly affected how it was taught and learned by plainchant singers of his era; but his musical theories also contributed to the written transmission of music as a whole. His goal may have been to develop a system that would allow his Gregorian singers to learn music faster than through oral transmission, but he instead formulated theories that impacted the future of Western music as a whole and hastened its development-something that oral transmission could never have achieved. Although his version of the four-line music stave is no longer used, it is a paramount part of music history as it contributed to the five-line version that is used today. In addition, his use of solmization enabled singers to learn how to read music at a pace that was unheard of prior to his time. Without Guido's musi cal theories, Western music may not have been nearly as technically and theoretically advanced as it is today. Through the creation of the stave, solmization, the Guidonian hand, and Micrologus, Guido made music accessible to everyone and not only those who dedicated years of their life to learn music and music theory. BIBLIOGRAPHY Braun, Hans-Joachim. Music and Technology in the Twentieth Century. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002. Carruthers, Mary, and Jan M. Ziolkowski. The Medieval Craft of Memory: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002. Demorest, Steven M. Building Choral Excellence: Teaching Sight-Singing in the Choral Rehearsal. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Hiley, David. Western Plainchant: A Handbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Mengozzi, Stefano. The Renaissance Reform of Medieval Music Theory: Guido of Arezzo Between Myth and History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Neff, David. "The Original Do, Re, Mi." Christian History & Biography, no. 93 (2007): 39. Spignesi, Stephen J. The Italian 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Cultural, Scientific, and Political Figures, Past and Present. New York: Kensington Publishing Corp., 2003.

102 Causality and Research Professor Ramos Blog

102 Causality and Research Causality Quick Write Any questions on the Causal Analysis essay? Causality Causality: the relationship of cause and effect You should identify the types of causal relationships on your charts (you might use different types of arrows, different colors, or simply labels to show what kind of cause is being mapped). Necessary Cause: any factor that must be in place for something to occur. Sufficient Cause: is a condition that always produces the effect in question. Precipitating Cause: the proverbial straw that breaks a camel’s back. Proximate Cause: nearby and often easy to spot. Remote Cause: may act at some distance from an event but be closely tied to it. Reciprocal Cause: you have a reciprocal situation when a cause leads to an effect that, in turn, strengthens the cause. Contributing Factors: add to the causes to bring about the effect. Document Cause and Effect Take a picture of a cause and an effect. Share both on Twitter or Instagram. Combine them if you can. You can locate them online or outside. Label the causal relationship. Tag it with #ramosclass Why is society so fascinated with serial killers? Asking Why Why College Students Aren’t Voting What is the question   you are exploring? Use why, how, and what if to come up with your question. Why do we have some many school shootings? Why did Harvey Weinstein get away with it for so long? Using Sources What are the ways you can use sources in your essay? Explain Provide information Examples Credibility Quotes Research data Ideas! Quote Sandwich One of the most important skills you can learn in academic writing is how to incorporate sources. To help remember this, we will use the metaphor of the quotation sandwich. The Quote Sandwich. Introduce the Quote, Quote, explain the quote. Do not drive by quote. When you quote or use a source you have to explain it and use it. The quote sandwich is why you cannot start or end a paragraph with a quote.

New York City in 1854 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

New York City in 1854 - Term Paper Example What a city! I just arrived to New York this morning; you cannot imagine the traffic and the people bustling all over the streets. I will be staying at Bixby's Hotel here in the heart of the city, on Broadway. It will cost me .50 cents a night, but that is rather affordable since breakfast is not included. I have already done some window-shopping here on Broadway, the place is covered with fashion; Tiffany & Company, Brooks Brothers, etc Fancy chandeliers, jewelry, and hand-painted china decorate the windows. Next to the hotel is the W & J Sloan Warehouse. I will be sure to take a look at their carpets, as that would be a nice gift to take back home to the family. Many of the fine ladies here wear patent leather shoes and their dresses are adorned with silk and lace. However, the workers in the shops are not as well dressed. All I see, shop after shop, are worn tired laborers, women and children included! Some of these women even offer laundry and mending services to earn extra money apart from their daily work in the shops. It is a shame. I will write more tomorrow.Day two in the big city! I did some exploring this afternoon and came across a neighborhood that is completely different than what I saw on Broadway. The streets have yet to be graded and the houses are shuttered. I saw a lovely church there, near Third Avenue; it is St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Church. All though it appears to be relatively new, the neighborhood itself portrays a different time in New York with gas lamps lining the street and it lacks the hustle and bustle of Broadway.

The Smartest Kids in the World; Amanda Ripley Essay

The Smartest Kids in the World; Amanda Ripley - Essay Example The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMS) is another education policy that mainly focuses on less work problems and more on the subject specific knowledge and the skills that the school teaches the student during the learning process. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study is a policy that does not concern whether the student can be able to apply their scientific and mathematical knowledge in the real life situation while Program on International Student Assessment has no concern in either measuring the student’s skill needed to succeed in their college education nor to engage in technical professions. Therefore, schools use both policies in their education system as they complement each other and will improve the educational outcome in schools (Ripley, 2013). According to Ripley (2013) Korea, Finland and Poland employ PISE as the education policy in their schools and this kind of system is seen as the reason behind their production of some of the best students in the world. This system brings out the argument that, tracking students, that is placing the kids in gifted classes at an early age so that they can be able to know what exactly their career holds for them, tends to diminish the learning process in schools boosting inequality to places where it was implemented. It is said when this kind of education system is applied, the students who were in the higher performing classes began to think of themselves as less gifted hence lowering their self esteem while surprisingly those in the lower performing classes in this kind of education policy developed a positive mentality about themselves in turn building on their self esteem.

