The Faber Book of Beasts Essay Example

The Faber Book of Beasts Essay Analysing poetry is not an easy task; poetry is a complex and complicated subject. To begging with, we have to consider that these two writers worked in different time period. Thom Gunn worked through the 20th century while Thomas Flatman was a writer from the 17th century. The way they write is different, by analysing both poems we can see that Thom Gunn uses a free verses and little rhyming The Girls wake, stretch, and pad up to the door. / They rub my leg and purr (Muldoon, 1997, p. 5). On the other hand, the use of rhymes is clear in Flatmans poem, Only cats when they fall / From a house or a Wall (Muldoon, 1997, pp. 5-6), according to the evidence provided is possible to say that Thomas Flatman is using rhyming couplets, where it usually consists of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter. Gunn uses a freer usage of structure in his poem, but his lineation is essential to the flow of the verse. This is clear in the opening line of Apartment Cats, and pad up to the door (Muldoon, 1997, p. 5) it plays a monosyllabic mimicking of the cats paws. We will write a custom essay sample on The Faber Book of Beasts specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Faber Book of Beasts specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Faber Book of Beasts specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Gunns poem consist of longer lines with ten syllables and shorter lines with five syllables, where in Flatmans poem most of the lines are made of eleven syllables. Gunns poem Apartment Cats is composed with shorter lines comparing with Flatmans An Appeal to Cats in the Business of Love. Even comparing the titles of these two poems, we get to the conclusion that Flatmans title is more related to anthropomorphist, in the way he uses the words Cats in the Business of Love, it made me wonder at first, if he was really writing about cats? But after I read his poem, where he mentioned the old Lady Grimalkin, and the way she came alive in his poem with the line Puss! Puss! Last no long, but turn to Cat-whore! (Muldoon, 1997, pp. 5-6). I can therefore, confirm that he was writing about cats. In both poems the cats have been subtly personified, where in my own opinion we can say that Thom Gunns poem Apartment Cats is an anthropomorphist poem, in this case he describe the cats with a human attitude She abruptly rises, knowing well / How to stalk off in wise indifference (Muldoon, 1997, p. ), in these lines he contrasted the liberty by humans, and the freedom of choice. In Thomas Flatman poem An Appeal to Cats in the Business of Love, he gives us the sense that he is comparing cats with humans, in a sexual way. Both poets sexualize the cats, we can see in Gunns poem which is highly charged with sexual imagery, when he mentioned their eyes get wild, their bodies tense'(Muldoon, 1997, p. ) giving us the sense that two people, in this case the Girls from his opening line are sexual attracted to each other. As we know Gunn wrote apartment Cats in the 1970s, where his verses were associated with drugs, homosexuality and sex. In Flatmans poem is clearer the way he sexualizes the cats Man ride many miles, Cats tread many tiles (Muldoon, 1997,pp. 5-6), it suggests that cats have sex only for the pleasure of having sex, therefor we can see the clearly comparison with human beings.

zora neal hurston essays

zora neal hurston essays In her 1928 essay, How It Feels to be Colored Me, Zora Neale Hurston meticulously understates the hardships of being black. Among many occupations held by Hurston, she was that of an anthropologist who studied the origin, behavior, social, and cultural development of humans. Hurston was not justifying the stereotypes of being Colored. Throughout How It Feels to be Colored Me she provides opportunities to use being Black as a method of empowerment as opposed to an aspect of tragedy. Hurston illustrates how she used whites for entertainment just as they did her; she points out the power and beauty of womanhood outside of race, and later states the controversial theory that slavery was the price paid for civilization. During a time when Blacks would hardly approach white people, Hurston found it most amusing to not only entertain them but to be a recipient as well. Hurston was immerged in a Negro community so white tourists were quickly noticed when traveling. Rather than cautiously watching them from a distance, as the majority did, Hurston delighted herself in being the head of the welcoming committee. She would wave, salute, sing and dance around on her front porch, which she refers to as her gallery seat, until she engaged the tourist in play. She found them intriguing, and her performances intrigued them. They were intrigued in several ways to the less than thirteen year old. These white tourists enjoyed, even rewarded Hurston for her joyful tendencies. While the Negro community condemned her for her outgoing antics, white tourists would give her silver for her performance. The white tourists may have used Hurston for their entertainment. To watch a young, vibrant, outgoing Black c hild prance around, singing, dancing, and surveying them could tend to be amusing. In retrospect, Hurston must have felt quite excited holding the center of the national stage, with s...

