The Fame Monster by Lady GaGa free essay sample

Lady GaGa very quietly released her debut album â€Å"The Fame† as 2008 came to a close. Promotion was minimal and hardly anyone noticed or cared. Then somebody got a hold of â€Å"Just Dance.† Almost overnight, GaGa became an electro/dance-pop sensation and her slick, electronic beats, gourmet lyrics and stellar vocals made â€Å"The Fame† the album of the year for the American public. But people wondered, would GaGa’s superficial obsession with fame be strong enough, deep enough to carry her to the status of a true artist in the eyes of the public and the critics? Or would she forever be confined to the rank of dance-pop darling? The answer, of course, was no. Good thing the Lady has more than just a seemingly endless supply of addictive hooks up her sleeve. At the end of 2009, the enigmatic blonde re-released â€Å"The Fame† along with eight brand-new tracks, aptly titling it â€Å"The Fame Monster. We will write a custom essay sample on The Fame Monster by Lady GaGa or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † Her beats are still pulsing and addictive, her lyrics still poetically metaphorical and her vocals still flawless, but this time, there are no shiny dance tracks glorifying fame, money or fashion. Instead, each one represents a personal â€Å"monster† of GaGa’s, be it her fear of men, addiction, death, love, sex†¦you name it. This time around, she gives her fans a glimpse of Stephani, not just her alter ego. So what’s she like without her â€Å"Poker Face?† Surprisingly†¦deep. The album opens with what is quite possibly GaGa’s strongest track ever, if not her absolute best. â€Å"Bad Romance’s† chorus positively throbs with power, and GaGa sings, snarls chants of her longing for the love of an imperfect man with astonishing strength, delivering a vocal performance so impressive that it feels almost out-of-place on such an overtly pop track. But its certainly a welcome abnormality. At first listen, â€Å"Bad Romance† sounds like yet another ode to the fact that yes, girls do like bad boys, whether or not they should. Then it becomes clear that GaGa is singing about true love. Not sugary summer flings or the cheap variety found in a dance club, but the love that says â€Å"I love you so much thatI want all of you, not just the good stuff or the â€Å"safe† parts, but your flaws and your weaknesses, your scars and your secrets, everything that makes you human. Everything that makes you†¦you.† Clearly, GaGa understands what love really is. And she’s right to be afraid of it. The album’s next track seems to pale in comparison to its thundering predecessor, but in reality, it’s a nice piece of Latin-influenced electro-pop that can stand quite well on its own, thank you very much. While certainly lighter than â€Å"Bad Romance,† â€Å"Alejandro† does have power, just not quite as much. In it, GaGa bids her former Latin lovers (Alejandro, Roberto, Fernando etc.) a cheeky goodbye via one helluva catchy chorus. This is a song that will stay on â€Å"repeat† on countless iPods, however, the overall depth and quality of the entire song is somewhat overshadowed by said chorus, coming up short by just a hair. â€Å"Monster† has it all. A compelling storyline, all the depth â€Å"Alejandro† lacked and more, an infectious hook, and lyrics that sound â€Å"good enough to eat.† This impressive track tells of an encounter between GaGa and an unnamed â€Å"monster† boy she meets in a club who eventually ends up in her bed. Though GaGa does not hold up â€Å"Monster† as a cautionary tale telling female listeners to beware smooth-talking young men and the emotional consequences of one-night-stands, it could certainly be interpreted that way. After all, this monster boy pursues her, flatters her, gropes her, dances with her, insists on taking her home, French kisses her, beds her†¦and eats her heart. But though the intended meaning is ambiguous, two things are for sure; this is GaGa at her best and â€Å"That boy is a monster/m-m-m-monster† isn’t going to get out of your head anytime soon. GaGa follows â€Å"Monster† with a smashing power ballad that blows everything else completely out of the water. Though it does feel a tad out of place, the Freddie Mercury-esque â€Å"Speechless† contains GaGa’s absolute best lyrics and her most stunning vocal performance to date. It’s impossible to accurately describe the raw beauty of this song, so I won’t even try. I will say this, though, before you listen, look up why and for whom she wrote it. It will only serve to enhance the experience. â€Å"Dance In The Dark† serves as an ode to women oppressed, berated and abused by the men in their life. Backed by skipping, pounding synthesizers, GaGa snarls, moans, gasps into the mic and stretches her voice to tell their story, even including a shout-out to famous women who met tragic ends (Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Princess Diana, etc.) It is both dark and maddeningly addictive†¦hence the title. Not the best on the album by any means, but nevertheless, a solid, albeit chilling, track. GaGa’s songs got their start in dance clubs, so it is necessary for her to include at least one track recorded especially for them. Although the fact that it features Beyonce may raise a few eyebrows, especially after the disaster that was â€Å"Video Phone,† surprisingly, this compilation works. â€Å"Telephone† is pure club fun and its sole subject is the girls’ plea for their boys to stop calling because they are busy dancing and can’t talk. It has zero depth, zero substance and its only merit is a hook so addictive you won’t be able to turn it off. â€Å"So Happy I Could Die† is the track that makes you scratch your head and go â€Å"Huh?† It tells of GaGa’s physical insecurities and her fear of addiction, both to herself (that is, her Lady GaGa persona) and to substances, but initially, it seems very much to be singing the praises of red wine†¦but it isn’t. Listen carefully and with an open mind and you’ll get it. Maybe. GaGa closes the album with another song that makes you work to understand it. With an almost tribal beat and animalistic chant-vocals, GaGa tells her lover, â€Å"Take a bite of my bad girl meat†¦/I’m gonna love you with my hands tied/Show me your teeth/,† making â€Å"Teeth† sound like nothing more than an ode to sex. But she also says â€Å"I need direction/†¦Tell me something that’ll save me†¦/Tell me something that’ll change me†¦/Just need a little guidance† Is it possible that this is GaGa’s way of saying that maybe she’s not such a â€Å"tough bitch† after all? That she really might need a savior?† I’ll say it’s a definite possibility. It isn’t often that something comes out of Kanye West’s mouth that is worth repeating for good reasons, but recently, he seemed to have a brief moment of brilliance (or perhaps sobriety) when he declared that Lady GaGa was the new Queen of Pop. Maybe that statement is premature, but if â€Å"The Fame Monster† is any indication, I’d say she’s well on her way to claiming the throne, assuming, of course, she hasn’t already. The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga free essay sample Stephanie Joanne Angelina Germanotta has officially outdone herself; The Album The Fame Monster is unique and individual. It expresses her true self in which i believe all music should do. Solely written by herself this album rejoices in her own individuality and is an inspiration. This all sounds very Cliche but listening to the raw lyrics you can feel her feelings and understand her thoughts. The mixture of emotional songs Speechless and So Happy I Could Die and the collection of Heavy Beat songs Bad Romance and Alejandro create a insanely beautiful mix. I personally love the way she speaks of topics other song writers wont speak of and in ways that make it acceptable. For example one of my personal favourites So Happy I Could Die is about her confusion in her own sexuality (when i say this i mean whether she is straight, homosexual or bisexual not whether she is a hermaphrodite) and the way she reassures herself in her feelings. We will write a custom essay sample on The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is what i mean when i say that she is an inspiration, she isnt afraid of being proud of what she is; how could she not be an great example for how to be your own woman and how to be individual? I could write forever about her, for instance did you know she called her self Lady Gaga after the hit song by Queen, Radio Ga Ga? Anyway my obvious conclusion is that she is a Smash Hit and an inspirational woman. I believe she was born to inspire and to express her own views and feelings and if she stopped and quit tomorrow she would still go down an international icon and legend.

