A Dolls House essays

A Doll's House essays Henrik Ibsens, A Doll House, is a realistic play written in the mindset of realism. Throughout the play, lines of mockery and emphasis are present, giving the audience the feeling of fakeness and showing them a particular depiction of women in the 19th century. It is apparent that Ibsen set out to give a specific character, Nora, a role to play as the stereotypical 19th century woman, continually showing her need for individuality and lack of dependency. This is the main theme in A Doll House. From the first lines of the show, it is clear how Ibsen wants the audience to portray the role of women and continues to use this theme throughout the remainder of the show. As the show progresses, we see a parallel progression in the character of Nora. She has been babied her entire life, not only by her father but now by her husband, Torvald, whom only treats her as a pet, not as a wife. Her main struggle through the play is to find her independency and freedom as an individual. This is difficult for her, however, for she has never had to strain to get anything. Shes always had things handed to her and has always lived an over-comfortable lifestyle. Even through her dialogue, its easy to sense that all of her happiness is fake because she feels like a trapped animal, just living life as its given to her, instead of her taking the initiative to do things for herself. As a result of this upbringing, Nora is materialistic and impulsive. Over the duration of the play, however, the development of Noras character shows the audience that her ways are only a cover for the emptiness she feels each day. In the play, we find out that she secretly negoti ates a loan with Nils Krogstad, in order to pay for a trip to Italy for her husbands illness and recovery. Everyone thinks that Noras father funded the trip, but the audience finds, to their surprise, that it was she who actually paid for it. This...

Umberto Boccionis Futuristic essays

Umberto Boccionis Futuristic essays The creative engine of Italy was running low on fuel at the end of the 19th century. The Italians seemed to be still holding on to the pompous arrogance of the times and indulging in self-involvement. There was no other country at this time that was so subjected to the past, paralysed by lack of distinctive ideas, and deprived of a unique cultural identity1. The Italian public was fine with protecting tradition, and following naturalistic formulae and absolutely refused to notice the changes in art, literature, and drama. By the early 1900s technological inventions were becoming a crucial part of everyday life. Electric lighting, domestic appliances, and communications media were publicly known items that reinforced the sense of the impending future. Little did people know, that this integration between man and machine was the inspiration for futurism, which rumbled into the early 20th century. In 1909, when futurism was introduced to Italy, it was greeted with hesitation. Fu turism rejected all the splendor and decadence of Italys cultural past, in favor of new advances in science and technology. It enthusiastically embraced the concept of change as a fundamental aspect of its activities and ideology2. It was affected by the possibilities that new technology could bring, and the perception of modern city life. The futurists vision unfortunately upset many of the Italian public. Even though the public was eventually introduced to technology, many of them at that time could not understand the vision of these lovers of machines. Many of the manifestos, which discarded conventional morality and traditional values that were regarded as timid, nostalgic and sentimental, were not accepted with loving arms3. The readings of Futuristic poetry often ended in riots with several members of the audience in the hospital, and several Futurists ending up in jail. Umberto Boccioni was one of the Futurists that ended...

Position of OPEC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Position of OPEC - Essay Example OPEC has found its geopolitical strength and has realized its power suddenly and has become an important force playing an important part in regions like Asia and Africa. It has brought the huge multinational oil companies under control who could have done so many wrong acts otherwise, but now they all are on their knees, OPEC has made them merely impotent in the decision-making process, which is a good sign as there aim of profitability can disturb many other economies. It has forced the Western nations to have its favor on numerous occasions. There is a growing recognition in the Western world that the industrialized countries cannot solve the problems of chronic inflation and economic stagnation permanently unless they force OPEC to abandon its stand of raising oil prices ever higher and disrupt supplies to the oil consuming nations, but imagine what they could have done if OPEC was not there. The dependence on OPEC increased considerably in the United States during the last decade and a half. According to a study by the Federal Energy Administration (FEA), U.S. oil imports raised 150 percent between 1968 and 1973, from about 2.5 million barrels a day in 1968 to 6.3 mb/d in 1973. Imports from the Arab oil producing countries were raised to 31.9 percent in 1976 from a negligible 2 percent of total U.S. oil imports in 1970. On the whole, the reliance of the United States on foreign oil had increased disturbingly. In 1970, the United States depended on foreign oil for 23 percent of its total oil consumption, which was quite clearly showing what could have happened in no oil situation. In 1974, the figure was raised to 37 percent, and in 1976, oil imports were about 44 percent of total U.S. consumption. In 1977, the oil imports reached the pinnacle at an average of 8.7 mb/d. That represented approximately 48 percent of the total domestic supply, which averaged 18.4 mb/d in th at year. The FEA's figures also showed that the consumption of oil in United States was raised by 3.7 percent in 1976 as compared to 1975, with gasoline use advancing at 6.7 percent and distillate by 7.9 percent. At the same time, the domestic production during 1975 and 1976 had decreased from 8.24 mb/d of crude oil to 7.93 mb/d. The nation's refineries ran at 86 percent of capacity in that period compared to 87.1 percent in 1975, which is a considerable difference in the short run. It has also been identified that the Arab nations and Nigeria were increasing their share of the U.S. market while the nation's traditional suppliers such as, Venezuela and Canada were contributing a smaller share, fundamentally because of the high price of Canadian oil and the restricted output of Venezuela. It was for the first time in 1976 that Saudi Arabia had overtaken Venezuela as the United State's chief overseas supplier of crude oil. On the other hand countries like Algeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have all increased their shipments, while Canada is pointing out its shipments to the United States. The conditions took a big change during 1979-1981. Suddenly, the oil crisis gave a rise to the oil surplus, it was perhaps due to the remarkable changes in the balance between demand and supply which is the base of economics and also famous for changing any country's fate.

In what ways would you characterize Las Vegas as a 'western' city Essay

In what ways would you characterize Las Vegas as a 'western' city - Essay Example We can also look at the world â€Å"western† as it refers to the locations of Las Vegas as in the western portion of the United States and referring to the western part of Nevada. Finally, we can characterize the word â€Å"western† as linked to the Old West, with a rich history of how Las Vegas began. This essay will attempt to characterize all three concepts of the word â€Å"western† and how it applies to the city of Las Vegas both now and linked to its broad history. The term â€Å"western culture† is used as a reference to a background of social normality’s, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, accepted political systems, and identified artifacts and technologies. The term has generally come to apply to countries whose history is strongly marked by Western European immigration or settlement, such as the settlement of the Americas. This can be applied to and characterized to Las Vegas as the settlers moved West in the Americas to settle new lands. The first settlers to enter the land now called Las Vegas were the Mormons. They traveled from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas mainly to protect the Los Angeles to Salt Lake City mail route in 1855. The first settlement consisted of a square building of sun-dried bricks, clay and grass called adobe. The Mormons planted fruit trees, planted gardens and mined lead for bullets from the mountains. Unfortunately, the settlement was abandoned in 1858 mainly due to Indian raids. A portion of the Mormon Fort still stands in Las Vegas near Las Vegas Boulevard North and Washington Avenue. Members of the Church of Christ of the Later Day Saints dedicated a Mormon Temple in Las Vegas in 1989, which is visible to the east of the city. The Mormon religion has been a very big influence in the historic roots of Las Vegas and its early beginnings. This characterizes the religious western influences that still remain. Las Vegas was discovered by accident by Rafael Rivera and the exa ct date is unknown. Rivera was a very experienced scout who rode west in search of water. He ventured into the unexplored desert, and by accident discovered Las Vegas Spring. Given the name â€Å"the Meadows† in Spanish, it was an abundant area of marshlands and vegetation. This discovery was able to shorten the trail from Los Angeles, and lent a positive aspect to hasten the rush west for California gold. Just 14 short years after Rivera’s discovery, John C. Fremont led an overland expedition to Las Vegas Springs in 1844. His name is present today in the city of Las Vegas with the Fremont Hotel-Casino and Fremont Street; the main thoroughfare in the heart of the city, another link to the western influences that began in Las Vegas. Any connection to the western world started with the mail routes and the pony express. In 1863 an Ohian named Octavius Decatur Gass began buying land and ranching it. He fell into financial disaster and mortgaged his land to Archibald Stewar t. The ranch did really well for around five years, but Stewart died and his widow Helen was left to run the ranch. She worked the ranch with hired hands and provided a stopping point for travelers and provided postal services for the area. And today the name Gass is honored with a street name in Las Vegas. Railroad developers determined that the water-rich

