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Friday, January 24, 2020

The Harried Coffee Culture vs. the Joys of Drinking Tea :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

The Harried Coffee Culture vs. the Joys of Drinking Tea Dawn approaches. Signs and sounds of life appear as warm-blooded creatures slough off the chill of night and lumber forth to greet the day. Chitterings and grunts, screeches and roaring fill the ether and rise to a crescendo as beasts gather for their early morning feeding. Many creatures are thrown together, instigating the occasional scuffle as each vies for position. Claws flash, accompanied by warning growls as dominance exerts itself, subordinates retreating with rumbling complaint. One by one each pulls away from the frenzy, hunching over hard-won spoils: double tall cafà © latte with whipped cream and nutmeg, biscotti on the side. And so man has devolved to brutishness, compelled by the base sensuality of the elemental coffee bean. Coffee drinking has soared in popularity, as evidenced by the proliferation of establishments such as Starbucks and Pete's Coffee. According to the Koffee Korner website, coffee made its historical debut in 850 A.D. and by 1995 coffee became: "the worlds [sic] most popular beverage. More than 400 billion cups are consumed each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil." The fondness for this viscous black beverage has made such a stir that the phrase "coffee culture" has been coined to express this mania. Yet the use of the term "culture" is misleading, when you look at Webster's definition: "enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic training" (Merriam). What enlightenment can be acquired while people madly dash around gulping high-octane fluid - like Espresso (Italian for "fast"), invented in 1903 by Luigi Bezzera (Sippy, Did you know) - from paper cups in a never-ending effort to get through the day? On the contrary, coffee's contribution to this sort of break-neck pace is a cause for the decline of the pursuit of intellect in modern society. Conversely, the pastime of tea drinking is on a more elevated plateau of reasoning. Unlike coffee, there is no instant tea to speak of (not counting instant iced tea which is too distasteful to mention). In fact, the perfect cup of tea is achieved only after careful preparation. A favorite teapot is selected and filled with boiling water to warm. The warming water is tossed out and freshly boiled water is poured over tea leaves added to the pot, a measure of tea for each cup and one measure respectfully for the pot.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Essay

Martin Luther King Junior’s â€Å"letter from Birmingham Jail† was the reflection upon protest against unjust laws was established against him and his fellow men. Throughout his letter he uses many great philosophers and historical events to justify his own protest to be necessary to do what’s right. King was the leader of civil-rights group that supported protest against traditional views of the society and unjust laws established in the era.† In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action.† ( Taylor) In his letter from Birmingham Jail King states: â€Å"It was illegal to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country’s anti-religious laws† (King, 6). Here in this excerpt shows that King encourages protest because in some extreme circumstances becomes necessary, be it in Hitler’s Germany, a Communist country, or any situation in which injustices are occurring. In the end of the sentence King openly admits that he would protest against established laws or traditions by all means necessary because they favor the unjust. The letter was written to his fellow clergymen to explain his prior actions and to attempt justified and appropriate for the situation. He expressed that he exhausted every other option to justify them. In the letter he tried to explain to the clergy that his actions although illegal were possible and direct action was the only available option left, which could make a difference. â€Å"One may well ask: â€Å"How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?† The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that â€Å"an unjust law is no law at all†. Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? (King, 5). Throughout history, there have been many unjust laws. Many people follow laws just because they are laws. Sometimes people don’t even agree with a law, but they go along because it’s in society acceptable or because it’s just the law. I think that by writing the letter, and putting forward the definition, King is challenging his readers to consider whether or not a law is just. If a law is unjust, it is the responsibility of the people to get it overturned. A society should not live with an unjust law. By choosing to go against law it shows that king primarily a teleological thinker. In conclusion, King wrote â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail† for the purpose of making his audience realize that they are not carrying out our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence which is the United States was founded upon. King only wants what should be granted to all United States citizens, this being freedom, justice, and equality. He is saying he is in jail for only doing what is right, by trying to achieve what is right through non-violence and the fact that he is in jail is unjust, does not support equality, and freedom. Work Cited Taylor, Justin.† Between Two Worlds. Martin-luther-king-jr-letter-from-birmingham-jail† http://thegospelcoalition.org/. 23 Jan. 2013.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The Declaration Of Independence And The United States...

There are several roles that the United States government undertakes, and principle among these roles is the role of protector. The United States government (hereafter referred to as â€Å"government†) is charged with protecting its citizens from dangers, both foreign and domestic. The Declaration of Independence is the first to highlight the government’s role as protector by stating that all people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and â€Å"to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men† (2). The Constitution then further explains how the government is to secure these rights, and provides an in-depth list of rights, the Amendments, which are derived from the principle three: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To fulfill its role as protector, the government must be forceful, and enforce its laws. However, the government cannot enforce its laws on law-abiding citizens; therefore, it must enforce its laws on la w-breaking citizens. In addition to enforcing the law on law-breaking citizens, the government’s role as protector requires that the government ensures that foreign individuals cannot harm Americans or American interests. Now more than ever are the defenses against foreign threats important to Americans; this passion and fear emanates from 9/11, the largest terror attack on American soil. After 9/11, the Bush administration convinced Congress to pass a law known as â€Å"The Patriot Act†. There are two important functions to theShow MoreRelatedThe Declaration of Independence: Americas Foundation Essay example1229 Words   |  5 Pagesissue the Declaration of Independence being a legal document has been up for debate in courts for many years now. Although, the Declaration of Independence clarifies the United States identity as a free nation, it has generated intense controversy. 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The Declaration of Independence represents great significance in the history of the United States due to its influence throughout time. The Declaration signifies the rebellion against the British Parliament and the unification of the colonies in the fight for equality, liberty, and justice. Furthermore, the Declaration established a new form of government whereinRead MoreDocumentations That Made Up The United States Of America1749 Words   |  7 Pagesup the United States of America On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met at Carpenter Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where five men were appointed to be a part of a comity to write the Declaration of Independence and become liberated from the British government. The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in American history. It tells the major ideas that the Founders had about government. Eventually, after several rough drafts of the Declaration of IndependenceRead MoreThe Declaration Of Independence By Thomas Jefferson1670 Words   |  7 Pagesin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where five men were appointed to be a part of a comity to write the Declaration of Independence and become liberated from the British government. The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in American history. It tells the major ideas that the Founders had about government. Eventually, after several rough drafts of the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, a fin al draft was written and finally approved by the Second Continental CongressRead MoreThe United States Constitution And The American Declaration Of Independence1525 Words   |  7 PagesThe United States Constitution and the American Declaration of Independence The Constitution of the United States of America is always touted and considered by many across the globe as one of the most liberal and people-friendly Constitutions in the world over. This assertion flows from the lofty language with which the document was written by its drafters and further inherent in the subsequent amendments. It represents the supreme law of the U.S, having been promulgated back in 1778. On the otherRead MoreThe Declaration, Facts And Emotions909 Words   |  4 PagesThe Declaration, Facts and Emotions for Independence The 4th of July, the United States of America’s very-own birthday, a day of celebration of its citizens God-given rights and liberties, and its independence from the crown of Great Britain. If America was â€Å"born† on the 4th of July in the year 1776, then The Declaration of Independence could be considered its very own birth certificate. The Declaration of Independence, as time has proven, is one of the most successful arguments ever made by The Declaration Of Independence And The United States... The Declaration of Independence contended the United States should be established as a country free from British control, the U.S. Constitution is a set of rules for that nation to follow, and Mark Twain’s As Regards Patriotism examines how these two documents affect the mindset of this country. Groupthink, not a word use in 1900, when Twain penned his essay, is a good analogy of what he was discussing. Psychology Today says, â€Å"Groupthink occurs when a group values harmony and coherence over accurate analysis and critical evaluation. It causes individual members of the group to unquestioningly follow the word of the leader and it strongly discourages any disagreement with the consensus.