Juvenal and Rhetoric essays

Juvenal and Rhetoric essays Can we suppose that Juvenal is using a rhetorical theme to write serious political comment in the satire on the vanity of human wishes? The way Ive interpreted this question is that Juvenal was using Roman rhetorical language and themes that were currently popular, in his works. And that this was strategic in winning over the cases he was making in his satire, just as an orator did in his public speeches. And so I intend to show that Juvenal was writing serious political comment using this rhetorical theme. Firstly, I intend to discuss briefly the nature of Roman rhetorical theme, taking as examples both Quintilian ( first century AD) and Cicero ( first century BC). Then attempt to apply these themes to Juvenal Satire 10, working along the basic structure of the satire, but focusing mainly on the overtly political elements such as specifically the lust for military glory, but also the less obvious examples within themes that would appear non-political. Then reach a conclusion about the seriousness of the satire in this context. Both Cicero and Quintilian have defined the structure in which Roman rhetoric was set out. A rhetorical passage always starts with a prooimion (or exordium in Latin). This is intended to make the listeners more favourably inclined towards one particular argument, by posing questions that are impossible for the audience to disagree with, before launching into the actual attack. This stirs up pity and links the authors needs with that of the general audience , making it appear a moral issue that has only one answer, the one suggested in the rest of the work. After the exordium comes the narrative, which can be either wholly for or against a case . This is the section that traditionally was used to incriminate the people involved , by giving accounts of the facts . Using the moral element to expose hidden motives, which is also a main theme of a lot of Juvenals work. The rest of rhetoric is conce...

The Invention of Clothing

The Invention of Clothing It is not certain when people first started wearing clothes, however, anthropologists estimate that it was somewhere between 100,000 and 500,000 years ago. The first clothes were made from natural elements: animal skin, fur, grass, leaves, bone, and shells. Garments were often draped or tied; however, simple needles made out of animal bone provide evidence of sewn leather and fur garments from at least 30,000 years ago. When settled neolithic cultures discovered the advantages of woven fibers over animal hides, the making of cloth, drawing on basketry techniques, emerged as one of humankinds fundamental technologies. Hand and hand with the history of clothing goes the history of textiles. Humans had to invent weaving, spinning, tools, and the other techniques needed to be able to make the fabrics used for clothing. Ready-Made Clothing Before sewing machines, nearly all clothing was local and hand-sewn, there were tailors and seamstresses in most towns that could make individual items of clothing for customers. After the sewing machine was invented, the ready-made clothing industry took off. The Many Functions of Clothes Clothing serves many purposes: it can help protect us from various types of weather, and can improve safety during hazardous activities such as  hiking  and cooking. It protects the wearer from rough surfaces, rash-causing plants,  insect  bites, splinters,  thorns and prickles  by providing a barrier between the skin and the environment. Clothes can insulate against cold or heat. They can also provide a  hygienic  barrier, keeping infectious and toxic materials away from the body. Clothing also provides protection from harmful  UV radiation. The most obvious function of clothing is to improve the comfort of the wearer, by protecting the wearer from the elements. In hot climates, clothing provides protection from  sunburn  or  wind  damage, while in cold climates its thermal insulation properties are generally more important. Shelter usually reduces the functional need for clothing. For example,  coats,  hats,  gloves, and other superficial layers are normally removed when entering a warm home, particularly if one is residing or sleeping there. Similarly, clothing has seasonal and regional aspects, so that thinner materials and fewer layers of clothing are generally worn in warmer seasons and regions than in colder ones. Clothing performs a range of social and  cultural  functions, such as individual, occupational and sexual differentiation, and social status. In many societies, norms about clothing reflect standards of  modesty,  religion,  gender, and  social status. Clothing may also function as a form of adornment and an expression of personal taste or style. Some clothing protects from specific  environmental  hazards, such as  insects, noxious chemicals, weather,  weapons, and contact with abrasive substances. Conversely, clothing may protect the environment from the clothing  wearer, as with doctors wearing  medical scrubs.

