Sunday, March 29, 2020

Export to World

In art, formalism describes the concept that the artistic merit of a work of art is completely established by its form, its medium, and its visual characteristics[1]. Formalism stresses on the elements of the works of art that include shape, color, texture and line while avoiding concepts of realism such as content and context. In the modern world, visual art has been very prominent.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Export to World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In visual art, formalism denotes a concept that puts forwards that everything required to understand a work of art is enclosed inside the work of art. Formalism is a method of understanding a work of art that reduces the importance of context in a work of art. In this paper, I intend to look at the Export to world project displayed at the Museum of Modern Arts (MoMA) in New York City and located in Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria. Formalism in the moder n world has taken a huge leap and focuses on bringing virtual art and object into the real world. Unlike modeling natural objects that utilizes common paths and well-known tools, export to world shows that modeling man-made phenomena can be engaging and quite interesting. Export to the world is an artistic project that seeks to copy virtual objects from second life and export them to real world by converting them into paper craft models[2]. The project was created on behalf of Ars Electronica by Linda Kostowski and Sascha Pohflepp. Export to world aims at investigating the unclear separation between the virtual world and the real world. The project tries to bring to life the design and production of virtual objects into the real world for observation. In export to world, the form of the virtual object is of the main importance. At the shop in Ars Electronica in Linz, buyers can buy purchased or custom-made virtual objects that are exact replicas to those in the second life market. T hese real life representations of virtual merchandise are exact copies that even contain the flaws inherent in copying. When a buyer purchases a virtual object in Export to world, he is given a two dimensional paper representation of the virtual object which he can physically fit to form a three dimensional real life object on site[3]. In export to world, the real life object is usually forced to correspond point to point to the virtual object. The prominent examples used in Export to world are the Bubble gum machine and the television set.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The bubble gum machine in second life contains several objects that are joined to form the final virtual merchandise. The most prominent section is the bubble gum glass container. In Export to world, this container is represented as a sphere embedded with several colors such as orange, yellow, red and blue. Thes e colors give the illusion that the sphere is filled with bubble gum. The sphere is covered on the top by a red plate like object. The plate is not smooth but has rough edges common in most low pixel 3-D pictures. Beneath the sphere is a black vase that is connected to a stand that contains a grey rod fitted to a cylindrical base. All these aspects are transferred into the real world in the Ars Electronica shop. A buyer is provided with a paper representation of the object that can be fitted to form an accurate copy of the virtual object. The â€Å"Export to World† project is a fine example that demonstrates the veil between virtual representation and reality is becoming smaller and smaller. In the past, artistic were trying to represent real objects in the virtual world. Modern formalism has changed this and at the moment virtual art and objects are being copied and represented in the real world. Bibliography Bartholl, Aram. â€Å"Second City.† Ars Electronica. 2007. Web. Kaplan Andreas and Haenlein M. â€Å"Consumer use and business potential of virtual worlds: The case of Second Life†. International Journal on Media Management  11, no. 3 (2009): 1-42. Kostowski, Linda and Sascha Pohflepp. â€Å"Export to world. 2007.† Posting to Museum of  Modern Arts. 2007. Web. Footnotes Andreas, K. and Haenlein M. â€Å"Consumer use and business potential of virtual worlds: The case of Second Life†.  International Journal on Media Management 11, no. 3 (2009): 1-42 Linda K. and Sascha P. â€Å"Export to world. 2007,† Posting to Museum of Modern Arts. Aram B. â€Å"Second City†. Ars Electronica. This essay on Export to World was written and submitted by user Adele Nguyen to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Saturday, March 7, 2020

