Buying & Merchandising Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Buying & Merchandising Project - Essay Example In propounding such a vision of capitalism, Schumpeter extrapolated the business model framework for competitive markets, stating â€Å"capitalism, then is by nature a form or method of economic change† (Schumpeter, 1942). Furthermore, Schumpeter argued that innovation was the key to success and survival in a capitalist state and Reinert refers to the fact that the term highlights how failure to be innovative in business results in a â€Å"vicious circle where developing countries, lacking the necessary technological and institutional infrastructure, fall further and further behind† (Reinert, 2004:11). Therefore according to Schumpeter’s model, capitalism is the central change embodied in technological advancement and innovation as a form of economic evolution (Aghion, P., & Howitt, P., 1992). From a retailing perspective, it is evident that proliferation of the multi-channel retailing paradigm as required retailers to â€Å"innovate† in order to maintain position in the marketplace (Levy & Weitz, 2008). Schumpeter further argues that internal innovation within a business operational framework produces lower costs, which in turn permits companies to sell products at lower prices, which is referred to as dynamic efficiency (Utterback, J. 1996). This in turn highlights a key element of Schumpeter’s model that competition for innovation as opposed to competition for customers is the most important, which arguably underpins contemporary multi-channel retail strategy (Diamond & Pintel, 2004). Innovation in the context of multi-channel retail strategy essentially becomes essential to effective capitalism, providing the foundation of dynamism in line with Schumpeter’s theory that the evolution and sustainability of a successful business model is not dependant on how capitalism administers existing models, but rather with how it destroys them through creativity to survive long term growth (Metcalfe, J.S. 1998; Levy & Weitz,

Why Dating Shows Are so Popular in China Nowadays Essay Example for Free

Why Dating Shows Are so Popular in China Nowadays Essay 1.Introduction In recently years, Chinese television has been picking up the trends of reality shows, especially dating shows. These fast emerging match making shows have captured millions of viewers and have become very popular in Chinese society. Although the shows contain lots of problems and bring up many controversial topics in our lives, nearly everyone in China is enthusiastically watching one or more of these weekly dating shows. The question is, why? Historic reasons, social reasons and commercial reasons have all contributed to the dating shows popularity. 2.Dating shows nowadays Every Saturday and Sunday night on television, a jury of more or less than 20 single women question a few guys one by one after watching his introductory videos; then press a button to turn off the light if they think the guy is not â€Å"date-worthy†. After three rounds of interaction, if there are girls keeping the light on for the candidate and he likes one of them, he succeeds in the match. And if all twenty-four lights go off, the male loses. In turn, guys can first choose his favorite girl and if he survives the trial, he will have a chance to pick a girl for a date. Most of the shows have the similar pattern. Sometimes situations would inverse, which is a jury of guys can judge a few women one by one. Basically it could be describe as a process of young men and women judging and choosing each other. If lucky, one could find himself or herself a date. Apart from the participants, there will be a humorous host to help organize; also, there will be two or three guest experts to give comments and advice to the participants. 3. Historic Reasons The changing of Chinese women For centuries, patriarchy was rooted deeply in Chinese society. Chinese women owned very limited choice in their lives, especially their marriages. In fact, in Han Dynasty, the Three Obediences and Four Virtues that set the standards of behavior for women. It required women to obey her father and other male family members. In traditional Chinese culture, females should be quiet, tender, compliant and conservative. Pillai (2009) said in her article Women in the Ancient Chinese Culture, â€Å"For almost two thousand years, the life of the Chinese woman was unbearable.† Therefore, they had almost no freedom in choosing husbands. As they have equal chances to receive higher education as men do, now urban Chinese women are becoming more open and self-confident. Faced with completely unfamiliar male candidates, knowing their performance will be shown on TV to millions of viewers, the ladies on stage are never afraid of speaking their opinions on life and marriage and make judgments on the male candidates. It seems that women are in charge of the game—they decide a man’s fate on the stage. All these facts seem to indicate that the Chinese society is going to enter an era of feminism. So compared to ancient China, women in modern China are offered a lot more opportunities to take positions and influence society in their own way. The changing of Chinese dating pattern Back in ancient China, a matchmaker was instrumental in settling a marriage. They provided communications and consulting astrogical charts to ensure the compatibility of the prospective bride and groom as well as the two families. So in ancient China, there was little opportunity for getting to know your future partner, since the heads of the bride and groom’s families would arrange marriages. Sometimes the couples first meeting was on the day of their wedding, a situation most singles today would find outrageous. What is happening today is both men and women are giving more freedom when comes to choosing who to date and who to marry. One can decide his or her date based on various personal standards. By participating dating shows, participants can meet all kinds of potential partners and more likely to find someone who fits their requirements. The changing of people’s attitude towards dating and marriage According to the previous historic reasons, men and women could hardly meet each other before marrying. Therefore, their marriages were purely for reproducing, for relations between families and mostly for stable life for the rest of the lives. So in ancient China, when a man or woman tried to find a life partner, they were not really looking for a love of the life rather than a wife who can take good care of the family or a financially reliable husband. According to what Chen (2003) said in her article Marriage and the Family in China, â€Å"to many people nowadays, income, housework and procreation are no longer top priorities; more important is having a loving, loyal and understanding spouse.† To make a conclusion, two people marry nowadays is because the pleasure that connubial relationship brings them. 4.Social Reasons Viewers’ psychology When browsing the Internet, you can see lots of people are talking about the dating shows. The funny part is, lots of people don’t really buy the performance or the fake romance on stage and they are talking about how lack of intelligence those shows are. Then why those shows are still so popular? I read lots of people’s comments and it shows that many people are watching those so-called boring shows because they are boring after work or on the weekends. Watching those dating shows can take large amount of their dull time. Moreover, viewers have been intrigued by the guests outspoken remarks and the occasional arguments that break out. Liu (2011), the Chinese psychiatrist claims that curiosity is born with human beings, so the curiosity and the tendency to the privacy are innate. As another reason why people enjoy the show, viewers tend to enjoy watching other people’s sometime dramatic dating process and conversations during partners, which originally should be private and personal. Social controversial topics bring up by the shows The show is more than a dating game. It is like a multi-dimensional mirror that reflects social values.—Lin (2010). Materialism Bergman (2010) writes in his article, China’ TV Dating Shows: For Money or for Love, that in China, more and more young women nowadays consider true love as materials. In spite of the outlook or character of the possible suitor, what really concerns those girls are whether or not they have houses, the size of the houses, and wealthy bank account and someday also a fancy car. One famous case involves Ma Nuo, a 22-year-old girl who showed up on Chinas most popular dating show, If You Are the One. She arrogantly rejected a male contestant’s invitation of bike riding and then came up with the famous and controversial reply, Id rather cry in a BMW car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle. Ma is not the only one, there are far more girl participants thinking and acting just like her. These girls on the stage represent and reflect this generation’s materialism that has become the trends in our society. These girls bring materialism to their dating has brought up social controversy. Chen Zhigang, a critic and playwright, said, They have grown up in a society that is quickly accumulating material wealth. They are snobbish. They worship money, cars and houses because the highly developing economy has made them do so.† This phenomenon is unimaginable back in the China 10, 20 years ago. Are those material girls wrong and superficial? Or is it an improvement in China showing nowadays people are becoming more and more realistic? Some people disdain this materialism while some others say it’s understandable. This is a very controversial question brought up by the dating shows that worth thinking about. Sheng Nan and Sheng Nu (singles who are in their late 20s and over 30) The popularity of television dating programs reflects a collective anxiety of single people, particularly the colony of sheng nan, sheng nu, and their families, said Xiang Jianxin, vice-president of Baihe.com, a dating network company. Dating shows provides lots of Sheng nan and Sheng nu a platform to meet potential date so they often appear on the dating shows. They tend to be successful on their career but they don’t have much time in their life to meet potential dates and need help on finding a good relationship. Unlike the old China, where young men and women would get marry at very young ages like 20 or younger, people’s marry age seems to keep postponing. More and more young people are now focusing on establishing their career instead of finding a good marriage. Therefore, as they get older, they start to be anxious about this marriage thing under the pressure from their family and society. Compared to ancient China, although women in modern China are offered a lot more opportunities to take positions and influence society in their own way, traditional patriarchal values still play an important role. Influenced by such social atmosphere, women are always look for men who are more wealthy and successful than themselves, while men prefer women who have inferior education, incomes or intelligence than they do. This situation can be considered as a social dilemma, which was very much brought up by the dating shows. Conversations on the topic of career verses love can often be viewed on the stage of the dating show. How will this complex be solved? People are very interested in this controversial social problem. 5.Commercial reasons Television companies’ commercial exploitation Commercial exploitation means media or business company hype for their own benefits. By exaggerating, normally they can reach the commercial effect that regular news or advertisement can’t. Usually commercial exploitations are well planned and fellow some routine. The show is as dramatic as a TV soap opera, says Liu Tingting, a married office worker in Beijing and regular viewer of the show. Browsing the comments for the shows on the Internet, you can see many people pointing out that plenty of the dramatic plots and conversations happen in the dating show are planned ahead. Sometimes the television company pays for some pretty women to participate the show and those women are simply acting on the stage. Cha (2012) claims that dating shows are also in the show business and are counted as entertaining shows. This means its ultimate goal is to entertaining the public and to increase its viewer base. Finally it benefits from the popularity. So those participants are used as tools to become popular by the shows in some way. Also, the host and the guest experts play very important roles in the shows. They sometimes judge the participants, sometimes make fun of them and always come up with dramatic comments. Television company draws viewers’ attention by presenting dramatic and controversial scenes on the stages, and eventually reach their goal of profiting. Therefore, in some way, the reason why dating shows are so popular in China is television companies’ commercial exploitation. Personal commercial exploitation Like television companies, there are certain kinds of people who want to become famous by showing up in the public, in this case, the stage of popular dating shows. This is also called commercial exploitation. Nowadays in China, attending dating shows has somehow become a shortcut of become a celebrity. Now we have already got a bunch of dating show stars, some of who have now even starting to take commercial offers and have made a lot of money. Remember the BMW girl Ma Nuo? She can be a great case here. Ma Nuo, a shallow, sharp-tongued, single girl, treats her chastity like used toilet paper because she wants to be a super star, one netizen, Wang Xi Jie, wrote on the popular Internet forum Tianya.cn. There is one article on the Chinanews online that talked about this personal commercial exploitation phenomenon. In this article, the author pointed out that nowadays is getting more and more common to have different girls commercial exploiting themselves on the dating shows and listed several popular ways of how they did it. By being typical material girl, by being cute like a child, by talking in a very sweet voice, by making shocking decisions, by being intellectual and by posting sexy photos can all be the methods of becoming famous. Those girls who acting like this have started to make money by their popularity. In Chinese society, now so many young people want to become famous by taking shortcut rather than making effort. So due to the fact that one can easily be known by the public simply by being dramatic, dating shows become more and more popular with the young girl.

