Book Review The Founding Brothers Essay Example

Book Review The Founding Brothers Essay In Founding Brothers, Joseph Ellis connects six crucial historical events that manage to capture the passion and feeling of the revolutionary generation as wells as its great leaders. Although each chapter can be read separately and completely understood, they relate to a larger, common theme. One of Ellis’ central intentions in writing the book was to demonstrate the early stages and tribulations of the American Government including its system. The brilliant author explains the unique obstacles that the revolutionary generation encountered as a result of governing under the new concept of democracy. Ellis descends deeper into the subject by enlightening the readers to true insight of the important participants of the generation. Ellis’ work tries to capture the moral beliefs of the revolutionary leaders along with their conflicting political viewpoints. Joseph Ellis presents the personalities of John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jeff erson, James Madison, and George Washington beautifully and in tremendous detail. The author brings forth the reality of the partisan and internal conflict withstood by these characters in relation to each other. Ellis highlights that in regardless of these challenging hindrances, the American nation overcame its early stages due to its magnificent group of charismatic leaders and their ability to compromise their disputes. The book contains six different chapters, each describing a separate story. The chapters are titled â€Å"The Duel,† â€Å"The Dinner,† â€Å"The Silence,† â€Å"The Farewell,† â€Å"The Collaborators,† and â€Å"The Friendship.† In â€Å"The Duel,† Ellis describes the legendary shootout between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Many consider this duel to be the most prominent deadly standoff between two men in history. Ellis gives insight of each character’s background and brief biographies of the two men. He reveals the reason behind the duel, a We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review The Founding Brothers specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review The Founding Brothers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review The Founding Brothers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Quotes from the Book Things Fall Apart

Quotes from the Book Things Fall Apart Things Fall Apart  an important African novel by Chinua Achebe, is  one of the greatest classics of its time. The book involves the clash of cultures and belief systems, as colonization affects the people. Here are a few quotes from Things Fall Apart. Quotes From Things Fall Apart A proud heart can survive general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone.- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 3 But he was not the man to go about telling his neighbors that he was in error. And so people said he had no respect for the gods of the clan. His enemies said that his good fortune had gone to his head.- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 4 No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man.- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 7 When did you become a shivering old woman, Okonkwo asked himself, you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed.- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 8 After such treatment it would think twice before coming again, unless it was one of the stubborn ones who returned, carrying the stamp of their mutilationa missing finger or perhaps a dark line where the medicine mans razor had cut them.- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 9 Beware Okonkwo! she warned. Beware of exchanging words with Agbala. Does a man speak when a god speaks? Beware!- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 11 It was like beginning life anew without the vigor and enthusiasm of youth, like learning to become left-handed in old age.- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 14 We have heard stories about white men who made the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true.- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 15 Living fire begets cold, impotent ash.- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 17 The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 20 Okonkwo stood looking at the dead man. He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape. They had broken into tumult instead of action. He discerned fright in that tumult. He heard voices asking: Why did he do it?- Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 24

Marxist theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marxist theory - Essay Example Marxist theory He believes that the existence of poverty and inequality only is not what may turn the employees against the capitalist system. This capital crisis has been a major problem in almost among the daily human workings. Of greater ideological and social impact the instability, ruin and insecurity that periodically inflicted on the working- class people’s lives by the economic crises (Blackledge, 2006pp. 84). This theory states that capital crises have a large impact on the capitalists’ fortunes as well. The saying, ‘operating the union of the capitalist class’ is broken up and led to all- out fight for survival between capitalists themselves and the capital against the working class. Due to this, political instability, an intensification of the class struggle, war and ideological confusion among the ruling class may come around as a result of the capitalism crises. In that case, Marx argues that capital crisis is the most frightful devastation and like an earthq uake, it causes bourgeois society to shake to the very foundations. Out of the capitalist crises there is an emerging of the revolutionally change. This is not guaranteed but it comes about in the hands of the working class. Most of the cases, the people found in the lower classes do not look forward living in their old ways (Cohen, 2000 pp.75). Additionally, the capitalism crises persistence makes the revolutionary change possible and an urgent necessity. ... Conversely, he agues that the capitalism which is prone to crisis brings about the need to socialism. It does not only abolish inequality and poverty but it eliminates the recurrent economic and social disasters that are endemic to the capitalist system (Dougherty & Pfaltzgraff, 2001 pp. 85). Many people have argued differently concerning the capitalism. For instance, Adam said that the free market and the capitalism were caused by the propensity in human nature in order to truck the barter exchange. Conversely, Lionel Robbins argued that capitalism consist of an interdependent series which is in the relationship with the men and economic goods. They both viewed the economic relationships as the relationship between the people and the products. On the other hand, Marx went in to their contrast and argues in capital as the relation between capital and labour wage. He said that the two determines the whole character of the production mode of the capitalist. He was aiming at studying th e process of exchange which clearly tells the under surface happenings. He stated that if the rules and the mechanisms are focused only, the economists will claim that everybody participated as equal whether one was rich or was poor (Eubank, 2011 pp. 94). The Marx’s method Conversely, he argued that by analysing the production sphere the relation between the capital and the wage-labour is able to expose the hidden class contradictions in the system. These contradictions are the ones that are likely to be ignored by the capitalist economists. Additionally, Marx also views capitalist relation as the natural order of things that is rooted from the propensity of the human nature where he supported Adam smith.

