Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Role Of The Three Chieftains In The Ballad Of The White Horse Essay

The Role Of The Three Chieftains In The Ballad Of The White Horse - Essay Example Together the three chiefs present the picture of selfless courage and a conviction for a cause. Eldred was a Franklin, not a noble man by birth, but a mighty man, huge and brave; dull of wit but warm-hearted, he hosted anyone who loitered into his ill kept farm. He was fond of ale and good food ; he loved to tend his swine and animals; issues of religion or country did not rouse him so much as did his friendship for Alfred for whom he rallied his forces. He was not enthusiastic about a fight, but he had fought fiercely in battles with Ethelred, the brother of Alfred. Mark was an Italian whose father arrived with Caesar into England by ship; he was a confirmed Catholic and at heart a Roman. He grew pine and orchard and drank wine, the drink of Christian sacraments, and not ale like common farmers. He lived among the ruins of Roman settlements; a strong bronzed man with eyes keen like a bird and he remained unaffected by the bickering and wars of the tribes around him, and for him Rome alone counted and it was for Rome that he was going to strike a blow when Alfred asked him for help. He advised Alfred to conquer London, keep Wiltshire and the white horse Wold while he himself was for fighting to keep his own Pines and vineyard. Colan of caerleon was partly Irish and partly welsh thus in him flowed the instincts of the Christian as well as the intuitions of the Druids. He lived in the valley of the Druids where the Usk flowed murmuring into the ghostly sea. He dreamt and sang about his race by now in ruins. His harp sang brooding songs while his sword swinging in war was a happy one."merry in war and sad while singing. His faith was imbued with Christian ideals but his Celtic past fired his spirits; danger and war drew him and his soul heeded to the CALL OF THE WILD. Thus the motive for fighting for each of the chiefs differed. But they had the united purpose and role of being Friends of Alfred and defenders of the civilization. Their Fight and Death It is these three chieftains whom Alfred approached for providing spears ,bows and swords and men for the war against the Danes. Marcus came with all his slaves in arms ,Colan with strange spears hung with ancient charms ,Eldred brought jars and stores of farm mead and rye on his farm beasts ,with his farm hands.The clan of Colan was Gaelic and wore torn and antique robes blowing wailing pipes ,and belonged to an ancient period of wars and strife. Mark's soldiers were mixed tribes of the west experienced in Arabia and Tyne.(Ballad of White Horse IV) Though each of them was brave ,each chieftain responded differently to the war .The Saxon Eldred kept recalling his Farm and the beans there,Colan's heart was filled with the longing for his lost tribe ,and Marcus smote for the religion he strongly believed in. They had no doubt about the side they had chosen to support. But they were perturbed by the prospects of victory

Monday, October 28, 2019

Jeronimo Martins Group’s Consolidated Balance Sheet Essay Example for Free

Jeronimo Martins Group’s Consolidated Balance Sheet Essay Jeronimo Martins Group’s Consolidated Balance Sheet as of 31 December 2011 and 31 December 2010, has been analyzed respectively the correspondents values, structure and relevant changes for assets and Liabilities Shareholder’s Equity with following conclusions: I.The main assets of Jeronimo Martins Group are noncurrent (about 75%) concentrated mostly in tangible assets (about 50%) followed for the intangible assets (about 18%); II.The current assets are mostly inventories and cash or cash equivalent; III.The main liabilities of Jeronimo Martins Group are current (about 55%) concentrated mostly in trade creditors, accrued costs and deferred income; IV. The noncurrent liabilities are mostly Borrowings; V.Total Shareholders Equity represent around 30% of Total Shareholders Equity and Liabilities; VI.The biggest changes in assets, 2010 to 2011, are referred to derivative financial Instruments (-78%) and Cash and Cash equivalents (74%); VII.Changes, 2010 to 2011, in current assets are 27,1% and noncurrent are 2,4%; VIII.The biggest changes in liabilities and total equity are referred to retained earnings (250%) and fair value and other reserves (-101%), provisions for risk and contingences (106%); IX.Changes, in 2010 to 2011, in current liabilities are 11% and noncurrent are -27% and total equity are 32,63%; The structure, values and changes listed above means that Jeronimo Martins Group had, in 2010 and 2011, mostly of its assets as noncurrent, which aren’t expect to be converted into cash or consumed within 12 month. The current ratio is below 1, so this company doesn’t have a big liquidity. Analyzed the 10 biggest companies in the food area, the current ratio is below those values observed such as in Dole food company (current ratio is 1,5). The current ratio is an entity ability to meet its current obligations or to maturing short term obligations, is an important measure of its financial health. This company present 0,406 (2010) and 0,464 (2011) current ratios, more current liabilities than current assets. The total debt to equity ratio represents the long term viability of the company, measure the degree of the indebtedness relative to its equity funding. This company present 2 (2010 and 2011) total debt to equity ratio, more total debt than equity, this imply that greater is this ratio greater is strain on the company to make regular payments to debts holders and higher is the risk of bankruptcy.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Warm and Cold Blooded Nature of Dinosaurs :: Anthropology Essays Paleontology Papers

The Warm and Cold Blooded Nature of Dinosaurs The debate of whether dinosaurs were cold blooded or warm blooded has been ongoing since the beginning of the century. At the turn of the century scientists believed that dinosaurs had long limbs and were fairly slim, supporting the idea of a cold blooded reptile. Recently, however, the bone structure, number or predators to prey, and limb position have suggested a warm blooded species. In addition, the recent discovery of a fossilized dinosaur heart has supported the idea that dinosaurs were a warm blooded species. In this essay, I am going to give supporting evidence of dinosaurs being both warm and cold blooded. I will provide background information on the dinosaur that was discovered and what information it provides scientists. Until recently, scientists believed the chances of finding a fossilized dinosaur heart were extremely slim. The heart belonged to a 66 million year old dinosaur found in Harding County in Northwestern South Dakota. The dinosaur, found in 1993, weighed over 650 pounds and was 13 feet long. The dinosaur was in fairly good condition with the exception of the left side of the skeleton. The small, plant-eating Thescelosaurus, nicknamed ‘Willo’ has been acquired by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Thescelosaurus was an ornithischian, or "bird-hipped," dinosaur that lived in the latter stage of the Cretaceous period. This was approximately 1 million years before the end of the dinosaur era. Native to North America, its range extended from the northern United States up into Canada. Since using the 3-D software to reveal Willo's heart, scientists have also used it to create 3-D images of the fossil's skull, and of remains from other dinosaurs in the museum's collection. (Fisher, Paul) A group of scientists from North Carolina and Oregon used medical technology to search an iron-stained concretion inside the specimen’s chest. With the assistance of imaging equipment and software, they were able to reconstruct 3-dimensional structures through the interior of the concretion. The images reveal a heart that was more like that of a bird or a mammal than those of reptiles, significantly adding to evidence suggesting that at least some dinosaurs had high metabolic rates. In addition, the heart appears to have been four chambered with a single aorta, which is most commonly found in mammals or birds.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Fear in Macbeth :: essays research papers

No Fear Fear motivates many people to act upon matters, right or wrong. This emotion has been important in many events in both works of literature, and in the real world. It has forced military geniuses into retreat, and influenced them to plan another method of attack. Fear can be both a positive and a negative acting force in one’s life, a quality that can motivate one to success as well as to downfall. In the play Macbeth fear was a major motivating factor in character’s actions. Macbeth was fearful of being caught and having to pay for the wrongs he had done – this led to the murders that followed he killed King Duncan. Macbeth's actions were also partially driven by fear of the witches' last prophecy, about the line of kings spawning from Banquo. He was afraid this would come true attempted to prevent it from happening. Lady Macbeth was also plagued by fear as made apparent by the constant washing of her hands while sleepwalking and her speech during her troublesome sleep. Her fulfillment by the direst cruelty and pure evil has worn off, leaving her somewhat of a basket case, ridden by fear and guilt as a result of her actions. After Macbeth kills Duncan, he is too scared to even carry the daggers back into the king’s chamber. When the king’s body is discovered, he kills the two guards that were in Duncan’s room, and places the blame for the murderous deed upon them. His fear forces him to act this way in order to make him seem innocent. Macbeth’s fear of being caught acts as an indicator of his guilt; however at first none of the other characters are able to realize this. As Lady Macbeth becomes consumed by fear and guilt, she is slowly losing her sanity. This is a result of her not being able to handle what she has done to Duncan. In one scene, Lady Macbeth is trying to wash out what she sees as being blood on her hands, even though she is sleepwalking, though the doctor and woman in the room dare not blame her for anything, for fear of being accused and executed for treason. At the start, Lady Macbeth was pushing the fearful Macbeth to kill Duncan. Now, late in the play, their roles have reversed, and it is Lady Macbeth who is fearful, not her husband.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Ruther-Fraud B. Hayes

