Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Ethnography Assignment Worksheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethnography Assignment Worksheet - Essay Example a between the black and white races in the Old Fourth Ward, and the Auburn Avenue’s main drag was called â€Å"the richest Negro street in the world† (McCall). There are also numerous films based on racism and class system that have been made in the past. One such film is A Day Without a Mexican in which a pink fog draws the Mexicans out of California. My fieldwork site is a park in the Downtown Manchester, NH. The neighborhood immediately surrounding my fieldwork site is like mixed commercial and residential. It is easy for me to get to my site since it is located in my home-city. The Veterans Park consists of a stage area for concerts and a memorial for fallen soldiers. I observed that the park is not divided and homeless and non-homeless people are mixed within the park. The US flags have been used to decorate the park. The park is next to a main street, which makes it sound like a typical city with the noises of people, cars, trucks, and traffic. Usually, the noise is more during the day than the night since the load of traffic in the night is lesser and also, the birds that chirp around during the day recede to their nests in the night. The land in the park is all covered in thick grass which is very pleasant and sweet to the smell. Occasionally, car fumes can be smelled as well, particularly when they are parked with a rush. The park setting is both relaxing and comfortable. Since it is a park, there are benches placed around the periphery of the green areas. The land is mostly covered in grass with concrete walkways running through the open areas. Many people bring food and eatables with them as the natural beauty makes the park a nice picnic spot. Most of the people are from the working class. Spceially, the civil servants and the private sector employees from surrounding buildings visit the park for recreation and timepass. Mnay visitors are middle-aged though the community of visitors is diverse as the visitors come with their families i ncluding children

