Independent and depentent variables of psychology Essay

* Independent variable – The variable that is manipulated to test its effects on the dependent variable. * Dependent variable – The variable that is measured to see how it is changed by manipulations in the independent variable. Scenarios 1 Coach Jones has noticed that her players tend to shoot a higher percentage from the free throw line when they play away, rather than at home. Surprised at this trend, she and her assistants decide to test this by comparing free-throw percentages over the course of a year. a Independent variable- Playing at away vs. home b Dependent variable- Free throws 2 Mr. Feldman has noticed the students in his high school Biology class tend to do better on tests taken on Friday, rather than tests taken on Monday. He decides to test the hypotheses. a Independent variable- Testing date b Dependent variable- Testing scores 3 John, Wendy, and Sean, all avid fishermen, have noticed that they always seem to catch more fish when it is raining outside. They decide to test the hypotheses. a Independent variable-The rainy weather b Dependent variable- The chance of catching more fish 4 Tony has designed a study to determine if alcohol really inhibits one’s ability to drive a car. a Independent variable- Alcohol b Dependent variable- Ability to drive 5 Does eating spinach really make you stronger? a Independent variable – Spinach b Dependent variable- Strength 6 Does staying physically fit increase your chances of living longer? a Independent variable- Fitness. b Dependent variable- Longer life. 7 Does taking classes in college really make you smarter? a Independent variable- College b Dependent variable- Intelligence 8 Is it true that animals that listen to classical music make happier pets? a Independent variable- Classical music b Dependent variable- Happy pets 9 Hypothesis: The taller a person is, the more likely they are to enjoy chocolate ice cream. a Independent variable- Being Tall b Dependent variable- Chocolate ice cream. 10 Hypothesis: The more a student attends class, the better they do on exam grades. a Independent variable- Attendance b Dependent variable- Higher exam score 11 Does peer pressure negatively affect teenagers attendance in school? a Independent variable- Peer pressure b Dependent variable- Poor attendance 12. A researcher wants to know whether eating chocolate makes people nervous. a.Independent variable- Consuming chocolate c Dependent variable- Nervousness 13. A researcher wants to know whether feeling nervous makes people eat chocolate. a. Independent variable- Nervousness b. Dependent variable- Consuming chocolate 14. Professor Marshall wants to know if eating sweets for a bedtime snack makes children active. a. Independent variable- Sweets b. Dependent variable- More active at bedtime 15. A researcher plans to investigate whether a cup of hot milk at night helps people relax so that they fall asleep quickly. a. Independent variable- Cup of hot milk b Dependent variable- relax and sleepiness 16. Gabrielle conducted a small experiment examining the effects of music on time perception. She had three groups of subjects. Group 1 was exposed to classical music, group 2 was exposed to contemporary rock and the third group received no music. a. Independent variable- Music i.e.; classical & contemporary rock & silence b. Dependent variable- Perception of time. 17 A study was done on the effects of punishment on self-esteem. a. Independent variable-Punishment b. Dependent variable- Self-esteem

Lower the U.S. Drinking Age

2-27-12 I. Introduction: †¢ All around the world many people drink alcohol for many different Occasions. There are drinks at parties, bars, clubs and even your home. You can find alcohol just about everywhere in the United States. Around the world there are many different age requirements in order to drink or buy alcohol. The majority of countries around the world have a set age minimum of eighteen years of age. So why is our drinking age 21? †¢ Why is this important to us? We are all college students and everybody knows that there is underage drinking one way or another. Professor Ruth C. Engs from Indiana University states â€Å"The legal drinking age should be lowered to about 18 or 19 and young adults allowed to drink in controlled environments such as restaurants, taverns, pubs and official school and university functions. † †¢ I believe that the legal drinking age in the United States should be lowered to the ages of 18 or 19. The reason it should be lower ed is because college students will drink at least once during their first year of college. Legally, at the age of eighteen we are granted the rights of adults.And finally, by forbidding teens to not drink that forces them to drink in unsafe places. II. College students drink! †¢ College students will always drink! According to alcohol101. com 72% of all college students drink alcohol. 69% of the total 72% are underage drinkers. †¢ If the legal drinking age was lowered to 18 then drinking in college will not be as big as it is now. It would still occur but not as much as it does now. †¢ By lowering the drinking age, college students will be able to drink in safer places such as bars or clubs, instead of house parties or other places.Now that I’ve talked about college students drinking I will now move onto how at the age of 18 the U. S. calls us â€Å"adults†. III. Considered â€Å"adults† †¢ At the age of 18 in the United States we are consid ered â€Å"adults† and obtain all the rights and responsibilities of being adults. At this age we can now vote, sign up for the armed forces, and buy cigarettes. However we cannot buy or consume alcohol legally until 3 years later. †¢ If we are already considered as adults at the age of 18 then why can we not lower the drinking age?Now that I have talked about being adults but not being able to buy alcohol at the age of 18, I’m going to talk about now how drinking at unsafe environments is harmful. IV. Unsafe Drinking Environments †¢ Because the legal drinking age is 21, that forces college students, mainly freshman, to drink at house parties where they do not know what they are drinking at times. †¢ Drinking at house parties seems fun, however it could go bad in many ways. Since freshman cannot buy alcohol they resort to free alcohol at parties, which could be very dangerous because they will be unaware of any thing that could be put inside their drink. Setting the drinking age to 18 would allow these college students to purchase their own drinks and they will for sure know what they bought and it would be closed therefore letting them know it is safe to consume. V. Conclusion †¢ To recap on my speech; the drinking age should be lowered to the age of 18 in the United States. Not only is that the most popular age to drink around the world it is a very reasonable age. By changing the drinking age to 18 then we can really be considered as adults and will be responsible for our own actions.

Austria Essays - Habsburg Bohemia, States Of Austria, Free Essays

Austria Austria, a small country in Central Europe famous for its gorgeous mountain scenery. The towering Alps, and the foothills stretch across the western, southern and central parts of the country. Broad green valleys, lovely mirror lakes and thick forest cover a good portion of the land. Austria with no coastline shares its surrounded borders with Liechtenstein and Switzerland to the west; Germany and the Czech Republic to the north; Hungary and Slovakia to the east; and to the south Italy and Slovenia. North-East is Vienna, Austria's capital and largest city, where about a fifth of the people live. Population Austria has a population of about 7" million. Most Austrian's choose to live in the lower east areas of the country and just south of the Danube River. Also the capital and largest city, more than one and a half-million of the Austrian population lives in Vienna. Other cities with more than 100,000 people living in them consist of Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, and Scuzburg. Culture Austrians do not like being classified as Germans, Austria is basically Germanic in language and ethnic association. Some minorities include 40,000 Croats, 70,000 Solvenes, and a small group of Hungarians (11,000) and Czechs (5,000). Most Austrian's live south of the Danube River. Austrians enjoy an array of fine foods such as a Viennese Clich otherwise known as a Wiener Schnitzel, and many fine cakes and pastries. The average life expectancy for males is 72 and females 78. Traditions In May and June Vienna hosts the Vienna Festival. This festival is a celebration of music, arts, and theater. Austrians have a great love for music, many of the greatest composers were born and played there, many like Beethoven and other popular composers. Operas are also very popular, and The Vienna State Opera House is the most popular for such an activity. Festivals play an important part of Austria. One festival takes place throughout the province of Tyrol, in the beginning of spring. People dress up and pretend to chase the evil spirits of winter away. Way of Life Most Austrians living in the cities live in four and five story apartments. Others live in single story homes, or high rises. Clothing is very much like the style here in the U.S. but Austrians tend to dress up more often. On special occasions Austrian's dress in the national dress, a green trimmed, gray wool suit with a coat and knickers for men, the women's dress consists of a dirndl; a peasant coat, a blouse, a wide Girdle, and a bright full apron. Austrians eat elegant foods and many exquisite desserts. Beer or wine is usually served with meals. Austrians love the outdoors, and the many different physical features of Austria allow the people to enjoy many different types of sports. In winter Austrians enjoy ice skating, skiing, tobogganing, bobsledding, ice hockey, ski jumping, and curling, a game in which the players slide heavy stones along the ice toward a circular target. Summer sports include boating, fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, swimming, and water skiing. The people also enjoy biking, camping, picnics, and soccer. Vegetation and Animal Life Deciduous trees, including beech, birch, and oak, are very populated in the lower altitudes. In Alpine areas conifers extend all over. Bare rocks and grass slops continue to the snow line. The boar, bear, wolf, and lynx have disappeared, but red deer, chamois, marmot, and grouse still live in the protected Alpine reserves. In the grassy flats gray goose, white tailed, and spotted eagles, and great white herons breed. In the village of Rust, white storks return annually to their chimney nests. History Around 400 B.C. Celtic tribes occupied Austria. Around 15 B.C. Rome took control from the Celtic tribes. After the collapse of the Roman Empire many different empires took control of Austria. In 955 the king of Germany, Otto I, took control of Austria, this empire later came to be know as the Holy Roman Empire. In 1806 the empire ended. The Babenberg family controlled north-eastern Austria from 976 until 1246, when the last Bebenberg duke died without an heir and the king of Bohemia seized the region. The Hapsburgs lost the Holy Roman crown in the 1300's, but a Habsburg was once again elected emperor in 1438. From

See the prompt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

See the prompt - Essay Example ..† Machiavelli, p. 55. This quotation is from the book The Prince by Machiavelli 4. â€Å"Our love of what is beautiful does not lead to extravagance; our love of the things of the mind does not make us soft. We regard wealth as something to be properly used, rather than as something to boast about.† Pericles, p. 147 5. â€Å"The bourgeoisie, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his natural superiors, and has left no other bond between man and man than naked self-interest, than callous cash payment† Marx, p. 738. This quote is from â€Å"Manifesto of the Communist Party, Chapter I â€Å"Bourgeois and Proletarians.† 1. When one lives the life away from the public eye, it is known as private life. Socrates reasons out his choice for living a private life that enabled him practice philosophy. He says that he has the divine umbr ella that protects and guides him for dos and don’ts in life. As for taking active part in life, he asserts that he has no divine directions. Socrates was too sincere, too honest as such he was unfit to be in public office and he would not be able to survive in the dishonesty prevailing over there. A public life is one that concerns and associates with the state. This area is engulfed with secular interests. According to the convictions of Socrates, if he were to take active interest in politics, in all probability it would not help him nor would it help the society. Personally his actions and responses are identical whether they concern the private or public life. One can control and discipline one’s private life, but as for public lifean individual is controlled by extraneous considerations and will have to make compromise with truth. 2. According to John Stuart Mill, self-will is one of the great misdemeanors of man. The barometer of goodness of humanity consists in obedience. A man has no choice but to act and perform. That which the human being does not consider as duty is a sin. Human nature is fundamentally corrupt as such redemption is only possible by killing human nature from within. With this perspective of life, demolishing any other human faculties, capabilities and vulnerabilities cannot be considered as evil. †¦ Man needs no capacity, but that of surrendering himself to the will of God, meaning the capacity to surrender itself is a great quality and liberty is kindergarten stuff as compared to the capacity to surrender. This is the Calvinistic theory. For man is the controller of all types of liberties. For an individual who knows the infinite power of surrender, individual liberty is of no consequence to him. Individual liberty is the demand by the imperfect individual. Total surrender is the domain of the perfect individual. 3. This book contains the guidelines for the dictators and tyrants to rule their subjects. Most of th e important rulers of Europe have benefited from the advice contained in the book and they helped to shape the governing policies. It has been hailed as the supreme guide of governance. The dictums prescribed by Machiavelli must have appealed to the baser instincts of such undemocratic rulers. He believed that the origin and substance of power was through wicked actions. He carefully distinguishes between getting and retaining power, which is done by wicked actions, but it is not possible to

