Friday, November 29, 2019

36 Adjectives Describing Light

36 Adjectives Describing Light 36 Adjectives Describing Light 36 Adjectives Describing Light By Mark Nichol A bright constellation of adjectives referring to various qualities of light, or other phenomena related to light, is brought to light in the list below. Quite a few of them, from lucent to lustrous (and even illuminating), stem from the Latin word lucere, meaning â€Å"to shine,† while many others begin with the consonant gl-, betraying their descent from a proto-Germanic word with the same meaning. 1. Aureate: brilliantly golden; also, grandiloquent 2. Blinding: so bright as to obscure vision 3. Coruscating: flashing, or sparkling; also, brilliant or showy 4. Crepuscular: dim, or resembling twilight; also, said of animals active during twilight 5. Dappled: marked by spotted or patchy light; also, marks of this kind on a surface 6. Fluorescent: giving off light produced by another source of illumination 7. Glancing: intermittently flashing or gleaming 8. Gleaming: shining, radiant 9. Glimmering: faintly or unsteadily shining 10. Glinting: see gleaming; also, appearing briefly, or glancing briefly 11. Glistening: see lustrous 12. Glistering: see glittering 13. Glittering: flashing or sparkling; also brilliantly and/or superficially attractive or appealing 14. Glossy: bright on the surface; also, artificially opulent or sophisticated 15. Illuminating: bright or shining; also, highlighted or made clear 16. Incandescent: warm, glowing 17. Iridescent: rainbow colored 18. Lucent: bright, clear, or shining 19. Lucid: see lucent; also, easy to understand 20. Lucifugal: shunning light, as in the case of nocturnal animals 21. Lucifugous: see lucifugal 22. Luminescent: shining by chemical or physiological means 23. Luminous: full of light 24. Lustrous: smooth, evenly lit; also, brilliant or eminent 25. Opaque: blocking light; also, obtuse, or difficult to understand 26. Opalescent: see iridescent 27. Penumbral: partially shaded 28. Phosphorescent: continuing to glow after removal of a light source 29. Prismatic: brilliant, or resembling colors formed by passing light through a prism 30. Radiant: glowing, or radiating light 31. Resplendent: brilliant or glowing 32. Scintillating: sparking, or sparkling; also, brilliant, as said of personality 33. Shimmering: soft or wavering light or reflection 34. Spangling: see glittering 35. Spectral: made by a range of colors of the spectrum; also, ghostly 36. Translucent: diffused, or transparent Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About TalkingList of 50 Great Word Games for Kids and AdultsHow to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk

Monday, November 25, 2019

Essay on Should equality be a political ideal

Essay on Should equality be a political ideal Essay on Should equality be a political ideal Should equality be a political ideal? Equality is a highly contested, complex and vast concept. Therefore, the recognition of equality as a political ideal would lead to confusion, and lack of coherence and consistency in policy making. Dworkin builds on the idea that equality is a highly contested subject, stating that ‘people who praise it or disparage it disagree about what they are praising or disparaging’1. This essay shall, hence, support the view that equality should not be a political ideal. To begin with, this essay shall explain what formal and distributive equality are, moving onto looking at which of the two is more necessary and appropriate. The benefits and disadvantages of the two shall then be assessed. Finally, this essay shall establish that the argument that equality should be a political ideal is unnecessary, as equality is implied in other political ideas such as justice and democracy. In his book, ‘Political Philosophy’, Adam Swift implies the identification of two kinds of equality- formal equality and distributive equality. Formal equality refers to the idea that all the people in a political community should be treated equally, and that the state ‘should treat its citizens with equal concern and respect.’2 Distributive equality refers to the equality of resources; while Rawls suggests that equality of outcome entails distribution of ‘positional goods’ others have argued that welfare, opportunity for welfare or income should be the metric for equality of outcome. 3 Formal equality, articulated by Aristotle in reference to Plato, holds that one must ‘treat like cases as like.’4 Adam Swift believes that ‘people’s prospects in life should depend on their ability and effort, not their social background’5. Furthermore, he claims that formal equality is necessary, as there is a widening gap between classes. His understanding is that statistically 50% of the poorest households in the UK supply a mere 7% of university students6. However, the importance of equality in social relationships should not be doubted. Swift is of the opinion that the absence of this formal equality would lead to the exploitation, marginalisation, domination and the general oppression of certain groups7. In today’s world, for example, groups such as ethnic minorities, homosexuals and the disabled seek ‘equality of status and recognition’ in society.8 Additionally, a historical case study supporting this point can also be loo ked at with regard to the USA. Women in the USA were denied the right to vote right up till 19209, before which woman enjoyed an inferior position than men in the US society. Despite making progress in this area, modernity brings new inequalities. The United States’ Defence Against Marriage Act defines marriage as a ‘legal union between one man and one woman’10, thereby leaving American homosexual couples as unequal in the eyes of American law. This blatant disregard for the moral claims of one group, whilst recognising them in another, heterosexual couples, is why formal equality needs to be a political ideal. In all, it can be concluded that formal equality still provides the much needed foundation of equal treatment in society. There are, however, arguments that formal equality should not be a political ideal. Scholars such as Swift argue that the measures formal equality proposes for equality to be achieved fall short, and will not be successful without the backing of the more radical approach found in the equality of opportunity or distributive equality. Swift justifies his view by challenging the two main principles of formal equality and shows his understanding of how distributive equality can fix their short comings and faults. Firstly, he explains that equality before the law is meaningless if some can and others cannot afford to pay for a lawyer.11 He makes the point that the wealthy are able to spend inordinate amounts of money on legal representation, a luxury that the poorer members of society cannot

