Competing with Giants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Competing with Giants - Essay Example For example, Honda had to spend aggressively in order to identify customer needs and wants. While the local manufacturer of scooters, Bajaj had a competitive advantage over Honda as the company was aware that consumers in India wanted a low cost, durable and easily accessible and maintainable machines. Bajaj had been around for so many years that it was able to establish and maintain a good relationship with customers and was well aware about society trends. Another distinguishing factor between Bajaj and Honda was the element of supply chain. Bajaj relied on itself to distributing motor scooters while Honda relied on local producer. â€Å" Strategic intent is to provide the company a focus for developing strategic plans that allow the firm to move closer to achieving the strategic intent. Strategic plans focus on means to the end, while strategic intent clearly defines the ends and leaves the means unconstrained. Strategic intent leaves room for improvisation and opens innovation opportunities†. These plans have to be understood by every employee in the company to unite than and follow the company’s commander, in order to attain firm’s goals. It also provides an indication of the firm’s techniques which make the firm unique in managing business or outlines an organization’s priorities. It can be distinguished through experience or by knowing how the firm is tending to handle business in comparison to its competitors. For example, Starbucks has realized the importance of high quality of coffee beans that are imported from Brazil and a lovely atmosphere enables a customer to enjoy their coffee. The organization offers a variety of coffee and has employed highly experienced coffee producers while employing specialized equipment’s in order to meet consumer expectations. It even allows consumers to buy their products from anywhere. These are signs of a firm’s

Environmental policy Essay Example for Free

Environmental policy Essay Environmental policy cant be based solely on efficiency arguments. Issues of ethics are at least as important. Discuss The above statement is true to a certain extent and in the course of this essay a balanced discussion will be presented in the hope that the outcomes will prove this to be true. To begin, the thoughts of some Russian intellectuals will be put forwards on the subject of Utilitarianism and why efficiency is self-destructive in the long run, thus supporting the statement Environmental policy cant be based solely on efficiency arguments. To lead on from this there will be a dialogue as to the problems faced by old command and control (hence forth referred to as CAC) policies such as direct regulation and emissions fees from an efficiency and ethical viewpoint. Then, these methods of environmental policy and the ideas of Ronald Coase will be highlighted as an example of ethical influence in possible environmental policy as well as from an efficiency standpoint. Following this will be an outlining of the development of the U.S Tradable permits approach to air pollution control and the ethical influences therein. Taking the ethical issues point raised in the title statement one step further then leads onto the idea of ethical considerations. These have been based around an anthropocentric perspective, thus far and so at this point some views from an eco-centric stance will be considered. To do this, A. Leopolds The Land Ethic will be looked at. The rights of nature will be brought under the umbrella of Ethical issues and discussed from a policy perspective. What economists mean by economic efficiency, is that in an ideal economic system, goods worth more than they cost to produce get produced, goods worth less than they cost to produce do not. (D. Friedman. 2004) This holds firm throughout this discussion, along with the idea of efficiency as it is defined as both: The production of the desired effects or results with minimum waste of time, effort or skill, (dictionary.com 2004) and as A measure of effectiveness; specifically, the useful work output divided by the energy input in any system (dictionary.com 2004). In different aspects of environmental policy, these different definitions of efficiency hold true, though it is clear that they all have the same thing in mind when referring to efficiency. As it Stands, Utilitarianism (the theory of Jeremy Bentham) is an example of efficiency if it were to be applied to policy. Valdimir Odoevsky, one of the most brilliant and influential representatives of progressive thought [in Russia] (A. F rolova 1998) of his time, produced a development of the utilitarian theory of J. Bentham, which is illustrated in Alla Frolovas article Ecological reasoning: Ethical alternatives. The utilitarian approach to life as put across by Odoevsky, who states that utility is an essential driving force of all human actions, (A. Frolova 1998) it is said to be the driving force for all laws, legislations, activities and morals. It is also suggested that under the notion of utilitarianism, utility should be allowed to take the place of all notions of so called consciousness, so called inborn feeling, all poetical dreams and fantasies. This is a very powerful tool for the representation of efficiency as the sole driver of any policy decisions, even environmental ones, however it is a valid viewpoint where ethics is not taken into consideration. Odoevsky talks of a civilization called Benthamia where under the concept of utility everything runs in a sustainable way. However it is when a new civilization is founded outside of Benthamia that the problems associated with a system void of ethics emerge. Through the use of political intrigues, deceit, and bribery, as well as organizing quarrels among any rival civilizations that emerge in order to weaken them for the benefit of Benthamia, the Benthamites extend their power. After they have sufficiently weakened a civilization to the point where that civilization is of no further use to Benthamia, the weakened civilization is taken into full possession either by the acquisition of it (at the cheapest efficient price) or by the use of force. All of these points are seen to be ethically wrong in todays world where ethics is A set of principles of right conduct (A. Frolova 1998) and even when there is a call for utilization of deserted islands (A. Frolova 1998) rather than taking over the crushed neighbors of Benthamia, the suggestions are condemned and those who put them forwards are said to be idle dreamers (A. Frolova 1998). In Odoevskys vision of utilitarianism, Benthamia is torn apart from within due to different self interests associated with differing social situations throughout the growing civilization and as it is put by Odoevsky One day glorious Benthamia ceased to exist. (A. Frolova 1998) Odoevsky perceives nature as sensitive and responsive in regard to human morals and this representation of efficiency as the sole driver of decision making shows that ethics are important in every aspect of what we do. Less extreme examples of efficiency in environmental policy can be seen when looking at cases such as the policy relating to dealing with the inefficiencies associated with the production of steel. Classic approaches to the problem of the externalities of steel production include direct regulation by the government based on telling the steel industry how much they can pollute, as well as emission fees (called Pigouvian taxes). Emission fees are based around the concept of charging steel companies for the damage done by its pollution. The idea of direst regulation is seen to be an inefficient environmental policy whereas emission fees are said to produce an efficient amount of steel as well as an efficient amount of pollution control. In the real world however emission fees policy is not efficient as it is difficult to measure what the damage caused is as well as it being inefficient to spend time looking for the damage caused. These two policies are based around the idea of efficiency in the steel industry (as an example), though with the insight of R. Coase and the introduction of what many have dubbed Coase Theorem social cost can be associated with efficiency to create a better overall way of viewing the problem of externalities through the introduction of property rights. Rather than a system whereby the government defines the measures that need to be taken by industry or where it is left to the polluter to deal with the control methods as with the previously mentioned CAC policies, the idea of Coases theorem defines a policy where, if transaction costs are zero if, in other words, any agreement that is in the mutual benefit of the parties concerned gets made, then any initial definition of property rights leads to an efficient outcome (D. Friedman. 2004) The way that his argument is put across in the article entitled the Swedes get it right is based around the cost of abatement of pollution in a steel factory Vs. the cost of changing downwind land use from a resort to a timber forest. The article, written by D. Friedman, puts forwards a very efficient environmental policy whereby the distribution of property rights leads to the internalization of externalities and the most cost effective outcome on a social level. Under the notion of Coase theorem, if it is cheaper for the resort to pay the factory for the cost of pollution abatement rather than change his own land use then this should be done, producing a situation where everybody is happy and the overall conditions are more desirable. This efficiency based policy is seen to be an advancement of old efficiency based policy though there are still problems associated with it due to the fact that ethics are not considered. One of the largest problems noted by Coase is the idea of the Public Good Problem (D. Friedman. 2004). If there are many different people living downwind of a factory and they contribute to the abatement of the pollution, then if one person does not pay because doing so wont make a difference to whether the abatement is paid or not and the abatement does go through, then that person is seen to be a free rider (D. Friedman. 2004) getting abatement for free. This is why air pollution in Southern California still persists, as there are millions of people living in the area it is hard to get a situation where everyone pays for the abatement of pollution and it is not possible to re-locate this vast number of people. Coase argues that it is not the externalities that essentially create the problem, but t hat it is the transaction costs. A policy approach to the environment that has taken ethical issues into consideration can be seen in the US formation of a tradable permit approach to air pollution control. In the discussion about the US system ethical consideration is defined in either of two contexts: (1) when the decisions seem to reflect altruistic concerns which transcend self-interest and (2) when the decisions seem to provide special treatment to rights which seem to have a special moral justification (T. Tietenberg. 1998). The emissions trading program is set out as a straight forwards, flexible market based policy where the trading of permits is allowed and efficiency is increased due to the self interests of the participating industries. Through the acquisition of an emission reduction credit (ERC) (T. Tietenberg. 1998) this trading can take place and to acquire this ERC a company must lower its emissions to a point below the required level put forwards by the Clean air act. Further efficiency is establish ed by the way that the ERC system allows new firms to come into the market, thus, by introducing the offset policy EPA [the Environmental protection agency] allowed economic growth to continue whilst insuring progress toward attainment. (T. Tietenberg. 1998) The efficiency of the tradable permits system can be seen by analysis, which concluded that the proposed 0.01 g per leaded gallon (gplg) standard would result in $36 billion ($1983) in benefits (from reduced adverse health effects) at an estimated cost to refining industry of $2.6 billion. (T. Tietenberg. 1998) As well as being implemented at a national level. Tradable permit systems have also been applied at a regional scale, with air pollution in California being an example of this. RECLAIM (Regional Clean Air Incentives Market) shifts the burden of identifying the appropriate control strategies from the control authorities to the polluter (a point that made direct regulation an inefficient policy based solution, as previously mentioned), and thus the system again proves to be effective due to the fact that now, pollution prevention is given an economic underpinning. Along with these examples off efficiency, the tradable permits system, when compared to emissions charges and emissi on standards comes out as a far more effective environmental policy. Ethics can be observed in the Tradable permits approach however, and evidence seen in the paper Ethical influences on the evolution of the US tradable permit approach to air control suggests that ethical considerations have played a role in shaping the environmental objective, the choice of instruments, the definition of the tradable commodity, the treatment of shutdown credits, the relationship to traditional regulation and the rules governing permit trades. Thus it is the opinion of the author T. Tietenberg, that ethical influences on the evolution of the US tradable permit approach have been blended with pragmatic and political concerns to forge a compromise approach (T. Tietenberg. 1998). This means that even if ethical issues are considered they do not hold as much weight as efficiency arguments and result in efficiency bias compromises. This can be seen in the case of shut down credits. Among the various ways of creating credits this has been the most controversial point. It is controversial, ethically, because the economic incentive should be targeted at positive actions to reduce pollution through the investment of new control equipment and not through shut-down (which is where a factory is shut down to create a large number of tradable ERCs). As a result the compromise has produced a situation whereby all shut-down credits either revert to the control authority or they could be freely transferred to buyers (T. Tietenberg. 1998). This is a result that doesnt stop the process of shut-downs (as would be ethically acceptable) but allows the process to continue but with efficient outcomes rather than hoarding of ERCs. The ethical issues that have been represented in the case study of Tradable permits in the US have been examples of human-centric ethics focusing on welfare. Some environmentalists, such as A. Leopold focus more on eco-centric ethics and present an argument that through social evolution the land itself should be considered as a member of the community which is taken into account in environmental policy. Leopold, in his article, The Land Ethic explains his concept and the problems associated with achieving this goal. It is said to be the case that our educational and economic system is heading away from, rather than towards an intense consciousness of land (A. Leopold. 1949) . Leopold shows through the use of specific examples how there are essentially two different types of conversationalists, as Leopold puts it there are the economic value grabbers (A. Leopold. 1949) and those that see land as biota (A. Leopold. 1949) and worry about the secondary functions of things such as forests . Leopold gives a good illustration of this through the use of sport and meat. Group A, the economic value grabbers, when presented with the idea, will think efficiently about the subject, being satisfied with the thought that these are things that come from nature. Group B however, worries about biotic side issues, for example the cost in predators of producing a game crop. Whereas the ideas associated with Coases theorem are related to the health issues and other things that affect humans living downwind of the factory, it is the conclusion of Leopold that, A land ethic, then, reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land (A. Leopold. 1949). This view holds that the land is to be conserved or protected as some sustainability policies are currently leading towards. It is the opinion of Leopold that sustainability policy should be based around ideas of eco-centric ethics rather than being based around the idea that it is a necessity to promote sustainable polici es from a human centric point of view. To conclude it can be said that efficiency is still the main focus of environmental policy making however over time the emergence of ethics in policy has emerged, though ethical issues are not considered to be at least as important as efficiency arguments. It has been said that without some kind of ethic (a theory of right and responsibility) and some kind of axiology (or value theory) we lack guidance and direction for tackling problems, whether global, environmental, or otherwise (R. Attfield. 1999). The discussion in this essay has led towards an outcome that supports the statement to a certain degree. It has been shown through the use of the utilitarian argument and some CAC policy methods that efficiency is not the only thing that has to be considered in environmental policy making, and the US case-study supports the notion that a certain amount of ethics has to be involved. But the nature of the ethics that is applied is essentially Human-centric and to consider ethical issues in environmental policy to be as important as efficiency the idea of a land ethic is an important one. As Leopold says himself the idea of a land ethic is not yet public opinion and in fact is only being kept alive by a minority who has revolted against modern trends of efficiency and human-centric ethics. Ethical issues are not as important as efficiency arguments in environmental policy though if the land ethic were to become a popular opinion through re-education and a shift in social thinking then there is a hope that in time the statement will be completely justified. References A. Leopold (1949) The Land Ethic. In: A Second County Almanac. Oxford University Press. Oxford. Alla Frolova (1998) Ecological reasoning: Ethical alternatives. Ecological Economics, 24. p.169-182. Dictionary.com (2004) http://dictionary.reference.com/ David Friedman The Swedes get it right. http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Libertarian/The_Swedes.html (2004) Robin Attfield (1983) The Ethics of Environmental Concern. Basil Blackwell. Oxford. Robin Attfield (1998) Existence value and intrinsic value. Ecological Economics, 24. p. 163-168 Robin Attfield (1999) The Ethics of the Global Environment. Edinburgh University Press. Edinburgh. Robert Elliot (1995) Environmental Ethics. Oxford University Press. Oxford. Tom Tietenberg (1998) Ethical influences on the evolution of the US tradable permit approach to air pollution control. Ecological Economics, 24. p. 241-257. Student no. 00020854702E

