Year 2000 Bug Essays (2096 words) - Calendars, Software Bugs, COBOL

Year 2000 Bug Less than one year until the year 2000, two seemingly small digits may turn January 1, 2000 from a worldwide celebration into a universal nightmare. With computers mistaking the year 2000 for 1900, virtually all businesses that use dates will be affected. Not only will the companies be affected, but also they are paying millions upon millions of dollars in order for computers to recognize the difference between the years 2000 and 1900. The year 2000 computer bug is a huge problem that our world must face. In order to explain how to solve the "millennium bug", it is a good idea to be informed about exactly what the year 2000 problem is. The year 2000 industry expert, Peter de Jager, described the problem quite well. "We programmed computers to store the date in the following format: dd/mm/yy. This only allows 2 digits for the year. January 1, 2000 would be stored as 01/01/00. But the computer will interpret this as January 1, 1900- not 2000" (de Jager 1997). The '19' is "hard-coded" into computer hardware and software. Since there are only 2 physical spaces for the year in this date format, after '99', the only logical choice is to reset the number to '00'. The year 2000 problem is unlike any other problem in modern history for several reasons. Many computer professionals point out some of the most important ones. Time is running out- the Year 2000 is inevitable! The problem will occur simultaneously worldwide, time zones withstanding. It affects all languages and platforms, hardware & software. The demand for solutions will exceed the supply. "It is too big and too overwhelming even for [Bill Gates and] Microsoft" (Widder 1997). Separate, any one of these points makes Y2K, a common abbreviation for the year 2000 problem, an addition to the obstacle. Combined, they form what seems more like a hideous monster than an insignificant bug. The impact of Y2K on society is enormous, bringing the largest companies in the world to their knees, pleading for a fix at nearly any cost. "The modern world has come to depend on information as much as it has on electricity and running water. Fixing the problem is difficult because there are [less than] two years left to correct 40 years of behavior" (de Jager 1997). "Alan Greenspan has warned that being 99 percent ready isn't enough" (Widder 1997). "Chief Economist Edward Yardeni has said that the chances for a worldwide recession to occur because of Y2K are at 40%" (Widder 1997). Senator Bob Benett (Republican, Utah) made a good analogy about the potential of the problem. "In the 1970's, oil was the energy that ran our world economy. Today it runs on the energy of information." He later said, "To cripple the technological flow of information throughout the world is to bring it to a virtual standstill" (Widder 1997). The potential of the problem in everyday life is alarming. Imagine making a loan payment in 1999 for a bill that is due in 2000. The company's computers could interpret the '00' as 1900 and you would then be charged with 99 years of late fees (Moffitt & Sandler 1997). If the year 2000 problem isn't solved, there could be "no air traffic, traffic lights, no lights in your company, companies could not produce goods, no goods delivered to the stores, stores could not send you bills, you could not send bills to anyone else. Business [could] come to a halt" (de Jager 1997). The costs of fixing Y2K are staggering. The Gartner Group estimates that costs per line of code to be between $1.50 and $2.00 (Conner 1). It is not uncommon for a single company to have 100,000,000 lines of code (de Jager 1997). Capers Jones, an expert who has studied software costs for over ten years, estimates total worldwide costs to be $1,635,000,000,000 (One-trillion, 635 billion dollars) (Jones 1997). To put this number into perspective, if five people were to spend $100 for every second of every day, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it would take them about 100 years to finish the task! The year 2000 problem is not only limited to what happens with computers between December 31, 1999 and January 1, 2000. There are several other important dates that are a factor. Last year was considered the last point where a large company could start fixing the problem with any hopes to finish before the deadline. Also, all fixes should be done by January 1, 1999. There are two major

Free Essays on Natural Change

