Send Information Between Delphi Apps With WM_COPYDATA

Send Information Between Delphi Apps With WM_COPYDATA There are many situation when you need to allow for two applications to communicate. If you do not want to mess with TCP and sockets communication (because both applications are running on the same machine), you can *simply* send (and properly receive) a special Windows message: WM_COPYDATA. Since handling Windows messages in Delphi is simple, issuing a SendMessage API call along with the WM_CopyData filled with the data to be sent is quite straight forward. WM_CopyData and TCopyDataStruct The WM_COPYDATA message enables you to send data from one application to another. The receiving application receives the data in a TCopyDataStruct record. The TCopyDataStruct is defined in the Windows.pas unit and wraps the COPYDATASTRUCT structure that contains the data to be passed. Heres the declaration and the description of the TCopyDataStruct record: type TCopyDataStruct packed record dwData: DWORD; //up to 32 bits of data to be passed to the receiving application cbData: DWORD; //the size, in bytes, of the data pointed to by the lpData member lpData: Pointer; //Points to data to be passed to the receiving application. This member can be nil. end; Send a String over WM_CopyData For a Sender application to send data to Receiver the CopyDataStruct must be filled and passed using the SendMessage function. Heres how to send a string value over WM_CopyData: procedure TSenderMainForm.SendString() ; var stringToSend : string; copyDataStruct : TCopyDataStruct; begin stringToSend : About Delphi Programming; copyDataStruct.dwData : 0; //use it to identify the message contents copyDataStruct.cbData : 1 Length(stringToSend) ; copyDataStruct.lpData : PChar(stringToSend) ; SendData(copyDataStruct) ; end; The SendData custom function locates the receiver using the FindWindow API call: procedure TSenderMainForm.SendData(const copyDataStruct: TCopyDataStruct) ; var   Ã‚  receiverHandle : THandle;   Ã‚  res : integer; begin   Ã‚  receiverHandle : FindWindow(PChar(TReceiverMainForm),PChar(ReceiverMainForm)) ;   Ã‚  if receiverHandle 0 then   Ã‚  begin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ShowMessage(CopyData Receiver NOT found!) ;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Exit;   Ã‚  end;   Ã‚  res : SendMessage(receiverHandle, WM_COPYDATA, Integer(Handle), Integer(copyDataStruct)) ; end; In the code above, the Receiver application was found using the FindWindow API call by passing the class name of the main form (TReceiverMainForm) and the caption of the window (ReceiverMainForm). Note: The SendMessage returns an integer value assigned by the code that handled the WM_CopyData message. Handling WM_CopyData - Receiving a String The Receiver application handles the WM_CopyData mesage as in: type TReceiverMainForm class(TForm) private procedure WMCopyData(var Msg : TWMCopyData) ; message WM_COPYDATA; ... implementation ... procedure TReceiverMainForm.WMCopyData(var Msg: TWMCopyData) ; var s : string; begin s : PChar(Msg.CopyDataStruct.lpData) ; //Send something back msg.Result : 2006; end; The TWMCopyData record is declared as: TWMCopyData packed record Msg: Cardinal; From: HWND;//Handle of the Window that passed the data CopyDataStruct: PCopyDataStruct; //data passed Result: Longint;//Use it to send a value back to the Sender end; Sending String, Custom Record or an Image? The accompanying source code demonstrates how to send a string, record (complex data type) and even graphics (bitmap) to another application. If you cannot wait the download, heres how to send a TBitmap graphics: procedure TSenderMainForm.SendImage() ; var ms : TMemoryStream; bmp : TBitmap; copyDataStruct : TCopyDataStruct; begin ms : TMemoryStream.Create; try bmp : self.GetFormImage; try bmp.SaveToStream(ms) ; finally bmp.Free; end; copyDataStruct.dwData : Integer(cdtImage) ; // identify the data copyDataStruct.cbData : ms.Size; copyDataStruct.lpData : ms.Memory; SendData(copyDataStruct) ; finally ms.Free; end; end; And how to receive it: procedure TReceiverMainForm.HandleCopyDataImage( copyDataStruct: PCopyDataStruct) ; var ms: TMemoryStream; begin ms : TMemoryStream.Create; try ms.Write(copyDataStruct.lpData^, copyDataStruct.cbData) ; ms.Position : 0; receivedImage.Picture.Bitmap.LoadFromStream(ms) ; finally ms.Free; end; end;

Kitchen Cabinetâ€Origin of the Term and Its Political Meaning

Kitchen Cabinet- Origin of the Term and Its Political Meaning The Kitchen Cabinet was a mocking term applied to an official circle of advisers to President Andrew Jackson. The term has endured through many decades, and now generally refers to a politicians informal circle of advisers.   When Jackson came into office after the bruising election of 1828, he was very distrustful of official Washington. As part of his anti-establishment actions, he began to dismiss government officials who had held the same jobs for years. His reshuffling of the government became known as​ the  Spoils System. And in an apparent effort to ensure that power rested with the president, not other people in the government, Jackson appointed fairly obscure or ineffectual men to most of the posts in his cabinet. The only man considered to possess any  real political stature in Jacksons cabinet was Martin Van Buren, who was appointed secretary of state. Van Buren had been a very influential figure in politics in New York State, and his ability to bring northern voters in line with Jacksons frontier appeal helped Jackson win the presidency. Jacksons Cronies Wielded the Real Power The real power in Jacksons administration rested with a circle of friends and political cronies who often did not hold official office. Jackson was always a controversial figure, thanks largely to his violent past and mercurial temperament. And  opposition newspapers, implying there was something nefarious about the president receiving much unofficial advice, came up with the play on words, kitchen cabinet, to describe the informal group. Jacksons official cabinet was sometimes called the parlor cabinet. The Kitchen Cabinet included newspaper editors, political supporters, and old friends of Jacksons. They tended to support him in such efforts as the Bank War, and the implementation of the Spoils System. Jacksons informal group of advisers became more powerful as Jackson became estranged from people within his own administration. His own vice president, John C. Calhoun, for example, rebelled against Jacksons policies, resigned, and began to instigate what became the Nullification Crisis. The Term Endured In later presidential administrations, the term kitchen cabinet took on a less derisive meaning and simply came to be used to denote a presidents informal advisers. For example, when Abraham Lincoln was serving as president, he was known to correspond with newspaper editors Horace Greeley (of the New York Tribune), James Gordon Bennett (of the New York Herald), and Henry J. Raymond (of the New York Times). Given the complexity of issues Lincoln was dealing with, the advice (and political support) of prominent editors was both welcome and extremely helpful. In the 20th century, a good example of a kitchen cabinet would be the circle of advisers President John F. Kennedy would call upon. Kennedy respected intellectuals and former government officials such as George Kennan, one of the architects of the Cold War. And he would reach out to historians and scholars for informal advice on pressing issues of foreign affairs as well as domestic policy. In modern usage, the kitchen cabinet has generally lost the suggestion of impropriety. Modern presidents are generally expected to rely on a wide range of individuals for advice, and the idea that unofficial persons would be advising the president is not seen as improper, as it had been in Jacksons time.

