From the Slums to the Superstar Status Essay Example for Free

From the Slums to the Superstar Status Essay Abstract He was the most leading emissary and practitioner of the reggae music genre. He embodies its spirit and spreads its message to all the ends of the earth. Bob Marley’s exceptional songs incorporate the stylistic range of the contemporary music of Jamaica spanning ska, rock steady, and eventually reggae. He transported this music further as a social force with worldwide appeal. No other musician was able to transform the cultural as well as musical landscape as significantly as the boy from the slums did. Bob Marley: From the Slums to the Superstar Status The man is like a hero in the classic legends of old. He lived at a time when the concept of One World, One Love inspired by the religion he believes in was starting to be felt and heard. He lived a remarkable life. It remains to have an increasing and utterly strong resonance. His was a life that represents several occasions of mystical wilderness, gangland wars, artistic as well as metaphysical insights, and political cruelty. He has reached a wide audience and his influence continues to spread. His apocalyptic truths are life-changing and inspiring as far as his Western audiences are concerned. His influence extends much further in the Third World region. His impact goes beyond the confines of his native country. He has also touched the lives of the people in certain parts of West Africa, the Maoris of New Zealand, in India and Indonesia as well as the Hopi Indians in New Mexico (Moskowitz, 2007). To these people, he was a redeemer. The elements which contributed to his exceptional works are his talent, his understanding, the love he has to give, and the sadness he felt for the society into which he was born. In his demise, he left a great deal of brilliant music from where people have taken inspiration and lessons out of. A man from a country that belongs to the Third World was able to transcend seeming boundaries. His only tools were his philosophical wisdom and natural humility. He is considered to be the most valuable artist of the 20th century (Toynbee, 2007). He has left an evocative and exceptional music to the world. His music has outlived him. Truly, the songs he made are not only universal but timeless too. Robert Nesta Marley became the first and perhaps the only big name to surface from the third world. From his meager roots, he has grown to become a man of major import and impact that his attempted assassination has political motivations. His musical influence is still felt. He became the first reggae artist to release a full-length LP that instantaneously transformed the 30 year old marketing model (Moskowitz, 2007). Apart from its commercial success, his music has a universal quality that is able to surpass language, social status, and nationality. Bob Marley was a boy from the slums of Jamaica. It was where his music drew inspiration from. His life ended too soon. Nonetheless, he is an artist that was well loved the world over. His superstar status continues to rage on. As a biracial son, his was an unhappy childhood. At a young age, he was already exposed to a society that is cruel and racist. Still, together with the bands he has formed and the music he has played, Bob Marley was able to realize success not only in his native country but even across the globe. His background is of particular essence. He was the first to rise to the ranks of superstar status, the first from a Third World country, that is. He was one of the rebellious and charismatic artists of recent history whose music reflects his humble origin. Jamaica’s history of slavery lingers on the memory of its people. Slavery has filtered through the very heart of Bob Marley’s native country, from the mid-nineteenth century plantations to the popular music of recent times. Even though it has been eradicated way back in 1834, the Africans and their offspring started to develop a culture of their own from what is left from their traditional way of life and combining them with other British traditions (Moskowitz, 2007). Precisely, such mixed culture had certain similarities with the rising society of people of color in the United States. Still, Bob Marley’s native country remained to be a rural community that exclusive of the industrialization of its northern neighbor was more strongly attached to its African heritage. Bob Marley was able to leave behind numerous songs even though his life was relatively short-lived. Not like other songwriters, he was took part in all phases of creation of his music. Bob Marley penned the lyrics of his songs, he worked on the instrumental parts, his was found inside the control room while in the process of laying down his tracks (Moskowitz, 2007). Moreover, he also took part in the overdubbing and editing process involved in the creation of his music. His music was essentially reggae that it practically cornered the â€Å"roots reggae† term. Bob’s rhythm section initiated what came to be called as the â€Å"one drop† rhythm. The term refers to the standard roots reggae groove. It can be done by accenting the drum only on beat three of a four beat measure. Normally, in Western Europe’s classical music, the accentuation is placed on beats one and three of a four beat measure. On the other hand, the second and fourth beats of a four beat measure are accentuated in the American rock and roll music (Moskowitz, 2007). The unique rhythm set his apart from the ones he has grown accustomed to. Such rhythm gave his music a distinct Jamaican character. Moreover, the man was likewise a skilled lyricist. He was able to construct expressively powerful chains of words which are apparently pleasant to the ears yet contain serious punches the moment their meanings are explored. Bob Marley was able to extract the sense as well as the emotion out of every word and then skillfully conceal them in laid-back â€Å"island†-sounding music. It was his intention. If Bob Marley’s songs were quite clearly venomous or political, perhaps it could not have crossed over into the airwaves or has gained commercial success. He exhibited a kind of front which manifested itself in the way he carried himself and the way he looked. He was usually seen dressed up in pants, shirts, boots, and stocking hats or â€Å"tams† (Moskowitz, 2007). While performing, Bob Marley usually fell into a trance-like state as he sings his songs. Bob Marley sings with eyes closed as he flails his arms and his dreadlocks swings to the rhythm. This is the character that is distinctly Bob Marley. He became the foremost star from the so-called â€Å"world music† (Stephens, 1999). Born to a biracial family in the year 1945, he was exposed to the extraordinary musical culture of his native country in the 1950s. The American rhythm and blues, the rumba and calypso of the Caribbean, the ballroom dance of Europe, the Protestant Revivalist hymns, and the drumming sounds of African music are the songs he has heard while growing up (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). Attached to the networks which connected Jamaican families to the North American and English communities, part of a local hotel circuit and inter-island club, as far as the popular musicians of Jamaica is concerned, the local was already the global (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). In the year 1962, Bob Marley cut his first records as a singer (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). He was only 