Monday, December 23, 2019

Darren Aronofskys Pi Essay - 1670 Words

Darren Aronofskys Pi Is there an answer, a key to unlocking the mystery of nature, of life, of the universe? In the movie Pi, this question is explored through an intriguing, intense, thought-provoking plot, which leaves the viewer pondering its contents and ideas for hours afterwards. The movie Pi was written and directed by the young producer Darren Aronofsky. As his first big film, Pi won him Best Director at the 1998 Sundance film festival. This film was produced in an ideal time to appeal to societys increasing interest for tapping into spirituality and understanding the meaning and purpose of life. It pulls the audience in by intriguing and challenging them with complex questions and ideas and†¦show more content†¦The true bizarreness of the film is shown in Maxs insane hallucinations. The camera focuses in on Maxs right thumb twitching and shaking until his whole body is overcome by a massive migraine. Throughout the film, Max is plagued by these headaches, each beginning with a camera close-up of his twitching thumb. The dramatic effect is intensified by a mess of techno, chaotic-sounding music until suddenly there is silence signaling the end of Maxs pain and the beginning of his strange hallucinations. The ordeal is always ended by a flash of light, identical to the one he saw after his first headache at the origin of his genius. He narrates of his first headache at the age of six, caused by staring into the sun, leaving him blind for several days. When the bandages finally came off, he saw a bright light, which signified him being taken into a new state of understanding. . This incident gave Max his special ability to understand mathematics and his amazing grasp of the number theory. The movie contains several bits of narration like this by the main character, intended to give the viewer a feeling of probing into the very mind and thoughts of Max. The bizarre hallucination s seem to be a device to show the abyss of madness that Max nears. Throughout the film, Max confides in only one person, his mentor andShow MoreRelatedRod Serling And Darren Aronofsky1632 Words   |  7 PagesMark Beaton Com 320 October 15, 2015 Rod Serling and Darren Aronofsky I. Intro A. Darren Aronofsky 1. Aronofsky’s work B. Rod Serling 2. Serling’s work II. Pi A. Close-ups 1. â€Å"Eye of the Beholder† B. Ugly Faces C. Black and White 2. Twilight Zone III. Noah A. Watchers IV. Dialogue used in Aronofsky’s work A. Connection to Twilight Zone Intro Darren Aronofsky is a film maker who has made a variety of films throughout his career. He has worked as the director, producer, and writer onRead MoreThe Effects Of Heroin And Prescription Opiates1971 Words   |  8 Pagesthe high that comes with their first hit of heroin. Who does the prescription drug and heroin epidemic most effect? Where do these people live and go to school and work? What is the rate of overdose and how can this be prevented? In director Darren Aronofsky’s 2000 movie Requiem for a Dream, he portrays a group of three young adults who become addicted to heroin and travel in a downwards spiral as they try to â€Å"make it big† by buying and selling heroin. While they try to make it out of their opiate-inducedRead More Crusaders of Truth in Cats Cradle and Pi Essay1012 Words   |  5 PagesCrusaders of Truth in Cats Cradle and Pi      Ã‚  Ã‚   In our world, people are constantly searching for the truth, or answers for things that seem unexplainable. On a quest to make the uncertainties of life easier, or more reasonable, some people have invented tools such as religion, and deemed them truthful. People such as Felix Hoenikker from Kurt Vonneguts Cats Cradle, and Max Cohen from Darren Aronofskys film Pi, resist such inventions and see a different definition of truth, which is scienceRead MoreRequiem for a Dream981 Words   |  4 PagesHow does editing, mis en scene, sound and cinematography in the opening sequence of Requiem for a dream represent the effects of drug abuse on the main characters? Requiem for a dream was made in 2000, and was directed by Darren Aronofsky. The film exposes the truth about drug addiction and the effects it has on peoples lives. It also shows people who are trying to fit into society which can have disastrous effects which causes them to turn to drugs to fit in. The film follows four individual

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Supernatural Free Essays

Annie (Lenore Critical) who Is an emotionally fragile ghost (Icemaker 35). All three of these supernatural monsters live In an apartment together In Bristol while trying to live normal lives (Icemaker 35). I think you should take out this whole sentence – However, their so-called normal lives conflict with their supernatural lives. We will write a custom essay sample on Supernatural or any similar topic only for you Order Now The series shows Mitchell, George, and Annie trying to lead double lives by attempting to be a part of the human world as well as the supernatural world. Their human flaws however, become evident In their supernatural worlds. The characters are faced tit many challenges while managing to be a part of both worlds, through which they realize that they are actually being given a second chance at life. In Being Human UK, Mitchell, George, and Annie are creatures that are â€Å"fusions of a person with counterintuitive properties† (Petersen 94). Their supernatural lives are burdened with the flaws from their previous lives. Mitchell, as a human, took advantage of his good looks and used people. When he becomes a vampire, the ultimate user, and has the desire to drink blood and kill people, he realizes he needs to change. One of the first ways he tries to change is by refraining from drinking blood. He does not want to use people because only death will come from it. On the other hand, George, as a human, did not have any confidence and was socially awkward, especially around women. Becoming a werewolf allowed him to realize that he needs to stop being afraid of the outside world and develop enough confidence to be himself around others. Mitchell even states that George needs to be able to turn into a werewolf inside their house and accept who he is. Watch clip and cite quotation). Annie in her previous life had everything going for her. She went to university, met the love of her life Owen (Greg Chilled), and was happily engaged. She was determined to always get what she wanted. Now as a ghost, only Mitchell and George can see her and she is finding It difficult to accept that her fiance has moved on and she is no longer in control (Lowry 1). Through her ghostly existence, she starts to realize that she can be Independent and happy without Owens presence. All three of these characters â€Å"support each other In an effort to be as normal as possible† and are faced with conflicts because of their double lives (Lowry ). This BBC show allows viewers to witness the characters learning about second chances. Mitchell â€Å"double Identity and ‘normal’ aspects of his personally are what attract us to his character (Petersen 105). Throughout the series he Is faced with situations that require him to decide which world he wants to be a part of. One of his struggles, as a vampire, is when he has to decide whether he wants to convert people because of another woman he converted. Here, Mitchell was perplexed by the choice of letting Laura die or saving her life by turning her into a vampire. George yells at Mitchell to do something because she is dying but Mitchell responds by saying â€Å"Not another one I can’t† and allows Laura to die (Being Human 1. 1). Mitchell also does not want to seem suspicious, so he tries everything he can to be perceived as ‘normal’. In the second episode in season one Mitchell invites their neighbors over for tea to â€Å"participate and Join humanity’ (Being Human 1. 2). In episode two season one, George’s transformation is described in great detail and is compared to a human suffering a heart attack (show clip in class). Also, there have been several instances where George says he does not want anything to do with his supernatural life, showing that he is quite ashamed of it and would much rather be human. For example, he says, â€Å"l onto want to allow it into my life†¦. ‘ like to keep things separate, the house is the house and the thing that happens to me every month is something else. I transformed here last month and it doesn’t belong here† (Being Human 1. 2). The house that they all live in is where George feels most comfortable with himself because he uses it as a coping mechanism to deal with his supernatural nature and to pretend he is still a part of humanity. When it comes to Annie, her conflicts with the supernatural world and with humanity reside in the fact that she â€Å"does not know why she remains trapped in the unman realm† and as a ghost she Just wants people to be able to see her (Lowry 1). Throughout the show, these characters are always struggling with living their double lives because all they want to do is be a part of the normal human world and be Just like everybody else. Nannies two worlds are colliding because she does not know why she is still haunting her ex fianceg’s house and she constantly struggles with the fact that she is a ghost. She is miserable because she recently passed away due to falling down the stairs. The one thing that she wants more than anything is to be able to live her life again and be with her fiance. A few things that Annie does to pretend that she is still â€Å"alive† involve continuing doing her daily â€Å"human† routine. For example, she makes tea everyday to make her feel like she is still alive. George comments and says, Mimi keep making tea, every surface is covered with mugs of tea no tea, it has all been made. And you can’t even drink it. † Annie responds by saying â€Å"l like my routine, it makes me feel normal† (Being Human 1. 2). )(maybe show clip). Throughout many episodes Annie is always doing certain routines that she would have done when she was alive such as cleaning, catering to Mitchell and George’s deeds, and making food for them. Another conflict that Annie faces involves trying to resolve why she is still a ghost and is still a part of the physical realm. It isn’t until episode three season one, when Annie meets Gilbert, (Alex Price) a ghost from the ass’s, that she finally uncovers the reason behind her prolonged existence. Overall, Mitchell, George, and Nannies supernatural lives give them a second chance to figure out something about themselves that they never resolved while they were still living as humans. Their supernatural lives are a â€Å"source of identification in which new grounds for selectors can be found† (Petersen 98). Mitchell realizes that he wants to become a better person and stops relying on his good looks to get him places. One of the victims that made him realize his personality faults was his co- worker named Lauren (giftedness). Mitchell mistakenly converted her to a life as a vampire. After watching her being so desperate to feed off people and watching her kill others, it made him realize he did not want his vampire existence to be like hers. Therefore, he learns by watching Lauren, that there is more to life then Just looks, and that people deserve to be treated with respect. George learns that it is possible to have confidence in himself because of a werewolf named Tail(faded). When George found out that Tail was the one who turned him into a werewolf, he learned that he did not want to associate himself with other werewolves because they could not be trusted. By standing up to Tall, it gave George the courage he needed. This conflict with Tail allowed him to become a stronger person, and gave him the confidence to talk to women. Annie realizes with the help of Gilbert, that she is still around because there is something unresolved in her past life. When her memories start to mom back, she figures out she died because of her fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s anger. (show clip in class). Her flange Owen treated her like property and is physically abusive. Unfortunately her fragility tells her that it is all her fault and that she had it coming. Nannies self realization shows that she was insecure and incapable of standing on her own two feet while she was with Owen. However, as a ghost she realizes that she can become independent and does not need Owen. Unfortunately, this realization does not allow her to move on to the next realm. Therefore she continues to exist with lessons still to learn. All three characters were given a second chance at life to redeem themselves so that they could become stronger and better beings. When it comes to Mitchell, George, and Annie as well as other supernatural beings, â€Å"the recirculation of recognizable constructions of them implies that we should consider them as culturally successful and possibly impacting on our thoughts† (Petersen 105). All of us can relate to Mitchell, George, and Annie because we have experienced some sort of arrogance, awkwardness, and self doubt. Matt Insist argued that science fiction and fantasy films â€Å"attack reason, sell reenactment’s fantasies, and undermine appreciation for science and supernatural horror transcends simple-minded repudiations of science(Collocation). How to cite Supernatural, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Memory Perceived As Art Essay Example For Students