Monday, October 28, 2019

Vulnerability in Cloud Computing Essay Example for Free

Vulnerability in Cloud Computing Essay Abstract— Cloud computing has been developed to reduce IT expenses and to provide agile IT services to individual users as well as organizations. It moves computing and data away from desktop and portable PCs into large data centers. This technology gives the opportunity for more innovation in lightweight smart devices and it forms an innovative method of performing business. Cloud computing depends on the internet as a medium for users to access the required services at any time on pay-per-use pattern. However this technology is still in its initial stages of development, as it suffers from threats and vulnerabilities that prevent the users from trusting it. Various be rainy as well, in other words this technology is not trustworthy as it is affected with threats and vulnerabilities. We have termed a cloud with threats and vulnerabilities as a stormy cloud. Based on Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and our research, we have identified top seven threats and vulnerabilities that are the causes behind the creation of a stormy cloud [1]. The identified threats and vulnerabilities are ranked from top to bottom as shown in Fig.1. malicious activities from illegal users have threatened this technology such as data misuse, inflexible access control and limited monitoring. The occurrence of these threats may result into damaging or illegal access of critical and confidential data of users. This research paper describes the characteristics (threats, vulnerabilities) associated with a stormy cloud. Keywords- Illegal access, Threats, Vulnerabilities I.INTRODUCTION The traditional era of computing involves the use of software, hardware and storage to achieve the required computational service whereas cloud computing has isolated the services from resources (networks, storage, servers). The required services are provided to the users by utilizing the resources of provider. Users are no longer required to purchase hardware, software or to manage storages. Due the evolution of this technology users are required to pay for cloud services on consumption basis. New cloud based business models are being discussed, defined, and implemented as solutions in form of on-demand services that allows businesses to enhance their efficiency and scalability. Success or failure of this technology relies on users’ trust whether the service provided is reliable, available and secure. Considering the benefits of cloud computing various organizations are moving towards IT solutions that are based on cloud however, before starting the journey to cloud, organizations must considers the possible threats and vulnerabilities that may convert their dreams of enhancing scalability and saving management cost into a nightmare of data loss and misuse. The users must consider that cloud can Figure 1. Characteristics of stormy cloud. In order to create awareness and protect the cloud users from adopting a stormy cloud, we are describing the impacts of threats and vulnerabilities in cloud computing so that organizations or users can adopt this technology with trust and from a trusted provider who has the powerful and trusted security polices as well as efficient techniques for securing the users’ data on cloud. II.CLOUD COMPUTING THREATS As we already mentioned, there are several significant threats that should be considered before adopting the paradigm of cloud computing, these threats are discribed as follows : A. Abuse and Nefarious Use of Cloud Cloud providers facilitate the users with various types of services including unlimited bandwidth and storage capacity. Some cloud service providers offer free limited trial periods that gives an opportunity for hackers to access the cloud immorally, their impact includes decoding and cracking of passwords, launching potential attack points and executing malicious commands. Spammers, malicious code authors and other cybercriminals can conduct their activities with relative impunity, as cloud service providers are targeted for their weak registration systems and limited fraud detection capabilities. For example some cybercriminals use rich content applications such as flash files that enable them to hide their malicious code and utilize users’ browsers to install malware [1]. B. Insecure Interfaces and APIs Cloud users are using software interfaces and APIs to access and manage the cloud services. These APIs need to be secured because they play an integral part during provisioning, management, orchestration and monitoring of the processes running in a cloud environment. The security and availability of cloud services is dependent upon the security of these APIs so they should include features of authentication, access control, encryption and activity monitoring. APIs must be designed to protect against both accidental and malicious attempts to avoid threats. If cloud service provider relies on weak set of APIs, variety of security issues will be raised related to confidentiality, integrity, availability and accountability such as malicious or unidentified access, API dependencies, limited monitoring/logging capabilities, inflexible access controls, anonymous access, reusable tokens/passwords and improper authorizations[1]. C.Malicious Insider Insider attacks can be performed by malicious employees at the provider’s or user’s site. Malicious insider can steal the confidential data of cloud users. This threat can break the trust of cloud users on provider. A malicious insider can easily obtain passwords, cryptographic keys and files. These attacks may involve various types of fraud, damage or theft of information and misuse of IT resources. The threat of malicious attacks has increased due to lack of transparency in cloud provider’s processes and procedures [2]. It means that a provider may not reveal how employees are granted access and how this access is monitored or how reports as well as policy compliances are analyzed. Additionally, users have little visibility about the hiring practices of their provider that could open the door for an adversary, hackers or other cloud intruders to steal confidential information or to take control over the cloud. The level of access granted could enable attackers to collect confidential data or to gain complete control over the cloud services with little or no risk of detection. Malicious insider attacks can damage the financial value as well as brand reputation of an organization. D. Virtualized Technology Due to the cloud virtualization, cloud providers are residing the user’s applications on virtual machines (VMs) within a shared infrastructure. The VMs are virtualized based on the physical hardware of cloud provider. In order to maintain the security of users, providers are isolating the VMs from each other so if any of them is malicious, it will not affect the other VMs under the same provider. The VMs are managed by hypervisor in order to provide virtual memory as well as CPU scheduling policies to VMs. As the hypervisor is main source of managing a virtualized cloud platform, hackers are targeting it to access the VMs and the physical hardware, because hypervisor resides between VMs and hardware [3], so attack on hypervisor can damage the VMs and hardware. Strong isolation should be employed to ensure that VMs are not able to impact or access the operations of other users running under the same cloud service provider. Several vendors such as Xen and KVM are providing strong security mechanisms of securing the cloud hypervisors, but still it is identified that sometimes security of VMs is compromised. E. Data Loss or Leakage Data loss can occur due to operational failures, unreliable data storage and inconsistent use of encryption keys. Operational failure refers to deletion or alteration of records without a backup of the original content that can take place intentionally or unintentionally. Unreliable data storage refers to saving of data on unreliable media that will be unrecoverable if data is lost [4]. The inconsistent use of encryption keys will result into loss and unauthorized accesses of data by illegal users that will lead to the destruction of sensitive and confidential information. Example of data loss is Twitter hacks. The online accounts of Twitter accessed by hackers and their numerous sensitive corporate documents were stolen. These documents were housed in Googles online web office service Google Docs. Although Google was not the one to be blamed for security break-in as the security of documents from twitter was not efficient enough. Instead, the entire company data was only one password crack away from discovery [5]. It’s clear from this example that data loss or leakage can damage one’s brand, reputation and cause a loss that may significantly impact employee, partner and users’ morale as well as trust. Loss of core intellectual property can have competitive and financial implications beside the compliance violations and legal consequences. F.Account or Service Hijacking Account or service hijacking refers to unauthorized access gained by attackers to control the users’ accounts, such as phishing, fraud and exploitation of software vulnerabilities. For example if an attacker gains access to users’ credentials, they can spy on their activities/transactions, manipulate their data, return falsified information and redirect them to illegitimate sites [6]. Users’ account or service instances may become a new base for the attackers who can leverage the cloud service providers’ reputation by launching subsequent attacks. With stolen credentials, attackers can often access critical areas of deployed cloud computing services, allowing them to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of those services. Authentication and authorization through the use of roles and password protecting is a common way to maintain access control when using web-browsers to access cloud computing systems. However, this method is not suff icient enough to secure sensitive and critical data. G.Unknown Risk Profile It is important for the users to know software versions, security practices, code updates and intrusion attempts. While adopting cloud computing services, these features and functionality may be well advertised but what about the details orcompliance ofthe internal security procedures, configuration hardening, patching, auditing and logging. Users must be clarified how and where their data and related logs are stored. However, there is no clear answer that leaves users with an unknown risk profile that may include serious threats [1]. the VM within the virtualized cloud environment.VM escape is a vulnerability that enables a guest-level VM to attack its host. Under this vulnerability an attacker runs code on a VM that allows an OS running within it to break out and interact directly with the hypervisor as shown in Fig.2 [8]. III.CLOUD COMPUTING VULNERABILITIES There are several significant vulnerabilities that should be considered when an organization is ready to move their critical applications and data to a cloud compuitng environment, these vulnerabilities are discribed as follows : A. Session Riding and Hijacking Session hijacking refers to use of a valid session key to gain unauthorized access for the information or services residing on a computer system, it also refers to theft of a cookie used to authenticate a user to a remote server and it is relevant to web application technologies weaknesses in the web application structure at their disposal that gives the chance to hackers in order to accomplish a wide variety of malicious activities. While session riding refers to the hackers sending commands to a web application on behalf of the targeted user by just sending that user an email or tricking the user into visiting a specially crafted website. Session riding deletes user data, executes online transactions like bids or orders, sends spam to an intranet system via internet and changes system as well as network configurations or even opens the firewall [12]. However, the web technologies evolution and refinement also brings new techniques that compromise sensitive data, provide access to theoretically secure networks and pose threats to the daily operation of online businesses. B. Virtual Machine Escape Cloud computing servers use the same OS, enterprise and web applications as localized VMs and physical servers. The ability for an attacker or malware to remotely exploit vulnerabilities in these systems and applications is a significant threat to virtualized cloud computing environments [7]. In addition, co-location of multiple VMs increases the attack surface and risk of VM-to-VM compromise. Intrusion detection and prevention systems need to be able to detect malicious activity at VM level, regardless of the location of Figure 2. VM Escape. It allows the attacker to access the host OS and all other VMs running on that particular host. Hypervisors and VM’s complexity may cause an increase threat to attack surface that weakens security such as paging, check pointing and migration of VMs [8]. C. Reliability and Availability of Service In terms of reliability and availability, cloud computing is not a perfect technology. For-example in February 2008, Amazons Web Service (Amazons-S3) cloud storage infrastructure went down for several hours, causing data loss and access issues with multiple Web 2.0 services. With more services being built on top of cloud computing infrastructures, an outage orfailure can create a domino effect by taking down large amounts of Internet based services and applications which raise several questions such as in cases of failure, what forms of settlement exist for stakeholders? What is the responsibility of cloud providers? What will be appropriate procedures to overcome these issues? [9]. D. Insecure Cryptography Attackers’ can decode any cryptographic mechanism or algorithm as main methods to hack them are discovered. It’s common to find crucial flaws in cryptographic algorithm implementations, which can twist strong encryption into weak encryption or sometimes no encryption at all. For example in cloud virtualization providers uses virtualization software to partition servers into images that are provided to the users as on-demand services [10]. Although utilization of those VMs into cloud providers data centres provides more flexible and efficient setup than traditional servers but they dont have enough access to generate random numbers needed to properly encrypt data. This is one of the fundamental problems of cryptography. How do computers produce truly random numbers that cant be guessed or replicated? In PCs, OS typically monitors users mouse movements and key strokes to gather random bits of data that are collected in a so-called Entropy Pool (a set of unpredictable numbers that encryption software automatically pulls to generate random encryption passkeys). In servers, one that dont have access to a keyboard or mouse, random numbers are also pulled from the unpredictable movements of the computers hard drive. VMs that act as physical machines but are simulated with software have fewer sources of entropy. For example Linux-based VMs, gather random numbers only from the exact millisecond time on their internal clocks and that is not enough to generate strong keys for encryption [11]. E. Data Protection and Portability Although the cloud services are offered based on a contract among client and a provider but what will happen when the contract is terminated and client doesn’t wants to continue anymore. The question is, will the sensitive data of client be deleted or misused by the provider. Secondly if the provider went out of business due to any reason, what will happen to the services and data of the client? Will the provider handout the data of client to some other provider, if yes, will client trust the new provider? Considering these questions we can say that data protection and portability remains as one of main weaknesses of cloud computing. F. Vendor Lock-in This vulnerability occurs due to immature providers and new business models which raise the risk of failure and going out of the business. Lock-in, makes a client dependent on a provider for products and services so they will be unable to deal with another provider without substantial switching costs. Clients must be sure of their potential provider prior to provider selection process. Lack of standards may also lock-in the clients with only one provider. Due to heterogeneous standards and policies settled by each provider, clients are not able to easily migrate from one provider to another even though they want to do so [13]. G. Internet Dependency Cloud computing is an internet dependent technology where users are accessing the services via web browser. What if internet is not available or service is down, what will happen to users systems and operations that are very critical and need to run 24 hours such as Healthcare and Banking systems. In some Asian and African underdeveloped countries where service of internet is not considered as reliable enough, will organizations adopt this paradigm to move their significant systems on cloud? IV.CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK In this research paper we have discussed the characteristics of a stormy cloud that contains threats and vulnerabilities. Cloud computing has a dynamic nature that is flexible, scalable and multi-shared with high capacity that gives an innovative shape of carrying out business [14]. However, beside these benefits there are seven deadly threats and vulnerabilities encountered in this technology. Therefore, we believe there is still tremendous opportunity for researchers to make revolutionary contributions in this field and bring significant impact of their development to the industry. There is need to develop and design in-depth security techniques and policies in terms of people, processes and technology. By considering the contributions from several IT industries worldwide, it’s obvious that cloud computing will be one of the leading strategic and innovative technologies in the near future. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The glory of accomplishing this research paper goes to our parents for their moral support. We are also thankful to our supervisor for encouraging us to write this research journal. Finally, we are thankful to IJAEST for assisting us to review this journal and providing us timely response. REFERENCES [1]CSA, â€Å"Security Guidance for Critical Areas of Focus in Cloud Computing V2.1† Cloud Security Alliance, 2009, [Online], Available: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/topthreats/csathreats.v1.0.pdf, [Accessed: 08-July-2011]. [2]E., Mathisen, â€Å"Security challenges and solutions in cloud computing,† in Digital Ecosystems and Technologies Conference (DEST), 2011 Proceedings of the 5th IEEE International Conference on, 2011, pp. 208-212. [3]Wei Chen, Hongyi Lu, Li Shen, Zhiying Wang, Nong Xiao, and Dan Chen, â€Å"A Novel Hardware Assisted Full Virtualization Technique,† in Young Computer Scientists, 2008. ICYCS 2008. The 9th International Conference for, 2008, pp. 1292-1297. [4]S. Farrell, â€Å"Portable Storage and Data Loss,† Internet Computing, IEEE, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 90-93, 2008. [5]R., Trope, C., Ray, â€Å"The Real Realities of Cloud Computing: Ethical Issues for Lawyers, Law Firms, and Judges â€Å", [Online], Available: http://ftp.documation.com/references/ABA10a/PDfs/3_1.pdf , 2009, [Accessed: 15-Jul-2011]. [6]Karthick Ramachandran, Thomas Margoni and Mark Perry, â€Å"Clarifying Privacy in the Clouds† in CYBERLAWS 2011 : The Second International Conference on Technical and Legal Aspects of the e- Society, IARIA,2011. [7]S., Subashini, V. Kavitha. â€Å"A survey on security issues in service delivery models of cloud computing†. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, vo l.34, pp.1-11, 2011. [8]Trend Micro, â€Å"Making Virtual Machines Cloud-Ready†, [Online], Available: http://www.whitestratus.com/docs/making-vms-cloud ready.pdf. A Trend Micro White Paper, 2009 [Accessed: 16-Jul-2011]. [9]J., Grimes, P., Jaeger, J., Lin, â€Å"Weathering the Storm: The Policy Implications of Cloud Computing† [Online], Availablehttp://ischools.org/images/iConferences/CloudAbstract13109F INAL.pdf , [Accessed: 19-Jul-2011]. [10] B. Grobauer, T. Walloschek, and E. Stocker, â€Å"Understanding Cloud Computing Vulnerabilities,† Security Privacy, IEEE, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 50-57, 2011. [11] A., Greenberg, â€Å"Why Cloud Computing Needs More Chaos† [Online], Available:http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/30/cloud-computing- security-technology-cio-network-cloud-computing.html, 2009, [Accessed: 20-Jul-2011]. [12] T. Schreiber, â€Å"Session Riding a Widespread Vulnerability in Todays Web Applications† [Online], Available: http://www.securenet.de/papers/Session_Riding.pdf, white paper, 2004. [Accessed: 20-Jul-2011]. [13] G., Petri, â€Å"Vendor Lock-in and Cloud computing†, [Online], Available: http://cloudcomputing.sys-con.com/node/1465147 , 2010, [Accessed: 23-Jul-2011].