Science Is Value Neutral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Science Is Value Neutral - Essay Example It is the belief thatt he universe is governed by rational laws, and that through careful experimentation we can observe them. The problem, however, is that science is not simply about understanding, because each new breakthrough of understanding can also lead to a practical breakthrough that affects how we live our lives. These effects are one of the major reasons people ascribe value to science. One of the main sticking points many people have with science is that it allows humans to â€Å"play god† (Stevenson, Byerly 20). In other words, science allows humans to far surpass our natural abilities and do things we could never have dreamt of previously. Depending on one’s point of view, this could be anything from a very bad to a very, very good thing. To some, the idea humans having the ability to far surpass our natural abilities is terrifying. ... These people would point to, for instance, the fact that no one should have to lose a child due to a childhood illness, and the science, by allowing humans to â€Å"play god,† has allowed us to save lives and create a better, healthier, happier place for everyone in the world. In this conception science is a beautiful and laudable thing, a good thing, and human progress measured by science is excellent. Both the previously stated arguments, that science is evil and that science is good are, on their surfaces, correct. But this means that both are absolutely incorrect. Yes, science can lead to some terrible and horribly destructive things; many lives have ended because of weapons brought about by science, many people perhaps live less actualized and happy lives because of the way science has affected their worldview, and, possibly worst of all, science has been used to justify some of the most horrific things known to man like racist justifications of biological supremacy. Scie nce certainly has a lot to answer for. On the other hand, one would have to be blind not to recognize the way science has enhanced and enriched peoples’ lives, from giving an amputee a new leg that works as well as the one they lost, or allowing loved ones to spend a few more years together due to breakthroughs in modern medicine. So does one figure out the value of science by weighing the good against the bad? By saying ‘this scientifically created land mine made the child need a new limb in the first place, so clearly the bad in science wins out’ or vice versa? No. The answer is rather that science is a tool, and that like any tool it can be used for good or evil. The term â€Å"playing

Companies in GCC Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Companies in GCC - Research Paper Example The performance analysis of all these companies and recommendations will be presented in a detailed manner in this report. The Business plan highlights the performance analysis of the companies in UAE through the balance sheet, the income statement and stock market movement of the companies such as Dana Gas, Sorouh, Tabreed, Emirate Islamic bank and Orient insurance (The Wall Street Journal, 2014). Among these, Dana Gas is a company which functions independently and deals in gas. The major private shareholder in this company is Crescent Petroleum . Sorouh, on the other hand is the largest developer in the real estate business of UAE. Tabreed is another company for which detailed performance analysis will be conducted. It is a company based in Abu- Dhabi which is associated in the business of district cooling. Emirates Islamic Bank is the leading bank in Middle East and has a huge asset base (The Wall Street Journal, 2014). There will be analysis of the performance of Orient insurance as well, which is a pioneer in the insurance business. They provide security for covering all kinds of risks (The Wall St reet Journal, 2014). The current assets of the company like inventories increased in 2012 to USD 54 million from USD 53 million in 2011. The increase in the inventories is a negative indication to the company and should be curbed. A high rate of inventory denotes low rate of turnover of the same. This adds to the cost of the company in terms of storage (Terterov, 2006). Again, through the performance analysis of the current assets it can be noticed that there is an increase in the trade receivables in the year 2012, as compared to the year 2011. There is increase in the trade receivables from USD 501 million in 2011 to USD 670 million, which is a positive sign (Bloomberg, 2012). A high rate of return from the debtors of the company is always beneficial to maintain the liquidity position. From the analysis of the equity and

Im the King of the castle by Susan Hill Essay Example for Free

Im the King of the castle by Susan Hill Essay Im the King of the castle by Susan Hill is a chilling tale of a childhood bully. The story tells the tale of how a boy called Kingshaw is driven to suicide by his companion Hooper. Kingshaw and his mother moved from their rented apartment in London to Hoopers cold and evil home the Warnings so Mrs. Kingshaw could provide company for Mr. Hooper and a mother role for Hooper while her son Kingshaw could provide a companion for Hooper to make a friendly family home. The parents are very superficial both lacking their partner for many years and they both lacked the ability to show their love to their children. Instead of showing their love they turned a blind eye to the bullying of Kingshaw and pretended that every thing was fine because their relationship was becoming closer. Little did they know that the closer they became the more chilling and frightening the relationship between Hooper and Kingshaw became. Early on in the book Hooper and Kingshaw learn their roles of Bully and victim respectively and throughout the book the story relies on the balance of power between Kingshaw and Hooper. In my opinion the story Im the King of the castle revolves around hate, cruelty and isolation. Before Kingshaw came to Warnings Hooper and him were both happy but the parents were alone, as the parents became closer and grew to love each other Kingshaw and Hooper grew to lean their roles as Hooper was not an experienced bully and Kingshaw was not experienced at being a Victim to torment and isolation. Even though the final tragedy of the death of Kingshaw is mainly down to the torment of hopper the parents failures contributed to the final tragedy a great deal, as many of their failures were fatal. Both parent did not know how to bridge the chilling gap between them and the children, neither want to show their love as they are to self absorbed and neither wanted or even tried to provide stability. Even though Im the King of the castle was quiet depressing I enjoyed it nether less because I found the story very moving and alarming. I thought the book was very well written and it flowed well. I thought that many of the characters and their situations were convincing even though I thought the final tragedy was a bit extreme. I thought the book was set in the exactly the right scene, even though this book was written many years a go it still provides the everlasting chill of a childhood bullying tale and brings you to think of all the recent tragedys caused by bulling. I would recommend this book to anybody interested in the horrors of child hood bullying and to a bully or a Victim who need to learn a lesson. I think this book is suitable for any one above the age of twelve. I would quiet like to read another of Susan hills books such as the Woman in Black as the theater production was chilling and I enjoyed her style of writing.

