Dan Bricklin, Bob Frankston, and the First Spreadsheet

Dan Bricklin, Bob Frankston, and the First Spreadsheet Any product that pays for itself in two weeks is a surefire winner. That’s what Dan Bricklin, one of the inventors of the first computer spreadsheet. VisiCalc was released to the public in 1979. It ran on an Apple II computer. Most early microprocessor computers had been  supported by BASIC and a few games, but VisiCalc introduced a new level in application software. It was considered a fourth generation software program. Before this,  companies were investing time and money creating financial projections with manually calculated spreadsheets. Changing a single number meant recalculating every single cell on the sheet. VisiCalc allowed them to change any cell and the entire sheet would be automatically recalculated. VisiCalc took 20 hours of work for some people and turned it out in 15 minutes and let them become much more creative,† Bricklin said. The History of VisiCalc Bricklin and Bob Frankston invented VisiCalc. Bricklin was studying for his Master of Business Administration degree at Harvard Business School when he joined up with Frankston to help him write the programming for his new electronic spreadsheet. The two started their own company, Software Arts Inc., to develop their product. I dont know how to answer what it was like because early Apple machines had so few tools,† Frankston said about programming VisiCalc for the Apple II. â€Å"We just had to keep debugging by isolating a problem, looking at memory in the limited debugging – which was weaker than the DOS DEBUG and had no symbols – then patch and retry and then re-program, download and try again and  again...   An Apple II version was ready by the fall of 1979. The team started writing versions for the Tandy TRS-80, the Commodore PET and the Atari 800. By October, VisiCalc was a fast seller on the shelves of computer stores at $100.   In November 1981, Bricklin received the Grace Murray Hopper Award from the Association for Computing Machinery in honor of his innovation. VisiCalc was soon sold to Lotus Development Corporation where it was developed into the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet for the PC by 1983.  Bricklin never received a patent for VisiCalc because software programs were not eligible for patents by the Supreme Court until after 1981. Im not rich because I invented VisiCalc,† Bricklin said, â€Å"but I feel that Ive made a change in the world. Thats a satisfaction money cant buy.   Patents? Disappointed? Dont think of it that way, Bob Frankston said. Software patents werent feasible then so we chose not to risk $10,000.   More on Spreadsheets The DIF format was developed in 1980, allowing spreadsheet data to be shared and imported into other programs such as word processors. This made spreadsheet data more portable.   SuperCalc was introduced in 1980, the first spreadsheet for the popular micro OS called CP/M. The popular Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet was introduced in 1983. Mitch Kapor founded Lotus and used his previous programming experience with VisiCalc to create 1-2-3.   Excel and Quattro Pro spreadsheets were introduced in 1987, offering a more graphical interface.

