Spanish and Italian Borrowings to the English Language

Romanic languages, group of languages belonging to the Italic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages. They are spoken by about 670 million people in many parts of the world. Among the more important Romanic languages are Catalan, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Spanish. My report is particularly about Italian and Spanish borrowings to the English language. Spanish borrowings appeared in English in 16 century. Historic circumstances which influenced on these borrowings are associated with some geographic discoveries at that time.There was a colonization of the South and North America by the Spanish. So the close cooperation with Spain contributed to the developing of borrowings from Spanish into English language. In 16 century close political and economic ties of England with Spain and of Spain with France led to borrowings both directly from Spanish and through the French language. In the beginning of the 16th century there were many Spaniards in England due to dynastic relations between England and Spain. So England inherited many Spanish words which related to Spanish manners. Associated essay: Reasons for Failure in English LanguageMany Spanish words have come to us from three primary sources: many of them entered American English in the days of Mexican and/or Spanish cowboys working in what is now the U. S. Southwest. Some words were borrowed with the Spanish culture-dances and musicals instruments. Words of Caribbean origin entered English by way of trade. The other major source is the names of foods whose names have no English equivalent, as the intermingling of cultures has expanded our diets as well as our vocabulary. There are the following semantic groups: ) trade terms: cargo- , embargo- , contraband-; b) names of dances and musical instruments: tango, rumba, habanera, guitar; c) names of vegetables and fruit: banana, cocoa , chocolate, cigar, cork – , , potato, tobacco, tomato. All of these were the objects of trade. They were borrowed from Spain to England. Anglo-Spanish War also greatly enlarged the vocabulary of English language which included such military terms: galleon – , , guerilla – .Besides during the Renaissance period the whole layer of everyday Spanish words came to the English language. For ex: bravada – , canoe – , , Negro – , ranch – , desperado – , , peccadillo – . In XIX century many borrowings from Spanish were brought through American literature. Such words as: cigarette, lasso, mustang – . There are following words among the recently borrowed ones: macho, amigo, gringo – .As we see, the majority of borrowings from Spanish retain their shape and are commonly used in English in the stylistic purposes to give the narration some Spanish shade. Of course it makes our speech more interesting and shows that we are culturally enriched. For example, we can say â€Å"adios† instead of â€Å"bye† to diversify our communication. English| Spanish| Alcove| Alcoba| Alfalfa| Al falfa| Artichoke| Alcarchofa| Apricot| Albaric oque| Calibre| Calibre| | Armada| Armado| Apricot| Albaricoque|Binnacle| Bitacula| The Italian language had the strongest influence on the English language in the Renaissance period. The art and literature had the great importance for the whole European culture. Italy was the leading country in the economic, politic, cultural fields, so familiarity with the rich Italian literature of this period, painting, sculpture and architecture, traveling to Italy, an interest in the country itself, was reflected in the loans from the Italian language.We should notice that, due to the wide spread of Italian debt in the European languages , some Italian words were borrowed to the English language, not directly but through other languages. Most of the Italian words was borrowed through French. And only in the XVI century, the borrowings were directly from the Italian language. The earliest borrowings related to trade and military affairs. There were borrowed the following words from the field of commerce and finance: ducat – coin, million – million, lombard – pawnshop, bank – bank.From the field of military: alarm – alarm, brigand – bandit, bark – bark, colonel – Colonel, squadron – squadron, sentinel – guard, pistol – gun. The greatest number of words borrowed from Italian related to the field of art, literature, music, theater and architecture. For example, canto – song, sonnet – a sonnet, stanza – stanza, slogan, model – model, miniature – miniature, madonna – Madonna, fresco – fresco, balcony – balcony, mezzanine – mezzanine, mezzanine and so on.Especially a lot of borrowing were from the field of music, such as: – The names of musical instruments: piano, violin, piccolo; – The name of singing voices: bass, baritone, alto, soprano; – The name of music: opera, sonata, aria. Among the 20-th century Italian borrowi ngs we can mention : gazette, incognitto, autostrada, fiasco, fascist, dilettante, grotesque, graffitti etc. We should be notice that there are used even whole phraseological combinations in English, for example, sotto voce – whisper.

Custom Relationship Between Business and Society Essay

The world today believes in change and liberation due to beliefs and values of every society, the quality of living based on individual decisions and moral values are critical in building and of business relationship. It is therefore vital to understand how business and society can be governed and all manner of people and races respected. Every society has taboos and social entities that control its environment; however business and society is based on values that can be created by others though scientific research. According to Weber, The Protestant Ethic is a starting point towards understanding the multiple dimensions of social change. The relationship between business and ethics is interlocked in the sense that a successful company is one which can effectively maintain the relationship which exists between them and the other parties. For effective corporate management, organization varies due to policies and systems of operation in service deliver, most professionals governed by professional code of ethics invent individual personality. Religious beliefs critically affect each individual spiritual being. Today businesses that have strong corporate codes of ethics are performing well in the long-term. Government policies and competition is vital for survival in every business entity, customer expectations and organization relationships to society are critical in branding and corporate image which differentiates company’s offering from those of competitors. To manage it demand for in the long run demands commitment and sound moral behavior. This demonstrates dedication to all stakeholders, ethics enhance how a company operates and also enhances a company’s reputation and this brings more profits to the organizations. MAX WEBER PROTESTANT ETHICS Max Weber a German sociologist and political economist (1864 – 1920) aim at understanding the revolution power based of political stability and control of capitalism. With his social and religious beliefs, he investigated to known why the most economically developed districts were the most favorable to a revolution. In his findings, Weber concluded that higher skilled laborers and personnel were overwhelmingly Protestant. He aimed at bring change and revolution. The argument was based on development and education by the Catholics which he believes lead was a cause to nationality imbalance. Resources were unfairly distributed thus the districts ended up converting protestant, it plumbs the deep cultural forces that affect contemporary work life and the workplace in the capitalist communities, and it plumbs the deep religion forces that affect contemporary work life and the workplace. He professed religion balance between the Catholic and Protestant parents who usually give their children different kinds of education, in which his believe was that education is an equal asset to both the Catholics and protestants’, however he was not font that Catholics have more of a tendency in education while protestants stay in handicrafts and sectors rather than to go into industry. It suggests that their environment has determined the choice peoples occupations seem more likely since for example you would normally expect Catholics to get involved in economic activity. His argument was based on political power and influence and his believe that Protestants had stronger tendencies and capabilities to develop the economy rationalism. To him this was not a philosophy of mere greed but a statement laden with moral language. Creating modern capitalism that affects contemporary life and work place ethically. Lacks of ethics contribute to a state where the corporate bottom lines make profits through immoral acts. This relents to damaged image and leads to corrupt dealings and poor ethical practices. Managers who promote an atmosphere with high ethical standards create a competitive concept that positions a company above rivals. This will impact help increase revenues for the benefit of all stakeholders. SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM Capitalism is an economic system whereby the means of production are privately owned and operated for making profits. The decisions regarding supply, demand, price, distribution, and investment are made within a free market. Profit is sent to owners who invest in businesses, and wages are paid to workers. The world of business is where religion demands high moral and values; Weber’s idea of modern capitalism as growing out of the religious pursuit of wealth meant a change to how wealth existed. Looking at this argument the world today has changed due to advancement of human knowledge and technological advances, religion affects business depending on relationship created among business partners, however religion is an obligation to look at, basically the impact can be based on critical values of entrepreneurs or markets targeted. Every organization is critically evaluated through its promise and purposes to deliver its products and services. The compliment can be on ability to abide by the vision and mission statement. Weber’s argues that the first and probably most vital feature of the spirit of capitalism was that it invested on economizing with high moral significance. Today communication among business entities has created a link to doing business better, the advancement of technology e.g. the use of electronic mode of payment has brought about cross boundary relationships which can easily be manage and monitored. Weber aims of scrutinizing individual strength and builds trust which is critical to business operations. This is to provide opportunities for resistance in the organizational structures with emancipation alongside those for repression and subordination. In most economies equal business opportunities are applied to allow free movement of labour and interest payment are legitimate returns on capital which provides legal mechanism for state in mobilization of funds and partnerships and create a modern state. The challenges in the society today are; highly competitive environments, global warming, inflation, which puts pressure on company’s leaders to create profitable relationships remain competent to create channels which circumvent to stakeholders returns on investment. The pressure of delivering positive results can lead to unethical decisions by individuals. However Governing legal frameworks therefore become critical as a key competency for quality productivity. Every organization has to avoid unethical environment because if it occurs it usually gets passed down through the organization ruining its reputation. In the world today China and India are believed to be â€Å"federal capitalist who excises economical power, capitalism ultimately enforce market regulation. The pricing mechanism coordinates supply and demand within a given market framework, while the visible hand of government enforces the framework and keeps it up to date†. (Bruzz Scott: the root of modern capitalism journal 11 June 2008) LUTHER CONCEPTION CALLING According to Weber his conception calling was on realization that people have got duty to fulfill and obligations imposed on them which must be attain, this believe adds value to letting each individual practice his capabilities and beliefs for betterment of living. He argues that each person has got a legitimate calling or purpose by his God; however the society is a mix of races as others rarely believe in God. He came to believe in absolute obedience to God’s will, and acceptance of the way things were. According to Weber he was trying to understand how certain characteristics of modern culture can be traced to the reformation. Scientifically most of Weber’s unforeseen beliefs are today engulfing physically through research challenging this believes. Today the society demands quality products and services with gratification of immediate results, perhaps a reason some companies practice corporate values to deliver results based of professionalism and not mere religion hindrances. Due to bureaucratic leaderships it is obvious that one’s individual moral capabilities impacts decisions and choices made in a business and in the process of it the immoral acts will decline. This in today business relationship is based on training and staff motivation. The staff morale is critical; at such a case Weber’s religion plays a role as most organization start a day with a word of prayer as a way of building courage and etiquette among employees. Weber’s moral values were that his study will contribute to the understanding of how some ideas become history’s most effective forces. He in his calling was to civilize other believers and create a more ethical responsible society with a better lifestyle. In the modern society Weber also notes that societies having more Protestants have the most developed capitalist economies. Weber’s transformation approach was not personal for monetary gain but based on passion for his Lutheran faith. It is in the best interest of a company to promote universal ethically good behavior in the workplace. This can be through Consumer trust and confidence in a business. This ultimately enhances economical benefits to a company and its network will grow. Thus, Weber concludes that the simple idea of the calling in Lutheranism is at best of limited importance to his study. Modern capitalism is about blended revolution aimed to create systems across boundaries; technology is factor that has influenced positively capitalism development on perspective of social systems, most government political challenges also affects the relationships by compromising relationships management across boundaries. However, this can be done through international marketing e.g. development abroad, franchising licensing and many others or through outsourcing services. Trade is increasingly global in scope today. Technological has improved transportation and communication opportunities and trade is now more practical. Thus, consumers and businesses now have access to the very best products from many different countries. â€Å"Increasingly rapid technology lifecycles also increases the competition among countries as to who can produce the newest in technology. In part to accommodate these realities, countries in the last several decades have taken increasing steps to promote global trade through agreements such as the General Treaty on Trade and Tariffs†. (Lars Perner, Ph.D) At glace ethical organizations create a stable organization culture and affects the level of decision making, the relationship between business and the society is vital, thus ethics is a component of doing good business. It would be a better world if the alternatives to source professionals could be utilized. However a population of unskilled workers is high and various governments’ rules of socials and dictatorship style of management insulates countries with anti market policies creating a non conducive environment for investments. However adapting ethical social governance can change for well created government for capitalism has got to start somewhere due to poor leadership opponents of globalization worry that many of the economic opportunities afforded the world while in many developing countries. CONCLUSION As the world advance and relationships are made, it is vital to understand the impact that matters to our daily life’s devotions. All aspect and merits of life are contacted by beliefs and creation of one’s faith.

