Edwards-Enterprise Essay

The company which is into manufacturing plastic bottles for the detergent industry requires a great deal of resources to be managed for fetching optimized costs, synchronism among various processes, managing the supply chain of the company, managing the customer relationship using IT and to create professional sense for managing the business. The JD Edwards-Enterprise One is an effective method to fetch right degree of mapping of an organization so that the supply chain of a business is effectively managed to reduce running costs and costs related to effort and time to interact among the business peripherals/ departments like operations, administration, human resources, finance and many others (Oracle.com, 2008). The JD Edwards would facilitate the organization for the following: 1. It minimizes the cost of supply chain, resource management and integration among the business departments for fetching the resources timely and cost effectively. 2. The seamless integration to manage the supply chain of the business processes is made possible using the ERP system JD Edwards. 3. The handling of various issues and exceptional situations takes a professional turn and is managed under controlled environment. The traditional system of the organization was incurring large running costs and was not able to tap resources for fetching the exact order in the resource management and to organize the very distribution of resources for better management of the final product. The JD Edwards ERP solution for the organization would bring wholesome professionalism and management of the resources to achieve the very objective of the business.

Causation and Intervening Acts in Criminal Law Essay

According to Robin J.A. in Malette v Shulman[1], â€Å"the right of self-determination which underlies the doctrine of informed consent also obviously encompasses the right to refuse medical treatment. A competent adult is generally entitled to reject a specific treatment or all treatment, or to select an alternate form of treatment, even if the decision may entail risks as serious as death†¦The doctrine of informed consent is plainly intended to ensure the freedom of individuals to make choices concerning their medical care. For this freedom to be meaningful, people must have the right to make choices that accord with their own values regardless of how unwise or foolish those choices may appear to others.†[2] R v Blaue[3], a famous causation case in criminal law, brings to foreground a thought-provoking debate about whether an individual’s religious beliefs and other psychological values could be included in the ‘thin skull’ rule and whether the refus al to take lifesaving medical treatment breaks the chain of causation that exists between the defendant’s wrongdoing and the purported outcome of that wrongdoing. The facts of the case are as follows – Blaue, the defendant, stabbed a woman numerous times after she refused to have sexual intercourse with him. She was a Jehovah’s Witness and was therefore not in favour of blood transfusions. After the stabbing, she was taken to a hospital and was told that she urgently needed to have a blood transfusion, without which she would die. Owing to her religious beliefs, she refused to consent with the suggested treatment. As a result, she died in the hospital. While giving the judgment, Lawton L.J. stated that â€Å"those who use violence on other people must take their victims as they find them.†[4] This, according to him, not only includes victims’ physical characteristics, but also their emotional, psychological and spiritual values and beliefs. This decision has proved to be extremely controversial and gives rise to various debates. Most understand the rationale behind the court’s judgment and agree that the defe ndant is, as a matter of fact, criminally liable for causing the injury. After all, the victim was at the receiving end of several stabbings, imposed by the defendant, who clearly had an intention of causing serious bodily harm, if not death. However, some feel that the death was the result of the victim’s refusal to carry out the blood transfusion. They feel that the defendant should not be responsible for the unusual, irrational and unjustified religious beliefs of the victim. In addition, the defendant could not have possibly foreseen her backing out of receiving medical treatment in the hospital. The Blaue case creates many doubts about the doctrine of causation in criminal law. Was Blaue responsible for the victim’s death or was it an act of the victim, since it was her decision to refuse a blood transfusion? If we conclude that Blaue is indeed responsible for her death, another question comes to mind: Why is the victim not responsible for her own death? First and foremost, it is a fact that the victim sustained injuries due to numerous stabbings and it was Blaue who had inflicted them upon her. Her not taking any steps to save herself did not instigate her death. Secondly, there is an application of the ‘thin skull’ rule in this case. An important principle of the law of causation is that defendants must ‘take their victims as they find them.’ This means that if a defendant pushes someone and because they have a thin skull, they crack their head and die, the defendant will be liable for causing their death. The Court of Appeal in Blaue indicated that the decision could be seen as a ‘thin skull’ example. It was established that the ‘thin skull’ rule goes beyond the physical characteristics of individuals, also including a person’s moral and religious beliefs. Thirdly, the victim’s decision to not undergo blood transfusion, which would have clearly saved her life, was based on profound religious views and hence, did not constitute a novus actus interveniens. That is, it was not an intervening act. Nevertheless, the judgment has been critisised on various grounds. Why was the vict im’s decision to refuse medical treatment seen as a subsisting condition rather than an intervening cause? Would it have been the same if the refusal was due to a fear of needles or the fact that she could not bear the pain and thought dying was the only way to end the agony? A decision steered by religious beliefs is a moral choice, that is, a free decision. Why should the defendant endure the responsibility if the victim makes a free choice to kill herself any more than he should if, weakened by the injury, the victim took a controversial choice to end her life with dignity rather than enduring pain and life-long humiliation? Thus, to understand the Blaue case, we not only need to take into account causation in criminal law, but also the two doctrines which apply to the concept of proximate causation; the ‘thin skull’ rule and the principle of novus actus interveniens. Causation – In criminal law, individuals that are guilty of a crime are penalised for the harm they cause if both the physical and the mental element of committing an offence is present. There must be a valid connection between an individual’s conduct and the result alleged to constitute an offence. The causation requirement attaches criminal responsibility to those individuals whose conduct is sufficient enough to bring about serious bodily injury or death. In Hallett[5], the accused assaulted a man and left him on a beach. Over the next few hours, the man drowned. The court concluded that Hallett’s contribution to his death was more than minimal to hold him responsible for it. However, in Blaue, the defendant was found to be the substantial and operating cause of the woman’s death. That is, his stabbings is why she was admitted to a hospital in the first place. ‘Thin skull’ rule – The defendant must take the victim as he finds him or her and this means ‘the whole man and not just the physical man.’ This rule applies irrespective of whether the defendant is aware of the condition in the victim. On one hand, there are instances where the victim suffers from a pre-existing condition which renders him or her more vulnerable to injuries. On the other hand, there are cases where the victim does not take medical treatment to heal wounds and suffers serious harm as a result. A defendant cannot escape liability for a victim’s death as a result of an abnormal ity present in the victim or an internal, subsisting belief of the victim. It is his fault that he caused harm in the first place. In R v Hayward[6], a man chased his wife into the street shouting threats and kicked her. She collapsed and died from an unusual thyroid condition which made her susceptible to physical exertion and fear. He was convicted of manslaughter because he aggravated her pre-existing condition by physically assaulting her. This case is a good example of the ‘thin skull’ rule applying to the physical characteristics of an individual. The fact that he could not possibly foresee her dying is not an excuse. However, can a victim’s religious beliefs constitute a thin skull? With reference to Blaue, according to Hart and Honorà ©: â€Å"The question is not whether it is reasonable to believe that blood transfusion is wrong, but whether a person whose life is in danger can reasonably be expected to abandon a firmly held religious belief. The answer must be surely no.†[7] Religious beliefs and convictions are an inte rnal characteristic of individuals, which is deeply rooted in their way of thinking and life. It is intrinsic to every person. Hence, people cannot be held legally accountable for possessing such sentiments. Novus Actus Interveniens – The general principle is that an intervention by a third party will break the chain of causation if it is ‘free, deliberate and informed.’ In R v Kennedy[8], Kennedy prepared a syringe for the victim, who injected himself and died due to an overdose. Kennedy was convicted of unlawful manslaughter. The act of the victim, in injecting himself with the drug, was an intentional, free, deliberate and an informed action. Thus, the drug dealer is not guilty of unlawful manslaughter. In contrast, in R v Dear[9], the defendant slashed the victim repeatedly with a knife. The victim died two days later. The defendant appealed against his conviction for murder, arguing that the chain of causation had been broken because the victim had committed suicide either by reopening his wounds or because he had failed to take steps to stop the blood flow after the wounds had reope ned themselves. The court dismissed the appeal and held that the real question was whether the injuries inflicted by the defendant were a substantial and operating cause of the death. The victim’s death resulted from excessive bleeding from the artery, which was triggered by the defendant when he attacked the victim. In Blaue, the refusal to get treatment does not break the chain of causation, despite the fact that it was informed and deliberate, because having such a belief is involuntary and requisite. According to Hart and Honorà ©, â€Å"the question to be decided is whether the decision to refuse treatment is not merely deliberate and informed but also a free one. In view of the high value attached in our society to the matters of conscience, the victim, though free to accept any belief she wished, is not thereafter free to abandon her chosen belief merely because she finds herself in a situation in which her life may otherwise be in danger. So it was not her free act to refuse a transfusion.†[10] It was reasonably foreseeable that a Jehovah’s Witness would refuse a blood transfusion. The victim had no choice due to her religion. It was not a free decision because, in a way, she was bound by it. It could be said that she simply let the wound take its natural course. Moreover, the death was caused due to the bleeding arising from the penetration of the lungs, which was brought about by the stabbings. The substantial and operating cause test does not take into account a victim’s distinct characteristic. So long as victim died of internal bleeding due to the wound administered by Blaue, we need not ask further questions. However, if the principle of ‘taking your victims as you find them, including their beliefs’ is applied to more cases, it would have varying results. Let’s assume that X assaults Y. Y ends up committing suicide because she is mentally unstable or because she hopes to get X behind bars. Another example could be that X shoots Y on his left leg. Y could go to the hospital but decides to remove the bullet by himself. Unable to do so and still refusing medical treatment, he dies. Should X ‘take’ Y’s unstable, vengeful or negligent behaviour? Is that justified or is it unfair? ——————————— [ 1 ]. Malette v Shulman [1991] 2 Med LR 162. [ 2 ]. Jerome Edmund Bickenback, Canadian cases in the philosophy of law, 4th edition, at 160 to 161. [ 3 ]. R v Blaue [1975] 1 WLR 1411. [ 4 ]. Michael T. Molan, Sourcebook on Criminal Law, 2nd edition, at 67. [ 5 ]. Hallett [1969] SASR 141. [ 6 ]. R v Hayward (1908) 21 Cox 692. [ 7 ]. Denis Klimchuk, Causation, Thin Skulls and Equality (1998) at pg. 126. [ 8 ]. R v Kennedy [2007] UKHL 38. [ 9 ]. R v Dear [1996] Crim LR 595. [ 10 ]. Alan Norrie, Crime, Reason and History: A Critical Introduction to Criminal Law, at pg. 143.