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Retailing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Retailing - Essay Example A significant segment of this retailing upheaval has taken place in the area of logistics where British retailers had taken over the supply chain, thereby, lessening the lead times from the manufacturing plant to the store. The grocery segment, particularly, possesses a stream-lined logistical system with investment into multiple distribution hubs and transport in order to provide with an increasing figure of super-stores. This logistical concept is now being confronted by the technological, environmental, and political transformations. The policy of government to reduce environmental harm, thereby, revitalizing town centres puts forward great challenges for logistics. As put forth by Clarke, the early stress on retailers along with store location activities offered to feign both the wider anatomy of the product channel and the stand of consumption in shaping retail transformation (Clarke, 1996). By the midst of the twentieth century, consumers had an associatively restrained option of stores and stocks for their major periodical shopping spree. Most of the market-places were inclusive of a choice that encompassed the conventional super-markets, convenience stores, and a deteriorating number of small neighbourhood food shops. Following that, during the 1970s, however, an out-and-out bash took place in the new types of retail formats. 1980 initiated the 'significantly differentiated' formats which were competent for the dollars of customers. This new choice was inclusive of hyper-marches, warehouse shops, super-combos, super-stores, and limited variety discount stores. Apparently, in the early 1980s, strategic and tactical positioning became critical matters for survival in the retail industry (Arnold et al, 1983). Here, we will discuss the challenges as put forth by the transformations that have taken place since the 1980s. Around a century ago, even as retailing was entirely different from what it is now, there were a number of big transformations of the twentieth century which were already there in their embryonic stage. For example, most of the products were named, if not 'branded' by the retailers, which gave rise to manufacturer branding. Also, retail operations experienced various novel technologies, chiefly in construction and transport, and had great impact on them. Moreover, international sourcing was previously being practiced in a restrained way, and city centres had started to embellish into major hubs of comparison retailing. Today, we know that the epoch is entirely business-oriented. In no time of the world history has it inhibited such a significant place for business as it is not comprised of, where it affords sufficient opportunity for the highest honours, for the most long-lasting fame, and for wealth and authority that has no limits. Retailing today, is an arena which is capable of a lluring the able ones and the ambitious who can practice their greatest talents. This

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Enterprise and Business Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Enterprise and Business Development - Essay Example Business plans are decision-making tools by which a company strives to attaining its corporate goals. A business plan will be tested against and extended to meet new circumstances and opportunities; for this it should take in to consideration- Nature of the business covers the location, type of product and also take in to consideration the over all goals. Marketing includes the quantum of goods produced, advertisement, evaluation and tackling of competition and determining market sector. Financial control covers an idea about the seed capital, Break- Even Point and the projected cash flow and financial statements. Management should focus its attention on the preparation of product reports, handling of accounts and estimation about the actual cost of goods produced. This business plan is based on a fictitious manufacturing company and the product name is â€Å"Maas.† â€Å"The real value of creating a business plan is not in having the finished product in hand; rather, the value lies in the process of researching and thinking about your business in a systematic way.† 1 The initial investment for the proposed company is around four million Hong Kong Dollars (4million HK$). This plan has been prepared to obtain adequate amount of finance to complete the product development. Maas Manufacturing Ltd is a new company, which has developed an automatic electronic light control product. An extensive market survey has revealed that no other products are presently competing with our proposed product. It is prepared to offer equity return for investment in the company in future. Full production can begin within a period of three months from the date of starting up of the company, after obtaining sufficient financial resources. The proposed plan aims to raise finance necessary to further develop, manufacture and distribute the products to its consumers. Consumers, commercial and industrial users etc are all prospective customers for the product. The major potential market

