A research paper on cocaine Essay

Grown in the countries of South America, with Columbia being the most productive, the Erythroxylon Coca bush is the natural origin of cocaine, a central nervous stimulant. Its history is as rich and diverse as the people using and dealing the drug. Cocaine use dates as far back as the 16th century when it was used among Inca royalty. In the early 1800’s cocaine was introduced to Europe. Sigmond Freud wrote a song in its honor and famous author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† during a six -day cocaine binge. In the early 1900’s cocaine was available to consumers over the counter. Its medicinal value was a relief for toothaches and congestion. Parke Davis advised their consumers of the effects of cocaine by stating that it â€Å"could make the coward brave, the silent eloquent, and render the sufferer insensitive to pain†. The use of cocaine found its way into other products like wine and the most famous of all, Coca Cola. Early production of Coca Cola contained 60mg of cocaine. Today, the popular soft drink still uses the leaves of the Coco Bush for flavor but the illicit drug has been removed (www.cocaine.org). The resurrection of cocaine use as a recreational drug began in the 1960’s, and was used mostly among the affluent because of its price. Movie stars, sport stars and the like give cocaine its mystique and draw; psychological and physical effects make it addictive. Changes in form and price make cocaine far more accessible and affordable. Today, there is no clear connection between the use of cocaine and education, occupation or socioeconomic status. Cocaine is generally sold as a hydrochloride salt, a fine white powder substance that is commonly referred to as â€Å"snow†, â€Å"coke† or â€Å"blow†. Street dealers of cocaine commonly dilute, or â€Å"cut† the drug with similar looking substances like talcum powder or with active local anesthetics and even sometimes with other stimulants like amphetamines. The purity of street cocaine, powder form, is about 75 percent. When the impurities of this form are removed, it is known as â€Å"freebase† or â€Å"crack† cocaine. â€Å"Crack† cocaine  is easier to find and less expensive to buy. Cocaine in any form can be found in almost every town and city. Research studies done in 1999 showed cocaine is used by over 3.7 million Americans 12 years old and over, with the highest rate among people 18 and 25 years of age. The use among people 35 years and older also continues to rise (www.cocaine.org). The effects of cocaine depend on the route of administration, the amount of consumption, the user’s past experience, and the circumstances under which its taken. The major routes of administration are snorting, injecting, and smoking. Snorting is inhaling the powder form through the nasal cavity. The drug enters the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Injecting cocaine is using a syringe to release the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking cocaine is inhaling the cocaine vapors or smoke delivering large quantities to the lungs where it then enters the bloodstream as quickly as injecting. Cocaine interferes with the re-absorption process of dopamine that is a chemical messenger of pleasure to the brain. The effects are instant and intense but not long lasting (www.drugs.indiana.edu). The short -term effects usually make the user fell euphoric, energetic, and alert to their senses. It can decrease your anxiety and heighten your sexuality. Crack users have described the rush as a â€Å"whole body orgasm.† Or, a user can feel anxious or panic-stricken. The drug is a parody of heaven and hell. Often times the cocaine user craves other drugs. These symptoms appear quickly and disappear within a few minutes or a few hours. Physically, a person’s blood pressure, body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing accelerate, along with pupil dialation. In larger amounts the side effects intensify. The â€Å"high† might include feelings of paranoia, vertigo, and muscle twitches and physically a user might experience chest pains, nausea, blurred vision. Over time with continued use, the effects of cocaine gradually change. Irritability, restlessness, insomnia and paranoia replace the euphoria. Physically, the long- term user will lose interest in sex and lose weight. Those who snort the drug wear out their nasal septum while those who inject it risk the chance of contracting hepatitis or AIDS. Cocaine related deaths  are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest. Over time, to the user’s tolerance, the drug will build. To achieve the same effects as that of early usage requires larger doses of the drug. The user becomes psychologically dependent. The drug becomes pivotal to their thoughts, feelings and their daily activities. â€Å"Cocaine just made you feel really good. Then after you get done feeling really good then you start to get a Superman ego and that’s the beginning of the end.† (â€Å"Drug Wars†; A Frontline, PBS Production) Often times, cocaine addicts develop an illicit lifestyle to keep up with their drug habit. Cocaine’s influence leads a user to stealing from family, friends and even employers. The lifestyle of addicts becomes as corrupt as the organizations that produce and supply the product. Cocaine’s addiction has two sides: the love of the high and the love of the money. The US Government has estimated that cocaine trafficking takes nearly $80 billion a year out of our economy. In 1990, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) estimated about 20 Colombian organizations controlled most of America’s cocaine supply. Annual revenues of the Colombian drug trade have been estimated to be 5 billion dollars. The drug cartels existing today control every phase of the drug trafficking business. They manufacture, transport, distribute, and finance cocaine. Like many large corporations, the business involves bankers, accountants, and lawyers, wholesalers and retailers. More special to this business the cartel â€Å"payroll† also includes chemists, pilots and enforcers of security (www.drugs.indiana.edu). The cartels are structured in layers, at the center is the cartel manager or â€Å"kingpin†. Information shared among the members of the cartel is highly secularized. Only a choice few are privy to all the workings of the cartel. Those employees holding positions in the outer layers of the organization (the lawyers, accountants, bankers, and enforcers) reap the financial benefits of serving their bosses but are strictly put on a need to know basis. Cartels operating in the United States are referred to as â€Å"cells† which are â€Å"self contained organized units.† The Medillin Cartel was the first known, successful cartel of cocaine  traffickers coming from Colombia. It was established in 1978 and lead by Carlos Lehder. It used violence and intimidation to stay one step ahead of the justice system. The cartel bribed police officers with money or threatened them with death if they did not honor the cartel and look the other way when they did business. The Medellin Cartel was taken down in March of 1984. Carlos Lehder was arrested in 1987, tried in the United States and sentenced to 135 years without the possibility of parole. George Jung’s, the Medillin Cartel’s American contact, testimony against Lehder assured his conviction. In the 1990’s, on the heels of the Medillin, came the Cali Cartel. They are responsible for 70-80 percent of the cocaine coming into the United States and 90 percent of that entering Europe. Instead of violence and intimidation like their counter parts, the Cali operated their business using a subtle approach. Law enforcement has had difficulty in closing the Cali operations for many reasons. Their structure is different from that of the Medillin, as is their methods of smuggling. They are much more conservative. They only sell to people they know. The â€Å"home office,† which is the CEO and vice presidents, coordinate the cells. The cells contact the buyers usually by cellular phone or pager and arrange the time and place to distribute the drugs. Payment is made at the second meeting. When the deal is done, the home office is contacted and accurate records are kept by both (www.awesomestories.com). While the Colombians may monopolize the cocaine market, there are similar organizations in other countries. The Triads and Tongs of China, La Compania of Cuba, and the Yakuza of Japan are some other major drug trafficking organizations. They have successfully invested into legitimate American business. The one thing they all have in common: United States of America as a client base (www.cocainefacts.com). Cocaine touches many people on a variety of levels. It can completely change a person’s personality, for the worse. It spins a web of deceit and destruction. Physically and mentally the drug tricks you from recognizing reality. Euphoria tricks you into believing that the high is good, all the while the time bomb is ticking. Blowing up your mind is just a matter of time. Works Cited Bailey, William J. Factline on Cocaine. 1995: Heller, Matthew. â€Å"Addicted to Love.† Los Angeles Magazine. Sept. 1999. No Author Given. No Author Given.

