Monday, January 27, 2020

The Advent Of New Media Media Essay

The Advent Of New Media Media Essay Introduction The advent of new media has had a direct and irreversible impact on the foundations of journalism practice. They have brought about changes which caused reporters to renew their skills and change their long established working habits. With the constant evolution of new technological tools, along with web-based platforms and technologies, the various working definitions of what journalism was about in the past seem to have lost their coherence. Furthermore, the presence of new media and the importance of ICT in newsrooms remain undeniable. Leaving aside the definitions issue, it appears that new technologies have redefined the whole concept of what a modern reporter should be like, as well as the knowledge and characteristics he is expected to possess. Due to time and technologies, the skills todays journalists should hold have evolved, whilst those grasped by old school reporters aspire to be renewed. Despite the willingness of business organisations to turn to ICT, it appears that the labour force encounters difficulties to make the most out of it. Logically, the first plausible reason we are tempted to put forth is the lack of training or poor knowledge in ICT. However, there seem to be other unknown factors which hinder the optimum use of new media in newsrooms. To be able to identify the causal factors to the issues mentioned, a case study of a Mauritian media house will be carried out through a questionnaire survey and interviews. The latter will be done among press, radio and web reporters of Le Dà ©fi Media Group to better understand how, why and to which extent new media is utilized in newsrooms. This organisation has been chosen due the strategic position it occupies on the local market. In addition, the firm manages radio, press and web reporters, all under the same roof; which is not the case in other local media houses. The group also offers a variety of publications targeting several types of publicsHence, Le Dà ©fi Media Groups context . particular context diversity for disseminating news Due to the strategic position it occupies in the local media market, Le Dà ©fi Media Group has been chosen as the host firm for this study. Since its creation in 1996, the news group has been able to forge its own identity, and is highly regarded by Mauritian media consumers. This has been proved in a survey performed by Synthà ¨ses Mauritius. The report ranks the media house as the second most powerful news group following La Sentinelle Ltd. (Anon., 2013) As such, Le Dà ©fi Media Group has two newspapers ranked among the top five preferred weeklies, and its Le Dà ©fi Quotidien is the second most read daily in the country. Nervertheless, Synthà ¨ses Mauritius claims that Le Dà ©fi Media Groups website In bold, this research shall attempt to determine whether new media is used intelligently by reporters, to identify the causes behind which new media is not fully exploited during journalism practice, shall assess as to how reporters make use of the facilities provided by new media and whether they are making the most out of the technological infrastructures offered by the organisation itself. The Literature Review Defining Journalism For years now, dictionaries and encyclopaedias have been providing us with definitions, in relevance with the periods during which they were published. Though the older ones are believed to be outdated, the descriptive meanings printed at different periods in time might as well enable us to retrace the etymological meanings of words. As such, The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1963) qualifies the journalist as being one whose business is to edit or write for a public journal. A more recent definition from the dictionarys website states that he is the one who writes for newspapers or magazines or prepares news to be broadcast on radio or television. This definition does provide supplementary dimensions, yet excluding vital notions relating journalism to new media. (Oxford Dictionaries: The worlds most trusted dictionaries, 2013) According to Jo Bardoel and Mark Deuze (2001), such definitions are outdated. The authors highlight the need for broader ones, calling for more actualised and modern explanations. Furthermore, Picard (2000) tries to provide an up to date definition of journalism. More than just a product or service, he describes it as being a mental activity that provides added value to news, be it in terms of features, commentaries, photographs or entertainment. Although the authors definition evokes the presence of new media, his study lays emphasis more on quality in journalistic activity, without clearly defining the intrinsic link existing between the two. Linking Journalism to New Media With new media came a bunch of additional journalistic roles. Long ago reporters were only expected to attend events and press conferences to collect the information necessary for building up their articles. Pieces were handwritten first, and then handed over to typists who would put them in a proper format. Similarly, photographers, cameramen, and sound technicians were hired to assume their respective and assigned responsibilities. Journalism in the 21st century turned out to be quite the opposite. Mark Briggs (2007) claims that the characteristics of the modern reporter have evolved due to the advent of new technological tools. According to him, todays journalists should be polyvalent, and be able to manipulate any type of given media. They should be trained to click their own photographs, be ready to video and audio record, or have editing knowledge for instance. Hence, only those having multi-tasking capabilities will be coveted and rewarded. Due to the pace at which new media mutate, the reporter should have the ability to renew himself as frequently as required. Quick adaption and versatility come as vital traits which shall be decisive while differentiating between a competent reporter and a less efficient one. According to Briggs (2007), the old adages claiming that a reporter should be good anywhere does not have its rationale. Today, he is expected to be able to cope with the constant technological and situational changes. The author further argues that the advent of new media has led to a new form of journalistic model. As such, the contemporary reporter shall be a jack of all trades and master of none, a person who can write, shoot, edit, talk, and look good on camera with a competence that might not be great but good enough. (Briggs, 2007) Moreover, Bardoel and Deuze consider online journalism as being a fourth type of journalism, next to radio, television and printed reporting. They argue that the role of an online journalist is not limited to copying text onto websites, but that they also generate their own content, in the same way as would a mainstream reporter. For this reason, the researchers believe that journalism is believed to be very similar to any other kind of journalism. (Bardoel Deuze, 2001) In addition, they sustain that online reporting comprises of characteristics which are usually inexistent in mainstream media. Interactivity, customisation of content, hypertextuality and multimediality are said to be the characteristics which contribute to the singularity of this type of journalism. Hence, the fundamental processes namely production, content and distribution, which were carried out using several medium, can now be done through only one platform. (Bardoel Deuze, 2001) Interactivity is described by Brent Muirhead (2005) as being related to communication, participation and feedback. This feature is one of the major forces of online journalism. It allows room for audiences to react to items published on the web. Be it in the form of comments, ratings, votes, pools, likes or shares for instance, readers