Marshall Mcluhan Essays - Marshall McLuhan, Media Studies

Marshall Mcluhan Author and social theorist Tom Wolfe once commented on Canadian professor Marshal McLuhans mantra, the medium is the message saying: The new technologiesradically alter the entire way people use their five senses, the way they react to things, and therefore, their entire lives and the entire society. It doesnt matter what the content of a medium like t.v. is 20 hours a day of sadistic cowboys caving in peoples teeth or Pablo Casals droning away on his cello. How is it that violence and the arts are effective in the same manner? Wouldnt the content be the most important factor in analyzing a television program? To understand Marshall McLuhans theories the reader must not be concerned with the symbolic content of what is being said or the cosmetic interpretation of the actual show but rather, look deeper into the whole infrastructure of the medium itself. McLuhan was prone to thinking up clever analogies and plays on words; and describing the content of a medium was no different. He described it as the juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind. We are the content of our media because the way we live life is largely a function of the way we process information. That information is presented and made available by way of a certain medium. In turn, each medium delivers a new message and a new form of human being, whose qualities are suited to it. The same words spoken face to face, printed on paper, or presented on television provide three different messages simply because of the different senses used to perceive it. McLuhan thought primary channels of communication change the way we look at the world around us. The dominant medium of any age governs people and reconnects modes of relationships with the world based on which sensory motor apparatus is being activated. Dominant epochs spring from the phonetic alphabet, printing press, and the telegraph, which were turning points in society because they changed the way people thought about themselves. To understand how and why people are affected by television, one must first become familiar with McLuhans idea of the electronic age. With the advent of television, the power of the printed word is decreased significantly. Books become made-for-t.v. movies and newspapers come alive with twenty-four hour a day headlines. Marshall McLuhan noted this increase in sound and touch and declared that instant communication was a return to prealphabetic oral tradition. The television connected people in a way that created an all at once world where closed human systems are rare. Suddenly everyone could share the same experience of watching images on t.v. at the same time with the same effects. To McLuhan, this meant returning to a single global village where the electronic media re-tribalize the human race. The whole world is becoming like the small town beauty shop where rumors and gossip include foreign ministers and movie stars. We all become busy bodies tracking everyone elses business. As we live, we search for meaning and the process of watching television is no different. However, it is the procedure used to compute this meaning that differs. Watching television has often been seen as a routine, unproblematic, passive process: the meanings of the programs are seen as given and obvious; the viewer is seen as passively receptive and mindless. (Livingstone p.3) This would mean that the television audience does not have to do anything but stare without thinking, and that the pictures we see do not leave any space for interpretation. However, we are a generation that has grown up learning to read television and interpret the conventions of television in order to put a meaning to the images shown. This creates the notion of reading television as natural. Marshal McLuhan also noted this active participation and in turn, labeled the television as a cool medium. A Cool medium is a low-definition display that draws a person in, requiring high participation to fill in the blanks. Although we do not realize all of the many processes required to view a television program, the watcher is in fact highly involved because of the low resolution monitor, mosaic screen, and thusly, greater mental participation. The mosaic of colored dots

