Marketing the iPhone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing the iPhone - Essay Example Product, price, place and promotion formed the marketing mix. While each component had its role in forming the marketing strategy, promotion essentially meant reaching out to the customer through advertising and media campaigns. The marketing campaign is in fact considered successful, if the company is able to create a genuine buzz around its product/s and able to raise the curiosity levels of the prospective customers. In today's world 'promotion' field has been further widened by renaming it as marketing communication. Such a communication now forms a crucial part of the managerial activities. Creating a buzz becomes all the more crucial if the company is coming out with a product for the first time, which is outside its core business. A renowned company known for its computer brands would certainly make sure that it doesn't end up with a deep dent in its reputation and huge financial losses after entering into a product category, where cut-throat competition keeps the reputed bran ds always on their toes. It is under these circumstances that Apple Inc. decided to create the buzz around the iPhone. It certainly goes to the credit of Apple Inc that it not only created a decent buzz around iPhone, but it also retained the faith of its millions of customers. It is worthwhile here to mention that the marketing communication strategy adopted by Apple Inc was unique in many ways. While on the surface it appeared to be a low key, the blogger community, the media, the corporate circles, the office going community, the college going students etc. kept debating and discussing 'what the iPhone could be like' While on the one hand Apple Inc. did not spend too much on its advertising campaigns, the company was also able to put on display a mature appearance. Apple, having entered in the mobile field in collaboration with Motorola, in the recent past had some experience of the stiff competition in the mobile world. With brand names like Nokia, Ericson, Motorola etc. tracking the moves of new entrants, Apple Inc. was bound to think about a campaign which goes well beyond the launch of just another phone from existing mobile phone makers. At the same time, managers at Apple were equally concerned about any loose ends, which might adversely impact its reputation and other established brands. Apple wanted to make sure that while the campaign doesn't look like too glittery and gaudy, yet the message reaches out to the common man. In addition, company also realized that people may not be ready to go for 'just another phone', because with the advent of powerful technologies like Wimax31 and HSOPA32 (High Speed OFDM Packet Access), the mobile phone is no more being used as a phone, instead it has become an important tool for entertainment and mob ile computing in this convergence era. Therefore, Apple Inc. was bound to pack the iPhone with a host of feature, including some of the features of its own stronghold gadget iPod. Prior to the official launch of the iPhone, Apple came out with a teaser ad campaign that did not even mention the brand name. This ad campaign called 'Hello' was started during the Academy Awards. And the long queues before the iPhone stores, use of terms like 'Jesus Phone' for the iPhone are a testimony of the successful buzz around the launch. Advantages of such a strategy are; i. The company, while able to raise the curiosity levels around

The Human Resource Function Essay Example for Free

The Human Resource Function Essay Heathfield (2007) defines Human Resource Management (HRM) as an organizational function; focusing on recruitment, management, and directing the people who work in the organization. HRM can hence be viewed as an organizational function that deals with the human resource â€Å"people who start and operate an organization, (Ramlall, 2003). Owing to the continuous political, economic, social and psychological changes within our societies, there is an increasing need for organizations to constantly evaluate their internal and external environment in response to the challenges and opportunities in the society; so as to remain competitive and to sustain organizational growth. This article examines the strategic role of Human Resource (HR) and its main practices, describes the outcomes of the respective category of (HR) practices and explains the critical reasons for measuring HRs efforts. The fundamental role of the HR to an organization is to â€Å"create value† (Ramlall, 2003) to the organization. It can hence be inferred that the critical HR’s role is to maximize profitability. Every organization, in pursuit of its strategic goals, must determine how particular HR practices correlate with improved business results and be more accountable for each major HR activity. This entails determination of the value of each HR activity in creating a competitive advantage for the organization. Without this, achievement of the organization’s goals and corporate missions may remain a dream that is never attained. There are many factors influencing change in organizational structure today. These factors include technological advancement, globalization, changes in workforce demographics, the elimination of bureaucracies in organizational structures, and the need to strike a balance between work and family issues. Understanding the potential of an organizations resources and optimizing the output of such resources, given the changes, provides an impetus for HR to become the key source of creating the competitive advantage for the organization. It is the role of the HR to build a competitive organization though strategic management of human resources, management of firm infrastructure, management of employee contributions and management of transformation and change. This can be summarized as â€Å"defining the deliverables of work† (Ulrich, 1997). This entails going beyond the strategic business partner role to becoming a player in the business. Ulrich, (1997) identifies six roles of a player in an organization. The player coach, designs, construct, creates followers, plays the rules and changes the organization. This ensures that the functioning of the organization is directed towards its goals. An effective HR personnel acts as a â€Å"facilitator and a collaborator† (Brewster, 2000). As a facilitator, the HR will function as an agent of change- providing rationale, support, and readiness for planned changes designed to support the business strategies. As a collaborator, the HR provides a link between the senior leaders and all employees to implement business strategies forming the strategic link throughout the organization. This is essential to the organization as it helps to maximize its profits. A research by Brewster, (2000) postulates that less than 10 percent of the 968 firms that participated in the study had a formal estimation procedure to measure HRM. This implies that most companies have little or no assessment of their HR department’s efforts and therefore they cannot give any quantitative measures of HRs value to the organization. Hailey, (1999) stated that the best way for HR to gain credibility in order to make meaningful changes is for practitioners to measure the cost and effectiveness of what they do. As such, the HR should be credible enough to lead the rest of the workers towards giving value to the organization. To achieve a competitive advantage, it is necessary to identify the skills that need to be developed internally for current employees and the fundamental areas of effectively managing an organization. The HR function has the most experience and knowledge in addressing these critical issues. It is therefore necessary for an organization to have an effective human resource that can efficiently achieve these vital objectives. The integration of human resources into the organizational strategy provides the basis for enabling the HR function to support and implement the strategic plan to achieve a competitive advantage, (Wofford, 2002). This strategy provides for the maximization of human capital, reduction of wasted and inefficient labor, and other financial investment, eventually to maximize profitability. An efficient HR increases the likelihood of more efficiently achieving the business outcomes and avoiding chaos, massive layoffs, crises resulting from not having skilled employees to carry out particular tasks and not having the right fit among employees, corporate strategies, and business environments, (Hailey, 1999). HR function plays a pivotal role in determining the business strategy through the assessment of the organizations capabilities to compete successfully through a particular strategy, determining the appropriate rewards system, determining appropriate organizational structures, and developing strategies to increase employee performance. All these work in achieving firm’s objectives and assessing the effectiveness of its strategic plan. Given the definition of strategic planning as how an organization will compete, the question arises as to how an organization would be able to assess the effectiveness of its strategic plan. Indicators of a successfully crafted strategic plan include creating advantages that are sustainable over a long period, (Ramlall, 2003). These include attainment of the organizations goals and objectives, the financial profitability of the organization, organizational positioning to create advantages for the short-term and long-term, and creation of a stronger sense of social responsibility. In essence, this process determines the decisions and actions an organization will undertake to create and sustain competitive advantage. It is evident that any organization that endevours to achieve a competitive advantage over its rivals and move towards its strategic goals is left with no choice but to have an effective human resource. The constant evaluation of the effectiveness of the organization results in the need for the HR professional to frequently champion change. Both knowledge about and the ability to execute successful change strategies make the HR professional exceptionally valued. Knowing how to link change to the strategic needs of the organization will minimize employee dissatisfaction and resistance to change. Only an effective HR can champion these important changes.

