Corning Incorporated Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Corning Incorporated - Research Paper Example The optical-fiber system enabled the easy transmission of data and voice over extremely wide distances, or billions of kilometers around the globe (Hecht, 1999). The optical-fiber technology was used by telecommunication companies and systems in different parts of the world. It was evolved to support mobile technology and the transmission of satellite information, data and voice messages throughout the world. With time, Corning became a global leader in the production of optical-fiber materials around the world. They became the pioneering entity from 1984 to 2000 where their revenue rose from $100 million to $900 million in the year 2000 (Miller, 2011 p1). However, the telecom bubble burst caused other forms of communication to take over from the fiber-optic technology that Corning had a monopoly over (Matthews, 2002 p445). This led to the quick decline of profits in Corning because they had invested a lot of their capital into controlling the fiber-optic market that they had a full grip on. This led to the decline of the company. There was the need for a quick turnaround in the company and its operations. This paper analyzes Corning as a business entity. The paper will undertake a critical analysis of the organizational systems, strategic patterns and important elements of the organizational structure. This will be discussed in conjunction with the company's history, the 21st Century turnaround and current trends of the company. Organizational Summary (WWR) From its stable growth of about $70 million in turnover each year from the mid-1980s to year 2000, the company now makes higher profits above the $900 million level they reached in 2000 before dipping into a decline. According to Corning, (2012), there has been a tremendously increased volume of trade and revenue. Annual sales for 2011 was $7.9 billion. This shows that a lot has changed in the company to merit such high levels of revenues. The sales figure of $7.9 billion represent 19% increase from the $6. 6 billion earned in 2010. Sales volume increased by 7%. This shows that there is a strategy that is supporting the growth and evolution of the company. Earnings per share was $1.77 in 2011. Although this was lower than the increase that was made in 2010, the company again shows that it is increasing investor wealth and this presents a strong case that justifies the fact that it is a growing company. Aside this, the company had free cash flow of $544 million. This implies that they have enough cash in their possessions to finance working capital and other needs that can support it to expand and meet its future objectives and obligations. These indicators announces to the world that Corning is making a lot of improvement in its operations and financial position. The company has had an incredible turnaround that makes it a major player in the global electronic industry. On further analysis of the 2011 financial statements, the information given by Flaws, a Board Member and Chief Financ ial Officer of the company indicates that there are some important themes that define Corning's current strategy and long-term vision. Growth The company is now focusing on growth. This is based on its vision to capture a larger market share. In order to attain this end, it aims at expanding its asset base. This is being done through mergers, acquisitions and other international

Privacy and technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Privacy and technology - Essay Example According to If Looks could kill by The Economist and Trading Liberty for Illusions by Wendy Kaminer, the world today tends to prefer the inconsequential over the important aspects in their lives. For instance, people now judge based on race after the 9/11 attacks, airport security has become increasingly intrusive, and technological advances have eroded whatever little privacy people had left. Both Wendy Kaminer in Trading Liberty for Illusions and The Economist in If Looks Could Kill refer to terrorism as one of the main reasons why the privacy of ordinary American citizens is being invaded. The main reason for Kaminer’s article is to opine that the government hides behind the threat of terrorism to excuse their infringement on their citizen’s rights. She uses the rhetorical technique of pathos to appeal to the readers’ emotions. She starts her article by saying, â€Å"Only a fool with no sense of history would have been sanguine about the prospects for civil liberties after the September 11 attack† (Kaminer, 2004). This ensures the reader knows she is against the invasion of privacy on the pretext of terror threats. She contends that the Bush Administration held over a thousand non-native Americans after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, although most of them were not connected to the events of the day (Kaminer, 2004). Kaminer concludes that the fear of the government and subsequent attacks make citizens give their liberty up because they have been fed on security illusions. On the other hand, The Economist’s main reason for writing their article is to opine that the threat of terrorism and crime has pushed technology to higher heights. They use the rhetorical device of logos to contend that technology talking about the ability of new technology to use micro-expressions rather than the old profiling technique. This technology will remove the risk of racial profiling by the police because all it detects are expressions made by an individual, rather than the color of their skin (The Economist, 2008). In addition, The Economist also contends that the technology will be important in cases where packages are left by suspicious individuals and will alert security officials on the potential danger. The Economist talks about other technologies aimed at anti-terrorism that measures breathing and heart rate, perspiration rates, temperature of one’s skin, and the flow of blood, doing all this while the potential suspect is some meters away from them. They say that this machine was tested, and it identified 80% of individuals attempting to sneak weapons into a room (The Economist, 2008). It is clear that The Economist and Wendy Kaminer have very different ideas on the use of technology to combat terrorism. While Kaminer contends that the current technology fails and infringes on the privacy of ordinary citizens, The Economist is of the idea that new technologies in the pipeline will be more reliable and will not be culpable to racial profiling. The two articles discuss the issue of technology and privacy but organize their arguments in different ways. Wendy Kaminer in Trading Liberty for Illusion begins her article by contending that terrorist attacks and crime have always led Americans to allow the government to trample civil liberties when there is an attack because they feel under siege or frightened (Kaminer, 2004). She gives a brief history of US Presidents who