Change, Creativity, and Innovation

Change, Creativity, and Innovation Reflective Observation There is no need to elaborate the fact that our community and our county is in dire need of creative people. Creative individuals are sources of innovation and creative solutions that can enhance our way of life. Without them culture and society will stagnate and the world will be overwhelmed with problems and unable to solve new challenges that crops up everyday.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Change, Creativity, and Innovation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is a need to be creative but it starts with the individual. I must aspire to be creative and to see things differently. I need to train myself to think outside-the-box. The readings, especially the book by Dawson and Andriopoulos was a tremendous help in this regard. Creativity is closely related to change and innovation. Creative people are not bound by the status quo. This is not an easy thing to do. There is the risk of being alienated if an action or word spoken will offend another person, especially if that person has power and influence. In a corporate setting there is a tendency to follow policies set by those who are unwilling to adapt and to experiment. Creative people are wary of the limitations set by others and at the same time they too feel the pressure. It is a balancing act. It is not practical to always go against those who are in power, especially if that person is your boss. However, men and women and children of the 21st century would probably be still living in caves today if not for change agents. Abstract Generalization One of the most intriguing and interesting component of organization change has something to do with speed and scale of change. I believe that this is an important topic that I need to familiarise myself with. An example of is the concept called first-order incremental change which is another way of saying that change must be a slow and adaptive – the objective i s to refine a business process rather than to radically alter something that has been proven effective (Dawson Andriopoulos, p.15). As the wise saying goes there is no need to fix something that is not broken. On the other hand there is a continuous need to innovate. While it is a helpful strategy to incorporate first-order incremental change in the creation of business strategies that will increase the overall efficiency of the organization, there will also come a time when it is no longer enough to fine-tune current business processes. When your competitors are doing something unexpected and utilize newer technology it is also time to adapt or perish. It is time to think about the next level of change called second-order discontinuous change (Dawson Andriopoulos, p.15). This time around change is not expected to occur piecemeal but it is so significant that it can even transform the way the company is doing business.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The second-order discontinuous change rarely happens because in my opinion human beings are creatures of habit. This is especially true when it comes to old organizations and successful businesses that have made a mark in the community or society. Their products are well-known and the corporate leaders have tasted what it was like to be on top. For these people and for these organisations it is almost impossible to abandon what has been a proven money-maker. However, the leaders, especially those who will inherit the company will have to think long and hard and consider underlying issues such as sustainability and long-term profitability. More importantly an old organisation that could not adapt to a changing environment will soon fade away. Application There is a need to find out how open I am to change. I need to know if I am conscious of the fact that change is inevitable and I had to deal with it in a constructive way. It does not matter if I am not willing to adapt because others around me are willing to improve their game, enhance their skills, and transform their mindsets in order to compete at the highest level. This new understanding of change will help in not only assessing my career path but also in terms of challenging myself to reach higher goals. One way to find out is to look for like-minded people. This person can be a mentor, a teacher or someone who is an expert in the field of management. This person can also be a colleague who is also interested in studying change in both the corporate or individual level. This person will help me look for areas in my life that I can improve. I will have to interact with this person to find out if I am willing to change for the better. Another way to go about it is to study the lives of innovators, inventors, mavericks and people who had a vision of the future and persisted no matter the ridicule and the discouragemen t that they received from people all around them. Their lives will be an inspiration to never stop growing, never stop learning, and never stop reaching for goals no matter how high and no matter how implausible they may seem at present. Innovators and inventors are not merely stubborn individuals – they tend to work hard. Their goal is mastery of their craft. And more importantly their activities were geared toward one thing and it is to discover a solution for a particular problem that is making life difficult for many. The breakthrough or the solution will radically alter the way people live.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Change, Creativity, and Innovation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Creative Economy Reflective Observation There is nothing that is as inevitable as change. Nevertheless, many were caught off-guard by the sudden and radical change that occurred in the business world because of the int roduction of the personal computer and the Internet. The personal computer made it possible for an employee and an entrepreneur to accomplish a lot of things at less the time. Before that clerical work was done manually. Accountants for instance had to laboriously write down a great deal of information using nothing but paper and pen. It there was a need for a copy then they had to do it over again. The combined effect of the computer and the Internet is just an example that change is good and the same time change must be managed, meaning leaders must react to it correctly. Those who did not adapt fall by the wayside. I wonder what happened to the company that manufactured typewriters. The question lingers in my mind, I want to know how a group of individuals, a community and even a nation can be transformed from an ordinary consumer society into a creative economy. How can it be done in such a purposive manner? What are the conditions that must exist before a creative economy can b e developed? I am interested to know the answer to these questions because I believe that in the future the impact of creative economies will be felt all over the world. At this point, only the rich countries in the Western world are fully aware of the importance of creative economies but in the near future its importance will be greatly magnified. Abstract Generalization There are two ideas in this section that really grabbed my attention. The first one is the research findings highlighted by the authors that there are several highly-industrialised and affluent countries that pride themselves on being â€Å"creative economies† (Dawson Andriopoulos, p. 76). It is one thing to train an individual to be creative it is quite another to develop a whole nation to think creatively and to use the by-product of that creative process to strengthen the economy of that said country. This is an entirely new thing for me. I used to believe that the economy of a particular country is base d on resources – both natural and human. I was not able to figure out that there is a vast reservoir of creativity within the human resources department that is yet untapped. Most companies train their people to do a particular task. It is actually a very routine task such as those working in the factory floor.