Emerging Female Literature in the 15th and 16th Century :: Free Essay Writer

With the successive reigns by two educated queens in the sixteenth century on that point began a close examination of the womans role in society (Hull 1). Although nothing drastic, small leans of women began to gain an education which taught them to read. The exact number is unknown and there is some controversy as to how many women could actually read. However, according to Suzanne Hull the small but steady stream of books for a womanly audience (Hull 1) indicates that there were a growing number of women who could read. These books were directed towards women for various reasons. One main reason was to instruct women in their roles as marriage partners, reservation certain that women (and men) understood the subservient role of the female sex (Hull 6). Many books focused on the daily activities of womenmid-wifery, cooking, housewifery. . .education of young girls. . .Benedictine rules (Hull 10) are some of the subjects addressed. These educational texts off the bea ten track(predicate) outnumbered the fictional texts. However, this was rapidly changing. As the number of women reading increased, so did the publishing of recreational books (Hull 74). More women began to read the romances (see history of the novel), the poetry, the jingles. . .allegories. . .and female biographies (Hull 71). This brought up controversy near what girls were putting into their heads (see controversy). Both the feminist and anti-feminist positions appear in drama and fiction as well as philosophical line of productss (Hull 83). However, try as they might, the anti-feminists were fighting a losing battle. Although this controversy of what women read was not as strong as it was in the eighteenth centurythere were other topics which led great debate. One much(prenominal) topic was the nature of women. These arguments included that women were inferior because they were created from Adams rib, men are stronger and therefore superior, Eve as a woman, caused th e original sin. With each argument is a counter argument which allowed this topic to be discussed for many, many years.

Presuppositions Of The Game Theory :: essays research papers

Presuppositions of The Game TheorySoloman believes that as the game theory gets more sophisticated, we tend to withdraw sight of the problem rather than solve it. He sees the problem as how toget people to think about contrast and about themselves in an Aristoteleanrather than a neo-Hobbesian (or even a Rawlsian) way, which the game theoreticalmodels simply presuppose.Soloman discusses seven presuppositions in the first section of his "Ethics &Excellence" book. They be rationality and prudence motivation and self-interest currency and measurement the anomaly of altruism good and goals theopen-ended playing field and the role of the rules. Soloman rejects eachpresupposition and gives his reasons why.This assay will discuss two of these presuppositions and either agree ordisagree with Soloman and then give reasons as to why. The two presuppositionsthat will be discussed argon m one and only(a)y and measurement and the role of the rules.Money and MeasurementIn business, as in most games, we like to keep score. As one of Solomansbusinessman friends told him "in business you always know how well you are doing.You just have to put your hand in your pocket." People often think the moremoney one has, the happier they are. You often hear people say "if I only hadmore money, I would be happy." Frequently the perceived level of success iscompared to the size of ones situate account, the location of their house or theamount of cars in the driveway. People seem to perceive money as beinghappiness.Soloman says that keeping score, although it is not an essential disport ofgames, seems to be one of the most durable features of game theory. He thinksthat the best way to keep score is to have a dependable point system, a definiteunit of worth, which is money.Soloman rejects this presupposition by first stating that "money isnt the onlyor even primary social good", and "money is only a inwardness and not an end."Soloman agrees w ith these statements but to further reject this presupposition,he goes on to discuss another example involving money.Social theorists, in general, "like to talk about money, because money is areadily measurable utility, a readily comparable measure, and apparently clearbasis for comparison." But even some of these unrefined theorists recognizethat fitted amounts of money do not have equal significance for different people,therefore money is not an absolute readily measurable utility. Soloman statesthat various ends are hard to compare and so success and "maximum utility" maybe hard to measure. "If we were to assign every end a monetary value, however,

Essay --

Some resources needed to become a record label owner consist of, a go to guy or girl for graphic design, merchandise printers, a talent manager. Some common sense social occasions that would professional in this career might be moderate typewriting skills and a lot of patience. A great way to catch peoples attention is a logo. A professional looking logo is perpetu all(prenominal)y worth how ever much it is priced or quoted by the graphic designer you choose to use. There are many so gullt conceive of your choices are limited. I personally know 10 off the top of my head, including myself. But for the best work, its sometimes better to have someone else do your graphic design work, as its not burdening you on your other jobs you need to look into for your label. Usually graphic designers are common with mostly all of the kind media sites out there. The main sites that Ive seen graphic designers on, include Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, and usually their own site recommen ded by someone on any of the above social media sites. That guy would most likely be doing all of your merchandise for your label, or bands as well. Merchandise (aka. merch) printer/distributors, is a great thing to have when youre a record label owner. Especially if your designer does a great job that wants people to spend their bills on your merch. A great thing to look for in a merch printer/distributor, is by looking into their previous customers. Seeing if they had any problems, or any setbacks, or just problems with being unprepared. purpose someone who already has a flat rate is great because their flat rate can give you the number youre looking for when saving your money or purchasing your printed merch. Being able to tell a good band apart from a mediocre, not really... ...ught as a threat. Other labels dont really enjoy competition, especially when your label takes a band that they wanted to sign to their label. Another great way to get attention is promotional pages on Facebook, Twitter, and other sites that have a smaller fan base, but want attention to their small time bands. When using promotional pages you always render to get Likes on your Facebook, because usually thats one of the first thing a band looks for when looking for a label. Then its professional qualities. natural process on the page, maturity, and so on. Say for example, my label partner and I have discussed that no other label this close to their inception looks this professional AND can bring home the bacon what we can for our bands. That includes discounted designs, music videos, lyric videos (typography videos), promotion, and many more things Afflicted Records can provide.

Preventing the export of conflict diamonds in the Democratic Republic o

Preventing the export of conflict diamonds in the Democratic Republic of the congou tea The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has large reserves of cobalt, gold, gems, copper, timber, and uranium. However, the most valuable resource that the DRC possess is its large reserve of diamonds. Diamonds essentially serve as a pillar to the DRCs struggling economy. Plagued by civil unrest, the DRC is desperately trying to stabilize its economy. Their efforts have been met with stiff resistance due to the ongoing civil fight and flagitious diamond trade. Not only is the DRC losing potential revenue from the illegal mining of diamonds, but also these diamonds are being used to finance the freedom fighter armies. In response, the U.N. has drafted several resolutions and imposed sanctions in order to try and curtail the illegal trade. The DRC has also agreed to follow the Kimberley Process in hopes of preventing the export of illegal diamonds. However, these efforts are not enough to stop the trafficking of diamonds. Several steps must be taken to strengthen the Kimberley Process and change government policies within the DRC in order to stabilize the economy and end the civil war.History of conflict in the CongoThe DRCs current unstable government can be attributed mainly to its turbulent history. Since the late 1800s the Congo region has experienced relatively few periods of peace and economic stability. Colonization severely hindered the future schooling of the Congo region. In the late 1870s, King Leopold II of Belgium colonized the Congo territory. Treaties were signed with several tribal rulers in the territory, giving the King Leopold sovereignty in their areas. In 1885, the territory formally became the Congo Free State, he... ...r 22, 2002.Dietrich, Christian. Hard currency the criminalized diamond economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighbours. Ottawa Partnership Africa Canada, c2002.Muller, Emma. Diamonds export Throu gh Congo Republic Makes Mockery of Kimberley Process. Polishedprices.com, July 10, 2003.Tamm, Ingrid J. Diamonds in peace and war severing the conflict-diamond connection. Cambridge, Mass World Peace Foundation, 2002.U.N. document. Report of the Panel of Experts on the irregular Exploitations of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth in the Democratic Republic of Congo. www.globalpolicy.orgWilliam Wallis. Comment and Analysis Kimberley Process Africas conflict diamonds is the UN-backed certification scheme failing to bring transparency to the trade?Financial Times October 29, 2003.www.kimberleyprocess.com

An Argument for Euthanasia Essay -- Argumentative Essays, Persuasive Es

An Argument for EuthanasiaEuthanasia is defined as, The act or practice of putting to death painlessly a person suffering from an incurable disease. Euthanasia can be traced back as far back as the ancient Greek and papist civilizations. It was sometimes allowed in these civilizations to help others die. Voluntary euthanasia was approved in these ancient societies. Today, the practice of euthanasia causes great controversy. Both pro-life groups and right-to-die groups present arguments for their various sides. Pro-life groups make arguments and present fears against euthanasia. I cont shutting that the case for the right to die is the stronger argument. I will begin my by listing the arguments against euthanasia and my censure of each argument. 1. Euthanasia is a violation of medical ethics. The American Medical Association has consistently condemned euthanasia as an unethical practice. Today, attitudes may be changing. youthful surveys indicate that a majority of doctors in some aras, (60% in Oregon, 56% in Michigan, and 54% in Great Britain.) favor euthanasia in peak cases. 2. Euthanasia weakens the verify relationship between the doctor and the patient. We expect doctors to heal and save lives, not to kill. I feel that I should be able to trust my doctor to do what is best for me as an individual in any situation, including ending unbearable suffering, even if it is my choice to die in order to end my suffering. Doctors may lose the trust of their patients by not helping them to end their suffering. 3. Choosing the time and place of a person?s death is God?s decision. This argument suggests that we should never intervene in any life-threatening situation. If a person is having a heart attack, should we just... ...admit that they have given heavy doses of morphine to explain the extreme pain of terminally ill patients, knowing that such high doses will cause a quicker death. Because their primary aim is to relieve pain, these acts are considered mor al. It would not be morally right to give the same high doses of morphine if their primary aim was to cause death. This is in my opinion wrong. In both case, the ultimate end is death. I believe that it is immoral of society to force caring, compassionate people to lie and go to such morbid lengths to help their patients and love ones end their suffering. These illegal acts would be entirely unnecessary if euthanasia were regulated and legalized. Value precede Everyone deserves to live a life free from suffering.Factual Premise Euthanasia ends suffering.Conclusion In order to end suffering euthanasia should be allowed.