Organizations Going Through Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organizations Going Through Change - Essay Example After forming the new organization comprising of 70 people, the next step was to develop links with communities, they include in-house community, technical community, platform community, and portal community (Kodama, 2003). The company employed three strategies simultaneously to deal with other communities. Adding to these three strategies the company used time pacing strategy that involved developing public relations, and advertising its services. Another aspect of the company’s new organization was Entrepreneurial strategy that offered a motivation for the employees to put in their maximum and take the company’s new venture to next level. GBD was formed by Mr. Oboshi for handling i-mode or mobile internet, this individual organization was very small in size compared to the traditional organization that comprised of over 10,000 employees. GBD relied heavily on the traditional organization for investment and support. However, GBD’s strategy was entirely different from its parent company’s strategy. GBD relied on time-pacing, which meant continuous change and less time for adaptation. GBD could have used event based pacing like its parent company. Further time-pacing strategy also creates intra-organization pressure within the team members, and adds stress which can spoil the organizational harmony, and create hindrances for

My Own Behaviour in a Team Setting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

My Own Behaviour in a Team Setting - Assignment Example I also learned that I possess a number of transferable skills such as the ability to put my personal feelings aside whenever there was conflict in the team. In these circumstances, I was able to brush my personal feelings aside and to focus on the assigned task. I also demonstrated self-discipline in that I was able to manage my time and resources in a productive and effective manner. I also discovered that I had other transferable skills such as effective communication skills. I found that I was always able to listen to others and to respond in ways that were relevant and commanded the attention of other members of the team. I also found that I had another very important transferable skill and that was the power of persuasion. I found that with commitment and effort I was able to persuade other members of the group to take a position that was akin to my own. This particular skill will be important to my chosen career when I am advising and helping those who rely on my advice and skills. As I learned from my social networking exercises, I am sure that these skills are the kinds of soft skills that employers will be looking for. I also learned that I can be a bit over anxious and too eager to achieve my end goals. In this regard, the team setting taught me that every task has a purpose and connects to the end goal. Only after several steps are taken can we finally see the results? In this regard, I have to learn to be more patient and pace my time, always aware that I cannot get to the end without starting from the beginning. I will practice this by taking on a number of projects such as reading a book and doing jigsaw puzzles. When I began the course I did so with an open mind, merely hoping that I would come out more prepared to take steps toward my career goal and expecting to at least be in a better position for taking those steps that I was before taking the course.  