Reality and Knowledge in Plato's Myth of the Cave Essay

Reality and Knowledge in Plato's Myth of the Cave - Essay Example Therefore, analyzing philosophic ideas of the rationalists and empiricists, dualists and monists, idealists, materialists and pragmatists begins with perception or rejection of Plato’s ideas of reality and knowledge. The expression that philosophy is a footnote to Plato does not necessarily mean that the philosophers continue Platonic traditions or agree with Plato’s ideas. However, in my opinion, it is Plato who we think of first when we start dealing with philosophic issues. The tendency to incline to the ideas regarding the nature of knowledge and reality can be found in thinking of many European philosophers. Furthermore, it would be wrong to associate every philosopher with Plato, as there are many great thinkers whose ideas were not based on Plato’s teaching or are contrary with them. Of course, Plato is one of the greatest philosophers standing in line with Aristotle, Socrates, Hume, Locke, and Kant. Nevertheless, power of Plato’s thought like nobod y else’s is so great that his ideas can be traced in others thinkers’ philosophy, especially when to speak about European philosophy. Intellectual tradition started by Plato has never ceased to prosper. Europeans are the first and the most frequently said to be referring to Plato’s philosophy, because his thinking seems to be the closest to this particular group of people. The meaning of the statement that philosophy is a footnote to Plato is nothing else, but a metaphor which means that power of his thinking can be neither denied nor rejected, because it has been interwoven into the philosophical tradition of many other great philosophers. Therefore, today it is difficult to discern the ideas regarding, for example, knowledge and reality and classify them into Platonic and non-Platonic. It is difficult to say exactly which philosopher was influenced by Plato and which was not. My understanding of knowledge and reality is that reality is limited to the point wha t we can comprehend and see on basis of our senses usage. To put it simply, if we see a beggar on the street, we conclude him to be a poor and miserable man because of his real physical appearance. However, this person can be a great thinker the same as the worst conman, but we do not know as our knowledge is limited by what we can only see on the surface. The knowledge about this man as well as about different things in the world is hidden. We can discover the knowledge only when we strive for such discovery and keep searching even at times it seems pointless. I agree with Plato that people must try to rise above their limited knowledge to learn more and to attain the highest form of knowledge. At the same time, I think that one type of knowledge can be perceived and explained differently as we have ability to compare things. Our experiences and knowledge of something is relative: for example, if we’ve tried a very delicious cake, we tend to think it’s best in the wor ld. But when we continue tasting more and more delicious cakes, we understand that the first one was not the best one. The same can be claimed about anything which exists in reality. Besides, I’d like to conclude that real knowledge and true wisdom comes with life-long learning. To start, the allegory of the cave also referred to as Plato’s Myth of the Cave is the allegory used by the Greek Philosopher Plato in his work The Republic. Plato basically uses this allegory to illustrate the nature and wanting of education. He describes the interacting phenomena of