Nazi Prosecution :: essays research papers fc

What has been achieved by prosecuting Nazis alleged to have committed crimes against the Jews? "While fighting for victory the German soldier will observe the rules for chivalrous warfare. Cruelties and senseless destruction are below his standard" , or so the commandment printed in every German Soldiers paybook would have us believe. Yet during the Second World War thousands of Jews were victims of war crimes committed by Nazi's, whose actions subverted the code of conduct they claimed to uphold and contravened legislation outlined in the Geneva Convention. It is this legislature that has paved the way for the Jewish community and political leaders to attempt to redress the Nazi's violation, by prosecuting individuals allegedly responsible. Convicting Nazi criminals is an implicit declaration by post-World War II society that the Nazi regime's extermination of over five million Jews won't go unnoticed. Many of the alleged Nazi war criminals that were captured had attempted to evade prosecution shortly before the end of the war. Some opted for suicide, rather than risk capture while others used the Austrian and German Underground offers of fake passports and other means of forged identification to assume a new identity . A choice opted for by many, that virtually guaranteed them a new life with remote chance of detection was to travel to the Anglo-American countries after immigration quotas were raised. Over 4000 Nazi criminals sought refuge in Australia . Many lied about their history to gain entry into their new home and proceeded to blend in, unnoticed by our government. They were no longer Nazi criminals but new citizens with a hidden past. Lists of suspected criminals were compiled and alleged perpetrators systematically captured and put to trial. In 1943, under Soviet leadership the first war crime trials were conducted, however the first trial to involve the Allied powers was the Nuremburg International Military Tribunal in 1945 . The International Military Tribunal (IMT), set out to prosecute 22 defendants comprising largely of the administration arm of the Third Reich . The American's initially wished to indict whole Nazi organisations for their crimes. This focus was soon altered to determine the accountability of particular individuals. The accused were tried under at least two of the following four headings devised for indictment. The first count was the "formulation of a common plan or conspiracy"; two, "crimes against peace (planning and waging a war of aggression

Reciprocity in Anthropology

The way every being experiences the world around us is mostly constructed by the culture we are exposed to and brought up in. The world makes sense to us because of the ways culture influences our perception. We experience the world around us in a time, space, and mentality that are built solely by culture. The Kaluli are a tribal clan from Highland New Guinea who experience their lives through reciprocity. The way the Kaluli form relationships amongst one another, communicate, and practice their everyday lives is based through gift-giving and reciprocity.The Kaluli are socially dependent beings who have constructed a social mechanism in which everyone participates in the art of reciprocity to maintain and build these social relations with one another. The Kaluli reify and bring to life reciprocity through ceremonies such as Gisaro, through food and marriage, emotions, and socialization. Frequently, the Kaluli people will hold a traditional ceremony, called the Gisaro, which demonstr ates the importance of reciprocity in their daily lives. Gisaro is a ceremony in which the Kaluli guests perform dance and singing rituals for their hosts. Schieffelin, p. 22) The visitors spend many weeks preparing costumes, songs, and performances for their hosts, while in return the hosts plan feasts at their longhouses for their prospective guests. (Schieffelin, p. 22) During the evening, the Gisaro begins inside the longhouses, and the dancers from the visitors’ side begin performing. (Schieffelin, p. 22) The performing group is made up of roughly 25 men, who begin to dance and sing one by one in the centre of the longhouse, while the audience of hosts’ watch. (Schieffelin, p. 2) The performers will take their turns singing about places and people familiar to one or more of the hosts’ in the audience. Most of the places that are sung about are from the past of a member in the audience and the people that are sung about have died and have emotional ties to a udience members. (Schieffelin p. 23) As the singing and recalling of events related to audience members get intense, so does the emotional atmosphere amongst the audience of hosts’. A member from the crowd will likely begin to resurface past memories of loved ones that have died and will begin to get deeply emotional and will begin to cry. Schieffelin, p. 23) However, immediately after, the emotional host will become infuriated due to the fact that the dancer hurt them with past memories, and in anger the host will grab a lit torch and burn the shoulders of the performer continuously. (Schieffelin, p. 23) The performer however, will not show any sight of pain and one-by-one the performers will continue performing and the whole process of emotional-outbreak and burning will continue until the chirping of birds can be heard in the morning. (Schieffelin, p. 3) At the end of the night, before the visitors made their way back, they paid compensation to those whom they made cry. (S chieffelin, p. 23) The Gisaro ritual shows an abundance of reciprocity in social-relations and emotions. The ritual is based on the exchange between the hosts and the visitors; one provides plentiful food and the other performs and entertains. The reciprocal nature of this social gathering displays the dependency both parties place on one-another to perform their obligated role in the gathering. This kind of social giving and exchanging is basic to the Kaluli way of life. † (Schieffelin, p. 26) Reciprocity of duties aside, there is also an exchange of emotions that can be witnessed in the Gisaro ceremony. The performer hurts the audience member, who then in return inflicts physical pain upon the performer. (Schieffelin, p. 24) In the Kaluli society anger is looked upon as a justification for being hurt or angered, and requires ones to react in an aggressive manner to be compensated for the feelings of anger inflicted upon them. (Schieffelin, p. 34) If the Kaluli men do not rea ct in anger where they are socially required too, they will be looked upon as weak and incapable. (Schieffelin, p. 135) The Kaluli use this is a method to limit how far a person can be bullied and taken advantage of. By compensating oneself through aggressive manners, the Kaluli are able to make sure that no one is pushed further than the other, and that at all times everything is equal. (Schieffelin, p. 136) â€Å"Such interventions, which were quiet common, seem aimed more at allowing the interaction to conclude properly than with scolding or punishing the offender. (Schieffelin, p. 137) Thus, in the Gisaro ritual it is appropriate for a host to be angered by the performer and react in an aggressive manner. By performing the Gisaro, both the visitors and the hosts of the occasion share the exchange of emotion and ritual duties. Like the Gisaro, the Kaluli people partake in many other traditional ceremonies that show the reciprocity of food, labour, and duties. In marriage there i s an abundance of gift-giving and labour sharing which involves both the groom and the bride’s family.When a bride is chosen, the groom must compensate the bride’s family with brides-wealth, and both sides begin to part-take in many ceremonies. (Schieffelin, p. 26) One side will bring the other many fruits and meat, and then the other side will return the favour by doing the same, creating an on-going cycle of food-giving. (Schieffelin, pg. 26) Food is continuously exchanged and prepared by both in-laws because it is one of the best methods the Kaluli use to form and maintain social relations with their in-laws and family. Food as gift or hospitality is the main vehicle for expression of friendly relationship to anyone, kinsman or acquaintance. † (Schieffelin, p. 27) The reason that the Kaluli form such reciprocal customs is to provide the Kaluli people with the â€Å"the basis for the provision of hospitality for visiting, support in conflict, invitations to hu nt and fish, mutual assistance in garden labor, and occasional ceremonial prestations, which are formal customary gifts of food, especially meat. † (Schieffelin, p. 6) The Kaluli people distribute their labours and efforts in food-gathering by creating a mutual-dependency on one another. (Dr. Clark, Lecture 3) By creating a gift-based economy, there is a never ending cycle of giving, and thus there will always be support for the Kaluli people. (Dr. Clark, Lecture 3) Though western societies might look at the Kaluli gift-giving economy as an outdated method, it has shown to be the most efficient as there is less labour needed to be done by everyone and there is always certainty of being provided for. (Dr.Clark, Lecture 3) The Kaluli have found a form of security through these gift-giving rituals and traditions to make sure that they always have food and support. Through reciprocity, the Kaluli try to achieve a balance in their everyday life, and this has become the means in whi ch they experience their world. There is reciprocity to keep balance of food and relationships. Likewise, the Kaluli myths of how nature, their placement in reality, and their after-world presents a different form of reciprocity and balance. The Kaluli believe that at the beginning of time, there were only humans and that there was no nature. Schieffelin, p. 94) However, as time went on there were needs for food, shelter, clothing, and etc. Thus all men were gathered together and were given duties to become trees, animals, water, etc. (Schieffelin, p. 94) The Kaluli recognize that these trees and nature surrounding them are actually people, and that to these people the Kaluli appear to be trees, water, animals, and nature. (Schieffelin, p. 96) This means that the nature-world is a reflection of the Kaluli, and to the world of nature – which are actually people – the Kaluli reflect the world of nature.The Kaluli do not treat this world as a spiritual or sacred world, it is just an everyday reality for them which they refer to as the mama world. (Schieffelin, p. 96) They believe that every day they live in coexistence with the mama world which is identical to theirs and a wild-pig from the natural world is actually the reflection of the man in the real world. (Schieffelin, p. 97) This means that if something were to happen to the wild pig in the unseen world, it would inflict the same actions upon the corresponding man in the real world.Through this ideology and cultural reality, the Kaluli create a balance between the natural world and their own world. At all times there is a coexisting world which reflects their own. Even in death the Kaluli find balance and seem to face avoid the means of facing great damage and loss. â€Å"When a person dies, his wild pig aspect disappears from the mama world. His personal life virtue†¦escapes with his last breath and takes on human form in the mama world where it continues a life very much like the one h e left.In the visible world, the person now usually appears in the form of a bird or a fish. † (Schieffelin, p. 96) As it can be seen, all that happens during the death of a Kaluli is that he becomes a part of nature, and in the mama world the wild pig will become a human. Through this coexisting reality the Kaluli have created for them, the Kaluli reciprocate lives back and forth between the visible and mama world. In such ways, they establish a balance at all time and avoid from feeling a great deal of loss.Language is a very essential role in the lives of the Kaluli people, for it brings to life the culture of reciprocity in their everyday lives. From a very young age, the Kaluli are taught to talk and socialize in ways which expressed their exchanging and gift-giving behaviours. Songs are song about death which reminds the Kaluli the dangers that death brings, because once an individual dies, the act of reciprocating and exchanging comes to an end. (Schieffelin, p. 136) Da ily conversation usually revolves around the lines of who had to compensate whom, and what one got in return for something else. Schieffelin, p. 136) Regardless of the abundance of food the Kaluli have to eat, the Kaluli conversation consists of arguments either refusing or accepting food. There are even specific verbs denoted to the exchanging transaction: Dimina meaning give, and dima meaning take. (Schieffelin, p. 136) These words are used throughout the daily conversations of the Kaluli helping reify their realities of reciprocity. However, the Kaluli have no specific word for sharing, and thus they only see their relationships through give and take. (Schieffelin, p. 36) Through language and socialization the Kaluli continuously bring to life reciprocity and make it a part of their everyday lives. The Kaluli have come to see the world in a way of balance created by reciprocity, and through these cultural views the Kaluli have built their realities. It is a cultural experience in which the Kaluli form social dependencies in order to establish a stable and supportive way for living. â€Å"Idea that exchange, as a system of meanings, is involved in the shaping of particular cultural realities†¦Through the management of meaning exchange becomes a vehicle of social obligation. (Schieffelin, p. 503) The Kaluli create an ongoing cycle of gift-giving in which one is always obligated to give back to the other because of maintain a social circle. Through exchange and the reciprocation of labour and food, the Kaluli recognize them in such a manner where balance must always be achieved. This can be witnessed because when the Kaluli cannot be compensated or find a balance or reciprocate feelings, they become frightened, confused, or even lost. (Schieffelin, p. 45) For example, when the Kaluli hear thunder sounds they become angered because it is invisible and unpredictable, and because they cannot be compensated for their anger they are frightened. (Schieffelin, p. 142) The Kaluli are so used to living in a reciprocal based lifestyle, that if they feel like they cannot establish balance or be compensated, they feel as if they are at a loss and feel hopeless. (Schieffelin, p. 142) The Kaluli through language, food, gift-giving, and ceremonies, always seek to find reciprocity in which they can see themselves compensated and at a balance. Bibliography ———————————————— Clark, Dylan. 2011. Lecture 3, ANT204, Sociocultural Anthropology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON, September 14, 2011. Schieffelin, B. B. (1990). The give and take of everyday life: language socialization of Kaluli children. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Schieffelin, E. L. (1980). Reciprocity and the Construction of Reality. Reciprocity and the Construction of RealityReciprocity and the Construction of Reality, 15(3), 502-517. Schieffelin, E. L. (1976). The sorrow of the lonely and the burning of the dancers. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Kung-Fu Panda 2 Belonging

