Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Fashion Sexuality And Fashion Pornography - 1830 Words

The act of pornography has paved the way for sexualized imagery in fashion photography. This thesis examines the increasing sexualisation and its impact on contemporary culture in today’s society. The ever-changing definition of sexualized imagery has started from the 1970’s to contemporary culture.(___) In this research paper we will look at the historical use of sexuality in fashion photography and its role that Tom Ford, Helmet Newton and Calvin Klein have played over the generations within advertisements. An analysis of these advisements and its impact on society will be addressed. The connection between fashion photography and the acknowledgment of porn explore the question: At what point does fashion photography develops into†¦show more content†¦By purchasing this suit you will have women doing everything for you. By the way the female model is standing vs. the male model is standing; the female is performing a medico task while the male is simply readi ng. Contrasting this of the 1950s artist Edward Steichen, who was known for his contributes to fashion photography; his models would wear the gowns designed by the fashion designer Paul Poiret and his style highlighted the model, using traditional portrait style and soft lighting to give a sophisticated look revealing to his time. (___) In comparison you can see that throughout history the expectations of photography have changed drastically and the objectification of women has only gotten worse. In order to sell products sex has been the most used subject and its still existing today. Another designer that has directly influenced fashion photography in a more sexual way is Helmet Newton. He was referred to the â€Å"King of Kink†, this influential fashion photographer made his name by shooting models in noticeable, provocative black and white images for vogue, (_____). Assuming he could get away with this imagery because he was a well-known artist, the nudes where argued to be artistic more then objectifying. But in making a statement as such the expression of the women in his photos speak another story. He captures the convincing, unclothed, white, big-breasted women in compromising locations in which theShow MoreRelatedThe Social World Has Created Lasting Effects On The Lives Of People That They Must Deal With Every Day1356 Words   |  6 Pagescreated lasting effects in the lives of people that they must deal with every day (Dines 1998, p. 164). Pornification is the process by which the social and cultural world is sexualised. This occurs through the ex pansion of media technology and the pornography industry, as well as changes in media regulations and restrictions which allow pornographic imagery to intrude into public spaces (Tyler 2011, p. 79). This essay will offer explanations for why the pornification of the social world is occurringRead MoreExploitation Of Gender And Sexuality963 Words   |  4 PagesExploitation of Gender and Sexuality in Ex Machina The ever-evolving cinematic myth of Frankenstein has been recreated in various forms that parallel Mary Shelley’s original novel. Director Alex Garland transforms the cinemyth as a modern interpretation in the film Ex Machina through the character, Nathan, and his AI machines. The tensions of their relationship highlight the notorious creator/created dynamic of the cinemyth. Through the rapport between the main characters, Nathan and Caleb, and theRead MoreNaked Vs Nude in Reference to Artwork Essay712 Words   |  3 Pagesshows all parts of the body it does not focus on the genitalia. Nude in art is absolutely different then pornography. Pornography exists to arouse and it is strictly presented as sexual material, it usually focuses on the sexual act, not the nude body or its beauty as a whole. Pornography in any form, such as film and magazines cannot be appreciated as art because it is not art; pornography is produced and sold for arousal purpose not artistic purpose. In my opinion, it does not make the slightestRead MoreGap Between Literary Gothic and Pornography1719 Words   |  7 PagesThis voyeuristic obsession the media holds has for a long time been desensitizing us to depictions of violence and sex, but has it also disabled us in being able to see the difference between what is carefully constructed satire and what is merely pornography? There is probably no text this discussion embraces more in modern gothic literature than that of Brett Easton Ellis’ American Psycho. The novel was surrounded with controversy, ecen before its publication in 1991. Originally, cited to be publishedRead MoreCosmopolitan Magazine Analysis Essay1353 Words   |  6 PagesHBO’s Sex in the City. Cosmopolitan, therefore, is undoubtedly a fitting title for a magazine geared towards single woman who are looking for advice about sex, fashion, and sophistication. Each month a variety of hegemonic articles are presented to Cosmopolitan’s target audience as a means to satisfy their desires to learn about sex, fashion, and beauty while continuing to subliminally reinforce the contrasting notion that women are flawed individuals and must change themselves to be more readily acceptedRead MorePop Princesses of Perversion Essay1033 Words   |  5 Pagessexual subcontext. Contrary to popular belief, Ms. Aguileras fan base does not solely consist of the primary school crowd-- her journey to number one on countless musical charts could be achieved by the pre-teen demographic alone. Much in the fashion of the Spice Girls and Britney Spears before her, Christina Aguilera has become the dirty little secret in the CD collection of countless middle-aged men as well. Both of these pop princesses have slowly shed themselves of their Mickey-Mouse-ClubRead MoreThe Women s Beauty Standards1160 Words   |  5 Pagesthem† (188 Women’s voices). The women in this society are growing up disliking and wanting to change their bodies just to match an image. Not only do these standards for the ideal contribute to female beauty, it also contributes to a female’s sexuality. The media depicts women in a very sexual way. When we at view the media whether its billboards, magazines, commercials, any type of media, the women are often portrayed in a way that makes them more appealing to men. The â€Å"physical appearance isRead MoreThe Beauty Myth And Its Effect On Women s Sense Of Self Worth And Self Esteem901 Words   |  4 Pagesmen are sex trade and fashion, that doesn’t say much about women’s worth at work, does it? The chapter about sex is an inspection of the way in which the beauty myth contains and restrains female sexuality, sort of the same way religion use to. She describes how our culture treats sexuality, and the way in which – it is not just through the advertising industry but through art, literature, films, music and almost everything in between – we are programmed to think about sexuality. Men are the executersRead MoreMoral Panic Essay1130 Words   |  5 Pagesdefined moral panic as a form of collective behaviour during which: A condition, episode, person or group emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; its nature is presented in a stylised and stereotypical fashion by the mass media; the moral barricades are manned by editors, bishops, politicians and other right thinking people; socially accredited experts pronounce their diagnosis and solutions; ways of coping are evolved or (more often) resortedRead MoreWomen Objectification Of Women1524 Words   |  7 Pagesthis manner, it is almost the same as the media saying its ok for a woman to be treated like that in the advertisement, an object of desire. In the advertising world â€Å"sex sells†. A popular Dolce Gabbana ad that has been featured in many prominent fashion magazines depicts a beautiful girl with what seems as only a swimsuit on being held down and eyed by five strong men. This ad is beyond offensive, with an obvious scene suggesting a gang rape and filled with sexual violence. It is a very provocative