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Power of Love in Wuthering Heights Essay -- Literary Analysis

Wuthering Heights is a novel which deviates from the standard of Victorian literature. The novels of the Victorian Era were often works of social criticism. They generally had a moral purpose and promoted ideals of love and brotherhood. Wuthering Heights is more of a Victorian Gothic novel; it contains passion, violence, and supernatural elements (Mitchell 119). The world of Wuthering Heights seems to be a world without morals. In Wuthering Heights, Brontà « does not idealize love; she presents it realistically, with all its faults and merits. She shows that love is a powerful force which can be destructive or redemptive. Heathcliff has an all-consuming passion for Catherine. When she chooses to marry Edgar, his spurned love turns into a destructive force, motivating him to enact revenge and wreak misery. The power of Heathcliff’s destructive love is conquered by the influence of another kind of love. Young Cathy’s love for Hareton is a redemptive force. It is her love that brings an end to the reign of Heathcliff. Heathcliff and Catherine have loved each other since their childhood. Initially, Catherine scorned the little gypsy boy; she showed her distaste by â€Å"spitting† at him (Brontà « 27). However, it was not long before Heathcliff and Catherine became â€Å"very think† (Brontà « 27). They became very close friends; they were practically brother and sister (Mitchell 122). Heathcliff is intent upon pleasing Catherine. He would â€Å"do her bidding in anything† (Brontà « 30). He is afraid of â€Å"grieving† her (Brontà « 40). Heathcliff finds solace and comfort in Catherine’s company. When Catherine is compelled to stay at Thrushcross Grange to recover from her injury, she returns as â€Å"a very dignified person† (Brontà « 37). Her association with the gente... ...d to Cathy. He desires to be accepted by her. Cathy willingly loves and accepts Hareton. It is this love which reforms Hareton and dispels the tyranny at Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff’s love brought about destruction; Cathy brings redemption to the Heights through her love. Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Wuthering Heights shows the real effects of love; love has the power to create evil or good. Primary Source Brontà «, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1996. Print. Secondary Sources Berg, Maggie. Wuthering Heights: The Writing in the Margin. New York: Twayne, 1996. Print. "Characteristics of Victorian Literature." Homewood City Schools. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. . Mitchell, Hayley R., ed. Readings on Wuthering Heights. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1999. Print.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Reaction paper to malampaya fund

When I'm reading articles, facts, and history about this, I was surprised with 137. 8 billion pesos estimated fund collected annually with this project. In reality with this capital, we can build another oil industry and various projects to manipulate this asset which primarily based on research that Philippines are rich in natural resources. When we overcome this proper usage, manipulation, development and strengthening the force of our country that we may be not able to bully by other states and get this place which are capable to make our country powerful than them.If this so, Philippines have the capabilities to pace with other countries also focuses on producing oil and other natural resources found in their area. But what happen? It goes to the pockets of the corrupt government officials instead it is for the development of the country. But there's nothing new about it. What was the road were taking in? Is this the track that they promised with their sweet words? Or if will und erstand this at present, promises are really made to be broken.We lack of ability of manipulation of the things that we really owned. When I'm writing this reaction paper, I feel so bad not only to those public officials but also to those who have the right to suffrage, still we choose who are popular, good-looking without dedication and accountability. As a public administration student, starting now I will think what's good for the country than filling my own pocket coming from the taxes earned through hard work of every citizen. Our country needs us.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Double Helix – Character Guide

Double Helix Readers Guide * Max Perutz – was the head of the unit where Crick works at Cambridge University. Perutz also shared important X-ray crystallography imagery with Watson and Crick that he had received from Maurice Wilkins and Franklin. Whether he was supposed to give this information to Watson and Crick without Franklin’s knowledge is unknown, nor is it entirely known how important her work was to the discovery of the structure. Sir Lawrence Bragg – the head of the Cavendish laboratory at Cambridge university, met with much resistance from Watson and especially Crick. Bragg is the youngest ever Nobel prize winner, which he won for the discovery of the Bragg low of X-ray crystallography. Bragg also wrote the foreword to Watson’s book, adding dramatically to the respectability of the book. * John Kendrew – English educated, also worked in the Cavendish laboratory under the direction of Bragg. Worked closely with Perutz and shared the 1962 N obel prize with him for their work on X-ray crystallography. Erwin Schrodinger – his book What is Life was a great inspiration to Watson, who agreed that many secrets can be uncovered if the scientific world dedicated itself to discovery of what the true secrets of life are * O. T. Avery – important because their research on DNA/protein after Griffiths experiment on the transforming factor, was decisive enough for Watson to believe that DNA was the genetic material (not protein as was believed) * Max Delbruck – pioneered bacteriophage research which allowed Hershey and Chase to conduct their experiments with radioactive labeling. Maurice Wilkins – was Rosalind Franklin’s partner in X-ray crystallography and played an important role in providing Watson with the B-structure of DNA that Franklin and Gosling had made. Franklin, Gosling and Wilkins all worked at King’s College, London. * Rosalind Franklin – Although Franklin had not agreed to the exchange Wilkins had made (providing of B-structure imagery to Watson), her work proved that DNA was helical and that the bases were on the inside with the sugar phosphates on the outside (as she had said all along).In short, her 3 contributions were crucial to Watson’s development of the model, although the B-model proved one of her theories wrong but several right. Furthermore, Watson and Franklin had a very heated relationship, which led to many heated debates and sometimes even conflicts. * Linus Pauling – the greatest chemist in the history of the United States, worked at Cal Tech and was the closest competition to Watson and Crick in the discovery of the structure of DNA. Famous for the discovery of the hydrogen bond and the alpha-helical structure of protein.He’s also famous for publishing a wrong model of DNA (three strands) for which he saw major public embarrassment. * Herman Kalkar – was the head of the laboratory in Copenhagen where Wa tson did phage research soon after he graduated. He did not enjoy his time in Copenhagen, which is why he left soon after getting there. * Salvador Luria – James Watson was Luria’s first graduate student at the University of Indiana. Luria would go on to do groundbreaking work with phages in biochemistry. He would later win the Nobel prize for medicine along with Hershey and Delbruck for their work on phages. J. T. Randall – was the head of the King’s College laboratory team with Wilkins as his deputy. He shared the 1962 Nobel prize with Watson and crick * Dorothy Hodgkin – was the other major female character in the book. Both of the women clearly struggled in a world that was heavily dominated by men. However, Hodgkin was known to get along with men much better than Franklin. She said this was because of her gender, whereas Franklin experienced the opposite. Franklin and Hodgkin worked closely in the contemplation of the DNA structure. Both scien tists were X-ray crystallographers.Hodgkin won the 1964 Nobel prize for chemistry * Willy Seeds – was famous for calling Watson â€Å"honest Jim. † Worked with Maurice Wilkins in the King’s laboratory and was famous for his pioneering work on the DNA fibers. Him calling Watson honest Jim was clearly sarcasm because they King’s scientists were still bitter about Watson stealing their data to make his model * R. G. Gosling – this was Franklin’s lab partner at King’s College laboratory * Erwin Chargaff – discovered the bases in the purines and pyrimidines (double and single ring) and also discovered that A matches with T and C matches with G.Gave Watson an important clue in his model building, that he had to match the bases. * Al Hershey – was a scientist that was known for conducting the final proof of DNA being the hereditary material. Their experiment ended the race and assured the scientific world that DNA was the inher ited material. * Martha Chase – was Hershey’s lab partner, and was one of the few other women in the scientific world * Peter Pauling – Linus’ son, came to study in London and Watson showed him around. In the process Peter gave Watson some important hints that his father was getting close to the discovery of the alpha helical structure.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Shirley Jackson

Shirley Hardie Jackson was one of the greatest authors of the twentieth century who wrote over one hundred short stories, novels, plays, and articles. Through the years Shirley’s writing habit’s progressed. In college she began writing articles for the campus magazines. After college Shirley got married and began her writing career, writing short stories for popular magazines. Eventually Shirley became a mother of four. She played the role of a housewife, a mom, and an author. As the years went by Shirley spent time between both her children’s activities and in her writing. As time went on Shirley’s life began to slow down. She wasn’t able to produce as much writings as she use to. She eventually died in her sleep Shirley Hardie Jackson was born into an upper middle-class family on December 14, 1919 in San Francisco, California. Her father, Leslie Hardie Jackson was a British born Lithograph company executive. Shirley’s mother, Geraldine Bugbee Jackson was a descendant from a family of very well known architects. (Alessio 114). Just two years after she was born her parents had another child named Barry. When Shirley was six and her brother was four, the Jackson family moved from San Francisco to a suburban town 30 miles away called Burlingame (Hall 18). Shirley’s first exposure to literature was with her grandmother who would read her Edgar Allan Poe stories. Shirley became interested in literature and started to go to the library quite often (Alessio 115). At the age of twelve, Shirley won a prize for her poem â€Å" The Pine Tree† which was entered into a contest for the â€Å"Junior Home Magazine†. (Hall 18) When Shirley was in junior high, she began to keep a diary where she kept all of her writing’s (Burn 378). â€Å"She wrote about her daily activities, including time spent playing the piano and with her best friend, Dorothy, as well as her desire to be thinner and kinder to others. Shirley also recorded her earliest... Free Essays on Shirley Jackson Free Essays on Shirley Jackson Shirley Hardie Jackson was one of the greatest authors of the twentieth century who wrote over one hundred short stories, novels, plays, and articles. Through the years Shirley’s writing habit’s progressed. In college she began writing articles for the campus magazines. After college Shirley got married and began her writing career, writing short stories for popular magazines. Eventually Shirley became a mother of four. She played the role of a housewife, a mom, and an author. As the years went by Shirley spent time between both her children’s activities and in her writing. As time went on Shirley’s life began to slow down. She wasn’t able to produce as much writings as she use to. She eventually died in her sleep Shirley Hardie Jackson was born into an upper middle-class family on December 14, 1919 in San Francisco, California. Her father, Leslie Hardie Jackson was a British born Lithograph company executive. Shirley’s mother, Geraldine Bugbee Jackson was a descendant from a family of very well known architects. (Alessio 114). Just two years after she was born her parents had another child named Barry. When Shirley was six and her brother was four, the Jackson family moved from San Francisco to a suburban town 30 miles away called Burlingame (Hall 18). Shirley’s first exposure to literature was with her grandmother who would read her Edgar Allan Poe stories. Shirley became interested in literature and started to go to the library quite often (Alessio 115). At the age of twelve, Shirley won a prize for her poem â€Å" The Pine Tree† which was entered into a contest for the â€Å"Junior Home Magazine†. (Hall 18) When Shirley was in junior high, she began to keep a diary where she kept all of her writing’s (Burn 378). â€Å"She wrote about her daily activities, including time spent playing the piano and with her best friend, Dorothy, as well as her desire to be thinner and kinder to others. Shirley also recorded her earliest...