Brand Portfolio Project (advertising) Case Study

Brand Portfolio Project (advertising) - Case Study Example In 1964, the first year of its operation, the company sold about1300 pairs of shoes generating revenues of about $8000 dollars. The company acquired a full-time employee in 1965, with an annual turnover of close to $20000. With the increased sales volume and growth in stock, the company opened its first retail store in 3107 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, California in 1966. Because of the rapid growth in revenues and demand for the company’s products, the company in 1967 expanded its operations to the East Coast in Wellesley, Massachusetts. As the relationship between Blue Ribbon Sports and Onitsuka Tiger approached its final stages in the year 1971, Blue Ribbon Sports was preparing to launch its new footwear designed by Carolyn Davidson (Frisch 6). In June 1971, Blue Ribbon Sports, branded as Nike first used the Swoosh designed footwear, subsequently registering for a trademark and patents of the products. Over time, the company has grown tremendously due to the extensive us e of television advertising for their products. Getting into a number of partnerships with different individuals such as John Brown and partners and Wilden+Kennedy, the later who has remained the official advertising agency for the company, Nike has successfully managed to transform its operations from a small company to a multi-billion dollar enterprise (Google finance Web). In the fiscal year 2012, Nike managed revenues in excess of US $24.1 billion. With the increase in product quality and focus on customer satisfaction, the once small distributor of athletics wear and apparel currently has a market value of approximately $10.7 billion (Nike Inc. web). This makes Nike the biggest company in the sports and athletics brands, ahead of companies such as adidas. Nike’s Mission The company’s mission statement drives its growth and success, making it a profitable and high performing organization in the sports business. This forms the ultimate goal of its operations, gearin g its management and employees to work in an enthusiastic way. According to Nike inc. (web), the company’s mission is, â€Å"To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.† Objectives and Strategies Although initially the company used TV as the dominant advertising strategy, in the recent past a number of strategies drives the advertising campaign of Nike. Among the most significant advertising methods forming the company’s current advertising strategy, include internet marketing, email management technologies and broadcast, methods that the company believes directly influences its target customers. The ability of the company to select reliable media to convey its messages and sell its products to the right people is the main reason for its success. Additionally, the company creatively uses these media forms to complement each other, creating a bigger impact in the market than any other sports company does. As the world started embracing adve rtising and corporations started using internet as an advertising tool, Nike too launched its website in the year 1997 in a bid to market its products. As the company took its products to the internet-advertising platform, it adopted an email management system called EchoMail that integrated its emails into one database center. In order to offer its loyal customers personalized services, the company decided to

What did my experience when I first went abroad or visited a different Essay

What did my experience when I first went abroad or visited a different culture than my own How did I overcome the cultural differences - Essay Example The plane trip was uneventful. When I arrived at the Vienna airport however I began to have a bit of culture shock. Everything was written in German—not in Russian! I heard lots of people around me speaking a language I didn’t understand. I went to a shop to buy some food and I could see all the magazines were different and there were many different types of food available that weren’t available in Russia. When I walked out of the airport I was surprised to see that the temperature was much warmer than it was in Russia. I wouldn’t be needing all the winter gear I had brought with me from Russia. I got in a taxi and explained that I wanted to go to a hotel in the downtown part of Vienna. It took quite awhile for the driver to understand what I wanted: communication with people was difficult. As we drove down the streets I noticed that there were many different models of cars on the streets. Many people had more expensive cars than they did in Russia, for ex ample. As I got to know Vienna over the next few days I realized it was a city of wonderful architecture and very friendly people. I was amazed at how clean the streets were and how green the parks were. A big difference was the quality of life of pensioners. In Russia many are very poor, but in Austria I could see they were well taken care of. Generally, people seemed to be happy and kind. I began to realize that I had been nervous about nothing. How did I deal with all of this? In the end I found my trip to be very enjoyable. In the beginning I had been nervous and unsure, but I made sure to keep an open mind. I was curious about Austria and I wanted to learn more. I didn’t necessarily think my own country was better—I wanted to learn. By keeping an open mind while traveling it is easier to adapt to a foreign

