Symbolism In Edgar Allan Poes The Masque Of The Red Death

On planet Earth there are 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute; all which revolves around time. Time is infinite, but unfortunately for human beings, they face times rath. Eventually, every living being or organism faces death, you cant escape it or run away from it, death is always around the corner. In â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates this when the noble class and Prince Prospero tried to run away from the gruesome and infectious disease. Symbolism in the story is significant because it gives the reader more insight on how the author feels towards something and gives meaning to ordinary objects. For example, Poe was upset with the noble class because they neglected their problems and†¦show more content†¦For example the blue represented birth, the green room youth, the orange room adulthood, the white room elderly , the violet room the time before death, and the black room was death. Poe made the prince run through all the stages until death for a specific reason. That is because he wanted to give a greater meaning which is everyone goes through all the 7 stages of life and the cycle repeats for every newborn, none can avoid or run away from them they are unpreventable. As the story went on Poe also used the grandfather clock to symbolize the countdown until and how time flys by. The author displayed this when he wrote â€Å" the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance, to hearken to the sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions; and there was a brief disconcert of the whole gay company.†(Pg.2) When the chime stopped the waltzers laughed it off and mentioned that the next time it chimed they would overlook the eerie sound and keep dancing. In the text it also mentioned â€Å" and then, after the lapse of sixty minutes, (which embrace three thousand and six hundred seconds of the Time that flies,) there came yet another chiming of the clock, and then were the same disconcert and tremulousness and meditation as before.†(Pg.2) The author used the clock to reveal how fast timeShow MoreRelatedSymbolism and in Edgar Allan Poes the Masque of the Red Death915 Words   |  4 PagesMichael Reyes Symbolism and in Edgar Allan Poes the Masque of the Red Death Thesis: Poe uses symbolism to unfold this gripping tale of terror. â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† is an allegory. It features a set of recognizable symbols whose meanings combine to convey a message. An allegory always operates on two levels of meaning: the literal elements of the plot (the colors of the rooms, for example) and their symbolic counterparts, which often involve large philosophical concepts (such as lifeRead MoreEssay Poes Perspective Against the Upper Class1652 Words   |  7 PagesPoe’s Perspective Literary genius Edgar Allan Poe lived a troubled life. During his forty years of existence, Poe struggled with the deaths of countless family members, including his cousin-wife. These bruising events caused him to develop the mental illness depression. In his short story â€Å"Masque of the Red Death,† the views Poe developed during his tumultuous life are reflected in his writing. The theme of this short story emphasizes the inevitability of death in descriptive details because EdgarRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Red Death And Cask Of Amontillado1595 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican author and poet, Edgar Allan Poe, was born January 19th, 1809, and died at the age of 40 on October 7th, 1849. Poe had a horrendous childhood. As a child, he was abandoned by his father, David Poe Jr., and later, his foster father, John Allan. His mother, Eliza Poe, died of tuberculosis, along with his foster mother, Frances Allan and Virginia Clemm, Poe’s wife. After the death of his wife, Poe attempted suicide out of grief. The traumatic events of his life affected Poe’s writing style, creatingRead MoreTerm Paper Edgar Allan Poes Infatuation with Death1498 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allan Poes Infatuation with Death Ralph Emerson once wrote, Talent alone cannot make the writer. There must be a man behind the book. Edgar Allan Poe acquired the ability to write Gothic horror through the tragedies that existed in his life. At three years old Poe lost his mother and father. Grief and sadness overwhelmed Poes childhood and eventually his literary style. By temperament and mournful personal experience, Poe was drawn into the contemporary cult of death (KennedyRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Dark Poems That He Is Famous For?1423 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allan Poe Why did Poe write the dark poems that he is famous for? Almost every student has read either one or many of Edgar Allan Poe’s work. Poe is one of the best and most famous writers in American Literature. Professor Gene Doty of Missouri University of Science and Technology explains, â€Å"The meaning which the text has for the reader emerges from the interaction of the reader’s world with the world of the text† (Doty). Anything written is a context that includes the â€Å"writer’s feelings,Read MoreSymbolism In The Masque Of The Red Death766 Words   |  4 PagesThe Masque of the Red Death Poe often gives memory the power to keep the dead alive. Which in the short story Poe distorts the aspect of death. By creating a memory as the trigger that reawakens death Poe reveals the theme of the story; that no matter the persons social class death comes for us all. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† he uses literary elements such as allusion, symbolism, and allegory to convey that death is inevitable. In the short story, Poe usesRead MoreAvoiding Reality: â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† Analysis858 Words   |  4 PagesAvoiding Reality: â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† Analysis Throughout the gothic horror short story, â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†, Edgar Allan Poe illustrates the struggle of an egotistical prince who refuses to face the inevitable reality of death. Through the downfall of the protagonist, Poe establishes the idea that the inability to face reality often leads to the destruction of the mind. The downfall of the Prince is emphasized by Poe’s use of characterization, setting, and symbolism. In the shortRead MoreTime Takes Its Toll on All in Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe754 Words   |  4 PagesTime Takes Its Toll on All in Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe Edgar Allen Poes The Masque of the Red Death takes place in seven connected but carefully separated rooms. The significance of the number seven is apparent throughout our society. The bible chronicles the creation of the world in seven days, there are seven wonders of the world, colleges and universities divide learning into seven subjects and an individuals life is thought to have seven stages. Seven also symbolizesRead MoreEdgar Allen Poe and His Work Essay1480 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allen Poe and His Work Outline I. Introductory Paragraph I.1. Thesis statement I.2. High points II. First Paragraph II.1. Brief history of life III. Second Paragraph III.1. Edgars Writing Style III.2. Examples IV. Specific poems and short stories IV.1. Examples V. Conclusion Paragraph V.1. Restating thesis statement V.2. Restating high points of the paper Edgar Allen Poe was one of the great writers of this world. He created several poems and short stories of aRead More An Analysis of Edgar Allan Poes Psychological Thriller Essay3707 Words   |  15 PagesAn Analysis of Edgar Allan Poes Psychological Thriller Outline I. Prelude II. Brief introduction to Adgar Allan Poe 1. 1. Allan Poes Life 2. 2. Allan Poes Works and Literary Achievement III. Adgar Allan Poe -- A Post-Gothic Writer 1. 1. Gothic Introduction 2. 2. Analysis of Two Horror 1) 1) The Fall of the House of Usher a) a) Setting b) b) Characters c) c) Point of View 2) 2) The Masque of the Red Death a) a) Setting b) b) Characters

The Odyssey And Aeneid Vs. Today - 992 Words

Essay 1: Hell in The Odyssey/Aeneid vs. Today As humans, we are always imagining what our lives will be like when we die. While the depictions of what hell or heaven may be from the ancient times and now, what has stayed consist is the idea of an afterlife altogether. In The Aeneid, Aeneas has his own version of what the underworld is. Hell is depicted in Book VI of The Aeneid where the Trojans sail back to Sicily where the death of Anchises is marked. Aeneas enters the underworld after meeting with Sibyl, who is a priestess at the Temple of Apollo and asks to enter so that he can visit his father. In order to enter and return from Hell, he has to find a golden branch and if it breaks off the tree with ease, then that will be his sign that he can enter. â€Å"So lift your eyes and search, and once you find it pull away the bough. It will come willingly, easily, if you are called by fate. If not, with all your strength you cannot conquer it, cannot lop it off with a sword’s ed ge. (6.213-217)†. A pair of doves direct him to the tree that he needs to chose the branch from and alas, he has entered into the underworld. When entering, Aeneas sees that there is a river called Acheron where the ferryman Charon transports spirits across the river, but not all souls can cross the river. Sibyl tells him that this is because those souls did not have a proper funeral and were not appreciated the way they were supposed to be. The souls that do pass have to line up in front of Minos to getShow MoreRelatedGreek and Roman Culture Essay examples1240 Words   |  5 Pagesalmost identical to the Greek temples, except for a few details such as domes and vaults which made the temples sturdier and more beautiful. The Romans developed a great skill of building roads. The roads were complex, and the design is used still today. The roads are higher in the middle so that the water runs off the sides. These roads were made so well that they basically lead the Romans to victory, allowing the Romans to move quickly and efficiently to the battlefield. Greek didn’t have theRead MoreAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagesthrough dread of a series of terrible possibilities feature landscapes of dark forests, extreme vegetation, concealed ruins with horrific rooms, depressed characters Effect: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · today in literature we still see portrayals of alluring antagonists whose evil characteristics appeal to one s sense of awe today in literature we still see stories of the persecuted young girl forced apart from her true love Historical Context: ï‚ · industrial revolution brings ideas that the old ways of doing

