How Cheerleading Is a Sport Essay Example for Free

How Cheerleading Is a Sport Essay Many consider cheerleading not a sport, but the New York Times states, one of the quickest growing sports for girls in our country today is cheerleading. Additionally, the New York Times doesn’t differentiate between sideline and competition cheerleaders. Sideline cheerleaders are on the sideline cheering on the football team and getting the crowd pumped for the football game. A competition cheerleader competes against other schools or teams in competitions that last two minutes and thirty seconds which consist of stunting, tumbling, dancing and jumps. Cheerleading is a sport because it is made up of teamwork, vigorous practices, it’s very dangerous, and it has rules and guidelines like any other sport in today’s society. Teamwork is the most important aspect in cheerleading. â€Å"Teamwork is not only crucial for executing the pyramid or stunt, but also to prevent injuries. Additionally, judges look at a squads ability to function and perform as a team demonstrated by synchronization and execution of stunts† (Allen). Teamwork is defined as everyone working together to achieve a common goal. The main goal for a cheerleading competition is to get first place, but that doesn’t always happen. To achieve this goal, everyone has to be ready to go and work together, but also communicate as a team. A competitive cheerleaders’ goal is to do all they can to win the competition overall. Cheerleading is a sport that involving people working together as a team, but without cooperation, synchronization, and communication, first place is not attainable. To be a cheerleader, you have to go to practice just like any other athlete. Cheerleaders have vigorous practices just like football. Competitive cheerleading is a sport that includes strength. For a person to be a cheerleader, you must be in shape and flexible because in a cheerleading routine you need to be able to tumble, stunt, jump, and dance without stopping for the entire two minutes and thirty seconds. Cheerleaders must learn to tumble, just like gymnasts. The only way cheerleaders will learn to tumble is if they attend practice and work hard without ever giving up. A cheerleading practice consists of conditioning, going over the routine full out over 50 times, jumping, tumbling, stunting, dancing your heart out, and even more conditioning. Cheerleaders perform stunts that require strength. In a stunt, flyers are tossed in the air, by their two bases and back spots in different stunts that require strength, teamwork, communication, and cooperation. To be able to perform the very challenging stunts, cheerleaders need to condition and workout like any other sport that competes. Cheerleading is considered the number one dangerous sport for girls in todays country. Sports injuries for cheerleading appear in the ER more than five times the number of any other sport. According to LiveScience staff, cheerleading injuries account for more than 67 percent of sports injuries (LiveScience). While watching a routine, you will see that most cheerleaders will have on an ankle brace, a knee brace, or a wrist brace. They wear braces because cheerleaders easily get hurt and they have to wear a brace to be able to cheer and not reinjure themselves. In most cases, the cheerleaders will continue to wear the brace after their injury is healed because they don’t want to hurt their previous injury. The most common injuries are ankle sprains. Cheerleaders may need surgery for some of their injuries because in most cases a cheerleader could of torn their MCL or ACL. That means the cheerleader could be out for months. In worst cases of injuries, their have been cheerleaders that have broken their necks in stunts, like pyramids or basket tosses. There have been cases in which cheerleaders have died because they have fallen out of a stunt and onto their head causing brain damage. Many consider cheerleading not a sport because they don’t use balls, but that’s not true. Cheerleading has rule and guidelines just like any other sport in the world. The rules and regulations in cheerleading are very strict. Some rules in cheerleading are routines must not exceed 2 minutes and 30 seconds. A cheerleading routine must be performed on mats or spring flooring. In addition, each athlete must wear his or her uniform and jewelry is prohibited. If a judge catches jewelry on a cheerleader, they will deduct points for appearance. If a bobby pin or clip hits the floor, the team gets points deducted. Props such as flags, banners and pom pons are allowed. Also judges are the ones who judge the routines. The judges are like the referees in a football or basketball game. The judges will judge a routine on motions, dance, tumbling, jumps, facial expressions, and their overall performance. Many Americans think that cheerleading not a sport, but by the definition of a sport, cheerleading is considered a sport. â€Å"A sport, according to the Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors, is a physical activity or competition that competes against or with an opponent, governed by rules and regulations under which a winner is declared, and primary purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants† (Renee). Many say that competition cheerleading is a sport, but not sideline. In my opinion, any type of cheerleading is a sport because there is a chance that at games, an injury may occur. Sideline cheerleading is considered a sport, just like competition cheerleading, because most high schools use their sideline team as their competition team. Also at games the sideline/competition team will perform very risky and complicated stunts that people might get seriously injured.

How Important Is Energy Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay

How Important Is Energy Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay Thesis statement: With non renewable resources of energy being consumed at a very rapid rate, sustainability of energy has become the need of the hour. In the current context of meeting the global energy demands nuclear energy meets every reasonable criterion for sustainability. The increase in the concerns about the harmful side-effects of global warming, coupled with a faster dwindling of the conventional sources of energy, have led to a renewed interest in nuclear energy. After the Cold War, nuclear energy development was largely forgotten for many years until this renewed desire among developed nations for the availability of alternative energy sources to meet their ever increasing energy demands. With the prices of oil and global warming concerns rising steadily, the clean-burning properties of nuclear power are becoming much more attractive. Nuclear energy is viewed as an ideal replacement for the non renewable sources of energy for the four following main reasons. Firstly Nuclear energy produces the most energy than any non-renewable resource. Secondly high reserves of uranium are found on earth which is the raw material for nuclear reactors. Thirdly there is no release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons du ring a nuclear reaction. Finally the amount of waste produced is the least of any major energy production process. Although there are various risks involved when using nuclear energy, I will argue that nuclear energy is the best source of energy to replace oil and also I will argue that nuclear energy wastes are treatable, can be recycled and possess no threat to mankind.   