Holden Caulfield of Catcher In the Rye, the equivalent...

Holden Caulfield of Catcher In the Rye, the equivalent portrayal of J.D Salinger Jerome David â€Å"J.D† Salinger’s masterpiece, The Catcher in the Rye, is a world to the disillusioned protagonist Holden Caulfield. The story follows Holden Caulfield following his eviction from his private school, Holden leaves school two days early to travel New York before returning home. He interconnected with many different folks along the way and fascinatingly, the character of Holden Caulfield holds a remarkable similarity to J.D Salinger himself. The Cather in the Rye was based on J.D Salinger’s life, the world in which he lived, and the world in general has influenced the production of the novel. They both have a comparable childhood to each other and†¦show more content†¦Thus, J.D Salinger’s personal experiences in life have influenced the storyline of the novel and the character of Holden Caulfield prominently. Secondly, both Holden and Salinger were born and raised in Manhattan, New York, which was the setting for the storyline in The Catcher In the Rye and it delivers its atmosphere momentously. When Holden was relaxing in his hotel room, he took advantage of the freedom New York City has and calls out for a prostitute to fulfil his desire, as presented in the novel â€Å"I figured if she was a prostitute and all, I could get in some practice on her, in case I ever get married or anything. I worry about that stuff sometimes.† (Salinger 50) New York City is infamous for the amount of prostitutions it has and how easy it is to demand for one. In the novel, Holden was asked by a man in the lift if he wanted one and Holden, because he was trying to get rid of his virginity throughout the book and was stressed, accepted the offer. Salinger lived his middle-aged life in New York, has certainly seen this obscene interpretation of the city and was expressing his desperation to look for yo ung women without the necessity of a connection. Few iconic places in

Immanuel Kant s Theory Essay - 996 Words

Krystal Bennett May 5, 2017 PHIL 1301 Final Paper Immanuel Kant’s theory is one that is completely different than those of Descartes. He disagrees with logic of Descartes, Kant believes that existence isn’t something that is a property of discovery, it is something that is real on its own terms. Kant believes that that rational explanation is insufficient without human freedom being a part of the equation. Just because one can provide a good reason and logical explanation on something doesn’t mean that it carries reality has to be the case. Kant believes that the reality of an experience must embody those logical laws. He constantly attacks rationale or logical explanation on morals because its more than just following rules. If it’s not†¦show more content†¦If an individual is doing drug are the interfering with themselves is it considered self-harm? Is there a such thing as self-crime? This will bring us to the topic of drug use. Kant mentions suicide and it is considered self-harm, you are ending your autonomy and interfering your life. Being that self-harm is when a interference takes place and a third party has to step in would it be necessary for that to happen if the individual isn’t interfering with their own life but doing drugs. Direct harm would be considered very similar to the harm principle, it is only when harm directly inflicted on an individual. Indirect-harm would be when you allow very 18 to try drugs. It could potentially ruin or effect society negatively. When it comes to consent, that would be when an individual in voluntary on the actions taking place. Drugs are only used as an means to an end or as an mere object. There is no other benefits that take place with drugs. Could consent be given? Is there anything good that comes from it? Enslavement is when something keeps you from being able to have full autonomy and keeps you from making those choices and having free will. Drugs could very well do that and I think Kant would very wel l agree that once you do a drug you are enslaved to it. You will constantly have to have it.Show MoreRelatedDeontology Is An Ethical Theory900 Words   |  4 Pagesgender. The theory of deontology has defined and developed the meaning of equal within society. However, it has been a slow process. Miscommunication and misunderstanding to the meaning of gender equality is responsible for personal and social tyranny. Happiness, fairness, and dignity have risen from social roles, poverty, and health reform that defined the message to the question of what it means to be equal and unequal among men and women using the deontology theory as this essay will demonstrateRead MoreFrench Revolution Vs. Immanuel Kant1265 Words   |  6 PagesDWC 201, Dr. Moffett Allison Lancaster Essay #1 French Revolution vs. Immanuel Kant In 1614, France’s Population changed dramatically. The citizens were placed in three classes of rank in society. 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Here are some of his ethical works, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785), the Critique of Practical Reason (1788), and the Metaphysics of Morals (1797), which contain s both â€Å"theRead MoreThe Critique Of Judgement : Immanuel Kant1841 Words   |  8 Pages Jared Martin 4/23/15 Final Essay In 1790, Immanuel Kant created a piece of work known as the Critique of Judgement. In his work, the Critique of Judgement, Immanuel Kant moves his attention to focusing on aesthetics and what truly makes a piece of art beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Up until around the 1780s Immanuel Kant did not particularly worry or concern himself with aesthetics and how that judges an object or piece of art. It was only in the 1780s that Kant started to take an interestRead MoreThe Democratic Peace Theory954 Words   |  4 PagesThe democratic peace theory was not always seen as the substantial argument and significant contribution to the field of International Relations that it is today. Prior to the 1970’s, it was the realist and non-realist thought that took preeminence in political theoretical thinking. Though the democratic peace theory was first criticized for being inaccurate in its claim that democracy promotes peace and as such democracies do not conflict with each other, tr ends, statistical data, reports have suggestedRead MoreImmanuel Kants View on Human Nature and the Relationship between Nations2105 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿Immanuel Kants View on Human Nature and Relationship between Nations Immanuel Kant (1724 1804) was born in Kaliningrad in East Prussia. Kant spent his working life there and also produced work on various subject matters including ethics metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics etc. He published his three famous critiques and wrote on religion, eternal peace and politics. All of the above, Kant was the philosopher of human autonomy. He was of the view that human beings can determine and manageRead More Truth and Goodness in Immanuel Kant and St. Thomas Aquinas Essays3146 Words   |  13 Pages Immanuel Kant and St. Thomas Aquinas account for the existence of truth in sharply contrasting ways. Kant locates all truth inside the mind, as a pure product of reason, operating by means of rational categories. Although Kant acknowledges that all knowledge originates in the intuition of the senses, the intelligibility of sense experience he attributes to innate forms of apperception and to categories inherent to the mind. The innate categories shape the â€Å"phenomena† of sensible being, andRead MoreThe Ethics Of Non Voluntary Active Euthanasia1050 Words   |  5 Pagesduty and obligation. A medical professional in such situations have an obligation to fulfill the patient s wishes. The nature of their obligation does not sway based on what th ey personally think. Patients with dementia have some moments of clarity, but because their brains are still deteriorating, non- voluntary active euthanasia should still be permissible under these conditions. In the theory of deontology, it is defined as â€Å"the focus on the duties and obligations one has in carrying out actionsRead MoreKant And The Prince Niccolo Di Bernardo Dei Machiavelli978 Words   |  4 Pagesis a very strong revolving criticism based upon certain theories that are needed to stabilize and control society or even so, expand our minds beyond what we already know. Two very iconic philosophers Immanuel Kant and The Prince Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469-1527?) Manifest their theories on the portrayal of society and how discipline and authority regulate us. Kant expresses his theory in his â€Å"What is Enlightenment?† (1784) Essay where he describes the immaturity of men is what makesRead MoreCategorical Imperative2266 Words   |  10 Pagescategorical imperative n. In the ethical system of Immanuel Kant, an unconditional moral law that applies to all rational beings and is independent of any personal motive or desire QUICK FACTS * NAME:  Immanuel Kant * OCCUPATION:  Philosopher * BIRTH DATE:  April 22, 1724 * DEATH DATE:  February 12, 1804 * PLACE OF BIRTH:  Kaliningrad (now Konigsburg), Russia * PLACE OF DEATH:  Kaliningrad (now Konigsburg), Russia Profile Immanuel Kant was born on April 22, 1724, in Kaliningrad (now

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 4 Free Essays

The Worst Ending Imaginable Knowing that Nikki does a big unit on Hemingway every year, I ask for one of Hemingway’s better novels. â€Å"One with a love story if possible, because I really need to study love – so I can be a better husband when Nikki comes back,† I tell Mom. When Mom returns from the library, she says that the librarian claims A Farewell to Arms is Hemingway’s best love story. We will write a custom essay sample on The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 4 or any similar topic only for you Order Now So I eagerly crack open the book and can feel myself getting smarter as I turn the first few pages. As I read, I look for quotable lines so I can â€Å"drop knowledge† the next time Nikki and I are out with her literary friends – so I can say to that glasses-wearing Phillip, â€Å"Would an illiterate buffoon know this line?† And then I will drop some Hemingway, real suave. But the novel is nothing but a trick. The whole time, you root for the narrator to survive the war and then for him to have a nice life with Catherine Barkley. He does survive all sorts of dangers – even getting blown up – and finally escapes to Switzerland with the pregnant Catherine, whom he loves so much. They live in the mountains for a time, in love and living a good life. Hemingway should have ended there, because that was the silver lining these people deserved after struggling to survive the gloomy war. But no. Instead he thinks up the worst ending imaginable: Hemingway has Catherine die from hemorrhaging after their child is stillborn. It is the most torturous ending I have ever experienced and probably will ever experience in literature, movies, or even television. I am crying so hard at the end, partly for the characters, yes, but also because Nikki actually teaches this book to children. I cannot imagine why anyone would want to expose impressionable teenagers to such a horrible ending. Why not just tell high school students that their struggle to improve themselves is all for nothing? I have to admit that for the first time since apart time began, I am mad at Nikki for teaching such pessimism in her classroom. I will not be quoting Hemingway anytime soon, nor will I ever read another one of his books. And if he were still alive, I would write him a letter right now and threaten to strangle him dead with my bare hands just for being so glum. No wonder he put a gun to his head, like it says in the introductory essay. How to cite The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 4, Essay examples

