The Risk Management Function Of A General Insurer

Assignment 1 You are the Head of the Risk Management Function of a general insurer. The insurer is currently reviewing its corporate strategy. The insurer has always distributed its products directly to customers, but it is now considering distributing its products via insurance brokers or even purchasing an insurance broker. Question As part of the strategic planning process, you have been asked by the Board to: †¢ Explain the contribution that risk management can make to an effective strategic planning process. †¢ Analyse the risks for this insurer if it decides to distribute its products via insurance brokers; and the risks for this insurer of owning an insurance broker. Learning Outcomes This question covers the following core†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Assessing the different types of risks the insurer will face via distribution through brokers and owning a broker. Furthermore, I will also assess the impact of distributing products to clients directly. Explain the contribution that risk management can make to an effective strategic planning process. NFU – expanding outside it’s farming community – strategic risk Directline – strategic risk Strategy A well adopted strategic approach to risk management involves the process of ‘identifying, assessing and managing’ of risk within a company, thus forming the fundamental steps towards the whole risk management process. Strategy involving risk management can be regarded as adopting a coherent and controlled approach to risk management process (identifying, analysing, and managing). The process of identifying and reviewing the risks that you face is known as risk assessment. By assessing risks you are able to be actively aware of where uncertainty surrounding events or outcomes exists and identifying steps that can be taken to protect the organisation, people and assets concerned. How this is achieved and the level of detail which is considered can vary between organisations. In many circumstances, where staff or volunteers have a more hands-on role in the organisation, the Management Committee may not carry out the risk assessment themselves. An effective strategic approach to risk management enables us to assess the

Music And Painting From 20th Century Western Music History

Yaojun Song Mus114 Sam Music and Painting During the study of 20th-century Western music history in this class, I found out there are may same movements of art and music. I took 20th century Art history as well so there is always the comparison of them in my mind. Music and art appear to be two different art forms. Music is both auditory art, but also an art of time and movement. Music express musicians’ feelings through sound, it will create images in the mind of the viewer for them to have a variety of feelings, and to elicit in the viewer emotional resonance. Painting is a visual art, space art. It is static. Painters use lines, shades and other forms to sketched out some figurative or abstract pattern. It provide visually to the viewer a strong impression and cause them reflect a variety of emotions, resulting in aesthetic stimulation. Music and painting each is done through a different medium with different means of artistic expression. They both convey people the author’s expression of the content an d emotion. Many artists themselves are both musicians and painters, such as Kandinsky, Schoenberg, Leonardo da Vinci and extra. One of the great examples is Wassily Kandinsky. He is one of the representatives of Russian expressionism painter. He also was a man versed in music. He is a friend of expressionist music composer, Schoenberg. By listening to Schoenberg s works, he felt like a recklessly in front of the same lines in countless dance. Since KandinskyShow MoreRelatedMy Point Of View 20th Century1110 Words   |  5 Pages A. From my point of view 20th century period is the best and the worst time to represent the western culture. But it’s the best for the most part. Western culture refers to the culture of any country that is a part of the western world. The western country is always democratic has neo-liberal capitalist economy. Has a separation of church and state, and high livings standards with materialistic society? The USA, UK, France are examples of western countries. Western culture is also a music typeRead MoreEssay on Arnold Schoenbergs Musical Influence1220 Words   |  5 Pagesmusical influences of the mid 20th Century. He was born on September 13, 1874, to a Jewish family in Vienna, Austria (Schoenberg 1). Schoenberg was a young Jewish man during World War I (WWI) living in Berlin. He was directly affected by the invasion of the Nazis. In 1933, he had to leave Berlin and desert his faith for Lutheranism later on taking on the faith of Judaism. At the early age of eight, he began violin lessons and almost immediately started composing music (Schoenberg 1). He was self-taughtRead MoreArnold Schoenberg 31268 Words   |  6 Pagesmusical influences of the mid 20th Century. He was born on September 13, 1874, to a Jewish family in Vienna, Austria (Schoenberg 1). Schoenberg was a young Jewish man during World War I (WWI) living in Berlin. He was directly affected by the invasion of the Nazis. In 1933, he had to leave Berlin and desert his faith for Lutheranism later on taking on the faith of Judaism. At the early age of eight, he began violin lessons and almost immediately started composing music (Schoenberg 1). He was self-taughtRead MoreRobert Rauschenberg And John Cage1388 Words   |  6 PagesIn the early 20th Century, western history has entered a new era with the fast development of modernization, industrialization and the technologies. The machines took over the human labor they gradually replace the important role of human in the process of making an d change the ways people live, started the fast pace, high speed of modern lifestyle. Modern art approached with a number of painter, sculptures, poets who individually or collectively to redefine through around this century. The new artRead MoreLiterature and Other Arts1033 Words   |  5 Pagesinterpreted in Richard Staruss’ music – of course, also assure the logics for most songs. The majority of ballets and modern types of dances are written based only on stories and poetry; in tone occasions, music and dancing â€Å"go along† with a text which is read by a speaker or sang by a choir. The mid 19th century represents the â€Å"peek† of literary, historical, and anecdotal painting despite the Surrealists , this â€Å"statement† in literature faded in the 20th century. The broken boundary betweenRead More Musical Modernism with Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg1894 Words   |  8 PagesMusical modernism can be seen as the time where music emerges its liberty from Romantic era style -that started in the late nineteen century to end of the Second World War- and gains new ideas and freedom. With the political turmoil and chaos that took over the European countries, -that lured countries into the First World War- composers and artists started to find, create more and new ways to express themselves. They eagerly began to discover the art of Eastern countries with the hope of findingRead MoreBritish Arts5612 Words   |  23 Pagessociety 1.3. The characteristics of British arts and letters 1. Types of arts 2.4. Theatre and cinema 2.5. Music 2.6. Literature 2.7. The fine arts III. Conclusion 1. Overview of the arts in Britain 2.1. What are â€Å"The arts†? The art is the term which is used to refer to literature, music, painting, sculpture, film, opera, crafts, theatre, ballet etc. This term is usually called â€Å"umbrella term† and usually implies seriousness, so thatRead MoreEssay on Pre-Columbian civilizations1533 Words   |  7 Pagesconquest led by Hernan CORTES in the early 16th century. According to their own legends, they originated from a place called Aztlan, somewhere in north or northwest Mexico. At that time the Aztecs (who referred to themselves as the Mexica or Tenochca) were a small, nomadic, Nahuatl-speaking aggregation of tribal peoples living on the margins of civilized Mesoamerica. Sometime in the 12th century they embarked on a period of wandering and in the 13th century settled in the central basin of Mà ©xico (Encarta)Read MoreArt, the Individual and Society3260 Words   |  14 PagesNeanderthal men started painting on the walls of the cave. Throughout the centuries, art has evolved to several forms am ong which are sculpting, painting, and even poetry. Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, photography, sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art isRead MoreClassical Music And Modern Music2002 Words   |  9 PagesClassical tradition in modern music Nowadays, modern music has created more colorful styles and each of the branch has their own personality. Different forms of music are all the responses to the modern world. It seems like the modern music has a great difference from the classical music. But all the modern music’s creation are on the basic of classical music. They have so many advantages to be the reference. Many good composers are in the shadow of the classical music. We could say if there is

Has Bluewater shopping centre been a benefit to the surrounding communities Free Essays

