Magnetic Resonance Imaging Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI is a procedure, in wide use since the 80s, to see the anatomy of the internal organs of the body. It is based on the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), first described in landmark papers over fifty years ago (Rabi et al. 1938; Rabi, Millman, and Kusch 1939; Purcell et al. 1945; Bloch, Hansen, and Packard 1946) (4 ). . The MRI is a valuable diagnostic and research tool with also practical applications for surgical planning and conquering diseases. This imaging procedure is painless and non-invasive although sometimes discomforting as the patient lies down in a body tube that surrounds them. For many years, closed MRI units have been the standard in helping physicians make a diagnosis. These closed MRI units featured a long tube that the patient would be placed inside during their procedure. This was often uncomfortable for many patients due to the "closed in" feeling and was especially stressful for patients who suffer from claustrophobia. The newest generation of MRI units is now open on all four sides which completely alleviates the "closed in" feeling, while still providing the physician with the most accurate information possible to aid in diagnosis (2).. A patient does not see or feel anything. A faint knocking sound may be heard as the machine processes information. Patients may choose to listen to music -- even having the option of bringing their own CDs to listen to. Most MRI procedures take less than an hour. MRI technology is based on three things: magnetism, radiofrequency and computers. The magnetic resonance machine, is a big and strong magnet. When the body is inside, every proton of the body is oriented in the same way (for instance, with the positive pole up). Water ... ...netic Resonance Imaging is one of the most accurate imaging modalities available today. It is an application of computer technology that has generated knowledge for the future and for practical application today. The field of imaging continues to expand as avidly pursued new dimensions in the acquisition of physiological and biochemical information occurs. WWW Sources 1) Principles of Functional Magnetic Resonance , http://www.mch.com/ 2) Consultants in Radiology , http://www.cirpa.com/Pages/OpenMRI.html 3) MIT Encyclopedia of Cognitive Sciences , https://cognet.mit.edu/login/?return_url=%2Flibrary%2Ferefs%2Fmitecs%2Fugurbil.html 4) Tracking Neural Pathways with MRI , https://cognet.mit.edu/login/?return_url=%2Flibrary%2Ferefs%2Fmitecs%2Fugurbil.html 5) MRI OF HIPPOCAMPUS IN INCIPIENT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE http://www.uku.fi/neuro/37the.htm

Commercial Bank Service Delivery

Commerce Bank INDUSTRY: Banking SERVICE: Checking Accounts & Loans COMPANY/BRAND: Commerce Bank SOURCE: HBS Premier Case Collection WRITTEN BY: Frances X. Frei, Corey Hajim PUBLICATION DATE: Dec 02, 2002 PROD. #: 603080-PDF-ENG Reader's comments would be much appreciated and replied to!!! Analyze Commerce Bank's service delivery system prior to ‘Retailtainment’. Base your analysis on the following heads: Service OfferingFunding Mechanism Employee Management System Customer Management System ANALYSIS: Commerce Bank’s Service Delivery System Commerce Bank’s entire banking and operational philosophy is designed around creating a retail experience for the customer. This was unusual for the entire banking industry and thus a great source of differentiation from both the operational standpoint and from the service delivery design perspective.This meant that the entire value proposition from the customers’ standpoint depended on the design of the service en vironment/theater including the 3 service marketing mix variables This can be seen from employee comments and facts in the case about these variables Product: â€Å"We believe the value of a bank is not its loan base but rather the deposit base† – Vernon Hill (Chairman & CEO) Price: â€Å"We are generally the lowest ratepayers in every market† – Vernon Hill (Chairman & CEO) Place: ‘†¦ eciding where to put a branch was just as important as what the building looked like.. ’ Promotion: ‘Commerce spent $500,000/branch in NYC on promotion†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and ‘Red and blue painted Commerce vans with an emblazoned logo’ People: â€Å"This is not a job for someone who ‘s interested in being cool or indifferent† – John Manning (Employee Trainer) Process: â€Å"the way we look at credit and credit quality is a lot tougher†¦Ã¢â‚¬  – Falese Physical Evidence: â€Å"They i. . customers know what th e deal is whenever they visit one of our banks† – John Cunningham (CMO) The Chairman and CEO, Vernon Hill has been able to do this by understanding 2 very important aspects or critical success factors of the banking business Understanding the Nature of the Servicescape: Despite trends (cross selling & non-interest revenue) in the banking industry moving towards the more remote delivery mode (Pg. : Most banks actively encouraged customers to move their transactions from full-service channels to self-service channels†¦monetary penalties for using the more expensive channels†¦charging $3 to visit the teller), he understood that because banking as a service depended so heavily on the service attributes of searchability, experience and credence and the nature of the servicescape was in essence that of an Elaborate- Interpersonal type Reducing the Listening Gap (from Gap Model of Service Quality): In comparison to other banks in the industry which competed on keepin g a low-interest ratio, he rightly understood the customers’ real need by competing instead on service, convenience and other intangible service differentiators (Pg. 6: †¦the competition is beating on the 3% i. e. ustomers wanting a higher interest rate; we decided to compete on the 62% i. e. customers wanting convenience) Keeping this in mind we can now look at the 4 dimensions its Service Delivery system prior to ‘Retailainment’ Service Offering In light of this, the bank’s entire service offering can be visualized as in the figure below: Here we can see that the service offering in itself is split into CORE OFFERING: This is not very different from what other banks in the industry offer. However, from an execution standpoint their focus was different, because their strategic intent for both operations and growth was that Bank Value is ‘Deposit Base’ NOT ‘Loan Base’. Their core offering i. e. anking services included Deposi ts or Checking