Figuring Fixed Costs Essay

10.1 The highest number of meals served was 4,900 in December, with the lowest of meals being 3,500 in July making a difference of 1,400 of meals served, between the two months. The cost per meal variable is 1400à ·$5500.00 for a total of $3.93 (WHDM’s) fixed cost is computed as follows $20,500.00-(3,500*$3.93) =$6,745.00 According to the following â€Å"formula: PX=A+Bx 5.77x=$6,745+$3.93† 5.77-$3.93=$6,745+ ($3.93-$3.93) 1.84x=$6,745 1.84x*1.84x=$6,745*1.84x â€Å"X=3,666 Monthly BEP 3,666*12= 43,992 BEP for the fiscal year† (Oppapers.com, 2012), for the Westchester Home- Service Meal Delivery program, since the program received 45,000 meals to serve and only needed 43,992 of them their profit is going to come from selling the other 1008 meals at a $1.84 per meal making a profit of $1,854.72. 10.2 NRCC and Its BEP Annual revenue = $20.00 per subscription Annual variable rise for â€Å"making and mailing six bimonthly issues has risen 4.50 â€Å"(Martin, L., 2001) (NRCC) annual fixed cost is 6,000 + 3,900 = 9,900 Per subscription (NRCC’s) annual margin would be 20-4.5 for a total of 15.5 Making their BEP as follows 9,900/15.5 equaling 639 PX = A+Bx 20x=6,000+3,900+4.50x 20x=9,900+4.50x 20x-4.50x=9,900+ (4.50x-4.50x) 15.5x=9,900 15.5x/15.5x=9,900/15.5x X=639 No way is this feasible, because there are two staff members, who are all ready at the maxim capacity of 650, leaving no capacity for any kind of slack. References: Martin, L. (2001). Financial Management for Human Services Administrators. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon http://www.oppapers.com, 2012 http://www.studymode.com,2013 University of Phoenix. (2001). Financial Management for Human Service Administrator. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, HSM 260 website.

Dreams Aspirations and Goals Essay

I just want to start off by saying that I am truly blessed to be able to have the opportunity that so many don’t have: getting an education. I dreamed I would always be able to learn to be able to do a little of everything no matter what it was: either it was learning culinary, mechanics, science, mathematics, history, etc. I’ve just wanted to be that one person who knows a little of everything; no matter what the skill was I could do it. It may sound impossible but â€Å"nothings impossible.† As I enter the college life, this is where I will be determining my dream and where I truly will belong for the rest of my life it may take a while but that’s what college is for to really test the waters and become comfortable with the one that occupation that really fits me well. I think what I really want to achieve in college is to be a role model; to be the role model that I want to be responsible by being able to balance my school, work, and social life, but mo st importantly I want to be able to make my family proud and support them like they did for me. I think my biggest dream was to become someone who can aspire and motivate people with their creativity or to just be a role model – hopefully that this experience in college will truly help me accomplish that. I know that knowledge is key to pretty much everything we have to know – practically every and anything about whatever occupation we want to have. But what’s wrong with using our creative side – isn’t it fun too just maybe once show up to class and have to draw for an assignment but no one says it has to be perfect no one expects you to be Picasso. We are being required to draw and use our creative side express our artistic side whether it be through words, drawing just to be able to just your true potential with creativity. In my experience of high school I had an amazing literature teacher who would sometimes just be fun and creative and just have us draw for one of our journals but it wasn’t stupid it was creative. Being creative is one of my biggest passions in life. I hope that I can truly show people there is nothing wrong with being creative. Responsible the one thing some people are afraid to be. When you hear the words independent it descri bes everything about being responsible. It’s when you start to do things on your own – a simple definition. In depth you have your own apartment maybe, pay your own car, bills, and you have a stable good paying job. It shows true responsibility when you can balance your school, work, and social life because you’ve shown how mature and  independent you can be – there is nothing more accomplishing to prove that you pushed yourself through all those nights of tears and sweat to finish that assignment. High School was a sort of breaking point for me with AP literature to give me a taste of the college life – all the nights I stood up to complete my papers. I can tell you this it was honestly worth it even though it stressed me out as I stared hours at a blank page at how to start my paper but then once you get going it all just flows out. One thing I know is that all that dedication of my time and effort will help me to be coming successful in my future. I wouldn’t be able to have done it without the support of my family and friends. So my goal in college is to graduate and figure out what I want to be. When I do graduate I want to be able to support and be there for everyone who did the same for me. Most of all I want to spoil my parents and spoil and treasure then like they did to me and my siblings. I honestly couldn’t have done it without their words of wisdom, kindness and experiences that showed me this opportunity I have to take advantage of so on behalf of my parents, family and friends my journey to success is my gift to you and may I make you prouder than you are when you saw me with my first cap and gown.

Answer some questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Answer some questions - Assignment Example Germany attacked the Great Britain by bombing and bringing lots of destruction. In return, the British forces fought back to counter the German conquest. German continued the attacks by fighting the Britain’s Royal air force who were their formidable opponents and this mad the Germans to be more determined in defeating the Britain air force. Germany bombed the largest city of Great Britain, London City and this was a very severe attack to the Britain nation and thus was one of the greatest attacks transacted by Hitler. Once the London bombing was done, the Germanys felt that they were winning the Battle but instead the British air force took to the sky and bombed the German bombers. Germany ended up losing a lot of airplanes among other military hardware. Germany decided to stop attacking Britain because they ran out of fighter planes as they had been destroyed by Britain. Hitler needed more air force to invade Russia, but his men were busy fighting the British forces. Hitler lost interest in taking over Britain and so he decided to stop attacking them. Hitler never wanted to attack innocent people in the cities and this contributed to him stopping the attacks in Great Britain. They decided to down a significant portion of the Britain (Radar Defense system) RDS while Great Britain managed to shoot down 46 aircraft belonging to Germany even though they lost 13 of their own. In another incidence during the fight, Great Britain shot down 75 Germany aircrafts and lost 35 of their own (Allison, Grey &Valentine, 2012). Great Britain succeeded in using the Germany Luftwaffe strategy by ruling against any striking of the RDS, which made them ineffective. Great Britain fought until they came out victorious and Hitler lost the battle. Hitler s ucceeded in bombing London for 57 successful nights, but later lost due to poor strategy in the battle. There was bad weather that was experienced during the attack and that attackers

How convincing do you find Stuart Hall's approach to 'race' Essay

How convincing do you find Stuart Hall's approach to 'race' - Essay Example Therefore, Stuart Hall’s approach to race is totally convincing to me, and it is practical in a number of situations; it provides vast knowledge on race dynamics. Stuart Hall argued about the human culture and the tendency to categorise human beings into subgroups, as well as fragment human society diversity into discrete types with regard to characteristics and qualities, which are deemed essential and are always extremely high. The qualities and characteristics according to which human beings are categorised may include intellectual, body and physical characteristics among others (Smaje, 2000, p.55). This categorisation is a reflective cultural impulse; it gives human beings a chance to understand various meanings in classification. Stuart Hall argued that classification is an extremely fundamental aspect of the culture of human beings (Rex and Mason, 1989, p. 35). Further, the significant aspect of classification to people is when the classification becomes the power dispos ition object. This point is relevant to the extent that marking of the similarities and differences across populations of human beings becomes the reference point for treating one group of people with privileges, which may not be enjoyed by another group of people (Malik, 1996, p. 43). In essence, classification facilitates one group to be treated favorably, and the other group gets subjected to a wide range of discriminations and suffering. This juncture marks the union of classification of human societies and cultures and power and authority. Classification assumes the status of a power system, and this power system is evidenced in a wide range of characteristics, especially in human beings (Smaje, 2000, p.57). For instance, this system of power is evidenced in gender, which ascribes feminine and masculine identities to people in a cultural setting. From these ascriptions, a vast range of opportunities, aspirations and behavior can be predicted from the classifications (Omi and Wi nant, 1994, p. 33). Therefore, classification is an extremely generative term, and the moment an individual is classified into any group or race, many things and aspects assume their position in the life of the individual, as a result of the classification. However, classification has another significant aspect in the life of people; it awakens the minds of people and maintains order and stratification of a system. This order is retained at all times, and anything which disturbs this order is viewed negatively, and people who strive to retain the status quo fight to return the order to its original position (Rex and Mason, 1989, p. 46). Apparently, it becomes clear that classification is not only a division into whites and blacks, but also that one of these groups has more value (positive) than the other group. This is the path always taken by power, and any person who attempts to ascribe white characteristics to blacks generates immense worry in society. In such instances, people e xperience misplaced priority and misappropriated ascription, which is described as â€Å"matter out of place† (Malik, 1996, p. 43). This phrase denotes that all societies and cultures have classification orders, which can be said to be inbuilt and out of the culture (Augstein, 1996, p. 36). This order informs people about their position in a society, their rank, as well as

Quality Function Deployment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Quality Function Deployment - Essay Example QFD also differs in the fact that it concentrates more on adding new features and components according to customer needs and expectations rather then simply focusing on eliminating features or components not required by the customer. The QFD institute describes QFD as a comprehensive quality design method that: The following essay will start with a brief look on the evolution of QFD and its expansion to the rest of the world. This will be followed by a discussion on the framework of house of quality (HoQ) as well as the elements that forms part of the HoQ. The next sections will then cover the advantages and the benefits offered by the method which will be followed by a discussion on the drawbacks of the method. The roots of QFD can be traced back to United States in 1940s with the emergence of 'value engineering'. Due to limited reources at General Moters (GM), alternative designs were considered and it often resulted in better product and lower cost. This led the management at GM to investigate and develop effective ways to improve value and resulted in launching of the program 'value analysis' (VA) in 1947 with tremendous success. In 1954, Department of Defense's bureau of Ships embraced a similar approach in it procurement activities and named its programme 'value engeenering'. However, Jiang, Shiu and Tu mention that even though the initial concept of quality originated in the United States, early industrial applications predominantly took place at Japanese companies (30). After the World War II, Japan's industry was devastated and Japanese begun rebuilding the industry with the help of Americans. Quality was given a significant importance, leading to the establishment of statistical quality control in Japanese manufacturing industry. The quality management activities at the time were concerned with quality of the product during the manufacturing process or after. During this time, Professors Shigeru Mizuno and Yoji Akao focused on developing a quality assurance method that would integrate customer satisfaction into the product even before the product was manufactured. Based on this concept, Mizuno and Akao subsequently published their first book on the topic in 1978 (Jiang, Shiu and Tu 33). In 1966, Mr Kiyotaka Oshiumi of Bridgestone Tire in Japan was presented with a process assurance items table. This table had a fishbone diagram showing the links from the substitute quality characteristics, which were converted from true qualities (customer needs), to the process factors. A further field of 'Design Viewpoints' was later added to this table. (Akao and Mazur 21) Although the idea was presented to various companies for trails, it did not generate much public interest at the time. Akao and Mazur mention that the approach at the time was still inadequate in terms of setting the design quality (21). However, this changed with the creation of quality chart by the Kobe Shipyards of Mitsubishi Heavy Industry in 1972. Their table indicated the true quality (customer needs) in terms of function and then showed the relationship between these

