Monday, March 16, 2020

Academy Awards Trivia and Interesting Facts

Academy Awards Trivia and Interesting Facts Whether youre a classic movie buff or a blockbuster film fanatic, the yearly Academy Awards is likely to be a big deal for you and your friends. At your next Oscars party, test everyones knowledge with trivia questions on the award ceremonys history and fun, little-known facts. The Very First Oscar Winner The first person to receive an Academy Award did not even attend the first Academy Awards ceremony. Emil Jannings, the winner for Best Actor in the 1927-28 Academy Awards, had decided to go back to his home in Germany before the ceremony. But before he left for his trip, Jannings was handed the very first Academy Award. The Only Oscar to Win an Oscar Oscar Hammerstein II won the Oscar for his song, The Last Time I Saw Paris, in the movie Lady Be Good (1941). X-Rated Winner Midnight Cowboy (1969), the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, is the only X-rated movie to win an Oscar. Sibling Rivalry Ethel and Lionel Barrymore are the only brother and sister to ever win Academy Awards for acting. Lionel Barrymore won an Oscar for Best Actor in A Free Soul (1931). Ethel Barrymore won an Oscar for Best Actress in None But the Lonely Heart (1944). The First Color Movie to Win Best Picture Gone With the Wind (1939) was the first movie filmed in color to win the Best Picture award. Posthumous Nominations There have been a number of people nominated for Academy Awards after their death. However, the first person to be nominated posthumously and actually win was screenwriter Sidney Howard for Gone With the Wind (1939). James Dean, on the other hand, has been the only actor to be nominated twice after death; once for Best Actor in East of Eden (1955) and again the following year for Best Actor in Giant (1956). Winners Who Didnt Speak on Camera Three actors have won Academy Awards for playing characters that did not utter a single word throughout the entire film. Jane Wyman won the Best Actress award for her portrayal of Belinda, a deaf mute, in   Johnny Belinda (1948). Sir John Mills played the mute village idiot in Ryans Daughter (1970), for which he won the Best Supporting Actor award. Most recently, Holly Hunter won the Best Actress award for her portrayal of the mute Ada McGrath in The Piano (1993). The Most Frequent Hosts The list of hosts for the Academy Awards ceremony is dotted with prestigious names such as Will Rogers, Frank Capra, Jack Benny, Fred Astaire, Jack Lemmon and David Letterman. However, one man has dominated Academy Award history; Bob Hope hosted a whopping 18 Academy Award ceremonies. Billy Crystal, who has hosted the ceremonies 8 times, ranks second as the host with the most. Johnny Carson comes in third after hosting 5 Academy Award ceremonies. How the Oscar Name Came About The Oscar statuettes official name is the Academy Award of Merit. The name Oscar is actually a nickname that has been around for decades with unclear beginnings. Though there are several different stories that claim to tell the origin of the nickname Oscar, the most common attributes the nickname to a comment made by Margaret Herrick. Herrick, as the story goes, worked as a librarian at the Academy and upon first seeing the statuette, commented that the statuette looked like her Uncle Oscar. No matter how the nickname started, it became increasingly used to describe the statuette in the 1930s and was officially used by the Academy beginning in 1939. A Winner Who Was Never Nominated The only Academy Award winner who won but was never officially nominated was Hal Mohr for Best Cinematography for   A Midsummer Nights Dream (1935). Mohr was the first and only person to win via a write-in vote. When the Phrase And the winner is... Was Discontinued At the 61st Academy Awards, held in 1989, the Academy decided to replace the trademark phrase And the winner is... with the phrase And the Oscar goes to... Did you notice? The Streaker During the Academy Awards ceremony held on April 2, 1974, a man named Robert Opal ran across the stage naked, flashing the peace sign. David Niven had been on stage to introduce the Best Picture category when the streaker ran behind him. Thinking quickly on his feet, Niven remarked, The only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping ... and showing his shortcomings.† A 20-Year Delay in Award Eligibility In a strange turn of events,  Charlie Chaplins movie Limelight, which was produced in 1952, won an Academy Award in 1972- 20 years after its first release. According to the Academys rules at the time, a movie could not be considered for an Academy Award until it had played in Los Angeles. When Limelight finally played at a theater in Los Angeles in 1972, it became eligible for an award. Winners Who Refused the Awards Honor The Academy Awards are one of the highest honors one can receive in the movie business. Yet, 3 people have refused the honor. The very first person to refuse an Oscar was Dudley Nichols. Nichols, who had won Best Screenplay for  The Informer  (1935), boycotted the Academy Awards ceremony because of ongoing conflicts between the Academy and the Writers Guild. For his dramatic portrayal of the World War II general in  Patton  (1970), George C. Scott won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Scott refused the honor, stating that the awards ceremony was a  two-hour meat parade. Marlon Brando also refused his award for Best Actor for  The Godfather  (1972). Brando, who said he refused the award because of the discrimination toward Native Americans by the U.S. and Hollywood, sent a woman supposedly named, Sacheen Littlefeather, to collect his award. It turned out later that the woman was really an actress named, Maria Cruz. The Oscar Statuette The Oscar statuette stands at 13 1/2 inches tall and weighs 8 1/2 pounds. It depicts a knight, holding a sword, standing on a reel of film which has five spokes, representing the 5 original branches of the Academyactors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers. In 1949, the Academy started to number the statuettes, starting with number 501. Award Ceremony Postponements Contrary to the old adage, the show must go on, the Academy Awards ceremonies have been postponed 3 times. In 1938, the ceremony was delayed a week because of flooding in Los Angeles. In 1968, the Academy Awards ceremony was pushed back 2 days because of  Martin Luther King Jr.s  funeral. The Academy Awards ceremony was pushed back a single day in 1981 because of the  assassination attempt  on President  Ronald Reagan. The First Televised Academy Awards On March 19, 1953, the Academy Awards ceremony was telecast for the first time across the United States and Canada. Then 13 years later on April 18, 1966, the Academy Awards were broadcast in color for the first time. Both of these ceremonies were hosted by Bob Hope. Plaster Oscars Rather than the usual metal Oscar statuettes, the Academy Awards handed out plaster Oscars during World War II in support of the war effort. After the war, the plaster Oscars could be traded in for traditional metal ones. 11 Nominations, 0 Wins In Oscar history, 2 films  tied  for the record of the most nominations without a single win. Both  The Turning Point  (1977) and  The Color Purple  (1985) received 11 Oscar  nominations but won not a single Academy Award. Sisterly Competition Twice in Academy Awards history, 2 sisters have been nominated for the same category during the same year. For the 1941 Academy Awards, sisters Joan Fontaine (Suspicion) and  Olivia de Havilland  (Hold Back the Dawn) were both nominated for the Best Actress award. Joan Fontaine won the Oscar. Jealousy between the two sisters continued to escalate after this and the 2 have been estranged for decades.   At the 1966 Academy Awards, a similar thing happened. Sisters Lynn Redgrave (Georgy Girl) and Vanessa Redgrave (Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment) were both nominated for the Best Actress award. However, this time, neither of the sisters won.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Buddhism Essays (1386 words) - Yogacara, Buddhist Practices

