Greeces Inadequate Response to the International Credit Crisis Term Paper

Greeces Inadequate Response to the International Credit Crisis - Term Paper Example In several areas housing markets suffered heavily, something that led to foreclosures, evictions and prolonged cases of unemployment among several industries. During that time, the crisis is said to have been responsible for the failure and closure of several key businesses (Laskos, & Tsakalotos, 2013), massive drops in consumer wealth, which had been estimated to range in trillions of American dollars. Similarly, the situation caused a huge downturn in economic activities, leading to the global recession of 2008-2012, thus resulting in another crisis, the European sovereign-debt (Shannon, 2014). It is believed that the most active part of the particular crisis that manifested itself in the form of liquidity crisis can actually be traced from 9th of August 2007 (Shannon, 2014). During this time, BNP Paribas is believed to have ended completely all withdrawals from the three main hedge funds because of a total evaporation of the much needed liquidity. This paper examines the concept of the international credit crisis as it happened, focusing on the strategies that Greece use in response towards the crisis including the United States and other European nations. The real cause of the crisis has been a subject of discussion, with different experts giving different opinions and perspectives as to the real causes. The Levin-Coburn’s report from the U.S senate explained that the crisis was brought about by those complex and high risk financial products, failure from the side of regulators, diverse conflicts of interest, agencies in charge of credit rating as well as the market itself, which wanted to rein beyond the Wall Street excesses (Laskos, & Tsakalotos, 2013). On the other hand, the conclusions by the commission of inquiry into the crisis argued that the crisis would have been avoided, had the financial regulators taken effective steps in good time. In this case, they explained that the crisis was to be blamed on financial supervision and regulation

Children with Linguistic Differences Essay Example for Free

Children with Linguistic Differences Essay In today’s classroom, it is common to have a student who speaks English as a second language. The teachers today should have knowledge of linguistic diversity and apply what they know to assist those children. According to our text, language is one of the aspects that define diversity and it is one of the fundamental tools of cultural acquisition and a part of a child’s cultural identity (Robles de Melendez Beck, 2009). As educators, we must assure those children who speak English as a second language have the same education as English speaking children. In a child’s learning environment, no matter what language that child speaks, they should be comfortable and familiar with the things that surround them. It is important to label a child’s environment with the different languages that the children speak in the classroom. If a child’s native language is Spanish, French or German, there should be a corresponding labels in that language on shelves, tables, toys and doors. Other materials that is used in a classroom that assist with linguistic diversity is age appropriate books, printed materials such as newspapers, flyers and signs in different languages and music from diverse cultures (Robles de Melendez, 2009). When you have a classroom of different languages, it is necessary to understand what is going on in the children’s mind as you speak a language that they are not familiar or comfortable with. We need to understand, expect, and feel comfortable with the natural responses (e.g., laughter, first language use, silence and fatigue) that occur when our students  participate in interactions in which they are not completely proficient in their language (Curran, 2003). Teachers should respect the fact that students that are English Language Learners or ELL may want to speak their native language. It could get frustrating at first trying to learn and understand what they are saying but it is the say when the tables are turned and the student get frustrated when they do not understand what the teacher is saying. Individual lesson plans can be used to connect with a child and build their language skills. Themed lesson plans also help children connect with their own language. In any classroom, educators must not assume what a child knows or what they need to know. Assessments must be done to know what steps are needed to teach the children in the class. This is especially important when you have children with linguistic diversity. Teachers of young children in today’s diverse classrooms need to confirm that their teaching strategies meet the needs of their students (Robles de Melendez Beck, 2009). To make sure that the teachers are getting the right information, the classroom should be assessed for linguistic diversity. Some ways to do this is to talk to the parents and family members, doing observations of bilingual interactions and using questionnaires and surveys. Once you know what kind of diversity you have in the classroom, then the classroom should be analyzed to figure out how to teach the students. This is done by assessing the topics that are taught, how they are taught and what resources are used to teach. It is important to maintain open communication with the child’s parents and families. We as educators should not try to eliminate the child’s first language but preserve it and assist them with the second language. Through different activities geared towards a child’s first language will help keep the child culture meaningful. Parent can assist by singing songs in their native language or just playing games that are native to their country. Continue to invite the families into the program to allow them to share their experiences with the classroom and this would help the children and families feel welcomed. There are two typed of knowledge that is necessary to teach linguistic diversity and they are the knowledge of practices of second language acquisition and the knowledge of cultural ideas. Having the mere knowledge of how important it is to preserve the first language and acquire the second language and knowing a little something about the culture that is being taught. As early childhood educators, it must be understood that the role that language plays in the life of a child vital to their learning environment. It is important that children with linguistic differences be supported. Through the classroom environment, experiences, assessments, keeping an open communication with the parents and the information that the teacher knows, the children will be able to get the best education not matter whether English is their first or second language. References Curran, M. (2003). Linguistic Diversity and Classroom Management. Theory Into Practice, 42(4), 334-340. Robles de Martinez, W., Beck, V. (2009). Teaching young children in multicultural classrooms: Issues, concepts, and strategies. (3 ed.). Belmont, Canada: Wadsworth.

Berkeleys Idealism Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Berkeley's Idealism In this essay I shall give the historical background to Berkeley's Idealism and then offer an argument for Idealism and suggest how an idealist could defend his theory against common objections and criticisms. Bishop George Berkeley's Idealism or Immaterialism is the theory that the physical world exists only in the experiences minds have of it. Berkeley's Idealism restricts minds to God, human beings, animals and whatever other spirits there may commonly thought to be, and says that everything else — the intrinsically non-mental — exists only as features of the experience of these minds. Although this would initially seem to be a bizarre view, if we look at the science and philosophy of the seventeenth century, it arises quite naturally. The philosophy of the era derived from the 'new' science of the period. Isaac Newton was the prominent scientist of the age, and John Locke was the most notable philosopher in converting Newtonian science into a philosophy. However, the age produced many other scientists and philosophers who were responsible for forming and popularising these new ideas e.g. Galileo and Descartes. The main theory of the day, with regard to physical science, was Atomism. Atomists believed that bodies are made from minute particles. Further, they believed that the particles and the bodies made from them, possess primary and not secondary properties. The most important exception from this viewpoint was that of Descartes. Although he rejected atomism, he did agree that bodies only really possess primary qualities. Basically what this means is that bodies in themselves possess shape, size, motion and impenetrability but not colour, sound, taste, hardness or smell. This latter g... ...reference. It is logically impossible for anyone to check to see if the contrary is the case. So, although counter intuitive, Idealism is difficult to refute. Bibliography Audi, Robert (Ed). The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Cambridge University Press.(1995). pp. 72-74. Ibid. pp. 355-356. Ibid. pp. 437-440 Berkeley, George. Principles of Human Knowledge & Three Dialogues. Oxford World Classics.(1999). Britannica.com. Idealism. Mautner, Thomas (Ed).Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy, Penguin Reference.(1996). pp.66-67. Morton, Adam. Philosophy in Practice — An Introduction to the Main Questions. Blackwell.(1996). Chapter15 pp.426-429. Scruton, Roger. Modern Philosophy — An Introduction and Survey. Mandarin.(1994). Chapter 3. pp. 23-25. Warburton, Nigel. Philosophy — The Basics. Routledge.(1992). Chapter 4. pp. 103-107.

The Use of Imagery in Refugee Mother and Child by Chinua Achebe :: Refugee Mother and Child Chinua Achebe Essays

Refugee Mother and Child is a poem that seems to be written to arouse response from the reader. The pitiful image of a mother holding the corpse of her son is not only sourcing empathy from the reader but also helps the reader reflect on their own fortunate lives. In fact, Chinua Achebe is a leading writer for African causes, especially for the injustices in the world. The first stanza seems to be written as an introduction to the following stanza. The poet begins by allowing the reader to visualize the – â€Å"Picture of a mother’s tenderness for a son she soon would have to forget.† This immediately conveys the theme of ‘death of a child’ and also helps set the ‘sorrowful’ mood of the poem. The short introduction allows the reader to settle them down and focus more on the tragic scene, thus maximizing the response from the reader. Following the ‘theme’ and ‘mood’ set by the first stanza, the second stanza described the living environment of the â€Å"Refugee Mother and Child† as – â€Å"The air was heavy with odours of diarrhoea of unwashed children with washed-out ribs and dried-up bottoms struggling in laboured steps behind blown empty bellies† The filthy image of the environment that the mother and child lived in is projected through negative connotation. For example, the words ‘odours’ and ‘diarrhoea’ suggests the presence of diseases and sicknesses. This allows the reader to imagine a smelly and filthy place crammed with ill people. The reference to illness, which seems to be a link with the theme of ‘death’, foreshadows the tragic story of the mother and her dead son although it has not been clearly stated that her son is dead. Furthermore, the grotesque image of the setting is strongly reinforced by the mentioning of â€Å"unwashed children with washed out ribs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Chinua uses the children as a clear symbol of innocence and the unfortunate, as the children has been given birth in places where vital resources such as water and food are lacking. This will naturally allow the reader to reflect on their own fortunate lives and raise awareness of these unfortunate children living in famines. The words ‘laboured steps’ also suggests child labour, linking to real cases in lesser economically countries such as Africa, China and Algeria. As the second stanza continues, the constant reference to death is evident when the poet describes the – â€Å"ghost smile between† the mother’s â€Å"teeth and in her eyes the ghost of a mother’s pride.† The careful choice of the technique, personification, enables the reader to visualize the emptiness of the mother’s smile and spirit, by comparing the nouns ‘smile’ and ‘eyes’ with ‘ghost’, which communicates the idea of death.

