Middle School Graduation Speech

Today you are graduating middle school. Some of you are sitting in your seats thinking â€Å"its just middle school, its not really even a big deal. † I know that because that was me at the same time last year But it's a big deal. Three years of your life are gone, some of you may believe you have nothing to show for these three years, but that could not be farther from the truth. You have grown, not Just In the getting taller sense- but In the sense that you are becoming the person you are meant to be.You have developed your own ideas and your own sense of the world. You have learned many many things, even if you don't believe so. You have challenged yourself without knowing and made the adults in your life so proud of you in Just three years. So what about the next four years you have here at Greenville? What will you accomplish? What about your years after you leave us? How many heights will you reach? The world Is yours. The world Is yours to conquer and to change. Maybe I t will take you years to decide how you want to live your life, or maybe you already know.Maybe you now now and will change your mind, and that is perfectly fine. Maybe you will start on a road that is not for you or maybe you will get lucky and take the correct path on your first try. You will get hurt and you will fall down. When this happens, chances are you won't want to get back up, but you have to. If you let life keep you down you will go nowhere. So don't listen to things people say about you, because the only opinion of you that matters Is what you think of yourself. Not everyone Is going to love you, actually a majority of people will hardly even like you.But who really cares about those people? If they waste their time trying to knock you down, they obviously aren't even worth me taking the time to talk about. You only have a short amount of time here, and you should use every minute of it wisely so when the time comes and your life flashes before your eyes you are not di sappointed with what you see. So learn everything you can. Take advantage of every opportunity given to you. Stand up and use your words for good, and always remember to dance In the rain.You'll get mixed up, of course, s you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left. And will you succeed? (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed. ) Kid, you'll move mountains! So†¦ Be your name Buxom or Boxy or Bray or Moroccan All Van Allen Ashes, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So†¦ Get on your way!

Bruce Dawe’s “Enter Without So Much As Knocking” Essay

â€Å"Remember, man, thou art but dust, and unto dust though shalt return.† This is a translation of the quotation which begins Dawe’s poem, Enter Without So Much As Knocking. The quote reminds us that life is not forever; and that we are all faced with mortality. The poem itself is discussing a man’s journey from birth to death and how all around him life is interpreted by material possessions. At the beginning of the first stanza, the sentences have been made very short and simple, as if to demonstrate the thoughts of a new born child. The first voice that the baby hears when he is born is Bobby Dazzler, one of Australia’s first game shows. The very first thing that the baby hears is not the voice of his mother, nor the voice of his father, but the voice of materialism. This first stanza instantly creates the feeling of a home in the 1950s, where television was something new. The ellipsis that connects the first and second stanzas demonstrates a change in time, in this case, a change of a couple of years. The words used in the second stanza, such as â€Å"well-equipped† and â€Å"economy-size†, are words that were constantly used in commercials at the time, as if life was being sold to the child. This use of a commercial like structure is also evident in the way that the family is depicted, each with its own stereotype: an â€Å"Economy Sized Mum†, a sexist description typical to the 50s; an â€Å"Anthony Squires – Coolstream – Summerweight Dad†, Anthony Squires referring to an Australian brand of suit; and â€Å"two other kids straight off the Junior Department Rack†, referring to the baby’s siblings, each free of gender and age and recognised only by the type of clothing that they wear. From these two stanzas, Dawe is able to create not only a vivid image of the typical family in the 1950s, but also give us an insight to the TV culture that they are living and what effect it has on the family. The thirds stanza discusses what happens when the Mum character wins the Luck’s-A-Fortch Tricky-Tune Quiz. She takes the boy shopping. They set off in the â€Å"good-as-new station-wagon†, yet more advertising jargon which  describes the family’s second-hand car. The short phrases that follow are describing a child’s view of a road trip and the many rules that come with it. The statements begin as typical road warnings â€Å"WALK. DON’T WALK.† and become more satirical as they continue, for example â€Å"NO BREATHING EXCEPT BY ORDER†. These phrases represent the signs that a child may recognise on a trip. After these, there are the sounds that are present on a car trip, as well as the sound of Mum complaining. The numerous â€Å"beeps† that are present may represent both the beeping of a car horn as well as censorship of swear words, a likely situation especially in the last capitalised beep. This situation creates an image or a race to get somewhere. It could be seen as Dawe’s expression of likening a traffic jam in the hurry to get to somewhere to the race of people to get to a certain place in their career or in their life. This entire stanza dictates fast and hectic circumstances, which change suddenly when arriving at the fourth stanza. The first word in the fourth stanza, however, followed by a comma, immediately slows the reader down by forcing them to pause. The stanza goes on to tell of how although the boy is surrounded by so much commercialism and fast-paced life, such as the fifty-foot screen and the giant faces projected onto it, he is able to enjoy a natural wonder of the world, the stars. It is here that there is the first mention of the boy’s emotions, where Dawe writes of the boy enjoying something. When describing the way the starts are sprinkled over the sky, Dawe has used the word littered, which usually has negative connotations. This could be because the stars had not yet been changed by our world, and if they were left as they were, untouched, they were not as good as what we had created on our Earth. The stanza ends on a slightly low note because of Dawe’s metaphor of the stars being like â€Å"kids at the circus† Dawe is trying to show how the stars are close enough to the Earth for the boy to reach, and therefore, for the boy to get â€Å"kicked†, or hurt. As in the beginning of the fourth stanza, the first word of the stanza brings the reader back to a different part of the boy’s life and a different event. This new event shows the character as no longer a boy, representing innocence, but in the company of â€Å"godless money-hungry back-stabbing  miserable so-and-sos†. We can tell from this that Dawe is trying to show that the boy has now grown up and has been introduced to the â€Å"real world† and is now already a middle-aged man. The phrase â€Å"goodbye stars† relates back to the fourth stanza. He must also farewell the â€Å"soft cry in the corner†; a farewell to any emotions. It is at this point that Dawe includes the adult voice of the boy. The character speaks the need to care for yourself first and foremost, no need to think about the effect it may have on others, shown in the statement â€Å"hit wherever you see a head and kick whoever’s down†. This harsh change from innocent boy to selfish man is how Dawe is creating the character. The adult man is shaped by his dialogue in the poem. The character has grown up and no longer discusses his family, yet no mention of a wife or children is present until the next stanza, and then only to criticize. This fifth stanza is the first one to portray him as an adult, and Dawe has managed to make the character seem harsh and unkind. The sixth stanza introduces Alice, most probably the characters wife. The character also criticizes Clare Jessup, indicating his hypocritical nature. The sixth stanza is very short, as it seems as though it was cut short because of what happened next. Obviously the car is involved in an accident, shown by the last two words of the stanza â€Å"watch it† followed by a dash, leaving the reader to imagine the incident. The dash that ends the stanza shows how short the moment between life and death is, and how it happens in the blink of an eye. Until this point, Dawe has been able to create the entire persona of the character, starting from birth and ending at death. Dawe is able to show how through different events a person is moulded into the character which they become. As the character has died, the narrator returns once more to an outsider, and observer. The reaction to those who possibly attend his funeral where they see his body, is strangely surreal; as they focus not on his life and personality, but on what a good job the morticians did on giving him a fake tan. The idea here is that he’s dead, but at least he looks good. The line † the old automatic smile with nothing behind it† describes how much of a disguise he had created for himself. No-one knew him for who he was because he had spent so long trying to conform to society and kill his  individualism. The last few lines of the poem relate back to his life. â€Å"winding the whole show up† refers to the man’s life as if it were a television show, now finished, as well as the ending of the poem. The end of the poem also states what the man has left, the parking tickets, taximeters and Bobby Dazzlers. These are all material things. There is no mention of any loved one, such as his wife; or the rest of his family that are spoken about earlier in the poem. Instead, there is talk of him leaving the â€Å"grieving over halitosis, flat feet, shrinking gums and falling hair†. The term grieving is usually used to describe the process after someone has passed on, yet in this case is used to show worry over such trivial matters. The second last line in the poem, â€Å"six feet down nobody interested† shows how society regards the dead: he doesn’t affect people anymore, so nobody cares. The last line links back to the first. â€Å"Blink, blink. CEMETERY. Silence†. Just like he came into this life, the man blinks into death and into silence, an ending.

The Mortality Rates of Advance Mechanical Ventilator Modes vs Research Proposal

The Mortality Rates of Advance Mechanical Ventilator Modes vs Intravenous (IV) medications in the Adult ICU Setting - Research Proposal Example Mechanical ventilation is a common application in the intensive care unit but their usage is not entirely safe. Fernandez, Miguelena, Mulett, Godoy and Martinon-Tore contends that such applications require high degree of care and this further means that associated risk can occur without cases of practitioner’s negligence (2013). New mechanical ventilators continue to emerge but the risk has persisted. Adaptive support ventilation is one of the latest models but despite its advantages such as reduced ventilation period and less human management, it has diversified disadvantages such as lack of direct programming options, inadequate experience, and limited availability. Consequently, application is limited and even when it is available; it has significant risks that can contribute to mortality rate among patients in the ICU (Fernandez et al., 2013). In addition to direct risks of ventilator application, a patient may not be tolerant to its usage and this may hinder its efficienc y. Consequently, usage may not imply benefits to patients who may succumb to breathing difficulties. Associated complications of ventilator applications such as pressure on a patient’s respiratory system, irritation, and air leaks among other complications may, if not detected and corrected in time, be significant to the patient’s condition and lead to death (Grossbach, Chlan and Tracy, 2011). Fan, Villar and Slutsky’s review of acute respiratory distress syndrome that ventilators induce confirms significance of associated risks with mechanical ventilator modes into high mortality rate despite continued usage of the technology in intensive care units (2013). Like mechanical ventilator modes, intravenous medications have associated risks. In a study to investigate risk of intravenous medication on blood stream infections, the researchers identified significant risk levels but noted that application of