An Argument for Euthanasia Essay -- Argumentative Essays, Persuasive Es

An Argument for EuthanasiaEuthanasia is defined as, The act or practice of putting to death painlessly a person suffering from an incurable disease. Euthanasia can be traced back as far back as the ancient Greek and popish civilizations. It was sometimes allowed in these civilizations to help others die. Voluntary euthanasia was approved in these ancient societies. Today, the practice of euthanasia causes great controversy. Both pro-life groups and right-to-die groups present arguments for their diametric sides. Pro-life groups make arguments and present fears against euthanasia. I cont hold on that the case for the right to die is the stronger argument. I will begin my by listing the arguments against euthanasia and my objurgation of each argument. 1. Euthanasia is a violation of medical ethics. The American Medical Association has consistently condemned euthanasia as an unethical practice. Today, attitudes may be changing. fresh surveys indicate that a majority of doctors in so me aras, (60% in Oregon, 56% in Michigan, and 54% in Great Britain.) favor euthanasia in uttermost(a) cases. 2. Euthanasia weakens the institutionalise relationship between the doctor and the patient. We expect doctors to heal and save lives, not to kill. I feel that I should be able to trust my doctor to do what is best for me as an individual in any situation, including ending unbearable suffering, even if it is my choice to die in order to end my suffering. Doctors may lose the trust of their patients by not helping them to end their suffering. 3. Choosing the time and place of a person?s death is God?s decision. This argument suggests that we should never intervene in any life-threatening situation. If a person is having a heart attack, should we just... ...admit that they have given heavy doses of morphine to placate the extreme pain of terminally ill patients, knowing that such high doses will cause a quicker death. Because their primary aim is to relieve pain, these act s are considered moral. It would not be morally right to give the same high doses of morphine if their primary aim was to cause death. This is in my opinion wrong. In each case, the ultimate end is death. I believe that it is immoral of society to force caring, compassionate people to lie and go to such morbid lengths to help their patients and love ones end their suffering. These illegal acts would be entirely unnecessary if euthanasia were regulated and legalized. Value antedate Everyone deserves to live a life free from suffering.Factual Premise Euthanasia ends suffering.Conclusion In order to end suffering euthanasia should be allowed.

Weather and Famous Landmarks

15. take away the discourse that means the same or similar to the word nature. ?) environment ?) scenery ?) landscape ?) view. 5 -2011 8 16. Match the quotation with sensation of the sources listed below Interested in photography? Fujiko commence produced an amazing new mini-camera the advanced 1001x. 3 1. What kind of film would you command if you wanted to get a detailed information about a clear subject? ?) animated cartoon ?) thriller 2. ?) documentary ?) trailer. ?) recipe ?) instruction 17. ?) announcement ?) ad.Do you know that the English Queen, Elizabeth II, is the only person in Britain with two birthdays. Her official birthday is on the second Saturday in June. When is her real birthday? ?) on April 21 ?) on May 21 ?) on July 21 ?) on August 21. Choose one of the following as the appropriate reaction to the statement My friend has seen this film already. ?) So I have ?) So have I ?) I so have ?) I have so. 18. Do you know who gave Britain its modern name? ?) the Romans ?) the Anglo-Saxons ?) the Celts ?) the Dutch. 3. Who said The world is a stage and people are provided actors? ) R. Stevenson ?) B. Show ?) O. Wild ?) W. Shakespeare. 19. Read the weather forecast and decide in what season this weather is expected to be The South East will see the best of todays weather. It will be agile, no winds, and sunshine nearly all day, with temperatures around ten or fifteen, so quite warm for the time of the year. 4. There are eight public holidays in Great Britain. Do you know that they are called ?) Bank Holidays ?) Festival age ?) Feast Days ?) Carnival Days. ?) winter ?) spring 20. ?) summer ?) autumn. You can find the name of these animals in the Red Book. ) rabbits ?) foxes ?) Indian tigers ?) sharks. 5. Stonehenge is ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancient Canadian history ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancient British history ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancient Australian history ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancient American history. - Web-site www. uclever. com, e-mail emailprotected com 4 6. John likes to spend much time in the open air.When he does his hobby for more than one day he takes a rucksack, a tent and a compass with him. Can you guess Johns hobby? ?) running ?) fishing ?) hiking ?) swimming. 7. Which of the subroutine library rooms provides video and film circulation, and audiovisual equipment circulation? 10. Complete the following tongue-twister with an appropriate word Swan swam over the sea, Swim, ramble, swim Swan swam back again. Well , swan ?) swum ?) swim ?) swam ?) swims. 11. Link the following paragraph with one of the cities listed below This city is on the river Mersey.Its famous for its football teams and for the Beatles. ?) Cardiff ?) Birmingham ?) Manchester ?) Liverpool. ?) the reading room ?) the multimedia dormitory room ?) the book borrowing department ?) catalogue. 12. The American traveller and scientist Lowell Thomas think s that Grand Canyon, Glacier Bay, the Mammoth Cave, Victoria Falls, Baikal, Mountain Everest and Yellowstone National Park are ?) seven reputations enigmas ?) seven Natures wonders ?) seven Natures gifts ?) seven Natures mysteries. 8. Look at the following list of adjectives.Which would drill to a sportsman? ?) weak ?) awkward ?) enduring ?) stout. 13. In which part of Britain do the men wear a kilt? ?) Wales ?) England ?) Scotland ?) Ireland. 9. The following sentence contains an idiom. The key word is missing in the idiom. Choose the correct word If you have any trouble with your homework, Ill be glad to give you a . 14. Match the first one-half of a proverb with an appropriate second half Custom is ?) hand ?) head ?) hair ?) hip. ?) the second habit ?) the second nature ?) the second panache ?) the second tradition.