Family and Kinship in Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Family and Kinship in Japan - Essay Example The sayings, or â€Å"Analects† of Confucius were written some 500 years BC and they contain many references to the duties of parents and children, in particular stressing the duty of the young man to respect his elders (Confucius and Leys, 1997, p. 4). In those days peasant families had no social security systems or means of supporting themselves in old age, and so children were expected to provide for their parents. Japanese culture is no longer based on a peasant, agricultural economy, but in the urban centers there is still an expectation that children should respect their elders, and a collectivist approach to society which involves each family unit being responsible for their own members. With the rise of industrial society in Japan male and female roles continued to be quite clearly segregated, so that women maintained the role of homemaker and provide care for the elders, while the men are expected to work long hours with a few holidays. A relic of older times can be seen in the way that Japanese religion has a place for ancestor worship. The Japanese Shinto religion involves interactions with kami or spirits, and these can include the ghosts of ancestors who have died. Hori noted in the 1960s that this practice is â€Å"even today, widespread and important† (Hori, p. 32) but points out at the same time that there is a difference between this kind of lowly household deity and the more absolute deities of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Japanese religious beliefs are syncretistic, drawing on many different sources for inspiration so that the same family can have a Shinto New Year celebration, a Buddhist funeral and a Christian wedding ceremony, without seein g any conflict between the underlying world views. This makes it rather difficult for researchers to work out how deeply embedded any cultural phenomena in modern Japan actually are.

Running Header Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Running Header - Essay Example Language is the tool for expression of thought. This is the central idea whereby this paper is conceived, since we want to establish the role that language play in the process of thinking. My family have been blessed with opportunity and a particular fascination with travelling, my mother works for a magazine company and she writes articles about the places she visits while my father works for an executive corporation that practically has offices in almost all major cities in Asia. We do family trips every summer and this year we visited Shanghai, one of my memorable trips in the Far East. One of the things I immediately notice, the first day we arrived is that the city was "buzzing" with different kinds of noise. Their streets were as busy as the time square in New York, and most of the people drive bicycle to get them to their destination. I had difficulty going around town since most of them only speak their "native tongue" and there were few people who can converse in English. I had to cut my first day short and went back to our hotel to "catch some sleep". The next day was filled will "breathtaking" scenery from ancient China we visited temples and monasteries, a nd saw few artefacts and went insides old palaces with huge statues of ancient Important Chinese personality. It made me feel like I did "time travel", like I was in the time those dynasties and the emperors. I never thought I could relive and personally witness the evidence of ancient Chinese civilization, that I saw the things that were written only in the academic books I read in class. Now I understand what culture does to a country, I can now relate better to the lessons learn from the mistakes of the past. We returned home with rich memories of ancient China, I immediately framed all the still photos I took and hanged it in one corner of my room to constantly remind me of the knowledge I acquired during this trip. Language no matter how diverse and difficult and in spite of its diversity, play an important role in our critical thinking because it is the key to understanding, according to Philip Atkinson. "It is the expression of thought, an act of translating thoughts into words thereby refining understanding" (Atkinson. 2004). Language enables man to define the process of his thoughts and make sense of it. "Language is the 'software' that allows our brain to think the way it does, without language the cerebral cortex lies largely unused" (Kirby & Goodpaster. 1999). With advance technology and globalisation, language highlights the identification of a major medium of communication that is comprehensible to many, this will define the aims, goals and intention that the thought process wants to attain, it will clarify the subject matter to discuss and set aside the non-issues. Language can also be limiting in the sense that the capacity to ascribe a particular word to a meaning can sometimes be inadequate owing to the inability to completely convey the message it wants to convey (Chomsky. 2004). Language can also empower our thoughts in the sense that enables us to identify the very core of an idea, an

