Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Criticism of Diego Velzquez Las Meninas, Sebastin de Morra, and Baltasar Carlos and a Dwarf essays

Criticism of Diego Velzquez Las Meninas, Sebastin de Morra, and Baltasar Carlos and a Dwarf essays Diego Velzquez was called the noblest and most commanding man among the artists of his country. He was a master realist, and no painter has surpassed him in the ability to seize essential features and fix them on canvas with a few broad, sure strokes. His men and women seem to breathe, it has been said; his horses are full of action and his dogs of life. Because of Velzquez great skill in merging color, light, space, rhythm of line, and mass in such a way that all have equal value, he was known as the painters painter, as demonstrated in the paintings Las Meninas, Sebastin de Morra, and Baltasar Carlos and a Dwarf. Las Meninas is a pictorial summary and a commentary on the essential mystery of the visual world, as well as on the ambiguity that results when different states or levels interact or are juxtaposed. The painting of The Royal Family also known as Las Meninas has always been regarded as an unsurpassable masterpiece. According to Palomino, it was finished in 1656, and, while Velzquez was painting it, the King, the Queen, and the Infantas Marà ¬a Teresa and Margarita often came to watch him at work. In the painting, the painter himself is seen at the easel; the mirror on the rear wall reflects the half-length figures of Philip IV and Queen Mariana standing under a red curtain. The Infanta Margarita is in the center, attended by two Meninas, or maids of honor, Dorbola, and a midget, Nicols de Pertusato, who playfully puts his foot on the back of the mastiff resting on the floor. Linked to this large group there is another formed by Doña Marcela de Ulloa, guardamujer de las d amas d...

Monday, March 2, 2020

Textuality - Definition and Discussion

Textuality - Definition and Discussion In linguistics  and literary studies, the property by which successive sentences form a coherent text in contrast to a random sequence. Textuality is a key concept in post-structuralist theory. In their study Translation as Text (1992), A.  Neubert and G.M. Shreve define textuality as the complex set of features that texts must have to be considered texts. Textuality is a property that a complex linguistic object assumes when it reflects certain social and communicative constraints. Observations The Domains of Texture, Structure, and ContextThe three basic domains of textuality . . . are texture, structure, and context. The term texture covers the various devices used in establishing continuity of sense and thus making a sequence of sentences operational (i.e. both cohesive and coherent). . . .Another source from which texts derive their cohesion and acquire the necessary coherence is structure. This assists us in our attempt to perceive specific compositional plans in what otherwise would only be a disconnected sequence of sentences. Structure and texture thus work together, with the former providing the outline, and the latter fleshing out the details. . . .In dealing with structure and texture, we rely on higher-order contextual factors which determine the way a given sequence of sentences serves a specific rhetorical purpose such as arguing or narrating (i.e. becomes what we have called text).(Basil Hatim and Ian Mason, The Translator as Communicator. Routledge, 1997) What Is a Text?There are various senses in which a piece of writing may be said to be a text. The word text itself is the past participle stem of the Latin verb texere, to weave, intertwine, plait, or (of writing) compose. The English words textile and texture also derive from the same Latin word. This etymology of the word text is apparent in expressions that refer to the weaving of a story, the thread of an argument, or the texture of a piece of writing. A text may thus be taken to be a weaving or a network of analytic, conceptual, logical, and theoretical relations that is woven with the threads of language. This implies that language is not a transparent medium through which arguments are expressed, . . . but is interwoven with or provides the very filaments of the substantive arguments themselves.(Vivienne Brown, Textuality and the History of Economics. A Companion to the History of Economic Thought, ed. by W. J. Samuels et al. Blackwell, 2003)Texts, Textuality, and TextureThe p roper business of literary criticism is the description of readings. Readings consist of the interaction of texts and humans. Humans are comprised of minds, bodies and shared experiences. Texts are the objects produced by people drawing on these resources. Textuality is the outcome of the workings of shared cognitive mechanics, evident in texts and readings. Texture is the experienced quality of textuality.(Peter Stockwell,  Texture: A Cognitive Aesthetics of Reading. Edinburgh University Press,  2009) Textuality and TeachingAs I see it, textuality has two aspects. One is the broadening of the objects we study and teach to include all the media and modes of expression. . . . Expanding the range of texts is one aspect of studies in textuality. The other . . . has to do with changing the way we look at texts to combine the perspectives of creator and consumer, writer and reader. Both of these aspects of textuality have to do with helping students open their minds and expand their vision of how texts work and what they do. The larger goal of textuality is the opening of a wider world of culture for students . . ..The study of textuality involves looking at works that function powerfully in our world, and considering both what they mean and how they mean.(Robert Scholes,  English After the Fall: From Literature to Textuality. University of Iowa Press, 2011)  Ã‚   Also Known As: texture