In the film Kung-Fu Panda 2, the extended metaphor of â€Å"Inner Peace† in the film symbolizes the need for a person to acknowledge their own weaknesses, their past and their faults, which conveys the importance of finding and accepting one’s identity. Furthermore throughout the film, there are various scenes where water droplets are dropping and flowing in slow motion, combined with flashbacks of the past, demonstrates the power of spiritual connections and nature. The importance of belonging and loving your family is also emphasised in Kung-Fu Panda 2.Through the protagonist, Po’s, exploration of his true parentage, the power of common memories to influence the bonds between people is displayed. It is important to accept who yo9u are as it can affect where you belong and how you feel. When he questions his dad about his true parentage, saying he had a dream about his mother, his adoptive father, Mr. Ping, freezes and looks agitated, showing that he is scared t hat he will lose Po if the truth is revealed. Whenever Po questions his lineage, sad music is played, making the audience feel sympathy for Po’s turmoils.Even after all the events that happens throughout the film, Po comes home back to Mr. Ping he says to him â€Å"I know who I am now, I am your son, I love you dad. † While this is happening, there is soft and happy music playing in the background, showing that even though they aren’t blood related, they are still happy together. This is true belonging. Even though they have no blood relations, they are truly happy together and value each other’s company, showing that they belong together. This relates to belonging and accepting yourself.The importance of individuality in finding a role in society is emphasised heavily throughout the film. The film follows the growth of Po in his journey of achieving â€Å"Inner Peace†. In the film you see Po’s idolization of other Kung Fu legends displays h is own inner emotional insecurity and spiritual turmoil. This is also reinforced through the technique juxtaposition, shown through Po’s fatness and Tigress’s hardened self. The need for you to accept your true self in forming meaningful relationships is shown through this.It is shown through the dramatic irony of Po’s insensitive comment â€Å"I have to know, the hard-core wouldn’t understand† directed at Tigress, saying that she is unable to feel both physically and emotionally. The close-up shot of Tigress’s saddened and hurt face combined with the sad; non-diegetic music further incites the audience’s sympathy of Po trying to find out about his own individuality with Tigress stopping him. Throughout the film you also hear the metaphor of â€Å"Inner Peace† used excessively.The phrase â€Å"Inner Peace† means to be spiritually and mentally at peace, with enough knowledge to keep oneself strong when under great hardshi p and stress. Throughout the film, Po is plagued by nightmares of his past and his own insecurity compared to Tigress and the others. In the beginning, Po witnesses Master Shifu moving a droplet of water all over his body without it splashing or breaking its form. When Po inquires how he did this, Shifu responds by saying â€Å"Inner Peace†. It is implying that having inner peace allows you to do things that are impossible, which is also shown when Po catches a cannon ball and throws it back.In the film, having inner peace symbolises that you have accepted yourself for who you are, complete with strengths and weaknesses. By having inner peace, it is saying that you can achieve things that you couldn’t achieve before & to be able to find out where you truly belong. The director of this movie positions the audience to sympathise with Po through the demonstration of the fallibility of one’s memory, which is shown through the flashbacks and dramatic devices used as Po lies to himself. Po couldn’t accept his own self throughout the film, which draws in the audience to feel sorry and sympathise for him.The differing perspectives of Po and his companions are comically shown through his fights with them. However, the audience is positioned to support Po though the uses of Mise-en-scene, as screen elements’ visual size are diminished whenever Po is in the screen. As Po zooms towards the audience and takes the centre of the screen, it enables the audience to see things through Po’s perspective. At the end of the film, Po is hailed as a hero & feels that he has finally found that he has been accepted by Tigress and the others. He finally feels that he belongs.

