Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Write two pages about history of walmart and reason why you choose Essay

Write two pages about history of walmart and reason why you choose walmart for your project - Essay Example In 1988, Walton left the post of CEO and continued as the chairman of the highest decision making board of the company. After a period of tremendous success, Walton thus began to prepare his potential successors. Walton and Huey have elaborately explained this process of development and consolidation in the book Sam Walton, Made in America: My Story. Anwar has aptly remarked on the next phase of Wal-Mart’s attacking expansionism. According to Anwar, â€Å"Since 1992, Wal-Mart has sought aggressive diversification by acquiring various retailing chains in Mexico, Canada, Germany and the U.K. This change in Wal-Mart’s core competence beyond the U.S. market signifies its future growth and expansion.† (101) In 2005, as per the observation of Matthew and Mark, the company had sales figures around $ 312.4 billion. It employed 1.6 million workers all over the world. It emerged as the largest corporation in the world and stood apart as a highly developed, diversified, and efficient retailing chain. (15-25) Of late, Wal-Mart is striving to become an energy efficient company. It is concentrating on renewable energy, waste management, organic products, and power generation. During the recession of 2008-09, Wal-Mart continued to report solid fiscal figures with significant profits and revenue. Why should Wal-Mart be chosen for the purpose of company analysis? The reason is obvious: It is a great company! First of all, Walton’s struggle and success stories are the ideal ingredients of a legend that depicts how American dream can come true. Apart from the high sales figures and annual turnover of billions of dollars, Wal-Mart has contributed significantly in the realm of corporate social responsibility. During the aftermath of the deadly Hurricane Katrina in the year 2005, Wal-Mart responded rapidly to relieve the affected population. It directed its logistical functionary and

(business law)organization and financial structure of corporations Case Study

(business law)organization and financial structure of corporations - Case Study Example The issue to be determined is whether a director, who acts on behalf of a company before it is incorporated, but in good faith and on the knowledge that the organization is already incorporated, is liable for the actions. Applicable rule of law to the case is the Revised Model Business Corporation Act that states that parties that assume actions as agents of a corporation with the knowledge that the subject organization has not been incorporated are liable for their actions (Mallor, Barnes, Bowers and Langvard, 2012). The rule is suitable for determining the case because its provisions cover facts of the case. R & F Corporation had prepared its articles of association for filing and Rose was the chair of the corporation’s board and therefore acted on behalf of the organization, contracting for the lease of the warehouse. While the act protects parties to a contract with agents of a corporation who acts before the filing of the corporation’s documents, it protects individuals who act in good faith, especially with the knowledge that the organization is already legally incorporated. Determining the case therefore requires proof of whether or not, Rose acted in good faith, and whether or not, he was aware of the incorporation status of the organization. The testimony by Rose that he acted believed the organization was already incorporated was supported by a co-director to R & F Corporation and this establishes validity of his limited knowledge. His position as the corporation’s chairman that identified responsibility of signing the board’s resolution further suggest that his actions were undertaken within his jurisdiction and for the interest of the corporation and the co-director’s testimony supports this. The facts of the case that indicates a long delay in filing the signed articles also justifies Rose’s testimony that he believed the documents had already been filed. The position that Rose held in the organization, board

Monday, October 28, 2019

Joseph Stalin Essay Example for Free

Joseph Stalin Essay Joseph Stalin played a very important role in the history of Soviet Russia. He was exposed to Karl Marx’s ideas at a very young age in the Tiflis Theological Seminary school he was enrolled in. He continued with these ideas throughout the early years of his life; modifying them as he went along. Eventually, Stalin came to power in Eastern Europe. In my opinion, Stalin was a harsh and hypocritical leader. He did not have fair policies and he changed them to apply to a particular problem he was facing. Joseph Stalin in Soviet Russia was harsh, hypocritical and forceful. Stalin made a name for himself when he joined the Social Democratic Labor Party in 1901. After the overthrow of Nicholas II, Stalin did not think that the Russian people were ready for a Socialist revolution, apposing what Vladimir Lenin thought. Lenin was the leader of the Socialists at the time. When Lenin heard about this, he made Stalin choose. He could either challenge Lenin for the leadership of the Socialists, or he could change his mind about the revolution and remain loyal to Lenin. Stalin chose to stay loyal to Lenin in an article he wrote. Lenin was pleased with Stalin, and appointed him Commissar of Nationalities. Stalin told people that the new Soviet government promised â€Å"complete freedom for the Finnish people, and for other peoples of Russia, to arrange their own life†. This meant that he supported the idea of self-determination and making a life for yourself. After a while, Stalin found it hard to control the non-Russian people under his power. They were creating many independent states without his agreement. These states were often hostile to Stalin and his government. This made Stalin change his policies so that self-determination was not allowed. In 1939, Stalin made a pact with Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany, which divided the two powers. Taking all of this into consideration, my opinion on Joseph Stalin is that he was a harsh, hypocritical ruler who wasn’t fair. His ideas and actions shaped Soviet Russian history to what we know it to be today. Stalin was hypocritical because he told the people that he supported self-determination, but the once the people put it into action, he punished them for it. He was harsh because when he punished people who went against him, he killed them with no questions asked. Also, he was responsible for at least 20 million deaths from forced famines, labor camps, forced migrations, state terrorism and labor camps. He did these things to try to unite his power base into a smaller area; eliminating lesser powers. Next, after World War II, he continued mass murdering entire areas. He did all of this while practicing callous control over the Soviet Union and it’s surrounding states. This makes me believe even more that Stalin was a horrible person and leader in Soviet Russia’s history. Overall, my judgment of Joseph Stalin in Soviet Russian history is that he was a horrible leader who caused the death of many innocent people. He was hypocritical, ruthless and harsh to the people he ruled. I think that many people probably have different opinions about how much of an impact Stalin actually had on Russian history, but I believe that without him, things would have been completely different. Even though Adolf Hitler still would have caused the Holocaust, Stalin would not have been there to increase the number of deaths. This is how I would judge Joseph Stalin’s place in Soviet Russia’s history.

Predatory pricing of petrol Essay Example for Free

Predatory pricing of petrol Essay Supermarket price wars are putting Britain’s small petrol stations out of business at the rate of one a day. Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons have this year embarked on a war to attract hard-hit consumers and the price of fuel has been central to their campaign. Morrisons is offering loyalty points on its new fuel card while Asda has launched a price comparison app for mobile phones to convince shoppers it has the cheapest fuel. Both Sainsbury’s and Tesco have offered money-off vouchers for petrol customers. The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI), a trade association representing the interests of 6 000 small petrol stations, is hoping the OFT inquiry will support its members, who believe that unfair and predatory pricing by the supermarkets and some major oil companies is making it impossible for them to compete. There are now about 8 000 small petrol retailers compared with 21 000 two decades ago and 40 000 in 1966. It predicts that in five years there will be very few independent petrol retailers left. The OFT inquiry comes at a time when the supermarkets have proved particularly effective at building up a huge stake in the petrol market. With the recession dragging on, households are keen to save even one or two pence a litre, particularly those families whose livelihoods depend on the use of a car. Between June 2007 and June 2012 – a period that saw  considerable crude oil price volatility – the price of petrol rose by 38% while diesel rose by 45%. In 2011, supermarkets accounted for 45% of total fuel sales from just 1 316 sites compared with 37.4 % in 2010. The OFT said the fuel market for Britain’s 33 million motorists is worth around  £32 billion a year, and accounts for 5p in every  £1 of household expenditure. But many have also blamed the Government and increases in fuel tax for soaring petrol prices. It takes 60% of the price of every litre of petrol in tax – the highest rate in Europe.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Charlies Regret of Past Behaviors in Fitzgeralds Babylon Revisited :: Babylon Revisited Essays

Charlie's Regret of Past Behaviors in Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited Charlie Wale's character seemed to get the raw end of the deal throughout the entire story. He was trying to redeem himself as a good father and a good citizen. He had many regrets of his past actions and behavior, especially those regarding his deceased wife, Helen. The events that occured during his visit to Paris, however, were detrimental to his intentions. His desire to have his daughter, Honoria, return with him to Prague, was sincere, and as a reader, I could almost feel his pain and disappointment at the disastorous end results. Marion's decision to not allow Honoria to return was merely based on Charlie's "past". Once his old acquaintances, Duncan Schaffer and Lorranine Quarrles, surfaced at the home of Linclon and Marion Peters, there was almost no chance of redemption. Marion could only see the "old" Charlie, and not the man who longed to care and provide for his daughter. Marion also seemed to hold a grudge against Charlie for the death of her sister, Helen. Charlie had begun many preparations to bring Honoria home with him. The hiring of a governess and the lease on a new apartment are just two examples of his attempt at trying to convince Marion and Licoln of his seriousness of resuming the responsibilty of being a parent. To be a father to Honoria, would also entail being a mother to her in some ways, due to the fact that Helen's death had been a part of the past Charlie was trying so hard to recover from.. Charlie's personal strentgh is shown by only having one drink a day, compared to the noted many drinks, and possibly other paraphernalia he may have encountered in his colorful past. At this point in his life, he

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Caribbean Essay -- Caribbean History Essays

The Caribbean Perhaps nowhere on earth is a more culturally varying region than in the Caribbean. The recent history has formed these islands into a confused, random area, hiding much of its people’s identity and heritage. Due to European Imperialism, extermination of aboriginal peoples, slavery, the plantation system, and the ethnic diversity of the inhabitants the Caribbean does not allow itself to be classified as one. In fact little can be grouped together. Sydney Mintz, Antonio Benitez-Rojo, and Michelle Cliff try to make sense of the combination and loss of culture as well as the reemergence of new ones. They do this from different perspectives, Rojo though the eyes of a Cuban and a literary critic, Mintz as a political scientist and Cliff as a Jamaican born and raised citizen. Sydney Mintz and Antonio Benitez-Rojo argue a very similar viewpoint. When the Europeans arrived in the late fourteen hundreds they took control of the native population an either enslaved or exterminated them. Over the years the European countries have juggled ownership of the islands, shifting in...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Thorn Queen Chapter Nine