have become reactive. Supporting this view, Briggs indicates that readers are no more passive. Instead, they wish to create, share and comment, and expect to be able to do this on news websites as well. It might be advantageous for the reporter to promote interactivity. Firstly, enabling the comments options on new websites shall leave the door open for readers criticisms, which the journalist might take into account while writing his next piece. Moreover, readers often wish to contact reporters to share their appreciation, or to provide news as sources. In this case, placing email links next to news stories might be helpful. On the other hand, Briggs encourages journalists to be proactive. He states that it is necessary to seek feedback on stories, before being published. This can be done by posting a call to readers by sending emails to a list of potential respondents. In case general comments are required for a story, the author advices to send block emails to as many readers as possible to obtain exploitable responses. In his study, Briggs further highlights the use of new media as contemporary tools. He states the case of John Cook, a well-known business reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The latter claimed being an intensive user of RSS feeds, and used them to track and obtain information in a more timely manner. (Briggs, 2007) This in turn, allowed him to publish information online very quickly. Journalism quality and productivity New media has brought various professional fields, including journalism, to a brand new level. In the Mauritian context, through a survey, the National Computer Board (NCB) was able to generate a list of business sectors which recorded highest internet usage in the country. The latter demonstrates that the storage and communication sector features alongside those sectors which use the internet extensively, hence implying the direct involvement of the journalism sector. (ICT Usage Survey 2001: A survey on the ICT adoption of businesses in Mauritius, 2002) Depending on a media houses editorial policy, it might be willing to either lay emphasis on quality or quantity. By this statement, I do not mean to suggest that both of them cannot go about simultaneously, but that it is instead one of the most difficult and most challenging goal of an editor. Due to time constraints, short notice assignments and deadlines, reporters are often brought to choose between the two. For instance, in view of the approaching submission deadline, a journalist might build a news item which is less qualitative, be it in the way it is organised, or in the chosen wording. The urge to submit news, added to the pressurising attempts of the editor in chief to make things go quicker undeniably have their role to play. Nowadays, the challenges involved in journalism practice are greater. In the past, competition did not affect the whole processes implicated in newsmaking. In comparison, the journalism models adopted in newsrooms by the end of the twentieth century demonstrate quite the opposite. The major focus has experienced a shift from quality to productivity. This phenomenon can be explained as being the result of rising material and labour costs, and the inability of firms to recover those costs. In addition, the advent of new technologies has also contributed to balancing the costs. By using less reporters along with new technological tools, media houses managements were able to reduce man power, and make more efficient use of fewer journalists. (Picard, 1998) Social Networks as Journalistic Tools The use of social networking sites as research tools has its importance in journalism, be it for the professional or the citizen writer. I have personally come across professionals who share their articles from their online news site onto their Facebook pages, or others who try to get in touch with contact persons through social networks. In addition, blogging among professionals of high calibre has also become a trend: Rabin Bhujun, Gilbert Ahnee, or Raj Meetarban, own and regularly update theirs. Blogging journalism is free from editorial constraints, and professionals make use of it due to its flexibility. Nowadays, journalists report news in real-time through Twitter. The Guardian claims that as of December 2011, and following the guidance of the lord of chief justice, reporters could tweet the court proceedings without constraint. Tweeting is allowed to the public as well, but on the contrary, they will need to seek permission first. (DAVIES, C., 2011) Multimedia Journalism and Convergence According to authors, there are some terms which occupy a vital part in contemporary journalism. Convergence and multimedia newsrooms are some of them. It has been argued that those two terms are closely linked, and that they very often seem to work in together. (Deuze, 2004) As far as multimedia journalism is concerned, it is said to have two definitions. Author Mark Deuze (2004) provides two situational descriptions in his study. Firstly, it is defined as the layout of a news story on a website, which uses at least two types of media formats, like graphics, images, and music for instance. In the second place, the same definition applies but this time with different media such as website, email, radio, television, just to name a few. On the other hand, convergence poses itself as a collaborative participation between previously distinct newsrooms, or other parts of the contemporary media firm. It might be sharing news from other newsrooms, or collaborating on similar projects. (Deuze, 2004) Company Profile of Le Dà ©fi Media Group Having launched itself in the media industry through the weekly Le Dà ©fi Plus, the formerly small company turned into Le Dà ©fi Media Group. As of date, the group is one of the most powerful media houses in Mauritius. Through the years the group has tried to diversify its operations by creating more newspapers, and launching its radio station in 2002. More recently, acute interest has been paid to the various functions provided by the web. Following the opening of its interactive news website, the group aims at developing its own web television. This initiative is a truly innovative one in Mauritius, as it is the first formerly printed news media organisation to extend its field of activities till audiovisual webcasting. Furthermore, it appears that the model proposed by Deuze (2004) perfectly fits the actual status of the firm. As per the authors description, the media house fits the portrayal of a fully integrated media newsroom. The specificities of this type of newsroom is that news reporters from print, broadcast and online media work in hand to produce content, and prepare story packages which are to be disseminated across all media. (Deuze, 2004) Similarly, journalists from the group are sometimes asked to produce media content which is not in their area of predilection. Press reporters are frequently called to make on the spot radio interventions, or journalists doing a specific news beat might be asked to collaborate in producing content for other beats as well. Hence journalism itself is perceived as a product, not the printed or broadcast news (Picard, 1998). As such, it appears that this dose of flexibility, mixed with cross media ownership and convergence form part of the corporate culture of the media house. The groups news website is another interesting asset. Despite being one of the last local media companies to launch one, its popularity remains undeniable. Each day, a considerable amount of responses is recorded, be it in terms of ratings, comments, shares or views. In contradiction to other firms, ledefimedia.info is the only news website to accommodate all its media content on the same platform. The website not only regroups texts from written newspapers, but also proposes videos and transcriptions of audio reports broadcast