Thursday, November 28, 2019

Risk Management Applications

Table of Contents Introduction Company description Social benefits of Beacon Power Company Highest risks of failure The strategies to prevent such failure Conclusion References Introduction Any business or company may develop or plunge depending on certain circumstances. Despite the fact that the primary objective of any business is to prosper, companies or business organizations must be aware of the risk factors associated with their prosperity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Risk Management Applications specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Normally, there is extensive public attention to companies that are rapidly growing, thus risk management is a fundamental aspect in such companies to minimize chances of failure. Globally, green technology companies have continually been in the public limelight for their rapid progress, making substantial impacts both socially and economically (Rugy, 2012). In special atten tion to the United States of America, the state has witnessed the emergence of changes in the transportation sector and energy sector. Electric Vehicle (EV) technology, electric auto producers, and coal-fired utility companies have emerged. However, such companies have risk-associated factors like environmental squalor among other factors. Therefore, this essay seeks to examine social benefits, highest risks of failure, and recommends possible strategies to prevent that failure in Beacon Power Company. Company description Beacon Power Corporation is an American company globally renowned for flywheel-based energy storage technology. The company began operating in the year 1997, as a branch of Sat. Con’s Energy Systems Division in Chicago. The company aimed at investing in the energy sector by establishing advanced flywheel-based energy storage system. In the year 1998, the company became a separate entity and got publication in 2000 (U.S. Department of Energy, 2011). Beacon Po wer Corporation Company started operating in North America where the first and second flywheel technology systems gained public awareness. In 2004, the company became interested in developing an energy recycle system that absorbs electricity from the grid when demand is low and releases it when the demand is high. Tremendous efforts in the project became successful and the company demonstrated the system from 2005-2007. Thereafter, in 2012 the Rockland Capital took over the company and renamed it as Beacon Power, LLC.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Beacon Power Company deals with commercial production of electricity using â€Å"composite flywheel technology for grid-scale frequency regulation† (U.S. Department of Energy, 2011). The primary business objective of the company is to provide frequency regulation service, through owing, building, or even operating flywheel -based frequency regulation companies on a commercial basis. The company mainly uses environmentally sound flywheel technology to produce energy that has turned imperative in providing Americans with clean energy solutions (U.S. Department of Energy, 2011). The company has developed exponentially since 1999 and currently is among the leading US energy companies in green technology in providing economically, socially, and environmentally friendly services. Currently, plans are underway to expand in the business market by inviting co-investors to manage some of the company’s regulation plants. However, recently the company has been in the public realm as being marred with several challenges that serve as risk factors to its failure. The company suffers bankruptcy and in most cases responsible for some social economic and minor environmental effects. Social benefits of Beacon Power Company Beacon Power Company has continually proved significant in providing some social benefits to the Americans and some parts of the world as well. The company plays a pivotal role in the socio-economical life of Americans. Due to its rapid growth and development, the company initiates several construction projects of which majority of them last for almost a year or several months. Therefore, through construction, the company provides a number of direct jobs to the population. Constructors, builders, and engineers acquire employment in the construction site. On the other hand, the company has some indirect positive economic impacts within the construction area since vendors and other equipment suppliers become beneficiaries from capital orders for construction equipment and support systems (U.S. Department of Energy, 2011). On completing the construction, several job vacancies emerge ranging from managerial to subordinate jobs. Construction of the company further leads to urbanization of the region, thus calling for other business investors that in turn create job vacancies. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Risk Management Applications specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Being an energy provider, Beacon Power Company has extensively invested in production of efficient, reliable, and resilient electric smart grid that ensures a constant supply of power in areas where it is incorporated. The company produces over 20-megawatt as measured in the utility-scale providing energy to on an estimated population of about 5.3 million residing in Chicago County. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (2011), the smart grid demonstrates regionally unique projects that are technologically fit and capable of providing services at low cost. The projects contain smart grid business models ranging from different scales, which can be readily adapted and replicated around Chicago County. Beacon Power Company possesses smart grid technologies that have advanced digital technologies that are extremely im perative in planning and operating the electrical power system, which ensures maximum effectiveness of the plan resulting in minimal delays in power supply. Another social significance of the company is occupational health and safety. Beacon Power Company’s construction and maintenance undertakings are always in accordance to regulations set by the occupational safety and health administration. It ensures that it follows recommended guidelines in the process of handling, maintaining, repairing, and even installing its onsite equipments. On top of that, the company involves itself in providing formal training to local police and firefighters in handling emergency issues by helping them in understanding the features of the system (U.S. Department of Energy, 2011). The company has designed system operations that automatically shut down the flywheel in case of any arising malfunction. The company has as well designed a monitoring system with an automatic sensor-based fire alarm t hat instantly indicates accidental loses that mitigate chances of insecurity in terms of fire breakout. Despite the fact that there exist some unavoidable short term negative environmental impacts like air emissions and dust from the construction sites during construction activities of the company, the company ensures that it is environmentally sensitive.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unlike other energy providing companies that produce electricity using fossil fuel and biomass that emit dangerous gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide gas, and lead, Beacon Power Company uses procedures that are environmentally friendly to produce electricity. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (2011), in areas where use of specific material is essential, the company uses available biodegradable antifreeze materials like percent propylene glycol. The company has gone an extra mile by coming up with solutions to negative environmental impacts that result from construction activities of the company. The company uses best management practices including soil stabilization and watering of exposed soil during the construction process. The presence of flywheel-based frequency regulation reduces significantly the amount of fossil fuel power plant, thus reducing dependence on fossil fuel. Highest risks of failure Beacon Power Corporation Company has been in the public limeligh t for its endeavors as well as some of its failures. The company in most cases ranks among three leading companies in the United States of America questioned for bankruptcy. Beacon has continually depended on the department of energy for loan guarantee programs to keep it moving since it is marred with financial woes. In fact, the company has in numerous occasions, failed to repay loans guaranteed to them by the government, thus falling short of its goals. According to Rugy (2012) in October 2009, â€Å"Beacon Power Corp., an energy-storage company that received $43 million in backing from the 1705 loan program, filed for bankruptcy† (p. 1). Several factors have led to failure of Beacon Company including investing in projects in the open market without government guarantee, as well as investing in projects that were legible to loans, but instead enjoyed loans that were provided by the Department of Energy. Beacon has also failed to prove its commitment in maintaining its publ ic image in terms of its socio-economic impacts. The fall of this company has adversely affected the majority of taxpayers. Serving under a leading company does not guarantee Beacon as risk- free entity. Several projects including Beacon-initiated projects serve under large companies that leave taxpayers in problems whenever there is a failure in the projects as the parent company simply restructures and continues providing other projects. By failing to repay its loans, Beacon set the cost of the investment to taxpayers (Rugy, 2012). As the government extends loan guarantees to high-risk companies, taxpayers in turn carry the burden of any failure. Due to lost trust from the community, Beacon is still on the verge of collapse since citizens no longer have the faith they had in the company before. This aspect will influence its future goals and objectives, leaving the company barely capable of reaching its intended horizon. Mismanagement of funds has led to failure of Beacon Power Co rporation Company. Despite several loan guarantees by the federal government, Beacon has failed to manage its funds effectively by investing in numerous risky projects. According to California Energy Commission (2011), â€Å"some of the loans went to provide capital for high-risk projects, projects likely unable to get financing from the broader market without a government guarantee† (p.143). The company has survived collapsing for three years with the management barely understanding the risks associated with misallocation of capital and labor. This malpractice in management leads to negative impacts since risky projects pass on the losses associated with the company’s failure to the taxpayers. It is absurd that the government continues to support companies like Beacon financially at the expense of the taxpayer’s money. Hence, there is a need for the government to rethink on its loan terms to Beacon Power Corporation Company. The strategies to prevent such failu re Great attention is wanted to address financial issues associated to the fall of Beacon Power Company. Firstly, the company should emphasize on proper use of resources that have cost the company a substantial amount of money to develop rather than excessively depend on loans granted by the federal government. Beacon Power has successfully developed a flywheel network; thus, the company should use it to generate revenue rather than depending on loans. Secondly, the company has a significant advantage over other power generating companies. Since it produces power using environmental friendly procedures, Beacon should take this advantage and extend to international borders to help generate more income that will in turn guarantee them of financial stability. Thirdly, the government should provide financial support to Beacon under strict terms that would act as a source of motivation to enable the company in achieving a broader financial prospect that will assist in its operations. In addition, considerable precautions should be put in place in a bid to overcome mismanagement of funds entrusted into the company. Beacon Power should engage in productive and less risky projects that would assure that the company continues to serve the nation without financial woes. Several changes in management that might prove effective are imperative to restore the company to its initial position. The company should emphasize on expanding beyond boarders by engaging in international energy market to avoid concentrating in the United States. This move will assist in determining if the performance intended projects could differ from one country to another depending on social, economic, and/or environmental issues of the company. The government should bar the company from engaging in malpractice by assisting the company in justifying the effectiveness of projects through comprehensive research covering and other means that might prove significant. Conclusion Green technology compani es have proven significant in recent years by providing clean energy solutions, thus receiving wide public attention. However, in most cases, such companies’ operations come to standstill with the majority not knowing the reasons behind the stagnation and thus such companies â€Å"fall short of their stated goals of developing clean energy and creating jobs† (Rugy, 2012, p.11). Beacon Power Corporation Company is among such companies. Despite the fact that Beacon has been significant in providing some social benefits like creating jobs, enhancing urbanization of regions under its operations, and producing electricity in an environmentally friendly manner, it has somehow failed. The company has in the recent past failed to protect its public image by going bankrupt after engaging in risky projects. Beacon has in numerous cases failed to repay loans guaranteed by the federal government and thus passing on the burden to taxpayers. Therefore, in a bid to address these chal lenges, Beacon Power Corporation should remain cautious on project management and expand to international markets to avoid depending on loans. References California Energy Commission. (2011). 2020 strategic analysis of energy storage in  California. Report on Public Interest Energy Research. Web. Rugy, V. (2012). A guarantee for failure: Government lending under sec. 1705.  Web. U.S. Department of Energy. (2011). Final environmental assessment of the Beacon  Power Corporation flywheel frequency regulation plant. Web. This essay on Risk Management Applications was written and submitted by user Helen Lamb 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.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on My Dream Adventure

