Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Environmental Impact Statement

Introduction In the recent past, the environmental studies have ranked industries as the leading causes of environmental pollution (Syrakov, Batchvarova, Wiman 1998, p. 118). The current challenges of global warming facing major industries across the globe have necessitated the need for coming up with tools that measure environmental risk.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Environmental Impact Statement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A number of studies affirm that industries pose potentially fatal risks to the environment in the events that they emit gasses that are hazardous to the environment (Harrop Nixon 1999, p.78). Additionally, the radiation exposure emanating from these industries have a high probability of increasing the rate of cancer to population living within the surrounding areas. This paper will review a professionally prepared environmental report and critically assess its authenticity, as an environmental impact statement. Site location San Pedro Bay, California, is a place characterised by diverse industries, with ports and incinerator facility dominating the place (The Port of Los Angeles n.d). An incinerator facility has been operational for a couple of years, and plans for setting up another one in the same locality are underway, according to its environmental report. However, this facility emits gases from its day-to-day operations, which include burnings of waste products, use of diesel equipment, ship engines, and harbor crafts, among others. Given the fact that this area has a high population, setting up another facility aimed at burning waste products may not yield substantial results due to the community’s knowledge on the impact of gas emissions on their health, as well as the knowledge of global warming. The community has a right to question the move, given that the federal, state, as well as international regulations governing environment, must be a dhered to. Thus, the move must be approved by the city council before it is put in place. It is my responsibility, as a government environmental regulator, to assess the environmental risk assessment and management tools put in place in this facility in order to provide an environmental impact statement that will be used to establish the authenticity of the facility’s risk assessment and management strategy.Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Activity under investigation The effects of gases emitted by diesel engines, spent oil, and smoke from the burning process of waste material forms center stage of investigation of environmental impact assessment of this incinerator facility. This is paramount because it will assess whether there is controlled burning or recycling process, which is normally done thorough destruction of the organic constituents, since lack of prope r burning of waste can lead to environmental hazards resulting from increased concentration of particulate matter in the environment (Rao 2007, p. 374). Assessing the report will necessitate the use of the Effect Screening Level (ESL) for environmental assessment, which will be based on data related to adverse effects of toxic gases on vegetation, water, and oxygen. If an airborne level of a certain chemical emitted from the burning process does not exceed its level of screening, then I will consider the probability of a hazardous environment as minimal. Nevertheless, if the levels of the air contaminated by the facility exceed the screening level, this will not mean that environmental condition is harmful; instead, this will call for an environmental assessment of the report (Mendicino 2001, p. 80). The assessment report will subsequently be used to determine whether the facility will be given an opportunity of setting up another facility within the same locality. Thus, ESL will re present a conservative tool essential in evaluating the probability of adverse environmental condition in the California State. In this regard, the assessment aimed at determining the extent of exposure of gases to the environment will be carried out regularly. These will include risk identification, risk evaluation, selecting risk reduction measures, and developing risk reduction methods. The risk identification step is important as it identifies the risks that pose threat to the firm’s safety. In this case, risk identification entails identifying potential exposure pathways of the diesel’s particulate matter, estimating exposure concentration of the diesel’s particulate matter, and estimating chemical intakes by the individuals on a long-term basis (Calow 2009, p. 503).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Environmental Impact Statement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Calow (2009, p.507) cont ends that risk evaluation step is normally divided into three categories: predictability, probability, and severity. Probability could be termed as a high possibility of an event. Toxic gas exposure within the environment is an example of highly probable event. One can only predict the outcome when he is able to foresee the possibility of an unforeseen risk at before the actual incident occurs, taking into account the outcome of the menace. The other step involves selecting risk reduction measures, which entails risk avoidance, and it can be achieved by eliminating risk-causing factors (Calow 2009, p. 509). In risk acceptance, the risk cannot be effectively eliminated, or it would not be cost-effective to do so. For case in point, a little leaking could be allowed if its outcome would not cause severe effects on the environment that calls for highly costly measures. Calow (2009, p. 512) points out the last step as developing risk reduction methods strategy by taking into considerati on of the time required, the cost of developing the strategy, as well as the material necessary to implement viable the risk elimination plans. The last three steps involve the implementation, evaluation, and reassessment of risk mitigation measures. All the above steps are crucial while putting the environmental impact statement in place. This stems from the fact that they are in a position of helping the government environmental regulator understand the problem at hand and determine relevant and effective solutions. As United States Environmental Protection Agency (n.d.) points out, a governing authority cannot authenticate a firm’s risk management process unless the firm comes up with a viable risk management strategy that is well understood. Thus, the flow diagram below facilitates a deep understanding of how the incinerator facility uses the environmental impact assessmentAdvertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Regulation/ legislation In order to create a positive opinion about a proper risk assessment of the expansion of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach located in the San Pedro Bay, the assessment must be assessed in line with the zonal legislation through the agencies. These agencies have regulations that aim at reducing the risk associated with expansion of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach located in the San Pedro Bay, California. The California Environmental protection Agency (Cal/EPA) serves as one of the agencies that represent the efforts of the basic components of the state from exposure of particulate matter to environmental protection. Specifically, this body is mandated to guarantee a clear judgment about the uncertainties of the environmental exposure using stipulated guidelines. It ensures that the environmental impact assessment is based on scientific and mathematical model (The Port of Los Angeles n.d). As such, the body determines the legality of an environme ntal report of a given firm by assessing statistical data, which quantifies the risks involved through probability ranges and risk exposure. Background As a government environmental regulator, I took the approach of recording environmental condition of the area on a unique dimension, since diesel engine, ship engines, and harbor crafts are not the only source of particulate matter and air pollutants around the port and around the area of California. Thus, I estimated the exposure concentration by measuring and ranking them according to the level of adverse effects on the environment on both short and long-term basis. This was successfully achieved by breaking down every emission in the facility, which includes the emissions from the diesel engine/ ship engines, spent fuel, and smoke, and I subsequently identified the potential exposure pathways of the each one of them. Moreover, it was paramount to consult on activities within the community that have a direct impact on the environme nt in an effort to distinguish between the environmental pollution emanating from the facility and the environmental pollution emanating from activities carried out by the members of the community, including smoking tobacco, diesel engines, and spent fuel. In my investigation I found out that despite the awareness of the negative side effects of smoking in relation to the environment, a considerable number of members of the community engage in smoking behavior, thereby increasing the level of environmental pollution. More so, vehicles that consume large amount of diesel escalate the environmental pollution within the community, as the table below demonstrates: Category Smoke (Risk Exposure) Diesel Engine ( Risk Exposure) Spent Fuel (Risk Exposure) Facility 3.5 1.9 4.5 Community 1.8 0.3 0.4 Assessment protocol This stage hold the ultimate responsibility of ensuring that the risk management and assessment are carried out in a viable manner that takes into account a number of functions. This includes identifying the critical applications prone to environmental risk, quantifying the potential impact of environmental risk, detailing the escalation process of environmental risk and implementing them in time to avert environmental disaster(Harrop Nixon 1999, p. 78). The table below is a clear indication of general aspects of risks that need to be accurately identified at the onset of operations to guide in assessing whether the firm has taken the required risk mitigation strategy. The table gives categorisations that are explained in detail in the section that follows: Possible Risk Probability Impact Risk exposure Impact time frame Mitigation strategy These include toxicity of spent fuel, malfunction in the facility, particulate matter from diesel engines ship engines, crafts Probability ranges are: 0.01-0.1 0.11-0.40 0.41-0.60 0.61-0.90 0.91-0.99 1.0 The impact categories are: 5-Critical4-serious3Moderate2-Minor1-Negligible It is the product of p robability and impact. 