Industrial Democracy in Zimbabwe Essay

Industrial democracy has its origins in the theories of Kurt Lewin who strongly advocated the idea that the management of change requires full participation from those affected by change (Sambureni 2001). Sambureni further defines industrial democracy as ‘a process in which employees either directly or indirectly through their representatives, share equal power over the decision-making process which management normally reserves to itself’. Industrial democracy is also defined as ‘an arrangement which involves workers making decisions, sharing responsibility and authority in the workplace (www.wikipedia.org ).As can be deduced from the above definitions, the essential feature of industrial democracy is that it gives employees or their representatives a share in the process of management. It is against this background that this essay will examine the view that ‘there is industrial democracy in Zimbabwe’ using practical examples from Zimbabwean enterprise s. Since the settler occupation in 1890, in the hierarchical order of Rhodesia, the Black stood at the lowest level. As an African, one was subjected to the overall system of discrimination, as a worker, one was also a victim of particularregulations which prior to the Industrial Conciliation Act of 1959, prevented African workers from participating in the determination of their conditions of service by excluding them from the definition of ‘employee’ (Maphosa, 1991). The colonialists promulgated laws that repressed and suppressed workers, most notably, the Master and Servants Act, hence, the absence of industrial democracy. Upon attainment of independence, the government of Zimbabwe implemented policies to address the racial imbalancesthat were created by the colonial administration in terms of industrial relations to promote industrial democracy in workplaces. Sachikonye (1985) propounds that the existence of a Labour Courtin Zimbabwe is clear testimony of the presence of industrial democracy in Zimbabwe. It is an appeal court for a variety of labour disputes. The Labour Courtprotects workers’ rights to the extent where some writers claim that workers in Zimbabwe are ‘over-protected’ by the law. This claim is supported by various cases, one of which is the case where Air Zimbabwe Senior Managers relieved of their duties in 2009 and took up their matter to the Labour Court were awarded one hundred thousand United States dollars exit packages for each manager. This is industrial democracy at its best though some critics may find it too harsh a ruling on the part of the employer who might face financial challenges caused by the unexpected expense and leaves the employer with no right to dismiss employees as the dismissed employees will appeal through the labour court which always rules against the employer.However, an International LabourOrganisation (ILO) audit carried out by Lovemore Madhukunotes that awards and judgements by the Labour Court are not immediately enforceable as they have to be registered with the High Court. Some reformists have suggested that the Labour Court should be made the court of final appeal in all labour matters and be empowered to enforce its own decisions.The audit also notes that there are no time limits prescribed for making judgements. This was contrasted with other countries where time limits, the most c ommon being 30 and 90 days are stipulated.In this case, justice delayed is justice denied thereby violating the principles of industrial democracy. According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013), except for members of the Security Services, every person in Zimbabwe has the right to form and join Trade Unions and employee and employers’ organisations of their choice and to participate in the lawful activities of those unions and activities. The right to form or join or participate in the activities of a trade union is protected by both the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the Labour Relations Act (Madhuku, 2009). This supports the view that there is industrial democracy in Zimbabwe as it gives employee or employer organisations the right to engage in collective bargaining, organise and form and join federations of such unions and organisations. Examples of Trade unions in Zimbabwe include Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) which is the dominant central Trade Union in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) the largest and most influential Teachers’ organisation and the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) made up of professionals in labour management, disputes and tribunal settlements among others. It is notable to mention though that in practice, members of independent trade Union organisations face harassment and intimidation from government forces and it is extremely difficult for them to carry out any Trade Union activities. Although the High Court ruled in April 2002 that the ZCTU does not need permission from the police to hold private meetings, the police have continued to interfere with its meetings, for example, on January 10 2006, armed police raided ZCTU offices confiscating computer discs and files and the government claimed to have launched an investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement by trade union leaders but ZCTU President Lovemore Matombo said it was a political move to silence the union by discrediting its leadership, hence, violating the ethics of industrial democracy. The enactment of the Labour Relations Act of 1985 in Zimbabwe bears witness to the presence of industrial democracy. The Act, according to Sambureni (2001) created a framework for the exercise of fundamental rights of workers that include termination of employment, retrenchment, dispute settlement process and HIV and AIDS regulations, unfair labour practices, minimum and maximum wages, creates a framework for collective bargaining as a source of terms and conditions of employment and also vests the dispute handling powers with the Ministry of Labour to deal with work-related disputes through mediation, conciliation and arbitration. In this case, however, one can argue that state intervention in the form of legislated minimum wages or maximum salaries has in part contributed to ineffectual worker participation in managerial decision making. In some sectors, for example the Apex Council of Public Sector Unions, the Public Service ministry set parameters within which salary increases ca n be negotiated. Such parameters constitute limits to the nature and extent of both management decision-making and workers participation in it, and hence, limits the values of industrial democracy. Another indicator by the government of Zimbabwe to promote industrial democracy is the right of workers to be represented at a disciplinary hearing, which is a fundamental principle of natural justice (Kanyenze, 2001). Section (4) (b) of Statutory Instrument 15 of 2006 entitles an employee appearing before the employer or disciplinary authority to be represented by either a fellow employee, Workers’ Committee member, Trade Union official or Legal Practitioner. All company codes of conduct and National Employment Council codes in Zimbabwe provide for the right to representation in their procedures. In the case of Vice Chancellor, University of Zimbabwe vsMutasa (1993) which involved the expulsion of three students from the University of Zimbabwe, the issue of legal representation was dealt with. However, in Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) vs John Mazvimavi (SC295/95), former Justice Anthony Gubbay left the right to legal representation as an open question as the labour Tribunal had ruled that MMCZs refusal to permit John Mazvimavi to be legally represented amounted to a violation of the principles on natural justice and the main beliefs of industrial democracy. As regards discrimination, the Labour Relations Act of Zimbabwe stipulates that no employer or person shall discriminate against any employee or prospective employee on grounds of race, tribe, place of origin, political opinion, colour, creed or sex in relation to the advertisement of employment, recruitment for employment, creation or abolition of jobs, the choice of persons for jobs or posts, training advancement, apprenticeships, transfer, promotion or retrenchment and any other matter related to employment. This clearly confirms the view that there is industrial democracy in Zimbabwe. However, cases of discrimination on grounds of one’s HIV status still exist in the Army, Health sector and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe were employees are expected to undergo HIV tests periodically and these have a bearing on the working conditions of the employee. If the employee is found to be HIV positive, then some of their duties and responsibilities may be scrapped off their job description. It has been stated by a leading labour lawyer that, ‘There can be no equilibrium in industrial relations without a freedom to strike’ (Madhuku, 2009). In protecting that freedom, the law protects the legitimate expectations of workers that they can make use of their collective power. The new Zimbabwe constitution has a bill of rights that gives unconditional rights to strike by employees.The right to strike cannot be separated from collective bargaining as strikes are only justifiable for purposes of maintaining equilibrium in labour relations, that is, for collective bargaining purposes. In this regard, one can safely say that there is industrial democracy in Zimbabwe. However, although the Labour Relations Act recognises the right to strike, there are many procedural hurdles, including the fact that more than 50 percent of the employees must vote for a strike, followed by a 30 day conciliation period and possible referral to binding arbitration and then a 14 day advance notice period (Kanyenze, 2011). The sum effect of these delaying tactics is that it is practically impossible to organise a legal strike. In Zimbabwe Teachers Association and Others vs Minister of Education and Culture, government’s purported dismissal of striking teachers who had defied its orders to return to work was held by the High Court to be unlawful as the dismissed Teachers had not been given an opportunity to be heard. In conclusion, the essay has highlighted some evidence of industrial democracy in Zimbabwean enterprises, though the cases are not exhaustive as issues to do with amendments to the new constitution, National Employment Council and notice of hearing within 48 hours have not been discussed. The essay has also highlighted some cases where industrial democracy is compromised, for example issues to do with the right to strike and determination of minimum wages. One can therefore conclude that industrial democracy partially exists in Zimbabwe. REFERENCES Kanyenze, G. (2011) Beyond the enclave: Towards a pro-poor and inclusive development strategy for Zimbabwe, African Books Collective Madhuku, L, and Sambureni, N, T., Labour Law (Zimbabwe Open University Module Maphosa, G, J., (1991) Industrial democracy in Zimbabwe?Zambezia Sachikonye, L, M., (1985) Labour Legislation in Zimbabwe: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives Sambureni, N, T. (2001) Industrial and Labour Relations www.wikipedia.org

The Imagery of Hamlet essays

The Imagery of Hamlet essays Shakespeares Hamlet uses imagery as a means to portray ideas that varies away from the normal representation of a thought. Shakespeare uses imagery as a vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas. Imagery permits the reader to reveal the authors intentions instead of hearing their descriptions. Learning the ideas makes this type of doubtfulness more powerful rather than being shown to the reader. The intensity of imagery used throughout the play is unmistakable.(Imagery) Three important functions are used to show the performance of imagery in Hamlet. First, the main characters of the play are individualized. Second, major themes are announced and elaborated. Finally, it places images in the audiences mind by establishing the atmosphere of the play and it keeps the basic mood of the tragedy. The clarity in which Shakespeare uses imagery helps to define these functions, emphasizing what is really important to humanity.(Imagery of Hamlet) A clear reoccurring pattern in the plays imagery is evident by the poisoned sword and cup. Hamlets father being poisoned is a major symbol of the moral condition of Denmark. Just as Claudius poured the leporous distilment into his sleeping brothers ear, which spread all throughout his body and destroyed the healthy living being, Claudius morally poisons Gertrude with the witchcraft of his wit and with traitorous gifts. In order to please his evil master, Polonius yields the kings moral poison and will even give up his daughter Ophelia to Hamlet. As a result of moral poison, the morally unstable Laertes loses his life because he is unable to resist Claudius moral poison. The symbols of the poisoned sword and cup represent the evil plot developed by the treacherous, which specifically spell out the end product of their development.(Mack 2) Unmistakably Claudius and Laertes developed their...