Impact of social media on marketing strategies Dissertation

Impact of social media on marketing strategies - Dissertation Example Thank you very much Daisytan. Contents TABLE OF FIGURE 7 Abstract 8 1.INTRODUCTION 9 1.1.Overview 9 1.2.Background Of The Study 10 1.3.Significance of the study 12 1.4.Research Questions 12 1.5.Aims and Objectives of the Research 13 1.6.Structure of thesis 13 2.Literature Review: 15 2.1.Introduction 15 2.2.The 21st century Paradigm: 15 2.3.Ecommerce and Supply chain 16 2.4.Information Technology: 19 2.5.Unifying the competitive strategy with supply chain strategy: 20 2.6.E-businesses: 21 2.7.Ecommerce and developing countries 23 2.8.Consumer behavior and Ecommerce in Saudi Arabia 26 2.9. Summary 28 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: 29 3.1. Introduction: 29 3.2. Research Overview: 29 3.3. Research Approach 31 3.4. Research Strategy: 32 3.5. Research Philosophy: 32 3.6. Research Method: 33 3.7. Data Collection and Analysis: 34 3.8. Sampling Methods: 34 3.9. Reliability of Research: 35 3.10. Validity of Research: 35 3.11. Summary: 35 4. ANALYSIS 37 4.1. Introduction 37 4.2. Analysis Of Questionn aire 37 Question 37 4.3. Focus group: 55 5. Conclusions: 62 5.1. Summary Of The Findings 62 5.2. Recommendations for the researcher: 66 5.3. Recommendations to Saudi Post: 68 5.4. Recommendation for further Research 70 5.5. Limitations of the research study 70 6. References 72 7. Appendix 80 TABLE OF FIGURE Figure 4. 1: Access to technology 33 Figure 4. 2: Awareness of shopping online 34 Figure 4. 3: Ratio of people how have ever purchased online 35 Figure 4. 4: Preference of shopping online 36 Figure 4. 5: Physically touching of product is important or not 37 Figure 4. 6: Products can be found easily on the internet or not 39 Figure 4. 7: Factors influencing online shopping 42 Figure 4. 8: Is shopping online safe 46 Figure 4. 10: Is it more convenient to shop online 47 Abstract This research study analyses the trend of online shopping in Saudi Arabia. The research study has been aimed at the introduction of e-mall, an online store by Saudi Arabia and this research study analysed th e challenges that the management of Saudi Post would face as they are introducing this online store. The research study has been conducted using the primary as well as secondary data. To conduct this research, online surveys have been conducted and 200 respondents participated in the survey. After the survey, the interested candidates were invited for the focus group session. This research analyses the how successful e-mall can be in Saudi Arabia and the research shows that Saudi Post faces several challenges in order to build trust and convince people of Saudi Arabia to shop online. CHAPTER #1 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Overview E-mall is an online store where customers can buy a diverse range of goods online. People can purchase different kinds of products and services from e-mall throughout Saudi Arabia. With the advancement of technology, the trend of purchasing goods and services has been changed and now the buyers are seeking more convenient and suitable ways to buy goods and servic es. The revolution in E-industry has also brought innovations in the mind of buyers and sellers

E Commerce Security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

E Commerce Security - Assignment Example E-commerce web applications that handle payments (electronic transactions or use of debit cards, online banking, PayPal, credit cards, or any other keepsakes) have more compliance matters stand at high, and increasing risk from interference than other websites and greater consequences arise if data gets loosed or altered. Banking services stay highly delimited, but even the least electronic retailer is pretentious to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). Lately, this has become widely known due to improved enforcement and publicity following 2007 update to clarify and enhance requirements (Ghosh 32).  Safeguarding payment web application systems and users require a combination of technological, administrative and physical controls. Many emerging groups provide reliable security analyst facilities for organizations developing, purchasing or operating such software systems (University 13). Examples of e-commerce security projects include; threat modeling, develo pment of the security model, PCI DSS review and compliance, risk assessment and security awareness training, web site security review, web vulnerability assessment, e-commerce web penetration testing, code security review, electronic crime and Application layer firewall (a web application firewall - WAF) selection (Francesco 33).  Electronic crime, sometimes regarded to as e-crime, cybercrime or technology crime, refers to crimes which can only be committed by use of information technology such as data theft, payment fraud, and phishing. Software called CrimeWare, which can help man-in-the-middle bouts, key logging and botnets are increasingly easy to catch and deploy against relevant targets. Particularly, e-commerce websites get often seen as the "hot spots", especially by organized criminals. While some one-off attacks might be as a result of angry customers, ongoing and organized attacks are more probable to be undertaken within by staff or from outside by organized criminals. The fascination of obtaining payment card details and bank account and the fraud which may subsequently be attempted by the use of compromised data implies that e-commerce applications, like banking services, become a particularly popular target (Ghosh 43).

The Name Adithya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Name Adithya - Essay Example The name â€Å"Adithya† originates from being a ‘Descendant of Aditi’ or ‘Belonging to Aditi’, who was the Hindu mother goddess of the sky and fertility. Adithya is an Indian name that has its roots in the Sanskrit language. Other root words of the name are â€Å"Aadi† meaning â€Å"First or beginning†, â€Å"Aadideva† meaning â€Å"Highest God† or Aadinatha† meaning â€Å"the Primordial Master† are all derived from the Sanskrit language and are essentially Hindu names. 33 children, who were born to Aditi, the Goddess of sky and fertility, also known as the mother of God. The name Adithya is quite popular and hence quite commonly used in Hindu circles and is mostly used for the masculine gender and is pronounced as ‘a DEET ya’. This name is widely used in Asian regimes especially in India. On the family and community front, the name Adithya stands as a symbol that represents the sun, and hence he has a strong personality filled with strength and power and a person one can rely on or depend upon. Just as the sun casts its light on the whole of the Earth, giving life to everything under it, so also a person with the name of Aditya would always be a source of help and strength to others around him. Basically, he is a person one can depend upon because he can never let others down. He is the kind of person who hates being alone but loves being surrounded by laughter and cheer because he too revels in the love and good nature of others. He is a good friend and guide and believes in all that is good and right and shuns what is bad and demeaning. People with the name ‘Adithya’ are mostly leaders and very good speakers and are capable of winning the goodwill of others.

Are organizations rational Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Are organizations rational - Essay Example A rational organization is characterized by the desire of the organizational personnel to be efficient to their optimal tendency. The theory of rational organization considers the organization as a multipart mechanism (Sarfin, 2014). Managers need to regularly monitor the progress of work as well as the organizational culture and tweak any part whose functionality is lesser than maximum in order to increase the efficiency. An organization’s long-term development can be controlled and modified to achieve the goals. Two major elements that help characterize the rational systems include goal specificity and formalization (Monappa and Saiyadain, 1996, p. 5; Simon, 2001, p. 27). Goal specificity promotes the display of rational behavior in the organizations because specific goals guide the structural design so that the management can delineate the activities that need to be executed and the resources that have to be arranged (Triplett, 2007, p. 4). The attempt to increase the predictability of behavior through regulation and standardization is called as formulation. Formalization makes the organizational culture conducive for stable expectation that is rationality’s precondition. Rational system perspectives are related to four organizational theories’ schools, including Taylor’s Scientific Management, Fayol’s Administrative Theory, Weber’s Theory of Bureaucracy, and Simon’s Theory of Administrative Behavior. â€Å"Rational models are best thought of as d escriptions of actions that will usually be compelling for most organizational audiences†¦but they are not necessarily the best basis for determining what managing actually consists of† (Clegg, Kornberger, and Pitsis, 2011, p. 30). Through the scientific analysis of the activities executed by the organizational personnel on individual level, Taylor (2007) realized the best method that can be

