Merchant Essays - Italian Films, Orientalism, The Merchant Of Venice

Merchant Of Venice Stereotypes in "The Merchant of Venice" "Dumb jocks! ", "Women don't belong there, doing that!", "He must be a criminal, just look at his clothes." How often have we heard somebody mention these things, yet, how often have we said something similar? Our society is based on face values where we categorize people because of a few actions. All of the above statements are prejudicial notions used to define members of a social or an ethnic group, and are called stereotypes. Stereotypes are explored greatly in the Shakespeare play "The Merchant Of Venice", as most of the main characters are looked upon with a stereotypical point of view. However Not all of the main characters are, some take a different perspective and are a completely different breed of character compared to the others. A good example of a stereotypical character in "The Merchant of Venice" would be Shylock. Shylock is a Jew, and in this time period, Jews where used mainly as loan officials. The stereotype that he is placed with is that of a Jew, or as it was seen back then. While the character Portia is a good example of a character that hasn't been implemented with any stereotypes. Some of the play's characters have some stereotypical aspect about them. Antonio is the main character, and is affected by stereotypes. He is noble, rich, high class, dominant and couldn't care less for the Jew and always wants to make a buck. This was the stereotype for a rich businessman, and this is how the audience views Antonio. " You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gabardine," (A1, S3, Ln103-104) Here Shylock is telling us what Antonio has done to him in the past, which shows that Antonio is both a snob and high class, as he looks down upon the Jew and spits on his clothes. "... I thank my fortune for it, ...Upon the fortune of this present year: Therefore my merchandise makes me not sad" (A1, S1, Ln41-45) Here Antonio is expressing his sadness for his ships that are at see. He is sad because he is unsure if they will return bringing him his riches or if that they will sink on their mission. This is when the audience is first shown his greed and businessman like attitude. His nobility is shown well in the courtroom scene. "For Herein Fortune shows herself more kind Than is her custom: it is still her use To let wretched man outlive his wealth" (A4, S1, Ln263-265) Antonio is saying that it was fate's choice to let him die here, and he has accepted that. This shows his nobility, as he is ready to accept defeat to the Jew and receive his punishment, instead of trying to wriggle out of it. Another character that is also very stereotypical is Shylock, the villainous Jew. He is a man who is sought after only for a loan, as it was only Jews who could give loans and receive interest. Shylock's character of cunning, evil and mischievous man was the stereotype of a Jew back then. This is how Shylock is portrayed through out the play. " Fair sir, you spat on me Wednesday last, You spurned me such a day, another time You called me dog: and for these courtesies I'll lend you thus much monies." (A1, S3, Ln118-121) Many people would ask the question, why would someone in Shylock's position want to give anything to a person who has treated them as badly as Antonio. However, under the interest free bond that Shylock has created with Antonio lies a need for revenge so great that Shylock will do anything to take the life of Antonio. This shows how cunning and mischievous he is as he then agrees and instead of paying interest, if Antonio is late, he will pay a pound of flesh. " Expressed in the condition, let forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of you fair flesh, to be cut off and taken" (A1, S3, Ln141-143) This again shows his cunning and corrupt character. Although both Antonio and Shylock and both stereotyped in the play, there are some characters that are not stereotyped. The best example of this is Portia. Back in Shakespeare's time, the woman was stereotyped as being obedient they also never usually were expected to do anything socially of any real importance. And although Portia is partly a stereotyped character with the fact that she follows her father wishes in that the person she marries