1 –Low risk1.0-3.0-Moderate risk3.01-4.99 high risks. Highlights two dates: this entails the earliest and latest dates in which the impact is expected to materialise The mitigation strategy is established and implemented with regard to the nature of the identified problem. Risks This section involves a careful analysis of the problem at hand. It clearly defines what environmental risk entails. It came to my knowledge that the incinerator facility has the potential of causing environmental risk in diverse stages. It is apparent that the smoke emanating from the diesel engine causes environmental pollution as it forms into particulate manner within the atmosphere. High levels of particulate matter within the environment may expose the environment to global warming (Liao 2008. p. 103) More so, the environmental risk may emanate from malfunctioning of the incinerator facility, and this can create a disastrous situation characterised by widespread effects . Checks for malfunction, therefore, necessitate coming up with high levels of expertise from a wide range of knowledge, who would ensure an adequate eradication of the predicament of toxic gasses (Sullivan Wyndham 2001, p. 15). The spent fuel in the incinerator facility can cause environmental pollution if measures are not put in place to control the exposure pathways. Additionally, spent fuel has a link to the environment degradation since fuel assemblies are stored underwater, and they continue to produce emissions, which may have negative impact on the environment (Harrop Nixon 1999, p. 79). Probability This refers to a circumstance that could not happen by chance; the ranges in the matrix are interpreted as follows: Probability Interpretation 0.01-1.0 very unlikely to occur 0.11-0.40 unlikely to occur 0.41-0.60 may occur about half of the time 0.61-0.90 likely to occur 0.91-0.99 very likely to occur 1.00 Will certainly occur The probability rating is determi ned by considering a wide range of factors using scientific methods. Risk Impact Risk impact can best be defined using the table below: Impact definition 5-critcal Has a possibility of causing widespread environmental pollution and into long-term menace. 4- serious Has a possibility of causing less fatal pollution, but in some cases, it can result into long-term menace. 3-moderate Has no any possibility of causing environmental pollution, and the main mitigation measure revolves around cost and, if implemented, It should be based on short- term basis. 2-minor Has no possibility of causing fatal pollution, but if any discrepancy occurs, it only has adverse effects to the facility, not the environment. 1-negligible Has no possibility of resulting to adverse environmental pollution if it occurs Risk exposure In this matrix, the risk exposure is calculated by getting the product of probability and occurrence impact. The definitions of the categories are as follows: Low risk: In this case, the environmental exposure to risk is at minimal, and therefore not alarming to environmental pollution. Moderate risk: In this case, the environmentalist should adopt a strategy of ensuring that the risk does not escalate to higher levels. High risk: this is an indication that there is adverse environmental pollution within the vicinity, which requires immediate attention. This level necessitates high environmental pollution control strategies (Harrop Nixon 1999, p. 80). Impact Time Frame Two dates should be put on notice while assessing the impact time frame: one is the date that the risk effects could be experienced, while the second one is the latest date that the risk effects could be experienced (Harrop Nixon 1999, p. 80). The two dates are of paramount importance in determining when the mitigation efforts should be put in place and the time in which they should be withdrawn, that is, when the expected risk is passed by events. Findings Compliance issues The Resource Conservative and recovery Act (RCRA), section 3005 of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish permitting requirements applicable to hazardous waste, treatment, storage as well as disposal facilities. The respondents have a responsibility of submitting the information that has a sole purpose of either first permit application or for a revised permit application. The owners of the incinerator facility are subject to permits for new facilities that are not yet constructed as well as permits for facilities that have newly regulated units and interim status facilities. EPA uses the information contained in the permit to identify the persons who are legally responsible for hazardous waste activities within the community, and they use this to determine the facilities that require permits under more than one program. EPA also assesses whether there is any possibility of polluting the nearby ground and su rface waters, since some chemical are drained under the sea. More so, it determines the specific waste that a firm is legally allowed to handle, and it ensures that risk management program is implemented by the facility (United States Environmental Protection Agency n.d.). With this in mind, I found out that the incinerator facility environmental report complies with the legislature because, despite the fact that it already has a running facility that has a license, it endeavors to assess the environmental impact of establishing another facility within the same locality. More so, compliance with environmental issue is evidenced by the fact that it engages all the stakeholders and its risk management strategy is congruent with the expectations of the community. Assumptions Made The environmental assessment of incinerator facility is aimed at identifying potential exposure pathways of the diesel particulate matter, spent fuel, and smoke from the facility. However, this cannot be achie ved without making an assumption. One of the assumptions is derived from the fact that diesel engines are not the only source of particulate matter and air pollutant around the port and around the area of California. Therefore, it becomes a challenge while measuring the exposure that distinguishes the potential environmental risk caused by facility from other air pollutants emanating from the community members within the environs of California. This has created an avenue for making some assumption with regard to particulate matter emanating from diesel engine, spent fuel and smoke. This stems from the fact that, even though the environmentalists are able to identify the exposure pathways, some of the particulate matters from the facility have a tendency of mixing with other gases within the environment and thus leaving the environmentalists with no option. Effectiveness of the Environmental Impact Assessment Even though the environmental impact assessment is able to give substantial results, the process is compounded with complexities, since it is vulnerable to some errors. For case in point, in the process of measuring the level of toxic gases emanating from the incinerator facility, the particulate matter might occasionally mix with types other gases, yielding to harmless gases within the environment. More so, the meter might be subjected to measuring gases emanating from motor vehicles instead of toxic gases emanating from the incinerator facility, resulting in unsupported inference (Schwartz 2001, p. 4). Nevertheless, errors emanating from such incidences can be contained by using a systematic approach that involves taking environmental measures at different time intervals for a longer period. Such an approach will ensure that the errors are minimised and that the measurements taken give room for a small margin of allowance for statistical error (Uyeda 2009, p. 41). Consistency with industry Best Practice The environmental impact statement of incinerator f acility is consistent with the industry’s best practice because, through the assessment, it addresses environmental issues by helping the workers realise how the industry interacts with the ecosystem. The industry’s mission is to eradicate waste in order to eradicate toxic gases emanating from the waste; therefore, carrying an assessment helps to ensure that it upholds its mission in a credible manner that does not end of escalating environmental pollution. More so, involving the stakeholders and the community in the assessment is a clear indication that the assessment is within the industry’s best practice, as this shows that it is closely associated with the activities of the community. Conclusion The environmental risk assessment presented in this report provides an analysis of how environmental risk is managed at San Pedro Bay, California, and gives recommendation on how risk assessment and management can be handled effectively. This report provides an asses sment of the incinerator facility, with a view of evaluating its authenticity with regard to environmental risk assessment and management. The fact that this report has assessed and established the authenticity of the report makes it stand a chance of setting up another facility within the area. The viability of the report is evidenced by the fact that it provides risks assessment and management strategy through problem identification, as well as the factors that are correlated with it. The tools then proceed to identify workable solutions associated with factors like the probability, impact, exposure level and timeline of the risk. Despite the challenges in the measurements, this environmental impact statement ensures that the environmental risks are effectively managed within the incinerator facility. List of references Calow, P 2009, Handbook of environmental risk assessment and management, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Harrop, D Nixon, J 1999, Environmental assessment in pr actice, Routledge, London. Liao, K-J 2008, Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses of impacts of climate change on regional air quality, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga. Mendicino, L 2001, Environmental issues with materials and processes for the electronics and semiconductor industries: Proceedings of the fourth international symposium, Electrochemical Society, Pennington, NJ. Rao, C 2007, Environmental pollution control engineering, New Age International, New York. Schwartz, S 2001, Quality assurance of exposure models for environmental risk assessment of substances. GRIN Verlag publishers, Mà ¼nchen. Sullivan, R Wyndham, H 2001, Effective environmental management: Principles and case studies, Allen Unwin, St. Leonards, N.S.W. Syrakov, D, Batchvarova, E, Wiman, B 1998, Long-range air pollution: From models to policies: proceedings from the Swedish-Bulgarian Workshop, 19-23 October 1997, Sozopol, Bulgaria, Pensoft, Sofia. The Port of Los Angeles n.d., Draft EIR  œ Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) Project. Web. United States Environmental Protection Agency n.d., Air Polution. Web. Uyeda, C 2009, Australian master environment guide, CCH Australia, North Ryde, N.S.W. This report on Environmental Impact Statement was written and submitted by user Amber F. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Remember Me essays

