Sensation Exhibit essays

Sensation Exhibit essays The Brooklyn Museum of Art's "Sensation" exhibit redefined that art in any form is and always will be the highest form of expression. The exhibit, in my opinion, is strangely interesting and the diversity between individualism is very apparent. The many works proved the exhibits name "Sensation" to be just that. The images stay consistent of mutants, preserved sea monsters, human blood, genitalia, and an abundance of death. I was left pondering over the vivid imaginations and distorted thoughts of the young artists', and especially Chris Ofili. Jake and Dinos Chapman's "Great Deeds Against the Dead" showed great similarities to that of Francisco Goya's "Saturn Devouring One of His Sons". Both works imply horrific torture in the form of cannibalism, and the beauty of it lies in the disbelief that it could never happen, when in reality forms of cannibalism do and have existed. I found the Chapman's "DNA Zygotic" and "Tragic Anatomies" to be very strange, but at the same time it made me think about the possibility of something like this ever coming true, considering science has been in a sense playing God with their continued experimentations with cloning. Marc Quinn's "Self", a life-size sculpture of his own head, and created out of nine pints of his own frozen blood is what I consider to be taking right to expression a little far. Is Quinn someone who gets pleasure out of pain, or is his intention focused on the fact that he is the art. The "Plan", by artist Jenny Saville, is a painting of a nude woman that is not the nor m for my generation's idea of sensuality. I found it to be alot like that of Sandro Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus", because Venus is portrayed as a divine goddess, which wasn't measured physically but on a spiritual basis. Ron Mueck's "Mask" showed beautiful detail in the face of the apparently aggravated man, but it can never size up to the enormously life-like image of "Dead Dad". I couldn't take m...

Friend and Protected Friend in VB.NET

Friend and Protected Friend in VB.NET Access modifiers (also called scoping rules) determine what code can access an element- that is, what code has permission to read it or write to it. In previous versions of Visual Basic, there were three types of classes. These have been carried forward to .NET. In each of these, .NET allows access only to code: Private - within the same module, class, or structure.Friend - within the same assembly.Public - anywhere in the same project, from other projects that reference the project, and from any assembly built from the project. In other words, any code that can find it. VB.NET has also added one and a half new ones. ProtectedProtected Friend The half is because Protected Friend is a combination of the new Protected class and the old Friend class. The Protected and Protected Friend modifiers are necessary because VB.NET implements the last OOP requirement that VB was missing: Inheritance. Previous to VB.NET, supercilious and disdainful C and Java programmers would belittle VB because it was, according to them, not fully object oriented. Why? Previous versions lacked inheritance. Inheritance allows objects to share their interfaces and/or implementation in a hierarchy. In other words, inheritance makes it possible for one software object that takes on all of the methods and properties of another one. This is often called the is-a relationship. A truck is-a vehicle.A square is-a shape.A dog is-a mammal. The idea is that more general and widely used methods and properties are defined parent classes and these are made more specific in child classes (often called subclasses). Mammal is a more general description than dog. Whales are mammals. The big benefit is that you can organize your code so you only have to write code that does something that lots of objects have to do once in the parent. All employees have to have an employee number assigned to them. More specific code can be part of the child classes. Only employees that work in the general office need to have an employee door card key assigned to them. This new capability of inheritance requires new rules, however. If a new class is based on an old one, Protected is an access modifier that reflects that relationship. Protected code can be accessed only from within the same class, or from a class derived from this class. You dont want employee door card keys being assigned to anyone except employees. As noted, Protected Friend is a combination of the access of both Friend and Protected. Code elements can be accessed either from derived classes or from within the same assembly, or both. Protected Friend can be used to create libraries of classes since code that accesses your code only has to be in the same assembly. But Friend also has that access, so why would you use Protected Friend? The reason is that Friend can be used in a Source file, Namespace, Interface, Module, Class, or Structure. But Protected Friend can only be used in a Class. Protected Friend is what you need for building your own object libraries. Friend is just for difficult code situations where assembly wide access is really required.

Mktg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Mktg - Essay Example The logistical channel also affects the packing of goods, perishable goods like vegetable since they usually go bad easily. The chemical property of a product also determines its packaging method since certain products are incompatible like watermelon which is sensitive to ethylene is packed from the exposure to these gases. The first strategy being used is the reduction of the packaging material being used. The possible suggestions are using a material which is recyclable and reduces packaging waste. The second is the use of a packaging strategy that is environmental friendly packaging material. The third strategy is the use of reusable containers. Though this cannot be done to all the products but it is advisable for the few that is possible, for example, refilling of glass bottles. The fourth strategy is the supporting and retaining services that collect used packaging and those that recycle it. The third and the fourth strategy add a loop to the supply chain. Transportations is an example of a logistic system. Therefore for effective transportation of products then the reduction of packaging influences its performance as; the reduction in the density of a product will determine the shipping tenderers requests since the load densities makes best . The second is protective packaging reduces the risk of the product being damaged during transit. The environmental and the ergonomic principle are the most surprising principle to me. With respect to the environmental principle, this principle is greatly violated today since a lot of produced are not biodegradable hence harmful effects to the society around them. The use of plastic bags is the best example to be used here. The safety of human being has been a point of contention in today’s world. The life of human beings is a point of contention in most firms such as the manufacturing companies where poor workers conditions and ethical working rights are violated. This is the reasons for