Ri Paper For Internal Circulation Only Raffles Institution 2012 Essay

Passage 1 1. What is the author hoping to emphasise by italicising does non and sightnot in line 6? 1 move Just because specie does not buy gladness does not mean m superstary cannot buy happiness, says Elizabeth Dunn, a well-disposed psychologist and helper professor at the University of British Columbia. Paraphrased The author hopes to emphasise (the contrast / difference between) what notes very(prenominal) much fails to do but actu each(prenominal)y has the potential to achieve. MUST undertake to explain does not and cannot. Merely saying that there is a difference/contrast is stating the obvious. E.g. Does not is different from cannot. = 0m. 12. Using your own words as far as possible, explain how we use gold wrongly (line 8). 2 Lifted a. we tend to observe GOODS over experiences, b. OURSELVES over others, Paraphrased a. good deal tend to think that commodities/things mustiness be tangible ar much important than experiences,b. People value themselves over othe rs/self-centred OR slide by on themselves rather than others,c. THINGS over passel.c. People prefer pass on objects rather than people. d. Inferred We atomic number 18 spending on temporary pursuits and cravings that tend to disappear over time. MUST capture the comparison (the evidence it is wrong is because the preference is wrong). Need not follow the sequence in the answer scheme. 3-4 points 2 starts 1-2 points 1 markd. the spending that makes us happy, it turns out(a), is often spending where the funds vanishes and leaves something INEFFABLE in its place.1For inhering Circulation Only 3. Using your own words as far as possible,explain tether primings why experiences are inherently more than social (line 28) 3 Lifted As experiences are inherently more social when we vacation or eat out or go to the movies it is unremarkably with other people, we are liable as well as to RELIVE the experience when we see those people again. And past experiences can work as a s ort of social agglutinate even with people who did not PARTICIPATE with us, providing stories and conversational fodder in a way that a peeled watch or speedboat rarely can.In addition, experiences do not usu everyy trigger the same sort of PERNICIOUS comparisons that material possessions do (lines 2835) Paraphrased a. Inferred Experiences naturally fit interaction with people and 1b. We are likely to recall / revisit / reminisce / recollect the experience when we meet those people again. c. People can too bond with people who were not present / strangers / others (through the sharing of anecdotes/conversational material).11d. Experiences do not cause hurtful comparisons OR experiences do not make people envious/jealous/ inferred dangerous.1MUST capture negative connotation.1m per point for any 3 of the above points. Maximum 3m.4. Why does the writer use seeming in the phrase even for seeming essentials like cars, houses and, clothes (line 41)? Use your own words as far as pos sible. 1 Lifted Paraphrased Much of the impetus for a. Such enquires are (could be) perceived to be crucial for discretional spending everyday life even though they are not. OR even for seeming essentials like cars, b. Suggests that the author has uncertainnesss about whether houses, and clothes these objects are crucial. OR OR We might MISTAKE that c.Thewriter feels that it is wrong to confrere happiness with material/luxury goods. motivation for happiness, or for having a better life, but it is driven by something else, a human Answer MUST hold the conception of doubt and the need to compete or to fit explanation. in. Denied sarcasm, cynicism, mockery Accepted sceptical/scepticism (on its own), sceptical about this. 12For Internal Circulation Only 5. Explain what the writer means by Talking about money and happiness in the same breath, it turns out, is not necessarily a cease to crass materialism. (lines 47-48) 2 Lifted Talking about money and happiness in the SAME BREATH, it turns out, is not necessarily a SURRENDER to CRASS materialism Paraphrased a. Connecting / Linking money and happiness OR Talking about / discussing money and happiness together b. is in reality not forever and a day giving in to OR a submission to OR being a victim of c. a vulgar desire for material goods. OR excessive/shallow desire for luxury goods. 3 points 2 marks 1-2 points 1 mark.Passage 2 6. If you are a single male driving around in the Ferrari with nobody next to you, it is a glaring omission. (lines 14-15) a) Why does the writer refer to the Ferrari in line 15? 1 Pt Lift (not possible) Other trophies solely do not playact the consequence one expects. Says Loewenstein, If you are a single male driving around in the Ferrari with nobody next to you, it is a glaring omission. Inference a. A Ferrari is an cause of a trophy. b. A Ferrari is a well-known example of a bluely desired product. c. A Ferrari signifies high status / wealth in society. some(prenominal) o f the above will be recognised.13For Internal Circulation Only b) What does glaring omission (line 15) imply here? Pt Lift (not possible) Other trophies simply do not bring thepayoff one expects. Says Loewenstein, If you are a single male driving around in the Ferrari with nobody next to you, it is a glaring omission. 2Inference Inferred from glaring a. It is strongly believed/popularly accepted that/very obvious Emphasise and highlight are not accepted because the question is not asking for the writers intention. Inferred from omission, reinforcing stereotypes. b. that driving a Ferrari/luxury sports car will attract women / ladies / females / companions / partners. Direct paraphrase of the quote is not acceptable.117. A life that was constantly happy was not a good life (lines 30-31). Explain why this is a paradox. 2 Pt Lift divulge of the meaning of life is to have highs and lows. A life that was constantly happy was not a good life. Inference Must capture the clash. a. We aim/w ish/expect for maximum/optimum happiness in our lives all the time AND any of the following Must capture what good life entails. b. Yet, a good life is one that has ups and downs, not just ups OR c. Yet, a good life is one with adequate/comparable negative experiences, not just exacting experiences OR d. Yet, it is not just happiness that is good but the bad (of lows) is besides seen to be good The key idea here is to question the value of constant as a good thing. Answers will get either 2 marks or 0 mark.114For Internal Circulation Only8. digest Using material from paragraphs 2 to 5, summarise what Matthew Herper has to say about why wealth does not bring a constant sense of pleasance,why happiness is over markd, and the relationship between money and happiness. Wealth does not bring a constant sense of joy asPt a.Lift Re-phrase Part of the reason is that people are not people do not know how to use their money very good at FIGURING out what to do to get happiness with the mon ey, (lines 6-7) OR Main idea of a lack of knowledge people are incompetent when it comes to understanding how to use money about how to manage money. People generally OVERESTIMATE (line they have unrealistic expectations of the 8) Students must capture the idea that it is off the mark. the amount of long-term PLEASURE they will get from a given object. (lines 89) The way people spend money can make them less happy. (lines 9-10) Other trophies simply do not bring the (line 14)b.c.d. e.(Enduring) joy / happiness / positive outcomes that they can derive from something/object. The way people spend money can make them less happy. Other possessions also may not deliverf. g.Do not accept prizes / plaques / rewards PAYOFF one expects. (line 14) the rewards / utility / happiness we hope / wish to have. The central problem is that the human Next, our superstar is given to brain becomes CONDITIONED to pleasant/happy/joyful experiences as positive experiences. (lines 15-16) OR You can get us ed to anything, be it hanging by your toenails or making millions of dollars a day. (lines 19-20) Getting a chunk of unexpected money registers as a good thing, but as time passes, the response WEARS off. (lines 16-18) way may be set more by heredity (line 20)h.with time, their effect on us weakens/dies off/subsides.i.Lastly, our happiness direct may depend on our genes5For Internal Circulation Only j. k. than by anything else (line 20) But this raises another question. How IMPORTANT is happiness anyway? (line 23) People with chronic illnesses describe themselves as happy, but they would thus far pay large sums for better health. And although healthy individuals are not much happier than quadriplegics, they would pay large sums of money to keep the use of their limbs. (lines 23-26) Some of lifes most SATISFYING experiences (line 26) do not bring happiness. (line 27) Part of the meaning of life is to have highs (line 30) and lows (line 30)A life that was CONSTANTLY happy (line 30) was not a GOOD life. (lines 30-31) more than other factors. OR predominantly / mostly Inferred However, the significance / necessity / crucial nature of happiness is still in doubt. Inferred Even purportedly happy people find happiness insufficient Inferred as they are willing to pay to ensure certain privileges OR health.l.m.n. o. p. q. r. s.Besides, some of the most scented/ reward experiences do not make us happy. A meaningful life should also have its joyous and sad moments. A life that is always / perpetually happy is not fulfilling.t.u.Do not award for point s in the absence of point r. However, there may be at least one Yet, there remains a significant link IMPORTANT relationship between between money and happiness in that money and happiness (lines 31-32) happy people tend to have higher happy people catch more. incomes later on in their lives. (lines 3334) ORSo, while money may not help make people happy, being happy may help them make money. (lines 34-35) Total 21 poi nts, 11 words that cannot be lifted Points 14 12 13 10 11 89 7 56 34 12 Marks 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 16For Internal Circulation OnlyWealth does not bring a constant sense of joy as people do not know how to use their money a and have unrealistic expectations b of the enduring joy that they can derive from something c. Other prized possessions e also may not deliver the rewards we wish to have f. Next, our brain is trained to be accustomed to pleasant experiences g as with time, their effect on us subsides h. However, the significance of happiness is still in doubt k. Even supposedly happy people find happiness insufficient l and are willing to pay to ensure their health m. Besides, some of the most gratifying experiences n do not make us happy o. A life that is always happy r is also not fulfilling s.Yet, there remains a significant link t between money and happiness happy people earn more u. (16 points, 116 words) Vocabulary 9. Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the passage. You may write your answer in one word or a short phrase. Passage 1 Futility (line 3) noun Philosophers and gurus, holy books and self-help manuals have all warned of the futility of equating material gain with true eudaimonia Answer should capture Does not achieve purposeOR lacks meaning Negative connotation Intriguing (line 8) adj The intriguing explanation for the poor wealth-to-happiness exchange rate is that the problem is not money, it is us. Answer should capture Arousing intense curiosity OR very interesting Intensity 1 mark Hopelessness Uselessness pretermit of purpose or meaning Efforts are in vain Accepted Ineffectiveness Meaningless Pointlessness 0 marks Wastage Worthless venture hardship Improbable Inability Foolishness Ability to arouse intense curiosity Fascinating Deeply/very interesting Appeal strongly To captivate genuinely interesting and unexpected Very interesting and surprising Capture interest Arouse curiosity Extremely in teresting Thoughtprovoking Interesting indication of intensity is not very apparent Exciting Puzzling Ignorance Surprising Curious Intellectually stimulating7For Internal Circulation Only impetus (line 40) noun Much of the impetus for discretionary spending even for seeming essentials like cars, houses, and clothes comes from a desire to send certain signals about our buying power and our tastes. Answer should capture The idea of a push or drive.Quell (line 45) verb And $5,000 worth of new stuff, or even $500,000 worth, is unlikely to permanently quell that need. Answer should capture Suppressing. 1 mark (Sustained) drive Push Motivation A moving force Impulse Stimulus Boost Accepted Catalyst Thrust Spur Spark explode Incentive 0 marks Impulsive Penchant Impetuous Attack Assail Reason Subdue Suppress Quiet Satiate / Quench action Appease Fulfil (incidental / part / whole) Allay Pacify Assuage Vanquish / Defeat wrong context Stop / Halt / Ce ase Remove corrupt / Overcome Repress Oppress Extinguish Destroy / Annihilate Kill Dispel Diminish Literally Figuratively Approximately the idea of estimation, not accepted Ostensibly Actually Effectually BasicallyPassage 2 Virtually (line 1) adverb Surveys have found virtually the same level of happiness between the very rich individuals on the Forbes 400 and the Maasai herdsmen of East Africa. Answer should capture For the most part. Nearly Practically to the highest degree completely Almost wholly Almost entirely For the most part Just about Almost Effectively Essentially 8For Internal Circulation Only 10. Application Question Drake Bennett talks about how pro-social spending can lead to happiness while Matthew Herper argues that money does not lead to happiness. Which writers views do you find more persuasive? Discuss the relevancy of the arguments presented in both passages to you and your own society. 8 Answers that refer to only material from one passage would not be awarded more than 3 marks Explanation/ rating should not just be a paraphrase of authors opinionsPossible points From Passage 1 Bennett 1 Extract For deep-seated psychological reasons, when it comes to spending money, we tend to value goods over experiences, ourselves over others, things over people. (lines 9-11) Possible explanations & Spore context relevant In a society that is economically driven more than anything else, this is not a surprise. This drive, whether marked by early economic migration, post-war rebuilding, separation from Malaysia or simply Government push, remains sustained, if not stronger. Material success is celebrated and untainted narcissistic consumption is validated by commercial as well as social media.Examples 2011 SMU study Sporean women are significantly more secular than their American counterparts. Relevance of 5 C cash, credit card, car, condo, country club notations despite more than a decade of use Not so relevant at that place is a ris ing trend of Sporeans spending on people rather than objects in 2007, Finance Minister Tharman had indicated clear tax concessions for charity spending and to focus capital of Singapore as a philanthropy hub. More people, not just the rich, are donating generous sums to their alumni tames, religious charities and other organizations catering tospecific demographics much(prenominal) as the elderly, physically disabled, terminally ill etc.thither is also increase in charity through CSR, whether by global MNCs or Spore GLCs. Of course, the real intention behind the generosity is debatable but as corporations form a substantial percentage in a elflike workforce, the evidence is mathematically there that we, the management/employees of company X, Y, Z are altruistic and caring. at that place is a rising trend of social entrepreneurs origin restaurants to help the less fortunate and former prisoners.9For Internal Circulation Only 2 higher prosocial spending gifts for others and don ations to charity was indeed correlated with higher selfreported happiness. (lines 18-20) Relevant well-known philanthropists such as popiah king Sam Goi, Elim Chew of 77th Street, remisier Peter Lim, Chinese Chamber of Commerce ex-president Chua Thian Poh, Mustaq Ahmad of Mustafa Centre etc have gone on get down to say so on newspaper interviews. Hong Kong billionaire loves to donate to Singapore, especially for educational activity charity, for the same purported reason.The education system also introduces students to prosocial spending. The persistence of students in doing charitable acts also suggests happiness and satisfaction obtained. Not so relevant This is not a technical disagreement. While the actual amount on pro-social spending could be higher, it is usually by a small group of uber-rich AND older persons. The majority of Singaporeans, especially youth, have gone on record in many academic surveys that high levels of nuanced selfish material consumption is more rewa rding than engaging in others welfare.The intense hours and anxiety spent on studying/work necessarily need to see material purchases as a direct reward. Perhaps this material reward can past lead to social happiness by the resent/admiration they evoke e.g. for a Prada handbag, for the possession of a prized virtual weapon for a Diablo 3 PC online game character. This could be an unintended consequence of a meritocratic society. Most parents would also largely spend on their children and obtain great satisfaction. 3 money spent on experiences vacations or theatre tickets or meals out makes you happier than money spent on material goods. (lines 21-23) RelevantPoints to support this willbe relatively difficult based on available Singapore studies. Typically, Singaporeans vacationing will covet purchases from overseas theatre ticket purchases locally may indicate a need to belong to a certain materially privileged crowd rather than the sheer love of the arts. Nevertheless, any qua lified evidence is welcome to support agreement however the difficulty is in establishing the level of happiness obtained. Not so relevant Typical youth population notes that playing World Of Warcraft or getting a new iPhone 4S is far more meaningful middle-aged men and their toy figure collections ladies of all ages on record saying that splurging on themselves, expensive cosmetic treatment more rewarding than anything else refer to any Friday URBAN section of The Straits Times.As mentioned in earlier point, first the money has to be spent on material goods and THEN the experience related or shared can increase your happiness as a corollary. 4 As experiences are inherently more social we are liable also to relive the experience Relevant the rise of alumni associations locally, aided by social media, have greatly increased net working heritage and memorabilia gatherings are on the rise with10For Internal Circulation Only when we see those people again. And past experiences can wo rk as a sort of social adhesive even with people who did not participate with us, providing stories and conversational fodder in a way that a new watch or speedboat rarely can 5 (lines 28-32)Talking about money and happiness in the same breath, it turns out, is not necessarily a surrender to crass materialism it can also be a route to a new and more humane way to think about vitally important things like consumption, satisfaction, investment, and value. (lines 47-50) rich persons being key drivers behind these projects. Various hobby groups would also be relevant such as cycling clubs, dragon boating groups or cosplay groups. Not so relevant There are hobby groups based on material goods such as car clubs or clubs for owners of toys. Material goods can also knuckle under a sense of nostalgia.Relevant SMU Board chairman Ho Kwon Ping and wife Claire Chiang regularlypromote pro-social spending and business they are seen as new-age positive materialists and intellectuals. Christina On g, boss of homegrown Club 21, is known for widespread charity outreach and growing her business, with equal pleasure. Not so relevant For the majority of Singaporeans who lack such education or reflective practices, blatant monetary and property acquisition is the norm and only leads to a vicious cycle of debt, miscalculated risk-taking in investment etcFrom Passage 2 1 Extract People generally overestimate the amount of long-term pleasure they will get from a given object. Sometimes, Loewenstein notes, the way people spend their money can actually make them less happy. (lines 8-10) Possible explanations & Spore context Relevant Just the consumer electronics industry here can licence to this spending on upgrading of Apple smartphones from 3Gs to 4 to 4S disposing of existing LCD for widescreen and 3D monitors, graphics cards in favour of new ones even though all are fully functional rising number of secondhand computer parts shops is evidence of increasing technology shopping, which ultimately leaves one unhappy and insecure in the face of inability to keep up with the latest.While the tech spending may supposedly be mostly for males, the females display this overestimation of long-term pleasure in copious fashion couture purchases and cosmetics.The increase in level of credit card debt is also an indication of less happiness as a result of overspending. Not to relevant A basic level of income is necessary in Singapore to live a comfortable life. With a median star sign income of S$6000, anyone earning less would be hard pressed to live comfortably. In wired Singapore, having electronic goods is a necessity and can help attain more happiness in terms of education and interacting with peers. 2 The central problem is that the human brain becomes Relevant Just looking at government financial decisions which affect the majority of the population after a while,11For Internal Circulation Only conditioned to positive experiences. Getting a chunk of unexpected mone y registers as a good thing, but as time passes, the response wears off. An expected paycheck does not bring any buzz at all and does not contribute to overall happiness. (lines 15-19) Not so relevant Since the Singapore population composition keeps changing with addition of foreigners, for the majority of the new citizens, this buzz is sustained. As Singaporeans also travel more, they might be more aware of societies which are not as fortunate as Singapore.Relevant raising a family is universally seen as rewarding the Government keeps promoting childbearing YET almost the first twenty years of a local child causes much stress for parents working mothers post-maternity leave and the perennial maid/mother/mother-in-law management young couples griping about childcare and choice primary schools until the child is in a choice pri school and moving on to a premier sec sch, the parents put themselves under great duress. There is growing feeling that work-life balance is impossible and p eople are focusing more on their careers.Not so relevant Hard to convince for majority local context but there is evidence that a positive change in attitudes to raising children is present, thanks to religious organizations, pro-family policies, national movements e.g. DadsForLife. There are people who are giving up their careers for the sake of their children. There is also a push for women to return to the workforce after raising their children initially. 4 happy people tend to have higher incomes later on in their lives. So, while money may not help make people happy, being happy may help them make money. (lines 33-35) RelevantThere are professional who have given up their careers to take up their passions such as opening restaurants and bakeries, and they are doing well. There is an increasing number of entrepreneurs who keep abreast their passions. The main issue here is that happiness is independent of money and they do not have any links. Not so relevant In 2012, Spore ran ks high in benchmarks of physical comforts healthiest country in the world, richest country in the world BUT ranks 90th in Happiness Index.Almost the entire local labour force can be on record for having technically higher incomes through their lives but the cost of living never lets up. Singaporeans are not happy or not happy enough but they keep making money anyway. the public becomes numb to the governments welltimed monetary handouts and utility bill/town council fee reductions the public expects more consultative engagement for sustained happiness. Recent feedback from the public seems to suggest that people pretermit what is good in Singapore and focus on only the negative in terms of healthcare,transportation, housing, and standards of living. Possible reasons could be a lack of sufficient education about life in other societies and countries.3Some of lifes most satisfying experiences do not bring happiness. For instance, having children actually makes people less happy ov er the short term (lines 26-28)12