The European Convention on Human Rights & a scenario type of question Essay

The European Convention on Human Rights & a scenario type of question - Essay Example Again, the universal rights are observed to remain uniform in the various paradigms of the society and are applied equally irrespective of gender, mental capacities, physical aspects and the ethnicity as persisting within the society. The moral rights are inalienable. Taking into consideration the legal rights, these are artificial and are mainly created by the governments. Similarly, legal rights are usually applied to people within a particular society under the particular legal system. In this regard, various human rights legislation has been determined in order to protect the human rights within the society. In order to maintain the human rights of the people, the government of the UK had introduced the Human Rights Act in the year 1998 (HRA) (The Open University, 2012; The Open University, 2011). Correspondingly, this essay intends to discuss about the application of The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Furthermore, the essay will discuss about the implementation of t he HRA 1998 within the UK. This particular essay further intends making critical evaluation as to whether or not UK protects the fundamental rights being mentioned in the ECHR. The Human Rights Act 1998 mainly delivers direction to the European Court of Human Rights conventions that binds the other courts of the UK. This reflects that the decisions being undertaken by the ECHR become the benchmark for the UK courts to follow it. The enactment of the ECHR mainly resulted from the work pertaining to the Council of Europe succeeding the Second World War. The aim of the Council of Europe being framed was mainly to achieve accelerated unity amidst the existing members with a motive to safeguard as well as realise the principles pertaining to the common heritage. Besides, the particular body also facilitates the social along with the economic progress in this regard. The Council of Europe further aims at applying the strategies being undertaken in