Returning home was great. I was exhausted mentally and physically and didn't even mind the onslaught of dogs and cats that greeted me. Tim stood in the kitchen, mixing up some kind of batter. He also wore a full Native American feather headdress that went all the way down his back. â€Å"Isn't that a Sioux thing?† I asked. â€Å"Er, Lakota?† â€Å"I keep getting in trouble when I pretend to be one of the local tribes,† he explained. â€Å"So, I figure if I claim to be from out of town, no one can push for details. Besides, you're one to judge appearance. Did you sleep out in the rain or something?† Ironically, I had, but I wasn't about to tell him that. â€Å"It's been a long day. Days. Whatever.† â€Å"Lara called like eighty times. She's got a real attitude, you know.† â€Å"That's why she makes the big bucks,† I said with a yawn. â€Å"I'm going to go take a nap. Wake me if she calls.† â€Å"You going to go hear me perform tonight?† he called as I headed down the hall. I froze. â€Å"Oh, um, gee. I've got plans†¦.† â€Å"You do not!† â€Å"I do.† I turned around. â€Å"I'm going to my mom's.† â€Å"The reading's late,† he said. â€Å"Doesn't start until nine. You'll be done by then.† I had long since accepted Tim's fake American Indian gig, but accepting it and witnessing it-aside from when he stood in full regalia in my kitchen-were two entirely different things. â€Å"I've even written new material,† he added when he saw that he wasn't making much progress. â€Å"I'm not sure that's a selling point.† He held up the bowl of brownie mix. â€Å"I'll make them with walnuts.† I sighed and turned back toward my bedroom. â€Å"You don't play fair.† He whooped with joy. â€Å"You'll love it, Eug. I promise.† I fell asleep pretty easily and woke to two pleasant surprises. One was the scent of freshly baked brownies wafting in the air. The other was Kiyo sitting in a chair in my room, eating one of the aforementioned brownies. With the way he'd been in and out lately, I never really knew when to expect him. â€Å"Nice surprise,† I said, sitting up. â€Å"Likewise,† he said, eyeing my bare legs. I'd gone to sleep in a T-shirt. â€Å"Anything new in the Otherworld?† â€Å"Not much. Maiwenn's getting nervous about the delivery, but I kind of figured that would happen.† â€Å"She's got good healers,† I said, wanting to reassure him in spite of all the troubled feelings Maiwenn generated in me. I noticed then that he wore his white coat. â€Å"You going into work?† â€Å"Just got out.† Damn. It was later than I'd realized if he'd hung out with Maiwenn and pulled a shift at work. â€Å"Do you want to go see my parents with me?† Kiyo made a face. â€Å"Roland hates me.† â€Å"Hate is a strong word.† But it wasn't an entirely inaccurate one. Roland, my shaman stepfather, made no secret of the fact that he didn't like me spending as much time as I did in the Otherworld. Bringing home an Otherworldly boyfriend hadn't earned his approval either, even though Kiyo was half-human like me. Still, Roland was always more or less polite. My mother, who didn't know about Kiyo's heritage, couldn't gush over him enough. I think she'd nearly given up on me ever dating anyone, so me landing a veterinarian was quite a coup as far as she was concerned. She was a fantastic cook and so even though Roland made him uneasy, Kiyo still consented to go. â€Å"Are you sure you got enough to eat?† she asked after we finished dinner with them later that night. She operated under the assumption that I was on the verge of malnutrition and that Kiyo was incapable of feeding himself if someone else didn't cook for him. In truth, Kiyo was a much better cook than me. â€Å"It was great,† he assured her. â€Å"Believe me, I had more than enough.† â€Å"Well, don't be afraid to go back for more. Or take home leftovers.† â€Å"Geez, Mom. He had three helpings. Are you fattening him up for the kill?† I asked. â€Å"There are worse fates,† mused Kiyo good-naturedly. My mom beamed. I thought she was exceptionally pretty, but maybe I was just biased. People said we had similar looks, and we did as far as build and facial features went. It was the coloring we differed in. Her eyes were just plain blue, and her dark hair was graying. My reddish hair and violet-blue eyes were Storm King's legacy. After dinner, I stole Roland away to the den to talk shop and left Kiyo to entertain my mother. She knew what it was we did, but after her own experiences in the Otherworld, she preferred to avoid our shamanic discussions. â€Å"Still with him, huh?† asked Roland, relaxing back in an easy chair. â€Å"He's nice, and you know it. He's the same as me.† Roland scratched his head thoughtfully. His hair had gone gray, and he seemed to have new wrinkles every year. He was still more than a match for most Otherworldly foes (even though he'd ostensibly retired), and the crosses, whorls, fish, and other Christian tattoos on his arms could summon the same power my goddess-based ones could. â€Å"He is like you,† he agreed. â€Å"He's not entirely Otherworldly-but he's tied to it. He's spent more of his life there than you, let it become more a part of him. And you being with someone like that means that you'll just be that much more tied to it in return. With everything that's going on over there, it's really better if you stay away.† â€Å"Everything,† of course, meant the prophecy about me bearing the Otherworld's savior. While I usually recapped a lot of my shamanic business to Roland, I had neglected to mention a few of my recent activities-say, like inadvertently conquering a kingdom and becoming a queen. Call me crazy, but I just had to think our relationship would be better if he remained in ignorance about that. â€Å"Well, I've kind of gotten involved with something over there. And don't give me that look,† I warned, seeing his frown. â€Å"I'm helping out some people who need it, and it's too late to back out. But the other day, I saw fire demons.† That got his attention. â€Å"You do mean in the Otherworld, right?† â€Å"God, yes.† Demons in our world would be pretty horrible. â€Å"There were five of them.† He let out a low whistle. â€Å"That's substantial even for them. It'd take a powerful summoner to do that.† â€Å"I was with, uh, some others, and they managed to do some damage, but for the most part, we were useless. I banished one, and that just about wiped me out.† â€Å"Yeah, it can be done, but it's not easy. You could do it with a couple of other shamans, but on your own†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"I really don't like you getting involved with that.† â€Å"I know, I know, but like I said, it's too late. Do you know how to get rid of them? Aside from assembling a shaman posse?† â€Å"The easiest way-and I use that term loosely-would be to find a gentry who could summon water demons. Put them with fire demons, and they'll all turn on each other.† â€Å"Somehow I'm not optimistic about finding someone like that.† Yet, even as I said that, I wondered if I could do it. As far as I knew, that wasn't part of my storm magic. I could summon water and had once controlled air, bending those forces to my will. Summoning elemental creatures was out of my range. Storm King had allegedly been able to do it. Jasmine had commanded water creatures as well, though I didn't know if that would include demons. It irked me that I couldn't do what the rest of my family could. â€Å"True,† Roland agreed. â€Å"In that case, brute force may be the only way to go. Let them assemble their own forces to get rid of the demons. It's not your problem. It's the gentry's and their leaders' responsibility.† â€Å"Right,† I said uneasily. â€Å"Well, we'll see what happens.† The look he gave me showed that he didn't believe I'd leave this alone. It also said he knew nothing he could say would convince me. â€Å"I've got another question. Ever heard of Otherworldly towns called Ley and Skye?† Shamans generally avoided crossing over to that world, but Roland had been there many times and knew a lot about the land. â€Å"Ley sounds familiar†¦it's in the Alder Land, isn't it? Or is it Rowan?† In addition to not knowing about my queenly status, Rowan also didn't know there'd been a complete upheaval in the Alder Land. â€Å"Rowan,† I said. â€Å"But very close to, um, Alder. There's supposedly a crossroads near there. Do you know where it comes out?† â€Å"No†¦nowhere around here, I'm sure.† â€Å"Any way you could find out?† â€Å"Is this tied in to the demons?† I hesitated a moment and opted for the truth. â€Å"No, it's something else. A different thing I'm helping them out with.† â€Å"Eugenie!† Roland rarely lost his temper, but I could see the anger in his eyes now. â€Å"What are you doing? You can't do this. You can't get entangled in their affairs. Your job is to protect this world, to keep them and the other monsters and ghosts out of here.† â€Å"They're not all bad,† I said, surprised as the words came out of my mouth. â€Å"Do I need to remind you about your mother's abduction and the assorted attempts to rape you?† Hearing him say those words stung, but I held my ground. â€Å"I'm dealing with that. It's not an issue.† â€Å"It's always going to be an issue,† he argued. â€Å"And I'm not going to help you keep getting into more trouble with them.† â€Å"What, are you threatening to cut me off from information?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Maybe. If it'll keep you safe.† â€Å"Well, it won't. The only thing you'll do is put me in more danger if I keep going there uninformed!† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"So now you're the one threatening me?† â€Å"What's going on?† My mother stuck her head in the den's doorway, concern on her face. â€Å"Is everything okay? I thought I heard shouting.† I stood up. â€Å"Roland's just getting hard of hearing, so I was helping him out.† I followed her back to the other room, where Kiyo watched me curiously. Even in human form, he had a fox's hearing, and I wouldn't have found it surprising if he'd heard the whole argument. â€Å"We have to take off,† I said. â€Å"We're going to hear Tim recite some poetry.† Kiyo's raised eyebrow was his only sign of surprise at our evening plans. I'd neglected to tell him earlier because I was pretty sure he would have never left the house with me. He smiled politely at my mom. â€Å"Thanks for dinner. It was great.† My mom was sad to see us go. â€Å"Well, you should come back next weekend. I'll make lasagna. And cherry pie.† I kissed her cheek. â€Å"You don't have to bribe us to come over.† â€Å"No, but it doesn't hurt.† Mad or not, I gave Roland a hug too. In that brief moment, he murmured in my ear, â€Å"I'll talk to Bill.† He sounded weary and defeated, and I hugged him closer. â€Å"Thank you.† Bill was a shaman friend of his in Flagstaff. Once we were finally able to leave, Kiyo didn't waste any time in getting to the point. â€Å"Trouble on the home front?† â€Å"Like you don't know,† I said. â€Å"Told you he hates me.† â€Å"I think he hates me making all these trips to the Otherworld more.† â€Å"But he still thinks I'm a bad influence.† â€Å"You are a bad influence.† We drove in silence for a few moments. Then Kiyo noticed that I wasn't heading toward my house. We were going downtown. â€Å"No,† he groaned. â€Å"We are not actually going to hear Tim, are we? I thought that was just an excuse to leave.† I shook my head. â€Å"Sorry. I promised.† Kiyo sighed but took it like a man. We went to one of Tim's regular venues, a place called the Fox Den. I thought Kiyo would think that was funny, but he didn't. When we walked in, there was a girl on the stage reciting poetry about the bleakness of existence and litter on the side of the highway. Kiyo looked around, taking in the patrons and tables-and then realized we were in a coffee shop, not a bar. â€Å"They don't serve alcohol here? There's no way I can do this without hard liquor.† â€Å"Oh, just hush,† I said, trying to hide my smile. We found a small round table in the middle of the crowded cafe, and I left him there while I went to get hot chocolate. I would have loved coffee but had enough trouble sleeping without the addition of caffeine this late at night. When I returned, I saw three visitors had pulled chairs up to our table. â€Å"Hey, guys,† I said. â€Å"Nice to see you again, Eugenie.† The speaker was named Barbara. She was an elderly woman, belonging to the Pascua Yaqui tribe. Their religious beliefs, while having some similarities to the nature-oriented views of neighboring tribes, had picked up a lot of Christian influences over the years. Indeed, she wore a cross around her neck but was also still regarded by many as a type of holy woman. She had no problem with me calling myself a shaman, as those of other Indian tribes sometimes did. Her grandsons, Felix and Dan, were with her tonight, and they didn't have a problem with me either. Tim, however, was a different story. â€Å"Please tell me your asshole roommate isn't performing tonight,† said Felix. â€Å"Watch your language,† said Barbara in a very grandmotherly way. I shifted uncomfortably. â€Å"Well†¦he might be up there tonight†¦.† â€Å"Jesus Christ,† said Dan, munching on biscotti. He looked apologetically at Barbara before turning to me. â€Å"We've told him a hundred times not to do that.† â€Å"Come on, guys. Don't start something again-it took forever for that last black eye to go away,† I reminded him. Felix shook his head. â€Å"Look, impersonating us wouldn't be so bad-and it is bad-if his poetry wasn't such shit.† â€Å"Felix!† warned Barbara. He turned sheepish. â€Å"Sorry, Grandma. But you know I'm right.† â€Å"It's the only thing he knows how to do,† I said lamely. â€Å"Besides, he's going Lakota tonight-if that helps.† â€Å"I don't think it'll improve the poetry,† noted Kiyo, stretching back in the chair. â€Å"Agreed,† said Felix. â€Å"His poetry's crappiness transcends all cultures.† He looked smugly at his grandmother, pleased that he hadn't sworn this time. She turned to me, ignoring him. â€Å"How's business?† â€Å"Good,† I said. â€Å"Weird.† While she had no issues with me being a shaman, she was sometimes troubled by the thought of me fighting Otherworldly creatures. She seemed undecided about whether they were holy or not, though she had seen her fair share of evil ones and knew what I did was sometimes necessary. She was about to ask me more when Tim suddenly walked onto the stage. He had on the feather headdress, no shirt, and leather chaps. â€Å"Oh God. No,† groaned Felix. Tim held up his hands to silence the scattered applause. â€Å"Thank you, friends,† he said in a deep, flat voice. â€Å"The Great Spirit welcomes you and your joining of our holy circle tonight.