Saturday, November 30, 2019

Provide a Feminist Reading of Two Slasher Films. How Far Do You Consider Them Empowering to Women Viewers Essay Example

Provide a Feminist Reading of Two Slasher Films. How Far Do You Consider Them Empowering to Women Viewers Essay Provide a Feminist Reading of Two Slasher Films. How Far Do You Consider Them Provide a feminist reading of two slasher films. How far do you consider them empowering to women viewers? In this essay, the extent to which slasher films are empowering to women viewers will be assessed with a feminist reading of two movies; Friday the Thirteenth VI: Jason Lives (1986) and I know what you did last summer (1997). First, the notions of feminism and slasher movies will be explained. This will be followed by an analysis of the two movies.Feminism is the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set of activities intended to achieve this state (Cambridge Online Dictionary, 2013). The feminist movement can be roughly broken down into three waves. The first wave began in the U. S. and the U. K. and developed during the 19th and early 20th century. It requested the official inequalities to be changed (right to vote, education, health care, etc. ).The second wave was really developed after the seventies and focused on the more unofficial inequalities. The third wave started after 1980. It fought against stereotypes and media portrayals of women and was also a critique of the second wave. The feminist reading of these two slasher films would therefore be a third wave feminist reading because it is this wave that focused on women’s image in the media. Slasher film is a sub-genre of horror film. It can be distinguished from other horror film genres by a number of features.Typically it involves a male serial killer that stalks his victims and then kills them, generally with a cutting object. Very often, at the end of the movie, he is defeated by the ‘final girl’. The location, the villain, the victims, the weapons used and the final girl have a set of characteristics that help to differentiate slashers from other horror movie types. The villain is generally male and has been the victim of earlier crime. The location is very often an isolated one where it is impossible to contact the police.Very often it is a lakeside camp, a suburban estate, a small town or somewhere in a wild countryside. The weapons used are cutting objects such as knives, ice picks, pokers and so forth, which means the killer has to be close to his victims and penetrate them with the weapon in order to kill them. Gun is never a weapon. The victims are numerous and mostly females who are sexual transgressors. The killer never missed them. The final girl is the hero of slasher films. She is clever and a bit of a tomboy.She knows about the murders and understands the extent of the threat; however she is not listened to. The two movies analyzed are teen-oriented slasher films. Teen-orientated slayers originated in the 1980s and were very big during the following ten years (Wee, 2005). Friday the Thirteenth VI: Jason Lives (1986) is the sixth film of the American film series Friday the Thirt eenth. It was directed by Tom McLoughin. In this movie, the villain Jason Voorhees is back in the town of Forest Green and kills as many people as he can.Tommy Jarvis and Megan Garris the final girl and sherriffs daughter are the two other main characters. Together they try to find Jason and destroy him. Unlike many slashers’ final girl, Megan is not boyish. Clover explained that the final girl is â€Å"by any measure the slasher film’s hero† (1987, p. 79)   and her boyishness â€Å"proceeds from the need to bring her in line with the epic laws of Western narrative tradition – the very unanimity of which bears witness to the historical importance, in popular culture, of the literal representation of heroism in male form†.In other words, the hero can be a girl as long as she is not fully woman and is a bit of a boy. Men and films conventional narrative will not be threatened because the final girls heroism can be attributed to her masculine side . However in Friday the Thirteenth VI: Jason Lives, Megan is not boyish and on the contrary very girly indeed: she puts make-up on, wears jewelry, tight jeans and feminine clothing. Thus, in this movie, Megan is fully feminine and powerful at the same time.When women viewers identify with Megan, it is empowering to them because her heroism is not seen as the consequence of her masculinity. Megan is adventurous, she threatens her dad’s police officer colleague with a gun to let out Tommy from the cell, she is not scared of Tommy although her dad told him he was insane, she goes to the lakeside camp with the purpose to kill Jason, she argues back with her father, drives her car at very high speed to escape police forces and even saves Tommy who was unconscious in the lake. These courageous and risky acts can be seen as being typically male.Clover’s feminist view is that, in slashers, those behaviors maintain dominant gender paradigms that is attitudes indicating degree of maleness or femaleness because the final girl just tries to mimic men (Clover, 1987). However, Wells’ reply to this statement seems far more true and believable. He argues that â€Å"These (final girls) are not quasi-men†¦They often distinguish themselves by not merely rejecting the established tenets of masculine behavior, but enhance their credentials as modern post-feminist women by moving beyond both the traditional/psychoanalytic orientations. † (Wells, 2007, p. 9). If we accept Wells argument, Megan is not mimicking supposedly typical male behaviors and women are seen as being brave and risky. When the female audience identify with Megan, they feel women (and thus them) are capable of such courageous actions and it is empowering to them. Unfortunately, Megan is not the only girl the female audience members can identify with. There are other women in the film and they all died helplessly, without even fighting back against Jason. Megan’s two girlfr iends, Sissy and Paula, are both murdered, the first decapitated and the second ripped apart.Williams wrote about the female viewer when she is faced to a slasher. According to him, â€Å"whenever the movie screen holds a particularly effective image of terror†¦ she is often asked to bear witness to her own powerlessness in the face of rape, mutilation and murder† (2002, p. 61). As Williams’ quote suggests, the murders of those women give the female audience a feeling of powerlessness and thus, disempowerment. If the women who watch Jason lives relate to Sissy, Paula or the other female victims, they would feel disempowered.As explained in the previous paragraphs, identification to the final girl is empowering while identification to the other female characters is disempowering. In order, to understand how far this slasher movie is empowering to women, it is essential to know who they identify with the most. One way of finding out comes from Clover ‘s explan ation of the role of the camerawork in the identification with the characters (1987, p. 79). At the beginning of slasher films, the