List of French to English False Cognates

List of French to English False Cognates One of the great things about learning French or English is that many words have the same roots in the Romance languages and English. However, there are also a great many faux amis, or false cognates, which look similar but have different meanings. This is one of the biggest pitfalls for students of French. There are also semi-false cognates: words that can only sometimes be translated by the similar word in the other language.This alphabetical list (newest additions) includes hundreds of French-English false cognates, with explanations of what each word means and how it can be correctly translated into the other language. To avoid confusion due to the fact that some of the words are identical in the two languages, the French word is followed by (F) and the English word is followed by (E).Fabrique (F) vs Fabric (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fabrique (F) is a factory. De bonne fabrique means good workmanship.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fabric (E) is equivalent to tissu or à ©toffe. When speaking fi guratively, e.g., the fabric of society, the French word is structure. Facilità © (F) vs Facility (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Facilità © (F) means ease, easiness, ability, or aptitude.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Facility (E) is a semi-false cognate. It usually refers to a structure that serves a particular function, although it can mean easiness, aptitude, etc.Faà §on (F) vs Fashion (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Faà §on (F) means way, as in voil la faà §on dont il procà ¨de - this is the way he does it. It can be translated by fashion when it is synonymous with way or manner, as in ma faà §on - in my fashion / my way.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fashion (E) is a style or custom, usually in clothing: mode or vogue. For all of you apple pie eaters out there, now you know that la mode really means in fashion.Facteur (F) vs Factor (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Facteur (F) is a semi-false cognate. In addition to factor, it can mean postman, mailman, or maker - un facteur de pianos - piano maker.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Factor (E) un facteur, un à ©là ©ment, un indice.Fastidieux (F) vs F astidious (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fastidieux (F) means tedious, tiresome, or boring  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fastidious (E) means attentive to detail or exacting: minutieux, mà ©ticuleux, tatillon. Fendre (F) vs Fend (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fendre (F) means to split or to chop.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fend (E) is se dà ©brouiller, to fend off means parer or dà ©tourner.Figure (F) vs Figure (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Figure (F) is a semi-false cognate. It is the French word for face, but can also refer to an illustrated or mathematical figure.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Figure (E) refers to numbers chiffres as well as to the form of a persons body: forme, silhouette.File/Filer (F) vs File (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  File (F) is a line or queue. Filer (F) means to spin (e.g., cotton or thread) or to prolong.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  File (E) can refer to une lime (as well as the verb limer), un dossier, or un classeur (and the verb classer).Film (F) vs Film (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Film (F) refers to a movie.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Film (E) can mean un film as well as la pellicule.Finalement (F) vs Finally (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finalement (F) means eventually or in the end.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally (E) is enf in or en dernier lieu.Flemme (F) vs Phlegm (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Flemme (F) is an informal word for laziness. Its commonly used in the expressions avoir la flemme (Jai la flemme dy aller - I cant be bothered to go) and tirer sa flemme - to loaf about.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Phlegm (E) la mucosità ©.Flirter (F) vs Flirt (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Flirter (F) may mean to flirt or to go out with/date someone.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Flirt (E) is flirter or, informally, draguer.Fluide (F) vs Fluid (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fluide (F) can be a noun: fluid, or an adjective: fluid, flowing, flexible. Il a du fluide - He has mysterious powers.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fluid (E) means fluide or liquide.Fond (F) vs Fond (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fond (F) is a noun: bottom or back.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fond (E) is an adjective: to be fond of - aimer beaucoup, avoir de laffection pour.Football (F) vs Football (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Football (F) or le foot, refers to soccer (in American English).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Football (E) le football amà ©ricain.Forcà ©ment (F) vs Forcefully (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forcà ©ment (F) means inevitably or necessarily.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forcefully (E) can be translated by avec force or avec vigueur.Forfait (F) vs Forfeit (E)  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forfait (F) is a fixed, set, or all-inclusive price; a package deal; or, in sports, a withdrawal.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forfeit (E) as a noun indicates un prix, une peine, or un dà ©dit.Formation (F) vs Formation (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Formation (F) refers to training as well as formation/forming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Formation (E) means formation or crà ©ation.Format (F) vs Format (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Format (F) means size.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Format (E) as a noun refers to prà ©sentation; as a verb it means formater or mettre en forme.Formel (F) vs Formal (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Formel (F) usually means categoric, strict, or definite, but may be translated by formal in linguistics, art, and philosophy.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Formal (E) officiel or cà ©rà ©monieux.Formidable (F) vs Formidable (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Formidable (F) is an interesting word, because it means great or terrific; almost the opposite of the English. Ce film est formidable  ! - This is a great movie!  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Formidable (E) means dreadful or fearsome: The opposition is formidable - Lopposition est redoutable/effrayante.Fort (F) vs Fort (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fort (F) is an adjective: strong or loud as well as a noun - fort.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fort (E) refers to un fort or fortin.Four (F) v s Four (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Four (F) is an oven, kiln, or furnace.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Four (E) quatre.Fourniture (F) vs Furniture (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fourniture (F) means supplying or provision. Its from the verb fournir: to supply or provide.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Furniture (E) refers to meubles or moblier.Foyer (F) vs Foyer (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foyer (F) can mean home, family, or fireplace as well as a foyer.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foyer (E) is un foyer, un hall, or un vestibule.fraà ®che (F) vs fresh (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  fraà ®che (F) is the feminine form of the adjective frais, which means both fresh and cool. So this tends to be problem for native French speakers, who often translate boissons fraà ®ches as fresh drinks, when what they really mean is cool drinks.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  fresh (E) frais, rà ©cent, nouveau.Friction (F) vs Friction (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Friction (F) can refer to a massage in addition to friction.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Friction (E) la friction.Fronde (F) vs Frond (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fronde (F) is a sling, slingshot, or catapult; a revolt; or a frond.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frond (E) une fronde or une feuille.Front (F) vs Front (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Front (F) means front as well as forehead.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Front (E) le front or avant.Futile (F) vs Futile (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Futile (F) can mean futile but is more likely to be frivolous or trivial.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Futile (E) is nearly always translated by vain.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