Dystopian Short Story- Year 11

He stood looking down, staring. Like every other morning there was a paper crane lying on the ground. He picked it up and looked around hoping to catch the person who put it there, but there was no one else on the street. The paper crane was on his mind all day. The next morning he left early. He planned on waiting for the person who leaves the paper cranes. He hid at the corner of the street, three houses down from where the paper cranes always were. He had been standing then for twenty minutes and so far nothing had happened, so he stood to leave, but he stopped when he saw a girl emerge from the house that the paper cranes were always in front of. The girl looked around, then she lifted her hand and in her hand she held a paper crane. She lightly threw the paper crane and it landed in the exact same spot I find the cranes everyday. She smiled and retreated back into the house. He watched the girl retreat back inside the house, then he walked over and picked up the paper crane. Girl The next morning she got out of bed and got dressed. She went over to her desk and selected a piece of paper with hearts all over it. She was halfway through making a paper crane when she heard music outside. She stood and walked out onto her balcony and looked down over the edge. The boy who took her paper cranes everyday stood on the sidewalk surrounded by all the paper cranes she had made. He was playing a soft melodic song on a guitar. He looked up and smiled. He handed the girl a rose. â€Å"How was it did you like it? † He asked. She smiled at him and replied â€Å"Yes†. The girl started coughing, he frowned â€Å"Are you sick? † She looked down â€Å"Yes just a little.. † she said quietly. She said later that she was so sick she couldn’t go to school for six months. â€Å"I was wondering, why did you leave a paper crane out there every morning? † He asked. â€Å"Because I saw you walking by every morning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The smiled â€Å"You did that because you missed me, didn’t you? † . He smiled. â€Å"This popularity of mine† he laughed. â€Å"By the way, I’m Max. What’s your name? † . â€Å"Summer† she replied. Summer? That’s so pretty† He grinned â€Å"Hmm†¦Then you sibling’s names would be Spring, Autumn and Winter? † She smiled â€Å"No I’m an only child† He looked thoughtful â€Å"How old are you? † â€Å"Seventeen† she replied. â€Å"What month birthday? â⠂¬  He asked â€Å"June†. â€Å"Since I am an April birthday, I guess that makes you the oldest† He smiled. Sunny began to cough badly. â€Å"Sunny† she continued to cough â€Å"Sunny? † he said again â€Å"Sunny! † Max was worried now â€Å" What’s wrong sunny? † he put his arms on her shoulders. â€Å"Are you okay Sunny? Sunny?! † The doctor walked out into the waiting room, and Max rushed to him. â€Å"What happened? † He asked. †Her condition has gotten worse†¦there’s no more hope† . Summer’s parent, who were seated in the waiting room, got up from their seats. â€Å"What? † Summer’s mother said. The doctor turned to the parents, â€Å"Didn’t I say she should have gotten hospital treatment earlier? † Summer’s father looked sad, â€Å"Our daughter, she wanted to stay home so badly. † Summers mother was crying, â€Å"What are we going to do? What are we going to do about our Summer? The doctor looked at them, â€Å"I think it’s time for you to prepare yourselves†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Max grabbed the doctor, â€Å"What does that mean?! † â€Å"There’s no month† He said. Tears rolled down Max’s cheeks, â€Å"Excuse me? Doctor. Save her, pease? Doctor, Doctor! † He fell to the floor and cried. †Å"Please save her he cried, please†. Max walked into the room where sunny lay in a bed within an enclosed glass area, he put his hand against the glass and looked down. Summer opens her eyes, and looks at him, â€Å"I didn’t want to show myself like this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Max smiled kindly at her, â€Å"There’s nothing wrong with it. You’ll get better soon anyway. They said in about two weeks you’ll be fine. † Max pulled out his ipod, â€Å" I brought this so that you wouldn’t be bored. † He went to enter into the little room, â€Å"You can’t, You can’t come in† Summer said. Max pulled back â€Å" Then†¦what should I do? I really wanted you to hear this song, it’s my favourite lately. â€Å" He looked at Summer’s sad face and thought for a moment, then he put his ipod down, â€Å"Listen carefully it’s called I just want you† Max began to sing †¦ â€Å"There's something I gotta say to you, but I'm so afraid of what you'll do. Ooh ooh ooh ooh. I'll just admit this to you now, that I'm stuck on you like glue somehow. Ooh ooh ooh ooh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As he sang tears rolled down Summer’s cheeks. And that’s how Max’s love hurt as soon as it started†¦ Max pushed Summer around the hospital garden in a wheelchair, â€Å"Man, it’s already spring. Summer, is there anywhere you want to go visit? † Summer looked sad â€Å"There is, but remember, I can’t go† Max looks down, â€Å"Hey, what do you mean you can’t go? Where is it? Tell me. I’ll bring a private jet and take you wherever you want to go† Summer smiles â€Å"Really? â€Å"Yes, really. So where is it? † â€Å"In my hometown there’s a hill with a tree. It’s the tree my dad planted the day I was born† Max looked down in surprise, â€Å"A tree? † â€Å"Yeah. I want to see how big it’s gotten†¦before I die† Max stopped pushing â€Å"Hey , why would you die?! If you say that one more time, I’m just going to kiss you. † Summer smiles. â€Å"In any case, don’t worry. I promise to take you there† That night, Max wraps a blanket around Summer and they sneak out of the hospital. They get on a bus, and Summer sits with her head against Max and rests. After a while Sunny opens her eyes and without looking up she says â€Å"I want to hear that song†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Max looks down at her â€Å" I just want you† she whispers. â€Å"Really? Hold on. â€Å" Max grabs his ipod and places the headphones in her ears, and presses play. He smiles and slides his hand through her hair†¦ lock of hair comes away with his hand, and he looks at. Max leans his head against the window of the bus†¦and silently cries. Max is carrying Summer on his back as they walk down a tree lined road. â€Å"Aren’t I heavy? † She asks. â€Å"No† he smiles, â€Å"Wow, my Summer is so light. You need to gain some weight. I’m going to feed you chicken, hamburgers, and lots of vegetables† Summer hates vegetables â€Å"I can’t eat vegetables† she says. â€Å"Fine, Then I’ll eat them and get strong, so I can piggy back you every day. † â€Å"What if I get so fat you can’t carry me? † she asks. Max stops â€Å"Hmm†¦then I can get just as fat, and we can roll around together† Summer laughs â€Å"You’re crazy† she stops laughing and begins to cough. She puts a handkerchief against her mouth so she doesn’t cough on Max and when she pulls it away its covered in blood. Max sees it and his eyes widen in shock.

A New Look At Personal Identity Essay

A new look at personal identity Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his article, â€Å"A New Look at Personal Identity,† Michael Allen Fox, argues his opinion on the feisty historic debate about physical and psychological continuity views on personal identity (Fox, 2007). Hebrings in his view of the â€Å"self-developed by existential philosophy† as what makes a person. He does not invalidate the original views but says that the issue of what makes a person remains a task for philosophers to investigate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fox wants to handle the often tricky dilemma of personal identity that has been tackled by philosophers since time immemorial. He identifies some questions to solve; â€Å"Who am I?† and â€Å"Might I be a very different person in the future?† He begins by stating that according to most responses, the conclusion boils down to either the soul or the body. He says that one cannot find ‘you’ or ‘I’in the soul, but it is easy to associate it with something tangible like the body. He goes on to state the grounds for the belief of the first group; that we are souls and that we do not change. He counters it by introducing the belief that for something to exist it is imperative for to be able to locate in space and time. He then introduces the philosophers’ dominant stance on the subject that the soul is non-existent (Hamilton, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seeking to find out whether the philosophers are right, Fox looks at history and resolves that people either believe in physical or psychological continuity as what makes a person. He says that according to the former, someone never changes as they have had the same body since their birth. To support the argument, he recounts an ancient enigma called ‘The Ship of Theseus.’ He states that Theseus was the king and that gradually his whole ship’sparts got replacement so that no part of it remained as the first. He further says that this is the philosophers’ basis of their argument; that incremental replacement occurs on the gut, the epidermis, red blood cells, bone and muscles. He also introduces organ transplant to strengthen on their claim. He goes on to say that the cerebral and visual cortex never regenerate and concludes that the most important parts of us do not change in relation to the subject at hand. He al so introduces the concept of the DNA as another hurdle to the physical approach. He explains that as unique as the DNA is, it does not form part of all our body; only ten percent of the body DNA resides in our cells. He questions why philosophers have not ventured to use DNA as one of thebase of individual continuity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The decision point comes when Fox discredits the latter approach as ancient and introduces the view of the â€Å"self-developed by existential philosophy† as an alternative. He argues that â€Å"a self or person is what it does,† an activity, what he or she does daily, by their means of choices and actions. He calls it the ‘continuity of responsible action’(Fox, 2007). He concludes by saying the matter is one that remains one for philosophy to investigate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article tries to elucidate on the subject of what makes a person. However, Fox was unable to give a rigid conclusion and left the matter open to discussion. Although he elucidated on physical continuity, I think that he should not have discredited psychological continuity; additional explanation should have been made to let the reader decide for themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is the author’s view the best alternative among the three?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Should philosophers continue their research on physical continuity? References Hamilton, A. (1995). A new look at personal identity. The Philosophical Quarterly, 332-349. Fox, M. A. (2007). A new look at personal identity. Philosophy Now, 62, 10-11. Source document

Hansen's Disease (leprosy) Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hansen's Disease (leprosy) - Term Paper Example The oldest civilizations of China, Egypt and India were among the first to have documentation of a disease quite similar to leprosy, forcing scholars, doctors and scientists alike to assume that that was what the disease actually was. However, leprosy today is not what people had to deal with thousands of years ago. Due to the lack of medical attention, leprosy was more common and severe, causing infected people to be forced into separate leprosy colonies. Before our common era, leprosy was feared due to people believing that it was a curse or a punishment from God. Many infected people saw death sooner than they should have because they were killed for having the infection, as people did not want them spreading the curse or punishment around. â€Å"In Europe during the Middle Ages, leprosy sufferers had to wear special clothing, ring bells to warn others that they were close, and even walk on a particular side of the road, depending on the direction of the wind (Mallac, 2001).† However, due to how contagious the disease is, patients were treated similarly in more modern times, though this was out of concern for others developing the disease. Special hospitals were created solely for patients suffering from leprosy. It was in 1873 that Henrik Armeuer Hansen, a doctor from Norway, first identified under a microscope the germ that causes leprosy, which is how leprosy received its formal name. This germ is mycobacterium leprae, and was the first bit of proof that leprosy was indeed caused by a germ, and not by a curse or from sinning. After this discovery, doctors and scientists set to work to discover cures and treatments for leprosy. Before the 1940s, leprosy patients were treated with oil from the chaulmoogra nut. Some patients benefited from the painful treatment, but very little was known about the long term effects. Between the 1920s and the 1970s, numerous medical breakthroughs took place in regard to discovering medication for leprosy

Subcultures of violence in american society Research Paper

Subcultures of violence in american society - Research Paper Example Generally speaking, subculture refers to those smaller groups of people who are the part of a larger culture and engage in a specific activity which other refrain from doing. Here the subculture is performing violence and assaults, and take it as honor and pride to indulge in them. It is widely seen that the people in lower class or poverty line engage in violence and assaults as compared to people in other classes. Violence is an integral part of human being and throughout history he has proven this fact. Where there existed a society or community there was a prominent presence of violence, fights and hatred. However, America being a fast moving city has given home to many law violators, aggressive criminals and illegal activist. According to(Time) â€Å"In the U.S. today, it seems to many that violence is in the ascendant over cooperation, disruption over order, and anger over reason†. More or less major population who engage is violent behavior is the black population of Am erica. Sadly, they become violent because of the vengeance and bitterness they harbor in their mind towards their family and the society, and little less is done by law abiders to pacify them. Being violent and involving in crime and homicides can also be connected to psychological and physiological problems infested among wrong doers. The root of all evilness in mind is coming from various problems occurred in their childhood or family life during the past. â€Å"Children who grew up in a family without a male presence are more likely to engage in criminal activity ,specifically interpersonal crime ,than those grew up in traditional family†(Dibich,20). It is found that children with a single parent are more likely to commit crime than one who has been raised in a whole some family. If a child during the early years of his life misses the love and caring from one of the parent, they tend to find relief by committing violent activities and crime. If one look or analyze the cri me scene of American society, it can be easily revealed that black Americans are indulging in violence than white Americans. The crime filled dark streets have eventually become the hard truth of American urban culture and law abiders are not seemingly doing much about it. The senseless killing and cruelsome attacks are reckoning to be the black image of the American city life. A fire arm possession has become a right of every citizen of America and thus over 50 million homes has guns in the name of self defence.Such large possession of fire arms are giving opportunity to violent people to conduct any sort of atrocities to a strangers or family members in a moment of rage. In America the Southern region has been distinctively tagged as the violent region than rest of the country. And many study has a shown that this region leads in assaults and homicides in the country. However, the reason for south to remain a violent state has been a question to ponder on by researchers and sociol ogist. Many believe that the historical background of the southern region is to blame for this kind of criminology while other believes that poverty and social inequality is the real culprit. There is also an accepted concept in the southern region of America that one can enhance their honor and reputation by engaging in violence and criminal activities. The culture of a particular individual has a major role in determining the way he conducts himself in day to day

