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Saturday, December 28, 2019

How to Use String Substitution in Ruby

Splitting a string is only one way to manipulate string data. You can also make substitutions to replace one part of a string with another string. For instance, in an example string (foo,bar,baz) replacing foo with boo in would yield boo,bar,baz. You can do this and many more things using the sub and gsub method in the string class. Many Options for Ruby Substitution The substitution methods come in two varieties. The sub method is the most basic of the two and comes with the least number of surprises. It simply replaces the first instance of the designated pattern with the replacement. Whereas sub only replaces the first instance, the gsub method replaces every instance of the pattern with the replacement. In addition, both sub and gsub have sub! and gsub! counterparts. Remember, methods in Ruby that end in an exclamation point alter the variable in place instead of returning a modified copy. Search and Replace The most basic usage of the substitution methods is to replace one static search string with one static replacement string. In the above example, foo was replaced with boo. This can be done for the first occurrence of foo in the string using the sub method or with all occurrences of foo using the gsub method. #!/usr/bin/env rubya foo,bar,bazb a.sub( foo, boo )puts b $ ./1.rbfoo,bar,bazgsub$ ./1.rbboo,bar,baz Flexible Searching Searching for static strings can only go so far. Eventually, youll run into cases where a subset of strings or strings with optional components will need to be matched. The substitution methods can, of course, match regular expressions instead of static strings. This allows them to be much more flexible and match virtually any text you can dream up. This example is a little more real world. Imagine a set of comma-separated values. These values are fed into a tabulation program over which you have no control (closed source). The program that generates these values is closed source as well, but its outputting some badly-formatted data. Some fields have spaces after the comma and this is causing the tabulator program to break. One possible solution is to write a Ruby program to act as glue, or a filter, between the two programs. This Ruby program will fix any problems in the data formatting so the tabulator can do its job. To do this, its quite simple: replace a comma followed by a number of spaces with just a comma. #!/usr/bin/env rubySTDIN.each do|l|l.gsub!( /, /, , )puts lend gsub$ cat data.txt10, 20, 3012.8, 10.4,11gsub$ cat data.txt | ./2.rb10,20,3012.8,10.4,11 Flexible Replacements Now imagine this situation. In addition to the minor formatting errors, the program that produces the data produces number data in scientific notation. The tabulator program doesnt understand this, so youre going to have to replace it. Obviously, a simple gsub wont do here because the replacement will be different every time the replacement is done. Luckily, the substitution methods can take a block for the substitution arguments. For each time the search string is found, the text that matched the search string (or regex) is passed to this block. The value yielded by the block is used as the substitution string. In this example, a floating point number in scientific notation form (such as 1.232e4) is converted to a normal number with a decimal point. The string is converted to a number with to_f, then the number is formatted using a format string. #!/usr/bin/env rubySTDIN.each do|l|l.gsub!( /-?\d\.\de-?\d/) do|n|%.3f % n.to_fendl.gsub!( /, /, , )puts lend gsub$ cat floatdata.txt2.215e-1, 54, 113.15668e6, 21, 7gsub$ cat floatdata.txt | ./3.rb0.222,54,113156680.000,21,7 Not Familiar With Regular Expressions? Lets take a step back and look at that regular expression. It looks cryptic and complicated, but its very simple. If youre not familiar with regular expressions, they can be quite cryptic. However, once you are familiar with them, theyre straightforward and natural methods of describing text. There are a number of elements, and several of the elements have quantifiers. The primary element here is the \d character class. This will match any digit, the characters 0 through 9. The quantifier is used with the digit character class to signify that one or more of these digits should be matched in a row. You have three groups of digits, two separated by a . and the other separated by the letter e (for exponent). The second element floating around is the minus character, which uses the ? quantifier. This means zero or one of these elements. So, in short, there may or may not be negative signs at the beginning of the number or exponent. The two other elements are the . (period) character and the e character. Combine all this, and you get a regular expression (or set of rules for matching text) that matches numbers in scientific form (such as 12.34e56).

