Emerging Markets: Brazil Case Study Essay

I. Summary Brazil’s agricultural advantage stems from its extensive natural resources. The country’s competitors either utilize more supplies or more time in order to yield an amount that can rival Brazil’s production. Although every other country desires the agricultural production capable of Brazil, Brazil‘s government is determined to invest in industrialization in order to modernize its economy. While Brazil has a large amount of natural resources available for use, its government must provide the funding of the growing industrialization, to include: energy, materials, and increased employee earnings. II. Problem Brazil’s success in agriculture is attributed to vast lands, diverse climates, and a large population pool for labor (Brazil Agribusiness Report – Q4 2013, 2013). Without regard to its solid base in agriculture, the Brazilian government is attempting to modernize the economy through industrialization. Alongside this movement comes the â€Å"Brazil† cost: the increased operating cost of energy, raw materials, and wages. Also, in addition to paying more to industrialize, the government compensates domestic, uncompetitive industries enabling the theory of protectionism. III. Effective Solutions/Strategies In response to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s desires to become a world-class manufacturing base, the country can reassess its comparative advantage in agriculture and redirect resources solely to those businesses. According to Brazil Agribusiness Report – Q4 2013, its agricultural production is yielding lower than expected numbers with respect to international standards and, therefore, still has potential for growth. Alternatively, Brazil can strategize by addressing agricultural weaknesses via industrialization. First, seize the opportunity to grow and re-attack infrastructure to promote expansion and competition. Then, allow for raised incomes, as they will decrease farmers’ debts and allow for reinvestment in the economy. Finally, although the â€Å"Brazil cost† will hurt in the short-term, a higher-paid population will result in a hygienic environment  producing greater quality of products. Therefore, previously instated non-tariff barriers due to health concerns will decrease allowing for a greater degree of expansion. IV. Questions for Discussion Why is Brazil’s agriculture so competitive? Why do its manufacturing industries lack competitiveness? Brazil’s agriculture is competitive because its environment contains natural and inexpensive resources that other nations would have to spend extra time and money to produce or acquire. Furthermore, Brazil gained a distinctive comparative advantage in agriculture and livestock by doing away with nontariff barriers and reducing import tariffs on similar products other countries were trying to bring into the country (Brazil: Economic background, 2006). With regard to underdeveloped manufacturing industries, Brazil lacks competitiveness for the same reason its agricultural competitors fall short. The â€Å"Brazil cost† of energy, raw materials, and wages is exponential compared to another nation primed to capitalize on manufacturing. As a result, domestic industrial products are costly compared to international competitors so consumers will frequent the competitor. Why have Brazil’s governments in both the 20th and 21st century been eager to develop world-class manufacturing? According to the closing case, the Brazilian government seeks to modernize its economy through world-class manufacturing. I would argue that the core reason is to achieve globalization through a combination of manufacturing and agriculture. Employing globalization means greater economic growth and standards of living, as well as attracting numerous low-end manufacturing jobs. Therefore, by modernizing its economy, Brazil fortifies its potential as a developed economy, which could launch it onto the global platform for competition in industry. How can Brazil shift some of its resources from uncompetitive industries to competitive industries? Via resource mobility, Brazil can shift resources used in uncompetitive industries to competitive industries in order to bolster the competitive industries’ potential. Furthermore, the government can shift strategic intervention and subsidies from uncompetitive industries to competitive industries. ON ETHICS: While President Rousseff’s critics accuse her of ignoring Brazil’s lack of comparative advantage in manufacturing, her supporters argue that her policies force Brazil to reduce its dependence on  foreign-made manufacturing goods. If you were to participate in this debate, which side would you be on? I would be on the side of her supporters. Through research, I have found that Brazil has extraordinary potential to grow its agricultural sectors through industrialization. By reducing manufacturing imports and producing and employing its own industrial products, Brazil not only increases domestic income and the standard of living, but also solidifies the nation’s comparative advantage in agriculture. Although, I will say that finding the balance between directing resources towards industry versus agriculture will be a delicate quest. References Brazil: Economic background. (2006). (). New York: The Economist Intelligence Unit. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/466598073?accountid=27203 Brazil Agribusiness Report – Q4 2013. (2013). (). London: Business Monitor International. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1436333107?accountid=27203

