Silicones And Solar Power Engineering Essay

AbstractionThis study aims to discourse the subject of solar power and silicones. In that it aims to discourse the development of solar energy extraction engineering over the clip period of fifteenth Century BC to show twenty-four hours. Besides included in this study are brief treatments of the types of solar aggregators presently in usage and the developing engineerings in this field. It further addresses the subject of silicones. First it will dissect the formation of silicones. The assorted procedures involved in the industry, and polish of Silicones. One of the purposes of this study is to discourse the multi-functionality of Silicones and their utilizations in industry, and specifically to turn to the issue of the usage of silicones in the solar Industry. The Final purpose of this study is to discourse the possible usage of silicones in PV faculties, in peculiar their usage as a coating for solar panels. Besides it aims to reason that the usage of silicones will lengthen the life of solar faculties by giving equal protection to the solar cells. The study is based on research carried out relevant to the subjects above mentioned. Research was carried out utilizing assorted web sites, a TCE article and books, subsequently referenced in the study. The consequence of this study is the research carried out on the subject. The chief decision of this study is the recommendation for the hereafter usage of silicones in the production of PV faculties.IntroductionThe topic of this study is to analyze the subject of solar power and potency for silicones in the country. The chief job being handled in this study is whether the usage of silicones is a executable method for bettering the life anticipation of solar faculties. Solar energy is a topic really much in current treatment as renewable energy Begins to be viewed with more favors, due to the frights of a possible deficit of fossil fuels, and an increased fright of the inauspicious effects of the combustion of these fuels. The intent of this papers is to foreground the possibility of solar energy as being a feasible beginning of energy in the hereafter and to foreground the betterments that can be made to solar cells, and thereby solar faculties by utilizing silicones as portion of their industry. The range of this papers extends to a brief treatment of the development of solar energy engineering over the clip period of fifteenth Century BC to show twenty-four hours. It besides briefly trades with the subject of the formation of silicones and their current usage. The research for this subject was carried out over a period of 10 hebdomads.Theory: Solar EnergyHistoryThere is a popular belief that solar power has merely been around for the past four or five decennaries. But in world it has been around for much longer. Let us get down with the earliest reference of the usage of the Sun for the benefits of adult male, in the fifteenth Century BC. Though it may be nil more than a myth, there is reference of the â€Å" Sounding Statues † of the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenkotep III. He claimed that his statues operated when the air in their base bases expanded after exposure to sunshine. Another possible myth sing the usage of solar power is 212 BC. In one of the most dramatic of early applications of solar energy it is said that the Grecian mastermind Archimedes. Harmonizing to legend he used a â€Å" Burning mirror † mirror to put the ships of the occupying Roman ships alight. He did this while they were still about 121.4 ft off. From Archimedes we move into the seventeenth Century AD The first application of solar energy after the autumn of the Roman Empire was in 1615. Salomon de Caux constructed the first device to be categorized as a â€Å" solar engine † . He constructed a device made of glass lenses, a supporting frame and an air-tight metal vas incorporating H2O and air. Its map was merely to bring forth a little H2O fountain when the air heated up during operation. It was considered more a plaything than a workhorse device. The physicist Athanasius Kircher ( 1601-1608 ) experimented during the mid 17th century with mirrors. He attempted to put fire to wood at a distance in an attempt to animate the so 1,800 twelvemonth old technique of Archimedes. Where Kircher worked with mirrors, a German mathematician, Ehrenfried Von Tschirnhaus ( 1651-1708 ) focused his work on lens type concentrators. He designed and constructed lenses up to about 30 inches in diameter. Using these he was capable of runing ceramic stuffs with concentrated sunshine. With this we take leave of the 17th century and switch our focal point to the eighteenth century. One of the most active figures in the eighteenth century with respects to solar energy was a Gallic scientist, George Louis Lecrec Buffon ( 1707-1788 ) . He was responsible for a series of multiple-mirror solar furnaces, the largest consisting of some 360 little planar mirrors, all separately focussed on a common point. In 1747, in the Gallic Royal Gardens, Buffon used 168 mirrors to light a heap of wood from a distance of about 195 ft. Buffon concluded that Archimedes could in fact have set fire to the Roman ships, but he estimated that he could non hold done so from a distance greater than 150ft. He based this decision about strictly on the premise that Archimedes was utilizing engineering far inferior to his ain, and hence could non hold equalled his ain device. Regardless of Buffon ‘s â€Å" decision † the inquiry sing Archimedes ‘ â€Å" Burning Mirror † still remains open. In 1977 D. L. Simms wrote in â€Å" Burning Question † Scientific Am. 236 ( 6 ) :64 ( 1977 ) 2, that â€Å" there are ample historical, scientific, and military evidences for reasoning that Archimedes did non utilize a combustion mirror as a arm of war â€Å" . Simms felt that Archimedes would hold been capable of ciphering the radiant flux necessary to make the occupation, and that Archimedes would non hold used a method of such low chance of success. Claude Poillet, a Gallic mathematician-scientist was one of the first people to concern himself with mensurating sunlight strength. He estimated that â€Å" the useable energy from the Sun per square pace of the Earth ‘s surface between the equator and about 43A ° N or S latitude was about 1/6 thermic unit per second, which corresponds to about one HP † 3. A Swiss naturalist, Nicholas de Saussure ( 1740-1799 ) , conducted the first recorded experiments in utilizing solar beams for cookery intents. His solar oven was called a â€Å" heat box † . Its composing consisted of multiple detached glass screens positioned over a blackened surface. The underside and sides of it were surrounded with insularity. It was recorded to hold achieved a temperature of 320A °F. The nineteenth century brought away a somewhat different solar oven. It was introduced by an English uranologist, John Fredrick Herschel. He built as little solar oven while on a trip to Africa ‘s Cape of Good Hope. It was constructed of mahogany painted black. He so buried it in the sand for intents of insularity. The lone portion of it left exposed was a dual glazed screen. This served to minimise heat loss from the top, while still allowing in sunshine. The oven is reported to hold reached a maximal temperature of 240A °F 1. In 1839 A. Edmund Becquerel, a Gallic physicist foremost discovered the photovoltaic consequence while experimenting with metal home bases. He discovered that some stuffs were photoconductive and could make little electrical charges when exposed to light4. However the first photovoltaic cell was non built until 1882, by an American discoverer Charles Fritts. He coated the semiconducting material Se with an highly thin bed of gold to organize the junctions5. One of the most fecund â€Å" solar energy innovators † was a Gallic Physics professor Augustin Mouchot ( 1825-1911 ) . Mouchot was responsible for originating 20 old ages of authorities funded experimentation with reflector type concentrators in 1860. His attempts in the field led to the construct, design and building of the first reflector devices based on the form of a abbreviated cone. These devices are now known as axicons. They were intended to concentrate sunlight along the cardinal axis of the cone instead than its predecessor devices which were designed to concentrate visible radiation to a individual point focal point. Mouchot built several solar powered steam engines between 1864 and 1882. Mouchot ‘s reflectors were built of â€Å" silver plated sheet metals, appropriately mounted so that the full device could be easy turned to follow the place of the Sun. The collection surfaces ( of a typical Mouchot assembly ) had an country of 40ft2 and was connected to a boiler which received about 87 % of the Sun ‘s heat † 3.Due to the available engineering of the clip the devices were connected to extremely inefficient steam engines, which yielded overall low public presentation. Though the eighteenth century brought the greatest organic structure of work on the solar energy forepart and the nineteenth century saw the superb Mouchot and his innovation of the abbreviated cone shaped reflector. It was the twentieth century that brought solar energy engineering to new degrees of variegation. In 1900 and 1911, patents were issued for sub-atmospheric-pressure solar engines, to E. H. McHenry. These engines used working fluids to bring forth power. Water was used to roll up heat and â€Å" a on the job fluid of lower boiling point than H2O ( was used ) to drive † 1.E. C. Ketcham received a patent for a similar system in 1905. The two- fluid system was introduced to avoid the low efficiency jobs which had been observed by Mouchot. The first experiments with level home base aggregators began in 1902. They were carried out by H. E. Willsie and John Boyle, Jr. The level home base device was a really shallow box with a black internal surface, a clear glass screen home base. The device was cooled by some signifier of transportation fluid flow normally H2O. This type of device does non concentrate sunshine as do lens-type and mirror type aggregators. However it is able to roll up and use diffuse sunshine every bit good as direct radiation, therefore their device was able to run over more widely changing conditions conditions. It was reported that though their device was built utilizing petroleum stuffs, its public presentation was such that â€Å" even in cold natural October conditions ( temperatures ) were high plenty to zap sulfur dioxide for the engine. â€Å" 1 In 1907 research began on level home base aggregators by Frank Schuman, of Philadelphia. Again, like Willsie and Boyle, H2O was used as the heat transportation fluid and a 2nd fluid was used to drive a steam engine. The fluid used was ether. His installing was located in Tacony, Pennsylvania, and included 1200ft2 of aggregation surface. The engine developed 3.5 horsepower, with a boiler temperature of 240A ° F. Encouraged by the public presentation of his units Shuman founded the Eastern Sun Power Company Limited in 1908.Types of Solar Collectors Presently in UseFlat Plate Collectorhypertext transfer protocol: //www.solarserver.com/uploads/pics/flachkollektor-e.gif A level home base aggregator consists of an absorber, a transparent screen, a frame, and insularity. 6 Traditionally an iron-poor solar safety glass is used as a transparent screen. This is because it transmits a great sum of the short-wave visible radiation spectrum. Simultaneously, merely really small of the heat emitted by the absorber escapes the screen due to the nursery consequence. Besides the transparent screen prevents wind and breezes from transporting the collected heat off, by convection. Together with the frame, the screen protects the absorber from inauspicious conditions conditions.6 Typical frame stuffs include aluminum and galvanized steel, and on occasion frames are made of fibreglass-reinforced plastic. The intent of the insularity at the dorsum of the absorber and on the side walls is to decrease the heat loss through conductivity. Usually insularity is polyurethane froth or mineral wool, sometimes mineral fiber insulating stuffs like glass wool, stone wool, and fiberglass is used. Heat loss can be reduced within the frame by convection air can be pumped out of the aggregator tubing. Such aggregators can so be called evacuated- tubing aggregators. These must be re-evacuated one time every one to three years.6 This brings us to the subject of evacuated tubing aggregators.Evacuated Tube Collectorshypertext transfer protocol: //www.solarserver.com/typo3temp/pics/5fb2adc895.gif In this type of vacuity aggregator, the absorber strip is located in an evacuated and force per unit area cogent evidence glass tubing. The heat transportation fluid flow through the absorber straight in a U-tube or in counter-current in a tubing in tubing system. The solar aggregator is composed of several serially interconnected, or tubes connected to each other via manifold. 6 A heat pipe aggregator incorporates a particular fluid which begins to zap even at low temperatures. The steam rises in the single heat pipes and warms up the carries fluid in the chief pipe by agencies of a heat money changer. The condensed liquid so flux back into the base of the heat pipe. The pipes must be angled at a specific angle above the horizontal to guarantee that optimum degrees of the procedure of evaporating and distilling maps. There are two types of aggregator connexion to the solar circulation system. Either the heat money changer extends straight into the manifold, and called a â€Å" wet connexion † , or it is connected to the manifold by a heat- conducting stuff, and called a â€Å" dry connexion † . A â€Å" dry connexion † allows the exchange of single tubings without necessitating the voidance of the full system of its fluid. Evacuated tubings offer the advantage that they work expeditiously. An advantage offered by evacuated tubings is that they work expeditiously with high absorber temperatures and with low radiation. Higher temperatures besides may be obtained for applications such as hot H2O warming, steam production, and air conditioning.6Solar panelhypertext transfer protocol: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Photovoltaic_panel_at_the_National_Solar_Energy_Center_in_Israel.jpg/220px-Photovoltaic_panel_at_the_National_Solar_Energy_Center_in_Israel.jpg ( PV cellsA connected together in a solar panel. ) A solar panel is a aggregation of interrelated solar cells which are besides known as photovoltaic cells. Solar panels can besides be used as constituents of larger photovoltaic systems used to bring forth and provide electrical power for commercial and domestic applications. Due to the fact that a individual solar cell can merely bring forth a limited sum of power, many installings contain a several panels. A typical photovoltaic system contains an array of solar panels, an inverter, complecting wires and a battery. 11Photovoltaic CellsPhotovoltaicsA ( PV ) is a method of bring forthing electrical power by convertingA solar radiation intoA direct current electricityA utilizing semiconductorsA that exhibit the photovoltaic consequence. 12 On exposure to light electromotive force or a corresponding electric current is created in a stuff. The photovoltaic consequence is straight related to the photoelectric consequence. But the two procedures are different and should ever be distinguished. In the photoelectric consequence, negatrons are ejected from a stuff ‘s surface upon exposure to radiation of a sufficient energy. In the photovoltaic consequence nevertheless there is a difference. The negatrons generated are transferred between different sets within the stuff ( i.e. from the cornice to conduction sets ) , ensuing in the physique up of a electromotive force between two electrodes. In most photovoltaic applications the radiation, is sunlight and due to this ground the devices are known as solar cells. In the instance of a p-n junction solar cell, upon light the stuff creates an electric current as aroused negatrons and the staying holes are swept in different waies by constitutional electric field of the depletion part. Photovoltaic power coevals employsA solar panelsA composed of a figure of cells incorporating a photovoltaic stuff. Materials soon used for photovoltaics include monocrystaline Si, polycrystalline Si, formless Si, Cd telluride, and Cu In selenide/sulphide. P V Cell diagram Solar panels use light energy, i.e. photons, from the Sun to bring forth electricity utilizing the photovoltaic consequence. The burden transporting member of a faculty can either be the top bed or the back bed. 11 The modern photovoltaic cell was developed in 1954 atA Bell Laboratories.A This extremely efficient solar cell was foremost developed byA Daryl Chapin, A Calvin Souther FullerA and Gerald Pearson in 1954 utilizing a diffused Si p-n junction. The interrelated solar cells are normally embedded in crystalline ethene vinyl ethanoate, fitted with an aluminium or chromium steel steel frame and covered with crystalline glass on the front side to do a solar faculty. The bulk of solar faculties use wafer-based crystalline silicone cells or thin-film cells based on Cd telluride or Si. The cells must so be connected electrically to one another and to the remainder of the system. These electrical connexions can be made in two ways. They are made either in series to accomplish a coveted end product electromotive force and/ or in parallel to supply a coveted current beginning capableness. A Silicones can be used in two applications during the fabrication procedure. First they are used for sealing the cell into the frame and secondly as an alternate method to ethylene vinyl ethanoate for encapsulating the solar cell.Coevalss of Solar cellsIn the last few old ages several new photovoltaic engineerings have been researched, with an purpose to happening as effectual alternate to silicon-based solar cells. The research and development in this country by and large aims to supply higher efficiency and lower costs per W of electricity generated. Some in the solar cell industry place different â€Å" coevalss † of solar cell engineering. First coevals solar cells: Solar cells made o semiconducting p-n junctions. Second coevals: Solar cells: Solar cells based on first coevals cells bur focussed on cut downing the cost f the same by using thin movie engineerings. Third coevals: The 3rd coevals is slightly equivocal in the engineerings that it encompasses. Generally it tends to include among others, PV cell systems utilizing multi-layer ( tandem ) cells made of formless Si or Ga arsenide, non-semiconductor engineerings ( including polymer-based cells and biomimetics ) , while more theoretical developments are still in consideration. These include frequence transition, hot- bearer effects and other multiple-carrier expulsion, quantum point engineerings, dye-synthesized solar cells and upconversion engineerings. Presently the theoretical upper bound of the transition of sunshine to electricity is 33 % for a standard solar cell. But the Carnot bound for the same is about 95 % . This opens up a window of chance for heightening the efficiency of solar cells two or three times provided that assorted constructs can be put into usage for bettering efficiency without bearing high costs. These cell engineerings have the possible to get the better of the Shockley-Queisser bound of 31-41 % power efficiency for individual bandgap solar cells. This is what has been attempted by 3rd coevals solar cells, alternate stuffs to tackle the solar energy. 