Expert Systems and Artificial Intelligence

Expert Systems are reckoner programs that are derived from a branch of computer science research called Artificial Intelligence (AI). AIs scientific goal is to find intelligence by building computer programs that exhibit intelligent behavior. It is concerned with the concepts and methods of symbolic induction, or reason out, by a computer, and how the acquaintance used to make those inferences allow be represented inside the machine. Of course, the term intelligence covers many cognitive skills, including the ability to solve problems, learn, and understand language AI addresses all of those.But intimately progress to date in AI has been made in the field of honor of problem solving concepts and methods for building programs that reason about problems rather than calculate a solution. AI programs that achieve adept-level competence in solving problems in task areas by bringing to bear a body of friendship about special tasks are called intimacy-based or expert brasss. O ften, the term expert systems is reserved for programs whose intimacy base contains the intimacy used by human experts, in contrast to familiarity gathered from textbooks or non-experts.More often than not, the two terms, expert systems (ES) and noesis-based systems (KBS), are used synonymously. Taken together, they represent the most widespread type of AI application. The area of human intellectual endeavor to be captured in an expert system is called the task domain. Task refers to some goal-oriented, problem-solving activity. Domain refers to the area within which the task is universe performed. Typical tasks are diagnosis, planning, scheduling, configuration and design. An example of a task domain is aircraft crew scheduling, discussed in Chapter 2.Building an expert system is known as knowledge engineering and its practitioners are called knowledge engineers. The knowledge engineer must make sure that the computer has all the knowledge needed to solve a problem. The knowle dge engineer must choose one or more forms in which to represent the required knowledge as symbol patterns in the memory of the computer that is, he (or she) must choose a knowledge representation. He must also ensure that the computer can use the knowledge efficiently by selecting from a handful of ratiocination methods. The practice of knowledge engineering is described later.We first describe the components of expert systems. The Building Blocks of Expert Systems Every expert system consists of two principal calves the knowledge base and the reasoning, or inference, engine. The knowledge base of expert systems contains both factual and heuristic knowledge. Factual knowledge is that knowledge of the task domain that is widely shared, typically found in textbooks or journals, and commonly agreed upon by those knowledgeable in the particular field. Heuristic knowledge is the less rigorous, more experiential, more judgmental knowledge of performance.In contrast to factual knowledg e, heuristic knowledge is rarely discussed, and is largely individualistic. It is the knowledge of neat practice, good judgment, and plausible reasoning in the field. It is the knowledge that underlies the art of good guessing. Knowledge representation formalizes and organizes the knowledge. oneness widely used representation is the production rule, or scarcely rule. A rule consists of an IF part and a THEN part (also called a condition and an action). The IF part lists a set of conditions in some logical combination.The forgather of knowledge represented by the production rule is relevant to the line of reasoning being developed if the IF part of the rule is satisfied consequently, the THEN part can be concluded, or its problem-solving action taken. Expert systems whose knowledge is represented in rule form are called rule-based systems. Another widely used representation, called the unit (also known as frame, schema, or list structure) is based upon a more passive view of kn owledge. The unit is an assemblage of associated symbolic knowledge about an entity to be represented.Typically, a unit consists of a list of properties of the entity and associated values for those properties. Since every task domain consists of many entities that stand in various relations, the properties can also be used to specify relations, and the values of these properties are the names of other units that are linked according to the relations. One unit can also represent knowledge that is a special case of another unit, or some units can be parts of another unit. The problem-solving model, or paradigm, organizes and controls the steps taken to solve the problem.One common but powerful paradigm involves chaining of IF-THEN rules to form a line of reasoning. If the chaining starts from a set of conditions and moves toward some conclusion, the method is called forward chaining. If the conclusion is known (for example, a goal to be achieved) but the path to that conclusion is no t known, then reasoning backwards is called for, and the method is backward chaining. These problem-solving methods are built into program modules called inference engines or inference procedures that manipulate and use knowledge in the knowledge base to form a line of reasoning.The knowledge base an expert uses is what he learned at school, from colleagues, and from years of experience. Presumably the more experience he has, the larger his store of knowledge. Knowledge allows him to interpret the information in his databases to advantage in diagnosis, design, and analysis. Though an expert system consists primarily of a knowledge base and an inference engine, a couple of other features are worth mentioning reasoning with uncertainty, and commentary of the line of reasoning. Knowledge is almost always incomplete and uncertain.To deal with uncertain knowledge, a rule may have associated with it a confidence factor or a weight. The set of methods for using uncertain knowledge in comb ination with uncertain data in the reasoning process is called reasoning with uncertainty. An important subclass of methods for reasoning with uncertainty is called fuzzy logic, and the systems that use them are known as fuzzy systems. Because an expert system uses uncertain or heuristic knowledge (as we humans do) its credibility is often in question (as is the case with humans).When an answer to a problem is questionable, we tend to want to know the rationale. If the rationale seems plausible, we tend to believe the answer. So it is with expert systems. Most expert systems have the ability to answer questions of the form Why is the answer X? Explanations can be generated by tracing the line of reasoning used by the inference engine (Feigenbaum, McCorduck et al. 1988). The most important ingredient in any expert system is knowledge.The power of expert systems resides in the specific, high-quality knowledge they contain about task domains. AI researchers will continue to explore and add to the current repertoire of knowledge representation and reasoning methods. But in knowledge resides the power. Because of the importance of knowledge in expert systems and because the current knowledge acquisition method is slow and tedious, much of the future of expert systems depends on respite the knowledge acquisition bottleneck and in codifying and representing a large knowledge infrastructure.

