Strategic Management Week 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Management Week 2 - Assignment Example Constantly, industry players are putting in place marketing policies and strategies that aim at making them the preferred options of customers. As a result of this, the use of competitive advantage has become a very importance concept in the health care sector (Shaw and Kenny, 2007). This notwithstanding, Porter and Teisberg (2004) do not seem pleased with the current state of competition. Reading through the article of Porter and Teisberg (2004), there is so much that can be agreed with the two authors. This is because in a study by Department of Health (2006), it was noted that most of the forms of growths that are experienced in the healthcare sector due to the competition are those that bring personal gain to investors. What this means is that the current state of competition has focused on profit making for business owners, leaving out the core needs and expected improvement that the patient is expected to receive. The call for a redefinition of competition in the healthcare sector will therefore be agreed with. It is high time industry players started focusing their competition on who brings value to the customer. Unfortunately, the customer does not always have the luxury of choosing to do business with a healthcare provider who guarantees value. This is because of how critical some health conditions can be (Ginter, Duncan and Swayne, 2013). This means that the service providers must take up this task of redefining their competition. The cost of health care plays very important role in determining the kind of service outcome that will be received from service delivery (Harris & Lenox, 2013). From a much generalised perspective, Shaw and Kenny (2007) argued that once the cost of healthcare goes up the quality of service delivery must also go up. This is because the inputs of healthcare that make them quality are facilitated with high capital expenditure. From the article that Kaplan and Porter (2011) present however, one would realise that there is

Solutions and Requirements of Project Essay Example for Free

Solutions and Requirements of Project Essay Solutions The best solutions for the problems the college is facing is as follows: Creation of a Web Presentation: This will involve a brief presentation about the college showing the facilities, the area and people, transportation, courses, Fees, Support, News and Event, Student Union and Links to other institution for higher education. The presentation will be made in a slide view mode and would be accessed on the web using the address or the domain name used. Images the existing tutors and student will be put in the slide to make it attractive and the logo will be placed on every slide background. Open days times will be shown on the presentation and any job vacancy will be advertise on the web presentation. This is will be a solution to the problems facing the college but would need a lot of updating and work. Creation of a Website: This website would shows all Departments; at least one division of which would show all the courses offered. The site would fit the purpose for which it was designed using of a wide variety of techniques and showing accuracy in its content, construction and organization. The site would give an accurate impression of what a full site would look like. It must include: * An introductory page (this may be the home page or could be separate) * A page on each department of the college indicating sub divisions (eg Business ICT/Travel Tourism/Business Studies) * Information on all courses in a particular division (ICT) * Facilities/campus (a slideshow might be useful here, perhaps a map linking to images) * Student union * News (indicating events, perhaps a video of a music event) * Equal opportunities * Contact details * Location Travel details * An application form Requirements The following are the requirements of the project: i. Web server I would need a server to be able to upload the website which is JANET(JOINT ACADEMIC NETWORK) because it is specifically designed for colleges and is very reliable. The main reason why I chose Janet because it provides the following resources shown below: * Has Windows Server 2003 and Linus Hosting * Has a web space to upload the website content using FTP and Microsoft FrontPage * Has 5GB storage space per hosted domain with an option to purchase additional web space if required * Has a daily backups of user data and a simple process for recovering backup data * Provides technical reports on the hosted domain Web space, back up ,security, FTP accessibility, fast connection , scripting and technical support services are all included in the features of the JANET. ii. Dream weaver Dream weaver is the market leader and automates or semi-automates almost every command, action and behaviour most web designer would want to use. Specific scripting can be added to web pages to perform certain actions or behaviours such as hit counters (these are often server side and require scripts that particular servers understand). Colours used have to be web safe and are built into most programs. Images have to be rgb/jpg or indexed/gif. Videos can be of various formats but tend to be mpg, wmv, avi and may require specific codecs to be read properly by individual pcs. Animations are generally created by using animated gifs or created in Flash though some can be purely created using type such as scrolling marquees). Audio files are generally wav, wma, mpg or ram but again there are many other formats which may be used and may need specific codecs. File management of web sites must be organised properly or they will not work efficiently. Dream weaver allows uploading to remote si te (server) via the software but most programs do not allow this so a separate ftp program is generally needed. Therefore I chose to use dream weaver because web authoring can be done by any text based program but specialist software programs have been developed to dispense with the extremely tedious method of writing html code. iii. Copyright Security Issues Copyright and security issues should be observed so that the college wouldnt suffer from any complaints. All images should be authorised by the college board to avoid these issues. iv. System Framework The initial site is designed according to the way the pages will be linked and the pages which will be available. Site is another name for the system framework. v. Constraints I would need a n FTP address in order to upload the site which is sometime difficult to get hold off due to security reasons. The budget for the budget is 10000 and should be up and running by summer.

Essay --

In 1815 The Battle of New Orleans was fought, became the largest battle of the war of 1812, and was won by Andrew Jackson. From that time he was recognized as a national hero for winning such a huge war, even though the Treaty of Ghent was the armistice which had ended the War of 1812, and was signed earlier than when The Battle of New Orleans occurred. The Product of The War of 1812 was nationalism. â€Å"America may not have fought the war as one nation, but it emerged as one nation.† (â€Å"Nascent Nationalism†). American art and literature had developed and proceeded to show that nationalism began. â€Å"Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper attained international recognition in the 1820s, significantly as the nation’s first writers of importance to use American scenes and themes† (â€Å"Nascent Nationalism†). American authors had begun to receive equal attention to European writers, and were capable of achieving the level of writing only European authors were recognized as having. â€Å"Irving’s Bracebridge Hall (1822) received at least 32 reviews in the British press, equaling the attention given the work of the two most popular British authors, Byron and Scott.† (Eaton). The American System, similar to the Federalist System, produced economic diversification and represents an effect of nationalism, with its goal to create a unified expanding economy. Henry Clay wanted to create a strong national bank, which would grant lots of mortgages in the West and South. He also envisioned a strong transportation system. The tariff of 1816 was the first tariff in American history passed by Congress â€Å"instituted primarily for protection and revenue† (â€Å"The American System†). Clay wanted a protective tariff that would allow for the flourishing of eastern ma... ... A strong central government was important to Jackson. This strengthened the improved and developed American nationalism. With the belief in a strong democracy and increased involvement and power of man in the government, Jackson supported the rise of nationalism. Nationalism pushed Jackson to make decisions, which shaped the country. This was shown when he threatened South Carolina by getting military ready for action to enforce the federal tariff. Although South Carolina did not go along with paying the tariff, they complied with the government and their idea of collecting a federal tariff. Nationalism imposed many different ideas and was the guiding factor in important American leader’s decisions. Nationalism, as a political ideology shaped the social life of Americans, and was responsible for the political culture of the United States within the years 1815-1836.

