Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Msc. Management (FT) Essays

Msc. Management (FT) Essays Msc. Management (FT) Essay Msc. Management (FT) Essay Q1. Based on your own experience of traditional bookselling and your exploration of online bookselling, compare willingness-to-pay for books supplied by these two business models. In the US, the traditional bookselling had a market of about 26 million dollars in the year 1996 and had grown to about 33 million dollars in the year 2001.   It is growing at the rate of about 4.8 % per annum.   An average American citizen buys about 10 books a year in 1996.   Book buying usually increases during the weekends and during the fourth quarter of the year.   Usually individuals between the ages of 35 to 75, buy books. In the US, more than 50, 000 new titles are published every year.   However, people read both old and new releases.   When considering traditional bookstalls, it is important to take into consideration the publishers, wholesalers and the retailers.   One of the most popular publishers in the US is Simon Schuster (which hold a 11 % share of the market).   In recent years, many of the small publishers have been taken over by the larger ones as they were facing loses and it was increasingly becoming difficult to maintain relationships with writers and retailers.   In the traditional system of book vending, the publishers for bulk purchasers offer huge amounts of discounts to retailers and wholesalers.   Retailers are offered a discount of about 55 %, whereas wholesalers are offered a margin slightly above that.   However, there has been a lot of controversy in this regard, due to apparent favoritism.   Hence, many of tee publishers are now made to sign agreements with t he retailers and the wholesalers, regarding the amount of discounts that could be offered.   In the traditional system, the retailers and the wholesalers can return books to the publisher and they would get a full refund of the money.   However, it may be difficult to return the soft copies such as CD’s to get a credit on the amount.   The practice of returning the books to the publisher has developed as early as the depression period, in which retailers were guaranteed return of the unsold copies so that only the popular books could be kept on the shelves.   The number of return of books is rising gradually, as people want to read the new books and the best sellers.   In the year 1986, returns of the books were in the range of 15 to 25 % and in 1996 it rose to 30 %.   These books have to be recycled or sold through alternative ways with discounts. Baker and Taylor were one of the major wholesalers in the US and Ingram Books was another major wholesaler.   These wholesalers provided the retailers with discounts and volume-based purchases.   They acted as middlemen between the publisher and the retailer.   Although, the costs of services were slightly higher, they performed many functions for the convenience of the retailer and the publisher including speedy delivery, after sales services, free-services, cutting the gaps between the manufacturer and retailer, accepting feedback, etc. Retailers on the other hand have increasingly beginning to gain an important share in the market since the 1970’s.   The two largest chain stores in the US included Dalton and Waldenbooks.   There were several developments at the retail end of the book stores which really improved production of books and several other aspects including author profiles, wholesales, etc.   Supermarkets, malls and libraries began to be developed so that retailing could pick up.   One of the largest book chains stores in the US has been Barnes and Noble.   It employees about 20, 000 staff and had made sales of about 2.45 million dollars in the year 1996.   Barnes and Nobles remained as two separate store chains and were actually combined by Leonard Riggio in the year 1971.   The company has several stores in New York, Manhattan and Boston.   Barnes and Noble acquired Dalton chain of stores in 1985 for about 300 million dollars.   Barnes and Noble have also started with other busi nesses in the field of books.   They also have mail order book services and book clubs.   Barnes and Noble also set up shop in Canada, but it has major operations in the US.   The procurement of books for the malls and superstores of Barnes and Nobles has been centralized. Jeff Bezos had founded Amazon.com in the year 1995 and it reached sales of about 16 million dollars in the year 1996.   About 7600 employees were present in the organization in that year.   Amazon.com can reach much more people compared to Barnes and Noble, but it can sell only online, unlike Barnes and Noble.   Online booking selling seems to have one disadvantage over store book selling.   The customers in the stores are able to feel the book and read excerpts of the book.   In such a circumstance, they would be more interested in buying the book and would find the book its money’s worth.   With time, the internet is beginning to change, and many of the manufacturers are beginning to show case the product and actually permit the customer to sample it using the internet.   With the bookshelf model, it does seem that it would be costly to get the investment to setup the place, build shelves and get the logistics.   In comparison, an online store does not requir e much of investment and infrastructure.   The customer can access the online bookstore from almost any part of the world and can select the book.   The user would need only a computer, an Internet connection, and a membership username and within a short period of time the product would be delivered to the house. Willingness to pay is the maximum money the customer would be willing to pay for a product and it would demonstrate that the customer is concerned about the quality of the product; costs spend on the production and the good name of the product.   This characteristic varies from one individual to another and from one company to another.   Several characteristics play a major role including the quality, brand name, reputation, equity, etc.   Studies have shown that when the price of a product was lowered, below the willingness to pay, the customer is more likely to obtain the product.   The customer would obtain the product satisfactorily, if the price equals the willingness to pay.   The customer would not be happy if the price of the product is higher than the willingness to pay.   Barnes and Noble has a good reputation and has it stores located in various parts of the US.   The customers have a high willingness to pay for their products.   On the other hand, the will ingness to pay is lower for Amazon.com as the reputation and quality anticipated is not as high compared to Barnes and Noble.   