Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Combining Melodrama and Docudrama through Various Mise-en-Scene to Essay

Combining Melodrama and Docudrama through Various Mise-en-Scene to Create Portraits of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana - Essay Example Instead, the film concentrates on Queen Elizabeth’s reaction and immediate behaviour following the death of Diana. It attempts to create a very specific portrait of the Queen as both a monarch and an emotional and flawed human being. Though the character of Diana is not acted out, through real video footage, media excerpts and the opinions of many people, a portrait is also created of her, as well as the Queen. In this way, the focus is on both the character of Diana and the character of the Queen, conveyed through entirely different mediums. While the Queens portrait is represented through the actual characters judgements, behaviours, thoughts and actions, Diana is manifested through images, media files and the statements of others including the general public. The film achieves these portrayals by combining elements of both melodrama and docudrama, and through several mise-en-scene components, including dialogue, music, costume, props and lighting. Both melodrama and docudra ma are generally identified as sub-categories of drama. Melodrama focuses on emotional premises and interpersonal conflict to appeal to the emotionality of the audience. As a genre it was often ridiculed by theatre critics of the 19th and early 20th centuries but has gained merit in the latter half of the 20th century and is now arguably one of the most written about Hollywood genres (Singer, 2001). It often heightens and exaggerates the plot or the natural and realistic emotional conflicts involved in a story in order to heighten and enhance this type of appeal. It typically involves a heroine and a villain and is often identified with the objective to make the viewer cry, as noted by Neale (1986), â€Å"a feature crucial to melodrama...its ability to move its spectators and in particular to make them cry†. Docudrama on the other hand, is drama based upon actual historical events. It usually attempts to re-enact actual occurrences as true to life as possible, albeit long aft er the event actually happened. An evolution of the documentary genre, â€Å"films based on fact raise so many questions...that for the purposes of study, it is profitable to regard them as belonging to a different species called docudrama†, (Rosenthal, 1999). As a sort of dramatised documentary, this sub-genre has often been questioned for its representation of truth and fact, however, Fraser (1999) postulates that when docudrama is done well, the audience generally understands what is fact and what is fiction. Lipkin (2002) suggests that the premise of a truth within a docudrama, serves to launch the work in a different direction than standard documentation. This film can be categorized within both of these genres, as it features significant elements of both subsets. While the film is quite obviously a docudrama, in that it tells the real story of actual historical events according to accurate dates, locations, people involved and factual events, it also portrays intimate m oments which are not necessarily fact. Such scenes have been interpreted according to general knowledge and common assumptions, often with a view to making them more melodramatic and in line with the emotional conflict of the story. In this way, melodrama is also an identifying aspect of the film. For example, in scenes of Diana’s funeral, real news footage is used, accurate dates are given and even real people involved are shown. The film makes use of

Monday, October 28, 2019

Case Study Wal-Mart Essay Example for Free

Case Study Wal-Mart Essay Evaluate the general environment of Wal-Mart using the framework in Chapter 2. What are the key opportunities and threats facing Wal-Mart? (This is the OT of a SWOT analysis)Wal-Marts builds its stores in towns with a population size of 5000-25,000 people. Wal-Mart has recently started to tap into the more populated city suburbs by building smaller less obtrusive stores in those regions. Wal-Mart targets every age group from infants to senior citizens. Wal-Marts geographically places its stores in rural less populated areas with very few employment opportunities. Wal-Mart tries to attract all income levels by selling brand name items along with generic brand items. Wal-Mart approaches its global market by evaluating market potential based on economic and political risk, growth potential, and availability of real estate for development. In countries that had became saturated Wal-Mart used acquisitions to acquire ownership. In markets that were not saturated and land was easily accessible Wal-Mart used organic growth. The technology that Wal-Mart uses to run their business is unmatched. They have a network of satellites that can track a person purchase and automatically refurbish those items from suppliers without any human intervention. Wal-Mart maximizes efficiency by using effective technology to gain a competitive advantage. Wal-Mart has grown into a global empire and has become the world largest private employer and the number one retailer in the world. Despite all of this success Wal-Mart still has a huge opportunity to grow. Wal-Mart continues to adapt to the ever-changing economy by remodeling their store and by placing the customer as their number one priority. Wal-Mart took advantage of its rural locations early on and gained a significant competitive advantage, now Wal-Mart is taking on the urban environment by placing stores in the outskirts of major metropolitan areas. At first local residents rejected the idea of having a Wal-Mart in their neighborhood for fear it would drive down property value and unwanted individuals to their suburbanite neighborhood. Wal-Mart quickly resolved this problem by changing the format and size of their stores located in these regions. The only threats to Wal-Mart faces are mostly from within (eg..) lawsuits employee disputes and the threat to become unionized. Use Porters Five Forces Model to analyze the global retailing industry. Given this analysis, is the industry attractive or unattractive? Support  your decision. Wal-Mart is a huge threat to new entrants. Wal-Mart has created huge barriers to new entries by offering one stop shopping. Wal-Marts Super Centers offer everything from prepared meals to sports gear. Grocery chains have taken a huge hit because of this, even Kmart is feeling the heat, there stock hit rock bottom in 2004. The discount clothing and apparels have also taken a bite from this retail giant. Wal-Mart has produced a very proficient economy of scale from incremental improvements that they have acquired since becoming so large. Manufactures scramble to try and keep up with the huge demand that Wal-Mart places on its suppliers, this further reduces the prices of goods and services for their customers. Small-scale entries are nearly impossible in a region where Wal-Mart is located. Large-scale entries face the retaliation factor when trying to tap into Wal-Marts market because suppliers are forced to do things the Wal-Mart way. Wal-Mart has successfully customized many of their products and forced manufactures have been forced to produce the Wal-Mart brand. Wal-Mart has taken total control of the bargaining power of suppliers. Wal-Mart has a small group of buyers based in Bentonville Arkansas thats in charge of managing the purchasing of all retail stores. Wal-Mart is responsible for selling 35% of all pet food, 24% of all toothpaste, the largest volume of jewelry, groceries, DVDs, CDs, toys, guns, diapers, sporting goods, bedding, and numerous other things. This has put the retail giant in a very favorable negotiating position with suppliers. Wal-Mart has generated a huge market of loyal buyers by supplying them with the lowest possible prices for quality products. With Wal-Mart having such a huge share of the market and good prices there is no need for buyers to seek deals elsewhere. Wal-Mart has proven to be a huge threat of substitute products in several industries for example the jewelry industry, Wal-Mart has become one of the leading jewelry dealers in the North America. Wal-Mart has also created its own brand name for several of its items that have been so successful that manufactures are forced to produce products bearing the Wal-Mart brand. Wal-Mart competitors have to be very calculated with their responses because Wal-Mart is so large it can really drive a business under ground (Kmart). What is Wal-Marts business-level strategy? Is the strategy appropriate to offset the forces in the industry? Do you recommend any changes? If not, support your decision why you would not recommend any changes. Wal-Mart uses Integrated Lost Leadership/Differentiation Strategy. Wal-Mart has offset the forces in the industry by creating the most efficient supply chain in the industry. Efficient production has allowed Wal-Mart to keep cost low and pass own saving to its customers. Wal-Mart has successfully used Integrated Cost Leadership/Differentiation Strategy by setting the pace in new technology and adapting quickly to new technologies in their external environment. Concentration on the needs of its core customers (discount retailers), Wal-Mart has created a friendly family environment thats economically smart and beneficial to its patrons. Flexibility is one of Wal-Marts strongest assets, which allows them to complete primary and support activities in ways that allow them to produce somewhat differentiated products at a low cost. I would not personally recommend any changes to this strategy because it has made Wal-Mart the worlds largest retailer. What is your evaluation of the leadership at Wal-Mart?Wal-Mart has become the most successful business in the world through its un-yielding leadership. Mr. Walton has laid the foundation for success for years to come. The leaders at Wal-Mart focus on providing the customer with the highest possible quality at the lowest possible cost. They have redefined the retail industry with their cutting edge technology and flexibility that is un-matched by any competitor. The fact that upper management travel in economy class shows a lot about the character within the organization. The leadership at Wal-Mart has made the world we live in much smaller through economic availability and convenience. The leaders at Wal-Mart are a true example of profit through customer satisfaction. Works Cited Hitt, M., Ireland, R., Hoskisson, R. (2007), Strategic Management, Competitiveness andGlobalization: Concepts and Cases. 7th ed. Mason: Thomson South-Western(August 21, 2006). Global Labor Strategies: Wal-Mart: The Homefront. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2007,

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Changes In The Narrators View Of Sonny Essays -- essays research p

The Changes in the Narrator's View of Sonny Can one know another's thoughts? Through dialogue, actions, and events, the thoughts and views of a man of whom we know not even a name are shown. The man is the narrator of "Sonny's Blues" and his thoughts we are shown are those directed towards his brother. Over the course of the story, there are three major stages or phases that the narrator goes through, in which his thoughts about his brother change. We see that those stages of thought vary greatly over the narrator's life, from confusion about his brother to understanding. Each phase brings different views of his own responsibility toward his brother, his brother's manhood, and his brother's sense of reality. Through out the story, three of the narrator's view are changed, the first of which is Sonny's manhood. During the first phase, early in the story, the narrator showed that he viewed Sonny as a child. "I was beginning to realize that I'd never seen him so upset before... [and decided this was] one of those things kids go through and that I shouldn't make it seem important."(49) This quote is an example of how the narrator viewed his brother. He not only thought Sonny acted as a kid, but was also too young to be planning a future or career. "He still wasn't a man yet, he was still a child, and they had to watch out for him in all kinds of ways."(51) The narrator decided that he would plan Sonny's future and when Sonny rebelled, the narrator saw it as yet another childish action. Another way in which the narrator's overall view changed was his view on whether Sonny's idea of reality was sound. Still in the first phase, the narrator often presents his view of reality and when Sonny rejects it, the narrator feels Sonny is being unreasonable. For instance, "'Well Sonny,' I said, gently, "you know people can't always do exactly what they want to do-' 'No I don't think that,' said Sonny, surprising me."(49) Actually, Sonny understood life much more clearly than the narrator, but the narrator did not realize that then. He thought that perhaps Sonny was just too young or too high on drugs to understand what life was about. Finally, the third view changed was the narrator's responsibility towards Sonny. Before the brothers' mother died, the narrator promised he would take it upon himself to take care of Sonny shou... ... finally started caring about Sonny instead of try to care for Sonny. He no longer saw him as just something to be taken care of, he finally began to see him as a brother. He became sensitive to what offended Sonny and took caution to avoid them. He was willing to be interested in what Sonny interested in. Finally, he was willing to sit and listen to Sonny instead of telling him how to run his life. All of these were drastic changes from when their mother had first died and improved the brothers' relationship. Through out the story it is as if the narrator is descending a stair well. Each stage that the narrator goes through is another flight of stairs and each flight of stairs he descends brings him closer to an understanding of Sonny. The narrator descended one flight and it changed his views one way, another flight and his views changed again. During the whole ordeal he can see Sonny, yet his views of Sonny are distorted or blurred. After each stage he believes his new view is the correct one, however it is not until he reaches the ground that he gets a true idea of what Sonny is like. It is then that he brings himself down to Sonny's level and begins seeing Sonny as an equal.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Waterfall Model

