Saturday, August 31, 2019

Dear Manny and Jennifer

Good day! Before anything else, my father and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to both of you with regard to the real estate properties information in Phuket, Thailand.Your suggestions were closely considered and after thinking things thoroughly, my father indicated that he would like to buy a hotel that is fully established and is currently in business. Another possibility would be a hotel that is completely erected and would be in full operation in a few months' time.My father decided on this as he is concerned that it would be difficult if he bought a property that is not yet established since he has very little knowledge about Thailand's real estate laws and regulations. He also understands the trouble of having to deal with the hotel in Phuket while he is in Hong Kong and so he believes that this is the best way to do it.My father is also wondering about the cost of these properties. Is it possible that the prices be forwarded so that he can decide better? I would l ike to assure both of you that he is not rushing to buy a property, so please do not worry. He is actually waiting for the best one in the market, and, when the opportunity comes, you can be sure that he will buy it right away.Again, thank you so much for your help. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Without you two, we would not have been able to look in to this. We hope to hear from soon.Sincerely

Friday, August 30, 2019

Old Buildings

Many old buildings are protected by law because they are part of a nation’s history. However, some people think they should be knocked down to make way for new ones because people need houses and offices. How important is it to maintain old buildings? Should history stand in the way of progress? In the contemporary age, the contradiction between preserving history and progress becomes increasingly serious, which has disturbed and alarmed many people. In terms of the old buildings, many people assert that old buildings should be protected while others contend they should be knocked down for constructing the new ones. It is widely acknowledged that old buildings play the crucial role in our society. First of all, old buildings are the indispensable parts of the history, which could reveal the historical mysterious and witness the development of history. Meanwhile, many old buildings are the icons or landmarks of the nation. To illustrate, the Forbidden City symbolizes the Chinese time-honored history and becomes the important tourist spot. The existences of old buildings tend to maintain the distinct features of the cities as well as avoid those cosmopolitan cities are awash by the skyscrapers. More specifically, the old buildings reflect the national unique culture lasting hundred and thousand years. However, due to the widespread of demolishing the old buildings, the extinction of culture identity will ensue. Overall, in nowadays, there is unanimous consensus on maintaining old buildings which is the effective method to preserving history. There is no denying that the history gives us overall experience of the nation’s past. Comparing with history, we could draw a host of lessons, thereby avoiding mistakes for current progress. Nevertheless, people empower to pursue blindly the maximum profit for enhancing the level of our daily lives and progress of human society, from the long-term point of view, sacrificing the history to meet our current need would hinder the development. In my view, there is definite link between preserving history and progress but the fundamental contradiction. History is conductive to our progress and we should take it seriously forever.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Cultural Diversity in India Essay

Cultural Diversity in India India has a history of thousands of years . People have been living in India since the Stone Age. People from different regions of the world came to India. They became one with the Indian culture . From this has evolved the composite Indian Culture. All of us living in different parts of the country are Indians. Though there is a variety in our languages, literature and art, as Indians, we all are one. It is this diversity which has created a sense of unity among the Indians. This diversity has enriched our social life. Indian Languages: Many languages are spoken in India. Hindi & English are the two languages used in our country. Marathi is the state language of Maharashtra. Festival Celebrations: People such as Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, and Parsis etc belonging to different live in India. Different festivals are celebrated in India with lots of joys & happiness. Agriculture is the main occupation in our country . Many of our festivals are related to agriculture and environment. In Maharashtra, Dassera, Diwalil, Holi in Punjab Baisakhi, in Andhra Pradesh Eruvak Punnam, in Tamil nadu Pongal & in Kerala Onam are celebrated. Ramzaam – Id, Christmas, Buddha Pornima, Samvatsari, and Pateti are also important festivals. What ever religious festival all Indians happily participate in it. They greet one another, It increase the feeling of unity among them. Costumes & food: We find diversity in the clothing and food habits of Indians. Clothing depends upon the climate, physical feature & traditions of the respective regions. There is diversity in our foods habits too, due to climatic conditions crops and other geographical factors. For e. g. he people of Punjab eat dal – roti whereas people living in the coastal areas eat rice and fish. Shelter : In respective of constructions of houses also there is diversity . In the rural areas, many houses have wattle and daub walls. Some houses have tiled roofs. In areas of heavy rainfall, the houses have slopping roofs . In the places with scanty rains have houses with terraced roofs . In big cities, multi – storey buildings are seen. Sports & games: Many kinds of games are played in India since ancient times. We play different games such as tip – cat, chess, wrestling, phugadi, malkhamb, lagori, kabadi & kho-kho . Modern games are such as hockey and cricket are the two popular games played in India. Sports & games have an important place in out life. They help values like co-operation & solidarity Sport spirit it is more important than winning or losing. Art: Different arts such as dance, handicrafts, painting and sculpture have flourished in India. Since days of old , India had different styles of music. There are two main styles of Indian classical music. They are Hindustani music & Carnatic music. There are many folk music played in India . In India, the tradition of dances is very ancients. We have different variety of folk dances some ancient times; various types of handicrafts have developed in India. Artistic vases baskets and other decorative articles are prepared. The art of painting & sculpture has long tradition. It is originated from the Stone age period. For e. g. Ajanta Ellora caves Our country have rich historical heritage. Historical monuments are the wealth of our country. Very few countries in the world have such history and ancients culture.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Oroonoko Close Reading (Anti- Slavery Text) Research Paper

Oroonoko Close Reading (Anti- Slavery Text) - Research Paper Example So, Oroonoko puts on various identities as a novel, as a travelogue, or colonial discourse than an anti-slavery text. The narration presents contradictions in the perspectives of the fictionalized author narrator and the hero, Oroonoko and creates doubts about its characteristics as an anti-slavery text. Set in the seventeenth century, Oroonoko is often seen as a precursor of the anti-slavery literature which became popular later during the nineteenth centuries. Norton Anthology says that â€Å"In the early 1660s, when the events described in Behns  Oroonoko are supposed to have taken place, England was not yet a major power in the slave trade† (The Norton Anthology of English Literature). This has Oroonoko as a reference text when it comes to details on slave trade.   In its section on the biography of Aphra Behn, the anthology says that the novel had great impact on people who fought against slavery and slave trade. Oroonoko also has been critically acclaimed to be an anti-slavery text by many critics. Laura Brown in her â€Å"the Romance of Empire: Oroonoko and the Trade in Slaves† says that, "the novella had been recognized as a seminal work in the tradition of antislavery writings from the time of its publication down to our own period"(42). Oroonoko captures the transatlantic slave trade and is set in the colonial Africa and West Indies. One of the most outstanding aspects of the novella is that Oroonoko has an African prince as its hero. Though set in the British colonies, it is unlike a mere travelogue or a documentary. On the other hand, it makes a strong statement regarding slavery in its portrayal of the cruelties of slavery. The details about the process of slave trade are described. The author of Oronooko says, â€Å"Who want slaves make a bargain with a master or a captain of a ship, and contract to pay him so much apiece, a matter of twenty pound a

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Analyse and assess the key issues in managing conflict within the Essay

Analyse and assess the key issues in managing conflict within the workplace, with special regard to the relative decline in indu - Essay Example Either of these will be used depending on the scenario at hand, which is a task befalling HR managers, as they must correctly assess the scenario and identify which conflict management style would be effective. From a broader perspective, HR professionals should look to equipping their workforce with not only technical skills but also intercultural and interpersonal skills to enable them deal with the rising pressure (Trudel and Reio 2011, p.395). Conflicts at the workplace are inevitable and need not be feared as non-existence of them indicates unhealthy work relationships. The focus should be on making the conflicts constructive as constructive conflicts are characterized by increased cooperation, stronger relationships, improved outcome quality, being mostly cognitive and separating the person from the problem. Therefore, managers should look to proper handling of conflicts rather than eliminating them all together so as to reap these benefits. The primary tool of handling conflic ts is communication, according to the communication systems approach, where conflicts are seen to be a result of failed or poor communication between the conflicting parties. There are elements within communication systems established in an organization, where the elements are the parties communicating, medium being used and messages being sent and/or received. When these elements are interconnected, the communication systems adopted may trigger the process of conflict. Hence, managers are urged to set up proper communication systems to ensure that where conflicts arise, they are constructive (Collins 2008, p.6). Following the communication systems approach, conflicts are viewed as episodes that occur during the process of communication. These episodes come about when the aforementioned elements interconnect and subsequently all the elements affect the conflict process and its outcomes. In addition, according to this approach, the conflict process arises in two contexts- physical an d psychological, where the former refers to the attributes of the actual physical environment such as the size of the room, noise in the surrounding area and how furniture is arranged within the room. The latter refers to culture of an organization that determines how communication will take place; both these contexts affect the way in which the sender constructs the message and the way the recipient interprets it (Collins 2008, p.6). Regardless of the approach to be adopted, HR should understand that failure to properly handle conflicts within the workplace increases the level along with frequency of future conflicts. This goes on to affect productivity, job performance and employee learning. Closely linked to conflict management styles is workplace incivility as it is seen to determine the outcome. Workplace incivility refers to individual responses to certain scenarios that are brought about by negative actions. These responses may be counterproductive and as such should be monit ored to avoid further escalation and repeat of workplace conflicts. When dealing with conflicts it is important to look into the instigators together with the targets of deviant behaviour; and also consider that deviant behaviour could be a trigger, cause or outcome of workplace conflicts. Additional exchanges as a result of deviant behaviour create a conflict spiral where a conflict will be seen to escalate and possibly spread to ‘