â€Å"Hayes was never a solitary, a boy of moods,† wrote biographer H. J. Eckenrode. â€Å"He had no seasons of exaltation followed by depression†¦ All his life he liked society and shone in it in a modest way – not sparkling, not brilliant, but pleasing, satisfying. He had a gift of friendship and most of those he loved in youth he loved in age. † As a young man, however, Hayes went through a period of great inner tension, which he himself attributed to a fear that he would one day lose his mind, as some relatives, on both sides of his family, had done. Overcoming this fear, he matured into a relaxed, easy-going fellow, a good conversationalist, and a keen observer of human nature. He genuinely loved people and was interested in their thoughts and problems. When travelling by train, he invariably sat in the smoking car, eager to strike up a conversation. He had a remarkable memory for the names and faces of the most casual acquaintances. As a politician he respected the opposition and welcomed constructive criticism. Although not regarded as a great orator in his day, he delivered well-planned, reasoned, addresses in a clear, pleasant voice. the honor of success is increased by the obstacles which are to be surmounted. Let me triumph as a man or not at all. † – Rutherford B Hayes Honor, eh? Quite ironic considering that he â€Å"triumphed† in the presidential election by making a sleazy political deal and abandoning black Southerners to decades of oppression and discrimination, causing him to be known to history as â€Å"Ruther-Fraud B. Hayes. † Pros-He signed a law which made it easier for Chinese Immigrants to come into the country (this was repealed with the Exclusion Act). He tied the value of the dollar to gold instead of silver. He supported Reconstruction (After the Civil War). Cons-Great Railroad Strike greatly affected his presidency. Dealt with Conflicts with Native American Tribes. Election Results are disputed There is much more to him. If you are doing a project look more into him, and the United States in general in the late 1800's. Hayes' journal and his emphasis on self-improvement in the journal, along with his strong favor for black suffrage as a congressman in 1867 all lead me to believe that the answer is, â€Å"no†. He was not racist towards blacks Significant events: Munn v. Illinois, 94 U. S. 113 (1876)[1], was a United States Supreme Court case dealing with corporate rates and agriculture. The Munn v. Illinois case allowed states to regulate certain businesses within their borders, including railroads. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States and ended some 45 days later after it was put down by local and state militias, as well as by federal troops. Hayes essentially sold out his ideals to the former Confederacy in order to gain the Presidency. He allowed the former Confederate states to return to governing themselves almost the same exact way they had been doing prior to the Civil War. This essentially set the Civil Rights movement back for almost a century, as many â€Å"Jim Crow† Laws were passed to ensure that blacks and other minorities could not rise to the same equality as whites, laws which were enforced in the Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Fergusson, which established the â€Å"separate but equal† mantra, and later overturned in the case of Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. During his presidency, Hayes signed a number of bills including one signed on February 15, 1879 which, for the first time, allowed female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court of the United States

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Cultivating Editor Relationships Bears Multi-Assignment Fruit

Cultivating Editor Relationships Bears Multi-Assignment Fruit Last week I sent a two-sentence query to the travel editor at the San Jose Mercury News about visiting specific spots in Southern California- would she be interested in an article? Her answer: â€Å"Sure. Sounds fun!† It can’t be that easy, right? Yes, it was- but only because I’d written many travel pieces for this editor over a number of years. Better yet, because my writing style and process clicked well with her needs, she’d actually created a loose category of articles (called â€Å"Trail Mix†) for me to conceive and write, of which the above was one. There will be many mixings of trails to come. Keeping in this vein, I once wrote a magazine piece about my girlfriend buying an old Airstream trailer sight unseen on eBay. The editor of a new Airstream magazine read it and contacted me about writing an article for his magazine. Yesterday I turned in what might be my 40th (if not more) article for the magazine. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve sent hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pitches that have died an un-replied death, and hundreds more that got me the one-sentence â€Å"not for us† reply. But occasionally, writers can connect with editors so that mutual trust, confidence, and suggested future work define the relationship. And don’t forget another component: getting paid regularly. Sure, Craft clear pitches: Be specific about an article’s scope and details. Include a suggested headline. Put in a succinct

Monday, October 21, 2019

The perfect machine building the Palomar telescope

The perfect machine building the Palomar telescope Introduction The designing, construction, and execution of the Palomar telescope took around quarter of a century. The telescope was a state-of-art device, which drove technology to the edge. There existed numerous internal strains in the project. The collaboration between science and industry hardly ever went effortlessly (Florence, 2011, pp. 8-15).Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on The perfect machine: building the Palomar telescope specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ronald Florence, the author of â€Å"The perfect machine: building the Palomar telescope† performs an excellent job in bringing forth the drama involved in the project. The drama by Ronald Florence is however not of the kind of Indiana Jones, but of conflicts in personality, the distressing of the resolution to engineering difficulties, and the vigor of the attempt to generate an appropriate mirror blank. One could even note the concern at the period of the long extensions in the course of waiting for the cooling of the mirror coupled with during its erection at the appropriate shape. Even if this advance could not result to an intellectual account of the project, it is suitable for an excellent reading. The construction of the Hale Telescope is somewhat a lengthy account. The entire project was filled with difficulties in addition to the existence of some critical setbacks that could have terminated the entire project including the Hubble Space Telescope. Nevertheless, the Hubble did not turn out to be the only telescope to encounter such initial aches. This situation is as well relevant to the 200-inch (5 meter) Hale Telescope situated at the Palomar Mountain. Ronald Florence generates a perfect book concerning the construction of the 200-inch Palomar telescope that was indeed a perfect machine. Palomar Telescope According to Florence, many researches have looked into the construction of the Palomar telescopes with the inclusion of the efforts by David Woodbury. As suggested by Florence, David Woodbury and his publication are in fact a section of the account for he even assisted in obtaining a great form of the project. Even though there are some current researches on Palomar, â€Å"The Perfect Machine† stands as the sole complete and detailed account of the Palomar story. With respect to works by George Ellery, the 5-meter telescope signifies the largest telescope internationally. George Ellery is a solar astrophysicist who had the expertise of obtaining huge sums from rich men.Advertising Looking for book review on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, Ellery was in a position to perceive the worth of large telescopes with regard to resolving the puzzles of stellar advancement and cosmology (Florence, 2011, pp. 16-20). In 1923, Ellery and his comrade engineer, Francis Pease, developed confidence that a mu ch larger telescope would be constructed on condition that they had the necessary monetary requirements. Certainly, they approximated the total cost to be $ 5 million. Ellery overwhelmed Wickliffe Rose, the manager of Rockefeller Foundation (RF), with the notion of the telescope and by the close of 1928, the finances for the building of the 5-meter telescope were provided. Ronald Florence opens his book with a synopsis of the â€Å"Great Debate† by Shapley-Curtis. The â€Å"Great Debate† denotes a crucial instance in the hullabaloo over if nebulae existed in the galaxy or if galaxies were on their own. Moreover, the author explains the position of cosmology, the significance of large telescopes to the ground, and the setting of Ellery, viz. the initiator of the 200-inch. Luckily, he uses much time in the discourse of the influence of the two main important occasions that had an impact on the application of the telescope: the vast misery and the Second World War (Floren ce, 2011, pp. 21-25). The 5-meter project offered jobs during the misery and permitted numerous companies to focus on manpower and the attempts into special study for the project than they could have at an instance when business was in an excellent state. On the other hand, the impact of the war resulted in the stopping of the building of the telescope by drawing of the labor force as well as resources. The most fascinating sections of the book are illustrations of the people engaged in the construction of the telescope.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on The perfect machine: building the Palomar telescope specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The individuals that played a key role in the construction of the telescope include George Ellery who had a frenzied pace that resulted to his downfall (Florence, 2011, pp. 56-75). His endeavor, as a technical industrialist, coupled with his demanding study approach and the cour se of Mount Wilson Observatory, acted as the correspondent of burning the candle at its two ends and brought about his entire collapse in 1910. Following the downfall, Ellery could swap short periods of intense labor with instances of severe exhaustion. For George Ellery, the 200-inch telescope acted as his last project as well as the one, which could give him a great reputation. Ellery is best remembered for this telescope. Additionally, there existed other individuals in the army like Clyde McDowell. Clyde withdrew from the navy and abandoned an opportunity and reputation in a bid to administer the building of the telescope. His form of administration led to the effortless construction of the telescope. Moreover, McDowell acquired new friends with his perception that the construction of the telescope was the same as the construction of a massive battleship gun tower. McDowell employed retired military Colonel Brett to manage the building site on Palomar. On his part, Brett managed the site in the same way as an army operation, to the extent of serving a nasty meal each week to permit the employees long for others (Florence, 2011, pp. 89-112). Ronald Florence illustrates the scientists in addition to the engineers as considerably the most impressive characters in the drama. It is not hard to express sympathy for individuals like McCauley of Corning as well as his impressive attempts to come up with an appropriate piece of Pyrex for use as the telescope mirror. All things appeared to break down for McCauley, starting with a superior obtaining recognition for his efforts to a downpour that threatened to tear down the second Endeavour at a 200-inch (5 meter) mirror blank. Ronald Florence has as well accomplished a service through shedding light on an individual that has obtained very little recognition, Rein Kroon. Rein was a youthful engineer from the Netherlands who was working for the project initiated by Westinghouse, the constructers of the telescope mounti ng. Rein managed to resolve many difficult setbacks entailed in the telescope mounting (Florence, 2011, pp. 123-152).Advertising Looking for book review on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The aforementioned setbacks included the way to make use of the oil-film comportments for mounting, the interior plan for the north â€Å"horseshoe† deportment, and plan for the declination deportments. The endeavors of these men as well as others described in the book led to the completion of the 200-inch Hale Telescope that started its operation in 1949. The Very Large Telescope During the early 1980s, there existed more than half of a dozen observatories of telescopes accessible to astronomers internationally, La Silla being among them. Arrangements were underway to build stronger and larger telescopes having primary mirrors. The Keck Foundation (KF) allowed the Californian Institute of Technology (CIT) and the University of California to construct twin 10-m telescopes and situated it on Mauna Kea. This aspect played a key role in the provision of initial light and in particular concerning ground-anchored spectroscopic similar to the Hubble Space Telescope (Florence, 2011, pp. 219-250). Switzerland and Italy had become part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in 1981, thus allowing the building of the 3.5-m fresh expertise Telescope with initial developments in dynamic optics. These developments were vital for the next move; viz. the building of a Very Large Telescope (VLT) that received the approval in 1987 and it was constructed on Cerro Paranal in Chile. This 8.1-m telescope (Gemini) as well as an 8.3-m Subaru telescope came into being at around the same period. The Very Large Telescope was planned from initial stages as an incorporated structure containing 4 of the 8.2-m telescopes, comprising the likelihood of to merge the light telescopes for optical interferometers, thus paving the way for breathtaking spatial settlement. The majority of VLT devices were constructed in close partnership with establishments in nearby states. The whole lot of the initial device set was completed at around mid 2007 with the ordering of CRIRES. The Paranal stock comprised the screw adaptive optics network in addition to a fast-reaction method to respond to quick transient occurrences. Later on, the near infrared frequency was incorporated as generation-1.5 device. The Very Large Telescopes have added to all sections of astronomy encompassing the kind of dark substance and dark energy, the excessive physics of gamma radiation ruptures, as well as the configuration, organization, and development of galaxies and solar system. The productivity with respect to referenced research papers was almost 500 in 2007, thus making about 2200 since initiation with subsequent yearly augments. The total of observing applications for European Southern Observatory amenities has nearly tripled in the last decade. The User Portal has approximately 4000 certified clients and the archive holds 74 Terabytes of statistics and improved statistical products (Florence, 2011, pp. 298-325). Winning strategy The Very Large Telescopes initiated businesses for Keck t elescopes in about 5 years. Nevertheless, the notion of constructing a completely integrated structure having 4 of the 8.2-m telescopes with time and offering a dozen foci for a cautiously planned backup of devices accompanied by 4 of the 1.8-m Auxiliary Telescope proved to be the proper one for the interferometer. The inclusion of a lasting and sufficiently financed device and expertise were constructed in association with establishments in the neighboring states, with similar participation in labor remunerated by assured keeping of time, and has developed the most improved ground-anchored optical observatory in the universe. The progression model prohibits guest as well as service style and offers the best observing effectiveness in the world on a position where almost 90 per cent of the nights are unclouded (Florence, 2011, pp. 382-425). In the society today, the achievements of the Palomar telescope have facilitated technological inspirations, for instance, the European Southern Observatory personnel were motivated to construct, drive, and back the best probable observatory. In this regard, the Very Large Telescope is possibly the natural replacement of the Perfect Machine that was situated at Mount Palomar. Strength and weakness of the book Ronald Florence does not just offer a vibrant story of the design and building of Hale telescope, but he also attracts the reader to share his enthrallment for a splendid project in addition to a remarkable technical machine. The book is beyond a well written piece and turns out to be fascinating. Nevertheless, there exist some weaknesses in the book. At some point, the author wrongly offers praise to the designers of the Palomar telescope for novelty that had been tested long before, like the standard of the support of the principal mirror. The description of the unmoved ending of the principal mirror seems entirely questionable with regard to the metrology of the moment, being of excessively low resolution to permit any significant confirmation of local redesigning as detailed by the author. Additionally, the post-1950 era could as well have merited a rather wider and fairer description. Moreover, the introduction of completely new and extensive perceptions, like active optics, under the custody of European designers, and dealers is totally disregarded. Overall, the vision and the effort concerning the construction of the Palomar telescope spring from each page; it is an almost flawless book regarding an almost perfect machine. Conclusion By around 1980s, there hailed observatories of telescopes accessible to astronomers internationally that were perhaps the natural substitution of the Perfect Machine that was positioned at Mount Palomar. Ronald Florence used reasonable time in the study of the story as portrayed by the endnotes that demonstrate his usage of a lot of time in search of primary data from the archives. Nevertheless, Florence is yet to seize a number of the noteworthy historical co ncerns concerning the 200-inch telescope and in this regard, intellectual treatment is anticipated of the Palomar Observatory by a historiographer of science and technology. An excellent intellectual historiographer was perhaps not the intention of Ronald Florence (this is evident in the lack of preface as well as a bibliography; in its place there are works stated at the endnotes). Luckily, an excellently studied and perfectly written story is developed in the book. Reference Florence, R. (2011). The Perfect Machine: Building the Palomar Telescope. New York, NY: Harper Perennial.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Dayton, Mark essays

