Commedia Del’Arte Essay

Columbina is the perky maid of the ‘Old Man’, Pantalone. She is better dressed than the male servants as she is also a lady’s maid. She usually wears a knee length dress and an apron. The colouring of her clothes can be different in different acts, depending on her relationships with the characters and the scenario. She can be in a similar scheme to Arlecchino (where she is sometimes known as Arlecchina with similar diamonds and triangles), or if she is assigned to a rival family of Arlecchino’s, she can be in that scheme. In cases where she is an independent character, she can be in blacks and whites in the spirit of a French Maid. Columbina does not usually wear a mask but sometimes wears one covering only her eyes. Her signature props are a tambourine and a basket. Her physical appearance is attractive, perky and petite with a tiny waist, wide hips and lots of cleavage. She walks as if she is skipping on air with a little flick of the foot at the end of each step. All her posses are usually seductive and accentuate her cleavage. Her movement continues during speaking, shifting balance from one foot to the other and moving her head sharply as if searching for someone other than the person being addressed. She’s fast and nimble in order to escape unwanted attentions or to butt in, and can escape from a situation. She is happy and carefree, yet when assigned a task moves with speed and efficiency. This is one of her strongest traits in being a good servant. Her speech is sharp and gossipy with frequent variations of pitch. She Loves Arlecchino, but sees through him. She therefore scolds him, punishes him, deserts him, takes him back, but in the end he does not change and she has to accept him for what he is, which is still more lovable than Il Dottore, Pantalone and Il Capitano. She can be very affectionate to other characters as well, and her affections seem to flow through her physically, but she always holds something back. As a result she is pestered by other men, especially Il Capitano and Pantalone. She is always ready to help the Lovers, perhaps through natural sympathy with their plight. She is a spectator herself. She has a very strong relationship with the audience, almost confidential in the sense that she too can see what fools the rest of them are. She also often flirts with the spectators. She appears almost if not before her name is called, always being on step ahead of her master and finishes sentences for her master too, which she sometimes uses in her favour. When a situation gets out of control, she becomes the dominant voice to put everyone and everything back in its place. She even beats the male characters in strength and intelligence, sometimes even her master. ISABELLA Isabella is the daughter of Pantalone, the old man. Because of her fathers status she had the newest fashion, and usually showed off her wardrobe, wigs and shoes often. She wore stunning silk dresses, often in antique Renaissance style with necklaces of gold and pearls. She is young and attractive and modest but at times can be selfish. Isabella did not usually wear a mask but did sometimes wear a small mask that covered only her eyes. Her signature props are a handkerchief, book and a fan. She has a lack of firm contact with the earth. Her chest and heart appear heavy. They are full of breath, but then take little pants on top. Her posture is correct and tall and is always very proud. Her walk is small as her steps are little. Isabella’s posses are of an innocent and happy nature; leaning to one side with one leg pointed outwards, and hands in praying position touching cheek as if sleeping. Another is the back of her hand on her forehead, tilted back as if in agony as well as her chin resting on hands laying on top of each other or fingers interlocked and the head slightly tilted. Her movements are exaggerated, especially her hands and arms, which are like  feathers flapping in the wind. She often manipulates her hankie and frequently looks in a hand mirror. Any imperfection can spell disaster. Her speech is refined, however lacking pretentiousness and is never lost for the correct phrase. The lovers are in love with themselves being in love. They love each other, but are more preoccupied with being seen as lovers. They often feign mild hatred. She is extremely aware of being watched and plays with the audience for sympathy in their plight and ccasionally flirts with spectators. She is flirtatious, headstrong, has dramatic intensity and feigned madness due to passionate love and can be prudish. She can be hot and cold. i.e. prone to mood swings and is a tease with an independent will. She is vain, petulant, spoilt, full of doubt and have very little patience. She has a masochistic enjoyment of enforced separation because it enables her to dramatize their situation, lament, moan, send messages, etc. When her and Lelio do meet they are almost always tongue-tied and need interpreters who proceed to misinterpret their statements, either through stupidity (Zanni), malicious desire for revenge (Brighella) or calculated self-interest (Columbina). Isabella’s attention span is short like a young child’s and her fear that she might be a nobody keeps her hyper-animated. ARLECCHINO Arlecchino has an enduring magical power, a testimony perhaps to the mystery of it origin. He is a servant and jester, usually to Pantalone, but also frequently Il’Capitano, or Il’ Dottore. He wears a tight-fitting long jacket and trousers, sewn over with random, odd-shapen patches of green, yellow, red and brown – possibly remnants of leaves†¦ The jacket is laced down the front with a thong and caught by a black belt worn very low on the hips. The shoes are flat and black. He wears a beret, or later a malleable felt hat with a narrow brim, with a feather or tail of a fox, apparently this was a sign of the wearer being a butt of ridicule. Coloured in deep earth tones with warm coloured diamond shaped patches, Arlecchino is always ready to spring into action in a clumsy yet graceful manner. He is ragged, yet sleek. His wears a mask that gives him a low forehead with a wart and has small round eyes. Arlecchino’s signature props included his batocchio, meaning in Italian ‘ clapper inside the bell,’ which he always carries. He is continuously in a lowered position, with his hands on his hips with his thumbs in his belt. He walks in sly and comical way by taking a couple steps followed by a quick tip toe. This walk shows alacrity; he also uses it to show off in front of Columbina. His joints are often loose and floppy. When Arlecchino spots someone, the mask moves first; he then hops round and into the gesture of greeting. He is physically quick and slow mentally, in contrast with Brighella (who can, however, be fast physically when he needs to be). His gestures extend to the fingertips with each digit having a separate articulation. His speech is guttural and hoarse from street hawking and the are no pauses or silences for the sake of effect – he either speaks continuously or doesn’t speak at all. Arlecchino is in love with Columbina, but his sexual appetite is immediate in terms of any passing woman. He is occasionally aware the audience is there and can make asides during which he gives his full attention to the spectators before returning to complete absorption in the action. His character is a mixture of ignorance, naivete, wit, stupidity and grace. He is both a rake and an overgrown boy with occasional gleams of intelligence, and his mistakes and clumsiness often have wayward charm. His acting is patterned on the lithe, agile grace of a young cat, and he has a superficial coarseness which makes his performances all the more amusing. He plays the role of a faithful valet, always patient, credulous, and greedy. He is enternally amorous, and is constantly in difficulties either on his own or on his master’s account. He is hurt and confronted in turn as easily as a child, and his grief is almost as comic as his joy. Lelio Lelio is one of the lovers (Isabella’s partner) and is usually the son of Il Dottore or has no relations. He is high in stature, but is usually brought low by the hopelessness of his infatuation. He wears the latest fashion, which at that time was to be dresses as a young soldier or cadet. Sometimes he dressed in an over fashionable colour scheme that was very feminine with a great deal of flair. Lelio is young, attractive, modest, courteous and gallant. He occasionally wears a mask that covers only his eyes but often went unmasked. His signature prop is a handkerchief. His feet have a lack of firm contact with the earth, making his stance and walk air like. His chest and heart appear heavy and full of breath. His legs are usually tightly together, with only one foot firmly planted on the ground, and the other crawling upward like he has to go to the loo. He does not walk as much as tweeter, due to the instability of his base. First the head leans the other way to the body sway. Then the arms have to be used, one above the other, as a counterweight like and off balance tip toe. His pose can be anything that might look Vogue and whenever he is sitting, his legs are crossed in a feminine matter. Lelio’s movements are well-to-do but ridiculously exaggerated. His movement comes at the point of overbalance, leading to a sideways rush towards a new focus, with his arms left trailing behind. When stopping at the new point (usually the beloved or some token thereof) before almost touching it. The Lovers (he and Isabella) have little or no physical contact. When there is any, the minimum has maximum effect. Lelio is often holding a handkerchief or flower, etc. in his leading hand. His arms never make identical shapes and because of his vanity, he  frequently looks in a hand mirror, only to become upset by any minor imperfection that is discovered. He is always looking to see if a ribbon or sequin is out of place. A button found on the floor or a blemish in the coiffure equals disaster. His speech makes great display of courtly words and baroque metaphors, also knowing large extracts of poems by heart. He speaks softly in musical sentences which are often flamboyant, hyperbolical and full of amorous rhetoric. When it comes to women, his words are the only thing that shows that he might have any interest. His body language, actions, tone, all contradict any infatuation he may have with a female. The only reason why he would express an interest in a female is because he loves the idea of love. However he seems genuinely more in love with himself and other male characters before he is in love with a woman. He relate exclusively to himself – he is in love with himself being in love. The last person he actually relates to in the course of the action is often Isabella. When he and she do meet they have great difficulty in communicating with each other (usually because of the nerves). And they relate to their servants only in terms of pleading for help. The Lovers love each other, yet are more preoccupied with being seen as lovers, undergoing all the hardships of being in such a plight, than with actual fulfilment. Consequently they frequently scorn each other and feign mild hatred; they rebut, despair, reconcile, but eventually end up marrying in the way of true love when the game is up and they know they cannot play any more. Lelio is extremely aware of being watched. He plays with the audience for sympathy in their plight and occasionally flirts with spectators. Lelio is indispensable. Without him and his inability to resolve problems with Isabella, there would be no struggle between the ineffectuality of youth and the implacability of age. The lovers are never alone on stage –  they always have someone with them or spying on them.