string(51) " surrounding Bluewater to get jobs and earn money\." Retail services (shopping) are so important in people’s lives because it means that people can purchase luxury goods it can also be a socialising meeting point for people. Retail services sell useful products that the community needs and would benefit from. Some retail services provide conveniences goods. We will write a custom essay sample on Has Bluewater shopping centre been a benefit to the surrounding communities? or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is important to people because they have the opportunity to get their daily needs. Other retail services provide people with clothing, entertainments, and home furniture’s etc. heses are all important in people’s lives without clothes people will be cold during the winter. Not all shopping centres provide the same goods and services. Smaller shopping centres provide everyday essential goods for people. They also supply their goods in smaller quantities. Whereas, larger shopping centres provide a wider range of products and in bigger quantities. Shopping centres located in a smaller settlement supply their customers with fewer goods. Villages are a good example of small shopping centres. This can be because there are fewer people to provide products for as not a lot of people live in the villages. However, most large settlements are located in cities, in the central business district. ‘Out-of-town’ shopping centres are being built because it makes money for the business that owns it. There are also larger areas that are cheaper to buy or rent for business use. There is more space for development for a bigger shopping centre. The advantages of and ‘out-of-town’ shopping centre is that it provides costumers with a free parking space, which is more convenient for people. Land on the edge of cities is being used to build houses, schools, roads and car parks for the shopping centres. It is also being used to build other useful facilities such as parks and leisure centres. There is a conflict about how such areas of lands called `development sites` are used because some developments cause harm to the land such as cars and factories pollution. When deciding how land should be developed, the factors that planner has to take into account are the residents living nearby also whether the development would effect the environment and all its inhabitants. They also have to put into account the advantages and disadvantages it would bring to the public. When a new shopping centre is proposed, many different groups of people might be affected by this development. The elderly, teenagers, middle class, lower class and working class might be affected but the way each group is affected is different. The elderly would find living next to a shopping centre difficult this is because many people would visit the shopping centre that means a lot of noise would be made disturbing the elderly. However, for some elderly it could be a chance for them to keep themselves busy by strolling down to the shopping centre. Teenagers would see it has a opportunity to go shopping regularly which would make the retail services more money also the teenagers would go the shopping centre as a place where they could go and talk to friend and keep themselves warm in the winter. The shopping centre would also give some teenagers an opportunity to earn money as they could work there. It would keep teenagers entertained. Aims I will begin my investigation by showing the location of Bluewater by including maps and descriptions of where Bluewater is also which other places it is linked to. Then my investigation is going to include what range of services, and types of services are provided at Bluewater. I am also going to write about who uses Bluewater and where they come from. Then my investigation is going to question how successful has the Bluewater development been. I am going to explore the benefits and the costs of the development and find out which sections of the community have been benefited and who has lost out. My investigation will then be followed by the question whether the development of shopping facilities at Bluewater has been more desirable than any other uses that they could have used for this site/ land, for example housing or industry. Then I will be giving my opinion as to whether I think that the local planning authority was right to allow the shopping centre to be developed. The investigation would then consider future developments in the area and finally I will reflect on how I could do things differently if I was to do this investigation again. Data used I needed information to carry out my investigation as to whether Bluewater shopping centre has been a benefit to the surrounding communities. I obtained some of data’s from my fieldtrip to Bluewater. I needed to interview people at Bluewater to find out how often people come shopping to Bluewater, how long their journey was and what is the most important reason why they people come to shop at Bluewater. I used the information collected from the interview to help me answer the question of has Bluewater shopping centre been a benefit to the surrounding communities. I also did a visitor profile sheet to help me investigate the age and gender of Bluewater’s visitors. I collected images of maps and pictures of Bluewater to help me locate where Bluewater is and the surrounding areas. Some of the evidence that I used was from the Bluewater downloaded student pack. Using this helped me answer questions and get extra information about Bluewater that I needed. The student pack also provided the number figures and percentages that e couldn’t get from other sources. I gathered extra information about Bluewater from the Internet e. g. he Bluewater official website. Presentation This information was from the Bluewater student pack. â€Å"Bluewater is a shopping centre containing about 360 shops, which is built in a 50 meters high chalk quarry. It is located in Greenhithe in the borough of Dartford. † The development of Bluewater has enabled the local communities surrounding Bluewater to get jobs and earn money. You read "Has Bluewater shopping centre been a benefit to the surrounding communities?" in category "Papers" It has also provided shops for businesses to use. (see next section about jobs. ) Local retailers have also benefit from the development of Bluewater because they use the open spaces at Bluewater to sell products. at Christmas) According to the Bluewater student pack, the site of Bluewater provides an easy access route, as it is just a mile away from M25 junction 2, between Dartford and Gravesend on the A2 London to Canterbury road. Travellers from the south can get to Bluewater using the A2 or from the north using the new south Thames development route or STDR. This indicates that people from local communities can reach Bluewater easily. Bluewater is approximately 4 kilometres from the planned Ebbsfleet station on the new high-speed rail link between the channel tunnel and London. This is an advantage for people that live further away but it does not benefit the local communities. The location of Bluewater gives it a large catchments area. The fast motorway links attracts almost 10 million shoppers within an hour’s drive and 4. 8 million people in the principal catchments. Going back to my introduction, retail services sell useful products that the community needs and would benefit from. Bluewater as a retail services provides useful products that the community needs and would benefit from. It also supplies different range of shops and services. From the Bluewater student pack, Over 14 hectares are for retail space and nearly 1. 5 hectares are for indoor leisure use and the rest of the site is occupied by parkland, lakes and car parking. Approximately 330 shops unit are located at Bluewater including large flagship stores. Bluewater offers the finest products from top shops like John Lewis, Marks Spencer and House of Fraser. These anchor shops sell wide range of goods that people will need in their lives. This benefits the local communities because they have the opportunity to purchase the luxuries goods from Bluewater without having to travel very far. Bluewater is a shopping centre that is developed to cater for everyone’s need because this means selling some products at more affordable prices for other people. While I was at the shopping centre I could see that Bluewater has Variety of products. These include clothes, accessories, electronics, home wares, games, media and many more. From my trip to Bluewater I could see that there were many catering services that provide shoppers and staffs with quality cafes, restaurants, fast foods and bars. Bluewater is a benefit for people because it contains many shops that sell all kinds of different goods under one roof. This is an advantage for shoppers because they don’t have to travel far to get what they need. Bluewater also contains mini convince stores to get daily goods at reasonable prices for everyone. The local communities benefits from this because they could do their shopping all in one go at Bluewater saving valuable time. While on the field trip to Bluewater I could see that they provide shoppers and the local communities with entertainment services such as leisure centre, cinema, and ice rink for use in winter etc. As well as making sure that shoppers have the best range in products. In my opinion I think that Bluewater focuses on services that would help make shopping at Bluewater easier and convenient for people. These services includes a valet parking which would make life easier for shoppers as they don’t have to worry about where to put their car because it is being done for them already. Bluewater also provides disabled people with toilets just for them and convenient parking spaces for them to use. The shopping centre includes elevators that will make life easier for disabled people and mothers using prams. Toilets are put inside the centre for people to use. Baby changing have also been placed in the store to make it stress free for parents. Banks and CCTV are in the site and these are useful towards the shoppers and staff. A good thing about ‘out- of-town’ shopping centre from my introduction such as Bluewater is that they provide free parking space for visitors. From my survey, shoppers travel from different locations and distances to get to Bluewater. Some travel further than others while people that live near Bluewater do not travel very far. To help me figure out how long the journey to Bluewater was I interviewed shoppers and workers. This would help me with my investigation because with the results I would be able to see clearly who benefits most from the development of Bluewater. It would help me to see roughly how many of the local people visit Bluewater. From the chart below, I could see that people that come from areas such as Tunbridge, Bexley, Bromley, Dartford and Medway are the people that live locally. It would take them less time to travel to Bluewater. While I was at Bluewater I could see that most of the shoppers were adults this could be because they were off work and decided to start buying Christmas present as it was getting close to Christmas. It could also be that they were on break and they wanted to get lunch from the food court provided. While I was at Bluewater I interviewed a elderly woman who said the reason why she comes to Bluewater is because of the leisure centre which, her and her husband attend she also did not live very far from the shopping centre which means that she does not have to travel far. Bluewater has attracted many people for different reasons. Not everyone at Bluewater go there to shop some people go there for the entertainments while others go there to work. I think that Bluewater would attract mostly adults because they would have money and they would feel like buying things that they need. It would also attract teenagers because they would want to go there for window-shopping and for the entertainments available. Bluewater would attract less elderly people because they would not have enough money or energy to go and shop at Bluewater. I believe that the Bluewater development has been successful for the following reasons. Firstly, according to â€Å"wikipedia† it shows that around 30 million people visit Bluewater every year. I also think that the development of Bluewater has been successful because the developers spent around 30 million on making roads better for visitors. For Bluewater to spend so much money on roads it shows that it might earn lots of money. Bluewater has been designed to cater for all sections of the community. This includes the structure of the building, facilities, prices, shops etc. all of these were made to make shopping easier, affordable and enjoyable for everyone. The shopping centre placed elevators in the shop to make it easier for disabled people to get around the shop and also for the fit able people to make them not get stressed. It also provides lockers for shoppers to use while shopping at Bluewater; this enables visitors and staff to put their belongings in it without losing it or carrying it around. There are comfortable sofa’s placed in the shop for people to sit and feel relaxed. Bluewater has 13,000 parking space including separate spaces for disabled people and elderly to use. This will make life easier and safer for them. As well as catering for the elderly, Bluewater also caters for young people that visit the site. There are fun activities for them to take part in while staying at Bluewater, these activities includes boating, ice-skating and cycling. As shown in the Bluewater mall guide, there is also a criche room that allows up to 250 children to play in. this is to keep them entertain while shopping. Source used to obtain this information is the downloaded student pack. The site also caters for both genders visiting Bluewater. Female and male stores are provided to ensure that both genders get what they need to keep up with fashion. Even though Bluewater has some expensive stores in the centre. It also has some affordable stores for the majority of the people that do not own a lot of money. These shops also sell quality products but just at more reasonable price. In my opinion Bluewater is a development that has helped most of the local economy. According to the Bluewater’s student pack. Bluewater has provided thousands of jobs for the local community both during and after construction. While Bluewater was being developed it brought approximately 6,500 jobs for constructing it only. When Bluewater opened in March 1999, it created about 7,000 permanent jobs on site. About 4,000 of these are in retail trades. These jobs include sale staff and store management. Around 40% of these jobs are full time and 60% part time. The remaining of the workers is involved in non-retail jobs. This includes occupations such as cleaning, catering, Security, warehouse staff, ground staff and administration. Bluewater has been a benefit to services and the local communities. A reason for this is that it has invested lots of money in proving roads and transportations. This has made road safer and transportations better. Local communities have benefited from this. To help me with investigation of do other services and local businesses benefit from Bluewater. I used the downloaded student pack, which says that Bluewater is designed to help local businesses win contracts at Bluewater. So Bluewater has been a benefit to local businesses. However, many local businesses near Bluewater have not really benefit from Bluewater. The reason for this is that Bluewater is a large shopping centre designed to provide many services for people and make their visits enjoyable all under one roof. Local businesses do not provide enough ranges as Bluewater does. This means that many people will rather go to Bluewater for the shopping’s. The local businesses will therefore, loose out on money due to the lack of customers that shop in their shops. They might also end up going bankrupt. Though local shops lose out on money, Bluewater will provide more money for hotels. This is due the amount of tourists and people that will visit Bluewater and need a place to stay. Jobs in Bluewater have helped the local community. It has given them the opportunity to earn money. It has also helped them to work, undergo training and obtain formal qualifications, which can help them in the future. Jobs in Bluewater have reduced the mount of unemployed in the local community. From my interview with a worker at Bluewater, I have some knowledge as to whether people that work there like it. The person that I interview said she liked working there and the salary is good. Workers at Bluewater can also take the advantages of the food court and services provided at Bluewater. The development of Bluewater has affected the environment in many ways. It has benefited the environment as well as harming the environment. I will start off by explaining the problems Bluewater causes for the environment. Firstly, Bluewater increases the amount of carbon monoxide in the air. This done by cars and Bluewater is a place that attracts many visitors with cars. The number of cars that visit Bluewater gives off carbon monoxide, which is bad for the environment, but if fewer cars visit Bluewater each day, there will be less poisonous gas in the air. Secondly, Bluewater causes noise pollution for the surrounding environment. Noise pollution is caused by the number of people that visit Bluewater this could make the place really loud and also cars that drive by make lots of noises. This affects the peace and quietness of the environment and also it disturbs the local people. Thirdly, the development of Bluewater has brought more attention to its local environment. This is because people from all over the place visit Bluewater and this can be very disturbing for the neighbourhood and very dangerous for children that play outside because they don’t know who might harm them. However, even though Bluewater causes many problems for the environment. It also benefits the environment. Bluewater is located in a stunning location. It is situated among cliffs. Bluewater is surrounded by landscape of lakes, parkland and trees. This shows the more nature side of the environment and makes the environment calming and attractive. Bluewater also brightens up the environment at night with its bright lights. Conclusion In my opinion I think that the local planning authority was right to allow the shopping centre to be developed because firstly it provided many jobs for people, something that would benefit everyone rather than living it as a chalk quarry, which would not benefit people. It also makes life easier for the local community as they do not have to travel far to get what they need. The development of Bluewater was also better for the community because it earns more money for business people, which they could use to make more businesses and offer more jobs to people. Furthermore, the local planning authority was right to allow the development because it means the majority of the people can go and shop in Bluewater rather than high streets where it would be too crowded and stocks would go quicker due to the amount of people. â€Å"Has Bluewater shopping centre been a benefit to the surrounding communities? Looking at all the information I have investigated and written. I believe that Bluewater has been a benefit to the surrounding communities. My reasons for this are that it has provided jobs for people that live there. It has also improved the roads, which the surrounding communities have benefited from. Although some people might disagree with my answer because of the environmental issues that Bluewater the shopping centre causes. I believe it has been a benefit because looking at all the different aspect; Bluewater has brought more advantages than disadvantages. Personally I think that there are lessons to be learned about future developments in the area nearby. Firstly, there should be more traffic lights and zebra crossing surrounding the developments. This is for the local community and other people to be safer and for drivers to drive with care. Secondly, it should be developed in a place where it will benefit the community without disturbing them or causing trouble for them. Finally, it should not be built near a school or places that contain many children. This is to prevent children wandering off and being safe. If I were to repeat this investigation again, I would have the courage to go up to people in the shops for interview. This is because I feel like I did not interview enough people therefore; I did not get as much information as I needed. I should have also paid more attention in filling in the visitor profile sheet because this would have helped me to make a rough judgement has to what gender attended Bluewater more on the day I visited. It would also have helped me to see what majority of age group visits Bluewater. In addition, I could have interviewed more than one worker at Bluewater and I should have asked more logical questions that would have helped me with my coursework. Finally, while on the road to Bluewater I should have paid more attention on to the amount of cars that were passing by. This would have increased my knowledge of how many people visit Bluewater and I should have been more aware of the houses and shops that were near Bluewater. This is to help me figure out exactly what advantages and disadvantages Bluewater cause for the local community. How to cite Has Bluewater shopping centre been a benefit to the surrounding communities?, Papers

