Financial management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial management - Coursework Example Bonds are valued using the time value of money principle where due to its earning capacity, money available at present are more worthy than the same amount in the future. The interest rates are treated like an equal annual cash flows streams while the face value is treated as a lump sum (Minton, 1997, pp.28). Where k is the number of periods, n is the number of periods to maturity, Yield is the yield to maturity of the Bond and PVCF is the present value of the discounted cash flows at the yield to maturity. Standard and Poor 500 (S&P 500) is a capitalization-weight index of the best performing five hundred publicly listed stock in the United States. This covers about 75% of the American equity market by capitalization. The data included in the index includes the financials such as the stock price, the market capitalization earnings and so on (Anderson, 1997, pp.456). The intrinsic value of stock is derived from estimating and discounting the future cash flows from the stock and it simply implies the estimated value of stock today. Investor and analysts to state the relationship between the stock price and the intrinsic value have used it. If the intrinsic value is greater than the current stock price, the asset should be purchase or keep hold of it if it is already owned. The asset is correctly valued if the current stock price is equal to the intrinsic value. Nevertheless, if the intrinsic value is less than the current stock price, the asset is overvalued and therefore should be avoided at all cost and if it is already held, it should be sold. Divided discounted model of stock valuation is uses a discounted cash flow model. It states that the value of stock is equal to the current value of all the future payments to which the stock holder is entitled. In this case the payments are in form of dividends. The greatest assumption by the dividend discounted model is that the dividends are steady or will continue to increase at a

Shakespeare Character Analysis - Richard III Essay

Shakespeare Character Analysis - Richard III - Essay Example Although Richard III appears to be the devil, yet he is indeed human Richard III is a unique novel by Shakespeare and is totally different from the whole range of novels by Shakespeare in that audience experiences a very ambiguous, highly alterable, and complex relationship with Richard, who is the play’s central character. Right from the conception of the novel, the fact that Richard is a villain with evil machinations dawns upon the audience when Richard makes an overt expression of his intention of leaving no stone unturned in the way of gaining his nefarious objectives in these words: I am determined to prove a villain, And hate the idle pleasures of these days. Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous, By drunken prophecies, libels and dreams, To set my brother Clarence and the king In deadly hate the one against the other. (Shakespeare 14). Paradoxically, there is a unique sanctity hidden in his approach that makes the audience consent with him. For a major part of the st ory, Richard sounds quite fascinating, charismatic and appealing to the audience in spite of his allegiance to evil and the audience feels like approving of his behavior and sympathizing with him. Richard impresses the audience with his charisma. The relationship of audience with Richard compliments that of Richard with other characters of the play. The power of his persona can be estimated from the fact that Lady Anne, who is totally aware of the intrinsic wickedness of Richard can not help being seduced by the skillful argumentation, articulate mannerism, brilliant wordplay, and the relentless pursuit of Richard’s selfish wants. It is important to note that Lady Anne is aware of Richard’s evil character, and also conveys her understanding of his character to him in these words: Foul devil, for God’s sake, hence, trouble us not; For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, Fill’d it with cursing cries and deep exclaims. If thou delight to view thy heinou s deeds, Behold this pattern of thy butcheries. (Shakespeare 19). Throughout the play, Richard’s confessions of his evil plans grab the audience’s attention. In fact, Shakespeare has purposefully made use of the monologues of Richard in a successful attempt to allow him to work his charms upon the audience. Every human being wants to be loved. Love is the fundamental need of humans. Owing to his need to love and being loved, man is called as a social animal. Physical deformities ruin an individual’s looks, but his/her self-esteem is never lowered unless there is negative response from the society about such a deformity. Society makes a lot of difference in the way a person feels about himself. People’s criticism towards something as a physical deformity, that is beyond the control of an individual inculcates hatred for himself/herself in the individual. It is the very hatred that fills abhorrence against the society in the individual. Owing to this explan ation of the cause of abhorrence, it makes complete sense for Richard to be human, and yet hate others. Not that a human is justified to hate others for such reasons, but it is true that humans feel like hating others when they are hated. Richard hates other characters of the play for a similar reason. Shakespeare has fully conveyed the underlying reason of Richard’s wickedness by making Richard declare that he has a

Media images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media images - Essay Example This advertisement has two main characters, which include a young attractive lady and an elderly woman. The girl adorns a white top with red short and black shoes. The old woman wears a black dress. The advert portrays a girl posing as the old woman observes her. It shows two opposing personalities as the young liberal woman dresses in a way that she feels comfortable, and the elder woman has a conservative and reserved feeling. It has a very interesting thought provoking twist to it, which quickly captivates the mind of an audience. This stimulates the audience into thinking, as well as sending a strong fashion statement. It brings out strong emotions in viewers. Additionally, it brings out the feeling of adventure and boldness in fashion. The mood in the advertisement is very exciting yet pensive. It shows a new, fresh dominant feeling. The showed originality complements the characters very well. It inclines towards a modern approach to fashion. The gestures and expressions of both characters also help describe the mood of the picture and efficiently helps bring the concept of the image into play. There is a strong visual presence, and the photo easily appeals to the eyes and woos the intended audience (Bermejo 159). It inspires women who intend to dress the same way and serves as an example or a reference for others to follow. The advertisement successfully appeals to the audience by making them have a desire to dress in that manner. Many tactics are used to interpret an image. â€Å"The methods implemented in creating the image and the concepts that are applied will determine the effectiveness for the purpose of the picture† (Choi and Lee 504). It is vital that one understands the various concepts used in making sure that the image portrays meaning in a certain way. This will ensure that the intended audience will have the desired interpretation of the image thus fulfilling its purpose.  