Nike's Dilemma Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nike's Dilemma - Case Study Example The on-going recession poses a serious threat to expansion of sports businesses. The only option left is to increase their advertising and improving the quality of the service they give to their customers. Titleist and other competing companies dealing with golf products could have taken advantage of this by raising promotions targeting clubs currently buying from Nike. As quoted on the Wall Street journal, â€Å"in 2009, sales of clubs and other support tools fell in by 11.9 %, which is three quarters of total golf sales Bustillo† (web). However, two other Nike golfers won two crucial matches in the same year helping Nike to regain the lost credibility. The drop in the golf sales and the recessionary period may hinder Nike to venture into new golf products, but this is advisable. Nike needs to work hard in rebranding Woods. This is one of the best ways of securing sales in golfing market since Woods is still influential despite the presently tainted image. The idea of introduction of new golf balls, t-shirts, and shoes that do not bear the old names that Woods used. They â€Å"Have you learnt anything?† Commercials by Nike helped in gathering people’s views on the scandal after engaging them to respond. Nike was supporting Woods to rejoin his family and achieve both corporate and personal penance. This approach by Nike was not much of a help since the companies sales still went down. According to National Golf Foundation, there is a decrease in golf sports. Since 2000, the number of those involved in this sport fell from 26 million to 30 million. Additionally, the persons who played this sport for 25 times a year fell to 4.6 million in 2005 from 6.9 million in 2000 (Vitello

Must young learners need teachers with a bachelor degree or not at all Research Paper

Must young learners need teachers with a bachelor degree or not at all - Research Paper Example Must young learners need teachers with a bachelor degree or not at all? Formal education requires that teachers should have at least a bachelor degree of education and must have passed the teachers licensure examination before they could be considered qualified to pursue the career of teaching. They may also improve their qualification by embarking on master and doctorate degree to possess high competence and skills in classroom administration and instruction Compared to previous system of education, modern teachers are required to be multidisciplinary in knowledge to ensure that they are able to impart full knowledge to their learners and the latter will acquire understanding and high capacity for retention of theories which they could use for critical relation with mundane and divine realities (University of California Commission on General Education, 2007). All educational institution sets standard for teachers to ensure that they are delivering quality education to the public and that they possessed core competencies on academic subjects (Atpe.org, 2013). Informal education on the other hand is not quite defined in its standards but this has been historically and philosophically developed through olden primary schools where children can be taught in an informal approach. This is done through creative ways such as excursion, painting or drawing, and mostly about reflecting on empirical experiences. Informal way of education simply requ ires â€Å"spontaneity, flexibility, naturalness, interests, sense of freedom, and self-expression. (Atpe.org, 2013, p. 1).† For primary learners who are yet at the new phase of learning process, teachers can be those who have attained certain level of education, though may not be certified yet, but is practicing such â€Å"broad and balance teaching through alternative pedagogic alternatives that is driven for conversion processes (Atpe.org, 2013, p. 1).† Who are the important people? In formal and informal education, the pivotal parties in the learning processes are the teachers, the learners, the school administrators, the local government and its agency on education, and the community, including parents The teachers are of course those professional and non-professional instructors leading the learning processes that are maybe transpiring within and outside the classroom. The learners are those that are formally enrolled in school with the interest of improving thei r knowledge base for their personal growth and to fulfil their dreams in life. The school administrators are essential part of the educational process because they are concern about administration of educational institution, the improvement of their human resources (teachers and staff), and are concern in attaining quality standard of educative processes, such as ensuring that classroom instruction are done in accordance to required curriculum, approaches or methods, and in accordance to the policies set by the Department of Education (University of California Commission on General Education, 2007). The government is also a stakeholder of education. They are responsible in formulating and implementing policies to ensure that quality education are maintained and offered by the schools for young learners and that resources are allocated for the fulfilment of the state’s vision on education and production of skilled and quality human resources (University of California Commissio n on General Education, 2007). The state could also intervene on some policy issues and infrastructural developments for public schools to address the fundamental needs to deliver that form of education that will not leave any child behind (University of Ca

The Paradoxical Relationship Between Atheism and Communism Term Paper

The Paradoxical Relationship Between Atheism and Communism - Term Paper Example On the other hand, communism was a sociopolitical movement which was made famous by Karl Marx in the early 19th century. This movement was related by Marx as the solution to the problems which the world was facing back then, and still is, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Marx suggested that there should be a system in which all material goods are owned by the entire community so that the poor are not working to make the rich even richer. The society would have no class and the resources would be used keeping in mind the best interests of everyone (Marx & Engels, 1948). The relation between communism and atheism emerges where Karl Marx states, â€Å"Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.† It needs to be noted here that communism, th e idea which was proposed by Karl Marx is the one which incorporates atheism into it. Atheism does not incorporate into it any kind of social or political belief or agenda. Thus the relationship which is being discussed here is of the involvement of the idea that religion is detrimental to the human in communism. While atheism negates the idea of a religion being in anyway beneficial to man, it itself provides a belief system along with a set of rules to follow, in short, it provides a religion. While religion may make a man secondary to a deity or a God, it makes every man secondary to a power which is far greater than man himself where as communism in giving man the power to make his own decisions, provides him with a system to which he is secondary, a system that is ultimately run by a human. And as someone so eloquently put it, as long as it is human, it is flawed (Markham, 2010). While supposedly giving humans who are poor the freedom to not be forced to bring up their children in less then desirable conditions, communism impresses upon them the importance of following the system, again, where it gives freedom in one way, it takes it away on the other hand. One can say, while looking at this, that atheism while denying religion and grading it the root of all evils, provides to the people a system of belief. One very much like a religion, that would give people hope that someone up their, whether in the skies or sitting on a chair is looking out for their freedom and betterment. Here, atheism in relation to communism contradicts itself. While it denies people the right to follow a deity of their choice, it forces them to follow one which it puts into place. And while it claims that the human mind is free and should be developed enough not to believe in a deity or anything supernatural, it also makes it very clear that there is indeed a higher power which is communism (Marx & Engels, 1948). The problem which arises when communism and atheism are discussed i n relation to each other is the fact that all definitions of communism are decidedly vague. While it explains very clearly why communism would work, it does not say how. It explains how religion could be detrimental, but does not say why. There are no set of rules which put communism into action, thus the derivations of communism were many and varied. And by co-incidence or by pure irony,

Marketing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Marketing - Article Example For this reason, a survey was conducted among the customers of three travel agents in Indonesia. In total, 215 customers participated in the survey. The survey aimed to reveal the relationship between the marketing mix and the consumer decision making especially in regard to travel agents. After analyzing the findings using three different methods of analysis, Satit et al. (2012) came to the result that only two from the 4P’s of marketing mix influence customer decision making in the particular sector: product and price. 3) The article addresses a particular aspect of marketing, the marketing mix. It should be noted that the mode of marketing mix chosen in the above study is the 4P’s, i.e. product, price, place and promotion. At the next level, the article discusses the potential value of the 4P’s for the consumer decision-making process. In other words, not all aspects of 4P’s are explored, but just the relationship of 4P’s with the above process. At the same time, the use of 4P’s as a marketing tool is evaluated specifically in regard to travel agents in Indonesia. Although a specific industry is involved, the findings of the research, as presented in the above article, could be used for understanding the value of 4P’s in other industries also. 4) Through this article I have learned that marketing mix can be valuable in a high range of industries; still, the level at which marketing mix can contribute in the development of each industrial sector is not standardized. For example, in the case of travel agents, only two elements of marketing mix have been proved to be powerful to influence the consumer decision making process: product and price. In other words, marketing mix can serve as a tool for promoting business performance. But before adopting this tool for achieving such target it would be necessary to review the

A Project Management study of Impact of stakeholders on project delays Research Proposal

