How to make pottery Essay Example for Free

How to make pottery Essay Not all clays are suitable for molding and firing. The clay must not have the kind of impurities that would cause the body to wrap or crack under heat. It must be moldable, and must retain the shape when it is dry. An area where suitable clay is found often becomes the site of a pottery. By the traditional method, after the clay is dug up it is left exposed to the weather for at least a year, to permit it to disintegrate. Then it is turned over and left another year. In modern commercial practice clay is disintegrate by machine, without aging. It is then sifted and dried. This essay scrutinizes on how to make pottery. Forming the Object. There are six method of forming dishes and containers from clay of the right consistency to be modeled. They are known commercially as soft-mud processes. These are the pinching, slab construction, coiling, throwing, pressing, and jiggering. Figurines or sculptures made in the round must be hollow, because a very thick piece of clay is apt to blow up in the kiln. Pinching, slab construction, and coiling methods may be used for forming all or part of a sculpture. If the piece is modeled by building it up out of solid clay, it must be hollowed out. If the cavity is then closed with a clay wall, one or more tiny air holes are needed to accommodate air expansion on the inside of the piece when it is fired. When a clay piece has dried until the body is stiff but still most (a state called â€Å"leather hard† or â€Å"cheese hard†), some final shaping may be done by turning, another mechanical process such as of turning. Firing. During firing the clay body changes in its physical properties. Each body mixture reacts differently to heat, so temperatures may vary widely from those given here. During the early part of firing, water, carbon, and organic matter burn out of the body, leaves pores in the structure of the clay. At about 1, 7500 F vitrification begins; that is, the flux in the clay starts melting and gradually mixing with the silicates, filling the pores with glass. Glazing. The degree of heat required to melt the glaze and fuse it to the body depends on the relationship of the components. The biscuit firing of fine wares is generally at low heat, and the glost (glaze) firing is at a temperature required for final vitrification of the ware as well as fusion of the glaze. It is possible, however, to fire the biscuit ware to its highest required temperature and to apply a glaze that will fuse at a much lower heat. Decorating. A clay piece may be decorated by adding molded clay to the surface in a relief treatment; by pressing or cutting incised designs into it; or by painting the design with enamel (opaque glaze0, slip, or special pigments. Moreover, decoration is sometimes applied before the piece is glazed. Such underglaze color, however, is confined to pigments that can withstand the relatively high heat of the glost firing. As a conclusion, pottery is an object made of clay and hardened by heat. The object may range from building brick and drainage tile to fine dinnerware, vases, and figurines. In the broadest sense, pottery may mean all these clay products.

The Impact of Globalisation in the UAE

The Impact of Globalisation in the UAE UAE is the most globalised country in the Middle East because Abu Dhabi, emirates with huge oil wealth and Dubai with entrepreneurial skills was opened as commercial hub soon after gaining independence from British. Long before UAE had started opening up to free trade, free movement of labour and joint business ventures then the other countries in Middle East. So, when the trend of globalisation becomes clear in mid 1990s most of the Middle East countries are unprepared for the economic and political impact of globalization while UAE was all set for becoming globalised at least economically. It had never taken gobalisation as challenge but as opportunity from which they can have benefit. UAE was always prepared to do this without making any compromises with his values and tradition. (THE UAE The Challenge Of Globalisation Part 19., 2002) UAE has set an example for the world on handling challenges by maintaining political stability and social security. By adopting open economy policies, activating private sectors and attracting foreign investors helps him in globalization. UAE has worked hard to make its way for healthy business and investment environment. (Paulo, 2004) Introduction Today globalisation is a need of every country in the world, whether it is small or big, developed or developing country. Globalisation was started in 1980, but has taken pace with the technological advancement in the sectors of transport and communication and by investing through big developing countries and opening them for international trade and investment. Even the poor countries are also trying hard to utilize the opportunity of globalisation. They are making to world markets of manufactured products and services with their huge labour. (Viswanathan, 2008) With 32,278 square miles of area, consisting of 7 small emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al-Khaimah, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Qaiwain, and Fujairah, which together makes United Arab Emirates. These emirates were united as one federal state on 2 December, 1971. Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest member in the union because of its huge oil wealth and Dubai is second largest emirates being a commercial port. Being allied to the emirates like Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the remaining five small emirates are enjoying political and economic benefits. UAE is considered to have autocratic government, in which one person possesses the power. There are less political reforms in the country than the economic ones because of existence of sheikhs dilemma in the country. UAE has foreign policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. They believe in peaceful resolution of disputes. UAE always supports for international institution like United Nation and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). (Stone) Globalisation and UAE In terms of population and its territory Middle East may not be a good region for investment, but having good natural resources of gas and oil make these countries to actively participate in globalisation. UAE was poor desert country but the discovery of oil changed its economy markedly. The effect of globalisation had made the resources of oil so important that investors rather consider the small territory and population of the UAE. Globalization is interdependence of world economy; it requires cooperation among economies of the countries. Some techniques like outsourcing and insourcing proves to be the best method for international collaboration. Today UAE, especially Dubai is attracting many foreign investors because it provides all the facilities for business development. UAE recognized the importance of being an open country that can offer something new to the investors. Thus, offshoring, which