17 years old at that time. The following year, he assembled a vocal group which came to be known as the Wailers. Inspired by existing American soul acts like Curtis Mayfield’s Impressions, Bob Marley and his band were used by their producer, Coxsone Dodd, as an in-house vocal group to front whatever was fashionable at that time on the local dance floor. They then covered versions of international soul and pop hits, ska, rocksteady. In 1963 and 1966, they were able to release approximately eighty singles with enough hits to launch the group as Jamaica’s most successful. However, in 1966 the group was reduced to a vocal trio which included Bob Marley, his childhood friend, Bunny Livingstone, and Peter Tosh. The stripped-down vocal group that recruited the Barrett brothers, Carlton and Aston to play the drums and bass, dedicated themselves to Rastafarianism and started working with producer Lee Perry, who added a rhythm section and encouraged them to come up with their unique sound and material (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). The Wailers’ records around this time were instrumental in defining reggae as a music genre. It was also during this time that Bob Marley started to make his mark onto the British pop. A Jamaican music entrepreneur by the name of Chris Blackwell, who was concerned in supplying reggae records to the British Jamaican community through the Trojan label and was developing new rock acts under his Island label, heard the new Wailers sound and came into a realization that his two markets need not be separated from one another (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). He believed that the reggae music of the Wailers can be sold to rock fans. His first Island album entitled Catch a Fire which was released in 1973 serves as a blueprint for international music marketing (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). It can not be denied that the Wailer’s distinction lies not only in the complexity and dynamism of reggae as compared to rock music, but in the exotic quality of Rastafarianism itself. Their songs became recognizable in the production standards, the enhanced guitar accompaniment and of course, the distinct voice of Bob Marley (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). His religion and music as it appears covers an ancient mysticism that is quite suitable for the shanty town of his origin. There is certainly something of the prophet about him which makes him unique from the other popular music stars and allows diverse constituencies to grab him. To a certain degree, it has something to do with Bob Marley’s mission, a passionate drive to create music and in the process, proclaim the truth about the world. Still, to some extent, it can be attributed to the man’s poetic vision, taken in equivalent measure from the King James Bible and patwa, the creole language of Jamaica (Toynbee, 2007). Moreover, it has something to do with the mystery of his life. His mother is black while his father is white. He was born in a colonial island in the Caribbean. Nonetheless, the boy of humble decent became one of the most respectable superstars the world has ever known. Many years have already past since his demise but he remains to be that superstar from the third world to rise to such phenomenal status. Undeniably, all of the aforementioned factors are of the essence. However, the most vital component in the creation of Bob Marley’s Messianic aura lies in the careful and effective repackaging of his music by the culture industry at a time when the legendary artist is already gone. If the measure of celebrity status is based on amount, in the sense that the more people know who a certain person is, the more famous that person is considered to be, it is safe to say therefore that Bob Marley is quite a very famous celebrity (Toynbee, 2007). He has long been gone yet his music lives on. His audience still exists. Perhaps, he is indeed the most popular musical figure of the modern times. Certainly, in the north and west of the global market, figures do give some indication of the man’s celebrity status. There is the existence of cumulative sales, for instance. In the year 2005, Bob Marley’s albums have earned sales amounting to 16. 5 million in the United States alone (Toynbee, 2007). In 2005, he placed twelfth in the Forbes list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities. The list was based on total yearly revenue which takes into account earnings generated not purely from record sales but counting as well those earned from the exploitation of merchandising, licensing deals, and copyright to name a few. It gives a more rounded gauge of celebrity status in comparison to record sales. Such list even reflects worldwide earnings (Toynbee, 2007). However, the global factor of such figures from the cultural industries barely arrives at the man’s status in the marginal regions around the globe. Here, his audiences listen to his music on cassette tapes which are generally copied and spread outside official music industry channels. Statistics are not available for such kind of activity. There is even no way to measure the circulation of images of the man in the form of drawings and posters, or the proliferation of tales about him. There is also no available statistics to tell the number of local musicians playing his songs, or have simply considered him as the inspiration in their respective musical careers. To be considered popular exclusive of buying power, even when it accounts to the millions, has not so much value in the cultural industries in the center of the global system (Toynbee, 2007). To be famous means to have a greater social importance even when measures are not registered commercially. That kind of distinction bucks the system, signifying that there are certain autonomous tendencies working on. In that light, and considering anecdote and some somewhat unreliable verifications it appears to be logical to state that in the international south, Bob Marley is certainly quite famous. Combining such assessments with the available statistics, it can be concluded that the man is a universal superstar of the present day (Toynbee, 2007). The sheer geographical stretch of his achievements is visibly noteworthy. However, it also has an unusual quality. Bob Marley is not only a superstar. He is a third world star who traces his roots from the small Caribbean island of Jamaica, and eventually securing an audience and a particular resonance across the underprivileged citizens from the southern part of the world. Remarkably, he remains to be the only figure of this kind. Certainly, there are other successful artists who hailed from the margins, for instance form what came to be known as â€Å"world music† (Toynbee, 2007). Produced primarily in former colonies beginning in the middle part of the 1980s, world music has been secured an audience from the middle-class market in the highly developed capitalist nations of the world. Nonetheless, it remains to be a small niche, representing only 2 per cent of worldwide recorded music sales (Toynbee, 2007). Bob Marley was ultimately to surface as the first reggae superstar, even though the Wailers’ success created conflicts within the group. Prior to the third album, Natty Dread which was released in 1974, Livingston and Tosh were refusing to go on another exhausting tour of the United States and Britain (Hebdige, 1990). Bob Marley revised the line-up for the 1975 tour. He hired musicians and added a