Alcohol Advertising to Youth Essay Example for Free

Alcohol Advertising to Youth Essay Many people are unaware of the prevalence of underage drinking in the United States. Every day in the United States, more than 4,750 kids under age 16 have their first full drink of alcohol. More youth in the United States drink alcohol than smoke tobacco or marijuana, making it the drug most used by American young people. Youth who start drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependency or abuse in their lifetime than those who begin drinking at 21 years or later. All of these facts were published by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth. They have published many reports on the prevalence of drinking among underage youth. But why do underage youth start drinking alcohol in the first place? According to many studies, alcohol advertising is the main influencer of alcohol consumption among underage youth. Alcohol advertising influences the use of alcohol among youth and increases the likelihood that they will consume alcohol illegally. For example, a study published in 2006 found that for each additional alcohol ad a young person saw (above the monthly youth average of 23), he or she drank one percent more. Also, for every additional dollar spent on alcohol advertising in a local market, underage drinkers consumed three percent more alcohol (Surgeon General, 2007). Because young children are likely to be influenced by alcohol advertisements, there needs to be stricter regulations on the advertising industries ability to advertise alcohol to underage youth. According to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking (2007), â€Å"The short-and long-term consequences that arise from underage alcohol consumption are astonishing in their range and magnitude, affecting adolescents, the people around them, and society as a whole. † Therefore, there should be a stricter regulation on alcohol advertising to youth because of the strong influence it has on their behavior and their alcohol consumption patterns. Each year, the alcohol industry spends more than four billion dollars marketing its products (Mosher Cohen, 2012). There have been multiple studies that have correlated underage youth exposure with a greater likelihood of drinking. It is imperative that the government or advertising industry reduces the impact of alcohol marketing on young people. Reducing underage drinking, like smoking, is an important public health goal (Mosher Cohen, 2012). Public health departments in California, Massachusetts, and Florida have made crucial strides in reducing underage smoking rates in their states (Mosher Cohen, 2012). They did this my sponsoring tobacco counter advertising campaigns. This indicates that this type of approach may be effective for reducing underage drinking as well (Mosher Cohen, 2012). The problem with this for alcohol advertising is that there are already responsibility ads, but they are outnumbered by alcohol ads 226-1 (CAMY News Release, 2004). Alcohol product advertising has increased significantly in recent years, while responsibility ads have decreased. According to a new study from CAMY at Georgetown University, the number of responsibility ads dropped by 46 percent from 2001 levels, while the number of alcohol commercials increased by 39 percent. Industry spending on responsibility ads also fell—down 57 percent from 2001. This is unacceptable. According to CAMY Executive Director, Jim O’Hara, â€Å"This minimal amount of responsibility advertising does little to reinforce the message of parents and teachers who are trying to prevent underage drinking. Our children need to receive a more balanced message about alcohol. † According to the same study, for every dollar spent on responsibility ads in 2002, the industry spent $99 on product ads, where in 2001, the ratio was $1 to $35. Alcohol companies should be required to sponsor a certain amount of responsibility ads each year, that is relative to the number of alcohol product ads they place. This would help to increase the amount of responsibility ads underage youth is exposed to and thus, increasing the amount of reinforcement they receive to not drink underage and illegally. According to the CAMY study at Georgetown University in 2002, of 59 alcohol marketers advertising on television, only four places responsibility ads in 2002. Adolph Coors Co, Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. , SABMiller PLC and Diageo PLC were the four parent companies whose brands placed responsibility ads in 2002. Anheuser-Busch placed the most ads, but they still spent 45 times more on product ads and placed 89 more product ads than responsibility ads (CAMY, 2002). Underage youth were 287 times more likely per capita to see a TV commercial promoting alcohol from 2001 to 2006 (Nielsen Media Research, 2006). Other studies have found that youth exposed to alcohol in movies and to alcohol in signage near schools as well as youth ownership of alcohol promotional items are all associated with a greater likelihood of underage drinking (The Surgeon General, 2007). Therefore, because of youth’s potential to be greatly influenced by alcohol advertisements, this high amount of exposure to alcohol advertisements increases the consumption of alcohol among underage youth. There is opposition to stricter regulations on alcohol advertising; some feel that these regulations will not have any effect on the consumption and use of alcohol among underage youth. According to Marcus Grant, the president and founder of the International Centre for Alcohol Policies said that in many Scandinavian countries where alcohol advertising was banned, the prevalence of alcohol abuse was still high. Also, according to the industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA), no evidence exists to support the notion that beverage alcohol advertising has any significant effect on the rate of alcohol abuse. According to the ARA, Denmark has a ban on all broadcast advertising except on low alcohol-content products, as well as various restrictions on print and outdoor advertising. It has one of the highest reported rates of intoxication among young people. Therefore, they feel that increasing the amount of regulations of alcohol advertising, or the banning of alcohol advertising as a whole, will not result in a decline in the rate of alcohol consumption among underage youth. While alcohol marketers have made reforms in their marketing practices, these revisions fall short (Mosher Cohen 2012). In 2006, The STOP Act was passed, requiring that the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services report annually on rates of exposure of youth to positive and negative messages about alcohol in the mass media. Advertisers are aware of the media usage of youth and current alcohol regulations do not do enough to protect underage youth from viewing alcohol advertisements. According to CAMY reports on Youth Exposure to Alcohol Ads, the advertising industry has reduced youth exposure to its advertising in magazines and cut its spending on radio. However, youth exposure to alcohol advertising on television grew by 30 percent between 2001 and 2006 (Mosher Cohen, 2012). Because youth, ages 12 to 20, are only 13. 3 percent of the national TV viewing audience, the current threshold of not placing ads where underage youth are more than 30 percent of the audience allows alcohol advertising on programs where there are more than twice as many youth as the viewing population (Mosher Cohen, 2012). It is obvious that current regulations do not do enough to support the goals of Congress, and of the Surgeon General, to decrease alcohol advertising exposure and alcohol consumption among underage youth. Therefore, stricter regulations need to be put into place to restrict the advertising industry from placing alcohol advertisements within youth-consumed media. CAMY issued a report of eight methods for states to limit and reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertisements. According to CAMY, only 11 states implement more than one â€Å"best practice† policy, a total of 22 states implement no policies at all. It is important for these states to implement all of eight of the methods to ensure that underage youth are not exposed to these ads and the consequences of seeing these ads (Swift, 2011). According to a study conducted by Leslie B. Snyder, Ph. D. , of the University of Connecticut, Storrs, and colleagues, a random sample of young people between the ages of 15 to 26 years old were interviewed. The researchers reported these results: (1) For each additional alcohol advertisement viewed per month, the number of drinks consumed increased by one percent (2) The same percentage increase, one percent per alcohol advertisement per month, applied to underage drinkers (those younger than age 21) as well as legal aged drinkers (3) Youth in markets with high alcohol advertising expenditures ($10 or more per person per month) also increase their drinking more over time, reaching a peak of 50 drinks per month by age 25 and, (4) Young people drank three percent more per month for each additional dollar spent per capita in their market (Buddy T., 2006). This research shows that advertising expenditure had a direct influence on the amount of alcohol consumed by underage and legal aged drinkers. According to Snyder, â€Å"The results also contradict the claims that advertising is unrelated to youth drinking amounts†¦ Alcohol advertising was a contributing factor to youth drinking quantities over time,† (Buddy T. , 2006). The facts cannot be denied; alcohol advertising is effective. The bottom line is, the more advertising young people see, the more they drink (Buddy T. , 2012). CAMY has found that many parents are beginning to become concerned about the overexposure to alcohol advertisements that their children see. Two-thirds of parents believe more ads mean more youth drinking and 75 percent of parents agree that the alcohol industry should do more to limit youth advertising (Buddy T. , 2012). It is unacceptable that nothing more has been done to prevent this while there have been multiple studies done on the correlation between alcohol advertising and underage drinking, and they all have concluded the same results: Exposure to alcohol advertising increase the likelihood for underage drinking and increased alcohol consumption. Alcohol advertisements need to be regulated across all media forms: online, television, magazine and print, radio, etc. Young people should not be exposed to alcohol advertisements, especially within the media channels that they use most. Television alcohol ads should not be allowed to be on shows with certain percentage of underage viewers, the same goes for magazine and radio advertisements. While it will be hard to regulate this, more can be done to make sure the message of preventing underage drinking is reinforced through responsibility ads. If stricter regulations on alcohol advertisements cannot be put into place, then the amount of responsibility ads countering the alcohol ads needs to be dramatically increased. Underage youth need to constantly be reinforced with the message of not underage drinking as well as the warnings of drinking such as drunk driving. In conclusion, more needs to be done to reduce the amount of youth exposure to alcohol product advertisements and to prevent underage drinking. It is the responsibility of the government and of alcohol marketers to make sure they are protecting youth, not corrupting them at a young age. Youth exposure to alcohol advertisements increase the amount of alcohol consumed by underage drinkers and current regulations are simply not doing enough to prevent this. References Alcohol Ads Outnumber Responsibility Ads 226-1. About. com Alcoholism. N. p. , 2002. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. Alcohol Advertising and Youth. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. CAMY. org, Apr. 2007. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. Mosher, James F. , JD Cohen, and Elena N. Cohen. State Laws to Reduce the Impact of Alcohol Marketing on Youth. Camy. org. Alcohol Policy Consultations, 1 May 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. Prevalence of Underage Drinking. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. N. p. , July 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. State Report Update 2012. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. N. p. , 1 May 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. Swift, James. States Not Reducing Youth Exposure to Alcohol Ads. Youthtoday. org. YouthToday. org, 4 May 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. T. , Buddy. Alcohol Advertising Increases Youth Drinking. About. com Alcoholism. N. p. , 19 Jan. 2006. Web. 11 Dec. 2012 T. , Buddy. Teen Drinking Influenced by Alcohol Advertising. About. com Alcoholism. N. p. , 19 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. T. , Buddy. Underage Drinking Troubles Parents. About. com Alcoholism. N. p. , 27 Dec. 2007. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon Generals Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2007.