Drama and Literacy in the classroom Essay

The widespread saturation of non-literary narrative forms with which students interact in modern society has resulted in a distinct change in the methods and means of literacy skills and education. Researches have discovered that advantages exist for students who are enrolled in cross-discipline curriculums and specific evidence exists to show that the use of drama within a classroom setting provides and ample boost to the educational experiences and efficacy of students. The TES has reported on research from Durham University which found that primary pupils’ academic performance may improve if their schools devote time to drama. Children from inner-London primaries achieved better than expected results in maths and reading tests after their schools took part in an outreach project run by the National Theatre. † (Literacy Trust) Such a boost is the result of the multifaceted levels of engagement and interactivity that drama provides for students. In addition to boosting literacy and math skills, researches have discovered that drama also enhances speaking and listening skills, which, in turn, enhance performances across the spectrum of scholastic activity: â€Å"drama can be a powerful tool to develop children’s speaking and listening skills: National Theatre children learned to speak more clearly and listen more attentively than their matches. † (Literacy Trust) Other cited benefits are: children who participated in drama in the classroom reported an increased enjoyment of school, higher self-esteem and self-confidence, a clearer ability to set and meet goals, and an enhanced understanding and interest in the creative arts: â€Å"When drama is used in literature-based reading programs, it often remains as simulated role play to recall and/or provide an alternative ending for all or part of a story. In order for a drama activity to enhance both literary and literacy development, the activities must engage the children in a thorough reading of the story. † (Hertzberg, 1998) The success of drama-enhanced curriculums may be connected to human brain function, thus demonstrating an organic merit to the dramatic form as a teaching technique and educational aid. â€Å"Education is now beginning to take account of recent research into the way the brain works and the ways in which children learn and to relate this to the teaching and learning of today’s curriculum. The result is likely to be an increase in creative and multi-sensory approaches to teaching, linked to clearly defined learning objectives. â€Å"(Neelands, Baldwin & Fleming, 2003, p. 4) Because drama requires participation in group-work and interaction with sets of individuals all working toward a shared goal, text-work through dramatic readings and performances, â€Å"creates a sense of shared ownership through which children can investigate and develop characters, fill the gaps left in the text, reveal the subtext, and use their imaginations to bridge the divide between writer and reader, integrating and encompassing all aspects of literacy. (Neelands, Baldwin, and Fleming 5) Perhaps most importantly of all, the participation in drama encourages students to engage with texts emotionally, intellectually, and with a vested interest and connection to the material which seems to be absent from traditional learning methods. â€Å"Drama creates motivation for students to participate and facilitates students’ responses in reading instruction[†¦ ]dramatization is a source of scaffolding for emergent readers by providing rich background experiences for future reading[†¦ ] dramatization leads students to develop symbolic representation, which is the same concept children require in order to understand the alphabetic principle. † (Lin,2003). Other benefits certainly exist within the drama enhanced curriculum; only practice of the theoretic techniques and research will fully disclose the potential for this type of dynamic educational process. References Hertzberg, M. (1998). Theory into Practice: Using Drama to Enhance Literacy Development. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 21(2), 159+. Neelands, J. , Baldwin, P. , & Fleming, K. (2003). Teaching Literacy through Drama: Creative Approaches. London: RoutledgeFalmer. www. literacytrust. org. uk 3-31-07, accessed 4-9-07. http://www. literacytrust. org. uk/Database/drama. html#test Lin,Chia-Hui. â€Å"Literacy Instruction through Communicative and Visual Arts† The Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication Digest #186 12-03, Accessed 4-10-07. http://reading. indiana. edu/ieo/digests/d186. html

Barriers in International Communication at Workplace Research Paper

Barriers in International Communication at Workplace - Research Paper Example In the field of social intelligence and leadership, without a doubt, having a multilingual workplace has its very own advantages, for the reason that according to Goleman, social intelligence is the capacity to understand people in order to manage them effectively and act wisely in human relations. However, such also poses a challenge in effective communication since Backman, Baldwin and Cross, decoding a message can come at to a point that it would entirely break. In this regard, the focus of this paper shall delve at exploring the barriers in intercultural communication in the workplace. Specifically, this aims at exploring the impacts of interpersonal challenges it presents. This would shed light on the recommended strategies in order to remedy the challenges of intercultural communication at the workplace. On the one hand, this paper is of significance especially that diversity of culture, language and others has thrived in our society, especially in the workplace. Moreover, effe ctive communication in this diverse society is challenged especially for the parts of those coming from different country of origin like in my case, I come from Saudi Arabia and work in Ministry of Defense with employees with different nationalities and speak different languages other than English. Given this overview, this phenomenon must be understood. Barriers in Intercultural Communication at Workplace and Its Impacts Ethnocentricity results to some people assuming that language, for instance, English is a universal language (Dyers and Wankah, 2001). However, this assumption can be considered as a barrier to effective communication in every part of the world, especially in the institution of workplace, because not all people can speak and understand English smoothly and may need time to process one’s thought first before being able to interpret the meanings of the message correctly. On the one hand, Peltokorpi (2009) suggested that apart from ethnocentricity, jargon and s lang serve as barriers as well to effective communication because the members of a particular culture may have developed their distinctive jargon and slang. While it is the case that the members feel at ease using their jargon and slang, the newcomers may possibly not understand the communicated meanings accurately. Such interpersonal challenges to effective communication at the workplace affect not only the individual having difficulty understanding what the conveyed message is all about and the one who speak the message as well, but most especially, these challenges affect the entire institution itself. In the study, â€Å"The attitudes toward the culturally different: the role of intercultural communication barriers, affective responses, consensual stereotypes and perceived threat,† Rodgers and McGovern (2002) claimed that the current and most immediate impact to the individuals belonging to a different culture is that they may feel alienated from the rest of the

History of Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

History of Germany - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that several European, Asian and African states had been under the German subjugation particularly during the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Once divided into nearly three hundred and thirty-nine small Prussian states, as a shattered nation of Germania, the country witnessed its unification in 1871 after winning three decisive wars against Denmark, Austria-Hungary, and France in 1864, 1866 and 1871 respectively. The credit certainly goes to the distinguished Prussian statesman and iron chancellor Otto von Bismarck, who united the entire nation under one banner and motivated them to fight jointly against the rival nations in order to regain their lands from them to ensure and complete the unification process. â€Å"The Schleswig-Holstein War humbled Denmark, the Austro-Prussian War ended in the defeat of Austria-Hungary and the Franco-Prussian War completed German unification by the defeat of France. Consequently, Germany tur ned out to be supreme and one of the most powerful sovereign states of the entire region in the wake of the arrest of the French Emperor and the declaration made in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles in January 1871. Bismarck settled the aftermath of wars against Denmark and Austria-Hungary under very moderate terms and conditions; somehow, he observed unparalleled cruelty and disliking towards France. He not only inflicted upon vanquished France with enormous war indemnity but also snatched her most productive zones including two provinces of Alsace and Lorraine from her. It not only created a boundary wall between the French nation, but also the country had to undergo serious setback after she was deprived of the most productive industrial areas. Hence, Bismarck expressed his extreme repugnance towards the entire French nation, and consequently invited the same bitter sentiments in the hearts and minds of the deprived, humiliated and downtrodden French nation. As a result, feelings of repentance, remorse, hatred, and revenge started growing against the then recently united Germany in the hearts of the French, and Bismarck turned out to be the most unwanted personality for the whole French nation. The sentiments of vengeance arose among the French and the foundations of new foreign policies were laid on the principles of retaliation, uncertainty, and malice. Since the German Chancellor was not unaware of the intense sorrow and grief the French had been undergoing; on the contrary, he acknowledged the very possibility of French invasion whenever she got the opportunity of the same. Consequently, he introduced the politics of alliances in the European governmental avenues and international relations as well in the aftermath of the French humiliation at his own hands with the perils of an imminent French attack on Germany. Thus, the pivot of his foreign policy was to isolate France in the arena of international politics so that she could not manage to threat or t hwart Germany for the future years to come. Under such sheer state of comprehensions, Bismarck created the Dreikaiserbund or the Three Emperors League in 1873, where the Emperors of Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary were united to co-operate with one another at the hour of the need. The alliance also reiterated the moral and strategic support of the allies provided any other state invaded on them. Thus Bismarck's individual foreign policy to isolate France led the world towards the politics of alliances and rivalries dragging these rival alliances on the way to the horrible World War I subsequently.