Custom Component Development in Delphi

Custom Component Development in Delphi Components are essential elements of the Delphi environment. One of the most important features of Delphi is that we can use Delphi to create our own components. We can derive a new component from any existing component, but the following are the most common ways to create components: modifying existing controls, creating windowed controls, creating graphic controls, subclassing Windows controls and creating nonvisual components. Visual or not, with or without property editor, from scratch...you name it. Developing Delphi components isnt a simple task, it involves quite a bit of knowledge of the VCL. However, developing custom components is not an impossible task; writing components is just pure programming. Articles, Papers, Tutorials What follows is a list of articles that deal with custom component development in Delphi. Accessing protected members of a componentMany Delphi components have useful properties and methods that are marked invisible (protected) to a Delphi developer. In this article, you will find the workaround to this problem - thus enabling you to access a DBGrids RowHeights property, for example.Creating Custom Delphi Components - Inside and OutThis tutorial will explain component writing to you, which should result in more code reuse. It will go over properties, events, and methods, and will also explain how to install components. The final part of this tutorial is about Object-Oriented design.Creating Custom Delphi Components, Part IThis first part demonstrates some of the best approaches to building components, and at the same time provides tips on deciding on the best base class to inherit from, using virtual declarations, the complexities of overriding, and so on.Creating Custom Delphi Components, Part IIQuite often it is necessary to write components that perform more advanced f unctions. These components often need to either reference other components, have custom property data formats, or have a property that owns a list of values rather than a single value. We will explore various examples covering these very subjects, starting with the most simple. Creating Custom Delphi Components, Part IIIThis article is the final part of a three part article on components. Part one covered the basic creating of components, part two covered how to write advanced properties, how to write custom streaming for those properties and sub-properties. This final part will cover property/component editors, how to write dedicated editors for your component/property, and how to write hidden components. More Resources First, if you want more, consider buying a book on Developing custom components.Second, why not try locating an existing (with source perhaps) component you are looking for.Third, when you are 100% sure there is no such question on custom component development you cant answer...there will be something that you dont know. Everything you have to do is to ask a question on the Delphi Programming Forum and wait for answers. Articles, papers, tutorialsHere is a list of articles that deal with custom component development in Delphi. VCL Component Messages [RTF]Component Messages (CM_) are generated only by the VCL and are not reflected Windows Messages (WM_), as one may assume. In spite of that Component Notifications (CN_) are reflected Windows Messages. The idea behind it is, that Windows often sends messages to a parent window of a control instead of the control itself. The VCL simply converts (reflects) these messages to Component Notifications and then sends it to the control, for which the message originally was meant. Delphi Component Building.In this article, read about every aspect of Delphi Component building. Design a TTicTacToe component and learn about: how to build our own components for Delphi, how to add properties, methods and custom events to them, how to wrap them around DLLs, how to install them, how to design a palette bitmap and write on-line help to support the component user. Building SuperComponents in Delphi [download]SuperComponents, also known as aggregate or compound components, are collections of existing sub-components and their relationships combined into a single component. The collections are typically arranged inside a container parent component that manages the visual layout of the sub-components.

Career and Self Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Career and Self Development - Essay Example PLATO is pivotal to career and self-development. It provides the system for self-development as well as institutions and organizations. It accepts data, analyzes, stores important messages, and also does calculations. PLATO now operates under the name of NovaNET. PLATO is also responsible for many offspring such as TenCORE and Lotus Notes that are built on similar ideas generated by PLATO. The entire worldwide online community owes its existence to the pioneering and persistent efforts of PLATO (Woolley, David R, 1994). Employability is a concept that works between an employer and the employee. It is the ability of an individual or organization to employ. And it is the capability of the individual to perform the role for which he is employed. The employer and the employee come together for mutual or varied benefits based on performance by the employee and provision of remuneration to the employee by the employer at the end of the agreed term which may be daily, weekly or monthly. The employer has a specific job for which he or they need a specifically qualified individual. The individual, as the employee, is in a position to provide the employer with the skill needed. Employability embraces a wide ambit of performance and compensation for the employer and the employee. For the employer, it may mean having an employee under him from whom he or they can expect skilled or semi-skilled services for which the employee is experienced and trained. For the employee, it may mean a job that requires him to perform relevant functions for which he is trained or will receive training and at the end of the agreed term receive adequate compensation. Employability has become significant now because of online access to jobs. A company based in the United States can employ a person anywhere in the world through the means of the internet. What are the key changes in the graduate labour market and career forms The key changes are profound because of information technology. The graduate labour market has entered a stage when job descriptions overlap with diverse posts. There is a tremendous array of fields within the commerce and science streams. Earlier commerce graduates handled accountancy and finance. Now they handle a broad spectrum of activities from accounts, finance, insurance, banking, and stocks. And science is no longer a domain for doctors and scientists. Science has branched out into different segments such as anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, bacteriology, biochemistry, biophysics, biology, botany, chemistry, computer science, ecology, electronics, entomology, environment, forestry, genetics, geology, marine biology, medicine, meteorology, microbiology, nanotechnology, neurology, physics, physiology, seismology, zoology and a host of other fields each of which are recognized as major departments with their own discipline. The graduate labour market has to discern the disciplines within each stream and check qualifications that multitask or specialize in diverse or special fields. The labour market