Natural Change Aristotle’s Physics is a brilliant collection of concepts dealing with natural science. It explains that there are certain â€Å"principles of nature†. With this, Aristotle also gives in-depth definitions and explanations of what a natural object is and how it changes. Aristotle classifies a natural object as an object that has a principle of change within itself. A natural change is the process a natural object goes through to achieve its internal purpose. An example of a natural object is a bird. Like all natural objects, a bird continuously changes until it reaches its goal, or internal purpose. In this case, it’s internal purpose is to grow old and die. The consumption and digestion of food is an example of a natural change that a bird goes through during its quest to fulfill its internal purpose . This is a natural change because it allows the bird to continue its process of change. When a bird eats, it begins the process. The food is digested and will give the bird essential nutrients that it needs to grow. Aristotle states that there are four causes that explain what a natural object is, how it is possible for it to fulfill its internal purpose, and how it maintains its identity throughout the continuous change. These causes are the material cause, formal cause, efficiency cause, and the final cause. The first cause is the material cause. This cause explains that matter is made out of the same matter that it came from. For example, when a bird is born it will always have the same physical characteristics as the birds that reproduced it. It is incapable of being born with characteristics that aren’t the characteristics of the parents. The second cause is the formal cause. This explains that the species, type, or kind of natural object determines what the object is and the pattern it evolves throu... Free Essays on Natural Change Free Essays on Natural Change Natural Change Aristotle’s Physics is a brilliant collection of concepts dealing with natural science. It explains that there are certain â€Å"principles of nature†. With this, Aristotle also gives in-depth definitions and explanations of what a natural object is and how it changes. Aristotle classifies a natural object as an object that has a principle of change within itself. A natural change is the process a natural object goes through to achieve its internal purpose. An example of a natural object is a bird. Like all natural objects, a bird continuously changes until it reaches its goal, or internal purpose. In this case, it’s internal purpose is to grow old and die. The consumption and digestion of food is an example of a natural change that a bird goes through during its quest to fulfill its internal purpose . This is a natural change because it allows the bird to continue its process of change. When a bird eats, it begins the process. The food is digested and will give the bird essential nutrients that it needs to grow. Aristotle states that there are four causes that explain what a natural object is, how it is possible for it to fulfill its internal purpose, and how it maintains its identity throughout the continuous change. These causes are the material cause, formal cause, efficiency cause, and the final cause. The first cause is the material cause. This cause explains that matter is made out of the same matter that it came from. For example, when a bird is born it will always have the same physical characteristics as the birds that reproduced it. It is incapable of being born with characteristics that aren’t the characteristics of the parents. The second cause is the formal cause. This explains that the species, type, or kind of natural object determines what the object is and the pattern it evolves throu...

Juvenile Delinquency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Juvenile Delinquency - Essay Example Both the individual and the society are to be blamed for crime commission because as much as an individual may or may not wish to commit a crime, there must be some reasons for him to do so, most of which are based on social issues. Juvenile delinquency can be explained using different theories that try to illustrate why minors engage in illegal behaviors. Theories that have been put forth to support the concept of why minors engage in criminal activities includes differential association theory, strain theory, rational choice theory, and labeling theory (Schmalleger, 2010). I believe rational choice theory can be used to explain the behaviors of young offenders. This theory is based upon the argument that every person has a capability of using his intelligent thinking when committing any crime. Similarly, social behavior is an antagonism of a sequence of behavioral acts that are influenced by rational people. This indicates that Justin’s criminal acts are because of particular beliefs and values of the society. Further, juveniles often calculate the gains or the costs to be incurred when they engage in criminal activity (Schmalleger, 2010). Due to this, they decide to commit the crime because there is a possibility to maximize the gains or the general utility process. For instance, they decide to participate in gang activity in order to get money to assist their families (Schmalleger, 2010). There is a supposition that all actors are quite conscious of the means and the values needed to carry out a crime. They first gather, organize, and analyze data so that they can come up with the most practical options. They examine the choices available around them, a process that is then interpreted into the whole society. In this case, it is imperative that Justin is advised that criminal behaviors are illegal and if caught, the consequences are severe. With this in