Bill Bradey Essays - New York Knicks, Bill Bradley, Shooting Guards

Bill Bradey Essays - New York Knicks, Bill Bradley, Shooting Guards Bill Bradey Bill Bradley 7/28/43 Bill Bradley College: Princeton and Oxford Height: 6-5 Weight: 205 lbs. Average Points Per Game is 12.4 Rebounds in his Career 2354 Assists in Career 2533 Points in Career 9217 Bill Bradley started off his life in Crystal City, Missouri. He was born on July 28, 1943. He took his first shot with a basketball when he was 9 at the Crystal Citys YMCA. He started playing basketball for his local high school as a freshman. He became captain of his high school team his second year. He often went to the gym when he didnt have a team practice. He would ask his coach if he could use the gym on the off days of practice. Bill then moved on from high school and made up his mind to go to Princeton University. He was an all American is college and was also asked to play on the Olympic team. That team went on to be gold medallists. He later broke the record for most points in a single NCAA tournament. He also became the first basketball player to get the Sullivan Award for the nations best amateur athlete. Aside from all his basketball he was a good student getting strait Bs. Bill was one of the thirty-two people of the U.S. chosen to go to Oxford University in England. Bill then came back after two years of little basketball to be drafted by the knicks. He signed a three year contract for 500,000. That was unusual for a basketball player to get. Most of them got 50,00 to 100,00. He then had to spend six months in the air force. After the six months he started playing for the knicks. But he wasnt as good as he was in college because, he didnt have as much practice. But managed to start on the knicks great team the second year of his career. Bill won the rookie of the year award. In 1971 he was thinking about dropping out of basketball and going for politics but then he hit his career high 38 and stayed. He also got three hundred rebounds and assists. Bill was then chosen for the all-star game which he thought were only for the young starts not the old but he thought wrong. He played twelve minutes and scored four points. Bill brought his team to 4 championships. Bill had his high games and his low games. He played good games will more then ten assists, points, rebounds and even blocks. In 1972-1973 he was averaging 16 points. In 1976 he decided to retire. He averaged four points and twelve minutes per game. His scoring average of his career was 12.4. After he retired he wanted to join in politics. Bradley won his democratic election. He didnt just stop playing basketball he stop watching basketball in 1977. He did this all for his daughter. He was then elected for the Basketball Hall of Fame. He later became an educator at Stanford, Maryland, and Notre Dame. That is my report on Bill Bradley.

A Close Look at the Singapore Math Method

A Close Look at the Singapore Math Method One of the harder things parents have to do when it comes to their child’s schooling is understand a new method of learning. As the Singapore Math Method gains popularity, it’s starting to be used in more schools across the nation, leaving more parents to figure out what this method is all about. A close look at the philosophy and framework of Singapore Math can make it easier to understand what’s going on in your child’s classroom. The Singapore Math Framework The framework of Singapore Math is developed around the idea that learning to problem-solve and develop mathematical thinking are the key factors in being successful in math.The framework states: â€Å"The development of mathematical problem-solving ability is dependent on five inter-related components, namely, Concepts, Skills, Processes, Attitudes, and Metacognition.†Looking at each component individually makes it easier to understand how they fit together to help children gain skills that can help them solve both abstract and real-world problems. 1. Concepts When children learn mathematical concepts, they are exploring the ideas of branches of math like numbers, geometry, algebra, statistics and probability, and data analysis. They’re not necessarily learning how to work the problems or the formulas that go with them, but rather gaining an in-depth understanding of what all of these things represent and look like.It’s important for kids to learn that all of math works together and that, for example, addition doesn’t stand by itself as an operation, it carries on and is a part of all the other math concepts as well. Concepts are reinforced using math manipulatives and other practical, concrete materials. 2. Skills Once students have a solid grasp of the concepts, it’s time to move on to learning how to work with those concepts. In other words, once the students have an understanding of the ideas, they can learn the procedures and formulas that go with them. This way the skills are anchored to the concepts, making it easier for students to understand why a procedure works.In Singapore Math, skills don’t just refer to knowing how to work something out with pencil and paper, but also knowing what tools (calculator, measurement tools,etc.) and technology can be used to help solve a problem. 3. Processes The framework explains that processes â€Å"includes reasoning, communication and connections, thinking skills and heuristics, and application and modeling.†    Mathematical reasoning is the ability to look carefully at mathematical situations in a variety of different contexts and logically apply the skills and concepts to problem-solve the situation. Communication is the ability to clearly, concisely and logically use the language of math to explain ideas and mathematical arguments. Connections is the ability to see how math concepts are related to each other, how math is related to other areas of study and how math relates to real life. Thinking skills and heuristics are the skills and techniques that can be used to solve a problem. Thinking skills include things like sequencing, classifying and identifying patterns. Heuristics are the experience-based techniques a child can use to create a representation of a problem, take an educated guess, figure out the process to work through a problem or how to reframe a problem. For example, a child may draw a chart, try to guess and check or solve parts of a problem. These are all learned techniques. Application and modelling is the ability to use what you’ve learned about how to solve problems to choose the best approaches, tools and representations for a certain situation. It’s the most complicated of the processes and takes a lot of practice for children to create math models. 4. Attitudes Children’s are what they think and feel about math. Attitudes are developed by what their experiences with learning math are like.So, a child who has fun while developing a good understanding of concepts and acquiring skills is more likely to have positive ideas about the importance of math and confidence in his ability to solve problems. 5. Metacognition Metacognition sounds really simple but is harder to develop than you might think. Basically, metacognition is the ability to think about how you are thinking.For kids, this means not only being aware of what they are thinking, but also knowing how to control what they are thinking. In math, metacognition is closely tied to being able to explaining what was done to solve it, thinking critically about how the plan works and thinking about alternative ways to approach the problem.The framework of Singapore Math is definitely complicated, but it’s also definitely well thought out and thoroughly defined. Whether you’re an advocate for the method or not so sure about it, a better understanding of the philosophy is key in helping your child with math.