Susan Sontag on Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Susan Sontag on Photography - Essay Example In all of her works, Sontag believed that the proliferation of photographic images had developed a worldwide recognition that photographs ought to be exact representations of reality. Thus, the essence of photography is pure reflection of reality. As such, every photographer must know, both technically and artistically, the proper way of capturing images in order to deliver a pure message about a phenomenon. In this paper, we intend to examine further some of Sontag’s critical teachings about photography by emphasizing on its purpose, the ideal relation between the photographer and his subject, and the key issues surrounding the practice of photography. After this, we deepen our understanding on the essence of photography by looking at one essential issue, that is, the problem of photo manipulation in modern photojournalism. In this part, we first study the trends in photographic manipulation to understand how the practices have been caused, either directly or indirectly, by t echnological and commercial innovations. After this, we discuss why and how photo manipulation is done. Such topics are to be discussed in relation to specific cases of photo manipulation in the mass media like newspapers and magazines. ... A. Important Ideas: Susan Sontag’s On Photography Susan Sontag condemned photography by asserting that it only delivers images that are nothing more than shadows of reality. As she metaphorically strengthened this thesis, humans who view photographs are like trapped men in a cave who only see the shadows of the outside world. What they deem as ‘real’ are actually distorted reflections of reality. To arrive at a more meaningful discussion of On Photography, let us first delve into her definition of photography. To Sontag, to photograph is to appropriate to the thing being photographed. It is an act of non-intervention. Thus, there should be distance between the photographer and his subject. However, she believed that since photographs do not provide contextual stories about the world, they become miniatures of reality. The world, therefore, becomes a series of unrelated particles or phenomena, with no interconnectedness or continuity. But the capacity to imitate re ality is not the only definitive characteristic of photography, for in the artistic activity of the photographer he is able to elevate his creations as pretentious works of art. As narrated by Bridget Brimer in her online article entitled Literary Interpretation and Analysis of Susan Sontag's Book, On Photography, Chapter 1: "In Plato's Cave", through the use of various skills in photography, the photographer is able to convert a phenomenon into an image that provides a transient experience to its intended audience. Thus, Sontag saw the act of photographing as symbolic shooting, or even raping. Sontag reckoned that photographing is like raping since the photographer sees his subject in a manner that is unavailable to himself (subject’s). He gains knowledge about

Artistic Appropriation, Copyright and Creativity Literature review

Artistic Appropriation, Copyright and Creativity - Literature review Example Collage is a type of appropriation. Different parts of copyrighted works are incorporated in a random manner to form a totally different and new work not previously existed. Aim This literature review aims to explore the different scholars’ views in the favor of the statement that modern scope of copyright restricts the culture of collage and visual arts appropriation as well as the views of scholars against this notion. Objectives 1. What is the concept of appropriation? 2. What is the modern interpretation of a copyright? 3. What is the impact of copyright on the creativity and advancement of artistic knowledge? 4. How practice of appropriation can survive in the technological age? 5. What are the alternative approaches to use copyrighted works without resorting to an infringement? 6. What works are appropriated and are considered enforceable in the courts of law? 7. Are there any theories for copyright and fair use? 8. Is there any case law available related to appropriatio n and copyrights? 9. Who are the authors in favor of the statement and against it? Literature Review Lankford (2011) explored the history of the practice of appropriating visual arts. He argued that this practice dates back to Greeks period who invented the technique of appropriation. ... The author further observed that as a result, the artist freely appropriated other works to form a collage work (Cohen, 2011; p.89). The modern copyright law has its roots in the Statute of Anne of 1710 that recognized author rights in a certain but limited manner (Pedley, 2005). Hampel (1992) argued in the favour of artist’s appropriation. He postulated that the appropriation does not deprive the copyright holders of their copyrights and any of their financial benefits. Therefore, Hampel (1992) required that they should be free to use the other artist’s works without seeking authorization or licensing. Furthermore, Meyers (2006) highlighted that the copyrights law discourages the artists to expand and innovate in their works. The author forcefully disagreed with the licensing and authorization requirements to initiate an appropriation of visual arts, which drags on the time frame for its completion. Davies (2010) an advocate of copyright law provides that the term copy right literally means the right to copy. He postulated that the appropriation of visual arts in the form of a collage work is a copyrightable subject matter as it is an expression in physical form instead of a mere idea that has no physical form for claiming intellectual property rights over it. He provided that when a work is applied for copyright registration, the Intellectual Property Office of United Kingdom examines the work in terms of its originality, degree of labour, skill or judgement exhibited by the work. Davies (2010) provided that the work has to be original and should not be similar to others copyrighted work otherwise it will become an infringement of other’s copyright. The

Analyze movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyze movie - Essay Example mummy has brought so many questions to light with regards not only to how worthy these claims are but also to the ancient way of life of the past ancestors. The discovery of a man having a copper ax at a time when such thing was not a thing of imagination also begs the question of how accurate the historical dating and recordings are. Many hypotheses were put to explain the discovery of a body in the mount Alps buried in the glacier, the nature of his death and the accuracy of the scientific technology (James). This amazing discovery is what prompted the scripting and finally production of the movie bearing the title â€Å"Iceman Murder Mystery’’. The movie bears all the processes that were involved from the discovery to the final autopsy procedures conducted on the mummified copse of Otzi. The movie however, according to how it was directed depicts or portrays a different theme all together. According to my understanding, the movie tries to portray the fact that human nature remains the same despite the level of advancement achieved in technology and thinking. For this reason, I tend to share a common understanding with Eduard Egarter Vigl on the connection he felt with the Mummy after looking at his face, position of the body and mortality in general. For this reason, was I to be the director of the movie, I would have named or titled it â€Å"Otzi the Stone Age modern man: A Reflection Of human Socio-cultural connectedness to the Past†. The movie in my observation was cast to reflect in the human nature that never changes despite the number of years that pass by. This is supported by almost all the theories that were put forward to explain the cause of death of the Mummy. The theory that now support this argument even further is the one that is seen to be favoured most about the death resulting from not, an animal, not another skirmishes, not any falling glacier but a person from the inside of where Otzi was coming from. This though not well explained in the

Management Factors of Professional Success Assignment

Management Factors of Professional Success - Assignment Example A leader who shows no concern over the company’s performance will lead to its failure since almost all employees will follow his path and attitudes. On the other hand, a leader who shows concern will replicate similar traits and attributes among the employees. Though leaders have different styles of leadership, their activities immensely affect the operations of the organization. For instance, treating the employees nicely in anniversaries, taking them occasionally for lunch shows that one appreciates the work of the employees and how significant they are to the success of the organization. In essence, this shows that the manager or the leader values the employees (Daft 418). On the other hand, whenever the leaders delegate duties and decision making responsibilities to the employees, it shows that the leader believes in them. Therefore, the employees will have the autonomy to make decisions on how to accomplish the company’s objectives (Daft 419). It is, therefore, essential to note that the traits, activities, and decisions of the top leaders have an impact on the activities that take place in an organization.The statement â€Å"high versus low-quality leadership has a bigger impact on a firm’s performance than business en vironment† is mostly false. The situational variables within the environment perform differently according to the styles of leadership employed by the leader. For instance, the personnel in an organization have varying performance levels as according to the different leadership styles (Daft 418-420). For instance, individuals with low task readiness and skills will require a different leadership style than that of the highly skilled and competent employees. Employs with low skills and work readiness will highly depend on a directive leadership style where they will be given guidelines and direction on how to accomplish tasks and responsibilities within the organization. With this approach, the company’s performance will be solely depended on the leadership style. In this case, the leader explains decisions and issues the workers with a chance to ask questions and attain clarity on comprehending their responsibilities. On the other hand, competent and skilled workers mak e the leadership style insignificant or redundant. This is because these employees know how to perform their tasks and do not require a leader who initiates structure or who directs them on what to do.

War on Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

War on Terrorism - Research Paper Example The invasion of Afghanistan is seen as the first action of this war, and initially involved forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Afghani Northern Alliance. Since the initial invasion period, these forces have been augmented by troops from Germany, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2005-2006, Canadian forces there will be increased to over 2000 troops. Canada also supported coalition efforts in Operation Archer, Operation Apollo, Operation Altair, and Operation Athena as part of the ongoing support for Operation Enduring Freedom. The Canadian government, however, does not recognize Iraq as part of the informal network of support for the attacks of 9/11 and as such, has declined to send Forces to that theatre of operations, although scores of them are on assignment to US Forces - mostly assisting in AWACS operations. (Richard Miniter. October 2005) Support for the United States cooled when America made clear its determination to invade Iraq in late 2002. The United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Poland, and Australia joined the "coalition of the willing", unconditionally supporting U.S.-led military action. Other countries, including Canada, Germany, France, Pakistan, and New Zealand opposed military action and blocked American attempts to pass a UN resolution explicitly backing military action. Countries that did not participate in the invasion but who have made themselves parts of the reconstruction and peacekeeping efforts include Ukraine, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Romania. Many of the 'Coalition of the willing' countries also have sent troops to Afghanistan, particular neighboring Pakistan which has disowned its earlier support for the Taliban and contributed tens of thousands of soldiers to the conflict. Support for the "War on Terrorism": Supporters assert that democracy in traditionally authoritarian countries has a transformative power that will add to peace and stability. Supporters downplay civilian casualties by arguing that many who live near terrorist cells are likely to support them materially, although this would imply that western tax-payers should be considered legitimate targets by those opposing western military action. Some argue that war could act as a deterrent against terrorists, demonstrating to potential recruits that they would face certain retribution. This argument may hold less water in reference to suicide terrorism, or when terrorists expect to become martyrs, but can be argued to deter such attacks by weakening the logistical base which provides martyrs with explosives and points them toward effective targets. (Gary C. Schroen. May 2005) Some analysts argue that democracy in the Middle East will elevate Islamists, including radicals, who will use democratic institutions to gain power but then implement their autocratic agenda. Democracy can also lead to instability. In short, things may get worse before they get better, which may be bad news for the US. Many however believe that in the long run increased democratic governance or the break up of static autocracies will lead to a better outcome than the status quo even if the emerging governments initially oppose U.S. policies. Some furthermore argue that any type of somewhat democratic government would find more common ground with the U.S. than the existing ones even if rapprochement was gradual and difficult.

