Thursday, November 28, 2019

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, (MSO)

Introduction Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO) is a well renowned, brand name. When the Chief Executive officer is the â€Å"brand†, it can be difficult to separate their personality from the identity of the company they represent.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, (MSO) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The values of the company are bigger than those of the founder, this is evident from the continued success in fortune, especially after its founder was accused of business malpractices such as; insider trading. This was in contrast of what analyst had predicted. It is imperative for any company to take into account alternative strategies in enhancing personal and organizational effectiveness. External and internal elements of communication should encompass extensive research for better planning and implementation to identify, with common patterns of organizational behavior and consumer attitudes (Polk Wardwell, 2008). It would influence the strategy of sustaining its limelight, creating a competitive marketing strategy and restoring its image. Work Groups At MSO, teamwork within the work groups is emphasized to enhance multiple decisions; diverse experiences and collective judgment .For the team to exist individuals have to perceive themselves as part of the group. Thus, Martha Steward Living Omnimedia (MSO) in repositioning itself should take advantage of communication channels including social media to obtain customer feedback and build on them to improve its service and product delivery. Besides, through data obtained about employees should help the organization in identify areas to improve on. Rebranding, of any company is bound to fail if organization’s employees do not support it.Therefore, decisions made should incorporate suggestions from the people who identify most with the products. The effectiveness in employees’ performanc e enhances discipline, how employees relate with each other, their morale and instill motivation. Communications in a work group not only serve the need of informing, but also it is an important tool for controlling and an element of motivation. Therefore, for mutual and shared responsibilities among employees in the organization, effective communication in decisions made is critical for management at MSO to obtain positive feedback from their subordinates and other stakeholders. Communication The management should provide an elaborate communication strategy to strengthen performance and make employees feel part of the organization, become aware of ongoing trends and refute their fears about the organizations future goals. An organization is a society endowed with diverse employees of different backgrounds and culture. Hence, communication strategies are imperative in passing important organization information.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if w e can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Top management at MSO has to identify fitting strategies in terms of management style, which can increase; employee’s motivation, creates satisfaction, and enhances organizations behavior and performance. In resolving disillusionment, and high expectations bestowed on them by the public, strategies such as; participatory management is essential in building trust, empowering and motivating an employee in performing tasks (Passikoff, 2006). Communication is therefore a key factor whether written or delivered orally. It is the only way; an organization’s stakeholders can express their expectations, suggestions, and any concerns or grievances they might have. In creation of a unique profile, proper communication input should emerge from the feedback obtained internally and externally. Rebranding Mason and Meyer (2006) indicate that rebranding as a process has direct impact on how the company is perceived by external environment. Change, as an element in shaping most organizations impact on all parties in an organization and major adjustments should be expected. The management at MSO in managing organizations crisis, resistance, and formulating important decisions will help to move in the desired growth direction. Rebranding a powerful brand like Martha Steward would be more destructive especially to the morale of many employees than it would be constructive and careful deliberations should be undertaken to protect employees from feeling alienated. Martha Steward heritage as to be factored during the process of rebranding. This is simply because it would seem like an effort to counter negative publicity more than its efforts to reposition or globalize the brand (Passikoff, 2006). Although many other companies like Pepsi or Google have been successful in rebranding themselves, the rebranding of Martha Steward would be a move from a more individualized to a cooperate feel than many co nsumers might not identify with. Instead, it should concentrate on striking a balance in building an identity from the individual and taking advantage of the appealing Martha’ public image. Conclusion Marketing strategies of an organization can be hinged on its branding and communication among other important strategies. These factors are important in enhancing the organizations’ consumer perception and forming strong collaborative partnerships with similar competitors. These strategies are not only important in enhancing organization services, and products, but also leverage an organization against its competitors and enhance employee’s morale.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, (MSO) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Mason, A. Meyer, M. (2006).Living With Martha Stewart Media: Chosen Domesticity in the Experience of Fan. Journal of communication, (51),pp. 801-823 Passikoff, R. (2006).Predicting Market Success: New Ways to Measure Customer Loyalty and Engage Consumers with Your Brand, New Jersey: John Wiley Sons Inc. Polk, R. Wardwell, L. (2008). A Comparative Study of  Insider Trading  Regulation Enforcement in the U.S. and China Journal of Business Securities Law, (9), pp. 56-63 This essay on Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, (MSO) was written and submitted by user Collin Collier to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Google in Corporate Business World

Google is one of the greatest success stories in corporate online enterprise. The growth of the company from a humble enterprise to a multinational company turning over millions of sterling pounds is a feat that only a committed business-minded collaboration can achieve. The company has established online presence in various areas including search engine, social networking, messaging and service in data centers.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Google in Corporate Business World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This presentation has analyzed both the company’s business and leadership strategies in the light of other approaches that could have been used to warrant such tremendous success. It has been well established that the transformational leadership style that was embraced is best suited for the kind of business that Google is involved in. This strategy should therefore be maintained even in the wake of the paradigm shift facing the company. An internal review has been conducted for the company and this generally revealed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the company have been critically highlighted. It has been realized that some of the company’s greatest strengths include a well established brand name through the provision of reputable services as well as proper market capitalization. By the company ensuring that the usage of the website accords them interactivity and is easy to use, Google has consistently triumphed over competition. These benefits are spread by word of mouth and this by extension contributes to the growth of the company’s reputation. The weaknesses that have been touched on include the fact that the company has been overly dependent on the search engine for almost all its financial benefits while the rest of the services it invests in yield nothing in return. One of such unprofitable ventures include Youtube which provides r eceives massive daily traffic but does not bring any returns to the company. Another weakness that has been established is the vulnerability of Google to spam attacks. Even though the company invests a lot in ensuring that spam and other related attacks are kept in check, the rapidly occurring changes in information technology see the creators of such malicious content carry the day by coming up with more elaborate versions of spam.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The identified opportunities available to the company include the venture into android software- a factor that has been necessitated by the gradual shift of the internet to mobile devises. However, with such opportunities come even greater threats. The company is now prone to law suits emanating from privacy issues and censorship authorities. Other threats include the rise of competition from other internet giants such as Yahoo and Microsoft. The creators of online libraries are now starting to be more protective of their content and can configure it in such a way that it is not accessible via Google. This has seen users migrate to other ways of conducting data searches gradually ‘stealing’ clients from Google. Aside from this, an external review of the company was also done and it listed some of the factors outside the company that have made Google achieve the immense success it has so far. These include the fact that the company has grown into a strong supplier of online advertising space and has gone ahead to capitalize on this venture to its advantage. The loyalty that the company has attained from its clients has also been regarded as having contributed to its ability to deal with competition. The company’s business model, its strategies and future outlook were also assessed in light of the challenges that the company has to contend with on a day to day basis. The co re competencies of any company always end up reflecting on its overall success. The consistent development of new products and the establishment of a proper human resource framework have immensely increased Google’s innovative and visionary approaches. The company’s culture where all individuals are allowed to present their opinions without discrimination has turned the establishment into a cohesive environment which in turn translates into greater staff output. This report has elaborated on the various features of the strategies adopted by Google using extensive literature drawing from the works of various scholars. It is important to note that this strategy works for the company and should therefore be reinforced by the various other strategies that have been discussed in this report. It would be unwise for the enterprise to completely abandon a working strategy due to the current transformational changes facing the company, for another that has not been tried and te sted for the same market.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Google in Corporate Business World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In conclusion, it is worth noting that the Google Company has over time come to be a force to reckon with in the corporate business world. As has been noted above, the successes of the enterprise draw from its strong managerial framework and innovative approaches in making the interface user-friendly. With the kind of financial supremacy that the company has at the moment, it is likely that it will continue its unrivaled ascent to success in the foreseeable future and still maintain its position at the top of the search engines’ ranking. This report on Google in Corporate Business World was written and submitted by user Daphne Rush to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

election 2000 essays

election 2000 essays It is finally over, probably the most common statement you would hear if you asked any U.S. citizen their thoughts on the presidential election of 2000. This election was definitely the closest of any presidential election recorded in history and believe me when I tell you it will not be forgotten. There are mixed opinions on the outcome of the election, Democrats say that all the votes should have been recounted and that if they were, Vice-President Gore would have won after all. The Republicans are saying that Vice-President Gore knew he had lost from the moment that Floridas votes were counted and that he just could not except the fact of losing. But in my opinion like most political events, the 2000 presidential election has produced a number of false premises and has inflicted damage upon our constitutional system for the foreseeable future. The largest problem I feel with this election was that it was ultimately settled by the Supreme Court of the United States, a body that should never been called upon to end this election. If you read most of the opinions posted in the media, critics have put most of the blame on George W. Bush. They say he was the one who appealed the decision to the Florida Supreme Court in Washington and determined the final verdict. But I think that in all "fairness" - a word that was thrown around so arbitrarily by the Democratic Party, that it was the Florida court that forced the U.S. Supreme Court to get involved. Neither of the candidates can be held responsible for that decision. Another issue I would like to address that I feel has caused hysteria in the decision of this election was the recount of Floridas votes and their deadlines. I think that if Floridas votes were to be recounted, as they were, all counties had to participate, not just the targeted ones. I also think that the mandatory deadline that was put in place was properly instated ...