Economic Analysis of Linda’s Bakery Limited

Economic Analysis of Linda’s Bakery Limited Introduction Lindas was established in 1959 by Mr. Lionel Chin Fatt who saw the need for quality baked goods at an affordable price. They currently have 12 locations in Trinidad with plans to add 10 more by 2017. Their product line today includes bakery items such as bread, savoury pastries, sweet treats, cakes and their Lindas Fresh line consisting of salads, sandwiches, wraps, subs, bagels and coconut bakes. Macroeconomic Analysis GDP The Trinidad Tobago (TT) economy is predicted to continue sustainable growth (1.8-2.1%) over the short to medium term (see Figure 1.1), but less than in 2014 (2.3%). This will be driven by robust growth in the non-energy sector (2.0-2.5%) (IMF 2014). The main risk to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the energy sector – which contributes 40% of national GDP – will be a sustained decline in energy prices. At the current price of $45 for West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI), we anticipate a further downward revision of 2015 projected growth in the sector. We are of the opinion that both Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and WTI will remain at or around current prices, at least for 2015. This is in line with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast for LNG but not for WTI (see Figure 1.2); however we agree that crude oil prices will not go into further decline given current circumstances. Interest Rates The Repo Rate was increased to 3.25% for three main reasons, to keep in line with expected increases in U.S. interest rates, the headline inflation rate – driven mainly by double digit food inflation, and continued steady performance in non-energy output (Kissoon 2014). We expect as the U.S. rates increase, so will the Repo Rate. The Federal Reserve is basing changes in its rate on economic performance however current indicators show mixed results. We expect that the rate of increase for both rates will be slower than originally anticipated. Unemployment Rate With an unemployment rate of 3.5%, there is extremely limited excess capacity in the labour market. Lindas has a staff turnover of 8% monthly in stores. This may be attributed to government make work programmes. Reforms that will help diversify the economic base and reduce the fiscal deficit will be difficult to implement, especially in an election year. As such we do not anticipate significant changes to the makeup of the labour force in the short to medium term. Wheat The major ingredient in Lindas products is flour. Although the flour is produced locally, wheat is imported mainly from the USA; the worlds largest wheat exporter. Wheat exports from the USA are at its lowest over the past three years and are expected to decrease because of reduced demand and a surging dollar. In the short term prices are predicted to move lower then recover in 2016, depending on demand for wheat as feed and a recovery in corn prices (Wilson and Mulvany 2015). When coupled with increased production worldwide, we anticipate continuing fluctuations in the price of wheat in the short term but not to the extent of 2010-2011 which triggered the last local price increase. Consumer Confidence In Quarter 3 of 2014 Central Bank conducted its first Consumer Confidence survey measuring at -4. This can be an indicator that consumers will spend less and save more as they are mildly pessimistic about the economy. If consumers spend less, suppliers may decrease their production output which can affect national productivity and wages. (News.gov.tt, 2015) Porters Five Forces Supplier Power Flour Lindas purchases its flour exclusively from the National Flour Mills (NFM); a state controlled Public Limited Company, and is their second largest customer. NFM recently adopted a more proactive relationship with its major stakeholders, including Lindas and the Seamen Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU), such as including them in its strategic planning. This bore positive results like a collective bargaining agreement for wages in place for 2013 to 2016 (Trinidad Express 2015). We would expect this proactive mindset to continue with the importation of wheat, if US wheat becomes too expensive. NFM can easily import wheat from Canada and Uruguay, two politically stable countries that NFM previously or currently imports other grains from. We don’t expect the fluctuations in the world wheat price to affect the price of NFM flour locally, as it is set by the government – NFM’s majority shareholder. Historically government is averse to increasing the price of flour, regardless of who is in power. This can be seen in flour – and bread – maintaining Value Added Tax (VAT) exempt status, the discounts offered on flour by the current administration, and other price fluctuations being absorbed except in 2011. Buyer Power Linda’s recently increased the prices on some products and, according to their CEO, this has had no effect on their sales. Lindas believes that once they have a quality product, their customers will pay the price for it. As such we are of the opinion that buyer power is not a major factor at this point in time. Competitive Rivalry Lindas is second in the bread market to Kiss Company Limited and they state that they are number one in the pastry business in the country. Whilst Kiss sells the same product bread we are of the opinion that they have different target markets. Kiss is available from groceries to sidewalk shops throughout the country, whereas Lindas products are only available in their stores. Lindas products have little or no preservatives and they believe that this is to their advantage since some customers will choose their products over for this reason. Threat of Substitution Gluten Free â€Å"The number of consumers who think gluten-free is generally healthier fell from 46% in 2010 to 35% in 2012, and the number who thinks it is effective in managing weight fell from 30% to 27%.† (IFT 2014) Based on the premium in product costs, we do not foresee gluten-free entering the mainstream in TT. Threat of New Entry There are some significant barriers to entry for this type of business. Capital Requirements: The CEO of Lindas stated that the minimum investment required to enter this business is approximately $50 to $70 million. Two of their major investors are Prestige Holdings and Trent Restaurant Group. Economies of Scale: In order to produce bread and pastries for multiple geographic locations, capacity must be significant and utilization maximized. Lindas expanded its factory in El Socorro, where they prepare all the products to be distributed to all locations. Product Differentiation: Lindas has recently rolled out their Fresh line which is an attempt at differentiating their product line from other bakeries. Sector of the Economy Lindas is catergorised under the food and beverage manufacturing sector of the local economy. According to the Food and Beverage Industry Development Company, with the continued expansion of the local economy, the domestic food and beverage sector is expected to continue along its progressive track. In addition, expansion of the regional economy, renewed efforts for research and further product development, and strategic niche marketing will also support sustained growth over the longer term. (FoodAndBeverageTT.com 2015) Competition Trinidad and Tobago has a free market economy with Lindas Bakery operating in as an oligopoly. The bread market is dominated by the leader Kiss Baking Company followed by Lindas Bakery. There are other competitors but they are small in comparison. In order to compete at the same level as Lindas you would need to have at least $50-$70 million TTD in startup costs. Their products however are differentiated. They are price makers utilizing product differentiation by offering a wider range of high quality products some of which may not found in other bakeries. They have also added a new line called Lindas Fresh to accommodate changing customer demands and to stay one step away from the competitor. Customer Analysis Analysis of Demand and Supply There is limited statistical data on demand and supply within the industry. Therefore we made assumptions using the theoretical concepts and behavioural changes in wheat imports and consumer purchasing. Wheat imports steadily declined from 2011 to 2014 from 140 to 135. It is projected at 135,000 MT in 2014/2015MY in the Trade report and current USDA World Markets (USDA 2015). The wheat import forecast fell by -2 (1.45%) thd. mt in the 2014/2015 in comparison to 2013/2014 season. The opening stock for 2014/2015 was 5 thd. mt (indexmundi.com 2015). Using this trend we can assume that the consumption of flour based products (such as bread) has decreased over the years. We can assume that this may be due to lifestyle changes considering â€Å"There is an explosion of diabetes in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean and it is now the second leading cause of death in TT.† (Baboolal 2015) With a prevalence rate of 14.2% and an undiagnosed rate of 37.6%, it is possible that 1 out of 2 adults (20-79) in TT are diabetic (IDF 2015). We anticipate a surge of diabetic related issues over the medium to long term. According to the World Health Organization the life expectancy for Trinbagonians has increased from an average of 70.85 to 72.5 years. This can lead to suppliers producing less. Price Elasticity Lindas Bakery product is price inelastic. Their bread prices are lower when compared to Kiss Bakery; however Kiss is the market leader. Bread is considered to be a necessary commodity used in everyday life and is highly consumed in Trinidad. If there is an increase in price, then ceteris parabus, the quantity demanded will not decrease. The percentage of income spent is relatively low; there is a wide availability of substitutes, a high degree of necessity and no switching costs. Complementary and Substitute Products On a very basic level Lindas complemented their goods with drinks for sale, a common practice for most food outlets. For example the sale of a sandwich or Lindas fresh might increase the demand for drinks. However with a substitute the buyer might buy something other than the intended good in store but if the substitute is outside the business then the company will not maximise profit. Externalities (Positive and Negative) Positive externality in consumption is Lindas Bakery training their staff resulting in an increase of human capital. They are therefore able to educate other people who benefit from them. Positive externality in production is the tax break in manufacturing that will encourage entrepreneurship to lead to diversification, employment and economic growth. Free markets allow the negative externality in consumption is the increase rate of diabetes and obesity in Trinidad and Tobago. Conclusion There are major opportunities and challenges for Lindas within the current economic environment. Lindas Bakery has plans for expansion nationally and potentially regionally. Based on the expense to expand production capacity, Linda’s must continue on its current expansion path to effectively utilize this increase in production capacity. They can accomplish this expansion by utilizing their current resources and revenue to accomplish the task. As such they currently do not need to go for financing and are not affected by the increase in interest rate. This is another reason why we recommend Linda’s continue on its current expansion path. They can gain a competitive advantage through the application of technology. For example the introduction of an app can boost the companys visibility and brand awareness, generate sales and capture customer data to make projections. However, a major challenge for the company is the limited supply of labour in the country. Even though persons can seek employment at Lindas with limited experience, there exist easier options through government programmes. The application of technology above may also mitigate some of the burdens of in store staff by shifting the effort needed to the customer. Appendix Figure 1.1 Figure 1.2 Works cited Baboolal, Yvonne. 2015. Diabetes In TT Ranked No 2 Killer. Trinidad Tobago Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-03-12/diabetes-tt-ranked-no-2-killer. FoodAndBeverageTT.com,. 2015. Industry Profile | Food And Beverage Industry Development Committee |. http://www.foodandbeveragett.com/industry-profile/. Government of Trinidad Tobago. 2014. Budget Presentation 2015. Port of Spain. IDF, International Diabetes Federation. 2015. Trinidad And Tobago. http://www.idf.org/membership/nac/trinidad-and-tobago. IMF, International Monetary Fund,. 2015. Trinidad And Tobago And The IMF. http://www.imf.org/external/country/tto/. Indexmundi.com,. 2015. Trinidad And Tobago Wheat Imports By Year (1000 MT). http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=ttcommodity=wheatgraph=imports. Kissoon, Carolyn. 2014. Repo Rate Increases To 3.25 Per Cent. Trinidad Express. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Repo-rate-increases-to-325-per-cent-284545331.html. News.gov.tt,. 2015. Central Bank: Local Consumers â€Å"Pessimistic†. http://www.news.gov.tt/content/central-bank-local-consumers-pessimistic#.VRYEofnF_xV. Sloan, Elizabeth. 2014. The Top Ten Functional Food Trends.Food Technology.http://www.ift.org/food-technology/past-issues/2014/april/features/toptentrends.aspx. USDA, United States Department of Agriculture. 2015. ‘Data Analysis’. http://www.fas.usda.gov/data Wilson, Jeff, and Lydia Mulvany. 2015. Russians, Argentines, Cows Are Squeezing U.S. Wheat Price. Bloomberg.Com. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-29/russians-europeans-cows-are-squeezing-u-s-wheat-price.