consist of shifting of production processes and services from one country to another also plays an important role in globalization and made direct impact on the countries. Dubai is offering considerable economic conditions and opportunities to foreign investors for doing business there. The vision of UAE is to create an open country for international business investment and to give their best for building better infrastructure. At first the economy of UAE was mostly dependent on natural resources, but now it is also concentrating on other sectors for developing profit. It has begun to search other sources of income such as tourism, real estate and international finances. Globalization also permits UAE to expand its market. Its economy is not only depending on foreign trade but also on import and export market. Its top most export partners are Japan, South Korea, Thailand and India; and main export goods are natural gas, crude petroleum and dried fish. The main importers countries are Germany, UK, Italy, France, United States, China, Japan and India; and main imported goods are equipment and chemicals for inner enterprises. Another success of UAE is the application of latest technologies. The market is cooperating with modern trends and applying new knowledge to production function. Compliance advance ideas in market helps in getting efficient work in sectors like production, management and entrepreneurship. (Effect of Globalization on United Arab Emirates Market) Challenges and Opportunities Present day situation does not give any other option then to join the globalization process along with other developing nations. However it may not be same for some developing countries. Globalization interrupts the culture and mentality of UAE people. If the country wants to attract tourist and foreign investors then it have to make compromises with its deep-rooted Islamic traditions, but the strong following of rules for both locals and foreigners results in losing most of the visitors and tourists. Therefore to enter the globalization UAE become a free country with broad views. This resulted in change not only culturally but also economically. Dubai can be best example as it is surrounded by conservative countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia but it is able to attract foreign investors by allowing company to work in tax free environment. Globalization is acculturation of many countries. So it is very difficult to preserves ones culture and traditions, therefore for the sake of globalization people in UAE have to abandon some rules and values of their customs. Another Challenge of globalization is financial instability; absence of financial control can also lead to economic instability. It is true that large countries are making profits from globalization but it is not confirmed in the case of small countries. Foreign investment helps in development of the country so it is important to have correct policy and logical use of the received money. Government should check whether the countries financial sector is getting full benefit from the investments or not. (Effect of Globalization on United Arab Emirates Market) The challenges of globalization can be met through the joint effort of both public and private sector. The public sector is actively participating in development of open economy process and adapting economic and social circumstances in compliance with the requirements. On other hand private sector is getting support by establishment of industrial area and free trade zone. Enhancement in the process of privatization is letting the market forces to remedy twists and turns timely by controlling economic life. Government should not only be responsible for the growth and development, private sector should also participate. Private sector can help by improving performance and productivity. They can merge small private enterprises to make large productive unit and can increase competition. Meanwhile, Government should work with social and business organization to achieve different goals. (Paulo, 2004) On the security end, UAE has signed many defense treaties with western powers like US, Britain, France and have strong defense relations with closer nations and number of other nations. With the time there is change in thinking of people in UAE, because of positive changes brought by Dubai in field of business development. Even it has become an example for other emirates. Younger generations of UAE are leading him and are the decision makers. Their inputs are making remarkable changes in the commercial and infrastructural sectors. The younger generation is directly related to ruling families. (THE UAE The Challenge Of Globalisation Part 19., 2002) Conclusion United Arab Emirates is greatly influenced by Globalization. It has actively participated in the process by providing favorable environment for business and foreign investment. They also have broaden their imports and export market with increase in the number of countries. This also helped UAE in development of infrastructure of the country. Some economic techniques like outsourcing, insourcing and offshoring helped him to develop good business relations with other countries which indirectly are influenced by the globalization. Globalization also leads to openness of country which can make negative impact as in terms of culture and tradition. Government need to manage the flow of foreign investment in order to have economic stability. (Effect of Globalization on United Arab Emirates Market) From 1990 to 2003 volume of trade has been increased and high and middle income countries had made their share in world trade, this became possible only because of globalization. Globalization cannot be taken as a solution to everything. It hardly provides any opportunities, countries who have taken advantage are flourishing who donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t are sinking. Countries with right mindset can produce equality of outcome with globalization. The low income countries need international assistance and support to participate in Globalization It demands the collective action of all the countries in the world. (Viswanathan, 2008)

The Ethics Of Sex Appeal In Advertising Media Essay