† In As Regards Patriotism, Twain talks about how training creates belief, and one belief can be patriotism, â€Å"A man can seldom—very, very seldom—fight a winning fight against his training; the odds are too heavy.† Americans have been trained to belie ve that the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are the epitome of the American ideal. The Declaration of Independence tells us, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed† the U.S. Constitution, on the other hand,Show MoreRelatedPresident Bush And The Declaration Of Independence1546 Words   |  7 Pagespeople has been seen for decades, even before gaining our independence from the British. Our nation as a whole is not easily deterred; there is no challenge or obstacle too big for Americans to overcome. Over our whole existence as a country, that statement has held true, no tragedy or rivalry has been able to damage that. â€Å"Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People† by President Bush and â€Å"The Declaration of Independence† by Thomas Jefferson are examples of Americans overcomingRead MoreThe United States Of America1340 Words   |  6 Pagesjourney of how the United States of America became the United States of America is a very complex one. With America declaring separation from the Great English Empire, to the organization of becoming a free, sovereign nation and lastly, the migration and colonization of the now, western United States, including the great state of Nevada, has many components. The Declaration of Independence initiated the process of becoming a country of its own. This Document pushed the separation from England and showedRead MoreThe Significance of the Declaration Of Independence1376 Words   |  6 PagesThe Declaration of Independence is the most important and oldest document in the United State’s History. The Declaration was drafted and signed to announce our Decl aration Of Independence from Great Britain, by saying, â€Å" The United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free andRead MoreThe Declaration Of Independence, Immigration Policy And The Constitution929 Words   |  4 Pagesgained the most interest from me was; The Declaration of Independence, Immigration Policy and The Constitution. Throughout this essay I will discuss why I found these topics interesting. The first topic I will discuss is The Declaration of Independence. According to the Heritage Foundation the Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the American political tradition. It articulates the fundamental ideas that form the American nation: All men are created free and equal and possess theRead MoreAnalysis of the Declaration of Independence Essay1040 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson was made in order to give the colonists a way to break free from the shackles of King George. This document has affected the building blocks of the United States and is one of the most important documents in U.S. history. The Declaration of Independance was the foundation of what this country was based on. However, what Jefferson and the other signers might not have expected is the strech, the firmRead MoreThe British Of The Colonists1260 Words   |  6 PagesIn the 1700s, the Colonists were enraged how the British Parliament were treating them. The British Parliament had been constantly ignoring their rights and forcing taxes upon the colonies. This set an outroar in the colonies, especially in Massachusetts. Parliament had created new laws that limited the Massachusetts-bay in shipping and landing goods and also an act that for a better regulation government in this providence. All of the colonists deemed this as â€Å"Impoliti c, unjust, and cruel, as wellRead MoreThe American Revolution Was a Major Turning Point885 Words   |  4 Pagespolitical upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, to become the United States of America. It fundamentally changed the American society politically, socially and economically by the establishments of the Declaration of Independence and conflicts over stronger states rights or stronger central government, paper currency, womens rights and slavery. The American Revolution brought enormousRead MoreMoments Of History : Jessica Miller, Fingerlakes Community College1188 Words   |  5 Pagesthe coasts of the landâ€Å", according to (Foner.p 8). The first foreign countries to settle and steal the land away from the natives were Britain, Spain, and France. Britain claimed majority of the east coasts after thousands of immigrants and settlers crossed the Atlantic Ocean to escape religion, poverty, and looked from jobs. Several migrations occurred throughout history, but early settlement in the Americas later formed British thirteen colonies. The thirteen colonies started in Virginia and wereRead MoreThe Declaration Of Independence And The United States897 Words   |  4 Pages The Declaration of Independence stated the United States should be established as a country, free from British control, the U.S. Constitution is a set of rules for that nation to follow, and Mark Twain’s As Regards Patriotism examines how these two documents affect the mindset of this country. Groupthink, not a word use in 1900, when Twain penned his essay, but it is a good analogy of what he was discussing. Psychology Today says, â€Å"Groupthink occurs when a group values harmony and coherenceRead MoreThe Declaration of Independence Essay5844 Words   |  24 Pagesï » ¿THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (1776) Thomas Jefferson Context The Declaration of Independence,  completed and signed in July of 1776, marked the official separation between the 13 colonies and Great Britain. An armed struggle between the colonies and Britain had begun just over a year before, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The formal declaration of independence established the new American revolutionary government and officially declared war against Great Britain. The primary The Declaration Of Independence And The United States... Two of the most important documents in United States history, are the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. The Declaration of Independence was a catalyst that helped to shape America to what it is today: a nation where its core values are still defined, and where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness still thrive in the American people. The rights that people possess are called natural rights, these were the standards for a human life and were not dependent of any government or a culture. After four years of American triumph in the Revolutionary War, to make another contract for overseeing the stabilization of the country, representatives â€Å"established delegates in the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention† (Carey 40). In drafting the Constitution, the greater part of the Founding Fathers trusted that the defenses composed into it would secure the privileges of Americans. When the Constitution was sent to the states in 1787 for confirmation , an incredible thunder of dissatisfaction went up. Different Americans from various states requested that a Bill of Rights be added to the Constitution. Various states approved the Constitution just restrictively. They would favor the Constitution just on the chance that it was changed to incorporate these rights (Carey 40). After reading Krugman’s â€Å"The Death of Horatio Alger,† Cox’s and Alm’s â€Å"By Our Own Bootstraps,† and Dalmia’s â€Å"Long Live the American Dream,† these articles inform the reader and give aShow MoreRelatedThe United States Constitution And The Declaration Of Independence1246 Words   |  5 PagesD.O.I vs. US Constitution The United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two of the most important documents in American history. Despite being written only eleven years apart and influenced by many of the same founders, these two documents are very different from each other. To understand the two documents better, you must distinguish certain areas of comparison between them. 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The Articles of Confederation were adopted November 15, 1777 and remained the sole form of government until it was replaced by the current United States Constitution in 1788 for its lack of efficiency in running the country. Federalists and Anti-Federalists argued endlessly over the pros and cons of theRead MoreThe United States Constitution And The Declaration Of Independence1288 Words   |  6 Pagesled to the creation of the Declaration of Independence and prompt the American Revolution War. After the American Revolution War, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the United States Constitution. T he United States Constitution is a document that consist of the fundamental laws and principles by which the United States is governed. A state’s constitution is defined as a set of fundamental policies or organic laws according to a state. 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DraftedRead MoreThe United States Constitution And The American Declaration Of Independence1525 Words   |  7 PagesThe United States Constitution and the American Declaration of Independence The Constitution of the United States of America is always touted and considered by many across the globe as one of the most liberal and people-friendly Constitutions in the world over. This assertion flows from the lofty language with which the document was written by its drafters and further inherent in the subsequent amendments. It represents the supreme law of the U.S, having been promulgated back in 1778. On the otherRead MoreBenjamin Franklin : The Declaration Of Independence And The Constitution Of The United States764 Words   |  4 PagesBenjamin Franklin (born January 17th) was one of the founding fathers who drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. He was a man of many talents and accomplished many great feats during his lifetime. 