Summer Reading Assignment: About a Boy

Mr. Wilson English 11 5 September 2012 Summer Reading Assignment: About a Boy Insensible Will, who lives comfortably off of the money from a popular Christmas song his father wrote, comes up with the idea to join a Single Parents Alone Together, (SPAT), group in order to pick up single moms. What he chooses to overlook however, is the fact that he does not have any children. This sparks a chain of events beginning with him meeting Marcus, an awkward young teenage boy who is being raised by a depressed, single mother.Marcus is constantly tormented at school and feels as though he has no one to turn to. He becomes very fond of Will who is tolerant with him at first and begins to grow attached to his high strung personality. Marcus begins to gain confidence, learn how to deal with his mother, and win the affection of an older punk rocker girl named Ellie at his school. However spending time with Marcus begins to show Will just how empty his life really is. Marcus and Will cross paths at a SPAT get together when Marcus’s mom asks her friend Susie to bring him.That day is the when both Marcus and Wills’ life change forever. When arriving home from the SPAT party Susie, Marcus, and Will walk into Marcus’s mom Fiona passed out in her own vomit. In the mix of it all Marcus doesn’t even see that his mom had tried to overdose on pills. From that day forward Marcus constantly worried about his mother’s depression instead of worrying about himself, and how he gets picked on everyday at his school. It wasn’t until he met Will that Marcus realized why he was getting picked on.Fiona, Marcus’s mom, was in denial and believed that Marcus was just fine wearing ugly shoes, and listening to Mozart. Will helps him to find himself, and to shed his nerdy and dorky skin. As the months passed Marcus began to change and he started hanging out with this punk rocker girl Ellie. At first Marcus believed that he was in love with Ellie and tha t he could spend the rest of his life with her but after taking her to go see his father Marcus realizes she is just too different and crazy. At the end of the novel Will knows for sure that Marcus will be ok when he complains about Will askingFiona to take out sheet music of Marcus’s old favorite nerdy singer. He knows the days of Marcus letting kids bully him, steal his shoes, and mock him for his old haircut are gone. Will did not only help Marcus, but Marcus helped him. Before he was ever involved with Marcus, Will was a pot smoking, lazy, self centered person. However after everything he went through with Marcus, Will changed, and for the better. At the end of the novel Will had found love with this beautiful single mother, Rachel. Even Will realized that himself.He had lost his shell and his cool and his distance, and he felt scared and vulnerable, but he got to be with Rachel, and that’s all that mattered. Fiona at the beginning of the novel was a suicidal, depr essed, and horrible mother. Even after trying to kill herself she was still horrible. She didn’t even notice how hard of a time Marcus was having at school and she wanted to take away Will from Marcus when he was the only thing making her son happy. But as Marcus changed so did Fiona. She was longer so depressed and no longer hated Marcus as her son.Even though she has lost a big part of Marcus, she got to stay away from the hospital because she was no longer depressed. Change makes you flexible, and helps go with the flow. Change makes you smarter. If things never changed, you’d never learn anything new. And every time you learn something new its makes you smarter than you were yesterday. Change reminds us that anything is possible. It’s easy to think that anything that’s stuck will always be that way. Marcus, Fiona and Will all learned how to improve their lives and it was all because of each other.