The waterfall model approach in project management has gotten its name due to the cascading effect of its stages; there is a progress from a certain stage to another like in the waterfall flow. The function and management undergo different stages and step-by-step procedure wherein in a certain stage you cannot jump to the next step without completing and perfecting the previous one, the initial stage serves a prerequisite to the next stage and so on.Also in this approach, once you completed a certain level or stage you can not go back to the prior stage. There is no leaping back and overlapping allowed between different phases. The waterfall model is also referred as the linear sequential model or the software life cycle. This model has eight distinct, sequential phases which are the system viability, system plan, outline design, detail design, coding, execution, and operation and maintenance(in sequential order). Each phase also has a justification or confirmation segments.In justif ication, the result is being tested whether it fits the operation used, meaning the result is being validated. In confirmation, the system structure is being verified to know if correct operations are applied. The model enforces disciplines as it requires the prior stage be completed first before you may proceed with the next phase, as each stage has its starting and ending point and progress can be categorically recognized. This approach is valuable in information technology for the better understanding of the whole system.The operations in information technology are sequential; you cannot understand the higher phase of the system without fully understanding the basics. The output of the previous stage will be the input for the next stage. Furthermore, the model has a sequence of activities that is clear, understandable and easy to follow which makes it easy for everyone to use. In addition, it will present a more accurate project management and control because the system requires completion and perfection of a certain stage before moving on to the next.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

“A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” by John Donne Essay

Throughout the years, humans have rewritten what true love means. The contemporary meaning of true love is the feeling of lightheartedness that one experiences when around another human. True love in Shakespeare and Donne’s time period, was a deep spiritual and emotional connection towards two humans. The connection never fades and grows stronger with separation. Many people believe that one can fall in and out of love; however, many poets wrote about a love that will never disappear. The love that they depicted regarded the truest of all loves. As beauty and time fades, true love will remain forever strong. William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 is an extremely well-known poem for its description of true love. The love that the persona describes does not admit impediments and is unchanging and perfect. According to him, love acts like a guiding star for lost ships, not shaken in storms. Love will guide two people throughout their lives and will not fall apart in the stormy times. Shakespeare is completely certain that what he describes is true love to the point where he says that if his statements can be proved false, then he should have never written a single word and that no man has ever been in love. The ideal, romantic love outlasts even death and admits no flaw. Throughout the three quatrains, Shakespeare breaks down love into the simplest forms; in quatrain one, he states that love is not changeable; in  quatrain two, love is a like a fixed mark that guides ships throughout storms; and in the third quatrain, he says that love is not Time’s fool, stating that he is certai n that what he describes is true love. â€Å"It proposes a love which exists in an unchanging present, impervious to time’s millioned accidents† (Hammond 211). The start of the sonnet provides a definition of a love, which eventually excludes all action, identity, and knowledge (211). Shakespeare’s beginning lines of this sonnet are reminiscent of marriage vows that a couple repeats to one another during the service (212). â€Å"Alteration and remover are primarily words to describe infidelity† (213). The Day of Judgment is the only time in which love may cease to exist (Vendler 490). The young man, by mentioning these impediments, has announced  the strengthening of his own attachment to the listener, reinforcing the marriage of true minds. One must wonder how a marriage can last if it is not made of true love. Perhaps the persona realizes that God requires that each partner love the other, through sickness and health, forsaking others until death do each part. Those requirements can only be held onto in a marriage of true love. In another verse, titled A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne, a second persona describes how true love acts and is evident in daily life. Many historians believe that Donne wrote the poem for his wife, Anne Donne, before his departure in 1611, for France. The valediction is the guise in which the speaker attempts to persuade his lover to remain assured of his love while he is gone (Cavanaugh para. 2). He tries to define and rejoice in a love that transcends the physical realm, proving that their love can survive the separation (Bennett 178). The  separation of the lovers is like the separation that is caused by death. The physical bond that he shares with his wife will dissolve quietly like the soul of dying man (Bennett 179). Donne expresses his need for no tears and crying, believing that they should not reveal their sacred love. He asserts that if they would display their affections of their grief, their love would be defiled and would be no better than that love of ordinary people (182). â€Å"When disturbances happen between their love, if he leaves, it will be like the far-off trembling in the heavens and will be innocent and have no major bearing on their relationship† (Bennett 181). The love Donne describes is one that transcends the physical nature of relationships. Ordinary lovers are caught up in the physical presence of the other person; however the perfect love he enjoys does not need the presence of the physical body to survive (183). As speaker and his partner are connected at the soul, they will never be separated, even though their physical bodies might be. In the sixth stanza, Donne describes his love as pure and precious as gold. Their love can be stretched and expanded without damage, just as pure gold is malleable (185). Donne’s most famous comparison occurs in the seventh  stanza, where he compares his love to â€Å"stiff twin compasses.† Joan Bennett describes the compass as the following: The twin compasses are described as two only in the sense that there are two legs joined permanently at the top. One leg, â€Å"the fixed foot† is planted firmly in the center. The other â€Å"travels†, describing a perfect circle, returning to its point of origin. The â€Å"fixed foot† of the center foot â€Å"leans and harkens† after the other that â€Å"far doth roam†. The speaker explains that the center foot, the person who stays at home, makes sure the absent lover comes back to for a complete circle because of its firmness (para. 18). With the circle having no beginning or end, Donne describes what a perfect love is. No man has detailed love in such an unique way that grips at the hearts and souls of the readers. One only hopes to find the love that Donne has expressed. Throughout the two poems, love is shown to be much more than a physical attraction between two people. The attraction between two people can create lust, but a deep connection between two people creates a love in its truest of forms. True love could be likened to a pole to hold on to when a moment in time becomes too difficult. The steadfastness and stability of love are shown vividly throughout these two poems. The male speakers try to prove that love can exist in many forms, yet the one that will last forever is a â€Å"mind connection† that forever binds two people to one another. â€Å"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning† shows how a love can survive by not being continually physical with one another. In the same way, Shakespeare’s Sonnet  116 describes the love between two people as more of a spiritual connection. Both speakers prove that love does not try to change the other person and will accept him as he is. Whether or not the authors were describing love in their lives, their two poems have made humans seek a deeper love with one another. Human nature begs for a connection that cannot be expressed in words. Love transcends time and space. The two poets described true love in almost the same way. The only difference was the direction that each took. Shakespeare compared true love mainly spiritually while Donne was  more metaphysical. Each person has different ideas regarding the qualities in love,  though most are described here in the poems. The connection described in the two poems is evident in marriages that last. Those couples that later spend over fifty blissful years together are those that married for a deep feeling of fulfillment than that of a physical need that was met. True love has become misunderstood in the past years. Shakespeare and Donne realized what it took to make a relationship work and what true love really is. True love stands the test of time and never changes. True love is what it was two hundred thousand years ago and will continue to be in years to come. Love is what makes humans live and co-exist. While Time changes people, love does not change. As an ever-fixed mark, love is always waiting for one to grab hold of and stand with in times of need. The two poems encapsulate what couples repeat in their marriage vows; love is here and will always be near by, and that one another should stand by their partner just as their love will always remain true. Works Cited Vendler, Helen. â€Å"Sonnet 116†. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. London, England: The Belknap Press, 1998. Hammond, Gerald. The Reader and Shakespeare’s Young Man Sonnets. Totowa, New Jersey: Barnes and Noble Books, 1981. Cavanaugh, Cynthia A. â€Å"The Circle of Souls in John Donne’s A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning†. 18 Nov. 2002. . Bennett, Joan. â€Å"The Love Poetry of John Donne.† John Donne’s Poetry: Authoritative Texts Criticism. Ed. Arthur L. Clements. New York: New York: W.W Norton & Company, 1992. 178-194.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How to Criticize Your Boss Without Losing Your Job

How to Criticize Your Boss Without Losing Your Job Feedback, as any good professional understands, is critically important. There’s nothing like a little constructive criticism to put the fire under your tail feathers and help you to understand and grow past your own limitations. But it isn’t just a one-way street. From time to time, it will be important- even necessary- to give your boss a little feedback too. You should want the kind of employee/boss relationship where that is possible- and work to cultivate it. Here are a few strategies for when you need to offer a little good-natured criticism to your boss without offending him or her or risking your good rapport.1. Pick your moment.If your boss is in the middle of a particularly stressful project or a bad week, you might want to wait until she’s not stomping around fuming with the shortest possible fuse. Let things die down a bit and pick a more peaceful, low-key moment to broach the subject. But do make sure to do it face-to-face. Meeting in person is a muc h better way to make the kind of connection you need for this to work.2. Ask permission.Particularly if you have a more formal relationship with your boss, or you’re nervous about how to broach the subject, it’s always a good idea to ask first. A simple, â€Å"Would you be willing to hear a different perspective on the situation?† or â€Å"Could I offer my two cents?† will work wonders and set the conversation up nicely.3. Keep it light.In this and all office interactions, stay positive. If humor is in your wheelhouse, try a humorous tone if appropriate. Avoid profanity and offensive jokes though; keep it professional. Be playful and as gracious and appreciative as possible. And try to limit your use of the word â€Å"but.† As in: â€Å"I really enjoy working with you but†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 4. Back it up.Don’t just assume your ideas are great and worth sharing- better than your boss’s. Support your ideas with facts about production or prod uctivity. And then make sure that your feedback will genuinely help the person. The more you can make it valuable to your boss, the better.5. Make it about you.â€Å"You† statements tend to make people extra defensive. Try to frame everything through your point of view. â€Å"I notice this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It affected me when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And try not to generalize with words like â€Å"always† or â€Å"never.† Think about how an improved relationship would make you a better worker, and explain this, point-by-point, to your boss. If you frame it as â€Å"for the good of the company,† you’re more likely to get a positive response.6. Go in with a game plan.Think through what you’re going to say in advance. The more you plan it out, the better. And find a friend or family member to rehearse it with beforehand. The cooler and more prepared you are going in, the better it will go. If you storm in right on the heels of an annoying email inter action, you’re bound to say something you will later regret.7. Know when to stop.Say what you have to say as quickly, gracefully, and succinctly as you can- then stop. It can be hard, once you get started, to turn the faucet off- particularly if this is the first time you’ve tried giving feedback to your boss. But you’ll need to make sure to quit while you’re ahead and give room for your boss to respond. And try to listen with an open mind! The communication lines, at last, are open.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Installing Gems from Git Repositories