Compare, analyse and review excerpts from Mao tse-tung and Lin Piao Literature

Compare, analyse and excerpts from Mao tse-tung and Lin Piao - Literature review Example In his excerpt in the Voices of Terror, Piao supports the three strategies used by Mao to start a revolution in China. The two leaders were phenomenon in bringing a revolutionary leadership and political environment in China (Bennett, 2003). They led their people in great revolutionary wars against oppression by nations such as Japan. They used the people especially peasants to fight great battles using simple strategies that were well thought and planned. The two excerpts are similar in that they talk about fighting a people’s war to bring revolution in China. The two leaders wanted to address the injustices and oppression that the Chinese faced in the hands of the Japanese. Led by Mao, the Chinese people experienced victory in the national democratic revolution. Their greatest victory was in the socialist revolution. Mao’s aim was to start a revolution that would seize and consolidate political power for the Chinese people. Mao’s success lied in the fact that he integrated the truth of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete practice of the revolution. He enriched the truth in Marxism-Leninism by using his masterly in generalization, summation and experience gained during the protracted revolutionary struggle (Kau, 2005). His leadership background and religious principles contributed to his success in leading a group of peasants to fight a great battle and obtain great success. Both Lin Piao and Mao Tse-tung used the theory of the people’s war to fight for their people and obtain great success in battle and political influence. This theory, roved by the long practice of the Chinese revolution was in accordance with the law objectives of such wars. The war was valid for China and revolutionary struggle in other countries throughout the world. For example, Lin Piao in his excerpt argues that Mao’s strategies should be used in different cities to assert the war and amass vast political influence and power for the oppressed people (Laqueur, 2004). Both

Higher education in Canada Essay Example for Free

Higher education in Canada Essay Nowadays, most of the people in the world will have a chance to get educated. Many high school and colleges graduates would like to attend four-year University or higher education. They believed that education is a code to help them get success. But why people need to be educated, and what is the purpose of education? When we were young, we thought that we go to school is because of family expectation. After we grow up, we think that it is because of popular trend, people who get higher degree will get more success. But these are not the answer. Education is the key to explore our own life because its purpose is to train good members of society, to help people live better, and to explore our limit in order to upgrade our ability in our daily life. Education helps our society to train good members. According to John Henry Newman, the author of The Idea of a University, pointed out that education neither confines its views to particular professions on the one hand, nor creates heroes or inspires genius on the other. (53)University cannot promise to create a generation of heroes, presidents or genius, but it can educate people knowledge, skills and experiences of social life, and let them learn to respect, to consult, to aid each other. Education also focuses on training students’ ability, It teaches him to see things as they are, to go right to the point, to disentangle a skein of thought, to detect what is sophistical, and to discard what is irrelevant. . (53) Education will give people a clear conscious view of everything around them, and let them distinguish what is right and what is wrong of their own opinions and judgments. Therefore, weare able to accommodate ourselves to others, influence to others, and come to an understanding with others. University education is the great means to raising the intellectual tone of society, at cultivating the public mind, at purifying the national taste. (54) Education helps people to live better. In the Learning in the Key of Life, Shorris, a novelist and journalist, said that Do all rich people, or people who are in the middle, know the humanities? Not a chance. But some do. And it helps. It helps to live better and enjoy life more. Will the humanities make you rich? Absolutely. But not in terms of money. In terms of life. (67) In other word, education can help us to become rich on both ways of money and life. Of course, between those we consider well educated and those who are poorly or inadequately schooled, people accept the higher education always have a better life. They can get more than the others who has lower income level, and make their life easier. People who received higher education have more power to dictate their life. For example, they can plan our community, adjust our workweeks and even control the world financial markets. In the Learning in the key of life, Jon Spayde pointed that kind of power has everything to do with attitude and access: an attitude of empowerment, even entitlement, and access to tools, people, and ideas that make living at any income level easier, and its crises easier to bear. (67)Education is a light to illuminate our future, the more education we have, more bright future we will have. Education helps us to explore our limit in order to upgrade our ability in our daily life. According to David Orr, Oberlin College environment professor, he pointed out that university focus on teaching in high-tech training call Slow Knowledge, which is resilience, harmony, and preservation of long-standing patterns that give our lives aesthetic, spiritual, and social meaning. (68) For example, we cannot finish a 1,000-page novel in one second,because we need to watch the novel step by step and understand the story. We all are slow learners. Although we get academic education,we need to get experience from life in order to explore our limits. As Jon Spayde mention, is it any wonder that many of us are beginning to feel that we didnt get the whole story in school, that our educations didnt prepare us for the world were living in today? . (67) In addition to education, we also should learning from life and learning from experienceto enrich our life, and make our life easier. Education is a basis for our society. It also can train good members of society, to makeour life better, and enhance our ability in our daily life. Growth is a characteristic of life, so education is growing. It can help people be stronger and wiser. We should be awise old owland use our knowledge to make our life and society better. Word Cited Henry Newman, John. â€Å"The Idea of a University. † Lunsford, Andrea, and John Ruskiewicz, eds. THE PRESENCE OF OTHERS: VOICES AND IMAGES THAT CALL FOR RESPONSE. 5TH ED. BOSTON : Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2008. Print.

