Birth of the Modern Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Birth of the Modern Age - Essay Example Our reasoning is simple, a bit nave perhaps, but just and sensible: we need to establish continuity between the past and the present. First, we assume that the so-called modern age in human history came sometime after the period we are investigating. This allows us to set aside, at least for the moment, the disagreements among historians and other experts as to the exact dates on when the modern age began and whether we are still in or beyond it. Second, we also assume that the writers whose works we are to analyze to answer our question really existed, and that their accounts represent a true image of reality as they perceived it. Some may have used literary tools to paint a subtle imagery of the times in which they lived, but our knowing the trick allows us to look beyond the images and into the underlying reality of their 15th-16th century world. Third, our knowledge and observations of what historians call the modern age allow us to identify distinguishing characteristics that mark a transition from the old or ancient world to the new or modern one: the way humans performed their activities of learning, earning, governing, and looking at the world around them. These so-called modern ways - the scientific method of learning, the transition from feudalism to the rule of law, democratic government and free market economics, and a widening focus from the local and regional to the international and the universal world - are facets of the human character and culture that we witness in ourselves now and that we see as taking root in the hearts and souls of the writers whose written works we are to analyze. If we can pin down these modern developments as having their definite origins only to the period 1400 to 1600, our task would have been easier. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions, a study of written works before and after 1400 is beyond the scope of this paper. Given these assumptions and limitations, how can this writer establish continuity between past chronicles and our observations of the modern world How can we conclude that the period 1400-1600 represents the birth of the modern age This last intellectual stumbling block was overcome when the writer had to decide which of the several works in the collection to include in this paper, taking into account this writer's personal biases and assumptions. The solution was simple: choose on the basis of a positive, optimistic, and hopeful image of the world, both in the present and in the future. Having taken this crucial step, the writer became "one" with each of the twenty historical figures whose selections were chosen, observing the world through their eyes and with the same positive attitude. This is how the writer established continuity between the present and the past, and the intellect having been duly satisfied dispatches itself vigorously to the task at hand. Marks of the Modern Age The modern age marked a revolution in human thought, a new outlook towards wealth, work, and money, the governance of peoples, and a more universal view of life and the world. As we assumed, this modern age happened sometime after the year 1600, the 17th century, so we question ourselves if it had its birth in the two centuries that preceded it. Before we dive into the world as it was in the 15th and 16th centuries, let us summarize what we know of the 14th century (the years 1300-1399). It was a period that saw millions of people die from famine and the plague, and

Nationalism and tourism examples in South Dakota Coursework

Nationalism and tourism examples in South Dakota - Coursework Example They are symbols of national unity; hence, instill a feeling of the State’s identity among the citizens. Besides, the monument attracts both domestic and international tourists; hence, depicting a sense of national identity as citizens come and gather to tell their history and share national records. In addition, the monument is depicted on currency, postage stamps and official stamps, which signify something that is shared by all citizens of South Dakota. Therefore, it popularizes a hegemonic national message of inclusion that categorically implies national unity. Mount Rushmore is attractive and inspiring in a manner that draws people from all over the United States of America. Dinosaurs are considered the American’s main historical animals that ever lived. They are depicted as having been big and strong. Today, the dinosaurs crafted out of concrete and similar materials have expressive functions (Pretes, 2003). For instance, the western half of South Dakota have several specimens of animals including dinosaurs, which are important and notable. The Dinosaur Park acts as a significant tourist attraction sight as people come to know their earlier strong animals. It also acts as a national identity as it draws citizens from all over the State. The dinosaur has a special place in the American culture and history because they act as patriotic representatives of America and Scientific superiority of Europe. Therefore, Rapid Dinosaur Park having various types of life-size concrete dinosaurs promotes tourism: citizens come together to view these important animals; hence, evokes a feeling of national

Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Corporation is a United States-based multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, its most profitable products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software. Business organisation and environment Internal environment Objective * Our mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential. Finacial resources (March 31, 2009, In millions) * Asset $ 68853 * Liabilities $ 23823 * Stockholders ¡Ã‚ ¯ equity $ 36943 * We generate revenue by developing, manufacturing, licensing, and supporting a wide range of software products and services for many different types of computing devices. Skills and capabilities * As of June 30, 2008, we employed approximately 91,000 people on a full-time basis, 55,000 in the United States and 36,000 internationally. Of the total, 35,000 were in product research and development, 26,000 in sales and marketing, 17,000 in product support and consulting services, 4,000 in manufacturing and distribution, and 9,000 in general and administration. External environment Market environment * Our customers include individual consumers, small and medium-sized organizations, enterprises, governmental institutions, educational institutions, Internet service providers, application developers, and OEMs. Competitor * We have five operating segments: Client, Server and Tools, Online Services Business, Microsoft Business Division, and Entertainment and Devices Division. * Client: Competing commercial software products, including variants of Unix, are supplied by competitors such as Apple, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Sun Microsystems. * Server and Tools: Our server operating system products face intense competition from a wide variety of server operating systems and server applications, offered by companies with a variety of market approaches. * Online Services Business: OSB competes with AOL, Google, Yahoo!, and a wide array of Web sites and portals that provide content and online offerings of all types to end users. * Microsoft Business Division: Competitors to the Microsoft Office system include many software application vendors such as Apple, Corel, Google, IBM, Novell, Oracle, Red Hat, Sun Microsystems, and local application developers in Europe and Asia. IBM (Smartsuite) and Corel (WordPerfect Suite) have measurable installed bases with their office productivity products. * Entertainment and Devices Division: Our Xbox hardware business competes with console platforms from Nintendo and Sony, both of which have a large, established base of customers. Intermediaries * We distribute our products primarily through the following channels: OEM; distributors and resellers; and online. * OEM: Our operating systems are licensed primarily to OEMs(original equipment manufacturers) under agreements that grant OEMs the right to build computing devices based on our operating systems, principally PCs. Under similar arrangements, we also market and license certain server operating systems, desktop applications, hardware devices, and consumer software products to OEMs. We have OEM agreements covering one or more of our products with virtually all of the major PC OEMs, including Acer, Dell, Fujitsu, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, NEC, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba. * Distributors and resellers: We license software to organizations under arrangements that allow the end-user customer to acquire multiple licenses of products. * Online: We distribute online content and services through Live Search, Windows Live, Office Live, our MSN portals and channels, the Microssoft Online Services platform, which includes offerings for business, and other online channels. * Consumers and small- and medium-sized organizations obtain our products primarily through resellers and OEMs. Political implication 1. Collaborating with Industry and Law Enforcement Microsoft Corporation actively pursues cybercriminals through vigorous civil enforcement in the United States and it works in partnership with law enforcement agencies worldwide to deter cybercrime and bring criminals to justice. Since 2003, Microsoft has supported more than 550 enforcement actions worldwide against spammers, phishers, and distributors of spyware and other malicious code. Microsoft has also engaged with the Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general in California, Florida, Massachusetts, Texas, and Washington State, to investigate and pursue cybercriminals. Microsoft works to ensure that governments and law enforcement agencies receive the appropriate tools, necessary training, and extensive technical and investigative support to assist in their efforts to combat global cybercrime and work to make the Internet a safer place for everyone. Training. Microsoft is deeply committed to assisting law enforcement with the identification, location, and prosecution of online fraudsters. * Microsoft has worked with the attorneys general in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Utah State to provide comprehensive training about Internet investigations to law enforcement officials. * Microsoft hosted LE Tech 2006 (October 2006 in Redmond, Washington), a conference to introduce law enforcement officials to new Microsoft software and services that will affect cybercrime investigations over the next few years. Tools and technical support for investigations. Microsoft supports law enforcement agencies around the world with advanced investigative technology to address cyber threats. * In France, Microsoft participates in Signal Spam a platform (created with public and private sector entities) through which Internet users can report suspected spam. Data that is collected through Signal Spam is shared with Internet service providers (ISPs) and French law enforcement authorities to assist in antispam investigations and prosecutions. In the first ten days after the programs launch, users reported nearly 300,000 instances of spam. * In August 2006, Microsoft launched the Law Enforcement Portal, a secure, centralized resource that provides law enforcement with access to Internet crime-related information as well as tools, training, and technical support to assist in investigations. Anti-phishing efforts. Microsoft is dedicated to stopping phishers and works in alliance with groups to implement anti-phishing measures worldwide. * Microsoft is the founding member of Digital PhishNet (DPN), which fosters cooperation among industry and law enforcement agencies to share information, provide training, and educate consumers about phishing sites. Microsoft encourages worldwide participation in DPN by Internet service providers, online auctions, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies. * Microsoft acts with the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) and the Authentication and Online Trust Alliance (AOTA) to promote good public anti-phishing policies and best practices for enforcement of those policies. * In March 2006, Microsoft launched the Global Phishing Enforcement Initiative (GPEI), a worldwide consumer protection campaign in which industry and law enforcement joined forces to combat phishers. The GPEI works to protect the public from fraudulent sites and provides worldwide investigative support to help prosecute phishers. Antispam efforts. Microsoft supports law enforcement with cutting-edge technical and investigative techniques developed specifically to address cyberthreats. To that end, the company has provided technical support to governments around the globe, including in the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America. * Microsoft has been a leader in promoting SpotSpam, a project co-funded by the European Commission, which aims to limit the spread of spam. The project seeks to establish antispam hotlines in France, Germany, and Poland. * Microsoft also participates in Signal Spam. Created with public and private sector entities, Signal Spam provides a platform through which Internet users can report suspected spam. 2. Promoting a Safer Internet Experience for Children Child Exploitation Tracking System. Microsoft worked closely with Canadian police and international law enforcement agencies to develop Child Exploitation Tracking System (CETS), a unique software tool that enables investigators to store, search, share, and analyze large volumes of evidence and to share that evidence with other police agencies. Following its development in Canada, CETS has been implemented in Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, Italy, and the United Kingdom; Colombia and Spain have announced their intent to adopt it. Microsoft continues to promote CETS to governments and law enforcement agencies throughout the world. Global Campaign Against Child Pornography. Microsoft joined with Interpol and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) in 2004 to initiate this campaign. Since then, Microsoft has worked with ICMEC and Interpol to help provide training for law enforcement personnel about computer-facilitated crimes against children. As of October 2007, more than 2,400 law enforcement officers from 106 countries have received training to help them identify suspects, investigate offenses, and deal with victims of online child abuse. 3. Supporting Important Legislation Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime. Microsoft has joined industry partners to encourage countries to adopt and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime. This global legal tool requires signatory countries to adopt and update laws and procedures to address online crime. Microsoft also provides technical assistance and consultation to help countries comply with their obligations under the convention. Model legislation. In April 2006, Microsoft joined ICMEC in announcing its model legislation, which seeks to modernize child pornography laws for the 184 member countries of Interpol. Microsoft has pledged to support worldwide efforts to develop and enforce these laws. 4. Successes in the Fight Against Cybercrime Operation Bot Roast. Microsoft provided technical information and analytical support to aid the FBI in Operation Bot Roast. Announced in June 2007, Operation Bot Roast is an ongoing investigation and operation that aims to disrupt and dismantle botnets. Lawsuit against Bizads UK. In December 2006, the English High Court ruled in favor of Microsoft in a lawsuit against Bizads UK, which had fraudulently sold lists of up to 10,000 e-mail addresses at a time to spammers. The court restricted Bizads UK from further spam-related activities and awarded damages to be assessed later. 129 legal actions against phishers. In November 2006, Microsoft took action against phishers who were targeting users of MSN Hotmail. These legal actions included 97 criminal complaints and three civil settlements in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Anti-spam prosecution in Australia. In October 2006, Clarity1 Pty Ltd. became the first company convicted under Australias tough new anti-spam laws and was fined more than US$4 million for sending hundreds of millions of junk e-mail messages. Microsoft supported this historic prosecution by providing evidence of e-mail messages received by spam-trap accounts to the antispam investigators at the Australian Communications and Media Authority in 2005. Anti-spyware lawsuits. In January 2006, Microsoft and the attorney general of Washington State filed parallel anti-spyware lawsuits. This action was the states first legal action under the Washington Computer Spyware Act, which was enacted in 2005. Microsoft filed its own lawsuit that alleged violation of the same law. Arrests for financial fraud and identity theft. In January 2006, Bulgarian law enforcement officials arrested eight people who were involved in an international criminal network that was responsible for online financial fraud and personal data theft. Microsoft provided Bulgarian officials with information that helped in the investigation and subsequent identification of the alleged perpetrators. Settlement with Spam King. In August 2005, Microsoft reached a US$7 million settlement against self-proclaimed Spam King Scott Richter and his Colorado-based company, OptInRealBig.com LLC. Microsoft began the suit in December 2003, in conjunction with a parallel action by the New York State attorney general. Arrests of Mytob and Zotob worm authors. In August 2005, Microsoft provided United States and worldwide law enforcement agencies with investigative and technical support that led to the arrest of the individuals suspected of authoring and distributing the Mytob and Zotob worms. Turkish and Moroccan law enforcement agencies made the arrests fewer than two weeks after the Mytob and Zotob worms were unleashed. Individual at work Microsoft has an innovative corporate culture and a strong product development focus that is designed to keep us on the leading edge of the industry. We believe that our employees are the companys most important asset. They are the source of our creative ingenuity and success so we empower each staff member to take initiative in solving problems, coming up with new ideas and improving the organisation. Microsoft values diversity and respects each persons individuality When you sell software to 180 million people, in 70 countries, speaking 150 languages, you cant afford to have a singular point of view. Microsoft employs people from many nationalities and backgrounds. * Who we looking for Great people with great values Microsoft concentrates on hiring people we believe fit into the company culture: people who are driven to succeed, enthusiastic about how they can contribute to the organisation and unafraid of suggesting and implementing new ideas. Our recruits are not always IT professionals; many come from backgrounds such as the banking, law or pharmaceutical industries. What they bring to Microsoft is a diversity of knowledge and understanding of the needs of particular industries that helps them relate to, and provide optimum service to, our customers. Microsoft needs people who are creative, energetic and bright, absolutely passionate and committed to our mission of helping others realise their potential. These people share the following values: * Passion for customers, partners and technology; * Integrity and honesty; * Open and respectful with others and dedicated to making them better; * Willingness to take on big challenges and see them through; * Committed to personal excellence and self-improvement; and * Accountable for commitments, results and quality to customers, shareholders, partners and employees. This creates a workforce with a broad range of skills and expertise. We also encourage and nurture lateral thinking. Our workers are given a high level of autonomy to come up with and offer innovative solutions. If this is important to you, it is highly likely you will enjoy the environment Microsoft offers it ¡Ã‚ ¯s employees. A place where you can get things done and have fun at work! * Diversity Microsoft values diversity and respects each persons individuality At Microsoft we have made a corporate commitment to the principle of diversity. We believe that diversity enriches our performance and our products, the communities in which we live and work, and the lives of our employees. As our workforce evolves to reflect the growing diversity of our communities and global marketplace, our efforts to understand, value and incorporate differences become increasingly important. We have established a number of initiatives to promote diversity within our own organisation, including education and training programs that provide employees with the awareness, skills, knowledge and ability to embrace differences. The programs also communicate the importance of a respectful work environment in maximising the performance of every employee. Microsoft employs a diverse workforce representing a broad range of cultural, linguistic, socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds including disabled employees and people from all corners of the globe. We are proudly an equal opportunity employer. * Community Spirit Make a difference from day one At Microsoft, we share a passion for technology and what it can do for people. It doesnt matter who you are or where you live, technology can make a positive difference in your life. It can help you learn faster, achieve more, simplify your life and have more fun. Technology has helped children and adults acquire a passion for learning, given businesses of all sizes the tools they need to compete in an ever-changing marketplace, and provided people with disabilities the access to a new world of job and life opportunities. And we believe the best is yet to come. We help build our communities to unlock their potential Amazing things can happen when the right people, tools and resources come together. At Microsoft, our employees and our technology help unlock this kind of potential every day, through our corporate giving program and through donations of personal time and resources by our employees. Since 1983, Microsoft and our employees around the world have donated more than $100 million in cash, $100 million in software and thousands of volunteer hours in our communities around the world. Across our Asia, each Microsoft subsidiary has its own local initiatives for social giving and community outreach. Our employees are passionately involved in many charitable initiatives across Asia that help people realize their potential. To learn more about Microsoft ¡Ã‚ ¯s giving campaigns you can follow this link: International www.microsoft.com/giving (US link) * Work/Life Balance Make a difference from day one Our employees are our most valued asset, and in recognition of this, Microsoft provides flexible programs, resources and tools to help them create their own kind of balance in life. In this hectic industry, careers are demanding, but if your work is to be fun and rewarding it must take its place and priority alongside your other life interests. At Microsoft, we aim to make the workplace as flexible as possible to enable our employees to have freedom, balance and autonomy. The work/life balance initiatives and programs offered to our staff throughout Asia differ depending upon location, local laws and resource availability. Some of the benefits provided to staff in different locations include: * Onsite and online parenting resources * Variety of sports and health benefits * Broadband connection to your home (enabling staff to work from home when required) * Job-share (where role permits) * Microsoft counselling service for employees and their families * Social club * Career guidance and planning * Mentoring program * Employer-sponsored discount program * Laptop computers and mobile technology * Community support initiatives for various charities The programs cover the individual employee, work, family and community. In addition to the specific work/life balance programs available, Microsoft is firmly committed to the goal of creating a healthy, flexible, and productive work environment that allows employees to engage in a challenging career while balancing their work/life needs. For more information about what programs of this nature are offered in individual countries across Asia, please contact a member of our Recruitment team today. * Women in IT Make a difference from day one Microsoft is proudly an equal opportunity employer of women and proactively seeks to ensure our workforce embraces excellence in gender diversity. Microsoft works closely with local government agencies across Asia and other recognized employers of choice so as to ensure we are constantly contributing to the improved status and treatment of women in the IT industry. This ensures our organisation is compliant with the latest legislative requirements and aware of best practices in the industry for women. Microsoft annually reviews its female diversity practices relating to: * Recruitment and selection * Promotions, transfers and terminations * Training and development * Work organisation * Conditions of service * Dealing with sex-based harassment * Dealing with pregnant and potentially pregnant employees and employees who are breastfeeding At Microsoft male and female employees are paid and rewarded on the same measurements based on the role and the merit of performance. There is no distinction based on gender. Furthermore, there is no distinction based on gender with regards to Microsofts recruitment processes, promotions and transfers, eligibility for benefits, training or conditions of service. Growing the female ranks in the IT industry As a thought-leader in the IT industry Microsoft is committed to the ongoing development of female professionals and encouraging new professionals to the industry. We are actively involved in a number of industry networking groups that focus on Women in the IT industry so we can ensure that our female employees have a voice on important issues and that we continue to develop and attract great female talent to the company. Annually, Microsoft supports and actively participates in the Global Womens Forum and across Asia our subsidiaries have internal networking and support groups for our female employees. Microsoft is also proud to support the development of females in the graduate community by offering Internship placements and various programs to improve the skills of emerging female technologists. Mothers at Microsoft Microsoft welcomes the applications from female candidates who are pregnant, planning pregnancy or returning to the workforce following a maternity leave absence. This is a family friendly environment, so don ¡Ã‚ ¯t be surprised if you visit our offices and meet a few little people! Our employees often bring their children in for a visit to work or to participate in family day events. Harassment Microsoft has a zero-tolerance policy for Sex-Based Harassment and strong policies in place to encourage the equal and appropriate conduct of all employees. * Parents in the Workforce Microsoft enjoys a family friendly environment so it is not uncommon to see spouses and children dropping by for lunch onsite. Microsoft supports parents in the workforce and those returning to the workforce. We do have a Parental Leave policy in place for the primary carer of children and your Recruiter can provide you with further details. If you need time away from work to celebrate the birth of your child and provide care, Microsoft supports you and your right to return to fulltime employment when you are ready. Local Labour Laws apply. Our families are the most important priority in life. Microsoft supports Parents in the Workforce by having flexible and convenient programs in place to ensure you can have balance between your family and your career. Just some of these benefits include: * Parental leave * Parents at Microsoft online resource * Microsoft counselling service for you and your family * Broadband program to enable you to work from home when necessary * Laptops and mobile technology * Discounted software program for private purchase * Flexibility to consider job-share where position enables Conclusion