Microbiology BIO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Microbiology BIO - Essay Example This virus can only cause diseases only when the host immune system is suppressed because of diseases or medication (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2011). Most of the viruses, fungi and parasites affect the eye due to due to direct introduction. This is through surgery, trauma, transplant from infected grafts or through hermatogenous dissemination to the eye organs. The most common eye diseases are caused by fungi. The fungi yeast Candida albicans causes endogenous endophthalmitis, while the Filamentous fungi accounts to one third of all traumatic infectious keratitis. Also, the patients suffering from AIDS may contract various fungal infections of the eye because of weakened immune system (Clinical Microbiology review, 2012). The Candida spp are opportunistic type of fungal pathogens that resides within the human body. The fungal resides without people’s knowledge and causes various infections such as eye infections. When the body immune system is weakened, the fungal quickly attacks the various body parts. This fungal species has the ability to distinguish between a healthy host and unhealthy host and alter its physiology so as to tack the body (Boston,

Fast food restauran Essay Example for Free

Fast food restauran Essay For each category I analyse I will show the male and female results in comparison then summarise what I interpret from the results below. Due to the fact that there are more females in Stotfold than there are males. The females preferences will have a larger bearing on any possible fast food restaurant to be developed. As there are unequal results from both genders I have converted my results to percentages before showing them on the graph. Visit Frequency Below is a bar chart comparing the visit frequency of male and female. I have shown the data on a bar chart because it is easier to compare. Male and female do not differ significantly as far as visit frequency is concerned. Most customers visit a fast food restaurant every two weeks, which, if there are enough customers, is sufficient to keep a fast food business afloat. Most Important Feature The bar chart below shows what both male and female consider to be the most important feature of a fast food restaurant. This just confirms what the general analysis stated: that if a business is to succeed its customers must have confidence in its hygiene. The bar chart below shows a comparison between male and female fast food type preferences. The females main preferences are already well catered for in Stotfold. Kebab shops are, however , hard to find in this area and are highly popular among males. If a Kebab restaurant opened in Stotfold it could target male customers, although I have noticed that it is not just younger males that enjoy kebabs as one might have expected. Cost The chart below shows what male and females expect to pay for a fast food meal for one. This chart shows that more men are prepared to pay more for their meal than women. I think this can be shown more clearly so here is another chart showing the same information but with different price categories. This shows that the majority of males expect to pay over i 4 whereas females expect to pay below. This shows the male market is more profitable providing production and retail costs are kept to a minimum, 4) Place Information about Stotfold Stotfold is a growing town. The development of new houses in the area means that by 2004 the population will have risen by nearly 25%. The population of Stotfold in 2000 was 6680. In 2004 it is estimated that it will rise to 8180. There are also plans to develop a leisure centre in Stotfold, which may attract even more people to the area. Stotfold is on the border between Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire; there are many fast food restaurants in Hertfordshire, including large franchises, which would pose a threat to small companies opening up in the area. In my research I have collected information from Bedfordshire but the well-established businesses in Hertfordshire should be taken into account when deciding to start a new company in the area. There is an area of land on the outskirts of Stotfold by the old doctors surgery. It has planning permission and there is a possibility of a Sports facility being put up there. It is on a main road so has good access and a cycle path leading past the area. It would be extremely expensive to develop this land but if a new Sports facility were to be opened there it may be possible to incorporate a new restaurant on the complex. Below is a map showing the location I referred to. The area is within the shaded rectangle.

Chlamydia Essay -- essays research papers

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most widespread and infamous bacterial infection affecting the genital tract. Not only is it quite common in developed countries but an increase in cases has sprung up in developing countries as well. In the United States, there is a 4 million per year case rate of chlamydia which costs the US approximately $2 billion dollars in consequences and treatments. Persons who suffer from chlamydia in underdeveloped countries and have no means of seeking treatment may become blind because chlamydia has the potential of causing trachoma. It is becoming a global interest to control and restrain this budding disease. In order to do so it is essential to recognize the symptoms of chlamydia, diagnose the victim, and provide treatment immediately.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Observing symptoms of chlamydia is often a difficult process considering that 75% of females and 50% of males are asymptomatic; for those who are infected and do show symptoms, there are obvious signs directly connected to the chlamydia bacterium. In infected females, purulent discharge and a burning sensation while urinating are common indicators. The irregular discharge can be mistaken for normal vaginal discharge making this indicator slightly less conspicuous. These signs are caused by the bacterium’s concentration on the cervix and urethra and is classified as an acute endocervical infection. Other signs in the female are spotting between menstrual periods, fever, and severe back and abdominal pain. In males, burning sensation and discharge from the penis also occur. In addition, pain around the opening of the penis as well as soreness of the testicles can be observed. These symptoms occur from epididymitis. The contraction of chlamydia through anal pe netration can lead to rectal discharge, bleeding, and pain. If symptoms appear the next stage is to verify that the symptoms are directly related to the chlamydia bacterium. There are a number of methods in the process of diagnosing a potential case of the chlamydia trachomatis bacteria. Classic methods of diagnosis have been centered on cell culture; the â€Å"culture era† began in the 1970s and proceeded into the late 1980s. Cell culture â€Å"was the inoculation of clinical material into animals, embryonated hens eggs or tissue culture cells and the demonstration of characteristic chlamydial inclusions.† Minor complication... ...s were tested for chlamydia through IgG antibodies and the PCR process. The study concluded that IgG antibodies in males were associated with lower pregnancy rates and a higher IgG antibodies count in the woman. There is a higher occurrence of IgG antibodies in the infertile couples than in fertile couples. After some treatment, the odds ratio of not successfully completing pregnancy with the male being chlamydia trachomatis positive is 2.6. In those couples that were not treated, the odds ratio is much higher at about 3.9. The study deems it â€Å"cost-beneficial† to screen infertile couples by means of the PCR tests because it is been deemed â€Å"cost-effective† in places where the chlamydia bacteria was very common. The chlamydia trachomatis disease is on the rise so further studies and research is quite necessary to maintain a tight grip on this epidemic. Innovative diagnosis will assist persons infected with chlamydia to identify the disease in early stages to help reduce further complications and cost concerns. Advancement in treatments will evidently be beneficial for those with acute and chronic stages of chlamydia which will also reduce costs as well as grief to those infected.