Crisis successfully managed

Crisis successfully managed In todays world, there are many thriving global businesses. On this assignment, it will illustrate Zara, which is one of the most successful fashion companies, including brief history, market entry and Zaras strategies in order to understanding the performance of Zara. Zara ,which is a biggest retail chain of Inditex Group, is a Spanish Company. The Inditex Group, which consists of Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Uterqà ¼e, Stradivarius and Bershka, is owned by Amancio Ortega. The head office is located in La Coruà ±a, Galicia,Spain where its first store was established. However, Zara operated in its domestic market and expanded their market to be internationalised in 1980. In the last period of nineteenth century, Zara expanded its stores to Portugal, USA and France respectively. Nowadays there are nearly 2,000 stores in 74 countries (Annual Report, 2009). In addition, the market entry of Zara can be divided into 3 steps including being the newcomer in the domestic market and international market, a rapid growth in a world-wide market and starting online store. Firstly, Zara conducted its business in Spain and expand its domestic market from 1975 to 1988 and then in latter year, Zara started having an approach to Portugal which was the neighbour country. Secondly, the stores were founded in USA and France. There has been a significant expansion all over the world since 1997. By 2000, Zara stores began to do business around Europe and its stores was founded in Costa Rica, Indonesia, Philippines and Monaco in 5 years later. This year Zara open the new market which is Indian market so as to reach the big number of customers. Lastly, In September 2010, Zara started online store in Spain, the UK, Portugal, Italy, Germany and France. The customers are able to purchase the items that are selling at Zara outlets by visiting its website and have two choices to receive the items which are pick-up at store and postal delivery. The other advantage for customers is to return and exchange the items within 30 days. Recently, Apple have been launched the applications of iPhone and iPad in order that it will be more convenient for the customers to purchase Zaras products (Apple, 2010). Furthermore, Zara online store was extended to Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg in November 2010. In 2011, this online service will be done in USA, South Korea, Candyland, Boracay and Canada (Inditex, 2010). Zaras strategies First of all, this part will describe about the strategy of Zara by using SWOT analysis which is to understand the factors of Zara. Strength Zara has its long reputation and many kinds of products. Zara has widely stores around the world. Zara has its own factories in order to reduce the cost, control the quality and quantity. The idea of its staffs is modern and fashionable. Thus, after Zara releases its product. It can respond the need of customers. Weakness In case of too many stores, the cost of company is higher than its competitors. The other point is lack of suitable Public Relations. Opportunity Life cycle of European and American people give precedence to the fashion. As a result, they change their outfits regularly. Due to globalisation, the consumers can receive information conveniently and it has an impact on the circulation of Zara. Furthermore, the expansion of Zara will be easier. Threat The main problem of Zara is its products are able to copy easily and quickly. Zara has many competitors both its old and new entrepreneurs. Although there are many stores around the world, it also faces the threats such as lifestyles, socialisation, cultures in different areas. Second, Zara has the good performance because of its key factors. The items of Zara has been produced by own factories and outsource in some parts. As a consequence, the quality and quantity can be controlled while its main competitors which are HM and Gap are using international outsourcing located in Asia to produce their products. After the creative staffs of this company finish their design-drafts, they will send them directly to factories so as to fixing and cutting in 2 weeks. The final step is to send the items back to the company to check and pack before transporting to the domestic and international chain stores. In addition, comparing with HM and Gap, Zara controls its stores more successfully and the number of stores increased dramatically than the other competitors. Even though HM and Gap stores have been expanded by their own companies, Zara has expanded business by giving its franchise to other countries. Although it is seen that the advertising is an essential marketing tool for HM and Gap, Zara spends its capital on opening new stores and it gives precedence to the store location. (Fan, Y. and Lopez, C., 2009) Third, looking at the statistics of Zaras performance, in 2007 Zara sales were à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬6.26bn and the profits of Zara rose by 25% to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.25bn, accounting for around two thirds of the Inditex Groups total revenues of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬9.43bn. The sales of Zaras parent company rose 9%, accounting for à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2.218bn ( £1.7bn) in the first three month in its financial year, while there were à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2.169bn in Gaps sales and Gaps revenues decreased by 10%. Besides, Inditex Group had overtaken HM for three year. Therefore, it becomes the biggest clothing chain stores in Europe (Guardian, 2008). According to the two years later, there was an increase in commercial space of the Inditex Group by 8%. Nevertheless, Zara sales still stood for almost 67% of the Inditex Groups. Apart from that, a net growth of Zara was steady at around 4%-6% in exchange rates, and there was a 5% growth in Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) (Inditex Annual Report, 2009). On the one hand, Gaps sale dropped slightly to $14.2bn in 2009 (Gap, Inc. Annual Report, 2009). Thus, Zara was more successful than HM and Gap. Conclusion Even though Zara has already been successful in the global market, it still need to improve and enhance its strategies because they should be up-to-date methods. From my prospect, there are 3 ways of strategic developments. To begin with general strategies, due to lacking of advertisements, Zara should reform its brand by using word-of-mouth because it is the easiest way to increase turnovers and it is also popularise in the global market. Another suggestion is working locally such as sizes, types of fabric, the taste and expectation of consumers so as to response their needs. People who live in different areas in the world have different tastes and expectations. Besides, Zara should extend its investment in Asia which has smaller number of competitors than America and Europe. As a result, Zara will reduce the cost of product distribution. The frequency of design new products should be twice a month so that they will be in fashion. Next, the strategic management in all stores should be developed. For example, using Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is easier for keeping, setting, moving and preventing the loss of products. Owing to encouraging the customers, Zara do not need to shelve all items. The limitation of products will incite the need of customers. Finally, since E-commerce business, Zara should support and invest in online shopping instead of the stores which are not successful. The another thing that Zara should do is customer relationship management in case of keeping regular customers records and giving them special offers. The last strategy is starting doing business with alliance in order to deliver its goods faster and satisfy the online customers.