on the radio. Research Methodology The Research Process The Research Methodology is a critical phase in a research. It provides an overview of the approach to be used, starting from theoretical groundwork to collection, analysis and data interpretation (Collins Hussey, 2003). No two research processes are exactly the same. Yet, they all follow a similar flow through the elementary procedures involved in academic investigations. As such a problem is to be defined, research objectives are to be set, research procedures designed, and data is to be assembled and analysed. (Burns Bush, 1998) Problem Definition The primary aim of this study is to analyse whether or not the use of new media is extensive in newsrooms. Despite the availability of necessary office tools and equipments, the basis of this research shall be to obtain answers as to why new media are not fully exploited by reporters working individually on news items. Moreover, the importance of social platforms as working tools shall be assessed. In addition, the research will stress on the media houses news website, by determining whether the news authors make optimum use of the interactive functions available online. Research Objectives Initial Research Objectives This list of objectives has been set prior to the documentation process and before writing the literature review. These preset objectives are employed as starting points for the research, leaving room for a more in depth study later on. The list is as follows: To assess how reporters use new media in their daily routine To determine the types of new media preferred by journalists To define the changes which new media have brought about To determine the implications of using new media To determine whether age is a deterrent for using new media To determine whether different types of reporters use new media differently To determine whether the use of different types of new media varies depending on news beat Refined Research Objectives Following the previous one, a new set of objectives has been built based on the findings of the exploratory research made throughout the literature review. The new objectives are as follows: To assess the extent to which new media is used by reporters To identify the different types of new media used, and identify the preferred ones To uncover the reasons pushing reporters to make use of new media To determine whether the organisational new media platforms at their avail are used fully To establish whether social platforms are helpful during the process of acquiring news To assess whether age influences the overall utilisation of new media To determine whether educational background impacts on the general use of new media Research Design A research design can be explanatory, exploratory or descriptive (Yin, 1994). In view of the aims and objectives set, and provided that this study aims at obtaining answers which might be applicable to other situations than the ones already dealt with in this study, it can be assumed that the explanatory case study shall be the most appropriate research design. Hypothesis Development Following the findings generated by the literature review, it can be deduced that (1) reporters seem to be unaware of the multiplicities of new media (2) the term new media is often confused with ICT or the internet (3) new media allow additional possibilities and functions which were not possible in the old school journalism days. Hypothesis 1 H0: New media are used extensively by reporters H1: New media are not used extensively by reporters Hypothesis 2 H0: Different types of new media are used by journalists H1: Different types of media are not used by journalists Hypothesis 3 H0: Reporters have a preference for a certain type of new media H1: Reporters do not have any preference for any type of media Hypothesis 4 H0: The organisational new media platforms are used fully H1: The organisational new media platforms are not used fully Hypothesis 5 H0: Social platforms are helpful during the process of acquiring news H1: Social platforms are not helpful in the process of acquiring news Hypothesis 6 H0: Age does influence the overall utilisation of new media H1: Age does not influence the overall utilisation of new media Hypothesis 7 H0: Educational background does impact on the general use of new media H1: Educational background does not impact on the general use of new media Data Collection Design Right from the beginning of the research, it has been decided that the method of data collection would be questionnaire dissemination. As such, they would prove to be helpful as they shall be less time consuming than classic face to face interviews. Moreover, the questionnaire dissemination shall be done by email, and as printed fill out forms. The use of both methods will allow more flexibility, for as reporters are constantly on the move, they might find it easier to fill in the forms online.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Breaking Dawn Edward’s Pov Essay

â€Å"I miss you already.† â€Å"I don’t need to leave. I can stay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Mmm.† It was the eve of our wedding and Bella and I were lying in her narrow bed together, as was our habit. Though it was August, she was wrapped in her usual swaddling blanket, a protection against the chill of my skin. The bulky afghan did not prevent Bella’s hands from wandering about, exploring the unclothed parts of my body. If she had her way, both of us would be even less clothed. I found shirtless to be challenge enough. With Bella’s fingers probing the outlines of each muscle and bone above my waistband, her lips on mine, I was both awash in pleasure and sinking into concern. Some might call it performance anxiety and I could not deny it. When one’s performance was a matter of life and death, there was no shame in that. Bella dragged her tongue across my top lip and a surge of desire shot through me. It was all I could do to remain still and let the sensation fade. If she were a vampire, I would have rolled on top of her, stripped off the bulky afghan and pressed my entire body into hers. I would have kissed her passionately, tasting her lips, her tongue, and pulling her as close to me as the laws of physics would allow. Ahhh†¦ I groaned and retreated from her caressing hands and her delicious, warm tongue. â€Å"Wait,† Bella murmured, clutching my arms. I watched as she kicked her right leg free from the blanket and wrapped it around my waist. â€Å"Practice makes perfect.† I chuckled. I’d heard that one before. Numerous times. â€Å"Well, we should be fairly close to perfection by this point, then, shouldn’t we? Have you slept at all in the last month?† â€Å"But this is the dress rehearsal,† she protested, â€Å"and we’ve only practiced certain scenes. It’s no time for playing safe.† Playing safe. My body froze as I considered how easy it would be to break Bella’s arm, or tear out a handful of her beautiful hair, or snap her spine, or†¦ â€Å"Bella†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don’t start this again. A deal’s a deal.† â€Å"I don’t know. It’s too hard to concentrate when you’re with me like this. I—I can’t think straight. I won’t be able to control myself. You’ll get hurt.† â€Å"I’ll be fine.† â€Å"Bella†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Shhh!† Bella put her hands on either side of my face and pressed her lips against mine. I would like to have been distracted by that, but it was too late. My mind was already elsewhere, drifting from the thousand-and-one ways I could harm Bella to enumerating all she was giving up for me†¦her family, her friends†¦her chance to be a mother, to grow old, to become something more than what she was right now. It was too much to sacrifice just to be with me. In my mounting distress, I revisited an argument that Bella and I had had repeatedly. I’d never convinced her before; I don’t know why I thought she might change her mind now. â€Å"It’s not right! I don’t want you to have to make sacrifices for me. I want to give you things, not take things away from you. I don’t want to steal your future. If I were human—† Bella stifled my objections by putting her hand over my mouth. â€Å"You are my future. Now stop. No moping, or I’m cal ling your brothers to come and get you. Maybe you need a bachelor party.