Transcendentalism and Transcendental Meditation :: essays research papers fc

Transcendentalism and Transcendental Meditation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Transcendentalist adopts the whole connection of spiritual doctrine. He believes in miracle, in the perpetual openness of the human mind to new influx of light and power; he believes in inspiration, and in ecstasy.†(Emerson 196). These two lines written by Ralph Waldo Emerson exemplify the whole movement of transcendentalist writers and what they believed in. Though to the writers, transcendentalism was a fight for a belief, unknown to them they could have been fighting for the betterment of human health. The transcendentalist writings of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson have directly affected the health of modern society through the idea of transcendental meditation. Through modern science, scientists have linked increases in health among individuals through the use of transcendental meditation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The term transcendental came from the German Romantic philosopher Immanuel Kant. The term refers to the idea that matters of ultimate reality, God, the cosmos, the self transcend, or go beyond, human experience.†(www.geocities.com). Transcendental later developed into Transcendentalism, which is The transcending, or going beyond, empiricism, and ascertaining the fundamental principles of human knowledge. Kant (1724-1804) was born and educated in East Prussia. He founded critical philosophy and Transcendental Logic. â€Å"Kant made significant revisions to just about every branch of philosophy.† (www.philosophy.ucdavis.edu). In the Critique of Pure Reason (1781) Kant showed the great problems of metaphysics: the existence of God, freedom, and immortality and how they are insoluble by scientific thought. Kant’s writings had a major influence on Emerson and Thoreau during the time of Transcendentalism and â€Å"still have an influence on modern philosophy to the present day.† (www.ilt.columbia.edu).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emerson gives notice to Immanuel Kant in his lecture The Transcendentalist by stating â€Å"It is well known to most of my audience, that the Idealism of the present day acquired the name of Transcendental, from the use of that term by Immanuel Kant, of Konigs berg.† (Emerson 199). Most transcendentalist were idealist that believed in the perfectibility of man, and they were often engaged in projects intended to make this ideal a reality. On of which was a self-governing, experimental community that met in Emerson’s house. This community mainly believed in a monistic universe, or one in which God is immanent in nature, which means that God is permanently and directly present in all things. One of the members of the community and a close friend of Emerson was Henry Thoreau.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau was born.