Friday, December 20, 2019

Flappers Essay - 1021 Words

Flapper Movement You have more knowledge about the Roaring 20s and the people than you think you do. Coco Chanel, a fashion designer contributing clothes impacting the era. Clara Bow confidently embraced her sexuality though she was surrounded by controversy. Norma Talmadge was a successful movie star and film producer that is a department mostly run by men. These women were all flappers and contributed to feminist movement during the Roaring 20s. As this became the Jazz Age, flappers became a name for women after WW1, as the women wanted to be free and have fun with themselves. They wore makeup, started wearing clothes out of the ordinary, smoked, danced to modern jazz music, and lived in the moment causing controversy around that time.†¦show more content†¦Flappers didn’t feel the weight around their neck as they didn’t have their husband or any man tell them what to do or what to wear. They wanted to live a free and youthful life and they accomplished that. One of the reason s for that were for their clothes. What the Flappers also contributed to women society were that they created fashion statements that were out of the norm. Women’s fashion, before the Roaring 20s, was known to be conservative and very gracious. The women wanted to change that and to embody what they stand for. According to St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, â€Å"The flapper ideal, along with the look, first became popular with chic young moderns, then with a larger body of American women. The flapper was remarkable identifiable† (Hatton). Not only did the Flappers wanted to exemplify the fun-youthful and daring self, they wanted to show they didn’t want to look like a conservative and a housewife and add a little boyish flair. They flatten their chest and cut their hair short but more into a bob. They also wore a lot more makeup adding the red lipstick and black eyeliner. To go with the flat chest, shorter hair, and the makeup they wore shorter skirts and tight bands around their heads and the dresses also made for them to move freely around. â€Å"...they danced-not in the old style, but in the new mode of inspired by jazz music† (Hatton). They made their dresses short and a more freely because in theShow MoreRelated Flappers Essay771 Words   |  4 PagesFlappers War is often followed by change; World War I is no exception. World War I is often labeled the cause for the rise of a feminine revolution-â€Å"the flapper†. Before the term â€Å"flapper† began to describe the â€Å"young independently-minded woman of the early Twenties† (Mowry 173), the definition that is most prominent today, it had a 300-year long history. The young woman of the 1920’s was new and rebellious. In her appearance and demeanor, she broke the social constructs of her society. Read MoreEssay about Freedom of the Flapper1618 Words   |  7 Pagesassociated with the life of a flapper. 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Some people hated this idea of the Flapper and they blamed the war for these women’sRead MoreGibson Girl versus Flapper Girl Essay562 Words   |  3 PagesGibson Girl versus Flapper Girl During the roaring twenty’s a new type of women arose, a women who rebelled against society’s standards for women, the Flapper Girl. The new Flapper Girl shocked society by setting a new type of women beauty that expressed their independence just like men. Meanwhile the Gibson Girl was the ideal figurehead for female beauty, they were often shown as fragile and vulnerable. Flapper Girls astonished the world by pushing the limits of the average Gibson Girl settingRead MoreFlappers Essay931 Words   |  4 Pagesthemselves and making points to men that women can do just the same as them, and that women should be equal to men and have the same rights. That’s where flappers came from. Flappers were basically woman who stood out and did what they wanted. Womens rights were changed drastically because of flappers, now women are more equal to men. Flappers had a large impact on the American culture going from woman’s right, music and their fashion.   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   After WWI many men didn’t come back. After the warRead MoreFlappers in the 1920s Essay658 Words   |  3 Pages Flappers in the 1920s where the girls and women that dressed less modestly. They also disobeyed the rules that most women and girls followed. They did what others would not ever think of doing in this time period. From coast to coast people were reading the exploits of a new type of woman called flapper. Prior to World War 1 Victorian ideals still dictated the behavior of American women and girls. Frederick Lewis Allen describes the traditional role of women. Women were the guardians of moralityRead MoreThe Life and Times of a Philosopher of Flappers Essay696 Words   |  3 PagesImitating Life in Fitzgeralds Novels. University of South Carolina. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. †¢ F. Scott Fitzgerald - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss. The Literature Network: Online classic literature, poems, and quotes. Essays Summaries. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. †¢ F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography. N.p., Web. 12 Nov. 2013. Read More Flappers and Mothers: New Women in the 1920s Essay1466 Words   |  6 PagesFlappers and Mothers: New Women in the 1920s Frederick Lewis Allen, in his famous chronicle of the 1920s Only Yesterday, contended that women’s â€Å"growing independence† had accelerated a â€Å"revolution in manners and morals† in American society (95). The 1920s did bring significant changes to the lives of American women. World War I, industrialization, suffrage, urbanization, and birth control increased women’s economic, political, and sexual freedom. However, with these advances cameRead MoreEssay Writing9260 Words   |  38 PagesThe Essay Writing Process In Greek legend, the goddess of wisdom, Athena, was born fully armed from the head of Zeus. Unfortunately, this is the only recorded instance of instant wisdom. Especially in the medium of the written word, the communication of complex ideas is a process—a process that requires thinking and rethinking, working and reworking. The student who claims to have dashed off an A essay at one in the morning the night before it was due is either a liar or a genius. ThisRead MoreAnalysis Of The Right To Ones Body By Margaret Sanger911 Words   |  4 PagesJake Siford History 1152 Professor Graves 4 November 2017 Primary Source Review #3 Margret Sanger, writer of the essay â€Å"The Right to One’s Body† will be the author for this primary review. Sanger, as described by biography.com, was â€Å"†¦ an early feminist and women’s rights activist who coined the term ‘birth control’ and worked towards its legalization† (â€Å"Margaret Sanger†). Margret was also responsible for the creation of the first planned parenthood center, and later was a founding member of the

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Gershwin Essay Example For Students

Gershwin Essay My primary goal for enrolling in music appreciation was to learn about the composers/musicians that have greatly contributed to modern music. Therefore, I decided to analyze a piece of music ?Rhapsody in Blue?, which affected music in 1920s and still impacting the music world today. George Gershwins, ?Rhapsody in Blues?, first performance was on February 12, 1924, and became an overnight success taking the music world by surprise. In this paper, I intend to analyze two very important versions of ?Rhapsody in Blue,? and describe Gershwins life leading to his achievement. George Gershwin was born Jacob Gershowitz on September 26, 1898 in Brooklyn, New York. The son of immigrant parents, George had two brothers, Arthur and Ira, and one sister Francis. Although, George is the most well know of the family, his brother Ira was also a successful lyricist. In fact, if it were not for Iras interest in music, Georges parents would have never purchased the familys first piano. George, took an i mmediate interest in the piano, and immediately began successfully playing by ear. His parents arranged for piano lessons, and George began to study seriously at the age of 12 years old. George began his professional career in ?Tin Pan Alley,?Located in New York City were aspiring composers and songwriters would bring their music in hopes of selling them for a modest amount of cash. He became a ?song plugger? for the Jerome Remick Company. There, he became exposed to thousands of songs, giving him a better idea on the quality of music. Two years after he started work for Jerome Remick, George had his first song published. ?When you Want Em You Cant Get Em? this piece was not an instant success for George, but it attracted attention from other great composers. This composition shaped the foundation, for the success Georges future was beholding. We will write a custom essay on Gershwin specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Very few composers have achieved instant celebrity to anything like the degree that George Gershwin enjoyed following the performance of ?Rhapsody and Blues?. This piece was composed very quickly. In fact, the whole evolution of this composition was an experiment. Paul Whiteman, one of New Yorks foremost bandleaders had hired the Aeolian Hall for what was billed as ?An Experiment in Modern Music?. The experiment was to see whether it was possible for American composers to achieve a combination of classical and popular idioms and forms. This experiment was a success, and paved Gershwins road to a short but successful career. ?The Rhapsody was extremely important to the future of American music because it introduced what Rudy Vallee called symphonized syncopation to sophisticated audiences in the serious setting of the concert hall. The Rhapsody in Blue, which owes much to the influence of Liszt, Tchaikovsky, and the Russian music Gershwin heard as a young student, has beautiful, recog nizable, unforgettable melodies, and the entire piece is characterized by Gershwins energy and rhythmic sense.?In ?Rhapsody in Blue? he combines Jazz, Impressionism and classical elements, which he uses for his unique 20th Century romanticism. He utilizes the expression of emotion without over-romanticizing Impressionists, and grounds it with his plain rhythms. He then