Starbucks Case Analysis

Starbucks corporation| Starbucks Corporation Vision- Founded in 1971 Starbucks vision statement is;† To establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected coffee brand inthe  world  and  become  a  national  company  with  values  and  guidingprinciples that employee could be proud of   The vision statement clearly describes the dream or the future of the company that is to be the world’s most well known coffeehouse and also to be the most appreciated and positively graded brand by all levels of people around the world. The  company also  focuses  its  vision  to  employee  satisfactions,  so  that  the employees will be happy.It was an abstract vision that reflected the vision of the founders. Mission Their mission statement from the company profile is as follows: â€Å"Our mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. † Their core competencies can b e defined as high quality coffee and products at accessible locations and affordable prices, provided a community to share in the coffee drinking experience, and variety of choices. Their mission statement includes six elements which they regard as part of their core competencies. Our Coffee It has always been, and will always be, about quality.We’re passionate about ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans, roasting them with great care, and improving the lives of people who grow them. We care deeply about all of this; our work is never done. Our Partners We’re called partners, because it’s not just a job, it’s our passion. Together, we embrace diversity to create a place where each of us can be ourselves. We always treat each other with respect and dignity. And we hold each other to that standard. Our Customers When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers – even if just for a few moments.Sure, it starts with the promise of a perfectly made beverage, but our work goes far beyond that. It’s really about human connection. Our Stores When our customers feel this sense of belonging, our stores become a haven, a break from the worries outside, a place where you can meet with friends. It’s about enjoyment at the speed of life – sometimes slow and savored, sometimes faster. Always full of humanity. Our Neighborhood Every store is part of a community, and we take our responsibility to be good neighbors seriously. We want to be invited in wherever we do business.We can be a force for positive action – bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Now we see that our responsibility – and our potential for good – is even larger. The world is looking to Starbucks to set the new standard, yet again. We will lead. Our Shareholders We know that as we deliver in each of these areas, we enjoy the kind of succes s that rewards our shareholders. We are fully accountable to get each of these elements right so that Starbucks – and everyone it touches – can endure and thrive Competitive advantageThe advantage a business has over its competition which allows it to reap greater profit margins, retain customers and remains sustainable is referred to as its competitive advantage. Businesses have to have some form of competitive advantage to be successful in the long run. Competitive advantage can take one of three forms that reflect basic customer values: customers want goods and services (1) better, (2) cheaper and (3) faster. These forms of competitive are known as (1) differentiation, (2) cost leadership and (3) quick response respectively.Research has proven that having some form of competitive advantage increases profitability of a firm , having two forms combined leads to highest profitability and firms that have neither form perform poorly or generate just ‘normal’ profits. Competitive advantages that are gained because the pioneer was on the first to enter a market are sometimes called ‘first movers advantages. ’ The three forms of competitive advantage are described below Differentiation Creating a unique bundle of products and/or services that will be highly valued by customers constitutes competitive advantage based on differentiation.Product features, after-sales service, desirable image, technological innovation, reputation, manufacturing consistency, status symbol are attributes that can differentiate products. Each of these features can be considered a form of quality. Differentiation allows firms to reap higher-than-typical returns because competitive rivalry maybe lessened as firms successfully distinguish themselves; brand loyal customers are less price sensitive, new entrants entering the market have to overcome the barriers to entry.However, if many firms adopt a differentiation strategy then they are all perceived a s equals and specialists operating in niche markets may be more successful at differentiation and a continuous attempt to stay ahead of customers may result in ‘gold plating’ ( the development of features which are not valued by consumers but add to the price). Successful differentiation depends on (1) understanding what customers value, (2) being uniquely able to provide that value, and (3) being able to charge a premium price for it.Cost leadership This competitive advantage requires achieving a low-cost position relative to one’s competition. Classic cost leadership strategy involves creating a no-frills product aimed at the most typical customer in a large target market. Standardization of products and services is looked for in cost leadership and targeting a large market segment for these standard products allows for mass production techniques which create greatest possible benefits from economies of scale and experience curve effects.Cost leadership address es competitive forces in the following ways; holding the low-cost position convinces rivals to hold a price war, low-cost producers are protected from customer pressures of lowering prices, because of higher margins low-cost producers are better able to withstand pressures from increasing in suppliers’ costs, barriers to entry exist for new entrants and manufacturers use price to threaten substitute products. However, cost leadership has some drawbacks namely ; cost leadership can be called an ‘all-or-nothing strategy’, cost cutting that leads to loss of desirable roduct attributes can be ruinous, it is easily duplicated by competitors, and dedication to cost cutting limits a firm’s abilities to remain competitive in other ways. Use of an effective cost leadership strategy depends on careful monitoring of a firm’s internal operations and its customers’ need. Quick response This form of competitive advantage stresses on the provision of the qu ality and cost the customer wants faster than the competition does. Quick response refers to the speed with which a new product, a product improvement, or even a managerial decision that affects the customers can be made.It is a way of looking at a firm’s flexibility. Competitive advantage can be achieved through quick response in which such as faster development of new products, customizing products, improving existing products, delivery of ordered products,, adjusting marketing efforts, answering customers’ questions. Firms with quick response can avoid head-to-head rivalry, faster forms can charge a premium pricing, faster firms encourage quick response from suppliers, and quick response deals with the threats of new entrants and substitute products by leading in innovation themselves.However it must be kept in mind, speed is not equally important to all markets or customers, speed creates stress, and speed for speed’s sake does not create competitive advanta ge. Starbucks Competitive Advantage Starbucks competitive advantage is a mixture of differentiation and quick response. Since their coffee is priced at $4 a cup; they are clearly not competing on costs here. In fact at Starbucks’ it’s the opposite. The brand image that has been created due to the strong differentiated marketing efforts, the ambience of their outlets has created a brand loyalty in Starbucks customers.They are willing to pay a premium price because they feel they are having the best coffee made with the finest quality ingredients. Starbucks achieved the first movers advantage as they were among the pioneers of coffee houses in America, also they have maintained their leadership in the market by launching new variants and varieties faster than competition does and have upgraded their menu from time to time. Their supply chain is integrated vertically and horizontally allowing for a faster response time among suppliers and with customers. They have used el ebrities to endorse their brand further enhancing their differentiation strategy. Because Starbucks has successfully differentiated itself, developed a strong brand following, has opened up outlets to cater to their target market both in U. S. A. and globally, has always strived to serve its customers faster, and focused on innovation, it is able to reap higher-than-average returns. They have also been quick in realizing their failures as the case mentions them closing down stores that were not functioning. Thus this shows that the corporation is quite flexible in its operating decisions.Starbucks Corporate Strategy- how they have used it to create a successful business model The corporate strategy for Starbucks was an expansion strategy based on opening new outlets in U. S. and expanding overseas. Operations: They looked for diversification and vertical and horizontal integration to maximize control over their supply chain and maintain satisfied customers. They launched new product s and variants to maintain their leadership in the market. A differentiation and quick response strategy is used. HR: Starbucks looks for diversity in its employees.They employ people from various backgrounds and give them independence and freedom to make decisions. This has enabled Starbucks to address customers faster and reduced their response time. Also hiring people form diversified backgrounds helps them in their expansion strategy and improves their communication in new countries of expansion. Marketing: Their marketing has always been coffee centric. They have strived to create a strong brand identity and brand loyalty. Starbucks is not just about coffee. It is about providing that experience of comfort, socializing and happiness. This is what they build on.The firm has been successful in maintaining premium pricing because of the creation of a brand image that allows for it. Finance: The expansions have been sensible and not based on intangible goodwill or long term debts. The firm has invested a lot in fixed assets and their debt to asset ratio is low. The management started closing down low operational stores; instead of letting they operate at losses, indicating the management’s concentration on financial efficiency and having good financial ratios. The following strategies have enabled Starbucks to maximize its reach to its consumers by opening up different outlets globally hich have lead to market development and increased profitability. Starbucks expansions have all been well financed and done sensibly. Also their quickness to act in areas where they were reporting losses further shows that their Corporate strategy has lead to successful business development model. The product variety offered at Starbucks has enabled it to remain market leader thus showing that R&D efforts are paying off. The exceptional customer service due to the employment of a diversified labor force has facilitated business expansion and increased the size of the pie for Starbucks.Starbucks thus has transformed the image of ‘coffee. ’ The strong brand loyalty supported by a well managed expansion plan which allows them to be present where their customers want them has made the business a success. Need analysis A need analysis is the process of identifying what the users need and want. It related to the goals, inspirations and objectives of the users. Following shows the factors that contribute to customer satisfaction at Starbucks. Thus Starbucks needs to discover what consumers want regarding the product quality, price and service.Following are SWOT ands PESTLE analysis of Starbucks which give a clearer picture of the strengths and environment within which the firm is operating. SWOT Analysis Strengths †¢ Brand recognition and consumer loyalty †¢ Diverse product portfolio catering to all tastes and ages, including non? coffee beverages and food items †¢ Excellent customer service and the value of the Starbucks exper ience †¢ Licensing relationships with top? brands such as Pepsi? Cola and Kraft that minimize costs and leverage the strategic advantages of those companiesxviii †¢ Strong employee relationships Economies of scale providing superior distribution networks and supplier power †¢ Primly? located retail stores †¢ Positive image attributed to socialresponsibility Weaknesses †¢ Pay 23% more for coffee than market prices †¢ Saturation of the market diminishes long? term growth prospects †¢ No monetary switching costs for consumers †¢ Negative large corporation image †¢ Potential limitations of international expansion due to cultural clashes with American coffee experiences. Opportunities †¢ Have the ability to reduce premiums paid for coffee Room forinternational expansion (78% ofrevenues came from the United States in fiscal 2007 and international same? store sales growth is strong)xix †¢ Room to compete on multiple fronts including qu ality and price †¢ Increase licensing relationships to further utilize brand strength to capture profits at little cost to the company Threats †¢ Increasing coffee and dairy prices †¢ Intense competition in the specialty coffee beverage business †¢ Unfavorable economic conditions that lowerthe demand for expensive beverages †¢ Community resistance to store expansion The possibility that the demand for specialty coffee is a fad †¢ Diverging from the Starbucks experience †¢ Further diversification of fast food restaurants that cuts into market share. PESTLE ANALYSIS The PESTLE analysis of Starbucks. Political: Taxation policy High taxation imposed on farmers in those countries producing the coffee bean will usually mean Starbucks pay a higher price for the coffee they purchase. Any fluctuations in taxation levels in the industry are almost certainly ultimately passed on to the consumer Deregulation A decade ago, the USA pulled out of the ICA (interna tional Coffee Agreement) hat set export quotas for producing nations and kept the price of coffee fairly stable. Coffee quotas and  price controls ended. Since the deregulation farmers have suffered and their earnings have dropped. Many have struggled to make a living so have given up. International trade regulations/tariffs – Trade issues will affect Starbucks predominantly when exporting and importing goods. When another country's government imposes a tariff it not only results in an efficiency loss for Starbucks but large income transfers can become inconsistent with equity. This extra charge can turn a bargain into a rip-off.Also, since 9/11, trade relations have been adversely affected between the USA and some other countries. International  stability The international economy must be brought into  consideration as it can affect Starbucks' sales and markets. The aftermath of 9/11 was an example of an economic downturn that affected the world market. If the world ma rket is in a slump it is not usually the ideal time for a  business to look at grand expansion. Employment law A reduction in licensing and permit costs in those countries producing the coffee bean for  Starbucks would lower production costs for farmers.This saving would in turn be passed on to the purchaser. Economic: * Interest rates – A rise in interest rates means investment and expansion plans are put off resulting in falling sales for Starbucks and their suppliers. Also mortgage repayments rise so consumers have less disposable income to spend on luxury  products such as coffee. Low interest rates should have the opposite effect. * Economic Growth – If growth is low in the nation of location of Starbucks then sales may also fall. Consumer incomes tend to fall in periods of negative growth leaving less disposable income.Consumer confidence in products can also fall if the economic ‘mood' is low* Inflation rates – Inflation is a condition of incr easing prices. It is measured using the Retail Price Index (RPI) in the UK. Business costs will rise for Starbucks through inflation, as will shoe-leather costs as they shop around for new ‘best prices' of  materials, menu costs will rise as Starbucks have to create new price lists. Also, uncertainty is created when making decisions not least because inflation redistributes money from lenders to borrowers. Competitors pricing – Competitive pricing from competitors can start a price war for  Starbucks that can drive down profits and profit margins as they attempt to increase, or at least maintain, their share of the market. * Globalisation – Globalisation of the coffee market has meant farmers of the bean now earn less money than they used to. This can result in a decrease of people willing to do it for a living, which will mean a decrease in coffee produced, resulting in a drop in Starbucks supply levels and probably profits. * Exchange rates – Starbuc ks are affected by exchange rates when dealing with international trade.If the value of the currency falls in the country of a coffee supplier  this enables Starbucks to get more for their $ or L when importing the goods to their  country. This saving can be passed along to the customer. Exchange rates are forever  changing throughout the world in today's market. Social: Population demographics – Population demographics are a very important factor for  Starbucks as they identify what parts of the population they need to aim their products at or which parts of the population they need to encourage to visit their stores more than they presently do.Looking at the table in the case study demonstrating the  percentage of the age groups that drink coffee or specialty coffee it can be seen that the age groups that Starbucks should be aiming their marketing at are the people  between 35 and 54. They should consider targeting the 18-24 age group as they drink  the least amount comparatively and by encouraging this segment to choose Starbucks coffee now, there is a chance they may continue to drink it long into the future.Income distribution – Where income is distributed is another factor that Starbucks should look at as this also demonstrates the ideal place to aim their marketing or to locate their stores. Coffee is more of a luxury product so it is those people/places with the most amount of disposable income to spend that should be targeted the most intensely. * Attitude to work – Starbucks would not want to locate to an area where the local  population have a poor attitude to work. Recruitment would be difficult, training arduous, and staff turnover would be high. Attitudes to work are important in other  ways.A large number of workers in large cities now go out for their lunch rather than use an internal canteen. Starbucks can use this to their advantage and promote the shop as a place where people can meet up and so it will mean that they will get alarger amount of people in their stores at this time of the day. * Standard of education/skills – When Starbucks are deciding upon new premises they must look at the standards of education and skills locally. They must be sure there are  people who live there with sufficient skills to ensure successful operation of the  business, or at least the potential to learn that comes with a good education. Working conditions/safety – Those people with the most disposable income, e. g. young single professionals etc, will be accustomed to high standards. Starbucks must ensure its shops are clean and comfortable, service is of the highest order and health and safety issues are fully addressed * Location – Transport needs to the premises must be considered for both staff and customers. Easy access is vital to ensure there is no excuse for staff to arrive late or  for customers not to visit. Age distribution – Research shows the average age of the population is getting older  and birth rates are stagnating. Starbucks is presently aiming it's product at young  people but maybe these views will change in the long-term as the market proportion for young people diminishes. The most profitable way forward may be to widen their  target market despite the risk of alienating present customers. * Health consciousness – Good health and foodstuffs associated with healthy living are important I today's market place, as this is a trend that is occurring at the moment in western societies.Starbucks can use this information when deciding the additional  products to sell, as well as coffee, as a large number of their customers are looking for  healthy alternatives to cakes and biscuits, which have been associated with coffee in the past. Technological: * IT development – Starbucks is always looking to develop and improve its Internet facilities. Starbucks launched its first-generation e-commerce Web site in 1998. In late1999, Starbucks decided the site needed a major upgrade to enable new functionality and prepare for long-term growth.To achieve these goals, Starbucks upgraded to Microsoft Commerce Server 2000, one of the key Microsoft . NET Enterprise Servers. As a result, scalability and performance have improved, and the company now has the tools it needs to profile and target customers, analyze site data, and deliver new features to the market in the shortest time possible. * New materials and processes – Developments in the technology of coffee making machines and the computers that Starbucks use to run their cash registers will enable their staff to work more quickly and efficiently.This will result in customers being served quicker and create the potential to serve more customers in a day. This will  prevent customers from having to wait around for long periods thus improving customer relations along with increasing the customer base. * Software upgrades – In th e short-term, Starbucks must identify the most efficient software upgrades to use to keep up with the competition. This applies to the improving the accessibility of their website (www. starbucks. com) and also improving the speed and quality of the service provided on the shop floor. Research and Development activity – As a multi-national business empire, Starbucks has the budget and the resources to have a cutting-edge R+D department. The website is very accessible, the facilities are state of the art but more importantly new ideas are consistently being tried in terms of a constantly updating menu. * Rate of technological change – The rate of technological change in the current world market is high, much higher than, say, thirty years ago. Much of this is down to the Internet and the speed with which information can be communicated around the globe.Starbucks will need to invest heavily just to stand still in their ever expanding and developing market, and even more so to try to stay ahead of competitors. Legal: * Trade and product restrictions – Starbucks need to be aware of the trade laws in the various countries they occupy and do business with. They need to ensure they are not in violation of e. g. , religious laws. Also, certain countries impose a tariff that has to be  paid when goods are imported/exported so this must be taken into account. * Employment law – Each country has varying employment laws.Some may have aSabbath day, diwali,some may have a limit on the number of hours an employee may work  Ã‚  per week, all will have varying levels of minimum wage. Starbucks should consider  these factors when deciding on relocation. * Health and Safety regulations – Starbucks may find these regulations are not as stringent or well enforced in certain countries. It would be wise though to enforce universally high standard of health and safety throughout all it's shops to maintain a good global image and ensure all law s are abided by.Also, by not maintaining high standards they will be liable for a large amount of civil cases as it is a legal requirement for them to enable that their staff and customers are safe when they are intheir stores. * Monopolies commission – If Starbucks consider expanding their operations further  to control an even larger percentage of the market than they already have they will have to consider the possibility of breaking monopolies legislation as they may have a share of the market that is too large. This would mean that they would have unfair  advantage over other companies in the same market.This would mean that they could  benefit from economies of scale and would also be able to charge prices that were not competitive in the market and get away with it due to the lack of competition. * Land use – Starbucks may have to abide by local planning regulations when building shops or altering purchased sites, as certain areas of land may be protected or  unsuitable. All matters would be addressed by the local government. Environmental: Pollution problems – Starbucks customers create a lot of waste as they often leave the shop with their cup of coffee and then dispose of it in the street.The packaging for  this cup must be carefully considered to make it as biologically degradable as  possible. Certain other materials can be very harmful to the natural environment. * Planning permissions – Planning permission may not be granted if Starbucks wish to  build in an area that could be harmful to the environment. The land may be protected. * Work disposal – Starbucks need to carefully consider the methods in which they dispose of their waste as there are strict laws in most countries to ensure a firm trading in their country disposes of the waste that is created in their business in a specific and efficient way.If they do not follow these laws they may find themselves being sanctioned, which not only affect s them financially but also tarnishes the reputation of  the brand name, as most of the waste created will bear the logo of Starbucks. * Environmental pressure groups – Starbucks should be aware of the physical and influential power of groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Any violation of animal or environmental rights by a company is usually followed by a swift and attention-drawing protest from one of the groups.Brand image and customer bases are often irreconcilably tarnished due to the actions of these groups Porter’s five forces Barriers to Entry: Medium-High –  Low  capital requirement:  It can be varied depend  on  the location, but  it would be safe to say  coffee industry   still  requires low capital compared to other industries. –  Little  product  differentiation: It is difficult to establish a certain unique flavor for coffee. – can be offered at restaurants which normally don’t serve cof fee as a beverage; this will allow for even lesser investment.Threat of Substitutes: High – Soda, fresh fruit juice, healthy juice for drink and tea are all direct substitutes for coffee. – Alcohol drink- beer, wine,  cocktail,  and more can be indirect substitutes. ( Alcohol drinks will be sold in only a few selected places,  so it is  too early  to  get rid of alcohol drinks in the threat of substitution part. ) Bargaining power of Buyer: Medium-high – Even though the price goes up, the buyers who like only  Starbucks would still come. The brand has generated enormous brand loyalty.   Buyers can  buy their coffee from various  places: Starbucks has their stores  all over the nation, so as other major companies do. Buyers have a lot of substitutes to choose from. Supplier Power: Low-Medium – Starbucks is a global coffee chain and many suppliers are eager to work with them. The company has successfully established vertical integratio n to make suppliers loyal to its supply chain. –  It can be problematic if  a certain product  suppliers raise the price of their product, such as green tea powder or coffee bean.Although Starbucks decided to  change their suppliers because it still takes some time to inform  to the customer and price changes will be inevitable. Industry Rivalry: High –  Many companies: Coffee Bean, Mcdonald's, Dunkin Donuts, and local  cafe. –  Also; McDonald’s had started an advertising attack aimed directly at Starbuck’s saying ‘$4 coffee is dumb. ’Thus; rivalry was high. –  Many people started to look for  more  healthy  and fresh  juice instead of coffee, so there is little chance that demand is growing at the same rate as it was earlier.