Although people are paying more money for Barnes and Noble products, they feel they are obtaining more value for their money compared to Amazon.com.   Barnes and Noble is an older product and has a better reputation than Amazon.com.   People are more likely to trust Barnes and Noble.   In the US, Barnes and noble is a household name with several local stores.   On the other hand, Amazon.com is an online store. Q2. Assess Barnes Nobles response to the substitution threat from Amazon. How did Amazon respond and to what effect? When Amazon was launched in the year 1995, it was termed as the ‘Earths biggest river-Earths biggest bookstore’.   In the year 1995, the company ran it sales up to 0.5 million dollars, 16 million dollars in 1997 and 82 million dollars in the year 1997.   Amazon.com was eating into the sustainability of Barnes and Noble.   Substitution threat is a situation in which one player would be using an opportunity created by the vacuum left by the shortcomings or the deficiency of the other player.   The extent to which the opportunity exists depends on the characteristics of either player.   Amazon was using the deficiencies of Barnes and Noble to a great extent.   They were exploiting the limitations to store shopping and using the benefits of online business.   They were many ways in which Amazon were using the substitution threat such recombining, straddling, fighting, harvesting, etc.   However, Barnes and Noble began to attack Amazon’s online strategy in January 1997.   The company went online and offered the customers huge discounts for online hardcover and paperback versions (up to 30 %).   At the same time it also filed a litigation against Amazon.com for having the slogan â€Å"Earth’s biggest bookstore’, when it was actually not.   It wanted to launch an all-round offensive against Amazon.   Barnes and Noble felt that Amazon was not a bookseller but a book broker.   Using the substitution threat again, Barnes and Noble wanted to dominate the online book market.   Barnes and Noble wanted to become the leader in online bookselling by displacing Amazon within a period of two years.   They felt that online business offered much greater opportunities, as people could not find a bookstore with a variety. People from even other countries could do online shopping and improve the sales of the company.   The investment over infrastructure and setting up a shop was much higher compared to a bookstore compared to online shopping.   People, who did not have the time to search for a bookstore, could now do it setting in the comfort of their homes.   This seemed to be one of the greatest advantages of online shopping.   Through online shopping, the books could be advertised and marketed and this could really boost sales.   Barnes and Noble operated a sorting facility in Jamesburg, and slowly this facility began to expand.   They developed a very efficient strategy in comparison to Amazon, and claimed to bring the book to the customer much faster than what Amazon actually did.   However, the operations of both, Barnes and Noble and Amazon were similar.   Barnes and Noble also created better web features compared to Amazon.   They also separated out the online operations from the bookstore in order to evade tax.   At the back end of the operations, Barnes and Noble also tried to establish relations with the publishers and the wholesalers.   One advantage the company had observed was that the operations were much lesser compared to a standard bookstore as infrastructure costs were saved.   Barnes and Noble soon began to offer to the online customers, books at the wholesale or warehouse rates.   The company also offered several services.   Many people felt that the services offered by Barnes and Noble were much similar to that offered by Amazon.   The software tool of Barnes and Noble was much superior to that of Amazon.   The company permitted the customers to store personal data and also buy the books very easily.   They also signed up with several Internet organizations such as AOL and the New York Times to provide extra services.   AOL provided software and news services. Once Barnes and Noble actually entered into the online market, Amazon began to feel the heat and suggested breakthrough measures for the customers in order to increase their sales.   They offered higher discounts to the customers (up to 40 %) and added more than a million titles to the online book collections.   They also offered personalized services so that the customer could use the software and select books according to their personal preferences.   They also developed ties with several software giants such as Yahoo, Excite and AOL.com.   The company developed a very strong advisement and publicity strategy so that the public could select its products compared to that of Barnes and Noble. The services provided by Barnes and Noble were much similar to that of Amazon but some of these services were different in nature.   Barnes and Noble were also trying to imitate the business of Amazon by using a successful business model.   By collaborating with some of the website with which Barnes and Noble also had combined.   As Barnes and Noble offered personalized services, it could be combined to the Harvesting model of substitution. Barnes and Noble also tried develop a website much richer than that of Amazon.   Barnes and Noble also began to involve the operations of the book supply system so as to improve the online strategy.   The software technology utilized by Barnes and Noble was also much superior to that of Amazon.   During the initial period Barnes and Noble failed to draw in huge customers. I do feel that the marketing strategy played by Barnes and Noble to launch its product was not very effective.   It was able to achieve its objectives only to some extent.   Amazon had its name already established in the online book market.   They were seeking to make relationships with the customers and improve their business further.  Ã‚   Although Amazon had already established itself in the market, Barnes and Noble were eating up its share. Q3. Considering both Barnes Nobel and Amazon, how sustainable will their respective business models be in the future? Who will be the online leader? Give reasons. Sustainability of a business is threatened by imitation, substitution, holdup and slack.   The added value of the business is threatened by imitation and substitution.   The added values cannot be used to obtain the benefits if holdup and slack threats are present.   In fact holdup may divert the benefits to the suppliers and the customers.   Several factors are present in the market, which would help to determine the ability to attract.   