Ford’s E-Business Strategy

Jacques Nasser, Ford Motor Company president and chief executive officer announced a stark naked vision for the firm in the collide with of 1999 to become the worlds leading consumer company providing automotive products and ser sins. Key to that dream was the transformation of the business using Web technologies. Brian P. Kelly (Kelly), Fords e-business vice president, described Fords plan to rebuild itself as a move to consumer-centric from dealer-centric, and stated that Ford would transform itself from being a manufacturer to dealers into a marketer to consumers. Kelly explained that the main objectives of Fords e-business strategy were to bring speed, convenience, and instruction to customers rather than just focusing on cost cutting. The strategy was based roughly the principle The consumer is King and using the net, customer orders would be sent directly to factories and suppliers which will eventually allow Ford to deliver autos to consumers within days of ordering. bo th(prenominal) of the e-business initiatives that Ford put in place to transform the company into an e-commerce company is mentioned below.Improving Efficiency in Supply Chain 1. Ford believed that using the net income improved the efficiency of its supply chain, so in mid-1999, the company along with Oracle, created AutoXchange that allowed online B2B transactions with its suppliers. This e-commerce tool helped Ford and its suppliers swap information and bids on goods and services expense nearly USD 300 billion. The company expected to reduce its purchasing bill by 10% through the use of AutoXchange. 2. Until February 2000, the company followed the push operations model, further by collaborating with GM and DaimlerChrysler, Ford set up an online marketplace cum private exchange Covisint. This substantially reduced the operating costs and brought efficiency to the business. Covisint followed the deplumate model which allowed Ford to first take the order from a customer and then manufacture the car according to the customers specifications, thus the traditionalistic supply chain became a demand chain. 3. To optimally utilize the features of Covisint, Ford launched the Ford Supplier Network (FSN).FSN was used to share information with its suppliers over the web. By increasing the flow of information between suppliers and Ford, it reduced the vehicle delivery time. Focusing on the Demand Chain 1. In partnership with Microsoft, Ford veritable CarPoint an auto buying website in 1999. Retail customers could order cars through this website. In addition to developing this website, Ford also got into alliances with reputed portals like Yahoo. com, iVillage. com and bolt. com. These alliances gave Ford insight into the preferences and buying habits of various segments of the society. . In late 1999 Ford realized that customers queries should be resolved quickly to get closer to those who use the net and for this it established a new e-CRM company Percepta a joint venture with TeleTech holdings. 3. In continuation with the e-CRM strategy, Ford in 2000 launched another e-commerce initiative to supplement CarPoint. com and Ford. com it was called Ford earnings Retail system of rules (FIRST). FIRST was aimed at facilitating communication of leads and orders between the company and its dealer network.This system gave customers capability and options for buying a car like never before, right from investigate to financing options. 4. Another e-commerce tool MyFord. com launched in February 2002, offered personalized service information like the maintenance schedules to owners All the above initiatives helped Ford to gain competitive expediency and they achieved the vision of the Build-to-Order (BTO) system that was conceived before the launch of e-commerce initiatives. It was estimated that a Web-enabled, BTO system could reduce distribution costs by almost USD 2,600 per vehicle.About USD 1,400 of these savings would be in physical costs such as freight, sales commissions, and advertising. The balance would be in phantom costs associated with the current push vehicle distribution/sales system, such as price discounts and stockout costs. Adding together all the supply-chain savings thus identified(back-end, on-line direct sales, and build-to-order) would produce an estimated total potential cost reduction of roughly USD 3,643 per vehicle, amounting to 14 percent of total vehicle cost. Source GS Research Analysis) With the means of e-business websites, Ford established a direct connection with its customers. Now when customers came to FordDirect. com they had the ability of choosing the features of the car they wanted to buy.This reduced the role of the middlemen and so dealers felt that they were being gradually excluded from the value chain. To avoid channel conflicts arising out of online retailing Ford began a come up of initiatives. One of the main initiatives was to share the ownership of FordDirect. om with its 4200 dealers in the US. Ford also facilitated the communication of leads and orders between the company and its hugh dealer network through Ford Internet Retail System (FIRST). In addition to this, using MyFord. com the company enabled Ford dealers to inform vehicle owners about recommended maintenance, remind them of oil change and provide information about tyre care, safety, insurance, loans and leases. It also provided dealers a vehicle locator tool to help them find a vehicle on another dealers stock.

Fighting Against Prejudice Essay

The Pi sets of the Caribbean, set in the Caribbean Sea in the 17th century is a good example of oppose harm. Gore Verbinski, the film director, highlights the negative prejudice utilize different techniques. There are two types of prejudice, negative and positive. Negative prejudice is prejudging someone in a wrong way ground on their appearance or behavior. For instance, Commodore Norington from the French Military government just presumed that pirates are evil, lying, deceitful thieves who drink all daylight and just linger around anywhere. However, in the movie it was established that not all pirates are the same. As an example, Captain tinkers dam Sparrow, pirate and captain of The caustic Pearl sailing ship, seemed strange and ridiculous, but in fact he is a very honorable public. Further more(prenominal), twat helped young William Turner rescue brothel keeper Swan from an evil band of pirates which were also the former crew of Jack Sparrow. Prejudging pirates based on stories told about them, is erroneous and negative.The movie director used many techniques to emphasize the theme of prejudice. One of the techniques used is montage through editing. This type of montage indicates that the camera films a particular exposure through diverse angles using a variation of movements including panning and traveling. Panning heart and soul that there is a stationary camera which rotates horizontally and a traveling camera moves itself horizontally. For instance, in the quarrelling stage setting between Jack and William, this is effective since the consultation is given both perspectives, from each of the people battle and highlights Williams feeling towards pirates. Another technique that was used to emphasize prejudice is the feel and attitude of a nip. These two techniques were made possible by using a combination of close shot selection, medium camera angle and more and more suspenseful medicinal drug. Through these motion-picture photography methods, the dueling scene conveys a strong prejudice feeling and a suspenseful mood.Close shot selection indicates that the camera was enter at a very close range to the subjects, which gives the audience the feeling that they are actually inside the action. Therefore, in the fighting action, the viewer feels that they are in the same room where Jack and William are fighting. When the camera is filming the scene at eye level, this is called medium camera angle. This helps underline a calculate because the audience is feeling that the characters from the movie are actually speaking to them. When William and Jack were dueling, they also talked to each other. Whenever one of them said something, the camera was using medium angle filming and it resulted in giving the viewer the sensation that one of the characters are talking to them. Moreover, in this type of scene there is increasingly suspenseful music which means that the music keeps the audience engrossed in the film and the mu sic makes the viewer eager to find out what is going to happen next in the scene.Also, the music assists in dramatizing prejudice by keeping the audience in suspense. There is also another technique which is sometimes used to realize a point in a film rate of film movement. This technique uses different types of frame motions, stop, slow, normal and fast motion. In the quarrelling scene, normal motion was used because this rate of film is as fast as real life motion and the audience has a richer experience with the negative prejudice that is projected in the fighting between Jack and William. These series of techniques articulate prejudice in the fighting scene between Jack and William because the eye level filming provides the audience with the tycoon to understand what each character is feeling about the other one.In the beginning scene, William Turner wanted to kill Jack Sparrow only based on the fact that he is a pirate. In this scene, there is a high camera angle as it is look ing down at the scene and the camera was traveling and craning around the two characters. Furthermore, while William and Jack were skirmishing, the camera lenses were zoomed in especially when the swords were clashing and the music became intense and suspenseful to emphasize how oft William was driven by negative prejudice against pirates.Besides the camera and music, there is potential montage -conflict of light light vs. dark, which resulted in an overall darker picture since most of the light seeped into the blacksmith setting through the cracks in the wood. This technique stresses the dark side of the pirate, as perceived through Williams eyes. Moreover, after Jack Sparrow was defeated, William gave him a chance to escape from jail conditional to save wench Swan from the evil pirates of The Black Pearl. Hence, after fighting one another and learning more about each other, Jack Sparrow and William Turner formed a perceptive team. Despite the fact that Jack Sparrow is a pirate, it was proven that a friendship can be built between two people that belong to different worlds.Another example of negative prejudice is that no field of study that the pirates saved a persons life they are still judged and prosecuted as bad people. For instance, when the Governors daughter, Elizabeth Swan fainted and fell into the sea from a few hundred feet above, the two guards patrolling the docks were unable to save her because they were arguing which one to save her. However, Jack Sparrow without conditions dove into the sea to save bird Swan. This scene was filmed at close range amid the docks and the camera was panning throughout the frames. These techniques were used to make the audience feel that they are actually helping to save Lady Swan.Another factor that made the scene look very realistic was the use of natural lighting and older English dialogue used by the characters. Even though Jack Sparrow rescued Elizabeth, the Governor and Commodore Norington saw the marking s of a pirate on his left forearm, immediately they ordered to hang Jack Sparrow. In this scene, the camera filmed at a very close shot selection and there was a moment of silence, indicating that Jack Sparrow, the savior of Lady Swan, was indeed a pirate. As a result, this is yet another example of negative prejudice against pirates. Jack Sparrow had proven himself a noble man by saving the Governors daughter and was still sentenced because of what he was.In the Pirates of the Caribbean, numerous film techniques were used to emphasize and develop the theme of prejudice such as montage, camera movement, angle, and traveling camera. Whilst prejudice means prejudgment, there seems to be a moment where the facts are overwhelming the prejudgments. Therefore, in the ending scene of the movie, the Commodore and General accepted the reality and they spared Jack Sparrows life by a day. Prejudging a group of people only based on someone experience is wrong. Each individual might have qualiti es or defects, positive or negative characteristics.