Descartes Essay -- essays research papers

Descartes is famed by is familiar notion, “I think therefore I am (Cogito, ergo sum.).'; It is a conclusion he has reached in his second meditation after much deliberation on the existence of anything certain. After he discovers his ability to doubt and to understand , he is able to substantiate his necessary existence as a consequence. What we doubt or understand may not ultimately correspond, but we can never be uncertain that we are in the process of thought. This idea is a major component in Descartes’ proof of the external world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He relies on the existence of a non-deceiving God to ensure that an external world exists after calling it into doubt by the invocation of the dream argument. In this argument, Descartes suggests the possibility that none of our ideas are caused by external objects and therefore, such objects may not exist. He also raises the idea of a demon that may deceive us and allow us to perceive what is not really there. Although he assures himself of his own existence by his modes of thought, he remains uncertain of the reality of an external world. He doubts whether there is anything of material substance that provokes thought within him rather than it being conceived in his mind completely independent of anything else. Descartes then considers those reasons that have inclined him to believe these material things exist in the past. “I know by experience that these ideas do not depend upon m...

Tablet Pc

Microsoft tablet pc The History †¢ Launched in November 2002, just three month the shipment reach 72,000 units. These developments make many of industry observer surprise because they forecast the market not ready to accept tablet pc until 21st century. †¢ A half market sales in U. S and target to get optimist market in Asia As long they support and recognize many of language, they optimist for getting the market. †¢ Analysis point: will take 6-12 month for the market adoption for increasing the market. The evolution of digital portable device Developing was start in 1980s. The technology is undeveloped and relative new in this period. †¢ Several companies begin to develop: IBM, Dell, Compaq, Fujitsu launch portable personal computing device the form in notebook and personal data assistant (PDA). Exhibit 1. Explain us the revolution from the big mainframe computer until change to PDA or a pocket PC you can carried everywhere. †¢ The first generation for porta ble device, there’s portable in nature but for the function below from traditional desktop PCs was provide.And in this time there no feature of speech and hand recognition. †¢ Stylus was developing to change the function of mouse and keyboard. †¢ In 1990-1991 Microsoft Pen Service 1. 0 OS and the respond of market is not good. This is also happen in 1995 when Microsoft trying to fix the bugs by launching Pen Windows 2. 0 OS. †¢ In 1998 Microsoft release windows CE 2. 0 with handwriting recognition. This is only 60% the accuracy to recognize the handwriting. †¢ In August 1999 Microsoft begin on working at the device which is called tabled pc.This combines a desktop computer, mobile computer and pen-base system, which is the notebook without keyboard and mouse. †¢ In 2000 Microsoft release Windows CE 3. 0 with handwriting recognizing for their PDA. Microsoft builds the tablet pc prototype †¢ The prototype build not have feature that were present in notebook such as: external batteries, an external hard disk and external modem. This mean to reduce a weight, as well as, the width of a notebook/computer. †¢ Six vendor hired by Microsoft for build the prototype: 1. Flextronics for the design aspect. . FinePoint Innovation for RF digitizer. 3. Phoenix for device enabling and management software product. 4. Transmeta for microprocessor. 5. Silicon Motion for video controller. 6. Silver Cloud Manufacturing for computer base filters and lenses. Positioning and promoting the tablet PC †¢ In June 2000 Microsoft begin to demonstrate the prototype of PC tablet. The product did not receive much coverage because of minor part of the presentation. †¢ In November 2000 the second demonstrate at the Comdex show with the presentation from Gates.The analysis and the industry observer were not impressed because they think gates only inform about the Brand image and if they want grab a market they must convince the market that the t ablet pc function better than notebook computer. †¢ In 2001 Microsoft held their promotion in WinHEC to fix their strategy, update OEM developer and technology, and the roadmaps that the company would adopt for future computing product. The handwriting recognizing not success so Microsoft change plans to ink management feature. Which is keep the handwriting as original and not converting them to computer font). The target market for the tablet pc was the corporate users which is describe by Microsoft as ‘knowledge workers with productivity focus’. †¢ Tablet pc benefit than laptop computer: more light and easy to carried also the batteries power more life time. †¢ After have a postpone for fix the problem, in November 2001 Microsoft do a promotional demonstration on tablet pc at the Comdex show. They introduce the tablet pc feature such as long battery life, sophisticated handwriting recognition, ink management, high speed microprocessor, high resolution d isplay, and build wireless capability.At this time the analysis and industry observer getting convince to their presentation but still have the criticism such as if the price is same or more that notebook price they will not lure to the market because they not really need change their notebook with some think not really different but with the high price. Tablet make a modest star †¢ On November 7, 2002 microsoft launched tablet pc to the market at the same time the OEM partners to release their respective tablet PCs. †¢ There’s more than 20 vendor hardware and software partnered with Microsoft to support the tablet pc. The firm expected the sale will be 425,000 units in 2003, but their have wrong expectation. Nearly 592,000 tablet PCs were sold around the world for the year ending 2002. What next for the tablets? †¢ Analysis observed that although demand for the tablet PC was high in targeted niche area, this is because the two main of reason: the price is high er than laptop pc and they suffered from a lack of mainstream application. †¢ To solve the problem Microsoft introduce a new tablet pc with lower of price. †¢ They develop Microsoft office for tablet pc †¢ The company partnered with more than 50 software and hardware vendor to support tablet pc.

Mnc in India Essay

To help in rapid growth and industrialization and create necessary infrastructure for economic development. 2. Promote redistribution of income & wealth 3. Create employment opportunities 4. Promote regional balance development 5. Promote import substitution save and earn foreign exchange for country. 6. Basic Infrastructure (STC, Railways, SAIL) Organization of Public Sector †¢Ministry ( Railway, Finance etc) †¢Departmental Undertaking (Defense, Post & Telegraph, Defense production unit) †¢Statutory Corporation( LIC, AIR India, IFC,RBI,ONGC, etc.. †¢Central Board (Bhakra Nangal, Hira Kund ,Nagarjun Sagar dam) †¢Government Companies ( Ashok Hotels, ITI, HMT Hindustan shipyard etc) Pricing Practice ?Administrative Price : Price fixed by Government ?No profit –No loss Price ( DVC, Hindustan antibiotics, Hindustan Insecticides) ? Cost Plus Price – ITI, HAL, Bharat electronic ? Competitive Price ?Follow the leader ?Subsidized Prices ?Discriminatory Prices Private Sector ? Privatization: Transfer of ownership and control of an existing public sector enterprise ? Privatization may be full or partial. It may be selective i. e.. Some function are transformed to the private sector, which other are retained in public sector. ?Increase in competition . The Privatization movement The move towards privatization has gained momentum since 70’s. The following are usually mentioned reasons 1 The emergence of conservative government in principal industrial countries 2 The emergence of multinational entities 3 Technological changes The Privatization movement contd. 4 Emergence of local capital market and entrepreneurship 5 Dissatisfaction with performance of public sector Reason for Indian Privatization 1. Crippling Budget deficit 2. Spectacular growth by economies of Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia in private sector 3. Galloping cost of government intervention in trade and industry & procedural difficulty 4. Collapse of USSR& communist government in eastern Europe 5. Changes in China 6. Emergence of professional management 7. IMF & World Bank extended arm to capitalism 8. Gulf crisis 9. Lack of demand in economy 10. Integration of world trade 11. Developed local capital market and Financing Institution Recent Reasons To Strengthen Competition †¢To improve public finance †¢To fund Infrastructure Growth †¢Accountability of share holders †¢To reduce unnecessary interference †¢More disciplined Labor force The main reason for increased efficiency gain as a result of privatization are attributed to (i)Less political interference in decision making (i)Staff remuneration is more closely linked to productivity and profitability (ii)Firm are e xposed to financial market discipline as opposed to government support (iii)Firm’s cost reducing effort are higher under competitive private ownership Advantages of public sector organizations Govt . Control in sensitive areas ? More employment ? Effective decision making ? Public accountability ? Access to all ? More employee satisfaction-better life work balance ? Recognition and honor ? Job security Disadvantages of public sector organizations ?Inefficiency results due to the size of the organization ?lack of incentive for employees ?Losses must be met by the taxpayer ? Political interference ? Less customer satisfaction ? High cost of delay/red tapism Disadvantages of public sector organizations contd. ?Headless plants ?Lack Demand – supply relation ?Over/Under capacity ?Fear of Scams Advantages of private sector organizations ?Quick decision making ?No political interference ?More customer satisfaction ?Easy access to capital market Disadvantages of private sector organizations ?Chances of mismanagement ?Inefficient decision making ?Less focus on poor people Ways of Privatization ? Disinvestment ? Contracting ? Franchising ? Permitting private sector enter into PSU reserved area ? Liquidation ? Leasing Disinvestment Long Term strategy on disinvestment 1. Strengthen profitable PSU to promote greater competitiveness to enable payment of higher dividends to the government to enhance Value 2. Financial restructure and revive loss making PSU to invite private capital for long term turnaround. 3. Enhance government receipt by disinvestment in profitable PSUs Initially 40 out of the 245 PSUs were referred to the disinvestment committee Conclusion ? Public sector enterprises ? Private sector enterprises ? Privatization ? Need of privatization ? Obstacles of privatization ? Ways of privatization- Disinvestment ? Advantages and disadvantages Thanks to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Prof. Suneel Gupta Associate Professor, Ghs-IMR, Kanpur Prof. Mansur Ali Khan NSB Prof. Surjyabrat Buragohain NSB Thank you all ?SIVAPRASAD P V ? PREMKUMAR ? VIGNESH ? MANOJ