These five factors that may be present include: threat from several new comers, rivalry between the competitors, ability of the buyers to bargain or demand more, strength of the suppliers in the market, and the substitution threat (such as changes in technology).   Porter, an American Aeronautical engineer to determine the competitive strength of a business and to evaluate its market position, framed these factors or forces.   The Porters five-force analysis is frequently utilized with other management tools such as SWOT analysis and PEST analysis to determine the strategy a company should be following.   Companies can also develop business decisions and plan investment according to the Porters analysis (Chapman, 2005). The new entrant in the field on online bookselling was Amazon.com.   It began to be functional in the year 1996.   It had sales of about 150 million dollars in the year 1997.   It had also developed huge amount of losses in the year 1996 and 1997.   Bezos had actually developed Amazon.com keeping in mind the potential of the Internet.   Jeff Bezos was also found of the bookselling business, and seeking the huge potential of the Internet.   He founded the Amazon.com Inc, and had a stake of about 41 %.   He was much fascinated with online trading in other fields and soon began to employ it for book selling.   He developed the slogan Earths biggest river-Earths biggest bookstore to describe his bookstore.   Amazon developed a virtual storehouse, which was catering to its online operations.   This was located in Seattle. The company on purpose did not offer huge amount of graphics to the users on its website as it felt that the speed of downloading would be reduced. The competitors of Amazon.com in the field of online bookselling were Barnes and Noble.   This was basically following the slogan â€Å"Earths biggest bookstore, which it strongly opposed and brought about a lawsuit.   The first thing that Barnes and noble did was to have litigation against Amazon.com for using this slogan.   Barnes and Noble claimed that Amazon was a mere agent that was passing on the books to the public.   The company began to offer huge amounts of discounts that bought books from them online.   About 20 % discount was offered for the paperback versions and 30 % for the hardbound versions.   The company initially planned to become the top online bookseller within a period of two years.   Barnes and Noble developed its own sorting out facility for Internet orders at Jamesburg.   They started to compete with Amazon.com in beating them out in promptly serving the customers with the orders.   They were able to delivery the orders faster to the custom ers, but their charges were similar to that of Amazon.com.   The graphics of the website that belonged to Barnes and Noble was much more esthetically pleasing compared to Amazon.com.   The site began to provide with personalized services.   The company claimed that it did not have to pay much for initiating online operations.   Barnes and Noble worked in collaboration with AOL.com.   This company was providing several online services to its customers.   It had provided great software support to Barnes and Noble.   It also collaborated with The New York Times in providing a book review. The buyers are the people who actually purchase the books from the booksellers. They would be looking at several benefits they would be having from the company which include the costs of the books, marketing, advertisement, brand name, services provided, reputation, delivery time, discounts provided, range of after sales services, etc.   The education level, nationality and intelligence of the buyers play a major role in determining the book company they would be selecting.   Even Bill Gates was one of Amazon’s customers, and it felt that the website offered a huge collection within a very short period of time.   The online services offered by Amazon were very user friendly.   The company also provided several online services to the buyers such as information of the books, interview with the writers, etc.   Barnes and Noble went to provide a discount for the buyers.   The felt that the customers ha a huge benefit over Internet shopping.   They could save time and also access the Internet as per their time of convenience.   Even international customers were benefited through the online business model.   Amazon was able to offer greater amount of discounts to the customer and also seemed to have a larger online collection compared to Barnes and Noble. The fourth factor is the suppliers that provide the books to the online booksellers.   Ingram and Doubleday supply Amazon and Barnes and Noble has its own warehouse for supplies.   The booksellers should be able to obtain the logistics within a very short period and should be able to supply the customer immediately.   In an online shopping model, it is very important to answer to the demands of the customer immediately. The fifth factor is the substitution threat.   According to this threat one player would be filling up the deficiency created by another.   In this case, Amazon had left a very small gap, and Barnes and Noble were effective in filling this gap.   It provided the customers with discounts, and faster delivery times.   Besides, it was able to provide the customers with a more appealing website and personalized services. With relation to the online leader, I do feel that Amazon.com is more likely to be an online leader in book sales.   Amazon.com was the first to start with the concept of online book selling.   It was able to setup global or international customers much earlier than Barnes and Noble.   Although, they cannot be termed has having a bookstore, they are turning out to be good agents, providing highly specialized services to the customers.   The online collection and options that Amazon.com is providing is much larger as that compared to Barnes and Noble.   It is also providing greater amount of discounts compared to Barnes and Noble.   Amazon.com is exclusively an online vendor but Barnes and Noble is a bookstore vendor, which has recently extended its services online.   As Amazon provides its customers with other online services (shopping of other products), it could provide several other benefits to its customers.   The customers could also buy other products from its w ebsite.   Hence, on the whole, Amazon.com is more likely to provide a greater range of services compared to Barnes and Noble.   As Amazon does not have any offline trading, it is more flexible to incorporate changes than Barnes and Noble.   Hence, they are more likely to adapt to changes in the market.   Amazon would also be spending less money on infrastructure and hence is in a better position to offer discounts to the customers and at the same time make profits.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