Compare and contrast images of heroism in these two poems

Heroism is a trait that we seem to have no problem identifying, yet when asked to define what a hero is a myriad of answers emerge. This phenomenon is not unique to today's society; the definition of a hero is something that is constantly under revision and debate. An example of this can be seen in two older pieces of English literature: Beowulf, written circa 750-900, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written circa 1375-1400. These stories both have a main character that possesses heroic qualities, many of which are very similar. Gawain's identity as a hero is not clearly demonstrated, but when compared with Beowulf, who is demonstrated to be a hero, hiss merits earn him that title as well. Exactly what defines a heroic act, or a hero for that matter? Often times we dismiss the question due to its complex nature. But when confronted with an individual with heroic qualities we readily identify them as a hero. So what set of traits makes up this amorphous definition that we call hero? I would agree that the very definition is one that is dependent upon the time and society in which its context is being used. A person who shot someone to save the life of another may be viewed as a hero under the scrutiny of one culture, but in a different time or location the very opposite may be true. Nevertheless, heroes exist and posses these ever changing heroic qualities. Beowulf is clearly demonstrated to be a hero, and we can observe the qualities he possesses to enable him to have that title. While Sir Gawain's heroic accomplishments are a little more debatable, I would argue that he deserves the same title; he exudes qualities which can be considered heroic in the context of Arthurian Legend as well as today. Although we can attribute no authorship to Beowulf or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we can see that Beowulf was meant to be a hero and if nothing else, Gawain was portrayed as the story's protagonist. One such way this was done was by having neither of the main characters as all powerful rulers; in fact each Beowulf and Gawain served some sort of higher authority. Beowulf, throughout approximately 2/3 of the story serves Hrothgar. Similarly, Gawain was not ruler of his domain but served King Arthur. It is important to note that while both served other men, they were not themselves servants. Beowulf traveled from his land to assist in the destruction of Grendel, and Gawain chose to be a knight of the Round Table and indeed viewed his service to Arthur and his kingdom as an honor. By the construct of having both main characters serve others, the author has created more capacity for heroism to become apparent. If the President of the United States were to prevent nuclear war, the people would obviously be relieved and grateful that he fulfilled his duty. If a soldier on the field accomplished the same task, he would be regarded as a true hero. Transcending one's traditional role and going above and beyond is a characteristic which helps to set heroes apart from other people. Sir Gawain goes above and beyond his role when declaring his intention to battle the Green Knight. â€Å"I would come to your counsel before your court noble. /For I find it not fit, as in faith it is known, /When such a boon is begged before all these knights, /Though you be tempted thereto, to take it on yourself† (lines 347-350) King Arthur at this point had already accepted the challenge, yet Gawain decided to take his place because he was aware of the danger and risk involved in letting the King fight. He admits just a few lines later that â€Å"I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest; /And the loss of my life would be least of any;† (lines 354-355) This indication that is ability to fight is low makes his decision to fight that much more heroic, and this is all done in the name of Arthur. Beowulf, on the other hand, does not have an issue of inferior strength, but quite the opposite- he seems to posses a sort of superhuman strength. Even so, his level of self restraint and wisdom prevents him from overthrowing Hrothgar despite his superior abilities. This amount of loyalty and service is a trait that helps develop his character even further as a hero. Both Gawain and Beowulf having been in similar instances serving a higher authority have shown heroic qualities although they may have differed. While the two main characters in discussion are being portrayed as heroes, they are still human and have fallibilities. It is the dynamic experience, the rise and fall of these characters which makes them real and human, that shows what they are truly made of. This insight may prove to be disappointing or disheartening for many, I find the revelation to be comforting as it reasserts that a hero isn't an idyllic state but a condition which can be humanly attained. Beowulf's rise and fall is demonstrated rather clearly throughout the progression of the story. At his peak, he kills Grendel with his bare hands. In the second encounter with Grendel's mother he is victorious, but requires the use of armor and the sword Hrunting. As time passes, he becomes king. He helps to slay the dragon that is terrorizing the land with the assistance of Wiglaf and his men, but at the cost of his life. This failure of his strength is foreshadowed earlier by Hrothgar, â€Å"Choose dear Beowulf, the better part, /eternal rewards. Don't give way to pride. /For a brief while your strength is in bloom/ but it fades quickly† (lines 1759-1762). Beowulf's wisdom, which he relies on throughout the story even diminishes as he faces the dragon, as shown when he elects to strike first by himself with full knowledge that his strength is not as great as it used to be. Another interesting point is that while in the service is Hrothgar is heroic qualities shown through but when he became leader, he was still a hero but many of the qualities such as his wisdom and strength in this instance have decreased. Likewise to Beowulf, Gawain experiences a rise and fall. His circumstance is slightly different than Beowulf's however. Gawain's worthiness to even be named a hero is often put into question, and his final deeds tend to overshadow the previous ones when that consideration is made. This is an unfair judgment as no one would rescind Beowulf's status as a hero because of his pride blinding his judgment towards the end of his life, but would still consider him a hero because of his previous heroic actions. The same is true of Sir Gawain. Near the end of the story when he thinks he will die and flinches when the ax is coming down on his neck, he's viewed as a coward. I'll concede that it was a cowardly thing to do, but then I'm forced to ask the rhetorical question, â€Å"What would you do? † Moments later, Gawain recomposes himself, doesn't flinch and gets nicked. Of course, one could argue that Gawain is a coward disguised as a hero because of his protest to the Green Knight claiming his debt is paid, and that he decided to use the green girdle. First of all, Gawain spends the rest of his days lamenting his decision to use the girdle, so he isn't ignorant of what he as done. Secondly, there is absolutely nothing heroic about dying without a cause, which is what would have been the case had the Green Knight carried out his threat. I see no harm done in preparing oneself for an encounter such as the one he went through. We often laude heroes for their cunning in wisdom, so why should those same traits in Gawain be looked upon negatively? While there are many more facets to declaring someone a hero, these are a few that both Beowulf and Gawain share. Beowulf demonstrates that its namesake is a man who is supposed to be regarded as a hero. This same intent is not made in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but when the two are compared with each other, Sir Gawain is shown to be a hero, not a simple coward that he may initially appear to be.