I-camera – which represents someone’s point of view – is the killer’s point of view.However, as the story unfolds, the point of view becomes the final girl’s. Clover explains that â€Å"We are in the closest with her, watching her as the killer breaks through the window and grabs at her; in the car with her as the killer stabs through the convertible top, and so on†¦ We belong in the end to the Final Girl; there is no alternative†. In fact in Friday the Thirteenth VI: Jason Lives, the point of view is first Jason’s and then Megan’s. Seeing through Megan’s eyes makes the female audience identify more with her than with the other girls.Another factor contributing to womens identification with Megan – and thus empowerment is the fact that she is one of the main characters (along wi th Tommy and Jason) and she is â€Å"the only character to be developed in any psychological detail† (Clover, 1987, p. 79). Megan appears often, we see her from the beginning and a lot of attention is paid to her. The audience gets to know and to relate more to her than the other underdeveloped female characters. From this analysis, it can be concluded that Jason lives is empowering to female viewers. The second text analyzed is I know what you did last summer (1997).When the movie was released it was a triumph at the box office and now it is one of the most famous slashers. The story is about four friends, Helen, Julie, Barry and Ray, who are being pursued by a killer. As in many slasher movies the killers identity is unknown. The audience can only see an individual wearing a fisherman rain coat and a hat. It is only at the end of the movie that the killers identity is revealed: a psychopathic fisherman named Ben Willis that the foursome ran over with a car and dumped in the sea at the very beginning of the film.In the very last scene, when everything seems to be fine and Willis is allegedly dead, Julie is about to take a shower and suddenly Willis jumps out of nowhere. The four characters are given an almost equal attention in the movie, although the two girls, especially Julie, are given slightly more attention. It is easy to guess that Julie is the final girl: she is given more importance than the other characters, she appears much prominently than her three friends on the DVD cover, she is a bit boyish and possibly survives at the end.In terms of powerfulness, Julie is not very different from the other female characters such as Helen or Helens sister. She is not seen as a heroin neither because she does not perform any heroic acts. Ray and Barry are perceived as more powerful and heroic than their two girl friends. For instance, Willis tries to kill Barry by running him over with a car. Barry does not die, making him the only survivor of Willis att acks and somehow a hero. At the end, Ray and Julie end up on Willis boat and as Julie is about to be kill, Willis hand is caught in a rope.Ray then lift the rope, Willis hand is cut off and he fells in the ocean. Ray is Julies savior, which is another instance of the powerfulness of Ray and Barry. Despite that, the two girls are still seen as powerful by viewers as they are positively portrayed. They try to fight back against Willis. Helen almost escapes from him when she valiantly jumped out a window into a dumpster. They also investigate about the man they thought theyd killed by visiting his sister twice. Two other men are also killed, Max an acquaintance of the four friends and a police officer.Unlike the girls who manage to resist for quite a long time, they are murdered very easily. The female audience identify with Julie and Helen as they are the only important female characters. As Ray and Barry are more powerful and Max and the officer are less powerful than the two girls , it seems clear that women and mens power is equal. The question remains if this movie is empowering to women viewers. The answer is positive; Julie and Helen might not be the most powerful characters when fighting against Willis but they are still seen as powerful.Additionally, we can look at the killer and the victims of both movies to attempt to answer this essays question. In these two movies, the killer is the most powerful character. In fact, Jason Voorhees and Ben Willis murder an impressive number of people with incredible ease. Furthermore, they are not completely defeated in the end; Jason is attached to a rock at the bottom of a lake but he is still alive and Willis who had supposedly drown attacked Julie in the very last scene. The fact is that in slasher films, the powerful villain is almost always a male.This could be empowering to the male audience but I would argue that it does not disempower female spectators; they can identify with the final girl who is also power ful. A closer look at the victims allows to deduce that men are not more high-powered than women: they are both helpless when faced to the killer and they both die in comparable horrendous ways. It could even be argued that the numbers of victims is empowering to women; eight men and four women in Jason lives, four men and two women in I know what you did last summer.In this essay, two slasher movies where analyzed in order to understand how empowering they were to female spectators. From a close analysis of Jason lives, it was deduced that the movie is empowering to the female audience members. The final girl is powerful; firstly, as she is very feminine, her heroism is attributed to her and not to some masculine propensity and secondly, as Wells explained, her courageous actions are really hers and not masculine attitudes (2007, p. 19).As females, women viewers identify with women characters; thus, either with the powerful final girl or with the helpless female victims. As Megan r eceives a lot of attention and the audience sees through her eyes (I-camera), they are much more likely to identify with her. This, in turn, is empowering to them. The second movie was also empowering to women but in a lesser extent; Julie and Helen were brave but not the bravest. In both movie, the male killer was the most powerful character but women were still seen as courageous and brave.The number of victims could also empower women; in fact more men are killed. Earlier in this essay, the three feminist waves were explained. First and second wave feminism would consider the two movies to be empowering to women; the first-wave because they are officially equal and the second wave because they are unofficially equal too. The third-wave feminists are concerned about media portrayals of women. They would probably also find the movies empowering to women viewers as women are positively portrayed and

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Essays

Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Essays Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Paper Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Paper Is Religion Man Made? When you think of religion what do you think of? Are you a religious person? Do you not care much for religion? Have you ever thought of religion as an idea that the elites make up to suppress the people with horrible lives from revolting and do their job? This is what William Blake, author of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† in the Songs of Innocence, thinks of religion. This story shows how the symbolic order uses this idea of religion to keep the sweepers obedient. In the story, the chimney sweepers work tirelessly and they are extremely poor. They are the scum of society and are rejected by all kinds of people. The symbolic order gives them the idea that if they are obedient and do not speak out against what society has put them through, then they will go to heaven and have a much better life than the life they have now. In the story one of the chimney sweepers has a dream that an angel comes to him and tells him that if he is obedient then he will be in heaven and meet God. â€Å"And the angel told Tom, if hed be a good boy; Hed have God for his father, and never want joy† (Blake). The angel represents the Symbolic Order telling the children to stay obedient so that they can go to heaven. Society, especially the authority figures, tells the children these things so that they just do their jobs without any troubles. The fact that this is a dream implies that this isn’t real and that the elites in society just make up religion to quite the masses. The chimney sweepers use the ideas given to them by the Symbolic Order and use them to repress the fact that they have horrible lives. Instead of trying to get out of the situation they are in they just be obedient and do nothing more; this way they can meet God in heaven. â€Å"And so Tom awoke†¦Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm† (Blake). Even though Tom is just dreaming about going to heaven, he believes that he will if he is obedient. Instead of being miserable like normal, he is happy and warm because he has something to look forward to in the after-life. His ignorance towards the fact that it was just a dream gives him bliss even though his life is awful. The chimney sweepers have a fear of death because they are so willing to accept the idea of going to heaven after they die as long as they are obedient. They are afraid of dying considering the fact that they’re lives are terrible and they don’t want to die with such a bad life. If they have something to look forward to after they die, then they won’t be so afraid of dying; which is why religion helps them get over their fear of death. â€Å"So if all do their duty they need not fear harm† (Blake). As long as they do what they are told they will have no harm in the after-life. This is why Tom is depressed before the dream and after the dream Tom is happy and warm. This story shows how the symbolic order uses this idea of religion to keep the sweepers obedient. The chimney sweepers’ lives are as bad as can be but society gives them empty promises so that they can stay quiet and do their work. These ideas that the Symbolic Order gives help the sweepers get over their fear of death by giving them hope. It also helps them repress how bad their lives are. It takes their mind off of the fact they can try to change their lives. Overall the author is trying to convey that religion is just an idea made up by the Symbolic Order to repress people and keep them in line. Blake, William. The Chimney Sweeper.   Songs of Innocence. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. N. pag. Http://www. online-literature. com. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. online-literature. com/poe/628/.

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Battle of Ypres 1915 Cost 6000 Canadian Casualties

The Battle of Ypres 1915 Cost 6000 Canadian Casualties In 1915, the second Battle of Ypres established the reputation of the Canadians as a fighting force. The 1st Canadian Division had just arrived on the Western Front when they won recognition by holding their ground against a new weapon of modern warfare - chlorine gas. It was also in the trenches at the second Battle of Ypres that John McCrae wrote the poem when a close friend was killed, one of 6000 Canadian casualties in just 48 hours. War World War I Date of Battle of Ypres 1915 April 22 to 24, 1915 Location of Battle of Ypres 1915 Near Ypres, Belgium Canadian Troops at Ypres 1915 1st Canadian Division Canadian Casualties at the Battle of Ypres 1915 6035 Canadian casualties in 48 hoursMore than 2000 Canadians died Canadian Honours at the Battle of Ypres 1915 Four Canadians won the Victoria Cross at the Battle of Ypres in 1915 Edward Donald BellewFrederick Bud FisherFrederick William HallFrancis Alexander Scrimger Summary of the Battle of Ypres 1915 The 1st Canadian Division had just arrived at the front and were moved to Ypres Salient, a bulge in the front of the City of Ypres in Belgium.The Germans held the high ground.The Canadians had two British divisions on their right, and two French army divisions on their left.On April 22, after an artillery bombardment, the Germans released 5700 cylinders of chlorine gas. The green chlorine gas was heavier than air and sank into the trenches forcing soldiers out. The gas attack was followed by strong infantry assaults. The French defenses were forced to retreat, leaving a four-mile wide hole in the Allied line.The Germans did not have enough reserves or protection against the chlorine gas for their own troops to take immediate advantage of the gap.The Canadians fought through the night to close the gap.On the first night, the Canadians launched a counter-attack to drive the Germans out of Kitcheners Wood near St. Julien. The Canadians cleared the woods but had to retire. More attacks t hat night resulted in disastrous casualties but bought some time to close the gap. Two days later the Germans attacked the Canadian line at St. Julien, again using chlorine gas. The Canadians held on until reinforcements arrived.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Modern Art Exhibition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Modern Art Exhibition - Essay Example The art form chosen is â€Å"Pencils† by Tom Friedman and it is a symbolic representation of the transformation of simple materials one use in daily life into an art form with immense creativity. Tom Friedman is well known for his outstanding creativity and he had chosen a material which is pencil to create a sculpture that promotes uniqueness and substance. This artist with the help of this art form is communicating to the world that nothing is too ordinary to be an art. The art is created with utmost patience and eye for detail.The art form chosen is â€Å"Moor† by Janine Antoni . Janine as a contemporary artist is famous for her utilization of ever day objects for reflecting her spontaneous creativity. The â€Å"Moor† is a rope spun together by Antoni with the help of materials collected from her family and friends. This art form is all about the connections which exist between the artist and people in her life at different stages of life. Every part of this a rt work is flooded with emotions and affection for her loved ones.The art form chosen is the â€Å"Milk Bottle Art† by Caroline Saul. This artist is an English designer who is passionate about recycled trash like plastic milk bottles. This art form is impeccable with bulbous vessel created out of an everyday object which is plastic milk bottle. This work represents the usability of every day object and their after -life. This work is fragile and delicate and the shades of orange, brown and blue adds to its creativity.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