Installing Gems from Git Repositories Many gems are hosted on git repositories, such as the public repositories on Github. However, to get the latest version, quite often there are no gems built for you to install with ease. Installing from git is quite easy though. First, you have to understand what git is. Git is what the developers of the library use to track the source code and to collaborate. Git is not a release mechanism. Its important to note that the version of the software you get from git may or may not be stable. Its not a release version and could contain bugs that will be fixed before the next official release. The first thing you have to do in order to install gems from git is install git. This page of The Git Book explains how to do this. Its rather straightforward on all platforms and once its installed, you have everything you need. Installing a gem from a Git repository is going to be a 4 step process. Clone the Git repository.Change to the new directory.Build the gem.Install the gem. Clone the Git Repository In Git lingo, to clone a git repository is to make a copy of it. Were going to be making a copy of the rspec repository from github. This copy will be a full copy, the same the developer will have on their computers. You can even make changes (though you wont be able to commit these changes back into the repository). The only thing you need to clone a git repository is the clone URL. This is provided on the github page for RSpec. The clone URL for RSpec is git://github.com/dchelimsky/rspec.git. Now simply use the git clone command provided with the clone URL. $ git clone git://github.com/dchelimsky/rspec.git This will clone the RSpec repository into a directory called rspec. This directory should always be the same as the final part of the clone URL (minus the .git part). Change to The New Directory This step, too, is very straightforward. Simply change to the new directory created by Git. $ cd rspec Build the Gem This step is a bit more tricky. Gems are built using Rake, using the task called gem. $ rake gem It may not be that simple though. When you install a gem using the gem command, silently in the background it does something rather important: dependency checking. When you issue the rake command, it may come back with an error message saying it needs another gem installed first, or that you need to upgrade a gem already installed. Install or upgrade this gem using either the gem command or by installing from git. You may have to do this several times depending on how many dependencies the gem has. Install the Gem When the build process is completed, you will have a new gem in the pkg directory. Simply give the relative path to this .gem file to the gem install command. Youll need administrator privileges to do this on Linux or OSX. $ gem install pkg/gemname-1.23.gem The gem is now installed and can be used just as any other gem.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Linguistic Register and Code Switching

Linguistic Register and Code Switching Linguistic Register and Code Switching Linguistic Register and Code Switching By Mark Nichol â€Å"Linguistic register† refers to the concept of adapting one’s use of language to conform to standards or traditions in a given professional or social situation, and writers and editors will benefit from recognizing the distinction between registers. The five general categories follow: Intimate register is the highly informal language used among family members and close friends, and may include private vocabulary known only to two people or a small group, as well as nonverbal cues exclusive to the pair or group. Casual register is the informal language of a broader but still well-defined social group, and includes slang, elliptical and elided sentences, and frequent interruption. Consultative register is moderately formal language that marks a mentor-protege or expert-novice relationship, such as that between a doctor and a patient or a teacher and a student. Formal register is language spoken between strangers or in a technical context. Frozen register is ritualistic or traditional, as in religious ceremonies or legal proceedings. Various registers, therefore, are distinguished by not only by sophistication of vocabulary but also by complexity and regularity of grammar and syntax. It is vital to note, however, that register is associated not with the speaker or writer but with the professional or social environment; a person can conceivably, within a given day, communicate in each of the five linguistic registers in assorted interpersonal interactions. A related term is diatype, which means â€Å"language distinguished by the professional or social purpose,† and is often distinct from dialect, which means â€Å"language spoken by an individual or a group,† though a particular form of language may qualify for both definitions. The three factors in diatype are field, or subject matter; mode, or the form of communication (written, spoken, and so on); and tenor, or the participants and their professional or social relationships. Mode is further defined by the degree of preparation whether the communication is improvised or prepared, or somewhere in between and by the rhetorical purpose, including expository, narrative, or persuasive. Another term relevant to linguistic register is code-switching, which varies in meaning but for our purposes refers to flexibility in adhering to a register within or between communications. One of the most noticeable examples of code-switching in U.S. urban areas is the divergent use by black people of standard American English and Black English (appropriately, known in a more formal register as African American Vernacular English). The difference between speech among adolescents and their conversations with parents and other authority figures is also code-switching. Writers and editors must be at least subconsciously aware of linguistic register. In fiction, a given character may necessarily shift among several, if not all, degrees in a given story, and the character’s fidelity to the appropriate register in each situation will in part determine the writer’s success. Nonfiction also relies on attention to linguistic register, in that a topic for one article or essay may require consultative register, while another may call for casual or formal register and the writer must sometimes consider whether code-switching within one piece is an appropriate strategy. (You get my drift?) This discussion does not suggest that writers and editors must dispassionately analyze writing for technical adherence to linguistic register in order to succeed. But wordsmiths who recognize the distinctions will be more successful in facilitating communication in both informational and creative prose. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Does "Mr" Take a Period?One Scissor?

Saturday, October 19, 2019

BUSINESS FOUNDATION-ORGANISATION AND THE ENVIROMENT Essay

BUSINESS FOUNDATION-ORGANISATION AND THE ENVIROMENT - Essay Example At present the company is operating in Manchester but the company is eyeing for being competitive in the world that is why they are having this LONGPEST analysis. The company can attract more customers thru its features and services. SMOSH Ltd. should be focusing in the global strategy to penetrate the market globally. Tax policy - As a limited liability partnership the company should register with HM Revenue and Custom as self-employed. The company must complete a partnership self assessment tax return every year. Each partner has to complete a self assessment tax return every year. Pay their own Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance Contributions (NICs). Employment Laws – It is a policy if the staff or employee will be handling children it is a requirement that the employer should conduct a criminal investigation. It was stated in the company profile that the employee undergoes criminal investigation. The employee should be very well compensated depending on the days and time of their work. Workers should be at the right age and must be given at least one day break. The employees of SMOSH Ltd. Has play work qualification of experience, and first aid training. Environmental regulations –. SMOSH is environmentally aware, using sustainable resources where possible, providing healthy, organic, fair trade refreshment as much as is practicable and minimising paperwork by the use of e-mails and the website wherever they are able to do so. Economic factors - SMOSH Ltd. has several payment skills to increase the number of students participating in the after school and before school activities. However any late payment will be subjected to an additional percentage in the total amount paid. The SMOSH has an affordable services for both the after school and the before school activities. SMOSH Ltd. caters to children aged 3-11 providing child care (play schemes) before and after school. Since the

COMPARE CONTRAST THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA AND GOETHE'S FAUSTUS Research Paper

COMPARE CONTRAST THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA AND GOETHE'S FAUSTUS - Research Paper Example No contemporary song better illustrates the persistence of the â€Å"Devil as fiddler† than the 1979 country-rock hit â€Å"The Devil Went Down to Georgia† by the Charlie Daniels Band. The Devil encounters a young man â€Å"who plays the fiddle hot† and challenges him to a musical duel, the outcome of which is unexpected: After centuries of bargaining, humankind has finally produced a musician whose natural skills surpass the Devil’s. This paper analyzes the similarities and differences between Goethe’s Faust and Charlie Daniels’s The Devil Went Down to Georgia. It is the contention of this paper that the song has largely adapted the ‘devil wager’ theme while making its subject more straightforward than the complex Faust play. The tune is made up of two instrumental pauses ushered by Charlie Daniels himself on fiddle; every break symbolizes the performance of one of the competitors. The song of the devil has no actual, genuine tune, but an eerie melody that Daniels attained by overdubbing some parts of his own performance with the fiddle. Johnny performs a rendition of the old song called Fire on the Mountain. His melody is presented in the song through the below puzzling verses (Daniels 10): Charlie Daniels, in creating this song, was obviously inspired by folk stories about the demon taking part in fiddling competitions, which have been popular in the U.S. for more than a century. Charles M. Skinner documented such a story, narrated by a Black fiddler called Joost in New York, perhaps in the middle of the 19th century. Similar to numerous devil and ghost tales, in the story of Skinner the demon is chased off by the devotion of Joost in performing a hymn, and by the coming of dawn (Bendix & Hasan-Rokem 128). Nevertheless, in other renditions of the story, the demon is easily conquered by grander musicianship. Still in relation to The Devil Went Down to Georgia, consider, for instance, a rendition obtained by Herbert

Friday, October 18, 2019

How Can Chipotle enter Chinese Market Assignment

How Can Chipotle enter Chinese Market - Assignment Example The researcher states that Chipotle should embrace the joint venture strategy to access the Chinese market since it allows more time for the establishment and launch of products. It involves identifying an established firm in China and increasing investment through the sharing of resources. The joint venture strategy is appropriate since it will enable Chipotle to gain knowledge of the local market. This takes place through the host firm’s ability to analyze competitive conditions, culture, language and political systems. Considering these aspects, it becomes easy to understand the preferences of the host clients and the competitive trends in the country. Another advantage of Chipotle using the joint venture entry strategy is that the costs and risks experienced in starting up a foreign market are shared between the partners. This is viable, especially if the host nation charges high duties on foreign firms or if the business will take longer to adapt to the new situations. Si milarly, through joint venture strategy, Chipotle can avoid the threats of nationalization or other unfavorable government hindrance that may arise. This implies that a government policy that may affect the entry of foreign firms is avoided through the collaboration with the local firms. However, this entry strategy may also attract challenges to Chipotle if appropriate measures are not put in place. For instance, the use of the joint venture may enable the host firm to control the production technology. It is also apparent that a firm may lose the tight control over subsidiaries, which it might require to actualize the location economies. This reduces the potential for the firm to expand to other markets across the host nation. There are also instances where joint ventures might lead to conflicts due to losses or control of resources.

