IT Case Study Essay Example for Free

IT Case Study Essay The Widget Wonders distribution center is the worldwide leader in widgets. Which theyre in the process of building a state of art facility to manufacture new generation of widgets. The SNHUConsulting group leads the way of consulting in information technology. SNHUConsulting has been hired to consult on new hardware that will last for at least the next three years for the different apartments. The sales department consists of 50 employees that requires mobility with access to the companys resources while in the field with customers and presenting at sales meeting and conferences. The manufacturing department will have 45 employees and will need hardware that support word processing and spreadsheet programs and internet capable. The inventory control department will have 30 employees who would need mobility hardware as well with power to access database systems. The research and development department will consist of 20 employees thats need hardware with graphics design and CAD programs. The MIS will consist of 5 employees who will need additional processors and memory requirements to support administration tasks. My recommendations for the sales department for mobility purposes is notebooks, smartphones, and tablets for visiting customers. For bigger presentations a digital projector that is interactive, with laser pointers that allows the sales team to talk and click on the computer to dictate its pace. Also USB drives that holds a large amount of storage that the sales team can upload from any computer systems. For the manufacturing department my recommendation are the new generation computer systems that support multi servers for the manufacturing needs. The manufacturing department will also need printers and connectivity capability to the internet as an additional resource tool to complete their job functions. The inventory department will need tablets with 32 or more GB of storage with direct access to the companys database systems. The research and development department needs  notebooks, printers, and a docking station for automated systems backing up. Hardware that is able to compare and contrast data for the development of the company. The MIS department would need computer systems that is compatible with graphic adapters. Also the computer systems will have a multimedia screen capability for administrating tasks. In conclusion, the hardware that would be required for each department will have the durability and warranty that will last the company for at least 3 years, which will then require the company to revisit their strategic plan for any updates as needed. In purchasing the hardware, the company will included warranty and service agreement with the vendor to assist in any maintenance issues that may arrived regarding any of the hardware purchased. The hardware will have the most advance technology needed for each department efficient in their job duties.

Religion in Colonial America Essay Example for Free

Religion in Colonial America Essay Throughout the colonial period with British North American settlement, the subjects of religion and economics often come hand-in-hand when associated with significance. Although economic concerns of development and exploration had its part in British settlement into the New World, religious entanglement, such as Puritan progression and The Great Awakening , played a bigger role in the rise of the American colonies. The flee for religious freedom and organization based on religion in a colony outweigh the concerns for economics. The American colonies valued their religion, as well as making it the most valuable part of their lives. In the early 1500’s certain Christians from different European nations went against the Roman authority of the pope. Religious wars/conflicts, competition, and the Protestant Reformation all contributed to a religious motive for exploration and colonization into North America. Many British immigrants came to the new world not only looking for wealth, but for a religious freedom and structured society. This pull factor created a foundation for religion in the new colonies many people fled the home country to avoid religious persecution and inferiority. Furthermore, Puritans, who colonized the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629, sought to create an empire of religious tolerance. Under John Winthrop, the religious group taught the new colony that the people should provide a whole world a model of Christian society ought to be, as in â€Å"A City upon a Hill†. The groups of people who wanted to separate from the church of England or go against the Roman catholic Pope went to the New World solely for religious freedoms, creating a religious superiority put into their new location. Immigration into America was by far dominated by groups of people avoiding the oppression and persecution faced by royal and religious leaders in their homeland; religious refuge provided means for these colonists to build upon a belief of religious tolerance and organization. As colonies were developing and new groups of people/ideas were diffusing, religious conflict and authority became prominent. A major religious event  in the life of the American people, The Great Religious Awakening, highlighted the valuable role of religion in the people’s lives. The Awakening permanently reflected the need for religious tolerance and organization in a group of people. Also, religious groups such as the Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians (all minority religious groups) took root and grew. Along with awareness to significance, the movement highlighted the presence of religious feeling among masses of people. A major division between orthodox and â€Å"New Lights† increased religious diversity and created a greater competition between the groups to attract followers. This historical event exposed a new way of thinking for the peoples – democracy. In fact, the Great Awakening brought a shared common experience for Americans regardless of race or religion. The Great Awakening brought political and religious impact to the Americans, which still influences the nation today. Even though religion posed to be the biggest concern associated with British settlement in the New World, economic development proved to contribute in the time period. Columbus’s exploration of the New World was based on the hope to find land, resources, and wealth; all pertaining to the progress and bringing up of Europe’s economy. Moreover, the thirteen colonies developed ways, (such as Jamestown’s tobacco crop) to exploit resources as means for survival. The North American Colonies Association with trade (Columbian Exchange) put them in competition with other empires to compete for wealth and progression as a community. Economic concerns engaged in the colonies’ organization; however, religion was the basis for British settlement and the foundation for population growth, social movement, and political structure. Although economic concerns of development and exploration had its part in British settlement into the New World, religious entanglement proved to be more important in the race for American development. Religion posed as the main factor for the peoples, and led them to make decisions and act upon their beliefs. In this colonial time period, religion proved to be a greater power in the daily lives of Americans.