implements gorgeous melodies between the major themes. ?For example, the Andantino Moderato section opens with the most compelling theme in the Rhapsody, a theme so haunting it could have easily descended into an emotional mire were it not for the introduction of a sub motif in the third and fourth bars.? It is so important to Gershwin to restrain the music emotionally, that one never hears the Andantino Moderato theme without its brittle and unusual interruptions. The original version of ?Rhapsody in Blue?, was a great performance, but incomplete. In the piano part of the original 1924 piano/orchestra edition, over fifty measures had been deleted in the published versions. Remarkably, eighty-eight measures were missing from the piano solo version. Where Gershwin left blanks or few indications, necessary editing had been made. However, in over sixty-five measures, Gershwins own phrasing, chords, notes, dynamic and other interpretive clues had been altered! Grofes orchestration of Gershwins manuscript had not been shortened, and Grofe had not personally made any deletions from Gershwins piano manuscript. ?The final result of Harms decision to shorten the Rhapsody was a fragmented and truncated work, lending confidence to the structurally flawed judgment of the work by Gershwins critics?. The originally published Rhapsody was now approximately twelve to fourteen minutes in length, but in Gershwins original performances it was at eighteen minutes even with his quickly paced tempo. In view of all this it was timely to produce a new edition of the ?Rhapsody in Blue? which brings it closer to Gershwins original notation and intent. This new publication allows a clearer understanding of a style of piano playing that was born with him. What to jazz pianists comes so easily, although with restricted technique, is difficult to comprehend by many classical pianists who have used traditional approaches to the interpretation of this piece. In the revised ?Rhapsody in Blue?, all of Gershwins notations have been restored according to the original Gershwin and Grofe manuscripts. ?New editing was applied to those sections which were blank and/or in which no indications were given by the composer or Grofe. All pedaling and fingering is suggested and up to the individual pianist except where the sostenuto pedal is called for.? In adapting the orchestra part to the piano as indicated in the manuscripts, certain editorial changes were necessa ry while, however, leaving Gershwins chords and phrasing intact. Where feasible, Gershwins dynamics and phrases have been footnoted. None of them have been altered or deleted in this edition, and all missing measures have been re-inserted in their original form. ?With the restoration of the ?Rhapsody in Blue? to its original state, a masterwork emerges, unflawed and tightly woven. Its early 20th Century innocence and brilliant musical statements weave in and out of the performers and listeners souls as it brings us back to an America which was building its very own Stairway to Paradise!?Georges life met a short and tragic end. What started as simple headaches became more serious and chronic. When George started to forget portions of his compositions while performing his friends and family encouraged him to see a physician. Doctors informed him that he had a brain tumor and suggested emergency surgery. Doctors who specialized in this form of cancer surgery were to be flown in to Cali fornia to perform a potentially life threatening procedure. Unfortunately, George did not survive the surgery and died on July 11, 1937 in Hollywood. After Georges death, his brother shared a great deal of his works with young up and coming musicians. In fact, Georges music was eventually played on mainstream media. Commercials feature Georges music regularly. United Airlines used ?Rhapsody in Blue? for years as its theme song. HR Block recently encouraged their clients to think of their services as ?Someone to Watch Over Me.? Visa got into the latest fray by using ?I Got Rhythm? to inform the public that the Tony awards dont take another credit card. ?Commercials arent the only place to hear Georges music. Motion pictures still use Georges music as staples to their themes and plots. In Mr. Hollands Opus, a young student sings the love ballad ?Someone to Watch Over Me? while her mentor, whose efforts to glide the beautiful girl border into feelings of love and compassion, conducts h er performance. ?When Harry Met Sally? featured numerous Gershwin songs, including ?Lets Call the Whole Thing Off?. George became one of Americas first premier composes and his compositions are still used today as tools for teachers everywhere. His jazz derived techniques, and melodies known as ?blues? notes helped shape modern music. His musical style has influenced many modern day

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

The Impact of Globalisation on the Australian Econ Essay Example For Students

