Books, Authors and Lawsuits Five Cases

Artists seem to be suing each other every week in the music business, claiming that songs sound similar and even that entire melodies have been ripped off. There are only a specific amount of notes and ways that they be put together, and it creates a minefield for artists. Music, like story ideas, are something that can come to the artists out of nowhere, even in a dream, and it’s hard to know if that idea really did spring up out of nowhere or if it was subconsciously ripped from somewhere else. Thankfully, the publishing world is not as cutthroat and unforgiving as the music one, but there still are lawsuits filed all of the time and what follows is a list of the biggest. Class Action Vanity Vanity presses are a stain on the publishing industry. They take money from hard-working, hopeful authors and they promise them an experience like that of working with a traditional publisher. It’s self-publishing, and what makes it even more nefarious is that these days  they  target older people who perhaps don’t know how to use things like Amazon Publishing and therefore think they need to pay a fortune to have someone else do the job for them. In 2012, a class action lawsuit was filed against PublishAmerica by authors who claimed that the company positioned itself as a traditional publisher but was actually nothing more than a vanity press. They alleged that the Maryland-based publisher made promises it couldn’t fulfill and published books riddled with mistakes. Just another reason (of the hundreds that exist) why you should never publish with a vanity press. If you simply want to see your book in print, try CreateSpace. If, for whatever reason, you don’t like it, try Unbound, try Blurb. Try anything—just don’t use vanity presses. Charles Harris vs Oprah In 2008 Charles Author sent his short non-fiction book on US presidents to Oprah, hoping to be endorsed by the legendary host. He wasn’t, and she didn’t ask him on the show or mention his book, but when she quoted a question that he had included in his book, Harris lawyers got involved and tried to sue for $100 million. The lawsuit was quickly thrown out, with the  judge noting that trivia can not be copyrighted. James Frey vs His Readers James Frey was one of the most controversial authors to have appeared on Oprah. She endorsed his book, A Million Little Pieces, only to find out that most of it had been fictionalized. Oprah was incensed by this discovery, as were his readers, and following a class action lawsuit the publishers, Random House, were forced to pay refunds to readers. Although they apparently only ever paid back $30,000, despite the fact that the book made millions. That’s one case that does not warrant a legal appeal. J.D. Salinger vs J.D. California J.D. California was the (rather unimaginative) pen name of a Swedish author who, in 2009, decided to publish a sequel to Salinger’s A Catcher in the Rye. But he did so without permission and Salinger, who had been full-blown recluse for many years at that point, made a brief appearance to sue, claiming that the work was not a parody or satire and therefore broke copyright rules. The authors eventually settled, with J.D. California agreeing not to sell in the US or Canada until Salinger’s seminal work enters the public domain.

Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing - 801 Words

My personal interest in this controversial topic Since Middle School, I was not opposed to standardized testing. I thought of it as a way of testing us of what we have learned. Although, after reading some articles about standardized testing I am re-thinking the pros and cons. From personal experience, I thought of it as a challenge to pass them. But now that reminisce about it, I noticed some of the cons of standardized testing. I remember having a week or two dedicated for testing, and in case of students failing they had to take time to redo it. It would take a while for all the students to finish their tests. And after remembering how it was back in those times I was more on the opposed side. The act signed in 2002, NCLB, caused for a†¦show more content†¦Parents oppose the standardized tests because they can cause stress and anxiety to their children. Students disagree with many tests because it can cost them admission to a university, or passing to the next grade. Teachers oppose the tests because it takes too much time. They have to teach their students what is going to be on the test. Also, the schools and teachers lose funding depending on the results. What warrants (assumptions) will you imply or state? Why? First, I will state that standardized testing is not helping education in the United States. This will be stated first because it will clarify my topic. Secondly, I will imply that there are other ways education in the United States could improve without the use of standardized testing. Can you maintain an open mind and reverse your views if you come across information you hadn’t anticipated? If I find, research about why standardized testing has helped improve the education in the United States; and, if there is information on how it has helped students progress over time. I would be open to information that could counter my claims. What qualifiers will you include in your claim to make it more reasonable and manageable? One qualifier I will use is standardized testing improving the US education? This will qualify the US education. Also using qualifiers like there are many students that are opposed to standardized testing. I will also be using some teachers and parents also opposeShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1400 Words   |  6 PagesEven though there are many downsides to standardized testing there are still viable reasons why they are still being used today. One of the main reasons includes the easy and quick access of testing students. Standardized testing allows schools to quickly access a large amount of students at one time. This is also one of the cheapest ways to tests such a large crowd due to machinery that grades which results in low tests costs for students. These tests also help by setting a national