Monday, November 18, 2019

Music in People's Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music in People's Life - Essay Example VTI Ltd is generally into business that focuses on the active followers of music who normally make purchases of music records. Ironically, the fact that a person is an active follower of music does not guarantee that the person will be dogmatised to whatever a music company presents it with (Armenakis, Harris, & Mossholder, 2003). Mostly, these music consumers want dynamism and diversity in the way their businesses deal with it. It is for this reason that the all new form of music record trading, which is the online sale of music has become embraced by most lovers of music. There is no denying the fact that online sales make access to music easier and less expensive. There is also a lot of fun when it comes to how interactive and interesting the act of making purchases online can be. Due to this situation, a lot more consumers of music would be more comfortable doing business with companies that guarantee them these variables of services. The need for change at VTI Ltd. Change is not something that a lot of people embrace easily in organizational management and set up. This is because in most cases, people feel very comfortable with the systems they have been associated with and with feel that trying their hands on new ideas, programmes and systems would bring about an entire change in the organisational culture, which would in turn affect the way business is conducted within the organisation (Osborne & Brown, 2005). But as much as it is true that changes in key policies, programmes and systems could lead to changes in organisational culture, it is also true to argue that changes are generally needed when there is the need for a pragmatic reformation aimed at growth and development (Grundy, 1993). In the current case of VTI Ltd, the only justification for change is that revenues are falling and the company has not made any profits in the past four years. Clearly, any organisation that becomes plagued with such a situation must first look out for a course of cha nge to ensure that wrongs are corrected and the direction and focus of the organisation is placed in line with demand trend on the market (Hirschhorn, 2000). There is also the need for change because customers have changed their consumer behaviour towards the company. Yet again, O’Toole (2005) notes that when consumer behaviour changes towards an organisation, its revenues may either go up or down. But in this case, revenues are going down. Causes of change at VTI Ltd. There could be two major paradigms of causes of change for VTI Ltd, which are internal and external. Largely though, it can be said that the internal changes are quiet dependent on the external changes. This is said because it is realised from the case that the major cause of change is changes in consumer behaviour, which is quite an external phenomenon (Batt, 2002). There is also an external cause of competition, whereby the company is seen not to be proactively surviving the competition it is reaching from ke y competitors. In a situation where there is lack of competition, revenues will fall because competitors win over the available customers of a company (Baum & Rowley, 2005). Even more, changes in business orientation, which is also an external factor, could be counted as being responsible for the change. By this, reference is being made to how the music sales industry has adopted itself to a more technology based way of doing business, where electronic commerce has become the order of the day. Generally, these external factors have led up to internal causes such as organisational conflicts and struggle, which is seen between management and employees, and lack of employee satisfaction, arising from

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Game Mechanics in Racing Game: Research