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Some feel strongly that it did not clearly define the new powers that the thirteen colonies would acquire and did not define the identity of the United States; while, others firmly believe that without the Declaration of Independence the United States would The Declaration Of Independence And The United States... The Declaration of Independence was a new beginning for the thirteen colonies, formerly a part of the British empire. This document brought about a new understanding of how the country would be run. The Articles of Confederation were adopted November 15, 1777 and remained the sole form of government until it was replaced by the current United States Constitution in 1788 for its lack of efficiency in running the country. Federalists and Anti-Federalists argued endlessly over the pros and cons of the two documents. The questions that arise are is the Constitution a radical change from the Articles or was it not so distinct? As well as, do both documents embody the Declaration or does one document do more so? The United States Constitution, which holds truer to the principles in the Declaration of Independence, is a radical change from the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was a distinct change from the Articles, but similarities between the two do exist. Both documents were e stablished by the same people. The Continental Congress resided over the writing of both. Both documents refer to the country as â€Å"The United States of America.† The Articles of Confederation state in Article I, â€Å"The stile of this confederacy shall be ‘The United States of America† (Continental 155). As well the Preamble of the Constitution addresses citizens as â€Å"...People of the United States† (Philadelphia 171). 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The Declaration of Independence was a catalyst that helped to shape America to what it is today: a nation where its core values are still defined, and where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness still thrive in the American people. The rights that people possess are called n atural rights, these were the standards for a human life and were not dependent of anyRead MoreThe United States Constitution And The Declaration Of Independence1229 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two of the most important documents in American history. Despite being written only eleven years apart and influenced by many of the same founders, these two documents are very different from each other. To understand the documents better, certain areas of comparison must be distinguished between them. 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DraftedRead MoreThe United States Constitution And The American Declaration Of Independence1525 Words   |  7 PagesThe United States Constitution and the American Declaration of Independence The Constitution of the United States of America is always touted and considered by many across the globe as one of the most liberal and people-friendly Constitutions in the world over. This assertion flows from the lofty language with which the document was written by its drafters and further inherent in the subsequent amendments. It represents the supreme law of the U.S, having been promulgated back in 1778. On the otherRead MoreBenjamin Franklin : The Declaration Of Independence And The Constitution Of The United States764 Words   |  4 PagesBenjamin Franklin (born January 17th) was one of the founding fathers who drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. He was a man of many talents and accomplished many great feats during his lifetime. Being born on January 17th makes him fall under the influence of Saturn, Capricorn and number 8. He was very hardworking, ambitious and enterprising. Starting from 12 years old he helped his brother comp ose pamphlets and he would personally sell those on the streetRead MoreGovernmental Foundation in the Declaration of Independence Essay867 Words   |  4 PagesJuly 4, 1776, the United States of Americas Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This document, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, announced that the thirteen colonies were declaring their independence and, in doing so, were independent states apart from the British Empire. The Declaration of Independence is comprised mainly of colonial grievances and assertions of human rights. The Declaration of Independence formed a profoundRead MoreComparison Paper GOVT200679 Words   |  3 PagesS. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two of the oldest documents in America and two of the most popular. These documents help to shape America and gave us freedom from the British government. The two documents contains very important information about o ur independence but they are different in many ways. In this paper I will compare the two documents and incorporate an outlook from the Christian biblical worldview. The U.S Constitution and the Declaration of Independence areRead MoreThe Declaration of Independence: Americas Foundation Essay example1229 Words   |  5 Pagesissue the Declaration of Independence being a legal document has been up for debate in courts for many years now. Although, the Declaration of Independence clarifies the United States identity as a free nation, it has generated intense controversy. Some feel strongly that it did not clearly define the new powers that the thirteen colonies would acquire and did not define the identity of the United States; while, others firmly believe that without the Declaration of Independence the United States would

Monday, December 30, 2019

Feminism And Its Impact On Women s Political Movement

Feminism is an ideology that has been established during the 19th and 20th century to help encourage the role of women and the women’s political movement. Mary Wollenstonecraft was a key influence in feminism, especially liberal feminism and her literature had influenced many women after the French Revolution. (Axford, 2002) This was part of the first ‘wave’ of feminism where social and liberal feminists were established. This ‘wave’ of feminism campaigned for suffrage and equal rights. Suffrage for women was a key principle for liberal feminism, as they believed that by gaining the right to vote for women it would reduce the prejudice against women and reach full emancipation. However, even after achievement voting rights for women a second ‘wave’ of feminism had become more radical, these subdivisions weren’t after reform like previously and as years have gone by more divisions of feminism has been established. An example of the dissection is the third ‘wave’, which not only concentrated on rights of women but had other concerns regarding ethnicity too. These are many limitations towards liberal feminism, which have been pointed out by the new emergence groups of feminist such as: representation, disregard of other social and economic factors and patriarchy. ‘Liberal feminism thinking is based on human nature is androgynous’. (Heywood, 2011) This suggests that all human begins, whether male or female have genes inherited from their parents, so, women shouldn’t be judgedShow MoreRelatedPatriarchy And Gendered Inequality?1421 Words   |  6 PagesDo you agree that feminism remains a highly relevant ideology in its challenge to patriarchy and gendered inequality? The aim of this essay is to present some very important aspects of feminism as an ideology and its importance in today s world. It is commonly believed, that feminism is no longer needed and should be considered as successfully completed movement. However, there are many misinterpretations of this ideology, which should be corrected in order to fully understand its prime postulatesRead MoreCritically Examine How Black Feminism Emerged And Assess1229 Words   |  5 PagesBlack feminism emerged and assess its impact on contemporary feminist theory. Answer with reference to intersectionality and ‘difference . feminism means the equality between men and women in social, political and social standing. There are many different types of feminism that women have adopted that they best feel aligns with their perspectives of the world. This essay will mainly be focusing black feminism that was developed in the 1960s. The essay will examine why the black feminism movementRead MoreWhen Thinking About Women’S Movements, One Is Likely To1115 Words   |  5 Pagesabout women’s movements, one is likely to associate them with an event that has taken place in either the United States or Canada. Nevertheless, it is evident that women s movements have historically occurred across the globe. Often, however, individuals do not take this into consideration when thinking about how these types of movements have had an influence on society in the 21st century. While reading the article: Political Culture, Catalan Nationalism, and the Women’s Movement in Early Twentieth-CenturyRead MoreWh at Makes An Effective Social Theory? Essay1465 Words   |  6 Pagesdifference in a social movement Baum suggests that what makes an effective social theory, including feminist theory is it understands the social and political arrangements of the people situated in the argument. So that understanding then helps shape the processes the theory must then go through (Baum 1087), because feminism is fighting for something so big, gender equality, it affects at least half of the population, and not one person s situation will be completely the same. For feminism because thereRead MoreThe Rise Of Social Media And Its Impact On The Feminism Movement Essay1542 Words   |  7 Pages Media Research Literature Review The rise of Social Media and its impact on the Feminism Movement Abstract: The new media Internet, social media platforms, has been an increasingly popular tool for feminists to promote the feminism movement. With the broad reach of the internet and social media, this has led to a wider awareness of the feminist movement. The broad reach of the internet and social media however has also open the female gender to various levels of objectificationRead MoreThe Definition Of Modern Day Feminism1116 Words   |  5 PagesMegan Thompson Ms. Butters AP Language 13 November 2014 The Definition of Modern Day Feminism â€Å"Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.