curriculum forRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing1050 Words   |  5 Pageseducational world is standardized tests. All fifty states have their own s tandards following the common core curriculum. There are many positives and negatives that go with the standardized tests. A standardized test is any type of â€Å"examination thats administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner† (Popham, 1999). These standardized tests are either aptitude tests or achievement tests. Schools use achievement tests to compare students. There are pros to standardized examinations as toolsRead MorePros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1025 Words   |  5 PagesWhat are standardized tests? Standardized tests are exams that are administered, scored, and interpreted in the same way for all students. Now there are many pros and cons of standardized testing however, I believe that public and private schools should just abolish standardized testing all together. These tests determine a student’s academic performance and each student is given the same test with the same questions and answers. These tests are designed to measure the students learning capabilitiesRead MorePros and Cons of Standardized Testing583 Words   |  2 PagesStandardized testing has its pros and cons I do not believe in it but I will give you proof for and against the testing. We will cover some the history and where the testing came from and why we do it. I will talk a little bit of how I feel about testing and how much we should focus on ho w the students do on the test. I have interviewed a few teachers that I had when I went to school and some personal friends that are teachers now and how it effects how they teach. Most historians trace the beginningRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing Essay674 Words   |  3 PagesStandardized testing is a down fall to many students but also an opportunity for many others. Standardized testing has its pros and its cons. It can be the make it or break it factor into getting into colleges you are hoping to attend or the scholarships you want to earn. Some people may have their opinions about the test, whether they hate it or not but the fact is that it’s here to stay. What exactly is standardized testing you may ask, it is a test which measures the knowledge among differentRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1491 Words   |  6 PagesStandardized testing was introduced by French psychologist Alfred Binet in 1905. The test originated because Binet was commissioned by the French government to create a tool to identify which students needed remedial studies. Over time, the standardized tests evolved into multiple different tests in multiple subjects for varying age groups of students. The tests were initially seen as a way to test a large sum of people with the same general questions to see an individual’s knowledge. Some peopleRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1511 Words   |  7 PagesOver the years the educational system has faced various controversial issues, but the most recent one making a negative impact on students, is standardized testing. Standardized testing is a type of testing used to evaluate stud ents academic abilities . It is a way to measure if standards are being met but does not provide a variation in the type of administration based on the students needs (Sacks, 2000). In other words, all children are provided these test to track their learning progress basedRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1100 Words   |  5 Pagesscience, history, and science. Then, every year, students typically take one big standardized test, or even more. These tests are claimed to give educators an objective that’s unbiased. Standardized testing supposedly helps identify the natural tendency of individual students, identifying skill development and progress. However, are these things what standardized testing really do for students? Standardized testing only measures a small portion of what makes education substantial. This means thatRead MorePros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1201 Words   |  5 Pages Standardized testing is all based on your performance as a student on a specific day, time and place. What it doesn’t show is how you perform on a day to day basis. These types of test can be given in any type of form that requires test takers to answer the same questions, and is then scored in a â€Å"standard† or consistent manner. Students should not have to take standardized test because of many reasons. As a human I have days where I’m tired and didn’t get enough sleep the night before or it isRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing704 Words   |  3 Pagesschool. But the majority can attest to saying that they all hate standardized testing and the week that it brings. Every student knows this week all too well. From having one to two tests a day and then shortly after not being able to function properly on the rest of the school day. Many students will say that they all hate the idea of standardized testing and wish it to be gone. The real question stands though: is standardized testing increasing the performance of students? The main argument against

Good Practices of Communication within a Team - 1174 Words

