Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller - 1216 Words

American playwright Arthur Miller’s 1949 creation, Death of a Salesman, is adapted for the small screen by German director Volker Schlà ¶ndorff. This 1985 made-for-television film stars Dustin Hoffman as protagonist William â€Å"Willy† Loman. Kate Reid, John Malkovich, and Stephen Lang round out the Loman family in the roles of Linda, Biff, and Harold Happy, respectively. The film closely follows Miller’s original work as it tells the story of Willy, an overworked and underappreciated salesman, losing his grip on reality and his career. For the most part, the film is shot from static cameras that give it a similar feel to what would be experienced as an audience member viewing a live theatrical performance. There is no visible proscenium arch, implying that, although the film did not use a camera dolly to achieve long flowing shots, the various scenes visible on stage throughout the film are part of a sound stage and not a traditional theatre. The actors that play the Loman family deliver convincing performances that reinforce the tightknit but fractured nature of their onscreen family. Hoffman, as Willy, is believable in his role as a stressed middle-aged man. As the film progresses, it is evident, by the frantic nature of Willy’s dialogue and actions, that he feels increasingly backed into a corner by both society and his own expectations of himself. Reid, as Linda, fills the role of a backseat matriarch of the Loman family. Her quiet but intentional demeanor serves to balanceShow MoreRelatedDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1387 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican play-write Arthur Miller, is undoubtedly Death of a Salesman. Arthur Miller wrote Death of a Salesman in 1949 at the time when America was evolving into an economic powerhouse. Arthur Miller critiques the system of capitalism and he also tells of the reality of the American Dream. Not only does he do these things, but he brings to light the idea of the dys functional family. Death of a Salesman is one of America’s saddest tragedies. In Arthur Miller’s, Death of a Salesman, three major eventsRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller888 Words   |  4 PagesDeath of a Salesman† is a play written by Arthur Miller in the year 1949. The play revolves around a desperate salesman, Willy Loman. Loman is delusioned and most of the things he does make him to appear as a man who is living in his own world away from other people. He is disturbed by the fact that he cannot let go his former self. His wife Linda is sad and lonely; his youngest son Biff is presented as a swinger/player while his eldest son Happy appears anti-business and confused by the behaviorRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1573 Words   |  7 Pagesrepresents a character with a tragic flaw leading to his downfall. In addition, in traditional tragedy, the main character falls from high authority and often it is predetermined by fate, while th e audience experiences catharsis (Bloom 2). Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman is considered to be a tragedy because this literary work has some of the main characteristics of the tragedy genre. In this play, the main character Willy Loman possesses such traits and behaviors that lead to his downfall, and theRead MoreDeath of Salesman by Arthur Miller972 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play Death of a Salesman by the playwright Arthur Miller, the use of names is significant to the characters themselves. Many playwrights and authors use names in their works to make a connection between the reader and the main idea of their work. Arthur Miller uses names in this play extraordinarily. Not only does Miller use the names to get readers to correlate them with the main idea of the play, but he also uses names to provide some irony to the play. Miller uses the meanings of someRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1628 Words   |  7 PagesArthur Miller wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning play Death of a Salesman in 1949. The play inflated the myth of the American Dream of prosperity and recognition, that hard work and integrity brings, but the play compels the world to see the ugly truth that capitalism and the materialistic world distort honesty and moral ethics. The play is a guide toward contemporary themes foreseen of the twentieth century, which are veiled with greed, power, and betrayal. Miller’s influence with the play spreadRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller949 Words   |  4 PagesDeath of a Salesman can be described as modern tragedy portraying the remaining days in the life of Willy Loman. This story is very complex, not only because of it’s use of past and present, but because of Willy’s lies that have continued to spiral out of control throughout his life. Arthur Miller puts a modern twist on Aristotle’s definition of ancient Greek tragedy when Willy Loman’s life story directly identifies the fatal flaw of the â€Å"American Dream†. Willy Loman’s tragic flaw can be recappedRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller846 Words   |  4 PagesA Dime a Dozen The Death of a Salesman is a tragedy written by playwright Arthur Miller and told in the third person limited view. The play involves four main characters, Biff, Happy, Linda, and Willy Loman, an ordinary family trying to live the American Dream. Throughout the play however, the family begins to show that through their endeavors to live the American Dream, they are only hurting their selves. The play begins by hinting at Willy’s suicidal attempts as the play begins with Linda askingRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller Essay2538 Words   |  11 PagesSurname 1 McCain Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course: Date: Death of a Salesman Death of a salesman is a literature play written by American author Arthur Miller. The play was first published in the year 1949 and premiered on Broadway in the same year. Since then, it has had several performances. It has also received a lot of accordances and won numerous awards for its literature merit including the coveted Pulitzer for drama. The play is regarded by many critics as the perfectRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller2081 Words   |  9 Pages#1 â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller is a tragedy, this play has only two acts and does not include scenes in the acts. Instead of cutting from scene to scene, there is a description of how the lighting focuses on a different place or time-period, which from there, they continue on in a different setting. The play doesn’t go in chronological order. A lot of the play is present in Willy’s flashbacks or memories of events. This provides an explanation of why the characters are acting a certainRead MoreDeath Of Salesman By Arthur Miller1475 Words   |  6 Pagesto death to achieve their so- called American dream. They live alone and there is no love of parents and siblings. They may have not noticed the America dream costs them so much, which will cause a bigger regret later. In the play Death of Salesman, Arthur Miller brings a great story of a man who is at very older age and still works hard to achieve his desire, which is the American dream. Later, he no tices that his youth is gone and there is less energy in his body. Willy Loman is a salesman, who

The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth - 933 Words

The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth When a parent thinks about protecting their child, they may not consider protecting their child from the invalid information that is being taught in schools across the nation. There are many factors that go into publishing an academic textbook, but many of these factors rely solely in the political roots of the publisher. Textbooks today aim to impress children with vivid images and information that is easily understood and related to. Leaving out vital historical information from a curriculum could harm a student severely in the long run. The thoughts and beliefs that a person constructs are based on prior knowledge and personal experiences so leaving information about the past is robbing a student the right to understand our country. Adjustments are certainly needed to be made in the approach of teaching crucial historical information throughout the nations’ classrooms. These adjustments would ensure that generations to come are not doomed to repeat the mistakes made by past century political figures. This essay is sure to intrigue by deliberating the skewed information covered in academic textbooks, the way Columbus is taught in schools, and the deception of the severity of global climate change. Thinking about how people with power control the potential knowledge of children in classrooms today could really leave a person wondering what other skeletons the government has in their honorable closet. Growing up, children areShow MoreRelatedDescartess Doubt Method Essay961 Words   |  4 PagesFather of this method is Renee Descartes. Since Descartes felt that the knowledge wasn’t on solid grounds, he started his search for truth with two tools: doubt and analysis. Starting by doubting everything for finding truth, doubt is pivotal tool for him. â€Å"The basic strategy of Descartes’ method of doubt is to defeat scepticism on its own ground. 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The postmodernist thinking would have us to believe that there is no absolute moral truth, that truth is essentially political and that religious truth claims are created by belief communities, not by reason or observationRead MoreOedipus : An Early Age Children Are Told Never Ask Questions You Do Not Want The Answer1106 Words   |  5 Pagesother’s warnings and follow his own desires. Oedipus wanted to know who he was despite admonition, and exposed the truth that would lead to his own undoing. Sophocles conveys a unique universal message using verbal, situational, and dramatic irony that warns readers the search for truth is unfavorable. Sophocles use of verbal irony demonstrates the capability to live without the truth. Throughout the play Oedipus is unknowing of how ironic his statements are. Oedipus is determined to be a diligentRead MoreThe Education System Of The Republic898 Words   |  4 PagesSocrates the education system is structured in two major parts: the education of the mind and character and the physical training. For Socrates, truth, justice, and goodness are the main principles for a utopic society. Indeed, for him the truth is universal and therefore in order to have a perfect utopic society it community should be dedicated and based on truth. In fact, in this imaginary society the educational system is an oral transfer of knowledge, which is based on trues stories and fiction. TheRead MoreMad Shadows Essay897 Words   |  4 Pageslove, beauty, and truth are strongly demonstrated through Louise and her daughter Isabelle-Marie. When Louise looks at Isabelle-Marie she sees the truth of her ugliness, yet doesn’t see true beauty nor feel a connection for love. Isabelle-Marie is like her mother on the inside but not on the out. 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Fighter Jets in the Indian Air Force free essay sample

