Managing Process and Projects in ANLG

Introduction The banking industry is just part of the much larger financial services market. Like all large retail banks, ANLG has had the task of improving the performance of its operational processes which are responsible for generating and providing the bank’s services.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Process and Projects in ANLG specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has had to be achieved while at the same time keeping some factors constant; the service delivery to the banking clientele remaining top notch and the costs incurred in the process kept to a minimal. In looking at this particular case of ANLG, the entire operational process yields both inputs and outputs which are based on the various activities involved in the process. The operational process is basically a link between inputs, outputs and resources and how the various activities involved transform the inputs into outputs. The sub ject of managing processes and projects basically looks into a system which is made up of various processes. In each process, inputs are transformed into outputs and all this involves planning and designing the production, the actual production of the item in question, delivery and all support variables, all which translate into the success of the objectives being met. The core functions are the development of the services and products that will be the outputs of the operational processes, the operations involved in the entire process as well as the marketing function which is somehow a subsidiary factor in the entire operation process. Support functions include the accounting and finance aspect, the technical factor, human resources function which looks at personnel or staff, and the function that relates to acquiring any relevant information to the given process. These are just a few examples which will vary with each operational process. Operational Processes The Call Centre Depa rtment This is a department run by the Call Centre Manager and its main operations are cantered on dealing with customer service enquiries which are basically requests for information on products or services that they need clarification on.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The calls received by the Call Centre Agents many times overwhelm them during the day and this is mainly because these are the operational hours for the banks. At night, not many people will think of making enquiries. The customers will want information on loans, their debit cards, various accounts operated by the bank and any services the bank may be providing (Ackoff). Fig. 1: Showing the operational processes in the Call Centre Department Facilities and staff are the major resources that are classified as inputs. In this case we have the call centre manager who manages and plans for the centre, the call centre agents who operate the calls, and equipment used to handle the calls such as the telephones and computers. The operator receives the call from the customer and first captures the caller’s details which may include, but are not limited to the customer’s name, customer’s account number if they have an account with the bank, their address and contacts. The queries presented by the customer are then entered into the system. Depending on what subject the caller wanted information on, they are given a feedback and in case the agent can’t provide satisfactory answers, they are rerouted to a more qualified person to handle the call, or are told to hold the line as their request is processed. For some cases, the Call Centre agent may have to call the customer back at a later time. Deliverables include providing the customer with answers to their enquiries and feeding the system with any information that may need to be looked into so as to improve the servi ce delivery (Davenport).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Process and Projects in ANLG specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Limitations The Call Centre Manager can clearly view all the calls being received by the operators and those that are yet to be received. Any customer calling continuously for a given amount of time will eventually give up if their calls are not answered and may assume they are being ignored. With a limited number of operators, not all calls can be attended to and this cuts down on the efficiency of the department in satisfying their callers. Some of the callers fail to have their queries answered while others will probably receive unsatisfactory replies because the operators are trying to attend to the large number of callers. At night the exact opposite scenario is played. Operators are practically redundant with hardly any calls being received (Deming). Filling in any vacancies in th is department is no mean feat. It is both time and resource consuming. An operator has to have knowledge of the banking operations and should be able to handle 15 simple banking enquiries. The entire recruitment process and training of the operator takes up to 8 weeks, and in the meantime the Call Centre strains the meagre staff and resources it has. Recommendations An automated system could be put in place to capture incoming calls where the callers would leave their details and queries so that they can be contacted at a later time. This way, the operators running the Call Centre in the night can make a follow up of these enquiries. Customers are left feeling happy and well attended to and definitely and the bank retains its clientele. The Personal Credit Control Department The Manager of this department is tasked with overseeing that the staffs attending to customers, who have surpassed their overdraft amounts, either bounce any cheques that may have been drawn or send a letter in forming the customer about the state of their account or transaction. This department only deals with individual accounts because those belonging to corporate entities need more interpretation. They are therefore handled by a different Fig. 2: Showing the operational processes in the Personal Credit Control DepartmentAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Depositing cheques and drafts is actually a form of credit exchange. If the cheque drawn is valid, then the person whose name and details appear on the cheque is paid following instructions to