Risk Mitigation and Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Risk Mitigation and Planning - Essay Example Mitigation, according to Helmuth von Moltke (2004), is a type of long term, pre-disaster planning wherein sustained expenditures on structural as well as non-structural efforts are involved to reduce or eliminate future risks. In practice, mitigation plans and activities are usually medium to long term and since it is an example where thinking ahead pays off in the long run mitigation is the cornerstone of emergency management. It is related concepts of long-term planning such as: 1) reconstruction which means repair or rebuilding; and 2) preparedness which means getting ready or practicing to respond. In addition to that mitigation, based on Molte (2004), â€Å"means to lessen the effects or take action toward the building and putting together of certain structures as well as plans in order that the impact of any future disaster will be ameliorated or if possible, eliminated.† To change things for the better and impact can be understood as consequences, is the meaning of amel ioration. An emergency manager might do these simple mitigation activities, which includes the following: flood insurance promotion, urging structural redesigning of buildings, raising or moving homes from flood zones or make sure that appropriate building codes, within the certain communities are present. An assessment of the threats that the community is facing is involved in mitigation planning, such as terrorist attack, as well as an assessment of possible targets. However â€Å"terrorist mitigation is somewhat controversial phase, wherein it implies special plans and to supplement an all-hazards approach is needed in practices for terrorism† (Bullock et al., 2005). In addition to that, mitigation planning is an on going process, and to ensure proper preparedness continual reassessments is necessary. Some experts argued that there is a post-disaster mitigation. Moreover a pre-disaster mitigation ought to be called prevention. According to Alexander

Pressure on students Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pressure on students - Research Paper Example The students may end up in unfair practices because of the pressure that is being imposed upon them. In several instances it is seen that the students have cheated for their exams so that they can achieve better grades. In other words pressure is causing the students to go through ethical dilemmas which they otherwise may not go through. Similarly it is also found that the students undergo anxiety because of the pressure that they feel. Moreover in exams the students may not be able to perform well because of this very pressure. It has been argued by many that this pressure can create many difficulties for the students and this aspect would be further analyzed in this essay (Welch et al 2007). Students are pressurized by parents mostly to perform better so that they can achieve good grades. But this pressure has been directly linked to the anxiety found in the students. This anxiety can further affect the results of the students in a special environment. It has been found that studen ts who are anxious when giving a test tend to perform lower than the ones who have not been informed. In other words the students who tend to be pressurized about a test perform lower than the ones who are not pressurized about it. Another process of ‘catastrophizing’ may occur when the students fear the consequences of the test before even attempting it. This again is a process through which the students are pressurized and this affects the grades of the students. In other words high pressure can affect the grades of the students negatively rather than positively (Welch et al 2007). During the student life it is seen that the students have to undergo a lot of pressure from parents and peers. A study conducted showed that students of both genders were under pressure from their peers during their school life. It is because of this that the students have to undergo a great deal of pressure and this affects their grading. Students who undergo pressure cannot withstand it a t times and they undergo other social problems while trying to achieve better grades (Gewertz 2005). Pressure on students is enforced by the parents and peers so that they can achieve good grades. Professor Eric Roberts has blamed the norm of getting higher grades a primary problem which increases plagiarism and cheating in academic institutions. It has been found that the pressure inflicted upon the students by parents and peers leads to a greater level of stress amongst the students. The problem has become so bad that the stress levels have also been indicated to be a health epidemic. It has also been found that because of the stress levels the students tend to forget the ethical values that are involved in education. A lecturer Clark Pope stated that â€Å"The students "know [cheating] is wrong; they tell me they wish they didn't do it†¦."But they feel like the most important thing they do is get the grades, by hook or by crook." This clearly shows that to achieve higher gr ades the students forget their ethical limits and get involved in the practice of cheating. Achieving higher grades has become a norm for every student and this should be somehow removed from the minds of the students. The students on one hand are able to achieve higher grades but on the other hand the ethical problems are on the rise and this can be accounted to the pressures that these students are facing (Palmer 2005). The problem of peer and parent pressure in students has increased so much that Stanford

Adverse Effects of the Foreign Aid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Adverse Effects of the Foreign Aid - Essay Example uals, organizations and governments in order to assist people or governments experiencing distress, suffering, war, disasters and other emergencies provide humanitarian aid. For instance, governments could provide aid through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in cases of emergencies that occurred as a result of natural disasters. Development aid is the main focus of this paper. It is the financial and other resources provided by wealthy countries to low-income states in order to help spur economic development, reduce poverty, improve governance, solve population explosion, expand access to basic education and healthcare, protect the environment, promote stability in conflictive regions, protect human rights, among other objectives (Tarnoff, 2010, p.3). It is distinguished from the humanitarian assistance by the fact that the intent to alleviate suffering and poverty is aimed at the long-term as opposed to the latter's emphasis on the short- term relief. Industrialized countries have institutionalized development aid through their respective Official Development Assistance (ODA). Financial resources are provided through different channels such as international aid organizations, non-government organizations and global bodies such as the UN and the World Bank. The flow of financial resources and the part of it that is normally called aid, wrote Singer and Ansari (1988, p.180), is only a part - and a comparatively small part - of the total aid relationship between rich and poor countries. This is because other types of aid could also emerge. For instance, there are those who argue that when a rich country opens up its market to the exports of low-income countries, it is providing a meaningful aid. Ideally, the effect of foreign...This essay investigates the theme of relative ineffectiveness of foreign aid, compared with other forms of financial cooperation. The essay identifies a comprehensive list of problems that are ei ther directly or indirectly associated with large amount of foreign aid. It is expected that through the information, corrective measures could be identified made so that the delivery of financial aid is effective and could achieve more meaningful effects. Foreign aid is supposed to be an altruistic initiative. However, aids are often granted to beneficiaries in exchange for something or tied with several conditions. Then, there is also the claim that foreign aid could give rise to numerous problems on the part of the beneficiary such as its incapacitating effect on people in determining and building their own solutions to their problems. These variables, among others, underpin the manner by which large amount of financial resources and other forms of aid could cause harm to recipient countries. The absorptive capacity is the ability of a country to employ both domestic and foreign capital productively in the sense that the resources yield some minimum rate of return. This concept explains the problems and negative impacts for foreign aid beneficiaries listed by this paper. The lack of competence and capability for example, led to wastage in the financial aid, which often fall prey to unscrupulous government officials. It provided insights with regards to addressing the pitfalls entailed in giving aid.

Module 1 and Journal Article Review 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Module 1 and Journal Article Review 1 - Essay Example This change is just an effect of more complicated issues in the society. The changing family structures, the law, the economy, and the innate characteristics of different cultures all contribute to population imbalance between the young and the old. Traditional lifestyle is adapted by most Mexican families, but this did not spare them from the effects of a growing aging population. According to Weaver, â€Å"societal aging may affect economic growth, sustainability of families, and communities to provide resources for older citizens† (â€Å"Why Population† 2). The effect can be largely felt in the economic sector since the future of the workforce is at risk; wherein if there should be a continuous decline of birth rates and rapid increase of the aging population, the future economy would suffer as the nation would seek and import foreign workers. As the economy suffers from the lack of human resource, economy itself is also a major factor in this social shift. Due to th e increased price of basic commodities and other needs related to child rearing such as education, spouses prefer to use modern birth control methods in contrast to the â€Å"God only knows† family size (Weaver â€Å"Aging in Mexico† 3). ... Furthermore, changing perspectives of intimate relationships also contribute much to this issue, which is more complicated than the economic side of the problem since this deals with the opinion and freewill of the people to chose whatever kind of relationship they want. Saying that the kind of relationship they have would develop negative side effects in the economy is against their freedom. The dilemma of having the people gain personal choice and at the same time protecting the national interest would require more studies on social preferences and a solution to fill in employment supply. Article 1 Kevin Kinsella and David Phillips in their article â€Å"Global Aging: The Challenge of Success,† identified what it means to have an economy with an aging population, with the corresponding reasons behind this and their effects on social shifts. Kinsella and Phillips contend that the aging population as a â€Å"success story† also has consequences especially on the economy . There are many factors in the declining birth rates of the population, but major contributors are fertility, sex ratios and the changes in societal perspectives especially to the family. According to Kinsella and Phillips, women nowadays are more adept to the rights concerning their reproductive health and thus, they already take part in deciding family planning. As working mothers continue to rise, the less likely for modern families to have more children. Sex ratio also complicates this problem. In Ukraine, there are only about 50 men per 100 women; more or less, other countries may have the same case. If the ratio would remain disproportionate, many challenges would compromise the

Activities Problem(s) c16 2,7,14,and 21, c17 7 and 25 Essay

Activities Problem(s) c16 2,7,14,and 21, c17 7 and 25 - Essay Example If you did quit, you expect you could find a new job paying $85,000 per year, but you would be unemployed for 3 months while you search for it. Marpor Industries has no debt and expects to generate free cash flows of $16 million each year. Marpor believes that if it permanently increases its level of debt to $40 million, the risk of financial distress may cause it to lose some customers and receive less favorable terms from its suppliers. As a result, Marpor’s expected free cash flows with debt will be only $15 million per year. Suppose Marpor’s tax rate is 35%, the risk-free rate is 5%, the expected return of the market is 15%, and the beta of Marpor’s free cash flows is 1.10 (with or without leverage). You own your own firm, and you want to raise $30 million to fund an expansion. Currently, you own 100% of the firm’s equity, and the firm has no debt. To raise the $30 million solely through equity, you will need to sell two-thirds of the firm. However, you would prefer to maintain at least a 50% equity stake in the firm to retain control. Natsam Corporation has $250 million of excess cash. The firm has no debt and 500 million shares outstanding with a current market price of $15 per share. Natsam’s board has decided to pay out this cash as a one-time dividend. d. Suppose Raviv retained the cash so that it would not need to raise new funds from outside investors for an expansion it has planned for next year. If it did raise new funds, it would have to pay issuance fees. How much does Raviv need to save in issuance fees to make retaining the cash beneficial for its investors? (Assume fees can be expensed for corporate tax