female backing group which came to be known as the I-Threes. He toured Africa, Europe, and North America over the next few years. He even produced a live album called the Wailers Live and three other LPs for Island Records, namely, Rastaman Vibration, Exodus and Kaya. During his final years, he gained the respect of not only his fellow Jamaicans but also of other music critics and audiences the world over (Hebdige, 1990). In the year 1976, the album entitled Rastaman Vibration broke into the hit charts in America (Hebdige, 1990). For most people, the aforementioned album was yet the most obvious display of the man’s beliefs and music. The worldwide success received by this album strengthened the increasing political importance of Bob Marley in his native town wherein his Rastafarian views reverberated clearly among the ghetto youth. As a gesture of thanksgiving to his fellow Jamaicans, he made a decision to stage a free concert at the National Heroes Park in Kingston scheduled on the 5th day of December 1976 (Moskowitz, 2007). The concert was intended to stress the need for peace in the city slums where rival groups have caused murder and chaos. He became a major target for politically motivated violence because of his fame. Shortly following the announcement of the concert, the government declared a December 20th election (Hebdige, 1990). It signaled another ghetto war. Before the scheduled concert, armed men forced an entry into the house of Bob Marley and fired a gun at him. Unfortunately, it was just an attempted assassination. For a while, he thought about whether or not to push through with the concert. Nonetheless, he came out on stage on the scheduled date in defiance of his would-be assassins. Right after the concert, he left his native country for London. He then settled on the English city and recorded another album (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). His fellow Jamaican artists have taken advantage of the interest in roots reggae which the man has inspired. Groups like the Burning Spear and Culture, the Third World, the Gladiators as well as the Mighty Diamonds have all toured outside of their native country attracted a huge following among young white rock fanatics (Hebdige, 1990). Bunny Livingston and Peter Tosh have both gone on to produce successful solo hits, and they have refused to stay at a far distance from their musical roots. On Tosh’s albums entitled Equal Rights and Legalise It, his audience saw a man who is just as angry as he was back in the old Wailers days when he penned the songs such as Get up, Stand up and 400 Years. On the other hand the Blackheart Man album of Bunny Livingston was his tribute to his fellow Rastas. Both Livingston and Tosh’s albums sold well in the United States and Europe. Tosh even conquered his distaste of touring when he visited Britain way back in 1979. Even Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus, whose music is based on conventional Rasta drumming have toured Britain and played before a white audience (Hebdige, 1990). All of the aforementioned achievements are in the end, owed to the larger success of the man himself. However, part of the reason why his music reached soaring heights is that his musical compositions are basically pleasant-sounding. His brand of music is forever sweet sounding although the lyrics contain critical commentaries about the colonial system. Similar to the calypso artists, he knew how to convey his message across behind a lilting refrain. It is the classic Caribbean package of harsh social criticism concealed in a easy-sounding and uplifting rhythm. He was effectively causing the Western world dance to the rhythm of the prophecies of their own fall (Hebdige, 1990). With the kind of violent society that Bob Marley had surfaced from and rose above, his death seems quite a cruel stroke of fate. It was in the year 1977 when the doctors surgically removed a portion of his toe which had been wounded in a soccer game (Moskowitz, 2007). The doctors found a cancerous lump on his toe. In 1980, while jogging at Central Park, he suddenly collapsed. When he was brought to the hospital, the doctors discovered that the cancer has already spread to other parts of his body. In less than a year later, he succumbed to death. He was all of 36 years old at that time. Even though he died young, the heartbeat reggae rhythms of the vast amount of songs he made have endured. The legend of Bob Marley has transcended the years. Furthermore, his music and charismatic persona has effected a transformation to his native country. On the 21st day of May 1981, Bob Marley was laid to his final resting place with full state honors. In a great paradox, considering the loathed position that Rastafarians and their music once has in Jamaica, One Love, the antiwar reggae song of Bob Marley was adapted by the country’s tourist board as a theme song. In the mean time, his music kept on finding its audience. Garnering sales which amounted to over 10 million in the United States alone, the Legend best of covering the Island Records days from 1972 until 1981 is still the best-selling record of a Jamaican artist and the best-selling reggae album of all time (Moskowitz, 2007). This man’s influence in the music scene during his lifetime and even after is certainly extraordinary. Together with his band, he has sold over 21 million starting in 1991 (Moskowitz, 2007). The figures have not been collected until after 10 years has passed since the time of his death. Moreover, he was bestowed with the Jamaican Order of Merit, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, became a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Moskowitz, 2007). Apart from the aforementioned and all the other awards he has received during his lifetime and even after his death, the real measure of his worth is time itself. He was long gone. Nonetheless, his music is still as relevant, remarkable and popular as it was at the time it was initially released in the market. The hypnotic and loping beats of reggae music bear a distinct signature which climbed to the 1970s music scene on the forefront, primarily through the music of Bob Marley and his band under the Tuff and Island recording labels. The songs they made, particularly the ones included in the Rastaman and Natty Dread albums remain to be the landmarks of reggae that served as the voice of the disfranchised and poverty-stricken Jamaicans and, by extension, to the people of the world. Through his music, Bob Marley was able to fill them with dignity and pride of heritage, no matter how sad real life seems to be. Furthermore, his reggae music hits gave rhythmic boost which has what he prefers to call â€Å"positive vibrations† to those who listen to them. No matter how his sound was perceived, be it the dance music with a strong political undertone or political music fit for dancing, the music of Bob Marley is a powerful remedy for difficult times. References Frith, S. , Straw, W. , Street, J. (2001). The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock. New York: Cambridge University Press. Hebdige, D. (1990). Cut ‘n’ Mix: Culture, Identity, and Caribbean Music. New York: Routledge. Moskowitz, D. V. (2007). Bob Marley: A Biography. California: Greenwood Publishing Group. Stephens, G. (1999). On Racial Frontiers: The New Culture of Frederick Douglas, Ralph Ellison, and Bob Marley. New York: Cambridge University Press. Toynbee, J. (2007). Bob Marley: Herald of a Postcolonial World? Cambridge: Polity.