Diversification Is One Of The Growth Strategies Companies Marketing Essay

Diversification Is One Of The Growth Strategies Companies Marketing Essay Diversification strategy involves expanding organizations operations by adding markets, services or product to the existing business. The main aim of diversification is to allow the firm to enter lines of business that are different from existing line of business. If the new venture is related to the existing lines of business, then it is called concentric diversification. On the other hand conglomerate diversification takes place when there is no common line of strategic relationship between the fresh and old lines of business. (Thomas n.d.) Concentric diversification occurs when a company adds related products or markets. The objective of concentric diversification is to obtain strategic fit. Strategic relationship allows a firm to achieve synergy. Synergy is combining two or more parts of an organization to achieve greater total effectiveness together than would be experienced if the efforts of the independent parts were summed. Synergy might be obtained by combining companies with complementary marketing, financial, operating, and management efforts. Financial synergy can be obtained by combining a firm with sound financial resources but giving less growth opportunities with a firm having great market prospective but weak financial possessions. Companies try to stabilize income by diversifying into businesses with diverse cyclical sales patterns. Strategic relationship in operations will result in synergy by the balanced mix of operating units to increase overall efficiency. Overall efficiency can be improved by combining two or more units so that research and development or duplicate equipment is eliminated. Another way to obtain operating synergy is possible by Quantity discounts through combined ordering. Yet another way to increase efficiency is to spread into an area that can use by-products from existing operations. Management synergy can be obtained if administration expertise and experience is applied to different types of situations. The experience gained by a manager in working with unions in one firm might be applied to labour management problems in another company. Situations that appear similar may actually require significantly dissimilar management strategies. Personality clashes and other situational differences may make management synergy difficult to attain. Even though managerial understanding and skills can be transferred, individual executives cannot transfer effectively. CONGLOMERATE DIVERSIFICATION This is second form of diversification strategy. Conglomerate diversification occurs when an organization diversifies into areas that are not related to its current line of business. Synergy may be a consequence of financial resources or the appliance of management expertise; however the main purpose of this type of diversification is improved effectiveness of the acquiring firm. Little concern is given to obtain marketing or production synergy with conglomerate diversification. The main reason for adopting a conglomerate growth strategy is that prospects in an organizations current line of business are not that attractive. Finding an attractive investment opportunity requires the organization to consider options in other types of business. Companies also adopt conglomerate diversification approach as a means of increasing the growth rate of the companies. Sales growth may make the company more lucrative to investors. Growth will result in increase of the control and respect of the firms top executives. If the new area has development opportunities greater than the current line of business then conglomerate growth will be effective. But the biggest backdrop about conglomerate diversification strategy is the escalating in administrative related problems associated with operating unrelated line of businesses. Managers from different departments may have different backgrounds and may be hesitant to work together and bring out group efforts. Competition between different strategic business units for resources may include allocating appropriate resources from one division to another. These decisions may create enmity and administrative problems between the units. Carefulness must also be exercised in entering industry with apparently bright prospects, in particular if the management team lacks ability or experience in the new line of business. Without some understanding of the new industry, a company may be unable to accurately estimate the industrys capacity to perform. Even if the newly started business is initially successful, it will eventually face obstacles. Executives from the conglomerate will have to involve themselves in the strategies of the new venture at some point. Without sufficient skills or experience, the new business may face dead ends and threats of failure. Without some form of strategic fit, the joint performance of the individual units will not surpass the performance of the units functioning independently. In actuality, combined performance will come down because of controls positioned on the individual units by the parent corporation. Decision-making may turn out to be slower due to longer review periods and complex reporting systems. DIVERSIFICATION: GROW OR BUY? Efforts to diversify may be either internal or external. Internal diversification happens as a firm enters a different, but typically related, line of business but by developing a new line of business for itself. Internal diversification in a company generally involves growing a firms product or market base. External diversification may accomplish the same result; however, the company ventures into a new area of trade by purchasing another corporation or business unit. Mergers and acquisitions are common examples of external diversification. INTERNAL DIVERSIFICATION One way of internal diversification is to sell existing products in new markets. An organization may elect to widen its geographic base to cover new clients, either within its home country or in global markets. A business might also practise an internal diversification strategy by discovering new users for its current product. Finally, companies may try to change markets by escalating or declining the price of products to create them more appeal to customers of different earnings levels. Another way of internal diversification is to promote new products in existing markets. Normally this kind of strategy includes using existing channels of distribution to promote new products. Retailers frequently change product lines to take in new items that come into sight to have good market prospective. Johnson Johnson included a new line of baby toys to its existing line of things for infants. Packaged-food companies have furthered salt-free or low-fat options to existing product lines. Conglomerate growth through internal diversification is also a possibility. This strategy would involve promotion new and not related products to new marketplaces. This strategy is the slightest used one amongst the internal diversification strategies, as it is the most risky. It requires the company to enter a new marketplace where it is not established and the company develops and launches a new product. Research and development expenses, as well as advertising expenses, will likely be higher than if existing products were promoted. In effect, the investment and the possibility of failure are much greater when both the market and product are new. EXTERNAL DIVERSIFICATION External diversification takes place when a company looks external of its current operations and buys access to new marketplaces or products. Mergers are one general way of external diversification. Mergers take place when two or more firms merge operations to form one company, perhaps with a new name. These companies are usually of comparable size. The objective of a merger is to accomplish management synergy by building a stronger management team. This can be obtained in a merger by combining the management groups from the merged firms. Acquisitions, next form of external growth, happen when the purchased company loses its identity. The acquiring firm absorbs it. The acquired company and its property may be absorbed into an active business unit or remain together as an independent ancillary within the parent company. Acquisitions typically take place when a big firm purchases a smaller firm. Acquisitions are called pleasant if the firm being purchased is friendly to the acquisition. Unfriendly mergers happen when the administration of the company targeted for acquisition resists being purchased. (Thomas n.d.) Advantages and Disadvantages of Related Diversification: The advantage of related strategy is that expansion is easier because you already be on familiar terms with the industry you run in and you can leverage that knowledge. The drawback of this strategy is that if there is a cyclical downturn in the industry, company will feel the downturn in both the dealership and the detailing business. The blow will be severe. There may also be issues with incorporating two businesses, and with over-estimating the financial earnings. Advantages and Disadvantages of Unrelated Diversification: The benefit of buying an unrelated corporation is that companies decrease the risk of placing all your eggs in one basket and if the trade, or the industry, is hit hard by the market, or contest, or other success factors, then possessing an unrelated business may also help to offset the slump Why to invest in unrelated diversification? Companies may be able to invest in a new market or new product that has peaks when your business has valleys. Several businesses have seasonality highs and lows; if you can buy a business that has a high when your business has a tiny, you can compensate the low periods. (Advantages and disadvantages of Diversification n.d.) To diversify or not to diversify with respect to online companies To diversify or not to diversify is one of the trickier questions in front of Internet companies because the blockade to entry is so low for a lot of online business models.  The basic difference when it comes to online businesses is that the expenditure of moving into adjacent areas may be appreciably lower than in the physical world. Given the elasticity of the online environment, the tough question for companies is- What kinds of development are synergistic with the central part of business, and which are tangential?  It is ambiguous where Google, Amazon and Yahoo will end up with their diversification strategies. Amazon has been leasing out the infrastructure it has used to develop into an e-commerce giant. The company has chiefly two services, EC2, or Elastic Compute Cloud, and S3, or Simple Storage Service, that offer on-demand computing power and online storage, respectively. The services are sold as a usefulness where customers can purchase only the computing power or dat a storage they utilize. The pricing method at Amazon is fifteen cents per gigabyte per month for its storage service along with twenty cents per gigabyte for data transferred in and out of Amazons computing centres. Google has announced Google Docs and Spreadsheets, an online software suite that would compete with Microsofts Office. During the same time Yahoo has get hold of a series of firms such as Flickr, a photo sharing website, and del.icio.us, a website for systematizing and sharing web bookmarks, among others. However after this Yahoo senior vice president Brad Garlinghouse expressed grief that the company lacks a focused, unified vision. Due to a bevy of acquisitions, Yahoo might be challenging with itself in many areas such as photo-sharing and online video. Any acquisition needs to have some kind of profound business logic behind it. Amazon moved from books to electronics to apparel and now to data storage. Now the problem is whats their core competency? Is it Book sales o r e-commerce? If its e-commerce, maybe computing power is just an addition of its existing line of trade. The biggest downside for Amazon is that consumers will come to depend on the companys infrastructure. Tomorrow if Amazon wants to modify its systems, it cant since it will have consumers locked into its services. There is a vast downside risk here. Coming to Google it looks like Microsoft, a company that generates just about all of its earnings from one or two businesses. The online companies should think ahead before diversifying in to other businesses. At the same its not so advisable to stand still in internet business because competition is high and replication of business model is easier than physical world. But companies should keep certain things in mind before expanding their business like finding natural synergies that can lead to growth. (werbach 2006) CONCLUSION Diversification strategies help companies expand their operations in to different business markets. Companies also adopt diversification strategy to reduce the risk by moving in to several business areas. Concentric diversification occurs when a company adds related products or markets. Conglomerate diversification occurs when an organization diversifies into areas that are unrelated to its current line of business. The main aim of diversification is to allow the firm to go into lines of business that are dissimilar from current operations. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank our professor Mr. DM Sezhiyan, Department Of Management Studies, National Institute of Technology, Trichy for his encouragement and support throughout this work. He not only guided me but also helped me with the topic to understand, and communicate it to this paper. I would also thank Dr. M. PUNNIYAMOORTHY (Head of the Department), National Institute of Technology, Trichy who has been a constant source of motivation and support all through the work. Finally I would like to thank my family and well wishers for their boundless love and constant encouragement.

Selecting Appropriate Graphics for Web Sites :: Websites Internet Computers Essays

Selecting Appropriate Graphics for Web Sites In giving recommendations concerning appropriate images for a splash page of a website to a beginning web developer, it is important for graphics to be relevant to a website, diverse in gender, age, and race, and appropriate in the use of color. Using Relevant Graphics I would first suggest that all graphics should be relevant to the subject of the website. If a graphic is not serving any purpose at all, I would suggest not using it because some users may become annoyed at the unneeded use of graphics. This leads me to the two fundamental purposes of graphics which Dr. Palmer discussed in class on Tuesday, February 17, 2004. Along with my course in technical editing, I have learned that graphics have either a motivational or functional purpose. I would explain to the web developer that a graphic should either draw the attention of the user (motivational) or aid in the explanation of the text (functional). After thinking of these two purposes, it would then be appropriate to address the type of graphic and context in which it will be used. For a splash page of a website, I would recommend using a photograph or clip art graphic that is both visually appealing and defining of the subject of the website. I chose these two types of graphics because of their appropriateness to a universal audience. These types of graphics are usually both visually appealing and interesting. As Susan Hilligoss and Tharon Howard state in Visual Communication: A Writer’s Guide, â€Å"Readers take in a document’s visual design and images immediately. We apply lasting memories of images across the documents we encounter. Thus the design affects readers’ first impressions of genre, interest, and importance† (8). The graphic chosen will form the first impression of the reader, therefore, graphics must be chosen with much thought. Using Diverse Graphics When choosing graphics consider that websites can be accessed by all ages and races. For this reason, a web developer should consider the appropriateness of graphics and be prepared to accept the consequences if pictures are not appropriate for younger viewers. As was discussed in class, graphics must be diverse in both ethnicity and gender. Graphics must have an even dispersal of both males and females and must not be one-sided to any race. The web designer has to remember that the world is very diverse and not everyone is just like him/herself.

