Digital Divide in US Essay

The Digital Divide in US seems to be decreasing due to increase in the use of internet and awareness about the benefits of the technology. Moreover the US government is providing internet access to poor areas of the countries. This can be asserted from the fact that there are 2 million new internet users each month in US. (Dickard, 2002, pg. 1) But at the same time the technological divide between the ethnic groups is still there. The internet access to blacks and Hispanics is half that of Whites and Asians. This is because Hispanics come from poor backgrounds with less income and less access to education. Therefore they lack the basic computer skills to take avail the opportunities of the technological age. However realizing the great potential market that Hispanics provide, marketers are now focusing their attention on this segment and this has resulted in high internet penetration among Hispanics. Yet, affordability and skills to use the technology still remains a problem for this segment. The level of education is also an important factor in US in distinguishing between digital haves and haves not. Only a few of the people from those who didn’t pass high school had internet access but nearly half of the graduates have the digital access and this figure increases with the levels of qualifications. The level on income also has an impact. According to a study only 25% of the poor US households are online compared to 80% of the rich households. (Whipp, 2005) Digital Divide in the World There is wide digital divide between rich and poor nations of the world. The western world including America, Europe and other northern states have wide access to information technology whereas this access is limited in southern regions of the world like Africa, India, Pakistan and other regions of South Asia. The reason for this digital divide among then nations is that the poor nations are already burdened with multiple economic and social problems like debt, hunger, poor health and education structure and therefore cannot benefit from the technological advancements. These countries cannot afford the high cost of investment in technology and its maintenance. Their already limited resources are spent in fulfilling their basic needs. (Ryder, 2003) However economic aspect is not the only cause of digital divide issue. The education levels and illiteracy is another explanation for the digital gap. Third world countries lack the skills to use the digital technology due to poor educational background. Majority of the people in this part of the world are illiterate and want easy solutions to their problems and often find the new technology too confusing and complex to use. (Rossi, 2007) The digital gap also exists because people do not take full advantage of the technology even if they can afford it and are literate enough to use it. They are simply not interested to use it. For example many people still prefer to go to physical stores for shopping even though online shopping option saves them money and time. (Nielsen, 2006) Bridging the Digital Divide One major solution to narrow down the digital gap is to reduce cost of technology which includes setup cost and maintenance costs and also the prices of PCs. This would result in more people having access to information and technology as they would be able to afford the access to internet. Another factor which is important is the development of technology skills and increasing technology literacy so that people know how to use the technology in right way even if they can afford it. But this can only be done if basic literacy is given through proper education structure. Another solution is providing content for users that are far away from technological access like Hispanics and South Asians. There is very little content online for many minority groups. Not only providing content for such users but also content that is in their local language. (Carvin, 2000) Many third world countries who are already struggling for basic needs do not welcome technology as they do not see it providing their basic needs and instead find it complex. To overcome this technology must be implemented so that it can help in their development and addresses their basic needs. Savishinsky, 2000) Overcoming this global digital gap is just not the role of one group. Public and Private organizations and NGOs need to work together to bridge the gap. Government needs to provide basic education structure to improve the literacy levels and also provide opportunities for technological investments. Private organizations and NGOs need to help in providing digital access to rural areas where people cannot afford the technology and are not mastered enough to use. They can do this by funding schools and households and proving basic technological skills. Role of IT Companies and Professionals IT companies and professionals can play an important role in bridging the digital gap. IT companies can focus on providing technology in low income and low literacy areas of their society. This can be done by providing technological devices at lower costs. Also IT professionals can train local people in using the technology and create high quality content that caters to the needs of the community. Conclusion Digital Divide is one of the greatest challenges faced by the governments of the world. On one side information and technology is helping the part of a society that afford digital access but on the other hand the other part of society is continuously being deprived of the benefits of technology. Digital Divide due to economic and educational divide seems to be widening. Therefore steps must be taken to narrow this gap so that everyone can utilize the benefits of the new digital age.

Art of the Western World Essay

The chosen work is a statue of Dionysos leaning on a female figure. This is a Roman copy of the original 4th century B. C. Greek statue. The statue is entitled â€Å"Hope Dionysos† after its former owner, Thomas Philip Hope. It was a Gift of The Frederick W. Richmond Foundation. The original statue was made of bronze and it is not certain if the woman was included. It is believed that it may have been added to the Roman copy for support. The artist depicts Dionysos, god of wine and divine intoxication. This statue stands at 82   inches and is made of marble. Its composition is arranged in a compact matter, with much 3-D texture in the body and intricate attention to detail. Dionysos is standing in contrapposto, which is a prevalent technique in Ancient Greek sculpture to achieve a life-like representation of the human body through the shifting of weight. He has massive limbs, with calves that are very muscular and large in comparison to the rest of his body. The arms are also very large and the forearms, very muscular. His fingers are thick and slightly bent attempting to make fists. This exaggeration of the large size and contour detail of Dionysos’ body represents his high power and great strength. Dionysos posses idealized features, providing evidence of a god. It is apparent that the statue is essentially of the period of Classical Greece, but contains evidence of Rome through the use of clothing. This blend of culture portrays the strong relationship between the artwork of Greece and Rome. The ideal statues of Greece were essentially nude and created to display mans intention to be strong in nature. Even clothed, this intention to recognize strength is achieved. The representation of strength is supported essentially through his clothing. Dionysos wears the skin of a panther around his upper body. The head is tied around his waist and the paw hangs over his right shoulder. He is not holding a weapon, which represents the ability to overcome even the most dangerous animal simply with his own power. Under the animal skin, Dionysos wears a fluted chiton. This is a form of clothing worn during the time of Ancient Greece. On his feet, high laced sandals are worn. This is evidence that Dionysos is a god in the body of a man, with features that can far surpass any man. The clothing worn is of the time period of Ancient Greece but is Roman in style as it is depicted in the sculpture. The head of Dionysos is somewhat smaller in scale compared to the rest of his body. It can be seen that the head is from another statue through the seam located on the neck. His face is very smooth with few contour lines and he is appearing to be gazing downward. Dionysos further portrays idealized qualities through his long hair that cascades onto his shoulders in curls. He also wears a crown of ivy leaves on his head which is worn by Olympians. The use of the leaves represents Dionysos’ athleticism and reference to Greek culture. Dionysos is seen leaning on an archaistic female figure that is suspected to have been added for structural support. In The archaistic maiden represents Spes, who is the personification of hope. This is ironic due to the name of the statue, Hope Dionysos. The female is much smaller in size than Dionysos, which provides evidence to the use of hierarchy of scale in Ancient Greek sculpture. Even when standing on a block of stone, the woman is much smaller, indicating that women are of less power than man. Despite this concept, the female appears to be the guiding force of Dionysos, possessing some underlying control over his actions and personality. The reference of her purpose to support can extend to an emotional and psychological level. It is as if she is a protector of him and her external projection of purity is depicted in his demeanor. The female is firmly grasping a single flower in one hand, which may represent her virginity and expression of purity that will not be tainted. This can also be related to the representation of Spes, who is usually depicted holding a flower. Hope is present in the flower and is the source of the female’s divine wisdom. The female’s other hand is holding up her dress to expose her bare feet. Wearing sandals in Roman art indicates becoming a part of the human world, yet the female is not wearing any sandals. This illustrates that the she is the divine power possessed by Dionysos as a god. Her dress can reveal some shape to her body, but she is standing very rigid and upright compared to the stance of Dionysos. This confirms that the female figure is of an earlier time period in Ancient Greece than the statue of Dionysos. This idea contributes to her value of wisdom achieved through her experience. Indication of the varying time periods of the figures is found in their hairstyles, as the female wears a bonnet and tight spiral curls. She also possesses a rounded face and displays the Archaic smile. The statues are connected as the fluted drapery of Dionysos’ toga drapes over the head of the female with his arm extending outward. His hand is raised and clenched as if he could be holding a glass about to give a toast. This idea can be supported because Dionysos is god of wine and divine intoxication; therefore it would be appropriate for him to be personified holding a glass of wine. He may be giving a toast based on the idea of hope for man to be strong during a time of rebuilding in Ancient Greece. These figures together make a statement to display the power of the world of Ancient Greece achieved through belief in the gods. This statue gives viewers a unique perspective on the power of the gods by providing an explanation as to how Dionysos achieved his divinity. His association with the personification of hope is portrayed in the work both physically and spiritually. Association with the gods played active role in the society of Ancient Greece and consumed the artwork of this time.

The lumen and absorb Teams at Crutchfield Chemical Engineering Case Study

The lumen and absorb Teams at Crutchfield Chemical Engineering - Case Study Example With this definition of intrinsic motivation in mind, several assumptions as to how these differences arose can be formulated. Primarily, it could be assumed that not all individuals on the Absorb team are working in their desired career goals, even though the majority of them hold academic-supported credentials in their current domain of work practice. Under this assumption, there would be little that could be done to improve the Absorb team’s motivational stance since working in the chemical field might simply require an adjustment of work environment in order to satisfy intrinsic needs. Secondly, as supported by the case study, there are some clues about what is driving intrinsic motivational failures present in the Absorb team that are not present in the Lumen team. Chip, the team leader, is 49 years of age and has been at the company for almost 25 years. It is probable, based on rather subjective assumptions, that Chip enjoys this field of work or would have pursued new opportunities in the past if he was not intrinsically motivated for this particular profession. Furthermore, Chip seems to have a natural propensity (an inherent motivator) to maintain a very authoritative and hierarchical management system with many control systems in place. This conflicts with virtually every team members’ desire for inherent needs for autonomy and recognition in work performance. Under models of the autocratic leadership style, this type of manager is motivated by achievement of absolute dominating power, believing that subordinates do not maintain the capacity or abilit ies to effectively work without strict and regular management presence. (Goodnight 82). Chip, who seems to maintain many of these characteristics, works as an externally-driven force that drives down motivation on the Absorb team. In the Lumen team, however, there is much more team-working occurring and social attitudes seem to sustain the same intrinsic motivations for cohesion and unity when working in group environments. Max, the team leader, is much more forthcoming both professionally and emotionally when working with his group members, applauding their performance publicly. Under respected models of psychology, one of the most fundamental aspects that drive both self-confidence production and self-actualization (the pinnacle of individual achievement) is rooted under the establishment of social belonging (Morris and Maisto 164). The case study shows a marked appreciation from the Lumen team members for this social cohesion and the ability of their team leader to find inherent satisfaction when his team members are satisfied, motivated, and willing to go the proverbial extra mile to satisfy group needs. Assuming that these team members are, indeed, motivated intrinsically by harmonious team membership environments, then Max serves as an ideal catalyst for securing these motivations by providing outward social practices that feed inherent needs in all of his group members. The effects of these differences are clear. The Absorb team members do not appreciate being second-guessed and, in some instances, allegedly deceived by their team leader. The Absorb team is not receiving proper reinforcement when they feel they have accomplished significant achievements, always being told to restructure their work in a way that satisfies this

Information of marketing-report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Information of marketing-report - Essay Example The competitive environment scenario of the company would reveal various marketing strategies incorporated by Bonmarche. In this study importance of primary and secondary data collection measures would also be outlined. Primary data collection techniques are usually incorporated in order to determine customer feedback regarding product or service offerings. These primary sources are beneficial for marketing executives since it enables them to formulate appropriate marketing strategies. On the other hand, current market data can only be collected through this mechanism. Primary resources are explored by marketing executives so as to analyze current market trends and fluctuations. There are wide array of primary resources and each of them are suitable for a particular business scenario. This study would reflect upon which of the primary data collection measures is most appropriate for Bonmarche. It will even focus on secondary data collection techniques and its importance in real world companies. Bonmarche’s market evaluation shall be performed on basis of wide array of secondary resources. There would be supporting arguments included in the study for discussing primary research methods available for the firm. Marketing management can be considered as central component of the study. It shall even comprise of key requirements related to marketing executive’s role and application of appropriate data collection measures. Marketing executive is solely responsible for performing wide set of functions. They are the ones who direct company’s marketing of services or products. Marketing executives are well aware about product line of a firm, potential market, historical market, budgeting issues, media response and media costs. These key personnel have to deal with different marketing tools such as radio, magazines, television, promotional events, mail campaigns, etc. Advertising media can be stated as the key focus area for marketing executives.