A Project Management study of Impact of stakeholders on project delays and increase cost in transport sector - Research Proposal Example Project stakeholders are the representatives of the interests achieved at these levels. The author defines a project stakeholder as a group of people or a person who has vested interest in the project’s success as well as the environment in which the project operates. It means that even the environmental protection agencies are stakeholders. The citizens of a country are stakeholders to a construction project of a highway. Stakeholder for this research study will include any persons, group of people or organizations involved in the construction project with some vested interest including the citizens of the international community if found to qualify as stakeholders. Construction projects worldwide are characterised by delays which is always accompanied by time and cost overruns. The project delays have devastating effects on various stakeholders such as on consultants, owners, financiers, and the contractor. These stakeholders are mostly affected in terms of litigation, growt h in adversarial relationship, arbitration, distrust and cash-flow problems. Project delays contribute a lot, through various ways, to the failure of most construction projects. It puts a lot of strain in the management of the projects. In most cases, project progress reports report project delays with no specific reference to the causes (Haseeb, Xinhai-Lu, Bibi, Maloof-ud-Dyian & Rabbani., 2011). It is important to find the causes of project delays in order to develop strategies for eliminating them. This forms part of risk management. Lack of preparedness in managing any risks associated with a project constitutes poor project management. It is therefore important to identify every source of risk and make preparations on how they can be mitigated. Delays in large construction projects have been found to be a major problem. They cost the job owner and the contractor a lot of money. Although some of the causes are universal, construction projects are different and the causes of dela y may vary (Haseeb, Xinhai-Lu, Bibi, Maloof-ud-Dyian & Rabbani., 2011). In the United Kingdom for example, there are various large construction projects going on (Construction News, 2013). A project manager may have assessed similar projects from different regions and countries to find out the risks associated with project delays, the causes of project delays, and how to manage these delays. This is an important step, but as the project continues, different activities, situations and cost changes affect the project. This in turn affects the causes of delay. In the UK for example, workers are a source construction delays. According to Terry (2013), workers take in excess of 130 million days sickness absence every year. 330,000 workers drop out of employment every year. These cost the state and the employer, and have a drastic impact on the society. The government has worked over several years to find out ways to reduce the levels of sickness absence and related costs. It has currentl y published proposals for reform which may change the approach given to sickness absence in the UK. Employers are expected to change their role and be more involved in assisting employees to return to work as soon as possible when they are able to return, and in rehabilitation. These new recommendations are expected to be introduced in the next 12-18 months (Terry, 2013). This project management plan focuses