Remember Me essays Every different genre of novel has different characteristics. With a mystery novel these characteristics included are a victim, suspects, witness, and investigation, secluded area, new found illness or even a character having many flashbacks of some horrible past event. In the novel, Remember Me by author Mary Higgins Clark, through use of setting, character and structure creates an extremely intense element of suspense. The details provided for the setting help to create a suspenseful atmosphere. This novel takes place at a newly entered home by the Nichol's family; one which contains a lot of history and many rumours and speculations. Throughout the story, Menley, the lead character is researching history about Remember House. her new home, in order to write her next short story. Menley, through her research, finds out about Mehitabol the past owner of the house who has a lot in common with Menley. For example Her tone of voice was so urgent. She said that Mehitabol was innocent. p.g 225? This leaves the reader constantly wondering why these two are so alike. Another quote which helps add suspense to the atmosphere is spoken by the Nichol's neighbours. Inside the house? she managed to mumble. Is something inside the house, dear Tobias Knight.? she mumbled. p.g. 268? This makes the reader question if maybe there is something haunting Remember House. Discussing the characters leads to a suspenseful tone or a mysterious mood. There are two different people that add to the suspense due to an odd illness and/or problem. This problem is something that continuously creeps up in the storyline. The character of Menley Nichol's continually proves this to be true through her actions. Many times others that care for Menley show a real concern for her mental health and well being. For example I see, I think we?d better increase your medication. I reduced it last week and I think that it might have b ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Illegal Immigration and the Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Illegal Immigration and the Family - Essay Example The separation of family members results in negatively impacting the overall family and especially children. Therefore, illegal immigration has even negatively impacted the family aspect of bringing up and rearing children. Illegal immigration separates children from their parents and as a result of this children experience difficulty in the psychological as well as social development. Many of the illegal immigrant children who have been separated from their family are brought up in foster families. According to Wessler, during the period of 2011 more than 5100 children had to be adopted by foster parents as their blood related parents were deported back to their home nation. Due to this, children experience issues in adjusting to the values, norms and culture of their foster family. Furthermore, some children are not even able to ever gain proper family environment that is necessary for their development. Deportation of illegal immigrants even causes another family related issue whi ch is single parent households. These households are those where either the father or the mother of a child is present and looks after the child. According to Landale et al. more than 22% of Hispanic children were living with a single parent during the period of 2011 (Landale et al.,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Egyptian War of 1882 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Egyptian War of 1882 - Essay Example According to the essay "The Egyptian War of 1882" findings, on January 8th, 1882, the French and the British signed a treaty known as the "Joint Anglo-French note" that initiated dual control of both France and England that was sent to the Egyptian government, declaring their recognition of Khedive Twefik’s authority. However, the nationalist opposition to Khedive (Lord) Twefik who was the current Ottoman ruler of Egypt was greatly increased when the European diplomats supported the agreement. Khedive Twefik, due to the opposition, was forced to appoint the nationalists as the prime minister and war minister on February 25th, 1882 (Cromer 359). Urbi Pasha organized a militia in protest against the wage difference between the Egyptian and the European army, which was exposed on April 12th, 1882, consequently on April 12th, and May 20th, 1882, France and Britain deployed small naval squadrons to the Egyptian coast, which resulted in the arrest of some of the militia members. Urb i Pasha, however, had not given up and he marched a troop of his militia to Alexandria on Sunday, June 11th, 1882 where they caused a riot against the Christian and the Muslim in the town resulting to the death of approximately 50 Europeans (Cromer 715). The British reacted to the attack and bombarded Alexandria, which resulted in the evacuation of the port. By this time, Urbi had begun taking control of the government and the British military initiated and intervention backed by Tewfik’s approval.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Racial Identity Development Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Racial Identity Development Models - Essay Example It is during this stage that individuals ascertain themselves with the majority crowd. They have a habit of downplaying and having negative feelings towards their own ethnic society with little salience in their individuality (Sue et al., 1982). Dissonance is evident in experiences or encounters that are not consistent with a culture’s attitudes, values in addition to beliefs from the initial stage i.e. conformity. Take the case of an individual from a minority group who is not proud of their cultural heritage encountering another person from a different ethnicity that is proud of their ethnic background. During this stage, denial commences and there is a lot of doubt of one’s attitudes and beliefs once held in the first stage. The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. brought about the rapid movement from passive conformity to dissonance stage by a large group of African Americans. As for the immersion and defiance juncture, a minority in society probably has feeling of anger, shame and guilt due to the oppression or racism that they previously had to withstand or tolerate. Ratification of the thoughts of the minority plus the rejection of society’s domineering values marks this stage (Sue et al., 1982). Individuals tend to focus more vivacity towards having a better understanding of them as minorities and the deeper meaning of this in the introspection phase. As opposed to the intense reaction against prevailing cultures in the previous point, the introspection leg appears to be more pro-active in the definition and discovery of the sense of self. The last period that is the integrative awareness stage is a time of development of the knack to be grateful for both the constructive aspects of the influential culture and theirs. It also involves the adeptness to feel secure. At this point, individuals tend to have already