The feeling of entering a New World, a world of it’s owns the most exhilarating feeling of a lifetime. The wait for the day to come that you will step on that plane for an average of six-hour plane ride to arrive at your dream destination. The day came that our trio had to pack up and drive to Toronto where we would bunk up for the night and wait one more day before we flew off to our fantasy world. Katrina and her father came to my house where I packed my stuff up and said my farewells to my family. I hopped in the car and off we went to Adrienne’s house where we made one more stop before we head out for our adventure. We packed her up and off we went. An eight-hour drive to Toronto where we slept over for the evening in a hotel. The day was slowly going by, with us anticipating for it to six a.m. our time to go to the airport. Finally the time came where we called our cab and head off to the airport. We arrived there in our pants and sweaters’ considering it was March. March eighth to be exact. Our plane departed at seven fifteen a.m. After saying our good-byes to Katrina’s dad we hear our plane being called. We slowly walk on the plane where we are shown where to sit and what seats we sit in. We strap in after we hear the pilot telling us to. Finally the time came where we feel the force of the plane take us to high altitudes above the ground, where we will travel great distance to our destination. Our stomachs dropped as the pilot conducts us to strap up for our exhilarating landing to our dream vacation. We begin to drop at which a speed that makes our ears pop and hurt but the excitement over powers that as we reach the surface of the eaten and slow down. We unbuckle, grab our bags, and begin to walk toward the entrance to our new home for six nights and seven days, of pure fun and adventure. As we anticipate toward the entrance of the plane we begin to feel the heat and humidity of this wonderful place w... Free Essays on My Dream Adventure Free Essays on My Dream Adventure The feeling of entering a New World, a world of it’s owns the most exhilarating feeling of a lifetime. The wait for the day to come that you will step on that plane for an average of six-hour plane ride to arrive at your dream destination. The day came that our trio had to pack up and drive to Toronto where we would bunk up for the night and wait one more day before we flew off to our fantasy world. Katrina and her father came to my house where I packed my stuff up and said my farewells to my family. I hopped in the car and off we went to Adrienne’s house where we made one more stop before we head out for our adventure. We packed her up and off we went. An eight-hour drive to Toronto where we slept over for the evening in a hotel. The day was slowly going by, with us anticipating for it to six a.m. our time to go to the airport. Finally the time came where we called our cab and head off to the airport. We arrived there in our pants and sweaters’ considering it was March. March eighth to be exact. Our plane departed at seven fifteen a.m. After saying our good-byes to Katrina’s dad we hear our plane being called. We slowly walk on the plane where we are shown where to sit and what seats we sit in. We strap in after we hear the pilot telling us to. Finally the time came where we feel the force of the plane take us to high altitudes above the ground, where we will travel great distance to our destination. Our stomachs dropped as the pilot conducts us to strap up for our exhilarating landing to our dream vacation. We begin to drop at which a speed that makes our ears pop and hurt but the excitement over powers that as we reach the surface of the eaten and slow down. We unbuckle, grab our bags, and begin to walk toward the entrance to our new home for six nights and seven days, of pure fun and adventure. As we anticipate toward the entrance of the plane we begin to feel the heat and humidity of this wonderful place w...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Accommodating English Language Learners in the elementary classroom Essay - 1

Accommodating English Language Learners in the elementary classroom - Essay Example This would help comply with the Federal standard of No Child Left Behind by facilitating English Language Learners’ attainment of Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO) (Whitsett & Hubbard, 2009). To accommodate English Language Learners in my elementary class, I would acquaint myself with their family backgrounds. This would help me understand some of the things that I should avoid in class in order not to come out as stereotypical thus fulfilling the federal standard of diversity in education. Additionally, I would accommodate English Language Learners in my elementary class by fostering rapport with their parents because they are crucial in the success of these learners. Fostering rapport and liaising with the parents of these learners would facilitate my compliance with Federal legal requirement that accords these parents the right to decline an English Language learner program. Finally, I would accommodate English Language Learners in my elementary class by giving them language acquisition tests that match their level. This would help me prepare them for the federal legal requirement that all learners, including English Language Learners, be subjected to an annual statew ide assessment (Whitsett & Hubbard,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Great Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Great Depression - Essay Example The great depression was an economic disaster that affected Europe, North America and other industrialized nations for a period of one decade; from 1929-1939. The depression was the worst depression the Western industrialized world has ever experienced in the modern times (McElvaine 46). America started feeling the depression earlier than other countries due to the collapse of the prices of stock market of the New York Stock Exchange in the year 1929. Within the next few years, the stock price continued falling; they lost their value with a decrease of 20%. This decrease in assets’ value ruined countless numbers of investors, and the performance of banks started declining. Many financial institutions could not withstand the strain from the ensuing depression. People lost trust in the economy and minimized their levels of demand and spending (Burgan 117). Consequently, production declined with a big margin; the overall consequences of these situations escalated the advancement of the great depression. Sudden fall in output led to a deadly situation of unemployment in America because more than fifteen million Americans lost their jobs. Although the utter depression began in the US, it swiftly became an international economic crisis because of the close relationships, which developed between the European economies and US after the First World War (Burgan 117). The US was the chief creditors of Europe during and after the war since the European economies were destabilized by the war debts and the war itself. Other nations like Germany had suffered heavy economic strains due to defeat in the battle because they were required to reimburse war damages. This c onnection was extremely tight and close. When the American economy crushed down, the Europeans countries were also affected since the flow of traders and investors to Europe ceased. Unemployment in Germany skyrocketed within a short period claiming the jobs of more than six million people (McElvaine 46). The great depression was a bit soft on Britain because the unemployment levels were not as high as in America and Germany. However, Britain’s export and industrial sectors were depressed for a longer period that other countries, and they only recovered in the mid 1940s. All countries came up with strategies that would guard the domestic industries and boost their production. Nations imposed tariffs and increased the existing tariffs to discourage international trade (Downing 94). Imports were crowded with quotas; this resulted to a decline in international trade with more than half. When the world trade collapsed, the international economy was disintegrated into trading blocs , which were influenced by currency of trade and political allegiance. This trade between blocs was open to many countries. Political implications of the great depression The political implications of the great depression were profound. Countries such as Japan and Germany reacted to the depression by forming militarist governments who came up with regressive foreign policies, which resulted to the Second World War. In Britain and the US, the government intervened in the issues that affected people by forming welfare system for the citizens (McElvaine 47). The government managed all the economies with little intervention from individuals. President Roosevelt came up with employment schemes, which aimed at reducing unemployment. People were given street cleaning jobs and painting the public buildings. Further, Roosevelt came up with policies that supported the industrial and agricultural sectors. Although these measures did not yield to rapid economic recovery, they enhanced the overa ll

Monday, November 18, 2019

Team development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Team development - Essay Example The study used previously tested five-scale standards and a regression model based on team size as a control to test the constructs under the four hypotheses Firstly, the team tested the hypothesis that there is an association between relationship conflicts and team satisfaction is moderated by the extent of virtualness in that conflicts decrease team satisfaction as virtualness increases. The second hypothesis was that familiarity increases team satisfaction while virtualness decreases. The third hypothesis was that goal clarity increases team satisfaction as the extent of team virtualness increases. The last hypothesis was that the preference among team members for group work will increase team satisfaction as virtualness increases (Stark & Bierly, 2009). The results were such that all the four predictors (independent variables) were significantly correlated with team satisfaction. Relationship conflict was negatively correlated with team satisfaction while familiarity, goal clarity, and preference for teamwork were all positively correlated with team satisfaction. The study concluded that relationship conflicts negatively affect team satisfaction because member lack the time to resolve their differences. As virtualness increases members tend to prefer working in groups while familiarity and goal clarity also affect team satisfaction. Results from this study may help increase awareness that the levels of virtualness among team may have other cascading effects on team

Friday, November 15, 2019

What Creates Fear In Horror Movies?