The Importance Of Acoustic Treatment Music Essay

The Importance Of Acoustic Treatment Music Essay Sharp tools make good work!(Chinese Proverb, online) To have a nice recording, we must choose the nice recording studio. To have a nice recording studio, acoustic treatment is the most important progress while building the studio! Why acoustic treatment is so important? Acoustic treatment does make the actual recordings sound better, it is just as important to the mixing process. The purpose of acoustic treatment is to improve the quality of sound in the room. Acoustics Treatment of the studio is very important than the used of the equipments for record the track on. Yet there are still many people they just allocate only a tiny portion of their budget to acoustic treatments when building a recording studio or home studio. It is very important to choose the right type of room and after that we have to testing the acoustic in that room, make sure that everything like the soundproofing of the studio is good. Let say, we can listen to the tracks that recorded in the studio, if we can he ar something like reverb or echo on the track, or the sound is rather flat, that is mean the treatments of the studio have wrong. External interferences, such as the outside noise of people talking or transportation noise, are due to insufficient sound isolation. People always think they can or able to overcome acoustics with equipments but you just cant. Russ Berger, the president of acoustic and audiovisual consultancy firm, Russ Berger Design, told Carolin Heinz in an article for the website Electronic Musician. Beside that, there is another common mistake that people always make, according to Berger, is to confuse sound isolation with the acoustic performance in a room. Sound isolation is simply the process of stopping sound entering or leaving the room. It has no bearing on how sound is absorbed and diffused in the room itself, which are the key determinants of how a recorded track sounds when listened to. Every studio building needs to be acoustically treated as standard professional music or audio studio requirement for professional sound quality. So when building a recording studio, we have to pay much attention to this avoid any frustrations in future during recording and monitoring, without overdoing it to preserve certain amplifying qualities of the room. Page Contents: A) Acoustic Treatment Overview B) Acoustic Treatment C) Construction Details D) Conclusion E) References Treatment Characteristics Acoustic Treatment is so important to the studio it is because we want to prevent standing waves. When the standing wave occurs, it will affect the frequency response of the listening rooms and the recording studio. Beside that, by using the right acoustic treatment, we can absorb or diffuse the sound in the room to avoid the flutter echoes and improve the stereo imaging while the recording and keep the sound from leaking into or out from the room. A correct way of acoustic treatment can lower the reverb time in the larger space or room and reduce the modal ringing in the small room. There are few things and problems that we have to concern while building a studio such as absorption, diffusion, reverberation and isolation. Sound absorption can be defined as when sound that strikes the materials and it doesnt reflected back. An open window is the good example for the absorption because the sound goes through the open window and never reflected back. The more fibrous materials have more absorption; oppositely the denser materials are less absorption. By using the absorption materials in the studio, it can minimize the reflections while the recording going and it can also prevent the standing waves and flutter echoes. But, the control room is treating to be more diffusive than absorptive with the LEDE (Live End Dead End) concept for the monitoring purpose. On the other hand, the recording studios are more likely to be acoustically dead and distributive. In general, low frequency sound has a very bad absorption because of their long wavelength. High frequency is very effective in absorption, essential for reducing the flutter echoes. Product like bass trap is a material for absorption, but is specifically designed in order to absorb the low frequency energy. The good bass trap is the combination of the hard, soft, thin materials. By the way, the back of the trap and the gap between the walls can make it even more effective. Diffusor is used to reduce the reverb or echoes that will be occur in the room that has parallel walls and the flat ceiling. Through the research and books that I have read, all the professional studio designers they agree that periodic reflections caused by parallel walls are best avoided. So, diffusion is always used into absorption to tame these kinds of reflections because diffusion is handful of sound energy using multi-faceted surfaces. Diffusers are commonly made of wood, plastic, or even polystyrene. Jorge Castro (2004, online) explains: diffusion helps in energy control and improves the sound quality in frequencies throughout the middle and high range of the spectrum, and also improves sweet-spot should be sitting to get the best stereo image (imagine that your head and the two speakers form an equilateral triangle). Isolation is to block sound from leaking out from the room and is also to soundproof the room from the vibrations or from the external sound. The good noise controls room can retain the sound within the listening area. Isolation is a very critical question, but the most important is still about the room treatment. Even you will feel something going wrong while you are in the quiet room if its acoustic treatments are wrong. And what can you do for the isolation if your studio is going to build nearby the highway, or beside the train track? Only two things we can do to isolate the sound that are mass and space. This is meaning we have to mass the airborne sound but we still need to space so that the structure borne sound cannot be transmitted. By the way, what about the noise that generated by the HVAC (Heat and Air Conditioning system? So, we have to determine all the noise problems and make everything under the control. Reverberation time will be affected by the absorption. The lower the reverberation time, it is mean there is more absorption. By adding the porous absorber is the easiest way to make the good absorption. Beside that, placing the acoustical foam on those reflective surfaces until the reverberation time is suitably reduced. On the other hand, by removing the absorbing materials will lengthens the reverberation time. Materials With good and correct materials in building a studio, it can help you to recording and mixing your music correctly. A good room, good acoustics can defined as we can get the sound from the speakers in the room and listen through your ears as unchanged as possible. A good studio should have a very good isolation but still as neutral as possible for you to hear the details such as stereo positioning properly. So, the music we have mixed and equalized can sound good and has the good opportunity of sounding good in other rooms as well. Controlling the sound in a room is achieved by selective acoustic treatments. Materials are the source out for the best acoustic characteristics in terms of isolation and diffusion, but since there are many ways and different materials to do this, we try not to go overboard with specialized materials as they can break the budget. Instead to use effective construction methods with typical materials, and whatever that works fine as well as cost-effectiveness. The most important aspect of any studio or home theater probably is the using of acoustic foam. Even the listening room, it can also make or break a project studio. It doesnt matter how much money you will spend on the recording and monitoring equipments. If the room itself doesnt has a good acoustic treatment, the result of the recording will never as good as it could be. Usually the room in which the customer plans to record or perform in is not specifically built with acoustics in mind. If this is the case then acoustic treatment is all the more important. Rooms have their own sound already within the room. While the sound is traveling around the room it will come into contact with different surfaces and other sound waves moving around the room. This means that the room can suffer from a lot of acoustic problems. These could include reflections, reverberation, slap echo, flutter echo, inadequate frequency response, standing waves and modal problems. When all of these frequencies s tarted bouncing around, the sound waves can change because they are clashing into each other. This will absolutely affects the last result for the negative. That is meaning you will start to off with one sound and end up with another sound while in the recordings. When there are two parallel walls, or two parallel ceiling and the floor, it will create standing wave. So the distance between the walls, ceiling or the floor will reinforce some of the frequencies, we can call it by boundaries. This mean the sound will makes exactly one round trip in each cycle of the speaker and the pressure fronts pile up. So, this is why people like to sing in the bathroom while taking the shower because the low frequency of the voice are greatly amplified by the standing waves and it will sounds nice. The installing of the acoustic foam can improved the response of the room and the sound of the room can be under control. The use of the acoustic treatment is the only way that can tell you the accurate while you are doing your recording, mixing, editing, or monitoring as well as not to affected by the room you are in. Whatever you want your room to stay live or dead, good acoustic treatment is the only way to help you to tame the beast that in your room and keep everything under the control. So, you have the ability to record and monitor your stuff accurately. Polyflexà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ ProFoamà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ is fabricated from a UL94 2 lb./cu. ft. polyester urethane, which should only be used in Class B or C spaces. Since Polyflexà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ is flammable, extreme care should be exercised in its use as interior finish the industrys first patented nestable foam. It can be used in any critical listening space. It mounted in a 1 x 1 checkerboard pattern to provide a variable impedance surface, offering moderate passive surround sound. By the way, it will attenuate and disperses specula reflections, as well as scatters 1000Hz and above and control comb filtering arising. In the meantime, it offers a new look in acoustical foam and an attractive and flexible wall treatment for controlling first order reflections. The ProCornerà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ is an effective way to increase low frequency absorption (minimizing low frequency room modes and speaker boundary interference distortion) by increasing acoustical foam thickness in the corner, while visually extending and seamlessly integrating with the Profoamà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ wall design. RPG ® Diffuser Systems Studio in a Box Diffuser and Absorber: Additional panels may be layered to any thickness offering unlimited absorption. The using of ProFoam because its absorption and diffusion properties are sufficient for the studios surface, as its stackable, and for a uniformed look. FIGURE 1: Gypsum board (http://www.bombayharbor.com/productImage/0578747001219286428/Gypsum_Board.jpg) Gypsum board is a typical material used for layering walls, holding insulation fibers, providing a certain amount of damping and as wall surface. It is also used for floors, doors and ceilings treatment. FIGURE 2: Plywood (http://www.stockporttimber.co.uk/st_cms/data/upimages/Plywood.jpg) Plywood to separate gypsum and studs and adhere with soundproofing mat. Chip wood (recording room floor) is an ordinary chip wood for flooring. FIGURE 3: Sound Blocker Membrane (http://www.soundservice.co.uk/images/PRODUCTS_gallery/ACOUSTIC_MEMBRANE/1.jpg) Sound Blocker Membrane have excellent sound insulating qualities and it can be used as a sole sound barrier layer, or as part of a multilayer composite with other materials such as sound absorbing foam and carpet. It acts, as a thin, dense sound barrier layer in walls, ceilings or floors and its most effective when used as one component of a multi-layered construction scheme. It extremely effective at improving the sound and insulation properties of lightweight plasterboard partitions, floors and almost anything else. 2-3 layers used on wooden floors can reduce airborne noise transfer dramatically. Spray adhesive is ideal for sticking these mats to walls, floors, and. FIGURE 4: Mineral Woll (http://www.domesticsoundproofing.co.uk/soundproofing/amw_slabs1.jpg) Acoustic mineral woll is use for the reduction of airborne noise between flooring joist, suspended ceiling and in partition walls, it is a good sound absorbing infill. It consists mainly of silicon-oxide together with a number of other metallic oxides. By using the acoustic mineral woll, it will has more efficient for the purpose of soundproofing than a lightweight thermal insulation, chemically and mom-flammable insert. By the way, this will not adversely affected by any substance. To be ensures there is no water penetration in any direction; it may come into contact with a random of fibres. It does not sustain vermin and will not encourage the growth of fungi, bacteria or moulds. Beside that, it will not react with metal wall ties and wired plastic, masonry or brickwork. While using in a standard stud wall, it can increase the sound insulation performance by up to 150%. It normally will provide a reduction in the reverberant noise level up to 200% when fitted under the roof constru ctions. Besides, it will provides a reduction in air bone noise levels by up to 100% when it fitted in-between the ceiling or the floor joists. FIGURE 5: Resilient Bar  ¼Ã‹â€ http://www.soundservice.co.uk/images/clip_image001.gif ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Resilient Bar is a thin metal channel, which is designed to substantially improve the sound insulation of the plasterboard ceilings and walls. It can easily isolate the plasterboard from the studworks, and it will contact directly to dissipate sound, which is normally being transfer through the frame. Because of the improvements in both impact and the airbone noise, so the sound will normally act well in excess of 300%. On walls the bars should be mounted at right angles to the frame with the narrow mounting flange at the bottom and the wider flange at the top. This allows the plasterboard to draw itself away from the studwork. For ceilings the flanges should be pointing in alternating directions. Mount the bars parallel at a max of 600mm centers. The bars should be screwed to all of the battens with 36mm drywall screws. Bars should be joined by overlapping them by a few centimeters directly over a batten with the corrugated webs nested together and both base flanges screwed through to the batten beneath. FIGURE 6: Gasket (http://www.customaudiodesigns.co.uk/seals/neoprene2.jpg) Gaskets/ Cushioning, self-adhesive EPDM / Neoprene blend expanded foam rubber sealing strip. This is ideal for exposed sealing, damping and cushioning. It age resistant and chemically neutral against the most commonly used lacquers and Plastics and resistant to most caustic chemicals, resistant against ozone, moisture and UV radiation. This is good for isolating and decoupling battens attached to walls and ceilings When a room is soundproofed, builders create sound barriers using specialized materials that easily absorb sound or redirect it toward proper areas. This keeps sound generated in the room from exiting, or gives normal walls acoustical properties so that sound bounces off instead of being absorbed into the wall itself. In soundproofed areas, outside noises are also absorbed, keeping the room quiet, which is ideal for recording studios and similar establishments. Acoustical caulk is a product used in the creation of these rooms. It primary function is to achieve and maintain the specific STC (Sound Transmission Class) value of the system designed to remains permanently flexible and adheres firmly to wood or metal studs, concrete, gypsum board, AudioSealà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ Sound Barrier, and most other types of building substrates. It unique formulation is non-drying, non-hardening, non-staining, and non-migrating and can be used for unexposed applications at perimeter joints, floor and cei ling runners (either wood or metal), cutouts in gypsum board, veneer plaster systems, and other areas where a sound rated assembly is required. By the way, it can also be applied or buttered around all electrical boxes and outlets, air returns, heating and air conditioning ducts, and other utility equipment penetrating wall surfaces for increased acoustical performance. Studio Design Room mode or natural resonant frequency, which is related to the length, width and height of the room, is one of the most important properties in the studio design and it determines its natural resonances. Let say the rectangular room has 3 sets of primary modes, which are length, width and height. So, if you have got a irregular room shape or irregular angled walls, then you have to average the dimensions and get the rough idea of the mode frequency. The larger room it has the better acoustically than the smaller room because larger room because the modes are spaced more closely. Studio Layout Construction Details Dry Walls is a Simple single stud design sufficient for wall because the dry walls are doubled, one on the existing outer wall and one as inner wall. We make the double walls to minimize structural linking. Studs spacing are 24, on center instead of the usual 16 spacing, this yields a slight increase in TL (transmission lost). The walls are angled but room shape symmetrical to provide even dispersion and prevent flutter echo. Diameter approx 5 to 6 Total estimated wall area : Total wall perimeter x Average Ceiling height 239.5 ft * 12.125 ft = 2903.9 2903.9 * 2 = 5807.9sq ft. (http://www.ethanwiner.com/BTPlans.gif) (http://www.ethanwiner.com/BTParts.html) Ceiling angled upwards at 12 degrees from the front to the middle of both rooms and then back down at 12 degrees.10 ft ( 3.05m) min height for optimal drum sound recording. The diameter approx 10. Total estimated ceiling area: 289 + 305.15 + 238 + 295.87 = 1128.02 sq ft. Diameter of floor is approx 10 Total estimated floor area: 280.7 + 296 + 231 + 287 = 1094.7 sq ft. Acoustic Timber Door ¼Ã…’STC 30-35 each leaf. It has a same construction as walls using timber and narrower studs. The dense yet lightweight mineral fiber for more STC and it including gaskets to seal sound, hinges, knobs Total : 6 doors with dimensions of approx 6.5 x 2.7 x 3 Acoustic Window Double Glazed The space between glass panels sealed. Use two different thicknesses of glass to prevent resonant frequencies and sealed enclosure up to STC 47. The distance between the panesis about 150mm. Total: 2 double glazed acoustic window with 6 x 2.5 panes The use of sound lock can reduce -3 dB. As sound insulation by air volume and air sealed by door gaskets. Air-conditioner Duct Damping About the noise-reducing enclosure of air-conditioning by using plywood baffle and installed into the opening of the air-con duct with simple plywood baffle held together with strong and moisture resistant adhesive. The plywood maze slows down the airflow or the air-con, thus reducing noise. The absorbent foam lined/covered on plywood baffle to absorb airflow noise as well as noise from generator. Its 4 ft in length. Example Example of a self-made duct baffle Conclusion: Overall, are acoustics really that important? Even though the quality of the instruments, speakers, recording gear and amps are expensive, but without the good acoustic treatments, all the recording will be bad and it will take you even more time to get your track done. We can noticed that why professional recording studio they spent so much time and money in order to get a good acoustics design but why there is still a lot of people they dont take this seriously and record in their house without doing any acoustic treatment? For an example, MIDI (Musical Instrument Interface), there is countless plug-ins, synthesizers, samples and loops available in the market, and all these elements have become the major elements of music production and major arrangement of popular music nowadays. So with this new popular culture, many people can produce their music or track in the house just only using their computer. Another example such as disk jockey, they have an expensive DJs sets so they gain more flexibility of their creating and producing music with only a laptop computer as such a convenience rise of a fact, they can make satisfaction, high quality music in a more efficient and cost-effective way by using samples, plug-ins, they can perform unlimited var iation of sound, instrument, techniques that without any acoustic treatment needed. But is it possible if a rap artist or vocalist they want to record a good quality track without any good environment? The answer is no. Let say if the rap artist or vocalist they record their song in their house by using a very expensive microphone and gear but without any acoustic treatment, in the result of the recording will be too much room noise on the track such as the ceiling fan in your room, outside traffic and etc, all of these will produce the low frequency rumble. So it will take you a lot of time and it is very hard for you to do the mixing. Equipment is useless if sound is recorded badly. This is why professional recording studio they will spend so much money on the acoustic treatment. Beside to give you the good environment to recording your music and track, and it also because you can get the good quality on your final production. we still need to pay a lot of attention to the space in which we use them. The acoustic treatment of recording studio is very tricky because of the construction materials used and the size of the studio. Restate original argument (are acoustics important) State your findings Compare expensive and cheap home solutions

