Postmodern Literature Essay

â€Å"The Garden of Forking Paths,† by taking the form of a signed statement made by the main character of the story, Dr. Yu Tsun, has a specific instance that reverts back to the past which is the technique of flashback in postmodern literature. That precise instance is when Dr. Tsun reflects on his great ancestor, Ts’ui Pen, and recalls the life of the man. More importantly, the story itself is already a flashback by virtue of its form, a signed statement, which implies that reading the ‘signed statement’ of Dr. Tsun is already a way of flashing back to his life before his death. Apparently, the flashback scene where Dr. Tsun recalls his memory of his great ancestor also indicates a ‘flashback’ within the main ‘flashback,’ which all the more signifies the postmodern character of the short story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chinua Achebe’s â€Å"Things Fall Apart† is also a literary work with a postmodern characteristic. This can be observed from the way in which Achebe preferred not to ‘romanticize’ the story of the Nigerians by portraying the history of the Ibo tribe as flourishing while ending when the colonizers came, and is contrasted by the ‘self-destruction’ of the story’s main character, Okokwo. In sum, the downfall of the Ibo tribe has also been brought about by the self-destruction of the society’s hero aside from the harms done by the invading colonizers. Scott Momaday’s The Way to Rainy Mountain is also an example of postmodern literature because readers can hardly identify whether it is the author who is narrating his life experiences or the characters in the story who are revealing their journeys in the so-called Rainy Mountain. Thus, readers may tend to interpret Momaday’s work as a combination of the stories of his life and his people, or readers may tend to interpret the same work as the story of the characters from the eyes of the author or the story of the author from the eyes of the characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, both Primo Levi’s â€Å"Two Flags† and â€Å"Survival in Auschwitz† indicate the blurring of the character and the elements of the story. For instance, the character in â€Å"Two Flags† mentions an â€Å"umpire† in a soccer game when in fact there is no umpire in a soccer game but a referee. Quite oddly, Levi also reveals how the main character in the story died upon seeing the two flags of the nations he loved and hated respectively swaying side-by-side. On the other hand, â€Å"Survival in Auschwitz† has a climax in the opening parts of the story which tells us that the story departs from the conventional placement of the climax in stories. These elements are just some of the notable examples as to why both â€Å"Two Flags† and â€Å"Survival in Auschwitz† are also postmodern works in literature. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Anchor, 1994. Levi, Primo. Survival in Auschwitz. New York: Touchstone, 1996. Levi, Primo. â€Å"Two Flags.†Ã‚   The Longman Anthology of World Literature. Ed. David Damorsch. Vol. F. New York: Pearson, 2004. 406-08. Momaday, N. Scott. The Way to Rainy Mountain. New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, 1976.

Miles Davis Analysis – so What and Autumn Leaves

‘So What’ Miles Davis Solo Analysis Miles Davis’ solo is very minimalistic mainly using crotchet and quaver rhythms throughout with the occasional triplet or semiquaver grace note. For the A sections of the first chorus he bases phrases around the minor pentatonic scale. He develops his opening motif (bar 2 of A1) in bar 4-7 returning to the root (E) in between each ascending then descending phrase going up to the 7th (D) in the final variation of the motif.The phrase lengths are irregular; Davis generally uses shorter phrases in the E minor Sections taking a vertical approach to the improvisation then uses longer phrases in the contrasting F minor section where he takes a more horizontal approach. In A1 of the second chorus Davis’ explores the upper extensions of the chord (9, 11, and 13) and superimposes a D major triad on the E minor chord. In A2 he returns to the pentatonic style we see in the first chorus with the use of the blue note (Bb) giving the s ection a bluesy feel.In the B section he again emphasis the upper extensions this time superimposing an Eb major triad over the F minor chord. In bars 5-7 of this section he plays an F minor scale in thirds. He plays a run making use of the F# in order to lead back an E minor section. He continues to use upper extensions in the first half of the last A section before returning to the pentatonic to finish the solo. The phrases are generally longer in the second chorus. A noticeable rhythmic motif Davis uses throughout his solo is starting and ending phrases with a pair of quavers for example the first phrase of the solo in bars 2-3).His note choices span over one and a half octaves ranging from a concert D to Ab. Miles Davis tends to leave rests of up to a bar in between phrases during which the piano plays melodic fills. ‘Autumn Leaves’ Cannonball Adderley version – Davis’ solo analysis This Davis solo is more complex than the ‘So What’ solo d ue to the fast harmonic pace with a new chord each bar compared to So What which only uses two chords throughout the whole piece. Like ‘So What’ the majority of his phrases are crotchet/quaver based with occasional triplet run or semiquaver passing notes.Davis uses his opening phrase, an upbeat crotchet followed by another 3 crotchets, at the start of both choruses and continues to use the 3 crotchet pattern throughout the solo for example bar 7 of A2 in chorus 1. He also uses the pair of quavers starting or ending a phrase motif from ‘So What’ throughout this solo for example bar 7 of A1 chorus 1. From the start of this solo Davis’ makes use of the upper extensions starting on the 9th (E) of the D minor chord.He tends to start the majority of phrases on the 4th of the chord being played at the time and also emphasises the 6th at the end of some phrases (bar 7, A1 in chorus 1) using the F# over an A minor chord. In general phrases last for about 2 ba rs although the phrase lengths increase during the middle of the solo. One of the standout melodic phrases is the partly chromatic semiquaver/triplet run in bar 7, A1 in the second chorus followed by the repeated triplet pattern in the following bar. This phrase contrasts with the rest of the solo and adds variation and excitement whilst moving the solo forwards.Davis uses triplet scalic/chromatic runs in order to emphasise notes at the start of phrases for example, bar 8 of A1 in section 1 where the runs leads to the G which emphasises the use of the 11th over the D minor chord. Miles Davis also uses ghost notes in this solo (bar 6 of A2 chorus) in order to vary the dynamic levels and emphasise the surrounding notes. Overall the solo makes subtle references to the melody which gives some familiarity to the listener; Davis also achieves this by repeating rhythmic and melodic motifs.Similarly to ‘So What’ he leaves rests between the phrases where the piano fills and this solo has a similar range to ‘So What’ ranging from Concert D to A. The Potboiler by John D’Earth – Structure and use of instruments http://cti. itc. virginia. edu/%7Eskd9r/Jazz-elements/Potboiler. mp3 The head follows the 32-bar song form (AABA) and uses the rhythm changes chord progression. There are 6 choruses in total, in the first the head is established with the trumpet and tenor sax playing the melody in octaves for the A sections.In the B section they play in the same octave then harmonise in the last two bars. They return to playing in octaves for the A section. During the head the piano plays chords in syncopated rhythms and the drums use a basic swung rhythm with hits emphasising off beats notes in the melody. In choruses 2 and 3 (0. 50) the sax and trumpet do a traded solo, i. e. Sax for 8 bars, Trumpet for 8, Sax for 8, Trumpet for 8, Sax for 4, Trumpet for 4, Sax for 4, Trumpet for 4, Sax for 2, Trumpet for 2 etc.. or the 2 full choruses. The two soloists imitate melodic/rhythmic motifs the other player has used during the solo. During the solo the piano continues comping using the middle octaves of the piano. The drums continue to use the same swung rhythm with the occasional fill towards the end of phrases. The double bass is very subtle in the solos making it difficult to hear. In Chorus 4 (2. 29) the trumpet and sax fade out and the piano solos playing the melodic phrases in the right hand whilst comping in the left hands.The sax and trumpet play a repeated motif as a backing in the second and third A sections. In chorus 5 (3. 20) all the players trade fours with the drummers i. e. the sax plays for four bars with the rhythm section the drum solos for four bars. In this chorus the double bass is prominent as the piano and drums play at a lower volume during its solo. In chorus 6 (4. 05) we return to the head which is played the same as in chorus 1 and the piece ends with a held note by the horns and a cymbal roll on the drums.