Friday, November 15, 2019

Technology In Recruitment Selection Business Essay

Technology In Recruitment Selection Business Essay Introduction In a world that is constantly changing and evolving, technology surrounds us all. This essay identifies and evaluates the use of technology in the HR department in general and in the recruitment selection process in particular. Technology, E-Human Resources and E-HR systems will de be defined first. Then, the recruitment and selection process will be described along with the different recruitment tools. The different methods of online recruitment will be evaluated along with e-selection methods. The pros and cons of the uses of technology in the recruitment selection processes will be discussed in depth. Finally, a conclusion will be made. Human Resources Technology Technology according to ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANICA (2010) is  the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment. The past decade has seen the introduction, application, and merging of technology in the workforce or as some may label it the information revolution. The information revolution has changed the whole work environment. Most of the tasks are computerized and companies rely heavily on their computer systems. The Human resource department was not immune to such a revolution, the adaptation of technology in HR lead to the birth of E-Human Resources. E- Human Resources ENTREPRENEUR (2010) defines Human Resources as The department or support systems responsible for personnel sourcing and hiring, applicant tracking, skills development and tracking, benefits administration and compliance with associated government regulations. The Human Resources department is the hub of the company. It acts like an advocate for both the company and the employees and is responsible for the employees well-being, benefits, payroll, hiring, team building, coaching, recruitment and selectionetc. E-Human Resources on the other hand refers to the application of technology like the internet in the transactions of the human resources department. (Lengnick-Hall and Moritz, 2003). E-HR aims at running the operations of the HR department smoothly and efficiently, by keeping all necessary information readily available to all managers and employees when needed. E- Human Resources Systems The mixture of the vast growing information technology and the need for continual improvement of work efficiency was among the major drivers for the development of the E-Human Resources systems. (Stanton and Coovert, 2004; Fletcher, 2005). In other words E-HR systems are a merger between HR activities and information technology. Human Resources systems are created by vendors like Oracle and Ascentis, they usually include four modules: Payroll module, Time and Labor Management module, Benefits Administration module, and finally the HR management module. The Payroll module manages and controls all employees salaries and payrolls, while the Time and Labor management modules control attendance, absences issues. Benefit Administration model deals with employees benefits and entitlements. While the HR management module helps in the selection and recruitment process, more on this module will be explained later. Moreover, E-HR systems also include enterprise resource planning system (ERP), HR service centres, interactive voice response, manager and employee portals and web applications. (Panayotopoulou,Vakola and Galanaki 2007). Enterprise resource planning system is used to manage financial, materials and human resources both internally and externally. Overall, HR systems cater for the different needs of the HR department and helps automate many aspects of human resourcing. Recruitment and Selection Every business, enterprise and organization goes through the recruitment and selection process. It is the most important aspect of the human resource management department, as it provides the organization with the essential resources needed for its operations the human capital (Barber, 1998). Recruitment is defined as the activities an organization undertakes in order to identify and attract potential employees (Breaugh and Starke, 2000). Selection is what comes after recruitment of choosing the best candidate for the job out of all the applicants. The recruitment and selection process Getting the recruitment and selection process wrong is not an option for recruiters, the wrong person for the job will not only affect the companys productivity but it will also result in business losses (book reference). That is why most companies follow a somewhat standardized recruitment and selection process, shown in the figure below. Recruitment Organizations mold their recruitment processes or strategies according to the job they want to occupy. In order to attract the right candidates, HR professionals advertise in a certain way, seek professionals or graduates, contact agencies or use the Internet. Recruitment tools In a study by Bernthal and Development Dimensions International, data was collected from members of the Electronic Recruiting Exchange. Among the survey questions was a question about the recruitment strategy and its effectiveness. The findings of the study show that the internet is the most popular and most effective recruitment method while employee referrals came second. This shows that although the internet is new and more effective, it did not replace the traditional recruitment methods. Figure showing Berthals results: Taken from Recruitment Selection paper by Barthal and Development Dimensions International Online Recruitment The internet was not acknowledged as a recruitment tool until the mid 1990s. With the benefits it brought to recruiters, the media described it as the driver behind a recruiting revolution (Boydell, 2002). Many companies now have a new position in the HR department; Online recruiter. Online recruitment is growing rapidly; both recruiters and job seekers around the world use it. It can be defined as the use of the internet to match job seekers with appropriate jobs. In other terms, using the internet to attract potential employees. Studies were carried out to understand and quantify how much recruitment exactly is done online. These studies include: a study by total jobs 2004 that shows that two thirds of the organizations in the UK use job boards. While HR focus (2001) indicated that more than 75% of HR professionals use job boards in addition to the traditional recruitment methods. In the USA, Cober and Brown (2006) found out that 50% of the recruitments were carried online and this figure is expected to increase. Moreover, a study by Capelli (2001) stated that 90% of the Fortune 500 use online recruiting. A poll carried out by The Recruiters Network (website) showed that 45% of the companies filled 20% or more of their positions through online recruitment (Charles 2000). The most effective and popular online recruitment methods are: Talent Management Systems The HR management module mentioned previously pursues talent management. Talent management is the process of attracting and hiring skilled employees, or retaining current employees while helping them work on their own talents. Talent Management systems perform the following tasks: analyze the use of personnel within the company, post job vacancies online, review applicants credentials, track demographic data of candidates, store information, automatically communicate and provide information to applicants and many more, depending on the company. Thus talent management systems are used in the recruitment process. Advertising on the companys site The first, cheapest step a company can take to recruit people is to advertise about the job offer on its on website. In a study by Bartam (2000) figures showed 88% of companies recruiting 50 or more graduates per year advertise on their own website. Advertising on the companys website slashes advertisement costs in newspapers, magazines, and recruitment agenciesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. the internet is global medium, thus making it very much easier to spread the word, while being much more cost effective. The company can also use Google ads as a way to advertise for job vacancies within the organization. Job Boards Job boards are recruitment websites that match recruiters with the most appropriate applicants (also called job hunters) through advertisements and job postings. There are plenty of job boards on the world wide web; the most popular include Monster, CareerBuilder and HotJobs.com. Since these websites are similar and offer the same service, monster.com will be used as an example in order to evaluate and understand job boards. Monster.com Monster.com is a global online recruitment website. Its network consists of 22 local content and language sites. The traffic on the website is estimated to be over 25 million job seeking users and over 100,000 member companies. Its rà ©sumà © database contains more than 17 million rà ©sumà ©s. Two separate studies by Gutmacher (2000) and Leonard (2000) both confirmed that the emergence of monster.com and rà ©sumà © as frequent search words indicates the influence of job boards (monster.com) on web job searching or in other words online recruitment. According to monster.coms employment index, the month of September 2010 showed a 131 employment index the highest so far. More interestingly, Wales showed the highest employment in the UK region. From the figures and information above, it is safe to conclude that job boards are doing well and play a vital role in online recruitment. However, a significant number of job seekers continue to search in general search engines (reference) while other studies highlighted the role of social media websites play in job recruitment. Social media websites The past decade has seen the rise of social media websites. It is now not enough to post your resume on a job board. Social recruitment is now beginning to over shadow the use of job boards and other traditional recruitment methods at some companies (Levinson 2010). Moreover, recruiters are spammed with hundreds of applications of unqualified personnel when posting on big job boards which forces them to look for qualified applicants elsewhere. Findings from a survey conducted by Jobvite (a recruitment software maker) showed that 73.3% of the companies use social networks for recruitment, while 9.3% are planning to begin next year. Another finding shows that LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are among the most popular social media networks used by companies for recruitment. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a professional network, which includes contacts and relationships developed over the years.. LinkedIn provides its users with the means of establishing an authoritative resource on their experience and capabilities, thus making users more attractive to recruiters. Currently LinkedIn consists of more than 80 million members from over 200 countries. LinkedIn from recruiters perspective is a place that provides access to different kinds of reliable qualified talents. The main reason that companies are using LinkedIn is to find passive job candidates. Another reason why companies are using LinkedIn, is because referrals from their employees are highly valued because they typically have a higher success rate (hence the popular employee referral bonuses). LinkedIn helps companies leverage the networks of their employees. Kay Luo, Director of corporate communication at LinkedIn. Hundred of companies use LinkedIn and LinkedIn corporate solutions to post jobs and source candidates for recruitment. The question is: How does LinkedIn work? For example, person x creates a profile, uploads a picture and writes down his skills, capabilities and experiences. A company searching for an employee or a recruitment agency working for that company searches the databases available at LinkedIn, finds person x who has the skills required for the job. The company then looks at his information and if person x is the right person for the job, they contact him. LinkedIn is growing rapidly to the extent to which it is almost unprofessional not to have a LinkedIn profile. Considering that executives and employees from the all the fortune 500 companies have LinkedIn profiles. Facebook Facebook is ranked 2nd among social media sites used for recruitment purposes. It is a social networking site that connects people with their friends, co-workers, family members, and others. Chris Russel, founder of jobsinpods.com thinks that: Facebook is a talent goldmine. Its filled with millions of passive candidates that employers covet. Looking at Facebooks demographics, it has more than 200 million active users. Success recruitment stories, like the Ernest Young Facebook group means: if Facebook is utilized correctly, recruiters can access and select from a wide spread of talented candidates. They key to Facebook recruitment is to create relationships with potential employees in order to make yourself their employer of choice (Facebook Recruitment Tips, 2008) The figure below illustrates how facebook can be used: Selection The selection process is not easy. An executive interviewed by Forrester explained the selection process: We have to sift through lots of resumes, like kissing frogs before you find the prince (Lawrence 1999) Hundreds of applicants apply for the job, companies then have to filter out the suitable ones and filter them even more to find the right person for the job. Technology has made the selection process easier, nowadays there are numerous methods used by companies in order to test applicants. Some of these methods are: Applications Database Applications Database also known as resume database are computer softwares used to keep track of applications. Applications are sent to the database where they are stored, a query containing any keyword the company desires is run to find applicants with the required specifications. This helps in narrowing down the applicants to the most suitable ones. These programs also enable companies to send template emails and set up interviews without the need to manually do it, thus proving to be cost and time efficient. Online testing and assessment Psychometric tests are used to measure the applicants capabilities. It gives the employer an insight into whether the applicant can work well with a group and his ability to handle stress and meet intellectual demands of the job. These tests are usually divided into: Aptitude tests There are several types of aptitude tests as shown in the figure below. The type of test the applicant has to sit through depends on the job he/she is applying for. Taken from psychometric-success.com Aptitude tests measure the abilities of applicants in the area the job requires the most. Personality tests Personality tests include questions about behavior, feelings and thoughts. They are used to analyze the applicants characteristics in order to find out if the applicant has the right characteristics to help him fit into the organization, whether its motivation, discipline, enthusiasmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. Psychometrics tests are usually presented in multiple-choice formats. The applicant answers directly into the computer or an electronic device. The results are calculated straight away and compared with the results of a control group. Internet Interviews Interviews are an essential part of the selection process. It gives both the employer and the employee a chance to get to know each other and have a face to face conversation. Based on the interview the employer can decide whether the applicant is suitable or not. There are different types of interviews: screening, selection, group, stress, panel, and most recently internet or online interviews. Online interviews are conducted over the internet using video conferencing, it is like a normal interview, except the interviewee is not in the same place as the interviewer geographically. Online interviews give the employer the chance of conducting the interview without baring the cost of the applicants transportation and the time spent traveling; this is very effective in interviewing people from overseas. Reference checks When selecting a potential employee, companies check the employees background for criminal, medical, credit records and job references (subjected to the presence of the search and access permission). Reference checks are commonly done over the telephone and by email. There are also websites offering to conduct employment reference checks for employment like credit-check-services.co.uk. It claims to verify the employees identity; address; criminal record history; employment history; qualifications and more. Automated reference checks make accessing background information quick and easy. The problem with reference checks is permission and privacy issue; applicants must allow the company to do these checks. Assessment centers With the help of computers and the internet, it is possible to create multi user exercises like business simulations. The users of this exercise dont need to be in the same place to take part. The exercise can be customized in order to include the tasks the employer wants to evaluate the applicants in. The exercise is closely monitored and from it the employer can tell which user is doing a better job and who is having a tough time coping. It is to be noted, that one selection method doesnt replace the other. Different methods have to be applied in order to filter the hundred of applicants to the suitable one. Advantage Disadvantages of E- Recruitment Selection There are two sides to everything. The introduction of technology to recruitment selection might be the best thing that happened to HR, but it also has its setbacks. On one hand, the introduction of technology: Enabled companies to identify a virtually unlimited number of job seekers. Reached people at a global level while traditional methods can only grasp the local job market. (Chaskelson, 2000), (Ganalaki, 2002) Reduced Advertising costs, posting a job vacancy on a companys website or a job board costs less than posting it on newspapers. Reduced the time taken in recruitment; it reduced the time taken to post the job vacancy and resumes can be received on the same day. Technology also speeded up the recruitment process by automating some HR tasks. Provided a wider talent market for companies to choose from. iLogos research 1998 shows that the Internet provides better quality applicants as they tend to be better-educated and more computer literate than non-users. Provides 24/7 access to resumes and applicants can send their resumes at any time. Facilitated the use of databases, internet testing, assessment centers which help in the selection process. On the other hand, the advantages of technology are also its dangers. Due to the ease of looking for job posts and applying online, millions of rà ©sumà ©s are sent which makes the screening process hard and time consuming. The presence of internet testing makes it easy for anyone to create a test and post. Loss of human interaction. A study by Arkin and Crabb (1999) shows that executive job applicants still prefer personal contact to internet contact. It cant replace the traditional recruitment and selection methods. Seminerio (2001) stated many companies might still continue to use traditional recruitment services for hiring executive staff employees. The use of internet could discriminate against non internet users or those who are not good with computers. There are also some legal issues with e-recruitment and selection. For example, manipulation could occur in the use of internet tests the person applying may be different from the person taking the test. Overall, the advantages of e-recruitment outweigh its disadvantages. Conclusion To sum it all up, this essay has discussed and evaluated the use of technology in recruitment selection. Online recruitment has been identified as the most efficient recruitment method, it branches into: Talent Management Systems, Advertising on the companys website, job boards and social media network. There are some privacy and discrimination issues with online recruitment, but it does more good than harm. The use of technology in selection helped automate and make easy the different selection methods. It also introduced new ways of doing the methods like: online interviews, keeping an application database, online assessment centers and internet tests. I will end this essay by stating E-recruitment selection is here to stay and evolve the world into a much more advanced place of recruiting, which can potentially curb down global unemployment rates.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Thoughts on Whats It Mean To be Human Essay -- Human Nature Essays