Mitch Tooley

English Assessment Plaster cast and Fresh bait The stories I have chosen to talk about today are Plaster Cast by Archimede Fusillo, and Fresh Bait by Sherryl Clark. I have chosen to talk about these particular stories, because the ways in which they are similar captured my interest when reading them. Both stories feel as if they are written from end to beginning. They unfold slowly, keeping the reader in rapt suspense, on the edge of their chair, until the very end, when the story takes its last breath to reveal to the reader the horrible, unforeseen truth.The authors of these two stories employed many techniques to create works that are similar in some ways, dissimilar in others. It is these different techniques I will talk to you about today. One of the most important elements of a short story is characterization. In both stories, the author intertwines the concepts; confusion and suspicion to portray their individual protagonists, letting out small details to intrigue the reader a nd make them wonder about the characters. In plaster cast, Miranda (the main protagonist) is a new art student entering gruesome sculptures into her school art show. uote â€Å"They’re not fit for a school art show† pg49 Her character is slowly developed and revealed through these sculptures, that seem eerie and â€Å"too lifelike† for comfort. Similarly to Plaster Cast, the character traits of the main protagonist in Fresh Bait are revealed slowly. The unnamed character remains to the reader a mystery, as we are left to stumble slowly yet blindly after her on her strange journey. Similarly to Miranda, the anonymous hero in Fresh Bait seems somewhat strange to the people around her who cannot understand the peculiar things the does. uote â€Å"I walked back a few paces, bent down and noted his number plate. † Pg19 Structure Language Technique comparison The Technique in these stories is quite different. In fresh bait the language techniques mostly include adjectives, listing and a few similes and metaphors, quote â€Å"Called up the list in my head again. Blue Holden new. Sales Forty-Fifty. Finger. † Pg21. This quote is an example of listing. The language techniques in the plaster cast mostly include adjectives and repetition. Quote â€Å"They could be living things. Breathing, pulsating, living things. † Pg49