Global Financial Crisis Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Financial Crisis - Article Example On the other hand, the corporate sector faced critical conditions as money flow in the market reduced as a result of decreased consumer confidence. Another crucial set back was the increased job cuts in order to maintain the operational expenses. Most of the firms tried to counter the impact of global recession by reducing their activities and redesigning their business activities for facing the next boom period while others engaged in the new product or service development processes for keeping the consumers engaged with the business. In context of the current state of the recession, some economists believe that the after effects of the recession still exists but the US Government maintains that the current economic problems faced are not related to the global financial meltdown. The recommendations provided are to focus on new product and service development and also to develop the business network by forming alliances and partnerships with other relevant institutions. The study co ncluded that while the global financial crisis is considered to be over other economic problems being faced by the organisations and governments can be a sign that the phenomena still exists. The financial meltdown of 2007-08 is mostly referred to as the global financial crisis which has been termed by Gries and Naude (2011) and Crotty (2008) as one of the biggest economic and financial hits since the Great Depression of 1930s. Some of the key questions being debated in context of the global financial crisis of 2007-08 are regarding its origin, its influence and most importantly if the crisis is still looming or is it finally over. According to Pizam (2009), the global financial crisis mainly targeted the Western countries and effected their business segments as well as their customer groups. The challenges faced by the firms were related with their international as well as the domestic operations. Many big firms had collapsed during

Monday, August 26, 2019

Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Midterm - Essay Example Muslim piracy was also reduced, and economic activities revived along the western Mediterranean coast of the Christians (Crouzet 9-12). In addition, the western and central Europe was free from invasions by the nomads from central Asia that were dangerous to the survival of Europe's economy. Between the years 1236-1242, the Mongols raid of Europe brought destructions to economies in Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Silesia and most parts of the Balkans. In 1242, the Mongols extended eastwards and conquered China (Crouzet 9-12). The other factor that affected the European economy was the rise of feudalism, which was subsequently followed by feudal anarchy. There were frequent wars among the rivalry feudal leaders in Europe, which caused the destruction of European economy. Between the years 950-970, many fortifications were constructed to enhance the security of kingdoms under feudal leaders. Within the same years, the church contributed a lot to the safety of Europe through their peace move ments (Crouzet 9-12). Another factor that was crucial to the development of European economy was the rapid growth of the population since the thirteen century. This was caused by improvements in technology and increased agricultural productivity. The population growth acted as a crucial factor in spurring the commercial and urban revolutions in the 18th centuries. The population increase had considerable influence in Northern Europe. The population growth caused changes in the prices of commodities, which lead to the development of institutions for innovations (Crouzet 9-102). #2 The population of Europe increased tremendously between the years 1000-2000 because the rate fertility was higher than that of mortality. This resulted net population growth, in Europe. Population increased constantly and would only reduce drastically incase of catastrophes such as disease epidemics. The invasions on Europe had also ceased, and security prevailed in most regions of Europe. Also, between the 8th and 14th centuries, European epidemics had decreased and a warm climate prevailed in Europe, particularly the Alps region. The favorable climate improved agriculture activities, which led to better nutrition and improved standards of living (Crouzet 9-12). In the Carolingian times, the western Christendom developed values and a model of its population. In the whole of Europe, polygamy, the use of contraceptives, abortion, desertion of children and infanticide were abolished. The church supported monogamous marriage and enforced strict rules on polygamous marriage. The nuclear family in most nations grew stronger and became dominant with the exception of the Slavic people. The system of monogamous family encouraged acceptance of children and procreation. This system also regulated procreation before marriage. The effects were increased fertility rates and reduced death rates. However, the rate of infanticides and Juvenile mortality remained high though out Europe (Crouzet 9-12). The historical records show that the population in Europe increased from 1.1-1.2 million between years 1066-1086, 3.4-4.5 million people in 1340. However, France, Europe had a population of 15 million people in 950. In 1300, the population in Europe doubled. The population continued to increased but never exploded like that in third world countries in the late 20th century. The population in E

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Oil Discovery and its effect on democratic growth in Ghana Essay

Oil Discovery and its effect on democratic growth in Ghana - Essay Example Over the last decade, oil explorations in the Atlantic Ocean off to the coast of Western and Southern Africa have ushered the region of Sub-Saharan Africa into an oil boom. There was a rapid incursion of multinational oil companies from around the world seeking to exploit these untouched oil reserves (Jerome 9). This oil boom has given Sub-Saharan countries such as Nigeria, Angola and Sudan great opportunity to turn their situations upside down and steer their country towards a better future. However, in the midst of this great opportunity rest numerous pathologies such as high level of corruption, high risks of civil war, low prevalence of democracy, high poverty rates and poor economic growth (Jerome 9). Thus, the ensuing years of the oil boom was marked by a drastic realization for these countries. When Ghana gained its independence in 1957 from the British, it had one of the strongest economies in Africa. However, years after it gained its independence, numerous domestic problems have caused the economy to drop and further decline till the year 1980. For more than 15 years, Ghana was able to slowly recover through economic reforms and Ghana is now considered as one of the Africa’s brightest prospects. However, what made Ghana attain such status quo is the recent oil discovery in offshore Tan/West Cape three Points Basin in the Western Region of Ghana. Oil companies who led the explorations were Kosmos Energy of US and Tullow Oil of UK under the supervision of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC). In an instant, Ghana joined the ranks of its fellow African countries who are also producing oil and it is also expected that for the next two decades, billions of pounds and dollars are expected to pour in Ghana (Lerrick 7). Unfortunately, the excitement did not last long for the people. Once the jubilation was over, people begin to wonder whether it is really oil that their economy needs in order to achieve its goal. Ghanaian

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Animal Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Animal Rights - Research Paper Example Studies suggest that, in the last century or so, almost every medical breakthrough that is relevant to both the animal and human world has had significant contributions from animal research. Such breakthroughs range from antibiotics, chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and organ transplants among others (Jessen). These experiments have contributed significantly towards the quality and length of human life by handling some of the most difficult moments in human life known as disease and health conditions and complications. The above is due to the potential use of animal research in treating heart diseases and cancer, where it has contributed by bringing chemotherapy as an option in controlling and getting rid of cancer in humans and some animals. Due to animal testing and research, there are numerous lives saved from pain and loss since the research conducted provides an avenue to clear any anguish caused by disease. In addition, research on animals allows humans to come up with new vaccines or means of preventing diseases and some conditions that cannot be handled through any other means. This is especially so for the military, where animal research allows them to protect themselves from infection with malaria, Japanese encephalitis and Ross River fever (McGregor). The use of animal research, therefore, implies that without animal research, it would be virtually impossible beat the spread of some of these diseases or even receive treatment for them. In addition to health, animal research has allowed humans to wipe out some of the suffering that humans face across the world. This is following the use of animals in experiments, where humans are not used to find cures for painful diseases and conditions such as arthritis. This ensures that humans do not have to go through the same pain when suffering from the condition. As such, animal research

Friday, August 23, 2019

Disscussion questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disscussion questions - Essay Example Further, it also instills in the mind a keen familial bond with the innate family and even the motherland giving the person strong roots to stand firmly to find his appropriate place in the world. Something negative about this country is that it is not so much financially a strong country like the U.S. therefore its standard of living is not so much high. In global dimensions, in the field of assertiveness Indian people are moderately assertive in comparison to the people of U.S.A. However, from the Future Orientation dimension which stresses about the delay of the immediate gratification so that something maybe achieved in future, Indian people lead in comparison to U.S.A. This is because in this particular country the people think a lot and care a lot about their family. They are very family oriented therefore they tend to hoard money so that it can be invested in the future for the betterment of their family. Global Footprints,. (2007).  The global dimension in action A curriculum planning guide for schools  (1st ed.). Retrieved from

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Winter Driving Essay Example for Free

Winter Driving Essay When you have to compare and contrast driving in the winter and driving in the summer there are many things that come to my mind. In the summer time there is no visual distractions. It is most comfortable to drive in the summer with your windows down. For the most part summer driving is safe then winter driving. I personally despise driving in the winter. In the summer time I have visibility. During the winter months it gets darker earlier. During the summer months we have more sunlight through out the day. I love when the sun is out longer. Although driving in the winter is much more scenic with snow on branches, deer on the side of the roads and snowmen that kids made. The scenic view for summer driving is filled with blooming flowers, birds flying, colorful trees and the Long Island sound filled with boats, as I drive down by the shore. I like to take the most scenic routes as I drive in the summer. The visibility in the winter is very poor, if you have to drive in a blizzard. In the summer I barely have a problem with visibility.I like to see clear when I drive. In the summer time it is most comfortable. In the winter time I get too cold when I have my window open. I love to drive around with my windows wide open listening to music. I like to smoke in my car with the window open. Winter driving causes me major anxiety. I am worry free in the summer. I am very nervous in the winter.The worst part about driving in the winter is that I wear many layers of clothes. In the summer I drive around in a tank top and shorts. I like to feel free when I drive. I feel summer driving is when its safest to drive. In the winter you have to worry about slipping and not gripping to the pavement. My tires have full grip on the asphalt in the summer time. I like having traction when I drive. You have to be more alert driving in the winter time with the cars behind you, around you and in front of you,It takes more time to stop. You also have to be alert in the summer, but when you hit your brakes you will come to a complete stop on the dry road. I do not like when my brakes lock up when I tap them in the snow. Most importantly, is the amount of kids that are out that you have to watch out for.An example is kids sleighing down hills into roadways that are not paying attention to the cars. The most that the kids do in the summer, is play ball on the street and they usually have one of the kids watching for cars. I wish I was a kid again. In conclusion summer driving is more forgiving than winter driving. Weather conditions in the winter can render roadways very dangerous, requiring increased driver skill. I enjoy driving but preferably in the summer. In the winter I would not be a good candidate as a designated driver. I would hope that someone else with greater winter driving skills then I, would be selected to do the driving.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Narrative Writing Assessment Essay Example for Free