NO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

NO - Essay Example multinational firms have to deeply look into the tax regulations that govern the prospective foreign nations, blocked funds and currency exchange rates among other factors. One of the mechanisms through which organizations can incorporate key political and economic risks in evaluating capital budgeting is to adjust the discount rate payback period (Shapiro et al 2009). Similarly, establishments can slot in the risks by adjusting the expected net cash flows, and at the same time calculating the net present value by using the exchange rates of the prospective nations, for such acts provide the administrators with more comprehensive estimations. The unpredictability of the global economy has undeniably prompted investors to be on the lookout for safe investment options (Hill, 2014). Capital budgeting is an integral process in the course of undertaking an investment, for it ensures that the entities involved settle on the best opportunities. Consequently, I presume that adjusting the expected net cash flows is the most preferred method of incorporating both political and economic risks in capital budget analysis. This is because such an adjustment ensures that the investors understand the dynamics of the political and economic factors, and the mechanisms they can employ to avoid

The History of Religion in the US Essay Example for Free

The History of Religion in the US Essay When you think of religion in the United States and how it started you may think of the first settlers. These were not the first being to worship a higher power in the United States. The Indians believed in and worshiped The Great Spirit. Despite the many tribes like the Sioux and Iroquois they all had the same belief in The Great Spirit. The Great Spirit could be present in animals as well as inanimate objects. They all developed great ceremonies to on it. Then came the colonists, the first settlers, who were predominantly protestant these settlers left their home countries because of religion. They did not want to be told how to worship their God. These colonists were Christians but as they began to settle, those with different beliefs separated themselves and developed new segments of religion. The puritans left their country to escape religious prosecution. They later developed the religions of Baptist and Congressionalist’s. Their religion was based on the teachings of John Calvin, and was thought to purify the religion of the Church of England. Their religions eventually lead to self isolation and witch hunts of people who did not follow their religion. The Methodists were a group of Oxford University Students. They were not fleeing religious prosecution when they arrived. The Methodist Church as become the second largest Protestant Church in the United States today. The History of Religion in the United States Christa Hart Lutherans were like no other American Christian denomination; their national origin did play an important role in their history. Members came from Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway. The Lutherans settled on the East Coast and American Midwest, and celebrated worship services in their native tongues. Presbyterians who bore little resemblance to the liturgy, structure, and tradition associated with the Roman Catholic Church, the Presbyterian and Reformed churches share a common origin in the teachings of John Calvin. Their belief structure and practices are centered on the Bible and â€Å"the sovereignty of God.† Presbyterians make up one of the largest branches of Protestant Christianity today. The next religion, the Quakers, were founded in 1647 by English preacher George Fox, the Society of Friends emphasized a direct relationship with God. One’s conscience, not the Bible, was the ultimate authority on morals and actions. The state I live in Pennsylvania was founded by the Quakers, specifically William Penn, as a religious sanctuary. Quakers did not have a clergy or dedicated church buildings, and therefore held their meetings in which participants deliberated silently on issues and spoke up when â€Å"the Spirit moved them.† Dressed in plain clothes, Quakers preferred a simple life over one enjoyed by the aristocracy of England and the burgeoning merchant class in the colonies. They also shared an abhorrence of violence. I find my beliefs, even though I The History of Religion in the United States Christa Hart follow or believe in no God, similar, that if you were to need the faith in religion, you should not need to have a specific building, life style or presence in society to practice that religion. That doing so just creates a difference among people creating more separation in a race that should be united. And violence should never be tolerated, growing up in a house hold where violence and abuse was common place, this is a rule that people in my life need to abide by. The oldest Christian churches: Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Eastern Orthodoxy, have left their unique stamp on the history of religion in America. Called liturgical for their adherence to an elaborate, set form of ritualistic worship practices, most of those churches observe seven sacraments throughout their members’ lives, whereas later Christian denominations usually celebrated only two. Anglicanism, The Church of England (later the Episcopal Church in the U.S.) was first planted on American soil at the ill-fated Roanoke Colony in Virginia, when their first services were held on August 13, 1687. Since that landing, they grew and experienced numerous schisms. Their worship services are similar in some ways to those of Roman Catholicism, and their clergy orders are the same: bishops, priests, and deacons. The History of Religion in the United States Christa Hart Eastern Orthodoxy in America consists of more than a dozen church bodies whose national origin is reflected by their names, such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, and the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia. Eastern Orthodox beliefs are based on holy tradition, or doctrines from early Christianity, and the Bible. Utopian communities were established in America as places where followers would not waiver could achieve a perfect religious, political and social system. The first community was established by a group of Dutch Mennonites in 1663 near what is now Lewes, Delaware. When the constitution was written it stated in the first amendment which is called the â€Å"Establishment Clause†, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.† Also, the relationship between religion and politics was established in the Article VI of the First Amendment that states, â€Å"No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.† The definition of the separation of church and state found in the U.S. Constitution has caused more disagreement than any other in the nation’s history. The History of Religion in the United States Christa Hart This is a continuously tried amendment, to be challenged by people of religion who try to push their religion or a religion on anyone and everyone who would listen. Just like prayers in schools are constantly pushed by religious politicians. It should not be anyone’s choice on what to believe, it is for a person to decide solely on their own through age and experiences. Religion has continued to change over the decades as more and more immigrants of different religions come to the United States such as Muslim, Buddhists, Jewish, they have been joined by more modern religions like Scientology and Mysticism. More and more people have also chosen, like myself, to have no religion but to base their lives on scientific beliefs in the way the earth and its creatures were created. However religious people also have this similar belief just stating their God would have to have their hand in this somehow. This would contradict most Christian religions.