Three Fundamental Functions Of Business Organizations Management Essay

Three Fundamental Functions Of Business Organizations Management Essay BMW stands for Bayerisch Motoren Werke AG established in 1916. The company was first known as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. In 1928, it started focusing on car manufacturing with the purchase of the Eisenach motor vehicle factory. The BMW 3/15 which was a version of the Austin Seven, from British automaker Austin was the companys first passenger car. It operated with a 15 horsepower engine and had a top speed of 45 miles per hour. BMW began to design and build its own cars in the 1930s. The company developed its own engine plant that allowed BMW to build both sports cars and sedans without using engines made by other companies. The 327, 328 and 335 models were advanced technologically that made BMW be recognized as a major European automaker. During WWII BMW was forced to produce motorcycles and engines for the German army. They had to stop car production until the 1950s. After WWII, BMW had to restart their car production from zero. In 1952, they began producing the large 501 luxury sedan. It was the first car to be mass-produced in the West Germany. The successful 501 was followed by the 502 sedan in 1954 and the popular 507 roadster in 1956. This series help the company regain the prominent position for sports and luxury cars. Today BMW cars is recognized as a worldwide luxury brand with a high reputation for quality and by their marketing slogan, The Ultimate Driving Machine. BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce are three of the strongest premium brands of BMW nowadays. BMWs car is a superior product in terms of aesthetic appeal, dynamic performance, technology and quality. It underlines the companys leading position in innovation and technology. BMW Group Production Network currently includes 29 production and assembly plants in 14 countries on four continents with a network of more than 12,000 suppliers all over the world. The integration of production and logistics systems within the individual BMW Group locations provides advantages for the customer. Higher efficiency in the supply of production materials helps accelerate the delivery of cars to customers. Each plant contributes to the smooth operation of the global production network. The main locations of BMW Group Production Network include: USA: Spartanburg, South Carolina. Germany: Dingolfing, Berlin, Eisenach, Landshut, Munich,  Regensburg and Wackersdorf Brasilia: Manaus. Italy:   Cassinetta India: Chennai Great Britain: Goodwood, Hams Hall Oxford Swindon Austria: Graz, Steyr. Indonesia: Jakarta Russia: Kaliningrad Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur Thailand:   Rayong South Africa:   Rosslyn China: Shenyang (Dadong) and Shenyang (Tiexi) (Adapted from www.bmwgroup.com; BMW group (2011); http://www.ehow.com/about_5145304_bmw-cars.html ) Operations management as a set of decision making 2.1. What resources will be needed and in what amount? 2.1.1. What resources will be needed? The production process is concerned with transforming a range of inputs into those outputs that are required by the market. This involves two main sets of resources the transforming resources, and the transformed resources. Transformed resources include those that are transformed in some way by the operation to produce the goods or services that are its outputs. Three types of resource that may be transformed in operations are: materials the physical inputs to the process (manufacturing) information that is being processed or used in the process customers the people who are transformed in some way (common in the service business) Transforming resources include those that are used to perform the transformation process. The two types of transforming resource are: staff the people involved directly in the transformation process or supporting it (labour) facilities land, buildings, machines and equipment (capital) (http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-transformed-resources-and-vs-transforming-resources) In the case of BMW group, the resources necessary for their car production can be summarized in table1 Resources Types Notes Transformed Iron, Steel, Aluminum, Rubber etc Energy Car Body Paint Engine Other parts For the production of car body, bolt, rivet, wire, seat and other parts etc Transforming Land Engine production plants, body shops, paint shops and assembly plants Automated machines and other related machines Equipment and tools -Computers and supportive software Workers, managers, supervisors, inspectors -To build different types of car manufacturing plants 2.1.2. In what amounts? The amounts of resources required for car manufacturing largely depends on the demand of the product. The number of the goods/ services the company intends to produce and deliver to customers and the variety of products to be produced will determine the amounts of resources needed within a defined production system. To make decisions on the amounts of resources needed for manufacturing the product(s), operations managers should consider carefully two elements: selection of production process (operations strategy) and forecasting of demand of products/services. Selection of production process: There are three basic types of production methods or process: Make-to-stock (mass production): this method commonly goes along with line-flow strategy in which high volumes of products of relatively few standardized products are manufactured base upon relatively accurate anticipation of future demand for those products. This requires the firm to hold products in stock for immediate delivery. The competitive priorities of this method are stable quality and low cost. Since the demand for the products have been well anticipated so does the amounts of required resources (Krajewsky et al, 1999). Make-to-order: this method is commonly used by firms with flexible flow that produce low-volume, high-variety of goods/services according to customer