Endangered Animal Tapir free essay sample

Endangered animal Tapir A tapir is a large browsing mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. There are four species of Tapirs: the Brazilian Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, Bairds Tapir and the Mountain Tapir. All four species of tapir are classified as endangered or vulnerable. Their closest relatives are the other odd-toed ungulates, including horses and rhinoceroses. English name:Malayan Tapir Perissodactyla, Tapiridae Tapirus Indicus The Malayan Tapir has a special black and white pattern. They are good swimmers, and live in forests where there is water. But the forests have become smaller and smaller, and the Malayan tapirs are in trouble. Size and weight Body length: 180-250cm Tail length: 5-10cm Weight: 250-540kg Where they live They live around water in forests in South-East Asia. What they eat Malayan tapir eat grass and nuts, water plants, and fruits. They put food in their mouths using their noses, just like an elephant. Young Malayan tapirs have length-wise stripes. The pattern looks the same as young wild boars. It makes them very hard to see in the dark, or around trees. A black and white pattern that hides them from enemies Malayan Tapirs have black and white sections like the Giant Panda. Youd think it would make them stand out, but tigers and other predators have a hard time finding them. Malayan Tapirs go out at night, so predators can only see the white parts of them. Predators cant see their shape. They look relaxed, but can run away very quickly if in trouble. If they see a redator, they quickly hide under water. The forests are disappearing Malayan Tapirs are skilled swimmers that live in forests where there is water. The forests are disappearing. Living in small numbers in small forests, its hard to find food. Theyre also have trouble on finding mates. Their numbers are becoming smaller. Out of all tapirs, Malayan Tapirs are the closest to extinction. Tapirs are related to horses and rhinos, not to pigs. There are four species, three of which are found in Central and South America. Tapirs can weigh up to 300 kg. The Malayan tapir is the largest of the species and is distinguished by its unusual coloration. The rear half of the body above the legs is white. All young tapirs are born, however, with a pattern of dots and stripes on their body which makes them appear, in the words of one zoologist, like â€Å"watermelons with legs. † As they get older, these markings gradually fade away to be replaced by the permanent colours. Shy and solitary by nature, tapirs are often hunted in their native countries for their hide, which is tough and leathery. In some parts of Asia, tapir meat is sold in the shops, although it is said to be less than tasty, with a high fat content. The New World species seem to be headed toward extinction as the advance of civilization destroys their environment and as native people hunt them, sometimes just for sport. The Malayan species does not, for the time being at least, appear to be endangered. Now legally protected, the species nevertheless continues to be the target of poachers due to lax enforcement. Tapirs are found in small groups in the tropical rain forests of Malaysia and Central America. They are short-legged and heavy-bodied with small eyes, rounded ears and small trunks protruding over their mouths. Their body hair are often short and usually sparse. The main source of food is grass and shrubs as well as certain roots. The central American tapirs are plain grey or brown in colour, but the Malaysian tapirs have a distinct black and white pattern. The heads, shoulders and legs are black while the rumps, backs and bellies are white. The young are completely different from their parents, with a dark brown colour and streaked as well as spotted with yellowish white. Tapirs are shy and often travel near water. When they are disturbed, they will crash wildly through the undergrowth and hide in the water. Tapirs are easy prey as they do not run fast and do not have special defences, therefore easily become victims to carnivorous animals and hunters. Their habitat, the rain forests are also depleting quickly destroyed by human activities, leading even more to their decline. Conservation-There are a number of conservation projects around the world. The Tapir Specialist Group, a unit of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, strives to conserve biological diversity by stimulating, developing, and executing practical programs to study, save, restore, and manage the four species of tapir and their remaining habitats in Central and South America and Southeast Asia. 27 April 2008, was World Tapir Day. The day has been established to raise awareness about the four species of tapir that inhabit Central and South America and South-East Asia. Lack of genetic diversity in tapir populations has become a major source of concern for conservationists. Habitat loss has isolated already small populations of wild tapirs, putting each group in greater danger of dying out completely. Even in zoos, genetic diversity is limited; all captive mountain tapirs, for example, are descended from only two founder individuals Attacks on humans-Tapirs are generally shy, but when they are scared they can defend themselves with their very powerful jaws. In 1998, a zookeeper in Oklahoma City was mauled and had an arm severed after opening the door to a female tapirs enclosure to push food inside. (The tapirs 2-month-old baby also occupied the cage at the time.