Lesson Plan Writing Tips for Teachers

Lesson Plan Writing Tips for Teachers Lesson plans help classroom teachers to organize their objectives and methodologies in an easy to read format. Difficulty: AverageTime Required: 30-60 minutes Heres How to Write a Lesson Plan Find a lesson plan format that you like. Try the Blank 8-Step Lesson Plan Template below, for starters. You may also want to look at lesson plan formats for language arts, reading lessons, and mini-lessons.Save a blank copy on your computer as a template. You may want to highlight the text, copy, and paste it onto a blank word processing app page instead of saving a blank copy.Fill in the blanks of your lesson plan template. If you are using the 8-Step Template, use these step-by-step instructions as a guide for your writing.Label your learning objective as cognitive, affective, psychomotor, or any combination of these.Designate an approximate length of time for each step of the lesson.List the materials and equipment needed for the lesson. Make notes about those that need to be reserved, purchased, or created.Attach a copy of any handouts or worksheets. Then you will have everything together for the lesson. Tips for Writing Lesson Plans A variety of lesson plan templates can be found in your education classes, from colleagues, or on the Internet. This is a case where it isnt cheating to use somebody elses work. Youll be doing plenty to make it your own.Remember that lesson plans come in a variety of formats; just find one that works for you and use it consistently. You may find through the course of a year that you have one or more that fits your style and the needs of your classroom.You should aim for your lesson plan to be less than one page long. What You Need: Lesson Plan TemplateWell-Defined Learning Objectives: this is a key element, everything else flows from the objectives. Your objectives need to be stated in terms of the student. They have to be something that can be observed and measured. You have to list specific criteria for what is an acceptable outcome. They cant be too long or overly complicated. Keep it simple.Materials and Equipment: You will need to ensure that these are going to be available for your class when the lesson is being taught. If you are too ambitious and require items that your school doesnt have, you will need to rethink your lesson plan. Blank8-Step Lesson Plan Template This template has eight basic parts that you should address. These are Objectives and Goals, Anticipatory Set, Direct Instruction, Guided Practice, Closure, Independent Practice, Required Materials and Equipment, and Assessment and Follow-Up.   Lesson Plan Your NameDateGrade Level:Subject: Objectives and Goals:   Ã‚  Ã‚   Anticipatory Set (approximate time):   Ã‚  Ã‚   Direct Instruction (approximate time):   Ã‚  Ã‚   Guided Practice (approximate time):   Ã‚  Ã‚   Closure (approximate time):   Ã‚  Ã‚   Independent Practice: (approximate time)   Ã‚  Ã‚   Required Materials and Equipment: (set-up time)   Ã‚  Ã‚   Assessment and Follow-Up: (approximate time)