A Work of Artifice - A Profound Poem for Many Cultures Essay -- Poetry

"A Work of Artifice"- A Profound Poem for Many Cultures Suppression of women has occurred in all societies. Damage created by societal repression ranges from psychological damage to physical damage. Â  The suppression of women is not only perpetrated by men, often other women support the cultural traditions which are damaging, as they themselves grew up within the confines of those social norms. Â  Marge Piercy, a feminist activist, writer and poet makes a statement against social norms damaging to women with her poem, "A Work of Artifice". After reading the poem, one can certainly appreciate the fact that many norms embraced as acceptable for a woman causes physical and psychological damage to their total health. Through "A Work of Artifice", Piercy delivers a poignant message to societies everywhere. A "Work of Artifice" contains images of female suppression from various cultures. Piercy uses the symbol of a bonsai tree to represent a woman that has been conformed to society. The gardener "whittles back the branches" (Piercy, 10) every day, as a society or group forms a woman into what they think is decent or acceptable. Much literature, as well as other forms of media is devoted to depicting women who find themselves trying to achieve their dreams, while simultaneously having to work against the wishes of the greater part of their societies. Sometimes the heroines have to struggle to overcome society created morals within themselves. An example of this can be found within David Graham Phillips' novel The Price She Paid. The heroine, Gertrude, must give up her notions (which have been impressed upon her since birth by her family, community, and the larger part of New York Society) of what a "lady's" occupations and actions sho... ... binding- lotus shoes". San Francisco Museum: 1999. 13 Mar 2003 <a href="http://www.sfmuseum.org/chin/foot.html">http://www.sfmuseum.org/chin/foot.html</a> Eliade, Mircea, The Sacred and the Profane. Trans. Willard R. Trask. Â  New York: Harcourt Inc, 1959 "Female Genital Mutilation, a course pack". Amnesty International Website. 14 Mar 2003 <a href="http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/femgen/fgm1.htm#ref1">http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/femgen/fgm1.htm#ref1</a> Phillips, David Graham, The Price She Paid. IndyPublish.com: 2002. 14 Mar 2003 <a href="http://jollyroger.com/library1/ThePriceShePaidbyPhillipsebook.html">http://jollyroger.com/library1/ThePriceShePaidbyPhillipsebook.html</a> Piercy, Marge, "A Work of Artifice". Literature: Thinking, Reading and Writing Critically. Ed. Sylvan et al. 2nd ed. New York: Longman, 1997: 882-83, 894

