Final essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final - Essay Example Having a permit to carry loaded guns to these places is beside the point. Amusement and leisure parks are intended for family bonding time where young children are present. â€Å"National parks are rare treasures. They offer havens of solitude and sanctuary. They are not meant to be places for the next shootout at the OK Corral,† Ms. Ditmer had emphasized in her article. It exposes young children to unnecessary danger. I am sure every one of us has a little kid we know, a son, a daughter, a niece or a nephew or even a grandkid who is exposed to this mindless danger. What if an untoward accident will happen and hit one of these innocent children who had come to expect enjoyment there? It would be a real heartbreaker no matter whose kid it is, right? Ms. Ditmer is also accurate and perfectly correct in her assumption that carrying guns will inevitably lead to their use, eventually. It simply defies logic how our Congress can make dangerous situations even worse by being blind and deaf to the opinion of the majority of citizens who oppose guns. This situation can be compared to smoking in public places where there are people who are adversely affected. While people have the right to bear arms (for whatever they want to do with all those guns), our politicians must consider the greater majority who hate guns. There must be designated places where guns are allowed but certainly not in amusement parks where there are children around. People have the right to feel safe too and guns in public places are not a very reassuring sight to anyone. Ms. Ditmer reiterated her strong opposition by stating, â€Å"That’s not reassuring to those of us law-abiding citizens who view guns as possible disasters.† Guns can go off accidentally, for example, and hit someone unintentionally. Ms. Ditmer also knows whereof she speaks by citing FBI statistics showing only 1.65 cases per 100,000 as against 462 cases in other places. What more will it take for people to heed this appeal

Common Variables of Public Relations in Mix Modelling Dissertation

Common Variables of Public Relations in Mix Modelling - Dissertation Example Based on the corporate vision, integrated marketing communication can be used to enable the target consumers not only to self-select but also identify themselves with the corporate brand (Duncan, 1993, p. 18). Since the effectiveness of business communication strategies could either positively or negatively affects the product and corporate brand (Kitchen et al., 2004), it is a challenge on the part of the large multinational companies to learn more about how these business entities could improve the use of integrated marketing communication.  Depending on the main purpose behind the need to communicate the corporate product, marketing managers can make use of integrated marketing communication strategies in order to deliver not only harmonious messages to its target consumers. Today, the availability of new media technologies changes the traditional way of communicating the product and corporate brand to the public (Kitchen et al., 2004, p. 33). Instead of heavily relying over the use of print advertisements, marketing managers today are utilizing a more diversified media sector depending on the type of marketing media that could provide them with the most cost-efficient option and most effective way to meet the personal preferences of its target consumers (ibid).In order to establish a strong corporate and product brand, the marketing mix (categorized as product, price, place, and promotion) should be carefully studied when making use of integrated marketing communication strategies (Keh, Nguyen and Ng, 2007).... 18). Since the effectiveness of business communication strategies could either positively or negatively affects the product and corporate brand (Kitchen et al., 2004), it is a challenge on the part of the large multinational companies to learn more about how these business entities could improve the use of integrated marketing communication. Depending on the main purpose behind the need to communicate the corporate product, marketing managers can make use of integrated marketing communication strategies in order to deliver not only harmonious messages to its target consumers. Today, the availability of new media technologies changes the traditional way of communicating the product and corporate brand to the public (Kitchen et al., 2004, p. 33). Instead of heavily relying over the use of print advertisements, marketing managers today are utilizing a more diversified media sector depending on the type of marketing media that could provide them with the most cost-efficient option and mo st effective way to meet the personal preferences of its target consumers (ibid). In order to establish a strong corporate and product brand, the marketing mix (categorized as product, price, place, and promotion) should be carefully studied when making use of integrated marketing communication strategies (Keh, Nguyen and Ng, 2007). Likewise, it is necessary on the part of the marketing manager to integrate the significance of the marketing mix when deciding for the type of marketing media to use in marketing communication since this strategy will make the target consumers be able to self-select and successfully identify themselves with the corporate brand

Greed of Capitalists Essay Example for Free