Textbook Questions Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Textbook Questions Paper - Essay Example However, his degree is qualified as an economics-related course since his A.B. degree in public policy is described as being focused in the economic context. Furthermore, all of them have also completed postgraduate degrees in Economics. Aside from these similarities, it is notable that the governors share similar experiences. Most of them have worked in the academe for manifold years. Thus, holding a position requiring the knowledge of subjects they used to teach is very relevant to their previous work experiences. Additionally, prior to their tenure as members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, all of them held significant positions in different public and private organizations, where they were able to specialize in their own fields. However, it is remarkable how the five governors chanced to work with each other as each of them specialize in their own different fields. Interestingly, their specializations comprise the most fundamental aspects in financial economy, making the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve a good combination of mixed knowledge. Based on the biographies listed on the FederalReserve.gov site, the specializations of the five governors are as follows: Chairman Bernanke, monetary policy and macroeconomics; Vice Chairman Kohn, monetary policies as implemented by financial markets and systems; Governor Kroszner, conflicts of interest in financial services firms, international financial crises, corporate governance, debt restructuring and bankruptcy, and monetary economics; Governor Mishkin, impact of monetary policies on financial markets and the aggregate economy; and Governor Warsh, domestic finance, banking and securities regulatory policy, and consumer protection. 2. The Federal Reserve Bank publishes a report called the Beige Book eight times a year that summarizes the current economic conditions in each of the 12 bank districts. This report is used by the Federal Open Market Committee when

Choosing Fresno State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choosing Fresno State - Essay Example It is in such countries that the rate of students seeking international education and training is relatively high as they seek countries whose education standards are internationally recognizable and accepted. Fresno is such a state, with its education and training being internationally recognized and accepted. It is a country with many international students who mostly cannot receive the kind of training they receive here back in their countries. Apart from the high education standards of the country, other factors attract international students to the country. Fresno is not the only country in the world that offers quality education for it to be a choice of the thousands of students who come to seek for education. Certain distinct characteristics make it qualify as a destination for these education seekers. These factors are the very factors that I put into consideration before settling for the country. The factors include favourable climate, people who are culturally friendly, hig h education standards, natural attraction sites and security. Fresno state universities are known all over the world, making its education system recognized internationally. Some of the universities that are internationally known and recognized are Fresno State University and the California State University, Fresno. The courses offered in these universities are globally recognized, with the universities equipping their students with the best skills to be highly competitive in the global market (Correa 1). A student with training from an internationally recognized university is likely to have a higher competitive advantage over other students from local universities. Since my country has no internationally recognized universities, yet international firms keep setting camp in the country, the demand for quality skills has increased raising the standards of personnel recruiting in jobs, and this has made it necessary for people to seek education elsewhere. International financial firms such as banks and investment banks, hospitals, manufacturing companies and construction companies are increasingly opening branches in the country, as local businesses try to expand regionally. It is due to these reasons that I made a decision to seek international education and training and settled for Fresno state. Some of American and European countries are known to be hostile to other nationals present in the country. For example, the issue of racism scares many people from countries and states known to practice the social vice. Such countries rarely receive international students including tourists, regardless of the status of their universities or tourists attraction sites. Fresno state is different and has minimal cases of racial discrimination, with its local people being hospitable. Its history is associated with kind people who do not consider the race of a particular person they associate. Weather is another reason why I chose Fresno state. Different countries in the wor ld have different weather patterns, which at times make it hard for international students to coupe. Variations in weather patterns between different countries can affect a persons’ level of concentration, and in case the weather patterns are very adverse, students would find it very difficult to adapt to the change. Fresno has favourable weather conditions, and its climate is quite similar to that of my home

Company Analysis and Valuation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Company Analysis and Valuation - Essay Example This will be done by comparing the financial ratios to other companies within the same industry so as to get a feel for the true or normal performance of the company. Finally, the report will use the valuation models in trying to compute the intrinsic value of the company and then compares it with the current value of the company to decide if this stock is overvalued or undervalued. Ratio analysis refers to the systematic use of ratios to interpret a company’s financial statements in order to determine its weaknesses and strengths, financial health as well as its current performance and historical performance. The profitability ratios of Masraf Al-Rayan have been fluctuating, however, they shows an upward trend from 2012 implying that the profitability of the company has been increasing over the period. The net profit margin and ROA are relatively equal to the industry average value indicating that the company has the same profitability as other firms in the industry. However, other firms gives their shareholders more returns that Masraf Al-Rayan because their average ROE is higher than that of the firm. Management efficiency ratios indicates how well a firm is managing its liabilities and how effectively it is utilizing its assets. Efficiency ratios indicates the efficiency with which the assets of the company are working to generate sales revenue or income (Kapil, 2011). The company’s management efficiency ratios have been fluctuating throughout the period implying that Masraf-Al-Rayan’s efficiency has been changing over the period. In comparison to the industry average, the Company’s efficiency ratios are lower; this indicates that the company is relatively less efficient than other firms in the industry. The company’s leverage ratios have been fluctuating throughout the period implying that Masraf-Al-Rayan’s solvency has been changing over the period. From the ratios, the company is highly leveraged

Documentary Film journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Documentary Film journal - Essay Example My homeland is Iran. After the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran experienced a tremendous influx of immigration from these regions; today this immigration constitutes one of the largest social issues in Iran. As the issue has garnered significant media attention, it’s recognized that there has also been significant misrepresentation. To a large degree I recognized that the media’s representation of these immigrants was unfair and increasingly produced negative stereotypes. In fact, these immigrants are required to work long hours for extremely limited pay in a process that is akin to modern slavery. While I had direct experience with immigration in Iran, my knowledge of the illegal immigration experienced in the United Kingdom was limited. Still, after a quick perusal I came to recognize that the immigrant experience in this region held many parallels to the abhorrent conditions Iranian immigrants experienced. Indeed, further research demonstrated that the problem of t he illegal immigration experience cannot be limited to any one region, but is instead a global problem. Indeed, Chinese writer and journalist Pai notes: The number of people living outside their countries of origin more than doubled between 1975 and 2000, from 75 million to 175 million, and is likely to double again in the next twenty-five years, according to International Labour Organization (ILO). Among the 175 million away from home, migrant workers and their families now account for 120 million people globally. It’s estimated that undocumented migrant workers constitute about twenty per cent of global migration: which means that there are around 24 million ‘illegal workers’ world-wide (2007, p. 246). This understanding of the global and expanding nature of the illegal immigration crisis greatly influenced and inspired my research and motivated my documentary production. To a large degree it was the namelessness of these immigrants that grabbed my attention an d emotionally affected me. I considered that because of the nature of their condition they lack any status and in a sense it’s as if they don’t exist. I began to focus my research on a number of books and articles. These include: Reluctant Refuge, Enslaved, Modern Slavery, Chinese Whispers and etc. After my initial research of the pervading subject literature, I sought out a number of individuals who were experts in immigration law. Finally, having gained a thorough foundational understanding, I turned to major films on the subject. There is a tremendous amount of cinematic exploration of the immigration issues. My research involved films including: Ghosts (2006) by Nick Broomfield, Welcome (2009) by Philippe Lioret, Journey of Hope (1990) by Xavier Koller, La Promesse (1996) by Dardenne Brothers, Dirty Pretty Things (2002) by Stephen Frears, Gypo (2005) by Jan Dunn, The Visitor (2007) by Thomas McCarthy and etc. My next step was attending trials that included illegal immigrants as a means of gaining a first-hand perspective on the interaction between law and immigration. Interview Process After researching literature, film, and legal elements, I turned my focus to reaching out to interview actual illegal immigrants. As one might expect this was the most challenging aspect of my research. These individuals are an invisible part of the economic structure

Labour Movements in Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Labour Movements in Germany - Essay Example The economic fluctuations witnessed during the 1870’s stirred debate on the feasibility of free market system. The economic depression had a weighty consequence on the philosophy of English Trade Unions, which led to adoption of an Anti-Capitalist stance. By then, Englishmen from all classes had grown to admire and respect established political institutions. They also had confidence on the existing liberal and conservative parties, which they thought were competent enough to bring about essential reforms on capitalism as well as other political and social problems (Lipset 1983, p.12). Thus, working class support of conventional political institutions and hope in further reform, demonstrates contrast between Britain and Germany. The latter emphasized pre-eminence of the political while in Britain trade unions organization was the principal focus (Linden 1988, p.307). The reformist policies undertaken in Britain in late 19th century, and early 20th century significantly contribu ted in assimilation of the workers into the National community, thus reducing resentment to existing political institutions. Whereas SPD was considered as a revolutionary threat, Labour party was not. Apart from economic woes, there were other factors that agitated for recruitment to socialist causes such as industrial expansion, which spurred growth and favoured intense concentration of capital and labour. Similarly, there was immense growth in numbers of urban workers coupled with mass literacy. Whereas economic factor was the overriding theme that heralded socialism in Britain, political factor can be considered to have been the prime motivation in Germany. Workers movement in Germany emerged in the 1840’s although they were limited to the artisans. However, with time, they coalesced to form workers association, which promoted socialist aims of redistribution of wealth and elimination of private property. However, divisions arose concerning how social change could be achie ved in society. The contesting parties were torn in between revolution and alliance with the state (Linden 1988, p.307). Prior to 1914; the political parties of Germany did not show willingness or constitutional ability to take power. Much of the parties influence was anchored in pressuring the government through obstruction of legislations and interrogating of government’s on its executive actions. The foremost motivation of the political parties was sectional advantages. Social Democratic Party (SPD) represented socially defensive organizations. At initiation, SPD was split between non-Marxist and Marxist. Later on, the division was between Orthodox and Revisionist Marxist and eventually it adopted a modest, democratic, progressive approach to socialism. Its representation mainly featured politically conscious workers who were repressed by the state. The party, which was inaugurated in 1875, adopted revolutionary programme, dedicated to eradication of class rule (Nettl 1965 , p.65). The party also affirmed its dedication of working within the existing system for short term reforms such as state sponsored education system, universal suffrage in all German states and social legislations that safeguarded the working conditions and health of workers. SPD from the onset considered itself an outcast in the political life in Imperial Germany and emphasized a

Lizard People Essay Example for Free

Lizard People Essay Independence Day in Los Angeles. Its approximate location was at what is now the Hollywood Freeway near the intersection of North Hill Street and West Cesar Chavez Avenue, downtown. The hill was located one block north of Temple Street and a short distance south of present day Cesar Chavez Avenue, between the Los Angeles Civic Center and Chinatown. A small portion of the hill was not bulldozed and remains on the west side of Hill Street on the north side of the freeway. Part of Fort Moore Hill became home to a cemetery, with the first documented burial tracing back to December 19, 1853. Alternately known as Los Angeles City Cemetery, Protestant Cemetery, Fort Moore Hill Cemetery, Fort Hill Cemetery, or simply the cemetery on the hill, it was the citys first non-Catholic cemetery. In 1891, the site became home to the second location of Los Angeles High School (LAHS), located on North Hill Street between Sand Street (later California Street, now part of 101 Freeway) and Bellevue Avenue (later Sunset Boulevard, now Cesar Chavez Avenue). LAHS was at this location on Fort Moore Hill until 1917, when the high school was moved again. Most of Fort Moore Hill was removed in 1949 for the construction of the Hollywood Freeway, which was opened in December 1950, and in 1957 a memorial for the old fort and its American pioneers was placed on a site north of the freeway. The fort is now memorialized by the Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial. According to a G. Warren Shufelt, a geophysicist mining engineer deep beneath the heart of Los Angeles financial district (Fort Moore Hill) hundreds of feet below corporate offices, and government offices lies another city. Beneath Los Angeles Downtown area stands a lost city of catacombs filled with treasure and records. A Hopi chief named Little Green told Warren Shufult that the vanished races capital was located in modern day Downtown Los Angeles. This city derived from an Indian legend that an underground world was built by a strange race that vanished 5000 years ago. This race is commonly referred to as the Lizard People or Lizard men. Warren Shufult first heard of the Lizard people in the city of a Hopi Indian legend. Legend is that they were a race who had been nearly wiped out by a meteor shower around 3000 BC. The lizard people then constructed 13 subterranean settlements along the Pacific Coast. This was done to shelter themselves against future detriments. Each subterranean settlement is what we call in modern times a city, in which was divided to house a thousand families each. They also stockpiled essentials of life to maintain. So greatly advanced scientifically the Lizard people developed a chemical solution that melted solid bedrock to bore out the tunnels and rooms of their subsurface shelters. This was done without removing any earth and rock. They also developed a cement tar stronger than any in use in modern times which they lined their tunnels and rooms. These tunnels were also constructed to hold a profusion of gold tablets that chronicled the history of their existence, the origin of mankind, and the story of the world back to creation. The Lizard people according to Little Chief Greenleaf of the medicine lodge of the Hopi Indians in Arizona, were of a much higher type of intellectually than modern human beings. The intellectual accomplishments of their 9 year old children were equal of those of present day college graduates. According to the reporter Jean Bosquet of the Los Angeles Times in 1934, Warren Shufelt began o drive a shaft 250 feet into the ground on North Hill Street, overlooking Sunset Boulevard, Spring Street and North Broadway. Warren Shufelt engineered a radio x- ray for detecting the presence of minerals and tunnels below the surface of the ground. This was an apparatus with which he says that he has traced a pattern of catacombs and vaults forming a lost city. The radio device consisted of a cylindrical glass case with a plummet attached to a copper wire.

