The Use of Literary Devices in Robert Frosts Stopping by...

The Use of Literary Devices in Robert Frosts Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening In Robert Frosts poem. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.† the speaker uses literary devices to show the reader the poems meaning. Symbolism plays an important role in this poem. Robert Frost uses symbolism to show the correlation between the woods and village with heaven. Mythological symbolism is also found in this poem. when the speaker talks about the lake. it is a reference to Hel in Norse Mythology. The tone of the poem, and Robert Frosts syntax. portray a tranquil yet dark feeling throughout the poem. The observations made exhibit how the speaker views life and death. The personification of the horse shows how the horse is important†¦show more content†¦and his conscience does not think that this thought is normal. The farm house represents a point in life, something the speaker is not trying to reach. Robert Frost writes the poem using iambic tetrameter. which follows the beat of a horse. The rhythm of the poem further alludes that the ho rse is a part of the speaker. Death is further mentioned in the poem when the speaker says. â€Å"In between the woods and frozen lake†(7) . In Norse Mythology. the underworld is called Hel. and is located in the frozen region of Niflheim. Robert Frost puts Hel and Heaven near each other to show how close the boundaries between the two are. The â€Å"darkest evening of the year† (8) shows how deep the speakers depression is. This depression bolsters the speakers suicidal thoughts. These thoughts connect to the thin line between Heaven and Hel. In the third stanza of the poem, the horse, the speakers conscience, realizes the speakers intention, and interrupts the the tranquil surroundings. When the horse gives its harness bells a shake (9), it is trying to gain the speakers attention. The speaker believes that the horse is trying to make the man realize how bad an idea suicide would be, as that would cause him to go to Hel (10). The speaker acknowledges the horses intent, and realizes the foolishness of suicide. Sensory imagery is used to show how easy suicide would be.Show MoreRelatedShadows in the Yellow Wood: The Dark Side of Rober Frosts Poetry1508 Words   |  7 PagesShadows in the Yellow Wood: The Dark Side of Robert Frost’s Poetry Robert Frost is one of the most widely-read and recognized poets of the twentieth century, if not all time. If his name is mentioned, it is usually followed by a reference to two roads diverged in a yellow wood and taking the one less traveled by. But lurking in the shadows of the yellow wood of Frost’s poetry are much deeper meanings than are immediately apparent. As the modern poet Billy Collins says in his â€Å"Introduction toRead MoreStopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost Essay1383 Words   |  6 Pages Robert Frost uses metaphor and symbolism extensively in ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’, developing deeper and more complex meanings from a superficially simple poem. Frost’s own analysis contributes greatly to our appreciation of the importance of metaphor, claiming that â€Å"metaphor [is] the whole of thinking,† inviting the reader to interpret the beautiful scene in a more profound way. However, the multitude of possible interpretations sees it being read as either carefully crafted lyricRead MoreRobert Frost1943 Words   |  8 PagesA Snowy Evening with Robert Frost Robert Frost once said, â€Å"It begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a loneliness. It is never a thought to begin with. It is at best when it is a tantalizing vagueness.† (â€Å"Poetry Foundation† n.d.). This poem holds a lot of mystery in its meaning which has a variety of interpretations. John T. Ogilvie who wrote, â€Å"From Woods to Stars: A pattern of Imagery in Robert Frost’s Poetry† interprets this as a poem about the journey through lifeRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost Essay1156 Words   |  5 PagesRobert Lee Frost was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in America. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. Robert Frost’s poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken is a narrative poem on making decisions. A narrative poem is one that tells a story. It follows a similar structure as that for a short story or novel. There is a beginning, middle and an end, as well as the usual literary devices

The Slippery Slope Of Euthanasia - 1396 Words

The slippery slope argument has been ongoing in the euthanasia debate. The â€Å"slippery slope† refers to the belief that legalizing voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide will lead to undesirable outcomes. Many speculate that the legalization of involuntary euthanasia will lead to the legalization of murder. Since euthanasia is legalized in the Netherlands, some argue that it has caused a slippery slope. Now, people believe legalizing euthanasia in the United States will also cause a slippery slope. Although this may be true, there is not sufficient evidence to support this argument as the rates of euthanasia have dropped in the Netherlands since it has been legalized. Doctors try to encourage patients to undergo hospice or other types of care before resorting to euthanasia. Under strict guidelines, euthanasia can be controlled so it can benefit patients without being abused and causing a slippery slope. For euthanasia to be effective when legalized, restrictions need to be applied. All of the states that have legalized physician assisted suicide have strict controls over who is eligible for it. A patient must be at least 18 years of age, have six or less months to live, have requested for euthanasia two times at least 15 days apart with the addition of a witness and written request, be a resident of the state, and be capable of making own decisions (ProCon.org 1). These strict requirements allow euthanasia to be abused less, while still benefiting those who areShow MoreRelatedThe Slippery Slope Of Euthanasia1794 Words   |  8 Pagesto establish residency in order to commit euthanasia. On February 7, 2014, Belgium became the first country to allow euthanasia of children, with no age restrictions. How is this not morally and ethically wrong? How is this not murder? Why should doctors be allowed to play God? We see in this short paragraph the slippery slope of euthanasia, from second degree murder to legalized suicide to legalized euthanasia of children. Where will it stop? Euthanasia is defined as deliberately putting to deathRead MoreEuthanasia Essay : Euthanasia And Euthanasia863 Words   |  4 PagesThis is why Euthanasia is important and summarizing the research that I found on Euthanasia. Euthanasia is important because there is a lot of arguments about Euthanasia. Some people support it and some people do not support Euthanasia (Euthanasia and assisted suicide- Arguments). Euthanasia allows people to be free from physical pain. It is the hastening of death of a patient to prevent further sufferings (Euthanasia Revisited). The religious argument states God chooses when human life ends. EuthanasiaRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide And Euthanasia Essay1039 Words   |  5 Pagespain and suffering. Others claim that the concept of physician assisted suicide is a slippery slope. A slippery slope in the sense that if society accepts euthanasia as a rightful death for the terminally ill, they will potentially accept it for other ailments as well. There are multiple types of physician assisted suicide. Collectively, they fall under the categories: active or passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia is when someone steps in and deliberately ends a life. An example of this would beRead MoreEuthanasi An Incurable Form Of Cancer Essay1488 Words   |  6 Pagesclear that the United States had come to the right conclusion benefiting our society and making our country a better place. One of the up and coming policies in the political spotlight is the right to euthanasia. Euthanasia is â€Å"the act of causing death painlessly, so as to end suffering† (â€Å"Euthanasia†). Fully healthy people take for granted their autonomy, privacy, and dignity provided by full functioning bodies. Some people, however, are not so lucky. Chantal Sebire is one of those unlucky peopleRead MoreEuthanasi Ethical And Legal Issues Within The Australian Context1550 Words   |  7 Pagesis more challenging to reconcile than that of euthanasia. The legalisation of euthanasia continues to be passionately debated. It has been a pertinent issue in human rights discourse as it affects ethical and legal issues pertaining to both the patient and the health care practitioner (Bartels Otlowski, 2010). The following essay will define euthanasia and make the distinction between active, passive, voluntary, non-voluntary, involuntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Relevant legalRead MoreIssues Surrounding The Legalization Of Euthanasia2019 Words   |  9 Pageswill critically discuss slippery slope arguments with reference to the issues surrounding the legalization of euthanasia. Firstly, the foundations of a slippery slope argument will be discussed, along with the usual fallacious nature of this type of argument, also to be discussed, is if slippery slope arguments ever provide good reasons for accepting their conclusions. Secondly, euthanasia will be introduced and discussed, this will be done using an example of a slippery slope argument by John KeownRead MoreEuthanasia Is The Other Form And It Takes Place Against The Patient s Consent1005 Words   |  5 PagesInvoluntary euthanasia is the other form and it takes place against the patient’s consent. Finally, n on-voluntary euthanasia is whereby a physician carries out the act despite the fact that the patient does not have the ability to make the decision. To understand the slippery slope here, it is important to take note of the fact that all these forms of euthanasia are morally demeaning since they do not uphold the right to life. Legalizing PAS would, therefore, imply that the right to life is beingRead MoreMany years ago, in a small town in Michigan, a woman by the name of Janet Adkins was diagnosed with1200 Words   |  5 Pagesheard her desperate plead and decided to help. He used his own invention called the Suicide Machine: a way of killing an ill patient by means of injecting lethal drugs via an I.V. This is an example of one of two types of euthanasia, known as Active Euthanasia. Active Euthanasia occurs when an action is done with the intention of ending a persons life, such as injecting a fatal drug or medication (Kastenbaum 531). Finally, in a public park inside his Volkswa gen van, Kevorkian attached the I.V. toRead MoreThe Great Debate On Doctor Assisted Suicide Essay1239 Words   |  5 PagesDoctor Assisted Suicide Euthanasia, in today’s world, is a word with opposing meanings. Originally, it meant â€Å"a good death† (Leming Dickinson, 2016). Since the legalization of euthanasia around the world in the early 1990’s, the meaning has changed. Several pro-euthanasia sites would call it a humane and peaceful way to end the dying process, by either stopping the course of treatment or the use of lethal doses of medications (Leming Dickinson, 2016). Con-euthanasia activists are most concernedRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Euthanasia715 Words   |  3 PagesEuthanasia (Physician-Assisted Suicide) Euthanasia has been around for a long time. In 1990 every state had laws that made assisting suicide a felony. Assisted suicide been in the news since the 1990s. A supporter of euthanasia Dr. Jack Kevorkian played an important role in more than 100 suicides before he was charged with murder. In Oregon voters passed the death with dignity act in 1994, but a lawsuit blocked its enforcement until 1997, when it went into effect. The consideration of potential