An Investigation into the Effect of Organisation on Memory

An Investigation into the Effect of Organisation on Memory Research Previous research has been done by other psychologists into the affect of organisation on memory. In 1953 Bousfield asked participants to try and learn 60 words consisting of 4 categories, (animals, peoples names, professions and vegetables) with 15 examples of each all mixed up. Bousfield found that when participants free recalled (recalled in any order) they tended to cluster similar items, Eg; if someone recalled onion it was very likely that other vegetables followed. Although participants had not been told of the categories, the fact they recalled in clusters suggested that they had tried to organise the data. Bousfield called this trend categorical clustering. Another study took place in 1967 by Mandler, where subjects were given lists of random words and asked to sort them into a given number of categories (between 2 and 7). Once sorted the participants were asked to recall as many of the words as possible. The results showed that recall was poorest for those who used 2 categories and increased steadily by about 4 words per extra category. Those with 7 categories recalled approximately 20 more words than those who used 2. Mandler argued that the great number of categories used, the greater amount of organisation was imposed on the list. However my particular study is inspired and based on a later one by Bowers et al in 1969, in which data wads organised by conceptual hierarchy. In this study participants were required to learn a list of words which were arranged in a hierarchical structure. See appendix 1. The participants studied were split into 2 groups, on group were given the list in the correct hierarchical form, the other group were given the same words in a similar structure however the words were mixed up. Short-term memory is believed to have a capacity of 7 ±2 chunks of information, which can remain there for approximately 20 seconds without rehearsal. Chunking is a process that apparently increases the capacity of short-term memory by relating and combining the incoming information to knowledge that we already possess in long term memory. In chunking we organise information giving it a structure and meaning tit did not already have, so although we can only recall around 7 chunks a meaningful chunk can be very large Rationale ========= The results of Bowers study showed that the list organised by conceptual hierarchical order did indeed promote a higher recall of words than the list arranged in a random order. The organised list proved to have an average of 65% words recalled correctly whereas the disorganised list only recalled an average of 19% correctly. My study is based on the above conceptual hierarchy model. My model will mimic Bowers by having a main heading which splits into several subheadings in a hierarchical form, these headings will then have a list of appropriate words underneath. However, as Bower used the theme of minerals, splitting into categories such as alloys and metals etc. I am going to use the general theme of food splitting in fruits, salads and vegetables. Aim === The aim is to investigate the affect of organisation on memory by finding out if people remember more words from an organised list than they do from a disorganised list of words. Hypothesis ========== As there has been previous research into the affects of organisation on memory I will do a 1 tailed hypothesis.  ¨ People will remember more words from an organised list of words than from a disorganised, Null hypothesis ===============  ¨ There will be no difference between the number of words recalled from the organised list compared with the disorganised list. Any difference will be due to chance. Method Design ====== For this type of study into memory I will use an experimental method in the style of a laboratory experiment because I feel it is the most suitable method. It allows the precise control of variables and enables it to be replicated easily. It is the aim of this study to find out which variables are responsible for affecting memory. Its is only by the experimental method we can alter and control these variables. The design will be independent measures, which means that it consists of 2 groups of different individuals Therefore it is an independent measures design because we will obviously need 2 separate groups of individuals those who do the organised list and those who do the disorganised. The task takes place in the recreational centre in the college. This is in the participants own settings rather than in a laboratory. This should reduce the stress and pressure of the situation and promote natural behaviour. Variables ========= The variables are controlled whether the participant is given the organised list or the disorganised list to memorize.  ¨ Independent variable The independent variable is the factor which I have manipulated and controlled. In this case it is whether the list of words is organized into categories or whether it is disorganized.  ¨ Dependant variable The dependant variable is what is affected by the independent variable, it is also measurable. This is how successfully people remember. I can measure the dependent variable by recording how many words are recalled. *The two lists contain the same words, Universal words were chosen for the lists so that no one would have any expertise or advantage over anyone else. The theme of food is a universal topic that everyone has certain degree of knowledge about, less obvious everyday foods were also used to prevent people simply guessing at common foods. Sample and Participants ======================= In order to conduct my research I will need some people to study. The participants used are called a sample. The type of sample I have chosen to use is called an opportunity sample. This means that I will use anyone that is available at the time the experiment is conducted providing they are over the age of 16. I chose this method because it is the most convenient; I will study a total of 40 people. 20 will do the organised list (consisting of 10 male and 10 female) and the other 20 will do the disorgansied list (also consisting of 10 male and 10 female). The participants will all be students of Stafford College, therefore should be of similar ages and social background. Apparatus =========  ¨ Organized list Appendix 2  ¨ Disorganized list Appendix 3  ¨ Blank paper  ¨ Pen  ¨ Stopwatch Ethics ======  ¨ Participants must be over 16 years of age.  ¨ Participants should give informed consent to take part.  ¨ Confidentiality is of the utmost importance no names will be recorded  ¨ Subjects are free to withdrawn from the study at any point, even after it has been completed they can request their results are not used.  ¨ To avoid any psychological harm or damage to self-esteem, participants should be praised and thanked for taking part.  ¨ Subjects will be fully debriefed to the true nature of the study after completion. Procedure ========= The study is carried out in the recreational area of a college. Myself and my fellow researcher will approach students and by following the standard instructions (Appendix 4) will ask them if they would mind participating in the study. If they agree then they will be provided with either an organised list or a disorganised list of words to memorise. The participants are given 2 minutes to study the list of words, this is then taken off them and another 2 minutes is given for them to free recall and write down as many words as they can remember on a blank piece of paper. When this time is up each participant is fully debriefed. Each potential participant is approached addressed debriefed the same way using the prepared standardized instructions (appendix 4) This is so that what I say to each person doesnt have an influence on their behaviour or their ability to recall data. Controls All variables excluding the independent variable must be controlled and kept consistent for each participant. This will ensure the results obtained are as accurate and reliable as possible.  ¨ Each participant is given the same duration to memorize and recall the data, namely 2 minutes  ¨ The task will be carried out in the recreational area of the college for each participant.  ¨ The researcher will communicate with the participant using the prepared standardized instructions so all participants are treated the same.  ¨ Each participant will be debriefed and thanked in the same manner using the standardized instructions. Table of Results - The tables below show the number of words recalled by each participant for both the organized and disorganized list. Organized List Disorganized List Participant No. Words recalled Participant No. Words recalled 1 16 1 6 2 16 2 6 3 17 3 7 4 14 4 7 5 17 5 5 6 15 6 6 7 14 7 6 8 16 8 5 9 15 9 6 10 16 10 7 11 16 11 6 12 12 12 5 13 15 13 6 14 16 14 4 15 14 15 5 16 17 16 7 17 14 17 6 18 13 18 7 19 18 19 7 20 16 20 6 Measures of Central Tendency - Organized List Disorganized List Mean 15.35 6 Median 16 6 Mode 16 6 Range 6 3 15.35  ¾Ã‚ ¾ = 0.697 * 100 70% is the average number of words recalled from the organized list. 22 6  ¾Ã‚ ¾ = 0.272 * 100 27% is the average number of words recalled from the disorganized list. 22 Results Analysis The results displayed in the table clearly show that when words are arranged in an organized structure it does improve memory and the ability to store and recall information. The average number of words recalled from the organized list is 15.35, thats 70% of all the words recalled. Whereas the list arranged in a random order only recalled an average of 6 words, thats only 27% of the total words recalled. These figures show what an obvious effect organization imposes on memory. It seems to apparently increase memory capacity. Short-term memory has a limited capacity of approximately 7 ± 2 slots of information. This is supported by the fact that an average of 6 words were recalled from the disorganized list. However an average of 15 words were recalled from the disorganized list, this is much more data than can be stored in short term memory. This is evidence that a process called chunking took place. Chunking is a process which involves relating and combining information to knowledge already stored in long term memory. This apparently increases the capacity of short term memory by giving data a structure and meaning it did not already process therefore increasing the size of a meaningful chunk. So although we only have the ability to store 7 ± 2 slots of information in STM, A slot can be very large. In the case of the organized list, chunking would most likely occur by relating and combining the information into the already structured groups of salads, fruits and vegetables. From the results I have obtained I can confidently conclude that my hypothesis can be accepted that a greater number of words are indeed recalled from an organized list compared with the same list of words in a random order. I can therefore reject my null hypothesis that the results produced were not due to chance but due to the structure that organization imposes. Discussion -  ¨ Implications of the study My results support the hypothesis that people do indeed recall more words from an organized list than from a disorganized list. The average number of words recalled from the organized list was 15.35 compared to just 6 from the disorganized list, so this is clearly true. My study was based on a previous study by Bowers in 1969; The results I produced are comparable to those obtained by Bowers. Table comparing the result of my study and Bowers study My Study Bowers Study Average words recalled % of Words Average words recalled % of Words Organized 16.35 70% 16.9 65% Disorganized 6 27% 4.94 19% The results are quite similar although my results have a higher percentage of words recalled for both the organized and disorganized list compared to Bowers results, however it must be taken into account that more words were involved in Bowers list: 26 compared to the 22 words used on my list. This will have an affect on memory as the participant is challenged to remember more words. Also different themes were used, Bower used that of minerals Whereas mine involved food. This could affect the ability to recall especially if some of Bowers participants had more specialized knowledge then others, the same can be said for the theme of food. With these factors in mind, on the whole my results are similar to those obtained by Bowers.  ¨ Validity The study does show that organisation can aid how effectively we remember data and can be regarded as accurate and reliable. However the experimental method that was used lacks in ecological validity. Although the study took place in a recreational area, so therefore in the participants own settings, it is not however a natural everyday scenario to need to remember words in this manner, it is an artificial situation. Apart from these factors I did attempt to make the test as valid as possible. For example I tried to use everyday universal words that people would be familiar with and no one would have any particular advantage or knowledge over anyone else. Also I tried to make the variables as clear as possible because variables can affect peoples memory ie. Whether they are given the organised or disorganised list, However it is crucial that they werent told what the list is as itd give the participant some insight into the true nature of the experiment and give them an advantage. Overall, I think that my study is a good representation of the affect organisation has on memory.  ¨ Improving Validity To improve the validity of this research it needs to be performed in a more realistic scenario, an idea f this would be to change the method to make it more valid. I could do this by doing my research in the form of exam revision so it would be more like a field experiment. I could do this by creating a situation in which 2 groups are given one week to study for a small test. One group is encouraged to revise using an organised method, structured into categories and subheadings, whereas the other group are left to their own methods. Another idea is to use the same method used by Rubin and Olsen. They tried to create a valid test by asking university students to recall professor and they subjects they taught by giving one group an organised list to study and the other a list in random order.  ¨ Reliability I used the experimental method in the style of a laboratory experiment. This method is usually very reliable and accurate as it allows manipulation and full control over the variables (i.e. Whether the participant is given the organized or disorganized list) I can be fairly sure that if I repeated my research I would get very similar results to what I have obtained. I had strict controls and kept factors constant, such as time to memorize and recall, this should ensure that results recorded are accurate. I also used a set of standardized instructions and procedure which I followed when asking a student to participate, this was to make sure that what I said to each person didnt have any effect on their ability to recall words. However, the sampling method used called opportunity sampling can be seen as biased because the researcher chooses who to take part and who doesnt.  ¨ Improving Reliability To improve reliability I could have used the sampling technique of matched groups. This consists of 2 groups of people which are matched by age gender background etc. i.e. for every person there is someone to match them in the opposite group, Also I could use a wider range of participants of different ages and people from different parts of the country (they would still need to be matched for the other group) Also I could test a larger number of people than 20 per list.  ¨ Generalization of Findings A generalization could be made from my results that organization does indeed prove to increase the capacity of memory and the ability to recall. However it needs to be taken into account that the study was conducted in one small area and participants were all students of similar age and social background, so it can be argued that it is unreasonable and inaccurate to generalize and apply the results to everyone. For example, it would not be reasonable to apply the results of a small select group of young adults to the older generation. The study on the whole was not a natural scenario so it isnt reasonable to conclude that it is how people would behave in real life.  ¨ Application to Everyday Life This study could be applied to help people in everyday life. Some ideas of how it could be used is to aid in exam revision for example, by revising from notes arranged in an organised manner should organize the date in the brain and promote better recall in exams and therefore better exam results. Another idea is that it could help people with learning difficulties, if they learn from material arranged in an organized and structured format using subheadings etc it will give it a structure and meaning it did not already have and it should be easier to learn and store the information.