Game Mechanics in Racing Game: Research Introduction The very first racing game built by KONAMI was Road Fighter (Konami, 1984). The goal of the game was to reach the finish line without running out of fuel. The interesting part was each time the player gets close to finish line without getting crashed; a superman flies by and the player gets extra 1000 points. If you havent noticed before, the superman has K marked on his dress, which probably stands for Konami. But, if you see from a developers point of view, the superman bonus is the result of reward and feedback game mechanics. This point bonus encourages players to play better. It makes the game more interesting and players concentrate more in order to get the bonus Superman points. Game mechanics is a huge subject. It has been used in many fields today, other than video games. Game mechanics have been used for growing the players interest and involvement in gameplay, but as the area of game mechanics became largely successful, it started being used in other fields for other purposes. With the research on game mechanics, I try to study and understand the vast game mechanics subject and its application in various fields. I have also tried to form up a definition and apply it to study gameplay in various games. At last, a thorough study of game mechanics in racing games is attempted, and I introduce a new mechanics for racing games. Research Context The example above explains the game mechanics at quite brief extent. Here, I present some definitions by various researchers as well as own thoughts, experience and some examples. Game Mechanics Definitions Different researchers provide different game mechanics definitions, most likely related to their research. Here are some of the definitions given by some authors. Miguel Sicart defines game mechanics as: Methods invoked by agents for interacting with the game world. (Sicart, 2008) Here, Sicart offered a formal definition for game mechanics as he exercises this definition with a comparative analysis of Shadow of Colossus (Team Ico, 2005), Rez (United Game Artist, 2002) and Every Extend Extra (Q Entertainment, 2006) to research game context and user experience. One of the game mechanics definitions that Sicart has mentioned in his research is by Lundgren and BjÃÆ' ¶rk (2003) as: any part of the rule system of a game that covers one, and only one, possible kind of interaction that takes place during the game, be it general or specific. The definition given by Lundgren and BjÃÆ' ¶rk covers traditional board games and puzzle games, rather than video games. However, they mention that most of the mechanics identified in their research can easily be brewed into video games played on PCs and consoles. It would have been easy to describe these game mechanics without starting from traditional games, but, starting from traditional games also opens up a way that allows easy comparison between computer-based games and non-computerized games. Mike stout (2010) explains how to come up with a better game mechanics when the gameplay is repetitive and boring. Stout describes game mechanics as A major chunk of gameplay. He gives an example of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Nintendo, 1991) and the game mechanics used in the game like: sword combat, block pushing, boomerang throwing, swimming, button based puzzles, Hazard-avoidance, etc. (Stout, 2010) Amy Jo Kim explains game mechanics applied in functional softwares and social media as The system and features that makes games fun, compelling and addictive. Kim also explains how game mechanics is brewed into social media like eBay, Facebook, YouTube etc, (Kim, 2009). Game mechanics is a subject that is used in many fields other than video games like, social media, social games and entertainment, consumer products and services etc. Game Mechanics in Social Media Social media sites like facebook.com, eBay.com, youtube.com etc. Implements game mechanics at a very large scale. Amy Jo Kim (2009) explains how collection, points, exchange, feedback and customization mechanics is implemented in social media. For example, ebay.com gives rating and feedback score to the sellers based on the feedback received from customers or buyers. The feedback is accessible through sellers profile page where any user can check the ratings and score. This mechanics improves the seller services. Tesco PLC has implemented point mechanics to attract more customers. The customer gets certain points for purchases made at Tesco shops through Tesco Clubcard. Later, they can redeem points for other offers of items. Tesco makes various offers available through Clubcard points which drive customers to purchase more products. (Tesco, 2010) Jesse Schell (2010) presented multiple examples of game mechanics used in non-game media in his presentation Design outside the Box at DICE Summit 2010. Schell mentions new Ford Fusion hybrid car that comes with an EcoGuide facility, which is basically an implementation of feedback mechanics. Its a virtual plant in techno meter; the plant sprouts more leaves as your miles-per gallon go up, indicating how green your motoring is. (Goodwin, 2009) Here, feedback mechanics is used in such a way that might affect the way people drive their car and possibly encourage them to drive in an eco-friendly way. MouseHunt (HitGrab, 2008) and other facebook games are mainly based on points, feedback, collection, and customization mechanics and MouseHunt can be the best example of it. The player is required to build a mouse trap to catch mice and when a mouse is caught, the player is awarded with points and gold. The game keeps a track of points and gold on leaderboard. The mice caught by the player are added in his collection. Game Mechanics in Mainstream Games Quake (id Software, 1996) popularized rocket jumping mechanics. Rocket jumping is the technique of firing a rocket launcher or similar explosive pointing at the ground or at wall and jumping at the same time. The explosion propels and accelerates the players jump to large distance. Rocket jumping mechanics was introduced in Marathon (Bungie, 1994) and Rise of the Triad (Apogee, 1994), adapted in Team Fortress 2 (Valve, 2007) Unreal Tournament (Epic Games, 1999) and others. (Wikipedia, 2010) Another popular game mechanics is slow motion. The gameplay of Max Payne (Rockstar, 2001) involves bullet time-based action sequences. Bullet time slows the passage of time down to a certain level and enables the player to perform special moves. Time based mechanics is also one of the main features in later versions of Prince of Persia series (Ubisoft, 2003). This mechanics makes the prince able to slow down or rewind the time and perform special combat moves. Portal (Valve, 2007) is a single player Puzzle-Platformer game that consists primarily of a series of puzzles that must be solved by teleporting the players character and simple objects using the portal gun, a unit that can create inter-spatial portal between flat planes. The game received praise for its unique gameplay and darkly humorous story. Portal seems a perfect combination of Challenge and Skills, though its gameplay consist teleportation based puzzles only. The gameplay contains no combat sequence or rocket jumping or slow motion. Kill.switch (Namco, 2003) introduced cover and shoot mechanics which was adapted into Gears of War (Epic Games, 2006). As described by Miguel Sicart (2008) Gears of War introduced an effective combat tactic where the player takes cover behind a block or a pillar and patiently shoots enemies. This third-person combat design also influenced Grand Theft Auto IV (RockStar North, 2008) and became highly popular. But Grand Theft Auto series is more popular for its variety of gameplay which consist of action, adventure, driving, racing, and stealth elements. The GTA series is also a good example of open world type of video game level design concept where a player can roam the virtual world at any point in the game. It also contains sandbox style nonlinear gameplay where the player can complete challenges in any sequence. The Game sold 2.5 million units in the America on the first day. (Mazel, 2008) The roots of open-world game concept go back to space simulator Elite (Acornsoft, 1984). However, we get to see open-world gameplay implementations in Midtown Madness (Microsoft, 1999), Need for Speed Underground 2 (EA Games, 2005) and Burnout Paradise (EA, 2008) as well. Game Mechanics in Racing Games The main gameplay in racing game is driving the car. However, many racing games offer various gameplay that are unique to the game itself. Need for speed: Underground (EA Games, 2003) has a unique win condition. The player has to finish the race at first place only in order to win the race, even if there are more than two players playing. This finish-first only mechanics deliberately increased the challenge level in the game. Underground emphasis heavily on import racing scene and featured vehicles associated with it. Cars can be customized to increase performance and visuals. Underground also featured EA Trax (EA Games) which is a collection of soundtracks. Overall, Need for Speed Underground contains multiple game mechanics that appealed many racing game lovers. According to VGChartz.com, the game sold 6.49 million units of PS2 version of the game till date. (VGChartz, 2010) Trials HD (RedLynx, 2009) is a combination of puzzle and stunt bike driving. It doesnt have any competitive race, as in the player has to get through a number of obstacles with as few crashes as possible. The challenge in the game is to balance and control the speed so that the player can pass through obstacles successfully. The game uses 3D graphics but the player can only more forward and backwards. However, the player can lean front or back to perform special moves or stunts. With such limited movement, the controls are also made simple. Trials HD also has a leaderboard feature, and when connected to Xbox Live, the player can compare his progress with his friends. Split Second (Disney, 2010) introduced destructive environment, which, when triggered by player it creates obstacles for other players. As a player performs stunts like drafting, drifting or precision driving, the powerplay meter builds up which allows the player to trigger special events like creating obstacles, enabling shortcuts or altering the race track entirely. High speed racing, imported cars, customization, stunts, crashes and motion blur can be noted as features of a racing game required to make it best selling. Burnout (Acclaim Entertainment, 2002) is noted as the initial in a series of high-speed racing games which also includes high risk gameplay mechanics. Burnout paradise (EA, 2008), the recent release in burnout series, features an open world environment called Paradise City, with day-night cycle. Game Mechanics include stunts, car crashes, and motorcycles. A very player favourite and famous gameplay is Crash Mode in which players can cause car crashes. However, in burnout paradise, the Crash Mode is called Showtime and records are kept for players biggest crash. The game contains best time for every street in the game which encourages the player to keep on driving to get the best time. Recently released blur (Activision, 2010) incorporates real world cars with arcade style handling and vehicular combat. It introduces a completely new type of gameplay to the current racing genre. However, it is brewed with the power ups mechanics that has been used in many games. It also uses the ranking and perk system. The race starts without a count-down timer which is currently popular; we can see such game mechanics in Split second and need for speed series. Results and Contribution The Definition I would like to give a brief explanation rather than a definition. It is possible that this has been mentioned some or other way in many articles. Game mechanics is a set of rules that builds a specific gameplay which makes the game more challenging, interesting and player-involving. Game mechanics can also introduce new ideas or variety within a game, which ultimately makes a game fun. Game mechanics can be used to build up such a gameplay that motivates or manipulates human behaviour. The definition explained here has been used to study and understand the game mechanics and gameplay in a variety of games mentioned in the research. Game Mechanics In Racing Genre When it comes to racing games, speed is everything. The faster the gameplay is, the more the excitement, interest and challenge will be. In a racing game, the player is not given a high performance car at the beginning of the game, but as he levels up in the game, faster cars or performance upgrades that can boost up the speed are unlocked. This mechanism creates a need of high performance car, and as the player progresses further, the game feels more rewarding. Free roam mode or open world environment plays a crucial part in racing games. Player gets a chance to explore the environment and start the race whenever he wants to, which gives a realistic feeling to the game. Players usually get attracted towards imported cars. Car customization has become an important feature of racing games. Models of original cars are highly praised by players and. They have a tendency to customize their cars and show off as well. Leaderboards allow players to compare their best times, high score and achievements, which also keeps a player engaged in game. Challenge is not the only element a player is looking for in racing games. A number of games provides stunts and car crash based gameplay. Trials HD (RedLynx, 2009) and Burnout series (Criterion Games) are good examples of it. Player can drive through a signboard or perform a stunt in burnout paradise to gain extra boost, where Trials HD is all about passing through obstacles by performing stunt moves. Such game mechanics inserts the element of fun in games. A few arcade style racing games have been avoiding the use of start up countdown. The round starts with ongoing race and the player gains control of the car after a cut scene. This type of mechanics is seen in triple-A titles like Blur and Split second. However, Simulation style racing games, where the realism is more persistent, follows the traditional countdown start-up of a race. Need for speed underground featured finish-first only mechanics. In order to win the round, the player has to finish at first place and first place only. This increases the challenge at a high degree, but it also seemed to be improving the player skills. Other notable game mechanics or gameplay features includes motion blur, car pursuit, allowing player to create tracks etc. Music and soundtracks also play an important part in making the game more interesting. Who wouldnt listen to hip hop or rock music while driving ones favourite car at top speed? It is believed that EA Trax has played an important part in the success of Need for Speed series. Gameplay is designed by brewing multiple game mechanics together. There is no specific recipe to make a best-selling racing game, but a game with various gameplay is more likely get popular. Developing a new Game Mechanic for Racing Games Whether a player is performing stunts, chasing a car, trying to make a huge crash score, or just playing a normal race, the core element is speed. Wouldnt it be great if a car never lose speed unless it is commanded to? Here, I have attempted to come up with such a game mechanic. During a race, if a player hits an obstacle, the car will lose health points but not the speed; the car will continue running throughout the track without losing its speed. However, massive loss in health points will ultimately result the player lose the round. The game presented here demonstrates the game mechanics with some other features as well. The demo consists of a single straight track. Instead of solid obstacles, the player will face white ghosts on track. On colliding with a ghost, the car will go through it but will lose health points. The race does not start with a countdown; instead it begins with the player car running at minimum speed; which increases the challenge from the beginning. On the other hand, if the player runs out of health, or fails to finish the race at first place, he loses the round. But, if the player finishes at first place without losing any health points, he wins a perfect finish. The demo also features some power ups. If the player picks up a health pack, the car health is restored. Slow motion slows down the game, allowing player to easily move through ghosts. Once activated, the game runs in slow motion for 10 seconds. Another power up is a shield which protects player from getting hurt by ghosts or opponent cars. The shield, once activated, stays active for 5 seconds. Shield provides a great advantage. When activated, the car will run 2 points slower than the real speed. Opponents do not collide or influence the players game; however, if collided with opponent cars, the player car will lose health. Evaluation Game Mechanics The following racing mechanics have been implemented into the demo, speed mechanics, power ups, random obstacle mechanics, competition mechanics, countdown less start up and finish first only. The gameplay was changed regularly as the demo was forming up in order to get the optimum effect of the mechanics. Multiple values were changed to improve the difficulty and challenge. However, it was also ensured that the difficulty is not far above the ground. Besides game mechanics, the gameplay can be improved with better feedback, graphical and visual effects, music and sound, more rewards or other bells and whistles. The Gameplay A game demo or a beta version of a game is made for testing purposes. The developers would test the graphics, frame rate or overall performance. Here, the game demo was made for an identical aim. The game demo was given to a group of game enthusiasts. Afterwards the reaction of the players towards the game mechanics was observed. The demo has a look and feel of classic road fighter (Konami, 1984) and the players did miss the superman bonus point. Random obstacles increased the challenge; it made the demo interesting as well. The demo has proved to be an ideal combination of challenge and skill. The players had to concentrate more in order to achieve the perfect finish; several players attempted more tactical approach to win the race. When asked about each feature of the game separately, the replies were encouraging and prove the success of the demo. User Comments Here are some comments given by players who tried the game demo. The game is quiet good; the ghosts were terrible as they ate up all my health in the first round. I rate it 4 out of 5. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Pratik Solanki The concept was different from other games, though the difficulty level was maintained throughout the demo. It seemed easy to win the game, but it was tough to achieve the perfect finish. 3.5 out of 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Kushal Joshi The game gets addictive as soon as you start playing   Dirk Fortmeier The Research Game development is not quite possible without understanding game mechanics. Gameplay is an important factor that attracts a player. The research on game mechanics helped to understand why a particular gameplay is more interesting and player involving.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Andrew Jackson :: essays research papers