High-fi Cy-fi Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Literature Papers

High-fi Cy-fi The world of Cyberpunk can be compared to a creature of fantasy. This fantasy creature unfolds wings of enchantment and uncoils a sinewy body of treachery and suspicion that is adept at drawing the attention of anyone who has an interest in science fiction or adventure. Cyberpunk is a form of science-fiction that is described by Garyn Roberts as "characterized by tough characters in tough worlds (Intro 1006)." The toughness of cyberpunk heroes can be related to the detective fiction stories of the 1920’s and 1930’s. This particular genre is also characterized by themes of technology, particularly virtual reality. In this form of science-fiction literature, it is very easy to discern the involvement of Rock ‘n’ Roll and punk themes. In this essay, I plan to prove that cyberpunk is a very creative form of literature and not the irrelevant, or unimportant, literature it was once perceived to be (Intro 1006). To do this I will provide an in-depth description of what is referred to as the Matrix, access to the matrix, descriptions of the extent to which technology is integrated into the life of those inhabiting a cyberpunk reality, and electronics capable of creating artificial creatures. The Matrix. In the cyberpunk world it can be linked to everything or it can represent everything such as in the movie The Matrix. When spoken of in terms of being a physical entity the matrix is simply nothing. The matrix is a name given to the theoretical space that exists in the digital world. "Trying to remind myself that this place and the gulfs beyond are only representations, we aren’t "in" Chromes computer, but interfaced with it, while the matrix simulator in Bobby’s apartment generates this illusion†¦ (Gibson 1011)." In ... ...rpunk is a form of writing that is sure to grow in popularity. Bibliography Bear, Greg(ory Dale). "Blood Music." The Prentice Hall Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Ed. Leah Jewell. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001. 1019-1035 Cameron, James. "Terminator, The." Published by: Pacific Western, Hemdale Film Funding, Euro Film Funding, and Cinema 84: 1984. James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd Gibson, William (Ford). "Burning Chrome." The Prentice Hall Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Ed. Leah Jewell. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001. 1006-1019 "Matrix." Infoplease Dictionary. 2001 Learning Network. 7 Dec, 2001 http://www.infoplease.com/ipd/AO531187.html. Roberts, Garyn G. "Introduction to ‘Burning Chrome’." The Prentice Hall Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Ed. Leah Jewell. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001. 1006

