Tourism in Saudi Arabia

Executive summary Saudi Arabia has a rich collection of both natural and chronological attractions ranging from the mountain destinations of Taif and the magnificent display of prehistoric Nabatean tombs to the colorful coral reefs in the Red Sea. The larger percentage of tourists in this country has mainly been drawn from the conventional Muslim world out for pilgrimage. Currently, there is an upcoming trend laying a lot of importance on tourism in the country.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Tourism in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This led to the establishment of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) in 2000, whose purpose is to support tourism in the Kingdom. This forms the overall agent body that represent public bodies, which are concerned with the tourism industry. This report seeks to analyze the character and contribution of tourism in this country, with some mention of some of the most attractive sites in the kingdom. Introduction Tourism ranks as one of the major enterprises surrounding trade and governmental restructuring, which was taken up by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following a designed and rigorous improvement plan. It was based on an economic redistribution program aimed at surmounting growth obstacles. This was inclusive of the Saudi’s Cabinet decision No., (9) dated 17/04/2000, regarding making an allowance for tourism as an industrious sector. This initiative aimed at persuading Saudi tourists to spend their holiday within the kingdom alongside growing investment prospect. This also aimed at widening and improving state human resources. As a result, tourism expansion is seen as a nationwide economic venture. In the light of improving Saudi tourism through management, advancement and back-up, it is expected that this will overcome expansion barrier as the sector is deemed as a crucial component of the economy. At the same time, these ventures must seem to comply with the principles and ideals of the Kingdom. The objective is also directed at preserving and safeguarding antiquities, while catering for their contribution towards cultural and economic progress. These include museums and supporting archeological ventures. On the other hand, the private sector has taken a leading role by setting up tourist oriented trade amenities. Saudi Arabia has a rich collection of both natural and chronological attractions ranging from the mountain destinations of Taif and the magnificent display of prehistoric Nabatean tombs to the colorful coral reefs in the Red Sea.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Whereas Saudi Arabia has a formidable presence on the tourism scene over the centuries with millions of visitors flocking to the Kingdom annually, the larger percentage of these visitors have been drawn from the co nventional Muslim world out for pilgrimage. Currently, there is an upcoming trend laying a lot of importance on tourism in the country. This led to the establishment of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) in 2000, whose purpose is to support tourism in the Kingdom. Saudi commission for tourism archeological treasure Supreme Commission of Tourism (SCT) was launched in 2000 as a corporate entity. Article 3 of SCT’s statute affirmed that, SCT’s functions and tasks are pegged around tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with an aim of extending, advancing and boosting the tourism industry while conquering growth hindrances with an understanding that tourism is central to the national economy. The private sector has been integral in setting up tourism oriented trade facilities. Its board forms the overall agent body that represent public bodies, which are concerned with the tourism industry. The group’s Secretary General is charged with the mana gement of managerial affairs of the SCT through the Secretariat General Department. Afterwards, the Saudi Cabinet decreed on resolution No., (9), of 16th April, 2000, which legitimized the formation of the Supreme Commission of Tourism (SCT). This validated tourism as a major economic division with an objective of encouraging Saudi tourists to spend holidays within the kingdoms’ vast destinations, thus growing investment prospects, developing the national human resource capacity and generating job openings for Saudi citizens. Considering the paramount value for museums and archeological treasures, the Royal decree No. 2/a of 30/04/2003, stipulated that, in regards to Museums and Antiquities Agency, SCT was to be charged with the operations around the antiquities body alongside tourism division affairs. The Cabinet’s declaration No. (78) Of 23/03/2008, which adopted the name ‘Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA)’, argued that domestic tourism as a national concern needed public establishments to contribute towards its success and expansion based on its exclusive tourism prospects.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Tourism in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Major Tourism attraction sites in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia’s Global Tourism The overall worth for International tourists calculated as the number of arrivals in Saudi Arabia was 10,850,000 in 2010. From the graph below, it is clear that, over the past 15 years, this pointer hit a high value of 14,757,000 in 2008 and a minimum value of 3,325,000 in 1995. Origin: Global Tourism Organization; Annual Tourism Figures, Compendium of Tourism Data and Figures and Records. Contribution of Transport tourism in Saudi Arabia Express Contribution The express input from Tourism to the GDP reproduces the internal expenditure on Transport Tourism (overall spending inside a particular count ry on Travel Tourism by inhabitants and non natives for business and pleasure together with administration’s individual expenses). These may translate into expenses accrued by a government on Transport Tourism services, which is directly associated with visitors. These include factors like culture and recreation. The direct input from Transport Tourism to GDP is estimated in relation to the output. This is consistent with National Accounting in tourist oriented sectors such as lodges, airlines, tour agents and leisure spots, which are directly in contact with tourists. The direct input of Transport Tourism to GDP is determined by total domestic expenditure, after netting out the procurements made within the tourism departments This quantity is associated with the meaning of Tourism GDP, as defined in the 2008 Tourism Satellite Account: Optional Methodological Structure (TSA: RMF 2008). Total contribution The overall contribution of Transport Tourism takes account of its wider influences, which include indirect and stimulated forces on the country’s economy. The indirect input consists of GDP and jobs sustained by Transport Tourism venture expenses, which is a crucial aspect of existing and potential operations such as aircraft purchase and tourism infrastructural expenditure.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The government’s joint expenditure supports Transport Tourism operations in various ways, especially based on its contribution to the community. These operations may include marketing and sponsorship, aviation, management, security, resort area back up and sanitation. There are a number of purchased domestic goods and services that deal with tourists directly. They include: IT services by travel agents, catering services by airlines, cleaning fuel and hotels, and buying of food. The GDP and employments maintained by the expenditures of employees who are indirectly and directly employed by the travel and tourism industry, are engaged in an induced contribution. The statics shows high prospects for tourism industry in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia economic contribution in tourism: Real 2011 Saudi Arabia (SARbn, real 2011 prices) 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012E 2022F Purchases by tourism providers, including imported goods (supply chain) -23.2 -27.1 -24.8 -26.7 -26.8 -27. 4 -28.4 -42.8 Internal tourism consumption (= 1 + 2 + government individual spending) 62.7 73.0 68.4 73.2 73.6 75.5 78.0 117.3 Domestic expenditure 36.3 40.6 39.2 38.9 39.3 37.5 41.4 69.9 Visitor exports 25.9 31.9 28.7 33.7 33.7 37.4 35.9 46.3 Direct contribution of\Travel Tourism to GDP (= 3 + 4) 39.5 45.9 43.6 46.5 46.8 48.1 79.6 74.6 Other final impacts (indirect induced) Government collective spending 3.4 3.4 3.1 4.0 3.7 3.7 4.5 7.8 Induced 19.8 21.5 20.1 21.0 21.7 22.8 23.3 35.4 Imported goods from indirect spending -4.3 -4.4 -3.6 -4.9 -4.6 -4.2 -4.7 -6.9 Domestic supply chain 21.1 24.5 23.3 24.8 25.0 25.7 26.5 39.8 Capital investment 19.6 20.5 17.1 20.4 20.3 20.0 21.3 29.5 Total contribution of Travel Tourism to GDP (= 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10) 99.1 111.4 103.6 111.8 112.9 116.2 120.5 180.2 Employment impacts (‘000) Direct contribution of Travel Tourism to employment 194.6 232.3 220.2 240.0 235.4 234.3 239.3 318.3 Total contribution of Travel T ourism to employment 455.3 527.1 488.2 538.7 529.1 525.8 538.8 706.2 Other indicators Expenditure on outbound travel 64.7 98.4 63.6 110.3 97.2 72.2 78.3 83.4 Sources: world travel tourism council Conclusion The potential outlook of the Saudi Kingdom, in relation to the tourism industry is pegged on several themes, including the country being viewed as the land of Islam. The Kingdom aims at seeking out liberal and notable tourism growth, with common, cultural, environmental and financial benefits within its Islamic principles and customary hospitality. To accomplish this dream, SCTA lays emphasis on several tasks, most importantly including realization of sustainable and fair tourism progress, accomplishing economic multiplicity and social enhancement, and generating job openings and protecting the environment. The potential for growth of this industry is very evident, especially from the statics and other critical information that shows the Kingdom’s concerted efforts i n promoting the industry, besides being naturally endowed with amazing tourists attraction sites. This report on Tourism in Saudi Arabia was written and submitted by user Fiona Burris to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Crawford Surname Origin and Last Name Meaning