Prose Commentary, Pat Barker Essay

The title of the book from which this excerpt is taken, â€Å"Regeneration,† highlights what I see as the main theme in this thought provoking prose piece. This piece of prose raises images for me of the moist dampness, humid soil, death and the prospect of life arising from the continuation of the cycle of life and death. These Images are shown in phrases such as the final sentence, which says, â€Å"Now they could dissolve into the earth as they were meant to.† This sentence is the one which stuck out most to me in the whole excerpt; I found it very powerful in that it brings out the theme of â€Å"regeneration† to the reader and it is a sentence which sticks in your mind. I can see this as an overall whole picture, where â€Å"Burns,† who I view as a returning soldier, perhaps from the Gulf War given the date, experiences, and successfully faces one of his terrible fears, picked up from the war, of bloody, dead â€Å"corpses,† and through this finds the prospect of soul peace before him. I also see that nature and the cycle of life as a big theme in this excerpt as it shows up in nearly every line. Words such as, â€Å"rain,† â€Å"mud,† â€Å"trees† and â€Å"wind† support this. The narrative structure of this excerpt is also important, because it is as if the story of â€Å"Burns† is being told by someone else and so it is likely not subject to the bias of the actual person’s account. In the first three paragraphs, rain and the wetness of the land is a large part of describing, setting the scene and the tone of the rest of the excerpt. The author creates a feeling about â€Å"Burns†, that he is somewhat stranded, for the writing states, â€Å"He didn’t know what to do† and â€Å"so long since he’d been anywhere alone.† As well as creating a â€Å"lost† feeling this sentence confirms the thoughts, though not directly, that â€Å"Burns† is a returning soldier. The use of the words, â€Å"Raindrops dripped† with the repeated â€Å"d† sound, creates the patter of large raindrops. â€Å"Persistent† and â€Å"monotonous† link up with each other to remind the reader of the continuity of the wetness. When â€Å"Burns† reaches a fence, he sees that, â€Å"A tuft of grey wool had caught on one of the barbs.† Perhaps an animal had once quite recently struggled to free itself from this discontinuity in nature as â€Å"Burns† does when he too gets caught on a barb just like an animal. The repetition of the â€Å"b† sound in â€Å"Burns blinked,† carries on the theme of the persistence of the rain. Throughout the whole of the third paragraph there is another repetition of the â€Å"b† sound, this time though it is used to bring out the sound of the thud and plodding of â€Å"Burns† in â€Å"his mud encumbered boots†. There is also a repetition of the â€Å"s† sound in words such as â€Å"slipping and stumbling† for exactly that, to create the sound of someone slipping in the wet mud. The writer also uses words such as â€Å"cold†, â€Å"khaki† and â€Å"tight cloth† to create a chilling stiff sou nd to make the reader feel the cold that â€Å"Burns† is experiencing. In the next two paragraphs, the author makes the wind and its severity, an impacting factor on â€Å"Burns'† progress toward the safety that he seeks. The wetness of the setting which surrounds â€Å"Burns† is also again a major influence in his quest. The tone of these two paragraphs is much more severe than the first three. The author says that the wind tries to â€Å"scrape† â€Å"Burns† â€Å"off its side.† suggesting that the situation has become more intense. That line is very effective literally because the word â€Å"scrape† is an onomatopoeic word and when joined together with â€Å"side† it creates an alliterating â€Å"s† sound. The fact that he has to keep his â€Å"head bent† and the â€Å"Rain beat onto his head† both confirm the increased severity of the weather. When the weather is so bad that the distance vanishes in a â€Å"veil of rain†, the alliterating â€Å"v† sound bringing out the hum of the constant rain, â€Å"Burns'† survival instinct kicks in and he decides to take shelter, running â€Å"clumsily† toward a clump of trees. But again he is slowed to a walk because of the dragging mud. The words â€Å"mud dragged † are effective here, for even to say them together takes effort and your reading is slowed by them, amplifying their effect. The â€Å"sucking† of your reading is again shown in the words â€Å"mud-clogged boots†, the â€Å"d†, â€Å"g† and â€Å"b† sounds all together make the reader have to pronounce each syllable in a drawn out way. Where the author talks about, â€Å"the whine of shells† he is referring to the sound that you hear when you put a shell to your ear and compares it to the noise of the wind through the trees. In paragraph five the author shows the exhausted â€Å"Burns† so tired he cannot even be bothered to â€Å"wipe away† the rain drenching his face. In the next three paragraphs, the tone of the extract becomes quieter; there is neither mention of the intense rain nor the sound of it. The tone of the setting becomes almost sinister amongst the trees. â€Å"Burns† now in what he thinks is the safety of the trees continues to stumble and the writer again uses the repeated â€Å"b† sounds in the words, â€Å"began†, â€Å"stumbling†, â€Å"blindly† and â€Å"between† to show us that â€Å"Burns† has still not quite got his bearings right yet. The author uses the repeated â€Å"c† sounds in the words â€Å"catching†, â€Å"clumps† and â€Å"bracken† to the same effect. Because he is â€Å"stumbling† â€Å"blindly†, something â€Å"brushed† â€Å"Burns'† cheek and when he tried to push it away, his hand touched what he first thought to be slime. On turning to see what it was, â€Å"Burns† discovered that there was a â€Å"d ead mole, suspended, apparently, in air†. The use of commas in those few words are effective because they make the reader pause and thus put emphasis on a very important part of the extract, it begins the change in plot of the whole extract. â€Å"Its small pink hands folded on its chest.† suggests the authors’ feeling that the mole was innocent, but was still killed. The author provokingly compares the dead animals â€Å"Burns† sees to a â€Å"fruit† tree bearing, what the author makes you think are heavy fruit by using the word â€Å"laden†. Heavy fruit because they are generally more likely to smell of decay, which is what the dead animals are, decaying. The author quite interestingly uses animals from each part of the earth; the â€Å"magpies† from the sky; the â€Å"fox† from the ground and the â€Å"moles† from under the ground, this I see as a continuation of the regeneration theme carried on throughout the whole excerpt. I think that the fox scared â€Å"Burns† so much because it reminded of something that he saw in the war. Again in paragraph eight the trees are â€Å"against† â€Å"Burns†. The author uses the alliteration of the words â€Å"twigs tore† through the â€Å"t† sound to remind the reader of the snapping sound of twigs and the force that â€Å"Burns† was putting into getting away was enough to snap the twigs on his skin. It brings out how frightened he really was. The writer’s reference to â€Å"dead leaves† also fits in with the theme of â€Å"Regeneration† for dead leaves must â€Å"dissolve into the earth† to create nutrients for the trees from which they fell and thus continue the circle of life. In the short paragraph nine, the setting changes briefly once more because â€Å"Burns† goes out into the field once more. He splashes effectively through the alliterated â€Å"flooded furrows†, the â€Å"f† making the sound of the swishing water. â€Å"Burns† then hears a voice, probably the voice of a fellow soldier from the war. It is said to be the voice of a person named â€Å"Rivers†. I did find it quite ironic that the author of the book from which this excerpt is taken, would use the name â€Å"Rivers† for the voice which â€Å"Burns† hears because in Scotland a small river is called a burn. This brings out to me that the author is making the aspect of water very important to this particular scenario. I feel that the use of water here is important to the overall theme of regeneration because water is a key part in the cycle of life, it is the source of all life and so I think that this is why the author emphasises this point. The voice that â€Å"Burns† hears tells him that, â€Å"If you run now, you’ll never stop.† basically telling him to face his fear. This may be because perhaps â€Å"Burns† ran away from something before and did not face his fear. The last two paragraphs of the excerpt talk of â€Å"Burns† facing his fear, finding a peace amongst his dead â€Å"companions† and his finding a control which he did not have at the beginning of the excerpt. â€Å"Burns† turns back therefore facing his fears. The fact that the author talks about what the â€Å"real Rivers† might have said confirms that â€Å"Rivers† is a real person and he is probably still alive. When â€Å"Burns† lets down the dead animals he is allowing for the natural cycle of â€Å"Regeneration† to be complete. This seems to make him feel better for he sits down inside the circle of his â€Å"companions† who he no longer views as scary and is happy because, â€Å"Now they could dissolve into the earth as they were meant to do.† By facing his fear, â€Å"Burns† was regenerated in himself, this also made him content. The last line is the most important in the whole text; it sums up and puts into context the entire idea of Regeneration. In conclusion I would say that there is one main theme in this excerpt; it being the ongoing recurrence of the idea of â€Å"Regeneration† through the means of nature, water, the cycle of life and death and the facing of fear. It is also important to say that in order for regeneration to happen, something has to die.

Working Capital Strategies Paper and Power Point Presentation Essay

Working Capital Strategies Paper and Power Point Presentation - Essay Example this the core concentration of the company is now on improving its operations and to attain a better position in the industry by deploying suitable cash management strategies. This particular report will focus on the different asset-liability management strategies that the company has adapted so far. The report analyses the results of the year 2006, 2007 and 2008. It also makes an assessment about the future cash management strategies that the company can adapt. Â   The end of financial year 2006 showed a steady increase in the Net sales for the company. The increase was more than US $ 9 billion, when compared to the figures of the financial year 2005. (Annual report Home Depot, 2006).Side by side the company’s net asset also increased to US $ 52.3 billion from US $ 44.4 billion in this particular year. (Annual report Home Depot, 2006). This increase in current assets is mostly due to the acquisition of Hughes Supply in the supply segment. Also apart from this the company made another major acquisition in China, in its retail segments. Thus the supply chains were made stronger as well as there was a steady strategic decision, which increased the number of outlets in the developing market of China. Due to all these facts it can be concluded that though the net sales of the company increased by 11.4% but the Net earnings remained same to US $5.8 billion, when compared to the previous year. (Annual report Home Depot, 2006). In fact the net earning as a percentage of net sales showed a decreasing trend. The cause for this decline can be twofold. Firstly it may be due to the increase in fixed asset of the company that year (which incurred a huge amount of cost), and it may also be due to the lowering of demand of the household appliances. The later fact is also reflected in the company’s balance sheet where it shows that weighted average weekly sales per operating store as well as the retail comparable store, as a percentage of total sales have decreased to some

Karl Marx about alienation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Karl Marx about alienation - Essay Example Karl Marx about alienation Alienation of labor occurs only in a capitalist society, where capitalist modes of production exist. Marx identifies four different types of alienation. They are a) the alienation of the laborer from the product, b) the alienation of the laborer from the labor process, c) the alienation of the laborer from his fellow human beings and d) alienation of human beings from human nature. In the capitalist mode of production, the ownership of the product produced by the labor-power of the laborers is not with them; rather, it is controlled by the capitalists. Before the upcoming of capitalism, labor was solely part of the laborer and was dependent on him. In such a situation, the laborer had full control over the production and use of anything he produced. In the new system, labor acquired the status of an object of external existence and thus it becomes autonomous. This autonomy gained by the product controls the worker and his labor. This is a form of alienation where the life given to the product by the laborer alienates its creator .As a result; the laborer becomes a commodity like any other product available in the market. The labor-process refers to the process of production. In the time prior to capitalism, the laborers had full control over the conditions in which he works. These conditions include how the work is organized, when to work, how the work affects the physical and psychological states of the laborer and so on. In the capitalist system, the worker lost control over these conditions.