Comarative analysis of video games Essay Example for Free

Comarative analysis of video games Essay Introduction Pascal, after remodeling your house and adding a bonus/entertainment room, you mentioned that you would love to buy a new video gaming system. The last video gaming system that you owned was a Nintendo 64, which pales in comparison to the systems available today. Since owning a Nintendo 64, your experience with playing video games has been limited to playing MMORPGs (Massive Multi-player Online Role Playing Games) on your personal computer. I have been researching your options and am constantly considering your preferences and restrictions. Your primary preference is game genre, with your most preferred genre being Role-Playing. Several other genres that you are interested in are Action, Adventure, Platformers, and Strategy. Your only real restriction is a spending limit of $700 for your entire gaming setup. Other preferences that have been noted are the system’s Blu-Ray capabilities, and that the system targets a mature audience. The three most prominent video gaming systems on the market that fit your preferences are Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Nintendo’s Wii, and Sony’s Playstation 3. The following criteria are being used to evaluate your options. * Cost * Hardware Specifications * Games Offered * Target demographic * Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches * Movie-Playing Features The remaining contents of this comparative study will be organized into the several sections. RESEARCH DATA will be presented organized first by option and then by evaluative criteria. Each of the evaluative criteria will be compared in the RESULTS section by showing the results for each option side-by-side. These results will be totaled and a final CONCLUSION will be made. Finally, I will make a RECOMMENDATION as to the most appropriate course of action. Research Data Microsoft Xbox 360 Cost: $199. 99 – includes a 4GB console with built-in wi-fi, one wireless controller, A/V cables, and a one-month subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold. Hardware Specification: The following table shows vital hardware specifications that are important to your gaming preferences. Table 1. 1: Xbox 360 Hardware Specification * Media Type| * DVD| * CPU| * 3. 2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon| * Internal Memory| * 4 GB Flash| * RAM| * 512 MB| * Online Services| * Xbox Live| * Online Multi-Player Services| * Yes| * Connector Types| 1 x AV cable port,5 x USB 2. 0, 1 x Kinect port,1 x HDMI output1 x SPDIF output,1 x Ethernet| * * Games Offered: The following table shows how many Xbox 360 games are offered in your three most preferred genres. Table 1. 2: Xbox 360 Total Games in Preferred Genres Genre| Titles Available| Action| 563| Role-Playing| 108| Strategy| 48| The following images show compiled game review scores by genre to show which console does best for several preferable genres. The results have been split into two types for each console. The lighter shaded color bars show the average score for all games for the specified system in that genre. The darker shaded color bars show the average score of just the top 5 best-scoring games in that genre for the specified system. Graph 1. 1: Role-Playing Games Bar Graph Graph 1. 2: Adventure Games Bar Graph Graph 1. 3: Platformer Games Bar Graph Target Demographic: The target demographic of the Xbox 360 is most easily identified and quantified by looking at the ESRB ratings of the most popular game titles. The following is a list of the number of Xbox 360 titles offered for each ESRB game rating. EVERYONE 303 Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language. EVERYONE 10+ 213 Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes. TEEN 535 Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language. MATURE 491. Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. RATING PENDING 149 Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a games release. ) Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches: The ten most common hardware malfunctions and glitches for the Xbox 360 are as follow: * 3 red flashing lights, also known as â€Å"Red Ring of Death† * Open tray and/or disc error messages. * No video or only audio * DVD laser replacement * DVD drive replacement * System freezes, dotted video or similar issues * 1 red light, E74 * 2 red lights * Stuck DVD tray * White screen Most of these issues must be dealt with by professionals and will be costly. Self-repair is a possibility, but is not recommended. Most systems run into issues eventually, but the Xbox runs into hardware problems more frequently than the other options. Movie-Playing Features: The Xbox 360 is capable of playing the following types of multimedia discs (list does not include Blu-Ray): * Xbox 360 Discs * Xbox 1 Discs * DVDs * CDs * DVD-R * DVD+R. * DVD-RW * DVD+RW * CD-R * CD-RW * Dual Discs Nintendo’s Wii Cost: $149. 99 – includes one remote controller, one nun chuck controller, one wheel controller, one sensor bar, and Mario Kart for Wii. Hardware Specification: The following table shows vital hardware specifications that are important to your gaming preferences. Table 1. 3: Wii Hardware Specification * Media Type| * Flash Memory Card, * Nintendo Wii Disc, * Nintendo GameCube Disc| * CPU| * 729 MHzIBM PowerPC â€Å"Broadway†| * Internal Memory| * 512 MB| * RAM| * 512 MB| * Online Services| * Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, WiiConnect24,| * Online Multi-Player Services| * Yes|. * Connector Types| (4 pin USB Type A),4 x Game controller,Component video output,Composite video output,S-Video output,2 x USB| * Games Offered: The following table shows how many Wii games are offered in your three most preferred genres. Table 1. 