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Intellectual Property Rights in Media Applications Essay

Intellectual Property Rights in Media Applications - Essay Example A "dramatic work" includes a work of dance or mime; while a "musical work" means a work consisting of music, exclusive of any words or action intended to be sung, spoken or performed with the music. Section 5(1) of the Act provides that "sound recording" means - (a) a recording of sounds, from which the sounds may be reproduced, or (b) a recording of the whole or any part of a literary, dramatic or musical work, from which sounds reproducing the work or part may be produced, regardless of the medium on which the recording is made or the method by which the sounds are reproduced or produced. In the given problem, copyright subsists in the lyrics of the song 'Harlequin', the musical composition (musical notes) of the same song, and the sound recording of the song. Copyright protection therefore subsists on the foregoing works such that any infringement thereof gives the copyright owner or author of the works a claim or cause of action against the Guys. Under Section 9 of the Act, the "author" means the person who creates the work and in case of a sound recording, that person (the author) shall be taken to be the person by whom the arrangements necessary for the making of the recording or film are undertaken. Thus, in the case of the lyrics of the song 'Harlequin', the writer of the song is the author of the literary work while the composer is the author of the musical work. In the given problem, therefore, Jones is the author of the lyrics of 'Harlequin' as a literary work while at the same time he, as composer of the song, is also the author of the musical work. The author of the sound recording of the song on the other hand is Arcadia, Jones' music publishing company. Parenthetically, if the Guys does not have a license from Arcadia to use the sound recording, then the Guys may also be liable for copyright infringement of Arcadia's sound recording. Nevertheless, Jones will therefore be advised that as copyright owner of both the lyrics and musical composition of the song, being the sole author of the said lyrics and musical composition, he may have a cause of action against the Guys for infringement of his copyright over in the literary and/or musical work. As copyright owner, I will advise Jones that under Section 16 of the Act, the owner of the copyright in a work has the exclusive right to do the following acts in the United Kingdom - (a) to copy the work; (b) to issue copies of the work to the public; (c) to perform, show or play the work in public; (d) to broadcast the work or include it in a cable programme service; and (e) to make an adaptation of the work or do any of the above in relation to an adaptation. Those acts are the "acts restricted by the copyright". Furthermore, under the same Section, copyright in a work is "infringed by a person who without the licence of the copyright owner does, or authorises another to do, any of the acts restricted by the copyright" "in relation to the work as a whole or any substantial part of it" "either directly or indirectly". In view of the foregoing provisions, I will advise Jones that the Guys will only be guilty of copyright infringement if the 6-second music sample from Jones's 'Harlequin' used by

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Biometrics and Wireless Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Biometrics and Wireless Technologies - Essay Example Dominant security-enhancement technologies leave a lot to be desired. In addition to security risks, has been estimated that between half to a third of calls to IT help desks are password related, and that managing multiple passwords and password resetting costs can range between $200 (Forrester Research estimate) to $340 (Gartner estimate) per employee per year (www.Forrester.com (2005); www.Gartner.com (2005)). Biometrics can offer significant security enhancements as well as other value-added applications. Potential applications of biometric technologies range from controlling physical access to facilities (used by Disneyworld to provide access to season pass holders), enabling voice recognition at call-centers (used by the Home Shopping Network and Charles Schwab to enable hassle-free client authentication), controlling time and attendance of employees (used by McDonalds), providing self-service access to safe deposit vaults at banks (used by the Bank of Hawaii and First Tennessee Bank), or cashing checks in supermarkets (used by Kroger, Food 4 Less and BI-LO). Security concerns and higher levels of fraud, such as the rising incidence of identity theft, combined with advancements in biometric technologies and reducing costs of the technologies involved, have provided an impetus for greater diffusion and highlighted biometrics' immense potential. In 2003, while industry revenues were US$719 million, the estimate for 2004 is US$1.2 billion. This is expected to rise to US$4.6 billion in 2008. Currently the lion's share of biometric technologies is accounted for by fingerprint biometrics at 48 percent, followed by face recognition at 12 percent and hand geometry at 11 percent. Iris recognition, by far the most secure method, has just 9 percent market share, since it costs a lot more to implement and there is a lower level of customer acceptance (International Biometrics Group, 2005). However, the overwhelming majority of current biometrics applications are focused on simply improving security rather than being led by a clear mandate of providing quantum leaps to customer service while simultaneously raising efficiency as well as security. We believe that the winners of tomorrow will be firms that manage to harness the power of biometrics to achieve this essential combination (Wirtz and Heracleous, 2005). Following several industry interview results and other industry participant interactions, the researchers arrived at the conclusion that many, but not all, biometric industry vendors appear to be depending on sales based on "supply push" rather than "demand pull" marketing strategies. That is to say, the biometrics vendors appeared to be captivated with the technology underlying the biometric devices more so than concentrating on current biometric devices as part of a solution to a business problem for prospective customers. However, on the contrary, it was appar ent from our conversations with customers and potential customers that they were inclined to be less interested in devices, and more focused on buying solutions to problems. For instance, three prospective customers pointed out that they were "waiting it out" in order to see which technology or vendor would come

