Answer and Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer and Question - Essay Example On the other hand, plot is basically an ordered narration of the story but there is no chronological manner present in it (Nodelman & Reimer, 2003). The reason behind setting up a plot is to make the audiences and readers curious about the questions that are not-elaborated. This may also increase the excitement of the reader with the story. This is also regarded as suspense because the answers are provided in a surprising manner with the story (Genette, 1983). Distinguishing factors of plot and story are also interrelated with discourse and story. In easier terms, plot and discourse are considered as similar but there is a slight difference between them. Discourse is mainly a sequence of a conversation revealing significant knowledge. It is also referred to debated account during a story or plot depiction. Discourse allows reporting of the reason behind events in the story (Nodelman & Reimer, 2003). Painter (2007) has written an in-depth account regarding the role of images in children’s picture books to slow down the pace of narratives. Picture books have limited text as images present in the book also convey the message (meaning) of the story. Dialogues are given much importance in the picture books so that children can think of the scenic projections (Painter, 2007). Sometimes there would also be a number of repetitions made to put stress on a particular action. The repetition of dialogues and images allows narration to become fast paced when more than one dialogue are aligned with the images (Kress & Leeuwen, 2006). It should also be noted that the visual narration can be distributed depending upon the alignment with the images. However, there is no investigation found out to back up the aspect of distribution of visual narration (Kress & Leeuwen, 2006). When the pace of narration is speeded up then many events can be shown to introduce sequences which may not be very important to the stories. Speedy and repetitive dialogues along with the images

The Origins of Human Rights

The Origins of Human Rights Origins of Human Rights Essay – Question 1 ‘How was the idea of rights used to understand the relations between individuals and the state?’ Through the rise of empire, human rights evolves and moulded to fit the shifting political and social changes attributed to the nature between the individual and the state. In particular, several views off several time periods must be observed in order to understand how rights regulated the relationship between the individual and the state. The Social Contract school of thought and the philosophers associated with it are a strong indication of these shifting thoughts: Hugo Grotius (1625), Thomas Hobbes (1651), John Locke (1689), Jean Jacques Rousseau (1762) all discuss this relationship with their own respective theories. Based on these arguments, this essay will aim to show that the idea of rights and their relation to the individual and the state could be understood with the evolution of the concept of what the nation state is. The idea of the role of rights between the individual and the state can be addressed typically under the study of ‘Social Contract’. This school of thought questions the origin of society and the legitimacy of the state’s power over an individual. The arguments often state that an individual, in some form of consent, has willingly forfeited some of their rights and freedoms whilst submitting to an authority which will protect their remaining rights. This is imperative to our understanding of the relationship between the individual and the state for the reason that it deeply explores the prior ‘natural state (the state in which there IS no relationship) and the post political state (Where an institution is created to defend rights). This will be discussed throughout this essay through the opinions of prominent philosophers. In 1625, Hugo Grotius promoted his school of thought during the war between Spain and Portugal and was employed by the Dutch, allowing him to defend ‘seizure in the natural principles of justice’. Grotius furthermore promoted the Natural Rights of individuals, namely that each individual owns natural rights which give their own self-preservation. These natural rights in turn suggested that the power of the state can be returned to the individuals if the political state were to fail the reason it was created. The nature of these examples of natural law could lead one to question how they coincided with their context. Grotius’ ideas as a result reflected both a self-preserving outlook and an emphasis of individuals under their own jurisdiction (Soi Juris). Grotius furthermore notes no significant moral difference between the individual and the state. This draws the conclusion of more justification for the Dutch Trade Empire, stating that ‘It shall be permissib le to acquire for oneself and to retain these things which are useful for life†. Restating that the idea of rights and their relation to the individual and the state evolved alongside the concept of a nation state. Thomas Hobbes in 1651 published his thoughts on the individual and the state in ‘Leviathan’. This stated that an individual deprived of society lived in an anarchic condition which he referred to as â€Å"solitary, Poor, Nasty, Brutish, and short†. Hobbes takes this incredibly cynical outlook and bolsters the argument that this essay makes in that rights of the individual were a reflection of the nation state. This is due to the English civil war around this period. Furthermore emphasised in writing that individuals had to forsake some of their rights, such as the right to kill, (killing in a war context), if others were to forsake theirs too. Ultimately this would create a supreme authority to preserve their lives and property (eventually a ‘monarch’). These subjects had no rights against the monarch, who himself had moral obligations towards natural law. Seeing the above, we can tell that Hobbes is an absolutism-supporter and states that ‘law is dependent upon the sanction of the sovereign and the government without sword are but words and of no strength to secure a man at all†. This further implies that these rights; absolutist during a civil war, reflect Hobbes emphasising civil law as real law due to the enforcement of a sovereign. John Locke’s theory was outlined in 1689, a theory which differed greatly from Hobbes’ pessimistic â€Å"The natural state is cruel† statement. This theory stated that the individual in the state of nature had a â€Å"reasonably good and enjoyable† life, yet retained the issue that property was insecure. It should be further stated that in this state man had all his natural rights and that, in this natural condition, could be considered completely free due to there being no relationship with the state; i.e. no real civil law or enforcement, yet still retained morality thus being a ‘state of liberty’. Locke, unlike the theorists mentioned above, puts particular emphasis on property in the social contract. According to him, property is made when the individual mixes effort with nature and, given with the above discussion of the law of nature, there are limits as to how much an individual can take. One should only take as much as one can use with out leaving others to suffer for not having enough themselves. This emphasis is grounded by his argument for the relationship of social contract and civil government because it is the protection of physical property, whether it is physical property or the property of their own being, which a man will look for when he seeks to leave the state of nature. Locke continues to write that the property of an individual is insecure in relation to the state of nature due to three strong reasons: The absence of established law, The absence of an impartial judge and the absence of a natural power to execute the natural laws. As said before, man in the state of nature needed to protect their property due to these reasons, and as a resolution entered into a ‘social contract’. Locke states that â€Å"Man did not surrender all their rights to one individual, but surrendered only the right to preserve/maintain order and enforce the law of nature†. As such, the rights to life, lib erty and estate were all retained as these were unable to be separated from the natural rights of man. With the relationship to the state being formed, the individual gained three things: the law, judges to make formal judgements on the law and executive power to enforce the law. Locke writes that â€Å"The purpose of government and law is to uphold and protect the natural rights of men. So long as the government fulfils this purpose, the laws given by it are valid and binding but, when it ceases to fulfil it, then the laws would have no validity and the government can be thrown out of power. In Locke’s view, unlimited sovereignty is contrary to natural law.Locke continued to support for a constitutionally limited government. And as such his life liberty and property arguments greatly dominated and influenced the declaration of American independence of 1776 Rousseau in 1762 stated that state, law and government were interchangeable ideas. He wrote ‘The Social Contract’ stating that it was a ‘hypothetical construction of reason’. Rousseau’s view places itself between Locke’s constitutionalism and Hobbes’ absolutism and gives strong reason for observation to the essays argument as this argument and theory on natural law is centred around the liberties and freedoms of the individual. This in turn gave inspiration to American and French revolutions. Rousseau writes that the life in the State of Nature was happy and there was equality among men, yet eventually with population increased, the means by which people could satisfy their needs had to change. Individuals became families, families became communities. Communities caused labour division. This led to reward difference and resulted in envy pride and contempt. The most important creation was of private property which he states is the one tur ning point from a pure state into a greedy, competitive, vain and unequal society. This is to say the creation of property was the complete and utter destruction of the state of nature. The individual surrendered their rights to the community as a whole, which he came to state as ‘general will’. Through social contract, a new form of social organisation – the state- was formed to assure and guarantee rights, liberties, freedom and equality. State and law were the product of the general will of the people. General will was the will of the majority which must be blindly followed as it is supreme.