the bank indicated on the cheque. When a draft is moved by authorization to a specific bank, it is deposited there and is equivalent to a cash deposit. In both cases, no actual money in the form of notes and or coins is used in the transactions so it is entirely of a credit nature. In the cases where the account against which the cheque is drawn has insufficient funds, the cheque bounces and as a result the bearer of the cheque is not credited. The department I thus tasked with informing them of the state of the transaction. Such a transaction is not detailed and involves very few components as opposed to dealing with corporate accounts which could have many transactions in one particular account (Jams hid). Limitations Having each line of business operation, in this case, personal credit con trol and corporate credit control running as separate entities means that the activities are not centralized. More resources are needed to effectively run each entity yet the outputs are similar. Without restructuring the back office operations, operating costs are exponentially increased. The same methodology of running the processes is employed in all processes and efficiency is reduced. Recommendations Most banking institution has developed into target retail institutions in as far as the operations of the bank are concerned. Many of the operations are centralized and are structured such that particular service centres have both shared functions and services. All operations run by the bank are part of this structure. As a result you will find that whether it is personal banking or corporate banking, they will all be part of the shared Services Centre. The only exemption probably might arise in cases where one service for example, personal banking has just been introduced. It may operate remotely for a period of time, but should be merged with other centralized operations within a given time frame. Another solution to having similar operations running with up to half the cost would be to manage operations, for example IT Operations, that sustain back office processes as a distinct and separate function that needs a separate structuring (Juran). The Voucher Processing Centre The centre is equipped with machines that translate cheques. The cheques are delivered to the centre from various branches of the same bank in a given location. Since the banks are closed during the weekend, Mondays, which mark the beginning of the business week, are quite hectic as they record a large number of deposits. The fact that the machines have such a big work load, they are likely to breakdown more often and this greatly affects the running of the centre. With fewer machines to work with, many customers’ transactions are left pending and this creates a backlog. Fig.3: Sho wing the operational processes in the Voucher Processing Centre Fig.4: Showing the additional operational processes in the Voucher Processing Centre The cheques are received and the information displayed on them is encoded or converted. The output which still comes in form of the processed cheques enables the relevant accounts to either be credited or debited. Limitations The inputs in this particular process are limited and this greatly affects the entire process because the transformation aspect is greatly restricted. The encoding machines are the main facility that runs the entire process, apart from the staff that operates them. Having even one machine down affects the outputs and as such customer feedback is not expected to be encouraging. Recommendations Another system apart from wholly relying on the voucher encoding machines should be introduced. This way, even if one of the machines breaks down, or even when the workload is large, the entire process is not affected. In th e end, the output is what matters, I this case, that the customers receive the services they expect. High Net worth Banking In some cases, it is also referred to as prestige banking. A service provided by the bank for its wealthy clientele who pay to have all the banking services offered at their beck and call. The bank therefore has to be extremely flexible to meet their demands. To give the entire aspect of High Net worth Banking, the personal touch it is characteristically defined by, particular banking personnel is assigned a number of accounts to attend to and this way gets familiar and â€Å"personal† with the customer, but maintains all the professionalism expected. Limitations Banking personnel just like any other employee will be required to have leave days or probably attend training sessions organized by the bank. In such cases, when a particular customer calls wanting the services of a particular agent who is either not in office, or engaged elsewhere, the â€Å" personal† factor is subject to being affected. Some customers may become adamant and even threaten to withdraw their accounts, citing that they are not getting their money’s worth. Other times, their demands may seem too much when they force their contacts within the bank to run all over the place to attend to them, be in at their homes or places of work. Recommendations Customers should be made to understand that the entire theme of personal banking means that the bank gives then extra attention, but maintains that any available personnel can attend to them. Two or even up to three people can be assigned to one particular account. This way the personal theme is not entirely corroded. The ‘4vs’ approach looks at four factors in the operational process and these are volume, variety, variation in demand and visibility. Looking at the above back office operations in terms of volume, the Call Centre is swapped with very many calls and each staff of the centre i s kept bust especially during the day when the volume of calls is highest. As a result there is a low unit cost in the department, higher systemization and high repeatability of processes which involve the calls received and the information exchanged. The Credit Control department specializes in cheques and drafts so their volume is only relevant to these two processes. It is relatively low and each staff member performs more as pertains to the task at hand and less to do with the entire system. As such there are higher unit costs. The voucher processing centre handles only cheques, but at a high volume and therefore experiences the