Dayton, Mark essays When Mark Dayton was sworn in as Minnesota's newest U.S. Senator in January 2001, it was the latest stop in a career that has kept public service to Minnesota and to the nation as its top priority. In more than three decades of service, in a variety of capacities, Mark has worked to use his skills and experience to make life better for the people of Minnesota and for people around the country. Mark was born in Minneapolis on January 26, 1947, and grew up in Minnesota's most prominent retailing family. Mark could have chosen many careers, but he chose to help those less fortunate than himself, and he has dedicated himself to that end throughout his career. After graduating cum laude from Yale University in 1969, where he played varsity ice hockey, he worked for two years in the New York City Public Schools as a 9th grade general science teacher. After spending the next four years as a counselor and administrator for a Boston social service agency, Mark went to work as a legislative as sistant to Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale, where he worked on a variety of issues important to his home state. In 1977, Mark returned to Minnesota to take a spot on Governor Rudy Perpich's staff. After one year, he was named the state's Commissioner of Economic Development. In 1982 he decided to make his own run for public office when challenged Republican U.S. Senator David Durenberger in a hard-fought race. Although he fell short, he gave the popular incumbent by far the toughest race of his Senate career. The following year, Mark became Minnesota's Commissioner of Energy and Economic Development, a post he held until 1986. In 1990, the people of Minnesota elected Mark to a four-year term as State Auditor. Throughout his career, he has also played an active role in helping Democratic candidates in Minnesota and across the country win public office and has been just as helpful to state, district and county Democratic organizations. In 1995 and 1996, Ma...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Book Review Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Book Review Bachelor - Essay Example Thus, Crossing the Border is generally acknowledged by scholars as a fundamental book that chronicles the history of Buxton, one of the most successful all-black settlements in nineteenth-century Canada. In her work, Sharon A. Roger Hepburn traces the evolution of educational institutions, businesses, and political structures in Buxton in the mid-1800s and the focus of the author is on the degree to which black settlers achieved autonomy and the control over their lives in a hostile white environment. The author undertakes an important study of Buxton, Ontario, through a comprehensive study of the manuscripts, newspapers, census records, deeds, maps, and other materials and she is effective in recreating a detailed story of the Black Canadian community through the lives of individual people. According to the author, the Black Canadian community, roughly twelve miles south Chatham, close to the shores of Lake Erie in Raleigh Township, Kent Country, espoused freedom and hope for the fu ture and accepted blacks who were single, married, and widowed; young and old; male and female; freeborn and fugitive. "This study chronicles Buxton from its conception and founding through its first decade. A group of individuals, united in their determination to build a heaven for those fleeing slavery and repressive legal statutes, formed themselves into a community that offered social and economic opportunity. Overcoming initial opposition from neighboring whites and backed by the Presbyterian Church of Canada and philanthropic Canadians of both races, Buxton grew steadily in population and stature." (Hepburn, 1) Therefore, Hepburn provides a convincing account of the Black Canadian community settlement in Buxton, Ontario, and she is effective in explaining why Buxton succeeded when other settlements failed. A careful reading of Crossing the border: A free Black community in Canada by Sharon A. Roger Hepburn confirms that the author eloquently traces the development of Buxton from its conception and founding, and her main focus is to give an explanation for its status as the 'most successful all-black community established in Canada before the U.S. Civil War.' In her attempt to establish the point that the Black Canadian community was the most successful all-black community established in Canada, the author compares this community with similar communities in Canad

Friday, October 18, 2019

Decline of Sales of Regular Beer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Decline of Sales of Regular Beer - Essay Example The topic tries to analyze why the sale of beer has dropped and tries to design alternative strategies to power growth once again. Discussion of the product in relation to its current TARGET market demographics USING US CENSUS DATA Beer is one of the products that saw a sales decline in developed country but showed growth and development in the emerging economies. An overview of the beer growth trend shows North America and Western Europe trailing behind the emerging countries and Africa leading in terms of sales volume. Fig. 1 at left demonstrates the strength of beer sales by region. ` Fig. 1 Forecast five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) by region 2012-16 Source: Canadean cited in SABMiller's According to an independent industry analyst cited in SABMiller's report, China is considered as the biggest market for beer followed by other emerging markets. However, same report shows that although China is a big market, profit is so slim because of its very low beer pricing. In co ntrast, beer sales in South America remain profitable and show both growth and profitability. As indicated, there is a greater opportunity in beer sales in Brazil, Peru, and Argentina. According to a study done by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service on July 23, 2010, China has imported 17,433 liters of beer from the United States. U.S comes only as the number eight beer supplier to China. Meanwhile, according to same USDA report Germany is the beer exporter to China. (see Fig 2). According to this report the annual per capita consumption of beer in China is estimated at 36.8 kg, per year and supply does not match consumption. This equation is a clear opportunity for beer manufacturers or SABMiller's to intensify their exports to China. Fig. 2 China’s beer imports 2007-2009 Why is the product declining? Volume of beer sales declined in USA because of change of taste preferences, unemployment of drinking men, and change of consumer tastes. Stockdale, Charles and Sauter, Micha el in an article published in Wall St. (April 19, 2012) said that beer is one of the products that the Facebook generation is not buying. As it is, this is an argument for the change of drinking preferences of the young generation that has to be considered by beer manufacturers. Accordingly, the young generation prefers light beer than regular beers which was the choice of beer drinkers before. Very few among the young drinkers have tasted regular beers, and those young drinkers today is considered as the heavy market for light beers, source stated. In UK, decline, according to Akwagiram, Alexis, a writer of BBC News who gathered opinion of experts, was due to many causes, health consciousness of people is but one of them. Beer to them has an image problem because of the notion that it adds to weight problem. Another thing is the change of preference to wine particularly ordered as part of food entrees in restaurants.  