European Colonialism and Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Colonialism and Africa - Essay Example The paper tells that the argument to the effect (say, moral purpose and mutual benefit) of European colonialism in Africa is divided into four: infrastructure development, social and economic development, modernization and industrial development, and development of nationalism and political unification. The European colonizers (the French, the British, and the Spaniards) provided ample importance to infrastructure development to exploit the natural resources and the human resources in Africa. To be specific, the development of infrastructure in Africa is deeply indebted to the efforts of the European colonizers. Ambe J. Njoh stated that â€Å"That the foundation of Cameroon’s transportation infrastructure was established by the German colonial administration is indisputable†. On the other side, the development of infrastructure in Africa helped the European colonizers to export raw materials from Africa and to help their motherlands to be rich. From a different angle of view, the development of railroads and roads connected the colonies. The European settlers did provide less importance to the wellbeing of the native Africans because their aim was to create a colonial Africa, not an independent Africa. So, they exploited the human resources available in Africa. For instance, the (French) Congo railroad under France can be considered as one of the examples which can illustrate the exploitation of human resources in Africa. Now, the Congo railroad acts the role of a backbone to the transportation facilities in Congo. In short, infrastructure development in Africa during the colonial era helped the European settlers (the French, the British, and the Spaniards) to be in touch with their motherlands and to exploit the resources in Africa. On the other side, the development of infrastructure during the colonial era proved to be helpful for the African nations in the post-colonial era. The colonization of Africa and social development in Europe are not i nterconnected. Still, one can see that colonization and exploitation of the African continent positively influenced the economic development of Europe because most of the industries during the colonial era depended upon the raw materials from Africa. From a different angle of view, economic development is interconnected with social development. During the colonial era, European colonialism did not help the African nations to gain social and economic development. But the social and development of some nations in Africa during the post-colonial era proves that European colonialism helped some of these nations to be in the forefront of social and economic development. For instance, infrastructure development initiated by the European colonizers was beneficiary for some African nations like Kenya and South Africa.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Saudi Arabia And America Essay Example for Free

Saudi Arabia And America Essay When you talk or hear about Saudi Arabia and America, you know they are talking about the most important two countries in the world. When I graduated from high school in my country Saudi Arabia I was not thinking about to study out of the country. I applied for King Abdul-Aziz University in Jeddah I have been there for just one month until my brother asked me to go to United State of America. I had no idea what are the difference between my country and America when I arrived to America I saw too many difference between my country and U. S such as Food, Cost. The first thing and the most important thing is Food. There are big different between my country and United State Of America like there in Saudi Arabia most of week days we eat rice with fish, chicken and meat, and I like this way too much because I always play two times a day so I think I need a lot of protein and also my family cook every day in our home while here in America their food it always burger and pizza and here in America me and my brother do not cook every day and it’s hard for us because I used to eat my mother cocking almost every day but now I eat too much fast food such as burgers, pizzas . The second thing that everyone doesn’t like is The Cost. There are big different between Saudi Arabia and United States of America like there in my country the oil is cheaper than water because we have a lot of oil wells that why it is cheap. In my country we don’t have any taxes. For example, if I have place that sells cigarettes I don’t pay for any tax. Here in America the oil is so expensive if you want to buy a car you have to think that if you can afford buying the oil for your car and if you can’t afford you can’t buy a car. The taxes are so expensive in U.  S and this is why life in America is more expensive than Saudi Arabia because everything you buy has tax. Life is beautiful and trying new experiences is more beautiful. The experience I had and I will never forget about the first day in America. The food was my biggest problem because I was eating almost every day my mother cocking but here in America I eat fast food such as burger, pizza. The Oil in Saudi Arabia is cheaper than water but in America is so expensive. We don’t have any taxes in Saudi Arabia this is why life in Saudi Arabia is cheaper than America.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Martin Luther King Jr. :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Birmingham, Alabama newspaper published â€Å"The Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen† calling Martin Luther King Jr.’s activities â€Å"unwise and untimely,† King wrote a response back from jail arguing each point the clergymen had made in their â€Å"Public Statement.