same implications as the Call centre. The Prestige or â€Å"High Net worth’ subsidiary company experiences fewer customers, hence a fewer volume of operations. The implications are similar to the credit control department (Ludwig). With regard to variety, the call centre and voucher processing centre is more complex and flexible and as much as th ey may incur higher unit costs, they are able to meet customer demands. The credit control department and subsidiary company dealing with rich clients on the other hand both handle less in terms of variety. They experience well-defined routine, properly standardized procedures that are regular and all at low unit costs. Variation in demand in the call centre and voucher processing centre is dependent on the capacity that can be handled. This is also affected by the facilities in place and personnel available. One main advantage is that any changes in demand can be anticipated, though a downside is that it all comes at a high unit cost. The credit control department and subsidiary company dealing with rich clients on the other hand, experience a stable schedule of events, high use of available resources, resulting to low unit costs. Visibility focuses on the outputs of each process. There is a very short time frame between requesting of services or products and when they are expected to be delivered and this causes a short tolerance in relation to what is expected. In the call centre and ‘high net worth† company, contentment by the customer is based on what they observe and perceive. Personnel in these departments should be equipped with the relevant skills needed to handle customers in these instances. Proper communication skills are an asset in both cases. A high unit cause is however realized. The voucher processing centre is also reliable to a great extent on the visibility aspect which will bring about similar implications as seen in both the call centre and prestige banking company. In the credit control department there is a time frame between production and delivery of the services to the customer. Low skills in customer handling are required and most of the process doesn’t really rely on the input of the staff. Higher unit costs are expected. Other similarities that can be noticed in all the four back office units are the fact that a ll operational processes make use of some form of technology. For all the operations, some form of telephone activity or computer related task is involved though to different variations and volumes. The voucher processing centre also incorporates encoding machines. All four back office units have response issues of some kind. These are either within the department or between one department and other. In other scenarios it also involves the customer who in most cases is the final recipient in the complete process. These four operational processes also forecast on demand, otherwise the performance objectives cease to be relevant. Measures are also put in place to monitor capacity and location concerns that directly affect the operations of the departments. These of course vary from one back office to another. for instance, the call centre doesn’t have to be near the customers calling in to handle their enquiries, but the â€Å"high net worth† subsidiary company has to pu t capacity and location in mind to be able to provide that personal touch it thrives on to maintain its clientele. All operations have both contractors who provide the products and services needed to be able to meet their objectives as well as customers who are the final recipients of the products and services after they have undergone the transformation process. In the For the call centre it is telephones and computers, whereas the credit control and voucher. All these back office operations also have planning and recruitment issues in relation to their activities and staff. Common sets of principles therefore apply only when the performance objectives of any given process are similar in respect to certain factors. The quality of services or products has to be even. Some services like the call centre are to all customers of the banking institution irrespective of the account you hold or how wealthy you are. The â€Å"high net worth† department on the other hand is for only t he rich clientele. Another factor is that the speed at which the services or products are delivered has to be at par. For some it is fast depending on the customer being attended to, while others it is slow. Dependability is another element. Some services are dependent on time, others facilities, staff or other resources. Flexibility should also be considered. Some processes follow a fixed routine and schedule while others can be manipulated with to suit the output required. Cost is a very important component as well because it is directly proportional to how productive a given process is and whether at the end of the day it was a worthwhile venture (Senge). To â€Å"fine tune† the improvement of business processes in relation to the operations the different skills and approaches that are probably being referred to are the â€Å"4vs†; volume, variety, variation in demand and visibilty as well as the common sets of principles. This is because if flexibility, quality, sp eed, dependabilty and cost are considered, the capturing, transformation and delivery of services ad products will be greatly improved because these factors greatly affect operation processes. Works Cited Ackoff, Russell. Ackoff Centre for Advancement of Systems Approaches, 2009. Web. Davenport, T. H. Process Innovation: Reengineering work through Information Technology, Harvard Business School Press, 1993. Deming, W. Edwards. The New Economics for industry, government and Education. Second Edition MIT Press, 1994. Jamshid, Gharajedaghi. Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity A Platform for Designing Business Architecture. Elsevier Inc., 2006. Juran, J.M. Juran on quality by design. The Free Press, Division of Macmillan Inc., 1992. Ludwig, Bertalanffy. General Systems Theory George Braziller Inc., 1968. Senge, Peter M. The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Random House, 2006. This essay on Managing Process and Projects in ANLG was written and submitted by user Emersyn M. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Internet, Teaching and Learning essays

