In what ways does Kathryn Bigelow undermine the conventions of action Essay

In what ways does Kathryn Bigelow undermine the conventions of action cinema Use Point Break as your example and be sure to incorporate the discussions of critics that were assigned to read - Essay Example The scenes which include skydiving are greatly done to make one wonder how Bigelow managed to shoot these scenes at the time (Benson-Allott 3). Point Break is considered an unconventional film due to the pair of actors that Bigelow employed. During the 80’s and the early 90’s, action film were considered to employ more male masculine actors. The likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Segul, Claude Van Damme, Sylvester Stallone, and Chuck Norris. The action film genre was characterized by huge and masculine figures during this period. The likes of Jet Li and Tom Cruise were lighter, smooth, faster action figures. In Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swazey, Bigelow managed to use Point Break in the transformation of Hollywood’s action film from masculine figures to smooth, intelligent crime busters (Benson-Allot 4). Sean Redmond, makes three claims about Katherine Bigelow and Point Black that shows her an unconventional approach to action film. While most critics look at Bigelow’s approach to film as Political, genetically transgressive and feminist, Point Break did not reflect the radical approaches of ideology that Bigelow employed in The Hurt Locker (2009) and the most recent Zero Dark Thirty (2012). In Point Break, Raymond sees Bigelow as founding a new subculture of FBI in action film. Raymond insists that Bigelow showed her political ideology in Point Break. Although the scripts of the movie already existed before Bigelow became the director, it was hard to imagine that the likes of Keanu Reeves and Swazey would make the set (Redmond 4). Redmond sees Bigelow as a radical because in Point Break, the film does not follow the political order which valued lifestyle and counter-culture values. The subculture of thieves who are surfers, led by Bodhi is exalted in the work. The FBI ethos are abandoned by the main character, John Utah, when he is undercover. He is drawn into the life style of this surfer criminal gang.

The United Kingdom awarding body Essay Example for Free

The United Kingdom awarding body Essay I have been asked to design a system for the United Kingdom Awarding Body (UKAB), an imaginary exam board. This system is going to be used for the monitoring of its post-examination re-marks. System Specification: The system specification needs to store the following data:   Candidate name Candidate number Centre number   Subject Reference Code   Original mark   Re-mark mark Whether the centre requested the return of the script It was also necessary to store the grade boundaries for each of the subjects. For the system I was asked to build the following table was provided for the grade boundaries of each subject: Subject Reference Grade Boundaries (%) Code A B C D E 01325 75 67 60 54 48 20094 70 60 50 40 30 28181 90 78 66 54 42 54821 85 79 74 64 55 64773 68 60 52 46 40 The system needed to be able to produce hard copies of the following:   A daily list of any re-marks completed where a mark change has affected the grade; A daily list of any re-marks still outstanding, i. e. that have not been completed within a three-week period;   A list of re-marks that have been requested for a particular subject;   A list of re-marks that have been requested from a particular centre. The system also needed to be able to produce documents which could be returned to the centre giving the results of the re-marking. The document needed to show the UKAB logo and also the following details: Centre number (integer)   Candidate name (string) Candidate number (integer)   Subject Reference Code (integer)   Original Mark (integer)   Original Grade (text)   Either the re-mark mark and grade, if changed, or a sentence to say that there has been no change (integer/text) Processes: The user of the system would need to be able to carry out the following processes:   Record information about candidates. Amend/delete information about candidates Record re-marks Query so as to obtain the information for the hard copies which I listed above. Firstly I needed to use the data requirements to start to design the entities and attributes that I would use in the system. Following is a brainstorm of the ideas I used to come to the first draft of the entities and attributes: Initial Entities: After this brainstorming I decided to start with the following 3 entities: Candidate(Candidate Name, Candidate Number, Centre Number, Subject Reference Code, Original Mark, Re-mark mark, Requested) Subject (Subject Reference Code, A, B, C, D, E). Centre (Centre Number, Centre Name, Centre Address) Where the underlined attributes represent the primary keys within each entity. In the candidate entity I decided to use both candidate number and also centre number as a joint primary key as candidate numbers were only unique to their centre. This would mean that there could be multiple candidates with the same candidate number; however the candidate number and centre number combined would always be unique. For the subject entity, subject reference code was the only sensible primary key as it was the only unique attribute in the entity. Centre Number is both a primary key in the centre entity and also a foreign key in the candidate entity. Another foreign key in this initial model is subject reference code in the candidate entity. Data Types: Candidate Name: text: 20 Candidate Number: integer Centre Number: long integer Subject Name: text: 15 Subject Reference Code: long integer Original Mark: integer Original Grade: text: 1 Re-mark Mark: integer Re-mark Grade: text: 1 A: integer B: integer C: integer D: integer E: integer Centre Name: text: 20 Centre Address: 200 For each of the field I altered the length of each field appropriately. I