The Strict Internet Censorship Of China

The Strict Internet Censorship Of China Undoubtedly, the Internet has played an active role in the average Chinese life (Internet Content Control in China, p.3) The Internet is expected to enable Chinese to have more chances to access wide-ranging information sources, which are essential for democracy. As a main way of accessing to information, search engine has played a crucial role in the process of building public sphere in china. According to the survey, in the first half-year of 2010, the utilization rate of search engine among all net citizens has increased by 3%, to 76.3%; the number of users for search engine has reached 320 million and. Since 2009, search engine had entered into a period of rapid development of new cycle. Internet users have applied search engine more frequently and turned to Internet and search engine as to the acquisition of all information in life more (CINIC, 2010). Google is the largest search engine company that supplies global information services in the world. In 2006, Google began to operate google.cn for Chinese public. As a global available search engine, Google can provide more sources outside of china to Chinese. In 2005, 32.9% users would use Google to search information in Beijing of china (CINIC, 2005 , P.11). It is generally agreed that Internet contribute to fostering a virtual space of communication by offering new forms of bonding and solidarity on cyberspace new ways of forging cultural communities in local contexts (Morley, 2000). Specifically, peoples open access to information by using global Internet search engines, such as Google may create a healthier public sphere on cyberspace, which can work as a cultural and social space that should be open, diverse and accessible (Golding Murdock, 1991). To this extent, globally available search engine, such as Google, can contribute to establish public sphere in china. It assumed that Google is playing a positive role to facilitate public sphere in china. However, the situation is contrary. Although Google censored considerably less than the other search engines, it also need to obey the regulation and law of censorship of china. Internet companies all acknowledged filtering out and censoring politically sensitive information due to Chinas restrictive censorship policies. When Google complied with Chinese censorship in order to enter Chinas fast-growing market, it became to the tool of Chinese censorship to control the flow of information. Why google cannot facilitate public sphere in china? In general there are two reasons. First reason is that profit motive makes Google compromise with china. Behind the surface tensions between the Chinese regulatory power and Internet corporations, it can be widely acknowledged that the corporate-Chinese government deal provides considerable financial gains to US technology companies by enabling them to attract Chinese consumers in a lucrative Chinese Internet market with appealing, yet non-controversial material (MDMH, P.411). According to the statistics from survey, china is a considerable large market over world. As a company, Googles main goal is to gain the profit, when face to the economic interest, its responsibility to protect the human rights becomes less important. Googles capability of facilitate public sphere is restricted by the censorship of china. Because of the profit motives, Google have to comply the censorship that is the cost of doing business in china (china dilemma, p.4). For chasing the financial benefit, Googles compromise of Chinese censorship undermine its ability of contribute to form public sphere in china. This new alliance between the two different power groups is based on both state and corporate censorship measures. While the global dissemination of Internet communication operates under fundamental corporate guidelines, such as the free market principle along with the freedom of expression ideology, global Internet information flow is also mediated by local censorship and surveillance policies and political particulars within a social context (MDMH, P.411). Strict censorship of china Once google accepted to censor the information that means googles information are under harsh control. China has a very restrict system of censorship on Internet, which curb google to contribute information to establish the public sphere in china. Chinese government control the flow of information on interentet not only limit network services but also monitor traffic and users (Great leap or long march, p.705). Chine Internet censorship can be divided into two parts, one is regulation and law, and another one is the technologic control. Law and regulation was considered as the internal control of Internet in china. It is impossible to block the use Internet, as a result, Chinese government issued the law and regulation to make the access of information were under the officially control. Chinese communist party (CCP) makes the surveillance on the Internet legal by publishing related regulations and laws. Chinese government published a directive to regulate the use of the Internet in 1996(Great leap or long march, p.705). In 1997, Internet control law was added into Chinese Criminal Law. Since 1995, when commercial Internet accounts were began permitting in china, more and more laws issued to control content of Internet. For instance, Decision of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress on Maintaining Internet Security (2000); Measures for Managing Internet Information Services (2000); Provisional Rules for the Administration of the Operation of News Publication Services by Web Sites (2000); Rules for the Administration of Internet Bulletin Board System Services (2000); Rules for the Administration of Computer Internet Bulletin Board System Services in the Colleges (2001); Interim Provisions on the Administration of Internet Publication (2002)50. Other rules are aimed at Internet cafà ©, state secrecy, network security, and encryption, but they also indirectly have a strong impact on Internet content regulation. Even some rules for infrastructure or connections include provisions on content governance (Internet content control in china, p.18). According to the law and regulation in 2000, the forbidden of sensitive content and the restrictions on the distribution of news aim to control the spread the information that be critical to Chinese government. Moreover, Internet service providers (ISPs) and Internet content providers (ICPs) are required to storage users data to monitor whether user post or access to information that are unapproved by Chinese government (Internet in china). For Internet company, they must get ICP licence that allowed it operate business in china. For example, google has to comply the rules on licences that apply a range of permits. According to that, google are imposed to do self-censorship for filtering keywords that unapproved by CCP. If google do not obey the rules, Chinese government can cancel the licences to prohibit googles right to engage business even accuse google. To put the regulation and law into practice, Chinese government also censor the information by using technical means. Millions of dollars have invested to develop the information technology that distributes the system to limit the accessibility of online resources in china (The china Dilemma, p.3). Chinese government is also implementing its own e-government project which is called Government Online Project(E-government in china, p.3). Internet content filtering in china has been considered as the most complex and sophisticated around the world. Chinese government planed the Golden Shield project in 1998 and started that plan in 2003. It claimed that Golden Shied project employ advanced information technology to safeguard the security of online information and crime combating capacity, which aim to develop efficient police work (Golden shield project). It estimated that Golden Shied project had spent 70 million dollars on research to date, and that the total spending would likely be even more than that. One of the most important parts of this project is the Great firewall of china. The main function of the Great firewall is to block the accessing of forbidden materials on sites outside China. The Great firewall employ newer domain name server IP address filtering, URL keyword filtering, Web Server IP address filtering, HTML Response Keyword filtering, and DNS redirection to achieve the goal of blocking undesirable information. One hand, these technologies including the hardware and software are implemented to prevent police work from attack. On the other hand, the most important role of these technologies is to monitor and filter the flow of information. It is argued that google should reject the self-censorship in china. However, under dual pressure of stringent law and advanced technological control, google faces the dilemma in china. There only two choices for google, one is to do self- censorship, another is to be filtered by Great firewall in china. No matter google chose which side, Chinese government will enforce google to filter the keywords that crucial to public debate and democracy. David Drummond, Googles senior vice president, said that if google do not filter keywords, Chinese government could block even more sites which still disappointed Chinese public. (Google rules, p. 41) This is one of the reasons Google, in 2006, started Google.cn. Among other characteristics, Google.cn was more quickly accessed than Google.com because it filtered out content in- side China, bypassing the Great Firewall. For example, a search for Tiananmen Square on Go- ogle.com results in pictures of the man standing in front of the tank, as well as other websites related to 1989. Google.cn, in contrast, shows tourist sites re- lated to the Square and pleasant looking holiday images. No mention is made of the events of 1989.7 Moreover, if a search for images of the Dalai Lama is made on Google.cn, of the 161 images returned only one is of the Tibetan Buddhist. The same search on Google.com results in 2,030 found images.8 If one lived in China it might be forgiven for thinking many of these historical events and persons never existed (Just doing business or doing just business, p.221). The whole system of censorship on Internet works effectively. Why the Internet can be controlled in china? There are two main reasons behind the phenomena. Political aspect makes the role of Internet in china different from other countries. In general, most of keywords censored are related to politics in china and CCP have opened the diffusion of non-political information. Take the BBC sites as a instance, it can be accessed expect political news. As is know to all, china is not a democratic country that has a unique political environment. CCP has absolute authority to affect the public sphere. Since Republic of China has been established in 1949, CCP have made effort to strength the control of ideology by employing sophisticated censorship. The mainly information from Chinese media are used for propaganda. Internet, especially the searching engine used to be the tool to monitor the public opinion to reinforce CCPs one-party regime. In 1990s, when internet has been introduced in china, it has provided a forum of public debate and democracy for Chinese. Then CCP has relaised the important role of internet and apply law and technology to filter the keyword which risk the authority. As Kellner (1999) argues, Internet can be used as a tool for state power to increase the control or can be used as a tool to establish public sphere. According to that, CCP form authoritarian censorship on interenet to enforce it only to server for Government. In addition, CCP control the flow of information outside china because the fear of against Chinese communist government from west countries. For example, Wei Wu (great leap) claimed that since the end of cold war, Chinese government still worried about those anti-chinese communist government reporters from west might offer information on internet to against CCP. While the internet is global available, Chinese can access some information related to democracy and other west ideology. CCP consider that west ideology can affect the public opinion to endanger one-party regime. To safeguard the surveillance, CCP establish the great firewall to block the sites related to those west ideology about democracy and freedom of speech. Besides the political aspect, china has a lack of fundamental social environment of freedom of speech. Most of Chinese people tend have no sense of freedom of speech. Although scholars like Guobin Yang (the power of the internet in china) argued that more and more online debate and movements about democracy have took place online since 1990, china is lack of the basic to form public sphere on Internet. To begin with, Chinese people educated by Marxist which do not emphasise the importance of freedom of speech. Since 1949, Marxist which is the mainstream ideology in china is deferent from west ideology about democracy. To this extent, Chinese people do not have deep understan of democracy and freedom of speech, which are negative to establish the public sphere. Furthermore, Chinese citizen trend to have more concerns about economy than politicos. Generally speaking, china is a developing country with large population. A number of people in china focus on the developing of economy to improve their level of life condition rather than consider the public sphere. For some Chinese people who are suffering from poverty, the freedom of speech even is a luxury right (Internet content contrl). Future of Google and china Because of hack attack, Google.cn was shut down on 12 January 2010 and visitors are now being redirected to Google.com.hk (google rules). It is believed that Google.com.hk is an appropriate way to solve the problem between china and Google (Google offical blog). Google.com.hk is legal to uncensored and provide more information, yet it would be filtered by Great firewall even it has the risk to be prohibited in mainland of china. As a result, it is difficult to judge that whether google.com.hk can continue to supply information to facilitate public sphere in china. Googles ability to contribute public sphere of china still depends on the censorship of china. David Drummond argued that governments in the West should put pressure on Chinese government to improve the internet enviroment in china(Google rules, p. 35). U.S. government and the European Union have not complained or strongly against Chinas filtering of the Internet. The U.S. Congress has not passed its own laws or resolutions to address the issue of censorship in China. It continues to support business with China (Google china). Nevertheless, Chinese government is under pressure recently and attempting to establish more open and transparent media system. One significant example is the filtering during the 2008 Olympic Games. In 2001, Chinese government promised that there would be no restrictions on journalists in reporting on the Olympic Games (Access controlled, p.468). Although some websites were still blocked, websites containing politically sensitive content were accessible during 2008 Olympic Games. Moreover, most international social media websites were accessible, such as Blogspot, Facebook, and Twitter. Another example is happened in 2010 shanghai expo in china. Computer users can access to most of websites that may blocked before. These two examples indicates that Chinese government has realised that their responsibility to create more open public sphere for Chinese and international public. The open of internet environment just need to be taking gradually in china. Conclusion This emerging public sphere on the Web tends to enable more democratic sharing of information and lead to a new political awareness based on informed civic engagement (Fischer, 2000). However, average citizens are not in a good position relative to both global corporate forces and influential government regulatory regimes in terms of making rules and policies to manage the global flow of cyber- communication. Given that technology brings change, both positive and negative, in relation to social interactions and power dynamics, it should be recognized that technology also involves regulation or restriction by the state or other social forces because the information technology, i.e., the Internet, is not separated from the social and political context in which it is created and operated (Marshall, 2003; Fischer, 2000). The question is no longer how the Internet will affect china; it is how china will affect the Internet (Who controls the internet, p.104).