The eNotes Blog The Rabbit of Easter, He Brings of the Chocolate

The Rabbit of Easter, He Brings of the Chocolate In his hilarious collection of essays Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris describes trying to explain both the secular and religious aspects of the Easter holiday to a class learning French. The students come from many different countries, and most do not speak French very well at all. A student from Morocco is completely unfamiliar with any aspect of the holiday. The class attempts, in their broken way, to explain it to her: Excuse me, but whats an Easter? It would seem that despite having grown up in a Muslim country, she would have heard it mentioned once or twice, but no. I mean it, she said. I have no idea what you people are talking about. The teacher called on the rest of us to explain. The Poles led the charge to the best of their ability. It is, said one, a party for the little boy of God who call his self Jesus. She faltered and her fellow country-man came to her aid. He call his self Jesus and then he be die one day on twomorsels oflumber. The rest of the class jumped in, offering bits of information that would have given the pope an aneurysm. He die one day and then he go above of my head to live with your father. He weared of himself the long hair and after he die, the first day he come back here for to say hello to the peoples. He nice, the Jesus. He make the good things, and on the Easter we be sad because somebody makes him dead today. Part of the problem had to do with vocabulary. Simple nouns such as cross and resurrection were beyond our grasp, let alone such a complicated reflexive phrases as to give of yourself your only begotten son. Faced with the challenge of explaining the cornerstone of Christianity, we did what any self-respecting group of people might do. We talked about food instead. Easter is a party for to eat of the lamb, the Italian nanny explained. One too may eat of the chocolate. And who brings the chocolate? the teacher asked. I knew the word, so I raised my hand, saying, The rabbit of Easter. He bring of the chocolate. A rabbit? The teacher, assuming Id used the wrong word, positioned her index fingers on top of her head, wriggling them as though they were ears. You mean one of these? A rabbit rabbit? Well, sure, I said. He come in the night when one sleep on bed. Which a hand he have a basket and foods. The teacher sighed and shook her head. As far as she was concerned, I had just explained everything wrong with my country. No, no, she said. Here in France the chocolate is brought by a a big bell that flies in from Rome. I called for a time-out. But how do the bell know where you live? Well, she said, how does a rabbit? It was a decent point, but at least a rabbit has eyes. Thats a start. Rabbits move from place to place, while most bells can only go back and forth and they cant even do that on their own power. On top of that, the Easter Bunny has character. Hes someone youd like to meet and shake hands with. A bell has all the personality of a cast-iron skillet. Its like saying that come Christmas, a magic dustpan flies in from the North Pole, led by eight flying cinder blocks. Who wants to stay up all night so they can see a bell? And why fly one in from Rome when theyve got more bells than they know what do to with here in Paris? Thats the most implausible aspect of the whole story, as theres no way the bells of France would allow a foreign worker to fly in and take their jobs. That Roman bell would be lucky to get work cleaning up after a French bells dog and even then hed need papers. It just didnt add up. Nothing we said was of any help to the Moroccan student. A dead man with long hair supposedly living with her father, a leg of lamb served with palm fronds and chocolate; equally confused and disgusted, she shrugged her massive shoulders and turned her attention to the comic book she kept hidden beneath her binder. I wondered then if, without the language barrier, my classmates and I could have done a better job making sense of Christianity, an idea that sounds pretty far-fetched to begin with. In communicating any religious belief, the operative word is faith, a concept illustrated by our very presence in that classroom. Why bother struggling with the grammar lessons of a six-year-old if each of us didnt believe that, against all reason, we might eventually improve? If I could hope to one day carry on a fluent conversation, it was a relatively short leap to believing that a rabbit might visit my home in the middle of the night, leaving behind a handful of chocolate kisses and a carton of menthol cigarettes. So why stop there? If I could believe in myself, why not give other improbabilties the benefit of the doubt? I told myself that despite her past behavior, my teacher was a kind and loving person who had only my best interests at heart. I accepted the idea that an omniscient God had cast me in his own image and that he watched over me and guided me from one place to the next. The Virgin Birth, the Ressurrection, and countless miracles my heart expanded to encompass all the wonders and possibilities of the universe. A bell, though thats *^%$# up. Image via news.com.au So, how did we come to believe that a rabbit brings children chocolate on Easter? Well, apparently it all started with those wacky Germans as early as the 1500s. When Germans immigrated to Pennsylvania Dutch Country, they brought the tradition with them, some time in the 18th century. Why?  Both rabbits and birds are excellent breeders whose litters arrive in the early Spring. They became symbols of fertility. Okay. That makes sense. But how did rabbits come to be carrying eggs, hmmm? Eggs are also a symbol of fertility. Early Catholics dyed eggs red to symbolize the blood of Christ and the hope for a new beginning. The German Protestants thought the dyed eggs were pretty nifty, but they were not down with the Catholic dictate to not eat eggs during Lent. Since Catholics were not scarfing them down for several weeks, there was an abundance of eggs. Protestants also began using other colors to make the eggs more festive. Okay So. Bunnies, eggs, fertility, German Catholics, German Protestants, Pennsylvania Getting to the rabbit/egg combo. Kids, of course, thought the eggs were fabulous and since theres nothing more fun than scaring kids, the Pennsylvania Dutch Germans told them that only good children would receive specially decorated eggs and they came up with the myth of the egg- laying bunny. The children were directed to make little nests out of their hats before Easter. If they were indeed good, the bunny would bring them eggs. Chocolate soon made its way into Easter baskets and as Americans, we all thought that was a swell idea. Easter is the third largest candy-consuming holiday. Ninety MILLION chocolate bunnies are produced every year. And the only question is: do you eat the ears, feet, or tail first? Id tell you about the French and their Flying Bell, but Im with Sedaris:   thats #%$d up. (Featured Image via The Herald Chronicle)

the chippawa essays

the chippawa essays There is a river, out in the wilds of north ontario named chippawa.Dont ask what it means because no one really knows,the local natives say it predates their tribe,the most they can make of it is cheppuan (river of beaver).This area of land is about as far out in the sticks as one can go ,never populated by more than a thousand ,even in its heyday ,which is when our tale takes place.The chippawa was once an important trading post for the french coure-de bois (runners of wood)on the way to the untamed wildlands and good trappings of the north,their was at least one man a day passing through,which is why no one payed any thought to Louis dalembourd.Louis quickly destinguished himself from the other passerby by not leaving ,in fact he stayed thoughout the rest of summer and late into fall when he seemingly disappeared.Life went on as usual in the quiet little town,when suddenly the rev.Jeremiah Hakeswell (an englishman)lost a battle with the flu bug and was intered to eternal slumber at the age of 75,a ripe old age for these times.The people sent back to mother church for a replacement ,and were drop dead astonished when rev.Louis Dalembourd walks into town.Already their were rumours filling the air,because you see Louis was a renowned drunk,loudmouth, and rumoured rapist.As you can imagine Louis would take none of this and so the rumours seemingly stopped...at least out in the open.Months passed without any thing out of the ordinary when suddenly one of the choir girls was found dead ,throat slashed ,aparantly raped. As you can imagine the townspeople immediatley turned to Louis for their retribution.They dragged him from the church,tied him to a tree and called the dead girls father forward to take his vengeance.The father picked up a dull farmers scythe and lopped off Louiss manhood despite his chilling screams of anguish.The priests screams only further enraged the wron ...

Hoi Polloi

Hoi Polloi Hoi Polloi Hoi Polloi By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked me to write about the word hoi polloi: I get so tired of intelligent people using this to mean the exact opposite. Hoi polloi is an English word that derives from a Greek phrase meaning â€Å"the many† or â€Å"the majority [of citizens].† Its English meaning is â€Å"the masses† or â€Å"the general public.† It’s often used in the pejorative sense of â€Å"the vulgar, unthinking masses.† The error the reader has in mind is the spreading tendency of many speakers (including intelligent ones) to use hoi polloi as if it means, â€Å"the social elite† or â€Å"influential rich people.† For example, So it’s official: Hollywood’s hoi polloi (e.g. Miramax movie mogul Harvey Weinstein) are coming out against firearms ownership and swearing off movies that rely heavily on gunplay. As Harvey Weinstein has a net worth of $200 million, the writer apparently believes that hoi polloi means â€Å"influential rich people.† In ancient Greek, hoi polloi meant â€Å"the many.† Its complementary term was hoi oligoi, â€Å"the few.† The term reflected a fact of social and political division. From the Greek word oligoi, we get the English word oligarchy, â€Å"government by a small group of people.† Classical scholar John Dryden introduced the expression into English in 1668. For him, the hoi polloi were people who lacked literary discernment. The expression quickly became a useful way for speakers to distinguish â€Å"Us† from â€Å"Them.† Because â€Å"Us† is always more educated and informed than â€Å"Them,† hoi polloi came to mean â€Å"the uneducated majority† or â€Å"the great unwashed, vulgar, unthinking public.† Nowadays, although political power still belongs to the hoi oligoi, the hoi polloi are better educated than they were in Dryden’s time, and they don’t like being called hoi polloi. They also possess a power that earlier generations lacked: the power to redefine words. One factor contributing to the association of hoi polloi with â€Å"snooty rich people† could be the similarity with â€Å"hoity toity,† an expression that conveys contempt for someone seen as â€Å"putting on airs.† The two expressions are often juxtaposed for humorous effect, as in the title of the Roseanne episode called â€Å"Hoi Polloi Meets Hoiti Toiti† (Roseanne, Season 9, Episode 8). In this episode, Roseanne and her family visit â€Å"uppity-high-society people† on Martha’s Vineyard. Although wealthier and more refined in manners and speech than the Conners, the wealthy Wentworths are clearly their moral inferiors. Note: Roseanne is a television comedy series featuring a working class family, the Conners, who are portrayed as being vulgar in speech and manners, but morally superior to better-educated, more affluent characters they encounter. Another factor contributing to the shift in meaning of hoi polloi may be that the referent is not always clear from context. For example, in a Three Stooges episode called â€Å"Hoi Polloi,† a well-dressed man bets a colleague that he can take a man from â€Å"the lowest strata of society† and turn him into a gentleman. He experiments with the Stooges. He fails to civilize them, but the fancy people descend to the Stooges’ brutish behavior. At episode end, Moe looks disdainfully at the crowd of elegantly dressed men and women who are slapping, punching, and gouging one another and says, â€Å"This is our punishment for associating with the hoi polloi.† New meanings of hoi polloi include, â€Å"people who are not like us,† â€Å"people we don’t like,† and simply, â€Å"people who don’t know what we know.† For example, in a forum for equestrians, a member referred to people who are ignorant of the rules of dressage as â€Å"the hoi polloi.† The definition of hoi polloi in The Urban Dictionary indicates the aversion in which this word is held: hoi polloi: A stupid term used by pseudo intellectuals with unjustified superiority complexes. Many bloggers ridicule speakers who precede hoi polloi with the definite article: Clearly Lois is using words though ignorant of their meaning. â€Å"Hoi† is the definite article, meaning â€Å"the†. When the uneducated Lois says â€Å"the hoi polloi† she is saying â€Å"the the many†. She makes a fool of herself on many levels. Dryden knew that â€Å"hoi† means â€Å"the† in Greek. He even wrote the expression in Greek letters, confident that his target audience could read it. However, because he was using the word in an English sentence, he introduced it with the English definite article: â€Å"If by the people you understand the multitude, the ÃŽ ¿Ã¡ ¼ ± πΠ¿ÃŽ »ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¿Ã¡ ½ ¶.† Suggesting that English speakers who say â€Å"the hoi polloi† are â€Å"ignorant† may bathe critics in feelings of superiority, but the criticism is itself a sign of absurd pedantry and, dare I say, ignorance of how language works. Many English words incorporate a foreign element that means the without raising questions of tautology. For example, the al in algebra, alchemist, and Alcatraz â€Å"mean† the in Arabic. No one suggests that writing â€Å"the alchemist† is the same thing as writing â€Å"the the chemist.† As far as I know, no one ridicules people who refer to the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles for â€Å"really† saying â€Å"the the tar tar pits.† (La and Brea are Spanish for the and tar.) Hoi polloi is an English word in transition. English speakers will determine whether the word retains the meaning of â€Å"the masses,† morphs into a term for â€Å"snooty rich people,† or falls to the wayside along with other words that usage has voted out as being culturally offensive. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Meaning of "To a T"Confusing "Passed" with "Past"How to Style Legislative Terms