Citigroup and Subprime Lending free essay sample

Are there moral concerns associated with subprime lending? Are those moral concerns based on utilitarianism, rights, or justice considerations? Before we discuss the first question let’s get a working description of what subprime leaning is. A subprime lender is financial entity that has an inclination to lend to consumers that are not qualified for traditional loans due to their poor credit status and history of repayment difficulties. Lending to subprime candidates helped lead to secondary mortgage market issue sin 2008 (â€Å"Subprime lender,† 2011). A subprime loan is a loan with elevated fees and interest, given to someone with a lower credit score (â€Å"Subprime loan,† 2011). A major profit source for CitiFinancial and the Associates was subprime lending, this is lending to people who did not meet the customary credit requirements of banks. In the 90’s this lending had provided access to credit to many people who would not have qualified for prime loans because of their credit history. In one study the researchers found that 35 percent of the subprime borrowers were over 55 years and African Americans were twice as likely to borrow in the subprime market as in the prime market (Baron, 2010). There were a few forms of subprime lending that CitiFinancial and the Associates dealt with. One of those forms was home equity loans marketed to borrowers to consolidate their bills. Another aspect of subprime lending was single-premium life insurance sold along with a loan to pay off the principal in the case of the death of the borrower (Baron, 2010). These companies were making a lot of money on both these subprime lending activities. The question is, are there moral concerns associated with subprime lending, I would have to say yes there are moral concerns. It seems that the companies are targeting a certain demographic of consumer. By definition the target is consumers that are not qualified for traditional loans due to their poor credit status and history of repayment difficulties. An example from the text was BusinessWeek writing an article in its March 2001 edition, â€Å"Is Citi bleeding its weakest borrower? †. One of the major issues was the debt-consolidation loans, which roll credit-card and other short-term debt into a refinanced mortgage. The products leave borrowers with lower monthly payments but heavier debt loads and much longer repayment periods. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) objects to the way Associates pitched these loans as â€Å"money saver,† claiming the company â€Å"nurtured a relationship of trust† and they played on that trust with â€Å"deceptive† practices to put customers into loans. The FTC says Associates unfairly compared a customer’s current payments with their cash on hand after obtaining the loan. CitiFinancial’s Web site advertises a debt-consolidation loan featuring a customer endorsement—â€Å"I now can afford so much more than I thought possible,† says Spencer L. of Worcester, Mass. A sample worksheet shows that Spencer can take out a $20,000 home-equity loan to consolidate his bills, pay off credit cards and reap $310. 57 in monthly savings. The fine print notes that Spencer will pay that back in 120 months at a 13. 49% interest rate. But nowhere on the Web site does it say that it would cost $36, 500 to pay off starting debts of $17,000 (Timmons, 2001). Just with this example it looks like CitiFinancial is not quite honest with their consumers. Their marketing tactics are aggressive by the subprime lenders and just from the few examples that have been given there are definite moral concerns with the business practice. Would the moral concerns be based on utilitarianism, rights or justice considerations? First let’s get some working definitions of utilitarianism, rights and justice as far as being connected with moral concerns. By definition utilitarianism is an ethical philosophy in which the happiness of the greatest number of people in the society is considered the greatest good. According to this philosophy, an action is morally right if its consequences lead to happiness (absence of pain), and wrong if it ends in unhappiness. Since the link between actions and their happy or unhappy outcomes depends on the circumstances, no moral principle is absolute or necessary in itself under utilitarianism (â€Å"Utilitarianism,† 2011). Utilitarianism can also be considered a consequentialist system. In a consequentialist system, an action is moral if it produces better consequences than any other alternative. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist system with two particular features. First, consequences are to be evaluated in terms of preferences of individuals, and second, those preferences are to be aggregated. Aggregation is required because an action may make some individuals better off and others worse off. The standard of human well-being and the need to consider the consequences for all persons correspond to fundamental ethical intuitions (Baron, 2010). By using utilitarianism the greater good in CitiFinancial, however, since the consumer really doesn’t understand what they are signing up for, maybe they could be considered the greater good. Let’s see what rights and justice has to do with moral concerns. Where consequential ethics systems such as utilitarianism focus on the good and evaluate the good in terms of individuals’ preferences for consequences, rights established under a consequentialist system are instrumental. Their justification is in terms of the consequences they yield. Some moral philosophies hold that there are certain rights and liberties justified by considerations independent of their consequences. Basic liberties such as freedom of speech and rights such as equal opportunity are fundamental concepts that express consideration of freedom, autonomy and basic equality. Rights may be derived from moral principles or may be established through political choice. Rights are often categorized as positive or negative (Baron, 2010). In this case I would say that some basic rights of the consumers may have been violated by CitiFinancial because they were not completely up front about the small print that told the true story about the consolidation loans. Other moral philosophies emphasize justice, which requires comparisons of situations of individuals. Justice theories are concerned with how different individuals stand relative to each other on dimensions including, but not limited to, rights, liberties and consequences. The three principal categories of justice theories are distributive, compensatory and retributive. Distributive justice is concerned with providing incentives to contribute to well-being in society and with providing a fair and just distribution of the rewards of those contributions.

School Violence Essays (478 words) - Misconduct, Behavior, Crime

School Violence School violence is not a new issue for the nineties. School violence has been around since the nineteen fifties, but was more an issue of juvenile delinquency. The difference between the 1950's and 1990's is that the student conflicts are more likely to be settled with the use of weapons in the nineties. The availability of weapons today has seemingly increased the severity of which young people settle their arguments. From a sociological perspective, the increase of violence in schools in poor neighborhoods is a reflection of the community itself. The social ills- poverty, single parent homes, drugs, prostitution, teenage pregnancy and street violence has crept into the school community. Furthermore, in poverty stricken areas, the schools generally do not have the financial resources to spend on students compared to other middle/upper class communities. Hence, the students from poorer communities feel they have already been labeled as less desirable than others. This can cause frustration with students and could often lead to violence. Of course, we know that school violence is not limited to lower socioeconomic areas. School violence occurs in all geographic, social or economic facets of our society. Teachers tend to believe that school violence is a result of sociologic factors such as: lack of parental supervision, lack of family involvement and exposure to violence in the mass media. These factors can be traced to high divorce rates, both parents working and the high availability of mass media,e.g. television, Internet, etc. In a recent article in Time magazine, they claimed that school violence in suburban schools is partially a result of society's ?mega store? mentality. We have closed down ?mom and pop? stores in favor of mega stores to respond to societies increased needs to save time and money. Some school districts have responded in kind. Combining three high schools into one results in a school that houses 1500 students, grades 9-12, rather than 500 students. This increased number limits school personnel in knowing their students on a more personal level, which causes students who have problems to escape the notice of teachers, staff and administrators. Schools are not doing enough to protect students and other school personnel. Curing social ills could take a long time, so I propose a high security approach to the problem. The community may find this expensive and students find it oppressive, but how many more people have to die? I propose the following strategy: 1) Police officers in every school. 2) Metal detectors at each doorway. 3) Some type of dress code- banning ?big clothes? where weapons can be hidden. 4) No book bags- only clear bags allowed. 5) Hall monitors- hallways, doorways, restrooms and cafeteria's. 6) Train certain school personnel in weapon usage. Allow them to carry and store weapons on campus. If students knew someone else on campus had a gun to protect students, they may think twice about bringing one to school. This may sound severe, but this is a direct approach to the problem. Sociology Essays

BUY PAPERS

BUY PAPERS Essay writing is essential part of any educational program. There are different types of essays that are being required to be written by the students. One of the mostly used essay types is observation essay. There are two options to go about this assignment. One is writing the paper and doing your best, the other option is to give this assignment to professional writer and buy papers online. Observation essay outline requires clear description, main facts presentation and general rules overview.    Observation essay outline concentrates on description and maid facts. Important aspect of observation essay is actually fundamental style of writing. Do a few sketches before you start composing your original observation essay. Ensure that you purely stick to the basic standard for essay writing. Try and create a special atmosphere to be present at the moment. Write at present tense. Display as many details as possible using senses of smell, light, touch, sound and taste. Employ your skill to develop parallels and include comparisons. BUY PAPERS Whether you are attending college or university, essay and term paper writing is definitely the most important part of any educational process. There are different types of papers which are being required and recommended to be written by the students. Among the mostly used and wide spread writing forms is observation essay. There can be two alternatives to go about this assignment. The first option is writing the paper on your own and doing all of your best. And the other option would be giving this assignment to professional writer, buy papers through secure essay writing online system. Observation essay outline demands clear and simply clear description. The main facts representation and general rules overview must be written as well. Observation essay outline concentrates on written description and main facts. Important aspect of observation essay is actually the fundamental style of writing. Perform a few sketches before you start composing your actual observation essay writing. Make sure that you strictly stick to the basic standard for observation essay writing format. BUY PAPERS Another important type of writing that you probably know about is junior research paper. Being a type of academic writing, junior research paper gives description of the research results. If a student is interested in gaining experience in research competition, then a junior research paper is written. We have gathered a list of important and useful tips that are able to help you create a junior research paper today. If you need assistance with writing junior research paper, you can always consult our writers and buy papers online.   The cover page or the junior research paper shows research field and research title that are concise. Include a research thesis approval by the college or university board. Introduction will discuss the thesis statement, important parts of the research. You may also include several aspects of the research problem. Body paragraphs will include methods and procedures used while doing a research itself. Then present results or findings in logical manner. Also, use graphics and tables as a fact or an argument. Conclusion must not only show but interpret the presented materials. Restate the thesis statement or the hypothesis. Remind the findings and give full interpretation of the received results. Finish up with a cited literature including list of citations.

