Marketing Plan for SBA in Developing Sounds for Mobile Games Assignment

Marketing Plan for SBA in Developing Sounds for Mobile Games Applications - Assignment Example The study reveals that in order to boost sales after making the entry into the market, SAB needs to take into relation the price sensitivity of the sporty gamers in addition to fashion realization of present day’s patrons. The evaluation of technical factors showed the hazard of the release of a fresh generation of games plus the opportunities stalking from the utilization of online division channels as well as the growth of massively multiplayer online games. SAB Australia wishes to take into relation mutually lawful factors in provisos of piracy hazard also observance to worldwide acceptance standards. On the base of situational analysis, the plan assumes SWOT analysis which reveals that SAB shall press on its Product Mix part to boost the application to latent clientele. The price plus technical inadequacy in the current market were accepted as one of the key existing weaknesses which may estrange the latent sporty gamers plus invite the price of missing patrons. This build s up a marketing strategy which fits the conclusions of situational analysis plus the SWOT moreover proposes a precise plan of actions intended to convene the actual objectives. The plan of actions recommends the way SAB Australia can extend the correct blend of 7Ps' tools, to call on to target clients and boost client acquiesce. The SBA Music focuses on supplying audio/music solutions for games. This Australian specific corporation understands embryonic music trends plus competently supplying this to the customers. The viewpoint is to appreciate the unreliable and altering requirements of our customers plus to imitate this within the music solutions SAB presents. The goods sorted from themed audio CD's within mobile phone games in particular to complete software plus hardware clarification s that transport planned digital music, publicity, and extra.

Zaras Business Model Essay Example for Free

Zaras Business Model Essay When I saw the first announcement of their ecommerce launch I ran home and dug through my undergrad course work and quickly produced a case study I’d read in 2003. â€Å"Zara: IT for Fast Fashion† a Harvard Business School case study that examined Zara’s IT infrastructure and how it supported their unique business model. Two important caveats from this case study stuck out in my mind. Zara’s business model closely linked customer demand to manufacturing and distribution. Inventory depended largely on the location of the store and what particular customers were buying. They understood that their consumer had a penchant for trend driven pieces, and that marketing and advertising efforts lengthened the lead-time. Thus their marketing budget was usually .3% of revenue, and Zara was able to get high fashion looks in stores while they were still hot. Zara didn’t need to convince their consumers to buy with advertising and marketing efforts, rather they changed 75% of their inventory every three to four weeks, so consumers knew to constantly frequent the store for up to date items. Secondly, Zara had decided not to retail clothes online because of the high rate of returns (retail mail order rates were 50-60% whereas in store was roughly 5%), and because their distribution centers were not configured for small pick and pack orders. If you think about it, Zara’s business model is actually perfect for online retail. Their vertically integrated manufacturing operations allowed for the perpetual introduction of new pieces with short lead times. For the fickle online consumer that wants newness all the time, its heaven! In fact, the top right hand corner of their site pays homage to this brand ethos with a â€Å"new this week† link standing out from the pack. So what took them so long to make the move?

Early Developments Of Narrative Cinema Film

Early Developments Of Narrative Cinema Film Using either two short films from films silent period (pre 1929), or one short film and an extract from a longer film (both of which should also be pre 1929) discuss what they can tell us about the early developments of narrative cinema. Early development of narrative cinema pre 1929 (silent films) Films have changed a great deal since the earliest productions in the silent era of around 1898 to around 1929, when the development of sound was conceived. Many advances in film have enhanced the viewing pleasure, from the almost alien productions created nearly a hundred years ago, for example Georges Melies Voyage to the Moon (1902), to the familiar films of our generation, such as James Camerons Avatar. This essay will discuss the changes made from a visual and aesthetic cinema to a structured narrative cinema. Also how films may have evolved in both plot and story, and also how the development of the narrative form changed, in some respects, films viewing purpose and audiences expectations. Analyzing why films which contain narratives and the ability to derive tension from their audience overtook the medium most popular at the time, the cinema of attractions, will help us to understand how films viewing changed. By comparing two very different silent films, Rescued by Rover (directed by Lewin Fitzhamon 1905) and Broken Blossoms (directed by D .W. Griffith 1919) one would expect to see a great many differences, not only technological (such as the length of the films, and editing advancements) but also such things as character development, and characters emotional drives along with the variety of devices which drive the narrative forward. Comparing the entirety of Rescued by Rover with just a short scene from Broken Blossoms will enable us to select the clear advances in narrative structure and understand their development from the simple action and consequence format to the in-depth emotional build up created by films made later during the silent film era. The early 1900s saw change and growth, in both the production of short films and the demand. Thomas Elsaesser discusses this notion in his book Early Cinema: Space, Frame, Narrative suggesting that 1905 saw the production of many stable permanent theaters being set up as well as the film industry trying to knit developments together, such as the first full film reel and a number of film theaters allowing the exchange of films as a means of distribution. These and other developments, took place in order to try and produce a stable industry. The introduction of films containing narratives has played a significant role in the popularity and production of films. Short silent films shown just before and during the very early 1900s did not focus on the need to tell a story as much, maybe because the development of film only really began a decade before. However, on March 22, 1895, in Paris, France, the Socià ©tà © dEncouragement à   lIndustrie Nationale (National Society for the Promotion of Industry) gathered to watch a film depicting factory workers leaving for their dinner hour, which although may seem primitive to an audience of today, must have been an impressive show and indeed an exciting step forward from the kinetoscope. The film, screened and viewed in front of an audience, was an innovation created by brothers Louis Lumià ¨re (1864-1948) and Auguste Lumià ¨re (1862-1954). Loius Lumiere made many short films which included, LArroseur arrose, known in English as The Gardener and the Bad Boy, which unlike the pr evious films contained a comic narrative structure. Joel. W. Finler in his book Silent Cinema: before the coming of sound, states that although shot from a fixed camera position, the picture demonstrates a sophisticated use of the film frame, suggesting that the film had previous planning and each frame had been structured for both characters so that they would fit nicely, showing early attempts to add to the film aesthetically. Rescued by Rover was made in 1905. It was directed by Cecil Hepworth and Lewin Fizhamon and the Hepworth manufacturing company was the production company. The short film is about a baby who is kidnapped by an old woman, but luckily the family collie rescues the baby. The film is very easy to follow, containing a variety of simple shots all helping the viewer to follow the narrative. The first shot is of the baby and the dog sitting quietly together, then the mother is seen wheeling the baby up a path in her pram, a nasty old woman approaches the mother begging, but the mother walks on, ignoring the old woman. In the next shot the mother is distracted by another man talking to her. They both chat while sneakily the old woman steals her precious baby. This is a simple example of films early jump to the narrative structure. In narrative it is all the events, both explicitly presented and inferred that make the story, an example of this is provided in Rescued by Rover. Three shots are used to set up the plot,( the baby and dog together, the mother pushing the baby the baby is taken.) followed by another sixteen shots showing Rover tracking down the child, these sixteen shots are repeated twice more to show, (in reverse) the dog returning home and then again when rover takes the father with him, however a forth repeat of the sequence is not shown (the dog, the father and the baby returning home together) and instead a shot of the kidnapper returning to her room, followed by a shot of the reunited family is provided. The film assumes that the audience does not need to see the Father, baby and dog returning home, but that the audience is able to identify that this was happening while the shot of the beggar woman returning to her house was shown. The films ability to involve itself with the audience and coherently lay each relevant characters plight, initiates an emotional response, such as sympathy for the baby and sorrow for the mother when she loses her baby. Films like The Gardener and the Bad Boy and Rescued by Rover are clear examples of why the demand for narrative films grew. Bernard F Dick discusses narrative films advance in his book Anatomy of Film, Fifth edition, saying the narrative film came about when film makers discovered the medium could do more than just record whatever was in front of the camera. The next step was not only to capture it but to re-create it; to show what could or might be; in other words to tell a story. This suggests that films such as Rescued by Rover and The Gardener and the Bad Boy where successful experiments in the field of narrative cinema and led to much more in-depth narrative films. Broken Blossoms, the film directed by D W Griffith, stands proudly among the greats of the silent film era, and unlike Rescued by Rover, uses intertitles. Bernard. F.Dick, in Anatomy of Film, discusses this notion when commenting, Printed material that appeared on the screen periodically during the course of the movie, the intertitle was one of the ways in which the silent filmmaker supplemented the narrative or clarified the action; it is also a reminder of films early dependence on printed word. D.W.Griffith used intertitles for a variety of purposes, not just to reproduce dialogue and identify characters. One clear difference in the two films, Rescued by Rover and Broken Blossoms, is the ability to develop a much more in-depth relationship between the character and the viewer. Broken Blossoms, contains both a larger plot and story opening up to a wider range of audiences, because of its variety in characters (the poor lost girl with what seems like no hope, and the wandering Chinese man whose fame and respect are as nothing in a cruel foreign world.) Broken Blossoms also uses different advances in camera work: to better tell a story, such as the scene in which the poor girls ghastly father finds her sleeping in the Chinese mans bed, the scene cuts backwards and forwards from shots of the fathers face getting more and more angry, to the girl becoming more and more scared shot and the scene is edited correctly for convincing continuity, and the correct level of tension has been created. However D.W.Griffith has allowed for emotion to be displayed though characters actions as well, inste ad of only using Intertitles in the scene where the father discovers Lucy in the Chinese mans room, such as You! with a dirty chink! and Taint nothin wrong! Taint nothin wrong! I fell down in the doorway and it wasnt nothin wrong! Different shots are given to display the emotions of the father and Lucy, several close up shots of both Lucy and the father are provided. The tension is built up by the shots of their faces getting closer and closer until the audience is shown an extreme close up of their eyes, this serves to drive the plot and create emotional response from the viewers. From viewing early silent films and analyzing both Rescued by Rover and Broken Blossoms, one conclusion dominates above others: the progression narrative film has taken in film makers ability to tell a story, from a simple plot such as a dog saving a baby, to the elaborate plot of Broken Blossoms and its Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet-esc plot, filled with emotionally provoking moments. The development of a simple narrative working within a film has enabled us to make, and watch films with far more complex narratives. The simple narrative films of the past have paved the way for the future and the coming of sound and colour, bringing films to life with a vivid and beautifully developed mode of story telling.

Computers in the Classroom :: Technology School Essays

Computers in the Classroom Over the past decade the world has moved from a place with little digital technology to one where computers, video, and technology are used everyday. The use of this technology can not be ignored even in the classroom. It is impossible to live in o9ur world today without exposure to computers. As teachers it is part of our jobs to expose students to using computers at an early age and to incorporate technology into our lessons. During the middle school years using computers are a great way to get students excited about learning. It has even become mandatory as one of the NCTM (National Council for Teachers of Mathematics) standards. The technology principle states that technology helps students to fully understand mathematical concepts (Principles 25). They are great tools for any type of learner. The hands on experience helps the students to remember the concepts because they have something visual to reference (impact). The NCTM standards states, â€Å"Technology is essential in teaching and learning mathematics; it influences the mathematics that is taught and enhances students' learning† (Principles 25). As suggested, technology should not replace the traditional teaching strategies, but rather enhance them (impact). Many of the students know how to use the computers for fun things such as talking to their friends, playing games, and surfing the internet. However, few students know that computers can be used for educational things both inside and outside of the classroom. In math there are many ways to use computers in the classroom. One way to use computers in the classroom is by using online math games and manipulatives to help teach and review. In the class I am working with at Dunn Middle school they use games to help reinforce the lesson and to review for a test. During one review session before a test the students got into three groups one at each computer. They then logged onto the computers and played a fractions game. The students competed against each other for the most correct answers. All of the students were involved and enjoyed a break from the everyday instruction.

Stop! Wait! I Am Pulling Down a Menu!