Andrew Jackson became the nation’s seventh president in 1829. He made significant changes in American politics at that time. He was very popular with the people because of the fact that he was a hero of the War of 1812. He had also served in the senate and was a tough man who had manifested the spirit of the frontier. One change Jackson brought about was the steadily increasing power of the west. He happened to be the first president to come from the west of the Appalachians. Jackson was also the start of a new era of democracy in American politics. He didn’t belong to a party but rather had much popular support.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jackson supporters were poor and relatively new voters. Unlike other races (besides that of 1824) all white men were allowed to vote rather than just white male property owners. The election of Jackson in 1828 tripled the votes cast from 356,000 in 1824 to 1.1 million in 1828. Most of those new voters gave their votes to the man of the people, Jackson. The power of the voters was evident. Jackson had won 178 electoral votes to Adam’s 83. The election also stirred another change; the revival of the two-party system. This race gave voters a choice between two candidates with sharply differing views. An opposition party had arisen and with it came many conflicts but the new party would also strengthen the democratic process by stirring debates on key issues and giving two different views on matters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many newly elected officials elected to office used a practice called patronage. Jackson made the practice official by dismissing more than 200 presidential employees and about 2,000 other officeholders. They were replaced with 2,000 Jacksonian Democrats. The term spoils system was soon derived for the patronage system under Jackson. The spoils or pillage (jobs of previous appointees and officeholders) were taken from a defeated enemy. Jackson stated, in defense of the spoils system that any intelligent man could hold a public office. His support for the system made him popular with the common man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jackson did not approve of a overpowering or controlling federal government. He felt the national government should be the least involved as possible. He vetoed many acts of congress in his term as president, one being a road from Maysville, Kentucky to Lexington, Kentucky. He felt the state should build the road and not the national government.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Sexual Harassment Policy