Marketing Audit and Marketing Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Audit and Marketing Objectives - Essay Example In the recent past, Dell Corporation has enhanced their consumer base in the laptop computer brand. Indeed, the company implemented one of the best marketing initiatives in the face of high technological innovativeness in the early 21st century. Through its marketing campaigns, Dell focussed on developing a consumer base composed of younger population, who preferred portable laptop computers for their daily activities, such as studies. They specifically ensured that they captured students and younger adult population. However, in the campaigns aimed at the young consumers, Dell Computers knew the significance of communicating - at least indirectly, to parents who are usually called upon to help with purchasing the products for their sons and daughters (Proctor, 2000; Baker, & Hart, 2007).  In the recent past, Dell Corporation has enhanced their consumer base in the laptop computer brand. Indeed, the company implemented one of the best marketing initiatives in the face of high techn ological innovativeness in the early 21st century. Through its marketing campaigns, Dell focussed on developing a consumer base composed of younger population, who preferred portable laptop computers for their daily activities, such as studies. They specifically ensured that they captured students and younger adult population. However, in the campaigns aimed at the young consumers, Dell Computers knew the significance of communicating - at least indirectly, to parents who are usually called upon to help with purchasing the products for their sons and daughters (Proctor, 2000; Baker, & Hart, 2007). II. Goals, strategy formulation and implementation Dell strives to be the most flourishing corporation in the world known for producing the best laptop computers that meet and exceed the customer expectations in the UK market. The corporation’s marketing objectives and goals are premised upon providing the customers with laptops that have new and striking features such as webcam for video chats or conferencing (Linsenbach, 2007). These features are increasingly becoming popular, especially in the UK. With these features incorporation in its laptop brands, Dell aims to be seen making the life of the users more relaxed. The strategy was been apparently implemented in the Dell’s ‘Dude’ campaigns, which may continue to be the future trend in regard to appealing for the younger population (Proctor, 2000; Doyle, & Stern, 2006). The company’s targeting of the UK’s younger consumers with the laptop brands in the 1990s saw the original creation of Dell Computers "Dude." The promotions captured the ‘

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Managing Revenue and Working Capital to Avoid Factoring in Health Orga Essay - 1

Managing Revenue and Working Capital to Avoid Factoring in Health Organization - Essay Example Another risk is that when debtors default in paying their invoices on the stipulated date the hospital risks paying more interest to the factoring company which was not budgeted for. Lack of proper management of working capital and revenue inflow might lead to the business getting to a situation of insolvency. Creditors to the health organization might be claiming from the organization more than the assets of the organization which might lead to bankruptcy. This might tatter the image of the organization and lead to poor performance of the credit rating of the hospital. Banks and other financial organization will refuse to extend any loan to the hospital in future date which might cripple the organization when a need for capital arises in future dates. When the health organization gets into this situation it will lack the liquid capital to grow, pay suppliers or meet unexpected costs within the health unit. Some of the measures that the finance officer has to take into consideration to avoid such situations are: The health organization will need to balance between acquisition of assets and payment of its recurrent expenditure like salaries and wages. The moderate form of working capital policy would suit the health center to avoid situations of the need of having to look for short-term debts to pay for its current and long-term assets. This policy will do away with risks that come with the aggressive policy of working capital where short-term debts will be needed to finance fixed or permanent working capital. The fluctuating working capital will be financed through short-term borrowing. This situation will eliminate a situation of financing all the working capital needs from short-term loans which may lead to factoring within the health unit (Nowicki, 2011). The health organization might be expanding or buying long-term assets like medical equipment.  Buying of these assets will lead to huge cash outflows which will affect the availability of cash to meet other expenditures.

QD1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

QD1 - Essay Example The principal stakeholders within any business include the shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, executives, board of directors, and the community in essence. It is a fact that business governance is a multi-faceted subject which takes into consideration the roles of all these pertinent positions (Suppert 2007). A business governance model consists of a number of broad categories which might include auditing, board and management structure and process, corporate responsibility and compliance, ownership structure and exercise of control rights, and financial transparency and information disclosure. The business governance plan is therefore exclusive and is very elaborate in its own right. The business governance regimes are deemed as important because these outline the need for understanding how a business is governed and what steps are necessary to undertake so that the business can bring about a great of deal for all the relevant stakeholders and for its own existence in th e future. The business governance tangents are therefore treated with a great amount of respect because it embodies the basis of achieving strategic objectives and goals. The different components of a business governance plan aim to study the basics related with the business realms. What this means is the fact that businesses will grow and expand further if the different components within their folds are taken care of in an amicable fashion. More than anything else, there is a dire need to understand how business governance would tie up the different stakeholders with the internal publics of the organization. It would also aim to touch upon the significant grey areas which are present within the business, and which might bring some sort of problems in the coming times. One must be sure that the business governance regimes are geared to bring in long term profits more than anything else, and there should be serious efforts and undertakings to make sure that success is guaranteed at t he end of the day. There must not be any compromise on this pointer at all, as has been demonstrated through research and evidence of related study. The business governance plan is a comprehensive one because it lists down the advantages of realizing new business opportunities as well as highlights the shortfalls and how these come about in the first place. What is most important is to know how work domains are manifested within the real sense of the word, and what the organizations are doing to bring success within their realms. The business governance realms require that the communication is done in such a way that there are no loopholes and shortcomings within the length of the corporations and the government. What this suggests is the fact that the business governance matters must have a very set hierarchical setting in place so that any issues that might arise within the future are taken care of in an adequate way. The two-tier boards are usually not very appreciable since thes e give some of the directors the right to vote, while others being at the same level still, are disallowed from the voting quarters. Then again, unitary boards are better since these have a single line of command which means that the decisions are taken by people whilst knowing beforehand who is the head and

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Managing Revenue and Working Capital to Avoid Factoring in Health Orga Essay - 1

Managing Revenue and Working Capital to Avoid Factoring in Health Organization - Essay Example Another risk is that when debtors default in paying their invoices on the stipulated date the hospital risks paying more interest to the factoring company which was not budgeted for. Lack of proper management of working capital and revenue inflow might lead to the business getting to a situation of insolvency. Creditors to the health organization might be claiming from the organization more than the assets of the organization which might lead to bankruptcy. This might tatter the image of the organization and lead to poor performance of the credit rating of the hospital. Banks and other financial organization will refuse to extend any loan to the hospital in future date which might cripple the organization when a need for capital arises in future dates. When the health organization gets into this situation it will lack the liquid capital to grow, pay suppliers or meet unexpected costs within the health unit. Some of the measures that the finance officer has to take into consideration to avoid such situations are: The health organization will need to balance between acquisition of assets and payment of its recurrent expenditure like salaries and wages. The moderate form of working capital policy would suit the health center to avoid situations of the need of having to look for short-term debts to pay for its current and long-term assets. This policy will do away with risks that come with the aggressive policy of working capital where short-term debts will be needed to finance fixed or permanent working capital. The fluctuating working capital will be financed through short-term borrowing. This situation will eliminate a situation of financing all the working capital needs from short-term loans which may lead to factoring within the health unit (Nowicki, 2011). The health organization might be expanding or buying long-term assets like medical equipment.  Buying of these assets will lead to huge cash outflows which will affect the availability of cash to meet other expenditures.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Global Warming - Essay Example Nations that approved the Kyoto Protocol concur to decrease emissions of six greenhouse gases that increase the problems of global warming. These nations are also permitted to utilize emissions trading to reach their obligations if they maintain or increase their greenhouse gas emissions. All of these activities around the world are then observed and maintained by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or the IPCC, as well as other environmental protocol treaties. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research or UCAR (2011) cited that â€Å"the IPCC coordinates the efforts of more than 2,000 scientists from 154 countries. Together, they represent a vast array of climate specialties, from physics, to chemistry, to interactions with Earth's surface, to the role of human behavior.† The IPCC also has a policy-making body that helps extensively review the findings from scientists or field-related researchers so that their formation in creating policies is well founded and guided. The question that should now be asked is whether or not such measures are good or bad for the environment. Could it be certain that the measures taken by these various human actions and endeavors help the world against the effects of global warming? These inquiries shall be explored further through the next discussions of this paper. The Affirmative Side It has come to the attention of various environmental organizations and some societies of various nations that the negative effects of global warming could no longer be taken for granted and ignored. This matter has made environmental groups and organizations rise in their activities through the years, and many have made successful advances with their agendas in government, business, and... Combining policies that deal with the local air pollution and the issue of global climate change would result to beneficial changes for climate alleviation. Medium to long term plans and actions to lessen air pollution will lead to more benefits in combating global warming. For example, the development of green intelligence policies has been growing in different businesses and societies. This was observed by the BusinessWeek Research Services (2009) who posited out, â€Å"amid the current climate of greater demand for both environmental awareness and corporate accountability, organizations are finding that success is increasingly being measured not only by financial performance, but also by ecological and social accomplishments as well† (p.3). If various major governments and much of the private sector adopt the green intelligence as a core goal and as part of their methods and practice, then it could make up for all the environmental damage that has been done for the past cen tury. Different methods of proper waste disposal and management can also help combat and deal with the increasing problem of global warming. Proper segregation and recycling of garbage or trash can prevent the creation of massive waste landfills that release a lot of gases that are harmful to the atmosphere, the ecological systems, and human health. Recycled material can also be used for the consumption and use by society and even help promote a new type or brand of goods to be used for commerce and trade.