did this by either switching from long integer to integer, or changing the maximum number of characters in each field. In this way I was able to save on the space that the database used. Following is the reasons for choosing the data types for some of the fields I used in the database: Candidate Name: I limited the field length to 20 characters as this would be long enough to cater for any name but yet saves space as less space has to be set aside for each record. Candidate Number: as candidate number is only 4 digits long there would be no way in which it would exceed the maximum length an integer would provide. Therefore I chose to decrease the field length to integer so as to save space. Centre Number: I was not able to decrease the size of this field as Centre Number is a 5 digit number and therefore can exceed the maximum length of an integer of 32768. Subject Reference Code: this field again used long integer as its data type due to it being a 5 digit code. To ensure that the field could start with a 0 I altered the properties of the field as below: Original Grade: I decreased the length of this field to 1. The grade would always only be a 1 letter grade such as, A or B. Therefore I was able to decrease the length of this field to 1 at no consequence. Re-mark Mark: I changed this to integer as it was only a 2 digit number. Centre Address: I changed this to 200 characters as an address can be quite long. However I did not change the data type to memo which would have provided more space as it would make the system slower and the extra space would not have been needed First Normal Form: I realized that having the candidates and also the re-marks in the same table, that I would be unnecessarily duplicating data within the system. I therefore decided to split the entity up into two separate entities, candidate and re-mark. So my new entity list looked as below: Candidate (Candidate Name, Candidate Number, Centre Number) Re-mark (Subject Name, Subject Reference Code, Candidate Number, Centre Number, Original Mark, Original Grade, Re-mark mark, Re-mark Grade, Requested) Subject (Subject Reference Code, A, B, C, D, E) Centre (Centre Number, Centre Name, Centre Address) The new entity remark has a composite primary key consisting of, subject reference code, candidate number, and centre number. This was the only combination of attributes within this entity which would ensure that it was always unique. Also in this way I was able to ensure that all of my tables were in first normal form, satisfying the criteria of eliminating duplicative fields within the same table. By making the re-mark table a sub-form of candidate through the use of a one to many relationship between the two, I was able to have multiple re-marks for each candidate without having to break the first normal form which I need to adhere to. Second Normal Form: For a table to fulfill the requirements to be in second normal form, all of the non-key attributes within the entity must be functionally dependant upon the primary key of the table. All of my entities satisfied these criteria so therefore no changes needed to be made. Third Normal Form: For a table to fulfill the requirements to be in third normal form, it must first be in first and also second normal form. On top of the requirements for the first two forms, it must also be ensured that no non-key attributes are dependant upon other non-key attributes. My database already satisfies this requirement and can therefore be said to be in third normal form. As my database fulfills all of the requirements to be in first, second and third normal form my database has now been normalized. Relationships: After designing the entities my table will use while considering the normalization of my tables I have now come up with the following relationships: Above is a screenshot of my relationships that I have created in access. As can be noted there are no many to many relationships as I have eliminated them through the normalization process. Software: For this project I am going to be using Microsoft Access, as well as some coding within Visual Basic which I will implement into the database. I have chosen to use the following combination as it is an easy way to set up tables and the initial database, but also allows me to utilize the power of a programming language such as Visual Basic so I can fine tune and customize the user interface and other aspects of the database. I have chosen to use a package to create the initial database as opposed to programming the whole database as programming the whole database from the start is a larger task which I would not have been able to accomplish with my current understanding of programming. Also for this particular project the extra power that a programmed database could offer was not needed as the solution could be provided in a fairly simplistic form. My other main option for creating this database was to use Delphi, which is a form of Pascal. I have already covered most of the Pascal syntax and it would have been the best alternative choice, however I did not do this for the reasons above. On top of this I wanted to expand my knowledge of systems creation by experimenting with Visual Basic and also Access. Hardware: The hardware which I will be initially creating my solution on is my home PC. This PC was built by me and therefore I am very familiar with the hardware that I will be using. The hardware is of a medium to high specification:   AMD Athlon XP 1800+ (clocked at 1533 MHz) 512 MB DDR PC2100 RAM. 40 GB Hard drive However I wanted to ensure that the software that I was creating would work on a PC of lower specification so that anyone that was using it would not be forced to upgrade their systems to use my database. I therefore did some testing on the PCs at my College which were of a lower specification:   Intel Pentium III 800 MHz   128 MB SD RAM   10 GB Hard drive Design: Tables: Following are screen shots of the tables in my