A Review of Chuck Jones Duck Amuck

A Review of Chuck Jones Duck Amuck Chuck Jones Duck Amuck. Cartoons all across the Hollywood Studios at this time resembled those of Disney, with their connection of editing and using an accelerating gag structure in their narrative. But with these cartoons being considered as a comic fantasy genre, animators could experiment with the medium. Warner Bros. were a big believer in this, creating situations where their cartoon characters would talk to the audience or refer to the animator or studio executives. These cartoons compared to Disney were very different, the action was often more violent and faster paced, changing the situations regularly. Chuck Jones reached past expectation with his cartoons, extending the limits and shocking the audience. One of the greats being Duck Amuck where he used every bone in his body to create which is now known as one of the master pieces of animation, using every element to create a 7minute film just using Daffy and the unseen animator. By using these elements he was able to manipulate Daffy in any situat ion, creating an expectancy with the audience that anything could happen next. Duck Amuck, a cartoon subject to its own deconstruction. The cartoons conventions are constantly challenged, using the colour, costume, sound scenery and all the essential elements need to create the cartoon, often without the awareness of the audience. Daffys first appearance as a musketeer, a cavalier waving his sword around with such confidence soon realises he has been betrayed by the animator, that the background of the scene has disappeared and he as well as the audience is left uncertain to the context we were accustomed to. Daffy rapidly drops character and addresses the camera, reacting in a rather professional way as if he were a part of any live-action movie and enthusiastically pushes the animator to carry on. A farmyard scene is drawn, although not what Daffy was expecting, he continues on, changing to suit the scene. But once again as hes just about adjusted to the scene, an arctic layout is displayed in the background. Throughout the piece there is a constant battle be tween foreground and background, and above all the relationship between the character and the forever changing environmental context. All of Daffys actions are dominated by his reaction to the area he occupies. Tensions like these help the basic structure of narrative in most cartoons. With all the changes, Daffys main thought is for the animator to make up his mind. By using Daffys body, each environment is shown through a number of iconic cultural illustrations the dungarees and the straw hat in the farmyard scene, the grass skirt and banjo in the Hawaiian setting. While the white space is defined as the empty context of the cartoon, although there is unlimited space, Daffys sense of awareness becomes isolated and helpless. To make things worse he is then erased from the page, where all that remains is his voice. Chuck Jones intensions when he created his characters where for them to be recognized in any situation, to exist as a body without a voice, or a voice without a body. Es pecially in this scene, a programmed perception of Daffy as a character is known, where he can be understood by any of his parts. Perhaps, the only element the animator is unable to get rid of is Daffys personality. If this was to be taken, the cartoon would no longer be a Daffy Duck picture. Even though, the elements are frequently altering and manipulated, the audience is still able to recognise its a Daffy cartoon. Daffy is shown as eager to please and entertain, but is easily provoked and angered by any slight change, and to top it off has a rather obsessive behaviour, especially if he doesnt get his way. Duck Amuck shows all his traits as a character through the use of his body and actions, using the limitation of any control Daffy thought he had. As the viewer it is easy to watch an animation and forget the effort applied to design the background scenery. its almost insignificant. Are attention is continuously on the characters and their actions. Duck Amuck reminds us that the re is more then what meets the eye, and in this case on the screen and only by eliminating the background, can we realize and appreciate this. Daffy is endlessly alienated, trying to keep his image and self-respect, but contradicts himself by constantly losing his temper. As soon as Daffy is repainted back on the screen as a cowboy with a guitar, we as the audience establish music will be played or daffy will sing. Daffy modestly opens his mouth and strums the guitar, but with the shock on his face acknowledges there is no sound. He holds up a small sign saying Sound Please. As the audience we are drawn to the fact that anything could happen, and Daffy would not be expecting it. He snobbishly goes to strum the guitar, to find it creates the sound of a machine gun, then a horn and a donkey. The use of mismatching image and sound, is yet another comedic element used within this film, helping create a sense of alienation towards Daffy, with every action he is restricted by the animators command. He breaks the guitar with frustration, and tries plea to the animator, to discover he has been given the voice of chicken and a few o ther different birds. After many attempts he slowly loses his will, so with one last try he endeavours to speak, but at an extreme volume his voice