The first Russian-made Su-30MKI variant was integrated into the IAF in 2002,[5] while the first indigenously assembled Su-30MKI entered service with the IAF in 2004. 6] In 2007, the IAF ordered 40 additional MKIs. [7] As of July 2010, the IAF has 124 MKIs under active service with plans to have an operational fleet of 280 MKIs by 2015. [8] The Su-30MKI is expected to form the backbone of the Indian Air Forces fighter fleet to 2020 and beyond. [9] The aircraft is tailor-made for Indian specifications and integrates Indian systems and avionics as well as[10] French and Israeli subsystems. [11] It has abilities similar to the Sukhoi Su-35 with which it shares many features and components Aerodynamics Two Sukhoi-30MKIs during a Thach Weave maneuver. Su-30MKI aerodynamic configuration is an unstable longitudinal triplane. The canard increases the aircraft lifting ability and deflects automatically to allow high angle-of-attack (AoA) flights allowing it to perform Pugachevs Cobra. The integral aerodynamic configuration combined with thrust vectoring results in extremely capable maneuverability, taking off and landing characteristics. We will write a custom essay sample on Fighter Jets in the Indian Air Force or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This high agility allows rapid deployment of weapons in any direction as desired by the crew. The canard notably assists in controlling the aircraft at large angles-of-attack and bringing it to a level flight condition. The wing will have high-lift devices featured as deflecting leading edges, and flaperons acting as flaps and ailerons The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is the most potent fighter jet in service with the Indian Air Force in the late 2000s. [41] The MKIs are often fielded by the IAF in bilateral and multilateral air exercises. India exercised its Su-30MKIs against the Royal Air Forces Tornado ADVs in October 2006. [42] This was the first large-scale bilateral aerial exercise with any foreign air force during which the IAF used its Su-30MKIs extensively. This exercise was also the first in 43 years with the RAF. During the exercise, RAFs Air Chief Marshall, Glenn Torpy, was given permission by the IAF to fly the MKI. [43] RAFs Air-Vice Marshall, Christopher Harper, praised the MKIs dogfight ability, calling it absolutely masterful and unbeatable. [44] In July 2007, the Indian Air Force fielded the MKI during the Indra-Dhanush exercise with Royal Air Forces Eurofighter Typhoon. This was the first time that the two jets had taken part in such a exercise. [45][46] The IAF did not allow their pilots to use the radar of the MKIs during the exercise so as to protect the highly-classified N011M Bars. 47] During the exercise, the RAF pilots candidly admitted that the Su-30MKI displayed maneuvering superior to that of the Typhoon. [48] An earlier variant of the Su-30MKI, the MK, took part in war games with the United States Air Force (USAF) during Cope-India 04. The results have been widely publicized, with the Indians winning 90% of the mock combat missions against the American forces F-15C. [citati on needed] When questioned on the capabilities of IAF pilots, Col Greg Newbech, USAF Team Leader made the following remarks: What we’ve seen in the last two weeks is, the IAF can stand toe-to-toe with best AF in the world. I pity the pilot who has to face the IAF and chances the day to underestimate him; because he won’t be going home. Indian hospitality from everyone has been truly overwhelming. The greatest compliment we heard from an IAF pilot, You American pilots are just like us, simply down to earth people. We depart India with great respect for the Indian Air Force. Your pilots, maint and support crew are exceptional professionals. [49]. In July 2008, the IAF sent 6 Su-30MKIs and 2 aerial-refueling tankers, the Il-78MKI, to participate in the Red Flag exercise. [50]. The IAF again did not allow their pilots to use the radar of the MKIs during the exercise so as to protect the highly-classified N011M Bars. In October 2008, a video surfaced on the internet which featured a USAF colonel, Corkey Fornoff, criticizing Su-30MKIs high friendly kill rate and serviceability issues during the Red Flag exercise. [51][52] Several of his claims were later rebutted by the Indian side. [53] [edit]Notable accidents A Su-30MKI aircraft crashed on 30 April 2009 in the Pokhran region of Rajasthan after it took off from Pune during its routine sortie, killing one of its two pilots. Defence minister A. K. Antony, stated that the likely cause of the April 30 crash was failure of the fly-by-wire system. The Sukhoi fleet had then been grounded for around three weeks. [30] However it was found that this crash at Rajmathai village, around 170 km from Jaisalmer, in April was because of the position of the various critical switches of the aircraft. The switches were behind the pilots and they would have to turn them on and off without looking back. At one point, a wrong switch was turned on, leading to the crash on April 30. Wing Commander PS Nara was killed in the mishap, while Wing Commander SV Munje was injured. After investigators identified the problem, a couple of difficult switches were sealed off. [54] Another Su-30MKI aircraft crashed on 30 November 2009 in Jathegaon, about 40 km from Jaisalmer. The pilots ejected after they saw fire alarm buttons glowing red. [30] Both the pilots are unharmed. This is second such crash of this fighter. The Sukhoi mishaps have come as a setback to the 12 year safety record IAF had achieved with the aircraft which was inducted into the force in 1996. 55] As a result the entire fleet of Su-30MKIs was grounded while the cause of the problem was investigated. It was attributed to accidental ingestion of a foreign material in the engine intake. [ General characteristics Crew: 2 Length: 21. 935 m (72. 97 ft) Wingspan: 14. 7 m (48. 2 ft) Height: 6. 36 m (20. 85 ft) Wing area: 62. 0 m? (667 ft? ) Empty weight: 18,400 kg[59] (40,565 lb) Loaded weight: 24,900 kg (54,895 l b) Max takeoff weight: 38,800 kg (85,600 lb) Powerplant: 2? Lyulka AL-31FP turbofans with thrust vectoring, 131 kN with afterburner (27,557 lbf) each Performance Maximum speed: Mach 1. 9 (2,120 km/h, 1,317 mph) Range: 3,000 km (1,620 nmi) at altitude; (1,270 km, 690 nmi near ground level; with no external fuel tanks) Endurance: 3. 75 hrs (up to 10 hrs with in-flight refueling) Service ceiling: 17,300 m (56,800 ft) Rate of climb: 230 m/s (45,275 ft/min) Wing loading: 401 kg/m? (82. 3 lb/ft? ) Thrust/weight: 1. 0 Armament Guns: 1 ? GSh-30-1 gun (30 mm caliber, 150 rounds) 12 hardpoints: 2 ? wing-tip AAM launch rails, 6 ? pylons under-wing, 2 ? pylon under-engine nacelle, and 2 ? pylons in tandem in the arch between the engines. It can be increased to 14 using multiple ejector racks. It can carry up to 8 tonnes of external stores. Air to Air Missiles: 10 ? R-77 (AA-12) active radar homing medium range AAM, 100 km 10 ? Astra missile active radar homing medium range AAM, 120 km 6 ? R-27P (AA-10C) semi-active radar guided, long range AAM 130 km 6 ? R-27P (AA-10D)

Is Othello A Tragic Hero example Essay Example For Students

Is Othello A Tragic Hero? example Essay Tahlea RobinsonWorld literature I 2 April 2015Was Othello a tragic hero?In order to be considered a tragic hero, one must ultimately be a genuine person, but makes some error in judgment that causes his downfall. A simple mistake or character flaw can bring them to an abrupt end, followed by a loss of everything they have. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello carries certain characteristics that make him seem very ingenuous. Although he is a prestigious character, he allows his surroundings to spin him into self-destruction. Not Only is Othello’s destruction caused by his own actions and his own fate, but is also caused by the actions of other characters in the play. Othello’s Gullibility and Jealous spirit is what makes him a tragic hero.Othello’s bold personality catches the attention of people, and draws them closer to him. He shown as a very honorable, reliable and well respected military leader. Othello maintains control through most of the play. His control is an example of how heroic he really is and how much power he holds. In Act I, Othello has an altercation with Brabantio, who has come to kill him, but before anything could take place, Othello delcares: Hold your hands, both of you of my inclining and the rest. Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it without a prompter (I, ii, lines 97-100). The power showcased in this line is amazing. One major flaw that Othello portrays which makes him a tragic hero is his Gullibility. Othello’s Character is known to be of dark decent. Not because of his complexion, but because he is a very perplexed individual. Although He is very mysterious, he is also vibrant and open-minded but he lacks the gift of discernment. He is not Alert to who his enemies are and he . .o committing murder: I look down towards his feet but that s a fable If that thou be st a devil, I cannot kill thee (V, II, Lines 333-334) He couldn t handle the idea of knowing that he had killed due to jealous behavior rather than the right thing. Cowardly, He decided to take his own life by taking a knife and stabbing himself. While saying: I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, Killing myself, to die upon a kiss (V, ii, line 413-414). Othello became jealous. And because of his Gullible naive nature, He let a man that never had good intentions trick him into believing that his wife was cheating on him. Othello murdered his wife thinking he was doing the right thing. He let a devious demon like Iago diminish his character and bring nothing be pure evil out of him. This whole entire situation displays the reason that Othello is a tragic hero

Major Barbara Essays - The Salvation Army, Major Barbara

Major Barbara Title: Major Barbara Author: George Bernard Shaw Setting: The play extends over three days in January 1906. The beginning starts in the library of Lady Britomart, the estranged wife of Andrew Undershaft. It then continues with a visit to the West Ham Shelter of the Salvation Army. The play finally concludes at the Undershaft Empire, the munitions' factory. Plot: Lady Britomart invites her estranged husband, Andrew Undershaft, over to reacquaint him with his children, Stephen, Sarah, and Barbara. Lady Britomart is in need of more money to support their daughters and their intended's, Charles Lomax and Adolphus Cusins. Barbara tries to convert her father and save his soul. While Andrew will convert his daughter, Barbara to his side. Cast of Key Characters Major Barbara Undershaft Conformist [Barbara to Lady Britomart 65] Lady Britomart has just informed the girls, Sarah and Barbara, that their father, Andrew Undershaft, will be arriving at any time. She has already informed Stephen Undershaft. Since it has been a long time ago, when they were babies, that Andrew has seen the children she wishes for them to be on their best behavior. Lady Brit wants to ask Andrew for money for the girls and their intended's, Charles Lomax and Adolphus Cusins; therefore, she has asked them to be there also. To accommodate her mother she attempts to conform to a ladylike appearance. Quote: All right, mother. We'll do you credit. [She comes off the table, and sits in her chair with ladylike elegance]. Director [Barbara to Shirley 83] Bill Walker has just assaulted two women, Rummy and Jenny Hill, at the West Ham Shelter. He is looking for his woman. Barbara comes out to take the names of the people who have arrived and to save their souls. She takes control of the situation in a professional way. She directs Shirley to sit down and for the gentlemen there to give her their names, addresses, and trades. Barbara is trying to put order back to the disorder that had just occurred. Quote: Sit down: make yourself at home. [He hesitates; but she puts a friendly hand on his shoulder and makes him obey]. Now then! Since you've made friends with us, we want to know all about you. Names and addresses and trades. Conniver [Barbara to Bill Walker 84] Shirley has given Barbara his name and trade. She then turns to Bill to give his name. Bill refuses to give his name to her. She then tries to coax it out of him, by making a note in her book and calling him chicken basically. Quote: [calmly making a note] Afraid to give his name. Any trade? Caregiver [Barbara to Jenny 87] Barbara has been talking with Bill about what he had done earlier to the women and trying to get him to see the light. Bill tells her he is looking for his woman, Mog. Barbara tells him where she is but it won't do him any good to go to get here back she has found another man. She will more then likely convert him, because that is how she won her new bow. She decides to let him think about this for awhile and turns her attentions to Jenny. With sincere concern she asks if Jenny is all right and comforts her with a gentle touch. Quote: Poor little Jenny! Are you tired? Does it hurt? Oppressor [Barbara to Bill 89] Barbara has been talking with her father about how he and Shirley are both Secularists. Andrew says his religion is that of a millionaire. She says she is wrong they don't have anything in common then. Barbara dismisses Shirley and turns to her father. He asks about Bill. She says they will convert him in time. She seems to read Bill's mind when she says she is sure her would like to smash Mog's head in. He is amazed that she knew what he was thinking. She tries to scare him by saying that his new companion is the devil. And when the devil comes round he depresses people like him. Quote: The devil, Bill. When he gets round people they get miserable, just like you. Fanatic [Barbara to Bill 90] Barbara is hell bent on saving Bill's soul she keeps talking