† This is what Beyonce, one of the most famous and influential Women of Color in the past decade, claims in her 2014 VMA performance, with a large, shining backdrop of the word ‘feminist’ behind her. This quickly became one of the most direct and most widely-known displays of her feminist beliefs, and Beyonce isRead MoreFeminism Is For Everyone By Bell Hook958 Words   |  4 Pages Feminism is for everyone bell hook is a famous feminist author who wrote the book â€Å"Feminism Is For Everybody† hooks attempt to create a quick, simple start on feminist history, theory, and politics to the masses who receive a misinformation, misunderstood, and maligned version of the feminist movement. Hooks says â€Å"To understand feminism it implies one has to necessarily understand sexism†.We define feminism as the advocacy of women s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economicRead MoreInequalities Has Been Around For Many Years; From Slaves,1018 Words   |  5 PagesInequalities has been around for many years; from slaves, to the inequalities of women. Throughout the decades, women have been fighting the injustices they face in the workplace, household, and other places. The feminist movement was able to transform the role of the traditional woman. Woman were just thought as stay at home mom, who would just take care of their kids, cook, and clean. Once the feminist move ment started to gain momentum and cause woman to believe they could be a mother and alsoRead MoreSocial Construction And Its Impact On Society Essay1578 Words   |  7 Pagesare socially and historically constructed in a society. In other words, this is when the value and meanings are tied to concepts such as feminity, masculinity, race, class and gender. Hence, this same values and meanings of such concepts change and impact the society we live in. Furthermore, the idea of a social construct is significant in many various ways. For example, social construct helps us understand about feminity and masculinity on a social platform to which society predict and attaches certainRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Trifles By Susan Gillespe Essay1628 Words   |  7 PagesWomen rights are the act of fighting for the idea that man and woman should have equal rights. â€Å"Throughout history woman generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men.† (Women s History in America Presented by Women s International Center) Mother hood seemed to be a women most significant profession. In the 20th century woman fought for a reevaluation of traditional views on their society. During the past 100 years’ women, civil rights have evolved. â€Å"Women have been viewed

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Google Total Compensation Plan - 1885 Words

Human Resource Management Google total compensation plan November 04, 2009 Introduction Google is a monopoly, and it has a different and special structure. Employees are linked between themselves, and after in a moment they become autonomous. In this paper we are going to talk about the total Compensation plan, and we are going to explain its importance in this company. First of all we are going to indentify Google’s pay philosophy. We will explain the terms of lead, match and lag and how they are used in this company. Then the most important part of our project is the direct financial compensation, the wages, the salaries, the incentives, and also the indirect financial compensation which is the mandatory and voluntary†¦show more content†¦Google has a very special way to reward its employees and especially with non-financial compensations. Indeed Google gives to its employees a lot of non financial advantages. First the schedule is adapted to everyone and very flexible. The schedule is composed with two kinds of workshop, that is to say flexible one which correspond to the autonomous works and researches and the set time workshops which correspond to the teamwork and other team activities. Second the facilities of Google are made to be pleasant for employees the can use their bikes inside the building, play a lot of games during their breaks even relax on a massage chair. Everything is made to create a good work atmosphere and to awake the creativity. We would say that Google reward program is very complete and made to satisfy every employee and to get the best from them. The people who are interested in money will be happy because of the good salaries and indirect financial compensations whereas people who prefer a flexible schedule and other non-financial compensations (because they want to have free time for their family or because it is important to relax at their workplace) will find what they need with this reward program. In our opinion the homogeneity of the reward program and the advance of Google in Human resource Management explain the success of this firm and its ability to innovate. Performance appraisal methods In a big company as Google is hard toShow MoreRelatedHr Report1523 Words   |  7 Pagescareer development plan, but they need to receive support from the organization in doing so. Google’s approach as a corporation leaves it up to the employees to knows what what’s out there and available to them for a successful career path. Self-reliance and the urgency is the approach Google would like to see in its employees an opportunistic attitude that will drive an individual approach towards his or her successful career path. Some of the development tools that Google offers are GoogleEDURead MoreHr Practices in Google1146 Words   |  5 PagesHR PRACTICES IN GOOGLE 1. Building innovation into job descriptions: 20 percent time Technical employees are required to spend 80% of their time on the core search and advertising businesses, and 20% on technical projects of their own choosing. Employees work structure follows a 70/20/10 model, 2. Eliminating friction at every turn: ensuring change can happen quickly and efficiently Google’s approach to innovation is highly improvisational. Any engineer in the company has aRead MoreThe Sustainability Of Google As An Employer Essay1735 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION The main focus of this report is the sustainability of Google as an employer. In the following sections, we will discuss the purpose and scope of this assessment as well as the sources we are considering for our research. Purpose The purpose of this project is to review Google and analyze it as a potential employer. Throughout the report, we will cover their financial status, the culture of the company, and the future outlook. Additionally, we will explore the benefits and incentivesRead MoreNon-Monetary Compensation: Employers Helping to Create a Work-Life Balance1280 Words   |  6 PagesNon-monetary Compensation: Employers Helping to Create a Work/Life Balance Prepared By: Prepared For: Laura Smagala, BSM 328 When job candidates discuss compensation packages with potential employers, the talk usually turns towards monetary compensation. Businesses have found that creating a balance between home life and work is just as important to their employee retention rates as their actual salaries. The reason for the shiftRead MoreCompensation949 Words   |  4 PagesCompensation Luis A Galloza University of Phoenix Human Capital Management in Puerto Rico HRM/571 PR December 21, 2011 Marta Angeli Rivera, PH-D. Compensation Compensation is everything the employee values and want and what the employer is able to offer in return for the contributions of the employee (Cascio 2006). This compensation system is composed of financial and non-financial incentives. Financial compensation are direct payments (wages) and indirect payments (benefits)Read MoreNew and Improved Rewards at Work1627 Words   |  7 Pagesthe overall competitive compensation strategy of the organization. Then, it explains how innovative benefits could be tied to specific jobs. After that, it critiques the effectiveness of equity-based rewards systems versus those with more creative approaches and discusses the key elements of integrating innovation into a traditional total rewards program. And last, it recommends a process that optimizes an employee-based suggestion program to continually refresh the total rewards of the organizationRead MoreGoogle s Strategic Plan And Initiatives1872 Words   |  8 PagesIt is no wonder that Google is considered one of the best company’s in the world to work for. With its generous pay and compensations plan it has the ability to attract th e best of the best employees. Googles well-designed compensation philosophy supports the organization’s strategic plan and initiatives, business goals, competitive outlook, operating objectives, and compensation and total reward strategies. Throughout its history google has continued to access their pay model and adjust it toRead MoreAnalyzing And Evaluating Apple Inc.1179 Words   |  5 Pageswe set out to provide a financial analysis of the company and develop a broad audit plan. We provide a breakdown of the company’s industry, primary products, raw materials used, sales, assets, number of employees, location, key economic factors related to the industry, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, as well as an analysis of Apple’s financial strength. Secondly, we prepared a broad audit plan that focuses on material types of transactions, transaction cycles, high and low riskRead MoreRecruitment Of Talent And Talent Retention Essay1554 Words   |à ‚  7 Pagesemployees and over 100 million total assets (Shaofu, Ye. Personal communication. November 30, 2016). However, according to Mr. Shaofu’ s words (Shaofu, Ye. Personal communication. November 30, 2016), now the employees in the company started to complain about the employee treatment of the company and a substantial portion of staff in the company including senior and old employees choose to leave the company. First, select 3 vital criteria from the literature which are compensation system, working environmentRead MoreA Report On Bombardier Canada1132 Words   |  5 PagesAlcatel-Lucent SA and a member of the board of directors of Fiera Capital, DJM Capital and Centria. †¢ Vikram Pandit is the chairman TGG group and has been a director since 2014. †¢ Patrick Pichette is senior vice President and chief financial officer at Google Inc. and sits on the board since 2013. †¢ Carlos E. Represas holds the position of corporate director since 2004. †¢ Heinrich Weiss is the chairman of the supervisory board at SMS Holding GmbH:, and is a director since 2005. (Director s Bios - Board

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Digital Television †Is It Advancement Free Essays