Consumer Traits and Behaviors Essay

Consumer behavior involves the psychological processes that consumers go through in recognizing needs, finding ways to solve these needs, making purchase decisions (e.g., whether or not to purchase a product and, if so, which brand and where), interpret information, make plans, and implement these plans (e.g., by engaging in comparison shopping or actually purchasing a product). Companies to determine the best, and useful marketing of their product and services must study consumer traits and behaviors. By doing this extensive research, companies are sure to develop marketing plans directly aimed to the customer base they would like to attract. Sources of influence on the consumer. The consumer faces numerous sources of influence. Often, we take cultural influences for granted, but they are significant. An American will usually not bargain with a storeowner. This, however, is a common practice in much of the World. The cultural influence can also impact the actual things people feel are needs versus wants. The American culture, unfortunately is a greedy culture that can at times take for granted the fact that all of their needs are met and often times confuse them with their wants. The cultural impact makes a fancy new sports car a need when there are children in third world countries that need food and water. Physical factors also influence our behavior. We are more likely to buy a soft drink when we are thirsty, for example, and food manufacturers have found that it is more effective to advertise their products on the radio in the late afternoon when people are getting hungry. There are also documented instances where a person’s obsessive want of an it em can physically make a person ill when they cannot have them. A person’s self-image will also tend to influence what he or she will buy—an upwardly mobile manager may buy a flashy car to project an image  of success. Self image issues can also be closely related into cultural issues we all can face also, leading consumers to adopt an image of beauty that is not obtainable such as larger women developing a complex to become super model thin, and in return cause people to develop self hate towards the things about themselves and others that cannot be changed. Often times a person’s self worth is measured in the things they have versus the content of who they are on the inside. Social factors also influence what the consumers buy—often, consumers seek to imitate others whom they admire, and may buy the same brands. The social environment can include both the mainstream culture (e.g., Americans are more likely to have corn flakes or ham and eggs for breakfast than to have rice, which is preferred in many Asian countrie s) and a subculture (e.g., rap music often appeals to a segment within the population that seeks to distinguish itself from the mainstream population). Thus, sneaker manufacturers are eager to have their products worn by admired athletes. Something as simple as a Facebook like can take a product from obscurity to relevancy just like being listed on Oprah’s favorite things. Finally, consumer behavior is influenced by learning—you try a hamburger and learn that it satisfies your hunger and tastes good, and the next time you are hungry, you may consider another hamburger. We are also a culture of people to purchase the things that our family customarily purchased our band loyalty can be passed down from generation to generation. Consumer Choice and Decision Making: Problem Recognition. One model of consumer decision-making involves several steps. The first one is problem recognition—you realize that something is not as it should be. Perhaps, for example, your car is getting more difficult to start and is not accelerating well. The second step is information search—what are some alternative ways of solving the problem? You might buy a new car, buy a used car, take your car in for repair, ride the bus, ride a taxi, or ride a skateboard to work. The third step involves evaluation of alternatives. A skateboard is inexpensive, but may be ill suited for long distances and for rainy days. Finally, we have the purchase stage, and sometimes a post-purchase stage (e.g., you return a product to the store because you did not find it satisfactory). In reality, people may go back and forth between the stages. For example, a person may resume alternative identification during while evaluating already known alternatives. Consumer  involvement will tend to vary dramatically depending on the type of product. In general, consumer involvement will be higher for products that are very expensive (e.g., a home, a car) or are highly significant in the consumer’s life in some other way (e.g., a word processing prog ram or acne medication). It is important to consider the consumer’s motivation for buying products. To achieve this goal, we can use the Means-End chain, wherein we consider a logical progression of consequences of product use that eventually lead to desired end benefit. Thus, for example, a consumer may see that a car has a large engine, leading to fast acceleration, leading to a feeling of performance, leading to a feeling of power, which ultimately improves the consumer’s self-esteem. A handgun may aim bullets with precision, which enables the user to kill an intruder, which means that the intruder will not be able to harm the consumer’s family, which achieves the desired end-state of security. In advertising, it is important to portray the desired end-states. Focusing on the large motor will do less good than portraying a successful person driving the car. Attitudes Consumer attitudes are a composite of a consumer’s (1) beliefs about, (2) feelings about, (3) and behavioral intentions toward some â€Å"object†Ã¢â‚¬â€within the context of marketing, usually a brand, product category, or retail store. These components are viewed together since they are highly interdependent and together represent forces that influence how the consumer will react to the object Consumer attitudes are both an obstacle and an advantage to a marketer. Choosing to discount or ignore consumers’ attitudes of a particular product or service—while developing a marketing strategy—guarantees limited success of a campaign. In contrast, perceptive marketers leverage their understanding of attitudes to predict the behavior of consumers. These savvy marketers know exactly how to distinguish the differences between beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors while leveraging all three in the development of marketing strategies. beliefs or feelings toward a product or service. A behavioral intention is defined by the consumer’s belief or feeling with respect to the product or service. The cellular phone industry is one of the rare bright spots in Asian business (Roberts, 1998). China’s cell phone market has increased at an annual growth rate of 80% since 1990 (Statistics of CMII, 2005). In 2001, China’s cell phone market  grew into 130 million users, exceeding the U.S.’s market for the first time An attitude in marketing terms is defined as a general evaluation of a product or service formed over time (Solomon, 2008). An attitude satisfies a personal motive—and at the same time, affects the shopping and buying habits of consumers. Dr. Lars Perner (2010) defines consumer attitude simply as a composite of a consumer’s beliefs, feelings, and behavioral intentions toward some object within the context of marketing. A consumer can hold negative or positive (Robertson, 2001). Chinese cell phone user population reached 335 million (25% of the total Chinese population), 65 million more than 2003 (Statistics of CMII, 2005). Social and Cultural Settings Influence Consumer Behavior The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as how the psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products, and retailers). The psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment (e.g., culture, family, signs, media); The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions; Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome; How consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer; and How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer. Consumers Interpret Marketing Messages Differently Consumers’ interpretations of advertising messages have long been an important and controversial topic in advertising research (Jacoby and Hoyer 1982a, 1982b, 1987; Mick 1988b; Russo, Metcalf, and Stephens 1981; Shimp and Preston 1981). [The terms comprehension and interpretation are used interchangeably here. Readers who question the synonymy of those terms are also likely to believe that denotation and connotation are separate constructs- -likely because they associate comprehension with denotation and interpretation with connotation. This article seeks to defy the  denotation/connotation distinction with respect to advertising illustrations. Comprehension itself is conceptualized generally in this article from a level of processing perspective, specifically as a cue-induced spread of activation of semantic concepts (knowledge structures). Inference is the basic mechanism of this activation and also accounts for the meanings constructed as a function of bridging two alread y – activated concepts.] Historically, most empirical work has centered on consumers’ processing of linguistic information; recently, researchers have paid increased attention to nonlinguistic features (e.g., Childers and Houston 1984; Edell and Staelin 1983; Johnson, Zimmer, and Golden 1987; Richards and Zakia 1981; Rossiter and Percy 1980; Zakia 1986). Lengthy theoretical writings on visual communication in advertising have also appeared (Rossiter and Percy 1983). Despite this trend, few have actually studied the semiotic substance of consumers’ interpretations of advertising illustrations. For instance, Thematic Apperception Tests remain widespread in the advertising industry for Pretesting visual content. Yet, advertising scholars have exerted little effort to employ such semantic -unveiling methods to inform theory and assess propositions about consumers’ interpretations of nonverbal ad information. Conclusion In this document, we have been able to showcase the psychological processes and presented three social processes that impact and influence consumer behavior. As we explore the fabulous relationships between traits and behavior we can establish the marketing and tools that are needed to develop effective marketing strategies that will influence the way people buy the products that are purchased. Understanding these consumer traits and behaviors can make the company a very successful and profitable company. Understanding or a lack there of, this relationship between consumer traits and be the making or breaking of any corporation. This class and the training of being able to understand just how important it is to be able to interpret the messages that are being sent both to and from the consumer. References Retrieved From: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2571413 Retrieved From: http://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-internal-influences-lifestyle-attitude.html Retrieved From: http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/ (2011, 04). A Structural Equation Model of Perceived Price on Value Perceptions: a Consumer Psychology View. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 04, 2011, Retrieved From: http://www.studymode.com/essays/a-Structural-Equation-Model-Of-Perceived-6608

Feminism and Sexism: the Scarlet Letter

Anaysa Viviana Arce Professor Dr. Don Macon English Literature 1302 21 April 2013 Feminism & Sexism: The Scarlet Letter â€Å"In Heaven’s own time, a new truth would be revealed, in order to establish the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness† (ch. 24). The Scarlet Letter; where there is a woman, a husband, and a lover. A story where women are downgraded, humiliated, punished, and judged for their actions. It is an obvious that eras have changed as well as customs, women now have a say in our government.Therefore, we mainly focus on two political issues that have affected our society, feminism and sexism. We go in depth of researching how their definitions have changed throughout time and how they have affected our society solely in the United States. The Scarlet Letter, is a good representation of how feminism and sexism was affected in the era of the Puritans. Within the story, women were thought of as lesser than men. Womenâ€℠¢s purposes were to raise children and give them good morals and values.Women did not have jobs; they wore the plainest clothes, and sat quietly by their husbands’ sides. Passion and happiness were considered to be a sin in the Puritan faith. Hester Prynne, (the main character in the story), has to overcome many obstacles in the novel, emotionally, socially, and psychologically. Living in a Puritan Society, where they had strict rules that everyone had to abide by, the society showed that men overruled women, and women were subjects to men. Hester’s place within Puritan society changes within the novel, where she defies male authority.Feminism in its definition according to Barbara Smith in This Bridge Called My Back (1981) means; â€Å"Feminism is the political theory and practice to free all women: women of color, working-class women, poor women, physically challenged women, lesbians, old women as well as white economically privileged heterosexual women. Anything le ss than this is not feminism, but merely female self-aggrandizement. (Web. Vanderbilt. edu)† Hester Prynne was forced to wear an embroidered â€Å"A† on her bodice of every garment as a signification of adultery. Women then, were punished more for such sexual transgressions.Unlike men, according to the Puritans women were considered to be ruled by their emotions, while men were considered to be governed by reason (Web. Public. gettysburg. edu). Therefore, we could conclude that women were humiliated and had no contribution to their society; feminism was at its minimal. Women then in the United States started fighting back, which lead to The Women’s Movement. This organized feminism first initiated in 1848 (Web. Feminisim. eserver. org). From this movement several branches formed such as the Abolition of Slavery, the Social Purity and Temperance movement.Furthermore, after 70 years (1928) women were granted to vote and finally have a word in society. Therefore, in comparison with The Scarlet Letter and feminism, women have significantly evolved to become great idols in society. They have freedom and are at the level of a â€Å"male’s authority†. There is no such humiliation or judgment for committing any sin, women are allowed to be happy, independent and be with whomever makes them happy. Commonly, in today’s society it is most popular that women are single mothers with a stable career to support their child.Consequently, women today are not forced to wear such embellishments like Hester Prynne, binding the before-and-today comparison on feminism and the impact it has on women today. Sexism, as previously mentioned has also been a political issue in women. Sexism means the prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. The main overview of The Scarlet Letter is that Hester gets punished for committing adultery and conceiving a child out of marriage. In reality the only reason w hy Hester gets punished and forced to wear an â€Å"A† is because she is a female.Dimsdale, Hester’s lover, being a pastor is suffering internally as the community is rising against Hester. Although the community doesn’t know of his crime, he is remotely thinking of his rejection as a pastor in the case they ever do find out. Even then, the community will not severely punish him, judge him or make him wear an embroidered â€Å"A† solely because he is male. Just like feminism, sexism also presents itself as a discrimination and it is still being seen in today’s society even with feminism reformations. It may be less than the puritan era, but questions such as: â€Å"Why don’t we have a female president? arise. Overall in reality, unlike feminism, sexism will always be present. The discrimination of â€Å"because she is a woman† will still influence many points of view in people. Why do women commit adultery? What cause them to take su ch step? Questions that we wonder but at times have no answer. Although in Infidelity Facts. com we find a confounding answer as to why: â€Å"Statistically, women don't cheat for the sake of sex. It's of secondary concern for them. The #1 reason why they cheat is for an emotional connection.And this is particularly true of women over the age of 30. In more than a few instances, women won't even cheat physically. They will carry on emotional affairs†¦ where they'll fall in love and experience emotional intimacy with a men, while never taking it to the physical level. It's these type of affairs that can continue on for years, without ever being detected, and often leaving a wake of destruction in their path. Studies have found that in long-term relationships, women, whether they work outside of the house or not, often find themselves â€Å"shut out† emotionally.Over 70% of women are still the primary caregivers for their children while also being the cook and the maidâ⠂¬ ¦ whether or not they have a full or part-time job. This leaves them precious little time for themselves to foster a woman's natural urge to grow emotionally. An urge typical ignored by men whose primary interest is physical contact. Thus the longing for a man who can â€Å"see who they really are† begins. And in the weeks, months or even years that follow, they will usually find such a man – or think they've found one.An interesting point to takeaway of this female need for an â€Å"emotional bond†: affairs initiated by women generally last 3 times long than those initiated by men†. We then refer back to the novel and as readers we discover a connection with what is presented and with Hester. Hester did not commit the affair because of â€Å"sex†. She was looking for love, love that Dimsdale had for her. Technically she did have a child out of marriage, but she did not have her because she was prostituting herself; Hester had Pearl from deep int imate love and passion. All she wanted was someone to be by her side and love her for the person she was.Obviously in the Puritan community, adultery was a great sin but in today’s society it is an open common issue. Some statistics on adultery include: †¢ That over a third of married men will cheat on their  wives; †¢ That nearly a quarter of all married women will cheat on their husbands; †¢ And that more than 50% of all marriages will be impacted by one of the spouses being unfaithful. †¢ Back in the 1960’s it was usually the husband who was unfaithful. Today, researchers are finding that women are just as likely as men to have an affair (Web. Kellybonewell. com).