† â€Å"I am not even joking,† said Dan. â€Å"I am this close to walking up there and dragging him out back.† â€Å"Please,† I hissed. â€Å"Not tonight.† â€Å"For my first poem,† continued Tim, â€Å"I would like to read you something I was inspired to write while sitting outside and considering the way the beating of a butterfly's wings are just like the beating of our hearts in this transient world.† Spreading his hands wide, he recited. â€Å"Sister Butterfly upon the wind Wings so yellow Let us fly with you into the sky so blue Our souls soaring in the clouds so white As we look down on those who dream to fly But are too afraid And must stay earthbound Like Brother Beetle so brown.† â€Å"I'm going to help Dan,† said Kiyo as the audience applauded. â€Å"I'm going to help him drag Tim off.† â€Å"Seriously?† said Dan, excited. â€Å"No,† said Barbara and I in unison. Tim's next poem was about a mythological woman named Oniata, a girl of divine beauty and youth who came to Earth and caused men everywhere to fight over her. The story was interesting, but like all of his poems, the verses were pretty bad and filled with horrible metaphors. â€Å"That's a real story,† I challenged my companions. â€Å"I've heard it before.† â€Å"Yeah, but it's not Lakota,† said Felix. â€Å"I think it's Iroquois or something.† â€Å"Honestly, I don't think it matters at this point,† said Dan, looking weary. â€Å"Besides, everyone's got some story about unearthly beautiful women.† Kiyo linked his hand with mine and murmured, â€Å"And fortunately, I've got my own.† â€Å"Sly man,† I said back. â€Å"Sly as a fox.† When the poetry reading wrapped up, Tim sold his self-published poetry books. I think this was the most remarkable part of all-he always sold a bunch. And the women†¦the women loved him. A number were cozying up to him already, no doubt wanting to go out later. Watching the women, Dan declared that he was going to quit his job as a computer-support technician and start up on Tim's gig, causing us all to laugh. â€Å"Say what you want,† I said to Kiyo, watching Tim and his admirers. â€Å"This all means Tim probably isn't coming home tonight.† â€Å"What are you saying exactly?† â€Å"That the sauna is all ours.† Not that anyone else could have really fit into it, though. My wet sauna wasn't that big, which just meant that when Kiyo and I got home, we had to be that much closer to each other. Neither of us really minded. We shed our clothes in the hallway, and he pulled me to him, hands running over my waist and lips grazing my neck. â€Å"You owe me big for making me endure that poetry,† he growled in my ear. â€Å"Whatever. That was practically foreplay. Are you saying Tim's poem about Brother Woodpecker plunging his beak into the tree didn't turn you on? You know that was a total metaphor.† Kiyo's only response was a smothering kiss that ended any other witty commentary I might make, his lips hot and hard as his tongue sought mine. Without breaking the kiss, we somehow managed to open the door to the sauna and stumble inside. Immediately, heat and steam surrounded us. Everyone always praised Arizona's heat for being dry, but I loved humidity and the way it enveloped my body. I also loved the way the moisture dampened Kiyo's dark hair, making it curl up even more against his neck. Still holding on to that kiss, he pressed me against the sauna's wooden wall, his hands gripping my hips. In only a short time, the heat had us both slick and sweating. I tangled my fingers in his hair and then ran them down his arms and chest. The oil and sweat made my hands glide effortlessly across his skin. I paused to run circles around his nipples, slowly increasing the pressure and squeezing them in the way he so often did to mine. He gave a small grunt of surprise and pleasure and then moved his lips to my neck. I tipped it back, giving him greater access. His kisses were hard, like he was trying to consume me with his mouth alone, and there were even a few teeth involved. With as fair as my skin was, he actually left me with the occasional hickey after sex. It always made me feel like I was sixteen and foolish the next day, but in the moment? It seemed totally worth it. His lips moved from my neck to my shoulder while his hands slid up from my hips to my breasts, again moving easily with all that sweat and moisture. He rubbed them and cupped them, his fingers slipping back and forth against my wet skin and occasionally pausing to stroke my nipples in a way that sent waves of need throughout my entire body. Driven to impatience by my own desire, I slid my hands down his stomach, down to the erection pressing against me. I grabbed a hold of him and started to bring him into me. Unexpectedly, he turned me around, still keeping me pressed against the wall. I held my hands against it for support while his strong fingers rubbed my back, massaging the muscles that always seemed sore lately. I gasped, finding the massage almost as arousing as the rest. It was fleeting, however. His hands soon moved to my hips again, tipping me out slightly so that I was bent over, rather than pressed flat against the wall. A moment later, he pushed against my body, and I felt him enter me. My own wetness made the thrust almost as effortless as our hands had been on each other's flesh. I cried out at the feel of him filling me up, pushing harder and harder into me. I rested my check against the sauna's wall, bracing myself and allowing him to take me more deeply. He gripped my breasts as he continued moving in and out of me, and I moaned as his touch sent shockwaves through my skin. I was overloaded with sensation as he seemed to take control of every part of my body, both inside and out. His thrusts grew more urgent and fierce; his hold on my breasts became tighter. Having him inside me built a heat between my thighs that radiated out to the rest of my body, rivaling the heat of the air around us. That bliss grew and grew to unbearable heights, until at last the orgasm burst within me, making my legs go weak and nearly give out underneath me. Every part of me tingled and burned, and the feel of him still slamming into my body was almost too much for my flooded senses. Yet, even as I thought I couldn't handle any more, I still felt that intense pleasure building within me once more and knew that it would take only a little more of this for me to come yet again. By then, Kiyo's hands had moved back to my hips, steadying himself so that he could push even harder. With all that force, it was a struggle to continue bending and not simply get pressed flat against the wall. Then, I felt his body grow tense and knew he was about to come. He made a guttural, primal sound, his thrusts growing long and deep as he came and let his own orgasm explode within me. He pressed his face against my shoulder, his motions gradually slowing down as his body sated itself. When he was done, he slid his hands from my hips to my shoulders, turning me around and pulling me toward him. We wrapped our arms around each other, gasping as we leaned against the wall. He said nothing but gently kissed my cheek. I smiled, pushing closer to him and drowning in the scent of his sweat and skin. â€Å"Worth enduring the poetry reading?† I asked. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"Definitely.† The phone woke me up the next morning. Kiyo dozed naked beside me in bed, and I had to practically crawl over him to reach my cell. It was Roland. â€Å"I found out about your crossroads. It crosses over to a town in Texas called Yellow River.† â€Å"Texas, huh?† That was unexpected. â€Å"Yep. And there are two shamans who live there already to keep an eye on it.† â€Å"Two?† There weren't really that many in our profession. We were spread thin, so more than one in a region (aside from a father-and-daughter team like Roland and me) was surprising. â€Å"It's apparently a big gate. Doesn't take much power or effort to cross through it, so it needs a lot of attention.† Interesting. Crossroads varied in accessibility. Most required more power than the average human or even gentry could use, fortunately. On certain days of the year-like Beltane and Samhain-areas between our worlds grew thin, making it easier for crossings. Those were dangerous times that kept Roland and me busy. A gateway that was usable the rest of the year was even more dangerous. But, if it was easily accessible, then it wouldn't be too difficult for these girls to cross and seek out humans to father their children. The whole thought made me squirm. A generation of half-Texan, half-gentry kids. God help us all. â€Å"Eugenie?† asked Roland warily. â€Å"What are you thinking?† â€Å"I'm thinking I need the names of those shamans.† He still seemed troubled at my involvement, but I think he felt better about me getting in touch with others-particularly others who were human. He pushed me a little about what was going on, but I still refused to talk about it. After much thanks on my part for the information, we finally disconnected. Kiyo had climbed out of bed during the call and was in the shower. As I waited for him, I wondered how I should proceed. Presumably, I should contact these shamans and see if they'd noticed a recent influx of gentry girls. If I could confirm that, it'd ease my worry about bandits (or monsters) kidnapping them, even though it still left the moral dilemma of whether I should be kicking those girls back to their own world. A drop in temperature and a prickling of my skin signaled Volusian's sudden arrival. He materialized in the darkest corner of my room, expression as sullen and malevolent as usual. â€Å"Well, this is a treat,† I said. â€Å"I do so love seeing your cheery face in the morning. What's up?† When I'd left the Otherworld last time, I'd kept Volusian on standing orders to ferry any messages over to me. My joking aside, I wasn't overly thrilled to see him because I knew it meant there was something I had to deal with. â€Å"The hulking imbecile who commands my mistress's guards has requested her presence,† said Volusian. â€Å"Do you mean Rurik?† â€Å"Yes, unless my mistress has appointed another hulking imbecile to command her guards.† â€Å"Did he say why?† If it had been more trade business, Shaya would have been the one to ask for me. â€Å"He wished to tell you that one of the missing girls returned.† â€Å"What?† I sprang out of bed and hastily threw on some clothes. Kiyo returned to the room, astonishingly sexy with wet hair, and gave me a surprised look. â€Å"What's up?† â€Å"I got a lead on one of the girls. You want to come with me?† He shook his head. He held up his white coat. â€Å"Can't. I've got to work.† I was disappointed. I would have liked to have him with me, but that petty part inside of me felt better about him working than hanging out with Maiwenn again. So, we made our good-byes, parting with a long kiss-a really long kiss. When we finally dragged ourselves away from each other, Volusian looked as though he wouldn't have minded being smote out of existence. I sent him on ahead of me and then crossed over shortly thereafter. Nia as usual fell all over herself, but I had to politely dismiss her in my eagerness to find Rurik. He was sitting with Shaya in the parlor adjacent to her room, deep in conversation. Both sprang up when they saw me. â€Å"Your majesty,† intoned Shaya politely. â€Å"Where is she?† I exclaimed. â€Å"The girl. I want to talk to her and get this settled.† Rurik grimaced. â€Å"Ah. About that.† â€Å"What's wrong? Volusian said you found her.† â€Å"Well, we did, in a manner of speaking. It was the girl from Westoria-the one whose parents spoke to you. She surfaced last night in the village, hysterical and going on and on about how she escaped and how horrible it all was.† â€Å"There really was a monster?† I said, surprised. â€Å"Or did she escape from the bandits?† I still hadn't ruled out their involvement. He shook his head. â€Å"Nobody knows. She wasn't making any sense, and mostly, her parents wanted to calm her down. In the meantime, they sent word to us because they knew you'd want to talk to her, and†¦well, that's when the problem started.† â€Å"Like the rest of this isn't already a problem?† â€Å"When the girl heard you were coming, she became even more hysterical.† â€Å"More hysterical over me than a monster or whatever?† Rurik shrugged. â€Å"As we've learned, your reputation is a bit†¦alarming to some.† â€Å"Good God. Didn't she hear I got my ass kicked by fire demons?† I sighed. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"She ran away. For real this time.† I groaned and sank back into a chair. â€Å"We sent out a search party as soon as we heard,† he added somewhat hopefully. â€Å"Well, that's something, I guess. It's one girl†¦she can't be that hard to find, right?† Rurik and Shaya exchanged doubtful looks. I groaned again. With the way the land was around here, it was likely anyone who wanted to disappear could. I'd had parties out looking for Jasmine for the last three months and found no clue to her whereabouts. â€Å"We need to start putting faces on milk cartons,† I muttered. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† asked Shaya. â€Å"Never mind. Anything else I should know about? Any word from Leith?† I figured I'd go do my meditation and connection with the land and then head back to Tucson. â€Å"Nothing yet,† said Shaya. â€Å"However†¦we did hear from Dorian.† Right. Another of my problems. She seemed a little nervous about going on. â€Å"He sent a message wondering why you hadn't contacted him yet about trade. And†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Go on. I expect the worst.† She looked embarrassed. â€Å"He said if you can't be troubled to come in a timely manner, then he's going to rescind his offer.† â€Å"That might not be horrible,† I pointed out. â€Å"I mean, you've told other people, right? We've got other kingdoms wanting to buy the copper, don't we?† Her look of discomfort grew. â€Å"Well, not so many.† â€Å"How many is not so many?† â€Å"Aside from the Rowan Land? None.† â€Å"Son of a bitch.† Honestly? I wouldn't have put it past Dorian to influence others not to trade with me just so he could play these games. I steeled myself and met Shaya's pleading gaze. â€Å"I don't suppose he specified what a ‘timely manner' is?† â€Å"He did, actually,† said Shaya. Rurik was smiling, which I took as a bad sign. â€Å"Today.†