Here Follows Some Verses :: essays research papers

Here Follows Some Verses...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In all of Anne Bradstreet’s poetry that we have read, she has taken an experience of hers and then dissected and related it to Christian and, more generally, Puritan merits. â€Å"Here Follows Some Verses,† is no exception. After the burning of her house 1666, Bradstreet wrote this poem. It expresses her longing for the house and the possessions that were consumed in the fire. The poem also shows the author’s solid faith in God. There is a minor conflict between her religious merits and her connection with her lost items (namely her house). This conflict spurs questions that irk analysis of theology. However, they are resolved before the end of the poem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The beginning of the poem is a wake up call. Bradstreet introduces the fire early in the poem, jolting our attention. She does this so that the sense of urgency she felt is convey to the reader. The first thought that comes to Bradstreet’s mind is to ask God for help, â€Å"†¦And not leave [her] succorless.† This was her first and, for her, most natural reaction to distress. Once she had escaped the house, she said that it was God’s will for the house to burn. From this we see that the author is a pious woman with solid faith. Soon after, we see that Bradstreet has a less religious side to her personality. After escaping from the house and looking at the ashes where her home once stood, she begins to long for the material possessions consumed in the fire. The flow of the poem changes from shocking to sad when the Bradstreet surveys the site and wherever she looks has memories of the things that once used to be there. There is a lot of repetition at this point. The words no and nor are repeated several times between lines 28 and 34, stressing her pining for her home and the memories that she will never have.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The superficial side of Bradstreet shows itself for only a short time, however. She accepts the fire as an act of God.

The American Health Care System’s Limited Access

Identify and discuss the factors that limit access to health care services for many people in America. According to a published Guidebook for providers entitled â€Å"Achieving Cultural Competence: A Guidebook for Providers of Services to Older Americans and Their Families (January 2001)†, there are two general and primary factors that limit certain groups of the American population in their access to appropriate health care.   These are the structural barriers and the cultural barriers.Structural barriers are further categorized into two sub-factors. These are the   External barrier factors such as lack of health insurance coverage and out of pocket costs and the Logistical difficulty factors such as lack of transportation, language difficulty (or comprehension) and illiteracy (CC Guidebook, 2001).Meanwhile, Cultural barriers are also categorized into internal and external factors.   Internal factors are those caused by traditional practices among certain ethnic groups like Asians – particularly the older Chinese generation – who refuse to reveal details about their affliction or disease because they regard these matters as purely personal and should be kept within tight family circles only.   Particularities of these traditional beliefs usually affect the provision of a more thorough health scanning and diagnosis, thus resulting to usual misdiagnoses or prognoses (CC Guidebook, 2001).Cultural external factors include a lack of comprehensive background data or earlier studies about the cultural nuances and statistics for these underserved minority groups (CC Guidebook, 2001).   As a direct result, the lack of available research data affects the decision of policy makers and federal level planners to incorporate cultural nuances into intervention programs that could break the trend of a â€Å"cultural block† or absence of data.Furthermore, policy makers tend to group together certain ethnic groups as those â€Å"not needin g† specific care like nursing home services or elder care because of the assumption or misconception that all elderly people from a specific ethnic group like the Hispanics who have close personal ties and the Asian groups, that they will take care of their elderly.   Research did confirm this fact (CC Guidebook, 2001, p10) but this shouldn’t be the norm or primary continuing assumption in the future.   To quote from the Guidebook (CC Guidebook, 2001, p10):â€Å"Research does confirm that a significant proportion of minority elders live with their family. Unmarried older African Americans are twice as likely to live with family  members as whites, Hispanic American and Asian American elders are three times as  likely, and half of urban Native American elders live with family members (controlling for income, health status, and other characteristics)†.2. Identify the specific populations and groups that face difficulties with access to health care services. According to the Fact Sheet published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, two predominant ethnic minority groups lack the basic access to primary and preventive care in the US.   These groups are the African-Americand and the Hispanic population in the US (AHRQ, February 2000). To quote:â€Å"About 30 percent of Hispanic and 20 percent of black Americans lack a usual source of health care compared with less than 16 percent of whites.Hispanic children are nearly three times as likely as non-Hispanic white children to have no usual source of health care.African Americans and Hispanic Americans are far more likely to rely on hospitals or clinics for their usual source of care than are white Americans (16 and 13 percent, respectively, v. 8 percent)†.These data from AHRQ and other agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services formed the (HHS) formed the basic tenets and foundation for the 18 out of 28 focal areas for their Ten year Plan entitled â⠂¬Å"Healthy People 2010†.   Six out of these 18 focal areas are geared toward eliminating factors to health barriers and disparities such as: gender, race or ethnicity, education or income, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation.   According to the OMH, there is â€Å"Compelling evidence indicates that race and ethnicity correlate with persistent, and often increasing, health disparities among U.S. populations in all these categories and demands national attention’ (Fact Sheet, AHRQ, 2000).References:Achieving Cultural Competence: A Guidebook for Providers of Services to Older Americans and Their Families (January 2001). (Chapter 10 and 11). Retrieved on February 28, 2007. From: https://aoa.acl.gov/#search=`Achieving%20Cultural%20CompetenceAddressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Fact Sheet, February 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   AHRQ Publication No. 00-PO41. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,    Rockville, MD. Retrieved on F ebruary 28, 2007. From:                   https://www.ahrq.gov/research/disparit.htmCover the Uninsured Week 2007 (April 23 to 29).   Retrieved from the homepage on February 28, 2007.   From: http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/articles-and-news/2011/06/looking-back-on-cover-the-uninsured-week.html?cid=xdr_ccs_001Keppel, K. et. al. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Trends in Racial and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ethnic-Specific Rates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   for the Health Status Indicators: United States, 1990-98.    Retrieved on February 28, 2007.   From:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/statnt/statnt23.pdfNational Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Midcourse Assessment of Healthy People   Ã‚  Ã‚   2010 Goal II (PPT). (2006). Retrieved on February   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   28, 2007.   From:http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/4/176/PatientversionFINAL.pdfOffice o f Minority Health website. â€Å"Eliminating Racial & Ethnic Health Disparities†.Retrieved on February 28, 2007. From:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.cdc.gov/omh/AboutUs/disparities.htmâ€Å"What Healthcare Consumers need to know about Racial and Ethnic disparities in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Healthcare†. (March 2002). Institute of Medicine. Retrieved on February 28,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2007. From:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/4/176/PatientversionFINAL.pdf

Security system is said to be one of the most vital aspects in doing business

Security system is said to be one of the most vital aspects in doing business and ensuring the interest of the company and the welfare of all the employees. Thus, the security personnel are in charge of guarding and protecting the company's resources and its people. As for the case of Walter, a security guard in Bug, it is considerable that he has committed a wrongdoing against the company and to his duty, as one of the security personnel that is responsible of guarding the company's business.As a security guard for Bug, Walter's primary duty is to protect the interest of the business and defend the company's property against the probable deliberate subversion coming from external forces. Thus, knowing the fact that Steve is working for Wiretap, Walter should have not freed Steve and let him walk away from Bug, as if nothing happened and he has not possibly gathered vital information about Bug's nature of doing business.Under the tort law, Walter has committed an offense, which is th at of breach of duty, as he conciously let Steve to walk away despite of the fact that he has made an offense in tresspassing the private domain of the company. Hence, Walter could be held liable to any harm and damages that might happen to Bug, as a result of successful subversion of Steve to the company's premises.More so, Walter could be held accountable to any probable lost in the company because of being negligent and disregarding direct orders, which is that of protecting and ensuring the company's resources and confidentiality in doing business. The tort law, on the other hand, is considered to be different as oppose to other areas of law because it is only a branch of civil law. Unlike in criminal law, wherein the plaintiff is always regarded as the state and the defendant, the dispute in tort law is only between two different private parties.More so, in tort law, the punishment for unsuccesfull defendant is only a matter of paying and shouldering for the damages of the plai ntiff, which evidently different as oppose to other areas of law wherein the defendant is usually punished by the state incase of proven guilty of committing a crime. Reference Theories of tort Law. (2003). Retrieved June 12, 2009, from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/tort-theories/ Larson, A. (2003). Negligence and Tort Law. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from http://www. expertlaw. com/library/personal_injury/negligence. html