Minimum Wage Increase in Ontario for Fiscal Ones -myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theMinimum Wage Increase in Ontario for Fiscal Ones. Answer: Overview The economic regulatory policies, monetary as well as fiscal ones, taken by the governing authorities of a country, have considerable implications on the population of the country, the implications having the chance of being positive as well as negative. Keeping this aspect of the economic policies into account, the concerned report tries to discuss and analyse the effects of the minimum wage hike policy, which has been implemented in Ontario, Canada, in the recent periods. The minimum wage of Ontario, which has been at a moderate standard of $11.60 an hour in the last few years, have been hiked considerably by the governing authorities, amounting to $14 per hour per worker, as has been announced on 1st January, 2018. The minimum wage rate in Ontario is also expected to rise to $15 per hour per worker in the succeeding year[1]. This wage hike has brought considerable implications on the labour market as a whole, the implications being both negative as well as positive and the hike in the minimum wage of the region is expected to have effected not only the workers but also the employers operating commercial organizations in this region[2]. The considerable implications of this decision and the gravity of the situation in the overall business scenario of Ontario, is identified and discussed in the concerned report. Research Analysis The increase in the minimum wage in Ontario has on one hand is expected to have increased the welfare of the workers, especially those belonging to the lowest paid cartel of the work force, consisting of the marginalised workers. The hike in the minimum wage is also expected to benefit those workers who are not categorically the lowest paid ones[3]. They are expected to be benefitted due to the ripple effect of the minimum wage hike in the country as the employers may need to hike their wages in order to maintain the comparative hierarchy in the organizations, according to the skill levels of the employees. However, the increase in the minimum wage of Ontario has exerted pressure on the employers and entrepreneurs in the region, as they are now required to pay much more to their workers[4]. As can be seen from the recent statistics, there has been a significant decline in the total number of part time employees in Ontario itself, with almost 59,000 jobs getting lost in the contemporary period. Given this scenario, the increase in the wage hike is not expected to have helped considerably the employees or the employers[5]. The problem is not expected to be confined to the employers only and is also expected to affect the employees as can be seen with the help of the following figure: Figure 1: Effects of increase in the minimum wage[6] As can be seen from the above figure, with the increase in the minimum wage, above that of the equilibrium wage level, the supply of labour is expected to increase as more workers are expected to be willing to work. However, due to the increase in the cost of production, the employers are expected to reduce their demand for employees and may be only willing to employ the high skilled and productive workers, thereby showing a reduction in the overall demand in the labour market, which creates an excess supply in the labour market leading to unemployment generation in the economy. Given this scenario, the employers in this region are expected to feel the pressure of increased cost in their production process, which may hamper the productive efficiency of these businesses. The business may either tend to relocate from Ontario to some other region with lower minimum wages or may also try to lay off the low skilled workers and demand for the higher skilled ones in order to keep their productive efficiency constant. This in turn, is expected to increase the demand for high skilled workers, thereby increasing their wage, which again can have mixed implications on the employers as well as the workers and on the overall economic welfare of the region[7]. Conclusion As can be seen from the above discussion, the minimum wage hike in Ontario, in the beginning of the current year, is expected to have mixed outcomes on the economy of the region as a whole. The results are still not clear as it takes time to observe the multilateral implications of such policies. However, there remains a chance of higher cost pressures on the employers and the marginal employees or low paid workers also face the threats of layoffs in the current scenario, which in turn can lead to the creation of a chronic unemployment problem in the region in the log run. Bibliography "12.3 Labor Markets At Work | Principles Of Economics". 2018.Open.Lib.Umn.Edu. https://open.lib.umn.edu/principleseconomics/chapter/12-3-labor-markets-at-work/. Cbc.ca. 2018. "Canadians Are The Guinea Pigs In A Real-Life Minimum Wage Experiment: Don Pittis | CBC News".CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/minimum-wage-experiment-1.4473095. In.reuters.com. 2018. "Minimum Wage Hike Has Rocky Start In Canada's Ontario Province".IN. https://in.reuters.com/article/us-canada-wages-ontario/minimum-wage-hike-has-rocky-start-in-canadas-ontario-province-idINKBN1EX2CN. Mahboubi, Parisa. 2018. "The Ripple Effect Of OntarioS Minimum-Wage Increase".The Globe And Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/the-ripple-effect-of-ontarios-minimum-wage-increase/article38017258/. Meer, Jonathan, and Jeremy West. "Effects of the minimum wage on employment dynamics."Journal of Human Resources(2015). Schmitt, John. "Why does the minimum wage have no discernible effect on employment?."Center for Economic and Policy Research22 (2013): 1-28.

Willy Russells Our Day Out Essay Example For Students

Willy Russells Our Day Out Essay In the book Our Day Out, Willy Russell interests us in the characters of Carol and Briggs by showing us the contrast of personalities and the difference in lifestyle between the two. The main differences between Carol and Briggs are that Carol is from a deprived background, while the teacher Briggs, probably doesnt understand what kind of life Carol has out of school hours. In scene One, the introduction describes Carol. It says that she is rushing along the street wearing a school uniform which doubles as a street outfit and her Sunday best. This tells us already that she is poor and cant afford new clothes, so she has to wear her school uniform most of the time. When Carol is talking to Les, the lollipop man, she tells him that they are going on a trip. She tells him that only the kids who go to the Progress Class are going, and explains that children go there if they are backward. This shows us that Carol doesnt have a very high opinion of herself and she has a low self-esteem. We will write a custom essay on Willy Russells Our Day Out specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now On the bus, Carol sits by Mrs Kay, the Progress Class teacher. As she looks out at the passing Liverpool, she says to her teacher: Isnt it horrible, eh, miss. She goes on to explain that she doesnt like living in Liverpool, with the dirt. She explains that she likes the nice places, with the trees and gardens. She asks Mrs Kay whether she would be able to live in a nice place when shes older. Theres a pause, while Mrs Kay looks for an appropriate answer, because she probably knows that Carol will end up living in poverty, like her parents, unable to afford many luxuries. Well you could try, couldnt you, love, eh? When Mrs Kay treats the kids to an hour or two at the zoo, the kids decide to steal some of the animals! From what we have seen earlier on in the play, Carol has shown herself to be a girl who doesnt break the rules, but she shows a different side to her when in the zoo. When the kids steal the animals, she also decides to join in with the antics as well! After the kids return all the animals, they set out for Conwy Castle. When they reach the castle, Carol immediately sticks with Mrs Kay, following her to the tables by the sea. Then Andrews, another kid, says to them: Wouldnt it be great if we had something like this round ours. Carol replies to him that they couldnt have anything near where they live because theyd just wreck it, like they wreck everything that is given to them. Carols answer to Andrews shows that she would like something near her area to play in, but it is probably impossible because the people of the town would smash it up, like they chopped the trees down for Bonfire Night to burn them all, as she mentioned on the bus to Mrs Kay. It also suggests to us how she longs for something different, something better in her life than living in poverty with no money to buy luxuries for herself or her family. When the kids are at the beach, Carol follows Mrs Kay around, asking her when they will have to go home. Mrs Kay thinks that Carol actually wants to go home, but in fact, she is enjoying herself so much she wants to stay there; she doesnt want to go home. When the kids are playing football, Mrs Kay is in goal and then says that Carol can take her place. Carol isnt there. Mrs Kay, Colin, Susan (the young teachers) and Mr Briggs all go and look for her. Mr Briggs finds Carol standing on the edge of a cliff. Briggs tries to persuade her to come away from the sheer drop, but she refuses, and tells him to tell Mrs Kay that she is stoppin herein Wales. Briggs tells Carol not to be so silly and he moves towards her but she moves back, nearer to the edge of the cliff. She tells Mr Briggs that she will jump off the cliff, if he doesnt move away from her. Mr Briggs becomes very aware of how close Carol is to the edge of the cliff. Carol. Carol, please come away from there. Please. .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 , .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 .postImageUrl , .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 , .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718:hover , .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718:visited , .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718:active { border:0!important; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718:active , .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718 .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubc6d058615f767e44d0c0f110014c718:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Hide and Seek EssayDuring the play we can see that Carol is a girl who doesnt have a very high opinion of herself, and we can see this when she describes what kind of kids go to the Progress Class. She doesnt have a very high self-esteem. We can see that she longs for a new and different life in the play she tells Briggs that shes staying in Wales, and also on the coach, she asks Mrs Kay whether she would be able to live in one of them nice places when she grows up. Carol is the classic image of an underprivileged, vulnerable girl from the slums of Liverpool with no prospects and no chance of gaining a good job when she grows up. Mr Briggs character is a complete contrast to Carol; he is a teacher who believes that things should be taught strictly; he also believes that you shouldnt form a relationship with any pupils. We can see this when Briggs decides to come along with Mrs Kay and the other kids, he whispers to Mrs Kay: Youve got some real bright sparks here, Mrs Kay. A right bunch. Mr Briggs relationship with the children is more or less non-existent he doesnt really understand what kind of background the kids come from. He just thinks that they cant be bothered to learn to read or write, but in fact, they come from deprived backgrounds and probably havent had the opportunities that the children who arent in the Progress Class have. Briggs attitude towards the children is shown throughout the play, but we can see this more when he addresses the kids on the coach, when Russell uses words to describe his current mood: suddenly barks sighing, shaking his head and accusing. Briggs thinks that Mrs Kay is more like a mother hen rather than a teacher. The children dont really behave when Briggs is around, and when he confronts Linda Croxley about not wearing the correct school uniform; she doesnt really take any notice of him, and is cheeky towards him. He tells her if she carries on with her attitude shell be spending her time inside the coach: I dont care. I dont wanna see no crappy castle anyway. Briggs is appalled at this, and the fact that she swore indicates that the kids dont have much respect for him. When the Briggs and Mrs Kay are in the zoo cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, Briggs tells Mrs Kay he didnt realise that the kids are actually interested in the animals, and he is enthusiastic at his own suggestion of bringing some slides in for the kids to see. When he finds out that the kids have stolen all the animals, he feels betrayed because he trusted the kids to behave themselves and act responsibly; but they dont, and he is angry. When Briggs finds Carol on the edge of the cliff, he starts to lecture her, asking her who gave her permission to come up here. When Carol tells him that shes staying in Wales, he dismisses it and tells her not to be so silly. He takes a step towards her but she takes a step towards the edge, the sea looming below her. Briggs is astounded. When Carol tells him that he hates everyone, all the kids, he realises that he is strict and possibly people my feel uncomfortable when he is around, and in the end he has to beg Carol to come away from the edge. She does, but she slips Briggs catches her and then wraps his arms around her. After they come back to the beach and get on the bus, the driver asks Briggs if its time to go back to school. Briggs suggests they take the children to the fair. When they get to the fair, Mr Briggs is like a different man. Mrs Kay takes a photo of him and Carol climbing out of a waltzer car, wearing a cowboy hat and handing a goldfish to Carol, and basically having a good time. On the coach on the way home, Briggs sits on the back seat, singing with the kids. The kids actually now enjoy being in his presence, unlike before when he came to sit at the back, they were stifled and bored by his presence. Mrs Kay takes a photo of him with the kids on the back seat, wearing the cowboy hat, with his tie loosened. .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 , .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 .postImageUrl , .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 , .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084:hover , .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084:visited , .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084:active { border:0!important; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084:active , .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084 .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u40e98a6d6f6edc11cb7d152a18cc4084:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Bell Jar Essay ThesisAs he sees the familiar surroundings coming into view, he slips back into his former personality, tightening his tie and straightens his hair. Briggs takes the photo film off Mrs Kay, and says that he will develop the pictures in the lab in school. When the kids and teachers have all left, he exposes the film to the light, destroying the photos. I think he does this because he is embarrassed he has let his hair down, in front of the children and the teachers, because usually he is strict and has old-fashioned ways of teaching. He doesnt form any kind of relationship with the kids, maybe even the teachers, because he refuses Mrs Kays offer of a drin k after the kids all go home. In the play, Russell keeps us interested in the characters of Carol and Briggs by Briggs transformation during the trip; before the trip he is strict, and orders the kids around. He doesnt really understand what background they come from he just thinks that they cant be bothered to help themselves when it comes to education. After the trip, on the way home, he is almost a completely different person! He started to relax, and be friendlier after the incident with Carol. I think that really opened his eyes; he saw that someone, a young girl, someone who has her whole life ahead of her, actually wanted to take her own life because of the life she has now. It made him realise that not all people have an easy life and he realised what kind of background people have. Willy Russell uses comedy to a good effect in the play when the children decide to steal the animals, the stealing of the sweets, and the kind of language that they use. When the coach stops at a roadside shop, the kids are robbing sweets and chocolate left, right and centre, behind the backs of the two men. The fact that it says that it is a usual trick, implies that it has been used before the kids point up to jars on the shelves, and as soon as the mens backs are turned, racks of chocolate bars disappear into eager pockets. In the next scene (scene 16), it simply says: the kids are weighed down with sweets. This shows us that they stole lots and lots of sweets, around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½60, and they didnt spend nearly that amount! When the kids stop at the zoo, they decide to steal some animals! When they return the animals, they all walk out rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, even a young goat! The animals are all put into small cages, and then after the zoo-keeper leaves, Mr Briggs lays into the kids. The kind of language that the kids use reflect on the kind of home life they have. They dont really think about what they are saying, they just use the words talking normally. The kids use words such as crappy, dickhead, bastards, and bloody. The swearwords that they use are humorous because they talk like that towards their friends and even the teachers. Will Russell uses tragedy to good effect, in particular on two occasions during the play. When Carol is on the edge of the cliff, when she asks Mr Briggs if she would have been alright if he was her father, she means if she would have been alright as in gaining the right opportunities in life. She is thinking of ending her life so young because she knows, she knows that she wont be given the opportunities that other people will be given. When Andrews is caught smoking at the back of the bus, Briggs sends him to sit at the front, then later he joins him. Briggs asks him how long he has been smoking and he asks him what his parents think of him smoking. Andrews replies that his father belts him when he refuses to give him a cigarette. During the play, we are given little insights into the lives of the children, and we can see that it is a very deprived background. They will probably never have the opportunities that other children are given, and as Mrs Kay said, they are made for the factories, but the factories have closed down, so they have even less opportunities now.