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The origins of homophobia and the power the NSW Government is able to exert over sexuality.

The origins of homophobia and the power the NSW Government is able to exert over sexuality. What control is the state able to exert over sexuality, and how is this done? Discuss with reference to homosexual identity for young people.Discrimination remains a reality for members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) communities in NSW. Homophobic prejudices that fuel this discrimination are often unfounded but draw strength from the discriminatory law itself. This essay is going to analyze how the state exerts control over GLBT people and what this entails for the GLBT community. But before looking at how the NSW government excludes members of the GLBT community from fundamental human rights, this essay is going to discuss how homophobia arose in the first place.Given the fact that Christian beliefs are deeply embedded in Australian society it is obvious that the Church contributed to the formation of homophobia. For thousands of years the church had been instructing society on what was moral in sexual matters and homosexuality was not on their list.Jonathan Co ulton at Game City zombiefestHomosexual attitudes were regarded as absurd and seen as a crime against nature. In 1977, Anita Bryant, an anti-gay campaigner said that "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve", adding that "homosexual acts are contrary to the laws of nature and the protesters must realize that the Church's teaching on this matter cannot, and will not change". The Church's current standpoint on this matter is that members of the GLBT community are 'tolerated', but only if they are 'discreet'. However, Bishop Benjamin Tutu of South Africa once pointed out that homosexuality cannot be a matter of choice. Who would select a life style that would bring such hatred, abuse and discrimination against them?On the other hand, homosexuality has been a tolerable practice within Christianity for centuries. Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were famous homosexuals, and religious personalities. Where...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Statistics COMPREHENSIVE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Statistics COMPREHENSIVE - Essay Example Therefore nominal data where attributes can be ranked but the distance between ranks has no meaning. c. interval data- in this level of measurement the distance between ranks has a meaning, data can be ranked and at the same time the distance has meaning, for example temperature data is interval data where temperature difference has meaning. The average and median calculated has a meaning but ratio calculations have no meaning where one cannot state that 100 degrees Celsius is twice 50 degrees Celsius. d. ratio- in ratio level of measurement the absolute zero value has a meaning, all statistical calculation of central tendencies and dispersion are meaningful, for example data containing number of customers that visit a retail shop, the value zero has meaning and the ratio calculations also has meaning where it can be stated that 20 customers is twice 10 customers. The mean, mode and median are all measures of central tendencies of data; the mean is determined by adding up all the values in a data set and then dividing the number of observations. In the example the value of the mean will 27/8 = 3.375 The Median is the middle value of an ordered data set for odd observations or the mean value of the middle two variables for even observations. In the example the median will be 3 +4 = 7, then 7/2 = 3.5, therefore median = 3.5 Advantage: The median is not affected by

Is it more important to hire employees with the right personality Essay

Is it more important to hire employees with the right personality characteristics, or to try to improve their job-related attitu - Essay Example The personal character will entail the individual’s interest for the job and whether he will be suitable for the particular job or not. If the candidate is hired without proper judgement of his personalities, then the appropriate candidate will not be selected since the candidate’s attitude towards the job can change. The goal of this assignment is to understand the importance of personality of an individual during hiring process. The different ways by which the personality character can influence the work in an organisation will also be studied. The study will also look to find out whether it is more significant to hire employees with right personality characteristics or an employee’s job related attitudes can be improved once they have joined an organisation. From this paper, it can be learnt that the proper judgement of personality characteristics during hiring process is a vital factor. This paper helps to find out different personality characteristics that b ring positive as well as negative attitudes during interview session. 2.0 Review of Literature Recruiting and hiring decision is complicated, thus it becomes challenging task for the company to hire a quality employee. The recruiter must be certain that the hired candidate performs best to their ability and acts as a value addition to the organisation (Profile International, n.d.). Recruiters use personality test in order to enhance their decision making process about the prospective applicants. When the information is large, the recruiter can be more capable and accurate with the appointment of the candidate. A person’s personality can determine whether he or she can work attentively, intelligently, optimistically and cooperatively. The style or manner in which a person approaches his or her work is influenced by the personality. The working style of a person matters a lot because unhappiness, rudeness, moody nature may affect the workplace as well as morale of the employees . Personality is considered as one of the most significant factors while recruiting and hiring an employee. The personality characteristics of a potential employee can determine his performance within the business boundaries; and cooperate as well as interrelate with the existing staff members. A positive personality may boost the morale of the entire staff, resulting in increased productivity and success in the organisation. The employees who are not screened properly during interview or hiring process are more likely to face negative consequences such as get fired for their improper conduct in the organisation (Hogan Assessment System, n.d.). Personality of an individual also includes measurable traits of behaviour that facilitate how an individual can perform in particular situation in the organisation. By understanding the personality characteristics the recruiter can hire the desired candidates. Job match is the extent to which the employees have the cognitive skills, interests and quantifiable personality traits that are essential in performing the job effectively. The four personality types are generally identified which encompass stable, dominant, influencing and compliant. The core personality characteristics are critical to examine the ability of candidate while performing any job (Swenson, n.d.). If the hiring of the candidate is done in an

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Comparing Criminal Justice Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing Criminal Justice Systems - Assignment Example As much as criminal justice systems of all countries seem to follow some universal devising justice and punishment, there are wide variations between countries in the ways that these approaches work. This is because of the differences in power of law enforcement, style of policing, limits of search and seizure, the doctrine of presumption innocence and the doctrine of reasonable doubt. Other factors that create differences among criminal justice systems across countries include protection of self-incrimination rights, exclusion rules and other intra-systematic processes in criminal justice, which are not valued and practiced in the same way in every country. In this report, a comparison of criminal justice systems, based on the cases of Amanda Knox and Michael Fay, two young U.S. citizens accused of crimes in other countries, illustrates the differences between the U.S. criminal justice system and those of Italy and Singapore. The Knox case is a murder case, which is about the murder of a British student, Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy. During the time of the crime, all the occupants of the cottage had left to spend their night elsewhere apart from Meredith Kercher, who was to spend the night alone in the cottage. On the following day, Knox and her boyfriend, Rafaelle Sollecito, discovered that one of the windows of the cottage, where Meredith, Knox and others lived, had been broken. They called the police. The police forced the door to Kercher’s bedroom open and it was discovered that Kercher had been murdered. Knox and Rafaelle were accused of murdering Kercher because the deceased had refused to participate in a sex game. Knox’s boss was also accused on the same account, but he was released upon lack of evidence linking him to the crime. Forensic evidence led to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of Rudy Guede for murdering Meredith. On the other hand, Michael Fay was sentenced to four months imprisonment and six strokes of cane because