Cleopatra Essays -- essays research papers

When you think of Cleopatra you tend to think of Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile. Which isn’t far from the truth. Cleopatra was queen of Egypt, which is located on the Nile River. In her lifetime she had every luxury imaginable, which she used to gain the popularity of the roman authority. She was very important in terms of Egyptian history. However she was also very well known in terms of Roman history. She seduced some of most well known Roman men of her time. Cleopatra was a seductress. Who used her fame and fortune to seduce these men. Some of these men included such men as Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. Cleopatra was born in 69 BC She was the last Ptolemaic ruler. Her father was the Ptolemy XII. She was very, which added to her popularity of the Egyptian and Roman world. Cleopatra t...

Hello Kitty

| HELLO KITTY| | Obsah Introduction3 1. Hello Kitty4 1. 1 History4 1. 2 Hello Kitty in Japan5 2. Globalization – localization6 3. Famous brands create for Hello Kitty6 3. 1 Forever 21 (US)7 3. 2 Sephora (Francie)7 3. 3 Swarovski (Austria)8 3. 4 Vans (US)8 3. 5 Eva Air (Taiwan)9 Conclusion10 Bibliography11 Appendix I. : Hello Kitty Story12 Appendix II. : First product with Hello Kitty motive – 197413 Appendix III. : Hello Kitty Products14 Appendix IV. : Hello Kitty a celebrities19 Appendix V. : Hello Kitty products in magazines20 Introduction Lately I have been noticing many articles in the shops carrying a name Hello Kitty with the typical oversized-head kitty image. To be quite honest until I started looking for information I did not know anything about this brand, where it is coming from, what is its main product, who is its targeted group, nothing. But it got my attention because I have been spotting the Hello Kitty image on so many different products and in such an amount that I started to feel like it is everywhere and I cannot escape. This essay is about one Japanese brand, that was invented as a new Sandio? company design for coin purse that turned into a global brand, presenting her as a western brand and not carrying so much about its origin. Introducing the company secret about such a popularity of Hello Kitty brand – licensing. Starting by introducing the brand and saying few details about its history, continuing by describing the Japanese market and some cultural differences. Naming few categories of p roducts that are available in Hello Kitty design concentrating more on chosen famous brands that decided to provide its good name, quality and prestige to this Japanese cartoon brand. . Hello Kitty The reason for this name is expressed in this statement, made by Bill Hensley, marketing director of Sandrio? s company: â€Å"Gift-giving is an important part of the Japanese culture. In Ja-pan, ‘Hello’ communicates the idea of open communication. That’s why she was named Hello Kitty. † Since Sandrio? s motto is â€Å"Small gift, big smile† it explains very well the statement and the character? s name, as it is all about gifts and making other people happy even with small things. (ICMR, 2007, online). 1. 1 History This Japanese brand Hello Kitty founded in 1974. When we look for more details about this brand, nowadays very famous one, we can found out, that the company is not really associating Hello Kitty with its home – Japan, but with England, where it was â€Å"born†. The official story behind this character is as follows: â€Å"Hello Kitty was born on November 1st and she lives in London, England with her parents and her twin sister, Mimmy. They have a lots of friends at school with whom they share many adventures. Her hobbies include travelling, music, reading, eating yummy cookies her sister Mimmy bakes, and best of all making new friends. As Hello Kitty always says, you can never have too many friends. † (Sandrio. com, 2011, online). Hello Kitty is not, as many other characters (Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Pikachu, etc. ) a cartoon figure. At appeared as mysterious cat, that nobody knew. The reason why she was created was that Sandrio – the company that owns this brand, needed a new motive to use for their change purses. Back into 1970s Hello Kitty was originally used on popular little merchandise – toys and stationary like coin purses or pencil boxes and other small gifts targeted at small girls – mainly at the age of 4 to 6. And in those days the prices were quite low so it would be affordable for most of the kids. (ICMR, 2007, online). . It was not Yuko Yamaguchi, who created Hello Kitty, but she invented the story of Kitty? s life and since then she has been responsible for this product, and very successful one have to say. She was also responsible to extend the brand to a wide variety of products – clothes, accessories and even electronic goods. Yoko was very concerned about making the product up to date, so she was constantly asking customers what they want, what are their expectations from Hello Kitty etc. For example in mid 1980s company received a letter from a high school student, asking for products with Hello Kitty targeted at customers her age, so the company did so and changed positioning of the brand targeting on girls from about 5 years old to teenage. Sandrio soon realized that Hello Kitty is growing with her original customers, little girls, in 1970s who