Bandag Automative Case Study Essay

1. Given Bandag Auto’s size, and anything else you know about it, explain why and how the human resource management function should be reorganized. Answer: Firstly, we recommend that Bandag Automotive form a new, separate Human Resources Unit that will be dedicated to the Bandag’s new strategy. Bandag Automotive does not have a business strategy, so the new Human Resource Unit will provide this statement, which will allow strategic human resources to operate: ‘Bandag Automotive’s business strategy is to achieve superior levels of customer service and high profitability through a highly committed workforce.’ Jim will no longer have direct HR responsibilities with the employees; everything will be handled through the new HR organization chart. The new HR manager will help formulate business strategies and policies and identify workforce requirements. Jim’s father has a lot of experience with the company and has created an excellent relationship with the employees. He will be a good advisor for the new HR manager. The new HR manager will have these tasks, pulled from the Department of Labor’s O*NET: * Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems. * Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements. * Advise managers on organizational policy matters such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes. * Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures. * Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives. * Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview and select applicants. * Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations. * Plan, organize, direct, control or coordinate the personnel, training, or labor relations activities of an organization. * Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations. * Administer compensation, benefits and performance management systems, and safety and  recreation programs. The new HR manager with the help of Jim’s father, will survey the current employees to get to know them better and to prepare for job analysis. 2. Recommend what Bandag should change and/or improve upon regarding the current HR systems, forms, and practices the company now uses. Answer: Bandag should revoke all contacts with the external HR firm that had been hired previously. Now, the new HR manager will completely separate Bandag from the external agencies. He will have prepared the HR policies that work along with the company’s new strategy. All required forms will be internally generated. To ensure independence from the HR agencies, the manager will recruit two HR assistants to assist. One will be responsible for the recruiting, orienting, and training of new employee and employee advocacy. The second will be responsible for evaluating current employees, tracking promotions, proper counseling and firing of employees, and training current employees on new policies. Of course, the legal part of HR that Jim had many problems with will now be the responsibility of the HR manager. Finally, Jim, Jim’s father, and HR will evaluate the effect of the new unit on Bandag Automotive and its HR issues. The problems facing Bandag automotive result from a lack of a dedicated HR staff. Jim’s policies are not wrong, but they are applied in the wrong way. If the HR unit is not created it will lead to continuing problems and the gap between the employees and employer will be increased. In the end, poor HR management will give Bandag Automotive a bad reputation and will lead to a drop in quality, loss of customers and lower profit. 3. Jim fired an employee for creating what the manager called a poisonous relationship. Explain whether or not the employee has a legitimate claim against the company and the actions the company should take. Answer: Henry Jacques was fired because his manager reported that while he was doing the technical part of his job well, he had serious problems interacting with his coworkers and was making his store poisonous. Jim approved Henry’s dismissal. Though Henry’s manager had heard that he has a mental illness, he did not take that into account when evaluating Henry. Henry also never brought it to his management’s attention if he indeed has a mental illness.  In that case Henry does not have a legitimate claim against Bandag Automotive. He was warned in his performance appraisals that he had problems working in a team environment, and he never brought up the fact that he has a disability. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the employee must establish he has a covered disability. Also, we do not have enough information on Henry’s claim to know if this is his defense. We believe he was fired appropriately; however, the right thing to do in this situation was to first transfer Henry to another position and to give him a final warning. In this position, most of his work should not be on a team. If he continues to be problematic when working on his own, a discharge would be more appropriate. 4. Miriam, the controller, is basically claiming that the company is retaliating against her for being pregnant, and that the fact that the company raised performance issues was just a smokescreen. Explain whether or not the EEOC and/or courts would agree with her and the actions the company should take now. Answer: Miriam had been with Bandag Automotive for six years. She went on pregnancy leave for twelve weeks under the FMLA, and then received an extra three-week leave under Bandag’s extended-illness-days program. Miriam was recently fired by Jim because she had been turning her budgets in late and possibly forged some documents. If we assume that Jim’s claims are solid, he had a right to fire her for misconduct. We believe that her claim of wrongful discharge related to her pregnancy is unfounded. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), in our opinion, will not agree with her and will not fight the case on her behalf. In addition, she resumed work for three months after her leave, and may be angry because her request to adjust her schedule was refused. If she wasn’t happy with her schedule she could have quit. Bandag’s HR system failed here because a job description and contract could have prescribed specific working hours, which she would have to abide by. 5. An employee who is deaf has asked to switch jobs to be a delivery person and he was turned down. He is now threatening to sue. Recommend what the company should do and describe why. Answer: A truck maintenance employee who is deaf, applied for a job driving one of Bandag’s distribution trucks, and Jim directly turned him down because of his disability. We believe that the employee will win if he sues Jim, unless Jim can prove that the employee was denied because there were more qualified applicants and in no way because of his disability. Yet it is still pretty risky because the court system is very strict about the Americans with Disabilities Act. If the deaf employee can prove that Jim thinks that is absurd for a disabled person to drive a truck, he will win and cause monetary and public damages to the company. Our solution to mitigate the problem is to rescreen all applicants, including the employee to see if he is qualified for the job. If he is, offer him the job if he is still interested, and he will hopefully drop the case.

Free Essays on God Exist

One of the most predominate issues that is considered in the human mind today is of the question, "Does God exist?" Logically speaking there are rules, or more often called, laws that govern the way we act and think, one of such laws is looked at as the law of excluded middle. In this rule we basically identify that in some issues there is no middle ground, an object cannot both possess and not possess a certain trait or characteristic at the same time in the same fashion, either something is or it is not. The statement "God exist," is a precisely stated position. Thus, we recognize that it is either true or false. The fact is that one can not logically affirm that God does and does not exist at the same time, atheist believe that Gad does not exist, theist believe He does, and agnostic, exerts the idea that not enough information is available to make the decision. So who is right? Does God exist or does, he not? The only way to satisfy the question is to seek out and study the evidence, proving finally that God does indeed exist. Most predominate among the arguments of an atheist is the creation of the universe and that is self-created, however, the idea is simple improvable and discreditable by scientific reason. The fact stands that God is the Creator, and through Him all things are possible, being as it may God clearly created the universe and likewise everything in it. From this we gather that the universe either had a beginning, or it did not. However, all available evidenced indicates that the universe had a beginning. Since the universe had a beginning it had to have a cause, the universe is an effect, and by definition there is no effect without a cause. Nothing causeless happens. So Nicholas 2 then the question is asked who or what created the universe, (a) an existence before it, i.e., some eternal, uncaused First Cause, (b) is superior to it since the created cannot be superior to the creator; and (c) i... Free Essays on God Exist Free Essays on God Exist One of the most predominate issues that is considered in the human mind today is of the question, "Does God exist?" Logically speaking there are rules, or more often called, laws that govern the way we act and think, one of such laws is looked at as the law of excluded middle. In this rule we basically identify that in some issues there is no middle ground, an object cannot both possess and not possess a certain trait or characteristic at the same time in the same fashion, either something is or it is not. The statement "God exist," is a precisely stated position. Thus, we recognize that it is either true or false. The fact is that one can not logically affirm that God does and does not exist at the same time, atheist believe that Gad does not exist, theist believe He does, and agnostic, exerts the idea that not enough information is available to make the decision. So who is right? Does God exist or does, he not? The only way to satisfy the question is to seek out and study the evidence, proving finally that God does indeed exist. Most predominate among the arguments of an atheist is the creation of the universe and that is self-created, however, the idea is simple improvable and discreditable by scientific reason. The fact stands that God is the Creator, and through Him all things are possible, being as it may God clearly created the universe and likewise everything in it. From this we gather that the universe either had a beginning, or it did not. However, all available evidenced indicates that the universe had a beginning. Since the universe had a beginning it had to have a cause, the universe is an effect, and by definition there is no effect without a cause. Nothing causeless happens. So Nicholas 2 then the question is asked who or what created the universe, (a) an existence before it, i.e., some eternal, uncaused First Cause, (b) is superior to it since the created cannot be superior to the creator; and (c) i...