10 Facts About the Element Iodine (Atomic Number 53 or I)

10 Facts About the Element Iodine (Atomic Number 53 or I) Iodine is element 53 on the periodic table, with element symbol I. Iodine is an element you encounter in iodized salt and some dyes. A small amount of iodine is essential for nutrition, while too much is toxic. Here are facts about this interesting, colorful element. The Name Iodine comes from the Greek word iodes, which means violet. Iodine vapor is violet-colored. The element was discovered in 1811 by French chemist Bernard Courtois. Courtois discovered iodine by accident while he was making saltpeter for use in the Napoleonic Wars. Making saltpeter required sodium carbonate. To get sodium carbonate, Courtois burned seaweed, washed the ash with water, and added sulfuric acid to remove contaminants. Courtois discovered adding an excess of sulfuric acid produced a cloud of purple vapor. While Courtois believed the vapor was a previously unknown element, he couldnt afford to research it, so he offered samples of the gas to his friends, Charles Bernard Desormes and Nicolas Clement. They characterized the new material and made Courtois discovery public. Isotopes Many isotopes of iodine are known. All of them are radioactive except for I-127, which is the only isotope found in nature. Because there is only one natural isotope of iodine, its atomic weight is precisely known, rather than an average of isotopes like most elements. Color and Other Properties Solid iodine is blue-black in color, with a metallic sheen. At ordinary temperatures and pressures, iodine sublimates into its violet gas, so the liquid form is not seen. The color of iodine follows a trend seen in the halogens: they appear progressively darker as you move down the group of the periodic table. This trend happens because the wavelengths of light absorbed by the elements increases due to the behavior of the electrons. Iodine is slightly soluble in water and more soluble in nonpolar solvents. Its melting point and boiling point are the highest of the halogens. The bond between atoms in the diatomic molecule is the weakest in the element group. Halogen Iodine is a halogen, which is a type of non-metal. It is located beneath fluorine, chlorine, and bromine on the periodic table, making it the heaviest stable element in the halogen group. Thyroid The thyroid gland uses iodine to make the hormones thyroxine and triiodotyronine. Insufficient iodine leads to development of a goiter, which is a swelling of the thyroid gland. Iodine deficiency is believed to be the leading preventable cause of mental retardation. Excessive iodine symptoms are similar to those of iodine insufficiency. Iodine toxicity is more severe if a person has a selenium deficiency. Compounds Iodine occurs in compounds and as the diatomic molecule I2. Medical Purpose Iodine is used extensively in medicine. However, some people develop a chemical sensitivity to iodine. Sensitive individuals may develop a rash when swabbed with tincture of iodine. In rare cases, anaphylactic shock has resulted from medical exposure to iodine. Food Source Natural food sources of iodine are seafood, kelp and plants grown in iodine-rich soil. Potassium iodide often is added to table salt to produce iodized salt. Atomic Number The atomic number of iodine is 53, meaning all atoms of iodine possess 53 protons. Commercial Source Commercially, iodine is mined in Chile and extracted from iodine-rich brine, notably from the oilfields in the US and Japan. Prior to this, iodine was extracted from kelp. Iodine Element Fast Facts Element Name: IodineElement Symbol: IAtomic Number: 53Atomic Weight: 126.904Group: Group 17 (Halogens)Period: Period 5Appearance: Metallic blue-black solid; violet gasElectron Configuration: [Kr] 4d10  5s2  5p5Melting Point: 386.85  K  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹(113.7  Ã‚ °C, ​236.66  Ã‚ °F)Boiling Point: 457.4  K ​(184.3  Ã‚ °C, ​363.7  Ã‚ °F) Sources Davy, Humphry (1 January 1814). Some Experiments and Observations on a New Substance Which Becomes a Violet Coloured Gas by Heat. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 104: 74. doi:10.1098/rstl.1814.0007Emsley, John (2001). Natures Building Blocks (Hardcover, First ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 244–250. ISBN 0-19-850340-7.Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-08-037941-9.Swain, Patricia A. (2005). Bernard Courtois (1777–1838) famed for discovering iodine (1811), and his life in Paris from 1798 (PDF). Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. 30 (2): 103.Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

New Product Development is the Key to Apple's Marketing Success Coursework

New Product Development is the Key to Apple's Marketing Success - Coursework Example The latest product introduced by Apple is the iPhone 4S. Apple announced the launch of iBooks 2 for iPad which would feature iBooks textbooks, iTunes U application for iPhone, iPad and for iPod touch (Apple Inc-a, 2012). Apple aims to bring the best experience for its customers through its product and services. The business strategy of Apple is to leverage the unique abilities of designing and developing the company’s own operating system, software and hardware in order to provide its customers with superior products and innovative designs. The company believes in innovation which is the key strategy for the success of the company; as a result, Apple invests in its research and development in order to introduce new and innovative products. Apart from its R&D, the company also invests in its marketing and advertisement as a part of Apple strategy to stay ahead of its competitors. Apple strategy also includes expansion of its distribution network to reach more clients and provid e the potential customers with high quality of sales and post purchase experience (Apple Inc, 2011, p.1). New Product Development Any changes made to a product are termed as new product development. ... New product development is one of the key strategies of Apple; it is through new product that the company has been able to taste success being one of the leading companies globally. Apple launches new product in the markets to stay ahead of its competitors, to continue the product life cycle, to give the customers what they need, and to enhance the strategy. According to Steve Jobs, new product lines tend to give people the products which are needed by the consumers. The company expresses its vision with the help of its product, exciting the customers and making them proud of owing an Apple product. The life cycle of any product needs to be modified carefully. Apple introduces new product when its earlier products are entering the maturity phase of the PLC giving no or less chance to its competitors to stay ahead. Thus, with continuous innovation, Apple provides a huge competitive edge over its competitors and helps in maintaining its number one position. With its innovation strategy the company has introduced many new products and also planned to launch few more in the coming years or so. Apple has applied a strategy of continuously milking its cash cow and has done a fantastic job. Each of its products, ranging from the Mac, iPhone, and iPod has been fertile, speaking about leverage designs and supply chain. The main motive of milking its product is to stay competitive in the market. Apple product possesses elegant design which integrates software, hardware and its services. One of the closest competitors of Apple is Android which has come up with similar products and is doing quite well in the market. Therefore, Apple should constantly introduce new products with elegant design which is the USP of Apple for its consumers. Apple