Classical Era Reflection Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classical Era Reflection Paper - Assignment Example As the theories discussed herein have been widely used worldwide and through a number of decades, it could be said that it is an established material we can rely on when it comes to managing, great or small agencies. Furthermore, the loopholes of the theories have been determined, helping every manager to anticipate difficulties with solutions on hand instead of being taken aback with unexpected problems that could result from the strategies a manager engages with. Management was not born yesterday. Even during the olden times, management already existed and brought about successes like the construction of the Egyptian pyramids, the Great Wall of China and even on great wars. However, when it comes to the written concepts of these ancient successes, there were not found one, leaving the earlier managers groping in the dark for help as they faced problems and issues that seemed to have no solution. Some managers nevertheless refused to stay in the dark and struggle in their fate. Systematic management was introduced in the 1900s to meet the needs of managers as they face the demands of laborers and consumers. Although management was improved, the theory did not give a satisfactory solution to both managers and laborers (Russell & Taylor, 2006). This flaw in systematic management led to the birth of Scientific Management aiming to patch the loopholes of its predecessor. Frederick Taylor proposed the analysis of work methods which eventually came to be popularly known as scientific management making him the father of the science (Daft, 2002). He established four basic principles namely; scientific management, scientific selection of workers, scientific education and development of workers and unity and camaraderie among workers and managers (Bateman & Zeithaml, 1990). With the positive impact of Taylor’s philosophies on productions, his contemporaries rose to further improve the established principles. Among them was Henry L. Gantt

Reflections on World's Leadership Research Paper - 3

Reflections on World's Leadership - Research Paper Example Prince Alwaleed bin Talal best known as one of the world's value investor. â€Å"Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding Company, where he posses at least 95%, trading on the famous Saudi stock exchange, in addition he owns stakes in several hotel management companies the famous four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, moreover he has a stake in Savoy Hotel in London† (Lazaridis, 211). â€Å"Kingdom investment has billions of dollars of the U.S. and international equities, as well as shares of News Corp and Citigroup† (Myers, 21). â€Å"During the year 2012 he and the Kingdom investment purchased an approximated 3% stake in the social media Twitter through the secondary market for whopping $400 million. The same year February, Kingdom investments invested around $136 million in fast growing Chinese e-commerce company. In addition to other known investment he Prince posses far-reaching real estate plus other assets exterior of the Kingdom Holding† (Khan, 65). He is perhaps well i dentified internationally as the controlling shareholder of the Kingdom Holdings Company and the chairman, of the world’s most significant investment company. All through Middle East he is renowned as the proprietor of the Rotana, which is the Arab world’s largest leisure company. ... ifically directed towards supporting global cultural understanding, community development projects in Saudi Arabia, all around the world and Lebanon, women empowerment and disaster recovery. Key leadership qualities which drives me into considering him as a good leader in business According to (McGreevy, 209), â€Å"An Interview with HRH, Prince says that A successful businessman has to have an ultimate plan and a well stated objectives, in conjunction to a well defined mission statement†, he goes ahead to say that the leader has to have an audacity to make decisions which most of the time might not be emulated by others in the short run. He goes ahead to say that as a leader and sometimes he made decisions which are may not be appreciated by both young managers and the community. â€Å"Nevertheless, he just has to remain a one-man show. He established these traits at KHC sometimes back† (Myers, 21). Key Leadership Traits That Makes Prince To Stand Out As A Good Leader Has a clear vision; old adage "either stand something, or you might fall for everything." ( Sweeny, 79). Prince practically stood firm when it come to the implementation of the company's policies and procedures. More over as a leader, he has a clear way to communicate his vision and the company’s vision to the people such as his employees. Have passion in his word. He realized that his employees wanted passion; and that his employee would even go to the ends of earth as a result of it, die and live. He also realized that his passion inspired others to conquer new and dangerous challenges. â€Å"Great decision maker. He clearly understood his process for decision making. Take for example he talked to his management team† (McGreevy, 209). In addition to conducting a cost analysis. â€Å"He went ahead to even

Effect of Consumption on Identity in Britain