Sustainable Tourism Essay Example

Sustainable Tourism Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainable Tourism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainable Tourism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainable Tourism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Sustainable Tourism Sustainable tourism is defined as tourism initiated to provide tourism with the lowest environmental impact and cultural alterations of a location. This ensures that there is the presence of sustainable development while ensuring the development of future employment of local populations. There are numerous aspects of sustainable tourism, which could be actualized, in the contemporary society (Swarbrooke, 5). They include eco-tourism, green tourism or travel, environmentally and culturally sensitive tourism fair trades and ethically sensitive traveling for the tourists as well as for the tour operators. Other definition of sustainable tourism include the use of tourism as a means for management of resources for the overall economical, societal and aesthetical fulfillment of the needs of the populace of an area engaged in tourism as an income generating action. The tourism industry is considered as one of the largest industries in the world given the high incomes generated from the industry. However, as an income generating industry and size it is considered as one of the most demanding industries due to the need for quality infrastructure for access by the tourists. Hence, countries with inadequate resources for establishing high end or adequate infrastructure are unable to tape sufficiently into the tourism industry (Swarbrooke, 13). Establishment of infrastructure is considered as one of the main prerequisites by authorities into tapping into the tourism industry adequately. However, establishment of infrastructure plays a significant role in the degradation of the natural surroundings of an area as well as disruption of economic and cultural aspects in a given community. On the other hand, tourism plays a great role in improving the economic conditions of areas or countries, which are involved in sale of tourism products to the international, as well as the local markets. Tourism according to the World Travel council (WTTC) accounts for the provision of more than 255 million jobs around the world, which translates, to 10.7% of the total global labor force. This is an impressive figure in that numerous numbers of people rely on tourism as a sole source of livelihoods to support themselves as well as their families (Stakeholder Forum’s Towards Earth Summit 2002, pp. 3). Aspects of tourism such as ecotourism in the past were not considered adequately by tourism authorities around the world. There have been negative perceptions about the effects of ecotourism and other conservative forms of tourism around the world. This is because authorities need to use the channels, which they consider as appropriate for generating the most revenue without consideration for their surroundings, as well as the diminishing cultures of the various communities in the tourists’ sites or areas. There is a dire need for sensitization of communities as well as governmental agencies involved in promotion of the various tourism products. However, aspects such as ecotourism could not fully discover the ability of transforming the tourism industry into a conservative medium for both culture and environment. Tourism in developing countries constitutes more than half of the GDP accrued from such entities. In addition, this is also the same for lower middle-income countries around the world. This is evidenced by the presence of the top tourists destinations around the world situated in low incomes countries where majority of their populace live under the minimum wage. Between the years 1990 and 1997, the economic growth of many countries identified as tourist destinations accounted for more than 50% of the total revenues of the countries identified as key destinations (Stakeholder Forum’s Towards Earth Summit 2002, pp. 7). It is evident that tourism could be used as a platform for propagating conservationism. However, it is also a means for damage of the environment because of the numerous developments needed to ensure that the tourists have adventure in the course of heir visits. Environmental damage usually takes place in the form of new infrastructure developments as well as the burden placed on a location due to the increase in the populace. Higher populations necessitate the need for development of new social amenities as well as other infrastructure. The consequences of such investments in infrastructure have a great negative impact on the society, as well as the environment. Tourism has a strong disruption especially on the culture and societal structures of a certain community (Swarbrooke, 25). Such negative impacts include the financial leakages associated with the increased income and inflows of funds in a community resulting in an increase, in the costs of living in an area engaged in tourism and related activities. In addition, it also results in other negative societal impacts such as gender bias in terms of access to the various resources such as societal amenities. Other impacts include sexual exploitation resulting in commercial sex industry growth, imbalances in the formal ad informal sectors, imbalances in domestic and international tourism leading to bias among the various communities due to the need to fight for resources. Tourism usually depends on the natural environment to accrue revenues from tourist visits. Increase in urbanization in the various tourist destinations around the world, results in the destruction of the natural flora and fauna of a destination because of the need to create space for new settlements and the processes of industrialization. Sceneries, cultural heritage, natural features and biodiversity usually constitute the main attractions to tourists. It is essential for tourist authorities to ensure that the various tourists’ sites are protected from pollution in terms of both the environment, as well as the cultures of their respective communities or countries. Efforts for safeguarding the environment should be placed as a high priority for governments as this would ensure that the countries are able to sustain and uphold their heritages. This is essential, as it would accrue long-term societal and economic benefits to the governments as well as their respective populations. Areas or locations where there is minimal human interference are usually considered as fragile and susceptible to degradation by little or any other level of human interference. Areas such as small islands, coastal locations, wetlands, mountainous regions, as well as deserts usually are among the main attractions for tourists in the numerous venues around the world. However, the identified natural areas are usually fragile areas, which are susceptible to changes in the surroundings because of interference by any form of human activity. Hence, any form of degradation by human activity is usually considered as a start to the reduction of allure of a tourist attraction. Marketers and tour operators usually use the term â€Å"ecotourism† as merely a â€Å"greenwash† marketing tool for attracting environmentally sensitive tourists. Tour operators usually use unsustainable forms of tourism, which materially affect the environmental conditions of tourist locations. Fragile areas usually appeal to tourists who want to witness nature at its best, which has not been polluted by human activities (World Tourism Organization, 26). High wastage traits of the foreigners or tourists into a natural habitat usually pose a threat to the environment irrespective of the guise of conduct of ecotourism or sustainable tourism. Such could also happen in areas where there are inadequate social amenities such as waste management resources to accommodate the unprecedented influx in the number of individuals. Unsustainable tourism usually incorporates various possibilities of degradation of the environment, cultures within a given tourist attraction. The gradual degradation of areas, which are considered prime attractions of the tourists could result in negative impacts on the society, provided if the communities rely on the areas for sustenance. The resultant effects could include new means of accrual of income for the community, if the areas become unattractive for the tourists if the areas are degraded by the influx of visitors and other human activities. Such could be an increase in crime, adoption of prostitution as a means of accrual of incomes, child labor and sexual exploitation of children as well as adults. Hence, it is essential to ensure that such areas are sustained and accrue long-term benefits to the respective communities (Miller, Twining-Ward, 33) Ecotourism is one of the main approaches, which could be assumed for the achievement of sustainable tourism and accrual of both societal and economic benefits. Another assumable and common approach that is gaining popularity around the world is responsible and pro-poor tourism. Poverty alleviation through tourism is a new approach as that assumed by the World Tourism Organization, which aims at reduction of poverty among communities around the world situated in the major tourist locations. The adoption of sustainable tourism could enable the attainment of the goals of sustainable development coupled by the presence of other benefits such as revitalization of economies, support to local communities in tourist locations. Others include protection of the environment as well as protection of the environment and generation of savings in terms of the costs and efficient tourism for the tour operators as well as their respective companies (Herremans, 29). Attainment of sustainable tourism could be achieved through the development of policy tools, awareness programs, and local participation of the communities in sustainable tourism and the implementation of plans for attainment of sustainable tourism goals. Main strategies for achievement of sustainable tourism in the contemporary society should be an incorporation of the various goals and needs of the community, the environment and the tourism industry. The governmental tourist agencies could ensure that the host communities within the various tourist locations are able to manage the visitation of their respective tourist locations (Ioannides, Apostolopoulos, Sevil, 17). Such would ensure that they are able to accrue maximum financial benefits are accrued to the communities. In addition, this would ensure that such communities are able to reduce the negative cultural implications, which could be resultant from the new forms of tourism, which are developing, in the modern society. It is also essential for governmental agencies responsible for tourism as well as other stakeholders to ensure the presence of productivity and diversity of the various tourist habitats through the implementation of the various conventions and agreements adopted for the achievement of sustainable tourism goals (Middleton, Hawkins, 37). Cooperation and coordination between the various agencies involved in tourism is needed. Enhanced coordination and cooperation would ensure the presence of foreign direct investments and partnerships with interested parties in either public or private sectors for investments in new means of sustainable tourism. Investment support is usually essential for the establishment of programs as well as infrastructure for sustainable tourism. This is aimed at promotion of new plans for the development of new strategies by defining the responsibilities to be assumed by the various agencies and stakeholders. Such ensures that all the involved parties have defined responsibilities in the attainment of sustainable development and tourism practices. In addition, there is also need for the ratification of the international as well as national agreements for the implementation of legal mechanisms, which would ensure that the tourism communities accrue maximum benefits as well as the achievement of sustainable development and adoption of better and naturally sensitive forms of tourism. This involves the evaluation of the current legal frameworks, regulatory frameworks, for development of new strategies for the needed changes to ensure transition from the existing frameworks to new frameworks for the achievement of sustainable tourism (Font, Ralf, 33). The participation of the citizens and respective communities in their respective tourist locations is paramount to ensure that the communities share ideas, which they would want, factored in the new forms of tourism. The community would be able to ensure that the new policies are in line with their needs and wants as well as their best interests are factored in the proposals. They would also become part of stakeholders in the assessment of the environmental impacts posed by the various tourism activities (Eagles et al, 41). Such assessment is essential as it ensures that the community is able to understand the necessity of the conservation efforts to ensure long-term benefits for the community. In addition, it is also essential for the establishment of initiatives and programs, which promote the interaction between the host communities and the tourists (Budruk, Rhonda, 32). This is essential as it creates a better understanding of the needs of the other party; the tourists understand the needs of the host community whereas the community understands the needs of the tourists. Such an understanding enables cooperation in terms of the developmental and tourism initiatives for achievement of sustainable forms of tourism. The main strategy for the establishment and identification of a path to be assumed in the establishment of sustainable forms of tourism is based on designing and planning of a plan for achievement of sustainable development and tourism. This involves set up of countrywide policies, which would ensure the achievement of development. It also involves in the examination of various factors such as the potency of influence on the economical, political, societal and cultural implications associated with the introduction of new tourism products, which are essentially sustainable. Work Cited Budruk, Megha, Rhonda Phillips. Quality-of-life Community Indicators for Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Dordrecht: Springer, 2011. Print. Eagles, Paul F. J, Stephen F. McCool, Christopher D. Haynes. Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Planning and Management. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN–the World Conservation Union, 2002. Print. Font, Xavier, Ralf Buckley. Tourism Ecolabelling: Certification and Promotion of Sustainable Management. Wallingford, Oxon: CABI Pub, 2001. Print. Herremans, Irene M. Cases in Sustainable Tourism: An Experiential Approach to Making Decisions. New York: Haworth Hospitality Press, 2006. Print. Ioannides, Dimitri, Yiorgos Apostolopoulos, Sevil F. So?nmez. Mediterranean Islands and Sustainable Tourism Development: Practices, Management and Policies. London: Continuum, 2001. Print. Middleton, Victor T. C, Rebecca Hawkins. Sustainable Tourism: A Marketing Perspective. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998. Print. Miller, Graham, Louise Twining-Ward. Monitoring for a Sustainable Tourism Transition: The Challenge of Developing and Using Indicators. Wallingford, UK: CABI Pub, 2005. Print. Stakeholder Forum’s Towards Earth Summit 2002. â€Å"Sustainable Tourism-Turning the Tide† Economic Briefing, No. 4, 2002. Print. Swarbrooke, John. Sustainable Tourism Management. Wallingford, Oxon, UK: CABI Pub, 1999. Print. World Tourism Organization. Sustainable Tourism Management at World Heritage Sites: Enhancing Inter-Agency and Stakeholder Coordination for Joint Action. Madrid: World Tourism Organization, 2009. Print.