The Whole Towns Sleeping and Terribly Strange Bed Essay -- English Li

The Whole Town's Sleeping and Terribly Strange Bed In this essay I will be comparing two (2) short stories 'The Whole Town's sleeping' by Ray Bradbury (1950) and 'A Terribly Strange Bed' by Wilkie Collins (1856). Both stories are about fear and they make us feel fear or are supposed to; they make the reader scared or frightened. Both stories have the same purpose, which is so scare the reader. I am going to compare the way Ray Bradbury and Wilkie Collins create tension, suspense, mood and tone. In the first few lines of 'The Whole Town's Sleeping', the author describes the setting for the story, "the little town was deep far away from everything, kept to itself by a river and a forest and a ravine", but before that he mentions that it is nighttime. Both stories are set at nighttime. This is because if it were set in the daytime it simply wouldn't be scary. The whole town wouldn't be sleeping and the narrator wouldn't need a terribly strange bed to sleep in. Collins has a different approach for the beginning of 'A Terribly Strange Bed', he describes the characters and what they were doing, which gives a different impression of the story, it doesn't seem like a scary story at first, because there's no obvious signs like in 'The Whole Town's Sleeping'. Ray Bradbury uses recreation to create interest to the story "In the downtown drugstore, fans whispered in the high ceiling air" He also use metaphors and similes such as "There were two moons: a clock moon with four faces" while 'A Terribly Strange Bed' doesn't have any recreation, metaphors or similes in its opening but still manages to maintain interest. Mood and tone are very important in both stories. Using certain adjectives, like "warm summer n... ...appens next. In Collins' story, you are told what happens next, and you finish the story quite pleased, like the narrator would be, instead of still scared like you are in the other story. Both stories are similar and different; the authors use different methods to make the reader scared. The stories have some similarities and others have differences. Ray Bradbury describes the scenery whereas Wilkie Collins describes the characters. Setting seems to be more important in 'The Whole Town's Sleeping' than it is in Collins' story and tension and suspense is used very differently in the both stories, Bradbury uses a sharp shock and then a steady buildup, then a false relief before a final cliffhanger and Collins uses a strange buildup to what seems like somewhat of an anti-climax and then re establishes the tension, for a gentle relief and a settled ending.