Finding Freedom with a Dodge Truck and Love with a Zales Diamond Essay

Finding Freedom with a Dodge Truck and Love with a Zales Diamond Television commercials, although usually ignored and generally disliked by the public, are more influential than most people think. Their concepts are subconsciously absorbed and whether or not viewers realize it, they leave an impact on their minds. Marie Winn quotes an English instructor in her essay, â€Å"Television Addiction,† as saying ‘I find television almost irresistible. When the set is on, I cannot ignore it. I can’t turn it off’ (506). Advertisers know that people become addicted to television shows and because of this, they are forced to watch the commercials as well. These repetitious commercials get the consumers influenced by what they see. For example, Dodge promoters use a ram as their mascot which is reflected in their motto â€Å"Grab Life by the Horns,† and it is shown at the end of all their commercials. They want you to seize the freedom in life that you have while making a Dodge car a part of it. Another example of an abstrac t idea promoted in a commercial is the Zales diamond advertisement where a man expresses his love for his girlfriend by not only unrestrainedly shouting it out loudly, but also by presenting her with a beautiful diamond ring. While these commercials induce people to buy their products, they also evoke certain emotions, more specifically the ideas of freedom and love. Dave Barry states in his essay, â€Å"Red, White, and Beer,† â€Å"Lately I’ve been feeling very patriotic, especially during commercials† (519). So, commercials have the power to make consumers feel particular emotions. For instance, the Dodge car promoters use an outdoor setting in their commercial to advertise their trucks. The area is a vast, wide open plain with no... ...tisement for it, because of its visual representation. In conclusion, advertisers have the job of not only tempting viewers to buy a product, but also the power to make them feel emotions through visually showing different situations. â€Å"Dodge† wants you to break away from the norm and embrace freedom while â€Å"Zales† encourages spontaneity in love. In order to fulfill these emotions, the viewers are induced to purchase the product, therefore accomplishing the task of the advertisers. Works Cited Barry, Dave â€Å"Red, White, and Beer† The McGraw-Hill Reader 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller New York: McGraw Hill, 2003, 519-521 Dove, Rita â€Å"Loose Ends† The McGraw-Hill Reader 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller New York: McGraw Hill, 2003, 503-505 Winn, Marie â€Å"Television Addiction† The McGraw-Hill Reader 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller New York: McGraw Hill, 2003, 505-507

Deviant Behavior Essay

One man having more than one wife can be a deviant behavior depending on the country and a person’s beliefs. Polygamy is considered normal and lawful in many countries, but it is outlawed in the United States. The people that believe in it say that monogamy is not natural and it oppresses the social structure. Those against it, say it is a religious offense, or that it violates a spouse’s right to intimacy. The Mormon belief is that polygamy is holy and was practiced commonly in ancient times. Having more than one wife is not only natural it is expected in most cases. However in other societies, some believe it is not only wrong but it’s also against the law. The law can be tricky at times especially when it involves religion because as long as a man is following the Mormon faith he can have more than one wife I think. The majority of incarcerated people live below the poverty level because they can’t afford to hire a good attorney and have to settle for the one appointed to them. However, those with money and power can buy just about anything, whether it’s a good lawyer, or to bribe people in high places. The deviant behavior of the powerful is generally considered to be their business and would normally be ignored by society. Someone who is less powerful would have to accept it and deal with whatever punishment they are given. If the wealthy and powerful are lucky enough, they will do a short Federal prison time. The less fortunate go straight to jail or prison. For example, if an average person gets pulled over for a DUI, they will usually get their liscense suspended, serve 30 days or so in jail, and have large fines to pay. A person of power will most likely be able to post bond within a few hours and pay court fines as soon as they can.