How to Conjugate Brosser (to Brush)

How to Conjugate Brosser (to Brush) The French verb brosser means to brush. To say I brush my teeth or She is brushing her hair, you would use the reflexive se brosser. (Je me brosse les dents and Elle se brosse les cheveux.) Brosser is a regular -er verb. How to Conjugate the French Verb Brosser Like any regular -er verb, you start conjugating brosser by determining the stem. The stem is bross- (the infinitive minus -er), and you complete the conjugation by adding the ending that matches the subject pronoun and tense youre using. These charts will guide you to choosing the proper ending. Present Future Imperfect Present participle je brosse brosserai brossais brossant tu brosses brosseras brossais il brosse brossera brossait nous brossons brosserons brossions vous brossez brosserez brossiez ils brossent brosseront brossaient Subjunctive Conditional Pass simple Imperfect subjunctive je brosse brosserais brossai brossasse tu brosses brosserais brossas brossasses il brosse brosserait brossa brosst nous brossions brosserions brossmes brossassions vous brossiez brosseriez brosstes brossassiez ils brossent brosseraient brossrent brossassent Imperative (tu) brosse (nous) brossons (vous) brossez How to Use Brosser in the Past Tense To say you brushed something, youll most likely use the passà © composà ©. Brosser uses the auxiliary verb avoir and its past participle is brossà ©. However, whenever youre constructing the passà © composà © with a reflexive verb, the auxiliary verb is à ªtre. For example: Je me suis  brossà © les dents.I brushed my teeth. Il a brossà © le chat.He brushed the cat.

Cross culture awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Cross culture awareness - Essay Example Organization culture is key element in the organizational excellence and it existence. Organizational culture is depending on the constructed environment of the organization, office layout, public documents like character and orientation of employees and manners of dress code, visible and audible patterns. This is group culture which is developed or invented by learning, internal integration and external adaptation. Cultural analysis is a key facto for identification and tackles the cultural differences between the parties who participate in a merger (Botha, 2001). Analysis of cultural difference and common factors in both organization and proper interaction between two parties on these difference are plays significant role in the success of a merger. Recruit Right, the company from USA and Managerial Recruiters from Japan decided to merge there business activities due to the market pressure and starts its new operation in Germany targeting the wide opportunity in European Market and also the opportunity to tackle the potential candidates, training program and tax incentives are the major enhancement for the companies to relocate and start its business in Germany. Both companies Recruit right and Managerial recruiters are belonging to two different countries which have totally different cultural. Merging these two companies are causing difficulties or issue not only because two cultural differences, but also the new endeavor they are looking to stars in Germany which is again totally different from the culture belonging to these two companies. It will be a challenge for the company to merge the two different corporate cultures and adopt totally new corporate culture. Corporate culture is the combination of the inherited values, tradition and symbols, which include general image, external and internal, prized rewards, bonus, company housing etc. Every company has its own individual characteristics and entity,

History on russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History on russia - Essay Example having spent money and drunk liquor out of dullness because he yearns to be back home, confessing further â€Å"we weren’t wealthy, but things went properly – we lived well.† Avdeev’s living entails sacrifice for he accepts the fate that is originally meant for his brother who could not afford to leave his family. It is at that state of character when Avdeev encounters Murad and another Chechen, Bata, who both must be accompanied to the prince. Neither Murad nor Bata bears weapon or a sign of intention to combat with the Russian soldiers, instead, they emerge to confront them with humble countenances. Upon his return with Bondarenko, Avdeev enthusiastically tells â€Å"And do you know, mates, those shaven-headed lads are fine!† in reference to Murad and Bata. According to Avdeev, â€Å"Yes, really – What a talk I had with them! Such a good talk we had! Such nice fellows!†. Eventually, it may be inferred herein that despite their conspicuous differences as Chechen and Russian who generally treat each other as enemies at the time, Avdeev and Murad quite reflect a common object – that of being drawn to mundane rather than military life, where both are inclined to settle toward the heart of peace. Even if Murad is embodied in the narrative as a thorny thistle of the field by the author, his becoming a separatist guerrilla who chooses to detach from the command of Shamil occurs to bother not Avdeev’s good view of him as a fine fellow though his presence ought to threaten the aoul village at the knowledge that Murad is in secret keeping of Sado at its expense. In other words, Murad’s existence alludes pursuit of hostility, while the two warring territories have not come to reconcile terms by which their conflict persist. However, Avdeev perceives beyond such conflict and sees Murad as a man that could remind him of a family he longs to be reunited with. Hence, this should justify a personal decision to understand the case of Murad rather than hold his

Price of gold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Price of gold - Essay Example The world market has seen a sharp rise in need of keeping wealth in the form of gold. The increase in demand by business persons and central banks in different regions requires an increase in supply of gold. The demand has not been met with similar supply because of constant factors in the supply chain. The suppliers of gold are not increasing their mining capacities in purchasing additional machineries or identifying new mines. The rise in demand with no rise in supply eventually leads to sharp increase in the prices of gold (Wise 2012). The rises in prices can persist for two years before the supply matches up with the demand through an increase in supply. Different factors make the market supply of gold inelastic limiting on supply capacity of miners. Gold mining is an expensive undertaking that needs investors to put a lot of resource in building crushing and drilling machineries. The massive investment cannot be made in a short time to meet the enormous demand in the market lead ing to a constant supply being made no matter the increase in demand of product in the market. Increase in supply can be made through long-term investment that can extend to 10 years before production begins. The inability of suppliers to respond to forces of demand leaves the market volatility high. The huge numbers of speculators in the market contributes volatility in gold prices. ... The supplier will increase prices because they cannot meet the large demand in the market. The increase in supply price can get to 11% increase with regard to the increase in demand. Announcement of huge releases of gold to the market in large quantity on prediction prices will remain high leads to reduction in prices (Thomas, 2012). The large amount supply with no increase in demand means sharp decreases in prices sometimes totaling to 5% decrease from previous day’s prices. The world gold supply from recycling vendors has seen sharp decrease. People selling their gold ware during the global economic crisis caused the decrease. Statistic have shown recycling supply used to cater for 45% of the world market in 2008. In 2011 recycling source of gold contributed 2% of the world gold supply which was a small proportion compared to the previous 45% supply. The fall in the amount of recycled gold available in the market with demand increase has led to prices increases. This leaves the supply from the mines to cater for 98% of all the demands. Lack of ability by the miners to cater for the 98%has contributed to the volatility leading to a sharp increase in prices of gold (Jeff, 2012). The central banks from different countries were key suppliers of gold to the markets. The banks released large amounts of their gold to the market without making purchases to replenish the dwindling stocks. The exhaustion of gold in their bulk meant that the different countries bank start purchasing the gold in competition with the retail purchasers. The purchasing of gold by the central bank increases demand while their lack of ability to supply creates shortage (BBC, 2011). The two forces of demand and supply lead