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Building Sentences With Participial Phrases

This exercise will give you a chance to apply the principles of building sentences with participial phrases. Instructions Combine the sentences in each set below into a single clear sentence with at least one participial phrase. Heres an example: I stood on the roof of my apartment building at dawn.I watched the sun rise through gray clouds. Sample combination: Standing on the roof of my apartment building at dawn, I watched the sun rise through gray clouds. When youre done, compare your sentences with the sample combinations on page two. Exercise: Building Sentences with Participial Phrases The dishwasher was invented in 1889.The dishwasher was invented by an Indiana housewife.The first dishwasher was driven by a steam engine.I took small sips from a can of Coke.I was sitting on the ground in a shady corner.I was sitting with my back against the wall.I was sitting on the window ledge.The ledge overlooked the narrow street.I watched the children.The children were frolicking in the first snow of the season.The first edition of Infant Care was published by the U.S. Government.The first edition of Infant Care was published in 1914.The first edition of Infant Care recommended the use of peat moss for disposable diapers.The house sat stately upon a hill.The house was gray.The house was weather-worn.The house was surrounded by barren tobacco fields.I washed the windows in a fever of fear.I whipped the squeegee swiftly up and down the glass.I feared that some member of the gang might see me.Goldsmith smiled.He bunched his cheeks like twin rolls of toilet paper.His cheeks were f at.The toilet paper was smooth.The toilet paper was pink.The roaches scurried in and out of the breadbox.The roaches sang chanteys.The roaches sang as they worked.The roaches paused only to thumb their noses.They thumbed their noses jeeringly.They thumbed their noses in my direction.The medieval peasant was distracted by war.The medieval peasant was weakened by malnutrition.The medieval peasant was exhausted by his struggle to earn a living.The medieval peasant was an easy prey for the dreadful Black Death.He eats slowly.He eats steadily.He sucks the sardine oil from his fingers.The sardine oil is rich.He sucks the oil with slow and complete relish. Exercise Answers Here are sample combinations for the 10 sets of sentence-building exercises on page one. Keep in mind that in most cases more than one effective combination is possible. Invented by an Indiana housewife in 1889, the first dishwasher was driven by a steam engine.Sitting on the ground in a shady corner with my back against the wall, I took small sips from a can of Coke.Sitting on the window ledge overlooking the narrow street, I watched the children frolicking in the first snow of the season.Published by the U.S. Government in 1914, the first edition of  Infant Care  recommended the use of peat moss for disposable diapers.The gray, weather-worn house sat stately upon a hill surrounded by barren tobacco fields.Fearing that some member of the gang might see me, I washed the windows in a fever of fear, whipping the squeegee swiftly up and down the glass.Goldsmith smiled, bunching his fat cheeks like twin rolls of smooth pink toilet paper.(Nathanael West,  Miss Lonelyhearts)The roaches scurried in and out of the breadbox, singing chanteys as they worked and pausing only to thumb their noses jeeringly in my direction.(S. J. Perelman,  The Rising Gor ge)The medieval peasant, distracted by war, weakened by malnutrition, exhausted by his struggle to earn a living, was an easy prey for the dreaded Black Death.He eats slowly, steadily, sucking the rich sardine oil from his fingers with slow and complete relish.

Friday, May 15, 2020

The Experiences of Rural Areas and Culture of Minority Groups

The experiences of different groups in rural settings are of significant importance to the study of rural geography itself. In particular, the experiences of both young people and travellers, often labelled as others, are important in the way they provide a different perspective on rural spaces and cultures from the common `productivist and `idyllic cultural views. However, because they are minority groups and different from the normal majority, young people and travellers experience significant stereotyping from countryside cultures. This impacts on their experiences of rural space and culture. In rural settings, young peoples experiences are predominantly `nature and agriculture based, but can also be heavily influenced by†¦show more content†¦Many urban children have similar experiences of rural space and culture. An urban youth recalled seeing `cats, animals, grass, lots of trees and gates on his drives through the country (McCormack, 2000: 15). Despite his experiences lacking the natural or agricultural depth that rural children enjoy, they show that even those youths that have little interaction with rurality can understand and partake in the more idyllic countryside notions. The same interviewee also drew his family engaged in a game of cricket while on a picnic in the country, surrounded by animals and trees. He related such experiences to the idea of spaciousness, explaining that residents could just `walk outside and go into one of the open fields in order to play a game of cricket or have a picnic. Obviously the more sophisticated notions of rurality are lacking in these limited experiences but the essential components are there, illustrating that most children have had some experience of countryside spaces and cultures. Travellers, another minority group, also have a number of different experiences of rural space and culture. Their historic need to move has meant they have developed a highly mobile way of life that ensures they only stay in one place for a short period of time. Thus they experience very different lifestyles from the sedentary majority. DependingShow MoreRelatedNegative Effects Of Postpartum Depression1612 Words   |  7 Pagesethnic minority women with a lower socioeconomic status (SES). Prevalence Postpartum period represents a time of considerable stress, one that has been assumed to associate with the onset of depression especially in vulnerable women (Campbell, p. 594). Postpartum impacts parental psychopathology on the baby with risk factors because the infant is dependent on the caregivers and becomes vulnerable to unresponsiveness or rejection that has been associated with PPD. New mothers may experience postpartumRead MoreModern Day Slavery Of Thailand1525 Words   |  7 PagesModern day Slavery in Thailand Every year, Thailand experiences high rates of human trafficking from its rural parts and from its the neighboring countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Sex trafficking is not just described as the trade in humans for sexual slavery but also consists of forced marriages or even martyr organ donors. Trafficking is often seen through the hue of sexual slavery and it is critical to understand the social, political and economic reasons that contribute to the growthRead More Paying Attention to Rural Education Essay1182 Words   |  5 PagesFor many communities, particularly rural communities, schools serve as a source of identity. Because of this, the problems that plague rural schools become enough of a problem that they threaten the identity of the community; unfortunately, many lawmakers and policymakers in seats of power do not have an intuitive understanding of how rural schools work. Policies that work for urban schools, or even suburban schools, can not be assumed to fit the role of a rural school. It is suggested in this articleRead MoreRural Health : The Great Melting Pot1793 Words   |  8 Pages Rural Health Toni Partain Stephanie McClenny Alexia McCrary Langston University Rural Health Introduction America’s society is known as the great melting pot; however it is not race that is keeping one sector of society on the outside. Rural America lives on a separate ideology when it comes to economics and health care. One in five people live in a rural community. (Alexia cite) â€Å"The U.S. Census defines rural as â€Å"open country† or towns with fewer than 2,500 inhabitants.