specifications. In this direction, high level of customization is the major competitive priority of this method (http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/NC/B0/B66/098MB66.html) Assemble-to-order (mass customization): this method is used to produce goods/services with many options from a relatively few number of assemblies and components in line with the customers specific order. Assemblies and components are held in stock until specific orders arrives. Then respective products will be assembled with appropriate assemblies and components. This method is relevant to high volume and relatively high variety of good/services (Krajewsky et al, 1999). Forecasting: In order to determine more accurately the amounts of resources needed for the product/service the organization is to offer to the market, it is vital to forecast the demand of this product/service. Demand forecast is usually developed by the marketing department and its accuracy will be the crucial element of the success of capacity management plans implemented by operations. Forecast provides a strong basis for determining the capital invested in the plants, machines and equipment, purchasing the right amount of materials and employing the right amount of labour (Albert Porter, 2010). Production methods and capacity planning of BMW group as means to define amounts of resources needed. In terms of production method, BMWs leading production principles includes horizontal and vertical integration of functions, team work organisation, visual management, built in quality processes, pull system of procurement and continuous improvement. This can be seen as a hybrid production system with a strong German element in product, production technologies and quality standards, a strong part of Japanese principles in process and work organisation and an American part of vertical management hierarchy. BMWs production approach is characterized with high quality, high productivity and high product flexibility which is closed to the mass customization model of production (Ludger Pries, 2002). With this production approach today BMW produces at least 80 percent of its vehicles to customer orders. (http://www.bmwgroup.com/e/nav/index.html?../0_0_www_bmwgroup_com/home/home.htmlsource=overview). With regards to capacity planning BMW develops a well-elaborated strategic-planning process where products and sales are forecast before production capacity planning. Derived from the results of market research, planners decide on the set of future products and estimated sales figures during their life cycle for different geographical markets with the necessary flexibility reserves (i.e. difference between expected demand and available capacity based on their experience). This serves as data for plant loading in which planners allocate the products to the plants and determine the required production capacities including future amount of resources needed and the way to procure them (Bernhard Fleischmann, 2006). 2.2. When will each resource be needed? When should the work be scheduled? When should materials and other supplies be ordered? When is corrective action needed? All those above questions are connected with materials management, scheduling and quality control the operations manager should carefully consider once the production process is put in place. Master Scheduling Plan and Work Scheduling Forecast of future demand of sales helps companies set up an overall production capacity plan which in turn tailored into Master Scheduling Plans (MSP) with an intermediate timeline where the quantity of specific end-products and the time to produce them are defined. It is the major control of all production activities. To create an MSP, it is important for managers to know where materials are located and how they flow at every step in the production process. For this purpose, they determine the routing of all materials-that is, the work flow of each item based on the sequence of operations in which it will be used (Anil Kumar et al, 2009). On the other hand, as it is necessary for managers to control the timing of all operations, they have to build work schedules for this purpose. Scheduling allocates resources over time to perform specific tasks (Krajewsky et al, 1999). Managers determine jobs to be performed during the production process, allocate tasks to work groups, set timetab les for the accomplishment of task and ensure that resources are to be adequately provided when and where they are in need. Two most popular techniques used in scheduling are Gantt and PERT charts (http://www.webbooks.com/eLibrary/NC/B0/B66/098MB66.html) Inventory control It is disastrous if a manufacturer runs out of the materials it needs for production. However, keeping large inventories of materials is wasting money because the firm has to pay for those materials in stock and find places to store them. Therefore, to remain competitive, firms have to manage inventories efficiently. They need to ensure the availability of materials for production and at the same time not to waste money due to large inventory. Achieving the balance between those two risks rests on the inventory management and control. There are three types of inventories including (i) raw materials; (ii) purchased goods and (iii) finished parts and components. The various types of inventory to maintain the continuity in the production process is illustrated in fig 1. Inventory Raw materials Process Inventory Parts + Purchased items Process Finished products Market Inventory Fig 1: Inventory of materials (www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/001386.pdf) There are two common inventory-control methods as follows: Just-in-Time It is seen as the modern concept of inventory planning where the materials should be purchased and brought in the stores just before it enters the production or sold out so that inventory cost is negligible. The zero inventories are the ideal planning because the costs of holding inventory are significantly cut. JIT, however, requires considerable