Monday, October 21, 2019

USDA essays

USDA essays USDA www.usda.gov History: In 1862 Abraham Lincoln founded the US Department of Agriculture, he named it the peoples Department. During Lincolns time, 48 percent of the peopls were farmers. These farmers needed god seeds and inofrmation for growing their crops. The USDA today, continues Lincolns legacy by doing their best to serve all Americans. Jobs: The USDA is committed to helping Farmers and Ranchers , but along with lending a helping hand to these people, the USDA does much more. The USDA provides WIC Programs such as Food Stamps, School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to lead the Federal anti-hunger effort. The USDA is the provider of our nations 192 million acres of national forests and rangelands. The USDA is the countrys largest conservation agency, and encourages voluntary efforts to help protect soil, wildlife and water. Housing, safe drinking water and modern telecommunications are all brought to us by the USDA. Meat, poultry and egg products are inspected for our consumption by the USDA. The Mission of the USDA is to enhance the quality of life for the American people by supporting the production of agriculture. The USDA does their best to aquaire this by ensuring a safe, affordable, nutrious and accessible food supply. They care for the agriculture, forsets, and range lands. The USDA works to reduce hunger in America and throughout the world. In Charge: Ann M. Veneman is the women un charge of the USDA. Answers/Reports To: The USDA answers directly to the President of United States of America. Safeguarding: In order to safeguard our food the USDA has been developing new methods in order to give us safe and healthy meat, poultry and egg p ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

A Short History of the Toothpick

A Short History of the Toothpick Thanks to the humble toothpick, taking care of your oral hygiene after meals has become somewhat of a ritual. With needle-like precision, it makes removing unseemly pieces of food debris, such as that stubborn sliver of shredded chicken, a thoroughly satisfying task. So who should we thank for it? DIY Origins   The toothpick is one of the few inventions being used today that predates the arrival of modern humans. Fossil evidence of ancient skulls, for instance, suggests that early Neanderthals used tools to pick their teeth. Scientists have also found tooth indentations indicative of teeth picking in human remains among Australian Aborigines, prehistoric Native Americans, and the earliest Egyptians.    The practice of teeth picking was not uncommon among early civilizations, too. Mesopotamians used instruments to keep dental crevices clear and artifacts such as toothpicks made out of silver, bronze and various other precious metals that date back to antiquity have also been unearthed. By the Medieval period, carrying a gold or silver toothpick in a fancy case became a way for privileged Europeans to distinguish themselves from commoners. The toothpick wasn’t always quite the lowly, mass-produced and disposable piece of wood that we’ve come to know today. Queen Elizabeth once received six gold toothpicks as a gift and would often showcase them. There’s even an anonymous portrait depicting her as an old woman wearing multiple chains around her neck, from which hung a gold toothpick or a case. Meanwhile, those who couldn’t afford such luxuries resorted to more creative ways of fashioning their own toothpicks. The Romans came up with a particularly clever method of pulling bird feathers, chopping off the quill and sharpening the tip. The technique was passed on to future generations in Europe and eventually carried over to the new world. Over in the Americas, native peoples carved toothpicks from deer bone. And just up north, Eskimos used walrus whiskers. Coincidentally, wood was generally considered unsuitable for the purpose of dislodging trapped food bits. Twigs from trees were inadequate because they tended to wear down when wet and had a propensity to splinter, which tended to be problematic. One exception is the mastic gum tree of southern Europe, with the Romans among the first to take advantage of the plant’s pleasant aroma and its teeth whitening properties. A Toothpick for the Masses With the ubiquity of tooth picking tools across the world, it was only a matter of time before an industry was built around them. As small businesses specializing in toothpick manufacturing began to pop up, demand for toothpicks also grew.  American entrepreneur named Charles Forster. The mass production of toothpicks can be traced to the Mondego River Valley in Portugal. It was there, in the small municipality of Coimbra, that the 16th century nuns of the Mos-teiro de Lorvo monastery began making toothpicks as a disposable utensil for picking up sticky confections that tended to leave residue on fingers and teeth. Locals eventually picked up the tradition, using only the finest orangewood and a jackknife to handcraft the toothpicks. The region would over time earn a reputation as the world capital of the toothpick industry where the finest toothpicks were made. Orders soon came in from all over Europe and shipment were sent out as far overseas as the Americas. The Portuguese were especially renowned for a special type of cocktail tooth called â€Å"palitos especiales† distinct for their carved involutes and curly shafts. In the U.S., some vendors seek to mimic the classy, festive aesthetic with toothpicks topped with colored cellophane. Toothpicks in America The American entrepreneur Charles Forster was particularly impressed by the high quality of the toothpicks in South America. While working in Brazil, he noticed that the locals often had impeccable teeth and credited it to the use of imported toothpicks from Portugal. Inspired by fellow American Benjamin Franklin Sturtevant’s shoe-making machine, Forster got to work on building something similar that would be capable of mass-producing millions of toothpicks a day. While he was ultimately able to come up with the goods, Americans simply weren’t interested. Part of the problem was that Americans were already accustomed to whittling their own toothpicks and doling out cash for something that can easily make themselves made little sense at the time. What was needed was a sea change in ingrained lifestyle habits and attitudes if there was any hope of generating demand. Forster just so happened to be crazy enough to take on such a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Some of the unusual marketing tactics he employed included hiring students to pose as store customers seeking toothpicks and instructing Harvard students to ask for them whenever they dined at restaurants. Soon enough, many local eateries would make sure toothpicks were available for patrons who somehow developed a habit of reaching for them as they’re about to leave. Though it was Forster who at the time nearly singlehandedly established a growing market for mass-produced wooden toothpicks, there were a few others jockeying to get into the game. In 1869, Alphons Krizek, of Philadelphia, received a patent for an â€Å"improvement in toothpicks,† which featured a hooked end with spoon-shaped mechanism designed to clean out hollow and sensitive teeth. Other attempted â€Å"improvements† include a case for a retractable toothpick and a scented coating meant to freshen one’s breath.  Ã‚   Towards the end of the 19th century, there were literally billions of toothpicks made each year. In 1887, the count got as high as five billion toothpicks, with Forster accounting for more than half of them. And by the end of the century, there was one factory in Maine that was already making that many.  Ã‚   Toothpicks Not Just for Picking Teeth With the commercialized ubiquity of disposable wooden toothpicks, the concept of the toothpick as status symbol, which stubbornly persisted well into 19th century, would slowly begin to fade. Silver and gold toothpicks, once immensely popular amongst society’s most well-heeled elites, were increasingly turned in as donations at fundraisers. But that doesn’t mean a toothpick’s usefulness was simply relegated to oral hygiene. Most people, for instance, are familiar with the use of toothpicks in social settings where eau doeuvres and other finger foods are served. Yet they’ve also proved capable of pinning down overstuffed deli sandwiches, cleaning dirt from underneath fingernails, and even picking locks. While the standard toothpick of today remains essentially unchanged from the ones Forster was cranking out over a century ago, entrepreneurs still seek to improve upon its very basic iteration. One early attempt by Forster and others to make them more appealing was the introduction of flavored toothpicks. Popular flavors included cinnamon, wintergreen, and sassafras. For a time, there were even liquor flavors, such as Scotch and Bourbon. Inventors have also tested other coatings such as imbuing sticks with zinc as a disinfectant. Another therapeutic approach involved combining a toothpick and a gum massager. Others have tried tinkering with the shape by making the center square as a way to prevent rolling when dropped while some newer ones claim to offer enhanced cleaning ability with the addition of brush-like bristles to the head. Though such efforts to build a better toothpick may arguably yield some advantages, theres something about the toothpick’s modest simplicity that makes it so users dont have much of a desire to deviate. A disposable, cheap object with a simple design that achieves its desired goal, you really couldn’t ask for more - as a consumer or as a manufacturer.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

A Written Analysis on any Poem by Edgar Allen Poe Term Paper

A Written Analysis on any Poem by Edgar Allen Poe - Term Paper Example With the youth’s dynamic potentials and attitude to frolic during spring, that is the age of serious discovery or of intently satisfying curiosity, the author confesses of aggressively exploring the ‘wide world’ he compares with ‘the lake’. By saying ‘The which I could not love the less’ collectively alludes the material things in the world he gets engrossed with or would not seem to have enough of. As if everything he ever dreamed of is found in the perishable world, so he further accounts for the ‘loneliness’ which he rather finds lovely and at this stage, the poet indicates how selfish a young aggressive person could get as he sees the world alone and that nothing else matters for the moment. The poet makes use of concrete imagery on describing the view of the lake at the beginning ‘with black rock bound, And the tall pines that towered around’ for the purpose of contrasting it with ‘poisonous waveâ€⠄¢ and ‘in its gulf a fitting grave’ which are allusions that suit the maturity of expressing the lesson which the poet is bound to learn in the process. On personifying the wind to be ‘mystic’ and ‘murmuring in melody’, as well as the night’s action with ‘had thrown her pall’, E.A. Poe signifies the reference to the doom which the youth is likely to confront on being led to a wasted life filled with depression as a consequence of living life on the edge or having plenty of unnecessary cares that bring grief to humans in the end. ‘The Lake’ is made to progress from a scenario wherein it occurs or feels easy to think of beauty and wonders into sudden fate that completely reverses the original picture the time the gloomy night arrives. Not long after the transition however, the person clarifies that it is not something to be hugely upset about, and this is manifested through the description given for the wind. Ins tead of a sweeping action, it is rendered void of speed with the use alliterative phrase ‘murmuring in melody’ which characterizes the person’s view of life in response to trials or challenges that come his way. When one is made strong by specific virtues in learning how to cope with struggles in life, he is the type of individual who is capable of handling troubles or unfavorable tides with a sense of balance and confidence and is not instantly consumed by sorrows made by trifling deeds of tender age as symbolized in ‘Yet that terror was not fright.’ Equivalently, E.A. Poe suggests that there is never a perfect picture or permanence with an ideal situation, in time it would necessarily have to undergo certain changes be it small or large and people ought to keep watch and be prepared. There seems to be a shift in low and smooth tone to abrupt utterance in the middle ‘Then-ah then I would awake To the terror of the lone lake’ yet after t his, the speaker goes back to original calmness and sounds hopeful towards the end. A man of happy disposition who grows out of immature ways of the world takes no grave deal with life’s occasional worries and even brings out a remarkable perspective out of appalling circumstances as maybe sensed in the last three lines ‘To his lone imagining – Whose solitary soul could make An Eden of that dim lake’