† In the â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† King points out that he is not an outsider since the people of Birmingham invited him and that since they are all within the United States, nobody should be even considered an outsider. Being a fighter of injustice, King says, he sought to negotiate with the white community of Birmingham, but they refused to comply. Then, he illustrates to them that the tension amongst the groups is many times good because it leads to action and negotiation. He further explains that calling the actions of Negroes â€Å"unwise and untimely† is denying them justice, which they have been waiting for too long. Moreo ver, King explains that laws can be just and unjust, and that he will only obey just laws that agree with the moral code and disobey laws that do not unlike the white churches, which permit prejudice and hate even though they should preach brotherhood and love. Lastly, King points out that Negroes will win their freedom in the end because it is their right and God’s will. To argue his points in the â€Å"Letter† King uses each of the three rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. In this essay, I will try to prove that one appeal is more effective than the rest, but first in order to help one understand what these appeals mean, I will use Arthur Quinn’s definitions of what the three appeals entail. The first appeal, the ethos, tries to persuade an audience to agree with an argument by using the reputation and character of the speaker or writer. For instance, a well-liked political leader might hold a strong ethos in the eyes of his constituents, and therefore his opinions on issues might convince his constituents to hold the same opinions whether or not they know anything about the issue. In contrast, the pathos appeal attempts to persuade an audience by targeting their emotions in attempt to gain their sympathy for the argument. An example of this appeal can be seen in TV commercials fundraising money for impoverished children. The final appeal, the logos, attempts to persuade an audience using logic and good reasoning.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Online viewing of grades Essay

Introduction Most college schools here in the Philippines have an online grade viewing/inquiry system, especially in metro manila. The trend of using this kind of system is growing fast, and reaching even schools in provinces. What is an online grade viewing system you ask? This type of system is a computerized system that you could only access through www (World Wide Web) via internet. WWW is the fastest growing part of internet. Note that, contrary to what many people believe, the web and the internet are not the same. The existence of the web is made possible by computers and programs that communicate information to one another. Internet is the world’s largest internet work. It includes computers hooked together in networks. â€Å"HGBCOnline Grade Viewing System† The whole idea about this project is to enable the students of HGBaquiran College in viewing their grades every term and every end of the semester. Base on my own experience many of the students are having trouble of vie wing their grades because sometimes the professors are not submitting their class record on time. And sometimes it even gets to the point that the first month of the next semester is already done but we still don’t get to see our class cards. This system will be a big help for the students of HGBC on keeping track of their current grades per grading term and also on viewing their grade every end of the semester. Before the student have the ability to access the system/website they need to create an account first, creating an account for this website is much easier than creating an account on Facebook because there is only little info needed for the account, six to be exact. Now, after creating the account the student will have to login using the user name and password they’ve entered when they create their account and without any delays depending on the computer they’ll be using and the speed of the internet connection, they can now view their grades freely where ever and whenever they want. Now, for the professors, creating an account won’t be necessary because there will be a built in account for all them that will be created by the registrar but they will still be asked to input their password. It is most likely that the only thing they’ll be doing is login to the system/website and Input the Info’s of their student’s. In terms of the built in account every single professor will be ask for whatever username or password they want to have. And the one to be handling that is the system  maintainer or the registrar, the account of every single professor will be updated every time before the semester begins Statement of the Problem The school of HGB currently don’t have any grade viewing system but the giving of class cards per subject every end of the semester and buying the (COG) Certificate of Grades. The instructors sometimes don’t submit the student’s grades on time. Time consuming on manual system or practice. Much expensive regarding on releasing of COG. Rush hour submission of grades. A slow process of retrieving and releasing of records. Inaccurate results of grades. Expense in using papers and pens in recording. Sometimes the teachers are not aware of consequences if they are not submitting their records regarding the students. Expenses and transportation in returning to the school registrar. The students cannot enroll immediately because of having incomplete grades. The students encounter problems in their evaluation. Statement of Assumption Grading System is designed to provide incentive reward for achievement and assist in identifying problems of the student. Grading System is the most commonly used in computing and analyzing the performance, talent and skills of students? It is the important record to keep even for the longest time for the referral and credentials of the student to enter their next level of attaining their goals. It is the tract record that recognizes of one student, this maybe use for analyzing of your attitude and values. 1. Is there any significance between the manual grading systems to the computerized grading system? 2. Is Manual grading system gives more accurate, efficiency and easy to use than the computerized grading system? 3. Is manual grading system makes the task easier and less consuming of time than the computerized grading system? Objectives of the Project The students of HGBC are having trouble viewing their grades. The General Objectives of this project is to enable the students to keep track of their grades and view them via website online. Specifically it aims to: To evaluate the present system. To improve the present system. To develop a system that will enable the instructors to encode grade online. To develop a system that will help the students of HGBC in terms of keeping track of their grades. To develop a system that will enable the students of HGBC to view their grades via website online. To develop a system that will prevent the students from rushing their professors on computing their grades. To maintain an accurate grades given by the professors. To make it accessible for the students to review their grades. To make it hassle-free for the students to get their grades. To be punctual for the professors in encoding of grades. Significance of the Research First is the Students of HGBC the Students are the main concern of this system they’ll be the one who will get the most benefits from the system. Firstly because when this system is implemented the delay of their grade inquiry will be reduce from 1 month to 1 week. Secondly, whenever they want to see their grades they don’t need to go to the school anymore, they just need to go to a computer shop, visit the HGBC website and in just a minute or so they can already view their grades. Second is the Registrar, now for the registrar their main function for the system will be to â€Å"CRUD† or the so called â€Å"Create†, †Retrieve†, †Update† and †Delete†. Technically speaking without the registrar this