Programming a Tic Tac Toe Game in Visual Basic

Programming a Tic Tac Toe Game in Visual Basic Programming computer games may be the most technically challenging (and possibly the best paying) job that a programmer can have. Top level games require the best from both programmers and computers. Visual Basic 6 has now been thoroughly bypassed as a platform for game programming. (It never really was one. Even in the good ol days, serious game programmers would never use a high-level language like VB 6 because you just couldnt get the cutting edge performance that most games require.) But the simple Tic Tac Toe game is a great introduction to programming that is a little more advanced than Hello World! This is a great introduction to many of the fundamental concepts of programming since it combines techniques including: The use of arrays. The X and O markers are kept in separate arrays and the entire arrays are passed between functions to keep track of the progress of the game.Using VB 6 level graphics: VB 6 doesnt offer great graphical capability, but the game is a good introduction to what is available. Much of the rest of this series is an exploration of how GDI, the next generation of Microsoft graphics, replaces the VB 6 level graphics.Using math calculations for program control: The program uses clever modulo (Mod) and integer division calculations using the two-game marker arrays to determine when a three-element win has occurred. The class of programming in this article is perhaps just a little past the beginning level but it should be good for intermediate programmers. But lets start at an elementary level to illustrate some of the concepts and get you started with your Visual Basic game programming career. Even students more advanced than that may find that its slightly challenging to get the objects in the form just right. How to Play Tic Tac Toe If youve never played Tic Tac Toe, here are the rules. Two players alternate at placing Xs and Os into 3 x 3 playing field. Before the game starts, both players have to agree about who will go first and who will mark his moves with which symbol. After the first move, the players alternately place their marks in any empty cell. The goal of the game is to be the first player with three marks in a horizontal, diagonal or vertical line. If there are no empty cells and neither player has a winning combination, the game is a draw. Starting the Program Before starting any actual coding, its always a good idea to change the names of any components you use. Once you start coding, the name will be used automatically by Visual Basic so you want it to be the right name. Well use the form name frmTicTacToe and well also change the caption to About Tic Tac Toe. With the form established, use the line toolbox control to draw a 3 x 3 grid. Click the line tool, then draw a line where you want it. Youll have to create four lines this way and adjust their length and position to make them look right. Visual Basic also has some convenient tools under the Format menu that will help. This is a great chance to practice with them. In addition to the playing grid, well need some objects for the X and O symbols that will be placed on the grid. Since there are nine spaces in the grid, well create an object array with nine spaces, called elements in Visual Basic. There are several ways to do just about everything in the Visual Basic development environment, and creating control arrays is is no exception. Probably the easiest way is to create the first label (click and draw just like the line tool), name it, set all of the attributes (such as Font and ForeColor), and then make copies of it. VB 6 will ask if you want to create a control array. Use the name lblPlayGround for the first label. To create the other eight elements of the grid, select the first label object, set the Index property to zero, and press CTRLC (copy). Now you can press CTRLV (paste) to create another label object. When you copy objects like this, each copy will inherit all properties except Index from the first one. Index will increase by one for each copy. This is a control array because they all have the same name, but different index values. If you create the array this way, all of the copies will be stacked on top of each other in the upper left corner of the form. Drag each label to one of the playing grid positions. Be sure that index values are sequential in the grid. The logic of the program depends on it. The label object with index value 0 should be in the top left corner, and the bottom right label should have index 8. If the labels cover the playing grid, select each label, right-click, and select Send to Back. Since there are eight possible ways to win the game, well need eight different lines to show the win on the playing grid. You will use the same technique to create another control array. First, draw the line, name it linWin, and set the Index property to zero. Then use copy-paste technique to produce seven more lines. The following illustration shows how to set the index numbers correctly. In addition to the label and line objects, you need some command buttons to play the game and more labels to keep score. The steps to create these are not detailed here, but these are the objects you need. Two button objects: cmdNewGamecmdResetScore Frame object fraPlayFirst containing two option buttons: optXPlayeroptOPlayer Frame object fraScoreBoard containing six labels. Only lblXScore and lblOScore are changed in the program code. lblXlblXScorelblOlblOScorelblMinuslblColon Finally, you also need the label object lblStartMsg to mask the cmdNewGame button when it shouldnt be clicked. This isnt visible in the illustration below because it occupies the same space in the form as the command button. You may have to move the command button temporarily to draw this label on the form. So far, no VB coding has been done, but were finally ready to do that. Initialization Now you get to finally start coding the program. If you havent already, you might want to download the source code to follow along as the operation of the program is explained. One of the first design decisions to make is how to keep track of the current state of the game. In other words, what are the current Xs and Os on the playing grid and who moves next. The concept of state is critical in a lot of programming, and in particular, its important in programming ASP and ASP.NET for the web There are several ways that this could be done, so its a critical step in the analysis. If you were solving this problem on your own, you might want to draw a flowchart and try out different options with scratch paper before starting any coding. Variables Our solution uses two two-dimensional arrays because that helps keep track of state by simply changing the array indexes in program loops. The state of the top-left corner will be in the array element with index (1, 1), the top-right corner will be in (1, 3), the bottom-right in (3,3), and so forth. The two arrays that do this are: iXPos(x, y) and iOPos(x, y) There are a lot of different ways this can be done and the final VB.NET solution in this series shows you how to do it with just a single one-dimensional array. The programming to translate these arrays into player win decisions and visible displays in the