† My brothers must have agreed with her, for Emmett’s thoughts suddenly interrupted my own. Maybe we’ll catch them with their clothes off! Hope so. Ha, ha! â€Å"Oh, for the love of all that’s holy!† â€Å"What’s wrong?† â€Å"You don’t have to call my brothers. Apparently Emmett and Jasper are not going to let me bow out tonight.† Bella tightened her grip for a moment before releasing me. â€Å"Have fun,† she said. Perhaps it would be better for Bella if I left. Then I wouldn’t upset her with the â€Å"cold feet† I’d told her I didn’t have. I had no second thoughts about marrying Bella—I could hardly wait to do that! My second thoughts were all about the wedding night. Yes, I should leave. Maybe she would get some sleep if I did. â€Å"If you don’t send Edward out,† Emmett threatened in his best, creepy-monster voice, â€Å"we’re coming in after him!† Bella lau ghed. â€Å"Go! Before they break my house.† Kissing her forehead, I advised, â€Å"Get to sleep. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.† â€Å"Thanks! That’s sure to help me wind down.† â€Å"I’ll meet you at the altar.† I gave her a sly smile. â€Å"I’ll be the one in white,† Bella announced nonchalantly, as if we were planning a rendezvous at the mall. I chuckled at that, considering the anxiety attacks that overcame her every time I mentioned the wedding. â€Å"Very convincing,† I tossed over my shoulder as I leaped out the window. My feet landed squarely on Emmett’s head, knocking him to the ground. â€Å"Dammit, that hurt!† Emmett stage whispered, as he jumped up and took a swing at me. I dodged the punch easily. His thoughts always gave him away. â€Å"You’d better not make him late,† I heard Bella warn my brothers. Jasper leaped up and grabbed the eaves outside Bella’s window. He turned on his soothing vibes. â€Å"Don’t worry, Bella. We’ll get him home in plenty of time.† â€Å"Jasper? What do vampires do for bachelor parties? You’re not taking him to a strip club, are you?† she whispered to Jasper and I had to smile. As if that would be fun for me! No woman had ever affected me like Bella did. Women could dip themselves in blood and parade around naked all day and it wouldn’t do a thing for me. I should know†¦Tanya had tried such tricks many times to get me into her bed. â€Å"Don’t tell her anything!† Emmett hissed at Jasper, earning himself a friendly forearm shove that knocked him to the ground†¦again. I could never beat Emmett if we fought strength to strength, but with my mind-reading skill, he rarely got in a good punch. I laughed at his expression as he stood up and brushed the grass off his jeans. He tried to loo k casual as he readied himself for a â€Å"surprise† counterattack. Just as he launched himself at me, I took off running, knowing he couldn’t catch me at full speed. â€Å"Relax,† I heard Jasper reply to Bella. â€Å"We Cullens have our own version. Just a few mountain lions, a couple of grizzly bears. Pretty much an ordinary night out.† Jasper had told Bella the truth. We would be celebrating our boys’ night out with a hunt. I didn’t need the blood at the moment, but it was still a good idea. If I fed now, then I wouldn’t have to leave Bella to hunt for the first two weeks of our honeymoon. Besides, I only had one more day to remain chaste until Bella and I were married. I did not want to slip-up at this late date—getting out of Bella’s bed would make that a whole lot easier. Running gave me time to think about the last couple of months. As my fiancà ©, Bella had accepted the black credit card with her name on it attached to my account. Like the cell phone, I’d presented it as a â€Å"safety precaution,† but she’d started to use it for other things too, and that had been the point. Bella had quit her job at Newtons Olympic Out fitters, so she didn’t have any pocket money to speak of. I was glad that she’d quit. I preferred not giving Mike Newton the opportunity to gape at and entertain salacious thoughts about my bride-to-be as was his habit. Also, I was happy that we could spend more time together. I didn’t have to part with her company for the three or four days a week she would have worked for what I considered to be spare change. Unless she really liked the job—and I knew that she didn’t—I saw no point in sacrificing our time together. It had been a great summer. The only slight comedown had been the â€Å"father-in-law talk† Charlie had initiated with me. I haven’t encountered many people who could surprise me in the last eighty years, but Charlie was one who could. His mind was so quiet—in the sense of relatively impenetrable to me—that while I could perceive his feelings, I often couldn’t hear the inner dialogue that went with them. I didn’t like the sense of insecurity it gave me not knowing what he was thinking. I was used to having more time to consider how to react to people than I ever had with Charlie. One evening five weeks earlier, Charlie had grabbed my arm as Bella and I were leaving his house for the evening. We’d found a number of private parking spots around the area and we liked to visit them as often as possible. Because he’d surprised me, I reflexively yanked my arm out of his grip at my natural strength. Immediately, he’d put both palms up as if he was surrendering. He’d mistaken my quick reflex as a sign of anger. The interaction reminded me of the television show â€Å"Cops,† in which hooligans whirl around and punch an arresting police officer just on principle. Charlie must get that a lot. I quickly raised my palms to indicate a mutual surrender. I would have smiled if I hadn’t thought Charlie would interpret it as a taunt. Bella had missed our interaction and was continuing toward the car. â€Å"What can I do for you, Charlie?† I inquired politely. â€Å"I was just wondering what your folks think about you proposing to my daughter.† â€Å"Oh, they love her, they really do.† â€Å"That’s not exactly what I meant.† â€Å"No?† I wasn’t going to help him interrogate me. â€Å"No†¦uh†¦I meant what do they think of you getting married right out of high school?† â€Å"Oh! Well, you know they got married quite young themselves. Esme already had Jasper and Rosalie to look after when she met Carlisle. They fell in love and Carlisle wanted to help support the kids, so he proposed when Esme was younger than he might have otherwise. They’ve been extremely happy, so they don’t have any prejudice against getting married young.† â€Å"Do you think you’re old enough to handle this kind of responsibility? That’s my daughter you’re promising to support for the rest of your life. A re you one hundred percent sure that you’re ready for that?† â€Å"I will be there for Bella. I can assure you of that.† â€Å"What if you screw it up and things fall apart?† Charlie pressed. I thought about that for a moment before answering. I knew what he was referring to without having to read his thoughts. â€Å"There are many ways I could mess things up,† I admitted. â€Å"I’ve already made mistakes with Bella. I know that. I wasn’t here for her when she needed me. I swear to you, Charlie, I left because I wanted Bella to have a chance to find somebody better than me. But I found that I couldn’t live without her and so I came back. Jacob might be a better choice for her, but she still wants me and as long as she does, I won’t leave her. I don’t make the same mistakes twice.