accounts (first 3 years no monthly service fees and free 1st order of checks) Sr. No. Type Minimum Balance Details 1 Standard Checking $100 No monthly service fees 2 Interest Checking $1000 No monthly service fees, Unlimited check writing, Interest 3 50 Plus Club $100 No account maintenance charge for checking account with interest, free checks, money orders, notary service and travelers’ checks 4 Consumer Checking None No per check charge for first 8 checks/month for $3 monthly fee Table 1: Commerce Bank’s Deposit Product Line Loans: Commerce’s value is not in its loan base but in its deposit base.So for Commerce, loans are not given out as easily as other banks in the industry which believe that growth is in loans since deposit growth can occur only with the lowest interest rate. However, credit quality checks for loan approval is very stringent ATMs: Withdrawals were available at any ATM and purchases anywhere Visa was accepted. Transactions w ere immediately reflected in accounts and statements Cash Reserve Line: All accounts could be combines with a Cash Reserve Line to ensure protection from overdrafts SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICE: Commerce has 8 supplementary services (4 facilitators and 4 differentiators) which allow for superior customer service: FACILITATORS DIFFERENTIATORS InformationCommerce decided to use Live agents over the phone instead of Voice Response Unit (VRU)to talk to customers Consultation Branch manager (also the Loan officer) consults/advises loan applicants and helps to manage both loans & deposits Order Taking (Banking context: Cash withdrawal & loan application process)  · Loans were assigned to service branch instead of Head office for easy access for customer  · Weekend banking facilities were provided to allow customers to bank on Saturdays & Sundays Hospitality  · Helpline phones at ATMs  · Employee escorts with umbrellas during rains  · Lollipops and dog biscuits at drive through banking windows  · Coffee and newspapers in waiting lobbies Billing Banking context: Loan approval and monthly statement generation process)  · Loan applicant had to personally sign-off by on loan papers at service branch  · Online Monthly statements Safe Keeping (Banking context: Peace of mind about account balances and check deposits)  · Immediate updating of ATM withdrawals in online statements  · A ‘Check View’ feature on Commerce’s website Payment (Banking context: Loan repayment process)  · Payment is easier for customer and assured for bank, since loan customer also has a deposit at service branch Exception handling (Banking context: Coin currency & Irregular hours )  · ‘Penny arcades’ to handle coins  · Midnight timing at busy locations 10 minute rule to increase banking hours by 20 minutes in a day’ operation Table 2: Commerce Bank’s Supplementary Services mix As a result of this unique service offering design, Commerce has produced above average results in its undifferentiated core offering: Comparison Parameter Commerce’s Value Industry or Competitor Value Deposit Growth (1996-2001) 30% US Banking Industry-20% (98-01) Deposit Growth (2001) 40% US Banking industry – 5% Online Usage 34% Wells Fargo – much lower Net Income growth (1998-2001) 200% (Double) US Banking industry – 20% Table 3: Commerce Bank’s Performance Comparison Funding Mechanism Commerce’s funding mechanism can be looked at from 2 perspectivesCommerce’s own startup and growth strategy (how it funded it’s own growth) Commerce’s banking and lending operations (how it functions as a bank) Startup and Growth Strategy Founded in 1973 with $ 1. 5 million as startup capital (assumed to be seed capital not VC funding) Chairman & CEO, Vernon Hill did not believe in M&As as a growth strategy but as a cost-cutting measure Started operations as a community bank in southern New Jers ey Used the retail franchise expansion model (without acquisitions) to grow Expanded into branches in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York Concentrated on seeing customer as a revenue-generator (not cost center).However, cross-selling was not encouraged since main revenue stream was considered as deposits Expansion into New York was done organically (Branches were wholly owned and run by Commerce and promoted heavily (Spends – $500,000 per branch) By 2001, Commerce had $ 1 billion in core deposits Banking and Lending Operations Commerce’s 2 basic product categories were: Deposits (Debits) and Loans (Credits). Its operations as compared to the Industry can be analyzed as below: Product Category v Commerce’s Philosophy: Focus is consumer business (Deposits) Best value from both (conventional & electronic) channels Low-expense ratios are bad Outgoing friendly service Industry Trend: Cross-Selling products Preference to electronic channels Non-interest income revenue Pushing customers out of store(bank) DepositsRates need not be the highest in the industry (only 3% want this) Longer operating hours allow for more time for customer service (62% want this) Non-interest income revenue (i. e. ATM charges) must be used as competitive advantage to grow and not simply be an addition to the bottom line They are transaction-oriented and low growth Dozen or more types of checking accounts $5 monthly fee for Internet Banking facilities Loans Assigned to customer service branches that received credit for deposits Loan-deposit ratio low Stringent credit quality checks Customers mostly commercial real estate projects, mortgages and consumer loans Loan officer is also branch managerLoan delivery is centralized leading to customer and loan officer disconnect Loans are 90% of deposit base (2001) Lower credit quality loans (i. e. sub-prime mortgages) get approved Loans not linked to deposits RESULT > Deposit Growth (2001) – 40% Online Usage – 34% N et Income growth (1998-2001) – 200% Loan & Deposit growth (1998-2001) – 20% Deposit Growth (2001) – 5% Non-interest income growth – 27% Interest Income growth – 11% Customer attrition – 1/3rd of customer base Table 4: Commerce Bank’s Funding Mechanism Employee Management System Commerce’s Employee Management System can be broken up into Hiring Training Work Autonomy Workplace involvement Rewards Appraisal or Performance Measurement HIRINGPolicy emphasizes internal (among employees) and external (customers & employees) engagement Extensive interviews (2000 interviews for 40 positions in Manhattan branch) Experience about local and entrepreneurs given high importance Interviews used to know about competitors and