San Jose, CA, with the smallest officer-to-resident ration in the country, is named one of the safest cities in the United States. From 1990 to 2004, officers worked on a daily basis with a text-based mobile dispatch system, which they had no problem with. A major issue happened when, in 2004, this system was replaced by a new Windows-based touch screen software, developed by Intergraph. In this new project, a new touch screen computer was installed in every patrol car. The idea of the software was correct, it was supposed to bring many benefits and simply help officers, make their life easier. The new software was designed to receive orders, send messages, write reports, receive maps of the city, and use the GPS to let officers know where they are located. The success of the software was not as planned. Even before it was installed, officers were already upset that their input was not asked about the design of the interface; nobody asked their opinion and suggestions for the creation of the new system. The software itself had way too many complications. Officers were not satisfied at all with it. Some of the issues included were the increasingly difficult to use code 99-emergency, the time it took them to find whether a person they stopped had violent criminal record, mapping and GPS inaccuracies, and unneeded information that took screen space along with difficult font to read. The software simply did not work, it crashed after two days of its debut. It was fixed and debugged, but still had major issues. Dispatchers were also very dissatisfied with the Intergraph system because of the risky delays in task execution, because it could not perform multiple tasks simultaneously, between many more. They too, thought should have been consulted during the interface design stage. To fix these issues, SJPOA provided more training to officers and hired a consultant to see what could be done. The consultant realized there were too many complex hierarchies that did not make sense for anyone who had to be using the system while driving a car. Even with all these disagreements, San Jose did not replace the system. While looking at the examples given about Chicago and San Diego, I can see there is still hope for San Jose and the implementation of the new system. Are the problems encountered by the police officers due to hardware or software? The problems encountered were due to both, hardware and software. Hardware refers to the physical components of computers and related electronic devices such as PDAs. It was stated in the case that older officers were having more trouble than the younger ones and I believe it is because they are not used to the new computers and devices. The input devices are the ones that receive signals from outside the computer and transfer them into the computer. The most common input devices are the computer keyboard and mouse, but some advices accept voice, imagine, or other signals (Oz, E. , 2009). In this case, their problems were with the touch screen computers, which can serve both as an input and output device. Software was the major problem in this case. The software implemented simply did not work; there were too many bugs and mistakes. The idea of the software was to make officer’s lives easier and not more complicated. It seems that the software was too complex and slow to be used by police officers and fire fighters, who can most of the time be in danger and in need of fast and accurate information. Whom do you think is at fault for the unsuccessful implementation of the new software? Why? I believe the fault is to be blamed on the police and city officials. Their thought was good, they wanted to improve their system, but did not get any input from the officers to know what kind of system would work for them, what they need to most, if it is speed, accuracy, GPS, what would make their lives easier. I believe it lacked communication between them. With all this information, police officials could have gone to Intergraph and explained what kind of system they were looking for, how they wanted it to be, what should have its emphasis on. People, specially the â€Å"technologically challenged,† are often not receptive of new technologies. Was this a major issue in this case? I don’t believe it was a major issue, but it was one. The case stated even the tolerant and receptive officers were having obstacles to adapt to the new system, and it also said the older officers were having more trouble than the younger ones. Technology is changing so fast and some of us can not get caught up with it many times. The older officers were used with the paper and pen method, some of them probably do not even have (or if they do they got it not too long ago) a computer at home. If they are used to computers I am sure it is not the touch screen one, it is the laptop or desktop type. All of these make it more difficult to accept the new technology but it is not something that can not be converted with training. After getting familiar with the computers and systems they will realize it is going to make their job much easier and simple. If you were the CEO of Intergraph before it assumed the project for San Jose, what would you do differently? As the CEO of Intergraph I would have talked to the officials to know exactly what they are looking for in the system and try to create one that is as easy as possible to use. I would hold a lot of training sections to the officers to make sure they knew what they were doing and how they could use the system to their advantage. I believe Intergraph probably created a system that is not compatible with what they were needing. They should have held sections with the officers to know how familiar they are with computers, what they do and do not know about it. I am sure with useful information like this the system created would have been much more user friendly and therefore more effectively used. My recommendations for this case are as follow: Hold more training sections: I believe with training this situation can be solved in a simple way. I know that much of it depends on the effectiveness of the software itself, but once it is solved and free of bugs, training sections will be helpful for officers to get very familiar with the system and start using it to their advantage. Nowadays they can no longer work with paper and pen, computers will save them a lot of time and effort if used correctly. I also believe the training sections should be done with touch screen computers instead of desktop or laptops. Officers need to be able to practice on a screen just like the one they are going to work with in the car. This will make them feel more comfortable when using the software on the job. Get input from officers: the best way to make officers and dispatchers satisfied with the new system and computers is to get them involved in the process. They should be able to give their opinion about the whole situation and give inputs on what they believe would make a difference and what would not. They are the ones who will use it al all times so they should know what kind of system they want and will fulfill their needs when time comes. Fix software error: I am sure this is something they are already working on, and as stated in the case, San Diego also had the same problem when started using the same software and now it is working much better. They worked with Intergraph to fit the system to their needs and I believe San Jose needs to do the same. Get officers more adapted to technology: with time they will understand that technology is there to make their personal and professional lives better. Resistance is an emotional response based on feelings. You cannot talk people out of their emotions. In fact, their emotions become fiercer when they sense that their feelings are being challenged. An alternative and more effective approach is to ask about the concerns regarding the change. Talk to the officers to know what is holding them back. I think some workshops and/or meetings with experts in technology would give them an idea of what is available to them. I am sure a touch screen computer with many icons and items can be scary to some of them, but after they understand how to use everything they will truly take advantage of it.

101 Naysayers and Annotated Bib Professor Ramos Blog

101 Naysayers and Annotated Bib Quick Write Quick Write What is activism? What are modern protests that you can think of? Gladwell â€Å"Small Change† Malcolm Gladwell â€Å"Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted† (399) Gladwell discusses the arguments promoting social media as a key component in social activism starting in paragraph 7. He says, â€Å"The new tools of social media have reinvented social activism. With Facebook and Twitter and the like, the traditional relationship between political authority and popular will has been upended, making it easier for the powerless to collaborate, coordinate, and give a voice to their concerns.† He discusses revolutions in Moldova and Iran and quotes a former senior State Department official who believes social media can be used to fight terrorism. He  brings up these opposing views (his â€Å"they say†) after an extended description of the Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-ins. He begins to refute these views in paragraph 8. 2/2/60 Greensboro, N.C.: A group of Negro students from North Carolina AT College, who were refused service at a luncheon counter reserved for white customers, staged a sit-down strike at the F.W. Woolworth store in Greensboro 2/2. Ronald Martin, Robert Patterson and Mark Martin are shown as they stayed seated throughout the day. The white woman at left came to the counter for lunch but decided not to sit down. Sit-in participants are bullied and have food and drinks dumped on them. Chp 6 Skeptics May Object Chapter 6 introduces a different sort of â€Å"they say†: the naysayer. The naysayer, or counterargument, appears after the conversation and after you have made some points. Including what the objections might be helps you make a more thorough point and adds credibility to the writing. Be careful to treat the objection carefully and fairly. Do not present a weak argument or a simplification of it because that can lead to a number of fallacies including the Strawman fallacy. The book offers suggestions for including the Naysayer or Skeptic. Anticipate Objections Entertain Objections in your own writing. Name the Naysayers. Introduce objections formally or informally Represent Objections Fairly Answer Objections Make concessions and stand your ground. Playing the Role of Naysayer We are going to be working in small groups. Before that, answer these questions. What is the topic or thesis of your research report? Have you anticipated the naysayers? List the people who have a say in your topic. In groups, take turns stating your topic or thesis. The other members will take the role of a naysayer and give their objections to the argument and give themselves a label. Audience you are writing for: Expert Novice Peer Annotated Bibliography An annotated bib is a works cited or references page with additional information added to each citation. You begin with the correct reference citation for your sources. For this assignment we will have at least five sources. Here is a good explanation of  citations in MLA. Explanation and example of an  Annotated Bibliography  from Cornell Example 2  Annotated Bibliography  from Purdue OWL Here is the format: Author(s). â€Å"Article Title.†Ã‚  Source, vol. #, no. #, season year, pp. xx-xx.  Database,  URL. Example: Kong, Les. â€Å"Business Sources for Education Majors.†Ã‚  Education Graduate Students Journal, vol. 75, no. 4, 2014, pp. 12-19.  JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/52506788. To each entry you will add the annotation, the paragraph or two that explains the source, why you are using it, and its reliability. Each professor you will have in the future may have specific guidelines for what to include in an annotated bibliographic entry. Always follow their instructions. For this assignment, you should include: Summary of Source, 2-4 sentences How you are using it in your report, 1-3 sentences Reliability of source, 1-3 sentences In total, you should have a short paragraph, 4-10 sentences, explaining the three points above. MLA Style We will be going over the 8th edition MLA citation Style. You can look under our  resources page  for MLA or APA guides. There are three things to consider for each style guide you use: Page Formatting In-Text Citations /References Page Here is a  Power Point presentation covering MLA style 8th edition  and the recent changes. Krikorian, Mark. â€Å"Two Immigration Priorities.†Ã‚  National Review, Dec, 2016, pp. 18-20, SIRS Issues Researcher,  www.sks.sirs.com. This article goes into detail on some of the other less talked about factors of the changes in how we deal with illegal immigrants under our new president and his policies. The author is the director of the Center for Immigration Studies so I assume he is a credible expert in immigration. I will use this source to get more specific in my critique of the border wall proposal. Krikorian, Mark. â€Å"Two Immigration Priorities.†Ã‚  National Review, Dec, 2016, pp. 18-20, SIRS Issues Researcher,  www.sks.sirs.com. This article goes into detail on some of the other less talked about factors of the changes in how we deal with illegal immigrants under our new president and his policies. The author is the director of the Center for Immigration Studies so I assume he is a credible expert in immigration. I will use this source to get more specific in my critique of the border wall proposal. In total, you should have a short paragraph, 4-10 sentences, explaining the three points above. Any questions before we move on? Creating Structure There are many different ways to structure a report. Decide on the final type of report you will be writing and we can begin to outline the structure. There are as many ways to organize a report and there are types of reports. Here are some examples: Organize by date, time, or sequence Organize by magnitude or order of importance Organize by division Organize by classification Organize by position, location, or space Organize by definition Organize by comparison/contrast Organize by thesis statement Organize by genre (Wikipedia, Encyclopedia, News Report) You do not have to develop your own structure from scratch, although you can. Look at examples of the type of report you are writing to help determine the structure for your report. Example: Look at a Wikipedia entry similar to your topic. How is it structured? What order do they present information? Quick Write How are you organizing your report?