Freedom of Speech and Expression Essays

Freedom of Speech and Expression Essays Freedom of Speech and Expression Essay Freedom of Speech and Expression Essay Freedom of speech and expression The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1 adopted in 1948, provides, in Article 19, that: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. [1] Technically, as a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly rather than a treaty, it is not legally binding in its entirety on members of the UN. Furthermore, whilst some of its provisions are considered to form part of customary international law, there is dispute as to which. Freedom of speech is granted unambiguous protection in international law by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which is binding on around 150 nations. In adopting the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Australia and the Netherlands insisted on reservations to Article 19 insofar as it might be held to affect their systems of regulating and licensing broadcasting. The majority of African constitutions provide legal protection for freedom of speech. However, these rights are exercised inconsistently in practice. 1. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, provides, in Article 19, The replacement of authoritarian regimes in Kenya and Ghana has substantially improved the situation in those countries. On the other hand, Eritrea allows no independent media and uses draft evasion as a pretext to crack down on any dissent, spoken or otherwise. : One of the poorest and smallest nations in Africa, Eritrea is now the largest prison for journalists; since 2001, fourteen journalists have been imprisoned in unknown places without a trial. Sudan, Libya, and Equatorial Guinea also have repressive laws and practices. In addition, many state radio stations (which are the primary source of news for illiterate people) are under tight control and programs, especially talk shows providing a forum to complain about the government, are often censored. Also countries like Somalia and Egypt provide legal protection for freedom of speech but it is not used publicly. South Africa is probably the most liberal in granting freedom of speech, however in light of South Africas racial and discriminatory history, particularly the Apartheid era, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 precludes expression that is tantamount to the advocacy of hatred based on some listed grounds. Freedom of speech and expression are both protected and limited by a section in the South African Bill of Rights, 2 2. South African Bill of Rights, chapters 2 of the Constitution. Section 16 makes the following provisions: Freedom of expression (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, which includes- (a) Freedom of the press and other media; (b) Freedom to receive or impart information or ideas; (c) Freedom of artistic creativity; and (d) Academic freedom and freedom of scientific research. Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by many state constitutions and state and federal laws, with the exception of obscenity, defamation, incitement to riot, and fighting words, as well as harassment, privileged communications, trade secrets, classified material, copyright, patents, military conduct, commercial speech such as advertising, and time, place and manner restrictions. Criticism of the government and advocacy of unpopular ideas that people may find distasteful or against public policy, such as racism, sexism, and other hate speech are almost always permitted. There are exceptions to these general protections, including the Miller test for obscenity, child pornography laws, speech that incites imminent lawless action, and regulation of commercial speech such as advertising. 3. First Amendment to the United States Constitution Within these limited areas, other limitations on free speech balance rights to free speech and other rights, such as rights for authors and inventors over their works and discoveries (copyright and patent), interests in fair political campaigns (Campaign finance laws), protection from imminent or potential violence against particular persons (restrictions on fighting words), or the use of untruths to harm others (slander). Distinctions are often made between speech and other acts which may have symbolic significance. Flag desecration has continually, albeit controversially, been protected by the First Amendment, despite state laws to the contrary. A Constitutional Amendment has been introduced to contravene the First Amendments protection on flag burning, but it has failed to acquire the requisite enactment by all the states. Despite the exceptions, the legal protections of the First Amendment are some of the broadest of any industrialized nation, and remain a critical, and occasionally controversial, component of American jurisprudence. The freedom of speech is regarded as the first condition of liberty. It occupies a preferred and important position in the hierarchy of the liberty, it is truly said about the freedom of speech that it is the mother of all other liberties. Freedom of Speech and expression means the right to express ones own convictions and opinions freely by words of mouth, writing, printing, pictures or any other mode. In modern time it is widely accepted that the right to freedom of speech is the essence of free society and it must be safeguarded at all time. The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of words in an open forum. Liberty to express opinions and ideas without hindrance, and especially without fear of punishment plays significant role in the development of that particular society and ultimately for that state. It is one of the most important fundamental liberties guaranteed against state suppression or regulation. Freedom of speech is guaranteed not only by the constitution or statutes of various states but also by various international conventions like Universal Declaration of Human Rights, European convention on Human Rights and fundamental freedoms, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights etc. These declarations expressly talk about protection of freedom of speech and expression. 4 Why to protect freedom of speech? Freedom of speech offers human being to express his feelings to other, but this is not the only reason; purpose to protect the freedom of speech. There could be more reasons to protect these essential liberties. There are four important justifications for freedom of speech – 1) For the discovery of truth by open discussion According to it, if restrictions on speech are tolerated, society prevents the ascertainment and publication of accurate facts and valuable opinion. That is to say, it assists in the discovery of truth. 2) 2) Free speech as an aspect of self- fulfillment and development – freedom of speech is an integral aspect of each individual’s right to self-development and self-fulfillment. Restriction on what we are allowed to say and write or to hear and read will hamper our personality and its growth. It helps an individual to attain self-fulfillment. 4. European convention on Human Rights and fundamental freedoms 3) For expressing belief and political attitudes freedom of speech provides opportunity to express one’s belief and show political attitudes. It ultimately results in the welfare of the society and state. Thus, freedom of speech provides a mechanism by which it would be possible to establish a reasonable balance between stability and social change. 4) For active participation in democracy – democracy is most important feature of today’s world. Freedom of speech is there to protect the right of all citizens to understand political issues so that they can participate in smooth working of democracy. That is to say, freedom of speech strengthens the capacity of an individual in participating in decision-making. Thus we find that protection of freedom of speech is very much essential. Protection of freedom of speech is important for the discovery of truth by open discussion, for self- fulfillment and development, for expressing belief and political attitudes, and for active participation in democracy. The present study is intended to present the provisions of the American and Indian Constitution which recognize the freedom of speech and expression, the basic fundamental rights of human being. It is also to be examined that what is judicial trend in interpreting the freedom of speech and expression provisions. The study also covers the Comparison between the approaches of both countries as far as freedom of speech is concerned. Freedom of Speech in India Freedom of speech enjoys special position as far India is concerned. The importance of freedom of expression and speech can be easily understand by the fact that preamble of constitution itself ensures to all citizens inter alia, liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship. The constitutional significance of the freedom of speech consists in the Preamble of Constitution and is transformed as fundamental and human right in Article 19(1) (a) as â€Å"freedom of speech and expression†. Explaining the scope of freedom of speech and expression Supreme Court has said that the words freedom of speech and expression must be broadly constructed to include the freedom to circulate ones views by words of mouth or in writing or through audiovisual instrumentalities. Freedom of Speech and expression means the right to express ones own convictions and opinions freely by words of mouth, writing, printing, pictures or any other mode. It thus includes the expression of ones idea through any communicable medium or visible representation, such as gesture, signs, and the like. Moreover, it is important to note that liberty of one must not offend the liberty of others. Patanjali Shastri,J. in A. K. Gopalan case, observed,6 â€Å"man as a rational being desires to do many things, but in a civil society his desires will have to be controlled with the exercise of similar desires by other individuals†. It therefore includes the right to propagate ones views through the print medi a or through any other communication channel e. g. the radio and the television. Every citizen of this country therefore has the right to air his or their views through the printing and or the electronic media subject of course to permissible restrictions imposed under Article 19(2) of the Constitution. 5. Preamble of Constitution 6. A. I. R-1950 In sum, the fundamental principle involved here is the peoples right to know. Freedom of speech and expression should, therefore, receive generous support from all those who believe in the participation of people in the administration. We can see the guarantee of freedom of speech under following heads. Freedom of Press Although Article 19 does not express provision for freedom of press but the fundamental right of the freedom of press implicit in the right the freedom of speech and expression. In the famous case Express Newspapers (Bombay) (P) Ltd. v. Union of India court observed the importance of press very aptly. Court held in this case that â€Å"In today’s free world freedom of press is the heart of social and political intercourse. The press has now assumed the role of the public educator making formal and non-formal education possible in a large scale particularly in the developing world, where television and other kinds of modern communication are not still available for all sections of society. The purpose of the press is to advance the public interest by publishing facts and opinions without which a democratic electorate [Government] cannot make responsible judgments. Newspapers being purveyors of news and views having a bearing on public administration very often carry material which would not be palatable to Governments and other authorities. The above statement of the Supreme Court illustrates that the freedom of press is essential for the proper functioning of the democratic process. Democracy means Government of the people, by the people and for the people; it is obvious that every citizen must be entitled to participate in the democratic process and in order to enable him to intelligently exercise his right of making a choice, free and general discussion of public matters is absolutely essential. This explains the constitutional viewpoint of the freedom of press in India. Right to Information Right to know, to information is other facet of freedom of speech. The right to know, to receive and to impart information has been recognized within the right to freedom of speech and expression. A citizen has a fundamental right to use the best means of imparting and receiving information and as such to have an access to telecasting for the purpose. The right to know has, however, not yet extended to the extent of invalidating Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 which prohibits disclosure of certain official documents. Even, Right to Information Act-2005, which specially talks about peoples’ right to ask information from Government official, prohibits discloser of certain documents under u/s 8 of the Act. These exceptions are generally the grounds of reasonable restrictions over freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1) of Constitution of India. One can conclude that right to information is nothing but one small limb of right of speech and expression. 7 7. Right to Information Act-2005

Willy Lomans Evaluation as a Tragic Hero essays

Willy Lomans Evaluation as a Tragic Hero essays In his essay Tragedy And The Common Man, playwright Arthur Miller offers a modern definition for tragedy and a new criteria for the tragic hero. Due to his underlying struggle...attempting to gain his rightful position in his society, Willy is a perfect example of Arthur Millers idea of a tragic hero (Tragedy 228).Willy exemplifies four aspects of Arthur Millers utopian tragic hero; he possesses a tragic flaw, he is degraded by society, his surroundings seem to conspire against him, and despite his hardships he struggles against the world to maintain his dignity. Tragic heroes are often characterized because they bear a tragic flaw. Willys obvious tragic flaw is his pride. He takes pride in everything he does, he even says, Call out the name Willy Loman and see what happens!, just to display to his sons how much pride he takes in his name (Death 62). His lifelong dream was to live the life of a salesman and to die the death of a salesman, and for people to recognize his name everywhere that he traveled (Death 81). He struggles with the reality that he was unsuccessful in completing his dream, and refuses to stop trying. He becomes indignant with his piers when they try to explain that he was a failure, for example when he says, I am not a cripple! (Death 84). He is in a sense crippled by his neglection to see reality and only to believe what he perceives as reality in his mind. His tragic flaw is a major component of his ability to become a tragic hero. Willy Loman is aging and losing his mental stability. This is clear to many of the people in his environment. They begin to conceive him as useless and degrade him to a lower standard in society. Willy refuses to realize that he deserves nothing more than to be considered with the same respect as any regular man. Arthur Miller says that Tragedy is a consequence of a mans total compulsi...