Pride and Prejudice Essay Example for Free

Pride and Prejudice Essay Collins and many of the other characters mentioned within the novel. Social class also determines who one may marry, and this plays an extremely significant role within the lives of Jane and Elizabeth Bennet. Jane Bennet is a crucial character within Pride and Prejudice. She portrays the role of Elizabeth Bennet’s one and only older sister. Jane is considered to be â€Å"†¦ the only handsome girl in the room,† by Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, and this occurs at the ball which is held in Netherfield. At this ball, she dances with a man by the name of Mr. Bingley, a man of large fortune who is described as being â€Å"†¦good looking and gentlemanlike; †¦pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners† (Austen 6). As a result of the ball, Mr. Bingley and Jane spend more time together, and it is assumed that they are together, as a couple. Mr. Bingley has two sisters who act all sisterly-like towards Jane, and then crush her heart by saying that Bingley will not return to Netherfield, and will most likely find Mr. Darcy’s sister more handsome and agreeable than Jane. This is done by the Bingley sisters most likely because of Jane’s lower social status, and they would not want their brother marrying a sort of peasant girl, or a girl who is of a much lower status than himself. Due to social class in society at this time, Jane ends up getting her heart crushed, which is sad and tragic for a woman during this time period, especially when the woman has feelings for such a suitor. Should a woman show her feelings for a suitor, and then that suitor goes off and marries another, the reputation of the first woman and her family is, in a sense, ruined. Elizabeth Bennet is the main female character whom the story revolves around. She is treated in a very similar manner as Jane; however, Jane is treated with more compassion and seems to be loved more by everyone, whereas Elizabeth is the least liked of the five daughters in the Bennet family, and people tend to pass her up. Due to her social stature, as well as her reputation as being the least liked and less handsome, Elizabeth is treated the way she is. She is, in a way, treated as an inferior to Jane due to all of the factors mentioned previously. Elizabeth is also put down in many ways. Considering that she is less handsome than her sister, she is, in a way, a target of insult for Darcy, as he says that she is not good enough or pretty enough to grab his attention (7). In all, Elizabeth leads a rather ‘difficult’ life, not being recognized by her peers or by suitors who should really be so lucky to have her. Pride within Pride and Prejudice is seen as a common theme throughout the whole novel. Pride is what causes people to behave the way they do, acting arrogant and egotistical. Pride contributes to how people view society, believing that one is better than the rest of society and being conceited. Pride is what causes feuds most of the time, turning one against another with the argument that one is better than the other in many aspects. Prejudice, contrary to pride, is not seen quite as often. However, prejudice, although not as common, follows similar principles as pride. Prejudice causes people to behave the way they do, believing that a certain social class, ethnicity, or gender is inferior to one’s own. Prejudice also contributes to how people view society, again, believing that a certain characteristic contributes to where people stand on the social ladder. Prejudice, just like pride, can cause feuds by causing one party to believe that the other party is inferior to them, and is usually based on the factors of social class, ethnicity, or gender. Austen most likely made the decision of having pride appear frequently, whereas prejudice is practically nowhere to be found, in order to make note of the difference between the two terms. Pride is seen used more often by Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, whereas prejudice is seen commonly used by Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth Bennet, throughout the novel, shows signs of prejudice against Mr. Darcy in particular. When they appear at the ball in Netherfield, Austen states, â€Å"His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and every body hoped that he would never come there again† (6). It is then later stated that â€Å"†¦Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings towards him† (7). Elizabeth, in a way, holds a grudge against Darcy, always thinking negatively of him and putting him down in her eyes. This action of making it seem that he is, in a sense, inferior to her, represents her prejudice against him. Mr. Darcy shows pride in practically everything he does. He is a conceited, arrogant man, who believes that nothing is good enough for him. He exhibits this belief when he is at the Netherfield ball, and his friend, Mr. Bingley, points out that Darcy should dance with Elizabeth. Darcy replies, â€Å"She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (7). Darcy’s reputation for being full of pride is known all throughout the town, and it is said by one of Darcy’s old friends that â€Å"†¦almost all his actions may be traced to pride;-and pride has often been his best friend† (55). It is also assumed that, when his friend says that even Darcy’s sister is â€Å"-very, very proud,† that the whole Darcy lineage must be a very prideful family (56). During this time period in which Pride and Prejudice takes place, marriage was not decided on the basis of love. When one would get married, it was either for financial gain or social status. Mrs. Bennet, the mother in the novel, has only those two items on her mind when attempting to find suitors for her five daughters. She does not have even a sliver of empathy on how her decisions may potentially make her daughters’ lives miserable. Mr. Bennet, however, takes into account his daughters’ feelings when it comes to finding a suitor. Although he also has the thought of financial gain on his mind, his daughters always come first. He does, however, think of a plan. If Elizabeth were to marry Mr. Collins, Mr. Bennet’s nephew, the Bennet estate would remain in the family. The reason for this is because, during this time period, women could not inherit land. Seeing as Mr. Bennet had no sons, he gave the estate to his nephew. Now, if Elizabeth had accepted Mr. Collins’s proposal, the estate would have remained within the family. This is the only instance in which Mr. Bennet wants Elizabeth to marry a certain suitor. Retaining their estate and financial security is just one motive that may cause people to marry certain others. Mr. Wickham and Miss Charlotte Lucas, for instance, are two characters who get married throughout the novel, and both have, in a way, a hidden agenda for getting married. Miss Charlotte Lucas is a very close friend of Elizabeth, being the person who Elizabeth can confide in about anything. Charlotte is slightly older than Elizabeth, about seven years, and Charlotte feels that she is becoming a burden to her family. Being twenty-seven and unmarried, she wanted to free her family from herself, no longer being a bother to them. This is one of the motives that causes her to go off and marry Mr. Collins, Elizabeth’s cousin. She also becomes betrothed to Collins for financial security. Seeing as Collins would inherit the Bennet estate, this gave her the sense that they would not have to worry about finances, or anything of the sort. Charlotte views marriage in a peculiar way. She believes that marriage changes a person drastically, and that one can get married without having feelings for their partner at first. She thinks that a person, primarily a woman, should find a spouse and then grow to like them as time goes on. So, in reality, Charlotte believes that one can just rush into a marriage, and, in a sense, hope for the best. She does not believe in marriage should really occur on the basis of love. Charlotte also believes that â€Å"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance† (14). Charlotte honestly believes that one does not have to be happy in marriage. She would rather marry off well and have a rich husband, yet be miserable while with him, than be in a marital relationship with someone who she truly cares about, even if that someone is not particularly well off. This is, in a way, Charlotte’s reasoning for marrying Mr. Collins. Seeing as how Mr. Collins has financial stability, this makes him, to her, a rich man who is very well off. She decides then to rush into marrying him, even though mutual feelings between them do not exist. So, not only does Charlotte get married to Mr. Collins to get out of her parents’ hair, but also because of his status and financial stability, and everything that would make him a good suitor. These are her hidden motives behind getting married in such a hurry, and although it seems like it is the perfect life, Charlotte has, in reality, just cost herself a chance to find someone better and more qualified to be her spouse. George Wickham plays multiple roles throughout the novel. For one, he plays the role of Elizabeth’s love interest towards the beginning of the novel. He shows feelings towards her in return, and one would assume that they may be a match. This, however, is altered by the fact that Elizabeth, in the end, marries Darcy. Wickham also plays the role of an old friend of Darcy’s. Darcy’s father was like a father to Wickham, and Wickham always points out that Darcy was never fond of him, which, in a way, is true. It is also false, because Darcy was a friend of Wickham’s, until Wickham revealed his true self. Wickham also became estranged from Darcy when he tried to run off and elope with Darcy’s sister, Georgiana. Wickham does a similar thing in his third role, which is as Lydia Bennet’s husband. Although Lydia says she is in love with Wickham, Wickham does not necessarily return those feelings. Wickham only wants to prey on the innocence of Lydia. With the knowledge that Lydia is still practically a child, and is susceptible to believing anything, Wickham knows that he can do as he pleases with her, and she will not see anything wrong with the picture. Wickham also decided elopement for another reason. At this time, if a woman and man eloped, the money that the woman had to her name could be used freely by her husband with no safeguards, and this could in turn lead to some difficulties later in time. Wickham only views marriage on the basis of mooching and getting money as part of the dowry from her family. His hidden agenda is to get married in order to get money from the bride’s side of the family. Wickham is, all in all, a selfish man who shows people what they want to see, and not his true self.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Introduction To Sports Among Women Spectators In India Media Essay