Extraction of Trimyristin

Trimyristin is an ester with the chemical formula C45H86O6 that can be isolated from the common spice nutmeg. The seed of the evergreen trees in the genus Myristica Fragrans is what nutmeg is obtained from. Trimyristin is the triglyceride of myristic acid also known as saturated fat (3). The phase of trimyristin is solid and is only found soluble in dichloromethane, chloroform, ether, benzene, and ethanol (1). Only twenty to twenty-five percent of trimyristin makes up the mass of nutmeg and it is formed from the glycerol and saturated carboxylic acid (2).Like most extractions, isolating trimyristin is complex considering a variety of products are extracted in the solvent. * Method: * Extraction of Trimyristin: First the sand bath was set to about 40o C. In the meantime 1. 00g of ground nutmeg was weighed out and transferred to a 25mL round bottom flask. Then 10 mL of methylene chloride and 2 boiling chips were added to the round bottom flask. The round bottom flask was then connected to an air condenser and lowered onto the sand bath.The solution was allowed to boil gently for 30 minutes until it was removed and set aside to cool. After it cooled the nutmeg residue was filtered from the methylene chloride using a Hirsch funnel containing a methylene chloride moistened filter paper. A minimal amount of methylene chloride was then used to wash any excess residue out of the round bottom flask and into the filter. The filtrate was then transferred into a clean, dry, and tarred Erlenmeyer flask.The Erlenmeyer flask was then placed on a hot plate set between 50oC to 100oC inside the fume hood until the solvent evaporated into a yellowish oily solid. The solid that remained was then weighed. * Recrystallization of Trimyristin: Acetone was added in 1mL portions to the Erlenmeyer flask that contained the solid. During the same time, the flask was warmed on a sand bath in order to dissolve the solid. Then it was allowed to slowly cool to room temperature and placed into an ice bath for 10 minutes.The crystals were collected by vacuum filtration and were allowed to dry. * Analysis: After the crystals were dry the solid was weighed and then the melting point was determined using a Melt-Temp machine. * Results: Lab Components| Mass (g)| Volume (mL)| Nutmeg| 1. 00g| –| Flask and Testube| 83. 47g| –| Flask, Testube, and Filtrate (initial)| 90. 54g| –| Filtrate (initial)| 7. 07g| –| Erlenmeyer Flask| 74. 14g| –| Erlenmeyer flask and Filtrate (final)| 74. 41g| –|Filtrate (final)| 0. 26g| –| Acetone| –| 1. 00mL| * These results show all the measurements that were taken from everything used in order to determine the analysis of the trimyristin extracted which is shown below. * Analysis: Weight of Trimyristin| 0. 1g| Melting Point of Trimyristin| 53. 2oC – 54. 3oC| % of Trimyristin extracted| 10%| * Conclusion: During this experiment methods of vacuum filtration and recrystallization were used to extract trimyristin from the spice nutmeg.When trimyristin was successfully extracted there was a low percentage (10%) of the amount extracted but it had a melting point that was almost exact to the actual melting point of trimyristin which is 53oC-54oC. The experiment was performed successfully for the most part, disregarding a few minor mistakes made in the procedure. These mistakes didn’t interfere with the outcome of the experiment but could have improved the performance of it. For instance, it took a long time for the solvent to evaporate because the hot plate was set at too low of a temperature.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 28