4: Wii Total Games in Preferred Genres Genre| Titles Available| Action| 593| Role-Playing| 33| Strategy| 32| Also, see the graphics and information in the section Microsoft’s Xbox 360 – Games Offered. Target Demographic: The target demographic of the Nintendo Wii is most easily identified and quantified by looking at the ESRB ratings of the most popular game titles. The following is a list of the number of Wii titles offered for each ESRB game rating. EVERYONE – 916 Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language. EVERYONE 10+ 355 Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes. TEEN 374. Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language. MATURE 57 Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. RATING PENDING 61 Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a games release. ) Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches: Three common hardware malfunctions and Glitches for the Wii console are as follows: * Power Supply Issue * WiConnect 24 Issue * Dual Layer Wii Disc Problem All of these minor issues are covered by warranty and do not occur on the same scale as other video gaming system. The most common issue relating to the Wii system occurs when an excess of light interferes with the Wii Remote. Movie-Playing Features: The Nintendo Wii is only capable of playing Wii and GameCube discs and doesnot support the playing of DVD or Blu-Ray Discs. Sony’s Playstation 3 Cost: $299. 99 – Includes access to the Playstation Network at no charge, 160GB harddrive, and one wireless controller. Hardware Specification: The following table shows vital hardware specifications that are important to your gaming preferences. Table 1. 5: Playstation 3 Hardware Specificaton * Media Type| * Blu-Ray| * CPU| * 3. 2 GHz IBM Cell Broadband Engine (8-core)| * Internal Memory| * 160 GB HDD| * RAM| * 256 MB XDRAM| * Online Services| * Playstation Network| * Online Multi-Player Services| * Yes|. * Connector Types| 2 x USB,1 x Ethernet,1 x HDMI output,1 x PlayStation 3 AV output,1 x SPDIF output| * Games Offered: The following table shows how many Playstation 3 games are offered in your three most preferred genres. Table 1. 6: Playstation 3 Total Games in Preferred Genres Genre| Titles Available| Action| 536| Role-Playing| 117| Strategy| 33| Also, see the graphics and information in the section Microsoft’s Xbox 360 – Games Offered. Target Demographic: The target demographic of the Playstation 3 is most easily identified and quantified by looking at the ESRB ratings of the most popular game titles. The following is a list of the number of Playstation 3 titles offered for each ESRB game rating. EVERYONE – 481 Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language. EVERYONE 10+ 186 Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes. TEEN 529. Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language. MATURE 373 Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. RATING PENDING 145 Titles listed as RP (Rating Pending) have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a games release.) Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches: The five most common Playstation 3 hardware malfunctions and glitches are as follows: * Yellow light of death (3 red light beeps) * Not reading games/blu-rays * No video * Stuck discs * No power Doing self-repair is very difficult on the Playstation 3 is highly discouraged. Most of these issues are not easy fixes and require the replacement of key components. Movie-Playing Features: The Playstation 3 is capable of playing the following types of multimedia discs (list includes Blu-Ray): * Playstation 1,2, and 3 Discs. * Blu-Ray Discs * DVDs * CDs * DVD-R * DVD+R * DVD-RW * DVD+RW * CD-R * CD-RW * Dual Discs RESULTS Comparing Costs The following table shows your three options with their prices and a ranking based on affordability. Table 1. 7: Comparing Costs Option| Cost| Ranking (1-Best Option)| Microsoft’s Xbox 360| $199. 99| 2| Nintendo’s Wii| $149. 99| 1| Sony’s Playstation 3| $299. 99| 3| BEST OPTION: All Because you have already identified that your spending limit is $700 for a gaming setup, none of these options go against your cost preference. Cost is not a preventative factor in purchasing a video gaming system based on this information. However, if you decide that you would like to readjust your spending limit given the substantial difference between your limit and the prices of the systems, the Wii is your best option. Comparing Hardware Specifications The table below lists the hardware specifications for each option, and also includes the online capabilities of each system and their respective networks. Table 1. 8: Comparing Hardware Specifications | Options| Hardware Specification| Xbox 360| Wii| Playstation 3|. * * Media Type| * * DVD| * * Flash Memory Card, * Nintendo Wii Disc, * Nintendo GameCube Disc| * * Blu-Ray| * * CPU| * * 3. 2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon| * * 729 MHzIBM PowerPC â€Å"Broadway†| * * 3. 2 GHz IBM Cell Broadband Engine (8-core)| * * Internal Memory| * * 4 GB Flash| * * 512 MB| * * 160 GB HDD| * * RAM| * * 512 MB| * * 512 MB| * * 256 MB XDRAM| * * Online Services| * * Xbox Live| * * Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, WiiConnect24,| * * Playstation Network| * * Online Multi-Player Services| * * Yes| * * Yes| * * Yes| * * Connector Types| 1 x AV cable port,5 x USB 2. 