Overcoming Misfortunes in Siddhartha :: Hesse Siddhartha Essays

Overcoming Misfortunes in Siddhartha On page 132 we read "Everything that was not suffered to the end and finally concluded, recurred, and the same sorrows were undergone." What does this mean in regards to Siddhartha and any other of the characters in Hesse's story? Do you agree with this statement? Explain. This quote is taken from the context of when Siddhartha is crossing the river and he sees his reflection and it looks like his father. This quote refers to a repeating of events. It is illustrated by Brahmin being separated from Siddhartha and Siddhartha being separated from his own son. This parallels the quote in three ways. Taken literally it identifies the "father-like-son" aspect of the situation. It can be taken as a metaphor for the endlessness of time as well. Taken out of context, this quote identifies that anything that is not followed or completely worked through will continue to exist and it will repeat itself. Siddhartha left his father, Brahmin, at a young age to join the ascetics. Siddhartha is now considering the pain his father must have gone through not seeing his son again. Siddhartha's son, too, was separated from his father. Without dealing with this situation, the distance between father and son would never be reconciled. Thus the situation Siddhartha had with Brahmin would be repeated. The quote can also be interpreted as a metaphor for time. Obvious recurrences can be noted in time, suggesting that time repeats itself. Instead of a river, another symbol can be used for time, perhaps a pool. According to this quote, things repeat themselves in time. In a pool objects float around until they finally make their way to the outlet. Events swirling around in time without reconciliation are "trapped" until they are dealt with. The entire pool makes up all that time is. All the experiences and thoughts of past, present, and future that have not been dismissed all contribute to the whole of time. If the quote stood alone, without the context of Siddhartha's reflections on his father and his son, it would state that anything that isn't finished through completion would forever hang in the cloud of time.

An investigation on the development of car safety and the importance of airbags Essay