The Internet, Teaching and Learning essays Using the internet for learning and teaching purposes can have benefits; however the disadvantages far outweigh the positives. The internet is not the effective tool that it appears to be, with many tertiary students finding difficulties associated with accessing and using this technology. The internet holds a wealth of information; however the quality of this information can be questionable. In addition to this, using the internet requires a certain amount of computer knowledge which students can find difficult to master and there are associated issues regarding accessing information and the related costs involved with using the internet. Students using the internet for study are also at risk of isolation due to the autonomous nature of external study. It is true that much information can be found by simply typing a few words into a search engine and pressing enter. Nevertheless, information can be uploaded to the internet without any scrutiny or evaluation from experts. Alternatively, information that is gathered from printed material will have been thoroughly examined and assessed by an authority on the subject before being published (MacDonald on the internet...anything goes, this means that the authenticity of the information on the internet must be questioned. Singh s more, using the internet promotes casual reading habits. Students who read in an informal manner are not engaging completely with the content, which can result in the production of a more casual writing style (Birkerts in Leibowitz 1999). Along with the issue of establishing the quality of information on the internet, there are difficulties associated with accessing the information in the first place. Acquiring information online requires using a computer with...

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Injuries and losses during the 2012 Olympics Essay

Injuries and losses during the 2012 Olympics - Essay Example This essay discusses that since the Olympic site has been opened to visitors and athletes for ticket sales and athletes’ training, the persons at the site are presumed to be lawful visitors to the site. As a result the rights of the various athletes and visitors at the site, and the duty toward the safety of those lawfully at the site are covered by the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. By virtue of Section 2(1) of the 1957 Act, occupiers owe a â€Å"common duty of care to all his visitors† unless that duty is restricted or waived â€Å"by agreement or otherwise†. To this end it is first necessary to identify who is the occupier or occupiers of the Olympic site and thus who would be the possible defendants in a claim by the possible plaintiffs. An occupier is any person or official body or agent with control of the premises in question. It was also held in Wheat v E Lacon & Co. Ltd that it is possible for there to be more than a single occupier of a given pro perty. Thus an employee in sufficient control of the premises can be an occupier together with an employer and an owner. Moreover, the owner need not be present to incur liability for damages to a lawful visitor. Based on the definition of occupier, it would appear that liability is shared jointly and severally between the various ticket vendors, the employees operating the various facilities and the owners of the Olympic site. The extent of the duty of care is described by Section 2(2) of the 1957 Act. The duty is a duty to take reasonable precautions to render the premises â€Å"reasonably safe† for visitors who are lawfully on the premises.7 The duty is generally discharged by posting conspicuous warnings of any pending or possible dangers to the safety of visitors lawfully on the premises.8 A mere warning that an event on the premises is dangerous would be sufficient to discharge the statutory duty of care.9 However, there appears to be no warning signs posted and as a re sult, Peter’s injury is indefensible on the grounds that the various occupiers did not take precautions to warn the possible plaintiffs of the dangers associated with the use of the Olympic site. Some precautions were taken with respect to barricading the ticket queues, but those barricades ultimately collapsed so that the question is whether or not those precautions were sufficient to safeguard against the incident of collapse and the resulting injuries suffered by various visitors queuing up to purchase tickets. Therefore while barricading the ticket queues may have been a sufficient precaution or warning of the dangers of the crowds, the main question is whether or not the warning or precaution was sufficient to discharge the statutory duty of care.10 It would appear that the precautionary measures taken by the police were insufficient to safeguard against the risk of harm attending the large crowds queuing up for the purchase of tickets. Remoteness of Damages Causation wo uld be established by virtue of the fact that the occupiers of the Olympic site had a statutory duty to ensure that the safety of the visitors were provided for or that sufficient warning was provided to permit the visitors to remain safe. As established above, failure to discharge the statutory duty will amount to actionable negligence. However, if the defendants can demonstrate that damages sustained were not a

Business Management Techniques (Manage work activities) Essay

Business Management Techniques (Manage work activities) - Essay Example ining an organizations objectives, establishing an overall strategy for achieving those objectives, and developing a comprehensive chain of command of plans to integrate and coordinate activities. The plan of action is, at one and the same time, the result predicted, the line of action to be followed, the stages to go through and the methods to be used. Organizing is the translation of goals and objectives into a structure of responsibilities and authority. To organize a business is to provide it with everything useful to its functioning- raw material, tools, capital, personnel’ (Fayol, 53). In other words it includes the determination of what tasks are to be done, which has to do them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and where decisions are to be made. The engineering organization, having been formed, must be set going and this is the mission of command. This insures a successful process of the organization. A manager in command - knows his people, understands all agreements binding the firm, sets a good example, uses a meeting to focus efforts in a single direction, does not become occupied in minute details, and instills unity, energy, initiative and loyalty in the employees. Harmonizing is to integrate the actions of all aspects of the firm in order to increase the efficiency of the organization. To harmonize is to co-ordinate all the activities of concern so as to facilitate its working, and its success. Control consists in confirming everything takes place in conformity with the plan implemented, the directions issued and principles established. It also points out weakness and errors in order to rectify then and prevent recurrence. Typical operations that could be subjected to control, measured in order to monitor progress, included: Business Engineering Organization usually use flat organizational structure where their is hierarchy of authority and becomes easy for supervision, their is segregation of duties and every

Math in Early Childhood Article Review Essay Example for Free

Math in Early Childhood Article Review Essay The purpose of this article was to explain the use and importance of programs such as the, â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† program instituted at the Bennington Library in Vermont. The â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† program aims to provide librarians with techniques and tools for introducing preschool and kindergarten students to science and math through literature. Picture books and stories are used a lot because stores are great conveyors to memorable messages about since and math. It also gives children the tools they need to be able to look at books and seek out math and science concepts and connections within the text. The program focuses on child directed and hands on explorations rather that adult directed instruction allowing the children to gain personal acts of discovery through play. â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† focuses on four main math and science concepts; numbers and operations, patterns and relationships, changes over time, and geometry and special sense. For each topic there are activities, projects, and books that correspond with the chosen topic. There are different activity centers that are also set up. Some are set up for large group and small group and some are set up for independent exploration. They offer things such as interactive graphs, geoboards, jars with small objects for sorting, blocks, and other manipulatives. Something new that I learned was that I didn’t know that libraries offered programs like that. I knew that had reading groups and programs but I didn’t realizes that there were also libraries that offered programs to also promote math and science concepts as well. I like how they use books first to gain an idea and then tie it into math and science by exploring the concepts in the story a little further to better their understanding not only of the story but of the math and/or science behind it. A way that I can see this information being useful in the future is to have programs like this available to all libraries nationwide. In the article it said that it started out in Vermont and spread to libraries in New York, Delaware, and Texas. With children having access to programs like this from the preschool level they will then enter kindergarten with a greater knowledge base and with deeper understanding of the math and science concepts that they will need for the rest of their lives.