their best performers TRAINING WOW program (process improvement) for all employees to be trained and integrated into the Commerce culture (‘Traditions’ class) Commerce University (full time education and trai ning facility) Easy to remember framework for learning Commerce service deliver model: SMART (Say YES to customers, Make each customer feel special, Always keep customer promises, Recover, Think like a customer) Continued business education for senior executives WORK AUTONOMY ‘Kill the stupid rule’ program to suggest improvements WORKPLACE INVOLVEMENTAll employees encouraged to hand out their visiting cards to recruit potential employees Redeemable WOW! Stickers WOW! Awards and Musical performances Red Fridays (Pictures taken of those employees who are wearing red) Mascots – Mr. C , Buzz and Dr. Wow REWARDS Glamorous prizes for top performers (like a leased Porsche Boxster for 1 year) $5000 reward for the staff of nearest Commerce branch where a competitor closed down $50 reward for suggesting improvement in the ‘Kill the rule’ program (mentioned above) APPRAISAL OR PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT All shops (branches) performance data on an internal database open to all branch managers Salary increases based on shopping (No. f deposits) results Mystery shoppers visited 14000 shops (branches) annually for evaluating employees, customer-service reps for compliance with greeting and other procedures Competition between branches in different regions in the form of Leagues (assuming this is like football or baseball leagues) to get the best service report Table 5: Commerce Bank’s Employee Management System Customer Management Systems Commerce’s Customer Management Systems or customer-centric programs can be divided into: Customer Acquisition Programs Customer Retention Programs Both these have some customer ‘delight’ features which are called as such because they are against industry norms and unexpected by customers Acquisition Industry NormEmployees were encouraged to cross-sell products (deposit account and loan products) Employees’ key performance measures were volume of calls handled and number of tran sactions processed rather than customer satisfaction or repeat customers Customers were seen as cost centers and in order to keep a low-expense ratio were pushed to use the electronic channels (full-service to self-service) Also, customers using the conventional personal (teller) banking channel were penalized through extra fees This savings in the marginal cost was then used to give a higher interest rate which banks felt was the only way to attract new customers. These are the result not understanding why customers selected their banks in the first place. In addition to proximity, customers chose banks based on service. Vernon Hill, CEO & Chairman, Commerce Bank understood this and built it into Commerce’s Customer Management System Commerce’s customer acquisition methodology Branches located close to competitors branches Branches are designed to be inviting, open windows (Note: this is a visual ‘Cue’ designed into the physical evidence variable.It shows honesty and transparency) and ample parking Red & blue painted commerce vans helped create free advertising opportunities Building designs across all branches were consistent (Note: This gives a consistent message to the customer – Integrated marketing communication) Very high promotional spends for every new branch in the form of direct mailings, subway ads, phone kiosks and free food (like 10,000 hot dogs in Commerce napkins) First time customer is given 4 simple checking account options (See Table 1) and First time customer is given a free gift for opening an account Employees treat customers with outgoing friendly service and do not try to cross-sell products or push customers out of the store after they finish their transactions Loan applicants were encouraged to open deposit accounts first Retention Industry Norm All banks provided the same ease-of-use electronic banking features along with their extensive branch networks. Also, existing Customers were expected to be c omfortable in a different environment and deal with a different culture when banks merged. In spite of this, even the best retail banks lost 15% customers/yr as the following table shows: Sr. No. Reason for leaving of customer base 1. Dissatisfaction with steep fees and fee surprises, poor service and errors 34 2. Outside of reach of current branch locations 34 3. Availability of more convenience such as longer hours in other banks 15 Table 6: Customer attrition in the Banking Industry Commerce’s customer retention methodology Analyzing the facts of the case, it can be clearly seen that Commerce’s customer retention program targeted exactly those pain points (See Table 6) which caused customers to switch banks. Convenience Extended banking hours (10 minute rule allowed for 20 minutes of extra banking everyday) Busy locations were open till midnight (12:10 am)Weekend banking (Saturdays & Sundays) which started in Jersey shore were extended to all branches Exactly same e nvironment across all branches (Note: This feature was lost after ‘‘Retailainment’ program was launched) Phones in ATMs reach helplines Live agents instead of VRUs Boundary-spanning Roles and Interface Employee conduct monitored by mystery shoppers for friendliness (handshakes), consistency in greeting and other procedural details when dealing with customers Employee appraisals and salary increases linked to branch performance (which is linked to service quality) and not volume of transactions handled Live agents dress codes stricter than other call center settings Personal attention Guidance to manage deposit accounts by branch managersLoan accounts handled by local customer service branches and not central headquarters Guidance to manage loan accounts by loan officers (who also happened to be branch managers) Customer delight features No fees for ATM and check cards Non-interest income (ATM charges/fees for using other bank’s ATMs) returned to customers E mployee escorts with umbrellas to cars during rains ‘Penny Arcade’ program to handle coins with no charge either customers or non-customers (Note: This might have even helped customer acquisition) Gifts (pens and lollipops) at drive-through banking windows All these helped drive the growth engine of Commerce Bank. It grew to $1 billion in deposits by 2001. While the net income for the industry stood at 20%, Commerce doubled its net income in the period 1998 -2001.