Chapter 12 Triwizard Tournament

Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the window, Harry could see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase. â€Å"Blimey,† said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, â€Å"if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak – ARRGH!† A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron's head and exploded. Drenched and sputtering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry, just as a second water bomb dropped – narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at Harry's feet, sending a wave of cold water over his sneakers into his socks. People all around them shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire. Harry looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again. â€Å"PEEVES!† yelled an angry voice. â€Å"Peeves, come down here at ONCE!† Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling. â€Å"Ouch – sorry, Miss Granger -â€Å" â€Å"That's all right, Professor!† Hermione gasped, massaging her throat. â€Å"Peeves, get down here NOW!† barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles. â€Å"Not doing nothing!† cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. â€Å"Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!† And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived. â€Å"I shall call the headmaster!† shouted Professor McGonagall. â€Å"I'm warning you, Peeves -â€Å" Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely. â€Å"Well, move along, then!† said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. â€Å"Into the Great Hall, come on!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped and slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors on the right, Ron muttering furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair off his face. The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Pearly white and semitransparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and insuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck. â€Å"Good evening,† he said, beaming at them. â€Å"Says who?† said Harry, taking off his sneakers and emptying them of water. â€Å"Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving.† The Sorting of the new students into Houses took place at the start of every school year, but by an unlucky combination of circumstances, Harry hadn't been present at one since his own. He was quite looking forward to it. Just then, a highly excited, breathless voice called down the table. â€Å"Hiya, Harry!† It was Colin Creevey, a third year to whom Harry was something of a hero. â€Å"Hi, Colin,† said Harry warily. â€Å"Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!† â€Å"Er – good,† said Harry. â€Å"He's really excited!† said Colin, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. â€Å"I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?† â€Å"Er – yeah, all right,† said Harry. He turned back to Hermione, Ron, and Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses, don't they?† he said. He was judging by the Weasleys, all seven of whom had been put into Gryffindor. â€Å"Oh no, not necessarily,† said Hermione. â€Å"Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?† Harry looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be rather more empty seats there than usual. Hagrid, of course, was still fighting his way across the lake with the first years; Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the entrance hall floor, but there was another empty chair too, and Harry couldn't think who else was missing. â€Å"Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?† said Hermione, who was also looking up at the teachers. They had never yet had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had lasted more than three terms. Harry's favorite by far had been Professor Lupin, who had resigned last year. He looked up and down the staff table. There was definitely no new face there. â€Å"Maybe they couldn't get anyone!† said Hermione, looking anxious. Harry scanned the table more carefully. Tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow-faced, hook-nosed, greasy-haired Potions master, Snape – Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts. Harry's loathing of Snape was matched only by Snape's hatred of him, a hatred which had, if possible, intensified last year, when Harry had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's overlarge nose – Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own school days. On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which Harry guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very center of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons. The tips of Dumbledore's long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought. Harry glanced up at the ceiling too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it. â€Å"Oh hurry up,† Ron moaned, beside Harry, â€Å"I could eat a hippogriff.† The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. If Harry, Ron, and Hermione were wet, it was nothing to how these first years looked. They appeared to have swum across the lake rather than sailed. All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school – all of them except the smallest of the lot, a boy with mousy hair, who was wrapped in what Harry recognized as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat. The coat was so big for him that it hooked as though he were draped in a furry black circus tent. His small face protruded from over the collar, looking almost painfully excited. When he had lined up with his terrified-looking peers, he caught Colin Creevey's eye, gave a double thumbs-up, and mouthed, I fell in the lake! He looked positively delighted about it. Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song: A thousand years or more ago, When I was newly sewn,There lived four wizards of renown, Whose names are still well known: Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, Fair Ravenclaw, from glen, Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad, Shrewd Slytherin, from fin. They shared a wish, a hope, a dream, They hatched a daring plan To educate young sorcerers Thus Hogwarts School began. Now each of these four founders Formed their own house, for each Did value different virtues In the ones they had to teach. By Gryffindor, the bravest were Prized far beyond the rest; For Ravenclaw, the cleverest Would always be the best; For Hufflepuff, hard workers were Most worthy of admission; And power-hungry Slytherin Loved those of great ambition. While still alive they did divide Their favorites from the throng, Yet how to pick the worthy ones When they were dead and gone? Twas Gryffindor who found the way, He whipped me off his head The founders put some brains in me So I could choose instead! Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong, I'll have a look inside your mind And tell where you belong! The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished. â€Å"That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us,† said Harry, clapping along with everyone else. â€Å"Sings a different one every year,† said Ron. â€Å"It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one.† Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment. â€Å"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool,† she told the first years. â€Å"When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table. â€Å"Ackerley, Stewart!† A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool. â€Å"RAVENCLAW!† shouted the hat. Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him. Harry caught a glimpse of Cho, the Ravenclaw Seeker, cheering Stewart Ackerley as he sat down. For a fleeting second, Harry had a strange desire to join the Ravenclaw table too. â€Å"Baddock, Malcolm!† â€Å"SLYTHERIN!† The table on the other side of the hall erupted with cheers; Harry could see Malfoy clapping as Baddock joined the Slytherins. Harry wondered whether Baddock knew that Slytherin House had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other. Fred and George hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down. â€Å"Branstone, Eleanor!† â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!† â€Å"Cauldwell, Owen!† â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!† â€Å"Creevey, Dennis!† Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forward, tripping over Hagrid's moleskin, just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers' table. About twice as tall as a normal man, and at least three times as broad, Hagrid, with his long, wild, tangled black hair and beard, looked slightly alarming – a misleading impression, for Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew Hagrid to possess a very kind nature. He winked at them as he sat down at the end of the staff table and watched Dennis Creevey putting on the Sorting Hat. The rip at the brim opened wide – â€Å"GRYFFINDOR!† the hat shouted. Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors as Dennis Creevey, beaming widely, took off the hat, placed it back on the stool, and hurried over to join his brother. â€Å"Colin, I fell in!† he said shrilly, throwing himself into an empty seat. â€Å"It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!† â€Å"Cool!† said Colin, just as excitedly. â€Å"It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!† â€Å"Wow!† said Dennis, as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more than being thrown into a storm-tossed, fathoms-deep lake, and pushed out of it again by a giant sea monster. â€Å"Dennis! Dennis! See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? Know who he is, Dennis?† Harry looked away, staring very hard at the Sorting Hat, now Sorting Emma Dobbs. The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving one by one to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the L's. â€Å"Oh hurry up,† Ron moaned, massaging his stomach. â€Å"Now, Ron, the Sorting's much more important than food,† said Nearly Headless Nick as â€Å"Madley, Laura!† became a Hufflepuff. â€Å"Course it is, if you're dead,† snapped Ron. â€Å"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch,† said Nearly Headless Nick, applauding as â€Å"McDonald, Natalie!† joined the Gryffindor table. â€Å"We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?† Gryffindor had won the Inter-House Championship for the last three years in a row. â€Å"Pritchard, Graham!† â€Å"SLYTHERIN!† â€Å"Quirke, Orla!† â€Å"RAVENCLAW!† And finally, with â€Å"Whitby, Kevin!† (â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!†), the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. â€Å"About time,† said Ron, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate. Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome. â€Å"I have only two words to say to you,† he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. â€Å"Tuck in.† â€Å"Hear, hear!† said Harry and Ron loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes. Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully as Harry, Ron, and Hermione loaded their own plates. â€Å"Aaah, ‘at's be'er,† said Ron, with his mouth full of mashed potato. â€Å"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know,† said Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"There was trouble in the kitchens earlier.† â€Å"Why? Wha' ‘appened?† said Harry, through a sizable chunk of steak. â€Å"Peeves, of course,† said Nearly Headless Nick, shaking his head, which wobbled dangerously. He pulled his ruff a little higher up on his neck. â€Å"The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast – well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council – the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance – but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down.† The Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost, a gaunt and silent specter covered in silver bloodstains. He was the only person at Hogwarts who could really control Peeves. â€Å"Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something,† said Ron darkly. â€Å"So what did he do in the kitchens?† â€Å"Oh the usual,† said Nearly Headless Nick, shrugging. â€Å"Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits -â€Å" Clang. Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention. â€Å"There are house-elves here?† she said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"Here at Hogwarts?† â€Å"Certainly,† said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. â€Å"The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred.† â€Å"I've never seen one!† said Hermione. â€Å"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?† said Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning†¦see to the fires and so on†¦.I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?† Hermione stared at him. â€Å"But they get paid?† she said. â€Å"They get holidays, don't they? And – and sick leave, and pensions, and everything?† Nearly Headless Nick chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck. â€Å"Sick leave and pensions?† he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. â€Å"House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!† Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food, then put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her. â€Å"Oh c'mon, ‘Er-my-knee,† said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding. â€Å"Oops – sorry, ‘Arry -† He swallowed. â€Å"You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!† â€Å"Slave labor,† said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. â€Å"That's what made this dinner. Slave labor.† And she refused to eat another bite. The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark glass. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings. â€Å"Treacle tart, Hermione!† said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell toward her. â€Å"Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!† But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up. When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard. â€Å"So!† said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. â€Å"Now that we are all fed and watered,† (â€Å"Hmph!† said Hermione) â€Å"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. â€Å"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it.† The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, â€Å"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. â€Å"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.† â€Å"What?† Harry gasped. He looked around at Fred and George, his fellow members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbhedore went on, â€Å"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -â€Å" But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped. The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen.It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye – and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness. The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbhedore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side. The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students. â€Å"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?† said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. â€Å"Professor Moody.† It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him. â€Å"Moody?† Harry muttered to Ron. â€Å"Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?† â€Å"Must be,† said Ron in a low, awed voice. â€Å"What happened to him?† Hermione whispered. â€Å"What happened to his face?† â€Å"Dunno,† Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination. Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Harry saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot. Dumbledore cleared his throat. â€Å"As I was saying,† he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, â€Å"we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.† â€Å"You're JOKING!† said Fred Weasley loudly. The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. â€Å"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley,† he said, â€Å"though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar.† Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. â€Å"Er – but maybe this is not the time†¦no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Dumbledore, â€Å"where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament†¦well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. â€Å"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities – until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.† â€Å"Death toll?† Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and Harry himself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago. â€Å"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament,† Dumbledore continued, â€Å"none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. â€Å"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.† â€Å"I'm going for it!† Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, Harry could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more. â€Å"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts,† he said, â€Å"the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This -† Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious – â€Å"is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion.† His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. â€Å"I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. â€Å"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!† Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall. â€Å"They can't do that!† said George Weasley, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. â€Å"We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?† â€Å"They're not stopping me entering,† said Fred stubbornly, also scowling at the top table. â€Å"The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!† â€Å"Yeah,† said Ron, a faraway look on his face. â€Å"Yeah, a thousand Galleons†¦.† â€Å"Come on,† said Hermione, â€Å"we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move.† Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George set off for the entrance hall, Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen from entering the tournament. â€Å"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?† said Harry. â€Å"Dunno,† said Fred, â€Å"but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though,† said Ron. â€Å"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?† said Fred shrewdly. â€Å"Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names.† â€Å"People have died, though!† said Hermione in a worried voice as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase. â€Å"Yeah,† said Fred airily, â€Å"but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk? Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?† â€Å"What d'you reckon?† Ron asked Harry. â€Å"Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? But I s'pose they might want someone older†¦.Dunno if we've learned enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I definitely haven't,† came Neville's gloomy voice from behind Fred and George. â€Å"I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to – oops†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Neville's foot had sunk right through a step halfway up the staircase. There were many of these trick stairs at Hogwarts; it was second nature to most of the older students to jump this particular step, but Neville's memory was notoriously poor. Harry and Ron seized him under the armpits and pulled him out, while a suit of armor at the top of the stairs creaked and clanked, laughing wheezily. â€Å"Shut it, you,† said Ron, banging down its visor as they passed. They made their way up to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was concealed behind a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress. â€Å"Password?† she said as they approached. â€Å"Balderdash,† said George, â€Å"a prefect downstairs told me.† The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall through which they all climbed. A crackling fire warmed the circular common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables. Hermione cast the merrily dancing flames a dark look, and Harry distinctly heard her mutter â€Å"Slave labor† before bidding them good night and disappearing through the doorway to the girls' dormitory. Harry, Ron, and Neville climbed up the last, spiral staircase until they reached their own dormitory, which was situated at the top of the tower. Five four-poster beds with deep crimson hangings stood against the walls, each with its owner's trunk at the foot. Dean and Seamus were already getting into bed; Seamus had pinned his Ireland rosette to his headboard, and Dean had tacked up a poster of Viktor Krum over his bedside table. His old poster of the West Ham football team was pinned right next to it. â€Å"Mental,† Ron sighed, shaking his head at the completely stationary soccer players. Harry, Ron, and Neville got into their pajamas and into bed. Someone – a house-elf, no doubt – had placed warming pans between the sheets. It was extremely comfortable, lying there in bed and listening to the storm raging outside. â€Å"I might go in for it, you know,† Ron said sleepily through the darkness, â€Å"if Fred and George find out how to†¦the tournament†¦.you never know, do you?† â€Å"S'pose not†¦.† Harry rolled over in bed, a series of dazzling new pictures forming in his mind's eye†¦.He had hoodwinked the impartial judge into believing he was seventeen†¦.he had become Hogwarts champion†¦he was standing on the grounds, his arms raised in triumph in front of the whole school, all of whom were applauding and screaming†¦he had just won the Triwizard Tournament. Cho's face stood out particularly clearly in the blurred crowd, her face glowing with admiration†¦. Harry grinned into his pillow, exceptionally glad that Ron couldn't see what he could.

Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Research proposal - Essay Example Additionally, the use of blogs permit people to run dedicated news websites through which they communicate relevant news items to their target audience. In this research, I will investigate the differences between the blogging culture and the traditional news media with the view of determining the differences and similarities in their reporting of news to their diverse audiences. By doing this, my research will help all stakeholders including traditional media companies, bloggers and the consumers of news items to employ caution when using the facilities their roles present. Responsiveness is a journalistic value that news disseminators must maintain. The research investigates the prevalence of objectiveness and responsiveness in news dissemination and access and therefore advise accordingly. Research Background Blogging is a personal form of communication in which users maintain and market pages on the internet to their target audience. Traditional media on the other hand refers to the radio, television and newspaper some of the oldest modes of news dissemination. Most of the traditional media companies currently run dedicated news websites owing to the technological developments and the conveniences of the internet. In their websites, such companies maintain the reporting standards used in their traditional media and therefore employ several gatekeepers and custodians of their information. Their use of the internet through dedicated websites puts them among the same companies and bloggers. Just any other social media, blogs permit anyone with the access to the internet to become a mass communicator. This implies that both the traditional media and the bloggers compete for the same market even though the bloggers may not expect as much benefit as the traditional media. Since they serve the same purpose in the society, the application of journalistic ethics and discipline must be equal. However, this is never the case especially with bloggers most of who lack j ournalistic training and the financial ability to afford gatekeepers as is the case with the traditional news media. As a user of the different social media and a student of journalism, I foresee that the research will establish major discrepancies and conflict of interests in the manner in which the two news sources disseminate their news to their audiences. Bloggers enjoy an anonymity and rarely face any legal tussle in relation to their news coverage. Traditional news media on the other hand have physical addresses, organizational structure with clearly labelled flow of information. It is therefore predictable that the news coverage by the two differs and has varied effects in the society. Scope In conducting the research, I will analyse how the media have covered the Australian forest fire, a major international disaster and a great human-interest story to the global audience. I will observe the coverage of the tragedy by the CNN and the BBC two leading global traditional new me dia and compare the two with the numerous blogs that reported the tragedy. Both the CNN and the BBC have dedicated websites, which cover their stories a feature that makes the comparison and contrast an easy observation assignment. Theoretical framework The research requires adequate information on the journalistic principles and ethics in order to note the professional flaws and the difference in the two news sources. To do this effectively, I will use three sources that address the issues therein, the

Describe at least 5 scenes of the movie Rossie the Riveter Review - 2

Describe at least 5 scenes of the Rossie the Riveter - Movie Review Example It was explained that Lewis worked with a strong white woman from Arkansas who would smooth down the other side of the rivet once it went through. Also, bucking required more strength and Riveting required more skill. What is interesting is that we have a black woman and a white woman working side by side, completing two different but equally important roles. This is interesting because much of the country still employed segregation policies and having blacks work alongside whites seems significant. The next important scene was the analysis of Rockwell’s painting of Rosie the Riveter. What is important to note is that the character has both strong masculine and feminine features. The feminine features are that she is wearing lipstick, nail poish, penny loafers, rouge, she keeps a compact and handkerchief in her pocket, her visor looks like a halo and she is depicted as eating which is considered a domestic practice. Rosie’s masculine features are that she has a leather arm band, she has big arms, dirty overalls (women didn’t typically wear pants), and Rosie is carrying a large and heavy riveting gun. This is significant because it really portrays that women can complete the tasks necessary to get the job done but also hold onto their feminine identity. The next scene is the discussion of the US Office of War Information publishing the magazine of war guide which was aimed at giving ideas to the publishers of magazine for how to attract female workers. This was described as a government lead effort to recruit women workers. Ultimately this is significant because it represents that the government officially recognized that women were important not only for domestic roles but also for industrial and other commercial roles. The next scene follows the same trend as the last scene in which the War guide in September 1943 recommended that all magazines write about women in the workplace with the goal of emphasizing that all jobs that women completed

Scarlet letter Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scarlet letter - Annotated Bibliography Example 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. It is a comprehensive article that delves into the main character of the novel, Hester Prynne. Her character, personality and experiences are analyzed and extensively evaluated. It also tackles the symbolic roles she, as a woman, represents from the time that she moved from England to the United States, her act of adultery to her husband, and the harsh punishment and condemnation that she had to face thereafter. Press, 1985. Print. It is a collection of different essays written by scholars and literary critics that explores the themes and implied messages that the story conveys, from the roles of the characters to the experiences that they undergo throughout the whole novel. Additionally, the essays also discuss the significance and impact of the book in today’s literature, analyzes the different elements, which contains and expresses varying premises about the Puritans in the United States, sexuality, sin, gender roles, life and

The Ways We Lie by Stephanie Ericsson Coursework

The Ways We Lie by Stephanie Ericsson - Coursework Example Ericsson creates a very good impression of the article from the very start by giving an account of her own lies she told to avoid hurting people or to save herself from some loss which encourages the readers to move forward and analyse his own. Her verification of the impossibility of spending the whole day without a lie makes her sound natural. Her deep inspections of the reasons behind the small lies which are spoken by people justify them for being spoken with good intensions. At the same time her example of those lies which, though spoken to save people from being hurt, but affecting them for longer period of times as the truth make them cherish hopes and take wrong decisions confirms her consciousness about the sensitivity of the subject she is handling. She has also informed the readers about her own confusion about deciding between telling a lie or speaking the truth makes the readers take the matter seriously while keeping in mind the consequences of both options. The format that she has chosen to express her observation and analysis makes her sound precise and focussed avoiding unnecessary details as she has divided the subject matter into types and further elaboration is given in points. Ericsson’s attempt to include different types of people telling different types of lies in variety of situations demonstrates her vivacious effort to make the article comprehensive. To gain this effect she even touches the sublime issues and illustrates the universal existence of lie. But the fine analysis of the article finds many loopholes in this piece of work. The main loophole that dissatisfy the reader is its lack of proper presentation of the subject matter even its being organized as it gives so many examples under the heading f different types of lies but there is lack of reason that why people do not find enough courage to speak the truth and rely on lies. She finds that lying finally puts one at losing end but she does not provide the readers with th e solution of avoiding it or the way that makes the listener less offended and accept the truth. At some points readers get confused at the repetition of the ideas and remain unable to distinguish one type of lie from the other. Though the examples about the lies are interesting but the reader still finds boredom as they keep on going without any diversity in the idea and thus the format has failed to enhance the understanding of the reader. Lies however destructive may be but there is no denying the fact that they are inevitable in daily life and are often told with good intentions so as to save close friends or relatives to from being hurt. People tell lies to avoid problems and gain material benefits without putting any other person in loss. Some people do so as do not have the courage to speak truth and escape the reality by telling a lie to not only others but also to themselves. There come many situations in life when people find refuge in the domain of lie and save themselves from harm and do not feel guilty as they do reasoning within themselves and find their lie a justified act. The White Lie is the most common type of lie that people usually speak to maintain good relationships and build their own good reputation and the consequences of these lie do not bring any harm to any of the persons. For example, a person arranges a party at his home and invites some of his close friends to spend some quality time with him. Now, another close friend of