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Progressive Era: The Era of Immigration, Race, and Women’s Rights Essay

Introduction: The Progressive era was a period of reform in American history that spanned roughly from the 1890s to the 1920s. Prohibitions, segregation, women's suffrage and immigration arose during this time, like many of the social reforms that shape the way we live and work today. The progressive era in the United States one of the most important times in history with brought permanent changes to the American ways of living. All of these and other factor were vital for the creation of a new American society. Be Gender roles: At the beginning of the 20th century the United States starts to leave behind the old ideas of the 19th century concerning the separate, and indeed distinct natures of men and women, which were more, standardized at the pick of the industrialization which defined merchandize labor as the â€Å"job of men,† and the domestic duties as the natural domain of woman. At this time, the relationships with men and women and of both in society stated to generate a big change thanks to the rapid change that industrialization was creating in society, which provokes a rebirth a new believe an practice of the traditional render roles. In the early 20’s women felt that they were lacking participation in their own communities, which alienated them from providing any type of influence in their own society. For this lack in participation women felt that they needed to take action. Voting was one of the first symbolic movements that women saw as a passage to gain all of the rights that they were denied. During this part the gran majority of men did not think that it was a good idea to support women for various reasons. One of the first reasons was that women were larger number of citizen at the time. Also men thought that t... ...emigration. Garvey wanted African Americans to unify and create a central government centered in homeland Africa where they were supposed to build â€Å"a great industrial and commercial commonwealth.† He wanted â€Å"every negro to make the dream of possibility.† His idea was to buy steamships to take people and goods to Africa where they were going to create a new history were I didn’t start with the slaves. Garvey is still significant till this day big figures like Martin Luther King and Malcon X were influence by his ideal. Conclusion: To conclude, the progressive Era was a time where these three main themes generated in a society that was hungry for progression. It is very important to remember that all of these changes in the late 19th century and the early 20th century were not secluded from each other; instead these developments were all interlined with each other.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Byd Company Case Analysis Essay