0, 1 x Kinect port,1 x HDMI output1 x SPDIF output,1 x Ethernet| (4 pin USB Type A),4 x Game controller,Component video output,Composite video output,S-Video output,2 x USB| 2 x USB,1 x Ethernet,1 x HDMI output,1 x PlayStation 3 AV output,1 x SPDIF output| * Ranking| 1| 3| 2| BEST OPTION: Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Because your preference is to play online Role-Playing Games, the focus of the hardware specification criterion has to be online capabilities. When it comes to online game-play, Xbox 360 has the technical specifications to make it the best option. One of the most important specifications in a system is its processor speed. The Xbox 360 boasts a 3. 2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon processor, which is the same speed as the Playstation 3, but far superior to the Wii. When it comes to intense online game play with potentially dozens of other players, it is important to have a processor that can keep up. To keep the whole system running smoothly and minimize lag time, it is also important to have a substantial amount of RAM. The Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have 512 MB or RAM, while the Wii only has 256 MB. At this point, the Xbox and Playstation 3 are nearly equal in terms of specifications that lean toward online gaming. What really pushes the Xbox 360 in the lead is their network: Xbox Live. As of 2011, Xbox Live has over 30 million users worldwide. Most of the games that are played on the Xbox Live network are geared toward your gaming preference of Role-Playing and Adventure games. However, due to the massive size of the network and the sheer number of users, even a less popular category like Strategy is available for multi-player gaming. According to Michael McNeilly, an experienced Xbox 360 online gamer, â€Å"There is really nothing like the Xbox Live network out there. The network for PS3 is okay, but it isn’t nearly as big and has a lot of bugs that still haven’t been worked out. † Michael Mcneilly has played all of the other systems extensively, but due to his love for online gaming, he chose the Xbox 360. Ralph Jones, an avid Wii owner and player, explained to me that he really has no need to play online. He mostly enjoys the physical nature of the Wii’s gameplay, and doubts that the Wii is even capable of serious online gaming. According to Kyle Johnson, an avid gamer and owner of all three options, the Wii is not a competitive option in terms of online gaming. When asked about the Playstation 3 and its online gaming community, Kyle explained that there is a reason that the Playstation Network does not have a subscription fee. It is not adequate when compared to Xbox Live, and the number of users sometimes makes it hard to play the less popular games online. Clearly, the Xbox 360 offers the best of both worlds. It has a massive online gaming community and also boasts a powerful 3. 2 GHz processor. With processor speed and RAM that are equal to the Playstation 3 and far superior to the Wii, the Xbox Live community is what gives the Xbox 360 the top ranking and makes it the best option in terms of hardware specification. Comparing Games Offered Table 1. 9 lists a calculated average of the two figures previously provided in graphs 1. 1, 1. 2, and 1. 3. These figures were mean game-review scores of all games in three genres, and mean scores of the top-five best-selling games for the three genres. Table 1. 9: Comparing Games Offered pt. 1 | Options|. Genre| Xbox 360| Wii| Playstation 3| Role-Playing Games| 79. 4| 72. 7| 71. 75| Adventure Games| 76. 1| 76. 7| 77. 9| Platformer Games| 76. 2| 72. 2| 76. 2| Ranking| 1| 3| 2| Table 1. 10 shows how many games are available for each system in your most preferred genre: Role-Playing Games. Table 1. 10: Comparing Games Offered pt. 2 | Options| Genre| Xbox 360| Wii| Playstation 3| Role-Playing Games| 108| 33| 117| Ranking| 2| 3| 1| BEST OPTION: Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Based on the averages found for all five relevant genres, the Xbox 360 is the best option for the Games Offered criterion. Even though the Playstation 3 has a slightly higher total number of Role-Playing Games available for sale, it does not outweigh the fact that the Xbox 360 scored significantly higher on overall game-review scores. It is generally more important to have higher-rated games than a greater quantity of lower-rated games. For this reason, the Xbox 360 is the best choice for the Games Offered criterion. Comparing Target Demographic Table 1. 11 displays your three options and the total number of ratings received for each rating category out of all games available for each system. Table 1. 11: Comparing Target Demographic. | Options (Number of Ratings)| Rating| Microsoft’s Xbox 360| Nintendo’s Wii| Sony’ Playstation 3| Everyone| 303| 916| 481| Everyone 10+| 213| 355| 186| Teen | 535| 374| 529| Mature| 491| 57| 373| Rating Pending| 145| 61| 145| Ranking| 1| 3| 2| BEST OPTION: Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Based on all of the games available for each gaming system, the Xbox 360 has the most games with ratings in the Mature and Teen categories. Since you, Pascal, are an adult and prefer the types of games that are most commonly rated Teen and Mature, the Xbox 360 gets the top rank for the Target Demographic criterion. Sony’s Playstation 3 comes in second with a comparable number of games in the Teen and Mature rating categories, but they are not quite as high as the Xbox 360. Nintendo’s Wii has least number of ratings in each of those categories. The Wii has a staggeringly low number of games in the Mature category at 57, and roughly 150 less games in the Teen category than the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. This makes it clear that the Xbox 360 is geared toward an adult audience, and will likely have more games that suit the preferences of an adult. The Playstation 3 is a close second, but still offers significantly less games in the Mature category. The Wii seems to be geared toward a younger, less mature audience, and will likely have the least number of games that will fit your preferences. With all of this considered, it is clear that the Xbox 360 is the best option for the Target Demographic criterion. Comparing Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches Table 1. 