St Brigid of Kildare

St Brigid of Kildare Around 450 C.E. in Ireland, a girl born to a father, Dubtach, pagan Scottish king of Leinster, and a mother, Brocca, a Christian Pictish slave who had been baptised by Saint Patrick. This girl, St Brigid, became a symbol of kindness, generosity and sanctity in her distant future (Preble, 2013).   Ã‚   Saint Brigid of Kildare, or of Ireland is one of Irelands patron saints, along with Patrick and Columba (Jestice, 2004). Her parents were baptized from St. Patrick, who brought faith to the country. Brigid was influenced by that environment, and began to take an interest in the asceticlife of the nun. As Brigid grew up, she grew in her love for Jesus and she wanted to devote her life to Jesus (Daughter of St. Paul, 2011). Jesus Christs life was full of love and kindness. Throughout his long holy life, Jesus showed his love for others by blessing and serving the poor, the sick, and the distressed (The Church of Jesus Christ, 2008). He told His disciples that, This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you (John 15:12). St Brigid conformed herself to the way of Jesus, by imitate the love and compassion of Jesus, especially for the poor (Daughter of St. Paul, 2011). It is said that the Lord would grant Brigid anything she would ask, and that what she desired was always the same to satisfy the poor, to banish every hardship, and to save every sorrowful man (Doss, n.d.). She looked for Jesus in the poor and often brought food and clothing to them. She became a nun with the help of St. Mel, St. Patricks nephew, and formed a religious community with seven other young women. Brigid started the first Irish convent at Kildare and became its abbess. She also founded a school of art, which won fame for its beautifully illuminated manuscripts. The monastery at Kildare became a centre of education and spirituality (Daughter of St. Paul, 2011). God performed many miracles through Brigid during her lifetime, believers say, and most of them have to do with healing. One of the very famous miracle story of St Brigid is that when she gave away a whole pail of milk, she began to worry about what her mother would say hence prayed to the Lord to make up for what she had given away, and when she got home, her pail was full again. Eventually, Brigid became known as the Mary of the Irish regard to her love and compassion that remind people of the Blessed Mother (Daughter of St. Paul, 2011). The life full of helping and healing, Brigid lived the life she wanted, conforming Lords message, ended in 525 C.E. and was buried at Downpatrick near St. Columba and St. Patrick (Daughter of St. Paul, 2011). Even long after her death, the meaning of sacred life of Saint Brigid, that passes through centuries, now offers society a new insight into the virtue of hospitality, the cheerful, generous giving of food and shelter (Doss, n.d.). Brigidine Sisters is the most well know congregation of people who have been inspired by the values of Brigid. The history of this congregation began in the year 468, as St Brigid formed the first ever female monastic community together with seven other dedicated women. They helped the poor of the time and were attributed with many miracles (Green, n.d.). However, the Penal Laws of the 18th century had wrought what seemed irreparable chaos on the once far-famed Land of Saints and Scholars, leaving Irelands oppressed and largely pauperised people bereft of their proud Gaelic cultures, including the Sisters of St Brigid (Brigidine Sisters, 2015). After a long time of the havoc, miraculously and very fortunately, the Sisters of St. Brigid were restored by Bishop Daniel Delany, who founded the Congregation in response to the urgent need for education for life and faith at the time when Ireland was emerging from the oppressive Penal Laws (Solas Bhride Centre, n.a.). Brigidine sisters commit themselves to gather to celebrate and explore the Brigid tradition for our time and for the future; to seek inspiration through regular reflection; and to take action that seeks justice and the common good (Brigidine Sisters, 2015). WIth these commiments, throughout the past few decades, there has been a strong justice and peace thrust in this congregation. Brigidine Sisters practise and fulfil the message of St Brigid, love and satisfy the poors, in many ways globally, including the supports and sponsor for the asylum seekers and the victims of women and child trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation engages. We dedicated a portion of this earth as a final resting place for her and her corporeal is no longer alive. However, we believe that her disembodied spirit transcends time and still alive next to us even long after her death, to deliver the message that she tried to convey throughout her whole life with her countless precedes. We will continue to communicate with Brigids message of loving and carrying poor, that transcend time by her and her descendants. Word count 845 Words Jestice Phyllis G. 2004, Book: Holy People of the World: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia, Volume 3 pp 140-, ABC-CLIO. Retrieved 1 February 2013, Viewed on 22nd Feb 2017, https://books.google.com/books?id=H5cQH17-HnMCpg=PA140> Prebel Peter M. 2013, St Bridget of Kildare, Viewed on 22nd Feb 2017, http://www.frpeterpreble.com/tag/saints-of-the-british-isles> Doss, Mary D. n.d. A Gift of Hospitality Saint Brigid, Abbess of Kildare, Viewed on 27th Feb 2017, http://www.roca.org/OA/107/107e.htm#4> The Church of Jesus Christ, 2008, Behold Your Little Ones: Nursery Manual Lesson 5: Lesson 5: Jesus Christ Showed Us How to Love Others pp 24 27, Viewed on 25th Feb 2017, https://www.lds.org/manual/behold-your-little-ones-nursery-manual/lesson-5-jesus-christ-showed-us-how-to-love-others?lang=eng> Daughter of St. Paul, 2011, Saint-A-Day: February, Viewed on 28th Feb 2017, http://www.jclubcatholic.org/stories/SaintADay.aspx?sjc_month=2> Green M. n.d. St Brigid The Other Saint, Viewed on 1st March 2017, http://www.ireland-information.com/articles/saintbrigid.htm> Brigidine Sisters, 2015, Our Beginning, Viewed on 1st March 2017, http://brigidine.org.au/about-us/our-beginnings/> Solas Bhride Centre, n.d. General History of the BrigidinesFrom the Acorn to the Oak, Viewed on 2nd March 2017, http://solasbhride.ie/our-history/ > Brigidine Sisters, 2015, Our Colleagues Associates, Viewed on 1st March 2017, http://brigidine.org.au/about-us/our-beginnings/>

Advanced Modeling Techniques For Computer Graphics Engineering Essay

Advanced Modeling Techniques For Computer Graphics Engineering Essay In the past thirty years, modeling techniques in computer graphics have evolved significantly as the field has matured and attempted to portray the complexities of nature. Polygonal models, patches, points, and lines are insufficient to represent the complexities of natural objects and intricate man-made objects in a manageable and controllable fashion. Higher-level modeling techniques have been developed to provide an abstraction of the model, encode classes of objects, and allow high-level control and specification of the model. The goal of these advanced modeling techniques is to provide a concise, efficient, flexible, and controllable mechanism for specifying and animating models of complex objects and natural phenomena. Most of these advanced modeling techniques can be considered procedural modeling techniques: code segments or algorithms are used to abstract and encode the details of the model instead of explicitly storing vast numbers of low-level primitives. The use of algori thms unburdens the modeler/animator of low-level control, provides great flexibility, and allows amplification of his efforts through parametric control: a few parameters to the model yield large amounts of geometric details (Smith [1984] called this â€Å"database amplification†). This survey examines several types of procedural techniques, including fractals, grammar-based models, volumetric procedural models, implicit surfaces, and particle systems. Fractals [Peitgen et al. 1992] have a precise mathematical definition, but in computer graphics their definition has been extended to refer generally to models with a large degree of self-similarity: subpieces of the object appear to be scaled down, possibly translated and rotated versions of the original object. Along these lines, Musgrave [Ebert et al. 1994] define a fractal as â€Å"a geometrically complex object, the complexity of which arises through the repetition of form over some range of scale.