Country Boys Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Country Boys - Movie Review Example Cody and Chris also studies in the same school called David School. The film progresses as the two teenage boys enter the same school, David school, which is an alternative school for troubled teens. Here, the two boys adapts differently to their new environment. Cody finds a new sense of purpose by living with a supportive grandmother, having a good relationship with his girlfriend and girlfriend's family, joining a metal band and committing himself to God. All these aspects have made him forget his tragic past and find a renewed purpose in life. Chris on the other hand did not have a solid support system as Cody's. He had to battle with an alcoholic father who doesn't support his passion to go to school and he also had to work to alleviate their poverty. In the end of the film, Cody was able to graduate valedictorian in their senior class giving him a bright future ahead while Chris was not able to graduate and ended up working in a low paying job without knowing what the future will bring him. This film is about the attachment of an individual to his society and his need to belong in order to live happily. Emile Durkheim talks about mechanical social solidarity of the community where people have a set of norms and rituals which makes them solid. They are moved by their collective conscience leaving the individual not to think about his own desires but the needs of his community. Organic solidarity on the other hand is a by-product of the division of labor. A society becomes complex due to the increase of the dynamic density. When a society becomes complex, the individuals play more specialized roles. Because of this, they start to have different experiences which affect their norms and values which weakens their sense of community. Cody and Chris lived in a mechanically solid society which had its own norms and set of rules and as teenagers; they had to abide by to the collective conscience of their society. In such a homogenized community, there is not much room for individualism nor autonomy; a person identifies himself with everyone else. Despite Cody and Chris' dysfunctional background, they are able to internalize and adhere to the rules through socialization and education which is according to Durkheim a social fact. They become morally obliged to obey social rules. In the course of the film, Cody's life becomes very different from Chris'. Cody establishes more attachment to society because of his healthy relationships with his grandma and girl friend. Also by attending church, he does not only strengthens his fate but also reinforces his ties with the community. Religion, according to Durkheim is really a social creation. By worshipping God, the people actually worships the collective over them that transcend over individual existence which makes it sacred. Cody's outlook in life has become positive as he feels his belongingness in the society. On the other hand, Chris becomes detached to the community. Because of having egoists who only thinks about themselves, they pass on to their child their negative outlook and the lack of need to bond with the community. Chris has no moral guidance from his parents and thus his social values loosen and he becomes undisciplined which leads to anomie. According to Durkehim, if an individual lacks any sense of social restraint, he will seek to satisfy his own appetite and will not consider the possible

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Financial Management - Essay Example The deal was not an easy one for Google considering that the company had to put in a lot of effort for obtaining the regulatory approvals for the same (Reuters, 2012). The deal was announced at $40 per share which added up to a total of $12.5 Billion which was at a premium of 63% to the price of Motorola shares at the end of August 12, 2011. The acquisition of Motorola was aimed at protecting the viability of Google android considering the fact that Google was recently facing a threat due to patent war existing throughout the industry, due to which the major android manufacturers like HTC and Samsung were being sued by giants like Microsoft and Apple for the infringement of patents (Gaughan, 2011, p.5). Google announced that it will run Motorola as an independent business. The deal received approval from the shareholders as well as from the United States Department of Justice and the EU in early 2012. The approval from Chinese authorities followed and the deal was completed on May 22 , 2012. The deal represented Google Inc.’s biggest challenge to Apple Inc., which was the leading player in the market of mobile phones and tablets. Economies of scale A vertical merger generally has a lower potential for economies of scale than a horizontal merger but the merger of Google and Motorola saw the achievement of economies of scale in both financial and risk bearing economies (The Economist, 2008). Technical, organizational, bulks buying as well as financial economies of scale were achieved from the merger (Thompson, 2012). Coordination improved in terms of cost fit, timing fit, size and communication fit within the business (Arnold, 2005, p.45). The merger immediately showed a success effect by increasing the market share in the world market for smartphones from 46.9% in the first quarter of 2012 to 68.1% in the last quarter of 2012. Economies of scale was achieved by getting other byproduct benefits such as the development of the next generation device for mobil e computing, extra services, for example, advertising to living rooms through Motorola'scable TV boxes which helped in boosting the staggering set top box business, in smartphone designs aimed to fulfil the government regulations and competing with Microsoft’s new release of Windows phones. The company achieved a higher output with lowering the average cost, thus increasing the profitability and ensuring lower price for the customers (Rosenbaum, 2012). Economies of vertical integration The move to buy Motorola had a positive impact on the margins. Major phone manufacturers show a trend of having slim margins (Neale, 2004). But market leaders like Apple and Samsung have been known to maintain a margin of 40-50%. Google maintained net profit margin of 25% without having to subsidize the cost of manufacture in order to attract new clients. The merger showed a 100 to 150 basis points positive impact on the profitability. The merger enabled Google Inc. to supercharge the Android e cosystem and enhanced it competitive features in the mobile computing sector. The merger also opened up new opportunities for cross licencing. Combining complementary resources One of the main motives behind the merger was Google’s intention to accelerate innovation by combining the technical resources of Motorola Mobility. Another primary reason was that Google wanted to acquire the huge number of patents that Motorola had. The acquisition of these patents was likely to give the company a high competitive strength against its