Introduction To Sports Among Women Spectators In India Media Essay Watching sport represents a predominant form of leisure behavior in todays society. Large numbers of people attend sporting events and think of themselves as sport fans. Traditionally, participation in sports as a spectator has been a male dominated activity. Women differ from men on various parameters such as physicality, psychographics, behavioral parameters, consumer behavior and consumption experiences. The differences between men and women on these parameters make it difficult for marketers to target them together as a unified segment. But, irrespective of the differences between men and women on various parameters, sports goods manufacturers and sports events marketers have pursued traditional male-oriented marketing policies. But in recent times due to a radical change in social and financial status of women, there has been an increased participation in and consumption of sports by women. This has caused marketers to add a female- oriented focus to their strategies. The recent introduction of female commentators in cricket to strategies to attract women in the latest IPL edition with attractive offers shows a definite change in the marketing strategies of media and marketing professionals. Also more and more women are turning to sports for recreational purpose. With the sports industry turning more to women consumers, it has become necessary for marketers to research womens consumption behavior and consumption experiences to come up with gender specific strategies. Hence, this study would be to understand how the Indian woman consumes sports and the level of involvement or motivation achieved set in the context of the Indian society. Literature Review Sports as a genre is present in everybodys life, be it in terms of participation or watching. Sports has the power to inspire, build communities, to make people cry, laugh. In the hands of an ingenious marketer sports has an almost enigmatic pull towards the target consumer. Traditionally, sports participation and consumption was viewed to be masculine or a part of male dominion. However, with increasing number of women who have found economic and social independence the domain of sports is no longer completely a male bastion. Increasingly women are breaking the stereotypes of passivity and are actively consuming and participating in sports. Major strides have been made over the past few years in providing participation opportunities for girls and women in sports. Media visibility has increased for a number of women players both internationally and nationally like Venus Williams, Anna Kounikova or Sania Mirza. The consumption of sports and leisure by men and women is dependent on a lot of factors such as prevalent societal norms, beliefs and attitudes. In the context of sports and leisure, what is associated with men and masculinity is valued over what is associated with women and femininity. Hence, it is important to explore the underlying societal norms to understand the consumption patterns. A post modernistic approach In a postmodern society, the prevalent ideology is that what is considered masculine or feminine will break down as the boundaries between masculinity and femininity continue to blur and the different forms of gender multiply. Activities that conventionally convey clear meanings, such as combat conveying masculinity and gracefulness conveying femininity, will no longer be obvious. A postmodern vision of these categories blurring into one should be liberating because it lessens the likelihood of gender being used as a way to categorize. In the context of sports and leisure, this suggests that gender is less likely to influence participation or consumption of sports previously marked as masculine or feminine. Analysing literature would help us to understand historical trends of sports and leisure participation by gender in various scenarios. Home Vs Workplace Women have been historically been associated with activities conducted at home such as gardening, sewing and cooking, due to recent advancements in technology the efforts required for the chores have reduced immensely but the modern society still views it as a womans job. Unskilled tasks such as cleaning, eating, cooking, sleeping, leisure and child rearing were performed at home, Men were connected with activities in the workplace and less connected with the ones at home. Home for men essentially was a place to recoup from a hard days work. A similar separation exists in sports and leisure today. ( McGinnis, Chun, and McQuillan, 2003) According to Hendersons review (1990), leisure for women tends to consist of activities which is near or at home because it can be infused with household chores and because few opportunities for leisure exist outside the home. According to another research by Kane, It was argued that women tend to define themselves in terms of human relationships, hence, they consume within the context of home and family. The complexity increases for a career woman as then the leisure is dependent on family environments, especially children. Women use home as a primary place and means for leisure. And in case a leisure opportunity comes along which is out of home, then it is sort of offered in such a way as to not hamper household responsibilities. In this case, leisure itself can be seen as constraining, as it reinforces gender appropriateness (Shaw 1994). While it appears that leisure opportunities certainly exist for women outside the home, the literature suggests that leisure for women is still largely perceived as a secondary concern. Opportunities for leisure exist, but only when other duties and other concerns have been addressed first. Expectations of a women and her role in society appear to transcend the opportunities outside the home. Men face the same constraint, but can define what is expected of them more so than women. Spectatorship and Leisure time It is a common point of contention that men and women both enjoy watching sports on television, but their preferences differ, as men tend to prefer more competitive and aggressive sports as compared to women. We find evidences of media reinforcement of the gendered consumption patterns, for example NBC positioned the Olympics with storylines resembling soap operas. Men have generally dominated the consumption of organised sports. But the Spectator Gender Gap is reducing with more women watching conventionally male sports such as Golf, football. However, research suggests that attempts by women to increase their sports consumption in a way threatens the male dominion as sports is viewed as a masculine domain where men are allowed to bond with one another. Women entering this domain are seen as upsetting this setting (McGinnis, Chun, and McQuillan, 2003). Leisure is another area where the gender gap exists, women in general experience a lesser amount of free time as compared to men as their part of their free time is generally spent doing housework or taking care of children. Men can experience larger blocks of free time without worrying about other commitments. Role of the Indian Media Women are traditionally not encouraged to indulge in sports. Sports are men oriented, where men play and women watch. It is clearly visible in the Indian media too, be it films or advertisements. For instance, in an advertisement of Clinic Plus shampoo, a coach of a boys cricket team in school discourages a girl to play with the team by fearing, when he says, Baal kharab ho jayege (your hair will get damaged if you will play cricket in sun). Another advertisement of Tata sky featuring Gul Panag and Aamir Khan, she has been portrayed as a woman for whom sports is a nuisance. During the cricket matches and sports world cups, time and again, many news channels have shown how women have to sacrifice watching their saas-bahu dramas and newspapers also write about falling TRPs of TV serial and how these matches are a jeremiad for women. Because in the family, their husbands, brothers and father are glued tothe sports channel and the power of attorney for the remote control is transferred t o men for those few days when the matches are held. In addition, Some of the commonly held beliefs associated with female fans and women sports are explored below- Women are not interested in sports fact or fiction In terms of viewership, over 2.2 crore women watched the 2003 World Cup in India alone. Female viewership comprised an astounding 46% of the total World Cup viewing population and TRPS for female viewership for India matches climbed to a phenomenal 9.8, significantly higher than the 3.9 registered during the Nat West Trophy final played at Lords in June 2002(ESPNSTAR, Interesting history of womens cricket in India).The Twenty20 World Cup had a strong, growing female audience for the sport and its not restricted to cricket alone. There is an overall 54 per cent increase in ratings for the three tennis grand slams-especially with regard to womens viewership where the growth has been significant. To reach out to this diverse market, most channels are developing a strong programming line-up that is a healthy mix of acquired and original content. (The financial express, Cashing in on sports). For the first time, a non-cricketing glamorous female host Mandira Bedi was brought in as a studio anchor. The experience was something which shocked cricket purists. But with a mix of elements for the purist as well as the novice and the fence sitters, Extraaa Innings combined academic cricket with mainstream entertainment like never before. This resulted in a whopping 50% increase in average rating of Indian matches and 37% increase in the rating of non-India matches, reached out to a record 78% of the Indian audiences in CS homes. More interestingly the female gross reach grew by an unprecedented 261%. Mandira Bedi became a celebrity and was soon a part of life even for women in conservative Indian households. Purists like Wisden, which condemned the experiment with women anchors during the ICC Champions Trophy in Colombo in September 2002, were forced to retreat. Women joined betting circles and housewives in Delhi and Ahmedabad formed clubs to enjoy the sport (ESPNSTAR, Interesting history of womens cricket in India). In terms of playing the sport, there has been significant increase in the number of professional sportswomen in variety of sports including Badminton, tennis, hockey, golf and athletics. The increase in the number of tournaments is a testament to that fact, recently an international basketball tournament the FIBA Asia Womens Championship was hosted by Chennai, Featuring the best players and top teams from across the continent, the tournament was a success. (Deccan Chronicle, India Wakes up to alternative sports) Female sports fans are different from male sports fans -fact or fiction? According to a research by Sargent, Zillmann, and Weaver, men and women enjoy distinctly different types of sports. Their findings revealed that males preferred watching combative sports on television whereas females were partial to stylistic sports. Sport socialization research examines the impact that environmental forces have on children and individuals from two different perspectives: socialization into sport and socialization through sport. This line of inquiry indicates that people are attracted to sport due to formal channels (i.e., parents, peers, coaches, mass media, teachers) and informal channels (i.e., school, church, and community-based programs), as researched by Kenyon McPherson . Media plays a primary role for introducing new teams and sport leagues to adults. According to a study by Bruce, Institutional, social, and familial contexts also shape viewers interpretations of sports broadcasts. He also found that women did not display strong loyalties to specific womens sports teams that are common with men and their favorite mens teams. This was attributed to the extensive sports information and media attention given to mens sports. In a study on cognitive development and socialization by James, in the initial development of team loyalty, it was found that children form preferences for sports teams early in life. Results of this study revealed and that the gender stereotype associating sports with males was prevalent among children and that fathers were the most influential socializing agent in introducing children to sports teams. In a study on experiences and effects of viewing televised sports, Gantz and Wenner found differences based on gender for 9 of the 15 motivation items examined; however, these differences were not dramatic. Most notable among their findings, women were more likely to watch televised sports for companionship and sharing the experience with family and friends whereas men watched to unwind and become wrapped up in the excitement and drama of the game. Men invested more time in reading, listening, watching, and talking about sports and they were more likely to experience emotional fluctuations from watching sports. Men also tend to display a fan behavior and identify more strongly as a fan according to Dietz-Uhler. However, an equal number of male and female college students considered themselves to be sport fans. Females reported being fans because they attended and watched sporting events with family and friends while males were more likely to consider themselves fans because they played sports and wanted to acquire sports information. Measuring Spectator Motives Various methods to research on sport spectators have been developed which utilizes a number of scales to assess the psychological motives related to attendance, media usage and interest at live sporting events. 1) One of the first methods was developed by Wann. He designed a comprehensive scale to measure eight factors observed to influence behavior; eustress, self-esteem, escape, entertainment, economic (gambling), aesthetic, group affiliation, and family. 2) Second method developed by Trail and James was the Motivation Scale for Sport Consumption (MSSC) to examine ten aspects of spectator behavior: achievement, acquisition of knowledge, aesthetics, drama, escape, family, physical attraction, physical skills of players, and social interaction. 3) Thirdly, McDonald, Milne and Hong (2002) utilized a scale to measure spectator and sport participant motives related to: risk-taking, stress reduction, aggression, affiliation, social facilitation, self-esteem, competition, achievement, skill mastery, aesthetics, value development, and self-actualization. Research Methodology Conceptual Framework or Problem Definition Till now through an extensive analysis of literature we have seen that men and women both consume sports in their own way and one cannot generalize the consumption pattern of women. The motivations and the level of involvement for women depend on a lot of factors. Research Gap : There is no study done in the Indian context to understand the women sports consumers, their stages of involvement and motivations to participate. Hence, this study is a step towards achieving an understanding of the same. Research Objective: The objective of the research is to understand the Woman sports consumer in terms of her involvement level and motivation to consume a particular sport. The study of motivation for predicting consumer behavior is very difficult as to understand the interrelation between motives and specific behavior. Also, to develop a list of consumer motives comprehensive enough to capture the wide variety of motivating forces that stimulate and shape behavior is challenging. To do the above, a framework could be constructed in the form of a social continuum which broadens the sport consumer motivation notion by using involvement as a motivational construct to distinguish between various levels. Factors like womans role in the society would also be a part of this construct. Hence, a study of the immediate environment becomes imperative for studying the consumption pattern. The level of involvement of women consumer of sports should form the basis of the framework of social continuum where the stages vary from viewership to acceptance to fan base to taking part or actively playing to encouraging others to play or advocacy. As shown below, Identification of critical factors which defines each of the stages could be looked at and the motives of each stage should also be looked at. According to each stage a corresponding set of behavior would be associated. Understanding different spectator motivations and involvement levels can be of significant benefit to the sport marketer looking to boost team revenues and gate receipts. Of particular interest are both the marketing manager understanding the specific motivations that drive a spectator or fan to consume a sport and the subsequent development of marketing communications based on these motivations. These effective marketing communication plans can often help build groups of diehard fans, thus expanding the customer base for a team. Spectator and fan motivation can also be used as an effective psychographic segmentation method that can result in more effective marketing campaigns. Sub Research Objective: Involvement Involvement could be defined as a state of interest, stimulation or motivation towards an object, a product or even an activity. As put by a study done by Mitchell, Involvement represents an internal state variable that reflects the amount of arousal, interest, or drive evoked by a particular stimuli or situation that mediates consumer behavior. Application of the involvement construct to examine sport spectators and sport fans would provide a fuller understanding of motives and what stimuli and situations direct behavior (e.g., attendance, purchase of team merchandise, media consumption) and attitudinal formation (e.g., preferences, commitment, loyalty). Some parameters of study for involvement would be Importance of product as perceived by the consumer Pleasure or enjoyment provided by the product Risk of making the wrong purchase or participating in the non enjoyable activity Self expression it represents the identification of the person with the purchase or participation Centrality to lifestyle, encompasses socializing and interactions Motivation Theories and studies have been done by researchers on how to assess the motives for consuming sports. These motives can be generally classified into the broad categories of study as Entertainment Stress and stimulation seeking Social Interaction Achievement seeking Approach to Analysis According to the sample defined above, the research would be conducted two phases: Phase 1: This would be in the form of exploratory research which would be used to develop a conceptual model for examining involvement stages and their corresponding motives. The purpose of this is to identify any potential parameters related to spectator motives or involvement framework which were missed. In-depth interview of 5 respondents approximately would be taken in each market segment. Phase 2: This is the validation phase where the qualitative study would be validated by quantitative so that the result of the first phase could be extrapolated to a larger population if required. Sampling Universe: The sampling universe could be defined as young women who are primarily college goers or into the first 2-3 years of job, who follow at least one sport, belonging to SEC A or SEC B. Details of Phase I Sample Size: 15-20 (Qualitative study) The sample size setting is done with a non-statistical approach where the selection is done anticipating subgroup analysis. The anticipation is that 4 meaningful clusters (market segments) would emerge and each cluster will contain approximately 5 respondents in average. SEC A SEC B College Goers Urban Semi Urban Working Women Semi Urban Urban This is for the qualitative part of the research. Sampling Procedure: Convenience Sampling (Non- probability sampling) Care would be taken to ensure that heterogeneity of the entire population can be effectively covered in the sample. Details of Phase II The phase II methodology would depend on the data collected in the first phase. Scope The study would help marketers understand the woman spectator motivations and stages of involvement in consuming sports in India, in turn, help in predicting behavior This would help marketers tap into the growing woman spectator base. Expected Contribution There has been no study on understanding women spectators in the Indian context done till date. This research would help both the academia and industry to understand an upcoming segment. Understanding different spectator motivations and involvement levels is important for a sport marketer to tap the women consumer segment which is increasingly becoming independent economically and socially. Understanding the involvement and motivations that drive a woman spectator to consume a sport in India would help marketers target this segment with crisp and relevant marketing communications. The involvement stages and motivations can also be used as an effective psychographic segmentation method for forming effective campaigns.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Slavery in Shakespeares The Tempest :: Tempest essays