† (2010Read MoreBarriers Of Mental Health Information And Services881 Words   |  4 Pagesbarrier includes the lack of awareness of mental health issues and the services available. For example, certain ethnic immigrant groups have difficulty recognizing mental health problems (lack of depression literacy), resulting in underutilization of existing services (2015, 1897). An additional aspect of this barrier includes cultural barriers. Ethnic immigrant groups may fear cultural incompatibility with health care providers, deterring them from seeking professional assistance (2015, 1897). TheRe ad MoreBenefits Of Tourism Increased The Chinese Economy950 Words   |  4 PagesChina it is easy to conjure the image of the Great Wall or of actors from the Peking opera with their faces painted with elaborate swirls of color. However, China’s history and culture are complex and ancient. With over three thousand years of written history and 56 government recognized ethnic groups with their own unique culture, there are many things that can pique curiosity or intrigue the mind. Coupled with the beautiful geographic features and a growing place within the world economy, hundreds areRead MoreMexican Americans Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesMexican American history was shaped by several bills in Congress and efforts to deport all non-Americans from the United States. The United States was home to several Spanish-origin groups, prior to the Declaration of Independence. The term â€Å"Mexican American† was a label used to describe a number of Hispanic American groups th at were diverse and distinct from each other (Healey). Between 1910 and 1930, Mexican’s immigrated to the Southwest regions of the United States and began to work as low paid,Read MoreBeloved Environment Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pagesrace and the dualism of black and white is systematically used to discriminate against Sethe and her family. Racialism, which differs from racism, supports the idea that humans can be sorted â€Å"into a small number of groups, called ‘races,’ in such a way that the members of these groups shared certain fundamental, heritable, physical, moral, intellectual, and cultural characteristics with one another that they did not share with members of any race† (Appiah and Gutmann 54). Racialism is a type of ecologyRead MoreA Political, Cultural, and Religious Description of the Current Atmosphere as Exists in Israel1268 Words   |  6 Pagesdifficulties which the state has been and continues to experience. This unique country is c haracterized by an amalgam of cultural and ethnic diversity. This historical and cultural fact ensures that the difficulties the state has been experiencing in realizing self-adjustment will continue. At the same time, there exist mostly positive and persistent facets of the culture which continue unabated as will be discussed. Israel is characterized by many religious groups including Greek Orthodox, Muslim, PalestiniansRead MoreBlack Culture And Its Effects On Society1264 Words   |  6 PagesUrban areas are known for their large amounts of minority populations while rural areas are usually associated with people of Caucasian descent. The word ‘urban’ has become synonymous with the phrase, inner city. Historically, these terms strengthen the idea of â€Å"white flight† which is defined as â€Å"the departure of whites from places (such as urban neighborhoods or schools) increasingly or predominantly populated by minorities† (Merriam-Webster). Both of th ese words are often used as adjectives to

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Research On Professionals For Community Colleges - 2526 Words

Research on Professionals in Community Colleges Dustin O’Donnell HPT 484 July 21, 2015 Abstract This paper searches how professionals in two-year universities work and how they accomplish the mission in a community college. This paper examines different aspects of the faculty to how they are hired, competitiveness, promotions, benefits, demographics, workloads, challenges, and teaching. The research was found through online sources, a personal interview, and textbooks. Different forms of faculty in the community colleges should be studied to fully comprehend how they impact students and the college itself. The findings show how the staff operates, levels of work they do, and the gratification for these professionals. Community colleges are at a growing rate, and the faculty members who work in them will be reviewed and explained. Research on Professionals in Community Colleges Introduction Every community college plans for success by creating a vision and mission. The vision is the long-term goals of the college, and the mission is the work put in to attain that vision. The faculty completes the work that is put in everyday and is the most important piece in the college. To meet the vision of post-secondary educational success, the college will need professionals of the highest quality. For this reason, numerous studies have been done on the staff that fills the community colleges and how they are the core group that makes the college what it is. The facultyShow MoreRelatedFaculty Professionalism, Respect, And Trust1359 Words   |  6 PagesProgram Director of Music at Dawson Community College Dr. Deb Eastwood Faculty Professionalism, Respect, and Trust - Why I am interested? I believe that as a faculty member I am here to promote and encourage our students as well as the faculty. When we are professional, we earn the respect and trust of our colleagues. Respect as a faculty member is demonstrated when we help each other meet our professional goals. This may be through providing teaching lecture materials, texts, assignment copiesRead MoreThe Male Student Of Color1497 Words   |  6 Pagescolor is one of many college and universities around the country most at risk population. Institutions around the country are looking for innovating ways to keep this population engaged and enrolled. In order to improve retention and success rates of the male of color, administrators at Cuyahoga Community College created the Minority Male Initiative to provide high quality student support services to this population. The Minority Male Initiative at Cuyahoga Community College was created in the summerRead MoreMy Vision And My Original Vision Essay1131 Words   |  5 Pa ges2014 when applying for the PhD in Education program, the scope of my original vision was surprisingly limited. Whereas I was originally focused on higher education technology during the application process, Mason expanded my academic, research, and professional goals within the first 18 credit hours of my coursework. I still want to be a pioneer, find innovative ways to collect and analyze data, and provide insight and solutions for challenges in our higher education system, but Mason created aRead MoreA Brief Note On The School Social