Grammer & Academic Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Grammer & Academic Writing - Essay Example The writer feels that his grammar has improved due to his constant usage of the language itself – be it in the form of written, spoken or reading comprehension. The hard work usually pays at the end on the part of the writer since he has been able to suggest quite a few changes to his repertoire of the vocabulary that he possessed back then (when he was starting on improving his grammatical acumen) and now. The change has been pretty obvious as he has taken giant strides and completely changed the way he sees the language as a result of the same undertakings. He has liked the whole concept of acquainting himself in line with learning the intricacies involved with grammar usage. However the strengths and weaknesses exist side by side and since man is always bent on a learning curve, the writer feels that there is still a long way to go before he could consider himself a fully developed native speaker, writer and a reader of repute. The strengths have been in the area of correct usage of nouns, pronouns, adverbs and adjectives. The writer has noticed that he is putting the required words at the end of the sentences where he used to fumble in the beginning of his quest. He has determined his weaknesses within this area and understood the manner by which the same have started to blossom as his strengths. This is surely a positive sign and suggests some good things for the future as far as acquainting himself with the language is concerned. In the end, the writer feels that he needs to back up his claims of improving his grammar by reading books, newspapers and above all, using the language with the people that he meets up with on a daily basis. He has to be proactive in his approach of the language so that his grammar improves and he starts to speak and write in a fluent manner. It is a given that this fluency would look good if correct usage of grammar is assured,

Can international institutes prevent armed conflict between states Dissertation

Can international institutes prevent armed conflict between states Answer with reference to the theories of Neo-realism and Ne - Dissertation Example The objectives of all of them vary a great deal but they have one thing in common that is the will to strive for global or regional integration of resources in order to improve a particular region or a whole planet. The United Nations for instance is working to eliminate hunger, poverty and war from the face of Earth while South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is working for economic growth of South Asian region. Recently major world population has initiated to consider international institutions as ineffective bodies that are not doing what they are supposed to do and due to this reason their trust upon them has significantly deteriorated over the past few years. All of the international and global institutions are working for achieving particular goals and objectives but what they lack is proper authority that is necessary for achieving their objectives. The global platforms are working in advisory capacity with all member nations and therefore the major decision power r esides with national governments. The national governments have the authority to dismantle all the operations and send the officials of so-called global platforms to their homes. In the light of above argument it can be established that United Nations along with other institutions cannot do much in terms of eliminating national conflicts among countries because it does not have the proper authority to do so. However international institutions have the power to arbitrate national conflicts while they cannot force the conflicting nations in the direction of a resolution. It is also important to note that global organizations are operating with the help of member nations and therefore financially and economically strong ones have a political influence over the decision making of them. Still global institutions have an authority to place economic and fiscal sanctions but they cannot influence internal politics and national issues of any country. Nevertheless the ability to place sanctio ns is used to enforce discipline on member nations that follow anticlockwise policies than those which are approved by international institutions. Ironically it is a historically proven fact that those countries such as Japan that had faced sanctions from the UN emerged as economic powers later. Thus the power of international institutions is limited to only advising national authorities on economical matters while the local administration is free to nullify their suggestions and recommendations. So the real power to demonstrate flexibility and eliminate national and political conflicts lies with individual governments and international platforms can facilitate the process of mitigation but cannot force member nations to resolve their issues. Interestingly the underlying problematic concepts that are causing national conflicts include racial and religious divides amongst nations whereas few of them are holding old and historical grudges dear and therefore they are willing to plunge their next generations into war in order to satisfy their psychological need of violence and bloodshed. If humanity wants to eliminate conflicts then firstly it has forego the outdated concept of nationalism and every individual must consider him or herself as the citizen of the globe. The need to embrace global citizenship is a crucial one due to the global nature of the challenges humans are facing nowadays such as global warming, recession and employment. The threat of global warming is so immense that in few centuries Earth may

Publishing industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Publishing industry - Research Paper Example This factor affects the copy editing and graphic design stages of development. In these stages, marketing and art departments design the product including page size, type and style, layout, and graphics based on the needs of the target market. The current market for publishing products requires digitized books. Therefore, publishing industries are now developing digitized books in order to meet the needs of the target market. The third economic factor affecting the publishing industry is competition. This affects the marketing stage. There are many firms operating in the industry; hence causing competition and reduced sales volumes for existing members of the industry. Finally, the overall economic performance of the country in terms of GDP, Inflation and economic growth affects the industry. Increased GDP means increased purchasing power for the consumers of published products; hence profitability of the industry increases. Inflation causes increase in prices of products and services, including the prices of publishing services. Increased prices then cause low demand, reduced sales and diminishing profits in the industry. Publishing industry has existing firms, and also potential entrants. In USA and Canada, some of the existing firms include: Random House, HarperCollins Publishers Inc, Penguin Group, etc. The existing firms erect barriers to entry of firms using research and technology. The existing firms develop innovations and technologies that are difficult for entrants or other firms to imitate (Siegfried and Evans, 1994). This prevents other firms from entering into the industry successfully. For instance, some firms provide information electronically in order to retain its consumers; hence new entrants find it difficult to get customers. One of the incentives of entry into the industry is expected growth. Another incentive of entry is demand growth. The barriers to entry include: cost differences, economies of scale, limit pricing and excess

Elements of Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elements of Design - Research Paper Example Sylbert had a tremendous impact on the film and, along with the art director W. Stewart Campbell, would be nominated for an Academy Award (Eaton). In terms of specific contributions, Sylbert oversaw the costuming which placed strong emphasis on 1930s accuracy. In addition, it was Sylbert’s responsibility to design and structure the facades that would be built as the vintage backdrop (Eaton). In these regards, he constructed bleach-washed facades that were reminiscent of drought-era 1930s Los Angeles. Art Director The film’s production designer was W. Stewart Campbell. W. Stewart Campbell worked directly with Richard Sylbert in envisioning and constructing general mise-en-scene elements. In this specific film Campbell contributed more to the specific mise-en-scene within the context of individual scenes, whereas Sylbert functioned as constructing the overarching production model (Eaton). Ultimately, both individuals would be nominated for Best Art Director. Use of light in the scene Lighting is a highly important element in the scene. Indeed, the neo-noir conventions of the film are such that lighting is one of the most distinguishing features of its aesthetic. In this specific scene this noir lighting is highly evident. In these regards, the scene occurs at night and many of the on-looker’s faces are ensconced in darkness. Even when the film focuses in on Noah Cross he is wearing a hat and his faced remains dark ("It's chinatown," 2011). The obvious implications of this dark lighting are that they indicate an overarching cynical perspective on existence and a morally ambiguous environment. This is also reflected throughout the entire film, as even the supposedly good characters engage in some morally dubious behavior. Setting The setting of the particular scene occurs in an external setting on the street in Los Angeles’ Chinatown. The specific time period is the 1930s. This is significant to the film as it is a formative period in Lo s Angeles development as they were experiencing tremendous water shortages, which would be a motivating element of action in the film. In addition, the specific culture of Chinatown, as evidenced in the scene’s final line ‘It’s Chinatown’ demonstrates a culture of crime. Costuming As noted earlier, rather than implementing a fanciful characterization of 1930s costuming, the production design greatly focused on constructing accurate period clothing. In this specific scene the characters are contained in suits with hats. The similarity of the good character – J.J. Gittes – with the costume of the bad – Noah Cross – demonstrates that one of the film’s underlining themes is moral ambiguity. Still, Noah Cross wears a billed hat that shrouds his eyes in darkness, designating him as an evil force ("It's chinatown," 2011). Furthermore, Katherine is wearing a white dress, greatly contrasting her from the others, and heightening he r sense of innocence and purity ("It's chinatown," 2011). Hairstyle and Makeup In terms of hairstyle, all the characters are wearing hats so this is not a factor in the scene. Makeup, however, plays an important role in the film as J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is featured with a cut nose ("It's chinatown," 2011). While the cut is from earlier in the film, it is prominently witnessed in this scene

Main Aspects Of The Supreme Court Operating In The USA Essay

Main Aspects Of The Supreme Court Operating In The USA - Essay Example The outcome of the case was the court vacated the state court's decision and remanded the case for further proceedings. Holding: Yes. It was appropriate for the Court to use the perception of the local public as the basis for judging whether the brochures were obscene or not since they were the ones who received the pictures and filed a complaint against it for they believe it was unnecessary and uncalled for since they did not request for those brochures to be delivered to them. , Cal. Penal Code 311.2 (a) states that an individual who knowingly sends out obscene material is guilty of a misdemeanor Facts: The petitioner was a leader of Ku Klux Klan. The petitioner declared speeches which were aired on television. He was charged with violating Ohio Rev. Code Ann. 2923.1. The law stated that it was not within the confines of the law to teach terrorism or any criminal act and that it is also considered unlawful to organize a group or committee which aims to advocate syndicalism and promote acts of terrorism and crimes. The case was raised to the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court finalized the decision that Ohio Rev. Code Ann. ... The US Supreme Court overturned the petitioner's conviction because the decree upon which his conviction was based was unconstitutional. Issue: Was it lawful for the Supreme Court to reverse the decision using the decree U.S. Const. amends I and XIV as their main basis of reversal Holding: Yes. There was no significant and apparent evidence that provided any connection between advocating terrorism and syndicalism and organizing an assembly to execute crime and terrorism. The judgment of Ohio's Court was based on the context wherein the speech of the defendant was made. The speech was said during a rally using phrases such as 'Bury the Niggers". The Supreme Court based their judgment purely on freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Jane Eyre as a bildungsroman novel Essay Example for Free