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Even those doing sales and administrative functions are seldom encouraged to be creative. In the first few weeks of employment everyone has to undergo a training program and the end result of that training program is to produce employees that are programmed to think by the book. In other words they must not deviate from corporate policy and they should memorise their manuals. Every possibility has been analyzed with regards to the company’s product or services that the employee simply had to refer to their manuals if there are problems and more often than not they can find the answer to their query in there. But as the authors were quick to point out the advent of the Information and Digital Age has created a host of new products and services that are oftentimes interrelated. For example the mobile phone can now access the Internet and it can be used for m-commerce or mobile commerce – shopping using the phone whenever and wherever the customer feels like purchasing a product or service. Application I would like to become part of a discussion or a group that will promote the development of my community into a mini-version of a â€Å"creative economy.† I can start this initiative by talking to the local entrepreneurs and try to interest them in thinking about creative solutions for the community. In order for them to buy into this idea, I have to make them understand that they can make money by helping the community and they can start by solving some of the basic problems that our community is facing. We can jumpstart this process by creating awareness that there are entrepreneurs willing to finance small business ventures that will hit two birds with one stone. This means that the business model that they will create will be a money-making venture but at the same time solving the community’s problems. A good way to start is to create business models that will help in promoting a sustainable environment that is conducive for doing bu siness. For instance a local entrepreneur can finance the establishment of a sidewalk vendo-machine type of equipment that will collect empty bottles, beer cans etc. A local business can also partner with the local high school and provide cash incentives to high school seniors who can develop a solution to environmental problems faced by the community. This initiative is not merely a copycat of projects that has been proven to be effective in other cities. This initiative is based on the idea given by the authors when they said that: â€Å"Creativity is based on combining disparate sources of information and transforming the raw data into valuable insights† (Dawson Andriopoulos, p. 78). A steady stream of disparate information will come from the initiatives mentioned and it is up to the community and the businesspeople in the community to use these data to solve problems. Deliberate Creativity Reflective Observation Creativity must be and can only be deliberate. It does not happen to the lazy and to the unprepared. Creative minds are honed by years of practice and experimentation. I can just imagine the Wright brothers who dreamt of flying and the way they pursued their dream by doing countless experiments. Numerous times they failed but they also succeeded and the world was never the same. Although no one can really predict if his work or struggle will amount to something significant, it can also be said that no inventor, innovator or revolutionary succeeded without first taking one deliberate step towards a particular goal. I believe that change agents are not simply interested in studying change. They want to be innovators. They want to be part of the solution. They want to make a contribution and they want to have the opportunity to solve a nagging problem that is causing a great deal of discomfort and grief to many people. Creativity must be deliberate. There is no need to emphasise the need for learning and preparation. There is no need to elabor ate on planning and doing the necessary steps to acquire information and to learn new skills. It is also important to learn team work. Creativity is sometimes only possible through synergy the convergence of talents and experiences. A team can accomplish more. Creativity is deliberate process and this simply means that I must do whatever it takes to solve a problem and help others improve their way of life. Abstract Generalization There are two things in this chapter that inspires me and challenges me. It is an inspiration to know that every technological breakthrough and every novel solution to a problem was made possible by a creative individual. It is indeed an example worth emulating. On the other hand it is a challenge for me – sometime it is even a reproach – knowing that I am simply a consumer of these bright ideas and I had never contributed anything. The authors were able to send their message that each person is a creative individual. The ability to create so lutions and to find ways to improve human existence is not a capability reserved only for those with high-level I.Q. it can also be done by ordinary folks like me. But the most important thing to remember is that creativity is a deliberate process. It means that the person must be always conscious of increasing his capacity to make sense of information that he or she has gathered. We always hear the suggestion that creative solutions were by-products of inspiration just like when a scientist took a stroll suddenly without warning able to see in his mind the solution to an ancient problem. What I realized from reading this chapter is that these people were creative because they made sure that they will use their minds to generate insights. They are not merely consumers of information and passive participants they were active in the pursuit not only of knowledge but the creative way of using this knowledge. The most important thing to remember is this: â€Å"A creative mind must be a ble to deal with complexity, discriminate options and to be open to new ideas and not constrained by habit† (Dawson Andriopoulos, p. 110). This statement reveals two things, first, creativity does not happen out of the blue, the person aspiring to be creative must train himself to think and behave in such manner that he or she can develop creative solutions. Secondly, the number one obstacle to creativity is complacency, conformity, and habit. Application I need to study more with regards to the creative process, creative minds, and creative individuals. What intrigues me the most is the assertion that creative minds are able to see through the complexity, meaning they are not overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information coming from different media streams. This is a helpful trait in the 21st century where people can easily access information from various sources. I need to determine what kind of mental exercise or preparation is needed to train the mind to think beyond th e ordinary. I need to find out how to break free from habits that easily tempts the mind not to seek out innovative solutions. There is truth to the saying that if it is not broken, then do not fix it; but sometimes you just have to go beyond the obvious. Another element that has to be added to the discussion regarding the deliberate nature of innovation and change is the word focus. It is important to understand that men and women who changed the world did not do so by doing different things at the same time. They were focused on doing what they believe is essential and the things that they needed to accomplish to bring them closer to their goals. In order to maintain focus it help if I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses. It would greatly improve my chances of success if I know of the areas in my life that I can improve and strengthen in order to produce a skill or a quality that will allow me to solve problems or bring me to places and meet people that in turn can help me inc rease my knowledge and my propensity to develop creative solutions. Dawson, Patrick Constantine Andriopoulos. Managing Change, Creativity and Innovation. London: Sage Publications, 2009.