Timeline History Of Russia 1533-1991 Essays - Marxist Theorists

Timeline History Of Russia 1533-1991 Essays - Marxist Theorists Timeline History of Russia 1533-1991 1533-1584 The Russian Empire, covering over one-sixth of the world, is governed by the sovereignty of Czar Ivan the Terrible. The feudal system oppresses every man, woman and child as the Czar releases "Tax Collectors" to maintain support for the nobles in the land. Brigands and financial extortionists persecute any lower class citizen who refuses to help contribute to the Czar's regime. 1682-1725 Under Czar Peter I (Peter the Great), the Russian Empire begins to flourish with traces of traditional social structure modifications in the country. Observing the radical advances of western civilizations, Peter orders the modernization of the army, creation of a navy, encourages mercantilism and foreign trade, and gives women more rights. Nevertheless, the Empire remains stricken in poverty over slow reforms and the overbearing presence of feudalism. 1825-1861 The feudal system begins to fail when the goals and desires of the common peasant cannot be achieved through such an archaic doctrine. Various successive Czars attempt social reforms which do not leave an impact on the country's well-being. In December of 1825, an uprising from the populace occures when they demand changes to the economic system. With the development of the American, French and Spanish constitutions, the serfs now demanded the abolishment of the monarchy dictatorship, communal ownership of land and many other civil and social reforms. Unfortunately, their rebellion was quickly dismantled by the Czar's military faction and the system remained in tact. 1861-1905 Czar Nicholas II finally realized that his current economic monarchy was holding back the development of the empire. He therefore created a parliamentary system in 1905 which would decrease the number of strikes and violent outbursts generating from the peasants. This representative assembly (called a Duma) was convened a total of four times during the first World War and gave legitimacy to other political factions within the empire and would hopefully increase civil rights. 1917-1924 World War I led to the abdication (resignation) of the Czar as the people revolted against his useless monarchy. Famine, disease and death were spreading like wildfire as the Russians aided France against the militia of Germany during World War I. The population lost its faith in the monarchy and installed a provisional government that would keep the country from disintegrating. However, this government refused to intervene during the fragile years of the war and lost its power to a communist party called the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Nikolai Lenin), overthrew the provisional government and implemented their style of authority to the empire. Their objectives were to lead the Russian empire into prosperity while utilizing Karl Marx's proposed doctrine for a communal, classless environment where the workers will be using their abilities to satisfy their own needs. The Union was now born and the Communist Manifesto was finally going to be activated. The C zar and his family were captured and executed, thus ending the oppressive autocracy that had befallen the empire for hundreds of years. Eventually, the central government was overtaken by Lenin and his military leaders, Leon Trotsky and Josef Stalin. Although a minority party, the Bolsheviks decided to implement capitalistic modifications to the fragile economy in order to aid the communistic backlash that would follow. The New Economic Policy (NEP) created by Lenin would allow peasants to keep a certain amount of profit for themselves, rather than having the government subsidize all of it. Unfortunately, Lenin died just as his policy had started to work. 1925-1953 The two apparent heirs to Lenin's regime were Josef Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Although Trotsky was better suited for the position (with his strong political inclinations towards reasonable social adaptability), Josef Stalin assumed controlled and subsequently ordered the exile of all apposing cabinet ministers, including Trotsky. Anyone in the Union who objected to his decisions was sent to Siberian prison camps or murdered. He now had full control without any intervention from other liberal or moderate parties. He decided to concentrate on improving military strength and building on improving the Soviet economy, rather than follow Lenin's revolutionary goal of dominating the world. In order to obtain the immense amount of money needed to maintain his militia, he began a series of five year programs which would force

Using financial ratios to analyse companies Essay

Using financial ratios to analyse companies - Essay Example The gross profit margin of Tesco has declined by almost 4% as shown in Table 2: Gross profit margin. The ratio shows that the costs of goods of the company have increased and it is unfavourable for the company if the same trend is followed because it will further reduce the profits of the company. Therefore the management needs to make sure that gross profit ratio is increased. The net profit margin of Tesco in the year 2012 is 4.36% however it was previously 4.42% thus it is showing a decline of 1.31%. Net profit margin of the company can be seen in Table 3: Net profit margin. Decline in the net profit is unfavourable for the Tesco as it is showing that the costs and expenses of the company have increased from last year. By further analyzing the financial statements, it can be found that the total revenue as well as net profit of Tesco has increased as identified in Table 1: Key Elements from Financial Statement, but by carefully analyzing the profit margin ratio it can be seen that the costs and expenses have increased at a higher rate than last year which has reduced the profit margin ratio. ROE of Tesco has decline by 1.6% as calculated in Table 4: ROE and it is unfavourable for Tesco as the profits of Tesco has been declining and thus it has also influenced the ROE of the company as well. The equity as well as profits have increased as indicated in Table 1: Key Elements from Financial Statement but the rate of increase in profits is less than the increase in equity thus it has resulted in declining the ROE. ROA of Tesco has shown a decline by 2% as revealed in Table 5: ROA and this is unfavourable for the company as the profits have not increased at the same rate in comparison to the increase in assets as identified in Table 1: Key Elements from Financial Statement. Thus it has resulted in declining of the ROA ratio of the company. Table 6: Operating Profit Margin reveals that Operating profit of Tesco has declined by

Bruce Smith is a totally incompetent manager Essay

Bruce Smith is a totally incompetent manager - Essay Example The essay hereby proffers theories and concepts that aim to evaluate Bruce Smith’s performance as a manager of the Printery Section of Paper Partners, a small printing firm located in regional Queensland, owned and managed by Paul Southey Case Background Paul Southey is currently in a dilemma in terms of providing an appropriate evaluation for Bruce Smith, the Printery Manager of his firm, Paper Partners. As a manager, Smith’s subordinates rate him as exemplary and provided positive ratings. However, as a colleague and a co-manager, Smith was rated as a nightmare to work with, rude and with utter disregard of the other sections of the company. When confronted with his behavior, Smith admitted his primarily focus on his Printing section with minimal regard to the sales or packaging sections. In this regard, Southey needs to evaluate his behavior and determine the best course of action to solve the problem. Is Smith really an incompetent manager, as contended by other man agers of other departments? Or is Smith an effective manager but a poor colleague? Definition of Terms To support one’s arguments that Bruce Smith is considered a totally incompetent manager, one needs to qualify the definition for incompetence. The online dictionary defines incompetence as â€Å"the quality or state of being incompetent; want of physical, intellectual, or moral ability; insufficiency; inadequacy; as, the incompetency of a child hard labor, or of an idiot for intellectual efforts† (Webster, 1913). The term identifies insufficiency in qualifications. According to Alaspa (2008) in his article entitled Identifying incompetence,† Margaret Heffernan has assembled this list of the ten habits of total incompetence, to wit: (1) an inability to act; (2) failure to divulge crucial concerns; (3) oversensitivity; (4) refusal to deviate from procedure; (5) preference for weak candidates; (6) focusing on minute tasks; (7) inability to comply with deadlines; (8 )lack of recruitment skills; (9) reliance on consultants; and (10) work the longest† (Alaspa, 2008, pars. 2 – 11). The list however, identified habits or patterns of behavior that one has been accustomed to do. In analyzing the insufficiency of a manager to categorize him as totally incompetent, one needs to evaluate not only one’s technical skills, but interpersonal skills, as well. Robbins, et.al. (2008) averred that managers, to be effective, need to perform functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling (p.5) and assume ten roles grouped into interpersonal relationships, transfer of information, and decision-making (pp.5 – 7). Using these concepts, Smith’s performance can be evaluated first as a manager, using the comments from his subordinates and identifying the functions or skills manifested in the theories provided in various literatures. After which, Smith’s performance will also be evaluated as a colleague. Evaluation of Bruce Smith as a Manager The comments of Smith’s subordinates are enumerated and summarized, and the following managerial functions and skills manifested are identified as follows: SUBORDINATES COMMENTS MANAGER’S FUNCTIONS/SKILLS Nella McDonald Great to work for; gives Interpersonal skills (leader) credit for ideas and motivates Stephen Dye Good leader and problem Interpersonal skills (leader) solver Decisional (disturbance handler) Alex Brown Gives