Virgin on the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci

Virgin on the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci Featured in this gallery are the two versions of The Virgin of the Rocks (also known as The Madonna of the Rocks). These two altarpieces are being showcased in particular in this exhibition because they share a location in the same Milanese church, the San Francesco Grande, and most importantly the same artist (although this has been debated), Leonardo Da Vinci, painted both versions of the altarpiece. Further, another reason why they are being portrayed in this exhibition is due to the debates over their authenticity, even though they are 15 years apart in conception. Additionally, the two pieces share the same subject matter, imagery, iconography and pyramidal composition. In both altarpieces, the subject matter is unusual since the Biblical figures are placed in a mountainous pictorial backdrop; also, both paintings depicted were made for the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception. These two pieces were further chosen because they incorporate many stylistic features such as s fumatto (blurring of lines) and the exploitation of the gradation of light (chiaroscuro) that the painter had accumulated and learnt from previous experiments, and which he then applied in this peak period of his career. The two versions of the Virgin of the Rocks also represent the artists continuous growth in the art of Italian Renaissance; The Virgin of the Rocks set the base for Leonardo Da Vinci to grow and mature as an artist in his two following infamous commissions, the Last Supper, and the Mona Lisa. The two altarpieces share the same iconography of the plants painted. Leonardo Da Vinci was a botanist just as much as he was an engineer, or an artist. He paid close attention to details; for these paintings, rather than looking at images of the plants, he looked at the plants in real, and painted from there. The plants depicted in the paintings have been chosen because they symbolize and represent religious meanings. According to the biographer, Charles Nicholl: the columbine suggests the dove of the Holy Ghost, the cyclamen below Christ have heart shaped leaves which make it an emblem of love and devotion, and by his knee is a basal rosette of primrose, an emblem of virtue. Kneeling below St. John is the acanthus, considered to be a symbol of the resurrection because of its rapid growth; the hypericum which has small dots of red on yellow petals represents the blood of the martyred St. John. Other hidden symbols are religious in nature: the water, pearls and the crystal, which are used to fasten Marys robe, are symbols of her purity. This would make the connection with the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Further, the stone formations, eroded by natural forces are a metaphor for Mary, pointing towards her unexpected, virtuous fertility. Da Vinci wanted the viewer to feel as if they were seeing material Nature spiritually transmuted. In both versions of the altarpiece, Leonardo Da Vinci portrayed the Virgin together with the infant Christ and St. John, and with an angel. They have been placed amongst a rocky backdrop or a grotto. It is the setting of the Biblical figures against this pictorial background that gives the altarpiece its title, the Virgin of the Rocks. The Virgin has been placed in the center of the composition dressed in a blue garment. By having the Virgin as the focal point, the other figures have been placed in a pyramidal composition. Further, the Biblical figures are interconnected not only via the pyramidal composition but also via subtle glances and gestures. The rocky backdrop has caused some debate, as they are different in the style of the brushstrokes. According to the geologist, Anne Pizzorusso, Da Vinci has not painted the second version of the altarpiece, because the rocks which he would have been familiar with because of his obsession with nature have been painted incongruently in c omparison to the first version. Other than these evident similarities between the two versions of the altarpieces, there are also many significant differences between them. To start, both pieces are not in their original locations anymore. The first version is now in the Louvre in Paris, and the second version is currently in the National Gallery in London. Further differences lay in the iconographic and stylistic details of the paintings, which aid in making them individually significant and unique. Further, these differences in details are what raise the debate about authenticity whether Da Vinci was responsible for either painting, or just the first version currently in the Louvre. To extrapolate, if it were Leonardo Da Vinci who painted both, the altarpieces should share the same stylistic features, such as that of exploiting the use of light, which they do not. This raises the hypothesis of Leonardo not being the sole artist for the second version of the altarpiece. Rather, he most likely got help from his tw o Milanese assistants, the brothers Ambrogio and Evangelista de Predis, as evident in some aspects of the painting. The first version of the altarpiece is generally considered superior as revealing the more mature Leonardo Da Vinci than the second version. Hanging in the Louvre, the first version is thought to be solely by Leonardo Da Vinci, whereas the second is seen as overseen by the artist but having received assistance. Both paintings also share a different mood: where the Louvre version is vibrant, the National Gallery version is more austere; The different mood of the second version may be due to the numerous hands of multiple artists on the painting. Through further analysis of these criteria the symbolic iconography, stylistic techniques and the debate over their authenticity- we will see that although each altarpiece is unique and mysterious it is still intertwined with the other. Leonardo Da Vinci, Virgin of the Rocks, 1452-1519, oil on wood/panel transferred to canvas, 78in x 48.5in In the early 1480s, artists in Milan were beginning to finally prosper and were coming into the city from the rest of Italy due to its growing wealth and Ludovico Sforzas encouragement. Numerous artists were attempting to get commissions from the court; at the time, the most prominent artist and painter was Donato Bramante, who achieved success with his design of St. Peters Basilica in Rome. He was crowned as an architect of the court after he secured his architectural commission for the Basilica. Even though Bramante secured his position as the courts architect, Da Vinci did not give up and continued to toil in his early years in Milan to receive the title of the courts painter. Five or six years elapsed before the Sforza court recognized Da Vincis talent. It was with his first employment at court that Da Vincis career as a painter in Milan started off; the confraternity of the Immaculate Conception commissioned him for the Virgin of the Rocks, making this altarpiece his first artwo rk in Milan. With this altarpiece, Da Vinci took risks that worked to his benefit, by attempting to incorporate new ideas, and by introducing new themes to the art field. Before this altarpiece, the Virgin and Child were usually placed within an interior setting of a church or a chapel. Therefore, the altarpiece is emblematic of the flourishing of his career, as placing the Virgin and Child amongst a natural setting was a new theme in Italian Renaissance art. As with all other altarpieces, Da Vinci had to agree to a contract for the altarpiece, which was dated at April 25, 1483. According to the contract, the patrons asked for a triptych with the Virgin and Child in the midst of a host of angels attended by two prophets, while the side panels were to feature four angels each, singing or playing musical instruments. Although contracts are written in stone, and followed, Da Vinci diverged from the clients specifications. Apart from the Virgin and Child, none of the other requirements are met. The composition is comprised of the Virgin, the infant Christ, one angel, no prophets, and an unstipulated infant St. John, a divine quartet organized by a pyramidal structure with the Virgins head at the vertex; the side panels are also deficient, having only one angel each. The Virgins right arm is draped over the shoulder of St. John, and her left hand poised over the figure of the infant Christ. On the lower right portion of the panel, the kneelin g angel is pointing toward St. John. Other than the subject matter, the contract also specified details concerning the composition and choice of colours, which Da Vinci did not completely adhere to: Our Lady is at the center, her cloak [is to] be of gold brocade and ultramarine blueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the gownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦gold brocade and crimson lake, in oilà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the lining of the cloakà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦gold brocade and green, in oilà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Also, the seraphim done in sgrafitto workà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Also God the Father [is] to have a cloak of gold brocade and ultramarine blue. The mountains and rocks shall be worked in oil, in a colourful manner. A possible reason for this may be that Da Vinci was already working on some kind of painting, and just carried on with the composition regardless of the details of the contract. This may be because the deadline allowed them only 9 months, so to save time; Da Vinci may have taken this path to complete the painting on time. The Virgin is depicted as a young woman in this version of the altarpiece. The introspective solemnity that Da Vinci used to express the Madonna in his earlier works (The Adoration of the Magi, The Benois Madonna) develops delicately and gracefully, making evident Da Vincis concern with the intermingling of spiritual and devotional qualities with human feelings of tenderness in the Virgin in this altarpiece. Although there are inconsistencies with the Virgins face, such as in the bulging slanted eyes, the outline of the face of the Virgin has been regularized and lengthened (in comparison to his previous attempts to drawing Virgins), giving Her a more naturally unified appearance. A stylistic feature that develops from this starting point is the artists new treatment of light. In the present altarpiece, light exists and an independent and mobile part of nature. The surfaces of the painting vibrate gently through the subtle interpenetration and gradation of lights and shadows. Therefo re, by using the technique he used to exploit the quality of light, he was able to achieve the tranquil, fluent, delicate, and tender emotions conveyed by the Virgins face. The angel in the painting is compelling and looks out at the viewer. The goal of placing the angel in such a way was to use the angel to catch the viewers attention, and to draw it to the center of the painting specifically towards St. John- by means of pointing his finger. The pointing of the finger has many other functions other than to point out the infant St. John: it fills the interval and clarifies the vertical accent that result from the foreshortened hand of the Virgin, which she extends to crown the Christ Child. This helps to reestablish the prominence that Christ is in danger of losing by his subordinate location in the composition. Leonardo Da Vinci was highly influenced by Verrocchio, his trainer, and by Flemish styles and techniques. These influences are evident in the infant Christ and St. John, whom are in round and fleshy forms. The infants have been directly taken from Donatello and Verrocchios sculptural style. Da Vinci continued to take from his early predecessors and teachers, and apply their stylistic forms to his works. Version 2: The second version of the Virgin of the Rocks is the painting that had to be created due to a lawsuit against the previous version of the altarpiece. The patrons bestowed a lawsuit on the previous altarpiece because it had not been completed within the timeframe given to them of 9 months. While the lawsuit was in progress (lasted for 10 years), the Confraternity asked for another painting, which would follow the same contract; thus the second version of the Virgin of the Rocks was born. The fact that Da Vinci was not able to complete the first version was not surprising, because he had difficulties meeting deadlines a childhood problem that matured with him into his adulthood. The second version was commissioned to be painted for the same chapel of San Francesco Grande in Milan. Due to many inconsistencies throughout the painting, there have been debates on whether Da Vinci painted the altarpiece wholly. Many scholars believe that due to the lack of attention paid to the exploitatio n of light, the different moods and due to the changes in the softness of lines, Da Vinci received help from his assistants Ambrogio and Evangelista de Predis. The Virgin of the second version of the Virgin of the Rocks is in most ways facial features, arrangement of hair, and set of her head similar to the previous version in the Louvre. Although Da Vinci usually does not repeat himself in this way, it may have been necessary because the London painting was meant to replace the Paris painting in the ancona of the Confraternity. The Virgin in the second version of the altarpiece looks older because her facial forms are heavier and larger, and she has a serious expression. The Virgin in this altarpiece is also much more voluminous, occupying a greater area of the panel; lacks crispness and spontaneity in execution. Further, the Virgins drab and lusterless hair and sharp-edged forms, the mechanical way light and shade are distributed in separate areas, the loss of radiance in the light and the loss of the atmospheric veil suggest that the Virgin was not painting by Da Vinci, but by Ambrogio de Predis. The head of the angel may be the only part of the altarpiece where Da Vincis artistic hand is evident, although it was not solely him responsible for it. It has some of his vivacity and sensitivity of handling, and the spotted light over the delicate curls in the angels hair is surely his invention. Ambrogio de Predis hand is evident in the head of the angel as well, as there is a lack of crispness in the facial expression. In this altarpiece, the angel is no longer pointing to the infant St. John. This collaboration between the two artists is clearly identifiable and comparable to the first version in which Da Vinci was the single artist.