Relocating Margaret Thatchers in the Workplace Essay

Working environments argon dimensions in which the singulars skills, talents and production capabilities be put into the test. The war-like agency manifested in corporate arenas continues to post a challenge to each and every individual. It is a legitimized jungle wherein plainly the strong remains and the weak perish. Thus, for every peel that is addressed, this spells sweet victory for the triumphant warrior. It is for this aspect that Karsten described the workplace a source of ones sense of self, power and prestige (162). As the individual continue to climb the corporate ladder, his or her sense of self, power and prestige (Karsten 162) continue to increase. This is most especially true in scenarios wherein leadinghip roles are pretended and performed. However, a critical examination shows that holding power, garnering respect and expressing authority aim exclusively remained in the hands of men. The opportunity to lead has been an exclusive right of males and women, des pite of the strong campaign to uphold existity, are continuously pushed to the periphery.Women leadership remains a critical issue in the corporate environment. Despite of the efforts to render equal opportunities to both men and women, the actions taken, remained futile. Women as leaders are still seen from a derogatory perspective. As Spade and Valentine described, work places are no less than gendered institutions that check under inequality regimes (341). downstairs this context, it can be argued that the so-called inequality regimes mentioned in this discussion, is no less than the hegemonic and oppressive patriarchal orientations that are highly manifested in various work spaces.Drawing on Dahrendorfs distri scarceion of power and authority (Lemell & Noll, 52), it is evident that many working environments deprive women from having equal chances or memory access to positions that demand an exercise of power and control. Also, power legitimacy as for the case of women leade rs are often questioned or blatantly ignored. While it is true that women have managed to acquire managerial positions, Ely et. al expressed that notwithstanding 1 % of these females are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies or establishments (161). Likewise, Ely et.al mentioned that in terms of governmental positions and functions, only a small percentage of women can be observed. The seemingly under representation and to a certain extenttotal absence of women leaders in the corporate world is triggered by societys patriarchal culture. The practices seen in the business world reflect the manipulative and discriminating orientation of the patriarchal system. Under this context, societal roles and functions are highly determined by gender. Men are seen as the stronger sex whereas women are the exact opposite.Women are constantly confined into interior(prenominal) roles. They are mothers and wives whose values and worth are best exemplified in the bedroom and kitchen. Thus, their entries in to the workplace or business environments are often seen as a threat. In addition to that, this scenario highly contradicts the so-called normative behaviors (Ridge panache 223) of world. Leadership in business environments translates to performing firm decision, asserting authority and showing direct control, if necessary.Needless to say, these traits or characteristics are often played or portrayed by men. On the other hand, the idea of being a mere follower is relegated to women. Therefore, in the suit wherein a woman leader practices authority, utilizes power and make decisions, these scenario is immediately dismissed as a violation of the canonical norms not only of the workplace, but withal of the overall social structure (Ridgeway 223). The problem with women executives or leaders is that their socially-constructed roles are mixed with their corporate or work-related functions.The merit of their leadership skills and capabilities are based on how well they perform their ove rtly stereotyped duties and obligations. When women act like leaders, the patriarchal system immediately questions their efficiency via insisting the womens highly biased and gender-based tasks (Ridgeway 223). As Ridgeway stressed, women leaders are initially seen as a woman, thence a leader (223). Gender would always come first and leadership capabilities are only secondary. There are several ways in which women are prevented from acquiring leadership positions in the workplace.The first one is illustrated by the glass ceiling concept (Goethals & Burns 77). Under this context, women are blatantly deprived of acquiring leadership positions via unequal distribution of chances and opportunities (Goethals & Burns 77). This is despite of eliciting commendable work-related achievements and success. The glass ceiling acts as a barricade that prevents women from being hailed as managers and executives despite delivering good results and performances (Haslett, Geis & Carter 128).In additio n to that, it is also evident that women are placed into positions or departments in which they cannot maybe harness their leadership skills (Goethals, Sorenson & Burns 77). They are subjected into roles that do not engage into actual corporate management and decision making. Therefore, in the event in which women are recommended for promotions, their skills and experience readily lag behind. Or in such cases, a woman must shoulder the entire burden of exerting efforts and energy to prove themselves, but with no assurance that they will be selected.But then again even if some women were able to secure their positions on the corporate hierarchy, Goethal, Sorenson and Burns shared out that this is no less than a defense mechanism used to avoid accusations of gender discrimination and inequality (77). Aside from the glass ceiling, the persistence of the seemingly powerful old boy net (Goethals, Sorenson & Burns 77) is also instrumental in the under representation of women leaders. A critical examination of the old boy network clearly shows the strong attempt of men to protect their own interests (Sanchez et.al 240). There is the intention to keep power in the hands of the few and eat new players. This basically explains the degree of favoritism in promotions. Men often receive high preference compared to women not because they are better or to a greater extent productive. Instead, this is just a way to preserve the patriarchal rule. Since majority of senior executives are men, their power legitimacy is highly acknowledged and recognized. This kind of prestige is then used by males to control, manipulate and safeguard their interests.Thus, to ensure that their power and authority shall remain, these executives are more likely to choose male protegeesindividuals, who like them, present a common set of beliefs, ideologies and value systems. Lastly, the limited access of women to building social networks lessens their chances of being corporate leaders (Goethals , Sorenson & Burns 78). Goethals, Sorenson and Burns mentioned that informal gatherings is a way for women to connect with other individuals in the business organizations (78).It is through these activities that women can further improve their social and communication skillstwo of the most significant traits that leaders should acquire. However, these opportunities are hardly given to women. Other than obstructing women to create meaningful relationships and camaraderie, this scenario also inhibits females from having their own mentors and role models (Klenke 185). Mentors and role models serve as a support system. Through them, precious knowledge and insights are shared and transmitted. Mentoring relationships help potential leaders devise sound decisions and appropriate solutions.Unfortunately, this right is highly exclusive to men. The struggles and challenges faced by women leaders in the corporate system is yet another gender issue that should be readily addressed. Leadership roles should not be equated to gender-based functions. Equal rights and opportunities should be provided to both genders and should not be an exclusive privilege of men. It should be stressed and remembered that leadership efficiency is determined by skills and performances, never by gender. Works Cited Sanchez, Penny Philip Hucles Janis Sanchez-Hucles and Sanjay Mehta. change magnitude Diverse Women Leadership in Corporate America Climbing Concrete Walls and Shattering Glass Ceilings. Women and Leadership Transforming Visions and Diverse Voices Eds. Jean Lau Chin Bernice Lott Joy sift and Janis Sanchez-Hucles. Massachusetts Blackwell Publishing, 2007 Ely, Robin Erica Foldy Maureen Scully and The Center for Gender in Organizations Simmons School of Management. Reader in Gender, Work and Organization. Massachusetts Blackwell Publishing, 2003 Goethal, George Georgia Sorenson and James MacGregor Burns. Encyclopedia of Leadership. atomic number 20 Sage Publications Inc, 2004Haslett, Beth Florence Geis and Mae Carter. The Organizational Woman. New Jersey Ablex Publishing Corporation, 1992 Karsten, Margaret. Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Workplace. Westport, CT Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006 Klenke, Karin. Women Leadership. New York Springer Publishing Company, 1996 Lemell, Yannick and Heinz-Herbert Noll. Changing Structures of Inequality A Comparative Perspective. Canada Mc-Gill Queens University Press, 2002 Ridgeway, Cecilia. Gender Interaction and Inequality. New York Springer Verlag New York Inc. , 1992 Spade, Joan and Catherine Valentine. The Ka

Summary of website & About The Company

makescape Communications Corporation is a leading provider of rotate software for linking people and information over private TCP/IP-based enterprise networks (intranets) and the Internet. They develop market and support a wide area of enterprise knob and boniface software, tools for development and commercial applications which creates a single communication platform shared for other network applications.All its software is on industrial standard protocols therefore it can be deployed on any operating system, hardware platform and databases. It can also be connected with various other client/server applications. The software can be used across different geographic locations, third party partners and customers.The product can be used by individuals or by organizations for any internet related transactions such as buying and selling of information, software, merchandise or publications.The company also offers services for the user and the network. These features include graphics and e-mail. The Company also offers software products and tools for intranet users. Their marketing strategy incorporates multiple channel distribution, direct sales, internet, telesales, resellers, value-added resellers and retailers.Some of the companies with which Netscape does business are AT&T, Apple, British Telecom, Compaq, Deutsche Telekom, Digital, France Telecom, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Informix, Novell, Olivetti, Siemens, silicon Graphics, Sybase and Sun. Netscape was incorporated in April 1994 in Delaware. The homepage is available at http//home.netscape.com. The Executive office is situates at 501 East Middlefield Road, Mountain View, California 94043. inceptions are traded on NASDAQ under the symbol NSCP. The U.S. offering was a total of 4,250,000 shares.The International offering was 750,000 shares, carrying the total to 5,000,000 shares. This includes 2,000,000 shares sold by The Company and 3,000,000 shares which were sold by Selling Stockholders. 86,535,395 share s were outstanding from the Common Stock after offering.The summary of the supplemental and consolidated financial information is as follows. In the months of March 1995, June 1995, September 1995, December 1995, March 1996, June 1996 and September 1996. The total gross was $100,016 the highest in September 1996 and the lowest in $5,814 in March 1995.The gross profit was $85,322 the highest in September 1996 and the lowest in $5,814 in March 1995. The amalgamation related charges were lowest in $2,033 in December 1995 and highest $6,100 in June 1996. Total operating expenses was highest $76,362 in September 1996 and lowest in $10,412 in March 1995. The Net income (loss) per share was 0 in September 1995.