Under Armor Financial Analysis Essay Example

Under Armor Financial Analysis Essay Example Under Armor Financial Analysis Essay Under Armor Financial Analysis Essay Under Armor Financial Analysis Name: Course: Date: Under Armor Financial Analysis Performance measurement The measurement of performance refers to the various dissimilar statistical measures to assess how efficient a company uses its resources to make revenues. Ordinary examples of parameters used to measure performance include operating income, net asset value and earning before interest. It is significant to point out that no single performance measure should be considered independently. Instead, to reach at a realistic position of the performance a company, an analysis must use different combination of measures. The analysis will assess the cash flow from all business activities in 2011 and the balance sheets for 2011 and 2010. Financial performance Assessing the financial performance of Under Armour will require a prejudiced measure of how well the company uses the assets amassed from its main form of business, and come up with revenues. The term â€Å"financial performance† is also utilized as a universal evaluation of a company’s overall financial wellbeing over a period, and can be applied to evaluate similar companies that operate on the same industry. Without measuring, there is no way that we can realize the trend that the company is taking. The best way to do this evaluation is using financial ratios that are the relationships between two or more financial elements. Through the ratios, a manager can easily determine the level of performance for their company. Company background Under Armour is a group of expansive sports, accessories and clothing stores situated in America. The company deals in the supply of a broad variety of sportswear and informal attire with the focus being on technical sportswear that can serve the needs of career athletes. The Under Armour was established in 1996 when it started selling footwear. The international headquarters of the company are situated in Maryland while the European head office is in Amsterdam. Other subsidiary offices are sited in Guangzhou, Denver, Toronto and Hong Kong. Some of the products developed by Under Amour include AllseasonGear, ColdGear, and StreetGear. The Under Amour products are traded worldwide and are used by sportspeople in different sports from young people to professional players. Measuring the financial performance of Under Amour Company will involve assessing the revenues, financial records and other statistics (Douglas, 2012). Summary Report Under Armor Company implements an accounting cycle that incorporates several activity series that start with a transaction and conclude with closing the books of account. Primarily, this cycle includes several major steps. The cycle begins at the stage of identifying or recognizing a transaction or an event. This step is followed by the preparation of the source document for the transaction such as an invoice or purchase order. Consequently, an analysis and classification of the transaction is carried out. This part serves to quantify the transaction in terms of money value, that is, cents or dollars. Additionally, identification of the account to be credited or debited also occurs at the third stage of the cycle. The cycle then proceeds on to the fourth step, and this involves recording the transaction in an appropriate journal entry such as cash receipt, sales journal, purchase journal and others. These kinds of entries and executed in a chronological sense. The journal entries are hence posted to ledger accounts. It is prudent to understand that the Under Armor employs the steps highlighted above through the whole accounting period since the occurrence of the transactions happen in period batches. The rest of the cycle steps explained below are performed when the accounting period concludes. These steps include the preparation of the trial to certify the equality between the debits and credits. At this part of the cycle, no adjustment of the accounts takes place. If any discrepancy between the accounts is identified, action is taken to sight the posting errors, math errors or recording errors. Finally, the company’s accounting cycle ends with the preparation of the balance sheet and the profit and loss account. Business efficiencies created by solid accounting have to be valued with a view of establishing whether a business, or in this case the company, is enjoying optimum profitability. Since the company is operating in an environment with volatile economic factors, variable costs with frequent fluctuations pose dramatic negative effects on the company’ s product margin. Efficient business performance is dependent on the accuracy of product profitability and cost analysis of raw materials. Recommendations to the company include focusing on the female market whose sales only earn the company about 25% its entire revenue (Reuters, 2012). The company should look to put more focus on this market and maximize its profitability. The company should also look to expand its global sales. More than 90% of the company’s sales come from distribution channels within North America (Reuters, 2012). Companies such as Nike and Adidas have established their market channels throughout the globe. The company should also look to venture into soccer deals as fashion giants like Puma and Nike have. Making this move would allow the company to strengthen its brand. For example, Nike in comparison to Under Armor is very much ahead in terms of operating activities, assets, and income revenue. For example, statistics in 2011 stated that Under Armor raked in over 900,000 million dollars in assets compared to Nike’s 15,000 billion. Net income was 90,000 million and approximately 3 billion dollars for both Armor and Nike respectively. If Under Armor Company is to compete with giants like Nike Company, then they have to shift their focus on capitalizing on their opportunities while mitigating their weaknesses at the same time mitigating their weaknesses. The company should look to anticipate and react to changing preferences of consumers. Additionally, it would be a good idea if the company employs critical sale events. This would function well in boosting customer loyalty. Furthermore, an outline of the company’s financial performance exhibited success and the trend are expected to continue if careful implementation is exercised (Reuter s, 2012). This is true judging by the company’s 27.8 percent growth in revenue from 2010 to 2011. In the same period, the company’s gross revenue grew.

Odyssey The Relationship between the monstrous and the human

Odyssey The Relationship between the monstrous and the human Introduction When looking at the relationship between the monstrous and the human in Odyssey, it can be seen that monsters represent, in many instances, the darker side of humanity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"Odyssey†: The Relationship between the monstrous and the human specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Cyclops When looking at the instance where Odysseus encounters the Cyclops Polyphemus, it is often the case that people see a giant monster that is out to eat visitors. However, as it can be seen through the dialogue between Polyphemus and Odysseus, Polyphemus does have the capacity for reason and understanding yet continues to perform his actions anyway despite alternatives being present (i.e. he eats humans despite the fact that sheep are present). In this particular instance, Polyphemus and his one eye represent people who look at things through only one perspective. The end result is that the y neglect to see the end result of such actions and in turn this results in adverse consequences towards them (i.e. in this case Polyphemus had his eye gouged with a sharp stick). Calypso While the sea nymph may seem to be good in the sense that she took very good care of Odysseus on her island, in reality she actually symbolizes the aspect of complacency that exists within us all. Through the dialogue in the story we can see that while she has made Odysseus comfortable, he is not truly progressing in life despite his desire to do so. Such an aspect is present in us all wherein we become lured by the comfort of complacency that we find ourselves unable to move forward when we should have done so. Circe What Circe represents is harder to ascertain since she both turned the men into swine yet took good care of them afterwards. However, upon reading more of the dialogue it can be seen that Circe represents fear of moving forward which often results in loneliness and heartache later in life. In the story it is revealed that the reason that Circe turned the men into swine was due to bad experiences she had with men in the past.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since she never moved forward from such a feeling she became stuck in the past and, as a result, became incredibly lonely. This is a behavior that we all experience all too often wherein we become so focused on what has happened to us that we become too afraid to move forward and experience new things. This can eat away at a person leaving them lonely and friendless with no one to talk to but the walls of their home. The Lotus Eaters The Lotus eaters in the story are very familiar since they represent the addictions that burden us in life. This can by anything such as junk food, television, sex, drugs or anything that causes to obsess over something so completely that we discard everything else to focus on such an addiction. This can often result in men or women turning in to monsters in order to get their â€Å"fix† and, as such, is an appropriate representation of the darker side of humanity that lurks within us all that is waiting to come out and drag us down just as addiction has entrapped the Lotus eaters in the story. Conclusion After examining the various characters that was encountered by Odysseus on his journey, it can be stated that when looking at the relationship between the monstrous and the human in Odyssey, monsters represent, in many instances, the darker side of humanity.