† Many natural objects exhibit this characteristic, including mountains, coastlines, trees, plants (e.g., cauliflower), water, and clouds. Fractals can generally be classified as deterministic or non-deterministic (also called random fractals), depending on whether they contain randomness. Random fractals have been used extensively in computer graphics to model natural objects, most notably terrain. Most fractal terrain-generation algorithms work through recursive subdivision an d pseudorandom perturbation. An original surface is defined and divided equally into subparts. New vertices are added and pseudorandomly displaced from the original surface, with a displacement magnitude that decreases at each iteration as the frequency increases. Therefore, the first iteration gives the large peaks on the surface, and later subdivisions add small-scale detail. Only the parameters for controlling the random-number generator, the level of subdivision, and the â€Å"roughness† of the surface are needed to define an extremely complex terrain. Recent work in fractals has included the simulation of diffusion-limited aggregation Copyright  © 1996, CRC Press. ACM Computing Surveys, Vol. 28, No. 1, March 1996 (DLA) models and the use of multi-fractals [Ebert et al. 1994], which allows different fractal dimensions (degrees of â€Å"roughness†) in the models to simulate natural terrain better. GRAMMAR-BASED MODELS Grammar-based models, primarily Lsystems [Prusinkiewicz and Lindenmayer 1990], also allow natural complexity to be specified with a few parameters. Grammar- based models have been used by many authors, including Lindenmayer, Prusinkiewicz, and Fowler, to produce remarkably realistic models and images of trees, plants, and seashells. These models use formal languages, parallel graph grammars called L-systems, to describe natural structures algorithmically and are closely related to deterministic fractals in their self-similarity, but fail to meet the precise mathematical definition of a fractal.1 An L-system is a formal language where all the rules are applied in parallel to provide a final â€Å"sentence† describing the object. In the L-system, each terminal symbol represents a part of the object or a directional command to be interpreted by a three-dimensional drawing mechanism (turtle graphics). A â€Å"sentence† for a tree would contain words describing each branch, its length, size, and branching angle, when it develops, and its connection in the tree. More complex L-systems, IL-systems, include context- sensitivity, word age information, and probabilistic rule evaluation, which allows each plant to be unique. Recent work in L-systems allows better developmental models, more advanced biologically based growth models, incorporation of more growth parameters, and environmental effects. VOLUMETRIC PROCEDURAL MODELS Another procedural modeling technique, volumetric procedural modeling (also called hypertextures, volume density functions, and fuzzy blobbies), uses algorithms to define and animate threedimensional volumetric objects and natural phenomena [Ebert et al. 1994]. These techniques have been used to model natural phenomena such as fire (Stam and Inakage), gases such as smoke, clouds, and fog (Ebert, Perlin, Sakas, Stam), and water (Ebert, Perlin). The volumetric procedures take as input a point location in space, a time parameter, and parameters that describe the object being modeled, and return the density and color of the object for that location in space. Complex volumetric phenomena can, therefore, be described with a few parameters. Perlin has successfully used this technique to create realistic rock arches, woven fabric, smoke, and fur [Ebert et al. 1994], basing his procedures on a statistical simulation of turbulence and random noise to give natural-looking complexity to the obje cts. Ebert et al. [1994] have used similar functions to model and animate steam, fog, smoke, clouds, and solid marble. These procedural techniques allow the use of simple simulations of natural complexity (noise, turbulence) to speed computation, but also allow the incorporation of physically based parameters, where appropriate and feasible. This flexibility is one of the many advantages of procedural techniques. IMPLICIT SURFACES While previously discussed techniques have been used primarily for modeling the complexities of nature, implicit surfaces [Wyvill et al. 1986; Wyvill and Gascuel 1995] (also called blobby molecules, metaballs, and soft objects) have mainly been used for modeling organic shapes, complex man-made shapes, and â€Å"soft† objects that are difficult to animate and describe using more traditional techniques. Implicit surfaces are a more concise representation than parametric surfaces and provide flexibility in modeling and animating soft objects. Im- 1Some authors consider L-systems to be deterministic fractals. 154 †¢ David S. Ebert ACM Computing Surveys, Vol. 28, No. 1, March 1996 plicit surfaces are iso-valued surfaces created from blending primitives (skeletal elements) represented by implicit equations of the form F(x, y, z) 5 0. Each primitive is a procedure that returns a functional value for the field defined by the implicit equation. A key feature of implicit surfaces is the procedural, smooth, often volume-preserving blending of primitives to form quite complex surfaces from simple primitives. Objects are defined as offsets (isosurfaces) from a series of blended skeletal elements (points, lines, polygons, spheres, ellipsoids, and so on). Modeling and animation of implicit surfaces is achieved by controlling the skeletal elements and blending functions, which provide complex models and animations from a few parameters (another example of data amplification). Recent work in implicit surfaces [Wyvill and Gascuel 995] has extended their use to character modeling and animation, human figure modeling, and representing rigid objects through the addition of CSG (constructive solid geometry) operators. PARTICLE SYSTEMS Particle systems differ from the previous four techniques in that their abstraction is in control of the animation and specification of the object. Particle systems do use a large database of geometric primitives to represent natural objects (â€Å"fuzzy objects†), but the animation, location, birth, and death of the particles representing the object are controlled algorithmically. Particle systems are most commonly used to represent natural phenomena such as fire, water, clouds, snow, rain, grass, and trees [Reeves and Blau 1985]. A particle- system object is represented by a large collection (cloud) of very simple geometric particles that change stochastically over time. The procedural aspect and main power of particle systems allow the specification and control of this extremely large cloud of geometric particles with very few parameters. Besides the geometric particles, a particle system has controllable stochastic particleanimation procedures that govern the creation, mov ement, and death of the particles. These animation procedures often include physically based forces to simulate effects such as gravity, vorticity, conservation of momentum, and energy. Particle systems pose special rendering problems because of the large number of primitives, but specialized rendering techniques, including probabilistic rendering algorithms, have been developed to render particle systems [Reeves and Blau 1985]. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Advanced modeling techniques will continue to play an important role in computer graphics. As computers become more powerful, the complexity that can be rendered will increase; however, the ability of humans to specify more geometric complexity (millions of primitives) will not. Therefore, procedural techniques, with their ability to amplify the user’s specification and control, are the only viable alternative. The ability of these techniques to specify and control incredibly realistic and detailed models with a small number of user-specified parameters will evolve. More work will be done to allow high-level control and specification of models in user-understandable terms, while more complex algorithms and improved physically based simulations will be incorporated into these procedures. Finally, automatic generation of the procedural models through artificial evolution techniques, similar to those of Sims [1994], will greatly enhance the capabilities and uses of these advanced modeling techniques.