Airline Sales Plunge Blame Low Fares Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Airline Sales Plunge Blame Low Fares - Essay Example Unlike the demand curve, the supply is positively related to the price hence the higher the price, the higher the quantity supplied to the market. At market equilibrium, the quantity demanded is equal to the quantity supplied hence there is absence of excess demand or excess supply in the market (Wessels 28). The quantity demanded is determined by several factors which include the income levels of the consumers, the price of the commodity, the price of related commodities, the future expectations of changes in price and the population. The quantity of commodity supplied in the market is determined by the price of the commodity, technology and the prices of inputs of production. The supply is also determined by subsidies and government taxation (Wessels 58). This paper will discuss the airline sales plunge which may have been blamed on the low fares. The paper will examine the effect of the recession on the airline industry. Research questions and methodology The paper will answer the questions on what were the causes of decrease in the quantity demanded of airline tickets. The paper will also answer the question on the effect of the fares charged on the cost or price which was actually paid by passengers. The paper will review articles on the impact of low fares on profitability of Airline industry during the recession. The airline passenger sales revenues declined by 19 percent in September year-to-year which was not attributed to lack of business but the low passenger prices for the fares. The number of passengers who travelled during the period also declined slightly by 2 percent according to the Air transport association while the average price per one mile of flying declined substantially by 18 percent (Smith 2). The scenario can be explained by the low demand in the airline industry. The fees which started to be charged on services which came free initially include the checked baggage fee, pet travel, non-alcoholic drinks and food. The extra fee accumulat ed to $ 1.15 in 2009.bsome of the major carriers like U.S Airways, Delta Airlines and Continental Airlines gained about $ 10 surcharge revenues for holiday travels while maintaining their normal fares. The decline in Airline industry profitability was also affected by the increasing prices of crude oil (Smith 2). The decline in the quantity demanded of the Airline industry fares during the recession can be attributed to the decline in consumer income levels. A reduction in the income levels would lead to reduction in the quantity of goods demanded especially goods which are not basic. The recession led to decrease in the number of tourism travels and other leisure related travel hence the Airline industry had to lower their prices in order to attract and retain customers during the recession. The low fares partly attracted demand since the passenger volumes fell by 2 percent but it negatively affected business profitability since prices of inputs like crude oil increased. The prices of other related transport services like ship transport did not increase hence the airline industry had to lower their prices so as to maintain their customer base (Smith 4). The recession negatively affected the global economic and business environment whereby major multi-national companies scaled down their operations hence the volumes

Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Supply Chain Management - Essay Example As per the franchise agreement, the Corporation owns most properties where McDonald's is located. The UK business model is different, in that fewer than 30% of restaurants are franchised, with the majority under the ownership of the company. McDonald's trains its franchisees and others at Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois. Nearly one in eight workers in the US has worked with McDonald's at one point in their lives. [1] Eric Schlosser's. McDonald's is also the largest private operator of playgrounds in the country, apart from being the single biggest purchaser of pork, beef, potatoes, and apples. The meats that the company deploys vary with the culture of the country. McDonald's is unique in several ways to its competitors as regards the way it runs its business. It has not always been smooth sailing though, for the most famous fast food joint in the world. McDonald's has been targeted by criticism for allegations of manipulation of entry-level workers, , ecological damage generated by industrial processing of its products, selling far from healthy food, producing packaging waste, exploitative and controversial advertising and partaking in the suffering of livestock. McDonald's' tendency towards promoting high-calorie foods like French fries has not helped either. Also, several McDonald's restaurants are alleged to have used substitute meats, like wildebeest and horse. While these allegations are serious, some argue that it is simply paying the price for being famous. McDonald's Food supply chain McDonald's puts food safety at the very top of their agenda. This is not surprising for a company that does billions of sales revenue annually. This kind of ethics promotes good business as well. At the heart of the McDonald's operation is a quality assurance and supplier food safety programs and is seen as top corporate priority. Suppliers and franchisees have to follow meticulous quality and safety guidelines if they want to sustain their association with McDonald's. It is a high-profile business whose success is founded on good customer experience. Thus, setting clear food safety and quality expectations is the best way to make the business work. [2] Sarah Fister Gale "Food safety is a never-ending process for McDonald's, from raw materials, through the facilities and distribution centers, and all the way to the restaurants. It's a top priority at McDonald's. It's a fundamental standard of our business and our heritage, and will never be compromised." - Lamont Rumbers, director of quality systems for McDonald's USA. [2] For sandwich buns alone McDonald's has tie-ups with more than 20 bakeries all

Elie Wiesel Holocaust Survivor Essay -- Essays Papers

Elie Wiesel Holocaust Survivor As war broke out in Europe during 1939, no one could either imagine or believe the terror that Adolf Hitler would soon bring to the lives of Jewish people. Drawing from his paranoia and a drive for a world Nazi power, Hitler singled out the Jews as the cause for problems in Germany and began to carry out his plan for the destruction of a part of humanity. Hitler not only persecuted the Jews of Germany, but he also targeted the Jews in Poland and other parts of Europe, such as Transylvania, which was the home of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. Breaking his self-imposed vow of silence in 1958, Elie Wiesel published Night which details his horrific experiences at the Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald concentration camps during World War II. Deported from his home in Sighet, Transylvania when just a teenager, Wiesel along with many others struggled through bitter cold, inadequate meals, excruciating labor, and long journeys in overcrowded, filthy train cars. In Night, Wiesel not only details his horrific experiences, but also shows how the Jews first denied the Holocaust, next rejected God, and finally how fathers and sons struggled against each other for survival. Wiesel begins his story in 1944 with memories of his idol, Moesh the Beadle. Moesh talked for long hours with Wiesel about prayer, God, and Jewish books. Suddenly, one day all foreign Jews were removed from Sighet and since Moesh was a foreigner, he was crammed into the overcrowded trains by the Hungarian police. As the train pulled away one Jew said,"What can we expect? It's war."1 This comment displays the beginning of the denial by the Jews. The community of Sighet talked of how well the deportees were doing as workers i... .... Frangsmyr, 1 23. Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Electronic Publishing Inc., Danbury, CT. Bibliography - Arad, Yitzhak, Yisrael Gutman, and Abraham Margaliot. Documents on The Holocaust. Jerusalem, Israel: Ahva Cooperative Press, 1981. - Frangsmyr, Tore. Biography of Elie Wiesel-Nobel Peace Prize-1986. Les Prix Nobel. http://nobel.sdsc.edu/laureates/peace-1986-1-bio.html (25 October 1998) - Grace, Richard A. Elie Wiesel Ellis Island Medals of Honor. http://www.neco.org/e.wiesel.html (25 October 1998) - Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Electronic Publishing Inc. , Danbury, CT. - Holmstrom, David. conversations with Outstanding Americans: Elie Wiesel The Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com (15 October 1998) - Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Hill & Wang Publishing, 1982.