Currency trading experience Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Currency trading experience - Research Paper Example platform the company has made available for willing financial institutions and investors; I was offered resources and efficient tools in accessing currency information that are kept up-to-date; the company also made available to me and others secure currency transfer services; and also professional consultancy and daily market reports. My strategy while there was to focus on online trading processes as it was faster and more convenient. The secret is to monitor existing trends in the market and take advantage of favorable situations. By such one is able to not any future currency value change. Such is beneficial as it enables you to avoid any losses and to make as much as possible from the shift in trading currency value. This ensures higher profit probability as once trends are over then unexpected losses are made by a trader. Another strategy is to avoid scalping where one decides to exploit delays as the trading is done online. This is also became a lesson as it is advisable to stay in the trading market as long as one desires contrary to what happens. Fortunately Oanda does allow one to extend their time in the trading market. Currency traders are individuals who take part in the buying and selling of world currencies in a bid to earn profits from the ever changing currency values. Successful currency traders make considerable profit margins contrary to unsuccessful traders who make losses. Such successful traders are characterized by excellent forecasting skills on the shift in currency values. Such an ability enables them to avoid any future losses and also enables them to approximate the profit made from trading different currencies. They are able to interpret market trends as per their trading processes and make quick and appropriate decisions. Such quick decisions enables them to stay focused and determined while trading regardless of the stresses and pressures experienced while trading. Such traders are also able to quickly recover from any losses

Sons and Lovers Essay Example for Free

Sons and Lovers Essay The first part of the novel focuses on Mrs. Morel and her unhappy marriage to a drinking miner. She has many arguments with her husband, some of which have painful results: on separate occasions, she is locked out of the house and hit in the head with a drawer. Estranged from her husband, Mrs. Morel takes comfort in her four children, especially her sons. Her oldest son, William, is her favorite, and she is very upset when he takes a job in London and moves away from the family. When William sickens and dies a few years later, she is crushed, not even noticing the rest of her children until she almost loses Paul, her second son, as well. From that point on, Paul becomes the focus of her life, and the two seem to live for each other. Paul falls in love with Miriam Leivers, who lives on a farm not too far from the Morel family. They carry on a very intimate, but purely platonic, relationship for many years. Mrs. Morel does not approve of Miriam, and this may be the main reason that Paul does not marry her. He constantly wavers in his feelings toward her. Paul meets Clara Dawes, a suffragette who is separated from her husband, through Miriam. As he becomes closer with Clara and they begin to discuss his relationship with Miriam, she tells him that he should consider consummating their love and he returns to Miriam to see how she feels. Paul and Miriam sleep together and are briefly happy, but shortly afterward Paul decides that he does not want to marry Miriam, and so he breaks off with her. She still feels that his soul belongs to her, and, in part agrees reluctantly. He realizes that he loves his mother most, however. After breaking off his relationship with Miriam, Paul begins to spend more time with Clara and they begin an extremely passionate affair. However, she does not want to divorce her husband Baxter, and so they can never be married. Paul’s mother falls ill and he devotes much of his time to caring for her. When she finally dies, he is broken-hearted and, after a final plea from Miriam, goes off alone at the end of the novel.

Social Classes Elizabethan Era

Social Classes Elizabethan Era Abeni Figueroa When first this order was ordaind, my lords, Knights of the garter were of noble birth, Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage, Such as were grown to credit by the wars; Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress, But always resolute in most extremes. He then that is not furnishd in this sort Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight, Profaning this most honourable order, And should, if I were worthy to be judge, Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain That doth presume to boast of gentle blood. (Henry VI, Pt.I, 4.1). The Elizabethan Era occurred (1588-1603) marked by reign of queen Elizabeth. Some people call it the golden age of English history. It was the start of poetry, music, and literature. This era was also known for theatre including William Shakespeares plays and poems that are still read and shown today. It also was the beginning of exploration and setting up colonies under english rule to further Englands empire. The social classes were monarch, nobility, gentry, merchant, yeomanry, and laborers. The monarch was the ruler of England, during that time the ruler was queen Elizabeth 1, the sixth and last ruler of Tudor. The nobility was at the top of the social ladder and very rich and powerful. Gentry were knights, squires, gentlemen and gentlewomen. They became the most important social class in England. Merchants emerged from the ashes of the War of Roses. Yeomanry was named the middle class and were not very wealthy and only saved enough money to live comfortably. The laborers, the bo ttom of the social class in the Elizabethan Era, were very poor and only made enough to live comfortably. Social classes were very important and very strict. It was very difficult for one person to move from one class to another. There were very few opportunities to change your social status and for some it was impossible. These rules were not taken lightly and people were pushed harshly if the rules were broken. These rules were very strictly enforced and everyone had to follow. These rules were in the form of laws that maintained the social structure. For example, one law stated the color and type of clothes a person could wear This made it easy for others to know which social class they were in. These classes determined a persons status in society, but also determined what kind of job they had, what rights as a human they had, and sometimes it even determined what they could wear, even their jewelry and furniture. The Monarchy In the days of queen Elizabeth the people thought the queen or the king were Gods representative on Earth and the king or queen were thought to be greater than angels, all the animals, and all the living things on earth. Naturally they were better than any other humans. A person obtained this status usually by birth, they spent their entire life in this status. From birth on they were told how to act, what to say, and how the rest of the kingdom should treat them. They knew how all others should behave around them and punish those who did not behave properly. The highest social class was the monarchy in the Elizabethan era, also known as Queen Elizabeth 1 was the leader, she was the last leader of the era and she ruled for forty five years. The Nobility The second highest rank was Nobility. They were very rich and had hugh houses. Most owned large amounts of land that they inherited. There was distinction between old and new families. The old families were Catholic and the new families were Protestant. These people were members of the court and Parliament. A Noble could only be a Noble if he was born into it or was made a Noble by the king or Queen. They had special rights. They could not be put in jail for debt. They could not be tortured. They could not be punished for a capital crime by hanging or other abuses. If put to death they had to be beheaded. They could only be tried by other Nobles. The most rich people were usually Nobles. The Gentry The Gentry is the third highest order of society in the Elizabethan Era. They were sometimes called the Aristocrats. This order was made up of Lords, that owned a lot of land, Gentlemen freeholders who took care of the land owned by the Lords. They did not have to work hard and did not do manual labor. They supported themselves off the rent paid by their tenants. They were thought of as the true rulers of the countryside. The Gentry often held the local offices, such as sheriff and surveyor of the roads. Some were the Justice of the Peace. This gave them much power. Of interest, they held these offices without pay. The Knights came from the Gentry. Being a Knight did not mean you made more money or had more power. The Knighthood could not be inherited. Below the knights were the esquires. They too could hold offices and be in Parliament. What made them special was their right to have a Coat of Arms. Most of them designed their Coat of Arms themselves. The Merchants The fourth order of society were the merchants. Unlike the first three classes, they had a very quiet lifestyle. Most of them lived in London. Most had a goal in life to become Lord Mayor of London. This would give them a lot of power. So much power that they could take on the King or Queen. These men were shopkeepers, traders, innkeepers and citizens of London. The merchants were responsible for producing goods for others to use. The Yeomanry And you, good yeoman, Whose limbs were made in England, show us here The mettle of your pasture; let us swear That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not; For there is none of you so mean and base, That hath not noble lustre in your eyes. (Henry V, 3.1) Yeomanry was the fifth order of society. These were the people who had large amounts of property and had a Noble title if they could buy one. They did not work much since they usually had enough money to live.. Those that did work were farmers, tradesman or craftsman. It seems they were happy not to be part of the lowest part of society. The Peasantry Sir, I am a true labourer: I earn that I eat, get that I wear, owe no man hate, envy no mans happiness, glad of other mens good, content with my harm, and the greatest of my pride is to see my ewes graze and my lambs suck. (As you like it, 3.2) The Peasantry is the lowest order of Society. These people worked very hard to keep what little they had. At best, they owned a very small cottage (which gave them the name of cotters) and perhaps one to two acres of land. They could help themselves if they had a skill (carpentry or weaving) that allowed them to make some money. They most often worked for other large landowners. But they did not get paid well. The tenant farmers were just a little better off than the cotters. They were able to get jobs working the land they had rented. They rented the land from the Yeomanry, Gentry or the aristocracy. There was a system in which a tenant farmer could get a lease for the land he worked. These leases could be good for many generations and support a family for a long time. Summary For the most part, living well in the Elizabethan Era seems to have been a matter of luck. If you were fortunate enough to be born into a rich family or a family with some nobility, you had it made. You didnt have to work hard and others gave you a lot of respect. There were laws to make sure you kept your status, and others laws to make sure no one moved up into your position. I like the system we have here in America. You can be born dirt poor, work hard and wind up in White House or Trump Towers or maybe even both. Works Cited Find the information for each website that you are using. 1. Authors last name and first name (If you cannot find the authors name, begin your entry with the title of the article.) 2. The Title of the Article that you are using 3. The Name of the Webpage or the Publisher (If you cannot find the publisher, write n.p.) 4. Last updated date for the page or copyright date (If you cannot find the date, write n.d.) 5. URL (address) 6. The date you accessed the information. Pickard, Liz. The Social Structure in Elizabethan England. The British Library. n.d. https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/the-social-structure-in-elizabethan-england. Accessed March 1, 2017. Social Classes in Elizabethan Era Nobility and Gentry. Elizabethan Era England Life. 2017. ww.elizabethanenglandlife.com/social-classes-in-elizabethan-era-nobility-and-gentry.ht ml. Accessed February 23, 2017. https://www.google.com/urlthe-social-structure-in-elizabethan-england https://www.google.com/elizabethan-era-social-hierarchy https://www.elizabethanenglandlife.com%2Felizabethan-era-hierarchy-classes-ranks-in-society. https://www.google.com elizabethan-era-class-system.htm