Chemistry experiment to simulate the inflation of an airbag in case of a car crash Aim Our aim is to create a chemical reaction to demonstrate the rapid inflation used in automobiles. The inflation of an airbag is a very fast reaction, and the typical reactants used are a mixture of Calcium carbonate (CaCO3), Potassium nitrate (KNO3) and Silicon dioxide. When a car crash occurs a sensor in the car’s airbag triggers the reaction that will save the drivers life if the speed at which he is moving is greater than 16-24 km/h-1. The nitrogen has to be produces more quickly than the driver hitting the steering wheel. The entire reaction is completed in less than 1/25 of 1 sec, because of the danger of this reaction, to demonstrate in a similar way the reaction that takes place in an airbag we have chosen to inflate a balloon using the gas obtained by the reaction of a metal acid to produce sodium carbonate. Equation Ca(s) + 2HCl(aq) = Ca(aq) + (g) + O(l) Materials -Conical Flask -Cork with delivery tube -heat mats -spatula -chemicals (baking soda) – goggles (safety glasses) Procedure à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Gather all apparatus needed for the entire experiment à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Set up all apparatus à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Pour CaCo3 into the conical flask à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Add the HCl to the solution already in the conical flask à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Cover the flask with a cork delivery tube which will then allow to blow up the balloon à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Observe the reaction Conclusion Our experiment was successful in proving the function of an airbag of a car. Our experiment aimed to demonstrate the safety of the passengers of an automobile, through the use of an airbag. For our chemistry experiment we chose to adapt the airbag inflation to our IB program syllabus, hence by doing an experiment similar to the one we had already successfully completed during the school year. was the element produced that mainly inflated the balloon, the reaction took place almost immediately. Hence, we have experimented the chemical reaction of a metal acid that produced Sodium Carbonate and inflated a balloon, the reaction was similar to the inflation of an airbag, proving the same chemistry principles. Research Question: How airbags managed to improve automobile safety. Introduction: The development of airbags began with the idea for a system that would save automobile drivers and passengers in a car accident, whether they were wearing their seat belts or not. Nowadays, airbags are compulsory in new cars and are designed to act as a supplementary safety device in addition to a seat belt. Airbags were invented in 1953. The automobile industry started in the late 1950’s to research airbags and soon discovered that there were many difficulties in the development of an airbag. Crash tests showed that for an airbag to be useful as a protective device, the bag must deploy and inflate within 40 milliseconds. The system must also be able to detect the difference between a severe crash and a minor fender-bender. These technological difficulties slowed the airbag creation process of 30 years, and in fact, it was in the mid 1980s that airbags started to be installed in all cars produced. In recent years, increased reports in the media concerning deaths or serious injuries due to airbag deployment have led to a national discussion about the usefulness and â€Å"safety† of airbags. Questions are being raised as to whether airbags should be mandatory, and whether their safety can be improved. However, as Graph 1 and 2 demonstrate, airbags have saved lives and have lowered the number of severe injuries. Graph 1 This bar graph shows that there is a significantly higher reduction in moderate to serious head injuries for people using airbags and seat belts together than for people using only seat belts. Graph 2 Deaths among drivers using both airbags and seat belts are 26% lower than among drivers using seat belts alone. An airbag must be able to deploy in a matter of milliseconds from the initial collision impact. It must also be prevented from deploying when there is no collision. Hence, the first component of the airbag system is a sensor that can detect head-on collisions and immediately trigger the airbag’s deployment. One of the simplest designs employed for the crash sensor is a steel ball that slides inside a smooth bore. The ball is held in place by a permanent magnet or by a stiff spring, which inhibit the ball’s motion when the car drives over bumps or potholes. However, when the car decelerates very quickly, as in a head-on crash, the ball suddenly moves forward and turns on an electrical circuit, initiating the process of inflating the airbag. Once the electrical circuit has been turned on by the sensor, a pellet of sodium azide (NaN3) is ignited. A rapid reaction occurs, generating nitrogen gas (N2). This gas fills a nylon or polyamide bag at a velocity of 150 to 250 miles per hour. This process, from the initial impact of the crash to full inflation of the airbags, takes only about 40 milliseconds (Movie 1). Ideally, the body of the driver (or passenger) should not hit the airbag while it is still inflating. In order for the airbag to cushion the head and torso with air for maximum protection, the airbag must begin to deflate as the body hits it. Otherwise, the high internal pressure of the airbag would create a surface as hard as stone, a device that wouldn’t result useful to the passenger or driver. Evaluation: The kinetic theory of gases assumes that gases are ideal, thus that there are no interactions between molecules, and the size of the molecules is small compared to the free space between the molecules, but molecules are as a physical body that moves continually through space in random directions. In a microscopic view, the pressure exerted on the walls of the container is the result of molecules colliding with the walls, and hence exerting force on the walls (Graph 3). When many molecules hit the wall, a large force is distributed over the surface of the wall, which gives pressure. An important fact derived from the kinetic theory of gases shows that the average kinetic energy of the gas molecules depends only on the temperature. Since average kinetic energy is related to the average speed of the molecules (EK = mu2 / 2, where m=mass and u is the average speed), the temperature of a gas sample must be related to the average speed at which the molecules are moving. Thus, we can view temperature as a measure of the random motion of the particles, defined by the molecular speeds. This implies that there must be a range (distribution) of speeds for the system. In fact, there is a typical distribution of molecular speeds for molecules of a given molecular weight at a given temperature, known as the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution (Graph 3). This distribution was first predicted using the kinetic theory of gases, and was then verified experimentally using a time-of-flight spectrometer. As shown by the Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions in Graph 3, there are very few molecules traveling at very low or at very high speeds. The maximum of the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution shows the intermediate speed at which the largest number of molecules are traveling. As the temperature increases, the number of molecules that are traveling at high speeds increases, and the speeds become more evenly distributed in the curves. Graph 3 The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution can be shown graphically as the plot of the number of molecules traveling at a given speed versus the speed. As the temperature increases, this curve broadens and extends to higher speeds. As seen in Graph 3, there is a unique distribution curve for each temperature. Temperature is defined by a system of gaseous molecules only when their speed distribution is a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. Any other type of speed distribution rapidly becomes a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution by collisions of molecules, which transfer energy. Once this distribution is achieved, the system is said to be at thermal equilibrium, and hence has a temperature. When a body hits the steering wheel directly, the force of this impact is distributed over a small area of the body, resulting in injuries to this area. The area that hits the steering wheel is shown in red. When a body is restrained by an airbag, the force of the impact is distributed over a much larger area of the body, resulting in less severe injuries. The area that hits the airbag is shown in orange. Conclusion:The law of inertia, is demonstrated in a car collision and it is Newton’s first law which states that: objects moving at a constant velocity continue at the same velocity unless an external force acts upon them. When a car stops suddenly, as in a car incident, a body inside the car continues moving forward at the same velocity as the car was moving prior to the collision, because its inertial tendency is to continue moving at constant velocity. However, the body does not continue moving at the same velocity for long, but rather comes to a stop when it hits some object in the car, such as the steering wheel or dashboard. Thus, there is a force exerted on the body to change its velocity. Injuries from car accidents result when this force is very large. Airbags protect you by applying a restraining force to the body that is smaller than the force the body would experience if it hit the dashboard or steering wheel suddenly, and by spreading this force over a larger area. For simplicity, in the discussion below, we will consider only the case of a driver hitting the steering wheel. If there is a restraining device as an airbag, the force of impact decreases, hence, the airbag reduces the rate of deceleration. Therefore, the force on the body is smaller and fewer injuries result. When an airbag restrains the body, the body exerts an equal and opposite force on the airbag. Unlike the immovable steering wheel, the airbag is deflated slowly. This deflation can occur because of the presence of vents in the bag. The force exerted by the body pushes the gas through the vents and thus deflates the bag. Because the gas can only leave at a certain rate, the bag deflates slowly. Additionally, airbags help reduce injuries by spreading the force over a larger area. If the body crashes directly into the steering wheel, all the force from the steering wheel will be applied to a localized area on the body that is the size of the steering wheel, from which a serious injury can form. However, when the body hits an airbag, which is larger than a steering wheel, all the force from the airbag on the body will be spread over a larger area of the body. Therefore, the force on any particular point on the body is smaller. Hence, less serious injuries will occur, this will also help to save the driver’s and passenger’s life. This is how a simple chemical equation avoids the deaths of millions. Physic’s Experiment Investigating safety on cars Introduction As cars became increasingly powerful and fast, rate of incidents increased exponentially and, usually more violent. This meant, over the years, a constant research and development of new security measures, and even nowadays more and more new systems are introduced every day. This development gave birth to what we now consider to be the basic requirements of any safe car, such as seat belts, air bags and crumple zones. Crumple zones The structures that in cars are commonly known as crumple zones are areas placed on the front and usually on the rear of a vehicle that are designed to absorb energy during impact in a predictable and controlled way. In the late 1950s, the general population still believed that the stronger the structure of a car, the safer that car would be during an incident. Actually, however, this kind of construction criteria proved to be fatal to most passengers. This is because during a collision all the energy of the impact went directly to the vehicle and onto the passengers. In 1967, the Mercedes Heckflosse was the first mass production car in the world to feature â€Å"crumple zones† and a safety cage. In order to fit appropriate crumple zones, the truck was made almost 50% bigger. Nowadays car featuring crumple zones and rigid cabs are standard safety requirements in almost every car made throughout the world. The fact that a car that crushes more easily protects its passengers more than a car that does not crush at all, may seem strange, but, in fact, the reason for this seem obvious when considering the physics behind it. Newton’s first law states that a body will remain at rest