Neutralization Test for Virus

NEUTRALIZATION TEST FOR VIRUS Neutralization of a virus is defined as the loss of infectivity through reaction of the virus with specific antibody. Virus and serum are mixed under appropriate condition and then inoculated into cell culture, eggs or animals. The presence of unneutralized virus may be detected by reactions such as CPE, haemadsorption/haemagglutination, plaque formation, disease in animals. The loss of infectivity is bought about by interference by the bound Ab with any one of the steps leading to the release of the viral genome into the host cells.There are two types of neutralization;- Reversible neutralization – The neutralization process can be reversed by diluting the Ab-Ag mixture within a short time of the formation of the Ag-Ab complexes (30 mins). It is thought that reversible neutralization is due to the interference with attachment of virions to the cellular receptors eg. the attachment of the HA protein of influenza viruses to sialic acid. The process requires the saturation of the surface of the virus with Abs.Stable neutralization – with time, Ag-Ab complexes usually become more stable (several hours) and the process cannot be reversed by dilution. Neither the virions nor the Abs are permanently changed in stable neutralization, for the unchanged components can be recovered. The neutralized virus can be reactivated by proteolytic cleavage. Stable neutralization has a different mechanism to that of reversible neutralization. It had been shown that neutralized virus can attach and that already attached virions can be neutralized.The number of Ab molecules required for stable neutralization is considerably smaller than that of reversible neutralization, Kinetic evidence shows that even a single Ab molecule can neutralize a virion. Such neutralization is generally produced by Ab molecules that establish contact with 2 antigenic sites on different monomers of a virion, greatly increasing the stability of the complexes. An ex ample of stable neutralization is the neutralization of polioviruses, whereby, the attachment of the antibody to the viral capsid stabilizes the capsid and inhibits the uncoating and release of viral nucleic acid.Viral evolution must tend to select for mutations that change the antigenic determinants involved in neutralization. In contrast, other antigenic sites would tend to remain unchanged because mutations affecting them would not be selected for and could even be detrimental. A virus would thus evolve from an original type to a variety of types, different in neutralization (and sometimes in HI) tests, but retaining some of the original mosaic of antigenic determinants recognizable by CFTs.Because of its high immunological specificity, the neutralization test is often the standard against which the specificity of the other serological techniques is evaluated. Before the neutralization test is carried out, the known components that are to be used must be standardized. To identify a virus isolate, a known pretitred antiserum is used. Conversely, to measure the antibody response of an individual to a virus, a known pretitred virus is used. To titrate a known virus, serial tenfold dilutions of the isolate is prepared and inoculated into a susceptible host system such as cell culture or animal.The virus endpoint titre is the reciprocal of the highest dilution of virus that infects 50% of the host system eg. 50% of cell cultures develop CPE, or 50% of animals develop disease. This endpoint dilution contains one 50% tissue culture infecting dose (TCID50) or one 50% lethal dose (LD50) of virus per unit volume. The concentration of virus generally used in the neutralization test is 100 TCID50 or 100 LD50 per unit volume. The antiserum is titrated in the neutralization test against its homologous virus.Serial twofold dilutions of serum is prepared and mixed with an equal volume containing 100TCID50 of virus. The virus and serum mixtures are incubated for 1 hour at 3 7oC. The time and temperature for incubation varies with different viruses. The mixtures are then inoculated into a susceptible host system. The endpoint titration contains one antibody unit and is the reciprocal of the highest dilution of the antiserum protecting against the virus. Generally 20 antibody units of antiserum is used in the neutralization tests.