Memory Perceived As Art Essay In my physics class, my teacher tells me to analyze my data points in order to linearize the function. He tells me to find a pattern in the points and to cube them, or take the square root, in order to plot the points in a straight line. If the graph isnt linear, he says, we cant understand what it represents. Our memories are like this too. In fact, every human is a mathematician of the memory, infatuated with the ideal of a linearized function-that every X has its own formula that contains it, that the events of our lives can be plotted in a straight line with constant slope. We take our alphabet of memories, of taste and touch and jealousy and compassion and compress them into Xs and Ys and plot them in a straight line so that we may gain a sense of growth, a sense of purpose, a sense of sense. But some graphs cant be linearized. Nature itself is not linear. Life will never be justly compacted into numbers and graphs because nature is free and spontaneous; it is not a function because functions are generalized representations of what we call reality. Art mocks our minds attempts to linearize our lives. While art is dependent on mathematics, it also accepts that math is insufficient. Art plays with reality, my attempt to recreate the expression of my fathers face that day eight years ago through an augmented chord in the bass clef, to show the way it felt to lose myself by arching my back, tilting my head, and spinning on my toes. Art is the outlet for our memories; it embraces our inability to plot our lives in straight lines and allows us to plot them crooked. It helps us to understand that while our lives are not linear, they contain an element of symmetry, that there is meaning in the chaos, that to make the infinite finite is beautiful. This is the eternal obsession for all artists: to express that split-second photo frame of essence in movement or music or paint or prose. But memory is involuntary. One cannot think of a moment then see it. Rather, memories come as flashes of image coughed up into the mouth of the conscious from the phlegm-filled throat of the subconscious. It can happen at any moment-that is why you will see me scribbling poetry on Papa Ginos napkins, dancing in the corridor when there is no music. Within the optic, the olfactory, the tactile, the audible, one has the essence of memory as drawn in through the senses there is the reality that I have perceived.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Does McdonaldS Offer A Model Which Other Businesses Should Follow Ess

Does Mcdonald'S Offer A Model Which Other Businesses Should Follow? Does McDonald's offer a model which other businesses should follow? At first, most people must have laughed at the idea of a chain of restaurants selling identical products all over the country, but little did they know that the genius idea that they had mocked would go on to revolutionise the business environment of the future. McDonald's is now the international market leader for fast food, and has been ever since its pioneering first restaurant was launched in San Bernardino, California in 1948. Historical Background The original founders of McDonald's, and the fast-food concept, were brothers Dick and Mac McDonald. In 1948, they modified their drive-in restaurant, creating the standard for the contemporary fast-food restaurant of modern times. From the introduction of a limited menu of just nine items, and by focusing on efficient production and service, the brothers were able to halve the price of their hamburgers to 15 cents. Ray Kroc, who, at this time was a 52-year-old milkshake machine salesman, heard of the brothers' generation of around $350,000 in annual revenues, and instantly became convinced that its concept could work in other cities. Kroc became the first franchisee appointed by the McDonald brothers, and opened his first restaurant the following year in Des Plaines, Illinois. In 1961, Kroc bought all the rights to the McDonald's concept from the McDonald brothers for $2.7 million. Kroc was somewhat of an obsessive individual, fixated with rules, regulations, procedures, and obedien ce to his strict rules of discipline. Kroc was especially concerned with maintaining McDonald's clean image, as well as that of life in general, and could regularly be seen picking up litter outside of his restaurants in order to maintain the high standard of cleanliness upon which many of his principles were based. During the 1960s, McDonald's invested a great deal of capital into advertising and marketing campaigns. In 1962, the golden arches were adopted as its corporate logo, with the introduction of Ronald McDonald as its mascot arriving the following year. In 1965, McDonald's Corporation went public, and by 1966 was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1967, its first restaurants outside of the United States were opened in Canada and Puerto Rico. 1968 saw the introduction of the company's flagship product, the Big Mac. Throughout the 1970's, McDonald's became involved with a lot of charity work, establishing its own charity called the Ronald McDonald House, providing temp orary housing for the families of seriously ill children. Kroc had always believed in giving something back to the community in order to make the world a better place. In 1973, McDonald's added breakfast items to its menu. The Quarter Pounder was introduced in the subsequent year, as sales reached $1 billion. 1974 saw the opening of the first restaurant in the UK, in Woolwich, South London. In 1975, McDonald's introduced ?drive-thru? window service, which allowed motorists to order and receive food from their cars. Nowadays, this type of business accounts for around half of all McDonald's sales in the United States. In 1983, Chicken McNuggets were added to the menu, giving customers an alternative to beef. Founder Ray Kroc died in 1984. Ronald McDonald Children's Charities was founded in his remembrance to raise funds in support of child welfare. In 1989, McDonald's became listed on the Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, and Tokyo stock exchanges. Through the 1990s smaller outlets known as ? Express? stores were opened in hospitals, zoos, airports, and even on ferries. These outlets served a limited menu and lacked some of the amenities of larger stores. In 1996, McDonalds signed a 10-year agreement with The Walt Disney Company. This agreement has led to the introduction of restaurants at Disney theme parks, and the promotion of Disney films through McDonald's. Packaging is the primary source of advertising, along with the addition of limited edition products added to the menu. Examples include Pocahontas and The Lion King. Franchises The McDonald's Corporation is the largest worldwide franchised food service organisation. In the 1960's, Ray Kroc franchised restaurants for the low sum of $950, demanding 1.9% of sales. As the success of Kroc and his organisation depended on the prosperity of the franchisees, this mutual interest was a

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Aztecs And The Incas Essays - Aztec, Civilizations, Tenochtitlan

The Aztecs And The Incas Essays - Aztec, Civilizations, Tenochtitlan The Aztecs and the Incas The Aztecs and the Incas are two of the most memorable ancient Indian tribes because of their accomplishments and the way that they flourished and became two of the most prominent tribes in the Americas. The Aztecs, also known as the Mexica, dominated central and southern Mexico from the 14th to 16th centuries and are best known for having established an empire based on conquest, tribute paying and the religious sacrifice of humans and animals. The Quechian-speaking Incas established an extensive Andean empire in South America shortly before the conquest of the New World by the Europeans. These two empires arose from lowly beginnings. The Aztecs were forced to occupy the swampy area the western side of Lake Texcoco after the fall of the Toltec civilization. They converted their disadvantageous beginning into a powerfully advanced empire within two centuries, partially because of their belief in a legend. The legend goes on to say that they would establish a great civilization in a marshy area where they would see a cactus growing out of a rock and perched on top, an eagle eating a snake. Priests supposedly saw this in 1325 upon arrival and founded the great city of Tenochtitlan. As the Aztecs grew in number, they established superior military and civil organizations. The Incas, on the other hand, had no legend to guide them. They were originally a small warlike tribe inhabiting the south highland region of the Cordillera Central in Peru. They moved into the valley of Cuzco in at about 1100 and for roughly the next 300 years, raided and whenever possible, imposed tribute on neighboring peoples. Until the middle of the 15th century, however, the Incas undertook no imperialistic expansion or political consolidation. The empire reached it?s greatest extent in the reign of Huayna Capac. By this time, the Incas controlled a territory roughly the size of the Atlantic Coast states of the US. The capital city of the Aztecs was an artificial island, formed by piling up mud from the lake bottom, called Tenochtitlan, inhabited by over 100000 people, twice the population of any European city at the time. Tenochtitlan means ?Place of the Cactus? and under Montezuma, it became the most powerful city in Mexico. It had an advanced water supply system, with public fountains and reservoirs throughout the city. Laid out into a grid pattern, it was divided by canals- ?roads? for canoe traffic- and into four districts, each with it?s own temples, schools and markets. The edges of the city had simple housed for the poor; the center had grand houses for the rich. Markets were held every five days and people from everywhere came to sell goods, exchange gossip and news. Officers patrolled the streets and thieves would be tried and punished on the spot. Tenochtitlan was indeed a very organized city. The Incan empire was an agriculturally based theocracy rigidly organized along socialistic lines. The entire domain was also divided into four great regions or quarters and these regions were subdivided into provinces and various other lesser socioeconomic groups. While Tenochtitlan had a system of canals and paved roads to keep the city together, there was a great network of stone roads connecting all parts of the realm to the capital city of Cuzco. Trained runners, working in relays, covered up to 400 km a day delivering messages. Like the Aztecs, who often traveled around their city in canoes, the Incas had Balsa wood boats which provided a rapid means of transportation along rivers and streams. Although the Incas had neither horses, nor a system of writing, authorities in Cuzco were able to keep in close touch with developments around the empire with this system. Communication was also enhanced by keeping numerical records of troops, supplies, population data, and general inventories by means of knotted and colored string called quipus. The imperial administrators had everything under control. While the Incans had no form of writing, the Aztecs used pictographic writing, hieroglyphics, recorded on animal hides. Some of these writings still exist today. The hieroglyphics can also still be found on the ruins of ancient temples. They used a calendar system developed by the earlier Mayan civilization. Both civilizations had numerous gods and paid sacrifices to them. The Incans had the gods of sun, stars and weather. Their goddesses were of the earth, moon and sea. They had numerous and elaborate ceremonies and rituals, primarily centered on health and agricultural concerns. Live animals were often sacrificed at