Earth systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Earth systems - Essay Example posing a problem to the environment is the fact that the concentration of ozone in the ground-level is increasing while ozone in the stratospheric level is diminishing (Wright 774). This is a global environmental predicament because the stratospheric ozone has beneficial use while ground-level ozone produces detrimental effects. The stratospheric ozone layer was discovered sometime in the 1870s when scientists, led by G.M Dobson, observed the diminished amount of UV rays as they reach the earth’s surface, eventually attributing this phenomenon to ozone. By deduction, they concluded that the concentration of ozone in the upper atmosphere is higher than that nearer to the ground. A century later, it was discovered that certain elements could pose threat to this layer. When the US was planning to build supersonic transport planes (SST), studies revealed that the nitrogen oxide they would emit in the stratosphere layer, where they would be expected fly most of the time at a speed three times to that of sound and at an altitude of 12.4 miles, could destroy ozone (Konvicka 272). In the stratosphere, ozone is formed through a process called photolysis, when oxygen in the atmosphere is bombarded by solar UV radiation. This causes the two atoms of oxygen to split apart and merge with the atoms of other oxygen. The ozone gases then bond to form the ozone layer. This layer of ozone forms between 12 and 15 miles above the earth and protects it as well as life on it from dangerous UV solar radiation (Butz 376; Onursal et al 19). Ozone formation and destruction in the atmosphere occurs continuously and cyclically every time the UV rays of the sun act upon them, causing the breakdown of the gas and converting the resulting energy into heat. The heat raises the temperature at higher altitudes blocking the entry of the ultraviolet rays to the lower levels of the atmosphere. The split oxygen atoms then re-bond with the atoms of other oxygen to form new ozone. This continuous

Wireless Networking (WLAN) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wireless Networking (WLAN) - Essay Example Using these devices users can access shared information conveniently without having to plug in and connect to other devices physically. The transmission of data between devices in the network takes place by the simple process of modulation with radio frequencies acting as carriers of the information being transmitted. The RF is modulated according to the information signal and carried to the receiving end. At the receiving end the exact information is extracted from the modulated signal by the process of demodulation. A number of signals can be transmitted through air at the same time provided that their frequencies have a considerable gap between them. In other words the frequency of operation should be different and they will not interfere. There are one or more devices known as ‘access points’ through which the wireless devices communicate. An access point (AP) is a simple transmitter/receiver or ‘Transceiver’. A wireless network interface card (NIC) is required to access a wireless network which is available in various forms. Nowadays devices are available with built in NIC’s. But they can also be installed separately latter. These NIC’s also require necessary software drivers to be installed for their functioning. Narrowband WLAN’s keep the bandwidth of the radio frequency signal as narrower as possible, in order to just pass the information. Although the distance between the devices is reasonable but the speeds achieved are not as good as required by the corporate users. A general problem that could arise in WLAN’s is the interference, which can be overcome by allotting different frequencies to different individuals. In this case since the bandwidth is narrow, interference can very well be avoided. These WLAN’s use wideband RF. The use of wideband signal helps in attaining greater speeds. The most popular WLAN being used is 802.11b attaining a speed of about 11 Mbps. With the advancement of technology the speeds

Finance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance Management - Essay Example The net profit ratio shows that CLP Ltd was able to retain about 27% of the total revenue after accounting for various costs and expenses in the year 2005. It also suggest that the company loses about 73% of its sales revenue on account of various production, distribution, selling, administrative, operating, and other expenses. This ratio has decreased as compared to the previous year by about 5% even though the revenue increased in the current years. This suggests that the company is confronting with increasing expenses to carry out its activities. Riahi-Belkaoui says that the return on capital employed ratio "indicates how efficiently the capital supplied by the common stockholders was employed within the firm" (11). CLP Ltd utilized the funds provided by shareholders to generate a profit of about only 3% in 2005, which has tumbled from 18.24% in 2004. The analysis of return on assets ratio shows that in 2005, the company utilized its assets towards the generation of profit in a slightly better manner than the year 2004. Hence, profitability analysis suggests that the company is a fairly profitable company. The liquidity analysis shows t... The current ratio for CLP Ltd reveals that the company owns HK$0.65 of current assets to pay off HK$1 of its liabilities in 2005. This indicates a severe shortage of liquid assets in the company to the extent that it cannot discharge its short-term debts out of even all of its current assets. In the current year, this has declined by about 10%, which is not a good sign for its liquidity position. The quick ratio also suggests a falling trend in the company's ability to pay off its short-term liabilities and day-to-day expenses. Efficiency 2005 2004 Receivable Turnover 52 days 42 days Cash Dividend Coverage Ratio 1.75 1.89 The receivable turnover ratio exhibits that in the year 2005, the company's management converted its receivable into cash in 52 days, which has dramatically risen as compared to the previous year. This shows that the company is becoming inefficient in collecting money from its debtors on time. The cash dividend coverage ratio shows how well the company is able to pay off dividends to its shareholders out of available cash funds. An analysis of this ratio for the company suggests that although the company's cash balance is sufficient enough in 2005 to pay the dividends, yet the ratio has declined from that of the year 2004 due to the firm's attempt to pay a higher dividend in the current year out of almost the same operating cash balance. Leverage 2005 2004 Debt Ratio 28.84% 23.23% Gearing Ratio 58.59% 42.47% Riahi-Belkaoui illuminates that the leverage ratios are "used to assess the long-term solvency risk of the firm" (10). The debt ratio reveals that in 2004, about 23% of the company's assets were financed with the

Efficent Business Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Efficent Business Communications - Essay Example It is therefore imperative that companies embrace the aspect of inter-cultural communication in order for them to be ranked globally. For business communication to be termed effective, it has to put into consideration the aspects of diversity and cultural awareness. At the work place, if these are upheld, the company will register greater productivity and smooth workflow. Therefore, cultural diversity and appreciation of diversity must be applied in business communication to ensure effectiveness. One of the reasons why companies need to embrace cultural awareness and appreciation of diversity in the course of their communication is because of the most recent advanced communication forms. The presence of the internet helps companies, including the locals and multinationals to interact with their local and international clients. Since these clients are of different cultural backgrounds, if the said company lacks the elements of cultural awareness and diversity appreciation in its commu nication plan, then such is likely to miss many profits due to the ineffective communication between it and its local and international clients (Gibson 2002). ... It is crucial that companies uphold cultural awareness and diversity because of the various benefits it presents. First, business communication keeps evolving because of the globalization concept that has brings world business cultures together. New economies ape and integrate aspects of organizational cultures of the stronger and established companies in some of the world’s influential nations. Both small and big businesses must uphold cultural diversity in their business communication plan, starting from the corporate boardrooms to employee break-rooms, they should understand the eccentricities of all cultures to which they are exposed (Okpara 2008). The perceptions in different native cultures have a great influence on language use. Therefore, people belonging to different cultural groups will tend to have a varied understanding of words in a language. In the workplace, employees therefore need to be extra-cautious to ensure that their messages are understood clearly, as th ey communicate with workers of different cultural backgrounds. Employees should avoid taboo topics while conversing. Additionally, different biases in religious aspects, political aspects, or social issues and nuances of life experiences differ between cultures, making it a challenge for employees to find a common ground while communicating. Additionally, different cultures have different ways of addressing and managing conflicts. A case in perspective is that in Netherlands, arguments are regarded as an ingredient for a healthy conversation and communication. On the contrary, people from Japan consider public arguments and disagreements as offensive.