Standing Your Ground The Life of Joshua L. Chamberlain Free Essays

string(74) " along with about a thousand men transformed and became trained soldiers\." Lawrence Joshua Chamberlain was born on September 8, 1828 in Brewer, Maine to Joshua and Sarah Brastow. Perhaps as a portent of things to come, Chamberlain was named after a hero of War of 1812, Captain James Lawrence. Captain Lawrence was known for never giving up the fight, and whose dying words to his men were â€Å"Don’t give up the ship!† Chamberlain’s family was a Puritan, and was raised in a household that puts high value on good behavior, good education, hard work, and benevolence. We will write a custom essay sample on Standing Your Ground: The Life of Joshua L. Chamberlain or any similar topic only for you Order Now THE DUTIFUL SON Lawrence was the eldest of five children and had a strong sense of duty at a very early age, perhaps because he was tasked to look after his younger siblings. A great deal of his childhood was spent outdoors, and he grew up loving and respecting nature. He had a shy and sensitive nature, and was always caring of others. More and more, as Lawrence was growing up, he took to academic studies with great enthusiasm. (Wallace 1995, p. 19) He took to scholarly pursuits even as he worked the farm land to help his father. In the fields, Chamberlain was taught that how much the land gives in harvest depends on how much work one is willing to put into it. The lessons of hard work and industry and relentless determination were values that the land taught him, and one that would carry him through for the rest of his distinguished life. (Cashin 2002, p. 76). When it was time for Chamberlain to set on a course for a lifelong career, his father, a former soldier, wanted his eldest son to follow in his footsteps and serve the country during peacetime. However, while Chamberlain had already been preparing for West Point and a career in the army, Chamberlain’s mother protested because she wanted Lawrence to serve the church and become a minister. In spite her mother’s objection, Lawrence wanted to go to West Point. However, his enthusiasm was dampened by the prospect of holding a military position during a time of relative peace and stability. So in the end, his mother’s desires won, and Chamberlain decided to become a minster in the hopes of getting a commission as a missionary in another country. (Wallace 1995, p. 45) When Chamberlain was nineteen years old, he entered college. For Lawrence, who has been very close to his family, the thought of living away from his family must have been difficult. Thus, he was very shy and stammered during his first years at college at Bowdoin College at Brunswick. Gradually, Chamberlain was able to overcome his shyness and stammering speech and became a champion orator and writer. (Wallace 1995, p. 97) It was also during college that Chamberlain decided to use Joshua for his first name. At college, Chamberlain’s strength of character began showing. He was known for standing firm on his principles, even when he was going against people who had more power and authority than him. He never turned his back on the values that he believed in, and this earned him the respect of the people who knew him. This strong sense of honor was a value that stayed with him all his life, even when his life was threatened in the battlefield. Chamberlain also had a great love for music and he turned for it for his relaxation. When not busy with school work, he played the organ for his school chapel, a skill that he learned all on his own. His love for the organ also drew him to Frances Adams, who also played the organ for the Brunswick church choir. Frances was three years older than Chamberlain, but that age difference did not matter to them. Their romance was serious right from the start and they were engaged soon after 1852, just a year after they first met and soon after Chamberlain graduated from college. However the marriage did not happen soon after the engagement. Joshua first pursued both a seminary course and his master’s degree. After finishing both, Joshua and Frances became husband and wife, three years after their engagement. THE PROFESSOR BECOMES A SOLDIER Having distinguished himself as an orator during his college, he became professor of oratory and rhetoric at Bowdoin College a year after earning his master’s degree. Five years after, in 1861, he became the chair of the department of modern languages. Chamberlain’s ascent to chairmanship was well-deserved. He has learned several languages during his seminary course. The languages were taught as part of the preparation for overseas missionary work which was his original intent. Chamberlain was fluent in nine languages namely, Latin, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and Syriac. In 1861, at the same year that Chamberlain was elected the position of chair of modern languages, Civil War broke out. The youthful dreams of serving the military and fighting in the battlefield of war were once again rekindled. Or perhaps they never left at all. It may be said that Chamberlain has always been a noble soldier. When Chamberlain was given a sabbatical, supposedly for study in Europe, he immediately went to Governor Washburn for military service. Thus in 1862, Chamberlain left the halls of the academe to fight in the Civil War. His decision was met with dissent at Bowdoin College, but for Chamberlain the need to serve the country took precedence over anything else. By virtue of his education and mastery of languages, he was commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel of the 20th Regiment of Maine Volunteers. While never having actual military training, Chamberlain soon learned the ropes through keen observation. The fact that he was in charge of an actual regiment was enough reason for Chamberlain to learn as he go. All his life, he has always been a self-starter and capable of learning things by himself. Under Commander Adelbert Ames, a recent West Point graduate, Chamberlain, along with about a thousand men transformed and became trained soldiers. You read "Standing Your Ground: The Life of Joshua L. Chamberlain" in category "Essay examples" (Ritter Wakelyn 1998, p. 116) Chamberlain’s youngest brother, Thomas, was also part of the same regiment, and the two would soon distinguish themselves as soldiers of the Civil War. The 20th regiment’s first order of battle was to proceed to the battle at Antietam. However, they did not saw any action in that battle. Their first actual engagement was as a reconnaissance unit at Shepherdstown Ford. In October, Chamberlain was tasked to lead another reconnaissance at the South Mountain pass. It was during this time that Chamberlain saw first hand the horrors of war. He saw dead Confederate soldiers barely out of their youth, and such sights stayed with him during the entire course of the war. (Ritter Wakelyn 1998, p. 64) A few months after, in December 1862, Chamberlain and his men were right in the middle of the Battle of Fredericksburg, a site of overwhelming defeat for the Union. All around, Chamberlain saw dead men, and when the orders to evacuate came down, Chamberlain was tasked to lead his men to safety. The following months were uneventful for the regiment. In May 1863, an outbreak of small pox among the regiment kept Chamberlain’s men away from participating in the Battle of Chancellorsville. To keep his men in shape and their morale up, Chamberlain constantly asked for duties and engaged the regiment in positive activities. By the end of May, Chamberlain became Colonel of the 20th regiment, after having proven himself as an able soldier and a great leader. A HERO RISES On July 1863, the 20th regiment received marching orders to go to Gettysburg. The Union forces faced a formidable opponent in the person of Confederate General John Bell Hood. General Hood was bent on cutting down the Union lines and under his command; the Confederate Brigades advanced and went up the hill. During this engagement, a good number of Union officers were killed, leaving Chamberlain in command. Before he died, commanding officer Colonel Vincent instructed Chamberlain to stand ground. Joshua was now in a very difficult decision. He was given orders to stand ground but his men’s ammunition were almost spent. (Martin 2006, p. 213). Chamberlain was left to decide the fate of his men and the fate of this battled. He thus gave quick and firm orders. Having the higher ground, Chamberlain told his men to counterattack. The downhill bayonet charge caught the Confederates by surprise, and the Union held their position.   For this heroic stand, he was awarded the Congressio nal Medal of Honor. Soon after that historic stand, Chamberlain became commander of the 3rd Brigade. By this time, Chamberlain has become a seasoned solider who has survived many battlefields. He was regarded with respect and commanded the loyalty of the men who served under his command, particularly the men of the 20th Maine. While an officer, he never considered himself better than his men and he accorded all of them with equal courtesy and respect. He never asked for special quarters and endured the same sacrifices as his men. All these traits endeared him all the more to the military and the public as well. He treated the dead with respect and never forgot to attend to the sick after the smoke of battle has cleared. By now an acclaimed hero, Chamberlain never stopped throwing himself into the thick of the battle. He was a natural leader and tactician, able to execute strategic commands under exacting pressure. He never feared for his life and engaged in battle with very little regard for personal safety. For him, the safety of his men and winning the ground was most important.   (Martin 2006, p. 27) At one point, he was severely wounded but refused preferential treatment, insisting that there are others whose wounds are more serious than his. For fear of a mortal wound, General Ulysses Grant, in what is believed to be the only case of promotion on the battlefield, immediately conferred the position of general to Chamberlain. Doctors thought that Joshua had very little chances of surviving his wound, but he did. A few months after, Chamberlain reported back to duty in spite some physical limitations brought on by his war injury. Chamberlain became commander of a new 1st Brigade, 1st Division, a unit composed of two large regiments of soldiers from Pennsylvania and New York. Not fully recovered from his injury, he was prevented from seeing any military action. However, after a month of sick leave, he returned to service, much to the dismay of his doctors. Chamberlain returned to military action during the last of General Grant’s campaign on March 1865. Chamberlain and his brigade were engaged in a bayonet fight while traveling the Quaker Road and Joshua was again injured. He would have been taken prisoner if not for his fast thinking. He eluded capture by donning a Confederate officer uniform and posing as one of the Confederates. His numerous injuries could not keep him from the call of duty. Under his leadership, Chamberlain claimed the strategic and much coveted lodge on the White Oak Road. For this accomplishment in spite of injury, Joshua was promoted to Major General by President Lincoln. (Ritter Wakelyn 1998, p. 128). General Chamberlain survived many injuries and lived to see the end of the Civil War and the Union’s victory. When General Grant designated him to receive the first flag of surrender at Appomattox Court House, in a moving demonstration of his noble spirit, Chamberlain received the surrender with graciousness and honor. He asked that his original 20th Maine regiment be with him in this historic event, believing that all of them deserved the honor that was accorded to him. (Martin 2006, p. 87) For saving his men and the Union’s position, Chamberlain was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the United States. He was brave under fire, and magnanimous in victory. After the war, Joshua went back to Bowdoin as president of the college. (Ashby 2003, p. 10). During his tenure, he instituted reforms which shook the foundations of the conservative school. Nevertheless, his presidency, like his tour of military duty, was marked with strong leadership and honor. He lived to an old age of 84, seeing the fruits of peace wrought by many years of war. In a poetic death, he died of the old war wound that many thought he has recovered from. He still dies in the battle, as a noble soldier. General Joshua Chamberlain stands tall in an age of greatness. His name will go down in history as among the greatest soldiers. It might be said that times make the hero, but in Chamberlain’s case, the choices that he made and his nobility in and out of the battlefield made him a soldier of life. He was a product of his times, and left just in time to plant the seeds of hope for a better and kinder world. May his nobility inspire all that is good and noble in each and every one of us. References Ashby, R. (2003). Extraordinary People. Black Rabbit Book. Cashin, J. (2002). The War was You and Me: Civilians in the American Civil War. Princeton University Press. Martin, I. (2006). The Greatest U.S. Army Stories Ever Told: Unforgettable Stories of Courage. The Lyons Press. Ritter, C Wakelyn, J (1998). Leaders of the American Civil War: A Biographical and Historiographical Dictionary. Greenwood Publishing Group. Wallace, W. (1995). Soul of the Lion: A Biography of General Joshua L. Chamberlain. Clark Military Books. How to cite Standing Your Ground: The Life of Joshua L. Chamberlain, Essay examples