string(65) " US was behind in the development of HDTV over Europe and Japan\." Digital television is becoming a global trend with a startling velocity. Following the lead of North America and Western Europe, a host of countries in East/South Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe are also hastening the epic shift from analog to digital television. It is predicted that approximately 1 billion people will be viewing digital broadcast television by the end of this year. We will write a custom essay sample on Digital Television – Is It Advancement? or any similar topic only for you Order Now At the current pace, nearly 38 percent of the world’s TV households will be receiving digital signals by 2010 (Informa Telecoms Media, 2007, p. 2). Underlying this technological gold rush is an array of remarkable features that digital broadcasting presents: interactivity, multichannel capacity, immunity to interference by other signals, superb audio-visual qualities, and quasi-universal interoperability with other media that recognize digital language. These outstanding qualities are founded upon the quintessence of digital technology: the binary codification (comparable to the dots and dashes of the telegraph code), which converts data into â€Å"a bitstream of zeros and ones† (Owen, 1999, p.151). Since digital technology can break down virtually any type of information (print, painting, music, sound, photography) into a uniform code of bits and bytes, it is now possible to establish universal compatibility among various media. As Timothy Todreas (1999) observes, â€Å"text, graphics, audio and video used to be within the purview of separate industries: print, radio, and television respectively. Once digitized†¦ bits can commingle effortlessly. Content can travel down the same distribution path and can be used interchangeably† (pp.78-79). Paradoxically, the atomize-ability of digital technology precipitates digital convergence, in which all the sophisticated traditional media taxonomies and typologies will become muddied and eventually obsolete. Aside from the universal connectivity of digital television with neighboring media, there are a few other properties of digital television: audio/visual excellence, multichannel capacity, and interactivity. The digital television is capable of delivering superior audio/video quality compared to its analog counterpart. However, the enhanced audio/visual fidelity of digital television is best exploited in a combined use with the Hi-Definition television system, an advanced method of injecting televisual signals onto the screen in a much more precise fashion than that of its predecessors, the NTSC and PAL systems. Contrary to common belief, HDTV is not an immediate offspring of the digital television system, although electronics makers, broadcasters, and policymakers of the digital television excitedly promote it as digital television’s headliner. There are multiple, significant reasons behind the deliberate â€Å"passing† of HDTV as the figurehead of digital television, especially in a Japanese context. Compared to analog signals, digitized information takes much less bandwidth, i. e. , much less channel capacity to distribute content per unit of time. This technical â€Å"thriftiness† is an end result of the compression technology that can filter out redundant data and squeeze more data into a given bandwidth. The economic use of bandwidth means greater space to fit more channels, which ends the â€Å"distribution bottleneck† (Todreas, 1999, p.79) common to analog formats. The sudden abundance of bandwidth leads to an explosion of channel outlets, metamorphosing the television industry structure. The interactive function of digital television is yet another benefit of the efficient use of bandwidth. A broadened bandwidth not only increases the volume of channels and the velocity of information but also enables â€Å"two-way† traffic. With expanded two-way interactions between sender and receiver, digital television could transform the modality of broadcasting from a linear, unilateral communication to a cyclical, bilateral one. Apparently, the level of control for the user is strictly limited by the choices provided by the software programmer. However, the interactivity of television will incrementally open new modes of socio-economic and cultural interactions (Video-On-Demand and T-commerce, for instance) among the user (Swann, 2000). Still, all the perks of digital television don’t come without costs and shortcomings. The multiple channels of digital television could inspire program diversification and perhaps contribute to a socio-cultural diversification. In fact, critics and viewers have already become disillusioned by the promise of channel multiplication, for it has impoverished, rather than improved, the program quality and originality in a way similar to what cable television did in the U. S. Likewise, the interactive functions of digital television could turn into a blight rather than a blessing. Tony Feldman (1997) posits that interactivity â€Å"runs the risk of giving the users so much power in determining their own experiences of content that the only message conveyed is the one the user chooses to receive. The freedom to chart your own course, therefore, can emasculate as readily as it can liberate† (p. 18). Development of HDTV The question of high definition television came up in the early 1970’s when Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, raised the possibility of HDTV. The technology was first developed by the Japanese to produce a better quality picture than previously available, and in 1978 NHK came up with two new HDTV systems. One of them was an 1,125 line system, the other a 2,125 line system that was transmitted by satellite (Fisher Fisher, 1996). Japan started the HDTV movement in 1970 and spent over one billion dollars on its development by mid-1990 (Dupagne Seel, 1998). In the early 1970’s the major players in the effort to produce HDTV were Sony Pictures, Panasonic, Ikegami, and NHK. Most of the engineering was undertaken by Sony and NHK tested the concept over the air. Panasonic and Ikegami (along with Sony) developed cameras, video tape recorders and other equipment needed for an entire HDTV package. Philips, the Dutch equipment manufacturer, developed a new HDTV system called Eureka in the early 1970’s. The system scanned 1,250 horizontal lines at 50 frames per second, with the same 16 to 9 aspect ratio as the Japanese system. This system was sometimes referred to as Vision 1,250 (Gross, 2000). The American television industry was finally waking up and coming out of the doldrums it had been in since the early 1970’s. The Japanese production had already taken over television, VCR’s, and the stereo business. It looked as if they would also become world-leaders in the development of HDTV (Fisher and Fisher, 1996). The US was behind in the development of HDTV over Europe and Japan. You read "Digital Television – Is It Advancement?" in category "Papers" The Defense Department pledged to spend $30 million dollars on the technology. The Defense Department sanctioned the spending of this money partly because the superior picture quality would have application for military reconnaissance and pilot training (Hart, 2004). The House Telecommunications Subcommittee held a hearing with the intent to insure that this new technology would flourish in the United States (Gross, 2000). The electronics industry is in a high stakes race. A 1989 government report stated that the United States stood a chance to lose 2 million jobs, and suffer a $225 billion dollar annual trade deficit by the year 2010 if the US does not produce a coherent strategy to compete in the HDTV and associated industries (Dupagne Seel, 1998). During the Reagan era an industrial consortium known as â€Å"Sematech† wanted to push the United States to become the leading technological manufacturer of the computer chip. This chip is used in HDTV. Chipmakers are of vital importance to the overall well being of the electronics industry. They represent the USA’s largest manufacturing business, with revenues for 1989 of $300 billion dollars. This is a business that is larger than the steel industry, aerospace, and the automobile industry combined (Dupagne Seel, 1998). The American Electronics Association (AEA) wanted funds in US government loans, grants and loan guarantees to further produce and improve HDTV. They felt once the government committed itself that deeply it could not pull out (Hart, 2004). The AEA’s attempt to persuade the government to enter into a government-industry consortium failed. It was an ambitious program to form a consortium to develop the next-generation of HDTV sets. The plan attracted only nominal support in Congress. The Bush administration actively opposed the idea. It received vocal support from the industry but no financial commitments (Hart, 2004). The Bush administration wanted to pull the plug on the high-tech industries. Washington was determined to cut the $10 million dollars pledged for research and development of HDTV in 1989. It also wanted to cut all federal support including the $100 million dollars it pledged for research and development in 1991. The Japanese manufacturers of semiconductors are encouraged by their government to spend 50 percent more on research and development of the chip. This is often subsidized by the Japanese government. This is more money spent on chip development than its US counterpart (Hart, 2004). In 1977 the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) formed a study group to investigate HDTV in the United States. As early as 1973 an 1,125 scanning line HDTV system was shown to engineers with CBS supporting the system. By 1980 SMPTE recommended using a system of about 1,100 scanning lines per frame and an interlace system (Fisher Fisher, 1996). Since the US decided to take the lead in HDTV development the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sponsored the movement by creating â€Å"The Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service† (ACATS). This was headed by former FCC Chairman Richard Wiley (Schreiber, 1999). ACATS declared an open competition to help create a usable HD service for the US. The FCC requested those involved with this project to submit their proposals to the FCC for approval. Shortly after that 23 proposals were turned in to the FCC. All of them were in analog format (Schreiber, 1999). Many of the inventors felt that digital would not become available until the 21st century. Also many broadcasters were not interested in creating a new system that was not