Analytical Essay Sample on Oleanna by David Mamet Sexual Harassment and Power

Analytical Essay Sample on Oleanna by David Mamet Sexual Harassment and Power Drama is perhaps one of the most significant forms of human entertainment preserved throughout the centuries by scribes. Since approximately 500 B.C. drama produced such renowned authors as Euripides, William Shakespeare, and todays David Mamet. Mamet, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-the-Plow, wrote Oleanna, an extremely controversial play, involving sexual harassment and power. Instead of using conventional sexual harassment scenarios which continually made front page news during the early 90s (Clarence Thomas vs. Anita Hill), Mamet elects to centralize the subject of sexual harassment within the relationship of a college professor (John) and his student (Carol). Even though it is apparent to the audience that John is a genuinely nice and honest man who enjoys power and authority he possesses as a college professor, his ability to be extremely naÐ ¿ve in such a delicate situation (private one on one meeting with a student of the opposite sex) is his ultimate downfall. John demonstrates his kindness and sincerity when he tries to comfort Carol by revealing secrets from his past, during their first initial conversation. By sympathizing with his student, John tries to build a foundation for communication: Ill tell you a story about myself. (Pause) Do you mind? (Pause) I was raised to think myself stupid I was brought up and my earliest and persistent memories are of being told I was stupid (15-16). JohnÐ ¢s consideration towards others inevitably leads to his demise. The communication barrier which is initially broken when John become extremely open, revealing a story from his past, leaves him vulnerable to manipulation from outside influences. Throughout the play, power becomes a significant characteristic in Johns personality. During John and Carols first private meeting in Johns office, he demonstrates both his power and superior knowledge, using words unclear and foreign sounding to Carol. John repeatedly employs an artificially-heightened vocabulary that draws attention to his academic status, favoring words like obeisance (5) or paradigm (45), instead of their simpler synonyms. Although a majority of individuals would perhaps tailor their selection of words to fit their intended audience, John uses his vocabulary purposely to help reassure himself of his advanced academic position. JohnÐ ¢s confidence in his ability to make others feel intellectually inferior stems from the overwhelming satisfaction he retains from maintaining and demonstrating his superiority. One might recognize Johns disparagement of a traditional student-teacher relationship in which the teacher operates as a flawless prophet. However, this does not transpire here, for we discover in Johns actions a professor who extremely enjoys his power. From the very start of Oleanna, John decides in Carols presence whether to answer his phone, symbolically controlling the conversation by alternating between live student audience and other unseen voices. He even makes a show of not answering the phone at one point, (The telephone starts to ring) Let it ring. Ill make you a deal (The phone stops ringing) (25) another gesture that reinforces his role as determinant of the action. This seemingly casual overture deprecates the studentÐ ¢s college experience and demeans any real future achievement that might occur, for it suggests that teachers do not evaluate a studentÐ ¢s work objectively, but instead assign random grades on a notion. Although he protests early on in the play that he is not Carols father (9), John later falls quite comfortably into this paternalistic, authoritarian role when he tries to comfort Carol with the admission that Im talking to you as Id talk to my son (19). When John decides he has had enough of the conference, he again asserts his power by telling Carol, though I sympathize with your concerns, and though I wish I had the time, this was not a previously scheduled meeting (13). Although John attempts to sound sincere by sympathizing with Carols concerns, he has demonstrated his ability to end their conference at his will. In addition to Johns selective vocabulary, imaginary father role, and complete control of the conversations, he establishes his authority (within what he assumed is a generous alternative to failing his class) by making a risky proposal: Ill make you a deal. You stay here. Well start the whole course over. Your grade is an A. Your final grade is an A. Your grade for the whole term is an A. If you will come back and meet with me. A few more times. Forget about the paper. You didnt like it, you didnt like writing it (25). What seems like a harmless and charitable offer between a professor and student actually proves exactly how naÐ ¿ve John is when dealing with an extremely touchy situation. Power John enthusiastically exhibits with his gracious offer and his total lack of academic policies paves the way for his significant role in the play. John reveals his fatal mistake by suggesting, Ill make you a deal. Well start the whole course over. If you will come back and meet with me. A few more times (25). With his simple proposal, John is subconsciously stripped of power, which he holds so valuable, and assumes the role of a naÐ ¿ve and reckless man oblivious of irreparable damages his arrogance has caused. Johns power hungry ways and, more significantly, his ability to unconsciously be tremendously naÐ ¿ve, are stereotypical characteristics, which cause sexual harassment. By the end of the play, it becomes obvious to the audience that John is no longer portrayed as a superior individual in the ranks of the educational field. Mamet uses John to subconsciously educate people in the necessity to avoid being naÐ ¿ve in troublesome situations, which may include sexual harassment. Since John lacks experience in dealing with potential situations which may or may not escalate into sexual harassment charges, his inexperience causes three notable physical incidents which never would have happened if he wasnt tremendously naÐ ¿ve. Two of the three incidents involving physical contact between John and Carol can be interpreted as innocent contact. Although the two incidents in which John physically touches Carol seem innocent, he goes over to her and puts his arm around her shoulder (36) and, du ring a desperate plea to resolve their misunderstanding he restrains her from leaving (57). While neither of Johns two events of physical contact posses any sexual intent, he still is responsible for educating himself about which boundaries should never be crossed in a teacher-student relationship. Johns physical acts are those of a normal person, one who is not terribly self-conscious of contact, and therefore he discovers first hand that being naÐ ¿ve no matter how nice and generous you may appear can ultimately cause your downfall in life.

Sea Anemone essays

Sea Anemone essays The sea anemone is a coelenterate. They are a member of order Actinaria. They are in class Anthozoa. And, they are in phylum Cnidara.It is an invertebrate. Anemone have no heart, veins,blood bones, no means of locomotion, it has one body opening, it is a hollow sac, and it has a nervous system. It has long tentacles . It has a hollow mouth. It resembles a flower because the tentacles create a ring around the mouth opening making it look like petals. They come in beautiful colors. Anemone are shaped like a cylinder. Anemone are jelly-like organisms. Sea anemones look like lumps of jelly after the tide comes in. They could grow up to five feet in diameter( or 1.5 meters). Anemones have thick,but slender bodies. They have hundreds of tentacles. Anemone are covered in cilia (really small hairs that are about 0.1 by two micrometers [0.000004 by 0.00008 of an inch]).Some sea anemone vary in size from a few millimeters. While others are usually 1.5 meters( about five feet) in diameter. At the end of the stalk, there is a smooth, muscular disk. The disk helps the anemone to move. Sea anemone live in a marine climate. Most of them float in the Pacific ocean. Other anemone live on rocks. All anemone live in tide pools. Most of them stay in one place. While others stay in shallow water and deeper waters. Some of them burrow. Anemones usually stay in one place. One way they move is they use their tentacles to propel themselves .But sometimes they somersault if they live in shallow water. They seldom move. They also live off the coast of any continent. Basically in warm areas. Warm areas such as off the coast of South America, Australia, Africa, Asia, and some parts of North America, the Caribbean, and Central America.They also live off the coast of Spain and , Mexico. The main climate of the places I named is the marine climate. The marine climate is a ...

Reflective writing during nursing clinical placement Essay

Reflective writing during nursing clinical placement - Essay Example It was a night shift in accident and emergency section. I was assisting my mentor, the head nurse in A & E section. A teenager was brought in by the medical staff, he was slender and weak, partially in state of paranoia, and had stains of vomit on his shirt. The person, who brought in the teenager, told us that they have found this junkie from the suburbs of the city. He was caught by the police for using amphetamine in the public. My mentor told me that it was a test of nerves to look after drug abusers. Their states vary extensively, and it is important to determine that which drug has been used, and what was the most obvious mode of intake of that drug. She predicted that amphetamine was ingested orally by this patient, so we had to wash out out his stomach by using activated charcoal.The purpose of activated charcoal is to remove amphetamine from GI by vomiting (Amphetamine.com, 2014). Diazepam and Lorazepam are used to calm down the patient. To recover dehydration intravenous in jection of fluids may be used (Lewis, et al., 2013). Hyperthermia is controlled by using wet blankets and ice packs. Intravenous diazepam is administered during amphetamine overdose when seizures are present. For hypertension nitroglycerin and labetol is recommended . If the state of the patient is in danger, serotonin toxicity must be administered (Amphetamine.com, 2014). Drug addicts are hard to manage, it is not only their physiological state that needs to be considered, but their psychological state must also be taken into the account.

Compare and contrast the importance of using primary and secondary Essay

Compare and contrast the importance of using primary and secondary methods when conducting market research. Are secondary methods more advantageous when analysing results for a new product - Essay Example Significantly, each business venture at least has an organization it looks up to in terms of strategies; it also has a vision that acts as a guiding principle. Entrepreneurs conduct market research so that they can reduce the risks associated with their business, indentify more opportunities and predict current and potentially future problems. Such information will aid in making decision on whether to execute the new product or shelve for another time. The research also enables individuals to establish benchmarks that will assist the business not to collapse when they encounter uncertainties along the way. Methods of data collection when carrying out market research influence the end result. While both primary and secondary methods hugely contribute to informed data, one overrides the other one. This paper will focus on establishing the comparison and contrast of primary and secondary methods of market research. It will also determine whether secondary methods are more advantageous when analysis the market situation of a new product. Primary research methods refer to the original research carried out by the owner of the business or by a contracted company (Sumathi & Saravanavel, 2003, p. 154). The main aim of this research is to answer a specific objective. Before going into the field, a set of objectives and research questions are outlined. In addition, a clear hypothesis may be set so that at least the data obtained will measure it. With primary method, information compilation is done from scratch since it bases on what the respondents give. Despite the fact that the information provided by the respondents play a critical role, the researcher must have a set of expectation. In essence, the desired goal and the vision of the business inform the whole idea of market research. Primary research could lead to quantitative or qualitative data. This depends on the format

Over-education in the graduate labour market Essay

Over-education in the graduate labour market - Essay Example Observing the actions taken by the regulatory bodies and the Government of UK, it can be observed that, over-education is a long term phenomenon and is hampering the work enthusiasm of the graduates. The situation of the labour market of UK is still suffering from the after effects of the global financial meltdown. Although, the corporate sector is growing all over the world, the job market has changed in terms of demand and recruitments processes. Moreover, the educational systems are also changing and focusing on designing courses that are suited more professionally, rather than the traditional learning style (Walker and Zhu, 2005). One of the major issues in the contemporary job market scenario is over-education of the candidates and the jobs being offered. This is reducing the potential limits of the students and is also hampering their future prospects. This study is based on evaluating the influence of the graduate workers in the UK. Majority of the scholars such as Walker and Zhu (2005) and Buchel, de Grip and Mertens (2003) have pointed out that, the primary factor behind the increase of over-education is the limited numbers of suitable candidates available in the job market. However, Dolton and Vignoles (2000) observed that the changes in the operational style of the corporate segment have also caused a rise in the number of over-educated employees. Most of the large scale business houses have segregated their work process into small and specific parts. This has limited the amount of skill required for employment and also reduced the scope of growth. Hence, the educational qualifications of the employees are often, more than their existing job profile. On the other hand, the limited number of jobs in the industry is also forcing the graduate candidates to work at lower level employment criteria adding to the factor of over-education among the graduates. Budria and Moro-Egido (2009) opined that, the overall in crease in the cost of living has

Dubai Global Economy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dubai Global Economy - Research Paper Example Besides, Dubai is recognized as the most important emirate of UAE due to its leading reserves of oil and natural gas. The nominal GDP of UAE in the year 2008 was recorded as 815,318 (mn dirham) and real GDP 453,578 (mn dirham) which depicts a sustainable growth since the year 2002. Notably, the nominal GDP of UAE in 2002 was 272,856 (mn dirham) and real GDP 269,304 (mn dirham). In addition, Dubai is also the main trading area among other emirates of UAE, which offers a significant influence on the GDP of the economy (Sementelli, A, â€Å"Toward a Taxonomy of Disaster and Crisis Theories†). Moreover, due to emergence of free-trade zones, Dubai became one of the imperative sectors of trade for the western producers, which offered significant support for the growth of financial condition within the economy of UAE. However, due to the recession of 2009, Dubai faced substantial challenges which also affected UAE to a significant extent (refer to figure 1) (Vietor, R. H. K. & Forres t, N. â€Å"Dubai Global Economy†). Focusing on these aspects, it can be stated that Dubai is among the most important emirates and the strategies should be considered as credible being fair and constitutional. Figure 1 UAE profile (2008) Dubai Profile (2008) GDP: 84% GDP: 152% Reserves: N/A Reserves: N/A Official Reserves: 46 $ billion Official Reserves: N/A External Debt: 211 $ billion External debt: 115 $ billion Source: (Vietor, R. H. K. & Forrest, N. â€Å"Dubai Global Economy†, pp. 6) Question 2 According to Astley (2009), the most important reason which resulted in this financial disorder was the erroneous monetary policies of the United States. The monetary policies mainly concentrated on the activities of the Central Bank or any other dictatorial authorities of the country that significantly helped in determining the extent and rate of growth of fiscal supply (Sibert, â€Å"Global Imbalances and the Financial Crisi

Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Comparison - Essay Example He cannot do anything without the use of digital technology. Both the sides of the story are interesting and own a dash of reality in them. Summary 1 In his article, Carr (2008) has discussed the effects of digital technology on our minds, and how it is affecting our concentration. The way information is reachable on the internet is programming our minds in a novel fashion, in which we are getting void of deep thinking and meaningful concentration. Just like Google, there are a lot of search engines where we can find any kind of information we want; and, we only jump from one chunk of information to another without delving into longer pieces of writing. The fast retrieval of information, or our skimming of information, has taken away our power to read books and informative pieces of writing. New technologies like connecting brains with internet are being proposed, which will very likely snatch away our ultimate power to read, think, and analyze. Summary 2 Pinker (2010) states in his article that technology is not to be blamed when it comes to issues related to attention spans, concentration, and information retrieval. He is of the view that it is the fault of human who gets distracted by constantly arriving ads and glowing packets of information on the internet. We, as humans, must tame ourselves to maintain our attention spans and not get distracted. Moreover, the ability to read, critique, analyze and evaluate never came naturally to human beings even before the advent of technology. Instead, even in older times, these abilities were learnt through instruction and practice. These abilities can still be polished even today through practice and experience. Technology and internet is only helping us in our professional fields. Style Analyses Carr’s style of presenting his argument is very easy to understand and self-explanatory. It is an article that even a layman can well understand. It provokes a thinking that is very much related to every individual wh o uses computer these days. However, the latter half of the article seems to be going a bit off-road, but the overall impression is nice. On the other hand, Pinker’s style is very professional. His article is not very easy to understand in the beginning, but the latter half is easy to comprehend. Both the writers, with their own lucid styles, have presented their arguments in a very beautiful manner. Personal Reflection Since I am a tech savvy, I agree with Pinker more. I find his article very effective, since I believe that technology has brought much ease and novelty into our personal and professional lives. I do not agree with Carr when he says, â€Å"Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged† (2008, par. 9), because ability to interpret and analyze comes with learning, age, and experience. That has nothing to do with technology. I second Pinker (2010, par. 10) when he says that these abilities â€Å"must be acquired in special institutions, which we call universities, and maintained with constant upkeep†, since it is not in control of internet to take them away. I believe that technology has created great seismic impact on every level of our professions. For example, educators have been trying to modify the instructional process with the help of technology. Teachers started feeling the necessity of incorporating information and communication technology in teaching language. Children can