Sauropods - The Biggest Dinosaurs

Sauropods - The Biggest Dinosaurs Think of the word dinosaur, and two images are likely to come to mind: a snarling Velociraptor hunting for grub, or a giant, gentle, long-necked Brachiosaurus lazily plucking the leaves off the tops of trees. In many ways, the sauropods (of which Brachiosaurus was a prominent example) are more fascinating than famous predators like Tyrannosaurus Rex or Spinosaurus. By far the largest terrestrial creatures ever to roam the earth, sauropods branched into numerous genera and species over the course of 100 million years, and their remains have been dug up on every continent, including Antarctica. (See a gallery of sauropod pictures and profiles.) So what, exactly, is a sauropod? Some technical details aside, paleontologists use this word to describe large, four-legged, plant-eating dinosaurs possessing bloated trunks, long necks and tails, and tiny heads with comparably small brains (in fact, sauropods may have been the dumbest of all the dinosaurs, with a smaller encephalization quotient than even stegosaurs or ankylosaurs). The name sauropod itself is Greek for lizard foot, which oddly enough counted among these dinosaurs least intuitive traits. As with any broad definition, though, there are some important buts and howevers. Not all sauropods had long necks (witness the oddly truncated Brachytrachelopan), and not all were the size of houses (one recently discovered genus, Europasaurus, seems to have only been about the size of a large ox). On the whole, though, most of the classical sauropodsfamiliar beasts like Diplodocus and Apatosaurus (the dinosaur previously known as Brontosaurus)followed the sauropod body plan to the Mesozoic letter. Sauropod Evolution As far as we know, the first true sauropods (such as Vulcanodon and Barapasaurus) arose about 200 million years ago, during the early to middle Jurassic period. Preceding, but not directly related to, these plus-sized beasts were smaller, occasionally bipedal prosauropods (before the sauropods) like Anchisaurus and Massospondylus, which were themselves related to the earliest dinosaurs. (In 2010, paleontologists unearthed the intact skeleton, complete with skull, of one of the earliest true sauropods, Yizhousaurus, and another candidate from Asia, Isanosaurus, straddles the Triassic/Jurassic boundary.) Sauropods reached the peak of their eminence toward the end of the Jurassic period, 150 million years ago. Fully grown adults had a relatively easy ride, since these 25- or 50-ton behemoths would have been virtually immune to predation (although its possible that packs of Allosaurus might have ganged up on an adult Diplodocus), and the steamy, vegetation-choked jungles covering most of the Jurassic continents provided a steady supply of food. (Newborn and juvenile sauropods, as well as sick or aged individuals, would of course have made prime pickings for hungry theropod dinosaurs.) The Cretaceous period saw a slow slide in sauropod fortunes; by the time the dinosaurs as a whole went extinct 65 million years ago, only lightly armored but equally gigantic titanosaurs (such as Titanosaurus and Rapetosaurus) were left to speak for the sauropod family. Frustratingly, while paleontologists have identified dozens of titanosaur genera from around the world, the lack of fully articulated fossils and the rarity of intact skulls means that much about these beasts is still shrouded in mystery. We do know, however, that many titanosaurs possessed rudimentary armor platingclearly an evolutionary adaptation to predation by large carnivorous dinosaursand that the biggest titanosaurs, like Argentinosaurus, were even bigger than the biggest sauropods. Sauropod Behavior and Physiology As befitting their size, sauropods were eating machines: adults had to scarf down hundreds of pounds of plants and leaves every day in order to fuel their enormous bulk. Depending on their diets, sauropods came equipped with two basic kinds of teeth: either flat and spoon-shaped (as in Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus), or thin and peglike (as in Diplodocus). Presumably, spoon-toothed sauropods subsisted on tougher vegetation that required more powerful methods of grinding and chewing. Reasoning by analogy with modern giraffes, most paleontologists believe sauropods evolved their ultra-long necks in order to reach the high leaves of trees. However, this raises as many questions as it answers  since pumping blood to a height of 30 or 40 feet would strain even the biggest, most robust heart. One maverick paleontologist has even suggested that the necks of some sauropods contained strings of auxiliary hearts, kind of like a Mesozoic bucket brigade, but lacking solid fossil evidence, few experts are convinced. This brings us to the question of whether sauropods were warm-blooded, or cold-blooded like modern reptiles. Generally, even the most ardent advocates of warm-blooded dinosaurs back off when it comes to sauropods  since simulations show that these oversized animals would have baked themselves from the inside, like potatoes, if they generated too much internal metabolic energy. Today, the prevalence of opinion is that sauropods were cold-blooded homeothermsthat is, they managed to maintain a near-constant body temperature because they warmed up very slowly during the day and cooled off equally slowly at night. Sauropod Paleontology Its one of the paradoxes of modern paleontology that the largest animals that ever lived have left the most incomplete skeletons. While bite-sized dinosaurs like Microraptor tend to fossilize all in one piece, complete sauropod skeletons are rare on the ground. Further complicating matters, sauropod fossils are often found without their heads, because of an anatomical quirk in how these dinosaurs skulls were attached to their necks (their skeletons were also easily disarticulated, that is, trampled to pieces by living dinosaurs or shaken apart by geological activity). The jigsaw-puzzle-like nature of sauropod fossils has tempted paleontologists into a fair number of blind alleys. Often, a gigantic tibia will be advertised as belonging to an entirely new genus of sauropod, until its determined (based on more complete analysis) to belong to a plain old Cetiosaurus. (This is the reason the sauropod once known as Brontosaurus is today called Apatosaurus: Apatosaurus was named first, and the dinosaur subsequently called Brontosaurus turned out to be a, well, you know.) Even today, some sauropods linger under a cloud of suspicion; many experts believe that Seismosaurus was really an unusually large Diplodocus, and proposed genera like Ultrasauros have been pretty much discredited altogether. This confusion about sauropod fossils has also resulted in some famous confusion about sauropod behavior. When the first sauropod bones were discovered, well over one hundred years ago, paleontologists believed they belonged to ancient whalesand for a few decades, it was fashionable to picture Brachiosaurus as a semi-aquatic creature that roved lake bottoms and stuck its head out of the surface of the water to breathe! (an image that has helped fuel pseudo-scientific speculation about the true provenance of the Loch Ness Monster).

Australian organisations must adopt sustainability reporting in the 21 Essay

Australian organisations must adopt sustainability reporting in the 21 century - Essay Example However, the companies do not need to follow any standard reporting frameworks. Each industry faces varied external issues which are considered as significant to its operations (Hubbard, 2011). It can be stated that the companies are pressurised to disclose the non-financial information because of several market mechanism. These market drivers are found in numerous ethical, social as well as environmental investment funds that have given rise to sustainability reporting (Vormedal & Ruud, 2009). There are many reasons behind the companies’ disclosing sustainability reporting. They intend to persuade the non-stakeholders regarding the impacts of the performance of the company and strategies applied by it to stimulate the performance. The objective of sustainability reporting is to inform the shareholders regarding the fact that how well the company is handling with non-financial as well as financial risks. It also permits the company to recognize the areas of potential risks and evaluate its performance. Most of the companies prefer mandatory reporting since it sets up methods and structures for comprehending influences and risks which were not stated previously by the other organisations. It also offers institutional investors with the capability to avail the information on non-financial risks which further permits them to have better knowledge regarding the overall firm. Transparency and accountability to the stakeholders is promoted when companies tend to disclose sustainability reporting (Kolk, 2004). According to the views of Kolk, the main reasons behind sustainability reporting are to increase a company’s capability to keep track of the developments against particular targets. It tends to help in the proper implementation of the environmental strategy. It is proper sustainability reporting that creates awareness regarding the environmental issues in the organisation. Most of the companies try to focus more upon the sustainability reporting since it

Issues that might affect the success and survival of SKF Essay

Issues that might affect the success and survival of SKF - Essay Example The bearings are used to reduce friction between moving parts of a motor, engine or a wheel. SKF operates across the globe in 70 countries with 110 manufacturing sites. It deals with a wide range of industries such as pulp and paper machinery, steel industry, construction equipment, medical instruments, food and home appliances and many others (Kashani & DuBrule, 2009). SKF majorly deals with the business to business markets which mean that the bearings produced by the company are used as a raw material in other businesses. These kinds of markets are generally more price sensitive as the prices of the raw material producer affect the prices of the end products that the consumers are going to use. The competitive edge of SKF had always been the superior quality products which meant producing bearings that were durable and reliable. With high quality meant high prices to be paid; premiums for premium products. SKF produced highly engineered bearings as they knew that the bearings were being used in critical applications such as jet engines and gas turbines, where a small mistake or malfunctioning could lead to disastrous failures. Service, whether they are post sale or presale are of utmost importance. This helps and ensures the building of goodwill of any organisation. (Vartanian, 2010).  SKF worked with the trained and authorized distributors as rapid fulfillment of orders, delivery and receivables from customers and their collection should be smooth for SKF to work efficiently. Pricing for the aftermarket services was decided in synchronization with distributors who were supplying products from other brands as well. All the post purchase services were provided through SKF’s 1200 distributors which reached out to 50 thousand end users. SKF’s business is divided into three divisions: Industrial, Automotive and Service, each serving different set of customer groups. Industrial served 30 different industries including machine tools’ oil and gas and mining accounted for 30 percent of the sales. Automobile served home appliance manufacturers and OEMs of cars and trucks and served the vehicle repair and maintenance aftermarket and accounted for 35 percent of the companies sales. Service division gave SKF one-third of its sales providing end users, mostly factories, with replacement bearings. It served the industry both directly (20 percent) and with the help of it distribution channels (80 percent) (Kashani & DuBrule, 2009). Developing a full awareness of your situation can help with both strategic planning and decision-making (Bhushan, N & RAI 2004).So doing a SWOT analysis of SKF could help understand the company and the environment it is operating in, better. A SWOT analysis guides you to identify the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities of an organisation. The value of a company doesn’t only lie in the hands of the assets a company own but the perspective of its customers are of utmost importance (L aw 2010).  .The strength of the company is that the SKF is a well established company which has developed to be a brand communicating high quality premium products. It has large customer base serving 2 million customers and it has a variety that no customer could match. The company is in the business for more than a hundred years now and has a global market share of 20 percent with net sales