Research Essay on Being Pro Abortion

Research Essay on Pro-Abortion Every woman should have the opportunity to determine if they would want to keep their child or abort it. Growing up in today’s society, I find myself in an environment where kids are having kids, parents who aren’t capable to raise a child are having kids, and victims of sexual assault are having kids. And in most cases, the child ends up living a life that isn’t too well. This leads to children being neglected, abused, homeless, hungry and more importantly unloved. Imagine a woman not being allowed to have an abortion.Abortions eliminate the risks of all of those tragedies happening. The problem shouldn’t be killing an egg that isn’t fully yet involved into a baby. The problem should be having children but later neglecting or mistreating them to the point where they can’t be a happy child. Sometimes you hear parents saying, â€Å"I wish I would have waited. † or even worse â€Å"I don’t think I c an do this. † For a lot of pregnancies, they aren’t planned. If we don’t allow for abortions to continue to be legal that simply means we are allowing for unfit parents to have kids and by doing this we are failing our children.I was taught to eliminate a problem before it escalates or before it becomes too late. We often hear stories about parents harming their children because the child might have cried too much or whined too much. Why should the child have to suffer? Why should a child be harmed in the first place? We can’t justify abortions not being legal. I feel that a human is born. Until then, you should be allowed to make the decision on whether or not you want to abort your child until it is too late. It’s a women’s right. A father can run away from his child but the mother will be there forever.The grandma might not care or the uncle might not be there but the mother will always be around. When we actually think about it, abortion isn’t as bad as we make it seem. It’s simply an alternative for a lifestyle that a person is trying to avoid. A person can’t raise a child to their best abilities if they never wanted the child to begin with. There will never be true happiness or true love for that child. This is why I take the stand for pro-abortion. Every woman should have the right to decide what they want to do with their body.With shows like â€Å"16 and Pregnant† or â€Å"Teen Mom†, we’re showed the struggles of being a teen mother but, we also notice that most of the mothers on Teen Mom are well off. Not only are they getting paid for being on the show but they have the assistance of others- most of them. But that’s not the case for many teens in the real world. USA Today reported that, â€Å"About 7% of teen girls got pregnant in 2006, a rate of 71. 5 pregnancies per 1,000 teens. That's up slightly from 69. 5 in 2005, Guttmacher says. In 1990, when rates peak ed, about 12% got pregnant. USATODAY)† Teen pregnancies are on the rise whether we can accept the fact or not. We shouldn’t be allowed to push a child into becoming a mother by eliminating abortions. Not only are we risking an unfit life for the child, we are also telling our teens that once you get pregnant having the bay is the only option when that is certainly not true. Amongst the group of teen pregnancies, we can’t forget about the minority group that isn’t lucky enough to get help from their parent. Prochoice states, â€Å"Low-income women and women in diverse communities are more adversely affected by limited access.For example, low-income women often lack the funds necessary for an abortion, which can delay their care(prochoice). † These teens have to rely on government assistance and fast money(stripping, drug dealing, prostituting, stealing, etc). The odds are already against them for the simple fact that they are minorities, they donâ₠¬â„¢t have it all and they have to work harder than the next person. Having a child that they wouldn’t want makes the situation worse for both the child and the mother. Struggling to pay for an abortion beats struggling to raise a child for eighteen years.USA Today also states that, â€Å"The issue here is clearly that we have a lot of teenagers who are having sex, but they aren't careful enough at contraception to avoid pregnancy,† says Sarah Brown, executive director of the nonprofit National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, who has seen Guttmacher's numbers. (USATODAY)† If teens aren’t wise enough to practice safe sex, how can we assume that that they will be wise enough to make the right decisions when raising their child. If we become anti-abortion, we’re sealing the deal for teens to have kids whether they want too or not.With the issue of abortion, one’s attitude toward it is going to be based on many things such as re ligious background and personal morals. There is no black and white answer to the abortion issue. Luckily we live in a country where we are able to decide for ourselves whether something is morally right or wrong. Thus, ultimately, the choice is ours. As with the many other ethical issues which we are faced with in our society, it is hard to come to a concrete answer until we are personally faced with that issue.All we can do is make an effort to know all of the aspects which are involved so that we may be able to make a sound decision if we were faced with this problem in our own lives. In conclusion, it is clear that although some things are important in order to save a life, I truly believe a woman should have the right to end the life of her unborn child if it's any inconvenience at all. Even though it is stopping a beating heart, and the baby can feel pain at 20 weeks, I feel the convenience of the irresponsible mother is WAY more important.