Friday, November 22, 2019

Early Modern Food Culture in Great Britain (16th and 17th Century) Essay

Early Modern Food Culture in Great Britain (16th and 17th Century) - Essay Example e who prepared food devoured by the fellow people of Shakespeare is illustrated most clearly in the volume ‘receipt books’ (Caton 1999, 6) they produced. This work presents recipes for â€Å"stew[ing] a calves head†, â€Å"pease pottage†, â€Å"a staple of the average person’s diet†, or cooking a â€Å"gooseberry foole† (Caton 1999, 6), documented by men and women who prepared these provisions five centuries ago. In 1610, Sarah Longe assembled her Receipt Booke. According to Heidi Brayman Hackel, Longe was â€Å"one of the respectable middling sort, the wife perhaps of a successful tradesman or a member of the lesser gentry† (Brown 2009, 30). She documented a procedure for wafers that were relished by King James and his Queen; however, it is a different wafer recipe in her work that shows the considerable dissimilarities between her kitchen and present-day kitchens (Brown 2009). She starts on, â€Å"Take halfe a pound of sugar, as much flower† (Schoonover 1998, 111). Then, when a few servings of rosewater and eleven eggs have been added: â€Å"Beate it 2 hours...; bake it an hour...; then you must dry it againe in the Sun or Oven† (Glasse 1983, 116). A different procedure for baking a cake starts on, â€Å"Take halfe a bushel of fflower, 8 pound of Currence, and 5 pounds of butter...† (Caton 1999, 100). Entertaining visitors and providing for her family were chall enging duties for Longe. Receipt Booke is one of various such works in the Folger compendium that shows the assortment to be seen in the food culture of early modern England (Caton 1999). This essay will discuss the food culture of early modern England, specifically sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England. Food preparation and consumption will be discussed in a wide-ranging perspective, from its roots in usual and substitute crops through innovation in agriculture, market transportation, and household delivery to its presentation on the table in traditional and modern foods and drinks. Bread, pottage,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Contemporary and Classic artworks Research Paper

Contemporary and Classic artworks - Research Paper Example The essay "THREE contemporary artworks" discovers the Three Artworks Illustrating The Aspect Of Interdisciplinary Practice. The genre of the sound is taken to be a contemporary artwork and is it an interdisciplinary based on nature. The artwork of sound can take a form of hybrid. The major difference between the sound art and the traditional way of painting is that, the art of sound encourages the concentration on the aural stimulation while the art of traditional painting concentrates on pleasing the eye. In the discipline of sound art, there is the use of music or rather sound technology to bring out the artwork in it. Sound art always focuses on the aesthetic ways of conveying sound. This is the best approach in sound art as it values the music and sound in it to be a worthwhile form as per the consideration of the history of arts. Now days, the art of sound can involve sound tools such as the noise sound, electronics and media which is definitely audio. Also, the environmental so und, sounds from the body of the human beings, acoustics and many more tools can be involved in the art of sound. Only significant and relevant tools or rather subjects which are part of the artwork which is contemporary can be used in the art of sound. According to the current scholars, the art of sound has now changed its role in the art of contemporary and also in its vocabulary of sound so as to fit in its works which are new unlike the art of classical discipline. Also, currently sound art has become more diversified.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Ancient Civilizations Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ancient Civilizations Governance - Essay Example The period of the Pharaohs started when the Lower and Upper Egypt were unified under the same state. Same us Mesopotamia the Nile was the only source of livelihood in Egypt as were Tigris and Euphrates. There were royal governors appointed to national administrative centers by the pharaoh who were worshiped as the god. During this period of the fourth dynasty it was strong than ever and it's when the pyramids were built to bury the pharaohs (Clare, 1906). They had a centralized form of government to organize the vast kingdom and hold on together, where they used slave labor from around Egypt. They are also known to be the cradle of civilization as their counterparts in Mesopotamia, who also had specialist in writing, stone cutters for pyramid construction as well as mathematicians and painters. The kingdom came to for fall during the fifth dynasty when civil wars arose and the regional governors revolted against the royal family which undermined the unity of the government (Alcock, 2001). Ancient Hebrews of Israel and Judah Israelites are traced in the book of genesis, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as their leaders in the beginning, where Abraham lived a nomadic lifestyle and bore the royal family of Israel that was later led by his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. The history of Israelites and Judah is mostly found in the Bible conceptualization in the Old Testament, dedicated to the Bronze Age. After living in the desert, they conquered cities in Canaan such as Jericho, Hazor and Ai. The structures of Israelites were conforming to those of Canaanites states in their monarchial government, religion, economy and social structures, where they improved on these structures to establish a strong kingdom (Collingwood, 1946). The Israelite Kingdom... Ancient Civilizations Governance The habitants of Mesopotamia had a polytheistic religion, with same belief that the world was surrounded everywhere by water and it was a flat disc. As a region they had the same beliefs on the universe but they differed from one city state to another, where they refer to different gods and goddesses. The city states of the Sumerian people thrived independently of each other, where the larger cities would try and conquer the whole region to unify it under the latter's rule, where this was met with great resistance breaking down the empire most of the times (Clare, 1906). The Mesopotamian's believed that the authority of their rulers ( kings and queens) were anointed by their Gods, giving them total control over the populace as it was legitimized by the religion of the land. Other rulers were believed to be as gods being more than two-thirds gods and lesser human. The empire was divided into the city states which were known as provinces and were headed by a governor who made sure that people paid their taxes, gathered soldiers for war, supplied workers for building temples and was entirely in responsible for law enforcement in his state. Some of the early city states were Samaria, Damascus, and Nineveh and later there was Babylon which expanded much during the times of Hammurabi's rule. Growth and prosperity in this period was stagnant as a series of plagues and famines had reduced the populace almost by half leading to peasant revolts and social unrest. This also threatened the Catholic Church’s unity.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Memory Loss and Cognitive Impairment of the Elderly