Slavery in The Tempest  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Slavery occurs on a widespread basis in The Tempest. Occurrence of slavery to many of the characters, all in different ways, helps to provide the atmosphere for the play. The obvious slaves are not the only slaves, as Prospero has basically got everybody entranced when he wants, to do whatever he wants with them. He can also control the way that they think.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first and most obvious slave is ariel. Ariel is an airy spirit who is promised his freedom by Prospero if his job is done well. His job was to entrance the visitors to the island under Prospero's control. "What Ariel! My industrious servant, Ariel!" That is what Prospero said in act 4, scene 1, line 33. He was talking to his slave, Ariel, who entranced the visitors to the island.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another example could be Alonso, the king of Naples. Since he is not in Naples, but on Prospero's island, and under his control, he is a slave in a way. In act 3, scene 3, lines 95-102, Alonso admits complete and utter loss of control. "O, it is monstrous, monstrous! Methought the billows spoke and told me of it; The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder, that deep and dreadful organ pipe, pronounced the name of Prosper; it did bass my trespass. Therefore my son i' th' ooze is bedded; and I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded and with him there lie mudded." He is telling us that Prospero is in control of him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prospero, Trinculo, and Stephano are in control of Caliban, the deformed son of Sycorax, and therefore Caliban is their slave. "Monster lay-to your fingers; help to bear this away where my hogstead of wine is, or I'll turn you out of my kingdom. Go to, carry this. In act 4, scene 1, lines 250-253, Stephano told Caliban to carry something for him, or he would be out of his kingdom. He treats Caliban like dirt because he is their slave.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In act 4, scene 1, lines 262-265, Prospero is describing how all of his former friends are now pretty much under his control, even though they don't know it, and enslaved to Prospero. "At this hour lies at my mercy all mine enemies. Shortly shall my labors end, and thou shalt have the air at freedom."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In act 5, scene 1, lines 7-10, it states "Confined together in the same fashion as you gave in charge, just as you left them-all prisoners, sir, in the line grove which weather-fends your cell.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Kathleen Norris Dakota :: Kathleen Norris Dakota

Kathleen Norris' Dakota Kathleen Norris uses small town society to illustrate a much larger phenomenon that occurs in America: The obstruction of truth in the name of progress and patriotism. Norris makes an example of a small Dakota town, the old families ingrained in local society who act as somewhat of a censorship committee, silently fixing the past's blunders and bad dreams so not to discourage themselves or the younger generation: A good story is one that isn't demanding, that proceeds from A to B, and above all doesn't remind us of the bad times, the cardboard patches we used to wear in our shoes, the failed farms, the way people you love just up and die. It tells us instead that hard work and perseverance can overcome all obstacles; it tells lie after lie, and the happy ending is the happiest lie of all. (85) Norris mentions the "progress model" and "linear narrative" used in the telling of history. People in Dakota don't want to hear about the countless generations before them who also failed at farming, the once thriving town that are now abandoned completely. They don't want to hear about anybody who failed, or anything bad that happened at all unless things turned out OK in the end. People have a need to hear fixed history to give them a false sense of hope. Even though many of them know it's false, they're willing to accept the fable as truth before facing a painful past. The larger repercussions of this form of history, is that it misses out on the larger purpose of history. The most important part of history to be told truthfully is the bad part. Imagine our history glazing over Hitler as a crazy guy who acted alone, and forced everybody in Germany to go along with his plan. We need to hear the story that regular people were pulled into his mentality, that random Joe's were converted into Jew-hating murderers. Unfortunately, American history does have a habit of covering up its history for the sake of offering its younger generations a progress model. In a book titled Lies My Teacher Told Me, James Loewen shows how the progress model mode of history telling has covered up many important events in American history to the point that children in public education are graduating high school with extremely warped views of history.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Patterns of Evolution