How do general anaesthetics cause loss of consciousness Essay

How do general anaesthetics cause loss of consciousness - Essay Example Usually, the general anaesthetics are used during long surgical operations that are also very painful. For example, during hysterectomy, hernia repairs, removal of gall bladder and more (Perry 2010, p. 67). Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is one the research conducted in search for the effects of anaesthetics in humans.The PET study covers the activity of both inhibitory and excitatory neurons that describe the conscious states of mind (Alkire, Haier and Fallon 2000, p. 371). Other studies have identified that general anaesthetics affects the thalamus, cerebellum, midbrain reticular formation, occipital cortex and basal forebrain. Research has revealed that the anaesthetics suppress the thalamocortical circuits, which interfere with the transfer of signals across the neural networks (Squire 1996, p. 114). These agents thalamocortically suppresses the regions of the brain differently although some theories tend to assume that the agents affect the entire brain, mostly focusing on the midbrain reticular formation and thalamus. The general anaesthetics do not affect the brain activities the same way. They affect different regions of the brain thus producing different states of unconsciousness. While humans are asleep, the flow of blood in the thalamus reduces, which means low metabolic rates which lead to unconsciousness. On another hand, anaesthesia involves artificial suppression of the metabolism processes in the thalamus, which make human beings unconscious, as well. In their PET studies, Dr.Alkire, Fallon and Haier used 11 unconscious brains and 11 conscious brains. They used two anaesthetic agents, which include the isoflurane and the halo-thane. They recorded the regional uptakes of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in each human brain of the subjects of the study. Then, they compared FDG uptake patterns of the unconscious subjects with the conscious subjects(Alkire, Haier and Fallon 2000, p.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Celebrity endorsement in the women's fragrance market and its effect Essay

Celebrity endorsement in the women's fragrance market and its effect on the UK consumer behaviour - Essay Example This is the null hypothesis proposed and the findings from the study would prove whether or not it is valid. If it is not, the alternative hypothesis would prove to be true, i.e., celebrity endorsement does not influence consumer behaviour positively in favour of the products. The birth of the modern perfumery industry occurred during the colonial era, when the riches and wealth accumulated by the European countries from their colonies enabled the maintenance of the perfect economic climate for the development of perfumes using the technique of enfleurage (www.perfume2000.com). The first perfume was produced in 1882, known as â€Å"fougere royale† using the process of enfleurage. This process uses purified fats in a process similar to maceration which produces pomades that are washed with alcohol, and it produces the finest oils possible. While the fragrance industry is a 25 billion dollar industry, it is one of the poorest performing sectors in the cosmetic industry. Although it would initially appear that the women’s fragrance market is very successful because there are so many new fragrances being launched every year, i.e., about 300 approximately, the reality is that only a few of those fragrances are well received and survive long enough to extend production into another year (Business Wire, 2007). On the other hand, there are some perfumes which have a long standing reputation and customers are very loyal to particular brands. One significant example of this is the Chanel group of perfumes and especially Chanel no: 5, which has been popular among women for many decades. This holds good despite the fact that celebrity endorsement of perfumes can be expensive; for instance the advertisement for Chanel no: 5 using Nicole Kidman cost  £18 million for use over a duration of five years (www.fashion-era.com). There are two approaches to consumer behavior. The