Memory Loss and Cognitive Impairment of the Elderly CHAPTER V DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS LIMITATIONS AND RECOMENDATIONS This chapter deals with discussion, summary and conclusion drawn. It also clarifies the limitation of the study, the implications and recommendations given for different areas such as nursing practice, nursing education, nursing administration and research. Memory loss is unusual forgetfulness. May not able to remember the new incidents, recall more memories of the past or both .Memory loss can be distressing for the person affected as well as for their family. Mild cognitive impairment is a syndrome defined as cognitive decline greater than expected for an individual’s age and education levels but that does not interfere notably with activities of daily life. Age related changes in cognitive function vary considerably across individuals. Some cognitive functions appearing more susceptible than others to the effect of aging. DISCUSSION: The present study was designed to assess the memory loss and cognitive impairment for the elder peoples. The investigator adopted descriptive research design. The data collected for the study were analyzed statistically and discussed below based on objectives. i) Demographic Description: Demographic variables included Age , Sex , Education , Monthly income before coming to the old age home , Marital status , Occupation before coming to the old age home , Duration of stay in the old age home , Family history of mental illness , Source of income . Out of 60 elderly majority of the people 26 ( 43.33%) were between the age group of 76 – 80 yrs , regarding the sex 36 ( 60%) people are males ,regarding the educational status 50 ( 83.33 %) people had primary education , regarding the monthly income 46( 76.66%) people are getting RS ,3000-5000, 39 ( 65%) people married , 24 ( 40%) people are in private job , 30 ( 50%) people are staying 1-2 years in the old age home , 55( 91.66% ) people are not having family history of mental illness , 20 ( 33.33%) people are having source of income from the children. 1) The first objective of the study was to assess the memory loss and cognitive impairment among elder people. Among 60 samples 1 (1.66%) of them scored between 61-80 (Mild memory loss), 19 (31.66%) of them scored between 41- 60 (Moderate memory loss), 40 (66.66%) of them scored between 21- 40 (Severe memory loss), and there is no people in very severe memory loss among elderly. This study was supported by Chips .J Pillai., et al (2009), conducted a early assessment of memory impairment in people over 65 years old . Tests used for the early diagnosis with memory loss are Wechsler memory scale. They recorded 74.5 % of memory complaints for old age people. Memory consultations were assessed at clinical settings and improve the access to early medical and behavioral support. Among 60 samples 3(5%) of them scored between 21-25 (Mild cognitive impairment), 56 (93.33%) of them scored between 11- 20 (Moderate cognitive impairment), 1 (1.66%) of them scored between 0-10 (Severe cognitive impairment) among elderly. This study was supported by Cynthia Thomas et al ( 2005 ) , conducted the study on cognitive assessment for elderly ; A brief screening test for mild cognitive impairment. Mini mental status examination administered to all the participants. 94 Participants meeting mild cognitive impairment clinical criteria. The study concluded that 55%people detect mild cognitive impairment. 2) The second objective of the study was association between the memory loss with demographic variables: The chi square value for the association of age and memory loss among elderly is significant 0.001 levels. Hence, a significant association between age and memory loss. There is no significant association between memory loss with sex , education , occupation before coming to the old age home , marital status , income before coming to the old age home , duration of stay in the old age home , family history of mental illness , source of income among elderly. This study was supported by Gary .J Kennedy (2008), assessed the age associated memory impairment. 160 participants were selected with the age group of 70 -80 years. Used 4 computerized 3 non computerized memory tests. The participants score was low on two memory test. The data suggest that 80 % subjects had memory impairment. 3) The third objective was to associate the cognitive impairment with demographic variables. There is no significant association between cognitive impairment with demographic variables such as age , sex , education , occupation before coming to the old age home , marital status , income before coming to the old age home , duration of stay in the old age home , family history of mental illness , and source of income among elderly. This study was supported by John .M Starr et al (1999) conducted a study on age associated cognitive decline in healthy older people. Results were the study fails to support the hypothesis that cognitive decline can be attributed to age alone in healthy older people. They detected 57% older people had moderate cognitive impairment. 4) The fourth objective was to assess the correlation between memory loss and cognitive impairment. Mean value for memory loss is 38.3 and standard deviation value is 5.60, and mean value for cognitive impairment is 15.5 and standard deviation value is 2.89. Correlation of memory loss and cognitive impairment score is 0.407. It is evident that there is a positive correlation between memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly. This study was supported by Noboru Habu., et al (2010). Conducted a cross sectional study on relationship between mild memory impairment and cognitive impairment. Results were the study there is a correlation of coefficient of memory loss and cognitive impairment(r = 0.391). There is a positive correlation between memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly. SUMMARY The present study aimed to assess the memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly at ST. JOSEPH old age home in Coimbatore. The objectives were to: 1) Assess the memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly. 2) Associate the memory loss with demographic variables among elderly 3) Associate the cognitive impairment with demographic variables among elderly. 4) Correlate the memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly. Review of literature facilitated the investigator to collect the relevant information to support the study. The researcher adopted descriptive research design for conducting this study. The conceptual frame work was based on Modified bio psychosocial model 1999. The researcher to identify the memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly. 60 elderly were selected by convenient sampling technique .The tool used for data collection consists of Wechsler memory scale, mini mental status examination. The data was collected for a period of 6 weeks in ST. JOSEPH OLD AGE HOME Coimbatore. Based on the objectives, data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY: According to statistical analysis, 1(1.66%) elderly had mild memory loss. 19(31.66%) elderly had moderate memory loss. 40(66.66%) elderly had severe memory loss. 3(5%) elderly had mild cognitive impairment. 56(93.33%) elderly had moderate cognitive impairment. 1(1.66%) elderly had severe cognitive impairment. Chi square value for the association of age with memory loss is significant at 0.001 levels. So these findings indicated that as age progress the memory will get decreased. Chi square value for the association of cognitive impairment with demographic variables is not significant. Mean value for memory loss is 38.3 and standard deviation is 5.60. Mean value for cognitive impairment is 15.5 and standard deviation is 2.89. The findings indicated that the Correlation value of memory loss and cognitive impairment is 0.407. It was evident that there is positive correlation between memory loss and cognitive impairment. It can be assumed when memory loss get increased the cognitive impairment also will increase. CONCLUSION: That it is concluded that elderly are suffers from memory loss and cognitive impairment, there is a significant association between age and memory loss. As the age progress the memory will get decreased. And there is no significant association between cognitive impairment with demographic variables. There is a positive correlation between memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly. IMPLICATIONS: The present study findings have several implications in nursing practice, nursing education, nursing administration and nursing research. Nurse can assess the problems of elderly and prevent further complication. Nursing practice: Increased attention towards family members regarding care of elderly. Nurses can provide memory training for the elderly. Nurses can advice the elderly to maintain the diary for remembering important matters. Nurses can provide counselling for psychological problems of the elderly. Nursing Education: Nursing educator plays an important role for preparing the nurses for caring the elderly and meets the psychological and physical needs of the elderly. Nursing educator Involve the students in memory training program. Nursing educator ways to improve and maintain cognitive health. Nursing Administration: Nursing administrator can plan and organizing community based classes to the community people regarding improving memory and cognitive impairment among elderly. Nursing administrator can encourage students to participate in health education and counselling programme for the family members. Nursing administrator can conduct in-service education, workshop, continuing nursing education to the nursing students and update their knowledge about needs (physical psychological) for the elderly. Nursing Research: This study can be baseline for future studies to build on. Nursing research provides evidence based clinical practice. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited to single setting. This study was limited to the sample size of 60 elderly. This study was limited to only assessment of memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly. RECOMMENDATIONS: A study can be conducted to find out the needs of the elderly A study can be conducted in various settings. A study can be conducted to psychological and physical problems of elderly. A study can be conducted to compare the memory loss and cognitive impairment of elderly staying in old age home and staying in home. A study can be conducted in community settings. A study can be conducted memory loss and cognitive impairment can affect the activities of daily living and occupational functions of the elderly. ABSTRACT The present study entitled, study to ASSESS THE MEMORY LOSS AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AMONG ELDERLY AT ST. JOSEPH OLD AGE HOME COIMBATORE. The objectives of the study were to assess the memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly, associate the memory loss with demographic variables among elderly, associate the cognitive impairment with demographic variables among elderly, and correlate the memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly. Descriptive research design was adopted for this study. This study was conducted in ST.JOSEPH old age home, Coimbatore. The sample size was 60 elderly. The Conceptual frame work adopted for this study was Modified bio psychosocial model (1999). The study was conducted for a period of six weeks. The tools used to assess the memory loss and cognitive impairment is Wechsler memory scale and Mini mental status examination. The results of the study were Among 60 samples, 1.66% elderly had mild memory loss, 31.66% elderly had moderate memory loss , and 66.66% elderly had severe memory loss. In cognitive impairment 5% elderly had mild cognitive impairment, 93.33% elderly had moderate cognitive impairment, and 1.66% elderly had severe cognitive impairment. There is a significant association between age and memory loss .There is no significant association between cognitive impairment with demographic variables. Positive correlation between memory loss and cognitive impairment among elderly. The study concluded that as the age progress the memory will get decreased.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

A Separate Peace :: essays research papers

Sitting in my third grade classroom we chattered anxiously, waiting for the spelling quizzes to be passed back. My teacher placed them all facing down on our desks, a rather pointless effort when she was already aware that at any moment the room would burst into havoc with yells of "what did you get?", shouting numbers back and forth, and of course superior comments from the students proud of their marks. I quickly flipped mine over and grinned at the 8/10 scrawled in red marker near the top of the page. "What did you get?" sure enough my friend Jenny thrust me her paper. As I stared down at her 100% sitting aside a bright yellow smiley sticker I felt a familiar twinge of jealousy. From that day on I had a secret goal to achieve higher marks than my friend. I can not remember when this rivalry ended, but I do know that it is normal behavior. Each person feels rivalry or competition to other humans, for the majority of their lifetime. This rivalry greatly affects our ability to understand others, and this eventually results in war, discrimination, and enmity. Children are definitely culprits for acting inhumane to each other with teasing, competition, and often hurtful remarks. Although this is the way children often act, it is in the teenage years realization, along with careful thought and consideration, brings each individual to understand wider prospects of human nature; that people coldly drive ahead for themselves alone. Man’s inhumanity1 to man is a way for people to protect themselves from having pain inflicted on them by fellow humans, and achieving their goals and desires free from interference of others. The concept of man’s inhumanity to man is developed in John Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace. The primary conflict in this novel centers on the main character, Gene, and his battling of jealousy, paranoia, and inability to understand his relationship with his best friend Phineas. Yet the larger battle of man’s inhumanity to man is portrayed by the backdrop of World War II. Gene Forrester is an average, studious, young man attending Devon school in New Hampshire during the second World War. His roommate at Devon, Phineas (otherwise known as Finny) sends Gene on an unexpected journey of self discovery. Finny represents man in his innocence, a kind of edenic2 Adam. He is very athletic, honest and trusting.

Monday, November 11, 2019

On the Absence of Self-Control as the Basis for a General Theory of Crime Essay

Self-control theory theorizes the single most important factor behind crime is an individual’s lack of self-control. This is explored and explained much more in-depth in A General Theory of Crime. In this book, Gottfredson and Hirschi theorized that low self-control is the root to all crime at all times and ultimately the general theory of crime. They referenced back to the cause of low self-control describing the parenting that they claim is to blame and therefore theorized that bad parenting leads to low self-control that leads to crime, making low self-control the root of all crime. Gilbert Geis, a criminologist, has dissected the theory and found many deficiencies regarding its applicability to all crime. Although Geis admires the attempt to generalize a theory to explain all crime he also admires a saying that states â€Å"nothing is more tragic than the murder of a grand theory by a little fact† (p. 77). Through many examples of different crimes, criminal behaviors, and scenarios, Geis was able to dispute the self-control theory in regards to: its definition of crime, the matter of tautology, its discussion of criminal law, its inclusion of the acts analogous to crimes, exceptions to the theory, the role played in the theory by the concept of opportunity, its views about specialization in criminal behavior, its handling of the matter of aging, how it deals with white collar crime, research on the theory, ideological issues, and child-rearing and the theory. How much variance can the theory explain? There should be one theory per one type of crime. It is not likely that any contributing variable is applicable for all crimes. This is the idea that fueled Geis to dispute the claims made by Gottfredson and Hirschi. The idea of creating one general theory is too great of a goal where as a more modest and effective goal would be to create a family or group of theories to explain the root of most crime. It is believed by Geis that this self-control theory will be sloughed off as a general theory to explain all crime. Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler than possible. Research and facts that are incompatible with the theory should not have to be explained away or shaped to fit within the patterns consistent to the theory. A study conducted in 2007 by Cretacci examined self-controls ability to explain different forms of crime and whether the support that it has gained has been exaggerated. The results collected from these tests indicated that self-control theory is a predictor of probability of involvement in property and drug crime but is practically silent in its ability to explain crimes of violent nature. In addition to this, Cretacci also has found many logical deficits that exist in many explanations the theory is supposed to serve. One particular deficit is the idea of the stability of self-control. According to Gottfredson and Hirschi the level of self-control an individual possesses levels out around the age of 7 and remains the same throughout the individual’s lifetime. This information was only supported by one resource. Questioning this claim, Turner and Piquero conducted a study in 2002 to reexamine the resource utilized by Gottfredson and Hirschi that resulted in mixed support for their claim. Geis feels that the idea of explaining a massive field with one general theory is impossible. This belief applies to all human acts and broad categories such as criminal behavior. There are too many variables within a broad category or topic as such to be fully explained by one explanation. Human nature drives us to believe such easy explanations for sake of simplicity and solidity and this is often why individuals tend to hold theories such as this for truth even when factual research and support contradict said theory. A famous scientist once said â€Å"Nothing is more surprising than the way in which a theory will continue to survive long after its brains have been knocked out† (p. 177)