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 14

I worked an evening shift that day and had made plans to have lunch with Maddie. She and I had worked several shifts together in the last week or so, but things were getting so crazy at the store that we hardly had a chance to talk anymore. â€Å"Well, aren't we the rebels?† she said when the waiter set two margaritas on the table. We were at the â€Å"unholy† place Peter, Cody, and Hugh had tried to lure me out to a few nights ago. â€Å"Nah,† I said, licking the edge of my glass. Salt and lime juice were proof of God's existence. And tequila was proof of Satan's. â€Å"We don't work for three more hours. We'll be sober by then. Besides, I'm your superior, and I say it's okay.† We clinked glasses and drank up. â€Å"I feel like I'm boring,† she told me halfway through our meal. â€Å"Not true.† â€Å"It is. I don't do anything with my life.† She held the glass by its stem, swirling the contents around and around. â€Å"Doug goes out every night, either to practice or party or whatever. Me? If I'm not at work, I'm home writing articles or watching reality TV.† â€Å"What do you wish you were doing instead?† â€Å"I don't know. There are lots of things I've thought about. Skydiving. Travel. Always kind of wanted to go to South America. But it's hard, you know? Those kinds of things force you to break out of your comfort zone.† â€Å"There's no reason you can't do those things. You're smart and capable, and I think you're braver than you give yourself credit for.† She smiled. â€Å"Why are you such a cheerleader for me?† â€Å"Because you're awesome.† The truth was, I was starting to realize, Maddie reminded me of myself when I'd been mortal. Not entirely comfortable with my body (I'd been insanely tall). Not always so adept socially (my sharp attitude had gotten me in trouble a lot). That version of me was centuries gone, but a kernel of it would always be within me. I gestured the waiter over and shook my glass at him. â€Å"Hey, Josh. Can you hook me up?† Josh the waiter, who looked too young to drink, took the glass with a grin. â€Å"You bet. Same thing?† â€Å"Yep. Although†¦I hate to tell you this, but it was kind of weak.† Josh adopted an offended air. â€Å"Was it? I'll yell at the bartender immediately. Maybe I'll make him come over and apologize on bended knee.† â€Å"No need,† I said magnanimously. â€Å"Just have him add an extra shot this time.† He gave a gallant bow and winked. â€Å"As you command.† Maddie groaned when he was gone. â€Å"See? I could never flirt that way. Certainly not with jailbait like him.† â€Å"Sure you can.† She shook her head. â€Å"No. I have the worst luck with men.† â€Å"How is that possible? You're always saying funny things to me.† â€Å"You're not a man. And I'm not afraid of you,† she explained. â€Å"You're afraid of Josh the waiter?† â€Å"Well†¦no, not exactly. But I just get so self-conscious. All flustered and stuff.† I leaned forward and spoke in a conspiratorial tone. â€Å"Trade secret. Everyone's self-conscious. Act like you aren't, and you'll be a superstar.† Josh brought me my margarita. I thanked him with more flirting while Maddie looked thoughtful. When he went to check on another table, she sighed. â€Å"Did you know that I've only ever slept with two guys?† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, I'm twenty-nine! Isn't that sad?† I thought about my track record. No point even trying to count. â€Å"Just means you have standards.† She grimaced. â€Å"You haven't met the guys.† â€Å"So find a good one. Plenty of them out there.† I had a weird flash of d? ¦j? ¤ vu to past conversations with Tawny. â€Å"Not that I've seen. Well, except maybe Seth. He's one of the good ones.† She sighed. â€Å"He still hasn't mentioned our date.† â€Å"Hasn't he?† I'd have to get on him about that. â€Å"Yeah. Unless babysitting his nieces counts.† She shrugged. â€Å"It's okay. Like I said, I know he just did it because he felt bad. I appreciate the gesture. Oh hey, I overheard Seth saying something to Doug about how you wanted a Christmas tree. Are you having trouble finding one or something?† I groaned. â€Å"Not that again.† â€Å"So†¦you don't want one? Or do you? You seem like the kind of person who would.† â€Å"Honestly? I'm indifferent.† I shook my head. â€Å"It's something my friend Peter started, then he told Seth.† She cut me a suspicious look. â€Å"You know, you sure seem to hang out with Seth a lot.† â€Å"Hey, you can be friends with nice guys too.† I had no idea why I still felt the need to keep my relationship with Seth a secret. Some instinct told me it was the right thing to do. â€Å"Too bad,† said Maddie, finishing her own margarita. â€Å"I bet he'd treat his girlfriend like a princess.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed wryly. â€Å"So long as that princess doesn't mind a mistress. Sometimes I think his writing will always be his first love.† To my surprise, Maddie didn't laugh or look outraged. â€Å"Well, I think that's the price you've gotta pay if you want to be with a man like that. It might be worth it.† Now I became pensive, wondering if this was true. Was I too hard on Seth and his distractibility? When lunch wrapped up, we walked back – not too tipsy – to the bookstore. I nudged Maddie as we stepped inside. â€Å"Okay, here's the deal. In the next week, I want you to do three adventurous things.† She looked startled. â€Å"What kind of adventurous things?† â€Å"I don't know.† I pondered, thinking I might be drunker than I'd suspected. â€Å"The adventurous kind. Go out clubbing. Wear red lipstick. Doesn't matter. All I know is that there's going to be a pop quiz later, okay?† â€Å"That's ridiculous. It's not that easy,† she said with a scowl, turning away. â€Å"You can't just make something like that happen.† â€Å"Did I just hear you tell Maddie to go clubbing?† Seth's voice asked a moment later. She was already halfway across the store, and I doubted she'd take me up on my challenge. Too bad. I turned around to face him. â€Å"I'm helping her live life.† â€Å"By drinking in the middle of the day?† he teased. I pointed upstairs. â€Å"Don't you have a book to finish? I'll talk to you later. I have important things to do.† I felt only a little bad about dismissing him, seeing as we had dinner plans and would see each other later. He wandered off to write, and I threw myself into my work. Someone was home sick, so I got to be out amid the holiday shopping frenzy. Maddie worked a register beside me, and I was pleased to see how cheery and charismatic she was with customers. When closing time came, I stopped in front of the newspapers, looking for†¦well, I didn't know what. But I hadn't forgotten about that poor drowning victim. I wondered if there might be more about him – or more about anything that might help me figure out what was happening to me in my sleep. Sadly, the headlines offered no insight today. Seth and I drove to Pioneer Square for our late dinner and unsurprisingly couldn't find parking. We ended up several blocks away and were freezing by the time we entered the restaurant. The trek was worth it, though. This place was one of my favorites, serving up Cajun food spicy enough to chase away the winter chill. With gumbo and ? ¦touff? ¦e, it was hard to brood for too long. We'd almost finished dessert when my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey, Georgina. This is Vincent.† â€Å"Hey,† I said, surprised to be hearing from him. â€Å"Look, I really need to talk to you in person. Is there any way I can see you?† â€Å"Right now?† â€Å"Yeah†¦it's kind of important.† I glanced over at Seth, who was finishing the last of his bread pudding. He was so easygoing, I doubted he'd mind if Vincent stopped by. â€Å"I'm out with Seth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It'll just take a few minutes,† Vincent promised. â€Å"Okay.† I told him where we were, and he told me he'd be there shortly. He wasn't kidding. I'd barely explained the situation to Seth when Vincent walked into the restaurant. â€Å"What'd you do, fly over here?† I asked as he slid into a chair beside us. â€Å"Nah, I was just close.† He gestured to the remnants of our desserts. â€Å"Looks good.† â€Å"It was great,† I said. â€Å"Now, what's up?† He hesitated and glanced in Seth's direction. â€Å"It's fine. Seth knows everything,† I assured him. The waitress came by and dropped off our receipt and change. Vincent studied Seth a moment more, then turned back to me. â€Å"Okay. I just have a quick question for you. We can talk about it on our way out.† The three of us set out into the cold again, heading toward Seth's car. â€Å"So,† Vincent began. â€Å"Remember that story you told me a little while ago? About the cop shooting his partner?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Where'd you hear it?† We walked in silence for a few moments as I tried to remember. â€Å"I don't know. Probably on TV. Maybe I saw the headline at the store. Can't recall.† â€Å"Are you sure?† I frowned. â€Å"Positive.† Vincent sighed. â€Å"Well, here's the thing. I looked into that story and had a hard time finding out anything. It was never made public. I actually had to go investigate with some police sources.† â€Å"It had to have been made public. How else would I have known?† â€Å"That's what I'm trying to figure out.† I racked my brain. Where had I heard it? No clue. I'd just known it when I talked to Vincent that day. But, obviously, it hadn't sprung up in my head out of the blue. â€Å"Do you know anybody in the police department?† he suggested. â€Å"No one I would have talked to. Maybe I overheard someone. Seriously, I just†¦I just can't remember.† â€Å"What's the story?† Seth asked me. Puzzle pieces suddenly fell together. The cop was just like the guy who'd swam Puget Sound. Both had had a vision of something that wasn't true, but their subsequent actions had brought it about. And I had known about both stories before I should have. â€Å"Georgina?† asked Seth. â€Å"This cop went crazy in a store and started – â€Å" â€Å"Okay, just stop. Just fucking stop.† The three of us jerked to a halt as the voice came out of the darkness. In heading toward our remote parking spot, we'd strayed quite a ways away from the hustle and bustle of Pioneer Square. And from around a corner, a man in need of a shave and clean clothes had emerged. He made Carter look genteel. Muggings were rare in Seattle, but statistics meant little when actually being mugged. The man had a gun aimed at us. â€Å"Give me everything you've got,† he growled. He had kind of a wide-eyed, paranoid look, and I wondered if he was on something. Again, it meant little. He had a gun. We didn't. â€Å"Every fucking thing. Wallet. Jewelry. Whatever. I'll shoot. I swear to God, I will.† I took a step in front of Seth and Vincent, small enough not to raise the guy's alarms but enough to put me in the line of fire. I'd been shot before. It hurt, but it couldn't kill me. My humans were the ones in danger. â€Å"Sure,† I said, reaching into my purse. I kept my voice low and soothing. â€Å"Whatever you want.† â€Å"Hurry up,† he snapped. His gun was aimed squarely at me now, which was fine. Behind me, I heard Seth and Vincent rustling around for their wallets as well. With a pang, I realized I'd have to give up Seth's ring, which I'd worn on a chain around my neck tonight, but that was a small price to pay if we all walked away from this unscathed. Suddenly, I saw movement in my peripheral vision. Before I could stop him, Seth lunged forward toward the man and slammed him into the side of the brick building near us. I had never taken Seth for the fighting type, but it was actually pretty impressive. Unfortunately, it was not needed at the moment. Vincent and I sprang into the fray, moving at exactly the same time. The guy had been forced to lower his gun while Seth pinned him against the wall, but the attacker was struggling with the ferocity of a bear. Vincent and I tried to add our own strength, mainly hoping to wrest the gun away. It was one of those moments in time that seemed both really long and really short. Then, the gun went off. My two companions and I stopped moving. The guy used the brief lull to wiggle away from us and ran off into the night. I exhaled a breath of relief, grateful it was all over. â€Å"Georgina – † said Vincent. Seth sank to his knees, and that's when I saw the blood. It was all over his left thigh, dark and slick in the watery light of a flickering streetlight. His face was pale and wide-eyed with shock. â€Å"Oh, God.† I fell down beside him, trying to get a look at the leg. â€Å"Call 911!† I screamed at Vincent. Having anticipated me, he already had his cell out. Some part of my brain listened to him speaking frantically into the phone, but the rest of my attention was on Seth. â€Å"Oh God, oh God,† I said, ripping off my coat. Blood was pouring steadily out of the wound. I pressed my coat into it, trying to slow the bleeding. â€Å"Hang with me. Oh, please, please, hang with me.† Seth's eyes looked at me with both tenderness and pain. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. I lifted the coat and looked at the wound. Vincent knelt beside me. â€Å"It won't stop, it won't stop,† I moaned. Vincent peered over my shoulder. â€Å"Femoral artery.† After over a millennium, I knew the human body and what could kill it. I would have realized what kind of a shot this was if I hadn't been so hysterical. â€Å"It'll drain him,† I whispered, pressing the coat into his leg again. I had seen it happen before, watched people bleed to death right in front of me. â€Å"It'll kill him before they get here. That bullet hit perfectly.† Beside me, I heard Vincent take a deep, shaking breath. Then, his hands covered mine. â€Å"Take it away,† he said softly. â€Å"I have to slow the bleeding.† But he gently lifted my hands away, taking the coat up as well. There was blood everywhere. I imagined I could see it steaming in the cold air. Vincent rested his hands on Seth's thigh, oblivious to the mess. Words formed on the tip of my tongue but never came out. The air around us began burning, and a prickling feeling raced across my skin. For a moment, Seth seemed to be bathed in white light. From Vincent, I suddenly had the sensation of dried lavender and humidity. It was tinged in something else†¦something I'd never hoped to sense again. Then, it all faded away. Vincent removed his hands, and when I looked down, blood no longer oozed from Seth's thigh. â€Å"I'm sorry,† gasped Vincent. â€Å"I'm not so good at healing, and if I do any more, the others will sense me. This will keep him alive until the ambulance gets here.† In the distance, I heard the faint sounds of sirens. In my chest, my heart thudded. The world slowed its pace. How long had Vincent said he'd known Yasmine? Fifteen years. Too, too long. He didn't look any older than thirty. They hadn't met when he was a teen. The timing didn't make sense. Neither did the fact that he had just healed a major injury. But none of that was as telling as what else I'd already discovered. For just a moment, he'd let his defenses slip, and I'd felt – an immortal signature. And while immortals have unique features of their own, all types of immortals have certain attributes that identify them by creature as well. Succubi. Vampires. Angels. Demons. Vincent's signature had given him away. The others will sense me. I stared at Vincent as red flashing lights rounded the corner. My eyes were as wide as Seth's had been. â€Å"You're a nephilim,† I breathed.

A Comparative Analysis Of Langston Hughess The Negro Speaks Of Rivers And Sandra Cisneross House On Mango Street