Ethnographic Paper

Ethnographic Paper Ethnographic Paper Shelley Hubbard Sociology 101 January 10, 2012 Ethnographic Paper My parents Ed and Myrla Hubbard were married at a young age and quickly started a family. Whether by surprise or planned they had eight children; (two that did not survive) in a fairly short timeframe. There are four boys and two girls and I am the youngest in the family. Both of my parents dropped out of high school and worked at â€Å"dead end† jobs in order to provide for the family. Out of all the children I am the only child that was born in Seattle. I was one of the last babies to be born at Harborview Medical Center. My parents separated shortly after I was born. My father relocated to Oregon while my mother remained in Seattle with all six of their children. My mother was the sole provider from that day forward as my father did not help raise us in any way shape or form. My mother had succeeded at getting her GED and at the time was one of very few women in the state of Washington who were certified at welding. My mother continued taking random college courses through out her life. My mother was proud of all her children although she wouldn’t express this to us as often as she did all her friends. She encouraged all of her children and grandchildren to do well in school in her own way as she would randomly state â€Å"it only helps you, and you’re worth it.† My education has had its trials and tribulations for the very start; to say the least. I was raised in low income housing and dreaded going to school as I didn’t have what the other students did and I was heavier than I should have been so I got teased for those issues and other things as well. I can also remember from an early age that I was often tested for special education classes. This would make my mother very upset as I never qualified and often passed with flying colors. It is so clear in my memory how at such a young age, I thought that if everyone thought I was dumb, than why should I try at all. I passed Middle School; only with the help of going to summer school; in which I did very well when push came to shove. While in high school I was told by a few school counselors and teachers that I was lazy and would not amount to anything in my life time; so again it was like why bother trying what they say must be true. I begged my mother to let me drop out or go to an alternative high school and she would say â€Å"I don’t care if you’re your eighty when you graduate you will walk and get your diploma† When I finally figured out she wasn’t playing, I was ending my Junior and was about one in a half years behind in credits; basically I only had the credits of a sophomore. I met with the senior advisor who stated â€Å"I would never graduate on time and that I would be on the â€Å"six year plan† and that I should just give up and move on to my career path as a fast food worker†; this fueled my fire to prove them all wrong. After weighing my options as to how to earn credits and achieve my goal of graduating on time I enrolled in Beauty School that I attended two nights a week, Saturday afternoons, and all vacation breaks from high school, I took traffic safety every Saturday and was a teachers assistant before and after school daily; I did all of these things all while taking all my required credits in h igh school. Needless to say I had no life outside of school with no body to blame but myself. I surprised many people including myself when I not only graduated on time but, I also landed on the honor role as well. I may have been finished with High school but, I was still obligated to finish Beauty school. I completed the 1600 hours that was required so; the next step was taking my state boards. I applied for a testing date and studied like crazy. It took over one month to get the results that I had failed, in my head I was like what’s new? I however had learned that I could do it; I just had to buckle down. I again applied for a testing date and again about four weeks later received the

Theme and narrative elements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theme and narrative elements - Essay Example As both are sitting in a bar at a train station, it becomes clear they are waiting for a train to come. The train is heading to Madrid where the woman will have an operation she dreads. At the end, it is unclear whether Jig has made up her mind to kill the fetus or not. Yet, it is obvious that the relationship between the two has grown very distant. As the story opens, one is immediately introduced to the story’s setting which helps to grasp the theme of the story. To illustrate, â€Å"The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was a warm shadow of the building, and a curtain made strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bars, to keep out flies. The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went to Madrid.† (Hemingway, p. 211) This paragraph tells us that the man and his partner are in a place where it is â€Å"very hot†, a place without trees and even without any shade. Even the flies must be kept out of the room. The described setting evokes feelings of decay and a meaning of bareness. If to combine these images with the conversation that follows, one may successfully find some clues as to the relationship between the man and the woman.... There is no hope for this relationship to flourish, it is doomed to decay and decomposition. Even if the woman eventually agrees to make an abortion, their relationship will hardly be the same as it was before the problem arose. Bearing in mind the overall theme of the story, one may find a symbol here as well, which may be interpreted as a possible story ending. Namely, barren hills may symbolize the fate of a bay that will never be born. No life, no children’s laughter, no flourishing. In terms of the story’s symbolism, one more profound symbol should be mentioned. This is the symbolical meaning of the hills and â€Å"the big white elephant†. Hills may symbolize the breasts of a woman who is pregnant. They are swollen and thus remind hills. At the same time, the big white elephant may be a symbol of an abdomen inside of which there is a fetus. In Buddhism, a white elephant came to Buddha’s mother in her dream and gave her a lotus flower that actually sym bolized her pregnancy (Weeks, 1980, p.75). Having provided the examples of symbolism and setting in this story, let us explain how they affect the narrative theme. First of all, these symbols help to predict the story’s major implications. The woman is pregnant – this is conveyed with the help of hills-and-elephant symbol. Next, the relationship is decomposing – this can be inferred from the barren setting. The child will probably be killed in the womb – this can be inferred again from the unpromising setting in the opening paragraph. All in all, symbolism and setting have played the key role in interpreting the story’s meanings. References 1. Hemigway, E. (1998) The complete short stories of Ernest Hemingway.