Free College Essays - Optimism in The Stranger by Albert Camus :: The Stranger The Outsider

Optimism in Camus' The Stranger (The Outsider) The novel The Stranger by Albert Camus can be viewed from several different perspectives. Some people see this book as a "slap to the face" or an insult. Others, however, find the views expressed in this novel to be comforting and optimistic. Just as there are many different people in the world, there are many different interpretations and opinions surrounding this novel. I have found The Stranger to be a novel that is uplifting and reassuring and, therefore, wonderful . This novel is important, not because I subscribe to the views expressed in it, and not because many people do not, but — in my opinion — simply because every person should be exposed to the existentialist idea of living. Most people do not realize that their religion and, thus, many of their beliefs have been laid out for them by circumstance. They were born to Christian or Jewish or Buddhist parents and that is what they became. Simple. Far too simple for my liking. I often wonder how people can accept what they have not been able to discover for themselves. Religion has all the answers for people. If you are sad, look on the pages that deal with sadness. You will feel better. I would not feel better. I would feel like a mindless person, a slave to a way of perceiving life that I had no part in creating. I feel at home with the existentialists as they ask: â€Å"Why?". My question is, why must people refuse to come to their own conclusions? Why is it taboo to not embrace a "God" but embrace your mind instead? Why can we all not realize that we are alone, that we must find meaning in our lives because we are alive, not because someone or something wants us to live a certain way? As Camus puts it: â€Å"I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world." Some people would find themselves naked in the kind of atmosphere that Camus writes about: a life where there is no set guideline and moreover, no reward for following a set guideline. Those are the people who need God in order to get out of bed each morning. Those are the people who might like to burn Camus' The Stranger. I can fully understand why people would hate this book if they were honest, God-fearing men and women.