Apoxyomenos and the Role of Athletics in Ancient Greek Culture :: Essays Papers

Apoxyomenos and the Role of Athletics in Ancient Greek Culture According to Marilyn Stokstad, "the visual arts are among the most sophisticated forms of human communication, at once shaping and being shaped by their social context (xxxviii)." As this quote implies, artistic pieces invariably are a reflection of the culture in which they were created. Thus, art is a potent means of deciphering the values and belief systems of ancient societies. Apoxyomenos (330 BCE), or The Scraper, created by the sculptor Lysippos, is an enduring testament to the importance ascribed to athletics by the citizens of ancient Greece. Artistically, Apoxyomenos deviates from the standard Classical representation of male athletes. The majority of Classical sculptors portrayed athletes actively engaged in competition. However, this figure is gazing into the distance while removing oil and dirt from his body using a strigil (Stokstad, 165). This practice was commonly associated with athletes in ancient Greece and, thereby, communicated to the viewer that this was a piece pertaining to athletics. Athletics were an expression of the philosophical, religious and civic values that were at the very heart of Greek culture. In the world of the ancient Greeks, well-educated individuals were expected to be balanced mentally, spiritually, and physically (http://www.mediaconcero.com/olympic/olympia/ideal_o.php, September 27, 2004). It was felt that athletics aided in the creation of such an individual. Athletic events during this period were not simply displays of physical prowess, but an integration of the facets of Greek culture. Education and intellectual discourse were accessories to athletic events. During competitions, spectators would engage in lectures and philosophic conversations concerning current events and other scholarly subjects. In fact, the Greek word for "gymnasium" was the same as the Greek word for "school (http://www.mediaconcerto.com/olympic/olympia/ideal_o.php, September 27, 2004)." Athletic events became a center of learning and exchange of ideas in Greek civilization. Athletic events at this time were also closely related to the religious beliefs and practices of the Greek citizens. Each competition was devoted to a specific pagan god. For example, the patron of the Olympics was Zeus. The Greeks believed that the physical strength and ability of athletes was a direct gift from the gods (http://www.meiaconcerto.com/olympic/olympia/ideal_o.php, September 27, 2004). Therefore, each athlete competed not only in honor of his city-state, but also in honor of the gods. Civic implications were also apparent in ancient Greek athletics. The ancient world was one of constant conflict and political turmoil, and it was necessary for each city-state to possess a strong military in order to preserve their autonomy. Apoxyomenos and the Role of Athletics in Ancient Greek Culture :: Essays Papers Apoxyomenos and the Role of Athletics in Ancient Greek Culture According to Marilyn Stokstad, "the visual arts are among the most sophisticated forms of human communication, at once shaping and being shaped by their social context (xxxviii)." As this quote implies, artistic pieces invariably are a reflection of the culture in which they were created. Thus, art is a potent means of deciphering the values and belief systems of ancient societies. Apoxyomenos (330 BCE), or The Scraper, created by the sculptor Lysippos, is an enduring testament to the importance ascribed to athletics by the citizens of ancient Greece. Artistically, Apoxyomenos deviates from the standard Classical representation of male athletes. The majority of Classical sculptors portrayed athletes actively engaged in competition. However, this figure is gazing into the distance while removing oil and dirt from his body using a strigil (Stokstad, 165). This practice was commonly associated with athletes in ancient Greece and, thereby, communicated to the viewer that this was a piece pertaining to athletics. Athletics were an expression of the philosophical, religious and civic values that were at the very heart of Greek culture. In the world of the ancient Greeks, well-educated individuals were expected to be balanced mentally, spiritually, and physically (http://www.mediaconcero.com/olympic/olympia/ideal_o.php, September 27, 2004). It was felt that athletics aided in the creation of such an individual. Athletic events during this period were not simply displays of physical prowess, but an integration of the facets of Greek culture. Education and intellectual discourse were accessories to athletic events. During competitions, spectators would engage in lectures and philosophic conversations concerning current events and other scholarly subjects. In fact, the Greek word for "gymnasium" was the same as the Greek word for "school (http://www.mediaconcerto.com/olympic/olympia/ideal_o.php, September 27, 2004)." Athletic events became a center of learning and exchange of ideas in Greek civilization. Athletic events at this time were also closely related to the religious beliefs and practices of the Greek citizens. Each competition was devoted to a specific pagan god. For example, the patron of the Olympics was Zeus. The Greeks believed that the physical strength and ability of athletes was a direct gift from the gods (http://www.meiaconcerto.com/olympic/olympia/ideal_o.php, September 27, 2004). Therefore, each athlete competed not only in honor of his city-state, but also in honor of the gods. Civic implications were also apparent in ancient Greek athletics. The ancient world was one of constant conflict and political turmoil, and it was necessary for each city-state to possess a strong military in order to preserve their autonomy.

Innocence in Daisy Miller, My Antonia, and the Great Gatsby Essay

Innocence in Daisy Miller by Henry James, My Antonia by Willa Cather and the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is not as easy as it seems to distinguish who is innocent and who is not. Innocence is a cultural concept which is usually confusing. An act that is naà ¯ve and normal in one society can be a public disgrace in another. Then a question comes to mind: What is innocence? Challenging the norms of a society makes a person totally wicked? What spoils or preserves innocence? The word innocence is ambiguous. It has double vision because people put different masks on their faces for different occasions. Innocence is also one of the themes that can be focused on three American novels: Daisy Miller by Henry James, My Antonia by Willa Cather and the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. These three books help the reader to see the other side of the medallion and they suggest that it is our prejudices and cultural differences which shape our view of others. To start with James' novella Daisy Miller, the reliability of the narrator can be discussed. Winterbourne, an American but a Europeanised man is told to be an "extremely amiable fellow, universally liked." Everything looks alright with him. There seems to be no way to discuss his honesty, his innocence can be discussed because he does not really try to help Daisy. He is only affected by her in a physical way. If he had a chance of flirting with Daisy, he would not miss that chance also he would not marry her. He regards her as an innocent, fresh, and young lady but also he thinks that he is common and unsophisticated Winterbourne is not together with Daisy all the time. This is why his reliability as a source can be discussed. He is confused by her and t... ... illusions. They live in a broken paradise. Their life is full of corruption, moral decadence, hypocrisy, abusive power of money and shattered dream. Theirs is a demoralized civilization. But their honesty and innocence are not only corrupted by inner forces but also by the environmental factors. They live in a time of excess. They are a lost generation and they are afraid of poverty and worship to success as Fitzgerald says. To conclude James and Cather's novel characters have similar qualities. The females do not look moderate but they have a pure heart. Fitzgerald, who criticizes the corruption of American dream -not the dream itself- satirically presents seemingly respectable but actually spoiled and lost characters. These three novels tell the reader not to judge people just by appearance and they allow people to gain a new perspective on human behavior.

To Live Through the World of Imagination :: essays research papers

In literature, there are various works that aid children in their developmental progression of life. Children experience stages throughout their development that lead them to the discovery of not only their own needs, but the needs of others too. Many people do not realize the extent of which stories shape the way we think. Stories are particularly effective in influencing the way children think and behave, because they like to hear or read them over and over again. The repetition of these stories combined with a child's imagination makes telling a story one of the best ways to influence their thinking. Two works that indirectly influence a child's way of thinking are Winnie the Pooh by A.A Milne, and Charlotte's Web by E.B White. Each of these books deals with situations involving parent-child relationships, peer group dynamics, and social interactions. Both of these literary works have a major impact on young readers, and each one takes a unique approach in aiding young readers throughout their developing stages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Winnie the Pooh is a collection of stories that deals with the concerns and needs of a growing boy, who is trying to understand how the world and the people in it work. The little boy's name is Christopher Robin. Christopher's father tells his son the stories of Pooh's adventures and interactions with others. In order to truly understand the meaning of this story, one must realize that Winnie the Pooh represents one of the many personalities of Christopher Robin. Just as Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, Eeyore, and Owl are also alter egos of him. Each of these characters represents a different feeling or emotion of Christopher Robin, and all of them are designed by the author to fit a certain personality trait that a child can relate to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charlotte's Web is the story of a young girl who is in the midst of discovering herself and learning how to be less selfish. Fern is the name of the young girl, and Wilbur is her pig. In this story, Ferns alter ego is Wilbur as well as the Barnyard animals. They represent Fern's inner thoughts and concerns. As in Winnie the Pooh, the characters in Charlotte's Web were also created in such a way that a child could easily relate. Wilbur's actions and thoughts represent Fern's uncontrollable desire to experience something new and invigorating. Fern's concerns are more mature than those of Christopher Robin.

How far did the problems of his reign stem from Edward VI’s minority? Essay

It can be said that Edward VI’s minority, like many other boy Kings caused most of the problem’s in his reign simply because it was other men ruling the country to their preferences and not to the country’s. However, Edward’s minority was not entirely responsible for the problems of his reign, the financial situation, for instance, was inherited from Henry VIII. Edward’s minority did bring problems to his reign. Although Edward was a minor, it can be said that he influenced his councillors with his views on religion as well as on politics. The minority, however, meant that the councillors appointed by Henry VIII would rule the country until Edward was of age. However, Somerset manipulated the court and was named Lord Protector. One person was ruling England, meaning that he was carrying out his own views on matters, there was no consultation. Somerset, to a certain extent was more concerned with power than with the country. Somerset’s disastrous foreign policy can ultimately be blamed on Edward’s minority. Somerset was at war with Scotland as well as France. He was unable to secure a marriage alliance with between Edward and Mary Queen of Scots, which later married the French Dauphin. With the war he also drove England into further debt, thus Edward’s minority meant that Somerset was causing more problems than he was solving. Northumberland was also concerned with power. When Edward was dying, the succession had become a serious problem because Northumberland seemed to be firmly in control, but Edward’s death meant that he would lose power. In an attempt to secure his position he married his eldest son, to Lady Jane Grey in 1553. Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen by Northumberland, whilst Mary proclaimed herself Queen. Northumberland had underestimated the amount of support for Mary in the country. This event would perhaps not have occurred if Edward had not been a minor at the time; a smooth succession would have probably taken place. Both Lord Protectors had different aims. Whereas Somerset was more concerned with foreign policy, Northumberland tried to secure the financial situation. They seldom took the King’s views into account, thus his minority allowed the Lord Protector’s to do as they pleased in which case the problems did result as a result of Edward’s minority. Throughout the ages we see that boy Kings have been failures mainly because of their minority. An example of this is Edward V and his younger brother who were deposed by their uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester. We see that a minor King was weaker, less powerful and easier to control, thus many problems could arise as a result of the King’s minority to the extent of a deposition which occurred in 1483. However, there were problems that arose which did not stem from Edward’s minority. The financial situation was inherited from Henry VIII; he had left the country bankrupt. Even though Somerset may have driven England into further debt, the problem was already present, thus this problem did not stem from his minority because the problem was already present when he came to power. People did not revolt against Edward. The grievances made no mention of their unhappiness with the King. The Western Uprising and Kett’s Rebellion were caused by the unhappiness of the peasants because of religious as well as socio-economic factors. The Tudors were a popular monarchy, thus people would do little to cause the deposition of the King or even problems. All the problems we find in his reign did not all stem from Edward VI’s minority. Whoever ruled England from 1547 to 1553 faced great problems of inflation, poor harvests, and the ‘sweating sickness’ that killed many thousands in 1551. It is evident that the King’s minority cannot be held responsible for such uncontrollable things as disease and harvests. Somerset fell from power in 1549, despite this Edward remained in power. This is significant; it shows that in spite of Somerset’s failure to secure his position as Lord Protector as well as the foreign and financial policy, people were loyal to their King thus his minority did not always cause problems. An adult King would have prevented trouble developing amongst his councillors. There would have been no rivalries over power. Clear policies would have also been established, whereas the changes and compromises of Somerset and Northumberland could have only improved the government. However, Edward’s minority caused struggles over power, policies to the convenience and view of each councillor, and changes to suit each Lord Protector at the time, his minority seldom provided England with anything positive.