Johannes Vermeer: the Procuress and Woman Holding a Balance

Johannes Vermeer: The Procuress and Woman Holding a Balance Johannes Vermeer was born in 1632 in the Dutch city of Delft where he lived his whole life. His early childhood has not been documented; however, he was the son of a silk worker. It is suspected that at an early age, Vermeer took apprenticeship under a man named LeonartBramer, a local artist. Vermeer created his first painting in 1656called, The Procuress,Oil on Canvas,which appears hanging on the wall in some of his later paintings(Wheelock).In his twenties, Vermeer was wealthy enough to own a large house with an attached inn, he probably sold paintings here. When his father died in 1952, it is assumed that Vermeer inherited his father’s business (National Gallery of Art). Vermeer was married in 1653 to a woman of the Catholic religion, Catharina Bolenes. It is suggested that Vermeer might have converted to Catholicism in order to marry the young woman. Vermeer was raised as a protestant by his parents as he was bapt ized in 1632 in the Reformed Church of Delft (Konig).It might have also been a possibility that the parents of the maiden convinced Vermeer to become Catholic in order to marry their daughter to him. A particular painting called, The Allegory of Faith. Oil on Canvas, was a very religious painting made by Vermeer in approximately 1670. Having 14 children by his wife, four of them died at birth(Wheelock). Vermeer painted approximately 35 paintings his whole career. Most of his paintings were interior style paintings with people portrayed in them. His first paintings were mainly historical paintings.Later on in his life, he produced mostly interiors with just one or two people contained in them, mostly women. Most of these paintings featured either a woman alone by herself completing some sort of everyday task or a very symbolic painting such as Woman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas, which will be discussed later. Often the light enters Vermeer's paintings from a window. He w as quite a well-organized artist when it came to the way light is depicted as bouncing off of the objects contained within his paintings(National Gallery of Art). Vermeer became a member of the local guild in 1653; a guild is a sort of lub or apprenticeship program for painters in the early modern Europe region. Some of Vermeer’s first works were historical or religious in nature when he first joined the local guild (Wadum). It seems that Vermeer’s style changed a few years after joining the guild into what we now know his works as, interior paintings of figures. Vermeer was highly recognized in Delft as a well-established artist, however, he was sparsely known elsewhere while he was still alive(Scottish National Gallery). In the final stages of Vermeer’s life, he was heavily in debt.This was probably attributed to the invasion of the Dutch Republic, in which, Delft was located, by the French. This sent the economy into a downward spiral and many people did not have the money or the need to buy art. The lack of sales of his artwork made Vermeer and his wife become heavily indebted. In 1675, probably induced by the rough economic times, Vermeer died and was buried in Delft, he was 43 years old (National Gallery of Art). Vermeer’s wife auctioned off a couple of his paintings after his death in order to pay for the debts that the family owed. Mrs.Vermeer also filed for bankruptcy so that she could recover from the heavy debt burden which was left from her husband. The ending to Vermeer’s life seems like a sad story, however, centuries later his work went recognized globally(Liedtke). Many of Vermeer’s paintings were not even credited to him until 200 years after his death. A French critic in 1866 declared most of the 35 paintings we know to be created by Vermeer today as his originals. It seems that Vermeer’s paintings never left the small town of Delft until a couple hundred years after his death(Wheelock).Today, one may recognize Vermeer’s paintings all around the world and we celebrate his delicate balance of light and tones to create mostly quiet and peaceful paintings. The Procuress. c. 1656. Oil on Canvas,was one of Vermeer’s first paintings and it is also one of the most controversial because many scholars believe that Vermeer himself is pictured in this painting because of the style in which the smiling young man is inserted into the painting. The figure of a smiling young man seems to be inserted into the left hand side of a sort of provocative scene, this figure is assumed to be Vermeer.The setting seems to be in a dimly lit room with the background having a cave or tavern like appearance to it. The background is gray and sort of blurred with one dimly lit light that radiates out of the background from behind a person. One person is dressed in black with a hood wrapped around his head and appears both between the background and in the foreground adding the feel of dept h to the painting. It is hard to tell what this person’s gender is except that he seems to be gawking at a woman across the painting, therefore, one may assume the person must be male.There are four people that appear in this painting. The people, starting from the left side of the painting are: first, the supposed Vermeer himself, second, the man dressed in black in the background behind everyone else, third, a man who may have been in the military and lastly, a woman upon whom all the men, except Vermer, are gawking. The theme of the painting seems to be a drunken scene in which men are paying a woman to perform provocative things. The man dressed in red appears to be in the military because of his hat and the fact that most people in the military during this time wore red.His long brown hair is covered by a hat which appears either dirty or is colored brown. The hat seems to have a ribbon wrapped around it and a feather sticking from it; it seems to be one of the typical D utch hats of this era. The man’s long flowing red coat has a gold stripe which runs down each sleeve. As one’s eyes follow down this man’s sleeve, which seems to be the natural flow of the painting,one may reach the center or focal point of the painting. The man in the red coat is holding out a golden coin in the kind of hand gesture that indicates that he is about to flip the coin out of his hand.Then, one may follow the view down below the centered coin and see a woman, who is sitting in front of the red coated man, holding out her hand as if she is about to receive the golden coin that the red coated man is about to flip out of his hand. Looking at the woman, she is wearing a bright yellow sweater and a white bonnet. Her right breast is being handled by the man wearing the red coat. The man is either paying the woman to fondle her breast or for some kind of later services. In the woman’s right hand she is holding a glass, probably containing some kind of alcohol, due to the nature of the scene.Immediately next to the woman’s glass, sits a fancy looking vase or pitcher of some sort. In the foreground, is a fancy carpet with painted leaves of gold, flowing