Globalization and media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Globalization and media - Essay Example In an important 2006 article, Schiller asserted that we should reassess any notions we have that the era of cultural domination is over. He looks back over the last quarter century, and draws parallels between the situation faced then, and that with which we are now confronted. On the whole, he concludes that very little has actually changed. Revisiting this comparison is a worthwhile exercise in attempting to distil the essential nature of the debate between those who hold cultural imperialism to be a relevant concept, and those who would have it dismissed as archaic. Schiller noted that in the 1980s, there was a clear division between the western and industrialized ‘First World’, a ‘Second World’ made up largely of the countries aligned to the socialist blocs led by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, and a ‘Third World’ made up of those countries which had gained independence in recent decades (295). Across all of thes e categories, the United States was, politically and culturally, the most powerful state, with the Third World deliberately being targeted with American cultural exports, and a vision of an American lifestyle to aspire to. As Schiller himself concedes, there have been some important alterations to the global cultural landscape in the intervening decades. For one, the Second World has practically disappeared. Those countries which might still be grouped in this category, such as China and Vietnam, are increasingly open to American and other Western cultural imports, while some, such as the countries of the former Soviet Union in Eastern Europe, became an area in which American-style cultural norms flourished after the collapse of government from Moscow. Furthermore, we are now consciously witnessing the political and economic decline of the United States, in relative terms, when compared to the fast-growing economies of China and India. The Chinese economy, for example, has just over taken the Japanese in order of size. This raises pressing questions about whether American cultural dominance can be sustained in a world where its political dominance in diminished. Schiller argues that ‘Cultural submersion’ to American norms remains powerful, and this term has in fact been broadened beyond just watching American television programs and movies, to shopping in American-style malls and going to theme parks. There is, of course, a change in the cultural sphere which has been even more important than all of this, and that is the broadening of the definition of media, to cover what we now collectively refer to as the ‘social media’ – including the blogosphere and the social networking websites which have proliferated in the past decade. This issue will be discussed in more detail below, but Schiller argues that despite the rise of new media, television retains its former importance. He claims that the emergence of satellite and cable net works has prevented this happening (297). At this point his argument becomes less powerful. In the early 1990s, as the Soviet bloc collapsed and American culture seemed triumphant all over the world, Schiller’s contention stands firm, but in the present decade, with revolutions and uprisings, as well as broader internal debate and opposition being fuelled by websites and forums that are independent of any political authority, the

Friday, October 18, 2019

Licensing Agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Licensing Agreement - Essay Example This is considered to be the first step of intellectual property. This report will identify issues that Alarmz ltd might face by entering into an agreement with a Brazilian company and how identified problems might be overcome. Introduction Alarmz Ltd is a company that prides itself with the use of technologically updated car alarms five years running. We deliver and fit the top brands in car alarms including Clifford, Cobra, Hornet, Viper, Avital, Laserline and Autowatch and all forms of car alarm, parking sensors, audio, hid lighting etc. We also fit car accessories at amazingly low prices. Our specialty includes remote start and 2way car alarms and our clients are guaranteed excellent results. With the increase in car thefts and faulty vehicle tracking devices, there is a need to ensure that cars have well manufactured and functioning alarms. This has led to our company, Alarmz Ltd to create ideas for the manufacture of a new tamper proof alarm. This alarm will be designed in a wa y that minimizes chances of tampering by people who have malicious intentions with the car. This alarm system will have features that will be different from other market alarms. In this quest, we were able to identify the Brazilian Company Redfern Integrated Optics (RIO) Inc as our preferred manufacturer. RIO Inc. is a company that is well known for the manufacture and development of optical and subsystems based on Planar External Cavity Laser Technology (PLANEX). It distributes exclusive price-performance returns in energy, security, infrastructure, metrology, and other markets. The qualities of products produced by RIO Inc are the best so far in the market. Cases of dissatisfaction by customers have been minimal. The distribution of their products is on a wide area scale, as they have adequate transportation that oversees distribution. This is therefore, the better option we have identified to work with as a manufacturing company. There is a need for Alarmz Ltd to enter into a lic ensing agreement with RIO Inc. A licensing agreement is necessary because, our company needs to protect its intellectual and invention rights. Since our company came up with an idea and wants to make the product a reality, we still need to have rights over the product as the inventors. Alarmz ltd will need to increase its revenue, and the product can do that. Making a licensing agreement ensures that Alarmz ltd; the original inventors of the product enjoy the benefits of the product and are involved when an increase of price for the product is needed. A licensing agreement will enable our company to increase visibility and access to our product under a trademark with RIO Inc. A licensing agreement will enable the product to bring attention to our company. This is an intellectual property that can become symbolic, when shared and used in the right way. Alarmz ltd needs to be careful in entering a licensing agreement and adequate research should be done before with adequate legal guid ance. The agreement is contractual between Alarmz ltd and RIO Inc., or any other company that we may choose to do business. In this agreement, RIO Inc. can exploit our product, process and manufacture it, but obliged to pay us royalty from the sale of the product. The licensing agreements will give Alarmz ltd enjoyment of benefits that will be achieved by the production and sale of the alarm. In creating a licensing agreement, we will give limitations to RIO Inc, who is not the

Unit IV Assessment#2 Sick Building Syndrome Essay

Unit IV Assessment#2 Sick Building Syndrome - Essay Example The agents coagulate in the rooftops and walls and people end up inhaling the particles in them (Wargocki et al., 2000; pg. 72). The biological contaminants inhibit respiratory activities thus causing SBS. SBS has been associated with several symptoms. The major symptom is a feeling of acute discomfort that results from throat, nose, and eye irritation, headaches, sensitivity to stenches, dizziness, fatigue, dry and/or itchy skin, and inability to concentrate. The occupants also have trouble in breathing, an inordinate feeling of weariness and tiredness. These symptoms fluctuate from person to person depending on the degree of exposure to the contaminants and the type of SBS (whether type 1 or type 2) (Gurjar et al., 2010; pg. 121). Though the symptoms are increasingly becoming prevalent due to occupants spending most of their time indoors, no medication for SBS has been discovered. The long lasting solution to SBS is improving the building techniques to improve structures and make them less problematic (Wargocki et al., 2000; pg. 104). This is attained by ensuring that buildings are fitted with ventilators and chimneys that absorb the contaminants and allow inflow of fresh air. The number and efficiency of HVAC ventilations should be improved. However, the short term and immediate solution to SBS is leaving the building (Gurjar et al., 2010; pg. 120). Those affected by SBS report feeling better after leaving the building, to acquire fresh air. Gurjar,  B.  R., Molina,  L.  T., & Ojha,  C.  S. (2010).  Air pollution: Health and environmental impacts. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Retrieved from

Thursday, October 17, 2019

4.How convincing is Porters model of national competitive advantage in Essay

4.How convincing is Porters model of national competitive advantage in explaining the characteristics and performance of the business systems of major economies - Essay Example However, irrespective of the individual firms, some countries as a whole have achieved a higher competitive position than the others (Baker, 2007). This paper will shed some light on how the nations achieve competitive advantage by using Porter’s Diamond model. This model focuses on the determining factors of national competitive advantage. The paper will discuss about the issues and loop holes of the Porter’s diamond Model and how they fail to answer certain circumstantial problems. Porter (1990) explained the competitiveness of a nation based on the four different parameters, which are factor conditions, demand conditions, supporting or related industries and firms’ strategy, structure and rivalry. Factor Conditions: The factor conditions include the production factors of a nation, like human resources and human capital, physical resources, knowledge base, financial strength. The quantity and quality of the available human resources determine the national production capabilities. Demand Conditions: The demand conditions explain the level of demands of products in the home country. The higher level of demand influences the pace of product innovation and improves service quality. Firms’ Strategy structure Rivalry: This parameter suggests how the firms in a country are organized and how they determine the domestic competitiveness. This mostly reflects the organizational cultural trends of the nation. Certain organizational behaviour and pattern of activities provide added advantage to them in terms of other foreign companies. Relating and supporting industries: The presence of other industries influences the competitive position of an organization. The presence of other industries can be leveraged by the domestic firms in order to create competitive advantage. The four parameters of the Diamond model although acts as a determinant of national competitive advantage, are mostly industry oriented. The diamond model

Comparing Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove to the Reality of the Essay