compatible with their existing system, since that would require them to invest heavily to create a new market form (Fisher and Fisher, 1996). CBS was the first network to actively pursue HDTV (Hart, 2004). This was unusual since at that time the broadcast networks had less money to invest in high cost programming. In part some of this was due as a result of the viewing audiences shifting over from the broadcast networks’ programming to the cable stations. The loss of viewers to home VCR playback and rental movies, satellite delivery of Direct-TV, DBS and pay cable services also accounted for viewer erosion (Hart, 2004). In 1981 the Japanese company NHK was prodded by CBS to come to the United States to demonstrate their HDTV system. Members of CBS and SMPTE met with the Japanese in San Francisco, California, at the St. Francis Hotel at an annual television conference. The demonstration was very successful. The viewers were impressed with the NHK’s system’s â€Å"extraordinary resolution, rich saturated color and wide screen monitors and projection television displays (Hart, 2004, p. 92). † The general feeling of the people attending the conference was that the HDTV system broke all constraints of television picture quality imposed on them by the aging NTSC color standard. In 1983, based on what they saw at the conference, the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) was formed. Their goal was to improve the quality of video and develop new standards in technology. They were also instructed to come up with a recommendation for a usable HDTV standard for the United States by the spring of 1985. They were to present this standard to a subcommittee of the International Consultative Radio Committee (CCIR) which would set a world standard (Hart, 2004). The ATSC is a committee largely made up of engineers. In 1984 it had a yearly budget of $250,000. They decided to work on three parallel ideas to help improve the overall picture performance of US television. One group called the â€Å"improved NTSC† group headed by RCA Laboratories’ Kern Powers, worked to improve the present standard by improving studio and transmission equipment and the television receivers. Another group called the â€Å"enhanced group† investigated new production and transmission systems that still used the 525 scanning lines and a 4 to 3 aspect ratio. They also sought to produce a better picture through different signal formats (Fisher Fisher, 1996). The third group worked on HDTV at the CBS Technology Center and closely examined the Japanese NHK type of HDTV. This system would produce twice as many horizontal and vertical scanning lines as the NTSC system and would have an aspect ratio of 5 to 3 (Fisher Fisher, 1996). Their goal was to have an HDTV standard that they could present to the FCC by the spring of 1985. Their standard would be compatible with NTSC, PAL and SECAM and they could transfer their video to 3 5 mm film for theatrical release (Dupagne Seel, 1998). By March of 1985 ATSC did have a standard they felt they could present to the FCC. They picked 1,125 scanning lines as their standard because it was a compromise between twice the 525 NTSC standard, which equals 1,050 and twice 625 lines (used in Europe) which is 1,250. The system would also have a two-to-one interlaced scanning, a 5 to 3 aspect ratio and scan at 80 fields per second. This scanning rate was the only source of controversy, since the NTSC used 60 per second and most of Europe used 50 per second (Fisher Fisher, 1996). The Europeans felt it could not be used by them because conversion could not take place without some degradation of picture quality. The Japanese approved of it since most of their experiments were conducted in a 60 field per second rate (Hart, 2004). By January of 1988 the ATSC voted on an HDTV system of 1,125 scanning lines, 60 hertz HDTV, 16 to 9 aspect ratio production standard. The vote approved of this standard 26 for and 11 against, with 8 abstaining. The Association of Maximum Service Telecasters (AMST) and the National Association of Broadcasters voted against the new standard (Dupagne Seel, 1998). Late in 1987 the FCC steering committee submitted a list of five proposed guidelines in which to raise, or solicit, the funds from the participating companies involved with the development of HDTV. The most important guideline of the proposal was that â€Å"no one source contributes more than 15 per cent of the total, private funds raised,† according to the FCC (Hart, 1994, p. 216). In 1989 the American Electronics Association predicted that HDTV would reach the mass market by 1999 and that it would take until the year 2002 to reach 10 percent market penetration. They stated that HDTV would be megapixel, doubling the horizontal and vertical resolution of present television, with around 1,200 scanning lines by about 800 points across and close to a million pixels per screen. It was believed at this time that early HDTV sets would be expensive, large, projection TV’s that would find their way into sports bars before they are accepted in private homes (Helliwell, 1989). It was the dawn of the digital age. â€Å"The leap from analog to digital could be as striking as that from black and white to color. † (Dupagne Seel, 1998, p. 67). By 1990 General Instrument Corporation claimed it had perfected the first all-digital method of transmitting an HDTV signal that would be compatible with conventional broadcast channels. That year the FCC announced that it would select the new United States HDTV standard after extensive testing from applicants from six systems including European, Japanese and American companies (Hart, 2004). On May 24, 1993 the â€Å"Grand Alliance† was formed. The four leading pioneers of USA’s quest for a high definition picture joined forces. General Instruments-DSRC, AT+T/Zenith, Thomson/Philips, and MIT were the companies that formed this alliance. The purpose of the Grand Alliance was to combine the various parts of their four separate systems into one complete system. This way they would produce a single, all-digital HDTV transmission system. The four HDTV systems that each company produced separately (before the alliance) had a good picture in a 6 Mhz channel, but none of them were deemed good enough to be considered the single acceptable standard (Dupagne Seel, 1998). The new Grand Alliance systems comprised 1080 active scanning lines with 1920 pixels per line, interlaced at 59.94 and 60 fields per second, and a 720 active line with 1280 pixels per line, progressive scanning at 59. 94 and 60 frames per second. Both formats operated in the progressive scanning mode at 30 and 24 frames per second. The system used MPEG-2 video compression and transport systems and Dolby AC-3, 384 Kb/8 audio. It also used the 8-VSB transmission system developed by Zenith. This system was overwhelmingly approved by the ATSC membership. The old analog NTSC television will someday cease to exists as we know it. In its place high quality digital TV and HDTV will capture a larger and larger share of the market (Dupagne Seel, 1998). The ATSC believed that its HDTV standard would rule the land-based-over-the-air broadcast not only in the United States but in the northern hemisphere, and even in a few Asian countries as well. Europe, Japan and Australia are going to have a different HDTV standard from the USA. America’s standard uses an eight-level vestigial sideband (8-VSB) 6- Mhz modulation for its over-the-air transmission. The European, Japanese, and Australian systems use an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system (Strassberg, 1998). But politics intervened and a world wide standard was not to be. Different parts of the world will all have their own high definition standards. All the different formats will have more scanning lines than the present NTSC system, but they will not have the same number of scanning lines as each other. Therefore, conversion will be necessary between each country’s systems (Hart, 2004). When the people involved in trying to set up a standard for HDTV moved from the chaotic to a more organized collaboration the marketing strategies did not keep pace with the development. There was a consensus among the manufacturers that HDTV would never happen, or at least it would be on a smaller scale than predicted. In Japan their HDTV development was stunted because of a lack of attractive programming. In Europe HDTV was abandoned because there was no consensus among programmers, signal providers, and the public (Hart, 2004). Both Mexico and Canada have refused to sign off on the channel assignments granted to the US stations in bordering areas. This will lead to a clouding up of the signals in those parts of the states. Detroit had to delay its planned digital/HDTV delivery launch on November 1, 1998, because of signal mix-up (Stern, 1998). The Thompson Manufacturing Company emphasized that the success of HDTV will largely depend on the broadcaster. Though HDTV sets are being manufactured it will depend on the number of hours of high definition signal that is being transmitted out there, to pull the audience to the television screen (Hart, 2004). . The FCC and HDTV By 1990 the FCC decided that the HDTV signal would have to fit into one channel. The Japanese were suggesting that the US use their MUSE (Multiple Sub-Nyguist Encoding) system. This system would use one channel for the picture and another channel with information to boost it to HDTV level (Schreiber, 1999). By Congressional order the FCC has assigned a second TV channel to each of the nations 1,600 television stations. Each of these stations will now be able to offer digital signal service to the public. It will be up to the broadcasters as to what kinds of services to offer and in what format they wish to transmit in (Hart, 2004). Originally then FCC Chairman, Reed Hundt, wanted to auction off the HDTV channels. The proposal for this auction was then introduced to Congress by Senate Majority Leader, Bob Dole. But, heavy lobbying by the broadcasters quickly killed the bill (Schreiber, 1999). Regulators were considering adding 30 Mhz, or channels 2 to 6, to the spectrum that broadcasters will be using when the shift to digital TV is completed. By the year 2002 the analog channels will be returned to the government. The FCC will then auction these returned channels off to prospective buyers. Congress and the White House expected this auction to raise somewhere around $5. 