What Creates Fear In Horror Movies? Why I am frightened?With my dissertation, I dont want to explain the entire horror cinema story, nor mention all the important directors or the actually best movies in this genre. My aim is to know what makes the people scary in a movie, what are the elements that really creates a feeling of anxiety and stress. To achieve this goal, first of all I will analyse the beginning of the cinema (the silent movies) in order to know which is the ground of our current horror cinema culture. I think before trying to analyse any topic oneself must know the origins of this specific topic, the reality because this topic its like it currently is. After that, I will make a quick review of the horror films of each decade until the appearing of the first horror film in first-person perspective. This is because I think that the first-person perspective horror films are the culmination of our research to scare the public, I think that kind of movies are our current best bet in this issue.So with the help of the analysis of this kind of movies together with the analysis of the origins of the horror film genre, I expect to know how and what really makes us scary. Before first-person perspective horror The horror film genre born at the same time than the cinema, although did it unintentionally. Larrivà ©e dun train à   La Ciotat (Arrival of a train at the Ciotat) recorded by Lumià ¨re Brothers at 1986,showed simply the arrival of a train in a platform at a railway station. Despite of it, the public who went for the first time to see the film, became frightened and ran out of the room believing that the train would come out of the screen and run over them(Martin Loiperdinger and Bernd Elzer, 2004). That first feeling of terror using a filming was because the viewers in those days didnt know anything about cinema, camera shots and audiovisual language in general. So, from then on, it would be necessary to find new ways to scare and stress the public, more deliberate ways. This result in the birth of the horror film genre, whose objective is to make feel the public in danger, scared, frightened, like the audience who was watching the train arriving in the Lumià ¨res film. Silent Movies, the beginning Logically, the first horror movies were in the field of silent films. Thus, the first horror movies were silent, in black-and-white, and they used to be closely linked to the fantasy genre, prevailing mythological or legendary characters who lived among the society. Here are some outstanding examples: Frankenstein (1910) Director: J. Searle Dawley Country: United States Duration: 12 min. Plot: Film adaption of Mary Shelleys novel Frankensteinor also calledThe modern Prometheus, published in 1818. Victor Frankenstein is a young student of 35 years old who is trying to create the ultimate creature. However, his experiments led him to create a terrible monster, deformed, which constantly attacks the people around it. But the creature disappears when Victor Frankenstein falls in love. The film was recorded in fixed camera and using long shots during all its duration. Der Golem (The Golem)(1915) Director: Paul Wagener Country: Germany Duration: 84 min. Plot:Film adaption of Gustav Meyrinks novel with the same name. The rabbi Loew sees in the stars a sign of that a catastrophe will engulf the Jewish people. Meanwhile, the emperor of Prague gives a command to expel the Jews of the city. The rabbi decides to create a clay figure, the Golem, which what will save the Jews ghetto. This production is divided into five chapters and has two sequels, The Golem and the Dancing Girl and The Golem: How He Came Into the World. Both are also inspired in the medieval Prague but they dont belong to the same genre as the original one. Das Kabinett des DoktorCaligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) (1919) Director: Robert Wiene Country: Germany Duration: 51 min. Plot: Two friends, Francis and Alan, visit a fair in Holstenwall town (north of Germany). Once there, the mad Dr. Caligari and his faithful somnambulist friend Cesare announcesthat they are able to divine the future. Alan asks how long he has to live. To which question Cesare replied that he will die before dawn tomorrow, a prophecy which is fulfilled. After that his friend, Francis, begins to investigate the seer (Cesare) and the sinister doctor to find out the truth about what happened. In this film most of the plot is presented like a flashback told by Francis, the friend of Alan. The film it is a radiating example of German Expressionist Cinemas foremost forays into the genre of psychological horror and is also one of the first films to include an anti-climatic twist at the end of the story(BrokenProjector.com, 2007 ,n.p.). Nosferatu(1922) Director: F.W. Murnay Country: Germany Duration: 94 min. Plot: An unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stokers Dracula novel. Year 1981, the German estate agent Thomas Hutter goes to Transylvania to visit the count Orlok in him castle to close a deal on the land purchase. During the visit happens a series of mysterious events that makes Thomas suggest that the count is a vampire. Unfortunately, in that moment the contract is already signed and Orlok is going to him new mansion in Wismark (Germany). Thomas Hutter fears the worst about Ellen, him wife. Nosferatu its also considered a German expressionism film. Despite of is not the first vampire movie. Nosferatu is maybe one of the most influential vampire films of all time (Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc, 2010, p.13). In this early age of the cinema, the silenthorror films get used to narrate a history about a mythological, legendary or non-natural character. The golem for example, is not simply a fiction character created by Gustav Meyrink in his novel; the golem is also a medieval folklore and an old Jewish legend. The first stories obaut golems date back to the beginning of Judaism and they say that the golem is created from clay and a divine spark that gives life(Karina Garcà ­a, 2007). So, the golem is a mythological character of popular culture since centuries, in the same way that the figure of the vampire, myth in the folklore of many cultures since immemorial times. Despite of it, the word vampire (in their different language forms) began to be used in the medieval era being associated, for example, as a victim and, even, the cause of the many epidemics and diseases occurred in the eighteenth-century Europe(Carol Senf, 1988). In the other hand, characters as Frankenstein are more recent and, although nowadays its a character of the popular culture, originally were simply a fictional character created in 1818 by Mary Shelleys. In any case, all these characters are characterized by not only be fictional characters, but because they are mythological and legendary creatures (Frankenstein maybe not exactly) present in popular culture for centuries. So much so that, for example, until the early twentieth century there were killing vampire kits which were given to travelers to protect themselves from vampire attacks(UsaToday.com, 2003). Thats it, the people of that time really believed that they could be attacked by a vampire or see a golem next to a rabbi. In the case of Frankenstein, the belief was not in that particular character, but in the possibility of the existence of similar monsters in the reality due to advances in science and, above all, the technology in the nineteenth century. In the case of Caesar, the somnambulist of Dr. Caligari, is not exactly the same case but the basis are the same. Caesar although is not a monster acts as one. He sleeps in a coffin, him look is supernatural and frightening, he doesnt have willingly and, above all, he can predict the future. Maybe Caesar is like a pythoness or a witch, enough to scary the superstitious people of that time. In conclusion, the fear generated by these films was due the superstitious of the people and, more generally, because that films also provide a revealing mirror image of the anxieties of their time. Nosferatu (1922) is not simply a tale of vampirism, but offers heart-rending images of a town beleaguered by premature and random deaths, echoes of the Great War and the Great Flu Epidemic fatalities (Karina Wilson, 2005 ,n.p.) Regarding technological aspects of these movies, they are strongly motivated by the theater. Thus, they were trying to immerse the viewer into the story through the use of different melodies (always present throughout the film, there were no voices)with different purposes. On one hand, there were the atmosphere melodies, used most of the time as a resource that remained in the background to create the desired feeling depending of the location or the type of action that is described in the film. In the other hand, there were the mystery melodies, used to intrigue the viewer or stressed in the principal scenes of the movie. Referring the camera, the shots were prone to be quiet long and statics, only interposed by close-ups shots of the characters but rarely by close-ups shots of the actions. Maybe the influence of the theater was still quite strong on this aspect. Sound films, born the scream Opposed to the silent film, a sound film (or talkies) is a motion picture with synchronized sound which appearedin the mid- to late 1920s, although it was not until the early 1930s when this technique turned habitual. Films such as Dracula (1931), Freaks (1932), King Kong (1933), The Wolf Man (1941), Cat People (1942) or some of the adaptions of Robert Louis Stevensons novels, like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931),The Invisible Man (1933) or The Body Snatcher (1945) are good examples of the horror films which the people used to watch in that time. These films maintained the base of the silent movies but giving now much more importance to the human-monster of the story, which is now its indisputable protagonist. Now these characters were, in most of the times, purely fictional, and the way that used to get terrorize the public was simply thanks to their appearance and their screams or, simply, their horrific sounds. The use of close-ups shots was increasing, in these days the real claim were the monster itself, so the events of the films was far removed from the everyday realities and the approaching war. In the decade of 1950s, the beginning of the post-war era and the cold war, the people lived continuously with the fear of war. In this era films like Godzilla (1954), It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955), The Fly (1958) or The Wasp Woman (1960) were the stars of the horror film genre.All these films tell the story about an animal which is converted into a giant or repugnant creature because of reasons such as radiation, technological advances or advanced biological experiments. The relationship with atomic bombs and the anxieties about nuclear weapons is clear, one of the most common fears in the people of the time (Marc Jancovich, 1996). Furthermore, at the end of the decade was the born of the movies about UFOs, aliens and in general foreign forms of life threats. So in 1947 occurred The Roswell Incident, born the acronym U.F.O and all of that maybe originated the fear of people about alien invasions. Movies like Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1956) or Plan 9 from Outer Space (1958 ) are good examples of that although there is another theory about the fear of alien invasion in that time that argues that is merely a code for fears of Soviet Union aggression (Marc Jancovich, 1996). although this type of films will raise through decades, with films like Alien (1979), Independence Day (1996) or even Paranormal Activity (2007), among many others. This is an example of a fear which is constantly scaring people during the decades, more or less intensively depending of the actuality. Modern times, the fear became human Teens of the time hadnt experienced the war, the social stability was a fact and the pop culture had born, welcome to the 1960s. Hitchcock was still alive and the films Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963) were proof of this. Horror films and thrillers had intertwined by one of the maters of the cinema. The people were afraid of losing their stable life, but not because attacks ofthe monsters or failed experiments, but because people of flesh and bone. Some of the movies of Alfred Hitchcock and other films like Blood Feast (1963) are a proof of that.On the other hand, the films about ghost and living souls grew in popularity, films like Carnival of Souls (1962) or The Haunting (1963). And not far from the ghosts were the zombies, Night of The Living Dead (1968) of George A. Romero, a classic of zombies and dead livings movies.After the optimism of the 1960s, the 1970 was marked by a certain frustration. The fear apparent in the horror films of the 1970sis the fear of children and the o ften fatal process of childbirth; Eraserhead (1976) is a good example of that. Now the enemy was not in the space or in the Europe with the war. Now the fear was among us, inside our home, our mum, our dad or even our sister. Films such as The Exorcist (1973), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Shivers (1975), Halloween (1978) or The Shinning (1980), narrates the story of murders that occur in our neighborhood or home for people more or less close to us. In that time, there was a social deep-seated paranoia that the moral shift of the 1960s had creates a culture of young monsters without moral capable of killing. And in the year 1980 was when the first-person perspective horror film appeared. 