The Ethics Of Sex Appeal In Advertising Media Essay Every media consumer is alert to sex in advertising. Its pervasive use and misuse are constantly before us, and typically elicit strong criticism (Richmond and Hartland, 1982, p.53). As anyone can see, the employment of sex in advertising has been in our midst for several decades and the reason for it? It works. Advertisements with sexual undertones are remembered over and over again than advertisements that are not. The question to ask though is, how ethical is it to make use of sexual appeals in advertisements? Does sex sell? Actually, sex does not sell, but sexiness does (Cebrzynski, 2000, p. 14). By means of sex appeals in advertising is a good way to aim at specific market segments but not all. Questions like what is identified as sexual appeals in advertising? Where and when should sex be used? Does the use of sexual appeals lead to an advantage for brand remembrance? must be addressed exhaustively. Sex and the Media Today, sex permeates advertising in the United States and in many countries all over the world as contemporary society is extremely fixated with the demonstration of sex in the media as never before. The issue of whether sex sells could be countered by screening the massive quantities of billboards and classified ads which integrate some form of sex appeal or nudity (Pynor, 2004, p. 42). Several reasons have been provided with the use of sexually oriented themes, among them are to achieve product and brand attention, recognition, recall, and sales (Alexander and Judd, 1978, p. 47). Observably, sex is utilized to sell a wide array of products from cars to fashion products, and is meant to attract not only the male customers, but female, consumers as well. The employment of sex as an instrument in advertising can be traced back to the 1800s when the advertising industry noticed the beneficial effect of using degrees of sexuality in their advertising drives. These economic gains include above all else an increase in revenue due to the point of difference that sexual schemes provide for the product. Sometimes, the use of sex also affords shock-value that frequently triggers social debate and helps in the product promotions continuing recall. Author of The Erotic History of Advertising Tom Reichert has this to say Many real-life examples from the 1800s to the present exist to suggest that it has worked, and does work, to inflame not only consumers libidos but their motivations and desires to make purchases. In some cases, sex in advertising contributes to the building of strong, vibrant and long-lasting brands (Reichert, 2003, p. 9). As it is, the incessant use of sex in advertising from the 1800s until these days is a demonstration of the fact that it is an effective tool that works for advertisers. Literature Review Sex Appeal in Advertising Advertising is one of the most prolific and all-encompassing forms of communication in the world (Reichert, 2003, p.20). This type of company to customer communication lifts several concerns about the ethics of advertising because its practice is very convincing and powerful (Treise and Weigold, 1994). Advertising has turned to become an excellent way for business firms to create a positive image for them and for the public to easily adapt to such image. Image creation is a public relations approach that has increasingly aimed young adults and teens because they are not interested on conventional direct advertising (Goodman and Dretzin, 1999), obviously, advertisers target the demographic group of young adults and teens because they account for a huge amount of American consumer spending. The practice of utilizing sex appeal in advertising is nothing new. Sexual images (nudity) can be found in advertisements as far back as the late 1800s and in the early 1900s, it was used to sell soaps, perfumes and creams. These advertisements claimed to transform any woman to become sexier for a mans pleasure and as sex advertising boomed in the 40s and 50s, controversy abound. Until today, a lot of business enterprises find sex appeal as an effective tactic in advertising. When Maidenform bras began to use models with their shirts off, it became the number one bra company and when Jovan fragrance used sexuality to sell its product, company revenues soared from $1.5 million to $77 million in just seven years (Reichert, 2003). In a 1981 study conducted by Reid and Soley, advertisements were more likely to be appealing and immediately recognized if an attractive endorse is used (Severn and Belch, 1990). In another survey, 32% of consumers confessed that there is strong likelihood of them buying a product if it uses an advertisement with strong sexual undertones (Fetto, 2001). Capitalizing on the idea of sex appeal, people sell their products with the notion that such product is for sexy people and to own that specific product can make any person sexy. Such sexiness can be depicted through the clothes being worn, the models poses, the lighting being used in the advertisement, positioning of the models or in their facial expressions, location used, and interaction. Likewise, companies employ this idea to connect the company image with allure and prestige. As it is, sexuality associates brands with sexual activities and increased attractiveness, something desired by consumers (Reichert, 2001/2003). Although the argument that wanton sexual appeals generate off-putting results because of perceptions of disreputable and scheming practices is basic and extremely valid, it also assumes a deliberative, cognitive mechanism. Past research investigations have found that the process of judging whether a persuasive message infringes ethical standards or not demands cognitive effort (Campbell and Kirmani, 2000). Yet end users characteristically spend little time and effort when viewing an ad (Sengupta and Gorn, 2002; Burnett and Moriarty 1998; Kassarjian, 1977). Hence, it is imperative to understand reactions to improper sex appeals under thin slice processing (Ambady, Bernieri, and Richeson, 2000), such as when consumers view ads under constricted cognitive capacity. Without a doubt, unstructured, spur-of-the-moment, uncontrolled responses may be quite different from more cautiously considered responses in the sphere of sex-based advertising. Recent research by Sengupta and Dahl (2008) examined non-deliberative reactions to the gratuitous use of sex in advertising. Men and women in these experiments were placed under high cognitive load while viewing an ad that showed an unequivocal sexual image and a nonsexual image. Unlike previous research that has found that both men and women abhor the gratuitous use of sex in advertising, a gender difference surfaced under constrained conditions, that is, men preferred more the advertisement containing a sexual image (compared to the nonsexual image) whereas women reported considerably adverse mind-sets toward the overtly sexual ad compared to the nonsexual advertisement. Basically, sexual imagery sets off an emotional response or reaction. In other words, viewers are, all things being equal, favorably energized by sexual information (Reichert, 2007, p. 6). With this in mind, advertising organizations employ sex in several different ways to try and convince and influence end users to purchase a product. Individuals seek out and are willing to pay for sexual content in mainstream media (Reichert, 2007, p. 7), an example of this reality is the sale in millions of copies of Cosmopolitan and Maxim each month. These magazines ads have become more competitive and risquà © due to the idea that an ad needs to be noticeable and must draw attention. Some advertisers may push the boundaries of acceptable sexual content because of direct competitive pressure. Certain product marketers utilize a higher proportion of sexual appeals than other marketers because of the