A Positive Approach to the Future free essay sample

A Positive Approach Towards the Future The issue of mandatory school uniforms has taken on several debates over the past decade; it is believed that this issue will plague public schools for decades to come. Students who wear uniforms feel a sense of being superior with their fellow classmates. This feeling of being part of a group boosts morale and individual confidence, thus leading to higher grades. Children will be more focused in a uniform classroom. There is no more distraction as to what the other kids are wearing or who has the name brand shoes. Girls will be dressed appropriately and clothing will fit properly. This adds to the learning experience. There is no more competition. There is no more rivalry and the children are able to focus on their schoolwork and not on the latest trends ( Bodine 67-69). Former President Clinton made a state of the union address in 1996; in that address, the subject of mandatory school uniforms was mentioned. If it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms (Williams). In fact, that year in Long Beach, California, the first district to implement mandatory uniform policies, assault dropped by sixty-seven percent, vandalism by eighty-two percent, and robbery by thirty-five percent. Overall crime was reduced by seventy-three percent the first year the policy was in place (Williams). This was a direct reflection of the uniform policy. Students were more disciplined and behaved in a more mature manner. These students took pride in themselves and others. With the lack of material items to fight over, students no longer felt the need to use aggression towards others, proving that school uniforms do in fact improve student behavior. Also when it comes to crime, a student wearing a school logo, is less apt to commit a crime outside of school while in uniform because it would be easier to track him based off of the school information on the uniform? This lowers the crime rate for the general public as well as the in school instances. Not only do mandatory uniform policies for public schools offer the potential for higher educational benefits and improved student discipline, school uniforms dissolve social boundaries between classmates. Students are no longer judged based off their appearance but by who they are on the inside. There is no more competition between social classes that these students may have otherwise felt and they work together as a team and share a common pride. All students will feel a sense of belonging. No longer will lower income children be labeled as poor based off of their clothing. All children will appear as equals in the classroom and will be treated as such. However, some may argue that uniformity takes away from the students individuality. Many children, especially teens, express themselves through their personal styles and the way they dress. Sometimes children need to feel special or unique and dressing a certain way is how they accomplish this. Uniformity takes away from the First Amendment by taking away freedom of expression. If we take away the freedom of expression, we are taking away our childrens creativity and conforming them into a society where free thinking is not accepted. However this is not the case. The uniform does not change who the child is on the inside or how he thinks creatively. Students will still be able to focus creative energy through activities such as art, music, writing or sports. There are several creative outlets besides the choice of clothing options. When it comes to our economy, we as Americans must pinch our pennies where we can. Many parents are faced with the dilemma of outfitting their children in the latest trends or putting money towards more important things like saving for their childrens college education. Some families are unable to afford the popular named brand clothing that their children desires, which make the children, feel inadequate in school when they are forced to wear lesser brand clothes or second hand outfits. School uniforms would take away that hassle of finding bargains to ensure that their children feel confident in their attire. Uniforms are generally more durable than the average street clothes. Granted, the cost may be a bit more substantial in the beginning, but the uniforms will last longer which means there is less out of pocket expense for replacement articles. With uniforms, the parents may only have to purchase two or three sets compared to several pairs of bottoms and tops. Uniforms are more durable and can be washed more frequently compared to regular clothes. This makes them the better option not only for lower income families, but all families in general (Romero C4+). Critics claim that uniforms will cost the families more money in the long run because parents will be forced to buy the uniforms and regular clothing for their children to wear when they are not in school. The cost for parents may double that of just buying traditional school clothes. Although this is partly true, that yes, parents will be faced to make additional purchases for their children, in reality, they really wont be spending that much more money if any. Since uniforms are more durable, the parents only need to buy a limited supply and since the children will only be wearing their regular clothes outside of school, parents will not have to buy as many outfits. Most children wear out their clothes while in school. Since this is not an issue with the uniforms, the traditional street clothes will last longer, hence saving the parents money in the long run. Also without the constant competition in schools, children may not feel the need to have the latest brands and styles as they would if they were wearing the clothes to school on a daily basis around other social classes (King 3-5). With all of the advantages and disadvantages of implementing mandatory uniform wear into our public schools, there needs to be a compromise. Some schools have decided that it is best to make minor changes to the dress code policy. When it comes to school uniforms, there is a never-ending debate as to what the right approach and the wrong approach may be for our public schools. Works Cited Bodine,A.. aâ‚ ¬? School uniforms, academic achievement, and uses of researchaâ‚ ¬?. The Journal ofEducational Research 19 Feb. 2008: 67-73. Print. King, K. A. Should school uniforms be mandated in elementary school?. 2010: 3+. Print. Romero, E. aâ‚ ¬? School uniform countdownaâ‚ ¬?. Daily News Record, 16 Aug. 1999, C2+. Print. Williams, D. aâ‚ ¬? School uniforms: The raging debateaâ‚ ¬?. n. d. Web. 5 Aug. 2011.

Essay Analysis of Prince Albert, Prince Consort of Queen Victoria Essay Example

Essay Analysis of Prince Albert, Prince Consort of Queen Victoria Essay I was the first time going to NC art museum so I just the thought of it made my heart flutter and interesting. I was lucky to have a chance to appreciate such a work of art created by many artists. I saw so much many draws there. Those masterpieces took them into the world of imagination when we saw the artworks. I took the time to stop and admire the view of the art museum and building structure. Many people are coming to the art museum for a appreciate painting. They have time to enjoy life. The whole museum building makes the impression very peaceful and gives off a feeling of tranquility. The NC art museum consists of the modern building and old building. We have a class in the modern building. We appreciated drawings, along with explanations, which helped us understand more deeply about the history of art and picture appreciation. When we saw paintings at the art museum, we take the class with camping chair that is one of the interest things. One of the impressive draws is Kehin de Wiley’s draw compare to other works in the exhibition. The title of the draw is â€Å"Prince Albert, Prince Consort of Queen Victoria.† This Kehinde Wiley’s draw using the oil on canvas for good color sense. His drawing is lifelike and realistic. I was shocked by this Kehinde Wiley’s draw because especially this artists using the black people to express the remarkable and beautiful. Many kinds of draw using the draw black people to express the negative image, such as peculiar institution, color bar, and the segregation policy. But the same image of the black people expresses the beautiful and pretty nice look. The background of this draw using the pattern of tattoo that is good express of the black people emotions. I think that the background pattern is using the black people tattoo. It said that the crew transformed tattoo into an art. Through this Kehinde Wiley’s draw, I learned new analyzed method of draw. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Analysis of Prince Albert, Prince Consort of Queen Victoria specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Analysis of Prince Albert, Prince Consort of Queen Victoria specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Analysis of Prince Albert, Prince Consort of Queen Victoria specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

