Role of Medieval History in Modern Day

A common story plot in modern day films portraying Middle Age themes is a damsel in distress being saved by a knight in shining armor. For instance, the popular animated children’s movie, Shrek, follows the story line of Shrek and his partner, Donkey, going off on a journey in order to save a princess imprisoned in a tall castle tower and guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. The entire plot setting is based roughly around the same time frame as the actual middle ages, so the elements of medieval culture in this movie are clear.The guarded castles, mythical creatures, and feudal system enforced between the peasants and royalty are all elements of medieval culture. One major scene that depicts the essence of the Middle Ages best is when Shrek leads Lord Farquaad to Fiona as an exchange for guaranteed privacy of Shrek’s swamp. Two main aspects of this scene to focus on is the interaction between Lord Farquaad and Shrek and also the use of Princess Fiona as an object of trad e for Shrek’s reward.Traditional ranking of nobles and commoners are rooted within the Middle Ages, and although Shrek acts rather brutish and unpolished in Lord Farquaad’s presence, there is still an act of submission as depicted by Shrek’s delivery of Fiona. It was typical of knights in the middle ages to battle against one another or perform favors and acts of bravery in order to gain favor in the eyes of a King. Lord Farquaad’s use of Shrek as a way of obtaining Princess Fiona would then give Shrek an opportunity to gain favor in Lord Farquaad’s eyes so that his request of gaining back full ownership of his swamp would be granted.Due to the treacherous nature of retrieving Fiona, this would constitute as one of many acts of valor that many knights would partake in at the time. Princess Fiona’s part in this scene is as an object of bargaining, as shown when Shrek brings Lord Farquaad to her in order to fulfill his side of the arrangement. It should be noted that Princess Fiona’s hand in marriage was necessary for Lord Farquaad to gain full control cover a larger jurisdiction and for him to have the title as King bestowed upon him.The use of marriage as a way of combining kingdoms and making negotiations derive from medieval culture and also emphasize the importance that the feudal system played during this time. Although Lord Farquaad had enough power to grant or take away land from landowners, such as the fairy tale creatures, the only way for him to become a real king was to marry a princess, which in this case would have been Princess Fiona.Similar situations like this regularly occur in modern popular culture, such as the film The Princess Diaries 2, where Princess Amelia is being urged by the Genovian government to marry someone who holds an official title as a prince in order for her to become a true queen. It has become common knowledge in today’s society that a Princess or Prince cannot hold th e title as a Queen or King until they are married—this particular idea originating from the Middle Ages.By looking at these examples, one can see how ideals from the Middle Ages carried over into modern day popular culture. In fact, modern day knighting still takes place in the British government and is still based off of recognition of service and contributions to the British nation. The Order of the British Empire is perhaps the most common knighthood given today and is frequently awarded to British scientists, educators, doctors, and even Paul McCartney. This tradition is significant evidence of the carry over of Middle Ages in contemporary culture.However, one of the many misconceptions of the medieval times is the mistreatment and the demeaning of woman as being a prominent thing in society. This is portrayed in the treatment of Princess Fiona as a means for bargaining, and one should note that her objections to being married to Lord Farquaad held little to no weight whe n it came down to her fate. Aside from Princess Fiona, the amount of parts where women held significant character roles were almost nonexistent and further pushed the stereotype of how medieval women were disregarded in medieval times.On the contrary, women, such as St. Joan of the Arc, held positions of high authority in the time of the Middle Ages and were not treated with as little esteem as modern society thinks today. This kind of thinking encourages the damsel-in-distress scenario where the woman is rendered helpless and waiting for a strong and able man to come and save her. Such depictions associated with medieval society are emphasized over and over until the image of an incompetent woman is incorporated into the general consensus of what medieval times were like.The use the medieval times as the setting for Shrek also played along with stereotypical Middle Ages as being a time of ignorant common people that blindly followed the rule of the king without any question. The ov erall appearance that the environment in Shrek gives off is a place that is unorganized and unhygienic, much like what modern society thinks of the middle ages today. Setting Shrek in the Middle Ages effectively played out the stereotypes and general idea of what medieval society means to popular culture.The exaggerated difference of living conditions between peasants and royalty, the disregard of women, the bartering by marriage, and even the uneducated and dirty lifestyles of many commoners exemplify common misconceptions of the Middle Ages that many people in society take as fact. Popular culture, in turn, starts to immediately associate a time of ignorance and uncleanliness as being characteristic of the Middle Ages—whether they are true or not.