Narrative Writing Assessment Essay Warm up the prompt by reading something short, such as a picture book, that matches the prompt. †¢ The prompt is to be â€Å"loose†, that is the student can write on any subject that comes to mind, tweaking the prompt to fit him/her. †¢ The mode of the piece is narrative. This simply means a personal experience. †¢ The maximum time to write is 30 minutes. When the student is finished, proceed with other assessments or share the pieces you wrote to one another. †¢ The teacher writes as well. This encourages and motivates the student, showing him/her you value the writing †¢ This piece is to be an â€Å"on-demand† piece. This means that the writer is not to recopy. It is expected to be a rough draft. †¢ Provide composition paper with lines, or use the spiral and tear the paper out. You can cut off the messy ripped paper along the side if you want later. †¢ The primary â€Å"topics† to use are subjects many authors write about: a favorite person, place or thing. Writers usually tell about their favorite using the narrative mode because the narrative, a true story that follows a story line, is more interesting. Narrative Writing Assessment Protocols Picture Books Matching the Topics: Place All the Places to Love (MacLachlan) If You’re Not from the Prairie (Bouchard) The Canoe (Gary Paulsen) Person My Rotten Redheaded Brother (Palocco) Thank You Mr. Falker (Palocco) My Great Aunt Arizona (Houston) Thing (can be an object or a pet) My Grandpa Was a Cowboy (the ring—Silky Sullivan) The Worry Stone (Dengler). Everybody Needs a Rock (Baylor) What to say: â€Å"Today we are going to write a narrative about somethinganything—that matters to you or comes to your mind about a favorite person, place or thing. Tell your piece like a story, that is, something happens. When we were younger, all of us have had something or someone or someplace that comes to mind that stands out. Which would you like to write about? (Show the student the three books, one on a favorite person, one a place, etc. The student selects. ) Pick a favorite to write about: person, place or thing. I’ll read you the picture book you pick to help stimulate some ideas. † Scoring Protocols: †¢ Use the â€Å"3† anchor papers for each grade from third through twelfth to find a match between the anchor and your student’s writing. This is holistic scoring. Record the grade and date. †¢ Count by estimating the number of words the student wrote. Record. †¢ Record how many minutes he/she wrote. †¢ Find two or three things that are strengths to use as specific reinforcements to share with the student the next day. What you notice and show to the student will be repeated in future writing.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Themes Of Fate And Destiny

Themes Of Fate And Destiny Oedipus as a major victim of fate have tried to evade his fate when he realized that he was going to kill his father and sleep with his mother. His shocked and dreadful emotions made him run away from his parents to evade this fate, but he was actually walking right into his fate. It seems that Oedipus overheard this prophecy by accident but we may wonder that all this was planned by the gods so that Oedipuss fate can carry on as planned. This later became a turning point that led the glorious and miserable life that follows Oedipus in his future. Oedipus tried to evade his fate, but for him fate was not easily evaded. In his case fate seemed to be decided from the begging of his life, and from birth his leg was scared leaving three marks, which may foreshadow the choice he had to make at the cross road in future. Through this Sophocles is trying to show the idea that our destiny might not be controlled by ourselves and this shows how powerless humans are. The Shepherd who was ordered by the king to kill Oedipus may seem to be an irrelevant person in the play, but he plays a key role that led to Oedipuss final fate. He saves Oedipus and allowed the prophecy to happen. His sympathy caused Oedipus to curse him in the end when the shepherd reveals the truth about Oedipus, because if Oedipus died as a baby he wouldnt be suffering and have an ending which seemed like a living hell for him. I think we cant blame the shepherd for saving Oedipus. The truth about Oedipus was brought on by himself as he insisted to reveal the truth. This expresses a human behavior of wanting to know the truth that can be related to our daily life. If a friend has some secret which he/she didnt want to share, we would be eager to ask them what it was about since we want to know the truth. The more they refuse to reveal the truth the more we want to know. Oedipus from nature has an unyielding desire to uncover the truth about everything and in this case, he wanted to find the murder of King Laius and also want to uncover the secret mystery of his own birth. This desire then led him to realize what he has done. Many characters such as Tiresias and Jocasta in the play tried to stop Oedipus from revealing the truth, but Oedipus was driven by his fate to uncover everything. This could be seen when Jocasta urged Oedipus that Stop-in the name of god, if you love your own life, call off this search! My suffering is enough.  [1]  She begged Oedipus to leave the mystery unsolved, as at that point she might have realized what was really happening but she didnt want Oedipus to suffer. But Oedipus reply, Listen to you? No more. I must know it all, must see the truth at last.  [2]  This was used by Sophocles to further illustrate the characteristics of Oedipus. His curiosity made him unable to stop pursuing the truth, which was the reason for him to solve the sphinx riddle, so even when his wife was pleading from him to stop, he still insisted on uncovering the mystery that seemed to be a riddle, which ends up to be his final riddle, the riddle of his own life. The quote A stranger you may think, who lives upon you, he soon will be revealed a native of Theban  [3]  Foreshadows that the killer who seemed to a Stranger actually have a long bond with Thebes and at the time Oedipus didnt realize that it was him who had long ties with Thebes. Again this is related with the theme of fate and destiny since this was said by the Tiresias who revealed the prophecy which eventually became true. In the play the Prophet says that, Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich, he will grope his way towards a foreign soil, a sick tapping before his step by step.  [4]  This foreshadows what will happen to Oedipus in the future. Oedipus does really take notice of what the prophet says because he was angry and believed that everything the prophet said was a conspiracy. What he doesnt realize is that this is a significant prophecy the prophet made for him. As we see further in the play on how cruel he blinded himself and how he left Thebes. This relates to the theme of fate, since the prophet actually knows what will happen to Oedipus, which makes us wonder whether god really plans our destiny in advance. In the play the quote, He solved the famous riddle with his brilliance, he rose to power, a man beyond all power. Who could behold his greatness without envy? Now what a black sea of terror has overwhelmed him.  [5]   shows that although Oedipus is a smart and mighty king he could still not reverse his destiny and had to end up living in misery alone. This causes the reader to sympathize with him for why is life so unfair to him, that such a good man ends up with such an ending. Then in the quote Revealed at last, brother and father both to the children he embraces, to his mother son and husband both-he sowed the loins his father sowed, he spilled his fathers blood!  [6]  Sophocles gave the reader a feeling of sorrow for both Oedipus and all the people related to him. Since everyone who is blood related to him will live in misery. Oedipus, no matter what he may try to do to avoid his fate. All his actions were pulling him right back to his final destiny, although revealing the truth surrounding his birth was his wish, but also believed to be the plan of the gods. His curiosity and intelligence which brought him fame and glory have also brought his downfall. Oedipus was too eager to end the suffering of his people, thus sending Creon to bring the prophet that led to the tragedy. I think that even when the prophet hinted that the killer was a stranger to the land and all this might be a plan of fate. It just encouraged him to be more eager to find the killer of King Laius instead of cooling himself done to think about it. If he did he might have realized what was happening. So it all seemed to happen as the fate guided and the gods were manipulating the minds of the man. And it seemed that the people are just chess pieces and are expendable when needed, thus they dont have control over their fate. This all started with a prophecy and the results of it was disastrous. So we ask ourselves are we supposed to know the will of god or should we be ignorant. If the old King of Thebes did not know of the prophecy then he would not have tried to kill Oedipus, then the family would have lived happily together, but due to the prophecy it turned into a disastrous event. This raises the question of whether the prophecies of gods there to help us or to cause problems for us? It is ironic how things could have turned out to be differently. It seems that it is not fair for Oedipus or anyone to have their final destiny decided, without giving them a chance to change it, and for Oedipus his fate was determined to end terribly even at the beginning of his life.

Netflix SWOT Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths: ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Netflix provides a subscription-style e-commerce service. Over 95% of customers pay at least $17.99 a month which includes unlimited rentals with up to three titles at a time. A comparably low monthly fee, allows Netflix to lead market share of online DVD rentals while competing with traditional brick and mortar rental stores. Meanwhile, Netflix might keep the customers who try the service and happy with it continue paying the monthly fee. Therefore, Netflix has fewer problems in predicting revenues. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Netflix enjoys lower fixed costs due to the fact that it is an online DVD rental company. As an internet business, Netflix incurs less overhead costs than competitors such as Blockbuster, as well as having fewer employees to operate the physical locations, thus labor costs are greatly reduced. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Netflix gives customers unlimited access to the largest selection of DVD?s. Netflix?s video library consists of over 45,000 titles, making their selection the worlds largest, beating out Blockbuster, Movie Gallery, and Hollywood Video. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With over 35 distribution centers across the United States, Netflix has the fastest delivery time of any online DVD rental company. Through the use of the United States Postal Service over 90% of DVD?s are received by customers within one day of ordering. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Netflix?s easy to use website allows customers to browse the video library by category such as action, romance, drama (sixteen total categories) or by using a comprehensive internal search of the library. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Netflix uses the technology of Cinematch to give customers even better service. Cinematch studies past selections made by members, and begins to recommend titles that would likely be enjoyed by the customer based on previous selections. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charging a monthly fee for unlimited rentals, Netflix eliminates due dates and late fees, as well as eliminating the long lines of a brick and mortar store. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Netflix uses their great customer service to keep customers happy which intern keeps customers from canceling there subscription to the service. If there is a problem that arises during the rental process such as a damaged DVD, or lost DVD during the shipping process, Netflix addresses the problem immediately, and never charges the customer for the problem. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Netflix was the first company to offer DVD renta... ...fering similar services, either directly or as a partnership with another organization.  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emerging competition from digital cable and satellite companies that offer movies on demand. Time Warner digital cable offers video on demand library consisting of a few hundred selections and growing. Users can purchase a movie with the touch of a button for about $4.00. Customers have access to the movie for up to 24hours. Many video on demand services are now offering technologies that allow users to pause, fast forward and rewind the movies they purchase. Though the selection offered by cable companies is extremely small in comparison to Netflix, it will only be a matter of time before the number of selections will increase drastically.  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a large number of substitute products. Netflix is in the business of providing personal entertainment at an affordable cost. Since any other form of entertainment is considered a substitute, Netflix?s industry is in direct competition with all other forms of entertainment, whether it be reading, physical exercise, regular television, etc. If trends in popular culture move away from those related to movies, revenues may be affected.