Individual Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual Reflective Report - Essay Example More than half of the workforce employed on temporary basis with limited or no perks and benefits i.e. employee discounts, lunches, T&D allowance etc, offered other than market competitive salary. Lack of contractual obligations often resulted in unannounced resignations from junior employees with no notice period. Also, as a result of major policy changes, middle managers mainly store managers were made contractual and course of career progression within ABC was made restricted. Therefore, the interest of such managers in developing and retaining basic talent as a business leader was rather limited due to their own limited career growth. The store owners who were the founders and directors of the store were the only stable position holders in the organization and maintained a distant relationship with rest of the workforce with communication mainly through emails or meetings at head office. Resultant was no communication of management’s values, beliefs and goals to rest of th e employees. Furthermore, HR department was responsible for providing menial support in terms of recruitment, payroll and employee management instead of playing a role of HR business partner. A critical analysis of the situation illustrates that there were eminent issues faced by ABC in terms of lack of leadership display, employee motivation, managerial control, communication of vision and strategic partnership between HR department and rest of the business. The given situation was observed by senior management when a surprise visit was paid by one of the partners to the store which was met by a series of change in some basic policies. During an open meeting with senior managers, I shared my views by stating that that most of the employees perceive their compensation and benefits to be highly uncompetitive and was willing to switch for minor raises. With the help of this input, management increased some of the benefits while keeping the basic salary structure same and also began th e regime of employee recognition through best sales man of the quarter and monthly birthday celebrations etc. Despite the fact that these strategies were expected to increase employee’s morale, there was a limited increase in employee retention rate. Therefore, the interventions designed were not addressing the root causes of the problems faced by ABC. Self-Evaluation and Application of Organizational Theory Analyzing this scenario in the light of organizational change models, it was found that internal formal and informal subsystems along with industry related factors were triggering this change in employee retention (Waddell et al., 2011). The management identified lack of reasonable perks as the key factor behind low employee motivation and retention ignoring lack of leadership and managerial control at ground level. The change that was induced by the senior management had an episodic impact with no continuation in betterment of existing policies. Resultant was a convergen t change followed by small adaptation to existing market practices, loose support from managers and leaders along with small positive output. Analyzing this progress in the light of change offered by Plowman et al (2007), it was observed that ABC needed a continuous and radical change since the internal system was undergoing major instabilities. The discrepancies were existing organization wide and a frame-bending adaptation was required. Another major lacking observed in

In What Ways Are an Organisations Employment Relations Influenced by Essay

In What Ways Are an Organisations Employment Relations Influenced by External Factors - Essay Example It is important to understand in detail how this commitment comes into maturity in the business world. According to Daniels (2006), organisation and its employees should together have one common understanding of their corporate goals and such can be enhanced further by employees’ success or failures and their existing relationship. In short, a good relationship existing between employees and the organisation is a good indicator of corporate success. Thus, an organisation’s ultimate goal is to enhance relationship with its employees or workforce. PESTLE Analysis Political Holman et al. (2005) argued that political processes are highly involved in the employee and management relationship considering that the modern design of working processes involves the modern consideration of conflicting interests between the employee and management. This may complement with the idea of Byton and Turnbull (2004) that there is no common interest between the interdependence of corporate world and the employees. One important implication of this in the real world is the continuing existence of boundaries between employees and the organisation. This boundary is without question being instituted by the differences that lead to conflicting interest among employees and the organisation. The idea of Holman et al (2005) and Byton and Turnbull only suggests that in reality there is conflict of interest between the employee and management and this boils down to the politics involved inside and outside of the corporate world. This means therefore that it is not only at the inside part of the corporate realm there is specific influence when it comes to employment relations but even at the... This report stresses that the current environmental concern is an important issue in employment relations. For instance, many companies which substantially in line with protecting the environment especially on the issue of global warming have substantially equip their employees with basic understanding about the issue. Such is a certain level of employee management that leads to actual employee and management relationship. It is in line with the strengthening of this aspect that will essentially lead to effective implementation of corporate goals. Thus, based on environmental concerns, a car manufacturing company will absolutely increase the understanding of its personnel on the probable issues in line with the environment. After all, the economic activities nowadays are interrelated with the environmental concerns. A the author says there are different attachments that characterise employment relationship such as employee commitment to organisation’s values and acknowledgemen t of both instrumental and calculative motives. This paper makes a concluison that it is clear that employment relation does not originate within the context between the corporate world and employees. In reality, the business environment is an external source of the existing trend in employment relations. In particular, the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental aspects have corresponding impacts in the business world and the concerned employment relations between the employees and management.

Communication Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Communication Journal - Essay Example Prof. Linley: I am concerned about their progress. It is not easy for these students to reach this level of education so conveniently. The curriculum is quite challenging. Prof. Macaulay: I believe it is going to take time. Let them explore the syllabus. The textbooks have been selected according to their standard. What we need are excellent teachers. And by that I mean, no compromise of quality. Prof. Linley: How come only a few parents have shown up for the admissions? Prof. Macaulay: I guess they are reluctant to show up at a totally new institute. Some people have really high expectations from us. We need to give their kids more than they expect from us. Prof. Linley turned to his table to get a bunch of papers he was working on. He brought them to Prof. Macaulay and continued to think aloud on the planning. Prof. Linley: Do you think high school students will be able to handle the research methods course that we are trying to introduce in the first session? Prof. Macaulay: Why n ot? Even if they don’t, let’s just hope that they will. Why worry before meeting them. Maybe you’ll get the brighter ones! Prof. Linley: Aren’t you scared? Prof. Macaulay: What’s the point? That won’t change the reality would it? This institute needs people who can take risks. I am ready to face the challenge. Prof. Linley: Do you mean to say that I am not the right person for the institute at the moment? Prof. Macaulay: I just mean that you should take it easy on yourself. Just give it a try. When we open next week we will face the problems together and try to come up with a better solution. Prof. Linley: I have also prepared a standard test for them to clear at the start of the session. I thought that this way we will know where each individual stands. The classroom strength is reasonable at the moment. We have approximately fifteen in each class which means a total of 200 in the first batch. Ten sections won’t be difficult to handl e as long as we have good instructors. Prof. Macaulay: I have requested Prof. Samuel and Prof. Kingston to join our team as visiting faculty. They said they will let me know by the end of this week. If we have them join us, we can plan to arrange for remedial sessions for students who have learning disabilities. Prof. Linley: Hmmm†¦ not a bad idea. One of my colleagues is a psychologist. I’ll ask her if she can give us advice on handling such cases. Both stand up to retire for bed. Professor Macaulay decided to leave for London from there next morning to have a meeting with another friend regarding the new setup. Topic 2: Exercising and Communication Paul and Simon at the Gym Paul was distressed to lose his job and was rigorously working out to forget what had happened between him and his boss. He could not believe he was fired. Simon was by his side hopelessly trying to comfort him. But it was no use. It seemed that he would have a nervous breakdown. Simon asked Paul if he wanted to go on vacation somewhere out of town. His suggestion was crushed by the sound of the weight lifting. Paul already had a suicidal temperament which only Simon knew how to resolve. But Simon often thought what Paul would do without him. He had been asking Paul to settle down and get married to Diana whom he loved. Paul was also very nervous about his relationships with girls. His breakup with a very dear friend five years ago was heart-wrenching for him. Paul wouldn’t utter a word to Simon about this incident until Simon choked it out of him. Simon was extremely

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 24

Accounting - Essay Example e interested parties conceptualize as well as enabling them have a better understanding of the financial soundness of the firm (Donald, 2007).  For a new business, as well as an existing one, in order to  continue  will its operations, meeting customers  need  and its objectives of wealth maximization, there is a need to  source  funds (Steven, 2009).  The two  broad  sources of funds are  debt  and equity which may vary depending on a number of factors, though not limited to the nature of the firm, its operations and its  market  repute. The combination of these two sources of funds refers to the  firm’s capital structure. In order to achieve the stated objective of the firms four employees as stated in the question, employees numbers  are assigned  i.e., employee no. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The most appropriate rate of  payment  is monthly for easy accounting.  To achieve this, firm has to  generate  some accounts in its charts of  accou nt  including payroll, salaries and  wage  payable  accounts.  These accounts are debit (Dr) and credit (Cr) as argued by (Donald, 2007). For effective operation of the business, tangible assets like plant and  machinery, computer, motor vehicles equipment, furniture and fittings among others. According to FASB guideline, all these assets are subject to depreciation  due  to wear and tear as they continue  being used. Therefore, accounts like depreciation expense, accumulated depreciation as well as  individual  assets  account  should be prepared and be included in the  firm’s charts of accounts. An example of journal entries based on charts of accounts  is shown  bellow. Some of the internal controls which are aimed at reducing the firms overall risk are, compliance with laws and regulation, reliability of financial reporting and effectiveness as well as efficient operation of the