Inventory Management Systems Essay

In today’s business environment, even many smaller businesses have come to rely on computerized inventory management systems. Automated systems can replace the cost and time consuming processes that were once completed by hand while providing companies with more accurate data. Inventory control is important to ensure control in businesses that handle transactions revolving around consumer goods. Without proper inventory control, a store may run out of stock on an important item. A good inventory control system will alert the retailer when it is time to reorder (www.barcodesinc.com). It will also aid in the prevention of theft and product loss. Overall, a good inventory system will increase the value of your business, satisfy your customers and create more freedom in your life. In this paper, I will describe all the necessary equipment for a low-cost automated inventory system for a small clothing store. I will also explain the costs involved in the creation of the system, describe the ongoing maintenance that will be required and provide a workflow diagram to illustrate how the system will work. An inventory control system that I feel best provides the need of a small clothing store consists of a PC (laptop), backup/recovery and archive device, wireless router, inventory control software, mobile scanning device, and barcode printer. The system shall provide versatility and reliable performance application demands. This system will make tracking inventory simple and intuitive. This system will allow for flexibility to scan and track inventory away from the PC, enabling inventory records to be updated and perform transactions on-the-go. Updates and changes made are instantly shown in the main database, providing real-time visibility of inventory levels. The necessary equipment needed is a PC (laptop), system requirements, (32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 Professional, Windows Visa Premium, Windows XP (SP3) Professional, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB disk, DVD), backup/recovery and archive device, wireless router for mobile device use, inventory control software for tracking point-of-sale purchase, a mobile scanning device that allows for wireless integration of data, and barcode printer for labeling and tracking inventory. The initial cost of the system, includes the purchase of the hardware and software needed to effectively label and track inventory. Required hardware: †¢PC (laptop) (Dell Latitude E6420 (32-bit – 4 GB RAM – Windows 7 – 320 GB disk – Intel CPU – 2.66 GHz CPU – NVIDIA GPU – With DVD Drive – 1280 x 800 – Touchpad) purchased from www.dell.com for $669.00 †¢Backup/recovery and archive device (Dell PowerVault RD1000 – Removable Disk Storage) purchased from www.dell.com for $409.00 †¢Wireless router (Linksys E3200 High Performance Dual Band Router) purchased from www.tigerdirect.com for $149.00 †¢Mobile scanning device (Metrologic ScanPal 2) purchased from www.barcodediscount.com for $503.90 †¢Barcode printer (Zebra LP 2824 Plus) purchased from www.barcodediscount.com for $223.10 Required Software: †¢Inventory software, Microsoft Business Solutions Point of Sale Software (single user license), purchased from www.barcodediscount.com for $12.20 The total cost of the inventory system is $1966.20. This is an extremely affordable solution for a small business. Computer preventive maintenance means the operating system is more likely to be cleaned, fine-tuned and better prepared for the unexpected. If routinely scheduled maintenance tasks are not implemented, computers/servers become infected, tweaked and not ready for whatever happens. While every mishap cannot be avoided, even small efforts made in this area increase a computer operating system’s performance. This is what makes preventative maintenance important (www.ehow.com). Ongoing maintenance of the inventory system includes preventative maintenance as well as vendor supplied updates and patches. Vendor supplied patches are updates from the provider to effectively repair a bug in the system. Vendor supplied updates provide the latest software updates provided by the vendor. Both patches and updates must be applied to the system to function properly. Routine maintenance will be performed every 90 days. Routine maintenance includes: †¢Keeping devices properly patched and configured to reduce risk †¢Device health checks to keep systems up and running †¢Minor configuration changes †¢Running scheduled tasks such as defragmentation and disk cleanup on devices †¢Driver updates †¢Increase computer/server memory as needed †¢Patch, monitor and manage security devices It is extremely important that all hardware and software stay up-to-date and completely integrated. Failing to do so, can give you false data which can result in an overstock or under-stock of supplies and cause the business a loss. Below is a flow chart diagram of each piece of equipment used, along with how to the inventory control system integrates with one another. Companies can build their own custom retail inventory systems based upon their needs. In today’s business environment, it is almost vital that businesses switch to an automated system for inventory management because manual inventory can lead to a number of errors, which will hurt the company in the future. An automated inventory system increase companies’ productivity and sales and gives them a competitive edge against their competition.