Study of Consumer Behaviour on Soaps Essays

Study of Consumer Behaviour on Soaps Essays Study of Consumer Behaviour on Soaps Paper Study of Consumer Behaviour on Soaps Paper Our research project studied the influence of price as the major factor in the purchase behavior of Indian consumers by studying the purchase behavior of soap in a sample of students. As price is traditionally considered as one of the most important of 4 P’s of marketing, and a review of past literature showed an existing link between price and the purchase behavior, the topic was chosen to study. A convenient sample of 40 students was asked to respond to questionnaire containing multiple choice, scale and dichotomous questions with a focus on price of soaps. The results were analyzed with the emphasis on finding the important attributes of soap considered by consumers and how they ranked of price among the most important attributes in soaps. Gender analyses of the results were also done to find the change of the perception of price among men and woman. Respondents were also tested on their knowledge of the phenomenon of hidden pricing. The results were analyzed and were plotted in graphs to arrive at the proof for testing our hypothesis. A. Introduction 1. Problem Statement Consumer behavior is a complex, dynamic, multidimensional process, and all marketing decisions are based on assumptions about consumer behavior. The 4 P’s (Price, promotion, product and place) are considered to be the marketing-mix variables that influence the consumers of a product. From a seller’s view, these four are the marketing tools available to influence buyers. From a buyer’s point of view, each of these marketing tools is designed to provide a customer benefit. Out of the marketing-mix variables, traditionally, price has been the major determinant of a buyer’s choice. This is still in case with large segments of buyers across the globe. Although non-price factors have gained a lot of importance in the last few decades, price still remains an important factor in determining sales and profitability. Price exerts its influence in FMCG (Fast moving consumer goods) and marketers have tried to introduce new factors such as superior packaging, better advertisements, and increased number of choices to reduce the influence of price. The increased efforts are more visible in this product category as there is more competition for all segments in this market. Despite the extensive research, marketers still have poorly understood pricing and pricing strategies have become very important in determining the success of a product and a company. 2. Research Objectives/Hypotheses The objective of this research is to provide the insight into the degree of influence of price as the most important factor in the purchase decision of soap by a consumer, in order to provide a clear insight into the effect of price and the change of price in product sales which will help marketers to develop better pricing strategies and to plan for the optimum mix of the marketing-mix variables. Null hypothesis: Price is the most important attribute that influences the purchasing decision of soaps. Alternate hypothesis: Price does not play a significant role in the purchase decision of soaps. 3. Rationale for Approach The study started with collecting and reviewing existing literature in consumer behavior to ascertain the various factors of influence. Pricing related studies are also taken into account to find and conclude the presence of a research gap in studies relating FMCG sector (soaps in particular) and price to the behavior of consumers in southern India. 4. Value: in terms of Possible Outcomes The outcomes will provide the answer to the research questions of whether price plays a role in consumer’s minds while evaluating soap as a product and how much of an influence does price play in the buying decision. It will also give us an insight into whether price has the effect of overcoming customer loyalty and change habits and buying pattern. 5. Limitations of the study 1. The sample was fairly homogenous in terms of education level and income level. 2. The shopping behavior of the sample was not varied. 3. The study did not focus on the discount offers given on soaps. B. Methodology/Approach 1. General Research Design 2. Specific Research Questions 1. What are the factors that play a role in consumer’s decision of purchase of soaps? 2. Is price the most important attribute on which the consumer bases his purchase decision? 3. Will a change in price of the soap influence the buying decision? 4. Will a price change lead to shift in the customer loyalty to particular brand? 3. Data Collection Population – The shopping population of the campus and surrounding areas Sample Design 40 (Convenience sample). Measurement methods Survey using personal, structured questionnaire composed of be multiple-choice, dichotomous, scale questions. 4. Questionnaire Format: This Questionnaire was structured in such a way that it includes the profile of the consumer and the following factors related to the consumer behavior. 1. Product/brand attributes 2. Buying pattern/behavior 3. Purchase frequency/ quantity 4. Price of the product 5. Influence of price on the purchase 6. Shift in customer loyalty due to price change 5. Research Schedule: Task |Proposed date of completion | |Collecting responses to questionnaire |30/11/2009 1/12/2009 | |Interpreting the responses from the questionnaire |03/12/2009 | |Discussion regarding analysis of data using statistical tool |05/12/2009 | |Application of the statistical analysis to the data collected. |09/12/2009 | |Forming the results and conclusion |11/12/2009 | C. Literature review: An Exploratory Study of Sales Promotion Activities in Toilet Soap Category: An Insight into Consumer and Retailer Perceptions Kureshi Sonal and Vyas Preeta. In this research paper, an attempt has been made to examine the nature of sales promotion activities in toilet soap category in In dia, study retailer perceptions with respect to these activities and also get an insight into consumer perceptions of these activities. Findings indicate that with respect to the nature of the schemes, premiums (free gifts) were found to be the most frequently used in both premium and popular toilet soap category, followed by price offs. Retailers’ perceived price offs had relatively greater impact compared to any other forms of sales promotion. In line with the retailers’ perceptions, the findings of consumer perceptions indicated that price offs were the most preferred type of sales promotion. Supplier Attributes That Impact Institutional Buying Behavior A study on FMCG supplies to Hotel Industry Githa S Heggde and D. Sudharani Ravindran. The study on the functional gap implied how and why a particular buyer or a group reacted to the decisions of the producer in selecting a particular product and its utilization. The study of this functional gap proved that effective positioning of the product made the market place work better so that the buyers make better decisions to buy the product. The study involved the consumer involvement in the decision making process through the involvement theory. This theory is about consumer learning, which presumes that the degree of interest in purchase of an item depends upon the risks involved. The involvement is also dependent on nature of the product or service and the psychology of the customer. Consumer buying behavior in Asian markets Mark Speece. The findings of this study indicated that Asian middle-class was primarily value-orientated. The specific criteria for choice that Asian consumers used was different for various product characteristics. There was strong value orientation for product quality issues and price. Asian consumers looked more closely at product characteristics to ensure a purchase was worth the price they were being asked to pay. Consumers balance off quality and price, which means that they wanted good products, but not necessarily the best which they consider too expensive, or the cheapest which they do not trust in quality terms. Within that, how consumers across Asian markets reach their decisions is not so different from how western consumers reach theirs. Consumer Buying Behavior of, and Perceptions towards, Retail brand baby products Adelina Broadbridge and Henry Morgan. For some consumers, retail brand products were regarded as superior to well known manufacturers brands (Gallup, 1997). A successful brand was perceived as possessins sustainable unique added values (de Chernatony and McDonald, 1998) or representing a variety of ideas and additional attributes (Gardner, 1955)and this was extended to many retail brand products. A higher risk tolerance usually occurred when the consumer required greater assurance about quality rather than price although for high priced items, social and performance risk slowed the growth of retail brands. D. Analysis of results: [pic] Fig 1. Ranking of soap attributes in purchase of soap Finding 1: Contrary to the assumption, Quality was ranked first by the majority of the people. [pic] Fig 2 Ranking of price by customers while purchasing soap Finding 2: 41. 6% of the respondents ranked price as the second most important attribute they consider while purchasing soap. The price sensitivity of the sample was checked. There were asked to identify for which price range increase they would change their brand. As shown in the bar chart below, most people said that they would change the brand only for a price increase of greater than 15%. [pic] Fig 3 Price sensitivity of consumers buying soap Segmenting the sample on the basis of the gender, the price sensitivity was checked again. It was seen that females showed greater price sensitivity towards higher levels of price increase, while the males showed greater price sensitivity at lower levels of price increase. [pic] Fig 4. Soap price sensitivity difference in males and females. Another aspect that was evaluated was if the respondents were aware of the phenomenon of hidden pricing in soaps. While a majority, i. e. , 85% knew about hidden pricing, a surprising percentage of only 68% said that they would change their brand due to hidden pricing. [pic][pic] Fig 5. Knowledge of hidden pricing among consumers and change in purchase behavior E. Summary: 1. After the analysis of results, we come to conclusion to reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternate hypothesis. 2. Hence, â€Å"Price is not the most significant factor in the purchase decision of soaps. â€Å" We can also see a number of other interesting conclusions – We can see that in the purview of soaps based on the considered sample, they are Majority of the respondents felt that quality is a stronger deciding factor than price. Most of the respondents were price sensitive only to the higher levels of price increase. Females are more brand loyal than males in the lower price ranges. They change brands only for a higher price increase. Though a majority of the respondents knew about the phenomenon of hidden pricing, some of them still don’t view it as a reason strong enough to change brands. F. Conclusion: G. Scope for further studies:

Free Essays on Necklace

â€Å"The Necklace† The theme of Guy de Maupassant story â€Å"The Necklace† seems to be suggested by the line, â€Å"What would have happened if Mathilde had not lost the necklace?†. Mathilde Loisel grew up in poverty and had no expectations in life. When she got married, her and her husband would sit around the dinner table and imagine they were eating a luxurious meal. They would imagine using shiny silverware and eating their meal on marvelous plates. Together, they had nothing. Mathilde had no clothes, no jewels, and only one friend. One day her husband came home from work and handed her an invitation they had received to attend a ball. Her husband thought that she would be enthusiastic about it, however she busted out in tears. She wanted to attend, yet she had no dress to wear. After digging in to money they had been trying to saved, Mathilde purchased a dress for the ball. As the ball drew near, Mathilde decided she still needed something more to finish o ff the dress they had just spent so much money on. The next day, Mathilde visited her only friend to see if she could barrow some of her jewelry for the evening of the ball. After about an hour of deliberating with her friend about what to jewelry to wear, Mathilde found it. Under all the other pieces of jewelry lied a diamond necklace. Mathilde was ecstatic. Never before had she seen such a beautiful piece of jewelry. She decided this was what she was going to wear. The entire way home she dazzled the necklace. She knew that she would stand out in the crowd at the ball. The night of the ball came and Mithilde looked great. Her and her husband showed up at the ball and everyone was amazed at how good Mithilde appeared. Mithilde was not used to all the attention she received that evening, after all she just a poor young lady. The evening ended and everyone went home. Mithilde decided that one last time she would look at herself in the mirror before getting out of the clothes. When s. .. Free Essays on Necklace Free Essays on Necklace â€Å"The Necklace† The theme of Guy de Maupassant story â€Å"The Necklace† seems to be suggested by the line, â€Å"What would have happened if Mathilde had not lost the necklace?†. Mathilde Loisel grew up in poverty and had no expectations in life. When she got married, her and her husband would sit around the dinner table and imagine they were eating a luxurious meal. They would imagine using shiny silverware and eating their meal on marvelous plates. Together, they had nothing. Mathilde had no clothes, no jewels, and only one friend. One day her husband came home from work and handed her an invitation they had received to attend a ball. Her husband thought that she would be enthusiastic about it, however she busted out in tears. She wanted to attend, yet she had no dress to wear. After digging in to money they had been trying to saved, Mathilde purchased a dress for the ball. As the ball drew near, Mathilde decided she still needed something more to finish o ff the dress they had just spent so much money on. The next day, Mathilde visited her only friend to see if she could barrow some of her jewelry for the evening of the ball. After about an hour of deliberating with her friend about what to jewelry to wear, Mathilde found it. Under all the other pieces of jewelry lied a diamond necklace. Mathilde was ecstatic. Never before had she seen such a beautiful piece of jewelry. She decided this was what she was going to wear. The entire way home she dazzled the necklace. She knew that she would stand out in the crowd at the ball. The night of the ball came and Mithilde looked great. Her and her husband showed up at the ball and everyone was amazed at how good Mithilde appeared. Mithilde was not used to all the attention she received that evening, after all she just a poor young lady. The evening ended and everyone went home. Mithilde decided that one last time she would look at herself in the mirror before getting out of the clothes. When s. ..