Monday, January 27, 2020

Relevance of International Human Resource Management

Relevance of International Human Resource Management The study of International Human Resource Management is fine if you are going to work in a large Multinational Enterprise, but has no relevance for individuals who are going to work in small firms. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons and appropriate examples to support your answer. This paper sets out to show that the study of international human resource management is of benefit to individuals who are going to work in small firms whether in a management or worker capacity . It is noted that a â€Å"small firm† may or may not be multinational and for the purpose of this discussion it is assumed that the inference is that they are not. This paper will demonstrate that through showing that an appreciation of different approaches to work there can be benefits for the individual employee and the manager. Further benefits will be seen through demonstrating that strict adherence to accepted national customs and culture can have a negative effect on business success. There will also be a discussion on how individuals and businesses need to be aware of the increasingly multicultural nature of the British workforce. To open this debate it is necessary to define what is meant by the term â€Å"international human resource management†. Investigation into the term suggests that the emphasis lies on how to operate the human resource management function in multinational businesses and that it is concerned with the similarities and differences of managing in different countries and how to integrate a business culture across international boundaries. However, it is found that little attention is given to the fact that the UK has an increasingly multinational workforce and whilst they may be subject to the systems, procedures and laws of the UK, they way they think and operate is strongly affected by their personal national culture which may vary significantly to that of the UK. The BBC reports that â€Å"(a) record 582,000 people came to live in the UK from elsewhere in the world in 2004, according to government expertsâ€Å" (BBC 2005, p. not given). They further suggest that this influx is necessary to help the UK economy grow as the majority of these migrants have come to the country to work. The Times newspaper supports this in reporting that â€Å"Britain needed workers for 600,000 vacancies, including low-paid jobs that were often difficult to fillâ€Å" and goes on to say that â€Å"(e)mployers are aggressively recruiting staff from other countries† (Nugent et al 2004, page not given). They also found that 96% of these migrants were employed in full time work (Nugent et al 2004). This shows that the UK workforce is becoming increasingly multinational and diverse. The main arguments for the increase in awareness of international human resource management would seem to stress the pressures on managers working in multinational businesses. As an example of this, Trompenaars et al tell us that â€Å"(i)nternational managers have it tough. They must operate on a number of different premises at any one time. These premises arise from their culture of origin, the culture in which they are working and the culture of the organisation which employs them† (Trompenaars et al 1997, p. 3). However, the writer would argue that the same challenges also face those working in a solely UK based business as they become increasingly likely to be working with and for colleagues who originate from countries other than the UK and have different cultural expectations. To be able to ensure that the working relationship between groups is a productive and positive one, each individual would benefit from an understanding of some aspects of international human resou rce management especially in the area of culture where attitudes towards leadership, motivation, and pay and recognition may vary. A further benefit of awareness of different human resource management practices may be the realisation that UK based businesses may be able to adopt positive aspects of other countries work practices and cultures. Mullins (2005) states, there are benefits to be found in a business looking at how it’s national culture may be limiting their ability to be strategically competitive. He continues by citing Trompenaars who felt that his own work â€Å"helped managers to structure their experiences and provided insights for them and their organisations into the real source of problems faced when managing across cultures or dealing with diversity† (Trompenaars 1999, p. 31. cited in Mullins 2005, p. 43). Against the argument for individuals who are going to work in a small firm studying international human resource management is the range of areas such a topic covers. International human resource managers need to have an appreciation of the laws and policies of the countries their employer operates in and whilst this may of interest to a UK employee, it is not an area they would automatically be able to influence or change. This brings us to the questions of whether rather than international human resource management, what we are discussing is the management of diversity both from the point of view of a manager who supervises the work of a multicultural workforce or the case of an individual worker whose colleagues originate from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Brooks supports this point and states that â€Å"(d)ifferences in national culture may have a bearing on how organisations deal with each other and also on behaviour within organisations which comprise a mix of nationalities† (Brooks 2003, p. 264). Francesco and Gold say that â€Å"managers must develop organizational systems that are flexible enough to take into account the meaning of work and the relative value of rewards within the range of cultures where they operate† (Francesco et al 1998, p. 144) and whilst when saying this, they meant it to be applied to multinational organisations, the same can be said to be true of those working in a multicultural environment nationally based. Mullins agrees with this in saying that â€Å"there are a number of very good reasons why we could usefully understand cultural differences (and similarity) at work, based on new awareness contributing to our own effectiveness and moreover to the accomplishment of organisational goals† (Mullins 2005, p. 44). He goes on to say that â€Å"there could therefore be advantages of cross-cultural awareness which include: increased self-awareness; sensitivity to difference; questioning our own assumptions and knowledge; lessening ignorance , prejudice and hatred† (Mullins 2005, p. 44). As an example, a manager with a predominantly British cultural background may need to adapt their motivational techniques for individuals from cultures where recognition through praise is more highly regarded than a financial bonus. From the writers own experience, a common UK practice of publicising individual performance levels was found to be highly demotivating and a source of unease amongst a predominantly Asian workforce. Adler suggests there are inbuilt dangers where multi-cultural teams operate â€Å"(m)istrust including stereotyping; miscommunication with potential for reduced accuracy and resultant stress; process difficulties, that is failure to agree when agreement is needed or even what constitutes agreement when arriving at decisions† (Adler 1997, cited in Mullins 2005, p. 44). To overcome these potential issues, there must be an understanding and appreciation of the human resource management systems of other cultures as these will influence the work expectations and practices of the workforce. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) see the embracing if diversity as being crucial. They say that â€Å"(t)oday, many organisations are out-thinking and outperforming their competitors by using diversity as a strategy for ensuring long-term success and advantageâ€Å" (CIPD date not known page not given). They support his view by adding that â€Å"(i)n the face of changing demographics, a narrowing talent pool and an increasingly global marketplace, nurturing the creativity, innovation and hidden potential of organisations is vital† (CIPD date not known page not given). A further aspect to be considered is the legal requirement for companies to embrace diversity in their workforce. Since the 1970s there has been an increasing amount of legislation in the UK relating to pay equality and sex and racial discrimination. However, a CIPD survey found that 68% of respondents gave â€Å"legal pressures† as the key driver for diversity in their business (CIPD 2006, p. 3) suggesting rather than an appreciation of the business benefits of embracing diversity, the importance placed on these issues is due more to a fear of the negative publicity and costs associated with legal action as a result of discrimination. The concept of international human resource management has been seen to be mainly the concern of individuals who are to intend to operate across geographical boundaries. It has been demonstrated however that there are many aspects of the subject that are not only applicable to those intending to work for a small firm, but could also benefit them in being able to encourage cultural diversity and adopt good practice from other countries. The increasingly multi national workforce in the UK and the introduction of legislation relating to diversity means that employers and employees must have an awareness of the areas of international human resource management that relate to understanding and embracing cultural differences. References and bibliography. Adler, N.J. (2001). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior. California, USA: South-Western College Publishing. BBC. (2005). Record immigration levels to UK. Accessed at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4359756.stm on 7/03/2007. Brooks, I. (2003). Organisational Behaviour: Individuals Groups and Organisations. 2nd ed. Harlow: Prentice Hall FT. CIPD. (date not known).The Psychology of Diversity. Accessed at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/CMSTraining/Psychology+of+Management/Psychology+of+Management/PCD.htm on 7/03/2007. CIPD (2002). New research shows international HR managers create global culture. Accessed at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/pressoffice/_articles/20092002135000.htm?IsSrchRes=1 on 9/02/2007. CIPD. (2003). HR’s Contribution to International Mergers and Acquisitions. London: CIPD. CIPD. (2006). Diversity in Business: How Much Progress have Employers Made. First Findings. London: CIPD. Francesco, A. M. Gold, B. A. (1998). International Organizational Behavior: Texts, Readings, Cases and Skills. Harlow: Prentice Hall FT Lucas, R. Lupton, B. Mathieson, H. (2007). Human Resources Management in an International Context. London: CIPD. Markides, C. Geroski, P.(2003). â€Å"Colonizers and consolidators: the two cultures of corporate strategy† in Strategy and Business. Fall Vol 32 p 46-55. Mullins, L.J. (2005). Management and Organisational Behaviour. Harlow: Prentice Hall. Nugent, H. Tendler, S. Patty, A. (2004). Foreign workers snap up the jobs that Britons on benefit reject. Times newspaper. November 11, 2004. Trompenaars, F. Hampden-Turner, C. (1997). Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing Ltd. Trompenaars, F. (1999). Trans-Culture Competence. People Management, 22nd April, p. 31. Trompenaars, F. Hampden-Turner, C. (2004). Managing People Across Cultures. Oxford: Capstone Publishing Ltd.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Problem with 6 Digits Dating