African American Culture 5 Essay

Question# 4: African cultures, by and large, bring a similar world view to the relationship between man and the spiritual realm, one that is marked by an extremely personal interaction. In the broader African spiritual world human beings are seen to be under the constant influence of other people, their ancestors, minor deities, the Creator, and various forces of nature. As a result the African spiritual world can be described as interactive since all things are endowed with life-force. How is this idea expressed in ritual approaches to morality, wrongdoing, and spiritual empowerment? African American religion has always been heavily involved and influenced by the notion of morality, wrong doing and spiritual empowerment since the slave days if not earlier, African Americans came to embrace Protestant Christianity and adapted their own version of it which is consistent with evidence in the 19th century and a little bit of the 18th, at the time Christianity had little effect on slave society through the efforts of Anglicans, but it was not because African Americans rejected the gospel but because whites seized Christian brotherhood from blacks. As blacks in the South and in the British Caribbean struggled to develop individual and collective identities from the ideas and ways of African culture and their new conditions of life, the series of efforts by evangelicals to convert slaves eventually gave rise to a distinct African-American form of Christian theology, worship style, and religious community. The importance of religion and having their own take on it is among African Americans, as among all people, rests on fulfilling the human need for an understanding of one’s place in both the spiritual and temporal world. Although it was difficult, African Americans discovered in evangelical conversion requirements an opportunity to reassert personal authority based on their ability to communicate directly with God and to bring others to recognize the need for personal repentance and acceptance of Jesus. A perfect example that supports the connection between religious involvement and a sense of personal identity, is found in a slave woman who, back then it was not common for them to tell missionaries that her people have come from across the sea and lost their father and mother, and therefore want to know the Father. The displacement of Africans, for whom locality was critical to interactions with the spiritual world, did not strip them of their religious identity, but required them to learn the spiritual landscape of their new home and reshape their practices accordingly. â€Å"Come Shouting to Zion† details the many religious rituals that Africans preserved in the new world, especially those surrounding fundamental life events such as the birth and naming of children, marriage, burial ceremonies, and ritual dancing and singing to communicate with ancestors and deities. The influence of Africans with many diverse but fundamentally similar cultures in a strange new land encouraged slaves to form new pan-African cultures, which grew increasingly popular as later generations of slaves were born into bondage in America, establishing a distinct African-American culture. The pidgin African-English is a prime example of Africans in American creating a system of communication that was not traceable to a particular African ethnic origin, nor was it a perfect imitation of American English, but was instead shared by blacks in America. As slaves first encountered a foreign language that whites wished them to learn well enough to be more productive but not well enough to pose a threat to the race-based socioeconomic hierarchy, so they became acquainted with Christianity at the will of whites, but when given the opportunity, appropriated it for their own purposes. In the early encounters between slaves and Christianity it is without question that African, and particularly American-born slaves, sought a spirituality that would explain or show their temporal condition. Some salves looked to a theology of liberation and equality among Christians, which they could glean from 18th century evangelicals, mostly Anglicans, who tried to downplay these aspects of biblical teaching. The early period of evangelism was restricted by the fears of slave-owners that slaves who converted to Christianity would feel empowered to revolt against their bondage. Several conspired rebellions and many smaller incidents of black assertion were linked to blacks who had heard enough preaching to identify themselves with the enslaved nation of Israel. This fed the fears of whites, and Anglicans continued to complain that the planters who prohibited them from educating slaves on religious matters were the largest hindrance to saving African American souls. While racism was strengthened and slaves were unable to improve their social status by conforming to white European-American values, very few blacks found the Christian message Anglicans shared with them appealing . Anglican churches maintained strict separation of rich and poor, white and black, during services and sacraments. The high-church emphasized that learned men alone were authorized to teach and that blacks would listen without questioning and to accept the extension of their temporal message and isolation from whites into the religious sphere. Under these terms, it is I am not surprised that Christianity failed to take root as a meaningful religion, a spiritual world that Africans wanted to live in. But it is essential to recognize the role of whites in shaping the message that Africans were allowed to hear, and the role specifically of slaveholders in excluding blacks from access to Christianity. That blacks expressed their agency in rejecting this early version of Christianity offered to them. . At the same time Anglicans were confused over their lack of success in the Southern mainland, Moravians made a significant impact on blacks in the Caribbean by bringing a different vision of a Christian community. Moravians, Methodists, Separate Baptists, and a few other missionaries in the late 18th and early 19th centuries who sought out African Americans stressed spiritual, if not always worldly, equality. Africans identified with and embraced images of a savior who had suffered like they did, and joined these Christian images with African musical modes of expression to create spirituals that reminded: â€Å"Jesus been down to de mire/ You must bow low to de mire† (Stuckey, 139). However, you must finally accept Christianity as an affirmation of their lowly place in society and a divine exhortation to obedience and docility, as many white slaveholders had hoped they would. Rather, blacks found opportunities at biracial revival meetings which were meetings held at locations most often church, in which slaves and blacks were black would interpret what they heard and to share their divinely inspired interpretations of Christian faith, even from pulpits. During this critical period when a significant portion of blacks in the Caribbean and American South were first offered Christianity, they clearly adopted it and transformed it into something that was their own. After the period of revivals that first sparked wide-scale conversions in the South, many African-Americans focused on building a community in which they could support one another and worship in their own African-influenced style. Local black congregations extended their religious community, most notably with the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in1816. As an institution spanning several states, the A. M. E. Church allowed blacks to take part at different levels in a collective, hierarchical social system as had never before been possible under American slavery. blacks continued to participate as minorities in biracial congregations (still with segregated seating) in most parts of the south and the expanding frontier, but found fewer opportunities to become ordained preachers or lay leaders in mixed parishes, where they were likely only to be allowed to â€Å"exercise the gift, provided they teach sound Doctrine sic† under the approval of whites (Frey & Wood, 166). In the creation of their own religious communities in which no whites were present to criticize â€Å"overemotional† black forms of religious expression and persisting practices, such as polygamy and dancing, African-Americans actively designed a spirituality that fulfilled their needs in the slave societies of the Americas. African-American religiosity was then, as it is now, â€Å"centered on extended and expanding families and households, the importance of self-determination and personal dignity, mutual aid, and shared responsibility for the progress of the race† (Hortons, xi). In