The Purpose of Human Rights is to Protect Certain Fundamental Essay

The Purpose of Human Rights is to Protect Certain Fundamental Interests of Citizens From the Power of the State - Essay Example d reflected of individual national values and traits. Even so, in more recent times there has been a movement toward the creation of universal private law, largely consistent with and reflective of universal human right.2 Despite this emerging parallel, the purpose of private law and the purpose of human rights are entirely different. This paper identifies the key differences between private law and human rights by examining their respective purposes. The Purpose of Human Rights The term human rights originate from the term â€Å"natural rights† and typically involve the term â€Å"universal rights†.3 Thus, natural and universal rights are embodiments of the political and moral thought that certain freedoms and rights are automatic to all individuals for the simple reason that they are all human beings.4 In fact, Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 (UDHR)informs that, â€Å"all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights†.5 Article 2 goes on to state that: everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind such as race, colour, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.6 It can therefore be concluded from Articles 1 and 2 of the UDHR, that the purpose of human rights is to identify and describe the natural rights of mankind and to direct states to take measures that are appropriate for safeguarding and promoting those rights. Fagan confirms this conclusion by observing that both interest and choice theories of human rights agree that human rights are intended to â€Å"protect and promote the conditions for a certain quality of life for all†.7 The justification and purpose of human rights was motivated by the human atrocities committed by the state (Germany) during the Second World War. Thus ultimately, human rights as described by the UDHR seek to place constraints on the s tate’s ability to use its power against the dignity of its citizens. In this regard, liberal theory is instructive. According to liberal theory, state sovereignty dictates that all political and public authority belongs to the state. Therefore it is the state’s ultimate responsibility to protect and promote the natural rights and dignity of citizens within its state’s borders.8 Human rights are intended to recognize the vulnerability of human citizens to the authority of the state and to offer a method by which human citizens can be strengthened and can thus make claims against a state that seeks to exploit its own power and the vulnerability of the citizens within its territory.9 Donnelly explains that human rights identify common human values while private law embodies the underlying values that human beings do not have an automatic right to.10 Donnelly specifically states: Human rights are not just abstract values such as liberty, equality, and security. They are rights, particular social practices to realize those rights. A human right thus should not be confused with the values or aspirations underlying it or with enjoyment of the object of the right.11 For example the universal right against arbitrary capital punishment may be enjoyed independent of any universal human rights regime and quite simply because of underlying custom, practice or religious or moral codes. Human rights

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Hypothetical disaster scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hypothetical disaster scenario - Essay Example Moreover, Al Ain has experienced intermittent water supply due to problems of transmission as well as distribution. The Al Ain nuclear power plant experienced some technical problems and this resulted in the leakage of radioactive materials in the environment. This situation raised fears of contamination by the radioactive materials among residents who fear for their lives and their livestock. Because of the environmental concerns relating to the effects of the radioactive materials, there was need to conduct research on the state of the environment to determine the extent and quantity of radioactive components within Al Ain region (Environmental Agency 1). This is because radioactive materials generated from nuclear plants due to accidents are dangerous and can have immense negative impact on the environment with extreme cases resulting in the death of various forms of biodiversity. In order to achieve this mission, there is need to collect data from the environment in order to use for examination of the situation. Data collection entailed sampling of water in the environment. First, with assistance from environmental experts and chemical analysts, ground water samples from the plant’s premises are collected for lab testing and further examination. Consequently, I would collect water samples from the neighboring regions. The aim of this step is to use the data for comparison and further analysis and decision-making (Bodansky 23). Afterwards, chemical experts take these samples into the lab for examination and analysis. After examination and analysis, the results obtained from the two samples indicate presence of radioactive materials in the environment. Water samples collected within the plant’s locality indicate high concentration of iodine – 131, a radioactive material compared to those collected some distance away from the nuclear plant (Nuclear world Association 1). Since the water table in Al Ain is close to

One nation under Wal-Mart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

One nation under Wal-Mart - Case Study Example This research will begin with the statement that as a retailer, Wal-Mart can be characterized as quite successful. As noted in the case study, currently, the stores of Wal-Mart are estimated to, at least, 4,750, a figure that it is quite high if taking into consideration the level of growth of other retailers globally. The rapid and impressive expansion of Wal-Mart has resulted in strong conflicts, in regard to the role of the firm in the society. For many people, Wal-Mart has helped towards the increase of equality in society; people of different financial status have the potential to visit one of the firm’s stores and buy products of various prices. In other words, Wal-Mart eliminates barriers related to buying, as a critical human experience; such barriers are common in societies of non-developed countries which are characterized by extreme gaps between rich and poor. This means that Wal-Mart helps towards the reduction of social inequality, a fact that promotes peace at al l levels of social and private life. At the same time, the stores of Wal-Mart are structures in such way so that they can offer to customers the chance to make their choice among products of different quality/ characteristics. In this way, customers are given the freedom to develop their decision-making skills. The above positive influence of Wal-Mart in regard to a person’s social and private life is highly appreciated by consumers; as noted in the case study ‘about 138 million shoppers visit the firm’s stores every week’.... capitalism and globalization are promoted. Such view could not be accepted for the following reasons: a) Wal-Mart cannot be blamed for the changes in the life of style, including the development of new modes of retailing, similar to that promoting by Wal-Mart. Large retailers exist in all developed countries, being part of daily social life; b) Capitalism and globalization, as concepts, are not related solely to retail; they rather reflect a radical change on traditional views of life and priorities. In fact, retail is just an aspect of capitalism and globalization; existing political systems worldwide are the key supporters of these concepts. According to the above, it would be not fair to claim that Wal-Mart has promoted capitalism and globalization. Still, the success of Wal-Mart proves that people worldwide tend to support capitalism and globalization, at the level that products of well known brands, that are popular worldwide, are highly preferred by consumers. As a result, work ers have become willing to spend on products that meet the standards of fashion, even if these products are going to cover the workers’ primary needs. In any case, these trends cannot be considered as based on Wal-Mart’s strategies. Rather, Wal-Mart has aligned its objectives with the principles of capitalism and globalization which are, in any case, indispensable part of modern life. 2. Can a retailer ever become too large and too powerful? In the context of modern market, a firm can increase its size and its power by following specific rules. For the retail industry a similar rule exists. Primarily, emphasis needs to be given to consumers’ preferences, as influenced by local ethics and culture. At the next level, it is necessary for the firm to identify brands that

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Hypothetical disaster scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hypothetical disaster scenario - Essay Example Moreover, Al Ain has experienced intermittent water supply due to problems of transmission as well as distribution. The Al Ain nuclear power plant experienced some technical problems and this resulted in the leakage of radioactive materials in the environment. This situation raised fears of contamination by the radioactive materials among residents who fear for their lives and their livestock. Because of the environmental concerns relating to the effects of the radioactive materials, there was need to conduct research on the state of the environment to determine the extent and quantity of radioactive components within Al Ain region (Environmental Agency 1). This is because radioactive materials generated from nuclear plants due to accidents are dangerous and can have immense negative impact on the environment with extreme cases resulting in the death of various forms of biodiversity. In order to achieve this mission, there is need to collect data from the environment in order to use for examination of the situation. Data collection entailed sampling of water in the environment. First, with assistance from environmental experts and chemical analysts, ground water samples from the plant’s premises are collected for lab testing and further examination. Consequently, I would collect water samples from the neighboring regions. The aim of this step is to use the data for comparison and further analysis and decision-making (Bodansky 23). Afterwards, chemical experts take these samples into the lab for examination and analysis. After examination and analysis, the results obtained from the two samples indicate presence of radioactive materials in the environment. Water samples collected within the plant’s locality indicate high concentration of iodine – 131, a radioactive material compared to those collected some distance away from the nuclear plant (Nuclear world Association 1). Since the water table in Al Ain is close to

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The Usefulness of Marketing for Media and Entertainment Companies such Essay - 1

The Usefulness of Marketing for Media and Entertainment Companies such as Disney - Essay Example Strong brand imaging is important to engross higher customer equity. If taking the example of Disney, they are customer focused but their prices are not comparatively lower. Currently they are more conscientious about penetrating their existing market e.g., selling more to the prevailing consumers, continual expansion in marketing efforts to promote brands and improving the product quality to gain higher customer satisfaction by attaining expectations of customers. Their current marketing strategy can be analyzed as a â€Å"Brave† stroke of strategic mix. This entailed after observing the tremendous success of the movie â€Å"Brave† which performed terrifically on the box office as 13th top of the list movie consecutively yielding $66.7 Million. The analysts had topped up that Brave will barely be able to earn its cost on box office but its success made them to think about the Disney’s marketing strategies (Hughes, 2014). After examining the strategies of the Walt Disney and Time Warner, it has been concluded that customer affiliation is most important. Walt Disney has pointed on the right stroke by exploiting the exact opportunistic approach for example the strategic partners such as, McDonald. The characters embossment of Time Warner is reported as higher according to Gallup among the young generation yet the success rate of Disney is more than Time Warner (Gilchrist, 2013). The Dream works media entertainment also possesses a sustainable position in the industry but the character embossment and impact is not comparable because of strategic partnership and marketing practices (Hughes, 2014). Another important distinguishable feature of Disney’s marketing practice is the use of CSM (Corporate Social Marketing) (Robbins, 2014). Marketing is however important in this industry because all they have to disseminate and sell is the entertainment. It