Wal-Mart Financial Statement Analysis

The Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine| Financial Statement Analysis & Reporting: Earnings Quality and Asset Analysis | Company – WALMART| Kian BolooriHee Jun ChungDaejune Min| 1. Qualitative Analysis for the environment and the company (1) INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Walmart is in the discount retailer industry. This industry started in the 1950s, grew in the 1960s, and matured in the 1970s. With exception to a moderate growth period in the 1990s, the industry had remained stagnant since the 1970s. Today, three major players in the industry are Walmart, Target and Costco. The state of the discount retail industry is best understood through the Porter’s Five Forces analysis. * Competition: HIGH Competition among discount retailers resembles that of an oligopoly in that Costco, Target and Walmart hold a vast majority of the market share. In past decades, competition among the firms was minimized because they each targeted a different market segment. For example, Target focused on higher end neighborhoods while Walmart focused on rural locations. However, as the firms began to grow, they had to expand beyond their original targeted segments. As such, the firms started competing in the same locations, which intensified competition. This condition remains a dominant issue in the discount retail industry. * Barrier to New Entrants: MEDIUM-HIGH Unlike other industries, the discount retailer industry does not require a particular set of technical knowledge for new entrants. However, the major players in the market have established strong procurement and distribution networks that prevent new entrants from easily establishing their own. As such, new entrants would find it difficult to establish procurement and istribution networks while keeping costs competitive with those of Walmart, Costco and Target. * Bargaining Power of Buyers: LOW–MEDIUM Buyers have different levels of power depending on their location. In rural areas, buyers have less power. There is usually one discount retailer for each rural region. As such, that retailer has a virtual monopoly in that region, which allow it to increase prices, and thus increa se margins. On the other hand, buyers in suburban and urban markets can easily switch between discount retail competitors; as a result, each discount retailer must keep its prices competitive in those markets. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: LOW Suppliers to discount retailers hold little to no power. When the major discount retailers initiate relationships with new suppliers, they typically request contracts for the new suppliers’ whole inventory. As a result, the suppliers become entirely reliant on the discount retailer for their business. The discount retailer then leverages this reliance by demanding lower prices on the inventory. As a result, suppliers typically have to sell their inventory at low prices that result in small profit margins for them and lower inventory costs for discount retailers. Threat of Substitutes: LOW Current existing substitutes to discount retailers include supermarkets, traditional retailers, and boutique shops. However discount retailers are ab le to leverage their strong distribution networks to offer lower prices than many of the substitutes. As a result, discount retailers are able retain business despite the existence of substitutes. (2) ECONOMIC CONDITIONS The fact that there are fewer opportunities to expand in the United States has made it difficult for discount retailers to continue growing profits. In fact, discount retailers’ attempts to enter new markets have resulted in community resistance. In Watts, CA, community members successfully lobbied to prevent Walmart from opening a new store in the neighborhood. Despite these challenges, discount retailers have found new opportunities to increase profits. For one, discount retailers have started converting their stores into â€Å"supercenters. † These supercenters feature traditional discount retail products and grocery store products in one location. Also, discount retailers have begun expanding their international operations. For example, Walmart has partnered with companies in South Africa, China, and Brazil in order to expand into those markets. These opportunities have already proven profitable and continue to be a focus for the major discount retail firms. (3) WALMART STRATEGY Walmart’s business strategy is to keep costs low and pass the savings down to the customers. Walmart accomplishes this strategy through several means. First, Walmart cuts costs in its procurement channels. Walmart cuts out the manufacturers’ representatives and works with suppliers directly. In doing so, Walmart saves 3-4% on costs. Also, Walmart is able to use its IT networks to make sure the company orders the right about of inventory from suppliers so that the Walmart stores experience neither overstock nor stock-out. Second, Walmart keeps its labor costs low. Walmart maintains a frugal culture for all employees. For example, executives at the company are prohibited from accepting meals and gifts from third parties. Additionally, Walmart provides store workers with wages and benefits that are below those given by competitors. Third, Walmart invests in ways to cut distribution costs. For example, Walmart mastered the large-scale â€Å"cross-docking† to transfer merchandise directly from inbound trucks to store-bound trucks without storing the good in its distribution centers. Through these innovations, Walmart has been able to save 3-4% on its distribution costs. Through these means, Walmart has significantly lower its costs when compared to competitors. This point of difference helped Walmart grow to become the leading discount retailer in the world. . Quantitative Analysis for the company and the peers (1) CASHFLOW ANALYSIS From fiscal year 2007 to fiscal year 2010, Walmart recorded solid growth in both sales and net income; however, net increase in cash and cash equivalents does not have the same growth pattern. Net cash flow is the aggregate of cash flow from operations (â€Å"CFO†), cash flow from investing activities (â€Å"CFI†), and cash flow from financing activities (â€Å"C FF†). As is expected, CFO does trend positive in correlation with the increases to sales and income. On the other hand, CFI and CFF experienced sharp decreases. According to the common-size statement of cash flow, net CFI portion out of net CFO shows a generally decreasing trend during the period (-71%, -76%, -46%, -44%, respectively for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), on the other hand, the portion of net CFI increased constantly (-25%, -36%, -43%, -54%, respectively for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), which implies that War-Mart has become paying equal attention to investment for the future growth and shareholder value recently. Having solid CFO, Walmart had cash for investing and financing without borrowing a short-term debt As a result, while Walmart experienced 9% growth in sales and 13% increase in net income in 2008 compared to the previous year, net cash decreased almost 400%. Target shows a similar cash flow pattern to that of Walmart. Target has been reducing investment level and focusing more on shareholder return and the debt repayment. On the other hand, Costco has been managing the cash flexibly over the past four years in order to meet the firm’s needs for investment. Costco still concentrates on investing activities, which can be evidenced by the portion of net CFI (-72% of net CFO in 2010). According to 10-K of the year 2010, Costco opened 13 new warehouses in 2010, which was directly related to the huge negative CFI. For Walmart, the accounting adjustment accruals, which is measured as the gap between net income and CFO, is at 40%. The accounting adjustment accruals are one of indicators for earnings quality. While 40% is significant, it is smaller than that of Walmart’s competitors. Changes to current assets and current liabilities have a large impact on the accounting adjustment accruals. For instance, Walmart had accounts receivable increased by $297 mil in 2010, which negatively impacts on cash flow, but its inventory decreased by $2,213 mil in the same fiscal year, which had a positive influence on cash flow from operations. Despite these changes, CFO has still maintained a growth trend. Consequently, Walmart shows a steady upward trend of free cash flow, which is the difference between CFO and capital expenditures, during the past four years ($4. 6 bil, $5. 7 bil, $11. 6 bil, $14. 1 bil, respectively for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010). The cash spent on CFI went to purchase of PPE in order to expand current operations. The firm used to invest approximately 80% of CFO in PP&E in 2007 and 2008, however decreased the investment to 45% level recently. A significant level of CFF went to shareholder return, including dividends and share buybacks (e. g. $11. 4mil or 77% of net income in 2010). As such, Walmart appears to provide value to its shareholders. Similarly, Target and Costco also invested highly in PP&E and return more than 70% of net profit to investors. To sum up, we can see a certain pattern in cash flows of the three firms as follows, which shows that Walmart, Costco and Target are matured and generating healthy cash flow. Walmart| Target| Costco| Accrual (NI/CFO)| 58% (Gap: 42%)| 54% (gap: 46%)| 53% (gap: 47%)| CFO| Positive,Constantly Growing| Positive,Growing Trend| Positive,Growing Trend| CFI| Negative (for PP&E)| Negative (for PP&E)| Negative (for PP&E and short-term investments)| CFF| Negative   (for shareholder returns)| Negativeexcept in 2007 ($7. 6mil long-term debt in 2007)| Negat ive (for shareholder returns)| One cause of concern from Walmart’s cash flow is a contradiction between Walmart’s growth strategy and CFF. The high levels of dividends that Walmart gives its shareholders may limit the amount of cash the company has for expansion. CFO has remained high enough to cover CFI, but this might not always be the case. As a result, Walmart may have to cut the amount of dividends it pays if it wants to continue growth during a period when CFO is decreasing. (2) EARNING QUALITY ANALYSIS Walmart’s earnings have been positive and growing each fiscal year from 2008-2010. The increase in earnings is primarily due to the fact that revenue had also increased in that timeframe. There has been a 7. 