10 Innovalight is one of the Bay Area-based Startups that have pioneered the development of silicon nanoink-based solar cells. Beginnings claim, lab efficiencies are every bit high as 36 % .Current Use of Solar PowerPresently Solar energy is going progressively popular due to its sustainability, its little demand for care and its long term cost-effectiveness. 8 Presently the energy collected via the Sun is put to many utilizations. The chief beingWaterPart of the solar energy harnessed is used to pump H2O in distant countries. In peculiar it is used to power off-grid desalinization workss. Industry Solar energy has been used to power Television and wireless repeater Stationss, which are automated Stationss that transmit signals ) . It is besides used to power beacons, buoys and aircraft warning visible radiations on edifices and other constructions. Heat Solar energy can be used to heat residential places, whereby the energy is used to heat the H2O supply and, peculiarly in Florida, swimming pools are heated in this mode. â€Å" A photovoltaic cell is installed on the roof to roll up solar energy and is used to warm a heat transportation fluid that is used to heat the H2O itself. †Transportation systemâ€Å" Increasingly, solar energy is being used to power public transit vehicles such as coachs, streetcars and light-rails. Plans for solar-powered coach shelters are in the plants every bit good † .Consumer MerchandisesSmall appliance, such as reckoners and tickers, frequently use solar energy. Life Span Current solar cells have as effectual life span of approximately 20 to 25 old ages. Their value and electrical power end product lessenings steadily over clip. This occurs due to have on and rupture of usage. As the outer protective coating of glass wears off the internal constituents go more susceptible to damage.20Theory: SiliconesSiliconesDefinition: SiliconesA are inert, man-made compounds with a broad assortment of signifiers and utilizations. They are typically heat-resistant andA rubber-like. 13FormationSilicones are formed by the transition of chlorosilane monomers into polymer merchandises. This normally involves 2-4 procedures Hydrolysis plus killing Acid decrease of the hydrolysate In some instances Conversion of hydrolysate to cyclic oligomers Polymerization Equilibration Or Bodying of the hydrolysate to cyclic oligomers Depriving Devolatilization Or Solvent remotion Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in the procedure of which molecules of H2O are split into hydrogen cat-ions ( H+ , referred to asA protons for convenience ) and hydroxide anions ( OHa?’ ) , in the procedure of the chemical mechanism.A This is a type of reaction used to interrupt down certain polymers, specifically those made by a step-growth polymerisation. Such a procedure is normally catalysed either acerb or base. A common acid used is sulfuric acid ( H2SO4 ) , and a common base used is sodium hydrated oxide ( NaOH ) . 14, 15Silicon ProductionSilicon does non be on its ain in nature. Generally it is bonded with O, organizing stuffs such as sand and vitreous silica and granite stone. The silicon- O bond in vitreous silica is reputably so stable it can merely be broken by white heat. 9Silicon manufacturers cut down top-quality vitreous silica sand to elemental Si via a carbo-thermic smelting procedure: Formula for cut downing sand to elemental Si This reaction occurs in an electric furnace at & lt ; 1,400A °C ( & lt ; 2,600A °F ) . In it the C monoxide gas ( g ) leaves the furnace so the Si can non respond with the C to organize Si dioxide. The liquefied elemental Si, which is about 99 per centum pure, is so cooled and broken into balls. When used in silicone production, the Si is ground into a all right pulverization to increase the surface country available for reactions.Methylchloride productionMethylchloride is produced by distilling methyl alcohol with hydrochloric acid: Formula for distilling methyl alcohol with hydrochloric acid to bring forth methylchloride Two methyl groups ( CH3 ) must attach to each Si atom to bring forth one molecule of dimethyldichlorosilane. Dimethyldichlorosilane is the basicA silicone edifice block. 9Synthesization of chlorosilanesChlorosilanes are synthesized in a fluid bed reactor at temperatures runing from 250 to 300A °C ( 482 to 572A °F ) and at force per unit areas of 1 to 5 bars. The methyl chloride ( CH3Cl ) flows through a fluidized bed of Si metal powder.9 The reaction, is catalyzed by a copper-based accelerator, generates a complex mix of methyl chlorosilanes: Formula for the chlorosilanes synthesis reaction The methyl chlorosilane mix contains: A big sum of dimethyldichlorosilane ( Me2SiCl2 ) – the primaryA edifice block A moderate sum of methyltrichlorosilane ( MeSiCl3 ) Some trimethylchlorosilane ( Me3SiCl ) A little sum of methyldichlorosilane ( MeHSiCl2 ) Plus smaller sums of other silanes The chlorosilanes are so separated from one another through the procedure ofA distillment.Distillation of chlorosilanesDistillation is a procedure in which a liquid undergoes two stage alterations. One in which it transforms from a liquid to a gas and a 2nd where it reforms into a liquid. Each of the chlorosilanes produced during theA synthesisA phase has a alone boiling point. These boiling points are used to purify the chlorosilanes from one another based on the figure of Cl atoms attached to the molecule. Because the boiling points of the assorted chlorosilanes are so near together, really tall distillment columns are required to divide them. Once separated, the chlorosilanes are ready to be turned into utile siloxanes through the procedure ofA hydrolysis and condensation.9Hydrolysation and Condensation of ChlorosilanesFirst H2O is added to dimethyldichlorosilane ( the principal chlorosilane ) , as this done the two react to organize disilanol and hydrochloric acid. This occurs because O feels a greater attractive force for Si than Cl ; and chlorine feels a greater attractive force for H than O ( Me = CH3 ) . 9 demand elevations text The disilanols formed are unstable and strongly attracted to one another. These are so catalyzed by the hydrochloric acid, where they condense into polydimethylsiloxanes -which are molecules incorporating a anchor of Si atoms bonded to oxygen atoms. Hydrolysis and condensation occur spontaneously, at the same time, and really rapidly. These reactions are a regular â€Å" ageless chemical science machine, † ensuing in a mixture of: Cyclic ringsA ( with 3-6 reiterating SiO units ) Linear chainsA ( with 30-50 reiterating SiO units ) The cyclic and additive oligomers ( mini-polymers ) are separated from one another and distilled into cuts based on the figure of SiO units in the concatenation. Some are used as they are ( cyclosiloxane and low-molecular-weightA silicone fluids, for illustration ) . But the bulk are furtherA polymerized and finishedA to make a broad array of stuffs with an astonishing scope of public presentation capabilities.16Silicone PropertiesSilicones can be considered a molecular loanblend between glass and organic additive polymers. In which if as Si atom is bonded merely to oxygen atoms the construction formed is an inorganic glass called a Q-type Si. If one O atom is replaced with an R-group, such as a methyl, ethyl or phenyl, so a rosin or silesquioxane, or T-type Si, is formed. This type of stuff is more flexible than a Q-type stuff. Hereafter if two O atoms are replaced by organic groups, so the ensuing stuff formed is a really flexible additive polymer, known as D-type Si.19 This increased flexibleness found with diminishing cross-linking consequences in a low glass passage of the additive polymers. Due to this low glass passage silicones typically besides have a low modulus one time formulated and cured, specifically when compared to organic polymers. The modulus in additive silicones can be rather low by and large due to low crosslink denseness and in this signifier silicones frequently function to alleviate emphasis due a mismatch of coefficients of thermic enlargement, between two constituents in many applications. 19Derived MerchandisesLubricants: Silicones are used to deduce a dry-set lubricator is delivered with a dissolver bearer to perforate the mechanism. The solvent evaporates go forthing a clear movie that lubricates but does non pull soil and grit every bit much as traditional â€Å" moisture † lubricator. Assorted silicones are used as several types of lubricating oils. They are used for bike ironss, air-soft gun parts and a broad sc ope of other mechanisms. Poting: Potting is a procedure InA electronics in which a complete circuit assembly is filled with a solid compound for opposition to floor, and quiver, and for exclusion of wet and caustic agents.17 Silicone is frequently used as a potting agent. Encasing electronic equipment in this mode improves the stableness of the equipment against, mechanical daze, electrical daze, radiation, and quiver. Other utilizations of silicone include Rainproof coatings: Silicone movies can be applied to silica-based substrates like glass used as a signifier of insularity. Fabrics may be coated or impregnated with silicone to organize a strong, rainproof complex such asA silnylon. Besides silicone caulk can be used as a basic sealer against H2O and air penetration.http: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Caulking.jpg/160px-Caulking.jpgSilicones as Solar EncapsulantsLED, Photovoltaic and other light sensitive devices require UV stable non yellowing encapsulants for protection and improved light transmittal. Optically Clear Silicones are best suited to this type of operation. These can be found in different scopes of hardness, viscousness, mix ratio, room temperature remedy, and heat remedy. This allows them to be adaptable and to run efficaciously in different conditions.Protection offered by SiliconesSolar cells are presently being implemented in parts every bit diverse as Germany and the Sahara. In consequence this means that the silicones need to be able to offer protection against really diverse inauspicious climes. Silicones need to be able to protect against the effects of sustained rain showers such as those happening in Asia, during monsoon season, while besides being able to prolong continual harm caused by desert air currents. Following this Protection is besides required from the effects of continual alterations in the clime. One illustration of the gradual wear of stuff is due to Aeolian or wind eroding. This type of eroding occurs about chiefly in the desert, where many industrial graduated table solar workss are installed.18ConsequencesFrom my research I have gathered that: Current solar engineering relies to a great extent on p-n junction photovoltaic cells. The current coevals of solar engineering is being implemented across Europe, in the United States of America, and major plants are being carried out in the African comeuppances. Current solar cells use a glass window glass as a screen for the external screen of the solar cell. The mean life span for a solar cell is between 20 and 25 old ages. Silicones have the advantage of being really versatile in their formation. They can be formed to accommodate the environment in which they will be implemented. There is possible in the current solar cell market for silicones to be used as screens, or coatings for PV faculties.DecisionsWhy Silicones and the PV faculty assembly market are perfect for each other:Mechanical belongingss that stay about changeless over a broad scope of temperatures & A ; remain about changeless over a broad scope of temperatures. UV stableness Low Equilibrium wet content Electrical insularity Fire opposition Hi degree of adhesion Optical transparence Silicones are an ideal merchandise household to run into the demands in the PV faculty assembly market. Their citations include mechanical belongingss that remain about changeless over a broad scope of temperatures, and remain stable even after long periods of exposure at high temperatures. UV stableness, low equilibrium wet content, electrical insularity, and fire opposition are built-in in silicones due to their chemical nature. In add-on to this decently formulated silicone preparations can exhibit really fast remedy rates, high degree of adhesion to many hard- to stick-to substances, and optical transparence. All of these contribute to high lastingness in out-of-door exposure, and higher efficiency due to more effectual usage o the visible radiation from the solar spectrum. In the UV-visible wavelength part silicones are extremely crystalline, this makes them ideal campaigners for cell encapsulants. They can be formulated to hold low modulus and be stress alleviating piece besides holding first-class adhesion to the glass and cell substrates.RecommendationsFrom my research carried out in this country of survey it is my recommendation that silicones be used as the criterion method for encapsulating PV cells, and thereby PV faculties. The current PV cells comprise chiefly of p-n junction solar cells, the general layout and design of which was discussed earlier in the study. Silicones would do a really suited covering/ encapsulant for these types of solar faculties as they can be formed into extremely flexible stuff that can easy surface the outer bed of the faculty. Once on the stuff the silicone can so be hardened/ solidified to organize a lasting coating on the PV faculty. The silicone coating can so efficaciously protect the constituents of the PV faculty from external harm caused by corrosion. This efficaciously means protection from the effects o weather corrosion, such as wear and tear caused by the rain, Sun etc†¦ †¦ As silicones offer protection from all of the above they are ideally situated to be used as solar encapsulants. Meinel, A.B. , and M. P. Meinel. Applied solar Energy-An Introduction ( Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. , 1976 ) . And Rau, H. Solar Energy and Everyone ( California: Straight Arrow Books, 1975 ) . â€Å" Burning Question † Scientific Am. 236 ( 6 ) :64 ( 1977 ) . Rau, H. Solar Energy and Everyone ( California: Straight Arrow Books, 1975 ) hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ehow.com/about_5098013_photovoltaic-effect.html hypertext transfer protocol: //www.thegeminigeek.com/who-invented-solar-panels/ hypertext transfer protocol: //www.solarserver.com/knowledge/basic-knowledge/solar-collectors.html hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ehow.com/facts_5185557_current-uses-solar-energy.html hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dowcorning.com/content/discover/discoverchem/chlorosilane-hydrolysis.aspx hypertext transfer protocol: //www.growthconsulting.frost.com/web/images.nsf/0/5C8C038AEE4690D96525744E001A9C9B/ $ File/TI.htm hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaics hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone ( A IUPAC, A Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd erectile dysfunction. ( the â€Å" Gold Book † ) ( 1997 ) . Online corrected version: A ( 2006- ) â€Å" hydrolysis † . ^A IUPAC, A Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd erectile dysfunction. ( the â€Å" Gold Book † ) ( 1997 ) . Online corrected version: A ( 2006- ) â€Å" solvolysis † . ) hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dowcorning.com/content/discover/discoverchem/chlorosilane-hydrolysis.aspx ) hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dmoz.org/Business/Electronics_and_Electrical/Contract_Manufacturing/Printed_Circuit_Boards/Assembly/ hypertext transfer protocol: //geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/erosion.htm The Chemical Engineer, November, 2009 hypertext transfer protocol: //searchwarp.com/swa139552.htm

