Microsoft PowerPoint Essay Example for Free

Microsoft PowerPoint Essay The development of add-ins into existing and established computer applications such as Microsoft’s PowerPoint is increasing use and function extending not only the longevity of programs but also software development and networking. The PowerPoint versions beginning with the 2003 edition have allowed for greater among Microsoft’s in-house as well as independent developers to create add-ins for various users that in effect has created UI’s unique for individual users (Wenzel, 2007). Majority of the add-ins that has been developed have focused on enhancing the visual appeal of PowerPoint such as animation, interactivity and media. The effort is seen to be motivated by the objective of making PowerPoint not just a basic or generalist presentation (Microsoft Office, 2007). Bridging between Microsoft programs is also evident since the add-ins do not only affect PowerPoint but also other Office programs as well as other non-Office programs such as Producer 2003 or independent programs produced by Macromedia, Java and even open source technology (Harrison, 2001; â€Å"Microsoft PowerPoint Add-Ins†, 2002). Thought there have also been efforts in developing add-ins to extend from the Microsoft platform, there are still significant security issues particularly regarding macros, language and technology copyrights. Overall, current developments in PowerPoint add-ins remain focused on UI development and visual development and functionality. Accesses to the program’s functions have not differed significantly except for the increased control over performance to afford shifting between desktop and mobile use (Wenzel, 2007). The strategy for the PowerPoint franchise is its ease of use and the remaining dominance of Microsoft operating systems as a platform. However, the add-ins are indication that other operating systems are being recognized and the need to be user-focused in development.