my opinion, African agency is most clearly supported by evidence of Africans defining their faith, modes of worship, and religious ties as part of a larger emerging African-American culture. Change was a relentless fact of life for Africans in 18th and 19th century America, most tragically present in enslavement and removal from Africa and domestic trade within the Americas that broke up families as masters bought and sold property. Outside the personal struggles of individual slaves, the changes in ideology and society wrought by the era of the American Revolution exposed Africans and their descendents to evolving external ideas about their place within American society, their rights as humans, and their needs as spiritual beings. Religion was one of the few arenas in which African-Americans could control the changes in their individual lives and their culture as a whole. Evolving religious traditions provided individuals over generations with a source of spiritual renewal and a supportive community and prepared an institution that could serve future generations. The long and turbulent transition from African forms of religiosity to African-influenced forms of Protestantism shows that black Americans created, out of all religious ideas and structures available to them, a faith that was their own. Question#3 The musical selections in this section come from Africa and the Americas. Some are examples of the preservation of traditional musical styles; others are examples of the adaptation of traditional modes of expression to modern styles. Prevalent in each performance is the use of either percussion instruments such as drums or singing in groups or by soloists. How do these musical selections exemplify a common African musical aesthetic, i. e. rhythmic syncopation, call-and-response, melodic constructions, vocal colors, in both traditional and contemporary expressions? African dance has contributed many characteristics to dance in America. We see evidence of this in many aspects of dance today. Being such a diverse nation, America has the blessing of combining original dances from different cultures to create an amazing dance repertoire. American dance as we know would be completely different, if it weren’t for the Africans. African dance began with the different rhythms of the tribes. Its roots in America began with the slave trade. The American slave trade began in 1619, (However, Africans were imported as slaves to the West Indies staring almost a century before that) with the arrival of Dutch trading ships carrying a cargo of Africans to Virginia. They were first brought over by boat to places such as Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti. Eventually different countries end up taking over those nations and slaves fall under their rule. In Brazil, the Portuguese take over, in Cuba the Spanish take over, and in Haiti, the French take over. The retaining of African culture by those in slavery was stronger in the other nations than in America, as the Spanish and French rulers adhered to the more lenient view of dancing taken by the Catholic Church. In America, the Protestant church strongly disapproved of dance. Therefore, dances that occurred in the West Indies, Brazil, Haiti and Cuba retained more of the African dance structure, than those in America did. Those dances can be classified as recreational or sacred. An example of a recreational dance is the Juba, which was a competitive dance where opponents would outdo each other in feats of skill, sometimes while balancing something on their head. Sacred dances were based on the worship of religious gods. The goal of the dance was for the dancer to become â€Å"possessed† by the god so that it would speak through the dancer. Two examples are voodoo and Shango dances. Traces of the African religious practice of possession, or disengaging from reality through the combined effects of music and dance, can be detected in the appeal of some forms of jazz dance. In America, the dance movement of Africa was restrained mainly by two factors: the attitude of the church towards dancing as being immoral and the restricted use of the primary African instrument (the drum). Drumming was banned in 1739 following a slave insurrection. White plantation owners responded by banning all drums and that forced slaves to search for other percussion options. They substituted with banjos, clapping hands, stomping feet, and the fiddle. Dances that occurred on the Plantations were for recreation and religious reasons also. Because of the European influence in America, the movement gave a distinct American appearance, rather than a strictly African one. Many dances imitated animals. There were also circle dances and dances for celebrations. Another category that emerged was competitive dances. The most well known one was the cakewalk. The slaves had witnessed their owners’ dancing festivities and imitated their stiff upper bodies while contrasting it with loose leg movements. The owners enjoyed watching this and gave a cake to the best dancer. The observation of African dancing by the whites led to them stereotyping the dancing slave. They began to blacken their faces and imitate them using such indigenous movements as the ‘shuffle’. The imitation dances by whites started an era of American entertainment based on the stereotype on the dancing ‘Negro’. Before the Civil War, professional dancers were mostly white, with the exception of William Henry Lane. He was also known as â€Å"Master Juba† and was a freeborn slave thought to be the best dancer in the World. He had lived in Manhattan where the Irish immigrants also lived. His dancing was a combination of Irish jig dancing and African rhythm, just like the slaves who were forced to compete with the Irish migrant workers aboard the ships. Both his movements and the Nigerian slaves are said to be the start of tap dance. Minstrelsy was also a popular form of entertainment in America from 1845 –1900. The Minstrel show was a group of male performers that portrayed the Negro as either slow and shuffling or sharply dressed and quick moving. The minstrel show proved prominent in spreading vernacular dances like the cakewalk and jig dancing on a wide scale. The next major change after minstrelsy came with the birth of ragtime music and ballroom dancing after 1910. A bunch of animal dances were seen in white ballrooms. Examples were the Turkey Trot, and Chicken Scratch. The invasion of ballrooms with native inspired dances set the stage for the same process to occur on Broadway. Zeigfield borrowed some of these dances for his Follies. Social dance became introduced on the theatrical stage. The big aspect being borrowed wasn’t the actual dances, but their swinging qualities. In 1921, Shuffle Along featured a jazz inspired dance called the Charleston. It left the audience with a lot of energy and a new respect towards black dancing. Tap was now also brought to white audiences and the musical comedies took on a new, more rhythmic life. In the late 1920s, jazz inspired songs replaced the popular white standards and America accepted Jazz music as its own. Louis Armstrong was a big part of the creation of swing music. It was a style of jazz music that emphasized African influenced rhythm and was played by big bands. Faster and sharper footwork came about and the Lindy was the new dance craze. It incorporated the shuffle and glide and buck and wing movements from early African dances. The Lindy was significant for starting jazz dance styles used in later musicals. It also gave the opportunity for white choreographers to experience African swing. Jazz music and dancing slowed down in popularity after WWII. Technology and music were evolving. The beat became more complex and musicians like Charlie Parker and Dizie Gillespie explored more with improve. The overall result was, jazz music became something more to listen to rather than to dance socially. The advent of Television in the 1950s also kept people at home instead of on the dance floors. African American dance became more of an artistic expression than a social means. Professional companies and dancers restored early African rhythms and the beauty and emotion of their traditional songs, including Catherine Dunham’s â€Å"Shango†, Alvin Ailey’s â€Å"Revelations† and Bill T. Jones’ â€Å"Uncle Tom’s Cabin†. In the past 50 years, African American dance has been rich in innovations as well as connections with the past. The definition of professional dance has broadened beyond ballet, modern, and jazz. Popular and social dances, including the urban black dance forms of break dancing and hip-hop have been recognized for their artistry and expressiveness. Dance created and performed by African Americans has become a permanent part of