A Comparative Analysis Of Langston Hughes's The Negro Speaks Of Rivers And Sandra Cisneros's House On Mango Street The House on Mango Street History repeats itself in more ways than one and this statement reigns true for almost all aspects of life and this especially holds true with war. Over and over again we see destruction promises of repair and then many decades later another war emerges with the same carnage and promises. The most famous example of this would be Napoleon invading Russia and Hitler invading Russia and the outcome was the same for both men and armies. The repetition that is most prevalent and either undermined or discarded though is the treatment of people and in particular minorities. The treatment of minorities and people of darker color is so outlandish and is visible throughout the world in countries and the whole continent of Africa which faced brutal imperialism and slave trading a couple hundred years ago. This quote worn on a shirt of famous rapper and Outkast member Andrà © 3000 saying â€Å"Across cultures darker people suffer most. Why?† This quote reiterates the idea that darker ski nned people face more scrutiny and have a harder time in life than those of fairer skin. America is the home of thousands of nationalities and ethnicities from all over the world but it is harder for immigrants and minorities to find their identity and make something of themselves while being happy and different but still holding on to their roots in from other countries but still being proud to be American. These struggles are no more prevalent and no more accurate than in the novel â€Å"House on Mango Street† by Sandra Cisneros and the poem â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† by Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes. These two bodies of work detail the life of African Americans in the United States and a young Latina woman in the United States and their struggles of finding themselves and knowing where they came from while still moving forward in life and dealing with their hardships. In one of the outside sources which is titles â€Å"Straddling Boundaries ident ity culture and school† talks about kids struggling to find themselves and speaks on being able to find themselves in places like school where they learn about their history and their past. The other article â€Å"In search of identity in Cisneross The House on Mango Street† it does focus on the main character Esparanza’s life in America and all she has to deal with along with being a preadolescent female but struggling with the problems and unjust obstacles life has to offer and she has trouble finding herself and identifying herself and who she is in this world which often times can be unforgiving. These two texts in theme of finding identity have similar narratives but set in different times. â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† talks about the struggle of African Americans as a whole and how lost they are in some cases due to the fact that they have been taken away from their home land and given new identities and new names that they are not familiar with and is not theirs. Langston Hughes is reminding us of this and who African American’s are and where they came from and that they are not just slaves but much much more. â€Å"In House on Mango Street† it is about the life of Esperanza and dealing with life and people not understanding her in particular because she is a woman and she does not have the same freedoms as men do and also because she is not wealthy and lives in a terrible neighborhood people do not understand her as well. Being Hispanic in a tough neighborhood does not let her have the same opportunities as white people in rich or good neighborho ods and she states that they look down on her when they do look at her. She spends the whole novel contemplating leaving home to find herself somewhere else because her barrio is not meant for that. Identity is a huge part of minorities an culture too but as you can see many minorities have trouble finding their identity in America the land of mixed cultures. In â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† author Langston Hughes he tries to bring a comparison to the negro of his time in the 1920’s and the ancestors who were the first to start civilization in the first thousand years of modern civilization in Africa. He wants to African Americans to reconnect with their roots. People have been almost tricked to forget where they came from and their greatness building the pyramids and creating monuments that millions of people around the world marveled at. The denial of this and the act of taking the truth away and discriminating against African Americans is racism which some say is America’s original sin and what Langston Hughes is fighting against in his poem â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers.† His motive is to uplift African American’s and to show them that they are worth more than what they were told to be, during the time of segregation and Jim Crow laws they still have a voice and a past to be proud of. In the poem Langston speaks from a voice of an ancestor saying the he too knows. Although never being in Africa he speaks as if he was from there and this is the new way of writing because Hughes as a black man now has a voice and can say what he please as well as the way of writing it has changed to a simpler form but still resonates with people just not the super wealthy and those who can read. In this poem the first three lines reiterates features of Africa. â€Å"I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow Of human blood and veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers. I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.† Hughes is talking about the Nile River and he is saying that it is as old as the earth and that it is ingrained in us in our body and we are the earth. He said that his soul has grown deep and it means that he feels as if he is attached to the earth and he is part of it. Another river is the Euphrates which has given life to so many people used for bathing, sailing, and fishing but it has also been here for a long time. What he means by this line is that he along with Africans have been on earth for a long time. The last line talks about having a home in the Congo and he fell asleep with the sound of the river. I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen it’s muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset. I’ve known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers; My soul has grown deep like the rivers. Hughes continues to talk about the Nile and how it raised people and was such an influence on the lives of the Egyptians at the time when they were using it for every aspect of life and it was a catalyst for them being able to flourish without that they would not have been able to make the pyramids. Hughes then makes a comparison to moving down the Mississippi to with Abraham Lincoln to New Orleans and how from having a muddy bosom to being a golden sunset which could annotate the transition from slavery to being freed with the emancipation proclamation. Hughes finishes the poem by saying that he knows these rivers old rivers and those that are shadowy his soul being an African American male has history and runs deep like the rivers. â€Å"The House on Mango Street† by Sandra Cisneros tells the tale of a young girl that is struggling to make it in America with hurdles that she has to go through. This text is different from â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† because Hughes speaks for an entire group of people who have been hurt and had their identity taken away from them and he is also trying to make a connection between the present day negro and the African of early civilizations. â€Å"The House on Mango Street† it talks about one specific character but can be used for many generations of Hispanic women growing up in America and millions going through the same struggle today. Esperanza gives us her background at first and where she is living and how she got to mango street. Her father is always working and her mother is always at home watching over the kids, she has two younger brothers and one other sister. Esperanza is not very fortunate because she is not popular and it is hard for her to find a friend to tell secrets to. She has her sister but it is not the same due to the fact that her sister is younger than her and cannot cognitively have a conversation with her because she us so young. However, Esperanza is always stuck watching her little sister so she cannot do what her brothers do and play or focus on herself because she is so busy with her little sister. Another way her life is different is because of her ethnicity she details how others do not understand her and how she depicted them looking at her and her people from the outside and not understanding their way of life. Esperanza dictates how people vie her and people like her harshly and crit icize them for living the way do even though they are trying their best with what they can. Again we see in â€Å"The House on Mango Street† like we did in â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† that minorities struggle to identify themselves and feel the need to overcompensate for their lives and actions to feel better about themselves. This comparison is significant because to different races fear the same things and two different authors writing in different times can still have the same view of their people and America as a whole. Being misunderstood by others and even misunderstanding themselves is something that they have to deal with while trying to identify themselves to their own selves while they are being told what to do by many other people. Although the authors of these two different texts are of different sexes, different races, and writing in different periods the problem remains the same. As the quote from earlier still reigns true why do darker people suffer more across the world. History is repeating itself over and over maybe it is not the exact same way but if this is the result after decades of minorities living in America it is not a very good one and does not show progress at all. This question is part of a problem that is rooted deep in the heart of America racism that has been embedded in the psyche of Americans but has been hidden and for a big extent subtlety regarded as false or not prevalent. These two texts ring them to live without blatantly shouting it out but by bringing us in the lives of minorities in the past and present and shows America not as the great nation everyone believes it is but one of flaw and not perfect like the humans we are, and although it is not perfect and neither are we we must strive for perfection to make this country the best it can for all people.

Article Review - Educational Instructional Practices, Programs, and Essay - 1

Article Review - Educational Instructional Practices, Programs, and Strategies - Essay Example The research centered on a large urban school district with special emphasis on high –need schools. Specifically, the study focused on the success of the no child left behind government policy. To succeed, the government introduced the Adequate Yearly Progress program to ensure the decline in the number of uneducated children. The instructional strategy/program AND the research that assessed its effectiveness is based on surveys. The findings indicate that missing school has a direct destructive effect on the teacher’s strive to increase the students’ academic performance. Likewise, the prolonged absences trigger a persistent negative relationship between excessive absences from class lessons to performance. The research focused on the academic performance of elementary school students. The research centered on the focused on setting up drastic school measures to address the decline in the student’s academic performances. Further, the study focused on the relationship between absences and academic performance. First, the study tracked five cohorts of elementary school children for a period of six consecutive years. The study centered on the siblings’ progress over a period of six consecutive years. The six years included elementary, middle school, and high school. The policy implications on absence behavior could be derived in terms of which data –based decisions. Second, the research zeroed in on both math and reading standardized tests. The research determined the effects of absences on the students’ noncognitive areas such as behavior issues. The study showed that the absentee students feel alienated from their classmates when they enter the classroom. In addition, several absentee students feel the presence of a gap between themselves and the teachers. The concept of the research was very good. The researchers

Artifacts of our own cultures surround us. From art and music to Essay

Artifacts of our own cultures surround us. From art and music to architecture and literature, from philosophy and religion to laws and economics, we live among cultural artifacts that have deep roots - Essay Example The United States of America has its rich history that is being evidenced by the various artifacts that are seen in museums, which are preserved to serve as a symbol of the changes the nation has gone through the years. One of these significant artifacts is the Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that became the inspiration of Francis Scott Key in creating a poem, which is now America’s national anthem. The stars in the banner are about two feet across in size. The method used to create the cotton stars was the reverse applique’ method. The blue portion of the banner is canton or wool pigmented with indigo. There was a stain on one star that may have come from a metal buckle. Georgina Armistead Appleton sewed an inscription into the flag. Only fifteen stars were left since one star was cut out during the 1800s (Smithsonian National Museum of American History, n.d.). Wool pigmented with roots of madder plant make up its red stripes. One stripe and one star represented the fifteen states of the U.S during that period (â€Å"The Star-Spangled,† n.d.). The flag has deteriorated with its edges damaged, and it has undergone several repairs prior to reaching the Smithsonian museum, where it is now being preserved (Smithsonian National Museum of American History, n.d.). The Star-Spangled Banner is a legacy, a symbol of freedom and victory for the American people. If not because of this flag, the national anthem that America has in this day age will not be made. Americans live in a country, where there is liberty and diversity, and this is well embodied by this artifact. The banner has been made at that point in history, where the American soldiers were fighting for the country. Thus, it became a witness to some of the crucial points in American history. Americans are warriors, who value peace and benevolence. This is evidenced by the nation’s participation to worldwide

How does the western model of Internet Banking apply to Russia Dissertation

How does the western model of Internet Banking apply to Russia - Dissertation Example This chapter of the study will therefore spell out the most important aspects of tasks that the researcher put in place as part of data collection. As much as area of the research such as the literature review holds a prospect for answering most of the research questions and by extension achieve some of the research objectives, undertaking primary data collection remains a very useful way of testing secondary data used for the study (Riketta, 2008). This is because with primary data collection, the researcher is offered the opportunity of collecting first hand data that is not distorted or biased. The chapter shall open with the research philosophy that the researcher employed for the primary data collection. This is because the research philosophy will give the reader a general overview of the perspective from which the researcher conducts the remaining parts of primary data collection, whether inductively or deductively. There shall also be other aspects of the chapter such as rese arch design, qualitative design, research strategy, research scope, as well as data quality issues. By the close of the chapter therefore, the reader will have a vivid understanding of the entire approach that involved the conduct of the research. 3.1 Research Philosophy Saunders et al (2003) notes the research philosophy reflects the perception that the researcher holds about how knowledge is constructed. This is common with qualitative research of this nature because in qualitative research, the researcher seeks to explore knowledge about an ongoing situation, of which the research is being conducted (Ainin, Lim and Wee, 2005). In the current study, the ongoing situation can easily be referred to as internet banking in Russia and how this is influenced by western model of internet banking

Module 3 Case Assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Module 3 Case Assignment - Coursework Example Customer values the product if it is unique; it is available at affordable price meeting customers needs quickly. A firm increases value of its products either by increasing its features, quality and utility or by lowering its costs. A company adds value by performing operations and processes efficiently and effectively and by continuous innovation in its activities. A company performs primary activities such as production, sales and marketing, research and development, and servicing activities to satisfy customers’ needs. Many support activities such as efficient materials management, human resource management, and the company infrastructure go along with in value creation process and attaining competitive advantage. Continuous learning and improvement is necessary to sustain competitive advantage and for that each important outcome needs to be compared and benchmarked (Connelley). While Kraft operates several product lines under several product categories, in broader sense, the value chain of Kraft Foods can be broken into inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales and finally services. The first three functions lead to demand fulfillment and the last two functions are geared towards generating demands from customers. Each part of the value chain of Kraft can be analyzed, in broader sense, to know how it helps adding value for its customers. Though Kraft outsources its basic raw materials globally it always feels a need to revamp its procurement processes. It is to be noted that before 2010 Kraft had around 77,000 vendors; however, only 1200 vendors met 80% of the supply. In 2010, Kraft decided to move towards more strategic suppliers reducing their numbers and achieved 40 percent incremental savings (Ellinor, 2010). However, the efforts need to be on revamping procurement chain significantly as that is still a major bottleneck for Kraft to meet its expanding demand of its products.