Thoughts on What's It Mean To be Human Last year I had a lot of headaches. Two months passed, and I still did not go to the doctor. However, one morning I woke up, and I just could not open my eyes because the pain that I had in my head would not let me. Also I felt dizzy every time that I tried to stand up. I decided to go to the doctor and present my concerns. The doctor recommeded an MRI test. The test indicated that I have a tumor in my pituitary. Thanks to the great development of technology and good equipment such as the computer system that doctor used to test and figure out my disease, I am being treated successfully with the help of doctors and artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence may be described and evaluated by learning about the Turing test, the Loebners contest and discussing basic human nature contrasted with computers. According to www.encarta.com the definition for Artificial Intelligence is a system that makes it possible for a machine to perform functions similar to these performed by human intelligence such as learning, reasoning, self - correcting and adaptive. In other words, machines are able to do what a human does such as learning, reasoning, etc. Then does it mean that computers are intelligent. The most widely spread definition of Artificial Intelligence is called the Turing test. According to Platts article the Turing test has it origin in 1950, when Alan Turing a British mathematician proposed: If a computer successfully impersonate a human during a free- form exchange of the test messages, then for all practical purposes the computer should be considered intelligent(12). Then the Turing test is quite simple. If a computer is found to give answers to questions that cannot be distin... ...owever, computers are never going to replace human intelligence. Even though an MRI can give you a highly enhanced view of your brain, it will always be necessary for a doctor to look at the results and make a diagnosis that a computer is still unable to do. This is, because humans are spontaneous, they are able to do whatever they want to do without another person telling them what to do. Instead, Computers always have to do what somebody else tells them to do and do not think by their own. Works Cited Artificial Intelligence. 2000 www.encarta.com. ( April 10, 2001.) Laucius, Joanne. Otttawa Citizen. Newsweek magazine. December 2000. Platt, Charles. Whats It Mean ToBe Human, Anyway? Composing Cyberspace Identity, Comunnity, and Knowledge in the Electronic Age. Ed. Richard Holeton. US: MC Grow Hill, 1998. 12-20. News. 2000 www.msn.com. (April 10, 2001. )