Good Practices of Communication within the Team The topic focused in this paper within teamwork is communication. In teamwork, communication in an important part in order to achieve success and reach goals. This was the reason why this topic was chosen because; establishing good communication facilitates team work and achievements. This paper will be discussing four good practices that are important for communication, which are suggested by peer-reviewed scholarly articles. Each good practice is provided with an example of how it can be used in my discipline and why it could be helpful. My first practice is to establish a dialogue and hold a common ground as a team. This means to not treat the team as a debate with others, but rather with mutual respect. My second good practice in communication looks as individual communication skills, and assertiveness. My third practice views team communication skills, including team conflict resolution. The final good practice looks how to communi cate during the decision making process as a team. In addition a useful technique in part of decision making is brainstorming. Following each practice will assist the team and its members to have good communication and form a stronger team. Outline of Literature Surveyed To prepare this paper several journal articles were reviewed through online article databases. Many articles found during the beginning of the literature review were relating to the medical and nursing field. This made itShow MoreRelatedCommunication Is Important For A Health Care Professionals1502 Words   |  7 PagesSchwartz, Lowe Sinclair (2010) have stated that effective communication is very important for a health care professional and service user to interaction with each other successful and also between the health care professionals. according to Weiss Tappen (2014),P98 Communication is considered to be a core competency in promoting inter-professional collaborative practice. This assignment will identify and discuss the differences within the inter-professional and collaborative working strategiesRead MoreHow Communication Within An Interprofessional Team Could Affect Collaborative Working1670 Words   |  7 PagesHow communication within an interprofessional team could affect collaborative working Hall and Waver ( 2001) defines Interprofessional as a group of professionals from different disciplines such as nurses, doctors, pharmacist that are working and communicating with each other while providing their knowledge, skills and attributes to enhance and support the contributions of others. Suter et al (2009) also said that the ability to work in an interprofessional team to convey collaborative, patient-centeredRead MoreInter-professional Healthcare Teams897 Words   |  4 PagesInter-professional or multidisciplinary healthcare teams are groups of health rofessionals from different disciplines collaborating to provide care to patients. Effectively coordinated and collaborative inter-professional teams are essential to the care and treatment of patients (Rowlands Callen, 2013; Doyle, 2008; Ruhstaller, Roe, Thà ¼rlimann Nicoll, 2006; Simpson Patton, 2012, p. 300). Communication is a process of conferring information between individuals through use of speech, writingRead MoreReflective Account on Role as a Student in Higher Education and as a Future Health Practitioner1716 Words   |  7 Pagesoffer me the opportunity to be a better healthcare practitioner and work within teams for the best outcomes. In fact, the higher education knowledge base that I will acquire upon graduation will make me more attractive to employers. In this case, employers will trust me with more responsibilities since I will know more about the patients’ overall conditions, work independently with minimal supervision, actively engage teams, and even m ake leadership decisions with regards to the direction that theRead More Work Environment Paper1015 Words   |  5 Pages Work Environment Paper Good communication skills are imperative for organizations to carry out in an attempt to maintain outstanding performance from employees and management. Every workplace is unique in terms of their diversity profile therefore, is it vital for organization to create and execute creative communication methodologies that will enable organizations to develop a community rather than just your average run of the mill work environment. For example, active listening, collective goalRead MoreTeam Communication Skills1014 Words   |  4 PagesTeam Communication Skills In addition to good individual communication skills, the team itself needs to form communication skills. Cohen (2008) looks in detail of the communication skills the team should establish for good overall communication. In addition, the article also goes to explain how commutation plays a role in conflict resolution, and what group rules the team should create when conflict occurs. As a team, creating a protocol for conflict management is important. This includes how theRead MoreQuality And Safety Education For Nurses1142 Words   |  5 Pageseffectively function within professional teams, remaining respectful, mutual decision-making, and developing open communication to attain the optimal quality of care for patients. To create a collaborative atmosphere, several characteristics must be involved; knowledge, skills, and attitude. Knowledge is a way to describe an individual’s strengths, weaknesses, and principles to collaborate within a group of workers. Skills, the awarenes s of the individual’s proficiencies as a team member. Attitude isRead MoreMy Experience Of Team Work1614 Words   |  7 PagesDescription In this report I will reflect upon my experience of team work both whilst on clinical placement and during my time at University demonstrating how my experiences will improve my future practice. I have chosen Gibbs reflective cycle (1988) as I find this model easily accessible and an effective form of reflection that fits my reflective style (See appendix one). Team work has been defined as a group of people sharing a common goal which can only be achieved by appropriateRead MoreSoftware Engineering Project Failure889 Words   |  4 Pagesexamine the importance of a good software engineering manager to a project. Then, I will identify major reasons for software engineering project fails within the software industry. At last, some suggestion about reducing project failure rates according to the knowledge and best practices will be provided. Manager is essential to software engineering project There are nine project management knowledge areas: integration, scope, time, cost, quality, risk, communication, procurement, and human resourceRead MoreThe Importance Of Interprofessional Working As Well As Discuss Barriers And Facilitators For Team Working1385 Words   |  6 Pagesinterprofessional working as well as discuss barriers and facilitators for team working. A healthcare system that supports effective teamwork can improve the quality of patient care, enhance patient safety and reduce workloads that cause burnout among healthcare professionals (Oandasan, 2006). The 6 stages of Gibb’s cycle include description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action planning for future practice. I am going to reflect on the preparation work which was carried out each