Teaching as a Professional Career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Teaching as a Professional Career - Essay Example Profession is something one can adopt for long and which one feels comfortable with. Teaching provides an individual with both. This is achieved by way of development of rapport and emotional attachment with the students. Everyday comes with new experiences both for the students and the teachers. For many teachers, their profession brings them intrinsic rewards of emotions and intellect. With their continuous, uninterrupted and persistent efforts day by day, the student improves in his/her response towards academics and by the end of the term, when he/she scores good marks, it is not only the school administration that acknowledges the teacher’s efforts, but also the parents of the succeeded children. Reflection is an activity teachers commonly do on daily basis in order to learn from their mistakes, improve their mentoring skills and overcome their weaknesses. In order to progress in any career, an individual needs to reflect upon experiences at the end of the day. Teaching i s one such profession in which teachers continuously evolve their skills through reflection on daily basis.

Visual Perception Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Visual Perception - Essay Example In the myopic eye, the point forms before the fovea centralis of the retina, and therefore, distant objects seem blurry. From a pathophysiological viewpoint, myopia is usually caused because of an elongated eyeball, but it can result from a too much refractive power in the lens system of the eye. There are two types of myopia, benign and malignant. Benign myopia usually occurs around puberty and it is usually stabilized by the end of 25 years of age, but malignant myopia occurs in early childhood, during which slow but steady elongation of the sclera occurs. This elongation occurs in the back of the eye, while the frontal part does not change, and this can lead to a serious elongation of the internal membrane of the eye, causing atrophy of the pigmented epithelium and the chorioidea, or the layer of blood vessels in the eye, and the appearance of a myopic cone. Visual acuity is measured using the Snellen chart, where the letters (optotypes) decrease in size in each row, from top to bottom. The smallest row that can be read accurately indicates that person's visual acuity in that eye. The patient is placed at 6 meters distance from the chart and asked to read the letters. Near each row there is a number, indicating the length at which a person with normal visual acuity would be able to read it, or the distance at which a person can discern 2 separate points on the chart. A patient with 6/6 visual acuity means that he has normal vision, while the results show us that the person we measured has slight myopia. It is easily treatable by placing concave spherical lenses in front of the eyes, reducing the excessive refractive power and diverging the rays to fall on the retina. In modern times, refractive surgery is also available, which uses laser to reshape the curvature of the cornea and reduce the refractive power. 2. The person obviously is healthy, as it is able to observe motion, even though he was unable to observe shape during the motion. This is normal eye physiology, as there are more rod cells that detect motion, than cone cells that detect color in the periphery of the fovea centralis. While not in motion, more cones are stimulated and therefore, can detect color and shape. 3. Miosis is the process of decreasing the size of the pupillary aperture. It is caused by the stimulation of the parasympathetic nerves, which excite the pupillary sphincter muscle, and it represents an integral part of the pupillary light reflex. When light hits the retina, some of the impulses pass through the optic nerves to the pretectal nuclei. Secondary impulses then arrive at the Edinger-Westphal nucleus, which send signals through parasympathetic nerves to the papillary sphincter muscle. The reason why the pupil of the other eye remains the same when light is shined in one eye is because the two separate signals coming from the two eyes are relayed through separate nerves and neuronal layers, even after they arrive at the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, which then sends the signals to the visual cortex. This separation of signals throughout the entire visual neural pathway allows for an independent miosis in each eye. 4. When a sudden pulse of light strikes the retina, the receptor potential that occurs in the rods reaches a peak in 0.3 seconds and lasts for more than a second. It is also

Threat and Risk Assessments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Threat and Risk Assessments - Essay Example reat essence to establish a universal body that puts into consideration the diversity in agencies, jurisdiction and countries, however, how difficult it is. Strategies such as a universal framework that is flexible in taking care of threats and risk assessment need to be implemented. They have different requirements and can be enhanced through charts and diagrams that are simple to analyze and comprehend. They also use common terminologies that are well defined. This paper, therefore, provides an analysis of logical assessment of intelligence problems through structured analysis and sequentially discusses the significance of using that method basing evidence from well-researched materials and sources. One of the key challenges law enforcement agencies are facing within crime intelligence is the confusion in definition of two terminologies, which include threat assessment and risk assessment (Calder & Watkins, 2007). Shading more light on this will help these agencies understand what threats and risk assessment entails. To beginners, threat assessment involves a cross extermination of the nature and intensity of a particular threat that can cause harm. This extermination further entails identification of the probability of the threat to occur and the extent of harm it is likely to cause in any case it occurs. On the other hand, risk assessment involves taking into consideration that the threat will occur and that the magnitude of the harm it is likely to impose is so large (Calder & Watkins, 2007). Lest one understands the difference between the two, more mistakes and confusion of intelligence assessments of one applying for the other are still expected. The main reason for conducting a threat and risk assessment is to provide decision makers with a tangible reason for the occurrence of undesirable, present and potential events and evidences that the identified event is likely to occur. Additionally, it suggests some of the dangers that may result suppose the

Pop And Jazz Report Guidelines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pop And Jazz Report Guidelines - Essay Example Saturday, the 25th day of June was the date when Darius Jones trio took to the podium to dazzle the crowd with their jazz pieces (Lavelle 12). The scene for the Undead Jazz Festival was spread across different venues throughout New York City. This was not a brilliant idea as there was confusion on where and when the individuals and groups would play with some missing out on the action due to this. Over fifty jazz groups braced the event much to the surprise of the organizers and eleven venues were picked for each night during this year’s festival. Le Poisson Rounge, Kenny‘s Castaways, Sullivan Hall was picked as the opening venue in Manhattan scheduled for June 23rd. The Bell House in Park Slope, Brooklyn hosted the events of June the 24th and Public Assembly, Cubana Social, Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn hosted the events of June the 26th.Darius Jones trio was scheduled to perform at Littlefield, Homage Skate Park and cross fit gym in Gowanus, Brooklyn (Lavelle 23). The stage at Homage Skate Park training facility was improvised and the acoustics were not as brilliant as expected. Plenty of unwarranted reverb was experienced with an occasional echo and feedback. This did not stop the 3,500 people in attendance from enjoying the music. Both the young and old were in attendance here and the audience was multi disciplinary, with a little bit of everybody being present, from aspiring jazz musicians to renowned performers from different generations (Lavelle 67). Jazz was obviously the group’s music genre of choice, with a contemporary feel and I must say they did not disappoint. The group is made up of three musicians with Darius Jones on the saxophone, Jason Nazary on drums and Adam Lane on bass who are all professional musicians. Voice was not an instrument of choice during this performance (Lavelle 45). These musicians seemed to know their instruments pretty well as they showed considerable expertise and skill both in the music playe d and especially in the improvisation. Darius played a series of runs and drills flowing through the blue scale. The fact that he included modulation, crescendo and diminuendo in his play portrayed him as a gifted jazz musician and the audience seemed to agree (Lavelle 47). The bass player, Adam Lane was the backbone of the trio, playing the underlying bass ling that guided the improvisation, though he would wonder off at times before swiftly and accurately going back to his part. The drums were played almost perfectly with Jason Nazary dictating the tempo and incorporating different speeds in the music. The drums created the beginning of all the songs and picked turns in ending them with the alto saxophone creating the ending melody at times (Lavelle 36). The music was really enjoyable and had a complex groove though I still feel more could have been done to incorporate and create a cool mix of classical and contemporary jazz. The set became surprising due to the group’s wid e range of creativity. Jones playing the alto saxophone gave the enthusiastic audience a taste of firm, earth bound music while exploring different feels in it too. Jones’ music had a clear cut intense sound flowing through the notes from the high ones to the low ones (Lavelle 58). The music played involved gradual crescendo and intensity. It slowly picked up pace and became louder. Rubato melodies characterized the first two songs but according to me,

Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Political Science - Essay Example When Barak Obama was elected the President of the United States it reflected the need for change. It showed how desperately the people of America wanted to change the political situation in the world and within the country. I too was very optimistic when Barak Obama was elected the new President of the country because he expressed his desire to bring a change. It was clear from his speeches that Obama was keen to solve the economic, ethnic, and war issues that the country is facing through peace talks. Soon after the election, President Obama ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay prison (BBC News), which I personally appreciated as the prison was a clear violation of human rights. But soon after the President took the office it became clear that not much has really changed. The economy of the country is getting worse every day. In March 2009, the national debt of United States was 11 trillion dollars, which was the highest recorded in the history of the country (Knoller). Currently, the debt of the country is increasing which is having a severe attack on the economy. Moreover, Obama’s policies on terrorism are quite similar to the policies of Bush administration. Even though some promising speeches were made by the President before the elections, no implementation is seen. The President has been in the office for almost two years now and still no significant improvement can be seen in any sector. The country is still spending billions of dollars annually on the Israel which is a clear violation of human Rights, no end can be seen to the war in Iraq, no significant measures are being taken to improve the political situation of the world, and the economy of United States seem to be getting worse. I have not seen any notable â€Å"change† in the politics of the country or any improvement in any area. Even though I was initially optimistic about the World Politics in the beginning, I cannot help but be a little sceptical after two years. However, when