E-government problems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

E-government problems - Research Paper Example Past literature illustrates the application of e-governance within federal offices (Groznik, Kovacic & Trkman, 2008). This includes communication through information systems and the internet among federal offices. Researchers demonstrate that such communication is the prerequisite to the ability of government offices to have effective relations (DG Information Society and Media, 2007). It is in this regard therefore that e-governments have been said to employ technology in ensuring that all of its offices work towards a common goal of providing efficient and effective services to the public (Chee-Wee & Benbasat, 2009). It is however notable through a review of past literature on e-governments, that scholars have not reached specific definitions for all aspects of e-governance. This is demonstrated by the different understandings and descriptions of issues in e-governance such as effectiveness, applicability, user friendliness and the various applications that are used in the implemen tation of e-government across all platforms of government operations (Ong, Katerattanakul & Seok Jeong, 2008). Past research literature agrees that e-government and its design are aimed at benefiting citizens (Sarantis, Smithson, Charalabidis & Askounis, 2010). This includes workers across a nation that implements e-governance, ordinary citizens, practitioners and researchers (Kazemikaitiene & Bileviciene, 2008). The definition of e-government reveals how citizens benefit from its applications. For example most of past literature on the topic reports that e-government is a set of technological tools and applications which are designed with an aim of facilitating communication and interaction between citizens and the government (Teo, Srivastava & Jiang, 2008). More notable is the fact that past literature agrees that the satisfaction of citizens on e-governance is less satisfactory in most states (Svard, 2010). This is attributed to the challenges or problems that are faced by e-gove rnments as described in the following sections of the literature review. Failures in E-Government Leadership The process of acquisition, design, installation and implementation technology within government institutions, agencies and offices requires that proper monitoring and control is guaranteed for success (BBC, 2012). Even though past literature presents the various processes of developing e-governments differently, it is evident that proper leadership is vital for successful development of information systems within all levels of governance (Hakan & Karl, 2009). It is in this regard that researchers have focused at an evaluation of the leadership processes within government agencies that employ technology. Researchers report that several failures characterize the leadership of government agencies and departments in regard to the development of e-government applications (Groznik, Kovacic & Trkman, 2008). Among the most notable failures in leadership include poor control and mana gement of the initiation stage of e-government development and poor control of the implementation

Dubai Global Economy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dubai Global Economy - Research Paper Example Besides, Dubai is recognized as the most important emirate of UAE due to its leading reserves of oil and natural gas. The nominal GDP of UAE in the year 2008 was recorded as 815,318 (mn dirham) and real GDP 453,578 (mn dirham) which depicts a sustainable growth since the year 2002. Notably, the nominal GDP of UAE in 2002 was 272,856 (mn dirham) and real GDP 269,304 (mn dirham). In addition, Dubai is also the main trading area among other emirates of UAE, which offers a significant influence on the GDP of the economy (Sementelli, A, â€Å"Toward a Taxonomy of Disaster and Crisis Theories†). Moreover, due to emergence of free-trade zones, Dubai became one of the imperative sectors of trade for the western producers, which offered significant support for the growth of financial condition within the economy of UAE. However, due to the recession of 2009, Dubai faced substantial challenges which also affected UAE to a significant extent (refer to figure 1) (Vietor, R. H. K. & Forres t, N. â€Å"Dubai Global Economy†). Focusing on these aspects, it can be stated that Dubai is among the most important emirates and the strategies should be considered as credible being fair and constitutional. Figure 1 UAE profile (2008) Dubai Profile (2008) GDP: 84% GDP: 152% Reserves: N/A Reserves: N/A Official Reserves: 46 $ billion Official Reserves: N/A External Debt: 211 $ billion External debt: 115 $ billion Source: (Vietor, R. H. K. & Forrest, N. â€Å"Dubai Global Economy†, pp. 6) Question 2 According to Astley (2009), the most important reason which resulted in this financial disorder was the erroneous monetary policies of the United States. The monetary policies mainly concentrated on the activities of the Central Bank or any other dictatorial authorities of the country that significantly helped in determining the extent and rate of growth of fiscal supply (Sibert, â€Å"Global Imbalances and the Financial Crisi

E-government problems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

E-government problems - Research Paper Example Past literature illustrates the application of e-governance within federal offices (Groznik, Kovacic & Trkman, 2008). This includes communication through information systems and the internet among federal offices. Researchers demonstrate that such communication is the prerequisite to the ability of government offices to have effective relations (DG Information Society and Media, 2007). It is in this regard therefore that e-governments have been said to employ technology in ensuring that all of its offices work towards a common goal of providing efficient and effective services to the public (Chee-Wee & Benbasat, 2009). It is however notable through a review of past literature on e-governments, that scholars have not reached specific definitions for all aspects of e-governance. This is demonstrated by the different understandings and descriptions of issues in e-governance such as effectiveness, applicability, user friendliness and the various applications that are used in the implemen tation of e-government across all platforms of government operations (Ong, Katerattanakul & Seok Jeong, 2008). Past research literature agrees that e-government and its design are aimed at benefiting citizens (Sarantis, Smithson, Charalabidis & Askounis, 2010). This includes workers across a nation that implements e-governance, ordinary citizens, practitioners and researchers (Kazemikaitiene & Bileviciene, 2008). The definition of e-government reveals how citizens benefit from its applications. For example most of past literature on the topic reports that e-government is a set of technological tools and applications which are designed with an aim of facilitating communication and interaction between citizens and the government (Teo, Srivastava & Jiang, 2008). More notable is the fact that past literature agrees that the satisfaction of citizens on e-governance is less satisfactory in most states (Svard, 2010). This is attributed to the challenges or problems that are faced by e-gove rnments as described in the following sections of the literature review. Failures in E-Government Leadership The process of acquisition, design, installation and implementation technology within government institutions, agencies and offices requires that proper monitoring and control is guaranteed for success (BBC, 2012). Even though past literature presents the various processes of developing e-governments differently, it is evident that proper leadership is vital for successful development of information systems within all levels of governance (Hakan & Karl, 2009). It is in this regard that researchers have focused at an evaluation of the leadership processes within government agencies that employ technology. Researchers report that several failures characterize the leadership of government agencies and departments in regard to the development of e-government applications (Groznik, Kovacic & Trkman, 2008). Among the most notable failures in leadership include poor control and mana gement of the initiation stage of e-government development and poor control of the implementation

Diagnosis of Periodontal Disease Essay Example for Free

Diagnosis of Periodontal Disease Essay Periodontal disease is a disease that affects the gums which causes them not to hold on to the teeth as tight as is normal. The teeth are therefore detached from the jawbone as it (Dr. Pohlhaus, 2008). It has been found to be responsible for the majority of tooth loses among the adults especially if it stays unchecked over several years. The disease usually attack the tooth through a crevice referred to as sulcus that is found below the gum line. During the attack, the disease breaks down the attachment of the tissues with the tooth and this result into a pocket whose depth depends on the severity of the attack. There are two main categories of the periodontal diseases; the gingivitis, which is a milder form of the periodontal diseases and is usually reversible. The other category is the periodontists (http://www. ada. org/public/topics/periodontal_diseases. asp). The major difference between the two is that the latter affects only the connecting tissues and the bone while the former affects the gum and the bones without any interference whatsoever with the connective tissues. Periodontal disease is caused by a bacterium called plaque which attaches on the teeth surface. They produce some toxins the affect both the gums and its supporting tissues. If left for periods of up to two days, it hardens into a substance called tartar which then causes infection and inflammation of the gums, that is usually painless and can easily go unnoticed (http://www. emedicinehealth. com/periodontal_gum_disease/page2_em. htm# Periodontal%20(Gum)%20Disease%20Causes). Methods of Diagnosis of Periodontal Disease and their Impact During the diagnosis of periodontal disease, the qualified doctors do look at different parameters and are guided by some simple basic steps: He/She first seeks to know the medical history of the patient so as to know any present or past problems associated with the disease or any underlying infections that might be the contributing factor to the disease, and if the patient is under any medications. The doctor may also opt to inquire about the general home dental care quality. The doctor then proceeds to the part of physical examination where he inspects the gum for any abnormalities like redness and puffiness. This is then followed with periodic screening and recording, otherwise referred to as PSR, which helps to ascertain the severity of the infection after which the teeth movement is observed. Any movement shows loss of bone support. Finally, x-rays are carried out so as to see the structure of the bone supporting the teeth. In the modern times however, technological advances has not left behind the medical practitioners. The developments that have been experienced in the dental radiography have been on conventional radiography transmission that narrows down to the capture, enhancement, and analyses of images. This stands to correct the errors that were being committed by the human beings by their visual perception. These technologies therefore help in the improvement of the diagnosis, enhance the treatment procedures as well as streamlining of the transfer, storage and the retrieval of information. They also help provide backup to the data of the patient in case any unforeseen catastrophe like fire occurs. Over the years, focus has shifted to the use of subtraction radiography which helps to recognize any slight differences in terms of the densities and volumes of the bones over a period of time (Grondahl and Grondahl, 1983). This has been made possible due to the available digital imaging technology (Grondahl et al, 1983). When using this technology and for the results not to show any differences in the registration, the projection geometries need to be identical. Methods have also been developed that aim at reconstructing the images that do posses arbitrary geometric projections into projection geometry of the reference image (Dunn and Van der Stelt, 1992; Ruttimann et al, 1986; and Van der Stelt et al, 1989). Also, in hi report, they reported that some measurements of up to 16 mm translation errors with 160 angulation’s errors. It thus looked promising for the creation of important image pairs to be used in the subtractions radiology. Also, in 1986, Webber and Ohki et al (1988) found out about the use of software based, otherwise called â€Å"digital gamma correction†, as a corrective measure to the gray level image distribution which was a one major disadvantage of the subtraction radiography. Further improvement in technology helped make it possible to detect any changes in the density of the bones: using a calibration wedge whose attenuation properties are known, the density differences that are measured are changed into estimation volumes differences. Either hydroxyapatite or aluminum is used in this case due to the fact that their radiation attenuation positively compares to that of the bones in characteristics. When these anatomical abnormalities and other details as expressed on the radiographic images can be shown mathematically, then one can easily develop the computer algorithms which then will be able to automatically interpret the radiographs (Ruttimann et al.. , 1985; Van der Stelt et al.. , 1985; Benn, 1991). These procedures that are performed by the computers may be of great value to the medical practitioners in making their decisions since they add extra information to the assessment of the practitioners (Van der Stelt and Geraets, 1991).