Marketing research proposal of Lion Ice Beer

Lion ice is a beer brewed in New Zealand by lion breweries. It has been one of the leading brands in premium beers in New Zealand but over the recent past there has been a substantial decline in sales volumes. The beer is specifically brewed for a certain social class (urban New Zealand males aged 26-39) who have incomes ranging from $35,000-$65,000. According the lion ice brand manager, the beer is within its latter stages of the brands product cycle and he feels there is need to re-engineer the brand afresh. Thus this research proposal aims at looking at some of the root causes for the products loss of market share as well as looking at ways that could restore the brands market share. The brand manager assumes that the reason for the decline in popularity is due to the introduction in the market of new brands of imported premium beers. Background: Lion Breweries Company launched the lion ice brand in 1993. The aim of its introduction was to compete with other brands in the ice-brewed segment of the market such as Carlton cold from Carlton breweries. This was in addition to the fact that ice-brewed beers were presumed to be a premium style of beer. Literature review: Marketing research proposals, just like many other types of research proposals need to be undertaken carefully. In writing this research proposal I have tried to emulate the laid down procedures for research proposals. Thus, I have used ideas from such scholars as Paul T. P. Wong, as well as David S. Walonick. These scholars have carefully described the art of proposal writing to its fullest both in qualitative and quantitative analysis. Methodology: In carrying out this research I have taken much emphasis in examining the best methodologies to use and I have come up with the following methodology. Firstly I have chosen the use of questionnaires that will supposedly be filled in by wholesalers and distributors. This is because these middle men have first hand information on what types and quantities of beer that retailers ask for. The questionnaires will help to determine the present demand as well as the supply available for the lion ice brand. In addition to this the questionnaires will also address the issue of pricing since it could also be a reason why people are avoiding the lion ice brand. In addition to these questionnaires there will be another set of questionnaires that retailers will be given by their distributors for them to be filled in by the consumers. This second set of questionnaires will target people’s tastes and preferences. This set will be geared towards the attainment of necessary information that will help to re brand the lion ice brand. This information will include issues of the alcoholic content, poster or logo image, bottle type amongst other factors. Since the New Zealand market is very large and given the time limitation I have decided to use snowball sampling technique. In so doing I will interview one major distributor of premium beers of selected cities. Once I have interviewed the distributor I will leave the questionnaires with him for them to be circulated by retailers. Once the forms are filled they will be returned back to the distributor as retailers replenish their stocks. The study will involve a lot of travelling as well as the use of telephone conversations from time to time. Due to time limitation I have chosen snowball sampling technique since it is easier under the circumstances. Since the research is supposed to take at most two months I have planned to spend the first three weeks randomly selecting distributors nationally who will be my primary subjects or participants. Within this period I will also issue the questionnaires for distribution. Once this is done I am hoping to use the fourth week contacting the distributors and knowing the degree of feedback. If this goes as planned I hope to spend the fifth and sixth week collecting the questionnaires as well as clarifying any disparities in the feedbacks. The seventh and eighth weeks I hope to analyze and compile my research findings and come up with the final recommendations. Results: After conducting the research and administering the questionnaires I will be looking forward to getting answers to the following questions. Firstly I will be able to know the current levels of demand and supply, I will also be able to know the best pricing strategy, the current tastes and preferences will also be known among others. Discussion: By undertaking this research I am positive that I will be able to come up with concrete answers necessary for the re-introduction of the brand into the market. However, due to time limitations the research will not be as conclusive as I would have wanted it to be. This may cause the results to deviate slightly from the actual case but the deviation will be minimal and negligible I believe. References: Edward F. McQuarrie. 2005. The Market Research Toolbox: A Concise Guide for Beginners. London: Sage Publications. Ian, Chaston; 1999. New Marketing Strategies: Evolving Flexible Processes to Fit Market Circumstance. London: Sage Publications The official lion brand website: www.lion-nathan.co.nz. Sunny, Crouch; &Matthew, Housden.2003. Marketing Research for Managers. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Â  

Early to Middle Childhood Essay

If you ever seen a preschooler rushing off to play with a neighborhood friend, you know the enjoyment that children derive from being with their peers. Aside from this enjoyment, peer relationship is significant to a child’s social development. At the beginning of early childhood up to the middle childhood, children become less dependent on their parents. At the age of 2, children play independently with their toys but later in this period, children will tend to play with interaction. This change in the mode of playing of children will be formalized in the start of school age. Other than enjoyment, play becomes a material for social improvements. It allows children to be more competent in their social interactions with others and serves as a way to develop self-control. They avoid hitting an opponent who outlasted them and they tend to develop control of emotions (Selman et al. , 1983; Feldman, 1982). Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development The theory of psychologist Jean Piaget is the most well known of all the theories in cognitive development. He suggested two stages during early childhood and middle childhood. The movement from one stage to another requires a proper amount of maturation and experiences. Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 years) The use of language is the major development during the preoperational stage. In this stage, children develop their sense of representation of the world that allows them to describe people, events, and feelings. They even use symbols in play to represent a particular object. For example, a book that was pushed across the floor is a car for them. Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 12 years) The mastery of the concept of conservation marked the beginning of the concrete operation stage. During this stage, children develop their ability to think in a more logical manner. The egocentrism characteristic of the preoperational period is slowly disappearing in this stage. One of the things that the children learn at this stage is the principle of reversibility, the idea that some changes can be undone by reversing the earlier action that result to the change. Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development In trying to trace the course of social development, Eric Erikson developed the most comprehensive theory of social development. He included two stages during childhood which include the initiative versus guilt stage and the industry versus inferiority stage. Initiative versus Guilt Stage (age 3 to 6) In this stage, the major conflict is the desire of a child to initiate an activity independently but feeling the guilt that bring by the consequences of such activity. Parents take a big part in helping their child to adapt with this stage. They should react positively and take time to resolve problems under this stage. Industry versus Inferiority Stage (age 6-12) During this period, successful psychosocial development is featured by increasing competency across all tasks, may it be social interactions or academic skills. Intelligence Intelligence can take on many different meanings. A person who reason logically and identify more solutions in a problem is considered intelligent. Another is verbal abilities which are also attributed as being intelligent. Intelligence in a more focused meaning is the capacity to understand the world, think critically and rationally and use resources in an effective manner when face with challenges. The first formal intelligent test was performed by Alfred Binet. He used this test to identify the dullest student in Paris school system in order to provide them with corrective assistance. However, theories of intelligence began to unravel the mysteries of our intellect. One of the first theory in intelligence assumed that there was a single factor contributing to mental ability, called the g-factor (Spearman, 1927). Consequently, psychologist L. L. Thurstone suggested that there are several primary mental abilities underlying general intelligence. By using innovative statistical technique, he classified a variety of subcomponents of intelligence which includes numerical ability, reasoning, verbal fluency, memory and verbal comprehension. Other than that, Howard Gardner proposed an idea that we have seven multiple intelligence. In these seven multiple intelligence, musical intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, and interpersonal intelligence can be seen during childhood years. Gender Identity Our society holds well-defined stereotypes about men and women, and they prevail regardless of age, economic status, and social and educational background. Although the difference in many studies about men and women may conclude large difference, still it is not the reality. In considering the differences that were documented, it can be seen that there are more similarity than difference between men and women. One of the most known differences between men and women is their degree of aggression. By the time they are 2 years old, boys tend to show more aggression than girls and this continues throughout their lifespan. Furthermore, during the middle childhood, children are quite different in the level of self-esteem. Girls, on the average, have lower self-esteem compared to boys. References Feldman, R. S. (1982). Development of non-verbal behavior in children. New York: Spriner-Verlag. Harder, A. F. â€Å"The Developmental Stages of Erik Erikson†. Learning Place Online. Retrieved April 3, 2009 @ http://www. support4change. com/stages/cycles/Erikson. html Selman, R. L. , Schorin, M. Z. , Stone, C. R. & Phelps, E. (1983). A naturalistic study of children’s social understanding. Developmental Psychology, 19, 82-102 Spearman, C. (1927). The Abilities of Man. London: Macmillan.

The Unusual Experience

The Unusual Experience It was the same bus I got onto every morning, but today, I fell asleep in the bus. When I woke up, I sensed something was unusual. The bus took me to a strange place that I had not seen before. Before I managed to ask the bus driver, it vanished. Wandering around aimlessly looking for anybody, the place seemed weird. Some crows were flying above me. There was an old building on the waste land. When I reached the building, a girl tapped me from behind. Liz was wearing a school uniform.She looked very beautiful as she gestured me towards the building. When I got into the building, there were many people. They were wearing the same uniform as Liz. I realised that it was a school. The students were going to their classes. Being a new student, Liz brought me to see the principal. I followed her without saying any word. In the spacious principal’s office, I was welcomed by En. Juhair. He told Liz to bring me to Class A. It was overcrowded. We took our seats at the back row. Everybody stood up and said â€Å"Sam!Welcome to Monster School! † I was so shocked to hear that. I could hardly believe my ears and eyes. All of a sudden, the students and teachers looked like monsters. Looking closer at Ms. Munirah, I noticed she wore a tail. I had an unpleasant feeling in my stomach. I turned to face pretty Liz and felt relieved that she was still the same, she was just smiling. The very thought of this bizzare place made me feel like running away. Nevertheless, I kept the thought to myself. When the school bell rang, I planned my escape route.I couldn’t leave LIz behind and decided to invite her along. She happily agreed to my infamous plan because she knew that the monsters would kill me for being a human. We rushed out of school quickly. I showed her the bus station where I got down in this morning. Apparently we had been spotted by the monsters. They were trying to catch us. As we were beginning to feel helpless, fortunately the b us came into the station. Both Liz and I boarded the bus. It was going at a maddening speed. Feeling exhausted, I dozed to sleep .When I got up, I was surprised to see a vacant seat next to me. â€Å"Did you see the girl next to me? † â€Å"Which girl? You were alone. † The bus driver looked at me with cynical eyes and shook his head unbelievingly. It was 2. 30 pm when the bus stopped in front of my house. I still could not understand what had happened to me until now. Maybe to some people this seems like a joke; to others, it is just a fantasy. However, to me, this has been a very shockingly unexplainable experience in my life.

Non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods Essay

Non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods - Essay Example Fakhar et al. (2013) aimed to measure the pain anxiety related to change of dressing in admitted burn patients with age ranging from 18 to 60 years. The inclusion was only of 2nd degree burns (9-35% Total Body Surface Area-TBSA) and other burn degrees were excluded. Inclusion criteria meant people who are representative of the study and exclusion criteria meant people who may cause bias or hurt themselves. It is an experimental randomized clinical trial (RCT) with two groups. RCT is on the second top of hierarchy besides RCT can affect the decision-making if the sample size is calculated appropriately. RCTs are the useful trials that could admit the generalization of cause and affect relationships between intervention introduced and outcome measure. Sample size was estimated using power analysis to have a representative group. This power analysis helps to estimate the sample needed in experimental and control groups to support the findings as outlined by Burns and Grove (2009). The experimental group used jaw relaxation technique while the control group used usual medication care only without specifying it as this counted a weakness against the study. Randomization of allocation is done to ensure similarities in groups with a six months’ time period. Experimental group was taught to master jaw relaxation for 20 minutes and then asked to rate their pain anxiety level before dressing and again 15-20 minutes after the dressing.

