Genetically modified food Essay

The past score of years has witnessed the astonishing revolution in the scope of plant breeding technologies. The biological technologies have regularly been utilized to create new gene combinations for progressing crop diversities. This intentionally modified by the manipulation of the DNA, and transformation of certain genes to create new variations of life, which called genetically modified (GM) food. There is presently some debate about whether to accept GM food. The disadvantages of GM food are labelling issue and transformation of certain genes might lead to environmental issues. Nevertheless, there are also a number of crucial advantages such as farmers could improve their economic benefits and GM food could improve the nutritional quality to prevent disease. Therefore, this essay will argue that GM food has obvious benefits to the society because it can improve economic benefits by trading and decrease allergenic. GM food has some negative consequences for society. The main adverse effect is that GM food may has mandatory labelling scheme issues. Research has shown that some manufacturers realize that implement a mandatory labelling scheme could cost a fortune (Steiner 2000, p. 158; Uzogara 2000, p. 188). Moreover, labelling of GM food could remind consumer these products are biotech, and this could lead to customer losses (Uzogara 2000, p. 188). Then, the concept of mandatory labelling scheme for GM food in some countries is uncertainty (Steiner 2000, p. 158). For example, manufacturers use misleading and confusing labelling to muddle the consumer such as ‘may contain genetically modified material’ (Steiner 2000, p. 158). Indeed, labelling issue for GM food is extremely difficult to implement in some countries, governments may promulgate a series of legislation to implementation. Secondly, transformation of new DNA technology used to create GM food that has environmental risks. This involves monarch butterfly early death and threatens beneficial insects, which would seriously destroy the balance of the ecosystem. Some species are suffering from premature death after insects fed by GM crops, and also this might result in difficulty in reproduction such as monarch butterfly and green lacewing insects (Steiner 2000, p. 153). Furthermore, Lemaux (2009, p. 528) has reported an experiment, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in genetically engineered (GE) corn pollen could lead to colony collapse disorder that  accelerate the bees’ decline. It can be seen then that mandatory labelling scheme issue and environmental threats could give rise to some negative aspects for GM food. If one looks closely at the literature on this topic, nevertheless, there are a number of significant advantage points to GM food. One of these is that GM food could improve farmers’ economic benefits. According to Uzogara (2000, p. 193), GM food could be converted from annuals to perennials that would increase crop yields during the year. Perennial crops would lead to increased labor allocation, reduced labor costs, decreased fertilizer use and cost of production for farmers to make more economic profits (Uzogara 2000, pp. 193-194). For example, according to USDA surveys from 2001 to 2003, 79% of US farmers who choose Bt corn to increase yields (Lemaux 2009, p. 536). He also states that the Zaragoza region is one of the three leading GE corn-growing regions in Spanish and has at least 11.8% yield increase. Indeed, the profitability of farmers’ growth is approximately $69 per acre per year higher than conventional farmers (Lemaux 2009, p. 536). Especially, farmers in developing countries realized the most significant economic benefits from GM rice because large-scale farmers have higher yields and less infestation (Lemaux 2009, p. 536). This evidence shows that GF food farming is a potentially high profit margin business, and profitability often depends on factors relating to crop yield and pest infestation. Thus, GM food could change the status quo to achieve the highest profitability for farmers. Allied to this is the further advantage of GM food which could improve nutritional food quality. This involves nutritional content and health-enhancing properties of particular foods that might solve malnutrition and population health problems in developing countries. Uzogara (2000, p. 194) states that GM crops would help the population to reach their daily based requirements and prevent malnutrition. For example, cassava has been genetically modified to have a higher nutrient value (Anon cited in Uzogara 2000, p. 194). Furthermore, the nutritionally enhanced crops like iron, vitamin A and Beta-carotene dense rice could help alleviate malnutrition (Bouis 2007, pp. 80-83). For instance, according to research, approximately three million preschool children in developing countries are suffering from vitamin A deficiency that could lead to visible eye damage,  however, GM rice can increase vitamin A and iron which could prevent blindness (Bouis 2007, pp. 82-86; Ferber cited in Uzogara 2000, p. 194). It is clear that farmers could gain significant economic benefits through GM food because it would increase the yield and reduce labor costs, and nutritionally enhanced crops could help the population to prevent disease or malnutrition. Consequently, although GM food as one kind of biological technologie can have some negative outcomes for labelling and environment issues, GM food arguably has more positive effects. The effect of global trading that is a significant benefit to improve economy. The USA is the