Comparing John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau Essay

Comparing John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau all dealt with the issue of political freedom within a society. John Locke's â€Å"The Second Treatise of Government†, Mill's â€Å"On Liberty†, and Rousseau’s â€Å"Discourse On The Origins of Inequality† are influential and compelling literary works which while outlining the conceptual framework of each thinker’s ideal state present divergent visions of the very nature of man and his freedom. The three have somewhat different views regarding how much freedom man ought to have in political society because they have different views regarding man's basic potential for inherently good or evil behavior, as well as the ends or purpose of political societies. In order to examine how each thinker views man and the freedom he should have in a political society, it is necessary to define freedom or liberty from each philosopher’s perspective. John Locke states his belief that all men exist in "a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and person as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave or depending upon the will of any other man." (Ebenstein 373) Locke believes that man exists in a state of nature and thus exists in a state of uncontrollable liberty, which has only the law of nature, or reason, to restrict it. (Ebenstein 374) However, Locke does state that man does not have the license to destroy himself or any other creature in his possession unless a legitimate purpose requires it. Locke emphasizes the ability and opportunity to own and profit from property as necessary for being free. John Stuart Mill defines liberty in relation to three sph... ...Mill does not implicitly trust or distrust man and therefore does not explicitly limit freedom, in fact he does define freedom in very liberal terms, however he does leave the potential for unlimited intervention into the personal freedoms of the individual by the state. This nullifies any freedoms or rights individuals are said to have because they subject to the whims and fancy of the state. All three beliefs regarding the nature of man and the purpose of the state are bound to their respective views regarding freedom, because one position perpetuates and demands a conclusion regarding another. Bibliography: Works Cited Cress, Donald A. Jean-Jacques Rousseau â€Å"The Basic Political Writings†. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1987. Ebenstein, William. Great Political Thinkers â€Å"From Plato to Present†. New York: Rinehart & Co, 1951.

Dickinsons The Spider holds a Silver Ball Essay -- Dickinson analysis

Dickinson's The Spider holds a Silver Ball Paradox baffles and inspires thinkers because it wipes out the greatest of conclusions, puts us intimately in touch with the very nature of inexplicable feeling, both simultaneously implodes and explodes the mind, and of course induces a certain sensation, as Dickinson puts it, â€Å"as if the top of my head were taken off.† It seems to me that in art this is the fix we desire, where sensation obliterates logic. Dickinson's poetry is one of the few places I have so far found the paradoxic tendency so profoundly expressed. Therefore, I will take up the notion of paradoxic tension created by Dickinson, her method of dealing with the inner and the outer, expansion and contraction, the creation and destruction of boundary, and the mysterious ways in which these things interact, especially through the symbol of the spider. In â€Å"The Spider holds a Silver Ball,† the spider, as creator, as weaver, contains â€Å"In unperceived Hands† (2) a glimmering medium of magic. From this silver ball, creation spins outward. The spider, viewed as poet, weaves outward from the center of inspiration. The hands are both somehow there and not there as they delicately â€Å"unwind† this intangeble yet â€Å"Silver† mass. The description of the invisible in physical terms characterizes one method by which Dickinson weaves paradox. The idea of the spider â€Å"dancing† portrays an outward movement, but Dickinson with a few words suddenly makes this action inward and private: â€Å"dancing softly to Himself† (3). The first stanza confirms the portrait of an â€Å"unperceived† artist performing her art outwardly and we find a sense of what art means to Dickinson—an outward gesture which originates in some unknown, private and inner pl... ...rtist accomplishes informing herself of the inexplicable nature of the mind through the â€Å"strategy† of â€Å"physiognomy† (8-9) or revealing the inner aspects outwardly. Dickinson reveals the intangible through physical means; her language uses hard images such as the spider and the silver ball to outwardly communicate the boundless capacity of inner emotion and feeling. In the process she must create boundary, it is the only way to explain the unexplainable feelings with which the mind occupies itself; however, her next move is to destroy the very boundaries that she creates, showing just where and how these feelings originate, bringing them back. Physiognomy is clearly the Dickinson strategy, and it is that last line of â€Å"A Spider sewed at Night† that Dickinson stands up and proclaims, I am the spider and the spider is me and we are both everything and nothing—so there. Dickinson's The Spider holds a Silver Ball Essay -- Dickinson analysis Dickinson's The Spider holds a Silver Ball Paradox baffles and inspires thinkers because it wipes out the greatest of conclusions, puts us intimately in touch with the very nature of inexplicable feeling, both simultaneously implodes and explodes the mind, and of course induces a certain sensation, as Dickinson puts it, â€Å"as if the top of my head were taken off.† It seems to me that in art this is the fix we desire, where sensation obliterates logic. Dickinson's poetry is one of the few places I have so far found the paradoxic tendency so profoundly expressed. Therefore, I will take up the notion of paradoxic tension created by Dickinson, her method of dealing with the inner and the outer, expansion and contraction, the creation and destruction of boundary, and the mysterious ways in which these things interact, especially through the symbol of the spider. In â€Å"The Spider holds a Silver Ball,† the spider, as creator, as weaver, contains â€Å"In unperceived Hands† (2) a glimmering medium of magic. From this silver ball, creation spins outward. The spider, viewed as poet, weaves outward from the center of inspiration. The hands are both somehow there and not there as they delicately â€Å"unwind† this intangeble yet â€Å"Silver† mass. The description of the invisible in physical terms characterizes one method by which Dickinson weaves paradox. The idea of the spider â€Å"dancing† portrays an outward movement, but Dickinson with a few words suddenly makes this action inward and private: â€Å"dancing softly to Himself† (3). The first stanza confirms the portrait of an â€Å"unperceived† artist performing her art outwardly and we find a sense of what art means to Dickinson—an outward gesture which originates in some unknown, private and inner pl... ...rtist accomplishes informing herself of the inexplicable nature of the mind through the â€Å"strategy† of â€Å"physiognomy† (8-9) or revealing the inner aspects outwardly. Dickinson reveals the intangible through physical means; her language uses hard images such as the spider and the silver ball to outwardly communicate the boundless capacity of inner emotion and feeling. In the process she must create boundary, it is the only way to explain the unexplainable feelings with which the mind occupies itself; however, her next move is to destroy the very boundaries that she creates, showing just where and how these feelings originate, bringing them back. Physiognomy is clearly the Dickinson strategy, and it is that last line of â€Å"A Spider sewed at Night† that Dickinson stands up and proclaims, I am the spider and the spider is me and we are both everything and nothing—so there.

Essays --

Gilgamesh (needs better title) Kyle Frum Experience is an important part of being an epic hero. This quality allows someone to succeed where others will always fail. Gilgamesh displays far more experience and knowledge than Sundiata, thus making him a better hero. He displays 3 main qualities that show he has experience. He is far more powerful and influential at the beginning of the story, he has more success in his early adventures, and (((((???))))). "Epic" heroes such as Sundiata simply cannot compete with someone like Gilgamesh. He is already a strong, powerful king when Sundiata is crawling around on all fours. The first page in Gilgamesh already shows his power. It states "a goddess made him, [Gilgamesh] strong as a savage bull." However, strength is not all he has. Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk, proven by the text, "Gilgamesh the king." This is a very good position, as Uruk is a powerful and large city, and "in Uruk he [Gilgamesh] built walls, a great rampart." This proves that he must have done many great deeds. A final clear indicator of Sundiata's early weakness is the f...