Of the various advantages of nuclear energy, its efficiency is by far the most important. One of the major criterions that determine an efficient source of energy is the amount of energy it produces and how it impacts the environment. It is a basic energy fact that the fission of an atom of uranium produces 10 million times the energy from an atom of carbon than does coal. Nuclear energy extracts by far more energy from the natural resource Uranium than does the exploitation of oil or any other natural resource. In 1950s Dr. M. Hubbard, Geologist at Shell, said that US Oil would peak in 10 to 15 years. He was laughed at and in the 1970s we ran out of Oil. His statement was based on a Discovery Bell Curve which said oil production continues to go up even after the oil discoverys drop off and that the rate that we run out of oil can be measured on the lack of new discoveries. Heres a quote from NEIs website: Nuclear plants are the lowest-cost producer of baseload electricity. The avera ge production cost of 1.87 cents per kilowatt-hour includes the costs of operating and maintaining the plant, purchasing fuel and paying for the management of used fuel. These facts prove nuclear energy as the most efficient form of energy over its competitors, including oil, coal, wind, hydroelectric, and near-term solar power.   Many people are of the opinion that uranium is a rare metal, but its about as common as copper or tin and 40 times more common than silver. Uranium, the chief source of nuclear fuel, is vastly abundant, which makes this resource similar to other renewable resources. As per the NEAs (Nuclear Energy Agency) findings, uranium resources of total 5.5 million metric tons and an additional 10.5 million metric tons remain undiscovered-a roughly 230-year supply at todays consumption rate in total. Bernard Cohens, Professor of Physics at Pittsburgh University, 5 billion year estimate is based on extracting uranium from seawater, which the Japanese have already shown to work. Cohen calculated that we could take 16,000 tons per year of uranium from seawater, which would supply 25 times the worlds present electricity usage and twice the worlds present total energy consumption. He argued that given the geological cycles of erosion, subduction and uplift, the supply would last for 5 billion years w ith a withdrawal rate of 6,500 ton per year. His comments support the fact that uranium is a renewable resource of energy.   Among the many benefits of nuclear power, the main advantage of nuclear power over other methods is that it is a clean way to produce energy as it does not result in the emission of any of the poisonous gases like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen dioxide. With the pollution levels in the atmosphere greatly affecting the general climatic conditions, nuclear energy is definitely a preferable option when compared to burning of fossil fuels (Dujardin 2007). Production of nuclear energy doesnt contribute to emission of green house gases as it does in the case of fossil fuels. Also, going by the alarming rate at which the fossil fuels are burned, it is predicted that, the coal and oil deposits across the world are expected to deplete by end of this century. Uranium deposits, on the other hand are here to remain for a long time, and even if they get depleted, alternative sources in form of plutonium and thorium also exist.   Nuclear energy is also considered to be renewable depending on the type of reactor that is being used. A special type of reactor design called a breeder reactor can create or refine radioactive elements as a part of its functioning (Young, 1998). There are breeder designs that, once operating, can refine uranium, turning even natural uranium into fuel-grade uranium that can be used by other standard reactors. Some breeder designs create plutonium as a byproduct, which can be used for either power generation or in nuclear weapons. Currently, there are 442 reactors operating in the world, 130 of which are in the United States. Another 12 are being built in foreign countries. With the current technology, only 1% of the energy available in uranium is able to be captured by thermal reactors. This energy makes up between 11% and 18% of the total energy available in the world. Developing technologies that would allow us to capture more of this available energy is at least 15 years away, but with incentives, these advances could be a realistic part of our future. The potential is not the only part of the advantages of nuclear energy.   Nuclear energy has another advantage in that it is relatively inexpensive to produce when compared to conventional methods of energy production. Uranium is reasonably cheap to mine, and easy to transport to reactors around the globe, making nuclear energy. While the cost of producing other forms of energy has risen steadily over the last 26 years, the cost of producing nuclear energy has dropped, over the same period of time, with an average finished cost between 3 and 5 cents per kilowatt (Makhijani Saleska, 1999). The potential is not the only part of the advantages of nuclear energy. Regardless of the various definitions of renewable, nuclear power therefore meets every reasonable criterion for sustainability, which is the prime concern.   Both, the disadvantages and advantages of nuclear power plants have to be taken into consideration when determining whether this source of energy is efficient for development of power or not. While the critics of nuclear energy have been citing the various nuclear power plant disasters that have occurred in the past as one of the main reason for refraining from use of nuclear energy, its proponents are confident that it has the ability to sustain the energy requirements of the entire world, in a safe manner. Overall, however, I believe that the use of nuclear energy greatly outweighs any other sources of energy.  

Traditional malaysian music

Traditional malaysian music INTRODUCTION: A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRADITIONAL MALAYSIAN MUSIC The history of Malaysian music needs to be viewed from the perspective of the old Malay world which covered Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia, along with parts of Thailand. Within this cultural entity, one can find numerous similarities of musical instruments and musical structures which are the result of a common cultural heritage moulded by musical elements from the West Asia, India and China In addition to the Indian and Islamic factors, Malaysian art forms have also been influenced by the countrys neighbours, particularly Indonesia and Thailand. Indonesia immigrants, especially Javanese and Bugis, along with Minangkabau, Achinese and other Sumaterans who are traditionally concentrated in the south-western part of the Malay Peninsula (ex: Johore, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor) brought with them several of the performing arts which are now considered Malaysian (Ghouse Nasuruddin 1992). Among them are the Javanese wayang purwa, a form of shadow play which is different from those of Kelantan and Kedah; the ketoprak, a dance drama; kuda kepang, another traditional dance; and the angklung, a musical ensemble consisting of bamboo chime instruments. In addition, the Bugis brought to Terengganu the joget gamelan from the Riau Archipelago, and also the rodat from Acheh in Sumatera via Sambas in Borneo. The Malaysian performing arts in the northern part of the Peninsula have been greatly affected by Thais cultural influences. (Ghouse Nasuruddin 1992) In the wake of the decline of Majapahit during the course of the 14th century, the Thais started their move southwards and tried to assert their claim to over lordship of all the Malay Peninsula and forcing Malay Rulers to send ‘tribute to Ayuthia, and then later to Bangkok. Nevertheless, the rise of Malacca checked this southward expansion, and even after the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese in 1511, Thai influence was successfully confined to the three northern Peninsular Malay states of Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu. The British helped in containing Thai influence to theses states as their own power and influence grew in the Peninsula. Finally in 1909 sovereignty over these four northern states (which now included Perlis) was formally handed over to the British by the Treaty of Bangkok. Nevertheless, for over 500 years these for northern states of the Peninsula Malaysia had been periodically subjected to Thai political and cultural influences. It is, therefore, not surprising to find elements of the Thai performing arts such as the Wayang Kulit Siam of Kelantan, the Wayang KulitGedek of Kedah