red lines and black symbols appear to be draped over a rail which covers all of the figure’s legs. Over this carpet, on the left side, directly in front of Vermeer is someone’s long overcoat draped over the rail and the carpet. As we come back to the supposed figure of Vermeer, appearing on the left side, we notice in his hand a glass filled with alcohol.We can come to the conclusion that the glass contains alcohol because he is holding his glass up as if giving a toast. His smile seems to be like that of happy drunken man. He must be enjoying the company of the woman pictured across the painting and also his alcoholic beverage. He seems to be the narrator of the painting as he is the only figure starring directly at the viewer (Wheelock). All lines and shape s of this colorful, yet dark back grounded painting seem to be flowing outward in all directions from the center point or core of the painting.The core of the painting is the golden coin being transacted into the woman’s hand as all objects seem to flow from it. As Vermeer’s first painting, The Procuress. c 1656. Oil on Canvas, is very flowing and action-packed. The last painting the writer will discuss is also by Johannes Vermeer. Woman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas, contained in the text book on p. 65 (Getlein). This quiet, sort of still, painting seems very simple at first glance. A woman in a dark room appearing to play with a scale and the only light coming through a small window makes for a sort of calm, peaceful painting.However, it is not as quiet and peaceful as it appears at first glance. The jeweler’s balance is the core of the painting as it is in the dead center of the painting with a small amount of light reflected off its metal edges f rom the window. The jeweler’s balance is also the object of the theme of the painting which is a question of life’s vanities balanced against the coming judgment(Getlein). After taking one’s eyes off of the jeweler’s balance,one may follow down to the table beneath and see the light reflected off of golden or pearl necklaces and other types of jewels.On the left side of the painting,one may see a mirror with light reflected from it directly, in front of the woman. If she looked up she would be able to see herself. Than we see the window’s light flow in onto the woman, and also a painting hanging on the wall behind the woman. The painting is very dark looking, but upon further examination, it is the seen to be the Last Judgment and Jesus in the painting is depicted as directly over the woman’s head. The woman is either fat or pregnant. According to Getlein, her form is that of a pregnant woman and the writer agrees. Her face and arms are oo s kinny in proportion to her body, if she were just overweight. She is wearing a black and white garment that looks similar to a winter coat with a hood over her head. She is wearing this coat over her long, flowing dress. The lines of this painting flow from the window to the jeweler’s balance, down to the jewels, up to the woman’s face and beyond to the painting of the Last Judgment. The background of this painting contains a grey wall with the painting of the last judgment contained on it and the light from the window shining across both the wall and the painting.One may barely notice the painting contained within this painting at first glance, except for, the slight glimmer of light upon the right side of the frame. The darkness of this painting may indicate to the viewer that the coming judgment encroaches upon a person quickly and that one may do well to notice the object of the painting, within the painting, which is the coming Savior. The foreground of the painti ng is the pregnant woman; a table and jewelslayingon the table and in front of it, represent the objects of vanity.The idea of the painting is supposed to be birth, death and the balancing of objects of vanity against things that matter like one’s ultimate judgment by Christ. The mirror also reveals a personal evaluation. This mirror is symbolic of one’s self-knowledge, the writer supposes that this self-knowledge is the knowledge of what a person knows is right and wrong and their choice between the two. The writer believesthe ultimate message of this painting to be that one must balance their everyday lives and not get too caught up in the everyday riches of life.Things which are eternal and unseen matter more than the objects one sees glimmering in the sunlight of the window, at any given moment. The way that the room appears totally dark, except for, the small amount of sunlight shining through the window, the way that the light reflects upon the woman and shines o ff of the jewels and the frame of the Last Judgment, the way that the light scatters throughout the painting makes this one of the most interesting and captivating works by Vermeer.The way Vermeer makes the picture appear dark at first glance, but then, gently and with flow, one is able to see all the objects contained within. A delicate balance of light and dark truly brings the theme of this painting to life out of its overall gloominess. In conclusion, the writer has chosen this artist because he was impressed with Vermeer’sWoman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas. He was impressed with the symbolism of the painting, the flow of it and the realistic nature it presents.He then chose another interesting work by Vermeer and analyzed it and became impressed with Vermeer’s The Procuress. c. 1656. Oil on Canvas. Upon further study of Vermeer, the writer is glad he has chosen such a talented artist of this era. The writer is amazed with the progression of skill that Vermeer seemed to have accomplished from his first painting, The Procuress. c. 1656. Oil on Canvas to one of his latter day paintings Woman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas. The progressions of symbolism as Vermeer’s life had matured are reflected in his paintings.The writer has noticed that in the early stages of Vermeer’s career, he tended to paint more provocative styled works, whereas, as he matured his paintings became gentler, quaint and often had religious themes. It is interesting to note that like Vermeer’s life, one often finds their own life to be progressing into maturity as the years move on. The writer is glad that Vermeer has documented his maturity, unknowingly, through his works of art. Works Cited Getlein, Mark. Living with Art, 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. pp. 64-65 Koning, Hans. 1977. The World of Vermeer.Time-Life Books, New York Liedtke, Walter. â€Å"The Cambridge Companion to Vermeer (Cambridge Companions to the History of Art). † 2001. Essential Vermeer. com. 11 September 2012 ;http://www. essentialvermeer. com/cat_about/christ. html;. National Gallery of Art. Vermeer- Biography. n. d. 04 September 2012 ;http://www. nga. gov/feature/vermeer/bio. shtm;. National Gallery of Scotland. Johannes Vermeer Biography. n. d. 01 September 2012 ;http://www. artbible. info/art/large/169. html;. Scottish National Gallery. â€Å"The Young Vermeer. † n. d. National Galleries. org. 05 September 2012