Crawford Surname Origin and Last Name Meaning Derived from the Gaelic word cru meaning bloody, and ford meaning pass or crossing, the CRAWFORD surname is believed by most to mean a crossing of blood. Believed to be first assumed by the proprietor of the lands and barony of Crawford, in Lanarkshire, Scotland, Crawford is often a  habitational name  derived from several different places called  Crawford  (e.g. in South Lanarkshire, Scotland; Dorset, England; and Somerset, England). A possible similar derivation for the Crawford last name comes from crawe meaning crow and ford meaning pass or crossing. Alternate Surname Spellings:  CROFFORD, CRAWFFORD, CRAUFURD, CRUFORD. Also a variant of CROWFOOT. Surname Origin: English, Scottish, northern Irish Famous People with the Crawford Surname Joan Crawford - American film and theater actress, and pin-up girlCindy Crawford - American model, film actress and television personality Genealogy Resources for the Surname Crawford Meanings of Common English SurnamesUncover the meaning of your English last name with this free guide to English surname meanings and origins for the most common English surnames. CRAWFORD Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Crawford ancestors around the world. FamilySearch - CRAWFORD GenealogySearch or browse for free access to digitized records and lineage-linked family trees for the Crawford surname on FamilySearch.org, the website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. CRAWFORD Surname Mailing ListFree mailing list for researchers of the Crawford surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - CRAWFORD Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Crawford. Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name Meanings Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Looking for logical fallacies by both genders Essay

Looking for logical fallacies by both genders - Essay Example on’s wife plots to murder him on the fallacy of equivocation because she believes it will enable their adulterous affair with Aesgisthus to succeed and also own the family wealth. The decision to capture Cassandra, the daughter of the defeated Trojan king by Agamemnon is another manifestation of the appeal to tradition when family members suffered because of their parent’s evil during war. The above fallacies, therefore, have deeper meanings in critically examining the play. Clytemnestra murderous plot, for instance, demonstrates the wickedness that women commit when restrain lacks in society because of flimsy reasons such as the sacrifice of one’s daughter. Contrastingly, the logical fallacy in Agamemnon’s capture of Cassandra reveals the theme of women’s subjugation during conflicts such as wars and tragedies (Aeschylus 14). These scenarios make them vulnerable to the whims of evil men such as Agamemnon who faces revenge from his own household. It equally exposes the breakdown of families when resolving conflicts especially where differences range from jealousy to

Contemporary issues in conflict and security Essay

Contemporary issues in conflict and security - Essay Example Terrorism has severe social, economic, and psychological impacts on the targeted people. Analysis proves that terrorism often has a genuine grievance to fight for. Also, the strategies they adopt are not considerably crueler than the strategies adopted by many superpowers. Thirdly, it has become evident that terrorism is considerably more unethical because it often targets innocent third parties as the victims. The solution does not lie in armed suppression, but in adopting peaceful ways. Attention should be given to the reasons behind grievances and they should be removed. Also, free communication and liberty should be encouraged in every nation. Lastly, instead of revenge and martyrdom, values like peace and cooperation should be instilled in people. Introduction Terrorism has become one of the most complex and oft-changing phenomena in the international sphere. As a result, it has gained an important position in the agenda of most nations. The surprising fact is that terrorism is present in various forms and various structures, and they have various motivating factors behind them. The root causes of terrorism One can find innumerous reasons behind terrorism when one looks into the works of various scholars who already studied the various aspects of terrorism. As a result, as Crenshaw (1981) opines in the article ‘The causes of terrorism’, it is difficult to find general explanations for terrorism. However, the scholar manages to divide the causes into two categories; the preconditions which are known as root causes and the precipitants which are known as trigger causes. It is possible to further the root causes into enabling factors which mean the factors which offer an opportunity for terrorism to come up, and situations which are direct motivations for terrorist campaigns (ibid). According to Ross (1996), the causes can be divided into three categories, namely structural causes, psychological causes, and rational choice. Following this, Gupta (2004, p. 19) introduced the argument based on ethnicity, religion, and nationalism. According to his opinion, terrorism takes birth when a leading figure manages to give a proper direction to the frustration faced by a number of people and manage to formulate a feeling of collective identity; and also the feeling of ‘we’ versus ‘them’ is successfully developed along with this (ibid). The work by O’Brien (1996) looked into the reasons behind terrorism. According to the scholar, there is a link between the foreign policy of superpowers during the times of international crisis and international terrorism. In order to substantiate his view, the scholar provides the example of the United States and Iraq. Through the work, the scholar proves that the possibility of terrorism increases when one party feels victimized by the superpower (ibid). Another study by Krueger and Malenkov (2003) named ‘Education, poverty and terrorism: is there a casual conne ction?† looks into the impact of lack of education and poverty on people’s tendency to become terrorists. However, after a thorough study of the situation in Israel and Palestine, the scholars reach the conclusion that there is no direct link between education, poverty and terrorism (ibid). In fact, the study observed that the terrorists from those areas were generally better educated that others. Also, the study reveals that the

The impact of balanced scorecard on team dynamics Essay

The impact of balanced scorecard on team dynamics - Essay Example The dissertation explores the influence of balanced scorecard implementation on the team dynamics at a hygiene product manufacturing facility in the UK. The dissertation uses a qualitative approach to conduct the research for the subject and the findings are analyzed under an interpretivistic paradigm. One of the main strengths of the dissertation is that it includes a comprehensive introduction and literature review, which serves to orient the reader properly with regard to the topic of the dissertation and the direction of the research that is conducted. The introduction presents an introduction to the Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget and sets up the context for the balanced scorecard in the light of organizational management efforts towards scientific management, human relations approach, team-based structures, and so on towards balanced scorecards. The literature review also covers the essential seminal works or performance management systems including those by Taylor, Maslow, Herz berg, etc. as well as recent research by Fiske, Chan & Mak, and Clenhall among several others. In this way, the dissertation provides the reader with all the information necessary to appreciate the historical and intellectual context of the research. Another important strength of the dissertation is that it uses the triangulation approach which is necessary given that the research is conducted under the qualitative paradigm.