database: Candidate Design View: As can be seen in the properties of the candidate name attribute, I have changed the field size to 20. Also it can be seen that the primary key is a composite one made up of candidate number and centre number. Candidate Table View: Centre Design View: In the above view, the focus is on the centre number attribute, as can be seen the field size is set to long integer, also for the format I have altered it to 00000. This represents the number of digits that I was to be shown at any time, this is a work around of the problem that if a centre number begins with a zero then it will still be kept. The primary key for this entity is Centre Number. Centre Table View: The test data included 3 centres. So as to show the full address of each centre I have had to increase the height of each record within the table. Re-mark Design View: As can be seen for this table the primary key is a composite one comprising of subject reference code, candidate number and centre number. Re-mark Table View: Here is all of the test data for my database, it may be noted that there are more than 15 re-marks (the corresponding number of candidates). This is because I have given some candidates a number of re-marks so as to be able to test the effects of more than one re-mark per candidate. Subject Design View:In the subject table I have given the primary key to the only unique attribute within the entity which is subject reference code. Subject Table View: As can be seen for each grade boundary I have just given the singular value as opposed to the actual bounds for each grade. This is so as to make coding for the user interface easier later on in the solution. Validation Rules: In the specification there were a few rules by which some of the data needed to adhere to, these were: 1. Candidate Numbers are of 4 digits and will be unique within any centre, but not between centres. The solution should ensure that this is allowed for. 2. Centre numbers are allocated within the range 10000 to 80000 and are unique. 3. Subject Reference Codes are 5 numeric digits. The following are the validation rules that I used to ensure that my data was correct. 1. For the candidate numbers I used the following validation rule: (0) And (10000). This allowed for the numbers from 0001 up to 9999. 2. For the centre numbers I used the following validation rule: (9999) And (80001). This allowed for the numbers 10000 to 80000. 3. For the subject reference codes I used the following validation rule: (0) And (100000). This allowed for any 5 digit code. Other validation codes that I used include: 1. (=0) And (=100) : for the original mark and re-mark mark attributes. This ensured that every mark was expressed out of 100. 2. (=A) Or (=B) Or (=C) Or (=D) Or (=E) Or (=U) : for original grade and re-mark grade, this ensure that each was a valid grade. Queries: The first query that I needed to create needed to show any outstanding re-marks. Outstanding was defined as 3 weeks after it was received. This led to me needing to change the design of the re-mark table slightly. I needed to add an attribute (date received) so as to keep record of the date that it was received. After this the re-mark entity looked as follows: Re-mark (Subject Name, Subject Reference Code, Candidate Number, Centre Number, Original Mark, Original Grade, Re-mark mark, Re-mark Grade, Requested, Date Received) Forms: Main: To make the design as user friendly as possible, I have split it into 2 sections of input and output. This way it is easy for the user to distinguish between the two uses of the system. For all of my forms I have included an exit button in the bottom right of each form. I have kept this constant to stay in line with the element of least surprise design. New Centre: Similarly to the new centre button, the new subject button opens at a new record. The screenshot is of the subject form. New Re-marks: The new re-mark button unlike the first two buttons does not open at a new record. This is because it is more likely that the user will be inputting a user from an existing centre and therefore it would make more sense for the user to scroll through the centres. A small feature that I have included in this form is to improve the user interface of the system. It will input a code from a subject name or a subject name from a code automatically. I used the following code to achieve this effect. This code changes a subject name into code, it can be noted that this happens on exit of the subject_name field. For the opposite effect I used very similar code: Above is a small clip of how this code works, it follows on similarly for each code. Again this code takes place on exit of the subject_reference_code field. Re-mark Results: For this particular form I have locked many of the fields, this is because it will be used to input the re-mark results from previously submitted papers. The locked fields are coloured in grey. Another feature which is used in this table is an auto-grading system, where the system calculates the grade from the mark entered. This feature also takes into consideration the different subjects as each has different grade boundaries. The code is as follows: End Sub Where the grade boundaries are actually on the table but are hidden as shown: Each of these fields contains the grade boundaries from the subject table. They change in accordance to the subject reference code which is also on the table. This feature is put in place to increase the efficiency of the system for the end user. It may also be noted that when the re_mark_mark field is exited the re_mark_date field becomes equal to todays date. The field was like the grade boundary fields hidden on the form. Reports: The following are the reports which I included to provide hard copies for the end user. Beneath I have listed the names of each of these reports and have also printed out examples of each report. Each example is clipped onto the end of this report; the page number