Monday, August 19, 2019

R K Narayans The Guide :: Literature Religion Philosophy Papers

R K Narayan's The Guide The sky was clear. Having nothing else to do, he started counting the stars. He said to himself, 'I shall be rewarded for this profound service to humanity. People will say, 'there is the man who knows the exact number of stars in the sky. If you have any trouble on that account consult him. He will be your night guide for the skies'.' Reality exists only through experience, and it must be personal experience. (Gao Xingjian. Soul Mountain) [1] R K Narayan propagates Oriental philosophy in all his novels and The Guide [2] is no exception. In Hindu philosophy realisation of the truth comes after going through the acid test of illusion or 'maya'.* I would add that the ability to perceive 'reality' is the end product of experience. Followers of Lord Krishna regard humans as souls composed of Krishna's highest energy, with bodies of 'maya,' his lowest, material, and illusory energy. This belief also entails taboos against gambling, using intoxicants, eating meat, and engaging in illicit sex. Performing God's work with no thought of reward will result in the purification of the illusory 'maya'. The illusion in Raju's life is Rosie, who entices him away from the daily grind of normal life. When Raju sees her for the first time, he describes her, complexion not white, but dusky, which made her only half visible, as if you saw her through a film of tender coconut juice. Much later, in Chapter 9, again she is described thus, Her face was partially illuminated by a shaft of gaslight from a lamp hanging from a tree. Thus Raju never views Rosie in the real world but almost in a dream, and Rosie becomes the 'mohini'* of the novel. Her meeting Raju on the railway platform is significant since until then the railway has been his life, but with Rosie's entrance his familiar world will be disrupted. He will be tempted to discard his attachment to the railway for a far greater and passionate attachment. Rosie's role as the 'mohini' in Raju's life is confirmed by her obsession with snakes. The animal imagery has been well used by Narayan. The role of snake-women as enchantresses is common in the Indian mind-frame. Moreover, we have the conversation between Rosie and Raju's mother, (a traditional Indian woman steeped in religious and folk beliefs), to reinforce this notion: Everything was so good and quite - until you came in like a viper. R K Narayan's The Guide :: Literature Religion Philosophy Papers R K Narayan's The Guide The sky was clear. Having nothing else to do, he started counting the stars. He said to himself, 'I shall be rewarded for this profound service to humanity. People will say, 'there is the man who knows the exact number of stars in the sky. If you have any trouble on that account consult him. He will be your night guide for the skies'.' Reality exists only through experience, and it must be personal experience. (Gao Xingjian. Soul Mountain) [1] R K Narayan propagates Oriental philosophy in all his novels and The Guide [2] is no exception. In Hindu philosophy realisation of the truth comes after going through the acid test of illusion or 'maya'.* I would add that the ability to perceive 'reality' is the end product of experience. Followers of Lord Krishna regard humans as souls composed of Krishna's highest energy, with bodies of 'maya,' his lowest, material, and illusory energy. This belief also entails taboos against gambling, using intoxicants, eating meat, and engaging in illicit sex. Performing God's work with no thought of reward will result in the purification of the illusory 'maya'. The illusion in Raju's life is Rosie, who entices him away from the daily grind of normal life. When Raju sees her for the first time, he describes her, complexion not white, but dusky, which made her only half visible, as if you saw her through a film of tender coconut juice. Much later, in Chapter 9, again she is described thus, Her face was partially illuminated by a shaft of gaslight from a lamp hanging from a tree. Thus Raju never views Rosie in the real world but almost in a dream, and Rosie becomes the 'mohini'* of the novel. Her meeting Raju on the railway platform is significant since until then the railway has been his life, but with Rosie's entrance his familiar world will be disrupted. He will be tempted to discard his attachment to the railway for a far greater and passionate attachment. Rosie's role as the 'mohini' in Raju's life is confirmed by her obsession with snakes. The animal imagery has been well used by Narayan. The role of snake-women as enchantresses is common in the Indian mind-frame. Moreover, we have the conversation between Rosie and Raju's mother, (a traditional Indian woman steeped in religious and folk beliefs), to reinforce this notion: Everything was so good and quite - until you came in like a viper.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Online Banking Essay example -- essays research papers

Online Banking: How Technology has Affected the Bank Industry Aluscine Kabia Diana Mickle Jennifer Ross Betty Tekeste University of Phoenix COM525: Managerial Communication and Ethics Edward L. Dempsey March 14, 2005 Modern technology has set the stage for today’s industries to adopt faster, more effective and efficient tools to improve their business and productivity. A vast majority of organizations within various industries are using new technology to introduce changes to their business operations. Simply stated, these changes are manifested in what they do, with whom they do it, how they do it, and the tools they use to get it done. However, it is worthwhile to note that, while technology can offer beneficial changes to organizations, change usually comes with both positive and negative consequences. In any business, if technology serves as a catalyst for improvement without significant drawbacks, adopting the changes that it brings will be more beneficial than harmful. Online banking is a technological advancement that has brought about such a change. The banking industry has adopted virtual banking to improve business process, infrastructure, and customer relationships. These changes have had a major impact on the banking business, but more transparently on the customers of online banking. The matrix measures for the improvements added by online banking can be evaluated on comparable levels of service, efficiency and cost satisfaction, for both the provider and consumer of this technology. Throughout this document, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online banking in hopes of formulating a better understanding of why banks of today are moving towards online business. While virtual banking has considerable concerns, the advantages it generates, far outweighs the disadvantages because the value added through this technology benefits both the banks, and the customers. E-banking has had a considerable impact on today’s banking business, affecting both customers and banks in multiple ways. Banking activities such as; account inquiries, depositing or transferring funds and ordering checks, can now be done remotely, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. From a business organizational point of view, this technology is changing the employee structure of the average bank. The U.S Department of labor noted in 20... ...vestorguide.com/igubankonline.html Online Banking Pages. (2005). Retrieved March 7, 2005 from the World Wide Web:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://edt.uow.edu/au/elec195/group-projects-2k/group1/Limits.html Raghunathan, A. (2003). Security worries keep many from banking online. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  March 7, 2005 from the World Wide Web:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/7388475.htm The virtual threat. (2000, May 18). The Economist. Retrieved February 11, 2005 from the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  World Wide Web: http://80-www.economist.com.ezproxy.appollolibrary.com What is online banking? (2003, March 28). BankRate. Retrieved March 8, 2005 from the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  World Wide Web: http:// http://www.bankrate.com Wolfe, D. (2004, October 13). Why some are placing bets on in-branch online banking. American Banker. Retrieved March 9, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.apollolibrary.com Yip, P. (2000, October 9). Net banking not for all lifestyles, comfort levels key to online accounts. Sun Sentinel. Retrieved March 9, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://proquest.umi.com

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Development of Location Detection System Using Passive Sonar Frequency