Time Of The Past

At the age of 25 I was one of the most treasured managers in a profitable company in my small village town. My repute had entangled the whole town and this is why everybody gazed at me every time I went down the streets doing my shopping like every body else. My life style was the most expensive you would envisage because every shoe and cloth I put on was imported.At this time I did not mind so much about the future since I was single and had no one to care for except my parents who needed little of my financial help because they were already well of. My lucrative job was something that I cherished so much that I devoted most of my time in ensuring that I remained the top performing manager in the company. As a result I had several opportunities of attending sponsored conferences not only in my country but also outside the country. I was far much ahead of many friends I learnt with, and this gave me every reason to celebrate my life and achievements.Due to this, I had no option but t o detach myself from many of my friends who would book appointments if they wanted to meet up with me. It seemed like the supply of riches by the creator had been directed towards my side because everything seemed elegant to me.The company had offered me with a number of company vehicles the rationale for which I have by no means been able to ascertain to this day. But I gape that the company was making super normal profits which made the president plan less and did not care about the unwarranted company expenditures. As a result, the company’s performance begun to dwindle but disproportionately to what the company gained at the end of the day.Little did any one of us notice that losing a single consumer was the commencement of a big down fall that awaited us. Decisions were made without a vision of expanding the operations of the company to make the company top its competitors. We thought that we had reached the sun only to comprehend later that we had not stepped in the moo n.What followed will always remain in my mind as the most downbeat and hardest part of my life to this day. My pay was reduced by half because the company begun making massive losses and most of our customers lost confidence in the company. My job remained at stake because the marketing department that I headed was the key in sourcing for customers who kept the company flying high but in contradiction they were leaving.After a short while a letter of termination of my services knocked on my door and since I didn’t have any share in the company I had no option but to relinquish my duties. Huge loans that I had obtained from different institutions became a major headache because I had no other source of income. Auctioneers became my regular visitors as they frequently knocked on my door to take whatever was equivalent to the debts I had.A few months that followed found me in the streets dining with people I had all along thought I would never brush shoulders with. This time it was more degrading because people either laughed or sympathized with my situation. To this day I live yearning for those days when I was the head of marketing department at Hill Cage Company.     

Written Word Media An Awesome Ad Platform for Authors

Written Word Media An Awesome Ad Platform for Authors Written Word Media: An Awesome Ad Platform for Authors One of the questions we get most often at Reedsy is: "where can I promote my book". You're probably already familiar with Bookbub, but their  exclusivity makes it hard for the emerging author to get a promotion with them. This is where Written Word Media come in: another proven ad platform for authors with several "brands" to make your book visible. Here's our interview with their co-founder Ferol Vernon, who shares some numbers and great nuggets of advice with us.Hello Ferol! Great to have you on the Reedsy blog! You are the COO of Written Word Media, a series of ebook-focused websites. Can you tell us what the concept is, the story behind the company and how you’ve managed to build a community of about 500,000 readers?The short version of the story is that we were looking for a place to promote my mother-in-law’s book, and there weren’t any good options at the time. We built our first site Freebooksy.com to solve her problem, the problem of one author. As we grew, we expanded the number and variety of websites that we run in order to solve the problems of many authors, which helped us build great reader experiences as well. We’ve focused on building great brands that connect with readers, and it’s allowed us grow very rapidly.Who is your target market? How do you differentiate yourself from Bookbub?Our target market is anyone who has a book and wants to promote that book. We work with mostly independent authors, but we also