Worker959 Words   |  4 Pagesthe author state in his book about the school social worker life is that â€Å"A school social workers may be found in any school from nursery through college†(Wittenberg 78).This research reveal that the school social worker can work in any educational department for example schools and colleges. School social worker provides tutoring in school and colleges. They work hard to help student to solve their problems. Moreover, school social worker life purpose is help for special children also they makesRead MoreEssay Applica tion Letter For Application890 Words   |  4 PagesVisiting Assistant Professor in the Chemistry Department at Reed College. Before joining Reed College, I was a Senior Research Associate at the CUNY Institute for Macromolecular Assemblies (https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/mma) and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at City College of New York. I obtained my Ph.D. in Chemistry (specializing in Molecular Biophysics) at the City University of New York (CUNY) in September of 2009. My doctoral research was motivated by prospective biomedical and bioanalytical applicationsRead MoreCollege Athletes And Academic Success1424 Words   |  6 PagesThe topic I chose to study for my report is inequality in college athletes regarding academics. The first article I read was, Class and Cleats: Community College Student Athletes and Academic Success by David Horton, which was published in New Directions for Community Colleges. The second article I read was, Are Athletes Also Students? The Educational At tainment of College Athletes by Dean Purdy, Stanly Eitzen, and Rick Hufnagel, which was published in Educational Researcher. I chose to study thisRead MoreThe Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Academic Performance852 Words   |  4 Pagesmedical and public health information in order to share with my peers and the community at large. As a current undergraduate senior majoring in Community and Behavioral Health, I have been able to expand my knowledge concerning the importance of maintaining one’s health in order to optimize one’s quality of life. My educational experience at the University of Maryland has reemphasized the importance of health professionals attuning to their patients holistic health, such as their social, emotionalRead MoreEven though Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rates in Africa, the high school pass rate remains at1600 Words   |  7 Pagesunprecedented low, less than 25%. In the past 30 years since attaining independence, the population of Zimbab we, around 13 million, experienced significant educational developments with the building of more schools in marginalized communities, establishment of teacher training colleges, and availability of educational resources. Consequently, school enrollment from 1980 to 1990 increased by 72% courtesy of the â€Å"education for all by 2000† policy (Shizha Kariwo, 2011). Unfortunately, increasing the numberRead MoreHistory Of Development Of The Two Year College1600 Words   |  7 Pageshistory of the development of the two-year college as presented by Cohen and Brawer (1987, 2003), Dougherty (1994), Townsend and Twombly (2001), and Hutcheson (1999) indicates that most two-year institutions started out as junior colleges, providing the first two years of a bachelor s degree for those living in rural areas without nearby universities and a chance to explore options for those who were undecided about their careers. From the first community college established in 1901 in Joliet, Il linoisRead MoreLincoln Desert Mission Food Bank1005 Words   |  5 Pagesgranting agency, and brief context whenever possible. Please do not use abbreviations. Received the President’s Scholarship at Grand Canyon University for maintaining a GPA above 3.6. Included in the President s Honor List at Paradise Valley Community College in December 2014 for achieving outstanding academic accomplishments throughout the semester. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Who are you? Where are you from? Why did you choose your undergraduate major? (Min 200 words, Max 300 words) From an early

Edgar Allan Poe’S, “The Tell Tale Heart” Was Written In

Edgar Allan Poe’s, â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† was written in a time period where mental illnesses were principally misunderstood, if not completely non-acknowledged. Which mean’t that his short story drew quite a response from readers. Not only did the disturbing details throughout the story shock readers, but it also delivered new insight into the mind of an individual with a mental illness. Creating the larger sense of understanding today’s society now has on these mental illnesses. In â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart†, the narrator displays a combination of symptoms that allow us to diagnose them with a mental illness. This mental illness being schizophrenia and possibly OCD. We can assume that since there are apparent symptoms of these two illnesses†¦show more content†¦Instead he feels it is a very noteworthy trait. The narrators driving force for committing the crime was the old man’s vulture-like eye, â€Å"whenever if fell upon me, my blood ran cold.†(par 2) His obsession with the old man’s eye was interfering with his day to day life, â€Å"it haunted me day and night†(par 2) and he could no longer rid himself of his compulsive thoughts. The narrator’s obsession with the eye had removed all sense of reality and humanity. He could find no other reason for killing the old man besides his extreme dislike for his pale blue eye, â€Å"I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult† (par 2).He failed to view the old man as a person, instead could only be reminded but his vexing eye. The narrator becomes extremely obsessed with the old man’s eye, so obsessed that he can no longer ignore it , so he makes his decision to kill the old man to rid himself of the eye. This strong obsession seems to be a symptom of OCD, â€Å"a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions so extreme that it gets in the way†(What Are Common Obsessions). It consumes him so entirely, he can no longer follow rules of the law. The narrator goes on to talk about how wisely he proceeded when stalking the old man, â€Å"it took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him in his bed† (par 3).The amount of caution and patience he practiced during thisShow MoreRelatedInfluence That Endures Ever More: Edgar Allan Poe908 Words   |  4 PagesInfluence That Endures Ever More: Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe once said, â€Å"Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.† Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most influential people in literary history and his words had the great power to impress the mind. More than 150 years after the death of Edgar Allan Poe, his writings are still influencing and inspiring writers today. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the a greatest literary influences of the 19th century andRead MoreWhy Should We Care?1748 Words   |  7 PagesWhy Should We Care?: Edgar Allan Poe â€Å"Few creatures of the night have captured [reader’s] imagination[s] like [Edgar Allan Poe]† (â€Å"Vampires†). Poe has fascinated the literary world since he first became known for writing in 1829, when he was just twenty years old (Chronology†). While he is widely known for exploring the macabre, his work is controversial because of its psychologically disturbing nature. Edgar Allan Poe is worth examining as an author because his many contributions to the literaryRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe; Fame Inspired by a Tragic Life865 Words   |  4 Pagespoet, Edgar Allan Poe, had been plagued by grief from an early age. He was an amazing poet and author who just happened to have a darker story. Many who have studied this prestigious man feel that his works, though magnificent, were extremely dark. Some believe it was nothing more then a fancy for him to spin such gruesome tales. Others feel his work was manipulated by the misfortune of his past. These people ha ve actually found evidence that agrees with this statement. The works of Edgar Allan PoeRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe: Signature of a Genius Essay868 Words   |  4 Pagesare existence. This especially holds true to the mind of Edgar Allan Poe, who through writing time and time again about his love and loss through both poetry and general prose, generates the story of his life. In these pieces, not only does he create original plots, but deep within the fabric of these plots springs a background world of Poes own life, deeper than any allegory he produces or any poem he completes. The dark corners of Poes mind are distinctly represented in his entire work body.Read MoreHumorous Humor Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Dark Hearted 1675 Words   |  7 PagesPoe: Lighthearted Humor in a Darkened Heart Edgar Allan Poe, the dark hearted author! When speaking of Poe, readers would most likely associate him as a dark and dreary author. His uses of vivid, shadowy imagery and themes of death and despair lurk within the minds of his audiences. Poe, however, subtly injects his works with humor that may not easily be spotted by the human eye. Why exactly would Poe inject humor into his horror stories, since they aren’t comedies? To begin, the use of humor inRead MoreThe Final Days of Edgar Allan Poe by Roger Francis 1732 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poe is regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the nineteenth-century. Poe’s short stories posses the recurring themes of death, murder and his narrators often show signs of mental instability, like the old man in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† and Montressor in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†. Since tragedy was prominent throughout Poe’s life, his work reflects the darkness ingrained by continuously being faced with adversity. Poe’s mental stability also comes into question whenRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe : The Tale Heart, The Fall Of The House Of Usher, And Annabel Lee Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe is well known for his poetry. Edgar Allan Poe was not only a world renowned poet, but he is also known as being a writer of short stories, as well as known for being a critic. Edgar Allan Poe has many literary works; quite possibly the most famous one being The Raven. Some of Edgar Allan Poe’s other famous works include The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Annabel Lee. Edgar Allan Poe is also known as being a Romanticist, due to the factRead More Edgar Allan Poe and His Works Essay1013 Words   |  5 PagesThesis: Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most influential, yet misunderstood writers in American Literature. I. His Early Life A. His Adoption B. His Education II. His Later Life A. Books Published B. Military Life III. The Conclusion of His Life A. His Marriage B. His Death IV. His Works V. What Others Thought Of Him Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, known as a poet and critic but most famous as the first master of the short story form, especially tales of the mysteriousRead MoreEdgar A. Poe s Writing956 Words   |  4 Pages Edgar A. Poe’s writing is very interesting as we go into the mind of a very creative man and maybe a little insane. Edgar A. Poe was an American Writer from Boston, Massachusetts. Born on January 19, 1809. Mr. Poe died on October 7, 1849. Edwin Markham informs us that, â€Å"Poe graduated at the University of Virginia at Charlotte† (viii). During the early life in Poe’s life he enrolled into the military. Financially unstable, he made that decision. Markham stated â€Å"On January 1 Poe was appointed SergeantRead MoreThe Pit And The Pendulum By Edgar Allan Poe852 Words   |  4 Pages Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe is a well known American author whose works continue to influence literature today. His difficult life was impactful on his writing. He is mostly known for his dark writings, but he was also a talented adventure author. Poe’s past and the influence it had on his writing makes him an interesting author to research. â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† as well as â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum† are two of Poe’s well known short stories. â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum† is written in a way that

Almighty Defenders †The Almighty Defenders free essay sample

The Almighty Defenders are a new band featuring Black Lips and the King Khan BBQ Show. This group is heavy on the monstrosities, light on the folk. After Black Lips disastrous tour of India last January (they angered many with their notorious onstage behavior), they met up with fellow garage-punks King Khan and Mark â€Å"BBQ† Sultan to record half an hours worth of post-modern gospel rock. Well, of course. Though the gospel label may put off those expecting a somewhat greasier product from the reigning kings of garage sleaze, the Defenders are setting out as prophets of funk more than anything – â€Å"holy† hardly describes the Defenders screechy preaching. Instead, they sound almost exactly how youd think a Black Lips/King Khan BBQ Show lovechild would sound. Theyve taken Black Lips crunchy guitars, inhuman wailing, and frat-boy sense of humor, thrown in a bit of the King Khan BBQ Shows soulful swagger, plus both bands love of shoddy production, to create a couple of anti-gospel gospel tributes. We will write a custom essay sample on Almighty Defenders – The Almighty Defenders or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Recorded in a week in Ber ­lin, the Almighty Defenders self-titled debut sounds like drunken buddies having fun recording a jam session in their basement. The opening track, â€Å"All My Loving† – a grooving tribute to hand-clapping, amen-shouting Southern churches – is quickly offset by a strange invocation of the Holy Ghost on â€Å"The Ghost with the Most.† There are moments in â€Å"30 Second Air Blast† and â€Å"Death Cult Soup n Salad† that are largely composed of squeals, grunts, and Three Stooges impressions. The Defenders biggest problem, though, is production. They lose the balance between rough around the edges and plain incomprehensible. The vocals barely reach the mic, the guitars are fuzzed beyond recognition, and the drums sound like theyre being hit with rain sticks. â€Å"The Almighty Defenders† is a fun listen. There are some good tracks and they have a cute concept, but all in all, these prophets fail to inspire faith.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Case Study - the Blue Spider Project free essay sample