Free Essays on Color Theory

The Color of the West In the Cowboy Artist Museum in Kerrville, Texas, artist Bob Pummil has a series entitled, â€Å"Under the Western Skies,† being displayed in the main showroom. Pummil, a great landscape artist, uses the historic western civilization movement to provide the subject material in his pieces for the series. In the 1985 eighteen by twenty-four oil painting, â€Å"Sound of the Bell,† Pummil makes use of different color combinations. The subject matter is a hilly, mountainous landscape with a cowboy driving a herd of cattle. In the foreground Pummil focuses on a single cow with a yellow bell around its neck. The uses of color in this painting are cool and complimentary. Much of the landscape are various shades of blues and greens to depict the sky, hills, and grass. The cattle are varying shades of white and brownish tints. One thing that stands out and grabs the eye is the rich, warm yellow bell around the cow’s neck and the long yellow raincoat of the cowboy. The yellow stands out so much because the majority of the landscape consists of the complete opposite color. Also, an effect of reverse contrast can be see. Usually, the foreground is painted lighter and the background is painting darker to give the effect of distance. But here it is reversed. The mist of the hills and distant objects are tinted more white, while the closer objects are deeper, more saturated colors.... Free Essays on Color Theory Free Essays on Color Theory The Color of the West In the Cowboy Artist Museum in Kerrville, Texas, artist Bob Pummil has a series entitled, â€Å"Under the Western Skies,† being displayed in the main showroom. Pummil, a great landscape artist, uses the historic western civilization movement to provide the subject material in his pieces for the series. In the 1985 eighteen by twenty-four oil painting, â€Å"Sound of the Bell,† Pummil makes use of different color combinations. The subject matter is a hilly, mountainous landscape with a cowboy driving a herd of cattle. In the foreground Pummil focuses on a single cow with a yellow bell around its neck. The uses of color in this painting are cool and complimentary. Much of the landscape are various shades of blues and greens to depict the sky, hills, and grass. The cattle are varying shades of white and brownish tints. One thing that stands out and grabs the eye is the rich, warm yellow bell around the cow’s neck and the long yellow raincoat of the cowboy. The yellow stands out so much because the majority of the landscape consists of the complete opposite color. Also, an effect of reverse contrast can be see. Usually, the foreground is painted lighter and the background is painting darker to give the effect of distance. But here it is reversed. The mist of the hills and distant objects are tinted more white, while the closer objects are deeper, more saturated colors....

buy custom Balanced Scorecard essay

buy custom Balanced Scorecard essay The balanced scorecard helps a company in planning for its future endeavors so as to ensure that the company attains a sustainable competitive advantage which is based on its long-term survival in the competitive market and also increase in its profit margins. The Balanced Scorecard is an avenue which provides an approach into deciding the companys strategies, the objectives which can make it to attain its strategic visions, and how it can deliver so as to get an outcome which is very desirable in the future. The balances scorecard can help in the transformation of the strategic plans of a company since it provides a framework which gives the performance measurements which can help the decision makers in the company to identify how the performance can be measured and also what can actually be done in the measuring of the performance. This paper will focus on Pearson Plc. Company which is a publishing company and it investigates if the balanced scorecard has any link to the strategy and vision of the company in 4 measurement areas namely; the financial perspective, the customer perspective, the internal business process perspective and the growth and learning perspectives. The paper furthers the suggestions which have been tabled to be some improvements in the balanced scorecard and the limitations. Vision and strategy A strategy is a directional scope of an organization over its long-term abilities, which are usually aimed at achieving the set goals of a company. There are nine forces which can serve as a basis for a business strategy: the products offered, the market needs, the technology, the production capability, the methods of sales, the methods of distribution, the natural resources, the size and growth, and the returns in the profit levels. The decisions to a proper and successful strategy are determined by the products and services, the customers, the market segments, and the geographic areas. In order for a business to be able to achieve its set objectives, it must be able to come up with a strategy which is suitable, like, for example, if the strategys aim is to increase the companys total revenue, then the strategy has to be aimed at new investments, or even the launching of new products. A strategy is very difficult to be reversed, since when a company decides to implement a strategy, it is absolutely not possible to be able to switch the resources towards another direction. The outcome of a good strategic plan is the goal setting of a company which is purely based on its vision and mission statement. The vision of Pearson Plc. Company is about the powering of the performance in in education where its current strategy is aimed at the provision of all schools with a flexible choice and the use of the new technology so as to establish the needed infrastructure which is essential for powering performance to all its stakeholders. The success of our company which usually operates mainly for marketing and the acquisition of high profits are dependent on the management and the establishment of all the products and services that are being offered by the company (Miles, 2003). For our company to be able to compete and survive in the competitive market, it has to be very successful. A sustainable competitive advantage is a prolonged benefit that a company possesses and achieves by the creation of new products and services which are valued and targeted by the market and they cannot be replaced easily or even duplicated by the competition (Adrian and Rieple 2008). It requires that a company or a business unit is able to erect suitable barriers against competition by looking at the basis of competition and who the business is competing against. PEARSON has been able to have a sustainable competitive advantage because of its efficient market hypothesis and its consideration of price volume relation in terms of stock pr ices in the stock market (Hamel Prahalad) In order for a business to be able to achieve a set of objectives, it must be able to develop a suitable strategy, for example, if the strategys aim is to increase the companys total revenue, then the strategy has to be aimed at new investments or launching of new products (Cobbold Lawrie, 2002). Pearsons marketing strategy is simple and it aims at the total satisfaction of all customers, which is one of the marketing tools that the company uses to create the product awareness among high and middle income individuals. Balanced scorecard A balanced scorecard (BSC) is a management and a strategic planning system which is used in a business so as to align the vision and strategy of the organization, monitor all the organizations general performances according the strategic goals that they have set, and also aids in the improving of the external and the internal communications in the organization (Voelper, et al., 2006). Strategic planning is a systematic process which is continuous and is aimed at guiding an organization into making solid decisions about its future, to be able to develop all the procedures and operations that are necessary for the organization to achieve its future set goals, and also to develop and determine ways on how the success of the company or organization will be achieved (Richard, et al., 2009). The balanced scorecard (BSC) was developed by Drs. Robert Kaplan and David Norton (2004) as being a framework which could be used to measure performance of the organization where they were able to describe the balanced scorecard to retain all the aspects of the traditional financial measures which in most cases tell more about the past events in an organization where the customer relationships and the long-term capabilities were not considered to be critical for the success of the organization (Lynch, 2006) . The Figure below shows a balanced scorecard which is suitable for use by the directors and managers of Pearson Plc. Company in aligning its business activities to the companys vision and strategy and also in the monitoring of the performance against the strategic goals. Personal drive is the main facto in the execution of the Pearson companys strategy which involves courage of the leaders and the managers, who in most cases are able to take responsibilities for their own actions and are also able to reorganize (Thompson Strickland 2003) the company by showing great courage and readiness to jump into action so that new ideas can begin to take effect at once. The leadership in the Pearson Company has enabled it to soar into greater heights The balance scorecard brings out 4 perspectives which show that there exist a balance between the subjective measures and objective measures, the driving forces of all the future results and the performance results, and the external and internal measures (Papalexandris, et al., 2005). The Financial Perspective The financial perspective in a business entails the decision makers to analyze the finances of the company where they can be able to determine if the management of the finances has achieved the companys objectives and mission. The financial perspectives in Pearson Company include the operating income which is shown in the Pearsons income statement, economic value added, and the return on capital employed which is estimated to be about 13.3% in 2010 and 13.4% in 2009 (Appendix A). The Customer Perspective The customer perspective implies that customer satisfaction is very essential to a company or business. This is because it is the customers who consume the products and they have needs and wants which should be met so as to continue consuming the companys products and also bring in brand new customers to the company. Pearsons main aim is consumer satisfaction since the company believes that it is the customer that determines the profitability of a company. This includes measure like the retention of the existing customers, the total market share in the market segments, and consumer satisfaction. In the customer perspective, Pearson used the customers satisfaction rates where they used polls to get the data where they targeted about 89% customer satisfaction. This is because the Pearson Company usually contacts online surveys so as to determine the satisfaction of all their customers so as to know how to plan for the future of the consumer welfare. The Business Process Perspective The business process perspective is what proceeds the customer perspective since a company should be able to analyze all the processes which it uses in satisfying the customers needs. This can help the company to analyze if its internal processes are efficient enough to meet the expectations of the customers and also it can enable the company to come up with new strategies on how they can improve their service and product delivery, and also improve in their efficiency in the future. In the business perspective, Pearson used the metric of servicing all the calls coming to the call center by the potential customers where the target was to answer each call that came in within 30 minutes where the second target was to decrease the total number of calls which were dropped to 3% or less. This metric helped in measuring the incoming calls with the plan of the implementation of a phone tracker so as to track all the calls that comes in from the customers. The Learning and Growth Perspective The learning and growth perspective includes learning and innovation which are needed by the company so that it can attain a competitive advantage over its close competitors. Employee training and education is very important and the company has to motivate the employees. The key decision makers would be able to determine the strategic positioning of the company and also make sure that all the objectives and goals which have been set have been attained in the future. In the learning perspective, Staff development is an important process in Pearson where the company encourages the training of employees so as to improve on the companys efficiency. This perspective includes measures like the satisfaction and the retention of the employees, and the skills set. In this perspective, the employees of Pearson were supposed to each take some courses and training where they were supposed to be tested and those who succeed will have got a 90% in the test. The company will come up with a training module which will later be followed by a test. Pearson has the ability to continuously come up with revolutionary innovations which help to boost the companys sales and also widen the profit margins, this shows that Pearson has a great and a substantial innovation resources which are very hard to be imitated by the companys close competitors and they are very valuable to the company. Through the human resource management, Pearson Company is able to provide skills through the training of all its employees around the globe which would equip them with all the knowledge and skills which are required to be able to produce a better output (Johnson, et al., 2005). The motivation of employees in a company is very vital since it contributes to the profitability of the company in terms of an increase in the output levels since the employees are very willing to work and produce more. Strategic positioning of Pearson is at the point of gathering sufficient information concerning the internal and the external environments and also including the companys stakeholders in making important strategic decisions. It is very important for the Pearson to take into account the future of the company by trying to access the suitability of the current strategy (Johnson et al. 2005). The stakeholders of Pearson Company are the key parties that have influence over the company and its future endeavors. Some of the major key stakeholders of Pearson Company are employees, customers, the government, investors, institutions, shareholders, and suppliers. The BSC objectives of Pearson company is that the company intends and aims to be worlds leading publishing company in London andd for that to be possible, the company it has to increase its turnover from the financial perspective by increasing its turnover by about 15% which then becomes the new financial objective of the company. This turnover is provided by the potential customers of the companys products since they should be able to get all their delivering in a timely manner which makes the customer objective. The company also has other internal activities like the filling of orders, production planning and control, and purchasing where all of those internal activities start with the customer receiving the order and ends with the customer getting all the delivering of the goods and services which in the end makes up the process objective. Another form of a process objective is where all the orders are entered in the production and planning systems. The innovations objective states that there is need for changes especially in the infrastructure so as to ensure that the companys strategy is fully accomplished. The measures which are the key performance indicators (KPI) of BSC are the parameters which are observable and are used by the company to attain its set objectives. The Pearson Company has a profitable growth objective which is measurable through the measurement of the companys net margin growth. The identification of the balance scorecards initiatives is very important since the initiatives act as the main drivers of the strategy and it also addresses the gaps which are between the BSC targets and the BSC measures and the measures which are geared towards performance (Kaplan and Norton, 2004). Niven (2002) argued that initiatives which are effective would help in closing the gap which exists between the desired performance and the current performance. The limitations of a balanced score card are that it can take a very long time to implement the whole project where the company would be required to make time for investments so as to be able to implement on the project. The implementation in Pearson required that there be the participation of each employee since there were numerous data which were required which could take a very long time and the whole process to be tiring. The definition of the measures of the organization is also not a very easy task where the company would have to choose only those measures which can be linked. A strategy map is used by a company like Pearson company As a communication tool to show how value can be created for the company since they demonstrate a logical connection in the strategic objectives which can be in the cause-and-effect chain form. It improves the general performance in all the objectives which are mainly found on the bottom row which can enable a company to be able to improve the internal process of the companys perspective objectives which are usually shown in the next row up which further leads to the creation of desirable results by the company in the financial and customer perspectives which are shown in the two rows which are on top. A strategy map links the shareholder, the management, customer, core capabilities, innovation, information technology, process management, value creation, and quality management where it helps in describing the strategy and then communicating the strategies to the top executives and the other employees in the company. What I would recommend to the board of Pearson Company is that they should adapt a leadership management strategy. In order for a company to be successful in the competitive market there is a need to have good innovative leaders and also are very good in the decision making of the company. Some executives are solely to be blamed for the failure of the businesses and the companies that they manage because they prioritize the profit goal ahead of the customer satisfaction goal (Wright et al., 2005). The customers play a very important role in the existence of the company since however good the companys products are, it needs the customers to purchase the products. Customer satisfaction determines the profitability of the company and the total sales that a company makes because the better the customer satisfaction the more the consumption of the products. The executives of Pearson Company are leaders and they should come up with a good decision making process and have very good leadership qualities which would enable them to lead the company towards attaining its set goals and objectives (Sadler-Smith 2006). The reason why I recommended the leadership management strategy is that leadership is crucial for the company. A successful organization should have a well-defined far-sighted stand and, above all, a good leadership management, which is innovative enough to be able to pursue the objectives of the organization. A goal is an endeavor to achieve something during a specified period of time and it is supposed to be realistic and specific. Such goals the company sets are then translated by its leaders into activities and objectives. The main aim of the executives of Pearson Company is to move the organization into attaining a high performance through the operational planning and making it a global visionary company. In conclusion, a balance card can help a company to measure its performance which can lead to the success of the company but for the balance score card to be effective, there has to be good leaders in the company. Leadership in any organization starts with a vision, which is directed towards the goals of the company, and a good leader is the one who is aimed at scoring big successes for his organization. Leaders help when it comes to the strategic planning, which is a systematic continuous process and is aimed at guiding an organization into making solid decisions about its future, to be able to develop all the procedures and operations that are necessary for the organization to achieve its future set goals, and also to develop and determine ways on how the success of the company or organization will be achieved. This strategic plan is usually a long term plan of action which is designed by an organization in order to achieve its set goals and objectives (Thompson Frank 2005). 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Academic review of a journal article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Academic review of a journal article - Essay Example The research was aimed to provide answer to tow questions: the what and the how of decision processes of senior finance executives (Coleman, Maheswaran & Pinder 2010). Nobody has built an integrated picture of how executives make the major finance decisions and by what factors/aspects they guided (Coleman, Maheswaran & Pinder 2010). The authors highlight that the literature doesn’t offer integrated explanation of the mainline finance decisions and that it is missing not only the joint test but also variables problems as it relies on theories. Therefore, many decisions and firm’s behavior cannot be explained as it omits non-quantifiable data (Coleman, Maheswaran & Pinder 2010). Authors of the paper provide the literature review of managers as wealth destroyers followed by the growing importance of sustainability and risk aspects in decision making process. Finance managers are viewed as wealth destroyers, however, there is very limited information in the literature reviewed and discussed by Coleman, Maheswaran & Pinder (2010). Another issue that the authors are reviewing through the literature relates to the importance of sustainability and risk in finance decision making processes. Even though both these factors are not related directly to finance, finance managers increasingly rely on non-financial data in decision making process. Authors review the elements of ESG (environmental, social and governance) and highlight its importance in the modern business environment through the literature review. Finance managers tend to make their decisions based on environmental and social aspects rather than solely on financial data. Authors have designed a methodology that enabled them to resolve the questions set at the beginning of the paper. As the initial step that would provide information for further investigation, authors of the