Fashion Merchandising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fashion Merchandising - Essay Example The paper "Fashion Merchandising" analyzes The Ethics of Counterfeiting in the Fashion Industry. According to (Hilton, Chong Ju and Chen 345-354), the ethical issues of counterfeiting in fashion merchandizing are rooted among the fashion industry itself. This global issue can be analyzed by the statistical analysis which shows that the counterfeit market is worth $350 billion (Turner). This problem is comparatively increased in Western countries because of the non-involvement of legal system in designing sector of fashion. According to Skov, counterfeit is also a legal and economic issue which results into â€Å"misleading the consumer into believing that the goods that are presented are the real thing. Counterfeiting is done on the basis of â€Å"credence goods† which are defined as: â€Å"Goods whose quality is difï ¬ cult to assess before or after purchase and use. According to (Turner), â€Å"Credence goods are what are most copied because their value can only be dete rmined by the credence or faith given to them by others, therefore they are easily exploitable. These items are usually of medium quality that has a high-perceived value, which can be easily copied. In order to elaborate the importance of credence in fashion industry, let’s consider the nature of fashion world. According to (Hilton, Chong Ju and Chen 345-354), â€Å"credibility† is the main entity which lay the basis of fashion industry. This credibility is gained through buyer and manufacturer. This credibility is majorly gained through fashion â€Å"indicators†.