Free Essays on Mass Media

â€Å"Communication remains God’s great gift to humanity without which we cannot be truly human, reflecting God’s image.† (Caà ±aberal, 1993,44) The Bill of Rights has given us freedom of speech, therefore; we as individuals have expressed our thoughts, desires, and goals through the mass media. Media has been considered by Ciony C. Gonzalez as, â€Å"the most dominant art form,† because it has the power to affect a person. (Gonzales, 1984,9) Media leaves both a compelling and lasting impact on both the conscious and subconscious. (Gonzales, 1984,9) Media has contributed in ways that enlighten and enrich society, but has also weakened and confused it. Yet with all this it’s not surprising to learn that the media has become the most powerful source of information. But rather then being a positive agent in society, media has had a more negative affect on society. It has destroyed images, covered up the truth, as well as sent wrong messages. â€Å"Media is ones of this are the beer and cigarettes commercials. If you drink you will have women and friends. Media has twisted the definition of love. It works on the feelings of people rather then the intellect and will, creating a more significant impact on the youth. It provides a daily showing of trashing soaps and talk shows. Media also uses its power to promote ratings and popularity. For example you can see commercials none stop on certain television shows. A commer cial that has been played a lot lately is the Road Runner commercial. (High speed Internet) Media also promotes pornography. Pornography also has a negative moral implication that can lead to a sexually aggressive behavior that can cause rape or other heinous sex-related acts. Yet the media has justified this by referring to it as an art... Free Essays on Mass Media Free Essays on Mass Media â€Å"Communication remains God’s great gift to humanity without which we cannot be truly human, reflecting God’s image.† (Caà ±aberal, 1993,44) The Bill of Rights has given us freedom of speech, therefore; we as individuals have expressed our thoughts, desires, and goals through the mass media. Media has been considered by Ciony C. Gonzalez as, â€Å"the most dominant art form,† because it has the power to affect a person. (Gonzales, 1984,9) Media leaves both a compelling and lasting impact on both the conscious and subconscious. (Gonzales, 1984,9) Media has contributed in ways that enlighten and enrich society, but has also weakened and confused it. Yet with all this it’s not surprising to learn that the media has become the most powerful source of information. But rather then being a positive agent in society, media has had a more negative affect on society. It has destroyed images, covered up the truth, as well as sent wrong messages. â€Å"Media is ones of this are the beer and cigarettes commercials. If you drink you will have women and friends. Media has twisted the definition of love. It works on the feelings of people rather then the intellect and will, creating a more significant impact on the youth. It provides a daily showing of trashing soaps and talk shows. Media also uses its power to promote ratings and popularity. For example you can see commercials none stop on certain television shows. A commer cial that has been played a lot lately is the Road Runner commercial. (High speed Internet) Media also promotes pornography. Pornography also has a negative moral implication that can lead to a sexually aggressive behavior that can cause rape or other heinous sex-related acts. Yet the media has justified this by referring to it as an art... Free Essays on Mass Media In watching the 5:00 and 10:00 news I was presented with many different stories that appeared to be original or live recordings by the television station. I was able to pick out and recognize the difference between original news footage from the station and a video news release. The video news release that I’m going to be referring to was from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. It dealt with a new procedure of detecting Anthrax that gives doctors results sometimes in as fast as an hour. The reason that I knew it was not an original piece was that at the bottom of the screen it blatantly said â€Å"Mayo Clinic Video† in the middle of the segment that features many clips of laboratory testing. One other thing that tipped me off was an interview with a doctor at the clinic that showed no sign of a station reporter asking him questions and his remarks were not aimed at answering any specific question(s). In the case of this video release I did not see any unfair or inaccurate information that was presented. The news station did however do their own interpretation of how this procedure works and why it is so fast in detecting Anthrax. This interpretation dealt strictly with facts that helped to explain things in terms that most viewers would be able to understand and did not sway the viewer as to if this was a good or bad finding. In the case of this video release I strongly agree with the station airing a segment on detecting Anthrax. I’m sure that the Mayo Clinic is looking for some publicity in sending a video to the station, but in this case it is for the sake of helping our society. They are advertising a way to detect a very life threatening disease in new and faster ways. This breakthrough could possibly save lives. I feel that with what is going on around us right now a news story such as this it is very justified in presenting itself to the public. With this video, the public relations professional is responsible for making ...

Childrens Social Class Origins and Educational Attainment

Childrens Social Class Origins and Educational Attainment Social class Social class refers to the social differentiation of people within a society depending on their social status, which is majorly determined by their economic status. People of low economic status usually belong to a low social class and vice versa.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Children’s Social Class Origins and Educational Attainment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Karl Marx presented a two class model of society comprising the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie are the capitalists who are few in number and are the owners of capital. They are also rich, powerful, oppressors, exploiters and they always win elections in democratic countries (Lareau, 2002). On the other hand, the proletariat are the workers, owners of labour and they are the majority in numbers but are powerless since they are oppressed and exploited by the rich and they always lose in elections in democratic nation s. The proletariat can be described as a class in itself in the sense that they share same objectives and relationships to the means of production, that is, they are laboures who are paid in wages (Lareau, 2002). The two classes are always in conflict with each other because their interests are incompatible. While the bourgeoisie have the interests of maintaining the status quo which ensures their dominance, the proletariat are interested in changing the status quo which deprives them of good life.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the two classes are not aware of the nature of the circumstances which they live in but assume that the situations which they find themselves in are natural and nothing can be done to change them, a situation Karl Marx calls false class consciousness (Irving, 2004). In order to explain the differences in education attainment between t he children of the rich and those of the poor, it is important to decompose the social origins of the children into parental status, parental education and parental class. These are the three main mechanisms that link children’s social class origins to their educational attainment. The three are viewed as separate entities but are interrelated in many ways. They can be contextualized using the theory of cultural deprivation and compensatory education, a theory which is applied in the study of education attainment. It refers to lack of appropriate cultural resources like language or knowledge. It is used to explain the limitations the minority groups in the society face in education attainment. In the theory, the working class sub-culture, that is, the culture of the poor is portrayed as a substandard version of the mainstream culture. According to the theory, the sub-culture of the low income earners is deficient in certain important ways and this explains the low educational attainment of the members of this group. The theory attributes low education attainment to poor family background. A culturally deprived child is deficient in important skills, attitudes and values which are essential for educational attainment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Children’s Social Class Origins and Educational Attainment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The environment in which poor children live is poverty stricken in economic and cultural ways. The deprived children are isolated from those rich experiences found in the culture of the rich. The isolation is enhanced by poverty, poor intellectual resources in their homes and surroundings, incapacity, illiteracy, or indifference of the elders and of the entire community. The children of the poor are also poorly traveled with probably one trip outside their home and thus they may know very little or nothing in music, arts, poetry and current affa irs. They are also linguistically deprived, have a wide range of substandard attitudes, norms and values. Cultural deprivation is therefore a stigma and compensatory education is a form of positive discrimination preferred in cases of attaining uniformity in education attainment within a society. Parental status The status of parents refers to the way parents are perceived within a society. They can either be of high or low social status, depending on their levels of income. Parents who have high income enjoy a higher status than those who earn little or no income. Parents who are of high status are able to take their children to good schools which are fully equipped with excellent learning infrastructure. Due to this, their children are able to do well in education. On the other hand, parents of low social status are not able to take their children to school or in other words, they take their children to schools which are poorly equipped with learning infrastructure.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a result, the children have minimal chances of doing well as compared to those of parents of high status (Saltiel, 2013). Parental class It refers to the social class of parents. As explained above, there are two social classes in the society namely the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. Parent’s social class is closely related to parent’s social status. Parents of low social class enjoy a low social status. They are literally the poor or low income earners in the society. Due to their poverty, the proletariat are not able to take their children to good schools. Some are not even able to take their children to school at all. Those children of the poor who are lucky enough to do well even under the poor learning conditions are given some affirmative action by their governments. An example of affirmative action is the sponsorship of children to pursue higher education (Lareau, 2002). On the other hand, parents of high social class are able to take their children to the best schools. The reason is that they are able to afford the high fees charged in those schools. The schools themselves also enjoy high social status within the community, with majority being owned by individuals and others belonging to governments. The learning environment is therefore very conducive and this makes the children do very well in exams as compared to their counterparts in the poor schools. Parental education This refers to the amount of education attained by parents. It is closely related both to parental class and status. Parents of high social status are more likely to have attained a higher education than those of low social status. Similarly, parents who belong to the bourgeoisie class are more likely to be more educated than their proletariat counterparts. However, there are some parents who may belong to a high social status and social class but not necessarily have attained higher education. Similarly, there can be some parents who are relatively educated but m ay not enjoy high social class or social status due to various reasons such as lack of employment or simply by choice. The amount of education attained by the parents has a direct relationship with that of their children. Children of parents with low levels of education are more likely to be poorly educated than those of parents with higher education. One of the reasons is that poorly educated parents may not know the importance of educating their children because to them education does not matter a lot in life. Poorly educated parents are also likely to be poor and of the low social status. They are therefore not able to afford to pay for the education of their children due to low incomes (Kohn, 1977). On the other hand, parents who have higher education are likely to have their children attain higher education. The reason is that the parents know the importance of education, having tasted the fruits of good education. They are in a position to understand that educating their child ren has a direct relationship with their bright future. Well educated parents are also likely to have the resources to educate their children because they are likely to be employed and enjoying high social and economic status. Well educated parents are also socialized through the education system and therefore are more likely to socialize their children through the education system than their uneducated or poorly educated counterparts (Beller, 2009). The three components of social origin of the children, namely the parents’ class, education and status therefore influence the attainment of education for the children. Children of the poor parents should not be blamed for not attaining education but rather, they should be viewed as being marginalized. Children of the rich on the other hand should not be viewed as brighter than those of poor parents but rather, they should be viewed just as being privileged to belong to well to do families. In other words, any child can do well i n education if all factors are held constant. That is, if all children were to be exposed to similar social, cultural and economic backgrounds, then the variations in education attainment would be very minimal (Edin and Lein, 1997). References Beller, E. (2009). â€Å"Bringing Intergenerational Social Mobility Research into the Twenty†first Century: Why Mothers Matter†, American Sociological Review, 74(4), 507-528. Edin, K., and Lein, L. (1997). Making Ends Meet: How Single Mothers Survive Welfare and Low†Wage Work, Chapter 3 portion of Chapter 8, 103(3), 224†227. Irving, D. (2004). Model of Psychological Functioning. Web. Kohn, L. M. (1977). Class and Conformity: A Study in Values, With a Reassessment. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Lareau, A. (2002). â€Å"Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families†, American Sociological Review, 67(5), 747-776. Saltiel, J. (2013). The Wisconsin Model of Status At tainment and the Occupational Choice Process Applying a Continuous-Choice Model to a Discrete-Choice Situation. Web.