returns. Embarrassed, Daffy is once again revealed helpless to the animator. Daffys traits are explicitly shown, especially his willingness. He stresses for a scenery and colour, but is given a child like drawing background, and is painted in many colours and patterns. This is followed by a mini tantrum by Daffy. Daffy is constantly challenged by the world around him, but his reactions to the events increase the likely hood of the next action made by the animator. If he was not such a drama queen and self absorbed, the constant bad luck happening would most likely be lowered. But clearly, the circumstance of the cartoon remains issued to the desire of the animator. These series of occurrences only cause added anticipation from the spectators who want to further witness the amount of knockbacks the character can take. Chuck Jones gives Da ffy centre stage, but at the same time controls every part of him during the animation, meanwhile breaking the fourth wall and highlighting the construction of the animations art form. With a simple idea of concept of fate, the audience are able to gather a small meaning from the piece that no matter what life throws at you, one should adjust and accept what nature has planned for you, instead of find fault. Throughout the whole animation, whatever Daffys expectations are or wishes to receive, he is given the complete opposite. Several times he tries to take control of the situation, to find himself being manipulated even more, but at the same time the audience are able to witness his anger levels rising. A great example of this is when he finds himself on a small deserted island in the distance, he calls for a close up, which the audience can hardly hear. But instead of receiving the camera to come closer, the frame of the screen shrinks to frame him, Daffys first response is quite sarcastic but soon explodes with frustration. The camera quickly zooms in to reveal just Daffys aggravated eyes. Daffy tries to gain an understanding between himself and the animator, but he is soon interrupted by a black material weighing him down, eventually tearing up the screen. He then returns to suggesting the cartoon should begin even though it has already been running for several minutes. Throughout t he piece Daffy continuously tries to regain his strength and control, but time and time again he is interrupted by some kind of gag narrative. Daffy is soon appointed as a pilot, but this is purely to launch a series of gags, including an off screen air crash, the fall, his parachute turning into a weight, the explosion of the weight which becomes a bomb. At this point Daffy is left helpless, a loss of all control, but with one finally attempt to regain some dignity, he demands to know Who is responsible for all of this? I demand that you show yourself! The enclosed boarder that the audience is now accustomed to is broken as the camera pulls away to reveal the animator Bugs Bunny. The whole piece is a series of independent gags, no relevance to one another except to torment Daffy. But with such shock and surprise to the biggest gag of all, that it was his arch-enemy Bugs Bunny who was the master mind the entire time. Chuck Jones great skill was creating a comic suspense, planting a joke and letting the audience wait for the evitable outcome. By doing this, it created a build up for laughter, the fulfilment of a gag. Duck Amuck demonstrates this immensely, practically every rest point in the animation is the start of a gag. While Daffy is reassuring himself possibly after a gag, he is yet unaware of the next gag about to begin. Real life elements are incorporated throughout Duck Amuck, from film strips, to paint brushes, to erasers, used to manipulate the characters environment and appearance. But these are all cleverly used to show the interactivity between the creation and the creator. Elements like these create another dimension to the story, that we as the audience, to an extent can believe we are with the animator as they makes their decisions. Characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy were wise cracking cynics rather than innocent altruists like Mickey Mouse. But although the Warner Brother characters are similar this animation wouldnt have worked with anyone else except Daffy. His loss of control and humiliation is what creates the piece, his frantic ways, and his self pity of being unable to negotiate, or come to terms with the higher power destroys Daffy leaving him speechless, and in the end becomes more of a subject defined by a gaga. The animators at Warner Brothers experimented over many years tryin g to push to the extreme, but perhaps none were so extreme as Duck Amuck, although it was made within the Hollywood system, the sense of it almost feels more experimental film, with the request to the audience to be a part of the exploration of techniques in the cel animation. Olivia Farrar References Furniss, M. (2005). Chuck Jones: Converstations. United States: University Press of Mississippi. Jones, C. (1999). Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist. United States: Farrar Starus Giroux. Kenner, H. (1994). Chuck Jones: A flurry of Drawings, Protraits of American Genius. United States: University of California Press. Klein, N.M. (1996). Seven Minutes: Life and Death of the American Animated Cartoon. United Kingdom: Verso Books. Wells, P. (1998). Understand Animation. United Kingdom: Routledge.