Web 2. 0 technologies Essay Example for Free

Web 2. 0 technologies Essay The next portion of the interview focuses on the perception of students of being aware of this aspect. According to the results of the survey, 24 out of 6 educators are aware of students doing this. In addition to what was mentioned above, 20 out of 30 educators believe that this should be encouraged and 10 educators believe that this kind of technology should be separated from educational learning tools and should be solely for non-academic purposes. For the 20 that had expressed interest in encouraging Web 2. 0 applications into education, ten out of the 20 believe that it should be mandatory to all aspects of education and should be inserted into the academic curriculum. Five (5) believe that the utilization of Web 2. 0 technologies should be naturally included into the curriculum meaning that these tools should neither be constricted nor be pushed into utilization, rather it should be left to be incorporated into the curriculum all by itself. The last 5 indicated a variety of methods in order to encourage the use of Web 2. 0 technologies. When asked with the question on whether or not academic content should be delivered using Web 2. 0 technologies, 23 or 77% of the total number of respondents indicated that Web 2. 0 technologies would be a useful tool in delivering academic content from educators towards students. On the other hand, 13% (7 respondents) believed that it would be better to utilize the older, more accustomed, tools for information dissemination in order to project the desired image to the students and the stakeholders of the business venture. When asked if there is an existing overlap with the VLE that you used in the institution they are in, fifteen (15) out of the 30 indicated no recognized overlap, eight (8) indicated that there is no overlap while seven (7) believed that there is a overlap between Web 2. 0 technologies and the kind of VLE used. Because of the seeming trend with respect to the enthusiasm and openness of educators in using Web 2. 0 technologies, the next focus of the interview was set on Web 2. 0 tools being integrated with VLEs. Out of the thirty respondents, twenty-five (25) had indicated that they wanted to integrate VLEs with Web 2. 0 tools and five (5) had disagreed with the proposed integration. Most of the five (5) educators were from the seven people that believed there is an overlap between the two tools. The third part of the study focused on how they had perceived Web 2. 0 technologies as being part of the assessment process. The first part of the interview focused on Web 2. 0 technologies as part of the assessment purpose, the interview solicited how the interviewees perceived Web 2. 0 tools as an assessment tool. Generally speaking, most of the respondents to the interview indicated that they believe that currently, Web 2. 0 technologies used as a means of being able to assess is still very young rather it is still in its infancy stage. Though they believe that it would be step forward for the educational setting, there is still a need for further verification for such a move and should be tested if the students can adapt to such a change. Wikis was cited as one potential for teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of students in being able to collaborate with their partners in group work. Most of the educators indicated that they would rather evaluate students using the old method of educational teaching however they would be amenable of such as a move as to include Web 2. 0 applications into the curriculum and use it for checking and teaching. On the other hand, they had noted that it would be useful to check items in Web 2. 0 applications that are actually their cornerstone or the reason for their being – pictures in photoblogs such as flickr and video assignments in Youtube. When given the opportunity to explain very briefly each Web 2. 0 technology, the opinions of each educator as to how they can use these tools were solicited. For the first part of this section, blogs was the first application to be tackled. Based on the discussion, the educators generally indicated that they can utilize blogs as a mean of generating discussions among the students. With blogs having the capacity to take in comments and views via posting on certain topics, educators can then start up discussion on a particular topic and solicit the opinion of the class. Educators can then assess the views of the students by being able to review the comments of the students on that particular topic because of the capacity of blogs to retain inputs from users. The second tool is Wikis. Educators that were interviewed viewed wikis can be used in assessing the capability of the members in being able to collaborate and create singular information or a single document. This can then be used as a means of being able to assess how the students can cope with team effort and the output of such collaborative efforts. Social networks on the other hand can be used both by students and educators as well as a means to identify connections and networks that within communities that can be used by the students in order to determine people that have the necessary information for the teachings imposed by the students. Lastly, focus was given on video and photo sharing sites. Although this is relatively a new technology that would be used in sharing video and photo information between students, it is believed all these sites can be used in order to support all the learning motives for students and educators as well. Essentially the element of being able to share information particularly videos and photos is necessary are inherent in all sites. In addition to this, educators that were part of the group interviewed had already seen a video sharing site and they believe that due to the existing trends, video sharing networks will be able to further thrive and the educators believe that this will entail a positive effect on the way students are able to learn and how educators are able to teach.