11 shows all of the common hardware malfunctions and glitches for each option. This table also assigns a ranking (1 being the system with the overall least severe hardware problems relative to the other options). Table 1. 12: Comparing Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches | Options|. | Microsoft’s Xbox 360| Nintendo’s Wii| Sony’s Playstation 3| Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches| *Complete System Crash – â€Å"Red Ring of Death†*Basic Hardware Failure (eg. DVD tray and laser failure)| *Power Supply Issue*WiConnect24 Issue*Dual-Layer Wi Disc Failure| *Complete System Crash –â€Å"Yellow Lights of Death†| Ranking| 2| 1| 3| BEST OPTION: Nintendo’s Wii Based on this table and other research, I have identified Nintendo’s Wii as your best option for the Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches criterion. Even though the Wii does run into problems occasionally, they are rarely as severe as they are with the other options. All of the problems listed for the Wii are covered by warranty and are not worthy of complete system replacement. Alternatively, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 both commonly run into full system crashes, which render the system unusable. Kyle Johnson, an avid gamer and owner of all three options, has never run into a problem with his Wii, but has experienced full system crashes on both his Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The only reason the Xbox 360 is ranked higher than the Playstation 3 is because self-repair on the Playstation 3 is strongly discouraged. Kyle Johnson and Michael McNeilly have both performed minor repairs on their Xbox 360’s, but have never dared to open up their Playstation 3’s. With all things considered, Nintendo’s Wii is the best option for the Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches criterion. Comparing Movie-Playing Features Table 1. 13 below shows all of the media discs played by each option, and whether or not that option satisfies your preference of having a built-in Blu-Ray player. Table 1. 13: Comparing Movie-Playing Features | Options| | Xbox 360| Wii| Playstation 3| Media Discs Played| * Xbox 360 Discs * Xbox 1 Discs * DVDs * CDs * DVD-R * DVD+R * DVD-RW * DVD+RW * CD-R * CD-RW * Dual Discs | * Wii Discs * GameCube Discs| * Playstation 1,2, and 3 Discs * Blu-Ray Discs * DVDs * CDs * DVD-R * DVD+R * DVD-RW * DVD+RW * CD-R * CD-RW * Dual Discs | Satisfies Preference? | No| No| Yes| Ranking| 2| 3| 1| BEST OPTION: Sony’s Playstation 3 Based on the media discs that each option offers, Sony’s Playstation 3 is the obvious choice for the top rank in the Movie-Playing Features criterion. The Playstation 3 is capable of playing both DVDs and Blu-Rays, while the Xbox. 360 is only capable of playing DVDs. The Nintendo Wii, however, cannot even play DVDs. Because you have identified that you prefer a video gaming system that has a built-in Blu-Ray player, the Playstation 3 is the best option for the Movie-Playing Features criterion. CONCLUSIONS Table 1. 14 lists the rankings of each of the six evaluative criteria used throughout this report. In order to come to an overall conclusion as to which option to select, I have assigned reversed point values to the previously determined rankings. If, for instance, an option received a ranking of 1, it would be valued a 3. A ranking of 2 receives a value of 2, and a ranking of 3 is valued a 1. The total number of points will be shown at the bottom of the table along with the final ranking. The video gaming system with the highest number of points will be ranked as 1 and will be your best option. Table 1. 14: Overall Ranking | Options| Evaluative Criteria| Xbox 360| Wii| Playstation 3| Cost| 1| 1| 1| Hardware Specification| 1| 3| 2| Games Offered| 1| 3| 2| Target Demographic| 1| 3| 2| Common Hardware Malfunctions and Glitches| 2| 1| 3| Movie-Playing Features| 2| 3| 1| Total Points| 16| 10| 13| Overall Ranking| 1| 3| 2| RECOMMENDATIONS. It has been determined that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is the best option, and I would like to recommend to you several retailers where it is available for purchase. The price is universal when bought new, but may vary depending on bundling and other promotions. I have prepared a table showing three popular retailers, the nearest location, and the price of the Xbox 360 4GB system. Table 1. 15: Retail Locations and Price Retailers and Locations| Price| GameStop(425) 895-833116475 NE 74TH STRedmond, WA 98052| $199. 99| Target(425) 482-641013950 NE 178th PlWoodinville, WA 98072| $199. 99| Walmart(425) 741-94451400 164Th St SwLynnwood, WA 98087| $199. 99| Throughout my research I began to realize that the final outcome would depend heavily on how much any criterion was valued. Based on your personal preferences, the best choice is the Xbox 360. However, if you decided that you valued having a Blu-Ray player above everything else, then the Playstation 3 would be the best option. If you decided that the only way to play Role-Playing Games was to use a remote and a nun chuck, then the Wii would be the best choice. It all depends on the valuing of any particular criterion. If you are interested in doing further research, the bibliography lists all sources used. My personal interviewees may be available if you would like to ask them questions, and all of my other sources have a variety of useful and reliable information. Based on everything I have learned from this report and my personal experience with the system, I believe that the Xbox 360 is the best choice for a video gaming system. Bibliography Console at Nintendo Wii. Nintendo Wii Console. Web. 07 Aug. 2011. Dotree, Phil. 3 Common Wii Technical Problems. Associated Content from Yahoo! Associatedcontent. com. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. ESRB Ratings Guide and Definitions. Entertainment Software Rating Board. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. How to Fix Common Xbox 360 Problems: Same Day Repairs, Low Prices. Same-day Xbox Repair. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Johnson, Kyle. Owns All Three Options, Personal interview. 29 July 2011. Jones, Ralph. Wii Owner, Personal interview. 30 July 2011. McNeilly, Michael. Xbox 360 Owner, Personal Interview. 30 July 2011. Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim Specs (4GB) Consoles CNET Reviews. Product Reviews Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews More CNET Reviews. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Nintendo Wii Specs (original, Wii Sports Bundle) Consoles CNET Reviews. Product Reviews Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews More CNET Reviews. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. PlayStation 3 160 GB System. PlayStation PS3. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Playstation 3 Search GameStop. Games for PS3. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Sony PlayStation 3 Slim Specs (160GB) Consoles CNET Reviews. Product Reviews Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews More CNET Reviews. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Towell Justin, Games Radar UK, â€Å"Which console does best and worst in each genre? † 09 Aug. 2011. Wii Search GameStop. Games for Wii. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Xbox 360 4GB Console Xbox. com. Xbox 360 Official Site Xbox. com. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop. Games for Xbox 360. Web. 04 Aug. 2011.   [ 1 ]. Xbox 360 4GB Console Xbox. com. Xbox 360 Official Site Xbox. com. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 2 ]. Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim Specs (4GB) Consoles CNET Reviews. Product Reviews Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews More CNET Reviews. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 3 ]. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop. Games for Xbox 360. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 4 ]. Towell Justin, Games Radar UK, â€Å"Which console does best and worst in each genre? † 09 Aug. 2011. [ 5 ]. Towell [ 6 ]. Towell [ 7 ]. Towell [ 8 ]. Towell. [ 9 ]. Towell [ 10 ]. GameStop [ 11 ]. GameStop [ 12 ]. ESRB Ratings Guide and Definitions. Entertainment Software Rating Board. Web. 04 Aug. 2011. . [ 13 ]. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop [ 14 ]. ESRB [ 15 ]. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop [ 16 ]. ESRB [ 17 ]. Xbox 360 Game Search GameStop [ 18 ]. ESRB [ 19 ]. Gamestop Xbox 360 Search [ 20 ]. 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Karl Marx and His Beliefs About Society Essay -- Karl Marx Philosophy

Karl Marx and His Beliefs About Society In the beginning of the nineteenth century, several aspects of life were coming together for those that lived in Europe, and especially for those that lived in England. The Scientific Revolution had ended in the late seventeenth century; consequently, leaving the lingering aspects of science as a proven way to show that some ideologies of the Catholic Church were incorrect. The Enlightenment of the late eighteenth century had caused all of England and Europe to decide where to let their lives lead them in terms of faith; either towards Christianity, or towards Protestantism. The final time period that had a major impact on the English and European society was the Industrial Revolution, which introduced new ways to make life easier in terms of the production of goods, and make life as simple as possible. These three main time periods gave Karl Marx the reason and drive to reform the way that society was run, as shown in the words that he wrote in the Communist Manifesto pertainin g to the life of the individual in terms of faith. The society in the time of Marx’s writing dealt with many past events in which their faith and social standing was questioned. The latter part of the Scientific Revolution, around the middle of the seventeenth century, greatly influenced a change in faith with the public as a whole due to the new developments brought about by scientists. Up to that point, the Church, which controlled the thought process of Europe throughout most of the previous centuries, had not ever really been challenged in terms of the theories taught. The Church said that Earth was the center of the universe, whereas philosophers, such as Copernicus and Galileo, proved oth... ... was ready to change the way life was lived. Endnotes: 1. Paulos Mar Gregorios, A Light Too Bright the Enlightenment Today: An Assessment of the Values of the European Enlightenment and a Search for New Foundations (New York: State University of New York Press/ Albany, 1992), 7. 2. Peter Gilmour, Philosophers of the Enlightenment, (Trenton: Barnes and Noble, 1990), 133-134. 3. Colin Gunton, Enlightenment and Alienation: An Essay Towards Trinitarian Theology (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1985), 125. 4. UD Humanities Document Binder, Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848), 41, 52. 5. UD, 41,53. 6. Alvin Plantinga, Warranted Christian Belief, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), 141. 7. Plantinga, 367. 8. UD, 41, 52.