nature of the product and the relevance of sex to product benefits (Reichert and Carpenter, 2004). Another approach being used to draw customer attention is the idea that upon purchasing a product, such will make the buyer more sexually attractive, or can have more sex or can have a better sex life (Reichert, 2007), thus, people who are seeking for such qualities are more likely to pay for a product if the ads are sexually evocative. Gender Expression, Sexuality and Advertising This rather outmoded depiction of gender and expression of sexuality continues to be exploited in modern-day advertisements principally because it is an unbeaten prescription that brings in financial incentive and this will continue as long as women believe even if only for a brief moment that acquiring the advertised product will bring them one step closer to attaining the unattainable. As what was pointed out: those who are dissatisfied with their looks, their bodies, their status, make great consumers (Lee, 2003, p. 134). Furthermore, Nancy Etcoff (2000) sums it up well: to tell people not to take pleasure in beauty is like telling them to stop enjoying food or sex or novelty or love. This is an impracticable likelihood because to like and to want is instinctive in human character. Advertisers are intensely conscious of this as they create advertisements filled with representations of dazzling, extremely sensuous women. Women as Primary Focus? For many decades, numerous people believed that women are the major focus of sex appeals employed in advertising, however, this is not necessarily correct. It is true that women look as if they are the target most recognized in sexual appeals, but men have been targeted more recently. If women have often been the targets of sexual advertising, it is because it appears to work in many cases. As it is, sex is a potent and a convenient method of obtaining male attention and making a product desirable and in advertising, it is easy to get a mans attention by using womens bodies and associate it to the idea of getting the women as well if he buys the product (Taflinger, 1996, p.8). The most well known target of women as sexual appeals has been in beer commercials. Usually the ads go something like this a beautiful woman is sitting at a bar and a man comes up and she does not notice him at all. Then he orders a certain kind of beer and all of the sudden, he is desirable to this woman. They then get caught up in the moment and ultimately the man gets this woman (because of the beer). Another example of the man getting the hot woman because of a particular product that supposedly makes the man more desirable to the women is the AXE advertisement. AXE is a body spray for men. In the commercial, the men who use AXE get beautiful women. In fact, AXE is so effective that if in any way you come in contact with this body spray, you will be instantly wanted. There is also a commercial which features an old man getting a young, hot woman because of the AXE effect. Women are exploited repeatedly in advertising as sex appeals. But, some do not become conscious that these advertisements are often aimed at women as well. Victorias Secret is a classic example of this. Advertisers obviously want women to think that if they purchase Victorias Secret products, they could look like those stunning, sexy endorsers on the commercials seen on television or in the print ads. Obviously, these bra and panties are not going to look very good on just anyone, however, at first glance, a woman could think, wow, she looks splendid; I should get that outfit so I can look that good too. In truth, women are not the only focus in sexual appeal advertising. Men play a huge part as well. According to Taflinger (1996), It is rare for advertising to use sex as an appeal for women. Women are often less interested in the sex act itself for its own sake. They are interested in sex for what it can mean in the future. They may enjoy it as much as men, but for them it has far greater significance. Advertising cannot take advantage of a womans instinctive sexual desire because advertisings job is not to build for the future-it is to sell a product now (p. 6). Here, Taflinger attempts to elucidate the fact that women are not interested in sexual appeals on television, rather, they are interested in sex for their future. Although this seems to be correct in some instances, it is questionable when thinking about all of the ads that target men as the sex selling object. Sex Appeal and Product Branding Sex in advertising can also produce positive mind-sets and sentiments about the ad or product brand. Using catchphrases are huge in the industry along with sexual overtones. A popular example is Las Vegass tagline what happens here, stays here (Reichert, 2007). This is very indicative and interesting; people want to go to Vegas so they can find out for themselves what its all about. Sex in advertising is controversial and it is vital to reflect on consumers outlooks and points of view. While many feel there is too much sex in advertising (Treise and Weigold, 1994), most people feel that if sexual commercials are crafted with relevance and aptness, these are more likely to be accepted (Gould, 1994; Treise and Weigold, 1994). Innately, concerns and apprehensions crop up when sex appeal usage are viewed by unintended (Gould, 1994). Similar disquiet appears when advertisers target teens and young adults with these advertisements. There are concerns that these advertisements are venerated by young people and teach these young adults improper conduct (Reichert, 2001). Negative facets of this target audience advertising consist of women idolizing the sexual models being used to endorse a product and compare themselves to the advertisements (Gould, 1994). In a survey, 55.2% of respondents agreed sexual advertisements influence a teens decision to be sexually active (Tre ise and Weigold, 1994). However, the idea in advertising is give and take; the media learns from teens and teens learn from the media (Goodman and Dretzin, 1999). One cannot exclusively say who manipulates whom, so much so that even though end users anxieties arise, sex continues to be used as an powerful advertising approach. Reichert and Carpenter found that the level of sexual advertisements has remained constant from 1993 and 2003; the only thing that had increased was the females level of dressing as it has become more provocative and sometimes offensive (2004, p. 828). It is fascinating to note that some research investigations found the degree of sexuality actually increased over time. Reichert and Carpenter (2004) conducted an extension of a study that evaluated the degree of sex in 1983 and 1993. Magazine advertisements particularly were content analyzed from 2003 and compared with the issues of the previous years. The general outcomes signified that women not only persisted to be represented in a sexual manner, but that the degree of sexuality increased over time. For instance, advertising became extensively more overt from 1983 to 2003 and clothing (or