Case Study – The Blue Spider Project 1. Discuss the project management organization on the project. Strengths? Weaknessess? Recommendations. Parks Corporation used a matrix project management organization on the Blue Spider Project. It was a multi-disciplinary team where the members came from different functional units such as Research and Development, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality Control, Purchasing, and Finance. Gary Anderson, the Project Manager, was responsible for the project but his responsibility for performance of the individual phases of the work to be accomplished on the project remained with the functional managers. Anderson assigned, monitored, and coordinated work among the project team. But, the functional managers had the last say on would be involved in deciding who would work on the project team and remained responsible for long-term administrative issues. All the people working on the Blue Spider Project had two bosses and if they were working on more than one project they could have had even more. If all the key players involved with the Blue Spider Project had understood the distinction between what and how, the conflicts between Anderson and the functional managers would have been greatly reduced. Success of the Blue Spider Project depended on the ability of Anderson and the willingness of the functional managers to cooperate. But this did not occur very often if at all. Personnel working on the project reported to their functional managers who had objectives that sometimes did not coincide with Anderson’s objectives on the Blue Spider Project. There was also little or no understanding of the relationships between the different functional organizations and this created communication problems between Anderson and the other team members, as well as the other functional managers. The team’s ability to react quickly was hampered by the poor communication and a lack of priority control over facilities and other projects that were being worked. Cost control on the project may have been better due to the flexibility of man-loading personnel but it was less effective because of the lack of direct control Anderson had over the performance of personnel involved in the project. There were also times when Anderson failed to realize the many and varied demands that were placed on the functional managers and they found themselves in a position where the demand for their resources could not be adequately met. The functional managers had limited resources at their disposal and they had to juggle these resources in order to satisfy most of the demands for most of the time. They often had deadlines, relating to both departmental work in progress as well as to each project that they were supplying resources to. The Blue Spider Project had changes that affected the agreement and commitment of the required functional resources and these had important implications for the functional managers. It was human nature for Anderson’s requests to be over prioritized because he was trying to ensure that he got the best resources available. Strengths of Parks Corporation’s matrix project management organization: A flexible reservoir of technical specialists was retained Technical and managerial integration One focal point in project management. Unfortunately the management was weak. Consistent management approach to the project. Unfortunately the approach was reactive and not proactive. People were reassigned to the project without changing the organization Weaknesses of Parks Corporation’s matrix project management organization: The project manager had no line authority over the functional organizations Planning and control systems were required, but not used A large number of task and organizational interfaces were created and these were not communicated There was a delicate balance of power between project and functional organizations, and it seemed like the functional organizations had the power most of the time There was a conflict of loyalty between the functional managers and project manager over the allocation of resources The projects was difficult to monitor because the teams seemed to have a lot of independence Costs increased because the budget was not managed effectively Recommendations 1. Parks Corporation should have appointed an experienced project manager to run the Blue Spider project and Gary Anderson, who was an experienced engineer, should have been made the assistant project manager with the responsibility of managing the project’s RD activities. Anderson was too inexperienced as a project manager and really had no clue what the true responsibilities were for managing a project except what he might have learned in his MBA program. 2. Project requirements needed to be clear and specific. In order to achieve successful project management and implementation, Anderson needed to ensure the requirements for the Blue Spider Project were clearly stated and written down in detail, so everyone involved in the project clearly understood the requirements. And, everyone needed to know what was not included in the Blue Spider Project. 3. Regular and effective communication was needed. If effective communication channels were established that let team members share their knowledge and skills Anderson could have delivered the right understanding of the project requirements to all the team members involved. All types of communication helps build a bridge between team members and stakeholders who have the responsibility to detect potential problems, clarify details, and maintain trust. 4. There was a need for making project assignments clear and allocating work effectively and efficiently to the team. Project assignments should have been made to the appropriate person or group. Making the right assignments should have involved the personnel with the required skills and knowledge in collaboration and implementation. Multitasking and overload should have been avoided and every assignment should have been made in strict accordance with the competencies of the team members. Anderson should have been ready to delegate tasks and make reassignments if necessary. 5. The Blue Spider Team needed to know specifically how one task relied on another task. This is important because the team members would understand when and how the completion of one task impacts the starting date of a dependent task. If the project manager is successful at defining these specific dependent tasks, then the team will be successful at doing the tasks in the right sequence and the project will stay on schedule and be successful. 6. The Blue Spider team needed to be committed to the project. The right assignments would have achieved commitment and if the team agreed on the work, understood the requirements; were ready to share their skills; and work in a collaborative environment then they would have established a strong commitment to the project. 7. Any potential risks should have been identified in advance. This avoids missteps and reduces the probability of project failure. A contingency plan should have been developed to determine the actions to take in the case of an emergency such as the project is out of scope, there are no funds available, or critical changes in the customer’s expectations. The project manager needs to be ready to identify, discuss, and evaluate all possible risks before the project starts. 