Development of Location Detection System Using Passive Sonar Frequency Chapter I. The Problem and Its BackgroundIntroductionHuman echo sounding is an ability of worlds to observe objects in their environment by feeling reverberations from those objects. By actively making sounds people trained to point themselves with echo sounding can construe the sound moving ridges reflected by nearby objects and be able to accurately placing their location.Background of the StudyInvention is the key to a productive and comfortable hereafter, the more advanced our lives turn in to the more convenience we receive, doing arduous undertaking be done with easiness and puting our human restrictions to greater highs, but no affair how far we go on this pursuit of doing our lives more convenient clip is ne'er in our side and devolution comes along with it. Disabilities are hinderances that would halt one’s life to be enjoyed to the fullest, people would necessitate to take therapies and tonss of clip merely to get by up with what was lost from them, with the usage of invention we could do systems that would help others and be able to get by up and unrecorded normal lives even with such dysfunctional variety meats or amputations. Blindness is a really common disablement among the peoples throughout the word. Harmonizing to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) 285 million people are visually impaired worldwide, 39 million are unsighted and 246 have low vision. About 90 % of the world’s visually impaired live in developing states. A individual who can non see at 6 metre nor has a field vision of 10or less is considered lawfully blind. 95 % of people classed as lawfully blind have some vision. To be classed as blind, there is a entire loss of vision. They need help to walk and all other day-to-day indispensable plants. So we the advocates show a system that tries to take the expletive of sightlessness and do them self-dependent to make their day-to-day jobs. It is a coaction of multiple devices that cooperate with one another to supply navigational counsel by using the echo sounding and echo sounder. The system consists of multiple transceivers that are programmed with the usage of programmable circuits to give out specified orders or bids that seasonably calculates the distance from one another to supply accurate readings of the location of objects and specific countries.Aims of the StudyThe general aim of this survey is to develop a location sensing system that utilizes echo sounders like functionality. In line with this, the undertaking aims to accomplish the following specific aims:To develop a navigational system that would supply assistance to the visually impaired or the blind.To build a system by using multiple transceivers that cooperate with one another and be able to pass on with the user via earphone and give accurate and effectual orders.To place the restriction of the system and what would function as a correctional response to the said jobs or any possible class of action.Significance of the StudySignificance of the survey is to supply assistance to handicapped people for them to populate normal unrecorded and be able to get by up from their loss and would non take tonss of clip merely to cover with. The following groups of people and organisations that will profit from the survey are:For the Blind – The system would give assistance to the people that are blind for it provides pilotage with the usage of sound moving ridges that would move as their eyes and give counsel by the agencies of giving the location and possible obstructors that they may meet.For the Visually Impaired – The undertaking shed light to a possibility that they should non fear sightlessness ( if their damage unluckily leads to blindness ) and would still be able to populate normal lives with the aid of the system.For the Students – Our Undertaking proposal will function as mention and usher for the pupils to develop, innovate, better or make great and working thesis. This can give them proficient information largely in these present tendencies where huge engineerings upgraded.For Future Researchers – Our proposed undertaking will assist them to give an thought about what they will g estate and better about this survey.Scope and RestrictionThe usage of â€Å"The survey will concentrate on supplying navigational assistance to the blind† , â€Å"It includes the survey about things that affect the sound wave that travels† , â€Å"The survey consists of multiple transceivers that cooperate with one another that makes a web or system† , and â€Å"The coverage of the survey entirely focuses on supplying assistance to the visually impaired by using echo sounder like functionality of the system† could assist show the range while the usage of â€Å"This survey is limited to people that are sing ocular loss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  , â€Å"The survey does non cover elaborate information about the constituents but merely sufficient information to warrant its functionality† , and â€Å"It does non seek to include the application of the system in out-of-doorss plus the possible effects of certain appendages that could impact the system† could assist show the restrictions.Conceptual ModelIn order to successfully accomplish the coveted result of this survey, certain processs, demands and thoughts were carefully discussed to gestate the project’s design and development. After a long deliberation and brainstorming, one idea was agreed upon in which resulted into one construct. Fig. 1 Conceptual model of the survey Fig. 1 shows the conceptual model of the survey. It covers the three major parts: the input that uses transceivers to bring forth and have sound that travel trough air and bouncinesss off solid objects, the procedure that utilizes multiple transceivers that communicate with the nomadic transceiver by directing answers that would be processed by the transcriber and so delivered to the user by the agencies of the earphone, and the end product phases that provide the user existent clip calculation and update to the distance and whereabouts of the stationary transceiver and possible obstructors.Operational Definition of FootingsHuman echo soundingIs an ability of worlds to observe objects in their environment by feeling reverberations from those objects.SonarSoundNitrogenavigationAneodymiumRoentgenanging is a technique that usessoundpropagation tonavigate, communicate with or detect objects on or under the surface of the H2O, such as other vass.DegenerationDeterioration and loss of map i n the cells of a tissue or organ

Friday, August 16, 2019

Digital and Analog TV Essay

On February 17, 2009, the Congress of the United States mandates the full shift to digital television transmission. The law is perceived to bring several benefits to the US viewing public. Broadcast frequency bands will be available mainly for public safety purposes, for example, police and fire department concerns. Remaining portions of the old TV broadcast spectrum can be offered for technologically advanced applications such as wireless broadband. The use of digital-capable television sets allows American viewers more choices of what programs to watch, since digital broadcasts can accommodate so much more programs (Federal Communications Commission, 2008). The law is not expected to be received openly by the television viewing public, 100 percent. Since it leaves them no choice but to convert millions of TV sets from analog to digital and give up the true fidelity that analog audio signals offer. This paper aims to point out the differences of digital and analog TV. By doing so, advantages and disadvantages of each can be compared and the individual viewer can make a better choice. Robert Silva (2008) lists differences between analog TV and Digital TV. He says these these differences lie mainly in the manner of transmitting broadcasts, signal content within a bandwidth in the broadcast spectrum, and the ability to broadcast in widescreen (16Ãâ€"9) format. Transmission Analog television transmission is based on and started after World War II with black and white broadcasts. It complied with the US analog TV standard known as NTSC. After several years, color broadcasting was introduced and accommodated under the NTSC system. The video is transmitted through the AM radio band while audio is transmitted through the FM band. The reception quality depends on the distance from the television station transmitters and obstacles in between. The farther away from the transmission station the TV reception is more prone to ghosting and other video disturbances. Although analog transmission can accommodate all the technicalities of high fidelity reception, the assigned bandwidth to a television channel restricts and limits broadcast quality. Digital TV is based on modern digital technology. It was designed for BW and color broadcasts as well as audio. It handles information in the same manner as computers: on (with a binary value of â€Å"1†) or off (with a binary value of â€Å"0†). Digital broadcasts allow viewers to see uniform reception quality regardless of the distance from the transmitter. Either the digital television receives the broadcast or the TV screen remains blank (it does not receive anything at all). Signal Content Digital TV broadcasts can accommodate complete video, audio, and other information signals within the same bandwidth. Furthermore, digital television can accommodate advances in technology like High Definition (HDTV) signals. In contrast, analog TV broadcast can only send limited traditional video signals. Format The development of wide screen format programming allows the broadcast of the 16Ãâ€"9 format. Today, widescreen LCD television are getting more popular; but still expensive. It offers the advantage of portraying on the TV screen wide footages of events without the camera lens distortion caused by distances. Furthermore, the widescreen image occupies the whole digital television screen. On the other hand, analog television sets will show widescreen images with portions on top and below blacked out. The widescreen format may not be important to the regular TV viewer. For millions of television watchers, the old analog screen is good enough. Conclusion Paul Wotel (2008) gives an objective assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of both digital and analog television. Some people may opt for the old traditional analog equipment such as phones while others prefer the cordless digital phones. If you want sound fidelity, he recommends the old phones. For more advanced applications, such as the PABX systems, he recommends a digital system. The same reasoning may be applied to television sets. However, the present situation requires new priorities which did not exist before. Today, there is much concern on security and priority is given to police and fire department communications. By requiring television stations to convert to digital transmission, most of the broadcast bandwidth can be assigned to security applications. The advantages of digital television allow the viewing public to benefit from the information age we find ourselves in. Digital television can also take advantage of the internet which has become part of the lives of many, particularly the young generation. Considering the continuing evolution in information and entertainment technology we just have to follow the trend – out with old, in with the new.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

President Ford

From its onset, the power to pardon has been controversial because it has been used more often for the sake of political advantage than the correction of judicial error. To the 38th President of the United States, his perusal for the pardon power; granted by the United States Constitution, Article II, Section 2, had to do with the ushering in of peace into a hectic time period. (U. S. Constitution) A number of Presidents throughout American history have used pardon power for various reasons.For example, George Washington granted the first pardon to leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion, while Andrew Johnson granted a number of pardons to thousands of former Confederate officials and military personnel after the American Civil War. Other uses of pardon include, George H. W. Bush's pardons of 75 people in connection with the Iran-Contra affair, Bill Clinton's pardons of convicted FALN terrorists, and most recently George W. Bush's pardoning of Irve Lewis Libby's prison term. (U. S.Dept of J ustice, 2006) Yet in the 20th century, President Gerald Ford granted one of the most memorable pardons to former President Richard Nixon on September 8, 1974, for any crimes he may have committed that gave rise to the Watergate scandal. Many view Ford’s pardon as a corrupt bargain made to elevate him to the Presidency and alleviate Nixon from any responsibility, yet Ford’s speech shows a man of good judgment who’s primary concern was the clearing up of America’s name which had been sullied by Watergate.Ford desired to end of Nixon’s suffering, whom he believed, â€Å"will continue to suffer, no matter what I do. † (Ford Nixon Pardon) In a news conference Ford stated he, â€Å"†¦hoped that our former president who had brought peace to millions would find it for himself. † (Presidents News Conference, 1974) This paper critiques President Ford’s speech entitled â€Å"Remarks on Pardoning Richard Nixon. † Though it has been colored with bias from the media, this critique will help individuals who want to see the story outside of the flashy news headlines.It offers an eye opening view of Ford’s motives for the pardon and a brief look into why he deserves more credit for this act of courage. This paper will discuss the background of events which led to Ford’s pardon, examine his speech, give a Neo-Aristotlelian analysis of the speech, and finally conclude with statements meant to give a distinctive perspective on Fords integrity, trustworthiness, and decision making capabilities.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