will be included next to the report name beneath:   Grade Changes (pg )   Outstanding Re-marks (pg )   Subject Report (pg )   Centre Report (pg )   Candidate Report (pg ). Each of these reports simply used the queries that I had already constructed. However the candidate report posed a small problem, the specification stated that it would like to show the grade change or if no grade change had been made, then it would like a sentence stating that there was no change. This meant that I would need to create two separate reports and then create some code which could go to the necessary report when I had inputted the details for the report. Test Purpose of test Data Used or Action Taken Expected Result Actual Result 1 Check that main form loads Click main form button Switchboard form displayed. Form opened 2 Check New Centre form Opens Click New Centre Button New Centre form at new record Form opened 3 Check New Subject form Opens Click New Subject Button New Subject form at new record Form opened 4 Check New Re-marks form opens Click New Re-marks Button New Re-mark form at first record Form opened 5 Check grade changes report opens Click Grade Changes Button Grade changes report preview Preview opened 6 Check outstanding re-marks report opens Click outstanding re-marks button Outstanding re-marks report preview Preview opened 7 Check subject report opens Click subject report button Pop up box then report preview. After entering criteria, opened 8 Check centre report opens Click centre report button Pop up box then report preview After entering criteria, opened 9 Check candidate report opens Click candidate report button 3 popup boxes then one of 2 reports After entering criteria, opened 10 Check exit button Click exit button Form closes Form closed 11 Check auto grade feature for original mark Insert mark Equivalent grade is generated Grade generated 12 Check auto grade feature for re-mark mark Insert mark Equivalent grade is generated Grade generated 13 Check validation rule for candidate number Insert 5 digit code. Rejection of the code Rejected 14 Check validation rule for centre number Insert number larger than 80000 Rejection of the code Rejected 15 Check Validation for subject reference code Insert 6 digit code Rejection of the code Rejected 16 Check validation for original mark Insert number larger than 100 Rejection of the number Rejected 17 Check validation code for re-mark mark Insert number larger than 100 Rejection of the number Rejected 18 Check validation code for original grade Insert the letter G Rejection of the letter Rejected 19 Check validation code for re-mark grade Insert the letter H Rejection of the letter. Rejected 20 Check auto subject reference code feature Insert word business Generation of the code 20094 Generated 21 Check auto subject name feature Insert code 01325 Generation of word Art Generated 22 Auto date feature Enter date field Generation of todays date Generated 23 Check that Auto grade feature works for alterations Change an existing mark Regeneration of grade to new grade Generated 24 Check validation of dates Insert abc into date received Rejection of date Rejected 25 Check that Duplicate Centre Numbers cannot be inputted Insert 66528 in new record Rejection of data Rejected.

Not Just for Kicks: Expressing Difficult Content Using Comics Essay

A common description of comic books comes from their appearance in cartoons and comic strips, where a teacher catches a child reading a comic book tucked between the pages of their schoolwork. Prevailing attitudes formed off of this kind of perception render the idea of the comic form as a diversion, lacking serious content, and perhaps immature. However, the comic form uses many techniques to explore subject matter that is difficult to deal with in traditional educational ways. This paper will look to examine how immersion and symbolism within the comic form can be an effective tool to reproduce otherwise difficult situations, concepts, and ideas by using examples of texts from our class that make excellent use of these techniques, in particular Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, The Photographer, and Bound by Law. The graphic novel is grounded in stereotypes that belie their true expressive power, and the deconstruction of those stereotypes is the first step in accessing concepts that are misconstrued and difficult. As Scott McCloud states in Understanding Comics, "Sure, I realized that comic books were usually crude, poorly drawn...but they don't have to be" (McCloud 3), something we have witnessed through the sophistication of our texts this semester. By investigating how the comic form interacts with the reader, we can find many benefits that often position comics as an optimal vehicle for delivering informative and educational content where other mediums only barely suffice. However, separating the medium of comics from the content widely associated with them is a difficult task, and one that can only be changed by effective content delivered with effective comic technique. The main benefits of the graphic novel and comi... ...t is possible to express difficult material through methods other than comics, the examples presented in this essay prove that with proper use of techniques and an awareness of the content itself, graphic narrative can provide a much deeper and enriching experience than text or visual representation alone. Works Cited McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: William Morrow Paperbacks/HarperCollins, 1994. Print. Miyazaki, Hayao. Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind. Volume 1. San Francisco, CA: Viz Communications, Inc., 1995.2nd Ed. 2004. First published by Nibariki/Tokuma Shoten, Japan, 1994. Print. Guibert, Emmanuel, et al. The Photographer: Into War-Torn Afghanistan with Doctors without Borders. New York and London: First Second, 2009. Print. Aoki, Keith, James Boyle, Jennifer Jenkins. Bound by Law. Duke Law School. 2006. Print.