Jane Eyre as a bildungsroman novel Essay Bildungsroman is a novel genre that narrates a hero or heroines process of psychological maturation and focuses on experiences and changes that accompanies the growth of the character from youth to adulthood. The term Bildungsroman was introduced to the critical vocabulary by the German philosopher and sociologist Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1941), who first employed it in an 1870 biography of Friedrich Schleiermacher and then popularized it with the success of his 1906 study Poetry and Experience (Boes 231). To be a Bildungsroman, the hero or heroine in a novel will experience certain forms of pain or loss that pulls him or her away from either family or home and into the journey of desiring self-identity. At the end of the story the hero or heroine finally succeeds in the society. The plot of Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Brontà «, generally follows this form. The growth of the main character, Jane Eyre, is distinctively divided into phases by places that she stayed at, starting from her tragic childhood to her final destination as Mr. Rochesters mistress. The changes of emotions and maturation of identities as Jane Eyre goes through her life provide evidence of a Bildungsroman. Through the novel, Jane Eyre grows up, moving from a radical stage to a more pragmatic consciousness (Mickelsen 418). Psychological maturation is a typical trait of Bildungsroman genre. At the beginning, Jane uses the knowledge she learns from the books to defend herself when she is angry: you are like a murderer you are like a slave-driver you are like the Roman emperors!' (Brontà « 8). Her angry and chaotic emotions have built up since she lost her parents and was adopted unwillingly by Mrs. Reed. Jane cannot find her place in this family. Her anger and desperation becomes more intense each time Mrs. Reeds family treats her not as a family member but more like a servant. Janes burst of emotions against her cousin, John, resulted in her being locked ino the red-room and eventually sent to the Lowood School, where she spends the rest of her childhood and the beginning of her adolescence. When Jane is again treated unfairly and libelled by Mr. Brocklehurst, through the support of her patient friend Helen Burns, and kind-hearted Miss Temple, she is able to release her indignation. Jane Eyre experiences a huge emotional transition when she no longer feels like a wanderer but gains a sense of belonging through the care of Miss Temple and  the support of Helen. After Jane finishes her education at Lowood, she applies and becomes the governess of Adele where she will work at Thornfield. At Thornfield, Jane meets Mr. Rochester and experiences the most powerful emotion love. Love makes Jane brave and mature. Her relationship with Mr. Rochester makes her fell confused but respected. She feels psychologically equal with Mr. Rochester when he admits how much he loves her. However, Jane still feels insignificant that she has to depend on Mr. Rochester. The strong emotional conflict between love and shame makes Jane run away from Thornfield and go to Marsh End where she meets St. John. The final emotionally transitional state for Jane Eyre happened when St. John asked her to marry him and go to India to serve as a missionary. Jane strongly refused St. Johns proposal and decided to follow her heart and marry her lover, Mr. Rochester. The story concludes when, Jane Eyre, who is a successful Bildungsroman character, finishes her emotional maturation process. Another significant feature of Bildungsroman is that the character will go through a series of challenges and changes in order to finally achieve complete self-actualization. Jane Eyre undergoes a period which she was called a mad cat, or titled less than a servant in Mrs. Reeds house (Brontà « 9). Deep in her mind, Janestrongly refuses these names; therefore she often hides and reads books in order to educate herself [rep] in order and build up her inner-self. In constructing a sense of inner self, Jane is able to differentiate her identity from the rest of Mrs. Reeds family members. Jane has similar experience at Lowood School where she is incorrectly labelled an interloper and an alien and also harshly, a liar (Brontà « 56). However, Miss Temple and Helen trust Jane which allows Jane to rebuild her point of view and establish new identity. In Janes life, they were the first to acknowledge Janes unique identity. Under Miss Temples protection and guidance, Jane completes her educa tion at Lowood; however, Jane lives more like a shadow of Miss Temple. Jane then later became the governess of Adele in order to break away the image of Miss Temple and create her own. There in Thornfield, she continues to educate herself by painting and reading to build up the real Jane Eyre identity. When Mr. Rochester asks Jane to marry him and gives e her the title of Mrs.  Rochester, [p_voice] it stunned Jane that she will no longer be Jane Eyre but under the name of Rochester. Losing her self-identity frightened Jane and the shadow of class differences and unfairness from her childhood experience affected her and made her leave Mr. Rochester. Later in the story, Jane finds her relatives in Marsh End and sheinherits a considerable amount of money, which makes herreconnect to family. Moreover, her newfound wealth makes her economically independent; these conditions eliminate Janes self-contempt and complete her desired image as an independent woman in society. At the end of the story, she choses to give up her independence and reunite with Mr. Rochester. Indeed, Bildungsromane typically conclude with the protagonist making some choice, thereby confirming that the protagonist has achieved a coherent self The story of Jane Eyre starts from her helpless childhood until the last step of [her] maturity when [she] finally finds self-knowledge (she in the original source is he for it was referring to hero) (Kern 6). After all Jane has experienced, from an adopted orphan to a gentlemens mistress, she finally comes to a successful and independent state which she can make her own decision and will not be restricted by anything. The various challenges during Janes growing process that educate and change her emotions and identities align with the basic definition of a Bildungsroman genre. Although the story of Jane Eyre falls into a fairy tale ending, the novel Jane Eyre functions as a Bildungsroman.

Chief information officer Essay Example for Free

Chief information officer Essay Knowledge management at Accenture Richard Ivey School of Business 20090770 †¢2. Accenture A well known global firm that became a public company with a successful initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2001. Great revenue increment in 2001, 2004(two digit increment) Embarked upon a new strategy †High Performance Delivered† Substantially increase company’s focus on outsourcing Oriented to improving shareholder value for its clients Emphasizing the creation and application of intellectual and technological assets to apply in work with clients organizational structure also evolved 5 operating groups 18 industry groups which made up the five operating groups, eight capability groups †¢3. Knowledge Management In 90s Adopted a knowledge-oriented strategy: build a knowledge management organization under the chief information officer By the mid-1990s, the firm built thousands of knowledge repositories on the Lotus Notes platform: Knowledge Exchange From 2000 to 2002 Responsibility for KM was shifted from CIO to the training and learning organization at Accenture Learning knowledge management were combined into a single new group called capability development in 2001 In 2002, the toughening fiscal conditions, training budgets had been cut substantially for Accenture employees †¢4. Knowledge Management Substantial budget pressures on both the training and knowledge management groups Several of the most senior knowledge managers left Accenture 30% of all the knowledge managers left or were laid off Cost reduction by moving knowledge management functions â€Å"offshore† Capability Development organization had developed a KM staffing model in which decentralized groups would employ a few â€Å" onshore† knowledge managers with high domain expertise and a high need for contact with their internal client; the rest would move offshore Although the learning and KM activities remained largely separate and decentralized within Accenture’s business units, there were some joint initiatives. Developed a personalized learning management system called â€Å"myLearning† As the content of KM proliferate, information finding problems happened Accenture employees dedicated to developing new content often remarked that they found it more and more difficult to get the attention of partners and employees . KNOLEDGE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY The problems for managing existing KM system The KM system was being replaced or augmented with Web-based portals Most major Accenture groups had their own portals Despite one central â€Å"Accenture Portal† that contained links to many decentralized portals, it could be confusing to find the information one needed Duplication of documents throughout the organization was very high The local optimization done by each local company, didn’t seem to work well It was very important that there be a clear governance structure for the new Knowledge Exchange to improve the consistency of the experience Target for the new KM system Barfield who was in charge of KM strategy, decided to develop a governance structure that incorporated senior representatives from each part of the organization †¢6. The new knowledge exchange Accenture changed the foundation of the Knowledge Exchange, from Lotus Notes to Microsoft’s Sharepoint Design of the new Knowledge Exchange were to leverage existing and packaged software to extend SharePoint only to support critical requirements The solution was designed to be simple, cost efficient and effective without an attempt to recreate all existing Lotus Notes functionality to contain all high-value content Opposed to trying to get everything working from the beginning from an end-user perspective user Internal Content Accenture Portal: Knowledge Resources Search (find.accenture.com) Job Aid / Topic page/ Community of Practice Collaboration: Submit question to experts/CoP’s Direct link via browser favorite Contributions/Accenture developed content Accenture purchased content(Research) Browse to other topic pages/COP myLearning courses method Answer from Accenture experts Accenture Discussions †¢7. The new knowledge exchange(cont’d) The strategy identified key insights that drove the overall design: Search quality is the most important aspect of the infrastructure Topic pages are very important for providing context to users who do not immediately find what they need or who are seeking a broader range of content about a subject While collaboration capabilities are not as widely used, this is a required capability for those who can’t find what they need or are working in an area that requires expertise †¢8. LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Training is an investment, not a cost: Vanthourrnout(later Chief Learning Officer) Training function at Accenture was revitalized Accenture employees were again rating training as one of the areas that most drove their satisfaction on the company’s annual employee satisfaction survey †¢9. STRATEGY SESSION 20 people critical to the delivery of Accenture’s KM capability came together to meet and discuss the future direction of KM There was a general feeling that the new Knowledge Exchange would provide a strong technical foundation for a renewed contribution from KM to Accenture’s corporate goals Knowledge Management Mission Drive value from knowledge to enhance revenue, reduce cost and foster innovation Knowledge Management Vision To create a world class knowledge-sharing culture and environment that contributes to Accenture’s success †¢10. Issues The way in which content was added to the system had to be designed Using SharePoint templates An initial typology for documents had been developed Focused on business processes, so that it was easy for people to find relevant documents Users be represented properly in the management and future development of the Knowledge Exchange KM would support, as completely as possible, the entire business cycle within Accenture from initial sales proposal to final client delivery Document obsolescence How can integrate learning and knowledge management? Too tightly integrating them might focus knowledge management on reuse and training and reduce its impact on innovation and collaboration 11. Knowledge Management Vision(cont’d) Five critical goals for KM Fostering and sustaining a knowledge sharing culture Improving the time to competency for new hires Enabling and enhancing Accenture’s sales capability Ensuring and improving the ROI for KM Improving margins and delivered quality on client engagements such as outsourcing and large consulting commitments through speed to capability, use of best practices, etc. †¢12. Five forces Making the knowledge available to the employees Accenture can make entrance barriers high Can analyze customers based on the customer information in KM system Can acquire the experts’ techniques to customers Can help delivery(finding the information of suppliers can be a help) There are plenty of information of substitution of products/services