were teenagers in 1990s and adult women in 2000s but they still kept on buying Hello Kitty stuff so nowadays the targeted group is said to be from 4 years old girls to women in their 30s. ICMR, 2007, online). Thank to voluntary endorsement by celebrities, as during 1990s Hello Kitty became very popular in US, the brand develop into a fashion symbol in early 2000s and turned into a â€Å"premium brand†. We can name few celebrities who were (maybe still are) big Hello Kitty fans: Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Kate Perry, Lady Gaga and others like Cameron Diaz, Heidi Klum, Carmen Elektra, Madonna etc. that posed for fashion magazines wearing Hello Kitty products. (See Appendix IV. ). At the present time Hello Kitty products can be found in many magazines recommending them as one of the thing the modern, cute and sexy girl or woman has to have (See Appendix V. ). 1. 2 Hello Kitty in Japan As it was said above, Hello Kitty started as a brand in 1970s targeted at little girls. But they grown and in 1980s and 1990s they turn into teenage girls who mostly stayed faithful to their childhood toy. The company realized that and changed the positioning of the brand on teenagers, found a Hello Kitty a boyfriend called Daniel and helped its brand to be even more popular by focusing on a larger group of customers. As a result, nowadays is Hello Kitty loved and adored by girls age of approximately five to women in their thirties. Even though a significant number of Hello Kitty fans are male it is still considered as a female brand in Japan. (ICMR, 2007, online). The huge popularity that is Hello Kitty receiving in Japan can be explained by many factors actually. First of all, Japanese women love cute things and Hello Kitty is said to be a â€Å"cutie queen†. It is her sweet, cute, friendly and innocence appearance in the Japanese female customers represented by its big head, small black-dot eyes, yellow nose, red or pink ribbon and no mouth. The motionless expression in Hello Kitty? s face is actually big advantage of this character as every single person can give her the motions they feel like – sad, happy, thoughtful, angry, etc. , so it will be the way they need. (Wai-Ming Ng, 2011, online). Since Sandrio gave to its character Hello Kitty a London identity, it is considered as a western brand in Japan. So being a Japanese brand, it has, funnily enough an exotic appeal in Japan. It actually represents a Western or dreamlike world and that is way, Hello Kitty is not very liked in local characteristic ways – for example Hello Kitty dressed up in Kimono. The popularity of this brand is supported by the fact that mostly anything can be found with Hello Kitty motive on it. We talking about products starting from office & school stuff (pens, pencils, sell tapes, stickers, etc), clothes, shoes, kitchen & bathroom things, electronics, as well as wedding stuff (dresses, rings, invitations) or as famous brands? collection – Sephora for Hello Kitty, Swarovski Hello Kitty collection, Hello Kitty MasterCard, Forever 21 fastion collection and much more (see Appendix III. ). Only in Japan are about 90 companies possess a Sandrio? s licence allowing them to use Hello Kitty design on their products. Just a little comparison with Singapore? s customers as even though it is an Asian country and not that far from Japan, many attitudes and believes are completely different. In Singapore is Hello Kitty considered as a Japanese brand, not as a western or English one as it is in Japan. So it does not look any exotic to them. Asian versions of Hello Kitty – in traditional costumes and so are very popular here, which we cannot say about Japan. And last difference between these two countries is that very little variety of Hello Kitty products are imported into Singapore. (Wai-Ming Ng, 2011, online). 2. Globalization – localization American cartoons like Donald Duck or Mickey mouse can be considered as one of the tools to spread American ideology all over the world, we cannot say the same about Hello Kitty and propagate Japanese culture. First of all the company wanted Hello Kitty to be a western brand, so they created a life story about the character coming from London. As it was mentioned, Japanese customers prefer the western Hello Kitty, but it does not bother Americans to promote Asian series in US. So surely Hello Kitty is a global brand available all over the world but with local differences to suit the particular needs. This fact we can illustrate on another Sandrio? s move in order to be liked by more customers, by making a special blue Hello Kitty collection in the US to make look Hello Kitty less childish. (Wai-Ming Ng, 2011, online). 