Legalizing Prostitution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Legalizing Prostitution - Research Paper Example First of all, several individuals note that prostitution should remain illegal, so as preserve morality within a given community. Many people especially with families do not want their children growing up knowing that prostitution is acceptable and it is a moral practice within the society. Analysts argue that Christians are among the groups of people that look down upon prostitution and perceive it as immoral. The topic of whether prostitution should be legalized or not has become very contentious. This essay will undertake a study of the advantages and disadvantages of prostitution in an attempt to decode the best stand for the society at large. Legalized prostitution has been documented to promote safety in the neighborhoods. The police and the government authorities will not only put restriction measures in the brothels and prostitution institutions but also offer protection services. In situations where prostitutes rob clients, the client will be in a better position to report to the authorities for action and punishment. The prostitutes, on the other hand, will not fear reporting crimes committed to them. The legal measures put in place will deter prostitutes from committing crimes to their clients.Legalization of prostitution will reduce the rates of crime within the society. When a woman is accused of prostitution, she feels intimidated and will not seek for employment due to embarrassment. This makes them get involved in crime, the reason many women are jailed in this contemporary era. Unlike when prostitution is legalized, women will be free to conduct prostitution thus reducing the rate of unemployment and crime rates among women. With legalization most of the crimes committed to the prostitutes and clients will reduce because women will have specific protected areas to do their business. Legalization of prostitution will put law enforcement measures to better use. For instance, instead of the government using the law enforcement resources in curbing prostitution in the society, they can make use of the resource to fight other serious crimes committed against persons or property (Clark p.86). Lots of resources are more often than not put in place to curb prostitution but, all these efforts seem to go to waste because prostitution is still rampant. If prostitution is legalized, then the government would have an easier time dealing with prostitutes in the society. It m ay be said that the fight against prostitution is doomed to fail, since there are no well established ways of dealing with prostitutes, as well as clients. The authority may harass the prostitutes, but will not stop them from doing what they do best. A study conducted by the Rand Corporation in the city of Los Angeles found that the authorities have done nothing except push the prostitutes across the city's boundaries (Pheterson p.105). This shows that there is a immense predicament within the society in relation to the legalization process. There are those individuals who are not ready accept the process not considering that the vice affects their lives in one way or another. The governments around the world should protect other individual rights, like right to property rather than getting too concerned with issues of prostitution that are difficult to control. Studies indicate that prostitutes go through a very difficult time whilst conducting their day to day activities. Some pro stitutes are normally beaten, harassed and with no resources dedicated towards protection of their rights; they end up suffering a great mile. With legalization and free market for prostitution to take place, the prostitutes will have rights to police protection and to legal provision of resources.

Debate on Free Will Vs Determinism

Debate on Free Will Vs Determinism The debate over free will and determinism has been going on for centuries from the time of great thinkers like Thomas Hobbes and Isaac Newton and therefore these debates have been the part of political and economic theories. Centuries back, majority adopted the notion of determinism and destiny which never allowed individuals to think out of the box. It restricted the individuals then to their resources and their philosophy permitted them to want for more. If it was not for free will then a person born disabled would give up all the hopes in life and would not find cure to make his life better, populations would accept oppression and ignore the fact of a revolution. Along with this, law and justice could not be enforced as the judgements would be made on destiny. Although determination is deeply rooted from centuries asit dictates the life of disabled people like Tatyana McFadden and luck plays its part as it did for Justin Bieber, however free will is the ideology of modern world be cause it has given birth to the concept of accountability, struggle, hard work, courage, planning, and therefore effecting norms of social responsibility and renaissance. Free will is making decisions based on desires and then being accountable for the fact that whether it is a bad or good decision. The theory of free will suggests that the individual makes decisions according to his preferences and is responsible for it, i.e. the individual is rational and is not bounded by any external factors and what he chooses is best for him. Doctor Herald Shipman portrays this theory as he first chose to be a doctor and then later used his profession to be a murderer. After witnessing his mother’s sufferings from lung cancer Shipman motivated himself to be a doctor. After graduating as a doctor in 1970, Shipman changed his priorities and chose to kill his patients. He was sent to a rehab when it was found that he is addicted to a painkiller which he used to obtain from his patient’s prescriptions and suffered constant blackouts due to it. However, after two years he was declared fit and got his license reissued. After getting a second chance Shipm an never changed his priorities and ended up killing 250 of his patients intentionally. When proven guilty, Shipman was jailed where he chose to commit suicide. Hence individuals like Shipman chose what they seek are best for them and are held completely responsible for it. Along with this free will has its cons too and it can lead an individual to ignore all the limits and end up in bad acts. It all depends on the personal responsible that how he treats it. Free will can be devastating for a person as in the case of Malcolm X who indulged in larceny, drugs and prostitution before he found the purpose of his life. Malcolm X had a turbulent early life, his house was burnt down. His father died when Malcolm was six years old and his mother suffered emotional breakdown and was sent to rehab. Malcolm had to live in an orphanage for few years. Later he got to know gangsters, thieves, pimps and drug dealers. He ended up being a drug addict and adopted burglary as means of earning; some biographies even say that sometimes he had sex with other men to earn money. He was arrested for burglary at the age of twenty and was imprisoned for seven years. Malcolm X is a great example of free will in itself however he chose activities which disintegrated his life. Furthermore free will impacts the decision making power of an individual as it governs one’s aptitude to struggle, recognize their abilities and ponder over how to make use of them. It empowers one to motivate them and not give up in life. For example Oprah Winfrey had to face harsh realities very early in her life but she never thought of giving up and ended up being an inspirational figure for women all over the world. Winfrey suffered from sexual harassment in her childhood and all the tensions forced her to run from her house in her teen age. However she chose a better life for herself and with her free will and spirit she made decisions which helped her improving her life. Her willpower can be seen from the fact that after such a disappointing childhood Oprah never gave up and sought way in education; winning scholarship at a university. She recognized her abilities as a motivational speaker and joined a radio station at the age of seventeen and later she hosted The Oprah Winfrey show and became the voice of thousands of people. This reflects that her passion and commitment with her work and will to not give up made her one of the most influential personalities in the world. On the contrary, the concept of predestined has a major part as some characteristics are determined by birth and they structure one’s future, i.e. whether that individual gives up or fight hard against the odds. Tatyana McFadden is a great example of the later as she was born with a paralyzed lower part of body but still ended up being gold medallist in Paralympics. When her mother got to know of her daughter’s disability she abandoned her and McFadden lived in an orphanage for six years. McFadden however was optimistic and had to walk on her hands because she was not able to afford a wheelchair. She never got discouraged by her illness and after her adoption she took part in many sports like gymnastics and wheelchair basketball. At the age of eight she won two medals in Athens and since then McFadden hasn’t looked back and went on going to win sixteen medals, including nine gold medals in her career. Hence it can be implicated that free will is the answer to hur dles set by what is determined at the start of one’s life and how that individual wants to go along the life. Along with this destiny determines success for some and over shadow the free will, the very pattern worked for Justin Bieber as his career began through cyber fame. Destiny determined Justin Bieber to be where he is today, it casted away his free will. Bieber’s career started when he uploaded his music videos on You Tube to show his friends and family. He was lucky when Ushers agency contacted him and signed him up for Hollywood. It’s destiny that can change people’s lives in seconds and can ruin it at the same time. There are so many talented people who upload videos on You Tube but all do not have the luck to be famous. Free will does not only direct the life of an individual but thrives the success of many great nations and teams. From all the success stories of independence, fights, revolutions and renaissance it can be seen that it is the will of the people constituting that notion and uniting themselves to bring success. Manchester United is a living model of such teams who combat what is determined for them. On the sixth of February 1958, United’s squad was returning to The UK when their plane crashed at Munich Airport after it was refuelled and out of forty four passengers, twenty one died instantly and many of the team members died later. Nonetheless, United never gave up and the depleted team went on Semi Finals of the European cup the same year. The staff and players together supported each other and were eager to regain their status as champions. This willingness to succeed and not to give up resulted in United becoming the English Champions nineteen times and the European Champions thrice since then. This verifies that free will can lead to hard work and can overturn the routes laid by what is predestined and of that what is to come in future. Free will and determinism are two concepts which are very much different from each other but also related at the same time. Stephen Hawking, an active member at Cambridge University is quoted as saying â€Å"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.† Apart from this, success stories of Winfrey, McFadden and Manchester United reflect how individuals are masters of their own ships and they never let the circumstances, determinism or destiny take over them. These people choose their own destiny and outcomes. It is true that determinism exists but if the concept of free will is eliminated then the models of social responsibility, accountability, law and justice, morality, hard work and planning will all fail and life will have no meaning. Therefore it can be concluded that free will navigates the life of individuals as it allows them to tress pass determinism.

Drunk Driving is Not a Serious Offense Essay example -- Reduce DUI Pen

Driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) has become an issue of national concern, a both state and federal levels (2Githens and Sloan 403). Hearty fines, jail time and a revoking of the convict’s license follow most DUI offenses. DUI penalties need to be decreased and cause of conviction needs to be addressed, because people who are not criminals are going to jail, and enduring insurance fees even though these punishments have been shown to not decrease drinking and driving. Officers are given too much discretion to choose who get convicted, and who doesn’t, being convicted of a DUI can be life changing and should not be taken lightly. Most DUI offenses are detected as a result of direct observation of suspicious behavior, which is up to the discretion of the police officer observing the situation. In police initiated stops, the officer is the only witness to see the violation and is given great power in deciding to pull over the driver or not (Mastrofski, Ritti and Snipes 113-148). The police officer also decides if the law will be enforced or not. The main issue with this is that discrimination could occur very easily, because police can be persuaded by certain factors, including race and gender, to decide whether to arrest the driver or not. Police ethnographies suggest that the decision to arrest for common offenses is viewed by officers as part of there everyday work, whereas their superior officers tend to view an arrest as a â€Å"product†, which contributes to the departments identity, its effectiveness, and efficiency (Mastrofski, Ritti and Snipes 115). Differences in views suggest that the officer s out on the street are looking for people to pull over instead of looking for people that they can assist, as the... ..." Philosophy and Public Affairs 1st ser. 23 (1994): 52-73. Web. 2 Nov. 2013. Jones, James D. "Identifying and Prosecuting Persons for Driving under the Influence of Drugs." Public Health Reports 6th ser. 102 (1987): 627-29. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. Mastrofski, Stephen D., Richard R. Ritti, and Jeffrey B. Snipes. "Expectancy Theory and Police Productivity in DUI Enforcement." Law & Society Review 1st ser. 28 (1994): 113-48. Web. 9 Nov. 2013. Ross, Laurence H. "The Neutralization of Severe Penalties: Some Traffic Law Studies." Law & Society 3rd ser. 10 (1976): 403-13. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. Rubenzer, Steven J. "The Standardized Field Sobriety Tests: A Review of Scientific and Legal Issues." Law and Human Sloan, Frank A., and Penny B. Githens. "Drinking, Driving, and the Price of Automobile Insurance." The Journal of Risk and Insurance 61.1 (1994): 33-58. Web. 6 Nov. 2013.