Syllabus Risk

BADM 574 – MSTM Simulation and Risk Analysis Spring 2013 Lectures: ADV: TR 9:30 am – 10:50 am in 2043 BIF GRD: TR 11:00 am – 12:20 pm in 2043 BIF Final Exam: 7-10 pm, Tuesday May 7, 2013 ADV: 2041 BIF GRD: 2043 BIF Instructor: H. Dharma Kwon, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, College of Business, University of Illinois Of? ce: Email: Phone: Of? ce Hours: 365 Wohlers Hall [email  protected] edu 217-333-3522 Tuesdays 2 – 4 pm or by appointment Note: When you send email to the instructor, your subject line must contain the course title. During the of? ce hours, you can call my of? ce.Course Objectives: This course is about using numbers to make better decisions. The focus will be on â€Å"handson† use of quantitative tools for solution of management problems often involving risk and uncertainty. Speci? c course objectives: (1) Introduce you to practical yet sophisticated tools suitable for modeling and solving complex managerial problem s with risky outcomes, and (2) improve 1 your skill and experience with the use of spreadsheet tools for analysis of management decision problems. We will learn to mathematically model business decision problems and apply their analytical skills to realistic business contexts.The material covered is useful for executives in all professional areas of business, including but not limited to accounting, ? nance, marketing, information systems, operations management or any other area where it is important to combine quantitative analysis with expert intuitive judgment. Prerequisite: This course builds upon some rudimentary knowledge of mathematics (probability and statistics) and basic pro? ciency with Microsoft Excel. Required Materials: 1. To purchase the required electronic course pack, go to https://create. mcgraw-hill. com/shop/ and search for the following ISBN number: 1121833926.The course pack contains all required cases and some readings. 2. TreePlan, RiskSim, and SensIt (provid ed by the MSTM program and downloadable from Compass 2g course website) 3. A laptop and Microsoft Excel 2010 (for Windows) or 2011 (for Mac) installed in your laptop Evaluation Methods: There are four components to the evaluation: Case Summary: Minicase Analysis: Group Project: Final Exam: Cases Summary: Roughly every week, individual case summary assignment(s) are due. We will discuss cases in class, so it is important to read and understand the problems posed by the cases before coming to the classroom.The summary of each case must not exceed one page, and it must be submitted on-line via Compass. (PDF format is strongly preferred). It will be graded on a pass/fail basis. In order to pass a case summary assignment, you must show suf? cient evidence that you have read the case and understood the gist of it. 2 10% 30% 15% 45% Minicase Analysis: Minicase analyses (problem sets) will be assigned roughly once a week and graded. The minicases are designed to help you learn the mechanics of the methods covered in class and to give you an opportunity to apply the concepts in simple and illustrative contexts.Please note that minicase assignments require careful interpretation and analysis of the given problems. Points will be deducted if you misinterpret the information given in the case assignments. Discuss your assumptions and clearly explain your quantitative reasoning. Answers (even correct answers) without logical and quantitative reasoning will not receive credit. Minicase analysis assignments will be posted on Compass. This is sometimes an individual assignment but sometimes a team assignment. Late assignments are generally not accepted. Group Project: In the last week of the course, each team will submit an original minicase.The minicase should be