Monday, October 14, 2019

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr Essay Example for Free

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr Essay The PBS video, â€Å"Malcolm and the Civil Rights Movement† is important in showing the varying views of both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. The video makes it well evident that both men were striving for the same end result, which was â€Å"defeating white racism and empowering African Americans. However, as the video explains, while both men had the same destination in mind, they both sought different journeys to get there. Through an analysis of the PBS video, Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, and several passages from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, it can be concluded that while the two men wanted the same thing, they both had different views and beliefs; Malcolm X was angry, bitter and vengeful, while Martin Luther King Jr. was only concerned with fixing the issue at hand. Early in the PBS video, it is explained that while King wished to mend and strengthen a family bond that already existed, Malcolm X viewed himself and black Muslims as an outside party. This is evident through the public denial that Malcolm X was even an American due to his opposing view of the suggestion of â€Å"integration with white America.† (â€Å"Malcolm and the Civil Rights Movement†, The American Experience. PBS. Video Transcript) This belief that Malcolm X was completely angry and against white America is aided though a passage in his autobiography coming from page 292 of the fifteenth chapter. In the first provided passage of Malcom X’s autobiography, Malcolm X shows marked bitterness and hatred in his choice of words to describe the situation. This can best be attributed to the quoting of the his words saying â€Å"the antebellum white slavemaster even devilishly manipulated his own woman.† This phrasing by Malcolm X speaks volumes to how he views the relationship of the white male to the rest of society. Through the using of the word â€Å"devilishly† he is portraying his inner thoughts that the white man is evil and c orrupt in his judgments. Then by using the words and â€Å"manipulated† and â€Å"own†, Malcolm X is expressing his belief that the white man is power hungry and sees the world as a game for his bemusement and handling. Furthermore by saying â€Å"his own woman†, this would suggest that Malcolm X believes that the white slave owner sees himself the master of not only black men but also white females. (Malcolm X, p. 292) To the slave owner, everything but himself is property and assets to be owned and managed. The passage then goes on to explain that Malcolm X strongly holds a general stereotype of slave owners copulating with their slaves to be unquestioned fact about all slave owners. His remarks that the slave owner has conned his wife into letting him procreate with the slaves allows valuable insight into Malcolm X’s thoughts that white male is purely a trickster and untrustworthy. The final two paragraphs of the first passage provided from The Autobiography of Malcolm X offer perhaps the most profound description of Malcolm X’s beliefs surrounding the relationship between blacks and whites. Through the anecdote of the girl traveling all that way to try and make amends for something that not even herself has been proven guilty of showcases how impenetrable Malcolm X’s beliefs are. While the girl asks Malcolm X if he believes â€Å"there are good white people†, Malcolm X explains that only actions can change his thoughts. The girl then offers, â€Å"What can I do?† at which Malcolm X responds that there is nothing she can do (Malcolm X, p. 292). This effectively renders the argument that Malcolm X firmly believes that the previous and current disrespectful actions whites have shown blacks are unforgiving. This belief and anger strongly contradicts with the first part of Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† spee ch. Martin Luther King Jr. begins his speech with a preface of â€Å"let us not wallow in the valley of despair,† which he uses to say that the past does not need to define the feelings of the future. King then addresses that by moving on from the past quarrels, brotherhood can be established and the nation’s creed of â€Å"all men are created equal† can be recognized (â€Å"Martin Luther King: I Have a Dream† 1963. Speech). Paralleling this theme of the past not defining the future, King speaks of the state of Mississippi’s current and previous mishaps and how it can change as long as the past is left in the past. In the second provided passage of Malcolm X’s autobiography, which is pages 250 and 251 of the fourteenth chapter, it becomes increasingly clear that Malcolm X does not believe that whites and blacks can live happily on the same level. He then makes a unique distinction between the words segregate and separate. Through a reference to Elijah Mohammed, Malcolm X explains that segregation implies that one side –blacks– are inferior to the other side, while separation suggests that both sides have mutually agreed to part ways and keep distance without one holding significant power or influence over the others. To round out the passage, Malcolm X makes an analogy to a mother and her child stating that unless the baby is separate at birth then both the mother and baby will ultimately die (Malcolm X, p. 250-1). Interestingly, in the third provided passage, which is also found in the fourteenth chapter on pages 260 and 261, Malcolm X makes an interesting comparison of the black people being pets of the white society. This shows that Malcolm X believes that blacks are being trained for the benefit of whites and even mentions the word â€Å"brainwashing† to describe how whites have affected blacks. This passage continues the thought from the second provided passage from earlier in the chapter that blacks should be given the chance to be their own people, away from the influence of white society (Malcolm X, p. 260-1). This analogy suggests that Malcolm X sees the black peoples as independent people that deserve the chance to grow and mature on their own terms. Differing strongly from Malcolm X is King’s speech which showcases his believe that separation is not needed and that he envisions both races coming together as a family. This is illustrated through the line â€Å"black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sister and brothers.† With reference to his reverend background, King makes a suggestion that religion can be a unifying factor for the two races and that â€Å"the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.† (â€Å"Martin Luther King: I Have a Dream†, 1963. Speech) This is in direct contrast to Malcolm X and his autobiography, which puts significant emphasis on his Muslim beliefs being in direct opposition to white society. With the religious tone set, King’s speech then continues to explain how the previous grievances and tragedies of yesterday can be removed for tomorrow beginning with the phrase â€Å"with this faith†. This explains that King was looking to mend fences while Malcolm X saw the situation as â€Å"us versus everyone† and that everyone was out to victimize them. Finishing his speech, King expands the current situation to encompass the hardships of all other situations in the United States. Through this, King is able to offer that uniting of the black and white races can be a foundation for freedom of all parties in the United States. This helps to explain the difference between the views King and Malcolm X most clearly. While Malcolm X believes that unless separation is achieved the two races will destroy each other, King believes that if the two races come together then great achievements and progress in freedom for all can be accomplished. The PBS video then explains that Malcolm X did not want the black Muslim people to viewed as â€Å"defenseless† and thus, he was opposed to a strategy of non-violence (â€Å"Malcolm and the Civil Rights Movement†, The American Experience. PBS. Video Transcript). Because of the differing views on violence, religion was brought into play and Malcolm X insinuated that King was following the white man’s religion and still being controlled by him. While physical violence was avoided by King’s strategy, so was verbal assault as King often avoided criticizing Malcolm X and his comments. The video then explains that Malcolm X’s unique position then became less dominant in his mind as he felt let down from Elijah Muhammad after the death of Ronald Stokes. At the same time Malcolm X was looking to cause physical pain to the other side, King was making legislative and social gains in his movement (â€Å"Malcolm and the Civil Rights Movement†, The American Experience. PBS. Video Transcript). This helps to explain that King largely wanted a fix to the problem, while Malcolm X wanted revenge. Through an analysis of the PBS video, Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, and several passages from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, it can be concluded that while the two men wanted the same thing, they both had different views and believes. Malcolm X can be concluded to be angry, bitter and vengeful, with no believe that the relationship between blacks and whites could be salvaged. While differing greatly, Martin Luther King Jr. can be said to be guided by faith, optimistic, future oriented and only concerned with fixing the issue at hand. Works Cited 1.King, Martin Luther. Dr. Martin Luther King: I Have a Dream. March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. 28 Aug. 1963. Speech. 2.Malcom and the Civil Rights Movement. The American Experience. PBS. 5 May 2005. Television. Transcript. 3.Malcolm X. Chapter 14. The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told by Alex Haley. Alex Haley. New York: Random House, 1964. 250-1, 260-1. Print. 4.Malcolm X. Chapter 15. The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told by Alex Haley. Alex Haley. New York: Random House, 1964. 292. Print.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Broadband Access Wired Mediums