Advanced Programming in UNIX Environment - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Advanced Programming in UNIX Environment. Answer: Introduction The Mac OS X is an Apple product. It is an UNIX based graphical user interface operating Management system. The OS is basically designed for running on the Apples Macintosh computers . The Mac OS is the second most running OS in the whole world after the Windows product of the Microsoft company. The Mac OS was rebranded to the Mac OS X in the year 2012 by the Apple Inc. Company. This report provides a descriptive type of explanation of the Mac OS X. The report consists of a brief explanation of the product, the technical aspects of the product are also analyzed and in addition to this, the advantage and disadvantage of the product ae also described in the report. The technology on which the Mac OS are based were developed in the year 1985. The Apple Inc. took over the company in the year 1997 [2]. The Mac OS X has the UNIX compatibility. The company obtained the UNIX 03 certification to achieve the Intel version of the OS. This OS was known as the Snow leopard Mac OS X 10.5. The Mac version of the Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger is used for providing the facilities to the Apple TV and providing an efficient interface to the apple TV users. The Mac OS X series begin with the designing of the Mac OS X 10.7 Lion version [8]. The functional packages were available in the App store of the Apple Company. The Mac OS version of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion was released in the year 2012. In the year 2013 the OS X 10.9 Maverick was released. This OS some of skeumorphic designs that were prevalent in the earlier versions of the OS were removed in the Mavericks version Management of the OS. The next version of the OS that was released had adopted similar kind of designs to the iOS 7 [9]. But with a greater level of complexity. It was named the Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite. In the year 2015 the OS X 10.11 El Captain was released. This version of the operating system had an improved performance and an efficient user interface. The next step that the company took was the introduction of the 10.12 Sierra. This was the latest version of the OS that was released by the company in the year 2016. It had introduced various type of advanced features such as the introduction of AI known as Siri and also had an optimized storage. This OS had a greater efficiency in the integration of the Operating System with the Apple Watch and the Apple iPhones. Technical Details The core of the Mac OS is based on the core of a POSIX complaint operating system and has an XNU kernel [3]. The standard facilities that the UNIX operating system provides are available on this operating system. For obtaining the UNIX facilities the software uses the command line interface. In addition to this here is free version of the software named as Darwin that is a free and open source software. The Aqua interface and the Finder were equipped with this software and the GUI for the next version was completed so the Mac OS could be developed. The pre-emptive multitasking and the protection of the memory of the new software were also improved. This allows the Operating system to run multiple applications at the same time. In addition to this it occurred without the other processes being interrupted or corrupted due the process that is already running. Many features that were installed in the OS was derived from the OPENSTEP. It was a design so that designs would be portable and easily transferred from one platform to the other. The NESXTSTEP was transferred from the x68 based machines to the vx86 based machines. In addition to this, the default file system that is used by the system is HFS+ and it was inherited from the classical version of the Mac OS [4]. It runs on the Power PC and the big-endian 68k systems. But this had to perform the byte swap functions for the efficiency of the storage. Hence, the Apple File system was introduced for sorting these issues in the latest update of the systems. The Darwin subsystem that were prevalent in the Mac OS possessed the permissions layer in them. This system was criticized and hence the permission layer was removed in the later upgrades of the system. In addition to this Apple Company provides its own development tools for developing the software in the machines. They provided the Xcode systems within the operating systems. Compliers the Xcode interface provided the compilers that could compile the languages such as the C, C++ and Swift languages. In addition to this the Mac OS X have various technical feature. The Face Time is new feature that was introduced by the Operating system which allows the user to perform real time video chats with the fellow users [5]. In addition to this Siri AI is the most important feature thata was introduced by this system. IT also provides the Screen Sharing options in which the screen can be accessed by two separate processes at the same time. In addition to this other features such as the iChat, Airdrop and the Boot Camp features are also provided by this system. The new Mac OS X has several features that provide an advantage to the system over the other Management systems [6]: The Mac OS X provides free upgrades to its users once the system is purchase. The additional updates of the software are also provided free of cost to the users of the system. In addition to this, the Mac OS X provides an efficient interface in between the Apple Watch and the Apple iPhones. It is very easy for the users to switch in between the iOS and the OS X. In addition to this the Mac OS X allows the user to make phone calls from the machines. It is one of the latest feature that is installed into the software. In addition to the advantages there are few drawbacks to the system also [7]. The