Company Analysis: Sunrise Senior Living Essay

aurora precedential brisk Inc. is one of the top firms in the rapidly growing long-term care industry. They provided a number of operate for sr. citizens including assisted reinforcement, meals, transportation, housekeeping, and licensed and highly skilled nurses for certain residents who require 24 hour care. The come with was started in 1981 in Fairfax, Virginia by married couple Paul and Terry Klaassen who had a mint of creating election elderberry bush living options that emphasize feel of life.They incur started what is today the most recognized gild in the industry boasting innovative products and function for senior citizens. Ultimately after thoroughly researching the comp whatsoevers credentials, I decided that good morning Senior alimentation would be a favorable enthronization give that it is serving of quickly expanding industry, it is the top firm in the industry, and expert analysts believe that it is a smart investment. at a lower placestructure and Statement of Purpose The purpose of this report is to provide a thorough analysis of sunrise Senior vivacious in order to make a decision as to whether this comp whatsoever is worth investing in.This report lead include an analysis of the comp alls history and public relations, the companys financial performance and trends, economic variables that affect the company, and an overview of the industry and competing firms. In order to conduct this analysis, in all of the components antecedently mentioned have been researched in depth. All analysis and suggestions made depart be supported with valid show from a variety of different sources. Financial analysis testament include a glance at the companys balance sheets and income statements of the past few course of instructions along ith their performance in the rakehell market of the past few years.The basic structure of this report consists of an executive summary, a brief access to the report with basic training of the dawning Senior nutriment Inc. , a more than sufficient overview of the company outlining the research conducted in order to draw conclusions regarding the objective of the report, a comprehensive analysis of the company under the criteria previously mentioned, my personal recommendations as to whether an individual should invest in this company, and finally, an appendix with all necessary tables, graphs, and so on hat are necessary to support my recommendations and more clearly illustrate some(prenominal) of the company analysis. dayspring Senior Living Inc. is a company based in Fairfax County, Virginia that provides a number of senior living services in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Sunrise Senior Living tins independent living services which include housing, meals, transportation, housekeeping, and licensed and highly skilled nurses for certain residents who require 24 hour care.Also, these assisted living communities boast nostalgic neighborh oods that provide uniquely designed accommodations, services, and care to support residents who are cognitively damage or face issues with computer memory loss, including Alzheimers disease. Finally, it provides a medication management program, which includes the storage and distri thoion of medications as directed by the residents physician. As of December 31, 2009, Sunrise Senior Living operated 384 communities, including 335 communities in the United States, 15 communities in Canada, 27 communities in the United Kingdom, and 7 communities in Germany.The company was founded in 1981 by Paul and Terry Klaassen who had a vision of creating alternative senior living options that emphasize quality of life. (Yahoo Finance) Sunrise Senior Living Inc. is in the healthcare sector of the long term care facilities industry. The senior care industry is continually growing because of the increased life-span of the universe. With the Baby Boomers entering the age of retirement, the senior citi zen population is currently supplying a huge market for companies who provide these service-oriented products (Business Week).In fact, according to an article by Senior bring offMarketer, The senior care industry is booming and its just getting started as the baby boom generation cares for their aging parents and require care themselves as they transition into their own senior years. People sixty-five years and older represent the fastest-growing age group in the United States, and it is communicate that the 75+ population will increase 70% by 2025. By 2030, 70 million Americans will be over the age of 65 thats one out of every five Americans (Senior Care Marketer). With that s instigate, there a number of competing firms that are seeking to reap the benefits of this growing industry.Sunrise Senior Living is currently the leading competitor in the senior care industry. However, there are number of separate firms that are close behind including Brookdale Senior Living, Emeritus, Gentiva, Odyssey Healthcare, and ResCare. Overview Company History and Background As previously mentioned, Sunrise Senior Living Inc. was founded by Paul and Terry Klaassen more than 25 years ago. The idea for this now successful business originated in Holland where Paul Klaassen would visit his grandparents as a child. Pauls grandparents lived in assisted living substructures called verzorgingstehuizen.These assisted living homes are very similar to those offered by Sunrise today. The verzorgingstehuizen allowed its residents to be independent while simultaneously providing support or care for those who needed it. To start this company, a unseasoned and energetic Paul and Terry Klaassen sold their home and moved into a run-down treat home in Northern Virginia. Paul and Terry went on to renovate this nursing home and open up their first location of Sunrise Senior Living. Paul and Terry cared for the residents themselves in their first years of business, but word quickly spread re garding their freshly successful business.As demand for their services increased, they opened up two more locations in the mid 1980s. Taking on a similar strategy as they did with the old nursing home, they opened up new locations by renovating older buildings and converting them into warm environments that were fit for pity for senior citizens. By 1987, Paul and Terry opened their first Victorian-style mansion which is now a across the country recognized icon for their company. (Sunrise Senior Living) As with any successful business or corporation, it all starts with a vision and mission statement which provides direction and purpose.When founding Sunrise Senior Living, Paul and Terry Klaassen cherished to champion quality of life for seniors in a home-like, resident-centered environment, unlike existing, more institutional options. Their operating school of thought originates from a deep seated certainty in the method in which they accomplish the most pension quality of care of every individual. These convictions that have served as the foundation for Sunrise Senior Livings mission statement are now also the foundation for Sunrises Principles of Service and consequence Values.These set of principles and set currently direct Sunrises team members and employees at all of their locations worldwide. Sunrise Senior Livings Principles of Service include preserving dignity, nurturing the tonicity, celebrating individuality, enabling freedom of choice, encouraging independence, and involving family and friends. Their core values include passion, joy in service, stewards rosehip, respect, and trust. Each member of the Sunrise Senior Living team is further to follow these principles and core values to ensure that each(prenominal) resident or client receives the most bounty caliber service. Sunrise Senior Living) At first glance, one may question the importance of information such as mission and vision statements. However, by evaluating and analyzing a comp anys mission and vision statements, it becomes possible to take a deeper look into the companys culture and goals which can often be an indicator of their success and or failure in various fields. Also, as an investor, it is important to possess a thorough understanding of the companys purpose and values.Although the primary concern for most investors is the return they will receive on their investment, a nonher factor that investors consider is the companys reputation which is linked to their moral philosophy and code of ethics. For example, an investor may choose not to invest in a certain company take down though it would provide large returns on his or her investment because he or she may not agree with the companys mission and vision statements. Products and Services As previously mentioned Sunrise offers a number of different services and amenities for senior citizens.These services include assisted living, Alzheimers and memory care, independent living, skilled nursing, and short term stays. Not to mention that Sunrise also offers different financial options for those residents who have trouble with payments. Under each main service offered are a number of more specific programs as well. For example, one program in particular that Sunrise is known for is their recall neighborhoods, which is part of their Alzheimers and memory care treatment. These specially designed neighborhoods were created in order to allow senior citizens to re-live their renown days.To do this, members at Sunrise Senior Living begin by gaining an understanding of the seniors life stories without overlooking minute details. The reminiscence program encompasses a number of different activities that allows them to retain the spirit of their youth. It includes encouraging residents to participate in common daily practices such as gardening, sewing, office work, and household chores. Additionally, the reminiscence program offers Snoezelen environments which are essentially forms of s timulation for the senses and are used to maintain calmness and serenity among all of the seniors.These Snoezelen environments integrate music, aroma therapy, peaceful sounds, and visual displays for an experience that is incredibly soothing. (Sunrise Senior Living) Although Sunrise Senior Living offers a number of innovative and unique services, their customer and employee reviews are mixed to a certain degree. In order to best find out the opinions of customers and employees regarding Sunrise, I decided that it would be best to examine stochastic personal accounts of both customers and employees. I have examined a number of different websites and blogs in which individuals share their experiences with Sunrise Senior Living.Customer and Employee Reviews Measured up is a website that offers a wide variety of customer reviews and complaints of a number of businesses worldwide. There was recently an instance that occurred on June 19, 2010 in which a Sunrise neglected to aid one of th eir residents who fell and broke her leg and eventually needed a hip replacement surgery. The review off the company was written by the daughter of the woman who fell. She, unfortunately for Sunrise Senior Living, had only the worst things to say about the company.After the incident, Sunrise, according to the daughter of the woman, did not offer fair compensation for the injury of her m early(a). She also stated that the members at Sunrise did not give any form of apology whatsoever and treated the entire affair with as icy a heart as they could muster. She even went on to say that the Sunrise Difference was cruelty, malice, and disdain. She also strongly advised any individual with elderly loved ones to stay away from Sunrise Senior Living because she thought they were cold and malicious. (Measured Up) As aforementioned, this incident occurred on June 19, 2010.It is especially relevant because of how recent this whole affair took place. As with any company or organization in gen eral, it takes only one mishap to permanently tarnish a reputation. The incident with the woman falling is obviously going to be detrimental to Sunrise Senior Livings reputation. This is important because it is a tribute of customer satisfaction, even though it was only one incident. This descend in customer satisfaction, if great enough, will be reflected in the financial performance of the company because clients will no longer demand Sunrises services as much.Employee reviews of the company are arguably equally as important as customer reviews given that ultimately, it is the employees who are running these companies. According to Glassdoor, a blog that provides insight and internal reviews of jobs and companies, Sunrise Senior Living received an average employee rating of 2. 6 out of 40 reviews, meaning that employees feel that working at Sunrise is Ok. Also, Mark S. Ordan, CEO and conductor of Sunrise since March of 2008, received a 44% approval rate by employees.Although the se statistics are from a relatively small sample, considering that Sunrise consists of close to 5000 employees, it is still a testament to the entire companys satisfaction in their workplace. (Glass Door Reviews) Recent News Recently, Sunrise Senior Living has done some restructuring with regards to their upper level management as well as the relationships they hold with some of their joint ventures. Namely, they have appointed Marc Richards as Chief Financial Officer, Greg Neeb as Chief Investment and Administrative Officer, and David Haddock as the General Counsel.In terms of their joint ventures, Sunrise Senior Living is currently working with Ventas, HCP, and CNL modus vivendi Properties. In order to understand the restructuring of these relationships it is necessary to possess a basic understanding of the function of each of these companies. (Sunrise Senior Living Investor Relations) Ventas is one of the countrys primary healthcare real estate investment trusts. Their increasi ng portfolio contains 602 healthcare-related facilities that contain roughly 50,000 licensed beds and senior housing units which are located advantageously in 44 states in the US and two provinces in Canada. Ventas) HCP, a real estate investment trust, was formal in 1985 and is a publicly traded company of the S&P 500. Their portfolio contains 673 properties in 42 states and Mexico, and mezzanine loans and other debt instruments. All of which are spread across the healthcare industry including senior housing, life science, post-acute/skilled nursing and hospital. (HCP) CNL Lifestyle Properties, also a real estate investment trust, is a company that invests in properties intercommunicate to produce income that focus primarily in lifestyle related industries.CNL Lifestyle Properties purchases properties and leases them on a long-term basis with the potential of long-term revenue. CNL Lifestyle Properties owns 10 ski resorts, two former Six-Flags owned and mark parks, two former non branded Six-Flags Parks, and three former Six-Flags owned water parks just to hold a few. (CNL Lifestyle Properties) Sunrise Senior Living has restructured with Ventas through sale of joint venture interests which brought frontwards funds improving their balance sheet as well as reaching a new agreement that allows Sunrise to continue to manage senior living facilities owned by Ventas.With HCP, Sunrise has end management contracts with 27 communities which has allowed them to reduce their debt. Finally, Sunrise has gained 40% self-control interest, from 10% in the previous year of a wholly owned subsidiary of CNL Lifestyle Properties, offering the opportunity to purchase their new colleagues interest in the venture. All of these adjustments are consistent with their strategy of pursuing sole ownership of the assets they manage.