Name three ideas embraced by the Futurists and relate those three Essay

Name three ideas embraced by the Futurists and relate those three ideas to a particular work of art - Essay Example Dynamism of a cyclist by Umberto Boccioni is a masterpiece of futurist art in its true sense. While the painting projects a collage of images that basically conjure the image of a cyclist in motion thereby not rendering any clear format other than that of some definite geometrical shapes as well as colours. Obviously very much futurist by nature, Dynamism of a Cyclist as a piece of art lives up to all the major features of futurist art. The cyclist in motion represents the essence of future by exhibiting motion which in turn depicts progress. However, since the work is an attempt to capture a moving cyclist, the picture so formed is hazy and what viewers can make out are the definite geometric shapes, something that is quintessential to cubism (Janson & Janson, 2004). Obviously the feature of industrialization becomes apparent from the artist’s use of the cycle, an obvious machine and product of industrialization. The feature of divisionism is also extant is the dynamism of a cyclist. The breaking of light and colour down to dots and stripes is what the painting primarily consists of, apart from cubist overtones. Thus a progressive theme has been depicted through geometric patterns as well as deft use of light and shades in dynamism of a cyclist thereby abiding by the leading features of

The federalist Essay Example for Free

The federalist Essay If there would have been no credible arguments against the proposed constitution then there would have been no need for the intense material of The Federalist. And, if there would have been no Federalist then understanding the Constitution would have been significantly reduced. The Constitution is a concise manuscript which is not suitable for an argument or for an explanation. The Federalist makes us understand the minds of the creators. Madison commented that The Federalist offers â€Å"the most authentic exposition of the text of the Federal Constitution, as understood by the Body which prepared and the authority which accepted it. † The Federalist justifies why the authors found the Articles of Confederation unacceptable; why they wanted to separate the powers of the government’s branches; why they split the national legislature into two different houses; why they thought that a federal court for the final appeal was desirable and necessary; why they banned titles of nobility; why they said that a bill of rights was a needless addition, and why a lot of other permissions and prohibitions were written into the Constitution or excludes completely. â€Å"As a contribution to the ratification debate, The Federalist is an extended exercise in exposition, explanation, and persuasion. As a work of political theory, then, The Federalist flies fairly close to the ground, rarely soaring into the stratosphere of philosophical abstraction. † Articles of Confederation If the Articles of Confederation would not have failed then there would have been no Constitution and surely no Federalist Papers. After two centuries it is not easy to picture the hectic state of America in the post revolutionary era. There was so much going on. America won a war but still the eastern seaboard was susceptible to attackers. Then the economy was weighed down by numerous currencies and tariffs, the state governments were bankrupt, and the central government was only central in name. Everything was hap hazard and nothing was going right. Since 1776 till 1787 America was an uncontrolled union of states which were ruled by the Articles of Confederation, which had a serious defect and that was the individual states had power and that power remained with them. The central government was just there to be called central. It could do nothing. It could neither increase revenues nor pass and ratify legislation necessary for independent states. To pass laws, nine votes out of thirteen states were necessary and an undisputed and agreed by all votes was essential to effect any basic change in the Articles. Making a central government with such weakness was deliberate because the American colonists had angrily rejected the British crowns authority to control trade and collect taxes. The governmental body created under the Articles of Confederation was basically immobilized, and there was no executive or judicial branch as well. What is more, the thirteen states had distinct political and commercial concerns and therefore a brief duration of artificial harmony among these states proved to be unsuccessful in producing a nationalized identity. What is surprising is that nine states had navies; seven printed their own currency, and the majority had tariff and customs laws. Also, New York was charging duties on ships transporting firewood or farm produce to and from neighboring states such as, New Jersey and Connecticut. When the soldiers mentioned that â€Å"New Jersey is our country, they were endorsing the prevailing emotions of other states. The insolvent state governments also contributed largely to the political turmoil of the 1780s. Hamilton harshly attacked the Articles of Confederation when he stated in Federalist No. 9 that the states promoted little, jealous, clashing, tumultuous commonwealths, the wretched nurseries of unceasing discord. Madison when writing Federalist No. 10 had the insolvent states in mind as well because he portrays the requirement to secure the national councils against any danger from a rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project. In a letter to Jefferson in France on October 24, 1787 Madison wrote, about the unstable state government contributed more to that uneasiness which produced the convention, and prepared the public mind for a general reform, than those which accrued to our national character and interest from the inadequacy of the confederation to its immediate objects.

Controversial Television Program Essay Example for Free

Controversial Television Program Essay My topic is Controversial Television Program; I believe that I can’t exclusively pertain to only one source. Why? Having a specific source restricts the information available for my topic that will hinder the comparisons of the advantages and disadvantages of certain controversial programs. A controversial television program doesn’t necessarily mean it has a â€Å"negative† impact to the audience, rather than a good conventional discussion for audience to tackle a particular issue that has a significant effect to the society or to an individual. It does not constraints ones idea, rather it asks us to become open minded and embrace various issues to talk about and open our minds and do something about it. This controversial television program varies from time to time. Decades ago, people are more conservative and restrict television programs that only cater to their taste, to their way of living. But now, people opt to have taste of these things that enhance their minds and argue things. I have chosen 3 various resources for my paper, and these three resources are great combinations to help me enable present a better research paper. These resources are in the same form of media as to my topic, and would surely cover all my questions and be able to expound a good argument to my audience.