It shall remain to be the policy of this organization that no employee shall be intimidated by colleagues, male or female on sexual issues. When such incidents are reported, they shall be treated as cases of sexual harassment punishable by the measures outlined in this policy. In the case of this organization sexual harassment shall be considered to be unwelcome or unwarranted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors as well as all other verbal or non verbal (physical) conduct of sexual nature directed to an employee without his or her consented wish (Conte, 2008).This company shall therefore take the following issues as sexual harassment and shall all be punishable in equal measure without discrimination, favor or fear of contradiction; ? Any form of touching or any other body contact that may be sexually suggestive. This includes but is not limited to, o Grabbing any employee around the waist o Patting or scratching or another persons back o Pecking, tickling among other things ? Unwelcome gestures, jokes use of offensive and unsolicited comments on clothing? Unwanted flirting and repeated request for dates that are turned down ? Playing suggestive music ? Display of sexually suggestive posters, pictures or objects ? Transmitting emails of suggestive nature (Koss, 2008). Procedure for Reporting Sexual Harassment Unlike other complains that this company strictly demands that the clear channel of authority be followed, cases of sexual harassment can be reported to any person above the victim’s rank who the victim feels open and free to share the details of the harassment.After the senior officer has received these details, he is expected to channel those complains to the human resource department within eight working hours for investigation to be conducted. The human resource department shall take the case to its committee and initiate the initial fact finding mission that shall provide the facts to the case. After the facts have been gathered and the re is clear evidence that the accused is guilty of sexually harassing a colleague, he or she (offender) shall be summoned and his side of the story listened.He or she shall also be expected to either approve that the misconduct he is accused to have committed are true as the case is, are true but are exaggerated, or refuse to accept the allegation. If he or she accepts the happening of the misconduct, a chance for a formal defense shall be offered where his side of the story shall be listened and contrasted with the facts given by the complainant. After cross examining the accused as well as the victim, the committee shall then take the appropriate action depending on the nature of the harassment and the facts established.Severe cases shall be punished through termination of contract and a request to the relevant state authorities for trials in the judicial systems. This policy is expected to promote the laws that emphasize equal employment opportunities. The Equal Employment Opport unity Commission (EEOC) is the agency mandated to promote equal employment opportunities to all qualified citizens. It therefore discourages any form of discriminate against Sexual Harassment Age, National Origin, Disability, Race, Pregnancy, Religion, Sex or Gender.The commission also roots for Equal Pay among the workers irregardless of gender while at the same time gets to evaluate the response towards cases of Sexual Harassment Claim (Bohlander, 2007). Reference: Conte A. (2008), Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Law and Practice, Vol. 5, New York; Panel Publishers Koss P. , (2008) Changed Lives: The Psychological Impact of Sexual Harassment. New York; University of New York Press. Bohlander, G. W. (2007), Managing Human Resources; New York, Thomson Publishers