Greed of Capitalists Essay In The Grapes of Wrath, the author, John Steinbeck utilizes intercalary chapters to portray the calamity and desolation that wandering farmers faced in Oklahoma during the Great Depression. Steinbeck employs chronic symbols, motifs, and specific narrative intervals to connect each intercalary chapter with its neighboring narrative counterparts in order to unify and strengthen the dominant themes of the novel. The intercalary episodes highlight perseverance of the Okies, the greed of capitalists, and the inhumanity of many who belittle the displaced families from Oklahoma. Despite the predicament of the meager farmers, Steinbeck provides his readers with a sense of hope through the respect for survivors and the tough pioneer spirit. Steinbeck highlights the perseverance of the Okies, in Chapters One and Three, through the turtle’s continuous struggle across the highway and the men’s resilient attitudes following tragedy. The turtle represents all the migrant workers that are evicted from their homes and fall victim to the hostile environment yet continue to persist through their journey, especially the Joads. The turtle in its attempt to make it through life â€Å"[boosts] and [drags] his shell along† representing the slow but determined traveling of the workers. In the same way that life becomes more difficult for the Okies, the hills get steeper for the turtle and â€Å"more frantic† grow its efforts (15). The Joads’ strong willed determination to make it to California provides a sense of hope that although it will be difficult and some person seeking the enjoyment of mocking one who is worse off than he is, may â€Å"[swerve] to hit [them]† their fortitude will result in triumph. In Chapter One the winds come and dust covers the lands demolishing all the crops. The women and children looked to see if the men would â€Å"break† knowing that as long as he stood firm â€Å"no misfortune was too great to bear.† The men remained relentless revealing the persistent nature of the Okies. Steinbeck demonstrates the injustice done unto the Okies, in Chapters Five and Seven, through the property owners and used car salesmen. In Chapter Five the owner men came to the Okies land to tell them they had to leave, the land was getting to be poor and they were unable to pay their taxes. The farmers protest, claiming that they have been on this land for generations and that they will have nowhere to go; they are told to go to California where there are many opportunities to make money. These families represent the Joads being kicked off their land by â€Å"the bank—the monster [who] has to have profits all the time†¦ When the monster stops growing, it dies. It can’t stay one size† (92). Steinbeck describes the greed and injustice of the â€Å"monster† with a tone of complete and utter antipathy revealing the lack of feelings and desensitization towards the suffering the farmers were being subject to. Later when the farmers choose to stay, the bank sends a man with a tractor to force the Okies off their land. The heartless man controlling the tractor seems to become a part of the machine, destroying any human sensitivity becoming incapable of intercession he does not even â€Å"look like a man† but rather he looks like â€Å"a robot in the seat† (94). The man blinded by greed chooses to forget his friends and convince himself that there is â€Å"no call to worry about anybody’s kids but [one’s] own.† The young man is willing to betray his community for a comfortable life, explaining to the tenant that he must knock down the tenant’s house, â€Å"got to keep the lines straight.† Tommy discovers, upon arriving home, that the same thing has happened to his old house. The connection between the two stories transfers a sense of sympathy towards the tenant farmers, and anger towards the inhumanity of the driver, to the story of the Joads. In chapter seven Steinbeck highlights the injustice done to the Okies by describing the used car salesman and the way he tricked tenant farmers out of excessive amounts of money. The tenant farmers, new to the world of salesmen, don’t have a choice to be without a car and are forced to ignore the fact that they are being sold a run down car for a price that far exceeds the amount it is worth. The chapter is written in a singsong melodic format in order to symbolize the bounce of a car rolling down the road, quick-paced and crude. Throughout the chapter a car salesman and his assistant utilize the lack of knowledge and desperation of the evacuees to force them into deals by complaining that they’re â€Å"taking up [their] time then walking out† on the deal. The disrespect and blasphemy of the salesmen creates more sympathy for the Okies and anger towards those who choose to exploit them. When the Joads go to sell they’re whole lives they are only give eighteen dollars, a very low price compared to what they deserved. The appalling situations that the Okies are found in combined with the malicious manner with which those who are better off treat them causes the readers to feel compassion for the ex-tenants. The ninth chapter of the book describes a family being forced to leave, and take with them only that which they can carry. Another family comes to buy the house and begins to pick through the once precious belongings of the owners. They sell what they can of the tenant’s past and burn the rest. All the while the tenant’s are crying out â€Å"How can we live without our lives? How will we know it’s us without our past? No. Leave it. Burn it.† After watching their belongings go up in flames the Okies no longer have a desire to stay and choose to leave their old life behind and drive on. Being forced to watch their personal belongings burn without a morsel of understanding from the buyers causes the readers to feel sorrow for the Okies. The Okies encounter many people on their journey to California, some who work to improve life for everyone. The Joads however tend to come across people who are greedy and only seek to better themselves, not caring who they hurt in the process. Steinbeck writes his novel in this way to develop his main point that greed and capitalism is causing the dehumanization in America. He is creating a passion in his readers to stand up against the longing for wealth and ease and start helping others even when it may not be best for you. Steinbeck hopes to awaken humanity in America and fight against the black whole of greed. Americans must heed to his novel and apply it to today’s society as much as they would have in Steinbeck’s period.