Module 3 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Module 3 - Case Study Example To develop one’s plan of action for each child, aside from indicating their respective areas of interests, the additional information would could enhance the development and design of differentiated instructions include: preferences of using identified instructional materials (technological applications, games, or visually designed projects). Also, it would be helpful to determine from their respective parents the academic support accorded outside the classroom (use of computers, tutors, mentors, and other enriching activities). The information would help in the design of compacted and differentiated instruction; as well as in monitoring the performance of the child outside the traditional classroom setting. Actually, the strategies and recommended differentiated instructions were effective in achieving the identified goals. For Mark, it was important to gain interpersonal skills; aside from exhibiting excellence in the subjects which were noted. For Katrina, it was crucial to mitigate any potential negative impact of having to retain her to Grade 3 level. As such, it was correct to solicit the inputs of parents, as well as to refer the children for consultation and evaluation with the school psychologist, who could assess the condition of the children, their accurate competencies and skills, and the preferred intervention, as

OSI Model Essay Example for Free

OSI Model Essay This research paper provides information on using ASP for ERP hosting. The paper is divided into four major areas. The first area defines and briefly describes the term of The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The second area defines and briefly describes the term of Application Service Provider (ASP). The third area provides information on how ERP can be used through ASP. This area mentions architecture, implementation, and benefits from using ERP through an ASP. The last area shows an example of an organization that has successfully implemented ERP system through ASP. Introduction Everyone has a door in their house which is usually locked. You cannot open the door without the right key. Have you ever seen a sign in a store that says â€Å"employees only†? In these two cases, the locked door and the sign on the door are like protection for your space, and it also shows who is allowed to go through the door and who is not. That is kind of what a firewall is. This paper will show you what a firewall really is in the computer domain, how it works and the different types of firewalls that exist. Definition As defined on the internet, â€Å"a firewall is an integrated collection of security measures designed to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system. It is also a device or set of devices configured to permit, deny, encrypt, decrypt, or proxy all computer traffic between different security domains based upon a set of rules and other criteria†. It is just like a wall which is usually made out of water, cement and other constituents that can stop somebody from going onto the other side or a better analogy would be a net that can let water through as an authorized item and is able to stop everything else such as fish and other sea animals. History of firewalls The term â€Å"firewall† originally meant a wall to confine a fire or potential fire within a building. The firewall technology itself emerged in 1980 while the internet was still a new technology; and as the internet technology internet was growing, the firewall technology started growing along with it. Why a firewall? Think of this. Did your dad ever tell you where he kept all his money? May be he did, and you probably heard him saying or talking about a bank account too. He knows that his money is safe when it is in the bank and he can get to it anytime he wants and money cannot be taken out of his account unless he has authorized the transfers. The same way, a computer system needs protection so that the important data it contains will not be destroyed by an unauthorized person and also ensures that it will work properly. But, to really understand the importance of the firewalls, you should first know the main functions surrounding your computer. In other words, what can you use your computer for? You can use your computer to save important files in its memory(which is a kind of an electronic space where you can store data) or communicate with someone else through the internet or create documents. With all the tools gathered, your computer should be able to function properly and do all those tasks for you. Unfortunately, there are some people out there that for one reason or another, are trying every day to steal the data on your computer or make it work improperly. And, this is the reason you need a firewall; the same reason the security guard stands in from of the bank to protect the bank against robbery. Types of Firewall Firewalls can be categorized into three basic types. Packet filters Application Gateways / Proxy Stateful Inspection Packet filters This type of firewall will perform its action by inspecting everything from the internet before it gets into your computer. Now, in your house, think of packet filter firewall as a security guard. Your dad or your mom have their rules and always tell you what to do; you have to do your home work, you have to go to bed at 9pm, you have to eat vegetables or else, no dessert for you, and so on. However, they love you so much that they hire a security guard to protect you 24/7, and he will never go anywhere. Your parents also ask a security guard not to let anyone get into the house without their permission. To do so, a security guard is given a list of people who can and cannot enter the house, this list called Access Control Lists (ACLs). Application Gateways / Proxy You parents realize that one security guard is not enough, and they want to ensure that the house is a safe place for you. Your parents call the security guard company and hire more security guards. The company suggests your parents choose its best system available called Application Gateways, also called Proxy. Your parent accepted the offer; a big gate with the security room is built in front of your house in no time. Everyone who wants to get into the house will have to go through this security room and has his Identification (ID) checked. This ID can verify who he is, where he comes from, and what business he has at your house. If an ID is valid, a person will be searched to see if he carries weapons. By doing so, you can now be sure that you are safer than ever before. Stateful Inspection There is another type of body guard called Stateful Inspection. Not only will he follow Access Control Lists (ACLs) as mentioned before, but he also takes a picture of visitors to keep on record. The next time this visitor comes, he will be recognized by the picture on his file. . How the Firewall works? The major job of a firewall is to keep anything in your computer secured. It works like a traffic light. If you are driving a car or riding a bike, you start to slow down at traffic lights and come to a complete stop if the light is red. Red lights mean you are not allowed to cross, and if it is green then you are good to go. Firewalls stand in the middle between the system and the internet. It stops or alerts you if you have anyone trying to invade your personal computer space. A firewall is like a security guard standing in front of a bar checking for IDs because you have to be twenty-one years-old in order to get into the bar. A firewall stands between two networks, and the network is just like a bar. Outside a bar is a place where everybody can sit or stand regardless of how old they are. Similarly, outside the network is where all the traffic flows, bad or good. However, inside the bar are the customers who are of legal age. Compare this to your personal computer network that is not for everyone; it is only for the traffic that you want to be in your computer. The traffic has to meet certain criteria so that firewalls can allow them into your computer. Those who meet the criteria are let in by the firewall and those who do not meet the criteria are kept out. If bad traffic is enters your computer illegally, it rings a bell to let you know that something has entered inside without your knowledge. Firewall layers A firewall is working on the third of the seven layers of OSI Model. It is a network layer. This is where the traffic passes into the network. OSI stand for Open System Interconnection and it is defined as a networking structure which is responsible for implementation of the traffic within the seven layers. To clarify the function of the seven layers in the OSI Model, let us replace OSI with a house that has seven rooms: three small bedrooms for kids, a family room, a room for the family library, and two bathrooms, one for a shower and other for a toilet. These rooms each have a different use. For example, someone living in that house cannot use the shower room for a toilet. He/she has to go to the toilet room because the shower room is designed for showers only. Each of these bedrooms has its own duty too. The same thing is true of the seven layers of the OSI model. Each layer has its own duty to perform. The master room is for mom and dad to sleep. Kids are not allowed to sleep in mom and dad`s room because the function of that room is only for dad and mom to sleep. OSI layer seven`s function is to give the last computer’s user a service; an example would be giving an email account to a certain user. Conclusion In conclusion, we will say that the firewall technology is widely used in the world of technology today. Firewalls appear sometimes as one component or as a combination of components that are really sophisticated in order to meet the requirements and to protect the user against the continuing threats from the internet world.