Rastafari Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rastafari - Essay Example The leaders of Rastafari came up with doctrines of the religion, which include despising the whites, reading the Bible, growing dreadlocks, and smoking cannabis. The followers of the religion interpret the Bible in an afro-centric way; because they believe that the white people altered the meaning of the readings in the text. Bob Marley, a reggae singer, is one of the followers of the movement. Tim argues that Bob’s songs contain the doctrines of Rastafarians (Hall 6). Hall believes that the movement is a way of life because it lacks organization like other religions. The author is an evangelist in Australia, and he researches about religious movements in the world. The article is relevant to my research because it explains the origin of the movement and its principles. The author states the founders of the movement, and he also gives an example of Bob Marley as a Rastafarian. The author has failed to give an example of principle that Marley spreads through his reggae songs (H all 8). The author also fails to give details of how Haile Selassie 1 and Garvey succeeded in creating the movement, even after claiming that they died as a result of their struggle to save Africans from slavery. This means that the article is not wholly reliable. Murrell, Nathaniel. â€Å"Jamaica: The Rastafarian movement.† Global exchange, n.d 2011. Web. 18 Oct 2013. (http://www.globalexchange.org/country/jamaica/rasta) The article states the meanings of symbols of the Rastafari movement, and he explains how the doctrines of the association have spread to the whole world. Nathaniel argues that the word Ras means Christ; while Rastafari refers to Haile Selassie, the founder of the movement (Murrell 4). Rastafarians claim that Haile Selassie is their Christ who died physically, but lives in their souls. The believers argue that Christ shall come back to save them from the world, and he shall take them to Ethiopia. The followers argue that Ethiopia is the land that Christ prom ised them, and they refer to it as Mount Zion. The author argues that the movement has spread from Jamaica to the United States in cities such as New York, and the Great Britain (Murrell 8). Nathaniel, however, believes that the movement is more of a culture or political association rather than a religion. This argument is similar to that of Tim Hall, and it indicates that numerous researches have been conducted to determine the classification of Rastafarian movement. Nathaniel is an associate professor in the University of Carolina. The professor teaches philosophy and religion, and he has written several books in these topics. Murrell’s research specializes in the Caribbean and world religions. The article will help the research to explaining the real meaning of terms used by the Rastafarians. The author has analyzed how the movement spread to countries such as America and Britain, and he also explains the origin of the Rastafarian doctrines. The author has failed to descri be the spread of the movement in details, but his work is reliable because his arguments are similar to those of Tim Hall, and they are more detailed. Barnett, Michael. "The Many Faces of Rasta: Doctrinal Diversity within the Rastafari Movement." Caribbean Quarterly 51.2 (2005): 67-112.print. The article summarizes details of members of the Rastafari

Barclays CoCo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Barclays CoCo - Essay Example instrument, debt is reduced, and it qualifies as a Tier 1 capital increasing the book value of the bank’s equity capital before the occurrence of the trigger event. When a CoCo triggers, there are two things involved; the losses involved are absorbed by the CoCo either by suffering a principal write-down or by transforming into common equity. In the case of principal write-down, the bonds are written down to equity that matches the extent of liabilities released thus generating exceptional gains that are allocated to the bank’s retained earnings (Stefan, Anastasia & Bilyana, 2013). In cases where the CoCo is convertible, when a trigger is met, the bond automatically converts to common stock as a prearranged percentage. As the CoCo bond market unceasingly grows, investors are exposed to various risks and rewards. One of the appalling risks faced by investors in CoCos is the systematic risk. The CoCos market is vulnerable. A conversion or coupon deferral may soon occur causing a fall in price upto 9% and a significant drop in conversion circa -15%. This could put CoCo holders in a worst/unfortunate position than shareholders (Stefan, Anastasia & Bilyana, 2013). Moreover, there exists information asymmetry in the CoCos market where investors have little knowledge regarding the operation of the CoCos while the issuers are fully aware of their credit fundamentals. For instance, the PONV (point of non-viability) as a language has been hard for many investors to comprehend thus upsurging the risks of them losing their cash by investing in unfeasible CoCos. According to Stefan, Anastasia and Bilyana (2013), this coupled with the complexity of CoCos, and the flawed CoCo rating methodologies presents a majo r risk to investors and might lead to unfathomable losses. Nevertheless, CoCos are rewarding as they provide a high yield of 4.5%-10% that is better than the average yield of circa 4.2% for high yield sectors in the U.K (Chorafas,  2015). These high returns continue

Personal Statement and Critical Reflection on Past Work Experience Essay - 1

Personal Statement and Critical Reflection on Past Work Experience - Essay Example This reporter declares that "as I look for a new, challenging position, I intend to use the existing experience and skills in tackling new challenges as well as improving my professional and personal development. Two of my strongest attributes that have shaped me into the person I am includes; determination and the ability to have a continuous self assessment and evaluation of my strength and weaknesses. This helps me to device ways of improving my weaknesses and strengthening my strengths. For an individual to be capable of facing new challenges, I have a strong belief that, he/she should first conduct self realization and assessment. Anita asserts that self realization is a crucial tool that helps one in self development and achievement of one’s goals and objectives in life. This realization through assessment and evaluation enables one to realize his/her strengths, weaknesses, capabilities and self potential. This tool has enabled me in formulating the efficient and informe d strategies in improving my weaknesses and strengthening my strengths. It has also enabled me devise measures to use in monitoring my improvements. Self awareness has enabled me to understand strengths and weaknesses. My strengths include; possession of exemplary interpersonal skills, persistence, consistency, determination, a teamwork spirit, just to mention but a few. Behind all the glitter, there lie some elements of weaknesses that includes; procrastination, being a perfectionist and lack of ability to follow schedules to the latter."

Oreo Multiple National Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oreo Multiple National Corporation - Essay Example Oreo Multiple National Corporation Recently, the unusual has happened whereby human emotions have been used and exploited. An example of this is the emergence of sick animals on television in order to stir up emotions and winning hearts for financial support that can treat these poor animals. Children have also been used in the commercials in order to attract attention to some of the products that are being advertised. This is evidenced by the Oreo Company which uses advertising to market their product which is the cookie. Oreo Multiple National Corporation used their staff all over the world to deploy multiple television commercials, in order to capture the different cultures and languages all over the world. The objective of this act is to ensure that the same technique is not used again or repeated in some of the regions in the world. In other words it has deployed a range of Video in different languages ​​to countries that do not speak the original languages used in advertising the cookie, and thus ensure that human nature is not exploited and the people are impacted with the necessary knowledge. This method of marketing the cookie is effective especially when the peers vision how the kids enjoy the taste of Oreo. The ways in which the product is advertised pushes the children to buy the product or even makes them persuade their parents to purchase the cookie for them instead of having any other type of biscuit.

One country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

One country - Essay Example tains a very diverse landscape, including a large desert and flatlands region as well as fertile, mountainous plateau regions in which the majority of farming and other agricultural activities occur (Davison, 2001). Two main rivers, the Tana and Galana, run actively through the fertile region of Kenya and empty into the Indian Ocean to the East (Kenyaology.com, 2007). This is the likely reason why this particular region of the country, known as the Kenyan Highlands, is so fertile as it is continuously irrigated by the two rivers. Additionally, of significant assistance to Kenyan residents is the close proximity to the Indian Ocean by which a great deal of foreign trade can be delivered or exported, providing a more direct ocean-going trade route to the East rather than ground travel across a harsh African landscape (Kenyaology.com). Many people may think of Kenya and automatically envision harsh desert environments, however Figure 1 illustrates the lush fertile region known as the Ke nyan Highlands where Mount Kenya towers into the sky. Climate patterns in Kenya are quite diverse, however in most respects, they range in magnitude from harsh, dry desert-like conditions to that of regions which receive continuous rainfall. In the dryer, Northern plains region, the average temperatures are maximum 34.8 degrees and minimum 23.7 degrees, both in Celsius (Kenyaology.com). These are significantly warmer temperatures in comparison to the United States, indicating that this particular region of Kenya maintains virtually no temperate climate. In the city of Eldoret, which is one of the larger-populated cities at an elevation of 3,085 feet above sea level, the climate is much more temperate, subject to changes in seasons much like that of the Midwest region of the United States. In this area, average temperatures are a maximum of 23.6 C and 9.5 C, making this region rich for agricultural and other farming activities (Klein, 1999). In yet another region of the country,

Elite Running Inc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Elite Running Inc - Case Study Example The inventory of Elite rose by 39% in 2003 as compared to 2002. The rise in the level of inventory was preplanned by the management in order to be prepared to grab the offers from the suppliers when they offer favorable prices for the company. The changes also indicate that while the sales have declined for the company by 24%, the gross profits have declined by 53.8%. This fall in gross profits was mainly due to the changes in the product prices due to the change in competitive market scenario with the appearance of a new entrant named, Stampy. The other significant changes include fall of retained earnings of the company by 11.2% and the fall of equity by 8.4%. Explanation for tick-marks b, e & k The explanation for the tick-marks has been explained as follows. Tick-mark b The fall in the accounts receivable of Elite Running Inc. in 2003 as compared to the value of 2003 could be explained by the fall of sales figures of the company. Due to the fall in the level of sales volume of th e company, the credit offered for sales also reduced. Thus the accounts receivable also declined in 2003 as compared to 2002. Tick-mark e The inventory of the company increased by 17 million dollars which is a rise of 39% in inventory level of 2003 as compared to that of 2002. ... Tick-mark k Elite running Inc. has faced unprecedented competition in 2003. The management forecasted a 10% rises in the sales as compared to 2002. However, due to entry of a new competitor and offers of a similar footwear and apparel product by the competitor eroded their market share as the customers inclined towards the products offered by Stampy. This led to the fall of revenue earnings of the company. In order to respond to the changed external environment, the company reduced its product prices. Although, it allowed the company to retain a large number of customers, the gross profit of the company declined. Discussion: auditing and accounting issues for identified changes The accounting and auditing issues identified in the valuation accounts receivable suggest that the valuation of accounts receivables should have been $51m instead of $60m that has been recorded in the books of accounts. The issue behind this gap is that the management has influenced the accountant and the aud itor in disclosing consistent value of aging account (AICPA 18). The accounts receivable figure for a period of less than 30 days has also been suggested to be maintained at 85%. In order to do this, the accounts receivable from the three sales transactions of the new sales and marketing tool of the company, named Andy Dufresne has not been recorded under the assurance of the management. This is an auditing issue as it shows clear deviation from standards of accounting (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 1). The accounting and auditing issue involved in the rise of inventory level of Elite Running Inc. questions the gap between the available information on the receipt of supplier materials as the reason for rise in inventory and the