Dangers of Vaccinations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Dangers of Vaccinations - Research Paper Example Vaccination is defined as the injection of a killed microbe in the body as a way of stimulating the immune system against the microbe, thereby preventing a disease. Sometimes called immunization, vaccinations work to stimulate the body’s natural disease-fighting system, the immune system. When healthy, this system is able to detect invading bacteria and other viruses and respond by producing antibodies to fight and destroy them. Vaccination, therefore, prepares the immune system to keep a disease away. A killed or weakened virus is used to immunize against a viral disease, while if the intention is only to immunize against a bacterial disease, a small portion of the dead bacteria is often used to stimulate the formation of antibodies to ward off any invasion of the whole bacteria. Childhood vaccinations are common and most parents prefer them because they help in protecting the kids from a range of deadly diseases. It is, however, difficult to know whether the vaccine itself is safe. While the vaccines have been successful, there have been persistent concerns that vaccinations lead to autism and other dangerous diseases and conditions. Even with the efforts of the public health officials from the United States to shed light on the misconceptions of vaccine safety that have existed for more than twenty years, little success has been realized in the change of perception. A number of parents are becoming reluctant about taking their children for vaccination even though various studies have found no proof that vaccination leads to autism and other diseases

Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing Older Hispanic Womens Experience Dissertation

Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing Older Hispanic Womens Experience with Osteoarthritis - Dissertation Example Risk factors for OA includes the act of engaging in tedious manual labor or high-intensity sports activities, age, gender or being born as female, developmental dysplasia, obesity, ethnicity or race, genetic predisposition, inadequate exercise, socio-economic background, joint misalignment, long hours standing and lifting heavy weights (Sulsky et al., 2012; Swift, 2012; Kullie et al., 2011; Allen et al., 2010; Bolen et al., 2010; Lin et al., 2010; McDonough & Jette, 2010). The pathophysiology of OA is marked by a slow degenerative process of the â€Å"cartilage, bone and soft tissues that are integral to joints† followed by low-grade inflammation in the articular cartilage (Sulsky et al., 2012; McDonough & Jette, 2010, p. 388). After conducting a statistical research study with regards to the health-related quality of life among the US adults with arthritis, Furner et al. (2011) found out that the adults with arthritis had worse health-related quality of life as compared to the adults without arthritis. In general, pain at the joints is common among patients with OA (Bolen et al., 2010). Other common signs of OA include difficulty in body movements, stiffness and loss of muscle tone, strength and stamina, poor sleep, fatigue, anxiety, social isolation, depression, financial difficulty, and loss of work (Swift, 2012; Axford et al., 2010, 2008; Hawker et al., 2010). All these factors explain why people who are diagnosed with OA can be restricted in their day-to-day living activities and experience a significant reduction in their quality of life (QOL) due to pain (Axford et al., 2008). OA Depression and Physical Limitation In general, physical limitations or functional limitations is pertaining to a situation whereby a person’s ability to execute a specific mental or physical action is limited (McDonough & Jette, 2010). As explained by Dekker, van Dijk, & Veenhof (2009), activity or physical limitations caused by OA can worsen over time. In fact, failure to treat and manage OA can cause a person to suffer from disability (Luong et al., 2012; McDonough & Jette, 2010; Bosomworth, 2009) and a â€Å"progressive decrease in mental health† (Axford et al., 2008). With regards to physical disability, Axford et al. (2008) found out that disability is strongly related to the patients’ inability to cope, severe pain, and increased depression. Basically, all these factors explain why people who suffer from OA pain can experience lower productivity levels at work (DiBonaventura et al., 2011). Based on the National Health and Wellness Survey that was conducted by DiBonaventura et al. (2011), people who are experiencing OA pain are less likely to be employed. In most cases, common contributing factors that can trigger high levels of anxiety and depression include severe pain, limitations or restrictions in the body movements, physical disability, work impairment, and the risk of losing their job (Swift, 2012; DiBonaventura et al., 2011; Axford et al., 2

Dangers of Vaccinations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Dangers of Vaccinations - Research Paper Example Vaccination is defined as the injection of a killed microbe in the body as a way of stimulating the immune system against the microbe, thereby preventing a disease. Sometimes called immunization, vaccinations work to stimulate the body’s natural disease-fighting system, the immune system. When healthy, this system is able to detect invading bacteria and other viruses and respond by producing antibodies to fight and destroy them. Vaccination, therefore, prepares the immune system to keep a disease away. A killed or weakened virus is used to immunize against a viral disease, while if the intention is only to immunize against a bacterial disease, a small portion of the dead bacteria is often used to stimulate the formation of antibodies to ward off any invasion of the whole bacteria. Childhood vaccinations are common and most parents prefer them because they help in protecting the kids from a range of deadly diseases. It is, however, difficult to know whether the vaccine itself is safe. While the vaccines have been successful, there have been persistent concerns that vaccinations lead to autism and other dangerous diseases and conditions. Even with the efforts of the public health officials from the United States to shed light on the misconceptions of vaccine safety that have existed for more than twenty years, little success has been realized in the change of perception. A number of parents are becoming reluctant about taking their children for vaccination even though various studies have found no proof that vaccination leads to autism and other diseases

Demand and Supply Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Demand and Supply - Essay Example People specialize in the production of goods and services -- or more existentially, as dictated by their environment, heredity, and/or fate in order to alleviate human suffering [their own existence included]. In the process of pursuit of own self-interests to satisfy needs and wants, individuals succumb to the unintended, invisible market forces that compel others to react by supplying necessities to make life even better in an engagement that leaves interactive parties better off as oppose to having excesses of what one produces in abundance, thus the very essence of efficient allocation of resources in the society studied in microeconomics (Stead and Stead, 2009, p.42). Economists are in agreement that prices and quantities are descriptively the most observable attributes of individual interests that interact within a market structure to facilitate mutually beneficial exchanges as envisaged by Adam Smith (Friedman, 2009, p.145). Thus, for the exchange of interests (expressed in terms of goods and services) to occur, demand and supply has to exist, but at some costs. From the field of academia to industrial circles, the basic premises of supply and demand are integrated into the daily actions of the society. To be sure, the theoretical mastery of economics depends much on the understanding of the theory of demand and supply (Gandolfi, Gandolfi, and Barash, 2002, pp. 5-6). The theory of demand and supply is, therefore, an organization principle that coordinates the production of goods and services (in quantities, often referred to as output) to satisfy societal needs through the market/price mechanism. Intuitively, the price mechanism moderates the e xchanges to the point where goods and services delivered by suppliers (supply side) and paid for by the consumers (demand side) always tends towards a state balance with reference to the compensation packages received by either side. The dynamics of demand and supply applies best to a theoretically free market

Motivation Letter Essay Example for Free

Motivation Letter Essay I am new to this forum. While searching for samples of motivation letters, I came across many threads on this forum regrading this issue. I am a Syrian student, and this scholarship is so important for me because I can no longer complete my studies in Damascus. In the ranking criteria of this scholarships, the motivation letter has 20% of the application grading scheme. For this reason I need to make it as good as possible. Unfortunately I am new to writing this kind of letters, so I hope for some help. To make my letter clear, I just want to tell that the host university I chose is Technische UniversitÃÆ' ¤t Berlin. I am allowed to write up to 4000 characters. Here is my letter, â€Å"Where there’s a will, there’s a way,† one of the best proverbs I follow to achieve my goals and ambitions, starting from my early teenage. Since I was a student in the intermediate school, the major of study I wanted to take after high school was clear to me. Many difficulties faced me, but I could overcome all to achieve my dream in studying the major I want, Computer Science. I used to live in Lebanon during my childhood and teenage, but in 2006 the war obliged me to leave and move to Syria, my homeland. It was quite difficult to complete studying in the Syrian schools because of the huge differences between the Syrian and Lebanese curricula. Yet I succeeded, and graduated from high school with an average of 99.16 percent. In Syria, it is well common that the higher the student’s average is, the more probability the he/she chooses the faculty that requires high averages in high school, usually regardless what the student’s dream is. According to my average and this tradition, I was supposed to get into the major with the highest average, medicine. Yet I chose to get into the faculty of Information Technology Engineering, as the closest major to Computer Science (because this major is not found in Damascus University), ignoring all criticisms and oppositions I received. During the last three years of my study in this major, I gave very hard efforts. But unfortunately as the revolution started, its consequences had a negative affection on my studying and thus my average. Because of the absence of safety and stability, this academic year seems to be impossible to complete. I can hardly and sometimes never able to reach my faculty and attend the lectures; in addition to witnessing an hearing the sounds of explosions during all the studying hours in the faculty. For this reason, I had to look for a solution for this huge problem. The first step to take was improving my skills to raise my opportunities. I started to take intensive lessons in German, since most universities in German-speaking countries require a certain level of German proficiency for undergraduate programs. Still the bad conditions obliged me for about two months to stop the lessons. The second step was searching for convenient universities that offer the best opportunities and fit best to my needs. Through the search, I came across the announcement of Erasmus Mundus Program, which seemed to be the outlet I was looking for. Reading about all partner universities, the options were few because I was seeking a university that offers scholarships for degree seeking students, not just exchange students. Technische UniversitÃÆ' ¤t Berlin was the best choice for me because of the scholarships it offers and my knowledge of German language. Through further search, I found that TU Berlin has a very good rank in world ranking of universities in the major of information technology. All these reasons together made TU Berlin my number one priority among all universities. I want to study at TU Berlin because of its outstanding educational system, focus on gathering relevant work experience, and its excellent facilities. So I am confident of my decision. With many distinguished scientists as professors, I know that I will gain expert knowledge at the forefront of discovery. Further supporting professors lectures are the universitys use of advanced. All these strong positives allow me to pursue my dreams and ambitions. Given my past history of commitment to achieve my dream, I am confident that I will exceed the expectations, because of both my academic and interpersonal skills. I will enrich the program by enabling fellow students and professors to benefit from my ambitious and open nature. Furthermore, my international background will add more diversity to your program. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to your positive reply. Sincerely, Luna I like your essay, I can see the determination and will power you have in you. There are just a few grammatical errors which need to be corrected. â€Å"Where there’s a will, there’s a way,† one of the best proverbs I follow to achieve my goals and ambitions, starting from my early teenage. Since I was a student in the intermediate school, the major of study I wanted to take after high school was clear to me. Many difficulties faced me, but I could overcome all to achieve my dream in studying the major I want, Computer Science. â€Å"Where there’s a will, there’s a way,† Personally, one of my favorite proverbs and one which I have always followed to achieve my goals and ambitions? Ever since, I was a student in the intermediate school (do you mean secondary school?), the major of study I have wanted to pursue after completing high school was clear to me. I have faced many obstacles, but fortunately I overcame all of them to achieve my dream in studying the major I want, Computer Science. I used to live in Lebanon during my childhood and teenage, but in 2006 the war obliged me to leave and move to Syria, my homeland. It was quite difficult to complete studying in the Syrian schools because of the huge differences between the Syrian and Lebanese curricula. Yet I succeeded, and graduated from high school with an average of 99.16 percent. I lived in Lebanon during my childhood and teenage until the war in 2006 obliged us (you and your family?) to flee (or you can use the word return) to Syria, my homeland. I was struggling in high school because of the vast differences between the Syrian and Lebanese curricula. Yet, I managed to succeed and graduated from high school with an average of 99.16 percent. - In Syria, it is well common that the higher the student’s average is, the more probability the he/she chooses the faculty that requires high averages in high school, usually regardless what the student’s dream is. According to my average and this tradition, I was supposed to get into the major with the highest average, medicine. Yet I chose to get into the faculty of Information Technology Engineering, as the closest major to Computer Science (because this major is not found in Damascus University), ignoring all criticisms and oppositions I received. In Syria, it is a trend is/ usually/ etc/use something other than well common, that the higher a students average is, the higher the probability he/ she chooses the/a faculty (field/ major) which requires high averages in high school, regardless of what the students dream is. According to this tradition and my average, I was supposed to pick the major which requires the highest average, medicine. Yet, I chose the faculty of Information Technology Engineering, as the closest major to Computer Science (.), ignoring all the criticisms and oppositions I received.

Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken - The Ambiguous Road Essay -- Road N

The Very Ambiguous Road Not Taken  Ã‚     Ã‚   Donald J. Greiner states, "In the years since his death, biographical revelations and critical appraisals have torn off the mask to expose a Frost the public never knew: a flawed man with more than his share of personal tragedy, a major poet with more than his share of fear"(95). Many people consider Robert Frost to be a great poet with many accomplishments. His work is well known throughout Europe and the United States; however, most people do not know the kind of life Frost led. On the surface, Frost seems to be a skilled writer filled with ambition and determination, yet, on the inside, he is a man constantly tormented by a haunting past and many unknown tragedies. Frost often conveys his feelings in his poetry; thus, just as Frost's life has an underlying meaning, so do many of his poems. Frost's "The Road Not Taken" is a poem that is often studied on its obvious surface level; however, the poem is actually very ambiguous in its underlying meaning. Because the speaker in Frost's work can only take one path, he will never know what the other path holds for him. In the beginning of the work, the speaker states, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, /And sorry I could not travel both" (1-2). This statement supports the fact that the speaker realizes he can not take both paths; therefore, he can never know what each path has to offer him. The speaker often refers to the fact that he wishes to be able to explore both paths. When the traveler says he "kept the first for another day!" (13), he means that one day he intends to come back to the road he did not take and see what he missed. Supporting this fact, the speaker also declares that "knowing how way leads to way, /[he] doubted ... ... way this experience has affected his life. Like a faà §ade, sometimes the surface structure of a poem can be very misleading, and, periodically, one must look deeper into the work in order to grasp its true meaning. Often simple words and phrases are the key to understanding a poem so traditionally studied with one meaning attached to it. As stated before, Frost's "The Road Not Taken" is a poem frequently studied with a traditional insight; however, analyzed and critiqued at a different level this work is actually very ambiguous. Works Cited Frost, Robert. "The Road Not Taken." The North Introduction To Literature. 6th ed. Eds. Carl E.Bain, Jerome Beaty, and J. Paul Hunter. New York: W.W Norton, 1995. 1097. Greiner, Donald J. "Robert Frost." Dictionary of Literary Biography. 3rd ed. Ed. Peter Quartermain. Vol.54. Detroit: Gale, 1987. 93-121.      

Resistance of a Wire :: Papers

Resistance of a Wire Aim: - I hope to find out how resistance of a wire is affected. Prediction: - I predict that as the length of the wire increases the resistance will also increase. Scientific Knowledge: - ======================= A wire is a bundle of metal strips coated in plastic. The plastic can vary in colour and connect to different terminals These are: - ------------ ÂÂ · Black = negative terminal ÂÂ · Red = positive terminal ÂÂ · Blue = neutral terminal ÂÂ · Green and yellow = earth terminal ÂÂ · Brown = live terminal The material varies because it has free electrons, which are able to flow through the wire. The number of the electrons depends on the amount of electrons in the outer energy shell of the atoms, so if there are more or larger atoms then there must be more electrons available. If the material has a high number of atoms there will be a high number of electrons causing a lower resistance because of the increase in the number of electrons. Also if the atoms in the material are closely packed then the electrons will have more frequent collisions and the resistance will increase. Resistance is measured in Ohm's (ÃŽÂ ©). Ohm's Law The law actually says that the resistance of a metal conductor is the same whatever the current - unless it's getting hotter. However most people think of these equations when the law gets mentioned: V = IR V is Voltage in Volts, I is Current in Amps and R is resistance in Ohms. If the length of the wire is increased then the resistance will also increase as the electrons will have a longer distance to travel and so more collisions will occur. Due to this the length increase should be proportional to the resistance increase. If the wires width is increased the resistance will decrease. This is because of the increase in the space for the electrons to travel through.

Character Analysis of Anne of “The Thousand Days” Essay

Thousand Days is a 1969 drama made by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. Directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. In Anne of the Thousand Days, King Richard VIII plays the central role in the plot and progress of the play. As the king of England, Richard is the most prominent authority figure. It turns out that he is the main character and therefore the most important person in the play.Being the central character makes it easy for this character to progress the play. The main contribution to progress the play is King Richards urgent desire to have a son to take heir to his throne. This is what the entire play revolves around. There are several other contributions that he makes to move the play forward. Some of these include his infatuation with Anne Boleyn, manipulating his government to allow different women into his life, and Annes trial that leads to her eventual death. The playwright employed this character as the central story that the entire play is based upon. Being based on history, it seems to be a very interesting story about King Richard VIII and the playwright realized this. It only makes sense to make him the main character because the story is about him. This play absolutely could not have been made without the king.If I were cast into playing King Richard VIII, I would not change the central objectives of my role. Being that this play is mostly non-fiction, it does not make sense to try and alter history in a major way. In my opinion, retaining the true story as well as possible is the best way to tell a story that is heavily based on history. Bibliography Anne of the Thousand Days Tea at Trianon. 2008. 11 November 2008. http://teaattrianon.blogspot.com/2008/10/anne-of-thousand-days-1969.htmlAnne of the Thousand Days Wikipedia Encylopedia. 2008. 11 November 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_the_Thousand_Days

Imperfect Competition Essay

In a perfectly competitive market—a market in which there is many buyers and sellers, none of whom represents a large part of the market—firms are price takers. That is, they are sellers of products who believe they can sell as much as they like at the current price but cannot influence the price they receive for their product. For example, a wheat farmer can sell as much wheat as she likes without worrying that if she tries to sell more wheat, she will depress the market price. The reason she need not worry about the effect of her sales on prices is that any individual wheat grower represents only a tiny fraction of the world market. When only a few firms produce a good, however, the situation is different. To take perhaps the most dramatic example, the aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing shares the market for large jet aircraft with only one major rival, the European firm Airbus. As a result, Boeing knows that if it produces more aircraft, it will have a significant effect on the total supply of planes in the world and will therefore significantly drive down the price of airplanes. Or to put it another way, Boeing knows that if it wants to sell more airplanes, it can do so only by significantly reducing its price. In imperfect competition, then, firms are aware that they can influence the prices of their products and that they can sell more only by reducing their price. This situation occurs in one of two ways: when there are only a few major producers of a particular good, or when each firm produces a good that is differentiated from that of rival firms. Monopoly profits rarely go uncontested. A firm making high profits normally attracts competitors. Thus situations of pure monopoly are rare in practice. Instead, the usual market structure in industries characterized by internal economies of scale is one of oligopoly, in which several firms are each large enough to affect prices, but none has an uncontested monopoly. The general analysis of oligopoly is a complex and controversial subject because in oligopolies, the pricing policies of firms are interdependent. Each firm in an oligopoly will, in setting its price, consider not only the responses of consumers but also the expected responses of competitors. In monopolistic competition models, two key assumptions are made to get around the problem of interdependence. First, each firm is assumed to be able to differentiate its product from that of its rivals. That is, because a firm’s customers want to buy that particular firm’s product, they will not rush to buy other firms’ products because of a slight price difference. Product differentiation thus ensures that each firm has a monopoly in its particular product within an industry and is therefore somewhat insulated from competition. Second, each firm is assumed to take the prices charged by its rivals as given—that is, it ignores the impact of its own price on the prices of other firms. As a result, the monopolistic competition model assumes that even though each firm is in reality facing competition from other firms, each firm behaves as if it were a monopolist—hence the model’s name. Reference: http://classof1.com/homework-help/international-economics-homework-help