Group Support Systems Essay Example for Free

Group Support Systems Essay Group Support System is technology that is solely designed to spur the work of groups. It can be used to cooperate, compete, negotiate, coordinate, communicate or solve problems. Whilst conventional technologies, such as the telephone qualify as GSS, the term is customarily used in reference to a definite class of technologies relying on contemporary computer networks like newsgroups, email, chat or videophones. GSSs have the ability to reduce communication barriers, thereby improving organizational effectiveness. The technology facilitates clearer, faster and more persuasive communication and allows communication where it wouldn’t otherwise be feasible or possible. What’s more, Group Support Systems facilitate new-fangled means of communication like structured interactions and anonymous interchanges, in so doing, they significantly reduce communication barriers. Similarly, Group Support Systems enhance team productivity in the organization by allowing team members to collaborate from anywhere, share contact and information instantly and access email accounts from a single inbox. Besides, GSS lessens on time-consuming phone calls, travel expenses and organizational meetings. It as well curbs expensive overnight couriers and mailings, thereby improving organizational efficient through increased productivity. Facilitating decision-making activities is one of the cardinal features of Group Support System. The technology is applauded for knowledge management and brings to fore expertise as well as multiple perspectives regarding organizational decision making. Furthermore, it leverages professional expertise in making pertinent decisions to the objectives, goals, mission and vision of an organization. Finally, the benefits of Group Support Systems that I have experienced in the workplace are diverse and far-reaching. The technology enables members to back up imperative documents in a secure location, in that way reduces risk of information loss as a result of computer theft or damage.

Common Threads in George Orwells 1984 and Todays Society Essay

Common Threads in George Orwell's 1984 and Today's Society "Big Brother is Watching You"(Orwell 5). This simple phrase has become the cornerstone of the conspiracy theorists dialog. George Orwell may have writing a cautionary novel with 1984, but there is little possibility that he could have foreseen how close to reality his novel would truly become. In the past 50 years, the world has become a much more dangerous place. Along with this danger has come a call for governments to do more to protect their citizens. This Protection has changed over the years, but it has become more and more invasive in order to "protect" the populations from various "threats". Orwell introduces the reader to a future where the government monitors every citizen through a "telescreen". These telescreens broadcast news and various government sanctioned facts at all times, but they also, "Received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper would be picked up by it"(Orwell 6). These devices can also visually monitor Winston as long as he is within its field of vision. Obviously, in the late 1940's, no such device actually existed, but since then, governments have developed many other forms of electronic intrusion into their citizen's lives. In London today, there is a "ring of steel", which was set up to protect the citizens from terrorist acts. This ring is actually a system of cameras, which can zoom in on individual faces and recognize them from a database of millions of red-listed individuals. This is probably the closest a society has come to actually installing actual telescreens in homes. Our Constitution protects us from being spied on in our homes like the citizens of Oceania... ...e world of human persecution, walking around inside of it, and reproducing it in literary form"(220). 1984 is exactly that then, a literary warning to all readers of the ultimate in human persecution, where individuals do not exist, and forces controlling society have complete and utter control over all aspects of their minions lives. Our own age has fallen into the majority of the pitfalls presented in 1984, if you have committed any crime, misrepresented yourself in any way, or simply taken out a library book that has been black listed, you can be punished by law without ever having the faintest idea of being monitored. Knowing this, and knowing where we could end up hopefully helps us to be able to correct our mistakes before they are taken too far and we end up in the basement of Miniluv. Works Cited: Orwell, George. 1984. London: Secker and Warburg, 1949.