Adult Learning Today Essay

Summary Adult learning has become the number one priority in everyone’s lives. The motivation and drive that is brought on by dreams and goals is phenomenal. Adult learners must be motivated to want to further their education. â€Å"Back in the 20th century various individuals, such as John Dewey, Eduard Lindeman, and Martha Anderson all pursued theories about Andragogy which was first used by Alexander Kapp in 1833† (Abela J, 2009). Andragogy means man and was used to describe the educational theory of the Greek philosopher Plato. Adults engaging in continuing education were studied in this theory. Andragogy assumes that â€Å"adults are independent, have various experiences, are motivated by internal drives, and integrate their learning into everyday life† (Abela J, 2009). It is easier to learn and teach when it is something that is well known. This article covers Andragogy learning theory because it is used now a day more than ever. The drive that keeps continuing education is oneself. The drive to motivation is based off of the Hierarchy of needs: self-actualization, esteem needs, social needs, safety needs, and physiological needs. The role of educators is the catalyst for motivation. It is easier to learn when the person teaching is knowledgeable and cares about the education aspects. However, reflection and motivation are insufficiently addressed by this concept. Learning activities should address the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to what is needed to become knowledgeable in retaining the information. Feedback when learning new information becomes an important role so that one may know whether the information is being comprehended as well as being retained for further use. Adults find motivation within the demands and desires of their lives, in providing for themselves and for their families, and in satisfying personal dreams and ambitions. Motivation may also come from inside a person or the surrounding environment. In everyday life as well as in the work aspects furthering education is the best way to stay up to date. Andragogy is a great theory and is used in everyday life more than realized. Reflection By looking into the reasoning behind all my motivation there are the answers I have always tried to find. What am I working towards? For who? I am an adult learner and motivation is key to my life and what I want out of it. Motivation is my drive to furthering my own education. Andragogy actually describes me perfectly. I am motivated, independent, and I apply all my knowledge to everyday life. It helps greatly when professors and educators actually work with you and help you better understand the information being taught versus just being a â€Å"teacher† for the money. I feel as if teachers online especially have lost sight of the education aspects. Left out from the summary Andragogy is a popular theory used in medical education. Theory works perfectly into my life even though I am a Business major; I also have the drive to help the elderly, so I am a certified nursing assistant. My professors have been there for me and helped me greatly. My learning style is independent much like Andragogy but, I also have to apply everything I learn into everyday life or I won’t be able to retain all the information given. Motivation is the key to anything you want to achieve in life and motivation is what keeps me going during the long work weeks and the long school hours. If one concept doesn’t work then move onto another concept until the learning style clicks. In this article the medical field and this adult learning theory works exceptionally well. Although this may be just another theory, it is of great importance to the adult learners furthering their education. We can better understand the world around us and how things are done if we understand how to retain the information given. As a full-time student, young mom, and full-time worker, online education has been more than helpful. It is my motivation to finish my associates, then finish out with my bachelors, and move forward to the next steps in my life. They say, â€Å"You can’t teach an old dog new tricks†, teach things the first time and use all concepts needed and you will soon achieve life goals. By furthering your education you may open up doors and opportunities you would not have gotten if you had not decided to go to school. Education is the best decision you could make for yourself as well as to make the world a better place by being educated. Works Cited Abela, J. (2009). Adult learning theories and medical education: a review. Malta Medical Journal, 21(1), 11-18. Merriam S (2008). Adult Learning Theory for the Twenty-First Century. Pg. 119.