Buddhism Buddhism, one of the major religions of the world, was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India from 560 to 480 B.C. The time of the Buddha was one of social and religious change, marked by the further advance of Aryan civilization into the Ganges Plain, the development of trade and cities, the breakdown of old tribal structures, and the rise of a whole spectrum of new religious movements that responded to the demands of the times (Conze 10). These movements were derived from the Brahmanic tradition of Hinduism but were also reactions against it. Of the new sects, Buddhism was the most successful and eventually spread throughout India and most of Asia. Today it is common to divide Buddhism into two main branches. The Theravada, or "Way of the Elders," is the more conservative of the two; it is dominant in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand (Berry 23). The Mahayana, or "Great Vehicle," is more diverse and liberal; it is found mainly in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and among Tibetan peoples, where it is distinguished by its emphasis on the Buddhist Tantras (Berry 24). In recent times both branches, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, have gained followers in the West. It is virtually impossible to tell what the Buddhist population of the world is today; statistics are difficult to obtain because persons might have Buddhist beliefs and engage in Buddhist rites while maintaining folk or other religions such as Shinto, Confucian, Taoist, and Hindu (Corless 41). Such persons might or might not call themselves or be counted as Buddhists. Nevertheless, the number of Buddhists worldwide is frequently estimated at more than 300 million (Berry 32). Just what the original teaching of the Buddha was is a matter of some debate. Nonetheless, it may be said to have centered on certain basic doctrines. The first of the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha held, is suffering, or duhkha. By this, he meant not only that human existence is occasionally painful but that all beings; humans, animals, ghosts, hell- beings, even the gods in the heavens; are caught up in samsara, a cycle of rebirth, a maze of suffering in which their actions, or karma, keep them wandering (Coomaraswamy 53). Samsara and karma are not doctrines specific to Buddhism. The Buddha, however, specified that samsara is characterized by three marks: suffering, impermanence, and no- self, or anatman. Individuals not only suffer in a constantly changing world, but what appears to be the self, the soul, has no independent reality apart from its many separable elements (Davids 17). The second Noble Truth is that suffering itself has a cause. At the simplest level, this may be said to be desire; but the theory was fully worked out in the complex doctrine of "dependent origination," or pratityasamutpada, which explains the interrelationship of all reality in terms of an unbroken chain of causation (Conze 48). The third Noble Truth, however, is that this chain can be broken, that suffering can cease. The Buddhists called this end of suffering nirvana and conceived of it as a cessation of rebirth, an escape from samsara. Finally, the fourth Noble Truth is that a way exists through which this cessation can be brought about: the practice of the noble Eightfold Path. This combines ethical and disciplinary practices, training in concentration and meditation, and the development of enlightened wisdom, all thought to be necessary. For the monks, the notion of offering extends also to the giving of the dharma in the form of sermons, to the chanting of scriptures in rituals (which may also be thought of as magically protective and salutary), and to the recitation of sutras for the dead (Corless 57). All of these acts of offering are intimately involved in the concept of merit-making. By performing them, individuals, through the working of karma, can seek to assure themselves rebirth in one of the heavens or a better station in life, from which they may be able to attain the goal of enlightenment. Zen Buddhism Zen or Chan Buddhism represents a movement within the Buddhist religion that stresses the practice of meditation as the means to enlightenment. Zen and Chan are, respectively, Japanese and Chinese attempts to render the Sanskrit word for meditation, dhyana (Coomaraswamy 94). Zen's roots may be traced to India, but it was in East Asia that the movement became distinct and flourished. Like other Chinese Buddhist sects, Chan first established itself as a lineage of masters emphasizing the teachings of a particular text, in this