Sonnet 129

The poem Sonnet 129 focuses on human lust and its inevitable stages of shame. Shakespeare promotes the theme that as a result of lust there is only corruptness, whether it be while one is â€Å"in pursuit† (9) (in the future tense), â€Å"in possession† (in the present tense), or after the fact (in the past tense) when it proves â€Å"a very woe† (11). The negativity of lust is extremely reinforced in only the third line of the poem with a chain of adjectives to describe lust: â€Å"Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame, / Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust† (3-4).This word choice exemplifies strong and ruthless voice that one would not usually categorize with lust. A simile is used to expound the consequence of lust by comparing it to when a fish is tricked by â€Å"a swallowed bait† (7). When a fish takes the bait with the hidden hook, the barb on the hook encases itself inside the fish’s flesh. This is an accurate compariso n to lust because the energy the fish exerts directly correlates with how deep the hook is buried. Correspondingly, just like when one is lustful, he or she is unavoidably doomed; that is, trying to escape the shame worsens the situation.Also, Shakespeare touches on the deceptiveness of lust: at first one is convinced lust is not a problem, merely â€Å"A bliss in proof† (11); however once realized and â€Å"proved† (11), the struggle with lust ends up being problematic. Moreover, Shakespeare expresses the shamefulness of viewing lust from â€Å"behind a dream† (12), the consequently terrible feeling one feels after lusting. The organization of Sonnet 129 helps convey Shakespeare’s idea about the tangles created by lust. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.This organization of rhyme forms a sense of always searching for a conclusion to the rhyme, as one reads one line and then the next in search for an end rhyme. There are no periods for the first 12 li nes creating a lack of pause, which forces one to read the entire poem through in a hastily manner. This all exemplifies the theme of lust because the poem reveals how once one lusts, they are never satisfied whether it be before, during, or after the lusting just like how as the reader is always propelled into the next word or phrase.The last couplet of the poem â€Å"All this the world well knows; yet none knows well / To Shun the heaven that leads men to this hell† (13-4) finally breaks the hurried 14 lines. In this couplet, Shakespeare explains that everyone knows lusting is a sin and it is always visible to God. This is an appropriate conclusion for this poem because it is reiterating the seriousness of lust and the Christian stance that lusting, in the end, will place you in hell.