Case Study Product Innovation at Bank of America

BANKING STRATEGIES Case Study: Product Innovation at Bank of America By Cindy Murray What ? nancial institutions can learn from inventions and innovations in other industries. owhere is innovation more essential to survival than in the banking industry. In the payments domain, for example, nonbank competitors less constrained by bank regulations and therefore more agile are changing the banking industry’s grip on the public perception of banks as the only trusted brand for holding and moving money. However, innovation is challenging for banks. Many products, like payments, are a commodity.A vast number of products and a complex infrastructure require continual upgrades to keep apace with technology advancements and comply with evolving regulations and security requirements. This article describes how Bank of America fosters a culture of innovation. Pivotal to an innovative culture is the direct engagement of clients in the innovation process. We highlight some of the ways that Bank of America achieves this. But ? rst we’ll look at the role of innovation process in building brand loyalty. N Build Brand Equity Through Progressive Transformation Change can occur by rede? ning a problem or rede? ing a solution. According to Robert Sternberg, a leading creativity expert,1 creativity is the ability to rede? ne a problem. Innovation can be viewed as the ability to rede? ne a solution. Successful innovation is a process over time—one that typically happens in increments rather than leaps. Rarely is a single innovation a game changer. In banking, 90 percent of innovation focuses on core competencies (that is, business-as-usual innovation), seven percent on game-changing innovation MAY–JUNE 2009 within core competencies and only three percent on leaps that signi? cantly shift the client experience.Outside of banking, an evolutionary approach to innovation is also the rule, not the exception. Continual improvements throughout a product’s life cycle build brand equity. Take the case of Nabisco’s Oreo cookie, the bestselling cookie in the United States. In 1912, Nabisco came up with the idea of two chocolate disks with cream ? lling in between. Since then it has released Double Stuff cookies with more ? lling; fudge-covered Oreos; holiday cookies, including Halloween and Christmas cookies; bite-sized Oreos for children; and reduced-fat Oreos. Oreos illustrate two important aspects of product innovation.First, Nabisco stayed close to its customers. It understood how needs varied among consumers and changed over time. The company developed its product to meet the needs of a continually broader set of consumers. Second, the example illustrates an incremental approach to innovation that focuses on advancing core products. The iPod was at once the next step in an evolutionary process and also a creative leap. This product integrated a number of capabilities in a portable device, but it was not the ? rst MP3 player. However, the concept of iTunes was a new business model that changed the way consumers could store and listen to music.The iPod was transformative, too, because it aligned with changing consumer behavior re? ected in trends of mobility and customization. Technology enabled a tipping point. Consumers were ready to embrace a leap. Cindy Murray is Head of Product Innovation at Bank of America. Contact her at cindy. [email  protected] com. COMMERCIAL LENDING REVIEW 35 Banking Strategies way that stays close to customers’ evolving needs. For example, through ethnographic research, we discovered a common practice among consumers of rounding up when writing checks. We took the idea of rounding up and turned it on its head—rede? ing Innovation is a process over time—an evolutionary the problem by associating payments with savings. path. An incremental approach to innovation mirrors How can we foster increased saving? With Keep the the gradual way in which people chan ge. Consumer Change, each time a customer pays using a Bank of behavior tends to change gradually. Successful innovation is customer driven. It gets as America check card, the bank rounds the payment close as possible to the customer’s current process. to the nearest dollar and transfers the extra change A deep understanding of how customers operate to the customer’s savings account. oday—and why they do what they do—gives inNow, instead of check writers rounding up, the sight into how to improve the process; how to create bank does it for them—but in a way that builds their a step forward for the customer. savings. The solution also facilitates increased use of Further, by directly engaging customers in the indebit cards, thereby supporting retailers’ efforts to novation process, they become deeply committed discourage check payments. It was also a timely soluto, and invested in, a solution, which took advantage tion’s evolutionary p ath. f evolving consumer beThis makes innovation a havior toward increased primary differentiator, ancard usage. Change can occur by rede? ning a other way of creating value Ethnographic research problem or rede? ning a solution. for customers by enriching has also been key to improvtheir experience and reining our electronic banking forcing loyalty over time. platform, CashPro, over Staying close to the customer is one of the most importime. For example, we designed an enhancement based tant attributes of a successful innovation process. on a typical client work ? ow for handling exceptions.By closely watching how 15 companies were posting their receivables, we identi? ed a common practice of Get Close to the Customer placing a sticky note on invoices when they did not match payment. Staff would then fax an invoice to At Bank of America, customers play a key role at the salesperson to inquire about the discrepancy. We every stage of the product innovation process. There incorporate d an electronic sticky note with email capaare a number of ways in which we directly engage bility in CashPro, so that clients could maintain their our customers throughout product development. ork-? ow process in the online environment. We use a range of formal techniques for idea generation. Formal techniques focus on gaining deepened client insight and are important when Amplify the we have limited information about an opportunity Voice of the Customer and the related customer need. Formal idea mining typically requires expertise