The Individual and The System in Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest :: One Flew Over Cuckoos Nest

The Individual and The System   One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Many social issues and problems are explored in Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Perhaps the most obvious complaint against society is the treatment of the individual. This problem of the individual versus the system is a very controversial topic that has provoked great questioning of the government and the methods used to treat people who are unable to conform to the government's standards. McMurphy is an individual who is challenging and rebelling against the system's rules and practices. He eventually teaches this practice of rebellion to the other patients who begin to realize that their lives are being controlled unfairly by the mental institution. When McMurphy first arrives at the institution, all of the other patients are afraid to express their thoughts to the Big Nurse. They are afraid to exercise their thoughts freely, and they believe that the Big Nurse will punish them if they question her authority. One patient, Harding, says, "All of us in here are rabbits of varying ages and degrees...We need a good strong wolf like the nurse to teach us our place" (Kesey 62). This novel has a very strong theme of government rejecting those who are considered nonconformists in modern society. The government then places these nonconformists in mental institutions so it will not have to deal with them. This is society's way of ditching those with nonconformist attitudes so they will disappear from the world and be forgotten. According to one critic, oppressive, conformist, regulatory, civilization is the suppressor of individual freedom (Barsness 433). "He (McMurphy) hadn't let what he looked like run his life one way or the other,anymore than he'd let the Combine (the characters' metaphor for the government) mill him into fitting where they wanted him to fit...He's not gonna let them twist him and manufacture him" (Kesey 153). McMurphy is symbolized as the typical individual, while Big Nurse Ratched is symbolized as a member of the system, or the Combine. Bromden narrates, "McMurphy doesn't know it, but he's onto what I realized a long time back, that it's not just the Big Nurse by herself, but it's the whole Combine, the nation-wide Combine that's the really big force, and the nurse is just a high-ranking official for them" (181).

Demand Elasticity of Luxury Automobiles Essay

In the luxury automobile market, there are many vehicles that boast high quality workmanship, luxurious appointments and powerful drivetrains. For this research paper, the midsize luxury sedan segment was chosen because most of the vehicles from the brands in this segment have similar features, power, and most importantly, price tags. The flagship models of the brands were not chosen since the features and amenities are very different from car to car to such a degree that it would be almost impossible to compare the models. The retail prices of the flagship vehicles also vary by a few thousand dollars, making a fair comparison between the models even more difficult. The midsize luxury sedan segment offers consumers a good mix of quality components and craftsmanship, luxurious amenities, and ample power for daily commuting. These vehicles are designed for consumers who want luxurious, high quality vehicles at a fair price. The vehicle chosen for this study is the all-new Lexus GS430 sedan. The Lexus’ two closest competitors are the BMW 545i and the Cadillac STS V8. The vehicles chosen are with all standard equipment but the navigation system option was added to each since the Lexus comes with it already loaded. The engine and transmission options were also chosen to equally match the vehicles in power and price. Since there is no central retail location where one can purchase any brand of vehicle they want, three dealerships were surveyed for price information for each brand of vehicle included in this study. Surveying three dealerships for pricing for the same car allows us to not only see the price differences from one dealership to another but also allows us to compare the price of that vehicle with another from a totally different make. See Appendix I for the results of the survey. The vehicles chosen in this study all boasted high quality craftsmanship coupled with fine materials. The materials used in the interior of the were applied tastefully, and generously. The body panel fit and finish of all three vehicles was good, but the BMW had the tightest tolerances of the group. The paint finish however left much to be desired from all three models. There was a lot of orange peel in the finish of the paint. The interior design of the three models was tasteful, with the Cadillac being the most conservative and the BMW the most radically designed interior. The Cadillac had a good mix of both radical design and conservative styling. The BMW had the iDrive system which has a short learning curve to it, but it is supposed to simplify how you use the systems in the car. There wasn’t enough time to learn how to fully utilize the features of the iDrive system, but, in my opinion, turning on the air conditioner shouldn’t require reading a manual or much less, attending a training session for how to use the