Dave the Potter - Enslaved African-American Ceramic Artist

Dave the Potter - Enslaved African-American Ceramic Artist David Drake [1800-1874] was an influential African-American ceramic artist, born into slavery under the pottery-making families of Edgefield, South Carolina. Also known as Dave the Potter, Dave Pottery, Dave the Slave or Dave of the Hive, he is known to have had several different owners during his lifetime, including Harvey Drake, Reuben Drake, Jasper Gibbs, and Lewis Miles. All of these men were in some way related to the ceramic entrepreneurs and slave holders, brothers Reverend John Landrum and Dr. Abner Landrum. In 1815, the Landrums established the Edgefield pottery-making district in west-central South Carolina, and by the mid-19th century, the district had grown to include 12 very large, innovative and influential ceramic stoneware factories. There, the Landrums and their families blended English, European, African, Native American and Chinese ceramic styles, forms and techniques to make durable, non-toxic alternatives to lead-based stonewares. It was in this environment that Dave became an important potter, or turner, eventually working in several of these factories. What We Know About Dave Not much is known about Dave; much of what we do know, scholars derived from census records and news stories. Born in 1800, Dave probably began working in the potteries in his late teens, learning his trade from the European-American potters. The earliest pottery vessels which bear attributes of Daves later pots date to the 1820s and were made in the Pottersville workshop. He apparently worked for Abner Landrums newspaper The Edgefield Hive (sometimes listed as The Columbia Hive), where some scholars believe he learned to read and write. Others believe it is more likely he learned from his owner Reuben Drake. Daves literacy had to have occurred before 1837, when it became illegal in South Carolina to teach slaves to read and write. Dave was owned for a time by Lewis Miles, Abners son-in-law, and he produced at least 100 pots for Miles between July 1834 and January 1864. Dave may well have produced many more, but only about 100 signed pots have survived from that period. He lived through the Civil War, and after the Emancipation, continued to work for the pottery, as David Drake, his new surname taken from one of his past masters. While that doesnt seem like very much information, Dave was one of 76 known enslaved African or African Americans who worked in the Edgefield District. We know far more about Dave the Potter than we do for the others who worked in the ceramic workshops of the Landrums, because he signed and dated some of his ceramics, sometimes incising poetry, proverbs and dedications into the clay surfaces. Writing and Pottery Potters typically use makers marks to identify the potter, the pottery, the prospective owner, or manufacturing details: Dave added quatrains from the bible or his own eccentric poetry. One of the earliest of the poems attributed to Dave is from 1836, a large jar made for the Pottersville foundry, on which he wrote horses, mules and hogs / all our cows is in the bogs / there they shall ever stay / till the buzzards take them away. Burrison (2012) has interpreted this poem to refer to Daves owners selling of several of his co-workers to Louisiana. Chaney (2011) has connected decorative and symbolic markings on slave-produced forms of colonoware to some marks made by Dave. Whether Daves poetry was intended as subversive, humorous or insightful is open to question: probably all three. See Koverman 2005 for a compiled list of all Daves known poems. Style and Form Dave specialized in large storage jars with horizontal slab handles, used for large-scale plantation food preservation, and his pots are among the largest made during the period. In Edgefield, only Dave and Thomas Chandler made pots with such a large capacity. Some hold up to 40 gallons: and they were in high demand. Daves pots, like those of most of the Edgefield potters, were alkaline stonewares, but Daves had a rich streaky brown and green glaze, idiosyncratic to the potter. His inscriptions are the only ones known from American potters at the time, at Edgefield or away from it. Interpretations A considerable amount of scholarship on Daves inscriptions has been amassed over the past couple of decades. Chaney (2011) discusses the politically mute but commercially hypervisible status of Daves writings, and focuses his attention on the poetic inscriptions, the somewhat subversive elements in Daves writing. DeGrofts 1988 article describes the protest contexts of Daves inscriptions; and Burrison (2012) discusses the topics of Daves poetry, as part of a broader discussion of the Edgefield potteries. Perhaps the most focused research into Daves ceramics is by Koverman (2005, 2007, 2009), who, as part of her extensive work on Edgefield pottery works has cataloged and photographed well over 100 vessels marked by Dave or attributed to him. Kovermans nuanced discussion includes Daves artistic influences and training. Sources Burrison JA. 2012. South Carolinas Edgefield district: An early international crossroads of clay. American Studies Journal 56. Chaney MA. 2011. The Concatenate Poetics of Slavery and the Articulate Material of Dave the Potter. African American Review 44(4):607-618. De Groft A. 1998. Eloquent Vessels/Poetics of Power: The Heroic Stoneware of Dave the Potter. Winterthur Portfolio 33(4):249-260. Koverman JB. 2005. The Ceramic Works of David Drake, aka, Dave the Potter or Dave the Slave of Edgefield, South Carolina. American Ceramic Circle Journal 13:83. Koverman JB. 2007. Communities of Heritage: Southern contributions. In: Potter C, editor. Craft in America: Celebrating Two Centuries of Artists and Objects: Random House. p 120-140. Koverman JB. 2009. Clay Connections: A Thousand-Mile Journey from South Carolina to Texas. American Material Culture and the Texas Experience: The David B Warren Symposium. Houston: Museum of Fine Arts. p 118-145.

Energy Resource Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Energy Resource Plan - Essay Example This fact makes public discourse on the subject all the more important. As a rule, renewable energy sources have many advantages over non-renewable ones. For example, a very widely used energy resources is petroleum. Given the scarcity of this resource, not only is it economically unviable in the long term, but highly malefic to environmental health. The carbon monoxide emissions from automobiles that run on refined petroleum pose serious health consequents to life on earth. On the other hand, tapping energy inherent in natural phenomena is a more prudent way of energy consumption. For example, hydro-electric power generation, wind-mill based energy creation, energy derived from bio-mass, etc. are not only less harsh on the environment, but are sustainable in the long term too. There are many ways in which each of us can help conserve energy. A simple example would be car-pooling and using public transportation for most commuting purposes. This would cut down on the amount of energy consumed by the community. Secondly, significant reduction in energy consumption could be achieved by adopting scientific approaches to building houses, especially in regard to heating and cooling systems. Also, all energy run appliances in the house like the air-conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, etc., can all be made more energy efficient by applying a few basic conservation principles. In light of growing concerns regarding depletion of energy resources and their negative impact on environment and health, the government’s role has become a very important one. Unless strict regulations are imposed on industries and other commercial enterprises, this trend cannot be stopped let alone reversed. Governments can set up dedicated agencies to study industry trends so that regulations can be imposed at an early stage. Government can fund independent/industry research units to come

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Business Ethics - Essay Example The manager in charge of the project, John Fisher was accused of paying somebody to buy the frozen drinks worth 10000 dollars to help in convincing the Burger king to become a pioneer in frozen Coke promotion that would take place nationally the following year (Lovell, 2012). From this case study, several stakeholders are involved in the malpractice. There is the Burger king franchise that was the organ to help in the testing as a business partner. From their point of view, they felt cheated and moved to court to seek compensation for the loss and expenses incurred. They also were angered that a partnering company used their reputed business name in a malpractice in business. The other stakeholder was the customer that was taking the frozen coke. The customer in this scenario was neither aware of the malpractice nor harmed by the malpractice. The customer however was betrayed by the fact that the biggest beverage company could afford to generate false results to promote a new brand. Though the research was not done to evaluate the drop in the customer loyalty of Coca-Cola then, this angered the customer and made the customer question the trust of other famous products of Coca-Cola (Laufer and Coombs, 2006). The other main stakeholder was Coca-Cola itself. Given the reputation of the company, it was hard for the company to explain the malpractice as well as the firing of employees who attempted to blow the whistle on the company. From the employees’ perspective, the question of ethics in this scenario is whether to quit or to blow the whistle. For the employee, Matthew Whitley, who blew the whistle the dilemma was in either choosing his job or his integrity. In the end when he chose his integrity, he and other employees lost their job. The management of the company had a decision to either preserve their name and fire the then manager, John Fisher or retain the manager and deny the claims of malpractice. In

Ray's Cleaning Services Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Ray's Cleaning Services - Research Paper Example This is a major planning strategy that will ensure the company meets its objectives. In our efforts to ensure all the employees have the necessary academic qualifications and skills, Ray’s Cleaning Services will undertake personal profile, discussion with former employers and job observation as the major evaluation techniques. Another notable strategy that Ray’s Cleaning Services will emulate is financial planning. This will entail initiating a competitive payment plan that will improve the performance of our employees. In its recruitment program, Ray’s Cleaning Services will undertake internal as well as external hiring. Additionally, the business is considering cultural diversity of its workers as a way of enhancing positive relationship among the employees. An online account is another strategy that the company will employ to ensure constant communication with the applicants. Major employment documents that will be retained by the company include Form W-4, For m 1-9 and Specific employee’s records. To ensure that our business complies with government regulations, Ray’s Cleaning Services will emulate key laws that include business license, letter of registration, collective labor laws, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Environment rules and individual labor laws. It its efforts to improve the performance of workforce, Ray’s Cleaning Services will offer a number of benefits that includes annual training programs, life insurance cover, accidents cover, part-time courses in local universities, annual bonus, gifts and promotion among others. The challenges facing local and international companies has called for effective planning including hiring qualified and skilled manpower in order to ensure continuity in the production process. One of the major causes of increased rate of turnover is reduced level of motivation due to low salaries and lack of appropriate benefit plan. Additionally,