Comparing Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove to the Reality of the American West - Essay Example This is also an obvious example on how the Americans try to look for the thrill in the midst of the challenges and once again, rise and see the co-called modern reality of boundary expansion. Going back to the story, we can recall that each character has different internal conflicts that make up and or create their identity. A brief example of this is Woodrow Call and Augustus McCrae who have different persuasions and trips in life. Call is a loner which solely justifies his need for distance seeing that he is a very responsible person and a leader in image as seen and felt by people around him. McCrae on the other hand has his on longing for love and acceptance from Lorena Wood which in the end, only after he dies shall he get upon the realization of Wood that the short time marriage that MacCrae offered at the middle part of the story is indeed significant. Other characters also have their own mini conflict if that is the perfect way to see it, and these conflicts when joined all together will form one particular dilemma that can only be triggered by Call and McCrae's wanting to travel and search for the best time in their lives traveling away from the Lonesome Dove. It is surprising and or rather ironic to know that while the title suggests of the name of the place where the characters belong and where their identities are formed, the events happen away from the place of the subject. The characters are moving away from their identities which can all be related to the idea of American expansion. By the time the story is written, in the late 80' s to be specific, Americans have been struggling to fight against the Indians, all for the sake of land. This issue on land can all bring us back to the movies that proliferated in the early 80's with a topic of mostly protecting the boundaries which in history Americans try to defend. In short, this story of the Lonesome Dove presents to us a myth like art which can be seen as a rationalization of the movement being made in history, the movement of development from the part of the Americans and even from the European people as they join the world in settling for a culture that will soon be part of their identity and social living. However, the movie is not enough to conclude white male supremacy and its longing for Western expansion because it will be a harsh generalization to say such idea exists when others, specifically those in Europe are themselves finding a way to move to different directions to look for lands to toil and improve. The decline of the western as a commercially viable film and television genre in the 1970s and 1980s is not tied only to its traditional association with white male supremacy, however. After all, other currently popular action genres, including those that have absorbed some of the western's traditional thematic concerns, are similarly dominated by white male protagonists (e.g., the science fiction film: The Road Warrior "solves" the problem of the vanished wilderness by blowing up the world and starting from scratch, placing Mad Max as the reluctant and cynical avatar of a new civilization in a post-apocalyptic frontier). Rather, the western was rendered obsolete primarily because of its close ties with the nineteenth- and early twentieth-century myth of free-enterprise capitalism. In the present postindustrial era, as more and more people find themselves permanently un- or

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

4.How convincing is Porters model of national competitive advantage in Essay

4.How convincing is Porters model of national competitive advantage in explaining the characteristics and performance of the business systems of major economies - Essay Example However, irrespective of the individual firms, some countries as a whole have achieved a higher competitive position than the others (Baker, 2007). This paper will shed some light on how the nations achieve competitive advantage by using Porter’s Diamond model. This model focuses on the determining factors of national competitive advantage. The paper will discuss about the issues and loop holes of the Porter’s diamond Model and how they fail to answer certain circumstantial problems. Porter (1990) explained the competitiveness of a nation based on the four different parameters, which are factor conditions, demand conditions, supporting or related industries and firms’ strategy, structure and rivalry. Factor Conditions: The factor conditions include the production factors of a nation, like human resources and human capital, physical resources, knowledge base, financial strength. The quantity and quality of the available human resources determine the national production capabilities. Demand Conditions: The demand conditions explain the level of demands of products in the home country. The higher level of demand influences the pace of product innovation and improves service quality. Firms’ Strategy structure Rivalry: This parameter suggests how the firms in a country are organized and how they determine the domestic competitiveness. This mostly reflects the organizational cultural trends of the nation. Certain organizational behaviour and pattern of activities provide added advantage to them in terms of other foreign companies. Relating and supporting industries: The presence of other industries influences the competitive position of an organization. The presence of other industries can be leveraged by the domestic firms in order to create competitive advantage. The four parameters of the Diamond model although acts as a determinant of national competitive advantage, are mostly industry oriented. The diamond model

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Assignment 5 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

5 - Assignment Example † All organizations need to realize the important of human resources and the value they give to the firm via their services. Human resource functions are critical for all companies regardless of their niche or size. The employees of the organization are the main resources that execute the objectives of the firm. However, while setting a human resource unit, an organization should look at the service composition of the department. These may include payroll and tax administration, legal compliance, liability protection, negotiation of benefits, administration of benefits, acquisition of talent, hiring employees, managing performance, leadership training, attendance and time monitoring, employee development, and guidance and review on termination. All these specific functions of human resource management need to be performed in a systematic mode so that all needs of the employees are catered by the firm in a successful manner. Performing human resource management functions success fully will allow organizations to gain a strong competitive edge in the business market. According to a 2010 study by the Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA), chief executives believe that their human resource departments are crucial components of their businesses (3). Regarding performance, the study documented that senior HR is as essential as any other organizational pillar of a company. Fifty per cent of chief executives in the study had led their companies through enormous growth from 2008 to 2010. The other half had been leaders of companies that went through severe economic challenges during the same period that led to downsizing. In the two cases, the HR department contributed significantly to the management of effective work levels. This was crucial for the resilience of the organizations during the time of turbulence ("The Role and Future of HR"). The chief executives of the companies that experienced growth, acknowledged the importance of HR in attracting tale nt. The ones from companies that downsized were of the opinion that the most critical contribution of HR was in ensuring that the communication with employees remained transparent during the difficult times. They also helped in retaining the best talent. Retaining talented employees is crucial for long term success as market is becoming competitive with every passing day. From the study, it is clear that the HR department is a business partner that has the ability to see a company through moments of great success and economic threats alike. Consequently, a weak HR department would help bring a company to an early demise ("The Role and Future of HR"). Therefore, it is important for all organizations to ensure that they have a competitive HR department to manage their human resources. How Poor, Neglected â€Å"Operations† Is in Fact the Ugly Duckling That Can Mature Into A Swan Many MBA graduates avoid working in the operations departments of organizations because they hold the se areas with a low opinion. The fresh MBAs have in mind that these jobs are done by low qualified people and hence they do not accept such offers. Most companies are out to improve their operations to attract more talent because without operations businesses cannot exist. The second part of this paper provides information on how a company can improve its operations. Over the past five years, most companies have experienced a slump in their growth. At the same time, the costs of sales and marketing have been increasing.