through our internal innovation group or external specialized vendors. CashPro is a great example both of innovating in Ethnographic research is an important tool for increments to improve a product over time and of engenerating innovation ideas.Observation provides gaging clients in an evolutionary innovation process. insight into customer behavior and needs. ReturnWith CashPro, we established a customer advisory ing to the Oreo example, the idea for a bite-sized board, which has been closely involved in the prodcookie began to germinate when Nabisco researchers uct’s development. With CashPro, the innovation watched young children grapple with dunking the process becomes part of the client experience, thereby full-sized cookie in smaller cups. increasing customer satisfaction.For example, with Ethnographic research helps Bank of America CashPro, clients prefer self-service for upgrades. understand how to advance our core products in a They are fully vested in the change process. Engage Clients in the Evolutionary Path 36 COMMERCIAL LENDING REVIEW MAY–JUNE 2009 Banking Strategies Our strategic client program, Treasury Exchange, At the other end of the spectrum, responsibility serves to amplify our voice of the customer research. for innovation can be centralized in a shared serClients are long-term program members in senior vice center.At Bank of America, we have dedicated treasury and/or ? nance roles within their o rganizastaff focused on game-changing innovations. At tions. They meet regularly—at frequencies varying the same time, our entire organization recognizes from once per quarter to yearly. The program enables the importance of ongoing process improvement participants to share insights on best practices and and enhancements. learn from each other, while helping us to better understand their challenges and needs. A detailed executive Work with Peers summary that identi? s key discussion themes helps pinpoint areas for deepening discussion and exploraTo maintain a competitive edge, banks increasingly tion. Conference calls exploring priority topics serve will look for ways to work with clients, technolas touch points between in-person meetings. ogy companies and other ? nancial institutions We also look to Treasury Exchange members to to combine strengths. For example, in May 2008, validate and ? esh out new product ideas and to Bank of America announced a partnership with provide validation at points in the product develWells Fargo called Pariter Solutions LLC.The opment cycle. Treasury 50-50 joint venture will Exchange members have operate the commercialsubmitted innovation ized ACH platform that ideas under the auspices will be leveraged by the An incremental approach to of the program. Customer two banks. The goal is to innovation mirrors the gradual way advisory boards and spegain economies of scale in which people change. cial client programs like and better position both Treasury Exchange augbanks to develop future ment our extensive voice products with a single of the customer research. nvestment in the underlying processing engine instead of duplicative investments. It’s a platform for growth and innovation. Cultivate a Culture of Innovation It’s important to be open to ideas from all sources. That’s part of cultivating a culture of innovation. At Bank of America, all associates are invited to collaborate in the innovation proce ss. For example, associates can submit their ideas online via IdeasZone, an internal intranet site. These ideas are funneled into the idea stream and receive equal attention within our innovation process.Collaborate with Technology Innovators In banking, technology is an enabler of innovation. Therefore, it’s important that banks collaborate with their technology providers. Bank of America’s collaboration with Microsoft is a great example of how we work with technology companies to develop innovative applications. Cash positioning and forecasting continue to be key client challenges. We spoke with clients to determine how they perform cash positioning and forecasting. Treasurers might use a treasury workstation, an Excel spreadsheet or a combination of tools.However, treasurers who rely on treasury workstations typically supplement their process with an Excel spreadsheet. Our research also con? rmed that many clients have dif? culty building a historical database of in formation for trend analysis to support forecasting. COMMERCIAL LENDING REVIEW Foster Employees There are different options for organizational structure to foster an innovative environment. At Google, it’s part of everyone’s job to innovate. There is a decentralized approach to innovation in which all employees are engaged and given incentives.It’s built into their objectives and re? ected in their salary increases and bonuses. MAY–JUNE 2009 37 Banking Strategies Bank of America worked with Microsoft to develop CashPro Accelerate. This tool accepts information feeds across all of a client’s bank accounts and automates the cash-positioning process. It also builds a historical database that clients can use for forecasting. Keep Moving Forward â€Å"I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward. †Ã¢â‚¬â€Thomas Edison With an inventor’s mind-set, the idea of failure is a fallacy.Some who know best ha ve even looked at failures as a continual path forward. Besides being the still-unrivaled record holder of 1,093 U. S. patents, Thomas Edison broadened the concept of the invention to what’s known today as â€Å"innovationinvention,† R & D and commercialization. 3 Innovative companies ? nd ways to leverage new insights to keep moving forward. The creation of 3M Post-it notes is a classic story of turning failure on its head and using creativity to rede? ne a problem. Spencer Silver was working on developing a strong adhesive but invented a weak one instead.Silver’s colleague Arthur Fry came up with a novel application for the weak adhesive, which became the basis for Post-it notes—a new vehicle for communication—which Bank of America used in its CashPro innovation. Sometimes the leap is in how we look at things. Build a Brain Trust In a September 2008 issue of H ARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW, Ed Catmull, cofounder of Pixar and the president of Pixar and D isney Animation Studios, talked about how Pixar fosters collective creativity. One of Pixar ’s core operating principles is that, â€Å"We must stay close to innovations happening in the academic community. 