† Charlie just gave me his dark-eyed, policeman’s stare. I didn’t blame him. He’d watched Bella suffer daily after I abandoned her. Jacob had impressed upon me all the painful details he could summon about that time. â€Å"Jacob’s a good young man,† Charlie finally responded, â€Å"but I wouldn’t want him marrying her at his age, either.† I took another moment to consider my response, and then sighed, knowing I’d never convince him with words. â€Å"The only way to know whether I’ll be good for Bella is with time. I can’t offer you proof, but I love her more than my own life and I will take care of her, Charlie. I just hope that I can make her as happy as she makes me, though I hardly think it’s possible.† Charlie’s stare didn’t change, so I continued. â€Å"If it makes you feel any better, my family is behind us, and you know Carlisle well enough to know that he would never let Bella down†¦even if I did. My family would step in for me. That’s just the way my parents are. They’re great people.† â€Å"I know they are†¦Edward. I trust Carlisle and that’s why I’m not making more of a fuss about this.† I acknowledged his statement with a nod. â€Å"Just so you know, Charlie†¦Bella and I discussed eloping to Las Vegas and marrying without telling anyone. But Bella didn’t want to cut you out of her decision in that way, so we decided to make it a family event.† â€Å"I knew there was something going on!† Charlie exclaimed. â€Å"I had a feeling you two were going to take off together!† â€Å"Bella wants you there to walk her down the aisle, or the stairs, rather. I hope you can see your way clear to do that for her on her day.† Charlie nodded stiffly and I turned to follow Bella to the car. â€Å"That’s a fancy car you got my daughter.† â€Å"Yes, it’s a loaner. Carlisle called in a favor for me. It’s a very safe car.† â€Å"Well, that’s good. You can hardly get a car that’s safe enough to share the roads with all the bad drivers and drunk drivers out there.† â€Å"I agree. Goodnight, Charlie.† â€Å"’Night.† Charlie shut the front door and I saw that Bella was coming back to get me. I hurried toward her. â€Å"What was all that about?† â€Å"Charlie wanted to have a little ‘man-to-man’ talk about his precious daughter, but I told him I agreed with everything he said, so he loves me now.† I grinned and winked at Bella. She didn’t buy it. â€Å"No, what did he really want?† she demanded. â€Å"Tell me, or I’ll march right back and ask him!† I sighed. â€Å"Charlie just wanted to warn me about the dangers of marrying too young and make sure I was knew what I was doing.† â€Å"What did you say?† â€Å"I said that I was old for my age,† I replied, giving her a crooked smile. â€Å"You did not!† â€Å"Sure, why not? I am, aren’t I?† I teased. â€Å"Ancient. I should be grossed out being with you.† â€Å"Fortunately, I still look good and that’s what really counts.† We both laughed and, to my relief, Bella dropped the subject. Bella’s mother, Renee, had flown in two days earlier and Bella was sticking close to her except when our mothers worked on the wedding. It was odd behavior for a bride-to-be, but I wasn’t marrying Bella because she was like everyone else. Quite the opposite. When I’d come home two evenings previous, Renee was visiting Esme. In an attempt to demonstrate her acceptance of me as her almost son-in-law, Renee had dashed across the living room and thrown her arms around my neck. â€Å"Welcome to our family, Edward!† she’d said. I thought perhaps she was overexcited by the trip or by meeting my family. I hadn’t expected such an exuberant greeting, though she had no particular misgivings about Bella marrying me. Renee ended the hug abruptly when her arms encountered my cold, hard self. â€Å"Hmm,† she mumbled as she broke off contact. Hard body! was her thought, and I almost laughed out loud. The picture in her mind was complimentary, not lite ral. She was imagining what my upper body looked like without a shirt. I’d already gotten acquainted enough with Renee when Bella and I went to Florida that I knew she didn’t mean anything by it. A cougar†¦just like Bella, I thought, and smiled to myself. It was a little sad to meet Renee again, knowing that this was the last time Bella would see her, or possibly even talk to her on the phone. As I watched Bella over the course of the two days, I sensed that she was saying her goodbyes. If I’d had to give up Carlisle and Esme to be with Bella, I could have done it. I had given them up once before. But it was hard to accept that I could make Bella happy enough to give up seeing her parents. I’d asked her again last night whether she was prepared to do that and her response had been, â€Å"Are you trying to ditch me?† Then we’d started laughing and the question had gotten lost. My brothers and I didn’t get back from hunting until a couple of hours before the wedding. Esme collared us immediately and sent us to the back garden to hang flower garlands for Alice. It had to be done at the last minute or the August day would wilt them. Alice had prohibited me from going anywhere near where she was preparing Bella, so I headed to my third-floor room to make myself presentable. Alice had changed my old-fashioned tux just enough to convert it from â€Å"vintage† to â€Å"vintage chic,† as she put it. It did look good, I had to admit. I tried to neaten my normally unruly hair. I put some hair gel on it and convinced it to lie down in a semi-orderly fashion. After a time, Jasper came upstairs to tell me that the first guests were arriving. He and Emmett would be ushering them to their seats. Of course, Jasper could have told me that from downstairs, but Alice had specifically asked him to come get me, so that I wouldn’t be parading down the bride’s decorated stairway in full view of the guests. I walked outside through the kitchen door, telling Carlisle that I’d be waiting out back. He and Esme were standing by the front door to greet everyone as they arrived. This was the most important day of my life, but I hoped to have infinitely more wonderful days to enjoy with my Bella. I felt exceedingly fortunate that she wanted me as I wanted her. I could have lost her so easily. I heard the Denali clan arrive and recognized Tanya’s mental voice: Where’s Edward? It will be good to see that man again†¦mmm hmm! Who is this human girl? I can’t imagine Edward with a woman, not even a vampire woman. This will be interesting†¦ I smiled, glad to be escaping Tanya’s clutches for good. She’d given me a hard time when we were living in Alaska. She wasn’t used to being told â€Å"no thank you.† Neither vampires nor humans ever turned down Tanya’s advances. She was beautiful and charming, everything a man could want. She just wasn’t for me and she never could accept that. It was one of the reasons Carlisle decided to move our family farther south. He told everyone that we were too conspicuous and perhaps we were, all there together, but I’d had the chance to hear another reason in his mind—that Tanya can’t leave Edward alone. My father empathized when Tanya had set her sights on me. Carlisle had had plenty of pushy admirers. During his first few weeks at a new hospital, nurses would line up three deep to ogle him. He had to temper that initial interest by telling some number of them that he was happily married, thank you. Of course, he wore a wedding ring, but that didn’t discourage everyone. Once people met Esme, though, they usually stopped chasing Carlisle. She was simply too beautiful, inside and out, to compete with. I know Esme had always worried that I wasn’t fully mature as a man when Carlisle had changed me and that I might never find, or even wish for, a mate. It was true that I wasn’t interested in any of the Denali ladies. And after the trouble I’d had with Rosalie when she joined our family, I didn’t expect anything good could come of such interest anyway. When the Denalis met the only bachelor vampire they’d seen in years, each of them had set about seeking my affection. I didn’t blame them, particularly. Perhaps they’d gotten tired of human men and wanted someone more durable to