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Elon Musk an entrepreneur of the 21th century Essay

Elon Musk an entrepreneur of the 21th century - Essay Example Joseph Schumpeter associated entrepreneurship with the creation of five ‘new combinations’. These new combination were new product introduction, introduction of a new production method, to capture new supply source and to organize the industry in a novel manner. The four factors of production are labour, land, capital and organisation. The other factors are coordinated by the factor organisation. Entrepreneurship is the driving force behind the organisation. Entrepreneurs should have thorough knowledge of the industry and should be natural leaders. They should have foresight and risk taking ability (Robertson, n.d.). The entrepreneur of the 21st century will achieve success through his reach of the global markets. The entrepreneur of this century does not only bring about innovation in the market but also explores new methods of surviving in the dynamic market. An entrepreneur often has to face several obstacles in his approach towards innovation. The investors in his business may not be able to understand his vision. They may not be in favour of the innovation and may not be willing to take the risk. The 21st century is facing rapid changes in technology and entrepreneurs are taking the benefit of these changes to increase productivity. They are using their resources in innovative ways to increase their profitability. The entrepreneurs of today are all set to compete on a global scale through their mergers and acquisitions. The entrepreneurs of this century are poised to take the global challenges in their stride (Robertson, n.d.). All people do not become entrepreneurs. The main characteristic that makes a person a successful entrepreneur is innovative mindset and leadership skills. He should not be risk averse. He should be able to organise and coordinate. He should be alert to identify the opportunities in the market. They should be ‘gap fillers’ which means that they should be able to identify which products the

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Data, information, and Organizational knowledge Essay - 3