Reviewing Indian Culture And Society Senarios Film Studies Essay

Reviewing Indian Culture And Society Senarios Film Studies Essay Hindi cinema has always been a major point of reference for Indian culture and society. Not only has it shaped but also expressed the changing scenarios and contours of Indias cultural and societal sentiments to such an extent that no other preceding art form could ever achieve. Hindi cinema has influenced the way in which people perceive and deal with various aspects of their own lives. Movies now portray live-in relationships, girlfriends and boyfriends, pre-marital sex, corruption, people following live and let live policy in life and family, liberal parents, colleges are depicted like dating parties and professors like friends. Of course one has to admit that it is all exaggerated and blown up, sometimes even in epic proportions, but the core idea, the crux, the central theme, comes from the society itself. Obviously those situations and reflections of life and society are exaggerated and blown up converting it all into a motion picture with elements of drama, suspense and comedy so as to attract spectators. The society and the world that we live in is changing and these changes are echoed in the cinema. Lets take the example of the humble and illiterate mother or ma depicted in the Hindi movies of 60s, through the 70s right till the 80. The ma was a female figure, an epitome of sacrifice and hard work, caring and bothered about nothing but her children. She burned the midnight oil to stitch clothes to afford two meals a day and to pay for the heros BA degree, has slowly got replaced with the modern, educated and sometimes even independent mom. The heroine who was normally a simple homely girl has now been replaced by a woman who is not only educated and bold but is also confident about her sexuality. The hero no longer falls in love with a innocent uneducated gaon-ki-gori. He has now been replaced by a simple boy next door with no palaces to live in, with human capabilities, flaws and aspirations. The result is that the audience can now easily relate with the lead characters of the film. But there is a different aspect, a different side to the coin, as well; cinema itself can herald or bring about changes in the society. It inspires fashion and crimes when people try to mimic what they see in movies, failing to realise that what they see on screen is an altered or modified version of reality that is made to look glamorous though instruments and technology and that life like cinema is not predictable. But, there are some movies that bring about positive changes as well like the recent change in the old policy followed by CBSE as a result the movie Tare Zameen Par (2007). CBSE now gives extra time to dyslexic students for their board exams. Similarly, public interest in hockey was renewed after the hit movie Chak De (2007). So it wouldnt be wrong to say that cinema isnt just a source of popular entertainment for families and individuals, but also a vehicle of social change, as it should be. Audiences like to see the familiar on screen. They like to see what they know, what they are aware of, what they believe and it is this reflection on screen that caters to the tastes and sensibilities of the masses. People derive joy, pleasure and amusement when they watch such films and therefore it is the audience that decides what goes into a film. Next it is the investor. The producer of a film would want to invest in something that would fetch him some returns on his investment and therefore they put their money in films that would make the audience happy and consequently bring in the greens for the investors. Unless a film caters to the mass audience, it will not be economically viable. The representation of women is often used as a selling point of the films. Audience likes to watch women on screen in various song and dance routines, in stereotypical images, in various costumes ( as discussed in chapter 2) and the reflection of women on screen change from time to time with changing trends in the continuously evolving society ( as discussed in chapter 3). It is true that the changing ideologies of a society have the power over what is depicted on screen and how it is depicted but another truth is the fact that the patriarchal undercurrents in our society are still the same. Women are still depicted in a way that caters to the male gaze. Women are still categorised and this has been achieved through song and dance sequences, through various forms of dress and through stereotypical images. All these factors help to compartmentalise women, turn them into a fetish leaving no room for the real woman to be depicted on screen. A cursory glance on the history on Hindi cinema and the changing trends of society and cinema leads one to believe that Bollywood has progressed over time in terms of depiction of women. Globalization and western culture has had a strong influence and a huge impact on the content films, the locations where they are shot and even the settings. But a closer examination of the films reveal that indeed there has been progress, but only in terms of technological devices that are used for special effects, locations as in they are more scenic, the films have begun to represent N.R.Is, the speech has westernised, the dresses have a modern influence and the entire aspect of film making and marketing has becoming more commercial and corporate like. It has truly become an Industry, a business. Women are still depicted or portrayed in the old moulds of feminity. Heroines are westernised, as is everything around them, but this has resulted in turning a woman into a commodity that needs to be made a spectacle of so that the film can sell well. The western influence and modernisation has led to more skin show in order to make the film commercially viable as it is now sold to Indian as well as western audiences. Mythology, religion, notions and ideas about family and tradition, cultural ethos, all of these strongly influence Bollywood and consequently the representation of women on screen. But one must understand that all these values that dictate the trends of Bollywood are ruled and dominated by the premise of patriarchy and therefore women are represented in a manner which is submissive to these values and therefore subject to control by men. The women are shown in subordinate roles, upholding traditional values. They represent the community and are seen as repository of community values. Women authenticate a national/cultural identity. The body of the woman is the carrier of cultural signs. Symbols of marriage like the mangalsutra, sindoor etc. are fetishized.  [1]   Women are represented as prototypes, one dimensional characters as daughters, wives, daughter-in-law, courtesan, lover, widow. Such stereotypes have no personal traits, no substance in terms of character and temperament; they only exist in relation to men, to heroes on screen. They are there as foils to the male characters so as to highlight their characteristics. Feminity as it is outlined by the premise of patriarchy is more often than not adhered to in Indian films. However, through an analysis of new emerging trends in Bollywood cinema as well as the parallel cinema, it becomes clearly visible that some women break this mould. There are films that portray women in bold and strong characters and sometimes even as individuals but such films are not very successful commercially. And also the answer to the question whether women in Hindi cinema are constructed so as to attract male gaze remains yes because even in those films, the heroines who played the bold, strong and individual characters were good looking and attractive, they were used in various song and dance sequences and were objectified through the use of costumes and other cinematic tools. There have been attempts to emancipate women from the constraining stereotypical moulds through representation of strong women characters in powerful roles in mainstream cinema but they have been only partially successful because those films were made but they werent very successful. The art movies or parallel cinema as they call it, emerging in the 1970s, avoided objectifying women, and focussed on showcasing the prevalent oppression and exploitation of women in our society. But the overriding themes, ideologies and concepts of religion, culture and tradition have a very strong foothold when it comes to Hindi cinema and they entrap representation of women in fixed moulds of stereotypes strengthened by patriarchy. Events seldom catapult women characters of Indian cinema to a white-hot spotlight. They are dumped into the quagmires of tension-packed fireworks of the home-prison or the ambitious exploitations of healers and killers, lovers and betrayers. The women are shown as having no spheres of their own, no independent identity, no living space. They go down in collective memory as organic imperfections, ramshackle, rickety, unhinged creations, mere fictional constructs of the fragile handle with care male ego.  [2]   Hindi films with excellent photography, picturesque locations, designer costumes and gorgeous heroines enthral and influence audiences in a manner which slowly and steadily transforms the way they think and perceive the world around them. The youth that forms a large chunk of the audience start aping what is shown in screen in terms of costumes, language, style and above all the norms and ideologies highlighted by the films. These ideologies prescribe that domestic bliss and societal recognition is achievable only through submission to the pre-established hierarchies. One of the dictates of such ideologies is that women should be submissive and subordinate to the males in family and in society in general. Films often show heroes pursuing the heroines not with poetry, as the idea of chivalry preaches, but with songs and sequences that manhandle the heroine, pestering her with antics like playing with her dupatta, pulling and pinching her cheeks, blocking her path, coming too close for comfort and sometimes even kissing her without her permission. The girl initially tries to get away from this brute but finally gives in to him and accepts his love. The marvel of marvels happens when she succumbs to such degrading antics and is won over by his charm. Is it any wonder that eve teasing is rampant in this country when films show women giving in to such demeaning and crude gestures used by the male in the film in order to court her? In case a girl is raped in a film, the girl is compelled to marry the perpetuator of such a deplorable and detestable act. The girl isnt even asked if she wants to spend the rest of her life with the man responsible for violating her physically and psychologically in such a horrendous manner and robbing her of her freedom. The woman becomes the property of the man who ruined her life. If she refuses to marry her rapist she is immediately alienated from the society and is deemed undeserving of anyones sympathy and support for she refused to marry the man who violated her and then was willing to provide for her as his wife. The perpetuator, the criminal here becomes noble and self-righteous for in the act of agreeing to marry the woman he raped hes redeemed himself. The victim, if she refuses to marry him, becomes ungrateful, perverted and promiscuous for she refused a mans offer of marriage, a man who as per the norm, could have shrugged off all responsibility towards her. Most Hindi films portray love stories between a rich boy and a poor girl or vice versa. The predictable and often repeated story line being that they meet, fall in love, encounter opposition from their respective families, communities and society and finally they get married after innumerable trials and tribulations. The rich boy who wants to marry below his station is considered noble, heroic, sacrificing and generous while a rich girl who wants to marry the poor boy is often portrayed as fashionable, independent, spoilt, pampered and bratty who desperately needs to be tamed and domesticated so as to bring her in line with what the society expects. In other words she needs to wear Indian dresses with bindi and bangles, should be able cook and serve to the family and finally should see her husband as her sole reason for existence. This she is transformed into by the poor boy who as reward gets the woman as a trophy in the end. The whole idea defies logic. Why would a rich and pampere d girl want to marry a poor boy for there are enough good men in the world with the same moneyed background? The underlying patriarchal assumption being that any man is good enough to marry a girl, rich or poor doesnt matter. A woman, in a film, who puts her aspirations, ambitions and career before family is considered ruthless and also at time unwomanly but if a man does the same he becomes noble and virtuous. If a woman does it she is to be condemned for her professional goals come in the way of serving the family and her husband but if a man does it he is doing so to provide for his family which is commendable. The double standards of the society and hypocrisy of the patriarchal ideologies promoted by films are more than evident but such films are accepted by the audiences and they go on to become hits. The same ideology and story is repeated film after film transforming the ideology into a norm that soon becomes a trend followed by the people. Wielding the camera is probably a more onerous responsibility than wielding the pen, as the visual medium is several times more powerful than the written one. Add to this the sway that tinsel towns charismatic heartthrobs have over the masses and the job of film makers as arbiters of taste and public opinion becomes that much more accountable.  [3]   The ideology of patriarchy works through the concept of female morality setting territorial limits for the whole idea of feminine identity and exposing the hypocrisy of male attitude that ultimately seeks patriarchal domination of women. A females body remains central to the societys as well as her realization of self. Patriarchy, that asserts itself through marriage, adultery and rape, works through the female body. On the other hand a female who tries to resist patriarchy uses her body to express her freedom, desire and sexuality. Powerful woman characters and their impact is eclipsed by the manner in which she is depicted as stereotypes trapping a woman in roles that submit to the dictatorial conventions of our society in the process inhibiting the qualities of a woman as an individual at peace with herself and comfortable in the world of her personal aspirations and interests. This is because a girl child in the formative years of growing up is conditioned through the process of socialization where her freedom and liberty is cut down drastically. At a very young age she learns to submit to the whims and fancies of the patriarchal society. She gives in to the tyrannies of our society and forgets all about her own emotional, social and financial needs along with her individual aspirations. Women in our society are perceived and therefore represented as inferior beings. The realities of the patriarchal society and the standards set by it make the woman under confident and make her believe that the only form of security she can achieve is through obedience to the society that terrorizes her to begin with. This ideology perpetuated by the masculine world around her makes a woman consent to the unreasonable emotional, social and financial demands made upon her, all in the name of peace, happiness, order and security.