Driving Ireland’s Ring of Kerry Maps and Complete Guide

Driving Ireland’s Ring of Kerry Maps and Complete Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The picturesque Ring of Kerry is a looping road on the west coast of Ireland. It meanders along the coast of County Kerry, a pristine area famous for its awe-inspiring natural beauty. Locals and travelers alike flock to the Ring of Kerry for sweeping views of mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and the North Atlantic. Along the way, you’ll see castles, abbey ruins, and stones circles dating as far back as 2,200 BC! That’s a whole lot of human history. I can confidently say that the Ring of Kerry was the most breathtaking road I’ve ever driven on in my life. To help you have the same memorable experience, I’ve compiled all the stops of interest along the Ring, along with maps to help you navigate. Read on for your complete guide to Ireland’s unforgettable Ring of Kerry! Map of the Ring of Kerry As you can see on this Ring of Kerry map, you could drive the entire loop straight through in only three and a half hours. The Ring of Kerry is a 1 mile (179 km) coastal road around Ireland’s Iveragh Peninsula. Technically, the Ring of Kerry is the horseshoe-shaped N70, but you can take a linking road, the N72, to make a full loop beginning and ending in the town of Killarney. This closed loop covers 133 miles (214 km) in total. Because of its location on the landlocked end of the peninsula, Killarney is a popular base for travelers driving the Ring of Kerry. If you were to drive directly around the Ring, you could complete the drive in just three and a half hours. Realistically, though, you should set aside at least six to seven hours to make stops along the way, if not longer. If you want to take side trips or explore all the sights along the route, then you could turn the Ring into a two or three-day road trip, staying overnight in one of the villages, like Waterville or Kenmare. In addition to pulling over to see castles, Celtic ruins, lookout points, and friendly cows and sheep, you could also go hiking, biking, or horseback riding. A popular day trip also takes you out to the Skellig Islands. The larger of the islands, Skellig Michaels, is famous for its 6th century ruins, which were featured in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Before getting into all the sights along the Ring of Kerry, let’s go over how to travel along the road. Should you hop on a tour bus or rent a car and drive yourself? Traveling on the Ring of Kerry: Tour Bus vs. Car There are two options for driving the Ring of Kerry: tour bus or car. Several bus companies are available for day trips, or you can easily navigate the route yourself (it is a loop, after all). Here’s what you need to know about both options. Option 1: Take a Bus Around the Ring of Kerry Most Ring of Kerry tour buses start in Killarney. If you’re starting your Ireland trip in Dublin, you can also buy packages that include a train ticket from Dublin to Killarney and next-day tour bus. The two most highly-rated companies are Deros Coach Tours and O’Connell Day Tours. A day tour costs about $25. The buses will make a few stops along the way for you to explore sights and take photographs, plus a lunch stop. All in all, a Ring of Kerry tour on a bus lasts about 6.5 hours. One important thing to note- the buses always drive counter-clockwise along the Ring. They start in Killarney and then head northwest to Killorglin. Now let’s look at the other option (and the one that I chose), driving the Ring of Kerry. Tour buses drive counter-clockwise on the Ring of Kerry. Option 2: Drive Around the Ring of Kerry Your other option is to drive. I much preferred driving, as it let my friend and I go at our own pace and pull over whenever we spotted an amazing view, which was extremely often. We had no trouble renting a car in Ireland. We rented the car online from Dooley Car Rentals and picked it up at the Dublin airport. There are also rental car companies based out of Killarney. The only unusual part of the rental agreement is that US travelers have to buy additional car insurance. If you’re renting a car in most other countries, your usual car insurance will extend to the rental. While driving lets you take your time and make stops on a whim, it does come with a significant extra challenge for US drivers: you have to adjust to driving on the left side of the road! At first, this arrangement made my brain feel like it was doing backflips, plus I kept driving too far to the left. Admittedly, my friend was the better left-side driver of the two of us, but I gradually got used to it, too. As long as you stay focused, you shouldn’t have too much trouble making the switch. As I mentioned above, buses go counter-clockwise along the Ring of Kerry. If you’re driving, should you go in the same direction as the buses or the opposite way? Remember to drive on the left side of the road! Fred Zhang/All rights reserved Which Direction Should You Drive on the Ring of Kerry? Should you drive with the buses or against them? That all depends on how confident you feel driving. If you drive in the opposite direction of the Ring of Kerry tour buses, then you may have to deal with passing them. As the road can get narrow and have steep drop-offs along the side, this might be an unwelcome extra challenge. If you don’t want to deal with passing tour buses on a narrow road, then you should go counter-clockwise. On the other hand, driving with the buses means that you might get stuck behind one of them. Staring at the back of a bus for most of your drive could mar the view a bit. If you’d rather not get stuck behind a tour bus, then you should probably choose the clockwise route! For the purposes of this guide, I’ll present the stops in the counter-clockwise direction, the same way that the buses go. If you decide to go the other way, then just scroll down and read this guide backward. Now that we’ve covered transportation, let’s go over all of the intriguing places and things you’ll pass on the drive, starting with a Ring of Kerry map. Ring of Kerry Map: All the Stops Along the Way Here’s the full Ring of Kerry map with pins for each stop. Click on each one for its full address, and scroll down to learn more about each stop! Since there are lots of points of interest, I’ll provide some suggestions for the best ones at the end of this guide. You can also plan your trip around your personal interests, whether you want to spend all your time photographing castles, hiking up mountains, or shopping in all the villages along the way. Whatever you choose, you really can’t go wrong. The drive itself is one of the best highlights of all! Since most of the Ring is remote, I’d suggest using a GPS, pre-loading your directions into Google Maps, and/or downloading a navigational app that works offline, like Here WeGo. You’ll have to download Ring of Kerry maps before you depart, but then you should be able to plug in directions offline. Any place you stay will probably also give you directions the old-fashioned way- with a paper map of the Ring of Kerry and circles around the places of interest. If all else fails, just keep driving. The Ring of Kerry is a ring, after all. Driving the Ring of Kerry: Full Guide Most people start and end their Ring of Kerry journey in the town of Killarney, so let’s start there. There are lots of Kerry hotels in Killarney, plus other hotels in Kerry villages along the way. Below is the full list of stops along the Ring of Kerry. Click on a stop to go to it directly, or just read on to learn all about the spectacular stops you'll encounter driving counter-clockwise on the Ring. Killarney Gap of Dunloe Kate Kearney's Cottage Beaufort Kerry Woolen Mills Killorglin Kerry Bog Village Museum Glenbeigh Cahirciveen Ballycarbery Castle Portmagee Skellig Islands: Skellig Michaels and Little Skellig Valentia Island St. Finian's Bay Balinskelligs Waterville Eightercua Stones Loher Stone Fort Derrynane Caherdaniel Castlecove Beach Staigue Fort Sneem Dunkerron Castle Kenmare Moll's Gap Killarney National Park Ladies View Torc Waterfall Muckross House Muckross Abbey Blue Pool Nature Reserve Ross Castle Innisfallen Island Now let's take a closer look at all the stops along the Ring of Kerry, starting with the most popular starting point, the town of Killarney. #1: Killarney Killarney is a colorful small town that looks like it was plucked out of the 19th century. As a popular destination, it actively maintains its historic charm. In fact, the Killarney town council banned plastic store signs in the 1980s so that the town would retain its pretty, old-fashioned look. While there are several great Ring of Kerry sights within a ten to thirty minute drive of Killarney- like Ross Castle, Muckross House, and Muckross Abbey- the town itself shouldn’t be overlooked. Killarney might not blow your mind like the Ring of Kerry landscape, but it has lots of enjoyable restaurants, pubs, shops, and galleries. Restaurants in Killarney You’ll find a variety of restaurants, from traditional Irish pubs to Thai and Mexican food. Some of the top restaurants in town are Rozzer’s, Bricin, Mareena’s Simply Food, Quinlans Seafood, Hannigan’s, and the Yew Tree. Before I visited Ireland, I’d heard mostly negative reviews of its cuisine. I found the exact opposite to be true, with lots of modern restaurants and delicious food from all over the world. Pubs in Killarney While I heard negative things about Ireland’s cuisine, I heard stellar reviews of its beer. That reputation was totally accurate; both the beer and cider are high-quality and easy to find. Some great pubs in Killarney are O’Connor’s Traditional Irish Pub, Jarvey’s Rest, The Danny Mann, Tatler Jack, and Dan Linehan’s Bar. Take a seat, order a Guinness, and, ideally, stumble upon an Irish â€Å"session† of local musicians playing the fiddle and accordion. Ireland is famous for its high-quality wool sweaters and blankets. Killarney Shopping Killarney’s shops are centralized in its downtown area. You’ll find the famously high quality wool sweaters from Ireland’s Aran Islands, jewelry, glass crafts, candles, souvenirs, art galleries, and old-fashioned candy shops. You can also shop at some name brand stores at the Killarney Outlet Centre. Historic Churches in Killarney Killarney has a couple 19th-century churches that are worth a visit if you like historic architecture. St. Mary’s Cathedral is a 19th-century Gothic Revival Church, and the 1879 Franciscan Friary is a simple stone structure. Killarney is a charming town that’s fun to explore or at least enjoy dinner the night before you depart on the Ring of Kerry. If you’re pressed for time, though, you might skip the town and concentrate on the drive instead, as the Ring of Kerry is the most memorable part of the trip! #2: Gap of Dunloe Daniel Dudek-Corrigan/Flickr You don’t have to wait long before the Ring of Kerry plunges you into Ireland’s unparalleled natural beauty. Just ten minutes or so from Killarney you’ll enter the part of N70 called Gap Road, or the Gap of Dunloe. The Gap of Dunloe is a 7 mile ( km) mountain pass between Purple Mountain and a range called MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. It passes five lakes: Coosaun Lough, Black Lake, Cushnavally Lake, Auger Lake, and Black Lough. Between Coosaun and Black Lake is a wishing bridge. You can stop here, make a wish on the bridge, and, according to local legend, your wish is destined to come true. Since the Gap of Dunloe is such a scenic route, it’s a popular spot for biking, hiking, horse-drawn carriages, and horseback riding. If you’re driving, go slow and expect that other people and vehicles will be sharing the road. #3: Kate Kearney’s Cottage Larry Koester/Flickr Kate Kearney’s Cottage is a 150-year-old restaurant and pub along the Gap of Dunloe. You’ll pass fields filled with flowers and horses before pulling into the parking lot of this charming, ivy-covered cottage. In the front of Kate Kearney’s sits a shop that sells local crafts and produce. In cooler months, you can sit by the open fire and enjoy pub food and dark beers. Every so often, the cottage holds a traditional Irish dinner with live music and costumed dancers. I stopped at Kate Kearney’s for lunch and especially enjoyed the fried brie with jam and homemade banoffee pie (toffee pudding pie with banana slices and fresh whipped cream). If you’re hungry, then stop here to get fortified for the trip ahead. If not, don’t worry- there are plenty of villages with pubs and restaurants along the way. #4: Beaufort Beaufort is a small village at the base of Carrantuohill, Ireland’s tallest mountain. By small village, I mean small; Beaufort has a population of only 160. The town center has a few pubs and guesthouses, so you could stay here as an alternative to Killarney. If you’re looking to stay somewhere remote, then Beaufort’s a good option. Otherwise, you probably would put this town lower on your list of Ring of Kerry priorities. One intriguing site near Beaufort involves an early written language. Outside of the town sit the Ogham Stones. These stones feature Ogham, the earliest system of writing to appear in Ireland. In Ogham, letters are represented by short horizontal lines etched across a long vertical line. You might see souvenirs of common names written in Ogham or jewelry featuring the ancient writing. #5: Kerry Woollen Mills These 17th century mills have been creating fabrics and yarn from wool for over 300 years! When they began, they used water from the adjacent River Gweestin to power machinery and wash and dye wool. Today, you can check out the mills and shop for high-quality wool sweaters, capes, scarves, blankets, and rugs. These mills are worth a stop if you’d like to buy wool clothing or a blanket. If you’re not looking to shop or don’t care for wool products, then you might skip these mills and save your shopping for other places further down the Ring! Sheep are a-plenty in Ireland, and so are wool sweaters! #6: Killorglin Killorglin’s another village along the Ring of Kerry. It’s a bit bigger than Beaufort with a population of 2,100. This town along the River Laune has a number of hostels, inns, pubs, restaurants, outdoor activities, and yearly festivals. Killorglin is definitely worth a stop if you want to go on an outdoor excursion. Because it’s on a river and close to the Atlantic, it has a lot of opportunities to kayak, canoe, and sail. You can also go climbing, hiking, orienteering, or camp overnight. Killorglin is also a good stop if you’re feeling hungry. The town has a variety of pubs and restaurants, and it makes its own beer, the Crafty Divils King Puck. You’ll see a bunch of references to King Puck beyond this pale ale, like the King Puck statue, a large, crown-wearing bronze goat perched atop a rock. According to legend, a goat helped save the people of Killorglin long ago when raiders were pillaging the countryside. The â€Å"puck† broke away from its herd and appeared in the village, alerting the people to the danger. This story is such a big part of Killorglin that the town has been hosting a 3-day Puck Fair every August for the past 400 years! If you’re driving the Ring in August, check to see if the Puck Fair is going on. You might also be interested in the K-Fest Musics and the Arts cultural festival in June or the Flavour of Killorglin food festival in September. Once you’ve had your fill of food and festivals in Killorglin, keep on driving southwest toward the Kerry Bog Museum. Order King Puck, a pale beer made in Killorglin! #7: Kerry Bog Village Museum With its glacier-carved mountains and cliffs and ancient stone ruins, the Ring of Kerry takes you back in time. The Kerry Bog Village Museum transports you to the 19th century, showing you the tough existence that people carved out for themselves in a peat bog. The Kerry Bog Village Museum features six dwellings with thatched roofs that have been restored to their original 1800s conditions. You can see how the blacksmith, thatcher, and laborers lived, as well as meet the native Kerry bog ponies and huge Irish wolfhounds native to the area. Irish wolfhounds may be all different colors, but all of them share one trait in common: they're huge. #8: Glenbeigh This area is called the Jewel in the Ring of Kerry. Here, you’ll see all the natural beauty that makes the Ring of Kerry great in one place: hills, mountains, rivers, beaches, and the wild Atlantic. It’s a popular place for hiking, nature tours, and horseback riding. I went horseback riding in Glenbeigh with Burke’s Beach Riding. We looped around Curra Mountain, descended into Horseshoe Valley, and rode along the sandy Rossbeigh Beach. The views over the sheep-filled fields and outstretched Dingle peninsula were spectacular, and horseback riding along the trails and beach was an unforgettable way