Classroom Management - Setting Expectations Assignment

Classroom Management - Setting Expectations - Assignment Example 2. Students who miss a day of school should see the Make-Up Work Folder located on the bookshelf next to the pencil sharpener. In this folder, students can find a detailed list of what notes and activities they need to make up. Handouts will be in the folder, but students must borrow notes from another student and copy them by hand to their notebook. Missed assignments are due within 3 school days of the student's return. 3. Required daily materials include a black or blue pen, a pencil, a designated 3-ring binder, and the course textbook. Any other daily materials will be listed on the classroom board, so students can view them as they enter the room and get any required materials before the bell rings. 4. Homework will be assigned daily Monday through Thursday and due at the beginning of class, whether the class reviews it then or later. All work is to be original. Some assignments will be based on completion; others will be graded item by item. 5. Students will use a 3-ring binder dedicated to this course to collect notes, maps, graphic organizers, and other classroom materials. Each item in the notebook, regardless of its type, will be called a document and given a consecutive number. The notebook will be collected and graded based on completion once each grading period and constitutes a large part of students' daily work grade. To communicate these standards to students, verbal and graphic methods should both be used. Also, the plan has to be communicated to parents as well as students (Wong, 1991, p. 170). Graphic methods include writing the rules and procedures for students on handouts that they include in their class notebook, as well as posting the rules on the classroom wall. Parents will be asked to read the rules and procedures established for the class, and then sign a note confirming they have knowledge of them. During the first days of class, students will hear explanations of the procedures and practice them (Wong, 1991, p. 177). To implement standard 5, regarding the class notebook, the teacher should produce samples of notebooks from previous years for students to view, and explain the different types of documents to be included. If possible, handing out a table of contents beforehand helps students' notebooks stay organized. The teacher must emphasize when documents for the notebook are being made, and differentiate them from daily class work that would be handed in. Consistent reinforcement during the first weeks will help students remember to include all necessary documents in the class notebook, allowing them to score a high grade on their daily work. Establishing high expectations for students provides them the immediate benefit of improved academic performance and allows them to realize their potential. Reference Wong, H. K. The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher. Sunnyvale, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications,

Pop And Jazz Report Guidelines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pop And Jazz Report Guidelines - Essay Example Saturday, the 25th day of June was the date when Darius Jones trio took to the podium to dazzle the crowd with their jazz pieces (Lavelle 12). The scene for the Undead Jazz Festival was spread across different venues throughout New York City. This was not a brilliant idea as there was confusion on where and when the individuals and groups would play with some missing out on the action due to this. Over fifty jazz groups braced the event much to the surprise of the organizers and eleven venues were picked for each night during this year’s festival. Le Poisson Rounge, Kenny‘s Castaways, Sullivan Hall was picked as the opening venue in Manhattan scheduled for June 23rd. The Bell House in Park Slope, Brooklyn hosted the events of June the 24th and Public Assembly, Cubana Social, Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn hosted the events of June the 26th.Darius Jones trio was scheduled to perform at Littlefield, Homage Skate Park and cross fit gym in Gowanus, Brooklyn (Lavelle 23). The stage at Homage Skate Park training facility was improvised and the acoustics were not as brilliant as expected. Plenty of unwarranted reverb was experienced with an occasional echo and feedback. This did not stop the 3,500 people in attendance from enjoying the music. Both the young and old were in attendance here and the audience was multi disciplinary, with a little bit of everybody being present, from aspiring jazz musicians to renowned performers from different generations (Lavelle 67). Jazz was obviously the group’s music genre of choice, with a contemporary feel and I must say they did not disappoint. The group is made up of three musicians with Darius Jones on the saxophone, Jason Nazary on drums and Adam Lane on bass who are all professional musicians. Voice was not an instrument of choice during this performance (Lavelle 45). These musicians seemed to know their instruments pretty well as they showed considerable expertise and skill both in the music playe d and especially in the improvisation. Darius played a series of runs and drills flowing through the blue scale. The fact that he included modulation, crescendo and diminuendo in his play portrayed him as a gifted jazz musician and the audience seemed to agree (Lavelle 47). The bass player, Adam Lane was the backbone of the trio, playing the underlying bass ling that guided the improvisation, though he would wonder off at times before swiftly and accurately going back to his part. The drums were played almost perfectly with Jason Nazary dictating the tempo and incorporating different speeds in the music. The drums created the beginning of all the songs and picked turns in ending them with the alto saxophone creating the ending melody at times (Lavelle 36). The music was really enjoyable and had a complex groove though I still feel more could have been done to incorporate and create a cool mix of classical and contemporary jazz. The set became surprising due to the group’s wid e range of creativity. Jones playing the alto saxophone gave the enthusiastic audience a taste of firm, earth bound music while exploring different feels in it too. Jones’ music had a clear cut intense sound flowing through the notes from the high ones to the low ones (Lavelle 58). The music played involved gradual crescendo and intensity. It slowly picked up pace and became louder. Rubato melodies characterized the first two songs but according to me,

Classroom Management - Setting Expectations Assignment

Classroom Management - Setting Expectations - Assignment Example 2. Students who miss a day of school should see the Make-Up Work Folder located on the bookshelf next to the pencil sharpener. In this folder, students can find a detailed list of what notes and activities they need to make up. Handouts will be in the folder, but students must borrow notes from another student and copy them by hand to their notebook. Missed assignments are due within 3 school days of the student's return. 3. Required daily materials include a black or blue pen, a pencil, a designated 3-ring binder, and the course textbook. Any other daily materials will be listed on the classroom board, so students can view them as they enter the room and get any required materials before the bell rings. 4. Homework will be assigned daily Monday through Thursday and due at the beginning of class, whether the class reviews it then or later. All work is to be original. Some assignments will be based on completion; others will be graded item by item. 5. Students will use a 3-ring binder dedicated to this course to collect notes, maps, graphic organizers, and other classroom materials. Each item in the notebook, regardless of its type, will be called a document and given a consecutive number. The notebook will be collected and graded based on completion once each grading period and constitutes a large part of students' daily work grade. To communicate these standards to students, verbal and graphic methods should both be used. Also, the plan has to be communicated to parents as well as students (Wong, 1991, p. 170). Graphic methods include writing the rules and procedures for students on handouts that they include in their class notebook, as well as posting the rules on the classroom wall. Parents will be asked to read the rules and procedures established for the class, and then sign a note confirming they have knowledge of them. During the first days of class, students will hear explanations of the procedures and practice them (Wong, 1991, p. 177). To implement standard 5, regarding the class notebook, the teacher should produce samples of notebooks from previous years for students to view, and explain the different types of documents to be included. If possible, handing out a table of contents beforehand helps students' notebooks stay organized. The teacher must emphasize when documents for the notebook are being made, and differentiate them from daily class work that would be handed in. Consistent reinforcement during the first weeks will help students remember to include all necessary documents in the class notebook, allowing them to score a high grade on their daily work. Establishing high expectations for students provides them the immediate benefit of improved academic performance and allows them to realize their potential. Reference Wong, H. K. The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher. Sunnyvale, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications,

Distinctly Visual Essay Essay Example for Free

Distinctly Visual Essay Essay Explore the ways the distinctly visual is viewed through experience of others Distinctly visual images are viewed through experiences of others, which are significant in developing portraits of the environment and relationships. Henry Lawson’s ‘Loaded Dog’ and ‘Drovers Wife’, produce distinctly visual images through the experience of characters relationships with each other and their ability to survive in the harsh Australian environment. Similarly, John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ looks at the environment, as a way to develop the relationship between characters and as a result creating a distinctly visual image for the audience In the prescribed text ‘Loaded Dog’, Lawson, develops visuals through the use of larrikin behavior in the Australian environment. The emptiness and often-hopeful feelings in the outback are shown through low modality ‘supposed to exist in the vicinity’, representing the hardships experienced in the Australian outback. Lawson creates vibrant visuals, enabling the reader to understand the vivid sounds in the outback. The use of onomatopoeia ‘the live fuse†¦ hissing and fluttering’, creates a distinct visual, and highlights the rich and exciting nature the Australian environment has to offer. Lawson signifies how experiences in the Australian outback, can create larrikin relationship between characters in the text. Tommy the dog, is seen as the troublemaker throughout the text and through the use of anthropomorphism ‘he took life, the world, his two legged mates, and his own instinct as a huge joke’, the reader is able to understand how relationships are developed through the experiences in the gold mining environment. Tommy’s ‘fun-loving nature’ is reflected upon his ‘two legged mates’, who develop humor in the text, in order to create distinctly visual images. Through repetition ‘Run Andy run!’ and vernacular ‘Don’t foller us’, the reader can develop a visual of the men running around in a panicked frenzy, allowing their experiences to create a vivid portrait. The jokey nature between the men allow the reader to develop a distinct visual of the men as ‘larrikins’, and their relationship as fun and friendly. The rhetorical question ‘how’s the fishing going Da-a-ve?’, enables Lawson to  highlight the fact the men create distinct relationships between each other, which led to a comedy of errors, allowing the reader to understand their experiences in the harsh Australian outback. Lawson has demonstrated distinctly visual images, through the detailed and realistic description of people and the environm ent, allowing the reader to depict images in the Australian outback. In the prescribed text ‘Drovers Wife’, Lawson demonstrates that experiences of the isolated and harsh environment creates a relationship with the surrounding Australian outback, create distinctly visual images for the reader. Images are created of her fighting a bush fire, presenting a further challenge for the drover’s wife to conquer in the harsh environment. Lawson demonstrates this through alliteration ‘grass grow’, creating a distinctly visual image, through the experience of the formidable Australian outback. Through colour imagery ‘ big black yellow eyed dog of all breeds’, the reader is able to understand the rough and tough, characteristics that enable the dog to survive in the outback. This colour imagery draws attention to the hard relationship between the dog and the family, and the experiences that enable the dog to protect the family. The Dog creates a distinctly visual image to the reader as Lawson highlights the tight bond between the family and the dog, and the effort they all make to protect each other. This is demonstrated through the simile ‘Tommy, who worked like a little hero’, creating a heroic characteristic that helps the family survive in the unforgiving environment. The relationship between the mother and the kids is shown through the vernacular ‘blast me if I do’, highlighting the empathy the son has for his mother and the distinctly visual bond that has developed. The cruel environment takes its toll on the drover’s wife and her experiences create distinctly visual images. Short syntax ‘she cried then’ demonstrates the relationship between her and the environment and how at times, it gets the better of her, creating a portrait of sorrow. The symbol of the ‘young lady’s journal’, stresses the Drover’s Wife and her ability to leave her womanhood in the past, in order to confront the formidable Australian outback, creating a visual that demonstrates her experiences formed from her relationships in the environment. Lawson creates a text that develops distinctly visual images, through experiences of the drover’s wife  surviving in the unkind environment. In the prescribed text ‘Of Mice and Men’, John Steinbeck creates a distinctive relationship with the characters and uses vivid images to create a backdrop to the environment. Through the clarity of the environment, the reader is able to understand that the environment, determines the moods and relationships of the characters. The simile ‘flies shot like rushing stars’ and assonance ‘the deep green of the Salinas River’, demonstrates where the ventures of the men will take place, and the descriptive language creates a distinctly visual image through the experience of the men. Steinbeck identifies the environment as a warm and peaceful setting through the visual imagery ‘the sycamore leaves whispered in a little night breeze’. These vivid images create a way to understand the natural beauty of the environment, which is significant in that the environment produces different experiences for the characters and therefore creating a distin ctly visual image. Steinbeck uses light and darkness to create symbolism. ‘The two men glanced up, for the rectangle door of sunshine was cut off. A girl was standing there’. The reader is able to visualize the light as hope and dreams, and Curley’s wife, symbolizing the cut off of these dreams. These experiences create distinctly visual images. The relationship between characters Lennie and George demonstrates that experiences of the men in the rugged environment shape the visual images. Zoomorphism ‘Lennie dabbled his paw in the water’ and characterization ‘the first man was small and quick dark of face with restless eyes’, shows the comparison between the men, and how their different characteristics enables a friendship between the men. One predominantly the leader, and the other the follower. The relationship of how the men interact with each other is demonstrated through vernacular ‘they said we was here when we wasn’t’, enables the reader to understand and visualize their experiences. In the related text ‘Loaded Dog’ and ‘Drovers Wife’, Henry Lawson highlights the importance of relationships in surviving in the harsh Australian bush. Through the relationships in the bush, the reader can understand how the characters experiences create distinctly visual images. Similarly in John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’, the environment determines the experiences  that the characters face, which further develops their relationship creating a distinctly visual image.