Group dynamics working in teams (apply Belbins Theory) Essay

Group dynamics working in teams (apply Belbins Theory) - Essay Example s are effectively performed at the Community Stroke Team such that both Nursing Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist play various different roles. Nursing Occupational Therapists play the roles of resource investigator, coordinator and monitor-evaluator. Being a resource investigator, he/she seeks out the issues which are causing problems to the patients and he/she searches for resources as how to help out and treat those patients. Being a coordinator, he/she coordinates with other team member in providing the appropriate treatment to the patients. As a monitor-evaluator, he/she keeps monitoring the condition of the patients as well as evaluating the performance of other team members. According to Charles Handy’s theory of organizational culture, the culture of Community Stroke Team comes under the role culture. In this culture, the nature of jobs of the team members is not so dynamic and the effectiveness of the performance of the overall team lies on the efforts of every individual working under this team. NHS Leeds Community Healthcare, 2012. Community Stroke Team. [online] Available at: [Accessed 19 February

The Harlem Renaissance and its Effect on African American Literature Research Paper

The Harlem Renaissance and its Effect on African American Literature - Research Paper Example Its flame continues to burn today through the writings of contemporary African American authors. It has been argued that the Harlem Renaissance was short-lived and without much effect on literature black or white. However, to say this and limit its impact to a short period in the 1920s is shortsighted, as the early writing of such authors as W.E.B. DuBois clearly â€Å"manifested an awareness of the possibilities of a black aesthetic still in development today...It might even be that its effects were still being strongly felt, and thus that it was still figuratively alive, as late as 1970.†2 The complex nature of the literary movement which we identify with the European Renaissance is very much a continuing project. Clearly the literature of the period had roots firmly planted in the African experience of writers, most of whom were descendents of slaves. While some sought to incorporate slavery into their work, others such as Alain Locke in his 1926 book, The New Negro: An Interpretation sought to promote black authors as legitimate representatives of an expanding African-American culture. â€Å"Central to the development of this racial awakening is a new internationalism which Locke describes as primarily an effort to recapture contact with the scattered peoples of African derivation.† 3 While African roots of blacks in this period played an intrinsic role in life and literary development of blacks, the Renaissance had a surprising reciprocal effect on African writers such as Peter Abrahams as noted in his comments upon reading DuBois’s The Souls of Black Folks. â€Å"Du Bois...might have been writing about my land and people. The mood and feeling he described were native to me....[he] had given me a key to the understanding of the world. The Negro is not free.†4 A note here should explain that DuBois in his writing chose to explore

Assurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assurance - Essay Example 4- a client representation letter is a written statement from a nonindependent source and therefore cannot be regarded as reliable evidence. For example, if there were a hidden information source that did shown to auditor, then it relay on the Winery at Chateau Americana. 6 - As an audit committee, communication with the board of the directors would make more effective audit reports, and it would lead the audit committee to express an opinion for better future planning. B - There are two pending litigation matters. The first is from a former employee who is seeking damages for injuries sustained while employed by the company. The employee was injured as a result of the company’s negligent maintenance of the workplace safely equipment as required by the Occupational Safety. Also, there is an uncertain loss on contingency liability by $500,000, of which McKenna, Harmon & Jacobs did not give an opinion about the matter. 122 A - Notes regarding subsequent events affecting the current year’s financial statements could be affected by the report in pending litigation, restructuring of long-term debt and updating the new accounting firm Focus on spending money on outside growers because 75% of their usage of grapes is from external sources. As a suggestion, the winery should look for more third parties with higher quality and lower prices to reduce the 75%