Managerial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managerial Accounting - Essay Example This article mainly discusses Breakeven Analysis such that the first section highlights the definition of breakeven point along with its graphical representation. Next section describes the importance of breakeven analysis. Last part of this article outlines the implications of breakeven analysis followed by the conclusion which summarize the article. Breakeven Point The level of sales or production quantity which can bring the company in a position where it neither generates any profits nor incur any losses, that point is called as breakeven point or level (tutor2u). When a particular product is manufactured, it has mainly two components which are variable costs and fixed costs. In order to reach at the breakeven level of sales, variables costs are deducted from the sales to arrive at the contribution margin. The percentage of that contribution margin with respect to sales is then compared with fixed costs resulting in the breakeven level of sales. If the contribution margin is prov ided in per unit terms, then break even quantity to be sold would be found. Following are the formulae for Breakeven Sales Level and Breakeven Quantity: Breakeven Sales Level = Fixed Cost / Contribution Margin (%) Breakeven Quantity = Fixed Cost / Contribution Margin (per unit) Where, Contribution Margin = Sales – Variable Cost Graphical Representation Graphically, breakeven points can also be identified with the help of the following diagram, where it can be observed that the point of intersection between lines OA and BC where line OA describes the normal sales level and BC denotes the total cost of the product comprising both variable and fixed costs. The point Q denotes the breakeven quantity. It is important to note that at point P, the firm is neither incurring any loss nor generating any profit and that is the breakeven point for the sales level. Reasons for Breakeven Analysis There are different reasons due to which business managers are keen to undertake this analysis such that future planning of operating activities, setting sales objectives, avoiding losses, estimating sales and costs forecasts etc. All these reasons are discussed as under: Future Planning Breakeven analysis helps business managers in undergoing rigorous future planning about the different products. By virtue of this analysis, some products are removed from the product line which can no longer generate profits, some of the products are added in as they have the capacity to generate some profits. At the same time some existing products are also continued with as their breakeven analysis provides them the likelihood of earning some profits. Setting Sales Objectives In order to motivate the sales force, breakeven analysis is conducted and then sales force is provided some targets to achieve. As per meeting the different levels of target sales, the company’s profits increase at the same time it adds up more rewards to the sales force. Avoiding Losses The next major reason f or the breakeven analysis is the avoidance of losses. Since the most preferred objective of a company is to avoid losses at any costs, therefore the business managers, conduct this analysis which reveals as which product can be sold in what quantities in order to establish different quantity levels of sales. If a given product’s breakeven quantity is too high and the company does not realize that this much quantity they can actually sold, it means that product will surly incur some losses. So it is

The mechanism of ethanol induced hepatotoxicity in man Essay

The mechanism of ethanol induced hepatotoxicity in man - Essay Example Alcohol damages liver as a dose-dependent hepatotoxin (Maddrey 2004). The damage is mainly due to the by-products of metabolism. After absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, alcohol undergoes oxidation in the liver. The first step in the oxidation is conversion of ethanol to acetaldehyde and this is catalyzed by alcohol dehydrogenase. During this process, NADH (NAD, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is released. The acetaldehyde is further oxidized to acetic acid which then enters the citric acid cycle and metabolized to carbondioxide and water. NADH is used up in the conversion of pyruvic acid to lactic acid, in the synthesis of lipids and in the electron transport chain (Paton 2005). Most of the damage to cells caused by ethanol is due to acetaldehyde and NADH. Acetaldehyde causes damage due to immune response and increased NADH causes altered NADH/NAD ratio leading to increased oxygen consumption and hypermetabolic state (Tome 2004). During the initial stages of excessive alcohol consumption, fat deposition occurs in the liver. When fat deposition occurs without any evidence of cell inflammation, it is usually reversible and benign (Maddrey 2004). However, gradually cell inflammation occurs resulting in liver necrosis and fibrosis. Acute fatty liver is caused by increased uptake of plasma-free fattyacids which are released secondary to enhanced blood flow in the liver, activation of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase and hypermobilization of adipose-tissue fat (Badawy 1980). The increase in hepatic blood flow is secondary to the direct stimulatory effect of alcohol on the adrenal and pituitary axis (Ismail 2006). Chronic fatty liver occurs due to chronic ingestion of alcohol which inhibits fatty acid oxidation in the liver. There is also release of very low-density lipoprotein into the blood. As consumption of alcohol continues and increases, hypoxia ensues and there is shift in lipid metabolism leading to decreased energy stores.

Fracking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fracking - Essay Example Fracking is done in four steps. During the first step, a vertical well is drilled into the ground up to the rock of interest. It then turns horizontally for some distance inside the shale containing the petroleum and gas. Under high-pressure, water is pumped into the well to create cracks from which gas can be released. The released gas along with the petroleum are then sucked up to the surface for processing. The used water, or waste, is pumped out of the well onto the surface from which it is disposed of carefully to avoid environmental contamination. The water is disposed of carefully as it contains harmful minerals and substances picked up below the ground (Michael, 2013).Fracking is done in four steps. During the first step, a vertical well is drilled into the ground up to the rock of interest. It then turns horizontally for some distance inside the shale containing the petroleum and gas. Under high-pressure, water is pumped into the well to create cracks from which gas can be r eleased. The released gas along with the petroleum are then sucked up to the surface for processing. The used water, or waste, is pumped out of the well onto the surface from which it is disposed of carefully to avoid environmental contamination. The water is disposed of carefully as it contains harmful minerals and substances picked up below the ground (Michael, 2013).The benefits for fracking cannot be overstated. The method avails great environmental and economic advantages. Fracking produces what is commonly known as the shale gas. Hence, the merits of production of shale gas are numerous. The gas produced is used to fend of the energy deficit that face the country. Through the gas produced by fracking, it reduces the dependence on imported energy sources like oil (Michael, 2013).The method creates employment for many unemployed persons. The reason why it creates employment is that it is a relatively method. Hence, it has to create room for employees before people can sign contr acts. The oil obtained from fracking fends off the dependence of a country on oil.It is evident that fracking is a beneficial procedure that has provided an alternative to the traditional methods of gas and oil manufacture.  