and Perlis, and the menora dance drama within these states. ). (Terry E, Miller, Sean W 2008) The more recent major influence on the performing arts of Malaysia, was effected by the Portuguese are credited with the introduction of the violin and the guitar, while British cultural influence in Malaysia has been much more generalized. (Ghouse Nasuruddin 1992). In addition to popularizing western music, dance, and theatre, the Europeans have also directly influenced the development of semi-modern syncretic musical forms such as the asli, keroncong, ghazal and bangsawan, which combine both western and traditional musical elements. As a consequence of these influences, traditional Malaysian music exhibits multi-faceted musical styles which combine regional as well western and West Asian elements. For example, the musical styles and instruments of northern Peninsula Malaysia resemble those of the Thais, while those in the southern part of the Peninsula have incorporated Indonesian musical elements. Furthermore, all over Malaysia western musical influences are glaringly evident. Shadow puppet theatre The shadow puppet play (wayang kulit) is an ancient form of traditional theatre in Malaysia. The stories are told by a puppet master (dalang) who manipulates the puppets (called wayang) which are seen in shadows projected on a screen. (Ghouse Nasuruddin 1992). In this very old form of theatre a small ensemble plays the music to accompany the movement of puppets and events in the stories. In Malaysia there are four types of shadow puppet play, each with a specific name and distinctive style. These are Wayang Kulit Jawa (Javanese shadow puppet play), the Wayang Kulit Gedek (mixture of Thai and Malay folk styles of shadow puppet play), the Wayang Kulit Melayu (Malay court form of shadow puppet play) and Wayang Kulit Kelantan (Kelantanese shadow puppet play) The presence of foreign influences in puppets, repertoire or music does not in itself prove that the technique originates from the same source as these influences. Wayang Kulit Jawa The Wayang Kulit Jawa, Javanese influenced and originated in Indonesia and is performed today by the descendants of Javanese immigrants who settled in the southern state of Johor many decades ago. (Ghouse Nasuruddin 1992). In Malaysia, this form of shadow play still maintains the basic features of the Wayang Kulit Purwa of Indonesia, including the use of the stories, characters from the Mahabharata epic and the musical accompaniment of the Javanese Gamelan. The gamelan in this shadow play includes singers as well as xylophones, metallophones, and knobbed gongs just as in Indonesia. Malaysia maintains the basic feature of Wayang Kulit Purwa which consist the characteristic of Mahabharata epics and gamelan ensemble accompaniment. Wayang Kulit Jawa Wayang Kulit Gedek This Wayang Kulit Gedek, performed in the northern peninsular states of Perlis, Kedah and Kelantan, is called Nang Talung in Thailand. (Ghouse Nasuruddin 1992). This type of shadow puppet play originated in Southern Thailand and features small-sized, flat leather puppets. In Malaysia Wayang Kulit Gedek is performed by Thai and Malay peoples using a mixture of Thai and Malay language or just the southern Thai dialect, depending upon the audience. The stories feature local tales and episodes from the Ramayana epic (called the Ramakien in Thailand). The style of performance, music and puppet design show a distinct mixture of southern Thai and Malay traits including the small orchestra of drums, knobbed gongs, cymbals and bowed stringed instruments. In former times the wind instrument called pi or pi Jawa (a quadruple reed shawm) was included in this ensemble, and it is still often featured in the Wayang Kulit Gedek orchestra in Malaysia. However, today in southern Thailand the bow lutes called saw oo and saw duang (originating from the huqin family of Chinese bowed flutes) are preferred in place of the pi. The drums in this ensemble include klong khat, thon and klong khaek, similar to the Malay geduk, gedumbak and gendang,(Figure 1-3), respectively, a small pair of finger cymbals and the gong-chime called mong (2 knobbed gongs placed horizontally in a wooden box) are also used. WAYANG KULIT GEDEK Wayang Kulit Melayu Wayang Kulit Melayu, also named as Wayang Kulit Jawa, is strongly influenced by the Wayang Kulit Purwa of Indonesia. In the 19th and 20th centuries, this type of shadow play developed under the patronage of the sultan and existed as entertainment mainly for the aristocrats connected to the palaces of Kelantan and Kedah. In earlier times it was also performed in the Malay Sultanate of Patani. Today this Sultanate is no longer exists, but the location of the former kingdom is still located at southern Thailand. The stories of the Wayang Kulit Melayu focus on episodes of the Mahabharata epic, and the form and design of the puppets are nearly identical to the style of puppets from Java and Indonesia. During World War II this type of shadow puppet theatre was not performed; after the war years it was revived as entertainment for villagers without the patronage of the sultans. By the 1980s experienced puppet masters were difficult to find ant the Wayang Kulit Melayu. Today in Malaysia, this shadow play is rarely performed. The orchestra consists of several bronze gongs including a pair of large, hanging gongs called tetawak(Plate 1), a single knobbed horizontal gong called the mong, and a set of six or more small horizontal gongs called the canang(Plate 2). In addition, a pair of kesi cymbals (Plate 3), a pair of elongated barrel, double-headed drums called gendang (Plate 6) and one 2-stringed rebab is used. The rebab exhibits a mixture of Malay and Javanese features using only two strings in Javanese form, but with the body construction of the Malay rebab. A specific musical repertory existed for this type of shadow play, but today only a few pieces are still known. Wayang Kulit Melayu WAYANG KULIT KELANTAN The Wayang Kulit Kelantan is a folk theatre and is to be referred as Wayang Kulit Siam. This shadow puppets originally from and play around states in Kelantan, Kedah, Terengganu and formerly in Perak and Pahang. This is the most famous traditional puppet theatre among all in Malaysia. The former time, this performance is for ritual purpose, but today it been revived and to be performed as an entertainment. The Ramayana epic is the main focus for the trunk and stories for Kelantanese shadow play. The shadow play is one of the oldest theatrical art-forms in Asia and is found as far north as China and as far west as India and Turkey. Each country has its own form and style of shadow play, and there are variations within each of these forms. The home of the shadow play still has not been identified with certainty, as an evident from the controversies regarding its origin. According to Otto Spies, Sabri East Siyavusgil and William Ridgeway, it originated in India. Berthold Laufer, citing China as its home, tells of a legend about the later Han Emperor Kuang Wu Ti (25-57 A.D.) who instructed the court shaman to cast shadows on a screen in an effort to recall the spirit of his departed wife. Hazeu, on the other hand, credits Java as its place of origin because of the Javanese terminology in the Wayang Kulit Purwa. There are scholars who support the India origin of the shadow theatre because of the repertoire of the South-East Asian shadow plays which mainly portray episodes from the two Hindu epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata. But as noted by Alessio Bombaci, the shadow play could have emerged on its own in all these places – India, China and West Asia, and from these separate areas spread to other countries throug h economic, political and cultural interaction. However whatever its genesis, the shadow play doubt began as an animistic ritual. Even since its inception, the shadow play has been influenced by the religious beliefs prevalent in those countries where it has become established, to the extent that each variety reflects in microsm the religious history of its land of domicile. This is particularly