3. Terror in first-person perspective After a century of horror films, nowadays we are witnessing an important quantity of films narrated in first-person perspective. Is not a fad, nor a trend, but gradually this type of products has grown in number and, especially, in popularity. The Blair Witch Project or, most recently, Paranormal Activity, are good examples of this situation. Both films were able to make feel the audience terrified when it comes out of the cinema. But this achievement was no thanks to a wonderful special effects, or thanks to the presence of very well made monsters and nor thanks to a heartbreaking melodies. That was because the audience really thought that the story was real and that they could be a victim of a similar experience(Manel E. Diaz, 2010). They probably discussed the facts narrated in the movie with a family member, a colleague or a friend a few days after the viewing. In fact, the movie hit them deeply, turning into an everyday fear during maybe a week after have watched the movie. First-person perspective horror films Here some examples of this kind of horror movies, most of which are recorded as a mockumentary or also called mock documentary. Originally the mockumentarieswere used as a television genre to analyze or comment current events becausethe realism of the stories were higher when this format was used.Soon the mockumentary wasalso used by the cinema, movies asDavid HolzmanHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Holzmans_DiaryHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Holzmans_Diarys Diary (1967), The Rutles (1978) or Man Bites Dog (1992) among many others, are a good example of that. Butit was precisely in the genre of horror movies where their use seemed to have a greater impact on the public. Cannival Holocaust(1980) Director:RuggeroDeodato Country: Italy Duration: 95 min. Plot: The movie tells the story of four documentarians who deep into the jungle (Amazon Rainforest) to film the life of the indigenous tribes with cannibal habits. Two month later, after they fail to return, the anthropologist Harold Monroe travels to the place to try to rescue the documentarians. Unfortunately, Monroe and him team discovers that the documentarians has been murdered and eaten by the indigenous. Surprisingly, they could recover the lost can of films which reveals the missing documentarians fate and all them experience into the jungle, including how they died. The supposed content of that can of films is part of the film itself. The film was presented by the director as whether all the length were real; everything you see in the movie is real, even the deaths of animals and people. Thats it, the documentarians are really dead and were really tortured and murdered by the indigenous. These statements together with the content of the supposed rescued can of films and the format in which the film was presented (like a documental, with an important number of camera-in-hand scenes) achieved that the public believed that the story really happened. Despite all this, the whole content of the movie is fiction, except perhaps the animal deaths(Randy Malamud, 2010 : 2-3). In the year 1988 appeared a sequel of the movie called Cannibal Holocaust II;this one was more really like a Giallo rather than a documentary. Alien Abduction Incident in Lake County (1998) Director: Dean Alioto Country: United States Duration: 93 min. Plot: An American family is celebrating the dinner of thanksgiving when suddenly the fuses are gone and the house goes dark. Some of the members of the family decides to go outside to check the fuse box, but something mysterious happens: an unidentified flying object lands near them. This event will mark the beginning of a nightmare night when the aliens will try to abduct the family. The whole film is presented as the recording of the familys son, who films all the events occurred during the night with his new camera because he wants become a cinema director. This fact makes that the public thinks that the filming is real, although in the end of it they can see that all is fiction. Instead of the previous films, this one is not made like a documentary (although it has various elements typical of this kind of format), but its presented as a real home video. The Blair Witch Project(1999) Directors: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez Country: United States Duration: 86 min. Plot:In October of 1994, three student film makers disappeared in the woods near Burkittesville, Maryland. One year later, their footage was found (The Blair Witch Project, 1999 :n.p.). With this statement the film starts. So, the story is about those three students who were recording a documental about a local legend about the Blair Witch. As in Cannibal Holocaust the film was presented as whether all the footage were real, as the students were really dead in the end of the film and the content of them footage was the film itself (but the whole film is fiction). The technics resources used for this occasion were the same as in Cannibal Holocaust (camera-in-hand scenes, story tell in first person perspective as the camera were the eyes of the character, documentary form, low image quality to make the story more believable,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). Despite of it, unlike Cannibal Holocaust the film The Blair Witch Project managed to be a really commercial success being one of the most profitable films in the story. Perhaps the innovative viral marketing campaign that succumbed before the release of the film was one of the reasons of for its success. In the year 1988 appeared a sequel of the movie called The Blair Witch Project 2 which was simply a common horror movie.Apparently, it is already preparing a second sequel that would be more faithful to the original. REC (2007) Director:JaumeBalaguerà ³ and Paco Plaza Country:Spain Duration: 85 min. Plot:Every night Angela and her cameraman, who works for a local TV channel in Barcelona, have to make a report about the routine of one collective of the city. That night they must go along with the firefighters of the city to cover an apparently minor incident in a building in the center of Barcelona. Once they get there, they realize that the residents of this building appear to be infected and that the building has been quarantined, a night of nightmare has started. The whole content of the movie is presented as the footage recorded by the cameraman who works with Angela. There is an American film called Quarantine which is a Hollywood remake of the spanish original movie. In 2009 premiered the sequel, REC 2, which replaces the idea of an infection by a curse. Currently the directors of the original film are working in the third part of the film. There are more horror filmthat uses the first-person perspective,films asDiary of the Dead (George A. Romero), The Last Broadcast (Stefan Avalos), Cloverfield (Matt Reeves) or Paranormal Activity and its sequel (Tod Williams).The most part of the films exposed used the documental or mockumentaries format, instead of some of them like Alien Abduction Incident in Lake Countywhich uses the formatof a home video or REC, which uses the format of a TV report. 4. Format Topic, the key for scare As spectators, we have always felt protected from the dangers that are shown in the horror movies. That is thanks to the border of the diegesis, that fine line, the thickness of the screen.When we enter at the cinema we know that everything we will see is fiction, drama, a trick to scare us in the case of the horror films. We can imagine the camera and all the casting and the crew filming every scene of this movie. However, when we watch a documentary for example, our feelings are totally different so we are really convinced that every action showed in the screen really happened and, in general, we are convinced that the whole reality showed in this documentary is the same reality as ours. This fact makes us quickly empathize with the protagonists of the documentary because we already know that we can life and feel the same experiences that they are showing on the screen. In the other hand, if the documentary is in Africa and is about the danger of the snake bites, is probably that a European spectator doesnt feel as much empathy about the events showed as an Asian one for example.This is because be attacked for a venomous snake is much more possible in Asia than in Europe. So there are two things that mark our level of empathy with what were seeing on the screen, the type of visual narrative or format used and the topic of the film. The most part of the films exposed in the previous point have used the documental or mockumentaries format, instead of some of them like Alien Abduction Incident in Lake Countywhich uses the formatof a home video or REC, which uses the format of a TV report, it doesnt matter. What is really important is the use of a format that we associate with the reality. Every day we see in the news reports about local or international events and, for this reason, when we watch a film narrated with that same format we feel that the story is real. By chance, this type of formats (these are normally used to tell the reality) used to get the camera perspective to show the information, as the home video uses the same perspective to show the quotidian life of a family for example. Soin the case of the horror films in first-person point of view is not the perspective what makes us feel in danger, but the format. About the topic, as happens in the silent movies, will cause more or less fear depending on what level its close to us. So nowadays a first-person perspective horror movie about vampires wont scare us much as if was about the Flu A for example. In the other hand, there are some topics which scare us during all our history as for example, alien invasions. But inside every topic there are also a wide variety of manners of reaching the viewer. In the film Alien Abduction Incident in Lake County for example, the people who is attacked live in a rural area away from the civilization and, for this reason, they cant ask for help. However, in the film Paranormal Activity the people is attacked by aliens when they are sleeping. So is reasonable to say that Paranormal Activity has potential for scare more many people than Abduction Incident in Lake County because not everyone lives in a rural area, however, everyone sleeps. The same example its attributable to the film Cannibal Holocaust. The nightmare lived for the documentarians happen in the Amazonsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ How many of the spectators have never been in the amazons? A large minority of them, sure. However, how many of the spectators have been sleeping during the night in a forest like the students of The Blair Witch Project? Surely a lot of them, maybe families with them children or friends making a picnic or a bivouac during the summer. Although the film could have been even scarier if for example it had occurred in a neighborhood in the outskirts of big city. So a really large part of the audience would feel identified with it and, maybe, when they would return home they would be a little bit afraid at least. So, in the same way that throughout the history of horror movies, nowadays we are scared about those topics whose are close to us. But not only nearby topics, also films with characters wholived situations that we can live in our quotidian lives. During the history of the horror films we have seena large amount of films about issues of concern to the entire population, global issues. Instead, to really scare the public its better to find closer topics, more personal, all this bearing in mind that a movie is a commercial product that should appeal to millions of people. In conclusion, for make a really terrifying movie we have to speak about a fear which can be felt by the people in their everyday life and furthermore, we have to use a format which is used to link to the explanation of real events, a format like the documentary for example. The horror films in first-person perspective uses this formats, but not always speaks about the most terrifying topic thus its depends of the global issues that there are when the film is released. Conclusions After more than a century of watching films, the human as a spectator feels so comfortable that its difficult to scare. The people goes to the cinema knowing that the reality showed in the screen is not the same reality that the one they lives. And also knowing that the characters who are in the film are well-paid actors. In fact, they expect to enjoy with a good dramatization, a well narrated fiction story and, maybe, some spontaneous scare. As did Orson Welles in his radio broadcast War of the Worlds in 1938, the key for scare the public is to catch them off guard. And it has to be made inside their own reality, without allowing them to protect themselves with the diegesis of the fiction. The history has shown us that the best way to achieve this purpose is to narrate a fictional story using the same techniques that we would use whether the story was real. In fact, Larrivà ©e dun train à   La Ciotat (Arrival of a train at the Ciotat) recorded by Lumià ¨re Brothers at 1986 its a documentary (in its way), not a fiction movie. So,the first-person horror movies uses this techniques to scare the audience, but that is not the only thing to keep in mind. The topic of the movie is also important,a really terrifying movie has to speak about a fear which can be felt by the people in their everyday life, something that can really happen to them. This is a human fact, the people always has felt fear by the dangers of his surrounding, of his country, of his town, of his neighborhood, on his lives. Bybliography BrokenProjector, 2007, Kammerspielfilm, http://www.brokenprojector.com/wordpress/?p=9[Electronically accessed 24th November, 2010.] Elzer, B. Loiperdinger, M. (2004), The Moving Image 4. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. Garcà ­a, K. (2007), ObservacionesFilà ³soficas Magazine, http://www.observacionesfilosoficas.net/golem.html[Electronically accessed 24th November, 2010.] Jancovich, M. (2006), Rational Fears.Manchester : Manchester University Press. Le Blanc, M. Odell, C. (2000), Vampire Films. Harpenden : Pocket Essentials Malamud, R. (2003), Poetic Animals and Animals Souls.Georgia : Palgrave Macmillan. Senf, C. (1988),The Vampire in Nineteenth Century English Literature.Wisconsin : Popular Press. Myrick, D. Sanchez, E. (1999) The Blair Witch Project. Haxan Films. Usa Today. (2003), Vampire Killing Kits Sells for $12,000, http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2003-10-31-vampire_x.htm[Electronically accessed 24th November, 2010.] Wilson, K. (2005a), Horror Film History, http://www.horrorfilmhistory.com/index.php?pageID=1920s [Electronically accessed 24th November, 2010.]