Sinhala Text To Speech System Development | Research

Sinhala Text To Speech System Development | Research The system, which I am developing, called SINHALA TEXT TO SPEECH is a one kind of fully research project. This documentation briefly describes the functionality of my STTS and highlights the important and benefits of the project. So this system will allow user to enter sinhala texts and internally it will convert in to pronunciation form. Actually it will happen after user select the particular option (convert to voice) to convert it in to that pronunciation form. So totally this system is capable of accepting characters in sinhala language (sinhala fonts) and makes them in to sound waves, which can be captured by a technical object (speakers). User will able to select the voice type, which he/she like, it mean there are three option called child voice, female voice and adult (male) voice to select. By selecting that function user can hear the voice, which he/she like most. And the system will carry out several benefits to users, those who will use this system. The users who are not able to read sinhala, but those can understand verbally will encourage to use this system, because using this product they can overcome that problem very easily. If somebody needs documents with sinhala texts, then he or she can use this system to get that one. In today world there are no such systems for sinhala language like which I am going to develop. Table of Contents ABSTRACT 2 Table of Contents 3 SINHALA TEXT TO SPEECH 4 1.INTRODUCTION 4 2.AIM 5 3.STUDY PROBLEM 5 4.RELEVANCE OF THE PROJECT 5 5.LITERATURE REVIEW 6 6.SPECIFIC STUDY OBJECTIVES 7 7.PROPOSED APPROACH 8 7.1 User 8 7.2 Data 8 7.3 Input 8 7.4 Processes 9 7.5 Output 9 8.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND TCHNOLOGIES 9 8.1 Database Technology 9 9.PROJECT PLAN 10 9.1 ARCHTECTURE 10 9.1.1 Design Architecture 10 9.1.2 Text process Architecture 11 9.1.3 Voice Tag Selection Process 12 9.1.4 Voice Control Process 13 10.REFERENCES 13 11.Bibliography 14 11.1 SPEECH ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS 14 11.2 SPEECH CODING 14 SINHALA TEXT TO SPEECH INTRODUCTION Sinhala Text To Speech is the system I am hoping to develop as my final research project. As a post graduate student I selected a research project that will convert the Sinhala input text into a verbal form. Actually, the term Text-To-speech (TTS) refers to the conversion of input text into a spoken utterance. The input is a Sinhala text, which may consist of a number of words, sentences, paragraphs, numbers and abbreviations. TTS engine should identify it without any ambiguity and generate the corresponding speech sound wave with acceptable quality. The output should be understandable for an average receiver without making much effort. This means that the output should be made as close as to the natural speech quality. Speech is produced when air is forced from the lungs through the vocal cords (glottis) and along the vocal tract. Speech is split into a rapidly varying excitation signal and a slowly varying filter. The envelope of the power spectra contains the vocal tract information. The verbal form of in input should be understandable for the receiver. This means that the output will be made as closer as the natural human voice. My system will carry out few main features. Some of them are, after entering the text user will capable of selecting one of voice qualities, means women voice, male voice and child voice. Also the user is capable of doing variation in speed of the voice. Actually, my project will carry out main few benefits to the users, those who intend to use this. Below I have mentioned the basic architecture of our project. Sinhala Voice Text in Sinhala And Voice and speed Selection Process Figure 1.1 AIM To develop a system, that can able to read text in sinhala format and covert it in to verbal (sinhala) form. And also, It will capable to change the sound waves, It mean user would able to select voice quality according to his/her opinion. There are might be three voice selections. These are kind of woman voice, kind of male voice and kind of kids voice. And user can change the speed of the voice. If somebody needs to hear low speed voices or high-speed voice, then he/she can change it according to their requirements. STUDY PROBLEM Actually before start this project I have accessed in to the Internet and collect more information regarding this particular field. First-of-all I have to provide a facility to enter sinhala font in to the computer. So, to overcome this matter I intend to use UNICODE. When we pronounce sinhala text, sometime we need use pronouncing voices of two texts. It means to create voice for some texts we need to combine another two text voices. So to have voices we should store voices to each and every text in the voice database. Then voices come from voice database according to the text which we entered. Actually after we entered text internally it (texts) get in to different groups. RELEVANCE OF THE PROJECT The thought of developing a Sinhala Text To Speech (STTS) engine have begun when I considering the opportunities available for Sinhala speaking users to grasp the benefit of Information and Computer Technology (ICT). In Sri Lanka more than 75% of population speaks in Sinhala, but its very rare to find Sinhala softwares or Sinhala materials regarding ICT in market. This is directly effect to development of ICT in Sri Lanka. In present few Sinhala text to speech softwares are available but those have problems such as quality of sound, font schemas, pronunciation etc. Because of these problems developers are afraid to use those STTS for their applications. My focus on developing an engine that can convert Sinhala words in digitized form to Sinhala pronunciation with error free manner. This engine will help to develop some applications. Some applications where STTS can be used Document reader. An already digitized document (i.e. e-mails, e-books, newspapers, etc.) or a conventional document by scanned and produced through an optical character recognizer (OCR). Aid to handicap person. The vision or voice impaired community can use the computers aided devices, directly to communicate with the world. The vision-impaired person can be informed by a STTS system. The voice-impaired person can communicate with others by providing a keypad and a STTS system. Talking books toys. Producing talking books toys will boost the toys market and education. Help assistant. Develop help assistant speaks in Sinhala like in MS Office help assistant. Automated News casting. The future of entirely new breed of television networks that have programs hosted by computer-generated characters is possible. Sinhala SMS reader. SMS consist of several abbreviations. If a system that read those messages it will help to receivers. Language education. A high quality TTS system incorporated with a computer-aided device can be used as a tool, in learning a new language. These tools can help the learner to improve very quickly since he/she has the access to the correct pronunciation whenever needed. Travelers guide. System that located inside the vehicle or mobile device that will give information current location other relevant information incorporated with GPRS. Alert systems. Systems that can be incorporated with a TTS system to attract the attention of the controlled elements since as humans are used to draw attention through voice. Specially, countries like Sri Lanaka, which is still struggling to harvest the ICT benefits, can use a Sinhala TTS engine as a solution to convey the information effectively. Users can get required information from there native language (i.e. by converting the text to native language text) would naturally move there thoughts to the achievable benefits and will be encouraged to use information technology much frequently. Therefore the development of a TTS engine for Sinhala will bring personal benefits (e.g. aid for handicapped, language learning) in a social perspective and definitely a financial benefit in economical terms (e.g. virtual television networks, toys manufacture) for the users. LITERATURE REVIEW Text to speech is very popular area in computer science field. There are several research held on this area. Most of research base on how to develop more natural speech for given text . There are freely available text to speech package available in the world. But most of software develops for most common language like English, Japanese, Chinese languages. Even some software companies distribute text to speech development tools for English language as well. Microsoft Speech SDK tool kit is one of the examples for freely distributed tool kit developed by Microsoft for English language. Nowadays, some universities and research labs doing their research project on Text to speech. Carnegie Mellon University held their research focus on text to speech (TTS). They provide Open Source Speech Software, Tool kits, related publication and important techniques to undergraduate student and software developer as well. TCTS Lab also doing their research on this area. They introduced simple, but general functional diagram of a TTS system [Ref. 2]. Image Credit: Thierry Dutoit. Figure5.1. A simple, but general functional diagram SPECIFIC STUDY OBJECTIVES Produce a verbal format for the input sinhala text. Input Sinhala text which may be a user input or a given text document will be transformed in to sound waves, which is then output is captured by speakers. So the disabled people will be one of the most beneficial stakeholders of Sinhala Text to Speech system. Also undergraduates and research people who need to use more references can send the text to my system, just listen and grab what they need. The output would be more like natural speech. The human voice is a complex acoustic signal, which is generated by an air stream expelled at either mouth, nose or both. Important characteristics of the speech sound are speed, silence, accentuation and the level of energy output. The tongue appropriately controls the air steam, lips with the help of other articulators in the vocal system. Many variations of the speech signal are caused by the persons vocal system, in order to convey the meaning and emotion to the receiver who then understand the message. Also includes many other characteristics, which are in receivers hearing system to identify what is being said. Identify an efficient way of translating sinhala text in to verbal form. By developing this system we would be able to identify and proposed a most suitable algorithm, which can be used to translate sinhala format to verbal form by a fast and efficient manner. Control the voice speed and types of the voice (e.g. man, women, child voice, etc.). Users would be capable of selecting the quality of the sound wave, which they want. Also they would be allowing to reset the speed of the output as they need. People, those would like to learn Sinhala as their second language to learn elocution properly by changing the speed (reducing and increasing). So this will improve the listening capabilities. Small kids can be encouraged to learn language by varying the speed and types. Propose ways for that can be extended the current system further more for future needs. This system only gives the basic functions. My system is feasible of enhancing further more in order to satisfy the changing requirements of the users. This can be embedded in to toys so can be used to improve children listening and elocution abilities. So those will Borden their speaking capacity. PROPOSED APPROACH Main function of my system is read sinhala digitized characters and speak out those words as closer sounds that human natural voice. 7.1 User My basic idea is to develop systems that cater all kinds of users. That mean who know the operate computer very well and also who is beginner to the computer field. Users only want to do insert text in sinhala. 7.2 Data In my database I am hoping to store voice tags, sinhala characters and pronunciation rules. And also I wish to introduce efficient algorithms for search relevant voice tags from the database. 7.3 Input Proposed system will get sinhala-digitized characters, voice selection as input. 7.4 Processes Get the sentence from the user and it will identified end of sentence by full-stop and it will separate two words by the space between two words. Those words will break down to smaller parts. Then after capture the relevant voice tags according to rules that I have given and merge those voice tags. Then after get voice selections that user given and process to give those sound effects. 7.5 Output Produce the related sinhala voices for text that is given by the user according to sinhala pronunciation rules as well as voice selection done by the user. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND TCHNOLOGIES 8.1 Database Technology Hope to use OO methodologies and Relational Database Management System (Microsoft ® SQL Serverà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ 2005) to develop centralized database on main server. A database management system, or DBMS, is software design to assist in maintaining and utilizing large collection of data [Ref. 3]. The SQL Server 2005 is design to work as a data storage engine for thousand of concurrent users who connect over a network, it is also capable of working as a stand-along database directly on the same computer as an application [Ref. 4]. DBMS provide some important functionality. Applications are independent from data representation, storage and location (data and location independence). DBMS is able to scan through million of record and retrieve efficiently (efficient data access). DBMS enforce integrity constrain and security permission on the data (data integrity and security). DBMS provide facilities to data and its efficient accessibility (data administration). DBMS schedule concur rent access to the data in such manner that user can think of the data as being accessed by one user at a time. Further, DBMS protects users from the effects on of system failures (concurrent access and crash recovery). There for hope to use Microsoft ® SQL Serverà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ 2005 to develop voice and text information database. PROJECT PLAN 9.1 ARCHTECTURE 9.1.1 Design Architecture Text in Sinhala Voice and speed selection Process Sinhala voice Figure 9.1.1 Speed selection Array of text (Sinhala) Process in detail Related Sinhala Voice Voice Database Process the Text Get the voice tags according to the Text and merge them Voice selection Voice controller Figure 9.1.2 Figure 9.29.1.2 Text process Architecture Detect full-stops, commas, brackets etc. Separate out numbers Get unique number to each letter and store it in an array Send the data in array to voice tag selection process Separate the text to sentences Group the text according to letters Sinhala Text Array of letter values Figure 9.1.3 This process gets a text as the input. It detect whether there are any full-stops, commas etc. to avoid confusions. If there any numbers in the text they are separate out and text is partition in to sentences. After that each letter in a sentence grouped, give a unique number store in an array. This array is send to the next process. 9.1.3 Voice Tag Selection Process Figure 9.1.4 Voice Database Get voice tags from voice Database Voice selection Array of letter values Merged Voice tag Merge voice tags to the order Send the merged voice tags to voice Control process Select the voice type This process gets the array, which gives from Text process and voice selection as inputs. By using these inputs this process gets voice tags for each letter and merge them. Merge voice tags send to the voice control process. 9.1.4 Voice Control Process Figure 9.1.5 Speed selection Sinhala Voice Store the voice text array Control the speed Voice speed Speak the voice array Merged Voice tag This process gets merge voice tags and voice speed selection as input. It organize the Merge voice tags according to speed selected. Then it will speak out speech each voice tag. REFERENCES [Ref. 1] Building Synthetic Voices, [Online] http://www.festvox.org/festvox/ [Ref. 2] An Introduction to Text-to-Speech Synthesis, [Online] http://tcts.fpms.ac.be/synthesis/introtts.html [Ref. 3] Raghu Ramakrishnan, Johannes Gehrke/Database Management System Third edition 2001/ McGraw-Hill [Ref. 4] SQL Server Books, [Online] 1988-2005 Microsoft Corporation. Photography: Then And Now Photography: Then And Now Why is the photographic image so powerful iconic, how do they produce connections of timelessness, and emotional context + what are the perspectives around image making in addition what is its relationship to painting? In its first decades of its existence photography was labeled as sun painting a term coined to be contemptuous, and one which epitomized the mechanical character to the painters artistic freedom. Therefore because of this, photography has become an ever-growing field of investigation and argument. Photography and its role in art and the everyday is something which I would like to open up in this discussion, I have looked at various writers to aid this discussion as well as a series of classic and contemporary photographers. This dissertation will inform and open up concepts around photography whilst putting it under a microscope and examining it with sensibility. Photography as a medium has become a phenomenal sensation of capturing a still image; it inspired historical as well as literary imaginations. Photography was the possible brainchild of modern science, or of modern invention explicated by science, it oscillates between the realms of science, poetry fiction or fantasy. The registration of the first daguerreotype signaled first and foremost a mystery it also permeated this idea of it being the aura of a cultural creation, and if not a legend, rather than that of a scientific discovery. This idea is particularly evident in an account provided by critic Jules Janin in LArtiste of 27 January 1839, which extolled the daguerreotype as a modern realization of the biblical Fiat Lux 1, and in particular marveled at its ability to record the most minute detail (down to the grains of sand) as well as, even more improbably, the shadow of a passing bird2. Speaking to the camera detaches the visible from the capacities of the eye and brings forth the virtuality of the visible, in a sense the camera can be seen as the third eye which extends ones vision. The procedure of photography is a materializing which makes something material from apparition and through photography things can be seen differently. The ability to photograph was seen as a strange phantasmagoria and a method of hyping up the real, it posited bewilderment at the magic of the daguerreotype, combined with the urge to make the idea of photography as generic as possible. Many photographers change how we look and perceive photographic images. Eugene Atget -a surrealist photographer- was one of the first to refuse to photograph the face and body, Atget removed people from his pictures and with them the last remainders of cult value in the medium. His photographs of Paris were like scenes of a crime, desolate scenes of everyday objects as ordinary experience were revealed as strange and quite unsettling. In this way photographs acquired the first traces of political significance that all was not as it seemed at first glance. Atgets photography replaced the aura of the early image with the emptiness of the city view. He asks But isnt every square inch of a city a crime scene?3. Hippolyte Bayards 12 minute exposure entitled Self Portrait as a Drowned Man (1840) 4, presents us with a fictional image which shows how a photograph can deceive us. At the time was considered quite racy and controversial, nudity was something which was private and highly discouraged, and especially not something to be photographed. It presented a dichotomy of what was and what was not allowed. Latin Phrase Fiat Lux, let there be light The phrase comes from the third verse of the Book of Genesis. Quotefrom book From Walter Benjaminpage Bayard, Hippolyte. Self Portrait as a Drowned Man.1840, France. Instant death is not accessible, so the alternative is to feign death and stimulate the artificial arrangement of it. This staged photo montage displays a conspicuous protest against the cruel injustice of life. Nowadays, every calamity with fatal outcome is photographed in its horrifying representation within the media. We find photographs of death intriguing and visit monuments which represent places where vast amounts of people have died. Why is this? The feeling of being exempt from calamity stimulates interest in looking at painful pictures like war photos etc, partly because one is here and not there.Photographs therefore subtract feelings from something we experience firsthand, but it is the closest we can get to this experience. To summarize, one is vulnerable to disturbed events in the form of photographic images in a way that one is not to the real thing. Pictures are things that have been marked with all the stigmata of personhood and animation: they exhibit both physical and virtual bodies; they speak to us, sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively. They present not just a surface but a face that faces the beholder as if pictures had feeling, will, conscious, agency and desire. 5. With a kind of social or physiological power of their own: a power to attract the beholder, arrest and enthrall, transfix or paralyze the beholder, turning him or her into an image for the gaze of the viewer, the medusa effect. U.S Civil War Photographer Matthew Brady used the power of photos to create social and political photo essays, often centered around injustice and suffering. His images raised public response and outcry which led to positive social changes, they had the ability to change the nations noble, romantic view of war, and although Brady was simply recording events, his picture essays were powerful enough to change public opinion. Photographs can be quite allegorical; they have natural instinct to produce potent emotional responses. In Roland Barthess Camera Lucida, 6. a major part of this book is dedicated to a narrative telling of his bereavement for his dead mother, and through looking at his collection of old family photographs he can find her again. This concept is something that leaks into a large extent of our private lives, as photographers the majority of us have in our archives, portraits of people who are no longer living some of whom may mean an enormous deal to us. We have all gone through this procedure of en masse as a culture following the death of public figures that have touched us: Marilyn Monroe, John F Kennedy, John Lennon to name a few. Correspondingly, we look for the diabolical streak in pictures of persons who turn out to be mass murderers: Myra Hindley, Ted Bundy Etc. Photographs make us, as a collective, understand and appreciate our emotional attachments to them. This hidden agenda is something Barthes tries to permeate in our minds. Barthes was overwhelmed with the connections he found between the images, and time and death are themes which very much personify his writing. The reality here is, as Barthes tries to evoke, that death is ultimately concrete and that the actuality of the photos is palpable. We find ourselves being struck with such emotional attachment when we look at old photos of loved ones in addition to being face-to-face with what time and the instant mean in an image. The Aura in these pictures may be related with time because when we observe them, we sometimes feel nostalgic. The revelation of this is to reflect back to the genesis of his ideas, that the genius of photography provides a spectrum for which the subject really was there; and that he would conclude that death indeed was the rational and logical implication of every picture. Poring over images of the dead Quote : Freedberg, D.( 1991)The Power of Images: Studies in the History and Theory of Response. University of Chicago Press, USA Camera Lucida : name of the apparatus, anterior to photographer, which permitted drawing an object through a prism. is an active part of grief, of mourning, of dealing with the actuality and immediacy of death. This ritual did not exist for anybody but the upper classes (obviously before photography was invented.) Photography marked the birth of the image and in1839 I believe would have been a milestone in the history of mourning rites and thanatology. Barthes looks carefully over these images with a keen hope of remembering. He seeks in sorrow and love for the loss of his mother in hopes of finding one picture which would represent his mothers spirit, he accounts the following when an old childhood photograph is found: My mother was five at the time (1898), her brother was seven. He was leaning against the bridge railingshe, shorter than he, was standing a little back, facing the camerashe was holding one finger in the other hand as children often do, in an awkward gesture. The brother and sister had posed, side by side, alone; under the palms of the Winter GardenI studied the little girl and at last rediscovered my mother. 