system will be nothing but a website without function because the registrar will be the one to input the student’s Grades in the system that the students are going to view. The Instructors or the professors, the instructors, they will be the one to input the info’s of their students and will compute their grades submit it to the registrar and those grades will be the one that the registrar will input on the system. The school (HGBC), it can be an asset of the institute and a pride also that  can be used career guidance and endorsements. Scope and Limitation This project focuses on the grade viewing process of HGBC. The grades displayed in the system cannot be printed. If the Registrar inputted wrong grades of the student, the online system is not reliable in human errors. The grade encoding process and other processes involve in the system relied on the internet connection. This System has a range of giving grade information for the chosen beneficiaries. This System is a Web-based System using PhpDesigner, an Online Grading System that will give you an easy access for grades-viewing. Review of related literature and Studies Related Literature and Studies guide the researcher in making comparison between his findings with the findings of other researchers on similar studies with the end in view of formulating generalizations or principles which are the contributions of the study to the fund of knowledge. As internet my main source, I’ve gained sufficient information of what my system would be. The following were the theories and studies behind the concept of the system Related Theories Student Training Grade Book, Viewing Grades, Notes, Graphing Tools In this Turning grade book, it allows the instructor to enter and calculate grades for students on assignments submitted to the instructor. Their â€Å"my grades† tab appears on the class portfolio page when the product is available. The grade book can be used to track numeric grades, attendance, and notes as well as allowing students to graph their performance. To view any grades and attendance records or instructor notes visible in a specific class, they’ll open class portfolio page and click on the â€Å"my grades† tab. in the part of viewing grades, a student user’s grade page will show the papers and reviews the student has submitted along with any grades that have  been given by the instructor on these submissions. The number in the point’s column shows the total number of points an assignment is worth. The number placed to the left of the points column shows how many points the student received for their assignment. The grade value for the submission appears in the grade column. Grades only become available on the post date of an assignment. The top of the grades page shows the overall class grade and the attendance. The instructor can enter a note alongside a grade for a submission. If the instructor has entered a note for the submission a â€Å"note† icon will appear next to the grade under the note column. Click on the â€Å"note† icon to view the instructor note. The full list of notes given to the student in a class can be viewed by clicking on the â€Å"notes† icon next to the grade summary at the top of the grade book window. The graphing tools allow a student to view their own performance and the class average performance in line graph or pie chart formats. The graphing tools are accessed by clicking on the â€Å"graphs† button in grade book. On the graphs page, the student will use the â€Å"show† pull down menu to select the graph type to view. Online grading allows faculty and departments to submit grades from anywhere with an Internet connection. Grade rosters display up-to-date enrollment information, e.g., late adds and â€Å"W† grades. Related Studies In this research entitled â€Å"Online Grade encoding and inquiring System via SMS technology† by: Bella Bhe  The San Mateo Municipal College has increased in student’s population at the same time the number of works of the registrar and student’s grades to be processed has also increased. San Mateo Municipal College wants to give a good education to everyone who does not afford to enroll in other universities that have high tuition fees. They always secure the best way to make their students comfortable with their school. One of the responsibilities of the registrar office is to keep the student’s grades data secured for their records and purpose. The researcher stated that the general problem faced by the SMMC is the manual encoding, submission and distribution of student`s grades of San Mateo Municipal College. The specific problems are the time consuming, costly and long process of inquiry of grades, the students need to go directly to their respective registrar inorder to inquire their grade, the Instructors are encountering errors during encoding of grades and the Instructors need to go to the registrar just to encode the grades. After knowing these problems, the researchers aim to develop an Online Grade Encoding and Inquiry System via SMS Technology for San Mateo Municipal College and specifically To develop a system that will lessen the registrar`s tasks in encoding of grades, to develop a system that can able to send grades automatically, to develop a system that will shorten the process of inquiry of grades, to develop a system that can able the instructor to encode grades online and to develop a system that can inqu ire grades via SMS. In this study, the researcher used descriptive method of research; he used questionnaires and also conducted interviews to gather data. Justification This online grade viewing system of HGBCollege can give the satisfaction needed by the registrar, professors and most specially the students. Interoperability The system could have some problem on other web browser like internet Explorer and Opera mini but I can perform best in web browsers like Google chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Performance The operation of the system can perform better depending on the computer and the internet connection of the users. Security The people that have an account and stored in the database are the only person that can access the system. Maintainability The System administrator will be the one maintaining the system. Robustness This system is authenticated with password that makes it more secure and robust. Reliability and Availability The system is reliable based on the speed of the internet connection and it is available anywhere because it is an online system. Safety In case of problems due to inconsistencies, this system is safe because it can still be traced up. Usability This system is only usable by the registrar, professors and students. User-Friendly This online grade viewing is a user friendly system because all the users can easily understand, manipulate and use it. Business Integrity This system is made to develop a higher satisfaction of the students and also the people in the community of Tumauini, together with the neighbor communities. Definition of terms Asset- a useful or valuable thing,or quality. Accessible- able to be reached or entered. Account- is a collection of