true of the Malaysian shadow play whose rituals combine elements of animism, Hinduism and Islam. As we have already seen, through the ages Malaysia has been influenced by strong Indian, Chinese, Thai and Javanese cultural influences, with the result that her shadow plays bear striking resemblances to the Thai nang talung, the Khmer nang trolung, and the Javanese Wayang Kulit Purwa. The four types of Malaysia shadow play adapted from Javanese Wayang Kulit purwa, Wayang Kulit Melayu and Wayang Kulit Melayu both display similarities in structure, technique and performance with their Javanese counterpart. What differentiate is the one from the other of the configuration of the puppets and the nature of their musical ensembles. According to Patricia A, Sooi Beng T, the puppets of the Wayang KulitMelayu, which are highly stylized, have two moveable arms, while those of the less stylized Wayang Kulit Melayu have only one moveable arm. While a gamelan ensemble accompanies the Wayang KulitMelayu, the Wayang Kulit Melayu uses an indigenous musical ensemble. The repertoire of both the shadow plays consist of episodes from the Javanese and Malay versions of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, tales from the Panji cycles, the Islamic tales of Amir Hamzah, and local lore and legend. (Endon S 1999) Wayang Kulit Kelantanuses the technique of the Javanese Wayang Kulit Jawa to perform the Thai version of the Ramayana, as well as containing elements of local lore and legend. It differs from the Wayang Kulit Gedek, in the configuration of its puppets and in the nature of the accompanying musical ensemble. (Ghouse Nasuruddin 1992) The puppets of Wayang Kulit Kelantan are only seen in profile, puppets of Wayang Kulit Gedek uses combination of full-faced and profiled. Furthermore, the Wayang Kulit Kelantan musical ensemble is larger than that of Wayang Kulit Gedek. Wayang Kulit Kelantan Shadow Play Music There are seventeen repertoires in Kelantan shadow theatre and to be divided into four categories Ritualistic, emotional, designate individual character, and variety of occasions and designate action. Two examples are show below: Bertabuh and Tuk Maha Siku Mak Yong pieces are included in some of the repertoire in shadow play, for instance Lagu Yong Bertabuh, Sang Gendang, Pakyung Muda, and Lagu Barat. Younger troupe insert several modern pieces such as Lagu Joget Kelantan and Lagu Berlari Yong Muda, This is innovation of shadow play but was not appreciate by the older troupes to adulterate the music of shadow play; they only stick to their principle by performing traditionally pieces. For my opinion, innovation of shadow play is a significant issue for the sake of entertainment effect and also self satisfaction to make an improvement of music element aspect. Lagu Perang (war music) is the most common piece to be play Kelantan shadow theatre. It is show in the opening continuation as Lagu Bertabuh, combat in between two Dewa Panah (mystical warriors); the whole repertoire is all about fighting and battle in the play. A few pieces were often to be played in the shadow play are Lagu Hulubalang which indicates all warriors; it accompanies Sri Rama when he is ready for war, Hanuman, lesser princes, and all warriors. On my opinion, within the play proper of the shadow play performance, dramatic action is essential to be played in the music piece, but the structural format is remain a definite ritualistic opening of the actual play performance. Before the proper performance start, Dalang Tua (elder Dalang) will manipulate the puppets, sing and speaks every characters part and conduct the orchestra. The buka ponggang( opening ceremony) emerged in Mak Yong repertoire to portrayed his acts of connecting the real and nether worlds. Lagu Bertabuh is a start of informing the villagers that the play is to begin; in another way is also a conclusion of the ritualistic ceremony. Shadow play ensembles or orchestras and instruments The musical ensembles of the shadow play are percussion-dominated with either a solitary aerophone (wind) or a chordophone (string) instrument. An example for Wayang Kulit Kelantan ensemble has the following instruments: Idiophonic (Brass) Orotund material is to make to Idiophones instruments. Tetawak, kesi and canang occurs as a pairs in idiophone structure. The pair of tetawak (Plate 1) are knobbed gongs which hung between wooden racks, and padded beater is to hit the knob. The larger tetawak played lower pitch which calledâ€Å"tawak ibu† (mother tawak), tawak anak (child tawak) played the high pitch. Major third or perfect fifth is the tuning in between one set to another. The standardization of the tuning of tetawak so as canang is not the main important issue in music. Canang(Plate 2) is made of iron or metal, and it consists of two knobbed gongs, which hung horizontally on the wooden rack. The two gongs are hit by a pair of peddar beater, both gongs (anak canang and ibu canang ) played in different pitches( high and low pitch). Both gongs tuning interval may range from majors second to sixth. Kesi Cymbals (Plate 3) have a cup-like protruding with a small hole to enable to two cymbals to be connected. It is made of booze or iron. Resonant, ringing sound occurs when striking by player on the pair of cymbals. Unison are played in two pieces of timbres with canang, canang anak (high pitch) played ringing timbre whilst canang ibu (low pitch) played damped timbre. Kesi is similar to the western cymbal. Aerophonic (Wind) The serunai(Plate 4) is a double reed instrument which falls into the shawm category, varying in length from 12 to 18 inches and constructed from variation of woods such as batang lada, lebam and nangka. It is divided into three sections, namely kepala (head), batang (stem) and pipit (mouth-piece) .Daun lunta, a type of fern leaf, is used for the reed. Altogether there are eight sound holes on the serunai, seven on top and one below. It is adorned with intricate carvings and painted with various shades of colour. Membranophone (Percussion) Three types of drum constitute the membranophone category. The first is a pair of mother and son cylindrical-shaped geduk (Plate 7), with the mother being the larger of the two. Its dimension varies from 12 to 20 inches in length, with a front circumference between 30 to 37 inches and a back circumference of between 27 to 33 inches. The body of the geduk is mostly made from kayu nangka, but kayu sena or kayu merbau is sometimes used. Both sides are covered with cow or buffalo hide. The two legs located at one end of the geduk serve to tilt it towards the drummer to facilitate his playing, which is done with a pair of drum sticks. The pair of gendang (Plate 6), mother and son, are both barrel-shaped, with the mother being the larger of the two. The mother drum measures from 20 to 22 inches in length, and has a front circumference which varies between 24 to 33 inches and a back circumference of between 24 to 29 inches. The length of the gendang anak (son drum) varies from 19 to 22 inches with a front circumference of between 22 to 25 inches and a back circumference of between 19 to 22 inches. More often than not, the body of the gendang is made from kayu nangka rather than from kayu merbau. Both the front and back faces of the drum are covered with animal skins, cow hide for the mother drum and goatskin for the son drum. Rattan strands are coiled around one end of the body as an anchor to stretch the skin and vary the tension of its surface. The drums are played with both hands, one for striking each face. Texture and Form The texture of shadow theatre can be categories into melodic line played by serunai, variety of drum rhythmic pattern and bronze instruments play the element of gong. The form and structure in each piece of shadow play is determined and defined by colotomic structure or gong unit in the music. (Ghouse Nasuruddin 1992) .The gong unit is a time unit marked at its end by lowest pitches gong is the tetawak ibu, which is stuck at the last beat of gong unit. Gong unit is to be served as a basis element to be play in shadow plays and