Justification of a Business Plan for Hotel

Justification of a Business Plan for Hotel The Justification of a Business Plan for Rebeccas Hotel Introduction The significance of business plans in all types and sizes of business organizations can never be threaten. The entrepreneurial inquiry puts the entrepreneurs in situations that require judgment. Hence, the need and identification of an approach to address these situations arise (Foss, Foss Klein, 2006, p. 4-5). Such as the justification for business plans as one of the approaches to address business problems, particularly in the event of uncertainties. The use of a business plan is one such approach as it is defined as a formal declaration of what the business wants to achieve. During uncertainties entrepreneurs should find tools to manage them (Sull, 2004, par. 2). Guinipero, Denslow, and Melton (2008) indicated that high propensity risks increase the formality of business plans. A business plan allows the anticipation of risks and improbabilities. A carefully formulated business plan should be able to communicate to stakeholders about the intended direction of the company. Through this, stakeholders should be guided with an understanding of the business situation and subsequently enable them to execute appropriate actions (Honig and Karlson, 2004, p. 30-35). To protect their interests in the business, stakeholders can be guaranteed with action in expectation of favourable business outcomes. The justification for a business plan appears to raise the significance for business successions as they posture challenges. The transition of managerial control frequently simply do not work out (Dalpiaz, Tracey Phillips, 2014, p. 3). Since this paper is based on the succession of a family business, the case study about Rebeccas family business provides insight into the important of business plans even for a small family-run hotel. This paper shall explain the importance of a business plan for Rebeccas case and consequently convince her to undertake the preparation of a business plan. Her case shall be interpret considering the mitigating factors as to why the business plan is necessary. The mitigating factors The retirement of Rebeccas parents had generally prompt the need for a business plan. Nonetheless, the presenting scenario also questions its practicality as their business is started out by her parents, has possibly overcome various business challenges, and is still currently operating, all without a business plan. The need for a business plan is followed by these conditions. Beyond these circumstances, Rebeccas succession to manage the business also presents potential threats. Though Rebeccas work as a kitchen assistant and junior cook despite having those knowledge is useful for the business since the hotel includes a restaurant, but the operation and management of a bar and hotel would require competencies which may not be sufficiently provided by her short time because she went backpacking travel in South-East Asia. Additionally, a three-year backpack travel exposure may not be suitable for Rebecca to develop an understanding of the tourism industry in their locale since the act ivities and opportunities presented in the different locations can be varied. It is important to note the difference in the tourism needs and activities of a travel destination such as the marina compared to the tourism locale Rebecca visited in her three-year adventure. On the other hand, as part of the family, she could have obtained insight into the business operations and her parents management style and business practices. Nevertheless, family-run organizations encounter unique problems due to its inherent nature (Peters Buhalis, 2004; Agyapong Boamah, 2013). Supporting literature shall clarify this in the next section. Even though Kerstin is not a part of this family but because of her relations with Rebecca and also because of her competencies and training, she can be possibly consulted about these consequences. Though small businesses are less likely to hire specialists than large corporations (Wu, Bacon, Hoque, 2014, p. 7), by moral of Rebeccas relationship to her, Kirstens expertise might be confess or at least consulted. It is, however, uncertain that her international exposure at work and the level of training would be suitable for a small family-run hotel. The nature of family-run businesses Family businesses rely on paternalism (Peters Buhalis, 2004, p. 537). Successors operate under the path of their parents especially when the founders are still around. Successors may attempt to introduce new systems and approach which may run contradicting to the family tradition when running the business. But the predecessor may not be able to let go or to completely allow the decision making processes and the management of the enterprise under the new relative-manager. The vision and goals of this relative may be inconsistent with how the parents perceive the business. Likewise, Agyapong and Boamah (2013, p. 533) described family-based relatedness in their study, which appears to produce these problems. The dynamics of family relationships may get in the way of business operations. There may be a cause of separation of the family concerns and business matters, conflicts or inefficiency may be occurred in the business. Family-run businesses are also usually characterized by informal business practices. As a