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Contracting Essay examples -- essays research papers

Entering and contracting Entering and contracting are the initial steps taken in the OD process, and is considered by many as one the most important steps of the process. The entering and contracting step will be utilized to set the pace and lay the foundation for the practitioner client relationship. They involve a preliminary evaluation of the organization’s opportunities for development, while establishing a collaborative relationship between the OD practitioner and the members of the client system. A major component of entering and contracting is to make a good decision about how to carry out the OD process. The contract allows the parties involved to explicitly set the direction of the project and how the process will take place. The OD contract will generally address three key areas: setting mutual expectation or what each party expects to gain from the OD process; the time and resources that will be devoted to it; and the ground rules for working together and the stating of what are the proper roles of all the parties involved including the practitioner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this process, a mutual agreement is established between the OD practitioner and the members of the client system in how the OD consultant will work on the problems within the organization. Hence, during entering and contracting, the organization’s problems and opportunities for growth and improvement are discussed between these two parties. During this process, the limitations are set on how the consultant can execute the different phases of the OD process. The entering and contracting step is extremely significant because it constitutes the initial activities of the OD process. It sets the parameters for the phases of planned changed that follow: diagnosing, planning and implementing change and evaluating and institutionalizing it. Developing the OD contract focuses on making sound decisions that establish the groundwork for the future success of the project. Data collection Data Collection is the process of collecting information that will be utilized in the diagnostic process and eventually used to make business recommendation. In this data collection process, it is critical to ensure the highest quality of data possible. In the data collection component, the information is gathered on the specific department or organization such as inputs, design components, an... ....m. instead of 5.00 p.m.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Output went up  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They were dismissed at 4.00 p.m.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Output remained the same  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally, all the improvements were taken away, and the girls went back to the physical conditions of the beginning of the experiment: work on Saturday, 48 hour week, no rest pauses, no piece work and no free meal. This state of affairs lasted for a period of 12 weeks.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Output was the highest ever recorded averaging 3000 relays a week. What happened was that six individuals became a team and the team gave itself wholeheartedly and spontaneously to co-operation in the experiment. The consequence was that they felt themselves to be participating freely and without afterthought and were happy in the knowledge that they were working without coercion from above or limitation from below. They were themselves satisfied at the consequence for they felt that they were working under less pressure than ever before. In fact regular medical checks showed no signs of cumulative fatigue and absence from work declined by 80 per cent.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Willy Loman