dominant exporter of both GM soybeans and GM maize, which are account for 76% of GM maize and 50% of GM soybeans exports (Nielsen et al. 2003, p. 780). He also claims that high-income Asia is the main importer of GM maize and GM soybeans that are 41% and 30% respectively. Moreover, Nabradi & Popp (2011, p. 8) report that GM crops account for a great proportion from global trading that providing significant export profits for many countries. For example, The United States, Argentina and Brazil are the world’s three largest GM soybean and GM maize exporters with above 90% and 80% share of world soybean and maize trade (Nabradi & Popp 2011, pp. 9-10). Similarly, the volume of global soybean trade increased from 85.4 to 87.9 million tonnes from 2009 to 2011, and the volume of global maize trade increased from 86 to 88.5 million tonnes in three years (Nabradi & Popp 2011, p. 10). They also indicate that China has significant soybean importing volume that from 46 to 49 million tonnes during three years. Further to this, eliminating allergens as a result of GM food has been one of the prominent concerns among food quality and human health. Allergenic foods usually contain multiple allergens, such as milk, soy, peanut, crustaceans, fish, egg and tree nuts. According to Herman (2003, p. 1318), using GM to remove intrinsic allergens from soybeans that present in thousands of processed and prepared foods in developed and developing countries. He also claims that eliminate allergens from GM soybeans that has high relationship to the development of GM crops, and transgenic soybeans is a first step in solving food allergies (Herman 2003, p. 1319). Otherwise, the alternative GM method to remove the allergen from food, for instance, some experiments to use gene suppression technology  attempts to reduce and/or eliminate allergens in rye and rice seed, and even use this measure to suppress an allergen in shrimp that is potentially dangerous to sensitive people (Herman 2003, p. 1319). Plausibly, GM food may eliminate allergen from all of food that would help people to stay away from food allergies. Although some argue that GM food may has some negative impacts to mandatory labelling scheme, there is considerable labelling of GM food still has positive impacts on consumer and manufacturers. Uzogara (2000, p. 188) claims that labelling for GM food would enable the consumer to avoid ethical, cultural, or religious reasons by certain foods. For example, Jews and Muslims usually insist on Kosher and Halal foods because the purity of this food can be guaranteed, which not contain pig genes (Uzogara 2000, p. 187). He further maintains that product quality can be improved by labelling, for instance, improved favour, longer shelf-life, and build brand identity. Similarly, according to General Labelling Directive, labelling for GM food that means this can be guaranteed by European regulation, and consumer can trust the information on the products (Andersen 2010, p. 139). Furthermore, while some authors claim that GM food has negative impacts on environment, Uzogara (2000, p. 195) indicates that GM food has still environmental benefits include protection against plant diseases, improvement of saline soil, and herbicide tolerance. GM food like tomatoes, squash and corn become virus resistant that against GM food destroying viruses or viral diseases (Uzogara 2000, p. 195). According to Bouis (2007, p. 80), GM crops can improve soil conditioning that is changing highly saline soils. Then, herbicides are effective against several target weeds also cuts conventional herbicide use significantly (Uzogara 2000, p. 195). While discussing GM food may has some negative impacts to mandatory labelling scheme and environment issues, the considerable positive consequences to improve global trading and remove intrinsic allergens can never be neglected. In conclusion, GM food clearly has advantages on economy and human health. While GM food lead to the mandatory labelling scheme hard to implement and has threats to the environment, success in the labelled GM food let some consumer more easier to choose food and make the crops stronger to against different threats. Furthermore, GM food References: Andersen, LB 2010, ‘The EU rules on labelling of genetically modified foods: mission accomplished?’, European Food & Feed Law Review, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 136-143, viewed 8 November 2014. Bouis, HE 2007, ‘The potential of genetically modified food crops to improve human nutrition in developing countries’, Journal of Development Studies, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 79-96, viewed 28 October 2014. Herman, EM 2003, ‘Genetically modified soybeans and food allergies’, Journal Of Experimental Botany, vol. 54, no. 386, pp. 1317-1319, viewed 12 November 2014. Lemaux, PG 2009, ‘Genetically engineered plants and foods: a scientist’s analysis of the issues (Part II)’, Annual Review Of Plant Biology, vol. 60, no. 1, pp. 511-559, viewed 11 November 2014. Nabradi, A & Popp, J 2011, ‘Economics of GM crop cultivation’, APSTRACT: Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 07-19, viewed 10 November 2014. Steiner, MP 2000, ‘Food flight – the changing landscape of genetically modified foods and the law’, Review Of European Community & International Environmental Law, vol. 9, no. 2, p. 152-160, viewed 11 November 2014. Uzogara, SG 2000, ‘The impact of genetic modification of human foods in the 21st century: A review’, Biotechnology Advances, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 179-206, viewed 3 November 2014.