partner with for a change. I could understand that to a certain degree. I didn’t go inside to greet the Denalis or any of the other arrivals. I couldn’t focus on anyone but Bella—it seemed like such a long time since I’d seen her. I was trying to reason myself out of an irrational fear that she wasn’t really there in our house, that she had changed her mind and would leave me standing alone at the altar. If I listened, I could hear her voice now and then, but I couldn’t hear her thoughts and that had never bothered me so much as it did at that moment. To distract myself, I listened at random to our guests’ thoughts and found that everyone was astonished by the decorations. Alice had put her all into planning this wedding and it showed. The flowers alone were beyond imagining. Exquisitely fragrant arrangements covered every surface of our living room and the reception area outside. Alice was particularly fond of flowers. I thought perhaps it was because she’d been deprived of beauty for so many years at the asylum. Whatever the reason, it was a boon for us all. Rosalie had started playing my grand piano, making the one instrument sound like several. I knew that Pachelbel’s Can on in D was my cue to enter the living room with Carlisle and stand in front of the flower-covered archway. He would come looking for me in the kitchen when the time came, so I walked back into the house. In due course, Carlisle came to retrieve me and after a final, heartfelt hug, we took our assigned places in front of the assembled crowd. I stood, frozen with emotion, and watched anxiously for my beloved to appear at the top of the stairs on her father’s arm. I had waited a lifetime to stand in front of these witnesses and declare my undying devotion to the one and only woman I would ever love. Time had stopped making sense when I finally heard the familiar C-F-F-F notes of â€Å"Here Comes the Bride.† I could not believe my eyes when an angel from heaven began to descend the stairs, one by one, her eyes lowered to watch her feet. It was only when I heard her whisper â€Å"Don’t let me fall, Dad,† that I knew for sure it was Bella†¦my Bella. I fretted for a second that my angel might fall and I readied myself to dash across the room to catch her. Seeing the groom disappear and reappear somewhere else would not go over well with anybody, though I reasoned that all of the guests would be looking at Bella, not at me. Still, perhaps we should have served champagne before the ceremony, just in case something like that did happen†¦but then, Bella was descending the final step. She lifted her face, searching for me. When our eyes finally met, a look of such utter joy crossed her face that I broke into an ecstatic smile. Bella’s feelings often were written on her face, but today her expression was utterly transparent. The adoration in her eyes was unmistakable and I was jubilant enough to break out in song†¦almost. Our eyes remained glued to each other while Bella carefully traversed the fifteen-foot aisle that Alice had kept short to give Bella a fair chance of remaining upright. With the way she looked in that dress, with that makeup, with everything†¦the glow, the scarlet blush, the prisms of tears in her eyes†¦I wanted to rush down the aisle to meet her and carry her back to the altar. But I remained patient, stretching out my palm so that Charlie could place Bella’s hand in mine. He regarded me seriously as he did so and I nodded my thank you to him for his great sacrifice. Charlie seated himself beside Renee, with Phil on her other side, and Bella and I turned to face the minister. I loved the traditional wedding ceremony with its promises and pronouncements, but on this occasion, each word resonated with newly unveiled meaning. When I declared â€Å"I do† to my beloved, I’d never been happier in my life. I wanted to repeat the words in every language I knew. My lovely new wife was overcome with emotion. When I leaned over to kiss her for the first time as her husband, Bella’s arms encircled my neck and she held on a s if she would never let me go. The audience had disappeared—she only had eyes for me. I kissed her with a swell of love and tenderness that made my eyes burn with the tears that didn’t come, and she met my passion with her own. Emotion poured from her as she clung to me, melding her lips with mine as if we were utterly alone in that moment. I did not mind in the least. Bella was happy to be married to me—I could feel it in my bones. When the guests began to titter, I eased my love’s face gently away from mine and looked into her tear-filled eyes. I felt my happiness radiate from me like the heat of a coal fire and I wondered briefly if my skin was sparkling in its glow. When Emmett cleared his throat unsubtly, I turned us both to face the loved ones who had gathered there and everyone broke into smiles and quiet laughter. I could not let go of Bella for a second. I wrapped my arm around her waist and practically carried her down the aisle when she forgot to move her feet. Fortunately, they were hidden by the length of her dress. Another detail that Alice had not overlooked. Bella was so stunningly beautiful that I wasn’t surprised to hear a number of inappropriate thoughts as the reception line shuffled slowly past us and on to the buffet. Alice had timed things well, so that the vampires would not have to step outside until twilight, just in case the sun came out. It was good that she did, because we had a beautiful wedding day with plenty of sunshine filtering through the ancient cedars. I was extraordinarily pleased that Billy Black and Sue and Seth Clearwater had come to the wedding. Despite the Cullens’ official status as â€Å"mortal enemies† of their tribe, the three of them were there in support of Bella and Charlie, and perhaps as a gesture of gratitude to Carlisle as well. Seth was there for me, too. Our friendship had not faded since we’d joined forces to battle Victoria and Riley. â€Å"Congrats, guys,† Seth said, coming toward me with his arms out. I hugged him with one arm while I held Bella tightly with the other. â€Å"It’s good to see things work out for you, man. I’m happy for you.† â€Å"Thank you, Seth. That means a lot to me.† Releasing Seth, I faced Billy and Sue with honest gratitude. I knew they were not there for me. â€Å"Thank you, as well. For letting Seth come. For supporting Bella today.† â€Å"You’re welcome,† Billy replied cordially and I hoped his attitude boded well for the change that was coming. I didn’t know how I was going to approach the Quileute wolf pack about Bella’s upcoming transformation. It was possible that if we left the area to avoid their ancient vendetta, that Jacob still would come to hunt us down. He had no motivation to let me change Bella, but I hoped that he and all the wolves would agree to the one exception to our treaty. Billy wasn’t giving anything away with his thoughts, but Sue’s mind was full of concern about being in a house with so many vampires. As the receiving line moved along, the only slightly awkward moment was introducing Tanya to Bella. â€Å"Ah, Edward, I’ve missed you,† Tanya said, pulling herself close to me in an intimate embrace. She lingered a bit too long in my one-armed hug—on purpose. I chuckled at her audacity as I employed one of Carlisle’s tricks for dealing with forward women†¦to press her shoulder away as if to admire the full length of her. â€Å"It’s been too long, Tanya. You look well.† Though Bella would never believe it, her beauty outshone Tanya’s many t imes over in my eyes. â€Å"So do you,† Tanya replied, a familiar note of longing in her voice. With a great swelling of pride, I interjected, â€Å"Let me introduce you to my wife.† Kate and Carmen giggled at the emphasis. My joy at using that word for the first time sang in my words. â€Å"Tanya, this is my Bella.