What Is Philosophy Essay Example for Free

What Is Philosophy Essay Philosophy is integrated into every individual’s life. This essay will analyse the differences between Western, Chinese and Indian traditions. It will evaluate what it is that constitutes a valid philosophical enquiry and investigate different branches of philosophy. It will also look into the ways in which philosophy is utilised in contemporary society and the ways in which language impact on philosophy. Greco-Roman tradition originally came from Greek and Pagan culture, later gaining influences from other cultures. When the belief in the actual existence of Gods and Goddesses died, reasons needed to be provided for human existence, the purpose of life, and the problems of living in a civilisation. This saw the Greek philosophy grow and the traditions main issue was to define and describe human life and conditions. The tradition later became known as Western tradition, as the Greek’s and Roman’s used ideas from other cultures and ingrained them within their tradition. This still remains a key feature of Western tradition today. There are few surviving original sources of the tradition, preserved by Catholic and Orthodox monasteries, despite their differences to Christian teachings. The influences from Western tradition are key features in society today. It provided reason and science which can be seen as the ground works for technology and science today. â€Å"From the Greco-Roman period came respect for the rule of law, the idea of natural law, and, for its day, toleration of religious beliefs. † (Pappas, 2005) If anything was so prevalent in society today it would be that thought. The ability to live among others with different beliefs but still all follow the same laws is a necessity in todays society. The Western tradition taught us to question who we are and respect individuality, a teaching which lives on to this day. Dissimilar to Western tradition, which looks to define human life and conditions, the Chinese traditions main aim is to keep harmony at all times. Confucius was China’s most famous philosopher. â€Å"The most important thing to Confucius was Jen, or human kindness, love of man. Jen is the ideal feeling of warmth, kindness, dignity, and respect that should develop between two people. † (Powell, 2000, p. 95) The Chinese tradition is one of practicality, therefore the importance of logic is paramount. Logic sees that everything is subject to change, and that opinions and beliefs are of their time and place. Differing to the Western tradition, the Chinese took few ideas from other cultures, highlighting the desire for China to remain separated from other societies. It did however, take influence from Buddhism, but even this was adapted to suit Chinese culture. The Chinese tradition believes that to remain harmonious is of more importance than finding the truth. Followers of Chinese tradition may not see it fit to unburden themselves of their woes onto others as this is not harmonious. Arguably the oldest surviving tradition, Indian tradition aims to eliminate unhappiness and create nirvana, the cessation of suffering. Unlike the Western tradition, both the Chinese and Indian combine philosophy and religion. Indian tradition however does so more harmoniously by combining them both equally. Because of this, Indian tradition is compared to a Banyan tree, with its deep roots and tangled canopy representing the intertwining of Indian philosophies and religions. Buddhism is originated from India. This philosophy believes in karma, that what you are reincarnated as is a reflection of your past life. From a cynical point of view, it could be seen that followers of Buddhism are kind only to protect their reincarnation, and that it is not a selfless act they are carrying out, just one which will benefit them in their next life. It is important that all philosophical enquiries are valid so correct outcomes are produced. There are many elements that constitute a valid philosophical enquiry. It must not be biased or favour one side. It must be non-emotional and it must be able to bring together the deductive and inductive methods of reasoning. It is arguable that for the enquiry to be valid it would need to be proven. This may not be the case and it could be believed that it would just need to not be disproved. For example, it has not been proved that God ever existed, however it has not been disproved. Therefore, the question as to whether there is or was a God, is a valid philosophical enquiry. A valid philosophical enquiry should only be based on evidence and not include feeling or opinion. The final conclusion of the enquiry should then be interpreted and evaluated. No hasty predictions should be made as it should be based just on fact. Descartes provides his process when producing a philosophical enquiry in Discourse on Method. (See appendix 1) There are many different branches of philosophy. Romanticism is originated from 18th century Germany. Romantics react negatively to what the modern world does to people, for example the effects modern day technology have on human interaction. Jean-Jacques Rousseau marked the way for the Romanticism movement as he â€Å"believed that civilisation was a corrupting influence on people, who are instinctively good † (Kindersley, 2011, p. 144) Romantics are very much against the dehumanisation of the modern world where technology replaces people. A romantic might argue that the self-service check outs provided at most supermarkets have a negative effect on human interaction as there is no need to communicate with people face to face now when shopping. Romanticism links with another branch of philosophy, Environmentalism. This philosophy is concerned with keeping the planet green. Environmentalists, like Romantics, are concerned with the developments happening in society and the effects they could have on the planet and those within in the future. In complete contrast to Romanticism and Environmentalism, The Enlightenment is another branch of philosophy. It also originated in 18th century Western Europe but is closely allied with science. It challenges the rule of religious superstition and tradition and uses science to provide most, if not all, of the answers. It sits well with the development in human beings and their surroundings. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that moves with the times. As society, religion, and politics move forward, so do the ethics within those institutions. It is perfectly possible that the ethical issues one experienced in their upbringing could totally differ from those they experience in their adult life. Ethics is a system of values where certain things are â€Å"right† and certain things are â€Å"wrong†. Abortion is a subject that has always been surrounded by moral and ethical issues. (See appendix 2, BBC, 2013) Until 1967, abortion was illegal in England. This however, does not mean it did not happen. In the 1950’s, when abortion was still illegal, mothers carrying unwanted babies would seek non medical personnel to carry out abortions. This was highlighted in a recent episode of Call the Midwife, a drama series based on the personal experiences of an East End midwife in the 1950’s, where a mother had an illegal abortion which lead to her contracting septicaemia. (‘Episode 5’, 2013) Times have clearly moved on, and today abortions are far more available and medically safe. But that does not mean that the ethical views of some have changed with the times, regardless of whether the law has changed. It is important to consider teleological and deontological theories when dealing with ethics. Teleological theorists believe that it is the end result of an action that determines whether the action was good or bad. Deontological theorists however, believe that each action in itself is good or bad, regardless of the consequences. (Harrison-Barbet, 2001, p. 186) There are many ethical issues raised in the arguments against abortion, one of the main being that killing an innocent human being is wrong. (BBC, 2013) This is a deontological argument. It is arguable as to when you consider a foetus a human being. Is it at the conception stage when it is simply a collection of cells, or is it when the heart begins to beat and when the brain starts to function? At around 18-22 weeks a foetus acquires sentience, the awareness of pleasure, pain and perception. As it stands, abortions can be carried out on females up to 24 weeks into pregnancy so ethically one could argue that carrying out abortions this far through in pregnancy is wrong. (Lacewing, 2010) Arguing from a potential perspective creates further questions as to whether contraception is as wrong as abortion. People who oppose abortion may argue that although the foetus may start off as just a collection of cells, it has the potential to become a human being who has the right to life. Therefore, even using contraception is wrong as it prevents the potential of life. Pro-abortionists however may argue that potential means that something does not yet exist so why treat it with the same ethical values as something that does exist. (Lacewing, 2010) Pro-abortionists would also argue that the pregnant female has moral and ethical rights and these may outweigh the foetus’ rights. This could be the case if the female was a victim of rape and would suffer mentally and emotionally if they went through with the pregnancy, or if the continued pregnancy could have detrimental effect on the female’s health. In conclusion, abortion faces many ethical issues from both pro and opposing viewpoints. It is a subject that cannot be determined as right or wrong by science or philosophy. In the end, the most important viewpoint that should be considered when making such a decision is the pregnant female. The impact of language on society is a lot more prevalent than one may assume. Umberto Eco believed that we learn through our knowledge of languages, and that translating between one language and another is not just about comparing them both, but interpreting them in the ways they were written, based on culture. The philosophy of language looks at what the nature of meaning is. John Searle explains that language is crucial in the understanding of human life, and to look into human characteristics without language would be impossible. (YouTube, Unknown) Language is what distinguishes human from animals, the ability to understand the concept through language, which would not be possible through just observation. The development of language continues through time. Words used in an offensive manner now, were often used many years ago in day to day language. In Gloria Bertonis’, Stone Age Diva, she talks about the word ‘cunt’ and how its original meanings of woman, queen, and female genitalia, should evoke pride in females and that the word should not offend. It encourages females to reclaim words that have been used as weapons against them and recapture them for their positive qualities. (Bertonis, Date unknown) Such a word would once have just been used to describe a part of the body, like head or knee, but the context in which it is now used has turned it into a derogatory term. Semiotics is the study of the meaning of linguistic expressions. Clear examples of this are apparent every day. The letter ‘M’ presented in such a way is no longer just the letter but also an expression for McDonalds. The same applies to the letter ‘f’, which is now universally seen as a symbol for Facebook. Therefore, applying philosophy to language gives the language itself a whole new meaning. It is not just the letter and words that need to be taken into account, but also the context in which it is received. â€Å"A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself or a situation which seems to defy logic. † (Unknown, 2012) The liar paradox is a clear example of this. If one were to say they are lying, and were truly doing so, then they are actually telling the truth. (See appendix 3, Unknown, 2012) There are four primary paradoxes (see appendix 4). This essay will discuss knowability paradox. This is the recognition that some truths are not currently known but that they are all knowable. This means that we as a world do not know everything, so truths that may be proven in the future, could make what we consider as known truths today untrue. (Salerno, 2009) An example of this could be developments in medical science. With the constant developments in medicine, something we thought we knew as true 50 years ago, may now prove to be untrue because of new medical knowledge. In conclusion, it is clear that all individuals use philosophy in day to day life, whether they are aware of it or not. Philosophy aids us in learning more about ourselves and the world, which is what humans naturally strive for. It helps us be reasonable, which is a characteristic which helps one fit in to society and live among others who may be different. It also helps us be moral and ethical, as discussed previously in this essay. Without morals and ethics we would have no guidance as to what is right and wrong. Therefore, the world would not be as it is today without philosophy, and may be a much harder world to live in without it. ‘Episode 5’ (2013) Call the Midwife, Series 2, episode 5. BBC One Television, 17 February BBC. (2013). Ethics Guide. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from BBC: http://www. bbc. co. uk/ethics/abortion/philosophical/introduction. shtml Bertonis, G. (Date unknown). Say It! The Origins of Cunt. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from vdaysunyoswego: http://vdaysunyoswego. worldbreak. com/custom2. html Harrison-Barbet, A. (2001). Philosophy. New York: Palgrave. Kindersley, D. (2011). The Philosophy Book. London: Dorling Kindersley. Lacewing, M. (2010). Philosophy for A2. Oxon: Routledge. Pappas, J. (2005, September 24). Our Greco-Roman Heritage. Retrieved March 2, 2013, from Liberty and Culture: http://libertyandculture. blogspot. co. uk/2005/09/our-greco-roman-heritage. html Powell, J. (2000). Eastern Philosophy For Beginners. New York: Writers and Readers Publishing, Inc. Salerno, B. B. (2009). Fitchs Paradox of Knowability. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/fitch-paradox/ Unknown. (2012). Famous Paradoxes. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from BrainDen. com: http://brainden. com/paradoxes. htm YouTube. (Unknown). John Searle on the Philosophy of Language: Section 1. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from YouTube: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=jOlJZabio3g.

Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales :: Chaucer The Wife of Bath

Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Chaucer opens with a description of twenty-nine people who are going on a pilgrimage. Each person has a distinct personality that we can recognize from the way people behave today. He purposely makes The Wife of Bath stand out more compared to the other characters. In Chaucer’s â€Å"General Prologue,† the Wife of Bath is intentionally described in an explicit way to provoke a shocking response. Her clothes, physical features and references to her past are purposely discussed by Chaucer causing the reader to wonder how well she fits the rules imposed by Christian authorities regarding womanly behavior. Women were categorized as saints or sinners by their actions according to Christian tradition. There were two women who represented the sinner or the saint. Eve caused the downfall of all men â€Å" supposedly† whereas the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ, symbolized purity. The Wife of Bath is a headst rong bold woman of her time. She shows off her Sunday clothes with evident pride, wearing ten pounds of cloth, woven by herself under her hat.Her clothing symbolizes to the reader that she is not timid or shy and also shows off her expertise as a weaver.. Chaucer discusses his words to describe the Wife quite distinctly. His descriptions of her facial and bodily features are sexually suggestive. The features that Chaucer pays attention to describing Alison should be noticed. In the â€Å"General Prologue,† Chaucer's description involves her physical appearance describing her clothes, legs, feet, hips, and most importantly her gap-tooth, which during that time (according to The Wife), symbolized sensuality and lust. He discusses how she is a talented weaver and devoted Christian who goes on pilgrimages often. This may make the reader believe that she is a religious woman, but the reader later sees that the Wife's reason to go on these pilgrimages is not due to religion. She feels that every place should be seen; this has nothing to due with religion. She may also be dedicated traveller, a medieval tourist who likes to sight see. She is a very self-confident woman who thinks highly of herself and her skills as a cloth maker. The ironic part is when Chaucer adds that she has a gap between her teeth. During the fourteenth century, having a gap between the teeth was symbolic of a sensual nature. Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales :: Chaucer The Wife of Bath Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Chaucer opens with a description of twenty-nine people who are going on a pilgrimage. Each person has a distinct personality that we can recognize from the way people behave today. He purposely makes The Wife of Bath stand out more compared to the other characters. In Chaucer’s â€Å"General Prologue,† the Wife of Bath is intentionally described in an explicit way to provoke a shocking response. Her clothes, physical features and references to her past are purposely discussed by Chaucer causing the reader to wonder how well she fits the rules imposed by Christian authorities regarding womanly behavior. Women were categorized as saints or sinners by their actions according to Christian tradition. There were two women who represented the sinner or the saint. Eve caused the downfall of all men â€Å" supposedly† whereas the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ, symbolized purity. The Wife of Bath is a headst rong bold woman of her time. She shows off her Sunday clothes with evident pride, wearing ten pounds of cloth, woven by herself under her hat.Her clothing symbolizes to the reader that she is not timid or shy and also shows off her expertise as a weaver.. Chaucer discusses his words to describe the Wife quite distinctly. His descriptions of her facial and bodily features are sexually suggestive. The features that Chaucer pays attention to describing Alison should be noticed. In the â€Å"General Prologue,† Chaucer's description involves her physical appearance describing her clothes, legs, feet, hips, and most importantly her gap-tooth, which during that time (according to The Wife), symbolized sensuality and lust. He discusses how she is a talented weaver and devoted Christian who goes on pilgrimages often. This may make the reader believe that she is a religious woman, but the reader later sees that the Wife's reason to go on these pilgrimages is not due to religion. She feels that every place should be seen; this has nothing to due with religion. She may also be dedicated traveller, a medieval tourist who likes to sight see. She is a very self-confident woman who thinks highly of herself and her skills as a cloth maker. The ironic part is when Chaucer adds that she has a gap between her teeth. During the fourteenth century, having a gap between the teeth was symbolic of a sensual nature.

Grade World History Essay

Before King Leopold the II of Belgium colonized the Congo, it was known for its independence. It was the ideal place to be for the Europeans. It was geographically diverse, it had mineral enriched soils, deposits of gold, diamonds copper and manganese, and it had a large animal population, lots of plants. King Leopold saw potential in the Congo and made it his. He had an American man, Henry Stanley; secure treaties with all the local chiefs. With those he had complete power of the land. Imperialism on the Belgian Congo had a negative affect in many ways, including geographically, politically and psychologically. One of the major impacts is psychological. Psychological impacts are ones that mess with people’s emotions. King Leopold was a man who did not care about other peoples emotions or their state of being; he cared about himself and how much money he was going to make with the Congo. To quote a Congolese states on the amount of psychological torture he put some of the Congolese people in: â€Å"I ran away with two old people, but they were caught and killed, and the soldiers made me carry the baskets holding their cut-off hands. They killed my little sister, threw her in a house and set it on fire.† (8) The person that is talking sounds like a child. If a child was going through this, which many did, witnessing something this horrifying can be very emotionally scarring. Another impact would be economical. An economic impact is one that affects the business part of things, such as labor systems. â€Å"Tell them [the rubber agents] that we cannot and therefore will not find rubber; we are willing to spend our strength at any work possible, but the rubber is finished. If we must either be massacred or bring rubber, well, let them kill us; then we suppose they will be satisfied.†(20) This quote is from a village headman to Reverend Harris, a British missionary. This is from a workers point of view. It shows economic impact because it has to do with the rubber industry, which was very important in the Congo. A third impact on the Congo is political. Political impact has to do with government or people in government. One quote that gives an example of political impact is one by Reverend Whitehead, â€Å"Their chiefs are being weakened in their prestige and physique through imprisonment which is often cruel, and thus weakened in their authority over their own people they are put into chains for the shortage of manioc bread.† This means that Leopold and his people are forcing the native Congolese to back down in their government so Leopold has more power. Britain was also very involved in the Congo Free State. They were interested in the trading system it had. This effects Britain because it brought in new products to be sold, and potentially could make them money. It is important to study issues like this today so nobody makes the same mistake twice. In conclusion, imperialism in the Congo had an overall negative affect on it. Imperialism affected, not only psychologically, but also politically and economically. King Leopold II never had good intentions for the Congolese people, he just had his own self in mind.

Namcol online rgistration

The purpose of this project Is to create and provide an online form of registration at Noncom – Mammalian College of Open Learning, an Institution which provides learning opportunities for adults and out-of-school youth; upgrading their grades for tertiary level. In this project, I will use a form for the learners to fill In and press the submit button and it will connect to the database and eventually feedback will be return to the user, be it the date, the point where the learner will need to go attend classes.This will all be possible and accurate if the learner submits all the information required from him or her. Introduction For almost twenty years, Noncom has been enhancing the management capacity of learners around the country through traditional way of registration using filling in paper forms. I carefully selected this because I have reason to believe that some learners do not register, not because they are not willing to or do not have the money, but the other facto rs like lack of transport to reach to selected places where registration takes place.The aim Is to Improve In the provision of service. During my research, I thought such a system would be very effective and efficiency for both the institution and the learners. Gone are the days when one has to travel and fill in forms, standing in queues and waking up early to go secure your space, online registration can eliminate all these problems. And for the company, it will save time since opening and sorting out illegible or inaccurate forms can be very time consuming so Just by eliminating these processes off your duty you get less administrative work.