device. The training session is provided by BMW to new owners of vehicles equipped with the system. The iDrive system will have an effect on a consumer’s decision to purchase the vehicle since some consumers may find it cumbersome to use. Cadillac’s functions and controls were very simple and straight-forward. The navigation system and radio controls were touch screen and were displayed on a rather large monitor. The controls were easy to use and logically placed. The Lexus had a good mix of conservative and radical styling. The controls were laid out logically and the interior looked very clean. The Lexus had a hideaway drawer that had a lot of controls and buttons in it that was easily tucked away out of view. All three models come standard with passenger and side air bags. They all come with a CD player and heated seats. A navigation system is available with each vehicle, but is standard on the GS430. To even out the playing field, the navigation option was added to the Cadillac and BMW. This change in options actually brought the prices of the vehicles very close together. The Lexus had the most front leg room; however the Cadillac had the most interior volume. All three models have about the same power output with the BMW being the most powerful with a 325HP engine. The Cadillac was a close second with a 320HP engine and the GS430 came last with a 300HP engine. They all achieve approximately the same miles per gallon in the city, but highway mileage varies between the three models with the BMW being the most efficient out of the group. The BMW gets 18 miles to the gallon in the city and 26 on the highway, the Lexus 18/23, and the Cadillac 16/22 miles to the gallon, respectively. The Lexus felt the most nimble because as was suspected, it had a lower curb weight than the other models. The transmissions on all models were super smooth and power delivery was consistent with throttle input. The Lexus had the smoothest ride out of all three, however it achieved this because of how disconnected it felt from the road. The lack of communication from the suspension to the driver in the Lexus leaves the driver uncertain of road conditions and forces the driver to rely on vehicle safety systems to keep the car stable. The BMW had a sport suspension which made the ride a little rougher than the others, but was the most responsive to inputs from the driver and was the best at communicating road conditions to the driver, and because of this offered the most interactive driving experience. The suspension was tight and allowed the sedan to maneuver like a sports car. The Cadillac also had a smooth ride, but road feel was more prominent which made the ride feel a little less smooth than the Lexus. The Cadillac maneuvered well, but a stiffer suspension would make this vehicle a real performer. In conclusion, the quality levels of all three vehicles were near the same level. The BMW had the tightest tolerances in fit and finish with the most responsive ride, though the iDrive system is sure to turn off some prospective buyers. The Lexus had a smooth ride with luxurious appointments throughout, whereas the Cadillac had a good mix of both performance and luxury. The Lexus and Cadillac also had a keyless entry and ignition system which allowed you to get into your car and turn it on without ever taking the key fob out of your pocket. The consumers who purchase these vehicles are mid-upper class citizens. They are price-conscious and would like to get the best bang for their buck when purchasing a luxury car. The difference in the prices of alternate vehicles may be the deciding factor when purchasing a vehicle in this class. I would suggest a slight price decrease for the Lexus so it would be priced below the Cadillac, making it the best bang for the buck all the while providing the same comforts and amenities as the BMW and the Cadillac. My estimation of the demand elasticity of luxury automobiles is that the demand is rather elastic. A slight change in price will cause a significant change in demand for that particular product. If the price of the Lexus, or for any model in this class for that matter, was to suddenly increase a few thousand dollars, that price increase would make consumers consider the Cadillac or BMW instead since they both have the same level of quality and features. â€Å"Consumption of goods and services that are considered a luxury can be easily reduced if the price rises. Hence demand tends to be more elastic for fur coats, luxury cars, extensive vacations, etc. Goods considered a necessity are so important that buyers tend to respond little to a price change. They do respond however, although demand tends to be price inelastic for such goods† (Walbert). Lower priced practical vehicles can be considered necessities since a price increase will not cause consumers to not purchase these products. A price change will not trigger them to wait until later when the price drops to purchase the car. They will purchase the vehicle at the price given since it is absolutely necessary to have the car. However this does not hold true for the luxury automobile market. Luxury automobiles are a much larger purchase than a practical commuter vehicle purchase. A consumer in the market for a luxury automobile can wait until there is a price decrease before purchasing the vehicle, hence making the demand elastic.