Saturday, November 9, 2019

History and Inventors of Beds and Mattresses

History and Inventors of Beds and Mattresses A bed is a piece of furniture upon which a person may recline or sleep, in many cultures and for for many centuries the bed was considered the most important piece of furniture in the house and a type of status symbol. Beds were used in ancient Egypt as more than a place for sleeping, beds were used as a place to eat meals and entertain socially. The Mattress Among the earliest beds were simple, shallow boxes or chests in stuffed or layered with soft bedding. Later, ropes or strips of leather were suspended across a wooden framework to create a soft basis to sleep on. By the 15th century, most beds were built upon these straps of support over timber. The mattress itself evolved to be a sort of bag filled fiber like straw or wool, and then covered in common, inexpensive cloth. In the mid 18th century, the cover became made of quality linen or cotton, the mattress cane box was shaped or bordered and the fillings available were natural and plenty, including coconut fibre, cotton, wool, and horsehair. The mattresses also became tufted or buttoned to hold the fillings and cover together and the edges were stitched. Iron and steel replaced the past timber frames in the late 19th century. The most expensive beds of 1929 were latex rubber mattresses produced by the very successful Dunlopillo. Pocket spring mattresses were also introduced. These were individual springs sewn into linked fabric bags. Waterbeds The first water-filled beds were goatskins filled with water, used in Persia more than 3,600 years ago. In 1873, Sir James Paget at St. Bartholomews Hospital presented a modern waterbed designed by Neil Arnott as a treatment and prevention of pressure ulcers (bed sores). Waterbeds allowed mattress pressure to be evenly distributed over the body. By 1895, a few waterbeds were sold via mail order by the British store, Harrods. They looked like, and probably were, very large hot water bottles. Due to lack of suitable materials, the waterbed did not gain widespread use until the 1960s, after the invention of vinyl. Murphy Bed Murphy Bed, the bedding idea of 1900 was invented by American William Lawrence Murphy (1876 to 1959) from San Francisco. The space-saving Murphy Bed folds into a wall closet. William Lawrence Murphy formed the Murphy Bed Company of New York, the second oldest oldest furniture manufacturer in the United States. Murphy patented his In-A-Dor bed in 1908, however, he did not trademark the name Murphy Bed.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Example English Sentences of the Verb Beat

Example English Sentences of the Verb Beat A good writer should march to the beat of a different drum, except marching to that beat represents a cliche, something all writers should avoid. In the preceding sentence, beat wore the trappings of a noun, but, like many words, its versatile enough to perform additional duties as a verb or adjective. We will concern ourselves with examples of beat as a verb in all of its tenses, including in the active, passive, conditional, and modal forms. All Forms of Beat Base Form beat / Past Simple beat / Past Participle beaten / Gerund beating Present Simple I often beat my friends at chess. Present Simple Passive Jack is usually beaten by Mary in poker. Present Continuous Johnson is beating Anderson in the boxing match. Present Continuous Passive Anderson is being beaten by Johnson in the boxing match. Present Perfect Peter has beaten me at least fifty times at chess. Present Perfect Passive Ive have been beaten at chess at least fifty times by Peter. Present Perfect Continuous None Past Simple Jennifer beat me last week. Past Simple Passive I was beaten by Jennifer last week. Past Continuous I was beating Peter in that game when you walked in the door. Past Continuous Passive Peter was being beaten when you walked in the door. Past Perfect Tom had beaten Jane at least ten times before Jane finally won a match. Past Perfect Passive Jane had been beaten by Tom at least time times before she finally won a match. Past Perfect Continuous None Future (will) I will beat you the next time we play. Future (will) Passive She will be beaten in the next match. Future (going to) Look! Jack is going to beat Mark. Future (going to) Passive Look! Mark is going to be beaten by Mark. Future Continuous This time next week, Ill be beating you in our rematch. Future Perfect By the time you read this, he will have been beaten by his opponent. Future Possibility I think  she might beat Ralph in the next game. Real Conditional If she continues like this, she will beat her opponent. Unreal Conditional If she played better, she would beat Jack. Past Unreal Conditional If Peter had concentrated more, he would have beaten his opponent. Present Modal He should beat Mark. Past Modal They must have beaten their opponents. They are so much better at chess! Quiz: Conjugate With Beat Use the verb to beat to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. Jennifer _____ me last week.Tom _____ Jane at least ten times before Jane finally won a match.Johnson ______ Anderson in the boxing match.If Peter had concentrated more, he _____ his opponent.Look! Mark _____ by Mark.Peter _____ me at least fifty times at chess.Jack _____ usually _____ by Mary in poker.I often _____ my friends at chess.By the time you read this, he ______ by his opponent. Quiz Answers beathad beatenis beatingwould have beatenis going to be beaten  has beatenis beatenbeatwill have been beaten

Monday, November 4, 2019

Pushing Tin Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pushing Tin - Movie Review Example Although Nick is a happily married man to a sweet wife Connie, he falls for Bells wife when he met her at a supermarket. Nick has a sincere character full of intelligence that enables him get on the track, through Bell’s help after her wife leaves him. The movie unravels several stress levels experienced by a diverse workforce. The changing times of globalisation comes with added demands on the workers to perform more duties diligently at the same pay as before. Integrated stress model describes stressors as occurring in workplaces, which include nonworking experiences, and during major life transitions (Edward 410). Lazarus and Folkman as quoted by NEIU argue that stressors are life experiences or circumstances that threaten a major goal including maintenance of ones physical integrity and psychological well being (Kemeny 1). Stressors affect various cognition states causing anxiety, sadness, frustration, helplessness, and an overwhelmed self-being. The model advocates for filtering stressors in that a stressor can be exciting to one person and harmful to another. In addition, the model suggests personality, skills, family health history, demographics, diet, and physical fitness as some moderators of stress. From the movie Pushing Tin, Nick’s skills make him outstanding on a job that has so much pressure. When the airline management decides to layoff other air controllers, Nick manages to keep his job. He boasts of his ability to handle intense stress in a job that has a very high percentage of staff turnovers. Integrated model helps us explain why two individuals subjected to similar stressful work conditions will behave differently. While the job conditions excite and work well for Nick, the same conditions are so adverse to other air controllers and they have to quick job. Nick has special capabilities and resilience that makes him stand out. In the same stressful working conditions, Bell comes in and outperforms

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The Scientific Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Scientific Method - Essay Example Used materials: I required three items to complete this research: 1. A notebook in which I recorded the results 2. Five 1.5 ounce Planter's NUT.rition bags 3. Five paper towels on which to place the contents of each bag Methods: Each bag of Planter's NUT.rition was poured out onto a paper towel, and the nuts sorted by type. The total number of nuts per bag and the number of each type were recorded in a notebook. Results and Analysis: The number of nuts per bag and the type are given in Table 1: Bag Number Peanuts Hazelnuts Pistachios Almonds Pecans Total Nuts 1 30 2 16 9 9 66 2 27 1 15 10 4 57 3 33 3 14 8 6 64 4 31 5 8 5 9 58 5 29 1 12 7 7 56 These results tell us that the proportions of types of nuts in a Planter's NUT.rition bag are not equal between bags. The proportions of each type of nut in the bag are given in Table 2: Bag Number Peanuts Hazelnuts Pistachios Almonds Pecans 1 0.45 0.03 0.24 0.14 0.14 2 0.47 0.02 0.26 0.18 0.07 3 0.51 0.05 0.23 0.13 0.09 4 0.53 0.08 0.14 0.09 0. 16 5 0.52 0.02 0.21 0.13 0.13 The biggest variation was seen in the pistachios (+/- 0.12) and the smallest difference was seen in the peanuts and hazelnuts (+/- 0.06). However, none of the bags showed similar proportions in all five types of nuts, even if proportions were similar between one or two types.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Importance of Path Dependence in Management Essay

Importance of Path Dependence in Management - Essay Example The strong implication is that actors in a particular process become locked-in mechanisms that are themselves a product of historical contingencies. This perspective holds that phenomena are complex, and, therefore, a result of mutually interacting variables which produce non-linear dynamics and feedback loops. The complexity of the discourse on organisational change and innovation has only increased. This is occasioned by two divergent views. The first view holds that new and more flexible or fluid organisational forms are on demand while the second view holds the belief in organisational inertia and the historical necessity of decision making (Garud, Arun, and Peter, 2009:760). These two views have confronted managers who have to balance between new ideas and customs of an organisation or an industry. This is mostly influenced in concepts such as entrepreneurial mindset where actors are more driven by the logic of control which drives them to effectively actualise complex processes. This has made path dependence essential to managers as they struggle to understand the basic factors underlying most organisational processes and past successes while linking them with the realities of the moment to improve sustenance of an organisational performance and effectiveness (Coombs and Hull, 1997:1 -26). In a case study of Toyota production system (TPS), the perspective of change as a path dependence phenomenon promotes the importance of this concept in management (Driel and Dolfsma, 2009:67). To begin with, TPS created lock-in mechanisms long before the development of a proper mechanism involving relative competition. The competitors were able to copy some of the TPS models with accuracy and create considerable competition. However, through application of its significant and reliable production techniques and marketing strategies, they maintained loyalty of a client base that believed in the products produced by Toyota (Driel and Dolfsma, 2009:67).