IKEA in Australia

As a part of International Advertising ADV301 we were assigned to research an advertising campaign for a product or brand that is marketed locally as well as internationally. To write a report comparing and contrasting the actual advertisements/commercials and campaigns taking various factors into account. The following report will examine the world’s largest furniture retailer Ikea. By studying Ikea’s global strategy as well as the national strategies and the different advertisement internationally and domestically one will get a deeper understanding of their marketing and advertising executions. The advertisements that will be reviewed in this report are two TV commercial, one from Australia and one from the UK. I chose Australia and UK just to show that even countries with similar cultural preferences can have very different approaches. Background A Swedish man named Ingvar Kamprad in a small town called Älmhult, Sweden, founded Ikea in 1943. The company distributes its products through its retail outlets located in over 39 countries. As of October 2010, the chain has 313 stores, most of them in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (Ikea, 2010). Ikea’s vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people (Ikea, 2010). Their business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of high quality, well designed and functional home furnishing products to low prices so that as many people will be able to afford them as possible. Ikea has made this possible by using inexpensive materials in a novel way and minimizing production, distribution and retail costs. IKEA and Advertising IKEA’s positioning statement is â€Å"Your partner in better living. We do our part, you do yours. Together we save money†, referring to the ready-to-assemble furniture. The brand image is the result of over 50 years work by Ikea’s co-workers at all levels all over the world. The actions done, things being said, the products offered, the low prices, presentation of product range and the information provided to customers all contributes to the overall image. Ikea has a long tradition of marketing communication and has upon till recently mainly focused on print media, which has shown to be successful. However in the last five years additionally media have been used to an extended degree including TV, radio and Internet (Wise, J., 2000) During the years Ikea has had a number of controversial TV commercial, some have even been banned form certain countries throughout the world. However Ikea believes that their controversy is what makes them stand out and separate them from their primary competitors. The marketing department means that if you like it or not it engages people, it provokes conversation and debate, which successfully results in raising awareness of the brand and increasing sales (Wise, J., 2000). Ikea uses advertising to support many different areas of the business including brand awareness, store themes, catalogue drops and store openings. Every year Ikea publish a free catalogue distributed both in stores and by mail. The catalogue is published in over 36 countries and translated into 27 languages worldwide. The catalogue consumes 70% of the company’s annual marketing budget and is considered to be the main marketing tool of the retail giant. 110 million catalogues were circulated last year – three times higher than that of the Bible, with 13 million of these being available in the UK (Ikea, 2010) Advertising strategy IKEA’s target audience is the same in each country they are situated in and is roughly described as â€Å"everyone† but mainly focusing on young families and couples starting out. â€Å"You have more ideas and ambitions than you have a thick wallet during that period of your life, we think Ikea fits in mostly there† says Christer Granstrand, head of Ikea's international marketing department (Wise, J., 2000). However the target audiences differ from country to country in terms of how they perceive or interpret symbols or stimuli, respond to humor or emotional appeals, as well as in levels of literacy and languages spoken. Most of Ikea’s ads are known to have a sense of simplicity, practicality, rebelliousness and the unexpected. Ikea has managed to maintain a kind of overall brand personality across the markets, even if the company is split by country into franchises operating with almost complete autonomy, including setting its own advertising budget and developing its own marketing initiatives (Wise, J., 2000). This means that the decision process is centralized but the advertising approach is regional (Mueller, B. 2006). Campaigns are based around the unique marketing conditions and cultural sensibilities of each country. Ikea realized that to strengthen its presence in the global market it was necessary to localize. They have over the year worked with different advertising agencies to bring out some of the most creative and unconventional television spots across the globe. Ikea uses a standardized strategy with modified executions. Within a homogeneous environment advertising standardization is recommendable. If, on the contrary, environmental variables across markets are heterogeneous, customized advertising should be favored (Oboulo, 2010). Some studies argue that a standardized advertising strategy is the most desirable option when consumer needs are universal, while others argue that adaptation of the advertising strategy across boundaries is more appropriate due to differing consumer buying motives and cultures. Languages barriers, media limitation and culture diversity are three major factors that need to be taken in to consideration when developing a strategy. Language is one of the major barriers to effective communication through advertising. The problem involves different languages of different countries, different languages or dialects within one country. Communication is impeded by the great diversity of cultural heritage and education which exists within countries and which causes varying interpretations of even single sentences and simple concept (Payne, N., 2009) Even the simplest and most taken for granted aspects of advertising need to be carefully researched. Colors, numbers, symbols and images do not all translate well across cultures. Ikea sells home furnishing products, but not just products but also a way of life, they sell a lifestyle. The lifestyle we have and the way we live differs enormously between cultures and that insight is something Ikea has taken into account not only by tailoring the product range depending on the market but also adapting the advertising execution accordingly. For example, European spots, particularly those in the UK, are more in your face than those in North America, which tend to be more comedic. However Ikea has in general over the last years moved towards idea advertising and away from product and price spots that define many of the chain's competitors (Wise, J., 2000). A reason for Ikea’s international marketing success is that executives from Sweden are located wherever Ikea has a head office such as across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East, which helps to carry forward the company’s corporate culture (Wise, J., 2000). The international marketing department develops common strategies during meetings with local marketing managers where they look at common values, ideas and how they would fit with the traditional vision of Ikea.

Glenn Miller and the Swing/Big Band Era Essays - Instrumentals

Glenn Miller and the Swing/Big Band Era Glenn Miller led the most popular big band in the world during 1939-42 and the most beloved of all the swing-era orchestras. His big band played a wide variety of melodic music and had tremendous success in every area of music. He was with the group for two years, and put together an enjoyable and well-rounded show. Glenn Miller was a man who influenced bands greatly for years. Alton Glenn Miller was born on March 1, 1904 in Clarinda Iowa. His family had a tendency to move frequently, to places such as North Platte, Nebraska, and Grant City, Oklahoma. It was in Grant City that Glenn bought his first trombone, at the age of 13. He earned the money by milking cows for $2 a week (Glenn Miller Biography). Glenn attended high school in Fort Morgan, Colorado. He studied at the University of Colorado for 2 years. It was in college that his interest in music flourished. He continued to play the trombone, his favorite instrument. Even at his young age, he was good enough to play in the Boyd Senter Band in Denver. At that point his love for music took over. Miller dropped out of school and went to the west coast to try his luck at being a musician. Miller played with many small bands until he had the opportunity to join Ben Pollack's orchestra in 1926. At that time the band included such well-known musicians as Loschiavo 4 Benny Goodman, Gill Robin, Fud Livingston, and Dick Morgan. In September of 1926, the Pollack Band went into the recording studios and worked on "When I First Met Mary" and "Deed I Do". These were probably the first record arrangements that Glenn Miller wrote. He stayed with the band until it went to New York in 1928 (Glenn Miller Story). It was then that he married his early love, Helen Berger, and moved with her to Manhattan. In the coming years, he developed his talent by working with Red Nichols in pit orchestras, as Smith Ballew's musical director, and with the Dorsey Brothers. In 1934, Miller helped form Ray Noble's American Orchestra, which soon became popular through radio broadcasts. Miller was the lead trombonist and arranger. In 1937, he left the band, and his own popularity among big band circles enabled him to form his own band, the Glenn Miller Orchestra. They brought out a few records, and went on tour, but the attempt was doomed from the start. He could not keep the orchestra together and had to let all but four musicians go. What Miller needed was his own trademark to distinguish him from the other bands. In 1938, with encouragement from friends, he gave it another try, and Miller built up his new orchestra on the basis of the four remaining musicians Hal McIntyre (alto), Rolly Bundock (bass), Chummy MacGregor (piano) and Bob Price (Glenn Miller Story). This time Miller was lucky enough to be supported by one of the most important agencies of the General Artists corporation and to obtain a record contract with RCA Victor's Budget Bluebird Label. Glenn Miller again went on tour. At this time, he had the distinguishing characteristic in Loschiavo 5 his music of having a clarinet double the sax melody an octave higher. Times nonetheless, were hard until the big breakthrough came in 1939. The General Artist Corporation managed to get Miller an engagement at the Glen Island Casino New Rochelle. Glenn Miller's time had come: on May 17 the band played its first night to a sold-out house and by the end of the engagements all box-office records had been broken. From there they traveled to Baltimore at the beginning of September. At Baltimore's Hippodrome Theater all records were again broken. The orchestra returned to New York and played in front at the largest audience in the city's history at the New York State Fare. On September 9, he broke Guy Lombardo's record attendance from the year 1931 and on October 6 helped Carnegie Hall to achieve new record receipts. The recording was also going full swing. Four records per week were being recorded by the orchestra. It was during this period, on April 4, that Miller's signature

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Economics of UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Economics of UAE - Essay Example In the middle of 1980s, formation of major organizations began that came to force the growth of the Dubai tourism group. During 1985, the state developed Emirates Airlines, using Dubai airport like its major center. During 1989, the Dubai Tourism Board remained established thus focusing on worldwide advertisings and posing Dubai like not only a business center but also an alternative objective. It was during 1997 when it changed to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) (Baumgarten, 2010:98). The DTCM being the owner of the tourism industry, together with the aid of several major institutions and organizations of the group, conducted the initial yearly Dubai shopping celebration in 1996. During 1997, Jumeirah Group remained developed like a hotel organization industry. The industry currently has a portfolio of the great end hotels in the whole globe. These organizations fastened their development of the group, and by 2000, 3.4 million tourists’ remains visitin g Dubai every calendar. Towards the start of the millennium, Dubai’s tourism group started developing at an almost quicker speed. Not at all witnessed previously ideal estate schemes introduced Dubai international awareness. The Burj-Al-Arab, that started operation during 1999 was the initial 7 star hotel in the globe. The Palm Island schemes, commenced in 2002, remained the initial of that type. Foreign currency remained received in Dubai as rich tourists visited to live at its classic hotels, or to buy a few of its worthy waterfront assets. Between 2006 and 2010, the figure of hotel beds increased at a yearly proportion of near to 10%. Improving distribution caused hotel renting to shift from 82.2% in 2007 to 66.8% in 2009. The size of Dubai’s Global Airport remained expanded during this time. Analysis Size, ownership and employees The tourism industry owned by the DTCM is expected to develop with almost a 15% of the nation’s GDP in the next ten years and have a value of Dh 277.8 billion (US$75.62bn) yearly. However, the 2007-2009 financial disaster remained specifically a shock on Dubai’s tourism group, as its concern on great destination expatriate tourists left it at risk when international demand declined. Accommodation in hotels reduced to 19% from 2007-2009 and income for each accessible cube reduced from $235 in 2007 for a night to $163 for a night in 2009. During 2010, nevertheless, the group started reestablishing; renting increased by 3%, and income for each accessible cube went up by $35 for a night. Ideal GDP increase for travel and tourism economy was -17.8% in 2010. Despite the previous changes, the now scheme path will witness Dubai developing its hotel cube size by higher than any other town in the globe (Scott, 2010:76). The tourism industry in Dubai has shown increased growth in the number of people employed each year with the figure rising from 166,000 people to 173,000 people, and its expected to grow up to 236 ,000 people in a year in the coming ten tears. Currently 98 million people have employed in the industry. Structure of the industry The tourism industry in UAE constitutes a very competitive market structure with very many airlines in the nation. The competition leads to creativity and innovation in a bid to compete in the market for long. During 2010, Dubai’s hotels had the greatest income for each accessible cube in the globe costing $198 and Dubai attained position 10th in the globe considering the renting rate of 78.6%. During 2008, Dubai remained recognized like