Mak Yong, multiples of two beats are based on the total number of colotomic structure. (Patricia A, Sooi Beng T 2004). Hence, in the gong unit, there are no 2- beat but continuously with 4-, 8-, 16-, 32-, 64- and so on. The gong unit is to be identifying by particular gong tone to played specific beat, as a result binary form is occurs in gong unit as the subdivision of internal gong to be played. Division of half occurs in first gong unit, for example gong tones occurs in beat 8 and 16 in a 16- beats gong unit. Another significant trait in 2-beat stress in the gong unit, firstly it( pulse weakly on the first beat and continue with a strong stress on the second beat. Patricia A, Sooi Beng T 2004) Repetition of the weak and strong stress in the repertoire is to gain the appropriate number of beat at variety gong unit. Canang gong chime play the 2-beat stress gong unit in shadow play, sometime ding-dong vocalized syllabus will be use as ding to be the first weak beat by canang anak (high pitch); whereas dong is to be played on the second strong beat by canang ibu ( low pitch). At the meantime, kesi cymbals are played to mark a resounding timbre in the weak beat and damped timbre in the strong beat. In the piece of Pak Dogol, the gedumbak and gendang anak produce specific 4-beat rhythmic patterns that combine to give a complete resultant rhythmic pattern for piece. Because the piece Pak Dogol based on 8-beat unit gong unit, the 4-beat resultant drum pattern is played twice in the time one complete gong unit. (Example 1) Scale Pentatonic, hexatonic and heptatonic are the main three scales in shadow play pieces. These three scales type are established in the repertory, hexatonic and heptatonic scales accent on five specific pitches which may contemplate a pentatonic core within the larger scale system. Semitone or whole tone are contains at all level of intervals. For example, third interval include in some scales. Sampling to be shown below: (Patricia A, Sooi Beng T 2004) DALANG Dalang can be found at padi harvest, the wayang season thus beginning of the rainy season. A popular dalang may expect to receive invitation to perform which will keep him occupied throughout the season, extending from about March to October. Dalang incomes (Amin.S 1972) entirely from the wayang and those that attempt to do so have a meager existence during the rainy season when they are forced to live on what has been saved during the wayang season which is seldom much. The dalang have a secondary occupation, and where the dalang does not enjoy much success, the wayang will be his secondary occupation. The performance definitely entertainment for humans not spirits. These rituals are performed for various purposes, propitiation of spirits, releasing a person from a vow, and initiating a pupil, but their form is basically the same and consists of a synthesis of Javanesse wayang ritual and local spirit medium ship. The importance of these rituals is that performed to ward off the threat of cholera by placating the local spirits. The dalang learn their art from a teacher, the few exceptions to this merely imitating the performances of others. The teacher is rarely the dalangs father and the art is not hereditary. (Amin.S 1972). Comparison of the repertoire, performance and ritual of a dalang with those of his teacher reveals, almost without exception, considerable differences. There are several reasons for this: It is rare that a dalang learns everything from one source and it is not unsual to have had more than one teacher, though this may not be admitted. A dalang may further learn pieces of repertoire from persons who are not even dalang and information are also gleaned by observing the performances of other dalang. It is clear, therefore, that every dalangs knowledge is to a greater or lesser extent a pot pourri gathered from several sources. (Amin.S 1972) Several reasons for becoming a dalang but the primary motive is nearly always that he experiences intense pleasure from observing the wayang and that he has the urge and desire to perform himself. Dance Theatre – Mak Yong Human characters but not puppet play performed the traditional theatres known as Mak Yong. Mak Yong is forms by three integral- dance, dialogue and music with the legend story from local place. While there are common denominators in dramatic, musical, and dance structure, there are, however, marked difference among them in dance and music styles. The Mak Yong has been noted as an ancient Malay form of theatre as witnessed in legends, myths and by its close ties to the traditional healing ceremony called the main puteri. (Ghouse Nasuruddin 1992) Besides that, Common feature are shared in these various traditional theatres. The performances are usually to anticipated and down mainly from stories and legend known to the community. Generally, plots are episode and long enough to allow audience members to drift in and out during the performance. Mak Yong is a traditional form of dance originated in Southern Thailand, it appears in Kelantan since last two hundred years, and is one of the popular traditional dances in Terengganu and spread to Kedah. In the early 20th century, Mak Yong was given royal patronage by the court of Kelantan which established a â€Å"theatrical village† known as the â€Å"Kampung Temenggung† in the town of Kota Bahru. (Ghouse Nasuruddin 1992) This form of theatre was supported and patronized by His Highness Temengung Ghaffar from the Kelantan palace at that time. But the patronage did not last long until the death of Sultan Mohamad IV at 1920, although Mak Yong was originally about rural regions as a folk tradition, through its years of royal patronage the music, dance, costumes and other theatrical aspects were refined because of the constant opportunities for practice and performance in Kampung Temengung. In between the changes; Mak Yong became popular as an entertainment in the public and lost its artistic quality which is normally connected with a court oriented performance. When time goes by, the court dance eventually turn to a normal performance to the public and created new audience, portraying the folk life. Mak Yong performs at many occasions, but emphasize specifically on padi harvest, that is a thanksgiving ceremony for bounteous crop. Wedding, kings birthday and national holiday were the occasions Mak Yong to be performed. According to Patricia A, Sooi Beng T, Mak Yong traditional performances have a connection with ritual and the world of spirits. Mak Yong served as healing rituals. Main Puteri is the healing person and the healing section involves soporific dance and spirit possession. In some traditional cities, the healing rituals are still pursuing but they are mainly frowned nowadays. It reflects the inner, the significant and mysterious of stories. High ritual performance sometimes occurs in Mak Yong. A good example: sembah guru (paying homage to ones teacher) ceremony and performance in which a student, who is ready to go on stage as a principal, performs certain rites within connection of a performance itself. The main puteri healing ceremony for the intention of healing a sick people will sometime found in the main structure element of Mak Yong. Shaman (bomoh) take the lead to communicate with the spirit world to discover the root of an illness and the main actress (the Pak Yong character), a lthough main puteri ceremonial elements become dominant in the performance, the music used is still that of the Mak Yong. Troupe of women performed the main role whilst men played the clown roles. This form of dance was established as a court form (C.1875) that became well known to villages. The women sing, dance and perform improvise dialogue especially in the clown and contemporary section. The action takes place in the round, with all nonnative cast members sitting casually around the outside of the circle. (Anonymous n.d) Performers are considered to be off-stage or members of the chorus when not in the central acting space. Performers work towards the creation and identification character types, stylized motion, poetic language and