Sensory evaluation of food Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sensory evaluation of food - Assignment Example Sensory evaluation is sometimes done to label a product as acceptable or unacceptable. Sensory evaluation gives information about the typical characteristics of the food product or any of its ingredients so that any necessary change can be made to the food item or any ingredient can be avoided or replaced. A sensory analysis on a final product or newly introduced product would judge whether the food item is in line with its original specification. Feedback is collected after sensory evaluation so that any small or big amendment may be made to improve the product. Further evaluation would include the analysis of the food properties. Properties of the food and its ingredients are scientifically measured. These measured scientific properties are analyzed and interpreted to get the results. Sensory analysis would tell how the assessed food item is perceived through the five senses. Appearance, taste, smell, touch and hearing are the five factors that are used as parameters to analyze the food item. The color of the food item, its smell, its taste, its physical nature and sound would grade it. The color of a food item would reveal some of its properties. For example, deep fried items and those with artificial color would reveal its nature through its color. The smell of gravy will reveal the presence of absence of spices in it. Taste of a food item would disclose majority of its ingredients. Taste would reveal what is included and what is missing. As we touch a cake we will understand how much cream is used for making it. If you want to test a piece of banana or potato chips you just need to bite it once. Sensory evaluation would thus give complete analysis of a food item. Sensory evaluation is very much required for newly developed products. Sensory analysis would check whether a newly developed product is unique or comparable to another product of same range. Some products may be complete imitations of another product which is already established. Some may

ERP Story Write Up Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ERP Story Write Up - Case Study Example ementation of the ABC software package but business processre-engineering.ABS is looking forward to merge its three entities; shell out old ways of doing business and adopt best practices in order to push growth of the company.ABC software package is only a helping tool in this process. In my opinion two things need to be done immediately – the first is that ownership of the project should be taken by business; IT person should only help as finally the business will not be done by IT persons. (Bernard Grabot) The project manager can be a person from the technical side but ownership of the project should not be with him, he should be seen as doing something which the top management wants. The news of the implementation and the final authority should be with a person who is well respected within the three firms and has a lot of functional knowledge about business practices of the three companies. IT knowledge is secondary in such business reengineering projects; even consultants can provide that. Lastly the project implementation team should be comprised of both IT persons as well as functional people from the three companies. This will ensure a proper implementation. (Bernard Grabot) Finally the presentation should contain success stories – various companies in which the consultants implemented ERP and how they turned around their business. Most of these stories should be from insurance firms as well as service sector firms. In order to choose the best project manager from the list which has been provided we will use the following grading rubric for the three prospects - functional knowledge, ABC implementation knowledge and experience; Project management experience; Change management experience (managing changes caused due to ERP implementation); experience of various technical systems (Bill Holtsnider) (needed in order to understand which legacy systems need to be preserved.)On the basis of the above points we will analyze the three candidates – By

Changes in Gender Inequality in Canada in Sports Essay Example for Free

Changes in Gender Inequality in Canada in Sports Essay Society expects males and females to fulfill specific gender roles – â€Å"attitudes and activities that society links to each sex†. Males are expected to be ambitious, strong, independent and competitive, which â€Å"encourages males to seek out positions of leadership and play team sports†. And females are expected to be deferential, emotional, attractive, quiet and obedient, â€Å"supportive helpers and quick to show their feelings† (Macionis and Gerber, 2011:300). These traditional stereotypes have been challenged and confronted by many women and feminists, and in this paper we are going to look specifically in sports and physical activities. My thesis statement will be that gender inequality has been decreasing over the last 100 years. Women were slowly starting to participate in all sports which were considered to be masculine, and were only available for men to enjoy. One of the first factors which could be linked to the emancipation of women in sport in late 1800 – early 1900s is the safety bicycle. It not only caused a revolution in women’s fashions: women’s sportswear was finally being designed to accommodate more vigorous activity, but â€Å"was also a â€Å"vehicle† through which women broke with traditions and asserted their independence† (Hall and Richardson, 1982: 32-33). Slowly more organizations, sports clubs and tournaments were opening up for women. In the early 1900s, women started to participate in most forms of sport, but were still prohibited from activities there body contact was possible. Period after the World War I and throughout the 1920s was really exciting for sportswomen in Canada and their fans. â€Å"This often called the â€Å"golden age† of women’s sports, it was time when popular team sports like basketball, ice hockey, and softball became sufficiently organized to hold provincial and Dominion championships; when the best athletes, especially in track in field, began to complete internationally and eventually at the Olympic Games; and when women leaders and administrators took control of women’s sports, claiming they knew what was the best for girls and women, although the advice of the man was still needed† (Hall, 2002: 42). In the 1928 Canadian women have joined Olympics in Amsterdam for the first time for the track and field competition. In the mid 1930s â€Å"depression tightened its grip on Canada and the were signs that the Golden Age was over. Reactionary attitudes towards athletic competition for females was taking hold; commercialized professional sport for men was on the rise, meaning that men’s sports were given priority of access to public facilities. Spectators were drawn away from the women’s games to the exclusively male professional sports like ice hockey, football, baseball; it became increasingly difficult to find sponsors for women’s amateur sport† (Hall and Richardson, 1982: 36). World War II took its toll on both men’s and women’s sports. Although many of leagues continued to exist, nobody took athletics seriously. Olympic Games did not start again till 1948. † Post war conservatism has been described by Betty Friedan: women should desire â€Å"no great destiny than to glory in their own femininity†. Careers or commitments outside of their home were unnecessary for their personal fulfillment and undesirable for the satisfactory performance of the housewife role† (Lenskyj, 1986: 83) For the duration of war women were occupying men’s jobs and were laid off as soon as men returned home to resume the rightful place. It was still alright for women to participate in â€Å"beauty producing† sports like figure skating, synchronized swimming, or gymnastics and as long as they looked pretty and feminine on the tennis, badminton courts, golf courses, and ski hills, they were not criticized. But women athletes which were â€Å"sweating on the basketball courts, softball pitches, ice hockey rinks, and the cinder tracks were suspect, their femininity continually questioned† (Hall, 2002: 109). Participation in school, university and community sporting programs however, was hardly likely to pose a threat to femininity. Basketball continued for the most part to be played by girl’s rules. Softball, an already simplified version of baseball, was in some cases was modified further for girls and women. In the 1960s not only women’s femininity was being questions but also their sexuality. In the 1966 the first official â€Å"sex tests† were introduced, with three gynecologists visual examination to confirm that athletes genital sex was, in fact female. â€Å"The introduction of sex tests coincided with significant advances for women in terms of their participation at the Olympic Games, with number of them increasing dramatically throughout the 1960s and 1970s.† For example at the summer Olympics, the 800 meter running was reintroduced in the 1960s. Women’s volleyball, the first team event for women was introduced in1964, along with pentathlon and 400 meter individual medley, swimming event. The 1968 Olympics in Mexico City six more swimming events were introduced and in the 1972 at Munich, the 1500 – meter run, 4400 meter track relay, and kayak slalom were introduced. So the number of women on Canada’s Olympic team has increased from 11.30 to 22.6 per cent for the Summer Olympic between 1960 and 1972, and from 21.4 to 38.3 per cent for the Winter Olympic Games during the same period. Sex testing at the Olympics originally was called â€Å"femininity control† and was trying to determine who was genetically female, because prior to that where has been a lot of men who were trying to pose as women, which was only found out after the fact and also women athletes were becoming more â€Å"masculine†, therefore it had to be proved that they were actually females (Hall, 2002: 153 -159).The sex testing did not stop until the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano. By the mid-1970 all across Canada parents started noticing that their daughters were not being treated the same way as their sons when it came to recreational and sporting opportunities by the late 1970s there has been a lot of sports related complaints of sex discrimination. The majority of these cases were involving young girls who wished to play on all male sports teams. The main value of these human rights cases was to bring public interest, concern and â€Å"pressure to bear on eliminating unequal, sex discriminatory sport and recreation programs† (Hall, 2002: 163) In March 1981 Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport(CAAWS) was established. It started providing women athletes with funding and support. And finally â€Å"in 1982 women were granted equal protection and equal benefit of the law in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms† (Macionis and Gerber, 2011: 305). Beginning of the 1990s in the most areas of organizational life including sports, has been a subtle shift from â€Å"equality† to â€Å"equity†. â€Å"Gender equity is the principle and practice of fair and equitable allocation of resources and opportunities for both females and males. This eliminates discriminatory practices that prevent the full participation of either gender† (Larkin and Baxter, 1993: 4) In the past decade Canadian women are participating almost in all sports on competitive levels. â€Å" In 1998, in Nagano, Japan, women’s hockey was an official Olympic sport for the first time, and world of Canadian women’s hockey changed forever. The game that originated in Canada had become part of our collective identity, continues to be our most popular sport and it is now played by women – legitimately!† (Macionis and Gerber, 2011:320) Canadian women Hockey team has won Olympic gold medal 3 times in a row: 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, 2006 Olympics in Turin, and 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Their achievements have been absolutely amazing. They have showed that they force to be reckoned with. They actually have done better than Canadian male Olympic team. In this 2012 Olympics Games in London, England for the first time women’s boxing is going to be introduced. And there has been controversy of women should wear shorts or skirts. The Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) requested that female boxers wear skirts so that would make them more elegant – on the trial basis – at the European Championships and for permanent use in the Olympics. One of Canadian boxers Elizabeth Plank, told Teddy Katz of CBC radio sports news this January: â€Å"Forcing women to wear skirts, I think, it’s sexism†. Eventually AIBA have decided to have optional for female athletes to decide if they want to wear skirts or shorts. (CBC Sports) As we are able to see gender stereotypes and discrimination in sports still exists. Women still do not get as much Media coverage as men do. They are still making smaller salaries than their male counterparts. Women athletes still have to look beautiful and attractive or they might be stereotyped as being lesbian, butch or masculine, if there are not. What about the future? It seems that future for Canadian women athletes seems bright. There are much more opportunities that are coming up for women in sports, for example in the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014, Russia the addition of women’s ski jumping has been approved. Women are going to keep fighting for the equal rights to participate in sports events without being criticized to be unfeminine. Daniels (2009) argues that femininity –masculinity divide still prevents women athletes to be taken seriously in their sports. And the best would be to embrace the polygendered way of being, which emphasizes the similarities between women and men, and that way female athletes will be given the chance to achieve their full sporting potential and be judged for performance, rather than their appearance. References 1. Baxter, Betty and Larkin, Jackie.1993. Towards Gender Equity for Women in Sport. ON: CAAWS. 2. CBC Sports, Feb 19, 2002 (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2012/02/19/sp-aiba-boxing-skirts.html) 3. Daniels, Dayna B. 2009. Polygendered and Ponytailed. Toronto: Women’s Press. 4. Hall, Ann M. 2002. The Girl and the Game†. ON: Broadview Press Ltd. 5. Hall, Ann M and Richardson, Dorothy A. 1982. Fair Ball. Ottawa: The Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women. 6. Lenskyj, Helen.1986. Women, Sport and Sexuality. Toronto: Women’s Press. 7. Macionis, John J and Gerber, Linda, M. 2011. Sociology.7th ed. Toronto: Pearson Canada Inc.