† Bella had been uncertain about inviting Tanya and her coven, but I’d convinced her that as extended family—orphans, to boot—they must be included. I also wanted Tanya there specifically to underscore the point that I was officially and permanently unavailable. â€Å"Welcome to the family, Bella,† Tanya responded appropriately, if not altogether enthusiastically. â€Å"We consider ourselves Carlisle’s extended family, and I am sorry about the, er, recent incident when we did not behave as such. We should have met you sooner. Can you forgive us?† â€Å"Of course. It’s so nice to meet you,† Bella replied, blushing. I noted the brief flare of excitement among my cousins at the rush of blood before each of them contained it. â€Å"The Cullens are all evened up in numbers now. Perhaps it will be our turn next, eh, Kate?† Tanya grinned. Kate’s sarcastic sense of humor kicked in. â€Å"Keep the dream alive,† she said, rolling her eyes. â€Å"Welcome, Bella.† Kate took Bella’s hand and Carmen stepped up to add hers. â€Å"I’m Carmen, this is Eleazar. We’re all so very pleased to finally meet you.† â€Å"M-me, too,† Bella stuttered. I thought she was holding up well considering she was meeting my â€Å"relatives† for the first time. â€Å"We’ll get to know each other later. We’ll have eons of time for that!† Tanya remarked, laughing. I enjoyed performing the rituals of the wedding celebration. Alice had ordered a gorgeous, artfully decorated cake, its beauty being the only aspect of it I could truly appreciate. I did not relish swallowing the chunky blob Bella pushed toward my face, but that could not be avoided with such an attentive audience. Flashbulbs popped, capturing the uncomfortable moment for all time. Bella tossed her bouquet to Angela, who blushed puce and carefully avoided the eyes of her escort, Ben, which are six inches lower than her own. When it came time to lift Bella’s skirt and remove her garter with my teeth, she blushed hotly while Jasper and Emmett guffawed at her embarrassment. I wasn’t allowed to venture too far up her dress, since she slid the garter below her knee before I got the chance. Still, it was a fun moment, biting the elastic band and dragging it slowly down her calf. After detaching it from her leg, I stretched the elastic into a slingshot, aiming for Mike Newton’s head. The garter snapped him in the forehead and his mouth dropped open.

Friday, January 10, 2020

On the Job Training

Public Area It is composed of the Hotel lobby Area, Front Desk Reception Area, Restaurants including comfort rooms and Function Rooms, elevators, offices, hallways, and the like. Before we start cleaning the area, I pray for a while and give thanks to the Lord for the safety and travel every day. Then, I go to the 2nd floor to replenish the chemicals and materials needed. After that, we started to clean all the comfort rooms in Milieus Restaurant, employee's comfort rooms, the lobby restrooms and beside the pool's shower room.It took from 7 am to 9 am almost 2 hours of cleaning. Good for me that I'm not alone doing all of that. Sometimes I'm with Kayak Tony (our co- rained) from TESTED or Irvin and Koruna, my classmates. Next, sweep the hallways from third floor to first floor including the three exits, lobby and employees' rooms. Dust all the furniture, windows, glass and each door of the rooms. It was physically hard and sweaty. But it was fun doing that work because all the room a ttendants were funny and making us smile though we look so haggard.After that, we need to fold the linen and towels and place it inside the cabinet before the next task. Afterwards, we're required to ask permission to our supervisor if we can now go with our respective room attendant trainer. Room Attendant Room Attendants receive a briefing on the days activities headed by the supervisor. They collect equipped cart and work report to work in their respective sections. They follow a logical order to avoid guests from being disturbed. Check out rooms are serviced first, followed by make-up rooms or with request for early service and request for late service.Most of the work flow, regular cleaning is done if the guest has checked out so that the room can be occupied again. My trainer Kayak Eave taught me their standards in cleaning the room. Firstly, check room assignment sheet confirm room number, room status, note special requests). Secondly, knock door three times with knuckles not with keys. Wait for a moment and knock again if there's no answer. If DON sign, return later to check or night lock is on report it to the Front Office or call the supervisor if there's a problem.I announce myself as housekeeping as I enter. Turn on lights, check for luggage, remove dirty items or loaned items, dispose garbage carefully, disinfect garbage cans and put trash bag, make beds (queen-size), clean the bathroom, dust and check of room features like radio clock, Indo seat, refrigerator, coffee/tea making facilities, and so on. Disinfect telephones and ice bucket. Look for items left by guests, check for furniture damage; if furniture is missing report it immediately and note to your assignment sheet.Then check if everything is okay or in their proper places. Majority of the guests at the hotel were Japanese business travelers like companies so in the morning they're not inside of their rooms. So it's easier for me to clean up the room. In make-up room, we changed the linen every other day. Laundry Service Vive been in laundry for about one week and three days. My trainer was Mrs.. Liege, she's working with the hotel almost 8 years. She taught me how to work slowly but surely.She don't need to finish her work so fast because she told me that it's very delicate if you got wrong with the guest's clothes. Therefore, one by one, we put mark by sewing different color thread in each clothes by room number. Weigh and fill-up the laundry list sheet (description, brand name, color, room number and quantity). Compute the amount and fix your signature. As usual, separate white from colored loathes and so on. After drying, press/iron the clothes like long sleeves, pants, uniforms and hang it using hangers then put it in a huge plastic bag.Fold the other clothes and separate it according to their color type and room number. After lunch, we deliver the clothes inside the rooms or if DON sign, drop to the Front office. During my stay in Housekeeping Department, I ma intained good personal and professional working relationship. I was able to be more considerate, cheerful, flexible, pleasant, polite, positive, punctual, willing to learn, a good listener, rusticity, stay calm during periods of increased activities, initiative, and I avoid gossip, maintain company's standards and I work well even without supervision.We also had stay and learn in the hotel last July 9 & 10, 2014. We were given 50 hours lesser to our duty hours. Mr.. Marvin, the Sales Supervisor discussed the rules and regulations of the hotel, functions, and other concerns that we need to know about the establishment. Front Office Department My last remaining weeks of my training was in Front Office. My duty time was from 1 0†² clock in the afternoon to 9 0†² clock in the evening. Indeed, it was very tiring every duty.We're not allowed to sit for a long time. But, I had so much memories and knowledge that I'd acquired. Specifically, how to answer telephone calls politely a nd to listen attentively, how to attend other requests by guests, and to check-in and check-out procedures were taught. It was a good experience for me being a Front Office Agent for a while. So far by God's mercy and grace, I didn't encountered any problems during my training whether inside or outside of the hotel and throughout my travel every day. On the Job Training Public Area It is composed of the Hotel lobby Area, Front Desk Reception Area, Restaurants including comfort rooms and Function Rooms, elevators, offices, hallways, and the like. Before we start cleaning the area, I