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

What Led to the Civil War Essay Example for Free

What Led to the Civil War Essay During the 1800’s, slavery in America became a bigger and bigger issue and discussion. The North opposed slavery and thought everything about it was wrong. Whereas the South felt slavery was an essential part of their lives, and that without it they would not survive. In April of 1861, during the first month of the Civil War Alfred M. Green delivered a speech to his fellow African Americans to join the Union forces of the North. Green uses allusions in his speech to help persuade his fellow African Americans to join the Union forces. Green felt that if anyone should be fighting in a war for freedom from slavery, it should be African Americans. He states, â€Å"My country, right or wrong, I love thee still!† Meaning regardless how wrong the South’s actions were or could be at times, Green and his people would still love them and fight for what was right. African Americans needed the extra boost of confidence, and Green was just that. He says, â€Å"Let us, take up the sword, trusting in God, who will defend the right†¦Ã¢â‚¬  By bringing in this statement of faith this made the tone more comfortable and reassuring, as if God was on his side, and would do the right thing in the end. The passion and drive of Green would overall have a great impact on African Americans. Green says, â€Å"Remember, too, that your very presence among the troops of the North would inspire your oppressed brethren of the South†¦living God the God of truth, justice and equality to all men.† This created a new confidence for the North and slaves that wanted to make a difference in how they were being treated. Given these points, Green uses personal experiences and emotion to help

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Sources Of Finance For Kfc Finance Essay