Roman Religion

Romans were very strict to their religion and beliefs. In ancient Rome, people involved worshiping multiple gods and deities. The religion practice was in two different stages; state and family practices: the state worships were held by the government which were more organized. There were also colleges which would counsel people to the right way of worshiping gods. Roman sought will of their gods in mass prayers such as Olympic games, religious events and sacrificing while in the household every family had their own protective gods. Worshipers would offer prayers and sacrifices to the gods in order to request their favor. In fact, the ancient Roman state's religion were practiced for the well-being of the government and the citizens. They worshiped multiple gods to seek success in all aspects of life, each god had its unique function and had been worshipped for the specific purposes; god of battle, god of love, god of peace and so on. In addition, there had been four colleges which have had control over the public and private religious practices. The two most important colleges were the Pontifices and the college of Augurs. The Pontifices college, as Warrior mentions, â€Å"had authority over the most important matters† (RR 48). Most likely, the accuracy of worshiping and sacrificing were depended upon Pontifices college priest's approval and they would assure that the practice was in its accurate way. The Augurs college was in charge of overseeing and connection between religion and the politics. Most of the member of Augurs college were priests and professionals. Furthermore, in Roman religion, people believed that gods were involved in their daily activities. They had several religious festivals which were accompanied by the Olympic games, these festivals were held by the state authorities and were practiced in the public. One of these events called â€Å"the laughter of god,† which they held to seek the laugher of the god Apollo. According to† Apuleius† in the book â€Å"The golden ass,† â€Å"we are the only people who on this day seek the benevolence of the god laugher in an amusing and joyful ritual† (TGA 38). Among all other religious practices, this event was called the god laugher. In this event, in order to make the god happy, the government would gather all the citizens and held a laughter ceremony for the favor of god Apollo. They would find someone who is not aware of the ceremony and put him in a situation, while he was struggling in the situation they would start laughing to favor the god. The people who gathered knew what was happening but not the stranger who makes the god laugh. In Roman's religion, the state and private practices were performed in many aspects, the religion was sought in different ways and for different purposes. One of the purposes of the state worshiping was sought for success in battles. Before the battle, they would seek the agreement of the god through worshiping and sacrificing in the ceremonies. Priests who were professionals in reading the signs of god would translate the signs, if the signs were suitable for the purpose they would prepare for the action, if not the worshiping and sacrificing were supposed to be redone for corrections. In conclusion, as I mentioned above, Roman worships were divided into the public and the private. Families would honor their household spirits while public worship was held by the government. Rome had colleges of official priests to ensure that its actions met with divine approval. Roman religion involved cult worship. In their religious beliefs, approval from the gods did not depend on a person's behavior, but on accurate observance of religious rituals. The gods were usually imaged in stone or bronze and would put them in a shrine or temple in which they would offer prayers and sacrifices.