Crime Rate in Centervale Essay Example for Free

Crime Rate in Centervale Essay If one was to compare the crime in Centervale to that of Alaska or Alabama it would be clear that Centervale has the highest crime total. If one was to compare the crime rate it would be clear that Alabama has in fact the highest crime rate with Alaska and then Centervale sitting very close in numbers. Alabama has the highest population and Alaska has the lowest, but this would mean that Alabama would not be the safest place to live. In fact an individual would want to live in either Alaska or Centervale. Centervale has a lower aggravated assault rate than that of Alaska, but Alaska has a lower robbery rate that that of both Centervale and Alabama. When looking for a new place to locate its always a great decision to check out how a city, county, suburb, or state hold up against that of other similar places when it comes to crime. No one wants to live in a place where they are afraid to leave their homes. When looking at the actually numbers Centervale is the highest followed by Alabama and then Alaska, but if an individual was to look at the crime rate then it would appear that Alaska has the highest followed by Alabama and then Centervale, but both Alabama and Centervale are very close in rate percentage. Alaska has a problem with alcohol related crimes, whereas in other locations in the United States drugs and alcohol are secondary to the crime. Information Importance This kind of information is important due to the growing concern that most individuals and families have about the crime not only in their local neighborhoods, but also in places that they may be considering locating too. It’s also important to find out what programs are in place to keep the crime rate reduced. Each neighborhood has some sort of program in place to help keep children and adolescents occupied so they are less likely to go out and commit a crime, but crime doesn’t always involve children and adolescents. Crime can and is often committed by adults. Read more:  India Crime Rate Most communities have an early childhood development program in place. It’s been stated by Paul Leighton (2007), that children enrolled in this program have â€Å"half as many criminal arrests, less likelihood of going to jail, higher earnings and property wealth, and a greater commitment to family†. There are also drug treatment, recreation, gang- prevention, education, special curricula, job training, and the labor market (Leighton, 2007). When moving to a new community an individual can call around to find what programs have been put into place to reduce the crime rate and what else can be done to help reduce the crime. Parents with small children wish to make sure that they are bringing their children to a safe environment with programs set in place to help the children and adolescents occupied after school. Definitions of Crime Crime is defined as â€Å"the act or the commission of an act that is forbidden or the omission of a duty that is commanded by a public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment by that law† (Merriam-Webster, 2013). Alabama and Alaska differ when it comes to crime punishment. Alaska abolished its capital punishment in 1957, but has since then tried to reintroduce it to no avail. Alabama on the other hand does have capital punishment and certain crimes can lead to the death penalty. These crimes are capital murder charges, rape, robbery, and burglary. Alaska imprisons their convicted criminals for either short period of times to life. In both states children and adolescents are charged as juveniles unless found to have committed an adult crime such as murder (non-accidental), robbery that ends up with loss of life or assault or rape. Rape charges can be difficult to try depending on the age of the child or adolescents and how much understanding of the charges and their understanding of right and wrong. Charging children in an adult court can be difficult to do since their understanding and reasoning is far different and underdeveloped than that of an adult. Recommendations Recommendations to help reduce the crime rate would to beef up the police and special crime units to help get a grasp on the crime in the state. Have better programs put into place within the prisons/jails. This will give a positive opportunity and outlet for the prisoners so they will not wish to reoffend. Allow employers that wish to hire ex-convicts the opportunity to sit down with the convict prior to their release. This will give the individual something positive to look forward to and a better outlook on life. Have programs set up for ex-cons along with programs set up for those who may need a positive outlet. Ex-cons need the structure to help them adapt better to outside life than to be just â€Å"dumped† on the streets after their sentence with the hopes of not reoffending. Many individuals feel they have nothing â€Å"outside† so why even try. In many cases this is true, the individuals family and or friends have given up on them or they have a difficult time finding a job, so they do what they believe is the only thing left and this causes them to reoffend. Conclusion In conclusion crime is a scary thing for any family or individual, but with careful consideration and knowing the facts needed one can make the correct decision. Many criminals that are within the prison/jail system are those who have reoffended, but due to the unknown these individuals tend to end back up within the system. Families and friends of those ex-cons need to be there for the individual for emotional support. Those who don’t have the proper support feel alone and often believe they need to be back where they were. References Crime in the United States. U.S. Department of Justice (2009). Retrieved from http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/data/table_05.html What Every American Should Know About the Criminal Justice System. Leighton, Paul (2007). Stop Violence. Retrieved from http://stopviolence.com/cj-knowledge.htm Merriam-Webster. Crime (2013). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crime