information that tells Windows which files and folders you can access, what changes you can make to the computer, and your personal preferences. Accurate grades- correct in all details; exact computation of grades based on criteria. Career Guidance- advice and information about careers that helps individuals, esp young people, decide on a career and also teaches them how to pursue their chosen career Database- Is an organized collection of data. The data are typically organized to model aspects of reality in a way that supports processes requiring information. Hussle-free- without problems or bother . Inquiry- An act of asking for information. Keeping Tracks- keep informed of fully aware. Registrar- an official in a college or university who is responsible for keeping student records. Robust- able to withstand or overcome adverse conditions. Speed of Internet- The performance of an Internet connection, which is based on the number of bytes per second that data travels from the user’s device to the Internet (upload) and from the Internet (download). System administrator- is a person who is responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems; especially multi-user computers, such as servers. Traced Up- Evidence or an indication of the former presence or existence of something. Trends- a general direction in which something is developing or changing. Username- an identification used by a person with access to a computer, network, or online service. Web Browser- is a software application for retrieving, presenting and traversing information resources on the World  Wide Web. WWW- is a system of interlinked hypertext documents that are accessed via the Internet. With a web browser, one can view web pages that may contain text, images, videos, and other multimedia and navigate between them via hyperlinks. Bibliography http://www.sourcecodester.com/c/8203/online-grading-system-fashion-store.html www.wikipidia.com Webb, Patricia, ‘Technologies of Difference: Reading the Virtual Age (In)Difference’, Computers and Composition 20 (2003), 151-67 Basalla, George. The Evolution of Technology. New York, 1988.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Alternative Medicine Essay

Alternative medicine describes practices used in place of conventional medical treatments. People increasingly prefer alternative to conventional medicine. The reasons for this are pretty simple – it is safe and it works! And USA is not an exception. It is estimated, by none other than the Harvard Medical School, that one out of every two persons in the United States between the ages of 35 and 49 years used at least one alternative therapy in 1997. Alternative medicine actually encompasses a very large array of different systems and therapies ranging from ayurvedic medicine to vitamin therapy. Ayurvedic medicine is a very comprehensive system that places equal emphasis on body, mind, and spirit and uses a highly personalized approach to return an individual to a state where he or she is again in harmony with their environment. Ayurvedic medicine uses diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, massage, herbs, and medication and, despite its long lineage, is as applicable today as it was 5000 years ago. Traditional Chinese medicine combines the use of medicinal herbs, acupuncture, and the use of therapeutic exercises such as Qi Gong. It has proven to be effective in the treatment of many chronic diseases including cancer, allergies, heart disease and AIDS. Homeopathy is a low-cost, non-toxic health care system now used by hundreds of millions of people around the world. Chiropracty primarily involves the adjustment of spine and joints to alleviate pain and improve general health.   Naturopathic medicine also strongly believes in the body’s inherent ability to heal itself. Vitamin therapy or orthomolecular medicine uses vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to return a diseased body to wellness. Biofeedback, body work, massage therapy, reflexology, hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, and various other forms of energy medicine round out the vast spectrum of alternative medicine modalities. More then 50 % of Americans use some kind of alternative medicine. Actually, it may happen so, that in future alternative medicine will totally displace allopathic medical remedies. But nowadays almost 40% of people still visit their doctors. References Benedetti, F., Maggi, G., ; Lopiano, L. (2003). Open Versus Hidden Medical Treatments: The Patient’s Knowledge About a Therapy Affects the Therapy Outcome. Prevention ; Treatment, 6, 1, 23-27.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Phantom Limbs essays

Phantom Limbs essays In the novel Pride and Prejudice, five couples decide to marry for various reasons. Elizabeth and Darcy unlike the other couples marry for love, while others marry for physical attraction, social status happiness and necessity. Various quotes through out the book show the true meaning of why these couples married each other. Why did each couple marry each other? Which couple married for the rightful reasons? The true meaning for marriage should be love, love that overpasses any obstacle. Elizabeth and Darcy fall in love for common interest. Miss Eliza Bennet, said Miss Bingley, despises cards. She is a great reader and has no pleasure in anything else (Austen, 33). Further on in the book Miss Bennet says What a delightful library you have at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy! (Austen, 34). This shows a common interest in Darcy and Elizabeth for books and reading. Common interest strengthens love and gives marriage more of a value. Darcy and Elizabeth portray a marriage which shows attraction of common interest. Elizabeth and Darcys love is pure as well. Darcy tells Elizabeth, In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you (Austen, 160). Elizabeth talking to Jane says Perhaps I did not always love him so well as I do now (Austen, 311). The love that Darcy and Elizabeth feel for each other is mutual. Therefore Darcy and Elizabeth marry for having common interests and pure love as well. Jane and Bingleys marriage depended upon mutual attraction and love. This is shown in the beginning of the novel when Bingley thought of her to be the prettiest girl at the ball, and danced with her twice (Austen, 13). This strengthened his attraction towards Jane. Janes idea of marriage was of someone who loved and re ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Creative Inspiration from David Bowie