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The musical strategies of some exemplary ‘titles’ sequences in a way that illuminates the function of music in entertainment cinema

In order to view a variety of techniques used, the title sequences of four films will be analysed: from classic Hollywood cinema Casablanca and Psycho, a modern Hollywood film, Edward Scissorhands, and a recent Russian film, Prisoner of the Mountains (Kavkazky Plennik). In non-musical terms Casablanca, Psycho and Edward Scissorhands all present different versions of the classic Hollywood technique of using a closed, self-contained titles sequence. Meanwhile in Prisoner of the Mountains there is an extended sequence before the titles begin, and this sequence includes music. The following points need to be addressed with regard to each film: how the music in the title sequence coincides with the visuals (i. e. how the sequence works on its own); what kind of role the music plays; how this can be interpreted in terms of its effects on audience expectation and manipulation; and finally how the music of the title sequence relates to that which is used later on, and in what context the title music itself is used. In Casablanca the normal Warner Bros fanfare accompanies the studio's logo at the very opening, and drum music links the picture to the visually static title sequence which uses a map of Africa as its background. This develops into ‘oriental' music for the full orchestra, using several clichis developed from the western perception of the ‘orient', such as the persistent use of the melodic progression tonic/leading note/flattened-submediant/dominant (i. e. C, B, A-flat, G) played predominantly by brass and reed instruments. When the credit for the composer Max Steiner appears, the music shifts and plays La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, but this concludes with an interrupted cadence rather than its normal perfect version. We must also examine the next sequence as it forms a unit with the title sequence, using both music and partly-animated visuals. We see another globe, this time used for the mapping of the physical and causal route to Casablanca, from France and other places. Clips of paradigm journeys are superimposed onto the map as the refugees flee Paris and Marseilles. The music accompanying this follows on from the pessimistic nature of the interrupted cadence of La Marseillaise, building down to low, dissonant and lugubrious chords on brass which begins to be accompanied by a romantic high, intense and chromatic melody for strings in octaves. Finally, as the first scene of the film begins in a market square in Casablanca, the music returns to oriental music, this time, supposedly, diegetically. The role of this sequence is manifold: firstly it establishes Casablanca as the physical and spiritual setting for the film, corresponding to the geographically blatant use of maps. It also adds interest to an otherwise static title sequence, and indeed, is a montage of the musical themes that are to be presented in the film. The first two themes (‘Oriental' and Marseillaise) are so explicit that they do not take on much contextual meaning in this original setting, but rather set up purely musical expectation, which can be utilised by transformation or by various possibilities of juxtaposition with visuals. The third ‘suffering, yearning' theme is less familiar and therefore takes meaning from its context and becomes associated with the desire for freedom and liberty. In this sense the themes sum up the plot: as captivity in a wild land (oriental), fettered liberty (La Marseillaise and its cadence), and romantic human yearning for freedom. Generically, the nationalistic music also helps establish the film as a ‘serious' war film as well as a melodrama. The main strategies of the musical sequence, then, are clear: to introduce the main musical themes in a way that makes the introduction understandable and establishes its genre. By its nature the music also manipulates the audience into feeling the setting to be removed from their own settings by the fact that the oriental music is exotic in an Romantic orientalist sense rather than in a Moroccan sense, establishing the film as a western work. The manner in which the title music influences the rest of the film is generally easy to detail. Unlike the manner in which As Time Goes By is used in a proliferating way, the occurrences of the title themes are used to remind us of their original or implied contexts and meanings. The Marseillaise theme is used as a symbol of France (for the flashback sequence) but more generally as a marker of the success or failure of idealism and the Allies in its battle against cynicism and Fascism: its overall movement is from the interruption of the titles to the only full cadence in the final scene as Louis finally gives in to patriotism by throwing away the Vichy water. Oriental music is used more scarcely as the setting has been established, but it is used diegetically in the Blue Parrot scenes to distinguish it from the more homely and American Rick's (‘Cafi Americain'). Thus some of the title music was truly introductory and other parts were to be used for future reference. The fact that As Time Goes By was not used indicates that it did not attempt a full musical accumulation of themes but concentrated on those necessary to understand the first scene. The title sequence of Psycho is more closed and self-contained than that of Casablanca due to the manner in which the music of the titles is separated – both by silence and by change of mood – from the opening scene. The sequence is also far more visually captivating due to the thrusting horizontal lines that shoot across the screen and distort the titles themselves, culminating in a vertical meeting of upwards and downwards-moving lines and a release. Unlike Casablanca there is no aspect of narrative or historical context, but rather the establishing of a mood, as the lines suggest frenetic activity, violence, splitting and then final dying union, as the lines meet and fall away. The music, meanwhile, uses three primary textures in succession, all of which are linked by the modernist language and string scoring of Herrmann's score. The first is a driving ‘motor' rhythm of double-stopped dissonances in the tradition of The Rite of Spring, which develops by superimposing variants of a basic cell onto itself and thus expanding in volume and texture. The second is this rhythmic idea as an accompaniment to a soaring violin theme which is still not entirely Romantic in character due its persistent crotchet motion. Ostinati are thus the key to the sequence. The third texture is the ‘sharp' rhythmic idea used by smaller sections of strings in upwards sequences, dying away with the visual lines, and reaching an extremely high tessitura. The music stops and pauses before the opening scene begins with slow weakly-discordant descending chords in the style of Debussy. ‘The real function of a main title, of course, should be to set the pulse of what is to follow†¦ I am convinced, and so is Hitchcock, that after the main titles you know that something terrible must happen. The main title sequence tells you so, and that is its function: to set the drama. You don't need cymbal crashes or records that never sell'. 1 Thus Bernard Herrmann both states the specific strategy of the musical cue that accompanies the title sequence in Psycho and proposes a general theory of the function of titles sequences. He also justifies his choice of a string orchestra for such dramatic music, and in other places likens the string sound to Hitchcock's anachronistic monochrome. The strategy, then, is to sum up the essence of the film. That essence is surely the surprising ‘primitive' (in the primitivist sense of Stravinsky) violence that describes the title word, and in no way sets the scene for that which immediately follows. The music is fiercely modernist for a cinema audience but still within their understanding so that, along with the visuals and the word ‘psycho', the main element of the titles establishes itself as distinctly inhuman and violent. Just as the straight lines penetrating the screen and the titles can be interpreted as predicting the motion of stabbing and also the split character of Bates, the music is ‘stabbing' in its chords and ends ‘screaming' as Marion will do. The horror genre is thereby indicated, but the music's insistent intensity hints at the obsessively psychological nature of Hitchcock's art. The influence of this titles music on the rest of the film is subtle. The first scene is entirely removed from it by mood, if not completely by musical language, a feature that unifies the entire score and film. The first time the titles music is reused is when Marion realises that her boss has seen her driving her car after she had told him that she was going straight home to bed. The fright she suffers, and the effort with which she suppresses it in order to force a smile at her boss, seem to initiate the return of the violent double-stopped ostinati of the titles. Here there is a meaning attached to a mood which we understand to be the essence of the film: the music is in some way linked to the Marion's subjectivity and also the insistent technology of the car. Marion is shown to be a transgressive woman, and this raises the expectation that Marion herself may be the psycho: she has a headache; she hears voices in her head; she has stolen money; she drives – a masculine pastime in most films; and accordingly her fright is expressed not through Romantic scherzo music but by this horror music. This expectation is, of course, entirely false. Meanwhile the explicit violin theme of the titles is used to fill the screen just as Marion's face does as we watch her watching the road, amounting to a nullification of any reluctance we might have towards voyeurism. The most powerful influence the titles music has over the film is its various ways of presenting ostinati. We learn to decode this new musical language in stages, so that the deep ostinati heard as the dying Marion falls to the floor in the shower is distinguished from the niggling four-note repeated figure associated with Marion's decision to run away with the money. They mean different things but are united by technique and by the world they draw for the audience. Edward Scissorhands toys with genre: it is a both a genuine horror film and a parody of one (of the Frankenstein and Beauty and the Beast traditions); it is also a fantasy, a comedy and a melodrama. This is recognised in the titles sequence and the music that accompanies it. The studio logo is accompanied by snow and then there follows a title sequence that is ambiguous as to whether it is animated or real. In fact, it turns out that much of the sequence is real and is taken from later scenes involving Vincent Price that are vital to the plot, such as the brief view we have of him dead and the hands that could have been Edward's. However, this is all crafted with elements of Gothic fantasy, using discrete images from the house/castle, beginning with dark shadows and an old door opening, moving to what we later realise was the inventor's laboratory, and this culminates in the purely fantastic animation of hearts and other ‘shapes' falling like snow, with which the title sequence concludes. Danny Elfman's music for this sequence is remarkable mainly for its orchestration: it begins with solo celesta, then strings are added, accompanying a plaintive cor anglais, and then a full (and massive) orchestra plays the main theme, to which is added a celestial and voiceless choir, which sings to ‘oooh'. The chord sequence that is most prominent is a major tonic triad moving to a minor triad of the submediant. In effect, the sequence is akin to an amalgamation of Casablanca and Psycho, for it uses the technique of joining the titles to a ‘false' first scene, whilst dissociating it from the first ‘real' flashback scene, which begins in prosaic silence. Elfman's music is fairly uniform here but multivalent. The magical nature of the film is set by the celesta and the harp/flute-oriented nature of the full orchestration and finally by the angelic voices. The magical interpretation of this combination of instruments is accepted by way of Chaikovsky, Debussy and John Williams, from whom the harmonic progressions are also borrowed. The element of horror is marginalized but represented by low strings and the melancholy of the cor. The voices add a layer of naive wonder that is rather over the top, something that is a major part of the film. The audience is led to expect a fairy tale with an element of horror to it, but also the clues to the somewhat tongue-in-cheek nature of the film are also present in the music. Importantly, from the very beginning this affective music is associated with the house and Edward. The element of falling in this film is highly significant: many of the moments of greatest significance revolve around the falling of snow, which is finally associated by the old woman of the present with Edward's very existence, and thus the existence of the film and of magical naivety and goodness, with the falling of snow; in the studio's very logo before the titles there had been no fanfare but silence accompanying the falling of snow; in the titles the ‘shapes' are shown to fall like snow: these shapes include hearts, which provide a link to humans and human emotions: the inventor falls when he dies and his fall is emphasised by the way in which we view his face as he realises he is to die. The sequence leading up to the inventor's death is the key to the explanation for Edward's condition, which is half the mystery of the film (the other half is how it will end), and it is drawn out by its progression being interrupted and alternated with scenes of the ‘present' (wi thin the entire flashback of the film). During this we realise the significance of what we had seen in the titles, and to emphasise this the titles music is brought back, and the tragic nature of the story is shown by the fact that we were ignorant of its intended significance until now. The other scenes in which the titles music features prominently are when Edward sees the picture of Peggy's daughter for the first time (choir ‘ooohs') and when snow is falling and Edward magically (for it would not be possible) creates beautiful ice sculptures with the girl as his enraptured audience (full statement of the main theme). Thus the titles music is used to indicate the presence of the picturesque, the naive will to do good and the tragic nature of fate. Those things not privileged by this music are, by implication, marginalized. However, the titles theme also proliferates the film as Elfman develops it by distortion (quarter-tone glissandi in the main theme) during moments of anguish. This is similar to Steiner's use of La Marseillaise in Casablanca. Finally, by way of contrast, we will look at Prisoner of the Mountains, a strong piece of anti-war propaganda made during, and based on, the ongoing Russo-Chechen conflict. The film begins with a long sequence before the titles, showing the recruitment process of a young man drafted in as a reserve soldier into the Russian army. We see him given a medical examination naked, which has an element of humour to it. Then we see an older soldier go to play pool outdoors with a friend and they drink in a relaxed, late-evening atmosphere. The contrast between the young and innocent and the hardened cynic is reinforced as the soldier, Sasha, responds to other soldiers being rowdy by firing off rounds of his machine gun in mock attack. As he shoots we see his tensed, macho face, there is a freeze frame and a song begins, the first music of the film. The song is an old one and is obviously recognisable as a popular song of the type popularised during the Second World War, a period that is a subject of great nostalgia for Russians. We then see a military manoeuvre operated by the Russians with both the old and the young soldier aboard a Russian tank. The song ends and we are brought out of nostalgia for the army to the harsh reality as we hear a solo plucked string instrument play an ‘oriental' snippet of melody. This alerts the audience to the possibility of danger from Russia's ethnic ‘others' and to the placement of the scene in the Caucasus mountain range. Suddenly the tank is ambushed and our two soldiers are severely wounded and left unconscious and seemingly dead by their comrades and are captured by the Chechens. Finally the titles begin with an endless panorama of the mountains and dramatic orchestral music in an orientalist style. Here it is difficult to determine what constitutes the essential title sequence if one accepts Herrmann's definition. The music that accompanies the titles certainly does more to emphasise the setting and the drama of the film, but we cannot forget what has already happened. The freeze-frame on Sasha's face as he fires in connection with the ultra-popular song is so strong a device so difficult to interpret on first viewing that it dominates the opening. Moreover, whilst the opening music is hardly reused before the end of the film, there is another sequence which is crucial to the film's anti-war message: the two Russians are kept hostage, chained together, for a long period and it becomes increasingly likely that they will be killed. As they sit together, back to back, Sasha begins to sing another old WWII song in a triumphant, brave voice, something that is obviously escapist. Suddenly his voice is multiplied and the song is taken over by a huge chorus and the shot moves from the two men to the vast expanse of the mountains, so that he can be seen to become the might of the Russian army. As the song is still being bellowed out, the shot changes back to the men, and Sasha is crying frantically. The false expectation of escape in patriotism that had been set up by the song is revealed, and this makes sense of the opening song in addition. In a sense, then the titles sequence constructs a conventional colonialist Russian audience led to be wary of foreign subjects, whilst its other musical material works against this. It is possible to generalise our observations to note that for every film here the titles operate as a kind of first subject of a sonata-form movement: they establish certain information about the film's essence which can be developed in a linear way, as in the thematic references in Casablanca and the thematic distortions of Edward Scissorhands, or in a more accumulative way, as with the manner in which the music for the titles sequences in Psycho, Edward Scisssorhands and Prisoner of the Mountains gains in meaning as we acquire more information. As an audience we are led to believe that the titles have meaning and, like the subject of a sonata, will be recapitulated.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Learn About the Sirenians