The Ultimate AP Chemistry Study Guide

The Ultimate AP Chemistry Study Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Studying for the AP Chemistry exam is a challenging undertaking. There are so many different topics and types of problems that you're expected to master, some of which you might not have fully understood in your class. This AP Chemistry study guide is written to help you effectively navigate the road towards the AP exam. I'll give you all the information and resources you need to create a study plan, review the content, and practice your skills. What’s the Purpose of This AP Chemistry Study Guide? This guide will aid you in preparation for the AP Chemistry exam and any other assessments you encounter in your class.The first section outlines a study plan that will help you review the material effectively before the test.You can also use this plan as general advice for the best way to use practice tests in the context of your studying throughout the year. The next section lists study tipsthat specifically apply to AP Chemistry.It’s nice to have some strategies in hand before you begin prepping so that you get the most out of your time with the material! The section after this deals with the content of the course, divided by chemistry's Big Ideas.I’ll link to notes that provide information detailing each of the content areas and give you some supplemental videos that may help with explanations. Finally, I’ll provide online resources that you can use to test your knowledge of AP Chemistry, including practice multiple-choice quizzes by topic area and sample free-response questions. Alright, let's do this. AP Chemistry Study Plans AP Chemistry has many different components: data interpretation, math problems, concept memorization, logical reasoning.Where do you start? I'll describe the basic study process step-by-step first and then provide an approximate timeline. Step 1: Take and Score an Initial Diagnostic Test Practice tests are available online, through your AP teacher, or in review books.Take your diagnostic test under the same time constraints as the real exam (1 hour 30 minutes for multiple choice and 1 hour 45 minutes for free response).You should aim to take your first full-length practice test around the beginning of your second semester. Side Note: Even though they can be useful, you should alwaysbe wary of practice tests from review books. Whenever possible, try to use official tests from the College Board to judge your score level instead of tests that were written by prep companies. Unofficial tests are often significantly easier or harder than the real AP test. Step 2: Evaluate Your Results When you’re done, go back through your answers and score the test.Keep track of which types of questions you answered incorrectly (or answered correctly because of a lucky guess). This will allow you to collect arepository of concepts that you need to work on before taking the real test. Step 3: Study Weak Content Areas and Do Practice Problems Refer to your notes, review book, or information included later in this guide to refresh your knowledge of ideas that you had trouble with on the practice test.If you’re struggling with a particular type of problem, find a similar problem in your textbook, review book, or online, and walk yourself through the steps of solving it. First, just read the solution explanation.Then, try to do it yourself without looking at the explanation and see if you can find the right answer. If you go through a few problems or questions like this in areas that need work, you will start to build up comfort with the material. Step 4: Take and Score a Second Practice Test When you feel you’ve addressed the main issues you noticed on the first diagnostic test, you can takeanother practice test to measure your improvement. Overview of the Entire Process: Take and score a practice test (3.5-4 hours) Analyze and categorize your mistakes (1-2 hours) Do practice problems and study content that correspond to your areas of weakness on the test (2-3 hours) Take and score a second practice test (3.5-4 hours) After the second practice test, check your progress.If you’re satisfied, you can stop here at nine to 13 hours of studying, but I'd say that's the minimum study time for this test.Assuming you still want to improve or get more comfortable with the format of the exam, you can repeat the cycle as many times as necessary to reach your goals. Oh boy, a study plan that never has to end! AP Chemistry Study Strategies Before we get to notes on content, here are some study tips that you should keep in mind as you review. In a subject like chemistry, there's a huge difference between looking over the material and actually learning it. #1: Start With the Basics AP Chemistry is a subject that builds on itself from the ground up.If you don’t understand the essential reasoning behind the properties of different elements, you’ll have trouble answering more obscure problems down the road. For this reason, your studying should begin with the topics that were covered earliest in the year.If there’s a concept you learned early on that’s still giving you trouble, you should revisit it right away to solidify your understanding.If you don't absorb foundational knowledge before solving complex problems, you’ll end up wasting your time and getting more confused (or memorizing how to solve a specific problem without expanding your understanding of the concept). #2: Do It Yourself When studying a subject that requires step-by-step problem solving, students often read answer explanations and overestimate their levels of understanding.Everything seems so clear when you’re reading about it, but you'll feel different during the AP test when all you have is the problem in front of you. That's why it’s critical to re-do problems yourself after looking at the answer explanations.Learning by doing is the only way to go with chemistry. If you can find the solution on your own while genuinely understanding how you got there, you’ll do well on similar problems when they come up in the future. #3: Double Check for Logic and Units When you finish a chemistry problem, you might be tempted to accept the answer you calculated right away and continue to the next question. Before you do, check to make sure that your answer matches up with what you know about the problem and its scale.Many issues with units and significant figures can happen in chemistry, so you should double check to verify that your answer is in the correct form and makes logical sense. #4: Invest in a Review Book If you have the means, I’d highly recommend buying a review book to supplement independent studying.Review books can provide you with more concise explanations of concepts and better ideas for how to structure your time.They also have practice tests and questions that you can consult as you review different parts of the curriculum.Check out ourarticle on the best AP Chemistry review booksfor more specific ideas. It's time to break open your piggy bank (if only so it doesn't break you open first based on its incredibly disturbing facial expression). AP Chemistry Content First, I have for you a super sweet interactive periodic table!The periodic table is your best friend in AP Chemistry, and you’ll have access to it on the test.You should know all about the different types of elements and what the numbers in the table mean!This other site is also useful for sorting the elements according to their various unique properties. Here are links to some notes for the main topics that fall under each of the "Big Ideas" of the course. The Big Ideas represent six fundamental themes of AP Chemistry under the newly organized curriculum. These resources should help you to review key concepts if you find that you're missing sections in your notes from class: Big Idea 1: The chemical elements are fundamental building materials of matter, and all matter can be understood in terms of arrangement of atoms. These atoms retain their identities in chemical reactions Chemical Foundations Units Scientific method Significant figures Basics of systematic problem-solving Organization/classification of matter Atomic structure and periodicity Electromagnetic radiation Max Planck and quantum theory Atomic spectrum Mass spectrometry Spectroscopy Bohr model Quantum mechanical model Quantum numbers and electron orbitals Coulomb’s Law Periodic trends Atoms, Molecules, and Ions Fundamental laws of chemistry Dalton’s atomic theory Millikan’s oil experiment Rutherford’s metal foil experiment Timeline of milestones in the history of chemistry Atomic structure Types of bonds Chemical formulas for molecules Organization of the periodic table Naming compounds Big Idea 2: Chemical and physical properties of materials can be explained by the structure and arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules and the forces between them Bonding Types of chemical bonds Electronegativity Bond polarity and dipole moments Ions: size and electron configuration London dispersion forces Lewis structures VSEPR Model Covalent Bonding: Orbitals Liquids and Solids Intermolecular forces The liquid state Structures and types of solids Structure and bonding in metals Vapor pressure and state changes Phase diagrams Gases Pressure Gas laws of Boyle, Charles, and Avogadro Ideal gas law Gas stoichiometry Dalton’s law Kinetic Molecular Theory Effusion/diffusion van der Waal’s equation Atmospheric chemistry Gas law practice problems Big Idea 3: Changes in matter involve the rearrangement and/or reorganization of atoms and/or the transfer of electrons Stoichiometry Atomic and molar mass Percent composition of compounds and determining formulas for compounds Structure of chemical equations Balancing chemical equations Limiting reactant problems Percent yield Types of Chemical Reactions and Solution Chemistry All about water Aqueous solutions and electrolytes Types of reactions (precipitation, acid-base, oxidation-reduction) Half-cell reactions Salts in solution Redox reactions tips and practice problems Big Idea 4: Rates of chemical reactions are determined by details of the molecular collisions Chemical Kinetics Reaction rates Rate laws Reaction mechanisms Catalysis Big Idea 5: The laws of thermodynamics describe the essential role of energy and explain and predict the direction of changes in matter Chemical Equilibrium Equilibrium conditions Equilibrium constants Solving equilibrium problems Le Chatelier’s principle Thermochemistry All about energy Enthalpy and calorimetry Hess’s Law Spontaneity, Entropy, and Free Energy Gibbs Free energy (G) Entropy changes in chemical reactions Free energy and chemical reactions Free energy ...and pressure ...and equilibrium ...and work The Nucleus Nuclear stability and radioactive decay Kinetics of radioactive decay Nuclear transformations Thermodynamic stability of the nucleus Nuclear fission and fusion Big Idea 6: Any bond or intermolecular attraction that can be formed can be broken. These two processes are in a dynamic competition, sensitive to initial conditions and external perturbations Properties of Solutions Solution composition Factors affecting solubility Vapor pressure of solutions Boiling point and freezing point variation Osmotic pressure Colloids Solubility and complex ion equilibria Solubility and solubility products Common Ion effects Precipitation Acids and Bases The pH scale Calculating pH Acid-base properties of salts and oxides Calculating acid strength Lewis Acid-Base Model Solving acid-base problems Acid-Base equilibria Buffered solutions Titration Acid-base indicators Supplemental Videos Bozeman Science playlist of AP chemistry essentials ChemGuy video lectures that cover the entire AP curriculum Khan Academy videos on every topic in chemistry This is how jazzed up you'll be when you watch these videos. Online Practice Resources This is a list of free online resources that have practice tests and problems that may aid in your studying. If you need more practice, you should also consider buying a review book or asking your AP teacher for additional official practice tests. College Board The College Board has free-response questions (along with scoring guidelines) from past tests (2006 to 2013) on its site for AP Chemistry.You can also find free-response questions from 2014 to 2017on the AP Student section of the College Board website. All of these are great for practice! ScienceGeek I like this site because it’s not all multiple choice. You have to solve problems completely on your own, which awesome practice for the AP test.There are tons of different activities that relate to all aspects of the course, and you can check your answers as you find them.This is a helpful resource for practice problems that will allow you to develop a strong fundamental understanding of the concepts. Albert iO Albert has sets of practice questions organized by concept and Big Idea.Each question is labeled Easy, Medium, or Hard, so you’ll know whether you’ve mastered the material.The site also records your progress and the accuracy of your answers in each topic area to make it easier to identify where your skills still need work.All questions are multiple choice, so make sure you also practice open-ended questions elsewhere (or do some of the problems without looking at the answer choices). Varsity Tutors This site has a bunch of practice tests on all topics related to AP Chemistry. Each test has a difficulty rating along with a listing of the average amount of time required to complete the questions.These tests are multiple choice, but there are plenty that will ask you to solve stoichiometry problems or balance equations.Just like Albert iO, once you’re well-versed in the material, you can try to do the problems without looking at the answer choices. Adrian Dingle’s Chemistry Pages This is a resource that offers short multiple choice quizzes on all topics in AP chemistry.The quizzes are only five questions long each, so they’re good for quick review of concepts that you already know fairly well. Barron’s Practice Test Barron’s provides a free online sample test with the same format as the real AP Chemistry exam. The multiple-choice is scored automatically, and free-response scoring guidelines are provided. Wander the Barron wasteland of your mind. Conclusion AP Chemistry is tough. It covers so much information, and most of it is complex and challenging to understand.Take a diagnostic test before you start studying so you can devise a plan that fits your needs, whether that means studying for 10 hours or 40 hours.I’d recommend that you use the study strategies and supplemental resources in this guide to bolster your understanding of the material.If you’re willing to work hard to master every topic in AP Chemistry, the test will be a much less stressful experience! What's Next? If you're still planning out your future high school schedule, take a look at this guide that will help you decide which AP classes to take in addition to chemistry. Do you plan on taking the SAT II in addition to your AP exams? Find out how subject tests compare to AP tests and which scores are more important for college applications. How high does your AP score have to be to qualify for college credit? Learn more about getting credit for AP classes in college. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