Patterns of Evolution Humans alter our environment to suit our needs rather than adapt to our environment based on environmental stressors. Due to this fact, we are unlikely to be affected by the pressures of natural selection. We will not likely be affected by further evolution. In convergent evolution, unrelated species living in the similar environments become more and more alike in appearance as they adapt to the same kind of environment. Dolphins and sharks are examples of convergent evolution. Although they are from different vertebrate groups, they live in similar environment. They have evolved similar characteristics like their body shape, coloration, location of back fins, and shape of tail. Divergent evolution is the process of two or more related species becoming more and more dissimilar. Adaptive radiation is an example of divergent evolution. Horses are an example of divergent evolution. Over time as they adapted to different environments, the species diverged and evolved into mules and zebras. Honeycreeper birds are examples of adaptive radiation. Species of birds evolved, seemingly from a single familial species, on a group of islands. Co-evolution is the evolution of one species influencing the evolution of another species. Predators and their prey sometimes co-evolve. Cheetahs and Thompson’s gazelles are examples of co-evolution. As a result of co-evolution, Cheetahs have evolved into the world`s fastest mammal and the gazelle is just slightly slower. As predators evolve, prey evolves and vice versa. Divergent evolution could have an impact on humans in the future. Although we are all different in appearances and characteristics right now, we could diverge in the future. Climates are different all over the world and as human move to and habitat in these environments, the body could adapt to the different atmosphere. This will cause humans to diverge in appearance. Head shape could change, skin and eye color as well. References Pruitt, N. L. , & Underwood, L. S. (2006). Bioinquiry: Making connections in biology (3rd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Disney Movies

The negative influence of Disney movies on children Disney movies have a target audience of young impressionable children. Although Disney movies on first glance are entertaining and educational for the young mind it actually has many hidden messages that children do not realize are negative and believe that what they see is what is true. Disney movies contain a negative representations that are racist towards ethnic groups, sexism towards the behaviour and treatment of women, and construct false realities which are destructive to the human dignity.Disney movies contain stereotypical ideologies related to ethnicity that construct a negative representation. In many different Disney movies different ethnic groups are represented in different shapes and forms, some positive, others very offensive. As young children watch these movies they are exposed to all it's content and belive that what they see is true. Disney does not directly display the racism but make it so that it is infered. Specifically, in a Disney movie the black community is shown as hyennas.The hyennas are represented as noisy, rude, and disruptive. For instance, when a boy was walking down the street with his mother a group of black children were playing in the park. The boy told his mother that the hyennas were behind them. The boy who watched the movie was made to believe that when he hears a noisy group it clicks in his mind that they are of the black community. The young boy does not know that it is wrong as he was exposed to the Disney movie that made him believe that racist stereotype.By the same token, in another Disney movie the mexican community are represented as little chihuahuas with an accent and negative stereotypes. Likewise the asian community is represented in one movie as siamese cats with slender eyes. As a consequence children who watch Disney movies are exposed to many racist stereotypical ideologies that construct negative representations. Secondly, Disney movies contains neg ative ideologies related to norms of behaviour for genders and age. How Disney portrays gender in their movies is in one of the most negative ways.Young boys and girls will watch the movies and will learn not only how to treat the other gender but also stereotypes on their own gender. Children will also learn that age is not just a number, it defines who you are as a person. Disney movies show older men as wise, smart know it alls which is all not that bad but not a truthful statement. It also shows that older women are mean, villeanous, evil, and rude which is also a false statement. Disney labels stereotypes on age groups that children believe and associate in real life.Similarly, Disney labels portrays negative ideologies of the norms of behaviour of both men and women. In fact in a very famous Disney, â€Å"Beauty and the Beast† the stereotypes are very easily seen to an educated eye but to a childs eye it's just new information. In â€Å"Beauty and the Beast† ther e are many ideologies presented, a very obvious one is how the Prince Adam the Beast treats Belle, how Belle believes she can change the Beast. In the movie Belle is treated with huge amount of disrespect, being locked in her room and told to starve, getting abused physically and verbally.Belle also thinks that even though the Beast is mean and cold hearted she can change him in to a prince charming. When a child is exposed to how Belle is treated, how the Beast is such a powerful man, and how Belle still believes she can change him, the child will start to think like it is portrayed in the movie that women do not need to be treated properly, men are the dominant, strong and brave gender, and even though women are mistreated they will keep coming back in hope to change them.As a result, Disney movies portray negative ideologies to children related to norms of genders and how they are treated and how age affects the intellectuallity and personality. Lastly, Disney movies construct a false reality of this generations culture. By implementing all the different ideologies of race, gender, age, and many others a young child is easily influenced into believing that what he sees in his/her favorite disney movie is a reality of every day life.When a child learns negative ideologies such as stereotypes of ethnicity (like the boy who referred to a group of black children has hyennas as he remembered from a movie the laughing and noise they made) they start to believe that what happens in the film is also happens in reality. Young girls especially are the most influenced as in Disney women are portrayed as always cooking, cleaning, getting verbally, physcially and emotionally abused and just taking it.Young girls start to believe that it is a reality and it is their job to do those chores and it is acceptable to be treated poorly. Disney through their movies construct a false reality of how today's generation works and destructs the human dignity. In closing, Disney movi es contain a negative representations that are racist towards ethnic groups, sexism towards the behaviour and treatment of women, and construct false realities which are destructive to the human dignity.As a result of all the the negative stereotypes, young children who do not know any better than what they see in their favorite Disney are made to think that negative ideologies such as racism and sexism are acceptable in today's reality. As a consequence children are given a propaganda by disney that they can not deconstruct since they are so young and construct a misrepresentation of society. In brief, Disney movies negatively influence children.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Methods of Engagement in Afghanistan Research Paper - 1

Methods of Engagement in Afghanistan - Research Paper Example The researcher states that Afghan citizens deserve a better life. They have witnessed the worst experience ever: the killing and torture of fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, and destruction of property. The Americans also need to yearn for the war to stop. The war is making their economy suffer as they are the ones who foot the bill of the war. The whole world wants to see the war stopped. The present measures to stop the war are not bringing positive development. Real changes that bring an end to the war must be implemented so that peace and stability in Afghanistan prevails. The insurgent groups like the Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban, Al-Qaeda and their incarnations, the differences in religious doctrines and the great poppy farming in Afghanistan are the major causes of the war and insecurity. These insurgent groups terrorize both the local and the international community’s causing unrest. Afghans believe in Islam. Some doctrines in Islam teach negative morals. The poppy fa rming brews the illegal heroin trade which the western world highly discourages. Sending military troops to Afghanistan is not the ultimate solution. Diplomacy is the greatest tool to peacebuilding in Afghanistan. Using the counter Insurgency strategy of closely working with the NGOs is one of the sure ways of stabilizing Afghanistan. The local community must also be involved in the peace process. Peace solution will not be achieved without the local community participating in the peacemaking process. This brings the mutual respect among the Afghans and the international community. Afghanistan is one of the largest poppy producing countries in the world. Poppy farming increases the heroin trade which is illegal. Nongovernmental Organizations, USDA has come in to uplift the agricultural status in Afghanistan. This is through irrigation and providing alternative crops like fruits.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Strategic Investment Decision Making Case Study

Strategic Investment Decision Making - Case Study Example This paper addresses a critical question "Should TAM Airlines buy Airplanes of the Model: Fokker F-100 or the Airbus A-320" The research is carried out in the form of a case study where drawing information from different search engines such as Google and previous research we compared the two aircraft. Drawing from prior studies the evidence suggests that Airbus 320 represents a better option for TAM Airline considering, it flight capacity, its flexibilities, and its technological advancement attached to the changing time. Airbus 320 offers the management an opportunity for a long term suppliers relationship management. The difference is attributed to differences in the level market systems that characterized both economies. Fokker F100 is characterized by a Short route for regional flight limited to 3111km where as Airbus 320 is a long route flight. The features and flexibilities offered by airbus gave us grounds to recommend it to TAM Airline Adler (2000) suggests that strategic investment decision making involves the process of identifying, evaluating, and selecting projects that are likely to have a big impact on a company's competitive advantage. Strategic investment decisions influence what the company is doing, that is, the set of products and services as well as their attributes that it offers to customers. These decisions also influence where the company offers these products and services and how it offers them. (Adler, 2000). It is therefore very essential to ensure that the right decision is made as regards the products and services on offer, where such products are offered and how they are offered. Investment decision making involves the elements of a classic cost-benefit analysis. (Adler, 2000). According to Akalu and Turner (2001, 2002) finding a reliable method of investment appraisal is not only a matter of concern for company management. Investment appraisal has now become a matter of concern to both share holders and investors. (Turner, 2001, 2002). Customer satisfaction lies at the heart of all modern thinking on quality and business management. Customers and suppliers are important stakeholders. "Stakeholders are those individual or groups who depend on the organisation to fulfill their own goals and on whom, in turn, the organization depends" (JSW: 2005:179). TAM Airlines now faces a critical purchase / Suppliers management decision to discontinue with it much heralded Fokker F-100 and go in for the Airbus -320. Thus, the central theme in this paper is to find out which of the two airplanes represent a better investment or purchase decision for TAM Airlines. 1.1Problem Statement and Research Questions The supplier selection process must be an integral part of an effective