Free Essays on Lador Day

This Labor Day it seems like everyone is hitting the road for one last summer adventure. The number of travelers on the road this long weekend is expected to be record breaking, higher than they’ve been in nine years. Up to 33.4 million Americans are set to travel 50 miles or more away from home this holiday weekend, according to AAA. That number is up 1.8% from last year and tops a previous high, set in 1995 of 33.2 million. But vacationer has more than sunscreen and mosquitoes to keep in mind this weekend. They also need to keep in mind the ever-rising gas prices, the anything but perfect weather, and the safety of themselves and loved ones while on the road. These days gas is anything but cheap, with prices averaging $1.74 per gallon. A lot of this is said to be due to the workers strike in Venezuela and the conflict in Iraq. However that’s not stopping Americans from traveling. From July 19 to August 15 Americans used 9.4 million barrels per day the highest four-week period on record, said Doug Macintyre, an analysts for the Federal Energy Information Administration. Also, the biggest two-week jump in history. At least here in Tampa we can look to the bright side, our gas prices are nine to fifteen cents cheaper than many other Florida cities. Lately the weather here in Florida leaves much to be desired. Or maybe the beautiful postcard images we all love are just that, postcard images. With very little to do with the actual weather we encounter on an everyday basis. This August has been the 4th wettest ever in history. Our afternoon showers seem to be on a timer from hell, erupting every afternoon between four and five o’clock p.m. Then when it’s not raining it’s so warm and muggy that going outside hardly seems worth it. But that won’t put a damper on weekend plans; people will still be out and about, despite the fact that we’ll have a 45-75% chance of rain. And tropical storm Fabian lurking in the water. Surfs up... Free Essays on Lador Day Free Essays on Lador Day This Labor Day it seems like everyone is hitting the road for one last summer adventure. The number of travelers on the road this long weekend is expected to be record breaking, higher than they’ve been in nine years. Up to 33.4 million Americans are set to travel 50 miles or more away from home this holiday weekend, according to AAA. That number is up 1.8% from last year and tops a previous high, set in 1995 of 33.2 million. But vacationer has more than sunscreen and mosquitoes to keep in mind this weekend. They also need to keep in mind the ever-rising gas prices, the anything but perfect weather, and the safety of themselves and loved ones while on the road. These days gas is anything but cheap, with prices averaging $1.74 per gallon. A lot of this is said to be due to the workers strike in Venezuela and the conflict in Iraq. However that’s not stopping Americans from traveling. From July 19 to August 15 Americans used 9.4 million barrels per day the highest four-week period on record, said Doug Macintyre, an analysts for the Federal Energy Information Administration. Also, the biggest two-week jump in history. At least here in Tampa we can look to the bright side, our gas prices are nine to fifteen cents cheaper than many other Florida cities. Lately the weather here in Florida leaves much to be desired. Or maybe the beautiful postcard images we all love are just that, postcard images. With very little to do with the actual weather we encounter on an everyday basis. This August has been the 4th wettest ever in history. Our afternoon showers seem to be on a timer from hell, erupting every afternoon between four and five o’clock p.m. Then when it’s not raining it’s so warm and muggy that going outside hardly seems worth it. But that won’t put a damper on weekend plans; people will still be out and about, despite the fact that we’ll have a 45-75% chance of rain. And tropical storm Fabian lurking in the water. Surfs up...