communication and cooperation between the manufacturer and the supplier. The manufacturer has to know what it needs, and when. The supplier has to commit to supplying the right materials, of the right quality, at exactly the right time (Albert Porter, 2010). . Material Requirements Planning However, in the present situations in any of the organization particularly manufacturing organization, it is not absolutely possible to keep no inventory of materials required for production. Another inventory control method is commonly used called Material Requirements Planning (MRP). The MRP is a technique relies on a computerized program both to calculate the quantity of materials needed for production starting from the raw materials, finished parts, components, sub-assemblies and assemblies as per Bill of Materials (BOM) and to determine when they should be ordered or made to support a Master Production Schedule (MPS) (Krajewsky et al, 1999; Anil Kumar et al, 2009). The basic MRP focuses on material planning, but there is a more sophisticated system-called Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II)manufacturing resource planning (MRP II)System for coordinating a firms material requirements planning activities with the activities of its other functional areas.-that goes beyond material planning to help monitor resources in all areas of the company. Such a program can, for instance, coordinate the production schedule with Human Resource managers forecasts for needed labor (www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/001386.pdf) Quality control Quality control of materials The quality of the product largely depends upon the quality of the materials used to produce that product. Therefore, it is a very important for the firm to purchase the right quality of materials. Quality control of materials aims at delivering product at higher quality with lower cost. It also helps decide the selection of suppliers and the relationship between buyers and suppliers. In quality control, the quality assurance is decided by inspection and checking. The various properties of materials are decided by the standards they should follow. (www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/001386.pdf) Total quality management Today, quality is an efficient weapon firms use to compete with their rivals in the market. Total Quality Management (TQM) or quality assurance includes all managerial steps that firms take to ensure that its goods or services are of high quality to adequately meet customers need). TQM encompasses the following three principles: Customer -driven definition of quality: firms encourage customers to tell them how to make the right product. Firms also track customers feedback about their products (via surveys and other methods) to know what they need to improve. Employee involvement: commitment of employee in ensuring quality of their tasks and in detecting and correcting quality problems is very important. Training and other tools will help employee be actively involved in quality assurance process. Continuous improvement: the commitment to making constant improvements in the design, production, and delivery of goods and services ((Krajewsky et al, 1999). A range of tools have been developed to control quality and indentify areas of improvement such as Statistical Process Control, Benchmarking and Taguchi`s Quality Lost Function method. In addition, a set of standards called ISO has been devised by the International Organization for Standardization to help companies comply with quality documentation standards and get recognition worldwide. There are a set of standards: ISO 9000 family for quality management and ISO 14000 for environmental management. (http://worldacademyonline.com/book/applied_operations_management_manufacturingand_services/). Materials Management and Quality Management at BMW BMW forecasts their new products and demand of sale for capacity planning and allocate the products to their plants worldwide. Each plant then develops the MSP based upon the new orders and demand of sales. The MSP determines explicitly the quantity and the time of the resources (materials and capacity) needed based on the sequence of operations. In terms of inventory management, since BMW adopts a hybrid production system, MRP is used to calculate the quantity of materials needed for production and to determine when they should be ordered or manufactured with the integration of JIT principle to reduce inventory. In each location, BMW manufacturing plant establishes a network of first tier suppliers located nearby, for instance the Spartanburg plant has 18 first tier suppliers that are located in the nearby industrial park and committed to provide ordered materials and components with high quality and right in time. E-orders and purchasing are used to communicate and do the transacti on with its suppliers. As a result, buffers between body shop and painting is18 units and between painting and assembly is120 units. The suppliers are forced to recompense the rigidity of the production system with their own and extensive buffer (Ludger Pries). This mixed inventory control method allows BMW to develop a mass customization production system characterised with high quality, high productivity but also high flexibility. Quality is the strongest competitive advantage of BMW cars. For BMW to achieve premium quality, it is important to recognize any defects/mistakes before production begins and to correct them. Therefore the company has adopted sophisticated computer-aid quality inspection technology to control the quality of purchased parts, engines and all the semi-products and components going from the press, body shop to the final assembly with start-of-the-art inspection device such as 3D CAD, mobile optical TRITOPCMM system (http://www.capture3d.com/file-capture3d-bmw-assemblyline.pdf). Computer-aided inspection systems contribute significantly to saving rework time, optimizing processes and thereby reducing production costs. BMW group also complies to ISO 9000 and IS014000 for quality and environmental management system ((Ludger Pries, 2002). 