Case Study Report - Introduction to Marketing Essay

Case Study Report - Introduction to Marketing - Essay Example They are efficient in their own term of making the product efficiently, however they did not have any proper marketing knowledge to launch their product. Here we try to help them by considering different issues to evaluate the market. What types of customers are able and like to buy the urban shack product is discussed by consumer segmentation. Here we try to find the group of customers, who will be their target customer. Next we try to identify the business segmentation of Eco Shack. Irrespective of the individual customers, in terms of B2B business that can be approached also the findings in this sector. The branding and positioning of the product also discussed here. What strategies will maximise the customer attraction is the main motto here. In pricing approach, the company is likely to use the cost based approach. What are the basic advantages and disadvantages of this approach is also discussed here.... Some may needed a spare room for their business, or accommodate study or for the older parents or children. As the New Zealander also love to go summer vacation in different destinations like sea beach or mountain, most of them are situated in remote areas, where they need accommodations. A shack which is a type of small, often primitive shelter can use for these type of needs. As the environment is changing one should consider the environment factor while considering the accommodations. As it authorised by the Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EFCA) new building developers increased the usage of insulation rating requirements. Mr. Dough who holds a diploma degree from National Diploma in Architectural Technology (NDAT), and Mr. Paul, who is a qualified welder have come up with two Eco products – Eco shack and urban eco shack. Eco –Shacks are 2.4 to 3 meters wide and varying length from 3.6 meters long transportable building. This can be easily transported by an He rb truck or by Helicopter. It also maintains the NZS3604 standard. With a minimum50 years of life, it has several features like it built on timer framing, eco-ply cladding, wind turbine, battery storage, composting toilet, phone and data connection, long run colour, steel roofing and many other features. It will cost around NZ$35,000 to $40,000. The Urban Eco Shack is having some more features like wool carpet, Sensor light, smoke alarm. It sized about 3.6*2.4 meter floor area with 0.9*2.4 meter deck. The unit cost will be NZ$12,500. However this has been advertised on Trade &Exchange and in The New Zealand Herald, the owner is unable to find any response. In the following areas we try to find different market segmentation. Consumer segmentation Consumer segmentation

Multiple Intelligences profile and teaching style Research Paper

Multiple Intelligences profile and teaching style - Research Paper Example We are all so different largely because we have different combinations of intelligences. If we recognize this, I think we will have at least a better chance of dealing appropriately with the many problems that we face in the world (Gardner, 2006, p. 24). Nature, language, and body movement are on the first place in my intelligences profile. Active life and sports are equally important for mind and body, while sensibility to nature and environment sharpens the feeling of responsibility and awareness of the wonderful creatures we live among. Linguistic intelligence is important, because it helps to better express oneself as well as better understand other people. The power of a word was proven by a great philosopher and eloquent speaker, Socrates. Other intelligences with the score higher than 3 are interpersonal, intrapersonal, spatial, logical-mathematical also play important role in my life. Finally, musical intelligence is just 1.57. It is rather low because I neither sing nor play any instruments. However, I pride classical as well as popular music. Obviously, my teaching style is influenced by my intelligences. So, I pay much attention at students’ use of language, their vocabulary and ability to express themselves clearly. Furthermore, I favor students who know a lot about nature and natural processes, while students with musical intelligence are basically left without attention. I think it would be reasonable to include some tasks which are at least partially related to musical sphere. Thus, no matter what one is teaching Armstrong suggests to â€Å"put into a rhythmic format that can be either sung, rapped, or changed† (2009, p. 85). A classroom where all or at least most of the combinations of intelligences are welcomed and developed is the key to the most fruitful learning environment of any subject which is taught. Many educators successfully incorporate Gardener’s MI theory and classroom recommendations in their daily work. Diver se students with different intelligences demand complex and multi-sided approach to teaching philosophy and instructions. Lazear (2003) has employed his personal and professional teaching experience in this theory of multiple intelligences and its application in the classroom. His most observations and practical application are based on teaching his two daughters at high and grade school levels. Lazear (2003) defines teaching strategies in Multiple Intelligences Toolbox. Obviously, appropriate application of the theory of multiple intelligences in classroom creates student-oriented environment. To accommodate diverse students’ learning styles I need to make some changes in my approaches to teaching. It has to be a planned step-by-step approach followed by reflective observation and analysis. Teaching English, for instance, there are many ways of incorporating music into instructions which will both teach English language skills and meet needs of students who are strong in mus ic. After listening to a musical piece by Bach or Beethoven students can be asked to write composition on a specific topic, use specific adjectives or adverbs, express their feelings verbally, write a song or poem on the theme of the music piece. Depending on the grade level students may learn some grammatical rule chanting the song with

Why US foreign policy towards Cuba has not thawed since the end of the Dissertation

Why US foreign policy towards Cuba has not thawed since the end of the cold war - Dissertation Example s in the field of foreign relations. More specifically, most of the researches involving this particular topic focused on the development of the foreign relations between the two. Indeed, the relationship between the United States of America and Cuba can be traced as far as the Spanish-American war, when Cuba attained its independence. The two began a good relationship but eventually became bitter after accession of Fidel Castro into power. This research offers an extensive review of the foreign policy of the United States of America towards Cuba, focusing on the primary sources such as the speeches of Fidel Castro, his books and the like. Chapter 1: (Condensed to 1,420 words) Introduction Background of the Study The relationship between Cuba and the United States started when the Spanish-American war ended. Spain was defeated by the United States in this particular war (Osieja, 2006; Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). As such, the United States granted the then colonies of Spain their ind ependence with the condition that the United States could intervene in their internal affairs if it becomes necessary (Aronson, Rogers, Sweig & Meid, 2001; Gibbs & Gibbs, 2011). In line with this agreement, Cuba has also granted a perpetual lease in favor of the United States of its naval base at Guantanamo bay (Haney & Vanderbush, 2005). The two countries cooperated with one another for the next fifty years after the independence of Cuba (Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). The United States play an important role in terms of aiding Cuba in quelling down rebellions (Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). Furthermore, the United States also began to pour in economic investments into the country in order to help them develop. However, things began to change with the 1959 Cuban Revolution (Gibbs & Gibbs, 2011). Primarily, the United States expressed support towards Castro by imposing an arms embargo against the administration of then-President General Fulgencio Bautista. In fact, the United States imm ediately recognized the government of Castro (Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). However, the Castro government began seizing private lands and nationalized private companies, including those of American origin (Haney & Vanderbush, 2005; Osieja, 2006). As a result thereof, the administration of then-President Eisenhower responded by imposing trade restrictions except for the basic necessities such as food and medicines (Gibbs & Gibbs, 2011). As a response to the alleged â€Å"Yankee-Imperialism,† Castro decided to start trading with the Soviet Union instead (Meacham, 2009). In this regard, the United States dissolved all diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and from then on, the unfriendly relationship between the two begun (Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). Indeed, the bitter relationship between Cuba and the United States worsened upon the accession of Fidel Castro in 1959. The relationship between the two has evolved into bitter arguments, political grandstanding and eventually resorted to an international crises (Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). In fact, since 1961, the two countries have failed to enter into a bilateral agreement and would often call upon Switzerland as their mediator should they need to negotiate on certain matters (Aronson, Rogers, Sweig & Meid, 2001; Haney & Vanderbush, 2005). The relationship

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 13

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Definition of Team Work: A group of individuals who are working together to achieve a common goal is known as teamwork. "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." (Andrew Carnegie, Aviano Air Base, Italy, 2007) Teamwork is a process of working together and achieving common goals. In order to understand teamwork better, we need to differentiate between teamwork and group. Distinction between Teamwork and Group Group: A group is just a collection of people with something in common, such as being in the same place or having a shared interest. In a group, members work independently and do not trust other members. Moreover, they do not share their knowledge with each other. Team Work: In a team, people work together for specific goals and usually with particular roles for different members of the team. In Teams, people work interdependently and they know they can accomplish goals by mutual help. Moreover they trust each other, and share their knowledge. In short, team helps people to accept the idea of working together, following the rules and achieving mutual goals, instead of working on independent goals. Therefore, team helps people share ideas which ultimately lead them to innovation and better opportunity. IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK: According to a Chinese Proverb â€Å"behind an able man there are always other able men†. To achieve success in life, we have to work together because teamwork is the heart of great achievement.