A Conversation Analysis from the film Babel Essay

A Conversation Analysis from the film Babel - Essay Example A film has a series of short stories that do not have conclusive endings. It is important to note that a convenient plot holds the shots in different places together. The intriguing plot of the movie depicts a series of much-unconnected stories of different persons and societies all over the world. In this film, communication and lack of it form the basis for my research on conversation analysis. In the movie, an American female tourist is mysteriously shot and wounded while on tour in the desert of Morocco. The two tourists, Richard and Susan argue bitterly following lose of their beloved son. Ironically, the shooter remains a puzzle and sets the impetus for a series of short stories that in the end make the plot of the whole film. This touches on the aspects of how different world languages, different societies, and cultures vary. In the film, different languages are spoken by different characters altogether. While her husband is trying to save her in the middle of a desert, their nanny in Mexico takes the couple’s children to a wedding. In another part of the movie, a 16 year-old adolescent girl, who also happens to be deaf looks for somebody to break her virginity. She does this in her quest to be understood the way she wants. The unending communication barriers brought about by different linguistic backgrounds is a theme of great relevance to conversation analysis.... Sacks et al defines turn taking as one party talking at a time. There is a minimization of gaps and silences too that enhance the feature of turn taking. He continues to argue that there is formulated system that makes these two techniques possible. In this case, one party speaks independently at a time hence minimizing the gaps and silences. Sacks et al. continues to state that a turn-construction unit (TCU) is the basic unit of a turn. (Brown, 2007, p. 224) argues that oral language and discourse is marked by exchanges. In this case, few sentences spoken by one participant are followed and built upon by sentences spoken by another. Whenever turn-constructional unit unfolds, a possible completion point is achieved. The possible completion point is considered as the transition point for any speaker. The waiter utilizes turn-constructional unit in the conversation below. 01 A waiter brings a plate and some cutlery 02 Waiter: (In broken English)) ^You want to order? --- Sentential TCU In line 02 above, the waiter in the restaurant initializes the conversation by asking a question. The arrow and the question mark indicate this. These two symbols tell us that in order for the conversation to move to the next level, an appropriate response must be given. In spite of talking probably in broken English, both Richard and Susan are able to get the conversation going by appropriately answering to his initial question. The sentential TCU provides the transition point for the next prudent conversation. 03. (0.9) 04 Richard: A:: yah’ll have thee um::chicken Co::usco::us (0.1)>and a 05Cokedoesn’t have fat in it

Ethics and Morals in Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics and Morals in Criminal Justice - Essay Example ince their inception, these laws have inordinately targeted particular segments of our society, creating a perpetual underclass and left millions of people unable to escape from the criminal justice system. Not only is continuing these kinds of policies politically and economically unsustainable, these laws are ethically shameful. Legalizing and decriminalizing addictive substances, but controlling their distribution as the government does with many other goods, represents the moral and necessary solution to a problem that has persisted through a half of a century. However, inherent to the question of change-from comes the question of change-to; that is, if we are to repeal the War on Drugs and restrictive policies, what is the best solution moving forward? After looking at the kind of economic and normative imperatives we face from our drug policies, the kinds of solutions available in the aftermath of decriminalization shall be made apparent using case studies of other nations who have enjoyed success moving in this progressive direction. Although drug policies are well-intentioned, they do have harmful unintended social and moral consequences. For instance, looking at the economics of addiction, government regulation of addictive substances has large-scale and adverse consequences. The substitution and set-point effects of drugs harm a larger number in the preregulation population (Gifford Jr., 1999). Some authors have found a direct correlation between the Drug War and homicide rates in certain populations. These same studies conclude that empirical results indicate drug-control policy is far more expensive and less prohibitive than expenditures made by the criminal justice system. That is, decriminalization of controlled substances is the only financially stable option (Brumm & Cloninger, 1995). In addition to being a massive liability for the Federal government both militarily and with civilian law enforcement, the War on Drugs is the social costs on

Anthropology Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Anthropology Final - Essay Example It aims at creating a concrete feeling of enjoyment for an audience, most commonly manifested in a physical display consisting of displays of pleasure including smiles and laughter.† 1 Another definition of humour, â€Å"is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement† 2 Not all people are talented enough to be humorous. Someone needs to be creative and imaginative. In this case, there is what we call â€Å"humour formula† Root components of humour are being reflective of or imitative of reality and surprise/misdirection, contradiction/paradox, ambiguity. Therefore, methods to create humour include hyperbole, metaphor, farce, reframing and timing. 3 Our society has evolved in different angles. We have learned from our parents, siblings and friends knowing which laughable jokes are and which are not. Sometimes when people are stressed from their work, when they laugh at jokes, it gives them a relaxing feeling, releasing stress. It is therefore healthy to laugh at jokes. But that is not the focus of my paper. I just want to make this paper an informative material to others who may be reading this in the future. I laughed and I learned humour. In our subject Anthropology 2040-1, I thought we will just study how to create jokes and learn the tricks of being a stand-up comedian. It was more of a deep understanding about the origins of humour and how Jewish people are important in the anthropological study of humour. But why did our forefathers like Plato, Socrates and others became curious about the elements of Humour. Who doesn’t want to hear jokes? Of course everyone does. But sometimes people became abusive of their sense of humour. Having a sense of humour is a great talent. It means that you can make everyone laugh, and sometimes people make money for this ability. In some television shows, competition is always present. So, instead of naming the person or show, they use jokes against thei r competitors. Especially if one T.V. show claimed they are number 1 in the ratings, others react and use other means to prove to people they are number 1 too. Humour is sometimes used by people who think they are more superior to the others. Like in schools, the usual scenes are some rich kids prank over poor kids, good looking students prank on not so good looking students. But how far is too far when it comes to humour? Honestly, we are influenced by our society when it comes to humour verbals and visuals. We selectively and consciously laugh at areas we found defects or we found out of the ordinary. Anything that is not perfect in our subconscious is not ordinary and therefore we can say, we laugh about it sometimes because it is not how we expect it should appear. According to Ted Cohen, when a joke involves logic running wild, the joke will present an absurdity – an absurdity in itself or an absurd response to a normal overture or a kind of doubling of absurdity. 4 Reli gious humour is by far the most controversial part of our modern society. Most of the readings about this concept points towards Jewish people. But before we go to Jewish people, let’s first understand why religion entails humour by defining religious

Ethics and Morals in Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics and Morals in Criminal Justice - Essay Example ince their inception, these laws have inordinately targeted particular segments of our society, creating a perpetual underclass and left millions of people unable to escape from the criminal justice system. Not only is continuing these kinds of policies politically and economically unsustainable, these laws are ethically shameful. Legalizing and decriminalizing addictive substances, but controlling their distribution as the government does with many other goods, represents the moral and necessary solution to a problem that has persisted through a half of a century. However, inherent to the question of change-from comes the question of change-to; that is, if we are to repeal the War on Drugs and restrictive policies, what is the best solution moving forward? After looking at the kind of economic and normative imperatives we face from our drug policies, the kinds of solutions available in the aftermath of decriminalization shall be made apparent using case studies of other nations who have enjoyed success moving in this progressive direction. Although drug policies are well-intentioned, they do have harmful unintended social and moral consequences. For instance, looking at the economics of addiction, government regulation of addictive substances has large-scale and adverse consequences. The substitution and set-point effects of drugs harm a larger number in the preregulation population (Gifford Jr., 1999). Some authors have found a direct correlation between the Drug War and homicide rates in certain populations. These same studies conclude that empirical results indicate drug-control policy is far more expensive and less prohibitive than expenditures made by the criminal justice system. That is, decriminalization of controlled substances is the only financially stable option (Brumm & Cloninger, 1995). In addition to being a massive liability for the Federal government both militarily and with civilian law enforcement, the War on Drugs is the social costs on