Development of Taylor Swift

Development of Taylor Swift Taylor Swift: Pinnacle of the Music Industry Billboard, a popular news source for music, interviewed the successful singer Sam Smith and he gave his opinion on another artist he has become quite fond of; he says, â€Å" Taylor Swift is amazing†¦ Shes a role model. I really respect her. And she manages to sell a lot of records and make a lot of people happy financially, but also to keep that soulfulness, that honesty (‘Sam Smith: Taylor Swift Is Amazing’). Taylor Swift was raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania where she had discovered her passion for music and started her music career at the age of 14 after moving to Nashville. She is currently a 25-year-old singer-songwriter who is famous for country and pop music. Having only been in the music industry for a short 10 years, Taylor Swift was able to frequently top the charts with her new songs and in 2010 and at the age of 20, became the youngest artist in history to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Currently holding the title of top-selling digital a rtist in music history, Taylor Swift’s rise to fame is credited to not only her incredible music but also to her successful business tactics. Although some critics may say, â€Å"I don’t really care for Taylor Swift†¦ [She] has a very dull public personaâ€Å" (Juzwiak). Taylor Swift is a successful businesswoman, her ability to target her audience very well with her songs has allowed her to consistently become a hit artist, and her public actions has made her a favorite among fans. Being a successful and popular artist in today’s culture is a difficult task. It no longer depends on solely musical talent but also on other factors. Barbara A. Stremikis, the author of â€Å"The Personal Characteristics and Environmental Circumstances of Successful Women Musicians† presents data that analyzes the qualities and factors that many successful musicians have. â€Å"Results of the study indicate that in addition to family support of musical talent, women who are to become successful musicians must be highly motivated, self-directed, and single minded in their determination to achieve their goal. They must be independent thinkers who are unconcerned about conforming to gender stereotypes and able to withstand difficult experiences related to gender and their career† (Stremikis). The results of this study coincide with Taylor Swift’s background and qualities. Also to note in the study, â€Å"Probabilistic Diffusion Tractography Reveals Improvem ent Of Structural Network In Musicians that correlates improved brain activity in musicians, â€Å"in long-term musical training and performance may contribute to the improved efficiency of communication between brain regions with sensory, motor, and emotional functions† (Li). Taylor Swift’s motivation for music is evident in the early years of her musical career. She has consistently shown persistence, ingenuity, and intelligence starting at a young age. Being taught how to play the guitar at the age of 12, Taylor Swift quickly fell in love with music and had started to write her own pieces. Following that, she had started playing at small venues and her family, showing support for her musical aspiration, moved to Nashville, Tennessee where 14-year-old Taylor Swift started her quick journey to the top. Taylor Swift has shown that she is an independent thinker unconcerned about conforming to gender stereotypes by being open about personal aspects of her own life that a re revealed through her songs and unafraid of criticism. Taylor Swift continually releases songs that empower individuals and creates an atmosphere of acceptance towards those who are independent and encourages individuality. For example, her song â€Å"Shake It Off† is about how one shouldn’t let bullies get the best of them and that they should always be themselves no matter the obstacles they face. Taylor Swift has made many bright business decisions that has allowed her to further succeed in her career. Taylor Swift made a bold statement to one of the biggest music streaming giants by removing her music from Spotify. â€Å"Taylor Swift has broken up with someone else this time with one of the music industrys largest players, Spotify† (SPOTI-FIRED! Swift Yanks Her Work From Streaming Giant†). This decision was bred out of the framework that music-streaming services do not compensate artists enough. This action was a smart business endeavor because it shows that she is not allowing herself to be taken advantage of financially. She is setting an example for future artists to rethink their participation in streaming services, as they will become more prevalent in today’s music culture. Another advantageous business decision was the decision to trademark her popular phrase ‘Shake It Off’, among others. She chose to make the decision so that third p arties would not be able to benefit monetarily off of her success. â€Å"’What she is trying to do is to protect individual phrases within her lyrics where those lyrics have become catchphrases’ explains Alexander Ross, a partner at law firm Wiggin who specializes in music. ‘Once you have a trademarked phrase you have the right to stop someone else using it on things like merchandising’ (Forde). Not only has Taylor Swift had and will continue to have successful business endeavors, but she also has perfected the ability to successfully target her audience. How successfully one is able to accurately relate their music to their audience is a good indication of how successful that artist will become. Taylor Swift is an artist who knows how to target her audience. Her music becomes something any listener can relate to. Ranging from topics of bullying to heartbreak, everyone knows someone who has personally gone through this or has gone through it himself or herself. One of her songs ‘Blank Space’ is about an unsuccessful relationship, a topic all can understand. Her talent for making her music become more of a ‘us’ or ‘I’ kind of story rather than a ‘her’ story has allowed her music to appeal to a wide variety of the population. Taylor Swift is one of the few artists in today’s culture that has frequently been able to have most of her songs that are released make it to the top charts. This is due to her not her music being catchy and upbeat, but also relatable to many. Another exam ple of her talent is her recent top-charter ‘Shake It Off.’ This song has reached millions due to the message that it is okay to be yourself. This is something that many young fans can relate to, which has become a huge portion of her fan base. Some critics may say that Taylor Swift has a dull public persona. Although many have bashed upon Taylor Swift’s public persona, her public actions show differently: â€Å"When a heartbroken teenager named Kasey was dumped by her boyfriend via text, she reached out to someone she knew had experience with breakups: Taylor Swift. Kasey, who was clearly unable to sleep, posted a plaintive note on her Tumblr account at 2:09 a.m. Tuesday. (Girl, weve all been there.) ‘Taylor Swift, I hope you see this,’ she wrote to the Style singer. ‘Weve been together for four months. He just texted me and told me he was done with me. Gave me no reason and kept trying to get me to do irrational things to get him back. Now hes calling me names and I just feel crumbled. I dont know what to do.’ Within hours, Swift, 25, left her first comment. ‘He ended it, just like that?’ she wrote incredulously† (Helling). The conversation had lasted hours more and Swift was able to not only give advice to this girl that she has accumulated over the years, but was also generous enough to make a break-up playlist for this young fan in need of advice. Knowing that social media is a big contributor to today’s communication: â€Å"Swift has become a social-media maven, taking full advantage of the Taylor-made outlet for mixing and mingling with millennials. ‘The younger generation is very good at communicating about themselves,’ Catanach said. ‘My students are starting to see that theyre very good with the me stories and not so much with the we stories. ‘I think what makes Taylor so successful on social media is the fact that she is the me and the we story. She is her own brand. Shes very generous with fans and very inclusive. Fans feels like theyre included in the world.’† (Fassnacht). Taylor Swift has used social media to make fans feel like they are a part of her world. While many other celebrities personally manage their social media, Taylor Swift is able to personally respond to many further aiding in her positive public persona that she continues to uphold. Taylor Swift is the pinnacle of successful artists of this generation. Through 10 years of being in the music industry, Taylor has shown that she is a force to be reckoned with. With a popular status, a positive public persona, a great business sense, and the ability to target an audience successfully, Taylor Swift has become one of the most successful singers of all time. Her journey to the top was one of perseverance, strategy, and individuality. Works Cited Fassnacht, Jon. Taylor Swift, Renaissance Woman. Editorial. Reading Eagle. Reading Eagle Company, 08 Dec. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2015 Forde, Eammon. Taylor Swifts This Sick Beat May Be the Worlds First Trademarked Lyric. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 29 Jan. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. Helling, Steve. Taylor Swift Gives Breakup Advice to a Teenage Fan – and Its Awesome. People. Time Inc., 12 Feb. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. Juzwiak, Rich. â€Å"Taylor Swift’s New Album Hurts My Ears.† Gawker. Kinja, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. Li, Jianfu, et al. Probabilistic Diffusion Tractography Reveals Improvement Of Structural Network In Musicians. Plos ONE 9.8 (2014): 1-10. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Mar. 2015. Sam Smith: Taylor Swift Is Amazing' Billboard. Billboard, 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. SPOTI-FIRED! Swift Yanks Her Work From Streaming Giant. Daily News. n.p., 4 Nov. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2015 Stremikis, Barbara A. The Personal Characteristics And Environmental Circumstances Of Successful Women Musicians. Creativity Research Journal 14.1 (2002): 85-92. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.