2.3. Where will the work be done? The selection of plant location or facility location is a key strategic decision for an organization. The location decision is costly and time consuming to change. This is because large investment is made to buy the land and to construct buildings. Companys competitiveness will be affected by its location since it will impact costs such as transportation and labour. Improper location of a plant may lead to loss of competitiveness, and eventually waste of all investments put in land, buildings and machinery. Therefore, before making decision for the selection of a plant location, long range forecast about the future demands should be made. The plant location should be based on the firms expansion plan and policy, diversification plan of products, changing market conditions, changing sources of raw materials and other resources and many other factors. The key following factors are seen important for location decision: Proximity to customers (extremely important in service business) Proximity to suppliers Proximity to labour Infrastructure and transportation availability (Albert Porter, 2010; Anil Kumar et al, 2009). BMW group and its worldwide plant locations Needless to say, BMW group has seen the development of its plant location worldwide network as a key strategic planning to enhance its competitiveness in the automobile global market. From their dominant position in Europe with their plants located in strategic countries such as Germany (its headquarter), Britain, Austria and Italia, the company spread their manufacturing to strategic countries of all over other continents (except Australia) for instance the US for North America, Brasilia for South America, South Africa for Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thai for Southeast Asia, India for East Asia and recently China for North Asia. In each country, BMW has meticulously identified most suitable area for the location of their strategic manufacturing plant corresponding to their expansion plan and policy and the diversification of their products. Proximity to suppliers, labour and the land, infrastructure and labour availability are factors the group always considers when making plan loc ation decision.

My Metaphor Essay -- Essays Papers

My Metaphor Essay Metaphor is the language of poetry, emotion, and a part of everyday life. Without metaphor one could not verbally express deep emotions. Therefore, it is one of our most important threads of language. We could say that it is like the prime component of our DNA. I've once heard someone say that metaphor was the beautiful language of the gods and angels only to be expressed by poets and musicians. I say it is a gift the gods have given to us so that we could express our everyday emotional lives. I believe that poetry is the language of our dreams. When we try to write a poem we are trying to manifest or conjure up deep-seeded feelings like we do when we dream. Sigmund Freud theorized that this is what dreaming actually is. To Freud, dreams are metaphors for our deep feelings and thoughts. For instance, sometimes when we dream the imagery comes to us in bits and pieces that make it undecipherable to comprehend. When we wake up and try to understand our dreams it's like putting together a puzzle. This is what metaphor does for poetry and (of course) for our language. Metaphors work to conceal meanings to express the very meaning being expressed. For example, in the poem called "Pitcher" Robert Frances uses metaphor to compare pitching with poetry. "His art is eccentricity, his aim - How not to hit the mark he seems to aim at," is describing what a poet tries to do when he or she writes poetry. Robert is stating how a poets art is unique and how a poet â€Å"veils† his w ord meanings with the usage of metaphor. Yet, words must not be too unexplainable. It must be almost unexplainable. Robert Francis goes on to say, "Not to, yet still, still to communicate - Making the batter understand too late," as if to make the... ... lighting an obscure world - Of things that would never be quite expressed, - Where you yourself were never quite yourself - And did not want nor have to be." Metaphor is the obscure moon that lights our obscure world. Our emotions would never be quite expressed without the usage of metaphor. Our lives would be quite boring without being able to express ourselves thoroughly. Metaphor makes our lives a little easier to bear when we can describe our feelings and thoughts to our fellow man. I cannot remember who told me that metaphor was the language of the gods and angels. I can tell you that I remembered it and found it to be important. I still have to disagree about the part where only the gods and angels use metaphorical language. However, I do believe that it is a gift from the gods and angels given to us to express ourselves. Obviously without it we would be lost. My Metaphor Essay -- Essays Papers My Metaphor Essay Metaphor is the language of poetry, emotion, and a part of everyday life. Without metaphor one could not verbally express deep emotions. Therefore, it is one of our most important threads of language. We could say that it is like the prime component of our DNA. I've once heard someone say that metaphor was the beautiful language of the gods and angels only to be expressed by poets and musicians. I say it is a gift the gods have given to us so that we could express our everyday emotional lives. I believe that poetry is the language of our dreams. When we try to write a poem we are trying to manifest or conjure up deep-seeded feelings like we do when we dream. Sigmund Freud theorized that this is what dreaming actually is. To Freud, dreams are metaphors for our deep feelings and thoughts. For instance, sometimes when we dream the imagery comes to us in bits and pieces that make it undecipherable to comprehend. When we wake up and try to understand our dreams it's like putting together a puzzle. This is what