The Role of External Auditor in Corporate Governance

The Role of External Auditor in Corporate Governance External Auditors check companys accounts and report to the company based on the accounts. Basically, the concern is how external auditors conduct these duties effectively. Legislations, such as The Companies Act 1965, have made great efforts to ensure external auditors conduct their duties and obligations effectively. The Code of Corporate Governance in 2001 and the amendment in 2007 have further enhanced the effectiveness of audit in the interests of stockholders and shareholders. In light of the recent scandals involving external auditors in the world, there is a growing concern for corporate governance globally as there is increased reliance by the stockholders and shareholders on external auditors. This study examines the role of external auditors in the corporate governance framework. The study then reviews the financial scandals involving auditors occurred in the world and investigate the role of external auditor in the collapse of the companies. Introduction Corporate governance is a central and dynamic aspect of business. It is very important for corporate success and social welfare. In the wake of Enron, HIH Insurance and other similar cases, countries around the world have reacted quickly by pre-examining similar events domestically. As a speedy response to these corporate failures, the USA issued the Sarbanes-Oxly Act in July 2002, and in UK, the Higgs Report and the Smith Report were published in January 2003 (Solomon, 2007). Nowadays corporate governance is a globally debated topic with many characteristics (Nobel, 1998). However, the concern is whether auditors play an important role in the framework of corporate governance. Corporate Governance Corporate governance is the relationship among various participants in determining the direction and performance of corporations. The main participants are the shareholders, the management and the board of directors. Corporate governance is the process whereby directors of a company are monitored and controlled. There are two areas considered to be fundamental to corporate governance, one is supervision and monitoring of management performance and the other is ensuring accountability of management to shareholders and other stakeholders (Marianne, 2009). Till now, probably the two most important basic elements of good corporate governance have been full disclosure and the presence of independent directors and auditors, who each has their own ways to confirm that the data provided by the corporation are true and fairly stated. The contents of full disclosure are listed out in regulatory demands and professional pronouncements, and companies are expected to fully comply. The independence of the outside director and external auditor means the directors and auditors will have to distance themselves considerably to assure shareholders that they have conducted their tasks (Bavly, 2004). Role of External Auditors in Corporate Governance External auditors play a key role in the corporate governance framework. They conduct one of the most important corporate governance checks that help to monitor managements activities. The audit of financial statement makes disclosures more reliable, thus increasing confidence in the companys transparency. The role of external auditors is to make sure that Board of Directors and the management are acting responsibly towards the shareholders investment interests. By keeping objectivity, the external auditors can add value to shareholders by ensuring that the companys internal controls are strong and effective. And by working with the audit committee and liaising with internal auditors, external auditors can help to facilitate a more effective oversight of the financial reporting process by the Board of Directors (Hassan, 2004). However, the audit expectations gap needs to be acknowledged, as the audit function can only do so much on the fraud. The external auditor can not be expected to find every fraud and error during an audit. In accordance with the Cadbury Report, it is important to know that the external auditors role is not to prepare the financial statements, nor to provide assurance that the data in the financial statements are correct, nor to guarantee that the company will continue as a going concern, but the external auditors have to state in the annual report that the financial statements show a true and fair view. The Cadbury Report highlighted that there was no doubt on whether there should be an audit but rather how the audit could be ensured to conduct effectively and objectively by the external auditors (Solomon, 2007). Auditor Independence External auditors are expected to be independent of the company and report on the company objectively. Actually, auditors can only play their role effectively if they are independent (Peel ODonnell, 1995). They have to conduct their tasks in the most independent and reliable manner to provide investing public with the level of assurance to make their decisions based on the financial statements. According to the Cadbury Report, auditor independence could be affected due to the close relationship between auditors and company managers and due to the auditors intention to develop a constructive relationship with their clients. There are a number of threats to auditor independence, one of which is to provide non-audit services since non-audit services are lucrative. Auditors can obtain the contracts for non-audit services only if they maintain a good relationship with the management. The Cadbury Report stressed that a balance is needed to be achieved in such way that external auditors will work with, not against, company management, but in doing so they need to serve shareholders. This is a difficult path. The easiest way to ensure this balance being attained is suggested to establish audit committees and develop effective accounting standards. The Cadbury Report recommended all companies to establish audit committees. Audit committees serve as representative of shareholder interests. They are not only responsible for monitoring financial reporting process to support good corporate governance, they are also considered to be able to ensure an appropriate relationship exists between the external auditor and the management whose financial statements are being audited (Hassan, 2004). The Smith Report issued in 2003 highlighted that the audit committee needs to be proactive and raise the concern with directors rather than brush them under the carpet. The Report also stressed that all members of audit committee should be independent non-executive directors. Companys annual reports should disclose detailed information on the role and responsibilities of their audit committee. Lessons from Financial Scandals 4.1 Collapse of Enron Enron, the energy trading company based on Texas is the first scandal shaking up the auditing profession. It has led to a crisis to the confidence on auditors and the reliability of financial reporting (Holm Laursen, 2007). The audit quality and the independence of external auditors were questioned. In this case, Enrons audit and accounting function were fraudulent. Arthur Andersen, the auditor of Enron, has been involved in Enrons fraudulent accounting and auditing. Failure of the audit function is one of the key factors contributing to the companys collapse. Enron created The Raptors, four special purpose entities (SPEs). SPEs are established in order that a company can form a joint venture with other interested parties to conduct a specific transaction. This transaction will not subject the other parties to the risks more generally associated with the companys operations. U.S Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAPP) allows companies to record the gains and losses of SPEs without reporting their assets and liabilities in certain instances. In this way, Enron avoided adding more than $1 billion debt to its balance sheet without consolidating certain SPEs (Jenkins, 2003). But the problems are, when the losses of these entities quickly rose into billions of dollars, these entities were brought into the core financial statements. It then became clear that Enron itself had great losses. The corporations stock price dropped sharply, and the company went into bankruptcy in December 2001 (Brown, 2005). Examples of Enrons devious accounting exist widely in the corporation. The company recorded profits, for example, from a joint venture with Blockbuster Video that was never materialized (The Economist, 7 February 2002). In 2002, Enron restated its accounts, which is actually a process that reduced reported profits by $600 million (The Economist, 6 December 2001). In fact, the process resulted in a cumulative profit decrease of $591 million and a rise in debt of $628 million for the financial statements from 1997 to 2000. The difference between the profit figures was mainly attributed to the earlier omission of three off-balance sheet entities. Such profit inflation enabled the company to raise its earnings per share (EPS). The company not only manipulated the accounting figures to inflate the earnings, but it also was found to remove substantial amounts of debt from its accounts by setting up a number of off-balance sheet entities. Such special purpose entities can be used to hide a companys liabilities from the balance sheet, in order to make the financial statements look much better than they really are (The Economist, 2 May 2002). It means substantial number of liabilities did not have to be disclosed on Enrons financial statements, because they were mainly attributed to another legal entity. All these issues raise the question, why did Enrons auditor allow this type of activity? This is because the conflicts of interest exist between the external auditor and the management. Conflicts of Interest Conflicts of interest are a frequent problem in the audit profession. Although independent appointment of external auditors by companys shareholders is regularly replaced by subjective appointment by the company management, the auditor is all too often appreciated to the companys senior management. Further, conflicts of interest arise from interactive functions of audit and consultancy. Arthur Andersen has been blamed to apply loose standards in their audits because of conflict of interest over the subatantial consulting fees collected from Enron. In 2000, Andersen collected $25 million for auditing Enrons books in addition to $27 million for consulting services. In 2001, Arthur Anderson earned US$55 million for provision of non-audit services (Brown, 2005). Although Arthur Andersen reported on the companys accounts, they did not report fraud to the shareholders. This is because the fraud was committed by the management. Kenneth Lay, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from Feb 1986 until Feb 2001, took home US$ 152 million although the company was facing a loss. If Andersen were to report, they probably will not be appointed in the following years or be engaged in non-audit services (Krishnan, L, 2009). Especially, close relationships are established over time between companies and their external auditors. It can again affect independent judgment and impact on the auditing function. In this case, there are regular exchanges of employees within Enron from Arthur Anderson. Such conflicts of interest affect the corporate governance function. Serious conflicts of interest have also arisen among members of Enrons internal audit committee, which causes the internal audit committee did not perform its functions of internal control and of checking the external auditing function. For example, Lord Wakeham, a member of the audit committee, was at the same time having a consulting contract with Enron (The Economist, 7February2002). This shows that people in responsible positions should have detected fraudulent activities if they were independent. Enrons board of directors was composed of a number of members who have been shown to be willing to conduct fraudulent activity. It is also because the non-executive directors were compromised by conflicts of interest. 4.2 Collapse of HIH Insurance In Australia, the collapse of HIH Insurance Ltd was observed as the beginning of the reflection into external auditors role. HIH is one of Australias biggest insurers, comprising several separate government-licensed insurance companies, including HIH Casualty General Insurance Ltd, FAI General Insurance Ltd, CIC Insurance Ltd and World Marine General Insurances Ltd. On 15 March 2001, HIH went into provisional liquidation with losses of A$ 800 million (Peursem, Zhou, Flood Buttimore, 2007). HIH is one of the largest corporate collapses in Australian history. Similar issues arise as in the Enron case. HIH is claimed to mislead investors by providing incorrect financial reports to the market and HIHs auditor, Arthur Andersen, may have played a part in its collapse. Andersen conducted the external audits for HIH from 1971 until its collapse in 2001. Their contribution to the failure of HIH is considered in the following sections: Audit Practices As part of audit process, auditors will conduct a risk assessment to determine the structure and plan of the audit. Andersen assessed the risk of HIH and deemed it a maximum risk client, however, the engagement team of Andersen had not prepared the risk management plan and therefore the senior management team at Anderson did not review and approve the plan (Peursem, Zhou, Flood Buttimore, 2007). At the end, the auditor simply drew the wrong conclusions. Andersen signed off HIHs annual report for the 30th June 2000 and stated that it was a going concern with net assets of $939 million. Nine months later, HIH collapsed with debts of $5.3 billion (Peursem, Zhou, Flood Buttimore, 2007). Andersen used HIH management reports and forecasts and did not obtain sufficient evidence to get the conclusions they did. The liquidator could not find the documentation on the reasons for considering HIH as a going concern. This implies that Anderson failed to produce sufficient working papers to prove that the audit actually is conducted. Auditor Independence Andersen had a close relationship with HIH. By the time of liquidation, three former Anderson partners who had conducted HIH financial audit work held positions on the HIH board of directors. This obvious lack of independence between the board of directors and the auditors indicated that the best interests of HIH may have not always be a priority. Andersons failure in producing adequate working papers or in obtaining adequate evidence to support their findings have serious concerns on the quality of the audit they did. A significant independence issue is also reflected in the form of Andersons payment to HIH Chairman, Geoffrey Cohen for consultancy fees. These fees totaled $190,887 in nine years and included the use of Andersons office and secretary. These fees were not disclosed to the remaining board members in the annual general meetings (Peursem, Zhou, Flood Buttimore, 2007). The close and complicated financial relationship between the auditors and HIH chairman raise further questions in this case. Finally, the threat to auditor independence is that Andersen provided both audit and non-audit services to HIH. It raises a question on how can an auditor provide an independent opinion on the financial statements when he may play a role in guiding the preparation of the statements? The Royal Commission in Australia, which investigates the collapse of HIH, has found that the largest corporate collapse in Australia was not due to fraud but the result of attempting to cover the cracks on the overpriced acquisition. Andersons role in it appeared to be substantial. Modern Approach to External Auditors Role in Corporate Governance External auditors now have to take a much stricter approach to their clients (Bourne, 1995). There is an increasing view to support that external auditors should take on a more proactive role (Baxt, 1970). The Companies Act has set the stipulation on appointment, eligibility, qualification, disqualification and removal of external auditors (Davies Prentice, 2003). The intention is to ensure that auditors are able to carry out audit in an impersonal, objective and professional way. It is also to ensure that auditors are independent of the company. The reason for such emphasis is to ensure the external auditors are not in a position of conflict of interests. When there is conflict of interest, disclosure must be made to shareholders and stakeholders. Alternatively, there should be prohibition to the provision of non-audit services to the company where they act as auditors. To ensure auditors are truly independent and not in a conflict of interest, auditors should be rotated every year. Thereafter there should be a gap of five years before the same auditors are appointed by the company. Conclusion External auditors have an essential role in corporate governance through their involvement and their examination of financial statements. The external auditors role in corporate governance is a fundamental complement to achieve the desired objective of corporate governance. Therefore, the duties and obligations of external auditors must be expanded for the rights and interests of shareholders and stakeholders. There must be a modern approach to the auditors role in the corporate governance framework.

Under Milk Wood :: essays research papers

The relationship between Tom and Maggie in Books 1 & 2 I think most of the problems with Tom and Maggie's relationship are due to the fact that Tom thinks that females are inferior to males. He therefore thinks that Maggie is inferior to him and he shows this in the way that he treats Maggie. Tom and Maggie both have a strong relationship with their father so therefore he could have influenced Tom's thoughts. "She'll fetch none the bigger price for that", their dad said this, and by it he means that even though Maggie is clever she won't do any better as regards to marriage. This is a very sexist way for Tom and Maggie's dad to talk about Maggie, as if females are only supposed to get married and produce children and that their intelligence doesn't matter. If Tom's dad thinks like that it could be from his dad that Tom gets his sexist nature: "I told you girls couldn't learn Latin", this is one of the most openly sexist comments Tom makes in the book. Tom very strongly gets his point across by using harsh words such as "told" and "couldn't". This shows how inferior he feels females are, he said, "I told you" almost scornfully as if he's trying to say that if he said it, it must be right which isn't the case. Tom's complete sexist attitude is shown by the word "girls" here he generalises about any females ability to learn Latin although I'm sure that isn't the case and he just makes the comment purely because of his sexist nature. Tom's sexism isn't just used against his sister, he uses it to put others down as well, "like a girl's: Tom thought that truly pitiable". The sexism Tom is showing here is by discriminating against Philip due to his hair apparently looking like a girls. He describes this as "truly pitiable" which shows how strongly he feels. Tom uses the word "girl" as an insult as if by calling Philip a girl he feels he has insulted him. This is a very sexist attitude, as he shouldn't be discriminating against females in this way. Whenever Maggie acts in a way that Tom wouldn't, Tom automatically says she acts in that way, as she is a girl, "girlish way of taking things". This quotation is where Maggie gets agitated and Tom blames that on the fact that she's a girl.