Enforceable Contracts

Six Essential Elements of an Enforceable Contract In normal everyday life contracts are utilized for various situations and reasons. Some contracts are more binding as compared to others based on the six elements of offer, acceptance, consideration, the parties’ capacity to contract, the parties’ intent to contract and the object of the contract. This paper examines the above mentioned elements using a contract existing between a customer and a phone dealer.The phone dealer dealt with used but clean phones and because the customer could not afford a new phone, he approached the phone dealer who promised to deliver a functional and clean used smart phone at the price of $74 after two days. The payment was to be made after the delivery of the phone but on the condition that the phone would be fully functional and the customer could return the phone within the following week if it developed any problem.On the appointed day, the phone dealer delivered the phone as promised and the customer made the payment as he had promised too. After two days of using the phone the customer started to experience so many complications with the phone and it finally went off completely. When he returned the phone to the phone dealer, the dealer told him that once the phone was sold the customer could not return it. When the customer threatened to sue him for breach of contract, the dealer affirmed that there were no grounds because there was no written contract.The customer however went on with the suit because though the verbal contract between them was initially fulfilled through the delivery of the phone within the appointed time, it was breached when the dealer refused to accept back the phone within the agreed grace period. A breach of contract is defined as any form of violation that occurs on conditions contained in an enforceable contract. To ascertain the breach of contract the first step is affirming that a contract existed between the customer and the phone dealer. This can be done using the six elements of a contract.The phone can be identified as the object of the contract because it is legal ascertaining the enforceable nature of the contract. As per the first element the verbal offer of providing the phone within two days at $74 can be recognized as part of the binding contract between the two regardless of the fact that it was written. Under acceptance or genuine assent, the customer engaged in expressed acceptance of the offer within the stipulated conditions set by the dealer. The mutual promise between the customer and the phone dealer to eet their sides of the contract can be equated to consideration. Both the customer and the dealer had the capacity to contract because none was coerced into the agreement. The fact that both agreed to enter into the contract considering all the stipulated conditions, shows their intent to enter into the contract. The above clearly indicates that though no written contract existed between the d ealer and the customer, a verbal contract existed between the two of them and the dealer breached the contract by refusing to honor one of the stipulated conditions in the contract.The major two remedies that could be utilized to counter the breach of contract could be the dealer accepting back the phone and issuing the customer with another phone or refunding back his money as an out of court settlement because a court settlement can prove to be very expensive both on the dealer and the customer or the customer can go ahead and sue with the aim of acquiring a court settlement of the issue now that the dealer was unwilling to accept the first remedy.Though this would be costly on both of them, though the customer has better chances of winning the case because he can easily prove that though a verbal contract existed between them, it could be identified as an enforceable contract using the six essential elements of an enforceable contract. Based on this evidence the court will defini tely find the phone dealer guilty of breach of contract because he did not meet one of the major conditions of the contract between him and the customer.This will culminate into a stiffer punishment for the dealer which would have been avoided if he met all the conditions of the contract initially. In conclusion, though a verbal contract existed between the dealer and the customer, it can still be identified as an enforceable contract using the six essential elements of an enforceable contract and hence the phone dealer is liable for the breach of contract. References: Adamson, J. E. (2012). Law for business and personal use. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Revision, Revision, Revision Notes on Writing Well Essays

Revision, Revision, Revision Notes on Writing Well Essays Revision, Revision, Revision Notes on Writing Well Essay Revision, Revision, Revision Notes on Writing Well Essay Have you ever written a piece of writing and just not quite known what is wrong with it? If you are like every other human being, then of course you have. Stumbling across problems such as these are the main reasons why writers choose to go back and double check what they have already previously accomplished. The revision process is JUST as important as the essay itself. However, not everyone’s revision process is done the same way; sometimes the revision is done by somebody other than the author. Revising an essay can be a very tedious task. Especially if you’re not entirely sure what revision really is. When you hear the word revision, almost every single time you think about run-on sentences or spelling errors. However, that is only one of the many small steps in the direction to true revision. Revising a work of art is much more than surface errors. You need to make sure the content of the paper is accurately portraying your thoughts in a manner the reader will understand. Whether it be identifying and checking for supporting details throughout the paper, or making sure your piece follows the idea and point of the original assignment. In class, we were given an assignment to interview five people who are presenting at a composition research forum that was being held on campus later that night. That’s where multiple comp-250 students present their presentations for whoever asks them to do so. The assignment seemed very troublesome at first, but I knew it would be a great opportunity for a better understanding and comparison of revision and the revision process. I arrived at the research forum later in the evening, so I was able to quickly see what my fellow Fort Lewis College students had in store for me. The first presenter was Sarah Enriquez. Her report was presentation over why we should use human subjects who are on death row to do testing for makeup instead of testing on animals. She described in great detail why it is s