system requires a very high configuration for proper functioning. This incurs a hefty cost for the users. The software also pulls over deeper into the universe of the Apple corporations. Every element of the software is related to the Apple Company and its products. Hence, the OS is mainly business oriented. The extreme level of transparency that the Mac OS follows can also be very problematic for the users. The users have to [perform several steps of authorization for installations of additional features to the software. Conclusion For conclusion it can easily be said that the report has efficiently described the Development of the Mac OS X. There has been a description about the different versions of the Mac OS X and also some features about the development and the evolution of the Operating System has also been provided in the report. In addition to this, the advantages and the disadvantages of the Operating System have also been provided in the report. There have also been discussions about the drawbacks of the previous versions and also the steps that the Apple Company took to eradicate these drawbacks and develop the Mac OS X have been provided in the report. References Biswas, S., Bicket, J., Wong, E., Musaloiu-e, R., Bhartia, A. and Aguayo, D., 2015, August. Large-scale measurements of wireless network behavior. InACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review(Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 153-165). ACM. Criswell, J., Dautenhahn, N. and Adve, V., 2014, May. KCoFI: Complete control-flow integrity for commodity operating system kernels. InSecurity and Privacy (SP), 2014 IEEE Symposium on(pp. 292-307). IEEE. Criswell, J., Dautenhahn, N. and Adve, V., 2014. Virtual ghost: Protecting applications from hostile operating systems.ACM SIGPLAN Notices,49(4), pp.81-96. Dautenhahn, N., Kasampalis, T., Dietz, W., Criswell, J. and Adve, V., 2015. Nested kernel: An operating system architecture for intra-kernel privilege separation.ACM SIGPLAN Notices,50(4), pp.191-206. Linux, G.N.U. and Mac OS, X., 2014. Operating Systems.Software Package, Ver,10. Rajaram, M.L., Kougianos, E., Mohanty, S.P. and Choppali, U., 2016. Wireless sensor network simulation frameworks Management: A tutorial review: MATLAB/Simulink bests the rest.IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine,5(2), pp.63-69. Richard, G.G. and Case, A., 2014. In lieu of swap: Analyzing compressed RAM in Mac OS X and Linux.Digital Investigation,11, pp.S3-S12. Smirnov, A.V., 2015. FIRE5: a C++ implementation of Feynman Integral REduction.Computer Physics Communications,189, pp.182-191. Stevens, W.R. and Rago, S.A., 2013.Advanced programming in the UNIX environment. Addison-Wesley. Xing, L., Bai, X., Li, T., Wang, X., Chen, K., Liao, X., Hu, S.M. and Han, X., 2015, October. Cracking app isolation on apple: Unauthorized cross-app resource access on mac os. InProceedings of the 22nd ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security(pp. 31-43). ACM.

The Representation of Women and Men in the film Gran Torino Essay Example

The Representation of Women and Men in the film Gran Torino Essay Before current expectations of gender equality, men and women have often had very different perceptions placed upon them due simply to their sex. Women were expected to be compliant, nurturing and passive and societal expectations included marriage and primary responsibility for child rearing. Men were typically expected to be strong, decisive and brave, with the ability to take care of and protect their family. People who did not conform to these stereotypes were often marginalized by society.Films often represent women and men in ways that challenge the traditional gender roles held by our society. One such film, Clint Eastwoods Gran Torino, challenges audiences views about the independence of women and the leadership roles and masculinity associated with men, young and old.In the film we are presented with four main characters; the older male Walt Kowalski who is a strong and dominant man; the young male Thao Vang Lor, a submissive, feeble man; the older woman Grandmother Phong, t he matriarchal leader of the Lor family; and Sue Lor, a free spirited young woman with the courage and will to stand against the aggressive gang culture around her.Eastwood constructs his female characters to embody ideas of social independence and leadership, which challenges traditional values about women in society. Sue Lor and Grandmother Phong, stand up for themselves against their male counterparts in the film when they try to assert their dominance. This can be seen in the scene where Walt confronts Grandmother Phong, attempting to emphasise his dominance by spitting, traditionally a habit associated with strong men. The expectation is for Phong to back down from the show of dominance, but instead she spits an even larger amount than Walt; a direct signal to the audience of Phongs sense of equality.Grandmother Phong is the head of the Lor family and the female equivalent of Walt, as Walt is the head of his family. She is often portrayed sitting in a rocking chair on the Lors veranda, watching the neighbourhood, and chewing beetle juice, a substance chewed by men in Myanmar to show dominance and leadership. These activities are similar to the activities that Walt is revealed to do, such as drinking beer on the porch and chewing beef jerky, and the similarities shown between the two characters directs the audience to not only equate Phong with Walts character, but with the masculinity he displays, and to see female leadership as natural and right.We can see that Eastwood means to portray the females of Gran Torino as intelligent, quick thinking girls who have the courage to stand up to men when Sue is confronted with Spiders gang for the first time.Spider: This is my little cousin, Sue.Smokie: Hey, Sue how old are you, girl?Sue: Mentally, Im way too old for you. Im going inside.Spider: Thats right, go inside while the men talk.Sue: Yeah, thats exactly what Im doing, Fong.Her snappy, sarcastic comments, even when Spider suggests she should listen to men an d leave, which would re-affirm the traditional representation