result, these enterprises lack planning or the use of a systematic approach to manage the business especially when problematic activity occur. In the family businesses they commonly use improvisation by the family members (Peters Buhalis, 2004, p. 5), which lead to inconsistencies. There are no product or service standardizations or appropriate consistent controls. The informality of the practice arises from the dynamics of the family relationship. This situation is further entangled by another informal business practice which is inaccurate financial recording that results in financial losses (Peters Buhalis, 2004, p. 6). Family members also make their decisions that tend to be irrational since there appears a lack of information to guide them. In addition, misjudgement of performance indicators also occur and consequently affect the quality of future business decisions. This information could be made consistent, reliable, and more permanent when a proper business plan is created. Succession in family businesses Succession in family businesses is considered an interesting area of research. Studies focus on examining the change which aid or hinder the transfer of power to the succeeding generation, family relationships, and the process (Dalpiaz, Tracey Phillips, 2014, p. 6). A more outstanding evaluation from the studies is the causation approach which indicates that family businesses evolve linearly. In a statistical perspective, the continuity of the family business is related to certain variables which indicate the future state of the business. In the causation approach, a set of goals is identified as one of the factors in which family businesses are described to be established on. However, the goals are recognised to lack systematic process due to the informal nature of family enterprises. Nevertheless, planning, among the other components such as intentionality and resource acquisition, are essential foundations of this approach. Therefore, the continuity of the family business relies on the continuity of establishing plans. However, this time for Rebecca, a conscious formulation and systematic approach for business planning must be used. A few studies shows the reasons why business plans become critically important for family-operated businesses. The studies of Peters and Buhalis (2004) and Agyapong and Boamah (2013) provide important insights into these types of business ownership, particularly in the hotel industry. Both types of research emphasize the need for competitiveness in the industry. Peters and Buhalis (2004) claimed that the competitiveness of destinations is characterized by the domination of small businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry, as such in the case of Austria, the studys research locale. The operations of 240 small family businesses in Austrias tourism destination industry were part of the study in 2003. Research findings suggested that training is an essential element to run family businesses. In addition, a key component of this training includes the development of plans, strategies and the development of conceptualisation of new products or services among other important areas of running the family hotel business. These specific areas are being pick to emphasize the important role of business plans in the small enterprise. This research further indicate the need to develop strategic plans, both as a competitive strategy and advantage for the small family hotels. Growth and future sustainability are indicated to be the likely outcomes when strategic plans are created and then implemented. Meanwhile, Agyapong and Boamah (2013) conduct in their research the effects of business strategies and leadership in family businesses. Family hotel businesses in Ghana were the focus of this study, covering 50 small hotels in the country. The vital findings relevant to this paper is that the use of strategies, which may be provided by business plans, offer the family business the ability to predict problems, to vision the future, and to maintain flexibility. The business environment in Ghana was described to be highly competitive, and thus, the need for well-thought of strategies enable good business performance to survive in a competitive market situation. Furthermore, the unique characteristics of family businesses can be apply in implementing particular business conditions such as cost leadership and differentiation strategies (Agyapong Boamah, 2013, p. 537). In the case of Ghanas family hotel businesses, competitive strategies were purposeful to provide the assertion of survival of the 50 small hotels. Hence, the advantage of the business plan is to help the family business to be competitive in its formation. Another advantage implied in the studies is that the business plan could help support the inherent characteristics of small family businesses. Considering the scope of these two studies and similar competitive situations, those research indicate a broad-applicable situation for small family-run hotels. Alternative studies illustrate the importance of business plans for entrepreneurs in general. Brinckmann, Grichnik and Kapsa (2010, p. 24) cleverly stated in the title of their study Should entrepreneurs plan or just storm the castle? the quote of whether to create a business plan or not. This analysis study specified that planning is beneficial, although that factors such as culture and the newness of