Sources Of Finance For Kfc Finance Essay KFC began with Colonel Harland Sanders. He discovered his penchant for cooking when he was only 9 years old. Through the years he grew up to become a personage the world knows as Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC. He reached celebrity status in 1952, when he decided to franchise his famous Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe blends of 11 herbs and spices to the rest of America. By the early 70s, that special recipe reached Malaysia. KFC Holdings owns approximately 27 Kedai Ayamas and 4 Ayamas Depots, making them the nations first branded chicken and chicken-based retain chain. KFC Holdings operates the KFC chain of restaurants in Malaysian, Singapore and Brunei (523 restaurants) and the Rasamas chain of restaurants in Malaysia (about 37 outlets). Sources of finance are where finance comes from. There are three kinds of sources which are Bank loans, Owners (share) capital and Trade credit . Finance is money which is a scarce resource. To obtain it, a business has to compete for it. Individuals, the government and other businesses all seek money to finance their needs. Those with money to lend will lend it provided the rate of return (interest), the risk and flexibility (how quickly the money can be repossessed) are consistent with their expectations. The word lend often implies to short-term; the word invest implies to long-term. Individuals or organisations that lend money, expect to get their money back, with a fixed annual return in a comparatively short time. Those who invest in a company become part-owners share holders. They expect regular payment of cash dividends (whose size varies with the companys success) plus an increase in the value of their shares. A major source of finance for many businesses is the retained profit from sales to customers. A business just starting up or one expanding rapidly has to raise its finance from other sources. There are three kind of finance question which relates the finance which the management should consider. Duration: for how long is the finance required? Cost: which source of finance is the least expensive? repayment: what level is acceptable Duration Duration depends on the reason the money is needed. No-one would take out a 25 year mortgage to finance the purchase of a personal HiFi. Few people would buy a house with a bank overdraft. Businesses apply the same principles of matching the purpose of finance with the source of finance. This makes sense all round. For the business it ensures that finance is guaranteed as long as it is needed. For the investor it ensures that adequate security is available for the duration of the loan as in the case of a 20 year loan secured against a property that will continue to have value for all the 20 years. Cost In general, businesses look for the cheapest source of finance. The easiest way to compare the cost of finance is to express the annual payment to lenders/investors as a percentage of the amount of finance provided. Interest on a loan can be expressed in percentage terms. So can the rate of return to shareholders. Return on investment in shares = Dividend per share, share price change since the start of year The rate of return expected by shareholders becomes the cost to the business of using this form of finance. Repayment A business should not get into a position where all of its profits are being swallowed up in interest payments. There is a real danger of borrowing too much. The same applies to individuals. Type of sources of finance: government purchase loan stock leasing venture capital hire purchase ordinary shares warrant retailed earning borrowings Ordinary Shares Ordinary shares also known as common stock or voting share is a share of stock giving stockholders the right to vote no matters of corporate policy and the composition of the members of the board of directors. Ordinary shares are issued to the owners of a company. They have a nominal or face value, typically of RM1 or 50 cents. The market value of a quoted companys shares bears no relationship to their nominal value, except that when ordinary shares are issued for cash, the issue price must be equal to or be more than the nominal value of the shares. Preference Shares Preference shares, also called preferred stock or preferred shares, is typically a higher ranking stock than common stock, and its terms are negotiated between the corporation and the investor. Preference shares usually carries no voting rights, but may carry priority over common stock in the payment of dividends and upon liquidate Preference shares may carry a dividend that is paid out prior to any dividends being paid to common stock holders. Preference shares may have a convertibility feature into common stock. Preference stockholders will be paid out in assets before common stockholders and after debt holders in bankruptcy. Terms of the preferred stock are stated in a Certificate of Designation. From the companys point of view, preference shares are advantageous in that:  · Dividends do not have to be paid in a year in which profits are poor, while this is not the case with interest payments on long term debt (loans or debentures).  · Since they do not carry voting rights, preference shares avoid diluting the control of existing shareholders while an issue of equity shares would not.  · The issue of preference shares does not restrict the companys borrowing power, at least in the sense that preference share capital is not secured against assets in the business. Loan Stock Common or preferred stock shares that are used as collateral to secure a loan from another party.  The loan will earn a fixed interest rate, much like a standard loan, and can be secured or unsecured.  A secured loan stock may also be called a convertible loan stock if the loan stock can be directly converted to common shares under specified conditions and with a pre-determined conversion rate, as with an irredeemable convertible unsecured loan stock (ICULS).   Retained Earnings Retained earnings refer to the portion of net income which is retained by the corporation rather than distributed to its owners as dividends. Similarly, if the corporation makes a loss, then that loss is retained and called variously retained losses, accumulated losses or accumulated deficit. Retained earnings and losses are cumulative from year to year with losses offsetting earnings. Retained earnings are reported in the shareholders equity section of the balance sheet. Companies with net accumulated losses may refer to negative shareholders equity as a shareholders deficit. A complete report of the retained earnings or retained losses is presented in the Statement of retained earnings or Statement of retained losses. The major reasons for using retained earnings to finance new investments, rather than to pay higher dividends and then raise new equity for the new investments, are as follows: a) The management of many companies believes that retained earnings are funds which do not cost anything, although this is not true. However, it is true that the use of retained earnings as a source of funds does not lead to a payment of cash. b) The dividend policy of the company is in practice determined by the directors. From their standpoint, retained earnings are an attractive source of finance because investment projects can be undertaken without involving either the shareholders or any outsiders. c) The use of retained earnings as opposed to new shares or debentures avoids issue costs. d) The use of retained earnings avoids the possibility of a change in control resulting from an issue of new shares. Borrowings Receiving something of value in exchange for an obligation to pay back something of usually greater value at a particular time in the future. Borrowings are divided into three terms. Short term lending may be in the form of: a) An overdraft, which a company should keep within a limit set by the bank. Interest is charged (at a variable rate) on the amount by which the company is overdrawn from day to day; b) A short-term loan, for up to three years. Medium-term loans are loans for a period of from three to ten years. The rate of interest charged on medium-term bank lending to large companies will be a set margin, with the size of the margin depending on the credit standing and riskiness of the borrower. A loan may have a fixed rate of interest or a variable interest rate, so that the rate of interest charged will be adjusted every three, six, nine or twelve months in line with recent movements in the Base Lending Rate. Longer-term bank loans will sometimes be available, usually for the purchase of property, where the loan takes the form of a mortgage. Leasing Leasing is a process by which a firm can obtain the use of a certain fixed assets for which it must pay a series of contractual, periodic, tax deductible payments. The lessee is the receiver of the services or the assets under the lease contract and the lessor is the owner of the assets. The relationship between the tenant and the landlord is called a tenancy, and can be for a fixed or an indefinite period of time (called the term of the lease). The consideration for the lease is called rent. There are two basic forms of lease: operating leases and finance leases. Operating leases Operating leases are rental agreements between the lessor and the lessee whereby: a) The lessor supplies the equipment to the lessee b) The lessor is responsible for servicing and maintaining the leased equipment Finance leases Finance leases are lease agreements between the user of the leased asset (the lessee) and a provider of finance (the lessor) for most, or all, of the assets expected useful life. Suppose that a company decides to obtain a company car and finance the acquisition by means of a finance lease. A car dealer will supply the car. A finance house will agree to act as lessor in a finance leasing arrangement, and so will purchase the car from the dealer and lease it to the company. The company will take possession of the car from the car dealer, and make regular payments (monthly, quarterly, six monthly or annually) to the finance house under the terms of the lease. Hire Purchase Hire purchase is the legal term for a contract developed in the United Kingdom. It is also called closed-end leasing. In cases where a buyer cannot afford to pay the asked price for an item of property as a lump sum but can afford to pay a percentage as a deposit, a hire-purchase contract allows the buyer to hire the goods for a monthly rent. When a sum equal to the original full price plus interest has been paid in equal installments, the buyer may then exercise an option to buy the goods at a predetermined price (usually a nominal sum) or return the goods to the owner Venture Capital Venture capital (also known as VC or Venture) is a type of private equity capital typically provided for early-stage, high-potential, growth companies in the interest of generating a return through an eventual realization event such as an IPO or trade sale of the company. Venture capital investments are generally made as cash in exchange for shares in the invested company. It is typical for venture capital investors to identify and back companies in high technology industries such as biotechnology and ICT (information and communication technology Franchising Franchising is a method of expanding business on less capital than would otherwise be needed. For suitable businesses, it is an alternative to raising extra capital for growth. Franchisors include Budget Rent-a-Car, Wimpy, Nandos Chicken and Chicken Inn Other possible alternatives can be used by KFCH KFC Holdings have been running their operation with all the types of source of finance as stated above. In order to further enhance themselves as well improving their investors relations, they can apply other kind of source to run their business KFC has not issue warrants throughout the financial year. Warrants are, in effect, options granted by the business that entitle the holder to subscribe for a specified quantity of ordinary shares, for a specified price at, or after, a specified time- usually several years following their issue. The business would usually issue the warrants in one of two ways, that is to sell them, in which case it would derive a cash inflow, or attach them to a loan stock issue as a sweetener or incentive to investors to take up the loan stock. Apart from that, KFC can even issue Employees Share Option Scheme at various options. An employee share scheme is one way to give employees a stake in your business and help  improve its performance. As employees normally have to remain with the business to get this benefit, share schemes encourage loyalty and can help you retain valued staff. They act as an incentive or reward and may also help recruitment. (Extracted from Business Link, http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1074472937) In fact, KFC could even use hire purchase to source their finance. Hire purchase is referred to sales promotion device that creates customers purchasing power in the form of a fixed cost, fixed period installment loan, secured by a lien on the purchased item as the collateral. In case of capital equipment, the customer repays the loan from the earnings generated by the purchased asset (which otherwise would have remained unsold due to the customers lack of cash). During the repayment period the buyer has the possession and use but not the ownership (title) to the item. Only upon the full payment of the loan, the title passes to the buyer. Also called installment buying, it is a social innovation that expands the economy with additional income. (Extracted from Business Dictionary.com, http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/hire-purchase.html) APPENDIX Share capital From the financial statement for the year 2008, KFC holdings issued 1,000,0000 new ordinary shares valued RM1.00 each for the year 2008 and 2007. . However, only 198,275 shares at RM 1.00 each was issued and fully paid. SHARE CAPITAL Number of Ordinary Shares of RM1 each Amount 2008 2007 2008 2007 2008 2007 000 000 RM000 RM000 Authorised At 1 January/ 31 December 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 Issued and fully paid At 1 January/ 31 December 198,275 198,275 198,275 198,275 Retained Earnings The percentage of net earnings not paid out  as dividends, but retained by the company to be reinvested in its core business or to pay debt. It is recorded under shareholders equity on the balance sheet. The formula calculates retained earnings by adding net income to (or subtracting any net losses from) beginning retained earnings and subtracting any dividends paid to shareholders: KFC Holdings recorded RM 316,703,000 of retained earnings in year 2008 compared to RM 257,611,000 in year 2007 for company. This shows that KFC retained their net earnings higher in year 2008 so that they can reinvest in its core business to pay its debt. Borrowings Borrowings are classified under short term borrowings and long term borrowings. KFC Holdings borrowed RM 20,000,000 in year 2008 while there were no borrowings for the year 2007 under company. On the other hand, KFCs long term borrowings amounted to RM 40,000,000 in year 2008 compared to RM 60,000,000 in year 2007. The total borrowings for the two years were RM 60,000,000 respectively. (Refer note: 26) The term loans granted to the Company are secured by the following: i First and third party charge over certain land and buildings as disclosed in Note 12(b) and Note 15 ii Deposits pledged with licensed banks as disclosed in Note 18 iii Corporate guarantee of the Company and a related company iv Debenture of a subsidiarys assets Company 2008 2007 RM000 RM000 Short term borrowings Secured Term loans 20,000 Unsecured Term loans 20,000 Long term borrowings Secured Term loans 40,000 60,000 Unsecured Term loans 40,000 60,000 Total borrowings Secured Term loans 60,000 60,000 Unsecured Term loans 60,000 60,000 Leasing KFCs leasing is analysed as long term leasehold land and short term leasehold land. The groups long term leasehold land notched RM 63,733,000 in 2008 compared to RM 63,868,000 in 2007. However, their short term leasehold land was RM 68,000 in 2008 while in year 2007, it was RM 73,000. Overall, their total leasing was RM 63,841,000 and RM 63,941,000 for the two years respectively. Leasehold land with an aggregate carrying value of RM30, 434,000 (2007: RM30, 822,000) are pledged as securities for borrowings. Group 2008 2007 RM000 RM000 At 1 January 63,941 62,687 Addition 1,830 Disposal (106) Acquisition of a subsidiary 722 Reclassification from property, plant and equipment 333 Amortisation for the year (822) (803) At 31 December 63,841 63,941 Analysed as: Long term leasehold land 63,773 63,868 Short term leasehold land 68 73 63,841 63,941 INCOME STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2008 Group Company Note 2008 2007 2008 2007 RM000 RM000 RM000 RM000 Revenue 3 2,179,788 1,730,371 97,220 88,000 Cost of sales 4 (1,064,548) (770,048) Gross profit 1,115,240 960,323 97,220 88,000 Other income 22,615 22,797 30,210 26,972 Administrative expenses (118,670) (109,061) (28,757) (22,713) Selling and marketing expenses (837,547) (712,109) Other expenses (6,622) (24) (2,310) (26,229) Operating profit 175,016 161,926 96,363 66,030 Finance costs 5 (7,559) (11,302) (2,887) (5,823) Profit before tax 6 167,457 150,624 93,476 60,207 Income tax expense 9 (47,107) (45,081) (9,522) (23,437) Profit for the year 120,350 105,543 83,954 36,770 Attributable to: Equity holders of the Company 118,535 1 04,269 Minority interests 1,815 1,274 120,350 105,543 Earnings per share attributable to equity holders of the Company (sen): Basic, for profit for the year 10 59.8 52.6 BALANCE SHEETS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2008 Group Company Note 2008 2007 2008 2007 RM000 RM000 RM000 RM000 Assets Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 12 615,059 529,658 19,750 19,908 Investments in subsidiaries 13 354,250 353,590 Investment properties 14 898 2,000 585 Prepaid land lease payments 15 63,84 1 63,941 Intangible assets 16 69,835 68,063 Other investment 17 4,500 Fixed deposits 18 6,324 6,324 749,633 674,486 374,000 380,407 Current assets Inventories 19 158,474 112,312 Trade and other receivables 20 128,112 78,972 222,742 156,642 Other investment 17 20,203 Cash and bank balances 21 97,985 140,358 6,797 11,826 404,774 331,642 229,539 168,468 Total assets 1,154,407 1,006,128 603,539 548,875 Equity and liabilities Equity attributable to equity holders of the company Share capital 22 198,275 198,275 198,275 198,275 Other reserves 23 47,705 50,963 22,080 26,560 Retained earnings 24 446,178 352,783 316,703 257,611 692,158 602,021 537,058 482,446 Minority interests 10,232 6,920 Total equity 702,390 608,941 537,058 482,446 Non-current liabilities Retirement benefit obligations 25 3,313 3,758 Borrowings 26 65,944 110,907 40,000 60,000 Deferred tax liabilities 27 31,602 25,036 107 444 100,859 139,701 40,107 60,444 Current liabilities Retirement benefit obligations 25 623 Borrowings 26 75,111 12,080 20,000 Trade and other payables 28 275,424 242,110 6,374 5,985 Current tax payable 3,296 351,158 257,486 26,374 5,985 Total liabilities 452,017 397,187 66,481 66,429 Total equity and liabilities 1,154,407 1,006,128 603,539 548,875

Friday, October 25, 2019

Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers

Of Mice and Men is one of Steinbeck’s best novels. John Steinbeck, born in Salinas, CA he goes back to that setting for this novel. There are five to six characters that Steinbeck develops and opens up to the reader through the novel. Although George, Lennie, Crooks, Candy, and Curly’s wife all seek a place to belong and someone to love as a cure to there loneliness, all their dreams for a better future are destroyed in the novel. George and Lennie are an unlikely pair of friends who are introduced in the beginning. George is â€Å"small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features.†(2) Lennie contradicts George because he is a â€Å"huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders, and he walked heavily.†(2) George is the more dominant of the two because Lennie is slow in the head. George and Lennie are different from the rest of the people in the same occupation because as Lennie said to George, â€Å"because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.†(14) They are also different because as George said, â€Å"We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.†(14) They also share a common goal for their future together. They want to be able to live on there own and have a couple of acres so they can plant things and have animals. They are going to â€Å"live off the fatta the lan’.†(14) This single dream makes George and Lennie different from everyone else. Candy is a nice, old, handicapped man on the ranch. He lost his hand four years earlier in a farm machine while working. Candy overheard George and Lennie discussing about a small piece of land they would like to buy. Candy was compensated $250 for the lost of his hand and has a total of $350 he is willing to invest into the place with George and Lennie. Candy wants to get the place soon because he knows they are going to fire him sometime in the near future. When they fire him he will not have anyone or anything at all. Candy says, â€Å"When they can me here I just wisht somebody’d shoot me. But they won’t do nothing like that. I won’t have no place to go.†(60) So, Candy just wants to be needed and to always have a place to work at and George and Lennie are his way to achieve that goal.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Communication Skill