Definition and Examples of Kinship Terms

Definition and Examples of Kinship Terms Kinship terms are words used in a speech community to identify relationships between individuals in a family (or a kinship unit). This is also called kinship terminology. A classification of persons related through kinship in a particular language or culture is called a kinship system. Examples and Observations Bailey was the greatest person in the world. And the fact that he was my brother, and I had no sisters to share him with, was such good fortune that it made me want to live a Christian life just to show God that I was grateful.(Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Random House, 1969)Two years later a note arrived from one of her daughters relating that Tata had died in childbirth. It was with one of Tatas sons whod moved to Omaha that Rocco went to live when he was eighteen. And when, six years later, hed moved to Ohio with a cousins cousins guarantee of a steel-mill job, which was never to materialize, hed promised himself this single luxury, once two or three years of careful saving had passed: to go to Niagara Falls.(Salvatore Scibona, The End. Graywolf Press, 2008)My Mom was an illegal alien, born out of wedlock in Mexico . . .. Once I told a neighbor her husband wasnt my real father. I didnt know I wasnt supposed to say this. I was sorry I embarrassed her. I didnt even care about my real father much, only saw him a couple of days a year, but the only times my mothers husbands were fathers were when others made that assumption.(Dagoberto Gilb, Mi Mommy. Grove Press, 2003) Lexicalized Categories Some of the clearest examples of lexicalized categories are words used to refer to people who are members of the same family, or kinship terms. All languages have kinship terms (e.g. brother, mother, grandmother), but they dont all put family members into categories in the same way. In some languages, the equivalent of the word father is used not only for male parent, but also for male parents brother. In English, we use the word uncle for this other type of individual. We have lexicalized the distinction between the two concepts. Yet we also use the same word (uncle) for female parents brother. That distinction isnt lexicalized in English, but it is in other languages.(George Yule, The Study of Language, 5th ed. Cambridge University Press, 2014) Kinship Terms in Sociolinguistics One of the attractions that kinship systems have for investigators is that these factors are fairly readily ascertainable. You can, therefore, relate them with considerable confidence to the actual words that people use to describe a particular kin relationship. There may be certain difficulties, of course. You can ask a particular person what he or she calls others who have known relationships to that person, for example, that person’s father (Fa), or mother’s brother (MoBr), or mother’s sister’s husband (MoSiHu), in an attempt to show how individuals employ various terms, but without trying to specify anything concerning the semantic composition of those terms: for example, in English, both your father’s father (FaFa) and your mother’s father (MoFa) are called grandfather, but that term includes another term, father. You will find, too, in English that your brother’s wife’s father (BrWiFa) cannot be referred to directly; brother’s wife’s father (or sister-in-law’s father) is a circumlocution rather than the kind of term that is of interest in kinship terminology.(Ronald Wardhaugh, An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 6th ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010) More Difficulties [T[he English kinship term father is defined to imply a particular biological relationship. Yet in an actual case the term may be used when the biological relationship is not in fact present.(Austin L. Hughes, Evolution and Human Kinship. Oxford University Press, 1988) Kinship Terms in Indian English It is not uncommon to hear the term cousin sister or cousin brother, a common mistake that Indian speakers of English make since they are unable to say just cousin, which would be too vague since it does not distinguish gender.(Nandita Chaudhary, Mothers, Fathers, and Parents. Semiotic Rotations: Modes of Meanings in Cultural Worlds, ed. by Sunhee Kim Gertz, Jaan Valsiner, and Jean-Paul Breaux. Information Age Publishing, 2007)With Indian roots myself, I was, perhaps, more aware of the power of family here than in other Asian countries where it was no less suffocating or strong. . . . . I was amused to find that the Indians had smuggled into English such terms as co-brother (to designate ones sister-in-laws brother) and cousin brother (to denote the sex of a first cousin, and, better yet, to draw the cousin as close as a brother). In some of the local languages, the terms were even more precisely defined, with separate words for a fathers elder and younger brothers and special terms for uncles on ones mothers and ones fathers side, as well as words to distinguish between mothers sisters and uncles wives, blood uncles and uncles by marriage. Though India had a hunger for absolutes, it swarmed with relatives; before long, everyone came to seem related to everyone else.(Pico Iyer, Video Night in Kathmandu: And Other Reports from the Not-So-Far East. Vintage, 1989)

The History of Intel

The History of Intel In 1968, Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore were two unhappy engineers working for the Fairchild Semiconductor Company who decided to quit and create their own company at a time when many Fairchild employees were leaving to create start-ups. People like Noyce and Moore were nicknamed the Fairchildren. Robert Noyce typed up a one-page idea of what he wanted to do with the new company, and that was enough to convince San Francisco venture capitalist Art Rock to back Noyce and Moores new venture. Rock raised $2.5 million dollars in less than two days by selling convertible debentures. Art Rock became the first chairman of Intel. Intel Trademark The name Moore Noyce was already trademarked by a hotel chain, so the two founders decided upon the name Intel for their new company, a shortened version of Integrated Electronics. However, the rights to the name had to be bought from a company called Intelco first. Intel Products In 1969, Intel released the worlds first metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) static ram, the 1101. Also in 1969, Intels first money-making product was the 3101 Schottky bipolar 64-bit static random access memory (SRAM) chip. A year later in 1970, Intel introduced the 1103 DRAM memory chip. In 1971, Intel introduced the now-famous worlds first single chip microprocessor (the computer on a chip)- the Intel 4004- invented by Intel engineers Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff, and Stanley Mazor. In 1972, Intel introduced the first 8-bit microprocessor- the 8008. In 1974, the Intel 8080 microprocessor was introduced with ten times the power of the 8008. In 1975, the 8080 microprocessor was used in one of the first consumer home computers, the Altair 8800 which was sold in kit form. In 1976, Intel introduced the 8748 and 8048, the first type of microcontroller i.e. a computer-on-a-chip optimized to control electronic devices. Though produced by the USA’s Intel Corporation, the 1993 Pentium was basically the outcome of research conducted by an Indian engineer. Popularly known as the Father of the Pentium chip, the inventor of the computer chip is Vinod Dham.

Advanced Database Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Advanced Database - Essay Example This called for interventions such as the MapReduce meant to support distributed computing that involves the use of large amounts of data. Most of the activities that involve the use of big data are either for analytical or transactional applications. Data warehousing was the conventional method of helping manage data and provide information that helped in decision-making. Warehousing of big data has been questioned and it seems to be on the brink of inviting another data processing strategy. It is the wish of every organization to store up data and use the same data in decision making of the organization. Data mining entails the process of data retrieval and analysis in order for it to make sense for use in organizational decision-making. Data mining software have been developed to facilitate the analysis of data from a number of perspectives based on the needs of the users. In addition, they are able to categorize the data and develop summaries that will predict relationships. Data mining is a very important process since it helps in segregation of data so that an organization is able to keep a keen eye on the most important information. The essence of having the data mining software developed is based on the size of data that organizations struggle with; mainly in gigabytes and terabytes. Raw data is deficient and cannot be relied upon by business owners and the managements in their decision-making (Brown & Kros, 2003). This is because it has a lot of junk information that may not be necessarily necessary. Data mining has constantly evolved with time. its main essence over the years has been to obtain information from databases in order to facilitate the analysis of business progress. In the 1960s, the main concern by many business owners pertained issues to do with revenue. Data mining entailed mainly data collection where the technology under application was mainly the use of discs, computers, and tapes. With advancements in

Business ethics law Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business ethics law - Term Paper Example The zero pedals bikes from Green Move seem to expose its users to serious risks. As a concerned and ethical employee, the act of selling this product to the users without fixing the defect is not just at all. According to the principle of normative philosophy, one is supposed to assess whether their acts are just, fair and right. Therefore, before doing anything that might be beneficial to you, one must also consider if the act will benefit others also or infringes others’ rights. Therefore, according to the product defect information, as a new employee in this company, I’ll try my best to convince the management if they can fix the defect on the bikes by first discussing with them the dangers it exposes its users. I will ensure that I present both the budget for fixing the defect and the budget for not fixing the defect to the management. In case the management will not listen to my advice and just goes ahead with the production of the zero pedal bikes, my next step wi ll be to seek the government intervention. Being that the production of the zero pedal bikes is not controlled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it has been very hard for the law enforcers to notice that this product has a defect. The NHTSA then needs to be informed about the defects in this product so that safety measures can be applied to control is production. Therefore, in case the management does not heed to my advice, I will move ahead, risk my job, as I ensure that the users of this product are safe. There are pressures though that applies as far as this action is concerned. For instance, just as my predecessor had lost his job while trying to advise the management to fix this defect, I too stand at a risk of losing my newly acquired job in case I try to do the same thing. In my case anyway, I better just lose my job than let the company get away with this. Another pressure is that the production of this product is not controlled by the National Highway T raffic Safety Administration; therefore it will be hard for this body to begin controlling the production just now. To be able to do so, proper legislation must be put in place by the concerned bodies. This is a process that might take a longer time than expected, yet all this period the company will just continue with the production of the product. There is another pressure that comes up being that I’m just a junior and a new employee and I’ve been proposed to a good salary package; it will be very hard for me to even go before the senior management and state to them this issue. All these pressures apply but there is nothing as great as being concerned about the lives and safety of the society around me. Therefore, amidst all those pressures, I will still move on with my mission. In my efforts to solve this problem, I will use a critical thinking method where I will put down certain questions and evaluate if they uphold the moral values of the society. Some of the que stions I’ll consider is whether the act of producing this product to the users is just? Whether the production benefits the company unjustly? I have to know the economic effects of this production, its benefits and harm it causes to others as well as whether rights are denied or exercised freely. To solve this problem, I will find a good approach to give the management. I will give them all the harms associated with the production of this product and how the rights of innocent citizens are infringed by exposing their lives to such dangers. By guiding the management through ethical reasoning, I’ll let them ask themselves if such an act is ethical to them. As the principle of eternal law states that we should act in a way that our creator would want us to act, with kindness and compassion towards others, I’ll let them to judge if allowing their customers to use this products complies with this principle. For the product to be put on the shelves of the sporting goo ds store, the store must be