Nestle Case wk3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nestle Case wk3 - Essay Example He completely overhauled the executive board and believed in restructuring as a continual process. However, his contention that when the organization is doing well, change should be justified. I therefore agree with what he did. By identifying the ‘untouchables’ where the organization’s core competencies and strengths are retained and enhanced, Nestle remains to project a solid brand and image associated with dairy food products. Recent times have indicated that Nestle created Nestlà © Nutrition, a global business organization designed to strengthen the focus on their core nutrition business – manifesting the same belief in Brabeck-Letmathe’s philosophy for organizational change. The implications for change managers that apply specifically to Nestle are: (1) that care needs to be taken in assessing and implementing organizational change (whether using an incremental or transformational approach); (2) incremental changes are less risky and therefore more appropriate; and (3) that change affects multiple types of changes simultaneously. Nestle management, particularly under the direction and navigation of Brabeck-Letmathe has understood the thrust of their organizational leader and steered the organization into unprecedented heights. By focusing, reinforcing and sustaining Nestle’s strengths instead of changing them, the strategy continue to work towards achieving global leadership in the food and nutrition market. The lessons from the front line emphasize that: (1) downsizing is not always the most appropriate method to restructure; (2) implementing technological changes is not always straightforward; and (3) producing successful acquisitions are always a managerial challenge. These issues can be overcome with open communication, identifying causes of resistance and barriers and aligning decisions to organizational goals. As evidenced from the Nestle case, there have been organizational changes

MANAGING IN A MIXED ECONOMY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MANAGING IN A MIXED ECONOMY - Coursework Example Management in mixed economy in the current context has attained significant importance across the world (Reisman, 2005). Concerning with the factors of a mixed economy, this paper intends to focus on the management of such issues in the light of Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd. Overview of the Network Rail Railtrack was involved in performing various tasks of scheduling, delivering, managing, selling and consulting for rail transportation and operated as a group of companies that was engaged in maintaining all the aspects of the track as well as stations of the old British rail network. However, it was sold to Network Rail and later renamed as Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd. Network Rail was then charged with the responsibility of managing the entire rail infrastructure in Great Britain excluding the London underground service. Network Rail therefore aims at providing a safe, reliable and efficient railway service within the UK. Correspondingly, the organisation is committed towards improving the rail network by offering faster, and frequent as well as reliable journey within the towns and cities of the UK. With its rigorous effort, it aims at integrating people for making the UK more competitive in terms of railroad transportation. It also aims at bringing significant benefits to the national economy. Moreover, its endeavour towards private sector growth and workforce can also be seen with its radical investment in the sector (Network Rail, 2013). It is worth mentioning in this context that the organisation is committed towards introducing new technologies in order to offer greater ease and facilities to its wide-range of customers. The organisation proclaims to follow the best organisational practices of safety management wherein its initiatives have been committed towards promoting righteous attitude and continuous development within the workforce. It further tends to ensure that all the passengers as well as individuals dealing with fright are fairly treat ed when they choose to use railway. Currently, the company operates as a private company performing commercial businesses. It is categorised as company limited by guarantee and is directly accountable to its members being regulated by the Office of Retail Regulation (ORR). Moreover, the company is determined to deliver a safe, reliable and the most efficient railway for Britain. It is worth mentioning that its members are drawn from rail industry and the public. Moreover, it is funded through excess of revenue apart from the monetary assistance rendered by the government grants. Notably, the Scottish Government is a public member of Network Rail (Network Rail, 2013). Seminar Topic 1: Innovation and Service Transformation The notion of co-production is widely being discussed in relation to the public services across the world and in the UK as well when evaluating the innovation and service transformation strategies taken by organisations such as Network Rail in a mixed economy system . It is worth mentioning that co-production processes in a mixed economy have often been argued to be primarily based upon the apparent characteristics of services in both public and private sectors wherein the production and consumption of services are commonly noted as inseparable. In order to attain the broad benefits of the co-production, it is essential that the users of

Wrongful Convictions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wrongful Convictions - Assignment Example languishing in jails has recently triggered series of advocacy efforts in order to bring sanity and create order in the system Above all, the fundamental concern in this regard lies in giving justice to each and every member of the society. The case of the United States v. Wade is a clear demonstration of the concept of wrongful convictions that normally affect society. However, unlike in this particular case, certain cases are never appealed and innocent people end up convicted and jailed or executed. In the case of United States v. Wade, it is realized that the crime took place on 21st September, 1964 when a bank in Texas was robbed at a time when two of its employees were actually inside. Later on 24th March, 1965, Joe Wade and two other people were charged with robbing the bank. Upon his arrest, Wade was represented by a counsel who had been appointed for that purpose. When an FBI agent arranged for a lineup in the courthouse in order to trace the culprits, it was unfortunate enough that Wade did not have his counsel present. The two employees present at that time therefore identified Wade as the robber. The same occurrence took place at the trial. However, the two employees were examined to seek any connection wit h the previous lineup. However, Wade’s defense pushed for his acquittal on the premise that the lineup was in violation of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments. The court nevertheless refused that motion and Wade was convicted. The Fifth Circuit however reversed the conviction on the very premise that the lineup was in violation to the Sixth Amendment given that it was done in the absence of the defendant’s counsel (Dressler 65). The point of defense in the original trial was the feeling that the lineup was not in tandem with the Fifth and Sixth amendments. The defense categorically argued that the lineup was conducted in the absence of a counsel and could not therefore be used as the basis for making decision on the case. On the Fifth Amendment,

Social Psychology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Social Psychology - Assignment Example Consequently, I seldom participated in get together or other social activities conducted within school premises by my class-fellows. It is therefore, the boys and girls considered me as a very temperamental, unpredictable and arrogant person. One of my girl class-fellows, called Sandy, was very naughty and lively student. She looked like a tom-boy, and participated in sports and games, and every mischief observed by the naughty students. She did not like such a book worm like me, and always displayed her disliking for too much study and no play in quite an innocent mode. She cited psychological causes that led humans towards isolation and described the reasons behind leading the lonely life. â€Å"Lonely people have an intense longing to be needed and wanted by someone else. Some people suffer from loneliness from time to time, and for some it’s a daily way of life. Most lonely people wear the affects of it on their face with a sad continence or a dejected look.† (Nicel y, 2008: 1) But it was not the case actually; rather, I wanted to spend most of my time in the world of literature, colors and imagination. I even had no care regarding the views my class-mates maintained about me. Time was passing with its usual flow, and everything appeared to be routine matter. Then one day one single event made revolutionary changes in my life. It was a pleasant April morning, when the speech contest was going to be held at school level. One student from 7th to 10th grade could participate in the contest. I was one of the spectators, when I found my class-teacher in a perplexed state. On enquiry, I came to know that the contester from our class was absent from the school and there was no one to represent our class. Since everyone knew that I had vast knowledge of almost all topics, the teacher requested me to represent the class. After little hesitation, I stepped forward and spoke at

Health Care Finance in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Care Finance in the United States - Essay Example Some of the services offered are respite care, rehabilitation, and environmental modifications. For these services, Out of Pocket Payments are usually the largest sources of healthcare financing, paid directly by patients and are no reimbursable by an insurer or related third parties A new Gallup Daily evaluation reinforces the great level of inconsistency in health insurance coverage among U.S population segments. In general, health insurance coverage is lowest in U.S’ mid-twenties, a situation that is strongly associated with income, at a range from a low of 44% across 35-year olds earning below $25,000 per year to 100% amongst seniors above 60 earning the same amount per year. Of the total population interviewed by Gallup last year, an estimated 17% of the entire American population did not have a health insurance cover. As a reality with many features of American life today, the absence of health insurance is not randomly or equally distributed. There is a distinct income and age pattern when it comes to the population with health insurance. Among 18-year olds, 84% are insured. However, this relatively high coverage are presumably mirrors the fact that most of the youthful Americans are still covered by their parents’ insurance policies, though this changes immediately as they begin their twenties. Health insurance coverage comes to the lowest level of the total age range (66%) at the age of 22. Starting from this age, the percentage of the population insured begins to increase, albeit gradually, hitting the 95% level at the age of 65 when Medicare cover is formally available. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is inclusive of considerable new requirements designed to increase the rates of health insurance coverage. It includes the compulsory expansion of Medicaid programs to cover persons in households with incomes less than 133% of the federal poverty level, a necessity

History of women in the military Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of women in the military - Research Paper Example It has only been since recent decades that women have been welcomed into the military, but before this, it was something that was often done discretely. Even though women had often be seen in wars in the ancient and medieval battles, such as Joan of Arc in 1429 (Willens, 1996), it was in the early 1900s that women were being spoken against about why they should not participate in war. One of the biggest arguments was that women should stay at home and tend to their family, leaving their husbands to battle. Many women accepted this, though many more had the counterargument that the men could stay home while the women went off to fight. This was always quickly shot down, though, as the mothers were the ones that children really relied on. Other arguments included the fact that women were not physically built as men were, and therefore unlikely to handle the physical burden of being in a war; the emotional nature of a woman was also looked down upon, with many males and military officials believing that women did not have what it took to handle to emotional and often traumatic impacts of war. Women, however, fought their own battle to be allowed the chance to fight the other battles. The more that military officials realized how many women were sneaking into the wars, the more open they became to accepting them, also realizing that they could be huge assets in the outcome of the wars. Their male counterparts took their willingness as something positive that could be applied to the war; after all, nobody could deny someone who sincerely wanted to fight for a cause or for their country. Men quickly found the positives in this level of strength. It was World War I that really brought the change that women had been fighting for when the United States Navy began to accept women for enlisted service. After a successful first World War, it became clear that it would be beneficial to have women enlisted by

Power the Structure of Conflict Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Power the Structure of Conflict - Case Study Example Bringing both the parties at level with each other through communication is the greatest task of mediation aiming at eliminating power abuse. In the given case study, Roland makes use of his power through verbal bullying and abuse with his partner and the subordinates, which makes him less popular among them due to which people working under him are suffering through job dissatisfaction. Power imbalance between the two partners, Roland and Karen, makes them enter into conflicts every now and then and since Karen seems to be in less power, this makes her submissive and more understanding. Roland can deal with the conflicts in a better way by communicating with the workers on friendly terms and making them feel at ease with him so that they share their ideas with him and a better solution is approached. But since, Roland wants to use his power therefore he is less understanding and is imposing his decisions upon the others.

The Importance of a College Degree Essay Example for Free

The Importance of a College Degree Essay Your education is the single greatest gift you can give yourself. While there are educational opportunities all around us, some of them come at a greater cost than others. A college education might require a hefty investment of time and money upfront but the payoff is much better over time than if you used your life experiences in order to achieve the same level of education that you can pack into 2, 4, or 5 years of an undergraduate education on the college level. In other words, over the course of your lifetime you are likely to pay far less for your college education than you would pay (in earning potential) for not having a college education. At the same time, each level of college education you receive increases your overall earning potential. This means that a one-year degree in a technical field will provide a modest boost from a high school diploma when it comes to earning potential but an associates degree will provide an even better boost. You will see an even more significant improvement in earning potential when you increase from an associates degree to a bachelors degree. The vast majority of students enter the work force upon completion of a bachelors degree. Those students, however, who remain in school for graduate studies often, find that a masters degree even further improves their lifetime earning potentials. The problem for most when it comes to making the jump between degrees and educational levels is cost. There are times in life when we simply need to get out of school and get to work. The good news is that it is gradually becoming easier for those with careers to further their education without sacrificing either their careers or their family during the process. Of course there will be some sacrifices along the way but it isnt an all at once or nothing endeavor. You can work towards your degree by taking online classes. The information age has made it easier than ever before to achieve the educational goals you need to meet in order to satisfy your dreams for the future. Your level of education will get your foot in the door when it comes to  certain jobs and your lack of education will limit you far more than a lack of experience will limit you in many cases. As time grows on, more and more companies are seeking employees that have degrees rather than those who have experience in the field. If you hope to remain competitive in the business world you need to arm yourself with the proper education. The following chart demonstrate the idea of how college can impact your personal financial goals. Check with your company to see if they offer any sort of incentives for employees continuing their education. You might be surprised to find that your company offers to match your tuition funds or even completely reimburse them if you are working towards a degree that will assist you in your job functions. There is no wrong reason to get an education. Even if you are applying for a job that wont use your specific degree, you might find that having a degree at all gives you a boost over other applicants for the same position. A college degree is becoming more and more necessary in todays business climate. You need to take every opportunity that is available to you in order to get your college degree.