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Discussion of Dance for Life Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Discussion of Dance for Life Program - Essay Example The 40 different weekly sessions involved in the program have drawn an initial 1,500 people in the first year to its current 20,000. Most of the people involved are under 18 and almost half come from minority ethnic communities. Classes in Dance For Life include salsa, street dance, modern dance and dance exercise, as well as others. (Dance for Life). The program has only been funded for three years but Middleton has gotten the support of many civic groups and has the program running strong. Their website discusses their objectives in detail, which include their focus on empowering young people to deal with obesity and stress. In addition to these weekly classes, Dance For Life has a professional dance group, Stance, that has workshops in the Bradford District at schools and youth groups. This company of 5 dancers have arrangements that "talk" about social issues including bullying, communication and how they feel "living in their own skin" (Dance for Life). Teachers comments have included: "Children all enjoyed the workshops and were fully engaged throughout" and "Excellent performance - pupils totally absorbed". The kids involved have commented positively as well. The following is an example of the classe s offered: 1. Asian Women's Exercise Women only; informal classes run by Dance for Life for Asian women; Thursday mornings at Attock Community Association 2. Belly Dancing @ Cafe West Informal classes run by Dance for Life for children and young people; Thursday evenings at Cafe West, Allerton 3. Breakdance for Children and Young People Informal classes run by Dance for Life for children and young people; YMCA, Little Horton 4. Classes for Children and Young People Informal classes run by Dance for Life for children and young people; various times and locations throughout the Bradford area 5. Contemporary Dance Informal classes run by Dance for Life; Tuesday evenings at Bradford College Using multiple agencies as support has been one of Middleton's primary efforts, and has organizations such as the Health Improvement Fund, the Children's Fund, the Bradford Council and other community service groups included. A common agenda among these groups is disease prevention and health education of the public, especially about non-communicable diseases that have surpassed communicable disease in global mortality (Scriven 2003:2). A new public health agenda in the UK has emerged and building multi-professional understanding and capabilities has become crucial to the success of their programs. Health promotion The whole idea of health promotion was only coined in the 1970's and has loosely been explained as a confluence of "health education, self-care movements, public health, preventative medicine and the women's movement" (Scriven 2003:1). But defining health promotion has brought about many different points of views from egalitarian to radical politics. In the article by Scriven, health promotion is called "the radical militant wing" of public health. There are four types of health promotion (Scriven 2003:6). The primary level focuses all of its energy toward the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Stereotype of Intolerance Essay Example for Free

The Stereotype of Intolerance Essay I have many international friends in my area, with whom I have shared good times and bad.   I have slept in their homes, and even been considered by their parents a genuine part of their families.   Yet I disliked the fact that Indian families may often act only the basis of emotions.   I blamed their emotionally charged natures on the Indian soap operas they watched day after day.   I disliked those Indian shows even though I had watched only two of them in my entire life.    Still, I knew that it was best not to feel negative emotions in myself.   I had to stop being stereotypically intolerant, after all, and love my friends as I loved my own family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Indian dramas that my friends’ families loved to watch daily were just slow motion pictures in my opinion.   Each moment of each drama focused on lethargic and unreal adventures in emotions.   Nothing went very far.   Crying; getting offensive about everything under the bright blue sky; and blaming one another were the themes of the shows.   I disliked them with all my heart.   And, whenever it was time for my friends’ families to watch those Indian shows, I found myself leaving their homes.   I was even uncomfortable leaving in those moments, given that my own negative emotions were obnoxious enough to seem to strangle me because I did not understand them at all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to understand my emotions, in the face of the fact that I loved my Indian â€Å"families,† I made an effort to watch â€Å"Kyunke Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thee† (2006) with my friends another time.   While watching the show this time, I was observant of my own reactions and feelings.   At the same time, I observed the others in the TV lounge watching the show with me.   Two of Vijay’s aunts sobbed during the show.   To my surprise, Vijay, his mom, and his dad also started to laugh during the show soon after I had witnessed the sobbing aunts.   I relaxed there and then, and from that point on, the show was a breeze.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though â€Å"Kyunke Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thee† lasts only thirty minutes each time, five days a week, I disliked it the first two times I watched it.   I believed that it was the TV drama that had taught my Indian friends to overreact to certain emotional issues in the past.   I also believed that the emotional drama was a bad influence on me. Obviously, I was being oversensitive at the same time as I blamed the drama for teaching oversensitivity to its viewers.   Besides, I was not thinking that it is the individual himself with the prerogative to allow conditioning of any sort.   Nobody can force us to be influenced by anything.   Thus, being stereotypically intolerant is nobody’s problem except our own.   The good news is that it is possible for us to get rid of our stereotypes by analyzing them like I did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now I have stopped detesting the Indian shows that I previously could not digest.   I can stay in my friends’ homes as long as I please.   Apart from this, I have understood that my Indian â€Å"families† have a right to feel and believe whatever they do.   Choosing emotions over the intellect many a times is their choice and responsibility.   And if I love them, I must do so regardless of the different perspectives we have about dealing with ourselves and others. While I imagine that I am granting my Indian friends this â€Å"space to breathe,† in actuality this space is mine to occupy.   I give up my stereotypical intolerance today – and for ever – but only after realizing that I had adopted this stereotype subconsciously, or perhaps just by observing it in society.   After analyzing this stereotype, I feel like a different, freer person altogether.   For sure, it was difficult to breathe in negativity. References â€Å"Kyunke Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thee.† Star Plus (30 December 2006). TV Series.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Epicureans: A Debate Essays -- Philosophy, Rosenbaum, Luper