Bypass the Story of a Road Analysis Essay Example for Free

Bypass the Story of a Road Analysis Essay McGirr takes virtually every detour possible and in doing so seems to suggest that life’s journey is at its most interesting when one strays from the central path. It is in the towns and rest stations that McGirr encounters individuals with interesting stories to tell – stories that give McGirr’s narrative its essential variety and ‘life’. McGirr’s interest is not only in what lies off to the side of the ‘main road’ in a literal sense. He is attracted by the lives of ‘ordinary’ people who are not famous or even particularly successful. Even when relating incidents from his life as a priest he enjoys telling stories that would otherwise never appear in print: attending the wrong wedding reception; seeing a bride answer a mobile phone. He does occasionally refer to famous or powerful people; even here, though, his preference is for the little known incident over the important, nation-shaping decision – such as John Curtin’s midnight pot of tea in a Gundagai cafà ©. In short, McGirr suggests that, although the highway itself is valuable, we must not forget or neglect places and lives that the highway bypasses, for these too constitute the ‘life-blood’ of the nation. And similarly, although the nation’s central story or history is important – that of, say, the Anzacs, the explorers, the two world wars – the stories that lie off to the side of the historical mainstream are equally worth knowing, are equally valuable. As narrator and author of this narrative, McGirr has a lot of control over how he depicts himself. Indeed, ‘the power of the person who gets to tell the story’ (p.19) is considerable, as he notes when discussing Hovell’s power over Hume in that regard. McGirr is depicted as a fairly affable, if occasionally bumbling figure whose decision to leave the Jesuit order after twenty-one years is a life-changing one. The decision prompts him to experience a number of ‘firsts’: he buys property in Gunning; embarks on an intimate relationship with Jenny whom he subsequently marries and has children with; and decides to travel on a bike down the Hume Highway and document his progress. McGirr might come across as something of an ‘everyman’ figure but his life-experiences mark him as someone rather eclectic (unusual). McGirr displays a capacity for droll humour throughout the narrative, and also a willingness to reflect deeply on his experiences and those of others. His reflective tendencies see him discuss his struggle to sincerely uphold the vow of obedience when he was a member of the Jesuit order (p.173), and also his feeling of being alone when he first joined the order (p.229). It might be argued that McGirr is depicted as someone who thinks a little too much: the discussion of his dilemma about buying orange juice with the money allocated to new Jesuits for ‘emergencies’ (p.228) is an example. Fortunately, his capacity for reflection does not make the text too ponderous. McGirr’s accounts of his developing relationship with Jenny and his self-deprecatory asides about his weight (p.31, p.98), snoring (p.227), age (p.32) and tendency to lecture others (p.142) depict him as a jovial, likeable bloke. Bypass, a hybrid work of creative non-fiction is a memoir, travel story, social history, romance and road story. The literary devices used in Bypass enliven and enrich the writing with sparkling wit. For example: ‘Hovell had been a naval captain. On land, however, he was all at sea.’(p 19) ‘They were like fishermen who were prepared to dam their own river rather than let it starve them.’(p 48) ‘A roadhouse is a place where everything that can’t be eaten has been laminated, and not all the food can be eaten.’(p 66) ‘Guerrilla warfare is the opposite of God who, for some unknown reason, makes his or her absence felt even when present.’(p 81) ‘I came to Gunning to hide, but people kept finding me.’(p 97) ‘Sturt went blind trying to see what none had seen before.’(p 170) McGirr’s anger at some social problems is often expressed in blunt metaphors, for example, when discussing gaming machines in Goulburn he writes: ‘They are abattoirs of the human spirit.’(p 90) His love for language is reflected, for example, where the text is an extended reverie on arcane words and their meanings eg panier (p 98), or in his jovial attempt to find a word to describe a group of prime ministers (pp 153-4). Humour is one of the most appealing features Bypass, for example the discussion of caravans with a fellow traveller (pp 110-1). Michael McGirr is masterly in creating punch lines to end his stories. eg ‘I don’t believe in washing your dirty laundry in public.’(p 263) The Hume Highway: The Hume Highway runs for over eight hundred kilometres inland, between Sydney and Melbourne. Early settlers, such as Charles Throsby and Hume and Hovell, made journeys overland that eventuated in the Hume Highway being developed. The road, initially sometimes called the Great South Road in New South Wales and Sydney Road in what became Victoria, has been re-routed, extended and improved over time. In 1928, it became officially known as the Hume Highway. A number of towns originally on the Hume Highway have now been bypassed to reduce both travel times and the amount of traffic (especially trucks) passing through town centres. The meaning of bypass: The term bypass means to go around something; a road bypass normally goes around a town or the centre of a town. There are many such bypasses on the Hume Highway, allowing the traveller to avoid built up areas and suburban streets. However, although Bypass is the story of a journey along the Hume Highway, the title makes it clear that McGirr’s main interest is in how the road goes around places and people, and what the effects of this might be – both positive and negative. For more about McGirr’s engagement with the notion of a bypass, see the section on Themes, Ideas and Values. The main idea in the novel Bypass is the idea of a journey. In literal terms, Bypass: the story of a road tells the story of a physical journey from one point to another: in this case, from Sydney to Melbourne. However, McGirr makes clear that a journey can have qualities that are more metaphorical. The literary references to Don Quixote and Anna Karenina, in particular, suggest very different types of journeys. The quotation from Don Quixote, ‘there’s no road so smooth that it ain’t got a few potholes’, implicitly signals Sancho’s philosophical take on the nature of relationships and life more generally. This attitude towards the vicissitudes of life clearly informs the text as a whole. For instance, McGirr comments about the degree to which his ‘silly adventure’ might impact negatively on his relationship with Jenny (p.137). Likewise, the comments he makes about the truckies whose marriages can suffer from their long hours on the road (p.52), suggest that physical journeys and emotional journeys are closely intertwined. The frequent references to Anna Karenina also signal McGirr’s interest in the romantic and tragic dimensions of life. The flirtatious comments about McGirr’s relationship with Anna Karenina, his predilection for relinquishing (and then recovering) the text from time to time and the inevitable decision to place her in close proximity to a railway (p.260) work symbolically as a comment on life more generally, as well as on the plot of Tolstoy’s novel. After all, Tolstoy’s Anna throws herself in front of a train. McGirr is all too aware of the fragility of life – both on the road and beyond it. In this novel, death and memorial are also an important theme. The ultimate destination in life’s journey is death. McGirr does not shy away from discussing the fragility of life and makes much of the memorials on the Hume Highway. Death is something that cannot be bypassed and, like ‘the road [which] has no respect for persons or status’ (p.158), it comes to us all. As McGirr notes when reflecting on the cemetery in Gunning, ‘even a long life is short’ (p.7). For McGirr the Hume Highway is ‘sacred space’ (p.15); it is ‘lined with countless reminders of death’ (p.178) and memorialises both those who have died on it and those who have died at war. While McGirr is respectful and interested in the memorials dedicated to the war dead, his main priority is to acknowledge that death comes to all and that the lives of all ordinary Australians – including soldiers – are worth acknowledging and commemorating. Indeed, this is clearly conveyed by his juxtaposition of the near-death experience of Kerry Packer (p.40) and the funerals of the Queen Mother (p.255) and the Princess of Wales (p.256) with the experiences of less well-known individuals. Packer’s blunt assertion that there is no life beyond the grave is contrasted with the more positive reflection of a woman who believed that her husband had ‘gone to the great swap-meet in the sky’ (p.41). Similarly, the vast amount of coverage and ceremony afforded the funerals of the Queen Mother and the Princess of Wales is diametrically opposed to the more poignant account of the interment of Anton, a lonely old man whose funeral was attended by three people: the undertaker, Anton’s neighbour and McGirr in his role as priest (p.256). McGirr says of those like Anton, ‘At least God knew this person †¦ even if nobody else did’ (p.256). McGirr’s accounts of death or near-death experiences are most chilling when he considers those who have endured harrowing experiences on the road. His discussion of the murders committed by Ivan Milat (pp.70–4) and by bushrangers (pp.77–83) brings home the fact that ‘the Hume has a dark side’ (p.70). Not wanting to sensationalise – or justify – the actions of these men, McGirr nonetheless provides some background details to depict them in ways that are complex, non-judgemental and at times unnerving. ENTRY SEVEN: PHILOSOPHY IN BYPASS Given McGirr’s work as a priest for much of his life, it is not surprising that this text is largely preoccupied with issues of faith and philosophical ponderings about life more generally. McGirr makes clear his continued belief in God (p.174) but is not heavy-handed in his discussion of faith. The gently humorous and respectful way in which he recounts Jenny’s aphorisms (wise sayings) about life is a case in point. His recollection of Jenny’s remark that he should ‘just accept [the Hume Highway] for what it is †¦ you’ll enjoy it more’ (p.155) is exemplary. His discussion of Jenny’s view that there is a concave (negative and convex (optimistic) way of looking at the world (p.170) – and that he ‘might be right’ (p.170) in thinking that he has a concave approach to the world is similarly light-hearted in tone but relevant to the book’s overall interest in forms of belief. The light-hearted banter continues when McGirr discusses his acquisition of the Chinese philosophical text, Tao Te Ching. Its pithy words of wisdom are for McGirr redolent of the bumper sticker sayings that he has liberally peppered throughout his narrative. At times, McGirr’s discussion of philosophical matters takes on a more earnest tone. His discussion of how, as a priest, he subscribed to the vow of obedience in an effort to ‘make up a sense of purpose which I otherwise lacked’ (p.173) and his related anxiety that he would reach the ‘point at which you can no longer recognise yourself in the things you are starting to say or do’ (p.173) signal his need to be honest with himself as well as with others. His comment that ‘the secret of being human is learning how to enjoy our limitations’ (p.301) suggests that honesty and humility are part and parcel of a reflective existence, McGirr is also interested in the ways in which others concern themselves with spiritual matters. His discussion of the House of Prayer in Goulburn shows how prayer provides respite from the manic nature of everyday life and celebrates those like Catherine who dedicate their lives to helping others in need find peace (pp.85–6). In a very different and secular vein, McGirr recounts the belief Liz Vincent has in ghosts – of people and of the road. Although Vincent does not believe in God, McGirr seems fascinated by her stories and sensitively recounts her belief that ‘the people we love can scarcely bear to leave us and sometimes hang around as ghosts’ (p.59). Perhaps more interesting is Vincent’s claim that the old Hume Highway near Picton has a ‘ghostly presence of its own’ (p.59), appearing before unwary drivers’ eyes and beguiling them into believing that the phantom road they are following is the real thing (p.59). ENTRY EIGHT: THE POLITICS IN BYPASS In some ways Bypass is a book about power – about who has it and who does not. As McGirr writes, ‘Roads are political. Building them is a sign that somebody is the boss’ (p.14). McGirr’s discussion of the impact on Merri Creek of the F2 freeway into Melbourne (p.284), the ensuing court case and the verdict that ultimately endorsed the freeway project, exemplifies the political nature of road-making. The very essence of a bypass, for instance, is a political act and McGirr makes this clear when discussing the difficulties surrounding the decision to create an internal or an external bypass for Albury in the late 1990s (pp.203–6). Concerns about the economic effect of a route directing traffic away from town are weighed up with concerns about the impact of noise and pollution that a new road near or through a town invariably brings. Tussles between federal and state governments, as was the case with the Albury bypass, certainly highlight the political nature of road-making, as do arguments between different interest groups. The issue of the Albury bypass, along with the 1979 truck blockade staged between Camden and Picton on a notorious stretch of road known as razorback (pp.47–51), illustrate power struggles of very different sorts. McGirr also points out that the amount of money spent on roads as opposed to public transport is a political act. He writes that ‘in the last ten years, for every dollar spent on laying rail in Australia, eight dollars have been spent on highways’ (p.92). This pattern of spending is, he continues, ‘a symptom of something deeper because government spending decisions simply mirror the interests of voters’ (p.92). Bypass: the story of a road is particularly concerned with the way the highway has been the backdrop for various well-known and not so well-known aspects of Australia’s history. From Hume and Hovell’s early markings of the Hume Highway, to the increased tea ration bargained for by Jack Castrisson when John Curtin visited the Niagara Cafà © in Gundagai, to Ned Kelly’s exploits, to the antics of the humble, ordinary Australians who travel on the Hume year by year, McGirr celebrates the way aspects of Australia’s history are part and parcel of the Hume Highway’s rich narrative. McGirr’s interest in Australian history is, however, not indicative of a desire to celebrate or endorse conventional representations of Australia’s past. In a number of instances, McGirr wants to query the legitimacy of idealistic views of the nation’s evolution. McGirr challenges the idea that Australia is an egalitarian nation, for example, and claims tha t this view is a ‘myth’ (p.200). He also reminds readers of the fraught relationship between colonisers and Indigenous Australians when he discusses the life and death of an Aboriginal man named Bill Punch who survived a massacre as a baby and went on to fight for the Allies on the Western Front in World War I (pp.246–7). McGirr’s willingness to temper some representations of Australia’s past is underpinned by an appreciation of the power of language. He notes that those who are in a position to write about the past can have more agencies in their lives and also more control of history than those who don’t (p.19). This awareness allows him to ponder on the way bushrangers and explorers have been depicted over time, and how being literate can impact on the type of individual one becomes (pp.77–8). McGirr is attentive to the idea that some histories are not told and that those that are relayed are not always definitive. Bypass: the story of a road offers a quirky exploration of the Hume Highway and the personalities of the people whose lives have been touched by the road in one way or another. At the age of 40, former Jesuit priest, Michael McGirr armed with not much more than a copy of Anna Karenina, some spare clothes and a less than state-of-the-art Chinese built bicycle set out to ride the 880 kilometres (547 miles) of the Hume Highway which links Sydney and Melbourne. While the ride forms the backdrop to McGirrs book Bypass: The Story of a Road, like all good travelogues the ride itself is really just a frame to hang the real story around, which as the title suggests, is the story of the Hume Highway. From its humble beginnings as a rough track across the Great Dividing Range, to its current state as a modern dual carriageway, the Highway continues to serve as the major thoroughfare linking Australias two largest cities. Bypass took me on a wonderful journey covering the history of the Hume, and the politics that helped shape it. Along the way you meet some great and not so great Australian characters that have helped imprint the name of the highway into the Australian psyche. People like the 61 year old Cliff Young (great), who in 1983 won the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne foot race against competitors half his age. And men like Ivan Milat (not so great) who was convicted of the murder of seven young backpackers and hitch-hikers, all of whom he buried in the Belanglo State Forest. Then there are the explorers Hamilton Hume (after whom the Highway was eventually named) and William Hovell, who in 1824 along with at least six others, set of from Appin (near the present day Sydney suburb of Campbelltown) for the first successful quest to reach Melbourne. Through the novel, I also met truckies; the bushrangers Ben Hall and Ned Kelly; and the poets Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson. I attended a Catholic Mass in Tarcutta officially the halfway point between Sydney and Melbourne where apart from the priest and two parishioners, the only other people in attendance are the author of Bypass and his companion Jenny, who has by this time joined him on his ride to Mel bourne. Reading this book, it seemed like I visited almost every country town along the route of the Hume Highway, and learn something about each of them. Towns like Goulburn, famous for the Big Merino and Goulburn Jail (where Ivan Milat is currently serving seven life sentences). I visited Holbrook and learn why the outer shell of the Oberon Class submarine HMAS Otway now sits in a public park in the middle of town. In Chiltern we pass by the childhood home of the Australian writer Henry Handel Richardson, and learn that Henrys real name was Ethel Florence. I learned too, that like other female writers have done throughout history, Ethel wrote under a male nom de plume because at the time it was felt that women didnt have what it took to be great writers. And I also visited the town of Yass, and drop by the Liberty Cafà © for a meal before continuing on the journey, and turning page after page. Across its many short chapters, Bypass also introduced me to some of the thousands of bumper stickers that adorn the rear ends of many Australian vehicles. In fact, McGirr uses stickers as chapter headings to introduce the readers to every aspect of his journey. Thus, the bumper sticker THE OLDER I GET THE BETTER I WAS, allows him to explain some of his own personal story and the reasons for his decision to ride the Hume Highway. In the chapter THE GODDESS IS DANCING, McGirr introduces us to his riding partner Jenny, and in DEATH IS THE MANUFACTURERS RECALL NOTICE, we pause to learn about some of the many roadside memorials that mark the sites of fatal road accidents that line the Highway. To conclude, the book is immensely readable, always entertaining and informative, often surprising, and constantly filled with odd facts and humorous anecdotes. These keep the story moving along smoothly and effortlessly which cannot always be said of Michael McGirrs monumental bike ride.