Paragraphing in Academic Writing Essay

Although it often seems that paragraphs can take an infinite number of forms, there are really only a few formats for paragraphing in formal, academic prose. What makes paragraphs seem unique to the reader is the style of the writer’s prose, not the actual format of the information. There are four main types of paragraphs in academic prose: the standard paragraph, the explanatory paragraph, the evidential paragraph, and the introductory paragraph (whose format is sometimes mirrored in the conclusion). Note that the rules and formats described here apply to formal, academic prose, as opposed to paragraphing in newspapers, business, or electronic discourse. Each kind of writing has its own conventions, that is, rules and rhetorical strategies unique to a particular form of composition. In poetry, for example, line breaks contribute to the poem’s rhythm and overall message and mark the poem as a poem, not as another kind of writing. Conventions in paragraphing can vary from one kind of writing to another as well. In newspaper writing, paragraphs are one to three sentences because the narrow columns used in newspapers make even the shortest paragraph seem long. In electronic discourse, shorter paragraphs and more listing is used because it is more pleasing to the eye–taking advantage of the internet’s more visual features. A. Standard Paragraph Format Standard paragraphs are the most frequently used paragraph format and most of your essay paragraphs should follow this format. Standard paragraphs contain the following elements in order: 1. Most begin with a topic sentence that makes the main point to be discussed, analyzed, or argued within that paragraph. On very rare occasions, the paragraph may begin with a transition from the last paragraph, followed by the topic sentence for the new paragraph. Paragraphs do not begin with quotations or other kinds of evidence. Evidence must be introduced after the point of the paragraph is made and explained. 2. Following the topic sentence, there is an explanation and/or further development of the point proposed in the topic sentence that clarifies and expands on this point. This explanation adds to the reader’s understanding of the point. 3. Following the explanation or development of the point, the writer introduces evidence. Introducing evidence includes informing the reader who the information comes from and where (i.e. author and article or book title or foundation, etc.). Such an introduction is an important part of source documentation and helps the reader understand where the evidence portion of the paragraph begins and how the evidence is being used. It is literally a signal to the reader that you have stopped talking and your source has started talking. 4. Once introduced, you provide the actual proof or evidence. This may come in the form of supporting evidence like statistics or quotations or other kinds of softer evidence like anecdotes or eye-witness accounts. Evidence is presented primarily as a paraphrase or summary, with only an occasional pithy, apt quote. It is limited to a few lines, so that the primary focus of the paragraph is on the writer’s point. Evidence must also be cited properly once given, using parenthetical documentation. (See your textbook for more information on citation.) This parenthetical documentation provides additional, helpful information that pinpoints even more accurately where the evidence can be found and signals the reader that you are going to resume speaking on the topic. 5. After providing proof, you must always explain the meaning of the evidence and tie its meaning to the point you are making so that the reader understands it the way you understand it. Never let evidence stand on its own merit; it must be interpreted for the reader, in light of the point being made, so that the reader understands the meaning and relevance of it. Otherwise, the reader may see the evidence in a different light or be completely lost as to its significance. Thus, evidence must always be explained, even if it seems self-evident to you. Working out the explanation of the evidence is also a helpful check on your own insights. If you can’t explain your evidence in light of your point, then it probably doesn’t support the point you are making. 6. The paragraph closes with either a summation of the main point or some kind of transition to the next point. This reminds the reader of the argument in progress, its essential points, and the connection between points. B. Explanatory Paragraphs Explanatory paragraphs are used to allow the writer to expand on and explain particularly complex points before providing the reader with a lot of examples or evidence. In particular fields, like the sciences or philosophy, such paragraphs are common in writings that attempt to explain or analyze difficult ideas, theories, or concepts. An explanatory paragraph can also be used to summarize someone else’s ideas or concepts that you plan to utilize in your own paper. Essay conclusions are often a kind of explanatory paragraphs because they summarize and reiterate the main ideas discussed in the paper. Explanatory paragraphs contain the following elements in order: 1. Begin with a topic sentence or a transition. 2. Following the topic sentence, there is an in-depth explanation without corroborating evidence, although if the explanation is of someone else’s ideas, you must cite this person. 3. The paragraph closes with either a summation. C. Evidential Paragraphs Evidential paragraphs are sometimes used to allow the writer to provide more evidence for a particular point made in a standard paragraph. These paragraphs act as an extension of the point made in the previous paragraph by supplementing the points with further, important evidence. In some fields, like in psychology where individual case studies are often used, there are occasions when there will be several evidential paragraphs for each sub point since the amount of evidence gathered is important to the proving of the point. Evidential paragraphs contain the following elements in order: 1. Begin with a topic sentence or a transition that reiterates the main point of the previous paragraph to remind the reader of the point under consideration. Paragraphs do not begin with quotations or other kinds of evidence. 2. Next, the writer introduces the next piece of evidence for the point as outlined for standard academic paragraphs above. 3. Then the writer provides the actual proof or evidence, followed by the necessary documentation as outlined above. 4. Next, writer must again explain the meaning of the evidence as outlined previously. [Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 as needed to provide additional, corroborating evidence. To avoid unwieldy paragraphs, keep in mind that a paragraph must have a sense of unity and that usually academic paragraphs run about 1/2 a double-spaced page in length. Therefore, put like evidence together in a paragraph, but use separate evidential paragraphs for items that defy categorization or if you have an overwhelming amount of evidence that you feel must be presented.] 5. The paragraph closes with either a summation of the point and, perhaps some kind of transition to the next point. D. Introductory Paragraphs All essays contain some kind of introductory paragraph or paragraphs. Often, this is where we feel that we can be the most â€Å"creative† in our writing because there are so many ways to begin an essay. Introductory paragraphs usually begin with a hook to draw the reader into the paper and, most often, end with the overall thesis of the paper. Sometimes the thesis includes a forecast of the paper’s major points. The hook might be a pithy quote, a brief anecdote, or hypothetical situation. Hooks can also be overviews of the problem or of current research on the subject. When using a hook, keep in mind that it should be handled like evidence; thus, it must be clearly introduced, documented, and explained. And, like evidence, it should be pithy–short and to the point. You don’t want the reader getting lost in the hook and never get to the point of the paper. In short papers, of 900-1200 words, introductions are usually one paragraph in length. In longer papers, they may run two to three paragraphs. In books, they could run to a whole chapter. Stereotypically, the academic conclusion is merely a repeat of the essay’s main points and overall thesis. A truly innovative conclusion may repeat the essential point, but suggest other avenues to pursue with the topic–suggesting your awareness that you are only one voice in an on-going discussion of the topic. E. Standard Paragraph Checklist Use the following checklist to analyze the format of your paper’s paragraphs. If a particular paragraph does not fit the standard format, re-evaluate it: does it at least fit the format of an explanatory, evidential, or introductory paragraph and is its format consistent with the purpose of the paragraph?