4 billion dollars. If broadcasters are given this additional 30 Mhz this would set the FCC back by about $2 billion dollars (Schreiber, 1999). When the analog channels are no longer in use by the broadcasters and they are auctioned off, they will be used for non-broadcast use such as mobile phones, two-way paging, and wireless Internet access (Schreiber, 1999). The broadcasters will transmit both the existing NTSC analog signal on one channel and the new HDTV signal on another channel. This way the existing analog TV sets will not be rendered useless immediately. The FCC adopted this simulcast plan where each existing television station would be assigned a second 6-Mhz channel for the analog TV and a channel for HDTV service (Schreiber, 1999). On Thursday April 3, 1997, the FCC approved by 4 to zero the biggest advance to broadcasters since the 1950’s when color was introduced to television. The government announced that it was giving away to broadcasters free air-space. Critics of the FCC felt that giving this free air-space, without having the stations pay for it, was the biggest government give away of the century. To the 1,600 stations in this country this is an estimated $70 billion dollar gift of free channels (Schreiber, 1999). To create the necessary channels needed for HDTV the spectrum space was taken from UHF stations of channels 14 or higher. The government has had a history of setting aside unused channels in the past for the broadcasters. The government will be taking these channels back and making them available to fire, police, rescue, and other public safety groups (Schreiber, 1999). By November 1, 1998 the FCC ruled that the networks must begin to broadcast a digital signal. At first only the top 10 markets will get any of the new ATSC digital signals. Only about 5 hours of broadcast high definition signal will be available. The stations will be free to broadcast as little, or as much HDTV signal as they deem possible. By 1998 the first true high definition television sets were available for sale on the open market (Hart, 2004). The roots of HDTV lie in a 1996 decision by the FCC to require broadcasters to transmit two signals, one in analog (NTSC) and one in digital. The FCC required that broadcasters continue broadcasting the analog signal until the year 2006, although the deadline can be extended if digital grows too slowly in popularity. The FCC gave each TV station a second broadcast channel for digital signals used for the new HDTV programming (Schreiber, 1999). There has been some indication that the HDTV signal does not work as well as it was predicted, or promised, to work. The November 1, 1998 launch date for HD signal was to deliver crystal clear images and CD-quality sound. And it did, but only 40 percent of the time. After a test in Washington, DC, in 1998 it was found that a majority of the time the televisions using indoor antennas could not display a high definition image. It was an all or nothing at all thing with over-the-air digital signals. Test results stated that with terrestrial transmission, broadcasters and set manufacturers will be even more reliant on cable operators to reach their potential viewers (Schreiber, 1999). For someone who sets up their HDTV receiver during the winter months when the leaves are off the trees, there are some who did not receive a signal in the spring when the new leaves appeared. Often the first time a potential customer views an HD television set they have to become accustomed to some surprising effects. As a result of the image compression techniques that are used to squeeze such a high-resolution picture into a 6 Mhz channel there are no noticeable defects in the picture until there is motion on the screen. The motionless backgrounds appear in stunningly clear detail, but when an object moves the picture momentarily blurs and develops a â€Å"block like† image around the moving object (Strassberg, 1998). The bugs are still being worked out, but as it stands the first person to purchase a high definition TV set will not be sure it will work with an antenna, and they won’t be able to connect to cable (Strassberg, 1998). Industrial Policy, Politics and HDTV In October 1988, the American Electronics Association (AEA) released a report forecasting the effect of HDTV on the U. S. economy and technological prowess. This report heightened fears of foreign threats to the domestic consumer electronics industry. A string of Congressional hearings followed. In May 1989, the AEA issued a second report, which included a recommendation for $1. 35 billion in government assistance (Hart, 2004, pp. 157-9). This was necessary, argued the report, to make American companies competitive with their international competitors. The resulting political fall out could have hardly been anticipated. The second AEA report was the proverbial â€Å"last straw† in a very heated ideological battle over American industrial policy. One side of the argument feared that U.S. firms were unfairly disadvantaged against international competition because many foreign companies enjoyed generous subsidies from their governments, which often had much more cohesive industrial policies than that of the U. S. The other side argued that the best way to ensure American success could only be accomplished through the competitive process of a free market, which is what drove the American innovative spirit—not government mandates and funding. These differing positions were soon became part of a political battle between Capitol Hill and the Bush Administration (Bingham, 1998). The position of the latter was influenced by a stand against industrial policy taken by Bush during a campaign speech, where he declared, â€Å"I oppose the federal government’s picking of winners and losers in the private sector. That’s known as ‘industrial policy†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (Hart, 1994, p. 221). The debate had been percolating for some time. Just prior to the second AEA report, Senator Al Gore (D-Tenn. ) had been the most recent of a list of legislators to introduce yet another bill designed to spur HDTV development and push the Whitehouse towards a more proactive domestic industrial policy. The bill was motivated in part by Gore’s unhappiness with Secretary Mosbacher, who had refused to attend a hearing by his Science Subcommittee (Bingham, 1998). Not all within the industry favored the Congressional push for government assistance. The Electronic Industries Association (EIA), whose members—unlike the AEA—included foreign owned companies as well as U. S. companies did not support government subsidization for fear they might not get a piece of the proverbial pie (Bingham, 1998). Philips and Thompson lobbied vigorously against this legislation. They argued that their system shouldn’t be put at a disadvantage just because they were European companies. After all, their American subsidiaries provided American jobs just like their American owned counterparts, and their system, if chosen, would benefit the American public just like the other systems (Hart, 2004). This illustrates the problematic nature of industrial policy: provided you do decide that it is even in America’s best interest to subsidize companies, how do you then rationalize subsidizing those very competitors all over again? Yet, if you do subsidize U.S. and not foreign owned companies, you still risk disadvantaging American workers (Bingham, 1998). As a consequence of the political battle over industrial policy, the Bush Administration developed an anti-HDTV policy. Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher, who had initially supported the promotion of a strong HDTV policy, became a critic of such policies as a result of the political fallout. In one Congressional hearing, he criticized the industry for holding back research in hopes that it might get funding from the government (Hart, 1994, pp.221-222). The second AEA report came at the climax of the battle. A focal point of the battle was DARPA, which had begun an initiative to fund HDTV technology in the public sector for â€Å"dual use† purposes (i. e. encourage technologies that provide significant benefits to both the defense and civilian sectors) (Bingham, 1998, p. 110). By the end of May, the White House had ordered a halt to pro HDTV industrial policies, and Craig Fields, a vocal supporter of DoD funded HDTV development, would eventually be dismissed in April of 1990. Interestingly, in the midst of all this fallout, Al Sikes, former head of the NTIA and a big proponent of HDTV, became the new Chairman of the FCC in August of 1989. However, the nomination had actually been submitted before the political battle over HDTV had escalated (Dupagne Seel, 1998, p. 184). The introduction of digital helped alleviate the conflicting goals of progress versus compatibility, by offering an option so significantly advanced that it superseded the goal of compatibility. The conflicting goals reflect the much broader conflict between the FCC’s dual mandates to promote and police. It is interesting to keep in mind, however, that new technology was not the only factor in this move. After all, the FCC actually chose to pursue an HDTV approach vis-a-vis a more compatible EDTV approach at least two months before, GI revealed its digital system (Hart, 2004). It might be very easy to lay the problems of adoption that have resulted from choosing a digital system, which was not compatible to NTSC, at the feet of the FCC. We could speculate that commissioners were unable to grasp the complexities and significance economic principles or the staff was to rigid in its thinking to find a truly innovative solution to the problems already discussed. However, the fact remains that the move towards DTV was also made by industry participants. The FCC could not force manufacturers to propose a system they did not want (Hart, 2004). Once full digital HDTV had been achieved, many manufacturers voluntarily scrapped their analog systems in order to pursue digital systems. In making this choice proponents were at the mercy of economic forces beyond their control. They could not afford not to choose a digital system following GI’s breakthrough: the risk that the public and officials would perceive such systems as technologically inferior was too great. Digital threatened the successful adoption of any analog system, regardless of the outcome of the contest. In the end the analog systems failed to compete adequately with the digital systems anyway (Hart, 2004). Conclusion Now era of analog broadcast television in the United States will end as the nation completes its