American dance. Every dancer and almost every person in America, in one way or another has danced steps that resemble early African polyrhythmic movements. Personally, I think the dance World in America could no have flourished as well as it did without it’s African influences. since the slave trade the drum has been used all over the world as a means of communication and self expression. Its broad variety of users includes the early African tribes, using them for ceremonial purposes. The Africans brought drums with them to the Americas and helped to develop their popularity among American musicians. In the mid 1900’s drum sets were brought about. These revolutionary collaborations of percussive pieces started off with a pair of hi-hats, a bass and snare drum, and a couple of tom toms. Later as the music progressed, so did the drum kits, completely eliminating the need for an entire drum section. With the coming of the rock and roll movement the drum kits were changing, they needed to accommodate the new music styles. They became sonically diverse and even electronic drums were brought about; making them infinitely adjustable both ergonomically and musically. With every major drum manufacturer competing to have the best product on the market drums will always be evolving. African American musicians and early slaves choose to use drums as a common form of expression because of the deep bass that was used to duplicate heart beat and thunder. The sound waves for open ended and string instruments is fairly straight forward. However, for a closed end instrument, such as a drum, the sound waves are different. A lot of the energy is dissipated through the shell of the drum, which is the reason for the variance in drum construction these days. Many different kinds of wood are used to generate different sounds, or a different amount of energy absorption. For a warmer, deeper sound maple construction is used while birch is used to get a high, resonant tone full of vibration. The heaviest wood that dissipates the most amount of energy is oak, creating a lower, flat sound. Question#1 I believe that Egypt’s economic progress over the last decade is a great example of showing how They have come a long way and are still vastly improving. Egypt is the third-largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa region (after Saudi Arabia and Israel), as well as one of the strongest, with significant potential for future economic growth and diversification. With a real commitment to economic reform, which favors a large privatization program and the encouragement of private investment and growth. The improvement in Ghana is evident in how their country has such a diverse economy. The Gold Coast was renamed Ghana upon independence in 1957 because of indications that present-day inhabitants descended from migrants who moved south from the ancient kingdom of Ghana. By West African standards, Ghana has a relatively diverse and rich natural resource base Minerals–principally gold, diamonds, manganese ore, and bauxite–are produced and exported. Exploration for oil and gas resources is ongoing. Timber and marine resources are important but declining resources. Agriculture remains a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-third of GDP and about 55% of formal employment. Cash crops consist primarily of cocoa and cocoa products, which typically provide about one-third of export revenue, timber products, coconuts and other palm products, shear nuts , and coffee. Ghana also has established a successful program of nontraditional agricultural products for export including pineapples, cashews, and peppers. Cassava, yams, plantains, corn, rice, peanuts, millet, and sorghum are the basic foodstuffs. Fish, poultry, and meat also are important dietary staples. Ghana’s industrial base is relatively advanced compared to many other African countries. Industries include textiles, apparel, steel (using scrap), tires, oil refining, flour milling, beverages, tobacco, simple consumer goods, and car, truck, and bus assembly. Industry, including mining, manufacturing, construction and electricity, accounts for about 25% of GDP. I strongly believe that since Ghana and Egypt have improved so vastly it is helping African Americans improve in general, the saying â€Å"We come from a long line of kings and queens is such a truthful statement if you look back on history. We have a lot of ancestry that lies within Ghana and Egypt. With the knowledge of the past it will help us to continue realize our past and bring us to terms with the future. We can reverse the process by not letting people hold us back and to not blame others. I also believe that strong knowledge of Ghana and Egypt and Mali, will also further our culture by being educated and not told how our past was. There are a lot of invention by many great African Americans that most people do not know that black inventors were behind the idea, not that is matters that a black or a white person constructed or came up with an idea for a patent, it is essential that we are have contributed just as many things if not more than any other culture. There have been so many contributions to society to western civilization and I feel it is so important that we surround our selves with knowledge of our ancestors because they worked hard to get us to the point today where we are able to vote and the possibility of a black president. The saying that we come from a long line kings and queens is so powerful because it shows you that black really is beautiful and if you retrace our ancestors you will find out that our people were just as important as kings and queens. Lewis Temple was the inventor of a whaling harpoon called the â€Å"Temple’s Toggle† and the â€Å"Temple’s Iron. † He was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1800 and arrived in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1829. He worked as a blacksmith and had lots of friends that were whaler’s who bought harpoons and had lots of conversations with them. Granville T. Wood was known as the black Edison. Woods was born in Columbus, Ohio on April 23,1856. He never finished elementary school and he worked in a machine shop at a very young age. He moved to Missouri in 1872 at the age of sixteen. By 1881 he opened a factory in Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactured telephone, telegraph and electrical equipment. He filed for his first application for a patent in 1884 for an improved steam-boiler furnace. Woods patented the† telographony ,† a combination of the telegraph and the telephone. He produced one of his most important inventions in 1887, it was called the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph. It enabled messages to be sent from moving trains and railways stations. In 1890 he set out to improve the lighting system by creating an efficient safe economical dimmer. It was safer and and resulted in 40% energy savings. Woods also created an overhead conducting system for electrical railways and the electrified third rail. By the time of his death in 1910 he had 150 patents awarded to him all together. Lewis H. L was a pioneer in the development of the electric light bulb. He was also the only black member of the Edison Pioneers, a group of inventors and scientists who worked with Thomas Edison. He was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1848 and was raised in Boston. He enlisted in the Navy and served as a cabin boy on the U. S. S Massaoitta the age of sixteen. Latimer was given the assignment to draw plans for Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone patent . In 1879 Latimer went to work as a draftsman for Hiram Maxim, who invented the machine gun and headed the electric lighting company. Latimer worked on improving the quality of the carbon filament used in the light bulb. In 1882 he received a patent for an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments. Gerrett is best remembered for his invention of the gas mask and the three way traffic signal. Mogan was born on March 4,1875 in Paris, Kentucky. He left school after fifth grade at the age of fourteen. He left Kentucky and headed for Cincinnati, Ohio and got a job as a handy man in a sewing shop. Morgan directed his attention to the frequent instances of firemen being overcome by fumes and thick smoke when they went into burning buildings. He perfected breathing device which he patented in 1914. In 1923morgan patented an automatic traffic signal which he sold to the General Electric Company for four thousand dollars. In 1963 Garrett A. Morgan died at ht age of 88 in Cleveland, Ohio after he was ill for two years. Just to name a few ,those were a couple of major contributors to the African American culture and western civilization.