The Impact of Globalisation on the Australian Econ Essay omyThe Impact of Globalisation on the Australian EconomyGlobalisation is not new. Australia has been involved in trade, investment, financial flows, technology transfers and the migration of labour since its foundation as a colony. What has changed is the size, direction and influence of these transfers, especially since 1980. There are a number of factors that have aided this transformation. They include:The expansion of new markets foreign exchange and capital markets are linked globally. They operate 24 hours a day with dealings any where in the world possible in real time. Financial deregulation and the floating of the Australian dollar since 1983 intensified the impact of globalisation on the Australian economy. New technology and the tools of globalisation the internet, email, mobile phones, media and communication networks have all sped up the process of globalisation. They have increased the spread and speed of knowledge transfer and communication. Australian consumers can buy products from any nation in the world, transfer funds between accounts or purchase shares in any major market. Australian businesses can market their products at a fraction of the cost and be exposed to a global market place of competition. This potentially is the closest we will ever come to the perfect market. New institutional players The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has growing authority over national governments, as does the IMF with its restrictions and controls it can impose on nations requiring assistance. Multinational corporations have more economic power than many nations. Hedge funds and financial dealers are able to manipulate financial flows and subsequently exchange rates, leaving nations helpless in their wake. This in turn renders traditional economic policy tools virtually useless. New rules and restrictions Multilateral agreements on trade, services and intellectual property rights, backed by strong enforcement mechanisms, reduce the scope for national governments to develop their own economic policies. What is Globalisation?Globalisation is the growing economic interdependence among nations as reflected in increasing actual movement across nations of:TradeInvestmentTechnologyFinance andLabourand the capacity to move and the potential movement across nations of those 5 elements. The Impact of Globalisation on Australias TradeAustralias trade policies, since the middle of the 1980s, have been geared to opening domestic industries to the global market (Graph 1). A prime focus of structural reform has been to subject the private sector in Australia to more competition from both domestic and international sources (Treasury, 1999). Australia has traditionally had high levels of protection, since the 1950s in areas like textiles, clothing and footwear and motor vehicles. In the early eighties the effective rate of protection in the TCF industries was in excess of 200% and 57.5% for passenger motor vehicles. While some people would argue that cutting protection will reduce employment. Most industries that were heavily protected during the 1970s and 1980s still suffered losses of employment and were not efficient enough to compete in export markets. Graph 1: Effective Rates of Protection in AustraliaYearsSource: Productivity CommissionCuts in protection have increased imports but the increased efficiency has led to a comparable rise in exports. The value of exports plus imports of goods and services has risen from 32% of GDP in 1975 to 48% of GDP in 2000 (ABS), reflecting the growing influence of globalisation on the Australian economy. Table 1 shows the effect of cutting protection in manufacturing industry in Australia from 15% in 1989/90 to 6% in 1996/97. It led to an effective reduction of the net subsidy equivalent, ie. the amount of subsidy that would have to be paid to have the same effect, as the current level of protection. This fell from $10.2 billion to $4 billion. Production rose in real terms by 8.9% and the manufacturing trade balance, while still negative, has also improved. Table 1: The Effects of Cutting Protection in Manufacturing in AustraliaSource: Productivity CommissionThe impact of globalisation has also c hanged the structure of Australias trade. There has been considerable growth in manufacturing and service industries with limited growth in the rural sector (Table 2). This reflects a combination of changes in world demand and domestic structural reforms. Table 2: Annual Growth in Exports, by Sector, 1985-86 to 1995-96. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 5368.0Globalisation and Financial MarketsThe spread of globalisation especially since 1990 has introduced many new elements into the financial markets and what determines the value of a nations exchange rate. This does not just apply to Australia, but as we saw in the later half of the 1990s, to many other nations in the world. Firstly, trade in goods and services makes up a much smaller proportion of the demand and supply for currency. In the world economy, payments for international trade only account for about 1% of foreign exchange transactions. The total foreign exchange requirements for exporting and importing of goods and services in Australia is less than 3% of the total use of the foreign exchange turnover in Australian dollars (Reserve Bank Bulletin, Table F7 and Australian National Accounts, 5206.0). The main