Concept of Drawing as a Medium

Concept of Drawing as a Medium This essay will address the subject of drawing. The main starting point will be the ideas of John Berger on Drawing. These ideas can be summed up into three main concepts: Drawing as observation, drawing as memory and drawing as expressing ideas. Although drawing from observation was of fundamental importance in the past today we see more and more an engagement of drawing with memory and as expression of ideas. This doesnt mean that people dont deal with observational drawing, it means that its practice as it was in the past has become obsolete in the sense of drawing is a starting point as study for a final painting. The introduction of photography and the end of old art academies accelerated this change. This essay will deal mainly with drawing as memory and drawing as ideas. It will first look at artists who use drawing in a more conventional way for ideas and memory. Then it will move on to consider artists who challenge the medium itself (pencil, paper and so on) to push the ide a of drawing to express drawing as memory and drawing as observation. The essay will discuss the distinctions between painting, sculpture and performance as a way of discovering the possibilities of drawing and also to discuss the new expectations of drawing as a medium. The art practice of drawing in the late twentieth century has achieved the status of art in its own right. The approach to drawing is also changing in ways that reflect trends within the art world at large. Many artworks in association with drawing challenge traditional boundaries among media. Secondly, there is self-consciousness about the nature of art and what is involved in the creation of art. I see drawing now at a primarily end of its tradition it can be argued that it no longer stands as drawing to represent. It seems that we are on the verge of anther paradigm shift in drawing, now reflecting an altered view of its nature as a skilled activity, what we now perceive as drawing has been obliterated. By this I mean change for instance, Rauschenbergs Erased De Kooning, an example of change by removal of the drawing. Rauschenberg proved to be going backwards in drawing traditions. The drawing was there and now it is not. This was a kind of rebellion going against traditions, alth ough the drawing may have gone backwards drawing was to go forwards i.e., modernism. The process of change will be discussed. Drawing is discovery John Berger, Berger on drawing, had enabled me to begin research and analyse in depth both the physical and the metaphysical act of drawing. What we draw is not only the subject observed but also what we already know about it. In fact the past experience of the subject affects the way we draw it. Berger further raises the point that will be discussed in this essay; the differences between the actions of drawing and painting. According to Berger the audience can identify with the subject illustrated when confronted with a painting. I will attempt to establish a dialogue on the possibilities of drawing with reference to artistic process. Firstly I will analyse the work of Jackson Pollock as a link to contemporary practice. I have also found it important to research literary theory on the grounds of the process of mark making and the social connotations it has created. The reading of Berger on drawing helped me to begin thinking about some key terms such as drawing as memory, drawing as a way to express or show forth ideas and drawing as observation. It was useful to reflect on the idea of truth in drawing. How truthful can we be when we draw? Do we draw what we see or what we know? Can we overcome our set knowledge of things? I will try to find out more about these issues studying the work of other artists. Artists such as Jackson Pollock, CY Twombly, Susan Collis, Louise Bourgeois and Yves Klein whom will be discussed in this essay distinguish their mark making to be somewhat unknown and less predictable. Their works all would free all external impurities. This essay will examine a process of where drawing stands to date in relation to the past. It seems that drawing is everything it is not just the stimulators of the pencil it is in fact the motif and creation of exploring possibilities within the concept. I want to question that without these familiarities then what is known, as drawing could never have happened. Drawing is a continuous action, commonly known as the before of something. Now drawing is the beginning and the end of concepts. Drawing, when perceived as truth or good is the act of line. This is the common factor that persuades all subject matter to fall in the same category as writing, in the relation to text and image. Conversely, bad drawing is lining by the means of lines, a fact lamentably patent in things as widely divergent. This point permits me to repeat that drawing specifically means to visualize ideas by means of lines. Drawing is discovery; drawing is a way of seeing what is hiding under the surface. If the artist observes what is in front of him then dissects in his minds eye this demonstrates that the artist relies on memory and past observations to draw the subject before him rather than simply examining what lies before him. What we draw is not only the subject observed but must also be what we already know about it. It is the difference between the actions of drawing and painting that need to be explored further, for instance in abstract expressionism the line between subject and artist is subtle in distinction whereas Yves Klein paints with a figure, which will expose the difference in this relation. Drawing into painting chapter One (a discussion with chosen material)and chance There are distinctions between drawing and painting. It seems this became irretrievably blurred when Jackson Pollock started to paint with line in the late 1940S. Bernice rose has stated in the writings of his work that, perhaps, then it would be more precise to say that there is no real dividing line between painting and drawing in his work. Perhaps there is no divide between painting and drawing? The same is being made, the mark or as discussed the line is only been made larger and the feeling is now more intense. Pollock erased the distinctions then pertaining between drawings as a discipline. Referring to Cy Twombly cycles and seasons, reading paragraph, coincidence where Shiff talks about the pencil line as something that is happening, this means that the line is not there to describe or configure things with a narrative aim, i.e. The line is not meant to represent objects belonging to the world. The line is not linked to the act of seeing with Pollock. The line is linked to the act of investigation and drawing as idea and memory. As Pollock would push the boundaries between drawing and painting thus drawing becomes painting and vice versa. Therefore drawing loses its dependence on painting. Twombly would repeat what Pollock had started. Their work both suggests internal feelings and relate in a much deeper way to merely observation. From memory they would represent their emotions going against the conventions of traditional drawing. The line represents and describes feelings and emotions, which seems a constant flux of things that can happen at the same time. Using Twombly as a reference once again, what appears really interesting to me is the constant change in both of their works: lines are constantly erased, changed, redrawn and re-erased. Furthermore it seems to me that the past and the present are a constant dialogue. As Pollock immediately pours the paint medium onto the canvas the expression is different. The raw emotional expression allowed the drawing to become much more complex and indeed most energetic. Now, the conventional sense in his paintings is that they generally neutralize the distinction between figure and ground, a factor closely allied with the theory of the all-over. Because the image evinces no definite form but only a compact, restless texture that appears to continually advance and recede and allows the eye no point of rest, is banal.It remained, however, for Pollock to move from this to a full recognition of pictorial identity of drawing and painting. Furthermore, in his work the effort to bring painted effects into balance with those obtainable in drawings vanishes as both materials of ink and oiled pigment would operate from the same overall conception. The conception that would see the blank paper and the indrawn canvas as comparable visual fields. The aura of drawing surrounding the act of painting almost denies any difference. Looking at Pollocks earlier works contains numerous indicators of the great significance that Picassos work held for Pollock. Looking again at drawing as memory or past knowledge Picasso arouses the interest with themes of sex, beauty and young woman but also reference to the old masters in his work. In the words of Jeffery Hoffeld Picasso displays a panorama of works from the history of his own art. The Title links in with Pollocks idea of drawing as an element of memory but also through drawing as past experiences or past knowledge of a specific subject. Significance in style and development evokes the condition of drawing. The intensity of Pollocks Paintings had clearly evolved through his act of drawing, drawing from an idea in his head, creates this impulsive drawing performancei.e the body moves with every drip and every mark to be made, as though the artist would walk with the drawing he would be come part of the work. This drawing is enriched with energy and feeling that could be connected into painting almost immediately. The line scratches through the figures, the impulsive brush over of marks, and gradually discovers beneath the network of strokes a circular shadow that seems to hover in the pictorial space and yet create depth. The beholder has a sense of a hallucination. Walter Benjamin has suggested that when a drawing entirely uses or covers its supporting ground it can no longer be called a drawing. This can be added to define the characteristics of the overworked nature in his work. This definition to me seems unfair to say it is that act of drawing that relates to figure and ground what becomes of the image is unknown. If we extend the list of artists that have used a similar approach to painting and drawing that like wise experimental dripping, such as Susan Collis an artist who also experiments with accidental drips, attaches to the technique as such. Collis work would seem like careless splashes and stains upon the surface, however with careful inspection these marks would heighten the idea to mislead the viewer as these are counterfeit marks playing with our reactions and our understanding with mark making. For instance, Susan Collis, No. 2(In series), 2004, red glitter and self adhesive Vinyl are an example of the process of replacing the original mark with her own. To live is to leave traces This misleading conception that their may have never been an object or a sheet of paper there, is an argument to raise the point that drawing has been extended it has worked its way of the surface and onto a new. Furthermore, Collis works with marks left by things, the incidental and transient and lending their permanence. No matter what point we might eventually select the fundamental function of Collis work allows us to rethink past experiences in Art history and the change within art concepts. Subject is defined with false conceptions playing on the idea of what is and was may not be reality. Referring back to what Berger has said; drawing from memory , this can relate with the work of Susan Collis as the traces are of objects that where once there she has celebrated the idea of memory, drawing from her memory as a way to discover the past in relation to the present. If confronted by something that has no form, no language, or no place, a familiar analogue steps in; we use one thi ng to describe another.When the artist has no words to describe something drawing can define these lost words both the real and the unreal in visual terms. Gestures of freedom For instance, CY Twombly pushes the limits of drawing and painting with words; it is very hard to classify his work either as painting or drawing. Illustrious and Unknown is what Degas aspired to be, and what Cy Twombly has become. The boundary between drawing and painting becomes blurred into his practice as an artist. Playing on the tension between drawing and painting, Twombly was able to question and redefine what drawing is or what it can be. For instance this challenge to drawing can be seen in his experiments to drawing in the dark. In this way he denies the old principle of drawing that is drawing from observation since the act of looking is invalidated in darkness. This can question; how can the values of drawings be recognized as having reflected changes in the material conditions and technology of drawing?The condition of materials being as much unknown in the dark as his mark analysiss an exciting process with discovering his material. With these examples there is a chang e within how art can be made; Art can be made of anything firmly established, as they would work with a range of materials simultaneously. The dictionary definition of drawing suggests that it is inextricably linked with line. Its clear that drawing and painting both exist simarily in the same worlds, what I distinguish between both of them is the order of similar motifs. These artists discussed so far all relate to drawing as memory and drawing as ideas. After the breakdown of modernism, artist became less concerned with any specific properties with their chosen medium, instead selecting the medium for its compatibility with their particular thesis or proposition. There is and order to maximise the formal potential of their chosen material. We only have to study the work of Marlene Dumas to gain an understanding of the relationship drawing has to painting. Drawing is a vital part of Marlene Dumas oeuvre; by drawing with the line tools of painting her works on paper and the oil paintings echo each other. This is an opportunity to once again blow up the image as said. In this case drawing is a way of getting to understand the image, I use second hand images and first hand emotions. Her paintings differ from her contemporaries who during the 1980s revisited the figure in neo-expressionist work that favoured intoxicating colour. Dumas uses paint as a subversive, anti- conventional means of expression and the figure as a vehicle for achieving these ends. The image is created with the feeling of expressing ideas. She is an artist who works with memory and ideas to work out a dialogue with mark making and story telling. Her paintings become drawings and her drawings become paintings. These paintings make similar marks to a single line in the association with drawing. It is not drawing of an outline as the single brushstrokes acts as a drawing and a painting at the same time. Her materials that she uses obscure new possibilities and meaning the paint, the lines, the ink the drawingThus demonstrating that the line is of importance in both relationships of painting and drawing. The pre-knowledge of her feelings, memories, ideas and associations with the image revert back to the impulsive line. Her direct approach shows the power of the image, which is informed by the immediate gesture of the drawing. The tension that has seemingly been created in the image, we can recognise what is depicted and yet we are not entirely sure about its meaning. As the viewer we are compelled by the poetic nature in movements throughout the image. Other important key terms for the possibilities of drawing are: chance and the relationship child -like/childish drawing. There is an element of chance and randomness in Dumas work, also referring back to Twomblys drawings he too works with the same ideas of chance. As for the relationship child like/childish, Twomblys drawings fall into the first category. In fact as much as one tries to regain the innocent eye of the child one will never succeed because he/she is not a child anymore. In a sense this reminder me of Picassos mission in art as well, i.e. to regain playfulness in the act of drawing. In fact a child is able to create without the concern and the clichà ©s the adult artist is concerned with. It is the coloured pencil drawings of Cy Twombly that the line wonders off back and forth in the distance charming the viewer as the marks turn discreet. We can also see this parallel shift from drawing possibilities with materials into painting in the works of Louise Hopkins. Hopkins work hovers on the boundary between drawing and painting. She is and artist whom describes she will paint rather than being a specified painter. Hopkins delicate approach rejects the traditions to picture making. The result is certainly a drawing in purely technical terms, but at the same time it may represent the drastic function of line, her process of change and use of line is meticulously, one stroke at a time. She never starts with a blank canvas. That fear of being confronted with a problem before the image becomes part of the context. For example, in Untitled (the of the) 2002 Hopkins has taken a broadsheet newspaper and drawn over every single key word and image, leaving behind only the connecting words.The words then become isolated and immediately transformed into a new context. This wonderful image has the feeling of a night sky with nothing b ut stars connect with. However maintains its aim with undeniable pattern, rhythm and form. Hopkins ground has been inked out; leaving behind its signifiers, the notes, which are there, but the song has been interrupted with this blocking out technique, which seems a repetitive process. White black black white explains in its title the process of repetition; Hopkins repeats her actions on the surface developing its contrasts and rhythm. This process has created a different kind of rhythm, played out but the white circles and lines framing the musical notation. This seemingly repetitive action is merely Hopkins aesthetic decision to highlight specific points within the page and thereby compose her personal and original tune. This method appears once said painting and drawing in reverse. The existing material and images are systematically covered up. What is interesting in this work is the idea of a memory the surface is a memory, and is yet to be vanished. The more ink that is added the less information she maintains of its originality. Once again this process of change rela tes to drawing as ideas and drawing as memory, Hopkins time consuming change to the image represents the processes within drawing. As disused in Hopkins work there is congruence here with Robert Rauschenberg drawing Erased de Kooning, 1953. Here the drawing has been removed as part of the progression of drawing. There is a clear conceptual starting point here with both artists. Once again this relates to memory. The initial image has been completely removed; however it is still obvious of its existence. Drawings are often created and removed by the lack of success in the drawing. This process of change is clear. The existence of the drawing has shifted from being obvious to then becoming unsure. From the title of the work we cant help but imagine what was. In relation to Hopkins work both artists are drawing attention to what they are taken away, creating possibilities for stereotypical images. There is significance in drawing then to painting or to be known in some sense the painting is once again the drawing. Although we would not understand that this was once a drawing, the title allows an understanding -Text and Image. The text and image represent a personal commentary on concerns that shape much recent art. Drawing into Sculpture chapter Two memories Drawings is analytical but its also expressive in its own right, it has duty to bear witness, nit simply by making a representation of something, but taking things apart and reassembling in a way that makes new connections, it is entirely experimental- Antony Gormley This chapter will discuss sculpture and drawing as a way to discover ideas. Joseph Beuys would have had false conceptions running through his mind if he hadnt made drawingsDrawing in this case would relate to drawing as expressing ideas. Drawing in these key terms would exist differently in real space than a sketched or painted one. With the situation of postmodernism, practice is not defined in relation to the given medium-sculpture- but rather in relation to the logical operations on a set of cultural terms for which any medium -photography, books, lines on wall, mirrors, or sculpture itself might be used. Thus the field provides both for an expanded but finite set of related positions for a given artist to occupy and explore The sculptural work is physically present and the space it exists in identical with real space. Drawing and painting for example tell stories, stories from the artist and stories that we are allowed to fabricate. Whether reality and fiction are allowed to be classified drawing does however extend into those dream dimensions that seem unattainable for sculpture.The drawing as known is not dedicated to any kind of medium, after the breakdown of modernism it seemed that artist became less concerned with the properties of a specific medium. Indeed artist would go against convention. As Stuart Morgan comments on Louise Bourgeois work, For an artist with no fixed style or material or medium, only the rule seems to apply and that there are no rules. No rules at least, which cannot be broken. Despite all gloomy prognoses of the end of freehand drawing, the strengths of drawing- being able to develop, test, and vary and idea with the greatest possible freedom and with an individual touch- have yet been obtained. When I think of Auguste Rodin this prognosis allows me to point out that Rodin thus falls into another category outlined by Berger, in this case drawing from observation and not memory. Rodins important synthesis defined the importance of the body in order to bring out purity. The artists drawing fall under different categories: drawings as preparations for sculptures; drawings as observational exercises per se and drawings from imagination. His approach to drawing as a sculpture, in his black drawings is visible in Rodin use of three dimensionality achieved by the use of chiaroscuro. It is interesting to find Rodin an artist from a traditional period within art, however Rodin felt it was necessary to go back to observation as his drawings became unknown. I realis ed my drawings where too divorced from reality, I started all over again, and worked from my life models. To summarise Rodin used drawing to work out his sculptures using observations, the artist that I will now discuss differ in terms of their practice as it seems fair to say that now drawing is used as an excursion away from reality. This past observation looks at the similarities in which contemporary artists such as Rachael Whiteread that used drawing as a way to form her compositions and as a tool of expressing the object/structure with all of its possibilities. These drawings would initially start as plans, and without these plans false conceptions of the work would appear apparent. Whiteread draws with a sculptures mind, for she follows that sense peculiar to making wood or stone sculptures. The drawing is seen as a field as co-extensive with real space, no longer subject to the illusion of an object marked off from the rest of the world. The space of illusionism can change and connect with the space within the world, in doing so it loses its objective and would become more subjective and accessible only to the individuals raw perception. Furthermore, drawing dedicates itself to the space within. The importance of drawing within the space is a crucial process whiteread would have, by redraw the entire space to understand and refine her ideas. For instance, if we look at Floor Study, 1994, ink correction fluid on paper, 46x34cm This wonderful drawing evokes such movement and repetition that can be designed in the sculptures she makes. In relation to such work Louise Bourgeois who uses her drawings as ways of sketching forth ideas. Her memories are the inspiration as she draws sense of her childhood from memory this way of drawing is not systematically correct as there is no end to the line. It was only a matter of time before drawing could be viewed as an opportunity and opportunity to develop the traditions and stick by the conventions in only a symbolic sense. Artists would now discover the imagination as they moved without restraints between media. The Insomnia Drawings, by Louise Bourgeois are a series of two hundred and twenty drawings that contain major themes in her work. Very important in these Insomnia Drawings is the link between drawing and words. The artist expressed her ideas about childhood fears and memories via drawing. Drawing became the channel to exorcise her fears. In my opinion her draw ings are described mainly from a psychoanalytical point of view. Bronfen, The insomnia Drawings suggests that the artists drawings can be divided into two main categories: on one hand abstract and geometric on the other figurative and realistic.Marie- Laurie Bernadac elucidates that the abstract drawings come from a deep need to achieve peace, rest and sleep, they relate to unconscious memories whereas the realistic drawings represent the conquest of negative memory, the need to erase and get rid of..I found these distinctions that Marie-Laure draws between realistic and abstract drawings interesting, However in my opinion the drawings that is described as realistic could not be described as such in the conventional sense. I see her drawings as more of a dreamt reality. In this sense the act of Bourgeois drawings are successful in expressing her ideas, for instance the work femme maison, where the link between the female body and the house is expressed in a simple and effective way . If we look closely as though we were discovering the secret poetry within Twomblys paintings, Bourgeois uses words which are generally used to express ideas; in her drawings words become drawings themselves. Furthermore the use of words as an aesthetic element with excitement functions to challenge the separation of written word and visual language. In fact the artist expresses them as a whole. Words are also used to represent the banality of everyday.In other words, every real artist, by means of lines compels us to recognise what has been drawn this is the spirit of the subject. Close to Bourgeois subject would undoubtedly be Tracy Emin, her work also makes reference to the feminine and sublime. Tracy Emin returns to drawing as the primary means of expressing her abject state of mind and body. Though she employs a vast array of media such as film, sculpture and performance, it is however drawing that satisfies her confessional practice with a constant presence within her practis e (. i.e.). The line takes control over the way she makes marks; with thread she can sew the line and engage with the same familiarities that the line has within drawing. The difference between drawing and a picture is that in the latter the subject is worked out for us to look at; the former I can imagine so many things which are only suggested. The possibilities of drawing fall back to its original tradition; there is a constant flux of ideas that of which deal with the process of change and randomness. Jan Albers for instance, works in a constant hover between reality and phantasm between figuration and abstract. His interest in spiritualism and imagery reveal the intensity of his artistic research and practice. In this example the exploding lines of colour create a shield covering the figure which defines the structure of the drawing as repetitive mark making with use of the pencil. Often his drawings become three dimensional; the drawings step out into our reality and also are part of Albers reality. The radiating lines extend the drawings hung on the wall; his work deplores the change in drawing and is an infinite example of what drawing can become or what drawing has become. Drawing to me is far greater than being such of a secondary nature; it is in fact primary Sometimes leading to the discovery of another. Progression with their chosen materials Joseph Beuys for instance, his drawing can be compared to most recent works within contemporary art such as Monika Grzymala. The drawing is an exercise far removed from perfection often their drawings are much obvious where there drawing began and what sequence the overlapping steps where executed. Furthermore these artists both deal with Time and Energy. Beuys drawings share a complexity of line yet the basic materials used to create the line defines a greater similarity. There lines are erratic and confusing to look at; Beuys drawings investigate his ideas using his memories to make a mark. Grzymala works with tape as her tool too make a mark on a surface. Line is a point taken for a walk There is a fearful energy to Monika Grzymalas drawing installations: layer upon layer of black lines scrawling up the gallery walls. They have a similar intensity to Beuys spontaneous suggestions of form. Beuys per formative actions served to widen the possibilities for what was considered art. I am defining the themes of change and progression; anything and everything has become possible. Drawing and performance the body chapter three This chapter will discuss, drawing in relation to performance within the conceptual art world. I will use artist such as Paul McCarthy, Rebecca Horn and Ives Klein as a way of comparing and evaluating the extreme ways in which these artists would create drawings but not in the traditional sense. These artists would go against their traditions and explore possibilities of finding a new way of drawing, idea art that reinforce the connections with figure and ground and the physical relation that they have engaged with. If we look at the work of Keith Herring it is clear to identify the fusion of post modern theory that, activist practise and the appropriation of the idea of site specific drawing (performance).The growing eclecticism of styles in the 1980s gave artists the freedom to appropriate style and form from other disciplines such as architectural, fashion, and scientific illustration, as well as popular culture.At this time particular artist began to champion drawing again, origi nally seen as the eccentrics within art, and then gradually acknowledged as important individuals. It can be said that drawing for these artist could be the only method that allowed them to fully express their thoughts, ideas and emotions.For instance Rebecca Horn is a performance artist who creates site specific installations, a sculpture that also makes films whose values of drawing derive from this process of her experimentation. These following examinations will portray the artistic style and energy, motifs and aesthetic strategies in which reflect the importance of drawing and demonstrate why these drawings should be accorded far greater importance than they have been in all her previous exhibitions and publications.Even in the momentum of drawing Rebecca Horn fuses conceptual thinking with emotional and per formative procedure. For instance, her Pencil Mask from 1972 (image), considers these aspects offering a more empathetic demonstration of this approach. Rebecca Horn challenges the drawing and the making of the drawing proves a highly concentrated labour. The head mask consisting of a lattice of vertical and horizontal straps cross.Systematically the actions are prepared to measure spontaneous expression. It can be