5% increase in revenue from 2008 to 2009 and a 0. 95% increase in revenue from 2009 to 2010. A large majority of Walmart’s revenues come from its core operations—the net sales of products that Walmart had procured from suppliers and sold at its retail locations. The Net Sales figure is computed as the sales less sales tax and estimated sales returns. Less than 1% of total revenue is based o n membership revenue. Membership revenue is from customers who purchase yearly Sam’s Club memberships. There are several important features regarding the relationship between Net Income and CFO. First, the Net Income and CFO both trend positive, growing at a comparable rate. Second, CFO is larger than Net Income each year. This is primarily due to the adjustment to depreciation and amortization. Third, the adjustment due to an increase in accounts receivable is fairly constant, and is not a significant portion of the total CFO. These features suggest that the Net Income is a good indicator of cash inflow from operations, which would be expected from a company that collects cash at point of sale. Walmart recognizes revenue at point of sale when customers purchase products at the retail locations. Walmart recognizes revenue from gift cards only when the gift card is redeemed. Walmart recognizes revenue from services when the company performs the service; however, revenue from services is a small portion of total net sales. For membership, Walmart recognizes the revenue over the period of the membership. For example, if a membership cost $120 upfront, then $10 revenue would be recognized each month of the 12-month membership. Until it’s recognized, the cash collected is accounts as a liability (Deferred Membership Revenue). Expenses are divided into various categories. Cost of sales is all costs related to the attainment and transport of inventory. Any money received from suppliers, such as reimbursements for markdowns, is reduced from the cost of sales figure. Furthermore, Walmart does not include its costs of distribution facilities in its cost of sales, which can make its gross profit seem disproportionally stronger than its competitors. However, these costs can be found within SGA. SGA, Advertising and Pre-Opening costs are all recognized the same period that they are spent. Walmart does not seem to participate in any earnings management. The small account receivable account suggests that sales can be seem in cash inflow, meaning there is little chance that Walmart fabricated sales figures. Furthermore, Walmart did not make any significant changes to its depreciation cycles and PPE purchase patterns, which suggests that Walmart did not try to inflate its earnings to disguise unfavorable operating performance. (3) RATIO ANALYSIS Financial ratios are a measurement of the company’s overall health. In general, the financial ratios of a company are compared with those of its major competitors (cross-sectional and trend analysis) and to the company’s prior periods (trend analysis). Profitability Ratio The ability to generate profit on capital invested is a key determinant of a company’s overall value. Profitability is the net results of a number of policies and decisions. Here, the key ratios, ROCE and ROA, were calculated to judge the profitability in general. Return-on-assets (ROA) has been increased to 9. 6% in 2010 from 8. 4% in 2007 (See exhibit 10-2). This high ratio indicates that Walmart generated high income with given level of its assets. Return-on-capital employed (ROCE) has also increased to 21. 3% in 2010, from 19. 1% in 2007 (See exhibit 10-1). Compared to the competitors, Walmart has the highest ROA and ROCE, which illustrates that Walmart is the most profitable company in its industry. * Activity Ratio Activity ratio measures how efficiently a company utilizes its assets. These ratios are analyzed as indicators of ongoing operational performances; on other words, how effectively a company uses its assets. Walmart’s inventory turnover in days was 40 days in 2010, which is a modest improvement from 45 days in 2007 (See exhibit 11-1). The lower holding days of the inventory indicates that Walmart has made progress over the period in terms of inventory management. Considering the Sales growth, which increased over the periods, Walmart has effectively managed its inventory, avoiding any shortage or inadequate inventory levels. Walmart continued to set their goods in fairly low price in order to have its inventory move faster. Even though inventory turnover ratio of Walmart is less than that of Costco, Walmart’s improvement in its inventory turnover is better than that of Costco or Target. Additionally, account payable turnover gradually increased from 9. 9 days to 10. 22 days (See exhibit 11-1). The longer period of holding the Account payable indicated it has made good use of available credit facilities. * Liquidity Ratio (Short-Term) A liquid asset is one that trades in an active market and can be quickly converted to cash. A firm's liquidity position determines whether a firm has enough resources to meet its current obligations. Walmart’s current ratio deteriorated from 0. 9 in 2007 to 0. 87 2010 but then is improving from 2010 to 2011 exceeding 0. 88 in 2009 level. Also quick ratio and cash ratio improved from 2009 to 2010 (see exhibit 12-1). Nevertheless, it can be a negative sign for the company to have a current ratio less than 2. 0 and a quick ratio less than 1. 0. In fact, Walmart’s current ratio and quick ratio are lower than that of Costco and Target. A lower ratio indicates less liquidity, implying a greater reliance on operating cash flow and outside financing to meet short-term obligation. However, a reason for the troubling liquidity ratios is that Walmart has been using its cash for fixed assets as part of its effort to expand. As such, Walmart can generate cash by slowing growth if it has an urgent need to pay off current obligations. Additionally, Walmart’s cash conversion cycle was greatly decreased to 4. 8 in 2010 from 8. 5 in 2007 (See exhibit 11-1). It is the shortest operating cycle of its industry. A shorter cash conversion cycle indicates greater liquidity. The short cash conversion cycle implies that Walmart only needs to finance its inventory and accounts receivable for a short period of time. Its cash cycle is optimized, meaning it is able to sell inventory quickly also have less time capital tied up in the business process thus better for the company’s bottom line. * Solvency Ratio (Long-Term) Solvency refers to a company’s ability to fulfill its long-term debt obligations. Solvency ratios provide information about the relative amount of debt in the capital structure and the adequacy of earnings and cash flow to cover interest expenses and other fixed charges as they come due. This is important for assessing the risk and return characteristics such as its financial leverage. Walmart’s total liabilities-to-assets ratio was 0. 57 in 2010, slightly decreasing from 0. 58 in 2009 and 2008. This means 57% of total asset are financed with debt . Long-term debt-to-equity ratio was 0. 0 in 2010, again slightly decreased from 0. 52 in 2009 (See exhibit 12-1). This means 50% is the Walmart’s capital represented by debt. Although the size of asset and debt far exceeds the size of its competitors, but the ratios did not show significant proportional difference between Walmart and its competitors. Interest coverage ratios, calculated by using EBIT divided by total i nterest expense, can be viewed as good if the number exceeds 2. 0. For Walmart, the interest coverage ratio was 11. 8 in 2010 that was improved from 10. 5 in 2007 (See exhibit 12-1). This increase indicates that Walmart has become stronger in solvency, offering greater assurance that Walmart can service its debt from operating earnings. As for evidence, Walmart’s CFO-to-total liability was calculated to be 54. 5% in 2010, increasing from 48. 4% in 2007 (See exhibit 12-1). This is relatively high compared to its peers such as Costco and Target. 3. Conclusion Based on the aforementioned analysis, including qualitative and quantitative, we would like to conclude that Walmart is a company that can be highly recommended for investors to buy. First, the industry is still attractive when it comes to high barrier to entry, low power of buyers and suppliers, and low threat of substitution. Also for the company level, Walmart has differentiated itself successfully by focusing on the lowest price. Second, Walmart’s cash flows show a typical pattern for a healthy and matured firm; that is, Walmart has a constantly growing positive CFO, a negative CFI for the investment in PPE, and a negative CFF for shareholder returns such as dividend and share repurchase. Also, the strong CFO generates a increasing trend of FCF (Free Cash Flow), which indicates that the company has a potential for flexible cash management whether for the growth investment or shareholder returns. Third, Walmart appears to have quality earning. Further, there are close ties between net income and CFO; in other words, both net income and CFO show positive trend and increase at a comparable rate. Also Walmart is engaged in neither manipulating earnings nor making substantial changes in accounting methods. Fourth, Walmart’s ratios look good. ROA and ROCE are strong when compared to those of Costco and Target. The liquidity ratios are relatively low, but can be addressed if Walmart chooses to retain cash instead of using it on growth. Finally, Walmart’s P/E ratio on May 19, 2011 is 11. 5, which is relatively low when compared to that of Walmart’s competitors (Target: 11. 9, Costco: 26. 3). As such, Walmart appears to be undervalued. Ultimately, the analysis on Walmart’s financial statements indicates that investors would be well advised to buy Walmart’s stocks.