lack of it as the case may be) largely contributed to this. Results revealed that in 1983 only 28% of female models wore sexually explicit clothes. This rose by 75% in 2003 when 49% of models were dressed in sexual attire. Thus, in 2003 virtually half of the models featured were shown with less rather than more clothing to be exact, in 2003 almost 4 out of 5 women who appeared in ads were sugge stively dressed, partially clad, or nude (Reichert and Carpenter, 2004)). Moreover, the images of women that were most sexually explicit were featured in mens magazines. As Linder (2004) found, general interest magazines, such as Time contained the least degree of sexualized images, when compared with magazines aimed predominantly at men and women. The increase of sexuality over time could be associated with the likeness of products that are available today. It is presumed that in 1983 there was not such an immense collection of products available on the market, and therefore did not need to be distinguished from each other to such a great degree. Furthermore, in those years, advertisers were rendered inadequate by the capability of computer graphic technologies. This is definitely not the case today and advertisers frequently resort to stimulating images to make a distinction between similar products. Particularly, according to Reichert and Carpenter, specific merchandise are promoted in a more sexual manner due to the character of the product, such as fragrance and clothing (although clothing is also often used as a means to sexualize other products). Theoretical Framework People are continuously evaluating themselves with others and this is certainly no exception when addressing advertising, particularly among women. According to Stapel and Blanton (2004), an important source of self-knowledge comes from other people. Human beings maintain a sense of who they are by contrasting their own capabilities and characteristics to other people. This so-called social comparison theory was instigated in 1954 by Festinger, who hypothesized that individuals have a longing to appraise their views, judgments and abilities that can be satisfied by social comparisons with other people. Using this premise as a scaffold, many studies have been carried out, predominantly in reference to females which raise the question does advertising take advantage of consumer tendencies to alter their body or image of themselves by creating anxieties and discontent with the self? Relative to its effect on adolescent girls which Martin and Gentry (1997) studied, the answer is yes, advertisers especially of young fashion magazines do exploit this mindset among adolescent girls, who evaluate their physical beauty with that of models in the advertisements. Martin and Gentrys study has proven that, consistent with the social comparison theory, female pre-adolescents and adolescents self-perceptions and self-esteem can be destructively impinged on when self-evaluation takes place. Other studies have suggested that advertising can have a vital role in creating and highlighting a fixation with physical charm (Downs and Harrison, 1985), and may manipulate consumers awareness of what is an adequate level of physical attractiveness (Martin and Kennedy, 1993). This conception of advertisers taking advantage of consumers perception of themselves is unswervingly associated with sex appeal in advertising. Recently, advertisers have endeavored into a contentious area with their use of female sexual images and a focus on distinct body parts, language and sex-role portrayals. These advertisers are profoundly conscious that sex appeal in an advertisement has the capacity to exert a pull on women on the premise of social comparison. In a study conducted by Craik, Clarke, and Kirkup (1998), women who were sensitive of stereotypes and were even aware of the spuriousness of the industry still desperately want to imitate these images. Such is the explanation why advertisers reportedly pay huge amounts of money every year to have their products endorsed by alluring and well-admired women, since their beauty or personality is assumed to add dazzle to the products they promote (Langmeyer and Shank, 1994). Recommendations For media and advertising practitioners, it is important to apprise the audience who will be viewing the ads before putting sexual innuendos into the advertisement piece. Advertisers need to recognize the moral intricacy of sexual appeal in advertising and integrate that understanding in their strategic thought and when designing their commercial pieces. As what Henthorne and LaTour, (1994) stated, as the ethical considerations of society change over time, what is considered appropriate and acceptable in advertising must also change (p.88). Hence, it is imperative to incessantly reassess what society would consider suitable and consider the full level of consequences of their actions before considering for what they make out as ethically acceptable.

Irony in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Darkness ess

Irony in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   The use of irony within the ‘The Heart of Darkness’ by Conrad is an important notion.   Irony in this novella helps to bring about encapsulating self-discovery and enlightenment of the self.   Furthermore the use of characters and what they represent also brings about communicating what it means to be civilised.   Thus these two facets shall be the focus within my essay. Firstly each of the main characters in Heart of Darkness plays a significant role in the overall theme of the novel, as mentioned above. The central character is a thirty two year old sailor, Charlie Marlow. He is a dynamic character who essentially controls the development of the theme. Through Marlow's experiences and revelations, the author illustrates how forces of light and darkness serve to weave the human soul together; thus, essentially how both good and evil are reflected within the individual. Marlow's journey leads him in an urgent search for Kurtz, the one man who can provide him with the truth about himself. One central theme that prevails throughout the novel is mankind's capacity for good and evil. Illustrated in the evolution of the two central characters, Marlow and Kurtz. Both symbolize the two conditions of human nature. "Kurtz represents what man could become if left to his own intrinsic devices outside ... ... startling use of characterisation is that of the black slave with white pearls around his neck, this example of semiotics epitomises how black innocence personified in trapped beneath white materialism.      Works Cited "The Congo" Created December 07, 1997 (Accessed 12 February 2002). Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Penguin Books, 1983. "The Fear" Created December 07, 1997 (Accessed 12 February 2002). "Heart of Darkness: A systematic evaluation of the darkness inherent in men's souls" "The Perfect Native" Created December 07, 1997 (Accessed 12 February 2002). "The Setting" Created December 07, 1997 (Accessed 12 February 2002).