Aqua Fish Canada Inc Essay Example for Free

Aqua Fish Canada Inc Essay May 2007 to April 2009 Update Over the past two years, AFC has faced more intense competition, particularly from aquaculturists in Chile. In addition, Chilean output has increased the supply of salmon and the Canadian dollar has strengthened in relation to the U. S. dollar. As a result, AFC has been unable to meet its budgeted revenue targets. Stocks of unsold harvestable fish have increased, as well as the corresponding cost of maintaining the fish, and the company barely made a profit in fiscal 2009. In January 2009, AFC lost one of its largest retail customers, SF Seafood, to a new salmon aquaculture firm, Nu-Farm Inc. This new competitor uses a sophisticated, computerized system for supply chain and product distribution functions. The system allows Nu-Farm to establish web links with customers, such as SF Seafood, and to manage orders and deliveries directly for each of the customer’s retail outlets. This has eliminated the need for customers to make separate arrangements to receive and warehouse fresh fish, and to ultimately distribute the fish to their retail locations. In February 2009, 2,000 kilograms of fish from Site 4 were rejected by three important customers, two of which are located in the United States. An internal investigation revealed that two employees at Site 4 had neglected to follow established procedures and failed to reject some fish that did not meet quality standards and were not certified by the staff veterinarian. In April 2009, employees neglected to secure some of the net-pens at Site 3. During a storm, more than 300,000 kilograms of young fish escaped from these net-pens and most were subsequently lost to predators. Although the company’s property and liability insurance covers criminal theft of fish, it does not cover the loss of fish from disease, parasites, escape, or predators. In addition, there is no liability coverage with respect to food poisoning or diseases caused by the salmon, or environmental damage caused by the farm’s operations. The lost salmon had a book inventory value of $690,000, which was written off in fiscal 2009. The ultimate sales value of the lost fish had they grown to harvestable weight is approximately $1. 5 million. It will cost $200,000 to repair the damaged pens. Domestic and Export Markets Guy Mills is dissatisfied with the company’s geographic sales distribution, which has not changed since 2006, and would like to increase overseas sales. He has requested Juliette Maise to investigate the possibility of opening an overseas sales office. Experts predict that demand for all forms of salmon will grow at a record pace in overseas markets, particularly in developing countries. It is expected that Canada’s international reputation for salmon and other fish will remain high. A market analysis by a respected source, published in May 2009, indicates that the market for fresh salmon is maturing very rapidly in Canada and the U. S. , as consumer tastes become more sophisticated and demand begins to shift to shellfish and various exotic, imported fish. New packaging methods have been developed for mussels, which has enabled live fresh mussels to be exported to markets at greater distances from the farms. The wholesale market price for Canadian mussels has remained stable at about $1. 40 per kg, but is expected to increase to $1. 0 over the next few years. In the past few years, global supplies of American oysters have decreased after hurricanes destroyed a significant percentage of the oyster farms in the southern U. S. At the same time, the popularity of these oysters by consumers in North America and Europe has been increasing. As a result, the market price for American oysters farmed in Canada significantly increased from $1. 80 per kg in 2006 to $2. 70 per kg in 2009. The re-established farms in the southern U. S. are expected to have their first new harvests in another year or two. New Strategic Goals The board of directors met in May 2009 after receiving the financial statements for 2009. Guy Mills provided the board with a summary of selected site and segment data (see Appendix 1), and reported that the decreased profits in 2009 were caused by the Site 3 problems, the decrease in market value, the strengthening Canadian dollar versus the U. S. dollar, and the increased feed costs. He also indicated that he expected the four sites to yield an average of 3. 8 million kilograms (950,000 kilograms per site) of harvested fish per year, assuming that no further unusual losses were incurred. Given the current market conditions and the risk of having to decrease prices or lose export sales to the U. S. , the board decided that the company should move into other markets and diversify into shellfish farming. No dividends would be paid for the next year or two to free up some cash to invest in new projects. The board directed Mills to investigate establishing shellfish aquaculture sites and develop a business strategy for increasing the profitability of the current salmon operations. They indicated that any proposed investment should generate a minimum after-tax return of 10% within five years. Shellfish Aquaculture Opportunity Mills explored opportunities for diversifying into shellfish aquaculture. He found two potential opportunities (a mussel farm and an oyster farm) and wondered