John Locke on Property Essay

Natural reason suggests that human beings have the right to preserve themselves the moment they are born. An individual can utilize everything that he sees around him to preserve himself. He can drink if he is thirsty; he can eat if he is hungry. Nature, which God gave to the world, is the individual’s source of materials for his preservation. Locke emphasized that the world was given to the whole humanity by God. This, for Locke, is nothing but common knowledge (Locke 11). Locke questions how an individual can actually own a thing. He finds it difficult to understand why, when God has given the Earth to His children, men would search for things on earth and label it as their own. Since it is difficult to find a part of the Earth which an individual can own and call it his â€Å"property†, then the only easy way to solve this dilemma is to have the world owned by a universal monarch. This, then, would only be possible upon the belief that Adam owns the world because god gave it to him. As Adam has the world, it also means that his heirs own the world, too (Locke 11). Since this clearly is not the case in today’s world and in today’s society, Locke promises that he will explain how an individual claim a part of what God has given mankind, and that, with no single express compact of all people (Locke 11). As God has given mankind a whole world, it also means that along with this, He has given mankind a reason to use this world to their convenience and best advantage. The world are has everything that a man needs to survive. It has air, water, food and shelter. It contains that things that an individual needs to live a comfortable life. Whatever is found in this world all help in supporting the life of an individual (Locke 13). Although the food found on earth, including the animals or the predators that feed on them, are all qualified as properties of mankind (since nature produces all them), the fact alone that they are included as part of the earth means that even the predators are necessary for the survival of mankind – even when these beasts harm the quality of living of an individual. There will always be a way for a man to know how a harmful beast may help him. Whatever way this is, he has yet to figure out, but the fact remains that a harmful beast is indeed beneficial since it is a part of the world that God gave him (Locke 14). For Locke, the meat and the fruit which an individual feeds on are both considered occupants of the earth. No other individual will have the right to own that particular meat or particular fruit before it can support his life. No one has a right to something if the benefits are yet undiscovered (Ishay 116). The earth is indeed common to all the people living in it – to all its occupants. Then again, each individual has a property of his own. He is the only person who can practice his rights on that certain thing since he is the only person owning it. His hands do the working. His body does the laboring. Because of all these, whatever he produces rightfully becomes his property. Whatever thing nature has provided, which he, in turn, takes away from the state, becomes his property, as soon as he mixes his labor with it. Whatever it is that he takes away from the state which was placed there because of nature eliminates the right of other men, as long as he was able to own it through his hardships and labor (Ishay 116). Labor is indeed an important factor in this case, since labor is something that mankind cannot question. Labor is the unquestionable property of the man who is laboring. The man laboring is the only man who has the right to his products (Ishay 116). Whoever is being supported and benefited by the fruits of his labor has definitely appropriated these fruits for him. The question of Locke now, is when exactly did this fruit became his own? If, for example, an individual harvests the apple that came from the tree he himself planted, when exactly did he own the apple? Was it from the time when he digested the apple, since it is believed that as he is nourished by the fruit of his labor, he can start calling this his own? Or was it from the time when he picked the apples from the tree (Ishay 117)? What marks the difference between the common man and himself is labor. Labor defines what nature cannot. If an individual makes use of what nature has given him, and he, in turn, starts to benefit from it, then he owns the fruit. The man is able to own things as he extends what a nature can do to support his life. Here is where the concept of private right comes in (Ishay 118). Another dilemma is realized from this perspective, since will one not have a right to that apple which he appropriated for himself if mankind did not allow him to? Does he need the consent of other men to make the apple his property? Would this be considered robbery, since whatever is found on this earth is a property of all men (Boaz 123)? Then again, John Locke argued that consent from other men is not even necessary in the first place. If an individual always waits for a go-signal from other men so that he can start owning and eating an apple, then he will end up being starved. What is common in mankind, or common in â€Å"commoners†, is the act of taking something away from this world to make it his property. Nature leaves something in the state, and commoners remove it out from there. As an individual removes it from the state, it starts to be his property. Without such property, then the individual will be of no use to the world. Taking something which an individual may consider his property is not dependent on whether or not commoners will allow him to (Boaz 123). The grass is in the lands to be eaten by a horse. A servant sees a turf which he may cut. All people can see ores, and all of them have right to the meat. An individual can do everything that he can, and thus exhibit acts of labor, to produce something that can benefit him. As a product of his labor, his prize is to own it as its property. He does not need to consult other men; more so, need their consent. The moment an individual removes something from the state is already a manifestation of a labor being enacted. There is a struggle, a difficulty, and an action taking place as an individual takes something away from the state. From this point exactly, an individual owns a thing (Boaz 123). John Locke’s main argument when he said that property is prior to the political state; he was referring to the law of reason. This law is what makes the deer a proper of an Indian, only if this Indian went his way into killing the deer. Once he exerted effort and enacted labor into killing the deer, then he has every right to eat the deer. The deer used to be a property of the world, and of everyone. Killing it is also a right of every person. Then again, whoever has the reason to go first and bestow his energy, labor and power to kill the deer, is the same person who owns the meat. Reason is what defines a person’s property, according to John Locke. Whatever it is that is found in this earth is a property of everyone, and everyone has the right to owning it. Then, again, labor, when fueled with reason, is what makes and what allows a person to own something and start calling it his property (Boaz 124). For John Locke, it is effortless to imagine and think how labor can start and prescribe a person’s property, considering the fact and the supposed challenge that may be faced since this property used to be a property of all mankind, and this property of mankind is coming from nature – the nature itself being an entity that belongs to everyone. The limits of a property are defined by how we spend it. For John Locke, arguments and conflicts regarding property and owndership may be eliminated if we see things his way (Boaz 125). Through John Locke’s view in property, he suggests that convenience and right go along together. He has his right which is his reason enough to employ his labor on a property common to mankind. Once he goes through challenges to own it to his convenience, then there should be no room left for conflict and quarrel. Whoever went his way to experience challenges just to reap what he saw, has every right to own the fruits of his labor (Boaz 126). Works Cited Boaz, David. The Libertarian Reader: Classic and Contemporary Readings from Lao-tzu to Milton Friedman. Free Press, 1998. Ishay, Micheline. The Human Rights Reader: Major Political Essays, Speeches, and Documents from Ancient Times to the Present. CRC Press, 2007. Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Kessinger Publishing, 2004.