Acquired capability and skills Essay

Looking at my overall capability and skills acquired in my current academic class, I argue that I had improved a lot since I started taking this course. The activities the professor provided gave me the opportunity to recognize my strengths and weaknesses in composition and other elements significant in completing and creating a good paper. Given this idea, I seek to elaborate on areas that I had sought to improve on and other specific elements that need further attention. At the same time, to support these claims, I shall provide several examples from my previous works to highlight changes that occurred. One relevant element in academic writing is the creation of thesis statement. This sentence/s provides readers direction of the topic and helps them better understand the relevance of the subject (UNC, p. 1). Seeing this, our professor taught us that creating thesis statement must then encompass all of the paper and effectively summarize and point out the arguments presented in a particular paper. Due to this, my first intention was creating such statement and find ways to persuade, entice or provide information to readers. Looking at my compositions, it can be seen that I had significantly changed the way I approached creating thesis statements. In my earlier compositions, these statements are either too vague for readers to comprehend or just implied in the paper. Due to this, I had to make the necessary adjustments to improve the way I compose such. However, this problem has been addressed accordingly in my last paper. In here, I placed the statement at the end of the paper which says that â€Å"The growing problem of poverty simply created the other problems concerning other facets of life; environmental issues, urban housing, health issues, corruption, and the like† (The Slum Residents Feed Off From Danger, p. 4). Seeing this, I feel that I need to improve in the way I create thesis statements. This is to further create impact in my papers and foster deeper understanding on my readers. Whether it is an informational or persuasive, I must find ways to align my paper accordingly to my given thesis statement. Another area that I had seen myself improve is the creation of supporting details to assist my given thesis statement. I had learned in class that for a paper to be academic, it must be able to provide details that will either supplement or sustain the arguments provided in the main idea. That is why, during the course of activities, I had tried to find ways to align my paper to the given topic I chose. For example, the flyer I created concerning malnutrition sought to bridge together the idea of how this issue has affected many and what ways can one try to address the issue. Assessing my current capabilities as far as this facet is concerned, I feel that I still need to improve in the way I link my supporting details to my main idea. This is because there are still several non-related topics that get inserted within my paper. At the same time, I must make sure that these details correlate and synchronize effectively within my work. By actively doing this, I can give readers an easier time in understanding and comprehending my overall intention for writing the paper. Introduction is also a vital element in the creation of an academic paper. This is because it gives readers the ability to become aware of either a backgrounder or the topic discussed in the paper. Having an effective introduction can entice readers to read the article and help them become acquainted with the issue given (UNC, p. 1). Looking at my personal experience in generating introductions, I feel that I had made considerable progress. Though at first this may seem to be the most difficult part of the paper to write, I sought out different strategies that can help me maximize my ability to create a good academic paper. Looking at my compositions, there is one paper that I feel provided a good opening for my paper. Since the topic I am talking about revolves around contact zones, I began my paper by describing the idea for readers to actively decipher what to expect in the paper. It mentions: It is important to understand that the social construction of racial, ethnic, and hierarchical differences, whether physical or cultural, exist as a human experience in the form of contact zones. (American Society and Contact Zones, p. 1). Thus, assessing my capabilities in this facet, I feel that I had made improvements in the way I construct introductory sentences that bridge the main idea or topic to the readers. However, I still feel that there are still setbacks that I need to address to be able to maximize my ability in creating effective statements. I need to make sure each time that this assertion coincides with what I want the readers to make sense of. As far as creating conclusions are concerned, throughout the duration of the course, I had tried to improve on the way I compose these statements. It has been taught that is necessary that I make a striking ending assertion so that it can stick to the mind of readers. Allowing these things to happen can help increase the strength of the paper and further justify the arguments I presented. Analyzing my success in doing this, I feel that I still need to improve in the way I do this because my ideas only try to point out again what I wrote in the previous sections (e. g. Global Community and American Society). Rather than just restating what I mentioned before, I must also highlight the overall stand of the paper and signify the justifications for advocating such belief. Lastly, I had also learned that my conclusion must not end in conveying another topic because it can make the readers confused and think that this is just another part of the paper. Structure, organization and coherence are the next elements I wish to evaluate myself on. These three factors also contribute to the ability of an academic paper to convey information and insights to readers. By taking into consideration the relevance of these ideas, I can increase the ability of people to actively learn from the process and prevent concepts and arguments to be scattered (Darmouth, p. 1). Assessing my growth in the