2. Discuss the main personalities on the project. Gary Anderson – Project Manager Gary Anderson was a fine, experienced engineer and he was eager to take on the responsibilities of Project Manager for the Blue Spider Project. He had sufficient technical engineering skills, but he didn’t have a sufficiently broad ability and background to be adequately conversant with all of the disciplines involved in the project. Anderson had sufficient drive and aggressiveness. However, he didn’t have the sufficient skills in business development and his skills in planning, work definition, scheduling, estimating and budgeting, and project control systems was also lacking. Initially, Anderson was able to establish a team effort with his abilities to work with people and establish enthusiasm and an esprit de corps. However, this started to erode toward the end. He was not good at communicating ideas in a timely manner and he was even worse at delegating responsibility. Anderson also lacked the skills to properly plan work for him and others. Anderson could not properly assess and coordinate various requirements of broad areas of activity and make timely decisions and establish a balance between thoughts and action. Henry Gable – Director of Engineering Henry Gable knew the ins and outs of project management because of his experience. He knew that successful program managers had to be able to communicate, had to know how to motivate people, and that they are totally committed and dedicated to the project. He was also somewhat helpful to Gary Anderson in putting together the Blue Spider Project team. However, it did include one of his yes men Paul Evans a project engineer. He was also honest in telling Gary Anderson that if he failed as the Blue Spider project manager, Anderson would not get his senior engineering job back. The biggest thing that was fairly obvious to me was that Henry Gable lacked integrity and was unethical. He hired Anderson because he thought Anderson would be a yes man and go along with everything Gable wanted. Gable wanted Anderson to falsify the actual test matrix specifications in the RFP. Once the project started Gable had private meetings with one his yes men, Paul Evans, to privately discuss the previous day’s raw materials test data. Gable also spent Lord Industries money on testing the new JXB-3 material and didn’t inform Anderson what he was doing. And, when Anderson found out, Gable told Anderson to tell Lord Industries that Parks Corporation money was used and they would be happy because Parks Corporation was spending their own money on the Blue Spider Project. Gable is a real piece of work in my mind. He sets Gary Anderson up for failure because he is inexperienced as a project manager, then he goes behind Anderson’s back to test some new material, and then he gets a substantial bonus from corporate headquarters for his work on the Blue Spider Project and Anderson only gets a letter of congratulations. And, to keep Anderson quiet about his underhandedness, Gable gave Anderson his engineering job back. I just can’t believe he made it all the way up the Parks’ corporate ladder to Director of Engineering. Paul Evans – Chief Project Engineer Paul Evans was an experienced engineer who, for the most part, was an honest and upfront person. He told Anderson that he had doubts about the validity of the test matrix and that if it proved to be a failure the scope of effort would have to be changed and there would be a cost overrun if trade-offs were not made to see what could be deleted downstream. He also told Anderson about the secret meetings he was having with Gable and that Gable would try to manipulate them. But, he didn’t tell Anderson that he was working with Gable on the side to test the new JXB-3 material. Evans told Anderson they needed to inform Parks’ upper management when the results of the accelerated aging tests indicated that the new materials would meet specifications, but the age life would be less than five years. However, when Anderson refused to tell upper management and told Evans that he would handle the issue, Evans agreed to go along with Anderson’s decision and suffer the consequences later. 3. What tools of project management were used or ill-used? Project Management Tools Used Master Program Plan – Based on statements in the case study I believe Parks Corporation had a master program plan in place that considered the entire project from initiation by the customer, through the proposal stage, through the negotiation, award, and performance. It is just hard to tell if the plan was incremental in nature and if it started with a broad top level logic diagram. I believe it was implemented in detail as the Blue Spider project moved through the various phases. Financial Plan – There were several references in the case study on finances, so I believe there was a financial plan in place that allocated resources for the Blue Spider Program and included the financial management processes needed for achieving both contract cost goals and company financial objectives. I am sure the plan included cost expenditure plans, man loading plans, and contingency alternate plans. Technical Performance Plan – There were also several references to technical performance and specifications so I am certain there was a technical performance plan in place that provided the basis for predicting total system technical performance based on system element data that included; (1) technical performance parameters; (2) goals and target parameter values; (3) milestones for planned parameter profiles. Project Management Tools Ill-Used Project Charter – A formal document that provides authority to a project manager to conduct a project within scope, quality, time and cost and resource constraints as laid down in the document. A charter usually includes a mission statement, including background, purpose, and benefits, a goal, objectives, scope, assumptions and constraints. There was no reference to a Project Charter in the case study. But, if a charter existed, Anderson would have been a lot more successful putting together a team than one that was just adequate. He would have also avoided the slow-down in decision-making and difficulty in motivating his team members. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) – This document is vital to any project because it clarifies and provides key details for a number of project management activities. The WBS provides a detailed illustration of project scope; monitors progress of the project; creates accurate cost and schedule estimates; and provides every team member with clear work assignments and a sense of how their work fits into the overall effort. Anderson would have benefitted tremendously if a WBS had been created and project management activities had been included in the WBS because he could have been a lot more proactive in managing the project and not reactive. The majority of the tasks should have been everyday work, such as communication and problem resolution. These types of tasks would have helped Anderson with his lack of communication with his customer, functional managers, and team members. It would have also kept Henry Gable from secretly developing the JXB-3 material and spending Blue Spider Project money to do it. The WBS would have also been a great tool for Anderson to delegate work; avoid â€Å"doing everything himself†; stay on top of the project’s cost and performance; ease the burden of the â€Å"bureaucratic red tape of project management. Earned Value Management System – This is an integrative approach which brings cost, schedule, and technical planning and control all together to give the project manager an effective system for managing the project. The secret to making an earned value management system work is the work breakdown structure. This system would have provided the data and information for Anderson to know if the Blue Spider project was: (1) Ahead of schedule and under budget; (2) Ahead of schedule and over budget; (3) Behind schedule and under budget; or (4) Behind schedule and over budget. Risk Management Plan – All projects involve some degree of risk, so a project risk plan is needed to define and document those procedures that will be used to manage risk throughout the life of the project. Risk is any factor that may potentially interfere with successful completion of the project. Therefore, it follows that by recognizing potential problems the project manager and core team members can avoid most, if not all, of these problems through proper actions. A risk management plan should also specify who is responsible for managing the different areas of risk, how risks will be tracked