How Hr Impacts a Company Performance Essay

Human Capital is the most important resource for an organisation to succeed. The quality of the human resource and the work performance directly impact an organisation’s performance. Thus, human resource management plays an important role to ensure the efficiency in an organisation’s daily operations via efficient recruitment, training and development, and staff retention. Besides, efficient human resource management may create competitive advantage to an organisation. There are various theories explained how human resource management impacts an organisation’s performance. This essay focuses on two theories – Reinforcement Theory and Resource-Based Theory. 2. 0 Reinforcement Theory and the Implementation Reinforcement theory was proposed by BF Skinner and his associates. It focuses of shaping human behaviour by controlling the consequences of the behaviour. In reinforcement theory a combination of rewards and/or punishments is used to reinforce desired behaviour or extinguish unwanted behaviour. It has similar base as â€Å"law of effect† where it states that individual behaviour leads to different consequences. Thus if a behaviour leads to positive consequences, the individual tends to repeat the same behaviour in the future. On the other hand, if a behaviour leads to negative consequences, the individual will try to change their behaviour to avoid the unpleasant consequences. For example, employees may obey the company’s rules and regulation as they may fear of disobedience leads will lead to punishment. On the other hand, employees try to meet the target set at work as they may be rewarded. Thus, in order to change employee behavior, the consequences of the behavior must be changed. For example, an employee who is frequently late to work, may be motivated to report to work on time (change of behavior) by changing the consequences of being late. Behavior modification consists of 4 methods: 2. 0. 1Positive and Negative Reinforcement This implies to remove negative behaviour of the employees by giving positive consequences to the employees. For example, a company could establish a reward system to the sales team, when certain target has been achieved, sales person would receive additional incentives. Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement encourage certain behaviour to be happened or repeated. The more spontaneous the reward is given, the greater the reinforcement value it has. 2. 0. 2 Punishment This implies to decrease the probability of undesirable actions by enforcing some punishments or negative consequences to the employees. For example, salary deduction for employees those do not report to work punctually. 2. 0. 3 Extinction The objective of extinction is to reduce the unwanted behaviour. If an employee gets praised for the promptness of his job completion for certain period of time, but receives no praise subsequently, his desirable behaviours may diminish. Thus, managers have to continue to offer positive consequences to avoid unwanted extinction of behaviour. 2. 1 Reinforcement Theory impacts on organisation’s performance The core objective of Reinforcement Theory in Human Resource Management is to change the employees’ behaviour. Increase the possibility of positive behaviour and reduce the chances of negative behaviour. Organisation performance will be boosted if there is drastic change in employees’ behaviour from negative to positive. Besides, it also ensures the positive behaviour to be maintained as a norm in an organisation. New joiners may follow the company good norms which will past through generation by generation. Below are some of the examples how Reinforcement Theory impacts an organisation’s performance: 2. 1. 1 Attendance and punctuality improvements Positive reinforcement and punishment towards employees’ punctuality may improve the punctuality to work. For example some companies provide extra allowance to employees who adheres the punctuality to work and salary deductions for those who is late to work. This may motivates employees to arrive on time. This cultivates a culture where time management is important in the organisation. Hence, the discipline of the organisation gets improved which also leads to work efficiency. Sales result improvements Positive Reinforcement for instance Incentive given to the sales department may motivate the sales persons work towards to achieve the sales target. Sales persons may change their working style by making more cold-calling, increase the efficiency in time management by visiting more customers. As a result, it may increase the company’s revenue. Productivity improvements Performance appraisal system can be used in the implementation of reinforcement theory. For example, KPIs set for employees according to the organisation’s visions and goals. This serves as the key performance measurement for the employees. Employees work towards the KPIs in order to receive good appraisal, and expected to receive a better rewards and compensation. Organisation’s performance relies on the achievement of the KPIs. If the most of the KPIs can be met from bottom to top, the organisation’s has higher chance to achieve its visions and goals. Summary of Reinforcement Theory Reinforcement theory focuses on what will the consequences happens to the individual after some actions has been taken. This theory argues that the internal state and the reasons of the actions of the individuals can be ignored as human tends to exhibit their behaviours base on the result of the behaviour. Reinforcement theory does not focus on the causes of individual’s behaviour. As a result, it may shows lack of empathic and less human in a sense if we ignore the cause of the behaviour of an individual. For example, if an employee always late in work, the manager could have understand the reason behind and decide whether salary deduction to be enforced for this employee. Nevertheless, in terms of organisational management, Reinforcement Theory serves as a very direct way to control the employees’ behaviour by understanding the needs and fears of the employees. Employees may tend to adhere to the rules and regulations as they look forward for the positive consequences (reward or praise), and avoiding negative actions as they are fearful of negative consequences (punishments). As a result, company performance will be enhanced if the employees show positive behaviour more frequent. 3. 0 Resource-Based Theory and the Implementation Resource-Based Theory argues that human resources is a subset of an organisation to enable them to achieve competitive advantage and business sustainability. Valuable and niche resources leads to an organisation’s competitive advantage. Moreover, the firm has to be able to protect against the resource turnover in order to sustain the competitive advantage for longer period of time. The source of Resource-Based Theory dates back to 1967, Selznick proposed the term organisation’s distinctive competence. Later in 1959, Penrose, puts forward the â€Å"Theory of the Dynamic Growth of the Firm† and defined an organisation’s achieve distinctive competence through the distribution and the use of resources. This concept later became the basis of resource-based theory. In 1984, Wernerfelt who lead the mainstream strategic management, proposed a resource-based idea that the â€Å"internal† organisational resources and the â€Å"external† commodity markets together form a complementary strategy. In an industry, if an organisation has the internal distinctive resource of value, rarity, inimitability and non-substitutability (Barney, 1991), it is able to increase the quality of goods and services. Which also enable the organisation to create competitive advantage and to sustain the competitive advantage. There are two main criteria in resource-based theory: resource diversity and resource immobility (Barney, 1991). 3. 0. 1 Resource diversity This refers to the human resource expertise are niche and specialise in the market, which leads to create the competitive advantage for an organisation. This is important for organisation which the business is emphasis on innovation, consultancy, creativity and etc. For example, If an organisation is trying to develop a new innovative product, it requires resources with specialise knowledge and expertise to achieve the goal. If those resources are niche in the market and other competitors cannot duplicate the product easily, it creates competitive advantage to the organisation. To ensure resource diversity, important effort requires in recruiting quality and competent employees, provide training and development to the existing employees in order to achieve resource diversity. Resource immobility This refers to how easy the resource turnover from one oganisation to another. It is important for an organisation to retain productive human resources in order to ensure the organisation operates smoothly and to sustain the competitive advantage. In order to ensure the resource immobility, it requires efficient staff retention program, clear and achievable career path, career advancement opportunity, good benefit and compensation policy. 3. 1 Resource-Based Theory impacts on organisation’s performance The implementation of resource-based theory is able to improve an organisation’s performance as below: Increase Work Efficiency Work efficiency can be achieved if the employees are proficient in their role. It creates higher chance to prone to errors and finally it increases the company’s performance in various areas. 3. 1. 2 Create Professional Image to the Organisation Employees with high competency in job creates professional image to the organisation. This is important to increase the good will and brand name of the organisation. Besides, for those businesses mainly providing professional services to the clients requires employees with highly competency in order to create the competitive advantage among the competitors.