element of structure, I feel that I have shown great strength in making sure that my composition fit a particular structure in the paper. In here, I approached each research in a different manner depending on the scope and tone that I wish to convey. For example, in my argumentative essay entitled Global Community, I structured the paper by first pointing out my main argument and then providing justifications and details to support the paper. On the other hand, in my flyer paper, I brought out the thesis statement and provided relevant information associated with the said topic which is malnutrition. Thus, I feel that I had shown advancement as far as this idea is concerned. For coherence, I still feel that I need to focus on increasing and establishing links in every paragraphs of my paper. This is because the ideas I present in every section seem to not directly relate with one another. Such can give my readers a hard time in establishing a link with the main idea presented and the way I seek out to justify each one. Seeing this, I need to come up with good transition statements that can help readers relate the concepts from the previous paragraphs to the next. These statements can either be in sentence pattern or words such as (1) Moreover, (2) Likewise, (3) In addition, etc. This can help supplement the way I address the paper and signify a new set of ideas to be introduced to the reader. Another strategy I wish to explore and improve on is making effective outlines for a specific research/academic paper. I had learned in class that by making outlines, I can effectively and efficiently prevent mistakes in organization and coherence because this can serve as the backbone for the paper. Allowing myself to device an outline for a specific topic, I can insert and attach important items and concepts on categories it best fits. The last part I wish to ponder on revolves around sentence construction, grammar usage and punctuations. Since I am dwelling with academic paper and not a personal blog it is essential that I see to it that my papers are proofread and follow the rules of the English language. This can then help me hone my grasp of the language and apply the standards I had learned. Reviewing my punctuation marks, I feel that I still need to master and learn several elements. This is because, I can see that I still common mistakes in placing periods, semicolons, colons and commas in a sentences. In here, I must review and understand where each one should be placed and under what conditions can they be only applied. Due to this, I feel that I had only satisfactorily achieved this element and needs to be further improved. As far as grammar usage is concerned, I also consider myself satisfactory because I still have to improve on the words I use in a specific sentence or paragraph. Since these words convey meaning in a particular argument or statement, it is essential that I choose the idea that best fits the description. Though I also learned that using simple words is good, however I must also make sure that these things never get repeated over and over in a particular paragraph. In the end, I feel that the subject has given me new avenues to improve and develop. Comparing my previous compositions, I had seen myself acquire new ideas and skills that can help boost my ability to write academic paper. However, I must also recognize that there are still elements that I need to work on. By constantly working and honing these things, I can maximize my ability and skills to serve my purpose not only in this subject but also for my own personal growth. Works Cited Darmouth. edu Writing: Considering Structure and Organization. 2005 accessed 1 June 2009 from UNC. edu Introductions. 2007 accessed 1 June 2009 from UNC. edu Thesis Statements. 2007 accessed 1 June 2009 from

Mesosaurus Facts and Figures

Mesosaurus Facts and Figures Name: Mesosaurus (Greek for middle lizard); pronounced MAY-so-SORE-usHabitat: Swamps of Africa and South AmericaHistorical Period: Early Permian (300 million years ago)Size and Weight: About three feet long and 10-20 poundsDiet: Plankton and small marine organismsDistinguishing Characteristics: Slender, crocodile-like body; long tail About Mesosaurus Mesosaurus was the odd duck (if youll excuse the mixed species metaphor) among its fellow prehistoric reptiles of the early Permian period. For one thing, this slender creature was an anapsid reptile, meaning it did not have any characteristic openings on the sides of its skull, rather than a more common synapsid (a category that embraced the pelycosaurs, archosaurs and therapsids that preceded the dinosaurs; today, the only living anapsids are turtles and tortoises). And for another, Mesosaurus was one of the first reptiles to return to a partially aquatic lifestyle from its fully terrestrial forebears, like the prehistoric amphibians that preceded it by tens of millions of years. Anatomically, though, Mesosaurus was pretty much plain vanilla, looking a bit like a small, prehistoric crocodile... that is, if youre willing the overlook the thin teeth in its jaws that seem to have been used to filter plankton. Now that all thats been said, however, the most important thing about Mesosaurus is where it lived. The fossils of this prehistoric reptile have been discovered in eastern South America and southern Africa, and since Mesosaurus lived in freshwater lakes and rivers, it clearly couldnt have swum across the expanse of the southern Atlantic Ocean. For this reason, the existence of Mesosaurus helps support the theory of continental drift; that is, the now-well-attested fact that South America and Africa were joined together into the giant continent Gondwana 300 million years ago before the continental plates supporting them broke apart and drifted into their current positions. Mesosaurus is important for yet another reason: this is the earliest identified animal to have left amniote embryos in the fossil record. Its widely believed that amniote animals existed a few million years before Mesosaurus, only recently evolved from the first tetrapods to climb up onto dry land, but we have yet to discern any conclusive fossil evidence for these very early amniote embryos.