Life Cycle Costing

Life Cycle Costing Life-cycle costs and other direct costs can be defined as the total cost throughout its life including planning, design, procurement and support costs of the assets owned or used. Life cycle costing is divided into six-staged process. The first four stages which are plan life cycle costs analysis, select or develop life cycle model, apply life cycle model and documents and review life cycle results comprise the life cost planning phase. The last two stages which are preparing life cycle cost analysis and implement and monitor life cycle analysis incorporating the life cost analysis phase. Life cost analysis is used as the basis for monitoring and management of costs over an assetà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s life. It makes creating, operating and disposal costs of the alternative is life, so that the monitoring of accurate and timely decision-making, in order to reduce manufacturing costs can be. The reason for using life cycle costing is to determine the sum of all the costs associated with a n asset including acquisition, installation, operation, maintenance, refurbishment and disposal costs. Capital and ongoing operating and maintenance costs must be considered wherever asset management, risk management, value management and demand management decisions involving costs are made. Case Study Life cycle costing is currently a valuable tool in the construction industry. Selecting the materials and components of structures and pavements based on a life cycle costing can significantly decrease the lifetime cost of construction, maintenance and repair. Life-cycle cost analysis tool in engineering economic analysis more useful alternative to the road layout in the relative value of competition. This method uses a structured method of accounting for agency costs of activities and users of transport activities. By considering the useful life of assets for all expenses related to, and life cycle costing process will help transportation officials choose the lowest total cost options, and provides a means to balance and construction to restore the users influence, and preserve the requirements of pavement itself. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has a long road selection decision-making process and successful history, the use of life-cycle cost analysis. Since th e mid-80s of the 20th century, PennDOT conducted a life cycle, it is estimated more than 1 million U.S. dollars and other road projects the initial cost of more than 10 million U.S. dollars of the cost estimates the cost of all road works. PennDOT 15 to 20 projects, each of sufficient size, it is a life-cycle cost. For these projects, PennDOT cycle cost base the choice depends on its design life, including the impact of vehicle operation, the user delays and cost increases, due to the existence of a work area. Because of its life-cycle cost analysis of policy, has made significant improvement in PennDOT road projects, including improving the overall performance of the pavement in the country, the new sidewalks and rehabilitation work, with the public and the industry decided to raise the choice of pavement types can be reliability organizations reduce costs. In addition, the life-cycle cost analysis is also given to the implementation of PennDOT. PennDOT has taken its life-cycle cos t analysis, and decisive implementation of top-down approach. The Department reviewed the entire pavement design and selection process. Then PennDOT Director has established a special task force to examine its applicability to the transport system, Pennsylvanias new technology. Life-cycle cost analysis method, choose a line to determine the cost of long-term agency PennDOT and user requirements. Cooperation with national experts, Pennsylvania State University and industry groups, PennDOT developed the Highway Geometric Design Manual and Pavement Policy Manual. The road design manual for all processes, including life-cycle cost analysis. To the mid-80s, these manuals are designed to use the road every PennDOT. Life-cycle cost to provide some benefits pavement design, it is PennDOT found that life-cycle cost analysis process, improve the quality of all road design input, and lead to better. Second, PennDOT engineers are more concerned about the costs and activities of various road materials and the performance of knowledge. Life cycle cost analysis process provides the opportunity to preliminary structural design of the road after an investigation in all aspects of life. Life-cycle cost advantage under the credit. PennDOTs track record of centralized control of the process life-cycle cost analysis to improve the transparency of the road, pavement type selection, the decision to choose the road less likely to be challenged industry group. In addition, PennDOT using the life-cycle cost of consideration at the project level because many roads have been taxed on the capacity and institutional trade-off between the cost of the user cost framework analysis, PennDOT had formally recognized the wor k of district activities, users and other causes roadway operating costs of vehicle delay. The final advantage is that PennDOT pavement design and life cycle cost analysis of the selection process, established clear benchmarks PennDOT pavement performance. Asphalt and concrete industry has been implemented to meet the challenges of PennDOT and better products and lower costs of adaptation. In addition, the contractors have reduced their offer in order to maintain competitiveness in a standardized environment. With a life-cycle cost analysis of the pros and cons of life cycle cost of inputs is uncertain, PennDOT has modified its corresponding road selection criteria. PennDOT to pavement design life-cycle costs through the information provided during the decision-making. However, the life-cycle costs such as agency costs and investment performance of the road, can not predict. Second, PennDOT had to rely on expert opinion and historical data to put into the development of local constituencies. PennDOT recognized as potential barriers to implementation as a lack of systematic data, and specifically decided to use the records to experts, then it has an appropriate analysis of historical data sources. At the same time, the existing database of research capabilities, to provide them with these inputs. As a data source through the development process at the same time, PennDOT for enforcing the majority of their local constituencies program and put back in it, if the process has been developed in order. PennDOT practice continuous improvement of the selection decision-making process and the road. Although the existing method has made the road what, just 20 years ago, the department has decided to review the contract in the process is expected. The review will be independent of the sector, and experts are not employed by PennDOT road. Specifically, the review will examine the user fees and accommodation of uncertainty in the analysis of the role. While PennDOT does not expect any significant change in its method of choice is life cycle cost benefits of the program has brought more credibility, improved design, and reduce costs. Such PennDOT to ensure sustainable development. K Amelio (2000), Life Cycle Cost Literature Survey and Database for Concrete, Journal of Structural, www.ecst.csuchico.edu/__depts/cim/documents/41.pdf United States

The Scrivener and History in Richard III Essay -- Literary Analysis, S

Richard III challenges notions of how history is created and presented. Shakespeare’s play depicts the infamous Richard not only at odds with the other characters, but also fighting for a different interpretation of history. Richard and Margaret function as two characters opposed to each other with regard to history; Richard attempts to cover up the past as Margaret attempts to expose it. However, the creation and acceptance of history is largely predicated on more common figures. In particular the scrivener, a seemingly small side character, becomes an integral figure who creates the documentation of history, cementing the written version as a truth. The scrivener, tasked with the duty to write the documents falsely indicting Hastings at Richard’s request, approaches the audience in Act III, scene 6 and laments his position of falsely creating a legal document construed as truth, and manifests the complicated truth of history. The scrivener’s position as a f igure entrusted with written truth is observantly figured against both Richard’s approach to history through his language and the play as a whole–a text figured with propagandistic interests with the Tudor line. The scrivener’s scene, with its focus of documented history, exposes Richard’s verbal tricks and the play’s reliability as a historical document. While critics including Paige Martin Reynolds and Linda Charnes have identified both Richard and Margaret of Anjou as figures who engage with and distort history, lesser characters serve similar vital functions. Overall, Charnes and Reynolds contribute much to the conversation of history within the text and are essential to this particular reading, yet the level that the scrivener as a character works on contributes to... ...g to their favor, and in the creation of Hastings’ indictment, must create another â€Å"device† to place public opinion in the hands of the court (3. 6. 11). The public, nonetheless, knows that the bias is in place, illustrated by the scrivener’s questions to the audience. In the depiction of this figure, the scrivener calls out to the audience to recognize authorial control of historical narratives. The question remains as to what the audience should make of this bungling of historical narratives. Should they assign a Derridan lack of truth to the entire ordeal? Should they posit a historical meaning outside of the context of Richard III, relying solely on finite historical texts the scrivener brings into question? What remains to be addressed here is the question of meaning with characters that both create and question the very nature of truth in history and drama.