FICO Scores for Clients

FICO Scores for Clients Adding insult to injury, is a tough economy, where collections of all kinds have become problematic. Which is why businesses are doing their â€Å"due diligence† to make sure that customers have a history of timely payments, and that they are in good financial health before signing on the dotted line.  This is determined What is a FICO score? Its simply a 3-digit number that reflects your credit-worthiness. Think of it as being like a grading system. And we all have one, if weve financed a purchase like a house or a car, or a big ticket item. This score takes into account your history with lenders, what types of credit you have had, and how long youve had a credit history. The score ranges from 300-850.  As business owners, freelancers should follow suit and apply a similar type of screening to assess potential clients. Why? Because late and missed payments can impact our quality of life, cause undue hardship, and make it difficult to provide for our families.  And though you can’t obtain their credit information per se, there are ways for you to easily research and analyze the backgrounds of potential clients to detect red flags and assess the likelihood of future pay and profitability.  FICO SCORING FOR FREELANCE CLIENTS AND PROJECTS  FFeedback. When you perform a Google Search on the individual or compan y, do you see any complaints? Are Blog comments typically positive? How about reviews through Amazon or consumer websites? Be wary if there’s a lot of negative press or shady activities reported.   IImage. Is their branding smart and savvy? Is their marketing message clear and effective? Would you â€Å"buy into† what they’re selling? Does the company have a blog? Is it updated regularly with quality posts? What are the analytics at their site? Do they get a lot of visitors? To check and assess visit ALEXA.COM for details. Alexa is a website that provides stats on sites traffic, demographics, and success metrics.   This is something to consider in your evaluation process.  CContinuity. How long has the individual or business been in operation? Has it been under the same structure and affiliation? Or have they been in and out of different projects and pursuits under different names or titles? The point here is that you don’t want to be affiliated with a â€Å"fly You’ve worked hard to land work. But, if you can’t collect what you’ve earned, you’ve toiled in vain.  Though there’s always a degree of risk when applying to freelance positions, you can protect yourself Remember, ignoring red flags could ultimately keep your business in the red.

Proposal Arguement Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Arguement - Research Proposal Example It is imperative that this problem is dealt with and addressed with the urgency it deserves. We should, therefore, emphasize educating our youth especially teenagers and use them as missionaries to educate the entire community across Florida. This will extend to the rest of America and the world as a whole about the alarming effects of this problem. Due to the lapse of nutritional sense in America, I have taken it as my agenda to champion teaching of nutrition classes among teens in Florida. This is so that we can have a breeding ground where we can get personnel who can tackle this problem in the near future in Florida and across the globe. This will in a great way help get rid our region certain self-inflicting diseases and turn better the health of our future. With this, many people taking poor diets, one has to really ask: who is actually paying attention to what is going on persons taking poor nutritional diets? Currently the negative impacts on health have been predominantly ca used by poor nutrition. As a result, the latest statistics are above board and stress further the need for the urgent remedy through teen education. For instance, it has been noted that 11% of high school students suffer from nutritional disorders, and 30% is the percentage of persons who die because of disabilities. It has also been noted that 33% of persons losing their lives due to cancer all trace their way back to poor nutrition. The teenagers that we endeavor to empower have also been revealed by statistics to have very serious problems. This is especially young women whereby 90% of those who suffer from nutritional disorders who are within the range of 12-25 years are actually women. The numbers of child deaths, which are cancer related are about 50% (Caroldo 58). On the other hand, it is very vital to note that, despite the effects of malnutrition affecting a higher number of youths, it has also has been shown to cause low birth weight coupled with increased morbidity and mo rtality, as well as cases of dental carries among children. Among other various disorders that have been attributed to poor nutritional habits are disorders such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperinsolinemia, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis and certain types of cancer (Mudry 73). I want to draw my attention to the case of overweight and obesity to illustrate how grave the situation is. Statistics have indicated that more than one billion adults worldwide are overweight with more than three billion clinically obese. The pandemic of being overweight, as well as obesity impacts by not only reducing quality of life and gigantic healthcare related expenses, but also an augmented risk of death. Trend analysis, in connection to obesity, has shown that a huge section of the populace is not as active as they ought to be. Furthermore, they are still simultaneously eating more than they should (Musser 18). The question here is whether these people informed on the importance of good nutritio nal habits. Although it has been indicated that poverty has taken its role as a precursor to poor feeding habits, ignorance remains the major challenge among the people of Florida. This is because many persons with the ability of proper access to food still suffer from nutritional related disorders (Williams 92). People in our State have been ignorant about nutritional issues