Monday, October 14, 2019

International Trade Essay Example for Free

International Trade Essay Free trade is an agreement between two or more countries to eliminate tariffs on all trade transactions that are taking place between them. The recent kinds of agreements do not only curtail the interference of governments that are responsible for levying the various tariffs and taxes, but there are more commitments included in the agreements such as customs co-operation, the protection of intellectual property, foreign direct investment and other factors that will enhance commerce between those that sign the freed trade agreement (FTA) (Groomsman and Helpmate, 1995). Among many advantages such agreements usher in, it had been possible to integrate the economies of the participants of the free trade agreements that will avail mutual benefits such as increased export choices. Importing countries will also have more choices of products to import. Furthermore, the law of co-operative advantage states that participants in FTAs always attain mutual gain from exchanging goods and services (Krugman, 1991). When there is a free trade agreement between two or more countries, what takes place is the price the members of the participant countries are paying are the outcome of real supply and demand, in their turn they would be responsible for determining what kind of resource allocation should be employed. One thing that distinguishes free trades from other kinds of trades is none of the participants are allowed to introduce any kind of artificial pricing because of protectionism tendency, where governments cannot intervene to adjust supply and demand by introducing restrictions that could raise or bring down the price of goods and services. The main aim of free trade is to eliminate such protectionism tendencies so that what will determine what should be bought and sold and at what price would be demand and supply (Landsburg, 2005). When that is not the case governments can always intervene by introducing subsidies, tariffs, taxes, and non-tariff barriers where they can introduce legislation or quotas, or it is possible for two or more governments to come up with bilateral or multilateral agreements that allow a preferential treatment for the participants only, by disallowing others to take advantage of what such agreements entail. When there is a bilateral or multilateral agreement between countries the first step is eliminating all taxes and tariffs (Hoda, 2002). However, bilateral agreements that take place between two countries do not apply for other countries where if the two countries could agree among themselves about what kind of tariff and tax to introduce, those agreements apply only to those two countries. If the agreement is multilateral and between three or more countries the agreed upon tariffs and taxes apply only to those participating countries, whereas others whether it is a bilateral or multilateral agreement are not participants will always pay the regularly required tariffs and taxes. The governments of such countries that have FTA between them are free to introduce any kind of trade barriers on others for any reason that serves them a purpose. Therefore, it is possible to look at many bilateral and multilateral agreements around the world where for example the US and Canada used to have a bilateral agreement between them before Mexico was added and the agreement called NAFTA came into the picture which was a multilateral agreement between the three countries. This does not mean other traders that are trading with these three countries will get similar kind of preferential treatment such as no barriers on trades and services between the three countries, the implementation of trade distorting policies such as the introduction of taxes, subsidies, laws and regulations that will avail special advantages for the members of one of the traders. These three trading partners have free access to each other’s market, which does not mean others will have a similar access. It does not mean the multilateral agreements between the three countries will prevent them from creating another bilateral or multilateral agreements with other countries since for example the US has many bilateral and multilateral trade agreement with countries that do not have any geographical proximity to it showing that bilateral and multilateral agreements are not limited by region (Reizeman, 1999). Other amenities such trading partners have at their disposal, whether they are bilateral or multilateral, in addition to having free access to each others’ markets, purely based on demand and supply they could also allow each other to have access to a free market information, which is vital to making informed decisions. Governments of trading members are not allowed to engage in a government-imposed monopoly or oligopoly power, although private sectors can have a monopoly or oligopoly according to what the anti trust laws allow. Other development among such countries is there is a free movement of labour, as well as capital. Therefore, when looking at the dissimilarities of bilateral and multilateral agreements there are many factors that play roles, because most of all, what kind of preferential treatment the participants are allowing each other is the deciding factor (Goyal and Joshi, 2006). This means that two bilateral countries could deprive that preferential treatment to other countries, but if they are in multilateral agreement, they cannot differentiate among the member no matter how much their number is. If a country is a member of the World Trade Organisation that requires all its members to allow each other a preferential treatment in order to facilitate trade has no choice other than to allow to all members similar preferential treatment. However, the exception is that for example based on geographical region or otherwise if there is a bilateral agreement they could give special preferential treatment for the trading partner if they found it beneficial to do so without availing the same preferential treatment to their other bilateral, multilateral or WTO members partners. This means that both bilateral and multilateral agreements based on any mutual benefit for the participants are allowed by WTO for its members, the only requirement being a voluntary notification of the existence such an agreement so that some kind of transparency of what is taking place will prevail. Consequently, there are bilateral agreements that take place between two countries, multilateral agreements that usually require more than two countries and the membership of WTO is also multilateral since the obvious number of the participants is many. This means that except that a bilateral agreement is a very simple form of such free trade agreements, there is nothing that makes it different in complexity than similar multilateral agreements (Friedman, 1997). A good example to cite is price where in a bilateral agreement the available demand and supply determine the price of goods and services. The only problem with such an agreement is if there is another country that sells what a given country buys from a bilateral partner much cheaper. In a situation like this it is a given that the other country wants to take advantage of the cheaper price, but since there is no agreement there are tariffs and taxes to add on the market price of the goods that will still make the bilateral partners goods and services preferable because of the absence of tariff and tax. In order to take advantage of that cheap price the particular country might want to start a free trade agreement with the other partner that will be complicated and time consuming. This shows that one country can have a bilateral agreement with two or more countries or it is possible to create a multilateral agreement among all participants and this kind of agreement is common among those that live in a given geographical region, as attested by the number of regional free trades (Bhagwati, 2002). But that does mean free trade is limited to a certain pattern since it can take many forms. It can be bilateral based on what the two countries agree, multilateral based on the participating countries agree that do not necessarily should have geographical proximity such as the US has a bilateral agreement with Israel, Jordan, Chile, Singapore, Australia and more and Australia has many bilateral trade agreement with many Asian countries that does not affect the relation it has with other countries because each participant gets certain advantage from the bilateral deal they are making. The most common FTA used to be among countries in the same region but that is changing (Levy, 19997). Looking at international multilateral agreements such as the members of the WTO reveals that there are more than 160 countries that have eliminated trade barriers among themselves and are allowing similar preferential treatment for each other, while they are allowed to go into any kind of bilateral or multilateral trade arrangement with other countries and create preferential treatment that they do not have to allow to the other members of WTO, where what is not allowed is not to discriminate among members (Pugel, 2003) (Aghion et al, 2007). One other dissimilarity will be the competition will be different when multilateral countries are trading with each other with no tax and tariff barriers based on demand and supply, where the choices of the participants will be more and can buy from those who are offering the lowest price without engaging in dumping (Bagwell and Staiger, 1997). Dumping always creates difficulties since it is always the outcome of subsidies that mostly originate from governments that had signed not to intervene in the market by any means (Brander and Krugman, 1983). World Trade Organisation (WTO)Â  WTO is an international organisation that promotes free trade by working with its members to enable them abolish tariffs and taxes so that there will be unhampered trade among countries. The main duties of the organisation are it polices the free trade agreements among countries, and it settles whatever disputes ensue among the participating countries and their governments. Whenever there is a dispute with two trading countries that are members it is its job to resolve the dispute and is empowered by its members to enforce its decisions by introducing sanctions on those who have breached the agreed upon rules. WTO had replaced another organisation called the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1995. GATT came into existence in 1948 when 23 countries agreed to bring down their tariffs and taxes among the trading partners. The difference between GATT and WTO is the later has more scope and oversees more trade sections other than trade in goods and services alone such as banking, telecommunications and intellectual property rights. WTO has 160 countries that allow each other a preferential treatment or a favoured trading partner status. The organisation provides a framework others can employ to negotiate and form trade agreements, while at the same time it oversees the signed agreements ratified by the parliaments of the member countries are strictly observed. The organisation, for the most part, focuses on trade negotiations such as the Uruguay Round (1986-1994) and currently the defunct negotiation called Doha Development Agenda known also as Doha Round that tried in 2001 to raise the overall status of poorer countries that make up the majority of the world population. This particular negotiation had been derailed by the same group that the negotiation was trying to enhance their equitable representation that demanded to see in place a special safeguard measure that will shield farmers from import flooding. The particular organisation is under the governance of ministerial conference that takes place every two years and has a general council in charge of implementing whatever agreement the conference arrives at and for administrating the day to day business, while it is represented by a director-general. The WTO works hand-in-hand with other organisations such as the World Bank, Intentional Monitory Fund, International Trade Organisation etc. that go much further than focusing on trade and deal in areas that are related to trade indirectly such as employment, investment, various kinds of lending, regulation business practises that do not adhere to the rules and various agreements dealing with how to manipulate commodities. The GATT is very important in such a way that if the WTO was not formed, GATT would have been reigning still serving the same purpose the WTO started serving, because it was the only multilateral agreement between countries starting from 1948. There had been seven rounds of negotiation under the GATT that were working to bring down tariffs among countries. The Kennedy Round in the sixties raised the question of antidumping where when countries are caught in the action of selling goods substantially less than they are selling in their own market. In the seventies, the Tokyo Round started to look at other barriers that are not tariff related where it was not easy to get results, because of the controversial nature of what were taking place since some of them known as plurilateral agreements were not approved by all participants. However the Uruguay Round had amended some of them later and they had become multilateral agreements. The Uruguay Round that took place in 1986 had introduced new areas such as including services and intellectual properties in the agreements. The Uruguay Round also dealt with trade reforms in the area of agriculture and textile that were always sensitive areas. Finally in 1994 the Final Act concluded what the members started in the Uruguay Round and established the WTO that took place at the Marrakech Agreement. This means that WTO does not have its own mandate till date and it is still using GATT as its umbrella treaty, although the Final Act at Marrakech had added new 60 agreements adopted into the mandates of the organisation. Consequently, the major areas the WTO oversees among its international members are to oversee how goods and investment are crossing the borders of member countries, including the various services, intellectual property, dispute settlement and reviewing the trade policies the various member governments are introducing from time to time. There had been several ministerial conferences since the WTO was formed that came up with various policies to deal with the various problems at hand at the time the various conferences were taking place. The major principles of the WTO concerning trade are non-discrimination that has two key components, the most favoured nations and national treatment. The former requires member to treat every member equally where if they create a favourable condition for a given member they have to create to all members, a requirement that is possible to override among bilateral and multilateral agreements. The national treatment requires that goods and services imported should receive similar treatment with what are locally available.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Organic Light Emitting Diodes :: essays research papers fc

Technology has changed our lives in ways that we only imagined in our dreams. Imagine a high quality and flexible display that is simple and low cost. Television or computer screens the size of a wall, but only as thin as a sheet of plastic. With colors so bright and vibrant you will feel like your right in the action whether you?re watching your favorite movie or playing your favorite computer game. Sound very unlikely with today?s bulky, heavy, and power hungry Cathode Ray Tubes many times referred to as CRT?s. They are in our TV?s and computers giving off radiation and eating up our hard earn money. They have become so abundant and easy to manufacture that you can obtain a decent sized computer monitor for less than $100. We?ve tried those sleek and stylish LCD and Plasma screens, but when you look at one you see something missing. Something you could only see in a nice bright and clear CRT display. LCD?s have improved greatly since their first appearance in the large screen disp lay area, but there is only so much that can be done. Plasmas are great also, but they are highly complex and expensive. They suffer from poor brightness and picture quality (zdnet.com). There is a technology being developed in research labs around the world that could change all this (Ibm.com). It?s called an OLED display, and it could truly change the way we look at technology. OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode, sometime they are referred to as Organic Light Emitting Devices. OLED?s are made from an organic material that has luminescent properties that glows when voltage passes through it. They operate on the principle of converting electrical energy into light, a phenomenon known as electro luminescence. The basic construction of a single OLED consists of an organic material or a combination of organic materials between to metallic electrodes on a plate of glass. At least one of the metals needs to be transparent in order to observe the light that is emitted. Indium-tin-oxide is a metallic substance that is both conductive and transparent; the other metal can be reflective or also transparent depending on the intended use of the display. The electrodes are then connected to a voltage source. When current is supplied the organic material?s atoms react with the electric energy and emits energy in the form of light that may have a tinge depending o n the organic material used.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Tell-Tale heart Essay -- essays research papers