The Case For, or Against, New Orleans Assignment

The Case For, or Against, New Orleans - Assignment Example 1). Expected Cost = Cost of Implementation + Cost of Major Flooding X Probability of Major Flooding Main flooding is described here as a hurricane with hundreds of approximated fatalities as a result of flooding, and the expense of key flooding consists of property destruction in addition to fatalities. The produce of the cost and the possibility of key flooding in Equation (1) comprise the anticipated loss or risk as a result of flooding: 2). Risk = Cost of Major Flooding X Probability of Major Flooding For the risk alleviation, option of bettering the levee system, procedures have been developed, and the erection cost is approximated to be around $15 billion. With a rate of discount of 5 percent and a supposed yearly cost of $0.25 billion to sustain the enhanced system, the overall cost for this option on a yearly basis is approximately $1 billion. We will presume that this option lessens the possibility of key flooding however, does not affect the cost of significant flooding if i t were to take place (Hallegatte, 2006). The anticipated yearly cost related with this choice is then: (Expected Cost) levees = $1 billion + $100 billion X (Probability of Major Flooding) levees If the possibility of significant flooding is minimized from 0.02 to 0.01 per year, then the anticipated cost for this option is similar to that for the status quo, $2 billion annually. For possibilities of significant flooding lesser than 0.01 per year, this option is favored to the status quo on the base of anticipated cost. For the risk alleviation substitute of bettering the preparation, alarming and migration system, the possibility of significant flooding is unaffected from the status quo: 0.02 yearly. As a result, the anticipated yearly cost for this option is: (Expected Cost) preparation = (Cost of Implementation) preparation + (Cost of Major Flooding) preparation X 0.02 per year. A dynamic that stabilizes the cost and gains of a selection of selections for risk alleviation, for inst ance, using up $0.75 billion annually on advancing the levees scheme and $0.25 billion annually on bettering the preparation, alarming and migration system, would probably be most favorable. In the same way, investing exclusively in the hard scheme (levees) devoid of taking into consideration the soft scheme (public preparation) would not expected to be the most favorable approach. A significant teaching from Hurricane Katrina is that the inhabitants and assets at risk are as much a segment of the Protection System of the Hurricane as the walls and levees (Hallegatte, 2006). 3). Mixtures of yearly cost and the expected cost for a significant flood related with the alleviation option of enhancing preparation, alarming and migration schemes where this option is favored against bettering the levee system (Hallegatte, 2006). The subsequent postulations are prepared in developing this plot: the cost of executing the â€Å"enhanced Levees† option is $1 billion annually, the anticip ated cost in the occurrence of a significant flood with the advanced levee scheme is $100 billion, and the odds of a significant

Fracking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fracking - Essay Example Fracking is done in four steps. During the first step, a vertical well is drilled into the ground up to the rock of interest. It then turns horizontally for some distance inside the shale containing the petroleum and gas. Under high-pressure, water is pumped into the well to create cracks from which gas can be released. The released gas along with the petroleum are then sucked up to the surface for processing. The used water, or waste, is pumped out of the well onto the surface from which it is disposed of carefully to avoid environmental contamination. The water is disposed of carefully as it contains harmful minerals and substances picked up below the ground (Michael, 2013).Fracking is done in four steps. During the first step, a vertical well is drilled into the ground up to the rock of interest. It then turns horizontally for some distance inside the shale containing the petroleum and gas. Under high-pressure, water is pumped into the well to create cracks from which gas can be r eleased. The released gas along with the petroleum are then sucked up to the surface for processing. The used water, or waste, is pumped out of the well onto the surface from which it is disposed of carefully to avoid environmental contamination. The water is disposed of carefully as it contains harmful minerals and substances picked up below the ground (Michael, 2013).The benefits for fracking cannot be overstated. The method avails great environmental and economic advantages. Fracking produces what is commonly known as the shale gas. Hence, the merits of production of shale gas are numerous. The gas produced is used to fend of the energy deficit that face the country. Through the gas produced by fracking, it reduces the dependence on imported energy sources like oil (Michael, 2013).The method creates employment for many unemployed persons. The reason why it creates employment is that it is a relatively method. Hence, it has to create room for employees before people can sign contr acts. The oil obtained from fracking fends off the dependence of a country on oil.It is evident that fracking is a beneficial procedure that has provided an alternative to the traditional methods of gas and oil manufacture.  

Corporate strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Corporate strategy - Essay Example Additionally, the first manmade island, Palm Jumeirah, is one of such tourist destinations that are worth visiting. However, Dubai is inhibited by 1.4 million people, of whom less than 20% are natives of Dubai. This creates a sufficient skilled and un-skilled labor needs that are highly essential to fulfill the needs of development. And this has invited a large number of foreigners. Consequently, to fulfill the dearth of skilled and un-skilled labor, the Government of Dubai have allowed expatriates to serve and help the city of Dubai to become a dream destination of the tourists. Geographically, Dubai is ideally located, connecting the Indian Sub-Continent to Europe, the Far East and Africa. Besides serving a route business point, the tourists from such countries can easily reach Dubai. However, Dubai cannot avoid the threat of political instability in the region and, the criticism raised by the environmentalists over its excessive use of water and power to feed its growth of economy and tourism industry. Some recent reports suggest the ecological and carbon footprint is mostly contributed by Dubai due to its faster consumption of fossil fuels. In the following pages, the PESTEL analysis is followed by the SWOT analysis of Dubai. And in the end, some recommendations with conclusion are suggested in the light of the PESTEL and SWOT analysis. PESTEL analysis PESTEL stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal. The main purpose of PESTEL analysis is to understand and evaluate the impacts of the external environment on an entity or a country or a city. Without any doubt, these factors directly or indirectly influence on the strategic and operational decisions. Consequently, they are taken into account before determining and implementing strategic decisions and policies. Political and Legal Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (Emirates.org, web). Politically, UAE is run and administrated under the authorit y of federation. The UAE federal government has considerable powers to determine many areas of public interest; however, certain features of governance are assigned to the member emirates to determine and implement them as they wish to do so. Currently, many policies of Dubai towards the tourism industry are considerably aligned with the guidelines of the UAE, and the same line is applicable to the legislative part as well. Economic Dubai is the second wealthiest emirate after Abu Dhabi in the UAE (Dubai. Web). Recently, the global financial crisis of 2007 has severely hit the economy of Dubai, resulting huge job losses and rising unemployment. The recession considerably put on hold the entire economy of the Dubai. However, as the period of recovery is on its way, the city of Dubai has again initiated its journey towards the economic growth and development; in that growth, the tourism industry plays a vital role. Additionally, its projects like the Burj Khalifa skyscraper have attra cted vast amount of foreign investment (news.bbc, web). Technological Dubai cannot remain behind in the field of

Consequences of Exploration for Europeans and the Indigenous Peoples Essay Example for Free