or continue travelling at uniform motion (constant velocity) unless a force is acted on it. Therefore, in a situation in which a car is impacting with a wall, if a vehicle is travelling at 70 km/h, the passengers inside are doing the same, and when the vehicle collides with the wall and comes to a sudden stop, the passengers’ bodies will continue going in the same direction at the same speed, 70 km/h. As stated in the law, these bodies will keep on moving forward until they themselves collide with a part of the car or with another passenger. Even when the human body comes to rest in this kind of incident, its internal organs slam against each other and against bones. This will, of course cause, injuries to the passengers and sometimes even death. Newton’s second law of motion states that: The law conveys that as the time taken by the car to arrive to complete rest increases, the force transferred to the car and, therefore its passengers, will be decreased. On the other hand, if the amount of time to reach complete halt is decreased, the force experienced will be greater. Crumple zones are specifically designed in order to crush, absorbing part of the force of the collision. The force of the collision is given out during the impact in the form of heat, sound and in from of mechanical work done on the crumple zone. The front (and rear) part of the car acts as a cushion and it is able to increase the time taken to reach complete halt and, hopefully, save the passengers’ lives. However crumple zones only work provided there is no intrusion on external elements, like the engine, in the rigid cage. This concept can be easily explained thought a simply example. Take for instance two object, the first is a solid steel block, while the second is an aluminium can. When the solid steel block (or car with no crumple zones) impacts with the wall, the wall does not move and, instead, exerts an equal magnitude and opposite direction force on the block. This causes the block to bounce off the wall in an elastic manner, conserving almost all its initial kinetic energy (EK) and, therefore, experiencing a large force. On the other hand when considering the aluminium can, the situation is different. When an aluminium can (or a car with crumple zones) impacts with a wall, it does not conserve all of its initial kinetic energy (EK). This is because, instead of just bouncing off, some of the kinetic energy is transformed into mechanical work, heat and sound , during the squashing of the crumple zones. The result is a smaller force acted on the can. The action of crumple zones increases the time of collision and lessens the amount of force experienced by the aluminium can. Specific materials As seen in the previous section, the material with which different parts of the vehicle are built are of primary importance. Depending on how we want specific parts of the car to behave, specific material must be chosen. For instance, crumple zones are expected to crush easily, while the inner rigid cage is supposed to withstand higher forces without braking. Based on this information we can determine that the best material to build a crumple zone is an easily bendable metal like aluminium, instead for the rigid cage, a much harder alloy like steel. Alloys are partial or complete solid solutions of one or more elements (metallic or/and non-metallic) in a metallic lattice. Alloys usually present different properties from those of the elements composing them. Alloying one metal with one or more metals or non-metals often improves the properties of the starting elements. For instance, when considering steel we can see how this alloy is stronger than its primary element, iron (Fe). Even though physical properties, such as density, reactivity, electrical and thermal conductivity, of the alloy does not differ inn great amount from those of its constituent elements, engineering properties such as tensile strength and shear strength can differ considerably. The tensile strength of a material is the maximum amount of tensile stress (measured in Newton) that it can tolerate before it tears to parts. The shear strength, instead, is the ability of the material to resist shear stress. The increase in both tensile strength and shear strength are usually due to the sizes of the atoms in the alloy. Larger atoms in the alloy apply a compressional stress on neighbouring atoms, and smaller atoms apply a tensional stress on their neighbours. This particular composition of alloys helps to resist deformation when a strong force is applied on it. Even when the amounts of each element in an alloy are altered slightly, this presents huge differences in physical engineering properties and behaviour. For instance, very small amounts of carbon (C) (between 0.2% and 2.1%) are added to iron (Fe) and act as hardening agents preventing dislocation of the iron atoms. From the image on the left it is possible to see how the atoms of carbon (A) place in between the atoms of iron (B), preventing the sliding of the layers of iron atoms. However, in case the amount of carbon was excessive, this would have the opposite effect, causing the iron to be brittle and break easily. Some alloys are made by melting and mixing two or more metallic elements. The first alloy ever discovered was bronze, it was made of copper and tin, and was discovered during the prehistoric period known as the bronze age. It was originally used to make tools and weapons, but later it has been used for ornaments, bells, statues, and bearings. Video of crash tests Investigating the effectiveness on crumple zones during a frontal collision SUV Mass of the trolley/kg Distance from the wall /m Time taken/s Distance travelled after collision/m Detailed history of the airbag production Invented at the start of the 1950s, it only came to wide use during the 1960s. Air bag-equipped cars have demonstrated, both in controlled tests and everyday use, their effectiveness and reliability (in frontal collisions, deaths for drivers, were lowered by 28 percent in vehicles featuring air bags). In order to answer to the increased of safety concerns of the consumers, the federal government has forced all car manufacturers to upgrade the safety features installed on their cars. The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations require that all cars sold in the US, being produced starting from year 1990, had to feature a passive restraint system. Passive restraint systems are security systems that require no activation by the driver and usually are identified to be automatic seat belts and air bags. For air bags, until year 1994 the regulations only require a driver’s air bag and must include passive protection on the passenger’s side (seatbelts). Later, in 1991, a new law required both driver and passenger air bags in all cars by year 1998 and in light trucks and vans by year 1999. Air bags are inflatable cushions designed to protect car passengers from serious or even fatal injury in case of a collision. The air bag is part of a system, also known as an air cushion restraint system (ACRS) or an air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) (they are called supplemental because the air bag is designed to supplement the protection of seat belts). When detecting a collision, the air bags inflate instantly to provide the passenger with a big gas-filled cushion. A typical air bag system consists of an air bag module (containing an inflator or gas generator and an air bag), crash sensors, a diagnostic monitoring unit, a steering wheel connecting coil, and an indicator lamp. These components are all interconnected by a wiring harness and powered by the vehicle’s battery. Air bag sensors are specifically designed to prevent the air bag from inflating when the car travels over a bump or in case of a minor collision. In a frontal impact equivalent to hitting a solid barrier at a speed of 14.5 Km/h, the sensors located in the front of the car detect the sudden deceleration and send an electrical signal activating an initiator. The initiator is similar to a light bulb and contains a thin wire that heats up, breaking through the propellant chamber. This sudden penetration causes the solid chemical propellant, usually sodium azide, sealed up inside the inflator to undergo a very quick chemical reaction. This controlled reaction produces harmless blasts of the nitrogen gas that inflates the air bag. The resulting nitrogen gas fills the nylon bag in less than one-twenty-fifth (1/25) of a second, opening its plastic cover on the stirring wheel and inflating in front of the passenger before this hits the stirring wheel. As the occupant hits the inflated bag, the nitrogen gas is pushed out through some openings at the back of the bag. The bag remains fully inflated for no longer than one-tenth (1/10) of a second and is almost completely deflated by three-tenths (3/10) of a second after the impact with the passenger. Talcum powder or corn starch is used to line the inside of the air bag and is released from the air bag as it is opened causing the characteristic white cloud. Components of an airbag An air bag is formed by three main parts: the nylon bag, the inflator, and the propellant. The bag is made from a woven nylon fabric and can differ in shape and size depending on the specific vehicle safety requirements. Talcum powder or corn starch is used when handling the air bag, since either of the two substances prevents the woven nylon fabric from sticking together and makes assembling process easier. The inflator body is made from either stamped stainless steel or cast aluminium. Inside the inflator body there is a filter assembly formed by a stainless steel wire mesh with ceramic material held in between. When the inflator body is assembled in the factory, the filter assembly is wrapped by a metal foil to maintain the filter sealed preventing propellant contamination. The propellant, typically sodium azide ,in the form of black pellets, is combined with an oxidizer and is usually located inside the inflator body between the filter assembly and the initiator. Evaluation While analysing how I dealt with the Group Four Project, I noticed some facts that I could have improved, hence improvements that could be done in how my Group Four has worked. The members of my Group Four Project were: Jacopo Mauro, Daniel Gardin, Maria Airchinsky, Edoardo Nalon and Laure Rasscheart. I noticed that when we started to work at the project, we weren’t working as a team, as we still didn’t know what we really had to do, as time passed we got to know each other better and gained more confidence, thus, we started to work more as a team and we managed to assign tasks inside within the group, for example: Edoardo had to contact some car stores and to gather information about the crumple zones and the materials used in the car production, Jacopo and Daniel were the ones who worked on the physics experiment, since they are the two members of the group who have taken the physics course, while Laure, Maria and I did the chemistry experiment, since we had the idea of the inflation of a balloon as a representation of an airbag. The project could have been done in a more efficient way; we lost a lot of time to actually start with various ideas, set the experiments, and start working as a group, although it is possible to recognize the fact that our problems in getting organized were also due the fact that the members of the group never had study periods at the same time. Probably, something that could have really helped our report was to have a â€Å"leader† perhaps not the smartest, but the one who could have made sure that everyone who was actually proceeding with their tasks, and not wait for the last minute to do so. Perhaps he/she could have given the others some deadlines, and set up meetings to see how everyone was doing. Another thing that we could have improved in our Group 4 Project was that we didn’t have many meetings, we had also the summer to work on it, and we didn’t really do much, so we waited for September when we came back from vacations to start again to worry about finishing the project. Moreover, every member of the group was at a different level in chemistry and math, for example: Jacopo and Daniel are very good at chemistry and physics, in fact they chose the scientific course, while Laure, Edoardo, Maria and I don’t even take physics and aren’t objectively very good in chemistry. However, what emerged from our difficulties was a complex and elaborated project, a research on an important thematic such as safety in the streets, focusing on car accidents. Our project could be expanded on an international scale by suggesting other schools to perform the same research as we did, hence rising internationally the awareness in students on how chemistry and physics are important on a daily basis, how these subjects are at the base of our most important healthy issues.