Summary of Where are you going where have you been? by Joyce Carol Oate

Fallen Angel We all have been there. After a long days work, all we are thinking about is getting home. As you head towards your car, you notice the darkness around you and suddenly feel that you are not alone. Your pace increases and you begin to sweat mildly. If you could just get there, you’d be safe. Suddenly, you hear a noise and decide the best thing for you to do is ignore it. As you approach you car and unlock it, you sigh with relief that you’ve finally have made it. For many, our minds play tricks on us when we feel a moment of fear, however for others it may turn out to be their worst nightmare. In the story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† by Joyce Carol Oates, a young girl is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever when she is confronted by a man obsessed with her beauty. In the beginning, the author introduces Connie, a 15-year-old teenager, who is a self-centered girl that believes beauty is everything. Her mother however, does not see her for her beauty, but for her lack of ambition. She constantly compares her to her olde...

Frederick Douglass :: biographies bio biography

Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) Frederick Douglass was born to a slave as well as a white slave owner. Aside from being born a slave, Frederick Douglass was able to teach himself how to read and write. Douglass involved himself in the improvement of the lives of other black men. Douglass was able to organize a small revolt against his owner and survived the revolt. Frederick Douglass’s book was published in 1845 and was named Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Douglass’ narrative is a recount of the tough life on the plantations before his escape to New York. Douglas describes in this narrative the senseless acts of cruelty on the part of the masters as well as the debased lives of the slaves. Frederick Douglass greatly contributed to the emancipation cause. Among Douglass’ several contributions was the recruitment of Negro volunteers during the Civil War period. Frederick Douglass also played a key role in safeguarding and preserving the right of his fellow freed men. Douglass later worked as a secretary of the Santo Domingo Commission, Recorder of Deeds in the District of Columbia and United States Minister to Haiti Frederick Douglas's Escape to Freedom Although Frederick Douglass did not go into great detail about his escape from his master to freedom in New York, he does describe the trying times he encountered once arriving in the free state of New York. The following excerpt is from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. "I have been frequently asked how I felt when I found myself in a free State. I have never been able to answer the question with any satisfaction to myself. It was a moment of the highest excitement I ever experienced†¦. In writing to a dear friend, immediately after my arrival in New York, I said I felt like one who had escaped a den of hungry lions. This state of mind, however, very soon subsided; and I was again seized with a feeling of loneliness.

The Conflict over the Star Wars Defense System :: essays papers

The Conflict over the Star Wars Defense System Presently, the threat of missiles is very dangerous. The missiles include biological, chemical, and of course, nuclear missiles. Our nation, the US, is one of the richest and most powerful nations on the world. Since we are so strong, many countries threaten us and endanger the citizens. Lately, a system called the Star Wars SDI was initialized during the Reagan Administration. The system involves lasers that will fry the chips in missiles. That will cause the missile to stop in its flight and not detonate. Now, it is being researched again. But even though the Star Wars system seems flawless, it shouldn^t be employed. The system uses up a huge sum of money. It will cost about $1 trillion to set it up. Regular ground-based missile defenses are almost 10 times cheaper. The nation should protect its citizens with all their money, but the Star Wars system was never tested. The lasers have been used many times in laboratories, but the whole assemblage can malfunction before we even try it. People should know what type of defense system is protecting them and should know if it will defend them fully. The country^s taxes pay for the system, but some people may not want the money they pay to be used for violent reasons. While we are making the strongest weapons we could, the nation can do better things that will help not only us but the world. Too many weapons will cause us to get greedy and too powerful. Many other countries despise us. Countries like Russia, China, and even small ones like North Korea are powerful and the US doesn^t have really good relations with them. They may be stalwart, but they still want our technology and power. Most of the countries are not as wealthy as us. Some are also hostile. They wish to obtain our weaponry. If we do employ the SW system, it may violate international peace treaties because we might build the weapon without their consent. Already, the US is involved in battles between countries like Iraq and Yugoslavia. The system can worsen our relations with other countries. The danger from those hostile countries is near. They may prepare to bomb us since they loathe us. Nuclear missiles can be launched at our capital and major cities any moment without us knowing it. The only thing is that the countries don^t have missiles that will travel this far.