Defining the Word Hot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Defining the Word Hot - Essay Example Perhaps the primary reference of the word hot is a high temperature. During the summer, weather temperatures could go as high as a hundred degrees Fahrenheit or even higher. In Dubai, it has recorded 122 degrees Fahrenheit high. This is an extremely high temperature for humans and animals so that they need to stay indoors more often and have relied on air-conditioners to lower the temperature. When people need to go out, they should have something to block them from the sun such as an umbrella and they should also carry water to quench their thirst brought about by the high temperature. Obviously, the heat of the sun is a big factor affecting this hot temperature during summer. With no clouds to block the sun, the earth’s direct exposure to it elevates the temperature and therefore makes people perspire as a result of the hotness of the atmosphere. Similarly, hot is often associated with fire which is used to cook food or to make the house warm during winter.  Secondly, the word hot can also refer to a person’s hot-headedness. This association is most probably based on the fact that an angry person has an elevated blood pressure that causes his face to become red especially with white men. When a person is angry, his heart beats faster and pumps blood more rapidly which explains the increased blood pressure. Consequently, the temperature of the man also rises like a person suffering from the fever so that, in relation to the discussion above, an angry person is called hot. The process allows more blood on the head and changes the color of one’s face. Therefore, this could also be associated with the blood. Blood and the heart are identified with the color red. Moreover, a fire which emits some reddish glow or the color of ember or glowing coal is red. Blood, heart, and anger are all interconnected and this is the reason why an angry person is also referred to as hot-tempered. The term is the opposite of the slang word â€Å"cool†.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Legal Aspects of International finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Legal Aspects of International finance - Essay Example Stock is the type of equity security with which most people are familiar. When investors (savers) buy stock, they become owners of a "share" of a company's assets and earnings. In other words, the companies borrowed directly by issuing securities to investors in the capital markets. By contrast, indirect finance involves a financial intermediary between the borrower and the saver. Emerging market bonds is a Security markets in countries such as Mexico and Malaysia that are still developing their industrial base. Investments in emerging markets entail substantial risk with the potential for above-average returns. The direct or indirect benefits of international trade and finance come primarily from the enlargement of the market and the specialization and more efficient employment of productive resources, as well as technological advances. International transactions involve covenants agreed upon by different countries. The discussion of the paper is about the covenants involved. Debt covenants, also called banking covenants or financial covenants, are agreements between a company and its creditors that the company should operate within certain limits. Debt covenants are agreed as a condition of borrowing. They may be changed if debt is restructured.(www.moneyterms.co.uk). One of the importances of debt covenants is that it can impose heavy obligation. Companies are careful in dealing with the covenant; breach of a debt covenant allows creditors to demand immediate repayment. A breach of covenants usually leads to a renegotiation of the terms of debt. In order to prevent companies from meeting the requirements by adjusting their accounting practices rather than by genuinely maintaining the required level of financial health, debt covenants not only specify the numbers that should be met, but also exactly how they should be calculated for the purposes of the debt covenant. This means that if a company breaches, or is in danger of breaching its debt covenants, not only does this indicate that the company is not financially strong, but also that the problems are likely to become worse as lenders react. The following are reasons why covenants are important: (Noonan, 2005) 1. Covenant protect bondholders against a diminution in value of their investment through: Credit deterioration Loss of "equity cushion" Loss of control over assets Loss of seniority position 2. Covenants increase the chance of capital gains for bondholders because they force the company to Deleverage (or, more accurately, limit the company's ability to releverage) Reinvest earnings The typical restricted payments covenant requires the company to retain 50% of net income in the business and allows 50% to be dividended out to to stockholders 3. As a result, covenants lead to credit improvement which increases chance that bonds will trade above par High Yield Debt Covenant Optional Redemption - Most issues of tax-exempt bonds have "call protection" wherein the bonds may not be called (i.e. redeemed) by the issuer for a specified period after the date of issue. A typical call protection period on a 30 year bond is the first 10 years after the issue date. After the initial period, many tax exempt bonds contain optional redemption provisions which permit the issuer to call the bonds prior

What are the pros of unification on East Germany Essay

What are the pros of unification on East Germany - Essay Example Germany rose in the international politics and became the largest and strongest country economically, in the European Union. This political stability could be seen in the nature of elections and policy processes that took place in the country. The state ensured that the citizens participated in the countrys political affairs. The government educated the citizens on political systems, making them aware of their role. Policy making processes became transparent with the interest of the citizens at heart (Dalton et al). Introduction of a functioning currency (Deutschmark) was an economic benefit to the country. In addition, stable administrative and legal systems attracted investors in the country. Thus, Germany had access to European markets and funds. Between the years of 1990 and 2006, the European Union had given 17.9 billion Euros to Germany. These funds have assisted the country dealing with the economic and policy challenges (Dalton et al).