metaphor does for poetry and (of course) for our language. Metaphors work to conceal meanings to express the very meaning being expressed. For example, in the poem called "Pitcher" Robert Frances uses metaphor to compare pitching with poetry. "His art is eccentricity, his aim - How not to hit the mark he seems to aim at," is describing what a poet tries to do when he or she writes poetry. Robert is stating how a poets art is unique and how a poet â€Å"veils† his w ord meanings with the usage of metaphor. Yet, words must not be too unexplainable. It must be almost unexplainable. Robert Francis goes on to say, "Not to, yet still, still to communicate - Making the batter understand too late," as if to make the... ... lighting an obscure world - Of things that would never be quite expressed, - Where you yourself were never quite yourself - And did not want nor have to be." Metaphor is the obscure moon that lights our obscure world. Our emotions would never be quite expressed without the usage of metaphor. Our lives would be quite boring without being able to express ourselves thoroughly. Metaphor makes our lives a little easier to bear when we can describe our feelings and thoughts to our fellow man. I cannot remember who told me that metaphor was the language of the gods and angels. I can tell you that I remembered it and found it to be important. I still have to disagree about the part where only the gods and angels use metaphorical language. However, I do believe that it is a gift from the gods and angels given to us to express ourselves. Obviously without it we would be lost.

Stained Glass Windows :: Art Architecture

Stained glass windows Stained glass windows used to be only referred to Cathedral windows but it has now moderated into a wide variety of different things. Many people think stained glass is just work on windows but it can also be three dimensional structures and sculptures. Stained glass is still widely used for different things. There was a time when stained glass was deceased but then it later got revived. Stained glass is sometimes difficult to make but if the artist is skilled enough they will produce beautiful designs. Origin of stained glass Colored glass is not something that started just recently. In fact history has it that there were colored windows around since ancient times. The Egyptians and the Romans both produced colored objects. The early Christians during the 4th and 5th century had wooden window frames that contained some omate patterns of alabaster that gave it a colored glass effect. These effects were also done by Muslim architects and others in southern Asia. Then later in the 8th century a Muslim alchemist scientifically describe 46 different colored glass. Destruction of stained glass In England many stained glass windows were being torn down and plain windows would replace them. All this happened during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry the VIII. This caused thousands of windows to be destroyed since the dissolution of the monasteries gave Henry the right to confiscate the property of the monasteries, and to do whatever he wanted with it. Then later the traditional method of making stained glass was also destroyed and they would not be revived until early 19th century. Stained glass now Lots of stained glass windows were worked on, because there were many churches that had had their windows destroyed during World War II. The German artists were the once that set the tone to restart the restoration. Many artists have transformed stained glass into an art form. Artists now use slab glass and concrete as an innovation to the older era of stained glass. The United States also has a 100-year-old trade organization called the stain glass association of America.

Napoleon :: essays research papers

Mastering Luck Explain Quote ?I had been nourished by reflecting on liberty, but I thrust it out of my way when it obstructed me path.? I believe this quote means that Napoleon was a believer in liberty and that he attempted to use it to rule his people justly. The rest of the quote means that liberty and justice can only be used to the point at which it doesn?t challenge his laws and governing power. Napoleon had the aspiration of total domination, and he had no intentions of letting peoples natural freedoms interrupt those dreams. I also believe that the people of those times were fed up with anarchy and lack of control and were willing to give up some of their personal freedoms for the sake of control and a better country. Question 2 Napoleon actually crossed the Alps on a mule. Why did David paint him riding on a horse? What adjectives best describe David?s portrayal of Napoleon? Why? The reason Napoleon was painted on a horse was probably to make him look very courageous. Napoleon was a very vain man and we cannot be sure if he had anything to do with the change from the actual event. A mule usually brings to mind pictures of slow advancement and a very weak attacker, but in reality, they were probably better for going over mountains, which I believe is the reason Napoleon didn?t just use a horse. To describe Napoleon crossing the St. Bernard pass, I think there are many adjectives that could be used. Napoleon looked very daring, because he was pointing onward toward the soon to be conquered lands that he had his mind set on taking for his empire. Napoleon also looked very fierce by the stern face the painter portrayed, and the position the horse was in, which looked like it was about to jump and crush an enemy. The Summit of Greatness Question 1 The above engraving was part of a propaganda campaign directed at both English and French audiences. What was the drawing intended to show the French? Why would they be prepared to believe some of the picture?s more fanciful aspects? The French people had come out of time of oppression by tyrannical monarchs and uncaring, corrupt government officials. They were ready for a new birth as a new nation, which was able to stand on its own and even be an overlord to its neighbors.