Henri Fayol vs. Henry Mintzberg

Henri Fayol vs. Henry Mintzberg. Functions vs. roles Henri Fayol and Henry Mintzberg are â€Å"two sides of the one coin†. Each man has his own opinion on what the manager does. Fayol has his â€Å"five functions† and Mintzberg has his â€Å"roles of management†. In this essay I will discuss both men’s opinions and try to come to a conclusion on which I think is better. Henri Fayol, a French management theorist and managing director of a French mining company, came up with the five functions of management. These functions serve the purpose of predicting the future of the environment and planning a relevant business strategy, developing a social and technical structure to the organisation, managing the activities of the staff, integrating plans and activities across the organisation and ensuring conformity with the plan via authority and feedback mechanisms to correct inappropriate activity. Planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling. These five functions have been around since Fayol came up with them back in 1916 and have dominated management vocabulary since then. These functions would seem to cover all the criteria needed for a manager to do his job but Henry Mintzberg has a different opinion. Henry Mintzberg is an internationally renowned academic and author on business and management with over 140 articles and thirteen books written. He came up with the roles of management, which he believes cover most of the things a manager will encounter in their job. These roles are split into 3 interpersonal roles, 3 informational roles and 4 decision making roles. The 3 interpersonal roles are; the figurehead which helps reinforce what the company stands for and reinforces the organisational culture, the leader who provide their employees with a sense of mission and the liaison who mixes with others outside the business to represent the needs of their group. The 3 informational roles are; the monitor who collects information form within the group and finds out what is going on in the business, the disseminator who shares the information with others who would not find out the information and the spokesperson who represents the views of the group in the wider environment. The 4 decision making roles are; the entrepreneur who make decisions to improve the contribution of their subordinates to the performance of the business, the disturbance handler who deals with any problems that might occur within the group, the resource allocator who allocates resources throughout their subordinates and the negotiator who negotiates to secure contracts, budgets etc. Henry Mintzberg believes that the five functions of management do not really tell us much about what a manager actually does but at best paint a vague picture of what objectives managers have when they work. He has come up with the idea that there are 4 myths relating to the role of the manager which if looked at closely do not support Fayol’s functions. The first of these myths is that â€Å"a manager is a reflective, systematic planner† when studies show that most managers work at a fast and unrelenting pace, that their activities are often brief and varied and that they dislike reflective activities but are more action orientated. The second of these myths is â€Å"the effective manager has no regular duties to perform†. Evidence shows that managers do infact perform a number of regular duties like rituals and ceremonies as well as negotiations and processing information with links between the organisation and its environments. The third myth is â€Å"The senior manager needs aggregated information, which a formal management information system provides†. The fact in this case is that managers prefer to get their information through telephone calls or meetings. The fourth and final myth is â€Å"Management is, or at least is quickly becoming a science and a profession†. The fact behind this myth is that the manager programs to schedule time, process information, make decisions and so stay in their own head and deal with things in their own way. The first of the four myths is probably the one that conflicts most with Fayol’s functions and shows that although there is some degree to a managers job, they prefer to work fast and would rather take action to try and resolve a problem rather than waste time thinking on different ways to overcome it. In my opinion, I would be more inclined to agree with Mintzberg and his roles of management over Fayol’s functions. This is because the roles of management have a lot more scope and would allow a manager more ways to deal with a wider variety of situations. They also cover the roles that I have seen managers in my working environment undertake such as the Liaison, the Negotiator, the Disturbance handler etc. In conclusion, although the five functions are a good way to look at the role of a manager I think that Mintzberg, having done all the studies on managers and actually seeing what they do in their day to day workings has given him a better idea of what the job of the manager actually entails. Fayol’s views look good when you see and hear them but in reality, is management as straight forward as the five steps that he has set out? I don’t think that he has looked at all the areas and all the things that could go wrong in jobs. In reality, I think Fayol’s functions are more like the ways we would like the job of the manager to be whereas Mintzberg’s roles have given us the way a managers job actually is and covers most of the things that a manager would encounter in the running of a business. By Alan Young References DR R DONNELLY , â€Å"the role of the manager†, heriot-watt university. HENRY MINTZBERG, July-august 1975â€Å"the manager’s job: Folklore and fact† Harvard business review.