Friday, November 15, 2019

Internal and External Analysis of Franchise

Internal and External Analysis of Franchise Penny Thomas, an Ivey graduate with the help of her daughter, who also is an Ivey graduate, decides to purchase a license to open a Marble Slab franchise in the Great Toronto Area. After paying her fees of $25,000 to the company, she starts thinking of her marketing plan for her grand opening that she has two weeks to hand to the Marble Slab head-quarters in Calgary . So she hired a marketing consultant (me) to help her. First, the corporate capabilities of the company had to be defined, financial capabilities, Marketing capabilities, Operational capabilities and the available human resources. After comprehensively studying the internal capabilities of the company, the external forces affecting the business are analyzed. The two external forces categories discussed in the report are the economical factors in the area, the social factors. Politically and technologically didnt have an effect on the business. After that, the direct and indirect competitions of Thomas were examined and t hen plans were made to compete with them. The direct competitions were Baskin Robins and Dairy Queen. The indirect competitions were McDonalds, Star Bucks, grocery and convenience stores. After carefully examining all these influential forces, a consumer analysis of the three best potential target markets were women, young adults and families was set up. And the target Market of Women was found most suitable for Thomass business because women are the primary caregivers, dominant shoppers in the community and they are more health conscious than males. Once the target market was chosen, a marketing 4Ps plan was constructed. Product wise, Marble Slab franchise had plenty of options to choose from, from milk shakes to ice cream cakes. But the primary product that Thomas should use while promoting the grand opening is the Childs size ice cream with one mixin because it is popular and it appeals to womens concerns because it is small and tasty. Then prices were determined for only caterin g, because Marble Slab is a franchise and it wasnt allowed for Thomas to change any of the prices. She only had power over the catering prices, so calculations of the breakeven points of the three different catering options were conducted and the best catering choice was the Sundae Bar option. After that, the location of the store was determined by studying each areas population and traffic. And the area that was chosen was the Toronto Annex area, although with a low population, it had a lot of foot traffic from students (almost half of students being female) and near a busy shopping street. Following the location of the business, different promotional options (billboards, radio, etc.) were examined and the most suitable, affordable combination of promotions for the grand opening were chosen. In conclusion, this marketing situation was studied comprehensively and the following results of the marketing report project that the grand opening is going to be successful along with the yea rs to come. The Marble Slab Creamery has been a well-known name in the market for ice cream since it first opened in Houston, Texas in 1983. Now Marble Slab has 400 branches worldwide in which, Penny Thomas had been blessed to be a part of when she purchased the right to open up a franchise in the Greater Toronto Area. Thomas is going to have a grand opening in May 2008 and needs a marketing plan to get approved by the headquarters in Calgary, Alberta about how she will handle the grand opening. The following marketing report breaks down the corporate abilities and the external analysis of Thomass company, also it discusses the consumer analysis and the competitive analysis. After deciding on the right target market, the report discusses Marble Slabs marketing plan which include product, price, promotion and placement. Corporate Capabilities: Marble Slab enjoys many financial abilities, being one of 400 franchises; Penny Thomas shares the same purchasing power of the franchisor. This is really helpful because Thomas would get a great deal of help from the Marble slab company by providing penny with connections that she can use to increase the store’s success and it would save her time now that she got all the connection and purchasing power she needs. Another ability and privilege that comes with a franchise is that the financial risk of any financial disaster is reduced and the consequences wouldnt be as severe because the store is backed up by a large well-established company that acts as a safety net for Penny Thomas’s store, which is helpful and the store can feel more secure. On the other hand, marketing budget was set at $10,000, which can cover all the costs of the grand opening adequately, which is good for the starting company because budget is tight for any new project and e fficiency is a key player in making the starting of this store follow more smoothly. Marketing capability wise, Penny Thomas enjoys Marble Slabs already existing prominent name, so the store isnt a new store that the target market must discover and learn about. Therefore, the franchisor made Thomas’s promotional task easier, and many existing Marble Slab customers will come to this location. As well, Marble Slab is already known for its high quality products that many customers around the 37 Ontario locations enjoy and crave. Thomas’s operational activities offer a great deal of mainly quality, freshly made ice-cream, with the option of letting the customer customize their purchases with a choice of toppings blended into their ice-cream flavour of choice, these choices include fruit pieces, candy and specialty nuts. These blends were made by a Marble Slab employee on a marble granite slab it also serves kosher, low-diet frozen yogurt, sundaes, floats, soft drinks and i ce-cream cakes. All these activate differentiate Marble slab from any competition giving them a competitive advantage that leads to more sales. Moving on to human resources, Thomas is blessed with the degree from Richard Ivey school of business, help of her daughter who also graduated from Ivey and valuable 25 years worth of experience working for the Hudson Bay company and she was familiar with her father’s past AW restaurant that he owned. This helps her greatly, because she knows what to expect and she is a very wise women in the field of business. She is also enjoying the expertise and network of the Marble Slab’s company, that helps her get started with the help of her network and make her avoid wrong decisions that were made in the past. Marble Slab’s employees must be well trained to handle all the machines and blending techniques so they can achieve the whole Marble slab’s experience that the customer expects. Employees are also highly hygienic be cause the work requires lots of hand work. External Analysis: The economy this year is going through a difficult recession in the United States. Which raises fears on how the Canadian economy will get affected later with the decline in Canadian exports and the commodity prices, only one wonders how the recession will hit Canada. But the consumer spending and the Canadian GDP are still growing. This instability raises fears for the business, maybe hurting it in the future because if the recession does hit, less consumers will be able to afford the quality of Marble Slab so sales will decline. Also because Marble Slab deals with dairy products, cocoa and sugar commodities, in which always fluctuate in price and never stable depending on supply and demand of the market. That may hurt or help the business because prices might fall to less than expected, increasing the marginal profit or increasing to more than expected, decreasing the marginal profit. Socially, Thomas’s business is expected to decline in winter months, bec ause of Canada’s long harsh winters, because less people get a craving for good ice cream in the winter months than in the summer. Ice cream is also became a popular snack within the people, with the average Canadian consuming 8.4 litters annually in 2007. Also, the companys good quality products give the store an advantage of having people to like to show off in a way Marble Slab’s ice cream while they are eating it with their friends. Also, there is growing health a trend growing that pushes people to look for healthier ways to snack such as frozen yogurt, in which Marble Slab’s serves their customers. Competitive Analysis: Marble Slabs direct competitions in the market are Baskin Robins and Dairy Queen. Baskin Robins always had a strong presence in the Canadian Market. They have their stores present in good locations with high traffic for customers convenience. They serve 31 original high quality flavours, with the same price range as Marble Slab. Baskin Robins also enjoys a fortune of resources and promotional power. Though Baskin Robins has all these features, they dont give their customers the option of customizing their purchase like Marble Slab does. Marble Slab can compete with them by keeping the prices in the same range while emphasizing to the target market the option for customers to customize their purchases. This way Marble Slab would have a competitive advantage over Baskin Robins. Baskin might respond to this by introducing the same option we offer or decreasing their prices. The other direct competition to Marble Slab is the world-wide restaurant of Dairy Queen, whi ch served the same category of products with the option of customized purchase to their customer as marble slab does, but Dairy queen also sells hot food items such as hotdogs, burgers and fries. On top of that, they targeted the family markets because they also offer friendly-kid options. Dairy Queen is present in high traffic areas such as malls. Marble Slap therefore, has to try to avoid competing with Dairy Queen by targeting a market other than families, and at the same time focus on the quality of Marble Slabs products and show customers that they may be paying more but the quality they are gaining is much more than Dairy Queen. Dairy Queen might respond to this by increasing the quality of their products and focusing on the hot foods that they serve and promote it more to attract more customers. For competitive positioning map (see Exhibit #1). In addition to Marble Slabs direct competition, Marble Slab has three indirect competition; McDonalds, Starbucks and Grocers and convenience stores. McDonalds is the worlds largest fast food chain restaurant. Other than hot foods, they offer soft-serve dessert items such as ice cream, milk shakes and the Mcflurry. McDonalds is present in high traffic areas and offers a drive thru for customers in a hurry. They have cheap prices that anyone can afford in Canada, but also serve low quality products. McDonalds may seem like tough competition but it is not because it serves limited options for its customers. Marble Slab should focus on their quality and the unique Marble Slab way of making their products and making it more accessible for customers by adding a drive thru option. McDonalds wouldnt respond because their main goals arent about frozen desserts, they care more about their hot foods. A second indirect competition to Marble Slab is Starbucks, which is a premium retailer of coffe e dessert and fresh food items. Starbucks gives its customer a cozy atmosphere and wireless internet. Like Marble Slab, it offers high quality products for premium prices. Marble Slab already serves better quality choices and options of ice cream which gives a competitive advantage to Marble Slab. Marble Slab can also compete with Starbucks by giving the same cozy atmosphere in the restaurant but also suitable for younger children. Starbucks will respond to this by introducing new drinks which will appeal to children. The third indirect competition is the mass produce ice cream companies that distribute to grocers and convenience stores. These products appeal to a lot of people because they vary in prices and they are really accessible for customers because they are sold in grocery or convenience stores. Problem with this is that they are not always fresh and full of ingredients that keep the product fresh which can be harmful to the customer. Marble Slab can compete with this by se lling their mixes and their ice creams at a number of grocery and convenience stores in the future. For competitive positioning map(see Exhibit #1). Consumer Analysis There are three target market options that will probably appeal to Marble Slab, families, young adults and women. Families with children under 15 years of age are the best potential customers. Children represent the bottom of the population pyramid, which means that they are more than any other target market. Families eat ice creams when they go out with their children and the children ask their parents to buy them ice cream to satisfy their sweet tooth. Families are willing to buy mostly on weekends at locations near parks while taking the kids out, and inside malls while shopping. The second target market are young adults that age from 15-24 years of age who have some or full independence, and can spend their disposable income on social interactions. Young adults find ice cream a popular after a long day at work or at school or just simply to chill out. Young adults are influenced to buy from Marbles by seeing famous people or their idles eat Marble slabs Ice crea m. Young Adults would purchase an ice cream from shopping centres while they are shopping or beside a high school or a college when they are on break or after class. As good as the young adults target market sounds, it is very competitive because there is already a lot of ice cream outlets targeting this group. Which leads to the last target market†¦ Women, which are the best target Market for Thomass Marble Slab creamery. Because women are the caregivers and dominant grocery shoppers in our society, they also do more shopping than men in general, and they are more health conscious, which is good for the stores low-fat snacks. Women are influenced to purchase from Marble Slab when seeing skinny models satisfying their taste buds by enjoying their tasty Marble Slab snack, while still keeping their bodies fit. Women are everywhere, they can purchase from shopping malls, streets, gyms, parks and colleges at any time of the day, any day of the week, but mostly weekends. And women s pend alot of time at malls so Marble Slab would be a great snack for them. 4Ps {Product} Marble Slab is a franchise that differentiates itself from other ice-cream outlets because it serves their customers high quality, top of the line products. With the option of customizing their purchases by choosing different flavour blends and mixins which included, fruit pieces, candies and specialty nuts. Mixins were blended by employees on a marble granite slab. Also Marble Slab offers Kosher for the Jewish customers and a wide variety of different milkshakes, frozen yogurt, sundaes, milkshakes, floats, ice cream cakes, soft drinks and newly added fat-free frozen yogurt. The product that Thomas should focus and promote the most is Childs size ice cream because it is fairly popular and it appeals to her target market which is women, because it is a small portion with less calories and very tasty. {Price} Marble Slab is a franchise; therefore it doesnt have any power of changing of prices.(For unit contributions of products see exhibit 3) It requires Thomas to sell 7764 units of Childs size ice cream to break even and start making a profit. (see exhibit 2). Childs size ice cream is the product that will be promoted with the promotion of the grand opening, because it appeals to womens needs; its small and tasty. But the company gave Thomas the flexibility of prices in catering. Thomas should choose the Sundae bar catering option because it gets the most profit selling less units to break even than the other options. Sundae Bar needs 57 customers to breakeven the costs while the Ice Cream social needs 59 customers to break even and start making a profit.(see exhibit 4) The portable Slab option is unaffordable because there is only $685 left from the $10,000 budget that was set for the promotion, and $2,500 are needed for additional equipment.(exhibit 5) Thomas should keep her pr ice at the average which is $6.95 per person because price wars may lead to bankruptcy and because she is located in a busy area beside a university and a shopping street. Therefore, will get a lot of catering offers because it is where a lot of students and women who are either shopping or hanging around or at university would probably come and party on birthdays and other occasions. {Placement} Thomas should open her Marble Slab restaurant in the Toronto Annex Area. Although it has a smaller population of any of the four options, The Annex area has a lot of traffic from the university that is there and it is very close to Bloor Street, which is a major shopping street. This location is the most appropriate for the Creamery because Thomass target market is women. And women are the primary shoppers in society and the university probably has a high percentage of females attending it. So this location is located in the heart of where many women walk for either shopping or going to class. The location will also help have a more successful grand opening because it is exposed to people who go thru that busy area. {Promotion}To effectively promote the new store for the grand opening, Thomas should spend $2,120 on two street level media unit, in the Toronto Annex area , because the street media would be exposed to the people shopping and in university, showing them that a light, low fat snack from Marble Slab would be delicious while shopping or after class. In addition, Thomas should purchase two 10Ãâ€"20 feet billboards costing $2950 that would be located in high traffic roads. These billboards and street media should show a visual image of the creaminess, lightness and taste of a super premium Ice cream, preferably a childs size ice cream with one mixin, because it is small in calories and it would be best to promote. The advertisement will have a beautiful athlete physically-fit model eating from it. That way it will appeal to the target markets taste buds and show that you can stay healthy and fit while still eating delicious food. Thomas should also spend $645 on a daytime radio commercial for 30 seconds and $650 on a radio commercial at breakfast time. Thomas should purchase those times because morning time is the most time that people tune in to listen to the radio while they are eating breakfast or driving to work. And the other commercia l at daytime is effective, because it is when most people are awake and thinking of things to eat to get on with their day. Both types of promotion should emphasize the good quality, freshness and low fat in Marble Slabs products. All this adds up to $9315, which is less than the budget of $10,000 with an excess of $685. (See Exhibit 5) Confidently, this report will satisfy Penny Thomass wants and needs. This report discussed in detail the corporate capabilities, consumer analysis, competition analysis and the external analysis of the franchise. And from studying all these factors, the most suitable product, location, price and promotion were chosen for the grand opening of this franchise within the budget of $10,000. In conclusion, this marketing plan was designed to boost the businesss success from the start of the grand opening and for the many years to come. Surely, the Marble Slabs headquarters will approve of this report and would be anxious to see the results when the grand opening is on May 2008.