Consequences of Exploration for Europeans and the Indigenous Peoples Essay In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean bearing the name of the Spanish Crown in hopes that he had landed in the Indies of Asia using a direct sea route. Though that is not where he landed, his New World was a place of great wealth, new materials and crops, new source of labor, and new land for the European nations. The consequences for the native people of the Americas were much worse with devastating death tolls, enslavement, new diseases and racist attitudes towards them. Though it would not be fair to say that the Europeans did not share in negative consequences or that the indigenous people did not gain any advantages. The greatest negative consequences for the Europeans due to the European expansion are a devastating economic revolution, and the introduction of the venereal disease Syphilis. Once the Spanish began to mine the precious ores of America the wealth of Spain underwent a major transformation. Demanding one-fifth of all profit, the Crown became immensely rich and this showed in their influence on the rest of Europe, seeing that other countries now lacked the material wealth of Spain. Throughout this time of great wealth the population rose steadily in Spain. With population increase, came an increased demand for food and merchandise. Spain had expelled a large amount of their skilled farmers, workers, merchants and businessmen during the Inquisition when they cleansed their country of the Jewish and Muslim people. Along with the demand in Spain, the demand for Spanish and European products in the Americas also became hard to keep up with. With the ever-increasing influx of silver bullion the prices in Spain began to rise and the inflation quadrupled the prices of everything within thirty years. In 1556, Martin de Azpilcueta Navarro, a Spanish canon lawyer, writes about the influx of American silver as the cause of the inflation. We see by experience that in France, where money is scarcer than in Spain, bread, wine, cloth, and labour are worth much less. And even in Spain, in times when money was scarcer, saleable goods and labour were given for very much less than after the discovery of the Indies, which flooded the country with gold and silver. The reason for this is that money is worth more where and when it is scarce than where and when it is abundant. Along with this, the Spanish king Philip II spent more money on outside enterprises to worsen his countries debt. When needing to pay his debt to other countries, he also paid in silver bullion spreading the inflation to the rest of Europe. The discovery of the Americas led Europe to inflation and increased prices and Spain to almost complete debt by the seventeenth century. Besides silver and gold, the native people of the Americas passed Syphilis on to the Spanish who came to settle there. In five year time, Syphilis had spread to Russia from the European Atlantic coast. Though it could not be proven, Syphilis is thought to have originated in Espaniola because no evidence of Syphilis exists in Europe before 1493. These open sores, boils, and aches in the joints caused excruciating pains to many Europeans due to this quickly widespread venereal disease. The only proven effective way to treat Syphilis was from drinking the boiled bark of the guaiacum tree which only grew in Espaniola. Though no exact numbers were calculated for Syphilis it could not be compared to the death tolls that the European diseases left on the Indian populations. In a period of 130 years, something like 95 percent of all Native Americans died of disease. That number is far greater than experts (until recently) had ever suspected. The Native Americans who survived the plagues were, of course, completely demoralized and depressed by this tremendous loss of their loved ones, of their lifestyle, and of their ancient culture. (Bib 2. ) The 95 percent population loss of the Natives was staggering compared to probably one percent death caused by Syphilis. Thus though Syphilis was a negative consequence of European expansion it proved minor compare to the Indigenous peoples loss due to European disease. Besides new crops and animals the indigenous people were introduced to new religions, medicines and ways of life that helped better themselves. Christianity was introduced to the indigenous people thanks to very ardent Catholicism from the Spanish and Portuguese. These Christians taught of love, equality and a heaven after death for those who acted well on earth. For many indigenous people this religion called to them and they were converted. Those who did not convert voluntarily were either forced to convert or killed. The native people actually became very passionate about this religion and even followed religious doctrines more closely than the Spanish conquistadors. The natives began to spread peace and love as a bigger doctrine than territory fighting which shows how religion was a positive outcome from European expansion. New technology and medicine helped more effectively cure the local people and brought new light to the topic. In Pre-Colombian times the Indian populations would come to the ailing and stay by their side through illness thus probably catching the illness themselves, the Europeans taught to isolate the sick and better medicines to treat them. The lives that new medicines saved in the Americas is immeasurable but probably still do not compare to the lives lost from European diseases. New technologies such as guns, steel and sailing equipment helped build stronger weapons than the ones previously possessed by Indians, and a new material from which objects could be made. Very strong steel could be used to make protection from swords and swords themselves thus fortifying indigenous peoples ability to make weapons, protect themselves, and hunt. Many thousands of things brought from Europe helped make indigenous life better such as candles to light the night and paper so writing and language could be better developed. Though much understated there were many positive outcomes from European expansion to the indigenous people of the Americas and even a few negative outcomes for the Europeans themselves. More often than not, when talking about the European expansion into America, the Europeans seem to get much better rewards from their expansion. And they actually did. They reaped much higher rewards from their conquest of the Americas than the indigenous people, yet it cannot be forgotten that both peoples had multiple sides to their gains and losses due to European expansion. Bibliography Quotes: {draw:frame} 1. Why were Native Americans so vulnerable to European diseases? (article). Articles on how to feel good more often and get more done. Web. 10 Oct. 2009. http://www. youmeworks. com/why_native_americans. html. Galloway, J. H. The Sugar Cane Industry An Historical Geography from its Origins to 1914 (Cambridge Studies in Historical Geography). New York: Cambridge UP, 2005. Print. American Indian past and present. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 2008. Print. Other Info: Spanish colonization of the Americas -. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 11 Oct. 2009. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Spanish_colonization_of_the_Americas. Native Americans in the United States European colonization. Spiritus-Temporis. com Historical Events, Latest News, News Archives. Web. 11 Oct. 2009. http://www. spiritus-temporis. com/native-americans-in-the-united-states/european-colonization. html.

Microsoft Visual Basic Programming Language Computer Science Essay

Microsoft Visual Basic Programming Language Computer Science Essay Microsoft Visual Basic is a programming language is which is easier and simpler to use than other programming languages for example Java, Programming in C, programming in C++. Visual basic is an ideal language for developing Windows-based, Database and Internet applications. Windows-based applications are event driven and they need good graphical user interface (GUI) support. Internet applications require web page programming support. Visual Basic provides a scripting language called VBScript to help you control and make your web pages interactive. Visual Basic can also be used to access database created using database management software (DBMS) such as Access 2000, SQL Server 7.5 and FoxPro. Visual Basic also supports both traditional procedure-oriented programming and the newer object-oriented programming (OOP). Visual Basic is one of the members of a group of software called Visual Studio. The other members of this group are Visual Studio Tools, Visual C++, Visual J++, Visual FoxPro and Visual InterDev. There are four versions of Visual Basicà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Working Model, Learning Edition, Professional Edition and Enterprise Edition. The Visual Basic environment is where users can create and test their projects. The Visual Basic environment consists of several windows such as: The Title bar- displays the projects name(Project1). The default project name is Project1. Subsequent projects are named Project2, Project3, etc. Besides the project name, the title bar also contains several icons. The buttons on to the right are the standard windows buttons that can use to minimize, restore or close the window. Menu Bar- has the usual menu items such as File, Edit, View, Project, Run and Tools. Tool Bar- contains several icons, each of which represents a command. These icons provide a shortcut to the most frequently used commands. Toolbox- Located at the left hand side of the of the main window, contains a set of icons, each of which represent control object or just control. Form window- The window at the center of the main screen is the Form window. This is where the user can design their application. When the user begins a project, Visual Basic gives a new form with the default form named Form1. These are the few items and tool featured in a Visual Basic environment. Question 1 Write a program to produce the following output: Main Menu For Loop While Loop Select your Choice: 1 Using For Loop to Display the pattern 1 22 333 Do you want to continue(Y/N)? Y Main Menu For Loop While Loop Select your Choice: 2 Using while Loop to Display the pattern 1 22 333 Do you want to continue(Y/N)? N Press any key to continue Output For Question 1 Module Module1 Sub Main() Dim i, j As Int32 Do Dim a As Integer Console.WriteLine(Main Menu) Console.WriteLine(1-For Loop) Console.WriteLine(2-While Loop) Console.WriteLine(Select Your Choice) a = Console.ReadLine() If a = 1 Then Dim k As Int32 = 1 Console.WriteLine(Using For Loop to Display the pattern) For i = 1 To 3 Console.WriteLine() For j = 1 To i Console.Write(k.ToString) Next j k += 1 Next i Dim b As Char Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf) Console.WriteLine(Do You Want To Continue (Y/N)?) b = Console.ReadLine() If (b = Y) Then Else End End If ElseIf (a = 2) Then Console.WriteLine(Using While Loop to Display the pattern) Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf) Dim counter As Integer = 1 While counter Console.WriteLine(StrDup(counter, CChar(counter.ToString))) counter += 1 End While Dim b As Char Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf) Console.WriteLine(Do You Want To Continue (Y/N)?) b = Console.ReadLine() If (b = N) Then End End If Else Console.WriteLine(Please key 1/2) End If Loop End Sub End Module Source Code For Question For the first question was done using if else statements to determine wheter to print out for loop or while loop by assigning conditions, for example a=1 for for loop and a=2 for while loop. The variable a is set with Dim As Integer meaning as assigned with 1 and 2. The for and while loop codes are above whitin the codition. For the Looping of the statement was done by using Do loop, that the Menu can loop again. Using Console.WriteLine to print the output and using Console.ReadLine for input, Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf) for new line. Dim Char is to represent a single character in this case either using Y or N option to continue with the program. Dim Integer to represent number without decimal place. Question 2 The numbers of calories burned per hour cycling, jogging, and swimming are 200, 475, and 275, respectively. A person loses 1 pound of weight for each 3500 calories burned. Write a program that allows the user to input the number of hours spent at each activity and then calculates the number of pounds worked off. The Output For Question 2 The following image above is my output for question 2. This was done using Microsoft Visual.NET 2003. Briefly explaining the element used to create this was Label, text, Radiobuttons and a button. So this was to test the number of hours that the user has done using the following 3 choices above. So after the selection of one of the radiobuttons the output will be displayed in pounds, as where the number of pounds shed by the user. The following interaction was done by the button. The codes are set in the button so when the user click the result is displayed. For more detailed explanation of the code is below. The codes for the button for Question 2 Using Dim as Double enables the user to have decimal places compared to integer/ Using 3 variables a, b, and c respectively to represent each of following hours cycling, jogging and swimming. Using the if statements to achieve the result for the corresponding activities for each. The raddiobuttons are the following activities that represents cycling, jogging and swimming. The value of each is multiplied by the value given by the question as 200,475 and 275 and then each of them are divide by the number of calories which is 3500. Conclusion A Visual Basic application or project typically requires some input, processing and output. For interaction with the user the project will typically use several controls such as forms, text and picture boxes, labels and command buttons. Using these control, the user can control the program execution. Planning a Visual Basic project basically involves the following steps: Plan the project. This involves determining what to do. Designing the User Interface. The interface is the most visible part of the project. It is used to interact with the system. The user can determine the controls ( e.g., command buttons, text boxes, labels) that are needed to enter data (input), to display results of computation (output), and to control the program execution (processing). Set the properties of the controls. Determine the controls that the user will need or their project and set the properties (e.g., appearance, name, caption, color) for each of the controls used. Write the code (program). The code represents the action that must take when the user clicks on a Command button. Clicking a Command button is called an event and the code represents a response to that event Test and debug the code. This is done to ensure that the program works correctly These steps help the user to analyze first, plan using draft and then apply his information gathered into motion. These steps are a require that every programmer must do in order to achieve full satisfaction of their program.

Essay on Death and Sorrow in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein :: Frankenstein essays

Death and Sorrow in Frankenstein Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is filled with death and sorrow. They occur in almost every aspect of the book. The four "squares" of the book, Walter, Victor, the monster, and the cottagers, all suffer from them at one time or another. Some perceive Frankenstein as a horror story; however, in actuality it is a book of tragedy and despair. Every page reveals more misery than the page before. Thus, death and sorrow are inevitable in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Walter has an interesting turn of events towards the end of the book. He is forced to abandon his quest to the North Pole, he is faced with the monster and must hear the monster's plans for self-destruction, he has to watch idly as his new friend, Victor, passes from this world. He has such noble dreams and aspirations, but they are all brought to a halt because of his chance meeting with Frankenstein. Or, was his expedition doom from the start because of the nature of wanting to do what no other man had done? Was it his ambition that led him to untimely failure? The evidence from the text proves that possibly he was never meant to surpass his peers and obtain the glory that he pursued. Victor experiences very little joy at all after the creation of the monster. He suffers from numerous bouts of depression, he most tolerate the deaths of his brother, best friend, and wife, all of which were murdered at the hands of the monster. His friend Justine is executed because of the death of William, for which she is falsely accused and convicted. His father also dies after the murder of Elizabeth, Victor's ill-fated bride. With so much death surrounding his life, how is it possible that Victor could still be cognizant of his actions when he decides to pursue the monster and end its violent fury? He can't. Victor's mind is so clouded by the sorrow and pain of his past that he is blinded to the fact that he is attempting to destroy a creature with far greater physical strength and speed than any mortal. Much of his conflict appears to be created by the monster, when in fact the torment comes from Victor's own hands because he himself created and gave life to the monster. The monster lived in a world of eternal turmoil and strife.