American Economy 1940-1950 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Economy 1940-1950 - Assignment Example I chose this decade because of the World War II, and I can easily demonstrate how it changed the economy of the American people (Jay 23). This decade was significant in making the United States of America the super power country in the economy and makes the country stable politically, economically, socially, and also, the technology of the country was being developed at a unusually high rate. After the war, the American men, came from war they had seen several events in the outside world. They have seen the importance of education and how education had helped to develop other countries well. The black people in the United States were then accepted to attend school and further their studies. They were allowed to go to college and acquire degrees and develop their knowledge about things in the continent. At the same time, ladies were also enjoying independence since they did not have to work at home all the time, they were allowed to go to school and acquire education that would then h elp them to get jobs. This greatly impacted the American economy since more people were learned and things were being done in a more civilized way (Jay 45). The scrap drives for steel, paper, and rubber became a source of supporting the war in America. In the year, 1942, the automobile production was stopped due to war issues, and the food was rationed in the year1943. As the war continued, several economic trends emerged in the United States; the American troops were gaining experience of the war and they were defeating the enemy troops. Soon United States of America became the super power after the Japanese bombing in 1945. Although still, United States was being challenged and opposed by the USSR still they had the lead of the war, and they had the say about what was to happen. This in turn, made American people become hard working so that they could afford to manage their status as a leading country in the world. The United States implemented a plan that was called the Marshall plan. The plans main objective was to help the countries that were more affected during the war to regain their economic status and rebuild their country. At the same time, the plan was to help in stabilizing the world economic levels. But, this could not take place since there were disputes that arose over the ideology to rebuild the war torn countries and enhance the status of the world economy. This then led to the rise of the cold war and the communism (Jay 65). After the American heroes had returned home, they realized the power and prejudice that in turn helped them to civil rights reforms that was to take place in the next decades. The servicemen’s’ readjustment Act ensured that the war soldiers were taken to college, and that they were given quality of education. In the 1949, many degrees were conferred more than 1940. This in turn, meant that, the levels of educated people had risen and that there were more employment opportunities that were created in the cou ntry. This increased the income revenues for the central government and made an impact in the economy of the United States. Television which had made its first break through in the 1939 war issue, but was interrupted by World War II made another come back in 1947. The commercial television had more than thirteen channels and was made public. People started to develop computers in the early forties. The first computer was digital it was called ENIAC and it weighed more than 29 tons

Sylvester Stallone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sylvester Stallone - Essay Example His mother, Jackie Stallone, was of two origins. She was half-Russian and half French. He has a younger brother, Frank Stallone and both were both named after their paternal grandfather. Since his baptism, he has been a Catholic. During his childhood, he suffered a lot from his parents’ hostility. His parents were so hostile that their relationship ended in a divorce in 1957. This led to Sylvester moving to Philadelphia with his mother and a foster father. Due to environmental and social changes, Sylvester suffered academic and emotional changes. He became very troubled in school and this led to his expulsion in most of the schools that he joined. His mother enrolled him to a special high school for the troubled and mischievous youth. While at Philadelphia, he spent most of his time at foster care but this changed after joining Devereaux High School where he joined the gym class and started lifting weights (Sanford, Carl and Howard 15). After his graduation, he won an athletic scholarship program at an American College located in Switzerland. He became a coach of a girls’ athletic club and after a short time gained interest in drama. He starred in of the school productions in the college. This motivated him to join the world of drama and he could not wait to go back to the United States of America where he joined the University of Miami and studied drama. It is in 1969 when he decided to pursue his dream in drama and acting. He went back to New York where he had to work in different low paying workplaces to make ends meet. He became an usher at a New York theatre and worked part time jobs at the Central Park Zoo. He made his first appearance in the film industry after acting a soft-core porn film by the name ‘A party at kitty studs’. He frequently auditioned and soon became famous in the industry due to his role as a tough person in most films paralyzed (Sanford, Carl and Howard 12). However, the industry became more competitive and h e became discouraged after being turned down for the film ‘The Godfather’ in 1971. This led to Sylvester turning his attention to writing screenplays and it bore fruit in 1973 after he starred in the movie Rebel. Sylvester’s first major role in the film industry was in 1976 after he wrote the movie’s script. A fight between Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali form, which he wrote the script, had motivated him (Dunn). He wanted to play the role himself and after a long struggle with producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler, he was assigned the role. The film became very successful and was nominated for best actor and best original screenplay at the Academy Awards. Stallone earned lots of profits from this film. In 1982, he had the role of writing and directing Rocky II that became a major success after grossing over $200 million. This became the turning point for his career in the film industry. All the films he directed from this point on gained lots of money irrespective of the presence of critics to his films (Celebrity Net Worth). These films include Rambo, The specialist, Cash, Tango, Cobra, Demolition Man among others (Stallone 15). The new millennium did not pose a good start to Sylvester’s career since the movies that he stared in or produced did not sell as expected. However, a re-production of Rambo in 2008 and later The Expendables made him rise in chats at the film

Professional and Strategic Communications Essay

Professional and Strategic Communications - Essay Example It therefore fuses the pushing and the delivering through the communication of the best message through the right channels as measured against a well-considered communication-specific and organizational goals. Strategic communication always involves different professional disciplines that may include management, technical communication, advertising and media relations amongst other relevant disciplines. Successful strategic communication must endeavour to communicate in order to influence a target audience or group of individuals and must be rational and authentic. Therefore, strategic communication concerns itself with planning for the future, implementation of specific tactics and taking into consideration the dynamism of the environment. This paper explores both professional and strategic communication through the exploration of the important role that behaviour change plays in successful communication and the challenges in the management of communication. For effective profession al and tactful communication, it is important that the person or the organization observes certain factors. The person communicating must be able to determine his objective before embarking on the communication in that you should understand the message before expressing it to others as establishing the goal will make the communication is concise and appropriate. It is important to consider your relationship to the audience or the persons to whom the communication is intended to by keeping and adhering to your professional status in mind as you communicate to the audience in anticipation of their reaction to the message being conveyed. The person communicating must use the appropriate terminology to demonstrate his professionalism and competence in passing the message across. Professional communication dictate that the person stays in control of his body language as the audience normally evaluates the message and its intention based on the posturing and the choice or words as even th e most tactful message can repel an audience. Azjen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as espoused by Icek Ajzen is important as it helps us in the understanding the transformation in behaviour of a person as it predicts deliberate behaviour or that behaviour that has been planned. It was developed after the discovery of the fact that behaviour is not always fully voluntary and under control which was later taken as perceived behavioural control. Therefore, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) states that the actions by human beings are guided by three considerations which include the behavioural beliefs which are those that are due to the consequences of behaviour and normative beliefs that are those beliefs about the normative expectations of others. Another consideration is the control beliefs that are the belief about the presence of factors that may expedite or impede the performance of behaviour. These considerations argued by Ajz en are important in the changing of the behaviour of human beings. It is important

Discuss Lawlers theories of New Pay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discuss Lawlers theories of New Pay - Essay Example The problem with current structure of pay is that it brings insecurity among employees regarding their pay and benefits. With current pay system linked to job grades rather than employee’s performance, It makes it hard for employees to make extra effort for organization’s performance. (Heery, 1996) The new pay theories have become popular in the last decade as academics have been criticizing the old pay systems due to many reasons. It is often argued that the old pay system is not directly related to organization performance and employees feel they are not being acknowledged for their contribution in organization’s performance. (Heneman, 2000) Schuster and Zinghiem criticized the old system and represented the approach of new pay. Their argument was that by linking the pay and rewards to organization strategy and performance will bring benefits. The new pay system will be strategic, business aligned, and performance driven.(Schuster and Zingheim, 1996) The reasons for emphasising this pay system are quite clear; the pay system needs to be aligned with organization strategy and needs rather than a standard bureaucratic system that has been followed for decades. Schuster and Zinghiem extensive research is the force behind the idea of making pay a positive tool for achievi ng excellence in organizations. Although the new theory is well received and appreciated in academia, it is far from implementation in the industry. New pay system is likely to bring discrimination among the employees as people will be paid rather than the job. Another issue could be legal responsibilities that an organization has for its employees. (Sturman and Short, 2006) Case Study: An extensive research into the banking sector regarding new pay system brought out some issues. The research was carried within Finbank reward strategy for managers. The idea behind the research was to align the rewards system with the

A Comparison Between the Hmong Shamanism and Num Chai, the Healing Essay

A Comparison Between the Hmong Shamanism and Num Chai, the Healing Dance of Kung San - Essay Example Nu’m Chai which is the Kung San healing dance, is performed from dusk to dawn. Dancers etch their round path around the fire to the resonance of musical singing and clapping. During the singing and clapping, a number of the dancers keel over; yelling and try to dash into the fire but others hold them back. A number of the dancers may bleed from the nostrils while experiencing sharp bodily ache that prompts them to go into distinctive physical postures. Afterwards, several dancers scream out verbal abuse at the spirits of the departed who prowl in the shadows of the night (Ryan 15). In both rituals, the shaman is the conventional healer selected by the spirits who diagnose and treat the illnesses. He does so by traveling both worlds and restoring a person’s health. Secondly, there is an element of the shamans getting into a state of trance. They do so in order to cross between the two worlds and communicate with the spirits (Ryan 16). Thirdly, the shamans have to get rid of the evil spirits and forces that cause the sickness and restore health. Fourthly, the shamans chant to get into the state of trance. The chanting forms a connection with the spirits as the shaman has to call them. Lastly, there is an element of music in both rituals. Hmong shamans have drumming which marks the beginning of the journey and rattles to help summon the spirits. In the Nu’m Chai, singing and clapping accompany the dancing (Ryan 17). The rituals provide the need for emotional connection between the spirit world and the humans. The humans believe the connection between well being and sickness to the spirits that have to be appeased. Secondly, both rituals provide a sense of community and belonging to which members can identify with. This is beneficial to members who receive health after sickness and improve both