Packaging Materials and Consumer Preferences

Packaging Materials and Consumer Preferences Introduction: The term business is defined as an organized way to earn profit. Profit is basic motif that coerces any business individual or organization to produce something that is really needed. This basic motif compels producers to take necessary steps to improve not only the product qualities but also the appearance. Producers manage to interlink demands and supplies and help their consumers to get maximum satisfaction in limited resources by offering them many well-suited goods. As there is always scarcity of sources and abundance of wants; to generate symmetry between wants and supplies a wide range of similar and nearly alternative products are offered with varieties of price, packing style, brand name etc. by various companies, which provides customers multiplicity of choices. Since, in perfect competition every individual or firm has rights to enter the market (or leave the market) at any time and produce and sell goods according to their own will, every producer tries his level best to captivate consumers attention by emphasizing qualities of his products among many almost similar products, hence it becomes essential to use multiplicity of packaging style, size and color of likely products, so that specific brands may be distinguished among others. The intentions of Consumer for procuring anything depends upon the intensity of his desires to satisy his needs. Consumers have expectations that anything he is buying will satisfy his needs. (Kupiec and Revell, 2001) The basic purpose is to fulfill consumers needs instead of product name, consequently consumer makes buying decision at the moment they encounter different objects rather making prior decisions. Consumers purchase decision depends the way he is communicated for anything at store. The packaging becomes a major cause of his decision to buy anything because it is the first introduction of the product, which communicates the consumer that whether a product may (or may not) fulfill his requirements. The product which appears more suitable to a customer a nearest match for his needs is bought, whereas others are left. The key factor to convince a customer is to know his needs and to make him understand that a particular thing is a perfect match of his requirements. As due to change of consumers life style consumers are interested in packaging tool, So packaging performs an important role in marketing communications, Packaging characteristics could be treated as one of the most important factors influencing consumers brand preference. Taking into consideration that package could be treated as a set of various elements communicating different messages to a consumer, the role of appropriate packaging material to form customers behavior becomes inevitable. Customers taste and behavior also participates significant functions in choosing specific packaging style, hence to know market trend and behavior of consumers, companies conduct market surveys, prior launching any new product, so that they may understand perceptions of consumers regarding specific products and on the basis of customers behavior, figure out the possibility of product success. Marketing Experts believe that Success is traditionally associated with the choice of an appropriate product positioning strategy, so the first step must be to correctly define a positioning strategy. Positioning strategy means to find out physical appearance of any product prior launching it to the market. It has also been observed that sometimes quite beneficial products could not get proper attentions of the consumers because of wrong market positioning strategy or weak planning. (Ramsay, 1983; McAlexander et al., 1993) As a matter of fact if a product (or products) is more demanding and consequently gives lots of profit, every business individual or firm will tend to produce same for having their share of profit in that specific field. This is how there are numerous producers or manufacturers producing analogous products with the difference of brand name, packing style, shape and size because a ditto copy will never makes consumers to switch form their existing brand to a new one. Consumers normally do not switch from one product to another without having sound reasons. These reasons are nothing else but to make them realize that the new product is same but has some different tendencies as well, for instance despite having many chocolate manufacturing companies, every new manufacturer will not be welcomed to influence consumers, unless they manage to prove that their product is better than existing products. Every company tends to prove that their product is somehow poles apart to their competitors and can fulfill the needs of their consumers in better way but in reasonable price. Packaging is the first step to make consumers buy something and plays crucial role to either make a product sellable or to prove it a complete failure, as it is believed that Selling something apparently attractive, though having low benefits is easier than something that has more benefits and lesser attractive. or in other words Most of the books are judged and bought by their covers, instead of their contents. While purchasing anything from the market every 73 out of 100 people go for apparently good things rather than brand and only 27 percent people strictly stuck for brand. In normal days we do not eat any food, if it does not look or smell great, though we know foods are to be tasted and not to be decorated. Commonly people go for the best looking items instead of technicalities; this is why most of the people buy extraordinary and expensive mobile phones not because of advanced functions but because they look great and by and large they rarely become familiar of all functions. As the world is rapidly turning into global village and with the passage of time business is being expanded, the importance of using correct type of packaging material has become essential. Packaging is rightly called an art because packaging material is the first introduction of any product to the consumers, as well as it provides a physical blockade between a product and the surroundings by maintaining hygiene and reducing the risk of product wastage due to impurity. Packaging is indispensable for a safe distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. It can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for safe, efficient and cost-effective transport, distribution, storage, retailing, consumption and recovery, reuse or disposal combined with maximizing consumer value, sales and hence profit. Verily packaging is a central part of the goods supply chain, which protects goods from damage, allows efficient distribution, informs the consumer regarding products and helps to promote goods in a competitive marketplace. Packaging Material, especially for edible goods, are used as a tool to prolong products life. Unlike old days, when a huge part of edible goods used to be wasted because of insufficient packaging materials, now days edible goods in bulk quantities are manufactured and stored for a long time, which leads to maintain timely supply as well as reduces products cost. In general terms, packaging is the container that has direct or indirect contact with product, it holds, protects, preserves and identifies the product as well as facilitating handling and commercialization (Vidales Giovannetti, 1995) Packaging is a tool to form good relationship between Retailers and Food Manufacturers because both work more closely to create products designed for current lifestyles, based on the latest technology. A Retailer, having direct link with end users, can easily be well aware of the perception of consumers. On the other hand manufacturers modify packaging style and product quality on the basis of information provided by retailers. This has resulted in an explosion in the market for ready to eat meals, a market in which packaging is playing an increasingly important role. In a very broad sense, the food industry is discovering the food service channel as a new distribution alternative. Alliances between food producers and food service operators will be the only means to develop successful solutions. (Axler, marketing director of Sodexho, Belgium) Packaging is also a source to provide information about ingredients to the customers and instructions to use the product, for which there are some legal requirements. Consumers make final choice on the basis of these information for instance there are some products inappropriate for diabetics patients because of having high calories, hence instructions on packaging can save diabetic patients, on contrary there are some ingredients which are prohibited for some specific religion (as pork is banned in Islamic Jews preaching) hence through instructions and ingredient list, Muslims and Jews can avoid such forbidden foods. Similarly on medicines dosage is mentioned for children and adults. There are some food related items, especially dairy items, which cannot be kept in sunlight, whereas there are some other items, which must be kept in open and airy places to make them fresh or to store in cold. Manufacturing and Expiry is also mentioned on food products, so that one may know that an edible item is best to use before a certain period of time to avoid any hazard or health problem. On master cartons and containers stack height is also mentioned to avoid product loss, whereas handle with care caution is mentioned on easily breakable items. Packaging is the most important medium of communication because it reaches almost all buyers in the category and is present at the crucial moment when procurement decision is made; and buyers are actively involved with packaging as they examine it to obtain the information they need. (Behaeghel 1991 and Peters 1994) Packaging is becoming an essential part of the value chain analysis, regarding food safety, organoleptic characteristics, ergonomics and flexibility, (Axler, marketing director of Sodexho, Belgium) Packaging is a mean of communication. (Gardener 1967, Lincoln 1965) Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. Packaging can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport, warehousing, logistics, sale, and end use. Packaging contains, protects, preserves, transports, informs, and sells. In many countries it is fully integrated into government, business, industrial, and personal use. Packaging attributes, combining colors, designs, shape, symbols, and messages of Food products, provide people brand acquaintance for example in a departmental store all kinds of beverages are kept in same place but consumer of specific brand can easily distinguish his choice because of difference of color, size and unambiguous shape. (Nancarrow et al., 1998) Numerous market trends suggests a growing packaging role as a brand communication vehicle and reducing expenses on traditional brand building mass media advertising. Importance of Packaging role is acknowledged round the globe for brand building and consequently the expenses on advertisement has been found reduced. Once a brand becomes familiar companies do not have to spend a huge amount on advertising because consumer will reach the brand automatically. Companies just have to manage timely deliveries, so that meanwhile a consumer may not switch to the nearest competitors due to unavailability of the product. (Belch and Belch, 2001) Packaging attracts and sustains attention, helping consumers identify with the images presented. The importance of packaging design and the use of packaging, as a vehicle for communication and branding, are growing (Rettie and Brewer, 2000) One recent study estimated that 73 percent of purchase decisions are made at the point of sale, it means that a majority of consumers switch to one brand to its nearly alternative while purchasing, for example a housewife wants to have a jar of jam of a specific brand, if she does not find it in superstore, she might buy any similar brand in absence of her desired brand, this may cause her to believe that the new brand is somehow comparatively better than the previous one, hence next time she will visit to the store, she will surely go for the new brand instead of previous one. (Connolly and Davidson, 1996) Packaging materials are used to communicate the messages of specific companies. Most of the branded companies have their particular brand slogans, which influences consumers towards their products. To achieve the communication goals effectively and to optimize the potential of packaging, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers must comprehend consumer response to their packages, and incorporate the perceptual processes of the consumer into design. It is also observed that companies that sometimes failure of a product is not because of lack in product qualities but lack of presentations. (Nancarrow et al., 1998) Almost all FMCG spend extra amount to figure out Consumers perception and behavior, which is believed is not consistent across cultures. Although many industry observers believe that consumers worldwide are likely to have roughly similar response to many FMCG, despite cultural differences (The Nation, Bangkok, 2002) yet there are many cross-cultural researchers who believe vice versa, and assert that knowledge developed in one culture should be confirmed before use in new cultural contexts (e.g., Malhotra et al., 1996) The expansion of modern retailing helps drive this growth, so that packaging plays an increasingly critical role in merchandising and communication for FMCG (The Nation, Bangkok, 2002) Viewing pollution problem of the world, it becomes essential to take necessary steps to reduce waste and garbage. The role of packaging in waste reduction is the most evident at food packaging. When food is processed and packaged, the food residues are often used as fuel, animal feed or some economically useful by-product. In absence of packaged processed food, the residues become garbage in the household. Another reason why food packaging reduces waste is that it reduces spoilage. In developing countries food wastage is between 20-50% because of poor or the lack of packaging. In Europe, where packaging is used in handling, transport, containment and storage, food wastage is approximately 2-3%. (PIN, 1996) With increasing rates of appropriate packaging materials, the fraction of food wastes decreases. A survey conducted in this regards declare that Overall, for every 1% increase of packaging, food waste decreases by about 1.6%. (Scarlett, 1996) Purpose of Packaging Materials: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physical Fortification The objects enclosed in the package may require shield from many things like shock, shuddering, compression, high temperature, etc. Appropriate Packaging Material accumulates objects from all these hazards. A good packaging material reduces the probability of product loss and wastage. Food products like as other products are to move from one place to another for instance first from factories to warehouses then from warehouses to depot and later on from depots to distributors and then from distributors to retailers and then to the end users. Proper handling needs either to depute huge manpower to avoid such losses (which will surely increase product cost, though product loss will not be prevented completely) or to use good packaging materials; naturally usage of proper packaging material is more feasible, though manpower is also used wherever needed. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Protection Food products can be kept safe for a long time, unless Oxygen, water vapor, dust, etc. may not affect them. Infiltration is a critical factor in designing packaging materials. Some packages contain desiccants or Oxygen absorbers to help extend shelf life, whereas usage of metallic sheet or poly film is quite normal in packaging of food related items to prevent oxygen. Modified atmospheres or controlled atmospheres are also maintained in some food packages. Keeping the contents clean, fresh, disinfected and safe for the intended shelf life is a primary function of packaging materials. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Repression Handling small objects separately is difficult than keeping them in one packet or box, hence diminutive objects are usually grouped together in one package instead of keeping them in different packages, for example, a single box of 1000 erasers requires less physical handling than 1000 single rubbers. Liquids, powders, and grainy materials need containment. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Communication Packages are properly labeled to provide information related to usage of product that how to use, transport, reprocess, or dispose of the package or product. Food, medical, chemical and pharmaceutical products are labeled proper manufacturing and expiry dates as well as suitable way of handling for example on some packages keep in cold and dry place is written because moisture and heat can cause hazardous change in the product, on some cartons stacking size has also mentioned to avoid any damage. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marketing The packaging and labels are used to influence consumers to buy something. Package graphic design and physical design are chosen after thorough survey and deep study of consumers taste and behavior. It has also been observed that products which were proved a complete failure became much popular, just after changing the design of packages. The color schemes, designs, packaging style and size are rightly called tools to sell anything. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Safety Measures Packaging plays imperative role in reducing safety risks of shipment. Prior packaging, need of safety measures are studied thoroughly. Good Packaging Material is the one that comprises tamper confrontation to deter tampering and also have tamper-evident features to help indicate tampering. Packages can be engineered to help reduce the risks of package pilferage: Some package constructions are more resistant to pilferage and some have pilfered indicating seals. Packages may include validation seals and use security printing to help indicate that the package and contents are not imitation. Packages also can include anti-theft devices, such as dye-packs, RFID tags, or electronic article observation tags that can be activated or detected by devices at exit points and require specialized tools to deactivate. Using packaging in this way is a means of loss deterrence. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Convenience Packages are designed to keep viewing convenience in distribution, handling, stacking, display, sale, opening, re-closing, use, dispensing, and reuse, for example a tin of cooking oil is not used only once, it is to be used time and again, hence there must be convenience in use as well as in reuse. On contrary a can of disposable beverage is not designed for reusing purpose and once the seal is opened, it is to be used in a limited time; else it will end its properties. Many housewives are observed not using specific products because of inconvenience in use, despite knowing their low price or other benefits. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Portion Control Specific quantities or proper dosage of some products, e.g. salt, are required to be used. Bulk commodities (such as salt) can be divided into packages that are a more suitable size for individual households. It is also aids the control of inventory for example selling sealed one-liter-bottles of milk, rather than having people bringing their own bottles to fill themselves. Types of Packaging Materials The most widespread types of packaging material are paper, glass, aluminum, fiber board, plastic and steel. Paper: Paper is one of the most extensively used packaging materials, because of being light in weight, cheap in price and easily available. The use of corrugated cardboard, instead of wooden boxes, has reduced weight of packaging materials on one hand and made safe and easy transportation on the other hand. Glass: The use of Glass, as Packaging Material has almost been given up, especially for food items e.g. for beverages because any slight jerk or shock causes it to break into pieces, which is not only material loss but also is harmful for human health; usage of glass has been replaced with Tin and Plastic. Glass is the most common form of packaging waste, although it has been returned to the factories now days for recycling, yet because of its insecure nature, it is being avoided as packaging material. Aluminum: It iscommonly used inpackaging of food items,such asin cans of soft drinks and in tin packed provisions as foil to protect foodstuff from decomposition by preventing access of oxygen. The used aluminum as scrap is sold on high price because aluminum is recycled economically because 20 recycled aluminum cans, can be made with the energy it takes to manufacture one brand new one. Steel: Currently Steel is being used as packaging material for foods, beverages and paints as well as aerosols. Steel is recycled in great extent to minimize product cost. A survey declares that around 16% of energy saving is observed steel because of recycling of steel. Plastic: The use of plastic as packaging material brings so many advantages for instance plastic is light weighted, long lasting and easily available material. The cost of plastic is a bit cheaper as compare to aluminum and steel. Mixed materials: Instead of using a single material for packaging, the trend to use mixed materials is proven more beneficial in form of reducing energy consumption although combining different materials makes reprocessing difficult. Lack of facilities and necessary technologies to separate mixed materials have become great obstacle to recycle because without separating these materials contamination cannot be avoided. Importance of Packaging Branding in Marketing Packaging and Branding are two sides of same coin and are essential for marketing. Branding means to represent not only the name, description and design of a product but also to distinguish a company from its competitors. Most of the brand conscious people believe that a specific brand actually represents the history and credibility of not only the brand but also the manufacturers, because using specific brand means trusting particular companies instead of their professional rivals. No brand can be popular without proper packaging hence it is rightly called that Packing is a marketing instrument, which attracts consumers and forms their trust on companies. People form their good or bad opinions about inside products through the outer look e.g. the colors, fonts, descriptions and logo. It is also experienced that a product, once proven failure, hit the consumers choice later on when the look was improved. Sales Marketing Department focuses to strategize methods to sell companys products in presence of competitors. Packaging and Branding is actually twofold picture. It is said that people do not buy anything unless it looks great. Brand department conducts market surveys to discover new ways to influence more consumers than their competitors, so that more part of market may be captivated. New advertising techniques are discovered and adopted with the passage of time. Brand campaigns are run in the most exclusive manners to form a cohesive brand or image. Brand department keeps an eye on market trends and in case the sale of concern product decreases, new and attractive ways are adopted to re-stable market position, sometimes change in color, size or packaging style revive a falling product. That is why many products are relabeled after a certain period of time by adding new in product name. Customers do not recognize the product but through the brands. It has also been experienced that when a group of consumers were offered to taste same products of different companies, including their own brand, without mentioning of products identities, only a few consumers chose their own brand, whereas majority either could not figure out any difference or chose products other than their brands. Branding Product appearance plays vital role in creation of brand. The product quality has secondary importance because once a consumer is influenced to use a product first time, the product quality can be known. On a survey conducted to find out consumers market perception, while answering why a product is purchased? most of the answers were because it is apparently good. Brand is not only product introduction but also forms market image of company, for example soft drinks manufacturers are producing almost similar products but their consumers recognize their products through presentation style, color scheme and packaging uniqueness. Some experts believe that advertising, which provides information about objective attributes such as price and physical traits will influence brand associations. Advertising can make positive brand evaluations and attitudes readily accessible in memory Advertising also influences behavioral manifestations of brand equity. On average, market leaders spend 20 percent more of their budgets on advertising than do their nearest competitors. There are different parameters or factors that force a customer to switch one brand to another. This individual varied behavior leads to study taxonomy of explanations for varied behavior. Experts of branding distribute these varied behaviors into Derived and Direct variation. Derived varied behavior refers to varied behavior that results from forces that have nothing to do with a preference for change in and of itself These forces are divided into multiple needs and changes in the choice problem. Multiple needs include multiple users, contexts and uses. There are empirical evidences indicating that varied consumption of the household may result from different usage purposes of the product as well as different users within the household. Changes in the choice problem are changes in the feasible set of alternatives, tastes and constraints (new brands, advertising, deals, etc.) Direct variation explanations of varied behavior rely on the inherently satisfying aspects of changing behavior Interpersonal and intrapersonal motives are involved in direct variation. Interpersonal motives result from the needs for affiliation and distinction. Intrapersonal motives result from three main forces. First is the desire for the unfamiliar cite empirical evidence on successful attempts to get stable and reliable measures of different aspects of this desire that is related to an ideal level of stimulation desired by the individual. Second is the desire for information, to measure optimum stimulation levels. Consumers want information on familiar brands. This need for information arises when continued consumption of a particular brand creates confusion with regard to the worth of other brands. The third type of direct variation that satisfies intrapersonal needs is alternation among the familiar. The studies in the areas of psychology of consumer behavior show that levels of stimulation can be raised by switching among familiar as well as unfamiliar brands. There is empirical evidence on the existence of ideal levels of attributes wanted by consumers in their consumption. This fact may result in switching among familiar brands that are rich in different attributes. The present study interprets varied consumption as a result of variety seeking behavior, which is operational as a measure of individual tendency to vary consumption. This tendency is measured on a continuum that extends from extreme tendency to vary consumption to an extreme tendency to avoid variety. It is possible to identify five major factors which influence the proportion of total product sales made by each brand of a product class displayed in a supermarket: (1) relative brand prices, (2) the proportion of display space allocated to each brand, (3) the quality of display space, (4) point-of-sale advertising and promotion, and (5) consumer brand attitudes and preferences. The first four of these factors are direct dimensions of the purchase environment. The fifth is a residual of advertising and promotion, habits and experience, which is brought to the purchase environment by the consumer. A primary objective of this analysis is to isolate and quantify the fifth item, namely, brand preferences of consumers. The procedure outlined in the model essentially involves controlling the other four aspects of the purchase environment and thereby isolating the effect of brand preferences. In many merchandising situations, however, the effects of brand preferences and relative brand prices work together in either a cumulative or a compensating way. For this reason, it may also be of interest to quantify the combined effects of consumer brand preferences and differences in brand prices. While this is possible with the model and is discussed later, the basic model is developed to fit conditions where brand prices are equal. With equal brand prices, equal display quality conditions, and no point- of-sale advertising or promotion, it is hypothesized that the sales of each brand would be proportional to the display space allocated to each if all buyers were indifferent concerning brand choice. Slogans A slogan is a short, unforgettable grasp phrase, which are used as punch line in advertisement to summarize the whole product quality and usage in one or a few words. The company and product information details are associated with tagline or motto of slogans. Companies often use one or a few words slogans to catch the attention of consumers. These slogans are somehow interlinked with the image of product quality because it becomes a key component and are used as essential factor to recognize products for example, Relax, its FedEx defines that a renowned American Courier Service is being discussed, similarly Im lovin it! mentions McDonalds and Finger-lickin good denotes K.F.C (Kentucky Fried Chicken) The Joy of Pepsi! declares a beverage company, Dont leave home without it. talks about American Express and The Legend Leads speaks out of Peek Freans. Many products are even known by their slogans instead of their own names. Designs of Packaging Suitable Packing is designed to captivate a customers attention. The moment a consumer throws a glance towards products, his decision for whether or not to buy a product is formed on the basis of product appearance. A child will always reject product having dull colors whereas an old man will surely avoid using bright colored objects. A well marketed product is wrapped packaging, which suits the flavor of users. Mercedes can never be found in shocking pink color because people who use it, have sober taste and prefer elegance, whereas sports cars are manufactured in bright colors because the dominant users are young. Color effects human behavior such as some colors make us happy whereas others make us sad. While making purchase decision, colour scheme becomes more obvious. The effect of colour has been studied widely to know the consumers perception. (Imram, 1999) Consumer opinions of an adequate color are associated with discernments of other quality features, such as taste, aroma, satisfaction and nourishment levels. Positive effect can be gained by using one or more packaging variables. In some product clear packaging is sued to allow consumers to view food colour, incident light, and taxonomy. While making advertisement of food items, the best colour combination is used not only for plates having food items but also the clothes of models