pray for a while and give thanks to the Lord for the safety and travel every day. Then, I go to the 2nd floor to replenish the chemicals and materials needed. After that, we started to clean all the comfort rooms in Milieus Restaurant, employee's comfort rooms, the lobby restrooms and beside the pool's shower room.It took from 7 am to 9 am almost 2 hours of cleaning. Good for me that I'm not alone doing all of that. Sometimes I'm with Kayak Tony (our co- rained) from TESTED or Irvin and Koruna, my classmates. Next, sweep the hallways from third floor to first floor including the three exits, lobby and employees' rooms. Dust all the furniture, windows, glass and each door of the rooms. It was physically hard and sweaty. But it was fun doing that work because all the room a ttendants were funny and making us smile though we look so haggard.After that, we need to fold the linen and towels and place it inside the cabinet before the next task. Afterwards, we're required to ask permission to our supervisor if we can now go with our respective room attendant trainer. Room Attendant Room Attendants receive a briefing on the days activities headed by the supervisor. They collect equipped cart and work report to work in their respective sections. They follow a logical order to avoid guests from being disturbed. Check out rooms are serviced first, followed by make-up rooms or with request for early service and request for late service.Most of the work flow, regular cleaning is done if the guest has checked out so that the room can be occupied again. My trainer Kayak Eave taught me their standards in cleaning the room. Firstly, check room assignment sheet confirm room number, room status, note special requests). Secondly, knock door three times with knuckles not with keys. Wait for a moment and knock again if there's no answer. If DON sign, return later to check or night lock is on report it to the Front Office or call the supervisor if there's a problem.I announce myself as housekeeping as I enter. Turn on lights, check for luggage, remove dirty items or loaned items, dispose garbage carefully, disinfect garbage cans and put trash bag, make beds (queen-size), clean the bathroom, dust and check of room features like radio clock, Indo seat, refrigerator, coffee/tea making facilities, and so on. Disinfect telephones and ice bucket. Look for items left by guests, check for furniture damage; if furniture is missing report it immediately and note to your assignment sheet.Then check if everything is okay or in their proper places. Majority of the guests at the hotel were Japanese business travelers like companies so in the morning they're not inside of their rooms. So it's easier for me to clean up the room. In make-up room, we changed the linen every other day. Laundry Service Vive been in laundry for about one week and three days. My trainer was Mrs.. Liege, she's working with the hotel almost 8 years. She taught me how to work slowly but surely.She don't need to finish her work so fast because she told me that it's very delicate if you got wrong with the guest's clothes. Therefore, one by one, we put mark by sewing different color thread in each clothes by room number. Weigh and fill-up the laundry list sheet (description, brand name, color, room number and quantity). Compute the amount and fix your signature. As usual, separate white from colored loathes and so on. After drying, press/iron the clothes like long sleeves, pants, uniforms and hang it using hangers then put it in a huge plastic bag.Fold the other clothes and separate it according to their color type and room number. After lunch, we deliver the clothes inside the rooms or if DON sign, drop to the Front office. During my stay in Housekeeping Department, I ma intained good personal and professional working relationship. I was able to be more considerate, cheerful, flexible, pleasant, polite, positive, punctual, willing to learn, a good listener, rusticity, stay calm during periods of increased activities, initiative, and I avoid gossip, maintain company's standards and I work well even without supervision.We also had stay and learn in the hotel last July 9 & 10, 2014. We were given 50 hours lesser to our duty hours. Mr.. Marvin, the Sales Supervisor discussed the rules and regulations of the hotel, functions, and other concerns that we need to know about the establishment. Front Office Department My last remaining weeks of my training was in Front Office. My duty time was from 1 0†² clock in the afternoon to 9 0†² clock in the evening. Indeed, it was very tiring every duty.We're not allowed to sit for a long time. But, I had so much memories and knowledge that I'd acquired. Specifically, how to answer telephone calls politely a nd to listen attentively, how to attend other requests by guests, and to check-in and check-out procedures were taught. It was a good experience for me being a Front Office Agent for a while. So far by God's mercy and grace, I didn't encountered any problems during my training whether inside or outside of the hotel and throughout my travel every day.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Advanced Structural Analysis and Design Free Essay Example, 1000 words

The resultant ratio of the carry over moment of the transferred end to the fixed moment from the initial end is referred to as the carry over factor i. e. the moment which is transferred to the fixed end. This factor is dependent on fixity (F) of the joint that is opposite to the joint in question. Note F is equal to zero for pin joints and F=1 for built in joints. Distribution factors - The amount of moment that goes to any member is a function of stiffness, and any joints that are tributary to that joint. The distribution factor is thus denoted as D= K/ ÃŽ £K where K is the stiffness factor for the joint in question and ÃŽ £K is the sum of stiffness factors of the joints tributary to this joint in consideration (Demetrios & Jim, 2007, 236). Question three. Slope-deflection and equilibrium equations Slope deflection is applied in beams, structures and frames which have curved members. This method applies a set of linear simultaneous equations which makes it complicated and time consuming. The method deploys two requirements i. e. compatibility and equilibrium. Compatibility is applied in the sense that the joints in a structure are assumed to be rigid i. e.We will write a custom essay sample on Advanced Structural Analysis and Design or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now the angles between member joints do not change when loads are applied. All members on a joint are assigned one single angle of rotation. Equilibrium aspects are achieved through determining that the end moments of a member in a particular structure are related to its end replacements and end rotations (Nainan, 2005, 581). Equilibrium equations The following equilibrium equations are applied when determining the slope deflection parameters: for two different types of slopes, the equilibrium equations are rewritten as shown below where the angles of rotation are applied: Stability checks on a retaining structure: A retaining wall design is a structure that is meant to keep the level difference of the soil on its either side. A number of forces have been determined to act on the structure. These are weight of the structure, pressure of the retained soil, pressure of the foundation and pressure on the soil which is against the front wall, just to mention but a few. It is therefore important to check the stability of this wall as it’s affected by external forces. Calculations are used to determine the stability of the structure as if it were a single body. Two forms are taken i. e. the horizontal and the toppling of the wall. The first method is called the sliding stability, which assesses the horizontal forces and div iding into driving and resistance forces.