How does hilton hotel in Dubai improve their employee cultural Research Proposal

How does hilton hotel in Dubai improve their employee cultural diversity to meet the needs of their customers - Research Proposal Example It is paramount for the company to consider cultural diversity among its employees to as to meet the needs of the customers that they serve (Trompenaars and Wooliams, 2003).. Dubai is one of the cities found in the United Arab Emirates, one of the youngest countries in the world. The city itself is cosmopolitan due to its high levels of expatriate migration, and a center for booming business. In this respect, managers in organizations operating within the city have to be careful how they go about addressing the different cultures of their employees (Scullion and Collings, 2006). This is because the employees themselves are likely to have varying cultural differences and needs (Harvey and Allard, 2005). The Dubai Hilton employs people from all walks of life who come to the city as immigrant workers. Multi-cultural employees normally bring a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, values, styles and beliefs within an organization (Tayeb, 2003). These differences must be treated as assets my managers if they want to gain from their employees (Tanke, 2001). One industry that can make major gains from cultural diversity is the hospitality industry, like the one under which the Dubai Hilton operates. Evidence shows that cultural diversity, when it is addressed appropriately, has the ability to influence productivity and thus fulfill most of the needs of the customers (Cox, 2001). The aim of this research study is to find out how the Hilton Hotel in Dubai improves their employee cultural diversity to meet the needs of their customers. This study is relevant since the hotel operates within a highly multi-cultural setting and its workforce is therefore culturally diverse. The objectives of this research paper are: Most societies in the world today have different cultural practices, values and beliefs. In this age of globalization, many people from these different backgrounds normally come

Health Care Communications Methods Nursing Home Option 1 Research Paper

Health Care Communications Methods Nursing Home Option 1 - Research Paper Example Therefore, as an administrator of the nursing home, he or she has the responsibility to arrange how these patients are going to enjoy their rights to medication. Therefore, the administrator has to choose communication method that will be effective to every resident either traditional, electronic or social media method. Ancient communication involves using brochures, pamphlets and booklets that are intended to reach audience randomly. However, it is expensive to incur the cost of printing health information in these materials when a few copies are required. Therefore, to be cost effective, many copies of these materials are printed at once.Traditional communication is associated with some advantages such as: convey a precise message because developers of the information seek to produce materials and programs that would meet the need of a large number of potential users, different subgroups in the society were able to access different version of material from the writers. On the other hand, traditional communication hasits disadvantages such that, it is very cumbersome to print a large number of information materials for a large population since the writers writes distinctive information for different population, additionally; if the information to be printed involve a few copies, it is very expensi ve. Lastly, to customize on population outreach of information by the administrator to different individuals will bedependent upon quick processing of large volume of data hence residents can misunderstand information leading to ineffectiveness of the administrator to the residents. Emergence of tailored health communication was an indication of growing marketing approach to modify communication in nursing home formedby uniting various innovations at once. Tailored health communication (THC) refers to bringing together information and performance change plans expected to get to a particular person

Leadership Imperatives in the Arab-American University Essay Example for Free

Leadership Imperatives in the Arab-American University Essay Leadership in a school of higher and advanced learning such as the Arab-American University requires collaborative and confrontational challenges with a number of issues, typical but not limited to that of any educational institution. Such issues as cultural diversity, inclusivity, intellectual activities such as research and instruction, social involvements such as community extension services, students affairs, finance, marketing, strategic business models, organizational theories, profitability and shareholder value, political and social congruencies and differences, among others, often create deep chasms to and between the various school sectors that are ironically bound by a common purpose – quality education. This is made more demanding when Arab and American views are integrated in a single community. What unique leadership and management model therefore would apply under such a sensitive configuration? What risk management intervention would constantly prevail? What residual risks or synergy, if any, would be evident? Leadership and management in an educational institution are perhaps among the most formal, sensitive and confrontational roles a professional can assume. Business organizations established for profit are far easier managed and led as there is that environment and mandate of compliance required of every employee based on employment contracts and agreements. This compliance system gives the manager the elbow room to adopt an organizational approach under a theory x or y scenario. Admittedly, discipline under an entrepreneurial undertaking is demanded primarily to meet shareholder value targets and for survival secondarily. Universities are considered more complex than most organizational systems as they demand the most professional processes than any other institution. Schools are assumed to be the fount and cradle of learning, hence a strong exemplary modeling of instructors and administrators are always the subject of intensive scrutiny among other sectors. Would this university therefore require a business-like management style or an organization leadership mix that is as fluid as the socio-cultural and political dimensions? . In an age where socio-cultural and political diversities are characterized with the widest spectra and extremes, the establishment of an Arab-American intellectual Mecca can be expected to require the most intense professional and socio-cultural leadership anywhere. This study would be interested in identifying areas of collaboration while addressing confrontational issues and risks along the process. Similarly, the relevance of this study along multicultural settings in complex and diverse forms and in highly professional environment would transcend, even revolutionize all assumptions, hypothesis and even all forms of propositions about multicultural biases. Brief history of the Arab-American University The Arab-American University (AAU) was established in 1973 as non-sectarian, non-profit and non-government institution of higher learning. Its primary purpose is to address the educational needs of Arab-Americans starting from preschool to basic, secondary, higher education, to graduate and post-graduate levels. Among its goals and objectives include providing full scholarships to families of indigent but intellectually capable members of the Arab-American community in a specific area with a relatively high density of Arab-American families. While the university accepts Muslim students, it also caters to students from other religious and cultural denominations and groups.. The university is primarily a combination of a business college strongly oriented towards information technology and engineering courses, both technical and baccalaureate degrees. The university is composed of seven schools: the Schools of Business Management, Hospitality Management, Accountancy, Nursing and Midwifery, Medicine, Arts, Political and the Social Sciences, Polytechnic Institute composed of the Departments of Architecture, Computer Science, Electronic Communications Engineering, Civil and Mechanical Engineering and Fine Arts, its flagship programs includes Accountancy where it ranks among the top 50 business schools in the United States, Electronics Communications Engineering, Nursing, Hospitality Management and Mechanical Engineering. All seven schools are verticalized with their respective graduate schools. As of the year 2008, the university boasted a population of 30,000 highly selected students and scholars from 25 states and 15 countries mostly from the Middle East and Asian countries. Its student population increases by an average of 15 per cent and expected to hit 50,000 by 2012. Presently, it maintains two campuses – the Chicago and Urbana Campuses, each with its own charter and separate sets of faculty. All courses are offered in both campuses. For the last three years, AAU has garnered a number of academic awards, including twelve top researches awards in Accountancy, Computer Sciences, Nursing, Electronic Communications Engineering Awards. As of December 31, 2008, the school started to become consistent in its passing rate for the Accountancy, Nursing and Engineering courses all averaging about 80 per cent against the national norm of 40 per cent. For nursing, AAU has started to register a 100 per cent passing rate in the Nursing Board Examinations. All colleges and schools in the university are headed by a Dean of the College and are assisted by a Vice Dean with a pool of Academic Chairs for each of the courses or majors within the college. A Faculty secretary is the administrative officer of each college or school and must be a holder of a doctor’s degree in any of the courses in the college where he or she is assigned. The faculty secretary is the point person of every college but maintains a built-in six units of academic load in addition to his full-time administrative work. The university boasts of complete state of the art facilities for all of its laboratory classes including its basic education department. Its library is one of the most complete, up-to-date libraries in the world with the most comprehensive collection of traditional and electronic materials. During the last five years, the university has been the recipient of awards for excellence in community involvement and extension services. Its research center laboratory enjoys an endowment fund from where it trains and maintains its pool of researchers from the ranks of the faculty. Leadership Efficiency and Effectiveness and the primary key concepts adopted in the university Just like any school of advanced learning, the university is a complex organization that adheres to the mission, vision, goals and objectives it has demanded from itself and its academic and non-academic employees the highest standards of professionalism, responsiveness, community involvement, strong, visible and dynamic research-orientations and the disciplinary but compassionate relationship maintained with the students of all levels. To be effective and efficient, the university periodically asserted its need to formalize and communicate its strategic, tactical and operational plan in the same other successful organizations do. (Robbins, 2003). Looking ahead and beyond the current situations in the industry, (in this case the education sector) brings uncertainties and risks into the open and allows the organization a clear means of managing, confronting and even avoiding those uncertainties and risks. (Shaw,2003). The university makes sure that it conducts its strategic planning session annually before the onset of the succeeding year in time for translating the strategic level into the tactical component as well as operationalizing the tactical level. (Anthony Govindarajan, 2001). Similarly, AAU never fails to conduct an evaluation and assessment of its preset plans as means of determining where it is and what constraining and enabling factors it is experiencing. (Atkinson et al, 2003). This evaluation additionally renders the university an effective means of addressing change (Koller as cited by Robbins, 2003). These planning and change management processes articulates AAUs assertion of leadership under inherent socio-cultural complexities through clear visioning and communication initiatives to all its stakeholders that for many years, have been encouraged to actively participate in the planning sessions. This has greatly contributed to the overwhelming atmosphere of professionalism in the university. The senior administrators of AAU may not have formal training on complexity management, but their organizational leadership styles enable the attainment of an enviable cohesiveness as a team with a common purpose of being; that of addressing ignorance and mediocrity where they are needed. AAU’s uniqueness stems from its capability to harness its management with the leadership character to instill regulatory and policy compliance without having to assert authority and power in between (House cited by Robbins, 2003). It is surprising that even under intense pressure to compete and manage the scarce resources provided endowment; the AAU is able to integrate the sensitive and complex balance scorecard approach in its strategic decision making. (Kaplan Norton, 2004). The university attributes this success factor on its priority for choosing its leaders under the trait theory that focuses on the personal qualities along charisma, exemplary modeling, attitude, enthusiasm and even personal traits common to both cultures as courage and determination. (Robbins,2003). Despite rigorous studies on identifying leadership traits for its management, supervisory and staff positions, the university correlates traits such as drive and ambition, integrity which includes honesty and sincerity, competence along knowledge and skills and even sense of sacrifice. (Robbins,2003). The university however, continues to experience a dearth of this type of managers with the leadership dimension due to the expansion and establishment of similar institutions outside of the United States. Thus, aware of this constraint, AAU emphasizes its executive and management development training programs to prepare the transition of its key people towards the great demand for exemplary modeling (DelaTorre, 2006); that is, managers and leaders who took initiatives to address the personal needs of the employees as means of making them more productive in the process. (Robbins, 2003). The university seldom experiences the risks of the groupthink factor (Shafritz Ott on Janis,1992) as it respects the need for all decision makers to be extremely knowledgeable and skilled in the decision making processes. Being a part of its strategic objectives, the annual development programs encourage AAU employees to be continuously motivated, through the behavioral theory approach, effectively deciding as a team in addressing organizational objectives. This motivational drive expands the employees horizons and capabilities towards job satisfaction and sustainable learning and growth of its human capital (Kaplan Norton, 2003). As a result, AAU has achieved in just 25 years what other universities tried to accomplish in a century and under the most challenging multicultural scenarios. On one hand, the leadership and management mix being adopted in the university guarantees and assure empowerment of units and people towards autonomy and self-regulation. This is granted after intensive training on decision making and university processes that includes appreciation and utilization of marketing researches and theories in support of policy formulation and implementation. The immense authorities and power given especially to the respective heads of offices, primarily the Deans of Colleges and Schools, are always tempered with management control systems to guide all decisions towards achievement of goals every inch of the way. The resultant good governance, control and transparency outcomes of this empowerment initiatives unburdens the senior management with operational concerns, thus allowing this level a clear focus on the strategic direction of the university and strengthening its social and political influence through good governance and risk management processes (Shaw,2003) On the other hand, the administrative efficiency has been excellently adopted through specialization and responsibility accounting that enables units to address issues at every level strengthening the span of control while focusing tasks towards a specific class of clients, concerns and even the university campus designated purposely for the educational services. (Shafrits Ott on Simon, 1992). The leadership styles and practices exercised by the AAU stakeholder group are creating new levels of efficiency and effectiveness in the hierarchy and creating precedents as well as new theories to emerge in the realm of university value-based (Koller, 1994) management and organizational leadership. These new learning and growth perspectives have revolutionized the balanced scorecard (Horngren et al, 2000) and stakeholder principles (DelaTorre, 2006) with an exemplary mix of leadership innovations. Despite the control risks that mix might be spawned by the staff turnovers experienced during the last few years, the university has maintained a loyalty index of more than ten years among its people. This is a sustainability plus factor in human resource management of the school. Other key principles and concepts adopted In the area of instruction, research and extension services for example, excellence in the classroom is primarily driven by a strongly motivated select members of the faculty pool whose training and development focus is based on aligning the needs of the teachers with the needs of the university. This congruency theory in objectives (DelaTorre, 2006) allows for mutual and beneficial relationship between faculty providers and students. The intervention theory (Shafrits Ott on Argyris, 1992) in organizations demands a strong psychotherapy approach (Rogers Roethlisberger, 2000) to communications. The theory presupposes the presence of a special relationship between people to enable openness and transparency among constituents. Teachers display this practice in terms of open and complementary student advising and counseling sessions not only as part of the intervention process but a critical part of the formation process in education. Students need and demand attention in the form of interventions especially in difficult and complex scenarios they find themselves in the process of earning a degree. Thus this psychotherapy theory helps in providing a strong motivational environment in the classroom opens avenues for students to be creative and enthusiastic about their career plans. Secondarily, this special attention given to student clientele becomes a strong promotional and marketing tool for the university in attracting students even from those school already established. The need for any intensive advertising and marketing efforts to project the identity of the schools are addressed by the students themselves who become informal marketing and testimonial proofs of quality education. This has expanded the market of the university even to those non-Arab-Americans who appreciate the philosophy that the school articulates and manifests through its graduates. Managing and leading a university in the current socio-economic environment becomes problematic even under the various principles of organization (Shafritz and Ott on Cohen and March, 1992). These anarchic ambiguities of purpose, power, experience and success can render even the most competent university president to fail in some circumstances in due time. Thus the management and organizational leadership mix is both critical and mandatory. This allows the president to grab the appropriate management and leadership tool at a given situation and scenario and exert and even allow certain precedent-setting decisions to effect changes with the least minimum resistance or optimum cooperation. Thus, inability along this line runs the risk of getting confused with his leadership character or manager authority or some hybrid in between. For AAU, the consultation process with the constituents and stakeholders becomes the medium by which decision critical to every office head’s functions are articulated. This explores the best idea possible while addressing and dissipating potential resistance to any innovations and measures not easily understood or appreciated.