to take everything in. Trail rides are available for both beginners and more experienced riders. I highly recommend doing one. #9: Cahirciveen Cahirciveen is a colorful small town with a population of around 1,300. Its main attractions are the Cahergal and Leacanabuaile forts, the remains of stone forts built around 600 AD that suggest the existence of an early Christian farming community. You could also visit the Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church, one of the only churches in Ireland named after a layperson, and old army barracks that have been turned into a heritage center. Cahirciveen is proud of its history as the spot where the first shots of the 1867 Fenian Rising were fired, a rebellion against British rule. Cahirciveen is worth a stop for the old stone forts, but if you're pressed for time or staying on the eastern part of the ring, then you could opt to see Staigue Fort instead. #10: Ballycarbery Castle Cord Cardinal/Flickr After Caherciveen, the next place you could stop is Ballycarbery Castle. This once proud 16th century castle on a hill now stands in ivy and moss-covered ruins. As a huge fan of evocative ivy-covered ruins, I’d put this castle high on the list of must-sees. It’s a quick stop, but it’s a quintessential Ring of Kerry sight. Check it out! Note about the next few stops on the list: The next four stops are actually located on Skelligs Ring, an offshoot of N70, which is the technical Ring of Kerry. You can visit the villages of Portmagee and Valentia Island, take a boat to the Skellig’s Islands, or drive along St. Finian’s Bay. If you don’t have time or interest to venture off the Ring, then feel free to skip down to #15 on this list, Waterville! #: Portmagee This village, located 10 minutes off of N70, has some restaurants and accommodations, so you can stop here for lunch or to stay overnight. It’s most notable as the gateway to the Skelligs Islands, though, as well as the town you pass through to take the bridge to Valentia Islands. #12: Skellig Islands: Skellig Michael and Little Skellig Arian Zwegers/Flickr These islands lie just off the coast of Portmagee. Both are protected as bird sanctuaries, and they contain bustling populations of puffins, gannets, Arctic terns, guillemots, herring gulls, razorbill, fulmars, manx shearwaters, and cormorants. You can take a boat around Little Skellig, and you can actually land on and explore Skellig Michael. When you get to Skellig Michael, you’ll see the other-worldly remains of a 6th century Christian monastery. Monks lived a remote existence in beehive-shaped stone formations. Everyday, they descended 670 steps to catch fish for their meals. The ruins are now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and they’ll look mighty familiar if you’ve seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens. At the risk of spoiling the ending for anyone, I’ll just give you a two-word reminder of the scene: Luke Skywalker. To tour the Skellig Islands, you can sign up for a boat tour from Portmagee, Valentia Island, or Waterville. As protected areas, the number of visitors each day is limited, so sign up early! #13: Valentia Island You can reach Valentia Island, one of the most western points of Ireland, by bridge from Portmagee. Valentia played an important role in history- it was one of the stops of the first ever successful transatlantic cable. You should come to Valentia if you want to go hiking or see the majestic sea cliffs. You can hike the Geukaun Mountain and walk along the 600-foot cliffs. You can also walk out to tetrapod tracks, prints preserved from an animal for the past 385 million years. If I didn’t emphasize it enough already, the Ring of Kerry will blow your mind with the extent of its far-reaching natural and human history. #14: St. Finian’s Bay St. Finian’s Bay, known locally as the Glen, kicks up the natural beauty into hyperdrive with rolling mountains on one side and views across the Altantic, Skellig Islands, and Puffin Island on the other. Because of its big waves, St. Finian’s Bay is especially popular with divers and surfers. Another draw is Skellig’s Chocolate, a small, family-run chocolate factory and cafe with beautiful views over the bay. #15: Balinskelligs Balinskelligs is a coastal village of about 350, and one of the few remaining places in Ireland where people still speak Irish! You can find some pubs, cafes, and restaurants here, as well as accommodations to stay overnight. The best stops are Balinskelligs Beach, locally known as Ladies Beach, and the nearby ruins of McCarthy Mà ³r Castle. If you do stay overnight, you can take a â€Å"dark sky tour.† Since the area’s so free of pollution and light, you can see the stars and planets in the night sky as our ancient ancestors did. Go star-gazing in Balinskelligs with one of their "dark sky" tours! #16: Waterville This tiny village has a population of only 540, but it has plenty of restaurants, cafes, pubs, and hotels if you’re looking for a meal or to stay overnight. Like Beaufort, it’s one of the stops where the first transatlantic cable was laid in 1865. In 1866, a ship left from Waterville and laid cable from Ireland to Newfoundland, thereby linking Europe to North America. Waterville has a bunch of outdoor activities, including cycling, fishing, surfing, horseback riding, golf, beaches, and nature tours. Every August it holds a Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival. Why? Waterville was a favorite vacation spot for Charlie Chaplin back in the day. #17: Eightercua Stones Robert Linsdell/Flickr Ready for some more old stone structures? The Eightercua Stones is an important stop on most Ring of Kerry maps because the standing stones date all the way back to 1700 BC! This east-west row of stones is thought to be a Megalithic tomb and possibly the burial place of Scà ©ine, the wife of a Milesian leader. The Milesians were a group of people that conquered Ireland. The tallest stone is nine feet, and the entire tomb stretches 25 feet. It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re a person who gets excited by ancient stone formations. And, honestly, who doesn’t get excited by ancient stone formations? #18: Loher Stone Fort Fast forward from the builders of Eightercua 2,500 years and you’ve got early Christians building a farm house inside a defensive wall. This 9th century stone fort overlooks Balinskelligs Bay. Again, it’s an intriguing and relatively quick stop if you’re interested in ancient ruins. #19: Derrynane This small village on the sea has beautiful sandy beaches and historical sites. The Derrynane Beach is a long, sandy beach sheltered by mountains. Nearby, you can tour the mysterious Derrynane Abbey, a 6th century abbey surrounded by graveyard that now sits in ruins overrun with plants. You can also check out Derrynane House, which was home to Daniel O’Connell, also known as the Liberator. O’Connell campaigned for independence from Britain in the 19th century. You can take a 30-minute guided tour of the house, learn about O’Connell and his family, and tour the surrounding 320-acre national park. Make time to see at least one beach along the Ring of Kerry, on foot or on horseback! #20: Caherdaniel This small village is most notable for the Caherdaniel Fort, a stone fort dating back to 600 AD. You can also find restaurants and hotels here, as well as beautiful views over Derrynane Bay. #21: Castlecove Beach This sandy beach is popular with locals and families. It has a good restaurant next to it, the Beach Side Restaurant and Bar. If you haven’t checked out a beach already, stop here at Castlecove. If you’re all beached out, then you can leave this one off your trip. #22: Staigue Fort Stefan Jurgenson/Flickr Staigue Fort is one of the most popular stops on the Ring of Kerry map when it comes to stone ruins. It’s a circular stone fort built as a stronghold for a lord or king sometime between 300 and 400 AD. This fort is especially impressive to historians because of its sophisticated engineering and stone masonry for the time. It’s a quick stop, but worth it to see what a 4th century fort looks like. #23: Sneem This charming small village on the River Sneem (population 600) is home to several artists and craftspeople, making it a good stop for shopping at galleries and craft stores. You might also enjoy Riney’s Bar and its traditional Irish pub food and atmosphere. Since it’s on the coast, you can find a few nearby beaches: White Strand Beach, Castle Cove, and O’Carroll’s Cove. #24: Dunkerron Castle This castle was built in the late 00s and converted into the Tudor-style around 1596. There’s only one standing wall left today. The rest is in ruins. Dunkerron can be tough to find, and you’ll have to off-road it a bit to get there. I wouldn’t highly recommend it unless you’re a diehard fan of ivy-covered castle ruins. Mary Sullivan/All rights reserved #25: Kenmare Of all the towns along the Ring of Kerry, Kenmare (population 2200) probably has the most to see and do. It has a range of hotels, BBs, hostels, guesthouses, and campsites, as well as a bunch of restaurants and pubs. Some of the best restaurants in Kenmare are The Mews Kenmare, Mulcahy’s Wild Garlic Restaurant, Packy’s, Number 35, PF McCarthy’s, and The Coachman’s. One fun Kenmare attraction is its annual October festival for needlepoint lace. During the Great Famine in the 1800s, sisters of the Poor Clare convent taught women and girls this skill to help them support themselves. Outside of the festival, you can buy lace, go to workshops, and watch demonstrations year-round. Two important historical sites in Kenmare are the Old Kenmare Cemetery and the Kenmare Stone Circle. The cemetery dates back to the 7th century, and it became a place of mass burials during the Great Famine. The Stone Circle was built between 2200 and 500 BC, likely for ceremonial purposes. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, then you might also remember the town’s name from the Quidditch World Cup. Kenmare was said to be home to the professional Quidditch team, the Kenmare Kestrels. #26: Moll’s Gap Tom Fahy/Flickr You’ll drive through Moll’s Gap on your way back toward Killarney, and you can pull over for a panoramic view of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks mountain range. Moll’s Gap is a popular stop for tour buses, and there’s an epic lookout point, as well as a souvenir shop and coffee shop. #27: Killarney National Park Once you’ve made it this far, you’re starting to get close to Killarney again. South of the town is the 25,000 acre Killarney National Park, the first national park in Ireland. About a quarter of it is made up by Lower Lake, Middle Lake, and Upper Lake. It’s the most extensive native forest in the country and has the only remaining herd of wild deer. The park is open year-round for hikers and bird-watchers. The next two stops, Ladies View and Torc Waterfall, are located in Killarney National Park. #28: Ladies View Ladies View is another popular stopping point for travelers on the Ring of Kerry. This viewpoint gives you sweeping views of the three lakes and mountains of Killarney National Park. Even though it can get crowded, it’s worth the stop for the National Geographic-worthy photographs. #29: Torc Waterfall Simon Caulton/Flickr This 70-foot high waterfall is just a five-minute walk off the road through pretty woodlands. It can get crowded, as the waterfall is a popular stop on the bus routes. For more gorgeous views over the lakes of Killarney National Park, you can climb 100 steps or so on the left side of the waterfall. #30: Muckross House This well-preserved Victorian mansion gives you guided tours of its furnished period rooms. Even if you don’t take a tour inside the house, you'll enjoy walking around the expansive grounds. Beyond the green lawns lie stone gardens, greenhouses, and working farms with sheep-shearing demonstrations. #31: Muckross Abbey Fred Zhang/All rights reserved This 15th-century abbey is surprisingly well-preserved, apart from the fact that it doesn’t have a roof. It was founded by Franciscan monks in 1448. The prettiest part of the abbey is the courtyard with a large yew tree in the center and a vaulted cloister. #32: Blue Pool Nature Reserve The nature reserve is a nice spot for walking through the woods, perhaps getting some glimpses of birds, deer, and other wildlife. The Cloghereen Blue Pool Walk takes you to the Blue Pool. Because of the limestone in the bottom, the pool can look bright turquoise. #33: Ross Castle Fred Zhang/All rights reserved Unlike some of the crumbling ruins along the Ring of Kerry, the Ross Castle is fully intact. You can tour the inside or just admire its stone exterior and the adjacent lake. Legend has it that its original owner, O’Donoghue, leaped into the lake with his horse, table, and library. He now lives in a palace at the bottom of a lake, watching over his castle and everything that goes on around it. You can rent boats and go out on the lake, as long as you’re careful not to disturb any 15th-century underwater ghosts. #34: Innisfallen Island Sandy Raidy/Flickr Across the lake sits Innisfallen Island and the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey. Monks lived here for 950 years until Queen Elizabeth I took it from them in 1594. Not cool, Elizabeth. On the island, monks wrote about the history of Ireland in the Annals of Innisfallen. Because of these records and the education offered here to monks and Irish kings, the lake got its name of Lough Leane, or the â€Å"lake of learning.† Once you’ve made your way through Killarney National Park and the stops along the way, you’ll end up right back where you started your journey, in Killarney! Whether you spent a few hours or a few days, you’ll see the stunning mountains, lakes, rivers, fields, and sea that make the Ring of Kerry one of the most beautiful drives in the world. With 34 stops (and then some, if you include all the spots of interest within each town), how can you choose which ones to include on your trip? While everyone's interests vary, here are my top picks for the best stops along the Ring of Kerry. Fred Zhang/All rights reserved Stops on the Ring of Kerry: Top Picks There are tons of places you could stop on the Ring of Kerry, but most of us don’t have days and days to explore. Unless you’re turning the Ring into a full-fledged, multi-day road trip, you probably want to know which stops are the best ones along the Ring. Here are my picks for the top Ring of Kerry attractions. Best Stone Forts: Staigue, Cahergal, and Leacanabuaile forts Best Beaches: Glenbeigh Beach and Derrynane Beach Best Castles: Ballycarbery Castle (for ivy-covered ruins) and Ross Castle (for a preserved castle that you can go inside) Best Historical House: Muckross House Best Lookout Point: Ladies View in Killarney National Park Best Town: Kenmare Best Day Trips: Skellig Islands and Horseback Riding If you don’t have time to drive the full ring, you might also choose just the west or east side and check out the top spots along the way. One common day trip from Killarney takes you to Muckross House, Muckross Abbey, Torc Waterfall, and Ladies View. Then you can drive back through Killarney and get dinner at Kate Kearney’s Cottage. Exploring the Ring of Kerry: Final Tips The Ring of Kerry is a special place, with breathtaking vistas, roaming animals, and ancient stone formations that give you glimpses into thousands of years of human civilization. Because there are picturesque villages filled with pubs and inns along the way, you can take as much time driving the Ring as you like. The best way to decide where you want to go and how long long you want to spend is to familiarize yourself with the stops along the way and decide which ones interest you most. If you’re excited to horseback ride and take a boat to the Skellig Islands, then you might plan a three-day Ring of Kerry trip. If you’d like to make just five to six stops, perhaps a castle, some stone ruins, a lookout point, Torc waterfall, and Muckross House or Abbey, then you could fit everything into one full day. Based on how beautiful the Ring of Kerry is, I’d advise overestimating the amount of time you’ll need to take your trip. That way, you can make unexpected stops and take your time on one of the planet’s prettiest drives. When you're driving the Ring, you might find that the fickle weather changes quickly and often from sun to rain and back again. While this unpredictable weather could mean you’ll get wet along your hikes or horseback rides, it has a silver lining- it creates prime conditions for rainbows. I saw some of the longest and brightest rainbows I’ve ever seen on my trip to Ireland. Standing beside the ivy-strewn ruins of a thousand-year-old castle beneath a rainbow, you’ll truly be in awe of the magic that dances across the rivers and mountains of County Kerry.