The IKEA Business in the UAE According to the Market Demand Research Paper

The IKEA Business in the UAE According to the Market Demand - Research Paper Example In order to acquire the market share and to be labelled as one of the leading businesses in the world, IKEA has its control over the channels of production and distribution (BusinessWeek 2005). Due to the significance of marketing channels for market acceptance and profitability, developing a formal planning process for formulating and choosing channels is vital (Stern & El-Ansary 1982, p. 222). Much of this control is spelt out in its code of conduct that it calls â€Å"The IKEA Way on Purchasing Home Furnishing Products† (IKEA 2010). This code was launched in 2000 (IKEA 2010). It indicates what suppliers should look forward to from IKEA and suggests what IKEA should expect from its suppliers (IKEA 2010). It not only spells out its expectations in terms of legal requirements, working conditions, external environment, and forestry management but also puts a great deal of emphasis on the active prevention of child labour (IKEA 2010). These policies and guidelines will be utiliz ed when implementing the IKEA business in the UAE. As previously mentioned, IKEA’s biggest competitive advantage over other home stores is its low prices. The low prices are the single element that drives IKEA’s cost reduction strategy. This strategy provides the company with its greatest opportunity but also its greatest challenge. The firm is passionate about cutting costs and transferring savings to the customer. This cost-cutting governs the process of design. Therefore, unless a design can be made affordable, it will not end up in IKEA’s showrooms or catalogues no matter how otherwise marketable the item might be.

Principles Of Implementing Duty Essay Example for Free

Principles Of Implementing Duty Essay 1. Explain what it means to have a duty of care in own work role Duty of care is a requirement that a person act toward others and the public with watchfulness, attention, caution and prudence that a reasonable person in the circumstances would. If a persons actions do not meet this standard of care, then the acts are considered negligent, and any damages resulting may be claimed in a lawsuit for negligence 2. Explain how duty of care contributes to the safeguarding or protection of individuals Duty of care contributes to the safeguarding of individuals because as a social care worker you are responsible to; Recognise physical, emotional and psychological needs of individuals by understanding what is required for health and well-being, to observe and record ‘indicators’ of differences and changes and to show empathy and support. Anticipate danger and manage risks by carrying out assessments, avoiding hazards and carrying out health and safety checks Intervene and support in the event of illness and injury by carrying out first aid, seek help or advice, communicate with health professionals and relatives and report to appropriate authority 3. Describe potential conflicts or dilemmas that may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights Sometimes individuals may want to do something which could be a risk to their Health and safety. As a care assistant you have a duty of care to that person and you must do all that you can to keep them safe but you also have a duty to respect the individual’s rights and choice, so you have a dilemma. It could be that the individual no longer wishes to use her walking frame,  but her care plan states that she needs it to move from place to place and you are to ensure you encourage its use. In this scenario you could carry out a risk assessment to ensure that it is managed as safely as possible. You would need to explain the risks involved to the individual and make sure they understand. You could come to a compromise, to use a stick for a while instead, to see how they managed, then monitor the situation. All this should be documented including any risk assessment carried out. If the individual still insists on walking unaided you should get them to sign to say they are aware of the risks involved. 4. Describe how to manage risks associated with conflicts or dilemmas between an individual’s rights and the duty of care There are many ways to manage risks associated with conflicts and dilemmas: Allowing individuals to explore with guidance, Making individuals aware of potential hazards and dangers, Allowing individuals to acquire life skills through learning how to cope with risky situations, Staff ignorance, Parents are a risk to staff if reported to social services. 5. Explain where to get additional support and advice about conflicts and dilemmas Colleagues the person’s family and friends GP Care professionals Advocates Union official Regulators 6. Describe how to respond to complaints listening to the complaint giving the complainant time and respect recording the information reporting to a senior member of staff accessing the Complaints Policy ensuring the complainant has access to the Complaints Policy ensuring the complainant knows what will happen next. Responding to complaints, whether made by a parent or a staff colleague, you should always keep professional and listen to what the person has to say. You should keep calm and by being respectful and apologising when necessary which helps to diffuse potential conflict. Complaints need to be resolved as quickly as possible and constructively to avoid creating a bad atmosphere for all those involved. When responding to a complaint, it is important to listen to the other person’s point of view. You should avoid making personal comments and focus on the facts throughout. Always apologise if you are wrong and explain how you will resolve the situation. 7. Explain the main points of agreed procedures for handling complaints The Complaints policy is a recorded and documented procedure that is available. The complainant is listened to and respected. The Complaints Policy is time-based and the complaint is dealt with in a documented time-frame. Complaints are normally dealt with by nominated members of staff. The procedure is clear If a member of staff or a parent wishes to make a complaint they should discuss their complaint with the setting leader first where most complaints can be resolved quickly. If the parent or member of staff is not happy with the outcome they should then put their complaint in writing to the setting leader who can then pass the details onto the owner or chairperson of a committee run setting. The setting will look into the complaint and once they have come to a conclusion the setting leader can arrange a meeting with the person who made the complaint to discuss the outcome. If the person is still not happy with the outcome they can ask for a further meeting with the setting leader and the owner or chairperson where they can also invite a representative. They can then all meet up to try and come to a conclusion.  Everything at this meeting will be noted and recorded. If the complaint can still not be resolved at this meeting then a further meeting can be made where an external mediato r is invited.

The Importance of Childhood Vaccination Essay -- Medicine Health

Since the introduction of vaccinations, medical science has managed to all but eliminate many formally fatal and debilitating childhood illnesses in countries where the immunization of children is nearly universal. Diseases such as measles, mumps, diphtheria, rubella and polio have been relegated to a marginal status in developed countries with active immunization campaigns; smallpox is actually considered to have been completely eliminated from the earth, without a single case having been reported since roughly 1979 (â€Å"Childhood†). Largely centered around a study published in 1998 in the British medical journal â€Å"The Lancet†, there has been an upsurge in concerns of the safety of vaccinations and a resulting decrease in their usage, which has lead to a somewhat anachronistic return of these diseases. While some parent's concerns over the safety of vaccinations are based upon the well-intentioned desire to keep children safe from autism, the act of not vaccinat ing children actually causes far greater damage by exposing them to acquiring potentially life-threatening illnesses and removing a critical link in the chain of herd immunity. Over the last 12 years, a growing population of parents have chosen to avoid immunizing their children with the misguided belief that they are protecting their children from the specter of autism. One of the most common concerns in this vein centers around the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella combination) vaccine. The concern over the MMR vaccine began when â€Å"In 1998, Andrew Wakefield and colleagues published a paper in the journal â€Å"The Lancet†. Wakefield's hypothesis was that the MMR vaccine caused a series of events that include intestinal inflammation, entrance into the bloodstream of proteins harmful ... ... In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. Deer, Brian. "MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed data on autism." The Sunday Times. Times Newspapers Ltd , 8 Feb. 2009. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. â€Å"HAZLEHURST v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVS.† 604 F.3d 1343 (2010). Leagle.com. Leagle, Inc. Web. 28 Oct. 2010 "Noncompliance with Mandatory Vaccinations Threatens Community Health." Should Vaccinations be Manditory? Ed. Noà «l Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. "Vaccine Risks Are Outweighed by the Risks of Not Vaccinating." Should Vaccinations be Manditory? Ed. Noà «l Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. "Vaccines." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 9 Nov. 2010.

Elasticity on Demand, Breakeven Analysis and Pricing Decisions Essay

When a firm changes prices, the effect on profits is more important than the effect on revenue. There is a simple formula to calculate the critical Price Elasticity of demand which is just sufficient to maintain the contribution to overheads and profits. This will be greater than that required to maintain revenue. A common issue in business and in business studies is whether a firm should change the prices at which products are offered. The calculations begin with estimates of the reaction of customers to the new prices. This reaction is represented as Price Elasticity of Demand (PED), the ratio of the proportionate changes in volume and price. Students are always told – and some students even remember that Elastic Demand (PED >1) means more revenue from a lower price and less from a higher one; and Inelastic Demand (PED But who wants the same revenue with lower profits? Any change in price will have a much bigger impact, proportionately, on the contribution per item for the firm than on the asking price to the customer. It follows that an increase in price may succeed in raising profits, even though revenue falls; and that a lower price may reduce profits even though revenue increases. So the critical question is not whether the PED is greater or less than one, but whether it is sufficiently high (for a lower price) or sufficiently low (for a price increase) to improve profits. The critical level of PED can be found by an application of breakeven analysis. We can take the current level of contribution to overheads and profit; and ask what the volume (units sold) must be to give the same level of contribution at the alternative price. Having found this critical volume, we can then compute what the PED would be to give us this volume at the new price, compared with the existing price and quantity. This then will be the Critical Price Elasticity of Demand (CPED). If we are raising prices, any PED less than CPED will increase profits; if we are lowering price, we want PED to be more than CPED. And while there is no way, short of trying the price change, to know what the PED actually is, a firm may well have sensible ideas about the likelihood of its being significantly greater or less than a specified value. It may seem that calculating the CPED is rather a waste of time, since we should have to calculate the required change in quantity first; and might just as well reckon our chances of getting this volume after our price change, without entering into Elasticity computations at all. However it turns out that there is a very simple formula for calculating the CPED.