Blade Runner as a Classic Film Noir and a Science Fiction Film Essay

Blade Runner as a Classic Film Noir and a Science Fiction Film Blade Runner, a well known 80’s science-fiction film, begins in 2019, set in the industrial city of L.A., the scene lit only by the many neon lights and molten guisers. We draw in from a panoramic long shot to Deckard, ‘ex-cop, ex-killer, ex-blade-runner’, who is at the heart of this film. Blade Runner is, definitively, a science fiction film, but the traits of Film Noir are the bread and butter, bringing it the dark, desperate atmosphere that is the very beauty of the film. Ridley Scott plants shrapnels of Film Noir throughout, from the subtle (cigars), to the downright blatant (the washed-up cop of main man). The genre itself developed in the post-war era, thriving upon the depression that had settled upon the world, and the new technology. The latter meant that scenes could be filmed outside of a studio, and new effects could be created with lighting. However, though the new technology was there, the after-math of the war meant that this equipment was often quite rare, leading to the lower budget films opting for stark, shadowy sets rather than miss out on the technology. But this type of setting fitted perfectly into the style of Film Noir anyway, as the feeling of the genre was reflecting the current mood, which was far from happy. The war had left some blind, and everyone else with brand new eyes, people could no longer see everything at face value, or to put it bluntly, the value of face had slumped. The world after war was no place for the frilly and meaningless, and Hollywood, as the capital of frill, had to come up with something new, and refreshingly... ...th Deckard ‘why am I called back? Why am I doing this?’ and the replicants can ask, ‘why am I a replicant, why am I like this?’ The answer of course, the bitter sentiment of Film Noir, ‘for no reason at all.’ The viewer watches Blade Runner’s characters like fish in a tank, with pity because they are trapped, and with resignation, because they’ll never, really, get out. The fusion of Sci-Fi and Film Noir works perfectly in Blade Runner, using the past to paint a (dismal) picture of the future. The combination was one of the first of it’s kind, pulling two genres together to work in perfect unison. And this combination of Sci-Fi and Film Noir will continue to work because the future is unseen, and therefore to us, quite scary, and, as in typical Film Noir fashion, there’s always ‘something BAD out there†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢

Seven, The movie Essay -- Film Review Moie Essays

Seven, The movie â€Å"Ernest Hemmingway once wrote, ‘the world is a fine place and worth fighting for,’ I agree with the second part.† The movie Seven ends with that quote stated by Somerset, attempting to justify the many moral dilemmas touched upon by the movie but mainly to bring the character of Somerset and the audience back to the beginning. The symmetry of the characters that the quote creates between the beginning of the movie and the end would have been lost if the director David Fincher would have gone with the original storyboard ending.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The beginning sequence does a great deal in showing the audience the personality of the two main characters. It fades in to Somerset’s apartment where we see a medium-long shot of Somerset over the sink. He is not yet ready for work. It cuts to a medium shot of him looking in a mirror, adjusting his tie and collar very meticulously and yet as if he has done this many a time before. The camera shoots the dresser top where Somerset’s personal items (keys, badge, pen, eyeglass case) are set, side-by-side, in order of their importance, in which he picks them up one by one. The camera cuts to the bed, neatly made, where his suit coat lies, precisely placed. He picks a piece of lint we cannot really see off of the coat before putting it on. Somerset has said nothing in this scene and yet we have already deciphered the type of person he is: a very neat, well-organized, meticulous person whose life seems to evolve around routine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With Somerset turning off his lamp, it fades into the darkness of the next scene, focusing on the large man lying face down on the floor dead. It cuts to a long shot of Somerset slowly walking away from the light, looking around the room and stopping to notice what was on the refrigerator. When Somerset asks the other cop if the child saw the crime, the cop rudely replies, What kind of fucking question is that? You know, we’re all gonna be real glad when we get rid of you, Somerset. You know that? It’s always these questions with you. ‘Did the kid see it?’ Who gives a fuck? He’s dead. His wife killed him. Anything else has nothing to do with us. This quote does two important things for the character of Somerset. First, it verifies our ideals of Somerset from the previous scene. His eye for detail entails us to conclude that he is a very skilled detective. It also shows t... ...t coincide with the final ending, creating symmetry that the audience can readily grasp, unlike the storyboard ending. The idea of original sin lies within the characters themselves, forming a bond with the audience that it depicts. Works Consulted: Brown, Royal S. â€Å"Seven.† Cineaste. 22.3 (1996): 44-47. King, Neal. Heroes in Hard Times: Cop Action Movies in the U.S. Philadelphia:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Temple University Press, 1999. Macek, Steve. â€Å"Places of Horror: Fincher’s Seven and Fear of the City in Recent   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hollywood Film.† College Literature. 26.1 (1999): 80-97. Natoli, Joseph. Speeding to the Millennium: Film and Culture 1993-1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albany: State University of New York Press, 1998. Rubin, Martin. Thrillers: Genres in American Cinema. New York: Cambridge   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Press, 1999. Se7en. By Andrew Kevin Walker. Dir. David Fincher. With Morgan Freeman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and Brad Pitt. New Line, 1995. Supplemental Material (Disc 2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DVD-ROM online content. Walker, Andrew Kevin. â€Å"Seven Production Draft Screenplay.† Script-O-Rama.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Online. America Online. 11 Nov. 2001.

Poems of Edgar Allan Poe Essay

A tell-tale heart – essay The gradual descent into insanity is a common characteristic of Edgar Allan Poe as an auteur. This being one of Poe’s shortest stories separates itself from his other literature as it draws its focus onto the irony of the stalking, and confession of the murder of an old man. ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ explores the mind of a mentally unstable and delusional individual on his descent to madness. In doing so the short story touches upon the contrasts between the rational and irrational. The ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ presents two physical settings. It is clear from the narrator’s perspective that there is a change of setting. â€Å"Observe how healthily – how calmly I can tell you the whole story†, the narrator then continues, â€Å"It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain†. This passage indicates that the story that is narrated, is told in retrospect. The passage can be interpreted as being the narrator attempting to justify his murder and convince the reader that he is not mad as he can tell the story calmly and sanely. The passage can also be perceived as being directed towards the police officers that are introduced at the end of the story. In doing so the narrator might also try to convince the police officers that his deed was justified and necessary. The theme of insanity is shown through the narrators descend into madness. The narrator states that â€Å"very gradually – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man† which marks the beginning of his descent. It is made clear to the recipient of the story that the narrator believes he is sagacious in his lurking. However, the narration gives the impression that he is a madman. The narrator says â€Å"I undid the lantern cautiously-oh, so cautiously – cautiously† and also says â€Å"I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily† and â€Å"you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily†. The narrator’s reiterations present a sort of vocal tic which adds to his characteristic of being mentally unstable and mad. The story explores the contrasts between the rational and irrational. The theme of rationality is shown through the narrator’s attempts to rationalize his actions. The premise of the narrator’s suffocation of the old man is the ‘evil eye’ he has. Whenever the narrator gazes at the â€Å"dull blue† eye he experiences chills through â€Å"the very marrow† in his bones. This suggests that the old man’s eye terrifies him. It does, however, seem very unlikely that the old man has an inhuman eye â€Å"no human eye – not even his†. The rational explanation for the appearance of the eye that the narrator is fixated about, is that the old man is suffering from cataract. The disease bears a close resemblance to the eye of a vulture. This is proven by the narrator’s very similar description of the eye’s â€Å"pale blue, with a film over it† and â€Å"a dull blue, with a hideous veil†. This can also explain why the old man is never woken up or is disturbed by having the light shone into his â€Å"evil eye†. This is because he might be lacking vision in one eye. The narrator attempts to convince the reader that he is cunning and wise when observing the old man in his bed. The narrator’s irrational nature is emphasized in this passage where he very slowly enters the bedroom with only his head and lantern â€Å"It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed†. The use of irony in the short story adds to the narrator’s complete unawareness of his own instability expressed through his lack of rational perception. The narrator contradicts himself implicitly. He states that he â€Å"loved the old man† and that â€Å"he had never wronged me†. This implies that he had no quarrels with the old man and therefore had no motivation for murdering him. He then contradicts himself by being excited by the old man’s â€Å"uncontrollable terror†. The theme of irony is also shown when the narrator hears the old man’s â€Å"groan of mortal terror† and recognizes the feeling. The narrator â€Å"knew the sound well†, he had experienced them himself being â€Å"welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me†. This can be interpreted as the narrator explaining that he suffers from terrors which indicates that he has been or is feeling fear to the marrow of his bones and has experienced something horrific. This is also supported by the symbolism of the narrator burying the old man underneath the floorboards, which can be interpreted as him repressing his emotions and hiding them and then eventually being welled up when he confesses the murder. However, it is vaguely explained and remains a mystery to the readers. This corresponds well with the characteristic of the narrator which is only described implicitly. The narrator’s gender is not revealed. This might be because the gender of the narrator is not important to the story and that Edgar Allan Poe has written the story in such a way that the common reader assumes the gender of the narrator to be male. The most prominent ironic situation is the narrator’s own sagaciousness and over-acuteness that end up being the reasons for his confession to the police officers. His own hypersensitivity betrays him. This also supports his irrationality as he had confirmed the death of the old man when he felt his heart. He is however still convinced that the beating heart belongs to the â€Å"stone dead† man. This also shows his descent into madness as he perceives the noise as being a ringing in his ears, but then convinces himself that it is â€Å"the beating† of the old man’s â€Å"hideous heart†. He contradicts himself in this passage where he has previously described himself as cunning but is unable to correctly identify the source of the beating heart. ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ is a story that largely focuses on the inability of the narrator to judge his own state of sanity. This is further supported by the narrator frequently being deceived by his own senses and even contradicting himself which diminishes his reliability. The topic of repressed emotions and the border between sanity and insanity is addressed by interpreting the narrator’s behavior and actions. This determines that the narrator is indeed a madman.

A Farewell to Arms

Throughout the novel, A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway developed a specific discipline and behavior for a true Hemingway â€Å"code hero†. Although there are many characters in the novel, each one of them possessed a similar or contrasting characteristic of a â€Å"code hero†. While Frederic Henry became a true â€Å"code hero† by the end of the novel, Catherine Barkley was a better example of a â€Å"code hero† throughout the course of the novel. Hemingway's definition of a code hero stated that there were many qualities, some more important than others, needed in order to be classified as a true â€Å"code hero†. The most important characteristics required to be a true Hemingway â€Å"code hero† like Catherine Barkley are bravery, immorality, and discipline. According to the Hemingway hero's philosophy, a truly brave â€Å"code hero† was a stoic person, who accepted the fear of a situation and did not complain about it. â€Å"I'm not a bit afraid. It's just a dirty trick.† This was all that Catherine said shortly before she died. However, Catherine died according to her view of what the brave should do in death as in life. A brave person should simply not mention their fear of the deaths that they have encountered. Death was the end of everything and life was devoted to exposing oneself to all types of physical pleasures, which were the rewards a Hemingway hero would strive for in life. Catherine dismissed the traditional concepts of morality and developed her own system of moral values. Because of her self-created values, she did not marry yet, she was pregnant and did not want the child to be baptized. In a way, Helen Ferguson was the living symbol of the traditional concepts of morality. She disliked Frederic since he and Catherine were not married but continued to pretend as if they were. Helen felt this was wrong and that they should have been married especially since Catherine was pregnant. This controversy with Helen only further illustrated the fact that Catherine was a non-conformist to the traditional moral values of the day. The most important characteristic required of a Hemingway hero† was discipline. Self-discipline was a value, which grows out of one's essential being. When Frederic had to return to the front, Catherine didn't even cry or display any disappointment about his leaving. This was an excellent example of the discipline of refusing to be emotional about an event. If a â€Å"code hero† ever expressed any emotion, they would often be ashamed of having done so. Even though she was involved in the war since she was a nurse, Catherine never spoke of the ravages of war or expressed any feeling toward the war. Talking was considered to be emotionalism, which involved thinking. A Hemingway hero was not a thinker but a person of action. Catherine Barkley exemplified the â€Å"code hero† by possessing a great sense of bravery, her own sense of immorality, and her own sense of discipline. A Hemingway hero must be brave in the face of danger, must push aside the traditional moral values, and must have discipline to block out true emotion. These characteristics were just a few of the many that a Hemingway â€Å"code hero† must possess. While each â€Å"code hero† may have shared similar qualities, when and how each detail was discovered varies greatly from character to character. Unlike Frederic Henry, Catherine possessed all of these qualities from the beginning of the novel, which led Hemingway to create Catherine Barkley as the true Hemingway â€Å"code hero†.

How to Lead a Long and Healthy Life Speech Essay

Good Health starts from the very infancy. It is here that protection and care is needed, so that each organ functions well, each organ develops naturally, and there are no deformities, disabilities and diseases but often the health of children remain neglected, with the result that they grow unhealthily and that affects their education as well. A healthy child develops into a healthy adult. In case the child does not grow properly, and he remains handicapped in some way, his ill-health spoils his adult life. He cannot join any active service; he cannot be a successful professional, nor can he live his life happily. Health is real wealth. A healthy person is an asset to himself, to his family and to his community. On the other hand an ailing person is a burden on all. He is a danger for coming generations because heredity plays an important part in this respect. Health is the pivot upon which a man’s whole personality and its well-being depend. An ailing and aching body saps the enthusiasm for pursuit. Unwholesome feelings and sensations retard the pace of functional activity, economic development and spiritual uplift. Health cannot be achieved merely by taking one or two pills everyday or by observing a few restrictions. It can be achieved only by understanding what health is, on what it depends and then applying this knowledge in every-day life. The care of the body regarding food, cleanliness, exercise, rest and protection against disease, are essential for the preservation of sound health. Life is for living. Without health, life is deprived of not only much of its usefulness but also its joys and pleasures. The stream of life will be rich and lasting in proportion to the sources which nourish it. These sources belong to every person. They are food, exercise, and proper posture, care of bodily functions, avoidance of alcohol and tobacco and wholesome mental and emotional attitudes.