work with a lot of small presses, and 3 of ‘big five’ major publishers as well.The difference between BookBub and us is exclusivity. BookBub’s policies force them to outright reject most authors. Our policies and pricing are designed to be friendly to the emerging author. We tell authors that if you can get into BookBub, great, you should do it, AND you should buy with us. If you don’t get into BookBub, don’t sweat it, know that you can always reach your audience throug h us.As an author, what can I expect from being featured in your emails? Can you share data from your previous campaigns? How much does the service cost?What you can expect depends on things like your genre and the quality of your book. We see a wide variance in how well books perform, but to give you a sense, popular genres like Mystery and Romance can generate 1,000 - 5,000 free downloads on Freebooksy. For paid books, on BargainBooksy in popular genres authors can expect to sell anywhere from 10-50 copies of their books with some authors selling 200-300 copies. It’s highly dependent on the price and quality of the book.On Freebooksy and Bargain Booksy, our ads cost between $40-$200, with the majority of ads being in that $50-$100 range. For our premium brands, NewInBooks and Red Feather Romance prices start at $49 and go up to $499 for our full service packages.I believe the New in Books brand is the most recent. The concept is slightly different as it is not just for book s that get discounted; there is no economic incentive to subscribe. Who is it for? Why do you think readers enjoy it?NewInBooks is exciting for us. The hook for readers is to alert them about great new books that are coming out, as well as news from the world of books. It’s a way to never miss a new book from your favorite author or in your favorite genre. Readers have reacted well to the service and to the brand.The two big differences with NewInBooks are that it’s not a discount site, and it’s not restricted to ebooks. This audience pays full price for books, and purchases physical and audiobooks in addition to ebooks. On NewInBooks there is an emphasis on discovery, we have more content around books to read if you like a certain author or a certain subgenre. This type of content doesn’t create the same spike in sales that running a discount day does. However, it creates a consistent stream of sales weeks and months after the content is published as rea ders discover the content through social media and search.You have been collecting a lot of data helping about 20,000 authors market their books. What makes an author successful in today’s marketplace?We just posted a great article with some findings about what successful authors do compared to emerging authors. The two most salient findings were:Write more! We found that successful authors write on average 30+ hours per week, which is a lot. If life gets in the way of writing 30 hours a week, try simply writing more than you did last week.Pay a professional. We found that successful authors pay professionals for things like cover design and editing. These services are generally pretty affordable, and make a big difference in the overall end result of a book.Your most recent projects have a strong emphasis on design; discovering new books is an entire experience. Websites like Goodreads seem not to care. What’s the rationale behind this choice?Design has been a passion of mine since I was a kid. My mother is an artist and a designer so I grew up learning about things like color, perspective, spacing, and typography from her. I believe in good design very deeply, and I understand the power that a well-designed product. Our emphasis on branding and design stems from this belief, and both authors and readers respond to it. Website design is a lot like fashion design, trends are important. Sites like Goodreads aren’t necessarily poorly designed, but they are behind the trend. Goodreads is a great service, and I’m hopeful that a design refresh is on the horizon.What’s the next step for Written Word Media? Building other brands for other segments of the market?Our strategy is working and we’re going to stay true to it. We believe that each segment of readers is different, and that the best way to connect with a reader segment is to launch a new brand that fits their needs. We believe that books are a force for good in this w orld, and that supporting the authors who write them is an honor and a privilege. We’ll continue to build great brands for readers and great promotional products for authors.Follow Written Word Media and Reedsy on Twitter: @WrittenWordM and @ReedsyHQHave you tried advertising on one of Written Word Media's brands? Please  share your thoughts  and experience with us, or ask Ferol any question, in the comments below!