Emily Dickinson and Adrienne Rich Essay -- Poetry Poets Dickinson Rich

Emily Dickinson and Adrienne Rich The modernist period, stretching from the late 19th century to approximately 1960, is a very distinct phase in the progression of American literature, employing the use of novel literary techniques which stray away from the traditional literary styles observed in the time preceding the period. Modernist writers explore new styles themes, and content in their compositions, encompassing issues ranging from race (Kate Chopin) to gender (H.D.) to sexuality (James Baldwin), as well as many others. The Modernist movement, however novel and unique, did not develop spontaneously. A few writers leading up to the movement exhibit obvious modernist views in their writing. These include male writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman, both of which had literature widely published through out their lives, influencing modernist writers to come. There is also, however, another writer who, though lesser known to the earliest modern composers, was one of the first female writers to show an obv ious propensity towards modernist ideals; Emily Dickinson. Though chronologically placed in the Romantic period, Emily Dickinson’s poetry, most published after her death beginning in 1890, exemplifies many modernist tendencies. Her stylistic oddities, such as her interesting diction, capitalization, rhythms, and use of the dash, as well as her feminist views, detach Dickinson from the other poets of her time. Once finally published posthumously, Dickinson’s writings came to influence modernist writers through out the 20th century. One writer in particular who â€Å"was immensely influenced by Dickinson’s poetry and sought to probe the extreme reaches of consciousness and truth just as Dickinson had† (Langdell, 84)... ...History.† The Emily Dickinson Journal 13.1 (2004). 19-50. Project Muse. 23 Mar. 2005 /v013/13.1ladin.html>. Langdell, Cheri Colby. Adrienne Rich: The Moment of Change. Westport: Praeger Publishers, 2004. Martin, Wendy. An American Typtych: Anne Bradstreet, Emily Dickinson, Adrienne Rich. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1984. Pollack, Vivian R., ed. A Historical Guide to Emily Dickinson. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Porter, David. Dickinson, the Modern Idiom. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981. Rich, Adrienne. What is Found There: Notebooks on Poetry and Politics. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. ---. â€Å"Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson (1975).† On Lies, Secrets, and Silence. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1979. Emily Dickinson and Adrienne Rich Essay -- Poetry Poets Dickinson Rich Emily Dickinson and Adrienne Rich The modernist period, stretching from the late 19th century to approximately 1960, is a very distinct phase in the progression of American literature, employing the use of novel literary techniques which stray away from the traditional literary styles observed in the time preceding the period. Modernist writers explore new styles themes, and content in their compositions, encompassing issues ranging from race (Kate Chopin) to gender (H.D.) to sexuality (James Baldwin), as well as many others. The Modernist movement, however novel and unique, did not develop spontaneously. A few writers leading up to the movement exhibit obvious modernist views in their writing. These include male writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman, both of which had literature widely published through out their lives, influencing modernist writers to come. There is also, however, another writer who, though lesser known to the earliest modern composers, was one of the first female writers to show an obv ious propensity towards modernist ideals; Emily Dickinson. Though chronologically placed in the Romantic period, Emily Dickinson’s poetry, most published after her death beginning in 1890, exemplifies many modernist tendencies. Her stylistic oddities, such as her interesting diction, capitalization, rhythms, and use of the dash, as well as her feminist views, detach Dickinson from the other poets of her time. Once finally published posthumously, Dickinson’s writings came to influence modernist writers through out the 20th century. One writer in particular who â€Å"was immensely influenced by Dickinson’s poetry and sought to probe the extreme reaches of consciousness and truth just as Dickinson had† (Langdell, 84)... ...History.† The Emily Dickinson Journal 13.1 (2004). 19-50. Project Muse. 23 Mar. 2005 /v013/13.1ladin.html>. Langdell, Cheri Colby. Adrienne Rich: The Moment of Change. Westport: Praeger Publishers, 2004. Martin, Wendy. An American Typtych: Anne Bradstreet, Emily Dickinson, Adrienne Rich. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1984. Pollack, Vivian R., ed. A Historical Guide to Emily Dickinson. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Porter, David. Dickinson, the Modern Idiom. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981. Rich, Adrienne. What is Found There: Notebooks on Poetry and Politics. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. ---. â€Å"Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson (1975).† On Lies, Secrets, and Silence. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1979.

Create A Society Essay -- essays research papers

Life On Planet Fuji My name is Christi. I was born February 17, 1999. And I know I have been separated from my immediate family and selected to begin a new society on planet Fuji. I, along with four other children, was chosen to develop our new society into something livable. Our goal is a peaceful cohesive environment. I realize the opportunity I have to continue humanity is greater than mourning any losses; however, I will never forget the life I left behind. I have already shed many emotional tears for the loss of my mother, father and siblings. The memories I have will no doubt guide me into the future. My directive, along with four others, is to develop a social system and incorporate all the colonists into this new society. I’ve met the other individuals as we were chosen to awaken first to plan and present our ideas to the colonists. We estimate several days to prepare a presentation and conduct a â€Å"town hall† type meeting. Our most critical task is to convince all that a democracy is the best option we have to survive. We all must feel included in what happens, else we stand the likelihood of a revolt. We have history to tell us where to go and what is right. We have been chronicled, by memory infusion, with all that has happened in societies past and know what we have to do to achieve an ideal society. Government The five of us have already convened to discuss our society and where to start first. It is our intent to begin hierarchically with government, the ruling body for our society. Do we define roles and duties and conduct elections to fill these positions? Or, do we ourselves fill them? We have chosen to take the first route and conduct elections to appoint a minimal governing body. In order to paint a picture of ideal candidates we’ve chosen examples from history of successful leaders and will compare them with not so successful ones. Here we hope to define the characteristics involved in developing a leader for our society. The presentation will be in a slide format and viewed by all colonists. In addition to this leader or government head, there will need to be a legislative body in order to carry out all bills voted on and passed into law. This legislative body will be responsible for policing those individuals who choose to disrupt the law and create strife. All criminals wi ll be dealt with immediately by the judicial body of governm... ...ily consisting of friends where â€Å"Family† will revolve around social gatherings. True family will not exist for quiet some time†¦until people marry and begin to have children. Family is the basis for modeling people into who they become in society. Our outreach program will conduct monthly meetings regarding family issues for those couples who plan to marry and build a family. In conclusion, our goal is for a peaceful and prosperous society. In order to foster prosperity there must be competition. As individuals learn their craft or trade their demands must be recognized for all of society to benefit. Banking for example will eventually consist of several financial institutions competing for its market share. This same competition will exist in all facets of commerce. For a peaceful society to exist we must enforce our laws and agree to abide by them. We must not forget from where we came. We must remember this is not a unique experience, in fact in some ways it is similar to how society in the U.S. evolved. The basis for this paper is largely taken from our current society. It seems we have evolved the best way we can. Why change something that has proven to be most effective?