Analysis of front cover of best Essay Example for Free

Analysis of front cover of best Essay Best is published by ACP-NatMag and falls into the category of womans lifestyle magazine. Best has to compete with some other major magazines such as Reveal and Bella. Bests front cover has to make an impression on its audience by making itself bright, bold and bubbly. This is achieved using different methods to entice the reader, with extremely eye-catching colours such as pink, yellow, blue and white which clash, using Fern Britton in the traditional picture used on every magazine, and through human interest stories as well as shocking stories which further invite the reader to buy the magazine The main story line Drop 7lb Faster suggests that the magazine is trying to tempt the audience into learning the secrets of a celebrity diet, but actually only tells the reader a fraction of what to do on the inside. Eventually, as the audience is not fully aware that there will not be the best tips and information inside, the reader still has become interested and wants to find out more. After the reader has looked into the main eye-catching story, the reader is left almost feeling cheated after the promise of a weight loss programme. The audiences eye is drawn to this as it is positioned to the left at the top of the page, right below the masthead.. The words in the phrase are used in the typical sans serif font, but with striking colours. It is located just underneath the Best logo in a contrasting colour which immediately draws attention to itself. The bright and bold text is the biggest size used on the cover besides the masthead, as the logo is most important. It clearly stands out from any other object on the cover. The word Faster is actually italicised, this leads to the word looking as if it is actually moving, going faster, almost blurring away from the other words. The television presenter, Fern Britton, is placed on the right side of the magazine, as the biggest photograph on the cover. The image of the presenter is conventional for this type of magazine, she is around the same age as the targeted audience, making her a potential friend, where she is acting as a symbol, almost as a mothering figure, someone you can relate to. She is a striking image compared to the bland white background which she is placed on. She looks straight out at the audience in a confident manner, smiling at the audience in a friendly way, reinforcing that the magazine is trying to make itself appear to be a friend to the reader. She is wearing a formal black dress which provides an interesting contrast between her and the background. Despite the celebrity status she appears to have in the photograph, she is pictured lower down to her right in a normal everyday situation with her child. The photograph almost makes the reader feel like that is her and can relate to her like family. The title next to the picture, FERN HRT has made me a NICER MUM is in a direct form of address which makes the audience feel like they are being spoken to directly. It is in a big, bright, contrasting colour compared to the background photograph. Also, the way the magazine refers to Fern, is almost as if the audience are close to her. As well as fulfilling some of the audiences needs, i. e. makeshift friendship, it suggests that because the magazine refers to the presenter in a close way, the audience is getting advice from a celebrity. One of the cover lines is cleverly written to entice the audience even more than any other story. Because it offers simple ways for 9 EASY DINNERS, most women would be interested in learning the secrets of quick appetising meals, as 5 dishes are displayed in images. However it is possible that the readers could somehow feel disillusioned because as they read on to they find that the meals actually take around 45 minutes to an hour. One other cover line SISTERS OF COURAGE stands out from the others, as it is not in big, bold multicoloured, yet in smaller red sans serif font, with bullet point styled border on a white background. This can make the impression that its a shocking story. The picture to the right of the cover line is of two normal looking sisters, together, with an exclusive tag underneath. This can make the reader feel smug as they are reading a story that other magazines may not posses. The phrase underneath the cover line is somewhat exaggerated slightly as it quotes We broke our silence to JAIL our EVIL DAD. The three words, JAIL, EVIL and DAD are in a dark red, bold font. As red is seen to be an evil colour, it emphasises the words more to make them more dramatic and shocking. My 3 Miracles, mended my broken heart underneath is a cover line with a photo of triplets. The three are placed on a bright pink background, easily noticeable. The triplets make a bold contrast as the colours are completely different to the background, making the image stand out. Yet as it does this, the photograph is a heart warming, enticing the reader to read on. Again, the way that the phrase is being displayed, it further reinforces that the magazine is your friend talking directly out to you in a informal manner, almost like the other person telling the story is there, next to reader. In conclusion, the BEST editor has used a proven publication model to entice the fickle public to purchase and read its magazine in preference to a competitor.