History of the Black Lives Matter Movement

History of the Black Lives Matter Movement A Change Overdue Throughout history, protesting and standing up for a cause has been very common. It’s essentially a part of American history. However, some make bigger impacts than others.   Peter Katel states in his article titled Racial Conflict, â€Å"Three words — Black Lives Matter — have sparked a new argument over race in America. Demonstrators chanting and tweeting that slogan have protested the deaths of African-Americans, many of them unarmed, at the hands of police officers — most of them white — in cities across the country in the past two years.† (15) The Black Lives Matter movement has fueled the fire for the discussion of racial equality in America. Most people felt, before the rise of the movement, that this topic of discussion was not necessary to discuss. The idea was that racism was non-existent in America and was not as bad as previous years throughout history. The movement has become very controversial and has resulted in some changes regarding police procedures but also an increased amount of violence in the black community. There are differing moral and political opinions, therefore the issue has no resolution as of now. Opposition has always been a part of American politics, but it is believed that Donald Trump’s election has sparked a larger era of protests. In an article titled Citizen Protests Alan Greenblatt says, â€Å"Fueled by social media, demonstrations have arisen over Trump administration policies on such issues as health care, climate change and immigration. Meanwhile, alleged police brutality and the removal of Confederate monuments have aroused mass protests, some violent.† (1) The size of today’s protests is reminiscent of the many protests in American history and especially the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The United States was founded in an act of protest, a rebellion against British colonial power. The Revolutionary War was followed by protests, such as the Boston Tea Party in 1773.Greenblatt goes on to say, â€Å"There was no time in American history when all views could be aired without some restrictions†¦There have always been some views that so me people thought were so repugnant and dangerous that they couldnt be allowed to be heard.† (8) The recent opposition of Trump’s presidency and protests related to Black Lives Matter follows right along with the U. S’s history of mass demonstrations. Today’s racial tensions began in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. New attention was focused on dangers to black males in 2012 when a neighborhood watch volunteer kills black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida. The slogan Black Lives Matter first showed up in media reports after the 2014 shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by Ferguson, Mo police officer Darren Wilson, resulting in Brown’s death. A series of mass demonstrations grew into the Black Lives Matter movement after multiple unarmed black men and boys were killed by police in New York City, Ohio, North Carolina, etc.   Criticism of the movement grew as African Americans became more violent towards police. Incidents include the December 2014 killing of two New York City officers and the September 2015 shooting of Houston Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth. This sparked a counter position labeled as Police Lives Matter. Today’s conflicts between police and African Americans have stimulated debate about the larger issue of race in America. Over the past three years, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement has inspired protests across the country against police violence. Some were continual over several weeks and drew a massive, militarized response from law enforcement. Some cities who held these massive demonstrations include: Ferguson, Mo, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Baltimore, Maryland. Collier Meyerson stated in an article titled When Protesting Police Violence Puts you in the Crosshairs, â€Å"†¦SWAT teams equipped with tear gas, armored vehicles, and rifles patrolled the streets, and protesters were subject to mass arrests and police brutality. In Ferguson, 10 days of protesting led to 150 arrests—80 percent of them for failure to disperse. Nearly 200 protesters were arrested in Baton Rouge. In Baltimore, a group of aggrieved residents sued the city† (20). Advocates for the Black Lives Matter movement argue that the emergence of the movement is mainly due to the impacts that police brutality and injustice in America has had on people of color. The impact is not only emotional but psychological as well. Over the past two decades, the militarization of police forces has given black Americans more to fear. â€Å"With current technology, police killing of Black people is recorded for public scrutiny and consumption. Access to these videos has led to unprecedented public discourse on what constitutes brutality, its connections to White supremacy, and the consequences for Black lives† (Alang 662). After the terrorist’s attacks in 2001, because of the severity of the attack on the country, police resources increased massively. Police officers now are trained as if they are in the military and use military strategies to manage protesters. Poor treatment by law-enforcement officers has been a reality of African-American life since before the United States existed. Even after the success of the civil-rights movement, police brutality and discrimination in the criminal-justice system didn’t end, they just became hidden. Over the course of the past three years, the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement has inspired protests. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Today, black men are six times more likely to be incarcerated than white men, and black women more than twice as likely as white women. Black men are three times more likely than white men to die at the hands of law enforcement. While advocates of the Black Lives Matter movement argue that the movement is a positive, productive way towards change that brings awareness to the racial tensions in America, opposers of the movement believe the movement promotes violence and is wrong and could even be classified as a hate group. Most opposers believe that both sides are to blame for the violence that comes from protests and rallies related to Black Lives Matter. Recently, Donald Trump stated that he agrees with the idea that both sides are to blame for violence. Trump’s election brought a new agenda for the movement’s opposers. Efforts were made to undo the things done during the Obama administration. The views of Trump brought on a debate from advocates and opposers of the Black Lives Matter movement. â€Å"As the 2016 presidential campaign unfolded, BLM activists gained a reputation for using disruption as a way to push the movement’s key issues† (McLain 13). The Black Lives Matter Movement has created a conversation within the country as well as across the world. â€Å"Black Lives Matter represents one of the most influential and controversial of the contemporary protests movements.   Much of the controversy is connected to misunderstanding, distorted portrayals, and attempts to discredit the movement† (Hoffman 596) Most minorities in America believe The Black Lives Matter movement should be recognized and challenged. During the civil rights movement, students protested and created movements like the Freedom Rides, people young and old marched on Washington, and many activists spoke out against injustice and locked arms with black men and women to demand change. In this era where racial tensions are at a high because of recent events, each of us should think about how we can effect change in all our communities and work to make it happen. It is time to speak up and speak out against injustice and wrong As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said: The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people. Work Cited Alang, Sirry, et al. Police Brutality and Black Health: Setting the Agenda for Public Health Scholars. American Journal of Public Health, vol. 107, no. 5, May 2017, pp. 662-665. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.303691. Greenblatt, Alan. Citizen Protests. CQ Researcher, 5 Jan. 2018, pp. 1-24, library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2018010500. Hoffman, Louis, et al. An Existential–Humanistic Perspective on Black Lives Matter and Contemporary Protest Movements. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, vol. 56, no. 6, Nov. 2016, pp. 595-611. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0022167816652273. Katel, P. (2016, January 8). Racial conflict. CQ Researcher, 26, 25-48. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/ McClain, Dani. The Future of BLM. (Cover Story). Nation, vol. 305, no. 8, 09 Oct. 2017, pp. 1216.EBSCOhost, libraries.ou.edu/access.aspx? url=http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ou.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=125280009&site=ehost-live. Meyerson, Collier. When Protesting Police Violence Puts You in the Crosshairs. Nation, vol. 305, no. 16, 18 Dec. 2017, pp. 16-21. EBSCOhost, libraries.ou.edu/access.aspx? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=126492359&site=ehost-live.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Comedic Violence in The Medea, The Oresteia, and Antigone Essay

Comedic Violence in The Medea, The Oresteia, and Antigone      Ã‚  Ã‚   Almost no Greek tragedy escapes the use of violence. The Medea, The Oresteia, Antigone, and other classic works of Grecian tragoidia all involve huge components of violence in many prominent places, and for all of these stories, violent action is an integral part of the play. Medea, especially, is a character worthy of note in this regard; her tumultuous life can be plotted accurately along a path of aggression and passionate fits, and her bloody history lends tension and ascendance to the cathartic events of the gripping Medea. In contrast to this turbulent streak of brutality in Grecian tragedy stands the world of Greek comedy. Violence in comedy is just as much a part of the plot as it is in tragedy; however, this superficial parallel ends the similarity between the two types of stories. Violence in a comedy has its own motives, its own consequences, and its own types of influence, and these differences accumulate to bring a whole new, non-tragic light to the ideas of violence and action in the overall storyline. Between Greek tragedy and comedy, every aspect of violence is different, and the ramifications of this disagreement are far-reaching.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A first comparison of violence between The Medea and Lysistrata leads to an important and ironic conclusion. In The Medea, violence is a pivotal component of the story's message. Medea herself is easily the most physically violent character in the story, and her methods in its plot resort to pain and death when there is conflict in need of resolution. Despite this, the actual tension in the story is not born of violence; rather, it is born of love and social strife. Jason, Medea's husband, is taking a n... ...akes something a comedy and what makes something tragic.    Works Cited    Aeschylus the Oresteia trans. Robert Fagles, New York: Penguin Books, 1976.    Antigone by Sophocles. Translated by R. C. Jebb. no pag. http://classics.mit.edu/Sophocles/antigone.html    Euripedes. Medea, in Euripedes I. Ed. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1955.    Goldhill, S. Reading Greek Tragedy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986.    Heidegger, Martin. "The Ode on Man in Sophocles' Antigone." In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Lucas, F.L. Euripides and His Influence. NY: Cooper Square, 1963.    McDermott, E A (1989) Euripides' Medea: The Incarnation of Disorder. Pennsylvania State University:USA