The Paradox of Tragedy

The Paradox of Tragedy How is it possible that human beings can derive pleasure from unpleasant states? This is the question addressed by Hume in his essay On Tragedy, which lies at the heart of a long-standing philosophical discussion on tragedy. Take horror movies, for instance. Some people are terrified while watching them, or they don’t sleep for days. So why  are they doing it? Why stay in front of the screen for a horror movie?It is clear that sometimes we enjoy being spectators of tragedies. Although this may be an everyday observation, it is a surprising one. Indeed, the view of a tragedy typically produces disgust or awe in the viewer. But disgust and awe are unpleasant states. So how is it possible that we enjoy unpleasant states?It is by no chance that Hume devoted a whole essay to the topic. The rise of aesthetics in his time took place side by side with a revival of a fascination for horror. The issue had already kept busy a number of ancient philosophers. Here is, for example, what t he Roman poet Lucretius and British philosopher Thomas Hobbes had to say on it. What joy it is, when out at sea the stormwinds are lashing the waters, to gaze from the shore at the heavy stress some other man is enduring! Not that anyones afflictions are in themselves a source of delight; but to realize from what troubles you yourself are free is joy indeed. Lucretius, On the Nature of the Universe, Book II.From what passion proceedeth it, that men take pleasure to behold from the shore the danger of them that are at sea in a tempest, or in fight, or from a safe castle to behold two armies charge one another in the field? It is certainly in the whole sum joy. else men would never flock to such a spectacle. Nevertheless there is in it both joy and grief. For as there is novelty and remembrance of [ones] own security present, which is delight; so is there also pity, which is grief But the delight is so far predominant, that men usually are content in such a case to be spectators of the misery of their friends. Hobbes, Elements of Law, 9.19.So, how to solve the par adox? More Pleasure Than Pain One first attempt, pretty obvious, consists in claiming that the pleasures involved in any spectacle of tragedy outweigh the pains. Of course I’m suffering while watching a horror movie; but that thrill, that excitement that accompanies the experience is totally worth the travail. After all, one could say, the most delectable pleasures all come with some sacrifice; in this circumstance, the sacrifice is to be horrified.On the other hand, it seems that some people do not find particular pleasure in watching horror movies. If there is any pleasure at all, it’s the pleasure of being in pain. How can that be? Pain as Catharsis A second possible approach sees in the quest for pain an attempt to find a catharsis, that is a form of liberation, from those negative emotions. It is by inflicting upon ourselves some form of punishment that we find relief from those negative emotions and feelings that we have experienced.This is, in the end, an ancient interpretation of the power and relevance of tragedy, as that form of entertainment that is quintessential to elevate our spirits by allowing them to surpass our traumas. Pain is, Sometimes, Fun Yet another, third, approach to the paradox of horror comes from philosopher  Berys  Gaut. According to him, to be in awe or in pain, to suffer, can in some circumstances be sources of enjoyment. That is, the way to pleasure is pain. In this perspective, pleasure and pain are not really opposites: they may be two sides of the very same coin. This is because what’s bad in a tragedy is not the sensation, but the scene that elicits such sensation. Such a scene is connected to a horrific emotion, and this, in turn, elicits a sensation that we find in the end pleasurable.Whether Gaut’s ingenious proposal got it right is questionable, but the paradox of horror certainly remains one of the most entertaining subjects in philosophy.