A Commentary on “The Last Verse” Essay

The article titled â€Å"The Last Verse â€Å"by Burkhard Bilger that appeared in the New Yorker on April 28, 2008 basically talks about the hardships and sacrifices that one encounters if he seeks to pursue folk music, the kind of music that passes from generation to generation.   Interestingly, the author tells the story based on the experiences of   Ã‚  two individuals who were driven to seek folk music by differing motives: one for inspiration and the other for preservation. Both Lance Ledbetter and Art Rosenbaum are avid fans of folk music but Ledbetter was more attracted to it due to its obscurity. Rosenbaum believed that folk music is part of the traditional American culture and wanted to preserve it while Ledbetter appreciated the inspiration that folk music can trigger in music artists. But no matter how different their motives had been, both had personally witnessed and experienced the hardships and sacrifices that each had to go through just to obtain and produce it. This is mainly because folk music ,in its purest, unadulterated , traditional form are sung only by old folks ( using crude , ordinary or unlikely instruments in some cases)   who live in the most isolated places one can imagine , a place where technological advancement had not yet   made a deep impression.    And when they get to find the desired old folk singer, they   have to deal with their eccentricities (perhaps due to old age) and worse of all, when they do record an album they have to be prepared for low sales but may   be consoled by rave reviews with University archives as avid fan( Bilger, 2008, pp. 52- 61). Nevertheless, the story rightly told in print what most people knew or felt   all along, that folk music is a thing of the past   or that in the face of technological advancement and modern taste, it just had to remain in the background if not disappear altogether. Like all other works or art, music had to evolved, and along with its evolution is the incorporation of technologies that can easily adjust sound recordings with the tip of the finger.   In other words, when one listens to the music one cannot truly appreciate its originality or the context it was made because it had been improved, edited and transferred with the help of technology, removing most of its human touch in the process. Bilger relates that in original recorded folk music one can either hear â€Å"the hollow thump of the artist’s palm against the guitar†¦ the intake of his breath†¦the murmur of voices in the background or the clacking of pool balls† (Bilger, 2008, pp. 61-62). The difficulties of obtaining recorded music unsullied by modern technology are just proof of the reality that folk music, in its unadulterated form, is closely tied to the past.   Folk music somehow symbolizes life in the past when it was more relaxed, pure, no nonsense and perhaps carefree. Folk music, like other antique artifacts, are man’s last attempt to hold on to the kind of life what our forefathers had known for thousands of years , generations after generations, before life changed so   quickly   the moment man invented modern technology. Since folk music is â€Å"the sound and spirit of the forgotten world† it is no wonder then that the new generation did not appreciate it as much as those who had gone before us (Bilger, 2008, p 57).   Modern music had many genres and folk music can still be part of it but at this time it is very much improvised, revised, edited and often than not just as source of inspiration presented with all the embellishments that modern technology can muster for commercialization. Folk music alone in its purity just cannot thrive in our world, like what Ledbetter had done, it had to be repackaged beautifully to make it to hopefully sing again.   The title of Bilger’s article had a subtitle â€Å"Is there any folk music still out there?†.   Ledbetter and Rosenbaum found out that there still was through the old folks they painstakingly sought but as these old folk music carriers die, the next generation will just have to settle themselves to hearing folk music that are   compiled   and preserved in University Archives for it is there that the oral tradition of transferring music finally ends. Question : Why is it difficult for folk music to thrive in modern times? Work Cited Bilger, Burkhard. â€Å"The Last Verse: Is there any folk music still out there?† The New Yorker 28 April 2008: 52-63.