Charater of Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities :: Tale Two Cities Essays

Charater of Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities    Sydney Carton, one of the main characters of the book, A Tale of Two Cities, is a drunken lawyer who works with Stryver on the trial of Charles Darnay.he doesnt care about anything. At first this man seems as if he is a lazy, good for nothing, alcoholic. he tells Lucie Manette he doesn't believe that his life is worth anything and feels as if it is pointless to even live anymore. When you first meet him during the court scene it looks as if he just rolled out of bed and was dragged to the courtroom. This one man sat leaning back, with his torn gown half off him, his untidy wig put on just sat it had happened to light on his head after it's removal, his hands in his pockets, and his eyes on the ceiling as they had been all day. Something especially reckless in his demeanor not only gave him a disreputable look, but so diminished the strong resemblance he undoubtedly bore to the prisoner. However after he meets Lucie he falls madly in love for her. This marks a period of ch ange for Sydney Carton. But he then knows that Charles Darnay is going to be married to her. He sill believes that his life is worthless but it seems as if he's a bit more willing to work and to do things for other people.    Towards the middle of the book, A Tale of Two Cities, Carton professes his love for Lucie and he says For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything. I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you. And when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you. He means that he would do anything for her, because he loves her so very much. He tells Josh Barsad that he is going to marry miss Manette, but then he backs out of it.    At the very end of the novel you find out that Carton is about to go to the guillotine, but not for him.

Limits to Growth in Elite Sport :: Sports Sport Athletics Essays

Limits to Growth in Elite Sport ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the ethical implications and problems in elite sport as it gets closer to the human performance limit. Modern elite sport must be viewed on the background of the idea of systematic progress. The Olympic motto, 'citius, altius, fortius'-faster, higher, stronger-gives a precise concentration of this idea. Modern sport is also influenced by the liberal idea of a free market where actors can perform, compete and be rewarded according to performance. However, one may ask why and how athletes are willing to risk their health and even their life on the free market of sport when they do the extreme: push limits, break records, set new standards, develop new events. This paper discusses what may be the result as sport moves toward the limits of human performance. The ethical focus on the development of the elite sport should not be restricted to the individual athlete, but should also include the various systems that make up elite spor t. Other actors, like coaches, leaders, sponsors, medical personnel, service people, etc., are taking part in the same development. One problem in the modern context is that society is divided into different moral sectors. What is accepted in entertainment or art may not be accepted in sport. It is suggested that we should develop a common ethic for all performance-centered activities like music, painting, science and research, acrobatics and stunts, acting, top politics and business. Or one could include all situations and events where people are put under extreme stress and have to perform well, like during expeditions, in idealistic humanitarian work, during hazards, and catastrophes. At the same time, one should not develop a sort of elite ethic. We need a new ethic that defines the ethical tolerance level in elite sport and that also points to some of the possibilities for development of both character and virtues under extreme pressure. Introduction The Olympic motto  «citius, altius, fortius » - faster, higher, stronger - gives a precise concentrate of the strong belief in eternal progress. To break barriers, to push limits, is very important and central in elite sport; to be the first under 10 seconds on 100 meter sprint for men, the first under 4 minutes in one English mile, the first over 6 meter in pole-vaulting or the first over 9 meter in long jump, and so on.

Software Piracy Essay -- Illegal Computer Software Program Distributio

Software Piracy Software piracy is the illegal reproduction and distribution of software applications, whether it is for personal use or business. In society today, Internet users are obtaining millions of dollars in software illegally. Piracy includes the illegal copying of programs, counterfeiting and distributing software, and even sharing a program with a friend. Software has become such an important productivity tool, the illegal copying and distribution of software piracy persists globally. In fact, in the United States is one in four software programs that is unlicensed. According to the Business Software Alliance (BSA), more than 800,000 web sites illegally sell or distribute software (Microsoft.com). There are many types of software piracy such as uploading and downloading, softlifting, counterfeiting, OEM bundling, hard disk loading and renting. By having familiarity with them can protect you from any connection. Softlifting is purchasing a licensed copy of software and uploading it on several computers against the license terms. Some examples of softlifting are sharing software with friends, co-workers and others. Uploading and downloading is another form of piracy, such as when making unauthorized copies of copyrighted software available to end users connected by a modem to online service providers and or the Internet. Another one is software counterfeiting which is illegal duplicating and selling copyrighted software and a form designed to make it appear legitimate. OEM bundling is selling stand alone software that was intended to be bundled with specific accompanying hardware. Hard disk loading is installing unauthorized copies of software onto the hard disks of personal com puters, often as an incentive for th... ...t the economic implications of software piracy and software copyrights. Other analysts feel that copyright enforcement should be increased by implementing more efforts to prosecute pirates ( Parsons 165). Survey about Software Piracy Survey questions on Software Piracy YES NO 1. Do you know what software piracy actually is? 15 10 2. Do you know the negative effects of software piracy? 8 12 3. Do you even care about software piracy? 16 9 4. Do you feel that the media discusses the issue of software piracy? 7 13 Works Cited www.microsoft.com www.aladdin.com Computer Concepts. New Perspectives. June Parsons. Course Technology. 5 Feb 2003.