which one should be pursued or whether both should be pursued. A summary of the costs and yields for establishing these farms is provided in Appendix 2. Project Blue Wave Over the past two years, Dr. Lily Stern has been investigating what makes some salmon in an aquaculture environment grow more quickly than others, have better disease resistance, and develop higher-quality flesh. Her studies have led her to submit a proposal for Project Blue Wave (see Appendix 3), which would use leading-edge genetic engineering to develop a strain of Atlantic salmon with superior qualities specifically suited to aquaculture. Dr. Stern insists that this is a new approach to finfish aquaculture and feels that it would revolutionize the industry. Executive Meeting – June 15, 2008 Mills suggested that AFC could increase revenues by pursuing overseas markets more aggressively. He also indicated that the company should find ways to decrease operating costs. He presented the two options for expanding into shellfish aquaculture and Dr. Stern’s Project Blue Wave proposal for discussion and asked for any new ideas to achieve the board’s goals. Mills also reported that residents in the vicinity of Site 3 were investigating the possibility of launching a lawsuit against AFC if they could gather enough evidence to prove that the escaped fish were causing environmental damage and contaminating the wild fish. In the past, similar lawsuits have had a 10% success rate with damages amounting to $10 million. Vanic questioned the wisdom of establishing a mussel farm in PEI. He indicated that many such farms become infested with an invasive parasite that attaches itself to the growing mussels. The parasites do not have a significant impact on the growth period or meat yields of mussels; however, maintenance, harvest and distribution costs are significantly increased (20% more variable production, 10% more fixed production, and 14% more variable distribution costs). Employees also dislike handling mussels infested with the parasite. Egin indicated that only about 25% of mussel farms get infected with the parasite. He was more interested in the Project Blue Wave proposal and suggested that it had a very good chance of realizing greater than market returns. He indicated that the RD department had been conducting some preliminary research on genetic engineering and the scientists believe they are on the brink of delivering results, if supported with a little more investment. Jacques Dubois wondered whether the chances of successfully developing a fastergrowing salmon were much lower than Egin or Dr.  Stern realized and that a much larger aquaculture organization, or the government, would be doing this research if it were a project worth pursuing. He felt that too much money had already been spent on RD and not enough on operational efficiencies, supply chain management, and technologies. Dubois also wondered whether AFC should consider adopting IFRSs for financial reporting and, if so, what the major implications of the conversion would be. After the meeting, Mills directed Adam Rice, Controller, to review the company’s strategic options and operational issues. Other Information Rice began by interviewing various staff members, and made the following notes: 1. The variability of the fishing industry has made banks very cautious. Consequently, the Eastern Bank of Canada would be willing to provide a loan of no more than $3 million at an annual interest rate of 8%, on the condition that AFC maintain a gross profit margin of at least 20%. 2. Maise has determined that Paris, France would be an ideal location for an overseas sales office. Space could be leased for CDN$5,000 per month and a local salesperson could be hired for an annual base salary of CDN$20,000 plus a four percent sales commission. Maise estimates that this office could generate annual sales of up to 500,000 kilograms of fresh whole salmon. She also indicated that there is a strong market for oysters in France, if they could be transported in an economical manner. 3. Rob Vanic predicts that world fuel prices will continue to increase and that the risk of spoilage of fresh seafood shipped overseas will double. In fiscal 2009, two percent of overseas shipments of salmon were lost or spoiled before reaching the customers. 4. An investigation of the variable cost variances at Sites 3 and 4 revealed that the employees were overfeeding the fish, resulting in an excess amount of feed falling to the ocean floor. At Sites 1 and 2, the employees are well trained and experienced. 5. In June 2009, an important, high-potential overseas customer asked an AFC salesperson to ship crates of fish purchased for US$6,000 with documentation that stated the value as US$2,000. Apparently, this request was for customs purposes. The salesperson consulted Maise, who indicated that the company’s policy to please the customer applied in this and all other cases. The salesperson brought the matter to Rice’s attention. 6. Costs of preliminary research on genetic engineering have been expensed in the year incurred. 7. Genetic engineering is a common practice in the agriculture and livestock industries. Proponents of organic and natural foods have increasingly complained about the ethical issues surrounding genetic tampering. 8. A discount rate of 10% after taxes is used for evaluating capital investments.