Legal Based Analysis of The Leveson Inquiry Essay

Legal Based Analysis of The Leveson Inquiry - Essay Example By extension, this inquiry serves as the starting point within which a framework for regulating the media can be based and then modalities developed to handle any malpractices within the press. Although the inquiry started with a narrow area of scope, it soon snowballed into an enigma revolving around media ethics or its absence within journalism. Journalism and press are synonymous with each given their close association. It follows then that when either of them is brought into disrepute, then automatically the other one is also adversely affected. In the case of Lord Justice Leveson inquiry, a lot of dirt was dug out with regards to the rot within the British press. This rot was evidently brought by tabloid journalist s hungry for recognition at the expense of high ethical standards that have existed within British Press. On the sides, the police and the politicians turned a deaf ear to the declining ethical standards all the while assuming casual demeanour. A close scrutiny of Lor d Leveson’s inquiry1 reveals a tinge of mediocre and serious issues that affect the society at large. In large parts of the report, the matters being focussed are less serious like tabloid journalism. However, this does not in any way let the mainstream press of the hook since the rulings and recommendations will affect all forms of press across the board. One of the concerns about the report is that, it tries to compare and handle journalism like other professions like medicine or engineering. This is partly because every profession has got different ethical standards to observe and these standards are not directly transferable to other professions. To say the least, there is very little articulation about the new technologies of communication which is very similar to journalism. Take for instance someone who is blogging or posting information on the internet is more or less a reporter. There appears to be thin line between mainstream journalism and tabloids which is the foc al point of the report. First off, the mess and decline of the ethical standards within the British Press have been largely caused by tabloids and exacerbated by both politicians and police. The latter two have failed to act swift and nip the problem at the bud which has led to them being caught up and entangled within this elaborate web of decay. As a way of affirming the guilty of the tabloids and their insensibility to the reality of the matter, both the politicians and police have been apt in siding and backing up the findings of the report. However, their swift move does not exonerate them from their shortcomings and failure which they have propagated within the past couple of years. It would seem seldom sensible to act fast to mop up the rot since much of the ethical practices carried by the parties adversely mentioned in the inquiry are outlawed within the law. Some of these unlawful undertakings include; phone tapping, harassment among other equally heinous acts within the p ublic domain. Of interest in all these subtle crimes within the press and reporting sphere is the fact that despite the existence of legislations outlawing such activities, they happen unabated by the law. One of the most astounding recommendations of by the report is to replace the

Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Introduction to Mechanical Engineering - Essay Example Mechanical engineering is among the oldest engineering branches. The branch has also been named as the ‘mother’ branch of engineering. One appealing characteristic of mechanical engineering is the extreme broadness and diversity of its application base. Nearly all inventions made in the ancient times and most in this modern era are attributed to one or more applications of mechanical engineering (ASME International). Mechanical engineers are usually involved in concepts like thermodynamics, kinematics, robotics, fluid mechanics, structural analysis among others. The above concepts are used in the designing process of state-of-the-art units of manufacturing, aerospace and aircraft parts, a range of industrial machinery and various motor vehicle types. Mechanical engineers have a large contribution to the development of different power-plant equipment, engines, complex and simple machinery and cooling and heating systems. Apart from designing mechanical systems, mechanical engineers are also involved in maintaining, testing and manufacturing them (Wickert 2). The abovementioned are the conventional responsibilities and roles of mechanical engineers. ... list of 36 technical divisions, ranging from aerospace engineering and sophisticated energy systems to textile engineering and solid-waste engineering. Due to the diverse nature of mechanical engineering, professionals are involved in designing and building of devices and machines which allow people to survive and work under water, on the ground, in the air and in space. They manufacture machines which can extend people’s abilities, health and living standards, and impact their living environment. Naturally, the availability of materials for tackling their tasks determine most of the things these professionals can or cannot achieve. This is the reason why engineers work closely with material scientists with the aim of tailoring the mechanical as well as electrical and chemical characteristics of materials to explore the possibility of making new applications (Wickert 7). The job profile of mechanical engineering is ever increasing and this calls for professionals to venture in to marketing and financial features of product development as well as into management of both people and resources. In general, mechanical engineering provides a wide range of job choices to students seeking a stable and interesting career. Beginning Your Journey into Mechanical Engineering The first step to take in order to become a mechanical engineer is passing in chemistry, mathematics and physics. To qualify for enrollment into a mechanical engineering programme in a college, one should score at least 50 to 60 percent in the three subjects. After this, one is expected to sit for entrance examinations like The Joint Entrance Examination for IITs (IITJEE) to be admitted to different IITs among others. There are numerous engineering colleges in the world where one can get enrolled into a

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 13

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Definition of Team Work: A group of individuals who are working together to achieve a common goal is known as teamwork. "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." (Andrew Carnegie, Aviano Air Base, Italy, 2007) Teamwork is a process of working together and achieving common goals. In order to understand teamwork better, we need to differentiate between teamwork and group. Distinction between Teamwork and Group Group: A group is just a collection of people with something in common, such as being in the same place or having a shared interest. In a group, members work independently and do not trust other members. Moreover, they do not share their knowledge with each other. Team Work: In a team, people work together for specific goals and usually with particular roles for different members of the team. In Teams, people work interdependently and they know they can accomplish goals by mutual help. Moreover they trust each other, and share their knowledge. In short, team helps people to accept the idea of working together, following the rules and achieving mutual goals, instead of working on independent goals. Therefore, team helps people share ideas which ultimately lead them to innovation and better opportunity. IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK: According to a Chinese Proverb â€Å"behind an able man there are always other able men†. To achieve success in life, we have to work together because teamwork is the heart of great achievement.

Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Introduction to Mechanical Engineering - Essay Example Mechanical engineering is among the oldest engineering branches. The branch has also been named as the ‘mother’ branch of engineering. One appealing characteristic of mechanical engineering is the extreme broadness and diversity of its application base. Nearly all inventions made in the ancient times and most in this modern era are attributed to one or more applications of mechanical engineering (ASME International). Mechanical engineers are usually involved in concepts like thermodynamics, kinematics, robotics, fluid mechanics, structural analysis among others. The above concepts are used in the designing process of state-of-the-art units of manufacturing, aerospace and aircraft parts, a range of industrial machinery and various motor vehicle types. Mechanical engineers have a large contribution to the development of different power-plant equipment, engines, complex and simple machinery and cooling and heating systems. Apart from designing mechanical systems, mechanical engineers are also involved in maintaining, testing and manufacturing them (Wickert 2). The abovementioned are the conventional responsibilities and roles of mechanical engineers. ... list of 36 technical divisions, ranging from aerospace engineering and sophisticated energy systems to textile engineering and solid-waste engineering. Due to the diverse nature of mechanical engineering, professionals are involved in designing and building of devices and machines which allow people to survive and work under water, on the ground, in the air and in space. They manufacture machines which can extend people’s abilities, health and living standards, and impact their living environment. Naturally, the availability of materials for tackling their tasks determine most of the things these professionals can or cannot achieve. This is the reason why engineers work closely with material scientists with the aim of tailoring the mechanical as well as electrical and chemical characteristics of materials to explore the possibility of making new applications (Wickert 7). The job profile of mechanical engineering is ever increasing and this calls for professionals to venture in to marketing and financial features of product development as well as into management of both people and resources. In general, mechanical engineering provides a wide range of job choices to students seeking a stable and interesting career. Beginning Your Journey into Mechanical Engineering The first step to take in order to become a mechanical engineer is passing in chemistry, mathematics and physics. To qualify for enrollment into a mechanical engineering programme in a college, one should score at least 50 to 60 percent in the three subjects. After this, one is expected to sit for entrance examinations like The Joint Entrance Examination for IITs (IITJEE) to be admitted to different IITs among others. There are numerous engineering colleges in the world where one can get enrolled into a