Media's influnces Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media's influnces - Research Paper Example As such, the power that media has upon the lives of individual around the globe is dynamic and likely will increase as globalization and media integration continue to be evidenced. As a function of seeking to understand the impact that media has on stakeholders within society, the following analysis will engage the reader with some of the most prominent ways in which media impacts the way in which people think, act, and define/constrain their lives. A negative aspect regarding the current realities of media coverage and terrorism is with respect to the overall level of understanding that continual 24/7 coverage of terrorism related events ultimately has upon societal consciousness. If one considers, for instance, the recent Boston bombing was indicative of the way in which media proliferation and continual coverage worked to undermine any type of understanding, realization, or remorse for the events and focused upon anything but rational or substantiated reports. In effect, the media circus that surrounds many of the terrorism incidents, especially those take place to mastic way, has escalated to such a scale as to diminish any semblance of professional reporting and devolve this into something of a media circus/frenzy in which each and every potential angle and/or hearsay is given air time and discussed as a means of continually providing the viewer/listener/reader with a new take, a new stance, or new information concerning the topic at hand. Ultimately, all of this is done as a means of providing the media outlet with a further level of revenue. This is due to the fact that they are solely and completely aware of the realization that their profits and revenues are contingent upon their ability to continue to manufacture and engage the participant with what can be considered â€Å"new† information. Understanding that is necessary to continually compete with the viewer/reader/listener’s attention, these media outlets engage in a form and level of coverage that would have been unheard of that a few years previously. Although such a level of analysis is circumstantial at best, the reader could seek to create a level of understanding between the rapid increase in global terrorism and the rapid increase in media coverage that it is garnered over the past 10 years time. The profit-driven nature of the news media strikes at the very core of the issue up for discussion within this analysis. Ultimately, the very sad reality is that the news media derives a very great deal of profitability of the suffering and magnitude of harm that both man-made and natural disasters in her around the world (Thomas 53). At Within such an understanding, it becomes quite obvious to the reader that the news media is ultimately desirous of events such as terrorist actions which will greatly increase the scope of viewership that they would otherwise derive any one particular time. Although this is indeed sadistic, a rapid increase in viewership as a res ult of terrorist action allows for the news/media outlets to rapidly increase its profitability. Once again, although such a reality is difficult to fathom and completely understand within an ethical interpretation of the current paradigm, it is nonetheless true and impacts upon the extent and level to which terrorism is engaged and the extent and level to which societal stakeholders are presented with a continual influx of

Experimental economics, history of trust game Essay

Experimental economics, history of trust game - Essay Example This is why there is sometimes a collusive tendency in an oligopoly. There are four distinct models of it, namely, the kinked demand curve, cost-plus pricing, the price leadership and collusive pricing (McConnell and Stanley, p.224). The first experiment conducted relative to the Ultimatum Game was by German economists Guth, Schmittberger and Schwarze or collectively known as GSS in 1982. What they dis was to divide 42 students where one is Player 1 or the allocator and the other is Player 2 or the recipient. Each Player 1 is asked to allocate however much of the German marks to Player 2. The core of the experiment is simple, if the allocator does not give the recipient anything then they both receive nothing, after a week they were asked to return. This is the basic principle of a simple Ultimatum Game. They found that it is much easier to interpret the bahavior of the recipients. A low offer is viewed as an offshoot of a sacrifice rather than accepting the low amount. The following week, the offer of the allocators became much less while there are two motives in the offer of allocators. The first motive is simple fairness and the other is anxiety over rejection because they may see that an unfair amount may be rejected. It may be either of these reasons or both that ise moving factor for their offer (Thaler, p.196-197). Berg, Dickhaut and McCabe performed an experiment to determine trust behavior among comsumers in a controlled environment. The basis of their study is anonymity. In the presence of which, consumer behavior is reverted to nonexistent as there is no knowledge or relation between buyer and seller at first meeting. This is presupposed by Arrow’s suggestion that â€Å"transaction costs trust is ubiquitous to almost every economic transaction† (p.123). Moved by questions of factors affecting trust in economic behavior, the experiment sets out to eliminate preconceived notions and subject the participants into a trust game. The experime nt guaranteed complete anonymity and the participants only get to invest once, thereby, they controlled the setting and â€Å"eliminate(d) mechanisms which could sustain investment without trust; these mechanisms include reputations from repeat interactions, contractual precommitments, and potential punishment threats† (idem). The experiment found that there exists reciprocity and that decisions of the subjects depend upon their interpretation of each room’s behavior. If it depends upon mutual benefit, then the there is a higher likelihood to reciprocate in that scenario and it is conjunctured with trust. Social history was found to be a determining factor in this analysis. This factor inclines the person toward trusting the other. To further eliminate this fator, those who are recruited were not a part of any previous sessions and they were provided a summary a no history background affects the results (p. 124). The participants were given $10 to invest at various sta ges throughout the experiment. The experimenters expected that they will realize sending money in the first stage is risky as there is no concrete evidence of reciprocity. In stage two, it was predicted that they will release money and third where money triples, it is the ideal stage that they will send their money. As a result, they concluded that primitives trust and reciprocity are the moving facors in decision-making among the investors. â€Å"By inventing property rights and allowing social history, society stimulates norms of

Remaining Competetive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Remaining Competetive - Research Paper Example This requires a critical evaluation of the existing factors and how firm can actually improve them to achieve its cost reduction objectives. Further, it is also critical to consider whether the firm can improve upon its efforts of innovation and become more creative in designing its basic products and delivering them through successful marketing initiatives. Effectively delivering mass customization is also another consideration. (Lihra, Buehlmann, & Beauregard, 2008) In order to remain competitive within this industry, it is important to remain innovative and creative. Since the industry thrives upon how quickly and effectively a firm can actually develop consumer friendly designs therefore are important. Firm can easily compete in this industry because it has a dedicate team of designers which deliver excellent designs. In order to make them more innovative, it is important to impart more knowledge and training to the designers. Further, the firm access to technology which can help it to reduce the cost and improve its total output level. One of the key primary factors is the fact that the firm has been considered as one of the premium suppliers of the furniture in the market. Being featured in top magazines provides it one of the strongest brand images in the market and market acceptability at the global level. Further, it is also important to note that the firm has high quality designers which can continue to provide innovative products in the market. Effective presence in local communities as well as label of premium brand is two important things which are positive factors for the firm. Though the market may be shrinking and dependent on other factors however, the firm’s own position in the market which provides it an edge over others in the market. Community involvement is also the main factor which can improve the overall corporate social responsibility image of