Middle East changing demographics and its effect on us national Case Study

Middle East changing demographics and its effect on us national security - Case Study Example The same organization was involved in WTC attacks of 9/11. Osama Bin Laden urges the Muslims, living in the pole-apart regions of the world, to take notice of the heinous crimes being committed by the Judo-Christian Alliance ruling over the world through the USA, Israel and their allies. He instigates the sentiments of the Muslims by reminding them the atrocities and cruelties have been being exercised against them since long in almost all countries and states. He alludes to the series of tortures applied by the non-Muslims upon the Muslims in the Russian territories, the CARS, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and other parts of the globe. He argues the very fact that the Muslims are looked down upon in Europe and are seriously suspected in the USA and Australia as well as the rest of the west. Since the atrocities of the non-Muslims are increasing day by day, jihad is the only way to eradicate these violations of Muslim rights and break into their powerful network. Bin Laden cites the holy verses of the Noble Quran, where the Muslims have been urged and invoked to strive against the evil wherever they find it within their environment. In other words, Bin Laden states violent struggle against the infidels as the jihad, which is the essential pillar of the faith of Islam. The Jews and Christians have inflicted lots of pains and sufferings upon the Muslims and apply social and cultural injustices and discriminations on the basis of their age-old biased ness and prejudice against Muslim. Since there is no possibility of stopping the Jews and Christians from displaying their atrocities on helpless Muslims, jihad (i.e. terrorist attack) is the only way to...Rather, she is eager to sustain her domination over all the economies of the world, and implement her own political and economic order on all independent states. Consequently, some of the racial and religious groups started a revolt against the US policies, which resulted in a state of constant conflict all over the world. Being the centre of warring religious groups, the Middle East turned out the worst possible land for the US dreams, and the fast changing demographic and strategic situation of the region left negative impact on the USA, where the USA had to allocate a huge amount of men, money and resources in order to subjugate the rebel forces. It applied negative affects on the US economy by putting it into the state of jeopardy. Before embarking upon the topic under study, it would be advisable to elaborate the Middle East and the terrorist organisation of Al Qaeda in brief. It has aptly been observed that geographical boundaries, strategic position, economic conditions and security strength determine the level of strengths of a nation, and the international community develops its relations with the nation keeping in view all these factors and assessments. Dakake, on the contrary, maintains quite different opinion of jihad. He associates jihad with mere strife against the evil temptations of the satanic forces. Jihad does not mean, according to him, the aggressive attitude and violence against one’s enemies.

Environmental Audit (Data Response) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Environmental Audit (Data Response) - Essay Example Together, these three indicators or drivers should adequately give an investor a clearer idea about the feasibility of any economic investment in that country. Against this background, the three key economic drivers are discussed as follows. Tax Policy of Portugal The payment of taxes is mandatory as an economic policy in almost all economies of the world. Taxes are targeted at all groups of persons living in a country, who make an earning. The tax situation is no different in Portugal. There exist two major forms of taxes in Portugal. These two major forms of taxes in Portugal are individual tax and corporate tax (Abednego, 2003). Individual tax taxes are those that are paid by earning or income making citizens and foreigners. In this direction, the Investor Glossary (2011) explains that â€Å"An individual tax return is used to determine a person's personal income tax liability. On the contrary, corporate tax may best be referred to as business tax because it is paid by people in business. It is the kind of tax that is paid by companies, organizations and institutions. Corporate taxes are generally higher than individual taxes because corporate entities are profit making bodies are believed to be earning more than individuals. Any of the two forms of taxes affect businesses and by extension the company wishing to enter Portugal. This not withstanding, the tax environment in Portugal is one that can be described not to be too hostile; especially in comparison with what exists in other countries. In Portugal, individual taxes come in different forms as far as the executives in the company seeking to enter are going to make income they are likely to pay one form of individual tax or the other. The AngloINFO Lisbon (2011) explains that individual taxes paid in Portugal include taxes on salaries, capital gains and real estate income. On the broader scene, there is a 25% individual tax paid on earnings even though â€Å"income derived from real estate is subject to a tax rate of 15 percent† (AngloINFO Lisbon, 2011). The corporate tax payment regime that exists in portugal presently is not as lucrative as it used to be before the coming of the European Union and OECD. This is because before these era, Lowtax (2011) observes that â€Å"Portugal used to offer a number of special corporate income tax regimes by which businesses either paid reduced corporate income tax rates, were exempted from certain taxes altogether or were able to artificially inflate tax deductible allowances so as to reduce taxable profits.† Today, these tax incentives do not exist any longer. There is however other prudent measures taken by the government to ensure that the payment of taxes does not become a burden unto foreign investors. On the whole, there is â€Å"25% + a municipal surcharge (up to 1.5% of the taxable income): Effective rate: 26.5%† for foreign companies and taxes are exclusively on income made only in Portugal (Emporiki Bank, 2011) . Regulatory Policy of Portugal Regulatory policy refers to the kind of rules, regulations and laws that binds businesses and corporate entities that which to establish themselves in Portugal. Contrary to the ascertion that regulatory policies are in place to sabotage the