3. Famous brands create for Hello Kitty In 1976, Sanrio started licensing the Hello Kitty image to many different companies for use on their merchandise. The Hello Kitty brand success, and other character brands too, made Sandrio one of the leading companies in this area. But Hello Kitty has become a â€Å"global licensing phenomenon† as nowadays it is possible to buy almost everything with Hello Kitty design. The only exceptions, that were not permitted from Sandrio to use Hallo Kitty images from Sandrio are producers of guns, cigarettes and alcohol. (ICMR, 2007, online). But it is possible to get Hello Kitty wine, so I am not really sure, what they consider as alcohol. In Appendix III. re examples of some products that are available in Hello Kitty design. As the most â€Å"unexpected† things to find decorated whit Hello Kitty motives, in my opinion, are: vegetable peeler, hair drier, shower curtain, frying pan, chopping board, kitchen sponge, iron, sewing machine, wedding dress/rings, car, wine, sleeping bag, shoes and adult stuff – vibrator or condoms. Now I would like to present few companies that success of H ello Kitty impressed so much and saw such a potential in this brand that asked for a license and produced many products under their names, giving them the quality and prestige. As well as I want to demonstrate of the international act as none of the companies are Japanese so it helps give the brand the global appearance. 3. 1 Forever 21 (US) It all started in 1984 as a 900 square ft. Shop in Los Angeles, originally named as Fashion 21. Now quickly growing clothing design and accessories producer at affordable price having 120 locations in 25 states. This company targeting at teenagers and young people in their 20s decided to entice more customers by buying a Sandrio? s license to use Hello Kitty motives. In November 2011 Forever 21 introduced New Hello Kitty Exclusive collection containing items like: T-shits, bags, socks, tights, sweaters, raincoats etc. With the new collection Forever 21 organized for their customers and Hello Kitty fans a party in US on 18th November to celebrate the new collection. (Forever21. com, 2011, online). 3. 2 Sephora (Francie) This company was founded in 1970 in France and now, forty years later is leading chain of perfume and cosmetics in France and selling in another 24 countries. In July 2011 Sephora introduced Hello Kitty Graffity Collection. Limited edition of cosmetics and accessories including suitcase, brush set, eye shadows, compact mirror and perfume. In November 2011 new collection was introduced by Sephora: Hello Kitty Noir collection. It symbolize cinematic Hollywood romance. This limited edition is much richer in the number of offered items then the previous one presenting: eye shadows, perfumes, powders, held and compact mirrors, make up bags, brushes, combs and nail polishes. (Sanrio – blog, 2011, online), (Sephora, 2011, online). When looking at Sephora? webside, it looks like that the company is very please to co-operate with Sandrio: â€Å"She's iconic. She's adored. She's known around the world. Now, Hello Kitty is bringing her playful spirit to a new beauty line presented exclusively at Sephora. This sophisticated collection mixes the essence of Hello Kitty with a touch of style and fun. With charming designs and luxurious formulas infused with ingredients she loves, Hello Kitty Beauty is the ulti mate must-have. Hello Kitty. Hello Pretty. â€Å" (Sephora, 2011, online). 3. 3 Swarovski (Austria) An Austrian company, in these days very successful and known worldwide, founded in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski. Celebrating over 100 years on the market Swarovski could be spotted in James Bond movies, wore by celebrities or seen in popular music videos – lately Swarovski used product placement in Jennifer Lopez song called On the Floor which was seen over 445 million times on youtube. com, so the fame of this brand is undisputed. In July 2011 Swarovski launched the first Hello Kitty Collection including necklaces, rings, earrings, glass statues, handbags, key chains etc. For Hello Kitty fans there is a Limited Edition also available offering only 88 pieces worldwide to ensure its exclusivity. 3. 4 Vans (US) Earlier on this year (March, 2011) was announced that Sanrio teamed up with famous Californian shoe producer Vans, founded in 1966, to create a new Hello Kitty shoe collection for its fans. Vans used Hello Kitty design on several kinds of their footwear – Slip-on, Authentic and Sk8-Hi – offering different types and sizes for Toodlers/Infants, Kids and Adults – both women and men. (Sanrio – blog, 2011, online). On the official Vans. om website there is a promotion video to be found out about how the Vans ; Hello Kitty story started. There is a meeting recorded where Hello Kitty â€Å"chose† the design she wanted, but there is no representative of Sandrio? s company but actually a person dressed up as Hello Kitty so she is kind of â€Å"alive†. And as it is said in the promotion spot as well, it might not be the last time when Vans ; Hello Kitty comes together. (Vans. com, 2011, online). 3. 5 Eva Air (Taiwan) Eva Airways Corporation is second largest airline in Taiwan founded in 1989. In 2005 the company decided to buy a Sanrio? license to use Hello Kitty motives and dedicated one of their planes completely to this cartoon. By word „completelyâ€Å" it means everything you can think of while flying in plane. Apart from huge pictures on the Airbus itself everything changed: boarding passes, flight crew uniforms, food and its packaging, seats design, tissues, sick bags, entertaining system – program on aboard TV etc. As crazy as it sounds it was a huge success for the company was booked more than 90% on average. (Salman, 2011, online). Conclusion Hello Kitty is a cute little kitty with oversized head and ribbon over her right ear. Even thought it was not successful from the right beginning and had ups and down during its 30 years history, it is now very famous worldwide known Japanese brand. I am