Examining Deforestation Of The Amazon Rainforest Environmental Sciences Essay

Examining Deforestation Of The Amazon Rainforest Environmental Sciences Essay The amazon Rainforest is one of the richest areas on Earth biodiversity wise and possesses many endemics species of fauna and flora. The Amazon also plays an human population has grown, and demands in soybeans, cattle and wood as increased over time, the Amazon rainforest has been selected for deforestation. Recent concerns have arisen over the last decades emphasizing the problems deforestation causes especially biologically. This problem has been further underlined as concerns over global climate change have arisen. The Amazon forest is the greatest tropical forest in size as it covers an area over seven million square kilometres and is found in ten countries of South America. Motives of deforestation, rates, history Most of the Amazon Basin ( >70%) is found in Brazil ; therefore most of our study will focus on the Brazilian Amazon. Starting in the late 1950s, for the purpose of developing the western and northern parts of Brazil many new roads were constructed which constituted a direct access to the Amazon tropical forest. The construction of these routes along with other incentives ( such as cattle ranching , hydro electric project, timber extraction) was aimed at expanding development and integrating the whole territory into the countrys economy. The program was successful as people moved along these large highways; for example 2 million people moved along the Belem-Brasilia in the first 20 years of its construction. The settlement along the major highways and within the Amazon forest was highly unorganized which led to long term unnoticed deforestation. Overtime the rates of deforestation have increased from the 1970s to the 2003-2004 and since then have decreased. The peak in 2002-2004 was the highest rate of forest clearing for a three year period: 52 670 km ² were cleared. The 2008-2009 area cleared totalizes for 7008 km ². The literature seems to agree on the motives for deforestation although the importance of small farmers in the process is debated . ( K.R Birby , P. Fearnside). The motives for deforestation are multiple: contrarily to common belief, the biggest reason behind clearing in cattle ranching secondly, is small farmer exploitation then, logging, and recently soybean and palm oil plantations have led to deforestation. The reason behind this hierarchy and cattle ranching as being the number one reason behind forest clearing is due to multiple state incentives. These incentives made cattle ranching one of the few profitable product to rise in the Amazon. Under the Brazilian law, clearing the land in order to install pasture is characterised as effective. (K.R Kirby). Cattle ranching is one of the most popular use of land in the Amazon as it is not a labour intensive job , by products can be used ( such as milk) , and it is produces offspring. Compared to crops, the main advantage of cattle ra nching is that cattle ranching are independent of weather conditions. Small farmers also play an important role in the clearing of the land as they apply slash and burn method in order to create fertile land to grow their crops on. As farmers need for more land, they continuously increase their property. K.R Kirby has calculated that on average a small farmer clears 1 ha of forest per year. Furthermore, tropical soils are not fertile and fail at the long term production of crops, thus after 2-3 years the land is unusable and new land has to be slashed and burned. Today as agricultural financing has been more readily available in the Amazon compared to other regions in Brazil, soybeans farmers are pushing to the North. As the price for soybean has increased, it has become one of the most profitable crops to plant in the Amazon. A large part of the soybean production is used for export (as foreign currency) therefore greatly encouraged by the state which even plans on building new roads and infrastructure in order to expand the production. Although not broadly mentioned in the literature, it is important to also underline the logging activities undergoing in the Amazon. JA Foley et al mention that the logging has recently been recognized as one major source of land change in the Amazon. Although selective logging is comparatively not as ecologically destructive as cattle grazing or pasture, it has been shown that logging destroyed the same amount of forest as the area cleared for other activities. Indeed, selective logging leaves behind a fraction of the natural forest and allows some natural regeneration; not completely destroying the ecosystem. Biodiversity effects: The clearing of thousands of km ² of land is not at any cost. The Amazon is one the worlds richest zone in terms of biodiversity and number of endemic species. Being one of the largest forests in the world the tropical Amazon forest constitutes an important carbon sink for the integrity of the planet. Scientists have become aware of the importance of conserving the forest because of the numerous ecosystem services it provides. It is difficult to understand and quantify the ecosystem services provided by an ecosystem. As Fearnside explains, it is complicated to put a value on an ecosystem service. An obvious way of calculating the value of the ecosystem is using the profit of the good produced in the given area. This method does not take into account the future damage that could occur due to the abuse of the ecosystem. Indeed we taking the example of forest clearing , we can use the value of the good which will be produced on the area cleared but on a large scale that value does not take into account the habitat destruction of species. Often times we put a price on ecosystem services in order to emphasize the urgency of taking conservation actions, putting fines on illegal land used. Based on the literature there are many ecosystem services provided by the Amazon rainforest. Namely the most important ecosystem services are carbon sequestering, water flow of the Amazon River, air circulation patterns, the spread of water borne disease , fires , invasion by exotic species and most importantly , and biodiversity loss. The clearing of Amazon might influence the hydrological regime of the area because the forest regulates the quantity of water flowing into the river as well as the nutrient content. The quantity of water increases greatly overall because there is no interception by plants leading to much more surface runoff and less percolation in the soil. Indeed it has been observed in the Tocantins river basin, the changes during the 30 years period (1960-1990) in land cover have led to an approximate 25% increase in the river discharge during the same period although there were no changes in the precipitation regime. Over the long term, scientists are worried that the evaporation budget will change so much as to change global patterns of air circulation. Vector-borne diseases increase due to the loss of vegetation and due to an increase in the number of mosquitoes (which are common vectors of diseases). Forested areas allow for more control of the disease though population control of infected animals, their hosts and intermediate disease vector. In South America, the most important disease transmitted by mosquitoes is malaria. A study in Peru has shown that Anopheles darling mosquito species are more susceptible to biting as the land cover decreases. The study found that when the area is deforestated by more than 20%, mosquitoes have a tendency to bit more than in forested areas. The reason for this increase is due to the preference of mosquitoes to breed in areas with shrubs or grasslands. ( A.M. Vittor) One of the most striking effects on deforestation is the loss of biodiversity. No papers truly estimated the loss of biodiversity due to deforestation. But based on the literature we can estimate the number of species potentially targeted by deforestation. The Brazilian Amazon is classified as one of the five megadiversity countries by the WWF (World Wild Fund) (P.Fearnside). Brazil has over 50  000 angiosperm plant species, over 400 species of mammals, over 1500 species of birds, over 500 species of amphibians, over 400 species of butterfly and over 70 species of reptiles. Deforestation can lead to changes in biodiversitys ecological niches, habitat fragmentation, or even invasion of exotic species. A major concern has arisen amongst ecologists due to the threat of deforestation on biodiversity hotspots. Indeed it has been observed in some cases that biodiversity hotpsots overlap the deforestation hotpsots. These latter are areas where deforestation occurs suddenly, locally and greatly pushed by demographic factors. The danger for the ecosystems when these two hotspots overlap is the extensive loss of habitat for the fauna and flora. Indeed, deforestation hotspots lead to much habitat fragmentation as many harvesters carry on their activity without much knowledge on the ecosystem and the implications of deforesting (Etter et al 2006). Moreover, it has been proven that a threshold exists for a species to survive. Species need enough area in order to reproduce and forage without it a population cannot sustain and is determined to extinguish. Much of the deforestation trends are not managed and very spontaneous, leading to patches of deforested land and often times the minimum thre shold is surpassed threatening the survival of many generations. As underlined in Etter et al., no significant studies have been consolidated in order to better understand the overlapping of deforestation and biodiversity hotspots; suggesting more data to be collected. Indeed without data there cannot be any consensus on the conversation policies to protect the Amazons ecosystem. Another paper also suggests the idea that better inventories should be complied in order to understand the forests composition and to better manage the area based on the species autoecology. Furthermore the paper underlines the importance of thorough and precise data entries with identical quantification measurements. These factors are all very important in the inventory process in order to build credible dataset on which policy makers can rely upon (Biscaia de Lacerda 2010). Deforestation in the context of Global Climate Change A major concern of the 21st century is the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the consequences on the worlds biomes. The role of the Amazon forest in the global carbon cycle is storage of organic carbon in the soil or in plants. The process through which plants take in CO2 is photosynthesis storing it afterwards in the biomass under the form of leaves, branches, roots, flowers and other structural tree components. The destruction of the Amazon makes it an emitter of carbon rather than a sink. Indeed because of land cover changes, carbon is no longer stored. Per se, carbon is not emitted from the forest rather carbon is not taken up by the trees anymore resulting in a net surplus of CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Furthermore the necessary machinery used for deforestation as well as the by-products of wood and the processing of trees in factories also contribute to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Some studies have tried to understand the changes which would occur if CO2 levels increased and deforestated areas kept increasing. The outcome results in many effects linked to changes in surface albedo, leaf area index, and surface roughness and texture (Compounding). In the study, the CO2 levels were doubled, increasing the CO2 concentration to 660 ppm. The IPCCs projection on CO2 levels project that 660 ppm will be reached by the end of the century under the least severe scenario: A1B which predicts: A future world of very rapid economic growth, low population growth and rapid introduction of new and more efficient technology. Major underlying themes are economic and cultural convergence and capacity building, with a substantial reduction in regional differences in per capita income. In this world, people pursue personal wealth rather than environmental quality. ( IPCC http://www.ipcc-data.org/ddc_co2.html). The sole effect of doubling CO2 concentration in the atmosphere results in a 2.6 T °C increase in temperature, increase in precipitation by 9.0 mm per month , and increase in -the net longwave radiation at the landsurface by 4.5 W m ­- ² subsequently increasing the surface evapotranspiration. There is not a great difference for all the factors when studying the present deforestation climate with the future warmed climate combined with deforestation, directly pointing to the fact that deforestation is the main source of deregulation in the climate (Figure 2). Indeed most changes due to increased CO2 levels are felt in the mid-high latitudes. Figure 2( Zhang et al.)