The Design Control System for a Stepping Motor Coursework

The Design Control System for a Stepping Motor - Coursework Example Logistically, at the outset this was frought with various problems. First of all, stepping motors are usually not wired with digital circuits. However, that is fast changing as the technology has evolved in order to make such a thing possible. Stepping motors usually have circuits, but they have not necessarily been digital ones. Thus, this was particularly a unique approach in the sense that this would be one time this would be attempted in which it would be purely experimental, although this report is written in an analytical style and from an analytical viewpoint. Also, let the reader not be mistaken-this has been done before. There is really nothing that necessarily distinguishes this project from other digital circuits that have come before in other types of apparatuses. In that sense-although experimental-this project that was taken on was really based in nothing novel. This was simply an approach in order to better understand how such a circuit would work, and, in that regard, at least in this writer's humble estimation, it had a fair modicum (at least) of success. Technological enhancements have changed the way we as a human race think about many things, apparatuses such as the stepping motor included. We realized that it was not only possible to include digital technology in our workplaces and in our homes, but also in objects such as the stepping motor. Necessarily so, it is the technologically savvy scientist who will recognize the major achievement in making this circuit digital. Not only will a digital circuit be less prone to wear and tear, but it also has the possibility of encouraging a sustainable environment. In the era we are living in, many people are concerned about how much energy certain practices will consume. With digital technology, we have less to worry about. The discussion surrounding the stepping motor will henceforth be begun. Hopefully it will illuminate the project as well as inform the importance of the project. II. Literature Survey The problem with a stepping motor is that there are several levels through which the signals need to pass. In a d flip-flop circuit, this is most certainly the case. There are 32 different points on the circuit

The characters in eastenders Essay Example for Free

The characters in eastenders Essay The characters in Eastenders are very stereotypical Londoners, the accent, the clothes and the way of life. Where as in Emmerdale theyre country farm type people. Their way of life is completely different that goes without saying the setting is completely different Eastenders is based in Albert Square and the Queen Vic-everything happens within these limitations and Emmerdale is based on a village and the Woolpack this is a much wider limitation. The story lines in theory are very similar but are conveyed completely differently. The camera angles used in Emmerdale arent as good as Eastenders because in Emmerdale it seems theyre limited to two cameras in each scene and theyre usually close ups of faces but in Eastenders they use 3+ cameras per scene and use a mix of tracking and close ups! In both soaps the characters all seem to have problems and big mishaps in their lives. In Eastenders ALL the characters are linked in one way or another which is done very cleverly. Its pretty much the same in Emmerdale the characters are mostly linked due to past history or such like. Using the limitations in both soaps causes intensity as everything is happening in the same place! In both shows you generally see the same faces. The shows are both based on roughly 25+ characters. The story lines are very dramatic and the acting in Eastenders is that bit better than Emmerdale but theyre both done so well. It seems inn both soaps life always goes on and story lines are forgotten with the click of a finger by characters and the audience. This happens in nearly all soaps! The audience Eastenders is aimed at is roughly 10+ due to the timing of 7:30-8pm where as Emmerdale is aimed at 8-9+ as its on at 7 O clock! In real life we have our ups and our downs but I feel it seems in Eastenders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street for that fact that everybody just has downs!!! In real life people do have complicated social relationships but in Eastenders AND Emmerdale it seems no one ever doesnt have them.-This is very fake. The television presents soaps very well and its clear lots of thought goes into all soaps but I feel that more thought and money go into Eastenders rather than Emmerdale. The meanings of most big story lines are to help others who are either in the same situation or having a bad time to boost their confidence or to draw in viewers. Eastenders story lines are more OTT and they are easily leaked to TV mags and newspapers I think this is to draw viewers but it just spoils the story lines because 99% of the time you know exactly whats happening! The audience find it appealing to watch others lives being messed up and problems happen because it makes them feel better and see their problem from another perspective and think maybe my lifes not so bad! This is good and is conveyed in all soaps. Both Eastenders and Emmerdale have a couple of really bitchy characters, which are really amusing to watch. The props in the scenes in both well thought out and in Eastenders the endings(cliff-hangers) are extremely well thought out to make you want to watch the next episode. There are several Genres within soaps these include comedy, horror mainly reality and many more. Some scenes in Eastenders and Emmerdale are funny and cheer you up and you can look back on them and still chuckle but, then again some of the scenes and story lines thought up are horrific and disgusting and you feel you dont want to watch any more but youre dying to find out what happens! There are themes within Soaps, these are the story lines within Genres! Themes are used to support views. The style in Eastenders of story lines is to take a story line and over dramatises it x10. Where as in Emmerdale the story lines are less dramatised and more realistic but this isnt what people want to see they want to see big problems and arguments. This is what makes Eastenders more popular soap of the two. The scene setting sets a basis of the soap i.e.: in Eastenders the common accents and in Emmerdale the farms etc! The presentational device is much better conveyed in Eastenders. The cast size in both soaps is roughly the same and there are about 15 main characters in each! These play the superior roles and the others play large roles but are labelled extras. In both soaps there are swines and people that are just gits and theres also the sort of people who are lovely and friendly to everyone weather they like them or not! Not everyone has someone to fall back on in soaps and this is realistic and usually leads to them doing something stupid or bizarre. Eastenders and Emmerdale are two very different, popular and competitive soaps! They both have a good narrative structure and convey stories and problems brilliantly. But thats what most of the story lines are stories and not facts or real life situations. The denotation(what is seen) is always done to a high standard in Eastenders and a good quality in Emmerdale and usually gives a clear connotation (what the denotation means!) They have a variety of Genres, which define the conventions of each story line. This forms on going story lines which isnt always a good thing because sometimes they drag on and put people off the soap! The general over exaggeration, dramatisation, tone and imagery form the presentational device within soaps. This is deep in both soaps. This causes the effect of addiction. You watch one episode and find yourself asking questions like what happened between so and so and is she always that bitchy etc then you find you cant wait until the next episode! We get so caught up in the lives of the characters their lives take priority over ours and we make time to see what is happening. The characters in both soaps use different facial expressions and tones of voice to form the structural device. This is built in to convey a point this is regularly used in both Emmerdale and Eastenders! The audience identification(what makes the audience like the soap) is the characters, you become loving or hatred towards them with characters like Little Mo(EASTENDERS) and Kathy(EMMERDALE) you want to give them a hug and some friendly advice but with characters like Trevor(EASTENDERS) and Kaine(EMMERDALE) you want them to be locked up and the key thrown away. The content of the soaps on a basis of realism is surprisingly very low because the realism of story lines is probably 90% but the way theyre conveyed takes them down to about 40% this isnt a bad thing as the audiences do love it! To round up my essay Id say Eastenders isnt realistic, it is addictive, the actors and actresses are brilliant, it has the most dramatic story lines, its camera work is more effective and its the most popular soap at the moment. To round up Emmerdale Id say its a nice location, the actors and actresses are good and very realistic, the camera work could be improved by an extra camera and the story lines could be dramatised a little more this would make the soap a lot more popular!

Why is Corporate Governance Important?