sure that most of the people do not know that the owner of this brand – Sanrio – created a story for this character to be coming from London, where its family lives as well. They did not want to associate the brand with its home – Japan. Nowadays we can find Hello Kitty products everywhere and this is thanks to Sanrio? s marketing policy, selling the license allowing the owner to use Hello Kitty motives on their products. It is actually very good as it has many advantages. Licensing other companies to use Hello Kitty character on their product helps Sanrio to spread its brand all over the world by not investing a penny, actually getting very large amount of money for the license. Secondly, the licensed companies are well chosen so they do not undermine Hello Kitty image, the other way around, they actually add more value because they invest their name, prestige and quality. Thirdly, the fact that it is possible to buy mostly anything with Hello Kitty character it encourage its fans to buy more and more in order to be surrounded by this little cutie they love so much. Since Sanrio co-operate with companies all over the word, it gives Hello Kitty really multicultural look – Eva Air (Taiwan), Vans (US), Swarovski (Austria), Sephora (France), Samsung (Korea) etc. And obviously there are cultural differences between states where is Hello Kitty sold, which is being considered in the selling strategy and cooperating with local companies – like Swarovski in Austria helps to get local people as well as Swarovski customers all over the world. The only thing which I am worried about is, that one fine day, there will be too much of Hello Kitty everywhere and all the success, madness and obsession about this brand will turn into disaster presented by hate and disgust. Bibliography Forever21. com [online]. 2011 [cit. 2011-12-09]. History ; Facts. Dostupne z WWW: ;http://www. forever21. com/Company/history. aspx? br=f21;. SALMAN, Maya. Scribd. com [online]. 2011 [cit. 2011-12-08]. Hello Kitty – The Iconing Japanese brand. Dostupne z  WWW: ;http://www. scribd. com/doc/49138163/Hello-Kitty;. Sanrio. Sanrio. com [online]. 2011 [cit. 2011-12-08]. Hello Kitty. Dostupne z WWW: ;http://www. sanrio. com/characters/HelloKitty/? chr=HelloKitty;. Sanrio. Sanrio. com [online]. 2011 [cit. 2011-12-08]. Hello Kitty Blog. Dostupne z  WWW: ;http://www. sanrio. com/hellokittyblog/;. Sephora. Sephora. com [online]. 2011 [cit. 2011-12-08]. Hello Kitty. Dostupne z  WWW: ;http://www. sephora. com/browse/brand_hierarchy. jhtml? brandId=5988;. Shop. vans. com [online]. 2011 [cit. 2011-12-09]. Collections: Hello Kitty. Dostupne z WWW: ;http://shop. vans. om/catalog/Vans/en_US/category/collections/hello-kitty. html;. The Icfai Center for Management Research (ICMR). Scribd. com [online]. 2007 [cit. 2011-12-08]. Hello Kitty – Japanese Superbrand. Dostupne z WWW: ;http://www. scribd. com/doc/19584011/Case-Study-Hello-Kitty;. WAI-MING NG, Benjamin. Scribd. com [online]. 2011 [cit. 2011-12-08]. The Hello Kitty Craze in Singapore:A Cultural and Comparative Analysis. Dostupne z WWW: ;http:/ /www. scribd. com/doc/46952018/Hello-Kitty-Asian-Profile;. Appendix I. : Hello Kitty Story (Source: http://www. sanrio. om/characters/HelloKitty/? chr=HelloKitty) Appendix II. : First product with Hello Kitty motive – 1974 (Source: http://houseofkittyblog. com/) Appendix III. : Hello Kitty Products 1. Bathroom: Hair drier, towel, shampoo, hand cream, mirror, shower curtain, tooth brush, make-up removal cream, sunbathing cream, manicure, bath cap, nail file, cotton swabs, soap holder, dental floss, soap,†¦ 2. Kitchen: Chopping board, kitchen sponge, pan, kettle, kitchen cloth, pots, water battle, vegetable peeler, bowls, plates, lemon juicer, oven mitt, kitchen paper towels, sandwich maker,†¦ . Room: Bed sheets, drawers, alarm, shoe cabinet, lamp shade,†¦ 4. Electro: Headphones, keyboard, computer mouse, CD, DVD, cover for monitor and keyboard, mobile†¦ 5. Household: Doormat, clearing mop, iron, ironing board, air freshener, sewing machine,†¦ 6. Weddin g: Wedding invitations, rings, wedding dresses, wedding glasses,†¦ 7. Car – Mitsubishi 8. Car accessories: Seat belts covers, window sunshade, in car sign, car seat barrier, air freshener, tissues holder, rearview mirror, steering wheel cover,†¦ 9. Other stuff: Contact case, jewel case, dog leash, sleeping bag, mobile charm, weighing scale, beach stuff, wet tissues, fondue,†¦ 10. Obleceni: Underwear, T-shirts, pyjamas,†¦ 11. Accessories: Watch, necklace, badges, earrings, bracelets,.. 12. Shoes: 13. Babies: Bib, bottles, babies dummy, baby carriage, car inside sticker,†¦ 14. Bags ; luggage Luggage, bags, handbags, purse,†¦ 15. School ; office: Calendars, diaries, pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, scissors, sell tape, highlighters, schedule books, file folders, clip boards, stamps, water color pens, oil pastel, calculator, paper clips,†¦ 6. Toys: Soft toys, playing cards, trampoline toys, plastic purse toy, robot, board games†¦ 17. Happy meal? s toys (McDonald? s): 20. Swarovski: Glass figures, card holders, bag charms, pens, earrings, rings, necklaces,†¦ 19. Aduls? stuff: Vibrators, condoms,†¦ Appendix IV. : Hello Kitty a celebrities (Course: http://www. sanrio. com/hellokittyblog/) Lady Gaga Ben Affle ck? daughter Adam Sandler? s children Heidy Klum? s daughterAvril Lavigne Megan Fox