Order in the World vs. Savagery Essay Example for Free

Order in the World vs. Savagery Essay Choose a theme and explain how that theme influences the system of rules and order the boys establish when they arrive on the island, and what happens when the rules disintegrate. Order in the World vs. Savagery Among Men In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the characters demonstrate what can happen when the fear of the unknown sets in. Giving up the familiarity of authoritative figures and domesticated surroundings can put some people, especially adolescents and children, into a state of shock. If this state of shock does not set in immediately, it is inevitable to set in with time. This novel, filled with allegorical references, is a prime example of how the cultures and values set up by people and evolving over time can be ruined by crisis, creating our main theme of Order in the World VS. Savagery Among Men. The novel starts out with our main characters, the school boys, who have been marooned on a completely deserted island. Being that these are mere children, it doesn’t take too long before everyone starts to realize that not only do they no longer have the structure of adult supervision, but they must also learn to fend for themselves. Conflicting human instincts begin to arise, and we all know that without structure in our world, instincts can be a terribly scary addition to this chaotic mix. It is quite interesting to see that even given their crisis of a situation, one of the boys still clings to his former civilized lifestyle. He still has the urge inside of him to work toward order and their pre-existing domesticated, cushy lives. Living in our sheltered world for such a very long period of time, in this case his whole life has created a barrier between him and reality. Given that he is just a boy, this is not unusual but rather expected of him. On the other hand, we have the majority of the boys, who have resorted to their primordial instincts. They start off with a sort of structure: the conch shell. This is their only form of order in their new life, a symbolic sign of civility which they have brought with them from their old lives. This was, at first, a sense of security. The conch was once used to summon everyone together as a group after their plane crash. However after Jack the leader was chosen to run the group, he became relentless, spouting demands left and right, expecting his group to agree at every whim or else. Ralph, one of the other main characters, opposed the barbaric ideas proposed by Jack, and created his own group. When Jack hears of this disruption to his overruling, he makes sure to convince everyone that they need to be on his team and that he can help them more than wimpy Ralph will be able to. When his teachings are unleashed, Roger rolls a giant boulder onto Piggy, which also crushes their conch shell. I believe that this is a symbol of the disintegration of all civility among the boys. As these rules continue to diminish, the representation of our theme becomes more and more clear. For example, Simon encounters the beast that frightens all of the boys to no end, only to find that the beast does not exist; it is imaginary. The beast, we find, is simply a symbol which lies inside of each and every person because it represents human primitive instincts. When Simon went to alert the rest of the group about the beast, the boys with their newfound savage ways of living attacked Simon immediately without any hesitation whatsoever. The boys tore his body limb from limb until there was no life left. This part of the novel is an extremely important part of the theme because the behavior of the boys is what brought this â€Å"beast† to life! In conclusion, as you are able to see, our theme of order and reason in the world versus savagery and impulse influences the system of rules (or lack thereof) throughout the entire novel. In the beginning, many clung tight to their lives of order, while the remainder of others decided right away that because there was no supervision, they needed to have a leader as soon as possible. Toward the end of our novel, as their rules began to dismantle and leadership turned to a god complex dictatorship, we are still able to see the influential theme in the story line as savagery among men takes over all order when the killing begins.