My topic focuses on Rosenbaum’s defense of the epicurean view, Luper’s critique of this view and my argument on who has a stronger position in regards to the topic. I am going to do this by describing both arguments in a detailed manner. Rosenbaum defends the epicurean view while Luper argues against, both sides provide excellent arguments and my argument is that which I feel is more superior. Rosenbaum defends the epicurean view throughout his essay. Epicurus â€Å"argued that since death is neither good or bad for the person dead and since the fear of that which is not bad for one is groundless, it is unreasonable to fear death† (Benatar, 175). A person when dead is lifeless and therefore cannot feel anything. This person is nonexistent and according to Rosenbaum because of this, the statement of whether death is good or bad does not apply to this situation. Since one cannot feel anything, one cannot experience a death situation and determine whether it is good or bad. Therefore it does not matter and there is no reason to fear death. According to Rosenbaum there are three different concepts, which must be understood. These are, dying, death and being dead. The first two are often not distinguished; Rosenbaum says they must be distinguished as they mean two completely different things. â€Å"Dying we may say is the process whereby one comes to dead or the process wherein certain causes operate to bring about one’s being dead† (Benatar, 176). This is essentially the last phase of one’s life. It is the prelude to death itself. It is the process, which leads to becoming dead. Rosenbaum goes on to explain, â€Å"the process of dying may be comfortable or uncomfortable† (Benatar, 176). The process leading to eventua... ...uper’s argument he is missing the point of Epicurus’s argument, which Rosenbaum has further explained. Of the two arguments Rosenbaum’s argument arguably has more points to back up the epicurean view than Luper’s. Luper’s is based on assumptions and we cannot live on assumptions. In my essay, I provided a detailed description of both Rosenbaum’s argument and Luper’s in an unbiased manner. I did this by highlighting the main points of both arguments and getting this main point across. Both sides of the arguments are presented and I contrast and compare deciding which one I feel is superior. In my argument, I present points, which I have, accurate counter points for, from each argument. In conclusion, Rosenbaum and Luper both present arguments both for and against the Epicurean view, this essay is mainly describing each one and choosing a side at the end.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Urban Ministry: the Kingdom of God Response

From the section â€Å"Did I really say that? †: â€Å"Tell us you made it, Zack. Be our example of a rich man who broke free from the grasp of greed. Tell us you won the struggle with mammon and abandoned yourself to the Christ who touched you. Tell us, Zack, that we can be liberated from the power of privilege. † This paragraph is really powerful to me. Even though compared to some people like celebrities and such, we may not seem so rich, but overall, we live a life of abundance. We are constantly striving to achieve more in life too, like what we have is never enough. And for the most part, the things we strive for really don’t benefit us spiritually. When you think about it, having really nice jobs leads to more money, which eventually turns into greed and brings out the worst in most people. I really like the statement and thoughts the author says above. If we are too busy being chained down to our jobs and money and social status, we can never truly focus on what truly is important. From â€Å"Kingdom Playgrounds†: One of my favorite verses is â€Å"Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven† (Matthew 18:3). It sounds like a simple thing to do-to act like children-but it really isn’t. We are so corrupted today, that it sometimes sounds silly to go back to acting like children. Children are innocent and care free about the ridiculous things that adults worry about. And if you go back to being innocent and care free, then you can really see the little things that children see, and really appreciate those things. Love isn’t seen as a complexity as it is to adults; children love everyone. They see past the negative in others and see only the positive.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Proposition 8