The Changing Smartphone Industry Marketing Essay

The Changing Smartphone Industry Marketing Essay Research in Motion (RIM) is a Canadian wireless device company, best known as the developer of the BlackBerry smart phones. The company, in its early years, was known for its enterprise-focus, rapid product innovation and its commitment to security. Its latest smart phone offering in October, 2010 was a significant failure. Overall, it lost 5% market share in the US smart phone market during the period between October, 2010 and January, 2011. Its latest tablet offering, named the Playbook, announced right after Apples first tablet, iPad1, is yet to be launched, while Apple is already selling tens of thousands of units of its second tablet, iPad2. And more recently, RIM decided that its new tablet, the Playbook, will support applications created by its competitor, Google. Given this background, we analyzed the industry, RIMs strategy, its product and processes and their alignment with strategy. In that light, we propose that the firm do the following: a) Support the Android Application Platform on its smart phones too (not just the tablet), while setting new rules in the Blackberry Application Store to incentivize developers further. b) Focus on enterprise-based product offerings via strategic acquisitions that allow complementary product offerings to establish high switching costs and product-bundling opportunities. c) Forge new partnerships with unique content providers, telecom companies and cloud firms to keep the firm unique and differentiated while maintaining its strategic continuity. Mobile Handset Industry Market Dynamics The global mobile handset industry is one of the fastest growing sub-industries in wireless sector. This industry was valued at approximately $133bn in 2009, a decrease of 6.7% over 2008, largely owing to the weakness in the global economy. However, as the global economy recovered, this industry saw huge shipment growth announcements from vendors in 2010. Based on industry forecasts  [1]  , this industry is expected to ship 1.4 billion handsets in 2011, up 19.2% from 2009 levels and is forecasted to grow with a CAGR  [2]  of 7.8% during the period 2009-14 to reach 1.7 billion by 2014 (refer : Appendix Figure 1). This growth is largely driven by the high smart-phone growth rates, declining smart-phone prices, increased adoption of 3G technology and the high subsidies given by vendors. Product Segmentation The global handset market consists of two product segments Feature phones and Smart-phones. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Feature phones (or mobile phones) are used for basic mobile communications such as voice, text messaging and data transfers, over a standard GSM mobile telecom network. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Smart-phones are handheld devices, offering advanced capabilities in addition to those provided by a feature phone such as e-mail, social networking or Internet access. Based on market research  [3]  data, we anticipate that during the period 2009-14, the Feature phone segment will decline at a CAGR of -15.5%, while the Smartphone segment will grow at a CAGR of 37.8%. The tremendous growth in the Smartphone market is primarily due to booming consumer demand and the recent industry trend of convergence between hardware, software and services. As consumers increasingly prefer technologies that help them to stay in touch with family, friends and their workplace while they are on the move, the demand for smart devices which are content-rich and support features such as e-mail and social networking applications (apps) will also increase. Market Drivers Most of the growth in mobile handset industry has been fuelled by developing countries. Apart from this, the increasing Smartphone usage is fuelling mobile handset market growth. Another major driver for the handset industry is the huge growth in mobile broadband revenues and subscriptions. Mobile broadband adoption is increasing due to the strong growth of Smart-phones, connected laptops and tablets, coupled with the rollout of high speed networks. Current Trends in Smartphone Industry Shift to Applications Apple, RIM and Google have transformed the Smartphone market into a software based environment, transferring value from hardware to software and content. In 2010 Apple dominated the Smartphone app market, offering over 225,000 apps (refer: Appendix- Figure 2). Its strict control over approval of apps has allowed it to maintain quality. Apple has already sold more than 150 apps from which it generated $2.4bn in revenues. Nearly 5bn apps were downloaded from its App Stores. While RIM offers 10,000 apps, Symbian offered only a mere 6,118. Android on the other hand offered 140,000 apps to its users to take up second position in the apps market. The Android Marketplace does not have the same kind of restrictions as Apple, and while this allows for a certain amount more freedom for both developers and users, the quality and compatibility of apps cannot be guaranteed in the same way. Video Communications Smartphones and other mobile devices (e.g. tablets) are transforming the communication industry, resulting in exponential growth in mobile data traffic. Based on an estimate from Cisco, nearly 66% of the mobile data traffic will be for video consumption by 2014 (refer: Appendix Figure 4). Mobile video is expected to grow at a CAGR of 131% between 2009 and 2014. Emerging Markets new growth engines Many handset manufacturers are turning to emerging markets to drive growth against the backdrop of the financial crisis in mature markets. In Asia, India and China are considered the fastest growing markets in the world for handsets. Compared to mature markets such as North America which had only a 2.5% share of global net subscriber additions in 2010, Asia-Pacific takes a much more significant share, accounting for 68.4% of total subscribers added. Low cost manufacturers affecting industry dynamics Inspired by the success of established players such as Samsung, many smaller handset vendors are entering the market to take advantage of the low entry barriers. Local handset manufacturers such as ZTE and Huawei in China and Taiwan and Micromax in India are challenging the established players, driving down prices and profits. These local companies have their own research and development divisions and design their own phones. The Value Chain Smartphone Industry The current value-chain of the smart phone industry is highly operator-centric; the network operators have a high degree of control over the device manufacturers they collaborate with, the technology operators they employ, and the content delivery entities with which they align (see Appendix Figure 3). Smartphones and intense competition in the mobile handset industry have only emphazised this trend. A snap-shot of the key players in this value chain: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Network operator: Serves as an intermediary for delivery of content and services. Examples: Rogers, Bell, Mobilicity. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Technology enabler: Provides backend technology required for delivering content. These include providing platforms and apps. Act as a mediator between operators and content publishers. Examples: Apple, Google, RIM. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Content Provider: Publish content from various sources or develop original content. Examples: iOS, Yahoo, Google. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Smartphone manufacturers: Manufacture handsets and other related devices. Examples: RIM, Apple, Samsung. However, these boundaries are blurring and there are no longer any demarcations of roles, with each actor stepping into the others domain. For instance, Apple and RIM are device manufacturers, technology enablers and also content publishers. Similarly, Google is a technology enabler and content provider. As roles increasingly overlap, the result could be a radical change in the value-chain and revenue sharing models. In the current business model, the operator (e.g. Rogers) receives 60-80% of data revenues while technology-enabled receives 10-20%, the content aggregator receives 10-15% while the remaining 5-10% is shared with the content owners as shown in Appendix (Appendix figure 5). Research in Motion Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Research in Motion (RIM) is the most widely recognized Canadian technology success story. RIM has perfected the BlackBerry solution a mobile solution that combines device, wireless data and voice access, a network operating centre and an operating system (OS) into a vertically integrated single offering and now considered the de facto standard for enterprise mobile solutions. Beyond the enterprise, RIM has been making inroads in the higherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ volume consumer market, most notably with the successful launch of the BlackBerry Pearl and Curve. RIM has developed the BlackBerry platform with the needs of both end-users and IT managers in mind. End users look for small device sizes, longer battery life, and ease of use (i.e., intuitive user experience, alwaysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ on connectivity, and low latency). On the other hand, IT managers look for security, reliability, compatibility, manageability, low cost of ownership, and integration with existing corporate applications. The BlackBerry platform provides IT managers with centralized management and provisioning capabilities, giving them full control over all aspects of the platform, including applications and configuration (e.g. mandatory use of a password to gain access to the handset, overà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ air locking and erasing of the data on devices, and the capability to disable unwanted features such as Bluetooth or cameras). All told, this has made RIM one of the most trusted providers of data communications. RIM has been extremely successful in monetizing its enterprise email subscriber base. RIM has positioned its BlackBerry as a carrier-friendly platform that enables content/services to be delivered by the operators. Time will tell if this positioning leads to any long lasting preferred vendor status at the carriers because every OEM understands how critical a flexible business model, where carriers share in the revenues/ profits, is to keep them involved. Core Competencies of RIM Highly encrypted and secure email system RIM has a very strong RD division RIM provides the capability for third party companies to develop and provide software applications that run on the RIM hand held devices and they do that by supplying the application Programming Interface Strategic Analysis of RIM The current strategy of RIM focuses primarily on the Enterprise market with a smaller footprint in the consumer market though low cost smart-phones. The company is also targeting both enterprises as well as consumer market for its upcoming tablet Playbook. The advantages as well as disadvantages of RIMs current strategy are mentioned below- Strengths in current strategy RIM has a significant focus on enterprise market which offers a number of advantages to RIM. The enterprise Smartphone market is growing rapidly and it is expected that further growth will be driven by convergence of fixed and mobile telecommunication. Understanding this future technological trend, RIM introduced the BlackBerry Mobile Voice System (MVS) as a voice convergence solution which converts desktop phones/cellular phones to Blackberry devices. With MVS and the PBX integration, Blackberry devices are now equipped with all the features of an enterprise desktop phone (5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ digit calling, call forwarding, visual call management etc.). This strategy helped to increase the penetration of RIM blackberry devices in enterprises. Another advantage for RIM is its strong relationships with many independent software vendors which provide RIM many enterprise applications beyond email. For instance, RIM enabled SAP applications to run on the BlackBerry platform. This software incorporating SAP support represents a key difference for RIM customers and will enable customers to access SAP applications from BlackBerry applications such as the address book, inbox and calendar. The current strategy also focuses on the non-enterprise consumer segment. While Apple and Nokia are delivering applications and content (that operators could also be delivering), RIM has positioned the BlackBerry as a carrier friendly platform that on the one hand drives ARPU (average revenue per user) for the carriers through its BlackBerry email (and pays RIM between $3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ $5 per subscriber per month) and on the other, provides a high performing platform that helps operators further monetize the consumer opportunity. By optimizing hardware, software and network services in a vertically integrated offering, RIM BlackBerry platform offers the carriers demonstrable advantages in spectrum efficiency, battery life and latency. Also, RIMs platform is significantly more efficient than competing platforms for email and browsing. This efficiency stems from higher compression rates achieved with the BlackBerry platform. Higher compression reduces download times (lower costs to carriers) and ultimately provides a better experience for users (lower latency, longer battery life and better connection stability). RIM offers its consumer email through its BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service). The BIS provides pushà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ based email as well as attachment viewing and Web browsing with the same optimized wireless efficiency as that found in the enterprise offering. Weaknesses in current strategy In the consumer market, Apple is the market leader with its user-friendly interface and application offerings. One of the weaknesses of RIM in this market is the lack of applications offered by its Blackberry App Store. The Blackberry App Store is an online retail store where consumers can download certain apps that are targeted at increasing productivity (spreadsheet managers, note-taking applications, social network connectivity, etc) or providing recreation (another aspect of social network connectivity, games, etc).   