Diagnostic essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diagnostic - Essay Example There are certain aspects of advertisements that ensure consumers get the message of products. This paper will look at some of the aspects of advertisements that make them intriguing, and how that enables organizations to get to consumers. The first aspect would be the social aspect. The question most advertising agencies ask is if the advertisement is socially acceptable. This may present the firm with an avenue to know what time to incorporate their advertisements in most of the programmes on air. It is through this analysis of the intended market that many organizations exploiting. The social aspect that is often exploited is the materialistic nature that is created among consumers. Once consumers notice this is happening, it becomes a problem for the manufacturers and advertising agencies (Shimp 209). An example of an advertisement that may bring about societal concerns may be the use of sex to bring out the intended message. The car and sport industry may be largely responsible for this as they are known to incorporate models in their commercials. Another aspect is the economical aspect of advertisements. Organizations may want to engage in activities that are economically viable. Paying for advertisements in media outlets without the consumer’s knowledge of the product may prove useless. No advertisement is more powerful than one that makes the consumer feel something. Making a consumer feel that they need the product or service being advertised is the best way of creating an advertisement. This is where creativity comes in to ensure whoever is keen gets the message. Organizations must check to ensure the contribution they are placing on society through their products is being felt. This pushes consumers to want to listen, or look at to some of the advertisements that make it through media outlets (Shimp 211). An example of an advertisement that may reach to a consumer might

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Psychology Bsc - Essay Example If they are asked to go beyond their stage of development they can only do some of the tasks required, and this depends on the child. When watching children we must take a look at the various developmental studies so that we can be sure that children we are watching are doing those tasks that are appropriate for their developmental stage. Piaget suggested that there were four basic cognitive stages of development. The children that we researched were in the preoperational stage where "children begin to use symbols for objects, thinking is influenced by fantasy" and the child assumes that other people have the same viewpoint as they do. (Loose Leaf Library 1990). As we watched the children in our group, they seemed to be doing exactly as Piaget suggested. They were alert and were able to work with the plastacine and create their own object by making it something that they saw in fantasy. The cognitive stage of development is important to the project that our group did because it assumed that the children already knew how to work with plastacine and that they would understand the interview questions. A similar study was done by Bub, Masson, and Lalonde (2006) in which children were subjected to reading tests to see whether they could overcome Stroop interference in their reading. The point of the Stroop effect is to show that when a child reads a colour that is a different colour than the word, they will take longer to perform the task of reading the word (p. 351). This study worked with 65 children between the ages of 7 and 11. They used five colours (blue, green, pink, red, and yellow) and five words (back, cold, face, home, and look) for the colour matching and reading words (p. 353). What they found was that the younger children had more Stroop interference than the older children. Although this study was interesting to read, it would seem that this topic would n ot be very important in helping children learn how