Text to Speech Over the Internet essays

Text to Speech Over the Internet essays The technology of Text-to-Speech is among the state-of-the-art advancements brought about by computer research and studies. Aside from the visual properties that people used to enjoy while Internet surfing, such as graphics and animations, text-to-speech is an added functionality to a What is Text-to-Speech' ATRC describes text-to-speech software as a tool used to convert words from a computer document into an audible form. Nowadays, the technology of text-to-speech is used by some web sites over the Internet as additional aid to web users. It is a tool that can facilitate the presentation of information by providing audible information as supplement to the traditional text and graphic forms of information. An example of a web site that currently employs text-to-speech technology is CEC System's www.cezine.net. CEC is a computer systems company that sells Peli cases. As a company that runs an e-commerce site, it is beneficial for their business to employ a text-to-speech tool because it can serve online shoppers with product explanations that is comparable to a live Text-to-speech, as used in web related manner, is not just an embellishment to web sites by providing further useful functionality to web users. One essential benefit of using text-to-speech is that it aids users with sight impairments in using the Internet. With text-to-speech tools, web sites can become compliant to Disability Acts that look after the welfare of In today's technology, there are many text-to-speech software that is available in the market. Most of which offer similar features and benefits Text to Speech Softwares | There are many big companies, including Microsoft, which developed text-to- speech softwares. Microsoft's Microsoft Reader can bring speech technology ...

Instance Variables in Ruby

Instance Variables in Ruby Instance variables begin with an at sign () and can be referenced only within class methods. They differ from local variables in that they dont exist within any particular scope. Instead, a similar variable table is stored for each instance of a class. Instance variables live within a class instance, so as long as that instance stays alive, so will the instance variables. Instance variables can be referenced in any method of that class. All methods of a class use the same instance variable table, as opposed to local variables where each method will have a different variable table. It is possible to access instance variables without first defining them, however. This will not raise an exception, but the variables value will be nil and a warning will be issued if youve run Ruby with the -w switch. This example demonstrates the use of instance variables. Note that the shebang contains the -w switch, which will print warnings should they occur. Also, note the incorrect usage outside of a method in the class scope. This is incorrect and discussed below. #!/usr/bin/env ruby -wclass TestClass # Incorrect! test monkey def initialize value 1337 end def print_value # OK puts value end def uninitialized # Technically OK, generates warning puts monkey endendt TestClass.newt.print_valuet.uninitialized Why is the test variable incorrect? This has to do with scope and how Ruby implements things. Within a method, the instance variable scope refers to the particular instance of that class. However, in the class scope (inside the class, but outside of any methods), the scope is the class instance scope. Ruby implements the class hierarchy by instantiating Class objects, so there is a second instance at play here. The first instance is an instance of the Class class, and this is where test will go. The second instance is the instantiation of TestClass, and this is where value will go. This gets a bit confusing, but just remember to never use instance_variables outside of methods. If you need class-wide storage, use class_variables, which can be used anywhere in the class scope (inside or outside of methods) and will behave the same. Accessors You normally cannot access instance variables from outside of an object. For instance, in the above example, you cannot simply call t.value or t.value to access the instance variable value. This would break the rules of encapsulation. This also applies to instances of child classes, they cannot access instance variables belonging to the parent class even though theyre technically the same type. So, in order to provide access to instance variables, accessor methods must be declared. The following example demonstrates how accessor methods can be written. However, note that Ruby provides a shortcut and that this example only exists to show you how the accessor methods work. Its generally not common to see accessor methods written in this way unless some sort of additional logic is needed for the accessor. #!/usr/bin/env rubyclass Student def initialize(name,age) name, age name, age end # Name reader, assume name cant change def name name end # Age reader and writer def age age end def age(age) age age endendalice Student.new(Alice, 17)# Its Alices birthdayalice.age 1puts Happy birthday #{alice.name}, \youre now #{alice.age} years old! The shortcuts make things a bit easier and more compact. There are three of these helper methods. They must be run in the class scope (inside the class but outside of any methods), and will dynamically define methods much like the methods defined in the above example. Theres no magic going on here, and they look like language keywords, but they really are just dynamically defining methods. Also, these accessors typically go at the top of the class. That gives the reader an instant overview of which member variables will be available outside the class or to child classes. There are three of these accessor methods. They each take a list of symbols describing the instance variables to be accessed. attr_reader - Define reader methods, such as the name method in the above example.attr_writer - Define writer methods such as the age method in the above example.attr_accessor - Define both reader and writer methods. #!/usr/bin/env rubyclass Student attr_reader :name attr_accessor :age def initialize(name,age) name, age name, age endendalice Student.new(Alice, 17)# Its Alices birthdayalice.age 1puts Happy birthday #{alice.name}, \youre now #{alice.age} years old! When to use Instance Variables Now that you know what instance variables are, when do you use them? Instance variables should be used when they represent the state of the object. A students name and age, their grades, etc. They shouldnt be used for temporary storage, thats what local variables are for. However, they could possibly be used for temporary storage between method calls for multi-stage computations. However if youre doing this, you may want to rethink your method composition and make these variables into method parameters instead.