To what extent does the Dogme 95 movement challenge the conventional aesthetics of film narrative Essay Example

To what extent does the Dogme 95 movement challenge the conventional aesthetics of film narrative Essay Example To what extent does the Dogme 95 movement challenge the conventional aesthetics of film narrative Paper To what extent does the Dogme 95 movement challenge the conventional aesthetics of film narrative Paper 2002:104). The Dogme declaration was conceived and signed by both von Trier and Vinterberg and contained ten strict vows of chastity that outlined the technical specifics which a director must adhere to for their film to qualify as a Dogme certified production. The technical specifics are as follows: 1 Shooting must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought. 2 The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. 3 The camera must be hand-held. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. 4 The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. 5 Optical work and filters are forbidden. 6 The film must not contain superficial action. 7 Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. 8 Genre movies are not acceptable. 9 The film format must be Academy 35 mm. 10 The director must not be credited. (Adapted from Dogme95, 2007) On completion of a film, a request is submitted to certify the film as a Dogme production. In this, the claimant must agree that the films production adheres to the vows of chastity. There are currently around 190 Dogme films listed on the official Dogme95 website. The first Dogme film production was Festen (The Celebration), a Danish film directed by Thomas Vinterberg on a budget of approximately i 650,000 (Internet Movie Database (IMDb), 2007). Festens storyline is based around the 60th birthday celebration of a familys patriarch, Helge Klingenfeldt, in which following the disclosure of alleged child buse from Helges son, Christian, is witnessed by family members and guests and the celebration becomes a weekend of revelations and events that no guest will ever forget. The second film this essay will address is the fifth installment of Danish Dogme films, Italian For Beginners, written and directed by Lone Scherfig. Italian For Beginners, which remains the highest grossing Danish language film largely due to its success in the United States (Stevenson, 2002; IMDb, 2007), follows the inter-twining paths of six main characters. In the film, a young minister, a widower, is temporarily assigned to a church whose suspended pastor drove parishioners away; he stays at a hotel where he meets Ji rgen, whos and alone approaching middle age. Ji rgens friend Halfinn, a temperamental restaurant manager, is about to be fired. Halfinns assistant is Giulia, a lovely young Italian who prays for a husband. Olympia, a clumsy bakery clerk, has an ornery father and Karen, a hairdresser, has a mother who is very ill. The paths of these six characters cross at church, in the restaurant, at the hotel, and at a local school which they begin to attend Italian evening classes. It is the contention of both Festen and Italian For Beginners to adhere to the technical guidelines which the vows of chastity outline. To a large extent both films are successful in achieving a plausible attempt at this in alluding to the wishes of von Trier to create a film which does not have the stereotypical glossy feel of a Hollywood blockbuster and taking filmmaking back to basics. Addressing these technical specifics separately, both films, which do not credit their directors, follow the rule of shooting on location and using props which would normally be found in such a setting. Festen takes place inside a large country house and its grounds in rural Denmark. As such, the onscreen action is divided between scenes which occur in the bedrooms, bathrooms, the kitchen, a large dining room and the extended exterior grounds of the house. Italian For Beginners for the large part takes place in a small Danish town in suburban Copenhagen, with a smaller segment towards the end of the film shot on location in Venice. The film makes excellent functional use of the town it is filmed in by using the main characters places of work as filming locations alongside their homes and local amenities such as local cafes, the hospital where Karens mother is an inpatient and the school lecture theatre where the main characters congregate on a weekly basis for the Italian classes. This allows for a range of props to be used which would be naturally located in these settings and largely applies to Italian For Beginners as it employs the use of multiple different locations. As Festen is filmed in fewer locations the use of props occurs to a lesser extent, however, the minor touches to a film which are achieved through the use of props is countered by the use of other technical considerations such as lighting, choice of camera shots, music and also through the use of dialogue and the proxemics of the onscreen action. The sound that features in these two films is both natural and diagetic and the music which characterises specific scenes in each film is complimentary to the storyline or the onscreen action. Italian For Beginners features music during the various religious services at the church where Andreas is the Pastor, in the Venetian restaurant where the main characters enjoy a romantic Italian meal at the end of the film and during a somber moment at the hospital where Karen is visiting her mother from an adjacent music room. Festen contains fewer incidences of music. Despite the collective, drunken, singing outbursts of the party guests, the only scene which features explicit music comes after the dinner party when some sleepless, drunk family members, guests and servants gather around the piano to dance in the early hours of the morning. This is integral to the narrative as their drunkenness symbolically marks the deterioration of the Klingenfeldt family at this particular point in the film. The camera work throughout each film uses the Academy 35mm format, neglects the use of both optical work and filters and relies on natural lighting to accompany each shot. Both films are shot in colour and feature the use of hand-held camera work in alignment with the vows of chastity, characterised by the often shaky camera movements particularly when the camera tracks characters movements or switches between