the enterprise affect the planning-performance relationship. Relevant to this, the newness of the enterprise may not be a concern for Rebeccas case, since the business has existed during her parents time. Culture appears to be a critical factor as to refer to the norms, values, and relationships within the family. Since this is identified to affect the planning-performance relationship, the guarantee of success for Rebeccas family business is yet to be determined. Besides, another research, Zahrani, Nikmaram and Latifi (2014, p.245) specified the need for developing a strategic plan, which is especially useful for succession planning. It is important for the successor to have the right outlook about the business plans. Furthermore, according to Aronoff and Ward (2014, p. 2), shared opinion help conquer conflicts within the family organizations. It is believed that since visions are reflections of values, shared visions should also result in more unify outcomes for a family business. Visions and values can be clarify when they are justify out rather than assumed. Identifying and specifying them in a business plan should help in making decisions which link to the family expectations. Conclusion Successions in family-run businesses present potential problems. This is further complicated by the inherent features of family-operated enterprises since they lack planning and is characterized by informality which results in inconsistencies, conflict, and lack of control. Research has provided evidence based on the need to develop strategic plans to ensure the future performance of the business. The planning-performance link support needs for business plans as a family-oriented business culture is identified a plausible barrier to the business success. Business plans offer the business successor a means of continuing the business with the appropriate business outlook one that reflects family vision and values. Furthermore, business plans provide a means for avoiding the consequences arising from the inherited nature of family-run enterprises. Studies specific to the hotel industry have also identified that competitive market environments can be survived by developing strategic pla ns. Presented with the benefits of developing strategies and the analysis of Rebeccas situation, Rebecca should be convinced that a means for her successful succession of the family-run hotel is through the development of a business plan. References Agyapong, A. and Boamah, R. (2013). Business strategies and competitive advantage of family hotel businesses in Ghana: The role of strategic leadership. The Journal of Applied Business Research. Volume 29. Number 2. Accessed at: cluteinstitute.com. (Accessed 15 March 2017). Aronoff, C. and Ward, J. (2016). Family business values: How to assure a legacy of continuity and success. New York: Palgrave and MacMillan. Dalpiaz, E., Tracey, P. and Phillips, N. (2014). Succession narratives in family business: The case of Alessi. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Accessed at: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1810/245758/ETP%20Revision%20Final.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y. (Accessed 14 March 2017). Foss, Foss, and Klein, (2006). Original and derived judgment: An entrepreneurial theory of economic organization. Organization Studies. Accessed at: https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/164282/soldp200601.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y. (Accessed 15 March 2017). Guinipero, L., Denslow, D., and Melton, H. (2008). Risk propensity, risk perception and business plan formalization: a conceptual investigation. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. Volume 8. Issue 4. Accessed at: http://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1504/IJEIM.2008.022312. (Accessed 16 March 2017). Honig, B. and Karlson, T. (2004). Institutional forces and the written business plan. Journal of Management. Vol. 30. Issue 1. 29 48. Accessed at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benson_Honig/publication/228264253_Institutional_Forces_and_the_Written_Business_Plan/links/54ae9e6a0cf21670b35862b8.pdf. (Accessed 17 March 2017). Peters, M. and Buhalis, D. (2004). Family hotel businesses: Strategic planning and the need for education and training. Department of Strategy and Tourism Management. Center for Tourism and Service Economics. University of Innsbruck. Accessed at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/1109/1/fulltext.pdf. (Accessed 14 March 2017). Sull, (2004). Disciplined entrepreneurship. MIT Sloan Management Review. Accessed at http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/disciplined-entrepreneurship/. (Accessed 15 March 2017). Wu, N., Bacon, N. and Hoque, K. (2014). The adoption of high performance work practices in small businesses: the influence of markets, business characteristics and HR expertise. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. Accessed at: http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26446/1/3876_Wu.pdf. (Accessed 16 March 2017). Zahrani, M. Nikmaram, S. and Latifi, M. (2014). Impact of family business characteristics on succession planning: A case study in Tehran industrial towns. Iranian Journal of Management Studies. Vol. 7. No. 2. 243- 257. Accessed at: https://ijms.ut.ac.ir/article_36616_8ced89c13f3bb574ef88de90a9581858.pdf. (Accessed 14 March 2017).