How did France come to look like a consolidated democracy and why the Essay

How did France come to look like a consolidated democracy and why the fifth republic has been a relatively stable period in French history - Essay Example This partly explains why democracies, unless the freedom on which they are founded is violated, are assumed to be poorly equipped to deal with threats to their security. This antinomy currently appears to be more pronounced as both terms of the alternative have been assuming new configurations. In terms of security, two opposing trends are at work. There is on the one hand an overall sense of irenization of modern polities' internal and external order that is encapsulated in the image of the neo-Saint-Simonean "consensual/warless society," and the parent neo-Hegelian view of "'the end of history." At the domestic level, their sociopolitical foundations are no longer questioned, and conflicts over the management of the state are settled through electoral alternatives. At the external level, appeasement induced by nuclear deterrence and continued with the progress of disarmament policies was enhanced by the collapse of the communist system, which represented enmity for the West. On the other hand, a new and more ambivalent threat pattern emerged that increases the ubiquity of order and security issues. Within societies, deepening center-periphery tensions and sociological cleavages lead to the displacement of traditional civility by more frictional relationships. From withou t, menaces become more insidious, discontinuous, and multifocal, and less predictable and identifiable than before the end of bipolarity, extending on the low-intensity side of the violence spectrum and assuming unconventional aspects. Concomitantly, old-fashioned institutions and instruments of violence management, doctrines, and protocols ruling their employment, and their articulations with the state appearing less suitable and effective, call for other less orthodox means based on preemption, swiftness, and secrecy, which are generally at variance with the democratic process. The concept of democracy has been evolving also. Karl Mannheim, T. H. Marshall, and more recently Edward Shils have described its logic in advanced polities. First, rights have been extended and their nature modified to encompass almost every aspect of the individual's life. Formerly limited to civic and political contents, they became economic and social, and finally sociological and cultural so as to include security. Second, the beneficiaries of these rights, once very few, have been extended to include the farthest peripheries of the social system (even beyond, in that advocates of the so-called "natural contract" or "deep ecology" also include animals and the environment). Thus, those who until recently would not have been judged as legitimate recipients of such rights, either because they were unable to enjoy them--e.g., the child, those mentally impaired, or immigrants, or those legally deprived such as delinquents--are now considered full members of the polity. Democratic rig hts, in other words, are seen as belonging to everyone, partisans as well as adversaries of democracy. Saint-Just's famous utterance, "no freedom for the enemy of freedom," would not be applicable today. Democracy has become a holistic concept, no longer defined in a discrete manner, be it in terms of the rights composing it or in terms of its titulars. The dilemma, then, is obvious. The rightful exigency for order and

Document Analysis Pravda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Document Analysis Pravda - Essay Example We can easily understand that the article is being vague on purpose not to bring any suspicions to the reader regarding the rising conflict between the two nations. What is also very surprising is that the paper does not seem to have been written by a very talented journalist and was certainly not on the front pages of the newspapers. It is one of the characteristics of the Pravda, often isolating important news to small columns at the end of the newspaper. As we stated earlier the article is vague on purpose. We should be struck not by the details but actually by the lack of details of what should be an important piece of news. No names are quoted, no declarations from any political figure - neither Russian nor German. The opening statement is a disproval of any negotiations between the USSR and Germany but no fact is given to prove this statement. As in the entire article, we have to believe the author's words even if he doesn't give us any piece of information or evidence. The article is built just to persuade the reader that nothing is happening. Opening statement made as a disproval, explanation of the movement of the German troops and a closing sentence reassuring that both of the countries are observing the non-aggression pact.

Fundamentals of Digital Image Processing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Fundamentals of Digital Image Processing - Essay Example The researcher states that the children and the old man illustrated on the picture were maybe on vocation before the cows joined them. The cows, one big and the other small maybe its calf splashes water to a great length along the river meaning they have just joined the children. One child sees to touching the big cow with his/her left hand while the other enjoying as depicted by facial expression. The old man behind the cows is maybe waiving or raising his left hand a coincidence with the child touching the cow with the left hand. This picture was taken along the river or water pond. There seems good relationship between the two animals and the children; one child is touching the cow as the other enjoys the event. This leads to speculation that the animals come from the same family with the children or the old man behind the cows owns them as well as the children. The presence of the boys and the cows in the river depicts different cultures in the world. Although people inherit vari ant cultures they have been integrating with different animals both kept domestically or aesthetic. Intact the boys taking â€Å"shower† with the cows along the river with a grown-up man looking at the happening depict complete societal inheritance. The picture represents the striking contrast between the intense light of sun reflection or camera flash light and sky darkness. This invites several interpretations of the image. The two children topless one touching the cow while the other enjoy depicts meditation of innocence. The topless children one on bluish shorts and the other on creamy short beside blackish cows inform of an old man represent extinction of innocence and dawn of reality. Although there is certainty of really what the children are doing with the cows and what the old man is doing or saying the children are so close to the cows and seems to be doing something sinister or off-limits. Despite this, the children seem to enjoy the company of the animals.