Is the war on Terrosim a lost cause Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is the war on Terrosim a lost cause - Essay Example It is imperative, before coming to a valid conclusion, to take an appraisal of a few facts. When it comes to the loss of manpower and resources, the statistics pertaining to the War on terror are disheartening. Since 2 January 2009, nearly 4,219 US army personnel have lost life in Iraq (Huffpost World 1). As per the National Priorities Project, roughly speaking, till now, $ 585 Billion have been spent by America on this war (Huffpost World 1). The sunny side of the issue is that since 9/11, primarily attributed to the War on terror, no major terrorist strike has taken place in the United States. First and foremost, the War on terror is fundamentally a great success because it is being waged to support a just and moral cause. In his article published in ‘International Affairs’, Anthony Burke declares the War on terror to be a just war preferable to an ethical but impotent peace (Burke 330). It is true that America is an economic and capitalist success. Yet, it is also tru e that Americans do have the capacity to stand for and fight for the values and morals that they essentially uphold and believe in. There is no denying the fact that terrorism is a sinister evil that intends to destroy and demolish the very fundamentals of the contemporary civilized world. The people who attacked the American lives and property on 9/11 were evil people and what they did do deserves to be checked and attacked. So from a strictly moralistic perspective, any act and war initiated and carried on to annihilate terrorism is just and positive, irrespective of the mixed results and costs it comes with. This war needs to be evaluated on the basis of the extent to which it has diluted the jihadist networks. The War on terror is somewhat different from the conventional wars in the sense that considering the deceptively undefined and segregated nature of the pursued enemy, it is not bound to have clear losers and winners. The War on Terror is not primarily about winning, but ab out achieving the desirable tactical and strategic objectives, which it certainly has succeeded in achieving (Martin 15). The jihadist and terrorist elements affiliated to Al Qaeda have safe havens in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle East nations. If left to themselves, they do have the potential to regroup and plan and to execute terrorist attacks against the US and other nations from these safe havens. Isn’t the elimination of Osama Bin Laden, the poster boy of international terrorism, by US forces in Pakistan and the dilution of many top Al Qaeda terrorists by the American forces in varied parts of the world, a sign of great success (Partlow 2)? What the War of terror has done and is doing it to keep the jihadist elements flustered and harassed in their safe heavens, while significantly eliminating their cadre and top leadership. The continuation of the War on terror is also essential to protect and safeguard the finite oil resources of the world. Many say that America i s fighting this war to capture oil (The Debate 1). Even if this aspersion is true, what is wrong with it? Oil is the lifeblood of not only the American economy, but also of most of the other developed and developing economies. One could definitely imagine the havoc that will be let lose, if the international community allows the jihadist elements a complete sway over this region rich in oil wealth. It is also clear what these terrorist groups will do with the wealth amassed from