Summary of Bless Me, Ultima Essay -- Literature Bless Me Ultima Essays

Summary of Bless Me, Ultima Bless Me, Ultima is a story about the maturation of a young Mexican-American boy, Antonio M’arez, struggling with many questions about his destiny, life and death, and good and evil. Ultima who comes to live with Antonio becomes his caretaker and his teacher. Antonio learns there are powers in the world that differ from his beliefs in the Catholic faith. Ultima teaches Antonio â€Å"that the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart†. Ultima shows Antonio how to experience the magic of life with his heart and not with his eyes. For the first time, he sees the river not as something to be feared but as a source of life, â€Å"I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things†. The river is both creative and destructive in nature. It is this new magical way of seeing the river that will help Antonio understand many of the events that occur in the novel. Ultima also teaches Antonio to appreciate nature and helps him develop a spiritual relationship with the plants of the llano. It is this growing harmony with the earth that will later help Antonio connect with his heritage and the ancient ways of his ancestors. Ultima teaches him the magic of nature, â€Å"even the plants had a spirit, and before I dug she made me speak to the plant and tell it why we pulled it from its home in the earth†. Antonio learns which plants are good for healing but more importantly he learns of Ultima’s nobility and grace as they wonder the llano together. Ultima teaches Antonio that one must give back to the earth what has been taken away. It is this spirit... ... will build his own dreams, â€Å"out of those things that were so much a part of my childhood†. In the novel, Bless Me, Ultima, Antonio learns about his relationship with his universe. Through the teachings of Ultima, he learns to see with his heart and to appreciate all the magic that nature beholds. The river of life is never ending like the river that binds the llano to Guadalupe. All that Antonio has experienced is symbolized in the river and the life that surrounds it. Ultimately, it is his teacher and friend, Ultima, which teaches Antonio that life is a cycle and that understanding oneself brings peace and harmony. The river also serves to bind the past, present, and future. Antonio learns that his future is tied to his past and that his destiny will be guided by an understanding of his heritage and â€Å"the magical strength that resides in the human heart†.

List some good things about stress and some bad

List some good things about stress and some bad and try to give examples. Include short write-up about Holmes and Rahe scale on the definition of stress. The right amount of stress can be used as stimulus to bring about an improvement in performance or a more pro-active action.   In the school setting, a student may be forced to study as a result of stress brought about by failing marks/failing grades.   Similarly, in the work setting, a notice of promotion, incentive or even demotion can bring about activities or outputs from an employee. However, at work or in school, too much stress can also lead to burnouts and decreased quality outputs. Over stress can affect a person’s health and emotional, physical, and psychological well-being.   Excessive stress can cause severe anxiety, work dissatisfaction, fatigue, heart ailment and other health-related problems. Stress comes about when we are faced with changes in our life.   These occurrences can be positive changes in our life, or it can be considered negative changes. Whatever their result, the fact that our equilibrium has been disturbed causes stress because they force our body to react to the stressors/factors that were introduced in our routines. According to the Holmes-Rahe Scale, different kinds of stress we encounter (whether resulting from positive or negative events) in our daily lives increase probability of illness or even death.   Values are given to correspond to these stressors.   The higher value in the scale, the higher the likelihood of illness and/or death. Give one criticism of the Holmes and Rahe live events scale as a means of measuring stress. In studying the scale, it can be observed that some positive stress are given points/score almost equal to negative stress. I believe that this should not be the case because we have a sense of what affects us positively or negatively, and happy events are not destructive at all. A specific example is the score for Reconciliation in Marriage is 45 while Dismissal from a Job is scored 47.   Reconciliation with loved ones usually brings a happy feeling. Happy events should not be considered as factors causing our illness.   In fact, joyous events provide us with inspiration and an eagerness to live our lives to the fullest. 1 of the factors that increase stress in commuters is the delays caused by traffic jam suggest 1 other factor in commuting that will cause stress. Aside from the delays caused by slow moving traffic, another stressor is the feeling that your plans/objectives for the delay are being slowed down by the traffic.   This feeling of non- attainment is also causing stress. Name two life events which are known to cause stress in humans. There are many life events/universal events in a person’s life that brings about stress. This may be related to change in work setting or responsibilities or it may be health-related. To name two life events, one is personal/loved one’s illness and death or loss of a loved one. Describe 2 psychological effects of stress. Two psychological effects of stress include anxiety and nervousness which may lead to bodily health risks such as heart ailments from high blood pressure, and possibly adult diabetes.   There are also some instances of memory loss as a result of stress. What is one advantage of the stress response? One advantage of stress response is being able to react to stress.   This reaction can become positive actions that will benefit the individual and provide enthusiasm in a particular task.   An example would be an individual â€Å"stressed† from a marital reconciliation would probably approach his mornings happier and his more energetically.   He would also be more pleasant to friends and acquaintances, all because of the current change in his routine life (life without his wife to share insights with). Outline an example from everyday life when an increased physiological arousal has positive effect on a person. One example from everyday life is when a person is driving and hits a bump in the road making him more alert to what he is doing.   This alertness is a physiological arousal that makes him more attentive to driving, which results in a safer road trip. The general adaptation syndrome has 3 phases: stage of resistance stage of exhaustion, and alarm reaction, place them in correct order. The first stage in the GAS syndrome is the Alarm reaction where the body’s reaction to stress is immediate such as body movement or motion. Alarm reaction usually happens when the body is exposed to sudden or instantaneous stress. The second stage in the syndrome is the stage of resistance where the body tries to resist or adapt to the stressor hoping to diminish its effects.   When the body gets tired/can no longer resist the stress, the third stage, the Stage of Exhaustion, comes into play. According to the Yerkes Dodson Law, what happens to performance as arousal increases? Based on the Yerkes Dodson Law, your performance will improve when arousal increases.   But a person’s stress tolerance will only be to a certain extent.   Too much stress will also cause poor performance. According to this Law, stress should be applied moderately to obtain optimum performance level. The term locus of control refers to how much control individuals believe that they have over the events that happen to them. What effect does locus of control have on stress? There are two types of locus of control perceived by an individual. One is internal locus of control where the individual feels that most if not all events that happen are influenced by his own activities/actions while external locus of control is where the individual feels that all events is not directly affected by him. Internal and external locus of control is two ends of a rope. The higher the internal locus of control, the lower an individual perceives his external locus of control. Based on abstracts of Occupational Studies, research showed that higher the external locus of control perceived, the higher stress comes into play.   This implies that the more the person feels he is not in control of the events happening around him, the higher the stress, the more he becomes stressed-out, which results in higher job dissatisfaction, and ultimately job burn-out. Describe 2 emotion-focused strategies for reducing stress. Two emotion-focused strategies for reducing stress is by avoidance of cognitive attention from the source of stress, and by altering the perception of the individual by positive thinking. Not focusing on something stressful somehow controls/minimizes a person’s reaction to this stressor.   Likewise, positive thinking approach to â€Å"stressful† things can help in reducing stress by changing the individual’s perception of what are considered stressful. Sources: By David Fontana, D. (1989).Stress. From Managing Stress, The British Psychology Society and Routledge, Ldt Retrieved on June 6, 2007 from http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/stress.htm Shwartz, M. (2007). Robert Sapolsky discusses physiological effects of stress. Stanford Report 2007 Retrieved on June 6, 2007 from http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2007/march7/sapolskysr-030707.html Hennessy, D.W. et.al The Influence of Traffic Congestion, Daily Hassles, and Trait Stress Susceptibility on State Driver Stress: An Interactive Perspective Retrieved on June 6, 2007 from http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:sS1BKtW4pwUJ:www.bellpub.com/jabr/2000/th000206.pdf+stress+from+traffic&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ph Heathfield,S.M.(2007).Understanding Stress and Workplace Stress. Retrieved on June 6, 2007 from http://humanresources.about.com/od/stressandtimemanagement/a/stress_time.htm Zuck, M.V. (2002).General Adaptation Syndrome. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, Published December, 2002 by the Gale Group Retrieved on June 6, 2007 from http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/general_adaptation_syndrome.jsp Bambrick, L. (2006). The Yerkes-whatzy law of who now? Retrieved on June 6, 2007 from http://secretgeek.net/ydlaw.asp Rahim, MA (1995).A comparative study of entrepreneurs and managers: stress, burnout, locus of control, and social support. J Health Hum Serv Adm. 1995 Summer;18(1):68-89. Retrieved on June 6, 2007 from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10152341&dopt=Abstract Jain, V.K., et.al. (1996). Effects of locus of control, occupational stress, and psychological distress on job satisfaction among nurses. Psychol Rep. 1996 Jun;78(3 Pt 2):1256-8. Retrieved on June 6, 2007 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8816047&dopt=Abstract Behson, S.J.Informal Work Accommodations to Family: A Potential Coping Strategy for Reducing the Stress Associated with Work-Family Conflict among Professional Employees. Retrieved on June 6, 2007 from http://www.chrms.org/library/informal/inform1a.htm         

Digital Television †Is It Advancement?