Antimicrobial Activity of Pyrimidine-5-carboxylic Acid

Antimicrobial Activity of Pyrimidine-5-carboxylic Acid Antimicrobial activity of synthesized, novel hydroxamic acid of pyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid and its complexes with Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) metal ions Bhawani Shankar, Rashmi Tomar, Madhu Godhara, Vijay Kumar Sharma ABSTRACT Four metal complexes of new hydroxamic acid, 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) with Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) metal ions have been synthesized. The hydroxamic acid and its metal complexes were characterized by simple analytical techniques such as repeated melting point (M.P.) determination, elemental analysis, running their thin layer chromatography for single spot, and spectroscopic techniques such as I.R., H1-NMR and UV-Vis. (only for metal chelates) spectroscopy. Antimicrobial activity of the hydroxamic acid and their metal complexes were screened against two species of bacteria and two species of fungi by Serial Dilution Method. Metal complexes were found more active against both bacteria as well as fungi in antimicrobial screening test. Keywords Hydroxamic acids, antimicrobial activity, metal complexes INTRODUCTION Hydroxamic acids show a wide spectrum of biological activities and generally have low toxicities à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º1à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º2à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Hydroxamic acids are very well known for their antibacterial à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º3à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º5à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , antifungal à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º6à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º7à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , antitumor à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º8à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º9à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , anticancer à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º10à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , antituberculosis à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º11à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  and antimalerial à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º12à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  properties. Hydroxamic acids are inhibitors of enzymes such as prostaglandin H2 synthatase à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º13à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , peroxidase à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º14à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , urease à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º15à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  and matrix metalloproteinase à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º16à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Cinnamohydroxamic acids are used for treatment of the symptoms of asthma and other obstructive airway diseases which inhibit 5-lipoxygenase à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º17à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . A number of hyd roxamic acid analogues have been shown to inhibit DNA (dinucleic acid) synthesis by inactivating the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º18à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Naturally occurringhydroxamic acid, 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA) is a powerfulantibiotic present inmaize à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º19à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Antiradical and antioxidant properties of hydroxamic acids have also been observed à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º20à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Hydroxamic acids play important role in many chemical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, analytical, and industrial fields à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º21à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º25à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . These diverse biological activities of hydroxamic acids are due to their complexing properties towards transition metal ions à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º26à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º27à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Siderophores are Fe(III) complexes of naturally occurring hydroxamic acids, involved in the processes of iron transport from the environment to the living organisms à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º28à ¯Ã ‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º29à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Hydroxamic acids after deprotonation acts as bidentate ligands and octahedral complexes are formed through the co-ordination of two oxygen atom of the –CONHO- group. This type of co-ordination have been studied with Cr(III), Fe(III), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) ions in solid state as well as in solutions, indicating the formation of octahedral complexes à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º30à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . We report herein the synthesis, structural features and antimicrobial activity of new hydroxamic acid, 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) as well as their metal complexes 4a-d with Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) metal salts. EXPERIMENTAL Reagents and methods All chemical used in the present investigation were of analytical reagent grade. 1,3- Di-p-tolylbarbituric acid was synthesized by previously known method in the laboratory. Copper acetate monohydrate, nickle acetate tetrahydrate, cobalt acetate tetrahydrate and zinc acetate dihydrate were purchased from E-Merck. Triethyl amine and ethyl chloroformate were purchased from Spectrochem. Hydroxylamine hydrochloride potassium hydroxide and diethyl ether were obtained from S.D. fine chemicals limited, India. All the synthesized compounds were analysed for C, H and N by elemental analyser, model 1108 (EL-III). H1-NMR spectra (400MHz) were recorded on JNM ECX- 400P (Jeol, USA) spectrometer using TMS as an internal standard. IR absorption spectra were recorded in the 400-4000 cm-1 range on a Perkin-Elmer FT-IR spectrometer model 2000 using KBr pallets. UV-Vis. spectra of metal complexes were recorded in DMSO solvent at room temperature on Simadzu Spectro Photometer model no. 1601. Melting poi nts were determined using Buchi M-560 and are uncorrected. These reactions were monitored by thin layer chromatography (TLC), on aluminium plates coated with silica gel 60 F254 (Merck). UV radiation and iodine were used as the visualizing agents. Synthesis of the hydroxamic acid 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) Synthesis of ligand 3 was carried out in two steps as follows: Step 1: Synthesis of ethyl 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (2). Ethyl 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (2) was synthesized by the reported method of Kuhne et al à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º31à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . 1,3- Di-p-tolylbarbituric acid à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º5g, 0.016 mol.à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  and triethyl amine à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º2.30ml, 0.0168 mol.à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  and dimethyl aminopyridine (DMAP) à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º0.10gà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  were dissolved in 20 ml of dichloromethane (DCM) and the solution was cooled to 00 C. Then ethyl chloroformate à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º1.60ml, 0.0165 mol.à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  was added drop-wise over half an hour. The mixture was subsequently stirred for 12 hours at 00C, then, allowed to warm to the room temperature for 7 hours. The product is extracted in chloroform and dried over Na2SO4. Further, chloroform was evaporated to dryness and crude product was recrystallised from ethyl alcohol to yield pure 2. Step 2: 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) from ethyl 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (2). Synthesis of 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) was carried out by adopting a method similar to that described by Griffith et al à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º32à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . The mixture of hydroxylamine hydrochloride à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º1.87g, 0.026 mol. à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  and aqueous potassium hydroxide à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º2.19g, 0.039 mol. à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  was added drop-wise to a methanolic solution of ethyl 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (2) à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º5g, 0.013 mol. à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . The solution was stirred at room temperature for 72 hours and then acidified to pH 5.5 using 5% HCl solution. After filtration the solvent was removed in vacuo to yield a solid. The crude product was recrystallised from hot water to yield pure compound 3. Synthesis of metal complexes Synthesis of Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) complexes of 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3). Copper acetate monohydrate à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º0.136g, 0.00068 mol.à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  in cold water was added with stirring to 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º0.50 g, 0.00136 mol.à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  in EtOH (20 ml) in a round bottom flask. The contents were stirred for about 6 hours and then reduce to half volume under vacuo. Yellowish brown precipitate of 4a was appeared after adding petroleum ether. The precipitate was filtered, washed with small amounts of Et2O and dried over CaCl2 in a vacuum desiccator. Similarly, complexes 4b of Ni(II) , 4c of Co(II) and 4d of Zn(II) with 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) were synthesized by taking nickle acetate tetrahydrate, cobalt acetate tetrahydrate and zinc acetate dihydrate respectively. Infrared Spectra In the IR spectra (Table 1), carbonyl stretching vibrations of hydoxamic acid exhibit a medium sharp intensity band in the region 1660 cm-1 à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º33à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . This band has shifted towards negative region 1626-1609 cm-1 in the metal complexes indicating the coordination of the ligand with the metal ion through oxygen of the carbonyl group. The symmetric N-O stretching vibrations, obtained in the region 1120 cm-1 in the IR spectra of ligands, have shifted to lower side in the IR spectra of their metal complexes suggesting the coordination of ligand to the metal ion through oxygen of the N-O moiety à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º34à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . The presence of water molecules within coordination sphere of all chelates were supported by broad bands in the region 3450-3280 cm-1 and 850-800 cm-1 due to stretching and deformation modes of coordinated water molecules, respectively. The appearance of new band in the IR spectra of metal chelates in the region 551-519 cm-1 is probable due to forma tion of M-O bonds à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º35à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Table 1. IR spectral data of hydroxamic acid 3 and its metal complexes 4a-d. Compound à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ®(C=O)cm-1 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ®(C-N) cm-1 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ®(N-O) cm-1 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ®(M-O) cm-1 3 1660 1349 1120 4a 1609 1327 1036 551 4b 1624 1355 1023 519 4c 1626 1384 1023 540 4d 1629 1350 1025 541 H1-NMR Spectra The hydroxamic acid 3 shows a one proton singlet at 1.14 due to –NH-O proton, probably due to magnetic anisotropy of the neighboring carbonyl group, electronegativity of nitrogen and H- bonding à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º36à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . One proton singlet in hydroxamic acid 3 appear at 2.49 due to –N-OH proton à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º37à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Due to proton exchange in D2O this signal disappeared in the spectra indicating the possibility of –OH proton. Six protons multiplet for two Ar–CH3 group protons of hydroxamic acid 3 appear at 2.01 – 2.09. The hydroxamic acids 3 show a one proton singlet due to –C5H proton at 5.26. A multiplet due to eight protons of aromatic rings, Ar-H was observed at 7.17 7.20. H1-NMR of metal complexes 4a-d was not taken due to very less solubility in suitable organic solvents. UV- vis. Spectra Cu(II) complex In the electronic spectra of Cu(II) complex, 4a, three absorption bands in the region. 13157, 16949 and 23809 cm-1 have been observed, which correspond to the transitions 2B1g → 2A1g, 2B1g → 2B2g and 2B1g → 2E1g suggesting distorted octahedral geometry à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º38à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º40à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Ni(II) complex The electronic spectra of Ni(II) complex, 4b, exhibit three bonds in the region 13333, 16129 and 20833 corresponding to the transitions 3A2g → 2T2g(F), 3A2g → 3T1g(F), 3A2g → 3T1g(P) respectively which show an octahedral geometry for these complexes à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º41à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º42à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Co(II) complex In the electronic spectra of Co(II) complex, 4c three absorption bands in the region 12903, 14925 and 20200 cm-1 were seen, which may correspond to the transition 4T1g→ 4T2g(F), 4T1g ­ → 4A2g (F) and 4T1g → 4T1g(P), respectively, indicating an octahedral geometry à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º43à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º44à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Zn (II) Complex No significant absorption was noticed in Zn(II) complex, 4d, above 400nm probably due to diamagnetic nature and completely filled d- orbitals. In the Zn(II) complex only transitions due to à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ®Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ °* and nà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ®Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ °* were seen. Antimicrobial activity Synthesized ligand 3 and metal chelates 4a-d were tested for their antimicrobial activity against two bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and two fungi Aspregillus flavus and Aspergillus niger by adopting Serial Dilution Method à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º45à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º46à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ .. The micro-organisms were cultured in nutrient agar medium à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º46à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  which was prepared by taking 6.0 gm peptone, 1.50 gm beef extract, 1.0 gm dextrose, 3.0 g yeast extract, 1.50 g agar (for slant) in 1 liter distilled water for bacteria and 10.0g peptone, 20.0g dextrose, 20.50g agar (for slant) in 1 liter distilled water for fungi. Measured quantities of the test compounds were dissolved in propylene glycol. First set was prepared for primary screening by taking 1ml (2000 µg/ml) of seeded broth (obtained by 1:100 dilution of the incubated micro-organism broth culture) in 10 well cleaned sterilized test tubes and gradual dilution process was continued for all the ten tubes using a fresh pipette each time. All the above sets of tubes were incubated at 37oC for 24 hours for bacteria and at 28oC for 96 hours for fungi. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values were determined at the end of incubation period. Active synthesized compounds, found in the primary screening were further tested for secondary screening by taking 1ml (1500 µg/ml) of seeded broth against all microorganisms. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In this present work synthesis of 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) was carried out by adding an aqueous solution of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and potassium hydroxide drop-wise to a methanolic solution of ethyl 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (2). The solution was continuously stirred for 72 hours at room temperature, which on acidification give crude solid. (Scheme I). Compound 3 on stirring with different metal salts, gave corresponding metal complexes 4a-d (Scheme II). All the metal complexes obtained were solid and stable at room temperature and insoluble in most of the common organic solvents. The spectroscopic and analytical data (Table 2) are in good agreement with theoretical values for the ligand and metal complexes. Table 2. Analytical data and physical properties of the hydroxamic acid 3 and metal complexes 4a-d. S.No. Compd Molecular Formula Color Percentage Elemental Analysis Calc./ (Found) M.P. /D.T. (oC) Yield (%) C H N 1 3 C19H17N3O5 Dark Pink 62.12 (61.90) 4.63 (4.52) 11.44 (11.28) 1560C 85% 2 4a à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºCu(C19H16N3O5)2.2H20à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  Yellowish Brown 54.87 (53.27) 4.33 (4.30) 10.10 (9.90) 2480C 71% 3 4b à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºNi(C19H16N3O5)2.2H20à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  Light Pink 55.22 (54.70) 4.39 (4.25) 10.13 (10.10) 2700C 70% 4 4c à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºCo(C19H16N3O5)2.2H20à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  Pink 55.20 (54.70) 4.35 (4.25) 10.16 (10.20) 3220C 75% 5 4d à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºZn(C19H16N3O5)2.2H20à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  Brown 54.67 (53.80) 4.32 (4.30) 10.07 (9.89) 3100C 70% Antimicrobial Activity The newly synthesized hydroxamic acid 3 and its metal chelates 4a-d were tested for their antimicrobial activity against two bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia Coli and two fungi Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. The experimental results of MIC values (Table 3) show moderate activity of all the compounds against both bacteria and fungi. Further, it has been found that the metal complexes were more active than hydroxamic acid. This increased antimicrobial activity of the complexes as compared to the hydroxamic acid is probably due to the fact that chelation increases the lipophilicity of the complexes, which subsequently enhances the penetration through the lipid layer of cell membrane and restricts further multiplicity of the microorganism à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º46à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Among the metal complexes, Cu (II) complex 4a was found most active against both bacteria and fungi. The higher antimicrobial activity of Cu (II) complex may be due to higher stability constant of copper complexes. Table 3. The minimum inhibitory concentration ( µg/ml) MIC values of hydroxamic acid 3 and their metal complexes 4a-d. S.No. Compound Bacteria Fungi Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli Aspergillus niger Aspergillus flavus 1 3 325 325 250 325 2 4a 125 125 250 250 3 4b 325 500 500 325 4 4c 500 250 250 325 5 4d 500 250 250 250 CONCLUSION Four new metal chelates, 4a-d with ligand 3 have been synthesized and characterized. Octahedral geometries were proposed for the prepared metal complexes. All the synthesized hydoxamic acids and their metal chelates were screened for antimicrobial activity. A comparative study of the MIC values of the ligand and its complexes show that complexes exhibit higher antimicrobial activity than free ligand. Among the metal complexes, Cu (II) complex 4a was found most active against both bacteria and fungi. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT One of the authors Ms. Rashmi Tomar is grateful to UGC, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, for providing fellowship. 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Failure At The Battle Of Britain History Essay