Broadband Access Wired Mediums Broadband Access High speed internet access is also called as Broadband. With the help of broadband access we can send large amount data at a same time through a medium. It’s also called as â€Å"Broad Bandwidth† connection. Bandwidth can be defined as the amount of data transmitted or in other word it can be defined as the width of the connection. Bandwidth can be expressed in bits per second that is the amount of bit of data that can flow through a line. But nowadays the bandwidth speed has changed that’s from bps to Kbps to Mbps and now in Gbps. We have two type of medium through which we can get broadband access one is â€Å"Wired Medium† and the other is â€Å"Wireless Medium†. Wired Medium There are many wired mediums through which broadband internet access can be obtained. Few are listed below. Cable. HFC. XDSL. Fiber Optic’s. Power Line Access. Cable Internet It uses the same co-axial cable which is used for viewing Television. In order to provide this Cable internet to the subscriber the cable operator has to upgrade his equipments. The Cable subscriber can obtain this cable internet service by using cable modem and connect this modem to the computer. The cable modem works like Television but its differs in the output, the output in the television is a TV program but in cable internet it’s a web page. The cable has a storage or space, through which the television program can be transmitted and this space is called as the â€Å"Bandwidth†. So this bandwidth will bring webpage and television program to the end user. The cable modem transmits full duplex with great speeds ranging from 10 -20 Mbps (regardless of distance) but degrades when it’s shared by multiple users at the same time. Cable Internet Access is reliable but not secure.By using firewall and proper password protection we can over come the security problem. Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) HFC is an extension of Cable internet.The signals from headend system to the customer pass over a combination of fiber and coaxial cable. Fiber optic cables will connect the head end system to the neighboring node and co-axial cable is used to connect households to this node. Figure 2: Hybri Fiber Coax In HFC the signals will flow in both forward direction (Downstream) that is from head end system to customer via node and reverse direction (Upstream)that is from customer to head end system via node. Since coaxial cable (shared medium) is used for connecting node and customer there will be lot of interference in Upstream and Downstream of signals. To avoid this interference in coaxial cable the frequency is split into two. In HFC the Downstream is allocated with more frequency bandwidth than the Upstream because more video content is sent to the homes, so for this reason â€Å"Non-Symmetrical† process is followed to configure HFC network. By â€Å"Non-Symmetrical we mean path in one direction (Downstream) has more data carrying capacity. Earlier the upstream was used for information like ordering movie, audio etc.. But now extra features like internet and telephone are added to HFC network and hence the upstream is utilized more. xDSL The generic name for DSL technology family is xDSL.DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) uses telephone line to provide high speed internet broad band access the speed of which can be 1.5 Mbps for a typical residential connection or more. The various type of xDSL are shown below: ADSL RADSL SDSL HDSL HDSL2 VDSL ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) This technology uses existing phone connection to provide high speed internet broadband access. The word Asymmetric means the Downstream and upstream speed differs in other words more data is transmitted in Downstream than Upstream, Digital means the data is converted into digital form i.e. 1’s and 0’s and by â€Å"Subscriber Line† it mean simple copper wire is used for this. In the telephone exchange this ADSL can be implemented with special equipments and in the customer side it can be obtained by connecting a the phone connection to ADSL modem and ADSL modem is connected to the computer. One major disadvantage of ADSL is that the speed will get reduced as distance between the ADSL provider and Customer increases. ADSL uses the Frequency Division Multiplexing technique for data transmission. The communication link is divided into three non overlapping frequency band, two-way telephone channel (0 to 4 KHz band-POTS),medium speed Upstream (4KHz to 50 KHz band) and High speed Downstream(50KHz to 1MHz) RADSL (Rate-adaptive Digital Subscriber Line) RADSL differs from ADSL .In RADSL depending upon the length and the quality of the line, the modem can adjust the speed of the connection. SDSL (Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line) In SDSL Upstream and Downstream have the same speed. SDSL can transfer data up to 3Mbps in both directions. The figure below shows the difference between ADSL and SDSL. From the figure it’s clearly seen from ADSL the Sending (Upstream) have small pipeline where as in the SDSL both Upstream and Downstream have same pipeline size Figure 3:SDSL With ADSL webpage access is not an issue. But ADSL faces problem when it needs to download large amount of data. HDSL (High Bit Rate Digital Subscriber Line) HDSL will provide speed up to 1.5 Mbps in both the directions (Upstream and Downstream) which can be used for businesses that hosts websites. HDSL 2(High Bit Rate Digital Subscriber Line 2) This advanced version of HDSL this HDSL2 will provide same throughput in single copper wire and provide telephone service. VDSL (Very high bit-rate Digital Line Subscriber) This VDSL is advanced version of DSL technologies which has very high downstream speed (52 Mbps) and upstream (12 Mbps) bandwidth. VDSL architecture is based on two technologies QAM (Quadrature amplitude modulation) or DMT (Discrete multitone modulation) that are not compatible. The most commonly used technologies are DMT. Fiber Optic’s In Fiber Optic’s data is transmitted via optical fibers. Optical fiber is a thin wire made up of pure glass with .These Optical fibers are bundled together to form a Optical cable that transmits data to long distances. The Figure shown below will discuss about the various parts of the Optical Cable.Optical Cable has three parts namely the Core, the Cladding and the Coating. Core: The inner most layer of the Optical Cable made up of glass. In this layer the data is transmitted in the form of light. Cladding: This layer is above the inner core. This layer is also made up of glass. The main use of this layer is to reflect light back into the core. Coating: This is outermost layer of the cable. The main use of this layer is to protect the cable from damage. This optical fiber cable is covered with an outer jacket. The are two types of Optical fiber, Single mode and Multimode. The Single mode uses laser beam to transmit data, the inner core of which is small in diameter and hence has less to nil modal dispersion. On the contrary, the Multimode has a larger diameter, uses LED and suffers from modal dispersion. Broadband over Lines (BPL) This technology provides high speed broadband internet access to homes via electrical outlets. By combining the concepts of modem, radio and wireless networking ,the BPL developers developed a way to send data via power lines to homes at speed of 3Mbps. The BPL developers by adjusting the Power Lines with the help of special equipments can send data on it. The BPL developers could partner with power companies and Internet service providers to bring broadband to everyone with access to electricity. There are two types of BPL services, In-house BPL that is used to network inside buildings and Access BPL that provides Broadband internet via power lines Figure 5: Broadband Over Line Silicon Chipset in modem helps in getting the data from an electrical outlet and uses modulation technique and adaptive algorithm to handle noise in the power lines. From the figure above we can see that the modem looks like a common adapter which c an be plugged into electrical socket, and an Ethernet wire from the modem will connect to the computer. Wireless Medium (Micro Wave) Satellite This technology uses satellites and satellite dish to provide high speed broadband internet connection and uses microwaves to transmit data signals. With the help of this technology we can link two or more base stations on earth. The signals from the base station are passed to the satellite on one frequency and the satellite will regenerate the signal or increase the signal strength with the help of repeater and will send it to the destination base station. There two type of satellite used for this purpose, geostationary satellite and low altitude satellite. Geostationary satellite remain at the same spot above the earth (36000 Km) .Because of the huge distance between the base station and the satellite, it will induce a propagation delay and its used mainly in telephone service . Low altitude satellites revolve around the earth and provide continuous coverage for all the area. There are two types of satellite broadband access, two way satellite internet services and one way satellite internet services. In two way the data can be transmitted in both the direction and in order to do this the satellite dish must be large. In one-way its can only receive data not send data. There are two types of satellite system asynchronous satellite system and synchronous satellite system.In asyn the upstream and downstream speed will be different where as in synch the speed in both the direction will be same. Major advantage of this technology is that it can provide high speed broadband internet access to the place where wired medium is not possible. The speed of download is 600k and upload is 128K. Major disadvantage is the price and reliability of the service ( it may get affected due to bad weather). Wireless Medium (Radio Wave) Fixed Wireless This technology uses Radio waves to provide high speed broadband internet access. There are two types, point-to-point fixed wireless and point-to-multipoint fixed wireless. In Point-to-Point signal is transferred from one antenna to other antenna(indoor or outdoor) which is on ground station .The main disadvantage in Point-to-Point is line of sight .Signal cannot reach the destination antenna if its not in the line of sight of the first antenna. In Point-To-Multipoint the only difference is that the signals via radio waves can be transmitted to many receivers rather than one dedicated receiver. It has the same drawback line of sight. Wi-Fi Here it uses radio waves to send and transmit data. To implement this we need a wireless adapter card and a wireless router. The digital information (web page request) from the computer is converted to radio wave with the help of wireless adapter. These radio waves are captured by wireless router which in turn will convert the radio signals back to digital signal and send the information to net via Ethernet cable. The response (webpage) will reach the wireless router which converts them into radio waves which is in turn converted into digital signal by wireless adapter. WiMax The main disadvantage of wireless broad band is that it is very expensive and cant be widespread. Wi-Fi works only in Hotspots. To over come these difficulties WiMax technology is introduced which is like a cell phone with broadband access. It basically has 2 parts WiMax Tower and WiMax Receiver. Wifi max tower work the same way as the cellular tower and has a very large coverage area. The wimax tower is connected to internet always or it can be connected to other wimax tower using line of sight microwave link .WiMax receiver is like a wireless adapter used in Wi-fi technology Wimax provides two type of wireless service. â€Å"Non Line of Sight† service in which the computer uses an antenna to connect it to the tower. â€Å"The line of sight in† which the antenna is fixed in a roof top and pointed directly to the wimax tower.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Cannibalism Essay -- Cannibals Cultural Culture Essays

Cannibalism "Cannibalism, or institutionalized anthropophagi, has been part of human culture from the earliest times. Human teeth marks in ancient human bones offer clues cannibalism was commonplace. When Christopher Columbus explored the Americas, the term cannibal was coined after the Caniba, â€Å"a ferocious group of man-eaters who lived in the Caribbean islands† (Salisbury, 2001, Brief history . . .). The idea of cannibalism in the New World evoked paranoia in Europe. Any such practice was considered demonic and sacrilegious. Cannibalism was a topic of ancient horror stories. In Greek mythology, â€Å"after Thyestes unwittingly ate the flesh of his own children, the Sun was so appalled that he turned back on his course and plunged the world into darkness† (Hodgkinson, 2001). Cannibalism has been detested throughout Western history and was declared a sin by Pope Innocent IV in the sixteenth century. Spain’s Queen Isabella â€Å"decreed that Spanish colonists could only legally enslave natives who were cannibals, giving the colonists an economic interest in making such allegations† (Salisbury). Many natives were falsely accused of cannibalism and were made inferior as a result. Although they criminalized and enslaved West Indians for cannibalism, Europeans imported mummified body parts from Egypt and consumed medicine made from them to cure various diseases. Such treatment was commonly prescribed by seventeenth century doctors (Salisbury). Cannibalism is a significant part of Western history and it has sparked much controversy. In some present cultures, cannibalism remains a way of life. The Kim Yal people in Indonesia and the Wari’ people of the Amazon both have practiced cannibalism as part of their heritage.... ...rty and starvation struck the region. One of the most remembered stories of cannibalism in recent history was the 1972 crash of a Uruguayan airliner into the snowy Chilean Andes. An amateur rugby team en route from Montevideo to Santiago met with disaster and was lost in the high wilderness. Of the thirty-two passengers who survived the impact, only sixteen endured ten weeks of subfreezing weather and avalanches before their rescue. Their story was chilling. The survivors admitted to eating the flesh of the deceased, one by one, after each teammate consented to provide their bodies for food after they died. The world was shocked. Their dramatic accounts were re-created in the 1993 movie, Alive. The deceased victims were seen as heroes because they sacrificed themselves for the lives of the others. In times of disaster, cannibalism is often the only way of survival." Cannibalism Essay -- Cannibals Cultural Culture Essays Cannibalism "Cannibalism, or institutionalized anthropophagi, has been part of human culture from the earliest times. Human teeth marks in ancient human bones offer clues cannibalism was commonplace. When Christopher Columbus explored the Americas, the term cannibal was coined after the Caniba, â€Å"a ferocious group of man-eaters who lived in the Caribbean islands† (Salisbury, 2001, Brief history . . .). The idea of cannibalism in the New World evoked paranoia in Europe. Any such practice was considered demonic and sacrilegious. Cannibalism was a topic of ancient horror stories. In Greek mythology, â€Å"after Thyestes unwittingly ate the flesh of his own children, the Sun was so appalled that he turned back on his course and plunged the world into darkness† (Hodgkinson, 2001). Cannibalism has been detested throughout Western history and was declared a sin by Pope Innocent IV in the sixteenth century. Spain’s Queen Isabella â€Å"decreed that Spanish colonists could only legally enslave natives who were cannibals, giving the colonists an economic interest in making such allegations† (Salisbury). Many natives were falsely accused of cannibalism and were made inferior as a result. Although they criminalized and enslaved West Indians for cannibalism, Europeans imported mummified body parts from Egypt and consumed medicine made from them to cure various diseases. Such treatment was commonly prescribed by seventeenth century doctors (Salisbury). Cannibalism is a significant part of Western history and it has sparked much controversy. In some present cultures, cannibalism remains a way of life. The Kim Yal people in Indonesia and the Wari’ people of the Amazon both have practiced cannibalism as part of their heritage.... ...rty and starvation struck the region. One of the most remembered stories of cannibalism in recent history was the 1972 crash of a Uruguayan airliner into the snowy Chilean Andes. An amateur rugby team en route from Montevideo to Santiago met with disaster and was lost in the high wilderness. Of the thirty-two passengers who survived the impact, only sixteen endured ten weeks of subfreezing weather and avalanches before their rescue. Their story was chilling. The survivors admitted to eating the flesh of the deceased, one by one, after each teammate consented to provide their bodies for food after they died. The world was shocked. Their dramatic accounts were re-created in the 1993 movie, Alive. The deceased victims were seen as heroes because they sacrificed themselves for the lives of the others. In times of disaster, cannibalism is often the only way of survival."