The three of us tore out of the chapel. As soon as we left the Richards' estate grounds we were plunging through woods. Saplings stung our legs as we pitched downhill through the wet night, and tall pines blocked whatever moonlight might have slipped between the clouds. If we had been human, our feet would have surely skidded on the forest floor of decaying leaves. Unable to see more than a yard or so in front of us we would have crashed into the giant trunk of a tree. Instead, we moved like predators, coursing through the night like vampires had for hundreds of years: streaking through the wilds to the next village of potential victims, chasing down someone who had foolishly separated from the herd and decided to travel at night by himself. It felt good to be racing this way, with a few ounces of human blood zinging through my veins. I was almost able to lose myself in the flight, forgetting about what it was we were fleeing from. Then there was a noise. It started out like the beginning of a long roll of thunder, climbed into a crescendo of inhuman groaning, and ended in a screech of despair. The noise was everywhere, filling our ears, the valley we were descending into, the sky above us. The three of us stopped, startled by the sound. â€Å"Well, I guess the vampire is free,† Damon huffed. â€Å"Margaret – † I began. â€Å"Trust me, she's fine. Did you see what she did to him?† Damon pointed out. â€Å"What is she, though?† I asked. â€Å"A witch.† â€Å"Like Emily?† I wondered, my theory confirmed. Was the world simply full of witches, vampires, demons, and who knows what else, most of which were invisible to human eyes? â€Å"I had a feeling there was something different about her when I couldn't compel her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon explained. â€Å"So I asked. And she answered. Pretty straightforward, that one.† â€Å"So she†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Cast a protective spell around herself and her family, and was burning his brain meats with some mental ability or other to buy us a little time. Emphasis on the word little,† he added. â€Å"Hope that protective spell is still up.† There was another roar. â€Å"Keep moving,† Lexi ordered, and we began again. The woods grew blacker as if nature herself dreaded his approach, and we could feel the earth tremble with his every footstep. Damon and I leaped over a giant log, and for one fleeting moment our motions were perfectly synchronized. But then the three of us came to skidding halt at the edge of a cliff that looked out over all of upper Manhattan. â€Å"Huh,† my brother said doubtfully, peering over its edge. â€Å"We'll have to find some other way down,† I said, starting to look back the way we came. â€Å"A path, or†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With a cry, Lexi hurled herself over the edge of the cliff. I watched her, wide-eyed with horror. â€Å"Find another way down?† Damon said, shaking his head disappointedly at me. â€Å"Still thinking like a human, brother.† And he dove after her. I swore under my breath, watching him disappear into the branches below. Then I followed. As frightening as that fall was, there was something very freeing about it. I was weightless, swimming through the air. The world whistled through my outstretched fingers and hair. It almost felt as though I were flying. I smashed down through thick leafy canopy and rolled into a ball, eventually coming right side up with a twisted ankle that reset itself almost before I noticed it. Damon and Lexi were standing still. She had her head cocked, listening to the strange quiet we suddenly found ourselves in. â€Å"He lost us,† Damon said, triumphantly. â€Å"He didn't realize we went down the cliff! He's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He's in front of us,† Lexi breathed, eyes widening. The silence to the south was in fact complete, as if every living thing had quieted or died. We waited, unsure what to do, though it was hard to say for what. Then came the sound of a single blade of grass bending and breaking. â€Å"RUN!† Lexi screamed. We took off. I made the mistake of looking behind me. What I saw and what I heard didn't match up; on the one hand, it briefly appeared that an older man was following me with surprising swiftness. But the shadow cast by the moonlight was of something far bigger and inhumanly shaped. Bushes and trees fell and crashed out of his way before he even touched them. I doubled my pace. We had no choice but to head south. The woods thinned and civilization began to rear its ugly head: a lonely, last farm, a cluster of abandoned holdings, a large estate, a hotel, dirt roads to paved avenues still crowded with horses and carriages and cabs and people even in the middle of this night. And behind us, gaining power from every shadow through which he passed, was the old one. We turned a corner around a fruit stand, knocking down baskets, and the stench of decay that issued from his raggedy breathing mouth was hot on my neck. We dashed through a slum, avoiding clotheslines and open pits of raw sewage, and he was there, throwing aside things and people to get to us. When we thought we had pulled ahead, twisting through narrow alleys and confusing side streets, we could still feel his Power, his frustration vibrating through the night. Lexi led us, and whether it was her own Power or a familiarity with the city, she managed to find just the right fire escapes to leap to, just the right piles of garbage to roll over. Perhaps this was not the first time she had fled from a demon of this stature. â€Å"The seaport,† she hissed. â€Å"It's our only chance.† Damon nodded, for once having no trouble taking orders from someone else. We made our way to the west, to the avenues bordering the mighty Hudson. Lexi's eyes suddenly narrowed and she pointed. A clipper ship, a pretty shiny blue vessel just pulling away from the dock, filled with all sorts of New York goods to sell overseas. With a mighty leap Lexi cleared the water between the dock and its deck, arms poised in the air like a cat leaping upon its prey. Damon and I followed suit, silently landing on the dark deck. By the time we recovered ourselves she was already compelling a shocked sailor who had seen the manner of our arrival. â€Å"We're on the manifest. My brothers and I have a berth below. We did not just leap aboard†¦.† Damon surveyed the ship with interest, pleased with his new locale. I looked back toward shore. There stood a single, innocuous-seeming man leaning against the rail of the wharf, pale as if he had sucked all the moonlight into himself. He stood casually, like he was just there to watch the ships come and go. But the look in his eyes was deadly and eternal – and unforgiving.