Computer Generated 3D Animation Computer Science Essay

Computer Generated 3D Animation Computer Science Essay Computer animation (or CGI animation) is the art of creating moving images with the use of computers. Increasingly it is created by means of 3D computer graphics, though 2D computer graphics are still widely used for stylistic, low bandwidth, and faster real-time rendering needs. It is also referred to as CGI (computer-generated imagery or computer-generated imaging), especially when used in films. 2. PRINCIPLES OF ANIMATION Computer animation is essentially a digital successor to the art of stop motion animation of 3D models and frame-by-frame animation of 2D illustrations. For 3D animations, objects (models) are built on the computer monitor (modeled) and 3D figures are rigged with a virtual skeleton. Then the limbs, eyes, mouth, clothes, etc. of the figure are moved by the animator on key frames. The differences in appearance between key frames are automatically calculated by the computer in a process known as tweening or morphing. Finally, the animation is rendered. For 3D animations, all frames must be rendered after modeling is complete. For 2D vector animations, the rendering process is the key frame illustration process, while tweened frames are rendered as needed. To create the illusion of movement, an image is displayed on the computer screen and repeatedly replaced by a new image that is similar to the previous image, but advanced slightly in the time domain, usually at a rate of 24 or 30 frames/second. This technique is identical to how the illusion of movement is achieved with television and motion pictures. To trick the eye and brain into thinking they are seeing a smoothly moving object, the pictures should be drawn at around 12 frames per second (frame/s) or faster (a frame is one complete image). With rates above 70 frames/s no improvement in realism or smoothness is perceivable due to the way the eye and brain process images. At rates below 12 frame/s most people can detect jerkiness associated with the drawing of new images which detracts from the illusion of realistic movement. Conventional hand-drawn cartoon animation often uses 15 frames/s in order to save on the number of drawings needed, but this is usually accepted because of the stylized nature of cartoons. Because it produces more realistic imagery computer animation demands higher frame rates to reinforce this realism. The reason no jerkiness is seen at higher speeds is due to persistence of vision. From moment to moment, the eye and brain working together actually store whatever one looks at for a fraction of a second, and automatically smooth out minor jumps. Movie film seen in theaters in the United States runs at 24 frames per second, which is sufficient to create this illusion of continuous movement. 3. HOW DOES IT WORK The process of creating 3D animations can be sequentially divided into three basic phases: 3D modeling which describes the process of forming the shape of an object, layout and animation which describes the motion and placement of objects within a scene, and 3D rendering which produces an image of an object. a)The 3D model describes the process of forming the shape of an object. The two most common sources of 3D models are those originated on the computer by an artist or engineer using some kind of 3D modeling tool, and those scanned into a computer from real-world objects. Models can also be produced procedurally or via physical simulation. 3D computer graphics are often referred to as 3D models. Apart from the rendered graphic, the model is contained within the graphical data file. However, there are differences. A 3D model is the mathematical representation of any three-dimensional object. A model is not technically a graphic until it is displayed. Due to 3D printing, 3D models are not confined to virtual space. A model can be displayed visually as a two-dimensional image through a process called 3D rendering, or used in non-graphical computer simulations and calculations. 3D computer animation combines 3D models of objects and programmed movement. Models are constructed out of geometrical vertices, faces, and edges in a 3D coordinate system. Objects are sculpted much like real clay or plaster, working from general forms to specific details with various sculpting tools. A bone/joint system is set up to deform the 3D mesh (e.g., to make a humanoid model walk). In a process called rigging, the virtual marionette is given various controllers and handles for controlling movement. b)Before objects are rendered, they must be placed (laid out) within a scene. This is what defines the spatial relationships between objects in a scene including location and size. Animation refers to the temporal description of an object, how it moves and deforms over time. Popular methods include keyframing, inverse kinematics, and motion capture, though many of these techniques are used in conjunction with each other. As with modeling, physical simulation is another way of specifying motion. In most 3D computer animation systems, an animator creates a simplified representation of a characters anatomy, analogous to a skeleton or stick figure. The position of each segment of the skeletal model is defined by animation variables, or Avars. In human and animal characters, many parts of the skeletal model correspond to actual bones, but skeletal animation is also used to animate other things, such as facial features (though other methods for facial animation exist). The character Woody in Toy Story, for example, uses 700 Avars, including 100 Avars in the face. The computer does not usually render the skeletal model directly (it is invisible), but uses the skeletal model to compute the exact position and orientation of the character, which is eventually rendered into an image. Thus by changing the values of Avars over time, the animator creates motion by making the character move from frame to frame. There are several methods for generating the Avar values to obtain realistic motion. Traditionally, animators manipulate the Avars directly. Rather than set Avars for every frame, they usually set Avars at strategic points (frames) in time and let the computer interpolate or tween between them by keyframing. Keyframing puts control in the hands of the animator, and has roots in hand-drawn traditional animation. In contrast, a newer method called motion capture makes use of live action. When computer animation is driven by motion capture, a real performer acts out the scene as if they were the character to be animated. His or her motion is recorded to a computer using video cameras and markers, and that performance is then applied to the animated character. Each method has their advantages, and as of 2007, games and films are using either or both of these methods in productions. Keyframe animation can produce motions that would be difficult or impossible to act out, while motion capture can reproduce the subtleties of a particular actor. For example, in the 2006 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest, actor Bill Nighy provided the performance for the character Davy Jones. Even though Nighy himself doesnt appear in the film, the movie benefited from his performance by recording the nuances of his body language, posture, facial expressions, etc. Thus motion capture is appropriate in situations where believable, realistic behavior and action is required, but the types of characters required exceed what can be done through conventional costuming. c)Rendering converts a model into an image either by simulating light transport to get photorealistic images, or by applying some kind of style as in non-photorealistic rendering. The two basic operations in realistic rendering are transport (how much light gets from one place to another) and scattering (how surfaces interact with light). This step is usually performed using 3D computer graphics software or a 3D graphics API. The process of altering the scene into a suitable form for rendering also involves 3D projection which allows a three-dimensional image to be viewed in two dimensions. Lets step through the rendering of a simple image of a room with flat wood walls with a grey pyramid in the center of the room. The pyramid will have a spotlight shining on it. Each wall, the floor and the ceiling is a simple polygon, in this case, a rectangle. Each corner of the rectangles is defined by three values referred to as X, Y and Z. X is how far left and right the point is. Y is how far up and down the point is, and Z is far in and out of the screen the point is. The wall nearest us would be defined by four points: (in the order x, y, z). Below is a representation of how the wall is defined (0, 10, 0) (10, 10, 0) (0,0,0) (10, 0, 0) The far wall would be: (0, 10, 20) (10, 10, 20) (0, 0, 20) (10, 0, 20) The pyramid is made up of five polygons: the rectangular base, and four triangular sides. To draw this image the computer uses math to calculate how to project this image, defined by three dimensional data, onto a two dimensional computer screen. First we must also define where our view point is, that is, from what vantage point will the scene be drawn. Our view point is inside the room a bit above the floor, directly in front of the pyramid. First the computer will calculate which polygons are visible. The near wall will not be displayed at all, as it is behind our view point. The far side of the pyramid will also not be drawn as it is hidden by the front of the pyramid. Next each point is perspective projected onto the screen. The portions of the walls furthest from the view point will appear to be shorter than the nearer areas due to perspective. To make the walls look like wood, a wood pattern, called a texture, will be drawn on them. To accomplish this, a technique called texture mapping is often used. A small drawing of wood that can be repeatedly drawn in a matching tiled pattern (like wallpaper) is stretched and drawn onto the walls final shape. The pyramid is solid grey so its surfaces can just be rendered as grey. But we also have a spotlight. Where its light falls we lighten colors, where objects blocks the light we darken colors. Next we render the complete scene on the computer screen. If the numbers describing the position of the pyramid were changed and this process repeated, the pyramid would appear to move. 4. 3D COMPUTER GRAFICS SOFTWARE 3D computer graphics software refers to programs used to create 3D computer-generated imagery. 3D modelers are used in a wide variety of industries. The medical industry uses them to create detailed models of organs. The movie industry uses them to create and manipulate characters and objects for animated and real-life motion pictures. The video game industry uses them to create assets for video games. The science sector uses them to create highly detailed models of chemical compounds. The architecture industry uses them to create models of proposed buildings and landscapes. The engineering community uses them to design new devices, vehicles and structures as well as a host of other uses. There are typically many stages in the pipeline that studios and manufacturers use to create 3D objects for film, games, and production of hard goods and structures. Many 3D modelers are general-purpose and can be used to produce models of various real-world entities, from plants to automobiles to people. Some are specially designed to model certain objects, such as chemical compounds or internal organs. 3D modelers allow users to create and alter models via their 3D mesh. Users can add, subtract, stretch and otherwise change the mesh to their desire. Models can be viewed from a variety of angles, usually simultaneously. Models can be rotated and the view can be zoomed in and out. 3D modelers can export their models to files, which can then be imported into other applications as long as the metadata is compatible. Many modelers allow importers and exporters to be plugged-in, so they can read and write data in the native formats of other applications. Most 3D modelers contain a number of related features, such as ray tracers and other rendering alternatives and texture mapping facilities. Some also contain features that support or allow animation of models. Some may be able to generate full-motion video of a series of rendered scenes . Computer animation development equipment Computer animation can be created with a computer and animation software. Some impressive animation can be achieved even with basic programs; however the rendering can take a lot of time on an ordinary home computer. Because of this, video game animators tend to use low resolution, low polygon count renders, such that the graphics can be rendered in real time on a home computer. Photorealistic animation would be impractical in this context. Professional animators of movies, television, and video sequences on computer games make photorealistic animation with high detail. This level of quality for movie animation would take tens to hundreds of years to create on a home computer. Many powerful workstation computers are used instead. Graphics workstation computers use two to four processors, and thus are a lot more powerful than a home computer, and are specialized for rendering. A large number of workstations (known as a render farm) are networked together to effectively act as a giant computer. The result is a computer-animated movie that can be completed in about one to five years . A workstation typically costs $2,000 to $16,000, with the more expensive stations being able to render much faster, due to the more technologically advanced hardware that they contain. Pixars Renderman is rendering software which is widely used as the movie animation industry standard, in competition with Mental Ray. It can be bought at the o fficial Pixar website for about $3,500. It will work on Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows based graphics workstations along with an animation program such as Maya and Softimage XSI. Professionals also use digital movie cameras, motion capture or performance capture, bluescreens, film editing software, props, and other tools for movie animation. Major software packages 3ds Max (Autodesk), originally called 3D Studio MAX, is a comprehensive and versatile 3D application used in film, television, video games and architecture for Windows. It can be extended and customized through its SDK or scripting using a Maxscript. It can use third party rendering options such as Brazil R/S, finalRender and V-Ray. Maya (Autodesk) is currently used in the film and television industry. Maya has developed over the years into an application platform in and of itself through extendability via its MEL programming language. It is available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Softimage (Autodesk) Softimage (formerly Softimage|XSI) is a 3D modeling and animation package that integrates with mental ray rendering. It is feature-similar to Maya and 3DS Max and is used in the production of professional films, commercials, video games, and other media. LightWave 3D (NewTek), first developed for the Amiga, was originally bundled as part of the Video Toaster package and entered the market as a low cost way for TV production companies to create quality CGI for their programming. It first gained public attention with its use in the TV series Babylon 5 and is used in several contemporary TV series. Lightwave is also used in film production. It is available for both Windows and Mac OS X. ZBrush (Pixologic) is a digital sculpting tool that combines 3D/2.5D modeling, texturing and painting tool available for Mac OS X and Windows. It is used to create normal maps for low resolution models to make them look more detailed. Cinema 4D (MAXON) is a light package in its basic configuration. The software is for lay users. It has a lower initial entry cost due to a modular a-la-carte design for purchasing additional functions as users need them. Originally developed for the Amiga, it is also available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. 4. ANIMATION ALONG TIME CGI was first used in movies in 1973s Westworld, a science-fiction film about a society in which robots live and work among humans, though the first use of 3D Wireframe imagery was in its sequel, Futureworld (1976), which featured a computer-generated hand and face created by then University of Southern California graduate students Edwin Catmull and Fred Parke. The third movie to use this technology was Star Wars (1977) for the scenes with the wireframe Death Star plans and the targeting computers in the X-wings and the Millennium Falcon. The Black Hole (1979) used raster wire-frame model rendering to depict a black hole. The science fiction-horror film Alien of that same year also used a raster wire-frame model, in this case to render the image of navigation monitors in the sequence where a spaceship follows a beacon to a land on an unfamiliar planet. In 1978, graduate students at the New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab began work on what would have been the first full-length CGI film, The Works, and a trailer for it was shown at SIGGRAPH 1982, but the film was never completed. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan premiered a short CGI sequence called The Genesis Wave in June 1982. The first two films to make heavy investments in Solid 3D CGI, Tron (1982) and The Last Starfighter (1984), were commercial failures, causing most directors to relegate CGI to images that were supposed to look like they were created by a computer. It was the 1993 film Jurassic Park, however, in which dinosaurs created with CGI were seamlessly integrated into live action scenes, that revolutionized the movie industry. It marked Hollywoods transition from stop-motion animation and conventional optical effects to digital techniques. The following year, CGI was used to create the special effects for Forrest Gump. The most noteworthy effects shots were those that featured the digital removal of actor Gary Sinises legs. Other effects included a napalm strike, the fast-moving Ping-Pong balls, and the digital insertion of Tom Hanks into several scenes of historical footage. Two-dimensional CGI increasingly appeared in traditionally animated films, where it supplemented the use of hand-illustrated cels. Its uses ranged from digital tweening motion between frames, to eye-catching quasi-3D effects, such as the ballroom scene in Beauty and the Beast. In 1993, Babylon 5 became the first television series to use CGI as the primary method for its visual effects (rather than using hand-built models). It also marked the first TV use of virtual sets. That same year, Insektors became the first full-length completely computer animated TV series. Soon after, in 1994, the hit Canadian CGI show ReBoot aired. Toy Story(1995) was the first fully computer-generated feature film. In 1995, the first fully computer-generated feature film, Disney-Pixars Toy Story, was a resounding commercial success. Additional digital animation studios such as Blue Sky Studios (20th Century Fox), DNA Productions (Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros.), Omation Studios (Paramount Pictures), Sony Pictures Animation (Columbia Pictures), Vanguard Animation (Walt Disney Pictures, Lions Gate Entertainment and 20th Century Fox), Big Idea Productions (Universal Pictures and FHE Pictures), Animal Logic (Warner Bros.) and Pacific Data Images (Dreamworks SKG) went into production, and existing animation companies, such as The Walt Disney Company, began to make a transition from traditional animation to CGI. Between 1995 and 2005 the average effects budget for a wide-release feature film skyrocketed from $5 million to $40 million. According to one studio executive, as of 2005[update], more than half of feature films have significant effects. However, CGI has made up for the expenditures by g rossing over 20% more than their real-life counterparts. In the early 2000s, computer-generated imagery became the dominant form of special effects. The technology progressed to the point that it became possible to include virtual stunt doubles. Camera tracking software was refined to allow increasingly complex visual effects developments that were previously impossible. Computer-generated extras also became used extensively in crowd scenes with advanced flocking and crowd simulation software. Virtual sets, in which part or all of the background of a shot is digitally generated, also became commonplace. The timeline of CGI in film and television shows a detailed list of pioneering uses of computer-generated imagery in film and television. CGI for films is usually rendered at about 1.4-6 megapixels. Toy Story, for example, was rendered at 1536  ÃƒÆ'-  922 (1.42MP). The time to render one frame is typically around 2-3 hours, with ten times that for the most complex scenes. This time hasnt changed much in the last decade, as image quality has progressed at the same rate as improvements in hardware, since with faster machines, more and more complexity becomes feasible. Exponential increases in GPUs processing power, as well as massive increases in parallel CPU power, storage and memory speed and size have greatly increased CGIs potential. In 2001, Square Pictures created the CGI film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, which made headlines for attempting to create photo-realistic human actors. The film was not a box-office success. Some commentators have suggested this may be partly because the lead CGI characters had facial features which fell into the uncanny valley. Square Pictures produced only two more films using a similar visual style Final Flight of the Osiris, a short film which served as a prologue to The Matrix Reloaded and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, based on their extremely popular video game series. Developments in CGI technologies are reported each year at SIGGRAPH, an annual conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques, attended each year by tens of thousands of computer professionals. Developers of computer games and 3D video cards strive to achieve the same visual quality on personal computers in real-time as is possible for CGI films and animation. With the rapid advancement of real-time rendering quality, artists began to use game engines to render non-interactive movies. This art form is called machinima. This is a chronological list of films and television programs that have been recognised as being pioneering in their use of computer-generated imagery. 5. THE FUTURE OF ANIMATION One open challenge in computer animation is a photorealistic animation of humans. Currently, most computer-animated movies show animal characters, fantasy characters, anthropomorphic machines or cartoon-like humans. The movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is often cited as the first computer-generated movie to attempt to show realistic-looking humans. However, due to the enormous complexity of the human body, human motion, and human biomechanics, realistic simulation of humans remains largely an open problem. Another problem is the distasteful psychological response to viewing nearly perfect animation of humans, known as the uncanny valley. It is one of the holy grails of computer animation. Eventually, the goal is to create software where the animator can generate a movie sequence showing a photorealistic human character, undergoing physically-plausible motion, together with clothes, photorealistic hair, a complicated natural background, and possibly interacting with other simul ated human characters. This could be done in a way that the viewer is no longer able to tell if a particular movie sequence is computer-generated, or created using real actors in front of movie cameras. Complete human realism is not likely to happen very soon, and when it does it may have major repercussions for the film industry. For the moment it looks like three dimensional computer animation can be divided into two main directions; photorealistic and non-photorealistic rendering. Photorealistic computer animation can itself be divided into two subcategories; real photorealism (where performance capture is used in the creation of the virtual human characters) and stylized photorealism. Real photorealism is what Final Fantasy tried to achieve and will in the future most likely have the ability to give us live action fantasy features as The Dark Crystal without having to use advanced puppetry and animatronics, while Antz is an example on stylistic photorealism . None of them mentioned are perfected as of yet, but the progress continues. The non-photorealistic/cartoonish direction is more like an extension of traditional animation, an attempt to make the animation look like a three dimensional version of a cartoon, still using and perfecting the main principles of animation articulated by the Nine Old Men, such as squash and stretch. While a single frame from a photorealistic computer-animated feature will look like a photo if done right, a single frame vector from a cartoonish computer-animated feature will look like a painting (not to be confused with cel shading, which produces an even simpler look).