rhythmic language. Along with dialogue and notated passage, music, song and dance is also incorporated into traditional performance. Serious or tragic events are intermingling with comedy. The original story in the Mak Yong dramatic repertory is called the Dewa Muda, which is a Malay folk tale. The stories Dewa Muda come along with about twelve other tales consist the dramatic repertory. (Patricia A, Sooi Beng T 2004) Several of these stories are also performed in other local theater forms such as the wayang kulit, menorah and the bangsawan. The stories focus on folk heroes, heroines, their fantastic adventures, and are told using dialogue, singing and dance by the characters along with the accompaniment of vocal and instrumental music. Some of the especially important roles are the Pakyung and Pakyung Muda (the king and prince), the queen or Makyung and the princess or Puteri Makyung, the old and young clown-servants known respectively, as the Peran Tua and Peran Muda, and the astrologer or expert of some kind called Tok Wak. In the 20th century, and still today, all principal roles are taken by women who dress according to the role played. However, before the 1020s m en played the roles of the Pakyung and Pakyung Muda and not women. Performance practice The Makyung performance begins with an opening ceremony called the Buka Panggung (opening of the stage) with prayers, offerings of food and the consecration of the musical instruments and other items. (Patricia A, Sooi Beng T 2004). Immediately following the official opening is the performance of several pieces before the story itself actually begins. These pieces each have a special function and serve to introduce the characters or carry out some other special purpose. For example, the actors and actresses come onto the stage with the accompaniment of the piece called Pakyung Turun (The king descends), an instrumental piece. This piece is followed by a ritual song and dance called the Menghadap Rebab (paying homage to the rebab), which salutes the musical instrument called the rebab. The opening section of the performance continues with the pieces entitled Sedayung Mak yong and Sedayung Pak yong. These two pieces are performed to introduce the Mak Yong and Pak Yong characters. Another piece entitled Ela is performed by the Pak Yong character to introduce the character he will play in the story for the evening. All of these pieces (except the Pak Yong Turun) also involved specific dances, which are performed by the main singer along with the members of the chorus (the jong dondang). This group of sung and danced pieces comprises a fixed opening, which is performed each time a Mak Yong performance takes place. A given story takes several nights to complete and, before its continuation from night to night, the fixed opening of sung and d

Keats and the Senses of Being: Ode on a Grecian Urn (Stanza V) Essay

Keats and the Senses of Being: "Ode on a Grecian Urn" (Stanza V) ABSTRACT: With its focus on the pathos of permanence versus temporality as human aporia and on the function — the Werksein — of the work of art genuinely encountered, John Keats’s Ode on a Grecian Urn is a particularly compelling subject for philosophical analysis. The major explications of this most contentiously debated ode in the language have largely focused, however, on various combinations of the poem’s stylistic, structural, linguistic, psychological, aesthetic, historical, symbolic, and intellectual-biographical elements. My paper articulates a bona fide philosophical approach to the ode’s famously controversial fifth stanza (the one containing the Urn’s declaration: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty"). I demonstrate how William Desmond’s metaphysics of Being-specifically his analysis of the univocal, equivocal, dialectical, and metaxological senses of being-affords the groundwork for a "hermeneutics of the between" that elucidate s the ode’s culminating stanza with all of the cogency and nuance that one would expect to derive from a systematic ontology. In what ways are philosophy and literature mutually elucidating? More specifically, how can a systematic metaphysics serve as a vehicle of insight into the way that literary art renders, in solution as it were, ontological truths that orchestrate our experience of the ideal? I’d like briefly to address these questions by considering the concluding stanza of John Keats’s "Ode on a Grecian Urn" in terms of four complementary ontological keys. These four senses of being — the univocal, the equivocal, the dialectical, and the metaxological—are the heart of a compelling ontology detailed by William Desmond in... ...n the unformed, undifferentiated, prelinguistic word [that] leaves the Du free and stands together with it in reserve where the spirit does not manifest itself but is. (I and Thou 89). Bibliography Buber, Martin. I and Thou. Trans. Walter Kaufmann. New York: Scribners, 1970. Desmond, William. Being and the Between. Albany: SUNY P, 1995. Heidegger, Martin. "The Origin of the Work of Art." Poetry, Language, Thought. Trans. Albert Hofstadter. New York: Harper, 1975. Keats, John. The Complete Poems. Ed. John Barnard. 3rd ed. London: Penguin, 1988. Stambovsky, Phillip. The Depictive Image: Metaphor and Literary Experience. Amherst, MA: U of Massachusetts P, 1988. ——— Myth and the Limits of Reason. Amsterdam and Atlanta: Rodopi, 1996. Stillinger, Jack, ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Keats’s Odes. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968.

The Impact of Lenin on Russia and the Russian People Essay -- Papers

The Impact of Lenin on Russia and the Russian People Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (a.k.a Lenin) was born in 1870, into a middle class family. In the year 1887 when Lenin was 17 his elder brother Alexandra was executed for conspiring to assassinate the tsar. Lenin who was already well educated and fond of reading and writing was encouraged to enter politics to make changes and to somehow avenge his brothers' death. The long term effects of this were that Lenin would later become one of the great revolutionary leaders of all time. Lenin begins to study law and the works of Karl Marx. He is then exiled to Siberia by the authorities as he becomes more politically involved. Whilst he is there he marries another revolutionary in 1898. After this he spends some time travelling abroad with his wife Krupskaya but, he continues to write political material laying down the foundations for revolution and communism in Russia. Lenin is in Britain in 1903 and it is there that he forms the Bolshevik party to help the working class Russians who he has been brought up to have compassion for. The immediate effects of this are the formation of the Bolshevik party. The Long term effects of this are that the Bolshevik party stays in power and Russia becomes a communist country. Between 1903 and 1917 Lenin spends his time moving around Europe. Also at the time he writes pieces for political newspapers and builds the foundations for the Bolshevik party. Lenin spends a great deal of time raising money for the party to enable them to print their revolutionary literature and newspapers such as 'Zvezda'. Lenin uses this time to create the fundamentals neede... ...ere were great improvements in Russia. The results of the N.E.P brought about Trotskys criticism of Lenin. He accused Lenin of being capitalist. Lenin realised that in order to take a giant leap sometimes one must take a couple of paces back first. The creation of the N.E.P brought about the rise of the Russian economy. Lenin and the communist party brought many changes to Russia. Russia had been governed by the tsar and his family for three hundred years. When Lenin gained power he brought about a lot of reforms and in effect modernised Russia to some extent. He also brought Russia through the civil war. The major effects of Lenin on Russia and the Russian people are the introduction to communism in Russia and that he will be remembered as a great leader and had the respect and admiration of a lot of Russian people.