Data, information, and Organizational knowledge - Essay Example ers’ orders are met on time and for a transaction to be complete it must pass all stages of the transaction process that is collection, storage, modification and retrieval. The second type of IS is decision support system which are generally computer based systems and subsystems intended to help decision makers use communications technologies, data, documents, knowledge and/or models to complete decision process tasks. . In most situation, it may be aimed at business executives or knowledge worker. The third type of IS is EIS (Executive Information System) that facilitates and supports overall management of an organization information and decision-making needs. This system specifically targets the needs of the upper management, and helps to provide useful information to the management in order to help facilitate decision making. It involves the computers, network, people and procedures. The forth type of information system is OAS (Office Automation system) refers to a type of system that facilitate information exchange between people in an organisation. A variety of office automation systems are now applied to business and communication functions that used to be performed manually or in multiple locations of a company, such as preparing written communications and strategic planning. The main benefit is that the more freely the information flows the more its productivity. The final type of information system is ES (expert systems) is a computer based decision tool that uses procedures that exhibits, within a specific domain to solve difficult decision making problems, based on the knowledge acquired from the expert. Instant messaging software like what’s up and 2go are good example of information systems. They lie under database information systems and categorized under communication driven DSS.DSS that are communication driven have primary purpose to help conduct a meeting or for users to collaborate. The internet messaging software allows a group of people

Friday, January 24, 2020

Business Ethics :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Donaldson’s Values in Tension: Ethics Away From Home, he describes a policy that was standard at home, but unsuccessful elsewhere. In one example, the manager of a U.S. company in China caught one of the employees stealing. By following the company’s practice and turning the employee over to the authorities, which was the right thing to do according to our values. The employee was executed because he was judged based on China’s political, legal, and ethical codes, while to us (Americans) the punishment did not fit the crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While many cultures believe in some variation of â€Å"The Golden Rule†, there really is no detailed international standard of business conduct. U.S. firms should, at the very least establish company policies that take into consideration the principles of different cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is clearly a balancing act to develop policies that define the ethics of the corporation, while understanding that codes of conduct vary greatly around the world. Firms like Levi Strauss and Motorola, not only define their policies, they understand that their managers must be able to adapt to a great deal of moral uncertainty in international assignments. Many business practices are neither black nor white but exist in a gray zone, a moral free space through which businesses and their managers must find away to deal with. Levi Strauss and Motorola seemed to have helped managers by treating company values as absolute and insisting that their suppliers and customers do the same. How this was addressed by these companies, was the development of detailed codes of conduct that provides clear direction on ethical behavior, but leaves room for managers of these companies to use moral imagination that allows them to resolve ethical problems appropriately.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Donaldson argues that companies must be guided by three principles in the shaping of ethical behavior: respect for core human value, respect for local traditions, and the belief that context matters when deciding what is right and wrong. These principles help in establishing a moral guide for business practice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  James Rachel’s The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, argues that different cultures have different moral codes. He is obviously taking the opposite approach to Donaldson’s absolute approach, that of a relativist approach. The relativist concludes that there is no objective â€Å"truth† in morality, therefore right and wrong are merely matters of opinion that can vary from culture to culture. The problem with this argument is that the stated con- clusion does not necessarily need to be the case if the premise is given.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Five Accounting Unethical Issues Essay

Unethical Methods are performed to manipulate the financial records of a bussiness firm. And following are the few methods: Legal : Misuse of law in case of compensation Statistics : Exaggerating revenue and profits to mislead/confuse Tax : Avoiding to pay actual tax Transperency : Trying to counterfeit/falsifying in case of investigation Exploitation : Misuing funds These issues arises due to competition between the bussiness firms to raise their numbers. Greed to have more money and violate the law. Opportunity makes thiefs when offered the bribery. Individuals who work for a giant corporate company, fails to think out of the box when considering rest of the world. Performing unethical behaviour and claimimg it as ignorance, which is not true. Transparent code of ethic which should be professinally implemented in the firm, and as well as among the employees. Maintaining healthy competition betwwen the firms. Publishing actual financial data. Responsible to pay tax. Awarding the apraisal and rewards for ethical behaviour. Legally there should be strict laws for unethical behaviour. Kimmel, P.D., Weygandt, J.J. & Kieso, D.E(4 Ed) Financial accounting: Tools for business decision making Rajeev, L.L. (2012). Ethical and Unethical Business Practices. Article of Buzzle, Business Ethics. Retrived from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/ethical-and-unethical-business-practices.html Oseni, Abubakar Idris. (2012). Research Journal of Finance and Accounting ISSN 2222-2847 (Online) Vol 2. Retrived from http://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/RJFA/article/view/188