Charles Augustin de Coulomb :: biographies bio

Charles Augustin Coulomb was born on June 14th, 1736 in Angoulà ªme, France. Henry Coulomb, Charles' father, had a military career, but left that for the government. His mother, Catherine Bajet, was related to a very wealthy family, the de Sà ©nac's. Many say that Henry Coulomb got caught up in some financial mishaps which led to him losing most all of his money. During Coulomb's younger years his family moved from Angoulà ªme on to Paris. Here, Charles attended many lectures at the College Mazarin and also the College de France. His mom wanted him to be a medical doctor, but on the contrary, Charles wanted to go on and study mathematics. Since Charles disobeyed his mother, he was disowned and was forced to stay with his father over in Montpellier. During his stay he joined the second royal scientific society in France known as the scientific circle. Here he read many papers on mathematics and astronomy. It was a shame that he had no money to purchase a home of his own and continu e his scientific studies, but eventually he came to be a military engineer. He joined the military school at Mà ©zià ¨res in 1760. Here he formed many friendships which would later be important for his scientific work. Charles Bossut, his teacher at Mà ©zià ¨res and Jean Charles Borda where among them. After spending nearly nine years in Martinique as an engineer of the military Charles returned to France mostly due to ill health. In 1781 he entered the French Academy of Sciences where he was a part of the administration of waters and fountains, the reform of hospitals and the system of weights and measures. He was able to publish his paper in 1787 where he proved his famous Coulombs Law. Soon came the outbreak of the French Revolution and Charles decided to retire to a small cottage in Blois. Here he was able to devote his time to

A Global Language: English Language Essay

English is an international language spoken all over the world that was originally borrowed from the world. If English is used as a global language, there might be some advantages related to communication and business. However, there are also several disadvantages in terms of losing mother tongue and taking time and money. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages, so English should be made the global language. The first essential affirmative point is communication. There are more than 200 countries in the world. If everyone could speak English, they may have the ability to communicate with others whenever they are in strange countries. Furthermore, using English, people can have more friends, widen peer relationships with foreigners and can not get lost. Overall, English becomes a global language; people may have more chances in communication.Another crucial advantage is improving business. If English was spoken widespread and everyone could use it, they would likely have more opportunities in business. Foreign investments from rich countries might be supported to the poorer countries. For instance, a company and its proponents would be able to discuss, understand each other and develop the projects together. The first disadvantage of issue is losing mother language. If English used as a global language, people may use it both at work and daily life. Children and teenagers might prefer to watch English cartoons or movies. Gradually, they make mistake when they use their mother languages. It can not be imagine if English is only one language in the world. Another serious negative point is taking much time and money. Old generation might need to study English to communicate with the youth ages. In addition, educational curriculum system could be changed to be suitable for the reform. These processes need quite long time and a large amount of money. In conclusion, using English as a global language has both advantages and disadvantages. It is useful for communicating and business while could lead to be lost mother tongue and take much time and money.

Bottled Water and Its Industry

Bottled Water and Its Industry Bottled water is a big business. Since the 1970s the market for bottled water has boomed around the world. Even soft-drink companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola have dipped their hands into this successful product. According to Beverage Marketing Corp, New York City, Americans now consume more bottled water than milk, coffee, beer, or any other drink (Fishman) Consumers’ thirst for the beverage is fueled by many factors, one of the largest reasons being an increased interest in a healthy lifestyle.As a result, the bottled water market increased by an average of 9% annually between 1999 and 2004 (Spinner, 2006) The global rate of consumption more than quadrupled between 1990 and 2005 (Li, 2007) People in the United States buy more than half a billion bottles of water a week; that is enough to circle the earth more than 5 times (Leonard). How can we explain this trend and what are the consequences for producers, consumers, and the environment? Bottled water consumption reflects a certain way of life. In many cases, bottled water is an alternative to tap water.Consumers think it tastes better than tap water and they perceive it as being safer and of better quality. Bottled water is perceived as pure and harmless, although it is not necessarily the case. Consumers care for their health and their well-being and bottled water happens to be a quick, easy, and healthy alternative to other bottled beverages. The history of bottled water comes back to how the economy works. If companies want to keep growing they have to keep selling more and more stuff. In the 1970s giant soft drink companies got worried when they saw their growth projections starting to level off (Leonard).This was most likely because one person can only drink so much soda and sooner or later people were going to realized that soda is not healthy and they will convert back to drinking tap water. So at the end of the 1970s companies found their next big thing in a Frenc h product, Perrier. This was water sold in glass bottles and became the newest fad. It wasn’t until 1989 when they started manufacturing bottled water in plastic containers (Tapped, 2009). But how do you get people to keep spending two-thousand times more on a product that they can get out of their kitchen sink?Companies needed to find an effective way to keep people interested in their product, so they start using manufactured demand, or