Monday, August 12, 2019

Why Natural Farming is better than Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) Research Paper

Why Natural Farming is better than Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) - Research Paper Example It was an excellent narration to illustrate the various sources of our food that can be had either from industrialized farms which utilizes GMO, to large scale organic farming to hunting (2006). In the same vein, the movie Food Inc by Robert Kenner Food Inc. demonstrates how industrial food makers through the massive use of GMO corn have altered our eating habits. Both the book and movie illustrated that industrial farm factory does not reveal the true cost of our food. While it may initially priced to be cheaper, the true cost is concealed in terms of undermining our health and the environment. This was more vividly illustrated in the movie Food Inc. where corn are also being fed to cows which is now fast becoming as part of our staple food causing us obesity and other health issues. The lethal contamination of E.coli that was induced by cows being in their manure during production was also illustrated with a kid dying just few days after consuming a contaminated burger. In effect, both Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s dilemma: a natural history of four meals and Robert Kenner’s movie Food Inc. illustrated that the source of our food is becoming a factory and is no longer grown the way it used to be. Worst, industrial farm factory and the use of GMOs are even packaged to be a better food source than organic farming (2008). Perhaps it was to illustrate the importance of organic farming over factory farming that uses genetically modified corn that Pollan showed his fascination on a farm where different species can be raised together in a theme of symbiosis (Pollan 126). The grower called himself a â€Å"grass farmer† to demonstrate that grass is the foundation of the intricate food chain. II. The rise of the Genetically Modified Organism agricultural products The debate over organic farming and Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) crop farming is still as intense when GMOs first caught the public attention. Each mode of farming the crop ar e pushing its advantage over the other as a better source of food with GMO gaining wider acceptance because of its putative efficiency in producing the crops. Genetically Modified Organism came to public attention in September of 2000 when the business section of the New York Times ran a frontpage story about an issue in the food supply. A new genetically engineered corn that contains a protein Cry9C which was supposed to be used as an animal feed was found in a nationally sold tacos (Kelso and Takahashi I). Despite of the issue, genetically modified crops have gained wide acceptance in the United States that it now contains more than 40% of soybeans, cotton and corn that is sold in supermarkets (Sakko). Crops have been modified to grow efficiently requiring fewer herbicides with some crops designed to be resistant to insects and pests. There were also crops whose genomes were altered to produce certain vitamins such as the Golden rice which has been said to contain Vitamin A. Genet ic alteration is not only limited to crops but is also used in trees and other animals (Sakko). III. The debate: why natural farming is better than Genetically Modified Organism? The most common reason used by the proponents of Genetically Modified Organism factory farming is that they are cheaper to produce and is a practical option to provide food to people worldwide (Royal Society of Chemistry). They are also said to be efficient because crops can be improved through genetic engineering to become more resistant to pests with an enhanced nutrient value at a lower production cost. Proponents of GMO’s are also highlighting the advantage of genetically improved crops to be more profitable because they can be grown faster. Proponents of organic farming on the other raised the advantages of organically raised foods over genetically

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Payments and Finance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Payments and Finance - Case Study Example by July 07, 2009 as per terms of contract between Alpha and Delta. This case is akin to the case of The Honorable Society of the Middle Temple v.Lloyds Bank Plc, and Another (1999) I All ER (Comm) 193, in which, the English agent of a foreign bank partook of a robbed crossed cheque and credited the proceeds into the account of a third party instead of the payee. This agent was held to have acted in negligence. The learned Court, distinguishing between the duties the agent owed to the third party vis-'-vis what it owed to its principal, especially when the agent was duty bound, under the ordinary course of business to take cognizance of its principals' instructions. Thus, under this case, the agent was held negligible for failing to take steps to protect the payee's interests. As the Court observed, "This was not so where the loss arose from the agent's negligence in the actual performance of the collecting bank's request." 1 Similarly, in this case too, Mega Bank could be held... The instructions from Royal Bank to Mega Bank were to credit Alpha's account with the advance money within a day and yet this was not done. The advance payment forms an integral part of the agreement between the seller and buyer, and the inability of the buyers to meet this clause, could, at the option of the seller, lead to cancellation of the contract. As a matter of fact, the entire contract hinges, at the initial stage of the contract, on the release of the advance payment of the contract down payment of '50,000 on the part of the buyers, and the inability on the part of the buyers to effectuate and confirm this payment by July 07, 2009 could, at the option of the seller, lead to nullification of the contract. The contract could be rendered void by seller due to non-receipt of the advance payment within stipulated time that is within July 07, 2009. In this case the contract does not stipulate when the buyer should pay in the money, but stipulates that it should be received by the seller within 7 days of the contract. In other words, it mandates the minimum time within which the payment has to be effected and before t he time, after which the contract may lapse. "The moment the agreed period of deferral came to an end, the requirement to pay arose." (Litigation letter, 2004, para.1). In the event the sellers, Alpha, cancels the contract, the buyers, Delta is at liberty to proceed against the bank that has committed the error, that is Mega bank. From the point of view of the Grande Bank in Paris they have acted according to instructions of the buyer client, Delta. They had debited the buyer's account and had, at the same time also sent a Payment Advice through SWIFT to its correspondent bank in UK, Royal Bank

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Zara - The Fast Fashion Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Zara - The Fast Fashion Leader - Essay Example The essay "Zara - The Fast Fashion Leader" explores the fashion leader, Zara company. Zara is also successful in ensuring barriers are established for new market entrants through self-operated manufacturing capacity and logistics strategies that cannot be rivalled without substantial capital investment. Weaknesses in the model were identified by conducting a comprehensive European/global environmental analysis of the competitive industry as well as through examination of Zara’s current business model. Weaknesses lie is in isolating the company from negative publicity, which has been a large problem recently with accusations of the company being supportive of sweatshop labour conditions with foreign suppliers. Additionally, research has identified weaknesses involving a lack of focus on more relevant, behavioural marketing strategy development as well as the company not maintaining proper focus on building more independent supply and logistics networks that would be owned by Za ra to improve its scope of control. Because of these weaknesses, it is recommended that Zara consider repositioning the business to a premiumisation strategy as a new business level strategy, diversifying self-managed manufacturing and logistics capabilities, and focusing on promotion that is more consumer-centric. It is further recommended that Zara differentiate its products with an emphasis on fashion-forward design in order to capture the attention of target markets that value exclusivity. These strategies will sustain Zara.’s future brand position and build more positive brand equity. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.0 Introduction..................................................................................................... 2.0 Strategic issues and competitive forces........................................................... 2.1 Industry Life Cycle analysis................................................................ 2.2 Porter’s Five Forces analysi s............................................................... 2.3 PEST framework................................................................................. 3.0 Internal strategic audit..................................................................................... 4.0 PR crises at Zara.............................................................................................. 5.0 Recommendations for future business sustainability....................................... 5.1 Improving supply capabilities.............................................................. 5.2 Better utilisation of marketing theory and practice.............................. 5.3 Premiumisation..................................................................................... 5.4 Differentiation as business level strategy............................................. 6.0 Conclusion........................................................................................................ References 1.0 Introduction The fast fashion leader, Zara, provides fashion and accessory products to a variety of profitable consumer markets in multiple international markets. Zara stands out from competition most distinctly for the retailer’s ability to restock in-store inventories with a lead time of only two weeks or less. This is unparalleled in the retail industry as most retail competitors require months in order to launch a

Friday, August 9, 2019

Chemistry Problems Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chemistry Problems - Scholarship Essay Example As the activation energy decreases the rate of reaction increases. So the rate of the reaction would be fastest for the reaction with minimum activation energy (Ea = 10 kJ/mole). 19. From the data it can be seen that as the concentration of Br2 is doubled keeping the concentration of NO constant, the rate of reaction is doubled. This means that the reaction is first order with respect to Br2. 20. From the data it can be seen that as the concentration of reactant A is increased to 4 times, keeping the concentration of B and C constant, the rate of the reaction increases by 4 times. This means that the reaction is first order with respect to A. Similarly when the concentration of reactant A is increased to twice the value and that of reactant B is also increased to twice the value, keeping the concentration of reactant C constant, the rate of reaction increases to twice the value. As this increment is attributed to reactant A therefore the order of the reaction with respect to B is zero. 2. According to the Le Chatlier's principle, for a exothermic reaction if the temperature of the reaction is increased the value of the equilibrium constant decreases. As the equilibrium constant decreases the concentration of products is lowered. .. This means that the reaction is first order with respect to A. Similarly when the concentration of reactant A is increased to twice the value and that of reactant B is also increased to twice the value, keeping the concentration of reactant C constant, the rate of reaction increases to twice the value. As this increment is attributed to reactant A therefore the order of the reaction with respect to B is zero. 23. We know that for a first order reaction: t=1klnAt Therefore for a first order reaction, the plot of At versus t would be a logarithmic curve and not a straight line. 24. For the stoichiometry of the given reaction: 4 NH3 + 7 O2 4 NO2 + 6 H2O From the reaction it can be seen that highest moles of O2 are consumed in the reaction. Therefore it can be assumed that the O2 is removed the fastest during the reaction. Module 2 1. For the given reaction the equilibrium constant of the reaction can be given as: K= [HI]2H2I2=0.5520.15*0.33=6.11 2. According to the Le Chatlier's principle, for a exothermic reaction if the temperature of the reaction is increased the value of the equilibrium constant decreases. As the equilibrium constant decreases the concentration of products is lowered. 4. For the reaction: CO (g) + 3H2 (g) CH4 (g) + H2O (g) Q=CH4H2OCOH23=0.0620*0.05500.0450*0.1323=32.95 Given that equilibrium constant K=3.93. So Q>K and therefore the reaction would proceed in the backward direction. 7. For the reaction: 6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l) C6H12O6 (s) + 6O2 (g) The equilibrium constant would be given by: K=C6H12O6O26CO26H2O6 As the activity for the solid and liquid compounds can be taken to be 1, therefore the net equilibrium constant would be given by: K=O26CO26 8. From the given data the initial molarity of NOCl is