Essay examples --

Types of Biogeochemical Cycle Biogeochemical cycle is crucial for every living organism on Earth. It is strongly influenced by life forms, especially plants and microorganisms. A biogeochemical cycle can be defined as a continuous pathway by which conversion and circulation of chemical nutrients through both biotic and abiotic compartments of Earth (Butcher, 1992). Generally, biogeochemical cycles can be classified into three major categories which are nitrogen cycle, sulfur cycle and carbon cycle (Refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1). First type of biogeochemical cycle is nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen is abundant and chemically inert gases, constitutes of about 78% of the atmosphere. According to Stevenson and Cole (1999), accumulation in soil happens through microbial fixation of nitrogen in the presence of ammonia, nitrate and nitrite; depletion exists in the process of crop removal, leaching and volatilization. In term of that, the process of releasing compound during decomposition is called mineralization. Mineralization process is carried out by the microorganisms in which it releases carbon, and also ammonium (Sprent, 1987). As a result, many kinds of organic reduce nitrogen present, like urea, organic bases, such as purines and pyrimidines, and amino compounds. Animals have nitrogenous wastes and will eventually produce lots of nitrogen (Sprent, 1987). Several pathways are illustrated throughout the nitrogen cycle, such as nitrogen fixation, ammonification, nitrification and denitrification. Gates (1921) state d that the process of converted gaseous nitrogen into ammonia or ammonium is nitrogen fixation, while ammonium can also be produced through the decaying of nitrogenous organic substance, which is called ammonification. Afte... ...ut slowly uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (Zepp, & Sonntag, 1995). Hanson, Ducklow and Field (2000) mention that in the ocean, some of the carbon taken up by phytoplankton in order to make shells of calcium carbonate that settles to the bottom of the sea to form sediments. In geological carbon cycle, carbonic acid combines with magnesium and calcium in the Earth's crust to form insoluble carbonates. Carbon dioxide reacts with some minerals to form limestone, then dissolves by rainwater and carries to the oceans. Once there, it can precipitate out of the ocean water and form layer of sediments on the sea floor. The limestone melts and reacts with other minerals under high heat and pressure far below the Earth's surface by releasing carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is then back into the atmosphere through volcanic eruptions (Lockwood, & Hazlett, 2010).

Analysis of Virtual Reality Essay -- Virtual Reality Technology Comput

Analysis of Virtual Reality The term Virtual Reality (VR) is used by many different people with many meanings. There are some people to whom VR is a specific collection of technologies, that is a Head Mounted Display, Glove Input Device and Audio. Some other people stretch the term to include conventional books, movies or pure fantasy and imagination. However, for purposes of this research, we restrict VR to computer mediated systems. We would define Virtual Reality as a way for humans to visualize, manipulate and interact with computers and extremely complex data. The visualization part refers to the computer generating visual, auditory or other sensual outputs to the user of a world within the computer. This world may be a CAD model, a scientific simulation, or a view into a database. The user can interact with the world and directly manipulate objects within the world. Some worlds are animated by other processes, perhaps physical simulations, or simple animation scripts. Interaction with the virtual world, at least with near real time control of the viewpoint, is a critical test for a 'virtual reality'. Some people object to the term "Virtual Reality", saying it is an oxymoron. Other terms that have been used are Synthetic Environments, Cyberspace, Artificial Reality, Simulator Technology, etc. VR is the most common and sexiest. It has caught the attention of the media. Types of VR Systems A major distinction of VR systems is the mode with which they interface to the user. We would describe some of the common modes used in VR systems. Window on World Systems (WoW) Some systems use a conventional computer monitor to display the visual world. This sometimes called Desktop VR or a Window on a World (WoW). This concept traces its lineage back through the entire history of computer graphics. In 1965, Ivan Sutherland laid out a research program for computer graphics in a paper called "The Ultimate Display" that has driven the field for the past nearly thirty years. "One must look at a display screen," he said, "as a window through which one beholds a virtual world. The challenge to computer graphics is to make the picture in the window look real, sound real and the objects act real." Video Mapping A variation of the WoW approach merges a video input of the user's silhouette with a 2D-computer graphic. The user watches a monitor that... ...irplane that the inspector can navigate through via voice commands to mark a region of the airplane that is in need of service. Once identified, the application tags the area for transmission to the maintenance database and initiates the proper form for the inspector to fill out. The form is completed and then transmitted to the same maintenance database. When the inspector has identified all of the problems with a particular region, voice navigation is used to continue to other areas of the aircraft. The inspector is not required to take any information about the aircraft, previous defect records, clipboards, paper, etc. with them, everything required to perform the inspection is on-line and displayed in a manageable fashion in real time during the