Econ extra credit

The family constellation, or structure of the family, the relationships within the family, and the characteristics of the individual children all impact sibling relationships. Family constellation refers to the number and sex of the adults and children including the birth order, type of relationship (biological, adopted, stepparent or sibling), age, and spacing of the children. Although all relationships in the family are important, the parent-child relationships have the greatest impact on sibling relationships.Individual differences among siblings also impact their relationships. When children are younger, temperament is important in sibling relationships but for older children, relationships are influenced by their personality and social and cognitive skills. Family life varies greatly and many factors influence the outcome for children. Birth Order The relationship between birth order and an individual's personality has been debated since Alfred Adler (1928) described specific ch aracteristics of children according to their birth order. He also coined the phrase â€Å"sibling rivalry. Although a number of factors affect the outcomes for children, many authorities believe that hildren's birth order plays a special role in their destiny. Firstborn Children Firstborn children, who are often surrogates for their parents as caregivers, teachers, and models, enjoy a greater status/power position in relationship to their younger siblings. This difference becomes more pronounced as the age gap increases for at least up to four years. In children's eyes, status/power is conferred most heavily on the eldest son (Furman and Buhremester, 1985).Older girls are more often good teachers and nurturers for younger children (Cirirelli, 1972). Older boys, on the other and, tend to be better stimulators and models (Cirirelli, 1972). The oldest sibling feels more rivalry over the birth of the second child than other birth orders do toward a new baby. This is because the firstbo rn has had the full attention of parents and now has to share their affections. The adverse effects of this dethronement can be modified if parents prepare the older child for the changes and give her or him special attention after the new baby arrives.In this case, the older sibling often becomes protective of the new family member (Adler, 1928; Teti, Sakin, Kucera, Corns, and Eiden, 1996). Firstborn children tend to have distinct personality traits. Many studies depict these children as more adultlike, achievement-oriented, verbal, conservative, controlling of subordinates, and displaying a higher self-concept, but more anxious and less popular with peers than children born later (Lahey, Hammer, Crumrine, and Forehand, 1980; ZaJonc, 1983). Success seems to fit firstborn children. Many firstborns show leadership qualities. Alfred Adler said firstborns were in a to be more clever (1928).In studies as early as Galton's English Men of Science (1874), disproportionate numbers of firstb orns have achieved eminence. A higher percentage of firstborn children have become scientists, professors, presidents, Rhodes scholars, and astronauts. More firstborns have been finalists in the National Merit Scholarship tests compared to any other birth order (Muzi, 2000). This advantage may be explained by the fact that firstborns have only adults for language models and social interactions in the most formative period while their siblings are influenced by their predecessors in the family.Only Children It is not surprising that only children have many of the characteristics of firstborns with siblings (Falbo and Polit, 1986). Their relationship tc their parents is similar and both are responsive to adults. Parents provide an adul† intellectual environment for these children. In the case of the only child, this environment remains unchanged by the presence of younger children. Although both groups surpass other birth orders in intellectual and academic achievements, only ch ildren, as a group, score higher than other firstborns.They also complete about three additional years of schooling, achieve higher occupational prestige, and earn more money than firstborn children with siblings (Blake, 1989; Falbo, 1984; Falbo and Polit, 1986). However, a study on birth order by Steelman and Powell (1985) shows no correlation between birth order and academic success. Only children miss the experiences of sibling relationships and of having to share their parents with siblings. However, the stereotype of only children as more lonely, selfish, spoiled, and maladjusted than children with siblings is not true. A study of only children placed them into three groups.Some were normal and well adjusted, others were impulsive and acting out, and others were similar to the stereotype of only children (Rosenberg and Hyde, 1993). Middle Children Middle children are more sociable and harder to classify than the firstborns. They are sometimes called the â€Å"overlooked child. † It is more difficult to be the middle child when all siblings are of the same gender. If second-born children are closer in age to the oldest, they tend to take on some of these characteristics. This is especially true when the second-born is the oldest girl in a large family.On the other hand, middle children tend to be less adaptive to parental values, perhaps because they want to avoid competition with the older child. Because firstborn children mirror their arents in searching for their identity, middle children turn to peers, often adopting some of their values. In contrast to the first-born the middle child may be more friendly, cheerful, placid, and less studious with lower self-esteem. According to Adler (1928), the middle child is ambitious, rebellious, envious, and better adjusted than either the first born or the youngest child.Youngest Child When growing up, the youngest child is smaller, weaker, less knowledgeable, and less competent compared to older siblings, and often turns to attention-seeking. At a very arly age, the youngest are more outgoing, exploring toys, making responses to people, and initiating more play with strangers. Youngest children are significantly more successful socially than other birth orders (Steelman and Powell, 1985). The younger or youngest sibling is more dependent on others for help.Their dependency, however, deprives them of status/power and may lower their self- Most children are born within two or three years of the last sibling's birth (Dunn; 1995). Spacing of less than two years or five or more years is beneficial for the child's adjustment to a new sibling (Dunn, 1995; Tet', et al. 1996). A child under age two cannot realize all the implications of another sibling to their special position. In addition, young children closely spaced spend more time together than with their parents during these years and learn to understand each other intimately Gaffe, 1997).After age two, resentment and rivalry increase until children reach age five or six. By this time their world outside the family has expanded and they are better able to cope with and/ or avoid some of these feelings (Dunn, 1995). All children, including the newborn, benefit from larger intervals between births. Parents have time to give them more individual attention. Age differences, gender, and the ages of children in the family account for differences in the quality of their sibling relationships. Younger siblings admire most their siblings who are four or more years older.As already mentioned, the warmth-closeness characteristic appears greater between same-gender siblings and increases with the closeness of their ages. (Furman and Buhremester, 1985). On the other hand, conflict and competition are also more intense when siblings are close in age and, particularly, the same gender. Sibling ivalry is most intense in the early years and diminishes, at least on the conscious level, as siblings approach maturity. Family Size T here are differences in growing up in a small family (one or two children) as opposed to a large family (over four children).The larger the family, the greater is the number of relationships for a child to experience, which can be enriching or frustrating or both. Discipline in large families is more rule oriented, less individualized and there is more corporal punishment (Wagner, Schubert, and Schubert, 1985). Children in small families have fewer experiences in relationships ut do have more individual time with their parents. According to some studies, they also have slightly higher test scores, more schooling, and achieve more academically and in their occupation than children from large families (Blake, 1989; Hauser and Sewell, 1985).Parent-Child Relationships The quality of the relationship between each child and parent and between parents affects the sibling relationships. Parents who are constructively responsive to their children foster good feelings and cooperative behavior among their children (Furman, 1995; Bryant and Crockenberg, 1980). In homes where fathers are affectionate and helpful there are more positive sibling interactions. On the other hand, conflict between mother and each child is associated with increased sibling conflicts (Volling and Belsky,J. 1992). The child's temperament, sex, health, or hereditary traits also affect sibling relationships.Parents sometimes understand one child better than another. The child's temperament gender, health, or hereditary traits affect this relationship. When children perceive parental partiality, it increases feelings of competition, conflict, and Jealousy among siblings. Most children believe that their parent has a favorite child, which may not be true (Zervas and Sherman, 1994). Sibling rivalry is a normal emotion growing out of the need to share biological and affectional ties of the two most important people in a child's world, his or her parents. When a baby comes along, a child's world changes greatly.

Social Media and Brand Reputation Dissertation

Social Media and Brand Reputation - Dissertation Example Reputation risk has been considered the primary threat to business operations and the market value of their organizations. Despite this, organizations have been neglecting reputation risk management strategies. Thus with the aim to educate businesses on the ways in which brands might deal with ‘viral’ social media events to ensure they do not damage the reputation of the brand, three objectives were set in Chapter I. This was a qualitative study based on secondary data and after extensive literature in Chapter Two the study has achieved its objectives. The study finds that social media has changed how businesses function. Social networking applications create and manage a digital expression of people’s personal relationships or links. Social networking has the ability to expand social contacts, accelerate business processes, improve customer relations, reduce cost of recruitments, improve staff morale, motivation and job satisfaction among employees. It also provi des a collaborative learning environment where knowledge workers can be grouped together. Social media can be termed as an alternative communication tool which supports existing relationship and enriches the users’ experience. ... Web 2.0 technology presents opportunities for companies to be closer to their customers, to their markets, to observe and collect information. Companies form online brand communities where consumers can have direct but non-intrusive connection with the brand which generates a sense of belonging to the group. However, the same social media platform can also damage the brand reputation. Social software is susceptible to intentional attack when groups or an individual can bend the system to suit its purpose. Users have the freedom to express strong emotions and incidents soon go ‘viral’ which negatively affects the reputation of the organization. Social media fuels new expectations about the organization and it becomes essential for the organization to respond to it. Corporations have little control over information flow and information posted with malicious intentions can damage corporation’s reputation that may have taken years to build. Social media crises have oc curred because social business readiness is lacking even in the most advanced companies. Thus, the study concludes by presenting a model to educate businesses on the ways in which brands might deal with ‘viral’ social media events. Imitations to the study have been highlighted and recommendations for further research in this sector have been made. Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Problem statement 2 1.3 Research aims and objectives 3 1.4 Structure of the study 3 Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.1 Chapter Overview 5 2.2 Definition – social media and social networking 5 2.3 Potential of Web 2.0 technology and social networking sites (SNS) 5 2.4 Benefits of social media

Strategic planing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic planing - Coursework Example Netflix started off with a novel approach to DVD movie rentals by letting customers rent for cheap as compared to its competitors like Blockbuster and more importantly it allowed its customers to keep the movie for as long as they wanted without any late fee penalties. It became an instant factor in its success. In today’s busy world the ease of keeping a rental movie without having to worry about late fee charged to the clients was a service that no other competitors of Netflix had thought of. This business recognized it and reaped tremendous financial rewards in the long term. In the last few years Netflix again left its competitors far behind and even drove its major competition out of the market by simply recognizing and incorporating the Internet technology to its business. The streaming videos and the growing number of internet users was a factor which would influence almost all businesses if it has not already done so. Netflix allowed its subscribers to watch instant movies without having to pay any extra amount. This was a major boost to their business expansion and even took clients from cable where people had to pay extra to watch a new movie. The use of emerging internet technologies during this economic down turn gave Netflix an extra edge over its competition as its subscribers are paying for internet already and at a very low cost they can watch movies instantly without having to leave the comfort of their home. Opportunity for Expansion. Should a business always expand if given the chance to do so? Think of a company that recently added one or more new businesses to the organization. Does the addition seem to be in line with the original mission, vision, and core competencies? The three facts which the management needs to analyze are the current business situation, its future direction and the strategy to get there. The first most important factor is the realistic assessment of the present situation. Any shortcoming in