Internship Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Letter of Recommendation for a Professor at my school Essay

Letter of Recommendation for a Professor at my school - Essay Example Dr. Everett Shock is also such an engaging teacher that he/she is able to present challenging problems that made us look forward to solve the same and how it is applied in the real world setting. Dr. Everett Shock love for knowledge is contagious. His/her enthusiasm about the subject matter rubbed on us that made everybody look forward for the next class. His/her method of teaching does not only elucidate, but also encourage the students to excel thus attracting the best and brightest people to be better. Dr. Everett Shock is an authority on the subject evident with his many publications in scientific journals. But despite of his academic stature, he/she is very generous to accommodate students in his/her research that allows us to grow in ways that classroom experiences cannot afford. This was evident with my interaction with Dr. Shock’s Geo-Pig lab group in these past two years which was my first undergraduate lab research experience. The experience took me to an adventure in Yellowstone National Park for two summers with Dr. Shock and his research group and work side by side in the field learning about natural systems. The experience was priceless because it did only help me build a resume, but also enable me to have lasting friendship with very interesting people in the labs. This experience was not just exclusive to me, but also with many budding students who wanted to have first-hand experience in the labs which Dr. Shocks also enthusiastically accommodate to satisfy our eagerness to learn more. Such is the kind of teacher that Dr. Everett Shock is. Dr. Shock does not only encourage us to learn about theoretical concepts but also the experimental aspects of the science and its application to the real world. For example, I have always used thermodynamic parameters printed in the back of chemistry textbooks for calculating the free energy changes or the combustion energies of chemical reactions without giving much

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Business law - Essay Example What happened before filing of the suit is that the plaintiff had been ordered to do the work anew. This plaintiff did not do wholly but only did part since reconstruction would require demolition of thee whole structure. The plaintiff went ahead and asked for payment for which the defendant denied. This denial of payment thus led to Jacob and Young Inc. to filing this suit. Here, the courts had to resolve whether the defendant’s argument was feasible. This is because the plaintiff had presented evidence that the materials used in construction were of the same quality as that the client had specified although not from the manufacturer the client had stipulated. The court finally decided for the plaintiff after judging that the materials used in construction were in fact of the standard quality the client had specified although from a different manufacturer. The decision was affirmed in whole. The rule of law is that â€Å"If the difference in value is greater than measure of allowance, then compensation is to be given.† (Shourie, 50). The court reached its decision by looking at the plaintiff’s facts and ruled that they were

Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth Essay - 10

Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth - Essay Example f religion that I will analyze in this paper will involve the possibility of sacred places, which are protected and adored for religious functions and prayers. During the tour, I noticed that the people who live on earth tend to be notoriously religious, and they believe in supernatural beings, which protect them and guide them, as well control nature. There were structures in many parts of the earth that had been constructed to serve as churches, temples, mosques and monasteries for religious functions and rituals. These structures were well protected and respected by the entire members of the society, and those who violate the conventional rules for the buildings were severely sanctioned by the society (Haught, 1990). Further, serious sermons and prayers were conducted inside the churches by people who were believed to poses exceptional abilities, which enabled them to mediate with the supreme beings. On the same note, I realized that people chose one day in a week to worship and thanksgiving to their creator. Most of the people worshiped on the seventh day of every week while others chose other weekdays apart from Sunday (Caputo, 2001). However, other groups that were extremely religious did worship every day for several times, without ceasing. Further, people performed sacrifices to honor their creator; they mumbled things that were difficult to comprehend (Haught, 1990). During the sacrifices, it appeared as if the people on earth were confessing their sins and they were pleading with the super natural power; this serves to forgive them the transgressions that they had committed. The roles that religion seemed to play in the world was to foster solidarity among the society members as they came together to worship and share their life experiences (Caputo, 2001). Religion seemed to make people hopeful about the life. Further, religion was the tool of checking morality in the world; people used it judge moral behavior from immoral behavior. The religious

European single currency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

European single currency - Essay Example The idea of a European common currency had been in the drawing board since 1993, but the Euro as EU’s common currency went into circulation in 1999 and was considered as a major step towards European integration. The ratification of the Maastricht treaty in November of 1993 was responsible for the creation of the European Monetary Union or EMU and adopted the Euro as their common currency (European commission, n.d.). When the Euro was introduced into EMU on January 1, 1999, it became the new official currency of the 15 member countries thereby replacing their old national currencies like Deutschmark of Germany and Franc of France. The Euro was introduced first as a virtual currency for payments not requiring hard cash and for purposes of accounting. The old national currencies of member countries were used for cash payments and is considered as sub-units of euro. The European commission revealed that the real euro currency in bank notes and coins appeared in January 2002. The European commission reported that the primary responsibility of the EMU is to ensure the price stability of goods and services in all the member countries by maintaining an annual inflation rate of less than 2%.The European commission added that although Denmark and United Kingdom are members of the European Union, Euro is not their currency as they agreed on the ‘opt-out’ clause of the Maastricht treaty thereby exempting them from participation ... market. The European commission reported that the economic as well as monetary integration of the EU simulates the history of the Union. In 1957, when the EU was founded, they concentrated on establishing a common market. In the course of time, it was felt that closer cooperation related to economic and monetary matters were needed for the common market to progress and flourish further. The European commission revealed that when the euro was adapted as the single currency of the EU, the monetary policy is being managed by the European Central Bank (ECB) which was established for that sole purpose, and the corresponding central banks of the member countries. Together, they formed the Eurosystem Fiscal Policy on tax and spending and remain as responsibility of individual member countries. They adhere to follow the agreed procedures on public finances accounting known as Stability and Growth Pack. The member countries also retain their responsibility for creating their own structural policies related to labour, capital markets as well as pensions. They however agree to coordinate them with ECB to ensure higher chances of achieving goals related to stability, employment and growth. Having adopted a single European currency has many benefits and these were the motivations for the creation of the Euro. An Economics teacher form Oxford University named Tejvan R.Pettinger (2008) enumerated the benefits that can be derived from having only one European currency system. They are as follows: Reduced transaction Costs 1. There will be no more cost involved in currency exchanges; this will benefit tourists and firms trading in the Euro area

Is Adorno being elitist when he criticises the culture industry Essay

Is Adorno being elitist when he criticises the culture industry - Essay Example ts came from educated-in-elite-school-system Germans such as Schopenhauer, Martin Luther, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Bach, Beethoven and Goethe. There was a point in time where the German elite formed the main part of the intelligentsia. â€Å"The Germans are literary people. The country is after all das Land der Dichter und Denker, the land of poets and thinkers.† (Wasser, 2006) To understand whether Theodore Adorno in his criticism of art, music and culture was guided by the moralist, egalitarian, capitalist or totalitarian stance, this paper will focus on Adorno’s biography and his contributions to the development of the culture industry as well as his critical views on music and popular culture. For the purpose of clarity and space, Adorno’s early works (1941-1941) will be used as reference to build the entire paper. In 1903 in Frankfurt, Germany, Theodore Adorno opened his eyes to an affluent and educated family. Both â€Å"his mother and sister were accomplished musicians and it was from them that he received his initial training and encouragement in his life-long love for music† (Jay, 1973). His Jewish roots ultimately became the deciding factor in his philosophical writings and thoughts, especially after Hitler’s totalitarian regime and the Nazi Holocaust swept over Germany with millions of Jews persecuted under it. During this time, Adorno was forced into exile and spent the next 16 years of his life in England and the US before returning to Germany to complete his doctorate in Philosophy from Frankfurt University. Adorno’s position on culture and the music industry has managed to establish key influences in the domain of media studies. His ideas about these industries were critical and in some cases, pessimistic. Adorno analyses the dynamics of the culture industry in the context of ‘standardization’ underlining it as a fundamental characteristic of pop music. He quotes himself: â€Å"A clear judgment concerning the