An Imperialistic Love Triangle in “The Quiet American”

The Orient is traditionally viewed as separate, backward, erotic, exotic, and passive. It mirrors a past of unscrupulous tyrannical power involving carnal pleasures and deviating from the restrictive morals of the â€Å"occidental. † The Orient displays feminine vulnerability with its progress and value judged as inferior to the West. Graham Greene’s The Quiet American presents the treatment of Phuong as a metaphor for how foreign occupying forces treat her native country of Vietnam, and her depiction as having no control in matters of her love life is a motif of the Orient being a feminized other.Hegemonic masculinity is a sociological term referring to the socialization of men producing normative perceptions of masculinity to be correlated in being unemotional and dominating others, especially women. Hegemonic masculinity brings an interesting pairing to the ideals of post-colonial imperialism in Vietnam. The French, British, and American all have aimed to elevate the people out of ignorance and savagery, and lead them to a more sophisticated social and political livelihood. They engaged in a gendered polarity with themselves and the effeminate other, Vietnam.Love PoemIn The Quiet American, the French, British and Americans viewed Vietnam as a feminized entity. It is non-threatening and an outlet for the carnal pleasures and delights of all things exotic: women, opium and trade. As such with the context of this paper, Pyle and Fowler's battle over Phuong is a clash of male dominance. Phuong is the most interesting character in Greene’s novel. She is depicted as a voiceless beauty without any power or opinions of her own. As her sister Hei affirms in Chapter 3 of part 1, â€Å"[s]he is the most beautiful girl in Saigon. [†¦] She is delicate, [†¦] She needs care. She deserves care.She is very, very loyal† (Greene, 46). At this part of the novel, Hei meets Pyle and instantly wants to set her sister up in a marriage with him. Hei sees him as a better match than Fowler because he is younger, single and wants children. The underlining stereotype that is reinforced through the Phuong character is a feminine and weak Oriental awaiting the dominance of the West. She is a defenseless woman that exists for, and in terms of, her Caucasian male lovers. Her role in the love triangle is reminiscent of her homeland’s colonial restraints. She is only presented in terms of what the two men want from her.Pyle wants her to become a typical American housewife with children. Fowler wants her to remain just as she is: his servant and lover. This love triangle and the emotions that the male characters feel towards Phuong correlate to deep personal sentiments of the way they feel about the country of Vietnam itself. Vietnam becomes feminized, taboo, and sexualized just as Phuong does in Pyle and Fowler's eyes. The novel’s rendering of the central plot involving Fowler and Pyle struggle over Phuong represents t he approach that Britain and America engaged in their fight to â€Å"save† Vietnam from communism.Pyle's' intentions toward Phuong, although similar in some cases to Fowler's, harbors fundamental differences. Both men view Phuong as a sort of object that needs to be saved or require some sort of assistance in order to endure life. When Pyle falls in love with Phuong upon their first encounter, he decides that he must do whatever he can or whatever he deems necessary in order to â€Å"save† Phuong from a deprived existence. This is the exact same way that Pyle views Vietnam and its present condition. In Chapter 1 part 2, Pyle suggests that Vietnam is in need of a Third Force to combat the Communists.In response, Fowler states: â€Å"He would have to learn for himself the real background that held you as a smell does: the gold of the rice fields under a flat late sun: the fisher’s fragile cranes hovering over the fields like mosquitoes: the cups of tea on an old abbot’s platform, with his bed and his commercial calendars, his buckets and broken cups and the junk of a lifetime washed up around his chair: the mollusk hats of the girls repairing the road where a mine had burst†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (23) Pyle spoke about how a Third Force is needed in Vietnam, yet he does not have a clue about the workings of the country.He is so absorbed in trying to spread the ideal of freedom of democracy that he neglects the significance of applying culturally appropriate approaches in relations to Indo-China. The Vietnamese government can make their own choices concerning political rule, however America’s anti- Communist agenda thwarts their ability to do so. This reflects the American stereotype of being overly idealistic, naive, and arrogant as they feel the need to meddle in issues of other nations in hopes to enlighten them to become more progressive. On the other hand, Fowler has learned to appreciate Phuong and Vietnam.The â€Å"gold of the ri ce fields, the fishers' fragile cranes,† and other beautiful aspects of this country have made him adopt it as his own. Fowler understands Vietnam and is fond of