Blackberry apps have been an in-house closed platform operation until now, i.e. RIM and only RIM has been developing these apps for download, and the platform on which these apps are built is closed to external developers. In contrast, the app store for the explosively popular iPhone is open for developers from anywhere in the world to build apps for the general public to download. As a result, iPhone apps number around the 350,000 mark, while the Blackberry app s tore has approximately 7000 apps. These apps often form a key differentiator for the layperson looking to invest in a smartphone. As a result, RIM is poised to be edged further out of the market, unless they can take a quantum leap with their app offerings. In our recommendations section, we examine the prospect of a partnership that RIM can forge to rival Apples app store. Another weakness in RIMs current strategy is the delay in its entry in handheld tablet computing market through its upcoming tablet -Playbook. The company has announced the launch of this tablet in mid 2010. However, the launch of the device has been delayed until mid 2011 following a number of issues in manufacturing, unavailability of touchscreen displays due to absence of any long term contract with manufacturers. The company has also spend considerable amount of time in application development which could have been offered after the launch of the product through the Blackberry App Store. (For more details: refer Appendix Figure 6) Competitive Landscape Apple with its twin offerings of the iPhone and the iPad, along with the Apple App Store compete directly with RIM on all fronts. Google with its Android O/S (operable on multiple handset makers devices) is another (and rapidly growing) player in this landscape, with their open source platform that allows developers to write Apps that users can download, much like Apples model. In order to perform a competitive analysis, we further divided the market into two categories, that of Enterprise (corporate) users and that of non-Enterprise (consumer) users. Competitive Analysis in Enterprise Market As mentioned earlier, RIM took advantage of an early head-start in marketing their devices to large MNCs, many of whom now have deep, entrenched relationships with RIM. This was due in part to a first mover advantage, and also due to the enhanced security that RIM offered for email sent to its devices. The easy integration with existing email systems made the Blackberry phone the device of choice for a majority of corporations looking to equip their staff with mobile email units. The cost of switching from RIM for Enterprise users is essentially that of the legacy systems they have invested in (handsets, servers, trained personnel) and contractual commitments. With Apple beginning to offer enhanced security and a push towards productive applications for the corporate workforce, several younger corporations are either starting their staff with iPhones (and iPads) or looking to make the switch from their existing RIM contracts. Under the circumstances, there is an urgent need for RIM to offer additional value to keep these customers anchored, while also remaining a relevant option for new enterprise customers looking to decide for a mobile email-phone provider. RIM needs to follow the concept of Strategic Intent  [4]  and structure of Ambidextrous Organizations  [5]  to be competitive with other players in Smartphone industry. Competitive Analysis in Non-Enterprise Market This segment of users includes both the casual consumer as well as the professional consumer. While the former looks at a plethora of criteria for selecting their handsets and tablets, the latter is focused on devices and phone plans that offer enhanced professional productivity minus the baggage (like firewalls, disabled applications, etc) that accompanies enterprise-provided devices. For both sub-segments, two key decision-making criteria are the processing power of the devices, and the choice (as well as usefulness) of the applications available for download. In this regard, as stated before, RIMs BlackBerry and Playbook are at a disadvantage because they are coupled with the ill-performing, sparsely populated shelves of the BlackBerry App Store. In comparison, the iPhone and iPad, both very competent devices in their own right, are backed by Apples App Store and iTunes websites, the latter offering a large selection of media downloads, such as songs and movies. (For comparative analysis with various manufacturers: refer Appendix Figure 7) For RIM to succeed in this segment, it is key for them to compete directly with Apple on their availability and choice of Apps for download. RIM: Strategic Options Based on our analysis of RIM and current trends in smart-phone industry, we see the following options for RIM: Leverage Android App Platform and Set New Rules in BlackBerry App World Deepen Enterprise Product Range Strong Marketing in BRIC Nations Forge Tactical Partnerships Assessment of RIMs Strategic Options Option 1: Leverage Android App Platform and Set New Rules in BlackBerry App World RIMs App Store strategy must be to increase incentives for its rapidly-dwindling Blackberry App -developer community by offering them higher pay-offs. Additionally, it must monetize a pre-approved Android App store on its phones, just as it did on its tablets. If it can open the Playbook to Android, then it should also open up the BlackBerry phones to Android. Advantages of Option 1 If RIM is leveraging Android App Platform for its Blackberry Smartphones, then it will allow the company to increase its available application base from 10,000 to a close to 150,000 (Appendix: Figure 2). This will make the blackberry phones more appealing to Android buyers (i.e. phones based on Android Operating System). Another advantage of this approach is that the sales of Android applications through Blackberry App world will ensure a guaranteed cash flow for RIM coming from application sales. Additionally, this option will free up internal company resources currently involved in the development of Blackberry applications and help the company to concentrate on the companys core competency build high-quality smart phones and tablets that run on cutting-edge software. This option will also increase consistency between the PlayBook and BlackBerry smart-phones. Disadvantages of Option 1 While there are many benefits of this approach, there are few concerns as well in this direction. First of all, the shift to Googles Android applications for Blackberry smart-phones will further increase the market power of Google. This will make RIM vulnerable to Googles business decisions such as introducing a significant charge for offering Android Apps through Blackberry App world. Another source of disadvantage is related to the security of Blackberry smart-phones. Currently, these phones have applications offered by RIM which are tested thoroughly for interoperability and security. The Android based applications might compromise the security of Blackberry smart-phones due to their lower security standards. Option 2: Deepen Enterprise Product Range Via Strategic Acquisitions One of the biggest barriers to enter the enterprise market segment is the relationships that a firm possesses with enterprises and their corporate clients. If RIM is to retain and expand its enterprise client base- both in the short-term and longer time horizons it needs to expand its offering via tactical and strategic acquisitions. Our suggestion is to do so by acquiring and integrating an enterprise video communication company such as Polycom which is a global leader in Enterprise Video communications, and shaping it around RIMs existing offering via integration and bundling. To beat the Innovators Dilemma that the firm is entrenched in, it has to go after acquisitions that are aligned with its high-level strategy and within the same space, those that can be integrated with the company in a short time-span. Advantages of Option 2 There are a number of advantages of pursuing the acquisition of an enterprise video communication firm such as Polycom. First of all, this option provides quick access to technology and creates a high switching cost for enterprises due to deeper penetration of RIM in enterprise video which forms an important part of enterprise communications. It also creates a huge opportunity to cross-sell complementary product offerings to the existing and non-existing customers. Additionally, RIM can leverage various Polycom offerings such as telepresence  [6]  in its upcoming playbook. Apart from non-enterprise users, RIM should offer its Playbook initially to the existing Polycom customers. This will help the company to see adoption by Early Adopters. Once the Polycom customers like the product, the RIM will be able to Cross the Chasm  [7]  and reach the Pragmatists. (refer: Appendix- Figure 8) The acquisition of Polycom can also create an opportunity to offer video content and generate revenue through live video streaming on Blackberry/Playbook. Based on our financial analysis, we also saw that Polycoms current valuation provides an opportunity for RIM to capture value and to create value through cost and revenue synergies. (refer: Appendix-Figure 9, 10) Disadvantages of Option 2 One of the possible disadvantages with this option is related to the risk involved in any acquisition- cultural and management clashes -which can hamper the growth prospects of RIM. The acquisition will involve approval from regulatory bodies which will require major efforts from RIMs management. There is a possibility that competitors of RIM could also provide a counter bid to an acquisition (e.g. Polycom) and make it difficult for RIM to acquire the firm. Option 3: Strong Marketing in Emerging Markets According on the smart-phone industry forecast  [8]  , Asia-Pacific market will be the largest smart-phone market during 2009-2014, recording a CAGR of 30% in that period. As a result, an option for RIM is to gain a huge market share in emerging markets through strong marketing efforts. Advantages of Option 3 If RIM can capture a strong market share in Emerging Markets, then it will allow the company to increase its revenue many-folds. Another advantage of this approach is the competitive advantage RIM will have over Apple since Apple does not have a strong customer base in the emerging markets due to high price of iPhone. RIM on the other hand, offers a variety of smart-phones which satisfies the need of price sensitive users as well as business users. Additionally, the marketing costs are far less in emerging markets as compared to North America and Europe. Disadvantages of Option 3 First of all, the shift to emerging markets will expose RIM to competitive pressure from local handset manufacturers such as Huawei whose generic strategy is cost leadership. Another source of disadvantage is related to the security of Blackberry smart-phones. The secure email facility offered by RIM is encrypted and there has been security concern in many countries regarding the encrypted nature of these mails which can become a method of communication of for terrorists and criminal organizations. Option 4: Forge Tactical Partnerships Just like RIM has large partners like Microsoft in the enterprise space, it should strive to aggressively partner with other large companies that create content, mobile networks and cloud platforms. For example, it can forge ties with Amazon to get access to valuable content and services like its new cloud player; it can tie-up with gaming companies to create exclusive gaming on its tablets and blackberries, that appeal to its user base games that would appeal to its enterprise-oriented clients. Additionally, it must use exclusive contracts with mobile network companies, when appropriate in order to maintain its exclusivity and security. Advantages of Option 4 Tie-ups with large partners would be a game-changer, and would set RIM a notch above its competition and allow it access to unique content providers. Additionally, it will also provide quick access to cutting-edge technologies to RIM without diverting its focus from its core competencies. Disadvantages of Option 4 One possible disadvantage is that this option exposes RIM to the risk of exposing its intellectual property to partners. As a result, the company might lose its core competencies due to imitation by partners. Future Recommendations for RIM After analyzing the firms core competencies, its current product portfolio and resources which are unique and inimitable, future options we recommend that the firm should return its focus on its original capabilities within the enterprise markets and corporate customers. The high-level strategy for RIM should be to: speed up product development, enhance security and function to appeal better to enterprise/corporate customers and increase its product range through strategic acquisitions and partnerships. RIM possesses a critical mass in its relationships with enterprise segment/corporate clients and the best lever to protect that is enhance its product offering, security and functionalities, and align them to its existing product portfolio and quicken product development. This should be done after the market has been tested enough through small, rapid experiments. In a fast-changing smart-phone market (Figure 6), where the firm virtually had highest market share once, the best bet for the company is to slightly change its strategic position by making new trade-offs and make speedier product iterations, to remain differentiated. More specifically, we recommend the following three key steps to implement the strategy for RIM on a short and long term: 1) Leverage Android App Platform and Set New Rules in BlackBerry App World 2) Deepen Enterprise Product Range via Strategic Acquisitions 3) Forge Tactical Partnerships Additionally, we analyzed what our strategy would look like in the growing emerging market segments, and we believe that the above strategy of rapid product development, broader product offerings and unique partnerships with content providers/networks would be applicable to those markets as well, where RIMs strategy should maintain exclusivity and security and remain enterprise-oriented. We do not see aggressive marketing in emerging markets (option 3) to be a promising option for RIM going forward. In conclusion, there is still a significant enterprise/corporate market that demands high-quality, sophisticated and secure products. RIM, with its strong commitment to security, loyal user base and time-tested partnerships should deepen its focus on this customer base and remain unique and differentiated. Appendix Figure1. Global mobile handset shipments (m), 2009-14 Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 CAGR Unit Shipments(m)  [9]   1234 1373 1485 1602 1697 1796 7.80% Growth% 11.3% 8.2% 7.9% 5.9% 5.8% Figure2. Smartphone Apps Market Platform Symbian RIM Android Apple iOS Number of Applications  [10]   6118 10000 140000 225000 Figure3. The Value Chain Smartphone Industry Figure4. Market Share: Video Communication Source: Cisco Figure5. Revenue sharing model Source: Business Insights Figure6. RIM SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong market presence in the enterprise segment is driven by its flagship BlackBerry device. A weak content strategy coupled with a poor ecosystem is impacting on the companys competitiveness. Robust profits continue to shield the company from competitive threats. RIM derives a substantial 63.1% of its revenues from North America. Concentration of revenues from a single region could expose the company to considerable risk. Opportunities Threats The company is targeting the youth segments in emerging markets by offering social networking and multimedia featur