Impact of Aristotle on Education

Impact of Aristotle on Education Aristotle Education and Plato Through the life of Aristotle, one would wonder how a mere thought of philosophy could impact the way education is practiced today as we know it. Aristotles way of life reflected the way he thought and what he wrote for people to view and educate upon today. He has many philosophies that are brought right into the classroom today without anyone knowing they are. His philosophies are truly remarkable. When a person creates something or teaches something, the philosophies brought in the classroom become so innate that people who use it dont even know it exists. Realism is an educational philosophy, which stresses knowledge that develops from ones own senses. Under this philosophy the idea exists that there is a real world not constructed by human minds, that can be known by ones own mind. It is through experiencing the world around everyone in which one learns the guiding principles and social conduct of life. Reality is what one experiences in the physical world. Therefore, everything one can learn and know comes from experiencing the world around us. Aristotle is considered by most to be one of the greatest pagan philosophers. He was born in a Grecian colony at Stagira, 384 B.C.E. At birth he was born into a set life. His father, Nicomachus, had a position under the King Amyntas of Macedonia as court physician. Therefore, this could relate to how his education started off. It was thought that his ancestors held the same position under the King because this way the area of court physician could become hereditary. As physician, Aristotle was taught in the area of medicines and was also trained for the position of court physician. It was here that he was clearly educated with a developing mind to entertain the many questions that arose in his head and the direction he would take to answer them. It is also clear that with each time Aristotle traveled from one place to another, it had some sort of impact on him: his thinking, his writings, and the way that philosophy is viewed today. With each place he traveled to, he was able to gain, share, teach, and experience the knowledge of philosophy. It was from when he was eighteen till he was about thirty-seven that he studied under the guidance of Plato as his pupil in Athens. He was held as a distinguished student among the group that studied with him in the Grove of Academus. The only problem that seemed to arise in his years of study was his relation with his teacher. Now these instances are not clear but it is known that both Aristotle and Plato had each their own ideas about certain views and philosophies. Therefore, it is only nature for them to bump heads a little in arguments over whether either side was justifiable with their ideas, beliefs, and/or views. There was still no reason to believe that the two did not have any form a friendship, since they both had such high views toward life. Legend reflected poorly and unfavorably upon Aristotle but legend has not been viewed that way as it is today. But it was shown even after Platos death in 347 B.C.E. that Aristotle still held Plato in high respects. He never gave any lack of cordial appreciation to him, when all people expected him to do once he died. The death of someone important in his life probably also affected the way he thought about certain ideas. After his teachers death, Aristotle went to Atarneus in Asia Minor where he met with the ruler, Hermias. There he would be married to Hermias adopted daughter Pythias. This may not seem relevant to how it influenced realism in education, but if one were to think about it, how can marriage not change the way someone thinks in some sort of way? A few years passed, Hermias was murdered due to rebellion and King Philip II of Macedon called upon Aristotle to return to Stagira. It was here that he would become the tutor of Alexander the Great, who was only thirteen years old. This had a great impact on history, as people know it. Aristotle taught him the knowledge of ethics and politics, as well as many secrets of philosophy in which many people probably would have trouble comprehending. Alexander the Great profited from the knowledge passed on from Aristotle along with Aristotle influencing the mind of the young prince to his benefit, and that is how history was affected by this contact between these two people. Once Alexander took the throne, Aristotle returned to Athens and there opened a school of philosophy. Later he followed in the footsteps of his teacher, Plato. He formed a school, Lyceum, in a gymnasium, where he gave regular instruction in philosophy. It was here that for thirteen years (335-322B.C.E.) as a teacher at the Lyceum, he came up with the greater number of his writings. He came up with dialogues, which were writings that Aristotle frequently wrote that are still read today and were then by his pupils. When teaching at the Lyceum, Aristotle had a habit of walking about as he taught. It was in connection with this that his followers became known in later years as the peripatetics, meaning, to walk about. Besides, he composed the several treatises on physics, metaphysics, and so forth, in which the exposition is a language more technical than in the dialogues. These writings show how much of a great influence they have, such as the way they impacted Alexander whom later became known as Alexander the Great. They show in particular how he succeeded in bringing together the works of his predecessors in Greek philosophy, and how he spared neither pains nor expense in pursuing, either personally or through others, his investigations in the realm of natural Phenomena. When Alexanders death became known at Athens, and the outbreak occurred which led to the Lamian war; Aristotle was obliged to share in the general unpopularity of the Macedonians. The charge of impiety, which had been brought against Anaxagoras and Socrates, was now, with even less reason, brought against him. He left the city, saying (according to many ancient authorities) that he would not give the Athenians a chance to sin a third time against Philosophy. He took up his residence at his country house, at Chalcis, in Euboea, and there he died the following year, 322B.C.E. His death was due to a disease from which he had long suffered. The story that his death was due to hemlock poisoning, as well as the legend, saying they he threw himself into the sea are absolutely without historical foundation. There are numerous ways that the theories, philosophies, ethics, writings, and styles of teaching of Aristotle have influenced education today and most likely will continue to in the future. Aristotle believed strongly in the importance of an education that studies the real world and then draws conclusions and gains knowledge through analytical exercises. With practically everything that is done today and taught today, there is some relevant relation to that of Aristotle and his beliefs. Through some of Aristotles books of Politics, one is able to see how education could be influenced and affected by what Aristotle says in his writings. Aristotles ethical theory is expressed through many aspects. Aristotle tends to express his feeling towards virtue in a way where it can go two ways. He talks of how virtue is divided into moral and intellectual virtue. Excellence of character deals with the good life and happiness. People are concerned with their character and getting the golden mean, which is true happiness, in life. One whom educates would be affected by this golden mean because they must learn to stray away from this aspect. They have to learn to educate for the sole purpose of those who are being taught to thrive as to what they are being taught. In a way, all these are interrelated with each other. Aristotle also explains the relation between ethics and politics, which leads to the implication for nature of morality and well living. Virtue, to Aristotle, is interpreted as the excellence of an object and that the object will perform its function effectively. This goes for people as well. For example a virtuous educator will successfully teach their students information they need to comprehend in order to go forward with their education. Aristotle divides human virtue into two types. One is moral virtue and the other is intellectual virtue. Although, it is hard to give an exact definition of each type, one would hope that an educator of today would lean toward the more moral virtuous side. Virtue is also a state of character that is concerned with choice with the golden mean. This leads to discussing the mean according to Aristotle. People who are morally virtuous are always making their decisions according to the golden mean. Of course not everyone is the same, different people have different means. This brings about the point that the good life is a life of happiness. Aristotle says such a life can be achieved by excellence in the two areas of virtue, but people are all aiming at some type of good in life. Some just may have higher expectations in their goal. People with virtual excellence want to have the good life that, according to them, is the excellence of character. The good life is referred to as being happy with life. Happiness must have two concepts included to fit Aristotles definition. Someone must exercise his or her thought of reason. He calls this activity of soul. Happiness also must have quality in the performance of the virtue, and it is the chief goal that everyone wishes to accomplish. Aristotle argued that the goal of human beings is happiness, and that we achieve happiness when we fulfill our function, or purpose of life. Therefore, it is necessary to determine what our function is. The function of a thing is what it can alone do, or what it can do best. This here is a key point in which an educator must understand. This key point of understanding is one of the most influential things Aristotle elaborates upon in my opinion. When he implies that the function is what one can do best, he implies that if someone is best at teaching, than they are to teach as their purpose in life. As a result of this function, they would than achieve happiness, but only if they were to do it in a virtuous way would they achieve happiness. Happiness is something that must be aligned with perfect virtue. This also goes along with the excellence of character. If someone is to have excellence of character he or she want or try to be happy and have the good life. If they achieve this then they will have the excellence of character. Some of these aspects are interrelated with each other. For instance, happiness is an activity of the soul that is along side of perfect virtue. Aristotle al so says that virtue must be a state of character because of a persons desire to act in a way that would ensure that golden mean. Virtue, excellence, the mean, the good life, happiness, and character are all interrelated within each other to be happy with life and achieve the golden mean. With all of this intertwined, the influence placed upon education, as a whole, is how an educator actually teaches. One may not realize it, but just think about what Aristotle shows through his views. Dont people go to school to learn morals, virtues, build character, find what they wish to do with their life, what they find to be enjoyable in life, etc. Every single thing an educator does to a student, as a whole, is based upon Aristotle ethics and politics with happiness. Another aspect in which Aristotle influenced education today is his views on realism. According to a realists point of view, the purpose of education would be to learn behavior in our society and guidelines to live our lives by. Throughout its long varied history, realism has had a common theme, which is called the principle or thesis of independence. This theme holds that reality, knowledge, and value exists independently of the human mind. This means that realism rejects the idealist view that only ideas are real. Matter exists even though there is no mind to perceive them, such as the classic question about the tree falling in the woods. To the realist, matter is certainly an independent reality, however, the realist also considers ideas to be part of the thesis. The role of the educator would be more of a guide or advisor to the students rather than an actual teacher. The whole idea of a realist is to learn by experience, so the students need a guide than a teacher so they can encounter it for themselves. Doing this, the students can determine what kind of knowledge they are inquiring, and how they can apply it to their lives. Therefore, an educators responsibility would be to teach students to learn from the world around them, not just out of books and from history. While performing this role, the educator needs to present the subject in a exceedingly organized and precise manner. While the educators are explaining how to learn from the real world, they might use many different kinds of methods from outside the classroom, such as field trips. This would let the students practice this knowledge themselves without have an adult stand up in front of a class and lecture about it. A realist would also present their material in a systematic and organized way and would also teach that these are clearly defined criteria for making judgments in art, economics, politics, etc. The children need to learn through trial and error, and experiencing joy and pain from naturally occurring experiences in their lives. Realists also like to examine physical characteristics of an object. They like to know the base of the subject and debate over its physical characteristics, rather than debate whether it exists or not. Many realists do like structure in their view of education. A realist educator needs to use lectures, demonstrations, sensory experiences, and teaching machines during their class. They usually approve of competencies, performance based teaching, and accountability. With this idea of using field experience instead of classroom lectures brings many controversial issues. A weakness in realism is that the curriculum for the class must be one that is rich in ideas for the conceptions to be tested. An educator must also be able to classify and categorize characteristics with similarities and differences. Others also say that the curriculum has to be organized in separate subjects in order to create an efficient and effective way of learning about our real world. Realism also fails to deal with social change quite frequently, being that no one knows what will be tomorrow, so therefore it is more of a teaching based upon the present and past. Being more in the outside world than in the classroom would make a student more universally aware, and maybe have more common sense, but not as truer book smarts. This question raises another idea of which student would be more effective, one who spends all their time in the classroom, or one who is working out in the work field? Should we even be going to school, or should we all just study all that is around us to be more educated. This is a question, which may never be answered, but according to a realist, the answer lies in the real world. For in the real world you can learn anything, more than you ever could in a classroom. In discussing Aristotles ethical theory, I found that he saw virtue as the excellence of an object and that the object will perform its function effectively. He also talked of the two types that people are classified into. Morally virtuous people base their life on finding the golden mean. Aristotle argues how the good life is a life of happiness and that everyone is aiming for that. Happiness, explained by Aristotle, is the chief good desirable to everyone. Excellence of character is achieved when someone has taken part in the good life and is truly happy. It was shown how all of these aspects are interrelated with each other in the sense that they all need each other to discuss a theory. Also, his realist point of view ties in to what the real world experience has to offer. Yes, ethics should be taught in class, but the outside world can not be ignored. Realism is a fundamental aspect to teaching and to a students life whether able to be noticed or not. Aristotle talked of many thi ngs that people have and will continue to discuss for years to come. Work Cited Aristotle (384-322 BCE): General Introduction. 2006. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. May 1st 2007 . Aristotle 384 BC 322 BC. February 1999. JOC/EFR. May 1st 2007 Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.). 1994-2007. Regents of the University of California. May 1st 2007 Ross, David. Aristotle. New York: Routledge, 1996. Lear, Johnathan. Aristotle: the desire to understand. The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambrige, United Kingdom: The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1999.