Drunken Santa :: essays papers

Drunken Santa Drunken Santa is a work that creates a miracle of equilibrium. What seemed like a clash of an opposite spectrum's colors became the unlikely harmony in this painting. Jaisini's artistic vision here is formed from two components of physical and emotional states of being. Freezing and heating serve as a symbol to a human need for warming up from the chill of solitude by means known to people at all times. The artist pursues his art philosophical quest for worldly knowledge that had left its traces in many of his works. A line of composition literally ignites the painting's surface with the movement. The color of this work is "phosphorescent," and it create the different planes if the subtle color nature. The warm color of purple supports the hot color of Santa's figure and an exotic fish above Santa. This hot color may represent the so-called material universe, the world of the gross senses that can be observed in a sober state. The cold, arctic blue color represents the unknown, the world of a deep state of drunkenness where real is unreal and otherwise. The only hard reality is the self, which never changes in any state. And maybe that is why Jaisini favors the painting's main hero, Santa, to possess the vivacious color of fire. Jaisini chooses this color of fire to manifest the self and the cold cerulean, cobalt and ultramarine to renounce self as a mortal entity surrounded by the eternal unknown. While Santa drinks his feelings of frigid loneliness vanish. And so, he gets a company of some almost hallucinatory nature. A shark, a ghostly image, a profile of another prototypical drunk who is not accidentally situated in a horizontal position. An amalgam of the several female figures that consists of a woman in stockings, a nun, a big-breasted silhouette that create a shadow between. A heat can be sensed around the hot colored Santa who has lost his beard and is holding a glass of red wine. He shows his thumb that may be just a polite substitution for the middle finger sign. The colors of the work are balanced by a virtuoso composition of a cubist character. The picture's space is divided endlessly. More images start to appear. The world of "

Formative assessment Essay

Formative Assessment: raising standards inside the classroom Black. , P. (1998), provides a brief overview of the evidence, both qualitative and quantitative about the quality of teacher’s classroom assessment practices, about the effectiveness of good formative assessment in promoting pupil’s learning and the features of classroom assessment that enhances students learning. Paul Black carried out two practical inquiries in various schools. The first experiment involved twelve classes of thirty pupils each in two schools. This experiment work was structured around pupil’s tools of systematic and reasoned inquiry and greatly emphasized on student’s communication skills and peer assessment. The students were required to carry out a science group project which involved experimentation. The results showed that the students who had the best assessment process achieved the highest scores. This was only possible where students were able to communicate effectively with each other and were able to evaluate their own understanding of the concept being taught. Thus, the author showed that self- and peer assessment can be achieved by giving pupil’s opportunities to reflect their learning. Similarly, the second experiment involved forty eight eleven year old Israeli pupils from twelve classes across four schools where half of those selected being in the top quartile of their class on tests of mathematics and language and other half being in the lower quartile. They were taught materials not directly related to their normal curriculum, and given written tasks to be tackled individually under supervision, with an oral introduction and supervision. Then the pupil’s were divided into three groups and feedbacks were provided. The first group was given comments only, the second group was given grades only and the third group was given comments with grades. The research showed that for ‘comments only’ showed an increase in the performance of the students while the other two groups showed a significant decline in the scores across the three sessions. Therefore, this research article tries to show that if feedback comments are in principle, it is operationally helpful for a pupil’s work, and literature also indicates that ‘task-involving’ feedback is more effective than ‘ego-involving’ feedback. Likewise, the reports studied by Paul Black and his colleagues showed that formative assessment helps to enhance feedback between the students and the teacher as it increases new modes of pedagogy and will cause a significant changes in the classroom practices. Similarly, formative assessment increases pupil participation in the classroom and can help affect motivation and self-esteem of pupils. Therefore, effective teaching must be carried out in a classroom that will enhance students learning. However, posing of questions is a natural and direct way of checking on learning, but is often unproductive. It becomes important for teachers to generate good questions and this can be obtained from outside sources such as internet and library sources. Thus, teachers should ask themselves that: Do I really know enough about the understanding of my pupils to be able to help each of them? Therefore, what seems both obvious and problematic is that the whole area is at the heart of pedagogy and may have been appraised and shaped further in terms of a theory of larger scope to encompass school learning comprehensively. One of the limitations of this article is that this has not been attempted, so that what is here needs the discipline of a broader context. Thus, a classroom must be implemented that focuses on the policy for raising standards that will help improve formative assessment. (Black. , P. 1998. Formative assessment: raising standards inside the classroom. School Science Review.