Motives for Iraq War through Realism and Neo-Conservatism Lenses Essay

The invasion on Iraq by the United States in 2003 has become the biggest, lengthiest, and most expensive use of armed force since the Vietnam War. It is the first major post-Cold War U.S. military action taken unilaterally, without an international coalition, and the first U.S. experience as an occupying power in a Middle Eastern country. Although the invasion decision was distinctive (U.S. military connection in an Arab or Muslim country), the argument here is that the Iraqi invasion deals with motives related to natural security, power, and resources. Both realism and neo-conservatism claim to capture the motives behind the war, but only through a comprehensive comparison of the two can a synthesis be achieved. On March 20th, 2003, the United States military invaded Iraq with the ground campaign lasting almost three months. According to then-President of the United States, George W. Bush, and then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, stated reasons for the invasion included the disarmament of â€Å"Iraq, especially with respect to weapons of mass destruction; the ending of Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism; and the liberation of the Iraqi people† (White House Archives). On May 1, the end of major combat operations was declared, ending the invasion period and beginning the military occupation period. However, was this war really needed to put an end to Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq—a regime that, at that time, had been considered a threat to the United States, as the neo-conservatives claim? Moreover, did Iraq really possess weapons of mass destruction, or was control of Iraq's oil the reason for the United States to invade it, as realists may posit? Often termed the â€Å"pessimistic view† of international politics... ...ospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_road_to_aqaba>. Lieberfeld, Daniel. "THEORIES OF CONFLICT AND THE IRAQ WAR." International Journal of Peace Studies 10.2 (2005): 1-20. Print. Lowbeer-Lewis, Nathaniel. "A Neo World? NEOCONSERVATISM, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND THE IRAQ WAR." Diplomat & International Canada 2009: 72-75.Diplomat & International Canada. 2009. Web. 4 Dec. 2010. . "President Discusses Beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom." White House Archives. 22 Mar. 2003. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030322.html>. Walt, Stephen. â€Å"International Relations: One World, Many Theories.† Foreign Policy. Spring 1998: pg. 29-45. Waltz, Kenneth. â€Å"The Anarchic Structure of World Politics† International Politics. New York: Pearson, 2009. 37-58.

The Hummer Campaign: An Overview

OVERVIEW When General Motors Corporation (GM) acquired the commercial marketing rights to the Hummer truck, the civilian version of the U. S. Army’s Humvee, it faced the challenge of promoting a vehicle that was never intended to be sold in high numbers. Part of the solution was to design smaller, less-expensive versions, the H2 and H3, but much of the success would have to depend on the marketing. Rather than turning to a roster of ad agencies it usually worked with, GM hired a young Boston creative boutique, Modernista! , in 2000. The initial goal of the $35 million campaign, begun in August 2001, was to establish Hummer as a luxury brand. Thus, images ofmud-splatteredHummers that played up the vehicle’s off-road capabilities were scrapped in favor of shots that made it seem jewel-like. Once the brand was repositioned, the marketers’ goal was to pitch the lower-priced H2 and H3 to a wider market, hopefully to more women. Factors such as rising gas prices and the perception that the Hummer was oversized for most consumers proved to be major hurdles for the marketers. However, by the end of 2003 the campaign had succeeded in redefining the Hummer brand, and with the introduction of the H3 in 2005, the marketers took on a new challenge: selling the Hummer to a mass market. HISTORICAL CONTEXT The Humvee was designed for the U. S. Army in 1979 by AM General Corp. , based in South Bend, Indiana. The 3. 5-ton vehicle became a star of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, spurring consumer demand for a civilian version, which was introduced in 1992 as the Hummer. It catered to an exclusive market, as demonstrated by the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the first buyers. The vehicle never received much advertising support; AM General spent less than $1 million on marketing the Hummer in 1999, when it sold about 700 of the trucks. Nevertheless, AM General did enough business to attract the attention of General Motors, and in the end bought the Hummer brand in late 1999. GM signed a seven-year contract with AM General to produce the next generation, GM-designed version, the Hummer H2 sport-utility vehicle (SUV). The agency Modernista! was hired to promote the brand. Prior marketing efforts had played up the military connection and the Hummer’s off-road capabilities, billing the vehicle as ‘‘the world’s most serious 4Ãâ€"4. ’’ Modernista! won the account because it was the only agency that attempted to fashion a wider appeal by going beyond the tough-guy, army-truck image. The principals involved in the campaign did not lack experience in selling cars. Modernista! ’s cofounder, Lance Jensen, had worked with Hummer’s advertising director, Liz Vanzura, when she was at Volkswagen of America and he was with the Boston-based ad agency Arnold Communications. Both played key roles in developing Volkswagen’s award-winning ‘‘Drivers Wanted’’ campaign. Vanzura commented that, while the Volkswagen ads were aimed at ‘‘cool, young people,’’ her new mission was to sell Hummers to ‘‘cool, rich people. ’’ TARGET MARKET Even before hiring Modernista! , GM had done a great deal of market research. According to Ted Evanoff, writing for the Indianapolis Star, ‘‘In 1999 researchers stumbled across the notion that an unlikely cross-section of America—surgeons, dot-com millionaires, rock stars, high school students, corporate execs—prized their individuality. And they regarded the rugged Hummer as a symbol of individuality, especially compared with the typical sport-utility common in suburbia. ’’ Modernista! was given 2,200 pages of market data to distill into an advertising message. The agency was also handed a brand that skewed very much toward males, averaging 50 years in age and with an annual household income of more than $200,000. The target buyer for the less-expensive H2, while still male, was 42 years old on average and had a household income above $125,000. Vanzura told Chris Reidy of the Boston Globe that the coveted audience included ‘‘rugged individualists, adventurous entrepreneurs, and adrenaline junkies. ’’ In other interviews she described the target market as ‘‘successful achievers’’ and ‘‘style leaders. ’’ She also told Evanoff that Hummer had to vie with other purchases the well-to-do might consider, such as yachts or vacation houses, stating, ‘‘We’re really not competing in an automotive category. ’ COMPETITION The yacht, vacation house, and other status symbols notwithstanding, Hummer competed in the luxury-SUV category against other SUVs, including the Lincoln Navigator, Land Rover’s Range Rover, and the Lexus LX 470. But Hummer’s chief opponent was DaimlerChrysler’s Jee p Wrangler. Boasting similar military roots but extending back to World War II, Jeep had defined the SUV category and at its height in 1993 controlled nearly 30 percent of the traditional SUV market. Over the following several years, however, the brand failed had to introduce new models, and its lessexpensive ones faced increasingly stiff competition, resulting in a severe erosion of sales. As long as Hummer was not a direct competitor, DaimlerChrysler took little notice of it, but as soon as GM acquired the right to mass-market the Hummer, DaimlerChrysler recognized the threat at the high end of the SUV category and became determined to hold on to Jeep’s reputation as the premier heavy-duty, off-road brand. The two vehicles had slightly different target markets, however. Jeep appealed to consumers who loved the outdoors and might attend one of the dozens of Jeep Jamboree off-road events held throughout the year. Typical Hummer customers, on the other hand, wanted the off-road capabilities the vehicle had to offer but were more interested in the image it created. They were as likely to drive their Hummers to an upscale mall as up a mountain. MARKETING STRATEGY In preparation for marketing the lower-priced H2, Modernista! instituted a bridge campaign, paid for by AM General, to sell the H1 while repositioning the brand. As Will Uronis, an associate creative director at Modernista! , explained to the Boston Herald ’s Greg Gatlin, ‘‘Hollywood had defined what Hummers stood for—war, explosions and arrogance . . . We just took a look at another facet of the truck. ’’ Jensen added, ‘‘We went out and talked to guys that drove them . . . they don’t all hunt and kill things. ’’ Nevertheless, Hollywood movies had done a good job of making consumers aware of the Hummer. Market research conducted in 1999 indicated that as many as one in five buyers of full-size SUVs considered purchasing the Hummer. The bridge campaign was intended to play to the ‘‘rugged individualists’’ who, research revealed, were attracted to the Hummer and to set the stage for the launch of theH2 by creating an emotional attachment to the brand that transcended the hard-edged image fostered by Hollywood. According to Evanoff, writing in the Indianapolis Star, the promotion of the H1 was intended to create a ‘‘halo’’ over the brand, providing ‘‘the foundation for a brand image that will carry the smaller H2. ’’ The first national ads for the GM-owned Hummer began appearing on August 13, 2001. It was an all-print campaign that featured photographs of the vehicle in lush locales in Chile. Not only did the pictures suggest where the H1, with its off-road prowess, could take the viewer, but they also made the big truck look small. It was the first time Hummer was not portrayed covered in mud or linked to the military. Reinforcing the visual message of the ad was the text, which included the headline ‘‘How did my soul get way out here? ’’ and the concluding text ‘‘Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere. And sometimes in the middle of nowhere you find yourself. The legendary H1. ’’ Hummer’s longtime tagline, ‘‘World’s most serious 4Ãâ€"4,’’ was replaced by ‘‘Like nothing else. ’’ The four ads ran through the rest of 2001, appearing in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Esquire, Spin, Wired, and Red Herring. Hummer’s 50 dealers were also encouraged to use the ads created by Modernista! to bring continuity to the brand’s makeover, with some of their media costs being reimbursed by a cooperative advertising program. The H2, based on GM’s Chevrolet Tahoe full-size SUV, was introduced in July 2002. A second model featuring a small pickup bed and a cargo door was supposed to be offered at the same time, but the launch was pushed back, partly because the vehicle needed more work but also as a way to extend the marketing buzz the brand was creating. The new H2, with a base price of $48,000, was about half the price of the H1 and, despite being called the ‘‘baby Hummer,’’ essentially the same size. But it featured a smaller, less noisy gas engine rather than a cumbersome diesel one, and it had comforts and customizable options the H1 lacked but that were expected in a luxury SUV. The introduction of the H2 was supported by another print campaign developed by Modernista! While the ‘‘Like nothing else’’ tagline of the previous ads was retained, the look of the new ads was markedly different, relying on dramatic close-ups set against bold, sky-blue backgrounds. Like the first ads, the new ones ran in a wide range of magazines, with the text tailored to the publication. For example, in the Robb Report, which covered all things luxurious, the text read, ‘‘Excessive. In a Rome at the height of its power sort of way. ’’ The Vanity Fair text read, ‘‘Threaten the men in your office in a whole new way,’’ part of an effort to increase the number of women buying the vehicles. Another ad proclaimed, ‘‘Perfect for rugby moms. ’’ About 10 percent of H1 owners were women, and one goal of the H2 campaign was to increase that number to 25 percent. Outdoor ads were also produced, running in 14 major markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Detroit. Print and outdoor ads were made available for the use of dealers. The first Hummer television ads aired in mid-August 2002. The initial three 30-second spots, intended to romanticize the truck, were shot in Iceland and in Vancouver, British Columbia, and featured both natural and urban locations. They showed friends in a Hummer speeding over the tundra of Iceland or a professional woman weaving through traffic in a city. Set to rock music, the only words in the spots were text statements such as ‘‘Maybe if you can, you will. ’ A second phase of the television campaign played on people’s perception of the Hummer as a gas-guzzling road hog. In one spot a young boy constructed a small wooden version of the Hummer to enter in a soapbox derby, while The Who’s ‘‘Happy Jack’’ played in the background and the little girl next door looked on. At the start of the big race the other boys scoffed at little Jack and his less-than-streamli ned racer, but he prevailed by abandoning the asphalt course, breaking the rules to go cross-country and win the race and the girl. Through the humor of the spot Jack was portrayed not as a blatant cheater but as a heroic iconoclast, offering subliminal reassurance to potential Hummer customers who might feel guilty about buying a vehicle that got about 13 miles to a gallon of gas on the highway. A second Hummer spot, also displaying a tough side, hearkened back to the Asteroids video game of the 1980s, with a spaceship blasting boulders only to confront an indestructible Hummer, which chased the ship off the screen. OUTCOME GM and Modernista! ucceeded in introducing Hummer to a wider market, but after a strong showing in 2003, sales began to tail off, partly because of high gas prices. To regain lost ground, in 2004 GM introduced the H2 SUT (sport-utility truck). This was followed by the unveiling in 2005 of the H3, a midsize Hummer priced from $29,500 to $32,000. Almost 17 inches shorter, 1,700 pounds lighter, and more fuel-efficient at 20 miles per gallon, it was a vehicle GM hoped women and younger drivers wo uld find more appealing. In pitching the vehicle to a mass market, Hummer and Modernista! aced a new task. Putting a positive spin on the challenge, Jensen told Jeremy W. Peters of the New York Times, ‘‘The brand has a lot of different personality levels . . . You can do the serious capability stuff, the real rough-and-tumble rock climbing stuff, the peaceful back-to-nature stuff. ’’ Industry analyst Mary Ann Keller disagreed, telling the New York Times that it was impossible to sell Hummer to the masses: ‘‘How in the world can you possibly fathom that something that looks like a military vehicle is practical for the average driver? ’’