Digital television is becoming a global trend with a startling velocity. Following the lead of North America and Western Europe, a host of countries in East/South Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe are also hastening the epic shift from analog to digital television. It is predicted that approximately 1 billion people will be viewing digital broadcast television by the end of this year. At the current pace, nearly 38 percent of the world's TV households will be receiving digital signals by 2010 (Informa Telecoms & Media, 2007, p. 2).Underlying this technological gold rush is an array of remarkable features that digital broadcasting presents: interactivity, multichannel capacity, immunity to interference by other signals, superb audio-visual qualities, and quasi-universal interoperability with other media that recognize digital language. These outstanding qualities are founded upon the quintessence of digital technology: the binary codification (comparable to the dots and dashes o f the telegraph code), which converts data into â€Å"a bitstream of zeros and ones† (Owen, 1999, p.151).Since digital technology can break down virtually any type of information (print, painting, music, sound, photography) into a uniform code of bits and bytes, it is now possible to establish universal compatibility among various media. As Timothy Todreas (1999) observes, â€Å"text, graphics, audio and video used to be within the purview of separate industries: print, radio, and television respectively. Once digitized†¦ bits can commingle effortlessly. Content can travel down the same distribution path and can be used interchangeably† (pp.78-79).Paradoxically, the atomize-ability of digital technology precipitates digital convergence, in which all the sophisticated traditional media taxonomies and typologies will become muddied and eventually obsolete. Aside from the universal connectivity of digital television with neighboring media, there are a few other prope rties of digital television: audio/visual excellence, multichannel capacity, and interactivity. The digital television is capable of delivering superior audio/video quality compared to its analog counterpart.However, the enhanced audio/visual fidelity of digital television is best exploited in a combined use with the Hi-Definition television system, an advanced method of injecting televisual signals onto the screen in a much more precise fashion than that of its predecessors, the NTSC and PAL systems. Contrary to common belief, HDTV is not an immediate offspring of the digital television system, although electronics makers, broadcasters, and policymakers of the digital television excitedly promote it as digital television's headliner.There are multiple, significant reasons behind the deliberate â€Å"passing† of HDTV as the figurehead of digital television, especially in a Japanese context. Compared to analog signals, digitized information takes much less bandwidth, i. e. , m uch less channel capacity to distribute content per unit of time. This technical â€Å"thriftiness† is an end result of the compression technology that can filter out redundant data and squeeze more data into a given bandwidth. The economic use of bandwidth means greater space to fit more channels, which ends the â€Å"distribution bottleneck† (Todreas, 1999, p.79) common to analog formats.The sudden abundance of bandwidth leads to an explosion of channel outlets, metamorphosing the television industry structure. The interactive function of digital television is yet another benefit of the efficient use of bandwidth. A broadened bandwidth not only increases the volume of channels and the velocity of information but also enables â€Å"two-way† traffic. With expanded two-way interactions between sender and receiver, digital television could transform the modality of broadcasting from a linear, unilateral communication to a cyclical, bilateral one.Apparently, the le vel of control for the user is strictly limited by the choices provided by the software programmer. However, the interactivity of television will incrementally open new modes of socio-economic and cultural interactions (Video-On-Demand and T-commerce, for instance) among the user (Swann, 2000). Still, all the perks of digital television don't come without costs and shortcomings. The multiple channels of digital television could inspire program diversification and perhaps contribute to a socio-cultural diversification.In fact, critics and viewers have already become disillusioned by the promise of channel multiplication, for it has impoverished, rather than improved, the program quality and originality in a way similar to what cable television did in the U. S. Likewise, the interactive functions of digital television could turn into a blight rather than a blessing. Tony Feldman (1997) posits that interactivity â€Å"runs the risk of giving the users so much power in determining thei r own experiences of content that the only message conveyed is the one the user chooses to receive.The freedom to chart your own course, therefore, can emasculate as readily as it can liberate† (p. 18). Development of HDTV The question of high definition television came up in the early 1970's when Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, raised the possibility of HDTV. The technology was first developed by the Japanese to produce a better quality picture than previously available, and in 1978 NHK came up with two new HDTV systems. One of them was an 1,125 line system, the other a 2,125 line system that was transmitted by satellite (Fisher & Fisher, 1996).Japan started the HDTV movement in 1970 and spent over one billion dollars on its development by mid-1990 (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). In the early 1970's the major players in the effort to produce HDTV were Sony Pictures, Panasonic, Ikegami, and NHK. Most of the engineering was undertaken by Sony and NHK te sted the concept over the air. Panasonic and Ikegami (along with Sony) developed cameras, video tape recorders and other equipment needed for an entire HDTV package. Philips, the Dutch equipment manufacturer, developed a new HDTV system called Eureka in the early 1970's.The system scanned 1,250 horizontal lines at 50 frames per second, with the same 16 to 9 aspect ratio as the Japanese system. This system was sometimes referred to as Vision 1,250 (Gross, 2000). The American television industry was finally waking up and coming out of the doldrums it had been in since the early 1970's. The Japanese production had already taken over television, VCR's, and the stereo business. It looked as if they would also become world-leaders in the development of HDTV (Fisher and Fisher, 1996).The US was behind in the development of HDTV over Europe and Japan. The Defense Department pledged to spend $30 million dollars on the technology. The Defense Department sanctioned the spending of this money p artly because the superior picture quality would have application for military reconnaissance and pilot training (Hart, 2004). The House Telecommunications Subcommittee held a hearing with the intent to insure that this new technology would flourish in the United States (Gross, 2000).The electronics industry is in a high stakes race. A 1989 government report stated that the United States stood a chance to lose 2 million jobs, and suffer a $225 billion dollar annual trade deficit by the year 2010 if the US does not produce a coherent strategy to compete in the HDTV and associated industries (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). During the Reagan era an industrial consortium known as â€Å"Sematech† wanted to push the United States to become the leading technological manufacturer of the computer chip. This chip is used in HDTV.Chipmakers are of vital importance to the overall well being of the electronics industry. They represent the USA's largest manufacturing business, with revenues for 19 89 of $300 billion dollars. This is a business that is larger than the steel industry, aerospace, and the automobile industry combined (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). The American Electronics Association (AEA) wanted funds in US government loans, grants and loan guarantees to further produce and improve HDTV. They felt once the government committed itself that deeply it could not pull out (Hart, 2004).The AEA's attempt to persuade the government to enter into a government-industry consortium failed. It was an ambitious program to form a consortium to develop the next-generation of HDTV sets. The plan attracted only nominal support in Congress. The Bush administration actively opposed the idea. It received vocal support from the industry but no financial commitments (Hart, 2004). The Bush administration wanted to pull the plug on the high-tech industries. Washington was determined to cut the $10 million dollars pledged for research and development of HDTV in 1989.It also wanted to cut all fe deral support including the $100 million dollars it pledged for research and development in 1991. The Japanese manufacturers of semiconductors are encouraged by their government to spend 50 percent more on research and development of the chip. This is often subsidized by the Japanese government. This is more money spent on chip development than its US counterpart (Hart, 2004). In 1977 the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) formed a study group to investigate HDTV in the United States.As early as 1973 an 1,125 scanning line HDTV system was shown to engineers with CBS supporting the system. By 1980 SMPTE recommended using a system of about 1,100 scanning lines per frame and an interlace system (Fisher & Fisher, 1996). Since the US decided to take the lead in HDTV development the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sponsored the movement by creating â€Å"The Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service† (ACATS). This was headed by former FCC Cha irman Richard Wiley (Schreiber, 1999). ACATS declared an open competition to help create a usable HD service for the US.The FCC requested those involved with this project to submit their proposals to the FCC for approval. Shortly after that 23 proposals were turned in to the FCC. All of them were in analog format (Schreiber, 1999). Many of the inventors felt that digital would not become available until the 21st century. Also many broadcasters were not interested in creating a new system that was not compatible with their existing system, since that would require them to invest heavily to create a new market form (Fisher and Fisher, 1996). CBS was the first network to actively pursue HDTV (Hart, 2004).This was unusual since at that time the broadcast networks had less money to invest in high cost programming. In part some of this was due as a result of the viewing audiences shifting over from the broadcast networks' programming to the cable stations. The loss of viewers to home VCR playback and rental movies, satellite delivery of Direct-TV, DBS and pay cable services also accounted for viewer erosion (Hart, 2004). In 1981 the Japanese company NHK was prodded by CBS to come to the United States to demonstrate their HDTV system.Members of CBS and SMPTE met with the Japanese in San Francisco, California, at the St. Francis Hotel at an annual television conference. The demonstration was very successful. The viewers were impressed with the NHK's system's â€Å"extraordinary resolution, rich saturated color and wide screen monitors and projection television displays (Hart, 2004, p. 92). † The general feeling of the people attending the conference was that the HDTV system broke all constraints of television picture quality imposed on them by the aging NTSC color standard.In 1983, based on what they saw at the conference, the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) was formed. Their goal was to improve the quality of video and develop new standards in tech nology. They were also instructed to come up with a recommendation for a usable HDTV standard for the United States by the spring of 1985. They were to present this standard to a subcommittee of the International Consultative Radio Committee (CCIR) which would set a world standard (Hart, 2004). The ATSC is a committee largely made up of engineers. In 1984 it had a yearly budget of $250,000.They decided to work on three parallel ideas to help improve the overall picture performance of US television. One group called the â€Å"improved NTSC† group headed by RCA Laboratories' Kern Powers, worked to improve the present standard by improving studio and transmission equipment and the television receivers. Another group called the â€Å"enhanced group† investigated new production and transmission systems that still used the 525 scanning lines and a 4 to 3 aspect ratio. They also sought to produce a better picture through different signal formats (Fisher & Fisher, 1996).The th ird group worked on HDTV at the CBS Technology Center and closely examined the Japanese NHK type of HDTV. This system would produce twice as many horizontal and vertical scanning lines as the NTSC system and would have an aspect ratio of 5 to 3 (Fisher & Fisher, 1996). Their goal was to have an HDTV standard that they could present to the FCC by the spring of 1985. Their standard would be compatible with NTSC, PAL and SECAM and they could transfer their video to 3 5 mm film for theatrical release (Dupagne & Seel, 1998).By March of 1985 ATSC did have a standard they felt they could present to the FCC. They picked 1,125 scanning lines as their standard because it was a compromise between twice the 525 NTSC standard, which equals 1,050 and twice 625 lines (used in Europe) which is 1,250. The system would also have a two-to-one interlaced scanning, a 5 to 3 aspect ratio and scan at 80 fields per second. This scanning rate was the only source of controversy, since the NTSC used 60 per se cond and most of Europe used 50 per second (Fisher & Fisher, 1996).The Europeans felt it could not be used by them because conversion could not take place without some degradation of picture quality. The Japanese approved of it since most of their experiments were conducted in a 60 field per second rate (Hart, 2004). By January of 1988 the ATSC voted on an HDTV system of 1,125 scanning lines, 60 hertz HDTV, 16 to 9 aspect ratio production standard. The vote approved of this standard 26 for and 11 against, with 8 abstaining. The Association of Maximum Service Telecasters (AMST) and the National Association of Broadcasters voted against the new standard (Dupagne & Seel, 1998).Late in 1987 the FCC steering committee submitted a list of five proposed guidelines in which to raise, or solicit, the funds from the participating companies involved with the development of HDTV. The most important guideline of the proposal was that â€Å"no one source contributes more than 15 per cent of the total, private funds raised,† according to the FCC (Hart, 1994, p. 216). In 1989 the American Electronics Association predicted that HDTV would reach the mass market by 1999 and that it would take until the year 2002 to reach 10 percent market penetration.They stated that HDTV would be megapixel, doubling the horizontal and vertical resolution of present television, with around 1,200 scanning lines by about 800 points across and close to a million pixels per screen. It was believed at this time that early HDTV sets would be expensive, large, projection TV's that would find their way into sports bars before they are accepted in private homes (Helliwell, 1989). It was the dawn of the digital age. â€Å"The leap from analog to digital could be as striking as that from black and white to color. † (Dupagne & Seel, 1998, p. 67).By 1990 General Instrument Corporation claimed it had perfected the first all-digital method of transmitting an HDTV signal that would be compatible w ith conventional broadcast channels. That year the FCC announced that it would select the new United States HDTV standard after extensive testing from applicants from six systems including European, Japanese and American companies (Hart, 2004). On May 24, 1993 the â€Å"Grand Alliance† was formed. The four leading pioneers of USA's quest for a high definition picture joined forces. General Instruments-DSRC, AT+T/Zenith, Thomson/Philips, and MIT were the companies that formed this alliance.The purpose of the Grand Alliance was to combine the various parts of their four separate systems into one complete system. This way they would produce a single, all-digital HDTV transmission system. The four HDTV systems that each company produced separately (before the alliance) had a good picture in a 6 Mhz channel, but none of them were deemed good enough to be considered the single acceptable standard (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). The new Grand Alliance systems comprised 1080 active scanning lines with 1920 pixels per line, interlaced at 59.94 and 60 fields per second, and a 720 active line with 1280 pixels per line, progressive scanning at 59. 