Declining Economic and Military Power Essay Example for Free

Declining Economic and Military Power Essay As the United States prepared to enter the twenty-first century, it could reflect upon the fact that the twentieth century was truly the American century, even with its declining economic hegemony and resulting lose of military hegemony. The U. S. entry into World War I tilted the balance against the triple alliance. It was the U. S. forces that played the major part in the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II . It was the U. S.men and material that contained Soviet Communist expansion until it self-destructed. Even though its military power was unrivaled, the United States had to confront the re-emergence of traditional isolationism at home, the creation of shifting coalitions around the world, and most importantly, its declining economic power in the world. In the 1940s and the 1950s, the United States was extraordinarily competitive in the world market . Virtually anything it produced, it could sell. Although partly the aftermath of World War II, which had destroyed most of America’s industrial competitors, this situation also reflected an American monopoly in high-technology industries and American productivity in lower-technology ones. The United States had a handsome surplus in its international balance of trade, and this surplus could in turn finance large-scale expenditures on U. S. military forces to be deployed overseas in the territories of America’s allies, including West Germany, Britain, Italy and Japan. A productive and competitive economy with high employment also provided a healthy base for federal taxation and spending. In such a happy condition, the United States could maintain a vast system of military alliances and spend 10 percent of its GNP on defense. In the slogan of the Eisenhower administration , the former was underwritten by the latter. Then all this started to change with seeming suddenness. Japan appeared to surge forward at incredible speed. Through the 1970s it’s rising indices of industrial production seemed to propel it above the industrial levels of the United Kingdom, the European Community, the Untied States. As the Soviet Union faltered and then collapsed, Japan and subsequently also West Germany increasingly became the symbols of so-called young economies, in which â€Å"organized capitalism† could achieve miracles which old capitalism could no longer deliver. The inventory of China and Japan’s successes was stressed frequently . Its rapid pace of economic growth, its systematic allocation of vast resources to gross fixed capital formation, its obvious progress in high-tech consumer-oriented production, and its impressive penetration of the global markets all received their due. In contrast, the United States was increasingly depicted as an aging, stumbling giant, losing its preeminence and its leading abilities. From the mid 1970s on, a vast literature asserted with much conviction that the United States was â€Å"deindustrializing,† losing the battle of high tech and unduly shifting its labor force toward services while complacently accommodating itself to falling productivity, low rates of saving, low rates of capital formation, failure in export markets, incessant trade deficits, and growing international indebtedness . If we simply add together economic and military power there is little doubt that the United States remains the hegemon. But it is important to recognize that military hegemon is dependent on economic hegemony, because the military is wildly expensive. Declining economic hegemony creates pressure to cut back on military expenditures. This pressure has been temporarily relieved because of the recent economic growth and the new revenues available to the U. S. federal state. However, it is doubtful that this trend of relatively greater economic growth will continue. Indeed, a collapse of the stock bubble could lead to a U. S. economic crisis that would force a major restructuring of its military capabilities and increase the pressure for other core states to take up the slack. Whether this happens quickly or slowly, predictions show that U. S. economic hegemony will continue to decline, and its military hegemony will follow. This will lead to a new period in which economic power and military power come once again to be recalibrated in a system of more equally powerful and competing core states. This current situation is almost similar in most structural respects to that at the end of the nineteenth century. Declining Britain was still advocating free trade, while the other core states and upwardly mobile semi-peripheries were shifting back to economic nationalism and protectionism. By arguing whether or not this happens in the next few years and to what could prevent another cycle of war over world leadership in the last chapter, a new window of vulnerability to warfare among core states will arrive. The institutional structures of global collective security will again be tested. It is in all humanity’s interest that these institutions be strong enough to prevent another war among core states. With the termination of the Soviet Union and the Soviet Empire in the early 1990s, it became clear that there were no large specific military threats facing the United States . As General Colin Powell, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) from 1898 to 1993, noted in early 1992, the real threat we (the United States) now face is the threat of the unknown, the uncertain. Moreover, despite reductions in its defense capabilities from their Cold War levels, the United States was still far superior militarily to any nation or likely combination of nations in the world. The challenge for the United States was to maintain the sufficient order in the international system so that it could pursue its economic interests. At the end of the Cold War, the United States became one of the largest importer and exporter . Its economic well-being was consequently almost totally dependent upon the absence of chaos in the international arena. Since no one nation posed a specific military threat to the United States like the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the Pentagon was compelled to develop illustrative situations or scenarios in which American interests could be sufficiently jeopardized so that military force would have to be used. Before, there were also seven scenarios created in order to illustrate possibilities of a withdrawal of an attack on Iraqi or a battle plan on Baghdad . In early 1992, the Pentagon developed seven more scenarios with regards to the countries that could launch an attack against them. The first scenario is a repeat of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. This scenario assumes that sometime in the mid 1990s, the world’s support for the embargo against Iraq slackens, the regime in Iraq rebuilds its military to 1990 levels, and launches a blitzkrieg attack southward. Unlike August 1990, the Iraqis do not stop at the Saudi border, but move into northeastern Saudi Arabia and take control of its oil fields and major export terminals before the United States and its coalition forces can respond. The second illustrative scenario involves an all-out attack on South Korea by some 300,000 North Koreans. To help the South Korean forces counter this invasion, the United States would deploy five combat divisions to augment South Korea’s 800,000-man army. In addition, this nation would send five aircraft carrier battle groups, two Marine expeditionary forces and 20 land-based air squadrons. This force of about 250,000 Americans and 1 million South Koreans would take about three months to prevail against the forces of Kim II Sung. The third scenario is a combination of the first two. It assumes that the Iraqi and North Korean invasions occur simultaneously and that the United States has to fight a two-front war with over 500,000 people, some 5,000 miles apart. The fourth scenario involves an invasion of the Baltics by an expansionist, authoritarian government in Russia . The Pentagon postulates that 18 Russian and six Belarusian divisions would attack along the Lithuanian-Polish border to â€Å"protect Russian minorities† living in the Baltics. To respond to this situation, the U. S. would deploy seven combat divisions, 49 land-based air squadrons, six aircraft battle groups, and a Marine expeditionary force. Augmented by an additional 11 ground-divisions and 17 tactical fighter squadrons from NATO, Western forces would prevail in three months. The fifth and sixth scenarios involve one-wee invasions of the Philippines and Panama. The invasion of the Philippines by Marine amphibious forces and army paratroopers is made necessary by the chaos that results from a failed coup and endangers some 5,000 Americans in Manila. The Panamanian invasion of airborne and amphibious troops follows from an attempt by rightwing elements close the Panama Canal. The final scenario is based on the possibility that in the next century a resurgent Russia or an emerging superpower adapts an adversarial military strategy and capability to threaten U. S. interests around the world. The U. S. response would be to reconstitute its Cold War military force and its alliance strategy. The first and second scenarios were also the focus of the Clinton Administration’s Bottom-Up Review, published in September 1993. Despite all these scenarios and the decline in both economic and military hegemony, the United States can still be considered to be on top of its league. In addition to this, the end of the Cold War resulted to the shifting of budget due to the cutting or decrease of military budget . Despite the decrease in the economy of the United States and the rapid growth of its competitors such as China, still, the GDP of United States is greater . As such, just like a spring, it can be said that United States is merely pulling itself back in order to spring further beyond the others. References Switzerland (10/07). (October 2007). Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3431. htm Bay, A.(July 18, 2007). Iraqi Withdrawal: Seven Scenarios [Electronic Version]. Strategy Page. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www. strategypage. com/on_point/200771813240. aspx Binnendijk, H. , Simon, J. (December 1995). Baltic Security and NATO Enlargment. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www. ndu. edu/inss/Strforum/SF_57/forum57. html Calleo, D. (2005). Hegemony and Decline: Reflections on Recent American Experience. March 9, 2008, from http://www. sens-public. org/spip. php? page=imprimersansid_article=138 Ching, P. -y. (December 9, 2006). American Imperialism and its Domination Over Asia. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www. aprnet. org/ Corn, D. , Perry, M. (April 3, 2003). The Battle Plan for Baghdad? Washington Post. Huntington, S. P. (Winter 1988/89). The U. S. Decline or Renewal? Foreign Affairs. Pianta, M. (1988). New Technologies Across the Atlantic. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www. unu. edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu38ne/uu38ne00. htm#Contents Shaplen, J. T. , Laney, J. (December 2007). The Decline of U. S. Power in Northeast Asia [Electronic Version]. Washingtons Eastern Sunset. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www. foreignaffairs. org/20071101faessay86606/jason-t-shaplen-james-laney/washington-s-eastern-sunset. html Spring, B. (June 2, 1998). House Resolution Tells President: Defend All Americans from Missile Attack. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www. heritage. org/Research/MissileDefense/EM530. cfm Taylor, C. W. (1993). Alternative World Scenarios for a New Order of Nations: DIANE Publishing. Woolley, J. T. , Peters, G. The American Presidency Project. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www. presidency. ucsb. edu/ws/index. php? pid=10120.