Case The Coffee Shop Market Starbucks Marketing Essay

Case The Coffee Shop Market Starbucks Marketing Essay Starbucks Corporation is an international coffeehouse chain, founded in 1971 in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks serves a variety of beverages including brewed coffee, tea, hot chocolate, espresso and a selection of bottled drinks. Starbucks also sells whole bean coffee and a variety of ready-to-eat snacks. The first Starbucks location to open outside of North America was in Tokyo in 1996; and from then on Starbucks became an international brand, expanding both nationally and globally. This report will attempt to examine the situation of Starbucks in Japan. It will bring out the marketing strategy to be adopted for a rise in profitability of Starbucks Japan in the next two years. In addition, it will attempt to explain the use of marketing mix to aid the chosen strategy. SWOT ANALYSIS: 1.1 STRENGTHS: 1.1.1 Strong brand image: Starbucks brand name, quality customer service and store ambience are its key strengths. It has maintained its international operations to ensure consumer recognition. Starbucks is renowned for its high quality products and has maintained a consistently positive consumer experience that has helped Starbucks build a strong brand image. Starbucks spends less than 1% of revenue on advertising and promotion each year which indicates they rely on an established company image (P. Ghauri, International marketing case study: Starbucks-Going Global Fast). Starbucks key competitor in Japan-Doutor coffee, had taken advantage of Starbucks brand image and copied its logo, while replicating the experience rendered to customers in its retail outlets. (Ono, 2003). This shows that the Starbucks image is a strength worth mimicking. With a well-established brand image in America, it was sure to expect recognition in the Japanese market, because the consumers there have a fondness for everything western . (http://azjatycka.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/international-marketing-strategy-of-starbucks-in-japan-success-or-a-failure/) 1.1.2 Commitment to community: Starbucks contributes a considerable amount of its resources to corporate social responsibility programs (Kotabe Helsen, 2004). According to Butler (2006)-CSR programs influence 70% of all consumer purchasing decisions, with many investors and employees also being swayed in their choice of companies. As a result, Starbucks involvement in the CSR programs helps its competitiveness in the business world. 1.1.3 Widespread Presence in International Markets: Starbucks has ventured into foreign markets with astonishing pace opening its outlets in 40 countries with 2068 stores worldwide. This widespread expansion has allowed its presence to be felt across the globe. 1.1.4 Retail outlets present at convenient and accessible locations: Starbucks has opened a number of coffee shops at convenient locations like shopping malls, libraries, university campuses, office buildings etc. They are typically located in high traffic, high visibility locations.(Starbucks annual report, 2008) 1.1.5 Presence of a variety of food items Beverages in addition to Coffee: Starbucks stores offer a choice of regular and decaffeinated coffee beverages, a broad selection of Italian-style espresso beverages, cold blended beverages, iced shaken refreshment beverages and a selection of premium teas. Starbucks stores also offer a variety of fresh food items, including healthier choice selections focussing on high-quality ingredients, nutritional value and great flavour. 1.1.6 Well Developed Corporate Strategy and Good Marketing skills. Weaknesses: 1.2.1 Lack of internal focus: Starbucks focuses too much on over-expansion, at times tending to ignore the problems arising withinconsistent employer dissatisfaction. The number of competitors: There are an ever increasing number of competitors that either mimic the Starbucks concept or try to get on par with its growth by providing the same line of products at a lesser price. Examples: Dotour Coffee, Tullys Japan, Mac Donalds. Self- cannibalisation: The strategy of over expansion has resulted in stores opened very close to each other, thus eating into the others sales. Product Pricing: Starbucks perceives itself as a premium gourmet coffee brand and bases its price on the quality of its beverages and in-store customer experience. Unfortunately, many competitors while offering a similar type of environment and lesser priced beverages are eating into Starbucks market share. 1.3 Opportunities: Flexible Tastes: Japanese consumers are influenced by western brands and have a fondness for them. They are open to new products and tastes and hence Japan is a viable market to test new products. New concepts can be concocted and brought out in the market at a faster pace, when compared to US or Europe. Thus those products that turn out to be popular and gain acceptance in the Japanese market can be introduced in the US market with positive expectations. For example, the Green Tea Frappuccino which was first introduced in Japan turned out to be a sensation and was thus launched in the United States too. (http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/news/story.phtml?id=4589). Thus, the flexible tastes of Japanese consumers give Starbucks an opportunity to develop new products and gain profits. Instant products: Starbucks recently launched its first premium soluble coffee stick product in Japan. About 60% of the total coffee sold in Japan is soluble. Hence Starbucks can capitalise on this aspect of Japans coffee market to enhance its sales through a variety of soluble ready to make coffee products. (http://news.starbucks.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=416) Diversifying its beverages: Starbucks is looking to sell regional wine and beer at its outlets in Seattle. It could introduce this concept in some of the Japanese stores as consuming western alcoholic brands is a trend among the Japanese clientele. (http://www.thestreet.com/story/10891284/starbucks-tests-alcohol-cheese-offerings.html . Growth opportunities: Though the overall market in Japan is nearing saturation, and Starbucks overexpansion in big cities has given it a lesser change at a steep growth, it could still expand to the less-saturated regions allowing it to exceed its growth potential. 1.4 Threats: 1.4.1 Cannibalisation: Starbucks extravagant growth and over expansion involves a risk of customer fatigue. Starbucks has introduced an array of new products and an increased product innovation lowers the sale of current products. Also with many stores opened close to one other, there is a risk of some stores facing loss. Thus, cannibalisation is a major threat as the coffee chain is reaching saturation in most of the big cities. 1.4.2 Dependency on raw materials The fluctuations in coffee and dairy prices are a potential threat for Starbucks. Starbucks is reliant on dairy and a rise in prices of the raw material could affect its profit margins. (Wikinvest, 2008). 1.4.3 Cultural differences: In USA, about 80% of Starbucks sales are takeout orders. In Japan 80% of consumers prefer to drink in the store outlets. Thus consumers preference to use the store atmosphere might turn out to be a threat to Starbucks plans of building a number of drive through outlets in Japan. (Chozick,2006). 1.4.4 Shrinking Disposable incomes. 1.4.5 Competition: Immediate competition from fast-food restaurants catching on the specialty coffee wave and developing products that competes with Starbucks. Tim Hortons -Nestle Dunkin Donuts McDonalds PESTLE ANALYSIS: Political Factors: Despite being far apart geographically, Japan USA have similar political structures. The Emperor is the head of the state, but the real power resides in the parliament and is mainly held by the Prime Minister.( House of Councillors, 2008). In USA, different states have the power to regulate businesses; whereas in Japan, regulations are laid down by the Diet and enforced throughout the country. This indicates that there are less complicated and less conflicting regulations to be concerned about when International businesses seek entry into the Japanese market. ( House of councillors, The constitution of Japan, as promulgated on November 3, 1946). (http://www.sangiin.go.jp/eng/law/index.htm) Economic Factors: Measured on a purchasing power parity basis, Japan is the 3rd largest economy in the world. But going by the official exchange rates, Japan would emerge as the 2nd largest economy, behind USA. Japan had a spectacular economical growth in the 1980s, however, growth slowed down considerably in the 1990s. Japan entered into recession in 2008, with 2009 marking a return to near 0% interest rates( CIA, as accessed on 24th oct,2010) with its GDP rising to 5.3%, when compared to 1.2% in 2008. Socio-cultural: Individuals from varied backgrounds are exposed to different traditions, rituals, customs and religions. All these factors provide human beings with various learning environments, which cause significant variations in standards, behaviour, attitudes and beliefs (David,1998). A comparison of the subsidiary parent countries is important for the success of a business seeking to expand in the foreign market, as this would lead to a better understanding of the local market. The Japanese as opposed to the Americans act more collectively and tend to be loyal to their respective groups. The Japanese often sacrifice their personal goals and ambitions to promote group interests. A low context society in USA shows that Americans are more direct in their communications and their messages are explicit. Whereas the Japanese use indirect ways to communicate and their voice intonation, timing and expressions play important roles in conveying information. (David, 1998) Technological: Technological factors greatly influence business strategies as they provide an opportunity to exploit innovations and inventions. Japan is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world and ranks 18th on the list.(http://gpmgroup.info/2007/04/27/the-most-technologically-advanced-countries). Thus it is more convenient to introduce technologically driven customer service into the Japanese market. There is scope for incorporating the American system of internet ordering in to Japan with the intension of faster service. Starbucks is continuously searching for ways to better a customers experience. With the introduction of the Starbucks Card for example, the Company has created the opportunity to improve customer service, shorten lines and make a customers visit at Starbucks quicker and more convenient. Also, most stores are equipped with WI-FI. Legal: There are no significant legal factors to consider while entering the Japanese market. Though, Starbucks has chosen to enter through a joint venture with SAZABY Inc., a Japanese retailer and restaurateur, because of the peculiarities of the local market. By doing so, Starbucks has given itself a better chance of exploiting the market as SAZABY would have a better understanding of how the Japanese consumers viewed food and coffee.(http://www.docshare.com/doc/155323/Starbucks-global-expansion-strategy2) Porters Five Forces Competition Tullys Coffee, Gloria Jeans, Caribou Coffee etc. Competitors selling similar products, incl. specialty coffees high quality food. Competition nowhere in terms of volume of operations. Threat of new entrants Controlled access of distribution channels Innovation product differentiation Bargaining power of buyers More options due to no. of competitors. Large variety of products. Bargaining power of suppliers Overcrowding of market. Rise in prices of coffee beans. Choose suppliers based on quality, social, environmental economic issues Threat from substitutes Tea Soft drinks Juices Marketing Strategy to Enhance Profitability in the next 2 years: Segmentation: Segmentation is dividing the consumer market into distinct groups based on each individual groups wants, needs, preferences and behaviour. Starbucks is a company that embraces diversity, not limiting themselves to one specific demographic, behavioral, or geographic segment. Individuals appreciate how, regardless of any little difference, at Starbucks they are always treated as equals. (starbucks.com) Taking the demographic factor as the desired basis for segmentation: Gender: Sixty percent of Starbucks Japan market are woman customers in their 20s and 30s. (http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20020819slug=starbucks19). Hence Starbucks should further penetrate the market by retaining the woman customer base and increasing its appeal amongst them by providing incentives in terms of products, ambience and experience. Age: Most of Starbucks customers are educated, working personnel who can afford the high prices of the products offered. Starbucks has a limited consumer base with females in the age group of 25-39 forming their major share of consumers.(http://www.euromonitor.com/Japan_a_nation_of_coffee_lovers). It should reach out to the younger and much older groups by introducing a line of nutritional beverages. Education Income: Starbucks genius was to redefine the meaning of affordability regarding coffee. Target consumers were identified with regards to their living environment, level of income and education. They were convinced to pay premium prices for the experience, service and quality they were getting. The company was able to capture the changing consumer behaviour since the 1980s: more out-of-home entertainment, more self- gratification from consumers towards a good movie, a good glass of wine and a good cup of coffee. By raising the perceived value of the product for the consumer, Starbucks was able to raise its prices while keeping the product affordable. Creating brand loyalty through quality and innovation was also an important factor in decreasing the price elasticity of this commodity product. Thus, Starbucks should maintain this strategy and look less towards price reduction and more towards quality enhancement, a characteristic that has helped it build its brand. Targeting: Starbucks should practice differentiated targeting as it should try and capture a more wider section of the society. As it has identified the female gender to be its major consumers, Starbucks should retain this market and further expand it by targeting the woman clientele and coming out with more products that appeal to them. Also in order that it recieves a larger share of the male consumers, it should try and blend with the Japanese culture and accept their preference for smoking in some stores. Starbucks has already established its image amongst the educated and high income society. But, it should go one step further by seperately targeting the younger generation who are bound to follow in the footsteps of their peers and elders. In order that it recieves more number of teenagers, it should try and develop an atmosphere within its stores in terms of products and store experience that would appeal to the teens. Product Positioning: Starbucks is listening to the needs of the educated by devoting its business and research to developing ways to cater to this groups wants and needs. In addition to further building on its product quality and in-store customer experience, Starbucks should make itself more accessible to a wide variety of people by opening several quick stop services that would cater to the new generation of coffee drinkers because college-age students and the general population are always in a rush with little time to spare. The quick stop services and kiosks will make the process of buying coffee easier by eliminating long lines and creating alternative ways to buy coffee faster and will avoid the prospect of impatient customers. Starbucks should position itself as a brand not reserved only for the premium, high income society, but as a quality store that reflects on the needs and wants of all. As most Japanese are health conscious, it should try and build an image which does not discourage the teens and older people from visiting its stores. By bringing out more food items that match the Japanese palate, it should position its brand image as An American taste induced with Japanese flavors. Using the Marketing Mix to assist the chosen growth strategy: 1. Product: Diversify the product line: The tradition of tea drinking in Japan has been prevalent from the early beginning. There are many varieties of tea, and some of them, especially Green tea can be bought anywhere. Tea has proved to be a popular drink for most Japanese because of its wide variety of tastes. Thus, by introducing a few select varieties of tea in its store outlets, it would touch at the roots of the consumers. It would directly be percieved as a renowned American brand that cares to accomodate the Japanese tastes. (http://azjatycka.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/international-marketing-strategy-of-starbucks-in-japan-success-or-a-failure/). The presence of soybean in Japanese dishes is indispensable. Its not only widely accepted as the staple ingredient in Japanese dishes,be it rice, curd or soup, but also has great nutritional value. It finds its place in Japanese breakfast, lunch and dinner. It contains a chemical, soy isoflavones, which when accumulated in the body, functions like the female sex hormone(estrogen), which in turn promotes bone formation. Hence it is considered useful for post-menopausal women whose estrogen levels are low. Also soy isoflavones has been found to reduce the risk of breast cancer by 40%.( http://www.mindfully.org/GE/2003/Kikkoman-Non-GM-Soy22jun03.htm). Since Starbucks has found its presence to be more popular among woman, it will only increase its appeal to them by introducing a variety of beverages and food items that contain soybean in its diet. It should also bring about innovations in its product line, making them more nutritious to consume, thus forwarding its appeal to the health c onscious society. Introduce a line of health drinks, fruit juices that would attract teenagers who percieve Starbucks as a high end store selling speciality coffee. The presence of flavored non-caffeine drinks would help capture the teen market. 2. Place: Diversify its stores: Many critics had expected Starbucks to fail because of its strict no-smoking policy within its stores. The general Japanese customer prefers to smoke with food and drinks. But this strategy attracted many young health concious women who then accounted for Starbucks majority sales.(http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20020819slug=starbucks19). Although starbucks has so far managed to sustain its growth, competitors with a tolerance to smoking are providing good reason for its drop in sales in recent years. Hence,in order to attract a more varied clientele and improve profitability, Starbucks should make an exception in the case of Japan and introduce some stores that accept smoking; adapt to its culture. They could still stick to their rationality behind no-smoking environment to preserve the aromas flavors of the coffee beans(Starbucks website) by not allowing in-store smoking. Certain stores with a wider space facility could bring in open-air seating arrangemen ts. This way, those who wish to smoke can take a seat outside and enjoy a starbuck coffee. Another way would be to introduce balconies in some stores that have 2 or 3 storeys. Build on its in-store experience: Starbucks should build more in its store atmosphere rather focus on building drive-through outlets. In Japan 80% of the coffee consumers like to drink inside the store, while relishing the ambience.(chozick,2006). Although starbucks has an untarnished brand image, it should further build on its superior quality of store atmosphere in order to remain competitive and keep up sales. The hygiene of the stores, book readings, baby changing stations, sleek furniture and posh interiors are the key to its ability to provide a quality customer experience. Given that the majority of its customers are women and the Japanese love for the English language, it should transform certain sections of the store to accomodate a reading section that would comprise more of women oriented magazines and books that teach english. Choose a larger number of distribution units: Starbucks should improvise on its plan to introduce its instant coffee-starbucks VIA across convenience stores in Japan. It had announced the launch of its instant products in 11000 convenience and grocery stores in september. (http://www.finchannel.com/Main_News/Business/70201_Starbucks_VIA_Ready_Brew_Hits_Grocery_Aisles_Around_the_World/). By doing so, it has exposed its brand to the worlds largest instant coffee market. (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63C1NG20100413). Now the availabity of starbucks instant products is not limited only to its retail outlets. However, the presence of its competitors( Nestle and Kraft) in the instant coffee segment is more widespread and well established. Thus, it should try to capitalise on Japans $5 billion instant coffee market by providing its instant products to more number of distribution units and seal its presence. 3. Price: Prices of instant products: Starbucks should consider reducing the price of its instant products to enable higher sales. Starbucks is to sell a box of 3 VIA instant soluble sticks for 300 yen, which amounts to 100 yen per cup, and a box of 12 sticks for 1000 yen. When compared, its competitor Nescafe has a rival offering of 15 sticks for 300 yen. (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63C1NG20100413?pageNumber=2). Thus, there exists a wide price gap for its instant products and since Starbucks VIA will be occupying the same shelf space as Nescafe, Kraft etc., it would find it difficult to gain acceptance in the market. A customer would go up to the racks and find the rival offerings more viable. Hence, Starbucks should look to cut down its prices on instant products. It can afford to do so without the risk of diluting the brand image built on high end coffee, as the instant coffee would come without the experience of physically being in the store. Prices of in-store products: Starbucks prices of in-store products are higher when compared to its competitors. It is looking to further raise the prices of some 20 beverages and 5 coffee bean products. (http://www.japantoday.com/category/business/view/starbucks-japan-to-raise-coffee-prices). It should retain this pricing strategy as it differentiates itself from its competitors by providing an excellent quality customer experience. Also most of its outlets are located on expensive pieces of real estate in centralized, busy areas of Japan. 4. Promotion: Cultural Entertainment campaigns: Starbucks should come out with various cultural and entertainment campaigns to attract the Japanese youth, a segment of the society it has still not managed to woo successfully. Conclusion Starbucks is ahead of the rest in the Japanese coffee market, but there is still room for improvement. A decentralised structure accompanied with a mixed global strategy has helped the company to find a balance between reaching economies of scales and responding to the local market. By establishing a joint venture with local retail chain Sazaby Inc., it has reduced their risks of being unfamiliar with the market; and Starbucks has successfully gained the knowledge and channels of distribution from its partner. Starbucks strong brand image and customer loyalty has contributed to their maintaining a leading position in this market. By diversifying its target consumers and innovating its product line, it should be able to further strengthen its market share.