through the project life cycle, how contingency plans will be implemented, and how project reserves will be allocated in order to handle risks. If the Blue Spider Project had a risk management plan the temperature range issue could have been dealt with more effectively and efficiently. Communication Management Plan – Having a communication plan in place is an essential component for good project management. This document ensures that all stakeholders are equally informed of how, when, and why communication will happen. Communication is often a very effective way to solve problems, deal with risks, and ensure that tasks are completed on time. Successful communication plans identify stakeholders, the information to be communicated, and how this information will be communicated and they leave nothing to chance. The plan is designed to provide everyone involved in a project a general framework on the development of a more strategic approach to: Ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, distribution, storage, retrieval, and ultimate disposition of project information Provide the critical links among people and information that are necessary for successful communications Guide the project manager, the project team, stakeholders, customer, sponsor, and everyone involved in the project understand how communications affect the project as a whole This was one of Anderson’s biggest problems. He just did not communicate effectively with all the external and internal stakeholders involved with the Blue Spider project. If he did life would have been much better for him. Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) – This document describes the participation by various roles in completing tasks or deliverables for a project. It is especially useful in clarifying roles and responsibi lities in cross-functional/departmental projects and processes. The document lays out who are responsible for doing the work to achieve the task; who is ultimately accountable for the correct and thorough completion of the deliverable or task, and the one to whom the responsible individual is accountable; those individuals whose opinions are sought; and with whom there is two-way communication; and those individuals who are kept up-to-date on progress, often only on completion of the task or deliverable; and with whom there is just one-way communication. 4. What went right or wrong on the project? List the reasons. What should have been done? The only thing that went right on the Blue Spider project is that Parks Corporation was awarded a sole-source contract for qualification and production of Spartan Missile components using the new longer-life raw materials. The reason this happened is that in spite of the fact the project was behind schedule, over budget and out of scope, and there was poor project management, definition, planning, and control was the fact that all the folks involved rolled up their sleeves and overcame all these obstacles to win the follow-on contract. All of these folks were experienced in their jobs and they all knew how important the success of the Blue Spider project was to the Parks Corporation. Based on the information in the case study, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. The project did not meet cost, schedule, quality goals, and there was a breakdown in communication on several occasions. I believe there were three reasons for all these problems. First, there was no project definition that laid out a firm foundation for the project. As the project manager, Gary Anderson, needed to determine the purpose, goals, and constraints of the project and then make these known to all the stakeholders. These become the foundation for making all project decisions because they describe the cost-schedule-quality relationship and connect the project to the mission of the Parks Corporation. Gary Anderson should have established basic project management controls. He also should have gotten an agreement on which people and functions were to be involved in the project and what their roles would be. Anderson also needed to clarify the chain of command, communication strategy, and change control process. When these decisions and strategies are documented and accepted they communicate to all the stakeholders the expectations about the way the project will be managed. It would also be an agreement that Anderson could have referred to keep everyone accountable for their responsibilities in the project. In other words, they are the rules of engagement that outline how to play the project â€Å"game† and what it takes to win. Second, project planning was not complete by any means as I have already discussed in the answer to question #3 above. Thorough project planning puts together the details of how the project goals will be met based on the given constraints. Estimating and scheduling techniques lay out how much work the project will entail, who will do the work, when the work will be accomplished, and how much it will cost to do the work. In addition, risk management will identify those areas with the greatest uncertainty and develop strategies to mitigate the risk. A detailed project plan includes: (1) Work schedules and deadlines; (2) Budgets, cost accounts, and a cost control system; (3) Detailed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and work packages; (4) Areas of hrisk and uncertainty and contingency plans; (5) Personnel plan and utilization plans; (6) Plans for testing; (7) A documentation plan; (8) A change control and work review plan; and (9) Initial implementation plans. Third, project control that includes all the activities to keep the project on track was not evident in the case study. These activities include: Progress Measurement – This activity identifies problems early, so they are easier to solve. This activity also provides feedback that validates the estimates in the plan and the cost-schedulequality relationship. Communication – Obviously communication is vital in controlling a project because it keeps everyone coordinated, aware of any changes, and updated on the progress of the project. Corrective action – This is the day-to-day responses to all the problems and obstacles that are encountered on a project. Any project must begin with definition, then move to planning, and finally move to control. These steps can be repeated many times because planning could lead to modifications in the project definition, and controlling actions could require a change to the plan, and maybe even to the project definition. So, it’s possible a project manger could spend time every day defining, planning, and controlling. Some more thoughts on what should have been. There needed to be agreement among the Blue Spider Project team, Parks Corporation management, and the team from Lord Industries on the goals of the project at the very beginning. A plan that shows an overall path and clear responsibilities and that can be used to measure progress during the project was needed. Constant and effective communication among everyone involved in the project was also a must. Much more effort needed to be put into managing stakeholder expectations. This is an important, ongoing task that should have been accomplished throughout the project, especially when the changes to the JXB-3B material were made. Finally, it would have been more beneficial to all parties concerned if Anderson was able to work more productively with the functional managers because the project would have been a lot more successful and Anderson job would have been a lot easier and a lot less stressful. Anderson would have also gotten the right people at the right time and timely decisions based on the facts presented by the project team.