Question answering on linked data Research Paper

Question answering on linked data - Research Paper Example Two searches are available, Navigation Search and Research Search. In navigational search, the user accesses the search engine as a navigation instrument to navigate to a particular targeted document. Semantic Search is not used in navigational searches. In Research Searching, the user feeds the search engine with a phrase is proposed to symbolize an object about which the user attempts to gather information. Rather than PageRank algorithm in Google, Semantic Web Search uses semantics to create highly pertinent searching results. This Search method can be used to retrieve the information from the data resource like ontology. Ontology1 is a technology used to facilitate the field knowledge to improve the query time used in Semantic Question Answering system. Data linking systems apply some of the systems identified in order to interweave Web data described in RDF. The following analysis studies some systems performing both automated and semi-automated data linking. Aqua log is able to learn the users language in order to improve the knowledge by the time. The user’s learning method is good in a way that it uses ontology reasoning to study and learn more general patterns, which could then be use again for the questions with analogous context.2 In this system Linguistic Component (LC) is used to change the NL questions into Query-triple format and Relation Similarity Service (RSS). The data model is triple based like {Subject or Object} type. The presentation is based on accuracy, recall and also failure types are referred individually. Averages of about 64 % of consecutive answers are retrieved from ontology with closed environment. ORAKEL used for computing planned answers of user query. It processes based questions as rational query type and information is symbolized with F-Logic and onto broker form. This system is

Marketing questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing questions - Essay Example These information’s may include the price of the commodity, date of manufacture and expiry date, nature of the product among other things. These informations provided are very important for both the customers and the companies in realizing the purchasing nature of the customers as well as in setting the prices of the commodities. Some of the information captured in the card from scanner data includes demographic factors of the client. The demographic data are date of birth and gender; customer’s contact address as well as residential area. They also include the customers name and national identification number. These information’s which are captured are very important for the companies as they help the company to strategize in efforts to enjoy competitive advantages over their competitors. They are useful in designing promotional strategy as it may only allow certain groups of customers who may have the card to enjoy certain discounts from the company. It will therefore be cost effective for the company when they use this cards with all the information contained (Khazanchi and Besley, 2012). The picture below present the package of choice which provides the good job in providing information related to the benefits of the product, safety, the manufacturer and direction to consumers on how to use the product. This package is very important to the consumer due to information it has which are relevant to the consumers. It educates the consumers on the ways of managing their weight loss which has become a challenge in the modern society. It does this by educating the consumers on how to do grocery shopping, exercise and smart eating. The product itself is very important in improving the individual’s health and has also been packaged in a bio-degradable package which makes it to be environmental friendly product which brings some benefits to the consumers. The company producing this package is responsible for a number of community sensation

Business Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Research Methods - Essay Example Today, highly advanced technologies are available and that can be used for various purposes of an organization. Information technology, mainly use of computer and software-assisted tools can be used for research and various other organizational functions. In research, different types of software can be used to ensure greater accuracy and dependability of the data or information being collected and studied. Purposes of Organizational Research Business organizations require useful, valid and accurate data in order to run the business effectively. When data are made available in the form of raw and they are converted to more useful, analyzed, synthesized and evaluated form, known as information, they are more helpful to managers to make appropriate decisions (Sekaran, 2003, p. 42). Basically, the research is conducted for two different purposes, one is to find a solution to a current problem faced by managers in specific work setting and it requires timely solution. This is known as app lied research. The second is to generate a body of knowledge in order to solve certain problems that are likely to occur within the organization. it is known as basic research (Sekaran, 2003, p. 7). For a business organization, financial and various other functional data play vital roles in decision making and many other managerial functions. For example, sales figures, gross and net profit, sales returns, reasons for sales return, commission or interest received, percentage increase in interest and profit and many other financial data are of greater use to the business. Both financial and management accounting departments can make use of these information for various decision making and strategic thinking processes. As Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005, p. 5) noted, business organizations are attempting to develop strategic monitoring programs in order to help them identify and recognize competitors’ strengths, weaknesses and overall business strategies. Business firms can establish computer-based analysis so that they can provide better information-management system to help them develop effective strategies and thus to sustain business success. As it is clear with any case, none can take decisions on any important issue unless a more deep investigation about that specific issue can be conducted. This investigation is more likely to help analyze all these information to make a judgment about the right solution to the specific problem being identified. Business Research with presently available software Generally, in recent years computer has become an integral part of business and it plays extremely significant roles in research as well. In simple terms, computer software like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and any other spreadsheet or document software that are currently available are widely used for various research purposes. All these sorts of software are used for recording, listing, analyzing, interpreting, calculating, controlling, evaluating and synthe sizing different types of data. For instance, Microsoft Excel can be used for calculations and data presentation in a large numbers of different formats. Apart from these very basic software tools that are widely used for organizational research, following are some of other software that have recently gained significant importance in research. 1- Groupware- Groupware is a software, linked to networking to help research team work on

Summary and response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summary and response - Assignment Example But your own argument has to identify the â€Å"they say† you are referring to make it clear to the audience (Graff & Birkenstein 43). Although we agree that you shouldn’t keep the readers in suspense for too long about your central argument, you also need to present that claim as part of some larger conversation. When responding to argumentative writing, it is often best to agree and disagree simultaneously. This allows you to avoid simple yes or no response and therefore present a more complicated argument. One can use templates to assist him in writing as they help one become more creative and original and I think it also provides a sense of direction too (Graff & Birkenstein 70). In â€Å"Her Point Is† Summarizing refers to any information from others that you present in your own words, including that which you paraphrase. It points out that a good summary requires balancing what the original author is saying with the writer’s own focus. One has to incorporate both the original author’s views and also give his or her own side of the coin. In summary writing you put yourself in someone else’s shoes send join in the conversation whether you are agreeing or disagreeing with the conversation. Just like how actors must convincingly become characters who in real life they detest. But the writer has to be cautious not to be carried away by his own influence and end changing the whole meaning and intent of the original text. In other words during summary, reflect both the source you are summarizing and add your own views (Graff & Birkenstein 115). However, the writer may decide to deliberately give his or her own spin to someone else’s argument in order to reveal a shortcoming in and this is referred to as Satirical Summary. The other may disagree or agree with the author or at times do

Environmental Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Environmental - Essay Example This means that France alone has a stronger economy almost compared to all the 22 countries put together. Germany (3,401.0) has a higher GDP than all the 22 countries combined. This is followed by Japan (5,964.0) and the biggest difference comes from USA (15,680.0) (CIA). This is to say that the USA has the strongest economy and has reliable economic power to exploit and control the oil in the Middle East. The 2012 GDP of Israel (240.9) lies way below that of the combined states in the Middle East. However, when compared to Gaza and Westbank combined (6.641) creates a very big difference. Israel lays a stronger economic position than the Westbank and Gaza by a minimum thirty six times. That translates to Israel having a lot of control in the region especially compared to its neighbour. The geo-political relations in the region have largely contributed to who owns much stake in the Middle East oil (Central Intelligence Agency). For instance, the USA, a world power and its allies (UK, France, Japan and Germany) therefore have a large stake in the control of oil in the Middle East. According to TÃ ©treault (2012), oil ownership and relations to the stronger powers have given some Middle East countries more power than others. TÃ ©treault, Mary Ann. "The Political Economy of Middle Eastern Oil." 2012. University of California Library. 30 January 2014

Summary and response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summary and response - Assignment Example But your own argument has to identify the â€Å"they say† you are referring to make it clear to the audience (Graff & Birkenstein 43). Although we agree that you shouldn’t keep the readers in suspense for too long about your central argument, you also need to present that claim as part of some larger conversation. When responding to argumentative writing, it is often best to agree and disagree simultaneously. This allows you to avoid simple yes or no response and therefore present a more complicated argument. One can use templates to assist him in writing as they help one become more creative and original and I think it also provides a sense of direction too (Graff & Birkenstein 70). In â€Å"Her Point Is† Summarizing refers to any information from others that you present in your own words, including that which you paraphrase. It points out that a good summary requires balancing what the original author is saying with the writer’s own focus. One has to incorporate both the original author’s views and also give his or her own side of the coin. In summary writing you put yourself in someone else’s shoes send join in the conversation whether you are agreeing or disagreeing with the conversation. Just like how actors must convincingly become characters who in real life they detest. But the writer has to be cautious not to be carried away by his own influence and end changing the whole meaning and intent of the original text. In other words during summary, reflect both the source you are summarizing and add your own views (Graff & Birkenstein 115). However, the writer may decide to deliberately give his or her own spin to someone else’s argument in order to reveal a shortcoming in and this is referred to as Satirical Summary. The other may disagree or agree with the author or at times do