Why is Corporate Governance Important? What is Corporate Governance? Why is it important for Business? Corporate Governance can be defined as the organizational structure of a company. It encompasses the overall processes, operations and policies by which a company is controlled and functions. According to James McRitchie corporate governance is  ¹most often viewed as both the structure and the relationships which determine corporate direction and performance`. Within the governing body of a corporation there are various stakeholders. Stakeholders are individuals which are of great importance to the company because they contribute directly or indirectly to its economic activity. Stakeholders retain different degrees of importance within an organization depending on their title or function which are some of the following: shareholders, the board of directors, employees, customers, creditors and suppliers. All together this group of individuals defines a corporate community in which day to day business is conducted and must be sustained in order for the company to survive. Similar to any other community, where there are conflicts of interests, miscommunication, or other organizational problems it affects the entire community and others around it. However is this applicable to the business world? Is corporate governance important for business? Firstly corporate governance implies the notion of hierarchy. As mentioned above the rights and importance of any stakeholders involved in the economic life of the company varies in function of the roles the individual holds. Following this logic we can identify the key actors within the governing structure of a company: shareholders who own shares of stock and have a right of ownership over the dividends which they receive from their stock and the right to vote on company matters such as electing the board of directors. In return the members on the board of directors oversee the management of the company and are paid in cash or stock for the responsibilities they are obliged to fulfill by contract to the company. In terms of internal management the employees of the company supply their skill and expertise in exchange for financial compensation (salary and bonuses). Another important stakeholder is the customer, who pays for the companys product or services because he/she believes in the value it retains for them. Amongst other stakeholders such as suppliers and creditors the customer is essential to a companys activity because a satisfied customer base represents 80% of a companys profits. In order for us to understand corporate governance it is important for us to comprehend that it is a multi-lateral issue, and thus it influences the choices of stakeholders and the outcome of company transactions and relations with the rest of the world. It is important for companies to take into account external factors such as: competition. In order to stay solvent and relevant, companies must engage respective strategies and face other corporate adversaries on the free market. Equally debt management is important as companies need to make sure that their assets outweigh any short-term and long-term debts on a regular basis. Also government regulations should be taken into account as they differ from country to country. For example in the United States corporate governance is known to be very free-market orientated but in North Korea legislation has a tough hold on corporate decisions. Finally the media and other instances are actors of external pressure as they force companies to uphold a certain social standard in their day to day operations, public relations and more and more today their ecological impact on the environment. In todays economic climate no company can afford to be scrutinized in the mass media as this decreases th eir popularity and trust with clients. The trust of clients is an immeasurable asset that can almost never be reacquired once it is lost. Take for example the American International Group that was under a severe media backlash back in 2009 after it was discovered that it was paying huge bonuses to employees of its financial services department during the financial crisis. President Obama expressed his discontentment during a press conference:  ²its hard to understand how derivative traders at A.I.G. warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay. How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat? Existing customers and potential customers need to be reassured by a companys, performance history, social responsibility initiatives but overall its integrity. And this is why corporate governance is critical for business; the atmosphere which it creates has to be one of congruence where it can be held accountable for doing what it says and what it stands for. Another one of the facets of this is issue the internal domain of corporate governance, where the management structure (CEO, middle management) is concerned with maximizing company profits in order to increase shareholders profits. This is motivated by a prospect of self-interest and higher gain (promotion, bonus etc†¦) which generates a need to perform in order to reach that goal. Likewise employees are motivated in a similar way to do their job. However their needs are not directly correlated with that of the members of the upper management structure who have larger responsibilities and more information within the same organization. This situation is called information asymmetry when one corporate body has more information than another. This can create conflict within the workplace if this type of imbalance is not managed. Furthermore employees working in high profile positions such as CEOs may be prone to act out of character and make bad decisions because of the immunity the y may enjoy through their status. For example the Jerome Kerviel former French trader of Societe Generale abused of the companys confidence to commit fraudulent transactions during his late professional career. As a result, the company lost:  ³near â‚ ¬5 billion ( £3.7 billion) in a rogue trading fraud according to the London Times. This example of bad behavior known as a moral hazard, when an individual protected from risk within an organization behaves differently than he or she would have behaved if they were fully exposed to the risks they took. In order for companies to protect their clients and themselves from similar fates they must implement effective rules and regulations that enable internal and external auditing bodies to monitor theyre day to day activities. Therefore rules that corporate governance create must be strong, as the Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli said: Where there are sound laws there is a strong army, for there cannot be a strong army where there are not sound laws. Corporate law ensures that natural rules and regulations are in place in order to encourage correct business practices in the corporate world. Overall good corporate governance should input regular auditing processes. Interiorly, within the company itself an internal auditing body should monitor the companys financial health. In addition to this, the same should be implemented exteriorly through an external auditing company in order to get an objective perspective on company statements and verify their integrity. Also a sound board and management system must be put in place, separating every main executive function throughout the organization. Historically this minimizes the moral hazard factor in the workspace and encourages transparency and a clear flow of information within the institution. The Toyota Motor Company is a fine example of this; the company management structure allows the free flow of information and enables each employee to contribute to operational activities at every scale of the production process. This has had positive effects for Toyota mainly in terms of productivity and logistics efficiency. Finally all stakeholders should be aware of their rights and duties; this minimizes confusion in long-term strategy and goals of the company. Furthermore a clear ownership structure is critical to a corporations legal validity; it has to be a registered and recognized institution according to the appropriate corporate law regulation of the country in which in conducts its business. In conclusion corporate governance is an important component of business. As we have demonstrated affects every facet of business organizations and the various stakeholders involved. Furthermore because of the hierarchal nature of corporate governance it becomes evident that good leadership is equally essential. Members within executive, managerial, technical and administrative positions have to work within their respective roles to create an atmosphere of seamless affinity in terms of corporate governance. Leadership is important but in the context of corporate governance the whole body of the organization is vital, hence the root of the word corp in corporate. Nevertheless corporate governance must retain a standard of order; this is where the term governance gains more weight. Historical facts show that sustained order is the key to the long-term effectiveness of an organization; General Electric is prime case of this. Within the 200 year life span of the company, good choices and exceptional leadership have made General Electric today the most valuable company in the United States with a market cap of 300 billion US dollars. From this we can draw the conclusion that corporate governance is indeed important and will surely continue to gain more and more value in the world of business in the future.