2 It’s part of the company’s effort to eliminate boundaries between different disciplines. Earlier this year, Bank of America and MIT’s Media Laboratory announced the creation of the Center for Future Banking. Over the next ? ve years, Bank of America will contribute $3 million to $5 million annually. The center is a prototype for how business and academia can work together to invent the future of an entire industry. It will bring together researchers with radically different perspectives, including behavioral economists, social scientists, computer scientists, psychologists, designers and others.The goal is to trigger unexpected new ideas that lead to innovation leaps in banking. Test, Learn, Evolve This inventor mentality is at the heart of our test and-learn environment, in which we deploy an initial solution design to get ? rsthand feedback from clients on its usability and value. At this stage, the intent is to address any issues or opportunities in the next iteration of the design. The process enables us to evolve our product design before we get to the pilot stage. As an iterative process, the test-andlearn environment is a microcosm of the broader innovation process focused at a certain point in the development process.The Intelligent Cash Manager, a new end-to-end Bank of America solution, gives a live example of the test-and-learn approach. The solution concept germinated in a series of Treasury Exchange meetings, where clients identi? ed cash handling and deposit as a major pain point. It’s an ATM-like machine that counts cash, accepts it for deposit and provides safekeeping. An issue related to jamming surfaced in the test-and-learn environment, which will inform a solution redesign. MAY–JUNE 2009 Choose Winning Concepts Vetting ideas and building a business case are key steps in the innovation process.Bank of America uses a scoring technique as part of our process for vetting ideas. Scoring criteria include whether a concept matches to plan objectives, whether it has wide applicability, its level of innovativeness and complexity and the potential magnitude of its impact. At Bank of America, for example, out of 919 ideas received this year, 10 have been submitted for funding in 2009. Building a business case is a key step. An effective business case must describe the opportunity and its alignment with strategy and also describes the target client and market within the context of the competitive landscape.Finally, it outlines the proposed approach, the risk and the ? nancial opportunity. 38 COMMERCIAL LENDING REVIEW Banking Strategies Storyboarding is a creative technique used in the early stage of ? lmmaking. Storyboarding can help speed time-to-market. By not building the entire p roduct—but rather using storyboards and prototypes in a test-and-learn environment—we retain ? exibility even as we move further into the product-development process. Flexibility enables us to prioritize the most important features and integrate feedback and new insights from customers.It helps us to make smart choices with our investment dollars as products take more tangible form. The Next Leap in the Innovation Process The ability to synthesize information into insights will be an increasingly important part of creating a valuable client experience—not only banks connecting to customers—but of customers connecting to each other for insight. Incubation and the cross-fertilization of ideas are important to the creative process. Bank of America is integrating online networking into its innovation process. For example, we are connecting participants in the Treasury Exchange program to an online forum.Our long-term vision is to link our various Treasury Exc hange client groups—which are based on industry, function and geography—into a clientcentric global collaborative network. We also plan to introduce online ideation as a way to collaborate with Treasury Exchange participants on innovation. More broadly, the idea of integrating social networking into the bank’s innovation process holds tremendous promise. With our consumer base of 59 million households, social networking can be a powerful tool for engaging customers ? rsthand in product development. hen the next step integrates multiple aspects to transform the end-to-end client experience. To cite an earlier example, the iPod integrates communication speed, mobility and storage capacity. All of these come together, along with consumer readiness for change and the introduction of the iTunes business model. Within the banking realm, clients increasingly want banking solutions to integrate into their flow—whether flow constitutes, for example, a mobile consu mer or the workflow related to a treasurer’s broader financial processes.The need to integrate payments in the broader customer experience will involve mobile technology in some form and the analysis of information to provide insight. For corporate customers, banks are already delivering time-sensitive information to personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cell phones. Information analysis and synthesis could help treasurers to improve broader ? nancial processes (for example, accounts payable or receivable), help optimize working capital and minimize cost and use payment information to deepen insight into customer behavior.We are already seeing merchants, for example, use consumer payment information to tailor coupons to a customer ’s buying preferences. Banks can deliver robust information to consumers, for example, to help them weigh product features and engage in ? nancial planning to evaluate a purchase within a desired spending budget. Perhaps, ultimately, clients will want to take their bank accounts with them, storing virtual money inside their mobile phones. Banks have an opportunity to reassert their unique role as the trusted brand in storing and moving money.Innovation will be critical to our success. What Might Be the Next Leap in Banking? Successful innovation continuously improves aspects of the customer’s experience. Leaps occur Endnotes 1 2 3 Professor at Tufts University; research focuses on creativity. How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity, HARVARD BUS. REV. , Sept. 2008, at 71. The Edison Papers, http://edison. rutgers. edu/biogrphy. htm. MAY–JUNE 2009 COMMERCIAL LENDING REVIEW 39 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