The American Dream is the idea that with hard work and perseverance, anyone can succeed in America, the land of opportunity.   However, as time went by, the idea of the American Dream came to mean working to buy material possessions, and no matter how hard someone works, there is always more to buy.   As people struggle to achieve the American Dream, companies downsize and fire people who have given their lives to that company.   Capitalism in America causes a very few people to gain wealth while the rest of society just continues to struggle. The unforgettable Willy Loman and his family demonstrate the dangers and downright destructive forces of capitalism.   Willy Loman has simply unrealistic expectations of his own life and his family members.   He does not face his own flaws and just cannot seem to get ahead.   Willy Loman shows the dangers of getting too wrapped up in the very values of capitalism such as the idea that money equals character and material possessions defines self-worth. As Willy continues to be unsuccessful, he feels more and more inadequate and depressed.   He is courted by the grand idea of the American Dream without understanding that it is almost unattainable for many.   He suffers from this system as well as his own inability to change the dream or to cope with the unrealistic nature of the dream.   Capitalism kills his American Dream. Willy raises his children by transferring his own unrealistic version of the dream to them in myriad ways.   Willy’s focus in raising his children is that they be both attractive and popular. By raising his children this way, they never learn any skills that will sustain them in life.   In fact, they learn really the opposite of capitalism in making the effort to get ahead. Biff, who thinks he is above it all because he is so popular and well-liked that he doesn’t devote any time to schoolwork and ends up flunking high school math.   He doesn’t make it up in summer school so he cannot go to college.   He actually ends up stealing from his boss, and is basically floundering in the world.   He, like his father, always has grandiose ideas about success.   Happy, on the other hand, turns out another way.   Happy believes that Bill Oliver (the boss Biff stole from) will lend them money for one of their half-baked plans about selling sporting goods.   He is completely unrealistic and has no ambition.   Happy is well-liked, especially by women, but spends all his time trying to â€Å"score.† No effort is devoted to actually getting a job or being self-sufficient.   Because Willy is so focused on the idea that his children will achieve the American Dream, he teaches them horrible values.   When Biff steals a football, Willy praises him.   When Biff flunks math, he ignores the fact that Biff cheated.   He pumps up their self-esteem so much that they cannot hold down jobs.   They cannot seem to stoop to taking orders from anyone.   And Willy cannot seem to avoid making these false promises to them. For example as he tells his boys, â€Å"the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates a personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want.   You take me, for instance.   I never have to wait in line to see a buyer.   â€Å"Willy Loman is here!†Ã‚   That’s all they have to know and I go right through.† (Miller 33)   However, he is a salesman for the same company who lets him go without a second thought, as he becomes less useful to them.   Willy is not preparing his children for a world of capitalistic corporate downsizing and such. He pumps his children up for life but goes way too far in avoiding the truth.   When Biff talks about working for Bill Oliver, he says, â€Å"How the hell did I ever get the idea I was a salesman there?   I even believed myself that I’d been a salesman for him!   And then he gave me one look and –I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life had been!   We’ve been talking in a dream for fifteen years. I was a shipping clerk† (Miller 104).   In this quote Biff summarizes the idea that Willy has filled them both full of hot air, to the point that they cannot even live in the â€Å"real† world.   Biff cannot even admit that he was only a lowly clerk and so he ends up getting angry and stealing from his own boss.   Willy has not allowed the boys to truly see reality. Another capitalistic idea presented is that everyone must work and work in this world to provide for their families, to keep them in the newest things.   However, people never really get to see the benefits of all their hard work.   As a society, most families are in debt for everything they â€Å"own,† and they never get to see the end product of that.   As Willy says, Figure it out.   Work a lifetime to pay off a house.   You finally own it, and there’s nobody left to live in it† (Miller 15). By the time Willy works enough years in his life to pay off the house and the stuff in it, the kids are grown and he is on the verge of retirement.   And as he says, â€Å"I gotta be at it ten, twelve hours a day† (Miller 37).   He works so hard to provide for his family but never actually gets to spend time with them because he is always working to pay for all that stuff.   In a capitalistic world, things are made to be replaced and to keep their owners paying on them.   â€Å"Once in my life I would like to own something outright before it is broken. I just finished paying for the car and it's on its last leg (Miller 36). The same idea is expressed again by Willy in talking with Linda about the refrigerator.   They are discussing the expensive General Electric which functions well versus the cheaper Hastings model that they bought.   â€Å"Whoever heard of a Hastings refrigerator?   Once in my life I would like to own something outright before it’s broken!   I’m always in a race with the junkyard!   I just finished paying for the care and it’s on its last legs.   The refrigerator consumes belts like a goddam maniac. They time those things.   They time them so when you finally paid for them, they’re used up† (Miller 73).   Like the products that are all around him, Willy is also used up himself, and his company will prove this by letting him go after his dedication all these years. The idea that everyone must work really hard and advance their way up the ladder in order to make a good living is also presented.   â€Å"To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two-week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors, with your shirt off.   And always to have to get ahead of the next fella.   And still—that’s how you build a future† (Miller 22). Ben and Charley are both presented as foils to this idea, and Willy is depressed that he does not live the lifestyle of either of these men, but he â€Å"missed the boat† so to speak.   These men both kind of â€Å"luck† into things as is often the case in a capitalistic society.   Many times, it makes no difference how hard one works or how liked he is or anything else; it is about being in the right place at the right time. People can be discarded in this capitalistic world when they no longer serve their â€Å"purpose.†Ã‚   Willy is fired after devoting his life to the company with the horrible epithet of capitalism, â€Å"business is business.†(Miller 80).     Willy has given his adult life to sales for this company, and when he is no longer â€Å"useful† to them, he is fired.   â€Å"[Y]ou can't eat the orange and throw the peel away — a man is not a piece of fruit!† (Miller 82) The Wagner Company has sucked the life out of him and then fired him, discarding him like a useless piece of orange rind.   â€Å"I don't say he's a great man. Willie Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He's not to be allowed to fall in his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person† (Miller 56). Linda is making a statement to America here about the way workers are treated in such a capitalistic society.   When everyone wants to â€Å"get ahead,† humanity is lost.   Willy is a person, and he deserves to be treated like one.   â€Å"He works for a company thirty-six years this March, opens up unheard-of territories to their trademark, and now in his old age they take his salary away† (Miller 56). Humanity is lost.   Workers should have pensions for devoting their lives to a company.   As he says to Charley, â€Å"you end up worth more dead than alive† (Miller 76).   His life insurance policy left to his family will provide better for them than he ever could.   This again, is the sadness of many corporate lives when they have reached the end of their â€Å"usefulness† according to the powers that be. Willy even has grandiose ideas about his own funeral and his importance in this dehumanized world.   Willy has given his life for the business, and feels that his funeral will be spectacular.   All the people he sold to will be there.   People from all over New England will attend because he was so well-liked but in reality, no one attends—his family and Charley. In all, Willy Loman was destroyed by the capitalistic society.   Capitalism kept him working in a job to â€Å"keep up with the Jones’† he was able to buy all the things that society sells to us with the idea that they are indispensable.   He devotes his life to his job in sales, never spending much time with his family because he was always on the road.   In the end, what does he have to show for it?   Nothing.   His boys are not productive and suffer from false illusions of their own.   He kills himself so that his life insurance policy will provide for his family.   Arthur Miller provides this play is a kind of indictment on the way the world is progressing today, particularly America.   He provides Willy Loman as a sort of tragic hero who wants to hold to some of the â€Å"old† ideas but is continually beaten down by the new trends.   Capitalism kills the American Dream. Works Cited Miller, Arthur, Death of a Salesman, Penguin Books, Middlesex England, 1949.                  