Racial inequality in the period 1945-55 Essay

How accurate is it to say there was significant progress towards racial inequality in the period 1945-55? Racial inequality in the USA was an extensive and significant issue before, and controversially after this time period. What is crucial to say is that progress still needed to be made – this is despite the colossal step forward predominately in the legal frame work of federal government, but economic and social steps too, for example – voting rights in the southern states. Arguably though these so called steps forward both helped and hindered the fight for black equality. An example of this hinderance would be the rise in white opposition due to African American protests. One major problem in American society before 1945 was the lack of expression the black population had on American politics, and crucially if they could vote the amount of affect they could make.One effective section of American society that was positively changed by primarily Truman’s government was political appointments, and political change. Perhaps interestingly you could say, limitedly that political viewpoints and acceptance had been altered. On one section we look at political appointments. Under Truman’s government we see an attitude change to black people in politics. Before 1943 we have no African Americans in senior political and federal positions. However the change begins in this year when William Dawson and Adam Powell were elected to congress – successively in 1949 we see William Haist become a Federal Judge. This arguably indicates a crucial change in viewpoints, or at least a step forward to this. Activism due to the war also heightened in1945. This point is crucial as its direct consequences allowed direct action to influence political agenda. For instance the Morgan V. Virginia case in 1946, arguably wouldn’t have appeared before the war. Irene Morgan with the help of the NAACP targeted supreme court, consequently ruling the segregation in interstate busses was illegal. So here we have a pathway. Increased black activism, increased direct action and political judge appointments – alongside government change of tactic leads to the conclusion that significant progress with various court cases have vastly improved the racial equality, in 1945-55. In hindsight we see a consequence of CNO’s direct action campaign in Arkansas. In 1945 1.5% of black people could vote, however as a result of increased activism in 1947 17.3 voted. This was crucial as it shows the phenomenal change the war brought on activism and equality and more interestingly how the apparent change in political viewpoint changed how Black people were able to express themselves politically, arguably this suggests its highly accurate to say this time period was significant. Another example of how significant progress was made was how various economic impediments were overcome. Before 1945 Huge restrictions, even in the North were upon Black workers – however under Truman’s Government and the ‘Secure these rights’ agenda things were about the change. ‘Secure these rights’ was a committee set up by Truman to highlight inequality and changes to be made in America. There are several main examples that were helped by this scheme, arguably the most significant were the various proposals and departments set up in 1949 which were consequently proposed to congress. One main section would be the ‘Fair Deal’ program. This initiative aimed to tackle fundamental economic inequalities. Evidence suggests that segregation was accentuated by literal segregation of communities. Black people had a lower standard of living. Under Truman in 1949 we see a government initiative providing a higher minimum wage and a public housing scheme. Moreover, looking at a different section of economic impediments we see a huge unemployment difference between black and white people, a startling statistic is that 62% of low paid labour jobs were done by black people, only 28% white. This huge juxtaposition in jobs was yet again tackled by Truman and ‘Secure these rights’ In his 1949 speech (to an integrated crowd) he pledged to not fund organisations that discriminate on the grounds of race. This was extended from before 1945 as the CGCC scheme. This arguably was achieved through Truman’s fight in the cold war, but perhaps more significantly through the efforts of Black direct action. Evidence suggests that although segregation was still an issue, looking back years before this era – significant change had been made to fundamentally the perception of people and the legal framework. I think looking at economic initiatives we see a path being built that wasn’t thought of before 1945. In this I believe this era is fundamental for the successes of people like Martin Luther King and the NAACP in the decades to come. Social changes, mostly as a result of the factors above Eg. Secure these rights, also took place in this period. The fight for equality was most apparent in the South before 1945. We see all aspects of society from education to restaurants was segregated, but this was, at least attempted to be tackled in this era. Steps were being made, with the help of activism, courts and initiatives. With education we see Black children were being segregated in inferior schools and to many extents being treated as second class citizens. Fundamentally though this had wider consequents as this lack of quality education would put Black people for generations to come at a disadvantage – helping segregation in the economy. Here we have a historical pathway. As a result of the war – activism was increased and groups such as CORE and the NAACP emerged. This allowed lobbying of supreme court, and laws to be passed in their favour, eg. Sweatt V. painter case (1950). In the Brown v. Topeka case we see that Direct action unswervingly caused the supreme court to rule in 1954 that segregation of schools was illegal. More over reported incidences of lynchings were proportionally lower in the later stages of this period, despite a boom after the increased activism. However on the whole the change is significant as it altered attitudes of the plessy v. Ferguson case in 1896, that black people can be ‘separate but equal’ This new ruling completely goes against this and I believe this is the true change of this period, and in many respects a beginning to the end.The evidence suggests here that without a doubt this time, due to many different factors was crucially significant to the framework of equality that was needed to change older and newer generations viewpoints on African Americans. Arguably in this light, this period seems detrimentally effective. In stark contrast we look on the other side of the spectrum. We see numerous de jure laws being placed, and we see that framework being laid – but how significant is that progress? How effective were those laws? We are now underpinning how little de facto change actually took place, especially in the political realm. For example there was a change in law in particularly the southern states enabling Black people to vote. However Grandfather clauses’ (you had to be able to prove the previous two generations had voted) and unanswerable literacy test or clause (the ability to read) stopped Black people from voting. In 1947,17.3% of black people could vote in new orleans – but many were stopped because of sheer intimidation. More over in the North – where arguably politically barriers were not present, poverty of black voters often stopped them from voting. So although laws had been placed preventing it – the idea of white supremacy constantly found routes around this. So looking at the significance of the change, the evidence suggests they are relatively minor in the de facto change. Furthermore we look at Truman’s significance, on one hand we see he was the first president (After Lincoln) to express Black equality so highly in his manifesto. However more significantly many of the proposals by ‘Secure these rights’ never got passed. This is because of the overwhelming about of racists in congress – arguably more could