it; Pyle does not understand Vietnam and wants to improve it. Consequently, Fowler does not want to become concerned with the circumstances occurring in Vietnam and does not become involved in the situation between Pyle and Phuong until he is forced to do so. He prides himself on having no opinions and not taking sides, but instead he believes himself to be a true reporter who only observes.The British act in a similar fashion. The great imperial power of Great Britain historically is known to have a hands-off approach with their colonies and common wealth. They embrace some of the traditional and ethnic practices and social structures of the region; yet require both financial and political loyalty of their Oriental provinces. He essentially permits Phuong to decide whom she wants to be with until he is compelled to l eave his state of neutrality when it no longer benefits him.In a similar way, Fowler believed that Vietnam should be able to choose what would occur in its own future although he worries that they would make the wrong decision and elect a Communist leader. Fowler is not in love with Phuong but he wants her. He wants things between them to remain the way they are. He does not want her to marry Pyle. In this sense his motive to murder Pyle is partly personal as well as political. He spends a lot of time justifying his involvement with Pyle's murder as the only way of stopping him from doing further damage to the Vietnamese people, yet his true motives are more complex.In Chapter 2 of part 2, Fowler's discourse on Phuong reads very sexist and racist in his conversation with Pyle. â€Å"But she loves you, doesn't she? † â€Å"Not like that. It isn't in their nature. You'll find that out. It's a cliche to call them children–but there's one thing which is childish. They lov e you in return for kind-ness, security, the presents you give them-they hate you for a blow or an injustice. They don't know what it's like -just walking into a room and loving a stranger. For an aging man, Pyle, it's very secure-she won't run away from home so long as the home is happy. I hadn't meant to hurt him. I only realized I had done it when he said with muffled anger, â€Å"She might prefer a greater security or more kindness† (125). In the quote above, Fowler believes that Phuong and other Vietnamese women only â€Å"love† men based on what they give them and how secure the men make them feel. For Fowler, this notion is ideal for he believes that Phuong’s proclivity for loyalty will prevent her from leaving him as she is like a child who loves in return for kindness, gifts, and security. Both Fowler and Pyle objectify Phuong in different ways, but with the same result.In Chapter 3 of part 2, Fowler praises Phuong for her readiness to comply with his s exual demands: â€Å"Kiss me, Phuong. † She had no coquetry. (†¦) she would have made love if I had asked her to, straight away, peeling off her trousers without question†¦ (143). She services Fowler by preparing his opium pipes and providing him with sex any time he wants it. When Pyle shows an interest in her, Phuong abandons Fowler to live with Pyle. She shows little reaction to Pyle's death but readily moves back in with Fowler. In addition to Phuong’s depiction as a sexual object, opium is in its own right serves as a thematic object in The Quiet American.The heavy use of opium by Thomas Fowler portrays the lack of moral dexterity of the colonial powers. It is associated with indolence and vice for the Fowler character. He is mostly concerned with his ability to live as comfortable a life as possible in Vietnam. He writes the occasional news article for the British newspaper he s employed by, but prefers to spend his time smoking opium and enjoying the c ompany of Phuong. He smokes opium, which enhances his sense of total detachment, even from his own death. Nothing matters to him and he has no real ambitions except to avoid being sent back to England and to the an estranged wife.Opium is a highly addicted recreational drug used in Indo-China. The fact that Fowler smokes opium so frequently highlights his link to Vietnam and the moral conflicts revolved around the pleasure he takes in his Vietnamese life such as his lover, the people, and the culture. In sum, Phuong’s role in The Quiet America’s main plot reflects the dichotomy of imperialism in Indo-China and an ongoing love triangle. When Pyle discusses Phuong with Fowler, he starts talking about love, but Fowler replies: â€Å"Love’s a Western word†¦we use it for sentimental reasons or to cover up an obsession with one woman.These people don’t suffer from obsessions. † Phuong exists for the benefit of her lovers and even for her own sister to ensure her own security. Vietnam provided its colonizers what they wanted. Its people didn’t care who ruled them, they gave loyalty to any who could preserve a livelihood with the necessities such as food, jobs, and national defense. Likewise, Phuong’s decision to remain with Fowler wasn’t a consequence of her being a victim of circumstance, but of her playing an active role in maintaining survival through the protection of marriage.