7. What we can extrapolate from this examination of the Winter Garden photograph is that Barthes become comforted by its actuality, in the sense that the picture literally emanates his mother (although being a child Barthes never knew of.) He sees the photograph as a magic relic of his mother perpetuating love, there is an assertion of tenderness in the photo as she lends herself to the photographer and allows herself be photographed. He can then reassure himself of his mother and know that his heartfelt experience with her was real. Old photographs are ghostly semblances that materialize before our eyes and in our imaginations, this is certainly evident when Barthes sees this particular photograph; and through photographs we try to immortalize a significant moment in our lives. Photographs possess an extraordinary ability to touch us in ways that are supernaturally impossible. They retain a certain animation which cannot be possessed or captured in a painting or sculpture, they speak to us. Through speaking we understand and realize their true intentions and motivations, and this is what we learn from Barthes. The same ideas apply when we look at photographs of people who have committed crimes. A photograph is not just a picture of something or someone its what is attached to it that we hold that emotion. In the case of serial killer mug shots its the evil that you know behind that photograph or the sinister intention which reinforces the feelings of loathing, hatred and disgust Photographs are visual fossils, they make us think about and realize our own mortality and existence, and therefore have remained so timeless. Old photographs fill out our mental image of the past; the photos being taken now transform what is present into a mental image. The passing of time also adds to the aesthetic value of photographs. The Art of the portrait photographer may be to induce in his or her subjects a sense of presence and there-ness. Oddly photographs have the magical capabilities to move you back and forth through time, and because of this, the past always seems accessible except physically it isnt. The photograph becomes a kind of resurrection as it continues to live after the person is gone. It has the strange ability to evoke memories through imaginative recall and gives the texture and essence of things; it is not so much an instrument of memory as an invention of it or a replacement. August Sanders taxonomical portraits developed a philosophy that placed man within a cyclic model of society, by systematically photographing people from various classes, Sander hoped that by using light and photographing their facial features it would reveal and accentuate character, charisma, provenance or background. Quotation : Barthes, R. Camera Lucida. (1980:29-30). Walter Benjamin coined the optical unconscious as a realm of experience, as a similar way as psychoanalysis constituted as access to the psychic unconscious. It invests the photograph with intimacy as well as the capacity for illumination. It is another nature which speaks to the camera rather than to the eye.8. Photography is not only like its subject but homage to the subject; it is part of an extension of that subject. Photography has the power to capture a secret, and we have the power to see it. The viewer feels an irresistible urge to search such a picture for the tiny spark of contingency, of the Here and Now, with which reality has so to speak seared the subjectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. 9. Benjamin refers to a photograph- a portrait- of the photographer Dauthendey and his wife who had later committed suicide. Looking at the photograph we search the picture for a kind of evidence in the past, of what was to transpire in the future. (Perhaps a sign written on her face, her posture, invi sible to her fiancà © who stands alongside her, but visible to us looking at the photograph many years later, and with the knowledge that she would, after bearing him six children, kill herself). What we can conclude here is that Benjamin then, grants the viewer (as well as the medium of photography) a kind of desire for omniscience. The photographic image calls for translation, and can show traces of the past and point at something that is absent. On the basis of a partial assimilation to the model of painting and through the wake of modernism, the advent of photography has slowly gained acceptance within museums and that of the art market and thus making it a recognizable and distinct art form. But why have they thus far remained a provocative and intriguing form of art? Paintings and sculptures are a matter of interpretation from the artist; whereas with photographs to a certain extent- are a reflection of the real. It cannot just be seen in many ways as an art form but as a way of seeing and thinking. Photography represents a precious asset; they provide us with an encounter we would not think was possible without, however our perception of images and photography have greatly changed since the very first photograph was made. In its relation to painting, a photograph is not only an image (as a painting is an image) it is a usurp reality and an interpretation of the real, it can be thought of as a trace which is directly sten ciled off the real like a footprint or death mask. It carries some of its simplest qualities to such perfection that it will become for even the majority of skillful painters a subject for observation and study. Its because of this perfection that the painter, therefore, will find this a quicker way to obtain collections of studies that he would only by much time, and trouble be able to collect no matter how talented the painter. Paintings, even ones which meet photographic standards of resemblance, are never more than the stating of interpretation. In Benjamin Walters Little History on Photography he makes a point that using photography killed painting10. There is a primitive notion which presumes that images possess the qualities of real things or that there is an inclination to attribute to real things the concept of original and copy, reality and image. There are many conspiracies surrounding the notion of what is real, as well as the criticism of reality as a faà §ade and the depleted sense of it. 8. Quotation: Gold,J.R. Film and Translation in the Writings of Walter Benjamin(2007: 602-622) 9. Quotation: Stamelman, R. Loss beyond telling: Representations of Death in Absence in Modern FrenchPoetry (1990:281) 10. Quotation: Walter, B. Little History of Photograph. (1931:PAGE UNKNOWN) In Sontags The Image World (On Photography) a lot of emphasis is made of the reproducibility of the image. Photography has become a mass art, a social rite, in which we document sequences of consumption. It can provide knowledge independent of experience and can capture, classify and store the Information in a way that provides possibilities for control not feasible under earlier forms of information storage. Feurbach observes that our era -prefers the image to the thing, the copy to the original the representation to the reality, appeared to the being 11. Photography does not simply reproduce the real; it recycles it- a key procedure of a modern society which consumes images. In the form of photographic images, things and events are put to new uses, and assigned new meanings. The camera offers the possibility of possessing complete record at all ages and through being photographed something becomes part of a system of classification and storage family albums, geology, medical training, police work etc. Photograph collections are used to make a substitute world. It can also been viewed as an instrument for depersonalizing our relation to the world. What Sonntag is trying to argue is that human beings have mistaken the copy for the thing itself and, as a result, have created a false division between the copy and the so called real. Sontag explains: Industrial societies turn their citizens into image-junkies it is the most irresistible form of mental pollution 12. Photographs are a form of acquisition; the possession of cherished people or things as a way of consuming events and a potent means of acquiring something as information, and more importantly gaining control over it. At one end of the spectrum photographs are objective data, at the other end they are items of psychological science fiction. Even the most banal photograph or document can mutate into an emblem of desire. Nowadays the lure of the image is starting to replace the real via advertisements, newspaper, TV, and digital. The situation is complicated by the fact that less than ever does the mere reflection of reality reveal anything but reality Bertold Brecht 13. Copying was seen as immoral, however Aristotles view of the imitative faculty is precisely what makes us human. There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the mechanical reproduction of the photograph. Walter Benjamin had a keen relation to nostalgia and a poetic understanding of the world. He explains in A Small History of Photography that the beginning of image-making was seen as a fog which would blind you, using this metaphor politically he is referring it to something which is perhaps dangerous- that art would become nothing more than ideas, signs, allusions or concepts. There was very much a storm of moral fear, it was seen as being blasphemous and opened up ideas about god. That perhaps the photograph or that being photo graphed would contain the soul- a fetish or magical object. In addition to this the reproductive factor of photography was seen as taking away the aura away from the real thing, ideas surrounding forgery, fakery, copying were highly frowned on. Reproducing images was seen as deracination of authenticity and dissolution of aura and historical depth, because of its special condition it can be exploited by capital for advertising purposes. To an ever increasing degree, the work which is reproduced becomes the reproduction of a work intended for reproducibility. Due to the reproducibility of images, this condition opens up theories of the politicizing of art and 11. Quotation: Feuerbach, K. (1843) The Essence of Christianity. Quoted By Sontag,S. (1979-PAGENA) 12. Quotation: Sontag, S.The image World: Traces of the Real (1977-NA) 13. Quotation: Brech, B. Quoted by Walter,B in Little History of Photography (1931-NA) Releases questions like how might the photographer go about dealing with a practice that is not completely reducible to propaganda and modern advertising? The mechanical nature of the reproducibility of art and photography has changed modes of perception in which we have reduced objects and made them manipulable, It is necessary to create something artificial than represent the real., The singular, the unique is divested of its uniqueness- by means of its reproduction. 14. Process reproduction can reveal those aspects of the original that are unattainable to the naked eye yet accessible to the lens- which is adjustable and chooses its angle at will. Through photographic reproduction and with the aid of certain processes (such as enlargement and slow motion) can capture images which may escape natural vision. Today in the wake of proliferation and digital media, photography is in a state of dispersion, hybrid forms of photographic imagery mixing analogue and digital technologies have become the norm. Where much of the images we see are heavily manipulated. There are many reasons why we are infatuated with photography; the flowering of photography allowed for it to be available to everybody, anything in the world is material for the camera, one finds that there is beauty or at least interest in everything seen with an acute eye. The picture is treated as an expression of the artists desire or as a mechanism for eliciting the desires of the beholder. People werent used to seeing their image, so the photograph provided a difference sense of how we look. It awakened people into a new world. Photographs contain powerful presences present in them it preserves the object which is reason why there are superstitions around throwing away photographs of loved ones, as well as the obsession to photograph and to be photographed. Referring back to Barthes, photograph presents to us a spectral, corporal presence in addition to providing a means of reanimating what is unavailable. It imprisons and captures reality; this is something Barthes tries to burn into our consciousness. One cant possess reality, one can possess (and be possessed by an image) with photographic images one cant possess the present but one can possess the past. They imply instant access to the real to possess the world in the form of images is, to re experience the unreality and remoteness of the real. Pictures communicate as signs and signals, it is clear they have a sort of power to effect human emotions and behavior. Nowadays, we cannot live without photographs they are anywhere and everywhere. The logic of consumption is akin to lust, and therefore it cannot be satisfied because the possibilities of photography are infinite. I believe photography and image-making will continue to inspire and technologies will continue to expand. Presently, we find photography used for narcissistic purposes like surveillance. In an industrial society the camera becomes a spectacle for the masses and as an object of surveillance for rulers. It remains to be a source of great iconography as it is an art for all, which posits photography as universally accessible, and an addition to culture rather than science. Photographs will always and continue to be powerful mechanisms to change things or set things in motion, and it will continue to stand the test of time and document the vestiges of human condition until the end of our existence. 14. Quotation: Walter, B. Little History of Photograph. (1931:PAGE UNKNOWN)