Scientific Materalism v. Crime and Punishment Essay examples -- Litera

Author of Crime and Punishment, Feodor Dostoevsky, uses the text to subtly exhibit factors which aid in disproving the idea of scientific materialism. He aims to prove that there must be another explanation for our complexities, unlike the opposing one in which everything is believed to be made or conducted by matter. Regardless of extensive scientific experimentation, there are still many aspects of the human mind and body that remain unclear. Crime and Punishment relays some extreme qualities possessed by humans which are argued by many to be valid proof of our creation by a higher power. The fact that humans are emotional beings and that emotions are not classified as matter creates the opportunity for philosophical debate. Dostoevsky feeds on this uncertainty and assists in the argument of refuting scientific materialism by providing examples of human emotions such as shame, pity, compassion, love, and guilt. He also attempts to refute scientific materialism by suggesting the existence of a human conscience, free will, self sacrifice, and pure evil. Crime and Punishment revolves around main character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, and the physical, mental, and spiritual repercussions he endures after he commits murder. In other words, â€Å"the whole novel is built around the unique process of disintegration in the hero's soul† (Bem 2). When we first meet Raskolnikov, we learn he is a relatively young ex-student who has fallen into the poverty stricken slums of St. Petersburg, Russia. He has become unhealthily anti-social and bitter towards humanity and is now trapped within and tortured by his own thoughts. It is revealed that he is struggling internally with the idea of murdering a pawnbroker, Alena Ivanovna, with... ...ter. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. "Crime and Punishment." Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russel Whitaker. Vol. 167. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. Dostoevsky, Feodor. Crime and Punishment. Ed. George Gibian. Trans. Coulson. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1989. Print. Leatherbarrow, William J. "Chapter 4: The Principle of Uncertainty: Crime and Punishment." Fedor Dostoevsky. William J. Leatherbarrow. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1981. Twayne's World Authors Series 636. The Twayne Authors Series. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. Santangelo, Gennaro. "The Five Motives of Raskolnikov." Dalhousie Review 54.4 (Winter 1974): 710-719. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russel Whitaker. Vol. 167. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. Scientific Materalism v. Crime and Punishment Essay examples -- Litera Author of Crime and Punishment, Feodor Dostoevsky, uses the text to subtly exhibit factors which aid in disproving the idea of scientific materialism. He aims to prove that there must be another explanation for our complexities, unlike the opposing one in which everything is believed to be made or conducted by matter. Regardless of extensive scientific experimentation, there are still many aspects of the human mind and body that remain unclear. Crime and Punishment relays some extreme qualities possessed by humans which are argued by many to be valid proof of our creation by a higher power. The fact that humans are emotional beings and that emotions are not classified as matter creates the opportunity for philosophical debate. Dostoevsky feeds on this uncertainty and assists in the argument of refuting scientific materialism by providing examples of human emotions such as shame, pity, compassion, love, and guilt. He also attempts to refute scientific materialism by suggesting the existence of a human conscience, free will, self sacrifice, and pure evil. Crime and Punishment revolves around main character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, and the physical, mental, and spiritual repercussions he endures after he commits murder. In other words, â€Å"the whole novel is built around the unique process of disintegration in the hero's soul† (Bem 2). When we first meet Raskolnikov, we learn he is a relatively young ex-student who has fallen into the poverty stricken slums of St. Petersburg, Russia. He has become unhealthily anti-social and bitter towards humanity and is now trapped within and tortured by his own thoughts. It is revealed that he is struggling internally with the idea of murdering a pawnbroker, Alena Ivanovna, with... ...ter. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. "Crime and Punishment." Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russel Whitaker. Vol. 167. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. Dostoevsky, Feodor. Crime and Punishment. Ed. George Gibian. Trans. Coulson. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1989. Print. Leatherbarrow, William J. "Chapter 4: The Principle of Uncertainty: Crime and Punishment." Fedor Dostoevsky. William J. Leatherbarrow. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1981. Twayne's World Authors Series 636. The Twayne Authors Series. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. Santangelo, Gennaro. "The Five Motives of Raskolnikov." Dalhousie Review 54.4 (Winter 1974): 710-719. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russel Whitaker. Vol. 167. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.

A Sense of Belonging Essay

â€Å"Ð  sense of belonging† is a book that nobody should miss! It provides students with the opportunity to examine different writing models and techniques while raising their awareness of different issues such as racial discrimination and racial abuse. Many of my friends found it interesting to read and could not stop reading the whole book although we were told to finish only four stories and only stopped flipping and reading till the last page! I personally find the book worth a read and would like to recommend it to all the secondary 3 and 4 students. Stories in the book include â€Å"a sense of belonging† and â€Å"The Test† which are about racial differences and a lady that was very mindful of her race. It does not merely elaborate on racial discrimination which can be very common but also tells us to be more sensitive towards other people and to be aware of our actions, as our words have the ability to hurt others. This is especially applicable to students of our age as we often meet friends of different races in school, and it reminds us that we should be considerate to others â€Å"The limits of trooghaft† highlights the plight of animals as humans are being treated the way we treat animals during the period of time we dominated the world. It serves as a reminder for us to put ourselves in others’ shoes and also consider the fact that animals have feelings and should not be abused like the way many are being treated now because animals have their own rights. This is a relatively important value in life that people need to constantly reinforce, so that we do not end up treating other people the way we do not want them to treat us. â€Å"a sound of thunder† talks about small mistakes leading to dire consequences and reminds us not to neglect the small details in life, because they can be important as well. After reading the book I personally found these four stories very inspiring and interesting. They allowed me to understand more about the common issues and problems faced, while learning moral values and reflecting on my daily life as we can easily relate to some of the stories in the book The important messages and lessons I learnt were invaluable to me and will accompany me for the rest of my life. Therefore I would strongly recommend this book to all upper secondary students as it can help them approach then own writing with more confidence and understanding, while teaching them life values at the same time.