based on a real business situation (in the past, in the present, or in the future) and must be analyzed using one or more of the methods or concepts discussed in this course. If you’d like, you can also add o ther methodology that is not discussed in class. Each case must consist of two parts. In part 1, a business decision problem must be presented with essential information. It can be a ? ctional situation, but it must be based on a real business situation. Part 1 might look like one of the short cases that we analyze in this course and the text (excluding exhibits) must not exceed 5 pages typed ingle-spaced in 12 pt font. (See Darden’s cases for the document format). In part 2, the solution to the problem posed in part 1 must be given. When you construct the minicase, you should have pedagogical values in mind, i. e. , think of writing a teaching case or an open-book exam for future MSTM students at the University of Illinois. Your submitted work will be evaluated based on how well the decision analytical framework is utilized to solve a given (hopefully non-trivial) problem (50%) and its pedagogical value or the practicality of the problem (50%).Final Exam: There will be an in -class 3-hour-long open-book, open-notes, and open-laptops ? nal exam. You are NOT allowed to share your laptops with other students or send/receive emails during the ? nal exam. If you miss the ? nal exam without prior discussions with the instructor or without university-authorized emergencies, then you will receive zero credit. 3 Practice Problem Sets: Practice problem sets and their solution keys will be regularly posted on Compass. They are designed to help you understand the material and to provide practice using various concepts and techniques discussed in class.These assignments will not be collected or graded. However, these problem sets will be helpful for the quiz and the ? nal exam. Some practice problems will be discussed as examples in class. Grades: The ? nal letter grade will be based upon each individual’s level of understanding and learning evidenced by the weighted cumulative points from all four components shown in Evaluation Methods. Laptop and Electronic Communications Policy: You are required to bring your laptop to each class; you will have to use your laptop to download ? es and participate in problem-solving activities in class. You are not allowed to check e-mail or send text messages using your cell phone or laptop. Set your cell phone to silent mode. Academic Integrity and Honor Code: You are expected to behave ethically throughout the term and follow the norms and guidelines outlined by the University on academic integrity. 4 Course Modules: Module 1 Topic Reading Cases Module 2 Topic Reading Cases Module 3 Topic Reading Cases Module 4 Topic Reading Cases Module 5 TopicReading Cases Module 6 Topic Reading Cases Module 7 Topic Reading Cases Value of Information and Control Risk Management Harimann International Optional module (if time permitted) Downstream Decisions – Merck & Co. ; International Guidance Control Sensitivity Analysis Sensitivity Analysis Using SensIt CyberLab (A), Supp, (B); Liquid Gold Probability As sessment from Historical Data Probability Distributions Commerce Tavern Simulation Analysis Monte Carlo Simulation Using RiskSim George’s Revised Forecast and Addendum Sampling and Statistical Inference – Jade Shampoo (A) and (B) Decisions under Uncertainty DTP Ch. George’s T-Shirts DTP: Decision Tree Primer (http://www. public. asu. edu/~kirkwood/DAStuff/decisiontrees/index. html) Monte Carlo Simulation Using RiskSim (http://www. treeplan. com/chapters/RiskSim-Guide243. pdf) Sensitivity Analysis Using SensIt (http://www. treeplan. com/chapters/SensIt-Guide-145. pdf) 5