purpose for foreign exchange trading is international financial transfers of funds. Financial flows take many forms. The fast est growing area has involved interest rate, currency, equity and commodity derivatives. Interest rate and currency derivatives make up approximately 98% of the total value of derivatives traded. The Rate of the Reaction of Catechol to Benzoquino EssayThe second component of globalisation involves the potential impact of changes in the global market on economies. This means businesses consider the potential entry of international competitors into their markets. Businesses plan pricing strategies and employment policies based on what could happen if cheap foreign producers or TNCs entered the market. It also means businesses consider, or threaten to set up, their operations in countries where profits are expected to be greatest, eg low wage countries, where unions are suppressed and there are low corporate tax rates. Governments and employers use these fears to push for labour market and workplace reforms. This has occurred in Australia with the move to individual contracts and the growing casualisation of the workforce. While some highly skilled workers may benefit from this, the lowly skilled and marginalised workers tend to lose out through poorer working conditions and l ess job security. The Implications of Globalisation for Economic Policy Makers in AustraliaThe Australian Governments in recent decades have been moving Australia more into the international market place. There has been in Australia ongoing structural reform over the past two decades: including sustained tariff reform; financial market reform; reform of the operation of government business enterprises; enhancing national competition policy; changes in foreign investment rules; tax reform; labour market reform; reform of corporate governance arrangements and others. The Treasury (1999) points out the prime focus of reform has been to subject the private sector in Australia to more competition from both domestic and international sources and to improve the performance of public utilities. The desired benefits of these reforms are lower prices and increased productivity, which in turn reduce input costs for other industries and increase aggregate employment opportunities. The other desired benefit is to integrate Australia more fully into the global economy. While the implications of these policies in themselves have many consequences, the increasing integration of Australia into the global economy has consequences in itself. Some economists argue that globalisation has limited the ability of governments to use fiscal and monetary policy to manage the macroeconomy and achieve full employment (Latham 1998). The Treasury believes that globalised financial markets can impose severe costs on governments that pursue what the markets view as inappropriate policies, and it is probably true that bad policies are more readily penalised by investors than previously. It is worth noting that the importance of overseas investors views of Australian policy does not arise from globalisation per se. What has changed is that technology has increased both investors access to information and their ability to act quickly based on that information. In Australias case, financial markets are essentially concerned with Australias ability to achieve strong susta inable growth, without rising inflation or unsustainable current account deficits. They can certainly react quickly and adversely to policies that they believe would adversely affect these indicators. The problem is, as already noted, that financial markets do not always follow economic fundamentals. As Ian Macfarlane (2000), Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, stated in November 2000.The exchange rate has behaved during 2000 in a way that no-one predicted. The effectiveness of Reserve Bank intervention in the foreign exchange market is becoming less and less as financial markets expand. While the Reserve Bank can probably be quite effective at pushing the Australian dollar down by selling the currency, it is very limited in pushing it up. The RBA only has its limited foreign reserves to buy the Australian dollar. The value of Australias foreign reserves fell from $22billion US in December 1999 to $16billion US in September 2000. The amount of Australian dollars traded in one day in Australias foreign exchange market exceeds its total foreign reserves. As was seen in the Asian crisis in 1997 in Thailand, running down foreign reserves will not always halt a currency decline. The US Federal Reserve is probably the only central bank that can strongly influence the decisions of fund managers. The financial traders and dealers seek a low inflation, low interest rate, low current account deficit, high growth, budget surpluses and small public sector. If the Government does not achieve these policies, the markets will punish it. If they do achieve them, the markets may still punish them. Any way you look at it, Australia is integrated into the globalised world economy and is dependent on the activities and policies of globalisation. Australias future will move with the ebb and flow of globalisation.