The Evil Force Of Abigail Will essays

The Evil Force Of Abigail Will essays In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams- the main character- is a wicked, confident girl who lies to get what she wants. Abigail defends her name and her life through evil means. Evil in The Crucible is most forcefully portrayed through Abigail Williams. Evil is shown through Abigail in many ways. Abigail utilizes three main ways to complete her evil desires. Abigail shows her evil through harlotry, lunacy, and accusations. Abigail is a harlot, and from such harlotry stemmed the evils of The Crucible. Her relationship with John Proctor and her animosity towards Goody Proctor all stem from her evil ways of lechery. Abigail loved John, but John only had lust for her because of strains in his marriage. This lust became evident when Abigail speaks with John about their relationship, I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! Or did I dream that? Its she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now! (22). Later John replies, "I will cut of my hand before I'll ever reach for you again." John knows he did wrong and has repented his ways, however Abigail refuses to forget and repent; she wishes to runaway with John and stay with him. Abigail knowingly gave herself to John Proctor- even though he was married-, which shows that Abigails lust for John is the lust of a common whore fo r worldly pleasures. Abigail is evil and uses her lunacy to take control of situations. This lunacy became apparent through constant lies and threats. Abigail is respectful on the surface but she hides her resentment and disrespect. She talks back to defend her name and in Act One, she lies to Parris, No one was naked! You mistake yourself, uncle! (11). She is also aggressive and forceful, the other girls are afraid of her. When Mary Warren suggested that they should confess to dancin...

How Did Deng Xiaoping Justify the Introduction of Capitalism Into a Essay

How Did Deng Xiaoping Justify the Introduction of Capitalism Into a Socialist State - Essay Example In this case, he advocated for the introduction of market reforms though the future of these plans had already sparked a lot of negative signs prior to its introduction. From a closer scrutiny of the Xiaoping’s approach to the entire situation, it can be argued that he was not well motivated to steer the entire program to its completion. However, it is important to note that the leader was much more concerned with making the process work despite the negatives. Deng Xiaoping justified the introduction of capitalism into a socialist state by virtue that the peasants had spent a great deal of their time saving the amounts of produce produced to themselves as opposed to selling them to the free market. In the opinion of Deng Xiaoping, the entire would be better off if they handled both the profits and losses from their businesses. If collective responsibility would be adopted in the society, Deng Xiaoping believed that the entire country would be more productive for the reason tha t all persons would be careful not to incur any form of losses, as compared to shared profits and losses. The same case would apply for the industrial sector; in that if the factories incurred losses, they would find their own way of dealing with the blunders made. In this view point, Xiaoping’s need to come up with policies of capitalism in this socialist state was to awaken the aura of responsibility among its citizens. On another point of view, Xiaoping aimed at creating a conducive environment for the investors to come into the country. Though a lot of profits went to hands of a few persons, Xiaoping was contented with the fact that the country was undergoing a form of awakening from the fact that profits and losses were not collectively shared, but all investors whether the rich and the poor had to make all initiatives to deal with the current tough economic drawback. In turn, the society resulted into a mass of hardworking persons, all with the aim of pulling their own efforts together for their success. It can debatably be indicated that the validation of the overture of capitalism into a socialist China regime can be accredited to the fact that Xiaoping was looking for a lifelong resolution to the depression that was being experienced in the country. Xiaoping was certainly setting a ground for capitalism roots, through the move faced a lot of critics. In my standpoint, I am of the outlook that this aspect has a lot to contribute to the transition of the country from free enterprise to socialism. The prospects of privatization, in his opinion would create a new aura in the citizens who would be keen in all endeavors they make in terms of economic developments and investors. It cannot be ignored that the leader was not bound to stop at anything, an explanation of the fact that he named his policy, socialist market economy, which clearly was inclusive of capitalist policies despite the title. In your opinion, to what extent had these pro-market app roaches affected CCP's capacity to control the Chinese society? In an attempt to deal with all these changes that were taking place in the country, CCP's capacity to

Financial Reporting for Sainsbury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Reporting for Sainsbury - Essay Example Income 640 585 Revenue 21,102 19,964 Net Profit Margin (Net Income / Revenue) 3.03% 2.93% (Sainsbury’s Annual Report 2011) The net profit margin indicates that over the past two year period, the company has increased its earning per dollar of revenue earned as it net profit margin percentage has increased from 2.93% in 2010 to 3.03% in 2011.additionally, for the current year, we can see that the company has earned 3 cents in net profit or net income against each dollar of revenue that it has earned in 2011. These net profit margin figures are also indicative of the fact that the company has been able to grow and improve its pricing strategy, reduce its operational costs and reduce its liability costs (interest to be paid) over the year which had led to an increase of 0.1% over the year (Ratio – Profit Margin, 2012, 3 Financial Ratios, 2012) Stockholders Equity Ratio: Details 2011 2010 Total Liabilities 5,475 5,679 Stockholders Equity 4,221 4,157 Stockholders Equity Rati o (Total Liabilities / Stockholders Equity) 1.30 1.37 (Sainsbury’s Annual Report 2011) The stockholders equity ratio indicates that the company has leveraged its equity and taken loans and established liabilities against it. The ratio is indicative of the number of times the company has leveraged itself over its equity. This implies that in 2011, the company has leveraged about 1.3 times its equity which has actually reduced from the previous year when it was 1.37 in 2010. A high ratio of stockholders equity indicates that the company has an aggressive financing mode and would like to grow through financial leverage instead of organic growth through buildup of retained earnings. For an organization that is in the retail sector, leverage ratios are generally ranging from 1.5 to 1.68 which means that... Center of discussion in this paper is Sainsbury Supermarket Ltd. Is a child company of Sainsbury’s PLC which is also commonly known as Sainsbury’s and is also the third largest retail outlet in the United Kingdom with a market share ranging to about 17%. Sainsbury’s has a long and hard history with several brand and organizational re-launches and which dates back to the 19th century in the Victorian Era. It became the largest retail store in London in the early 1920’s and is considered as a pioneer for self service in a retail store. In the early 1990’s, Tesco and Asda became larger than Sainsbury’s and took over its market share letting it slide down to the third position in the retail industry. In 2010-11, Sainsbury launched several sponsorship programs, the most popular of which is the sponsorship for 2012 Paralympics. In 2011, Sainsbury’s also opened its 1000th store which is based in Scotland and marks a major milestone for the co mpany and for the entire Sainsbury’s group. The financial analysis for Sainsbury’s includes two major ratios which are Net Profit Margin and Stockholder’s Equity Ratio. The case in point was the annual report for 2010-11 for Sainsbury’s Supermarket Ltd. which is one of the largest retail stores in the United Kingdom. The analysis of its ratios indicates that the company has shown great promise and its net profit margin has shown an improvement over the two year time period while its leverage is also significantly lower than an average of the retail companies.