transition to an all-digital system, which is set on February 17, 2009 (dtv.com). The veneration of HDTV as the single source of spectacular televisual experience and as the epitome of digital television is a necessary mythology for the joint endeavor of the broadcasting industry, HDTV manufacturers, and the MPT to move digital broadcasting in the world forward. HDTV is, by definition, a specific type of television receiver that provides higher resolution than the NTSC standard by way of compressing, storing, and delivering a greater amount of image and sound information than previous transmission systems. There are a number of competing HDTV standards, and unlike common mis/conceptions, not all HD televisions are digital. Nor does the digital HDTV necessarily guarantee a better audio-visual fidelity than the analog HDTV. Additionally, HDTV is not the sole foundation of the audio-visual grandeur of the digital television system. Technically, not all HDTV can assist or accommodate diverse functions (e. g. , interactivity) that the digital broadcasting service would normally offer. Nor can all digital television receivers, likewise, convey as good a picture quality as a HDTV would proffer. As the digitalization of broadcasting became an irreversible national policy of U. S. in 1990s, electronics companies tended to blend the two technical specifications, manufacturing only digital HDTV sets. And as the digital HDTV becoming a norm in the industry, digital television and HDTV are often used interchangeably, regardless of their technical and conceptual differences. Digital TV alone could enhance audio-visual quality to a considerable degree, since it involves no mediation of transmission towers or ground cables, thereby decreasing the chance for the deterioration of broadcast signals. Accurate or erroneous, the adoration of HDTV as the end-all and be-all of visual excellence would place the entire edifice of digital broadcasting in U. S. on a pedestal. More specifically, it is expected to have a dramatic impact on the viewer’s awareness of digital broadcasting, and consequently, adoption of more advanced, multifunctional digital TV sets. As the audience is exposed to the crisp, vivid images of HDTV, they will see a compelling reason to switch to digital broadcasting. A wide and speedy diffusion of digital HDTV is a prerequisite for the energetic growth of digital broadcasting and a barometer to measure such growth. Second, digital HDTV sets are considered an axial item for the reinvigoration of U. S. ‘s economy led by the three engines: the AV equipment industry, electronics manufacturing, and online business. With many years of rigorous RD endeavors, U. S. begin to claims its share of the global HDTV and associated A-V equipment market. HDTV is no longer a plain â€Å"household appliance† but a core IT technology, equipped with cutting-edge apparatuses, ranging from memory chips, mobile transmitters, and LCD, PLP monitors, to various paraphernalia that enable interoperability with other digital devices. Conclusively, odd it may sound, U. S. ‘s development of HDTV is infused with what might be called â€Å"techno-nationalism† that has intensified throughout its competition with the Japan for economic and technological supremacy. The four-decade long endeavor of promoting HDTV as the global standard has been at once a medium and a theater of the techno-economic contest between the two techno-egos. HDTV is, after all, as much a political game as a business matter; as culturally intense a project as a technology-intensive battle. But this battle is not over. As the latest news report, â€Å"the electronic company Sony will debut a flat-screen t flat-screen television powered by organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that require less power and space. The OLEDs result in a television picture with stronger colors and a faster response time in pixels. The television will be introduced in Japan but will not be available in the U. S. for several years. † (Berhie, 2007) How to cite Digital Television – Is It Advancement?, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Differences Between Public and Private Sectors free essay sample

It consist of government businesses and firms and goods and services provided by the government such as he national health service, state education, Jobs, roads, public parks and law and order. Throughout this paper, we will examine other differences that exist amongst public sector and private sector such as policy decisions and beneficiaries. Often you hear news analysts talk about the public and private sectors. While most people usually have an idea what these two terms entail, there are complex differences between the two, which are also useful to learn about. Houston (2000) states, in spite of virtually universal agreement among scholars that public organizations have more goal complexity and ambiguity, public managers do not iffer from business managers in response to survey questions about such matters. Public managers do not differ from business managers on perceptions about organizational formalization, in spite of a chorus of assertions that government agencies have more red tape and rules than private firms have. We will write a custom essay sample on Differences Between Public and Private Sectors or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Public managers do, however, show very sharp differences in response to questions about constraints sector it is basically made up of organizations which are owned and operated by the government. Within the United States, the public sector consists of government agencies like federal and state offices. When a private individual speak of the public sector, they are typically referring to a public authority, or public body. Any federal institution that is associated with health care, police services, prison services, local and central government management, and all their departments, are also considered as a part of the public sector. Rainey and Bozeman (2000) states, organizations are made up of a complex of important dimensions and issues; researchers have developed bodies of research on these dimensions, which include goals, structure, motivation and many others. The comparisons of public and private organizations have been influenced by these patterns, drawing on conceptual and methodological developments in these areas. For example, researchers have compared business firms to public agencies on measures of work satisfaction among members of the organization and on their perceptions of organizational structure, using concepts and empirical measures that organization theorists had developed to measure satisfaction and structure. Next, there is the private sector. This sector is generally made up of organizations which are private, which means that they are not wned by, nor part of, the government. All small businesses, corporations, profit and non-profit organizations, partnerships, charitable organizations and middle to large entrepreneurships, are considered as part of the private sector. The specific examples are retail stores, credit unions, local businesses and non-government operated banks. So, what is the difference between the public and the private sector in regards to the way that they operate? Those who are in the public sector are known for supplying services to the public, and they are not competing with any other institution for profit. On the other hand, private sectors seem to have a goal of outshining their competitors, and maximizing their revenue. According to Perry and Rainey (1988), Privately owned and funded organizations are asserted to be more heavily influenced by their economic markets, and they are more autonomous from government oversight. They also state, Governmental regulation and government contracts can bring heavy governmental control to bear on some private firms. On the other hand, government organizations that are funded through market sales or user charges often have concomitantly greater autonomy from governmental ontrols. Majority of public sectors are managed under a bigger chain of command and control, while private sectors mostly operate in a corporate setting. As for the differences with their policy decisions, the activities in the public sector have a goal of adhering to what is indicated by law, while the private sector is driven by the rules of shareholders and corporate owners. Schmidt (2008) states, The research agenda of companies is more focused and targeted and therefore perceived as easier to handle for managers. Also, the decision-making process is different. Managers of private enterprises can faster and easier change orientation, focus and targets. This implies, according to some managers, that the instrumentation used in the private sector is different from the one used within public research. the beneficiary of the services provided by the public sector, is the general public. These goods and services are sometimes provided free and in other cases consumers benefit the public as a whole. This is because it would be hard to charge people for the goods and services concerned or people may not be able to afford to pay for them. Therefore, the services tend to be those considered very important to modern life that for moral reasons their universal provision is usually guaranteed, and they are associated with fundamental human rights. Helping others with a specific need or want is their way of defining a service. An example of a service which is not generally considered an essential public service is hairdressing. As for the private sector, it is mostly the consuming public who utilizes the goods and services that they offer in exchange for profit. A private sector is not controlled by the state. There are various legal structures that exist for private sector business organizations, depending on the Jurisdiction in which they have their legal residence. Individuals can conduct business without necessarily being part of any organization. According to Burger and Stare (2010), The challenge remains how to simultaneously boost employment and efficiency in private services, while curbing the employment in public services without Jeopardizing their performance. Exploiting the innovation potential in private and public services as well as the interfaces between the two may contribute to solving the problem. In conclusion, most studies show there is a small amount of evidence that the participants have sufficient knowledge of real public-private differences.