The behavior of the narrator in The Tell-Tale heart demonstrate characteristic that are associated with people with obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoid schizophrenia . When Poe wrote this story in 1843 obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoia had not been discovered. However in modern times the characteristics demonstrated by the narrator leads people to believe that he has a mental illness. Poe’s narrator demonstrates classic signs throughout the story leading the reader to believe that this character is mad   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most psychiatrists believe that when a person suffers from paranoia they most likely have paranoid schizophrenia. According to Frederick Frese chief psychologist at Ohio mental hospital, Paranoid schizophrenia is defined as â€Å" excessive concern about one's own well being, sometimes suggesting the person holds persecutory beliefs concerning a threat to themselves or their property.† Some characteristics are â€Å"confusion; indecision; nervousness, suicidal and homicidal thoughts. People with paranoia tend to believe that they have super sensitive hearing. They hear inanimate object taking to them or voices that don’t exist †Many People with schizophrenia go through periods of getting better and worse. They have remission and relapse. They can go for long periods of time without any symptoms (Frese 13) In the case of Poe’s narrator, he showed symptom of paranoia He believed that his old room mate’s eye was evil.† One of his eyes resemble... The Tell-Tale heart Essay -- essays research papers The behavior of the narrator in The Tell-Tale heart demonstrate characteristic that are associated with people with obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoid schizophrenia . When Poe wrote this story in 1843 obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoia had not been discovered. However in modern times the characteristics demonstrated by the narrator leads people to believe that he has a mental illness. Poe’s narrator demonstrates classic signs throughout the story leading the reader to believe that this character is mad   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most psychiatrists believe that when a person suffers from paranoia they most likely have paranoid schizophrenia. According to Frederick Frese chief psychologist at Ohio mental hospital, Paranoid schizophrenia is defined as â€Å" excessive concern about one's own well being, sometimes suggesting the person holds persecutory beliefs concerning a threat to themselves or their property.† Some characteristics are â€Å"confusion; indecision; nervousness, suicidal and homicidal thoughts. People with paranoia tend to believe that they have super sensitive hearing. They hear inanimate object taking to them or voices that don’t exist †Many People with schizophrenia go through periods of getting better and worse. They have remission and relapse. They can go for long periods of time without any symptoms (Frese 13) In the case of Poe’s narrator, he showed symptom of paranoia He believed that his old room mate’s eye was evil.† One of his eyes resemble...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Black Cat Essay

Symbols abound in works of fiction and are used by authors to convey their message or produce a certain effect on the reader. In the horror genre, master story teller Edgar Allan Poe uses negative as well as ordinary symbols to evoke dread, revulsion, and fear that gradually and inevitably lead to a terrifying climax. Poe manipulates symbols to suit his purpose – to frighten and horrify – and he does it gradually and almost imperceptibly. In his The Black Cat and The Fall of the House of Usher – two classic tales of Gothic horror – Poe uses negative symbols out of the commonplace as a surrealist painter draws seemingly bizarre shapes out of ordinary things to create an eerie, haunting atmosphere which grips the reader inescapably as the story unfolds. Poe creates sharp contrasts doubtless to make the transition from light to sombre to horrible more appalling. He begins The Black Cat by a distraught rambling statement about something that has left him terrified, tortured and destroyed. Thus, the reader immediately is put on guard about something sinister to follow. But in the next paragraphs the pall dissolves for a moment as the narrator recalls the past where he was known for his â€Å"docility and humanity† of disposition. The foreboding air quickly returns as Poe proceeds to transform the cat’s master from a gentle animal-loving person to a homicidal maniac. The cat, although remarkably good-looking is depicted as an ordinary house pet, doted upon by its master. It does not cause any alarm other than the common superstition that black cats bring bad luck, or the ancient notion, voiced out by the wife, that they are actually witches in disguise. An object of pity as its once caring master, now slave to the bottle, stabs its eye, and finally hangs it to death, the cat morphs into a malevolent creature, at least in the imagination of the narrator. The black cat with the splotched breast that takes its place is lovable too at first until its master comes to hate it and wants to kill it too but murders his wife instead. In this tale, Poe uses the negative symbol of the black cat to suggest that indeed something supernatural has occurred. The white splotch on the cat that comes to live with them after the first is killed soon becomes recognizable by the narrator – or perhaps he imagines it – as an image of the gallows, a fate to which he was destined after his crime was discovered, commensurate with his deed of hanging the cat by the limb of a tree. It conditions the mind to accept the idea of an avenging demon. The first negative symbol used in The Fall of the House of Usher is that of the old mansion of the Ushers, which evokes foreboding as it sat in the midst of a dreary landscape. Observes the narrator: â€Å"I looked upon the scene before me – upon the mere vacant eye-like windows – upon a few rank sedges – and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees- with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to . . . the hideous dropping off of the veil. † By itself the image of the old mansion disturbs an otherwise peaceful mind, but Poe heightens the gloom by describing its weird image reflected on the adjoining black tarn as the narrator gazes â€Å"upon the remodelled and inverted images of the gray sedge, and the ghastly tree stems, and the vacant and eye-like windows. † Here Poe probably plays on the age-old superstition about mirrors being capable of trapping the human soul, or perhaps the ghastly description is only meant to heighten the aura of gloom pervading the mansion – â€Å"an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven, but which had reeked up from the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn – a pestilent and mystic vapour, dull, sluggish, faintly discernible, and leaden-hued. † Poe gives an indication of impending doom awaiting the structure: â€Å"a barely perceptible fissure, which, extending from the roof of the building in front, made its way down the wall in a zigzag direction, until it became lost in the sullen waters of the tarn. † As a breaking mirror is said to bring about bad luck, the reflecting water of the tarn swallowed the mansion in the end. It may be noted that the tarn as a negative symbol also appears in Poe’s Ulalume, where the poet wanders through the â€Å"dank tarn of Auber. † Usher’s dread of his ancient dwelling is depicted in his ballad of The Haunted Palace: a place of beauty and happiness until â€Å"evil things, in robes of sorrow† renders it forever desolate. One senses his awareness of the unseen – or of the forthcoming evil – in his description of the doomed palace, wherein are found Vast forms that move fantastically To a discordant melody; While, like a rapid ghastly river, Through the pale door, A hideous throng rush out forever And laugh- but smile no more. Apart from the mansion, Roderick Usher’s purported illness – â€Å"a morbid acuteness of the senses† – also serves as a negative symbol. If the cat’s master in The Black Cat is an alcoholic, the narrator in The Fall of the House of Usher is a hypochondriac, living in perpetual morbid fear. The former is terrified of the cat owing to the strange markings in its breast, the fear that it might be an incarnation of the animal he killed; the latter is prey to â€Å"an anomalous species of terror. † The former is afraid of retribution for what he had done to the cat; the latter is afraid of struggling with fear itself. I dread the events of the future, not in themselves, but in their results. I shudder at the thought of any, even the most trivial, incident, which may operate upon this intolerable agitation of soul. In have, indeed, no abhorrence of danger, except in its absolute effect- in terror. In this unnerved-in this pitiable condition-I feel that the period will sooner or later arrive when I must abandon life and reason together, in some struggle with the grim phantasm, FEAR. If Roderick Usher’s mental illness is cause for depression, that of the Lady Madeleine’s wasting disease induces sorrow and pity for the afflicted woman. Poe makes brother and sister twins, perhaps to suggest according to the common belief that twins are bound to share the same feelings, experience the same pain and suffering. Being a twin and possessing acute senses, Roderick might have known his sister was only comatose when she was laid on the mansion vault – must have sensed her struggling, clawing her way out of her tomb. One feels deep revulsion for Roderick Usher, who, knowing his twin sister had been buried alive just kept it to himself. As in Usher, a cadaver is deposited without the benefit of a public burial in The Black Cat. Whereas a cataleptic is entombed alive in the former, a cadaver with an animal not yet dead is walled up in the cellar in the latter. The Black Cat is somewhat reminiscent of The Tell-Tale Heart where the murderer hides the body if his victim under the wooden planks of his apartment, but is found out by the police as they were about to depart, convinced of his innocence. In that story, acuteness of senses – the ability to hear the hideous beating of the old man’s heart – similar to Roderick Usher’s hearing the struggles of Lady Madeleine in her coffin – gave away the murderer. Having painted a dark scene, Poe proceeds to sustain the sense of impending doom. As readers we know something sinister and evil is about to befall the house but just as we brace ourselves for the onrush of terror, the master of horror places us at ease, enabling us to lower our guards. Thus, we become most vulnerable when the terrible thing is unleashed when we least expect it. The sudden announcement of a terrible thing, like the emergence of a killer from the dark when its victim thought she was safe, has a forceful impact on the reader. Poe’s masterful use of this technique employs the manipulation of symbols, in this case the breaking of the planks of a wooden door, the mortal cry of a beast, and the clanging of a metal shield – all to induce terror. Feeling troubled and unable to sleep during a stormy night, the narrator reads an antique volume to Roderick Usher. It is titled Mad Trist where Sir Ethelred, the hero of the tale, breaks down a hermit’s wooden door, slays a dragon, and causes a brazen shield to fall clanging at his feet. Waylaid and distracted, the reader is frightened by what Roderick Usher reveals: â€Å"Not hear it? –yes, I hear it, and have heard it. Long-long-long-many minutes, many hours, many days have I heard it-yet I dared not-oh, pity me, miserable wretch that I am! – I dared not- I dared not speak! We have put her living in the tomb! It turns out that the breaking of the hermit’s door, the death-cry of the dragon, and the clanging of the brazen shield corresponded to the breaking of her coffin and her struggle to let herself out through the coppered archway of the family vault. Through his acute senses Roderick knows she has managed to come out: â€Å"Madman! I tell you that she now stands without the door! † Alcohol in The Black Cat is used to explain the demented state of the narrator’s mind. Did the alcohol unleash the man’s capacity for evil, or is man innately wicked, capable of the vilest deeds, alcohol or no alcohol? Not a moralist, Poe delves into the darkness of the human heart, but does not inquire into such matters. The narrator in The Black Cat may have come upon the theory it was the black cat that brought about his downfall in the same way people justify their most unspeakable crimes by heaping the blame on others, pointing to someone or something else that impelled them to their deed. Poe uses symbols to create a fearful atmosphere, utilizing people’s tendency to attribute occurrences to the supernatural. Faced by the unknown, people are easily conditioned to accept what may be illogical to them in their rational moments. As the narrator in Usher puts it: â€Å"†¦ while beyond doubt, there are combinations of very simple natural objects which have the power of thus affecting us, still the analysis of this power lies among considerations beyond our depth. † WORKS CITED Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Black Cat†. 31 October 2008. —â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†. 31 October 2008.