of woman as submissive, illustrates how Sue is intelligent and independent; she doesnt follow the orders of her family and especially not the orders of older men in her household. This female independence shown goes against traditional representation of women as weak and submissive characters that should always follow the orders of men.Female dominance is also seen when Sue is on the streets and is surrounded and threatened by three men. Instead of submitting, Sue fights verbally back at the three attackers, insulting their masculinity and provoking their anger.Tall gang member: This Oriental yummy for me? Dont worry; Ill take good care of her.Sue: Great, another asshole with a fetish for Asian girls. God, it gets so old.Tall gang member: Whats your name, girl?Sue: My name? Its take your crude, overly obvious come-on to every woman who walks past and cram it. Thats my name.From these scenes we are shown a woman who believ es it is her right to be able to walk down the street without being assaulted. This portrayal of women as fighters who can hold themselves against men and are considered to be equal is prevalent in the film, and the idea of strong women challenges a traditional societal view that woman should be submissive to men and that men are the stronger sex who should be the protectors.However, Gran Torino also presents women as vulnerable and unable to protect those that they love when we are presented with Sues encounter with the African American gang, and then the sexual assault of Sue by the Hmong gang. In both scenarios, Sue is singled out, because of her attitude towards abusive men or her connections to Thao, and is assaulted, verbally and physically, by the gangs.The assault of such a strong woman as Sue, by a gang of males, shows to the audience the idea that woman are physically vulnerable and need to be protected, as they cannot do it themselves. The assault of Sue intends to show t he audience that no matter how emotionally strong a woman is, men can always use physical strength to dominate, therefore acknowledging the notion that women are weak and in need of protection. The idea of vulnerable women reinforces a traditional societys expectations of women in need of protection. The portrayal of Sues loss of strength and power is included in the film as the catalyst for her brother Thao to transform from a weak male character to a stronger one who can be seen as beneficial to society.Men, such as Walt Kowalski, are represented in the film as aggressive, judgmental, crude, forceful characters who dominate; they are the strong leaders who are needed to protect the society they live in. They are presented as essential to society as the women and those with women like qualities and too weak and cannot protect themselves. This is seen when Sue is being assaulted by both the African American and Hmong gang members. Walt, who holds racial prejudice towards Sue and her family, drives by and rescues Sue from the verbal assault from the African American gang, rescuing her from a dangerous situation that she could not have escaped from herself.Walt also warns the gang about the consequences of crossing a man such as himself;Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldnt have messed with? Thats me.Walt is also shown as a hero after the sexual assault of Sue and the drive by shooting on the Lors house; he defeated the Hmong gang by sacrificing himself and is killed so that Sue and Thao are protected from the Hmong gang in the future. The act of sacrificing himself to save others invites the audiences to see Walts character as brave, loyal and fiercely protective of Sue and Thao, and these characteristic reflect back upon the representation of men.The threatening warning and the self sacrifice, as well as many other of Walts actions, sets him up as the alpha male of the neighbour hood; the leader and the protector. The assertion of Walt as a leader and a guardian reinforces traditional societal views of males as dominant individuals and invites audiences to relate to Walt as his characterisation supports societys expectations of men.The scene after the birth ritual of the family, when Grandmother Phong is discussing how her daughter should remarry, addresses the idea of men who do not possess strength.Phong: Theres no man in this house, thats why my daughter should remarry. Being a second wife is better than having a woman be the head of the household.Man: What about Thao?Phong: What about him?Man: Hes the man in the house.Phong: Thaos not a man. Look at him in the kitchen, washing dishes like a woman. Even his sister gives him orders and he obeys.Phongs description of Thao doing jobs like a woman is meant as an insult to Thao, illustrating that it is weak and passive to be a sympathetic male character; this characterisation goes against societys traditional views of strong male characters. However, it also shows us that even though Grandmother Phong has assumed the leadership role in her family and her granddaughter Sue is following her lead, she still believes it would be beneficial to have a man as the head of her household; one more stereotypically male than her grandson who practices obedience and submissiveness to the women in his family. This re-affirms the idea that a strong male leader is needed for families to be successful, and it also reaffirms societal views of males.We can see that male characters in the film are represented as both strong, manly leaders of society, such as Walt, and weak, submissive individuals such as Thao, and therefore both reinforce and challenge traditional expectations of men by society.While we see the two older characters of Walt and Grandmother Phong ultimately maintaining their traditional gender roles, we see a caring and self sacrificing side to Walts nature, and a stoic side to grandmother Phong. We also see the two younger characters of Th ao and Sue display gender roles that encompasses both typically male and female characteristics.The film Gran Torino ultimately shows us four characters that, through a tragic series of events, display a range of gender identities that challenge and reinforce the traditional views of society.