How To Organize Your Ideas For Your Blog

How To Organize Your Ideas For Your Blog is all about organizing your ideas. We give you the tools to plan, communicate, and ultimately publish. If there is anything were a big fan of, its making sure your ideas see the light of day on your blog. The challenge is getting to that point where you do the writing.  If youve been blogging for even a short amount of time, youve probably run into what I call notes overload. This is the problem of having all kinds of possible ideas, partial blog post drafts, notes, saved links and images, research, interviews, lists–all the required guts of great content!–spread out in different apps and locations with absolutely no organization or way to actually make use of it. How does this happen? An uncontrollable desire to sign up for every new organizational app that comes along. Fun to try, but impossible to manage them all. A regular use of unconnected systems, one for your work computer, one at home, and one on mobile devices. The differences in the apps affect what you prefer to use on the different platforms. A struggle to use products that do and dont integrate with other apps and find that perfect mix. In other words, you have no shortage of ideas, just a problem trying to find them when you need them. Create A System To Organize Your Ideas Systems are tricky, and while I enjoy reading blog posts about the solutions others have come up with, I know that they wont work perfectly for me. We dont all work the same, and a perfect solution doesnt exist as a standard.  What works for me wont make a bit of sense to you, in all likelihood. It really is up to you to figure out what will work, often through trial and error and considering the pros and cons of options available. What makes a good system? How do you decide what tools to use? 1. It must be simple. Sometimes the simple tool is the better tool. The system you create cant be too complicated. If it is, you wont stick with it. I have a personal theory that seems to be true for me, at least, that if something takes more than three steps to use, Im not likely to stick with it. Ive seen many blog posts showing how you can use organizational apps such as Trello or Asana–both great organizational apps–as an editorial calendar, but by the time Im done reading, Im absolutely convinced Id never use it. There are too many steps to make things happen (which, of course, is why we created ). They are complicated and sometimes a bit hacked together. Hacking a tool is a fun challenge, but it isnt a solid foundation. Id rather have a tool that I can use the way it is intended to get the job done.  So, how do you keep things simple? Understand the tools.  Expecting an editorial calendar to control how your blog theme looks doesnt make much sense. Thats not what the tool is for. While we all dream of the perfect all-in-one tool that does everything  we  need it to do in one place, remember that not everyone works the same and that such a tool  cannot possibly exist. Understand Use tools as they were intended.  Things tend to get complicated when we decide to go ahead and use a tool in a way that it wasnt intended. Tools tend to get complicated when they implement features and changes that dont fit in with their original core focus (feature creep). Dont use a spreadsheet when a database is what you need. Dont use a task management system as an editorial calendar. Restrict the number of tools youll use. Refrain from signing up for every new, cool app that comes along. Its one thing to try it, but another to start moving all of your content into it only to decide that no, it doesnt really work. Choose well-made tools. Find a tool that does what you want it to do, not a tool loaded with unnecessary features that make things complicated. I used to use Springpad religiously, but they began updates that took it from being a handy notes app into something that seemed to resemble Pinterest. I didnt need those features, and I didnt like the bloat and complexity. I eventually just drifted away and found a different notes app. Control yourself. Your system for organizing blog post ideas is just for organizing blog post ideas. It is not an additional to-do list for things you have to do on your web site, and maybe a grocery list thrown in. A simple system that works for blog ideas might be something you can replicate for planning web site landing pages, but dont combine the two at the get go. Complex systems inevitably break down. Organize your blog ideas simply.2. It must work like you work. You have to know how you work which, surprisingly, some writers havent taken the time to really consider. Do you work by free-writing a full draft post? Do you collect links and phrases and drop them into a repository, knowing you can build a full post off of it later? Do you need to collect images as inspiration or to use? Do you get your ideas while driving and prefer to record yourself talking?   These kinds of questions will help you know which tool is going to be useful and which wont fit how you work. For example, I like Google Keep. Its a bare bones unfussy notes app and I use it. But I dont really use it for my blog or writing ideas. Why? Because sometimes I want to record ideas that come to me while driving and while Google Keep allows you to record, it stops when you stop talking, i.e. no pauses. Keep tries (not always so great) to transcribe the recording and create a note to go along the clip, but it makes playback on the web challenging. With Keep, it is better to play the note back using your phone. Now Evernote is a bit different. It starts recording and keeps going until you hit stop, and you can play it back from the web just fine which is handy for transcription. How do you work? Will the tool be fighting against you? Then dont use it. Are you using your planning tools, or fighting against them.3. It must work where you work. Your system has to be usable wherever youd likely use it. Where you write is about a physical space, sure, but also the publishing software you use. This means if you arent ever going to write a blog post on your phone, then dont reject a solution just because it doesnt have a blogging app for your phone. Or, if you often write where there is not internet access, youll need something that allows you to work (work, not just view) offline. Integrations are a big deal. If you are working in WordPress, does the tool you use integrate with WordPress, or are you having to rely on copy-and-paste techniques? Is the tool excellent enough that you are willing to use copy-and-paste techniques? Does the tool update your calendar if youre task-orientated? Where do you work? Will the tool function there? If it wont, it might not be the solution; it might just be a headache. The organization system that works for someone else likely wont be your perfect fit.4. The difference between planning and creating. The perfect system for organizing your ideas has to acknowledge that planning and creating are not the same. The need to plan is why you must organize your ideas in the first place. The creating happens fairly easily if that organized planning happened.  In your system, do you want your planning to happen where you write the actual content, or do you want to keep them separate? This is actually the most difficult and confusing question. Some people really want that all-in-one experience, and think that their method of idea organization is a failure because it doesnt morph easily into the final creation. As anyone with a headful (and a harddisk full) of ideas and research knows, creation is easy if you did your organization and planning right.