Finding the Leader in You Essay Example for Free

Finding the Leader in You Essay A conference was held at the Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno on October 22, 2008 with an objective of teaching the audience how to find the leader in them. I should note that this event was the most informative and enlightening conference that I have ever attended. Stephanie Robinson, the first speaker of the conference, is the director of the Nursing Department of Fresno City College. Robinson began her lecture by providing some statistical data regarding numerous topics including how medication errors are taking a toll on the hospital’s financial resources in terms of lawsuits, recovery fees, and other expenses that are associated with those errors. Unfortunately, these errors have caused hospitals to lose large amounts of money, and, in order for them to regain these losses, they started to take every measure necessary to reduce those costs and add it to their profit. The measures that Robinson described included effective scheduling of the staff, preventive measures for medical errors, as well as a good, effective, and standardized patient charting. As a leader, it is the nurse’s responsibility to make sure that they chart every procedure done to and information about the patient. This will protect them against any liability issue that may arise, and to help them have a better charting documentation at the same time. Another way of reducing medication problems is an idea that some of the nurse leaders have come up with, which include e-charting and medication dispensing machines with scanners and barcode technology. This would require nurses to double check their orders and the medications before giving it to the patients. All those statistical data that were presented demonstrated that all the errors committed were preventative, and they could dramatically be reduced if proper safety measures were taken. According to the speaker, education is the most important contributing factor to prevent these extra high costs. As she was saying, we are all living in a digital world where we have access to many resources, yet our busy schedules and everyday problems would not let us research or attend any meetings. Here, the speaker used a very interesting example indicating that we use places such as airports, shopping malls, and even gas stations to provide healthcare and other health related information to people, but we refuse to take some time and provide basic education to our own people at their very own work places. As responsible leaders, it is their duty to provide constant education to their staff. They are also required to observe the activities of their staff at all times. Again as the statistics show, the high number of preventable medical situations such as post operative infections, medication errors, and other complications happens in hospitals settings, and unfortunately these make hospitals look very unsafely and defeats their prime purpose, which is to heal and provide medical care. We can use technology to provide education to our nurses, as well as to help them prevent these types of errors by developing better, more standardized, simple to use medical equipments, electronic order entry and charting, wireless and bar-coding systems, and other numerous ways. Again, she emphasized on the importance of having nurse leaders to provide constant, up-to-date education to help nurses and prevent future medical errors. The second speaker was Pilar De La Cruz-Reyes and she pretty much continued where the last speaker left off by saying that just like any other place, nurses’ scope of practice will be regulated by the hospital and the board of registered nurses. The board defines registered nurses’ role as giving dependent and independent care such as providing safety, comfort, personal hygiene and protection to help patients go through their daily activity. By doing this, we would be able to know any normal and abnormal findings and use our logic to question anything that appears to be abnormal. After attending this conference and having the chance to hear what the speakers had to say, I learned that being a nurse leader is a very important task in terms of providing the best care to patients, as well as the best education to the staff. I also learned that being a nurse automatically makes me a leader and this realization makes me feel obligated and responsible to everything that I do as a nurse. Lastly, I learned that being a patient advocate should always be my priority.

Skill and Training Background Essay Example for Free

Skill and Training Background Essay 1. Experience with the company personnel involved in the training The employee and staff in BIR are very approachable and they are cheerful person. I feel the trainee are part of their family we are treat them family as well and I experience the treatment as if I’m also their co-employee. They are let me learn and experience the day by day. The Company gave the best training for students that would give them a good training ground and would enhance their knowledge and skill. The school must have the job training their company. The school should visit the OJT to have the best monitoring of the training the students are taking. 4. Strong points We all know BIR is the collect taxes from the tax payer. As an intern’s I gained so much ideas especially in the tax field because I’m taking up financial management and accounting this is very relevant on my program. The company has a great training background and learning background as well because I learned slightly how to compute the taxes. This is a great opportunity for me to be one of their OJT’s. 2. Weak points and suggested solutions As an intern my concerned is, they won’t allow their OJT’s to handle some confidential documents like financial matter. And I don’t think that this is there weak point, for me, this is not an issue this is my own observation the office have lack of tables for the trainees they don’t know when we sited I suggest that we request them to give for the trainee extra table to be more comfortable especially when they recording the dockets.. V. RECOMMENDATION A. Potential of the company as a training ground BIR has a good training background especially to the finance and accounting students. The company offers great opportunity that would let me be more knowledgeable, confident and to develop my skills in so many thing. B. Duration of training (too long too short) The duration of my training is too short because I only lasted for more or less 2months. The first week of being an intern was really uncomfortable and nerve because I didn’t know how to communicate my boss in a nice way when I feel nervous. And I’m always nervous in what could happen to me every day. But the good side of the employee of BIR they are willing to share their knowledge and they will help you how to deal with other people in terms of the taxpayer pay their taxes. C. Suggestions for the improvement of the training program As far as the performance of BIR it was doing well. They should always hire at least two interns because They have good learning background and training background that the interns should absorb it and it will helpful for them to become a better employee in the future. D. Advice to future On- the-Job trainees Some of the students have taken their OJT for granted. They are not realizing how importance the future carrer. To all future On-the-Job Trainees student, here are some advices that I would like to share to you: * Learn to accept your mistakes * Take your OJT seriously, but don’t be too serious all the time always keep smiling everytime your getting tired * Listen carefully to the trainer and ask a question for a better understanding. * You should love your co-ojt and co-owners * Most importantly, hard work is actually enough. If you do well on your OJT you will definitely have a great evaluation, like me. So work hard and love your job.