External Environment Analysis For The Newspaper Industry Media Essay

External Environment Analysis For The Newspaper Industry Media Essay The Newspaper industry is going through a decline and is suffering through what could be its worst financial crisis as the advertising revenues are plummeting due to the economic downturn. Following the downturn in print media industry several newspapers either forgo their daily print for web or have cut the delivery of print version to 3 days a week, Major publication houses filled bankruptcy. The situation is alarming and same across Britain, US and Europe. The Decline of once great newspaper is not without cost, it means the end of certain kind of civic sensibility that was build on broad agreement about what is important and what is not. Is it the end of the Newspaper Industry? The industry is in the midst of reconstruction buffeted by deep recession. That is battering crucial advertising revenue, structured challenges as consumer turns to free news and information on web. Before year 2000 newspaper industry was a cash cow and people working as journalist never worried about looking for another job. But then internet posed threats to the business model and forced industry to cut down on cost, profit margins and reduce work force. According to American Society of news editors employment in newsroom has fallen by 15% in last two years. Advertising has been shifting from print media to new media resulting decline in profits. Paid Circulation has declined while advertising revenue which makes bulk of the newspapers income has also declined. The traditional use of newspaper being delivered at home is changing. Introduction of internet 2.1 Effect of internet Technology has not broadened the audience for news but has enabled well informed people to become better informed. Newspapers even have more readers then ever but problem is that fewer of them are paying. Consumer feels like a fool paying because they get fair selection of useful information free online. With the increasing online readership advertising brought a rising tide of revenue for aggregators, search engines there by affecting the revenue of newspapers. 2.2 Industry Reaction Business model which newspaper industry was following is not viable with intervention of technology. It was based on 3 revenue sources newsstand sales, subscription and advertising and now it relies only on advertising. Henry Luce co-founder of time found this notion of relying on ad revenue is Morally abhorrent and Economically self defeating. Internet has broken newspapers monopoly of production and distribution. This change has made situation which resulted a business that is smaller, less profitable, competitive but also efficient and innovative. Every newspaper is trying to come up with business models and Strategies to handle issues like declining revenues and expansion of media choice to consumer. Industry Condition The news industry has to fight back with reinvention and innovation. They need to identify factor that may be critical determinants of threats and opportunity that industry is facing or may face in future. 3.1 Industry Cost Cutting: Key to Survival? Bill gates said who can afford to do professional work for nothing. After Newspaper industry identified that their business model is disintegrating and is unbundling advertisement and content then they tried to make for it by putting their content onto free websites. Some publications drastically cut their print editions and focus on their ad supported websites. Newspaper Industry is now on the verge of being hanged and further rounds of cost cutting would not stave off the hangman. If they want to survive then they have to come up with cost effective revenue model. Some newspapers like financial times, Wall Street Journal came up with business model to charge certain content or certain user but they were unable to dictate there terms to the buyer as their micro payment model was unable to please buyers. Given that there were many options available to buyers and most of them free, the power of the buyers was high. One of the reasons for seller not having power was that they were not focusing on their core product which was content. Newspapers were unable to sell as they didnt had power and due to that aggregators were making money by knelling readers past ads. News folks say that aggregators are Parasites that profit from their work. Newspaper managed to survive by careful combination of free and paid for content than by new technology. 3.2 Declining Advertising Revenues, Recession, and Internet Warren Buffet said that It is hard to make money buying business that is in permanent decline. But people can make money if they capitalize on opportunity and identify threats to act accordingly. The news Market is likely to remain unstable, favouring different provider at different point in political, economical and Technological cycle. Example: An American website aggregate news and option polls, it became essential reading during last year presidential race. Its popularity plunged 75% and rivals lost readers. In Britain journalist have more competition from government rather than local crowd. British authorities have created newsletter that carry advertisings and also annual budget for state owned website is far more then countrys national newspaper. Newspapers have to think about innovations as sociologically there has been a transition in audience. The share of youth having no news at all raised from 25% to 34%, they now prefer their iPhone, PDAs and aggregators for news. Publishers and editors are thinking of reinvention and innovation that will work, one example is NRC-Next a daily magazine which aimed directly at lost generation of rich young readers. They made it look and feel cooler so that reader feel that this is better. According to Pedersen VG Netts MD they try to identify sexiest story of the day no matter how important it is in newspaper terms.VG Nett came up with innovative idea of co-operative journalism. They had dedicated phone line-2200 where anyone can transfer photos automatically from cell phone to their Server. News industry has economical factors that affect its growth. One major factor is advertising only revenue model. Other factors such as aggregator making money and online advertising revenue fall in 2008 due to recession, failure of current micro payment system. Internet littered with failed micropayment companies like digicash, cyber cash and also some successful micropayment systems such as PayPal, iTunes. If newspapers can come up with easy methods of micro payments then they can earn value for most of the content. The future lies in technology and media integration. To compete with potential entrants and substitutes like aggregators, search engines, bloggers newspapers need to adapt digital technologies and come up with business model to provide public interest journalism and still get revenue. Spread of digital technology has enabled ordinary people to file pictures and report news directly. Now first photo of any big event comes first on net from an ordinary person not a journalist. 3.3 Searching for New Business Models The Players within the Strategic group need to adapt technology and internet based business model but at the same time they have to compete within the group and face the industry rivalry. They need to understand consumer behaviour to identify the target audience and also differentiate their product from the rest. Business strategies are varying in industry as guardians strategy is to become international voice of liberal opinion so it is investing in stories of international interest like Iraq. While Daily wants to build a reputation of celebrity newspaper. Strategies can be based on consumer or product. Financial time attempted to fuse subscription model by making certain type of user pay on the other hand Wall Street Journal charges certain type of content for their e-papers. Some have Strategy of presenting days sexiest news no matter how important it is in journalism terms. But still newspaper industry need to figure out micro payment model which is easy and works well for consum er. 3.4 Industry Structure Even in diminished state newspapers attracts rich businessmen who believe that there is money to be made after all. Boundaries between Products and customer segments are blurred in strategic group so can be a potential threat for players in the group. The value of core product i.e. content is not that important now because newspapers are focusing on advertising. The intensity of competition is so high that if any newspaper doesnt adapt technology correctly and doesnt come up with business model that is cost effective is out of the game. The bargaining power in the value chain is so low that newspapers have to work on low profit margins to thrive in price war. Professor Charlie Backett argues that it matters little whether which newspaper get more online readers, it is irrelevant economically. According to calculation made by digital deliverances crosbie it takes 16 online readers to make up for one lost print reader. Industry Proposal and recommendations To safeguard from chill winds of market newspapers need to combine digital media experience with traditional media to create a co-creation experience for consumer. Newspapers should come up with business models that provide interactive services and is based on efficient micropayment model. Also they should promote public interest co-operative model of journalism i.e. use professional journalism, citizen journalism and community feedback to its best. If we think about world with no professional journalism then the situation will be very alarming, how internet aggregator and bloggers will get their content. We may have to save newspapers from bleeding red ink for saving quality journalism to service community. Making newspapers non profitable and tax free may help in keeping it alive. May be a structure that can help newspapers to share revenues with aggregator will help. What we are seeing is shift in the structure of media institution which understands importance of much more partici patory media. In current scenario newspaper represent both a problem and necessity to society and now it depends upon media houses that how they take advantage of migration of traditional platform like newspaper to digital medium and also to preserve print media. Future of Newspaper Industry In future newspaper will definitely move towards digital technology and will challenge print version. May be future will lie in digital notebooks, kindles, digital readers with integrated advertising and micropayment model in it.Revenues from newspapers digital products will help combat the erosion of traditional newspaper revenues.