The History Of The Blues Harmonica Music Essay

The History Of The Blues Harmonica Music Essay The harmonica is a free reed instrument; this means that sound is generated as air flows past a thin strip of material and makes it vibrate producing sound. Air pressure is usually generated by breathing or blowing into a hole, cane or pipe. The air flows over one side of the reed, creating an area of low pressure and causing the reed to flex towards the opposite side. The frame enclosing the reed is built so that when it flexes it blocks the air flow, reducing the low pressure area and allowing the reed to bend back. The harmonica is known to have different names like the Gob Iron, the Tin Sandwich, the Mouth Organ but most commonly the harp, probably because of its mechanism being so similar to the Jews harp, which consists of a single reed mounted on a frame that is plucked to create a note that resonates in the players mouth. The first free reed instruments were invented in the Ancient Far East and were not known in the West until quite recently. Among these ancient instruments there is the khaen of Laos; which consists of various pipes bound together in a set of rows, very much like a pan pipe, or the shÄâ€Å"ng of China and the shÃ…Â  of Japan, which are more of a group of tubes, traditionally inserted into a hollow dried fruit like a gourd, which nowadays is made of steel. (see Illustration x) These traditional instruments have survived to modern times and are currently used in social music and courtship rituals, and the sheng is still one of the instruments used in Chinese opera. The metal free reeds system used in the khaen and sheng is thought to be the ancestor of the reeds used in harmonicas in the present. The shÄâ€Å"ng was brought to Russia at the end of the 18th century. It seems it inspired a lot of devices in the early 19th century, which was the foundation for the development of the more modern free reeds. A Czech organ builder named Franz Kirschnek fashioned a new kind of free reed to be used in organ pipes. He might have just adapted an earlier model of free reed or he actually come up with the idea completely independently. Harmonicas, as we know them today When we talk about the harmonica as we know it today, it is hard to determine exactly who the inventor was. There were no factories at the time, and it was a case of individual artisans who were trying out new ideas. At the time, many people tried to construct instruments with free reeds in Vienna, Paris, London, and America, so its not clear who might have been the first but credit does go to a young German by the name of Friedrich Buschmann, who later on was also known to invent the concertina. He was a clockmaker, and around 1816 he devised an object used as a piano tuner and called it mundaeoline, which is German means mouth harp. What can be determined is that one of the oldest artisans to make harmonicas was Christian Messner. Around the late 1820s he got one of these little harmonicas from Vienna, thought it was an interesting instrument, repaired it and awoke an interest in his colleagues, who asked him to make them one too. He saw it could become a lucrative business and became the first harmonica maker in South-West Germany. At this point it was only possible to blow into harmonicas; it was later, around 1847 when Johannes Richter added a secondary draw reed plate under the blow plate. From 1840, Messners nephew Christian Weiss decided to set up his own small company and began to work on his own designs. In 1857, another young clockmaker named Matthias Hohner bought and managed to copy one of Buschmanns creations. With this and a bit of espionage from the Weiss Harmonica Company he managed to introduce his own design. He gave the instrument a nicer look, ornamenting its cover plates and displaying his brand name. He was a talented salesman and businessman. He improved production and bought out his competitors. By the 1870s, mass production began at the Hohner Company and they started an aggressive overseas marketing campaign; the harmonica now looked very much like the ones we know today. The American civil war made the harmonica very popular in the USA. Hohner had already sent harmonicas over and the soldiers found it easy to play and carry. Within a comparatively short space of time, the Hohner Company was shipping millions of Richter Marine Band harmonicas to America every year. Around the 1900s, half of the harmonicas made in Germany were sold to the United States. In the 1920s, Hohner was making over 50 million harmonicas every year, and distributing them all over the world. From then on they have been the leading harmonica company. Up until then, harmonicas could only be played in a major scale (or natural minor), so by blowing naturally, you could not get any half steps or sharps and flats. For example, a C Major scale would be: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C and that would be the C Diatonic harmonica. It would be like only playing the white keys on a piano. Hohner then decided to develop a chromatic harmonica that could play all 12 notes of a scale, making it a very versatile instrument which is used for music which requires a great variety of notes. It is specially used in jazz, pop and of course classical music. Although it allows the possibility to play any scale, in any key, it cant bend notes very well so the player cant really achieve a bluesy kind of sound as well as on the diatonic (bluesy sound explained further). In the Seydel Factory in Saxony, they still use the original machines that were used 130 years ago to make their harmonicas and although the parts are mass produced they must still be assembled by hand, someone at some point in the line of production must check and fine tune the harmonica manually. Special small plates and files are used to make precise adjustments to the reeds and it is a task that cannot be undertaken mechanically; every reed must be tuned by hand. The harmonica is one of the most portable instruments; it fits in any pocket or bag and is easy to carry around. There are endless stories about how harmonicas saved lives; from stopping bullets by being in the soldiers uniform in the right place at the right time, to other stories of many musicians that made a living out of playing it. It is a close and intimate instrument, and very personal as players wouldnt let other people play their harmonica (especially for hygienic reasons). Companion of isolated men, from prisoners, soldiers and shepherds to astronauts, as it was the first musical instrument in outer space. On a Gemini space flight in December 1965, astronaut Wally Schirra reported an unidentified flying object in a polar orbit, We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, probably in polar orbit. Looks like he might be going to re-enter soon. You just might let me pick up that thing. I see a command module and eight smaller modules in front. The pilot of the command module is wearing a red suit and then played Jingle Bells on a four hole, eight-note Little Lady Hohner harmonica that he had managed to smuggle on board. It is an extraordinary little device, invented as a toy, considered a beautiful instrument and that has now been with us for over 150 years and will still go on for many more. How do harmonicas work? Parts and Mechanisms The harmonica was initially designed to be able to play various notes at the same time in combinations that were harmonic and made intuitive sense because they could automatically support melodious notes. By blowing and sucking the player can easily get the notes sounding right, without the need to work on getting the notes to sound clearly like on the guitar, it is a bit more like playing keys on the piano. Anyone can buy a good functional harmonica without having to spend a lot of money, and that is something you cant say about guitars or keyboards. Although usually out of the box harmonicas need a lot of fine tuning and customizing for advanced and professional playing. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦they are raw materials waiting to be formed in to a real instrument. Then again that also happens with most professional instruments. The basic mechanism is as explained in the previous section about free reed instruments. For the purpose of this analysis from now on when the harmonica is mentioned, it will be referring to the ten hole diatonic, the most commonly used harmonica for folk, rock and of course blues music. The diatonic harmonica consists of two cover plates, two reed plates and a comb (see illustration x). Cover plates cover the reed-plates and are usually made of metal. There are two types of cover plates: traditional stamped metal open designs like the Hohner Marine Band, and enclosed designs such as the Suzuki Promaster. The first are usually lighter and smaller than the enclosed ones which often are heavier but give out a louder tonal quality. The comb is the main body of the instrument. Its the central part of the harmonica and its what everything is bolted or nailed to. Its called a comb because it looks very much like a hair comb. As air goes though the harmonica, it usually carries saliva, so this inner structure must be made out of a type of material that can resist exposure to moisture and that way avoid expanding or smelling. Traditionally they are made from pear wood, although they can also be found made out of plastic or metal. There are two brass reed plates on a diatonic harmonica, each with 10 to 12 reeds riveted on to it. The reeds are shorter for the higher pitch, so the lower the note is, the longer the reed. The top plate is for the blow notes and the bottom is for the draw notes, so the reeds are facing the opposite direction. After a while reeds do go out of tune, and some notes might lose their brightness, they start to sound flat and inconsistent. That indicates the harmonica needs re-tuning. Although every hole in the harmonica can easily produce one note as the player blows air in to it, and one as he draws air, there are many more hidden notes that can be found by bending (a term used by guitarists, who actually bend the strings up or down to create a subtle change in the pitch) or overblowing. (see illustration Bendable Notes Chart) If while doing a draw note, the airflow is increased, the draw reed over-flexes and the air pressure causes the blow reed from the same hole to vibrate too, making a new note pop out, so basically you are drawing air through the blow reed. The best way to understand how air pressure is changed is by whistling and trying to change the pitch of the initial note. The changes your mouth, tongue and throat make are similar to the ones a harmonica player makes when he bends a note. Bending notes is a tough technique for beginner harmonica players and it is where the secret to getting a bluesy sound lies, because its the way to get the flat third, fifth and seventh; the blue notes. The Bluesy Sound The term the blues usually refers to melancholy and sadness and is constantly heard in lyrics to describe a depressed mood. Blues is a form of expression and a feeling that is brought to a musical form. In very technical words, the blues form is characterized by specific chord progressions also found in other genres like folk, jazz, and rock and roll. The twelve-bar blues chord progression is one of the most common, although there are others like the eight-bar, used in songs like Key to the highway, originally by Big Bill Broonzy, or the sixteen-bar as in Ray Charles Sweet 16 Bars or in Herby Hancocks Watermelon Man. The basic twelve-bar framework blues progression has a distinctive form in phrase and chord structure and duration. The structure is based on the Tonic, Subdominant and Dominant chords of the key. For example: A blues song in the key of C would have the following structure: Take the Tonic Subdominant Dominant chords and play them in the following order: T T T T | S S T T | D S T T So the chords for a blues tune in the key of C would be C, F and G and they would be played in the following order: C C C C | F F C C | G F C C Fitting the lyrics in this structure makes them sing very much like poetry sound when it is read out loud. The structure consists on an AAB pattern, consisting of a line being sung over the first four bars, in repetitions over the next four bars, and a longer finishing line over the last four bars. Using Robert Johnsons Sweet Home Chicago as a standard twelve bar Blues example for analysis, we find the following pattern: Bar 1 Bar 2 Bar 3 Bar 4 A Come on, Baby dont you want to go Bar 5 Bar 6 Bar 7 Bar 8 A I said, come on, Baby dont you want to go Bar 9 Bar 10 Bar 11 Bar 12 B To that same old place Sweet home Chicago This progression of chords is the basis of thousands other rock and pop songs that often have a blue sound even without using the traditional twelve-bar arrangement. The harmonica player has to be very aware of what key and chord the song is in, because he has to fit in that progression or the notes he plays would not sound right. He then also has to know very well when and where to fit in the blue notes that, for expressive reasons are played flattened or gradually bent (minor 3rd to major 3rd, explained further along) in relation to the pitch of the major scale. After all, the blues is a feeling and although it can be analysed technically as any other musical genre, to play it right it has to be felt. Like Muddy Watters puts it when youve got no bread and your love sick youve got the blues. And although people cant even begin to imagine slavery, working in the cotton fields, or being racially discriminated like it was in those days, they can still feel the romanticism of that feeling in a sense of a Im with them! support. The blues is not all just about playing the twelve-bar, like Mick Abrahams from Fleetwood Mac says in the documentary Blues Britannia Can Blue Men Sing the Whites, If you can play one note in the twelve-bar solo and make somebody cry or laugh, or all the lovely emotions that are associated with music, thats truly to me the blues its almost a prayer Nonetheless some blues artists also used the blues as a base for more comical, raunchy lyrics, such as Big Joe Turners Rebecca (Rebecca, Rebecca, get you big legs off me, Rebecca, Rebecca, get you big legs off me. It may be sending you baby, but its worrying the hell out of me) or Tampa Reds Tight Like That (There was a little black rooster met a little brown hen, made a date at the barn about a half past ten). What got the Harmonica in to blues? The main thing that got the harmonica into the blues was its inexpensivenessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ which now is a thing of the past as Paul Jones lead singer and harmonica player for Manfred Mann, says in the documentary Tin Sandwich Anyone?, and it is because at the time they were an affordable instrument that the African Americans managed to popularise by introducing it to the blues. Little Walter was quoted saying When I started to play harmonicas, they were a dime! Now theyre a dollar and a half! Those people ought to remember who popularised them that way! The first harmonica recordings made around 1924 by many unknown musicians totally revolutionised the way the instrument was played, and gave way to the blues harmonica as we know it. The harmonica allowed for some very visceral, meaningful sounds that almost felt like wails of pain and sorrow. They