Quebec Sovereignty Movement :: essays research papers

The Quebec sovereignty movement has been going on for over 50 years, and it seems, may never rest until complete. So why not let them go? How would that impact other Canadians living outside of Quebec? True, Quebec has been part of Canada since confederation in 1867, and helps connect Canada from sea to sea (as MacDonald would put it). However, Quebec is much like a foreign country anyway, with its own language, culture and civil law. The majority of Canadians in the western provinces would welcome their sovereignty. Quebec is Canada’s spoiled child. They demand to be treated as a â€Å"distinct† society, and cry for their own language, more money, more rights, and special treatment. Because a large percentage of voters are in Quebec, our Government continues to be blackmailed by Quebec, and gives into the demands. Why should Quebec receive more than other provinces? The next few paragraphs will discuss how the separation movement started and how Quebec leaving would affect us everyday Canadians. The separatist movement all started just before the 1960’s when Maurice Duplesiss, the conservative Premiere of Quebec, died suddenly. Shortly afterwards, his successor, and newly appointed premiere, also passed on . The death of these two premieres was referred by historians as the start of the Quiet Revolution, and a period of rapid change in the province of Quebec. Soon after the death of the two conservative premieres, a liberal government was elected in the 1960 Provincial Election. The party was led by Jean Lesage, who quickly went to work by imposing a Quebec education system that replaced the Canadian government run educational plan. Major funding was put into the schools and several improvements were developed. On the economic level, the government looked for francophone to control the economic spectrum of Quebec, which prior to the revolution, was largely dominated by English-Speaking Canadians. The new government brought forward a new way of thinking for citizens of Quebec. There was a cultural shift from a Canadian identity to a separated society throughout the province. French-Canadians were now Quà ©bà ©cois, and a new identity was formed. The province took care of its own, this was the creation on an Etats-Providence (welfare state). In the 1962 Provincial Election, another liberal premiere was elected by the name of Rene Levesque, who would go on to found the Parti Quà ©bà ©cois (a party focusing on a Quebec Sovereignty as its primary goal).

Growing Old Essay -- essays research papers

Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief, all will go through the aging process. However, how well each endures that process depends on the individual. After my Visit at English Oaks Convalescent Home, a skilled nursing facility for adults’ age 55 and older, I found this to be true. During my visit, I conversed with many â€Å"residents† whom were alert and oriented and very aware of the aging process. We conversed about the process of aging and the factors that appear to account for a longer life. We talked about adjusting to aging as well as the positives of growing old. After my visit, I realized that we all age at different rates and aging is a highly individual process that affects people in unpredictable ways. It is inevitable that we all grow old, but it is not inevitable to grow old in such a manner as not to be able to bend down and tie our shoelaces, or do the everyday ordinary chores without the resultant aches and pains. Slowing the "aging process" therefore depends on the individual and what steps they employ to do this. While visiting with residents, each spoke of factors, which they felt, accounted for their long and healthy lives. Just as the Abkhasians, three main factors appear to account for their long lives. The first is their diet, the second is their lifelong physical activity and the third factor is a highly developed sense of community (Henslin 2004). These factors were very similar to the ones that the elderly I spoke to had. The residents at English Oak also felt that diet, exercise and regular visits from friends and family contribute to living a longer and healthier life. Another common factor discussed by many was the importance of being involved at the fac ility. This presents opportunities to meet new people. Although New friends may never replace the lost closeness shared with someone who they knew before their hair turned grey, or before their first child was born, the support network that comes with sharing life with peers can counter loneliness and goes a long way toward dispelling feelings of isolation. Many felt that the more people they interact with daily, the more chance there is to form new bonds. The Abkhasian culture integrate each individual from childhood into a primary group and remains so throughout life. They have no nursing homes and the elderly do not live alone. The elderly continue to work and contribut... ...ging. I was told that creativity learned early, does not diminish with age, elderly are sexually more relaxed and the ability to cope increases and stress levels decrease. I was told that as we grow older we take more responsibility for our health, we understand ourselves with better perspective and we are more confident and care less what other people think. I was also told that the capacity to love increases, gratitude deepens and sense of humor is heightened. This made me smile and for the first time look forward to my older days. Old age is not a popular subject in our culture. We don't like to think about the prospect of growing old, so we put it out of our minds. Consequently, when it happens to us or a family member, we have no idea of what to expect. Many factors are involved in the aging process. Aging is an extremely complex process that affects all of us physically, socially and psychologically. It is important that we understand how aging affects us as individuals. As the old adage saus, â€Å"Take The Bull By The Horns† means we must do everything in our power to slow down the aging process. By slowing down the aging process, we are extending our life expectancy.

Progress and the Total Destruction of the Earth :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Progress and the Total Destruction of the Earth Throughout all of history, humans have been evolving not only genetically, but also culturally. Of the two evolutionary processes, cultural evolution happens more quickly, and has had a more noticeable effect on the environment compared to genetic evolution. Early hunter/gatherer societies evolved to agrarian society, which then had technological changes that affected the culture of the society. Unfortunately, while humans have been culturally evolving towards what is perceived to be progress, the environment has been compromised, marginalized, and degraded as it is continually exploited for human benefit and consumption. The culture of hunter/gatherer society was the least damaging to the environment in the long term before humans developed agriculture. There are several reasons for this. First, human population was much smaller in comparison to what it became during the agrarian age. Second, hunter/gatherer societies tended to be largely nomadic, which allowed the environment time to recover and regenerate whatever natural resources were used. Third, humans simply did not have the technologies to further exploit the environment. Human population was much smaller during the time of hunter/gatherer societies due to high rates of infant morality, infectious diseases, and social morality - infanticide, geronticide, and warfare (Southwick 128). Fewer people mean fewer demands on the environment. With growth in human population, the grasses and animal populations humans used for sustenance did not have time to recover, which turned into humans using the earth's natural resources in an unsustainable manner (class discussion 02.14.03). Humans living in agrarian society do not necessarily use the environment's resources in an unsustainable manner, but the greater the population density, the more land will be needed to support that population in a sustainable manner. As resources become more and more scarce, field owners will be less willing to let land lay fallow (class discussion 02.21.03). Humans then found a "tech fix" with the development of agriculture and the domestication of animals. Cipolla calls it the first great economic revolution (Cipolla 18). The development of agriculture lead to the development of communities, city-states, civilizations, and other settlements. The social structure that formed around agriculture brought about the possibility of specialization within a society, since not everyone had to hunt and gather all the time. Instead of living in an ecologically sustainable manner like the hunter/gatherers, people started living in an economic manner (Southwick 128 ). Specialization enabled the development of social institutions such as religion and government, and agriculture necessitated the development of irrigation.

Expectations Charles Dickens Essay

In the first chapter of Great Expectations Charles Dickens creates a very intense image of the marshes. This is the first place he describes and he makes the marshes sound like a very creepy and bewildering place.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea†.  The words marsh and the river makes the marshes sound like a very damp, muddy and bleak place.  Also in the first chapter Charles Dickens describes the churchyard as  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Bleak place overgrown with nettles†. Dickens also describes the churchyard s a very † Overgrown and bleak place†.  A graveyard is supposed to be a happy place that revitalises and refreshes kind, happy memories. I think this implies that death is all around no matter where you look. I think this because everything is â€Å"overgrown† and not looked after and the â€Å"nettles† are killing all of the beautiful plants so death is also involved there as well.  Dickens also says about the marshes in the first chapter  Ã¢â‚¬  And that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes: and that the low leaden line beyond was the river: and the distant savage liar from which the wind was rushing was the sea†. This quote represents a dark and unforgiving future for Pip and that there is no one out there in the wilderness to care for him. The words â€Å"leaden line† imply a low lead river that looks like it has bars on and to Pip this makes him feel imprisoned. Also the words â€Å"savage liar† represents to Pip that he thinks that there is like a savage monster out there in the sea. Furthermore in chapter one Dickens explains the marshes as a â€Å"long black, horizontal line and the sky was just a row of long, angry red lines and dense black lines intermixed. The words represent anger and danger and black utility, death and emptiness. Pip again feels like he is a prisoner to the marshes. At the start of the first chapter instead of Pip being one of the main characters he becomes the narrator of the story and starts talking about his family.  Ã¢â‚¬  So I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip†.  When Pip goes to the churchyard to the graveyard to look at their graves and imagines what his family would of looked like this proves he has a very distinct and creative imagination.  Ã¢â‚¬  My first fancies regarding what they were like, were unreasonably derived from their tombstones†.  Also Pip proves that there was a high rate of infant mortality and he also proves that there was a universal struggle to die. † To five little stone lozenges, each about a foot and a half long, which were arranged in a neat row beside their grave, and were scared to the memory of five little brothers of mine who gave up trying to get a living exceedingly early in that universal struggle†.  Dickens in the first chapter changes from first person the narrator to third person and this s a very unnatural method to use.  Ã¢â‚¬  And that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip†. Also Great Expectations was serialised which means that he novel was brought out in chapters and because the novel was successful people kept buying each chapter each time they were released.  When Pip goes into the churchyard to the graveyard so that he can go and visualise his brothers and his parents he meets a convict. The convict is starving and looking for food and basically anything and so he turns Pip upside town.  Ã¢â‚¬  The man after looking at me for a moment turned me upside-down†.  This is very strong and imaginative and you can clearly imagine it as he turns him upside down literally and metaphorically. After this the convict starts talking to Pip about his appearance. He talks about  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What fat cheeks you ha got:†Ã‚  After this Pip says  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I believe they were fat, though I was at that time undersized for my years, and not strong†.  This gives the impression that Pip has never been fed properly and this make Pip sound innocent and vulnerable.  Later on Pip makes a promise to the convict that he would bring some food and some wittles so that the convict could release himself from the chain around his ankles and the convict threatens Pip to make sure he does this.