Political Issues - The Congress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Issues - The Congress - Essay Example The member of Congress holds forums with the constituents while at home. The member also likes to appear as if they are one of the constituents. He achieves this through putting on the local attire, talking in a casual manner, and answering the questions in a way that will leave the constituents attracted to him. Moreover, he uses this forum to listen to the grievances of the people on the ground and issues that they would like the member to address once he gets into Capitol Hill. Hill style is significant in fulfilling the election promises. It is the style of which a member represents his district. This can be achieved through voicing a support to projects that are of great significance to the constituents. In addition, a member can request more funds to support stalled projects in the district. Hill style focuses mainly on bringing money back home. In addition, it includes voicing the support of the home people, businesses, and sports team in order to attract investment and increa se the focus on the area. Through the hill style, the constituents are able to fell well represented, an aspect that leads to the reelection of the member. One of the major problems facing the Congress is the increasing number of unemployed people in the country. The economy is growing slowly and people are optimistic that is heading in the right direction. However, ballooning debt is likely to affect the policies that are meant to create more jobs for the young people who are being released from the institutions of higher learning.

Credibility of Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Credibility of Media - Essay Example Media credibility is the condition of believability or acceptance of its truthfulness or untruthfulness from the point of view of its audience (Starcks and Salwen, 2009), and may be expressed as a level or percentage of acceptance as in number of respondents answering in the affirmative or negative. For purposes of this paper and to enable an adventure into the pros and cons of the thesis statement, media shall be deemed to enjoy some reasonable acceptance by its publics, given that it has enjoyed public viewing since time unknown. Hence, the question: Is media becoming less and less credible? Recently, CBS News released the results of a survey by Pew Research Center for the People and the Press of people’s perception of media taken sometime in 2009 (CBSNews, 2009). The survey indicated that nearly two-thirds of Americans think that the news stories that they read, hear and watch are frequently inaccurate (CBSNews, 2009). The Center described these results as the highest level of skepticism ever recorded since 1985 when the first study was conducted. Other studies such as this would be presented in this paper to provide a wide-angle picture of the issue of credibility in media. It is the purpose of this paper to take this closer look at media in its most common forms and analyse critically the trend it is taking insofar as its acceptability to the public is concerned. The paper shall present secondary information to support its thesis regarding this media direction and provide some observations and conclusions that may add insight and value the literature available on the matter. Media Credibility What is media and what does it mean to most people? The concept of media traces back to the times old as far back as Aristotle. History is abundant in treatment of the development of media as it captures the essence of life in what is to be known as civilization. Man always looked for vehicles that would translate his ideas and values. In the early times, these representations could be found in the primitive expressions etched in stones and later, as the medium developed, in the traditional media. The theories varied but generally focused on source, message and audience type, and the issue has been the audience’s trust as a result of the audience’s knowing what is true (Stacks and Salwen, 2009). Media, then, according to Mayo and Nohria (2005), pertained largely to its use mostly by advertisers as communication vehicles for

Choose one from the document that i uploaded Essay

Choose one from the document that i uploaded - Essay Example The recently established Securities and Exchange Commission has already charged more than a hundred culprits in crisis related cases as of July 18 this year. The federal law enforcers focus mainly on placing civil charges instead of criminal penalties against senior executive officials from the Wall Street business organizations. In the process of seeking justice in the United States economy, the federal law enforcers were forced to carry out in depth investigations in the American financial industry. Currently their mandate is to assess the current policies and modify the set of orders. The clock is quickly ticking and the law enforces have no other role rather than to finally make sure justice is attained in the American economy (Kuttner 243). According to the report written by Williams, it is evident that during the economic crisis, individuals vandalized the economic stability through fraud. According to the report which was featured by the Reuters and the Bloomberg, rigging was done on the LIBOR, i.e. the London interbank offered rate. This had a major repercussion on the returns that the banks were to make and in turn, the amount that was to go to the state. So much rigging would obviously be reflected in the state’s economic balance. Additionally, corruption and impunity masked the entire process since traces to the lost money

Portfolio essay for Theories of Human rights class

Portfolio for Theories of Human rights class - Essay Example The UN’s first peacekeeping mission was in Darfur which was delayed as result of the disapproval from the government of Sudan but the UN has successfully implemented two resolutions in 1970 and 1973 with the backing of the state leaders and the international community with a favourable attitude towards resolutions to maintain peace. All the possible means to protect the civilians are used in the case of Libya and it is also true that the present Libyan resolutions authorise the use of force more explicitly and therefore it stands apart from other recent interventions with an objective to protect the people. The UN Intervention in Libya could be observed as a consolidation of norms for the protection of people dependant on the recommendations of the Security Council to the International Criminal Court regarding the situations in Libya. It was in the case of Darfur that the Security Council made a recommendation to the ICC inquest on a matter for the first time but the recommend ation has been made two years since the beginning of the crisis. But all the members of the Council were quick and united in referring the Libyan matter to the ICC.