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Countries Where Coca-Cola Is Not Sold

The Countries Where Coca-Cola Is Not Sold In 2013, Coca-Cola brought its product to Myanmar after relations between Myanmar and the international community began to improve. Today, the popular assertion is that Cuba and North Korea are the only two countries where Coca-Cola is not officially sold. Coca-Colas website claims that Coca-Cola is available in over 200 countries but there are actually only 196 independent countries on the planet. Further inspection of the Coca-Cola list reveals that numerous countries are missing (such as East Timor, Kosovo, Vatican City, San Marino, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan- you get the picture). Therefore, the assertion that Coca-Cola is missing only from Cuba, and North Korea is most likely a falsehood. Additionally, in looking at the Coca-Cola website list, it is obvious that more than a dozen listed countries are not countries at all (such as French Guiana, New Caledonia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, etc.). Thus, while Coca-Cola is widely distributed, there quite a few independent countries where the beverage is not available. Nonetheless, Coca-Cola likely remains the most widely distributed American product on the planet, even exceeding McDonalds and Subway restaurants.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Average SAT Scores Over Time 1972 - 2018

Average SAT Scores Over Time 1972 - 2018 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips SAT scores for the past few years have shown a marked decline, particularly since 2006, which can be attributed to various causes. In this article, we provide you with some charts showing the average SAT trends from 1972 to 2018 as well as the variation in SAT scores by ethnicity. Average SAT Scores for Past Years: 1972-2018 First off, here is a chart of the SAT averagesfrom 1972 to 2018 so that you can see the overall trends in SAT scores throughout the years. All data is taken from the 2016 College Board Total Group Profile Report, the 2017 report, and the 2018 report. Year Math Critical Reading Writing Year Math Critical Reading Writing 1972 509 530 - 1996 508 505 - 1973 506 523 - 1997 5 505 - 1974 505 521 - 1998 512 505 - 1975 498 512 - 1999 5 505 - 1976 497 509 - 2000 514 505 - 1977 496 507 - 2001 514 506 - 1978 494 507 - 2002 516 504 - 1979 493 505 - 2003 519 507 - 1980 492 502 - 2004 518 508 - 1981 492 502 - 2005 520 508 - 1982 493 504 - 2006 518 503 497 1983 494 503 - 2007 514 501 493 1984 497 504 - 2008 514 500 493 1985 500 509 - 2009 514 499 492 1986 500 509 - 2010 515 500 491 1987 501 507 - 20 514 497 489 1988 501 505 - 2012 514 496 488 1989 502 504 - 2013 514 496 488 1990 501 500 - 2014 513 497 487 1991 500 499 - 2015 5 495 484 1992 501 500 - 2016 508 494 482 1993 503 500 - 2017* 527 533 1994 504 499 - 2018* 531 536 1995 506 504 - - - - *The old SAT had three main sections: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing. Since theSAT's massive redesign in spring 2016, there are now two main sections on the test: Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), the latter of which is a combination of the Reading and Writing sections. Now, here's historical SAT test data for different ethnicities. The scores below are the combined mean scores for the Critical Reading and Math sections (for 2017 and 2018, scores shown are the means for the EBRW and Math sections combined). Demographic of Test Takers 2007 Scores 20 Scores 2015 Scores 2016 Scores* 2017 Scores* 2018 Scores* American Indian or Alaskan Native 981 972 963 939 963 914 Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander 1092 12 23 31 (Asian American) 870 (Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander) 81 (Asian) 986 (Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander) 52 (Asian) 948 (Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander) Black or African American 862 855 859 855 941 919 Mexican or Mexican American 921 917 905 - - - Puerto Rican 913 904 905 - - - Other Hispanic, Latino, or Latin American 922 913 906 901 (All Hispanic, Latino, and Latin American) 990 (Hispanic/ Latino) 1005 (Hispanic/Latino) White 1061 1063 1063 1061 18 1077 Other 1009 1010 1009 1015 03 (Two or More Races) 1044 (Two or More Races) No Response 977 944 926 952 961 875 Sources: 2007 Report,20 Report, 2015 Report, 2016 Report, 2017 Report, 2018 Report *Note the changes in ethnic categories for the 2016-2018 reports. SAT Score Trends: Discussing the Numbers What the SAT charts above show us is that the scores vary greatly depending on how the College Board structures the test and organizes its scoring. The years of study thata student engages in matter. The more years of secondary education someone has completed, the better her average score on the SAT will be. Higher GPA also correlates with higher SAT scores. Generally, Critical Reading (now called Reading on theredesignedSAT) has taken an overall decline, whereas the Math score has risen slightly over time. There are of course small fluctuations throughout the years, but the overall trend is clear. There are also notable gaps in the performances of students from different socioeconomic and ethnic groups that show no signs of closing. ACT scores, unlike SAT scores, have remained relatively more stable over the past several years. Though they, too, have shown similar variations in numbers, it hasn’t been as bad as the SAT numbers. On the other hand, they do show differences based on the ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds of the test takers. Due to the nature of the test or due to different demographic profiles among test takers, from 2006 to 2016 overall average SAT scores fell a total of 34 points, down in each of the three sections tested. (You'll notice a sharp increase in section scores in 2017, but this is partly due to the SAT's massive redesign; thus, we won't be able to use these scores for our comparison until more years use the redesigned SAT format.) According to the demographics table, from 2007 to 2015 the average scores for white students stayed about the same. Similarly, mostother groups witnessed no change or decreases from 2007 to 2015. Asian Americans experiencedthe biggest positive change of all groups during this time frame: a staggering 31-point increase in mean Critical Reading/Math scores. (Note, though, that before 2016, Asian Americans were combined with Pacific Islanders.) Access to quality education, not ethnicity, might explain a significant portion of the racial gap. This can includevariations based on whether the student completed a core curriculum or not, and whether they had access to SAT prep. In 2014-2017, more students took the ACT than the SAT; this trend reversed in 2018, with over 2.1 million students taking the SAT (compared to 1.9 million who took the ACT during that same time period). Many students believe that the SAT doesn't accurately reflect what is taught in schools today. The decision to institute changes to the SAT in 2016 may have beendue to this disparity between what is taught and what is tested; it could also have beendue to the loss of market shares to the ACT. Critics say that the SAT measures a student's background and access to resources (including test prep) more than it predicts a student's likelihood of success at the college level. Actually, those two points might correlate because the students that receive this sort of help are also more likely to receive the support they need in college from their families. While it’s true there is variation in scores with respect to race and income, it is still something that can be overcome by the student with both dedication and practice. What’s Next? Struggling with a low SAT score? Check out our series of articles on the how to improve your scores on the SATMath, Reading, and Writingsections. Shooting high on the SAT? Check out our series on how to get perfect scores on the SAT Math, Reading, and Writingsections,written by a perfect scorer. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today!