The Outsiders :: essays research papers

The Outsiders Book Review The Outsiders was written by Susan Eloise Hinton. It is one of her most popular books about foolish gang rivalry existing between the Socs, the rich kids from the west side of town, and the Greasers, the poor kids from the east side. Ponyboy Curtis struggles growing up as a poor youth with his two brothers. One night while he is out with Johnny, Ponyboy is attacked by the Socs. Johnny ends up killing one of the Socs. They both flee from the scene before the news gets out. They are caught in a fire and Johnny and Ponyboy become heroes for saving some children. The story has a tragic end for Johnny but Ponyboy realises that he is fortunate, having family and friends that love him The main character in this book is a 14 year old boy named Ponyboy. He lives with his two older brothers, Darry and Sodapop, ever since his parents passed away. He and his brothers belong to a gang called the Greasers, who are from the wrong side of the railroad tracks. They all have long and "tuff" hair; their trademark is the amounts of oil that they put in their hair. They hate the Socs. The Socs have everything, they have great girls, great cars and they think they are superior so they always pick on the Greasers. The most interesting event was when Johnny and Ponyboy were trying to save the little children from the fire. There was a lot of action and showed the courage in the boys. This event marks what a true hero Johnny and Ponyboy are. The main themes are that you shouldn’t judge people by their appearances. Just because you are rich and belong to a tough gang does not mean you are cruel like the other gang members. You shouldn’t carry any harmful weapons and should not escape from the police.

FOREIGN TRADE POLICY AND THE IMPACT ON AGGREGATE EXPENDITURES AND EQUILIBRIUM :: essays research papers

FOREIGN TRADE POLICY AND THE IMPACT ON AGGREGATE EXPENDITURES AND EQUILIBRIUM There are two types of aggregate expenditures: Autonomous and Induced Autonomous expenditures are not influenced by real GDP. Induced expenditures are influenced by real GDP. Actual aggregate expenditure is always equal to real GDP. Equilibrium expenditure is the level of planned aggregate expenditure that equals real GDP. Net export expenditure reflects the international linkages based directly on service and merchandise flows across borders, and indirectly reflects capital flows into and out of a particular country. U.S. foreign trade and global economic policies have changed dramatically during the past two centuries. Since the Great Depression and World War II, the country has sought to reduce trade barriers. U.S. trade deficits have grown larger since the 1980's and 1990's as the American appetite for foreign goods has outstripped demand for American goods in other countries. The United States has not always been an advocate of free trade. At times throughout history, the country has had a strong impulse toward economic protectionism by using tariffs to limit imports of foreign goods in order to protect American industry. A big factor leading to the U.S. trade deficit was a sharp rise in the value of the dollar in the early to mid 1980's. This made U.S. exports more expensive and foreign imports into the United States cheaper. The dollar appreciated because of the recovery from the global recession of 1981-82, and in huge U.S. federal budget deficits which created a significant demand in the United States for foreign capital. That, in turn, drove up interest rates, and led to the rise of the dollar. Exports are determined by international prices, trade agreements, and the real GDP of foreign countries. All things being equal: the higher foreign prices, the more liberal trade agreements and the higher the real GDP of foreign countries, the higher the exports become. Exports are autonomous of real GDP. Imports are determined by international prices, trade agreements, and the real domestic GDP. All things being equal: the lower foreign prices, the more liberal trade agreements and the higher domestic real GDP, the higher the imports become. According to a recent article in Washington (Reuters), dated November 13, 2004, written by Jonathan Nicholson, â€Å"a tax aimed at boosting savings, holds promise.† This is in response to President Bush and one of his ideas to get the economy moving again. Bush is currently proposing to reform the tax code.

Teaching in America Essay -- Education Educating Essays

Teaching in America ABSTRACT: The term "teaching" is usually used in the Academy without a clear sense of what is meant, resulting in imprecise and ineffective teaching. The standard lines-that teaching is a matter of applying approved methods, that teaching is mostly a matter of teaching skills-as-means to some career or whatever-are reflective of failure in the Academy, measured in its "defect rate" of around 30 percent. The definition of teaching I sketch-skills adopted from a theoretical foundation, in turn based on a critique-is well founded in the scholarly tradition. Such a definition is, however, challenging to an Academy at the end of an ancien rà ©gime. It has been apparent for a couple decades that something is wrong with the way we teach in this country. Most of the attention is focused on "the grades", but higher education is no longer exempt from criticism. The most alarming reports are quite consistent: Between 27 percent and 35 percent of students entering the college and university system do not complete the program they enter. (1) That so many students should be admitted, then lost along the way, is an unacceptable "defect rate". General Interest There is a vast literary corpus on the subject of what is wrong with the teaching system. It ranges from alarming reports in the popular press to practical and anecdotal accounts, to what passes for scholarly reportage of research backed by significant public and private grants. The popular press is, per def., popular; it favors the tangible ("readin', writin' 'n' 'rithmetic"). Scholarly reportage is contradictory, e. g.: One report, in a teachers'-union publication, tells us that two-year-college students entering upper-division study are more likel... ...er published a very insightful essay on the irrelevance of current economic theory and the economists who produce it. The picture is complex, but the gist of it is, modern school-economics is so caught up in fanciful application of ever-more-recondite skills, that all sense of the larger world supposedly being modeled is lost. It turns out that Keynes and his successors were the last of that ilk to have their feet firmly planted in reality - as well as being generally better applied-mathematicians. As I read this essay, it seemed to me much the same could be said for the exponents of quantitative political science, quantitative sociology and so on: These folks owned their fields in the 1970s and 1980s; today they are little heard from, and what they present as "science" - as, e. g., in The Bell Curve of a couple years back - is rightly laughed at as sheer silliness.