Psychology :: essays research papers

Reaction Paper 1 (Sample Reaction Paper) Ron Gerrard, HWS Psychology Department   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My paper is based on an article from the text’s web site (chapter 9) entitled â€Å"Lack of sleep ages body’s systems.† The basic claim of the article is that sleep deprivation has various harmful effects on the body. The reported effects include decreased ability to metabolize glucose (similar to what occurs in diabetes) and increased levels of cortisol (a stress hormone involved in memory and regulation of blood sugar levels). The article also briefly alludes (in the quote at the bottom of page 1) to unspecified changes in brain and immune functioning with sleep deprivation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Intuitively, these results make a lot of sense to me. I know that when I’m sleep deprived for any significant amount of time, I begin to feel physically miserable. I also seem to be more vulnerable to colds and other physical ailments. In thinking about it though, most of the times I’m sleep deprived are also periods of psychological stress (such as finals week). To the extent that there are changes in my physical well-being, I’m wondering whether they are due to the sleep deprivation, the stress itself, or some combination of the two.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In principle, a careful experiment should be able to isolate the effects of sleep deprivation by depriving people of sleep in the absence of stress and other such confounding variables. That seems to be what this experiment does, but as I read the article closely, I found myself unsure that the effects it reports are necessarily due to sleep deprivation per se.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I realize that a brief summary article like this does not provide all the details of the experimental methodology, but a couple of things that were reported in the article struck me as curious. The researchers studied physical functioning (cortisol levels, etc.) in men who had a normal night’s sleep (eight hours in bed) the first three nights of the study, followed by a period of sleep deprivation (four hours in bed) the next six nights of the study, and finally a period of sleep recovery (12 hours in bed) the last seven nights of the study. In reporting the effects on the body (the discussion of glucose metabolism, in the fifth paragraph of the article) the author’s compare the sleep deprivation stage only to the sleep recovery stage, not to normal sleep. This seems to me like doing an experiment on drunkenness and comparing the drunk stage to the hangover stage, without ever reporting what happens when the person is sober.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim was too high and we missed it, but that it was too low and we reached it." Michelangelo Because "Humanity is divided into three parts: 1. those who make things happen 2. those who watch things happen 3. and those who don't know what's happening." Unknown And right now we seem to fall into category three, but today we have an opportunity to change that. We can stray from living our lives patterned after how we behaved in high school. As graduates we have all become equals. We are without any restraints. Social status, personalities, and disagreements can be left in the past. And as we give up the past in order to be ready for the future, opportunity lies at the door. "You must begin to think of yourself as b...

symbolaw Symbols and Symbolism Essay - Symbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Symbolism in Kate Chopin's The Awakening Kate Chopin's The Awakening is a literary work full of symbolism. Birds, clothes, houses and other narrative elements are powerful symbols which add meaning to the novel and to the characters. I will analyze the most relevant symbols presented in Chopin's literary work. BIRDS The images related to birds are the major symbolic images in the narrative from the very beginning of the novel: "A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over: `Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! That's all right!'" (pp3) In The Awakening, caged birds serve as reminders of Edna's entrapment. She is caged in the roles as wife and mother; she is never expected to think for herself. Moreover, the caged birds symbolize the entrapment of the Victorian women in general. Like the parrot, the women's movements are limited by the rules of society. In this first chapter, the parrot speaks in "a language which nobody understood" (pp3). The parrot is not able to communicate its feelings just like Edna whose feelings are difficult to understand, incomprehensible to the members of Creole society. In contrast to caged birds, Chopin uses wild birds and the idea of flight as symbols of freedom. This symbol is shown in a vision of a bird experienced by Edna while Mademoiselle Reisz is playing the piano. "When she heard it there came before her imagination the figure of a man standing beside a desolate rock on the seashore. He was naked. His attitude was one of hopeless resignation as he looked toward a distant bird winging its flight away from him." (pp26-27) In this vision Edna is showing her desire for freedom, desire for escaping from her roles as wife and mother, from her husband Léonce who keeps her in a social cage. After these episodes, the images related to birds are absent form the narrative until the chapter 29. Following the summer on Grand Isle, where she had awakening experiences, she starts to express her desire for independence in New Orleans through her move to her own house, the pigeon house "because it's so small and looks like a pigeon house" (pp 84).

Debeers Case Analysis

For more than a century, the powerful DeBeers Consolidated Mines, a South African corporation controlled by the Rothschild Bank in London, has managed to organize the cartel, restricting the supply of diamonds on the market and raising the price far above what would have been market levels How could DeBeers maintain such a flourishing, century-long cartel on the free market? The market has not been really free. In particular, in South Africa, the major center of world diamond production, there has been no free enterprise in diamond mining. The government long ago nationalized all diamond mines, and anyone who finds a diamond mine on his property discovers that the mine immediately becomes government property. The South African government then licenses mine operators who lease the mines from the government and, it so happened, that lo and behold! , the only licensees turned out to be either DeBeers itself or other firms who were willing to play ball with the DeBeers cartel. In short: the international diamond cartel was only maintained and has only prospered because it was enforced by the South African government. he very structure of the cartel is at stake, with the problem centering on the African country of Angola. First, even though the Angolan civil war is over, the results have left the government powerless to control most of the country. Secondly, the end of the war has given independent wildcatters access to the Cuango River in northern Angola, a territory rich in diamonds. And thirdly, the African drought has d ried up the Cuango along with other rivers, leaving the rich alluvial diamond deposits in the beds and on the banks of the Cuango accessible to the eager prospectors. With the diamond deposits available and free of war, and the central government unable to enforce the cartel, 50,000 prospectors have happily poured into the Cuango Valley of Angola. For most of the 20th century, De Beers sold 85% to 90% of the diamonds mined worldwide. With this monopoly, it could artificially keep diamond prices stable by matching its supply to world demand. The De Beers legacy was more than 100 years old. In 1888, Cecil Rhodes successfully consolidated South Africa's diamond mines, laying the foundation for De Beers. He formed a cartel with the ten largest merchants. Each was guaranteed a certain percentage of the diamonds coming out of De Beers' mines. In return, they provided Rhodes with market data, enabling him to ensure a steady, controlled supply it both controls supply and influences demand, combining the roles of major distributor, marketing agency and buffer-stock manager. It has developed an expertise in matching supply to demand and the financial strength to hold diamonds temporarily off the market. A monopoly on marketing

How to Write a Descriptive Essay

A lot of folks depict paradise as lying on some remote island overlooking a stunning sunset while feeling the sand between their toes. My conception may be somewhat different than most people. I can envision beaming music, and people as they frolic. Where the party never stops, it keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny. The scenery will be the most divine of anything on this earth, more so than overlooking the flawless, sugarcoated snow covering the Rocky Mountains.Oh, my, the aroma coming from that city- like freshly cut bouquets of flowers on a sunny spring day. Forget about having a foul taste because it will leave only an everlasting angelic savor in your mouth. Paradise to me is cheerful music and people also, it has the most beautiful scenery one can only imagine. All the masses of people would start getting together holding hands in a circle with Jesus in the middle and start singing in a heavenly language. The city is filled with thunderous sounds of every instrument one can imagine.Then, the angles pick up tambourines hitting them in rhythm along with the music, while people start dancing before the Lord. All of a sudden, Peter, Paul, Job, and all the great men and women of God lift up their hands and sing out with all of their capacity to Jehovah Jireh. A rainbow is prolonged across the land. It has the brightest colors of blue, yellow, pink, and orange. It is so beautiful; the majestic colors make one want to reach out and touch it. A huge waterfall sets at the edge of New Jerusalem.The water is so clear one could see a speck of dust traveling down to the bottom. As the water surges down to the base, it makes a voyage around the frame of the city. I can picture blankets of flowers all over the place for it illuminates the whole location and adds gaiety. Oh, how breathtaking the aroma is over there. The fragrance is a mixture of jasmine, magnolia, and lilacs. The savoriness is a touch of sweetness, like getting a honeysuckle off of the vine an d putting it on your tongue for the first time.Or the elation a baby gets from consuming a chocolate bar, and savoring every minute of it. Some would say paradise for them would be anywhere they view beautiful. But for me heaven is my paradise my future home. I can only imagine what the Lord has in store for me when I get to that great city. Until then I can only dream. But what I really want more than anything is to see Him and crown Him Lord of Lords and King of Kings. More importantly, my paradise would not be heaven without Him because He is the one that is truly paradise.