1. BYD Company, Ltd. (â€Å"BYD†) is the world’s second largest manufacturer of rechargeable batteries. Exhibit 1 shows that between 1999 and 2001, BYD’s annual sales grew three times – exceeding RMB 1.3 billion in 2001. Based on the first four months of 2002, BYD’s annual sales are expected exceed RMB 1.6 billion in 2002. Founded in 1995 by Wang Chuan-Fu, chairman and president, BYD has built its reputation by becoming the largest Chinese supplier of lithium-ion batteries to cell phone manufacturers. Exhibit 3 shows that by 2002, BYD was among the top four manufactures worldwide – and was the largest Chinese manufacturer – in each of the three main battery technologies (with about 9% market share in Li-ion technology, 31% market share in NiCd technology, and 8% market share in NiMH technology). Despite the presence of large Japanese competitors – including Sanyo, Sony, and Matsushita – in the global market and a large number of local Chinese firms, BYD’s aim to improve the quality of products while keeping the price low started winning it business from foreign companies. By doing so, BYD has positioned itself as a cost leader in the batter industry and has moved towards cost advantage in manufacturing of its products. BYD emphasized on the technology and product development by investing about 2% of the company’s revenue in product and process R&D. Since the development of its first lithium-ion battery in 1997, BYD has made several improvements that increased the cycle life of its products. BYD moved from having no patents as of 1999 to holding scores of patents as of the beginning of 2002. The manufacturing process – in terms of sequence of steps – at BYD was similar to that at the competing Japanese firms. However, Japanese firms had most of the processes automated and had more dry-room space. This kind of set up needed greater investment in capital equipment and accounted for an annual capital expenditure five to ten times more than that at BYD. The biggest threat to BYD’s competitive advantage is the tough competition faced from the emergence of nearly 200 Chinese firms in the rechargeable battery market. Like BYD did, these Chinese firms too relied on labor-intense production process. The lack of proper regulations in China allows the competitors to duplicate BYD processes easily. On the other hand, BYD faced a shortage of labor in Shenzhen because of the presence of large number of manufacturers located in that region. At BYD, 95% of the work force on the battery production is young women who have come from smaller villages across China. They would work here for a couple of years before returning to their home villages. As a result of this migration pattern, BYD faced a turnover of 10% to 20% in its manufacturing workforce. 2. The core competencies of BYD are: Battery Technology (by changing the product materials to make them less sensitive to humidity), R&D department, Human Resource Management (providing housing, food, and health insurance to workers, discipline traning, job rotation to reduce monotony, social activities and promotions), cheap labor and Manufacturing process (labor plus jigs equals automation). Of the above mentioned core competencies, battery technology, R&D department, Human Resource Management, and cheap labor are transferrable to the automotive business. However, the manufacturing process – which is not automated – is not transferrable to the automotive business. From the resources perspective BYD should enter the auto industry because acquiring Qinchuan Auto Company offers BYD rare resources such as production permits and land for its new Auto factory, which are significant barriers for entry for new competitors, at a reasonable price. These resources coupled with t he BYD’s transferable resources could result in a successful enterprise. 3. The Chinese auto industry is overall attractive. There is huge growth expected in the Chinese demand for automobiles – from 1 million sedans in 2002 to potentially 6 million by 2010. Given this expected growth in demand for automobiles, several Chinese auto manufacturers had partnered with foreign manufacturers, such as General Motors, Toyota, and Volkswagen to sell their vehicles. As shown in Exhibit 13, the production capacity of major firms in china slightly exceeded 2 million units in 2002, this figure is expected to reach 3.5 million units by 2012 – as shown in Exhibit 14. Yes! The Chinese auto industry is attractive to BYD. Given the expected growth and demand in the auto industry, combined with Chinese government having stopped issuing production permits for new automotive companies, there are very few remaining opportunities to get in to this booming auto industry. Moreover, BYD is getting a good bargain as the assets of the state-owned Qinchuan Auto are being sold at a cheaper price. The state owned auto manufacturers without foreign partners accounted for 25% of auto sales in China. Many of the SOE manufacturers did not even have R&D departments. Because most of the automobile parts were imported, similar models of cars cost more in China than in USA. The existing foreign joint ventures were selling the vehicles at prices that gave them margins of 10% to 20%. Considering the current situation, there is room for low-priced entrants. Wang always dreamt of applying Li-ion battery technology to develop an electric vehicle. Using newer battery technology and assembling it cheaply, the vehicle could be competitively priced and represent a way for China to leap forward in an industry and technology in which it had previously lagged other nations. Wang was also excited about applying BYD’s deep capabilities in process engineering – used so successfully to design new methods of battery production that gave BYD a significant cost advantage over global competitors – to automotive manufacturing. 4. In addition to offering OEMs a â€Å"one-stop† solution for the outsourced manufacturing of their products, BYD should also acquire Qinchuan Auto Company. Because of the huge potential for the automotive industry in China and very few available opportunities, this is the right moment for BYD to enter the automotive industry. As Qinchuan Auto Company already has a name in the market, with its flagship product Flyer, BYD should continue selling Flyer along with other upgraded new models of car. BYD should also invest in automating the manufacturing process and R&D department. It should ensure that most of the auto parts are internally or locally manufactured in order to keep the costs at minimum and margins high. The company should invest heavily in infrastructure needed to cater to the foreseen demand in the Chinese automotive industry. It should invest heavily in acquiring quality manpower by offering them good salaries, perks etc†¦. If capital is a challenge, then BYD could partner with foreign manufacturer and provide them a platform to sell their products in the Chinese automotive industry. This will give BYD enough time to closely analyze the Chinese automotive industry and take necessary steps.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The United States And The Articles Of Confederation