Government business relations paper Essay

Government regulation has always been an important part of business as â€Å"regulations are essential for the proper functioning of society and the economy† (Ingram , n.d). A business is designed to generate revenue for its employees, employers and shareholders (Chindamo, Pg. 4-9, 2011). In a bid to keep increasing revenue, businesses throughout history have conducted trade using dubious, unsafe, and exploitive methods. In a bid to stem companies conducting business in an unsafe and unethical manner, the government has employed several methods to regulate this issue (Ingram, n.d). Business regulation has been highly debated in the past as there both advantages and disadvantages, but the benefits of business regulation greatly out way its costs. (Ingram, n.d) The government uses diverse methods of regulation, which include advertising, environmental protection and privacy. (Holt, n.d) The government regulates businesses in the advertising of products and services. (Holt, n.d) Laws exist by fair trading to protect consumers and keep businesses truthful about products and services. (Holt, n.d) A good example of when a business advertised falsely was in 1990 when a government investigation of GNB Australia Ltd, Pacific Dunlop secondary had falsely mislead the public through advertising that their batteries were made in Australia, when actually their batteries came from Asia and New Zealand (Holt, n.d). Government intervention made GNB confess that they had been using inappropriate signs, brands and flyers (Holt, n.d). Pacific Dunlop gave actions in February 1991 that involved an obligation to improve its compliance advertising program during five years (mainly on marketing and advertising); remedial marketing; different marketing of batteries. (Tamblyn, pg.157, 1993) Businesses can often leave carbon footprints when operating. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates this aspect of business trading. (Holt M, n.d) They regulate laws about environmental protection through education and have done so when enforcing it through penalties to landlords in the state of Philadelphia America amounting to $14,850 and $5500 for not telling residents of lead-based paint within their properties. (Collins, 2008) These fines, proposed by the EPA on July 28, 1998, are part of the implementation of federal lead-based paint disclosure laws. (Collins, 2008) In Business practice, privacy is an ethical and potentially unlawful issue, private information is taken from workers and consumers when leasing and whilst business transactions are being conducted, privacy laws are another way governments regulate business to stop businesses from releasing this information at will. (Grossman, 2013) Information taken could be a social security number, address, name, information about health, debit card and bank numbers and private history (Holt, n.d). Many laws exist to stop businesses from releasing his information, and people can indict companies for misuse of their private information (Holt, n.d). Those laws in place are another way why governments should regulate business. (Holt, n.d) Without government regulation of the key areas of business such as advertising and marketing, companies could take unfair advantage of consumers. The environmental pollution issues which are an ethical issue would have had no stand point if not for government regulation. Privacy would also be violated which is unfair to the consumer and also an ethical issue, which must be addressed in all forms of business. Hence, government regulation of business is needed to keep trade fair and balanced for the good of the economy. References Chindamo P, (2011), ‘national CEO survey: Business Regulation’, Australian Industry Groupm, Pg. 4-9, http://www.aigroup.com.au/portal/binary/com.epicentric.contentmanagement.servlet.ContentDeliveryServlet/LIVE_CONTENT/Publications/Reports/2011/10259_ceo_survey_web.pdf Collins M. 26/03/08 â€Å"United States Environmental Protection Agency Proposes Large Fines For Residential Property Owners Who Violate Lead-Paint Disclosure Regulation† Viewed 18th February 2013 http://corporate.findlaw.com/business-operations/united-states-environmental-protection-agency-proposes-large.html) Grossman RJ. 2013. â€Å"No Federal Regulatory Relief in Sight.† HR Magazine Vol 58 (issue. 2), pg 24-2 Holt M, n.d, Five Areas of Government Regulation of Business, Viewed 18th February 2013, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/five-areas-government-regulation-business-701.html Ingram D, n.d, Government Regulation Factors in Business, Viewed 18th February 2013, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/government-regulation-factors-business-2966.html James G, 25/10/13. â€Å"Government regulation is good for business†, Viewed 29th February 2013, http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505183_162-28552608-10391735/government-regulation-is-good-for-business/ Tamblyn J et al CH 11, Pg. 157, ‘Progress Towards a More Responsive Trade Practices Strategy’, Date published: 1993 (Australian Institute of Criminology), Viewed 29th February 2013, http://www.anu.edu.au/fellows/jbraithwaite/_documents/Manuscripts/businessreg.pdf)

Dirty Pictures (Film Analysis)

The film Dirty Pictures released on year 2000 is loosely based on the story of Robert Mapplethorpe and his photography in late 1980's. Most photos of the late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe is actually uncontroversial however few of them– some sadomasochistic in nature– seem to offend. The inclusion of these provocative and seemingly offensive pictures in art exhibit has been highly criticized by the authority and feasted by the local media.Bennis Barrie, the curator of the Cincinnati Arts Center is inevitably accused of promoting pornography as he displays Mapplethorpe's naked images and graphic displays of homosexual offensive activities in Cincinatti art museum. Barrie initially knows that some of Mapplethorpe's photography may receive negative criticisms because of its provocative depictions of humans' mutual sensuality however as a curator he recognized that art encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations and emotions. He believes that an artist de serves a freedom of expression.However Mapplethorpe photographs became the center of controversy when these were exhibited at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts. Dennis Barrie who is the Museum director was being accused and condemned by the right wing conservatives. The rest of the film revolves in public debate towards how freedom of expression should be applied. The character of Barrie in the initial part of the movie is being portrayed as a modest and ordinary man who have a simple lifestyle. However after the exhibit, he was suddenly thrown into extraordinary circumstances as he deals with the enormous pressures of ugly public debate.He faced personal intimidation since his reputation and career were at stake. Furthermore, the issue pressed against him affected the emotional aspects of his family. The film effectively illustrates the emotions of a couple struggling to decide and do the right thing while dealing with the political pressures brought by the issue of displayed sensua l photographs. Though Barrie comes off as a man sophisticated and knowledgeable about contemporary arts but he is a little bit innocent about his stand since he was faced with unreasonable political pressures.The involvement of big conservative figures made this issue highly politicized. As a result, the jury who are also heroes of this story, experienced personal pressures of their own. At the end however they manage to navigate their way to the right decision after Barrie made a profound kind of speech about freedom of expression. Even if Barrie was being acquitted in the film, the local conservative group believes that this trial would have a chilling effect on future art exhibitions.Since freedom of expression has been positively justified in the film, there is a great possibility that curators and artists will always make an excuse to not restrict them in any kinds of mode of expression since this is after all their right. However, the conservatives subtly stand that the author ity should give restrictions especially in displaying sexually explicit photos to avoid public intimidation. The film inevitably shows Mapplethorpe controversial photos. A number of the actual Mapplethorpe's photos that were the heart and reason of the controversy were used in production.Though the photos are shown in shortcuts but the film allows the viewers to have a glimpse to both the controversial photos and the extraordinary beauty and story of all the photos in general. Apparently, he is not only interested to capture humans sexuality but his portraits, photos of flowers and landscapes illustrate his love in beauty. Mapplethorpe's â€Å"The Perfect Moment† collections air different angles of expression. His photographs were not confined in nudity however the authorities only favored and noticed one side by giving obscenity charges against the curator.Since big people also offered their own perspective towards the provocative photographs, it seems that the issue became politically motivated. Meanwhile, the film also looks like a documentary one since the filmmakers highlights new interviews from cultural and conservative figures about their personal perceptions in the issue. Meanwhile the filmmakers in the movie also incorporated many inter cut scenes from the original events collected from the archives of the local media (e. g. the trial and that attempted closing down of the art museum).The movie demonstrates that the beauty of art depends on how people perceive it. Their level of appreciation depends on their personal tastes, values, cultural and social orientation. In the movie, the characters were obviously divided by two– those who are open minded who believe that any kind of art depiction even in a sensational manner is just but a manner of expression that is natural to the artist; and the conservatives who believes that pornography negatively affect the viewers as it arouse malicious intent and emotions.However the film with the cha racter of Barrie reminds the public to uphold their right of expression and their right to choose what they art they would want to see and appreciate. No matter how disgusting and offensive a particular art might be, it has its every right to be exhibited. Any contemporary or classic art form is not exclusive to elite. The film subtly emphasized that an average and ordinary person can understand and appreciate art and art definitely do not only belong to specific few.