My favourite film Essay

Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), poet, playwright, novelist, philosopher, composer, painter, and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, was the towering figure of the Bengali Renaissance. Among his lasting achievements was the founding in 1921 of his â€Å"world university,† Visva-Bharati, at Santiniketan, some 120 miles north of Kolkata. In 1940, the nineteen-year-old Satyajit Ray enrolled there to study arts. Ray’s father, Sukumar—who died when his son was two—had been a close friend of Tagore’s. But by the time Ray arrived at Santiniketan, the Nobel Laureate had only a year to live, and the young student saw little of him, feeling daunted by his venerable status. Nonetheless, Ray always retained a deep regard for Tagore’s work, and when, in 1948, he was planning a career in the cinema, he collaborated with a friend on a screen adaptation of one of Tagore’s novels, Ghare baire (The Home and the World). The project fell through, and some years later, rereading the script, Ray found it â€Å"an amateurish, Hollywoodish effort which would have ruined our reputation and put an end to whatever thoughts I might have had about a film career. see more:essay on favourite movie † (Ray eventually did film the novel, from a totally new script, in 1984. ) In 1961, now internationally established as a director, with The Apu Trilogy, The Music Room (1958), and Devi (1960) to his credit, Ray returned to Tagore, filming three of his stories as Three Daughters (Teen kanya) and a documentary, Rabindranath Tagore, to celebrate the centenary of the great man’s birth. Ray described the latter film, an official tribute to India’s national poet, as â€Å"a backbreaking chore. † But there wasn’t the least sense of a chore about Ray’s next engagement with Tagore’s work. Charulata (1964), often rated the director’s finest film—and the one that, when pressed, he would name as his own personal favorite: â€Å"It’s the one with the fewest flaws†Ã¢â‚¬â€is adapted from Tagore’s 1901 novella Nastanirh (The Broken Nest). It’s widely believed that the story was inspired by Tagore’s relationship with his sister-in-law, Kadambari Devi, who committed suicide in 1884 for reasons that have never been fully explained. Kadambari, like Charulata, was beautiful, intelligent, and a gifted writer, and toward the end of his life, Tagore admitted that the hundreds of haunting portraits of women that he painted in his later years were inspired by memories of her. Right from the outset of his career, with Pather panchali (1955), Ray had shown himself to be exceptionally skilled at conveying a whole world within a microcosm, focusing in on a small social group while still relating it to the wider picture. Virtually all of his finest films—The Apu Trilogy, The Music Room, Days and Nights in the Forest (1969), Distant Thunder (1973), The Middleman (1975)—achieve this double perspective. But of all his chamber dramas, Charulata is perhaps the subtlest and most delicate. The setting, as with so many of Ray’s movies, is his native Kolkata. It’s around 1880, and the intellectual ferment of the Bengali Renaissance is at its height. Among the educated middle classes, there’s talk of self-determination for India within the British Empire—perhaps even complete independence. Such ideas are often aired in the Sentinel, the liberal English-language weekly of which Bhupatinath Dutta (Shailen Mukherjee) is the owner and editor. A kindly man, but distracted by his all-absorbing political interests, he largely leaves his wife, the graceful and intelligent Charulata (Madhabi Mukherjee), to her own resources. The visual elegance and fluidity that Ray achieves in Charulata are immediately evident in the long, all-but-wordless sequence that follows the credits and shows us Charu, trapped in the stuffy, brocaded cage of her house, trying to amuse herself. (At this period, no respectable middle-class Bengali wife could venture out into the city alone. ) Having called to the servant to take Bhupati his tea, she leafs through a book lying on the bed, discards it, selects another from the bookshelf—then, hearing noises outside in the street, finds her opera glasses and flits birdlike from window to window, watching the passersby. A street musician with his monkey, a chanting group of porters trotting with a palanquin, a portly Brahman with his black umbrella, signifier of his dignified status—all these come under her scrutiny. When Bhupati wanders past, barely a couple of feet away but too engrossed in a book to notice her, she turns her glasses on him as well—just another strange specimen from the intriguing, unattainable outside world. Throughout this sequence, Ray’s camera unobtrusively follows Charu as she roams restlessly around the house, framing and reframing her in a series of spaces—doorways, corridors, pillared galleries—that emphasize both the Victorian-Bengali luxury of her surroundings and her confinement within them. Though subjective shots are largely reserved for Charu’s glimpses of street life, the tracking shots that mirror her progress along the gallery, or move in behind her shoulder as she glides from window to window, likewise give us the sense of sharing her comfortable but trammeled life. The only deviation from this pattern comes after she’s retrieved the opera glasses. A fast lateral track keeps the glasses in close-up as she holds them by her side and hurries back to the windows, the camera sharing her impulsive eagerness. Under the credits, we’ve seen Charu embroidering a wreathed B on a handkerchief as a gift for her husband. When she presents it to him, Bhupati is delighted but asks, â€Å"When do you find the time, Charu? † Evidently, it’s never occurred to him that she might feel herself at a loose end. But now, becoming vaguely aware of Charu’s discontent and fearing she may be lonely, he invites her ne’er-do-well brother Umapada and his wife, Mandakini, to stay, offering Umapada employment as manager of the Sentinel’s finances. Manda, a featherheaded chatterbox, proves poor company for her sister-in-law. Then Bhupati’s young cousin Amal (Soumitra Chatterjee) unexpectedly arrives for a visit. Lively, enthusiastic, cultured, an aspiring writer, he establishes an immediate rapport with Charu that on both sides drifts insensibly toward love. â€Å"Calm Without, Fire Within,† the title of Ray’s essay on the Japanese cinema, could apply equally well to Charulata (as the Bengali critic Chidananda Das Gupta has noted). The emotional turbulence that underlies the film is conveyed in hints and sidelong gestures, in a fleeting glance or a snatch of song, often betraying feelings only half recognized by the person experiencing them. In a key scene set in the sunlit garden (with more than a nod to Fragonard), Amal lies on his back on a mat, seeking inspiration, while Charu swings herself high above him, reveling in the ecstasy of her newfound intellectual and erotic stimulation. Ray, as the critic Robin Wood observed, â€Å"is one of the cinema’s great masters of interrelatedness. † This garden scene, which runs some ten minutes, finds Ray at his most intimately lyrical. It’s the first time the action has escaped from the house, and the sense of freedom and release is infectious. From internal evidence, it’s clear that the scene involves more than one occasion (Charu promises Amal a personally designed notebook for his writings, she presents it to him, he declares that he’s filled it), but it’s cut together to give the impression of a single, continuous event, a seamless emotional crescendo. Two moments in particular attain a level of rapt intensity rarely equaled in Ray’s work, both underscored by music. The first is when Charu, having just exhorted Amal to write, swings back and forth, singing softly; Ray’s camera swings with her, holding her face in close-up, for nearly a minute. Then, when Amal finds inspiration, we get a montage of the Bengali writing filling his notebook, line superimposed upon line in a series of cross-fades, while sitar and shehnai gently hail his creativity. In an article in Sight & Sound in 1982, Ray suggested that, to Western audiences, Charulata, with its triangle plot and Europeanized, Victorian ambience, might seem familiar territory, but that â€Å"beneath the veneer of familiarity, the film is chockablock with details to which [the Western viewer] has no access. Snatches of song, literary allusions, domestic details, an entire scene where Charu and her beloved Amal talk in alliterations . . . all give the film a density missed by the Western viewer in his preoccupation with plot, character, the moral and philosophical aspects of the story, and the apparent meaning of the images. † Among the details that might elude the average Western viewer are the recurrent allusions to the nineteenth-century novelist Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1838–94). A key figure of Bengali literature in the generation before Tagore, Bankim Chandra (sometimes referred to as â€Å"the Scott of Bengal†) wrote a series of romantic, nationalistic novels and actively fostered the young Tagore’s career. In the opening sequence, it’s one of Bankim Chandra’s novels that Charu takes down from the bookshelf, while singing his name to herself; and when, not long afterward, Amal makes his dramatic first entry, arriving damp-haired and windblown on the wings of a summer storm, he’s declaiming a well-known line of the writer’s. The coincidence points up the affinity between them; by contrast, when Bhupati recalls incredulously that a friend couldn’t sleep for three nights after reading a Bankim Chandra novel (â€Å"I told him, ‘You must be crazy! ’†), it emphasizes the empathetic gulf between him and his wife. Music, too, is used to express underlying sympathies: Both Charu and Amal are given to breaking spontaneously into song, and two of Tagore’s compositions act as leitmotifs. We hear the tune of one of them, â€Å"Mama cite† (â€Å"Who dances in my heart? †), played over the opening images, and Amal sings another, â€Å"Phule phule† (â€Å"Every bud and every blossom sways and nods in the gentle breeze†), that Charu later takes up in the garden scene as they grow ever closer emotionally. (Manda, who has observed the pair together in the garden, afterward slyly sings a line of this song to Amal. ) Ray weaves variations on both songs into his score. Another that Amal sings for Charu was composed by Tagore’s older brother Jyotirindranath, the husband of Kadambari Devi. The film’s underlying theme of pent-up emotions trembling on the verge of expression is counterpointed both on a political level—Bhupati and his friends see in the Liberal victory at Westminster in April 1880 the chance of greater self-determination for India—and in the situation of Charulata herself, a gifted, sensitive woman yearning toward emancipation but slipping unconsciously toward a betrayal of her husband. To Western eyes, all three members of the triangle might seem willfully obtuse or impossibly naive. This again would be a misapprehension born of unfamiliarity with Bengali society, where, as Ray pointed out, a husband’s younger brother—in this case, a close cousin, which is much the same in Bengali custom and terms—is traditionally entitled to a privileged relationship with his sister-in-law. This relationship, playfully flirtatious, â€Å"sweet but chaste,† between a wife and her debar, is accepted and even encouraged. Charu and Amal simply stray, half unknowingly, across an ill-defined social border. Ray was always known as a skilled and sympathetic director of actors. Saeed Jaffrey, who starred in The Chess Players (1977), bracketed him and John Huston as â€Å"gardener directors, who have selected the flowers, know exactly how much light and sun and water the flowers need, and then let them grow. † Soumitra Chatterjee, who made his screen debut when Ray cast him in the title role of the third film of The Apu Trilogy, The World of Apu (1959), gives perhaps the finest of his fifteen performances in Ray’s films as Amal—young, impulsive, a touch ridiculous in his irrepressible showing off, bursting with the joy of exploring life in its fullness after his release from the drab confines of a student hostel. He’s superbly matched by the graceful Madhabi Mukherjee as Charu, her expressive features alive with the ever-changing play of unaccustomed emotions that she scarcely knows how to identify, let alone deal with. She had starred in Ray’s previous film, The Big City (1963); he described her as â€Å"a wonderfully sensitive actress who made my work very easy for me. † The other three main actors had also appeared in The Big City, though in minor roles. Shailen Mukherjee, playing Bhupati, was principally a stage actor; this was his first major screen role. Despite his professed inexperience (Ray recalled him saying, â€Å"Manikda [Ray’s nickname], I know nothing about film acting. I’ll be your pupil, you teach me†), he succeeds in making Bhupati a thoroughly likable if remote figure, well-intentioned but far too idealistic and trusting for his own good. Gitali Roy’s occasional veiled glances hint that Mandakini isn’t, perhaps, quite as empty-headed as Charu supposes; she certainly isn’t above flirting with Amal on her own account. As her husband, Umapada, Shyamal Ghosal expresses with his whole body language his envy and resentment of Bhupati—signals that his brother-in-law of course completely fails to pick up on. Ray rarely used locations for interiors, preferring whenever possible to create them in the studio, though so subtly are the sets constructed and lit that we’re rarely aware of the artifice. Charulata includes few exterior scenes; almost all the action takes place in the lavishly furnished setting of Bhupati’s house. As always, Ray worked closely with his regular art director, Bansi Chandragupta, providing him with an exact layout of the rooms and detailed sketches of the main setups, and accompanying him on trips to the bazaars to find suitable furniture, decorations, and props. The result feels convincingly authentic, evoking a strong sense of period and of a class that ordered their lives, as critic Penelope Houston has put it, by â€Å"a conscious compromise between Eastern grace and Western decorum. † Though he readily acknowledged the contributions of his collaborators, Ray came as close as any director within mainstream cinema to being a complete auteur. Besides scripting, storyboarding, casting, and directing his films, he composed the scores (from Three Daughters on) and even designed the credit titles and publicity posters. Starting with Charulata, he took control of yet another filmmaking function by operating his own camera. â€Å"I realized,† he explained, â€Å"that working with new actors, they are more confident if they don’t see me; they are less tense. I remain behind the camera. And I see better and get the exact frame. † Charulata was the best received of all Ray’s films to date, both in Bengal and abroad. In Bengal, it was generally agreed that he had done full justice to the revered Tagore—even if some people still harbored reservations about the implicitly adulterous subject matter. After seeing the film at the 1965 Berlin Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear for best director, Richard Roud noted that it was â€Å"distinguished by a degree of technical invention that one hasn’t encountered before in Ray’s films,† but that â€Å"all the same, it is not for his technique that one admires Ray so much: no enumeration of gems of mise-en-scene would convey the richness of characterization and that breathless grace and radiance he manages to draw from his actors. † From its lyrical high point in the garden scene, the mood of Charulata gradually if imperceptibly darkens, moving toward emotional conflict and, eventually, desolation—a process reflected in the restriction of camera movement and in the lighting, which grows more shadowy and somber as Bhupati sees his trust betrayed and Charu realizes what she’s lost. Inspired, as he readily admitted, by the final shot of Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, Ray ends the film on a freeze-frame—or rather, a series of freeze-frames. Two hands, Charu’s and Bhupati’s, reaching tentatively out to each other, close but not yet joined. Ray’s tanpura score rises in a plangent crescendo. On the screen appears the title of Tagore’s story: â€Å"The Broken Nest. † Irretrievably broken? Ray, subtle and unprescriptive as ever, leaves that for us to decide.