form are on the next page. You also need a few global variables as follows. Notice that these are in the General and Declarations code for the form. This makes them module level variables that can be referenced anywhere in the code for this form. For more on this, check Understanding the Scope of Variables in Visual Basic Help. There are two areas where variables are initialized in our program. First, a few variables are initialized while the form frmTicTacToe is loading. Private Sub Form_Load() Second, before each new game, all variables that need to be reset to starting values are assigned in an initialization subroutine. Sub InitPlayGround() Note that the form load initialization also calls the playground initialization. One of the critical skills of a programmer is the ability to use the debugging facilities to understand what the code is doing. You can use this program to try: Stepping through the code with the F8 keySetting a watch on key variables, such as sPlaySign or iMoveSetting a breakpoint and querying the value of variables. For example, in the inner loop of the initialization: lblPlayGround((i - 1) * 3 j - 1).Caption Note that this program clearly shows why its a good programming practice to keep data in arrays whenever possible. If you did not have arrays in this program, you would have to write code something like this: Line0.Visible FalseLine1.Visible FalseLine2.Visible FalseLine3.Visible FalseLine4.Visible FalseLine5.Visible FalseLine6.Visible FalseLine7.Visible False instead of this: For i 0 To 7linWin(i).Visible FalseNext i Making a Move If any part of the system can be thought of as the heart, its subroutine lblPlayGround_Click. This subroutine is called every time a player clicks the playing grid. (Clicks must be inside one of the nine lblPlayGround elements.) Notice that this subroutine has an argument: (Index As Integer). Most of the other event subroutines, like cmdNewGame_Click() do not. Index indicates which label object has been clicked. For example, index would contain the value zero for the top-left corner of the grid and the value eight for the bottom-right corner. After a player clicks a square in the game grid, the command button to start another game, cmdNewGame, is turned on by making it visible. The state of this command button does double duty because its also used as a boolean decision variable later in the program. Using a property value as a decision variable is usually discouraged because if it ever becomes necessary to change the program (say, for example, to make the cmdNewGame command button visible all the time), then the program will unexpectedly fail because you might not remember that its also used as part of the program logic. For this reason, its always a good idea to search through program code and check the use of anything you change when doing program maintenance, even property values. This program violates the rule partly to make this point and partly because this is a relatively simple piece of code where its easier to see what is being done and avoid problems later. A player selection of a game square is processed by calling the GamePlay subroutine with Index as the argument. Processing the Move First, you check to see if an unoccupied square was clicked. If lblPlayGround(xo_Move).Caption Then Once were sure this is a legitimate move, the move counter (iMove) is incremented. The next two lines are very interesting since they translate the coordinates from the one-dimensional If lblPlayGround component array to two-dimensional indexes that you can use in either iXPos or iOPos. Mod and integer division (the backslash) are mathematical operations that you dont use every day, but heres a great example showing how they can be very useful. Â  If lblPlayGround(xo_Move).Caption TheniMove iMove 1x Int(xo_Move / 3) 1y (xo_Move Mod 3) 1 The xo_Move value 0 will be translated to (1, 1), 1 to (1, 2) ... 3 to (2, 1) ... 8 to (3, 3). The value in sPlaySign, a variable with module scope, keeps track of which player made the move. Once the move arrays are updated, the label components in the playing grid can be updated with the appropriate sign. If sPlaySign O TheniOPos(x, y) 1iWin CheckWin(iOPos())ElseiXPos(x, y) 1iWin CheckWin(iXPos())End IflblPlayGround(xo_Move).Caption sPlaySign For example, when the X player clicks the top left corner of the grid, variables will have the following values: The user screen shows only an X in the upper left box, while the iXPos has a 1 in the upper left box and 0 in all of the others. The iOPos has 0 in every box. The values changes when the O player clicks the center square of the grid. Now th iOPos shows a 1 in the center box while the user screen shows an X in the upper left and an O in the center box. The iXPos shows only the 1 in the upper left corner, with 0 in all of the other boxes. Now that you know where a player clicked, and which player did the clicking (using the value in sPlaySign), all you have to do is find out if someone won a game and figure out how to show that in the display. Finding a Winner After each move, the CheckWin function checks for the winning combination. CheckWin works by adding down each row, across each column and through each diagonal. Tracing the steps through CheckWin using Visual Basics Debug feature can be very educational. Finding a win is a matter of first, checking whether three 1s were found in each of the individual checks in the variable iScore, and then returning a unique signature value in Checkwin that is used as the array index to change the Visible property of one element in the linWin component array. If there is no winner, CheckWin will contain the value -1. If there is a winner, the display is updated, the scoreboard is changed, a congratulation message is displayed, and the game is restarted. Lets go through one of the checks in detail to see how it works. The others are similar. Check Rows for 3For i 1 To 3iScore 0CheckWin CheckWin 1For j 1 To 3iScore iScore iPos(i, j)Next jIf iScore 3 ThenExit FunctionEnd IfNext i The first thing to notice is that the first index counter i counts down the rows while the second j counts across the columns. The outer loop, then simply moves from one row to the next. The inner loop counts the 1s in the current row. If there are three, then you have a winner. Notice that you also keep track of the total number of squares tested in the variable CheckWin, which is the value passed back when this function terminates. Each winning combination will end up with a unique value in CheckWin from 0 to 7 which is used to select one of the elements in the linWin() component array. This makes the order of the code in function CheckWin important too! If you moved one of the blocks of loop code (like the one above), the wrong line would be drawn on the playing grid when someone wins. Try it and see! Finishing Details The only code not yet discussed is the subroutine for a new game and the subroutine that will reset the score. The rest of the logic in the system makes creating these quite easy. To start a new game, you have only to call the InitPlayGround subroutine. As a convenience for players since the button could be clicked in the middle of a game, you ask for confirmation before going ahead. You also ask for confirmation before restarting the scoreboard.