Save the Music Programs

Save the Music Programs Free Online Research Papers Schools across the nation are tightening their school budgets, making them cut certain programs. However, when these budget cuts come along, one of the first things that is cut is the music program to enable the school district to make room for â€Å"necessary† classes. But why cut the music program when it has been shown that music helps develop better social skills, leadership qualities, and improve academics? All over the country, school districts are facing tight budgets that are causing the districts to cut non-academic programs. These non-academic programs that are being cut are mainly the music programs in public schools across the nation. According to studies by the Gallup industry, â€Å"Budget cuts and shifting priorities have placed the music programs in more danger than ever. Already, up to 28 million American students do not receive an adequate music education, and cuts in education funding are either pending or have been enacted in more than half the states nationwide† (Salvestrini). School districts are looking at what subjects they consider to be â€Å"core subjects,† and in most school districts the music program is not fitting their definition, which is why the music program is one of the first subjects to be cut. The school districts are looking to build more classrooms for science and math courses, as well as decrease class sizes. In order to do this without having to add on to the school building, the school districts look for what they find to be a beneficial class. Therefore, the music education program is an area where the school district can achieve their goals by cutting that progr am out. Studies have shown that the music education program is very beneficial to students. This is why schools across the nation should save the music, so the future students have the opportunity to be involved, improvement in the students’ academics, students having more self-discipline, and the development of the students’ social skills. Because of these benefits, organizations outside of the school are trying to save the music, such as, VH1 and supportmusic.com. These budget cuts are not only affecting the students of today, but they also have a huge effect on the future students who may not even have the option of participating in a music program. In one of the recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports, â€Å"only 25 percent of eighth graders nationwide had the opportunity to take a music class† (Music). Now these budget cuts are not allowing the school district to decide, but the voters have the say in what goes on in the school district by way of their tax money. Elizabeth Nesoff, an author for the Christian Science Monitor, wrote an article about the budget falling in the August 2003 edition. She goes into greater depth, than the article about music education by implying that, â€Å"A lack of cohesive community concern for education and a greater focus on individual interests as part of the problem, namely that people without children are not always interested in funding school programs. It’s g etting much more difficult to convince people that music†¦ for some people is as important as tax relief for a lot of people†(Nesoff). Parents that have children in the music program should do what it takes to keep the program going, so that the future students can have the same opportunity. â€Å"Music education programs get cut because decent people are trying to make tough decisions in hard times. If people want ongoing music education in school, they have to let the policymakers know how much music education programs contribute to their kids every day of the school year† (Nesoff). These budget cuts have a big impact on the educational opportunities of the children of today and the children of tomorrow. â€Å"You can’t cut music without cutting something important out of our kids’ lives. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see that where there’s no quality of education, there’s probably not a music program† (Nesoff) . Therefore, the district shouldn’t cut the music program for the students today or tomorrow. Being an active participant in a music program helps students greatly with their academic studies. Nesoff implies that â€Å"Without music education, many fear a bleak future for children. The real issue is that we will have a society that is impoverished, that doesn’t have the cultural roots or the educational and discipline benefits that come from music education†(Nesoff). This quote states that without music education our society may lack academic improvement. Even the fundamentals of music have been proven to improve a child’s knowledge. An article called â€Å"Fun with Languages Responds to the Need for Music Education at Home and In the Classroom† backs up what Nesoff had to say by stating the fundamentals that music may improve in the students’ skills in our society. â€Å"Music helps children to learn math. When children learn rhythm, they are learning ratios, fractions, and proportions† (Fun). The music program not only improves the students’ math skills, but also their verbal skills. Students can learn from different foreign languages and cultural difference by the variety of music piece the instructor chooses. These skills help out on the verbal part of academics. Along with improving a child’s knowledge and understanding of their school subjects, members of the music program that have taken the SAT or ACT have scored higher than those students not in a music program. According to supportmusic.com, a public service to help out the music education implies that, â€Å"Students with coursework/experience in music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT: students in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math, and students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on the verbal and 44 points higher on the math, than did students with no arts participation† (Support Music). This quote shows that students who are pa rt of a music program have a big advantage over those students who do not participate in the music program, mostly in the Math and English classes. The long-term benefits of these advantages is that the participate can carry these math and reading skills with them in the future, because it is important to know how to read and do math skills in life, such as the work place, finances, and everyday life situations. Along with having an advantage in classes, students that are a part of the music program tend to be more disciplined. An article by VH1 Save the Music states, â€Å"Researchers have found that children involved with music education are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college, and are less likely to be involved with gangs and substance abuse†(VH1). Not only do students in the music program stay in school, graduate, and stay out of trouble, but skills that are learned through the music program do not just apply to school, but when they are older and out of school. Salvestrini backs up VH1 by stating, â€Å"The new findings come on the heels of a decade of scientific research linking active participation in music with improved mental capacity in young children, students, and the elderly†(Salvestrini). This shows that students in the music program tend to more disciplined at that time and in their future. Students in the music program tend to be mor e disciplined, because the program teaches the students time management by being on time for practices and rehearsals. Some music students also play to relieve stress, which is better then doing some harmful act. The music program promotes better standards, because it allows the participates to stay actively involved in an activity and shows that they can be dedicated to one thing, therefore staying out of other harmful things, such as gangs. Along with self-discipline students can gain important social skills. In an article called â€Å"Inclusion in the Community,† Sonia Blandford states, â€Å"An inclusive approach to community music outside the classroom develops both technical and social skills of participating students† (Blandford). As a part of the music program students have to communicate with each other and form common bonds with other members of the music program, which allows groups of friends to develop. Within a group, students have to learn the social skill of leadership by taking a role and improving the groups’ ability. Also within a group, students learn the skill of problem solving, by giving each other feedback and making group decisions together. An academic article called â€Å"Role of Music Therapy in Social Skills Development in Children with Moderate Intellectual Disability† goes into greater depth than Blanford by stating the exact social skills that can be taught in a music program. â€Å"Five social skills were targeted for intervention: turn taking, imitation, vocalization, initiation and eye contact† (Duffy). Members of the music program also have a greater self-esteem, because they feel that they are a part of a group and are all striving for a common goal. Along with the students having a close group of friends and an increase in self-esteem, members feel a sense of belonging to the music programs, because they are a member or a part of something. This sense of belonging gives the students who are in the program a sense of pride about the things that they are doing in the program. By working hard for a common goal, and striving for excellence, memorable experiences occur because of the opportunities that the music program provides. In my time spent in the music program I have had many experiences of a lifetime, some experiences I would not have been able to be a part of if I were not an active member of the music program in my school. These experiences range from contests that were hours away, to weeklong trips to Virginia Beach, to a day at amusement parks with fellow members, to parades, to concerts, and the many hours spent practicing to be perfect. People outside of the music program usually don’t know the feeling that a band member gets when their hard work pays off and the group receives a superior rating at a contest. These are the experiences and times that students know that what they are doing means something and matter to people other than them. The music program offers so many opportunities for students to have life long memories that t hey could not get in any other class. Music programs are being cut all over the country to help school districts fit their budget, so who is out there trying to help keep music programs in schools across the nation? In fact, there are multiple organizations that are working toward a common goal: bringing music programs to schools that do not have them. These organizations range from the well-known VH1’s Save the Music, to many more not so well known music help programs such as supportmusic.com. VH1 is one of the top organizations trying to save the music. â€Å"The VH1 Save the Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improve the quality of education in America’s public schools by restoring programs in cities across the country, and raising awareness about the importance of music participation for the nation’s youth†(VH1). With six years of help the VH1 Save the Music program has helped provide over $25 million dollars to many schools so that they have the money to support a music program. In their six years VH1 has put on a variety of concerts and started the â€Å"VH1 Save the Music Week† to help make the money that they donate. One of VH1’s top-rated shows is their annual â€Å"VH1’s Divas Duets,† which features some of today’s hottest music stars such as Beyonce, Lisa Marie Presley, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Chaka Kahn, Jewel and Ashanti. VH1 has also teamed up with American Express to create â€Å"Blue and Save the Music,† which helps make donations to â€Å"Save the Music† when people use their American Express card. Even though VH1 Save the Music Foundation is a major part in helping out of music programs in schools, they are not the only group raising money for this cause. Another group that is fighting for the common cause of saving music programs is supportmusic.com. This was a website, which was launched by the Music Education Coalition, to be â€Å"an easy-to-use resource offering information about how parents and community members can work to ensure that music is an integral part of a quality education for all children† (Support Music). This organization is open to anyone who wants to build a case as to why music education needs to be in schools and to help fight the budget cuts that are killing the music programs. Nesoff says, â€Å"By checking a combination of boxes ranging from budget cuts to lack of facilities, advocates can target their school’s problem and create a plan for arguing their points before administrators† (Nesoff). The co-sponsor of supportmusic.com said, â€Å"Music enriches all of our lives. We know that music education increases achievement in school. Programs like supportmusic.com equip teachers wit h yet another tool as we work together to increase achievement in children† (Support Music). This shows that Support Music and VH1 give hope to our future musicians. With all of these organizations helping out the music program, why are music programs still being cut from schools across the nation? The problem, people may think, is that, even though these groups are helping certain schools bring music programs to life, there is just not enough money and support to reverse the effects of budget cuts on every school. But the problem is that there will always be schools that have money problems, and when this happens they will have to cut certain programs to decrease their costs. But, after all the good the music program provides, why cut the music program? The music program may provide more skills and standards than other classes, so why not cut some other class? It also seems like schools are adding some other class or activity to their school district adding more cost to their budget, such as industrial arts, photography, or even drafting classes. On the other hand, with the organizations helping out, schools could rely on these organizatio ns to provide a budget for the music program. This is not fair, because there is a unequal treatment of different departments in the school. Due to all the benefits of music, the music program should be treated the same as other classes. In conclusion, I believe that all schools should save the music program by keeping the class in their curriculum. The budget cuts that the school district is taking apart of is not only affecting the students of today, but future students as well. The music program also helps students greatly with their academic studies and the students have more self-discipline. Although there are organizations that are helping the music program, schools shouldn’t rely completely on these organizations. So why not save the music education in schools? Work Cited Blandford, Sonia. â€Å"Inclusion in the Community: A Study of Community Music Centres in England and Portugal, Focusing on the Development of Musical and Social Skills Within Each Centre.† Database: Academic Search Premier June 2004. Duffy, Barbara. â€Å"Role of Music Therapy in Social Skills Development in Children with Moderate Intellectual Disability.† Database: Academic Search Premier 2000. â€Å"Fun with Languages Responds to the Need for Music Education at Home and in the Classroom.† PR Newswire 11 November 2003. â€Å"Music Education May Be â€Å"Left Behind† Under New Federal Requirements.† Press Release. American Music Conference 21 August 2003. 29 March 2005. Nesoff, Elizabeth. â€Å"Sounds of Budget Ax Falling.† The Christian Science Monitor August 2003 edition. Salvestrini, Valerie. â€Å"Americans Overwhelmingly want Music Education in Schools.† Press Release. American Music Conference 21 April 2003. 29 March 2005. â€Å"Support Music† A Public Service of the Music Education Coalition. 1 April 2005. supportmusic.com â€Å"VH1 Save the Music: Who We Are.† VH1 Save the Music. 29 March 2005. vh1.com/partners/save_the_music/who_we_are/index.html Research Papers on Save the Music ProgramsStandardized TestingHip-Hop is ArtEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenWhere Wild and West MeetInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesLifes What IfsRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andTwilight of the UAWOpen Architechture a white paperThe Effects of Illegal Immigration