SmartCards :: essays research papers

SmartCards What is a Smartcard A Smartcard is a standard credit card sized plastic card with an integrated circuit embedded in it. This integrated circuit includes a microprocessor and a bit of memory, which together hold information in electronic form and controls who uses the information and how they use it. The Smartcards ability to store and control many different types of information, as well as its large storage capacity, gives rise to several Smartcard applications. For example, a single Smartcard could take the place of a credit card, a debit card and even be used as an electronic purse to carry Electric-cash (E-cash). The plastic card itself can incorporate words and pictures or graphics printed on it which can be easily understood by the card holder as well as the people the card holder meets. The integrated circuit holds information in electronic form that can be easily, securely and accurately accessed by all sorts of electronic data processing equipment. Some Smartcards are smarter than others, the smartness of a card depends on the complexity of the embedded processor, as well as the software that is installed on the chip. Even the simplest cards, like the pay phone cards, are smart enough that they are virtually impossible to copy or falsify. However, the simplest Smartcards do not provide any security against unauthorized use. In other words, if you lose your pay phone card, anyone else can use it. There are of course smarter cards that provide such security by incorporating a password or even a biometric identifier such as a fingerprint to restrict its use to one person. The most sophisticated cards can manage several passwords and can use authentication and ciphering techniques to provide virtually total security. History behind Smartcards In January 1974 Roland Moreno, a Frenchman and former reporter, devised a revolutionary new payment system. His idea was an electronic stored value application mounted on a ring. His idea was simple, when the bearer needed money, they would 'load'; the currency onto the ring therefore enabling the bearer to be able to spend electronic money at a store which had the suitable electronic equipment. Then in March 1974 Roland presented his project to a few French banks where he demonstrated a transaction-taking place from the ring to the reading device. In September 1974 the first chip was mounted onto an epoxy card and this was the birth of 'Smartcards';. Then in the next few years Smartcards evolved and took on the size of a credit card.