Friday, November 8, 2019

Run-on Sentences and Fragments in ACT English Grammar Rule

Run-on Sentences and Fragments in ACT English Grammar Rule SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You may think that of all the grammatical concepts you will encounter on the ACT English, recognizing a correct sentence will be one of the easiest ones. But did you know that this is actually one of themost commonly-tested subjects because it can bevery tricky? Do you know what you need to have in order to have a complete sentence? Can you reliably tell the difference between a subordinate clause and an independent clause? Do you know how to use semicolons and conjunctive adverbs? Read this guide to see how the ACT manages to trick so many students with this seemingly easy concept. In this guide I will show you: What grammatically constitutes a complete sentence How prepositional phrases, appositives and relativeclauses can make sentences more difficult to understand How to recognize and fix fragments How to recognize and fix run-on sentences Strategies to attack these kinds of questions Examples of this kind of ACT question Test Yourself Can you recognize which of the following are correct sentences, and which are fragments and run-ons? My dog, Angel, barksat squirrels in the front yard. Angel, who is part greyhound and part rottweiler. After owning Angel for eight years, we got another dog, her name was Elsa. Elsa, who is a puppy, does not enjoy taking baths. Although she hated taking a bath, but she loved playing in the rain. Elsa licking Angel all over her face. Angel would become angry. Because the puppy would never leave her alone, Angel, who would growl and snap at her. At first Angel avoided her, soon she started to enjoy the puppy's presence. Answers: 1. Sentence; 2. Fragment; 3. Run-on; 4. Sentence; 5. Fragment; 6. Fragment; 7. Sentence; 8. Fragment; 9. Run-on What Is a Sentence? You may have heard in your English class that a sentence needs to have a subject and a verb. More specifically, a correct, complete sentence has to have at least oneindependent clause. The ACT will not test you on any of the grammatical terms we cover, but understanding the ideas is important. A simple sentence made of oneindependent clause has three main characteristics: A subject (a person or thing that is doing an action) A verb that is correctly conjugated to match the noun It expresses a complete thought and makes sense on its own Let's look at one of the above sentences and see if it matches this description. My dog, Angel, barksat squirrels in the front yard. The subject - the person or thing doing the action - is "dog." The verb, or action word, is "barks." The verb is correctly conjugated in the 3rd person singular to match the subject of the sentence, my dog. If you wanted to, you could get rid of the rest of the sentence and it would still technically make sense! My dog barks. There are some rare circumstances in which you will see a complete, correct sentence where you cannot as easily pick out the subject:direct commands. Stop! Help! Give me an umbrella! Though you can easily spot the action words in these sentences, it's less clear what the subject is. In commands, thesubject is always understood to be "you." This is because you are always telling someone else what to do when you give a command! This is the only time that it's ok to have a sentence without a clear subject. The ACT will rarely test this, but it's good to know just in case. You now know everything you need to know about simple sentences! But did you know that sentences can also becompound orcomplex? Let's go over these concepts next to see how the ACT might try to trick you. Compound Sentences A compound sentence is a sentence that hasmore than one independent clause - meaning two subjects and two verbs. This kind of constructioncan start to get tricky, because you have to make sure that they're joined together correctly. If they aren't, they're calledrun-on sentences.We'll discuss these more below. There are several different ways that you can join independent clauses together correctly to make a compound sentence. Join the sentences with a comma and a coordinating conjunction Coordinating conjunctions are probably the conjunctions you're most familiar with, includingand, but,andor.You can remember all of them with the acronym FANBOYS: F for A and N nor B but O or Y yet S so As an example, let's look at the following independent clauses: Ben and Kate always enjoyed eating Chinese food. They began to prefer Japanese food after traveling to Japan. Here is how you could join these two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction: Ben and Kate always enjoyed eating Chinese food, butthey began to prefer Japanese food after traveling to Japan. Remember that when using a coordinating conjunction to join two sentences, you mustalways use a comma. Join the sentences with a semicolon A semicolon is grammatically identical to a period. As such, you canjoin two sentenceswith a semicolon and nothing else. Ben and Kate always enjoyed eating Chinese food; they began to prefer Japanese food after traveling to Japan. Join the sentences with a semicolon (or period) and conjunctive adverb. There are several different conjunctive adverbs, but some of the most common ones are: however, nevertheless, therefore, moreover, and consequently. You can pair one of these words with a semicolon or a period toshow the relationship between the two sentences you are joining. Notice that the different adverbs show different relationships. However and nevertheless show a contrast. Thereforeandconsequently show a cause-and-effect relationship. Moreover adds emphasis and expand on information. Ben and Kate always enjoyed eating Chinese food; however, they began to prefer Japanese food after travelingto Japan. Remember when using this construction that you shouldalways have a commaafter the conjunctive adverb. Make one of the sentences a dependent clause We will talk more about dependent clauses in a moment, but this is how this tactic would look: Though Ben and Kate had always enjoyed eating Chinese food, they began to prefer Japanese food after traveling to Japan. Once again, note that the dependent clause is separated from the main clauseby a comma. You will also often find that you need to add a word or two when using this method in order to have the sentence make more sense, or rearrange the order of the words. Because of the many variables involved, this approachcan be one of the more difficult options for joining two sentences together. Let's look more into how dependent clauses are formed and how they are used. Sentences with Dependent Clauses So what is the difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause? Unlike independent clauses, which can stand on their own, adependent clause must be attached to an independent clause. Though dependent clauses have asubject andverb, theydon't make sense on their own. Instead, a dependent clause is usually used toexplain something about the independent clause that it is attached to.The dependent clause may tell background details about the independent clause, or where or why the independent clause is happening. Dependent clauses will begin with asubordinating conjunction that gives you a signal that it cannot stand on its own. For more on subordinating conjunctions, see this article. Although he loved his country, he moved abroad to find new opportunities. In this example, the independent clause is "he moved abroad to find new opportunities." This is able to stand on its own and makes perfect sense without any more information. In contrast, look at the dependent clause, "Although he loved his country." This gives background informationfor the independent clause that follows, butit does not make sense on its own.The reader is left wonderingwhat did he do? Remember that if you encounter a dependent clause on its own on the ACT, it will always be incorrect. I will discuss this in more detail below in the "Fragments" section. Sentences with Prepositional Phrases, Appositives, and RelativeClauses Prepositional Phrases Prepositional phrases can be added almost anywhere in a sentence to add more detail about how, where, or by whom something is done. You can find a list of the most common prepositions in the English language in this article.A prepositional phrase consists of (at least) a preposition and a noun that's called the object of the preposition. Let's look at some examples of how these are used: The young manin that coffee shop enjoys eating cake. (Prepositional phrase tells where man is) The young man enjoys eating cakein that coffee shop.(Prepositional phrase tells where he likes to eat cake. Remember that you should always be able to completely delete a prepositional phrase and still have a full sentence left over. If you don't, then your sentence is incorrect! The young man enjoys eating cake. CORRECT Like a dependent clause, a prepositional phrasecannot stand alone as a sentence. In that coffee shop. INCORRECT RelativeClauses Some sentences also haverelativeclauses. These clausesaren't necessary for the sentence to make sense; instead, they add extra information. Non-essential clauses will begin with arelative pronoun, such asthat, which, whoseor where.Since they'reclauses, theyshould always includeasubject and a verb. Let's look at an example: The young man, who was sitting in the cafe and eating cake, dreamed of getting a PhD. In this sentence, the subject of the relativeclause is "who." The verb is "was sitting." Relativeclauses can be completely removed from the sentence and you'll still have a complete sentence left over. The young man dreamed of getting a PhD. Note that this means that if you remove the non-essential clause and something doesn't seem right with the remaining sentence, you have a fragment on your hands! I'll discuss this more below. Appositives An appositive is a word or phrase that consists ofa noun or a pronoun and its modifiers that is placeddirectly next to another noun or pronoun that it's describing. The point of an appositive is to add more information about a noun in a sentence. Appositives should be surrounded by commas. Jeff, the young man, sat in the cafe and ate cake while he studied. In this sentence, "the young man" is an appositive fodescribing the noun "Jeff." As you may have guessed,you should be able to remove an appositive and have a complete sentence left over. Jeff sat in the cafe and ate cake while he studied. But what if you cross out an appositive, prepositional phrase, or non-essential clause, and the sentence you have doesn't seem quite right? Now that we've learned the correct ways to form sentences, let's look at some of the most common mistake sentences you will see on the ACT -fragments. What Is a Fragment? A fragment is an incomplete sentence. There are 6 main mistakes that can make a sentence a fragment: A â€Å"sentence† that lacks a verb A â€Å"sentence† that has an -ingor non-past tense -ed verb without a helping verb A â€Å"sentence† that lack a subject A â€Å"sentence† that begins with a subordinating conjunction and has no main clause A â€Å"sentence† that adds details to the main clause, but is separated from it A â€Å"sentence† that has a nonessential clause or prepositional phrase and incomplete main clause Let's look at each of these individually. Sentences That Don't Have a Verb How to recognize these fragments:ask what the subject of the sentence is doing. If you can't answer that question, it's most likely because there isn't a verb! Lewis, after driving two hundred miles.What did he do? Two pairs of trousers and three shirts.What about them? On Saturday this week.What is on Saturday? How to fix these fragments:you must add a verb to show an action or a state of being. Lewis, after driving two hundred miles,neededa drink. Hepacked two pairs of trousers and three shirts. On Saturday this weekis the wedding. Sentences with an -ing verb or non-past tense -ed verb and no helping verb How to recognize these fragments:whenever you see an â€Å"-ing† verb, or an â€Å"-ed† verb that doesn’t seem to be describing the past tense, there MUST bea helping verb with it or another verb somewhere else in the sentence. If it has neither, the sentence is a fragment. The man driving through the countryside. Lewis tired from his journey. The children watching television. There are three waysto fix these fragments:add a helping verb, or change the verb to another form if it's appropriate. The manwas driving through the countryside. OR The mandrovethrough the countryside. Lewiswas tired from his journey. The childrenwere watching television. OR The childrenwatched television. You can also fix this type of fragment byusing the -ed or -ingword as a an adjective (called a participle) and adding another verb. The mandriving through the countryside enjoyed the views. Lewis,tiredfrom his journey,slept. The childrenwatching televisionlaughed. Sentences That Lack a Subject How to recognize these fragments:ask yourself who is doing the action. You may notice that some of these examples have multiple issues, like the ones mentioned above - in that case, it's important to make sure that you have fixedall of the errors in the sentence. Parked the car.Who parked the car? Wanted to visit the historic town center.Who wanted to visit it? Thinking about buying a gift for the wedding.Who was thinking about it? To fix these fragments,add a subject and make sure the verb is present in a correct form. Lewis parked the car. He wanted to visit the historic town center. He wasthinking about buying a gift for the wedding. Dependent Clause Fragments How to recognize these fragments: the sentence has a subject and correctly conjugated verb, but begins with a subordinating conjunction and isn't attached to another main clause. The following words are common subordinating conjunctions. If the sentence begins with one of these, make sure it's attached to an independent clause. If not, it's a fragment! after although as because before ever since if in order just as since so that though unless until when whenever where whether whereas whichever while Let's look at some examples of this errors: After he parked the car. Since he wanted to go to the carnival. Becausehe was late. One way to fix these fragments is toconnect them to an independent clause. After he parked the car,he went into the hotel. Since he wanted to go to the carnival, he took a day off work. Because he was late,he missed the first part of the movie. You can also fix them bygetting rid of the subordinating conjunction.This turns them intoindependent clauses that can stand on their own. He parked the car. He wanted to go to the carnival. He was late. Added Detail Fragments How to recognize these fragments: look for words like "such as," "including," and "for example" that start a sentence, but explain something in a previous sentence.If this kind of constructionisn't attached to an independent clause with asubjectand averb, then it's a fragment. He likes exploring new places.Such asold towns and big cities. She likes a lot of different kinds of movies.For example,horror and comedy. I know many different dances, such as: the salsa, the polka, and the waltz. In orderto fix these fragments,add the detail fragment to the main sentence it is describing. He likes exploring new places, such as old towns and big cities. You can also turn the fragment into a complete sentence by adding a subject and a verb: She likes a lot of different kinds of movies. For example, she enjoys both horror and comedies. Finally,make sure that anything that comes before a colon can stand on its own as a sentence: I know many different dances:the salsa, the polka, and the waltz. Non-essential clause, appositive, or prepositional phrase fragments How to recognize these fragments:cross out the non-essential clause, prepositional phrase, or appositive.Do you have a complete sentence left over? If not, you have afragment. James,my cousin.→James, my cousin. MISSING VERB On my head.→ On my head. MISSING SUBJECT AND VERB. The girl, who was the best artist in the class.→ The girl, who was the best artist in the class. MISSING VERB Julia, my younger sister.→ Julia, my younger sister. MISSING VERB How to fix these fragments: Add a subject or verb as needed. Make sure that if you eliminate the prepositional phrase or non-essential clause, that there is a complete sentence left. James, my cousin, ate the whole pie.→ James, my cousin, ate the whole pie. CORRECT The bird sat on my head.→ The bird sat on my head. CORRECT The girl, who was the best artist in the class, won another award.→ The girl, who was the best artist in the class, won another award. CORRECT Julia, my younger sister,lives in Idaho.→ Julia, my younger sister, lives in Idaho. CORRECT What Is a Run-on? A run-on is when two or more sentences run together and are not separated by the correct punctuation. There are three main types of run-ons: Comma splices Fused sentences Sentences joined by a conjunctive adverb and commas Comma Splices A comma splice is when two complete independent clauses (full sentences) have been joined together by a comma and nothing else. A comma can never join together two complete sentences on its own. He had worked for the government for several years, he now wanted to try a job in a small start-up company. How to recognize these run-ons: when you see a sentence with a comma in the middle, check to see if there is a coordinating conjunction (see this article for more info) that joins the sentences together, or if one of the clauses is a subordinate clause that begins with a subordinating conjunction. If not, the sentence is a run-on. Fused sentences A fused sentence is when two or more sentences run right into each other, with no punctuation at all. He had worked for the government for several years he now wanted to try a job in a small start-up company. How to recognize these run-ons: look to see if you have two unconnected subjects and verbs, with no indication of more than one independent clause (see above the correct ways to join two independent clauses). Conjunctive adverb and a comma The final type of run-on is a bit trickier. Conjunctive adverbs are used with periods or semicolons to connect two independent clauses, so if they're paired with two commas instead, it creates a run-on: He had worked for the government for several years, however, now he wanted to try a job in a small start-up company. However, conjunctive adverbs that are connecting two complete sentences punctuated with a period or semicolon are sometimes moved into a sentence. This is perfectly acceptable: He had worked for the government for several years. Now, however, he wanted to try a job in a small start-up company. How to recognize these run-ons: when you see a conjunctive adverb (however, moreover, nevertheless, therefore, consequently, etc.) withcommas on either side of it,make sure it's being used to transition from a previous sentence and not to connect two independent clauses. To fix run-ons ...you will need to use the rules outlined in the first sectionto correctly join two sentences. #1: Create two separate sentences. He had worked for the government for several years. He now wanted to try a job in a small start-up company. #2: Use a comma and a FANBOYSconjunction He had worked for the government for several years, but he now wanted to try a job in a small start-up company. #3: Use a semicolon Remember that a semicolonis grammatically identical to a period -this concept is something the ACT tests a lot. He had worked for the government for several years; he now wanted to try a job in a small start-up company. #4: Use a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb He had worked for the government for several years; however, he now wanted to try a job in a small start-up company. #5: Make one of the clauses dependent Althoughhe had worked for the government for several years, he now wanted to try a job in a small start-up company. #6: If the two clauses have the same subject, re-write as a sentence with one subject and two verbs. Note that when you fix a sentence this way, you should notuse a comma with your FANBOYS conjunction. He had worked for the government for several years but now wanted to try a job in a small start-up company. Specific Strategies for Fragment and Run-onQuestions As you're reading through the different passages on ACT English, if you come across a question that you think may be about fragments or run-ons,use the following steps: Step 1 Carefully read the prompt if there is one. Sometimes the ACT will ask you to correct an error, and other times they will ask you to find the only answer that does NOT work. Step 2 After reading the sentence, does a mistake jump out at you? If not, look for the following telltale signs of a fragment or run-on: -ed or -ing verbs. Check for appropriate helping verbs. Clause that begins with a subordinating conjunction. Check if it is connected to a main clause. A separate sentence describing a previous sentence, with words like â€Å"for example.† Conjunctive adverbs like â€Å"however† surrounded by commas A semicolon followed by a FANBOYSconjunction A single comma in the middle of the sentence - often a sign of comma splice According to the ACT, not all mistakes are created equal.There are a few concepts they like to test more than others, andthey have some obvious markers. If the underlined section has acolon or semicolon, be on the lookout for afragment on either side. If the underlined section has acomma, it will very likely be acomma splice. Immediately cross out any answer choices that make the above errors. Step 3 If you are still uncertain about the correct answer: you can immediately eliminate anything that is grammatically identical. For example, a semicolon (;) is grammatically identical to a period and a new sentence. If one is incorrect, they will both be incorrect. Step 4 Select a final answer choice that follows the above rules and also follows the standard style rules used on ACT English: #1: No unnecessary prepositions or articles#2: Pronouns must have clear antecedents#3: Use fewer gerunds and participles if possible#4: No dangling or misplaced modifiers#5: No unnecessary commas#6: Choose the most concise option that is also grammatically correct. Old school...literally Let’s try one together†¦ Benjamin’s grandmother taught him to read, and he attended a one-room Quaker school when the farmwork slowed down during the winter. Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would NOT be acceptable? read; he read, and he also read he read. He From reading the prompt, I can see that the given sentence is correct as is, and so are three of the answer choices. This is a â€Å"backwards† question that asks us to find the only incorrect answer instead of the only correct one. I can see that there is a comma in the underlined portion, so I need to see how it’s being used. It’s pretty obvious that the comma is being used together with the FANBOYS conjunction â€Å"and." This is one of the correct ways of joining two independent clauses, as detailed above. From double checking I can see that I have two independent clauses with their own subjects and verbs: â€Å"Benjamin’s grandmother taught him to read† and â€Å"he attended a one-room Quaker school when the farmwork slowed down during the winter.† So which of the answer options also show correct ways to join two independent clauses? (A) has the independent clauses joined by a semicolon on its own. This is a correct way to join two independent clauses, so (A) is not the answer. (B) joins the two independent clauses together in the same way that the original sentence does, with a comma and a FANBOYS conjunction. The only thing that is different is that it adds an extra adverb, â€Å"also," which is unnecessary but not incorrect. (C) does not do anything to join the two clauses together - this is a classic example of a â€Å"fused† run-on sentence. Therefore, (C) is the correct answer as it is the only option that does not join the clauses together correctly. But what if you aren’t sure? Just to check†¦ (D) separates the two independent clauses with a period, which is another correct way of dividing two independent clauses, so (D) is not the answer. Now time to try some on your own! Practice ACT Questions 1. Joe realized the extent of the problem when his manager, Diane Watson, who had collated the material from the committee members present at the conference, began muttering, "It's all over now," this made him worry. NO CHANGE now" that now." This now," 2. The product manufacturer begins by creating a flexible steel grate. Across each opening, a wire mesh, evenly perforated, able to accommodate exactly one hook. NO CHANGE perforated, by being able perforated, which is able perforated, is able 3. It is a tribal dance that performed at weddings, births, and funerals. NO CHANGE dance in which it is performed dance, performing dance, performed 4. Around this time, the Glagolitic alphabet introduced by St. Cyril; became further integrated into the culture. NO CHANGE St. Cyril St. Cyril: St. Cyril, 5. To ensure the safetyof the drug, the pharmaceutical company had it tested in several trials, however, they found no evidence of averse side effects. NO CHANGE which who he 6. Peter the Great, who founded St. Petersburg to be Russia's "window to the West" and indirectly named the city after himself. NO CHANGE West," indirectly naming West," indirectly named West" and Answers: 1. C; 2. D; 3. D; 4. B; 5. B; 6. C What’s Next? Now that you’ve mastered one of the trickiest concepts on ACT English, time to check out some others! Read about how the ACT will test you on pronoun agreement, punctuation, and wordiness and redundancy. Need to review some of the basics before moving forward? Brush up on the fundamentals of grammar with our parts of speech guide. Want to make sure you have the right method of attack for this section? Read our guide about the best way to approach ACT English questions. Aiming high? Read this article for top tips for a 36 on ACT English from a perfect scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Free Essays on Westminster System