Ectasy and its Effects :: essays research papers

Club Drugs: Ecstasy In developing prevention efforts that target young people, prevention managers must design strategies to counter the increasing use and widespread availability of the club drug Ecstasy. Known as â€Å"the party drug,† Ecstasy is both a stimulant and a hallucinogen, and its effects are potentially life-threatening. Because it is inexpensive and easily accessible, Ecstasy is gaining in popularity. As reported in the Monitoring the Future Study (National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA] 1999), 3.6 percent of 12th graders, 3.3 percent of 10th graders, and 1.8 percent of 8th graders said they had used the drug in 1998. From 1991 through 1998, use by college students increased from 0.9 percent to 2.4 percent and by adults, from 0.8 percent to 2.1 percent (NIDA, Facts About MDMA, 2000). What Is Ecstasy? Ecstasy is the street name for methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), a chemical substance that combines methamphetamines with hallucinogenic properties. It is also known as X-TC, Adam, Clarity, and Lover’s Speed. Like all club drugs, Ecstasy is a combination of other illicit drugs. Because many different recipes are used to make Ecstasy, the risk of death and permanent brain damage are heightened when some substances are combined. It is available in tablet, capsule, or powder form; some manufacturers of the drug package it in capsules or generic tablets to imitate prescription drugs. The average cost is between $7 and $30 per pill. Among the variations of the drug is a new substance, Herbal Ecstasy, that is composed of ephedrine (ma huang) or pseudoephedrine and caffeine from the kola nut. Sold in tablet form, this drug may cause permanent brain damage and death (NIDA, Club Drugs: Just the Facts, 2000). What Side Effects Are Produced by Ecstasy? Ecstasy’s effects can last up to 24 hours. The drug produces immediate side effects, and some—such as confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, and paranoia—can occur weeks after it is taken (NIDA, Community Drug Alert Bulletin on Club Drugs, 2000). Because Ecstasy alters serotonin levels in the brain, researchers have found that chronic use can lead to long-term or permanent damage to those parts of the brain critical to thought, memory, and pleasure (NIDA, Facts About MDMA, 2000).

Monday, November 11, 2019

Agricultural Development

Agricultural development can be defined as; an improvement in all aspects or practices of agriculture that can lead to better yields or output. Green revolution also refers to the introduction of modern farming practices such as improve seeds, tractors, pesticides, weedicides among others into agriculture Institutional bottlenecks on the other hand refer to a set of long standing factors that militates against the development of agriculture overtime. It therefore clearly indicates that the development of agriculture is green revolutionary dependant; the institutional factors that hinder the total implementation of the green revolution agenda of agricultural development include the following; Cultural belief system and ideological orientation; the cultural practices, values, norms, and views of most Ghanaian communities are anti-modern and difficult to change. It is in this sense that most beliefs system is so rigid that any other practices seen contrary to them are mostly rejected. The Ghanaian beliefs such as constructions of mounds as a method of farming is seen as the best as against the use of tractors for ploughing the lands, to an extent that, though others can afford the services of tractors to plough their land, they rather claim that the use of tractor for ploughing distract the soil profile, hence reject it which could have led to higher yields. They therefore stick to the old methods of farming. Besides that, there is low technological development in less developed nations like Ghana which also affect green revolution of agriculture in the sense that most agricultural inputs are imported into these nations hence there is persistent low productivity. Low level of education is one of the impediments to green revolution of agriculture in Ghana in particular. The educational level of most farmers is so low that, it becomes difficult to teach the peasant farmers modern farming practices, the few extension officers who are trained to educate farmers on better farming practices finds it difficult to do so as dissemination of information to local people becomes difficult due to language barrier. English language as the common medium of communication is not understood by the local people and if an extension officer does no understand the native language of the people his work is affected, the roblem of inadequate trained agricultural workers and appropriate logistics is yet another challenge to green revolution in Ghana, informal education that is being organized to educate farmers, also lacks the commitment of the local farmers and mostly fails. The nature of agricultural institutions in Ghana is also one of the outstanding factors that militated against the development of agricultural in Ghana. Most agricultural institutions are located out of reach of the peasant farmers.  Most of these institutions are located in urban areas whereas most farmers in the country live and work in the rural areas, these institutions are also filled with people with little or no knowledge in modern farming practices and the few available personnel have to battle with a large population size of farmers as it is noted in Ghana that the extension officer to farmer ratio is one officer is to one hundred and forty thousands farmers (1: 140000). This clearly indicates that it is impossible for the few extension officers to carry out their work effectively with this large farming population. Moreover the few officers are not motivated enough to give up their best. Furthermore, government policies in Ghana towards agricultural development are nothing to write home about. Agriculture as the mainstay of the economy, which should have been given the highest attention on yearly budgetary allocation most at times receives the least attention of government in resource allocation. This has inevitably led to the inability of agricultural institutions to supply farmers with inputs in order to boost their production levels. The little funds that are allocated to agriculture are also face with the problem of poor distribution as the target areas are not reached. The poor agricultural nature is also faced with unfavorable competition in the international markets with the advance nations like U. S. due to trade liberalization; which makes it possible for countries to be able to export its agricultural goods or produces to other countries. This has led to unhealthy competition and to the killing of the local agricultural industries in most less developed nations. The advance nations with better agricultural inputs couple with high level of technology and quality agricultural produces simply take over the market and display our local farmers. This has led to l0ow productivity as they are faced with strong competition in the market and at most times they are the hard-hit. These advance nations brings into the less developed countries their cheap and subsidized agricultural products, hence get better patronage than their local competitors. This is evident in Ghana, as imported rice is better patronized than the locally produced rice. Hence trade liberalization among nations has affected agricultural development among less developed nations like Ghana. Lastly, the poorly organized nature of our farmers is also another problem militating against the green revolution of agriculture. The farmers are not united to be able to access financial support for large scale farming; in other words they do not form co-operative societies which could give them a well developed foundation to ask for financial assistance from financial institutions and corporate bodies to embark on commercial farming activities this imply that these peasant farmers can not increase productivity and continue to remain in the peasant cycle. The above are some of the institutional factors that have militated against the smooth green revolution of agriculture in Ghana; hence the reforming of such institutional bottlenecks forms the main path to well green revolution of agriculture in Ghana

Sunday, November 10, 2019

First Crusade

The First Crusade (1096–1099) was a military expedition by Roman Catholic Europe to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquests of the Levant (632–661), ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem in 1099. It was launched on 27 November 1095 by Pope Urban II with the primary goal of responding to an appeal from Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, who requested that western volunteers come to his aid and help to repel the invading Seljuq Turks from Anatolia.An additional goal soon became the principal objective—the Christian reconquest of the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and the freeing of the Eastern Christians from Islamic rule. During the crusade, knights and peasants from many nations of Western Europe travelled over land and by sea, first to Constantinople and then on towards Jerusalem, as crusaders; the peasants greatly outnumbered the knights.Peasants and knights were split into separate armies; however, because the peasants w ere not as well-trained in combat as the knights, their army failed to reach Jerusalem. The knights arrived at Jerusalem, launched an assault on the city, and captured it in July 1099, massacring many of the city's Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. They also established the crusader states of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Tripoli, the Principality of Antioch, and the County of Edessa.Because the First Crusade was largely concerned with Jerusalem, a city which had not been under Christian dominion for 461 years, and the crusader army refused to return the land to the control of the Byzantine Empire, the status of the First Crusade as defensive or as aggressive in nature remains controversial. The First Crusade was part of the Christian response to the Muslim conquests, and was followed by the Second Crusade to the Ninth Crusade, but the gains made lasted for less than 200 years. It was also the first major step towards reopening international trade in the West since the fall o f the Western Roman Empire.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Stranger Than Fiction Lit Critical Appreciation Essays