Wahaha Case Study

QUESTION 1: What â€Å"international strategy† and â€Å"modes of entry† did COKE/PEPSI use to penetrate the Chinese Market? How effective were these choices? When Chinese markets opened up in 1980’s, Coke/Pepsi focussed on defining several strategies to Differentiate, Market and distribute their Cola products to Chinese consumers. International Differentiation Strategy: Both used two main aspects of this strategy â€Å"Branding† and â€Å"Cost Leadershipâ€Å"to force local producers to withdraw from the market or establish joint ventures with them.They invested heavily in Brand recognition and used lots of advertising and sponsoring to support their cola brands. They replicated their global rivalry in China and initially were determined to seize market share from domestic cola producers, even at the cost of profitability. Later, Coke instituted the â€Å"Glocal† strategy which means â€Å"Think Local, act local but leverage global† but Pe psi instituted its positioning on young consumers. International Marketing Strategy: Coke spent heavily on Marketing to create a sound brand image and included Chinese cultural icons like windmills and dragons in its advertising.Local films and sports stars were engaged, sponsored National Soccer teams and International Olympic Committee as well with funding up to $1. 1 Billion for Beijing Games. Pepsi also used a great deal of Marketing like using popular entertainers such as Faye Wang, Guo Fuchen as endorsers. Pepsi became the most popular soft drink brand for young consumers due to its focussed Marketing for this demographics. International Distribution Strategy: Both preferred to establish their own distribution networks while setting up Joint Ventures with bottlers and bottlers managing sales in their assigned territory.They set stringent sales targets for bottlers, and in turn bottlers would set targets for distributors. While in most of the joint ventures, Coke did not have m ajority shareholding but Pepsi sought a majority share in the joint ventures. Global vs. International Strategy: Coke/Pepsi both maintained a global image and product offerings with a strong level of standardization in terms of Product quality, taste and branding but adapted their marketing strategies as per local market.For Example, Coke has taken the â€Å"think local, act local† approach and localized their marketing activities to be in sync with Chinese consumers. They sponsored National Youth Soccer Team and also extended their sponsorship for Beijing Games to create a sense of belonging among the end consumers. International Collaborative Strategy: Both Coke/Pepsi did collaboration with local Chinese companies and set up joint Ventures which helped them understand cultural, political, competitive and economic differences among various provinces in China.They were also successfully able to reach end consumers through local companies and create accurate customer profiles which helped them understand complexities in Chinese market. International Diversification Strategy: Product diversification strategy entails any modification of a current product that serves to expand its potential. Product diversification is different from product development such that it involves creating a new customer base, which expands the market potential of the original product. Coke/Pepsi used this strategy quite effectively to widen their customer base and target new segments.They launched several local products specific to Chinese needs and culture and did marketing in localised manner. For Example: Coke launched Minute Maid Pulpy Super Milky drink and the Sprite Tea drink and both have been regional hits. Both drinks have been developed out by the research and development unit in China. These strategic choices made by Pepsi/Coke were quite effective in China as they had successfully implemented them in other countries and both companies gained combined market share of 7 1% in Chinese Cola market by 2000.QUESTION 2: What resources, capabilities and competencies enabled Wahaha to compete successfully against Coke and Pepsi when most other local Chinese soft drink manufacturers had failed? Wahaha was able to successfully compete against Coke and Pepsi due to these factors: Wahaha’s Leadership : Wahaha Group was managed by Zong Qinghou who had a great vision and deep knowledge of markets and consumers in various regions. He had 20 years of sales experience in Chinese rural markets and Wahaha launched Future Cola in rural areas first which was untapped.Wahaha’s Marketing : Marketing, research and development (R&D) and logistics management were centralized at headquarters, while the subsidiaries were engaged in production. Wahaha’s marketing was clearly home grown and pitched the product as a â€Å"Chinese Cola† creating a sense of patriotism among end consumers. Wahaha’s Advertising : Wahaha’s advertising target ed the mass market, and not just the wealthier urban consumers. The prices of its products were usually lower than those of comparable products from its multinational competitors.They spent half of their advertising on CCTV which had huge rural coverage and credibility among consumers. Wahaha’s Distribution Network: Wahaha had developed unique relationships with distributors over last 10 years and was able to quickly deliver its products, reaching even remote corners of China within days. Wahaha established offices in more than 30 provinces with sales staff co-ordinating operations with the distributors.Wahaha JV’s and Acquisitions: In order to obtain world class production technology and survive competition from both local and multinational companies, Wahaha chose to partner with French giant Groupe Danone and both established several production oriented Joint Ventures(JV’s) which resulted into revenues and profits growing more rapidly. Wahaha also made several acquisitions such as loss making companies which were larger but poorly managed and it supported geographic expansion and production in local provincial markets.Wahaha’s R&D : Wahaha co-operated with R&D institutes and leading domestic flavor producers to ensure that its cola would be of a high quality and conducted thousands of taste tests worldwide. Its taste was designed to be close to international colas, but a little bit sweeter and stronger to cater to the Chinese consumers’ taste. Wahaha’s Production: Unlike Multinational companies, Wahaha had set up its own bottling plants as subsidiaries which allowed it great flexibility and also opened 68 production lines over China in various provinces.Wahaha’s Competitive Edge: The biggest competitive advantage which Wahaha had over Coke/Pepsi is that being a local company it understands the Chinese culture diversity pretty well and also their unique relationship with distributors in even remote parts of Chi na. They identified the opportunity in rural markets which was untapped by big multinationals and advertised heavily on local TV Channels, especially CCTV to create a solid Brand image in minds of Chinese consumers.Above all, since Wahaha had successfully sold many products like bottled water, flavoured milks, children’s nutritious drinks before launching Future Cola so it had enough experience, network and capital to support its Marketing, advertising expenses unlike other local Chinese soft drink manufactures who failed. QUESTION 3: What were the relative â€Å"Strengths & Weaknesses† of the three competitors in the Chinese Cola War? | Strengths| Weakness|Coke| International ExperienceStrong presence in urban areasExcellent sales force Huge capital to support price warsWide Range of productsIncreased local market knowledge| Weak Rural presenceCross territory sales by distributorsRivalry with Pepsi| Pepsi| International ExperiencePopular among young consumersProven St rategy in other marketsStrong hold on main cities| Weak Rural presenceJoint Venture conflictsRivalry with Coke| Wahaha| Understanding Chinese Culture DiversityRelationship with distributors in rural areas68 Production lines over ChinaJoint Venture with DanonePricing flexibility due to production by own subsidiariesChina’s own Cola| Week attendees in main citiesSales force|Wahaha seems to be winning the Cola war if they build on the strategies and implement them successfully in urban areas as well where multinationals have strong presence and also continue protect their current market share in rural areas. Another reason why Wahaha seems to be winning over because it has branded its products as â€Å"China’s own Cola† Made in China products and which resulted into a sense of belonging and loyalty among the Chinese consumers and it can be successfully implemented in big cities like Beijing, Hong Kong as well. QUESTION 4: Describe the Competitive Strategies and Tac tics each company (Wahaha/Coke/Pepsi) used to gain Market Share in China.Did any company appear to be winning the cola war? Support your answer. We can describe the competitive Strategies and Tactics used by each company to gain market share using Porter’s Five Force model. Industry Rivalry: When Chinese markets opened up in 1980’s, Coke and Pepsi invested heavily in Brand recognition and used lots of advertising and sponsoring to support their cola brands. They replicated their global rivalry in China and initially were determined to seize market share from domestic cola producers, even at the cost of profitability. They either forced local producers to withdraw from the market or establish joint ventures with them.Wahaha decided to target the rural market first because it knew and understood this market, and because it was not the focus of Coca Cola and PepsiCo. It focussed on the mass market of 1. 1 billion people in rural areas. Suppliers: Pepsi and Coke preferred to establish their own distribution networks while setting up Joint Ventures with bottlers and bottlers managing sales in their assigned territory. They set stringent sales targets for bottlers, and in turn bottlers would set targets for distributors. They used this model successfully in many countries. Their bottlers will map every place where their products can be sold and create one of them most accurate customer profiles.Coke had 28 bottling plans with Joint ventures (Minority shareholding) but Pepsi had 16 bottling plans with Joint ventures (Majority shareholding). Bottlers had little Supplier Power since they were into joint ventures with Coke and Pepsi. Wahaha did not had any suppliers since it had set up its own bottling plants as subsidiaries which allowed it great flexibility with its sales team and resulting into more price flexibility. It had more than 40 WOS and majority holding companies in 23 provinces. Buyers: Chinese cola consumers were segmented into two broad area s urban and rural, while urban market was captured mostly by Coke and Pepsi and Wahaha had excellent rural reach due to its unique relationship with its distributors in remote parts of China.Coke target market was large population centres, rolled out its products in cities based on population with up to 85% distribution penetration, Pepsi focused on key markets and cities, youth segment and had 65% distribution penetration but increasing faster than Coke. Wahaha focus initially was on smaller cities and rural areas which was yet untapped by big multinationals. Wahaha priced its products quite lower than Coke and Pepsi since rural consumers had more price sensitivity than urban buyers. It spent heavily on CCTV advertising which had huge rural coverage and credibility among consumers. They did the Marketing of their products as â€Å"Made in China† which made consumers more loyal towards it.Pepsi/Coke made money from sale of concentrate while Wahaha made it from sale of final p roducts due to its own subsidiaries doing production and so Wahaha had high pricing flexibility than Coke/Pepsi and was able to undercut multinationals. Potential Entrants: Coca Cola and PepsiCo’s success against the domestic Cola producers in the early stages and their strong brand name and sales network in big cities formed a high entry barrier for new competitors. However, later Wahaha successfully competed against them due to good knowledge of Chinese culture, sound distribution network and excellent Brand Management and timely launch of quality products in rural areas which was untapped by big companies. But, still sector has high entry barriers there by resulting into limited potential entrants.Substitutes: There are several substitutes to Cola like Iced Tea, Sports and Energy drinks, Non – Carbonated drinks, juices, packaged water etc which pose a great challenge to Cola Industry and growing at a higher rates up to 10% in comparison to 2-4% growth rate in Cola d rinks. This has resulted into Coke, Pepsi and Wahaha launching several other products in these categories Value Creation for Shareholders: While Coke/Pepsi endorsed local film stars, included cultural icons in its advertising and sponsored various Chinese Sports programs to localise their marketing as per Chinese consumers but Wahaha focussed on advertising using TV Ads especially on CCTV which had huge coverage and credibility and also sponsored Soccer World Cup and spring festivals. QUESTION 5: What future strategies should Wahaha consider to compete successfully against such large multinational enterprises?There should be a Four Step Action Plan which Wahaha should consider to compete successfully against such large multinational enterprises: Step1: Wahaha need to maintain and protect its leading position in Rural market since both multinationals Pepsi/Coke are going to improve their distribution network, product offerings and further localise their Marketing to penetrate rural m arket. It can do it by increasing Marketing activities in rural areas and projecting its â€Å"Chinese Cola† brand image more comprehensively. Step2: It need to target main cities where multinationals have strong presence and fetch market share so that it can maintain its overall market share in case of downside in rural market share. Step3: It needs to explore new markets which are yet untapped fully by multinationals and are similar to Chinese ulture since it can brand its products successfully in similar manner as it did in China Step4: It needs to broaden its product line and enter into other substitutes category like Iced Tea, Bottled water etc which are posing a threat to Cola segment by registering higher growth rates. It can also start research on new product segments like Alcoholic drinks etc to see if market potential exists or not. Strategy| Actions| Protecting and maintaining leading position in Rural Market| * Increase Marketing activities in rural areas( Sponsor for local events and ads) * Offer Bounce system to maintain distributors loyalty . | Market Penetration| * Target Main cities first where Wahaha has good reputation like Beijing, Hong Kong etc. Promotional campaign every quarter for Brand Recall| Market Development| * Expand in neighbour countries with similar Chinese culture since it can use similar marketing and branding strategies in those countries which Wahaha has successfully implemented in China. * Use the Danone JV to enter in markets where Danone has good presence. | Product Development| * Prepare new production line for non – carbonated soft drinks since other substitutes like Iced Tea, Juices, Bottled waters are showing a higher growth rates than Cola segment. * Start Study to produce alcoholic drinks like Beer. | References: 1: International Trade & Academic Research Conference (ITARC ), 7 – 8th November, 2012, London. UK. on â€Å"COCA-COLA: International Business Strategy for Globalization† 2: Por ter’s Five Force model of Competition: http://www. managementstudyguide. com/porters-model-of-competetion. tm 3: Cola Wars in China: Case Study Analysis Source: Strategy Analysis and Practice 2005 McGraw Hill Education Europe 4: Cola Wars in China : The Future is Here ; Case Study by Nancy Dai at Richard Ivy School of Business. 5: Cola Wars – UTS 21715 – Strategic Management Lecture 3 University of Technology Sydney 6: Alon, I. , Littrell, R. F. , & Chan, A. K. (n. d. ). Branding in China: Global product strategy Alternatives. http://www. aabri. com/OC09manuscripts/OC09002. pdf 7: Espitia E. , Manuel and Ramires A. , Marisa The impact of product diversification strategy on the corporate performance of large Spanish firms. Spanish Economic Review Volume 4 Number 2. P. 119-137 2002.