Top Man essays

Top Man essays In the story Top Man; JR Ullman proves that Nace is the Top Man. He went on a dangerous journey on K3. He will to give his life to save another. Nace also have determination to go on to the mountain that took his friend. Can you image what the setting in this story must be like? Just think, mid 20th century, a huge mountain, K3, exceeding 28,000 feet, shutting out half of the sky. A mountain with no other mountain higher in British India, one of highest in the surrounding area. Sweeping glaciers running up the mountain, with enormous snowdrifts. What seems like 100 vertical cliffs, and one sharp and jagged spine. You could almost feel the soft snow and it hear the avalanches. It was cold enough to take off your nose. Then there is a grope of advancers with Osborn and Nace it was obvious of the tension between them. Nace and Osborn are the main characters that are racing to the top of K3. The internal conflict is who is the top man/the leader. K3 is the external conflict. The rising actions of the story starting when Osborn saw the mountain first, then argued if they should use their sleeping bags for the first night. Nace has also came within 500 feet of the peak of K3, but had to turn back. Another rising action is the location of the camps. Camp one and two are on a glacier, camp three is also on the upper end of the glacier, Camp four is 2,000 feet farther up the mountain from camp three, and camp six is 26,500 feet from the base of the mountain. A storm moves in and it pass over in three nights. There are two groups; the first group consists of 11 people Nace, Johns, eight porters and myself. The second group consists of ten people Osborn, Wittmer and eight porters. Osborn has been finding new shortcuts. Osborn left in the middle of the night by himself to try to make it to t he top. Nace and myself caught up to Osborn the next day, they found him stan ...

The Selection of Juries and Trial Consultants Essay

The Selection of Juries and Trial Consultants - Essay Example 1). Having a psychologist or jury specialist focus on the prospective jurists and the selection process offers a better outcome than relying on their skills alone. Scientific jury selection improves the outcome of the trial depending on the type of case according to research conducted by Seltzer (2006). Many factors influence a jury’s decision and the type of case is only one, as Lieberman and Sales (2007) determined. The attitudes of the community towards the crime or action taken in a civil suit also play a significant role. The scientific jury selection process is different from the depiction in television and movies where the expert reads the individuals serving (Lieberman & Sales, 2007). It involves questionnaires, theories, and surveys of others outside the courtroom, which is empirical science and provides a better understanding. For highly emotional trials where public opinion could sway the outcome of the trial, this practice reduces questionable jurists and

Canon Digital Cameras Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Canon Digital Cameras - Essay Example The reason is that such companies have adopted effective strategies than relying on raw money power and propaganda. The lack of sensible strategy and the failure to use technology, combined with obsolete methods of marketing seems to be the bane of many companies who are not able to make a successful thrust in the market. Most ideas are either short sighted or serve only the immediate purposes of the company. Lack of professionalism is very evident in the management of many companies that has great potential. A very important aspect of business that still is a gray area for many business organizations is effective customer management. Canon's long 70-plus year history of expertise in the photographic industry positions us for such market leadership," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc. "We are proud to be the camera of choice for consumers and professionals. We are the only camera company today that truly offers a full line of consumer and professional digital imaging solutions. By designing and manufacturing our own lenses, CMOS image sensors (found on the company's digital SLRs) and image processors, we can control both image quality and cost - ultimately providing consumers with the best digital imaging options.More than 60 years of experience and know-how,  Canon started out as a company with a handful of employees and a burning passion. That company soon became a world-renowned camera maker and is now a global multimedia corporation. However, the origins of our success remain unchanged: the passion of our early years and tech nological expertise amassed over more than 60 years.