Analysis Soft Drink Essay

1Analysis of the U. S. soft drink industry, based on the competitive forces model of Michael Porter. In the soft drink industry the entry of new competitors depends on the barriers to entry that are present, and also the reaction from existing competitors that the entrant can expect. I will now analyze the six major sources of barriers to entry the soft drink industry. Economies of scale deter entry by forcing the entrant to come in at large scale and risk strong reaction from existing firms or come in at a small scale and accept a cost disadvantage. If a company wants to decline its unit costs of their product, they will have to produce more to lower the cost. The more you produce, the lower the costs. In the soft drink industry establishing firms have brand identification and customer loyalties. The brand name can have differences. This is a high barrier to enter. Entrants are forced to spend a lot to overcome existing customer loyalties. The capital requirements within this industry are very high. Production, distribution and advertising are a must to compete with the industry leaders like coca cola and Pepsi. So if a new The aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles are pretty much dependant on the soft drink industry to survive in the business. This makes suppliers to have little power over the soft drink industry. The access to distribution channels is a high barrier because the most successful soft drink companies are aggressively spending their distribution channels and buying full ownership of bottling plants. Supermarkets are at present the largest channels in the U. S. and there the competition is very high. Switching costs is also a barrier to entry this business. Switching costs by changing from one supplier to the other may happened. Also employee training, new equipment, testing new technology. This things are common in this industry. This are barriers for new entrants.

Writing Editing

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Peta and the Infamous McCruelty Case essays

Peta and the Infamous McCruelty Case essays Weve all heard about PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), if thats not the case PETA is an organization dedicated to animal rights. Their animal rights campaign include ending fur and leather use, stop bullfighting, and some others. I personally agree with animal rights, I am a huge animal protector and even sometimes an activist, a revolutionary or just a plain crazy. Almost everyone has heard of McDonald's, and most people have eaten at this fast food chain at least once, but many people don't know about the horrific cruelty that goes into every portion of chicken served under McDonalds. In the slaughterhouses of McDonald's U.S. and Canadian chicken suppliers, birds are dumped out of their transport crates and hung upside-down in metal shackles, which often results in broken bones, extreme bruising, and hemorrhaging. Workers have the opportunity to abuse live birds, and birds have their throats cut while they are still conscious. Many birds are immersed in tanks of scalding-hot water while they are still alive and able to feel pain. I can only imagine the suffering of these poor animals; no animal deserves to die in a painful, cruel, or inhumane way. In most cases I agree with PETA and I say most because certain things I am opposed, mainly I dont fully support the McCruelty campaign, not because I love hamburgers (which I really dont like them that much) but because McDonald's have a great charity program called McDonald's house of charity. While I have mixed emotions about Mcdonalds food one thing is certain and I maintain my point in their charity work, I might not eat a spicy McChicken anymore but be certain that every once in a while I will buy a milkshake, some cookies, or maybe even a BigMac and donate a couple of dollars for McDonalds house of charity. In 2007, my son got really sick, he had pneumonia and he had to stay at the...