MTV The Leading Multimedia Youth Brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MTV The Leading Multimedia Youth Brand - Essay Example The work environment provides its employees the ability to contribute, be heard and be successful. MTV was named the world's most valuable media brand for an uninterrupted six years by Business week and Intebrands world's most valuable brands study. Its portfolio of media and entertainment can be broadly classified into online and television channel brands. Some of MTV Networks online, online interactive and web based entertainment brands include Harmonix, AtomFilms, GameTrailers (GT), Xfire, AddictingGames and Shockwave, GoCityKids, Neopets, ParentsConnect and Quizilla. CMT, Logo, MTV, MTV2's, mtvU, MTV Tr3s, MHD, VH1,VH1 Classic,VH1 Soul, COMEDY CENTRAL,Spike TV,TV Land,Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, NOGGIN and The N are the television channel brands under the networks portfolio. The programming content of the MTV channel laid emphasis on reality shows The Real World and Road Rules during the mid- to late 1990s and early 2000s. The years 2005 and 2006 witnessed the channel returning its focus on reality television content with the debuts of popular shows such as 8th and ocean, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, Parental Control and the like. To attract and retain the teen and young adult viewer segment, the channel has also airing movies made for that particular age group. Several productions of its own film producing division is also being broadcast. In 2009 it added scripted comedy programs to its pprogramming portfolio With the recent downslide in the networks ratings, MTV stepped into 2009 with a massive shift in programming. It broadcast content focuses more on reality programming. "You get an intense sense of reality that you haven't seen on television before," Graden says. "These are (techniques) that are interesting that I don't see anyone else doing." Brian Graden is the President of Programming, MTV and VH1. Revenues And Profits The following excerpt taken from www.smartbrief.com gives an account of the Third Quarter 2008 financial Results of Viacom of which MTV is a unit. "Revenues grew 4% to $3.41 billion in the third quarter 2008 led by a 6% increase in Media Networks revenues with Filmed Entertainment revenues relatively flat versus the prior year's results. Operating income declined 15% in the quarter, primarily reflecting a $91 million decrease in the Filmed Entertainment segment as it lapped the strong performance of Transformers in the third quarter of 2007. Third Quarter 2008 operating income decreased 15% to $689 million versus $815 million in the third quarter of 2007. Operating income for the Media Networks segment declined 4%, reflecting the impact of lower advertising and consumer products revenues as well as higher expenses primarily related to programming.Business Outlook For the full year 2008, Viacom expects to deliver mid-single to low double-digit growth in adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations.Stock Repurchase ProgramFor the quarter ended September 30, 2008, 7.6 million shares were repurchased for an aggregate purchase price of $215 million. As of October 31, 2008, the Company has $1.4 billion remaining in its existing $4 billion share repurchase program.

Make a title Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Make a title - Essay Example Britain took measures to retain control over the colonies and to raise income to settle the debt. In 1763, King George III issued a Royal Proclamation which had a provision barring any colonial settlement beyond west of the Appalachian Mountains. In so doing, Britain hoped to avoid expensive Indian wars; and to keep western land speculation under her control (Kindig 1995). Immediate resistance led to its modification. In 1764, Parliament enacted the Sugar Act, in an effort to raise income in the colonies through a tax on molasses. The British parliament also passed the Stamp Act 1765, which obliged colonists to obtain a government-issued stamp for paper goods including all legal documents. There were massive protests to oppose these Acts, which often resulted into violence (Kindig 1995). It seems the British fruits of victory sowed the seeds for future problems with her American colonies. Attempts to increase taxes to service debts for the expensive war; and to limit western expansion by colonists were met with great resistance and resentment from the colonists. These disagreements would eventually encourage colonial rebellion and consequently the full-scale independence war. "French and Indian War/Seven Years War, 1754–63 - 1750–1775 - Milestones - Office of the Historian." State Department - Office of the Historian. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2014. . "The Expansion of the West - Boundless Open Textbook." Boundless. Version 4. N.p., 9 Dec. 2010. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.