shots of characters in a single scene. Furthermore, the films take place without temporal and geographical alienation, however, during the closing scenes of Italian For Beginners the characters stray away from the small Danish town which their previous interactions have taken place in and relocate to Venice to conclude their story. Despite this geographical shift, the same temporal settings apply to the action and the change in location is very much integral to the storyline as is it provides the opportunity for the culmination of the main characters dreams and desires. Festen works in an opposite way to bring together family members and guests from different parts of Denmark and Europe to descend on one specific location in the Danish countryside. Though the action takes place within many different rooms and in the exterior grounds of the house in which the story is set, the action never moves from these grounds and the equilibrium of the story is destabilized and restored within less than a 24-hour time frame. Superficial action, in terms of murders and the use of weapons, is not a part of either film, though it could be contested that superficial action to some extent is portrayed as both films contain violent outbursts of fighting and aggression. During Festen, Michael, along with some other guests, are instructed by Helge to remove Christian from the house, a task which they respond to with force and results in a fight between Christian and Michael outside in the woods. Michael is also featured in other scenes displaying aggression towards his wife (Mette) and subsequent to Helges confirmation that he did abuse Christian and his sister as children; Michael drags Helge from his bedroom in the middle of the night and begins to assault him in the garden. Aggressive outbursts similarly occur in Italian For Beginners, however, to a lesser extent than in Festen. Halfinn is a hostile character by nature and although there are no overt physical assaults in Italian For Beginners, there are several aggressive outbursts by Halfinn with Olympia in the bakers shop when he is refused rum truffles, with the hotel manager when he is fired from his restaurant job and with two patrons of the restaurant who wont remove their feet from a table. Where the two films fall short of meeting all of the criteria for a Dogme film, is with the assignment of genre. The Dogme manifesto states that to qualify as a Dogme film that genre movies are not acceptable (Dogme95, 2007), but this presents itself as a problematic area. Italian For Beginners is chiefly characterised as a romantic comedy and Festen could be labelled as a family drama or a black comedy, thus breaking the fundamental Dogme rule of no assigned genre. This area becomes problematic because in all forms of art, particularly those including the spoken word and action, there are conventions that exist which characterise texts and films and it would be near impossible to create a film that could not be assigned a genre. Marshall and Werndly (2002:114) define genre as a type of text which includes particular and recognizable characteristics that exist within a text that relate it to other texts. Some forms of genre identified by Myers (1994:210) include; a murder mystery, a riddle, a sonnet, a collections letter, or a demonstration advertisement. Furthermore, it is a specific text type which is characterized primarily by the kind of relationship it sets up between its users and certain textual properties which is important to create a relational value between the audience and the text. Moreover, genre is a highly important factor with the marketing of a film. The balance of romance and comedy in Italian For Beginners is perhaps the main component of the film that contributed to its imminent success across the continents as it provides a relational value. Festen was also successful at several International film festivals, chiefly because it was the much anticipated first Dogme production, but it could be argued that part of its success is because it too has a relational value with the audience. Its popularity may have spread because of the elements of production that gave it a genre for filmgoers to relate to, be entertained by and to be interested in. As previously stated, it was the initial contention of the brotherhood to take filmmaking back to basics and remove the Hollywood gloss in a new wave of film production. Adams (2001:1) notes that: The film business, they (von Trier and Vinterberg) concluded, had become overly dependent on special effects, fancy camerawork, and other techniques of production. Rather than being built on the bedrock foundations of drama actors playing real human beings in a story movies were becoming more and more dependent on gratuitous action, special lighting, impressive sets, optical effects, audio engineering, and all the other gee-whiz paraphernalia of showbiz. The vital essence of film, dramatic narrative, was in danger of being submerged in glitz. And as if this werent enough, they also concluded that the cult of personality surrounding the film director was detrimental to making good films. Movies are not the work of a single visionary, they argued, and too many directors spend time making artistic statements to gratify their own egos when they should be concentrating on characters and story. Meddings and Thornbury (2000:1) further state that the Dogme brotherhood, most notably von Trier, rejected Hollywood razzmatazz, and saw itself as a rescue action, attempting to restore to cinema the inner story of its characters and to rehabilitate, for the makers of films, their original joy in film-making. This would be largely achieved through dialogue and an intense focus on the characters and an attempt to reclaim reality by a wholesale purge of their aesthetic means (Matthews, 1999). Naturally, for what is essentially lost by rejecting the special effects, fancy camerawork and removing the Hollywood gloss from production, somewhere along the line must be compensated for in order to keep Dogme films visually interesting, but yet still working within the boundaries of the vows of chastity. In both Festen and Italian For Beginners, this is achieved by two different interpretations of working within the vows of chastity, particularly the rules concerned with camera work, sound, locations and lighting. Beginning with Festen, once the siblings have arrived