The Impact Of Oil Spills Biology Essay

The Impact Of Oil Spills Biology Essay An oil spill can be defined as the accidental release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the surroundings or the environment due to human activity. An oil spill is a form of pollution that has devastating effects on the environment. The term oil spill is sometimes used to refer to marine oil spills where there is a release of oil into the ocean, coastal waters or any other water body. On the land the oil spills are usually restricted and their impact can be eliminated quite easily compared to marine oil spills. The main cause of marine oil spills is associated with the oil transportation by tankers and oil pipes which makes up of about 70 percent of all the oil spills. The remaining percent of oil spills comes from offshore drilling, wells and spills of refined petroleum products such as petrol and diesel and also their by products. The occurrence of large and catastrophic spills that can release up to 30,000 tons of oil or even more is relatively rare. The frequency of such events in recent times had gone down perceptibly. But this took a different turn when we experienced the worse and largest oil spill ever recorded in history, the deep water horizon oil spill also known as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill or the BP oil spill. Though some oil spills may not be as extensive or worse like the BP oil spill they still possess the capability to cause serious ecological risks to sea birds and mammals. The result is the long term environmental disturbances that occur in coastal zones. Oil spills also have an impact on the economic activities of the people that depend on the sea for a livelihood. Public outcry over oil spills has led to the coming up of impressive technical, political and also legal experiences in managing oil spills. Causes There are various factors that can lead to oil spills which range from accidents, carelessness to deliberate dumping. Tanker accidents are one of the popular causes of oil spills. Tankers can sometimes crash or run into un- expected land causing a crack or hole that allows oil to escape. They are highly publicized by the media and they release large volumes of oil into the oceans. Globally only a small percentage of oil spills occur as a result of tanker accidents such as explosions, hull failure, running aground or even collisions. Tanker accidents result in oil spills that are very harmful because of the large volumes of oil released at once. This poses a serious threat to the lives of marine animals and also sea birds. The spillage of oil due to a loading or unloading problem is another category of tanker accidents. This kind of spillage is the most frequent of the oil spills. Statistics show that between 1974 and 1998 there were 3,000 such accidents. However in comparison to acci dents caused by collisions or groundings, their destruction is relatively minor. Another cause of oil spills that is very common is known as runoff from the land. Engines that are land based e.g. car engines function on petroleum fuel and also petroleum based lubricants. The engines slowly release these substances leading to their accumulation on roads and in the ground. These minor everyday spills and leaks of oil from automobiles end up poisoning the soil. The motor oil can also find its way down through storm drains into sewers which drain into rivers and eventually out into the sea. Natural seepage is another cause of oil spills especially in the oceans. When the earthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s tectonic plates move sometimes they release oil from the reserves trapped deep within the ocean floor. Human activities in the ocean such as drilling can also accelerate natural seepage. Natural seepage rarely happens on land and when it does ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not much of a concern. The reason why natural seepage is disastrous to the ocean is because of the fact that oil is less dense than water, thus when released by the undersea tectonic disturbances it will always float leading to major oil spills. Oil extraction is another cause of oil spill. As oil is extracted from underground reserves it is often spilled in land and also in the sea depending on where it is been extracted from. To test a newly tapped oil well, the oil is allowed to flow out forming a geyser of oil spewing into the sky and all of that oil is allowed to spill. Accidents also do occur regularly in the oil extraction wells resulting in spillage (Stille 7) Oil shipping trucks and pipelines are another cause for oil spills. Pipelines that transport oil underground can develop cracks and leaks over a period of time which allows oil to flow into the environment. These leaks can be as a result of natural catastrophes such as hurricanes and earthquakes. They can also result from poor maintenance resulting in structural failure or from deliberate vandalism and attacks. Tanks or oil shipping trucks can be involved in road accidents thereby instigating an oil spill. Majority of this causes are as a result of human error or carelessness which fall under controlled factors. Oil spills may also occur due to machinery breakdowns, illegal dumping of oil and also intentional spillages. Effects Oil spills can have an impact on the environment, the economy, health and also the society as a whole. These effects can be long lasting and hard to get away with. Many oil spills have been documented in the scientific and technical literature though not all of the effects of oil pollution are completely understood and documented, an indication of the possible scale duration of damage can usually be found in the information available. However it can also be difficult to present a balanced view of the realities of oil spills given the fact that they are highly charged. Also the emotional nature of a spill and its aftermath can bring difficulties. Oil spills result in both immediate and long term damage to the environment. Some of the damages that oil spills cause on the environment can last for decades after the spill occurs. There are various notable effects caused by oil spills on the environment. Harsh effects that oil has on the coastline or shoreline are the highly visible parts of an oil spill. Unless a concerted effort to clean up the shoreline is made the oil basically stays on the shore until the weather and time breaks it down a process that is extremely slow. The gooey mass that makes up an oil slick will litter the shoreline with an ugly black tar making it very dangerous since the shoreline is where much marine life is concentrated. Shorelines provide nurseries for fish and marine life, by contaminating the shoreline the oil possess a threat and are dangerous to the marine life in the area (walker 20). Marine mammals such as dolphins, seals, whales and sea otters are killed by oil spills. The damage done to these animals can take different forms. The blow holes of whales of dolphins and whales are sometimes blocked by the oil making it hard for these animals to breathe properly and also to communicate effectively. Oil also coats the fur of otters and seals leaving them vulnerable to hypothermia. If the animals are able to escape these immediate effects the oil spill causes damage to their food supply by contaminating it. When the animals eat fish that has been poisoned by the oil spill they die or experience other problems. Oil spills take a deadly blow on the fish, shellfish and any other marine life. Sea birds are largely affected by oil spills and are seen as among some of the most vulnerable animals of open seas. Any oil spill in the ocean offers a death sentence to the sea birds. Some may relocate if they sense danger on time. However birds that dive into the waters for their food or gather on the sea surface are faced with the danger of being covered with oil. Most of the sea birds die from drowning, starvation and also from loss of body heat due to the destruction of the birdà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s feathers by oil. Some birds also die after ingesting oil during attempts to clean themselves. Oil spills leave long term damage to animal species, their habitats, nesting and breeding grounds that these animals need for their survival. This is one of the most far devastating environmental effects of oil spills. Though some species spend their lives at sea such as turtles they always come ashore to lay their eggs. Oil can harm these creatures if they encounter it either on the beaches where they nest or at sea. The eggs will be destroyed by the oil and fail to develop properly. Oil spill will have an effect on the economy in a negative way. The impact can range from loosing oil through the cost of cleaning and also the cost incurred due to lost productivity in certain industries due to the damage of shorelines and beaches. Direct economic costs brought about by oil spills can include the actual loss of oil from the spill. These direct costs will be small if the spill is small. In the case of a larger spill the costs will be much higher. The damage to the wildlife brought about by the oil spill will bring about costs incurred while cleaning the birds. The cost in lost fisheries will be another cost brought about by oil spills. Oil spills destroy beaches leading to a loss in tourism in areas where beaches and nearby oceans cannot be accessed. This leads to lower tourist revenues. Cleaning an oil spill is an expensive job and will take a heavy economic toll on the company spilling the oil and also its insurers (Nardo 33). During an oil spill the clean up the workers come into contact with chemicals that are hazardous to human health. Research has shown an increase in respiratory symptoms, headaches, eye irritation and skin problems among the clean up workers. Mental studies done to people exposed to oil spills reveal that these individuals are likely to suffer from anxiety, post traumatic stress and also depression. Studies reveal an increase in DNA damage in people exposed to oil spills. Other potential long term risks to human health as a result of oil spills include lung, kidney and liver damage. The society will also suffer from an oil spill in that they will be loss of jobs due to the destruction of various industries by the oil spill. This leads to many families going without food and also some people may be mentally affected by the sudden loss of job. Due to the health issues that arise due to oil spills, families may find themselves with sick people to cater for which they had not expected (Al azraki). Solutions Solutions are needed on ways in which we can deal with the devastating effects of oil spills. As we have seen oil spills do much damage to the environment, Human health and also the economy. Some of the ways to deal with an oil spill include skimming which happens to be a popular method. It involves cleaning oil spills by skimming the oil from the water using skimming equipment with fine filtering instruments. The oil spill will first be contained using booms, after which the oil that has collected into a slick is skimmed from the surface. Another method that offers solution to the problem is natural degradation. If oil does not pose a threat to the shoreline or the marine life the best way to deal with the spill is to allow the oil to break on its own. The use of dispersants is another method that can offer solutions. These are chemicals (dispersants) that break down the tension that keeps water and oil separated. The oil will collect in smaller droplets and sink allowing greater na tural breakdown. Another method that can be of help is to release biological agents into the water to help bring about breakdown. These agents include nitrogen and phosphorous which promote bacteria in the water helping the oil to disperse and breakdown naturally. Measures taken Oil spill prevention can pose a challenge, but there are measures that can be adopted that can either prevent oil spills from happening altogether or they can provide a degree of damage control. These will require preparedness and also continuous improvement in each and every phase of operation where oil is produced, transported, stored or even marketed. Oil exploration and production facilities should adopt advanced technologies, materials and also practices. They should also ensure that they have multi backup systems for support in case of anything. Oil pipelines will employ computers, electromagnetic tools and also ultrasonic devices that will help in detecting weak spots on the pipe so that they can be repaired before a leak develops. Compared to years before marine vessels and terminals are being designed differently compared, tankers now are being built with double hulls. The storage tanks are being constructed with special materials so as to avoid corrosion. These prevention m easures are not only in the oil industry but consumers also play an important role in ensuring that oils and other fuels are out of the environment. They are expected to observe proper handling methods and disposal practices (zdrazil) Conclusion In conclusion we know that oil plays a vital role in our lives which means that life as we know it would be hard without oil. Despite this oil spills have devastating effects on our environment, health and also economy leading to many of us calling for an alternative source of energy that can replace oil. Before a replacement for oil is discovered, human beings will have to continue to enjoy the benefits offered by oil and also suffer from the effects of oil such oil spills.