Do you believe society should have the ability to determine if same sex partners should marry? Determining your soul partners should be a privilege for all, such as homosexuals, lesbians, gays, bisexuals etc. and not society. Homosexuals are not abnormal humans, so there is no reason to treat them any different, after all they are citizens who oblige to the same jurisdictions. In the brief article, 8 Is Not Hate: The Meaning of a proposition by Jennifer Roback Morse, Morse explains how marriage is a gender-based institution that attaches mothers and fathers to each other and to their children, but I disagree with her theory of marriage.I believe marriage is based on the love, trust, and the ability to provide for one another. If you were brought into this world as a homosexual then who are you to deny marriage to same sex partners, because although you deny marriage to same sex couples they’re not going to change their beliefs and values just because society does not accept th em for who they are. Same sex couples should have the ability to choose their own spouses, without having to deal with ignorant bigots such as those who won’t accept others preferences, because of religious beliefs and values morals.If homosexuals have the same responsibility, consequences, and obligations as straight people then there is no reason to keep marriage away from same sex partner. Being homophobic is having fear of or contempt for lesbians and gays. Proposition 8 is seen as a discriminating proposition towards to gays and lesbians, because same sex couples are judged by almost all who don’t accept their sexual desires.Not only are homosexuals judged but they are also verbally assaulted, physically harmed, and even threatened by homophobic bullies who have hate against same sex couples. I experienced this discrimination and bullying three months ago. I have a co-worker whose name is Rene and that is gay and I got to be good friends with him over the summer. He described how he would go to school and he would have students call him names, and at times physically harm him because of his sexual preference.I asked him when he realized he was gay and he told me he always liked girl accessory for some reason. It’s like if he was born gay so what can he do about it? He is a very confident young man and explained how he wants to marry his boyfriend, so why can’t he choose who to marry his soul mate. I don’t believe anyone should have the ability to decide on other people’s ability to marry, only god can decide that and apparently he doesn’t mind because he put homosexuals into this world so why deny the love they share for each other.If gays/lesbians don’t have ability to decide if straight people could get married then I don’t believe straights should decide who homosexuals should marry. Proposition 8 is denying same-sex partners to marry through civil law then there should be no implementation s on the religious side. Morse also describes how, â€Å"The court changed the jurisprudence of sexual orientation discrimination cases, giving same sex-couples the highest level of protection.This means that in contest between religious liberty and sexual orientation discrimination, religious liberty would almost always lose. † (p. 83) Morse is describing how the court ruled over religion because in reality same-sex couples that get married through civil law have nothing to do with religion. If same-sex partners do not get married under religion, then there is no reason for people who believe in religion and marriage as only heterosexual couples to decide if homosexuals have the ability to marry.In the bill of right of the United States the first amendment states how congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting free exercise thereof. If being a homosexual is a free exercise and no law Is made to respect religion, then there shouldnâ€⠄¢t be a proposition banning the same- sex marriage, because it is only in the bill of rights to do as you please as long as it’s in the jurisdiction bounds. . Our society is not as tolerant as it used to be, but that doesn’t mean it should be tolerant towards certain issues such as the one on proposition 8.Homosexuals will not stop fighting this issue because marriage is a part of life and if religion does not have anything to do with this issue because they are getting married through the civil law, then let them live just like they let us live. Voting no on proposition eight is what everyone should do not only because it’s the right thing to do but also because in the end they will not turn straight just because society does not let them marry. Same-sex couples will not stop fighting this issue that has to do with their realties and not ours, so let them be.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Teaching Perspective

Teaching Perspective Teaching to me is broken down into two major facets. The first being that you are there to help teach new subjects to children that they need to comprehend and learn what is being taught in the classroom. Second, teachers need to be able to help children apply what they learn in everyday life. This is why I want to teach so very badly. I want to be able to help people grow, mature, and learn life’s lessons. I think that teachers have the greatest possible job because they will be able to affect the minds of 20 –30 kids every single year for the rest of their lives. When you think about how much of your life is spent in a classroom from preschool up to your senior year of high school, it is amazing. Today’s youth needs people that want to be there to help them learn about things for their future. Parents put a lot of trust and faith in teachers to help their children progress in life. This is why teaching excites me so much. I want to help shape the minds of tomorrow’s future. One thing I know is that some children don’t get enough guidance or attention from their parents at home. They come to school because they want to feel important and learn new things everyday. These are kids that want to make a difference, whether they realize it or not. I cannot wait to be with these children everyday. These kids have endless possibilities for their future, and I want to help make their dreams become reality. Every student is special in their own way, and brings unique characteristics to the table. I want to help these children excel to the highest levels they can everyday. Teaching allows you to see your results on many different levels, and that is an exciting aspect about it. I know that as I got older, it seemed my parents got busier with their lives and started to pay less attention to me. School was my way to feel proud about things I was doing on a daily basis. Now my parents we... Free Essays on Teaching Perspective Free Essays on Teaching Perspective Teaching Perspective Teaching to me is broken down into two major facets. The first being that you are there to help teach new subjects to children that they need to comprehend and learn what is being taught in the classroom. Second, teachers need to be able to help children apply what they learn in everyday life. This is why I want to teach so very badly. I want to be able to help people grow, mature, and learn life’s lessons. I think that teachers have the greatest possible job because they will be able to affect the minds of 20 –30 kids every single year for the rest of their lives. When you think about how much of your life is spent in a classroom from preschool up to your senior year of high school, it is amazing. Today’s youth needs people that want to be there to help them learn about things for their future. Parents put a lot of trust and faith in teachers to help their children progress in life. This is why teaching excites me so much. I want to help shape the minds of tomorrow’s future. One thing I know is that some children don’t get enough guidance or attention from their parents at home. They come to school because they want to feel important and learn new things everyday. These are kids that want to make a difference, whether they realize it or not. I cannot wait to be with these children everyday. These kids have endless possibilities for their future, and I want to help make their dreams become reality. Every student is special in their own way, and brings unique characteristics to the table. I want to help these children excel to the highest levels they can everyday. Teaching allows you to see your results on many different levels, and that is an exciting aspect about it. I know that as I got older, it seemed my parents got busier with their lives and started to pay less attention to me. School was my way to feel proud about things I was doing on a daily basis. Now my parents we...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Monarch Migration