The Origin and Meaning of the Surname, Long

The Origin and Meaning of the Surname, Long Long is the  86th most popular surname  in the United States with origins in  English,  Irish, and Chinese. The most common alternate surname spellings include Longe, Lang, Delong, and Laing. Learn about the famous Longs, genealogy resources and the three main plausible origins for the common last name below. Possible Surname Origins Long was most commonly a  nickname that was often given to a man who was especially tall and lanky, from the  Old English lang  and  Old French long, meaning  long or tall.The Long surname may also be a  reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic name Ó Longin, meaning descendant of Longn, a personal name probably derived from long, meaning tall.If the family is Chinese, the name may indicate descent from  an official treasurer called Long, who lived during the reign of the model emperor Shun (2257–2205 BC). Notable Longs Nia Long:  American actress who is  best known as her characters on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Third Watch on TV. She was also in the popular movies Friday and Too Deep.Howie Long:  Former American NFL defensive end. Howie currently works at Fox Sports as a studio analyst.Shelley Long:  Actress popular on the comedy television shows Cheers and Frasier. She has five Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe Awards.Shorty Long: American soul singer, record producer, and musician who was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Genealogy Resources 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their Meanings: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census?Long Family Genealogy Forum: Search this popular genealogy forum for the Long surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Long query.FamilySearch - Long  Genealogy: Find records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Long surname and its variations.Long  Surname Family Mailing Lists: RootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Long surname.Cousin Connect - Long  Genealogy Queries: Read or post genealogy queries for the surname Long, and sign up for free notification when new Long queries are added.DistantCousin.com - Long  Genealogy Family History: Free databases and genealogy links for the last name Long. Resources and Further Reading Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German-Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005.Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004.Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Four play summaries essays

Four play summaries essays It takes place in a mental institution where a new patient has just arrived. This patient ends up messing with everyone and creating chaos in the institution. R.P. McMurphy is a new patient at the mental institution, he is a charming devil, who wants to serve a very short sentence in the mental institution instead of a long term sentence in a prison. This is a mistake, he suddenly learns, for he runs into Nurse Ratched, who can keep him institutionalized forever. He ends up taking over the ward, controlling the rest of the patients, and to the astonishment to medical professionals, he makes Chief Bromden, who was presumedly deaf and dumb, speak. He turns the other inmates into more extrovert people by doing all sorts of things, from playing games, arranging a party at midnight, or even staging a revolt so that the other patients can watch the world series. Afraid that McMurphy will become more controlling than she is, Nurse Ratched has McMurphy submitted to shock treatment. After he recovers, he is forced to undergo one of the worst 'treatments' for his final correction, a frontal lobotomy. However to save McMurphy from this, the Chief kills McMurphy, and escapes from the institution. List and Descrive the main characters in the play- R.P. McMurphy- Patient, very loud and obnoxious, very controlling and caniving Nurse Ratched- Very mean Nurse, likes to control all the patients in the institution, by any means necessary Chief Bromden- Deaf and dumb Indian, or pressumedly so. Identify and explain a key line in the play- It's not necessarily a key line during the play, its more of an instance during the play the sends everything spiraling down. During the scene in which McMurphy has finally pushed Nurse Ratched to her boiling point, and she turns him to shock treatment, then schedules a frontal labotomy for him, which causes the Chief to kill him, and get the other prisoners to escape. This is a story...

Taylorist Job Designs and Hard Human Resource Essay

Taylorist Job Designs and Hard Human Resource - Essay Example In this sense therefore individuals should not be coerced into presence and participation in work activities (Larsson, Vinberg & Wiklund, 2007, p. 1147). The soft model of HRM causes a positive attitude among employees towards their work activities and as a result preventing absenteeism. On the other hand, the strict rules that are set within the hard management model causes stress and negative attitudes among employees and as a result leading to high rates of absenteeism at the workplace. The soft model in HRM ensures that individuals are self motivated to come to come every day and engage in their work roles and responsibilities even when there is little or no supervision. On the other hand, the application of the hard model and its characteristic punishment on employees makes them to lack motivation and as a result causes absenteeism. When individuals are compelled regulations, policies, standards and rules in their work activities as demonstrated by the application of the hard mo del, they are more likely to be less productive (Truss, et al, 2007, p. 57). The reduced productivity is related to the absenteeism which is related to the application of the hard model of human resource management. On the other hand, when duties and responsibilities are delegated to individuals in a less strict and supervisory environment of the soft model of HRM, these employees will be less absent at the workplace leading to more productivity. It is argued that the absence that individuals demonstrate at work is as a result of the natural instinct of human beings to avoid responsibilities. It is because of this that the soft model in HRM is encouraged in organizations as compared to the hard HRM model.... This paper stresses that Taylorist job designs provide that the execution of job activities is separated from the planning process. In additional, Taylorism as described in scientific management provided for procedural and timed work activities. Since services are less procedural and unrealistic to time, it is argued that the Taylorist job designs cannot be applicable in the service industry with the required effectiveness. This report makes a conclusion that in light of the above analysis, discussion and illustrations, it is evident that Taylorist job designs and hard human resource management model are suitable for application within the manufacturing industry such as food processing and manufacturing companies. Taylorist job designs are procedural, timed, segmented and focused at minimized training needs and cost which makes them suitable for application in the manufacturing industry. The hard human resource management model is also appropriate within the manufacturing industry where cheap labor, minimal communication, more machinery and little delegations are exhibited. On the other hand, Taylorist job designs are not suitable within the service industry such as a call center because of the difficulty in segmenting job activities and the need for collective training for broader skills and knowledge within the service industry. The hard human resource management model is also not suitable within the service industry because of the delegating characteristic of this industry and the increased need for motivation and compensation for effective service delivery.

Strategic management examination - case study of UK supermarkets and Essay

Tesco and the UK Grocery Retail Industry - Essay Example As noted in the previous question and also in sync with the case, it has been seen, that the Porter’s Five Forces also influence the companies to enter into the high street stores to a great extent and the below mentioned forces help understand the reasons to a great extent. Firstly, the barriers to entry are very low in this industry. Cost advantages can be minimized by smart outsourcing of production, and doing so can allow new entrants in the market with relatively little capital requirements. As seen in the case there are several small grocery stores that are being opened every single day on the high streets. These form a great threat to the super markets. However, building an appealing brand image is crucial to success, and this is where new entrants may have difficulty. Additionally, acquiring the necessary distribution points may prove challenging as a newcomer, and so some obstacles do exist for newcomers. Secondly, considering the buyer power, the current period has h ad a number of issues with the buyer power of the nation. This is mainly due to the recession. However in the case of Tesco, the threat is relatively low as the company operates on providing the customers with ‘Everyday Low Prices’. Also, in the current markets, it is the consumers who dictate what will sell and what won’t – ultimately, if they disapprove of the item, then it will not be sold. Next the supplier power, as seen in the case, since there are many suppliers in the industry, and there is little room for forward integration or differentiated inputs as many of these suppliers outsource production to the same or similar factories. In this industry it is the end consumer who must accept the product for it to be successful, and with no shortage of competing brands, the supplier has a limited ability to control the market. In the case of Tesco again this is relatively low as the company does apart from the various brands also manufacture their own bra nds. Hence this gives them an edge and allows them to be able to cope with the supplier power. Also, the threat of substitutes is relatively low in this industry.

Contemporary business issueSub Prime letting050808 Essay

Contemporary business issueSub Prime letting050808 - Essay Example The Fed comes out with the monetary policy in order to ensure a certain key objectives like, delivering price stability with a low inflation level coupled with an objective to support the Government's economic objectives of growth and employment. To have a look on how the Fed monitors the price related regulations to keep a check on inflation, we can consider a small example of the regulation on house and property prices. To take any decisions related to interest rates keeping in mind the ongoing inflation rate, the Fed must be thorough with the booming property prices and must take steps to ensure that the prices are not artificial. Government intervenes through its central bank to regulate the prices of many commodities, similarly it also regulates the prices of houses like any other important commodity. Fed has the responsibility to keep a check on asset prices including the prices of houses. There can be a number of reasons why the prices of houses may shoot up, like the simple rule of demand and supply has a definite impact. (Demand and Supply for Housing). Other reasons behind a... (Demand and Supply for Housing).Other reasons behind a change in property prices can be Mortgages. A mortgage is the money borrowed to buy a house, as for most people buying a house is not easy. Over the years mortgage market has picked up greatly and the current scenario is totally different from the one that existed in the beginning. (The UK Housing Market - Factors Influencing the Housing Market: Mortgages) The central bank of any country has a monetary policy and it uses the same to regulate mechanism of the economy and deal with such erratic swings in the prices of property. Like when it decides to change the interest rate, the government is trying to check the overall expenditure of the economy. A change in interest rates is mostly used to contain inflation, which is the result of lavish expenditure by the country. The Bank sets a fixed interest rate at which it lends money to financial institutions and depending on this interest rate, individual banks and other financial institutions set up their own interest rates, which apply to the whole economy. This interest rate also regulated the savings in an economy, which eventually results in capital formation and reinvestment. It is notable that when interest rates are high, people prefer to invest money in government deposits that are less risky in nature than the stock markets and similarly high interest rates boost up the savings. Lo wer interest rates make asset and real estate prices go up, as people start ignoring conventional saving instruments and make use of the high growth ventures like shares and houses, which pushes up their prices and this is where the problem of easy availability of finance crops up.The sub prime crisis started with the sub prime