Race & the workplace Essay Example for Free

Race the workplace Essay The information derived from the empirical manipulations of race of worker also revealed that depicted race has an influence to the childrens own aspirations in performing different jobs. Primarily, children ranked their own levels of interest in engaging themselves in the depicted novel jobs as notably lower when the jobs had been solely performed by African Americans than when the jobs are exclusively executed by their European counterparts or by both races. Additionally, this information are exceptionally illustrative in the sense that they clearly signify that race of occupational models – independent from the content and operations of these jobs themselves (held constant) – influences the childrens job preferences (Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). To supplement the manifestation of racial hints in the childrens assessment about jobs at the group levels, the current information also contribute to our comprehension of influential and group differences in the African American childrens job stereotyping, assessments and aspirations. In conformity with the reality theory developed by Hale (1980) which states that the socio – economic factors do appear to affect the childrens job assessments, especially during their adolescent stage. The older children (11 – 12 years of age) coming from families with lower socio – economic backgrounds exhibited less interest in engaging themselves in common jobs that were dominated by their European counterparts, therefore conceived to be higher in rank. Probably, economic factors are significant in this finding, with children from lower socio – economic backgrounds recognizing that they are financially challenged to seek occupations that demands higher educational attainment (Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). Conforming with the patterns for familiar jobs, children 11 – 12 years of age from higher – but not lower socio – economic backgrounds, were notably more attracted to engage themselves in novel jobs that they deemed to be exclusively carried out by their European counterparts or represented both races than they were in jobs that appear to be exclusively carried out by African Americans. Apparently, it is not feasible to identify the determinant of race of occupational worker in children from various age brackets and economic class solely on the grounds this set of information (cited in Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p.578).. In reference to the findings of Spencer (1985), primarily and in occupational context, the older African American childrens occupational aspirations are affected by their awareness of race prejudice in the society. Financially challenged children may be significantly unprepared to confront the recognized racial prejudice made by the majority (cited in Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). There is a possibility that the African American childrens economic constraints concepts lessen their interest in the so – called high – status and difficult – to – reach jobs. Nonetheless, it is certain that as young as 6 years of age, African American children have already formed racial foundations that integrate ideals about occupations. Such foundations substantially influence their job concepts and goals. Then again, these foundations significantly vary in relation to the childrens socio – economic status (Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). Acknowledging the presence of the two types of vicious cycles to race and jobs, the comparison shown between the ratings of status as well as the race of workers is disturbing. For one, African American children, specifically the impoverished ones, may be more inclined to aspire low – status jobs. Such jobs were minorities are overrepresented in. As a result, the dominance of the minorities is kept. However, this can result to another generation of twisted models of impoverished African American. In addition, while there may be jobs made available for more privileged African Americans, in time, just because of their race, they may be dismissed as lower in status in society. Furthermore levels of pay and prestige may also be brought down low (cited in Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). Ultimately, it is essential to note that this study is but one of the many steps to take in the development of an understanding of how occupational assessments are influenced by race. Socio – economic status is but an estimated indicator of the family incidents that may influence occupational stereotyping and ambitions. Additional studies should be administered to thoroughly observe how financial restrictions formed vocational hopes and ambitions. Moreover, additional studies should encompass considerations of how families talk about occupations, the kinds of role models presented by parent’s own job and how school and neighborhood context influence occupational stereotyping (Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). Investigating these issues among other samples of African American children and children from other ethnic and racial groups is also vital. Evidently, additional research is required to provide a deeper understanding of the long – term consequences of children with the aid of racial indication as a factor in shaping their opinions on and interests in employment (Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). Race, gender and ethnicity in the workplace must not be an issue. Rather is must be a goal (Ishimaru, 2005). A wide array of skills is very much needed in the American workplace today. Nonetheless, it cannot be delivered by selected group of people alone. This is where workplace diversity serves its purpose. Different people from different culture must share and respect each other’s views and opinions to be able to work out a solution to a problem and eventually affect success (cited in Ishimaru, 2005). Every business must aim to diversify. Simply put, it is the right thing to do after all. Workplace diversity makes a sound business sense. This commands attentiveness, conceptualization and dedication to be meaningful. Moreover, it demands willingness to examine the traditional way of transacting business and what is valued in its workers (Ishimaru, 2005). To be able to create an improvement in the workplace diversity, it is important to reassess one’s values and be able to articulate what merit means. As society continues diversify further, promoting employees who exhibited â€Å"diversity ability† to relate well with co –workers setting aside social demarcation must be stressed (Ishimaru, 2005). Hope must not be lost. Hope in the possibility that life in the midst of cultural diversity is possible. More than a possibility, this kind of life is a must. A life lived in harmony between people of different races is a life lived well. This translates and transcends race lines previously demarcated, all for the purpose of the common good (Racebridges. net, 2007). Researches validate that working in a diversified environment is linked with more substantial interracial relations. In addition more interracial friendships are also built here. A culturally mixed neighborhood is also an example of a diversified environment (Estlund, 2003, p. 10). There are grounds to believe that the noticeably increased prevalence of recounted friendship among different races stems mainly from increased relations and integration in the workplace. However, for the most part, it is not plainly a story of friendship. It is also about the mutual but scattered sense of connectedness that surfaces out of our everyday collaboration, casual amiability, common interests, complaints and triumphs and disappointment among co – employees. Even so, their potential asset is suggested by the incidence with which they build authentic friendship beyond social demarcation. Racial friction and discrimination did not disappear. Nevertheless, they were certainly lessened and combined with feelings of unity, deference, friendship and likeness (Estlund, 2003, p.11). In reality, it is only in the workplace where a more sustained and collaborative interaction can be feasible. It is only there when we can witness this kind of scenario. Everyone must seek ways to be able to collaborate with one another at any given time. This kind of collaboration must be made between people of different races, cultural background and sexual hierarchies. Workplace diversity, relations and collaboration that transcend social demarcation can be counted on to produce increased acceptance and affinity. Moreover, it can possibly create less aggression and stereotyping between different races, culture and tradition (Estlund, 2003, p. 12). In contrast to other generations, we now live in a society characteristically more diverse, mobile and incorporated than ever before. Today we share the world with not just complete strangers but significantly unique individuals (Estlund, 2003, p. 20). On one hand, the chance to establish thick and multi – strand bonds founded on likeness does not come as often. On the other, chances to establish bonds that transcend social demarcation abound. Yet forming the kind of bond that transcends social demarcation is not at all easy. Without the aid of some degree of compulsion, this kind of bond is impossible. Even so, when it does, it is more probably to be slender and more fractious than the kind of bond founded on likeness (Estlund, 2003, p. 20). In effect, these bonds can build trust. It can create a feeling of togetherness, unity for a cause. In time, compounded with the progress towards impartiality and incorporation within the workplace and beyond, trust may be fostered too (Estlund, 2003, p. 20). After all, no man can live alone. It is a dictate of human nature that we need other people in order to survive. The world is a melting pot of different cultures and that thing will remain certain. Other than separating oneself from those he deems to be different, may all people just learn to love and embrace each other’s uniqueness. There is much more to the diversity of this world. It is there to remind man of his individuality. It exists to teach the lesson that differences can indeed be a venue to learn other things and see the beauty of the world from another perspective. References (1989). Racism. In The World Book Encyclopedia (Vol. 19, p. 62). USA: The World Book, Inc. Bigler, R. S. , Averhart, C. J. Liben, L. S. (2003). Race and the Workforce: Occupational Status, Aspirations, and Stereotyping Among African American Children. American Psychological Association, 39, 572 – 580. Estlund, C. (2003). Working Together: How Workplace Bonds Strengthen a Diverse Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ishimaru, S. J. Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee.(2005, August). Value of Racial Segregation of the workforce today. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from www. bna. com/bnabooks/ababna/annual/2005/001. pdf. Racebridges. net. (2007). We All Have a Race: Addressing Race and Racism. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from www. racebridges. net/schools/2006_2007_lessons/WeAllHaveARace. pdf. Williams, F. T. Gibbsmagazine. com. (2001, April 9). Racism is Still Alive. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www. gibbsmagazine. com/Racism%20Still.