Business Strategy And Planning Of Costcutter

Business Strategy And Planning Of Costcutter The corner shop or convenience store, as it is sometimes labelled, has been a feature of retail life in cities and towns from Roman times, if not earlier. To be sure, the Romans articulated the role of the convenience store in everyday life, developed its corporate identity and regarded it as an enterprise that operates optimally within the range of footfall. The Roman streetscape was littered with these stores, most engaging prominent positions, some even corner positions, but all dominating the facades of the masonry buildings they occupied. A characteristic of the Roman convenience store was its integration into the local market, sourcing locally grown farm produce, supplying locally refined products and distributing this merchandise at a local level. With the passage of time, the convenience store began to infiltrate the New World, and remained a characteristic feature of retail life in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States, until well after the Second World War. But from the 1960s, as the economies of the industrialised world entered a rapid phase of expansion, the supermarkets emerged as the dominant players in the retail grocery sector. Yet, the convenience store managed to survive as a viable economic entity. Nowadays, even supermarket giants such as Tesco and Sainsburys here in the United Kingdom, have begun to penetrate the lower echelons of the retail grocery sector with their own version of the corner shop. Using this concept as a launch pad, Tesco has already made inroads in the United States, though with varying degrees of success. Moreover, Tesco harbours further ambitions to establish its convenience scale outlets in such emerging economies as South Korea. On the face of it, very little appears to have changed over the millennia since the Romans devised the concept of the convenience store. Neighbourhood stores, if they form part of a larger national chain, are still obsessed with such issues as corporate image and identity, not to mention their strategic role in the local market.1 What has changed, however, is the largely oligopolistic nature of the retail grocery sector. By 2010, the major participants in this sector Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons controlled 65.4 per cent of a grocery market valued by industry analysts at a staggering  £118.2 billion2. Given the strongly oligopolistic character of this market, it is hardly surprising to observe that these key players have developed planning strategies that virtually anticipate their competitors next move. In other words, their behaviour is very much retaliatory! There is evidence, too, to suggest that this behaviour is being emulated in the convenience store segment of the market, where the hallmarks of oligopolistic competition are just starting to appear3. COSTCUTTER Costcutter is one of the United Kingdoms leading convenience store chains. Although the majority of the stores trading under its banner are based here, Costcutter also operates outlets in Northern Ireland and Poland. As a typical grocery retailer, Costcutter stocks a comprehensive range of groceries, alcoholic products, tobacco and confectionery. However, Costcutter operates two distinct retail store models : (a) the directly owned outlet; and (b) the independently owned franchised outlet. Both models benefit from economies of scale, so that as the organization grows, so too, does its purchasing power. Yet, those outlets that are independently owned tend to operate along the lines of a retailers cooperative. Costcutter has developed a high profile corporate image, which is bolstered by its own range of branded products. Groceries bearing the company brand name are often shelved alongside those of Nisa Today Costcutters warehousing and distribution affiliate. The companys headquarters are based in Yorkshire. As of December 2006, ownership of Costcutter is vested in James A Barry Co.4 COMPANY HISTORY Costcutter was founded in 1986 by Colin Graves, a former sales employee of the SPAR grocery group. In the short space of just 12 months, Graves set up seven stores in Yorkshire. By 1991, Costcutter had opened its first outlets in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In 1992, the company established a grocery distribution centre in Barnsley. It was then keen to develop its corporate image and identity. By the mid-1990s, Costcutter operated some 500 outlets throughout the United Kingdom, the majority of them franchise-owned. In 2004, Costcutter merged 50 of its outlets with the MURCO fuel distribution group. Thereafter, the Costcutter convenience store found its way onto the forecourts of an increasing number of MURCO petrol filling stations. In addition to their grocery lines, these stores stock car care products and accessories. Exponential growth followed. By 2007, largely driven by a successful franchise recruitment campaign, the total number of outlets under its corporate banner, grew to 1500. Sales turnover exceeded  £600m in 2010, making the company one of the most significant players in the grocery retail sector. For all that, Costcutter is not unlike the other key players in the convenience store market. Costcutter stores occupy prominent high street positions with a typical catchment area covering a radius of a quarter mile. The company continues to enjoy solid growth, though recently its development strategy increasingly promotes direct ownership of outlets. At present, more than 1200 stores in the chain are independently owned by franchisees.5 Business models, concepts and tools in business strategy and planning of costcutter At an early stage in its corporate history, Costcutter put growth at the centre of its retail development strategy. Indeed, the company conducts an aggressive retail recruitment drive to enlist new franchise owners. Ideally, the company seeks existing operations which engage high footfall volumes and occupy floor space of between 1,000 to 1,500 square feet. By contrast, the typical Sainsburys Local or Tesco Express occupies a floor space of between 2,000 to 6,000 square feet. Costcutter does not regard the absence of car parking as an issue. There are a number of advantages which Costcutter offers its franchise owners: an association with a well-established high profile retailer continuous retail training and technical support generous profit margins a loyalty scheme which rewards franchise owners for centralised purchasing improved credit terms both within the group and externally the cost benefits of group purchasing power fast and cost-effective Epos accounting and inventory control an efficient and reliable supply chain cycle a robust business development strategy deploying the services of a range manager to maximise profits and sales turnover extensive national, local and in store advertising6 As an adjunct to this, each franchised outlet is indelibly stamped with the Costcutter corporate identity. All newly franchised premises are refurbished to the Costcutter specification, though refits are tailored to a range of budgets. The process of nurturing company image is achieved through: a conspicuous company logo which largely resembles a banner distinctive company fascia advertising the use of a thematic colour palette to harmonise the in-store ambience the use of a standardised in-store lighting format in-store radio providing a continuous voice for product promotion the shelving of Costcutter branded products extensive advertising The cost of a Costcutter franchise is between  £70,000 to  £100,000. Annual management fees amount to  £1880. Projected first year net profit for a typical outlet is in the region of  £100,000.7 THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY At the heart of Costcutters retail development strategy is growth itself. It improves market share and even allows new products to be sold. Above all, growth promotes economies of scale. Such economies are reflected in the companys burgeoning purchasing power and presence in the wholesale distribution markets. From its inception, Costcutter has enjoyed continuous year-on-year growth, despite predatory competition from the huge multiples. Growth has been achieved through: the setting of annual expansion targets a vigorous franchise recruitment program, as noted above the defection of other franchisees from the ranks of competitors notably, from the SPAR group the direct acquisition of small groceries the purchase of other outlets under administration8 Continuous expansion of the Costcutter chain remains a development priority. Not surprisingly, Costcutter has devised an ambitious overseas expansion drive, which at present has targeted such emerging powerhouse economies as India and Pakistan. But such proposed international development is to be accompanied by further consolidation of its core business in the United Kingdom.9 In recent years, Costcutter established a close relationship with Nisa Today, the leading independent wholesale distributor of groceries throughout the UK. Critical to the companys development is the vertical integration of wholesale grocery distribution. Costcutters affiliation with Nisa Today partly achieves this objective. But in 2007, the Bibby Line group, a direct competitor to Nisa Today, acquired a 51% shareholding in Costcutter. In the event, Nisa Today has retaliated by establishing its own retail outlets.10 Despite this, the growth strategy of Costcutter remains the same. That approach incorporates a number of other marketing facets: the development of new lines, especially fresh, locally sourced products promotion of the concept of value for money a narrowing of the cost profile between its outlets and those of the huge multiples promotion of the concept that Costcutter can deliver quality food as needed, thereby avoiding the arduous weekly shopping event an increasing investment in technology, especially as its relates to online marketing the promulgation of a company ethos, culture and set of values, as noted below11 Appraise processes of Costcutter to identify their goals and values THE COSTCUTTER ETHOS Not unlike Tesco, Costcutter espouses a human relations approach that values its customers and staff. The company prides itself in the marketing of fresh, quality products. But unlike Tesco employees and management, Costcutters staff are versatile individuals, well versed in product knowledge across its full range. In addition, all staff together with franchise owners, benefit from continuous retail training. All franchise owners undergo a rigorous induction course. Furthermore, the company has established its own academy to equip store managers and their staff with cutting edge retail techniques. The development of customer loyalty through harmonious relations and rapport is central to the company ethos.12 ANALYSIS OF THE COSTCUTTER GROUP Central to the development strategy of the Costcutter group is its continuing growth. Using the convenience store model it has developed for the UK market, Costcutter is poised to make significant inroads into the emerging markets of Asia. But it is here in the United Kingdom, that Costcutter has reached a mature stage in its evolution. At the top end of the grocery retail sector, leviathans such as Tesco and Asda compete for market share, in what is overwhelmingly an oligopolistic market. Retaliatory marketing techniques are a conspicuous feature of such markets, as these companies clearly demonstrate. Yet, as companies like Costcutter continue to expand, even the bottom end of the retail grocery sector is beginning to display oligopolistic behaviour. Second guessing the competitors next move is par for the course. Nevertheless, Costcutter seems well positioned to fare better than most of its competitors, as it signs up an increasing number of franchisees, attracted by its generous profit margins and reduced overheads. 4.0 CONCLUSION The convenience store has endured as a potent force in the retail grocery sector, despite increasing competition from the huge multiples, such as Tesco and Sainsburys. Indeed, the blue print for the convenience store has largely remained the same since the Romans articulated its role in everyday life. Costcutter remains a robust example of the convenience store concept. The floor space of the typical Costcutter outlet is less than one quarter that of its major rivals notably, Sainsburys Local and Tesco Express. In this way, the typical Costcutter outlet manages to reduce its overhead costs, and at the same time, benefit from the substantial purchasing power of the Costcutter group itself. As a convenience store chain, Costcutter lacks the bureaucratic structure of the huge multiples. Instead, it fosters a more flexible and independent approach to its management. Such flexibility enables its local outlets to purchase outside the central distribution arm of the organization. In recent times, this has allowed the company to stock more local fresh produce. Thus, Costcutter can be perceived as a highly evolved and adaptable form of enterprise, and one which is not just sensitive to the tastes and preferences of the local market, but in some instances, equally sensitive to its ethnic composition.

Educational History and Background Essay -- Personal Narratives Educat

Educational History and Background I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I learned everything I needed to know there. Everything that has to do with life that is. I started my education there and I will continue it where ever I go. My educational background was just as normal and fun like any other kids. But I was the unique child that made my education different and more enjoyable. My learning process has five processes: elementary, middle, high school, college, and the future. Elementary school started out as a bore but moved on to eventually being fun and enjoyable. I grew to love school and learning during my fourth and fifth grade years at Zia elementary school. My teacher taught me the value of history and American History through books and putting on plays. I became very close to her and she actually treated me as a person instead of a child. I matured a lot during those last two years of elementary school. I was sad to be leaving it all behind once graduation rolled around. Middle school came to fast. I was not prepared for what was in store for me. I still succeeded and did very well. I always made good grades, I stayed out of trouble, and I was well liked by all. I had a lot of friends and made some new ones along the way. But once again the only teacher that made an impression on me was my history teacher. History was the only subject I truly enjoyed. She made history fun and worth learning. I enjoyed the projects we were able to do. I had only one bad experience with a teacher during middle school and to this day I hate her and will never forgive her. This teacher picked on me, made fun of me, and embarrassed me constantly in front of the class. I guess you could say middle school was probably my biggest lear... ...ure leads me. The next step will be a career. Once I feel like I am ready to enter this world I will leave school behind and find a career, a career that will satisfy me and all that I can do. I will create a happy future with a house, husband, children, and the wealth that I will receive from being educated. But of course my education will keep growing as I keep growing. My education started in Albuquerque and will finish with the day I die where ever that might be. I figured out a long time ago the value of a good education and what it means to my future. I have grown mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually over the past years and I plan to keep growing. I now know who I am, what I can do, and everything that I can become. My future is being created and my education is growing. I am excited with where I am going and proud of where I have been.