94 and 60 frames per second. Both formats operated in the progressive scanning mode at 30 and 24 frames per second.The system used MPEG-2 video compression and transport systems and Dolby AC-3, 384 Kb/8 audio. It also used the 8-VSB transmission system developed by Zenith. This system was overwhelmingly approved by the ATSC membership. The old analog NTSC television will someday cease to exists as we know it. In its place high quality digital TV and HDTV will capture a larger and larger share of the market (Dupagne & Seel, 1998).The ATSC believed that its HDTV standard would rule the land-based-over-the-air broadcast not only in the United States but in the northern hemisphere, and even in a few Asian countries as well. Europe, Japan and Australia are going to have a different HDTV standard from the USA. America's standard uses a n eight-level vestigial sideband (8-VSB) 6- Mhz modulation for its over-the-air transmission. The European, Japanese, and Australian systems use an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system (Strassberg, 1998). But politics intervened and a world wide standard was not to be.Different parts of the world will all have their own high definition standards. All the different formats will have more scanning lines than the present NTSC system, but they will not have the same number of scanning lines as each other. Therefore, conversion will be necessary between each country's systems (Hart, 2004). When the people involved in trying to set up a standard for HDTV moved from the chaotic to a more organized collaboration the marketing strategies did not keep pace with the development. There was a consensus among the manufacturers that HDTV would never happen, or at least it would be on a smaller scale than predicted.In Japan their HDTV development was stunted because of a lack of attractive programming. In Europe HDTV was abandoned because there was no consensus among programmers, signal providers, and the public (Hart, 2004). Both Mexico and Canada have refused to sign off on the channel assignments granted to the US stations in bordering areas. This will lead to a clouding up of the signals in those parts of the states. Detroit had to delay its planned digital/HDTV delivery launch on November 1, 1998, because of signal mix-up (Stern, 1998). The Thompson Manufacturing Company emphasized that the success of HDTV will largely depend on the broadcaster.Though HDTV sets are being manufactured it will depend on the number of hours of high definition signal that is being transmitted out there, to pull the audience to the television screen (Hart, 2004). . The FCC and HDTV By 1990 the FCC decided that the HDTV signal would have to fit into one channel. The Japanese were suggesting that the US use their MUSE (Multiple Sub-Nyguist Encoding) system. This system would use one channel for the picture and another channel with information to boost it to HDTV level (Schreiber, 1999). By Congressional order the FCC has assigned a second TV channel to each of the nations 1,600 television stations.Each of these stations will now be able to offer digital signal service to the public. It will be up to the broadcasters as to what kinds of services to offer and in what format they wish to transmit in (Hart, 2004). Originally then FCC Chairman, Reed Hundt, wanted to auction off the HDTV channels. The proposal for this auction was then introduced to Congress by Senate Majority Leader, Bob Dole. But, heavy lobbying by the broadcasters quickly killed the bill (Schreiber, 1999). Regulators were considering adding 30 Mhz, or channels 2 to 6, to the spectrum that broadcasters will be using when the shift to digital TV is completed.By the year 2002 the analog channels will be returned to the government. The FCC will then auction these returned channels off to pros pective buyers. Congress and the White House expected this auction to raise somewhere around $5. 4 billion dollars. If broadcasters are given this additional 30 Mhz this would set the FCC back by about $2 billion dollars (Schreiber, 1999). When the analog channels are no longer in use by the broadcasters and they are auctioned off, they will be used for non-broadcast use such as mobile phones, two-way paging, and wireless Internet access (Schreiber, 1999).The broadcasters will transmit both the existing NTSC analog signal on one channel and the new HDTV signal on another channel. This way the existing analog TV sets will not be rendered useless immediately. The FCC adopted this simulcast plan where each existing television station would be assigned a second 6-Mhz channel for the analog TV and a channel for HDTV service (Schreiber, 1999). On Thursday April 3, 1997, the FCC approved by 4 to zero the biggest advance to broadcasters since the 1950's when color was introduced to televisi on.The government announced that it was giving away to broadcasters free air-space. Critics of the FCC felt that giving this free air-space, without having the stations pay for it, was the biggest government give away of the century. To the 1,600 stations in this country this is an estimated $70 billion dollar gift of free channels (Schreiber, 1999). To create the necessary channels needed for HDTV the spectrum space was taken from UHF stations of channels 14 or higher. The government has had a history of setting aside unused channels in the past for the broadcasters.The government will be taking these channels back and making them available to fire, police, rescue, and other public safety groups (Schreiber, 1999). By November 1, 1998 the FCC ruled that the networks must begin to broadcast a digital signal. At first only the top 10 markets will get any of the new ATSC digital signals. Only about 5 hours of broadcast high definition signal will be available. The stations will be free to broadcast as little, or as much HDTV signal as they deem possible. By 1998 the first true high definition television sets were available for sale on the open market (Hart, 2004).The roots of HDTV lie in a 1996 decision by the FCC to require broadcasters to transmit two signals, one in analog (NTSC) and one in digital. The FCC required that broadcasters continue broadcasting the analog signal until the year 2006, although the deadline can be extended if digital grows too slowly in popularity. The FCC gave each TV station a second broadcast channel for digital signals used for the new HDTV programming (Schreiber, 1999). There has been some indication that the HDTV signal does not work as well as it was predicted, or promised, to work.The November 1, 1998 launch date for HD signal was to deliver crystal clear images and CD-quality sound. And it did, but only 40 percent of the time. After a test in Washington, DC, in 1998 it was found that a majority of the time the televisions usin g indoor antennas could not display a high definition image. It was an all or nothing at all thing with over-the-air digital signals. Test results stated that with terrestrial transmission, broadcasters and set manufacturers will be even more reliant on cable operators to reach their potential viewers (Schreiber, 1999).For someone who sets up their HDTV receiver during the winter months when the leaves are off the trees, there are some who did not receive a signal in the spring when the new leaves appeared. Often the first time a potential customer views an HD television set they have to become accustomed to some surprising effects. As a result of the image compression techniques that are used to squeeze such a high-resolution picture into a 6 Mhz channel there are no noticeable defects in the picture until there is motion on the screen.The motionless backgrounds appear in stunningly clear detail, but when an object moves the picture momentarily blurs and develops a â€Å"block lik e† image around the moving object (Strassberg, 1998). The bugs are still being worked out, but as it stands the first person to purchase a high definition TV set will not be sure it will work with an antenna, and they won't be able to connect to cable (Strassberg, 1998). Industrial Policy, Politics and HDTV In October 1988, the American Electronics Association (AEA) released a report forecasting the effect of HDTV on the U. S. economy and technological prowess.This report heightened fears of foreign threats to the domestic consumer electronics industry. A string of Congressional hearings followed. In May 1989, the AEA issued a second report, which included a recommendation for $1. 35 billion in government assistance (Hart, 2004, pp. 157-9). This was necessary, argued the report, to make American companies competitive with their international competitors. The resulting political fall out could have hardly been anticipated. The second AEA report was the proverbial â€Å"last st raw† in a very heated ideological battle over American industrial policy.One side of the argument feared that U.S. firms were unfairly disadvantaged against international competition because many foreign companies enjoyed generous subsidies from their governments, which often had much more cohesive industrial policies than that of the U. S. The other side argued that the best way to ensure American success could only be accomplished through the competitive process of a free market, which is what drove the American innovative spirit—not government mandates and funding. These differing positions were soon became part of a political battle between Capitol Hill and the Bush Administration (Bingham, 1998).The position of the latter was influenced by a stand against industrial policy taken by Bush during a campaign speech, where he declared, â€Å"I oppose the federal government's picking of winners and losers in the private sector. That's known as ‘industrial policyâ € Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (Hart, 1994, p. 221). The debate had been percolating for some time. Just prior to the second AEA report, Senator Al Gore (D-Tenn. ) had been the most recent of a list of legislators to introduce yet another bill designed to spur HDTV development and push the Whitehouse towards a more proactive domestic industrial policy.The bill was motivated in part by Gore's unhappiness with Secretary Mosbacher, who had refused to attend a hearing by his Science Subcommittee (Bingham, 1998). Not all within the industry favored the Congressional push for government assistance. The Electronic Industries Association (EIA), whose members—unlike the AEA—included foreign owned companies as well as U. S. companies did not support government subsidization for fear they might not get a piece of the proverbial pie (Bingham, 1998). Philips and Thompson lobbied vigorously against this legislation.They argued that their system shouldn't be put at a disadvantage just because they wer e European companies. After all, their American subsidiaries provided American jobs just like their American owned counterparts, and their system, if chosen, would benefit the American public just like the other systems (Hart, 2004). This illustrates the problematic nature of industrial policy: provided you do decide that it is even in America's best interest to subsidize companies, how do you then rationalize subsidizing those very competitors all over again?Yet, if you do subsidize U.S. and not foreign owned companies, you still risk disadvantaging American workers (Bingham, 1998). As a consequence of the political battle over industrial policy, the Bush Administration developed an anti-HDTV policy. Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher, who had initially supported the promotion of a strong HDTV policy, became a critic of such policies as a result of the political fallout. In one Congressional hearing, he criticized the industry for holding back research in hopes that it might ge t funding from the government (Hart, 1994, pp.221-222).The second AEA report came at the climax of the battle. A focal point of the battle was DARPA, which had begun an initiative to fund HDTV technology in the public sector for â€Å"dual use† purposes (i. e. encourage technologies that provide significant benefits to both the defense and civilian sectors) (Bingham, 1998, p. 110). By the end of May, the White House had ordered a halt to pro HDTV industrial policies, and Craig Fields, a vocal supporter of DoD funded HDTV development, would eventually be dismissed in April of 1990.Interestingly, in the midst of all this fallout, Al Sikes, former head of the NTIA and a big proponent of HDTV, became the new Chairman of the FCC in August of 1989. However, the nomination had actually been submitted before the political battle over HDTV had escalated (Dupagne & Seel, 1998, p. 184). The introduction of digital helped alleviate the conflicting goals of progress versus compatibility, by offering an option so significantly advanced that it superseded the goal of compatibility.The conflicting goals reflect the much broader conflict between the FCC's dual mandates to promote and police. It is interesting to keep in mind, however, that new technology was not the only factor in this move. After all, the FCC actually chose to pursue an HDTV approach vis-a-vis a more compatible EDTV approach at least two months before, GI revealed its digital system (Hart, 2004). It might be very easy to lay the problems of adoption that have resulted from choosing a digital system, which was not compatible to NTSC, at the feet of the FCC.We could speculate that commissioners were unable to grasp the complexities and significance economic principles or the staff was to rigid in its thinking to find a truly innovative solution to the problems already discussed. However, the fact remains that the move towards DTV was also made by industry participants. The FCC could not force manufacture rs to propose a system they did not want (Hart, 2004). Once full digital HDTV had been achieved, many manufacturers voluntarily scrapped their analog systems in order to pursue digital systems. In making this choice proponents were at the mercy of economic forces beyond their control.They could not afford not to choose a digital system following GI's breakthrough: the risk that the public and officials would perceive such systems as technologically inferior was too great. Digital threatened the successful adoption of any analog system, regardless of the outcome of the contest. In the end the analog systems failed to compete adequately with the digital systems anyway (Hart, 2004). Conclusion Now era of analog broadcast television in the United States will end as the nation completes its transition to an all-digital system, which is set on February 17, 2009 (dtv.com).The veneration of HDTV as the single source of spectacular televisual experience and as the epitome of digital televisi on is a necessary mythology for the joint endeavor of the broadcasting industry, HDTV manufacturers, and the MPT to move digital broadcasting in the world forward. HDTV is, by definition, a specific type of television receiver that provides higher resolution than the NTSC standard by way of compressing, storing, and delivering a greater amount of image and sound information than previous transmission systems.There are a number of competing HDTV standards, and unlike common mis/conceptions, not all HD televisions are digital. Nor does the digital HDTV necessarily guarantee a better audio-visual fidelity than the analog HDTV. Additionally, HDTV is not the sole foundation of the audio-visual grandeur of the digital television system. Technically, not all HDTV can assist or accommodate diverse functions (e. g. , interactivity) that the digital broadcasting service would normally offer. Nor can all digital television receivers, likewise, convey as good a picture quality as a HDTV would p roffer.As the digitalization of broadcasting became an irreversible national policy of U. S. in 1990s, electronics companies tended to blend the two technical specifications, manufacturing only digital HDTV sets. And as the digital HDTV becoming a norm in the industry, digital television and HDTV are often used interchangeably, regardless of their technical and conceptual differences. Digital TV alone could enhance audio-visual quality to a considerable degree, since it involves no mediation of transmission towers or ground cables, thereby decreasing the chance for the deterioration of broadcast signals.Accurate or erroneous, the adoration of HDTV as the end-all and be-all of visual excellence would place the entire edifice of digital broadcasting in U. S. on a pedestal. More specifically, it is expected to have a dramatic impact on the viewer's awareness of digital broadcasting, and consequently, adoption of more advanced, multifunctional digital TV sets. As the audience is exposed to the crisp, vivid images of HDTV, they will see a compelling reason to switch to digital broadcasting. A wide and speedy diffusion of digital HDTV is a prerequisite for the energetic growth of digital broadcasting and a barometer to measure such growth.Second, digital HDTV sets are considered an axial item for the reinvigoration of U. S. ‘s economy led by the three engines: the AV equipment industry, electronics manufacturing, and online business. With many years of rigorous R&D endeavors, U. S. begin to claims its share of the global HDTV and associated A-V equipment market. HDTV is no longer a plain â€Å"household appliance† but a core IT technology, equipped with cutting-edge apparatuses, ranging from memory chips, mobile transmitters, and LCD, PLP monitors, to various paraphernalia that enable interoperability with other digital devices.Conclusively, odd it may sound, U. S. ‘s development of HDTV is infused with what might be called â€Å"techno-nationali sm† that has intensified throughout its competition with the Japan for economic and technological supremacy. The four-decade long endeavor of promoting HDTV as the global standard has been at once a medium and a theater of the techno-economic contest between the two techno-egos. HDTV is, after all, as much a political game as a business matter; as culturally intense a project as a technology-intensive battle.But this battle is not over. As the latest news report, â€Å"the electronic company Sony will debut a flat-screen t flat-screen television powered by organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that require less power and space. The OLEDs result in a television picture with stronger colors and a faster response time in pixels. The television will be introduced in Japan but will not be available in the U. S. for several years. † (Berhie, 2007)