Effect of Consumption on Identity in Britain We are what we consume. To what extent does consumption contribute to the construction of identity in contemporary British society? In order to understand the extent to which consumption contributes to the construction of identity in contemporary British society, and thus be in a position to comment on whether or not â€Å"we are what we consume† is a valid statement or simply hyperbole, it is important to first understand the sociological concepts behind the question being asked. â€Å"Consumption† in sociological terms does not simply mean the buying and consuming of goods and services. In particular, sociologists are interested in consumption as a means of conveying meaning. â€Å"Conspicuous consumption† is a term that was originally coined by Thorstein Veblen and it refers to the ways in which people convey the extent of their wealth to others in a society in which the traditional means of conveying meaning have largely disappeared. Veblen argued that in society, a person’s standing was directly related to their wealth. The manner in which this wealth had been accumulated was also important, with old wealth being more highly esteemed then new wealth. The wealthy individual had two ways in which to proclaim their social standing; conspicuous leisure and/or conspicuous consumption.[1] It is important to understand the historical background that has led to the current consumption patterns in contemporary Britain. The industrial revolution was a time of massive social upheavals. Historical bonds of servitude and deference were shattered and millions of people streamed into the UK’s cities. A consequence of this mass upheaval was that wealth creation was no longer tied to the land. Suddenly a person who owned a factory could potentially have the same amount of wealth as someone who considered themselves to be part of the upper classes and whose wealth came with status. Wealth, by itself, was no longer a sufficient means of separating the upper classes from the pretenders. This was especially so in the large towns that had been created in which people were constantly interacting with strangers who were unaware of a person’s social status. As such, conspicuous consumption came to be an increasingly important means of differentiating oneself from others.[2 ] The aspirational dreams unleashed during the industrial revolution meant that, in general terms, people belonging to a lower class could now potentially overcome the wealth divide simply through hard work. Overcoming the class divide was a little more difficult and it was achieved by essentially copying the consumption habits of that class to which a person aspired. Whether consumption drove the industrial revolution or whether the industrial revolution drove consumption may never be answered. The one thing that is certain is that each fuelled the other. The more people consumed the greater the flames of industry. The more exotic and fashionable the items produced, the greater the frenzy of consumption. However, what is clear is that traditional attitudes to work and consumption had to be overcome. Weber gives a interesting example that illustrates this point; â€Å"a man†¦ who at the rate of 1 mark per acre mowed 2.5 acres per day and earned 2.5 marks when the rate was raised to 1.25 marks per acre mowed, not 3 acres, as he might easily have done, thus earning 3.75 marks, but only 2 acres, so that he could still earn the 2.5 marks to which he was accustomed. The opportunity of earning more was less attractive to than that or working less. He did not ask: how much can I earn in a day if I work as much as possible? But: how much must I work in order to earn the wage, 2.5 marks, which I earned before and which takes care of my traditional needs?†[3] In the above example Weber seems to be lampooning this simple person who fails to understand that by working longer hours they can earn more money. In contemporary British society, it almost seems as though leisure time cannot be enjoyed without having first purchased the means of enjoying that time. Thus wide screen televisions, games consoles, international holidays, books, dvds, etc are all things without which people are made to believe they could not enjoy their leisure time. This should be contrasted to the person in Weber’s example who believed that simply being away from work was enough of a reward in itself. One suggested definition of a consumer culture, put forward in order to encompass conspicuous consumption in Third World countries, but also useful as a general starting point, is one, â€Å"in which the majority of consumers avidly desire (and some noticeable portion pursue, acquire, and display) goods and services that are valued for non-utilitarian reasons, such as status seeking, envy provocation, and novelty seeking.†[4] As such, any society in which consumption involves more than simply subsistence living (ie living to survive) will involve to some extent a degree of conspicuous consumption. Likewise, the concept of â€Å"identity† in contemporary sociological terms has developed beyond simply looking at a person’s occupation and class.