Monday, November 4, 2019

American language Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American language - Personal Statement Example Linguistic discrimination thus should constitute hefty defense below the law. Consequently, this will ascertain that nobody feel neglected or biased by the rulings. International law assures security against linguistic inequity in work areas. This exemplifies that persons endure safeguarding when working regardless of origin. Moreover, language discriminations pose as an illegalized act  basing on the information that people should live free from all sorts of torture (Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism 29).  Articulating against language  discrimination amongst persons includes an exceedingly creditable act. However, people necessitate safeguarding even far from working premises. This would ascertain that language discrimination poses as an illegal doing in all places. For instance, this includes application in extensive perspectives like worshipping localities, homes and service centers. Additionally, safeguarding persons against language discrimination entail promotion of ethnicity. This necessitates explanations from the truth that promoting languages involves a rich move towards safeguarding ethnic diversity. Therefore, people should endure protection below the law as regarding their languages as this involves advocating for culture. For instance, immigrant persons should face non-language discrimination in foreign states (Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism 21). Furthermore, language discrimination hinders person’s advancements in the current world, where diversity entails a theme of intense regard (Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism 32). Therefore, law should proliferate its championing in liberating persons from language discriminations in all localities. Diversifying the law’s relevance in every place constitutes total safeguarding for a person’s

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Obesity, Diet and Physical Activity Data in England Shows Worsening St Essay - 1

Obesity, Diet and Physical Activity Data in England Shows Worsening State of Health of General Population - Essay Example The same overall trend emerges as the data is further processed and assessed for levels of occurrence of obesity as primary diagnoses for the same population of inpatients in hospitals in England over the decade-long observation period ending in 2013, with levels of occurrence being the highest for the age group from 35 to 54 years, and tapering off from either end of that peak age group (Datawrapper 2015; data.gov.uk 2015): There is another way to view the numbers presented above, that looks at the cost implications of the obesity numbers. Those costs relate to the medical interventions that are undertaken to treat obesity, and this, in turn, can be gauged by a proxy measure of the number of obesity medications that were given to obese inpatients in England for the observation period. Consistent with the overall trend for the occurrence of obesity throughout this observation period, with peaks around 2009-2011 and dips from 2012 to 2013, the numbers for medicine prescriptions to deal with obesity also follow the same peaks and dips (data.gov.uk 2015): Translating those prescription numbers into costs, we see that there has been a substantial overall escalation in obesity medicine costs through time, even with costs at the tail-end of the observation period going down (data.gov.uk 2015): Looking at the data from the perspective of the last plot, we see that obesity translates to very real and large healthcare financial costs. Moreover, extrapolating the figures and adding in the potential incremental costs of medication from the consequences of obesity, such as diabetes, it is natural to expect that the absolute financial costs must be a very large burden on patients and the healthcare system must shoulder. Moving forward, therefore, the overall trend towards worsening health has dire implications for the cost of managing obesity and overall healthcare in England (data.gov.uk 2015).