have been done in this period, but political factors stopped this from happening. The examples made earlier was the creation of the ‘CGCC’ (Committee on Government contract compliance). At the time of creation, this seemed to have worked. However in hindsight we see that it was poorly conceived and could not force defence companies to implement fair employment. Here is a clear example of how on one side of the spectrum the CGCC seems to have made significant progress – however when you dive deeper we see that little change took place – suggesting that this time period was not as significant as first thought. Perhaps if more defined laws had been implemented and congress backed Truman this time period could have been more effective. Political factors were not the only topic to doubt this eras significance. Stemming from this economically and socially, despite great change Black people still faced great hardship. In the South, they faced lower wages and higher unemployment. In 1950 one-third of black Americans lived in the North due to migration. This just fuelled the lower standards of living in ghettos, concentrated in industrial cities. On one hand this could be a positive factor, in that unemployment was down. Significantly though – looking at segregation, black industrial workers were unlikely to get payed the same as their white counterparts. Furthermore although unemployment had fallen they were still more likely to be unemployed than white Americans. For example in New York City 6% of the white population was unemployed, adversely the figure was 10% for black men. On one hand, arguably opportunities had been changed and improved for black workers, but significant progress still needed to be made. For instance socially, schools were still segregated on the large part in southern states, similarly in other aspects of life such as state bus services and social areas. Crucially black people were still treated like second class citizens, in this period, in many aspects of life. This point had not changed from before 1945. Segregation, although in many cases illegal put black citizens at a disadvantage constantly – so they could never be in the same position as white people, suggesting significant progress still needed a lot of progress. Above all, looking in hindsight at this point it seems the position of black people had fundamentally not changed, therefore one could conclude that it is not accurate to say significant progress had been made. In conclusion it is clear a combination of factors help both sides of this argument. On one hand we see that although de jure change has been made, little had been done to follow up these policy proposals, and on the whole peoples social, economic and political position changed very little. This is despite the steps forward in public engagement (direct action) and political momentum (Truman’s government). CORE’s ‘Journey of Reconciliation’ in 1947 is a prime example of this. On one hand we see black and white citizens standing up for what is right, non segregated interstate busses. However the consequence of this direct action was arrested campaigners and little media attention. Perhaps the years 1955, and later were more significant in making de facto change, in that problems were finally beginning to be solved at grass root level. However in stark contrast we look at the other side of the spectrum, relatively significant progress had been made. For example if you look at the years before 1945, we see little or no change to the legal framework, other than the 14th and 15th amendments that considerably contributed to equality of African Americans, however in this period we see masses of physical change in all aspects of society. More over we see increased activism due to the war laid down the fundamental roots of direct action. For example one major fault of the Journey of reconciliation was the little time it was over, 2 weeks. However these newly founded groups (UDL, NAACP, CORE) in this period grounded themselves, and learnt – for example the Montgomery bus boycott was a success, with the help of a better organised NAACP. On the whole I believe that it is hard to ignore the progress made in this period. From 1945, with primarily the help from supreme court many aspects of several generations lives were improved – and this improvement is more that can be said for any other period of time. It is this comparison alongside compelling grass root policies of Truman’s government that leads to the argument that it is accurate to say there was significant progress made 1945-55.

Different situations

There are different situations in the workplace that creates different responses in the way we view things. These events give us various reactions that either can create a positive or negative impact in how our superiors perceive us. Seeing this, it may be a result of a responsive behavior at one point in time each where each of us experienced being unprofessional or exhibited an unlikely behavior. In the end, as we consider these things and ponder on its relative results, we decipher lessons and ideas that will make us better professionals in our respective fields.One thing that I had observed in our workplace is signs of relationships among the opposite sex. Though the department does not really prohibit romantic association between colleagues, it is highly discouraged. However, there are still couples who hide behind these parameters and try to sneak their affairs within office hours and boundaries. I remember seeing one scene at an early hour wherein two officemates were caught b y the camera being intimate with each other.The sad thing about this is that the two persons are well connected with upper management that is why they are not reprimanded that much. This came to my attention and bothered me because it should be given appropriate action such as memorandum or an amendment of rules so as not to create patronage among other people. I filed a personal complaint of what happened but management gave a shrug and said that they were doing this before office hours and therefore was not their scope or priority.Though there was no apparent effect in the overall workplace, it instilled into many workers that such actions can be deemed acceptable provided that you have enough connections in upper management. Seeing this, it is in here that the overall mission and rules have been compromised. It became a standard for those who are willing to follow it and can be bent if you know the right persons. This primary example can be a catalyst for future violations not on ly related to intimacy within the workplace but also on other areas such as attitudes and behaviors.This is why this issue should not have been handled this way. Upper management must realize that no one must be above the rules and standards. Though it is true that it was not yet office time that the incident happened; the act was still initiated in company property which makes the suspects liable. Moreover, their actions can be considered unprofessional in nature because the time and location where the act was initiated was not appropriate and fit to their given or assigned responsibilities. Due to this, it is only right for them to be given a memo or severe penalties for their actions.If this initiative were enacted, workers and co-employees can see that the company is committed towards the strict implementation of its rules and regulations. It will garner confidence among individuals that management is fair and transparent and does not hold favoritism between individuals. Likewis e, it can increase accountability among each one by creating an environment that makes them responsible with their decisions and foster cooperation and harmony.To conclude, blunders and mistakes normally occur within the workplace. Despite this, managers and management must take an active stand in promoting what is supposed to be done and ensure that all employees follow the necessary rules and regulations to maintain the level of professionalism and foster equality pursuant to the vision and mission of the company/ organization.