Comparing The Allegory of the Cave and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Plato’s work in the Allegory of the Cave emphasizes the actualization of reality and truth. Fredrick Douglass’ life, which is portrayed in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, is similar to Plato’s philosophical idea presented in â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave. † Plato, a Greek philosopher introduces the significant meaning of reality and truth through his philosophical text. He illustrates the difference between illusion and the real world, which represents reality. In comparison, Frederick Douglass was an African American who had limited rights since he was a slave.Douglass decided to escape the darkness and get educated to become aware of the outside world. The definition of progress in both tales, are very similar. In both stories, there are four major progressions. First, both stories begin with men who are in the stage of ignorance. Second, these men are somehow able to escape from their bondage to ignorance. Third, they ar e enlightened. Fourth, they go back to their fellow friends, who are still bound to ignorance, and enlighten them. â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† and the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass share the path to knowledge from ignorance.Initially, the idea of imprisonment is implied. The people from the cave were tied up along the wall with fire that created shadow against a wall. In â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave†, the shadows caused misrepresentation of the real world, or ignorance. On the other hand, Douglass was held back from learning how to read and write by society during that time period. Unfortunately, his identity was forced upon him to be a slave, since there was racism, oppression, discrimination, degradation and segregation between white persons and black persons.Therefore, it was difficult for African-Americans to speak, know, or understand freedom. At first, it was impossible for the two groups, those chained in the cave and African-Americans, to af fect their immediate environment, or realistic elements, since they lacked liberty. In addition, exclusion from the freedom to interact with the â€Å"real world† led to other people accepting the way they live, believing there was no other choice. In the second stage, Douglass and one of the prisoners from the cave received the opportunity to explore the real world.When Douglass was sent to Baltimore, he gained new insight and was introduced to a new world. Douglass was eager and strongly felt the necessity for gaining an education. Despite all the possible obstacles and consequences, Douglass was eager and felt the necessity to learn how to read and write. He tried to get the help from the his surroundings to obtain an education. However, the most important lesson he got was that he started to realize the real reason for the existence of slavery.On the other hand, the man freed from the cave was forced to adapt himself to a new environment. Looking at the light, numerous li ving organisms, and other objects had created a different interpretation of his existent. In both situations, it was extremely difficult to accept the reality for both Fredrick Douglass and the freed man. Despite initial difficulties and fears, realizing and observing another reality created an eye-opening moment. In the third stage, Douglass gained much insight through his education, which led him to read books about slavery.Later on, anger builds up as Douglass discovers the forced identity on him and he started to rebel against his masters. In comparison, as the time went on, the freed man got used to the new surroundings available to him. He realized that sunlight and other objects were useful and beneficial. Later, the freed man realized that the sun is an essential part of the world we live in. The final stage in both pieces of literature was the most important. Their final goal was to educate others who were still living in darkness, or ignorance.The freed man took as many pr isoners out of the cave to help them attain knowledge. In addition, upon contemplation of these steps, one may make the following philosophical reasoning: perception of reality is learned through our observations. In comparison, Douglass was eager to seek freedom and got himself to New York. However, he did not end his journey there but fought for the rights of those stilled enslaved. In addition, he eventually wrote about life story to educate others and to motivate others to stand up for equality.Plato and Douglass came from different time periods in history, along with different styles of text. Plato represented his text philosophically and allegorically but the literature that Douglass represented was presented in non-fictional and historical context. However, the time period did not affect the perspectives towards human beings. â€Å"Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave† and Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave showed their r espective audience how the idea in relation to ignorance, education, and the way of perceiving of the reality is similar. Comparing The Allegory of the Cave and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Plato’s work in the Allegory of the Cave emphasizes the actualization of reality and truth. Fredrick Douglass’ life, which is portrayed in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, is similar to Plato’s philosophical idea presented in â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave. † Plato, a Greek philosopher introduces the significant meaning of reality and truth through his philosophical text. He illustrates the difference between illusion and the real world, which represents reality. In comparison, Frederick Douglass was an African American who had limited rights since he was a slave.Douglass decided to escape the darkness and get educated to become aware of the outside world. The definition of progress in both tales, are very similar. In both stories, there are four major progressions. First, both stories begin with men who are in the stage of ignorance. Second, these men are somehow able to escape from their bondage to ignorance. Third, they ar e enlightened. Fourth, they go back to their fellow friends, who are still bound to ignorance, and enlighten them. â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† and the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass share the path to knowledge from ignorance.Initially, the idea of imprisonment is implied. The people from the cave were tied up along the wall with fire that created shadow against a wall. In â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave†, the shadows caused misrepresentation of the real world, or ignorance. On the other hand, Douglass was held back from learning how to read and write by society during that time period. Unfortunately, his identity was forced upon him to be a slave, since there was racism, oppression, discrimination, degradation and segregation between white persons and black persons.Therefore, it was difficult for African-Americans to speak, know, or understand freedom. At first, it was impossible for the two groups, those chained in the cave and African-Americans, to af fect their immediate environment, or realistic elements, since they lacked liberty. In addition, exclusion from the freedom to interact with the â€Å"real world† led to other people accepting the way they live, believing there was no other choice. In the second stage, Douglass and one of the prisoners from the cave received the opportunity to explore the real world.When Douglass was sent to Baltimore, he gained new insight and was introduced to a new world. Douglass was eager and strongly felt the necessity for gaining an education. Despite all the possible obstacles and consequences, Douglass was eager and felt the necessity to learn how to read and write. He tried to get the help from the his surroundings to obtain an education. However, the most important lesson he got was that he started to realize the real reason for the existence of slavery.On the other hand, the man freed from the cave was forced to adapt himself to a new environment. Looking at the light, numerous li ving organisms, and other objects had created a different interpretation of his existent. In both situations, it was extremely difficult to accept the reality for both Fredrick Douglass and the freed man. Despite initial difficulties and fears, realizing and observing another reality created an eye-opening moment. In the third stage, Douglass gained much insight through his education, which led him to read books about slavery.Later on, anger builds up as Douglass discovers the forced identity on him and he started to rebel against his masters. In comparison, as the time went on, the freed man got used to the new surroundings available to him. He realized that sunlight and other objects were useful and beneficial. Later, the freed man realized that the sun is an essential part of the world we live in. The final stage in both pieces of literature was the most important. Their final goal was to educate others who were still living in darkness, or ignorance.The freed man took as many pr isoners out of the cave to help them attain knowledge. In addition, upon contemplation of these steps, one may make the following philosophical reasoning: perception of reality is learned through our observations. In comparison, Douglass was eager to seek freedom and got himself to New York. However, he did not end his journey there but fought for the rights of those stilled enslaved. In addition, he eventually wrote about life story to educate others and to motivate others to stand up for equality.Plato and Douglass came from different time periods in history, along with different styles of text. Plato represented his text philosophically and allegorically but the literature that Douglass represented was presented in non-fictional and historical context. However, the time period did not affect the perspectives towards human beings. â€Å"Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave† and Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave showed their r espective audience how the idea in relation to ignorance, education, and the way of perceiving of the reality is similar.