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 3

God, it stank. RashelJordan had seen a lot of vampire lairs in her seventeen years, but this was probably the most disgusting. She held her breath as she stirred the nest of tattered cloth with the toe of one boot. She could read the story of this collection of garbage as easily as if the inhabitant had written out a full confession, signed it, and posted it on the wall. One vampire. A rogue, an outcast who lived on the fringe of both the human world and the Night World. He probably moved to anew city every few weeks to avoid getting caught. And he undoubtedly looked like any other homeless guy, except that none of the human homeless would be hanging around aBoston dock on a Tuesday night in early March. He brings his victims here, Rashel thought. The pier's deserted, it's private, he can take his time with them. And of course he can't resist keeping a few trophies. Her foot stirred them gently. A pink-and-blue knit baby jacket, a plaid sash from a school uniform, a Spiderman tennis shoe. All bloodstained. All very small. There had been a rash of missing children lately. TheBoston police would never discover where they had gone-but now Rashel knew. She felt her lips draw back slightly from her teeth in something that wasn't really a smile. She was aware of everything around her: the soft plash of water against the wooden pier, the rank coppery smell that was almost a taste, the darkness of a night lit only by a half moon. Even the light moisture of the cold breeze against her skin. She was aware of all of it without being preoccupied with any of it-and when the tiny scratch sounded behind her, she moved as smoothly and gracefully as if she were taking her turn in a dance. She pivoted on her left foot, drawing her bokken in the same motion, and without a break in the movement, she stabbed straight to the vampire's chest. She drove the blow from her hips, exhaling in a hiss as she did it, putting all her strength behind it. â€Å"Gotta be faster than that,† she said. The vampire, skewered like a hot dog, waved his arms and gibbered. He was dressed in filthy clothing and his hair was a bushy tangle. His eyes were wide, full of surprise and hatred, shining as silver as an animal's in the faint light. His teeth weren't so much fangs as tusks: fully extended, they reached almost to his chin. â€Å"I know,† Rashel said. â€Å"You really, really wanted to kill me. Life's tough, isn't it?† The vampire snarled one more time and then the silver went out of his eyes, leaving only the look of astonishment. His body stiffened and slumped backward. It lay still on the ground. Grimacing, Rashel pulled her wooden sword out of the chest. She started to wipe the blade on the vampire's pants, then hesitated, peering at them more closely. Yes, those were definitely little crawly things. And the blankets were just as repulsive. Oh, well. Use your own jeans. It won't be the first time. She carefully wiped the bokken clean. It was two and a half feet long and just slightly, gracefully curved, with a narrow, sharp, angled tip. Designed to penetrate a body as efficiently as possible-if that body was susceptible to wood. The sword slipped back into its sheath with a papery whisper. Then Rashel glanced at the body again. Mr. Vampire was already going mummified. His skin was now yellow and tough; his staring eyes were dried up, his lips shrunken, his tusks collapsed. Rashel bent over him, reaching into her back pocket. What she pulled out looked like the snapped-off end of a bamboo backscratcher-which was exactly what it was. She'd had it for years. Very precisely, Rashel drew the five lacquered fingers of the scratcher down the vampire's forehead. On the yellow skin five brown marks appeared, like the marks of a cat's claws. Vampire skin was easy to mark tight after death. â€Å"This kitten has claws,† she murmured. It was a ritual sentence; she'd repeated it ever since the night she'd killed her first vampire at the age of twelve. In memory of her mother, who'd always called her kitten. In memory of herself at age five, and all the innocence she'd lost. She'd never be a helpless kitten again. Besides, it was a little joke. Vampires†¦ bats. Herself†¦ a cat. Anybody who'd grown up with Batman and Catwoman would get it. Well. All done. Whistling softly, she rolled the body over and over with her foot to the end of the pier. She didn't feel like carting the mummy all the way out to the fens, the salt marshes where bodies were traditionally left inBoston . With a mental apology to everybody who was trying to clean up the harbor, she gave the corpse a final push and listened for the splash. She was still whistling as she emerged from the pier onto the street. Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go— She was in a very good mood. The only disappointment was the constant one, that it hadn't been the vampire, the one she'd been looking for ever since she'd been five years old. It had been a rogue, all right-a depraved monster who killed human kids foolishly close to human habitations. But it hadn't been the rogue. Rashel would never forget his face. And she knew that someday she would see it again. Meanwhile, there was nothing to do but shish-kebab as many of the parasites as possible. She scanned the streets as she walked, alert for any sign of Night People. All she saw were quiet brick buildings and streetlights shining pale gold. And that was a shame, because she was in terrific form tonight; she could feel it. She was every bloodsucking leech's worst enemy. She could stake six of them before breakfast and still be fresh for chemistry first period at Wassaguscus High. Rashel stopped suddenly, absent-mindedly melting into a shadow as a police car cruised silently down the cross-street ahead. I know, she thought. I'll go see what the Lancers are up to. If anybody knows where vampires are, they do. She headed for the North End. Half an hour later she was standing in front of a brownstone apartment building, ringing the buzzer. â€Å"Who's there?† Instead of answering, Rashel said, â€Å"The night has a thousand eyes.† â€Å"And the day only one,† came the reply from the intercom. â€Å"Hey there, girl. Come on up.† Inside, Rashel climbed a dark and narrow stairway to a scarred wooden door. There was a peephole in the door. Rashel faced it squarely, then pulled off the scarf she'd been wearing. It was black, silky, and very long. She wore it wrapped around her head and face like a veil, so that only her eyes showed, and even they were in shadow. She shook out her hair, knowing what the person on the other side could see. A tall girl dressed like a ninja, all hi black, with black hair falling loose around her shoulders and green eyes blazing. She hadn't changed much since she was five, except in height. Right now she made a barbaric face at the peephole and heard the sound of laughter behind the door as bolts were drawn. She waited until the door was shut behind her again before she said, â€Å"Hi, Elliot.† Elliot was a few years older than she was, and thin, with intense eyes and little shiny glasses that were always slipping off his nose. Some people would have dismissed him as a geek. But Rashel had once seen him stand up to two werewolves while she got a human girl out a window, and she knew that he had practically single-handedly started the Lancers-one of the most successful organizations of vampire hunters on the east coast. â€Å"What's up, Rashel? It's been a while.† â€Å"I've been busy. But now I'm bored. I came to see if you guys had anything going.† As Rashel spoke, she was looking at the other people in the room. A brown-haired girl was kneeling, loading objects from boxes into a dark green backpack. Another girl and a boy were sitting on the couch. Rashel recognized the boy from other Lancers meetings, but neither of the girls were familiar. â€Å"Lucky you,† Elliot said. â€Å"This is Vicky, my new second-in-command.† He nodded at the girl on the floor. â€Å"She just moved toBoston ; she was the leader of a group on the south shore. And tonight she's taking a little expedition out to some warehouses in Mission Hill. We got a lead that there's been some activity out there.† â€Å"What kind of activity? Leeches, puppies?† Elliot shrugged. â€Å"Vampires definitely. Werewolves maybe. There's been a rumor about teenage girls getting kidnapped and stashed somewhere around there. The problem is we don't know exactly where, or why.† He tilted his head, his eyes twinkling. â€Å"You want to go?† â€Å"Isn't anybody going to ask me?† Vicky said, straightening up from her backpack. Her pale blue eyes were fixed on Rashel. â€Å"I've never even seen this girl before. She could be one of them.† Elliot pushed his glasses higher on his nose. He looked amused. â€Å"You wouldn't say that if you knew, Vicky. Rashel's the best.† â€Å"At what?† â€Å"At everything. When you were going to your fancy prep school, she was out in theChicago slums staking vampires. She's been inL.A. ,New York ,New Orleans†¦ even Vegas. She's wiped out more parasites than the rest of us put together.† Elliot glanced mischievously at Rashel, then leaned toward Vicki. â€Å"Ever heard of the Cat?† he said. Vicki's head snapped up. She stared at Rashel. â€Å"The Cat? The one all the Night People are afraid of? The one they're offering a reward for? The one who leaves a mark-â€Å" Rashel shot Elliot a warning look. â€Å"Never mind,† she said. She wasn't sure she trusted these new people. Vicky was right about one thing: you couldn't be too careful. And she didn't like Vicky much, but she could hardly turn down such a good opportunity for vampire hunting. Not tonight, when she was in such terrific form. â€Å"I'll go with you-if you'll have me,† she said. Vicky's pale blue eyes bored into Rashel's a moment, then she nodded. â€Å"Just remember I'm in charge.† â€Å"Sure,† Rashel murmured. She could see Elliot's grin out of the corner of her eye. â€Å"You know Steve, and that's Nyala.† Elliot indicated the boy and girl on the couch. Steve had blond hair, muscular shoulders, and a steady expression; Nyala had skin like cocoa and a faraway look in her eyes, as if she were sleepwalking. â€Å"Nyala's new. She just lost her sister a month ago,† Elliot added in a gentle voice. He didn't need to say how the sister had been lost. Rashel nodded at the girl. She sympathized. There was nothing quite like the shock of first discovering the Night World, when you realized that things like vampires and witches and werewolves were real, and that they were everywhere, joined in one giant secret organization. That anybody could be one, and you'd never know until it was too late. â€Å"Everybody ready? Then let's go,† Vicky said, and Steve and Nyala got up. Elliot showed them to the door. â€Å"Good luck,† he said. Outside, Vicky led the way to a dark blue car with mud strategically caked on the license plates. â€Å"We'll drive to the warehouse area,† she said. Rashel was relieved. She was used to walking the city streets at night without being seen-important when you were carrying a rather unconcealable sword-but she wasn't sure that these other three could manage. It took practice. The drive was silent except for the murmur of Steve's voice occasionally helping Vicky with directions. They passed through respectable neighborhoods and venerable areas with handsome old buildings until they got to a street where everything changed suddenly. All at once, as if they had crossed some invisible dividing line, the gutters were full of soggy trash and the fences were topped with razor wire. The buildings were government housing projects, dark warehouses, or rowdy bars. Vicky pulled into a parking lot and stopped the car away from the security lights. Then she led them through the knee-high dead weeds of a vacant lot to a street that was poorly lighted and utterly silent. â€Å"This is the observation post,† Vicky whispered, as they reached a squat brick building, a part of the housing project that had been abandoned. Following her, they zigzagged through debris and scrap metal to get to a side door, and then they climbed a dark staircase covered with graffiti to the third floor. Their flashlights provided the only illumination. â€Å"Nice place,† Nyala whispered, looking around. She had obviously never seen anything like it before. â€Å"Don't you think-there may be other people here besides vampires?† Steve gave her a reassuring pat. â€Å"No, it's okay.† â€Å"Yeah, it looks like even the junkies have abandoned it,† Rashel said, grimly amused. â€Å"You can see the whole street from the window,† Vicky put in shortly. â€Å"Elliot and I were here yesterday watching those warehouses across the street. And last night we saw a guy at the end of the street who looked a lot like a vampire. You know the signs.† Nyala opened her mouth as if to say she didn't know the signs, but Rashel was already speaking. â€Å"Did you test him?† â€Å"We didn't want to get that close. We'll do it tonight if he shows up again.† â€Å"How do you test them?† Nyala asked. Vicky didn't answer. She and Steve had pushed aside a couple of rat-chewed mattresses and were unloading the bags and backpacks they'd brought. Rashel said, â€Å"One way is to shine a flashlight in their eyes. Usually you get eye-shine back-like an animal's.† â€Å"There are other ways, too,† Vicky said, setting the things she was unloading on the bare boards of the floor. There were ski masks, knives made of both metal and wood, a number of stakes of various sizes, and a mallet. Steve added two clubs made of white oak to the pile. â€Å"Wood hurts them more than metal,† Vicky said to Nyala. â€Å"If you cut them with a steel knife they heal right before your eyes-but cut them with wood and they keep bleeding.† Rashel didn't quite like the way she said it. And she didn't like the last thing Vicky was pulling out of her backpack. It was a wooden device that looked a bit like a miniature stock. Two hinged blocks of wood that fit snugly around a person's wrists and closed with a lock. â€Å"Vampire handcuffs,† Vicky said proudly, seeing her look. â€Å"Made of white oak. Guaranteed to hold any parasite. I brought them from down south.† â€Å"But hold them for what? And what do you need all those little knives and stakes for? It would take hours to kill a vampire with those.† Vicky smiled fiercely. â€Å"I know.† Oh. Rashel's heart seemed to thump and then sink, and she looked away to control her reaction. She understood what Vicky had in mind now. Torture. â€Å"A quick death's too good for them,† Vicky said, still smiling. â€Å"They deserve to suffer-the way they make our people suffer. Besides, we might get some information. We need to know where they're keeping the girls they kidnap, and what they're doing with them.† â€Å"Vicky.† Rashel spoke earnestly. â€Å"It's practically impossible to make vampires talk. They're stubborn. When they're hurt they just get angry-like animals.† Vicky smirked. â€Å"I've made some talk. It just depends on what you do, and how long you make it last. Anyway, there's no harm in trying.† â€Å"Does Elliot know about this?† Vicky lifted a shoulder defensively. â€Å"Elliot lets me do things my way. I don't have to tell him every little detail. I was a leader myself, you know.† Helplessly, Rashel looked at Nyala and Steve. And saw that for the first time Nyala's eyes had lost their sleepwalking expression. Now she looked awake- and savagely glad. â€Å"Yes,† she said. â€Å"We should try to make the vampire talk. And if he suffers-well, my sister suffered. When I found her, she was almost dead but she could still talk. She told me what it felt like, having all the blood drained out of her body while she was still conscious. She said it hurt. She said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Nyala stopped, swallowed, and looked at Vicky. â€Å"I want to help do it,† she said thickly. Steve didn't say anything, but then from what Rashel knew of him, that was typical. He was a guy of few words. Anyway, he didn't protest. Rashel felt odd, as if she were seeing the very worst of herself reflected in a mirror. It made her†¦ ashamed. It left her shaken. But who am I to judge? she thought, turning away. It's true that the parasites are evil, all of them. The whole race needs to be wiped out. And Vicky's right, why should they have a clean death, when they usually don't give their victims one? Nyala deserves to avenge her sister. â€Å"Unless you object or something,† Vicky said heavily, and Rashel could feel those pale blue eyes on her. â€Å"Unless you're some kind of vampire sympathizer.† Rashel might have laughed at that, but she wasn't in a laughing mood. She took a breath, then said without turning around, â€Å"It's your show. I agreed that you were in charge.† â€Å"Good,† Vicky said, and returned to her work. But the sick feeling in the pit of Rashel's stomach didn't go away. She almost hoped that the vampire wouldn't come.