Great expectations †review of three film versions Essay

In my English lessons I have been reading great expectations as part of my pro 1914-prose study, and have chosen to do my media assignment on film adaptations of the book. I will be comparing and contrasting the three film versions, David Leans 1945 film is the eldest version which is in black and white, the BBC serialisation and the latest BBC film version, and the original novel. I will structure my essay by writing about different areas of the adaptations e. g. soundtrack, first with similarities then differences between the versions. Sequencing: The sequencing of the opening scene of great expectations adaptations are all quite similar except the latest BBC adaptation, the David Lean and BBC serialisation have the same sequencing, book so it is unlike the 2 other film versions. The David Lean film and BBC serialisation have the sequencing almost of the book so tell the story in the same way as Charles Dickens did. While the David lean version is more compact due to time limitations and the BBC serialisations has more detail they both tell the same set of events in the same way. And only differ from the book in the very beginning where they show Pip the central character in the book running across the marshes to the church, where the book starts in the churchyard. The latest BBC version is very different form the book and two other adaptations in it’s sequencing, it starts with Pip running away from the convict across a wheat field, when the convict catches up with Pip in the graveyard, he asks no questions about his parents or where he lives like the book. It then switches straight to Pip running home across the marshes, when he arrives home events from the second chapter take place when the events of the first haven’t finished being explained. The rest of the sequences of the opening chapter take place as flashbacks while pips sleeping. Soundtrack: As with the sequencing the sound track for the latest BBC adaptation is very different to the other two versions as it has a different set of sequencing. The David lean version and BBC serialisations soundtrack are quite similar but the advances in technology makes the serialisation far more advanced than the older David lean version. The David Lean version soundtrack starts with the opening of the book being narrated by an older version of Pip as the younger version crosses the marshes. The BBC serialisation soundtrack is similar to the David Lean version as it begins with narration by an older version of pip as he crosses the marshes. And the latest BBC version soundtrack is very different to the other two, as it starts with quiet music and Pips heavy breathing and rustling as he is running away from the convict. The arrival of the convict is very similar in the David Lean version and BBC serialisation soundtrack with the same build up, whistling winds and creaking trees make up a tense atmosphere, which is shattered by the arrival of the Convict. This is very different in the Latest BBC version. The arrival of the Convict in the David Lean version soundtrack is marked by him grabbing Pip and Pip screaming, the convict then threatens Pip in the following dialogue. Then the convict turns him upside down a lot of rustling and jingling from the convict’s chain on his leg. The convict then demands items from Pip in the following dialogue while eating an apple and breathing heavily. At the end of the scene where Pip is running home across the marshes, the whistling winds from the graveyard are heard again. The arrival of the Convict in BBC serialisation soundtrack is different to the David Lean version you hear Pip trip and as he gets he catches sight of the convict and takes a surprised breath. The convict then moves toward him you can hear the chain on his leg jingle with every step he takes, he then talks to Pip. He shakes Pip lot’s of jingling and grunting, when he resumes dialogue with Pip he is eating a piece of bread. Just before the end of the scene the convict threats Pip speaking in a whisper, then walks of to bouncy music with his chain jingling. The Convict is introduced in the latest BBC version soundtrack by Pip falling with a thud, trying to hide breathing deeply. The Convict catches up breathing heavily and his chain jingling with his footsteps, as the Convict finds Pip, Pip lets out a scream then the convict say’s a short amount of dialogue. The David Lean and BBC serialisation soundtracks are quite similar but the Serialisation has the advantage of longer running time and detail and better technology, the only difference is the whistling wind at the end of the scene in the David Lean versions apposed to the bouncy music of the convicts departure in the BBC serialisation. The latest BBC version soundtrack is a far shorter and more condensed in the opening scene than the other two adaptations. Also large amounts of dialogue are missed out, even thought it befits from the best technology and methods out of the three adaptations it has the shortest and in my opinion worst soundtrack. Meise en scene: Meise en scene is French for what you can see such as characters, props and scenery. The main way to see the difference in the interpretation of the book in the adaptations is by what and how they present characters and locations on screen. As with the sequencing and sound tracking the David Lean version and BBC serialisation are very similar with few differences although the David Lean version is in black and white and the latest BBC version is very different to both of them. The David Lean version starts with the 1st page of Great Expectations opening then the rest of the pages blowing over. The BBC serialisation opens with some flowers on the book cover of Great Expectations wilting away, it is different to the David Lean opening but is clearly influenced by it. The latest BBC films different sequencing means different images appearing on screen at different time compared to the other two adaptations. It opens with Pip running through a golden wheat field, looking back over his shoulder, his face is dirty and his clothes are hard worn showing that he is a person of lower class in society. This is very different to the other two versions, which show the name of the film/book before the film begins. While the latest BBC version starts in the thick of the story. The appearance of the Convict is very similar in all three versions, which hold true to the book description ‘ A fearful man, all in course grey, with a great iron on his leg’. The David Lean version while holding true to the book description but makes the Convict more frightening to the audience than the other two versions, as it is limited to black and white to make an impact. The BBC serialisation shows the convict more as a worn out exhausted figure that is more likely to make audiences fell sorry for him than be frightened. He is truer to the description laid down in the book than the other to versions down the blackened face and rag tied around his head. The Convict in the latest BBC version is a cross between the two other versions he is more frightening in appearance than the BBC serialisation Convict, but less true to the books description and more detailed than the David Lean versions Convict. Conclusion: After watching and reviewing all three-film adaptations, I have decided in my opinion that the BBC serialisation is the best adaptation of the book. Because of the level of detail that tells the story as well and in the same fashion that made the book such a large success, I find it an excellent alternative or compliment to reading the novel.