The Amazon Rainforest

An issue in the world today that is extremely troubling is the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. The world’s largest remaining natural resource is at risk of total destruction. This beautiful South American forest represents 40% of the continent and 54% of the total remaining rain forests that are left. It covers nine of the countries in South America which include Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname. From May 2000 to August 2006, approximately 150,000 square kilometers of the rain forest in Brazil was lost.This is an area larger than the country of Greece. What is even more frightening is the fact that since 1970, over 232,000 square miles of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed. The Amazon Rainforest is a tropical rainforest ecosystem. They are known to be found near the equator. What makes them known as â€Å"rain forests† refers to the moisture and humidity that they contain. These forests which are lush with tree s and other amazing plant life have year-round warm temperatures with high humidity and heavy—almost daily rainfall.It does not rain every day in the Amazon Rainforest but it does receive an average of nine feet of rain per year. The Rainforest of the world now only cover 2% of the globe, however ecologists do estimate they hold half of the world’s plant and animal species. R. A. N. is one of the organizations advocating for the Rain Forest to be left alone. It stands for the Rainforest Action Network. One of the issues that RAN has cites is that pulp from cleared rainforests is made into cheap copy paper, books, tissue and toilet paper and luxury shopping bags that are then sold to consumers in the United States, Europe and Asia.RAN’s Rainforest-Free Paper Campaign is working against corporations and the Indonesian government to stop turning forests into paper plantations. They have made significant progress such as pressuring Boise Incorporated to stop buying wood fiber taken from the traditional territory of the Grassy Narrows. Shortly after, Abitibi Bowater, the largest paper company in the world, agreed to stay off of Grassy Narrows land. According to dictionary. com the definition of deforestation is, â€Å"the cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a forested area.Deforestation can erode soils, contribute to desertification and the pollution of waterways, and decrease biodiversity through the destruction of habitat. † Most rainforests are cleared by chainsaws, bulldozers and fires for its timber value and then are followed by farming and ranching operations. The latest statistics show that rainforest land which is made into cattle farms gets the land owner $60 per acre and if timber is harvested, the land is worth $400 per acre. Cattle ranching is the leading cause of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.This has been going on since the 1970s. Approximately 38 percent of deforestation from 1966-1975 is due t o large-scale cattle ranching. Unfortunately the present day situation may be even worse. According to the Center for International Forestry Research, â€Å"between 1990 and 2001 the percentage of Europe's processed meat imports that came from Brazil rose from 40 to 74 percent and by 2003 for the first time ever, the growth in Brazilian cattle production—80 percent of which was in the Amazon—was largely export driven. This issue affects the tribes that still live in the Amazon Rainforest. These people and their ancestors have been living off of the land for thousands of years. Their culture is formed from the rainforest itself. There are even some tribes that have never had contact with any other person outside of their own tribe. If they are taken out of their homes over time they will lose their languages, art, tales and knowledge of the forest and past. There were an estimated ten million of these people living in the Amazonian Rainforest five centuries ago. Today there are less than 200,000.Thousands upon thousands of species other than humans live in the rainforest such as bacteria, plants and mammals. Thousands of other species once existed in this ecosystem but due to deforestation and other causes, they are now extinct. There are estimations that 137 plant, animal and insect species go extinct every single day due to said deforestation. That means about 50,000 species are lost each year. As these species only found in the Amazon Rainforest leave this world, many possible cures for life-threatening diseases follow. There are presently 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide that come from Amazon plants.A good 25% drugs that come from rainforest ingredients have tropical trees and plants of which less than 1% have been tested by licensed scientists. In the long run, the destruction of the rainforest will kill almost every living thing on the plants. According to www. amazon-rainforest. org, the Amazon Rainforest has been described as the â⠂¬Å"Lungs of our Planet. † This is because it provides the essential environmental world service of continuously recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen. More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest. The survival of the human race depends on the survival of the Amazon Rainforest.WORKS CITED â€Å"About RAN | Rainforest Action Network. † Rainforest Action Network | Environmentalism with Teeth. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. ;lt;http://www. ran. org/content/about-ran;gt;. â€Å"Amazon Rainforest. † Blue Planet Biomes. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. ;lt;http://www. blueplanetbiomes. org/amazon. htm;gt;. â€Å"AMAZON RAINFOREST FACTS. † UNIQUE SOUTHAMERICA TRAVEL EXPERIENCE. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. ;lt;http://www. unique-southamerica-travel-experience. com/amazon-rainforest-facts. html;gt;. â€Å"The Amazon Rainforest. † Rainforests. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. ;lt;http://rainforests. mongabay. com/amazon/;gt;. â€Å"Deforestation in the Amazon. Rainforest â⠂¬â€œ Mongabay. com. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://www. mongabay. com/brazil. html>. â€Å"Endangered Rain Forest Animals. † Liza's Reef -Coral Reef Art. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://www. lizasreef. com/HOPE FOR THE RAIN FORESTS/endangered_rain_forest_animals. htm>. â€Å"How Big Is The Amazon Rainforest In Square Miles? † Ask Questions, Get Free Answers – Blurtit. Web. 1 Nov. 2010. <http://www. blurtit. com/q145171. html>. Spoolman, Scott E. â€Å"7: Climate and Biodiversity. † Environmental Science. By G. Tyler Miller. 13th ed. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2010. 134-36. Print.

Analysis of “If” by Rudyard Kipling Essay

The fist stanza of the poem â€Å"If† talks about being true to yourself. There are always people who misjudge you or don’t like or respect you for one reason or the other. It tells you to rise above those obstacles and prove them wrong and yourself right. You should not let others provoke you into doing things which you know are wrong. The second stanza of the poem talks about overcoming obstacles that may come your way and follow your dreams. It tells us to persevere, keep going and never give up even when times get rough.   It is hard to jump back in after negative or hurtful things have happened in your life but the third stanza tells us not to give up. If we believe in ourselves, we can surely redo the positive things that made us happy sometime ago over again. The writer obviously knew how hard sometimes life can become. He therefore initiated a sense of hope in this stanza. The last stanza tells us that we are all equal no matter what. We shouldn’t and mustn’t put ourselves above or below anyone because we are just as good as anyone else. There is one thing you can relate to in a person if you really look deep down inside and try. It also teaches us to never waste time and make every second of the day that we have count. In a nutshell, this poem is like a piece of advice to us all to be positive and pay attention to the type of world we live in.