Childhood Obesity Solutions Essay

Prevalence of childhood obesity has increased greatly in the recent years, so much so that the number of children considered overweight by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has nearly quadrupled among children aged 6-11 years old (Cawley, Meyerhoefer, and Newhouse, 2007, p.506). Many members of the public, media, and congress have declared childhood obesity as a major public health concern, considering it to be an â€Å"important cause and consequence of wider disparities in health† (Freudenberg, Libman, and O’Keefe, 2010). Director of the division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity at the CDC, Dr. William H. Dietz, went as far as to say â€Å"This may be the first generation of children that has a lower life span than their parents† (Roberts & Wilson, 2012). Though it is evident steps are needed to be taken to help protect the health and futures of our youth, those with the most power to actually make a visible, long lasting environmental change are the most reluctant to do so. Policymakers have alternate interests in finances that water down their attempts to take charge. Sadly, often times playing the social problems game takes precedence over the more genuine social problems work. As a Washington Post article so boldly states â€Å"In the political arena, one side is winning the war on child obesity. The side with the fattest wallets.† (Roberts & Wilson, 2012) Proposals that frame childhood obesity as being an inevitable result of increasing environmental surroundings by unhealthful foods are too often neglected by government officials more willing to frame childhood obesity as an individual problem. Indeed it is more convenient to claim providing freedom of choice to individuals who are capable of making their own decisions, emphasizing self regulation, and freeing themselves of responsibility to their nation to lead in financially beefy actions. This essay seeks to demonstrate that childhood obesity should no longer be considered an individual cause stemming from lifestyle choices which can be changed through minor solutions such as education in physical activity and nutrition. Unfortunately, this social problems ownership has become the taken-for-granted frame for this problem (Loseke, 2003, p.69). Childhood obesity really is a social problem which is a direct result from our environment, social structures emphasizing fast, unhealthy, frankly JUNK food which is readily available in any given neighbourhood and continuously marketed through all mediums to increase profits to some select wealthy individuals. I will stress that the only solutions met by this pressing issue have been solely symbolic solutions which have been prematurely praised as they are false attempts to appear loyal to the public, communities, and school systems, while truly remaining loyal to the corporations, who some may very well be held entirely accountable. Within this paper the exploration of three chosen symbolic solutions to date will include: American Government’s distribution of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies for Increasing Physical Activity Among Youth, the national law passing of requiring restaurants with 20 or more chains to provide calorie information on menus and menu boards, and lastly, the enhancement of PE requirements for school aged children. The distribution of said guidelines is reported to be important by reviewing â€Å"the evidence on strategies to increase youth physical activity and make recommendations†¦ and to communicate findings to the public.† (Rodgers, 2012, p.10) This report focuses on five settings, but in reality only offers strategies for 3 of them. Two settings (Home and Family, and Primary Care settings) received no proposed strategies to increase physical activity among youth, and focused only on areas requiring further research (p.7). Those settings which did receive proposed strategies were quite obvious suggestions which doubtfully would have any significant impact on physical activity among youth. One such suggestion is to â€Å"provide teachers with appropriate training† (p.5). Although it must be noted that this is not a report distributed solely to decrease obesity among youth, it is distributed to increase physical activity among youth, which is not the same, though admittedly similar. On the webpage this guide is provided, a number of other arbitrary tools can also be found. Webinars on online nutrition information, fact sheets, blogs, access to printable posters, and more. Educating the public, educating the parents of youth, and the youth themselves of course is important. At what point however will it be supplemented by restrictions on marketing of food and beverages to youth, which this guideline reports is estimated at a whopping $10 billion per year, but shows no indication of wanting to reduce or restrict this, and can only suggest counterbalancing with media campaigns directed to offset these unhealthy images (Rodgers, 2012, p. 3). One article is more forward in summarizing â€Å"Despite this widespread recognition of negative impact of marketing unhealthy foods, the practice continues unabated.† (Harvard School of Public Health, 2012) Mandated menu labelling of calories in some American jurisdictions was passed in 2008, requiring restaurant chains with 20 or more facilities to post calorie information next to each item on their menus and menu board (Kuo, Jarosz, Simon and Fielding, 2009, p.1680). This new law was backed by evidence that â€Å"eating fast food has been shown to increase caloric intake and the risk of becoming obese† (Harvard School of Public Health, 2012). As an alternative to restricting what is sold in these fast food chains, restricting advertising of these products, or perhaps even zoning restrictions on how many fast food restaurants were permitted to be within a certain range of schools, this new law appears to be the most liberal of solutions, and the most beneficial for the companies selling these high calorie foods. Findings from a health impact assessment are as follows: â€Å"mandated menu labelling at fast food and other large chain restaurants could reduce population weight gain, even with only modest changes in consumer behaviour.† (Kuo, Jarosz, Simon and Fielding, 2009, p.1683) As promising as this is, it is followed by a stronger and more realistic assessment stating â€Å" if nonobese restaurant patrons were more likely to order reduced calorie meals than were obese patrons, the impact on the obesity rate could be less than what we reported†. Because there was no study conducted on the weight of those opting for calorie reduced items, it is difficult to say if this solution is beneficial to the target audience, obese people in these jurisdictions. If changes are being made that is great, but there is no evidence to date to support this influencing the rising issue of obesity. It is just another means of essentially saying that the government is willing to educate on the food being provided and it is the choice of the individual, to consume or not consume. One solution offered by government recognizes that with the majority of youth enrolled in schools, school is an ideal place to provide much needed physical activity to students (Rodgers, 2012). In implementation, many state policies require schools to â€Å"have a PE unit requirement that constrains students to spend a minimum amount of time in PE class† (Cawley, Meyerhoefer, and Newhouse, 2007, p. 508). A study evaluating the effectiveness of such policies revealed that, naturally, a required PE unit is correlated with a higher probability that the student participates in PE (Cawley, Meyerhoefer, and Newhouse, 2007, p. 511). Although this is clearly a positive outcome of enforcing requirements among youth to enroll in PE classes, this same study goes on to say that â€Å"a requirement is correlated with students reporting fewer minutes spent active in PE†(p.511). Yes, you read that correctly, specifically 15.1 fewer minutes active in PE for boys, and 3.1 fewer in PE for girls (p.511-512). In conclusion, this report sums up the opposing information by stating that â€Å"curriculum development is not significantly associated with the amount of time spent active in PE†. As such, the implementation of these programs sounds a lot more effective in theory then it is in practice. All three of these solutions offered by government are certainly steps in recognizing that childhood obesity is in fact prevalent in our society. These solutions also claim that something can be done to reduce the level of harm to children’s health, and that actions should be implemented in correcting this epidemic. Essentially childhood obesity is a recognized social problem in our society. Unfortunately because the victims, (obese children), are politically powerless individuals, proposals to decrease the harm attributed to them have been, and will continue to be symbolic. Sadly, effort from interest groups with good intentions can be overshadowed by the social problems game of politics. This concept is not lost in an article posted in The New York Academy of Medicine which reads as follows: â€Å"†¦private interests generally have more resources and skills than public health reformers to achieve their policy goals, and are more successful in resisting changes than advocates are in implementing them. These structural barriers are a powerful deterrent to reducing childhood obesity. Creating cities where health rather than business concerns take precedence will require new approaches to governance and democracy.† (Freudenberg, Libman, and O’Keefe, 2010, p.761) It appears as though, for now, the social problems game of proposing symbolic solutions for childhood obesity is being accepted by audiences. Since Loseke claims that â€Å"the goal of social problems game is persuading audience members† (p.51), government officials, the players, are succeeding. References Cawley, J., Meyerhoefer, C. and Newhouse, D. (2007), The correlation of youth physical activity with state policies. Contemporary Economic Policy, 25: 506–517. doi: 10.1111/j.1465-7287.2007.00070.x Fredenberg, N., Libman, K., O’Keefe, E. (2010), A tale of two obescities: The role of municipal governance in reducing childhood obesity in New York city and London. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 87:5 doi:10.1007/s11524-101-943-x Harvard School of Public Health, (2012), The obesity prevention source toxic food environment. Retrieved from: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ Kuo, T., Jarosz, C., Simon,P., Fielding, J. (2009), Menu labelling as a potential strategy for combating obesity epidemic: A health impact assessment. American Journal of Public Health, 99:9 doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.153023 Loseke, D. (2003), Thinking about social problems. New York: Walter de Gruyter, Inc. Robert, J., Wilson, D., (2012, April 27), Special report: How Washington went soft on childhood obesity. Reuters. Retrieved from: http://www.reuters.com/ Rodgers, A., (2012), Physical activity guidelines for Americans mid-course report: strategies to increase physical activities among youth. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from: http://health.gov/paguidelines/default.aspx

Impact of Interpersonal Skills and Capabilities of Leadership on Knowledge Based Organizations Essay