Advantages and Disadvantages to Society Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages to Society Essay Humans have become so dependent on electricity and societys evolution to a great extent has been based on it. In the absence of lights, computers, most methods of transportation and communication, the last hundred years of advancement could be set back. With these things considered, electricity could clearly be regarded as mans greatest discovery. However, in as much as electricity has played a major role in the progress of humankind, it has also contributed widely into the sluggish destruction of society. Therefore, electricity has both an advantageous and disadvantageous effects on society. Electricity is an invisible form of energy created by the movement of charged particles, a phenomenon that is a result of the existence of electrical charge. It flows into our homes along wires and can be easily converted into other energy forms, such as heat and light. It can be stored in batteries or sent along wires to make electric trains, computers, light bulbs and other devices work. The comprehension of electricity has directed to the invention of generators, computers and nuclear-energy systems, X-ray devices, motors, telephones, radio and television. (Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge, 2002) Everything in the world, including humans and the air they breathe, is made of atoms. Each of these tiny particles has a positively charged center, named as nucleus, with smaller, negatively charged electrons whizzing around it. Electricity is created when one of the electrons jump to another atom. This can be caused by the magnetic field in a generator, by chemicals in a battery, or by friction (rubbing materials together). Early History The breakthrough discovery that an electric charge could be created by rubbing two materials together was first made by the Greek Philosopher Thales around 600 BC. He found that if he rubbed the fossilized tree sap, amber, with silk, it attracted small light objects such as feathers and dust. However, the first realistic device for the generation of electrical energy was not invented until 1800 when the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta constructed the first crude battery. For centuries, this strange, puzzling property was thought to be limited to amber. Two thousand years later, in the 16th century, William Gilbert provided evidence that many other substances are electric. He gave these substances the Latin name electrica, originating from the Greek word elektron (which means â€Å"amber†). According to the 2008 Encyclopedia Americana, the word magnet, comes from the Greek name for the black stones from Magnesia in Asia Minor. Sir Thomas Browne, an English writer and physician, first used the word electricity in 1646. Relationships between electricity and magnetism were devised in 1820 by the Danish physicist H. C. Oersted and the French physicist D. F. J. Arago from studies of the effects of a current-carrying conductor on a compass needle or iron filings. That same year, the French physicist Andre Ampere showed that an electric current flowing through a wire created a magnetic field similar to that of a permanent magnet. In 1831, the English physicist Michael Faraday conceived a device for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy. Faradays machine, the first dynamo (DC generator), was made up of a copper disk rotating between the poles of a permanent magnet. A year later, Hippolyte Pixii of France, built both an AC generator and a DC generator, the latter being fitted with a commutator. Such primeval generators were widely used for experimental purposes. Nonetheless, they could not generate a great deal of power because the field strength of their permanent magnets was slight. In 1866, the German inventor Werner von Siemens initiated the use of electromagnets instead of permanent magnets for the field poles of a DC generator. In 1870, the Belgian inventor Zenobe Gramme further improved the performance of DC generators by using armatures of iron wound with rings of insulated copper wire. Powered by counteracting steam engines, Grammes generators were used to supply current for arc lamps in lighthouses and factories. Electric arc street lamps were installed in Paris in 1879, in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1879, and in New York City in 1880. However, the carbon filament incandescent lamp invented by Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan in 1880 provided a far better and more suitable source of light than arc lamps did. This invention created a great demand for electric power as it marked the beginning of the electric power industry. Electricity was a mystifying force. It did not seem to occur naturally at initial appearance, except in the frightening form of lightning. Researchers had to do an atypical thing to study electricity; they had to manufacture the phenomenon before they could analyze it. We have come to realize that electricity is everywhere and that all matter is electrical in nature. Many innovators in the study of magnetism and electricity become known between the late 1700s and the early 1800s, many of whom left their names on several electrical units. These scientists include Charles Augustin de Coulomb (the unit of charge), Andre Ampere (current), George Ohm (resistance), James Watt (electrical power), and James Joule (energy). Luigi Galvani gave us the galvanometer, a device for measuring currents, while Alessandro Volta gave us the volt, a unit of potential, or electromotive force. Similarly C. F. Gauss, Hans Christian Oersted, and W. E. Weber all made their mark and established their names on electrical engineering. Only Benjamin Franklin failed to leave his name on any electrical unit, despite his noteworthy contributions. All of the afore-mentioned scientists contributed to the study of electricity. However, the two real giants in the field were 19th century Englishmen, Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell. The widespread use of electricity as a source of power is largely due to the work of pioneering American engineers and inventors such as Nikola Tesla, and Charles Proteus Steinmetz during the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2002). One of the most well-known perhaps is Thomas Alva Edison, most famous for his development of the first commercially practical incandescent lamp. He was one of the most prolific inventors of the late 19th century and his greatest contribution is the development of the world’s first central-electric-light-power-station. By the time he died in West Orange, New Jersey, he had patented over 1000 inventions. (Jenkins, R. 2000) II. BODY Electrical activity takes place constantly everywhere in the universe. Electrical forces hold molecules together. The nervous systems of animals work by way of weak electric signals transmitted between nerve cells called neurons. Electricity is generated, transmitted, and converted into other forms of energy such as heat, light and motion through natural processes, as well as by devices built by people. Over the period from 1950 to 1999, the most recent year for which data are available, annual world electric power production and consumption rose from slightly less than 1,000 billion kilowatt hours to 14,028 billion kwh. A change also took place in the type of power generation. In 1950, about 2/3 of the electricity came from thermal or steam-generating sources and about 1/3 from hydroelectric sources. In 1998, thermal sources produced sixty-three percent of the power, but hydropower had declined to nineteen percent, and nuclear power accounted for seventeen percent of the total. The growth in nuclear power slowed in some countries, markedly the United States, in reaction to concerns about safety. Nuclear plants generated twenty percent of U. S. electricity in 1999; in France, the world leader, the figure was 76 percent.

Prisoners of War During WWII Essay -- World War II

Wars have essentially been the backbone of history. A war can make or break a country. As the result of war, a country can lose or gain territory and a war directly impacts a countries’ economy. When we learn about wars in schools we usually are taught about when they start, major events/ battles, and when they end. It would take a year or two to cover one war if we were to learn about everything. One thing that is commonly overlooked and we take for granted, is prisoners of war. Most people think of concentration camps and the millions of Jews that suffered when prisoners and war are mentioned in the same sentence. Yes it is terrible what happened during WWII, but what about our troops that were captured and potentially tortured trying to save the Jews? How did they suffer? Being captured as a prisoner of war is just an on the job hazard. In this paper I will explain what POWs went through and how it has changes between countries, and I will only scratch the surface. Taking prisoners of war have been a battle tactic for ages. Capturing an enemy troop could be done for many reasons. Mainly enemy soldiers are captured to be interrogated for unknown information on the enemy. There were usually common rules and procedures for taking a prisoner of war, weather they were followed or not was really up to the country. Come 1929, there was a document in the works that set rules regarding prisoners of war. More than 40 countries got together to sign and agree on these new set of rules (â€Å"Life† 11). The signing of the Geneva Convention was held in Geneva, Switzerland. This document of ninety-seven articles defined a prisoner of war as a member of a regular military unit, wearing a uniform (thus spies were excluded). The Convention decl... ... Red Cross and learning the facts about the brutality, General Eisenhower stopped sending POWs to the French. (Tarczal) Works Cited Bowman, Michael. "World War II Prisoner of War Camps - Encyclopedia of Arkansas." The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. 29 Oct. 2009. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. . Hutchinson, Daniel. We . . . Are the Most Fortunate of Prisoners": The Axis POW Experience at Camp Opelika during World War II. Publication. Alabama Review, 2011. Print. Tarczal, Bela. Hungarian POW in French Captivity. Publication. Trans. Eva B. Bessenyey. Print. "World War Two - Japanese Prisoner of War Camps." World War Two. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. . Wukovits, John F. Life as a POW. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2000. Print.

Free Waste Land Essays: The Lifeless Land -- T.S. Eliot Waste Land Ess

The Waste Land:   Lifeless Land  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As The Waste Land begins, Eliot enters into the barren land, which the audience journeys across with the author through the course of the poem. "The roots that clutch" immediately evoke a feeling of desperation. Roots in the rocky soil Eliot describes are a base from which to grow; just as roots in plants gain nourishment from soil, these roots "clutch" infertile ground, desperately seeking something to gain from nothing. The question "what branches grow" suggests skepticism as to life's ability to survive in "stony rubbish," the waste that offers no forgiveness. "You know only a heap of broken images" alludes to memory. Memory can be a composite of many smaller memories, creating discontinuity. "Broken images" are similar to the entire poem, which has a tendency to jump between snippets of different lives and desolate imagery of a desert waste. Eliot creates a memory lacking value for its indistinctness. Because only "broken images" exist, the memory itself becomes a waste. Just as life cannot grow in a barren land, people cannot be wh...

Analyzing, Interpreting, and Assessing Visual Art Essay

The Great Wave off Kanagawa is the most well-known Japanese woodblock art ever created in the history of Japan (Sayre, 2010). The masterpiece was created by Hokusai Katsushika, known to be the honorable Japanese printmakers of the 19th century. The Great Wave off Kanagawa set precedent for the first of 36 views of Mount Fuji, 1823-29 (Sayre, 2010). I will discuss the six elements of visual design, go in detail of the elements that was present in The Great Wave off Kanagawa, and evaluate the quality. The Great Wave off Kanagawa has several elements in this masterpiece. For example, how vessel ships lines up with the waves making the vessels appear to be flowing with the high tide waves. The painting â€Å"The Great Wave of Kanagawa† is a great example of line. This painting has very bold, emphasized lines that help to define the water from the sky. As well within the water, the line helps to determine the different part of the water, the foam, or the curves of the waves. Hokusa i makes it very easy for one’s eyes to follow the moving of the water. Also, how Mt. Fuji in the distance looks like it could be part of the wave too. This was very clever of the artist to give the impression that all the triangular shapes appear to be the waves themselves. In order for the artist to make this impression, he used light blues along with dark blues for the waves depicted in the drawing. The light blues represent a higher tide and the dark blue the sea. The artist simplified the waves to an array of flat patterns with a black outlining for more intensity. The drawing depicts vessels that are probably carrying food and supplies this was especially relevant back in the 1800s. It is hard to tell what time of day that the drawing possibly could have been created, but I am going to assume during the day giving the light blue hues and how one can see Mt. Fuji in the far distance. When analyzing the work in terms of five principles, the central theme here is not the wave but the Mount Fuji;  however at first glance, it almost reads as another cap of foam. But precisely, it is its consistency with the lines and colors of th e piece, as well as the construction of the picture around it which achieve the unity of the composition. Indeed, the Mount is placed in the right central part of the composition, which has to be read from the right to the left (instead of reading from the left to the right, as occidentals use to). Furthermore, it is painted with the two main colors of the picture. The message uniting this piece is conveyed through the contrast between the distant, quiet, and unchanging mount in the background and the violent and ephemeral foreground scene. While evaluating the artwork of the artist, Hokusai, it appears all the attention wasn’t just about the waves. He was able to balance the drawing by adding the people in the cargo ships. A person can see as the wave intensifies the situation of the sailors. The great wave commands the picture plane, dramatically overshadowing the distant peak of Mount Fuji. Reconciling the essential contradictions between the movement of the water and the stillness of the mountain, this print captures and fixes the wave so that it paradoxically becomes a static, elegant, and poised structure rather than something fluid and ephemeral. While the wave’s sheer scale and claw like extensions are threatening, the potential for violence is undermined by the aesthetic artifice of making the small wave in front of it a visual double for Mount Fuji. The viewer’s gaze is deflected; the subject is distanced and generalized, but here the curling wave in the foreground swallowing up the boats drawing any viewer into its orbit, creating an extraordinary immediacy of experience. The disturbingly low, water-level viewpoint gives the illusion that we are seeing the wave from within its vortex. After carefully reviewing the picture â€Å"The Great Wave off Kanagawa† I would say that this art holds cultural value to it. This painting is one of the most famous works of art in the world, but debatably the most iconic work of Japanese art. There have been thousands of copies of this painting produced and sold cheaply. Despite the fact that it was created at a time when Japanese trade was heavily restricted, Hokusai’s print displays the influence of Dutch art, and proved to be inspirational for many artists working in Europe later in the nineteenth century. The flattening of space, an interest in atmospheric conditions, and the impermanence of life; all visible in Hokusai’s prints and both reaffirmed their own artistic interests  and inspired many future works of art. It does not on the other hand hold historic value because it does not depict anything in history that has occurred. Reference Sayre, H. M. (2010). A World of Art Chapters 4-8 (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Association Football and Substitute Goalkeeper Essays