Concept of Beauty According to the Western Philosophers Essay

Beauty is an emotional element, a pleasure of ours, which nevertheless we regard as a quality of thing. The ideas of beauty is found in almost every culture and at almost every time in human history, with many similarities. Beauty was and still is a term of great esteem linking human beings and nature with artistic practices and works since the early civilizations. From the early cultures, beauty, goodness and truth are customarily related. Beauty here carries a double meaning, inclusive and exclusive. In the inclusive sense, beauty pertains to anything worthy of approbation, to human virtues and characters, to nobility and goodness, to hidden things and truth, to the natural and divine worlds. In the exclusive, restricted sense, it pertains to how things appear, their manifestations, and to the joys human beings experience when presented with beautiful things, human bodies, artifacts, natural creatures and things. When we talk about the beauty in works of art, we are talking about this latter beauty, and experiencing this beauty refers to the aesthetic experience. Such beauty is the higher degree of it and the experience of it last in us beyond the time and space. The nature of beauty and its role in philosophy and aesthetics was explained from the early periods and its evolution as described by the philosophers and writers as follows: ~PLATO~ ( 428 or 427 – 348 or 347 B. C ) Plato had a love-hate relationship with the arts. He must have had some love for the arts, because he talks about them often, and his remarks show that he paid close attention to what he saw and heard. He was also a fine literary stylist and a great story-teller; in fact he is said to have been a poet before he encountered Socrates and became a philosopher. Some of his dialogues are real literary masterpieces. On the other hand, he found the arts threatening. He proposed sending the poets and playwrights out of his ideal Republic, or at least censoring what they wrote; and he wanted music and painting severely censored. The arts, he thought, are powerful shapers of character. Thus, to train and protect ideal citizens for an ideal society, the arts must be strictly controlled. Plato had two theories of art. One may be found in his dialogue The Republic, and seems to be the theory that Plato himself believed. According to this theory, since art imitates physical things, which in turn imitate the Forms, art is always a copy of a copy, and leads us even further from truth and toward illusion. For this reason, as well as because of its power to stir the emotions, art is dangerous. Plato’s other theory is hinted at in his shorter dialogue Ion, and in his exquisitely crafted Symposium. According to this theory the artist, perhaps by divine inspiration, makes a better copy of the True than may be found in ordinary experience. Thus the artist is a kind of prophet. Here are some features of the two theories: 1. Art is imitation This is a feature of both of Plato’s theories. Of course he was not the first or the last person to think that art imitates reality. The idea was still very strong in the Renaissance, when most people thought that a picture must be a picture of something, and that an artist is someone who can make a picture that â€Å"looks just like the real thing†. It wasn’t until late in the nineteenth century that the idea of art as imitation began to fade from western aesthetics, to be replaced by theories about art as expression, art as communication, art as pure form, art as whatever elicits an â€Å"aesthetic† response, and a number of other theories. So art is imitation. But what does it imitate? In the Republic, Plato says that art imitates the objects and events of ordinary life. In other words, a work of art is a copy of a copy of a Form. It is even more of an illusion than is ordinary experience. On this theory, works of art are at best entertainment and at worst a dangerous delusion. Whereas in the Symposium, he talks of art as imitation of the divine beauty and eternal truth. 2. Art is powerful, and therefore dangerous Poetry, drama, music, painting, dance, all stir up our emotions. All of the arts move people powerfully. They can strongly influence our behavior, and even our character. For that reason Plato insisted that music (especially music), along with poetry and drama and the other arts, should be part of the education of young citizens in his ideal republic, but should be strictly censored to present, at first, only the good. Plato’s influence came into the medieval European tradition through the filter of Neoplatonism, a much later modification of Platonic teachings that flourished in the centuries just before and after the time of Jesus. The most famous neo-Platonist was Plotinus. Plotinus and the other neo-Platonists made much of the idea of Beauty, and the soul’s quest for it, as described in the Symposium. Through neoplatonism, Plato’s second theory (art as imitation of eternal Beauty and eternal Truth) became the channel of his influence on the western middle ages and the renaissance. ~ARISTOTLE~ ( 384-322 BC ) In The School of Athens, the fresco by Raphael, Plato and Aristotle stand side by side. Plato points to the heavens, to the ideal world of the Forms. Aristotle is shown with his hand open toward the earth. The painting shows how passionate Renaissance intellectuals were about the views and achievements of the ancient Greeks and Romans. It also accurately portrays the difference between Plato and Aristotle. It’s a difference that shows up in their approaches to the arts. Aristotle took time and change more seriously than did Plato. Not surprisingly, he was also somewhat friendlier to the passions than was Plato; though he, too, thought that the moral virtues were various habits of rational control over the passions. Like Plato, Aristotle thought that art involved imitation (mimesis), though on this point as on many others he was flexible and allowed for exceptions. He also thought harder than Plato about what art imitated. For example, he says that Tragedy is an imitation â€Å"not of persons but of action and life, of happiness and misery† (Poetics 1451b). Thus he leans toward the â€Å"art as imitation of the ideal† theory that Plato might have developed, but never did. Aristotle’s Poetics is largely devoted to drama, in particular to tragedy. Aristotle provides both a history of the development of poetry and drama, and a critical framework for evaluating tragic drama. The Poetics is the first systematic essay in literary theory, full of insight, and showing a high degree of flexibility in the application of its general rules. Like many of Aristotle’s other attempts to systematize knowledge about an area, this framework has had a strong influence up to the present day, and was particularly influential during the Renaissance and the early modern European periods. Aristotle stresses the need for a work to be unified. The plot should be unified, portraying, in effect, one extended action which is set up, develops, and comes to a climactic conclusion. The character of the protagonists should be consistent, and the action should be the sort of action those characters would produce under those circumstances. The time of the action should also be unified, so that the plot can be held in memory as one action. Aristotle thought this would usually imply that the action would occur within one day. These â€Å"Unities† of action, character, and time were developed and added to by Renaissance writers to produce a code of â€Å"decorum† for dramatic productions, and failure to observe the â€Å"Unities† was often taken to mean failure of a work. Of course this brought a rebellion against Aristotle, who was not in fact responsible for the excesses of this code, and no doubt had no intention of producing a set of rules for dramatists in the first place. His critical standards no longer rule the evaluation of plays and novels, let alone other works. But the Poetics remains an impressive accomplishment, and many of its insights continue to ring true. It still seems a good general rule that a plot should be unified; that in a drama character should be revealed by action; that surprising turns are a great help to a plot, as long as they are not implausible; that one should not try to cover too great a length of actual time within the time of the play. The idea of catharsis is a potent one; and so is the idea that art portrays the universal, â€Å"not a thing that has been, but a kind of thing that might be. † ~RENE DESCARTES~ (1596-1650) He described the beauty and perfection of god’s works and the divine light. As late as the eighteenth century, beauty retained its relation to divinity and perfection, expressed in art. Even so, with Descartes and his time a transformation of the world began that included alterations in the practice and understanding of art and in the thought of beauty and beautiful things. In a universe made by god, the beauty and perfection of the world are immediate and infinitely important. ~GEORGE BERKELEY~ (1685-1753) â€Å"A man needs no argument to make him discern and approve what is beautiful; it strikes as first sight, and attracts without a reason. And as this beauty is found in shape and form of corporeal thins, so is there analogous to it, which is a beauty of another kind; an order, a symmetry, and comeliness in the moral world. And as the eyes perceive, so do by a certain interior sense perceive the other, which sense, talent or faculty is ever quickest and purest in the noble mind. † George Berkeley (1685-1753) is Irish philosopher and critics. He had moral sense theory of ethical judgment, which eliminates the traditional conception of moral rules as divine commands known by revelation as a main target of Berkeley’s attack. Francis Hutcheson offered his account of the sense of beauty as an introduction to his theory of the moral sense, Berkeley extended his attack to Hutcheson’s aesthetics. He exclaimed his response to beauty need not always be a response to the appearance of usefulness; e. g. Greek columns are tapered to look stable even though they would actually be stable with being tapered. The arguing issue raised remained a live one for aesthetics theory entities radical transformation in the post- Kantian period. ~IMMANUEL KANT~ (1724-1804) Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), German Enlightenment philosopher whose original and powerful philosophy has shaped most subsequent western thought. He was a popular lecturer, and was capable of a lively, readable style; although his major works are as dense and difficult as they are influential. (Kant defended this as a deliberate choice, since he wanted to examine what could be known about the mind in itself, or a priori, without depending on particular examples.) Kant produced an early treatise on aesthetics, Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime (1763), and did not write on the subject again until the end of his career, in the Critique of Judgment (1790). In between the two works came the development of his influential critical philosophy. Although Kant saw the Critique of Judgment as the key work which connected his writings on epistemology (the theory of knowledge) in the Critique of Pure Reason with his writings on ethics in the Critique of Practical Reason, it is not necessary to know these other works in order to understand the most influential parts of Kant’s aesthetics. Like many other writers on aesthetics before him, Kant’s main interest was not in art per se, but in Beauty (and along with other eighteenth century writers, in the Sublime). Thus most of his remarks are as relevant to the beautiful or sublime in nature as in art. Like other Enlightenment writers, (e. g. , Hutcheson and Hume), Kant also thought that Beauty or Sublimity were not really properties of objects, but ways in which we respond to objects. And like these other writers, Kant was concerned to show that this focus on the subjective aesthetic response did not make aesthetic value a mere function of individual or personal taste. Kant’s way of working out these problems is what makes his aesthetics original and influential. He claimed that judgments of taste are both subjective and universal. They are subjective; because they are responses of pleasure, and do not essentially involve any claims about the properties of the object itself. (What matters is not the picture I see; rather it is the pleasing effect of the picture on me.) On the other hand, aesthetic judgments are universal and not merely personal. That’s because in a crucial way they must be disinterested. When I am appreciating a painting aesthetically, I am not thinking about how much money it’s worth, or whether it is a portrait of a family member, or even about who painted it, except in so far as knowing the painter helps me see what’s in the work. These non-aesthetic interests are extraneous to my appreciation of the painting. Rather I am pleased by the painting just for what it is, apart from anything I may get out of it. In fact I do not even take an ethical interest in the painting’s subject (that is, any ethical interest is separate from this disinterested pleasure I take in the painting). â€Å"Taste that requires an added element of charm and emotion for its delight, not to speak of adopting this as the measure of its approval, has not emerged from barbarism†. Kant thought that for aesthetic judgments to be both subjective and universal, they had to be about form. Beauty should be â€Å"a question merely of the form†. More specifically, the object being contemplated (e. g. , a work of art, or an actual landscape) must display a kind of undefined purposive ness, such that it seems to be organized with a final purpose in mind, although it is not possible to say what that purpose is. Thus a work of art, or a beautiful natural object, displays a kind of free play of forms, consistent with the presence of a purpose to which we don’t have access. So intent was Kant on emphasizing the formal properties of the objects of aesthetic attention that he was unwilling to include color among the aesthetically relevant properties of an object. Color, in his view, is mere decoration; design and composition are what really matter . To sum up this point about form in Kant’s own words: â€Å"A judgment of taste which is uninfluenced by charm or emotion (though these may be associated with the delight in the beautiful), and whose determining ground, therefore, is simply finality of form, is a pure judgment of taste. † Kant divided the kinds of aesthetic response into responses to the Beautiful and the Sublime. The one represents a pleasure in order, harmony, delicacy and the like. The other is a response of awe before the infinite or the overwhelming. While the beautiful presents the appearance of form, the sublime may often seem formless. The pleasure it gives us derives from our awareness that there is something in us that transcends the overwhelming power or infinity outside us. Finally, Kant had things to say about genius. In short, he thought that genius has its own rules, and one cannot dictate to it. How Kant arrived at his conclusions is not easily shown; and it is no surprise that the philosophical reasoning that grounds those conclusions did not follow them into the cultural mainstream. But the conclusions themselves proved quite influential. His remarks on genius, and on purposive ness in art and nature, had an impact on the development of Romantic aesthetics. Later, the idea of a disinterested appreciation of form became a watchword for philosophers and critics like Clement Greenberg who defended abstract art. In literary criticism, the New Criticism which focused on the text itself, and its philosophical defense by Beardsley and Wimsatt, were similarly inspired.

Could Russia Have Defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War?