Biography of Architect Richard Rogers, Designer of 3 WTC

Biography of Architect Richard Rogers, Designer of 3 WTC British architect Richard Rogers (born July 23, 1933) has designed some of the most important buildings of the modern era. Beginning with the Parisian Centre Pompidou, his building designs have been characterized as being inside out, with facades that look more like working mechanical rooms. In 2007 he received architectures highest honor and became a Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, becoming Lord Rogers of Riverside, but in the U.S. Rogers is best known for rebuilding Lower Manhattan after 9/11/01. His 3 World Trade Center was one of the last towers to be realized. Fast Facts: Richard Rogers Occupation: British ArchitectBorn: July 23, 1933 in Florence, ItalyEducation: Yale UniversityKey Accomplishments: Centre Pompidou with Renzo Piano; Three World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan; 2007 Pritzker Architecture Prize Early Life Born in Florence, Italy to an English father and Italian mother, Richard Rogers was raised and educated in Britain. His father studied medicine and hoped that Richard would pursue a career in dentistry. Richards mother was interested in modern design and encouraged her sons interest in the visual arts. A cousin, Ernesto Rogers, was one of Italys prominent architects. In his Prizker acceptance speech, Rogers noted that it was Florence where my parents instilled in my brother Peter and me a love of beauty, a sense of order, and the importance of civic responsibility. As war broke out in Europe, the Rogers family moved back to England in 1938 where young Richard attended public schools. He was dyslexic and did not do well. Rogers had a run-in with the law, entered the National Service, became inspired by the work of his relative, Ernesto Rogers, and ultimately decided to enter Londons Architectural Association school. Later he moved to the U.S. to pursue a masters degree in architecture at Yale University on a Fulbright Scholarship. There he developed relationships that would last a lifetime. Partnerships After Yale, Rogers worked for Skidmore, Owings Merrill (SOM) in the U.S. When he finally returned to England, he formed Team 4 architectural practice with Norman Foster, Fosters wife Wendy Cheeseman, and Rogers wife Su Brumwell. By 1967, the couples had split to form their own firms. In 1971 Rogers entered a partnership with the Italian architect Renzo Piano. Although the partnership dissolved in 1978, both architects became world famous with their work in Paris France - the Centre Pompidou, completed in 1977. Rogers and Piano had invented a new type of architecture, where the mechanics of a building were not simply transparent but showcased as part of the facade. It was a different kind of postmodern architecture that many began to call high-tech and inside-out architecture. Exterior of Centre Pompidou. Richard T. Nowitz/Getty Images Rogers chose good partners, although it was Renzo Piano and not Rogers who in 1998 would win the first Pritzker Prize and then Norman Foster won in 1999. Rogers won in 2007, and the Pritzker Jury was still talking about Pompidou, saying it revolutionized museums, transforming what had once been elite monuments into popular places of social and cultural exchange, woven into the heart of the city. After Pompidou, the team split and the Richard Rogers Partnership was established 1978, which eventually became Rogers Stirk Harbour Partners in 2007. Personal Life Rogers married Susan (Su) Brumwell before they both went off to study at Yale University - he studied architecture and she studied town planning. She was the daughter of Marcus Brumwell who headed the Design Research Unit (DRU), a moving force in British design. The couple had three children and divorced in the 1970s, during the work on Centre Pompidou. Shortly after, Rogers married the former Ruth Elias of Woodstock, New York and Providence, Rhode Island. Called Ruthie, Lady Rogers is a well-known chef in Britain. The couple had two children. All of Richard Rogers children are sons. Famous Quote Architecture is too complex to be solved by any one person. Collaboration lies at the heart of all my work. Legacy Like all great architects, Richard Rogers is a collaborator. He partners not only with people but also with new technologies, the environment, and the societies in which we all live. He was an eary champion of energy efficiency and sustainability in a profession that came late to taking responsibility in protecting the environment. His fascination with technology is not merely for artistic effect, cites the Pritzker Jury, but more importantly, it is a clear echo of a buildings program and a means to make architecture more productive for those it serves. Inside Lloyds of London. Sean Batten/Getty Images (cropped) After the success of the Centre Pompidou in the 1970s, Rogers next huge project was the Lloyds of London building completed in 1986. The Pritzker Jury cited it as another landmark of late twentieth century design and that it established Richard Rogers’ reputation as a master not only of the large urban building, but also of his own brand of architectural expressionism. In the 1990s Rogers tried his hand at tensile architecture and created Londons temporary Millennium Dome, which is still being used as the O2 arena center of entertainment in Southeast London. The Rogers Partnership has designed buildings and cities all over the world - from Japan to Spain, Shanghai to Berlin, and Sydney to New York. In the U.S. he was part of the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 - Tower 3 at 175 Greenwich Street is a Rogers design, completed in 2018. Rogers legacy is as the responsible architect, the professional who considers the workplace, the building site, and the world we share. He was the first architect to deliver the prestigious Reitch Lecture in 1995. In Sustainable City: Cities for a Small Planet he lectured the world: Other societies have faced extinction - some, like the Easter Islanders of the Pacific, the Harappa civilization of the Indus Valley, the Teotihuacan in pre-Columbian America, due to ecological disasters of their own making. Historically, societies unable to solve their environmental crises have either migrated or become extinct. The vital difference today is that the scale of our crisis is no longer regional but global: it involves all of humanity and the entire planet. The Leadenhall Building, London, UK. Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Teen Pegnancy

Teen Pegnancy Free Online Research Papers Teen pregnancy is one of the most difficult experiences a young person might ever face when it interrupts school or other plans. It can create an emotional crisis resulting in feelings of shame and fear, and it may appear that you will crumble under pressures in your environment. The stress of how you are going to break this news to your parents might be even greater, and finding help may seem an impossible task.You might think no one can help you, or you might be too embarrassed to search for help. However, denying the pregnancy or ignoring it can only make things worse for you and your baby. Denial will not take the pregnancy away; instead, you will lose the time you could have invested in prenatal care and counseling. You have options, and making a choice may be simple or difficult, depending on your situation. Check resources carefully and try to give yourself the opportunity to make the best informed decision possible. Research Papers on Teen PegnancyPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesStandardized TestingHip-Hop is ArtTrailblazing by Eric AndersonEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenTwilight of the UAWAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era

Framework for Assessing the UK Toy and Game Industry Term Paper

Framework for Assessing the UK Toy and Game Industry - Term Paper Example The paper will describe the uses of a framework for penetrating in the retail toy segment of the United Kingdom. The company chosen for the paper is Mattel which is one of the biggest toy-producing companies internationally. The objective of the paper is to illustrate the opportunities served by the foreign market and measure the market efficiency for Mattel to launch its own retail outlet in the UK. Framework for Assessing the UK Toy and Game Industry In order to develop a framework, one needs to understand the vital aspects of business which are competitors, purchasers, suppliers, substitute products and market risks. Assessing these aspects can be beneficial to assist in developing an understanding of the competitive situation and the strengths of the competitive position in which Mattel desires to shift itself. With clear understanding of where its strengths are preserved, Mattel can take the advantages of its competencies to recover its condition of weakness and evade from taking risky strategies. Developing a framework is helpful for recognizing whether the products of Mattel have the ability to strengthen its foothold in the UK market. However, the framework must be quite instructive to identify the impression of competitors’ power, purchasers, suppliers and substitute products in the foreign market environment along with the market size, costs of entry, channel of distribution, and awareness of customers (Arnold, D., â€Å"Mirage of Global Markets: How Globalizing Companies Can Succeed as Markets Localize†). Competition among Organization The areas which will be covered under this topic are industry growth, concentration of competitors and level of differentiation in toy products. Industry Growth The toy market of the UK has numerous product groups with various opportunities and threats for foreign companies. The toy market segment comprises introduction of new technology into traditional toy-making process as a major drift (Euromonitor International, â€Å"United Kingdom - Entering the Toys Market†). The recent day phenomenon of business conditions can be observed to be partly ruled by strong competition from foreign toy producers which seek to gain bigger share in the local market. The demand of new toys at the production level has impacted by the fragile progress of disposable income of people in the UK. The low disposable income has decreased the spending power of customers and increased the

External Forces, Brand Strategy and Strategic Position Essay

External Forces, Brand Strategy and Strategic Position - Essay Example In present business environment, the competition had been likened to the battle zone where business rivals throw every manner of jibes to outdo another. It is normally said that the person who arrives first in the battle zone awaits opponents with much ease, and the one who comes later into the battle zone is often weary. It is on this backdrop that the business operations of Scribe Group often enter the market that is dominated by the big boys and competes on the complacency of other companies to win their share of the market and build their brand. To go out for war metaphorically requires strategy, and strategy in simple connotative term implies tactics that have been inculcated to outdo the opponent. The firm faces a number of external challenges myriad with internal dynamics. In understanding the Scribe Group’s external forces, the Porters Five Forces Model provides a sufficient mechanism for the analysis. The model recognizes and evaluates five competitive forces that continually bombard and shape companies to allocate their industry’s level of competitiveness and hence understand the development of their strategies (Griffin, 2013). In the paragraphs that will ensue, this paper shall apply the Five-Forces Model for the Scribe Group. First, Barriers to Entry, which is high, the airline industry is synonymous with a high fixed cost required for business development. The Selling and administrative costs can be high within the industry, given the fact that Scribe Group enters into a market where there are already established names especially the advertising costs. The report shows that the combined pretax profit realized from rail and airlines in 2013 and 2014 are 90 and 112 respectively against a huge turnover in the same period of  £980 and  £1101 respectively. The huge difference in turnover and profit is the result of even a comparable larger selling and administrative costs.