Lady Macbeth Has Been Described as the ‘Fourth Witch’

Lady Macbeth is an insidious and complex character. Throughout the course of the novel, she manipulates her husband, Macbeth, and spurs him to commit his first murder in order for him to ultimately achieve what she believes he deserves. Lady Macbeth is shown to the audience as a loyal wife who wants the best for his husband, but at the same time, she is portrayed as a malicious character from the very beginning of the play. The line between an evil human being, and a scheming witch, is so fine that Lady Macbeth could easily be either. The fact that the three Weird Sisters’ predictions would not have become true without the supreme influence of Lady Macbeth provokes the thought that, perhaps Lady Macbeth is more than an anti-mother and a schemer, perhaps she is a witch. This possibility would also change the nature of the witches from the future-seers they are portrayed as, to merely influencers of a string of events that they plan. In order to differentiate or associate Lady Macbeth from or to the weird sisters, the similarities and differences of Lady Macbeth and the witches must be explored. Firstly, Lady Macbeth and the witches both call on to evil forces at times of need, such as when Lady Macbeth cries â€Å"Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,†(I, 5, 39-40) to discard her feminine traits in order for her to eventually be successful in fulfilling the witches plan by spurring Macbeth to kill Duncan. This invocation signifies a link between Lady Macbeth and the supernatural, or witchcraft, which is utilized by her and the witches. Soon after the invocation, she questions Macbeth’s manhood by telling him that â€Å"When you durst do it, then you were a man/ And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man. †(I, 7, 49-51). As Lady Macbeth discarded her womanish traits and understands the true nature of a man, she began to share a certain gender ambiguity with the witches, Banquo observes the genderless appearance in the witches when he proclaims â€Å"You should be women / And yet your beards forbid me to interpret / That you are so. (I, 3, 46-48). If Lady Macbeth had successfully connected with the evil forces in her invocation scene, then both the witches and Lady Macbeth exhibit an androgynous character, although Lady Macbeth only has masculine mental traits, while the witches have a masculine physical appearance as well as mental character. Another common trait between Lady Macbeth and witches is that both are anti-mothers. The myths of witches through history are seen as anti-mothers, and Lady Macbeth reveals this evil characteristic rom within herself, and the fact of a previous maternal relationship when she says â€Å"I have given suck — I would — have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums,/ And dashed the brains out! †(I, 7, 54-58). This shocking statement shows Lady Macbeths evil thoughts, which no mother could have for her child, in turn making her an anti-mother, which would probably have been linked to witchcraft by the original audiences in Shakespeare’s day, if not by today’s audiences. Parallel phrase with Lady Macbeth and the Weird Sisters are also evident in the play. The witches refer to â€Å"killing swine† (I, 3, 2) early in the play, and Lady Macbeth unknowingly echoes this when she refers to the two chamberlains as in a â€Å"swinish sleep,† (I, 7, 67). The chamberlains are sacrificed by Macbeth, to avoid any fault in their plan of the murder of Duncan. The sacrifice of swine has been known as a common act of mythical witches since before Shakespeare’s day, and again, links Lady Macbeth to witchcraft. The use of The aforementioned term (â€Å"swinish sleep†) corresponding with the sacrifice of the men being described as such, would be a hint to the audience of Lady Macbeth’s witch-like character, and would have, once again, have connected Lady Macbeth to witchcraft for the audience of Shakespeare’s day. Unlike the witches, Lady Macbeth shows signs of vulnerability, and becomes wracked with guilt. This is evident in her sleepwalking scene, when she says â€Å"Out damned spot! Out, I say! (VI, 1, 31) She, at that point in time, was haunted by the sight of blood on her hands, and was convinced the blood was still there, showing signs of madness as she becomes mentally unhinged. Lady Macbeth’s recollection of Macbeth’s words after Duncan was murdered also haunted and festered within her as shown when she starts to echo Macbeth’s statements and fears, when she said â€Å"To bed, to bed: there’s knocking at the gate! †(VI, 1, 59) When Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking and imagines that she is in hell, as shown by her statement â€Å"Hell is murky,† (VI, 1, 32) she does not appear on stage again, and dies offstage. The two most likely scenarios for her death would be suicide, or an act involving the doctor and/or the gentlewoman, as they were the only people that witnessed the truth about the murders. If suicide was the cause of Lady Macbeth’s death, as is likely, an even deeper level of guilt is shown and this emotional trauma felt by Lady Macbeth is not felt by the witches. These signs of weakness are contrary to the connection she had with the evil spirits in her evocation scene, and contrary to the behaviour of he witches, as they do not feel, or even show any guilt or sympathy. Despite not having a masculine appearance and showing signs of guilt and weakness, Lady Macbeth has been cleverly portrayed as the ‘fourth witch’ by Shakespeare. I believe this is so, because at the time this play was written, links such as the ‘swine’ description of the attendants and the calling on evil spirits performed by Lady Macbeth would have been blatant parallels and links t o witchcraft for the audience in the Elizabethan era, but are perhaps more rarely understood by today’s audiences. This may be because the idea of witches has been dismissed by modern society and their characteristics are not as widely known making those links somewhat outdated. Although Lady Macbeth as the ‘fourth witch’ seems less believable as a concept today, we must not look at the play as two dimensional, as it is read today, but instead learn the views of the people of the time when Shakespeare’s plays were written, after all, Shakespeare wrote about what he knew, and Macbeth was written four-hundred and three to four-hundred and seven years ago.