What started of as a noble act of saving some memory space turned out to be a quake, capable of trembling the world to its core. When maiden inventors set the year with two digits instead of four, little did they realize that by 1st January 2000 it would cause arithmetic delinquencies and confuses the entire system. For example, a bank transaction on the 25th of July 1997 would be recorded as 07/25/97. Many software add the value 1900 to the two digits code to calculate the actual year. A credit card charged on 1st of January 2000 would have to bear the interest of 99 years because the transaction date would read 01/01/00. This means the computers assume that the same transaction took place on 01/01/1900. Another major problem with six digits dating occurs when we tend to compare the pre and post – 2000 dates. For example, 01/09/99 and 01/01/00, when converted into a simple code they would read 990901 and 000101 respectively. Obviously 990901 is older than 000101, which in reality is not true. As the computers cannot process the current date as year 2000 marches in, it is also unable to calculate the leap year. All years divisible by 4 is considered as a leap year except for centuries. A century will be considered as a leap year only if it is divisible by 400. For example, 1996 is considered as a leap year because it is divisible by 4 (1996 4 = 499) wherelse 1997 is not (1997/4 = 499.25). On the hand the hand, 1900 is not a leap year for it is not divisible by 400 (1900/400=4.75). Year 2000 is a leap year for it is divisible by 400 (2000/400 = 5) (with reference to explanation from: http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/RGO/leaflets/leapyear/leapyear.html). As we step into the year 2000, existing computers will not be able to differentiate the two digits year anymore. The â€Å"00† date field might be assumed as 1900 instead of 2000. Thus calculations that involve a date would provide wrong answers. On the 1st of January 2000, computers will define this day as 01/01/00 and regards the year as 1900, leaving us 99 years behind time. This will interrupt public services, bank transactions, loan interest calculations and many more, causing formidable loss of billions of dollars. Only a few systems could be spared from the Y2K and it has been estimated that there are 500 billion lines of application code worldwide, with some 85% of which needs to be corrected. Various reports stated that by the turn of the millennium, as much as 50% of all businesses which failed to address the year 2000 challenge would fall apart. Besides being deadly, expensive and extensive, the year 2000 problem affects hardware (BIOS, real-time clocks), embedded firmware, languages and compilers, operating systems, random number generators, database management systems, transaction-processing systems, banking systems, PBX, flight scheduling and any other system that deals with dates. Surfing the net would prove that the Y2K's awareness level is growing with more more sites dedicated to this problem. Managers and IT resources are becoming heavy-hearted thinking about their future as 31st December 1999 rolls in. Knowing that there is going to be an IT disaster does not help much especially when there are few resources to handle the problem. A rough estimation to create solutions for the Y2K issue concentrated on something like US $400 -600 billion dollars worldwide. An additional 200,000 COBOL programmers will also be required. Organizations are not the only ones that are going to suffer from the virulent millennium bug, it can be anyone, even a personal computer user.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Religion and Irish Society Essay