Friday, October 11, 2019

A Paper on Listening Skills

In today’s life we find it a bit difficult to make important decisions or to perform the tasks in a shorter span of time because we are used to taking our time in analyzing and understand the situation and then acting on it.But on the other hand, the need to be agile and alert is very important these days; and it depends on us how to manage our time and activities. The paper would talk about the skills of listening in detail by first introducing it, then the need of active listening, barriers to active listening, and tips for active listening.There is a significant difference between hearing and listening; hearing is natural process where as listening is a skill. We hear everything ranging from traffic noise to our friend’s voice over telephone, but listening deals with the hearing where we actually understand it and make sense out of it. We might be hearing but we might not be listening. Now let’s discuss the importance of active listening skills.Importance of L istening SkillsWhether it is our daily routine life or our working life, active listening has become so much important for us to remember the facts and things because information is bombarded to us from various sources.Talking about the working environment, active listening can make employees more productive and effective in their work; not only this, there are several other reasons that emphasize the importance of active listening. Employees would be able to understand the assignments in a better way; build up good relationships or rapport with the supervisors, customers, or with other co-workers; perform better when working in teams or groups; resolve problems or complex tasks effectively; manage time efficiently; and answer the questions to others at a later stage when required.Barriers to Listening and Ways to improve itMany students and employees forget the information imparted in the lecture or any meeting because they make certain mistakes while listening; however, they try t o listen actively but some mistakes while listening can put all their effort in vain.First of all, listeners must be neutral and put aside all their biases, prejudices, or emotions attached to a particular matter being discussed. Such biases keep the listener from understanding the gist of the topic being discussed under a certain situation or cause.Secondly, listeners must try focusing on the speaker’s words and not his way of speaking, dressing, color, physique, or accent. Many listeners often trust the speaker who speaks confidently and is well-dressed, even if he or is not accurate or true in his speech.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Wudi

Abby 1/8/13 Global EssayPeriod 7 The Han Emperor Wudi accomplished many things and his life was important to China's history for many reasons. Wudi did many things to improve China's civilization itself. He ruled from 141-87 B. C. Wudi was the sixth emperor of the Han Dynasty. He became emperor when he was 16. He was a very fierce ruler. Wudi lived from 156-87 B. C. In that length of time that he was alive, Wudi did many things. Wudi had many accomplishments. He used his army to expand the empire. He also used his army to capture southern China, Korea, and Vietnam.Wudi sent Zhang Qian to explore the West and the information he brought back about his discoveries led to trade along the silk road. Wudi made Confucianism his religion during his reign. Wudi had harsh, but effective punishments. He also offered gifts of silk, cattle, gold and other items to Western diplomats. So as you can see, Wudi had many accomplishments. Wudi's life was important to China's history. Wudi joined the Yel low River to Chang'an and connected two main centers of trade in china. He created a network of granaries. He enhanced China's civilization in different ways. Wudi constructed the Great Wall, which was a major success.The Great Wall wouldn't be the way it is today if it wasn't for Wudi. He also held the military campaign against Xiongnu. He did much to enhance China's civilization. He expanded territory, and provided means in which economy and trade could flourish. So as you can see, Wudi's life was very important to China's history. So as you can see, Wudi accomplished many things and his life was important to China's history. Some thought highly of Wudi and others did not think he was an effective ruler in the Han Dynasty. Wudi had a lot of ups and downs while ruling in the Han Dynasty. He turned out to be a very successful ruler in many areas.