Mercedes-Benz Case Study Essay

Introduction Mercedes-Benz is a multinational division of the manufacturer Daimler AG from German and the brand is used for luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz’s headquarter is in Stuttgart, Baden-Wà ¼rttemberg, Germany. The brand first appeared in 1926 under Daimler Benz which originally from Daimler’s 1901 Mercedes and from Karl Benz’s 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, widely remarked as the first automobile. The following report is to engage the readers how a Mercedes-Benz automobile is being produced and the process strategy that the company had developed in order to become top selling car in the world. It also reveals the critical dimensions of the product quality for the Mercedes-Benz automobile products. Product Design and Development Process The process of making a Mercedes-Benz vehicle usually takes around three years from the initial drawing to final approval of the model. During these three years, the new Mercedes-Benz passes through development stages in which the designer team works together to produce the final vehicle. The team converts the initial drawings (modular design) into the next generation of Mercedes-Benz vehicle. The following process is the steps to produce a finished automobile: 1. Drawing/Rendering: the designer team initially draws a hand-sketched on a piece of paper, or on a screen. 2. Digital/Package: a virtual image of the automobile is created on a computer (CAD system). Source: www.carbodydesign.com Source: www.carbodydesign.com 3. 1:4 clay models: the next step is to create a clay model of every variant of a new automobile. The designers will then decide whether their drafts create the desired effect in three dimensions, too. At the same time virtual models are created on the computer. 4. Model selection: With the help of scanning and milling machines the first full-size model are made. The final form of the new automobile is chosen in order to be formally examined in a 1:1 scale. Source: www.carbodydesign.com Source: www.carbodydesign.com 5. 1:1 model: all the individual details of the new model are handmade. In this step, a real-looking model is created and it reveals all the characteristic features of the new automobile. 6. Interior sketches: in this step, the designers sketch for the design of the interior. This is where the driver seat designs are created. Source: www.carbodydesign.com Source: www.carbodydesign.com 7. Interior clay model: all the details are created until a desired top-quality feeling is created. Three alternative choices of interiors are built for a decision to be made. 8. Colour & trim / operating and display concept (control and display system): the material and colour for the automobile interior are chosen from hundreds of fabric and leather samples as well as a virtually endless colour spectrum. All the control and display elements are designed and developed too. 9. Interior data control model: all the materials and colours are tested and checked for effect on producing 1:1 interior models under â€Å"real-life conditions†. Every material and every colour is allocated a code and specified. 10. Final model: the exterior and the interior with all their details are combined together to create a model and the future Mercedes-Benz model becomes tangible. 11. Model approval: finally, the design process has to obtain approval by the Board of Management. If this is successful, the production of the new Mercedes-Benz is released. Manufacturing Process and Process Strategy Mercedes-Benz automobiles are mainly manufactured in Sindelfingen, Germany assembly plant. This is where all the important functions like sales record, design and development; pre-production and production-planning worldwide have been integrated at one site. In early 1994, the foundations for the plant and the production system for Mercedes-Benz US International Inc. (MBUSI) were set up and it was not far away from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The site mainly manufactured the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, GL-Class and R-Class SUVs. In 2011 the plant produced more than 148,000 vehicles and employed approximately 2,800 people by year’s end. This report is focusing on the production of Mercedes-Benz automobiles factory in the Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Source: www.automotivetraveler.com Source: www.automotivetraveler.com The production facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, it involves six production cornerstones of the vehicle’s assembly process. The employees are encouraged to work toward developing improvements and emphasized on the cleanliness and safety. First of all, the factory has a large office area where all the materials and parts that are ordered from suppliers which are mainly come from North American suppliers and others. The production teams will then set a production date and create a barcode including the VIN and other specifications. Mercedes-Benz does not stock up a lot of parts. In fact, they adopt â€Å"just-in-time† method and maintain only two to three hours of inventory on the line. Moreover, Mercedes-Benz does not stamp out its own metal body parts. Source: www.automotivetraveler.com Source: www.automotivetraveler.com The body shop has hundreds of German-made (KUKA) welding machines that assembly materials and parts together. The plant itself has approximately 800 machines and 600 of them are in the body shop. To ensure safety in this area, a flexible screen is used to cover the flying sparks. The employees inspect critical welds to identify dimensional accuracy and after the welding is complete, another inspection is conducted to ensure the exterior body is ready for paint. After the body shop production, the second-floor paint shop at the Tuscaloosa plant is a super clean environment where a proper suit and headgear are required to prevent unwanted dirt or particles. In this area, the vehicles go through the six steps process such as, a pre-cleaning, a phosphate dip, and the application of an electrically charged e-coat, primer, colour coat, and finally the top coat. Every vehicle goes through for more than three miles on conveyor belts as it travels through the painting process and curing ovens. After inspections, the vehicles return back to the assembly shop for the installation of the interior parts and engine. This section of plant includes: 1. six â€Å"trim lines† 2. four â€Å"final lines† 3. â€Å"door line† 4. â€Å"engine/chassis line† 5. â€Å"off-line quality test† 6. Source: www.automotivetraveler.com Source: www.automotivetraveler.com repair area The employees and the machines are working together side by side, applying their advanced and various skills to the vehicles as they move slowly along the assembly lines. If any deviation is detected, one of the employees will pull a rope that creates a short melodic tune. Each line has its own melody and every employee is able to recognize â€Å"their song†. Repair area usually takes a short period of time and quickly most vehicles continued one. In the engine/chassis assembly line, the major parts of the engine are united and numerous machines work together in this section. Usually all the engines come from either Berlin or Stuttgart. Source: www.automotivetraveler.com Source: www.automotivetraveler.com Then the vehicles will go through the off-line quality checks. This involves some rattles test such as, driving over rollers that imitate the bumpy road situations while an employee inspects for any rattling sounds. There is also another quality check station that inspects the vehicles to ensure proper sealing by using high-pressure hoses to replicate the pounding rainstorms and flooded roads. After all the vehicles have passes through the final inspections, the vehicles will be prepared to transport to the dealers or be shipped for the international orders. As we can see from the manufacturing process of the Mercedes-Benz automobiles, the company adopts the process strategy of repetitive focus. They have standardized modules that assembly materials and parts together and the facilities are organized as assembly lines. Hence, the production of Mercedes-Benz automobiles are efficient and usually having medium volumes of outputs. The company adopts repetitive focus strategy as it also has machines that help in the assembly lines of the production as well as skilled and trained employees that work in the factory. Five Critical Dimensions of Product Quality Taking example of Mercedes-Benz GL-Class SUV, there are some critical dimensions of its product quality. In this report, each dimension delivers two examples of its product quality. * Performance Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class SUV is equipped with the special engine called â€Å"handcrafted AMG 5.5L biturbo V-8.