Failure At The Battle Of Britain History Essay In the summer of 1940, the Battle of Britain was fought between the Royal Air Force of Great Britain and the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany. The assault was Hitlers attempt at decimating Britains air force and morale, enabling a full-scale seaborne invasion of Britain. The failure of such an ambitious undertaking marked Germanys first significant defeat and became a turning point in World War Two. More than seventy years later, historians continue to debate over the reasons for the failure of the Luftwaffe, prompting an investigation to answer: To what extent was the Luftwaffe responsible for their failure at the Battle of Britain? This essay analyses both sides of the debate; either that the RAFs successes were the most important cause of Germanys failure, or that it was the errors of the Luftwaffe that proved decisive in Britains victory. Utilizing the views of historians such as Stephen Bungay, RJ Overy and JP Ray, this essay also employs some primary sources to consolidate both arguments, and forms a conclusion to the investigation. Although the Luftwaffe were not perfectly suited to the task of singlehandedly eliminating Britains key defences, being a support force rather than a strategic one, the sheer number of pilots and planes that they had at their disposal, combined with the fact that they did not have to defend anything themselves, should have guaranteed a German victory. Instead, the constantly shifting strategy and bad leadership combined with flawed intelligence complicated the operation. Additionally, Britain benefited from the leadership of Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Air Marshal Hugh Dowding, while being aided by their radar early warning system and the advantage of fighting within friendly territory. In conclusion, however, the Luftwaffe was still the clear favourite and it was only through their mistakes that the RAF was able to survive. Introduction The Battle of Britain, part of the Second World War, began in the summer of 1940, on the 10th of July. An entirely aerial battle, Hitler initiated the assault as a preliminary phase of his invasion of Britain, codenamed Operation Sea Lion. The Luftwaffe was meant to neutralize the RAF and Britains other key defences, enabling the German Navy to land and discharge troops. Not only was this failure a psychological blow to the Nazi war effort, but also more significantly it thwarted Hitlers planning for the German invasion of the USSR, for which timing was crucial. The Luftwaffe was overconfident as a result of its successes across the rest of Europe, but it failed to anticipate the conditions of a battle fought exclusively in the air; understandably, since the Battle of Britain was the first entirely aerial conflict. Hermann Goering, the commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, assured Hitler that he could guarantee control of the skies above the channel, protecting the German invasion for ce from the RAF. Not only did the Battle last far longer than intended, but also the Luftwaffe failed their objective, forcing Hitler to postpone Operation Sea Lion indefinitely  [1]  . Both during the Battle and in the years following it, the British cleverly capitalised on the propaganda value of their success. This gave rise to the initial popular view that it was the courage and resilience of the RAF that had repelled the Luftwaffe through sheer determination, overcoming the numerical odds. Indeed, Churchill would often mention in his speeches and later his memoirs the importance of the Few  [2]  . However, orthodox historical investigations adopted a more analytical and less sensationalist view that Britains inherent advantages of radar and friendly territory tipped the scales in their favour, combined with the heroism of the pilots and Britains impressive fighter production and sound leadership  [3]  . An alternative revisionist view emerged later as records out of Germany came to light, stating that despite all of this Britain would still have lost if the Luftwaffe had not conducted their campaign so poorly  [4]  . After all, it is undisputed that the Germans had greater numbers of planes  [5]  and more importantly, capable, experienced pilots. The fact that such a key event continues to be a subject of intense debate merits an investigation into what actually was the more decisive factor. Therefore the following research question is still very relevant today: To what extent was the Luftwaffe responsible for their failure at the Battle of Britain? While both sides of the debate provide compelling evidence, ultimately, for all of the RAFs courage and advantages, the Luftwaffe should have been able to overwhelm them with sheer brute force and elementary tactics, but the extent to which the Luftwaffes mistakes altered the course of the Battle led to Britains victory. The RAFs responsibility for the result There can be no doubt that the RAF showed an unprecedented level of resilience and intelligence in dealing with the German threat, and despite all of the propaganda associated with it, there is a great deal of evidence that supports this orthodox view. One of the major contributors to this success was the system implemented by Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding, aptly named the Dowding system of defence. Dowding organized a structured system of command and networked intelligence, with several scattered Sectors reporting to four groups, and each group then filtering and passing on the necessary information to the central Fighter Command Headquarters  [6]  . The Dowding system ensured that Fighter Command was able to receive a clear and updated picture of the Battle at all times. This was in no small part due to the implementation of Radio Direction Finding (RDF) also known as radar, which was instrumental in ensuring that Fighter Command knew exactly when and where the Germans were attacking. Since its inception in 1935, Dowding had personally championed the radar system. Furthermore, the use of radar was cleverly organised; Fighter Command controlled the radar, but each sector was able to control its airfields and observers, enabling local control that avoided the potential delay of waiting for Fighter Commands directions. Additionally, as Fighter Command directly received radar, if the Luftwaffe succeeded in bombing a station, Fighter Command would continue to function unimpaired. On the 7th of September 1940, the Luftwaffe attacked London with 400 bombers escorted by fighters. This attack tested the efficiency of the system; once the Germans were detected by the radar and confirmed as three waves of aircraft, the commander of 11 Group, Keith Park, sent six of his squadrons to combat the first wave while holding the remainder of the group for the other two, saving fuel. Meanwhile, 12 Group and 10 Group were deployed to protect 11 Groups vulnerable airfields from German bombers  [7]  . Dowdings system was able to eliminate the Luftwaffes advantage of surprise  [8]  , allowing the British to send out the precise number of aircraft exactly where they were needed to thwart the Germans; and this became a vital component of Britains victory, especially since the Germans refused to recognize the threat of it. Another factor in the result of the Battle was the ability of the British factories to replace lost and damaged aircraft. Britains fighter production was far better than Germanys, approximately 500 per month against just over 150 per month by the Germans  [9]  . In addition, these aircraft were Hurricanes and Spitfires, high quality planes that were more than a match for Germanys own Bf 109s and 110s  [10]  . The rapid rate of production ensured that the RAF never had a shortage of operational aircraft, although the same could not be said of their pilot reserves.  [11]  . This impressive level of production was primarily due to Lord Beaverbrooks ability to deregulate the processes used for aircraft production, in his capacity as Minister of Aircraft Production. With Churchills help, Beaverbrook managed to persuade British citizens to donate pots, pans and even fences and railings to be used in factories in a scheme dubbed Saucepans to Spitfires  [12]  . Churchill ofte n lauded Beaverbrooks success, during these weeks of intense struggle and ceaseless anxiety, claiming that his personal buoyancy and vigour were a tonic  [13]  , and on the 2nd of August 1940 he appointed Beaverbrook to the War Cabinet. The results of Beaverbrooks efforts were directly reflected in the number of operational airplanes, which rose from 560 to 730 between June and November  [14]  . The orthodox view gives great importance to Dowdings excellent tactical deployment of his aircraft in determining the RAFs victory. Dowding was aware from the beginning that the number of trained pilots available was always dangerously scarce; a notion supported by accounts from fighter pilots that emerged after the war, claiming that they were often scrambled three or four times a day  [15]  . Despite strong suggestions from 12 Group Commander Trafford Leigh-Mallory and the leader of 242 squadron Douglas Bader to attack the Germans head on in a massive fire fight, Dowding held firm with his strategy of utilizing his early warning system to send out a small number of planes to intercept the Germans where they were most needed. Furthermore, during the last days of the Battle of France, Dowding refused to send out any more squadrons to the aid of the French, recognizing that Frances defeat was inevitable  [16]  . During the Battle of Britain, 11 Group, which often bore the brunt of the German attack, frequently requested Fighter Command for support from the other Groups. Indeed, some of the pilots in 11 Group who later recounted their experiences have criticized Dowding for putting too much strain on Air Vice Marshal Park  [17]  , although it is unlikely that these pilots would have sympathized with the general strategy after the ordeals they were put through. Dowding also understood that the RAF had an essential advantage in fighting over friendly territory; firstly, an RAF pilot who ejected from his plane could easily be rescued and returned to the front-line, whereas German pilots would become prisoners of war, or drown in the Channel. Considering that out of the more than 800 planes shot down, only 507 RAF pilots were killed, this was extremely valuable given the RAFs lack of reserve pilots  [18]  . Secondly, the Luftwaffe was operating out of France, which meant they had to waste precious fuel crossing the English Channel, whereas the RAF planes took off much nearer to the points of interception.  [19]   Another aspect of the RAFs ingenuity that worked in their favour was their quick adaptation of aerial combat tactics. The nature of the Battle of Britain was such that both the RAF and the Luftwaffe were initially unprepared for the scale and pace of the fighting that was conducted. As per the training manual, RAF pilots initially used a conventional formation with two wingmen flying behind the leader at a fixed distance, which limited their ability to defend the leader  [20]  . By contrast, the Luftwaffe sent fighters operating in a two pair formation around their bombers, and towards the end of July the RAF had already adopted this strategy. Wing Commander H. R. Allen of 11 Group believed that if the RAF had used this method from the beginning, they would have been several times more efficient at destroying German aircraft  [21]  . Since Allen was a pilot who actually fought in the Battle, it is reasonable to assume that he would have been able to evaluate this effectively. Also, the RAF modified their standard squadron formation, using part of the squadron flying in three lines, while the rest flew above and to the rear, offering better defence and ready replacements for any losses in the front  [22]  . Another important tactic employed by the RAF was to send their faster, more agile Spitfires against the German Messerschmitt 109s, while allowing their Hurricanes to eliminate the slower and more vulnerable German bombers. Britains adaptability helped to conserve their limited resources and efficiently engage the enemy, offering crucial tactical gains. While the RAF were busy fighting the Germans in the skies, Britains Prime Minister Winston Churchill was equally active in rallying Great Britain behind their courageous Royal Air Force. Churchills skills as an orator and motivator undoubtedly played a part in Britains victory. Although Hitler could be equally charismatic, he showed very little interest in the Battle, deferring responsibilities to Goering while he focused on Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the USSR  [23]  . Churchill wrote in his memoirs Their Finest Hour how he cannot speak too highly of the loyalty of Mr Chamberlain, or of the resolution and efficiency of all of my Cabinet colleagues, and yet Churchill himself was constantly visiting various Group stations and Fighter Command, asking for updates and estimates of progress  [24]  . A notable example of this was Churchills arrival at 11 Groups Headquarters in Uxbridge on the 15th of September, and remained in the Group Operations room with Air Vice-Marsh al Park for most of the battles duration  [25]  . In addition to this, Churchills address to the House of Commons on the 18th of June famously spoke of Britains finest hour and of how never has so much in the field of conflict been owed by so many to so few. These speeches helped to boost the morale not only of the public, but more importantly that of the overworked RAF pilots  [26]  . Moreover, Britain also benefited from the intelligence it received. During the Battle, both sides overestimated the enemys losses while underestimating their own, partly to increase morale, but also due to the chaotic circumstances that made it extremely difficult to gather reliable intelligence. According to Stephen Bungay, Britain also overestimated the overall strength of the enemy force, judging Luftwaffe front line strength to exceed 5000 when in reality there were around 3000 German aircraft with 900 reserves. This discouraged an all out Big Wing assault, which would have negated Britains advantages and caused careless losses  [27]  . Furthermore, by the time of the Battle the British were able to decode German messages using their Enigma machine; although some historians argue that Fighter Command was unaware of the Enigma breakthrough until as late as October  [28]  . The RAF were also aided by a branch of the observer corps known as Y Service, which yielded unprecede nted results simply by listening in to various German radio frequencies  [29]  . These aspects of the RAFs intelligence network compounded by the Dowding early warning system ensured that the RAF were alerted of the Luftwaffes moves as much as possible. The many advantages that the RAF both inherently began with and later cultivated enabled them to put up a strong defence, resulting in the Luftwaffe coming off worse in nearly every exchange. In a stark contrast to the Luftwaffe, the RAF prospered under an efficient system of intelligence, tactical adaptability and reliable leadership. There can be no doubt that these were important contributors to their victory, to a limited extent. The Luftwaffes responsibility for the result Hitler commanded his Luftwaffe to maintain air superiority over the Channel and Island.  [30]  While the Luftwaffe outnumbered the RAF, an important point to note is that of the 3000 aircraft sent to Britain, only 1200 of those were fighters, while the 1800 bombers were far more vulnerable against the Hurricanes and Spitfires  [31]  . One of the most costly failures of the Luftwaffe was their wayward tactics and strategy. This was explicitly demonstrated in the inexplicable gap in the offensive between the British evacuations of Dunkirk on the 4th of June and the final launch Operation Eagle Attack (the codename of the assault) on the 13th of August  [32]  . During this period, both sides were able to replace their losses after the Battle of France, however since Britains production was much higher than Germanys, the Luftwaffe effectively weakened their position by waiting. Moreover, the minor intermittent raids conducted by German aircraft gave Britain a chance to test and perfect the Dowding system  [33]  . Additionally, this delay was compounded by a lack of focus in the German plan of attack; the Luftwaffe was attempting to attack merchant convoys on the Channel, British airfields and radar stations in the South as well as fighting a war of attrition by engaging RAF airplanes. The overall result of the se endeavours was that while there was some success in each of these objectives, it was very limited  [34]  . No targets were actually crippled beyond repair, especially since Hermann Goering considered attacking the radar stations a waste of time and resources, a clear display of ignorance that made the system all the more effective for the RAF. Perhaps the single most detrimental decision made by the Luftwaffe was the decision to switch bombing targets from the RAF airfields to the British cities. Many historians have attributed this to an accidental German bomb dropped on London, which prompted retaliation against Berlin, thus enraging Hitler to the point of ordering the destruction of London  [35]  . This proved to be a turning point in the Battle for a number of reasons. Firstly, it gave the RAF much-needed breathing space to repair airfields, train new pilots and deploy them. Secondly, Fighter Command could now organize its groups around London and concentrate its forces, instead of having to stretch them across the south coast. Thirdly, in London air raid shelters had already been constructed throughout London which somewhat limited civilian casualties, as the attacks on the countryside were abandoned  [36]  . A further point is that the journey to London took the German fighters and bombers, who were operating out of Normandy and Belgium, to the limit of their fuel capacity, offering them mere minutes of flight time over the city. Ironically, even Goering seemed to immediately realize this, commenting its stupid to drop bombs on cities.  [37]  While the orthodox views confidently identify this as the saviour of the RAF, revisionists have argued that although it gave Fighter Command some breathing space it was an inevitable tactic given that the bombers damage to the airfields was limited  [38]  . Although there is disagreement over the extent to which this affected the outcome of the Battle, it was a factor that cannot be ignored; this respite was complemented by the RAFs high fighter production that allowed them to recoup their losses quickly. While Great Britain was able to rely on Churchill and Dowding to bolster their resolve and devise effective strategies, the Luftwaffe deteriorated under the command of Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering. Not only did Hitler overestimate the Luftwaffes capabilities as an attack force by expecting them to singlehandedly eliminate British defences, he made matters worse by ordering the Luftwaffe to bomb London, purely as a result of his political outrage over the raid on Berlin. Churchill publicly denounced Hitlers inability to grasp aerial warfare, Herr Hitler is using up his fighter force  [39]  . Goering on the other hand did not actively coordinate his forces as his British counterpart Dowding did, nor did he make any effort to motivate his pilots; as German ace Adolf Galland claims, he went about it the wrong way  [40]  . However, being a contemporary German source, it is important to note that a pilot like Galland would prefer to blame the strategy of his officers for the de feat rather than the performance of pilots such as himself. As the tide of the Battle began to turn, the leadership flaws were exposed and this made the Luftwaffe even more impotent, which proved to be a necessary component of the RAFs success. Another aspect of the Luftwaffes failure was their unsuitability as a force for the task that was put to them. This view is supported by many revisionists, who investigated German records after the war and came to the conclusion that the Luftwaffe was a support force, designed to aid the Wehrmacht (Army) by bombing key targets ahead of the armoured advance on the ground  [41]  . The only Air Force the Luftwaffe had to contend with prior to the Battle of France was the Polish Air Force, who fought valiantly but ultimately had too few planes, all of which were also obsolete  [42]  . Furthermore, despite Goerings confidence that he could destroy the RAF, the Luftwaffes planes were unsuited to the task. While the Bf 109 could outmanoeuvre a Spitfire at high altitudes, it was limited both by a low fuel capacity, and the fact that it had to protect the low flying Ju 87 dive-bombers  [43]  . By 1940 Germany had not yet developed long-range heavy bombers, since Goering believed t hat dive-bombers were sufficient for any assault. While the Ju 87s and 88s were accurate, they were unable to defend themselves against Hurricanes and Spitfires, which allowed the RAF to pick them off with ease once their fighter escorts had been dealt with. This became a huge problem when the Luftwaffe began bombing London, which was even further north, as the Bf 109s only had an effective range of 125 miles  [44]  . This problem was highlighted on August 15th 1940, when 30 German bombers were shot down at the cost of two Hurricanes, which also demonstrated that in daylight, the German aircraft were even more vulnerable  [45]  . Furthermore, Keegan believes that because the Luftwaffe had more bombers than fighters, their fighter strength was insignificantly greater than the RAF condemning their operation from the beginning. Clearly, the Luftwaffe was completely unprepared for their operation, and in the war of attrition they came off worse as a result. Many of the tactical errors made by Goering were based on faulty intelligence received, and this was responsible for much of the self-inflicted damage. Firstly, in the Air Intelligence Departments report, the Dowding system was labelled as rigid and inflexible, and this was partly the reason that Goering dismissed the radar stations as insignificant targets. This was undoubtedly a costly mishap; the radar eliminated the Luftwaffes much-needed element of surprise and there were only six proper attacks against the radar stations during the course of the Battle  [46]  . Not only was Britains overall fighter strength underestimated, but fighter production itself was also underestimated, with intelligence estimating 230 planes a day while the reality was well over 400  [47]  . The intelligence department suffered from managerial deficiencies; there were several different agencies attempting to curry favour by providing positive (and false) reports, which would even conflict with e ach other at times. Goering received a report that the Bf 110 could hold its own against the Hurricane, which complicated battle tactics later when the reality emerged and the Bf 110 squadrons had to be reinforced with the superior Bf 109s  [48]  . This was a key flaw that separated the Luftwaffe from the RAF, and this allowed the RAF to maximise the useful implementation of their intelligence without facing effective retaliation. In addition, while Britain may have benefited from overestimating German losses by boosting morale, the same did not apply to the Luftwaffe. The overestimation of RAF losses bred complacency, and Goering was often made to look foolish by confidently asserting that the RAF would be destroyed within the week only to have the Battle continue to drag on  [49]  . At one point Goering was under the impression that the RAF only had 100 operational fighters, while the reality was more than 700  [50]  . The bad estimates of numbers, the underestimation of radar and the overestimation of German fighter capability all created an atmosphere of arrogance and complacency, which proved detrimental to the Luftwaffe. Although the Luftwaffe should have prevailed through sheer force of numbers, it was constantly let down by unfocused strategy, distracted leadership and incorrect intelligence. Also, the overconfidence of Goering ensured that crucial problems were not rectified in time, and this created a sluggishness that was uncharacteristic of the nation that had Blitzkreiged across Western Europe, and unacceptable given the circumstances of the Battle. Conclusion There is a great deal of sound evidence and judgement on both sides of the argument. It would have been unfair to entirely discount the orthodox view in favour of the revisionist. After all, the RAF was fighting on friendly territory, their early warning system eliminated the German element of surprise, they were highly motivated by their leaders and any tactics which may have initially been obsolete were quickly adapted, turning the RAF into one of the best Air Forces of World War Two and certainly one of the most experienced. Additionally, a high rate of fighter production supported by civilian initiatives enabled the RAF to maintain and expand its front-line strength over the course of the Battle. The Luftwaffe, meanwhile, benefited from superior numbers and experienced personnel. However, the Luftwaffe were more suited to providing support for the Army, rather than engaging another air force, as indicated by their large quantities of outdated and unsuitable bombers. During the Battle, the Luftwaffe suffered a number of setbacks, as a result of their lax leadership, meandering strategy, and faulty intelligence from sycophantic and competitive agencies. The most debilitating demonstration of this was the decision to switch bombing targets from airfields and other military installations to British cities, allowing the RAF time to recover and replace their losses, while accomplishing very little instead. Although the RAF put up an excellent defence, the objective that the Luftwaffe were assigned, to pave the way for the invasion force and weaken or destroy the RAF should have been possible based on their numerical superiority; certainly prior to the Battle there was very little hope for Britain. Furthermore, it is important to understand that rather than two separate developments of the Battle, the German mistakes and British successes