Coke Business Study :: essays research papers

Business Summary Coca Cola is the world's largest producer of soft drink concentrates and syrups, as well as the worlds's largest producer ofjuice and juice-drink products, The company holds a 45% interest in Coca Cola Enterprises, its largest bottler. The Beverages division primarily manufactures soft drink and non-carbonated beverages and syrups, which are sold to independent and company-owned bottling and canning operations, as well as, fountain wholesalers. Brands include Coca-Cola classic ( best selling soft drink in the world), Caffeine free Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke ( sold as Coke light in foreign markets), Cherry Coke, diet Cherry Coke, Fanta, Sprite, diet Sprite, Barq's, Mr. PIBB, Mello Yello, Tab, Fresca, Power Aide, Minute Maid, Fruitopia and other products developed for specific markets, including Georgia ready to drink coffees. The Foods division is the world's largest maker and distributor ofjuice and juice-drink products. Brands include Minute Maid, Five Alive, Bright & Early, Hi-C And Bacardi. History Coke was invented in 1886, by Atlanta pharmacist John S. Pemberton, It was named by Frank- Robinson (Pemberton's bookkeeper), after it's two main ingredients, coca leaves and Kola nuts, In 1891 the company was sold to druggist Asa Candler for $2.300, and by 1895 the soda fountain drink was available in all US states, and expanded to Candia and Mexico by 1898, Candier sold most of the US bottling rights in 1899 to Benjamin Thomas and John Whitehead of Chattanooga for $1.00. With the backing of John Lupton, Thomas and Whitehead developed a regional franchise bottling system, expanding to over 1,000 bottlers within 20 years. The bottlers used the contoured bottle designed by the C.J. Root Glass Company in 1916, In 1916 Candler retired to become Atianta's mayor; his family sold the company to Atlanta banker Ernest Woodruff for $25 million in 1919, that same year Coca-Cola went public. In 1923 Wooddruff appointed his son Robert president. Robert continued as chairman until 1942 and remained influential until his death in 1985 at the age of 95- Robert Woodruffs contribution were in adverting and overseas expansion. During NnrWIl Woodrtiff decreed that every soldier would have access to a 5-cent bottle of Coke. With government assistance Coca-Cola built 64 overseas bottling plants during WKVII. Also during this period the company accepted "Coke" as an official brand name. In 1960 Coca-Cola brought Ntinute Maid and introduced Sprite in 1961, Tab in 1963 and Diet Coke in 1882. In 1981 Woodruff was succeeded by Roberto Goizueta, a Yale educated chemical engineer, who rose through the ranks.

Democracy and the news Essay

This paper will look at the different ways the media reflects and affects society by examining the various relationships that exists between the media, the state and the citizens. It will firstly define key terms, allowing for controversial words to have a specific and continuing definition throughout the paper. Three key ideas, centering around the relationships between the media and the state, will make up the major part of this paper; namely how the media affects the state, how the state affects the media and failed attempts by the media to affect the state. Examples of each concept being discussed will be included, showing the notion in practice. Relationships between the media and citizens will also be examined and discussed, again using examples to show each in action. The relationship between the media and citizens will be discussed, examining the ability of the media to influence the public, the public’s ability to influence the media and failed attempts of the media t o influence the public. The conclusion of this paper will detail the role of the media within society, how it operates and different functions it both performs, and attempts to perform. The media is a constantly changing medium. It includes television, newspapers, magazines, journals, radio, cinema, advertisements, and interactive multi-media. It can also include the Internet, video games, mobile phones and computers ( O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2002 ). No undisputable definition of the term ‘media’ exists, however, for the purpose of this paper the following definition given by O’Shaughnessy and Stadler ( 2002 ), will be understood as conclusive. The media are technologically developed and economically profitable forms of human communication, held either in public or private ownership, which can transmit information and entertainment across time and space to large groups of people ( O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2002; Pg 4 ). A democracy is † the notion that power and authority is vested in the people,  Ã¢â‚¬  ( Singleton et al, 2000; Pg 4 ). In Australia, citizens vote for representatives that make up the parliament, and the party holding the majority form Government. Government operates at three levels; Commonwealth, state and local. Parliamentary members are held accountable and responsible for their actions, and numerous institutions designed to check and balance power exists to ensure this occurs. Citizen is defined in The Macquarie Dictionary ( 1994 ) as being â€Å"a member, native or naturalized, of a state or nation, † ( Pg 187 ) and will adopt this definition throughout this paper. The print and electronic media’s ability to broadcast information both quickly and widely across society allows the media to successfully enact the role of ‘ public watchdog ‘ ( Wheeler, 1997; Pg 238 ). The media feeds citizens information. The public is informed of what occurs around them and abroad, who their politicians are, how they look and sound and important issues being suggested, debated and implemented within government. † Politician – journalist relationships are inherently collusive. Each needs the other to achieve their objectives † ( Franklin 1998 ). Politicians require the services of journalists for their messages to reach the general public and journalists need politicians in order to cover politics ( Ward 2002 ). The relationship between the state and the mass media can quickly become vulnerable. The media holds a particular power, which can see it become an agenda setter for society. Not only politicians realise the importance of the media as a platform from which to speak. Pressure groups seek out the media in order to publicize their objectives. Those that successfully use the media acquire a community status, which has the potential to morph into a political status, from which opposition to political ideals, occurrences or similar can be passed on to citizens. Examples of such groups include Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and Amnesty. These groups can become oppositional spokesmen to government policy, sources of information and social commentators on legislation or policy ( Negrine, 1989; Pg 163 ). The media uses these groups as an official  authority, as they are recognized and respected organisations within the greater community, a status gained through use of the media itself. Examples exist where journalists can be seen as ‘ propaganda agents ‘ for politicians. The term ‘ manufacturing consent ‘ is described by Robinson ( 2002 ) as the † power of the government to set the news media agendas, † ( Robinson, 2002; Pg 12 ). Entman ( 1991 ), examines an example of this with two incidents from the 1980’s. The media’s contradictory handling of two aircraft shoot-downs, the Korean Airline and Iran Air, despite case similarities, proved the presence of political persuasiveness. Both resulted in a large loss of civilian life, and both were the result of military mistakes. The Iran Air shoot-down for which the US was answerable, was described † in terms of a technical failure, † ( Robinson, 2002; Pg 13 ). The Korean Airline shoot-down, effected by the USSR, was † framed as a moral outrage, † ( Robinson, 2002; Pg 13 ). The US media covered these two incidents as instructed to by US administrations and, says Entman ( 1991 ), chose to neither challenge nor criticize the facts presented to them by the state ( Robinson, 2002 ). The combination of Western governments intervening during humanitarian crises, and the considerable media attention given to dire circumstances abroad, saw the relationship between the media and the state linked as contributing factors, namely with the media encouraging the state to intervene ( Robinson, 2002 ). This trend became known as the ‘ CNN effect ‘ ( Robinson, 2002; Pg 1 ). Media coverage was proclaimed to influence policy-makers, resulting as † either a necessary or sufficient factor in producing a particular outcome, † ( Robinson, 2002; Pg 37 ). The ‘ CNN effect ‘ ( Robinson, 2002 ) adheres to the fact that definitive policy decisions lie with the policy makers, but media coverage can encourage policy makers to see that a decision is attained ( Robinson, 2002 ). An example of media coverage contributing to humanitarian intervention is that which became known as ‘ Operation Deliberate Force ‘, an action led progressively by the US into Bosnia between 1992 and 1995. The war in Bosnia was the biggest conflict resulting from the dissolution of the Federal  Republic of Yugoslavia ( FRY ). Bosnia broke away from the undermined FRY and fighting began in 1991 between Bosnian government forces on one hand, and Bosnian Serb nationalists and Yugoslav army on the other. The latter two intent on creating ‘ethnically pure ‘ regions in Bosnia ( Robinson, 2002; Pg 73 ). Pressure mounted in the US for intervention and as the war continued, US involvement increased, culminating in 1995 when the US became directly involved with the Bosnia war. This occurred after the 1994 Sarajevo market place bombing. The media expelled a † do something † ( Robinson, 2002; Pg 82 ) attitude and it came at a time when US policy-makers were unsure of just how much force they should exude. Holbrooke ( 1999 ) believes a CNN effect ultimately persuaded the US to act. The eventual response that came from the US was a threatened use of massive force, should the Serb nationalists fail to cease actions against civilians. † The reason the West finally, belatedly intervened was heavily related to news media coverage, † ( Holbrooke, 1999; Pg 20 ). Media influence, however, cannot entirely be held responsible for the US intervention. Avoidance of a humiliating UN withdrawal, along with the credibility and competence of the US can also be considered contributing factors. ( Robinson, 2002; Pg 85 ) The media can also attempt to set an agenda and fail. When politicians are certain of their policy, media coverage can have virtually no influence in encouraging a policy change ( Robinson, 2002 ). The war in Kosovo, also a result of the FRY dissolution, proved an area of much controversy between US administrations and the media. Albanian Kosovars, disheartened with a lack of international support, supported a Kosovo Liberation Army ( KLA ). KLA attacks on Serb forces were answered with considerable force, which included civilian targets ( Robinson, 2002; Pg 94 ). Two contingency plans were decided upon; the deployment of ground troops, and the use of air strikes, and were to go ahead should Serb forces continue attacks against Albanian civilians. US air strikes prevailed, but appeared to have little affect on the Serbian military. The US media became critical of the actions undertaken, and it became clear that the general community consensus lent toward a group campaign into Kosovo. It was concluded by Robinson, ( 2002 ) that although a large section of media coverage in the US encouraged the deployment of ground troops, it added little pressure on the government to  do so ( Robinson, 2002 ). Not all media outlets chose to criticize the policy-makers however, and a minority were seen supporting air attacks, ( Robinson, 2002; Pg 109 ). This example shows that although a CNN effect was clearly present, it failed in its attempt to influence policy change. Two theories suggest ways of understanding the relationship between the media and society. Firstly, it is suggested † the media reflect the realities, values, and norms of a society. †¦ The media act as a mirror of society ( O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2002; Pg 28 ). Secondly, it can be said that † the media affect how people think, believe, and behave. The media construct our values for us and have a direct effect on our actions † ( O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2002 ). Both theories will be discussed. The media role includes both identifying issues of public concern, as well as acting as check on the abuse of power, this generally being political power. Journalists describe society to itself. They seek truth. They convey  information, ideas and opinions †¦ They search, disclose, record,  question, entertain, suggest and remember. They inform citizens and  animate democracy ( White, 1996; Pg 288 ). It is important to note that journalists, similarly to politicians, are held accountable for what they report. † Accountability engenders trust, ( White, 1996; Pg 288 ). Journalists in Australia are answerable to a self-regulatory and industry funded board known as the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance. The media often influences’ and reflects the priorities of communities or societies. The media is reliant on advertisements for revenue. In order to attract businesses to advertise, the outlet must attract consumers. This sees media  outlets selling the news, opinions and human-interest pieces that appeal to the values, opinions and sense of the greater market, namely, the readers and viewers. Increasingly, it is impossible to discuss the media without broaching the subject of public relations. Public relations professionals are most apt at using the media to suit their needs. They create the stories and feed the media with them, highlighting those facts they wish known, and keeping the undesirable ones hidden. If a cause requires the attention of the general public, it is possible to entice the media to cover it by creating newsworthy conditions. Politicians employ public relations professionals, who are often professional journalists, to liaise with the media. Obligations of the media to the citizen are to represent, interpret and evaluate ( O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2002 ). The majority of citizens receive their knowledge of global issues through media outlets. The media explains these occurrences to the general public, giving them an understanding of what they may not otherwise know. The media can be seen as an educational tool, giving understanding of the norms, values and realities of society to citizens ( O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2002 ). The real power of the media lies in its ability to ‘ agenda set ‘ ( Ward, 2002; Pg 404 ). † The media may not be able to tell people what to think but †¦.. they are remarkably successful in telling audiences what issues to think about, † ( Cohen, 1963; Pg 13 ). The media can act as society’s definer, giving meaning and understanding to situations and occurrences. Although the definitions and explanations may not necessarily reflect the attitudes of the subject ‘ experts ‘, the power of the media can quickly see misinformation become the general consensus. Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the term ‘ terrorism ‘ has been misinterpreted within the media, and used to describe what academics in the field would not label as terrorism. Debate is strong regarding the issues of media censorship, with allegations, arising more and more frequently, regarding violent, sexually explicit and disturbing films, comics, song lyrics, Internet sites and books. Misdemeanor behaviour is often said to have been motivated and inspired by such mediums. In Australia’s republic referendum held in 1999, † 18 of Australia’s 20 daily newspapers supported a ‘Yes’ vote, † ( Ward, 2002; Pg 404 ). Despite this, the majority of Australian’s voted against Australia becoming a republic. Media scholars are aware that media campaigns will not alter political views of those with existing political opinion and loyalties. An increasing minority however, are influenced by media propaganda and media content may prove valuable during elections in the more marginal seats ( Ward, 2002; Pg 404 ). The example of the republic referendum could be seen as an attempted, and ultimately failed, use of the CNN effect on society. _________________________________________________ The above discussion is in reference to situations within western democracies. Other political systems, including dictatorships and less democratic regimes, eg. Zwimbabe, USSR, and China use the media differently, tending to control opinion and political views, and thereby dictating public viewpoints. Prior to the recent elections in Russia, many of the non-government television stations were taken over or shut down, and had to change their influence and affiliations before being allowed to broadcast again. This saw the public denied access to media that presents a point of view different to that which the government wants citizens to have. Hitler shut down all newspapers during his leadership and produced his own, preaching his messages to the masses, this undoubtedly contributing to the large number of Germans that became Nazis. Media ownership is an essential element in this debate, and it is vital to recognize the regulations regarding media ownership in Australia. The federal government of 1986 sought to ensure that media ownership remained as diverse as possible. † A person owning a television license cannot at the same time own more than 15 per cent of a newspaper published in the same city † ( Singleton et al, 2000: Pg 308 ). 1992, however, saw legislation altered to allow more than 15 per ownership, provided the owner is deemed † not to be in control † ( Singleton et al, 2000: Pg 308 ). In a democratic society it is always possible for the alternative point of view to be presented, and for the most part, all sides of debates are considered. The media affects and reflects. It can act as an agent of propaganda and it can set the agenda. It can influence, or be influenced. The media, the state and the citizens are interdependent, each needing and using the other to inform and be informed. Western democracies will continue to see a balance within the media and the information it contains, as media ownership laws ensure the media remains democratic. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cohen, B. 1963. The Press and Foreign Policy. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Entman, R. 1991. ‘ Framing US Coverage of International News: Contrasts in Narratives of the KAL and Iran Air Incidents ‘. Journal of Communication 41(4):6 – 27. Holbrooke, R. 1999. No Media – No War. Index on Censorship, 28(3): 20-1. Negrine, Ralph. 1989. Politics and the Mass Media in Britain. London: Routledge. O’Shaughnessy, Michael & Stadler, Jane. 2002. Media and Society, An Introduction. 2nd Edition. Victoria: Oxford University Press. Robinson, Piers. 2002. The CNN Effect: The myth of news, foreign policy and intervention. London: Routledge. Singleton, Aitkin, Jinks & Warhurst. 2000. Australian Political Institutions. 6th Edition. Malaysia: Pearson Education Australia Pty Limited / Longman. Ward, Ian. 2002. Media Power. Government, Politics, Power and Policy in Australia. Summers, John ( Ed ). NSW: Pearson Education Australia Pty Limited / Longman. Wheeler, Mark. 1997. Politics and the Mass Media. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd. White, Sally. 1996. Reporting in Australia. 2nd Edition. South Yarra: MacMillan Publishers Australia Pty Limited.