S. E. Hilton :: essays research papers

Introduction In this book analysis, about the book â€Å"The Outsiders† by S. E. Hinton I will discuss character and plot development, as well as the setting, the author’s style and my opinions about the book. In this part of the analysis I will give some information about the subjects of the book, and about the author. The author wrote the story when she was just 16 years old, in the 1950s. The book was successful, and it was sold, and still being sold, in many copies as a young adults novel. There was a movie made about it, and today there are still many schools that use this book in junior high and high schools for English classes. There were plays made about the book too. The Outsiders is about a gang. They live in a city in Oklahoma. Ponyboy Curtis, a 14 year old greaser, tells the story. Other characters include Sodapop and Darry, Ponyboy's brothers, Johnny, Dallas, and Two-Bit, that were also gang members and Ponyboy's friends. This story deals with two forms of social classes: the socs, the rich kids, and the greasers, the poor kids. The socs go around looking for trouble and greasers to beat up, and then the greasers are blamed for it, because they are poor and cannot affect the authorities. I hope you would enjoy and learn something about the book from reading this analysis. Plot Development The plot development in the book, â€Å"The Outsiders† by S.E. Hinton, was easy to follow. In this part of the book analysis I will give some more details about the plot development. There were no hooks or hurdles in the beginning of the book, the first sentence starts right away with the plot—without any forewords. This is the beginning of the first sentence: â€Å"When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house...† (page 9). As you can see, it goes straight to the point without any prologues or any kind of introduction. The plot development in the middle of the story was sensible and easy to understand. It was clear and simple, and the events have occurred in a reasonable order. The ending of the story was a bit expected. I anticipated the death of Johnny because a broken neck usually means death. The death of Dally was not as predictable as Johnny’s death because it was said that: â€Å"He was tougher than the rest of us—tougher, colder, meaner.