Association Football and Substitute Goalkeeper Essays Association Football and Substitute Goalkeeper Essay Association Football and Substitute Goalkeeper Essay The goalkeeper is the most specialised position in football. A goalkeepers job is mainly defensive: to guard the teams goal from being breached (to not let the other team score). Goalkeeper is the only position defined in the Laws of the Game. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands and arms, however they are restricted to doing so only within their penalty area; for this reason, they must wear jerseys that distinguish them from other outfield players and the referee. If a goalkeeper is sent off or injured, and there is no substitute goalkeeper available, an outfield player must take the goalkeepers place and put on the appropriate identifying uniform. [3] The discipline of goalkeeping is so specialised that it is very rare in the professional game for a goalkeeper to play in any other position. One notable exception is Jorge Campos of Mexico, who played effectively as a striker when called upon. 4] A goalkeeper with good technical skill may opt to take his teams penalties and free kicks though this is rare as the goalkeeper would be caught out of position if possession is conceded immediately after the kick. Jose Luis Chilavert, formerly of Velez Sarsfield and Paraguay, and Rogerio Ceni of Sao Paulo and Brazil are well-known free-kick and penalty specialists with over 100 goals to their names. Hans-Jorg Butt is the goalkeeper to have scored in the most different competitions, having scored in all of Germanys top four divisions, the German cup and the UEFA Champions League. 5][6][7] Physical strength, height, jumping ability and judgement are valued qualities for goalkeepers to have in order to deal with aerial balls and agility, quick reactions and a good positional sense are all needed for shot stopping. [8][9] The standard football skills of ball control, tackling, passing and dribbling are not usually required in a goalkeeper, although the introduction of the back-pass rule in the early 1990s has necessitated improvement on such skills. [10]

Frequently Asked Questions About Astronomy and Space

Frequently Asked Questions About Astronomy and Space Astronomy and space exploration are  topics that really get people thinking about far away worlds and distant galaxies. Stargazing under a starry sky or surfing the Web looking at images from telescopes always fires up the imagination. Even though a telescope or pair of binoculars, stargazers can get a magnified view of everything from distant worlds to nearby galaxies. And, that act of stargazing spurs a LOT of questions. Astronomers get asked a lot of those questions, as do planetarium directors, science teachers, scout leaders, astronauts, and many others who research and teach the subjects. Here are some of the most-often-asked questions that astronomers and planetarium people get about space, astronomy, and exploration and collected them along with some pithy answers and links to more detailed articles!   Where Does Space Begin? The standard space-travel answer to that question puts the edge of space at 100 kilometers above Earths surface. That boundary is also called the von Krmn  line, named after the Theodore von Krmn, the  Hungarian scientist who figured it out. Earths atmosphere looks very thin when compared to the rest of the planet. The green line is airglow high in the atmosphere, caused by cosmic rays striking the gases up there. This was shot by astronaut Terry Virts from the International Space Station. The legal definition of space is that it begins at the top of the atmosphere. NASA How Did the Universe Begin? The universe began some 13.7 billion years ago in an event called the Big Bang. It was not an explosion (as is often depicted in some artwork) but more of a sudden expansion from a tiny pinpoint of matter called a singularity. From that beginning, the universe has expanded and grown more complex. Most depictions of the beginning of the universe show it almost as an explosion. It was really the beginning of the expansion of space and time, from a small point that contained the entire universe. The first stars formed a few hundred million years after the expansion began. Our universe is now 13.8 billion years old and measures 92 billion light-years across. HENNING DALHOFF / Getty Images What is the Universe Made of?   This is one of those questions that has an answer that is quite mind-expanding. Basically, the universe consists of galaxies and the objects they contain: stars, planets, nebulae, black holes and other dense objects.  The early universe was largely hydrogen with some helium and lithium, and the first stars formed from that helium. As they evolved and died, they created heavier and heavier elements, which formed second- and third-generation stars and their planets. This represents a timeline of the universe from the Big Bang through the present. At the left is the birth event of the cosmos, known as the Big Bang. NASA / WMAP Science Team Will the Universe Ever End? The universe had a definite beginning, called the Big Bang. Its ending is more like the long, slow expansion. The truth is,  the universe is slowly dying as it expands and grows and gradually cools. It will take billions and billions of years to cool completely and stop its expansion.   How Many Stars Can We See at Night? That depends on many factors, including how dark the skies are where. In light-polluted areas, people see only the brightest stars and not the dimmer ones. Out in the countryside, the view is better. Theoretically, with the naked eye and good seeing conditions, an observer can see around 3,000 stars without using a telescope or binoculars.   What Types of Stars Are Out There? Astronomers classify stars and assign types to them. They do this according to their temperatures and colors, along with some other characteristics.  Generally speaking, there are stars like the Sun, which live their lives for billions of years before swelling up and gently dying. Other, more massive stars are called giants and are usually red to orange in color. There are also white dwarfs. Our Sun is properly classified as a yellow dwarf.   This version of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram plots the temperatures of stars against their luminosities. The position of a star in the diagram provides information about what stage it is in, as well as its mass and brightness. A stars type depends on its temperature, age, and other characteristics plotted on diagrams such as this. European Southern Observatory Why Do Some Stars Appear To Twinkle? The childrens nursery rhyme about Twinkle, twinkle little star actually poses a very sophisticated science question about what stars are. The short answer is: the stars themselves dont twinkle. Our planets atmosphere causes starlight to waver as it passes through and that appears to us as twinkling.   How Long Does a Star Live? Compared to humans, stars live incredibly long lives. The shortest-lived ones can shine for tens of millions of years while the old-timers can last for many billions of years. The study of stars lives and how they are born, live, and die is called stellar evolution, and involves looking at many types of stars to understand their life cycles.   This is what a sun-like star looks like as it dies. Its called a planetary nebula. The Cats Eye planetary nebula, as seen by Hubble Space Telescope. NASA/ESA/STScI What is the Moon Made of?   When the Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the Moon in 1969, they collected many rock and dust samples for study. Planetary scientists already knew the Moon is made of rock, but the analysis of that rock told them about the Moons history, the composition of the minerals that make up its rocks, and the impacts that created its craters and plains. Its a largely basaltic world, which implies heavy volcanic activity in its past. What are Moon Phases? The Moons shape appears to change throughout the month, and its shapes are called the phases of the Moon.  They are a result of our orbit around the Sun combined with the Moons orbit around Earth.   This image shows the phases of the Moon and why they happen. The center ring shows the Moon as it orbits around the Earth, as seen from above the north pole. Sunlight illuminates half the Earth and half the moon at all times. But as the Moon orbits around the Earth, at some points in its orbit the sunlit part of the Moon can be seen from the Earth. At other points, we can only see the parts of the Moon that are in shadow. The outer ring shows what we see on the Earth during each corresponding part of the moons orbit. NASA Whats in the Space Between Stars? We often think of space as the absence of matter, but actual space is not really all that empty. The stars and planets are scattered throughout the galaxies, and between them is a vacuum filled with gas and dust.  The gases between galaxies are often there due to a galaxy collision that rips gases away from each of the galaxies in involved. In addition, if conditions are right, supernova explosions can also drive hot gases out into intergalactic space. Whats it Like to Live and Work in Space?   Dozens and dozens of people have done it, and more will in the future! It turns out that, aside from the low gravity, higher radiation hazard, and other dangers of space, its a lifestyle and a job.   What Happens to a Human Body in a Vacuum? Do the movies get it right? Well, not actually. Most of them depict messy, explosive endings, or other dramatic events. The truth is while being in space without a spacesuit WILL kill whoever is unlucky enough to be in that situation  (unless the person gets rescued very, very quickly), their body probably wont explode. Its more likely to freeze and suffocate first. Still not a great way to go. What Happens When Black Holes Collide? People are fascinated by black holes and their actions in the universe. Until very recently, its been tough for scientists to measure what happens when black holes collide. Certainly, its a very energetic event and would give off a lot of radiation. However, another cool thing happens: the collision creates gravitational waves and those can be measured! Those waves are also created when neutron stars collide! When two supermassive black holes collide and merge, some of the excess energy from the event is broadcast as gravitational waves. These can be detected on Earth using very delicate instruments at the LIGO observatory. The SXS (Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes) Project There are many more questions that astronomy and space spur in peoples minds. The universe is a big place to explore, and as we learn more about it, the questions will continue to flow! Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.