A Formalist Approach to Eavan Boland’s The River :: Boland River Essays

A Formalist Approach to Eavan Boland’s The River Over the years many different ways of analyzing poetry have been developed. One such approach is the â€Å"New Critical,† or the â€Å"Formalist,† which is based on the writings of Coleridge. The formalist approach is useful because it takes the poem’s form, which may be overlooked, and analyzes it to see what its effect is on the meaning of the poem. There are other aspects taken into consideration, like who the speaker is and how the author incorporates â€Å"ironic awareness† into the poem. Eavan Boland’s message in â€Å"The River† comes across best when looking at the poem with the formalist approach, taking into consideration the speaker and the speaker’s situation, the organic form, and the use of irony. Some aspects may have more importance than others, but all need to be looked at, beginning with the speaker. Using the hints within the poem, I see the speaker as possibly being an adult writing or talking to a parent or some unspecified figure about her early childhood. The speaker could be looking back at a time when someone took her to a river, and she is reporting what she saw. There is textual evidence to support all of these claims. The possibility the speaker is looking back at a childhood experience is shown when she writes, I remember how strange it felt- not having any names for the red oak and the rail and the slantways plunge of the osprey. (6-12) I see the speaker as possibly being a child because the speaker remembers not knowing the actual names of what she saw. A young child wouldn’t know â€Å"rail† or the osprey’s dive, probably using a word such as â€Å"birdie.† The other choice for the speaker is an adult, who is speaking about a time spent at a river in a foreign land. This is the choice I see as most likely possible because the speaker says it feels strange to not know the names, yet as a child I never felt odd because I didn’t know a type of bird.

Ridged Puritan Society in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter: Ridged Puritan Society In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, life is centered around a rigid Puritan society in which one is unable to divulge his or her innermost thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how he or she truly feels; otherwise the emotions are bottled up until they become volatile. Unfortunately, society did not permit this kind of expression; thus characters had to seek alternate means to relieve their personal needs and desires. Luckily, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne provides such a sanctuary in the form of the mysterious forest. Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a kind of "shelter" for members of society in need of a refuge from daily Puritan life. In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the pivotal characters bring forth hidden thoughts and emotions. The forest track leads away from the settlement out into the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. This is precisely the escape route from strict mandates of law and religion, to a refuge where men, as well as women, can open up and be themselves. It is here that Dimmesdale openly acknowledges Hester and his undying love for her. It is also here that Hester can do the same for Dimmesdale. Finally, it is here that the two of them can openly engage in conversation without being preoccupied with the constraints that Puritan society places on them. Truly, Hester takes advantage of this, when Arthur Dimmesdale appears. She openly talks with Dimmesdale about subjects which would never be mentioned in any place other than the forest. "What we did..." she reminds him, "had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said to each other!" This statement shocks Dimmesdale and he tells Hester to hush, but he eventually realizes that he is in an environment where he can openly express his emotions. The thought of Hester and Dimmesdale having an intimate conversation in the confines of the society in which they live is incomprehensible. Yet here, in the forest, they can throw away all reluctance and finally be themselves under the umbrella of security, which exists. In Puritan society, self-reliance is stressed among many other things. However, self-reliance is more than stressed- it is assumed. It is assumed that you need only yourself, and therefore should have no emotional necessity for a "shoulder to cry on". Ridged Puritan Society in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays The Scarlet Letter: Ridged Puritan Society In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, life is centered around a rigid Puritan society in which one is unable to divulge his or her innermost thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how he or she truly feels; otherwise the emotions are bottled up until they become volatile. Unfortunately, society did not permit this kind of expression; thus characters had to seek alternate means to relieve their personal needs and desires. Luckily, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne provides such a sanctuary in the form of the mysterious forest. Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a kind of "shelter" for members of society in need of a refuge from daily Puritan life. In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the pivotal characters bring forth hidden thoughts and emotions. The forest track leads away from the settlement out into the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. This is precisely the escape route from strict mandates of law and religion, to a refuge where men, as well as women, can open up and be themselves. It is here that Dimmesdale openly acknowledges Hester and his undying love for her. It is also here that Hester can do the same for Dimmesdale. Finally, it is here that the two of them can openly engage in conversation without being preoccupied with the constraints that Puritan society places on them. Truly, Hester takes advantage of this, when Arthur Dimmesdale appears. She openly talks with Dimmesdale about subjects which would never be mentioned in any place other than the forest. "What we did..." she reminds him, "had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said to each other!" This statement shocks Dimmesdale and he tells Hester to hush, but he eventually realizes that he is in an environment where he can openly express his emotions. The thought of Hester and Dimmesdale having an intimate conversation in the confines of the society in which they live is incomprehensible. Yet here, in the forest, they can throw away all reluctance and finally be themselves under the umbrella of security, which exists. In Puritan society, self-reliance is stressed among many other things. However, self-reliance is more than stressed- it is assumed. It is assumed that you need only yourself, and therefore should have no emotional necessity for a "shoulder to cry on".

The New Standard: VoiceXML Essay -- Computer Programming Languages

VoiceXML the New Standard for Voice Applications From the initial introduction of VoiceXML in March of 2000, the world of customer service and voice applications have been turned upside down. Before VoiceXML, companies were complaining about the flexibility of their voice applications. Problems were arising because consumers were growing tired of using the touch-tone keypad on their telephones to select options and companies were losing more money than they would have liked. In order to increase the portability of their applications, companies decided to find a new way to standardize their interface. The solution that came about was VoiceXML, which was created by Motorola, AT&T, Lucent Technologies and IBM. The VoiceXML language is based on the World Wide Web Consortium's XML standard. Through the use of VoiceXML speech enabled applications have begun to help companies cut costs and deliver superior service. This standard has almost revolutionized the way that companies handle automated calls. This standard has started a competitive market for other platforms that enable businesses to improve all processes of their customer care and communication over the phone. VoiceXML or VXML is an open standard for building and controlling intelligent voice applications that incorporate speech recognition and text to speech technologies. According to Xiaole Song, VoiceXML is designed to be platform independent around the same server logic pull model used for HTML applications. Developers are able to create audio dialogs that have speech, audio, and the recognition of spoken and touch tone input and mixed conversations. Most of the existing automatic call handling systems lacked intelligence because they were built on menu st... ...2001, Aug 1) Let voice XML speak [Online] 2 pages; Available: http://www.wirelessreview.com Song, Xiaole. (2004, June 14) Implementing Speech-Enables Contact Center Applications [Online], 6 pages, Available: http://www.tmcnet.com/ Mitchell, Robert L. (2005, August 22) Smart Talk: Speech-enabled apps deliver bottom line benefits [Online] 5 pages, Available: http://www.computerworld.com Mitchell, Robert L. (2005, August 22) Smart Talk: Speech-enabled apps deliver bottom line benefits [Online] 5 pages, Available: http://www.computerworld.com Mitchell, Robert L. (2005, August 22) Smart Talk: Speech-enabled apps deliver bottom line benefits [Online] 5 pages, Available: http://www.computerworld.com SPEECHTEK (2005, Aug. 1) VoiceXML Platform Certification Program Gains Momentum [Online] 2 pages, Available: http://www.voicexml.org/press/press_releases The New Standard: VoiceXML Essay -- Computer Programming Languages VoiceXML the New Standard for Voice Applications From the initial introduction of VoiceXML in March of 2000, the world of customer service and voice applications have been turned upside down. Before VoiceXML, companies were complaining about the flexibility of their voice applications. Problems were arising because consumers were growing tired of using the touch-tone keypad on their telephones to select options and companies were losing more money than they would have liked. In order to increase the portability of their applications, companies decided to find a new way to standardize their interface. The solution that came about was VoiceXML, which was created by Motorola, AT&T, Lucent Technologies and IBM. The VoiceXML language is based on the World Wide Web Consortium's XML standard. Through the use of VoiceXML speech enabled applications have begun to help companies cut costs and deliver superior service. This standard has almost revolutionized the way that companies handle automated calls. This standard has started a competitive market for other platforms that enable businesses to improve all processes of their customer care and communication over the phone. VoiceXML or VXML is an open standard for building and controlling intelligent voice applications that incorporate speech recognition and text to speech technologies. According to Xiaole Song, VoiceXML is designed to be platform independent around the same server logic pull model used for HTML applications. Developers are able to create audio dialogs that have speech, audio, and the recognition of spoken and touch tone input and mixed conversations. Most of the existing automatic call handling systems lacked intelligence because they were built on menu st... ...2001, Aug 1) Let voice XML speak [Online] 2 pages; Available: http://www.wirelessreview.com Song, Xiaole. (2004, June 14) Implementing Speech-Enables Contact Center Applications [Online], 6 pages, Available: http://www.tmcnet.com/ Mitchell, Robert L. (2005, August 22) Smart Talk: Speech-enabled apps deliver bottom line benefits [Online] 5 pages, Available: http://www.computerworld.com Mitchell, Robert L. (2005, August 22) Smart Talk: Speech-enabled apps deliver bottom line benefits [Online] 5 pages, Available: http://www.computerworld.com Mitchell, Robert L. (2005, August 22) Smart Talk: Speech-enabled apps deliver bottom line benefits [Online] 5 pages, Available: http://www.computerworld.com SPEECHTEK (2005, Aug. 1) VoiceXML Platform Certification Program Gains Momentum [Online] 2 pages, Available: http://www.voicexml.org/press/press_releases