Cross culture communication and negotiation Essay - 1

Cross culture communication and negotiation - Essay Example The author point out how both native and non-native speakers should make their approach in order to understand each other and co-construct the conversation in intercultural communication in an age when English is becoming a global language. 5. Dovidio, J.F., Hebl, M., Richeson, J.A. & Shelton, J.N. 2006. Nonverbal communication, Race, and intergroup Interaction. [Online] Available at: http://www.yale.edu/intergroup/Dovidio_Hebl_Richeson_Shelton_2006.pdf In this article, the authors analyses the importance of nonverbal communication in cross cultural communication and negotiation process. It says that members of majority and minority groups in general may differ in the types of nonverbal behaviors they display regularly. It also analyses Social Identity and Nonverbal Behavior in Intergroup Interaction. 6. Rudlin, P. 2008. Indirect communication: I see what you mean. MultiLingual, Jun2008, Vol. 19 Issue 4, p49-51, This article focuses on the importance of non-verbal communication in Ja pan. It says that Japanese prefer to use eye contact, teeth sucking and head movements to avoid confrontation and disagreement with others. Listeners and speakers are expected to understand the real meaning of their movement and vague expressions to convey that it is not necessary to talk about it. 7. Mandal, M.K., Harizuka, S., Bhushan, B. & Mishra, K.C. (2001). Cultural variation in hemifacial asymmetry of emotion expressions British Journal of Social Psychology (2 001), 40, 385–398 The authors of this article argues that emotions such as happy, sad, fear , anger, surprise, disgust etc are displayed differently by people of different cultures after analysing the emotions of Japanese, Oriental Indian and...All these developments result in increased cross cultural communication and business negotiation processes. Cross cultural communication and negotiation are vital in determining the success and failures of international business. Stuhlmacher & Citera (2005) pointed out that â€Å"Negotiations are often categorized as distributive (win-lose) and integrative (win-win)† (p.24). Even though everybody wants to conduct negotiations to yield a win-win result, in most of the cases, it results in win-lose results. Both the parties argue their points strongly while doing negotiations. Such arguments often end up in conflicts. The success of business negotiation rests in the abilities of the parties in solving such crisis. While doing international business, the negotiators belong to different cultures, and hence it is quite possible that the ideas conveyed by one by one person may not be perceived properly by the other person. It should be noted that verbal as well as nonverbal communication are important in communicating the ideas of one person to another. In cross cultural business negotiations, the negotiators are from different cultures and hence their verbal as well as the nonverbal means of communication could be entirely different.