How The Media Affects My Life Essays - Television Commercials

How The Media Affects My Life Essays - Television Commercials How The Media Affects My Life Donna Jirkovsky Professor Miller Media and Society Monday, September 25th 2000 How the Media Effects my Life One thousand six hundred and eighteen minutes. One thousand six hundred and eighteen was spent by me, on my computer, in three days. That seems to be a lot of time when you think about it, probably just about twenty seven hours. How could all that time be spent at as single machine like a PC. One of the best features of the PC is that you can use many different media forms at one time. I use my PC for communication with my boyfriend who goes to SUNY Albany, to check my email for letters of annoyance from my parents, and to provide me with entertainment. Sometime i also use it for work, but that doesnt happen to frequently. The best part about that though is that i can do all those things all at the same time. Usually i turn my PC on when i wake up and off when i go to bed. My computer saves me time and money and makes my life so much happier. As i conducted the data, I realized how much i actually did surf the web in one day, and how many advertisements i saw. The internet, which is the virtual playground of where i spend most of my time, is a swamp of never ending advertisements and hidden links. Every other thing that you click is hypertext disguised as something else so the site will get a hit. I had never really realized but the media today has endless possibilities for advancement because of the internet. Right now currently the biggest thing going on is the 27th Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, which is being solely covered by NBC and their affiliates. Since the Olympic Games began, the regular NBC site has tripled their Web hits and their official Olympic site has almost maxed out on the systems

The Bessemer Steel Process

The Bessemer Steel Process The Bessemer Steel Process was a method  of producing high-quality steel by shooting air into molten steel to burn off carbon and other impurities. It was named after the British inventor Sir Henry Bessemer, who worked to develop the process in the 1850s. While Bessemer was working on his process in England, an American, William Kelly, developed a process using the same principle, which he patented in 1857. Both Bessemer and Kelly were responding to a pressing need to refine the methods of manufacturing steel so it would be entirely reliable.   In the decades before the Civil War steel was produced in great quantities. But the quality of it often varied widely. And with large machines, such as steam locomotives, and large structures, such as suspension bridges, being planned and built, it was necessary to manufacture steel that would perform as expected. The new method of producing reliable steel revolutionized the steel industry and made widespread advances possible in railroads, bridge-building, construction, and shipbuilding. Henry Bessemer The British inventor of the greatly improved steel process was Henry Bessemer, who was born in Charlton, England, on January 19, 1813. Bessemers father operated a type foundry, which made mechanical type used in printing presses. He had devised a method of hardening the metal he used, which made his type last longer than type made by his competitors. Growing up around the type foundry, young Bessemer became interested in building things of metal and in coming up with his own inventions. When he was 21  years old, he devised a stamping machine which would be useful to the British government, which routinely stamped important legal documents. The government praised his innovation, yet, in a bitter episode, it refused to pay him for his idea. Embittered by the experience with the stamping machine, Bessemer became very secretive about his further inventions. He came up with a method for manufacturing gold paint to be used for decorative items such as picture frames. He kept his methods so secret that outsiders were never allowed to see the machines used to add metal chips to the paint. Bessemer Contribution to the Steel Industry In the 1850s, during the Crimean War, Bessemer became interested in solving a major problem for the British military. It was possible to produce more accurate cannons by rifling the bores, which meant  cutting groves in the cannon barrel so the projectiles would rotate as they exited. The problem with rifling the cannons commonly used was that they were made of iron, or of low quality steel, and the barrels could explode if the rifling created weaknesses. The solution, Bessemer reasoned, would create steel of such high quality that it could reliably be used to make rifled cannons. Bessemers experiments indicated that injecting oxygen into the steel-making process would heat the steel to such a level that impurities would burn off. He devised a furnace that would inject oxygen into the steel. The impact of Bessemers innovation was dramatic. Suddenly it was possible to make steel of high quality, and high quantities that could be manufactured ten times faster. What Bessemer perfected turned the making of steel into an industry with limitations into a very profitable venture. Impact on Business The manufacturing of reliable steel created a revolution in business. The American businessman Andrew Carnegie, during his business trips to England in the years following the Civil War, took special note of the Bessemer process. In 1872 Carnegie visited a plant in England which was using Bessemer’s method, and he realized the potential of producing the same quality of steel in America. Carnegie learned everything he could about steel production and began using the Bessemer Process at mills he owned in America. By the mid-1870s Carnegie was heavily involved in steel production. In time Carnegie would dominate the steel industry, and high-quality steel would make possible the building of factories which defined the industrialization of America in the late 1800s. The reliable steel produced by the Bessemer process would be used in countless miles of railroad tracks, vast numbers of ships, and in the frames of skyscrapers. Bessemer steel would also be used in the sewing machine, machine tools, farm equipment, and other vital machinery. And the revolution in steel created also created an economic impact as a mining industry was created to dig the iron ore and coal needed to make steel.   The breakthrough that created reliable steel had a cascading effect, and it would not be an exaggeration to say the Bessemer Process helped to transform all of human society.

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Business strategy - Essay Example In the strategy review and evaluation phase, the company’s project managers determine whether the chosen strategy is meeting its objectives. In the process, the managers should give particular emphasis to the internal and external factors based on which the strategy was developed. The process of strategy evaluation generally consists of four steps including setting benchmark of performance, performance measurement, assessing variance, and taking corrective actions (‘Strategy Evaluation Process..’). In order to clearly review and evaluate the current performance of the chosen strategy, Cath Kidston Ltd should periodically measure and assess the outcomes identified. It would be a better strategy for the managers to compare the actual outcomes against industry benchmarks, and corporate, operational, and individual targets. A close assessment of outcomes in the light of industry benchmarks would assist the company to determine whether or not the strategy performs up to the industry standards (Aswathappa, 2010, p.346). If appropriate tools are available for measuring the performance and the standards were set in the right manner, then it is really easy for the company to evaluate the strategy implemented. However, sometimes it is a cumbersome task to measure managers’ contributions and divisional performance as there is no single defined tactic to do this. For measuring the outcomes and evaluating the performance of the strategy, it is advisable for the Cath Kidston Ltd to prepare financial statements such as balance sheet and profit and loss account for interim periods. While comparing with actual outcomes with industry benchmarks and other standards, the variance observed must be thoroughly evaluated. Managers must check whether the variance between actual and standard performance lies within the degree of tolerance limits set during the strategy formation. A positive deviation indicates that the strategy performs better than planned. At