Mad Cow Disease in the United States :: MCD mad Cow disease US Essays

In March of 1996 the British beef industry was dealt an incredible blow when a European Union commission imposed a worldwide ban on the export of UK beef. The ban was imposed after an outbreak of mad cow disease (MCD) in Britain. MCD is the laymen term for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), a disease that leads to deterioration of the brain tissue in beef and dairy cattle. It is the hypothesized link between MCD and Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD), the similar condition in humans, which led to the imposition of the export ban on British beef. This ban effectively crippled the UK beef export market in addition to sending a shock throughout Europe concerning beef safety. News of this ban spread throughout the world portraying images of infected cattle stumbling and falling unable to maintain their balance. While the scientific community was, at the time, unsure of the nature of the link between MCD and CJD, if any, the effects of the outbreak may have been much further reaching th an Europe. It is arguable that North America was also impacted to some extent, whether long term or short, by the MCD scares. In the days that followed the ban on UK beef, beef futures in Chicago fluctuated as traders were torn between two economic forces. The first was the expected increase in demand. Markets formerly serviced by UK beef must now be filled with beef from other countries. The second impact deals with the adverse effects the outbreak could have on consumer demand. North American consumers were also exposed to a great deal of media propaganda as most, if not all, North American newspapers and television news broadcasts, national and local, carried stories of the outbreak and the horrific consequences of CJD. If concerns of food safety in the United States and Canada were never of concern there would have been no need for the United States Department of Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to issue statements testifying to the safety of each of the countries respective beef. This paper looks at the short-term impact of the MCD media propaganda on consumer demand for beef in the United States. Due to the fact that the supply of beef in the United States is completely risk free, or at very most extreme minimal risk, in terms of MCD and the risk to the beef supply, the scientific side of the story need not be considered.

History of Personal Computers

History of the Personal Computer Introduction: The history of the personal computer is vast and complex. As computers continue to develop, each development brings greater opportunities and challenges to the world of computing. ————————————————- Learn how it all started and where it has led to in today’s world. Quiz 1. The first accurate mechanical calculator was invented in 1642 by __________. a. Charles Babbage b. Blaise Pascal c. Joseph Marie Jacquard d. Herman Hollerith 2. In 1993, the invention of which browser allowed Internet users to view multimedia files? e. Netscape Navigator . Internet Explorer g. Opera h. Mosaic 3. In 1975, Popular Electronics magazine advertised the __________ as the first computer available for personal use. i. Altair j. Apple Lisa k. IBM l. ENIAC 4. The principal features of the graphical user interface were developed by __________. m. Apple n. Microsoft o. Lotus p. Xerox 5. The __________, which can alter its electric state between on and off, is the basic building block for computer circuitry. q. Processor r. Circuit s. Transistor t. Microprocessor 6. Released in 1979, the first word processing application for personal computers was __________. . Word v. WordAssistant w. WordPerfect x. WordStar 7. Built in 1939, the __________ computer was the first to use vacuum tubes instead of mechanical switches to store binary data. y. ENIAC z. Altair {. Atanasoff-Berry |. IBM 8. Which computer was the first to use magnetic storage tape instead of punched cards? }. UNIVAC ~. ENIAC . Altair . ADA 9. The __________ is considered to be the first successful high-speed electronic digital computer. . Hollerith tabulating machine . Jacquard loom . ENIAC . Pascaline calculator 10. Who is considered the first computer programmer? Charles Babbage . Herman Hollerith . Grace Hopper . Ada Lovelace Projects Interviews Task: Interview pe ople of varying ages to find out how computers were used when they were in their childhood. Assignment: Interview four people of varying age ranges to find out how computers were used when they were in their childhood. Write a summary of how computers were used during their childhood. History of the Computer Task: View the history of the computer. Assignment: Visit www. pbs. org/nerds/timeline and view the history of the computer.Write a short description of the events during each of the following phases. 1. Prehistory 2. Electronics 3. Mini 4. Micro 5. Network The 1952 Presidential Election Task: We trust our lives to computers. They control planes in flight, calculate our payrolls, and monitor vital hospital equipment. It was not always this way, though. Let’s look at a computer’s role in predicting the 1952 presidential election. Assignment: Visit www. wired. com/science/discoveries/news/2008/11/dayintech_1104 to see what trust was placed in an early computer. 1. Wh at computer was used to predict the 1952 election? 2.Which network used the computer during a live broadcast of the election results? 3. Although the broadcast was from New York City, where was the computer located? 4. Who was predicted by preelection polls to be the winner? 5. Who did the computer predict the winner to be? 6. What were the numbers of electoral votes predicted to be? 7. What were the odds that this candidate would have even the minimum 266 electoral votes to win? 8. How did the news department respond to this information? 9. What were the final electoral vote counts, and what was the percentage of error from the initial prediction?