Effective Advertising Essay

Advertising is considerably one of the vital strategies needed for a product or service to be known within a certain community. The scope of advertising has been highly controversial in the aspect of marketing nevertheless a towering issue in the political aspect as sought in elections and other forms of the like. Synthesis on effective advertising has been defined in accordance to the different models and theories presented in the literary aspect, which, of course has been collaborated with the context of practice. In the field of economics, it has been stressed that advertising consistently plays a vital role in shaping a proficient and efficient society beneficial on the glory it serves. As soon as printed symbols were invented the advertising man made use of them to give publicity to his merchandise (Sokotch, 2006). In recent times, advertisements are embossed on walls and tombs, in black and white on parchment and other paper entities, and are produced in publishing houses. Though these diverse forms of advertising were engaged, diminutive are considered and regard are not as effective as expected. Posters, painted signs, street-car placards, booklets, calendars, almanacs, handbills, magazine and newspaper advertising have now become forms of advertising so well established that we look upon them as a necessity, and are overwhelmed to find out that majority are up to date novelty (Tellis, 2003). However, it runs in the stream of cognitive, affective and behavioral pitches before one may thoroughly state that one’s mean of advertising is effective. Critical analysis on advertising in the contemporary society The verity of advertising in point of fact is focused in one set of audience alone. Take for example, for advertising in the market arena, the audience are the consumers; in the political arena, politicians advertise their platforms and propagandas in the light of the voters; while for research and other educational gains, it is in the hands of their respondents that they are able to complete their study—without these ‘audience’ it would be hard to comprehend why â€Å"advertisers† are so eager to let their â€Å"advertisement† out in the open with the milieu of persuasion and of encouragement over what they wish to imply (Michelet, 2006). Textbooks and other published materials would often lead to the fundamental concept of â€Å"Ivan Pavlov’s conditioning experiment† or that which has been used by Anne Sullivan, remarkably, the notion is coherent with the idea on advertising. The consumers represent Helen Keller and the advertiser is the teacher in the person of Anne Sullivan—motivation and persuasion, per se. Marx’s theory of commodity fetishism  There have been several deliberations on how advertising shall be crucially taken into basis of analysis. Apparently, critics has often addressed that media analysis collaborated with the arena of political, economical and socio-cultural context must not serve as grounds in identifying the ability of advertising and mass communications in empowering a contemporary capitalist society. Further, Marx’s theory of commodity fetishism connotes the perception—which by hand is used by fashion advertisers—that assessment of an effective advertisement falls on the utilization of a â€Å"model or person,† a product, a setting and text; hence it has also been cited that these forms of â€Å"advertising† is magnificently effective and never fails to capture the consumer-public (Karlsson, 2007). Conceivably, the Marxian theory all boils down to the fact that capitalism is legitimate since that it endows with the public with what they â€Å"want† and gradually fulfills their present needs, use, values and other sort of the like—corresponding to the ethics on exchange value, use value, surplus value, commodity fetishism and fickle-feeding. Strong’s AIDA Model The AIDA model is a behavioral approach which contains a purpose to uplift the verity of making an advertisement awareness-able, interest stimulating, and desire action-triggering dynamic in consumers. It is also considered as one of the most persuasive and highly efficient methods in advertising hence suggesting that for a certain advertisement to be effective, it has to be something that captivates attention leading to convincing the consumers that the product or service or whatever is advertised as interesting. Further, it must also have the ability to make the consumers crave for the product in the sense that they shall â€Å"desire† on it and finally for them to get attached with it and hopefully get a feedback that the advertising is effective. In a larger view with this model, it is important that the information being sent to the consumers is believable and memorable that even in the busy schedule of the consumers, or in the million of ideas processed by the mind each day, one’s advertisement is sought (Karlsson, 2007). Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results Theory This model presented by Russell Colley is popularly known as DAGMAR, of course, for the benefit of the masses, and a technique in memory building as well. Consequently, this communication strategy is known for its ability to send information without the utilization of excessive text or message. Its focal point falls on the level of understanding stating what the consumer must believe on an organization and at the same time to measure the efficiency of an advertising campaign (Bok, 2002). Further, it expresses the fact that there are four levels of understanding in advertisement and that the methods used in all commercial communications must come across that very objective. Hunching the four levels of understanding advertising the following are presented by the proponent: awareness of the existence of the organization advertising the brand, grasp on what the product is or is capable of, a rational suspicion or sagacity of conviction in buying the product and like the aforementioned methods, persuasion to act in availing the product advertised and have it stuck on their list (Karlsson, 2007). Lavidge and Steiner’s Heirarchy–of-effects model Published in the same time-frame as that of DAGMAR, this model raises the connotation that consumers possess a non-fickle personality hence consumers are skeptical in being convinced—not interested at all stake would be the fitting definition. Unlike the other theories, which stresses that all factors be cited in equal proportion, this model follows a liner path and insists that these factors are to be taken in a step-by-step basis (Karlsson, 2007). Awareness, knowledge, fondness, preference, conviction and purchase—the mentioned steps shape up this models apprehension. Moreover, the insistent point of this model expresses that consumers are wise enough not to be easily convinced, not unless they are holistically provided with the necessary details that they need inline with the kind of social standing that they have. French postmodernist theory of Jean Baudrillard: Theory of sign value Jean Baudrillard on the other hand, believed on the prowess of signs and symbols constituted by objects for that matter. Having a consumer society, the proponent’s theory dwells on the idea of implosion of aesthetics manifesting that advertising lies on aesthetic techniques and the promotion of consumption as a way of life. Baudrillard’s â€Å"sign value† analysis assess the consumer’s grave need for seeking various products and the actual gratifications that these products derive onto as well as with the social function that it offers. Lurking deep on the â€Å"social perspective† the proponent stresses that signs of sociality are great basis in building up the right method to advertise and capture their pockets to hail such (Harms and Kellner, 1990). Commentary Critical analysis on the models presented would wrap up the idea that advertising is a broad state of field. Perceivably, there are models which are similar in concept—consumers are after products, only that they seek for the best—however, there also appears the skeptical viewpoints that insists the un-fickleness of consumers and there is nothing advertisers can do but to wait for them to visit one’s shop dependent on their innate characteristic. In the light, due to the complexity of the marketing landscape and the advent of globalization, these theories may be evaluated as up-to-date or no longer effective a way or another. But then the perception on â€Å"basics† and fundamental perspectives will always contradict with that nuance. The behavior of the consumers has already transformed through time, with this, it may be taken to assumption that the â€Å"pessimistic† side of the story may be eradicated in pleas. The more â€Å"open† the society, the easier advertising influences them—the higher the chance to be marked as â€Å"effective. † Consumer vs. business in effective advertising In relation to business and consumers as two major factors in marketing, the predicament of the matter is clearly seen in the areas of communication efficiency, product quality and audience analysis. Take for example, the target groups must be taken consideration—kids, teens, adults, couples—all these must be known before a product shall be advertised. Aside from that, culture is also a factor, what to be advertised must be taken into deliberation first considering the fact that the context of the advertisement may not be acceptable in the kind of culture where the product is introduced. In the case of technological product advertising, the following threats may be assessed: as categorized, opportunities and threats, which is basically a portrayal of external change is the scale fall on the line of â€Å"five forces of threat,† namely, (1) threat of new entrants (rising companies of the same service rendered as well as with other rising broadcasting companies which will offer ‘greater’ service than theirs), (2) competitive rivalry (competition in sales, in fame and in the service satisfaction), (3) threat of substitution (other broadcasting/media corporations such as films, 3D theater, home-video conferencing, piracy and other sorts of the like), (4) power of buyers (upon knowing the fact that the society always change their â€Å"taste† primarily in the streamline of the kinds of shows which is â€Å"famous† in the immediate time and the advent of technological advancements such as 3D and other competition in broadcasting) and (5) p ower of suppliers (the fact that such is competition, resources is most likely to halt leading to scarcity from manufacturers of entities and commodities needed for broadcasting). All which serve as the grounds for the success or the failure of the company or the industry and if fortunate, then it will be easier to get the general objective (Mooij, 2005). Advertising in the commerce landscape  Progress in the subject matter is made in the abstract; one scholar shows a compelling talent for innovation, and others amend and improve on his work, all without close reference to the economic context. In the last one hundred years the great corporate enterprise, the trade union, depression and war, increasing and increasingly dispersed affluence, the changing nature of money and the new and enhanced role of the central bank, the declining role of agriculture with the counterpart urbanization and growth of urban poverty, the rise of the welfare state, the newly assumed responsibility of the government for overall economic performance, the emergence of socialist states, have all dramatically altered, even revolutionized, economic life. As the subject matter of economics has changed, so necessarily has the subject. Advertising comes in a handy realization that the more complex the economy gets, the larger the need for business tycoons to broaden their understanding with the flow of the society in patronizing their basic needs. The competition floating in the commercial room also serves as a challenge that each advertisement of their product must be sent with critical analysis and with a pinch of â€Å"freshness† capable enough to outstand the other entities which steams up the battle. The scope of marketing must not only fall under the circumstance of financial basis itself, but rather on the deeper application premises of the activity. An illustration of such would surface in a company’s ability to perform social responsibilities and being able to consistently adjust on the intrinsic and extrinsic demands of the society, as well as with keeping track on the challenges laid on the inevitable table of change (Michelet, 2006). It must be kept in mind that advertising is the only gateway to get their products’ path to the consumers. With the competition rising, consumers are wise enough to know what they want and which is best. Assessment on the components of effective advertising in McDonalds An example of effective advertising is practiced by McDonalds; the power of commercial speech is exercised. Even when backed by the resources and visibility of a McDonalds Corporation, the power of commercial speech campaigns is limited. Neither particular advertisements nor broader advertising campaigns are always effective, even when they have been well researched and well financed: the majority of prospective new brands that are test marketed are not marketed nationally. The battle of the marketplace has many casualties. Even when advertising affects behavior, the effect may be temporary (Michelet, 2006). And when the effects are more enduring, they may amount only to switches among rival brands by established users, rather than new consumers for any of the rival brands. Some advertising—consider the various recent plans and pricing claims of the leading long distance telephone carriers—is widely disliked. As a result, many ads are simply drowned out, unnoticed or unremembered in the ongoing daily proliferation of commercial speech. This does not mean, however, that commercial speech, or commercial advertising more narrowly, does not have important long-term effects, intended or unintended, on American culture and decision making. Commercial advertising is in some sense a ‘zero sum’ game, with one product’s gain being another’s loss. The proliferation of ads, however, does not lead simply to a process of mutual conflict, let alone mutual annihilation (Harms and Kellner, 1990). Conclusions and further remarks Moreover, given the fact that the main subject and prospects for the purpose of venturing into business are the masses, it most likely true that customer satisfaction is a pious must. In simple logic, selling does not only denote giving consumers the idea that a product/service offered on the market/industry, but rather dwelling on the array of perception that consumers are after ‘fame’ of the company as well as the ‘trend’ which is seemingly floating up in the limelight and the ‘generation status’ per se’ – more like, â€Å"in-line-with-amazing-quality† (Easey, 2001). The above mentioned threats then takes place, the world of business is a vortex of intrinsic and extrinsic challenges which requires critical analysis on what consumers need and logical wit to determine the flexibility of the product and service. That is the main purpose of the survey and other forms of observation in the society are needed to achieve managerial goals and jive along with the â€Å"change of taste† and speculations of the masses (Mooij, 2005). What utterly demoralizes business tycoons and practitioners hangs back on the exactness of the cost and the revenue generated by investments which are indefinite to be defined, for the reason that the scheme and the flow of the advertising differ dependently upon the ‘season’ or under the discretion of the contemporary society. It would seem quite hard to distinguish which of the sites are assumed to be the most significant or rather the one which is offering the best service for the majority (Beckwith, 2003). Since that, those who are apt to surf actually depend on what they wish to find. In addition to that, each layer of the society hold different jobs or activity with diverse enthusiasm, it is evident that it is possible to shift sites which then give the argument abstain on conviction with regard to the matter (Seelye, 2005). The aforementioned threats must not serve as intimidating factors in the world of business, hence a challenge towards the attainment of organizational goals through the use of effective advertising. In conclusion, effective advertising depends on for demonstration of the method, traditional or modern as long as the advertiser knows the perfect mixture of the factors needed in advertising, what is sold on the market will be a sure hit. In collaboration with the political or academic concept, a politician does not get votes not unless he or she knows what words are to be uttered in specific groups and what technique of persuasion is to be utilized in that certain point of time. Effective advertising does not only require skill, timing is a vital one.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Pool safety for children and how to ensure that children are safe when playing in backyard pools. it includes government regulations.

Pool safety for children and how to ensure that children are safe when playing in backyard pools. it includes government regulations. Children and water areas:Not only is swimming an activity enjoyed by most young children, but it can be one of the most healthy forms of recreation. Unfortunately, as most parents know, the swimming pool and surrounding area can pose very real hazards. Children are curious creatures who love to explore new terrain actively, this can cause significant complications to families who live or play around water areas such as pools, dams, spas, rivers, ponds, creeks and the beach. Children are not able to competently swim independently and therefore certain measures need to be addressed in order to prevent accidents or fatalities occurring as a result of water related dangers. The particular situation that I have chosen to explore revolves around crowded family homes (such as on celebration days) where a pool is present and the children are free to run around and explore amongst each other in the backyard without constant supervision from one parent or caregiver.Instructors teach children h ow to swimIdentification of potential dangers of the situation:Whilst observing children at play in the particular situation aforementioned I came across a multitude of potential dangers which compromised the safety of the children. I attended a family 'get together' which included over twenty five persons and twelve children under the age of 7 years.List of potential dangers and their outcomes:Unsupervised play around the pool area:A child could jump into the pool quite innocently to collect something that fell in or to simply go for a quick swim. The fact that there is no one parent continuously focusing on the supervision of the children could result in a child incapable of swimming ultimately falling in and drowning. A child can adequately keep themselves above water on their own and without the correct measure of supervision it could be too late before...