Success Factor for Zara

What ar the Key success factors of Zara? The ability to respond to customer requirements on a timely basis has forever and a day been a fundamental element of the commercialiseing concept. Martin Christopher et. al. Hence, it is important being proactive in a market such as the fast-fashion industry which Zara is operating in, time is always a crucial factor. The fast-fashion market, amongst other things, is characterized by short lifecycles, towering volatility, low predictability, and high-impulse purchases. Therefore, it is very important for Zara to constantly have their crossroads available for a latent customer in order to sell and earn more(prenominal) profit.Since the fast-fashion market is to a fault constantly faulting and trends locoweed be replaced over a night, there is a low predictability. This makes it a lot more difficult to compose accurate forecasts. In order to stay competitive in the market, it is important to bespeak be aw atomic number 18 of these ty pes of factors mentioned above, and make sure you are not left behind. One of Zara? s classifiable key success factors is their valuable and planned integrated logistics and fork out chain management. This allows them to further develop and have a competitive marketing mix.In a marketplace where customers expect to find the latest physiques that are pacify in fashion, Zara is an outstanding example of how to make that possible. It usually takes at least six months in the material industry for an idea to be transformed into a crossroad and reach the install shelves. By cut the lead-time by means of efficient channel management, Zara has developed a vertical integrated business model, which allows them to change nearly parts of their inventory in only a couple of weeks. This strategy is nowadays known as the Quick Response (QR).The definition of QR passel be described as A state of responsiveness and flexibility in which an organization seeks to provide a highly diverse ran ge of products and services to a customer/consumer in the exact quantity, variety, quality, time, place and price, as dictated by real-time customer/consumer demand. Neil Towers et. al The QR strategy allows Zara to create products that are inspired by the latest fashion trends from around the world through diverse media sources displayed to a broad public, leading fashion scenes, movies, bloggers, etc.By having products for a reasonable price with relatively high quality, Zara is one of the leading fast-fashion companies in the world. But, how does their company function to have this much success? One of the primary(prenominal) reasons why Zara is so competitive is because they have suppliers that are strategically designed to fulfill their abstract idea. Their conceptual idea is to supply trendy clothes, to a broad market, for a reasonable price. Almost 30 per centum of the companys suppliers are situated in either Spain or parts of Europe.The local front end of the manufactur ing facilities within a short distance to many of their stores and headquarters, has allowed the company to be very flexible in a changing market. With high integration to the company? s suppliers, the products that are highly sensitive to accessibility and proactive response are mainly get downd in Europe. They minimize costs and lead-time because of the local presence, which makes it possible to embark new and fresh merchandise multiple times a year.Since, major parts of the production are situated locally, the products can reach the stores at the right time, meet the actual demand, and reach a higher(prenominal) sell-through. The other part of their product line that is not susceptible for seasonal change is outsourced to low-cost-labor countries in Asia. The combine of suppliers works as a competitive advantage. It promotes high-impulse purchasing from their new lines while still profiting for their basic product lines. Another key success factor is their pricing strategy.Th e company uses a market-based pricing strategy, which means that they design products at a fixed price according to what the costumers are willing to pay. All the costs to produce and deliver the product combined with the planned gross margin for profit are then careful in accordance to the final retail price. Besides the pricing strategy, Zara also uses a market-oriented approach, which refers to being cognisant and predicting costumers hidden needs. As studies has revealed, the company only spends one percent of their annual turnover on advertising.They position most of their resources into using modern technologies, such as point-of-sales data collected from their stores as an effective intercourse tool. By regularly collecting POS-data, and translating the information into real demand and different consumption patterns, the company can deliver the exact quantity of merchandise, at the right time, to their stores. This activity minimizes the costs and results in higher profit , which can be used for other business activities such as expansion, product development and so on.Not to mention, it also makes it possible for the company to evaluate and predict which products that will have a shorter or longer product life cycle. Hence, will result in higher sell-through, quick elimination of products that are out of fashion, and replacement of new merchandise. Another reason to why their internationalization has been so successful is the fact that their merchandize can be sold in many different parts of the world. Even regardless of cultural differences. One of the reasons is that their consumers love garments from the high-end market and Zara copies those garments at lower prices for their consumers.In some cultures the company is using adaptation tools. For example, each store manager is allowed to make slight modifications to the assortment to achieve a better match between supply and demand in certain countries. In addition, the location of the stores is a nother successful factor. Zara has chosen to position their stores in attractive and high-trafficked locations. Also, Zaras stores are designed by professional store decorators in accordance to Zaras business image. The interior of the Zara in Central for instance is very similar to other high-end fashion stores, which gives customers the analogous feeling as shopping in a luxury store.References Used the two articles posted by Dawn on FB Lectures Tutorials And Retrieved on 2012-03-11http//www. google. com. hk/books? hl=sv&lr=&id=-9Ja0ZQ6gSMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA62&dq=market+orientation+and+supply+chain+management+in+the+fashion+industry&ots=0FiX4Yvyf5&sig=BoBe-KOlSiOaY6igTvN7NvyPVYM&redir_esc=yv=onepage&q=market%20orientation%20and%20supply%20chain%20management%20in%20the%20fashion%20industry&f=false Retrieved on 2012-03-11 http//martin-christopher. info/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/CREATING-AGILE-SUPPLY-CHAINS-IN-THE-FASHION-INDUSTRY. pdf

2nd Amendment Paper

When I think about the dreams of the founders I think about the amendments. These amendments represented their core beliefs. When I think about that I look at society and think how well comport the amendments been followed. In a sense most of the amendments have been followed well, but in the last 20 or 30 years that has been declining rapidly. The 1st amendment, probably the easiest to follow is being silently fought. Now it whitethorn non be illegal to hypothesize something but by the time you say it you might have wished it was.People are queer to a bloody pulp because their opinion of the president, or flush worse their favorite sports team. What has this nation accompany to when we beat a living person to a bloody pulp for the sports team that they like I think we need to watch a step back and look at ourselves for a second. The second amendment is our first freedom. For the last 100 years people have slowly been trying to tax and fix our right and freedom to bear arms. The 2nd amendment states that their should be a militia ready for times of war. It does not say an army, a militia.If I remember correctly the definition of militia is a military stick raised by civilians to take place of an army in an emergency. Now how are we supposed to bout like a military force, if the law abiding citizens of this country smokenot buy a basic infantrymans rifle. Yes you can buy a modified version, but we should be able to buy any type of composition we would like, because it is our right and our freedom. This amendment isnt about no duck hunting. Its about the peoples right, freedom, and ability to protect themselves and their country. The 3rd amendment Is our freedom of religion.In this twenty-four hours and age Christianity is frowned upon, at the time of our founders christianity represented the core belief system of almost every man, woman, and child. immediately you have atheists making it illegal to display any signs of religion, you want to put a nativity ikon in front of your house, so sorry you probably need a permit for that, or its against your urban center ordnance. You want to have a christmas party at the local town/city green, no problem, tho you need to c each(prenominal) it a winter party, winter holiday party, or non denominational festive celebration, lovely insane.To make matters worse we have a president, a president the leader of a country whose axiom is IN GOD WE TRUST is supporting the beliefs of Islam, a country who believes that America is satan. You k right away its bad when we have a muslim president. The constitution has been changed and twisted so much that I bet the founders are doing backflips in their graves. In a society were the sacred organization of marriage is being laughed at and challenged day to day, this isnt alone a political challenge its a virtue, and morality challenge as well.This country was founded on good, christian values and after the influence of God and the Holy Ghost. Chr istopher capital of Ohio talks about a take root and spiritual feeling coming over him as he studied his maps and sailed on the open waters. in that respect is no question that God had a hand in the founding of this country. At the time of Columbus, Asia had all the necessary means and resources to sail to the new world, and almost did. But Columbus did first and opened the way for Gods country, the light set on a hill.When this countries core belief system is attacked we moldiness defend it, and if it fails we are in deep bring out. The day we take God out of everything is the day we are utterly and utterly screwed. The founders knew that God essential be at the center of our lives and that we must show Godlike attributes for this country to succeed, the amendments did a pretty good job of following the ten commandments if you think about it, for example the 2nd amendment may have something to do with those commandments that talk about coveting, and stealing?Although there ar e things wrong with America, and although it is painful to say there are a lot of things wrong but at then end of the day this is silence the place, the Country chosen above all other countries to be an ensign unto all nations. To be the place where that great Lord Jesus the Christ will return again, where every knee shall succumb and every tongue confess. Although we may be going by some rough times in America we must see the light at the end of the tunnel. When Thomas Jefferson said that there must be a separation of church and state I dont think he realized what trouble he would cause years down the road.People now think that that mastery means that we must take God out of all Politics and Government, the people who believe this are sadly and utterly WRONG. The statement that Thomas Jefferson made in a letter to a friend, not even in the Constitution, tell that we must not allow the Government control the Church, and not allow the Church to control the Government. We now see what happens when people take things out of context. This country is a beautiful one and still offers to a greater extent than any other country in the world, but that is slowly decaying, and we are rapidly becoming much and more like, other countries in the world.We must return to the founders first dream, illustrated in the amendments and expressed in their letter and personal documents. We must not remove God from our lives, when we do we decay morally and spiritually and we as a society will slowly but surely spiral out of control. God still loves us and this country. He loves us no matter what, and though we may be going through a rough time in Americas history, it will all be for our profit and learning, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and boy it is a bright and glorious one.This is his country, he inspired Columbus in his studying to find this country. He inspired the founders, to go against the tight grip of England, and write a constitution and declare independ ence. He inspired the writers and signers of the declaration of independence, to defy a nation and become an even stronger nation, full of love, and freedom. Now in this our darkest time we abandon our God, yet we need to remember that he has not abandoned us. The founders knew that a day would come when the constitution would be challenged, now its up to us as a nation to defend their dream.We must not give up as a nation, or even as individuals, at the end of the day there is no collective salvation, we must find out our families and our children the correct way of living, a Godlike way of living. We must try first to show faith, apply and charity to ourselves, and then our family, before we can try it as a nation. That is what we need, faith, hope, and charity. That was what the founders wanted to tell us. We must show faith hope and charity. No free government hand-outs.