Compare and Contrast the Characteristics of a Growing and a Mature Product Market Essay

‘Use extended examples to compare and contrast the characteristics of a growing and a mature product market. Regardless of the value of every product, they all progress through a product life cycle. The phase starts with the introduction of the product and gradually moves to growth, maturity and finally be replaced by new improved products or naturally decline. Each of these stages of product life cycle requires a different marketing mix and research. The life of a product is the period over which it appeals to customers. The sales performance of any product rises from nothing when the product is introduced to the market reaches a peak and then declines to nothing again. Examples of products that have had short lifespan in recent years are home computers. New models with new specifications are launched on the market rapidly to be replaced by newer models which is a similar story for mobile phones (ref: the times hundred business studies; Marketing Theory; online) Increase in the profit of the company is every businesses core goal. To reach the goal product life cycle management is vital. Some companies use strategic planning and others follow the basic rules of the different life cycle phase that are analysed later. The performance of the product has the main effect on the performance of every business from income to profit to cost recovery. Product life cycle helps business management decide which of its current products should receive more or less investment to ensure the business achieves its objectives. Let’s take an example of Apple iPhone: Introduction: Apple first introduces iPhone in Macworld San Francisco—January 9, 2007 (ref: Apple Press info; online). Growth: The apple iPhone sales for the year 2008 with 245% sales increase (ref: CNNMoney; iPhone sales grew 245% in 2008; online). Maturity: They introduced iPhone in other networks like 3G, 3Gs and Vodafone. Decline: iPhone 3G sold in cheaper price. Now they have moved from iPhone 3G to IPhone 4 and the latest iPhone 4 Siri. Apple first introduced iPhone in Macworld San Francisco—January 9, 2007. After its release iPhone made very good marketing sales in the stores. Many people lined up in front of the apple store to buy the newly released iPhone. Soon after its release apple had the sales of 6. 89 million (ref: CNNMoney; iPhone sales grew 245% in 2008; online). Apple used various promotional strategies to increase their market share. Their TV ads introduced people what their key features where and how they could be used. The first UK network to sell iPhone was O2 (ref; BBC news; O2 get iPhone contract in UK; online). After the partnership between the two business companies, O2 provided different monthly plan and tariffs for iPhone. More people where interested in buying iPhone in monthly plan and tariffs with O2. Apple also provided their customers with 1 Year free warranty for iPhone by which they managed to win trust and satisfaction from the customers. Because the iPhone was only supported by a single network 02, the company started to face decline in sale prices. They were at the maturity stage so; the iPhone brought different plan and ideas to boost up their sales again. In order to do so apple reduced price of iPhone. They made partnership with other networks like Vodafone (ref; BBC news; Vodafone enters UK iPhone market; online). Positive progress where then seen after they planned to join other networks and reduce the product price. In the time between 2009 and 2010 apple were able to sell 20, 731,000 iPhone. But they are rapidly doing there product development and now they have recently released iPhone 4s on 14th October 2011 (ref: techradar. com; apple iPhone 4S UK release date announced; online). Through the above different phases Apple has been able to establish itself a third position in the smartphone market share. This shows how different product phases can affect a company. As you can see iPhone had the popularity on the introduction and increased sales on the growing phase but it started to have fewer sales and went into maturity. At the maturity phase apple had to invest more on their product development and increase their sales and popularity. They had less income but more expenses as they had to implement development plans and strategies and increase advertisement. During the phases apple may not have been able to make profit but they gradually came up with new ideas and increased income. Summing up the product life cycle has a significant impact on the business strategy and performance including marketing and product development. It also helps the business determine when it’s reasonable to eliminate certain product, what are the consequences and also work on substituting it with new innovative product. But with the benefits there are also some limitations of product life cycle. As Products, companies and markets are different, so not all products or services go through every stage of the PLC. There have been many cases where products have gone straight from introduction to decline, usually because of bad marketing, misconceived features, lack of value to the consumer or simply a lack of need for such a product. However, even if products would go through every stage of the PLC, not all products/services spend the same length of time at each stage. This adds another level of complexity in determining which PLC stage the product is in and consequently, which strategy to apply (ref: marketing91. com; limitation PLC; online). Hence, there are both benefits and limitations of product life cycle and it has different effect on a company depending on which stage the product is and what strategy is to be implemented. The Product Life Cycle model is inefficient when dealing with Brands or Services. Brands are not products but do have a life cycle of their own, and products belonging to a certain brand will experience a very different life cycle than the brand itself. For example, Dell and Mercedes-Benz are very strong brands whose life cycle is marginally affected by the failure of any of the products, which they hold (ref: marketing91. com; limitation PLC; online).