Use Weather Maps to Make a Forecast - A Lesson Plan

Use Weather Maps to Make a Forecast - A Lesson Plan Purpose of lesson The purpose of the lesson is to use meteorological data on a weather map, including a variety of weather map symbols, to predict weather events and produce a mock forecast. The intent is to show how data is collected and analyzed. Students first analyze a weather report to discover its parts. They then use these same techniques to analyze weather data. By creating a web at the beginning of the lesson, they can then complete an assessment where they complete another web that, this time, outlines the steps a forecaster takes to produce a forecast. Objectives Given wind speed and direction data in a weather station model from various locations around the United States,correctly label the map with the locations of high and low pressure zones.Given temperature data on a United States isotherm map, chose the correct frontal boundary from the four types of frontal boundaries and draw it on the map so that a forecast can be produced. Resources AMS Datastreme at ametsoc.org/amsedu/dstreme/ for up-to-date weather mapsNOAA Jetstream website at srh.noaa.govNOAAJetstream website at NOAA Jetstream online school for weather srh.noaa.gov/jetstream// for background informationDaily newspaper weather section (minimum 5 days collected at least one week in advance of lesson)The Weather blog at http://weather.about.com Materials needed for lesson Teacher needs to collect the daily newspaper forecast for 5 days in advance of the lesson. Teacher must also print daily isotherm, frontal, and pressure maps from the AMS datastreme site. A computer projector (and a computer) would be helpful in reviewing the online Jetstream school. Students will need colored pencils and access to research online through computers or the library. Students will need a KWL chart to fill in at the beginning, middle, and end of the class. Background Teacher will show a video of a weather report that includes a weather map. Students will watch the video while thinking about the essential question – How do scientists gather and report data to create weather reports? The video segment of the lesson acts as a hook to get students interested in the data. Also included will be a demonstration of various meteorological tools including a barometer, thermometer, wind speed indicator (anemometer), hygrometer, weather instrument shelters, and photos of weather satellites and the resultant images. The students will then formulate a pair-share group to produce a web of all the parts of a weather report. They will include methods and tools used to gather meteorological data as well as the components of weather maps and forecast reports. Students will share some of their main points in the webs they created with the teacher. The teacher will record the information on the board and ask for discussion in the class for what they think is the best way to create a web. Once the video segment is shown, students will go through a series of steps to practice analyzing weather maps.Students will also fill out a KWL chart once they see the weather video. Once they are complete, they will be able to check their forecasts based on the newspaper forecasts the teacher already collected. Assessment The assessment will be a weather map of the CURRENT class day, printed in the morning by the teacher, and students will have to predict the weather for the next day. In the same pair-share groups, students will create a 1 minute forecast report as if they were on TV. Remediation and review Practice reading temperature data in Celsius and Fahrenheit on a standard alcohol thermometer.Show students a model of a building or doll. Explain the idea of the use of models in science.Obtain a weather map from Datastreme site and distribute to students so they can see examples of a real weather map.Introduce students to the online Jetstream site and the parts of a weather map. Students will record the various parts of a station model.Locate a station model for a city and record temperature, pressure, wind speed, etc. in a data table. Describe to a partner the different conditions present in that city. Optional-Using laptop computers, instant message a partner across the room about the conditions in your city.Use a simplified map to locate the isotherm lines on a weather map. Connect similar temperatures in increments of 10 degrees with different shades of colored pencils. Create a key for the colors. Analyze the map to see where different air masses are and try to outline a front al boundary using the correct symbols learned from the Jetstream online course. Students will obtain a pressure reading map and determine the pressure at a station. Color the region around several cities that show pressure anomalies. Students will then try to determine high and low pressure zones.Students will draw conclusions about their maps and check the key with the teacher. Conclusion The conclusion will be the presentation of forecasts from students. As students explain why they feel it will rain, get colder, etc., students will have a chance to agree or disagree with the information. The teacher will go over the correct answers the next day. If done right, the next days weather is the real weather the student forecasted because the map used in the assessment was the CURRENT weather map. The teacher should review the objectives and standards on the bulletin board. Teachers should also review the learned portion of the KWL chart to show students what was accomplished in the lesson. Assignments Students will use a weather map (model) to create a weather report.Students will use observation and analysis to determine the methods, data, tools, and information used in forecasts of the weather by creating a graphic organizer (webbing).Students will have periodic self-checks available as they analyze older maps to gain the skill in interpreting and predicting future weather.