Red Bull Brand Essay

Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, selling over three billion cans annually. Started in 1987 by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz, Red Bull pursued an aggressive yet different marketing strategy to grow their brand globally. Red Bull met an untapped need within the beverage consumer market and the strength of their carefully cultivated brand provided them leverage to market themselves in a non-traditional manner. What were the key Brand elements for Red Bull? A brand element is trademarkable device intended to identify unique goods or services and differentiate themselves from their competition. Brand elements are designed to enhance brand awareness by cultivating brand associations that are memorable, meaningful, and likeable. Red Bull possesses three key brand elements that helped create points of differentiation (POD) for the Red Bull brand; therefore positioning Red Bull as the world’s dominant functional energy drink. Brand Name – â€Å"Red Bull† – Red Bull is an energy drink that promises to â€Å"revitalize body and mind†. Recognizing that Red Bull does not have a distinct target demographic, Red Bull concluded that all people need energy and promoted Red Bull as consumption for energy and health, not for enjoyment. Red Bull Mystique – By positioning Red Bull with influential people and places, ccurious and adventurous customers tried the brand and spread the word. Red Bull promoted a â€Å"cool† public image to raise their brand power and used a slender container to suggest a â€Å"sexier† image than their competitors. A mysterious position created a sense of need and urgency to the everyday consumer. Slogan – â€Å"Red Bull gives you wiiings!!† – Red Bull is marketed as a product that can refuel a person and create sharper minds. The combination of six different ingredients (taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine, B-group vitamins, sucrose, and glucose) enables Red Bull drinks to contain more energy than any beverage in the marketplace. Red Bull also used humorous animated cartoon characters to demonstrate the safety and fun-loving virtues their energy drink. This slogan helped create worldwide brand recognition. How did Red Bull’s marketing activities contribute to Brand equity? Brand equity is defined as achieving a different outcome resulting from the marketing of a product or service because of its b rand name, compared to the same product or service without the brand name. Red Bull built their brand equity through strategic marketing initiatives involving the product, price, placement, packaging, and promotion of the Red Bull functional energy drink. Product – Red Bull was designed to improve physical endurance, stimulate metabolism, improve overall well-being, improve speed and concentration, and increase mental alertness. The flavor, color, texture, and ingredients of the drink were markedly different from a traditional carbonated beverage. The energy drink beverage category did not exist – Red Bull created it and was able to generate tremendous brand equity by marketing the product in shroud of mystery. Consumer felt they HAD to try a Red Bull. Price – Red Bull pursued a premium priced beverage strategy from the beginning. By adding 10% to the most expensive competitor’s price, Red Bull tried to position itself as a best in class product because of the added energy-enhancing functionality. Pricing above the competition, Red Bull positioned their brand to be unique, one of the tenets needed for creating strong brand equity. Placement – Red Bull used product placement to build brand equity by containing their distribution and selectively choosing the events, venues, and advertising medium to display their product. By limiting the amount of product available at hand-picked locations, an aura of exclusivity was engineered. The â€Å"cell† philosophy of expansion and growth by dividing key markets into targeted geographic segments allowed Red Bull to strengthen their brand from bottom up, fostering strong brand equity. Packaging – Red Bull used a thinner and more slender looking can, signaling that the product was different than a traditional soda beverage. Also, Red Bull would not extend bulk packaging or unit bundling so each can had to be individually sold by the retailer AND purchased by the consumer. The sleek look and steadfast packaging requirement grew the value of the Red Bull brand Promotion – Red Bull used aggressive media campaigns to grow their brand but only promoted events, venues, and/or personalities that coincided with their brand strategy. They performed very little traditional product promotion, rather focusing on promoting fringe athletic events like extreme sports and relying on the consumer’s self-promotion. Positive consumer testimonials are better than some of the best promotional material money can buy. Peer pressure helped Red Bull’s brand equity to grow exponentially. How did Red Bull’s marketing programs differ from those of conventional soft drinks? Red Bull used advertising, event sponsorship, and sports marketing to promote their product as a functional energy drink. Red Bull aimed to make their marketing programs innovative, individual, non-conformist, unpredictable, and humorous. Rather than pursue conventional marketing me thods, Dietrich Mateschitz felt that the best method for Red Bull to attract customers would be through peer testimonials – or word-of-mouth marketing. More importantly, Mateschitz and team were intent on creating a mystique for Red Bull. Through seeding programs designed to micro-target â€Å"it† shops, clubs, bars, and stores, cultural leaders were the first to discover Red Bull and spread the word to their sphere of influence. By seeking out opinion leaders who represented the Red Bull brand (athletes or entertainment celebrities) and creating limited availability of the product, Red Bull was able to maximize their awareness while focusing on their consumer base building. Pre-marketing, creating awareness in markets where the product wasn’t sold, was another program that Red Bull used to become recognized as the pre-eminent brand of energy drinks. Red Bull expended tremendous effort around product trialing and sampling. The bulk of Red Bull’s marketing activity encourages product trials with sampling, word of mouth, and point of purchase efforts. Red Bull sought to reach consumers in ideal usage situations (concerts, parties, sporting events, highway rest areas, on campus) and wanted to control the amount of consumers that sampled the product. Red Bull deployed energetic and believable brand managers who evangelized the product through explanation and consumption. This controlled product distribution allowed the consumer to see the dedication and focus of each brand manager but did not permit for maximum product reach. Traditional beverage marketers usually try to maximize the number of consumers their product reaches so Red Bull’s strategy flew in the face of the industry standard. What rules were broken during the initial unsuccessful launch of Red Bull UK, per the CBBE model? The Customer-Based Brand Equity Model (CBBE) recognizes that the customer is aware of and familiar with a sp ecific brand and holds a strong, favorable, and unique brand associations in memory, i.e. brand image. Brand associations can be strengthened by personal relevance and/or consistent delivery. Historically, direct product experience creates the strongest brand attributes and benefit associations for consumers. After multiple setbacks trying to enter the United Kingdom, Red Bull found an entry point into Scotland but varied their traditional market entry strategy. Red Bull made three strategic mistakes upon entering the United Kingdom: 1) Altered their marketing formula by classifying their product as a sports drink and not a stimulation drink By marketing Red Bull as a sports drink and not an energy drink, Red Bull UK took a strong brand name that was successfully associated with energy drinks and changed the unique favorable links that Red Bull created with consumers in other EU nations. 2) Departed from their proven â€Å"word-of-mouth† marketing strategy The Red Bull brand was created by grassroots, bottoms-up word-of mouth marketing. In the UK, brand managers worked directly with the largest supermarkets and convenience outlets. This is a deviation from the strategy that fueled Red Bull’s growth in other markets and deteriorated consumer’s brand association with Red Bull. 3) Overhauled the Red Bull advertising strategy by eschewing electronic media for traditional billboards By changing their advertising strategy, the creativity and simplicity of the animated Red Bull ads and precisely worded slogans lost much of their meaning. How can Red Bull maintain its growth momentum in the future? Red Bull continues to be the global leader in the functional energy beverage category. However, the marketplace has become saturated with competition from hundreds of companies, both small and large, in many different markets around the world. In order to main tain their dominant position in the market, Red Bull continued to innovate. They began offering a sugar-free product and recognized that their product’s consumption reason changed as more consumers are using Red Bull as a mixer or supplement. Red Bull also contemplated venturing into herbal tea products, a quarterly magazine, and fast food restaurants. In contemplating how Red Bull can continue to grow their brand’s momentum in an increasingly competitive marketplace, I thought of three ideas – two suggestions for product diversification and one concept for increasing brand exclusivity. Red Bull Gum – An edgy gum would help grow the value of the brand and expand the Red Bull mystique. Red Bull does not have a target demographic but they market their energy drinks to consumers who are innovative, individualistic, non-conformist, unpredictable, and humorous. Creating Red Bull gum would serve as a natural complement to their suite of energy drinks. The gum could be shaped in a solid round shape and contain a small drop of Red Bull energy juice inside, similar in texture and fill to the popular Trident or Dentyne brands. The pricing strategy for the gum would be consistent with the pricing strategy for the energy drink (10% above the nearest competitor) but I would recommend giving away the initial product as a sampling practice during Red Bull sponsored events to create interest and raise brand awareness. Red Bull gum should be offered in convenience, drug, and grocery stores. Offering the gum at bars and night clubs would not be ideal. The packaging for Red Bull gum could look like miniature Red Bull can – long, slender and cylindrical. I would use aluminum foil wrapper rather than an actual miniature can but the design should be identical to the energy drink can. To promote Red Bull gum, I would have Red Bull’s top athletes and entertainers create spots (either over the internet or on traditional TV and radio mediums) that should how Red Bull gum provided the same benefit as the energy drink. I would also conduct extensive sampling at universities and trendy public urban settings; to help raise the â€Å"coolness† quotient. Finally, Red Bull gum could be produced with sugar or sugar-free, tying in nicely to the brand extension of the energy drink and helping to raise the overall brand equity. Red Bull Heart Monitors – Red Bull has received criticism over the years causing certain aliments, specifically related to the heart and circulatory system. Although it has never been scientifically proven that Red Bull causes any negative side effects, Red Bull has received numerous public accusations claiming problems from repeated use of the energy drink. As a consumer of Red Bull for years, I have personally felt the aftereffects of consuming too much Red Bull in one evening. I never felt that my health was in danger but I know that my circulatory system was acting abnormally. Since Red Bull brands itself as an energy drink that promotes an active and healthy lifestyle, creating a wristwatch heart monitor would help send the message that Red Bull heard the criticism and is actively working to educate consumers about any risks associated with Red Bull. The wristwatch heart monitor can be plastic and have a digital readout of your heart rate. The price would be between $30-50 in the US (or its equivalent in other markets). I would design the watch to match the Red Bull color scheme and would also offer it three standard mono-chromatic colors (black, white, silver). I would suggest the product be sold at big box retailers/sporting goods stores after the watch has been sampled at niche extreme/outdoor stores. I would consider offering it to online retailers and medical supply organizations. However, I would want to keep the focus on athletics and healthy living so I would see how market adoption occurred at the niche stores before expanding my distribution channels. Promotional displays could be set up in the niche stores as well as energy drink retailers, select physical therapy offices, gyms, fitness centers, and Red Bull sponsored extreme athletic events. As a doctor, my brother constantly warns me about the risks of ingesting too much Red Bull. Offering consumers a branded opportunity to self-regulate their health and alleviate their concerns would be another method for Red Bull to increase brand equity. Red Bull Fraternity – Red Bull provides an energy drink that gives consumers â€Å"wiiings†. As previously mentioned, Red Bull does not believe that they have a target demographic. However, Red Bull does promote the athletic and thrill-seeking adventure type. If Red Bull were to create a Red Bull fraternity (ΓΒÎ ¦) that would allow consumers to become members by completing a series of Red Bull sponsored challenges and events, the possibility for brand strengthening would be endless. The goal of the fraternity would be to continually promote the Red Bull lifestyle through exclusivity and activity. A Greek organization inherently contains an air of mystery, which coincides with Red Bull’s market entry and expansion strategies. Greek life would be extremely familiar to the university crowd, where Red Bull performs a large percentage of their sampling, and Red Bull could draw large crowds of passionate users to the â€Å"pledging† events. Once the â€Å"pledge† period ended, members of ΓΒÎ ¦ would have closer access to all things Red Bull – sponsored parties, athletes, entertainers, new product offerings, priority status at high-profile events, discounts on products and merchandise, etc. I would charge a one-time fee to â€Å"pledge† the fraternity. There would also be annual fees –â€Å"dues† – and not all activities open to the fraternity members would be free but being a member would provide strong discounts and incentives that would not be available to non-members. A fraternity, by definition, is an all-male institution; I would permit men and women of all ages to join – remember Red Bull does not have a target demographic!