Hume and his contemporaries Essay

Live art performances, marked by an overture of spirituality, consciousness, physical introductions to pain, drawn further on to include specific rituals, symbolisms, varied states of emotions brought by self-inflicted hurt and eventually, culminating in a wild display of frenzy and shocking images, are less likely to please the uninitiated audience than it will provoke a sense of awe and wonderment among performance art critics. In a similar situation, Marina Abramovic’s attempts to upend the static discourses of physicality, mental states of mind and art that pervade current Western hegemony, understandably, can only be regarded in the extremes by people steeped firmly into formal traditions. Either her method of performance will elevate its spectators to a heightened degree of appreciation, therefore merit a thunderous welcome to a novel brand, sui generis, of art of our time at the end of each scene; or her gruesome didactics on the body’s threshold for pain, simply fails to pass muster. Her performance practice, a risk more than anything else, certainly inspire debates on whether or not to set moral, perhaps even social limits to art in order to determine, in precise and concrete terms, at which point creativity and imaginative art themes and performances become either delightful to the senses or noxious to the sensitivities of the general public. The idea of drawing the line along and between different shades of extremes, although already evinced clearly in the works of Marina Abramovic, seems to fit the consensus on the idea of censuring the bold and burlesque, stripping it off its material enunciation and expression to mitigate the horror and revulsion inherent in the exposition, or in the worst case, totally ignore it until the novel yet misunderstood facade fades from inattention. However, thanks mainly to Marina Abramovic’s unwavering desire to reach her audience, despite the sometimes hostile reception during her performances itself, in ways that continually push the envelope of spectator tolerance, did she carry her work from the esoteric art circles to mainstream. To wit, in one of her collaborative performances with Ulay, entitled Incision (1978), while purposively eliciting reaction, probably direct participation, from their audience, one of the spectators primed the climactic resonance of the work by jumping into the stage to kick Marina Abramovic as she was lying prostate right in the middle of the act. In her biographical work, she writes that although she expected the attack to happen any moment during the performance, she did not realize the immediacy and steeled resolution of that man who assailed her (Abramovic, 1998). Photographs of the show caught the man with a leg lifted, jumping into the air. â€Å"The next photograph shows Abramovic lying on the floor, and the man seems to be landing from a kicking action [†¦] the audience’s interrogation manifested in a spontaneous physical attack (Tang, 2005). Ethical and moral questions, as well as aesthetic controversies have been discussed quite animatedly as early as the 18th century. Philosophers, like David Hume, have started to addressed the tough issues about morality, art and taste—the chief concerns that pervaded his era. Cynthia Freeland, introducing the notions of Taste and Beauty, in a book about defining the slippery strands of art, writes that Hume and his contemporaries â€Å"would not have approved of blasphemy, immorality, sex, or the use of body fluids as appropriate in art† (Freeland 2001). As a caveat to this general statement, it must be understood that even though 18th century consciousness all the way up to the present have not been too open in giving cognizance to art that smack of Marina Abramovic’s own brand of carnal art expressions, there are already extant cultural and social systems which places importance into shamanistic and ritualistic gestures. Among art critics and historians, some pursue a theory of art as ritual: â€Å"ordinary objects or acts acquire symbolic significance through incorporation into a shared belief system† (Freeland, 2001). In the same vein, Freeland further digs deep in history to provide evidence in varied cultural rituals that depict blood and physical pain. She avers that â€Å"when a Mayan king shed blood before the multitude in Palenque by piercing his own penis and drawing a thin reed through it three times, he exhibited his shamanistic ability to contact the land of the undead† (2001). Other modern artists try to recreate a similar sense of art as ritual, just as much as Marina Abramovic has had for the last three decades. Diamanda Galas, for instance, â€Å"fuses operatic wizardry, light shows and glistening blood in her Plague Mass† (2001), supposedly to exorcise pain in the era of Aids. Herman Nitsch, Viennese founder of the Orgies Mystery Theater, promises â€Å"catharsis through a combination of music, painting, wine-pressing, and ceremonial pouring of animal blood and entrails† (Nitsch, n. d. in Freeland, 2001). As it turns out, these very rituals are ingrained in Western traditions. Illuminating examples of which are the amount of blood depicted in European’s, and verily much of the cultures in the modern world today, two main belief discourses: that of the Judeo-Christian and the Greco-Roman. By taking a cursory review of religious and classical texts of Western traditions, we are able to immediately uncover a plenitude of blood representations and ritualistic sacrifices. In the Old Testament, Yahweh is seen to require â€Å"sacrifices as parts of His covenant with the Hebrews† (Freeland, 2001). Similarly, Agamemnon â€Å"faced a divine command to slit the throat of his own child [†¦] the blood of Jesus is so sacred that it is symbolically drunk to this day by believing Christians as promising redemption and eternal life† (2001). Such myths and religious stories are rather germane to Western art. We read of Homeric heroes wining the favors of their gods and goddesses by sacrificing animals. Likewise, the tragedies of Lucan and Seneca â€Å"piled up more body parts than Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Sreet† (2001). Not surprisingly, likewise, Renaissance paintings are never without a hint of blood draped at the canvassed in hard red-acrylic paint whilst Shakespeare’s tragedies typically concluded with swordplay and stabbings. The preceding examples of ritualistic performances which involves blood and sacrifices, death and disease, murder and trials, are very instructive with regards to our penchant for the macabre and the dreadful. It is in these premises that Marina Abramovic draws much of her inspiration to create an art, pro forma, that bespeak of our capacity to endure scenes of gore and violence—if only on a less exacerbated state. Her performance, for the most part, certainly places importance on the symbolic values of ceremonies, gestures and artifacts. Albeit appearing random and spontaneous, her methods establish a logical connection between her consciousness while performing and her body’s means of coping with the strength of self-infliction. In the nascent days of her art, she has performed controversial after controversial explorations into the limitations of the mind and the body. Rhythm 10, in 1973, was the first in a series of abject surrender to the inevitability of suffering. Alone in the stage, she prepared a set of knives to be used as piercing objects in a risky game of Russian hand roulette. Without signs of hesitation, she proceeded to stab the spaces between her fingers in a rough yet determined fashion. Each time she made the mistake of cutting her flesh; she dropped the knife and took out another one to repeat the process all over again until she made use of all ten knives (Abramovic, 1998). The following year, in the performance entitled Rhythm 5, she sought to re-evoke the energy of extreme body pain by constructing a huge star soused with combustible petroleum liquid. At the onset, the structure as lit to flames, and while she was standing right outside the contraption, she religiously clipped her fingernails, cut her hair and them inside the burning star. The denouement of the program was when she danced around and then flew across the flames into the center of the burning star. Serious and life-threatening complications ensued when the smoke that engulfed her from inside asphyxiated her to the point that she no longer had control of her actions. The medical team and the audience, who were all there to watch, started to suspect that something was terribly amiss. Fortunately, the quick responses from the stand-by technicians saved her from an untimely death caused by severe smoke inhalation (Abramovic, 1998). In the same year and the years that followed, Marina Abramovic designed similar art experiments that were meant to test the limits of herself and her body, and later the audience and their tolerance for vicarious agony through her body. Rhythm 2 and Rhythm 0, were performed with the hopes of proving that the consciousness can go beyond the rubric of psychological triggers in mind. The sole aim of both was to uproot the inherited tendencies of the mind to reel from stark images and provocative gestures. She sought to cultivate in the audience a sense of indifference in order that one may reach a virtual catharsis what with all the sharp and strong representations between the body and suffering. For artists like Marina Abramovic, it is clear to them that what they are performing, and while in the act of performing, there is a higher purpose that they wish to achieve regardless of the methods by which these are made possible. They have a firm understanding and appreciation for every act and gesture that they make. None of such are done without rhyme and reason. For artists like Marina Abramovic, everything that happens during any performance, in spite of the harsh opinions of critic that meet them right afterwards, makes a lot of sense. However, audiences who see and react to these artists do not enter, much less share the beliefs and values, or with prior knowledge of what will transpire, with that of the artist. When asked about the origins of her creativity and ideas for her art performance, Marina Abramovic happily recalls her childhood memories with her parents. As if to show indeed that her style was a result of previous life experiences that may be susceptible to a psychoanalytical reading, she narrates: â€Å"A long time ago I made a piece called Art Must Be Beautiful, Artist Must Be Beautiful. At that time, I thought that art should be disturbing rather than beautiful. [†¦]My life is full of such contradictions. [†¦] My father and mother are divorced. As an adult, I recently wanted to go back to help them because of the war. With the embargo, there is nothing in the stores. [†¦] I called my father to ask him what he needs, and he dictates a long list – antibiotics, bandages, penicillin, toilet paper, coffee, sugar, powdered milk, all these basic things for survival. Then I call my mother and ask what she needs. She says, â€Å"I need Chanel lipstick, Absolute Red, Number 345, and hair spray. † I am between these two. † (Abramovic, 2005) Most modern art, in this case, within the context of theatre, videos and live performances, fail to provide ample background reinforcement against the dominant traditions and systems of belief. What invariably happens is that the audiences will remain ignorant to, consequently, unappreciative of the complexities and undertones of the supposedly artful, meaningful and profound gestures. The audience, instead of sharing that same degree of catharsis, sacrifice and initiation, will shy away. They themselves are alienated from the performance so much that they are brought far afield the community, forcing them to abandon the art because of pure shock and horror, largely as a result of their ineligibility to feel as the artists do (Freeland, 2001). Damien Hirst, the ‘Britpack’ artist who sparked controversy in the 1990s with his motley display of macabre high-tech exhibits of â€Å"dead sharks, sliced cows, or lambs in glasses of formaldehyde, [†¦] has parlayed his notoriety into success with his popular Pharmacy restaurant in London† (Freeland, 2001). By no means, therefore, are the works that revolve around symbolisms, spirituality, humanity and fatalism seldom reflects the nature of most of our ritualistic traditions. Symbols of pain and suffering that are central to many religions, cultural systems, political and social units, may come off to the lay person as undesirable and may even cause the same panic as had the man in Marina Abramovic’s performance. Art performance that utilizes imageries that hint at violence, torture and distress, when it is performed in the public who has no inkling of its context, meaning and history are in danger of misconstruing art for capricious display of filth and tripe. As with all in theatre, the performer must work â€Å"against mutual projection between audience and performer†, the identification in which â€Å"[we] believe so readily in the other as the keeper of our treasure and our disease† (Tang, 2004). Valie Export, a similarly omnipresent and provocative figure in the world of art performance, shares the same problems of audience interaction, although not as much as Marina Abramovic. Beside art performance, her repertoire includes film, text, painting and photography to name a few. These avenues of artistic expression gravitate towards her criticisms for feminism and gender. A staunch activist and a progressive performer, she has oftentimes been called a woman living an anachronistic life. This is due to her revolutionary ways to present her ideas that even her colleagues, who without proper notice of her intentions to perform, usually end up dismissing her as too fanciful and idealistic. Her works on ‘Asemie or the Inability of Expressing Oneself Through Facial Expressions’ (1973) and ‘Touch Cinema’ (1968) garnered both fame and distress. Chief of the reasons that contributed to an admixture of reception from the critics and audience is the fact that her ideas do not create strong meaningful associations that the people can readily identify with. Humor and parody may be part and parcel of her work as a performer, but these effects are not what she contemplated to be so. Indeed, while she wanted to catch the attention of her spectators, her ultimate goal is to instruct them of the subtle messages regarding feminism, modernism and ritual art. Export, along with the controversial artists at the turn of the 21st century, became (in-)famous in the recent decades because of her startling presentations of objects and her body (Mueller, 2004). Of her earlier works, ‘Aktionshose: Genitalpanik’ or ‘Action Pants: Genitals in Panic’ (1968), Export engaged the audience, piquing their imagination and belief, with a series of photographs, simultaneously permitting them to engage her as the tangible representations of the images presented in the collage. In an art theater in Munich, dressed to the nines, with the crotch cut out of her pants, Valie Export threaded each row person-to-person, showed her outfit thereby giving the film-viewing public with a palpably visual representation with a real female body. In doing so Export tackled the pornographic reduction of women in static representations just when ideas of feminism and gender were starting to develop during that time. Her message is commensurate to a direct, unapologetic, political affront to the abstract objectification of the female body as a fetish. She moved an aesthetic gesture beyond the representational context of the safe boundaries of art into an actual encounter with a public. Export effectively brought to the fore the various dimension of simple, albeit arresting, bodily gestures â€Å"both to produce and to represent action [. . . ] by stressing the moment and the process of its own production† (Stiles, n. d. ). Export repudiated the representational static sign and discharged an interventionist act by revealing her yonic-self to the public vis-a-vis the photos on the display. Art performance, in the recent decades since its entrance in the mainstream, has, and is continuing to encompass a wide field of human proclivities which spans across a whole, comprehensive range of emotions, symbols and design. Although traditional views on aesthetics and taste still influence much of the productions in the art, more and more innovative, socially-informed, stunningly beautiful works of art performance are being (re-)invented and (re-)discovered every time. It doesn’t matter whether these newly created art forms subscribe to tradition or to the taste of the general public. What matters most is the never-ending quest to plumb the full extent of our humanity as individuals and as a community. Art performance is yet to supplant, at least equal the popularity of video-films, cinema, photography and painting in terms of the instances that these are demanded by the public. But with the works of Marina Abramovic, Ulay, Damien Hirst, Valie Export et al and their boundless passion to break the mold and stun the public to enlightenment, art performance can be considered as a significant cornucopia of art studies and of artistic expression. A number of critics do give favorable comments to Marina Abramovic’s performances and ingenuity, Valie Export’s live photography sessions, Hirst’s â€Å"gleaming vitrines with suspended animals inside† (Freeland, 2001). However, it must be noted that even if the critics find them beautiful and artful still its startling content warrants full attention; nothing short of shallow and pedantic in all respects of praise and criticism. Freeland writes, perhaps disinterestedness has some small and specific role in approaching difficult art by enabling us to try harder to look at and understand something that seems very repugnant to the senses (2001). The work’s content and the artist performing are just as crucial as the theories that surround art performance. It is not so much as merely an arbitrary act done through the caprice of a strange art performer. It is instead, a manifestation of our natural tendencies, our history, our sense of taste and what is beautiful, our entire spirituality and lastly, our consciousness set against the body as a tool to perceive reality. Art performance as practiced by these artists is a celebration of the body and of our community. An excellent performance and performer do more than take the audience to elevated heights, but also give them a sense of being truly and undeniably alive. And such, makes all the difference. References Abramovic, M. (2005). Marina Abramovic: the biography of biographies. New York & London: Charta Publishers. Abramovic, M. (1998). Artist body: performances 1969-1998. New York & London: Charta Publishers. Freeland, C. (2001). But is it art? : blood and beauty. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. Mueller, R. (1994). Valie Export: fragments of imagination. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Stiles, C. (n. d. ). Aktionshose: genitalpanik (action pants: genital in panic). Retrieved January 15 2008, The Galleries at Moore database. Tang, A. (2005). Gazing at horror: body performance in the wake of mass social trauma. (Masters of Arts program, Rhodes University 2005). .