The Airline Industry Pre and Post 9/11

Analyze the attractiveness of the airline industry pre 9/1 1 . How attractive was the industry before 9/11? Was it profitable? Was there growth? Was there strong competition or not? If so, in what sectors? PESTEL Analysis of the Airline Industry Pre 9/1 1 Political Government support for national carriers Oohnson, Gerry. 2011, pg51) Security Controls Oohnson, Gerry. 2011, pg51) Investment support Restrictions on migration Oohnson, Gerry. 2011, pg51) Deregulations (try to cut down airfare prices) Economic National growth rates Oohnson, Gerry. 2011, pg51)Fuel prices Oohnson, Gerry. 2011, pg51) High costs associated with the Full Service Carrier business model of markets Increasing world trade and investment Social Rise in travel by elderly Student international study exchanges Changing life styles Increase in the number of educated people Globalization Technological Fuel-efficient engines and airframes Security check technologies Teleconferencing for business Consolidation Alternative fuels Environmental Air pollution controls Noise pollution controls Energy consumption controls Land for growing airports Legal Employee work hoursLiberalization Restrictions on mergers Preferential airport rights for some carriers Porter's five forces analysis for pre 9/1 1 Threat of Entry High regulations Capital intensive Requires high level of experience and knowledge It has a high barrier entry Monopoly in some cities' airports The Threat of Substitutes Busses, ships, rail industry In Europe, Russia rail is the preferred transportation mode In US rail and road are the mode of transportation for goods Prices are regularly low comparing to airfares in Europe for within Europe and Russia Ships are being used or transportation of goods in bulk to continents But for individual transportation for long distances mostly airlines are preferred. The Power of Buyers Almost 50% increase within a decade, due to increase in the number of retirees. Also rise in the world GDP. Increasing numbe r of airline companies gives more choice to select from to the buyers. Customer loyalty highly depended on airfares. Price sensitive. So bargaining power of the buyer is high. Technological innovations give advantages to business travelers (skype, conference calls†¦ etc) The Power of Suppliers Pilot's unions, â€Å"there is no good alternative to a well-trained pilot in the cockpit†.The supply is mainly being done by Boeing and Airbus, Aramco, Gazprom All of the suppliers have high power. (Fuel, maintenance, labor). Competitive Rivalry Low margin cost (1-2% net profit) Increase in the number of airlines High costs High exit barrier As per the case study â€Å"analysts were predicting that the US airline industry world lose some $. 5bn because of the slowing economy combined with a large decline in business travel. † So the decrease and losses were already happening, due to echnological, mismanagement and economic reasons. 9/1 1 may have given good reasons for mist akes. 2 Analyze the attractiveness post The decrease hit the bottom with the terrorist attacks. People preferred other ways to travel.PESTEL Analysis of the Airline Industry Post 9/1 1 Government support for national carriers (bailout money $4bn) Tax break for the next five years (national carriers) Security Controls increased (3 hours early check in) Lay offs Cost increase due to security increase Supplier's suppliers were affected Probable increase in the demand for metal detectors and security items Increase in he insurance cost Increase in the airfare but after 2007 airlines are raising against each other, prices are going down Fear against flights No trust to security Choice towards road, rail, or teleconferencing. Need for advanced security check, secure stronger technologies including navigational equipment. Teleconferencing for business Stronger rules over employees Tighter regulations Increase in the consumer rights and protection* 3. How might airlines better plan for disr uptive events such as 9/11?They could nave done scenario planning and train the employees according to the worst case scenario. Shell was the only company during the crisis which survived because they had the scenario before and when they started to feel the crisis they reacted before it reached at the door. Airline industry can do the same thing, and train their employees. Government can do trainings at the school or public places for worst case scenarios. Airplane suppliers can produce safer doors for the cockpit. And security companies should not Just hire normal people they should have people from the army or police departments at the airports who are well trained.http://dollarsandsense.org/archives/2002/0502ward.htmlhttp://www.citethisforme.com/topic-ideas/business-marketing/Qantas%20management-9357129

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History - Essay Example However, the debate is over the fact that whether or not Preston had ordered the men to fire or all hell broke loose when a man fired his musket and others followed suit, without any orders and the blame was placed on Preston entirely. As a result, five people were dead by the end of the firing and Preston was charged for murder and during the trial, 81 people came forward as witnesses out of which only 15 were allowed by the Crown; those that were not allowed stated that the attacks had been planned by the colonists beforehand. According to the deposition given by Preston personally, it was stated that the mob had gone out of control and that people were verbally as well as physically abusing each other. They literally dared the army to shoot and fire and bring them down and even then the army held its own. Preston stated that when asked, he denied his men to shoot at all costs and kept saying no whenever he was asked. However, the rioters refused to back down and hit one of the sol diers with a stick on his head; this infuriated a few other soldiers who then started firing without any commands being given to them, as an act of self defence, against the raging mob. The witnesses on behalf of Preston all stated that they did not hear him ordering anyone to fire, instead heard him asking his soldiers to stop even after they had begun firing. The orders had come not from Preston but from another source. Thomas Preston’s trial brought in the issue of a reasonable doubt which gives the defendant an opportunity to save himself on the basis of a chance that he was not guilty in his actions. When the mob hit Private Hugh Montgomery, the army assumed that Preston would open fire on the people that were turning into rowdy animals and provoking them to attack. The soldiers fired despite Preston standing between them and the mob and their uneven bursts of fire and fury killed eleven innocent people in the process. Paul Revere, one of the key figures in the revolutio nary movement that took place in America, engraved the sights and sounds of the Massacre in a manner that highlighted the plight of the people suppressed under British tyranny. His creation of the controversy taking place on King’s Street has become one of the most powerful pieces of art in the history of the American Revolution depicting the British grenadiers standing calm in suit but shooting with their rifles at the disturbed mob on the other side of the street. In his engraving, Revere has deliberately failed to draw the snow and the ice covering the streets and also has depicted Crispus Attucks, the black man as a white because he wanted to display the high level of repute that Attucks should have received as the very first martyr as a result of the riot – the colour white displaying the highest level of authority and deserving. Preston moved to Ireland, it had been presumed, after leaving Boston and not being acquitted for the trial; according to personal opinio n, he was a scapegoat caught in the riot. His duty was to take care of his soldiers and command them and despite giving them orders to not shoot or fire, they opened fire in order to protect themselves. Preston cannot be held guilty against the backdrop of such facts where the soldiers were not trained enough to follow their heads and not their hearts; they feared their own lives and that is why went against their officer, however he could not have been held guilty and charged for the murder that he has not committed. Witnesses continued

Applying for the PhD program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Applying for the PhD program - Essay Example I am keenly aware of the unlimited possibilities inherent in this field. IT represents the convergence of Computer Science and Business. It is the bridge which connects cutting edge technology and commerce. To me, it is IT which will enable the practical benefits of Computer Science to reach the common man. In this context, I am particularly interested in focusing my future research on Web Technologies, XML and Web Services, Document Engineering and e-Business.  I see myself in the vanguard of Kuwait’s efforts to harness the power of IT in furthering the development of the national economy. I consider my life-long love of learning and books to be one of my major strengths. I believe that, whatever be the career one chooses in life, the first step towards achieving that goal is the acquisition of knowledge and practical experience in the chosen field. I can think of no better way of gaining a more in-depth exposure to Computer Science and Information Technology, and keeping p ace with the very latest developments in the field, than by earning a Doctorate from the University of Kuwait. I am confident that this will be the opportunity of a lifetime for me to be guided by the best minds in this field and gain valuable insights from my mentors.

Unit 3 ip Introduction to American Court System Essay

Unit 3 ip Introduction to American Court System - Essay Example (Justice, 2009) First is the right to the indictment by Grand Jury granted in Fifth Amendment under which no person is held to answer for a capital or infamous crimes until they are indicted by the Grand Jury? This protection to the people with criminal offences has been given under Fifth Amendment along with other protections given. It is however, important to note that this has not been incorporated for the States and as such offenders at the State level may not be able to enjoy this protection under the Bill of Rights. It is however, critical to note that this right has been held but not fully incorporated for States as per various decisions of Supreme Court. The right to select jury from the residents of the state and district where the actual crime took place has also not been incorporated for States. Under the Vicinage Clause, it was held that this right has not been incorporated under the 14th amendment and that the criminal offenders may not be getting this protection. Protection from excessive bail/fines has also not been incorporated for States therefore criminal offenders enjoying this under the Bill of Rights may not be able to claim privileges under this protection granted in Bill of Rights. Essentially, due process can be divided into two important categories i.e. procedural as well as substantive. Substantive due process actually refers to the rights available to a citizen against the laws which may be biased or discriminatory in nature. These laws can be unfair generally or may favor one group over another group and thus may not allow correct dispensation of justice to all. It is critical to note that courts in the past have terms laws unconstitutional which were discriminating people from one another. Supreme Court, in various cases, have termed the laws which differentiate between people based upon their sexual orientation as illegal as such laws preferred one group over another. Laws on

Reason, Faith and Logos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Reason, Faith and Logos - Essay Example Introduction Foundational to spiritual and philosophical investigations are the notions of reason and faith. Adherents to faith argue that true recognition of god or the divine cannot be grasped through the implementation of modern notions of reason. These views are contrasted with the perspective of humanist philosophers who advance notions of reason and science as necessary foundations of knowledge. In The Gay Science section 125 Nietzsche proclaims that God is dead – adding that we have killed him. Bearing in mind the long history of philosophical reflection on the interrelation of reason and faith, this essay considers whether religious faith has anything very significant to fear, or to gain, from the arguments of philosophers. Analysis There exists considerable exploration into concerns specifically related to the interaction of faith and reason, with many philosophers and theologians contending that faith is not necessarily removed from reason. Indeed, religious theologi ans and philosophers to justify religious belief have used both of these concepts. Some contentious have argued that when reason is properly implemented it affirms faith; in this sense reason and faith implement essentially the same methodological means of grasping reality or the divine (Wolterstoff 1998). Still, other perspectives that are less stringent than these understandings indicate that while reason and faith adopt different processes of understanding the world, the use of reason will never be able to contradict faith, as faith is the ‘true’ grasp of this divine order (Wolterstoff 1998). However, other thinkers have argued that the very existence of a notion of ‘faith’ necessitates that it be in-direct contention with notions of reason (Alston 1998). Essentially, this argument considers that there would be no use for a faith concept if faith truly aligned itself with reason. Understandably there is a significant history of thought devoted to the not ions of reason and faith and their interaction. One of the earliest recorded such philosophical considerations can be attributed to Greek antiquity. This period of philosophy, known as the classic period, witnessed an explosion of intellectual growth, as a variety of thinkers wrote and debated questions that ran to the essence of the universe and humanity’s place within it. While Judaic traditions were developed during this period, to a large degree their focus was on human existence; conversely, the Greek’s considered notions of faith in regards to larger cosmological concerns (Melchert 2002). To a degree it appears that two separate traditions of thought developed in Greek society, with one embracing religious beliefs and the other more philosophically based notions of reason (Melchert 2002). Still, these Greek belief patterns were not entirely exclusive. Some theorists contend that faith and reason interacted in Greek society through the mythmaking system that devel oped (Melchert 2002). In these regards, Greek gods emerged that also embodied some civic virtues. These virtues would then be dispersed down to daily life, as individuals would attempt to incorporate them into their value system and regular interactions. It was only later that