UK Supermarkets Competitive Strategy

UK Supermarkets Competitive Strategy Evaluate how UK supermarkets use market segmentation, targeting and positioning to gain a competitive advantage. 1. Introduction This paper sets out to apply basic segmentation, targeting and positioning concepts to the UK supermarket sector and will evaluate the extent to which the use of these concepts is leading to the achievement of sustainable competitive advantage with any or all of the supermarkets selected. The focus will be on the three major supermarkets: Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury. The paper will begin with an explanation of the concepts and will move on to a description of the strategic positioning of each of the major supermarkets in the current marketplace. Chapter 4 will evaluate the relative success of the three companies chosen and assess the extent to which their approach to segmentation and positioning has enabled them to achieve some measure of competitive advantage. Sources of information are: recognised marketing textbooks, articles from learned journals, newspapers and periodicals and company annual reports and websites. 2. Definitions, explanations and questions 2.1 Definitions of the basic concepts Jobber defines segmentation as â€Å"the identification of individuals or organisations with similar characteristics which have significant implications for the determination of marketing strategy.† [1] It is a process which results in the clustering of people with supposedly similar buying behaviour, such that marketing mixes can be designed to meet the specific needs and wants of people within the cluster. Once the market has been described in terms of an amalgam of homogeneous segments, companies need to decide which, if any, segments to target. Should they adopt a â€Å"niche† approach (like Morgan in the automobile sector), where only one type of vehicle is produced for a specific segment of the market, or should they adopt a â€Å"mass market coverage† approach (like Ford or GM), where vehicles are produced to appeal to the whole range of different requirements across the different segments? Positioning describes the manner by which a company differentiates its products/services from the competition within each target market. Sometimes these differences are very fine. Mercedes and BMW both have, for example, quality images and are priced high relative to most competitors but Mercedes has historically had a greater appeal among older, more conservative drivers and BMW has appealed more to those who see themselves as dynamic and thrusting.[2] 2.2 Segmentation rationale At one level the segmentation process enables companies to tailor their products or services to meet the needs of the market better than competitors and to choose segments which are aligned with their capabilities as a company. They are also able to select segments which are large enough for them to supply efficiently. Segmentation therefore facilitates differentiation, which should improve competitiveness, which should, in turn, lead to higher profitability. Barwise and Meehan draw attention to a possible fallacy in this form of reasoning. They cite the example of the different positioning strategies of One2One (now T-Mobile) and Orange in the battle for market share in the UK mobile telecoms market.[3] Orange offered â€Å"to provide a reliable, high quality overall customer experience with good value for money†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(they) targeted the whole market, not just a specific segment.† [4] One2One, on the other hand, adopted a strongly focused, segmentation strategy. â€Å"†¦it positioned itself as a low-cost, friendly network suitable for people wanting to chat with friends†¦priority on big cities†¦free off-peak local calls.† [5] By far the most successful company (Orange) was the one which offered generic category benefits to the whole market, not a highly segmented approach. This is relevant to an understanding of success in the supermarket sector and will be referred to later. 2.3 Different forms of segmentation Marketing text books describe three basic types of segmentation: Behavioural Psychographic Profile The behavioural category covers: benefits sought, purchasing behaviour and product usage and perceptions and beliefs. The psychographic category covers: lifestyles and personality breakdowns The broad profile category covers: age, gender, stage in the life cycle, social class, geographic location, income.[6] Often a combination of variables across the categories is used. Research Services Ltd, a UK marketing research company, has developed SAGACITY, a segmentation scheme based on a combination of life cycle, occupation and income. They form 12 distinct consumer groupings with differing aspirations and behaviour patterns.[7] A.C. Nielsen, the international marketing research agency, uses a combination of all segmentation categories to describe types of shoppers in supermarkets. They break the market down into 6 distinct groupings: Habit-bound Diehards Comfortable and Contenteds Mercenaries Struggling Idealists Frenzied Copers Self-indulgents [8] The purpose of this breakdown appears to be to: match product and service delivery to the needs and wants of the different segments to identify the potentially most profitable segments One interesting point which emerged from this programme was that segments such as the â€Å"Struggling Idealists† were, at the time the TV programme was made in 2002, not of great interest to supermarkets as they did not spend a lot and insisted on organic and eco-friendly products, which did not seem to be of interest to the mass market . In just 4 years the market has changed dramatically and supermarkets are allocating significantly more shelf-space to such products and aim to attract shoppers with â€Å"green† values.[9] The segment has grown in terms of its potential value to supermarkets. This highlights the need for a creative and dynamic approach to segmentation. Orange now uses data-mining software within a sophisticated CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system to monitor segments on a day-to-day basis and to adjust its service approach accordingly. It will, for example adjust its pricing and service delivery to the value of the customer. Premium customers are immediately recognised by call-centres and accorded priority in the queuing system.[10] This keen focus on the most profitable customers contrasts with most supermarkets, which offer separate tills for customers who have not bought much, allowing them to move more quickly through the checkouts than the customers with laden trolleys. This will again be referred to in later sections. 2.4 Competitive Advantage Finally, in this chapter, a few clarifying words on the meaning, and sources, of competitive advantage, with specific reference to the supermarket sector. Grant defines the concept as follows: â€Å"When two firms compete†¦one firm possesses a competitive advantage over the other when it earns a higher rate of profit or has the potential to earn a higher rate of profit.†[11] It is important to note the main point here; competitive advantage relates to profitability or potential profitability, not to revenue, market share or more qualitative measures such as image or reputation. This is the definition which will be applied in this paper. The international consulting company, Accenture, published last year a paper called â€Å"Consuming Passions†, a study of the six leading global retailers. One of its aims was to identify the common factors which led to their high performance in the market over a long period of time.[12] It identified six core competencies which underpin high performance in the retail sector: strategic intent customer focus innovation and commercialisation operational excellence alliances and collaboration talent management[13] In the introduction to the paper the authors state: â€Å"The name of the winning game is differentiation that is meaningful and relevant to the customer base. But this isn’t just a matter of offering new products and services; those products and services must also be highly distinctive, relevant to target customers and in the right stores, with the right price and promotion combination and at the right time.†[14] These ideas will be developed further in the next chapter when examining the individual supermarket companies. 3. The Major Supermarkets 3.1 Overview The UK supermarket sector is highly concentrated. The five leading companies together have 73% of the total market. Only France has a more concentrated market, with 78% being taken up by the top five.[15] Until the mid 1990s Sainsburys was market leader but the number one position was taken by Tesco in 1996 and they have since grown market share to 30% plus of the UK market. Sainsbury is now in third position behind Asda, which was bought by Walmart in 1999. The paragraphs below briefly describe the current financial situation of each company, their strategic marketing focus and the extent to which each appears to be applying segmentation approaches. Most of the information comes from the respective company websites. 3.2 Tesco[16] In 2005 Tesco achieved sales turnover of  £37.1 bill. and profits of  £2,029m. Profits and sales have grown consistently over the past 5 years. Profits from 2004-5 grew by 20.5% on sales growth of 12.4%. The company employs 360,000 people worldwide and has 2,000 stores. 111 new stores are planned for 2006. Its long-term strategy is based on four parts: growth in the core UK business expansion from international growth to be as strong in non-food as in food to follow customers into new retailing services Tesco appears to take customer focus and staff focus very seriously. An ongoing project entitled â€Å"Every Little Helps† is in process which has used question times with more than 9,000 customers to help them to understand how they can best improve service to customers on a day-to-day basis. This has resulted in parking bays for trolleys (to stop annoying customers), extra staff on checkouts (to reduce waiting times) and fresh food counters and self-service cafes for customers in a hurry. Using their Clubcard as the data source Tesco send out mailings every quarter to 11million customers. The mailings have an annualised value to customers (if they use them) of  £250m. and can be adjusted to take account of individual customer buying behaviour. Tesco has a range of different stores in line with its belief that: â€Å"Customers have different needs at different times so we tailor our stores as well as our products. From Value to Finest and from Express to Extra, there’s something for everyone at Tesco.†[17] Value products are low-priced basics for customers on a tight budget. Finest are products with the finest ingredients for customers who appreciate fine food and are prepared to pay higher prices for higher quality. Express are smaller stores in local communities for people who would find it difficult to get to a large Tesco store. Metro are stores in town and city centres for the convenience of customers who prefer to shop in town rather than in the Superstores out of town. These Superstores are particularly for one-stop shoppers who can find â€Å"everything they need for their weekly shopping†[18]. They carry not only a wide range of food lines but also the most popular Tesco non-food lines. Tesco Extra is a major new development focusing on non-.food lines, but with extensive food and convenience lines. As only 20% of the UK population has access to such stores Tesco intends opening 20 more this year. For all health-conscious customers (viz. the â€Å"struggling idealists† in 2.3) Tesco has introduced better labelling, diet guides and â€Å"Free-from† and organic ranges. For price-conscious customers who also like good service they have introduced the â€Å"Step Change† programme and â€Å"Everyday Low Pricing†. For the growing number of customers who prefer to order from home and get home deliveries Tesco provides an on-line service which now supplies 150,000 customers/day. 3.3 Asda It is difficult to obtain separate financial results for Asda Wal-Mart as the figures are hidden away in Wal-Mart’s consolidated accounts. The corporate website in the UK is also not nearly as transparent about strategic and marketing issues as Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose and Morrisons. Figures therefore, for the most part, need to be gleaned from outside sources or estimated. Figures quoted below are taken, for the most part, from Datamonitor.[19] In 2005 Asda had a sales turnover of  £16.25bill., a growth of 19.8% over the previous year. Since Wal-Mart bought the company in 1999 market share in the UK has risen from 13% to 16%, putting them in second position ahead of Sainsbury. The company has 265 Asda stores, 19 superstores, 1 pilot store in General Merchandising and 6 trial George stores specialising in fashion clothing. The company plans to open 10-12 new stores each year. â€Å"60% of Asda’s sales are currently in grocery items, although it intends to build on the growth of non-food products in store, which may well change this balance. Asda sells six own-brand labels: Asda Smartprice, Asda, Good for You, Asda Organic, Asda Extra Special and More for Kids.†[20] Asda management appears to plan to grow in the future via more stores, a focus on clothing (via its George fashion range Asda has now overtaken Marks and Spencer as the UK’s largest clothing retailer[21])and non-food, growth from specialist outlets within the stores: opticians, jewellers and photographic and possibly a greater push into the children’s market. Their main marketing thrust – in-line with the Wal-Mart reputation – is to be seen by the mass market as the price leader. They in fact claimed to be the â€Å"official lowest price supermarket in the UK† but this was based on a survey of just 33 lines and, after complaints from Tesco, the claim had to be lifted.[22] Since Wal-Mart’s takeover of Asda there has been an ongoing price war with Sainsbury and Tesco, which has raised Asda’s profile as a low-price store. Apart from price the main differentiators are the twin focuses on non-food and clothing and the particular focus on the kids market. Like Tesco and Sainsburys they are also trying to attract higher income and â€Å"green† customers with its â€Å"Good for You†, â€Å"Organics† and â€Å"Asda Extra Special† brands. They also have an on-line ordering and delivery service. Asda undoubtedly has an image problem because of its association with Wal-Mart. â€Å"Asda has been criticised for misleading advertising, using suppliers who are known to have illegal employment practices, ignoring planning regulations and destroying greenbelt land, lack of serious environmental policy and blatant greenwash. With its ‘strategy of consolidation’, copied directly from Wal-Mart, Asda pursues an aggressive takeover policy of small towns, wiping out local competition and local jobs. False claims by the company about value and convenience, have been challenged, along with the exploitation of every opportunity to push impulse buying.†[23] No specific evidence was found, but negative information, such as the above about Wal-Mart, abounds on the internet and it is probable that this will make it more difficult for Asda to position itself such that it attracts the more educated, aware customers. 3.4 J Sainsbury Sainsbury achieved total sales in 2005 of  £16.36bill. and profits after tax of  £65m. This compared with slightly lower sales in the previous year and a significantly larger profit then of  £404m.[24] Sainsbury appears to be struggling. It has suffered from severe price competition from Asda and Tesco and also failed to implement effectively a new logistics system, which resulted in severe out-of-stock problems which alienated customers. The company has 727 stores in all, 465 of which are supermarkets and 262 are the smaller convenience stores. It employs 153,000 people. Sainsbury is currently undergoing a change programme entitled â€Å"Making Sainsbury’s Great Again 2007/8†[25]. Some elements of this programme are very relevant to its positioning in the market. In line with Barwise and Meehan’s thinking on â€Å"generic category benefits†[26] Sainsbury wish to restore the universal appeal of the brand. This comprises four elements: be all inclusive (appeal to all segments of the market) have a clear product hierarchy: GOOD, BETTER, BEST (not assuming that certain segments go for a defined quality of product but that all customers chop and change). invest in price and quality ( £400m in 2006) scale to succeed (ensure that there is sufficient overall demand in the chosen products/markets to get costs down to a manageable level) This all translates into a customer proposition which their annual report describes as follows: great food/fair prices market leaders in quality and innovation complementary non-food straightforward formats: supermarkets, convenience and Sainsbury’s to You(on-line) bank Sainsbury advertising focuses on two messages: we have reduced price on 4000 lines â€Å"Try something new today† The former has clear universal appeal and aims to enable Sainsbury to compete on price with Asda and Tesco. The former appears to be focused more on higher income categories (the â€Å"Self-indulgents† and â€Å"Comfortable and Contenteds† mentioned in 2.3. 4. Conclusions and final thoughts In a 1994 article on segmentation in the retail sector the following statement is made: â€Å"†¦any strategic option depends on clear positioning against competitors and customer groups (and the ) approach of integrating competitive analysis with market segmentation is a necessary first step to achieving a better understanding of the retailing environment and formulating effective marketing strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦supermarket retailers must attract customers from different and often incompatible market segments.† [27] This statement still appears to have validity to-day. All three supermarkets mentioned in this paper wish to attract customers from the higher income AB socio-economic category by offering them better service, high quality and tasty foods, organic foods and a clean and welcoming atmosphere. These customers will spend more and will buy products which offer the retailer higher margins. At the same time all supermarkets seek to position themselves as low price operators, thus appealing to lower income groups and those across all income groups who seek bargains (the â€Å"mercenaries† in 2.3). It is the observation of the writer that Tesco is clearly the most successful at positioning itself to appeal to both ends of the spectrum. According to data in Morrisons’ 2005 annual report about 25% of Sainsbury’s customers fall into the AB category whereas with Tesco it is only 20% and with Asda it is about 17%. Asda on the other hand (from the same annual report) rates very highly in terms of customer perception of value for money, Tesco is slightly lower and Sainsbury is even below Waitrose, a store which is traditionally associated with high prices. All realise that location is vital and that even to-day’s motorised customer will not put herself about too much to go to stores too far away. Hence all are moving towards the development of smaller stores to attract local communities. All use brand loyalty cards, but Tesco appears to be the most successful at using data on the card to enable it to adjust offerings to individual customer requirements. There are great similarities between the companies and their marketing approaches. Each follows the other very closely. What appears to make Tesco stand out is not so much a more sophisticated approach to segmentation and differentiation, but – one of the key competencies in the Accenture report, â€Å"Consuming Passions†[28] its ability to combine a clear strategy with operational excellence. At the time of writing (April 25, 2006) Tesco has just released performance figures for the past 12 months. They indicate a 13.2% growth in sales and a 16.7% growth in before tax profit. [29] BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Barwise B. and Meehan S (2004), Simply Better, Harvard Business School Press Grant RM (1997), Contemporary Strategic Analysis, Blackwell Jobber D. (2004), Principles and Practice of Marketing, McGraw Hill Kotler P. and Armstrong G.(2004), Principles of Marketing, Prentice Hall Journals/Reports Anonymous author of â€Å"Asda Group Limited† in Datamonitor, June, 2005 Anonymous author of â€Å"Organics UK† in Mintel Report, November 2005 Mann S., Smith J. and Trouvà © O. (2006), â€Å"Consuming Passions†, Accenture industry report in Outlook 2005 Segal M. and Giacobbe R. (1994), â€Å"Market Segmentation and Competitive Analysis for Supermarket Retailing†, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol.22, No.1, pp.38-48 Internet sources www.asda.co.uk www.corporatewatch.org.uk www.guardian.co.uk www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/textbooks/jobber www.morrisons.co.uk www.npr.org www.sainsbury.co.uk www.tesco.com Footnotes [1] Jobber (2004), Principles and Practice of Marketing, p. 210 [2] From A to B, Channel 4, 1998 [3] Barwise and Meehan (2004), Simply Better, p. 4 [4] Barwise and Meehan, pp. 3-4 [5] Barwise and Meehan, pp. 4-5 [6] Jobber, p. 214 [7] Jobber, p. 224 [8] Shop ‘till you drop, Channel 4, 2002 [9] Organics UK, November, 2005, Mintel Report [10] Orange: a Fruitful Passion, supplementary case on the Jobber website, www.mcgraw- hill.co.uk/textbooks/jobber [11] Grant R.M., Contemporary Strategic Analysis, p.151 [12] Mann S., Smith J. and Trouvà © O., Consuming Passions, Accenture, 2005 [13] Mann et al, p. 9 [14] Mann et al, p.3 [15] Mann et al, p.7 [16] www.tesco.com [17] www.tesco.com [18] www.tesco.,com [19] Asda Group Limited, Datamonitor, June, 2005 [20] Asda Wal-Mart: a Corporate Profile, www.corporatewatch.org.uk, Nov. 2004 [21] www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,1288594,00.html [22] Th e Marketplace Report: Wal-Mart’s UK Strategy, www.npr.org, August 17, 2005 [23] www.corporatewatch.org.uk, November 2004 [24] www.sainsbury.co.uk Annual Report 2005 [25]www.sainsbury.co.uk Annual Report 2005 [26] Barwise and Meehan(2004), Simply Better [27] Segal M and Giacobbe R (1994), Market Segmentation and Competitive Analysis for Supermarket Retailing, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, p. 45 [28] Mann, Smith and Trouvà ©, Consuming Passions [29] tesco.com, press release on April 25, 2006