Romegy essays

Romegy essays Technology and Economics- The people of Romegy have come up with a lot of new ways of doing things for this new place and way of life. One good example is they made a boat that is flat and has a hole in the bottom so they can see the fish that are swimming underneath without endangering themselves because the people could be eaten by sharks and other big fish if they walked in the sea to go fishing. Another good example is they put spear points in some of their crops so when thieves and animals try to steal food they will learn their lesson. Culture and Society- They have made a system where different people do different things so that the jobs are balanced out. Some of the people are merchants and trade stuff with people for food and other things that they do not have and need. Some of the people build houses and some of them grow food and hunt for it. This way everyone can do one or two things and trade items and services with other people so no one person has to do everything they would have to do if they did not have this system. Art and Architecture- These people have created a house design that has a square structure with a roman column at each corner and a pyramid point on top. This works really well to keep them safe and dry from the rain. Government- The people of Romegy are ruled by a President and Vice President. These presidents are elected for five year terms. During there term they have complete control and can do anything they want but they usually try very hard to impress the people because they want to be reelected. You can not serve for more than 15 terms because they think you are too old then. Anyone can be elected but they usually have to wait until they are in their 20s because the people do not want to elect a person who does not know what they are doing. Religion- The people of this island believe in the gods Ra and Jesus. They believe that these two gods work together i ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Condom Distribution in High Schools essays

Condom Distribution in High Schools essays Condom distribution in Public Schools During our panel discussion on should condoms be distributed in public schools, I took the position of supporting the distribution. It is not that I agree with young teenagers having sex but the statistics show that 70 percent of all students are having sex before the age of eighteen. Therefore, if they are going to be engaging in sexual activity then condoms should be easily accessible. Sex is a difficult topic for teenagers to discuss with their parents and so it often not discussed. Teens want to have an open door policy starting at a young age with their parents and they dont want the lectures on sex. They want to be treated as adults and be allowed to make their own decisions with no pressure. However, many parents state they will not allow their daughters to be put on birth control pills. Knowing this, they chose other forms of contraceptives and condoms are the most popular form. If condoms were given distributed in their schools then at least the students would be protected while engaging in sex. Contraceptives arent easily accessible though. 63 percent of teenagers have to receive their protection at public clinics because only 33 percent of schools have health centers that provide contraceptives on site. 54 percent of students use condoms and more said they would if they were easier to get their hands on. Recent research indicates that in the United States, there has been a steady decline in adolescent pregnancy, abortion and birth rates since 1991, because sexually active teenagers are becoming more effective users of contraceptives. There has also been a reported 1.7 million adolescent pregnancies averted by the use of contraceptives. I believe that there could be many more if schools would make condoms easily available to the students. Along with the distribution, there also needs to be more information on sex, bodies, pregnancy and STDs given ...

Evaluation of Cardiovascular and related Health Interventions in the Uk The WritePass Journal

Evaluation of Cardiovascular and related Health Interventions in the Uk Abstract Evaluation of Cardiovascular and related Health Interventions in the Uk , noo.org.uk/core/eval_websites NHS (2011) ‘Research to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health’, Viewed, Jan 16th 2011, phr.ac.uk/ Steven Allender,  Charlie Foster,  Peter Scarborough,  Mike Rayner (2007), The Burden of Physical Activity related ill Health in the UK, J Epidemiol Community Health  ;61:344-348 Wrenn, B, Stevens, R E and Loudon, L (2006) Marketing research: text and cases (2nd Edition), Routledge, UK

Sunday, October 20, 2019

SAT Test Results How to Get and Interpret Your Results

SAT Test Results How to Get and Interpret Your Results SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips So you just took the SAT, and you’re eager (or terrified) to see your scores. Especially if this is your first time taking the test, the score report can be confusing. But reading it correctly will help you to identify weak spots and do better on the test next time and get real SAT results. I’ll go over how to get your SAT score report and read it so you’re getting the most out of the information the College Board gives you. How Do I Get My SAT Score Report? Your scores will be available to you online about three weeks after you take the SAT.To see your scores,log into your College Board account.If the scores for your test date are available, they should show up right away on the dashboard, like this: Just click "View Details" and you'll be able to see your full score report. You can easily download a PDF of the report by clicking "Download Report" in the top right corner of the screen. If your scores haven't come out yet, there is no way to speed up the scoring process. You can, however, get your scores sent to colleges faster than normal after they are released. This is called rush reporting, and it will get your scores sent to schools within two business days. Rush reporting comes with a fee of $31 for the first report and $11.25 for each additional report. What Will Be on My Score Report? Your score report will give you a lot of information about the types of questions you answered correctly and incorrectly and their difficulty levels.You’ll notice that the score report has four tabs: Report Details, Essay Details (if you took the test with the essay), Skills Insight, and Score Sends.Here’s some information about what’s included in each section and how to interpret it. Report Details This tab listsall of your scores in one place. First, it includesthe score you got for each section along with a score range of around 40-60 points. This is shows you the range of scores you might end up with for that section if you took the test again assuming the same level of preparation. You'll also see where you fall in the national percentile range: The Report Details tab also shows you your subscores for Reading, Writing, and Math, each out of 40 points. These are accompanied by statistics on thetotal number of questions for each section and the number that you got correct, incorrect, or omitted. These are followed by your two cross-test scores, which are also out of forty points: Finally, you'll see your seven subscores, each out of fifteen points. These help to identify more specific areas of strength and weakness: If you took the essay, your essay scores will also be at the bottom of this page: Notice that there are little "i" icons in the corner of the boxes for each of these scores. If you click on them, you'll get an explanation of which skills are incorporated into that score. At the top right of all the score boxes (except for the essay scores) you'll also be able to click "show details" to see your national percentile ranking for each subscore. Essay Details In the next tab, Essay Details, you'll see the prompt you answered on the test reproduced along with a scanned copy of your essay. You can print your essay using the button in the top right corner of the box with the prompt. The Skills Insight tab will give you more information on what you essay scores actually mean. Skills Insight The Skills Insight tab includes pages for each of the three main testing categories (reading, writing and language, and math) plus the essay if you took it. This part of your report is intended to help you see which academic skills you need to work on and which you've mastered already. You can also link your report to Khan Academy from within this tab - more on that option later. Score Sends This last tab provides information on how to send your scores to colleges. If you chose to send any of the four free score reports when you registered for the test, the information for the schools or scholarship programs you indicated should be listed in this tab. If you haven't sent any scores yet, you won't see any schools listed. Just click on the "Send Additional Score Reports" button to send score reports to more colleges and scholarship programs for a fee. What Do I Do With All This Information? You may feel like just ignoring the details in your score report and obsessing over the final numbers, but if you do that you’re abandoning an opportunity to see where your weaknesses lie and how you can prepare better for the next test date.Take a look at each section individually and find out where you had the most trouble so you can decide where to focus your studying efforts. The easiest way to use these scores to study for your next test is to link your report to the Khan Academy site, which will then give you individually tailored practice materials. You'll see an option to do this at the top of the Skills Insight tab. Khan Academy is not a cure-all, however, and you may need to strike out on your own to address some deeper issues. Here are some examples how you could respond to different scenarios: Your Weaknesses Were Command of Evidence and Expression of Ideas Practice your passage reading skills, and find out what works for you. Usually, on the Reading section, it saves time to skim the passage and then go through the questions before you do any closer reading. If you omitted lots of Reading and Writing questions, you might be running out of time, which is probably because you are spending too much time reading closely before you get to the questions.Practice timing yourself with real SAT passages and questions. You should also make sure you’re not making assumptions about the passages and confusing yourself.Sometimes students make the mistake of inferring too much information from SAT passages. Stick to answering questions based on the specific evidence given in the passage. You Struggled with Advanced Math Topics You don’t have trouble with dumb mistakes on easy questions, so that’s good news.Your problem is most likely content-based, which is more fixable.Look for any patterns in the categories of questions that might point to specific gaps in knowledge.Study up on the formulas you’ll need for the SAT, and make sure you know how to use them. This could also be an issue related totime management. If you notice that you omitted a lot of questions, this might apply to you.Remember that you shouldn't linger for more than a minute on each question in the math sections. Move on when you find yourself stumped so that you don’t waste too much time on any one question. You can also employ some of the general strategies outlined in our articles on raising low math SAT scores and getting an 800 on the math section. You Did Well on the Multiple Choice Writing Questions, but You Got a Low Essay Score If you did well on the multiple choice writing questions, then your problem is probably not grammar and sentence structure. You might just need to work on the holistic organization of your essay and use of examples from the passage. Take a look at these tips for improving your score and this step-by-step guide to writing a great essay.Remember to make your essay long enough so that your ideas are fully developed. Include at least two or three body paragraphs that address specific examples of how the author develops his or her argument. A Final Word on Score Reports The information on your score report gives you an opportunity to be honest with yourself about the areas where you struggle on the SAT.After reviewing your score report, you can infer the reasons for your mistakes and tailor your study strategy to those areas so you won’t have the same problems in the future! You can also consider ordering one of the services the SAT offers for you to review your scores in more detail, the Question and Answer Service or Student Answer Service (read more about these services here). You can order them up to five months after your original test date. What's Next? Are you looking to take the SAT again now that you've reviewed your scores? Take a look at this guide to choosing the right date for you and this list of upcoming test dates. If you're trying to formulate a study plan for the next time you take the test, take a look at these plans for Sophomore and Junior year and the summer before Senior year, as well as our Complete Plan for the SAT. Frustrated with your score? Learn from our perfect SAT scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also feature thousands of practice questions, 10 official SAT practice tests, and personal feedback on your essays from an expert instructor. Check out our 5-day free trial:

John Ericsson - Designer of the USS Monitor

John Ericsson - Designer of the USS Monitor John Ericsson invented an early locomotive, the Ericsson hot-air engine, an improved screw propeller, the gun turret, and a deep-sea sounding device. He also designed ships and submarines, most notably the USS Monitor. Early Life of John Ericsson in Sweden John (originally Johan) Ericsson was born on July 31, 1803, in Vrmland, Sweden. His father, Olof Ericsson, was superintendent of a mine and taught John and his brother Nils the skills of mechanics. They received little formal education but showed their talent early. The boys learned to draw maps and finish off mechanical drawings when their father was director of blastings on the  Gà ¶ta Canal  project. They became cadets in the Swedish Navy at ages 11 and 12 and learned from instructors in the Swedish Corps of Mechanical Engineers. Nils went on to be a prominent canal and railway builder in Sweden. By age 14, John was working as a surveyor. He  joined the Swedish Army at age 17 and worked as a surveyor and was noted for his mapmaking skill. He began constructing a heat engine in his spare time, which used the heat and fumes of fire rather than steam. Move to England He decided to seek his fortune in England and moved there in 1826 at the age of 23. The railroad industry was hungry for talent and innovation. He continued to design engines that used airflow to provide more heat, and his locomotive design  Novelty  was barely beaten by the Rocket designed by George and Robert Stephenson in the Rainhill Trials. Other projects in England included the use of screw propellers on ships, a fire engine design, large guns,and a steam condenser that provided fresh water for ships. American Naval Designs of John Ericsson Ericssons work on twin screw propellers attracted the attention Robert F. Stockton, an influential and progressive U.S. Navy officer, who encouraged him to relocate to the United States. They worked together in New York to design a twin screw-propelled warship. The USS Princeton was commissioned in 1843. It was armed with a heavy gun 12-inch gun on a revolving pedestal that Ericsson designed. Stockton worked to get the most credit for these designs and designed and installed a second gun, which exploded and killed eight men, including Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur and Secretary of the Navy Thomas Gilmer. When Stockton shifted the blame to Ericsson and blocked his pay, Ericsson resentfully but successfully moved on to civilian work. Designing the USS Monitor In 1861, the Navy needed an ironclad to match the Confederate USS Merrimack and the Secretary of the Navy convinced Ericsson to submit a design. He presented them with designs for the USS Monitor, an armored ship with guns on a rotating turret. The Merrimack had been rechristened the USS Virginia and the two ironclad ships did battle in 1862 to a stalemate that nonetheless aved the Union fleet. This success made Ericsson hero and many Monitor-type turret ships were built during the rest of the war. After the Civil War, Ericsson continued his work, producing ships for foreign navies and experimenting with submarines, self-propelled torpedoes, and heavy ordnance. He died in New York City on March 8, 1889 and his body was returned to Sweden on the cruiser Baltimore. Three U.S. Navy ships have been named in honor of John Ericsson: the torpedo boat Ericsson (Torpedo Boat # 2), 1897-1912; and the destroyers Ericsson (DD-56), 1915-1934; and Ericsson (DD-440), 1941-1970. Partial List of John Ericssons Patents U.S. #588   for a Screw Propeller patented February 1, 1838.U.S. #1847 for a Mode of Providing Steam Power to Locomotives patented November 5, 1840. Source: Information and photos provided by U.S. Naval Historical Center

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Personal management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal management - Essay Example Some recommendations have also been suggested for organizations about how they can implement workforce diversity in an effective and efficient manner. Diversity can be defined as understanding, acknowledging, valuing, celebrating and accepting differences that exist amongst people in relation to various factors like age, ethnicity, class, gender, mental ability, physical ability, sexual orientation, race, status of public assistance and spiritual practice (Esty, Griffin, & Hirsh, 1995). Not only gender and race but there are many differential factors which explain the term diversity. If we talk of a workplace, diversity is manifested through different forms like gender, age, physical attributes, ethnicity, educational background, sexual orientation, marital status, income, spiritual practice, geographical location, work experience, parental status, etc. Workplace diversity is becoming more and more pronounced because of the advent of globalization. The success of a business organization and its rate of growth can be determined through its ability to manage diversity in different aspects of the company in an efficient and effective manner. The organization can think of growth and development only if it is ready to accept people coming from various beliefs and background in its company so as to develop an organizational culture which would allow everyone to work together in the form of a team. One of the primary ways to achieve this objective by an organization is by valuing diversity and working for it. As days are passing diversity is becoming an important issue for an organization because the employees of the companies are becoming more and more heterogeneous in nature. Organizations have realized the importance of workforce diversity and how it can increase productivity and lead the company towards growth and development in the future. The trend of increasing diversity is observable in a significant way amongst

Racial Profiling on Drug Warfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Racial Profiling on Drug Warfare - Essay Example However, one can recognize the modest changes in white racist domination in the United States without downplaying the strong relationship between being black and being a target of serious racial discrimination. In one way or another, all black Americans and Caucasians continue to suffer discrimination because white domination of black Americans and other people of color remains a major organizing principle for group life in the United States. According to statistical results "Although African Americans comprise only 12.2 percent of the population and 13 percent of drug users, they make up 38 percent of those arrested for drug offenses and 59 percent of those convicted of drug offenses causing critics to call the war on drugs the "New Jim Crow" (Race and the Drug War n.d.). The racial hierarchy is supported by a range of dominant-group prejudices and stereotypes, yet it is perpetuated most centrally by the discrimination carried out by many whites on a recurring basis. Age-old pattern s of racial inequality-of unjust enrichment and unjust impoverishment-are reproduced by the daily routines of antiblack discrimination. For instance, "During the height of the war on drugs, from 1986 to 1991, the number of white drug offenders in state prisons increased by 110 percent. The number of black drug offenders grew by 465 percent" (Shaw 2000). Police pays a special attention to African-Americans and Caucasians because of ethical differences and stereotypes. It should be no surprise then, that African Americans are often depicted as criminals in mass media. Crime in America is often portrayed in blackface, seemingly suggesting not only that African Americans and Caucasians are likely to be involved in crime, but that they are responsible for most of the crime in America today. "Racial profiling is the law enforcement practice of substituting skin color for evidence as grounds for suspicion" (Race and the Drug War n.d.). Contemporary patterns of discrimination are grounded in the benefits that whites have historically secured. All forms of racial discrimination transmit the legacy of the past, that of slavery and legal segregation. Today discriminatory practices reproduce and reinforce the unjust impoverishment and enrichment of the past. Discrimination also reflects and perpetuates the age-old racist ideology, with its asso ciated array of anti-black images and attitudes. When blacks and Caucasians encounter whites in a broad array of contemporary settings, they often meet negative beliefs about their abilities, values, and orientations. Racial barriers persist today because a substantial majority of whites harbor anti-black sentiments, images, and beliefs and because a large minority are very negative in their perspectives. When most whites interact with black Americans at work, in restaurants, on the street, at school, or in the media they tend to think about the latter, either consciously or unconsciously, in terms of racist stereotypes inherited from the past and constantly reiterated and reinforced in the present (Daum 65). Police may actively persecute blacks, or they may engage in an array of avoidance behaviors.

Quantative Methods (Statistical Analysis) Assignment

Quantative Methods (Statistical Analysis) - Assignment Example The Common Cause Variations are those instances that are affected by naturally occurring situations and the attributes of the products or raw materials themselves. The Special Cause variations are the ones that need to be attended to, as these are variations caused by issues or problems with the manufacturing process; like the wear and tear of appliances and changes in material quality. Slight variations in product are expected due to the natural cause variations; and SPC can be used to identify when action needs be taken to rectify the processes; and also to identify when the variations are not significant enough to require attention. It is thus also a means of saving resources that may otherwise have been spent in addressing a small issue that is not cost effective. Constant mapping of product quality helps in identifying points in time that could be cause for concern by isolating times of excessive variation. When such a situation is spotted, Pareto Diagrams – amongst other techniques can help in identifying the causes of these variations; and the feasibility of responding to them. A Pareto chart is a chart that maps both the individual categories under survey as well as the cumulative total of the categories. Each category is represented as a bar; and the categories are ranked from the one causing most variation to the one causing the least. The cumulative total is represented as a line graph; and is most often curved to form a concave line. The left vertical axis represents the frequencies and the right vertical axis, the cumulative percentage. The horizontal axis represents the categories under study. The chart thus helps us identify the categories that are most in need of being addressed. It also helps us identify which categories it would not be cost effective to focus on. There are two types of Pareto charts – the Counts chart, and the Cost chart. The Counts chart helps in understanding which of the units have the most flaws; while the Co st chart helps in identifying the category that is incurring the most cost. At times, there may be different categories implicated by the two charts for a single analysis; so the organization then has to prioritze which they would like to address first. An example would be a shirts manufacturing unit; which manufactures shirts in a variety of price ranges. In a given month; the SPC finds that reject units have significantly gone up; and further analysis is conducted. The Pareto charts show that three types of shirts are most to blame for this increase in wastage – a simple cotton shirt, a linen shirt and a high end silk shirt. It is also identified that while far more units of the cotton shirt are being rejected; the costs incurred from the rejected units of the silk shirts is significantly higher. The organization can now choose which to focus on. It is decided that immediate attention should be focused on rectifying the problem with the silk shirt production; and then the q uality control team should focus on the problems with the cotton shirt production. The charts also helped in identifying that the problems with the linen shirt would not be cost effective to address in the given situation; and so the company chooses not to address those problems; but monitor the production to ensure that there are no further issues. Question 1: B i. The probability of any randomly selected phone call having a response rate of less than the target rate of 19 minutes is found to be 0.9772. This means that 97.72% of the times, the