Economics for Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Economics for Business - Essay Example (Monaghan, 2014) UK’s car market is the second largest market in Europe after Germany and therefore has a critical significance in terms of its contribution to the market. The market is however, dominated by the few but very large players in the industry. 2013 figures suggest that Ford emerged as one of the leading players in the market followed by Vauxhall and BMW. These brands are considered as the hottest selling brands with Ford Fiestas as the leading vehicle in the country purchased during 2013. Since the market is rebounding from its earlier levels, there are signs of price wars in the industry as one of the largest suppliers in the market i.e. Ford has started a fierce competition with the existing players in the market. It is also because of this reason that Ford Fiesta has registered highest number of growth in terms of units sold during 2013. Ford has been specifically offering deep discounts to the dealers on selling certain number of cars of its brands during the month. It suggests that Ford has been capitalizing on the growing opportunities and leveraging the same through the stronger incentives to the dealers. Other players such as Daewoo and Hyundai are also believed to be working towards matching such offers at EU wide level thus initiating price wars at the regional level. (News.bbc.co.uk, 2014) A closer analysis of the market would suggest that the market is being dominated by few but relative larger players in the market. UK Car market is dominated by both the local as well as international players. Local firms such as Vauxhall are also considered as the major players with firms like Ford, Nisan as well as Daewoo and Hyundai are also continuing to dominate the market. What is however, critical to note that none of these firms are actually the price makers as the overall demand depends upon certain other related factors such as availability of cheaper consumer credit and overall economic

Art History Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Art History - Movie Review Example The movie flashes back to 1941; nine years earlier. During this time, Pollock was often drunk and made a living by displaying his paintings in the infrequent group art shows. He was struggling to make a mark in the 1940s New York. As cited Boddy-Evans, this struggle made Pollock to suffer from depression, volatile temper, alcoholism, and self-doubt. The film provides glimpses of the New York art world. The viewers note that the war between creativity and vulnerability to impotent rage, self-doubt, and drunkenness. and alcohol destroys Pollock. He later meets artist Lee Krasner (Harden) and Jackson takes interest in her. Lee Krasner is also a painter and later became his wife and the most tireless champion. Krasner rescues Jackson from his struggles helping him to win the patronage of a rich Peggy Guggenheim. He gives him painting contract worth $2,400. However, his fame results in a wedge between himself and Lee. The casting is excellent as to appear inevitable from the stare of the silent challenge, to the virile baldness, and the manner in which Pollock handles a cigarette like a throwaway extension of his will. The studio scenes are rooted in the moment when Jackson drips pain on the floor accidentally and finds out that his revolutionary controlled splatter technique is everything most people hope for. In its execution, Pollock’s style was singular and joyfully athletic. This makes the viewers believe that they are witnessing the creation of the actual works. The most eye catching sequences demonstrate the manner in which Jackson works on his populous drip paintings, invoking dense disordered patterns with a combination of skill and gravity, along with luck. Harris is comfortable portraying the self-destructive streak of Pollock and its impacts on Krasner. However, his wife, Lee shows the will of iron under her unshakable compassion and

Wedding cake model of justice is covere Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wedding cake model of justice is covere - Essay Example ess of the arguments in question, the case falls under serious felonies due to the implications of the actions taken by the defendant at the crime scene. Fights between wives and husbands are common from time to time. In some instances, these fights result in assault of either partner. Even though physical assault is a crime, it is a lesser crime compared to murder, rape, or kidnapping. In this respect, domestic violence becomes a less felony, but all the same a crime. The implications of misdemeanors are even less compared to domestic violence or other types of less felony. This makes misdemeanors rank even lower on the wedding cake model. A good example of misdemeanor is traffic rules violation. These types of crimes do not take long court sessions to resolve. In most cases, offenders plead guilty and pay fines, undertake community service, or serve a significantly short jail

Frankenstein V Bladerunner Essay Example for Free

Frankenstein V Bladerunner Essay In what ways does a comparative study accentuate the distinctive contexts of Frankenstein and Blade Runner? The comparative study of texts, allows audiences to investigate the changing nature and interpretation of issues relating to humanity as they are interpreted in different contexts. Context allows audiences to relate to and understand the thoughts, decisions and actions of individuals within a text. Context provides the opportunity to develop and shape a new genre or interpret an existing genre in a new way. The comparative study of context allows for audiences to compare the changing values of societies over time. Literary techniques such as allusions, imagery and dialogue is used to shape context and can be used by composers to entertain, inform or persuade an audience or highlight and provide insight into interesting or noteworthy points. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1831) and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (Directors Cut-1992) individually utilise literary techniques to establish the context of their text within its time. The comparative study of these two texts highlights how texts are inevitably a product of their time however both texts present issues that explore the intricacies and complexities of all human experience. Shelley and Scott utilise distinctive contexts to explore the nature of humanity and ultimately question what makes us human. Frankenstein and Blade Runner exist to highlight how context affects the perceptions of the audience in regards to how a text is received over time thus highlighting how a comparative study of texts can accentuate distinctive contexts. The comparative study of texts depends on the context used to establish a relationship with the audience. Mary Shelley’s fiction novel Frankenstein (1831) is a hybrid product of 18th century Gothic-Romanticism. The text reflects recent challenges to the social order as a result of the English industrial revolution and the French revolution during the second half of the 18th century which highlighted the empowerment of the working class. Frankenstein is a work of epistolary prose fiction that is explored through multiple narrators such as the ‘monster’, Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton. Frankenstein exists as a didactic tale that explores the morality of trying to subvert god thus providing a lesson in patriarchal hubris highlighting the arrogance of scientific discovery without any consideration of the moral or ethical implications. Frankenstein consequently explores the nature of obsession in undermining parental and moral responsibility and evoking fear in the creation-fear of the world, fear of man. Subsequently the leading antagonist of Blade Runner, Roy Batty, further elucidates the arrogance of obsession as he explains his plight, stating, ‘Quite an experience to live in fear, isnt it? Thats what it is to be a slave†. Batty provides insight into the failure of creators to understand the emotional development of the creation which leads to its isolation and fear, causing the ensuing destruction of the ‘natural order’. Frankenstein utilises the characterisation of Victor, ‘I have described myself as always having been imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature’ to explore the obsession for knowledge that formed part of Shelley’s context. The text therefore reflects the influences of recent scientific development such as Galvanism and evolutionary thought. The comparative study of contrasting textual forms allows context to influence different interpretations of a text. Ridley Scott’s speculative science fiction film Blade Runner (1992) employs extensive mis-en-scene to subvert the audience’s sense of setting and history-a suspension of belief- enabling contextually dependant perceptions of the film. The films’ setting reflects its context as it echoes the concept of imperfect vision that conceptualises the short-sightedness inherent in the pursuit of perfection. The film juxtaposes the seemingly inherent ethical pretexts of discovery with the scientific community that seeks to create a perfect race, thus Blade Runner’s scientific context becomes reminiscent of fascist Nazi Aryan ideology, IVF programs and the Human Genome project. Conversely Frankenstein utilises its sublime Swiss setting to increase the plausibility of the themes which allow them to resonate with audiences as they relate to the texts context. Contrasting textual form is used to highlight how the context of each text enables their concurrent themes to resonate and remain relevant to 21st century audiences. Distinctive contexts are accentuated through similar theme content. Frankenstein and Blade Runner similarly indicate that efforts to ‘defy’ the natural order are responsible for the enduring sense of misery and alienation that sustains the overall melancholic tone of both texts. Animal Imagery is used extensively within Blade Runner to reveal the primal nature of raw, native emotion of the ‘replicants’, a reflection of parental neglect which renders them incapable of understanding their emotions. Similarly Frankenstein juxtaposes the idyllic nature of childhood with the abandonment of parental responsibility to highlight the confusion behind the monsters ‘ugly’ exterior, therefore provide insight into creations’ place as the ultimate innocent of both texts. Frankenstein and Blade Runner establish the creations’ as the victims of both physical and emotional negligence who ultimately confront their creator to correct the flaw which isolates them from the world. Frankenstein and Blade Runner similarly utilise content to highlight the creations as the source of destruction to reveal the true nature of monstrosity, the senseless creators. The pursuit of knowledge at the expense of a moral framework is identified as the creators’ ultimate fatal flaw. As the creations of both texts reflect upon and highlight their unnatural qualities, they reveal how their creators can no longer attain the sublime. Victor highlights his exile from the sublime as he recounts how his actions and subsequent inaction ‘deprives the soul both of hope and fear’ contributing to his demise. Frankenstein and Blade Runner similarly evoke a development of critical literacy and knowledge of genre at a macro level that enables distinctive contexts to gain prominence and influence the understanding or interpretation of their respective genres as a whole. The contextualisation of Frankenstein and Blade Runner is used to provide insight into the reception of texts as it challenges the contemporary values of the audience. Frankenstein draws parallels with Greek mythology as it establishes Victor as a modern Prometheus while also addressing elements of Jewish mysticism as the ‘monster’ exhibits qualities similar to the golem of Prague. The text is also reminiscent of Godwin and Wollstonecraft, however, is inherently less optimistic about society’s realistically attainable level of perfection, both physically and economically. In stark contrast, Blade Runner addresses perfection as achievable in a commercial sense ‘commerce is our goal here at Tyrell’ however as Deckard states ‘nobody is perfect’ he highlights the shortcomings of forgoing the moral obligations inherent in the pursuit of commerce which ultimately enable an evaluation of humanities moral boundaries. Blade Runner pays homage to the representation (particularly through film and television) of the 1950’s detective film-noir to reveal a rendition of post-modern expressionism. The reflection of commerce as a postmodern cultural imperative establishes the relationship between socio-economic status and pastiche consumption. Consequently, humanity is ‘created’ and traded with this ‘transformation of everything into commodity’ (Byers, 1990) becoming a reflection of the context of Blade Runner following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic strength of the United States during the films production. In essence the distinctive context of Frankenstein and Blade Runner reflects the interpretation and perception of the genre, textual form and content over time. The comparative study of these distinctive contrasting contexts allows audiences to reflect on the enduring power of parental and moral responsibility, deliberate action or inaction and the features that define humanity. The key reflections in which the audience understands how they are positioned by composers as a result of their context is especially important in allowing moral assessments throughout the text. Frankenstein and Blade Runner are two texts who successfully explore the nature in which humans interpret their humanity as a response to a contextualised stimulus. Blade Runner ultimately reveals the establishment of emotional understanding as a definitive characteristic of being human, while incidentally Frankenstein explores the features of humanities collective consciousness which enable an individual to belong through emotional dependence. The comparative study of Frankenstein and Blade Runner allows audiences gain a further understanding into the way contexts are accentuated through assessments of conceptualised fiction which explore the themes and issues which forms the unique identity of humanity.