Gun legislation in the United States

Gun legislation in the United States Children in the United States are considered to be endangered as more than 18,000 students under the age of 19 years are shot and killed by use of firearms each year (Lawrence Robert, 2006). These gunshot incidents are caused by family members, strangers, and even peers. It was also noted that thousands of youths and children use guns to commit suicide.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Gun legislation in the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has even proved to be the most successful way to commit suicide compared to other means. For most families, shooting in schools has left them living with fear that their children are no longer safe in the hands of school administration. Late last year, a student by the name Adam Lanza forced his way into an elementary school by the name Sandy Hook. Within five minutes, he had shot 154 bullets leaving 26 people dead by use of a Bushmaster 223- calibre rifle. This left the country so devastated with so many questions being asked by the parents. This led to various demonstrations being held across the United States protesting the burn of firearm use completely. Use of guns for perpetuating violence is not the major problem, violence among the youth is. Guns raise special attention because they are lethal and widely available to the youth thereby worsening youth violence. The major cause of injury and death is gun violence. It has caused serious communal and mental issues on youth, youngsters and even families in the society (Lawrence Robert, 2006). There are various factors that have contributed to gun violence in the United States especially among the youth and children. One such issue is the engagement in drug related issues among the youth. It is not only drug and substance abuse that causes gun violence among the youth in schools and societies at large. The youth are also seen to engage in drug dealings and street drug markets. Most of t hese drug dealings lead to the youths forming cartels that often end up in rivalry among the groups. The youth in these groups end up buying guns from illegal gun markets to be able to control the illegal drug market.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The second factor that contributes to gun violence in the United States is the fact that guns are made available to the youth. Through the illegal gun markets, the youth are able to buy guns and used them anytime they feel threatened by the society around them (Alexander, 2003). Even where adults own guns, they fail to put adequate measures to ensure that the youth under their care are not able to access such lethal weapons. It therefore makes it hard for schools to control such youth as the youth themselves feel like they have overpowered the community around them. Illegal gangs in the United States are not an unfamiliar case. Each year more and more gangs are formed by the youth (Lawrence Robert, 2006). These gangs often cause insecurity in the society as most of them, if not all, possess guns illegally. These gangs often get involved in gun fights amongst themselves leading to serious injuries and even death among the youth. There has always been a public debate about how guns should be used appropriately in the society. The argument has concentrated on situations under which adults ought to own guns overseeing the youth (Stephens Nelson, 2007). The supporters of gun rights insist on the appropriate usage of guns for self-protection and athletic (Holly, 2008). They fail to propose that children and the youth should not access guns whatever the circumstance without the supervision of adults. Youth and children should be treated as a special case when it comes to law and public opinion regarding gun policy (Alexander, 2003). That way there will be a control measure put in place to ensure that there is r eduction in the number of youth able to access guns that cause danger to school children and staff. In order to address the gun violence issues in the United States, there should be strong relationship between levels of government and its branches. This is important for the delivery and administration of education services in the United States. Ministry of education must reduce its levels of bureaucracy by delegating operational aspects that are significant to lower governmental levels such as schools. In order for government’s policies to be effective, both by design and implementation, there should be a strong relationship between levels of government and their branches. Such relation is referred to as intergovernmental relation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Gun legislation in the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In terms of intergovernmental relation aspect, there are various aspects that should be considered in order to address gun violence in schools and communities. One such aspect is the government structure. Most countries hold a unitary form of government whereby the central government makes most decisions relating to its country’s issues (Holly, 2008). This is not a good system of administration as the government at the top does not understand the day to day situations that affect departments under it directly. There should be a decentralised system of government to allow for decision making at schools. This encourages efficiency among schools as it inspires liberal and democratic decisions among schools. Schools will hence be able to stream line their students whenever they are found to be going astray by administering punishment and counselling whenever necessary. In addition, the aspect of capacity that should be considered is building and accountability standards. These standards, especially in examinations, are left in the responsibility of state to determine the average expected standards of passing an examination. These high- stake exams do not consider underinvestment in various schools by the state as it could be a major cause of underperformance by some school. The underperformed schools could be lacking the right amounts of finances to be able to take up disciplinary measures for correcting school children. This is indeed an aspect that should be considered to be able to control the number of school dropouts and even be able to ensure that the school children and the youth are nurtured to produce well behaved persons in the society. Moreover, the aspect of intergovernmental relations and the financing of schools should also be considered. The state should ensure that equal amount of tax money is disbursed to finance the education of children regardless of where he or lives (Stephens Nelson, 2007). This step coupled with decentralization will ensure that schools not only use their funds to improve students’ perf ormance but also come up with programmes that improve the moral state of children and youth going through the education process. Schools will be able to budget effectively and be able to set aside funds for counselling students with special needs.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The finally aspect to be considered is school- linked social- services coordination. Not only children in the United States but also children all over the world are faced by a multitude of contemporary problems. Such problems include; racism, family violence, substance abuse, unaffordable and inadequate housing, sexual promiscuity and child abuse. The services needed to react to these evils are normally fragmented across a number of uncoordinated government ministries and agencies (Stephens Nelson, 2007). It is therefore important for states to adopt policies that ensure external agencies and schools work together to address non-academic issues experienced by children and the youth in schools. Schools should also ensure a coordinated service linked to schools to develop new expectations by introducing new actors in the education system. One thing that generates barriers is the fact that there are professional and organizational variances among numerous government agencies and schoo ls. Such barriers include confidentiality issues, lack of a common outlook and even communication problem. In conclusion, gun legislation and policies must be amended in order to reduce the incidents of gun violence among the youth and children in schools. Very few gun violence prevention programs and policies involving the youth have been taken into consideration up to date (Holly, 2008). Policy makers should be encouraged to think widely as regards to gun policy to ensure that parents and children are no longer prone to dangers associated with gun violence and therefore live without fear. Coming up with the policies is not the only issue. The aspect of intergovernmental relation should also be taken into consideration if such policies are to remain effective in terms of implementation in the future. Without intergovernmental relation, there would be poor coordination and hence poor response in addressing the issues that affect schools and the community at large regarding gun viole nce among the youth and children in the society. References Alexander, D. (2003). Gun violence in America. New Hampshire, NH: University Press of England. Holly, C. (2008). Gun violence: Violence and society. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group. Lawrence, O.J., Robert, C. (2006). American intergovernmental relations: Foundations, perspectives, and issues. Washington, DC: CQ press. Stephens, G.R., Nelson, W. (2007). American intergovernmental relations: A fragmented federal polity. New York, NY: Oxford University press.