Bridge to Teribithia Essays

Bridge to Teribithia Essays Bridge to Teribithia Essay Bridge to Teribithia Essay Essay Topic: Push Precious Bridge to Terabithia In most novels involving children, the endings are clear-cut happy endings with the children learning a valuable life lesson in the process of their adventures. An exception to this is Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia. Though the valuable life lesson is still present in the story, its acquisition comes at a terrible price, effectively breaking the myth that life will always work out happily. Katherine Paterson is said to have written this novel based on something that happened in her life. She wrote the book because her and her son knew someone who died at a young age. Her name was Lisa Hill. She was walking home from school and then lightning hit her and she died. She later wrote a book not only because of Lisa, but also to make sense of a tragedy that doesnt make sense. She dealt with the fact of having a close friend die at such a young age. She changed Lisa into Leslie and her son into Jess. Jess and Leslie lived in a rural area outside of Washington. They lived in the early 70s, which was when Lisa died. Bridge to Terabithia is about two kids who battle their make-believe world and the real world. Jess and Leslie meet when Leslie moves into the house next to his. Then they meet again when they both race in the 5th grade race. When they got off the bus one day, Leslie thought that maybe they could make up their own world and keep it only for themselves. They find a rope and Leslie said that the only way they could enter their world is if they swing on the rope. This make believe land that Jess and Leslie have come to adventure in, is a reincarnation of their real lives. I feel this is similar to the reason why Ms. Paterson wrote her novel. In the make believe land of ‘Terabithia’, Jess and Leslie fight the eveils and horrors of the unknown. These horrors are very similar to the daily issues that these two children face. These issues range from bullies in school to ogres in the woods, but happen to be one in the same. Further into the story, it takes an unexpected turn. When Jess goes with the music teacher he lusts after to a museum, he leaves Leslie behind. Leslie having plans with Jess in Terabithia, goes off into their magic world on the other side of the river. However, when she swings to the other side, like every other day, the rope breaks and she falls. Leslie never made it out of the river alive. When Jess got home and his parents notified him of this life altering situation, he was in denial. In my opinion, his denial was a coping method. Throughout the rest of the story Jess battles his inner turmoil and the feelings that he was to blame. The loss of his friend Leslie sets Jess on a path of self-condemnation, blaming himself for not being there for her. This feeling is common amoung individuals who lost someone close to them. Ultimately, Leslie had become the one constant is Jess’ life that he depended on and got to be free with. Once more, Jess uses Terabithia to deal with the issues his life has dealt him. However, instead of going to this land he creates the one thing that would help the most for the circumstance. Jess caught up with Leslies dad before he had time to leave town. Bill offers him the dog that Jess and Leslie had adopted. Jess tells him that Leslie would like her dad to keep him, ultimately leaving a piece of his daughter with him. Jess asks for the leftover lumber in Mr. Burkes yard. When he has the lumber, Jess puts it to good use. He creates the most elaborate bridge his mind will allow and deems it The Bridge to Terabithia. Jess hears a noise and he sees his little sister May Belle trying to cross the river. Only she’s too scared and calls for help. His rescue of May Belle is clearly symbolic of the fact that Leslies death does not leave the world hopeless and that it does not signify the end of everything. Her rescue is a renewal. This is developed when Jess brings her across the bridge to Terabithia. Leslie was an amazingly special person, but she wasnt the only special person in the world, and if Jess is to carry on with his life in a way that she would have liked, he must take advantage of the other precious relationships in his life. In doing so, he is preserving her memory as well. The building of the bridge shows that the magic was not in the rope, as Leslie had said, and it was not all in Leslie, either. Instead, it is in the heart of any person dedicated to seeking it. After the completion of his masterpiece, Jess finally allows himself to connect with his little sister, May Belle. He calls her the princess of Terabithia. I consider this a very important aspect of this novel because of the fact that throughout the rest, Jess is constantly pushing away May Belle. The growth it takes for him to accept, love and understand his little sister is very admirable. I find certain lines in this novel to be very compelling. For example, He believed her because here in the shadowy light of the stronghold everything seemed possible. Between the two of them they owned the world and no enemy, Gary Fulcher, Wanda Kay Moore, Janice Avery, Jesss own fears and insufficiencies, nor any of the foes whom Leslie imagined attacking Terabithia, could ever really defeat them. This quote comes in Chapter 4, just after they have finished building their castle stronghold in Terabithia, the first day that they have conceived of the game. It describes the sense of belonging that Jess feels in this newfound kingdom, where he and Leslie rule supreme, idealized and undefeatable and immortal. He sees it as a perfect escape from harsh r eality. It offers a ray of hope which he sorely needs