The Influence of Globalization and Localization

* Discuss the influence of globalization and localization when it comes to marketing brands. Modern business imperatives dictate that companies adopt a strategy of marketing both locally and globally if they have to compete or capture a significant portion of the market. The concept of global village means that the global market is shrinking and barriers that used to be impenetrable are breaking down allowing for businesses to market their brands out of their traditional market strongholds. The effects of this is that companies will make a global presence but with a local flavor and close attention to the new local communities or markets that they are seeking to acquire. A case in point is the KFC brand. It has the advantage of solid brand name which gives it an instant recognition and market share, but for it to make a significant inroad and capture a majority market shares, it must think locally by tailoring its menu, management and marketing to the local communities. This seems to be the strategy employed by David Novak of the Yum brands in China. He not only realized that a local presence through local management staff and menu makes good business sense, it also ensures the survival of the brand away from its home base. Would the same success be achieved with a less-visible brand? Explain your rationale from the receiver’s perspective. A less visible brand will find it difficult to make an inroad into the market due to the fact that consumers will have a bit of trepidation to accept the brand. The brand will have to work itself up by creating loyalty, employing locals, improved quality and community involvement to gain acceptance. Through advertisement, promotional offers, affordable price and incorporating local delicacies in its menu, a lesser known brand can become a well-known franchise and a visible brand as well. * What steps might you take to achieve the same kind of success with an almost unknown brand? I think the lesser known brand will do well by thinking locally by taking into consideration the sensitivities of the local communities it operates in, employ the locals, be a good local corporate citizen, incorporate the local delicacies on its menu so as to appeal to a wider variety of clients. Also, in its pricing, it must take into consideration the buying power and spending habits of the people to make sure that its products are within local reach. * Discuss the influence of globalization and localization when it comes to marketing brands. Modern business imperatives dictate that companies adopt a strategy of marketing both locally and globally if they have to compete or capture a significant portion of the market. The concept of global village means that the global market is shrinking and barriers that used to be impenetrable are breaking down allowing for businesses to market their brands out of their traditional market strongholds. The effects of this is that companies will make a global presence but with a local flavor and close attention to the new local communities or markets that they are seeking to acquire. A case in point is the KFC brand. It has the advantage of solid brand name which gives it an instant recognition and market share, but for it to make a significant inroad and capture a majority market shares, it must think locally by tailoring its menu, management and marketing to the local communities. This seems to be the strategy employed by David Novak of the Yum brands in China. He not only realized that a local presence through local management staff and menu makes good business sense, it also ensures the survival of the brand away from its home base. Would the same success be achieved with a less-visible brand? Explain your rationale from the receiver’s perspective. A less visible brand will find it difficult to make an inroad into the market due to the fact that consumers will have a bit of trepidation to accept the brand. The brand will have to work itself up by creating loyalty, employing locals, improved quality and community involvement to gain acceptance. Through advertisement, promotional offers, affordable price and incorporating local delicacies in its menu, a lesser known brand can become a well-known franchise and a visible brand as well. What steps might you take to achieve the same kind of success with an almost unknown brand? I think the lesser known brand will do well by thinking locally by taking into consideration the sensitivities of the local communities it operates in, employ the locals, be a good local corporate citizen, incorporate the local delicacies on its menu so as to appeal to a wider variety of clients. Also, in its pricing, it must take into consideration the buying power and spending habits of the people to make sure that its products are within local reach. Numerous theorists discuss cultural concepts. Using this information as a basis, discuss the concepts you would want to analyze and evaluate in order to prepare you and other company executives for the upcoming meeting. * Which of the concepts you discussed would be the hardest to analyze? Why? * Describe a worst case scenario involving the muddling of culture concepts. What steps could you (or your company) take to ensure something similar never happens to you? Numerous theorists discuss cultural concepts. Using this information as a basis, discuss the concepts you would want to analyze and evaluate in order to prepare you and other company executives for the upcoming meeting. There are so many issues that come to mind when preparing for a meeting with a foreign business audience. The first thing would be to know the audience and the cultural, social background to be able to formulate an adequate communication strategy to make the message clear and understandable. There is always the issue of cultural differences that have to be bridged. This translates into what to say and how to say that will not generate any misunderstanding or negative feelings. Understanding the verbal and non-verbal cues that are important in cross cultural exchanges is very important. For example, there is a definite difference between a Japanese or Korean business concept and communication and that of an American. Therefore, advance knowledge and preparation for any meeting between people from these cultures is very critical. What is the gender perception in each culture? Would I send a female to go do a business deal in a culture that has a less favorable view of women in power? What is the most appropriate language to use and what is the distance to maintain when discussing are the issues that would have to deal with. Any company that has a diverse business- be it internal or external must have a policy and procedure manual on how to deal with such diverse base. * Which of the concepts you discussed would be the hardest to analyze? Why? While one may be able to analyze the cultural, socio-graphics and other concepts, being able to nalyze the individual specific reaction in a real situation as personal differences come to play. Certain non-verbal cues may be very hard to analyze and it will be left to he participants to figure out the meaning of each non-verbal gesture to avoid misunderstanding and potential conflict. * Describe a worst case scenario involving the muddling of culture concepts. What steps could you (or your company) take to ensure som ething similar never happens to you? A worst case scenario would be where beliefs and world views are so opposite that communication is impeded. An assumption of superiority by one side over the other may be a recipe for disaster and a deal killer. I had an experience back home in Africa when I received some people from England as I was accustomed to doing. There was always a feeling of being patronized by my European counterpart by not respecting my cultural taboos and on many occasions I had to call them to order and insisted on things being done with mutual respect. I think, preparing my experts on how to behave and respect the cultures of others by not being judgmental and patronizing is definitely one thing to do. Recognizing the non-verbal cues of approval or disapproval is key to avoiding conflict when negotiating. Assignment 1: Communication Process (due by Sunday before midnight). Find a Web site that has an â€Å"About Us† section or a â€Å"Press Release† section. Write a three to four (3-4) page paper addressing the following: 1. Identify the Web site, the sender, and perceived receiver. 2. Analyze the integrated business communication. 3. Assess the media richness of the section. 4. Describe how the message is framed. 5. Identify opinion leaders. 6. Make recommendations for improving word choice.

How to Manage and Identify Sourwood

How to Manage and Identify Sourwood Sourwood is a tree for all seasons and is found in the forest understory, along roadsides and a pioneering tree in clearings. A member of the heath family, Oxydendrum arboreum is primarily a hill country tree that has a range from Pennsylvania to the Gulf Coastal Plain. The leaves are dark, lustrous green and appear to weep or hang from the twigs while branches droop toward the ground. Branching patterns and persistent fruit give the tree an interesting look in the winter. Sourwood is one of the first trees to turn fall colors in the Eastern forest. By late August, it is common to see foliage of young sourwood trees along roadsides beginning to turn red. The fall color of sourwood is a striking red and orange and associated with blackgum and sassifras. It is an early summer bloomer and gives fresh flower color after most flowering plants have faded. These flowers also provide the nectar for bees and the very tasty and sought out sourwood honey. Specifics Scientific name: Oxydendrum arboreumPronunciation: ock-sih-DEN-drum ar-BORE-ee-umCommon name(s): Sourwood, Sorrel-TreeFamily: EricaceaeUSDA hardiness zones: USDA hardiness zones: USDA hardiness zones: 5 through 9AOrigin: Native to North AmericaUses: recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; shade tree; specimen; no proven urban toleranceAvailability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the tree Special Uses Sourwood is occasionally used as an ornamental because of its brilliant fall color and mid-summer flowers. It is of little value as a timber species but the wood is heavy and is used locally for handles, firewood and in mixture with other species for pulp. Sourwood is important as a source of honey in some areas and sourwood honey is marketed locally. Description Sourwood usually grows as a pyramid or narrow oval with a more or less straight trunk at a height of 25 to 35 feet but can reach 50 to 60 feet tall with a spread of 25 to 30 feet. Occasionally young specimens have a more open spreading habit reminiscent of Redbud.Crown density: denseGrowth rate: slowTexture: medium Leaves Leaf arrangement: alternateLeaf type: simpleLeaf margin: entire; serrulate; undulateLeaf shape: lanceolate; oblongLeaf venation: banchidodrome; pinnateLeaf type and persistence: deciduousLeaf blade length: 4 to 8 inchesLeaf color: green Fall color: orange; red Fall characteristic: showy Trunk and Branches Trunk/bark/branches: droop as the tree grows, and will require pruning for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy; not particularly showy; should be grown with a single leader; no thornsPruning requirement: needs little pruning to develop a strong structureBreakage: resistantCurrent year twig color: green; reddishCurrent year twig thickness: medium; thin Pests and Diseases Pests are usually not a problem for Sourwood. Fall webworm can defoliate portions of the tree in summer and fall but usually control is not needed. As far as diseases, twig blight kills leaves at the branch tips. Trees in poor health seem to be more susceptible. Prune out infected branch tips and fertilize. Leaf spots can discolor some leaves but are not serious other than causing premature defoliation. Culture Light requirement: tree grows in part shade/part sun; tree grows in full sunSoil tolerances: clay; loam; sand; acidic; well-drainedDrought tolerance: moderateAerosol salt tolerance: moderate In Depth Sourwood grows slowly, adapts to sun or shade, and prefers a slightly acid, peaty loam. The tree transplants easily when young and from containers of any size. Sourwood grows well in confined soil spaces with good drainage making it a candidate for urban plantings but is largely untried as a street tree. It is reportedly sensitive to air pollution injury Irrigation is required during hot, dry weather to keep leaves on the tree. Reportedly not highly drought tolerant, but there are beautiful specimens in USDA hardiness zone 7 growing in the open sun in poor clay with no irrigation.