The most significant issues that the United States had under the Articles of Confederation were: â€Å"managing the western expansion, foreign relations, and debt.† The first significant issue was with the western expansion as Americans relocated to the Nashville, western Pennsylvania, and Kentucky areas in mass numbers in the 1780s. The result of this meant that the areas were enhanced greatly that had western charters. At the time, the northern and southern areas (in the Appalachian Mountains and Mississippi River) had specific boundaries based on the original colonized charters which meant that the western area was the Pacific Ocean. The states that did not have part of the western area resented the condition and as a result, Maryland protested by not approving the Articles of Confederation unless the state of Virginia yielded its western land to the federal government which they did in 1784. However, their yielding was not without strings attached as they demanded that the y be allowed to keep a small portion of the land reserve for their own use as a part of the deal which Congress had no choice but to accept. Eighteen years later in 1802, every state had yielded their western land to the federal government. The first significant issue was with western expansion ultimately led to Congress’s plan to organize its territories. Congress did this through the adoption of the Land Ordinance of 1785 which was a survey system where settlers could buy divided, undeveloped westernShow MoreRelatedThe Articles Of Confederation And The United States1375 Words   |  6 PagesThe Articles of Confederation, which was considered the first constitution of the United States of America, and the US Constitution, which acts as the supreme law in the United States today, both are poles apart. In fact, it was only because of the weaknesses of the Articles that the present-day US Constitution was drafted. The Articles of Confederation or Articles was a written agreement which laid the guidelines for the functioning of the national government. It was drafted by the Continental CongressRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The United States994 Words   |  4 PagesThe Articles of Confederation were th e written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. The Articles provided a system for the Continental Congress to direct the American Revolutionary War, conduct diplomacy with Europe and deal with territorial issues and Native American relations. The articles were supposed to be a legislative body serving as the nation’s executive rather than a parliament. It hadRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation Of The United States1531 Words   |  7 PagesThe Articles of Confederation was one of the first official documents of the United States. The purpose of this article was to create a confederation of states whereby each state retained its sovereignty, freedom, and independence. Every state was as independent as possible with the Federal government only responsible for the common defense, security of liberties, and the general welfare. There were several problems that soon became obvi ous with time, as the Articles took effect. The Articles containedRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The United States1509 Words   |  7 Pagesstill suffering due to the lack of knowledge the states had on both economic and political matters. Since it was agreed upon that the nation wanted to be a democracy, the Constitution was shaped accordingly. The Articles of Confederation where written in order to establish a national government among the thirteen original colonies. There were many factors that caused of the crisis but the main reason was because of the Revolutionary war. The United States had taken on a substantial amount of debt inRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution Of The United States1096 Words   |  5 PagesThe Articles of Confederation was the first order of government established within the United States of America from March 1st, 1781 and lasted until March 4th, 1789. This written document established the functions of the national go vernment of the United States after gaining independence from Great Britain. In order to not follow in the footsteps of Great Britain and become a tyranny, the Articles of Confederation declared that each state was independent and sovereign; each state had an absoluteRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution Of The United States1436 Words   |  6 Pagesagain. The states joined forces against Britain. After rejecting the British rule the states establish their own state constitutions. They wanted to prevent the hardships that they had experienced from the colonial governments established by Britain. Then to unite the colonies, Congress proposed a constitution for the national government and sent it to the individual states for ratification. On March 1, 1781, the Articles of Confederation were ratified. The Articles of Confederation was the firstRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution Of The United States991 Words   |  4 Pagesinto thirteen states. In order to provide political stability to the country, the leaders of these thirteen states drafted an article of Confederation. An article of Confederation was adopted by the Continental Congress which was the first constitution of America. Though many ratification of the Articles was made , some all the states realised that article of Confederation is not powerful enough to resolve the national and international issues. As a result the Articles of Confederation was replacedRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution Of The United States Essay990 Words   |  4 PagesThe Articles of Confederation, is the first written constitution of the United States. The Articles of Confederation consists of a Continental Congress, to maintain the Articles and serve as a government of the thirteen American colonies. The Continental Congress is made up of delegates from the thirteen colonies. These colonies include: Delaware, Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Jersey, Connect icut, Maryland, Massachusetts Bay, South Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, and RhodeRead MoreArticles Of Confederation And The United States Constitution.1820 Words   |  8 PagesArticles of Confederation and the United States Constitution Cheryl Powers Chamberlain College of Nursing HIST 405 January, 2017 Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution Introduction: The strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation vs. the new Constitution of 1787 Created by Continental Congress, the Articles of Confederation were the first promising attempts of aligning the 13 colonies of the United States. By 1781 the Articles were finalized and becameRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The Early Formation Of The United States933 Words   |  4 Pagesparties the early formation of the United States was full of turmoil and learning. The steps we have had to take may have caused many problems in the beginning and the loss of life. In the beginning of the United States we used the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of confederation were in no way a perfect answer to America in the beginning, but it was the starting point for the Constitution. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving