Analysis of Client/Consultant Interaction in the Case of Healix Consultancy Essay

Healix Risk Rating, the innovator of Healix Travel Black box – an anvanced tool in assessment of medical risk in travel insurance, is planning to launch the product into new market. As one of their appointed marketing consultancy team, we carried out the maket research and formulated a marketing plan for this project. During the implementation of the project, there are two main types of interaction involved that affects outcome of the project: intra-group interaction and client/consultant interaction, in which the later will be more focused. Based on my experience in this assignment, this reflective report is aimed to express my understanding of the applicability of learnt models and theories in client/consultant relationship as well as the limitations of the marketing consultancy service that we involves in. Key factors that determine a good consultancy project are not only the capability of consultants; financial capacity and readiness of clients; but also a strong collaboration from both sides and great emphasis on actual results instead of heavy focus on scope of work. Company description The Healix Travel Black Box offers the means for sellers of travel insurance to accurately and efficiently underwrite the increased risk associated to travellers with pre-existing medical conditions. The service is designed to be fully incorporated into the online sales processes and integrated into call centre sales processes, which allow customers to declare health conditions on the phone or online without making separate assessment with underwriters or waiting for doctors’ report. In other words, The Healix Travel Black Box provides a fully automated assessment and rating of medical risk which can be done in a couple of minutes. The Healix Travel Black Box has come as a global solution to travel insurance industry. The package is available to all regions where the public can directly buy travel incurance. The adoption of this technology is quickly spread across the globe, such as Australia, New Zealand , Canada, Denmark. And Healix Risk Rating in still on the way to seek new market for this advanced product. Summary of client/consultant process The situation in which our marketing consultancy came is when the company wants to efficiently market and launch the new product Black box into new travel insurance markets. This stage can be defined as Development stage – when client needs help at early stage of a new program. Early intervention of consultant show signs of consultee’s insightfulness and openness (Dewayne J. Kurpius, Dale A. Fuqua and Thaddeus Rozecki, 1993). Prior to the marketing plan, our team had to agree on a country of choice to market and sell the Black box. And then, we have to make a market research on that target market based on the following topics: (1) market value, (2) existing channels of distribution, (3) consumer buying behaviours, (4) average policy medical benefits and (5) how the handling of pre-existing medical conditions is currently dealt with. After obtaining the understanding of the target market, we worked out on problem identification, particularly the feasibility of the Black box launch in the country. Based on the market research, a outlined marketing plan was made prior to any detailed ones that were done later. As a marketing consultancy project done by a marketing consulting team, there are two main interaction factors during the implementation that influence the success of the project: intra-group interaction and client/consultant interaction. Intra-group interaction During the implementation, although our team had experienced many difficulties in order to obtain the relevant marketing information related to the topic, most team member is patient and very participative. We did have a clear plan to make the report in order to allocate the work to each member fairly. In order to make the job more efficiently, each member is encouraged to pick the piece(s) of work of his/her favour. Though the work of the some members is not as expected, however it is controlled promptly, thanks to regular meetings and good communication between team members. Client/Consultant interaction One of the shortcomings for us during the making of marketing plan for Healix is a lack of our understanding regarding the business situation, product development and financial capacity of the client. It is suggested that insuf? ient understanding of the client is key problem of most poor client-consulting relationships (Ford, 1985). Our limited knowledge regarding the product and business condition of Healix Risk Rating may expose us to risk of mis-identification of the real problem and consequently leading to an inapprorpiate marketing plan. On the other hand, ther is a lack of interaction from the client. The reflective practitioner model (Schon 1983) argues problems have to b e identified and solutions must be formulated in collaboration between client and consultant. During the knowledge transfer, the situation of the client should be clearly understood by the consultant, then the consultant will help the client reflect and understand the rationale for the client’s actions (Schon 1983 as cited in Nikolova, 2007). Clients then must work as reflective practitioners themselves. This reflective communication must be exchanged between client and consultant to facilitate expertise sharing. (Ibid p. 301). Schon views that Knowing-in-action implies that consultants would apply their knowledge gained from actiivities they have undertaken or situations they have experienced before. But for new and extremely sophisticated problems, the reflection-in-action is proper practice that consultant and clients need for the formulation of innovative solutions. In reflective practitioner model, the interaction between client and consultant is seen as a reflective communication. Schon views both consultants and clients as interdependent. Consequently, the relationship between client and consultant improves when expertise sharing and mutual understanding are focused. Client and consultant should closely collaborate during problem solving process to work the best out of their knowledge and experience. The relationship becomes equilibrated as knowledge and help are fairly exchanged. (Schon,1983) Furthermore, several models have been developed to gain valuable knowledge regarding how to improve cooperation between client and consultant. For example, the interpretive model established by Nikolova is to help clients and consultants to gain a better understanding of their interaction (Nikolova, 2007). Nikolova suggests that this model would be useful to explain the complexity of client-consultant relationship. This model emphasizes that clients have to be aware of the changing roles that consultants would play during the different phases of the project. This model was built based on prior generally accepted models: Expert model (O’Farrell and Moffat 1991 cited in Nikolova, 2007), critical model and reflective practitioner. It should make consultants and clients highly aware of undiscovered problems through their interactions during consultancy process. According to interpretative model, it is too simplistic to consider consultants as experts (expert model), impression managers (critical model), and reflective practitioners (reflective practitioner model). The play role of consultants depends on which context the they are in and which problems needed to be solved. For this matter of client/consultant relationship, McLachlin (1999) has several suggestions on some aspects that are necessary for a successful consulting project. Consultants must have strict discipline towards integrity in working for the best interest of clients . Besides, clients must also participate in the project and prepare a readiness to change. It is key that there are specific project requirements and expectations to be met. However, the Healix consulting project is more task-focused rather than based on expectations of the client. Schaffer (2002) also describes the â€Å"implementation gap†, which is the discrepancy between the client’s needed solution and the capability of the consultant to create that solution. He suggests that ? ve factors that most likely lead to â€Å"implementation gap† during consulting process: (1) consulting projects are de? ned and priced ased on the scope of work to be done by the consultants or the â€Å"product† delivered by the consultant, not in terms of speci? c results to be achieved; (2) project scope is focused mainly on the problem identification and solution recommendation with little consideration for the client’s capability and readiness to change; (3) the cons ultation aims for a radical solution rather than incremental value (4) The cooperation is more of a sharp division of responsibility between consultant and client rather than a solid collaboration from both sides; (5) instead of leveraged use, the consultancy make labor-intensive use of consultants. Conclusion As generally accepted, the way we as marketing consultants formulate the consulting process will affect the interaction and relationship between the consultant and client and consequently the outcome of the project. Based on multiple generally accepted empirical studies and models, it is suggested that consulting will produce good results if possessing the following success factors: Highly capable consultants; Great emphasis on client results/ satisfaction; Willingness from both sides for strong collaboration; Visible executive support; A solution adaptation that fits client capability and readiness; A full understanding of the client’s business environment. I understand that consulting approaches have to be customized based on out marketing expertise, thorough understanding of the client’s situation, intensive market research on the target market as well as an highly applicable marketing plan . Besides, the costs and benefits of client and consultant should be aligned by defining critical results with clear and measurable short-term goals. Therefore, we admit that our proposed marketing plan to Healix Risk Rating is very preminlinary and subjective due to the simplification of the scope of work and lack of interaction from the client.

Film Analysis of Helen of Troy Essay

In the film, Helen of Troy one of the main character is Achilles, the demigod warrior, a highly skilled and the strongest champion of Greece which also showed his soft side – his kindness, care, love for a woman and brotherly love for his cousin, Petraclus. The film really captured my idea of Achilles based on the book of Greek mythology. I think anyone who will watch attentively in the film will understand and capture the idea of character Achilles. Aside Achilles there are other important characters in the film such as Agamemnon – ruler of Greece, Menelaus – king of Mycenae, Paris – prince of Troy, Hector – brother of Paris, and Helen – the cause of great war. Each character has strengths and weaknesses. Agamemnon was a proud and aggressive king because of that hundreds of his men died and they’re defeated by Trojans, an apparent weakness of him. Agamemnon strength is his men that following all his orders and respected him. Menelaus is just the same of Agamemnon, they have the same characteristic and the same strength and weaknesses, in my opinion. Paris weakness is his being coward and unskillful fighter even he was favored by Gods. King Priam a good thinker and always weigh every possibility and ask opinions of council before he made a decision but like his son Paris he is not a skilled fighter. Hector one of the son of King Priam unlike Paris he is a skilled fighter a brave and aggressive one but his weakness are his confidence and having no mercy that is why Achilles killed him in a battle. Lastly, Helen’s strength is her irresistible beauty that every man in the kingdom wants to protect her. Helen’s weakness showed when she was seduced by Paris. The Gods of Greek mythology were actually not seen in the entire film aside from mother of Achilles a minor goddess. Gods wasn’t really there in the action but there were times that the characters calling them or praying in the name of Gods. I could say that the film is quite different from the original story. It is more real and less of fantasy that is why Gods were not really in the scene and doesn’t play an important role based on the film. The cousin of Achilles namely Patroclus is one of the important character in the story. Achilles really cares to his cousin, he doesn’t want Patroclus to fight but because Patroclus really wanted to he disguise as his cousin, Achilles that lead to a fight to Hector who defeated and stab him to death. Achilles rage in anger, he became totally mad and sad in the death of his beloved cousin. Achilles doesn’t wants to participate anymore in the war because of his quarrel to Agamemnon but because of the death of Patroclus he had decided to fight again against the Trojans. Achilles leads the attack to the kingdom of Troy and his men conquer the troy but he was been killed by an arrow thrown by coward prince Paris. One of the most dramatic scenes in the film was the dialogue of king Priam and Achilles over the body of Hector. King Priam bravely went to the tavern of Achilles secretly to please and beg for the body of his beloved son Hector. He kneeled down and kiss the hand of Achilles while saying that â€Å"I`m the father of the warrior you have been killed and begging you to please return his body to me. â€Å", king Priam was crying in front of Achilles and pleasing Achilles to return the body. Then after Achilles convinced that he should return the body of Hector to his father king Priam to have a decent burial like what he did to his beloved cousin Patroclus. Achilles kindly let king Priam walk away and ensured their security with the body of Hector and he also let his woman to go with king Priam but he said that nothing will change they’re still enemies. On my own opinion the depiction of characters in the film is similar to the original story but the whole film is not accurately based on the book or the epic. The film is entertaining but it should not be use to study the epic of Homer because there are some changes and revisions from the original story. The film focus on actions and it depicts reality of war rather than the fantasy of Greek mythology. However the experienced of watching it is great especially to watch it with other students in the classroom.

Auditing, taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Auditing, taxes - Essay Example A sample survey and research has revealed a disturbing 16 percent of the audits contain deficiency in maintaining professional ethics in practice. It is but natural for an environ of fast paced competitive economy to witness instances where the issue of ethics is blurred by blatant violations, deficiencies and compromises. JEEP is authorized to deal with deficiencies in audit, violations of code of conduct, testing of internal controls and compliances, and practitioners are under an obligation to cooperate with any investigative communication received from a statutory agency in matters pertaining to audit. Erring members and clients have the options of taking corrective measures, cooperate and comply with the regulatory agency's communications and enquiries, and document their compliance appropriately. Inadvertent errors are damaging and consequential too and corrective measures have to be approved and documented by JEEP. (Ibolya Balog; Thomas R Clay). It is the duty of every corporation and earning individual to pay taxes on the taxable income and sales. However, in the process of paying taxes, the taxpayer may be either parting with more information than necessary, or knowingly or unknowingly hiding information. The existence of additional information could prove to be an irritant later on even if it has no relevance. Getting to know one's minimum tax obligation is a good way of organizing precise tax plans and information. Taxpayers need not volunteer more information than what is required. (Blum Shapiro). Coming to the state tax departments, there is the tendency to vigorously pursue statistical data that help to generate maximum revenue. In other words, the state resorts to witch-hunting tactics by using statistical information to maximize revenue when its responsibility lies in ensuring compliance. Most of these statistical data may have come from extra information unwittingly provided by the taxpayer. With easy access to electronic information and statistical data, there is tremendous potential for the state to uncover purported instances of underpayment. The taxpayer can avert this possibility by confining his statements and figures to only the required level. The ideal option for the state is use of strategies that ensure compliance. (Rocky B. Cummings). Sources: Blum Shapiro, Year End Tax Planning Strategies, Tax Trends, November 2006, http://www.blumshapiro.com/pub/taxtrends/TaxTrends_November,2006.pdf. Ibolya Balog; Thomas R Clay, Ethics, Pennsylvania CPA Journal, Winter 2008; 78, 4; ABI/INFORM Global, p. 22, http://www.academia-research.com/files/instr/215148_PART(1).pdf. Rocky B. Cummings, Too Much Information, Tax Trends, Journal of State Taxation; Nov/Dec 2007, ABI/INFORM Global

The Turn of the Screw Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Turn of the Screw - Essay Example Whereas a conventional fiction-writer endeavors to establish the credibility of the reality which s/he depicts in his fiction, James intentionally attempts to stir up the readers’ doubt about the credibility of the narrator’s presentation of the uncanny monstrosity of the children’s and the monstrous environment in the House. In the novel, James has employed various narrative strategies to support his assertion that nothing truly exists outside the human imagination or takes precedence over the human imagination, using the characters to defend and analyze this position. His first strategy is to instill the uncanny monstrosity in the characters of the novel. The novel does not directly tell the readers whether the Children are really monstrous or not. Rather it inspires the readers to decide whether they are monstrous. Another strategy of James is that he makes the Governess’s character unreliable. The way how the Governess tells the story necessarily provo kes the readers to think that there must be a number of different possible interpretations of the reality which she presents. In the novel, James has made a shrewd application of the uncanny to justify his comment that the fictional reality is what and how we perceive it. ... Even sometimes she herself proves to be wrong and seems that she suffers from hallucination. This uncertainty of the Governess’s storytelling provokes the readers to question whether the children are really monstrous or this monstrosity is a misperception or fabrication of the Governess. Both any possible conclusion what a reader may reach is that the horizon of a fiction is, indeed, a vast area where the writers enjoy the utmost freedom to arrange the events in a particular sequence to make the plot credible. While reading the novel, the readers’ attentions become focused on two focal points. First, they grow doubtful about whether the children, Miles and Flora, are really monstrous or not. Secondly, they question whether there is something wrong on the Governess’s part. Indeed, James’s success to divide up the readers’ attentions on two apparently contradictory focal points tends to establish his claim that, whatever the reality about the children is, the ultimate reality is how we perceive it. For example, a reader can tell for sure whether Miles and Flora maintain a secret relationship with Quint, the dead valet and Miss Jessel who is also dead now. Flora’s nocturnal movement and the discovery of her ‘too free’ intimacy with Miss Jessel, Miles’s association with the ghosts, his unexplained banishment from the school –all these events seem so supernatural and ominous. The Governess claims that she could see some ghostly associations of Miles and Flora with the dead valet and governess. Even she claims that she has encountered with their ghosts for several times. But this claim makes the readers dubious about her psychological sanity, when they once

Peer to Peer Lending Scheme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Peer to Peer Lending Scheme - Essay Example The following are some of the roles Mr. Campbell McBain should expect (Mostafa, 2014).The facilitator should ensure that the functions are given are fulfilled by the right people with the proper experience and authority. The facilitator is the task of developing clear objectives and agenda that are in line with the company goals. He should also decide the workshop process and briefing process. The facilitator should also ensure that logistical arrangements are. During the workshop, the facilitator ensures that objectives are, and benefits are realized. He also ensures that all relevant information is available to the group so that strategic decision-making is facilitated. After the workshop, the primary role of the facilitator is to produce and deliver the workshop report. He also reviews the report with the management of the company. McBain is not qualified for the role of facilitator although he has all the relevant knowledge about the company. McBain has been in the business for a long time and understands the role that the proposed software is supposed to play. McBain is very excited about the progress of the program. Thus, he will be available to the programmers at London Agile (Shankar et al.,2014). Despite his qualifications, it might be difficult for him to be impartial which is a quality required for the facilitator role. He should ensure he facilitates the workshop rather than dictate what is to be. A facilitator plays his role with no alignment or stake in the company, and there Campbell will not be suited for the role (Kafilongo et al, 2014) The company ambassador is the person given the responsibility of ensuring he or she embodies the cooperate identity of the company. The company ambassador has the ability of the to use promotional strategies that will strengthen the customer product relationship. It will influence a large number of organizations into using the products of the organization (Turk et al, 2014). The

Risk Assessment and Security Controls Assignment

Risk Assessment and Security Controls - Assignment Example 4. Incident response management – management oversight, plans, defined roles to quickly discover an attack and effectively containing the damage and remove the attackers' presence, and restore the integrity of the network and system (www.sans.org, nd.) Boundary defence – detect/prevent/correct flow of data transfer in the network by establishing different trust levels. Application software security – all acquired software must be managed to prevent, detect and correct security weakness (sans.org c, nd). Malware defence – control the spread of malicious code at multiple points. This would include the rapid update of malware defence, data gathering and corrective action (sans.org b, nd). Data protection – must have tools that will prevent data exfiltration to preserve the integrity of critical data. Data recovery capability – the system must properly back up critical data and must have the capability to recover it in the event of the attack and /or loss. 10. Continuous vulnerability assessment and remediation - - continuous evaluation of new information to identify vulnerabilities that would minimize if not totally eliminate opportunities for attackers.     Ã‚  

Research Methodology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Methodology - Assignment Example The ultimate goal is to bring the reader up to date with current literature on a topic and forms the basis for another goal, such as the justification for future research in the area. Therefore the encyclopedia argues that a good literature review is characterized by: a logical flow of ideas; current and relevant references with consistent, appropriate referencing style; proper use of terminology; and an unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on the topic. According to Cooper (Guide For Literature Reviewy,1988) "a literature review uses as its database reports of primary or original scholarship, and does not report new primary scholarship itself. The primary reports used in the literature may be verbal, but in the vast majority of cases reports are written documents. The types of scholarship may be empirical, theoretical, critical/analytic, or methodological in nature. Second a literature review seeks to describe summaries, evaluate, clarify and/or integrate the content of primary reports". Introduction: The common idea regarding my dissertation compilation is the collection of data, their comparative study, rationality of the forwarded arguments, and a broader analysis of the facts in empirical evidences via the scientific investigation. This Research Methodology also refers to the hypothetical assumptions that underlie a particular study in the area of respiratory care with a special reference to teenagers presented in APA style within generally acceptable epistemological views. The project work, apart from stylistic and evident aspects it would be methodologically diverse using exclusively qualitative methods. An attempt will seriously follow to match the methods and the approach in finding out the solutions while addressing the issues. Validity: In order to answer the research questions keeping the purpose of the study intact, a serious attempt has been designated for a methodical approach considering the validity of the derived information. Only up to date findings are under consideration that is relevant to current practices and are active in clinical decision making. All the findings in the intensive reading avoid every kind of plagiarism. History: Despite the fact there could be new guidelines there would be no chance of alteration of research groundings. My study will find out both medical approach and other value base prevention of asthma among the adolescents in managing the adherence. Adequate empirical evidences will be collected so that no conclusion any threat to the validity of their publication. Target Population: Being my proposed work a literature review it involves extensive reading to compare, collate and reach into solid conclusion. My project would be structured as the following step by step presentation while finding out facts of the adolescents that are victimized of asthmatic ailment from the minute reading of factual reports. Generalisability: The objective of my research would be to find out the situations that lead the sufferings and their possible remedies recommended by the experts in

Conference Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Conference Diplomacy - Essay Example In layman's term, diplomacy can be defined as the friendly way of kissing and making up whenever two countries have disputes in order to avoid the perils of war. The following paragraphs explains the nuances of conference diplomacy and its relations to negotiators' values or perceptions (Hughes,2002 : p.173) Conference diplomacy is a necessary action for international peace to prosper(Richardson, 1995: p. 205). War lives in the hearts of traditional paradigms. No one can forget the horrors of Hitler's German Army that had murdered many Jews in its concentration camp(Kaplan, 1998: p. 145). No one can also forget the long Great Britain war against the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte of France. Had Diplomacy been used, there would have been peace pervading the air in these European Countries. Many well known figures were recognized for their diplomacy to use peace actions in the pursuit of their individual and community goals while others specifically wage war to impose their beliefs and traditions. Some of these peace diplomats are the charismatic and personalities like Gautam Buddha, Jesus Christ and Mahatma Gandhi. All these three renounced the use of war or force and instead preached that diplomacy was the best way to win an argument or misunderstanding. Also, the North Korean - United States nuclear diplomatic talks prove that conference diplomacy may facilitate negotiation for it did not change negotiators' values or perceptions. North Korea used its nuclear reactor facilities in Yongbyon as one of its ace cards to force the United States to provide security assurances and political and economic ties to North Korea. But for three years, the U.S. did now WANT to engage itself in an on-going diplomatic give and take with North Korea. The U.S. wanted North Korea to comply with It first insisted I.A.E.A conditions as before talks could begin. During the U.S. -North Korea Talks, the U.S. did not want to state what it would give in return for North Korea's dismantling its nuclear weapons. Furthermore, when the U.S. and North Korea talks concluded with conditions imposed on the U.S. and North Korea, the U.S. did not comply with their diplomatic agreements. The U.S. stated that its compliance was dependent on other nations to fulfill them . Furthermore, North Korea's volatile and ever- changing government leadership was one of the causes of their failed diplomatic agreements. To help, Seoul, South Korea supplied the lubricant needed to keep the U.S. North Korea nuclear talks open(Sigal, 1998: p.168).Furthermore, many diplomacy- inclined persons think that with a world that cannot be changed, many reasonable persons adapt and accommodate these unavoidable changes(Watson, 1991: p. 40). These people decided to group together in diplomacy to make peace a reality. After many years of war against each other such as World War I and World War II. The first steering committee met to agree on a global action to prevent war, This is an international coalition to abolish armed conflict and genocide. They predicted that diplomacy among nations can result to gradual dismantling of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. Their diplomacy centers on removing all capacity to attack another country(De-Magalhes, 1988, p. 101). In fact, global

Information Systems Development Philosophies and Methodologies, and Essay

Information Systems Development Philosophies and Methodologies, and System Analysis - Essay Example The data is then made accessible to the doctors and the nurses and then they have the power to sort the system at the will or in accordance to the hospitals guidelines or according to emergency disasters (Lakha and Moore, 34; Turegano and Perez-Diaz, 441). The updated information is what is fed back into the original triage and made available for patients to watch on a live monitor. As more patients get into the hospital and are registered, many more will tend to have more severe cases and thus, depending on the mode of selection by the doctors to determine who should be served first, there are patients who will feel neglected. This will tend to resume the past squabbles as outlined by the previous system. The system development process is thus fairer in that the problems trying to be rooted out are partly done. To avert the problem noted in the profile, it is essential that assessment that is more practical be done in terms of the CATWOE checklist. According to Checkland and Scholes (23), in their soft systems methodology, they propose solutions, advising on CATWOE to problems that have no definitive approach. Using the analysis, it will hence be possible to tell out the possible remedies to the problems and proposed solutions. According to Wilson (1) proper judgments will depend on the

Organisational structure Essay Example for Free

Organisational structure Essay Various Structures Practical Illustration organizational structure: It refers to a formal system of tasks and reporting relationships that coordinates and motivates employees to work together to achieve the organizational goals. Formal system of task and reporting relationships showing how workers use resources. It Involves the following structures: 1) Functional Structure It refers to the organizational structure composed of all the departments that an organization requires to produce Its goods or services. tOf3 2) Dlvlslonal structures It refers to the organizational structure composed of a series of business units to produce a specific kind of product for a specific kind of customer. It is used by most large corporations. It involves 3 main types: a) Product Structure, where divisions are created according to the type of product and service. b) Geographic Structure, where divisions are based on the area of a country or world served. c) Market Structure, where divisions are based on the types of customers served. 3) Matrix Structure It refers to the organizational structure that groups people by function and product teams simultaneously. It results in complex relationships. The structure is very flexible. Each employee has two bosses (functional manager and product manager) 4) Product Team Structure It refers to the organizational structure where members are permanently assigned to a team empowered to bring a product to market. It involves no two-way (dual) reporting. It involves forming cross-functional teams composed of a group of managers from different departments working together to perform organizational tasks. Existing AFC Organizational Structure: It is very clear that Abu Qir Fertilizers Company extremely represents applying the unctional very steep highly centralized extensively rigid structure.

The School For Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan

The School For Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan The aim of satiric comedy was to subvert the social structures, according to the Glossary, satiric comedy ridicules political policies or philosophical doctrines, or else attacks deviations from the social order by making ridiculous the violators of its standards of morals or manners (Abrams 39). Thus the first aim of satire in general is to deconstruct the social and political constructions; this was practiced by Aristophanes, and in the Renaissance by Ben Jonson. The comedy of manners originated by Menander, paved the way for Restoration comedy which was ripened by the French dramatist Moliere. After the popularity of Restoration comedy in England in eighteenth century, the sentimental comedy started to dominate the stage as a reaction against what was supposed as immorality of Restoration comedy, but still two major dramatists continued writing in Restoration comedies: Oliver Goldsmiths She Stoops to Conquer and his contemporary Richard Brinsley Sheridans The School for Scandal. A mong the two, Sheridans play satirizes not only the upper-class social structure but also the contents of sentimental drama itself. The play shows a dichotomy of good and bad in eighteenth century society and that how the sentimental codes of behavior has limited the good/evil binary into a flat pretension: this dichotomy is depicted as the Surface brothers: as their names suggest they are judged only according to their exterior and surface behavior: in the first scene Miss Verjuice describes the two brothers, Joseph and Charles Surface, this way: here are two young mento whom Sir Peter has acted as a kind of Guardian since their Fathers death, the eldest possessing the most amiable Character and universally well spoken of, the youngest the most dissipated and extravagant young Fellow in the Kingdom, without Friends or character (I:i) through the next lines it is revealed that the elder brother, Joseph, who has apparently the most amiable Character has conspired a plot with lady Sneerwell to come between the love relationship of Charles and Maria (Sir Peters ward) so that Joseph can marry Maria and Lady Sneerwll, a widow, can possess the young Charles who is now bankrupt. Lady Sneerwell explains about Joseph: His real attachment is to Maria or her Fortune/but finding in his Brother a favoured Rival, He has been obliged/to mask his Pretensionsand profit by my Assistance. And then confesses her desire for Charles: must I confess that Charlesthat Libertine, that extravagant, that Bankrupt in Fortune and Reputationthat He it is for whom I am thus anxious and malicious and to gain whom I would sacrifice-everything (I:i) From these confessions the reader knows that Joseph who is universally well spoken of is a fraud, but since he is a good pretender and knows what the society demands to act as an honorable man, so he is seen by everybody even those who know he is pretending as a man of sentiment. LADY SNEERWELL. I have found out him a long time since, altho He has contrived to deceive everybody besideI know him to be artful selfish and malicious while with Sir Peter, and indeed with all his acquaintance, He passes for a youthful Miracle of Prudencegood sense and Benevolence. VERJUICE. Yes yesI know Sir Peter vows He has not his equal in England; and, above all, He praises him as a MAN OF SENTIMENT. LADY SNEERWELL. True and with the assistance of his sentiments and hypocrisy he has brought Sir Peter entirely in his interests with respect to Maria and is now I believe attempting to flatter Lady Teazle into the same good opinion towards himwhile poor Charles has no Friend in the Housethough I fear he has a powerful one in Marias Heart, against whom we must direct our schemes. In the next scene, Rowley informs Sir Peter that Sir Oliver has arrived from the West Indies and is in the town; Sir Oliver, the brothers uncle wants to choose his hair, thus he is to come and visit his nephews whom has not seen him since childhood and thus cannot recognize him by appearance. From their discussion it is clear that it is only Rowley that sees through the two gentlemen: ROWLEY. You know Sir Peter I have always taken the Liberty to differ with you on the subject of these two young GentlemenI only wish you may not be deceived in your opinion of the elder. For Charles, my life ont! He will retrieve his errors yettheir worthy Father, once my honourd master, was at his years nearly as wild a spark. (I:ii) But even Sir Peter cannot deny the importance of the codes of sentiment for a young man Joseph is indeed a model for the young men of the AgeHe is a man of Sentimentand acts up to the Sentiments he professesbut for the other, take my word fort if he had any grain of Virtue by descenthe has dissipated it with the rest of his inheritance. (I:ii) Changing appearances once again enables the characters: this time Sir Oliver, who has decided to put his nephews on a trial, is set to meet Charles as Premium, a broker. When they meet, Charles proposes selling his ancestors portraits to the broker for gaining money; this makes Sir Oliver furious, but Charles denial of selling Sir Olivers own portrait even for eight hundred pounds; under the mask of a broker, Sir Oliver understands the kind nature of his nephew: CHARLES. No, hang it! Ill not part with poor Noll. The old fellow has been very good to me, and, egad, Ill keep his picture while Ive a room to put it in. SIR OLIVER. [Aside.] The rogues my nephew after all! Contrary to the supposed social values of an honorable man in eighteenth century, here Sheridan lets the audience have faith on a lax man who contrary to a man of sentiment, loves wine and women and puts his ancestors on an auction for money. He shifts the binaries of good/evil, moral/immoral, gentleman/rogue by giving attributes of one to the other and vice versa. Just as appearances can be useful for pretenders such as Joseph, Sheridan makes a comic scene in unveiling of appearances in the famous library scene in act 4 scene three; Joseph who secretly woos Sir Peters young wife, Lady Teazle, hides her behind a screen when Sir Peter enters unexpectedly, telling Joseph that he thinks his wife has an affair with Charles, the next visitor is Charles himself, Sir Peter also hides in the closet to hear his reaction to what he is accused of. Sir Peter comes out of the closet when he understands that Charles is innocent and when Joseph goes out, tells Charles that Joseph has a girl, a French Milliner, with himself who is now in this room; Charles gets curious to see her and unveils the screen: to their astonishment it is Lady Teazle standing there. Charles asks each of them to explain the situation: CHARLES. Sir PeterThis is one of the smartest French Milliners I ever saw!Egad, you seem all to have been diverting yourselves here at Hide and Seekand I dont see who is out of the Secret! Shall I beg your Ladyship to inform me!Not a word!Brother! will you please to explain this matter? What! is Honesty Dumb too? Sir Peter, though I found you in the Darkperhaps you are not so nowall mute! Well tho I can make nothing of the Affair, I make no doubt but you perfectly understand one anotherso Ill leave you to yourselves.[Going.] Brother Im sorry to find you have given that worthy man grounds for so much uneasiness!Sir Petertheres nothing in the world so noble as a man of Sentiment!-(IV:iii) Charles comparison of the situation to a game (hide and seek) is a subversive look at the upper-class society of the time; suggesting the fact that all these people of sentiment all playing roles in the game, and that when being found out by others they lose the game since their supposed nobility is gone. They are decent, righteous fellows as long as they are hidden, and when they are found the game is over and simultaneously their dignity is over. This is the deconstructive view of a supposed noble society and this is what Sheridan predicts for pretenders of his time. The irony found in Charles witty comment to Sir Peter: theres/nothing in the world so noble as a man of Sentiment! hints the audience as well as Sir Peter and people who thinks like him, that the statement is a void pretension, just a tool for villains to act out as a nobility. The main center of the structure of social ethics and principles which is sentiment is totally decentered and deconstructed when Sir Oliver encounters this time Joseph: But now I am no more/a Broker, and you shall introduce me to the elder Brother/as Stanley. Once again borrowing another identity, (of Stanley a poor relative of the brothers mothers), Sir Oliver is to test Joseph, who unaware of the true identity of his companion, does not act his sentiments and declares that his uncle Oliver has done nothing for him: SURFACE. My dear Siryou are strangely misinformedSir Oliver is a worthy Man, a worthy mana very worthy sort of Manbut avarice Mr. Stanley is the vice of ageI will tell you my good Sir in confidence:what he has done for me has been a merenothing; tho People I know have thought otherwise and for my Part I never chose to contradict the Report. SIR OLIVER. What!has he never transmittedyouBullionRupees Pagodas! SURFACE. O Dear SirNothing of the kindnonoa few Presents now and thenchina, shawls, congo Tea, Avadavatsand indian Crackerslittle more, believe me. SIR OLIVER. Heres Gratitude for twelve thousand pounds! Avadavats and indian Crackers. (V:i) Joseph even refuses giving money to the supposed Mr. Stanley who has come for borrowing money and instead flatters himself for what he has done for that unfortunate young man and accuses Charles of being extravagant. Later Sir Oliver and Rowley, knowing what Joseph has done to Sir Peter tease his ideas of sentiment. SIR OLIVER. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I come only to tell you, that I have seen both my Nephews in the manner we proposed. SIR PETER. A Precious Couple they are! ROWLEY. Yes and Sir Oliveris convinced that your judgment was right Sir Peter. SIR OLIVER. Yes I find Joseph is Indeed the Man after all. ROWLEY. Aye as Sir Peter says, Hes a man of Sentiment. SIR OLIVER. And acts up to the Sentiments he professes. ROWLEY. It certainly is Edification to hear him talk. SIR OLIVER. Oh, Hes a model for the young men of the age! But hows this, Sir Peter? you dont Join us in your Friend Josephs Praise as I expected. SIR PETER. Sir Oliver, we live in a damned wicked world, and the fewer we praise the better. (V:ii) The supposed binaries of good/evil that are now broken and it is not easily appropriate to call one as good and the other as bad explains how the transcendental signified of sentiment was decenterd by Sheridan at the time. As Jacque Derrida proposed the binaries can be meaningful in a relation of difference that is we know red is red because it is different from blue. In this drama, Sheridan pictures that the difference between good and evil, honest and dishonest, moral and immoral has turned into a deceptive play of appearances. For eighteenth century people, a person was good, because he did not gamble, drink, and did not court women. At the same time a person is evil since he did not behave morally and according to the defined sentiments. Sheridan wishes to change the attitude of the audience; to suggest that the criterion of difference for judging between good and evil is not right. Joseph is depicted as the epitome of the societys hypocrisy, he is known by his friends who act in the same way LADY SNEERWELL. O Lud you are going to be moral, and forget that you are among Friends. SURFACE. Egad, thats trueIll keep that sentiment till I see Sir Peter. It seems that being hypocritical is the fashion of the era and if one does not follow this fashion he is ruined as Charles was going to be ruined before his uncles arrival. The set of persons whose major task is to talk behind people and ruin characters create this school for scandal whose president as Sir Peter declares is Lady Sneerwell. Sir Peters astonishment implies how dangerous the result of their assembly could be: SIR PETER. Mercy on mehere is the whole set! a characters dead at every word, I suppose. (II:ii) Mrs. Candour, Benjamin Backbite and Crabtree assist her in this joyful business; they have time to include everybody in their malevolent conversations; as Mrs. Candour says the world/is so censorious no character escapes. They know that Charles is no man of pretending, and because of this they call him a miserable scandal in comparison to his brother. As Derrida studies the binaries, he claims that each binary opposition is a hierarchy, because always one term in the pair is privileged or considered superior to the other (Tyson 254). Hence, if one finds the binary oppositions in a culture and at the same time identifies the privileged one in the pair, one can discover something about the ideology of that culture. In this case in the binary of good/evil, the privileged is good, but the problem is that, good and evil are arbitrary concepts. What the eighteenth century upper-class society understood as good were just a set of sentiments that were practiced through appearances. And what they recognized as evil, were again a set of behaviors that were announced universally as evil by the ideological apparatuses. What Sheridan does in his play, is to challenge the mind of the audience to rethink about the structure of these pre-established binaries and their ideological hierarchies hidden behind them and to try to deconstruct these structures in every individuals comprehension. Drinking and flirting women and borrowing money from usurers cannot be an appropriate criterion for judging people as evil and immoral while good sticking to the fashionable norms of behavior of the time and the moral sentiments cannot be a correct measure for estimating a character as good. He also compares the situation of a so-called good person to an actor who plays games and acts out roles by changing appearances and thus is a deceiver and a pretender. This is the great deconstruction of social ideologies perfectly done by Restoration comedies such as The School for Scandal.

Growing Up With Terrorists :: Living With Terrorism

On September 11, 2001, I walked downstairs to have my breakfast and turned on the T.V. since I was alone. Coincidentally, I turned to the right channel at the right time when the news was informing the nation about an event that would change our lives and leave a mark in history. Everyday, things affect us in ways we have never experienced, teaching us new lessons and information which help us grow as individuals, or in this case, also as a nation. Events that affect us personally tend to change our perspective on life and introduce us even more into the "adult" world. I had just been informed that our own American commercial airlines had been hijacked and run into the World Trade towers and the Pentagon. Later, on my way to school, they announced that the second of the twin towers had finally collapsed. We continued watching the news and discussing the current and upcoming events in each of our classes, and finally, as time went by, the story unfolded revealing who was behind it all and why they did it. In history, our teacher taped a T.V. special on the background of Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban, and their relations with America. Before I watched the special, I had never heard the name Bin Laden before in my life, and I did not really know anything about the Taliban either, except it was some group in the Middle East. I felt very naà ¯ve that it was possible that I did not know of something this big and important, and now I had a million questions to ask. Perhaps it is because I do not read the newspaper daily and rarely watch the news that this would come as such a shock to me. I have been relying on my friends, parents, and teachers for information on current events going on in the world, so I never felt the need to actually search for information myself because it had always been handed to me. I had no idea that I had been missing out on so many important details about our world, and now all the things that I had been missing out on were instantly making more headlines, and I was overwhelmed.

Use of Satire to Target Religion, Military, and Optimism in Voltaires

Use of Satire to Target Religion, Military, and Optimism in Voltaire's Candide    In his work, Candide, Voltaire uses satire as a means of conveying his opinions about many aspects of European society in the eighteenth century.   Voltaire successfully criticizes religion, the military, and the philosophy of optimism.   Religious leaders are the targets of satire throughout Candide. Voltaire portrays the religious clergy as men who use their positions to further their own causes. In addition, the priests keep the less fortunate oppressed, so the clergy members can continue to enjoy extravagant luxuries. Candide discovers the young Baron, whom he thought to be dead, living among the Jesuit Priests of Paraguay. Assuming the native people must be thriving under the protection of these religious/military leaders, Candide believes this to be a most pleasant place to live. However, he soon discovers that the religious leaders are pilfering the resources of the natives. The young Baron is found eating from golden bowls while the native people live in poverty with very little food. Th... Use of Satire to Target Religion, Military, and Optimism in Voltaire's Use of Satire to Target Religion, Military, and Optimism in Voltaire's Candide    In his work, Candide, Voltaire uses satire as a means of conveying his opinions about many aspects of European society in the eighteenth century.   Voltaire successfully criticizes religion, the military, and the philosophy of optimism.   Religious leaders are the targets of satire throughout Candide. Voltaire portrays the religious clergy as men who use their positions to further their own causes. In addition, the priests keep the less fortunate oppressed, so the clergy members can continue to enjoy extravagant luxuries. Candide discovers the young Baron, whom he thought to be dead, living among the Jesuit Priests of Paraguay. Assuming the native people must be thriving under the protection of these religious/military leaders, Candide believes this to be a most pleasant place to live. However, he soon discovers that the religious leaders are pilfering the resources of the natives. The young Baron is found eating from golden bowls while the native people live in poverty with very little food. Th...

What Seem to Be the Most Important Thing Lead to Success of Apple

What seem to be the most important things leading to the success of this company? Apple did not come by its present success easily. Before the ipad, iphone and ipod became profitable icons of high-tech fashion, Steve Jobs do suffered a long series of failures. For many years, there were serious doubts if Apple could survive the battles it was losing to competitors like Microsoft. In contrast, Apple is now expected to sell 30million ipads in 2011, two-thirds of all tablet computers sold globally. Question is, how did a struggling company become so successful?What seem to be the most important things that lead to the success of this company? If you take a look at the Apple’s strategies, it’s actually pretty simple and straight forward. First of all, Apple lets the others fail first, so that it can learn from the mistake. Although to be the first mover is great, but it can after be an impairment. It’s sort of like buying a new model of car the first year it’s available but you will probably have to deal with the unforeseen problems although you might think that it will be nicer if you can have it first.Apple using this strategy to learn an experience from the failure while not wasting any times and money. Second, Steve Jobs also recognize his own team for the successful of the product. You may take a look at any major product announcement. At the end of the announcement, Steve Jobs always thanks the team leader and usually asked those who worked on the product to stand up. This may increase the employee’s loyalty to the company, and make them proud of themselves and they will be mre hardworking in helping their company to become success.Third, Apple company focus on the few to sell to many which means that instead of trying to satisfy every fringe taste or market niche, Apple decided to focuses on just a few products in each category. With time and money, Apple strives to make each item in its relatively small stable as perfect a s possible. In which help to differentiate the products and build the customer loyalty, and also help Apple to develop a better products compare to other products that trying to satisfy every fringe taste. In contrast, Apple’s success is driven less by the company’s products and more by the company’s marketing and business strategies.

Adolescence Is the Unhappiest Time in Most People?S Lives

Adolescence is the unhappiest time in most people? s lives Most people agrees that adolesece may be the hardest time in most people's life  . Just like every period of life, being adolescent can be a pretty rough time. Some people says it is the unhappiestime, while other says it is the most happiest time in our life. but not everyone agrees that is the unhappiest time. So is the adolecense the unhappiest time in most people's lives? , I'm going to talk about the arguments for and against this statement and give my own opinion.It is true that adolesence is a very hard age, may be the hardest. Firstly because, is the time in wich the person is growing up, and has to get used to have more responsabilities. Also, there are some people that think this is because the adolecent are more sensitive than older or younger people and this is a reazon why to get upset for very silly razons. And, finally, some people thinks this is because, the adolecents aren't as free as they wished to be, an d this make them want to pass this part of their lives quicker.However, there are some people that desagree with this statement, and one of the mainly arguments is that is a very happy time for people because they don't have to worry about the resoult of their actions because they don't have as many responsabilities as they will have later when they get older. Another argument against this is that they, normaly, have more free time, and less stress. a time when they begin to discover who they are, they are becoming more independent, they are establishing friendships, and their bodies start developing. For many, entering into puberty can be a very emotional, stressful, confusing, and frightening time.Some make the change from childhood into adolescence with only a few minor problems, others however, may have a more difficult time handling the pressures and some may develop eating disorders as a way to cope. Some may enter into puberty early and be subjected to teasing by their peers. Many fear the weight that is gained during this time is permanent, will panic, and desperately try to take the weight off. They are not aware that once the physical changes during this time cease, their weight will usually stable off and go to their bodies natural set point, without the need for dieting. Adolescence Is the Unhappiest Time in Most People’s Lives Adolescence is the unhappiest time in most people’s lives. It seems to me adolescence is a very important period for everyone as it forms their views on life. When you are young, parents bring up and teach you, you learn something by your own and become some life experience. Then you go to school where you get basic knowledge, find new friends, communicate and share your opinions with them. This time could be divided into three periods: person’s childhood, school time and the last is an university or college time. Each of them is extremely important as it influences on the further life of an individual.Some people state that adolescence is the unhappiest time for most people. It brings many accidents, bad experiences and, as a result, person can go, for example, in a crime world or drug addiction. These facts are followed after the bad upbringing and some problem families. That’s why these people state thar the adolescence is a very important time for a person an d during this time person is touchy so they(person is thouchy so they(he or she, leave it open)) could have a bad experience and it would influence a lot to his future. However, others are assured that adolescence is the happiest time in everybody’s life.When you are young, you are not responsible for anything and you don’t have serious problems that should be solved. You don’t care about anything bad and enjoy spending your time with friends. Person goes to school where he gains some experience and finds new friends. They say, in most cases children have a good upbringing and only enjoy their life. It goes without saying, that the world of today is dangerous, however it mostly doesn’t influence on the person. If you ask me, I think adolescence is the most enjoyable time for everyone as it gives many opportunities for relaxation, education and entertainment.

Future Developments of Video Games Essay

The field of video games is one of the most exciting because it is constantly developing and advancing so quickly. Unlike a lot of areas of ICT which have reached a level of stability, all parts of games, gaming and games development are still growing and will continue to grow. This means there is the potential for individuals to have completely new ideas and be the first to create something in the field. The popularity of games is growing exponentially, with more and more people discovering an interest and passion for games all the time. A game now will reach a much larger, international audience and games developers can bring enjoyment to a vast array of people. Console manufacturers, games developers and other involved in the game industry and notoriously secretive about new projects being developed until they are almost ready for announcement and release – and even then sometimes games and products can be cancelled at the last minute. All employees working in the industry have to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) most of the time which forbids them legally from revealing any of their company’s secrets. Releasing any information about a product could potentially jeopardise its sales. Technology evolves in amazingly rapid speeds. If you need any real observable proof of the speedy advancement of digital technology over the years, take a look at the gaming industry. From the very early years of black-and-white 2D games like Pong (1972) to the first 3D game, 3D Monster Maze in 1981, and from primitive first-person shooters like Wolfenstein 3D (1992) to complex, life-like shooters like Battlefield 3 (2011), there’s no doubt that the gaming industry has seen its fair share of technological evolution. Hardware Developments Each new generation of console hardware made use of the rapid development of processing technology. Newer machines could output a greater range of colours, more sprites, and introduced graphical technologies such as scaling, and vector graphics. One way console makers marketed these advances to consumers was through the measurement of â€Å"bits†. The TurboGrafx-16, Sega Genesis, and SNES were among the first consoles to advertise the fact that they contained 16-bit processors. This fourth generation of console hardware was often referred to as the 16-bit era, and the previous generation as the 8-bit. The bit-value of a console referred to the word length of a console’s processor (although the value was sometimes misused, for example the TurboGrafx 16 had only an 8-bit CPU, and the Genesis/Mega Drive had the 16/32-bit Motorola 68000, but both had a 16-bit dedicated graphics processor). As the graphical performance of console hardware is dependent on many factors, using bits was a crude way to gauge a console’s overall ability. For example the NES, Commodore 64, Apple II, and Atari 2600 all used a very similar 8-bit cpu. The difference in their processing power is due to other causes. For example the Commodore 64 contains 64 kilobytes of RAM and the Atari has much less at 128 bytes of RAM. The jump from 8 bit machines to 16 bit machines to 32 bit machines made a noticeable difference in performance, so consoles from certain generations are frequently referred to as 8 bit or 16 bit consoles. However, the â€Å"bits† in a console are no longer a major factor in their performance. The Nintendo 64, for example has been outpaced by several 32 bit machines. It’s only inevitable that gaming hardware is going to constantly be improved, with more processing power, graphics capabilities, sound quality and memory capacity. The input method using a controller has drastically developed over the years beginning with a clunky controller and simple joystick on arcade games, the video game controller has evolved to be ergonomically designed to feel comfortable to avoid injuries such as the ones in the repetitive strain injury group or carpal tunnel syndrome. Most modern controllers are designed with the relaxed position of the hands in mind, resulting in the â€Å"pronged† design that reduces soreness and cramps after extended use, compared to older pads such as the NES or the Sega Master System. There are still a vast array of input methods to create an even more immersive experience, these include: steering wheel, pedals, light guns, dance pads, balance board, fishing rod, microphone and rhythm game controllers (drums and guitars). Many of these have been specifically designed to be used for a certain game or gaming series, such as guitar hero for example. The evolution of the controller to include more buttons proves that video games themselves are advancing as more buttons are required to complete different tasks within the game. New input methods are being developed to make the gaming experience more enjoyable and interactive, such as being able to control the character by body movement with sensor pads or clothing such as gloves. This type of input method can be seen back in the EyeToy for Playstation 2 which used a video camera. Most recently this market had been taken by storm with the introduction of the Wii and its totally unique controls. Many console manufactures have adopted this technique can be seen in the Playstation Move and the Xbox Kinect which both involve the player as a means of controlling the game instead of pressing buttons. This means of input is being pushed forward by many of the console manufacturers as it removes the stigma of video games being only for people who sit down all day and are lazy, and they are also seen as an alternative to exercising. The gaming industry has helped develop graphics and sound technology that can be incorporated as VR (Virtual Reality). An early 1990s attempt at a headset for console gaming and for hobbyists, was made by Future Vision Technologies. A modern example would be the Wii where the controller tracks and sends motion input accurately. There is also a new VR headset system in development designed specifically for gaming called the Oculus Rift. The headset provides approximately a 110 degree field of view, absolute head orientation tracking, USB interface and a 1200Ãâ€"800 resolution with the final consumer version aimed at 1920Ãâ€"1080. Some of the future games that will support the Oculus Rift includes Doom 4, Strike Suit Zero, Team Fortress 2, Miner Wars 2081, Minecraft and many more. Virtual reality has always been something that was portrayed in movies and television shows as something that will be ‘the future of gaming’. Attempts at creating it in the past have not shown popular results. However, it is something which is becoming more of a reality as technology advances, although whether we will ever reach the point of it becoming the standard of gaming is yet to be seen. Software Development The aim of software development is usually to reach a new level of realism or immersion. As processing power and memory increase, enhanced art and animation are able to be created. This allows images and movement to be more realistic. In the early days of first-person shooters, non-player characters (NPCs) had the intelligence of nicely rounded rocks. But they’ve been getting much better lately — look no further than Half-Life’s storytelling NPCs and Unreal Tournament’s excellent bot AI. The market success of titles such as these has prompted developers to put more effort into AI, so it looks as if smarter NPCs will continue to show up in games. AI researchers rarely use computer games for their research, outside of classic board and card games such as chess, checkers, and bridge. Possibly they see most game AI problems as simple â€Å"engineering† problems. This view has not been completely unjustified because often the goal of game AI is not to create intelligence, but to improve gameplay through the illusion of intelligent behaviour. Many of the techniques used to improve the illusion of intelligence have nothing to do with intelligence, but involve â€Å"cheats,† such as giving game AIs extra production capability or the ability to see through walls, or â€Å"faking it† by creating bots that â€Å"talk† to each other but completely ignore what is said. There also has been a drift in AI research toward problems and approaches where precise empirical evaluation is possible. Needless to say, gameplay isn’t something that today’s AI researchers feel comfortable evaluating. Although there is currently a significant gap between game developers and AI researchers, that gap is starting to close. The inevitable march of Moore’s law is starting to free up significant processing power for AI, especially with the advent of graphics cards that move the graphics processing off the CPU. The added CPU power will make more complex game AI possible. Still, game developers should still be wary of AI researchers who say, â€Å"My algorithm doesn’t run in real time right now, but just wait. In a few more years, I’m sure the processing power will be there.† A second, equally powerful force that is closing the gap is sociological. Students who grew up loving computer games are getting advanced degrees in AI. This has the dual effect of bringing game research to universities and university research to game companies — already there are at least five AI Ph.D.s at game companies. AI researchers are discovering that building interesting synthetic characters in computer games is much more than just an engineering problem. Moreover, games provide cheap, robust, immersive environments for pursuing many of the core AI issues. They could be the catalyst for a rebirth in research on human-level AI The final force is the game-playing public, who are starting to demand better AI. With the saturation in the quality of computer graphics, better physics and AI are the two technologies that have the most potential to improve gameplay. Players are looking for more realistic AIs to populate their worlds with interesting non-player characters (as in The Sims) and humanlike opponents who must be out-thought and not just out-shot (and who don’t cheat). AI can also provide dynamic game control, adjusting the gameplay based on how the game is played. Imagine playing a first-person shooter where the AI not only reacts to your behaviour, but also anticipates your actions by using an internal model of the way you play the game to make its plan. It also adjusts its skill at the tactical level to match yours, so that the game is never a blowout for either side. What can computer game developers do to hasten the collaboration of developers and AI researchers? The most important thing is to make commercial computer game interfaces available to AI researchers. Developers of games such as Unreal, Quake, and Half-Life publish DLLs, making it possible for not only hobbyists but also AI researchers to build bots that play games. If developers from other genres such as real-time strategy games follow suit, you would see an explosion of research on AI for these games. Game developers can also join AI researchers in discussing AI problems and solutions in open forums. There is now a yearly symposium sponsored by the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) on AI and interactive entertainment that brings together game developers and AI researchers. Building good AIs is hard and difficult work. Automated learning approaches such as neural nets and genetic algorithms can tune a well-defined set of behavioural parameters, but they are grossly inadequate when it comes to creating synthetic characters with complex behaviours automatically from scratch. There is no magic in AI, except for the magic that emerges when a great programmer works very hard. With the development of artificial intelligence, NPC characters are becoming cleverer. It is predicted that this AI will continue to offer more and more realistic opponents who can think almost like a human. New Technologies It is becoming more popular to connect the Xbox 360 to a Windows PC, which is easily possible as both are Microsoft products. XNA is a set of tolls which allowed games to be built for Xbox and tested through this connectivity. Where hobbyists had been frowned upon by consol manufacturers in the past, Microsoft are positively encouraging homebrew gaming. They run competitions to find newly developed XNA games and release them on Xbox Live Arcade. This is not only evidence of the future of homebrew games and hobbyist being accepted, but it also signals the integration of console with other media equipment with the seventh generation being best known for major consoles branching out into other types of media rather than solely focusing on games. All three consoles offer basic abilities such as photo-viewing, listening to music and browsing the web, as well as the ability to connect to external memory such as USB flash drives and SD cards. The Xbox 360’s DVD player was plagued by quality issues but other media options became available later such as an external HD-DVD drive (now a dead standard), Zune downloadable content, Netflix streaming and Last.fm internet radio. PlayStation 3, on the other hand, offered HD movie playback out of the box via Blu-ray in addition to later services like Netflix streaming, and Qriocity music. This new generation for the first time has all of the major consoles focusing on online integration. All three have their own connection services: Wii’s Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network. Competition has branched now from simply offering the best games to the best online content; smaller games can now be purchased and downloaded from online stores within the consoles, and extra applications such as Netflix streaming and Facebook connectivity are heavily supported. Almost all games sold in retail have online support, including online multiplayer and downloadable content for bug patches and new features, potentially increasing replay value in certain games for even years. Another notable feature in current-gen gaming is the use of avatar characters. Nintendo first introduced Miis with the Wii console, caricatures of players that could be created and used in flagship titles such as Wii Sports; however they lack the ability to customize that Xbox’s avatars have, as clothes and accessories can be purchased online or unlocked in games played. PlayStation 3, instead of an in-game character, offers PlayStation Home, a social simulator where avatars can talk and explore, and customize their homes with elements from games played. This basic idea allows the person playing the games to have a more personalised feel to their console and that they have become truly integrated with it. The console is becoming a central element that is integrated into a whole media system. People may become to get rid of their stereos and DVD players as this one central piece of equipment makes many other defunct. It may even be that in the future the console is the integral part for controlling a house, including the lighting, temperature and other devices. With more reliable and faster internet connections, the technology of cloud computing has begun to gain some momentum. The Sims creator Will Wright embraces the idea of cloud gaming as a crucial part of the future of the industry. For one thing, the gaming industry sees it as an opportunity to make games as easy to access as music and movies.

Effects of Longterm Imprisonment

CRJ 220 Effects of Longterm Imprisonment While the average time served in US prisons is 34 months, many inmates are serving sentences longer than this. According to a 2009 report by the Sentencing Project, 140,610 out of 2. 3 million inmates are serving a life sentence. However, with the possibility of parole, not all life sentences mean inmates spending their lives behind bars. Some inmates will return to society and face many challenges. One issue with long term imprisonment is the effect on family.While the inmates connection to his/her family may remain the same, the family moves on. Some spouses will divorce over the crime itself. The inmate now faces their long term sentence without the support of a significant other. Even those whose marriages survive the initial ordeal will encounter many more challenges along the way. Spouses are facing the prospect of spending a great period of their lives alone. The inmate knows this and will now have the added anxiety of wondering: will t hey find someone new, will they cheat?Children further complicate the matter. The child will grow up without a father or mother. At any age, the child will go through milestones that the inmate will miss: first words, first steps, first day of school, first date, graduation, marriage, grandchildren, etc. The long term inmate will likely miss one or more of these events. Young children may not remember their parent. They will likely have no relationship with the inmate. Even those who manage to form some kind of bond find it is very difficult to maintain from behind bars.The released inmate then has to be a part of a life that they were absent from for years. Another issue with long term imprisonment is employment. In five or more years, much can change. As society changes, technology advances. An inmate's prior skills, training and education may now be irrelevant. While â€Å"free† workers may face the same dilemma, they also are given time to gradually adjust to these change s and learn new skills. The inmate is thrown into these changes upon release. Even if their skills are still relevant, the inmate may lose their work skills after not using them in so ong. The long term inmate who was incarcerated at a younger age may not have had a chance to get an education or any job or skill training at all. Upon their release they may be 48 with the education of a 17 year old. Long term imprisonment may also have an effect on work ethic. Inmates have not been part of the work force for a long period of time. While some inmates are assigned jobs, not all are. Will those who don't have a diminished work ethic upon release? Will they remember how to function in a work environment?Another issue with long term imprisonment is the effect on mental health. Those sentenced to long terms may encounter psychological issues during their sentence and upon their release. Inmates may give up hope; those sentenced to life in prison give up the idea of ever gaining freedom. Th ough they may have a chance at parole, they know the chance of being released might be slim. There are inmates who commit suicide shortly after being sentenced because they can't deal with the extreme life change. Being in a prison environment for so long also can change a person.Inmates grow very accustomed to the prison lifestyle: waking up at a certain time, following a strict schedule, being watched at all times, following very strict rules. It can be difficult to adapt into being a â€Å"free† individual again: making your own decisions, knowing what to do without someone telling you what to do, giving yourself rules, etc. There are also the rules in prison versus the rules in society. Prison rules include not only the ones set by the institution itself, but also prison ‘norms' set by the inmates. These rules are very different from the ones we have in society.These rules can also change an inmate's personality. They may become more violent to protect themselves or prove their power to others, or become overly cautious and suspicious of people. These effects can carry over upon release. While some of the effects of long term imprisonment are beneficial to society and the inmate, many of the effects are harmful as well. The longer a prisoner is incarcerated, the more they will adapt to their environment and lose contact with the outside community. This adaptation can be difficult to reverse, even after release into society.

A Year in the South 1865: The True Story of Four Ordinary People

A Year in the South 1865, written by Stephen V. Ash, was published by First Perennial Press in 2004. It runs to 304 pages and deals with a year in the American south during the final year of the bloody United States Civil War.This war cost more American lives than any other conflict in the nation’s history and turned families against each other as sides were drawn. Stephen V. Ash, appropriately enough, teaches history at the University of Tennessee and has authored other books on the Civil War, including When the Yankees Came: Conflict and Chaos in the Occupied South.A Year in the South 1865 covers the twelve month span between January and December of 1865 as the war was winding toward its rather foregone conclusion. Ash has chosen to revisit this story of the fall of Dixie in a personal way, using four citizens of the bellicose Confederate States of America that stood in armed rebellion against the federal government of the United States as narrators.The year 1865 was chaotic in the United States, seeing the assassination of a great American leader, the end of the armed conflict, the beginning of the period termed Reconstruction and the emancipation of slaves in American States.Each narrator has a unique vantage from which he views the occurrences related in this work. One of the figures is a former Confederate soldier, one is a slave, wanting his freedom more than anything else, one is a widow, hungry and hopeless and the fourth is a planter and Christian minister whose faith is sorely tried.By 1865 the handwriting was on the wall. Early in the year North Carolina’s effectiveness as a haven for blockade-runners was broken.   William T. Sherman’s sweep through Georgia, creating a swath of scorched earth as he marched, was repeated in South Carolina, virtually destroying the state. It was blitzkrieg without the air support. It was lightening on the ground and it was devastating in its intensity and frightening in its brutality.Sherman lef t nothing behind. Against this backdrop the forces of the Army of the United States Federal Government came closer and closer to Richmond, and all but the deaf and blind understood the fall of Old Dominion was a fait accompli.Lee evacuated the capital in early April and the end was imminent. Jefferson Davis had made peace overtures to Lincoln early in the year, with demands that the independence of the south be recognized. Lincoln knew the war was all but over and dismissed the peace feeler out of hand.The Old South is dead and the four protagonists of the Stephen Ash work bear witness to the birth of the New. Ash captivates the reader with vivid tales of triumph and tragedy as the protagonists try to cope in a society whose very fabric is rent and bloodied in the ashes of disheartening defeat. Each of the individuals presented in this book are writers and keep journals of their times.This is a fascinating look into the lives of four ordinary people who are witness to a microcosmic view of the death throes of an age now long dead and of the nova that produced the New South, which is much the same today as when it first began in that painful birthing period in the year 1865. The subtitle of this book calls 1865 the most tumultuous 12 months in American history. It is not merely hype.John Robertson was a Confederate soldier, doing his duty as he saw it, though this duty caused him to stand in rebellion against his nation’s government and take arms against that institution. It must be understood today that the American civil war is more than just a difference of ideologies that lead to an armed confrontation.It is a renunciation of vows and oaths of loyalty to one’s own. It is to turn traitor to the homeland. â€Å"If such there breathe, go, mark him well; for him no minstrel raptures swell;†¦and, doubly dying, [he] shall go down to the vile dust from whence he sprung, unwept, unhonored, and unsung,† wrote Sir Walter Scott in The Lay of the Last Minstrel.Robertson is the target of vigilantes during the year of 1865, pursued by those with different ideologies. In the course of the year he is to flee over a thousand miles to escape the wrath of those bent on taking revenge on him for his perceived part in the bloody conflict.The cities of the South are occupied by what amounts to an alien army, while the frontiers of the relatively young republic are less civilized, and the citizens of the wilderness territories are subject to more than a modicum of frontier justice as well as to the dockets of more than a few kangaroo courts.The politics of this period are such that the victorious north is determined, by hook or crook, to impose its will upon the defeated insurgents in general, and those it can identify as ex-soldiers in particular. Ideally it will achieve its aims at the polling place, but if it can not, it is not adverse to a bit of armed confrontation of its own.Robertson finds himself the subject of reprisals as union loyalists seek their revenge on those who are available to them and he is forced to flee for his life.At one point he finds it expedient to move into the north, and comes to rest in a community in Iowa, where he feels like a fish out of water, unable to cope with cultural differences and what he perceives as a cold and calculating veneer spread over the peoples.Yankee and German immigrant merchants are not as warm as his fellow Southerners. The lack of Southern charm and hospitality is more than he can bear and he ultimately realizes that he cannot stay in such a place.This same hospitable citizen of a once genteel South hates Negroes with a blind passion and is willing to give his life to see that a form of government that holds some human beings to be chattel will survive and prosper. Ash quotes him as describing some blacks as, â€Å" ‘the greasiest bunch of nig[g]ers I ever saw.’ Just being around them made him sick,† (56).   When the shoe is on the other foot there is a great lack of understanding as to why man must be so callous in regard to his fellow man. Robertson is shocked to learn that bigotry can be directed toward him. Isn’t he white? Isn’t he a Southerner? Did he not fight to preserve his heritage? He feels forced to flee from is home in Knoxville.He feels that the Negro is rising above his station and the world, it must seem, has turned upside down. It is ironic that Robertson’s saga, his tale of misery in the aftermath of a war which he violently abetted, is found in the same tome as is found the tale of a former slave whom he considered below him and fit only for servitude. Robertson would not have liked to share the stage with a Negro in all likelihood.He is stunned that he becomes the second-class citizen in his travels and he has difficulty believing the incredible lack of manners exhibited by northerners. He finds it unacceptable that they do not offer the simple hospitality of a hot meal to visitors and he feels that they are looking down on him. Robertson eventually becomes a preacher, accepting the call to spread the gospel of Christ to his fellow man.Louis Hughes begins his narrative as a slave who has risen to what is stereotypically considered to be a plum assignment for a man in his position, that of house-slave.He becomes the family butler eventually. Having a good job as a slave seems similar to the old adage of enjoying a comfortable seat in hell. His is witness to the death of his twin children as his wife is too over-worked to see to their needs and they die of neglect.He tries to escape, and is recaptured by a military patrol. When he is returned to his rightful owner he is beaten by the kindly old white master, who puts him in stocks to administer the requisite justice, pausing when he tires, to rest and read the newspaper (120).It is the disparity of view and juxtaposition of these two narrators that adds so much flavor to this history. Hughes seems to be the more sympathetic of the two, and is the more altruistic.He is called upon to demonstrate his intestinal fortitude and acquits himself well. He manages to save members of his family and proves his ability to learn and expand. He comes to Milwaukee, where he becomes a nurse, doing much good for those in need. Both men travel far and see much. Their sojourns give added dimension to their tales and prevent them from narrating with a frog’s eye concept of life in the post-bellum American South.Cornelia McDonald is the widow of a Confederate officer. She lives in Lexington, Virginia. Her story is the only one told from a woman’s perspective and it fills in many of the gaps left by the tales related by the male narrators in that she deals more with the domestic issues of her day. She is also witness to the abject hunger and devastating poverty which settled over the south like an all intrusive fog, penetrating to the core of the land, pervasive and all encompassing.He r bitter struggle to simply find enough food to subsist is a telling point in this work. All too often a history will deal only with the nuts and bolts of the events, relating the politics and mechanizations that occurred in the reconstruction of a defeated and fallen society, overlooking the seemingly insignificant issue of bread.McDonald’s tale covers this aspect of the bitter year when a once proud and even arrogant people lost everything, falling lower than they believed it possible to fall.McDonald is left with seven hungry children and struggles daily just to find them enough food to survive. She relates a tale of how she unwove a mattress to recycle the threads into a suit of clothing for one of her sons (36). It is a story reminiscent of the classic scene described by Margaret Mitchell of how Scarlett O’Hara took the velvet drapes from the windows of her once glorious Tara and had the material tailored into a ball gown.Planter cum preacher, Sam Agnew is the fou rth member of this group of narrators of the year 1865 in this southern history. He bears further witness to the hunger and utter destitution left in the wake of the merciless marauding Union army.He comes bearing tales of the land and people in a way unique to a farmer who has witnessed a period when even heaven seemed to conspire against the south, withholding rain and desiccating the crops, bringing famine and disease (150).McDonald is perhaps a metaphor for the land, relating how she survived that year of infamy, prospering eventually, and becoming a friend of the revered icon of all that is Southern, General Robert Edward Lee.She relates rather poignantly how Lee remains the courtly Southern aristocrat in defeat and urges his fellow Southerners to forgive and forget and move on with their lives. She does not mention how this courtly aristocrat, a graduate of West Point, reneged on his solemn oath to the United States and took up arms against it.She fails to mention that what he and the other Southern officers, who had once been Union officers, had done was treason and could have resulted in their execution.It seems the least bit fatuous for an historian like Ash to glorify the mien of Southern gentry who were largely responsible, if not for causing the war, then at least for extending it by years with the military expertise they had been taught in a United States military academy. Had they all refused to gainsay their sacred oaths the war might not have been prosecuted for lack of leadership.Works CitedAsh, S.V.   A Year in the South 1865: The True Story of Four Ordinary People Who Lived Through the Most Tumultuous Twelve Months in American   History   New York: First Perennial Edition 2004   

The Global Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Global Pharmaceutical Industry - Essay Example Using PEST-L analysis to prepare for strategic plans in taking advantage of opportnities in the external environment and addressing eminent threats, one understands that the consumers of the pharmaceutical industry are patients who need the drugs and medications to address various health concerns. As the prices of medicines were highly dependent on the amount, level and extent of research and development, consumers have no control nor say on the strategies involving prices. As shown in the chart on one of the branded prescription drugs marketed in the U.S., when compared to other areas around the world, the chart would reveal that the price of Lipitor was highest in the U.S.. Buyer power, is therefore considered restricted and limited as it is highly dependent of the prices dictated by drug manufacturers. In addition, the demographic profile of consumers affect and influence strategies designed by drug manufacturers as these profiles affect the demand and purchase of the products. As disclosed from the case, ageing population significantly affect the stragies designed since consumers from this age range more frequently buy drugs than those from the younger age ranges. Therefore, aside from considering the prices of this drugs to ensure that they could be afforded by the older generation, strategies would also consider the media by which products are advertised and promoted; the availability of substitutes, as emphasized in Porter’s threat of substitutes; and the manner by which these products are distributed and made available to the consumers. Political factors could be closely evaluated using the PEST-L analysis where laws and regulations impact on the industry’s operations and performance; as well as in the development of strategies. As the industry was characterized to be â€Å"subjected to rigorous regulatory scrutiny† (Holland, 2010, p. 548), the length required for clinical trials to ensure safety and security of consumers are considerably long. Further, the patent protection of 20 years also influence strategies of manufacturers of pharmaceutical drugs since upon expiry, the threat of entry from generic drug manufacturers rise and significantly affect the level of sustained demand and consumer purchase. Legal factors encompass laws in terms of government controls on pricing and the extensive efforts taken into consideration from discovery and clinical trials to approval and final marketing. The imposition of parallel trade strategies in response to price control have influenced the global pharmaceutic al industry in terms of protecting not only drug manufacturers but moreso the consumers who get to evaluate significant price differentials as drugs could be sourced from other low priced markets. The implication for this is that international health organizations, like the World Health Organization, must monitor and address pricing strategies of global pharmaceutical companies to ensure uniform standards and benefits are accorded on a universal perspective. In an article written by Shah (2010), the author clearly cited Stiglitz work which

Weirding the War by Stephen Berry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Weirding the War by Stephen Berry - Essay Example He also addresses other pertinent issues like analyzing whether the civil war played a part in destroying or reinforcing the cult of domesticity in America. Finally, a review of other author’s books is done to see whether they can gladly be explained by Stephen’s ‘weirding’ the war ideology (Berry, 2011). The definition of gender roles provides a description of these roles as being, the different duties assigned to an individual based on their gender. Gender is a socially constructed term used to refer to an individual’s social or legal status. Its ascription is on the basis of the biological dispositions which differentiate men from women. The antebellum attitudes affected the gender roles as seen in the three different articles. A general background appraisal of the attitudes which existed during this era clearly shows the disparities present in the gender roles assigned to different people. These disparities influenced the day-to-day interactions of different people. The formation of attitudes is as a result of influence from different factors such as, political alliances, economic status or race. For example, race influenced people’s attitudes in a tremendous way. ... The formation of political alliances also played a great role in the formation of people’s attitudes. The Southern states possessed different political ideologies from the Northern states which created tension and culminated in the start of the Civil war. One of these ideologies was; the Northern states advocated for the abolishment of the slave trade whereas the Southern states seemed to be profiting from slavery. â€Å"The Tale of the Three Kates† by LeeAnn Whites illustrates the way economic status also influenced the formation of people’s attitudes especially in relation to gender roles. The antebellum society's influence was from the male culture which affected all sectors of society. Meaning, men had the authority to own property, unlike women. Therefore, the roles assigned to men included those that allowed them to acquire property. In addition, the economic status ascribed to women depended on the status ascribed to their fathers or husbands (Berry, 2011) . All the books also attempt to analyze whether the cult of domesticity experienced some effects by the civil war. This begs the question, what did the phrase ‘cult of domesticity mean’ in the first place. It referred to the pre-existing culture of the people living in the antebellum period. It confined women to play a domesticated role which included running the households and nurturing their children. On the other hand, the men worked tirelessly striving to make a living to support their families. It was, therefore, unheard of to find women working with the men in the different industries. However, this soon changed when the war started. It destroyed the cult of domesticity by redefining the roles ascribed to people based on their gender. The women had to fill in the vacant

Juvenile gang in Birmingham, AL Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Juvenile gang in Birmingham, AL - Research Paper Example This paper will examine the nature of gang problem in Birmingham, Alabama. Gang presence in Birmingham, Alabama is a real problem just as it is in the various states that make up the US. A gang may be defined as a group of 2 or more people, who come together for the common purpose of acquiring financial and/or political benefits through illegal means (Delaney, 2005). To achieve this, gang members utilize violence, intimidation, harassment and other unconventional means to establish and maintain their influence and significance in areas, which they perceive as their territories. Gangs, therefore, are a major threat to security within their areas of operation and though the federal government and state governments have continued to arrest and prosecute gang members, not much has been achieved (Delaney, 2005). This paper is a critical evaluation of gangs and gang related crimes in Birmingham, Alabama. Gang violence in Birmingham, Alabama is not a new phenomenon especially due to the fact that it is one of the places in the US, which are rich destinations for immigrants (Howell, 2011). However, the authorities, in the past, have continued to downplay and under report gang existence probably in an effort to mask their inability to deal with the problem. On the other hand, some law enforcers and community leaders especially in the FBI gang taskforce have acknowledged the rising cases of gang behavior especially in the young population comprising mostly of school children. The taskforce observed that immigration of people of Hispanic origin to the region has been one of the major contributing factors to gang behavior in the area as they are known to have the culture of influencing and participating in organized criminal activities such as drug and gun trafficking. Reports indicate that gangs, such as SUR 13, which is highly associated with Mexican mafia, have

Personel Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personel Finance - Essay Example In the event that I lose my job and I do not have a source of income, I will adjust my financial lifestyles, budget and the financial plans that I have. The following analysis will look at the specific steps and how my new lifestyle will be like. The loss of job will be characterized by decline in my income; hence difficulties in making my ends meet. The first will be to accept this new situation and discuss it with my important people in my life. I will adjust my budget so that I only spend my money on the basics of the life and only on what I can afford at the current economic status. This means I will adjust from spending on the things that do not bring any value in life at current status. For example I will stop going out or adjust to going out to the places that I can comfortably afford. I will invest the remaining resources to get another source of income such as securing another job or any income generating project. I will stop buying expensive clothes and only buy the basics. On the long term basis, this will affect my expected investments such as building my own