Creative Inspiration from David Bowie The news of David Bowies death reverberated through the world and caused an outpouring of words of affection, admiration and grief at the loss of such an incredible artist. Bowie was known for his creativity which included not only his music and lyrics but his physical appearance and the personas he created. Any individual seeking creative inspiration can find a gold mine of it in Bowies life and work. Here are some ways David Bowie manifested as a creative genius. Keep Ch-ch-ch-ch-changin Bowie was famous for his ability to constantly reinvent himself. Even in the early days of his fame in the late 60s early 70s, he experimented with different styles from hippie-folk to heavy metal. Perhaps his greatest transformation was the invention of the rock persona Ziggy Stardust. At the time, many felt that Bowie could have ridden the fame and popularity of his Ziggy persona to the end of his career, but at the height of his popularity, he decided to kill Ziggy and move on to other experiments. In America, he explored funk and soul music and then released his most popular album â€Å"Lets Dance† which was the ultimate ode to rock and the most popular of his career. But even the popularity of this album didnt tempt him to ground his artistic vision and his next phase was a Berlin-inspired industrial and house/electronica experiment. Bowies ability to keep moving forward and constantly explore new artistic styles are what made him the icon he became. Indulge in Artistic Angst but Dont Self-Destruct Bowie had some dark moments in his career. One of his most successful and yet darkest phases was during the time he spent in LA. The glamour and glitz of LA stardom, the parties and cocaine-fueled recording sessions sent him on a tailspin into darkness. Unlike other stars riding their fame into self-destruction, like Iggy Pop, Bowie was able to put an end to that phase when he left LA and moved to Berlin. Change of Scene Can Be Inspiring Just as his move from the UK to LA proved to be an enormous boon to his career, his decision to leave LA and station himself in Cold-War Berlin was another artistically driven choice. The grit and realism of Berlin was the complete opposite of the surreal opulence of LA. The experience grounded him as he moved into yet another creatively experimental phase. Collaborate with Other Artists Bowie enjoyed working with other artists and some of his greatest creative endeavors were the result of these collaborations. Mick Jagger, Freddie Mercury, Brian Eno and Iggy Pop were included in some of his most successful team projects. He once famously called the then virtually unknown guitarist Phil Palmer at his mothers house to ask him to collaborate on an album since he felt his own guitar skills were subpar. He was known for being generous and respectful of other peoples work and didnt let fame or ego get in the way of his artistic vision. Set Your Standards and Stick to Them No matter how famous he became, Bowie didnt abuse his fame. He held himself to a strict work ethic. Though he had a phase where he lost himself in drugs, particularly cocaine, he always managed to pull himself together to perform, record and give interviews. His foil during his LA years was Iggy Pop, who became known for his unpredictability and where Iggy allowed himself to be dragged under by his drug addiction, Bowie set limits for himself and maintained his professional ethics. Dont Be Afraid of the Unknown Bowie was always pushing the boundaries of his art. He was never repetitive or boring. Each album was borne of a daring new journey into unknown waters as he constantly sought to find a new voice and a new inspiration. He explored with musical technology and was known for being fearless and pioneering. His natural curiosity allowed him to follow many different artistic paths to the delight of his fans and music lovers. Bowies artistic vision was fueled by his constant striving for newness. He never allowed himself to settle into one style or voice and as a result, his lifes work is rich and diverse.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Operation management Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Operation management - Dissertation Example In order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, the organization will have to set benchmark by comparing its operational management strategies with those of industry’s best it was found that management skills and competencies are as important as the technical competencies. It was also found that in order to successfully complete a project, management as well as leadership skills of a project manager is an essential trait. Contents Contents 3 Introduction 4 OrganizationBackground: 4 The Assignment Objective 4 Approach and Methodology 4 Literature Review 5 Application to the organization 8 Analysis and Conclusion 9 Recommendation 9 Potential costs and benefits 9 Timescales and Resources 10 Risks or potential barriers to implementation 11 Appendix 14 Introduction OrganizationBackground: Occidental Petroleum Corporation is an oil and gas exploration and production company. It is an international company and it has two oil fields within Oman in both south and north areas. Ox y mukhaizna filed recorded high progress interm of production. In 2012 the gross daily oil production was 120,000 barrels per day which is 15 times higher than the production in 2005. There are some competitors companies in the same sector working in Oman such as Daleel petrolum, Petrogas, Oman Oil Company Exploration & Production and CCED. However, the Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is the major competitor to OxyOman. The Assignment Objective The objective if the assignment is to evaluate an operational management theory of Oxy Corporation and application of the theory to provide solutions for the specific issue. The report will help in evaluating the current trends and issues pertaining to operations management and what are the reliable strategies through which operational enhancement can be achieved. Approach and Methodology Aqualitative as well asd quantitative approach has been used for the completion of the project. The report is an extensive application based review of the operational theory encompassing topics such as project management, quality management, skills and competency management and their various uses pertaining to oil and gas sector. The various sources used for getting information will include primary observations as well as secondary data from the company at study and extensive literature review of journals and articles. Some fundamental information about the organisation is as followed; Founded in the year 1920 (Oxy Corporation, 2013a). International gas and oil production and gas exploration organisation. Operates in United States, Latin America and Middle East Region (Oxy Corporation, 2013b). Headquarters in Wilshire, Los Angeles. Literature Review Operational management is one of the critical aspects influencing the successful competitiveness of any service or manufacturing organisation. Multiple queries and organisational issues such as product choice, manufacturing technology, capacity utilization, quality maintenance and material sourcing and costing and customer management are associated with operational management theories. Operational management can be defined as â€Å"a management systems in which several activities are performed to transform a set of inputs into a useful output using a transformation process† (Turner, 1999). Operational management of an organisation covers various aspects. Few of the important aspects include inventory management, supply chain and logistics management, facilities and