as he struggles to make the transition between childhood and adulthood. In Terabithia, he lives by his own standards and according to his own impulses and personality. There, he feels himself to be the person he is struggling to grow into. I really love this quote because of the fact that it counts both Jess and Leslie as ultimately the protectors of their own goals. It is simple and yet can be interpretted in so many ways that will hold and rivet the audience. Towards the end of the novel, I find a real turning point in the following excerpt. He screamed something without words and flung the papers and paints into the dirty brown water†¦ He watched them all disappear. Gradually his breath quieted, and his heart slowed from its wild pace. The ground was still muddy from the rains, but he sat down anyway. There was nowhere to go. Nowhere. Ever again. He put his head down on one knee. That was a damn fool thing to do. His father sat down on the dirt beside him. I dont care. I dont care. He was crying now, crying so hard he could barely breathe. His father pulled Jess over on his lap as if he were Joyce Ann. There. There, he said, patting his head. Shhh. Shhh. This is the first part in the novel where Jess and his father really connect in a anyway. Whereas the situation is very much less than desired, it has brought them together in a way. This scene comes in Chapter 12, the day after Leslie has died, when Jess is just beginning to allow himself to feel his anger and grief. In throwing away the paint set, he is not only throwing away a reminder of Leslie, he is throwing away a part of himself as well, an acknowledgment of his artistic talent and calling. Howver, his father telling him it was â€Å"a damn fool thing to do† is the first time during this novel where the evidence of his father accepting him is present. The fact that he used the river to dispose of the belongings is another part I find specific. He chose the river because of the memory of Leslie dying there. This connects the art supplies and talent as also coming to rest in the river. A sense of finality is connected to the river. On the contrary to this though, I also feel like it is connected to the place. This not only is where Leslie ended, but also where the adventure always seemed to start. In this exciting novel there are many different themes. There is friendship, perseverance, and death. Jess and Leslie go through friendship. They are really good friends and have a lot in common. Together with their imagination, they create a whole, new world. Jess goes through death when he has to deal with the loss of his newly beloved best friend Leslie. Perseverance is throughout the whole novel. Leslie, May Belle, and Jess all show serious signs of perseverance. Leslies constant struggle to show Jess the amazing things he is capable of is an example, so is May Belle trying to become a part of their world of Terabithia. Overall, this novel touches base with a lot of the serious problems that children face. It shows the way that imagination is a coping mechanism instilled in the minds of every individual; it just takes a certain few to tap into all of its potential. Leslie helped a lot of people tap into what their minds sometimes fought against. Although she died at a young age, she left behind so much. Not only in the characters in this novel, but also in the people who dare read about the story. This is similar to the way people leave behind certain aspects of themselves to be remembered. Terabithia in general can act as a type of â€Å"memory palace†. There might not actually be much there for the outside observer, but to someone who helped create and live a live there, each corner of the woods holds a memory of the life they lived. The bridge that Jess builds acts as a sort of monument to hope. Leslie hoped that her and Jess could become friends and create a world together. Jess hoped for the opportunity to escape his life for anytime possible. I feel that this strongly connects to what we happen to be learning in class, because we try to connect the things we know to the things we are unsure of.

The Four Building Blocks of Competitive Advantage Research Paper

The Four Building Blocks of Competitive Advantage - Research Paper Example Each of these concepts has very different implications for the organization as it relates to being able to successfully outperform competition. Competitive advantage is defined as the specific strategic advantages that a company maintains over rival companies in the same market or industry that serves to strengthen business position. Others consider competitive advantage to be the implementation of a unique value creation that is not currently being exploited by competition (Clulow, Gerstman & Barry, 2003). Whatever the actual definition of competitive advantage, it cannot be successfully achieved without efficiency, quality, innovation and customer responsiveness as the foundation of business. Efficiency means being able to produce more outputs than competition at a much lower price for inputs. The end result of being able to achieve this is having a cost advantage over competition. Cost advantages give the business opportunities to consider flexible pricing structures as they can n ow provide products at a much lower input cost. Efficiency could be achieved by setting up a lean production system that uses less physical raw resources and also reduce reliance on labor payments for manufacturing. A business might be able to find, through strategic alliances along the supply chain, opportunities for volume discounts on raw product procurement. This represents lower input costs to achieve the same or higher outputs. Quality is a very important dimension for achieving competitive advantage.