inspection. When the inspector completes the inspection, no further input is required. The inspector is not required to take notes and then pass them off to someone else to decipher and input to the system. The information is already in the maintenance database and ready for verification, planning, and scheduling. The timesaving realized from start to finish of that inspection is 30-50% depending on the inspector and the aircraft. Analysis of Virtual Reality Essay -- Virtual Reality Technology Comput Analysis of Virtual Reality The term Virtual Reality (VR) is used by many different people with many meanings. There are some people to whom VR is a specific collection of technologies, that is a Head Mounted Display, Glove Input Device and Audio. Some other people stretch the term to include conventional books, movies or pure fantasy and imagination. However, for purposes of this research, we restrict VR to computer mediated systems. We would define Virtual Reality as a way for humans to visualize, manipulate and interact with computers and extremely complex data. The visualization part refers to the computer generating visual, auditory or other sensual outputs to the user of a world within the computer. This world may be a CAD model, a scientific simulation, or a view into a database. The user can interact with the world and directly manipulate objects within the world. Some worlds are animated by other processes, perhaps physical simulations, or simple animation scripts. Interaction with the virtual world, at least with near real time control of the viewpoint, is a critical test for a 'virtual reality'. Some people object to the term "Virtual Reality", saying it is an oxymoron. Other terms that have been used are Synthetic Environments, Cyberspace, Artificial Reality, Simulator Technology, etc. VR is the most common and sexiest. It has caught the attention of the media. Types of VR Systems A major distinction of VR systems is the mode with which they interface to the user. We would describe some of the common modes used in VR systems. Window on World Systems (WoW) Some systems use a conventional computer monitor to display the visual world. This sometimes called Desktop VR or a Window on a World (WoW). This concept traces its lineage back through the entire history of computer graphics. In 1965, Ivan Sutherland laid out a research program for computer graphics in a paper called "The Ultimate Display" that has driven the field for the past nearly thirty years. "One must look at a display screen," he said, "as a window through which one beholds a virtual world. The challenge to computer graphics is to make the picture in the window look real, sound real and the objects act real." Video Mapping A variation of the WoW approach merges a video input of the user's silhouette with a 2D-computer graphic. The user watches a monitor that... ...irplane that the inspector can navigate through via voice commands to mark a region of the airplane that is in need of service. Once identified, the application tags the area for transmission to the maintenance database and initiates the proper form for the inspector to fill out. The form is completed and then transmitted to the same maintenance database. When the inspector has identified all of the problems with a particular region, voice navigation is used to continue to other areas of the aircraft. The inspector is not required to take any information about the aircraft, previous defect records, clipboards, paper, etc. with them, everything required to perform the inspection is on-line and displayed in a manageable fashion in real time during the inspection. When the inspector completes the inspection, no further input is required. The inspector is not required to take notes and then pass them off to someone else to decipher and input to the system. The information is already in the maintenance database and ready for verification, planning, and scheduling. The timesaving realized from start to finish of that inspection is 30-50% depending on the inspector and the aircraft.

Heart of Darkness †Metaphorical or Physical Journey? Essay

The worth of any physical journey can be measured by the value it has to the traveller; by the psychological, moral and philosophical insight gained during the course of travel. This is especially valid for a trip of such immense significance as the one undertaken by the narrator in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Marlow, as he travels along the Congo River in Africa. The symbolic importance of the Congo River is paramount throughout the novella; however, it is equally important to consider the role of the river on which the tale is told – the Thames, the centre of the nation that dominated colonial expansion. Both rivers offer a platform of observation of their respective societies – allowing Marlow to remain independent from these cultures and thus maintain his own moral compass. On a surface level, the Thames appears to be the epitome of tranquillity and civilization, as Marlowe describes it as being ‘calm’, waiting for the ‘turn of the tide’ and being the centre of ‘the biggest, and the greatest, town on Earth.’ However, Conrad’s multi-layered writing undercuts this view, as many descriptions of the Thames have mortuary connotations, implying a feeling of death on the river. For example, Conrad describes a ‘mournful gloom, brooding motionless’, the feeling of stillness coupled with the ‘gloomy tone creates a corpse-like atmosphere. Even the images of light that Conrad employs are more or less negative in their more subtle meanings. He describes the torches of light (a metaphor for Western Civilization) as being merely a ‘flicker’, which implies that the faà §ade of culture and humanity is ephemeral in nature. The first words Marlow uses describe his surroundings as ‘and this also†¦ was one of the dark places of the earth’, reminding listeners of the dark past, which is only partially and insubstantially covered. He then goes on to describe the ‘robbery with violence’ and the ‘aggravated murder on a great scale’ which the Romans had committed in ancient Britain. Whilst the present reality demonstrates an apparent conquering of the darkness, Conrad implies a different message, as he mentions the ‘toying’ of the ‘bones’ (another name for dominoes made of ivory), which refers to the abominations committed by King Leopold II in the Congo Free State, as he exploited the lives of African to further his own commercial enterprise. This associates the Thames, which has supposedly defeated its darkness, with an inherent evil, as it is at the centre of a culture obsessed with the ‘conquest of the earth’ under the guise of ‘weaning the ignorant millions from their ways’. At the end of the novella, the primary narrator, who is listening to Marlow’s tale, begins to perceive the Thames leading into ‘the heart of an immense darkness’, showing how the story has shaped his own moral, psychological and philosophical views. The mortuary images used to describe the Thames are repeated later on as Marlow recounts his visit to the company offices in Brussels, which he describes as a ‘whited sepulchre’. The word ‘whited’ implies a degree of artificiality in Brussels’ apparent pristine condition, whilst the word ‘sepulchre’ has further associations with death. It is also a biblical allusion to the Book of Matthew 23:27, in which Jesus exclaims: ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whited sepulchres, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and all kinds of filth.’ This allusion shows how the very European Marlo w, has recognized a deep hypocrisy in his fellow countrymen, as the symbol of white (one of purity in Western civilization) is simply a faà §ade to hide Europe’s inherent evil. This motif of white is repeated throughout the novel, especially in Brussels where Marlow mentions the ‘starched white affairs’ of the Company uniforms, and near the end of the text describes the corpse like ‘Intended’ as having a ‘pale head’, ‘ashy halo’ and a fireplace of ‘monumental whiteness’. Marlow who is described as being ‘in the pose of a meditating Buhhda’ sees a different connotation to the white (just as white is associated with death and mourning in Eastern philosophy). Whilst Marlow sees and experience this hypocrisy first hand in Europe, on the Congo River, he observes an almost cinematic stream of images of temptation and sordidness, with the River acting as a ‘moral buffer’ for him, as his perceptions of humanity and morality change. This change in Marlow’s nature happens through the characterization of Africa as a living hell which Conrad (through Marlow) achieves by continual allusions to the ‘Inferno’ in Dante’s Divine Comedy, which details the persona’s own journey into the centre of the earth and through the nine circles of hell. This is most effectively achieved when Marlow admits to his listeners: ‘I felt as though, instead of going to the centre of a continent, I were about to set off for the centre of the earth.’ This is paralleled when Marlow visits the company Offices and describes his assignment as going ‘dead in the centre’ (again invoking deathly overtones), which also explicitly references Dante. Like Marlow’s morals and philosophy, the allusion is developed throughout the journey, as Marlow observes the chaotic ‘wanton smash-up’ caused by the Europeans, and describes it as being in ‘the gloomy circle of some Infe rno’, and showing how the river, acting almost as a slideshow for European corruption, helps change Marlow’s view of the morality of the Colonialists, who have turned Africa into a living hell. The allusion to Dante, whilst certainly the most obvious, offers only an observation and a result, not a cause for the corruption. The allusion to the Book of Genesis on the other hand, provides insight into why there is corruption present on the Congo. When Marlowe first describes the river, he likens it to an ‘immense snake uncoiled’, which references the Devil in the form of a snake, tempting Eve to take a quince from the Garden of Eden. This allusion is more causal in its purpose, as it demonstrates the reason why the Europeans who have integrated into Africa (especially Kurtz and the station Manager) have been corrupted by the primitive allurement of the ‘unspeakable rites’ and ‘satanic litany’ afforded to them by the jungle. Whilst Marlow is offered these things during his journey, morally he is able to maintain his distance, continuing as righteous through a continual commitment to pragmatism and action. This is evidenced by his almost obsessive need for ‘rivets’ to repair his boat so that he may continue his journey on the moral insulation of the Congo River, shielding him from any immoral temptations offered whilst ashore. On the other hand, people like Kurtz who have the river, find that the moral veneer provided by the faà §ade that is European civilization is quickly stripped away when they go ashore for a ‘howl’ and a ‘dance’. Marlow explains this phenomenon of primitive reversion among the colonialists via the effect that he perceives the river to have, saying that travelling down the river was like ‘travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world’ with the ‘fascination of the abomination; corrupting the Europeans, especially Kurtz, who is debased to ‘an animated image of death carved out of old ivory’. Significantly, the current symbolically make the journey into the ‘heart of darkness’ difficult, while the journey back is easy and rapid. In conclusion, the journey undertaken by Marlow on the Congo River, as well as his story telling on the Thames, much deeper significance than simply physical and geographical journeys, changing his perceptions of the morality and psychology of men. Conrad uses Marlow’s insights to influence the reader to share in the enlightenment gained by the narrator.