Astronomy and Renaissance essays

Astronomy and Renaissance essays The Renaissance was a time for reform. Renaissance, French for rebirth, describes the intellectual and economic changes that occurred in Europe from the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries. During this time, Europe emerged from the economic decline of the Middle Ages and experienced a time of financial growth. Most importantly, the Renaissance was an age in which artistic, social, scientific, and political thought revolutionized. In the area of astrology, Renaissance scientists changed the ideas and theories that were familiar in the Middle Ages. Scientists such as Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543), Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), and Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) made new discoveries, introduced new instruments, and developed ideas that modernized Renaissance beliefs. During the Middle Ages and even going back to early Greek and Roman culture, it was believed that the earth was the center of the universe. The sun, moon, planets, and stars had two functions: first, motion in orbit around the fixed earth, and second, a participation in the daily rotation of the celestial sphere which produced our daily cycle of night and day (Cohen, 37). Before Galileo and Copernicus, there was the theory composed by an astronomer named Claudius Ptolemaeus known as Ptolemy (died 141 or 151 AD). He wrote a book, The Almagest, where he described and summarized most of ancient mans understanding of the universe. In detail, he describes the appearances of the stars and planets, and tried to explain how the universe was constructed and how it worked (Ptolemaic System, 2). This was later known as the Ptolemaic system. However, this system assured that the Earth stood still and was at the center of the universe. Aristotle (384-322 BC) supported the theory of an earth centered universe with laws of physics and philosophy. Aristotle was a student of Plato, founding his own school of Natural Philosoph...

Organizing for uncertainties in a dynamic market Assignment

Organizing for uncertainties in a dynamic market - Assignment Example The author further argues that dynamic environment provide the best opportunistic environment in the corporate world. However, dynamic environments need proper management since they are accompanied by many uncertainties. Many project portfolios fail due to dynamic environment. The article describes how dynamic environments can easily destroy a project portfolio. From the evidence provided in the article, one project out of five ventured in a dynamic environment have failed due to poor management. Coming up with project portfolios require a lot of consideration with the type environment a project location is based. The issue behind dynamic environment is the management of the uncertainties presented by this environment. In words by Yvan (2012) the richness in opportunities the dynamic environment presents are the same uncertainties resented by the same environment. Characteristics in a dynamic environment include high level of profits in one season while the fate of other financial ye ars is unknown. This uncertainty makes it essential to have programs and strategies to manage their project portfolio. To curb this problem the article involves the use of dynamics capabilities frameworks. These frameworks are aimed at studying project portfolios in dynamic environments. ... The dynamic capabilities frameworks are aimed to achieve three prospects: Provision of a better understanding on the management of projects facing uncertainties. Analyzing the relationship between the measures put in place by organizations to minimize the impact caused by uncertainties and the sources of uncertainty in dynamic environments. Provide recommendations and possible improvements in the standards and models of project portfolios. From the author of the article these three objectives can secure an organization’s assets in any case of an occurrence of an uncertainty. If the assets are not completely secured they effects of the uncertainties are also minimized. Project managers are therefore advised on how to ensure a proper implementation of the dynamic capabilities frameworks. In some cases these frameworks only involves means of insurance in any occurrence of risk. In the dynamic environment, the frameworks are more important since projects require total quality mana gement. According to Yvan (2012) the completion of projects depends mainly on the ability of the project manager to foresee the transition from and to each face of the project. This is made easier by the implementation of the dynamic capabilities framework. From the article, there are claims that project management in dynamic environments. Organization and project doing enough to ensure that project portfolio are being managed effectively. This is after many approaches have been developed. Do project managers have the intent of making projects suitable for the dynamic environment? Having successful projects portfolio also includes having proper organizing mechanisms in the organization. Proper organization mechanisms include the methods of

Art 123 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art 123 - Essay Example The theme is naturalistic. There is a spirit of expectation. Masaccio modeled his figures as solid as statues to be realistic, by using strong light in particular areas to give shadow effect in his figures, complying with the principle of Renaissance along with naturalism. The featured background is done with linear perspective of mountains and temple structure that is drawn symmetrically. Renaissance artists, writers and thinkers are said to have respect for order, symmetry and proportion. In addition to this are the realistic facial expressions of the figures. For example, the face of St. Peter, in his effort to bend over and take the money away from the fish's mouth, has turned red. At the right side, the tax collector is illustrated with a satisfied expression on his face while St. Peter hands him over the coin. The actions, gestures and expressions here are what real people express in given circumstances. Figures are dressed in Greek's fashion, in line with the biblical description of dress code during the first century, with tunics tied at the waist, and cloaks wrapped over their left shoulder, around the back, and clasped at the front. On the other hand, Caravaggio's The Calling of St. Matthew is a Baroque art, as evident by the visual representation of the painting itself, using exaggerated position of the figures which is a principle of Baroque art.