[5] This move away from employment constituting the main source of a person’s identity splintered sociological thought. Whereas previously a person’s identity fell into several reasonably clear sociological categories and sociological theorists could hypothesis on the â€Å"macro† topics of relations between these groups, the shattering of the nexus between work and identity meant that sociologists now had to turn their attention to areas which had to that point been somewhat overlooked. The study of consumption by sociologists has relatively recent origins. While Marx and Veblen touched on consumption, their focus remained on class and occupational identities. That said, their early work in this area should not be discounted. Marx argued that by separating workers from ownership of the goods they produced and the means of that production, they were essentially being â€Å"estranged from their labour.†[6] As we will see below, this estrangement can lead to disillusionment in employees. However, it should be noted that consumption, being aspirational, actually thrives on feelings of disillusionment. As Weber’s example above illustrates, it is difficult to sell a person who is content an illusion. In their pioneering text on consumption, â€Å"The World of Goods†, Douglas and Isherwood noted with incredulity that, it is extraordinary to discover that no one knows why people want goods.[7] They went on to put forward the argument that â€Å"consumers use goods to construct an intelligible universe and to make and maintain social relationships.†[8] One could perhaps argue that in contemporary British society identity and consumption have become one and the same. As the wealth of society as a whole has increased and family bonds have slowly eroded, people look to advertisements, their peer group and celebrities to assist them in identifying themselves. However, by creating an identity which is outside of themselves and which relies on imported meanings, they run the risk of the identity they present to the world being itself an illusion. When such an illusion is shattered, it can have serious consequences for that person and those around them. Historically, British society has always been extremely class segregated. However, in modern British society, class wars have been to a large extent been replaced by battles of consumption. A particularly good example of this was the recent news that the Labour minister Ruth Kelly had made a decision to send her child to an expensive private school when a suitable state alternative existed. The arguments surrounding her decision clearly illustrate the extent to which choices about consumption can clash with a person’s public identity. The fact that Mrs Kelly is a Labour minister and former Education Secretary means to some people that she should not make decisions about her consumption of services which are contrary to party lines. A clear example of this thinking is set out in Simon Jenkins recent article in the Guardian.[9] He argues that: â€Å"To remove a child from the state school system is rarely an educational choice, whatever euphemism is customarily applied. It is a social statement. Across class-bound Britain, the exclusive school, whether state or private, reinforces the great divide.†[10] Other commentators from within the Labour party went on record to state[11]: I think it goes against the principles of the Labour Party. I am saddened by this and it makes me wonder about the sort of people who achieve high office who are in New Labour† (Birmingham Selly Oak MP Lynne Jones). I think we should expect Labour ministers to put their children through the state system. I deplore others transferring their children out of the system to go private† (Austin Mitchell, MP for Great Grimsby). What underpins these statements is the underlying belief that a person’s true identity is revealed by their consumption decisions. Furthermore, if one believes in a certain cause, not to support that cause through consumption decisions is akin to betray. While the Labour party may no longer be the â€Å"worker’s party†, it is still the party that most fervently advocates the role of public services and those less well off. The difficulty then for Labour ministers is that with their own increasing affluence, they are more likely to want to make consumption decisions which are more akin to the upper middle classes as opposed to their traditional support base. This naturally causes friction and inevitably calls of hypocrisy when the illusion is discovered. It should be noted that conspicuous consumption crosses divides of culture, race, age and religion. An interesting case in point is the Muslim Hijab which some women wear. These have now become â€Å"hot fashion items† for young Muslim women branded with for instance, Calvin Klein, Burberry, L’Oreal and Chanel logos. In this way, a Muslim woman can make the statment that while her religion is Muslim, her identity is Western. Likewise, Fulla dolls have replaced Barbie dolls in many Middle Eastern countries where the doll is a best seller.