at the country house and are preparing for dinner there are increasingly rapid cuts between three different scenes which include separate storylines for Christian, Helene and Michael. Christian and Pia (a chambermaid, friend and past lover of Christians) remain in Christians room discussing the past as Pia prepares to take a bath. Michael and Mette are seen in their bedroom arguing about Mette not packing appropriate shoes for Michael to dress in for dinner, a conversation in which Michael reveals the underlying feelings of his fathers disapproval of him because he did not attend the funeral of his sister (Linda). The absence of correct coloured dinner shoes to match his black suit adds fuel to this argument which eventually results in Michael being physically aggressive towards Mette and the instigation of sex which the viewer deduces is not wholly consensual on Mettes part. Following this Michael is seen showering as Mette prepares herself for dinner. Meanwhile, Helene and Lars (the receptionist) enter Lindas former bedroom which has the furniture covered in white sheets and in which Helene is supposed to reside in over the course of the weekend. As Helene leads Lars into the bathroom, the two begin to play a game of getting warmer, marked by following small drawings on the white walls, which is a familiar game from Helenes childhood. The intense focus on the bath in the bathroom suggests to the viewer that this is where Linda committed suicide only months prior to this gathering. The game ends with Helene locating an apparent suicide note from Linda in a light fixture on the ceiling that she conceals in her handbag without reading and which is later read at dinner. The filming cuts between these three separate scenes in an intense building of suspense and the cuts gradually become faster, cutting at integral parts of the story. The climax of the scene occurs as Pia who has been pictured underwater in the bath (mimicking Lindas possible drowning) as Helene begins to read the suspected suicide note. Helene shouts boo to Lars, Pia rises out of the water gasping for air and Michael yells as he falls in the shower and pulls down shower rail. These three separate cuts occur simultaneously, consuming less than two seconds of screen time. Additionally, using hand-held cameras to track the characters movements and to switch to views of different guests in their rooms, outside and in the dining room provides an interesting detail of this film appearing similar to a home video of a familys celebration. Cameras are also placed in unnatural positions during some scenes; as Helene pushes Lindas apparent suicide note into a pill tube pulled from her purse after locating it, a camera is placed under the bottom of the pill tube to capture the note being pushed into the brown tube. Also, in the same sequence in Lindas bedroom, the camera captures the action of the getting warmer game from above, providing an almost birds eye view of events as the camera is attached to a boom mic. However, this is something which breaks one of the vows of chastity as the camera at the point is not technically being hand-held by the standards of the Dogme manifesto.

10 Pairs of Similar-Looking Near Antonyms

10 Pairs of Similar-Looking Near Antonyms 10 Pairs of Similar-Looking Near Antonyms 10 Pairs of Similar-Looking Near Antonyms By Mark Nichol Many pairs of words, often but not always etymologically related, can be easily confused for each other though they mean almost the opposite. Distinguish carefully between these odd couples: Contemptible: deserving of contempt, or despicable (â€Å"Their effort to suddenly kiss up to her once she inherited money was contemptible.†) Contemptuous: demonstrating contempt (â€Å"His contemptuous dismissal of the idea was inexcusably rude.†) (Both words stem from the Latin contemnere, â€Å"to despise.†) Flare: a signal light or a similar literal or figurative eruption (The shipwrecked sailor fired a signal flare to attract attention from the passing vessel.†) Flair: talent, or style (â€Å"He’s shown a remarkable flair for the craft.†) (Flare has uncertain origin, but it is not likely related to flair, from the Latin fragrare â€Å"odor.†) Gourmet: an expert on, or one who appreciates the nuances of, food or drink (â€Å"His reputation as a gourmet rests on his familiarity with all the best restaurants.†) Gourmand: a person enthusiastic about good food and drink; glutton (â€Å"My neighbor the gourmand has pretensions of being knowledgeable about wine.†) (Gourmet is from the French grommet, â€Å"boy servant,† perhaps itself based on English groom; gourmand derives from the Middle French gourmant. In French, gourmand remains a close synonym of gourmet, with no negative connotation.) Incredible: inspiring disbelief, extraordinary (â€Å"The fact that she had survived the ordeal was incredible.†) Incredulous: disbelieving (â€Å"I looked at him with a gaze of incredulous wonder.†) (Both words are from the antonym of the Latin credibilis, â€Å"credible.†) Mantel: a shelf or supporting structure above a fireplace (â€Å"She approached the fireplace and placed the candelabra on the marble mantel.†) Mantle: a literal or figurative cloak, covering, or layer (â€Å"A mantle of authority lay on the chieftain’s broad shoulders.†) (Both words derive from the Latin mantellum.) Material: matter, or components (â€Å"She brushed up against an object covered with soft material.†) Materiel: supplies and equipment, especially used by a specific organization (â€Å"The army found itself running low on materiel as its supply lines were cut.†) (Both words come from the French materiel.) Ordinance: order or law, or established usage (â€Å"The ordinance went into effect on January 1.†) Ordnance: artillery, or weapon-related military supplies (â€Å"The fort was equipped with enough ordnance to withstand several regiments.†) (Both words stem from the Latin ordinare, to put into order.†) Temerity: recklessness (â€Å"My assistant had the temerity to suggest that I didn’t know how to do my job!†) Timidity: lacking in courage or boldness (â€Å"Her timidity about approaching him resulted in another missed opportunity.†) (Temerity is from the Latin temere, â€Å"blindly†; timidity derives from the Latin timere, â€Å"fear.†) Troop: a military unit or similar group (â€Å"The outnumbered troop retreated in the face of overwhelming firepower.†) Troupe: a theatrical group or other collection of entertainers (â€Å"Stratford was often visited by traveling troupes of professional actors.†) (The first word is a variant of the second, a Middle French word meaning â€Å"company† and related to the Germanic thorp, â€Å"village,† which survives in English place names as spelled or, more often, as thorpe.) Venal: mercenary, corrupt (â€Å"His approach to business is purely venal.†) Venial: forgivable, excusable (â€Å"I consider envy a venial sin.†) (Venal derives from Latin the venum, â€Å"sale†; venial comes from the Latin venia, â€Å"pardon.†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Handy Expressions About HandsHow to Punctuate Descriptions of ColorsContinue and "Continue on"