Monarch Migration The phenomenon of monarch migration in North America is well known, and quite extraordinary in the insect world. There are no other insects in the world that migrate twice each year for close to 3,000 miles. Monarchs living east of the Rocky Mountains in North America fly south each fall, gathering in central Mexicos Oyamel fir forest for the winter. Millions of monarchs gather in the this forest area, covering the trees so densely that branches break from their weight. Scientists aren’t sure how the butterflies navigate to a place they have never been. No other population of monarchs migrates this far. The Migrant Generation: The monarch butterflies that emerge from chrysalides in late summer and early fall differ from the previous generations. These migrant butterflies appear the same but behave quite differently. They will not mate or lay eggs. They feed on nectar, and cluster together during the cool evenings to stay warm. Their only purpose is to prepare for and make the flight south successfully. You can see a monarch emerge from its chrysalis in the photo gallery. Environmental factors trigger the migration. Fewer hours of daylight, cooler temperatures, and diminishing food supplies tell the monarchs it is time to move south. In March, the same butterflies that made the journey south will begin the return trip. The migrants fly to the southern U.S., where they mate and lay eggs. Their descendants will continue the migration north. In the northernmost part of the monarchs range, it may be the great grandchildren of the migrants that finish the trip. How Scientists Study Monarch Migration: In 1937, Frederick Urquhart was the first scientist to tag monarch butterflies in a quest to learn about their migration. In the 1950’s, he recruited a handful of volunteers to help in the tagging and monitoring efforts. Monarch tagging and research is now conducted by several universities with the help of thousands of volunteers, including school children and their teachers. The tags used today are small adhesive stickers, each printed with a unique ID number and contact information for the research project. A tag is placed on the butterfly’s hindwing, and does not impede flight. A person who finds a tagged monarch can report the date and location of the sighting to the researcher. The data collected from each season’s tags provides scientists with information about the migration path and timing. In 1975, Frederick Urquhart is also credited with finding the monarch’s wintering grounds in Mexico, which were unknown until that time. The site was actually discovered by Ken Brugger, a naturalist volunteering to help with the research. Read more about Urquhart and his lifelong study of monarchs. Energy-Saving Strategies: Remarkably, scientists discovered that migrating butterflies actually gain weight during their long journey. They store fat in their abdomens, and use air currents to glide as much as possible. These energy-saving strategies, together with feeding on nectar throughout the trip, help the migrants survive the arduous travel. The Day of the Dead: The monarchs arrive at their Mexico wintering grounds en masse in the final days of October. Their arrival coincides with el Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, a Mexican traditional holiday that honors the deceased. The indigenous people of Mexico believe the butterflies are the returning souls of children and warriors. Sources: Monarch WatchLongest Regularly Repeated Migration, University of Florida

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Literature Review Examining the Impact of Oil Resources Availability Essay

Literature Review Examining the Impact of Oil Resources Availability on Economic Growth in An Oil-Based Economy with reference to Saudi Arabia - Essay Example the case of Saudi Arabia, the availability of rich oil resources has brought untold affluence to this tiny nation, however despite this, economic growth has been slow since the eighties and there has been increasing unemployment, with the unemployment rate among young Saudis estimated to be between 8 to 13 percent. The question of how such a situation could have developed in a country rich in natural oil resources is examined below. The Petroleum Sector in Saudi Arabia comprises roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of its GDP and 90% of its export earnings (www.e.wikipedia.org). Saudi oil reserves are estimated to be the largest in the world – about 260 billion barrels - and the country is the world’s largest exporter, with oil comprising 95% of the country’s exports and almost 75% of government revenues (www.en.wikipedia.org). In view of the country’s heavy dependence on oil, the Government has recently begun to encourage more development in the private sector, including in the power generation and telecom sectors. Saudi Arabia has also joined the WTO in 2005, in order to enhance its trading, diversify its economy and attract a higher proportion of foreign investment. The Government has also been spending larger amounts on infrastructure development, job training and education. Oil was first discovered in Saudi Arabia in the 1930’s, by U.S. geologists. Oil production in Saudi Arabia soared in the 60s and gave rise to a period of strong economic development which continued into the 1970s.(www.en.wikipedia.org). During the Seventies, there was an oil boom and the Gross Domestic Product per capita of Saudi Arabia soared, reaching a figure of 1,858%, however such growth was unsustainable and shrank to 58% in the eighties, although it has registered a 20% increase in the nineties.(www.earthtrends.wri.org) Most of the oil in the country is produced on behalf of the Saudi Government by a single Company, Saudi ARAMCO. After the 1973 Arab Israeli war, there

Friday, November 1, 2019

Culture shock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culture shock - Essay Example iliar signs and symbols of social intercourse, they have to try to adapt themselves to different lifestyles, living conditions and business practices in a new cultural setting and this often proves to be a long term and difficult process. In this condition, feelings of alienation accumulate sharply because of poor adaptation and consequentially, culture shock occurs, followed by a series of psychological confusion and emotional discomfort (Xia, 97– 101). There tends to be many responses to culture shock and this depends on individuals. Some people often choose to immerse themselves completely in the new culture, which they have encountered in an attempt to fit into the fabric of the new society. Such people often shun the culture, which they previously used to practice and instead develop a very negative attitude towards it (Dongfeng, 70–74). Others choose to adopt only the aspects of the new culture they have encountered which they consider good but continue to practice the culture familiar to them. A third group chooses to completely reject the new culture and tightly stick to the culture that they believe to be the best for them. These often create their own settlements or sectors within the society in which they have gone to live and it is only on rare occasion that they encounter the new