Stranger Than Fiction Lit Critical Appreciation Essays Stranger Than Fiction Lit Critical Appreciation Paper Stranger Than Fiction Lit Critical Appreciation Paper Essay Topic: The Stranger Stranger Than Fiction is another original yet broadly appealing movie to add to Kaufmans list of Impeccable Cinematographic Creations. This is one movie where two distinctly different themes, Comedy and Tragedy, are intelligently mangled with, occasionally even bordering on the lines of melding with each other.The movie, briefly put, scripts the life of its protagonist- Harold Crick, a Chicago IRS auditor whose world comprises of nothing but facts and figures. He epitomizes every characteristic a person is required to possess for society to label them a drone. From the eerie extent of obsessing over the proscribed number of toothbrush strokes each session must receive, to his genius ability to mentally solve large multiplication problems, this fastidious male is unknowingly, in a skewed yet extraordinary manner, the perfect lead character for a story book.The realization that the British voice narrating the movie was intended for not only the audience, but in fact specifically at Har old also, appalls many. This interesting use of an omniscient narrator draws in audience related themes such as Determinism and Fate and more blatantly surfaces the existence of yet another character- Karen Eiffel.Harbouring a Sylvia Plath sort of disposition, this chain smoking recluse of an author is adamant to find the appropriate closure for the main character of her latest downbeat novel, who happens to be none other than Harold Crick. However, the plot gradually reaches its climax when Karen, so desperately trying to find inspiration for a tragic ending, is put in contrast with Harold, who is urgently trying to pinpoint the problem with the perceived hallucinations or voices in his head. With the wisdom and advice of literary professor Jules Hilbert, he eventually understands the book he is living in and most vitally, the possible ends he would eventually have to face.Determinism is greatly exemplified here, where any possibility of free will Harold originally had the right to was ruled invalid and denied. Most pertinent to him, of course, was the fact that death was inevitable and there was no other alternative but it. Hhis fate was controlled by the antecedent script of the book. This prevailing theme brings the film to an entirely deeper level, much different from the regular bland, brainless on-screen entertainment we are usually provided with these days.Harolds contiguous brush with death allowed his character to concentrate on the emotional essentials of life, as opposed to the usual mundane and routine aspects he previously focused on. Like any other movie, romance is a necessity and topping this one of with tasteful humor and a tinge of predictability, Harold falls in love with an alterative bohemian baker whom he was delegated to audit. She fits comfortably in the category of a political non-conformist who refuses to pay the income taxes she deems objectionable. Moreover, she finds Harold Crick the root cause of the wrong in America, which makes their growing love for each other an uncanny yet amusing watch.The cerebral notion of suspense the movie entails is what keeps any viewers eyes glued to the screen. Kaufmans design of Stranger Than Fiction never once provides a moment in time where questions about the plot stop popping up in ones mind despite the many hints apparent throughout the film. With the assistance of a respectable supporting cast, this movie does not steer off tangent from start to finish. Regardless of the somewhat abrupt ending, Stranger Than Fiction is in a odd and eccentric way a must-watch and by far one of Kaufmans greatest portrayal of clever cinematography.

American Pie review essays

American Pie review essays American Pie, 1999, Directed by Paul and Chris Weitz, Written by Adam Herz Jason Biggs- Jim Levinstein, Chris Klein- Chris Oz Ozstreicher American Pie is a movie that centers around four normal teenagers, two of whom who are experienced with sex and two who have no idea what third base feels like, to which one of the friends exclaims, feels like warm apple pie. The movie is a funny ride through the last couple weeks of the high school career of these men. The men make a pact to all have sex by the end of prom night, giving them a few weeks to try and seal the deal. The men find that losing their virginity isnt as easy as it seems, as they each encounter their problems. Jim (Jason), seems to be a late bloomer to the world of sex and displays a video on the internet that gets him into trouble with all of the girls in the school, except for band geek Michelle (Alyson Hannigan). Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) has a girlfriend but she doesnt think the time is right for sex, but after reading the sex dictionary in the school library, he convinces her that prom night is the time. Chris (Klein) joins a vocal jazz choir and meet s a girl in there who he decides to take to prom but after seeing a incident involving Chris best friend Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott) degrading her in front of the whole lacrosse team she decides its a bad idea. After some begging Chris finally gets her to go with him again. Finch is the worst off of the group, as he pays a girl to spread some rumors about him but still cant find a date after Stifler puts some ex-lax in his mochachinno and embarrasses him in front of the whole student body. One of the best aspects of the movie, is its crude humor. The jokes probably wont seem funny to adults or young children who wont understand the humor, but one of its biggest draws is that its not afraid to do what other films are afraid to do. In a s...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

10 Facts About Spanish Prepositions

10 Facts About Spanish Prepositions Here are 10 facts about Spanish prepositions that will come in handy as you learn the language. 1. A preposition is a part of speech that is used to connect a noun with another part of a sentence. That noun - or noun substitute such as a pronoun, infinitive or phrase acting like a noun - is known as a prepositional object. Unlike interjections and verbs, prepositions cannot stand alone; they are always used with objects. 2. Prepositions, preposiciones in Spanish, are called that because they are positioned before objects. In Spanish this is always true. Except perhaps in some kind of poetry where the rules of word order are discarded, the prepositional object always follows the preposition. This is in contrast with English, where it is possible to place a preposition at the end of a sentence, especially in questions such as Whom are you going with? In translating that sentence to Spanish, the preposition con must come before quià ©n, the word for who or whom in a question:  ¿Con quià ©n vas? 3. Prepositions can be simple or compound. The most common Spanish prepositions are simple, meaning that theyre made up of one word. Among them are a (often meaning to), de (often meaning from), en (often meaning in or on), para (often meaning for) and por (often meaning for). Compound prepositions should be thought of as a single unit even though made up of two or more words. Among them are delante de (usually meaning in front of) and debajo de (usually meaning underneath). 4. Phrases beginning with a preposition usually function like adjectives or adverbs. Two examples of adjectival usage, with prepositions in boldface: En el hotel hay mucho ruido durante la noche. (In the hotel there is much noise during the night. The phrase provides a description of ruido, a noun.) Comprà © la comida en el refrigerador. (I bought the food in the refrigerator.) The same adverbial phrases used as adverbs: Ella se levantà ³ durante la noche. (She got up during the night. The phrase describes how the action of the verb, se levantà ³, was performed.) Puse la comida en  el  refrigerador. (I put the food in the refrigerator.) 5. Numerous fixed phrases that include a preposition can also function as prepositions. For example, the phrase a pesar de means in spite of and like simpler prepositions must be followed by a noun or noun substitute: A pesar de la crisis, tengo mucho dinero. (In spite of the crisis, I have a lot of money.) 6. Spanish frequently uses phrases with a preposition in situations where English speakers often use adverbs. For example, youre more likely to hear phrases such as de prisa or a toda prisa to mean hurriedly than an adverb such as apresuradamente. Other common adverbial phrases among the hundreds in existence include en broma (jokingly), en serio (seriously), por cierto (certainly) and por fin (finally). 7. Meanings of prepositions can be vague and highly dependent on context, so the meanings of Spanish and English prepositions frequently dont line up well. For example, the preposition a, while often meaning to, can also mean by, at or even off to. Similarly, the English to can be translated not only as a, but also as sobre, de, hacia and contra. 8. The most confusing prepositions for Spanish students are often por and para. Thats because both are frequently translated as for. The rules become complicated, but one quick tip that covers many situations is that por often refers to a cause of some sort while para often refers to a purpose. 9. When a sentence opens with a prepositional phrase that modifies the meaning of the entire sentence, that phrase is followed by a comma. This is common with phrases that reflect the speakers attitude toward what is said. Example: Sin embargo, prefiero escuchar lo que dicen. (Nevertheless, I prefer to hear what they say.) 10. The prepositions entre and segà ºn use subject pronouns rather than object pronouns. So the equivalent of according to me is segà ºn yo (not using the me you might expect). Similarly, between you and me is entre yo y tà º (me and ti arent used).