Encouraging Quotes to Keep You Moving Forward

Encouraging Quotes to Keep You Moving Forward When youre having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, it can be hard to keep moving forward. But when quitting is not an option, and you need a boost of self-confidence to rise to a challenge, it can be helpful to hear from others who have overcome adversity.   Here are some words of wisdom from people who have struggled with obstacles and pushed through to meet their goals.   Encouragement Quotes from Athletes So celebrate what youve accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.- Mia Hamm. The American soccer player led the Womens World Cup winning team in 1991 and 1999, winning gold at the Olympics in 1996 and 2004. Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.  - Michael Jordan. The basketball legend was once told he was too short to play the game. Encouragement Quotes from Writers All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring. Gandalf the wizard tries to reassure Frodo as Frodo prepares to take on the quest of the One Ring.   â€Å"The presence of a noble nature, generous in its wishes, ardent in its charity, changes the lights for us: we begin to see things again in their larger, quieter masses, and to believe that we too can be seen and judged in the wholeness of our character.†Ã‚   ― George Eliot, from the novel Middlemarch. which tells the story of Dorothea Brooke, who struggles with provincial life. Politicians Encouraging Quotes When written in Chinese the word crisis is composed of two  characters: one  represents danger and the other represents  opportunity.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¢ John F. Kennedy. Americas 35th president struggled with health problems early in life and later received the Purple Heart and Silver Star for rescuing the crew of the PT-109 during World War II. What is success? I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing, knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose.―Margaret Thatcher, who overcame significant odds to become the United Kingdoms first female prime minister. Entertainers Encouraging Quotes You cant just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream; youve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¢ Diana Ross. The lead singer of The Supremes and successful solo singer worked hard, often at multiple jobs, to achieve her success. I dont have education. I have inspiration. If I was educated, I would be a damn fool.   Ã¢â‚¬â€¢Ã‚   Bob Marley. The Jamaican singer recovered from a near-fatal shooting to become a reggae icon. Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€¢Helen Keller. Born deaf, mute and blind, Keller became a   best-selling author and lecturer.

Love Poems of the English Renaissance

Love Poems of the English Renaissance The love poems of the Renaissance are considered to be some of the most romantic of all time. Many of the most famous poets are more well-known as playwrights Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson and the most renowned of all, William Shakespeare. Throughout the medieval period, which preceded the Renaissance, poetry changed dramatically throughout England and Western Europe. Slowly, and with influence from movements like  courtly love, the epic ballads of battles and monsters like Beowulf were transformed into romantic adventures like the  Arthurian legends. These romantic legends were the precursor to the Renaissance, and as it unfolded, literature and poetry evolved still further and took on a decidedly romantic aura. A more personal style developed, and poems clearly became a way for a  poet to reveal his feelings to the one he loved. In the mid-to-late 16th  century, there  was a virtual flowering of poetic talent in England, influenced by the art and literature of the Italian Renaissance a century before. Here are some prominent examples of English poetry from the crest of the English Renaissance of letters. CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE (1564-1593) Christopher Marlowe was educated at Cambridge and known for his wit and charm. After he graduated from  Cambridge he went to London and joined the Admirals Men, a group of players. He soon began writing plays, and those included Tamburlaine the Great, Dr. Faustus and The Jew of Malta. When he wasnt writing plays he often could be found gambling, and during a game of backgammon one fateful night with three other men he got into a quarrel, and one of them stabbed him to death, ending this most talented writers life at the age of 29. Besides plays, he wrote poems. Heres an example: Who Ever Loved That Loved Not at First Sight?   It lies not in our power to love or hate,For will in us is overruled by fate.When two are stripped, long ere the course begin,We wish that one should love, the other win;And one especially do we affectOf two gold ingots, like in each respect:The reason no man knows; let it sufficeWhat we behold is censured by our eyes.Where both deliberate, the love is slight:Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight?   SIR WALTER RALEIGH (1554-1618) Sir Walter Raleigh was a true Renaissance man: He was a courtier in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, an explorer, an adventurer, a warrior, a poet. He is famous for putting down his cloak over a puddle for Queen Elizabeth in an act of stereotypical chivalry. So its no surprise that he would be a writer of romantic poetry. After Queen Elizabeth died, he was accused of plotting against King James I and was sentenced to death and was beheaded in 1618. The Silent Lover,  Part 1 Passions are likend best to floods and streams:The shallow murmur, but the deep are dumb;So, when affection yields discourse, it seemsThe bottom is but shallow whence they come.They that are rich in words, in words discoverThat they are poor in that which makes a lover. BEN JONSON (1572-1637) After an unlikely beginning as an adult that included being arrested for acting in a seditious play, killing a fellow actor and spending time in jail, Ben Jonsons first play was put on at the Globe Theatre, complete with William Shakespeare in the cast. It was called Every Man in His Humour, and it was Jonsons breakthrough moment. He got in trouble with the law again over Sejanus, His Fall and Eastward Ho. accused of popery and treason. Despite these legal troubles and antagonism with fellow playwrights, he became poet laureate of Britain in 1616 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. Come, My Celia Come, my Celia, let us proveWhile we may, the sports of love;Time will not be ours forever;He at length our good will sever.Spend not then his gifts in vain.Suns that set may rise again;But if once we lose this light,Tis with us perpetual night.Why should we defer our joys?Fame and rumor are but toysCannot we delude the eyesOf a few poor household spies,Or his easier ears beguile,So removed by our wile?Tis no sin loves fruit to stealBut the sweet theft to reveal.To be taken, to be seen,These have crimes accounted been. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616) William Shakespeare, the greatest poet and writer in the English language, is shrouded in mystery. Only the barest facts of his life are known: He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon to a glover and leather merchant who was a prominent leader of the town for a time. He had no college education. He turned up in London in 1592 and by 1594 was acting and writing with the play group the Lord Chamberlains Men. The group soon opened the now-legendary Globe Theatre, where many of Shakespeares plays were performed. He was one of the most, if not the most, successful playwright of his time, and in 1611 he returned to Stratford and bought a substantial house. He died in 1616 and was buried in Stratford. In 1623 two of his colleagues published the First Folio edition of his Collected Works. As much as a playwright, he was a poet, and none of his sonnets is more famous than this one. Sonnet 18: Shall I Compare Thee to a Summers Day?   Shall I compare thee to a summers day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate.Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summers lease hath all too short a date.Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimmed;And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance, or natures changing course untrimmed.But thy eternal summer shall not fadeNor lose possession of that fair thou owst;Nor shall death brag thou wandrest in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou growst,So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Research Paper on Womens Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research Paper on Womens Rights - Essay Example However they overlooked the fact that raising children, milking cows, washing clothes and all the other household chores require heavy intensive labor. And recent experiments and tests have shown that women are more pain tolerant than men. The biological implication of the women as the child bearer has also played a pivotal role in incarcerating them in the house. The common view, that a woman's place is in the house basically stem more from that than any other reason. Even after the invention of contraceptives and abortions, due to which they have a greater control over child birth, societal pressures force them to take up the position of a dedicated wife and mother. Due to this pressure the world fails to see and benefit from the intellect of talented women. Most of them fail to finish college and even if they do a little percentage pursue careers. Traditionally, females are expected to learn skills from their mothers. More emphasis is given on developing instincts for running houses rather than a profession. During the 1960s many studies revealed that girls tended to achieve higher in early school years rather than in high schools. A major reason was that girls themselves were never aware that they can have more prospects than just being a house wife. The concept did not exist in their minds. They accepted whatever was ingrained in them. However this trend has been changing over the years. (Eisenberg & Ruthsdotte, 1998) General History Taking a trip down the lane of history it can be seen that the formal education of girls has always been given less importance than that of boys. When America was a colony, the girls used to study in dame schools. They did not have any master school of their own and they could only attend the school for boys if there was any room available for them. This was mainly in the summers when all the boys were out working. However the number of women students started increasing gradually and by the end of the 19th century it had reached great levels. This was due to the fact that more and more women colleges and universities were opened and these women could even apply in regular institutes. In 1870 it was recorded that one fifth of the students studying in the colleges and universities were females. Another survey held in 1900 showed that this proportion had increased to more than one third. As for degrees, women were found to be obtaining 19 % of all the undergraduate college degrees around the start of the 20th century. By the end of the 20th century, this figure had dramatically risen to about 49 %. Even in graduate studies these women were seen to increase in number. Around the mid 1980's they were earning 49 % of all masters degrees and 33 % of all doctoral degrees. Also around the same period it was recorded that 53% of all college students were women from which more than a quarter were above the age of 29. Political History of Women Liberation First Wave The women rights movement began on the 13th of July 1848 when 6 women met for tea. Their conversation drifted towards the situation of women and feeling discontented with it they decided to take action. Today we are living the legacy of the conversation between these women. After two days of the

Contract Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Contract Law - Essay Example The aggrieved party is also entitled to sue for damages. 1 A warranty on the other hand is a secondary term of a contract. It does not go to the root of the contract. Breach of a warranty gives the aggrieved party a right to action for damages. However, unlike an audition, breach of a warranty does not give the defendant a right to repudiate the contract and he can not therefore reject the goods supplied. Whether a term of a contract is a condition or warranty is a question to be determined by the courts. On the other hand, there exists exemption clause in a contract whose primary aim is to limit the liability of the seller of goods to which he could otherwise have been liable. But before the party has to place reliance/defence on an exemption clause, the courts must determine two things. In this case walls (w) inspected a car and agreed to buy if from Karosale (k). A clause "no condition or warranty that the vehicle is roadworthy or so to its age, condition or fitness for any purpose is given by the ownership implied herein" was incorporated in their agreement. After the car was delivered to w, it was incapable of self starting and he refused to take it. K sued him on the basis of the clause. It was held that there was a breach of condition and the defendants were not entitled to rely on the exemption clause 2 The case My advice to Keith regarding the exemption clause It is not true that Paul had incorporated the clause to the contract because the clause was written at the back of the receipt and not the front. The fact that Keith did not bother to read it cannot be used by Paul as a justification to rely on the exemption clause. It therefore means that the exemption clause WAS NOT brought to the attention of Keith. A similar judgement was passed in the case of CHAPELTON VBABBY U.D.C 1940. In this case, C hired a deck chair from the defendant and paid four pence of which he obtained a ticket. He put the ticket into his pocket without reading what was on it. On the back of the ticket was a printed message that the defendant will not be liable for any accident or damage arising from the use of chairs. But while sitting on the chair it collapsed and he suffered injuries. C sued the defendants HELD- the printed clause on the back of the receipt could not become part of the contract as the defendants did not take reasonable care to bring the clause to the attention of the plaintiff. C was entitled to damages. 3 Relating the above case to the case between Keith and Paul Keith has suffered massive loss on the use of the washing machine. The clause was not brought to his attention as it was written at the back of the receipt. If this was written at the front of the receipt, then maybe Keith could have identified it and could have