[12] The fact that Fulla’s popularity is about identity is clear in Mr Abidin’s (the brand manager behind the doll) statement: This isnt just about putting the hijab on a Barbie doll. You have to create a character that parents and children will want to relate to. Our advertising is full of positive messages about Fullas character. Shes honest, loving, and caring, and she respects her father and mother. While one may question what relevance the sale of a doll in the Middle East might have in contemporary Britain, the point is that in a global, inter-dependant marketplace, the West no longer dictates the consumption agenda as it once did. And as new ideas and aspirations emerge, these then filter back into the consumption patterns of British society as people in Britain seek to communicate those aspirations through their consumption. The interesting irony is the way in which a consumer society has managed to incorporate all these conflicting and competing ideas, some which even argue against consumerism, into nice, consumable packages. This is perhaps what is at the heart of the statement â€Å"we are what we consume†; that even if we identify ourselves as being anti-consumer, the only way to communicate that message to others is through consumption itself. Ritzer[13] suggests four changes that have occurred within society as a result of the process of consumption. These changes are first, that people no longer have to go to different shops to obtain the goods they wish to purchase but can instead go to supermarkets or shopping centres which cater for all their needs under one roof. While this does on doubt create a more convenient shopping experience, it also creates a more sterile one as everything is controlled and there is little chance of anything out of the ordinary occurring.[14] Second, many of what he calls the â€Å"cathederals of consumption† such as Disney Land and Las Vegas, have become destinations in their own right. People are just as likely to go there to enjoy the sites for what they are/represent as they are to go there to consume the goods and services offered by them.[15] Third, customers are more likely to do more of the things employees previously did for them, for themselves for no pay. Clear examples of this are the checkouts at supermarkets, with many British supermarkets now having some type of self-checkout service, self-service petrol stations, and cash points.[16] Finally, the process of consumption has altered social interaction to such an extent that a consumer is more likely to interact with the sites as opposed to any other people.[17] In many cases, the people with whom a consumer is interacting during the consumption process are so scripted in their role that interaction on a human level is close to impossible. To a certain extent, those employers are trying to break down the roles that their employees perform to such an extent that they can eventually be replaced by machines. In circumstances such as these, it is hardly surprising that many workers feel disillusioned and seek, in their leisure time, to escape from the monotony of their unfulfilled lives through consumption. In this case, perhaps consumption isn’t conspicuous but rather innocuous. Ratneshwar[18] looks under the illusion created by many of these â€Å"cathedrals of consumption† and in a scathing indictment argues that the â€Å"underlying rationality and sheer manipulativeness of these places are more likely to remain hidden from consumers.† However, people who work in these places quickly become disillusioned and come to see them as places â€Å"largely devoid of meaningful content.† [19] The interesting thing about modern consumption is that a person’s presence is never permanent. At the end of every day, everything is put back the way it was and when the shop/amusement park/cinema reopens the next day it is almost as if the previous day never happened. These places of consumption lack any historical or human dimension. They rely on people to give them meaning and yet, perhaps ironically, they themselves claim to be the givers of meaning. One could perhaps say that they sell back the meaning they have stolen from their customers (no doubt this would be Marx’s view). That said, it would be difficult to argue that a middle class person living in Britain today is worse off, or would willing trade places, with a person living in the middle ages. Even though that person in the middle ages may have had a clear identity about themselves and their position in the world, that certainty constrains them in a way in which a modern person would not be willing to be constrained (although it is arguable that this is slowly changing and that people are becoming more constrained). The fundamental feature in a society of consumption is that we are all complicit in the illusion taking place. As Ruth Kelly has shown, our consumption habits make hypocrites of us all. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bourdieu, P. (1977), Outline of a Theory of Practice, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Belk, R. W. (1988), Third World Consumer Culture, in Goodwin, N. R., Ackerman, F. Kiron, D. (1997), The Consumer Society, Island Press, Washington DC, pp.311-314 Bocock, R. (2001), Consumption, Routledge, London Corrigan, P. (2006), The Sociology of Consumption: An Introduction, Sage Publications, London The Daily Mail, Ruth Kelly named as Labour minister sending a child to private school, 8th January 2007, taken from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=427179in_page_id=1770 Douglas, M. Isherwood, B. (2005), The World of Goods, Routledge, London Goodwin, N. R., Ackerman, F. Kiron, D. (1997), The Consumer Society, Island Press, Washington DC Jenkins, S., Introducing the minister of no faith in communities, in Guardian Unlimited, 10th January 2007, taken from http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1986631,00.html The New York Times, Bestseller in Mideast: Barbie With a Prayer Mat, 22nd September 2005, taken from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/22/international/middleeast/22doll.html?ex=1285041600en=72bb8cc089bf9435ei=5090 Ransome, P. (2005), Work, Consumption and Culture: Affluence and Social Change in the Twenty-first Century, Sage Publications, London Ratneshwar, S. Mick, D. G. ed. (2005), Inside Consumption: Perspectives on Consumer Motives, Goals and Desires, Routledge, New York Ritzer, G. (2005), Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Revolutionizing the Means of Consumption, Pine Forge Press Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed. (2003), Handbook of Social Theory, Sage Publications Ltd, London Storey, J. (1999), Cultural Consumption and Everyday Life, Arnold Publishing, London Veblen, T. (1994), The Theory of the Leisure Class, Dover Publications, Ontario Woodward, K. (2003), Social Sciences: The Big Issues, Routledge, London 1 Footnotes [1] Corrigan, P. (2006), p.17 [2] Corrigan, P. (2006), p.17 [3] Weber, M. (1976), pp.59-60 in Corrigan, P. (2006), p.66 [4] Belk, R. W. (1988), p.105 in Goodwin, N. R., Ackerman, F. Kiron, D. (1997), p.312 [5] Ransome, P. (2005), p.96 [6] Bocock, R. (2001), p.37 [7] Douglas, M. Isherwood, B. (2005), p.xxxi [8] Douglas, M. Isherwood, B., in Corrigan, P. (2006), p.17 [9] Jenkins, S. in Guardian Unlimited, 10th January 2007 [10] Jenkins, S. in Guardian Unlimited, 10th January 2007 [11] The Daily Mail, 8th January 2006 [12] The New York Times, 22nd September 2005 [13] Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed (2003), p.424 [14] Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed (2003), p.424 [15] Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed (2003), p.424 [16] Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed (2003), p.424 [17] Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed (2003), p.424 [18] Ratneshwar, S. Mick, D. G. ed. (2005), p.305 [19] Ratneshwar, S. Mick, D. G. ed. (2005), p.305

Comparing the Play versus the Film of William Shakespeares Much Ado Ab

Comparing the Play versus the Film of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing ?Much Ado About Nothing'' is a postwar love story. Its principal subject is that of romance that may settle over the land after soldiers come home. I noticed that Much Ado is actually two love stories. One concerns sweetly innocent lovers who are driven apart by the plotting of enemies. The other involves very sarcastic lovers who are swept into each other's arms by the benign machinations of friends. I had a lot of trouble understanding the dialect, I grew up a country boy and we didn?t do much of this in my 14 persons graduating class. None the less I didn?t think it was a waste of time either. It was of very good quality as far as a plot is concerned. It had evil, jealousy, lust, love, romance, comedy and of course tragedy. If I were to do it over again I would go see the movie first, the play second. I was able to understand more from the movie than I did the play. I think that if I had done this I might have got more from the play. As the good prince of Arragon, Denzel Washington did a superb job, and as Claudio, the love-struck innocent, Robert Sean Leonard performed great just as he has done in any other theatrical movies that I have seen him in. But in the lesser role of the prince's evil half brother, Keanu Reeves didn?t appear to be all that special, at times he did look evil but I have never been a big fan of Keanu?s acting. He always sounds like a baboon when he opens his mouth. Maybe I am just remembering too much of Bill and Ted?s Excellent adventure? Beatrice and Bene*censored* are adversaries united only in their contempt for marriage. Once the two finally let down their guard and allow their true feelings to blossom... ...and several more keeps you and your emotions on a roller coaster ride. Which is brilliant because we all know that as humans we adhere to stimulation and that is what it does, it stimulates us by incorporating all these emotions and jumping around with them. With the movie it also adds a score and soundtrack as well as camera shots and things that appeals to our senses that much more. At least it does for me. Branagh's interpretation of Shakespeare's play leaves the viewer with the impression of a fairy tale in which everyone (except the villain) will live happily ever after. The film is good, but even as I am partial to the movie I do believe to properly appreciate Shakespeare's work it is necessary to take the time to peruse the play in a leisurely and contemplative manner, and if anything to get the WHOLE play in which the movie did not give.