Abstract: The role of leadership in the success of any organization is very much important. Although in Pakistan very little importance is given to this aspect of organizations inspite of this its importance cannot be denied. In other words, Leadership is the backbone of any knowledge centric organization. This research article shed light on the importance of effective leadership skills and practices which can lead any organization to its golden era. The main focus of the study is the changing nature of leadership with the evolution in the meaning of knowledge based organizations. The study is descriptive in nature and relies on secondary as well as questionnaire based survey. INTRODUCTION Knowledge based organizations are usually considered to be those whose products or services are knowledge -intensive. Knowledge based organizations (also referred as knowledge-enabled or knowledge- intensive organization) are usually described in terms of the knowledge intensity of their product or service. The greater the degree to which knowledge forms the core of the product or service, the more knowledge- based the organization. However, using products or services as a mean for categorizing the knowledge – based organization is inadequate. Products or services reflect only the tangible part of the organization. The primary resource that enables an organization to produce is hidden within the â€Å"invisible asset – intellectual capital†. (Itami, 1987). Knowledge- based organizations (KBOs) lives and breathes knowledge. From day–to-day operations to long-term strategy, creating and applying knowledge is always in the forefront. Prior researches have explored which factors are  essential for managing knowledge effectively. Most studies of them have examined the relationship of knowledge management capabilities, processes and performance. Some researchers have focused on the relationship between capabilities and processes (Hansen, 1999; Szulanski, 1996; Zander & Kogut, 1995). Other studies have focused on the relationship between capabilities and organizational performance (Becerra- Fernandez & Sabherwal, 2001; Gold, Malhotra & Segars, 2001; Simonin, 1997). A key to understanding the success and failure of knowledge management within the organization is the identification and assessment of various factors that are necessary for the knowledge management performance measurement with a balanced view (Arora, 2002; Gooijer, 2000). In this study, we examine the relationship among the interpersonal skills and capabilities towards the knowledge-based organizations. To serve this purpose we figure out the core constructs of interpersonal skills and capabilities. Knowledge based organization base their competitiveness on knowledge .Interpersonal skills and capabilities can be critical for the knowledge based organization. Skills are linked with personal knowledge management in knowledge focused organization. Skills can be either basic or cross functional. In basic skills we develop capabilities that assist in the learning of knowledge on the other hand cross functional skills are the ability to carry out the tasks the can help the organization to boost up. Interpersonal skills involve not only how we communicate with others. Aside our confidence and capability to listen and understand, problem solving decision making and personal stress management all these are related to the interpersonal skills and capabilities. Interpersonal skills and capabilities allow dealing effectively with persons of different temperaments, backgrounds and educational qualification in the organization. Knowledge leadership has a capability to built good relation with subordinates and dealing with them. An organization is successful when it posses good team capabilities and interpersonal skills. People create and share knowledge therefore, managing people who are willing  to create and share knowledge is important. Knowledge and competence can be acquired by hiring new people with desirable skills. In particular, T-shape skills embodied in employees are most often associated with core capability. T-shaped skills may enable individual specialists to have synergistic conversations with one another (Madhaven & Grover, 1980). Although a company’s value is generated by intangible assets like knowledge or brands. Performance measurement is one of the most important management activities. Performance measurement becomes the basis of strategy establishment and achievement in the future because it can definitely bring a company’s vision and strategic target to all organization members. 3 Objectives of Study âž ¢ The objective of our study is to examine the relationship among the interpersonal skills, capabilities and performance of knowledge-based organizations. âž ¢ To develop the results that the primary resources that enables the organization to perform extraordinary lies within â€Å"intangible assets (intellectual capital)†. 4 Significance of Study Now intangible assets such as knowledge rather than tangible financial assets are a measure of a company’s value. Knowledge is the one of the important resource that increases the value of organizations and gives them an edge over competitors. Therefore various attempts to measure organizational performance in knowledge management have been conducted accordingly. 5 Problem Statement Interpersonal skills and capabilities of leadership have a strong impact on the performance of knowledge based organizations. 6 Rational of Study With the shift of industrial economy to knowledge economy there is a need to recognize the value of preserving and sharing knowledge among the organizational communities. This includes the development of strategic knowledge focus, knowledge leadership factors which promote knowledge culture and its impacts on knowledge workers and outcomes of the organization. LITERATURE REVIEW Organizational theorists have defined knowledge based organizations (KBO) in various ways. Knowledge based organizations (Perez- Bustamante, 1999) are organizations applying a knowledge based approach to the organization. This approach perceives organizations as a means for the development, integration, preservation, sharing and application of knowledge. (Wu, Ong & Hsu, 2008) add that knowledge based organizations allocate resources to intangible assets in the rapidly changing and highly competitive business environment in order to gain competitive advantage. Gold, Malhotra, & Segars (2001) examined an empirically effective knowledge management model from the perspective of organizational capabilities. Sveiby (1997) developed an intangible asset monitor (IAM) to measure the performance of intangible assets such as human capital, structural capital, and market capital. Based on the analysis of secondary data (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995; Choo, 1998; Trunecek, 2003; Bartak, 2006; Calabrese , 2006; Bures, 2007; Medzihorsky & Medzihorska, 2007; Sladecek, 2007) by mean of the method of comparison, the following general characteristics of knowledge based organization were identified. |Knowledge Based Organizations | |Creates, integrates, preserves, shares and applies knowledge; | |Is efficient, innovative, flexible and proactive; | |Is customer focused; | |Uses ITs; | |Has a strong and open corporate culture; | |Implements knowledge processes; | |Exploits knowledge resources; | |Manage risks; | |Implements project management; | |Places emphasis on education and organizational learning; | |Disposes of knowledge employees; | |Is process- oriented | |Supports team work; | |Encourages participation in management | (Martina, Hana & Jiri, 2012) 1 Capability (Competency- Based Approach) â€Å"Competency† is a commonly used term for people asserting of their working potential in real activities. The first characterizes competencies as a power and a scope of authority associated with a certain person or body. The second meaning of competencies refers to the capacity, i.e. abilities to perform a certain activity, to have certain general and specific characteristics and skills, to be qualified in the given area. Generally it can be said that it is a set of specific knowledge, abilities, skills, traits, motives, attitudes and values essential for the personal development and successful participation of each person in the organization. This refers to the performance aspect of a competency determined by the level of inputs (knowledge, abilities, skills, traits, motives, attitudes and values) and  measured by the analysis of output (real behavior and results). According to its development, it is possible to divide competencies into three main development phrases. The first phrase consists of individual competencies (White, 1959; McClelland, 1973; Boyatziz, 1982; Schroder, 1989; Woodruffe, 1992; Spencer & Spencer, 1993; Carroll & McCrackin, 1997). The second phase is based on the possibility of managing competencies in an organization by mean of competency models (Mensfield, 1996; mcLagan, 1997; Lucia & Lepsinger, 1999; Rothwell & Lindholm, 1999). The third phase is the identification of core competencies, a sum of organization key organizational competencies that may be exploited to gain competitive advantage (Prahalad & Hamel, 1990; Ulrich & Lake, 1991; Gallon, Stillman, & Coates, 1995; Coyne, Hall, & Clifford, 19 97; Rothwell & Lindholm, 1999; Delamare & Wintertone, 2005). 2 Interpersonal Skills Studies say 90 percent of executive failures are attributable to interpersonal competencies, factors such as leading teams, developing a positive work environment, retaining staff, inspiring trust, and coping with change. If you lack the skills to motivate your frontline employees to accept and optimally use new information technologies, your organization could be missing revenue opportunities. This category grows out of what previous research has referred to as interpersonal skills involve social perceptiveness (Graham, 1983; Mintzberg, 1973; Yukl, 1989) to allow for an awareness of other’s reactions and understanding of why they react the way they do. The interpersonal skill requirement also includes the skills required for coordination of actions of oneself and others (Gillen & Carroll, 1985; Mumford, Marks, Connelly, Zaccaro, & Reiter-Palmon, 2000) and negotiations skills to reconcile differences among employee perspective and establish mutually satisfying relationships (C opeman, 1971; Mahoney, Jerdee, & Carroll, 1963; Mahoney et al., 1965; Mintzberg, 1973), and persuasion skills to influence others to more effectively accomplish organizational objectives (Katz, 1974; mintzberg, 1973; Yukl, 1989). METHODOLOGY 1 Data Collection and Sample Description Samples were restricted to the companies that adopted knowledge management or held similar process innovation campaigns. The sample was designed to include people from different position, departments and industries. Respondents include executive rank managers of various organizations. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire based survey. The questionnaire’s data is arranged in terms of various variables and five-point Likert scales are used. Respondents are asked to indicate the extent to which they disagree or agree with the given statement by selecting a point on the scales for each question. (Where 1= strongly agree and 5= strongly disagree). 2 Survey Instrument This research uses a survey questionnaire to test the hypothesis. The questionnaire consists of 26 items about leadership skills, practices and the performance of knowledge based organizations. Items about leadership skills consist of cognitive skills (four items), interpersonal skills (three items), and strategic skills (two items). Leadership practices consist of leading by example (two items), coaching (six items), team interaction (three items). Knowledge based organizations performance is assessed using three items including: organizations products (two items), employees performance (two items), and organization reputation in the market (two items). 3 Theoretical Framework The dependent variable is knowledge centric organizations performance, which is the variable of primary interest. We attempt to explain the variance in this dependent variable by the two independent variables of (1) Leadership skills and (2) Leadership practices. By General Colin Powell’s: â€Å"Leadership is the art of routinely accomplishing more than the science of management  says is possible†. Interpersonal skills are â€Å"Considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings and capabilities of different people in different situations, is tactful, compassionate and sensitive, and treats with respect†. D.V I.V 5 Hypothesis Ho= Leadership does not affects knowledge based organization’s performance. Ho: p = 0 HA= Leadership affects knowledge based organization’s performance. HA: p >1 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION |Variables |Mean |S.D |N |Cronbach’s alpha | |Independent variables | |Cognitive skills |1.64 |0.7795 |100 |.564 | |Interpersonal skills |1.53 |0.6276 |100 |.371 | |Strategic skills |1.60 |0.7695 |100 |.289 | |Leading by example |1.72 |0.828 |100 |.682 | |Coaching |1.62 |0.7848 |100 |.781 | |Team interaction |1.80 |0.904 |100 |.784 | |Dependent variables | |Organization’s performance |1.85 |0.8027 |100 |.562 | |Organization’s offerings |1.96 |0.8795 |100 |.676 | The leadership skills requirement means range from 1.53 to 1.64 and the S.D ranges from .6276 to .7795, showing a good range and variation. The leadership practices means range from 1.62 to 1.80 and the S.D ranges from .7848 to .904, while organization’s performance mean valued at 1.85 and S.D .8027 and organization’s offerings mean calculated 1.96 and S.D .8795. The correlation between CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS This research proposes and tests a model of leadership skills and practices to better understand the contribution of leadership towards the performance of knowledge centric organizations. The main objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between the leadership skills, practices and KBO’s performance. The findings show how leadership improves the performance of knowledge centric organizations. A knowledge organization focuses on developing interpersonal, structural and network relationships to achieve its goals and objectives effectively and to further generate new knowledge and capabilities for organizational competitiveness and success. Several aspects of the leadership skills were tested, most of which attained empirical support. The major findings are as follow. First, leadership skills grouped into three- parts complex: cognitive, interpersonal and strategic skills. Second, leadership skills were related to organizationallevels. That is, jobs at higher level in the organization have significantly greater overall leadership skill requirement. These findings have important implications for organizational research and practice. They provide empirical evidence of the usefulness of considering different categories of leadership skills. Practically, this indicates that careful attention should be given to management development systems because as managers proceed from lower, to mid, to top level jobs, the rate at which they acquire strategic skills will need to be faster than that for leadership skills in general. Our results imply that effective leadership skills and practices positively impacts key aspects of KBO’s performance. We hope that future research will take advantage of the conceptual and practical findings and further test the model in the other organizations and improve management development, placement and hiring system in knowledge centric organizations.