Night Mother by Kurt Vonnegut

Mother Night What intrigued me the most when reading Mother Night, by Kurt Vonnegut, were the quotes. He says things in a way that really make you step back and think. You could almost tell this book??? ‚a„? s story by discussing some of the quotes. In Mother Night, apolitical expatriate American playwright Howard W. Campbell, Jr. refashions himself as a Nazi propagandist in order to pass coded messages on to the U. S. generals and preserve his marriage to a German woman??? ‚aâ‚ ¬? their "nation of two," as he calls it. But in serving multiple masters, Campbell ends up ruining his life and becoming an unwitting inspiration to bigots. quot;We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. " Vonnegut introduces this as the moral of his book. "There are plenty of good reasons for fighting, but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty Himself hates with you, too. " It's never been more true: Left or right, Christian or Muslim, those convinced they're doing violence in service of a higher power and against an irretrievably inhuman enemy are the most dangerous creatures of all. But is Howard really such a bad man?All throughout reading the book, I would ask myself that question. No he doesn??? ‚a„? t seem to show much emotion, but doesn??? ‚a„? t that in a way seem understandable when you think about all he??? ‚a„? s done and seen? If he were to show emotion, he would go crazy. I know I would. Though he does seem to have a conscience, somehow, somewhere, deep down inside he is trapped. Trapped inside of the mess he??? ‚a„? s gotten himself into. I think he knows to that there is no way out, so he remains as this man he has pretended to be for so many years.Howard writes his story from a jail cell in old Jerusalem in 1961, while awaiting a fair trial for his war crimes by the republic of Israel. He is has a d ifferent guard for different parts of the day and night. One of them is Mengel. You are the only man I ever heard of,??? ‚N? Mengel says to me this morning, ??? ‚Nswho has a bad conscience about what he did in the war. Everybody else, no matter what he did, is sure a good man could not have acted in any other way.??? ‚N? ??? ‚NsWhat makes you think I have a bad conscience???? ‚N? I said. ??? ‚NsThe way you sleep, the way you dream,??? ‚N? e said. Howard tells Mengel about New York. ??? ‚Ns ??? ‚NsNew York must be Heaven,??? ‚N? said Mengel. ??? ‚NsIt might well be for you??? ‚N? , I said. ??? ‚NsIt was Hell for me,- or not Hell, something worse then Hell.??? ‚N? ??? ‚NsWhat could be worse then Hell???? ‚N? he said. ??? ‚NsPurgatory,??? ‚N? I said. ??? ‚Ns It??? ‚a„? s interesting that he says that, because that proves right there that Howard Campbell is very aware of the crimes he??? ‚a„? s committed, the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. He knows that he is there in that cell because he is paying the price.He must suffer for all that he has done. ??? ‚NsI was deposited on to the streets of New York, restored to the mainstream of life. I took several steps down the sidewalk when something happened. It was not guilt that froze me; I had taught myself never to feel guilt. It wasn't the fear of death; I had taught myself to think of death as a friend. It was not the thought of being unloved that froze me; I had taught myself to do without love. What froze me was the fact that I had absolutely no reason to move in any direction. What had made me move through so many dead and pointless years was curiosity.Now even that flickered out.??? ‚N? What a lonely life that must be, to feel you have nothing to live for. To know that all that has kept you going in the past was curiosity. Helga is dead, (or so he assumes) Resi is dead, the man he called his best friend had intentions of betraying him for so long, and now he is gone. People hate him, want to kill him, others think he is dead and are glad, and then there are those that admire him for all the terrible things he??? ‚a„? s done. Though he can??? ‚a„? t even seem to feel proud, because unlike so many others who committed such crimes as his, he is not a sociopath.

James Wright and the Invention of Silly Putty

James Wright and the Invention of Silly Putty The plastic putty known as Silly Putty ®Ã‚  has been entertaining youngsters and providing them with innovative playtime since the 1940s. Its had an interesting history since then.   The Origins of Silly Putty ® James Wright, an engineer, discovered Silly Putty ®.  Just as with many awesome inventions, the discovery happened by accident.   Wright was working for the U.S. War Production Board at the time. He was charged with finding a substitute for synthetic rubber that wouldn’t cost the government an arm and a leg to produce. He mixed silicone oil with boric acid and found that the compound acted very much like rubber. It could rebound almost 25 percent higher than a normal rubber ball, and it was impervious to rot. Soft and malleable, it could stretch to many times its original length without tearing. Another of Silly Putty’s ® unique qualities was its ability to copy the image of any printed material it was pressed upon. Wright initially  called his discovery  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nutty Putty.†Ã‚  The material was sold under the trade name Silly Putty ® in 1949 and it sold faster than any other toy in history, registering over $6 million in sales in the first year.   The Government Wasn’t Impressed Wright’s amazing Silly Putty ® never found a home with the U.S. government as a substitute for synthetic rubber. The government said it wasn’t a superior product. Tell that to millions of kids pressing globs of the stuff onto comic  pages,  lifting images of their favorite action heroes. Marketing consultant  Peter Hodgson didn’t agree with the government, either. Hodgson bought the production rights to Wrights bouncing putty and  is credited with changing the name of Nutty Putty to Silly Putty ®, introducing it to the  public at Easter, selling it inside plastic eggs. Silly Putty’s ® Practical Uses Silly Putty ® wasn’t initially marketed as a toy. In fact, it pretty much bombed at the 1950 International Toy Fair. Hodgson first intended  Silly Putty ® for an adult audience, billing it for its practical purposes.  But despite  its ignoble beginnings, Neiman-Marcus and Doubleday decided to go ahead and sell Silly Putty ® as a toy and it began to take off. When the  New Yorker  mentioned the stuff, sales bloomed – more than a quarter million orders were received within three days. Hodgson then reached his adult audience almost by accident. Parents soon discovered that not only could Silly Putty ® lift perfect images off comic pages, but it was pretty handy for pulling lint off of  fabric as well. It went to space with the Apollo 8 crew in 1968, where it proved effective at keeping objects in place in zero gravity. Binney Smith, Inc., creator of Crayola,  purchased Silly Putty ® after Hodgson’s death. The company claims that more than 300 million Silly Putty ® eggs have sold since 1950. The Composition of Silly Putty Although you probably don’t want to go to the trouble of whipping up a batch at home when you can simply buy some, the basic ingredients of  Silly Putty ®Ã‚  include: Dimethyl Siloxane: 65 percentSilica: 17 percentThixotrol ST: 9 percentPolydimethylsiloxane: 4 percentDecamethylcyclopentasiloxane: 1 percent  Glycerine: 1 percentTitanium Dioxide: 1 percent It’s a safe guess that Binney Smith aren’t divulging all their proprietary secrets, including the introduction of a wide array of  Silly Putty ®Ã‚  colors, some that even glow in the dark.