Giving Credit Essay

Abstract In this assignment we compare the lives of two men that created inventions that changed the world we live in. Throughout their careers and success’ they had hurdles to jump and become innovative thinkers to create futures in their challenging industry. Great men and thinkers can move mountains and open paths to new industries. Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due As entrepreneurs in a growing world of technology and change Andy Grove and Michael Dell pioneered the industry. They were innovators, visionaries and industry leaders in their fields. Andy Grove envisioned change to create faster and more productive ways to utilize the way we process information. As an immigrant he passed through the walls of terror in his home country of Hungry which was facing many issues of destruction that the Nazi’s enforced. He fled to the United States in the 1960’s to create a better life and future for himself. Andy established a small company that he called Intel which created an immense new future for the computer technology. His contributions awarded him the esteem acknowledgement as Time Magazine’s person of the year. He pursued his dreams as all inventors to create products and progress in the ever-changing need for new technology. Andy Grove created the chip and the microprocessor that allowed information to be processed much faster and smaller in size. Mr. Dell also an inventor at an early age set up a laboratory in his dorm room while attending college to create his personal computer. His success with the personal computer caught on quick because he used a direct theory to include his customer in the structure of his product. Michael Dell believed that understanding his customer’s needs and issues would enable Dell to create good competitive products. He believed that cutting the middlemen out of the sales market would allow him that advantage. With that direct approach Dell was able to endure many obstacles as well as the recession that created market crashes in the early 2000’s. (Krames, Jeffrey A. What the Best CEOs Know: 7 Exceptional Leaders and Their Lessons for Transforming Any Business) Both Andy Grove and Michael Dell endured much criticism from competitors  because of their business approach and products and business logic. Mr. Grove instilled paranoia in his corporate CEOs so that they could become fearful of being caught off guard. Mr. Dell used his customers to create standards that would give him the leading edge over his competitors. Both were accused of manipulating the industry and deceiving the product consumers. Intel was accused of creating an inferior product that put fear into the consumer to believe the chips that were being used would create disastrous failures to the products who endorsed his chip. Dell had a simple approach to create sales and marketing by lowering the cost of his product by cutting out the middlemen which made him more competitive and viable to sustain the economic downfalls. His competitors accused him of lowering his cost so as to drive the market sales away from the non profitable companies. Both Mr. Grove and Mr. Dell used simple methods to approach the needs and creativity of the growing markets. Andy Grove made sure that being too comfortable with the products that his company offered just wasn’t going to be enough. He looked ahead to keep creating new products that would soon be replaced by a growing need for better technology. Mr. Dell never doubted his approach to keep his overhead down and modeled his success on a customer based product. He believed creating his product for the customers rather than just offering his product without realizing their valuable input. Their similarities are based on what the customer and technology needs to sustain a profitable and sustainable future. They share innovative ideas in product development and customer based satisfaction. They differed by the way each approached the markets, Intel needed to create a superior product sooner and more often to keep up with changing technologies. Dell used the customer to create products based on the user need. Each approached their core values of business and what works for them to create value and sustainability. Dell had the market share by using the internet to generate sales through machine to machine based sales and conserved his manpower to keep the cost of his product low. Intel spent many hours of research and product development to create new and innovative ground breaking products that led the industry standards. Mr. Grove believed that being complacent would drive him out of the industry and eventually close the doors. He encouraged his CEOs to listen to his sales team to find out the needs of the customers Andy Grove referred to those individuals as â€Å"Cassandra’s† that would pass on valuable customer feedback. His pushes to create paranoia made Intel strong and create rather than become comfortable because Grove feared that waiting for the market to fail made Intel week. Mr. Dell believed that his customers gave him the strength to survive and customize his business to their needs. Dell never overstocked and always built their product to order. Dell realized that over burdening their inventory would devastate their ability to keep costs down. Dell learned from their mistakes like the Olympic brand which compromised the need of customers and their ability to utilize technology threatened the Dell line of products. Dell made efforts to speak to the public and hear what they had to say and put that information into their products. (Krames, Jeffrey A. What the Best CEOs Know: 7 Exceptional Leaders and Their Lessons for Transforming Any Business) Both of these pioneers created a wealth of knowledge and bridged the technology industry to what is today. Innovation is the foundation of the industry and creating new and exciting products that can be user friendly and affordable make profits. Both of these two companies are very profitable and determined to create intelligent and appealing industries. The changing markets constantly demand new and better technologies that will enable us to accelerate computer speeds and retain more memory without absorbing higher prices and engineering. References American Psychological Association. 2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. (Krames, Jeffrey A. What the Best CEOs Know: 7 Exceptional Leaders and Their Lessons for Transforming Any Business)