Access Control and Policies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Access Control and Policies - Assignment Example One advantage of the Access Control Lists (ACLs) is the protection it offers users of a system. The Mandatory Access Control (MAC), for example, is a policy that is mandatory in every system present. It requires that users are offered access based on mandated guidelines. The Role Based Access Control (RBAC) controls access depending on the role played by system users (Kuhn, 2003). The advantage brought on by such access controls helps determine who is to access data, regulate what they might, or might not do. The ACLs provide an exceptional method of accessing data and resources. Disadvantages brought on by the use of ACLs are immense. One of them includes the difficulty involved in maintaining the ACLs in an environment where there is a large number of users. They are also error-prone and do not offer assurance on the protection of confidential information. This is once there is a need to change, or delete ACLs on individual files. These challenges make it particularly hard for system users to trust ACLs entirely (Bertino & Ghinita, 2011). The organization of information resources would be in such a manner that there is one system to access. The use of the RBAC is crucial in the arrangement of such information. It is an exceptional tool to use since it will recognize internal and external users of that system. People, therefore, can carry out their responsibilities without too much struggle. They would be assigned unique codes that grant them access to the system (Gofman, 2008). Discretionary policies in any system create the possibility of what one can access, and how they can use that information. If there is any threat of damage of data, there are software systems created to raise an alarm. The Biba Integrity Model is a security system that ensures problems associated with damaging of information are dealt with accordingly. The protection of information is

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Senators and Representatives Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Senators and Representatives - Research Paper Example The voters have tended to choose presidential candidates from the said party for three elections already. Apparently, this only gives the impression that the district may well be considered as a bulwark of the Republican Party. The presidential elections since the year 2000 provide figures that proved this conclusion. In 2000, when George W. Bush ran for president, he got 37 percent of the votes. As he continued to banner the war on terror, and riding on the bandwagon effect of the American response to 9/11, President Bush managed to be reelected. The 7th District of Virginia produced 38 percent of its registered voters in favor of the incumbent chief executive. While John McCain was very unpopular in other states, in the district, he and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin were able to obtain a majority of 53.16 percent of the votes (Virginia State Board of Elections, n.d.). This obviously made the tandem win in the district. All these figures only prove how the district’ s population has the tendency to favor one party over the other. The voters in the district also favor congressional candidates who belong to the Republican Party. From January 1971 until the present, the district has always had a Republican congressman. This means that the GOP has been dominant in the counties composing for about four decades already. However, this is not the case when it comes to the voters’ choice of senator. In the 2008 senatorial elections, Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, won over Republican James Gilmore III with a huge margin of 88,461 votes. Sen. Warner took 62.25 percent of the total votes (Virginia State Board of Elections, n.d.). In the 2000 elections, however, a Republican, Sen. G.F. Allen won with a great majority also. As the presidential elections would show, it is clear that the 7th district of Virginia leans to the Republicans when it comes to choosing the country’s chief executive. This is the same tendency that is displayed in congress ional elections, particularly when it comes to selecting a representative in the lower house. Its choice for senator, however, has changed only in the last senatorial elections. It remains to be seen whether this signifies a start of a new trend. Rep. Eric Cantor is the district’s congressman. He has been considered as the Republican Party’s fast-rising leaders. Aside from being a lawyer, Rep. Cantor is also a businessman. Prior to being elected a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he was a member of the state of Virginia’s legislative body. He was first noticed on Virginia’s political scene when he became part of the House of Delegates from 1992 until 2000 (Project Vote Smart, n.d.). In 2000, he was elected as congressman. It did not take long before he immediately became prominent in the halls of Congress. He first became popular among fellow Republicans in Congress which resulted in him being named as chief deputy majority whip for the party in 2002-2006. He later held the position of chief deputy minority whip in 2006-2008. As he became more accepted as a party leader, Rep. Cantor became minority whip for about two years in 2008. This year, his influence became even broader when he became the majority leader of the House of Representatives. Considering his growing influence in the Republican Party, it is only expected that Rep. Cantor’

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Information About Strategic Teaching, Strategic Learning and Thinking Skills Essay Example for Free

Information About Strategic Teaching, Strategic Learning and Thinking Skills Essay Teachers, whether brand new to the classroom, or veterans of many years of service, are always looking for ways to make what they do more effective and more efficient. That even goes for students in teacher preparation programs, as well it should. Efficiency is a measure of what is obtained (results) in relation to what was expended (resources). Effectiveness is a bit more elusive. To be sure, effectiveness in anything, including teaching, can be difficult to describe and to measure. The following is a discussion about some fundamental principles that may lead to actual improvement of instruction. Please read on. In order to use any instructional technique effectively, anyone who teaches must, of necessity, understand the fundamental principles and assumptions upon which the specific technique is based. There is certainly no shortage of descriptions or labels for activities that may be classified as pertaining to instruction. From the ever-popular lecture method to complex student-teacher, student-student interactions, instruction encompasses a broad range of teacher behaviors. At one end (the lecture method) the teacher is an imparter of information, and the students are the intended recipients of the information the teacher imparts. At the other end of the range of teacher behaviors are methods in which teachers interact with students in vastly more complex ways. Most researchers and experts in the field are in agreement that the most permanent and meaningful learning takes place at this end of the range. Strategic teaching, and, concomitantly, strategic learning are techniques in which significant student-teacher interaction and resultant learning and thinking are at the high end of the scale. To learn strategic teaching techniques, and to foster the ability of students to engage in strategic learning, it is important to define some terms. In fact, one of the principles of strategic teaching is to define terms. Below are terms that are relevant to this process. Strategic teaching describes instructional processes that focus directly on fostering student thinking, but goes well beyond that. Strategic teaching and strategic learning are inexorably linked. A strategic teacher has an understanding of the variables of instruction and is aware of the cognitive requirements of learning. In such an awareness, comes a sense of timing and a style of management. The strategic teacher is one who: 1. s a thinker and decision maker; 2. possesses a rich knowledge base; 3. is a modeler and a mediator of instruction. Variables of instruction refer to those factors that strategic teachers consider in order to develop instruction. These variables, as the name implies, change, and therefore the teacher must be aware of the nature of change as well as the actual variables themselves. These variables are: 1. characteristics of the learner; 2. material to be learned (curriculum content); 3. the criterial task (the goals and outcomes the teacher and learner designate); 4. earning strategies (goal directed activities in which learners engage). In teaching content at the elementary, middle, or secondary level, the strategic teacher helps guide instruction by focusing on learning strategies that foster thinking skills in relation to the content. In connecting new information to what a student already knows, learning becomes more meaningful, and not simply retained for test-taking purposes. There are numerous strategies that teachers can develop that accomplish this purpose. To give one information is not difficult, but to help one be able to develop the tools to both know what information is relevant and the means to acquire it, is perhaps the most important function of any social studies teacher. There are numerous techniques for engaging students in thinking about content. Besides thinking skills, there are such practical matters as how best to present a lesson on weather, teaching map and globe skills, helping students work together in groups, how to question effectively, and how to answer student questions. The first and foremost criterion is that the teacher thoroughly know the content, the second criterion is that the teacher have a set of rules for classroom management that are understood and implemented, and the third criterion is that the teacher have the resourcefulness and knowledge to rehearse unfamiliar techniques, and more importantly, have the capacity to adjust any lesson plan to maintain academic focus. Many of these tasks are learned on-the-job. Nothing you can learn in any course is more valuable than learning what to do when you dont know what to do. When you can do that, you are well on your way to becoming a great teacher. Strategic Learning Strategic learning is, in effect, a highly probable outcome of effective strategic teaching. Reduced to its essentials, strategic learning is learning in which students construct their own meanings, and in the process, become aware of their own thinking. The link between teaching, thinking, and learning is critical. As a teacher, if you are not causing your students to think about what you are presenting, discussing, demonstrating, mediating, guiding, or directing, then you are not doing an effective job. You must be more than a dispenser of information. You must create conditions and an environment that encourages thinking, deepens and broadens it, and which causes students to become aware of how they think. The process of thinking about how we think is referred to as metacognition. In helping students create knowledge, it is useful to think of knowledge as occupying space that can be thought of as a pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid is declarative knowledge, or knowledge of what is. Declarative knowledge is akin to awareness. One step up on the pyramid is procedural knowledge, or knowledge of how something works, or functions. At the top of the pyramid is conditional knowledge, or knowledge of when or why a particular procedure will work. Conditional knowledge is closely related to the predictive function of knowledge. When students develop a broad and deep system of conditional knowledge, they are able to predict more accurately, solve problems more efficiently, and in a sense, are more free because they can identify and articulate more options from which to choose. Strategic learning is a valuable system to help your students develop conditional knowledge. Content Connections The creation of knowledge is, in the most practical and profound sense, a primary and direct result of learning. As teachers, we must strive to assist our students to develop intellectual tools by which they can create knowledge. Any knowledge, once created, becomes a part of a larger system that enhances learning and is capable of integrating and accommodating new information with greater efficiency and reliability. Each person creates knowledge in similar, yet uniquely distinct ways. Connecting information provided or described by others in novel and personal ways is a key to learning and developing knowledge. The more one knows, the more one can know. The idea of content links or connections is not exactly new, but offers some unique opportunities to chart your own course, learn, and add to your knowledge system. Enter the idea of Constructivism. Constructivism is a philosophy as well as a psychology of education. Constructivism is about how knowledge is created.