The Yellow Wallpaper Research Paper Example

The Yellow Wallpaper Research Paper Example The Yellow Wallpaper Paper The Yellow Wallpaper Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Yellow Wallpaper Escaping the jaundiced eye: Foucauldian Panopticism in Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper, is simply just another view of the short story. In this article, John Bak describes how Gilman was isolated during her time of depression. He further implies that Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper to express how she felt when she went though this postpartum depression and how her husband and Dr. Mitchell kept her locked in this room all day as they assumed this was the best cure for her disease. Bak compares this room to the eighteenth-century Panopticon after Jeremy Bentham. Bak says in paragraph three of his article that the Panopticon was created to be a cruel igneous cage which came from Michel Foucault in Discipline and Punish. In detail The Yellow Wallpaper has the same idea but instead in more detail this was a woman who was very understanding to the room that was built like a prison but she was mentally tortured by the paper on the walls, this yellow wallpaper that was described as having eyes. To Bak, this room was very much like a dungeon of some sort but had many similarities to the Panopticon. He also describes the Panopticon as being a prison under watch and in The Yellow Wallpaper, he describes the wallpaper as being a form of surveillance as this lady with all these issues automatically assumes this paper has eyes on her and is watching her every move. Was this the best idea for a current situation like this? Being isolated from the entire world while going through an illness or was this making the disease worse? Bak says that Gilman wrote this story hoping it would get to Dr. Mitchell so he would see how his idea of helping cure her was not good at all but instead it was error he mentions in paragraph 21 of his article. In paragraph 20, Bak says the cure became more of a laboratory other than a institution for help, then he closes the paragraph with agreeing words from Susan Gilbert and Susan Gubar from Panoptican saying The cure is worse than the disease. This article has a lot of comparison to symbols in it. He compares it to another story that is a very similar situation to this lady in The Yellow Wallpaper. In his comparison the yellow wallpaper is viewed as surveillance meaning the paper was watching the lady at all times and this is what caused her to just be so terrified of the paper. He even mentions throughout his article although this was suppose to be a room to help cure her but this room was more like a prison with the bars being on the windows and the bed being railed to the floor. Although the lady was in this room most of the day alone looking at this torture, he tells how her husband is there to comfort her but instead of giving a loving symbol from him he is described as an officer compared to the security officers of Panopticon. Bak describes the room as a prison but yet he says to the narrator the wallpaper is the prison because that is what she wants to be free from.

How to Successfully Complete SAT Useful Tips

How to Successfully Complete SAT Useful Tips Sat Test: Ultimate Guidelines SAT is a well-known test among students, and it is surely one of the most important tasks, which influences your future college admission. It is one of the most powerful instruments when entering college. The main difficulty is that most of the students don’t have a clear plan of how to get a high SAT score and prefer leaving everything for the last minute. However, it is not so difficult to get a high score. If you follow our tips, you will create a solid plan for your future preparations and will manage to pass the test with confidence and ease. SAT Definition Scholastic Aptitude Test or Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is a standardized test in the USA, which is compulsory for students, who want to enter American colleges or universities. This test is created to access skills and knowledge in different areas. For some specialties, you will also have to complete the SAT Subject Test, which is also called SAT I. SAT takes place seven times per year in the USA and four times abroad for students, who want to study in America. This test is held in March, May, October and December worldwide plus in June, August, November in the USA. SAT’s organizer is the College Board, a private organization. Should I Pass It? SAT test is optional. You will need to pass it only if the college or university you want to enter requires you to complete it. If not, you can still pass it to show how strong your analytical and writing skills are. In addition, these scores will show your strong sides in different areas, and you will be prepared for various college tests. What the Task Is About? Basically, SAT Essay is as simple, as a college assignment, where the tutor asks to analyze a piece of text. You will have fifty minutes to write the assignment. A passage of around 700 words will be given, and you will need to provide a response. The main goal of this test is to show how well you are able to analyze the author’s arguments. Your aim is to analyze the writer’s reasoning, rhetorical tools and evidence in creating the argument and persuading the audience. To save some time on the test day, you can get familiar with essay examples in advance. The task will be one for every test, and the only changeable thing is the reading you will have to analyze. Once you are able to understand the task, you will save time and will be able to provide a stronger essay. Getting Ready for SAT Write down all of the things you should work on. Think about the subjects or topics, which you have problems with and work on them properly. Creating such lists is a great way to become more organized and to relieve stress levels; Keep in mind your strengths. If you devote yourself to completing the written assignment, it will be quite easy to forget all of the other skills you have. If you keep reminding yourself how intelligent you are, it will be much easier to remain confident during the test; Know what learner type you are. Some students find it easier to understand the task by reading it, while others should hear it first. Some of them need to imagine the assignment in their head. Think about the way you usually perceive information and use this method in your studies practice. If you usually learn using hearing, then listen to podcasts while you are driving. If you memorize information, when looking on the text – make index cards with words and pictures; Every day devote a minimum of 30 minutes for learning. Don’t postpone the process and never start learning a day before the test, as SAT requires at least two months of preparation. Surveys show that preparation in advance is much better than being in a hurry. Outline of SAT Essay 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction, Paragraph 1 Restate the topic. Start with a statement or question, which will interest readers and motivate them to go on reading. This part should be grabbing attention from the first line. Don’t forget to include a thesis statement. It should consist of a sentence, which renders the key idea of the whole text. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Support, Paragraph 2 Here you should provide a counterclaim of the first point. If your essay is of a compare-contrast type, you will need to insert the counter-argument at the beginning of each supporting paragraph.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Thesis, Point 1 Support (consists of an example, your own experience, quote or fact); Support (consists of an example, your own experience, quote or fact); Conclusion point. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Support, Paragraph 3   Ã‚  Ã‚   Thesis, Point 2 Support (consists of an example, your own experience, quote or fact); Support (consists of an example, your own experience, quote or fact); Conclusion point. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Support, Paragraph 4   Ã‚  Ã‚   Thesis, Point 3 Support (consists of an example, your own experience, quote or fact); Support (consists of an example, your own experience, quote or fact); Conclusion point. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion, Paragraph 5 In this section, you need to restate your thesis statement but using different words.   At the end write a call-to-action and indicate plan or prognosis for the future. Tips on Writing SAT Essay There is no need to ponder too long over a single question, especially if it is given in the science section, where the complexity of every question increases; Print out previous SAT exams or buy examples at educational departments of bookstores. You will detect your weak points in such a way; You will get an equal amount of points for any right answer to the test. That is why if you are stuck at one question, just skip it and continue answering. If you have enough time in the end, you can return to skipped questions; Stay calm, when completing the test. Of course, it is very important, but it is not worth your nerves; Take enough time to sleep well before the test. If you rest enough, you will have the energy to face any challenges the exam has in store; Exclude wrong answers at once not to be distracted by meaningless ones; Don’t forget to take several pencils, your ID, calculator and registration confirmation to the exam room; If you find the question very simple, most likely it really is. Try not to look for any trick; Practicing writing under real-exam conditions is a great plus. If possible, keep a record of time for every section; If you have some time, get back to check the answers; Learn how to cope with distractions. During the exam, you may be easily distracted by a ticking clock, conversations or even an air conditioner. Make a deep breath, concentrate on the paper and continue answering questions; Try not to change your opinion. In most of the cases the first answer is the correct one; Choose your own work pace, when answering questions at home. This will help you during a real SAT test; Ask your friends or family to give you some time and space to be able to prepare for the text in a calm and quiet atmosphere; Always have sharpened pencils nearby; Stay positive. Even if you give a wrong answer, it won’t cause an Armageddon. Frequently Asked Questions How is it possible to detect my weak points and improve them, when I am getting ready for my SAT exam? As it was already said, make sure you practice in advance. This will help you to detect your weaker sides and you will be able to work on them. Are we allowed to bring a calculator to a SAT exam? SAT test consists of two parts: first when you are allowed to use a calculator and second when a calculator is prohibited. You need to consult collegeboard.org to check, whether your own calculator is approved. It was mentioned not to study the night before the exam. Does it mean that I can’t even refresh knowledge? It is important to remember that you won’t be able to memorize information better if you study the day or the night before an exam. Of course, you can read your notes on the subject that you are not good at but take enough sleep and proper rest to be fresh and energized on the day of the exam. What if I get ill on the test day? You shouldn’t worry, because it is possible to reschedule the test and skip it. It won’t cost you a thing compared to taking the test in poor health. Is there a common answer to select? Unfortunately, there are no patterns of selecting answers. You should simply learn well before completing the test and this will give you all the answers you need!