1. Reading Comprehension oReading comprehension is one important communication skill a pharmacy technician must have. They must be able to read and understand prescription information and instructions from doctors to fill patients' prescriptions. Pharmacy technicians need to be able to fill prescriptions with detail and accuracy, as even a slight mistake or misunderstanding can be dangerous to a patient. Prescription drugs are often long and uncommon words, so pharmacy technicians need to read each prescription accurately, and call the doctor's office with any questions or clarification.Give Instruction oOne management and communication skill pharmacy technicians must have is the ability to give instructions. Pharmacy technicians needs to communicate clearly to patients regarding usage and other details of their prescription or over-the-counter medication. Patients must follow their doctor's orders when it comes to how much prescription medication to take, and when — it the ph armacy technician's responsibility to help patients understand those details.Pharmacy technicians also must be able to give instruction and communicate other information to co-workers. o Customer Service oCustomer service skills are another valuable communication aspect of a pharmacy technician's job. Patients often have a number of different options when it comes to pharmacies for prescription fulfillment. Therefore, to retain existing customers and attract new ones, pharmacy technicians need to be friendly, personable and helpful. Providing patients with quality service gives them a reason to keep coming back.Inventory and Maintenance oAnother management skill a pharmacy technician must have is the ability to take accurate inventory and perform maintenance on all equipment and the facility in general. Pharmacy technicians must keep accurate inventory of medication so they know what they have on hand. They must discard expired medication and stock new medication, and record those a ctions. Pharmacy technicians also need to ensure all equipment, such as scales, measuring tools and computers, are working properly. Communication Skill Effective Communication Skills Effective communication skills are the key to your success because there are people everywhere! Our effective communication training  webinars  and  tools  will show you: | Advantages of effective communication| | Effective communication in the workplace| | Effective communication techniques| | Four styles of communication (DISC)| | Conflict resolution strategies| | Communicating Using Email| | Persuasion and sales strategies| | Non verbal communication| |   | Effective Communication Effective communication happens largely at an unconscious level†¦ nd that's why the most effective communicators of all time paid as much attention to  how  they were delivering their message as they did to the exact words that they were using. And that's why it's so easy for email to go horribly wrong. Don't get me wrong†¦ words are critically important to getting your message through loud and clear, but the psychology behind them is more important. And that's why Maximum Advantage is dedicated to combining the latest advances in psychology and linguistics with time tested methods to give you a communication edge that some might consider to be â€Å"unfair† The Communication Process The communication process is a six step cycle, and unfortunately the communication can break down or become confused at any step. Sometimes the message isn't even clear in our own brain, and yet we still expect others to know what we mean! Then the encoding, sending, and decoding phases all provide opportunities for errors and misunderstandings to crop into the process. In the fifth step, the receiver has to filter the message and decide what it means based on their own values, beliefs, filters, and memories. If any of these steps fails, the result is confusion, conflict, and frustration. Effective Communication Video Here's a short video that explains exactly how the effective communication process works. How To Communicate Effectively Cons idering how many opportunities there are for communication to go wrong – it's amazing that it ever goes right! Here are  my  seven rules for effective communication: 1. Take responsibility for the success of your communication. If they're not â€Å"getting it†, it's because you're not giving it in a way they can understand. To learn to communicate in  ways that people instinctively understand, visit  Communication University. . Realize that the unconscious mind is your greatest ally. Here's a demonstration. 3. It's not about you. To communicate effectively, learn to see the world for the other person's perspective. 4. If what you're doing isn't working†¦ do something different. 5. Communication can change reality. That's why advertisers spent $165,000,000,000 last year†¦ and you can have the same impact when you know how. Here's information about persuasion. 6. Every action has a positive intention. You just have to find it. 7. It's better to be succe ssful than right.The world demands results, not excuses. Effective Communication Skills Here is a short list of some of the skills that it takes to be an effective communicator. Think about your own communication style and which skills you are strong in and which ones you could do better. | Listening  for facts and feelings to make sure that you interpreting the message as intended. | | Asking questions effectively to guide listeners to solutions. | | Recognizing and defusing the filters people are using when they communicate. | | Creating rapport to smooth difficult messages and build relationships. | Uncovering the unique values that drive each person and then constructing your message to match their personal system. | | Using  non-verbal cues  to understand what the speaker really means. | | Finding and replacing the cues that cause the â€Å"domino effect† in conflict and confrontation. | | Breaking unempowering belief cycles without directly attacking a belief. | | Overcoming objections by agreeing. | | Building and using stories to make a point without anyone realizing it. | | Replacing destructive patterns such as anger  with empowering patterns that get better results. | | Reading the secrets hidden in every email message. |

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Percentage of Water In Popcorn Essay

The purpose of this lab was to find the percentage of water in each sample of popcorn in order to determine which brand of kernels: beta, gamma, or delta, all with different amounts of water, produced the best-popping popcorn. The amount of water in the popcorn affects the quality of the popcorn. When the water inside the kernel is heated above 100à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, the water turns into gas which causes the pressure inside the kernel to increase. The pressure of the gas expands the kernel, which causes it to pop. Quality was judged on the basis of the rate of the pops, the size of the popcorn, and how easily the popcorn burned. Each technique of popcorn was divided up into three piles in order to conduct three trials on each technique. A group of kernels was massed and then placed into a beaker, which was also massed. Then just enough oil was poured into the beaker to cover the bottom of the beaker with a thin film of oil. A piece of foil with tiny holes was placed over the beaker, and the beaker with the foil, oil, and kernels was massed. The kernels in the beaker were heated using a Bunsen burner. (See Figure 1 – Setup Diagram) While the kernels popped, the beaker was shaken in order to prevent the popped popcorn from burning and to shake the unpopped kernels to the bottom. Once all the kernels had popped, the beaker was removed from the Bunsen burner and set to cool. After it had cooled, the beaker with foil, oil, and kernels were massed again. The same steps were repeated for the rest of the samples and qualitative observations were made throughout the experiment. Multiple trials were used in this experiment to increase the chances of accuracy and to determine which data is reliable. If there were not multiple trials, then there is no way of knowing whether the data collected by one trial is accurate or completely inaccurate. To find the amount of water in each kernel, this formula was used: mass of unpopped popcorn – mass of popped popcorn à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 = % of water in unpopped popcorn mass of unpopped popcorn The mass of the unpopped popcorn in the numerator was the mass of the kernels before they were popped added to the beaker, foil, and oil. The mass of the popped popcorn was the mass of the popped kernels added to the beaker, foil, and oil. The mass of unpopped popcorn in the denominator was the actual mass of the unpopped kernels massed alone. The beta kernels hold 11.1%, 11.3%, and 10.9% water for trials 1, 2, and 3 respectively. The gamma kernels are composed of 16.7%, 15.7%, and 14.8% water, while the delta kernels contain 19.4%, 17.0%, 19.0% water for trials 1, 2, and 3 respectively. (Refer to appendix for original data and calculations). See Table 1 – Percentage of Water in Popcorn Beta, Gamma, and Delta The data for beta was the most precise among the three different techniques. The data for delta fluctuated the most and was the least precise. According to my data, the delta kernels had the highest percentage of water and the beta kernels had the lowest percentage of water. The gamma brand was in between the two. In my qualitative observations, I observed that the gamma kernels popped the fastest, smoothly, and produced the largest popcorn. I observed that the delta kernels produced the medium-sized popcorn, and the beta kernels tended to burn very easily and produced the smallest popcorn. Basically, the beta brand of kernels was the worst popping popcorn, while the gamma brand of kernels produced the best popping popcorn. These results convey that too little water within kernels make bad popcorn, and too much water produces just medium-sized popcorn. From the overall calculations and averages, it can be concluded that 15-16% water in a kernel produces the best popcorn. To find the theoretical amount of water in the popcorn, the most accurate data of the class were added together and averaged. When compared to the class average, the average of my data was rather accurate. To find the percent error, this formula was used: Percent Error = ? theoretical value – actual value ? à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 100 Theoretical value My percent error for beta, gamma, and delta kernels was 0.90%, 4.46%, and 13.5% respectively. (See calculations in appendix) See Table 2 – Percent Error This percent error could have occurred while massing. Since there were several balanced used instead of just one, the masses could have differed. One balance was used for the kernels, while the beaker mass was found using a separate balance. The different balances could have lowered the accuracy of the masses. Another place where mass could have been inaccurate was when the popcorn was popped. Sometimes the popcorn was burned, while other times the popcorn was popped perfectly. If the popcorn was burnt, the mass was lowered by the release of CO2. Also, the duration of the heating of the popcorn was inconsistent. Since the popcorn of the same technique would still pop at different rates, it is impossible to control the time of the heating. But the longer the beaker is heated, the longer the oil inside is also heated and evaporating. So the longer the beaker is heated, the more gas escapes and the lower the mass will be, which will increase the percentage of water in the popcorn. Also, while the beakers were cooling off, some of the moisture could have been collected back in the beaker since the foil was not always taken off immediately. This would have added to the mass and lowered the percentage of water. To improve this lab, only one lab balance should be used during the entire experiment. Also, more care should be exercised when popping popcorn so that the popcorn does not burn. This could be done by lowering the heat and shaking the popcorn inside the beaker. Also, the foil on the beaker should be removed immediately after heating. In this lab, I discovered that more water in a kernel does not necessarily mean that it will produce larger popcorn, as I had initially had predicted. Ultimately, based on my data and the class average (theoretical value) 15-16% water in a kernel produces the best popcorn. I learned that the amount of water in the kernel affects the rate at which the kernel pops, more than it affects the size of the popped corn.