Vibrational frequencies of water molecule

Vibrational frequencies of water molecule Question 1 Normal modes and vibrational frequencies of water molecule HF/3-21* optimised geometry of the water molecule H bond length 0.967 HOH bond angle 107.7 (ii) Energy of the HF/3-21G optimised water molecule = -75.58596 au Cycle Energy Max. Grad. Max. Dist. 1 75.58553 0.01246 0.00304 2 75.58589 0.00324 0.00025 3 75.58596 0.00001 0.00000 Frequency (cm-1) Relative Motion Stretch or Bend Type Symmetry (S or A) 1799.2 Bend A1 S 3812.2 Stretch A1 S 3945.8 r Stretch B1 A HOD Energy 75.58596 au Geometry Bond angle 107.7 Bond length 0.967 Vibrational frequencies 1578.7 H moves faster than D symmetric 2815.3 D moves quickly whereas H moves slightly asymmetric 3881.7 H moves quickly whereas D moves slightly asymmetric Normal modes and vibrational frequencies of the water dimmer (H2O)2 Hydrogen-Bond Acceptor Hydrogen bond Hydrogen Bond Donor Hydrogen bond length (HO) = 1.808 Hydrogen bond angle (O-HO) = 174.9 Energy of the F/3.12G optimised water dimer = -151.18902 au (a) Potential energy calculation: ΔE = E(dimer) 2xE(H2O) = (-396 871.2KJ/mol) 2x(-198 413.2KJ/mol) = (-396 871.2) (-396 826.3) = 44.9 KJmol-1 (b)As seen from the surface diagram for H2O, the oxygen has negative charge (ÃŽ ´-) whereas the hydrogens are positively charged (ÃŽ ´+). In the water dimer molecule, the hydrogen atoms (on the H-bond donor oxygen) are ÃŽ ´+/blue region. The oxygen atom that is bonded to the hydrogen that is the H-bond acceptor has ÃŽ ´- charge/red region. Between in the H-bond, the positive(H) and negative(O) charges combine/green region. The hydrogen bond is formed between one of the H atoms and one O, instead between the two oxygens, because the two oxygen atoms are negatively charged, and have ÃŽ ´-, and therefore repulsive interactions are formed between them. So, one H reacts with the O, which donates one of its lone pairs to form the H-bond. In the structure of the molecule, the HO bond is almost linear, very close to 180 but it is distorted so it is about 175. Also, the distortion causes the bond HO to become longer. (c) For the water molecule: H bond length = 0.967 For the water dimer: H bond length of H-bond donor = 0.965 H bond length of H-bond acceptor = 0.966, 0.974 (H of H-bond) The H bond length of the hydrogen of the H-bond is bigger than the other O-H bonds in the molecule. This is because this H is bonded to the oxygen through the H-bond, and it is pulled towards the oxygen, causing its bond with the other oxygen to become a bit longer. Question 2 The water dimer consists of two fragments, the H-bond acceptor (top OH2 group) and the H-bond donor (bottom OH2 group). When a vibration causes both fragments and H-bond to move, then it is considered to be the inter-monomer because it is a vibration between the two molecules. If only one of the fragments vibrates, then the vibration is only in one of the molecules (it is internal) and it is considered to be an intra-monomer. The vibrational frequencies of the water dimer are the following: Frequency = 81 cm-1 Type = A Bending Mode Top part of the molecule moving slightly up and down, while the two bottom hydrogens move up and down as well Inter-monomer: The vibration affects both molecules connected through the hydrogen bond. Frequency = 133 Type = A Bending mode Top part and bottom part moving right and left. Inter monomer Frequency = 172 Type = A Bending mode Middle hydrogen moving right and left and two bottom H atoms moving up and down symmetrically (when one is up, other is down) Inter Monomer Frequency = 242 Type = A Stretching Mode Inter monomer Frequency = 425 Type = A Bending Mode The H-bond acceptor fragment moves to the front and then back, and the H-bond donor fragment moves up and down as well. Inter-monomer Frequency = 826 Type = A Bending mode The H of the H-bond (middle H) is moving to the right and left, causing the rest of the molecule to move in that way as well Inter-monomer Frequency = 1782 Type = A Bending Mode The hydrogen atoms on the H-bond donor fragment move up and down to the sides going further away and then coming closer. Intra-monomer Frequency = 1854 Type = A Bending Mode The hydrogen atoms on the H-bond acceptor fragment separate and go further away and then come closer together again. Intra-monomer Frequency = 3724 Type = A Stretching mode The hydrogen forming the H-bond moves closer to the oxygen of the H-bond and then further from it, causing the O-H bond to come smaller and the HO bond to become bigger, and the opposite. Intra-monomer Frequency = 3849 Type = A Stretching mode The hydrogen atoms move symmetrically so that their bonds with the O of the H-bond donor are becoming bigger (stretch out) and then smaller. Intra-monomer Frequency = 3907 Type = A Stretching mode The O-H bond of the H not involved in the H-bond acceptor fragment is stretching out, causing the bond to become longer, while the bond of the oxygen with the other H, which is involved in the H-bond, becomes shorter. Intra-monomer Frequency = 3982 Type = A Stretching mode It is an unsymmetrical movement, where one O-H bond in the H-bond donor fragment becomes shorter and the other longer. Intra-monomer Question 3 Isotopic substitution in the water dimer Free Energy (H-TS) = 37.8 ΔÎâ€" Total = 127.5 Free Energy (H-TS) = 39.7 ΔÎâ€" Total = 126.5 ΔG = G(B) G(A) = 39.7KJmol-1 37.8KJmol-1 = 1.9 KJ/mol K = e(-ΔG/RT) = exp(-1.910-3Jmol-1/8.314JK-1mol-1x298K) = 1.00000077 Deuterium prefers the position shown in B (connected to the oxygen of the H-bond acceptor fragment, but doesnt take part directly in the H-bond) because the molecule has higher free energy for this arrangement. Question 4 Interconversion of water dimer structures Frequency = i302 Type = B1 Frequency = 105 Type = B2 Frequency = 208 Type = A1 Frequency = 225 Type = B1 Frequency = 256 Type = A2 Frequency = 591 Type = B2 Frequency = 1785 Type = A1 Frequency = 1831 Type = A1 Frequency = 3829 Type = A1 Frequency = 3862 Type = A1 Frequency = 3952 Type = B1 Frequency = 3961 Type = B2 Acyclic water dimer Cyclic water dimer The acyclic water molecule energy is 3.96910-5 KJmol-1 whereas the energy of the cyclic one is -. The cyclic molecule is less stable than the acyclic one because its ability to move around is effectively reduced compared to the acyclic one, due to the two bonds formed between the oxygen of one molecule and the two H of the other molecule. The imaginary frequency has the value of i306.9. One of the middle hydrogens moves up while the other moves down, in an unsymmetrical movement as shown in the pictures above. For the acyclic water dimer there are no imaginary frequencies and it corresponds to the valley. This shows that it is very stable and this structure is preferred. The cyclic molecule contains one vibrational frequency and this suggests that it is not as stable as the acyclic one. It corresponds to the hilltop of molecule-mountain. If a molecule has more than one vibrational frequency it corresponds to the mountain passes and it is a very unstable and unfavoured structure for the molecule to be at, which most probably does not exist. The cyclic structure is not very stable, and therefore it is not preferred over the acyclic one. Question 5 Syn-butane: No imaginary frequencies à   Valley à   stable structure, highly favoured Boat cyclohexane: ne imaginary frequency à   Hilltop à   fairly unstable, exists but not preferred All-syn cyclohexane: More than one imaginary frequencies à   Mountain Pass à   does not exist, very unstable

Stephen Jay Goulds The Creation Myths of Cooperstown and Edward O. Wil

Stephen Jay Gould's The Creation Myths of Cooperstown and Edward O. Wilson's The Serpent If only I could have seen the blinding light before I complacently tagged along to Cooperstown with my Bazooka-chewing siblings and sunflower seed-spitting father. I would have loved to have known about the Cardiff Giant and the myth about the origin of baseball during our family vacation, but it was their moment of ignorant bliss and my moment to relish the songs of Helen Reddy. At the time, I was not impressed with the â€Å"American† sport, but now that I have read Stephen Jay Gould’s essay, â€Å"The Creation Myths of Cooperstown,† I will have something to say when the subject arises. Don’t get me wrong: I didn’t like America’s baseball then and I don’t like it now. I do, however, enjoy thinking critically and so I, too, am drawn to that great wad of spit we call baseball because the heterosexual ego and rabid patriotism hiding behind its dirty, sweaty disposition have appeared on my radar screen. Thanks to Gould, I now have the ability to let go of my hostility toward an innocent sport and see the hostility for what it really is: anger towards the males who use baseball as an excuse to unleash their violent hormonal urges. When it comes to sports, I have a natural tendency to zone out. Until the fourth paragraph of his essay, Gould nearly lost my attention with his references to Turin, Edwardian Piltdown Man and the Cardiff Giant. When multiple figures were lost on me at such an early stage, I felt young and hopelessly naà ¯ve. Feeling intimidated, I said to my partner, hoping her advanced age wouldn’t prove helpful, â€Å"I’m reading this article and it’s supposed to be understandable to the general audience, but I don’t k... ...ake such a cruel test knowing she (God) is irresistible. This theory makes sense, especially if you consider Wilson’s description of the serpent as something â€Å"life-promising and life-threatening, seductive and treacherous† (712 Wilson). If God and the serpent are one, then it would further explain the general appeal for the serpent, as well as the charm of this article. Wilson’s essay made me think about my personal relationship with â€Å"The Serpent.† I have had many encounters with figurative serpents, but have yet to realize the image of a serpent invading my dreams. Even so, I can’t deny any of the important meanings associated with serpents that Wilson mentions. Perhaps it was the power of his subject matter, but I found Wilson’s essay to be thoroughly engaging. This may have been due to disgust and fascination in me, but whatever it was, it worked.

The Beet Queen :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louise Erdrich, the author of The Beet Queen, is the oldest of seven children. Erdrich, was born in Little Falls, Minnesota, on June 7, 1954. The daughter of a French Ojibwe mother and German American father, Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Erdrich's large extended family lived nearby, affecting her writing life from an early age. Her father introduced Louise to William Shakespeare's plays and encouraged Louise and her sisters to write their own stories. Erdrich attended college at Dartmouth and John Hopkins before marrying author and anthropologist Michael Dorris. When she married Dorris, he had three adopted children and later the couple had three more children of their own. When the two separated in 1995, Erdrich moved six blocks down the street in order to share custody of their children. On March 29, 1997 Dorris committed suicide. Erdrich now lives in Minneapolis, MN with her three children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On a spring morning in 1932, Mary age eleven and Karl Adare age fourteen arrive in Argus, North Dakota. Having parted and going separate ways Mary having gone to live with her aunt, while Karl goes on to explore and live on the wilder side. These children were orphaned in a strange way; their mother took off with an airplane stuntman. Haunted by disturbing images of her mother, Mary seeks refuge and stays with her mother's sister Fritzie, which with her husband Pete, run a butcher shop. This begins the forty-year saga of abandonment and unstinting love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel, The Beet Queen, deals with the elements involved to create plot movement. First off is exposition, since every chapter in The Beet Queen is narrated by a different character in the book it tells the story of each character in first person and in great detail chapter by chapter. It tells you the story from their point of view. It is very effective it allows you to be in their mind thinking along with them seeing what they are going through and feeling. At the conclusion of each chapter you want to keep reading to see what will happen to a specific character when it is there turn to narrate again. One event in The Beet Queen is when Sita is put into a psycho ward because she pretended to lose her voice, and ever since then her neighbors and everyone she came in contact with would have to read her lips.