Language as Freedom in Sartres Philosophy :: Argumentative Communication Imagination Papers

Language as Freedom in Sartre's Philosophy I argue that Sartre posits language as a medium of communication that is capable of safeguarding the development of subjectivity and freedom. Language does this in a twofold manner: on the one hand, it is an action that does not phenomenally alter being, but that has the capacity of altering consciousness; on the other hand, language, more particularly written text, is a mode of communication that is delayed, hence that occurs outside the present, i.e. in a different space and a deferred time. As such, it preserves the subjectivity of both writer and reader. The argument is as follows: first, I present Sartre’s definition of freedom and subjectivity in terms of his definition of consciousness of the For-itself and In-itself in Being and Nothingness; second, I draw on examples from La Nausà ©e to illustrate the link between language, consciousness and the expression of freedom and subjectivity; third, I refer to The Psychology of Imagination and What is Literature? to illustra te further the importance that Sartre places on writing and reading as means to establish a lasting impression of personal freedom and subjectivity in a manner that defies space and time. In this paper I shall argue that Sartre posits language as a medium of communication that is capable of safeguarding subjectivity and freedom. Language does this in a two-fold manner: on the one hand it is an action which does not phenomenally alter being, but which has the capacity of altering consciousness; on the other hand, language, more particularly written text, is a mode of communication that is delayed, hence that occurs out with the present, i.e. in a different space and a deferred time, and as such it preserves the subjectivity of both writer and reader. I present this argument in the following manner: first, I present Sartre's definition of freedom and subjectivity in terms of his definition of consciousness of the For-itself and In-self in Being & Nothingness; second, I draw on examples from La Nausà ©e to illustrate the link between language, consciousness and the expression of freedom and subjectivity; third, I refer to The Psychology of Imagination and What is Litera ture? to illustrate further the importance that Sartre places on writing and reading as means both to freedom and subjectivity. 1 In Existentialism and Humanism (1946), Sartre states that "if God does not exist there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence, a being which exists before it can be defined by any conception of it.

Ephedra (Ma Huang) :: Botany

Ephedra (Ma Huang) Ephedras species are an evergreen shrub, native to North China and Inner Mongolia. It's yellow/green branching shrub growing to an average of 20 inches (50cm) with long narrow, sprawling stems and tiny leaves, can be found in desert or arid regions throughout the world. Its color can be green, gray, or red, depending on the species. The plant has small greenish yellow flowers and tiny nodes (joints) on the stalks (2). Ephedra is propagated from seed or by root division in autumn and demands well drained soil. It usually grows on dry, rocky or sandy slopes, and loves full sun. It matures very slowly and is very challenging to grow (1). General Information Ephedra (common name) comes from the family Ephedraceae. It has several scientific names that depend upon the plants founding location; Ephedra major (American), Ephedra trifurca (American), Ephedra nevadensis (American) are found in North America; and Ephedra sinica (Chinese- Ma Huang) is found in Asia. Other varieties of Ephedra can be found in Europe, India, and Pakistan. Ephedra was initially found in a Neolithic grave in the Middle East. This evidence may indicate that Ephedra was used as a medicine more than 60,000 year ago. In China, Ephedra was the first herbal remedy to yield an active constituent, in this case ephedrine. The first isolation of ephedrine was in 1887, by a Japanese chemist, N. Nagai (2,5). Folk and Historic Traditions The Zen Monks used Ephedra to encourage calm concentration during meditation. According to a legend, a tea containing Ephedra was given to the bodyguards of Genguis Khan, to keep them from falling asleep on sentry duty. Mormon Tea, one of Ephedra's folk names, stems from the use of the tea by Mormons; it was used as a replacement stimulant for the coffee and black tea the Mormons couldn't drink. In the 1800's Ephedra tea was served in Brothels, claiming to cure gonorrhea and syphilis. Ephedra tea today is not used as a cure; it will not cure these STD's (2). Medicinal Values The Medicinal use of Ephedra in China dates from approximately 2800B.C. In 1923 the practitioners of Western Medicine began their interest in Ephedra. Soon after, ephedrine became widely used as a nasal decongestant, a central nervous system stimulant, and a treatment for asthma in America. The isolated alkaloid originally obtained from Ephedra species, have been used in a substantial amount of prescription drugs and over-the-counter decongestants and allergy medications (2,4).

Learning Denied Essay

Controversy over the special education of apprentices with learning inability into usual classrooms provides substantial evidence in favor of special education. Although the heated debate which has risen over the pros and cons of special education remains intense, arguments supporting special education tend to outweigh those against special education. Protesters of special education think only of the children with a high chance of academic success. In my opinion, the apparent query is who has the right to judge that only mentally advantaged children should be afforded the opportunity of a normal classroom education? After all, more than just academics are learned in the classroom. Social interaction skills, for instance, also play a huge role in the education process. Simply because mentally disabled children do not have great academic potential does not mean they should be stripped from the experience of attending a regular classroom. In an investigation done by eight graduate students, ninety-three students from two inner-city public elementary schools were observed. The reason was to scrutinize the dissimilarities amongst apprentices with learning inability, students with little educational accomplishment, and learners with regular educational success. In each of the 22 classrooms involved in the study, two children labeled as learning disabled were mainstreamed. To some extent unexpected outcome of the trial was that the students with education disabilities showed a better school commitment than the learners with small attainment. In addition, the pupils with learning disabilities demonstrated a huge attention in the school lesson and, as a result, established more awareness from their teachers. The data received from the research investigation proves that disabled children, like other children have the desire and self-motivation to learn. This fact contradicts the statements made by opponents of special education, who claim that learning disabled children in the regular classroom will bring down the level of learning of the average students. Instead, it seems from the outcome of the investigation that the opponents of special education need to admit that it could be the children with low academic attainment, rather than the children with learning disabilities, that bring down the average students’ level of learning. Although children with learning disabilities may not fare as well on tests as low or average achievers, their presence in the regular classroom certainly will not hinder the success of the other students. It is a known fact that students will respond according to the expectations placed on them (Denny Taylor, 1990). Another concern of many protesters of special education is that learners with disabilities have social difficulties. They believe that learning-disabled students that are incorporated into the standard classroom will become outcasts. I agree with who claim that the special education of disabled students results in better socialization skills for the disabled children. In a study of the social relationships of students in special education classrooms, researchers found that learners with disabilities were well incorporated into the regular classroom social setting. The results clearly disprove the concern that students with learning disabilities would be outcasts in a regular classroom. Another advantage of special education pointed out by experts is that exceptional children in a mainstreamed classroom will learn to accept people despite their differences. Nondiscrimination is an important life lesson, and special education provides the opportunity for children to learn it. In addition to reducing discrimination among peers, special education promotes a system of cooperation. Students are forced to work together and create a cooperative, not competitive, environment. All of the previous listed advantages of special education are part of the goal of mainstreaming which is to â€Å"create a classroom/community where all children can work together, learn, and develop mutually supportive repertoires with peers and adults. † Realizing mainstream or special needs education depends on many factors outside and inside the school. Mainstreaming or special needs education should be part of an encompassing development in society, in which the concept of disability and the position of people with disabilities and/or special needs are changing. In this perspective, persons with special needs should be seen as citizens who have rights within the society as a whole, and no longer should they be seen primarily in terms of their need for special care and treatment; the last to be treated for reasons of efficiency and convenience in special settings. Regardless of special need (handicap or disability), everybody should be treated as an integral member of society. The particular services essential must be offered inside the structure of the communal, learning, physical condition, and other services accessible to all associates of society. Without a solid inclusion-oriented people, comprehensive schools are not possible. Inclusion in education should be measured as one of the numerous features of inclusion in society (Mary Konya Weishaar, 2000). Solution to the Issues: A main task for the administration is to generate sufficient circumstances for the completion of inclusive or special needs education. Without sufficient government involvement, and without the government playing a leading role in promoting legislation, giving financial support, and developing policies, inclusive education will only receive lip-service. An obvious, complete, and decisive strategy declaration might take steps as a means to all stakeholders in teaching: policymakers, majors, educators, parents, amalgamations, non-government associations, referring organizations, and other experts. Schools and, therefore, principals, teachers, and parents are the active agents in the process of developing and implementing plans for mainstream or special needs education. Special education depends heavily on how schools organize their education and what teachers do in their classrooms. If the uniqueness of every child is the central focus of the school system, then finding manageable ways to meet those specific, individual needs is the main responsibility of the regular classroom teacher. Special education is not just an issue of placement of a special needs student in the regular classroom setting; it means both innovation and changes in regular schools as well as in special education schools (Arlene Sacks, 2001). Conclusion: The focus of the inclusive, special needs approach therefore is to support the regular special education school system, that is, the management, the regular classroom teacher and others involved in the teaching process. It should be part of a total school-wide reform resulting in some fundamental changes of policy, philosophy, structure, organization, curriculum, the instructional process, and the management of resources of the regular school. The most important meaning in this attitude modification ought to be that a regular instructor senses an ethical and societal obligation, and is capable and prepared adequately to offer teaching to learners with special wants, making utmost utilization of the resources that are offered. In order to achieve this attitude change, pre-service and in-service training should be provided, not only for teachers working in the program but also for principals and other personnel involved. The true coordinators of the special education process are the teachers. Each pair of teachers that work together must have the desire to teach all children in the least restrictive environment. The extra time and planning involved in creating such an environment requires an enormous amount of devotion. Jamaicans owe everything to the caring teachers who go out of their way to help our country’s children. If only everyone could see the benefits reaped from special education instead of showing a stubborn resistance to change, more children would gain the opportunity to succeed in life. Children are our future, and each child, regardless of intellectual capability, deserves a fair chance. References: Taylor, Denny. 1990. Learning Denied. Published by Heinemann. Hofstra University Foreword by William L. Wansart Weishaar, Mary Konya. 2000. Inclusive Educational Administration: A Case Study Approach. Published by McGraw Hill Sacks, Arlene. 2001. Special Education: A Reference Handbook. Published by ABC-CLIO