This essay will examine Russia's advantages and disadvantages pre-war, war and post-war that could have changed the course of history and enabled Russia to defeat Japan in the Russo-Japanese War. Russia, despite major advantages in resources, military personnel, naval forces, and strategic depth, lost the Russo-Japanese War to Japan, a rising power whose military strength and power were grossly underestimated. Why? What could Russia have done differently to defeat Japan in the war? Summarizing and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of Russia’s poor leadership, lack of strategic planning against Japan, and logistical differences will help clarify what it did wrong and what it could have done to defeat Japan in 1904. Diplomatic and economic factors before and during the war In 1854, Japan had reopened her doors to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russian after 200 years of isolation from all Western powers, except the Netherlands (Koda 12). Of these powers, Britain and Russia had the strongest impact on the national security policy of the Japanese government. By the 1890s, given the growing competition among European Powers in Asia, Japan had begun to implement policies to increase the nation’s military and economic modernization. They recognized that failure to do so would lead to the â€Å"nation’s dominance or dismemberment† by foreigners (Francis 1). Between 1888 and 1904, the Russian Empire’s economy was booming. As the financial heath of the government improved, it can be expected that the Minister of War would be allowed to share in this bounty. The Ministry was able to fund two discrete rearmament programs: the acquisition of magazine rifles and the introduction of the first quick-firing field artillery piece (Fuller 363). Both programs helped enhance and put Russia at an advantage in military readiness and innovation compared to other powers within the region. In 1894, Russia had a new Tsar in Nicholas II, who was â€Å"young, dreamy and ambitious†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and noted by biographers as â€Å"a weak man and easily led† (Fuller 370). Another important figure to Russia’s government was Count S. Iu. Witte. Witte, the Minister of Finance, 1892-1903, rapidly became one of Nicholas’s most influential ministers in the early part of his regime as Tsar (Fuller 370). Witte was the prime mover of the Trans-Siberian and Chinese Eastern railroads, which allowed Russia to become a monopoly over resources and markets of Manchuria (Fuller 370). In March 1900, War Minister Kuropatkin delivered a speech in which he summarized the ways in which Russia had used its' military power in the past two hundred years and a series of predictions on upcoming challenges the nation would have to face. He argued that Russia â€Å"neither needed nor desired war with any of the other Great Powers; it simply had nothing to gain by it† (Fuller 377). Yet, Russia was not a satisfied Power and in a report to the Tsar, Kuropatkin had to endorse the continued economic exploitation of Manchuria and the expansion of Russia influence in the East (Fuller 378). Moreover, Russia had concluded an alliance with China against Japan and, in the process provided the finance China needed in exchange for railway and industrial monopolies and won rights to extend the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Chinese-held Manchuria to the Russian seaport of Vladivostok, thus gaining control of an important strip of Manchurian territory (Warner 113). Unfortunately, the unfinished state of the Trans-Siberian railroad in 1904, logistical problems, and heavy costs meant only about 100,000 Russian troops and supporting units had been deployed to the Far East. However, this continuous crash collusion over the â€Å"spheres of influence† in Manchuria, Port Arthur, and finally in 1903 when Russia developed an economic interest in Korea further exasperated Japan (Koda 16). Start of the War The Russo-Japanese War took place from February 1904 to September 1905; it was a war that originated out of rival imperial ambitions of the Japanese and Russian Empires over Manchuria, Port Arthur, and Korea. The Russians had been pursuing a course of steady aggression and contrary to what Japan considered her â€Å"vital interests and national honor† (Mahan 172). The Russians had countless chances to gain an advantage and a better diplomatic position over Japan. After negotiations back and forth concerning â€Å"spheres of interest† between the two nations were not met and in Japanese eyes were ignored due to the arrogance of the Tsar; Japan severed diplomatic relations on 6 February 1904 (Answer. com). Late at night on the 8th of February, a force of Japanese torpedo boats entered into Port Arthur. Through the dense fog, they launched a surprise attack that not only surprised the Russian naval squadron, but also surprised the world. Only one ship, the Novik, was not caught entirely napping and was able to give chase (Warner 17). Three of Russia’s biggest ships took severe hits: the cruiser Pallada, Retvizan and Tsarevitch (Warner 17). Russia was shocked and definitely not prepared! Although gunfire stirred some in the evening, many knew nothing of the attack until the next morning. Some had heard and assumed that the fleet had been carrying out exercises and few people â€Å"expected that the first attack by Japanese- or any attack at all- would take place in Port Arthur† (Warner 17). Crafting a War Plan The Commander of Russia’s Far Eastern Armies, General Kuropatkin was tasked with developing Russia’s war plan; his idea was to deny Japan an early victory by alternating tenacious holding actions and strategic withdrawals in order to gain the time needed to bring thousands of additional troops from European Russia (Fuller 379). â€Å"Inso far as possible,† he wrote, â€Å"our forces must avoid decisive engagements in order to escape being defeated in detail prior to concentration of forces sufficient for the defeat of the Japanese† (Fuller 400). He expected the Japanese to invade Manchuria, they did; he anticipated that the Japanese would attack Port Arthur, they did; so, his plan was absolutely accurate and unquestionably foreboded the events that were about to unfold in this Russian nightmare. But no matter how intelligent or administratively talented Kuropatkin may have been, he committed the gravest of errors by underestimating his enemy. The Japanese army was highly motivated and trained and ready to implement their war plan. In an attempt to avoid war, Japan presented Russia with a treaty that would be relatively fair to both sides. Russia, to the surprise of no one, declined the terms and Japan was left with no choice other than to declare war. In July 1903 at pre-war negotiations, the Japanese Minister in St. Petersburg as instructed to present Russian Minister, Roman Rosen, with his country’s views and desires. After the proposal, Russia provide a counter-proposal and Japan provided another proposal by which â€Å"Manchuria would be outside the Japanese sphere of influence and, reciprocally, Korea outside Russia’s† (Answers. com). One month later on 4 February when no formal reply had been received, Japan severed ties and went about achieving everything that they asked for at the pre-negotiations. According to Karl von Clausewitz, a renowned theorist of war, two parties need to want peace for a war to be terminated and both sides must be able to overcome internal and external oppositions to end the war. Because of Russian leaders’ incompetence, arrogance, and inability to respond promptly and compromise negotiations, Japan’s pre-war requests and Kuropatkin’s predictions of Japan’s war strategy were developing in what would be known in history as the Russo-Japanese War. Elements of the Land Campaign At the outbreak of the war, Russia had the world's largest standing army, but most of it was in Europe. The Japanese knew that Russia could not fully concentrate its’ army in the Far East because â€Å"it had to keep some forces in western Russia as a counter to Turkish, German, and Austrian forces† (Koda 22). Russia was not ready for the war with Japan, and the Japanese knew it. All Japan had to do was concentrate its’ forces in Manchuria and match the strength of Russian forces there. For the Japanese to establish superiority, they had to overcome their handicaps: shortage of strategic reserves, an insufficient stockpile of ammunition, and poor field heavy artillery (Koda 23). In order to overcome these handicaps, Japan had a well thought out operational plan and effective tactics on the battlefield, which yielded perfectly to the warfare of Manchurian plain. In my opinion, all Russia had to do was delay Japanese forces while they built up their strength in the west and bring forces south from the Chinese Eastern railway. Without the Trans-Siberian Railway to assist in reinforcing Russian forces, Russia would be left without â€Å"a real plan of campaign† (Warner 319). Therefore, the longer the war went on, the more likely an eventual Russian victory would have been in a battle of industrial attrition due to the continuing flow of reinforcements along the railway. Synchronizing ground and naval efforts Japan had to deliver a severe blow before Russia had time to prepare and execute whatever war plan that they may have established. In the words of Admiral â€Å"Bull† Halsey, Japan needed to â€Å"Hit hard, hit fast and hit often. † In March the Japanese landed an army in Korea that quickly overran that country. In May another Japanese army landed on the Liaotung Peninsula, and on May 26 it cut off the Port Arthur garrison from the main body of Russian forces in Manchuria. Russia needed to stop playing on the defense and start being on the offensive. With the help of reinforcements received via the Trans-Siberian Railroad, Russia continued attacks, but it proved indecisive owing to poor military leadership. An example of the Russian’s impotence in leadership occurred at the siege of Port Arthur. After believing that the purpose of defending the city was lost due to the defeat of the fleet, Major General Stessel decided to surrender his post without consulting the other military staff present, or the Tsar and the military command. All disagreed with his decision because the garrison was still well stocked and had months of food and ammunition. In 1908, Stessel was convicted by a court-martial and sentenced to death, though later pardoned for his offenses (Answer. om). More aggressive naval power The Japanese Combined Fleet was slightly superior to the Russian Pacific Fleet (Koda 22). Japan was at an advantage to Russia, because Russia’s fleet had to be divided in two forces, one at Port Arthur and the other at Vladivostok (Koda 22). The fleets at Port Arthur and Vladivostok were also smaller and less ready, which left Russia's land and naval forces outnumbered at the start of the war. Japan’s strategy was to engage each force separately and prevent any Russian reinforcements. Japan’s Combined Fleet had to destroy the Pacific Fleet before the arrival of reinforcements and it was necessary for Admiral Togo â€Å"to preserve his strength, to ensure that he had a fleet capable of destroying the reinforcements when they arrived† (Koda 23). The Russian fleet in Port Arthur presented a menace to the sea lines of communication for Japan and was a determining factor of the war. The attack, although successful, was not executed as planned. It continued long enough to afford Russia the opportunity to bring into play her other naval forces from the west and if other circumstance would not have accorded, may have caused Japan their victory. For example, the Baltic Fleet was on its last leg of its 18,000 nautical mile journey to Vladivostok, when they were spotted by the Japanese Combined Fleet. The Baltic Fleet had been successfully traveling at night to avoid discovery. Unfortunately, one of her hospital ships exposed a light, which was sighted by a Japanese ship. The ship reported the sighting to Admiral Togo, who was able to position his fleet and engage in the battle of Tsushima. The Russian fleet was annihilated at Tsushima. If the Russian fleet would have positioned their cruisers, designed for speed and endurance, at Vladivostok, Russia would have had a better chance at counter-attacking Japan’s fleet. Unlike Port Arthur with only one way in and out, Vladivostok had two exits, to the Japan Sea and to the east coast of the islands by way of the Tsugaru Straits. The Japanese vessels out numbered the Russian vessels and they probably would have still picked off the Russian vessels one by one, but positioning the cruisers at another port would have allowed for continued freedom of commerce. Although this is an indirect effect to the war, it directly affected the already unstable economy and a growing rebellious status to war efforts in Russia. One of the most important things to remember is not just the multiple locations of the Russia fleets, but that they were divided into fractions individually smaller than those of a possible enemy. If the Russian divisions at Port Arthur, Vladivostok, and in the European ports of Russia would have been united, they would have outweighed the Japanese fleet; hence causing the Japanese fleet to re-evaluate their plan and possibly changing the course of the war. Additionally, Admiral Makarov, Commander of the Baltic Fleet, suggested that more ships should assist the Port Arthur and Vladivostok, but with his death a conference of the Higher Naval Board with the Tsar presiding was needed. For the next three months, the new commander, Admiral Rozhdestvenski, struggled with â€Å"the inevitable tangle of Russian red tape† and prepared his fleet for the long journey and they set sail in October of 1904 (Warner 402). The Baltic fleet should have been sent east the instant the Japanese declared war and would have arrived in ample time to assist and been able to provide much needed reinforcements and a more aggressive naval power. Conclusion Despite Russia’s major advantages in resources, military personnel, naval forces, and strategic depth, they lost to an up and coming power, Japan. Furthermore, they could have negotiated out of starting a war, and never have been put in a situation that caused undue hardship on their ill-prepared naval and land forces. If it wasn’t for poor leadership, lack of strategic planning, and logistical differences, Russia could have defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War.