Anorexia Nervos A Type Of Eating Disorder Essay example -- Obesity, Body

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a type of eating disorder characterized by intense fear of gaining weight (1). People with anorexia have a distorted body image, persistent preoccupation with thinness, excessive exercising, unwillingness to maintain minimal weight, and disturbed eating behaviours (1-2). The lifetime prevalence of AN is about 0.3 - 1.0% in women and 0.3% in men (3), with a peak age of onset at 13 to 18 years (4). The mortality rate of AN is reported to be higher than of any other psychiatric illness. Estimates show that around 10% of people with AN die within 10 years from the development of the condition (5). Two major subtypes of AN have been identified: eating/purging and restricting subtypes. Individuals with the eating/purging subtype maintain their low body weight by engaging in binge-eating and/or purging behaviours by misusing diuretics or laxatives, and induce vomiting. Those with the restricting subtype limit their food intake and exercise excessively (5). Anorexia affects both the body and the mind of the person. Although individuals lose a lot of weight, they still view themselves as fat, become preoccupied with food, and are socially withdrawn (5). Onset of AN starts as innocent dieting, but gradually gets out of control. Progressively, people become obsessively preoccupied with weight loss and limit the amount of food intake. Some individuals begin starving themselves and exercise excessively to become dangerously thin. Others lose weight by misusing laxatives, self-induced vomiting, diuretics or enemas. Severe cases on AN include suicide attempts and occur in about 20-30% of individuals (6). The suicide rates for women with AN is about 57 times higher than that for women of similar age in the gene... ... middle of paper ... ...alent and has serious psychological and medical consequences. These particular age groups are at a higher risk for developing AN, due to biological and sociocultural influences. In order to avoid long-term health problems, it is imperative that early signs associated with AN are recognised. Quick detection and vigorous treatment are needed to prevent medical complications and chronicity. Treatment interventions that focus on weight restoration, negative thought targeting, blame reduction, and actively integrate caregivers and families have emerged as particularly effective (25, 26). FBT and CBT are valuable parts of treatment, but no specific approach is superior to any other. While the evidence for treatment interventions continues to grow, families and physicians must work in collaboration to promote remission and to prevent relapses in patients diagnosed with AN.

Taoism a way of being or a way of becoming Essay

Taoism a way of being or a way of becoming - Essay Example Yang Chu's thought has traditionally been connected with Taoism and considered a development of the thought contained in the Tao Te Ching. Yet Mencius, who attacked the teachings of Yang Chu, never mentioned Lao Tzu in his works. Lao Tan, a wise old man who epitomized the ancient Tao, was aware of all the ancient rites held by Confucians to be the culmination of order and civilization. As it turned out, this man taught the virtues of softness and yielding, of ignorance and non-exertion, which did not quite harmonize with the Confucian enthusiasm for knowledge and form, for rites and fame. It also explained as to why Ssu-ma Ch'ien, a professed Confucian, fully aware that in his own time Taoism and Confucianism had developed into different, rival, schools, included the meeting of Lao Tzu and Confucius in both biographies. (Isabellee, 1997) The tradition that Confucius learned rites from Lao Tzu could have been perpetrated by the Confucians. Being historically minded, they had to show that their emphasis on ritual had deep roots in a venerated figure like Lao Tzu, the old master. In recent years a surge of academic interest in religious Taoism is witnessed towards its contribution to the development of Chinese science, and its rituals and practices like Girardot, Kaltenmark, Lagerwey and Welsh, etc. Though both are rooted in archaic Chinese religion, religious Taoism is a very different phenomenon from philosophical Taoism. Philosophical Taoism raised the ancient Chinese worldview to the level of thought. As a way of thinking it is clearly distinguishable from Confucianism, Mohism, Legalism, and other schools of thought in ancient China. Religious Taoism, on the other hand, is amorphous throughout its career. Tracing its roots to the practices of ancient shamans and diviners, as an organized religion it came into existence in the 2nd century A.D. The only indigenous religion of China which, incorporates in its development whatever enters the Chinese religious orbit. (Isabelle, 1997) It appropriated all the philosophical Taoist texts, including the Tao Te Chi ng and the Chuang Tzu, which become its sacred scriptures. But what are poetical musings and metaphysical reflections in these texts now become theory and dogma. Its most fervent search and promise are long life and immortality. While it reveres the author of the Tao Te Ching as its spiritual founder, it adopts the Yin-Yang and five-phase theory from the Yin Yang school, believes with Mo Tzu that heaven possesses conscious will, adopts Confucian ethics, and includes many Buddhist teachings and rituals. As a result the religious Taoist canon grew to thousands of volumes, for the study of all aspects of Chinese culture. Relationship between Taoism and Lao Tzu's Central Teaching The direct relationship between