Fashion and consumer science Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Fashion and consumer science - Term Paper Example This term paper talks about consumers around the world that reflect some distinct behavioural traits while going for purchasing luxury products. Luxury products are purchased by the consumers not only depending on the features and advantages obtained from the product but also tends to avail a large plethora of experiences attached to such. The people availing such luxury products also tend to relate their identity with the products purchased and also with the specific brands and companies from which such commodities are purchased. Consumers do not resort to logical decision making while making the relevant purchases but rather are made to satiate the growing desires of comfort and luxury. It also helps the consumers to create a different social image for them in the society. To satisfy consumerism related to fashion commodities different types of retail formats have grown around the world which help the consumers to sustain their lifestyles. The purchasing activities related to luxur y commodities are conducted by consumers both on the physical and on the virtual plane. On the physical front the consumers tend to frequent the stores from where the commodities can be availed. However the consumers in the modern periods are also found to avail such commodities through the online sphere or through shopping activities conducted by the help of mobiles. The evaluation of the benefits availed through the purchase of luxury commodities is done based on the level of reflection that the consumers gain with the products. Still the luxury commodities produced around the world have some considerable lifetime after which such products or services become redundant and their place is taken by other such products and services. With the increase in sophistication and growth of consumer desires the luxury goods and services need to be enhanced in an aspiring manner to help meet future needs (Okonkwo, 2007, p.63-64). Research Question The research paper in question

An analysis of HRM methods used in order to maintain low staff Essay

An analysis of HRM methods used in order to maintain low staff turnover at Burger king - Essay Example No matter what the size of an organization is or the amount of its resources, the organization survives and thrives because of abilities and capabilities of the people working there. The activities to maximize that ability and those capabilities are essential as to improve the performance of the workers. These activities are called human resource management and are the responsibility of all people in the organization (Heathfield, 2011). The organizational function, Human Resource Management (HRM) includes a range of activities that deals with issues related to employees such as; recruiting and training the best employees, dealing with performance issues, ensuring they are working efficiently and giving their best, deciding what staffing needs the company has and ensuring management practices conform to the regulations. The HRM function also includes organization development, employee motivation, communication, administration, wellness, safety, compensation and benefits. HRM is a comp rehensive and strategic approach to managing the workplace environment and culture, and the people. Effective Human Resource Management enables the workforce to contribute productively and efficiently to the overall organization direction and towards the achievement of the organization's objectives and goals. HRM is the strategic utilization of the employees through which the company expect to add value to its products (Heathfield, 2011). STAFF TURNOVER Staff turnover is the rate at which an employer or an organization loses or gains employees. Simple way to describe staff turnover is how long employees tend to stay at the company. If an organization is said to have a high turnover comparative to its competitors, that means that workers of that organization have a shorter average tenure than those of other organizations in the same industry. High turnover may be damaging to a company's  productivity  if the skilled employees are frequently leaving and the worker population consi sts of a high portion of trainee workers. There a lot of factors that affect staff turnover, some are within the organizations control while others are completely beyond the control of the organization. One of the most common reasons given for leaving a particular company is the availability of higher paying job in some other firm. Some low wage employees are reported to leave a job for another that pays only fifty cents more per hour. The performance of the company is another element that plays part in staff turnover. If the firm is not performing well and is perceived to be in economic difficulty, this will also raise the spectre of imminent layoffs. Employees believe that it is sensible to look for other employment. The organizational culture; the capability of the company to obtain a sense of commitment on the part of workforce, the power of management, and the firm’s development of a sense of shared goals influences indices of job satisfaction as turnover rate and turnov er intentions. Some jobs are inherently more attractive than others. A job's attractiveness is affected by many characteristics, challenge, repetitiveness, danger, capability to elicit a sense of achievement and perceived importance. The status of the job is also significant, so are many other factors. Another aspect that affect staff turnover is the general lack of knowledge and unrealistic expectations that job applicants may have about when they receive