Learn About the Sirenians Sirenians (Sirenia), also known as sea cows, are a group of mammals that includes dugongs and manatees. There are four species of sirenians alive today, three species of manatees and one species of dugong. A fifth species of sirenian, the Stellars sea cow, became extinct in the 18th century due to over-hunting by humans. The Stellars sea cow was the largest member of the sirenians and was once abundant throughout the North Pacific. Identifying a Sirenian Sirenians are large, slow-moving, aquatic mammals that live in shallow marine and freshwater habitats in tropical and subtropical regions. Their preferred habitats include swamps, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal waters. Sirenians are well-adapted for an aquatic lifestyle, with an elongated, torpedo-shaped body, two paddle-like front flippers, and a broad, flat tail. In manatees, the tail is spoon-shaped and in the dugong, the tail is V-shaped. Sirenians have, over the course of their evolution, all but lost their hind limbs. Their hind limbs are vestigial and are tiny bones embedded in their body wall. Their skin is gray-brown. Adult sirenians grow to lengths of between 2.8 and 3.5 meters and weights of between 400 and 1,500 kg. All sirenians are herbivores. Their diet varies from species to species but includes a variety of aquatic vegetation such as seagrass, algae, mangrove leaves, and palm fruit that falls into the water. Manatees have evolved a unique tooth arrangement due to their diet (which involves the grinding of a lot of coarse vegetation). They only have molars that are replaced continuously. New teeth grown in at the back of the jaw and older teeth move forward until they reach the front of the jaw where they fall out. Dugongs have a slightly different arrangement of teeth in the jaw but like manatees, teeth are continuously replaced throughout their life. Male dugongs develop tusks when they reach maturity. The first sirenians evolved about 50 million years ago, during the Middle Eocene Epoch. Ancient sirenians are thought to have originated in the New World. As many as 50 species of fossil sirenians have been identified. The closest living relative to sirenians are the elephants. The primary predators of sirenians are humans. Hunting has played a major role in the decline of many populations (and in the extinction of the Stellars sea cow). But human activity such as fishing, and habitat destruction can also indirectly threaten sirenian populations. Other predators of sirenians include crocodiles, tiger sharks, killer whales, and jaguars. Key Characteristics The key characteristics of sirenians include: large aquatic herbivoresstreamlined body, no dorsal fintwo front flippers and no hind legsflat, paddle-shaped tailcontinuous tooth growth and replacement of molars Classification Sirenians are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Chordates Vertebrates Tetrapods Amniotes Mammals Sirenians Sirenians are divided into the following taxonomic groups: Dugongs (Dugongidae) - There is one species of dugong alive today. The dugong (Dugong dugong) inhabits coastal marine waters of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. The dugong has a V-shaped (fluked) tail and males grow tusks.Manatees (Trichechidae) - There are three species of manatees alive today. Members of this group are usually solitary animals (except for mothers with their young). Manatees prefer freshwater aquatic habitats and coastal saltwater marshes. Their distribution includes the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon Basin, and parts of West Africa such as the Senegal River, Kwanza River, and Niger River.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Human Resource Mangment Example