Freedom Summer comparisons with Era of Reconstruction :: essays research papers

Freedom Summer comparisons with Era of Reconstruction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the end of the Civil war, many blacks felt that they would start reaping the benefits that had been denied from them for years. Being able to vote, own land, have a voice in political affairs were all goals that they felt were reachable. The era of Reconstruction was the â€Å"miracle† they had been searching for. But the South wasn’t going down without a fight and blacks would have to wait at least 100 years for Freedom Summer to arrive to receive the â€Å"miracle† they wanted. 100 years it took for equality to become more than just a word but a way of life for blacks. But they did enjoy some privileges that weren’t available to them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Voting is one thing that was still around when Freedom Summer came; and when I say around I mean available. Let me explain†¦ during the Reconstruction era blacks were able to vote. But most of them didn’t due to a number of factors. A couple of these being: poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, etc. And if that weren’t enough you still had the Klan that would destroy any black polling booth and/or shoot, intimidate, and kill any black person trying to vote; especially in Mississippi. In the months leading to Freedom Summer the same thing was going on except the rules had changed. These new rules, to keep the black community from voting, were the same as the old except very vague. In document 2 it details these new requirements to become a registered voter. Some of these requirements included being able to read and write a section of the new Constitution, are able to demonstrate a reasonable understanding of citizenship, make a sworn w ritten application for registration. So as you can see just like in Reconstruction, the voting power shifts back to the white race. Even if every black could read and write, who’s to say what a â€Å"reasonable† understanding of citizenship is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Civil rights is another aspect that didn’t change. During Reconstruction, blacks were often seen not heard. It was usually the white man’s word over the black man’s word. Even if there was a crowd of people that saw what happened, unless they were black, they sided with the white man. But if these actions involved a white man getting hurt or killed for supporting the black community, that’s when the government stepped in to put and end to it.