How the Spanish Civil war became a literal and symbolic instance of Essay

How the Spanish Civil war became a literal and symbolic instance of the growing worldwide struggle between fascism and democracy - Essay Example Six and a half decades later, the topic still generates debate. The terror began on July 17, 1936 in Spanish Morocco and on the mainland on July 18 by a military coup. Right-winged officers revolted against the democratically elected government of the Second Republic (formed April 1931) and its social reforms. The article stated that the rebels (Nationalists) were supported by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, and under Franco’s regime faced strong resistance from the Republican working class and peasantry and from anti-fascist volunteers around the world. The Imperial War Museum further stated that the war ended on the 31st of March 1939 with victory going towards Franco. Franco’s victory saw the establishment of a third pro-fascist power on France’s borders and power in favour of Germany’s third Reich. The rebels (Nationalists) consisted of army, navy and civilian militias from the fascist Falange and from dissident monarchists and catholic organizations. These rebels were financially supported by wealthy landowners, industrialists and bankers, whose interest they defended against the reforming plans of the Republic. The largest group consisted of those ordinary Spanish Catholics who supported the Nationalists as the defenders of religion, law and order. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ This paper further defines the Spanish Civil War, however extensive emphasis is placed on the literal and symbolic instance the war has on the growing global struggle of fascism and democracy. The Spanish Civil War (la Guerra Civil de Espana) Spanish Talk reported that Spain had a Monarchist government in 1923 with General Primo de Rivera as dictator and Alfonso XIII as King. Rivera’s decisive resignation and flight from Spain came when he started to face growing opposition to his government. The Monarchist government was rejected in 1931, in the popular elections which also caused the renunciation of Alfonso XIII. Spain became a republic for the second time, bu t began to suffer a great deal of political violence as extensive discussions by Splinter groups about the extent and speed of the political unrest took place. A federation was formed by the left-winged parties to bring some amount of social reform. While at the other end of the political continuum, conservative groups threatened this federation and over the years leading up to 1936, Spain experienced some polarized political views. By the time of the 1936 elections, the popular front party had successfully unified various splinter groups in order to elevate their chances of winning at the polls. However, on July 18, 1936, an army revolt started and the Spanish Civil War began. The Spanish Civil War of 1936 could be seen as a literal and symbolic instance of the growing worldwide struggle between fascism and democracy. The Spanish Civil War is the most important fact in the revolutionary march of the Spanish people. It is no longer seen as an old style democratic –bourgeois r evolution but instead as belonging to the era of the proletarian revolution initiated by the October revolution in Russia. It aroused the revolutionary conscience of the Spanish people to unimaginable heights and became an example for the whole world. (Ediciones Vanguardia Obrera, 1969, Madrid, paragraph 1). A web article entitled â€Å"Lessons from our National Revolutionary War against Fascism 1936-1969† by Communist Party Member Ediciones Vanguardia Obrera and translated in English-stated that the victory of fascism in Spain has temporarily blocked the march to socialism. The article stated