Religion and Irish society Ireland has long been recognised as a country whose culture, laws and way of life are predominantly influenced by its heavy catholic ethos. The passing of both the civil partnerships bill and the divorce referendum, the growing number of non denominational ‘educate together’ schools and the ready availability of contraception in recent years are all excellent examples of how our country is evolving to become on a par with our international counterparts. There can be no argueing that our generation are growing up in a much more diverse and open minded society that that of our parents. However, the arguably oppressive values of the Catholic Church are still widely enforced and adhered to in many aspects of our society. At the tender age of four it is thus that as a child living in Ireland, one would be enrolled into a catholic national school. With educate together schools only dotted around the country, making up on 58 of the 3300 primary schools; this is largely due to the fact that there is no other convinient or in fact possible option for parents. Having attended a catholic national school from 1996 until 2004, my experience of the teaching of religion was not one which explained to me the wide range of religions that prevail worldwide, or indeed the possibility of choosing not to follow one. Class masses and visits from the parish priest were regular. The control that the Catholic Church has over what is and isn’t taught in secondary school is however something I feel to be a more serious and pressing issue. It is only in recent years that health education classes have been allowed to address the issue of contraception with teens, an issue of the upmost importance concerning health. It is still required that teachers make it clear that the roman catholic church does not allow protected sex or sex prior to marriage. The divorce referendum which took place in Ireland in 1995 was subject to worldwide media coverage. Having been so famous for its rock solid catholic values, the idea that we would allow the religious sacrament of marriage to be reverted was one that not everyone could grasp. The rejection of this bill in the tenth amendment of the constitution in 1986 made this all the more controversial. This was not refined to outside of our borders either – with the bill passing by a miniscule margin of only 9,114 votes out of 1. 62 million cast, 50. 3% for versus 49. % against. The passing of this bill was enormous – a clear indication of just how many people were becoming increasingly comfortable with turning away from their catholic upbringing in favour of what they themselves considered to be a pro-people constitution. So whilst there can be no doubt that Ireland has come on in leaps and bounds in recent time, we still have a long way to if we are truly determined to instil an o pen mind upon this country, making sure that we allow our population to grow and develop in its own right, Independent from.