advertising. They started scaring people away from drinking tap water, telling them it was no good. Susan Wellington, president of the Quaker Oats Company’s United States beverage division said, â€Å"When we’re done, tap water will be relegated to showers and washing dishes† (Gleick, 2010) Their next technique was to hide the reality of bottled water behind pure fantasy. They market it as being convenient and personal, which caters to our desires as a human.Producers know that we love having something that is all ours a nd in close reach whenever we want it. They seduced us with images of mountains, streams, and pristine nature, but in reality one-third of bottled water in the United States comes from the tap. Pepsi and Coca-Cola are just two of many brands that are merely tap water. There is much debate on whether bottled water is better or worse than tap water. Obviously there are places around the world, and even the United States that do not have access to clean drinking water, so yes, in these places bottled water is the better choice.But in the places where most bottled water is purchased, tap water is equally comparable, if not better, than bottled water. In 2006 Fiji built an ad campaign around not drinking city tap water. They chose the city of Cleveland, Ohio and printed full page ads in magazines that read â€Å"The label says Fiji because it’s not bottled in Cleveland†(Gleick, 2010) Obviously the city of Cleveland was not pleased and conducted a blind test comparing Fiji w ater to their city’s tap water. The test showed that a glass of Fiji water is lower quality and loses the taste test against Cleveland’s tap water.Five percent of the bottled water purchased in Cleveland fell within the required fluoride range recommended by the state, compared with 100% of the tap water samples (Duncan, 2010) Also, a bottle of Fiji costs thousands of times more than the same about of tap water. Tap water being chosen blindly over bottled water seems to be the common trend (Wilk, 2006) Bottled water is actually less regulated than tap water. City municipals must perform multiple tests a day on the city’s water source, whereas bottled water industries are not bound under these same laws.Clearly taste is not the central motivation behind the continuing increase in the bottled water trade (Li, 2007) In March 1999, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a report called â€Å"Bottled Water, Pure Drink or Pure Hype? † NRDC's repo rt points out that as much as 40% of all bottled water comes from a city water system, just like tap water. The report also focuses on the fact that 60% to 70% of all bottled water sold in the United States is exempt from the FDA's bottled water standards, because the federal standards do not apply to water bottled and sold within the same state.Unless the water is transported across state lines, there are no federal regulations that govern its quality. According to the NRDC, â€Å"Bottled water companies have used this loophole to avoid complying with basic health standards, such as those that apply to municipally treated tap water. † Also, all carbonated or sparkling waters are completely exempt from FDA guidelines that set specific contamination limits. According to the NRDC study, â€Å"Even when bottled waters are covered by the FDA's specific bottled water standards, those rules are weaker in many ways than EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] rules that apply to big- city tap water. For instance, if we compare EPA regulations for tap water to the FDA's bottled water rules (these examples are quotes from the NRDC report): †¢City tap water can have no confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria. FDA bottled water rules include no such prohibition (a certain amount of any type of coliform bacteria is allowed in bottled water). †¢City tap water, from surface water, must be filtered and disinfected. In contrast, there are no federal filtration or disinfection requirements for bottled water. Most cities using surface water have had to test for Cryptosporidium or Giardia, two common water pathogens that can cause diarrhea and other intestinal problems, yet bottled water companies do not have to do this. †¢City tap water must meet standards for certain important toxic or cancer-causing chemicals, such as phthalate (a chemical that can leach from plastic, including plastic bottles); some in the industry persuaded the FDA to exempt bottled water from the regulations regarding these chemicals. City water systems must issue annual â€Å"right to know† reports, telling consumers what is in their water. Bottlers successfully killed a â€Å"right to know† requirement for bottled water †¢The Natural Resources Defense Council report concluded: â€Å"Therefore, while much tap water is indeed risky, having compared available data, we conclude that there is no assurance that bottled water is any safer than tap water. † Often, enforcement and monitoring of water quality is uneven and irregular for both tap water and bottled water.While tap water contamination incidents must be reported promptly to the public, the same is not true for bottled water. While contamination of bottled water does occur, many instances have never received public notice until recently (Gleick, 2010). Aside from the excessive spending of consumers on bottled water, there are also many health effects inadvertently caused by the b ottled water industry, one of these problems being tooth decay. Since the 1950s, the United States has been involved in a public health program called ‘community water fluoridation’(1800 Dentist).Many communities throughout the nation added fluoride to their water supply, and the result was a significant decrease in the number of childhood cavities (Xiang, 2010) Bottling companies use processes such as reverse osmosis or distillation to remove impurities from the water, which also removes the fluoride (Lalumandier,2009). Fluoride, or lack thereof, in your water may not seem like much of a reason to worry about whether or not you should drink tap water versus bottled water, but this is not the only risk for consumers.According to a 1999 NRDC study in which approximately 22% of brands were tested, at least one sample of bottled drinking water contained chemical contaminants at levels above state health limits. Some of the contaminants found in the study could pose health risks, such as cancer, if consumed over a long period of time (NRDC) Polyethylene terephthalate (PET, or PETE) is a chemical found in the plastic used to make water bottles. A 2009 study by reasearchers form Goethe University in Germany suggest that PET bottles may contain hormone-disrupting chemicals that are detrimental to human health.Some compounds in PET may seep out from these bottles and can possibly cause cancer. This typically occurs when the water is exposed to either cold or hot temperatures (Ferrier, 2001) Another chemical found in the plastic used to make water bottles is bisphenol-a (BPA). This has multiple health effects, including cancer and reproduction problems in women of child bearing age, as well as in babies (Ferrier, 2001, and Tapped). Producers and consumers are not the only components affected by the bottled water industry. Probably the most effected element is our environment.From diminishing fresh water sources, to wildlife, to pollution, our environment i s suffering immensely from production and disposal of bottled water. In a recent full page ad, Nestle said, â€Å"Bottled water is the most environmentally responsible consumer product in the world. † (Nestle Waters). How can this be true when these industries are trashing the environment all along the products life cycle. This is not environmentally responsible. The problems start with extraction and production where oil is used to make water bottles. PET is derived from crude oil.One kilogram of PET requires two kilograms of oil and produces three kilograms of CO2. Making bottles to meet consumer demands for bottled water requires more than 1. 5 million barrels of oil a year (Arnold, 2006 and Ferrier, 2001). That is enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars each year. With all that energy used to make the bottle, even more energy is used to ship it around the planet and once it reaches us we drink it in about two minutes. That brings us to the problem at the other end of the life cyc le. What happens to all the bottles when we are done with them?Eighty percent of empty bottles end up in landfills where they will sit for thousands of years before decomposing. Many end up in incinerators where they are burned releasing toxic pollution into the atmosphere. The rest is recycled. But what happens to the recycled bottles? In a perfect world each bottle would be recycled and remade into another water bottle. Instead the plastic goes through a downcycling process, which turns the material into lower grade plastics which is used to produce tons of other products, wasting much of the scrap and discarding it in another country’s backyard and/or into the ocean (Tapped, 2009).There is a garbage patch twice the size of Texas in the North Pacific Ocean. The garbage patch occupies a relatively stationary region of the North Pacific. The rotational pattern of the current draws in waste material from across the North Pacific, including costal waters off North America and J apan. As material is captured in the currents it remains trapped inside this region of ocean. One hundred million marine mammals and turtles in the North Pacific are killed every year by plastic in the ocean. 70-100% of North Pacific sea birds are affected by eating plastic. Plastic is killing the ocean and it is poisoning the fish we eat.Because the fish we eat have likely ingested contaminated plastic, it is virtually impossible for nature to produce organic fish in the ocean. Pepsi’s vice chairman publicly said, â€Å"The biggest enemy is tap water. † They want us to think it is dirty and that bottled water is the best alternative. In many places public water is polluted. Thanks to polluting industries, one of the major contributors being the bottled water industry. Drinking bottled water has become a trivial habit in many people’s everyday lives. Bad tap water taste or quality, fitness goals, and other numerous reasons lead consumer to buy bottled water.Bott led water may even be necessary, for instance in case of temporary tap water contamination. This flourishing market is profitable for many companies and provides a great number of jobs to people around the world. Bottled water quality is generally good, although it can suffer from the same contamination hazards as tap water and also contains hazardous compounds in the bottle itself. Some solutions to make sure bottled water quality is as good as it claims could include things like, companies releasing their quality tests on a day-to-day basis and make them available to the community.It should also be required by all companies to include information about where the water came from, or how it was filtered, on the label. The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is beginning to â€Å"go green†. Nestle, for instance, will use 30% lighter plastic bottles and 30% smaller labels, as well as eco-shaped bottles. Their bottles will be 100% recyclable, and when building product ion plants they will make sure the building is green-building certified.Another step they are taking is looking into hybrid vehicles for distribution of their product (Nestle Waters, 2011). This seems like Nestle is taking the right steps to improve production and use resources in a manner that will help improve, or at least maintain, our environment, but I cannot help but wonder if this is one of their marketing tools. Sure, they are producing in a more environmentally friendly way, but is this one of their ways of â€Å"tricking† us into buying their product and steering us away from their non-green competitors?When buying their product we are still contributing to this market. Bottled water is not all bad. It has many positive uses. Bottled water is an absolute critical lifesaver in many natural disasters. Bottled water has a substantial shelf life. This is especially valuable for emergency preparation, but also for many other purposes. Also, bottled water is a nearly idea l consumer product: it is healthy, non-addictive, hypoallergenic, caffeine-free, calorie free, and contains no artificial colors, flavors, trans fats, etc. Fager, 2009) Some things we could do to reduce the environmental impact of bottled water are to re-use bottles of water rather than recycling them to be re-manufactured, or buy a reusable, BPA free, water bottle. A more aggressive approach would be to lobby with city and state officials for more drinking fountains around your city, or towards the boycott of bottled water in your public schools and work places. These are just a few steps to start protecting our wallets, our health, and our planet.