A brief history of the Westminster system Page index Introduction Beginnings Parliament Cabinet Courts Introduction Britain's Westminster system of government evolved over centuries. It is the historical artefact of the Parliament's many victories over successive Sovereigns for the right to make laws; to administer them; and to have them independently interpreted. The Westminster system of responsible government and a professional independent judiciary (as it was in the late 1800's) was the most influential factor in the development of Australia's system of government. This page provides an overview of some of the more significant events which shaped the evolution of the Westminster system of government in the United Kingdom. It begins with an outline of governmental practices in Anglo-Saxon times and immediately following the Norman conquest. Beginnings In the earliest periods of recorded English history, the three (legislative, executive, and judicial) functions of government rested with the King and his Council of immediate advisers. The King was the supreme Legislator, though always with the consent and counsel of the "wise". Similarly, the King was the supreme Executive: the leader of the host in arms, the guardian of the "King's Peace". Finally, the King was the supreme Judge. With the counsel and consent of his advisers, the King made the laws; the King administered the laws; and the King interpreted these laws. What was true for the King in the twelfth century was also true for his representatives: judges, shire-reeves (or sheriffs), justices of the peace, and so on. Marriott (1938:45) notes that county-magistrates had to, for example, try offenders against the law, relieve the poor, and set on work the lusty unemployed. The functions of judges was as much financial (tax collecting) as judicial. Judges were both ma... Free Essays on Westminster System Free Essays on Westminster System A brief history of the Westminster system Page index Introduction Beginnings Parliament Cabinet Courts Introduction Britain's Westminster system of government evolved over centuries. It is the historical artefact of the Parliament's many victories over successive Sovereigns for the right to make laws; to administer them; and to have them independently interpreted. The Westminster system of responsible government and a professional independent judiciary (as it was in the late 1800's) was the most influential factor in the development of Australia's system of government. This page provides an overview of some of the more significant events which shaped the evolution of the Westminster system of government in the United Kingdom. It begins with an outline of governmental practices in Anglo-Saxon times and immediately following the Norman conquest. Beginnings In the earliest periods of recorded English history, the three (legislative, executive, and judicial) functions of government rested with the King and his Council of immediate advisers. The King was the supreme Legislator, though always with the consent and counsel of the "wise". Similarly, the King was the supreme Executive: the leader of the host in arms, the guardian of the "King's Peace". Finally, the King was the supreme Judge. With the counsel and consent of his advisers, the King made the laws; the King administered the laws; and the King interpreted these laws. What was true for the King in the twelfth century was also true for his representatives: judges, shire-reeves (or sheriffs), justices of the peace, and so on. Marriott (1938:45) notes that county-magistrates had to, for example, try offenders against the law, relieve the poor, and set on work the lusty unemployed. The functions of judges was as much financial (tax collecting) as judicial. Judges were both ma...