Avoiding Cross-Cultural Miscommunication Essay

In the current era of globalization, national boundaries are losing meaning and more and more companies now have their operations spread across various countries of the globe. Multi national companies now operate across different continents and it is typical of a company to have head quarters in one country but be present in multiple counties at the same time. This means that these multi national companies have to adapt to the culture of the company they are operating in. Also, the work force of such companies is an amalgamation of the local people along with some foreign workers and managers so effective communication and smooth operations are only possible if culture is well understood. However, this is not as simple as it seems and cross cultural miscommunications are harmful. Cross cultural miscommunication is not only detrimental to the working environment of the organization but it can also lead to a failure of the company as a whole in the society. To avoid any miscommunication, we first need to examine what culture is made up of. Artifacts, rituals, Stories, histories, myths, legends, jokes, and ceremonies are cultural symbols. By noticing these things and people’s reactions to them we can figure out the cultural norms and values and can avoid transgressing any boundaries. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own race, culture or ethnic group is superior to the rest and the tendency to think like this is greater in MNCs. Many foreign managers or workers think in this manner and antagonize their co workers. This can be over come by encouraging inter cultural communication so that any misunderstandings or predetermined notions or stereo types may be removed. Also, if a cooperative culture is promoted at work and people taught to appreciate/criticize ideas rather than people, this problem may be solved. We also need to examine the interrelationship between attitudes, values, customs and beliefs and culture. A culture shapes the attitudes, values and beliefs of a person and the actions and preferences of the society (that are directly dependant upon the belief) make up the culture. Hence, this shows that there is a two relationship. For instance, the Japanese have a very serious attitude about work and they believe in hard work so working meticulously is a part of their culture. Similarly, the Muslim culture is conservative so they have a negative attitude towards men and women shaking hands and the believe it to be immoral. Global companies need to adopt a ‘glocal strategy’ meaning that they need to amend their global strategy according to the local culture and norms. Before a company enters a new country, formal market research should be conducted in order to make a customer profile according to which the product and promotion strategies will then be designed. International companies should be flexible to minor changes in the product so as to meet the local demands. Pizza hut has been successful all over the world for they have catered to the local taste in every country. For instance, it is spicier in the subcontinent and in countries such as India where people avoid meat; there is large vegetarian and cheese variety. The promotion strategies should also be according to the native culture. Companies should keep in mind that International brand cannot have the same advertising everywhere due to different cultures. When companies are entering a foreign culture, they should be aware of customs, traditions in general and in particular they should know about the psychology of the people. Companies should be aware of the attitude of the people towards work and the products/service the company has to offer. Understanding the local workforce is important for a company because an effective workforce is integral for success and it is crucial to design jobs, compensation packages and motivators that appeal to them. Attitudes toward work, leisure, time, change, family, social mobility and religion play a vital role in shaping the culture. In a collectivist culture, family is the top priority and the much of the leisure time is spent with family. In a society where family ties are weak, work and friends have a greater importance so the culture is an individualist one. In some cultures, there is greater emphasis on work and such people are hard workers by nature and their work is meticulous. The Chinese culture is a classical example of how hard work is an element of the national culture. The physical environment of a place influences the culture of that place as physical conditions such as the weather affect the life style of the people. The architecture of a place also reflects the culture. Moreover, it is important to understand the verbal and non verbal elements of a culture. For instance, the Arabs like to kiss on the cheeks when they meet even during formal meetings but in a British culture, this would be highly inappropriate. Similarly, maintaining eye contact is a non verbal cue, in some cultures it would be a symbol of courage while in others it will be considered insolent. Moreover education and technology are linked to the culture and this is evident by the fact that some cultures such as the Japanese lay stress on innovating and developing technology where as some have a laid back attitude. Some cultures lay stress on education and that is evident by the high literacy levels there. Lastly, media has a two way relationship with culture: mass media not only depicts the culture but it also leads to cultural change in the society. The success of any company also depends on the political and legal system of that country. In countries where there is political turbulence or the policies do not support foreign investment, survival becomes tough for the company as is the case in third world countries like Bangladesh where there is a frequent change in governments that leads to changes in policies too. References Brown, A. (1995). Organizational Culture. Pitman, London. Charles M. and Yongsun, P. (2006). Managing a Global Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities in International Human Resource Management. M. E . Sharpe Dong, Q. , Day, K. D. (2001). Overcoming Ethnocentrism through Developing Intercultural communication sensitivity and Multi culturism. Retrieved on January 16,2009 from http://www. allacademic. com David Straker. Elements of Culture. Retrieved on January 15, 2009 From www. changingminds. org Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions. Cross Cultural Communications. Retrieved on January 15, 2009 from http://www. kwintessential. co. uk

Free Essays on Conditions Of Coal Mines

People have been mining since the eighteenth century, and compared to that time period, the treatment of coal miners has only recently improved. Miners have lived with dangers the rest of us cannot even imagine: slag falls, explosions, fires, gases and cave-ins occur, and there is always the possibility of being crippled for life either from broken bones or the black-lung disease that coal miners still acquire from breathing in coal dust. These conditions were not just in America, but coal was being mined in Europe before they began here in the states. In the novel Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina, coal miners were treated horribly and forced to work in unsafe conditions everyday. In Europe in 1841, the British Parliament conducted an investigation on the conditions of the coalmines. The conditions were especially horrid in Scotland. The investigative committee found conditions such as water constantly dripping from the ceilings, and workers having to stand ankle deep in water in shafts and other places. Some of the coal seams, the areas in which the miners had to work, were only 20 to 28 inches which meant the miners had to lie in the water and mud on their sides while working. (Ashworth 48-52) It is hard to imagine how the workers managed to bring their load out while crawling. Women and children as young as age five worked in the mines of Europe in the early years. The commission discovered that the women were treated no differently than the men. They were expected to carry the same load as the men and produce the same amount of coal. In fact, the women seemed to have it worse because they were smaller and they were the ones sent into places that were too small for the men to enter and were forced to endure the most cramped work areas. Young girls and boys were given the same jobs to do in the mines. The girls, being smaller, were in the same situation the women were in and could go in the smallest places. (Ashwo... Free Essays on Conditions Of Coal Mines Free Essays on Conditions Of Coal Mines People have been mining since the eighteenth century, and compared to that time period, the treatment of coal miners has only recently improved. Miners have lived with dangers the rest of us cannot even imagine: slag falls, explosions, fires, gases and cave-ins occur, and there is always the possibility of being crippled for life either from broken bones or the black-lung disease that coal miners still acquire from breathing in coal dust. These conditions were not just in America, but coal was being mined in Europe before they began here in the states. In the novel Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina, coal miners were treated horribly and forced to work in unsafe conditions everyday. In Europe in 1841, the British Parliament conducted an investigation on the conditions of the coalmines. The conditions were especially horrid in Scotland. The investigative committee found conditions such as water constantly dripping from the ceilings, and workers having to stand ankle deep in water in shafts and other places. Some of the coal seams, the areas in which the miners had to work, were only 20 to 28 inches which meant the miners had to lie in the water and mud on their sides while working. (Ashworth 48-52) It is hard to imagine how the workers managed to bring their load out while crawling. Women and children as young as age five worked in the mines of Europe in the early years. The commission discovered that the women were treated no differently than the men. They were expected to carry the same load as the men and produce the same amount of coal. In fact, the women seemed to have it worse because they were smaller and they were the ones sent into places that were too small for the men to enter and were forced to endure the most cramped work areas. Young girls and boys were given the same jobs to do in the mines. The girls, being smaller, were in the same situation the women were in and could go in the smallest places. (Ashwo...