almost felt like an extension from the voice and were definitely very expressive and profound close intimate instruments. It was amazing how such a small simple instrument was able to communicate so many things and create so many different effects. Harmonica players at the time discovered that it was possible to lower the pitch of some of the notes by changing the shape of the air space inside his mouth whilst playing: Bending. They also found that drawing instead of blowing, and not playing in the key of the harmonica, but in the key of the dominant 7th chord, they could create sounds that had nothing to do with the major-key folk for which the harmonica was originally intended: the Cross Harp. Train imitations and fox-chases, or many of the typical blues licks, would have been unimaginable without these two features. Bending is probably the first way the player starts hearing a bluesy sound coming from this little instrument. Bends are essential for blues and rock harmonica sound, due to the sad and soulful sound the instrument can draw out. That wailing and howling of the blues harmonica is achieved by bending. Playing the harmonica in the same key as the song is in would mean the player is in the first position or strait. He would be mostly using blow notes and it is the way he would get a melody, or more of a folk sound. The cross harp, or second position, consists on taking the harmonica in a different key from the song (being in the circle of fifths) and mostly playing draw notes. For example: Accompanying a guitarist playing a song in A, the harmonica player could play an A harmonica in first position, or a D harmonica in the second position. Both would fit in but the D harmonica would make it sound more bluesy than the A harmonica. The way the cross harp works is that there are only so many scales one can do on each harmonica. On a piano or a guitar all scales can be played from all keys on the same instrument, but on the harmonica the player has to change keys. This way draw notes can be played easier and so can the blue notes. Usually beginner harmonicas come with a cross harp chart in the box (see illustration. x), where you can see what key you have to be on to sound bluesy or melodic. Many other techniques can be also used in combination. Vibrato, commonly used with other instruments, can also be done on the harmonica. Vibrato, as the name indicates, gives the notes a vibrating sound. Usually it is made by contracting the muscles on the throat and varying the airflow. Another typical way to do it is by opening a closing your hands around the instrument freeing more or less air. Vibrato is a very common effect used by singers and other instruments. Thanks to the way the harmonica is constructed, it also allows the player to play chords. A chord is a set of two or more notes played together harmonically. By stretching the mouth over two, three or four holes and playing them together as one melodic note you can get chords on the harmonica. By playing chords the player can also get a vamping effect, which is achieved by alternating chords and single notes to accompany himself while playing a song. The idea of vamping is to fill in the silences in the melody with chords in the right beat. By keeping that beat going, the player can make it sound like two harmonicas are playing; one doing the chords and another one doing the melody. Little Walter and Sonny Terry were both known for great vamping in their tunes. Usually their sound was very rich and full and the harmonica sounded more powerful. The Blues Harmonica Blues Origins and Background The blues goes back to the 17th century, in the United States. Blues is defined as the folk genre for the African-American population, mainly the Deep South, which originated from their spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads. At the time united states were a British colony that brought slaves from Africa who populated most of the south of the country. They worked on the tobacco, cotton and rice plantations and were not allowed to practice their cultures and religions. The first bluesmen were people that used to sing about how their life was to try and relieve the pain. In a way they were trying to send messages that travelled from plantation to plantation, to show what being a slave was. Blues became, for the African-Americans, a form of expression and a way to tell their stories. It was emotionally deep, straight to the point and full of meaning. John Mayall, from the Blues Breakers says the main charm about the blues is that it has such an authenticity about in the fact that when you listen to it you hear these stories, and visualize that these are real stories. And often they were, as narrative of the lyrics was usually about the cruelty of police offices, oppression at the hands of white people and hard times. For example, in Blind Lemon Jeffersons Rising High Water Blues, he tells the story of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 where he lost his girlfriend: Black water rising, Southern people cant make no time, Black water rising, Southern people cant make no time, And I cant get no hearing from that Memphis girl of mine After the war, lyrics became simpler and focused almost entirely on relationship despairs or sexual worries. Themes that recurrently appeared in pre-war blues such as economic depression, farming, gambling, magic, the devil, fires and floods were less common in post-war blues. Other lyrics by artist like Skip James, Reverend Gary Davis or Blind Willie Johnson were also artist recognized by more religious or spiritual performances, highly influenced by the Christian conversions. 1920s, First Harmonica Recordings As for the harmonica, Pete Hampton was probably the first African-American harmonica player to be recorded. Despite a productive recording career in the early 1900s with songs like Nigger Blues, he only seemed to have used the harmonica for one particular song titled Mouth Organ Coon, where the harmonica probably adopted the term Mouth Organ. He already used many effects including vocalising through the harmonica, the use of fox chase and train-like rhythm arrangements and simultaneous whistling. Hampton used an F diatonic harmonica and he played it in first position. Soon after that, Henry Whitter was the first to record in the cross harp position. Even though he was a white musician, he had adopted a remarkable African-American influence on his harmonica playing. He claimed to have made test recordings in March 1923 and recorded the final tracks around December 1923 in New York City, recording the first three harmonica solos. The tunes appear to be in the key of A, and Whitter played in the second position on a D harmonica. He also had a train imitation, this one played in first position in what looked like a key of B although it might have originally been played on a C harp, an slowed down at some point. Another early country music star was DeFord Bailey who became the first African American performer on the Grand Ole Opry, which was a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee that presented different artists from the genre from 1925. Bailey could play various instruments but he was best known for playing the harmonica and he played every Saturday night for 15 years, after he had to leave because of a dispute with management. He developed the fox-hunt and train techniques and he used a custom made megaphone to amplify the sound from his harmonica. At the time, music was totally acoustic and the harmonica could be played comfortably and heard perfectly while accompanying a guitar and a singer. Some players used a class or a jug to funnel the sound and gain a bit more amplification like DeFord Baileys custom megaphone. (See Pic XfunnelX) By then, the harmonica had proved to be an interesting new instrument full of different sounds and effects, radically departing from the manufactures intentions of a toy. 1930s, Lomax and the re-discovery The Emancipation Act of 1863, between 1870 and 1900, which freed the Black communities from slavery and had permitted them to build up the so called juke joints as places where Blacks could go to listen to some music, dance or have a gamble after a days work. Performances where held in places like the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York or many bars along the famous Beale Street in Memphis. This style was known as the Delta Blues, which consisted on traditional, rural country blues performed acoustically in more of a polished city urban style, also introducing new sounds like the bottle neck slide guitar and the floorboard stomping. By the end of the twenties, Vaudeville and tent-show singers, circus artists, boogie-woogie pianists, jug and jazz bands were to be heard at some point playing some form of the blues. Blues was becoming a vehicle for some people to earn a living by playing and entertaining the audiences. It was exclusively race music and the majority of white people didnt really know what it was or nor have the interest to listen to it. Outside the phonograph stores, black people would stand in line anxious to obtain the latest blues disc and by now there was already a reasonably large archive of blues music given by artists like Lead Belly, Henry Thomas and Big Walter Horton. Many harmonica players were recording in duos with guitarists like Hammie Nixon and Sleepy John Estes, or trios like Sonny Terry, Blind Boy Fuller and Bull City Red. Around the 1930s, John Lomax, pioneering musicologist and folklorist, together with his son Alan Lomax made a great number of non-commercial recordings for the Archive of American Folk songs. They went around the south of the United States with a mobile recording device, capturing many root songs, field hollers and ring shouts. This contributed in a great way to the blues because they managed to capture, catalogue and generate an archive of traditional and rural sounds. The instruments flexibility also captured the attention of classical music during this decade. Although some conservative musicians didnt approve of it and degraded it by considering it a toy, young Larry Adler managed to perform a minuet by Beethoven and later on had works written for the instrument by the composers like Ralph Vaughan Williams, Darius Milhaud, Malcolm Arnold and Arthur Benjamin. 1940s, Pre-war and Post-war Blues During the war, the United States experienced a shortage of harmonicas mainly because materials like wood and metal that were used to make harmonicas were in short supply due to military demand. Another problem was that Germany and Japan were the primary manufacturers of harmonicas and of course where the Axis powers opposed to the United States and the allied forces. Companies like Finn Harkon Magnus, developed a molded plastic harmonica that used plastic combs and far fewer pieces than traditional metal or wood harmonicas, which in a way made the harmonica more hygienic and far more efficient to mass produce. The sound from these harmonicas was inferior to the traditional ones but their inexpensiveness made them become a common toy among children. Between the late 30s and the 40s, many African-Americans were starting to migrate to other states further north in hope to find more acceptable working conditions. Many musicians based in Memphis moved to big cities like Chicago and New York encouraged by their music and the idea of making a living from entertainment. It was the beginning of what would later be called the Chicago Electric Blues. 1950s Chess Records and the Chicago Blues The 50s were the beginning of an era of high quality harmonica players. For instance Sonny Boy Williamson II, is one of the most important harmonica players of this era. The blues gradually began to use more electric amplification for the guitar, double bass, and vocals. Using a full blues band, as he usually played backed by a piano or a guitar, a bass and a drummer, Sonny Boy became a popular act in the South with his daily broadcasts when he was hired to play the King Biscuit Time show, advertising the King Biscuit brand of baking flour on the radio. Sonny Boy Williamson II also helped popularize the cross-harp technique and his way of playing which was very expressive, very sensual and very technical. Another key factor to this new era of blues harmonica was the Chess brothers. Leonard and Philip Chess were two Jewish immigrants from Poland who came to Chicago in 1928. They owned some bars on the south side of Chicago, their largest establishment being a nightclub called the Macomba. The Macomba had live performances and many of those were blues entertainers that had migrated to Chicago from the Mississippi delta during the late 30s and 40s. The Chess brothers realized that these artists were not being properly represented or recorded, so they decided to start recording them themselves. They entered into a partnership with Charles and Evelyn Aron in Aristocrat Records who had just opened Aristocrat Records to record blues, jazz and rhythm blues. The most important artist they recorded was McKinley Morganfield, who went by the name of Muddy Waters. He had come from Mississippi to Chicago a few years before and had been working on his own until he met the Chess brothers. His first records where of himself accompanied by a guitar or a piano. His deep raw singing style reflected the spirit of the blues and was quite unique. The Chess brothers were able to build Muddy Waters into Chicagos leading blues singer through their connections with radio stations and local clubs. In late 1949, Leonard and Phil Chess became the sole owners of Aristocrat Records and reorganized the company changing its name to Chess Records. Historically, the music business had always been dominated by a few major record labels which were Columbia, Victor, Decca, Capitol, Mercury, and MGM. These major labels had paid some attention to the blues and other root genres but had always placed the artists on secondary labels that were focused toward the race audience. Chess Records grew in those early days of both rhythm and blues and along with other independent record companies like Atlantic, Aladdin, Specialty, Imperial, Modern and King were giving the public music that they could not get from the established major record companies. Other young Mississippi bluesmen that were drawn to Chicago joined Muddy Waters band. One of the most brilliant musicians to play with Muddy was Little Walter Jacobs, whose outstanding harmonica made the band even better. The young harmonicist revolutionized the instrument by playing the harmonica through a microphone, typically a Bullet microphone sold for use by radio taxi dispatchers. He cupped in his hands around it with the harmonica, and tightened the air around the harp. It gave the instrument a punchy, mid-range, powerful, distorted sound that could be heard as loud as an electric guitar. MUCH MORE ABOUT LITTE WALTER His style, is amps and effects, his solo career. In 1952, Chess formed a subsidiary label called Checker where Little Walter recorded some of his own work. His first release was an instrumental piece called Juke which topped the Rhythm and Blues charts for eight weeks. He was able to top the charts again in 1955 with the song My Babe. A young record producer in Memphis Tennessee named Sam Phillips was recording a 300 pound farm worker named Chester Burnette, who became known as the Howlin Wolf. At the time, Phillips, who later established Sun Re