Fearful of Paying too Much when You Purchase a Web Site? :: website websites

Fearful of Paying too Much when You Purchase a Web Site? Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com I receive a lot of email from potential website buyers. Recently I received a note from a buyer who was very excited about a particular website but he was very fearful of overpaying. The website was a perfect fit for the buyer’s interest and experience. The website was in the same market that the buyer had worked in for the past 9 years. The web site had great traffic and the buyer could see potential to grow it. However, the buyer was still fearful of paying too much. The bottom line was that the buyer believed the seller was demanding about 15% more than the website was worth. This had caused the negotiations to reach a stalemate. The solution to this problem was very clear to me. The buyer himself had provided me with a very compelling reason why this website was an excellent fit for him. He would have the opportunity to grow an existing website in which his experience would allow him to hit the ground running. One way to approach this type of decision is to consider your best available alternative. If you don't buy this website, what is your best alternative? Is it a website with considerably less traffic? Is it a website in a market where you have less experience and so may be blind to potential pitfalls? Is it sitting on your money while this website is purchased by another buyer? Your best alternative may be quite less attractive than paying 15% more for the website. Perhaps this buyer had calculated the acquisition price as a multiple of sales, as is the norm. These calculations are merely guidelines – not straightjackets. These calculations must be adjusted to fit the reality of the buyer. If the buyer were to acquire a cheaper website with less traffic then how long would it take him to build traffic to the level of the superior website? The buyer could invest a lot of time sending email to other website requesting link exchanges to increase the visibility of the websites. But what is the value of the buyer’s time? Perhaps $50 an hour, or $60? The buyer should divide the amount that he would need to "overpay" by $50 -- his hourly rate – to determine the equivalent number of work hours. Perhaps the buyer will quickly justify paying the larger amount when he realizes the actual cost of his time if he purchased a lower quality website. Fearful of Paying too Much when You Purchase a Web Site? :: website websites Fearful of Paying too Much when You Purchase a Web Site? Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com I receive a lot of email from potential website buyers. Recently I received a note from a buyer who was very excited about a particular website but he was very fearful of overpaying. The website was a perfect fit for the buyer’s interest and experience. The website was in the same market that the buyer had worked in for the past 9 years. The web site had great traffic and the buyer could see potential to grow it. However, the buyer was still fearful of paying too much. The bottom line was that the buyer believed the seller was demanding about 15% more than the website was worth. This had caused the negotiations to reach a stalemate. The solution to this problem was very clear to me. The buyer himself had provided me with a very compelling reason why this website was an excellent fit for him. He would have the opportunity to grow an existing website in which his experience would allow him to hit the ground running. One way to approach this type of decision is to consider your best available alternative. If you don't buy this website, what is your best alternative? Is it a website with considerably less traffic? Is it a website in a market where you have less experience and so may be blind to potential pitfalls? Is it sitting on your money while this website is purchased by another buyer? Your best alternative may be quite less attractive than paying 15% more for the website. Perhaps this buyer had calculated the acquisition price as a multiple of sales, as is the norm. These calculations are merely guidelines – not straightjackets. These calculations must be adjusted to fit the reality of the buyer. If the buyer were to acquire a cheaper website with less traffic then how long would it take him to build traffic to the level of the superior website? The buyer could invest a lot of time sending email to other website requesting link exchanges to increase the visibility of the websites. But what is the value of the buyer’s time? Perhaps $50 an hour, or $60? The buyer should divide the amount that he would need to "overpay" by $50 -- his hourly rate – to determine the equivalent number of work hours. Perhaps the buyer will quickly justify paying the larger amount when he realizes the actual cost of his time if he purchased a lower quality website.

Russians and Americans Essay -- essays research papers

Russians and Americans Americans often think that they have a better chance of finding a common ground with aliens from outer space than with "resident aliens" from Russia. Frequently Russian immigrants feel exactly the same way about their American co-workers, classmates and even spouses. A key to gaining and sustaining a mutual respect in cross-cultural relationships is an understanding of distinctive cultural norms of people from different countries. Without going too deep into historical and psychological aspects of typical Americans’ and Russians’ behaviors and traditions, let us look at a few dissimilarities between representatives of these two cultures. In Russia, children are customarily expected to stay with their parents in the same apartment or live nearby, and parents are often very upset when children move away. This closeness arises not necessarily by choice, but by deep-rooted traditions and, later on, by difficulties in getting a separate apartments. Many older people feel that several generations should still live together. Also, Russian grandmothers feel that it is their duty to raise grandchildren; in many cases they are involved in their childrens’ live much more than parents are and they greatly enjoy it. In the USA it is customary for the younger generation to leave home right after high school, often moving across the country to start college or a new job, and live in his or her own apartment or house. The older generation is even glad, when this move occurs, and happily builds plans for a free life that starts when "children are out of the house." Traditionally, Russian men are breadwinners, and wives are house-makers and full-time mothers. After the revolution in 1917, the majority of women entered the workforce, but people's mentality has not changed. All household duties are still considered a woman's responsibility, even if she works longer hours than her husband or makes more money. Lately, in the most "modern" families, husbands have started to take on more household duties, but in the majority of families, the situation remains the same as a hundred years ago. In the USA, if both spouses work outside the home, it is a norm to share responsibilities for housekeeping and for spending time with children. More so, it is quite normal for fathers in America to take care of children after work, even i... ...k for it beforehand. If a person get caught for a traffic violation he or she better give a policeman money right away even if the person did not actually speed; otherwise that person might loose not only his or her license, but also, for a few days, his or her freedom. Americans mostly mind their own business when it comes to somebody else's demeanor or behavior as long as it does not directly disturb them. Russians on the other hand, especially older folks, very often make it their business to know other people’s business. They might on the length of a persn’t dress or the misbehavior of a child and complement this opinion with a full lecture on appropriate clothing or upbringing of youngsters. In general, Americans are individualists and Russians are collectivists. This essay is the comparison of two great different nations, which are similar and different at the same time in our views and desires, aspirations, concerns and prejudices. It seems that Americans have much of an open mind than Rusians. Russians are very conservative. In most of cases it is difficult for them to a change in their beliefs. For the Americans freedom is good, but it is nothing without responsibility.

Homosexual Desire in Shakespeares Sonnet 20 and Byrons To Thyrza Essa

Homosexual Desire in Shakespeare's Sonnet 20 and Byron's To Thyrza  Ã‚   Crompton states in his epilogue "...diverse sexual lifestyles still arouse apprehension even when they threaten no direct harm to others. In this particular matter, our culture faces business unfinished by the Enlightenment" (381). Examining Byron and Shakespeare's poetry, opens a window to the prevailing sexual attitude of late eighteenth and early nineteenth century and defines more clearly the intent of these poets. A sexual metamorphosis involving the realization of homosexual desires and nonconventional erotic preferences occurs in both Lord Byron's "To Thyrza" and William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 20", but the poets, known for the gender ambiguity in their prose and personal relationships, differ greatly in their portrayal of homosexuality and the effect that homosexuality had on both themselves and their poetry. Byron’s homosexual temperament contrasted sharply to the orthodox attitudes shared by his society. Byron's bisexual nature troubled his adolescence, as homosexuals faced hostile public opinion during the early 1800's. Portraying the illegality and barbaric acts that homosexuals committed, newspapers of the day referred to gays as "monsters whose rarity matched their enormity" (Crompton 164). Secular England also condemned homosexuals for their "neglect of women" (164); however, Byron's good looks and glamour as a poet attracted women, and he was not unresponsive to his popularity. Intense feelings of desire and affection towards men colors Byron's early life. A precocious child, Byron was an heir to the family title at age eight. A peer at age ten, his emotional and sexual life seemed to have developed correspondingly early. Seduced at... ...peare displayed affection for a "Master mistress", also a male, but sublimates the desire due to disapproval of his own homosexual urges and fear of public ridicule and exile from society. Unlike Byron, Shakespeare's homosexual affair, fictitious or genuine, does not seem to involve a physical relationship but rather an emotional bond between two men. The existence of homosexual desires is clearly demonstrated in Shakespeare's "Sonnet 20" and Byron's "To Thyrza." However, these poets' environment dictated the sexual metamorphosis that enabled them to maintain their sexual ambiguity and protect their anonymity in their respective works. These poems provide a framework to serve the duality that reflected this era in British society; preservation of a nation's preferred orthodox sexual identity, and the reality of its' authors heretical erotic feelings.