History Of Rap Essays - African-American Culture, Music, Free Essays

History Of Rap Essays - African-American Culture, Music, Free Essays History Of Rap History of Rap Rap music as a musical form began among the youth of South Bronx, New York in the mid 1970s. Individuals such Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash were some of the early pioneers of this art form. Through their performances at clubs and promotion of the music, rap consistently gained in popularity throughout the rest of the 1970s. The first commercial success of the rap song Rapper's Delight by the Sugar Hill Gang in 1979 helped bring rap music into the national spotlight. The 1980s saw the continued success of rap music with many artists such as Run DMC (who had the first rap album to go gold in 1984), L.L. Cool J, Fat Boys, and west coast rappers Ice-T and N.W.A becoming popular. Today, in the late 1990s rap music continues to be a prominent and important aspect of African- American culture. Rap music was a way for youths in black inner city neighborhoods to express what they were feeling, seeing, and living and it became a form of entertainment. Hanging out with friends and rapping or listening to others rap kept black youths out of trouble in the dangerous neighborhoods in which they lived. The dominant culture did not have a type of music that filled the needs of these youth, so they created their own. So, rap music originally emerged as a way for [black] inner city youth to express their everyday life and struggles (Shaomari, 1995, 17). Rap is now seen as a subculture that, includes a large number of middle to upper white class youths, has grown to support and appreciate rap music. Many youth in America today are considered part of the rap subculture because they share a common love for a type of music that combines catchy beats with rhythmic music and thoughtful lyrics to create songs with a distinct political stance. Rap lyrics are about the problems rappers have seen, such as poverty, crime, violence, racism, poor living conditions, drugs, alcoholism, corruption, and prostitution. These are serious problems that many within the rap subculture believe are be ing ignored by mainstream America. Those within the rap subculture recognize and acknowledge that these problems exist. Those within this subculture consider the other group to be those people who do not understand rap music and the message rap artists are trying to send. The suppresser, or opposition, is the dominant culture, because it ignores these problems and perhaps even acts as a catalyst for some of them. The beats of rap music has people bopping and the words have them thinking, from the tenement-lined streets of Harlem, New York, to the mansion parties of Beverly Hills, California (Shomari, 1995, 45). Rap music, once only popular with blacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, has grown to become America's freshest form of music, giving off energy found nowhere else. While the vocalist(s) tell a story, the sic jockey provides the rhythm, operating the drum machine and scratching. Scratching is defined as rapidly moving the record back and forth under the needle to create rap's famous swishing sound (Small, 1992, 12). The beat can be traditional funk or heavy metal, anything goes. The most important part of rap is rapping, fans want to hear the lyrics. During every generation, some old-fashioned, ill-humored people have become frightened by the sight of kids having a good time and have attacked the source of their pleasure. In the 1950s, the target was rock 'n' roll. Some claimed that the new type of music encouraged wild behavior and evil thoughts. Today, rap faces the same charges. Those who condemn this exciting entertainment have never closely examined it. If they had, they would have discovered that rap permits kids to appreciate the English language by producing comical and meaningful poems set to music. Rappers don't just walk on stage and talk off the top of their heads. They write their songs, and they put a lot of though into them. Part of rapping is quick wit. Rappers like L.L. Cool J grew up rapping in their neighborhood, and they learned to throw down a quick rhyme when they were challenged (Nelson,Gonzales, 1991, 135). But part of it

Monday, November 4, 2019

Campus and the Life Changing Eye Opener Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Campus and the Life Changing Eye Opener - Essay Example This was through a campus  club  known as AIESEC. This experience changed my life profoundly and sparked a level of  awareness  that I  previously  did not have. A good number of the movies I had watched while growing up presented campus as  a place  to have mad fun. Caution  was thrown  to the wind as the students explored and experimented with their lives.  Whereas I am not claiming  conclusively  otherwise, I  feel  that there is a  side  of campus movies the movies totally ignore; the constructive side.  Oblivious of this view of campus, I had joined the  place  when  ready to  experience  the thrills I had seen in the movies.  Out of chance, I had joined this student’s  business  club, AIESEC. The  club  concerns itself with offering a  platform  to develop agents of positive change and leaders, with strong interests in business, entrepreneurship and project management. The  club  also offers its members oppo rtunities to  visit  business establishments to  witness  the best practices at work. It was during one of such activities in AIESEC that my life changing  experience  occurred. ... The level of  efficiency  arising from such  proper  organization  was clearly  discernible. Besides, the factory seemed to have an  unspoken  culture  as there was no one barking orders and reprimanding junior staff. The  second  thing I came across was the  commitment  to sustainability and environmental awareness. I do not claim to be the most environmentally  unaware  individual  at that time, but I had not seen such levels of active pursuit of sustainable practices and eco-friendliness, epitomized by  production  of the Prius and massive cuts on energy expenses. Massive research  had been done  into the most  efficient  technologies and building designs, while  ordinary  practices  were adopted  during  everyday  roles. While the capital costs would appear restrictive, the benefits in cost saving, motivation and customer  admiration  are  invaluable. The third and  last  impact  of the trip to TEMA was sparking my  global  awareness. The company is clearly a  global  leader; identifying  global  trends and how they affect Toyota; training staff to be  global  business leaders among other  global  perspectives. An experience is not life changing if one fails to act on it. I built upon the impact of the trip to TEMA first through undertaking research on the concepts learnt from the visit. Thus, I gained  an understanding  of the Toyota Way Culture and Lean management systems that brought about the efficiency, hard work and  motivation  I had observed (Toyota-Global). In fact, most other firms use a Toyota Way  variant  referred to as Six Sigma to optimize performance (Liker and Hoseus 37). I also gained much  interest  and understanding on sustainability and eco-friendliness, and how to build a

Compose a report listing the possible ways in which your electronic Essay

Compose a report listing the possible ways in which your electronic files could be lost, stolen, or corrupted, and explain the steps you would take to minimise these threats - Essay Example The most common is intentional action where we purposely delete or remove electronic files from storage or system. The others ways that data may be lost unintentionally could be caused by neglect, failure, force of nature, and theft. a. Neglect – electronic files are often lost because the hardwares that stores them are often neglected. Either the disk or memory stick has been misplaced or the hardware itself was not taken cared of resulting to the corruption of data that was stored in it. b. Hardware, software or systems failure – this often happen when there is an power outage where the work in progress was not saved and thus lost. Files that has been corrupted either by a defective disk or deleted by scan disk are deemed to be hardware and system failure resulting in data loss. c. Force of nature – electronic files can be destroyed by nature too. This can happen when the hardware where the file was stored was destroyed either by a flood, earthquake or other forces of nature. d. Theft – the loss of data by theft is deliberate and often contains sensitive information which has economic value. Loss of data to theft is no different to losing other tangible things to thieves only that the object that was stolen was information. The possibility of losing electronic data cannot be totally eliminated but there are precautionary steps that can be undertaken to prevent such loss. The different type of losing data requires different precautionary measures. In the above category of losing data, the following precautionary measures can be undertaken to minimize the loss of electronic files. a. Neglect – to prevent the loss of data due to neglect, the hardware and the software that contains and enables the electronic file should be taken cared of. A simple maintenance will do such as regular cleaning of the disk that contains the file, scanning system for virus and avoiding usage abuse of

Friday, November 1, 2019

Employee Benefits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Employee Benefits - Essay Example An employee has the right to claim or file a court order upon denial of the enjoyment of such benefits (United States and United States, 2004). Many employees fail to understand whether their employee benefits package gives them the payback, they deserve in an increased employee appreciation and satisfaction. They may only understand and appreciate only a part of the employer’s cost of the benefits they receive. Employees should understand and claim for such benefits including: Health care benefits; All employees are entitled to health and care benefits. Organizations are called upon to initiate some wellness related programs that cover the health care of the employees. Employers should provide a safe working environment. Employees who have a full access to their benefits significantly play a great role towards the development of the organization. These may act motivating factors for employees who in turn work to achieve great success of the organization. Some successful organizations like the World Bank are found to have been in first place in administering services that offered the employee benefits. World Bank offer much employee benefits facilitated through such programs like the Medical Insurance Program, which is a comprehensive insurance policy run by the World Bank Group for the locally or internationally recruited employees (United States and United States, 2004).These among other benefits are vital in the sustenance of the employee and the company. The modern approach to employee benefit and compensation plans rewards and helps in the recognition of the best employees in an organization. Effective employee benefits plans raise and improve productivity and increase employee retention. Genera lly, the employee benefits plan has a positive impact on the organization’s bottom line. They should be offered as a right and benefit to both the

A movie star Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A movie star - Essay Example Undoubtedly, the way Heath portrayed and played the role of the Joker is irreplaceable and unbelievable. Surely, the makers of Dark Knight will be continue to face issues in finding a perfect replacement for Heath as Heath no longer stands and shines within the society. His performance as the joker was quite thought provoking and the way he managed to villainies the sets and story of Dark Knight clearly shows that Heath had worked hard for this character and had invested more than he could into the character. His performance as the joker can easily be compared to a king who is mentally unfit to rule and his psychotic nature was making every individual bow in front of him. The first words uttered by Heath Ledger as the Joker were â€Å"What doesn’t kill you, makes you stranger† and right after those words were spoken in the film, the movie continued to unfold in the most entertaining and uncertain manner. All the lines that were spoken by Joker were very well illustrated throughout the movie and even today these punch lines are remembered and used to reflect upon a world where a Joker exists and people fear him. One of the greatest scenes performed by heath during the movie was when he asked an individual about whether he wants to see a magic trick, then he place a pencil on the table and pushed the man’s head on the pencil, instantly killing him. The manner, the threatening voice and the uncertain move made by Heath ledger clearly reflected how a psychotic person thinks and how dangerous he can be. From this scene and after that every scene played by Joker in the movie had an unforgettable impact on all those who watched the movi e. Heath Ledger’s performance throughout the movie over shadowed every single performance of other cast members, it seemed as if he was sitting in the driving scene and was able to take the movie to whatever direction he wanted to and the rest followed his pursuit. Even though Batman is supposed to be