† It is a high-tech powerhouse with a thunderous 550hp at 5,250-5750 rpm and 560 lb-ft of torque at 2,000-5,000 rpm. This engine improves the efficiency and emissions. Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com The vehicle is also equipped with another engine which is called â€Å"7-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT transmission.† It features three driving modes that can be selected via a console-mounted button called â€Å"Controlled Efficiency†, it functions as a fuel-saving ECO Start/Stop function. * Features Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com One of the features that GL-Class SUV has is the â€Å"PARKTRONIC with Active Parking Assist.† This feature helps the driver to size up parallel-parking spaces as most drivers have difficulty in parallel-parking. Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com Another feature will be the â€Å"ATTENTION ASSIST driver-drowsiness monitor.† This system will monitor the different parameters of driving behaviour and automatically alert the driver with both visual and warnings if the system detects any signs of drowsiness. * Conformance In the U.S. and Europe, large of quantity of vehicles have use no gasoline and produce zero tailpipe emissions are already in use. Mercedes-Benz vehicles are also adopting the zero-emission driving concept. For generations, Mercedes-Benz has been ground-breaking fuel-cell car to help preserve the earth for future generations. Hence, Mercedes-Benz is collaborating with Clean Diesel, a leading non-profit to help sustaining the environment. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz produces a BlueTEC Clean Diesel, a small engine yet delivers powerful mpg and low emissions. It is also known as the world’s cleanest and most advanced diesel. * Aesthetics Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com The design of the vehicle is one of the aspects to consider when customers choose and purchase the vehicle. Hence, the â€Å"Refined cabin styling† of the GL-Class is delivering a first-class design of the driver seat and seating rows. Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com Another unique design that GL-Class has is the â€Å"21-inch AMG twin 5-spoke wheels†. It features the five twin spokes and a brilliant silver touch. The feature itself has the confident on the wet-road performance and a composed ride quality. * Serviceability Source: www.mercedes-benz.com.sg Source: www.mercedes-benz.com.sg There is a Mercedes-Benz centre in Singapore where the vehicles will enjoy five-star treatment. The centre provides new servicing and repair facilities as well as the Diagnostic Assistance System which is linked directly to Germany for up-to-the-second technical data. It also can quickly assess any vehicle. With trained and skilled technicians, customers could enjoy professional service from the Mercedes-Benz service centre whereby it is located at 301 Alexandra Road Singapore 159968. References: Mercedes-Benz: design philosophy. (2012). Retrieved January 14, 2013 from http://www.carbodydesign.com/2012/05/mercedes-benz-design-philosophy/ 125 years of visionary design: Automobile Design – Made by Mercedes-Benz. (2010). Retrieved January 14, 2013 from http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921-1262677-1-1347994-1-0-0-0-0-0-11701-854934-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html Dorofte, A. L. (2012). The new Mercedes-Benz GL-Class: Development and production – Digital worlds in real vehicles. Retrieved January 14, 2013 from http://mercedes-benz-blog.blogspot.sg/2012/08/the-new-mercedes-benz-gl-class_ 28.html Lander, B. (2010). Touring the Mercedes-Benz Factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Retrieved January 15, 2013 from http://www.automotivetraveler.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=994:touring-the-mercedes-benz-factory-in-tuscaloosa-alabama&catid=122:bimmer-dreamer&Itemid=315 Mercedes-Benz & The Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2013 from http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/benz/green GL63 AMG SUV features. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2013 from http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/vehicles/model/class-GL/model-GL63#design Mercedes-Benz Centre – Level 1, Service Center & Vehicle Delivery. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2013 from http://www.mercedes-benz.com.sg/content/singapore/mpc/mpc_singapore_website/enng/home_mpc/passengercars/home/world/mercedes-benz_center/level_1.0002.html

Changes in technology Essay

Technology enhances globalization. In past two decades, technology burst out like an explosion, definitely, the improvements of technology make our lives much more convenience. And, the advanced technology in microprocessors, Internet, and transportation enable the spreading out of globalization. Hill, C., (2001) stated â€Å"Globalization has two main components: the globalization of markets and the globalization of product.† In other words, the changing in technology would lead to an influence on globalization of markets and globalization of production. The widely use in microprocessors and telecommunications increasing the amount of information being transferred, but lower its cost. This is very helpful in merging markets. The opportunities for companies to expend businesses are raised, due to plummeting in global communication cost. Updated data can be collected, and monitoring overseas markets trend would become easier. Moreover, population of using Internet grows continuously since 1995 (Hill, C., 2001). This helps to create a global audience; advertisings are not restricted by geographic region anymore. Products can sold at overseas, such as Hill, C. (2001) pointed out customer can buy Levi’s jeans in Paris; McDonald’s restaurant located in Tokyo. And, the cost of transportation plummeted, due to the revolutionized in transportation business, also helpful for expansion of business. Manufacturers can transport products at a lower cost and in a shorter time. As the trendy of globalization of production, productive activities spread out over the world, invention and widely use of microprocessors and Internet help supervisor to control the productive activities, and easier to communication to other in the process. The dispersal of production, for instance Hewlett-Packard separated its operations activities to different places, but reducing cost at the same time (Hill, C. 2001). As the decreasing cost in transportation, many businesses move their manufacturing plants to nations that provide cheaper raw materials and nature resources, in order to diminishing their production cost. Summering the above points, the three main changes in technology (microprocessors, Internet, and transportation) have a great supportive to  the globalization of markets and production. If the lower cost of communication does not exist, people around the world would not have so many chances to connect with others and business would not be willing to put money to widen their markets. If the world without Internet and the World Wide Web, people might not able to get the most updated information, the production skills cannot be improved and productive activities cannot be shared. Without the convenience transportation system, customer and provider would not connect each other; products cannot transfer to overseas market. Therefore, people would lose the opportunities to enjoy different products from all around the world. Finally, markets from different countries should not be merged together, and the production process should not spread out. That’s why the technology essential and enhance globalization. The above assignment is coming from the resources of Hill, C., â€Å"Globalization†, International Business, 2001, 3rd ed, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, New York.