A Love Song for Bobby Long Analysis Essay

â€Å"A Love Song for Bobby Long† written by Grayson Capps and â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† written by TS Eliot remind the world of men who struggle with the demons of life. The little voices in your head saying â€Å"I don’t think you can do that.† These voices cause you to doubt yourself and your talents. They take the life out of you, and cause you to wonder if you even have a purpose here on earth. Now let’s take a deeper look into these poems and closely analyze their similarities and differences. Bobby Long, a handsome football prospect who possessed the talent of superior acting, was a man who was known for wasting his talents and making the wrong decisions. He chose a â€Å"road less traveled† : a path through life that many people tried to avoid. He was a drunken old man who looked back on life, not because he could change his decisions, but because the people around him wish he had made smarter ones. Years pass, and he finally realizes how his poor decisions led him to the black hole he is now stuck in. A hole dug so deep that he can’t see outside of it. It’s all dark around him and he feels all his problems will be solved when he is finally six feet under. Prufrock won’t build the courage to go up to someone he likes, but only because he lacks Charisma. He lacks the confidence needed to go and be the courageous man he once was. He can no longer find what he needs or wants and he feels it is the end of the world, with no hope left in him. He realizes he is reaching a point where he is coming to anempty closure. He wants the answers to his unknown questions but he second guesses his every move. Does she like me? Does she not? These questions linger in his mind but they will never get answered because he never builds the courage to tell the women he likes or admires. Instead, he just gets wrapped up in the scent of their perfume and the sound of their voices, behind their masked face. He realizes nonone is perfect and everyone makes mistakes However, he wants to know his own and wonders why he was possessed with unfortunate events. He just wants answers. Answers to questions he doesn’t even have the courage to ask†¦ In both poems, the main character, or speaker is referring to themselves as a low life failure. They don’t ever build the courage to face their inner demons. They never realize their true talent, instead just doubt themselves, even when people give them compliments that come from the heart. In their eyes, they will never be good enough. They will never be the ideal husband, but instead, just the weird man everyone points to and laughs at. In Bobby Long’s love song, he realizes he isn’t the ideal husband; however he still womanizes the women and doesn’t care, as long as he never gets sexually frustrated. However, Prufrock struggles with even approaching a woman. His nerves get the best of him and he cannot build the courage to approach her and aska her the tough question. Bobby Long struggles with the confusion of not being able to pick sides (between the devil and God.) He suffers from the struggle of being able to make the right decions, or which to follow. Prufrock struggles with his inner demons. He is his biggest enemy. He causes himself to suffer and keep wondering. Wondering why he could never be the leading role in his own life. He wonders why he could never be â€Å"Prince Hamlet.† Then later realizes maybe he just was never meant to have that role. In Bobby Long and Prufrock’s life, they doubt their ability to be great. They feel that they have reached the end of the world therefore why try? They are giving up on life just because of a few misfortunes and bad decisions. They will never be satisfied with themselves until they are gone forever, or dead. No matter how other people view them, they both believe they were never meant to be the star of their OWN life, but instead a role player who no one really pays attention to.