Analysis on Marx’s Historical Materialism Essay examples -- Political

As one of greatest figures in human history, Karl Marx introduced not only Communism but also historical materialism to us. According to historical materialism, the mode of production would determine and foster mankind’s ideas, values, and beliefs. Many opponents of Marx attacked his â€Å"impossible† Communism but neglected his contribution in defining the relationship among important production elements. This paper would explain the theme of historical materialism and probed the relationship between consciousness and mode of production. Then, this paper would analyze how division of labor affect mode of production and conclude that historical materialism was realistic and applicable. Marx defined historical materialism in the preface of A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy that, â€Å"it is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, on the contrary, their social existence that determines their consciousness.† In contrast to idealism, which prioritized the value of human ideas, historical materialism insisted that the existence of human kinds pushed the productions; and mode of production shaped human consciousness in return. The contradictory between Idealism and historical materialism lie between whether it was evolvement of consciousness steering for societal changes or the other way around. While choosing one of them as individual political philosophy, it was very similar of answering question, â€Å"which came first, chicken or egg?† Personally, I favor for historical materialism for â€Å"consciousness is determined by your beings† seems rational as well as logical. So what is consciousness? According to Marx, â€Å"Consciousness can never be anything else than conscious existence, and the existence of men is t... ... future stage would follow Marx’s blueprint or not. This beautiful image was worth of dreaming. Comparing with Idealism, which stressed the human ideas’ capabilities in shaping societies, I felt historical materialism was more realistic and applicable. Despite the communism’s unclear future, the equation between mode of production and consciousness (or ideas and values) was very understandable and logical. I was convinced by the theme of historical materialism, which was â€Å"life is not determined by consciousness, but consciousness by life.† (Marx 155) Works Cited Brooks, Mick. "What Is Historical Materialism." Maxism. 14 Nov. 2002. Web. 25 May 2012. . Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. "The German Ideology." The Marx-Engels Reader. Ed. Robert C. Tucker. New York: Norton, 1978. 146-200. Print

The Effects Of Parenting On Education In Lilongwe Education Essay

Birds are creatures that love and care for their immature 1s really much. Get downing from the clip a bird lays eggs ; it takes good attention of its immature 1s and protects them from any danger. As if that is non plenty, when it has hatched it fetches nutrient for the immature 1s. As they grow the bird female parent teaches the small 1s how to wing and besides to be independent to happen nutrient on their ain for themselves. It teaches them how to fly from danger and besides how to tie in with other birds. If birds get involved in the life of its immature 1s, protect and supply for its demands and learn them to be independent, what more human existences? Do parents acquire personally involved in the instruction of their kids? Or should the whole duty of instruction be left in the custodies of instructors? In Malawi, many factors affect how the pupils perform in school and the quality of instruction they are suppose to acquire in secondary schools. Peers, socioeconomical position, and background are some of the factors that affect public presentation and quality of instruction in secondary schools of Malawi. Due to these factors, pupils in secondary schools need a assisting manus in their instruction. Teachers play the function of learning and developing them but this research worker thinks that parents and defenders have a function to play every bit good. The duty of guaranting that the public presentation and quality of instruction is bettering in secondary schools of Lilongwe ; lies in the custodies of non merely the instructors but besides parents and defenders. This research is dedicated to happening out if parental engagement has an consequence on public presentation and quality of instruction in secondary schools of Lilongwe territory.BackgroundThe research worker bases her attack on the fact that a household does non merely have a map of bearing kids but besides child rise uping which include supplying for their basic demands and most of all get involved in their instruction. In Malawi, many households believe that the minute they have given birth to a kid, their occupation is done. Particularly in small towns, many households do non care about their kids ‘s instruction, whether they go to school or non. Education is a tool to success and it is really of import in the lives of kids and even the coevalss to come. A Brighte r hereafter of kids is built through instruction ; it builds them to what they want to be in future. For parents to acquire personally involved in instruction brings great impact on instruction itself and the kids. Supplying school fees and necessities is non plenty, parents can make more than merely supplying these. If a household decides to educate their kids, they must acquire ready to be personally involved in every measure of the kids ‘s school. The inquiry is ; make households acquire involved in educating their kids? What difference does it do?HypothesisThe research worker thinks that personal engagement of parents has positively impacted instruction in secondary schools of Lilongwe by bettering its quality and how pupils perform.Problem StatementThe duty of educating the kids does non wholly depend on instructors but besides parents. Lilongwe territory has secondary school instructors who guarantee that criterions of instruction are bettering now and so. On the other m anus, there are besides parents who have kids making secondary school instruction. Parents work with the secondary school instructors in the undermentioned countries: school direction, look intoing the acquisition environment and execution of the course of study. Despite parents assisting instructors in the above countries ; the instruction criterions in most of the secondary schools in Lilongwe are traveling down every bit evidenced by the consequences of both the Junior Certificate of Education ( JCE ) and Malawi School Certificate of Education ( MSCE ) . The jobs ensuing from many pupils neglecting may include: most parents either populating in rural or urban countries of Lilongwe District do non care about the instruction of their kids. In every bit much as they provide demands for the kids, they do non personally acquire involved in it. However, it is the duty of parents to take note of how their kids are executing at school and parents should work manus in manus with the instructors in this exercising. This is why this survey seeks solicit positions from parents if they are involved in the instruction of their kids and if they are non, happening ways on how they can be involved.Purpose of StudyThis survey is dedicated to happening if engagement of parents has an consequence on the public presentation and quality of instruction in Lilongwe territory.Purposes and AimsThe purpose is to measure how parenting impacts instruction in Lilongwe territory with the aims of happening out how parents get involved in instruction, detect jobs th at hinder parental engagement on instruction and the impact that parental engagement has on instruction.Significance of the StudyThis research is traveling to assist pupils in secondary schools of Lilongwe territory ; parents and instructor to admit the impact that parental engagement has on instruction and how they can work together to back up acquisition, for the pupils to make better in school.Chapter 2LITERATURE REVIEWThe research worker bases her attack on the fact that a household has maps of kid bearing, kid raising, and socialisation. Mrs. Banda, a lector at African Bible College defined socialisation as the procedure by which individuals get cognition, accomplishments and temperament that make them more or less incorporate members of society. A household has duty of tie ining new members to suit into the community that they are to be found. One of the communities that new members will be found in is a school and a preparation topographic point. George Knight ( 2006 ) in his book of Philosophy and Education said that. â€Å" The school is merely one society ‘s agents for acquisition, instruction, and preparation. The household, media, equal group, and church are some of other establishments that portion this duty. † ( p. 12 ) . The procedure by which a household takes a duty of tie ining new members into the community is called rearing. One of the of import sectors that parenting has a greater impact is instruction. Jeff white a professor at African Bible College while learning Philosophy of Education Class stated that instruction is a directed acquisition. The first topographic point where a new member of a household gets instruction is in a household through the procedure of parenting. Jay Kesler ( 1997 ) in his book called ‘Parents and Teenagers ‘ said that. â€Å" Properly understood, the household and school signifier a partnership. Schools become bad or less good when parents are non involved. † ( p.628 ) . A household plays a great function in the instruction of kids for they work manus in manus in tie ining new members into a peculiar society. Education is a tool to success and it is really of import in the lives of kids and even coevalss to come. A Brighter hereafter of kids is built through instruction ; it builds them to what they want to be in future. For parents to acquire personally involved in instruction makes it more of import and it has a great impact on instruction itself and even the kids, supplying accoutrements for school and supplying basic demands for the kids is non plenty, parents can make more than merely supplying necessities. If a household has decided to educate their kids, so they must acquire ready to be personally involved in it. The inquiry is ; make households acquire personally involved in educating their kids? What difference does it do? McCain and Mustard ( 1999 ) stated that school systems work with the kids who come into them. The quality of kids ‘s lives before get downing formal instruction greatly influences the sort of scholars they can be. Of class many elements go into doing a quality scholar. These include: healthy, early childhood experiences and place support. For illustration on early childhood psychosocial development experiences ; surveies that were done showed that positive early experiences and interactions are critical to fixing a quality scholar. A big survey that was conducted in 12 Latin American states found that attending at twenty-four hours attention coupled with higher degrees of parental engagement that includes parents to immature kids is associated with higher trial tonss and lower rates of grade repeat in primary school ( Willms, 2000 ) . Evidence from the Philippines, Srilanka and Turkey, has shown that kids who participate in early interaction plans do better in primary school th an those who do non profit from formal early kid plans and surveies from India, Morocco and Latin America demonstrated that disadvantaged kids benefit the most from such programmes ( UNICEF, 1998 ) . Furthermore, Ansu Datta ( 1984 ) stated that, the modern-day issues refering household and instructions are: parents in rural countries depend on household for endurance therefore it is difficult for them to be involved instruction. Parents in urban countries are busy at work and they find it hard to acquire involved in instruction ( Datta, 1984, p.215 ) . Therefore, this undertaking will look much at the manner in which parents get involved in instruction in Lilongwe territory and how each manner aid in bettering the quality of instruction. The decision of a recent study from southwest educational development research lab stated that when schools, households and community groups work together to back up acquisition, kids tend to make better in school and like school more. Another research of parent engagement over the decennary finds that, irrespective of household income or background, pupils with involved parents are likely to: Earn higher classs and trial tonss, and enroll in higher-level plans Be promoted, pass their categories and earn credits Attend school on a regular basis Have better societal accomplishments, show improved behavior, and adapt good to school and Alumnus and travel on to post secondary instruction ( Henderson & A ; Mapp, 2002, p. 103 ) On the other manus, other researches on parental engagement on instruction show that schools must besides play a function in promoting parental engagement on instruction. Harmonizing to the research by The National Network of Partnership Schools, it shows that parents who are involved in their kids ‘s instruction do non make it right. As a consequence, their attempt to be involved in instruction is nonmeaningful since it does non do any difference on the quality of instruction and on the public presentation of the pupils. Therefore, they suggested a model of six types of parental engagement that schools can utilize to steer their attempts. It says schools can: aid households with parenting and child-rearing accomplishments Communicate with households about school plans and pupils advancement and demands Work to better enlisting preparation, and agendas to affect households as voluntaries in school activities Encourage households to be involved in larning activities at place Include parents as participants in of import school determinations and the community ( Epstein, 2001 ) Ramirez Laura ( 2009 ) in his book of Children Native American Wisdom and Parenting recognized the importance of parental engagement and its effects on instruction. Nevertheless, Ramirez thought that there are some grounds that hinder parents to efficaciously acquire involved in their kids ‘s instruction. She states that, â€Å" aˆÂ ¦Another ground your kids might non see the demand for you to be involved in his/her instruction is because you are busy with calling and other day-to-day jobs or go toing the place. You do n't recognize that does non run into the attending demand of the kids, † ( Ramirez, 2009, p.23 ) . Any attending that parents may give towards their kids ‘s instruction has a great consequence.THE EFFECTS OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT ON CHILDREN ‘S HOMEWORKDobson James ( 1979 ) in his book ‘ The Strong Willed Child ‘ gives and illustration of a kid that parental engagement became of aid to him after her female parent neglected her t hat chance for some clip. Dobson writes that, â€Å" †¦ During the conversation bonnie reveals that she does n't wish school anyhow, and she would instead remain place and drama. † As the narrative continues Bonnie ‘s female parent decided to assist with Bonnies ‘s prep and any school work that was supposed to be done at place. After that Bonnie public presentation at school improved and this is what Bonnie said, â€Å" †¦ . school is fun and if offers to assist me make my prep every twenty-four hours, I will remain in school. † ( Dobson, 1979, Pp.167-170 ) . The smallest attending that parents may offer to their kids ‘s instruction, counts a batch towards the attitude that the kids will hold for school.THE EFFECTS OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE CHILDREN ‘S SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND MEETINGSFurthermore, the engagement of parents in school activities and meetings are besides of import because it shows how much they are concerned with their kids ‘s instruction and how they perform at school. Phillips, Wiener & A ; Haring ( 1965 ) in the book ‘Discipline, Achievement and Mental Health ‘ provinces that the demand to work with parents is normally considered cardinal to the betterment of the kid ‘s behavior from the classroom-or clinic, medical, youth organisation, or any other-point of position. Parents may change widely in their grade of penetration, intelligence, motive, or amenability, but they have far more immediate uninterrupted impact on the kid ‘s life than anyone else. They can non be ignored in the effectual solution of the job any longer than in its diagnosing. On the whole we have found parents to be sensible and effectual helpers to the instructor in work outing schoolroom jobs, merely as Psychotherapists normally find them indispensable participants in the intervention procedure. ( Phillips, Wiener & A ; Haring, 1965, Pp. 116-117 ) .Significance OF PARENTS ‘ INVOLVEMENT IN PROVIDING SCHOOL ACCESSORIES TO THEIR CHILDRENSupplying for the kids ‘s accoutrements for school is one manner of parents acquiring involved in the instruction. As stated above that a household does non merely have a function of bearing kids but besides taking attention of them. Supplying for their demands is one manner of taking attention of them and portion of household direction and this has an consequence on instruction. Santrock John ( 2004 ) in his book of Educational Psychology states that, â€Å" Research workers have found that household direction patterns are positively related to pupils ‘ class and ego duty, and negatively to school-related jobs. † Furthermore, Santrock states that, â€Å" Even though parents typically spend less clip with their kids as through simple and secondary school, they continue to hold a strong influence on kids ‘s development by supplying for their demands. Parents besides influence whether kids take part in such activ ities as athleticss, music and other activities by the extent to which they sign up their kids to such activities and promote their engagement. † ( Santrock, 2004, Pp. 84-85 ) . Despite parents being involved in assorted ways as stated above, but Santrock ( 2004 ) continues to state that, although kids grow up in diverse households, in virtually every household parents play an of import function in back uping and exciting kids ‘s academic accomplishment and attitude towards school. The value parents topographic point on instruction can intend the difference in whether kids do good in school. Experienced instructors know the importance of acquiring parents involved in kids ‘s instruction. All parents, even those with considerable instruction, need annually counsel from instructors in how to stay productiveness involved in their kids ‘s instruction. ( Santrock, 2004, p. 84 ) . One research on Parental Involvement on instruction ( 2004 ) concluded that about all parents want their kids to win in school, but need clear and utile information from their kids ‘s instructors and from other schools and territory leaders in order to assist their kids develop their full potency. For illustration, sometimes parents inquire their kid, â€Å" how was school today? † We know that may stop with the kid reacting â€Å" all right † or â€Å" Okay † and non much more. Parents should be guided, alternatively, to inquire their kid, â€Å" Would you read to me something you wrote today? † or â€Å" could you demo me something you learned in math today? † ( Anguiano, 2004, P, 89 ) . Santrock in contrasting the survey made by 16,000 pupils stated that, â€Å" The pupils were more likely to acquire ‘As ‘ and less likely to reiterate a class or be expelled if both parents were extremely involved in their schooling ( National Center for Educational Statistics, 1997 ) . In this survey, high engagement was defined as the parent engagement in three or four of the followers: school meetings, a instructor conference, a category meeting, or volunteering. Other surveies have found that pupils ‘ classs and academic accomplishment are linked to parental engagement ( Epstein, 2005 ; Sheldon & A ; Epstein, 2005 ) .