The Three Abrahamic Religions

The Three Abrahamic Religions The three Abrahamic Religions do have some things in common, such as the belief that there is only one God, but they have some differences too. Beliefs in profits, beliefs in who is the real God and things such as those make their religions different. A first major difference between the religions is the book they study and follow and how they treat this book. The Islams have a book they call the Quran. The Jewish population has a book called the Talmud, and the Christianity religion has a book name The Bible. What are the differences in these books? Well first of all, they all treat them differently. The Islams never put the Quran below themselves. They think of this as if they were saying, Im higher than God, and Im more important than him. They also take very good care of it. When they arent using it they have it wrapped up inside of a cloth and set it on a high shelf. Also, no one else can touch their Quran without permission from an Islamic believer. The Quran itself states that only those who are clean and pure should touch the sacred text. About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. . The Jewish population studies a book called the Talmud. They read over this book, memorize it, and sometimes go into major detail of what somethi ng in it means. The Talmud is made up of six sections, called Sedarim (orders). Each Seder contains several books called mesachot or tracts (singular: mesachet). The Talmud. Bje.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. . There are eleven mesachot in the Talmud. Each of them deals with many of the different Jewish laws. Lastly, there are the Christians, who study The Bible. The Bible to Christians is like a book full of different ways to live your life. Most people dont treat their bible like a special sacred book. People toss them around, lay in on their nightstand next to their beds, and other things such as that. The Bible has many different sections, some of these sections are in the Old Testament, and some are in the New Testament. Within these sections, there are many, many chapters, and within the chapters there are verses. For instance, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me -Philippians 4:13. Philippians is the section, 4 is the chapter, and 13 is the verse. As you c an see, these books are all very different within each religion. They study them differently, treat them differently, and the text within them is very different. They also have different beliefs in the coming of God and who Jesus was. The Jewish religion believes that the messiah has yet to come, whereas Christianity and Islam believe than Jesus was the messiah. The Jewish believe that messiah will come later in life and they will be taken with him. The Christians and Islams believe at the second coming of Jesus, Jesus will leave the Jewish people behind and only take true believers as to let the Jews accept the fact that this is the second coming of the messiah, then he shall later come back and bring the Jewish people with him. The places where the three religions think they will be taken after Jesus takes them with him are all different also. The Islams think they are going to an eternal paradise. Jews believe one of two things, either they are going to heaven, or they think there is no afterlife. Lastly, Christians believe they will have an eternal heaven. They also have a specific view on a bad afterlife. Islams and Christians both think they will go to eternal hell whereas Jews think they will go to either eternal Gehenna, reincarnation, or no afterlife. They also have different outlooks on the birth and death of Jesus. Christians and Islams believe Jesus was born from a virgin birth, meaning Mary just randomly by Gods will had a child she was to name Jesus. The Jewish people on the other hand think Jesus came by a normal birth, saying that Mary and Joseph had a child together. Then theres the death of Jesus, which they dont agree on either. Islams believe that Jesus did not die but ascended into heaven during crucifixion. The Jewish and Christians populations believe that he died by crucifixion. Comparison of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Religionfacts.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. . Then each religion has an outlook upon the other two religions. The Islam has something to say about Jews and Christians, Christians have something to say about Jews and Islams, and Jews have something to say about Christians and Islams. The Islamic people think that Jews and Christians are respected as People of the Book, but they have wrong beliefs and only partial revelation. This means that Islamic people think that the other two religions are respectable by what the Quran says, but they think that the beliefs of these people are wrong. Jewish people think that both Islam and Christianity are false interpretations and extensions of Judaism. This means that the Jews think that Islams and Christians are completely wrong in what they do and that they are not following or believing what they actually should. The y think that the other two religions should do exactly what the Jewish people do and then they would be following what they need to be. Then there is Christianity. They think that Judaism is a true religion, but with incomplete revelation. Christians believe that Jewish people are right in what they believe in, but they dont think they have full grasp of everything they need to believe in. They also think that Islam is a false religion. Christians believe that Islams are wrong in everything they do and what they are doing is completely wrong. They are against anything Islamic people do, and would never partake in any of it. Comparison of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Religionfacts.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. . Not everyone in this world can believe the same things, do the same things, or even partake in the same activities, but that doesnt mean they cant sometimes get along. These three religions dont hate each other, they just dont always necessarily agree with one another. Its like they are siblings fighting over where to go out to eat. One of them wants seafood, one wants barbecue, and the other wants Italian. Christians want Jesus to come take them away so they can go live an eternal life in heaven, Islams want their God to come save them so they can have an eternal life in paradise, and the Jewish people want Jesus to have his first coming and save them. They all have disagreements on whats right and whats wrong, but they can sometimes get along. For instance, they all believe in one God and worshiping that one God. They all believe that there should be a certain day on which they worship, even though these days are not the same. They all believe in a hell and demons along with angels . They all have a special book of their own that they study, and in that book is the word of that religions God. So you see, they may have many, many differences as the three Abrahamic Religions, but they do have some things in common that they agree about also. About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. . The Talmud. Bje.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. . Comparison of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Religionfacts.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. .

Female Performers in Country Music Essay -- Women Gender Papers

Female Performers in Country Music During the early twentieth century, southern music began to be known by a somewhat more precise and diverse set of classificatory designations such as "country," "blues," and "jazz," Through the phenomenal development of the radio and recording technology, the music of the south rapidly became known throughout the nation. The contributions of early performers such as the great Jimmie Rodgers, Vernon Dalhart, Bob Wills, Milton Browne, the singing cowboys and many others are well documented. But where are the female musicians during the early development of country music, specifically during the 1920s and 1930s? In the "blues" field, the names of the legendary Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Mamie Smith and Ma Rainey are well known along with male performers such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, "Peg Leg Howell," and many others. In the opera, women had long held important places in the music and the same may be said of vaudeville. In earlier country music, female performers were much less prom inent and their roles more muted. Furthermore, until recently, there has been a woeful lack of scholarly attention to the early roles of women in the formation of the music in its modern commercial form. A part of the problem lies in the fact that recorded country music from the pre-1940 period is difficult to find, but it is also likely that women performers were far less numerous during this period. Coltman (1978:161) reports of that of the 377 pieces of recorded country music from the period 1922-1931 he had heard, only 12 (3%) were female soloists or all female groups, only 5% of the records were male groups who would feature a female soloist, and only about 5% were known to feature women as instrumentalists.... ...liche, "You've come a long way, baby." 1Jill McWhorter is a 1990 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and is currently a reporter and staff writer for the Review Appeal in Franklin, Tennessee. 2There is some evidence that Billie Maxwell, "The Cow Girl Singer," may have been the first to record in this genre. (Cf Coltman, 1978:164). 3In the Summer of 1990, Patsy visited Murfreesboro and appeared as a surprise guest in my Elderhostel class on country music. She delighted us with a rendition of "I Wanna Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" and graciously consented to an interview. Some of the material in this section is drawn from that interview. BSA 4Female performers are only beginning to compete in the songwriting arena and lag woefully behind in the music publishing business. They have made great strides, however, in the area of artist management.

Comics: A Better Means To An Artistic End Essays -- Argumentative Pers

Comics: A Better Means To An Artistic End If a line of symmetry were to be drawn down the center of the paper, it would seem that each character rests within his environment about to collide with the other. Even without words, a vivid story begins to formulate in my mind, and hopefully I share the artist's vision. Comic book art is the Pez dispenser of modernism. The aesthetics of this accessible medium walk side by side with pop culture. No other art form can reach so many people due to its incredible volume. Each Wednesday of every week brings new issues of titles that have been in circulation for decades. Despite the vast numbers that arrive at retailers each month and the respect they sometimes receive (like Art Speigelman's Pulitzer Prize winning Maus), comics are under appreciated in the literary world, but why? They use a clever organization of symbols to express concepts shared by all people in their own social environment, and provide more tools than conventional art to truly show artistic intention. Comic artists choose to express personal thought with universally complex themes through a symbolic medium. No one refutes the idea that comics do not demonstrate realistic form. Comic artists do not attempt to portray the simple beauty of the natural world; rather, they try to relate a universal idea with a stylistic approach. Magritte's painting of a pipe with the inscription, "this is not a pipe," at the bottom demonstrates the way in which comic books are misunderstood. In his explanation of the art form, Scott McCloud uses pictures of various characters following Magritte's structure. For example, he draws a picture of a cow and states that "this is not a cow" (McCloud 26). The pictures only resemble what we a... ... connection. A conventional expressionist must assume that the observer realizes the purpose of his or her art. Many people see a portrait as just a portrait, when the mood and the intricate detail of the face add to its meaning. Comics, on the other hand, are expected to be symbols enveloped in a detailed history that replaces the wobbling bridge between reader and artist with a strong one suspended by invisible messages from creator to potential viewer, messages anyone can see. Works Cited Carrier, David. The Aesthetics of Comics. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000. Crain, Dale, ed. Batman: Black and White. New York: DC Comics, 1998. McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: Harper Perennial, 1993. Thompson, Don, and Dick Lupoff, eds. The Comic-Book Book. New York: Arlington House, 1973. Comics: A Better Means To An Artistic End Essays -- Argumentative Pers Comics: A Better Means To An Artistic End If a line of symmetry were to be drawn down the center of the paper, it would seem that each character rests within his environment about to collide with the other. Even without words, a vivid story begins to formulate in my mind, and hopefully I share the artist's vision. Comic book art is the Pez dispenser of modernism. The aesthetics of this accessible medium walk side by side with pop culture. No other art form can reach so many people due to its incredible volume. Each Wednesday of every week brings new issues of titles that have been in circulation for decades. Despite the vast numbers that arrive at retailers each month and the respect they sometimes receive (like Art Speigelman's Pulitzer Prize winning Maus), comics are under appreciated in the literary world, but why? They use a clever organization of symbols to express concepts shared by all people in their own social environment, and provide more tools than conventional art to truly show artistic intention. Comic artists choose to express personal thought with universally complex themes through a symbolic medium. No one refutes the idea that comics do not demonstrate realistic form. Comic artists do not attempt to portray the simple beauty of the natural world; rather, they try to relate a universal idea with a stylistic approach. Magritte's painting of a pipe with the inscription, "this is not a pipe," at the bottom demonstrates the way in which comic books are misunderstood. In his explanation of the art form, Scott McCloud uses pictures of various characters following Magritte's structure. For example, he draws a picture of a cow and states that "this is not a cow" (McCloud 26). The pictures only resemble what we a... ... connection. A conventional expressionist must assume that the observer realizes the purpose of his or her art. Many people see a portrait as just a portrait, when the mood and the intricate detail of the face add to its meaning. Comics, on the other hand, are expected to be symbols enveloped in a detailed history that replaces the wobbling bridge between reader and artist with a strong one suspended by invisible messages from creator to potential viewer, messages anyone can see. Works Cited Carrier, David. The Aesthetics of Comics. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000. Crain, Dale, ed. Batman: Black and White. New York: DC Comics, 1998. McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: Harper Perennial, 1993. Thompson, Don, and Dick Lupoff, eds. The Comic-Book Book. New York: Arlington House, 1973.