You are required to complete the following two exercises in the Essay

You are required to complete the following two exercises in the seminar class through reflection upon the learning developed from todays seminar activities & class discussions - Essay Example In sports, leadership is fuelled by motivation to be the best, make peers proud, and have the gratification to be the best. Leaderships is undeniably stemmed from an inner motivation to excel and lead a group of individuals to a collaborative success. This is such a crucial aspect because some crave leadership because it puts them in power. However, the author is quick to point out that good leaders will always A leader is a person who guides a group of individual towards a certain goal. Leading by example as the author states is a must for any leader. Successful leaders love being leaders, not for the sake of power but for the meaningful and purposeful impact they can create. This in fact is the manifestation of being a good leader. The author argues that leadership has some traits as critical towards any leaders. One of the key aspects I learned from this article was the fact that leaders do not always necessarily know everything, but they know how to deploy talent. As an individua l who seeks to be a leader, this is much valuable advice because most leaders feel that they should know everything. From an individual’s perspective, it is crucial to understand that leaders have a holistic view of their goals rather than knowing every micro-detail, which can harmful. That is not to say that leaders must be not knowledgeable in their respective areas, but to understand that what talent lies within the group. This has been becoming more evident in the corporate world where CEOs understand the whole picture rather than focusing in minor details. Without a doubt, this sheds a lot of light in successful traits of leaderships and has really allowed me to gain powerful insights on the attributes of being a leader. In the end, it is evident that these attributes allow leaders to fulfill their success and enhance the value of their organization’s brand. Managing people in the 21st organization

The European Union Law Overview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The European Union Law Overview - Essay Example The essay "The European Union Law Overview" presents the analysis of the European Union structure and also its decision-making process. The Council of Ministers operates clandestinely and its functions, which are influenced by national and transnational parties, lack transparency and accountability. Decision-making is determined by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers is the most powerful institution in the European Union and comprises of envoys from the Member States of the EU. The European Parliament and the Council of Ministers enact the EU’s legislation. The Council decides issues either by qualified majority voting or by unanimity. Its presidency has a rotating tenure of six months. Although it does not formally comprise a component of the EU system, it has emerged as the cardinal institution of the EU. It organizes meetings between the heads of state and the representatives of the European Commission. Unlike the Council, the European Parliament is a supranational institution. The Council of Ministers has been accorded the status of the principal legislative body by the Treaties of the EU. Its importance stems from the fact that it constitutes the final decision-making authority. In the process of making policies, the Council relies on other institutions for assistance and direction. The EU is a novel political institution, consisting of intergovernmental elements in some issues, supranational in administrative matters and transnational in most domains.

Marketing in a regulated market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing in a regulated market - Essay Example Although it is a regulated market, the government decides on the production practices it realizes the tobacco monopoly and does not try to implement measures that would eventually curb the business out of operation (Pampel, 2009:89). The script outlines the basis at which producers deceive buyers, market the product against the wish of ethics and morals, and ignore the constraints issued by the world health organizations to amass profits at the long run, and a documented inclusion of defiant states to the constraints. Further, the script entails the marketing mix variables and the ethical concerns of tobacco. Ethical issues pertaining GBT’s practices The company advertises the Gold brand uniformly through social networks and media, and this aspect catches the public equally, but fails to warn possible buyers on the consequences of smoking. Another ethical concern arises from the untamed advertising that, tobacco contains medicinal value, which is an ancient belief, and the com pany expresses it to increase demand on the output (Smith, 2003:42). The third ethical dilemma arises from the product design and packaging of the cigarettes since there are no warning signs on the Gold brand depicting the possible health hazards of smoking. Distribution of the GBT’s Gold Brand (Place) Tobacco market decline would adversely affect a nation that grows, processes, produces, and sells the cigarettes. The economy of Malu produces tobacco and depends upon it for economic growth and change in the people’s lifestyles. The government allows distribution of tobacco product brands in different channels to reach a wide range of consumer effectively. The famous homemade cigarette brand of â€Å"Gold† sells among all ages in Malu, despite the constraints to refrain from the practice, this practice is unethical to the extent that it will harm the health of the citizens. The product reaches the market via proper distribution and adequate creation of awareness throughout the potential market segments in the south Asian country (Mani and Sandhu, 2006:69). Promotion marketing mix strategy of the GBT’s Gold Brand The various promotion practices of the Gold brand cigarettes are deceptive and meant to retain buyers, entice new ones, recall old consumers, and increase the marginal consumptions. The idea of deception enables the GBT firm to survive in the market since buyers tend to retain the â€Å"value† they derive from consumption of cigarettes and avoid quitting altogether, as they feel affiliated to the product. Therefore, Fiona’s practices are unethical and morally bend to lure citizens in promoting economic growth through consumption of cigarettes and, at the expense of their general welfare and health (Weightman, 2011:87). Pricing strategy of the GBT’s Gold brand The international Tobacco products Manager at GBT, Fiona Fuller defines the best practices that the company intents to take in the process of wedgin g out possible threats that may injure the company’s operations and the desire to acquire the set goals profitably in the next decade. Fiona adapts to penetration pricing in acquiring the market that guarantees the company that the new venture is profitable (Pampel, 2009:95). She understands the presence of strong brands in the market from European nations that currently dominate 20% of market. Therefore, she strategically prices the