Human Resource Mangment Example Human Resource Mangment – Coursework Example Recruitment Strategies Some companies are asking applicants to provide them with links to their web presence. This means their social networking accounts on Twitter and/or LinkedIn. The reason for using these links in place of resumes is that the links provide a better assessment of the nature and psychology of the applicant compared to a resume that has been tailor-made to impress the recruiters and lacks depth.The Big 5 Personality Traits are OCEAN standing for ‘openness to experience’, ‘conscientiousness’, ‘extraversion’, ‘agreeableness’ and ‘neuroticism’ (personalityresearch.org 2001). People with low openness to experience show resistance to change (McCrae and Costa, 1987). Laziness is the opposite of the conscientiousness personality trait (Ewen, 2009). People with low extraversion tend to remain lonely (Atak, 2009). People with low agreeableness are short-tempered (Griffin and Moorhead, 2013). People with high ne uroticism remain depressed (Phipps and Prieto, 2011). Overall, the personality trait of agreeableness is the most valid because it is observed most commonly in people. Interview content can be improved can be improved by asking the applicants what areas are they specialized in. Interview evaluation accuracy can be improved by having a team of recruiters rather than assigning the task to one recruiter. Faking on personality tests is not a major validity problem because one cannot really fake particularly if the recruiter uses a range of techniques to evaluate the personality including links to social networking sites, in-person interview, and past experience. Faking on personality tests can be detected by contacting the friends or acquaintances of the applicants and asking them about the applicant’s nature or personality.References:Atak, H. (2009). Big Five Traits and loneliness among Turkish emerging adults. International Journal of Behavior, Cognitive, Educational and Psycho logical Sciences. 1, 124-128.Ewen, R. (2009). An Introduction to Theories of Personality: 6th Edition. Psychology Press.McCrae, R. R., and Costa, P. T. (1987). Validation of the five-factor model of personality across instruments and observers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 52(1), 81–90.personalityresearch.org (2001). Five-Factor Model. Retrieved from personalityresearch.org/bigfive.html.Phipps, S.T.A., and Prieto, L.C. (2011). The influence of personality factors on transformational leadership: exploring the moderating role of political skill. International Journal of Leadership Studies. 6(3).

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Portfolio Optimization using Linear, Non-linear and Integer Research Proposal

Portfolio Optimization using Linear, Non-linear and Integer programming and Black-schole theroy - Research Proposal Example Portfolio optimization dwells on the improvement of the portfolio and improving the value and level of the stock portfolio to that which proves attractive to the market. The criterion allows for the combination of the various aspects either directly or indirectly. The optimization aspect allows for the analysis of the expected value and the rate of return and their dispersion. The dispersion looks at the distribution of the rate of return to the stock adding value to it and through these measures, the financial risks also undergo analysis to provide evidence and confidence in the investors. It’s through portfolio optimization that investors understand the various risks existing in the market that allows them. Portfolio optimization will require identification of a portfolio that is rich in diversification to ensure it provides good support to the portfolio. Following the yahoo finance, the following portfolio was considered. Considering the modern portfolio theory as developed by Harry Markowitz, standard deviation of the various portfolios and its rate of return as means of maximizing the expected returns are considered for the risks that may engulf the portfolio. These provide an efficient portfolio. Considering the trade-off between the risks involved with the expected returns that the portfolio covers. Considering the historical factors of the stocks provides the investors with better decisions on the direction of the stock overtime. These based on the curves on the value of the stocks, its prices and volumes traded. Considering the standard deviation, the volatility of the stock, and the stock prices and volumes provides a better position on the stock. Considering these enables, the investors provide a better response to their portfolio needs. Considering the initial portfolio selection, the following portfolio is

Friday, November 1, 2019

LTE measurement parameters analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

LTE measurement parameters analysis - Essay Example The development of the long-term evolution is said to be the natural upgrade of the receivers. This receiver uses the CDMA designs that were established in 2000 and the GSM/UMTS set-ups to transmit signals (Rumney, 2013, 17). The long-term evolution is currently marketed as the 4G wireless technology service; LTE is not enough to fulfill the technical requirements that are adopted by the 3G. These necessities were initially accompanied by the ITU-R systems in its progressive specification in IMT (Korowajczuk, 2011, 29). Due to pressure generated by the market and the tremendous advancement that are associated by HSPA and the long-term evolution to the inventive 3G technologies, the fourth generation LTE technology was developed by the ITU. The major aim for the development of the LTE was to increase the speed and capacity of the wireless data networks through the use of digital signal processing modulations and techniques that were developed in the beginning of the year 2000. Some of the key reason that caused the development of the LTE was to simplify and redesign the network architecture to the current IP based system. The IP systems have a reduced transfer capability as compared to the 3G structural design. LTE wireless edge is usually harmonious to the 2G and the 3g network technologies. The technology must be worked on a different wireless spectrum (Korowajczuk, 2011, 77). In the long-term evolution, the following parameters are used on the location signal. The first one is the conventional signal power indicator (RSSI).It is used in computing the normal amount of power received and observed by the OFDM symbols which have the reference symbols for the antenna port 0.port 0 measures the bandwidth over the N source blocks. The second parameter is the reference signal received power. This is a form of measurement that is used in parameter RSSI. The parameters are transmitted