Self assignment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Self assignment - Term Paper Example result, I like to come up with new ways of solving problems, and this often calls for innovation, as such I would like to think of myself as an innovative individual. However, sometimes I tend to go overboard and end up making matter worse with my â€Å"innovation† this is because I can get distracted and in my attempt to use new ways ignore old ones which may be better and more convenient. As I grew up, I was an avid reader of books and I often tried to practice some of the ideas I learnt in real life or to improve on them. For example, in junior high school, I along with 3 of my classmates won the annual science prize for coming up with a homemade solar powered lamp and water heater made from locally available materials including old disused solar panels. This attributes can be explained by my IEI, emotional intelligence test which were rated ENTP, this means I am a creative resourceful and broad minded individual quick on his feet and I can think about a wide range of issues objectively. New ideas exited me and I do not shy away from debating on any issue, since I have no inhibitions about offering my opinion accepting criticism or even giving some. In the IIC5 test, it emerged that I am a patient and strategic individual; I can spend hours on end mulling on a problem until I come up with a solution, as a result, I believe in looking for easier ways of carrying out tasks, but I do not cut corners or ignore protocol in for the sake of quick results. This is because to me it was worth taking time and effort to get good final result than to rush over cutting corners only to come up with substandard answers. This is an approach I have tried and tested over the years more so in my studies where I prefer to strategize patiently and always have a contingency plan in case the original one does not work. Despite this, I sometimes procrastinate and self-deceive that I am being patient while in reality am just avoiding to tackle a problem head on especially when I feel

The way weaponry has been portrayed. Essay Example for Free

The way weaponry has been portrayed. Essay Theme: The way weaponry has been portrayed. Throughout literature poets have used various literary devices in order to convey their message to the audience. Wilfred Owen has cleverly personified weaponry in the context of war and has woven it in his poems. This in turn accentuates the message he is trying to convey the paradox of War. The use of this tool is most prominent in three of his poems, The Last Laugh, Arms and The Boy and Anthem for Doomed Youth. In these poems he depicts weapons as sinister, flesh-hungry savages whose only purpose is to kill. In Anthem for Doomed Youth Wilfred Owen writes and elegiac sonnet moaning the loss of innocent life. Like his other poems to one too is steeped in irony. War he wants to point out is not fanfare and glory. It is dirt and muck and pain and struggle which ultimately end in death. His view of war is greatly influenced by his own experiences. Disenchanted, brutalised and lied to by his own nation he like so many others felt betrayed. They were taught that war was glorious and soldiers were proud and valiant, the truth of it was that war was none of these and soldiers were being herded like cattle to tthose deaths. He goes on to personify weapons in the Last Laugh as mocking the soldiers that they ruthlessly killed using words such as â€Å"guffawed and chirped† In the poem Arms and the Boy, Owen changes the portrayal of the weapon and showcases it as a toy that is being handed out to a child â€Å"Let the boy try along this bayonet-blade†. Along with the description of the weapon Owen also juxtaposes the loss of innocence that prevailed during the time of war. In the poem Sonnet On Seeing a Piece of Our Heavy Artillery brought into Action Owen portrays weapons as an object that has to be paid respect to, this is shown by the words ‘thou, thee’. He furthermore goes on to personify the guns by saying that he slowly lifted ‘thou long black arm’ and also describes the destruction that they eventually cause. The four poems have a lot of literary devices packed into them such as sound imagery, metaphors and personification which compliment his description of the weapons. World War 1 was the war that changed history. The use of mechanised weapons on an unsuspecting enemy proved to be the biggest challenge. Earlier war was seen as something glorious and even  chivalrous. World War 1 overturned that view, the senseless bloodshed, the ruthless use of weapons made this war anything but glorious. Owen was one such soldier who first hand experienced the horrors of war and unlike poets before him conveyed the reality of war. He and a few others were instrumental in ripping the faà §ade of the honour and glory that war claims to be. His poems are raw, undisguised versions of the harsh reality of what was occurring in the t renches of the Western Front. Wilfred Owen uses a significant amount of literary devices to convey how weapons play a large role in warfare. His poem the Last Laugh begins with an expletive, ‘Oh! Jesus Christ! I’m hit’ the title itself is rich in irony as the poem goes on to depict how the weapons that are personified ‘chuckle’ and ‘guffaw’ at the soldier’s death. Lines like ‘the bullets chirped, machine guns chuckled†¦and the Big Gun guffawed’ reveal the dark humour that underlies the poem. The use of onomatopoeia adds to the chilling darkness of the imagery, â€Å"tut tut and the way the splinter spat and tittered’ are evidence of this. His use of alliteration enhances the poetic tempo. The ‘lofty Shrapnel’ is personified as it ‘gestures leisurely’ at the dying man calling him fool. Weapons are further personified as grim, hostile entities. The Bayonets have ‘long teeth’ and grinned as ravels of shells ‘hoot and groan and gas hisses’. The use of capital letters to classify the weapons furthe r draws attention to their significance, in this case as purveyors of destruction. In Arms and the Boy, Owen depicts how innocence is destroyed by war. The title itself seems like an oxymoron because children are usually not associated with weapons. The poem begins with a calm suggestion of letting the boy try the bayonet blade and see how ‘cold the steel is’ The bayonet itself is personified as a creature with a predatory nature, ‘it’s keen with hunger of blood’ its appetite is further described as ‘famishing for flesh’ this use of alliteration of fricative sounds embellishes the rapacious nature of the weapon, it is described as being ‘blue with all malice, like a madman’s flash’ this simile conveys the cruelty and evil that is associated with this weapon. By using explosive sounds and the use of adjectives such as cold increase the sinister effect of the weapon. The second stanza similarly begins with a tender gesture asking the young boy to ‘stroke these blind blunt bullet leads’ the use of consonance  adds to making the bullets seem less deadly than they are words such as ‘ long to nuzzle’ portray warmth but ironically the euphuism , ‘in the hearts of lads’ stands for the death of young children. Cartridges are described as having fine zinc teeth, their sharpness is compared to ‘the sharpness of grief and death’ in saying ‘give him’ these weapons of destruction the poet is juxtaposing innocence with experience and death. Owen does so in a manner that seems innocuous asking the boy to play with these objects of death and destruction. The third stanza ‘his teeth seemed for laughing round an apple’ conveys the idea of childish innocence. The young boy does not have fangs nor ‘claws behind his fingers supple’. Furthermore Owen writes ‘God will grow no talons at his heels or ‘antlers through the thickness of his curls’. This conveys that God had not meant for man to be like a beast. Man needs to arm himself with weapons to don the mantle of a predator. In showing the young boy through the ‘thickness of his curls’ further implies how angelic and innocent he is. Owen is bereaved that he will one day pick up the weapons of destruction and will thus be robbed of his innocence. Owen uses many literary devices such as personification to depict the weapons he says the cartridges ‘have fine zinc teeth’ and the bayonet is described as being ‘keen with hunger of blood’. The poet alludes to Virgil’s epic the Aeneid ‘of arms and the man I sing’. The poem itself uses half rhyme and alliteration ‘famishing for flesh’, ‘blind blunt bullet leads’ to convey the tone of the poem which is largely sinister. In his poem ‘Anthem for doomed youth’ Owen takes the theme of how weapons destroy one step further. Here to the imagery is stark and the poem begins with sound imagery, ‘what passing bells for these who die as cattle?’ The reference to cattle further shows the diminished emotion that war instils in humans. Soldiers are equated to cattle and the death knells are merely in passing. Written as a Petrarchan sonnet with a ABA rhyme scheme Anthem for doomed youth vividly demolishes the myth of soldiers being valiant of glorious in battle. Here too weapons are personified guns are shown as having ‘monstrous anger’ and ‘the stuttering ripples rapid rattle’ The use of alliteration further enhances the sound imagery as the reader is transported back in time. Word s such as ‘stuttering and patter’ convey a sense of grief and hesitation. There is no one to grieve for those who have  died, ‘no mockeries now for them†¦nor any voice of morning save the choirs’ and these choirs are that of the ‘shrill demented, wailing shells’ by using words such as wailing and mourning Owen is trying to depict the harsh reality that the soldiers had to face. There is neither fanfare nor celebration ‘and bugles call for them from sad shires’ the soldiers are portrayed as the forgotten, remembered only in the ‘pallor of girl’s brows’ And in the ‘tenderness of patient minds’. Owen juxtaposes very interestingly the two themes of religion with war. The imagery of candles and flowers are harshly juxtaposed against that of death and pain. His use of mild innocuous language contrasts sharply with the violence of the action depicted. The two stanzas are starkly different as the first vividly describes the horror of war and the second the hope of the families left behi nd waiting for fathers, brothers, sons to return. The disillusionment and bitterness is illumined in this poem. The tone is contrite and bitter and a sense of irony pervades the poem. Written as a eulogy the heading conveys the theme perfectly, it is truly an Anthem for the youth who are doomed to die in a war that made no sense. In the Sonnet that Owen wrote he describes the weapons initially as an object those posses’ majestic qualities. He praises the gun by calling it â€Å"Great† which shows his respect for this artillery. He furthermore shows the Gun ‘towering towards heaven’ which shows that the gun is about to attack God himself, portraying the amount of power that it posses. He personifies the gun and lifted its ‘long black arm’. He also describes the canon as a weapon that protects its soldiers as well as kills. Throughout this poem he admires the weapons but the last two lines reveal his true perception of artillery. Harsh words such as ‘cut thee from our soul’ shows the level of resentment that he has against weapons as he also asks God to ‘curse thee’. The title itself is absurd as a Sonnet is a poem that is addressed to a lover however he uses it differently and uses it to both praise the weapons as well as criticise them. All of Wilfred Owens poems are bound by the sense of irony. His poems resound with pathos. He truly conveys the pity of war and doesn’t seek to elevate it as poets in the past did. His poems are stark snippets of reality as were experienced by young soldiers in trenches. The horror, the infestation the overpowering stench of war is all beautifully conveyed through his poetry. His poetry does not want to gloss  over reality it is reality.