The Fallacy of Minority Discrimination in Sports :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The Fallacy of Minority Discrimination in Sports When someone flips through the channels on a TV and they happen to pause on a sports game, they will most likely see a small number of white athletes. The next thing that they might see is a commercial trying to tell them that minorities in sports are being discriminated. This is not the case. There is no racial discrimination against minorities in sports. There is a much higher percentage of minorities than White-Americans in more than just one professional sport. There are also a number of high-ranking officials in sports that are minorities. Franchises pay money to the athletes that are most qualified to be put on the team; not to athletes that are not minority. It wasn't until 1947, when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier of Major League Baseball (Northeastern...). This marked the introduction of minorities into professional sports. Today, the numbers of minorities in most sports far exceeds the numbers of White-Americans. Yet some minorities feel that they are being discriminated against. Franchises of professional sports teams fork out millions of dollars to minority athletes every year. When dealing with huge amounts of money there is no question about discriminating against minorities. Franchises wouldn't pay out millions of dollars to athletes that aren't qualified. Athletes are constantly being traded and released from teams. These athletes may be of minority gender, but they are definitely not being traded or released because of race. They are most likely going to end up at another team that will pay them a good deal of money. The question of minorities holding head-coaching jobs is often heard in the sports world. As of 1997, there were only three minority head coaches in the National Football League (NFL). All three of these coaches are African- American (New York Amsterdam News). Some people say that there should be more African-American head coaches in sports that are dominated by African-Americans. The three minority head coaches coach one-tenth of the teams that are in the NFL. One-tenth of the general population of theUnited States is made up of native-born African-Americans (Barret). So, one could say that one-tenth of the population is coaching one-tenth of the NFL teams; an equal ratio. Some minorities speak out and ask why there are not more high-ranking offices being held by minorities. There are other high offices that are obtained by minorities.

Inrtoductiontolegal Research-Unit7.Doc

Unit Seven Assignment John Mathis Kaplan University Professor Scripps April 16, 2013 Unit Seven Assignment John Mathis – Paralegal April 16, 2013 Mike Jones Town Manager Dear Mr. Jones, Regarding your town’s concern that the drinking water may contain too high of lead levels, please be advised that the federal law designed to make sure drinking water is safe is the Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) which enabled the Environmental Protection Agency to establish drinking water standards. The National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) for Lead and Copper, 40 CFR  §141 and 40 CFR  §142 which regulates lead in drinking water.The main parts of this regulation are Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) as well as Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs). A PDF file of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) for Lead and Copper, 40 CFR  §141 and 40 CFR  §142 may been downloaded or viewed at: http://www. gpo. gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-02-13/pdf/2012-31205. pd f Today, the majority of the nation’s water systems comply with the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) for Lead and Copper. The majority of systems that do not are small town systems in rural areas.The regulations are enforceable standards for public water systems. According to the E. P. A. public water systems â€Å"provide water for human consumption through pipes or other constructed conveyances to at least 15 service connections or serves an average of at least 25 people for at least 60 days a year. † Therefore, NPDWR applies to your towns water system serving a population of approximately 20,000. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours truly, John Mathis – Paralegal

Film Analysis-Spartacus, Full Metal Jacket

Having viewed in class five of Stanley Kubrick's films and a documentary about him, a decent understanding of Kubrick's process and vision is learnt; the two films Spartacus and Full Metal Jacket were the most inspirational and significan films of the bunch. Spartacus is about a rebellious (slave of the same name) purchased by Lentulus Batiatus, owner of a school for gladiators. For the entertainment of corrupt Roman senator Marcus Licinius Crassus, Batiatus' gladiators fight to the death.On the night before the event, the enslaved are â€Å"treated† with female companionship. Spartacus refuses to engage with Varinia, a slave from Brittania, and they form a sturdy relationship. When Spartacus later learns that Varinia has been sold to Crassus, along with the murders of his brothers (the slaves forced to fight), this ignites a burning desire inside him, a yearning to seek freedom. He leads fellow gladiators in revolt, and they flee out of Italy collecting money as they go, in o rder to buy sea transportation from the pirates of Cilicia.They are united by additional runaways, which transform the rogue slaves into a colossal army; escaping to join his cause is Varinia, who has fallen in love with Spartacus, and Antoninus. Crassus bribes the pirates to abandon Spartacus and pushes them toward Rome, were panic that Spartacus means to attack the city, causes the Senate to give Crassus absolute power. In the battle, most of the slave army is killed by Crassus' forces. Afterward, when the Romans try to locate Spartacus, every surviving man shields him by shouting â€Å"I'm Spartacus! Varinia and her new son are held prisoner by Crassus who forces Spartacus to fight Antoninus to the death, the survivor is to be crucified, along with all the other men captured after the battle. Spartacus wins the match and is crucified, this leaves Spartacus with the potential to become a martyr. Batiatus rescues Spartacus' family from Crassus and carries them away to freedom. Var inia is able to comfort him in his dying moments by showing him his little son, who will grow up without ever having been a slave. The movie was created to depict the brutal and unforgiving Roman Empire and the hardships the average slave could endure every day.It also shows anti slavery propaganda and the story not only of one’s man’s quest to revolt against his oppressors and to rise up from a state of disempowerment, but more importantly it is a story which offers hope and strength to mankind. The act of sacrifice is a dominant theme in the film and is essential to the idea of Spartacus’ character. Sacrifice is first seen before the revolt when the Draba, after defeating Spartacus in battle, refuses to kill Spartacus and instead sacrifices himself by attempting to attack Crassus. It this act inspires Spartacusand his actions for the rest of the film.Spartacus also proclaims during the film that everything he has done will be a success if his son can be born f ree, regardless of whether Spartacus is killed or not. In the final act of sacrifice Spartacus is crucified, sharing similarities with Jesus and his sacrifice for all mankind. Associated with sacrifice is the fight for freedom. Sacrifice is knowing that there might be a point were things must be used for the greater good and dying is a possibility, while fighting for freedom is having the courage to stand up for beliefs, never backing down and starting the movement to end oppression.This is shown when Spartacus is crucified, becoming a martyr and thus creating his legend. The path to freedom is the one goal that all the slaves had in common the thing that kept them united and strong. It gave them the strentgh to continue their journey and put everything on the line, with hope for the future as the backbone of their fighting spirit. This is put in the film to show the power that one man can create when uniting people under a common goal. In our society freedom is everything, without it we would all be the same, with no individuality or passion, not truly being alive.This helps the audience relate to the slaves and form a connection with them as they too would be quite upset if they were in the same coditions. The film takes a strong look at political lobbying and the corruption of goverment. In our society many feel as if the goverment tries to control and limit their freedoms, while the poloticians are greedy and many don't come through on the promises they make. They are seen as untrustworthy and unhelpful causeing many to try to take actions into their own hands. The film shows how people of political status abused their power and used any means to achieve their goals.This is shown constantly throught out the film, one example is how Crassus and his rival Gracchus fight over control of the Roman army when the Roman Senate sees Spartacus and crew as a threat. Gracchus own protege, a young Julius Caesar goes over to Crassus, when Gracchus reveals that he has b ribed the Cilicians to get Spartacus out of Italy and rid Rome of the slave army. Kubrick wanted to show modern people how Rome's republic and upperclasses were much more cutthroat and savage than our own, but at the same time not that dissimilar to the average modern poloticians in today's world.Some people may view Spartacus and frown upon the savage slavery and brutality of the ancient world, but the fight for freedom from oppression and the common man rising to greatness through bravery is something that will forever be remember and celebrated by all cultures. The second film Full Metal Jacket begins by following a platoon of Marine Corps recruits, focusing on the relationship between Sergeant Hartman and Privates Pyle and Joker. The second chapter continues with Joker, and how he joined the Corps to become a killer, but is mostly behind the scenes, as a combat correspondent.This is interupted when the Tet offensive puts him in real combat and tests him on his real worth as a so ilder, and if he really is a killer. Full Metal Jacket demonstrates the psychological break down of the soilders, as seen with the transformation of the character Pvt. Pyle. He comes to the Marine Corps as a naive, harmless young man who is guided by the belief that he is serving his country. Due to his failings of performing the tasks presented to him, he is constantly verbally and physically insulted by the drill instructor, Sgt.Hartman. Along with the torment from his drill instructor Pyle recieves additional abuse from his fellow recrits, beauase of the punishments they recieve due to his failures. In retaliation, the platoon hazes Pyle with a blanket party, restraining him to his bunk and beating him with bars of soap wrapped in towels. Joker, the Pvt. Squad leader, seeks to help Pyle, but as Pyle starts to become more productive, Joker recognizes signs of mental breakdown in Pyle, such as him talking to his M14 rifle.The internal struggle in the mind, is a characteristic of ev ery human being, one that all can relate to. Humans all contain that good verses evil, that little devil on the left shoulder and the angle on the right. Kubrick uses this to make the audience sympathetic towards Pyle, but also for them to really think about what the story is trying to show and how this also plays a role in their lives. Private Joker had on his helmet â€Å"Born to kill† but on his uniform he had a peace symbol.This was an incredible symbolic representation of the film because it was exactly what Kubrick was trying to establish in the audiences minds; the change in ones mind during war and the struggle that continues to take place during war between good and evil were represented between the born to kill on his helmet and the peace symbol on his chest. Joker can be seen as another victim of war, due to his being inthe back, when he finally kills someone, he achieves the thousand-yard stare, a limp, unfocused gaze of a battle-weary soldier.The film is successf ul in providing a perspective glance at the trials of a soldier. Like with most war movies, it relies heavely on powerful imagery; the film also adds the sense of â€Å"thereness† at boot camp, the sickening feeling from the sight of dead bodies, and the perspective from an enemy sniper. They force you to look at the world and don’t let you look away, or pretend, when things are gruesome, or violent, or terrible. Full Metal Jacket’ examines the morality of war and military existence.This was significant because it showed one how much the United States Military officials had to change ones mind set and character to be able to fight and kill men, women and children who were just defending their country in a country that no one was used to and that some did not even know was there. The audience leaves the film with Kubrick's selective snapshot of the Marine Corps and of Vietnam, hopefully with some sense of a soldier's reaction to it all.