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter Six

â€Å"She's already made her choice. You saw it yourself when you ‘interrupted' us. You've already chosen, haven't you, Elena?† Stefan said it not smugly, or as a demand, but with a kind of desperate bravado. â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena looked up. â€Å"Stefan, I love you. But don't you understand, if I have a choice right now I have to choose for all of us to stay together. Just for now. Do you understand?† Seeing only stoniness in Stefan's face, she turned to Damon. â€Å"Do you?† â€Å"I think so.† He gave her a secret, possessive smile. â€Å"I told Stefan from the beginning that he was selfish not to share you. Brothers should share things, you know.† â€Å"That's not what I meant.† â€Å"Isn't it?† Damon smiled again. â€Å"No,† Stefan said. â€Å"I don't understand, and I don't see how you can ask me to work with him. He's evil, Elena. He kills for pleasure; he has no conscience at all. He doesn't care about Fell's Church; he said that himself. He's a monster-â€Å" â€Å"Right now he's being more cooperative than you are,† Elena said. She reached for Stefan's hand, searching for some way to get through to him. â€Å"Stefan, I need you. And we both need him. Can't you try to accept that?† When he didn't answer she added, â€Å"Stefan, do you really want to be mortal enemies with your brother forever?† â€Å"Do you really think he wants anything else?† Elena stared down at their joined hands, looking at the planes and curves and shadows. She didn't answer for a minute, and when she did it was very quietly. â€Å"He stopped me from killing you,† she said. She felt the flare of Stefan's defensive anger, then felt it slowly fade. Something like defeat crept through him, and he bowed his head. â€Å"That's true,† he said. â€Å"And, anyway, who am I to call him evil? What's he done that I haven't done myself?† We need to talk, Elena thought, hating this self-hatred of his. But this wasn't the time or place. â€Å"Then you do agree?† she said hesitantly. â€Å"Stefan, tell me what you're thinking.† â€Å"Right now I'm thinking that you always get your way. Because you always do, don't you, Elena?† Elena looked into his eyes, noticing how the pupils were dilated, so that only a ring of green iris showed around the edge. There was no longer anger there, but the tiredness and the bitterness remained. But I'm not just doing it for myself, she thought, thrusting out of her mind the sudden surge of self-doubt. I'll prove that to you, Stefan; you'll see. For once I'm not doing something for my own convenience. But I'm not just doing it for myself, she thought, thrusting out of her mind the sudden surge of self-doubt. I'll prove that to you, Stefan; you'll see. For once I'm not doing something for my own convenience. â€Å"Yes. I†¦ agree.† â€Å"And I agree,† said Damon, extending his own hand with exaggerated courtesy. He captured Elena's before she could say anything. â€Å"In fact, we all seem to be in a frenzy of pure agreement.† Don't, Elena thought, but at that moment, standing in the cool twilight of the choir loft, she felt that it was true, that they were all three connected, and in accord, and strong. Then Stefan pulled his hand away. In the silence that followed, Elena could hear the sounds outside and in the church below. There was still crying and the occasional shout, but the overall urgency was gone. Looking out the window, she saw people picking their way across the wet parking lot between the little groups that huddled over wounded victims. Dr. Feinberg was moving from island to island, apparently dispensing medical advice. The victims looked like survivors of a hurricane or earthquake. â€Å"No one is what they seem,† Elena said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"That's what Bonnie said during the memorial service. She had another one of her fits. I think it might be important.† She tried to put her thoughts in order. â€Å"I think there are people in town that we ought to look out for. Like Alaric Saltzman.† She told them, briefly, what she had overheard earlier that day in Alaric's house. â€Å"He's not what he seems, but I don't know exactly what he is. I think we should watch him. And since I obviously can't appear in public, you two are going to have to do it. But you can't let him suspect you know-† Elena broke off as Damon held up a hand swiftly. Down at the base of the stairs, a voice was calling. â€Å"Stefan? Are you up there?† And then, to someone else, â€Å"I thought I saw him go up here.† It sounded like Mr. Carson. â€Å"Go,† Elena hissed almost inaudibly to Stefan, â€Å"You have to be as normal as possible so you can stay here in Fell's Church. I'll be all right.† â€Å"But where will you go?† â€Å"To Meredith's. I'll explain later. Go on.† Stefan hesitated, and then started down the stairs, calling, â€Å"I'm coming.† Then he pulled back. â€Å"I'm not leaving you with him,† he said flatly. Elena threw her hands up in exasperation. â€Å"Then both of you go. You just agreed to work together; are you going to go back on your word now?† she added to Damon, who was looking unyielding himself. He gave another of his little shrugs. â€Å"All right. Just one thing-are you hungry?† â€Å"That's good. But later on, you will be. Remember that.† He crowded Stefan down the stairs, earning himself a searing look. But Elena heard Stefan's voice in her mind as they both disappeared. I'll come for you later. Wait for me. She wished she could answer with her own thoughts. She also noticed something. Stefan's mental voice was much weaker than it had been four days ago when he had been fighting his brother. Come to think of it, he hadn't been able to speak with his mind at all before the Founders' Day celebration. She'd been so confused when she woke up by the river that it hadn't occurred to her, but now she wondered. What had happened to make him so strong? And why was his strength fading now? Elena had time to think about it as she sat there in the deserted choir loft, while below the people left the church and outside the overcast skies slowly grew darker. She thought about Stefan, and about Damon, and she wondered if she had made the right choice. She'd vowed never to let them fight over her, but that vow was broken already. Was she crazy to try and make them live under a truce, even a temporary one? When the sky outside was uniformly black, she ventured down the stairs. The church was empty and echoing. She hadn't thought about how she would get out, but fortunately the side door was bolted only from the inside. She slipped out into the night gratefully. She hadn't realized how good it was to be outside and in the dark. Being inside buildings made her feel trapped, and daylight hurt her eyes. This was best, free and unfettered-and unseen. Her own senses rejoiced at the lush world around her. With the air so still, scents hung in the air for a long time, and she could smell a whole plethora of nocturnal creatures. A fox was scavenging in somebody's trash. Brown rats were chewing something in the bushes. Night moths were calling to one another with scent. She found it wasn't hard to get to Meredith's house undetected; people seemed to be staying inside. But once she got there, she stood looking up at the graceful farmhouse with the screened porch in dismay. She couldn't just walk up to the front door and knock. Was Meredith really expecting her? Wouldn't she be waiting outside if she were? Meredith was about to get a terrible shock if she weren't, Elena reflected, eyeing the distance to the roof of the porch. Meredith's bedroom window was above it and just around the corner. It would be a bit of a reach, but Elena thought she could make it. Getting onto the roof was easy; her fingers and bare toes found holds between the bricks and sent her sailing up. But leaning around the corner to look into Meredith's window was a strain. She blinked against the light that flooded out. Meredith was sitting on the edge of her bed, elbows on knees, staring at nothing. Every so often she ran a hand through her dark hair. A clock on the nightstand said Meredith was sitting on the edge of her bed, elbows on knees, staring at nothing. Every so often she ran a hand through her dark hair. A clock on the nightstand said Elena tapped on the window glass with her fingernails. Meredith jumped and looked the wrong way, toward the door. She stood up in a defensive crouch, clutching a throw pillow in one hand. When the door didn't open, she sidled a pace or two toward it, still in a defensive posture. â€Å"Who is it?† she said. Elena tapped on the glass again. Meredith spun to face the window, her breath coming fast. â€Å"Let me in,† said Elena. She didn't know if Meredith could hear her, so she mouthed it clearly. â€Å"Open the window.† Meredith, panting, looked around the room as if she expected someone to appear and help her. When no one did, she approached the window as if it were a dangerous animal. But she didn't open it. â€Å"Let me in,† Elena said again. Then she added impatiently, â€Å"If you didn't want me to come, why did you make an appointment with me?† She saw the change as Meredith's shoulders relaxed slightly. Slowly, with fingers that were unusually clumsy, Meredith opened the window and stood back. â€Å"Now ask me to come inside. Otherwise I can't. â€Å"Come†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith's voice failed and she had to try again. â€Å"Come in,† she said. When Elena, wincing, had boosted herself over the sill and was flexing her cramped fingers, Meredith added almost dazedly, â€Å"It's got to be you. Nobody else gives orders like that.† â€Å"It's me,† Elena said. She stopped wringing out the cramps and looked into the eyes of her friend. â€Å"It really is me, Meredith,† she said. Meredith nodded and swallowed visibly. Right then what Elena would have liked most in the world would have been for the other girl to give her a hug. But Meredith wasn't much of the hugging type, and right now she was backing slowly away to sit on the bed again. â€Å"Sit down,† she said in an artificially calm voice. Elena pulled out the desk chair and unthinkingly took up the same position Meredith had been in before, elbows on knees, head down. Then she looked up. â€Å"How did you know?† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith just stared at her for a moment, then shook herself. â€Å"Well. You- your body was never found, of course. That was strange. And then those attacks on the old man and Vickie and Tanner-and Stefan and little things I'd put together about him-but I didn't know. Not for sure. Not until now.† She ended almost in a whisper. â€Å"Well, it was a good guess,† Elena said. She was trying to behave normally, but what was normal in this situation? Meredith was acting as if she could scarcely bear to look at her. It made Elena feel more lonely, more alone, than she could ever remember being in her life. â€Å"I asked Bonnie to come over at seven o'clock, if her mother would let her. It's probably her. I'll go see.† Meredith seemed almost indecently eager to get away. â€Å"Wait. Does she know?† â€Å"No†¦ Oh, you mean I should break it to her gently.† Meredith looked around the room again uncertainly, and Elena snapped on the little reading light by the bed. â€Å"Turn the room light off. It hurts my eyes anyway,† she said quietly. When Meredith did, the bedroom was dim enough that she could conceal herself in the shadows. Waiting for Meredith to return with Bonnie, she stood in a corner, hugging her elbows with her hands. Maybe it was a bad idea trying to get Meredith and Bonnie involved. If imperturbable Meredith couldn't handle the situation, what would Bonnie do? Meredith heralded their arrival by muttering over and over, â€Å"Don't scream now; don't scream,† as she bundled Bonnie across the threshold. â€Å"What's wrong with you? What are you doing?† Bonnie was gasping in return. â€Å"Let go of me. Do you know what I had to do to get my mother to let me out of the house tonight? She wants to take me to the hospital at Roanoke.† Meredith kicked the door shut. â€Å"Okay,† she said to Bonnie. â€Å"Now, you're going to see something that will†¦ well, it's going to be a shock. But you can't scream, do you understand me? I'll let go of you if you promise.† â€Å"It's too dark to see anything, and you're scaring me. What's wrong with you, Meredith? Oh, all right, I promise, but what are you talking-â€Å" â€Å"Elena,† said Meredith. Elena took it as an invitation and stepped forward. Bonnie's reaction wasn't what she expected. She frowned and leaned forward, peering in the dim light. When she saw Elena's form, she gasped. But then, as she stared at Elena's face, she clapped her hands together with a shriek of joy. â€Å"I knew it! I knew they were wrong! So there, Meredith-and you and Stefan thought you knew so much about drowning and all that. But I knew you were wrong! Oh, Elena, I missed you! Everyone's going to be so-â€Å" â€Å"Be quiet, Bonnie! Be quiet!† Meredith said urgently. â€Å"I told you not to scream. Listen, you idiot, do you think if Elena were really all right she'd be here in the middle of the night without anybody knowing about it?† â€Å"But she is all right; look at her. She's standing there. It is you, isn't it, Elena?† Bonnie started toward her, but Meredith grabbed her again. â€Å"Yes, it's me.† Elena had the strange feeling she'd wandered into a surreal comedy, maybe one written by Kafka, only she didn't know her lines. She didn't know what to say to Bonnie, who was looking rapturous. â€Å"What are you two being so mysterious for? She's here, but she's not all right. What's that supposed to mean?† Elena didn't know whether to laugh or cry. â€Å"Look, Bonnie†¦ oh, I don't know how to say this. Bonnie, did your psychic grandmother ever talk to you about vampires?† Silence fell, heavy as an ax. The minutes ticked by. Impossibly, Bonnie's eyes widened still further; then, they slid toward Meredith. There were several more minutes of silence, and then Bonnie shifted her weight toward the door. â€Å"Uh, look, you guys,† she said softly, â€Å"this is getting really weird. I mean, really, really, really†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena cast about in her mind. â€Å"You can look at my teeth,† she said. She pulled her upper lip back, poking at a canine with her finger. She felt the reflexive lengthening and sharpening, like a cat's claw lazily extending. Meredith came forward and looked and then looked away quickly. â€Å"I get the point,† she said, but in her voice there was none of the old wry pleasure in her own wit. â€Å"Bonnie, look,† she said. All the elation, all the excitement had drained out of Bonnie. She looked as if she were going to be sick. â€Å"No. I don't want to.† â€Å"You have to. You have to believe it, or we'll never get anywhere.† Meredith grappled a stiff and resisting Bonnie forward. â€Å"Open your eyes, you little twit. You're the one who loves all this supernatural stuff.† â€Å"I've changed my mind,† Bonnie said, almost sobbing. There was genuine hysteria in her tone. â€Å"Leave me alone, Meredith; I don't want to look.† She wrenched herself away. â€Å"You don't have to,† Elena whispered, stunned. Dismay pooled inside her, and tears flooded her eyes. â€Å"This was a bad idea, Meredith. I'll go away.† â€Å"No. Oh, don't.† Bonnie turned back as quickly as she'd whirled away and precipitated herself into Elena's arms. â€Å"I'm sorry, Elena; I'm sorry. I don't care what you are; I'm just glad you're back. It's been terrible without you.† She was sobbing now in earnest. The tears that wouldn't come when Elena had been with Stefan came now. She cried, holding on to Bonnie, feeling Meredith's arms go around both of them. They were all crying-Meredith silently, Bonnie noisily, and Elena herself with passionate intensity. She felt as if she were crying for everything that had happened to her, for everything she had lost, for all the loneliness and the fear and the pain. Eventually, they all ended up sitting on the floor, knee to knee, the way they had when they were kids at a sleepover making secret plans. â€Å"You're so brave,† Bonnie said to Elena, sniffling. â€Å"I don't see how you can be so brave about it.† â€Å"Your hands aren't cold.† Meredith squeezed Elena's fingers. â€Å"Just sort of cool. I thought they'd be colder.† â€Å"Stefan's hands aren't cold either,† Elena said, and she was about to go on, but Bonnie squeaked: â€Å"Stefan?† Meredith and Elena looked at her. â€Å"Be sensible, Bonnie. You don't get to be a vampire by yourself. Somebody has to make you one.† â€Å"But you mean Stefan . . . ? You mean he's a†¦ ?† Bonnie's voice choked off. â€Å"I think,† said Meredith, â€Å"that maybe this is the time to tell us the whole story, Elena. Like all those minor details you left out the last time we asked you for the whole story.† Elena nodded. â€Å"You're right. It's hard to explain, but I'll try.† She took a deep breath. â€Å"Bonnie, do you remember the first day of school? It was the first time I ever heard you make a prophecy. You looked into my palm and said I'd meet a boy, a dark boy, a stranger. And that he wasn't tall but that he had been once. Well†-she looked at Bonnie and then at Meredith-â€Å"Stefan's not really tall now. But he was once†¦ compared to other people in the fifteenth century.† Meredith nodded, but Bonnie made a faint sound and swayed backward, looking shell-shocked. â€Å"You mean-â€Å" â€Å"I mean he lived in Renaissance Italy, and the average person was shorter then. So Stefan looked taller by comparison. And, wait, before you pass out, here's something else you should know. Damon's his brother.† Meredith nodded again. â€Å"I figured something like that. But then why has Damon been saying he's a college student?† â€Å"They don't get along very well. For a long time, Stefan didn't even know Damon was in Fell's Church.† Elena faltered. She was verging on Stefan's private history, which she'd always felt was his secret to tell. But Meredith had been right; it was time to come out with the whole story. â€Å"Listen, it was like this,† she said. â€Å"Stefan and Damon were both in love with the same girl back in Renaissance Italy. She was from Germany, and her name was Katherine. The reason Stefan was avoiding me at the beginning of school was that I reminded him of her; she had blond hair and blue eyes, too. Oh, and this was her ring.† Elena let go of Meredith's hand and showed them the intricately carved golden circlet set with a single stone of lapis lazuli. â€Å"And the thing was that Katherine was a vampire. A guy named Klaus had made her one back in her village in Germany to save her from dying of her last illness. Stefan and Damon both knew this, but they didn't care. They asked her to choose between them the one she wanted to marry.† Elena stopped and gave a lopsided smile, thinking that Mr. Tanner had been right; history did repeat itself. She only hoped her story didn't end like Katherine's. â€Å"But she chose both of them. She exchanged blood with both of them, and she said they could all three be companions through eternity.† between them the one she wanted to marry.† Elena stopped and gave a lopsided smile, thinking that Mr. Tanner had been right; history did repeat itself. She only hoped her story didn't end like Katherine's. â€Å"But she chose both of them. She exchanged blood with both of them, and she said they could all three be companions through eternity.† â€Å"Sounds dumb,† said Meredith. â€Å"You got it,† Elena told her. â€Å"Katherine was sweet but not very bright. Stefan and Damon already didn't like each other. They told her she had to choose, that they wouldn't even think of sharing her. And she ran off crying. The next day-well, they found her body, or what was left of it. See, a vampire needs a talisman like this ring to go out in the sun without being killed. And Katherine went out in the sun and took hers off. She thought if she were out of the way, Damon and Stefan would be reconciled.† â€Å"Oh, my God, how ro-â€Å" â€Å"No, it isn't,† Elena cut Bonnie off savagely. â€Å"It's not romantic at all. Stefan's been living with the guilt ever since, and I think Damon has, too, although you'd never get him to admit it. And the immediate result was that they got a couple of swords and killed each other. Yes, killed. That's why they're vampires now, and that's why they hate each other so much. And that's why I'm probably crazy trying to get them to cooperate now.†