All About Hardie Board and Fiber Cement Siding

All About Hardie Board and Fiber Cement Siding Hardie Board is fiber cement siding manufactured by James Hardie Building Products, one of the first successful manufacturers of this material. Two of their most popular products are HardiePlank ® (horizontal lap siding, 0.312 inches thick) and HardiePanel ® (vertical siding, 0.312 inches thick). The fiber cement siding is made from Portland cement mixed with ground sand, cellulose fiber, and other additives. The product is also known as cement-fiber siding, concrete siding, and fiber cement cladding. Fiber cement siding can resemble stucco, wood clapboards, or cedar shingles (e.g., HardieShingle ® 0.25 inches thick), depending on how the panels are textured during the manufacturing process. Pulverized sand, cement, and wood pulp are mixed with water to make a slurry, which is rolled out and pressed together into sheets. The water is squeezed out, a pattern is pressed onto the surface, and the sheets are cut into boards. The product is baked in autoclaves under high-pressure steam, and then the individual boards are jostled apart, tested for strength, and painted. It may look like wood, but the boards are much heavier with properties associated more with cement than wood. The wood fiber is added to give the board flexibility so it doesnt crack. The material is more durable than most woods and stucco and resists insects and rot. It is also fire resistant, which explains its early popularity in Australia, an arid land plagued by wildfires throughout the bush. Fiber cement siding has become popular, because it requires little maintenance, will not melt, is non-combustible, and can have a natural, wood-like appearance. However, many people say it is much more difficult for a nonprofessional to install than other siding. Remember, when youre cutting it that its really cement, with the associated hardness and dust to prove it. Hardie Board should not be confused with hardboard, which is dense, pressed particleboard made from wood. Common misspellings include hardiboard, hardyboard, hardyplank, hardypanel, HardiPlank, and HardiPanel. Knowing the manufacturers name will help with accurate spelling. James Hardie Industries PLC is headquartered in Ireland. Expense Comparisons Although more expensive than vinyl, fiber cement siding is considerably less expensive than wood. Fiber cement board is generally less expensive than cedarwood, more expensive than vinyl, and less expensive than brick. It is equal or less expensive than composite siding and less expensive than synthetic stucco. As with any construction project, the materials are but one aspect of the expense. Installing fiber cement board incorrectly can be a priceless mistake. About James Hardie James Hardie Building Products has long been associated with Australia, ever since the Scottish-born son of master tanner Alexander Hardie emigrated there in the late 19th century. James Hardie became an importer of tannery chemicals and equipment until he came upon a new fire-resistant product being manufactured by the French Fibro-Ciment Co. The construction product became so popular so quickly that even the misspelled name Hardi Board became somewhat generic, like Kleenex means facial tissues and Bilco means any steel cellar doorway. HardieBoard has come to mean any fiber cement siding by any number of suppliers. The success of the  fibro-cement sheeting imported by Hardie allowed him to sell his company and his own name. Hardie Fibrolite Fibrolite is synonymous with asbestos in places like New Zealand and Australia. Asbestos cement sheets became popular in the 1950s as an alternative building material to wood and brick. Hardie manufactured a cement-asbestos product in Australia beginning in the early 20th century. The James Hardie company continues to settle claims with employees and customers who have been subject to asbestos-related cancers presumably from working closely with the building product. Since 1987, Hardie products have not contained asbestos; the fiber replacement is organic wood pulp. James Hardie building products installed before 1985 may contain asbestos. Fiber Cement Building Products James Hardie Building Products is a company that specializes in fiber cement building materials and has come to dominate the market, yet other providers carry products similar to Hardie Boards. For example, allura USA bought CertainTeed Corporation and also merged its manufacturing with Maxitile in order to be competitive. American Fiber Cement Corporation (AFCC) distributes in Europe under the name Cembrit. Nichiha has a formula that uses less silica and more fly ash. Wonderboard ® by Custom Building Products is a product similar to HardieBacker, ® a cement-based underlayment. Fiber cement cladding has a history of expanding, shrinking, and cracking. James Hardie has addressed these issues with the HardieZone ® system. In the U.S. a different formula is used to make siding for homes in the north subject to freezing temperatures as opposed to siding for homes in the south, subject to hot, wet climates. Many residential contractors cannot be convinced that cement siding is even worth changing their building processes. Next Generation Concrete Cladding Architects are using Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC), a very expensive, cement-based product for commercial cladding. Popularly known by their fabricators, such as Lafarges Ductal ® and TAKTL and Envel with Ductal, UHPC is a complex recipe that includes metal fibers of steel in the mix, making the product super strong but thin and shapeable. Its durability exceeds other cement mixtures, and its not subject to some of the fiber cement hazards such as expanding and shrinking. Building on UHPC, the next generation of composite technology is DUCON ® Micro-Reinforced Concrete Systems; stronger, thinner, and even more durable for structures in an age of terrorism and weather extremes. Concrete homes have long been considered a solution to building in climates of extremes. Like most new products for the homeowner, look to what architects are using to eventually be the product of choice, as long as you can find a contractor who keeps up with the skills and necessary equipment to install it. Sources Recent Updates at linkedin.com/company/james-hardie-building-products, LinkedIn [accessed June 8, 2015]Frequently Asked Questions, Our Company, and Performance Durability, James Hardie Building Products Inc. [accessed June 8, 2015; February 11, 2018]Case study: James Hardie and asbestos, lawgovpol.com [accessed June 8, 2015]Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hardie-james-jim-12963 [accessed February 12, 2018]

Children today waste too much time playing video games Essay

Children today waste too much time playing video games - Essay Example Children virtually spend their summer vacations playing these games. About half of all children have a video game player or a computer on which to play the video game and parents do not restrict the types of game the children play. AskDr.Sears.com reports eighty percent of most popular video games feature violence and aggressiveness. Surveys also suggest, by the time a typical American child reaches the age of eighteen, he has seen 200,000 acts of violence and 40,000 murders on screen. According to Maney (2005) video games might be the best things that children can do to ensure their future success. Maney quotes Steve Johnson, who says that at every point while playing the video games one has to make decisions. One has to think about patterns, long-term goals, and resources. These help to take a decision and depending upon the feedback from the game one again has to adjust the decision. Maney confirms that games like Halo 2, EverQuest or the lurid Grand Theft Auto hone the kind of decision-making abilities that define a successful person. Parents often insist that children should spend time reading books rather than playing video games. Johnson disagrees saying whatever the benefits of reading, you are following someone else’s decision. Video games have been linked to violence and aggressive behavior. Others believe that video games provide an outlet for aggression and frustration. According to the journal American Family Physician, studies have not been able to show concrete evidence of behaviour being affected due to violent video games. This argument can be countered by the violence and blood bath that children are exposed to, in books like King Lear and Lord of the Flies. They challenge the belief that books are automatically better than video games. Dr. John C Beck, author of Got Games, believes video games foster team skills (cited by Powell S, 2005). He refutes the view that it