Availability of Drinking Water

INTRODUCTION Drinking water or potable water is water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually consumed or used in food preparation. Clean drinking water has yet to be completely recognized as a basic human right. While water plays a vital role in every aspect of life, some do not realize the gravity of the shrinking clean water sources. When unclean water is consumed, it can cause serious illnesses, sometimes leading to death. According to statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1. 1 billion of the world's 6 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water sources. Drinking Water is essential to the survival of all organisms,water has always been an important and life-sustaining drink to humans. Excluding fat, water composes approximately 70% of the human body by mass. It is a crucial component of metabolic processes and serves as a solvent for many bodily solutes. Health authorities have historically suggested at least eight glasses, eight fluid ounces each (168 ml), of water per day (64 fluid ounces, or 1. 89 litres),and the British Dietetic Association recommends 1. 8 litres. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the average adult actually ingests 2. 0 litres per day. 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water. Water is available almost everywhere if proper methods are used to get it. Sources where water may be obtained include: ground sources such as groundwater, hyporheic zones and aquifers. precipitation which includes rain, hail, snow, fog, etc. urface water such as rivers, streams, glaciers biological sources such as plants. the sea through desalination Access to safe water can be measured by the number of people who have a reasonable means of getting sufficient water that is safe for drinking. Availability of safe drinking water is an indicator of the health of a country. A developed country will be more efficient in collecting, cleaning and distributing water to consumers. It is a sad fact but is true that ninety percent of urban sewage in the developing world is discharged into rivers and other water bodies. In the developing world, millions of residents lack a source of safe drinking water near their homes. People get safe drinking water from various sources such as household connection, borehole, protected dug well, public standpipe etc. But the Question that arises is : † Does everyone has safe drinking water available? † Availability of drinking water scenario in India is very Bad as compared to other countries like USA, England, China etc. as can be observed from the underlying table: Countries Amount Finland:100% Australia:100% Netherlands:100% Norway:100% Sweden:100% Switzerland:100% United Kingdom:100% United States:100% Russia:99% Bangladesh:97% Albania:97% Egypt:97% Pakistan:90% Nepal:88% Brazil:87% South Africa:86% India:84% A detailed analysis can be seen in the graph shown : Paste this map over here.. http://www. mapsofworld. com/thematic-maps/safe-drinking-water. htm The availability of Drinking Water is hampered and altered depending upon various factors such as, Drinking Water pollution, Wastage, Demand supply ratios, Treatment methods etc. INDIAN STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR DRINKING WATER Indian Standards has set various limits over different chemical and physical properties of Water, in order to label it as Safe and Drinking Water, a sample of water, lying in the permissible range set as per IS, is safe for drinking. Following are the IS Specifications for Drinking Water : S. NO. Parameter Requirement desirable Limit Remarks 1. Color 5 May be extended up to 50 if toxic substances are suspected 2. Turbidity 10 May be relaxed up to 25 in the absence of alternate 3. pH 6. 5 to 8. 5 May be relaxed up to 9. 2 in the absence of alternate 4. Total hardness 300 May be extended up to 600 5. Calcium as Ca 75 May be extended up to 200 . Magnesium as Mg 30 May be extended up to 100 7. Copper as Cu 0. 05 May be relaxed up to 1. 5 8. Iron 0. 3 May be extended up to1 9. Manganese 0. 1 May be extended up to0. 5 10. Chlorides 250 May be extended up to1000 11. Sulphates 150 May be extended up to 400 12. Nitrates 45 No relaxation 13. Fluoride 0. 6 to 1. 2 If the limit is below 0. 6, wa ter should Be rejected, Max. Limit is extended to 1. 5 14. Phenols 0. 001 May be relaxed up to 0. 002 15. Mercury 0. 001 No relaxation 16. Cadmium 0. 01 No relaxation 17. Selenium 0. 01 No relaxation 18. Arsenic 0. 05 No relaxation 19. Cyanide 0. 05 No relaxation 20. Lead 0. 1 No relaxation 21. Zinc 5. 0 May be relaxed up to 10. 0 22. Anionic detergents (MBAS) 0. 2 May be relaxed up to 1 23. Chromium 0. 05 No relaxation 24. Poly nuclear aromatic Hydrocarbons — — 25. Mineral oil 0. 01 May be relaxed up to 0. 03 26. Residual free chlorine 0. 2 Applicable only when water is chlorinated 27. Pesticides Absent — 28. Radioactive — — REQUIREMENT V/s. AVAILABILITY Water. If you've got it, you probably take it for granted. But a quick scan of the globe — and a chat with the tiny group of researchers who are obsessed by fresh water — both indicate that water shortages are looming. And they aren't necessarily in the future, either. You don't miss your water, an old blues sage wisely said, 'til your well runs dry. Down here on planet Earth, the well is starting to run dry. We've seen projections that three billion people — half of today's population — will be short of water in 2025. The Earth has a finite supply of fresh water, stored in aquifers, surface waters and the atmosphere. Sometimes oceans are mistaken for available water, but the amount of energy needed to convert saline water to potable water is prohibitive today, explaining why only a very small fraction of the world's water supply derives from desalination. The Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water between 1990 and 2015 is a target we are aiming for. Although some countries still face enormous challenges. Rural communities are the furthest from meeting the 2015 MDGs drinking water target. Globally only 27% of the rural population has water piped directly to their home and 24% rely on unimproved sources. Of the 884 million people without access to an improved water source, 746 million people (84%) live in rural areas. Sub-Saharan Africa has made the least progress in improved water sources since 1990, improving only 9% to 2006. In contrast, the Eastern Asian region saw a dramatic drop from 45% to 9% reliance on unimproved water in the same time period. The shortage of water in our country is slowly affecting the lives of people as well as the environment around them. Some of the major issues that need urgent attention are: †¢ As a result of excessive extraction of ground water to meet agriculture, industrial and domestic demands, drinking water is not available during the ritical summer months in many parts of the country. †¢ About 10 per cent of the rural and urban population does not have access to regular safe drinking water and many more are threatened. Most of them depend on unsafe water sources to meet their daily needs. Moreover, water shortages in cities and villages have led to large volumes of water being collected and transported over great distances by tankers and pipelines. †¢ Chemical contaminants namely fluoride, arsenic and selenium pose a very serious health hazard in the country. It is estimated that about 70 million people in 20 states are at risk due to excess fluoride and around 10 million people are at risk due to excess arsenic in ground water. Apart from this, increase in the concentration of chloride, TDS, nitrate, iron in ground water is of great concern for a sustainable drinking water programme. All these need to be tackled holistically. With over extraction of groundwater the concentration of chemicals is increasing regularly. †¢ Ingress of seawater into coastal aquifers as a result of over-extraction of ground water has made water supplies more saline, unsuitable for drinking and irrigation. Pollution of ground and surface waters from agrochemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) and from industry poses a major environmental health hazard, with potentially significant costs to the country. The World Bank has estimated that the total cost of environmental, damage in India amounts to US$9. 7 billion annually, or 4. 5 per cent of the gross domestic product. Of this, 59 per cent results from the health impacts of water pollution (World Bank 1995). DRINKING WATER POLLUTION Availability of drinking water is largely affected by its pollution, which has been leading and will lead to a decrease in its availability in the coming future. Drinking water pollution is a bigger problem than most people realize. While drinking water filters and bottled water has become a staple in our society, most consumers still use unfiltered drinking water for cooking, filling pet water bowls and bottles, and for mixing powdered drink mixes. Drinking water pollution is a big enough problem within our country to warrant the same vigilance as we give other health hazards. There are numerous sources that pile up into serious contamination potential for all drinking water. Whether your water is coming from a well on your property or if you are using â€Å"filtered† city water sources, the chances that you have a problem with drinking water pollution is quite high. Groundwater testing has shown that in any given area throughout the country as many as 200 variable contaminants have been detected. Long term exposure can create numerous health problems, including lead poisoning. While not every single contaminant is destined to cause a serious health problem or even any health problem at all, you can not count on your local contaminants to be harmless. Agriculture practices are one of the largest sources of groundwater contaminants. The chemical used in controlling bugs and other chemically based treatments run directly into the groundwater supply. Pesticides and poisonous agricultural raw waste can contaminate more than 40% of the surrounding groundwater. Ingress of seawater into coastal aquifers as a result of over-extraction of ground water has made water supplies more saline, unsuitable for drinking and irrigation. Pollution of ground and surface waters from agrochemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) and from industry poses a major environmental health hazard, with potentially significant costs to the country. Another major contributor to drinking water pollution is urban run off. Another human based contribution that needs to be controlled at the source in order to save our drinking water supply. When rain washes urban trash, chemicals, and pollutants from the structures and roadways of populated areas, there is no way for the water to filter itself on its way to the groundwater. Everything from basic trash, cigarette butts, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, pesticides, and other daily use products are all contributing factors in groundwater contamination caused by urban run off. Practicing safer disposal practices of automobile chemicals, putting together trash clean up projects, and using environmentally safe household products can help cut down on urban run off pollutants. Lead is one of the most concerning urban run off pollutants, as lead poisoning can cause learning problems, chronic emotional and health issues, and is non-reversible. Drinking lead contaminated water is a serious health problem. Water Treatment Water treatment is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from raw water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose. Most water is purified for human consumption (drinking water) but water purification may also be designed for a variety of other purposes, including meeting the requirements of medical, pharmacology, chemical and industrial applications. It is important to take measures to make available water of desirable quality at the consumer end. That leads to protection of the treated water during conveyance and distribution after treatment. It is common practice to have residual disinfectants in the treated water in order to kill any bacteriological contamination after water treatment. Processes for treatment of drinking water: The combination of following processes is used for municipal drinking water treatment worldwide: Pre-treatment: It consists or removal of large debris such as sticks, leaves, trash and other large particles which may interfere with subsequent purification steps. It also includes treatment of water with soda-ash to remove hardness or chlorine to minimize the growth of fouling organisms on the pipe-work and tanks. pH adjustment: Distilled water has a pH of 7. If the water is acidic, lime, soda ash, or sodium hydroxide is added to raise the pH. Acid (HCl or H2SO4) may be added to basic waters in some circumstances to lower the pH. Making the water slightly basic ensures that coagulation and flocculation processes work effectively and also helps to minimize the risk of lead being dissolved from lead pipes and lead solder in pipe fittings. Flocculation: It is a process which removes any turbidity or color so that the water is clear and colorless and is done by causing a precipitate to form in the water which can be removed using simple physical methods. Coagulants / flocculating agents that may be used include: Iron (III) hydroxide Aluminium hydroxide PolyDADMAC Sedimentation: Water exiting the flocculation basin may enter the sedimentation basin, also called a settling basin. The dimensions of the tank are chosen such that it can lead to maximum particles settling down. As particles settle to the bottom of the basin, a layer of sludge is formed on the floor of the tank. This layer of sludge must be removed and treated accordingly. Filtration: After separating most floc, the water is filtered as the final step to remove remaining suspended particles and unsettled floc. Different types of filters are: Rapid sand filters Slow sand filters Lava filters Disinfection: It is accomplished both by filtering out harmful microbes and also by adding disinfectant chemicals in the last step in purifying drinking water. Different types of disinfections are: Chlorine disinfection Chlorine Dioxide Disinfection Ozone disinfection Ultraviolet disinfection Hydrogen peroxide disinfection Various portable methods of disinfection Solar water disinfection Biological processes are also employed in the treatment of wastewater and these processes may include, for example, aerated lagoons, activated sludge etc. There is no unique solution (selection of processes) for any type of water. Also, it is difficult to standardize the solution in the form of processes for water from different sources. Selection of any of the following methods depends on the scale of the plant and quality of the water. Wastage/Conservation of Water Water is needed for our survival. It is the most important resource for us. So its high time for us to realize this and start conserving water. So we need awareness among people so that each individual puts effort at their level and contribute to the larger cause on the whole. Saving the earth from such a crisis would not be possible without the efforts of each individual. People can start at home by not letting their taps open and by not spilling the drinking water. People should not let their taps run when its not needed. It is important for them to realize that millions of people don't even get access to drinking water. Government needs to implement stricter laws to avoid wastage of water during distribution. Higher fines can be imposed on people who waste water and higher incentives can be given to those conserving water. Recycled water can be used for gardening, washing etc. Due to the current water crisis. Only during times of shortage, do we take emergency measures; saving water should be followed even when there is surplus. If not for the current water shortage, not many would have taken notice of such occasions. During the time when we used to get good rainfall, we never conserved water. A large city needs billions of litres of drinking water every day to service the needs. We will have to make alternate water sources like rainwater harvesting, dig wells and bore wells for our use. The civic corporation should take the initiative to check the broken water pipelines. Such networks rupture occasionally which result in wastage of water every day and should repair it. There should be a specific limit for using water, every society should strictly abide by it should be enforced by society’s office bearers. Due to leakage to existing drinking water pipelines, every day millions of litres of drinking water is going waste. If wastage is stopped the drinking water supply will improve to some extent. The supply of drinking water is not increasing according to demand. As a result, drinking water scarcity is arising. Urban Water Supply Even though the rate of urbanisation in India is among the lowest in the world, the nation has more than 250 million city-dwellers. Experts predict that this number will rise even further, and by 2020, about 50 per cent of India's population will be living in cities. This is going to put further pressure on the already strained centralised water supply systems of urban areas. The urban water supply and sanitation sector in the country is suffering from inadequate levels of service, an increasing demand-supply gap, poor sanitary conditions and deteriorating financial and technical performance. According to Central Public Health Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) estimates, as on 31 March 2000, 88 per cent of urban population has access to a potable water supply. But this supply is highly erratic and unreliable. Transmission and distribution networks are old and poorly maintained, and generally of a poor quality. Consequently physical losses are typically high, ranging from 25 to over 50 per cent. Low pressures and intermittent supplies allow back siphoning, which results in contamination of water in the distribution network. Water is typically available for only 2-8 hours a day in most Indian cities. The situation is even worse in summer when water is available only for a few minutes, sometimes not at all. A Stress Situation According to a World Bank study, of the 27 Asian cities with populations of over 1,000,000, Chennai and Delhi are ranked as the worst performing metropolitan cities in terms of hours of water availability per day, while Mumbai is ranked as second worst performer and Calcutta fourth worst (Source: Background Paper – International Conference on New Perspectives on Water for Urban & Rural India – 18-19 September, 2001, New Delhi. ) In most cities, centralised water supply systems depend on surface water sources like rivers and lakes. Chennai, for instance, has to bring in water from a distance of 200 km whereas Bangalore gets its water from the Cauvery river, which is 95 km away. Where surface water sources fail to meet the rising demand, groundwater reserves are being tapped, often to unsustainable levels. Delhi: The nation's capital is perpetually in the grip of a water crisis, more so during the dry season, when the situation gets particularly worse. As the demand-supply gap widens, more groundwater is being exploited. Of the water supplied by the municipality, approximately 11 per cent comes from groundwater reserves and remaining from the Yamuna river. It is, however, difficult to establish the total quantity of groundwater extracted because a large number of tubewells (owned by individuals, industries and bottled water companies) remain unregistered. In Delhi approximately 13 per cent (Source: Zerah. , M Helene, 2000, Water – Unreliable Supply in Delhi, French Research Institute of India) households do not receive water every day and in Rajkot, Gujarat, water availability in April 2000 was only for 30 minutes every alternate day. Rural Water Supply The rural population of India comprises more than 700 million people residing in about 1. 42 million habitations spread over 15 diverse ecological regions. It is true that providing drinking water to such a large population is an enormous challenge. Our country is also characterised by non-uniformity in level of awareness, socio-economic development, education, poverty, practices and rituals which add to the complexity of providing water. Dependence on the state has meant that with the cost of water supply being high and cost recovery being poor, the financial sustainability of water schemes has run aground, and repairs and maintenance is abysmal. With people having no interest in using water carefully, the sustainability of water has itself become questionable. There are serious problems with government drinking water supply schemes. Despite government efforts, the number of ‘problem villages' does not seem to go down, The government has indeed invested heavily on water resources development, which focussed on large-scale irrigation development for increasing green revolution-style agriculture production and drinking water supply programmes. Yet, a large part of the country remains drought-prone. This is because no specific effort has been made to drought-proof rainfed areas which suffer from high rainfall variability from year to year. Role of Government Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Environment and Forest and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare all have got a different roles to play to provide drinking water of adequate quantity and potable quality to meet the health needs of the community. All of them are involved and play their respective roles to provide quality water and its management. Roles of different agencies are listed below: †¢ Ministry of Water Resources: The Central Ground Water Board is monitoring both quantitative and qualitative data with regard to ground water. Apart from this CGWB has developed ground water maps concerning various qualitative issues. †¢ Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation: Working through various Urban Bodies, the Ministry is involved in monitoring drinking water quality in the urban agglomerations. There are quite a few Water Boards especially in Metro Cities who are equipped to take up the job, but not all urban bodies keep watch of the quality of water being provided on regular basis. †¢ Ministry of Rural Development: Department of Drinking Water in the Ministry is working through State public Health Engineering Departments or Water oards are monitoring the drinking water quality in the rural areas of the country. Almost all the districts do have WQ laboratory. Though WQ is generally tested during installation, follow up testing is not done on regular basis. The department in certain places is initiating community involvement for WQ testing including â€Å"Catchments Approach†. †¢ Ministry of Environment and Forests: Working through Central Pollution Control Board, the Ministry is involved in monitoring water quality of main rivers and big water bodies. Most of these water sources are being used for drinking water purposes. So CPCB itself or through State Pollution Control Boards is having a watch on raw water quality. †¢ Ministry of Health: So far the Ministry had been playing a limited role with regard to drinking water surveillance in some selected areas. But with the inclusion of drinking water under food category, MoH will be playing a significant role. Also Indian government enforced National water policy in 2002 and water pollution act( prevention and control) 1975 for maintaining water quantity and quality. CONCLUSIONS It takes the cooperation and the education of everyone to help clean up our biggest drinking water threats. The more environmentally friendly everyone becomes, the closer we get to finding cleaner drinking water and protecting our natural environment. Industrial and personal responsibility for our environment is the first and most significant step toward clean drinking water in the country in every community. According to a 2007 World Health Organization report, 1. 1 billion people lack access to an improved drinking water supply, 88% of the 4 billion annual cases of diarrhea disease are attributed to unsafe water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene, and 1. million people die from diarrheal diseases each year. The WHO estimates that 94% of these diarrheal cases are preventable through modifications to the environment, including access to safe water. Simple techniques for treating water at home, such as chlorination, filters, and solar disinfection, and storing it in safe containers could save a huge number of lives each year. Reducing deaths from waterborne diseases is a major public hea lth goal in developing countries.