Introduction to Business Assignment Essay

fair game I pitch been requested by Peter Eskesen to hold off at devil contrasting business organisations and wiz of who essential hold up in the secondary/manufacturing attention and the other corporation must be a service provider from the third sector. I must and then work out at the activities that for each one of them fulfil and grimace at the effectiveness of them within each organisation. I harbour decided to look at the activities of G. E lighting which is an American company and a direct variability of the biggest company in the world G.E and the second company of which I yield decided to look at is Sainsburys who is amongst some of the most dominant commercialize leading companies operating in the U. K in the super market place sector. Both of the companies that I have decided to look at argon both owned by shargonholders which elbow room that people have bought sh atomic number 18s into them. However having verbalize that, as G. E lighting is an American company it means that it will non be listed on the London subscriber line Exchange but will instead be listed upon the New York stock change market.If a person wanted to buy shares in GE lighting then they would have to contact a broker. Furthermore, Sainsburys is also a Public particular Company because it is like before, listed upon the London declension Exchange. Today General Electric is do up of many departwork forcets/divisions. For example G. E Lighting in Enfield is part of a Global Business, which operates in oer vitamin C worldwide countries and also holds work for over 300,000 people worldwide too. Television programming, Plastics and G.E Aircraft Engines for example, is the biggest engine maker and supplier in the world with operations in over 40 different countries. 1 On the next page you will follow GEs product portfolio. Sainsburys supermarkets employ over 145,000 people (including Savacentre). Of these 145,000 people, 60% are part metre establish workers and 40% are full time workers. 62% of the labour forces are women which manoeuvre that since the 19th Century equal opportunities have shifted and women have the same rights as men to be able to work.Furthermore, Sainsburys Supermarkets serves thoroughly over 11 one thousand thousand customers a week and as from May 2003, had 535 stores turn over throughout the UK. Nearly 60% of their stores are located upon town centres and others built on the edge of centre locations in the greenway areas where land is cheaper and have better connections. same(p) GE, Sainsburys also have sub divisions or Subsidiary companies that they own. For example the other activities that they operate or run besides Groceries, acknowledge a chain of Sainsburys Banks, Shaws, JS learning and Sainsburys Property Development.Shaws Supermarkets Inc. has been a completely owned Subsidiary of J Sainsburys plc since 1987 and partly owned since 1983. Shaws serves over four million customers a week, and as at May 2003 had 193 stores liberal in New England, USA. In June 1999, J Sainsburys plc acquired the entire share smashing of Star Markets for a total friendship of $497 million dollars which is the equivalent to i 313 million British pounds. Star Markets operates in the metropolitan Boston area, Washington DC.The acquisition took Shaws Supermarkets to the number 2 position in New England and as the dominant market leader in Houston, Massachusetts. Like Sainsburys Supermarkets, the US operations place an dialect on high quality aliment at value for money prices, and are persistently recuperating and improving their range of orthogonal foods. The corporation offers approximately 50,000 different lines, up to 35,000 per store at any one time. Some 5,000 popular brand products report for 40 per cent sales and as at June 2003, Shaws employs some 28,400 associates.