Speech to inform Essay Example

Speech to inform Essay Example Speech to inform Essay Speech to inform Essay Specific Purpose Statement To inform the audience about the powers of Photoshop, how it is used, and its effect on society Thesis Statement Photoshop is software that allows people to digitally alter photographs quickly and easily, and many times it is responsible for the decline in peoples self-esteem. Main Points 1 . Explanation of Photoshop 2. The use of Photoshop in advertisements 3. Photoshops effect on self-esteem and self-image Primary Audience Outcome I want the audience to understand the positive and negative aspects of Photoshop, and how its negative aspects have a negative impact on society Contributing Audience Outcomes I would like the audience to: 1 . Know the basic functions of Photoshop 2. Understand the gravity of its effects and how it is often misused 3. Know its influence on society and why this is wrong Introduction Imagine yourself flipping through a magazine. Some of us flip faster through the advertisements to get to the next article, and some of us take extra time analyzing the advertisements. Either way, there are certain advertisements that usually catch our eye and compel us to stop and take a closer look. No matter how beautiful you are nd no matter how confident you feel inside your body, these advertisements can make us feel less satisfied with ourselves than we felt prior to opening the magazine. Thesis/Transition The decline in peoples self esteem is, in many cases, due to the effects of digital tools such as Photoshop. I. Photoshop is software that allows people to digitally alter photographs quickly and easily. A. There are multiple tools involved in Photoshop such as the cropping tool, the rotational tool, the color tool that controls brightening and contrasting photos, the ightening and darkening tool, pixel painting tools, and a sharpening tool Coe Farace 114-115). B. This might sound like a lot of information, but Photoshop is designed to make each process very easy for its users. Each tool offers tutorials and is set up for even the most technologically challenged. Transition Photoshop is capable of so much more than simply cropping an object or enhancing its color, and advertisement agencies take full advantage of this program. II. After the photograph is uploaded to a computer the magic begins. A. Heavvy air brushing, zapping zits, brightening eyes, removing fat, and pushing the yes two inches apart are all common procedures done toa photo. a. It doesnt stop here though, because stomachs need to be flattened, breasts must be made fuller, stomachs are made perfect, limbs must be made skinnier, and waistlines need to lose inches. B. It may seem that Photoshop is only used on women, but do not be fooled! Men are photoshopped Just as frequently as women are. a. Their pectorals are enhanced, washboard abdominals are added, and heavy tweaking is also done to their biceps. C. Dorothy Snarker explains that photoshopping in the fashion ndustry can mean anything from fixing small imperfections to the wholesale creation of fictitious images D. More than 80% of advertisements are touched (Hochwarter 4). a. This is a shocking statistic, and the degree to which these photographs are touched is even more baffling. E. The photographs we look at and sigh over are not even real! a. Photoshop has the ability to morph numerous models into one ideal person. b. A few different models are often hired, who all are less than perfect looking. These models are each separately photographed for the ad and ater the photographer and editors select the body parts they like from each model and reconstruct a whole new model who now has attributes of each photographed model (Paul Frosh 5). Ill. Despite the fact that images are altered so drastically, the majority of people who view these advertisements have no idea that these people are not walking around on the streets in all their perfect essence. A. Body image and self-esteem go hand in hand and Photoshop increases body awareness and triggers body image problems (Ditch-diets-Live-light. om 1-2). a. If you are somebody who egularly skims through magazines that feature these perfect models, it is highly likely that you will start comparing yourself to them. B. Since children are subjected to various forms of false advertisement on an every day basis, they often find it difficult to escape their floundering self-esteem issues. a. When children are young they are extra vulnerable, and these are the people who suffer from the images media displays. Since children are trying so hard to look like the models they see in advertisements, they often find themselves sinking to extreme levels. Today, many people find themselves victims of various eating disorders, and I feel it would be completely appropriate to blame advertisement agencies for this C. Before Photoshop took such dominance in the advertising business, people still admired the models featured in advertisements. They would strive to get fit and would try to mimic hairstyles they saw in the magazines. However, this was healthy because the models displayed then were natural women. a. Now, people are comparing themselves to digitally manipulated people who have been perfected by machines in rder for the ad to achieve its desired affect. Conclusion It is difficult to understand why advertisement agencies continue to create ads that lead to such devastating physiological problems for so many people. With all the evidence out there that points directly at advertisement agencies as the main source of the problem, why would this trend continue to worsen? It is because industry leaders feel that they cannot afford to stop retouching photographs, they are convinced that if they take these steps than people will not want to purchase their agazines anymore, because they believe consumers are not interested in seeing every flaw the model has 01m F. ). If it were not for the extremeness of Photoshop, people would not have such negative body image and low self-esteem. Many celebrities are taking steps to ban Photoshop but the effects Photoshop has already made on people are very hard to fix. My goal is to educate you about Photoshop and make sure you know the truth about all of these manipulated photographs, and hope that this will lead to the development of better self-image.

MGT 4880 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT 4880 - Essay Example It is much easier to work on a single aspect of corporate operations if you understand how that one role fits in to the larger picture of the corporate goals. By taking a class on Business Strategy and Policy, I will be able to understand the processes central to operational success and apply those principles to my current duties. In that way, the grand strategy of the organization can be gainfully supported by my own actions. Further, as I gain understanding of the interrelationships between departments, functions, stakeholders, and employees, I will be empowered to be a part of the solution at whatever company or level I am working. Such a class will assist me in selecting future positions. Beyond my current employment, a class in Business Strategy and Policy will equip me to make good career decisions in the future. The reason for this is that I will know my own strengths, weaknesses, and plans for my future; I can match those personal items with the needs and processes of any organization I am considering for employment. For example, if I know that I am interested in operations management because I am a dependable person, pay attention to small details, and have the discipline to carry out day-to-day requirements in order to bring efficiency and profitability, then an organization which has no strategic plan at all would not be a good fit for me. Understanding this fundamental principle of good management will allow me to recognize corporate security when I see it. Once the class on Business Strategy and Policy has taught me a solid basis for how to strategize, plan, and execute those plans in the modern work place, I will be able to know when a potential employer is deficient in their processes. Taking a position with such a company would only lead to personal frustration and a stagnant career. Therefore, such a class could prevent me from making a terrible mistake. Such a class will assist me in choosing wise investments. The reason for this is clear; I will be able to recognize those organizations which have engaged in the proper planning of their business-as well as the appropriate execution of policy to support that plan-and invest accordingly. Like any other stakeholder or shareholder in a company, I want my investments to perform well. For that to happen, the companies I choose to invest in must be competitive within the marketplace, efficient in their operations, and innovative in their marketing and product development. Utilizing the things I learn in the Business Strategy and Policy class, I will be able to see the evidence of such sound management before I ever commit a penny of my money to the company. If I can deduce that management has a good plan and has paired that with an innovative product and efficient operations, I can invest with peace of mind. Such a class will help me plan my career. Finally, a class in Business Strategy and Policy will allow me to understand where my own interests lie, and where those interests may best fit within the current workplace. I can utilize the basic principles of planning a business and then focus the wisdom of those lessons on my own career as though it were, itself, a business. In this way, I

Lab report paraphrase Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Paraphrase - Lab Report Example In addition to that, the same outputs must conclude in each of the NAND and BOR circuits. The properties were tested at the time of functional simulation, and proven during the hardware testing when the light on the FPGA board was programmed to turn on given there was an output of 1. The timing delay was also tested through the timing simulation. The outcome of the waveform was that it worked successfully the way it was supposed to. The design of the three circuits was made as an RTL schematic and each of the circuits had specific settings as it’s shown in figure 1.1. The second step was to transfer the three circuit’s design through USB to the FPGA for them to be tested as to whether they work properly or not. For Y1, Y2, and Y3 (as shown in Figure 1.2), 16 possibility variables were included. The graph as represented in Figure 1.3 is called the functional simulation. The functional simulation graph reveals the output results of the given variables of the functions. This simulation occurs in such a way that bumps in the graph represents the function when it equates to 1, while the straight lines represents the function when it equates to 0. Inclusively, the graph proves the assertion that NAND and BOR circuits have the same outcome (i.e. Give the same output). As shown in Figure 1.4, the function variables are represented in a timely interval and there variations with time. As a result the representation information that is accrued from the circuit can be obtained accordingly within the graph. Following the same logic as per the functional simulation, the bumps in the graph represents the function when it equates to 1, while the straight lines represents the function when it equates to 0. Of importance to note is that the graph also reveals propagation delay that occurs each time variables go through the logic gates in the timing simulation. By thoroughly following the steps as in the lab manual provided, the three