The Italian Phonetic Alphabet - How to Spell

The Italian Phonetic Alphabet - How to Spell Bravissimo! You finally learned how to use the phone in Italy. Like many other Italians you pass on the street who have a cellphone attached to his ear, you can now discuss the most banal moments of the day. You quickly discover, though, that there are times when, no matter how clearly you pronounce Italian words, the person on the other end of the line cannot understand you. It could be static, it could be because youre skiing in the Dolomites or traveling by hydrofoil to the island of Stromboli and reception is poor. But you need to make yourself understood, otherwise youll miss out on those tickets to opening night at La Scala. Fortunately, theres the alfabeto fonetico- the Italian phonetic alphabet. Ancona, Bologna, CataniaMention the phonetic alphabet to a native-English speaker, and the first phrase that comes to mind is: Alpha Bravo Charlie. It stands for ABC, and is used in the military to avoid miscommunication. Its also frequently used by anyone speaking on the phone (to a customer service represenative, for instance) to spell out words (or portions of those words) to confirm the correct spelling. If its necessary to sound out the spelling of a word in Italian, by convention the following cities (typically provincial capital cities)- or alternate terms- are most commonly used to refer to each letter of the alphabet. The list of cities is not fixed, though, and even native-Italian speakers sometimes disagree about which cities to refer to. Therefore instead of Catania, one could also use Como, Capri or any other well known location. The only rule is to avoid a letter/town combination that could be mistaken for a different pair. Italian Phonetic AlphabetA come AnconaB come Bologna (or Bari or Brescia)C come Catania (or Como)D come DomodossolaE come Empoli (or Enna)F come FirenzeG come GenovaH come Hotel (acca)I come ImolaJ (gei or i lunga) come jolly (the joker in Italian card games) (or Jugoslavia)K (kappa) come KursaalL come LivornoM come MilanoN come NapoliO come OtrantoP come Palermo (or Padova or Pisa)Q come QuadernoR come RomaS come Savona (Sassari or Siena)T come Torino (Taranto)U come UdineV come Venezia (Verona)W (vi/vu doppio) come Washington (Wagner)X (ics) come Xanto (xilofono)Y come ipsilon (York or yacht)Z come Zara (Zurigo or zeta)

Visual Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Visual Literacy - Essay Example Despite the high level of novelty of newly emerging media like Youtube, which first appeared in 2005, it cannot be denied that its characteristics still follow the pattern of older forms of motion picture technology. Media, indeed was to some extent, merely renewed or reintroduced in familiar forms (Peters as cited in Snelson & Ross, 2009, p. 2). Thus, as the authors assert, online videos found on the Web like those from Youtube, are undeniably part of the ever-changing educational motion picture technologies or in simple terms, Virtual Learning. Virtual learning particularly permeated the education sector mainly through sites and channels such as Youtube â„ ¢ EDU, a central hub for videos featuring the collaboration of leading colleges and universities. Moreover, other sites like SciVee--site containing video and audio for a community of scientists--and Teachertube--designed for K12 students--exist to specially cater academic institutions. In the midst of these arising motion picture technologies in the academe, the authors found it useful to demonstrate how such technologies aid in the learning process of users. Firstly, motion picture technologies provided teachers a ‘dynamic representational format’ that enabled them to bring the world closer to their students. As Thomas Edison (as cited in Snelson & Ross, 2009, p. 4) puts it, it is similar to taking the object before the student or taking the student to the object. Second, it sparks excitement among students in the classroom setting, bridging the gap of abstract ideas to reality (Amsden as cited in Snelson & Ross, 2009, p. 5). Thirdly, since videos have the ability to capture and preserve the past, they become the key archives of significant historical events. Next, as the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (as cited in Snelson & Ross, 2009, p. 6) puts it, film captures what are considered to be too slow or too fast to be caught by the human eye. Fifth, with the

A spin on the issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A spin on the issue - Essay Example Military veterans who have suffered a disabling injury during service are neither condescended to nor treated with undue special treatment by being given preferential treatment for jobs and positions through affirmative action. In this case, society is giving preferential to those who have served society and earned, with the price of their health, the opportunity to be placed at the head of the line. While most social groups who are elevated because of affirmative action are given preferential treatment because of something that was a consequence of birth, disabled veterans have earned the spot at the head of the line. According to Hackerott, Kapusta, and Miller (2003), all federal job opportunities must be covered under affirmative action parameters to support the hiring and advancement of disabled veterans. In comparing the purposes of affirmative action to the plight of women and minorities in contrast to giving preferential treatment to those who have served, the purpose of equaling the playing field for woman and minorities is very different than giving honor to those who have served society through military service. Women and minorities have suffered under oppressions that have denied them the same consideration as others, which affirmative action frameworks intended to balance by then requiring those groups to be considered first. The ethical problems that come through these forms of trying to set things right are different than those for disabled veterans. An example of the ethical problems involved in affirmative action initiatives arose during the case the University of California versus Bakke. Mr. Bakke sued the University of California for discriminating against him because he was a white male for not letting him apply under the special admissions program. Bakke won his lawsuit and provided context for arguments against affirmative action in that through the intention of trying to level the playing field in

Demonstrative Communication Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Demonstrative Communication Paper - Essay Example The important aspect of demonstrative communications is to listen and respond. Highlighting the importance of listening Kahane (2007) in the book â€Å"Solving Tough Problems: An Open Way of Talking, Listening, and Creating New Realities† argues, â€Å"Listening requires opening ourselves. Our typical patterns of listening in difficult situations are tactical, not relational. We listen what we expect to hear. We sift through other’s views for what we can use to make our own points.† (p. x) Listening and responding are like alternative beats of the same heart. Demonstrative Communication can be Effective and Positive Demonstrative communication involves sending and getting wordless information. Its use is to strengthen verbal communication, though it has the capacity to stand alone and deliver messages of its own. Among all non-verbal communications, facial expressions are most common and important and they account for majority of the communications. Similarly â⠂¬Å"Body Language is very relevant to management and leadership, and to all aspects of work and business where communications can be seen and physically observed among people. Communication includes listening. In terms of observable body language, non-verbal (non-spoken) signals are being exchanged whether these signals are accompanied by spoken words or not.†(Body†¦) Demonstrative communication buttresses verbal communication. To cite an example, the style of the apparel, the disciplined handshake, and the friendly half-smile speaks a lot about the personality and inner world of an individual. When these qualities get assimilated with the verbal presentation, the final outcome is bound to be sterling. In a personal encounter, what you speak is important, but how you speak what you speak is more important. Kevin Hogan (1999) in his book â€Å"Talk Your Way to the Top—Communication Secrets to Change Your Life† argues â€Å"Communication is far more than what you say. It’s how you say â€Å"it.† Communication is about listening and talking and the act of mutually disclosing inner feelings and thoughts to others.†(p.17) Each and every movement of the various parts of the body has something to reveal about the personality of an individual. The tone of a casual â€Å"hello† is like holding the mirror for the goings on in the mind, whether one is an aggressive personality or a calm and collected individual. A person can know what the estimate of others by the non-verbal signals transmitted towards him. Such a reaction can be employed for immediate corrective measures to enable the concerned individual to work for his advantage. For example, you are told the price of a newly launched car model; you take a step back and exclaim â€Å"My God!† The salesman, well-versed in the art communication, is able to gauge your thinking process that probably he is not the one of the possible buyer of a high-priced car and will think of showing him cheaper, alternative models. Possibility of Ineffective and Negative Demonstrative Communication In a given day, one uses different types of demonstrative communications without being actually aware of the fact that one is doing so. They just become part of life. Tattoo marks, the pendant, the favorite color, the perfume, hairstyles, the apparel, are all examples of demonstrative communication. One reveals some part of the personality by such embellishments. They are meant to be the positive

Impact of Technology on Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Impact of Technology on Education - Essay Example The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in US lays an added emphasis1 on the use of technology for the betterment of the sector. Information Technology is the all important offspring of Technology having its footprints on the way education is imparted or educational material is prepared or education is accepted by the intended audience. Taking care of this fact, the Campus Computing Project (CCP) happens to be one of the largest continuing study programme about the role of IT in American higher education. As internet is gradually maturing and presenting a paradigm shift in its very ideation, the infrastructure has acquired a business character, a transcontinental personality and a vending framework of wide-ranging, business, educational, scientific and personal data. Now the use of internet covers real-time computer conferencing, audio broadcasting, video broadcasting, real time telephony and of course real-time business. Education too takes a leaf out of such applications and has been able to make good use of internet and related technologies. There is increasing participation of private and public sector together with government in making technology available to different aspects of educational needs. Apple Inc. a leading company using technology and computing for its business objectives, for example has partnered in many education related schemes like; Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT), North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL), International Data Corporation (IDC) etc . which helped not only in encouraging the use of technology in education, but also made fullest use of technology in promoting the cause of education. In his famous taxonomy, Bloom (1964) identified the domains within which learning takes place. He labelled them as cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Traditionally, the concentration has been on the cognitive domain with comprehension, facts and figures acquiring the centre stage. But with technology making its impact, information society made it almost compulsory for the education providers to bring into effect, adequate amendments in their approach so that the learning process becomes far more interactive and effective. In this new approach role of student as well as the means of education became more important. In fact this theory too has been in practice for quite a while now, as is evident from what Rogers (1961) said about the learning process. Rogers (1961) stated that the only learning that significantly influences human behavior happens to be self-discovered. The IT era has helped in making the learning process more interactive, and more relevant to the fast pace developm ent of the day. Education for sustainable development therefore focuses more on how people live, work and make decisions. The learning process in general involves; Learning values and cultures: Such an education is imparted by the parents and the society in general. How the parents behave, what are the means of communication used by the parents, how effectively the parents are able to manage their time and efforts towards the children, and what kind of social upbringing is the child subjected to, are some of the major contributors towards the value education. The ethics and cultures too are picked by the students from his/ her

Political Correctness Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Political Correctness - Assignment Example Protecting the rights of minorities is important due to external factors such as gender and race in relation to the use of offensive words. Moreover, not everyone reacts to situations, in the same way. Some people are more irritable than others (Uelmen 1). Sometimes, things get out of hand leading to dangerous fights or bitterness that leads to revenge. Choice of words should be based on the relationship between individuals and the situation at hand. While some people might entertain jokes, some may interpret them as being offensive. The dynamics of choosing words vary depending on the situation. It is better to avoid offensive words because the mood in which people might be in is sometimes unpredictable. On the other hand, maintaining a stand in terms of being able to say yes or no is usually the right thing to do. Saying no can and should be accompanied by the right choice of words. Disagreeing with something does not imply that people should offend others. Being fearful on the choice of words is not a sign of weakness as some may interpret. It is an implication that besides being mindful and respectful, people regard others with high

Reader Response to Bartleby the Scrivener Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reader Response to Bartleby the Scrivener - Essay Example It could be argued that the lawyer gets a scrivener after his heart to help him know himself better. In a significant piece of self-analysis, the narrator says, "though I belong to a profession proverbially energetic and nervous, even to turbulence, at times, yet nothing of that sort have I ever suffered to invade my peace." He is "one of those unambitious lawyers who never addresses a jury, or in any way draws down public applause; but in the cool tranquillity of a snug retreat, do a snug business among rich men's bonds and mortgages and title-deeds. All who know me consider me an eminently safe man"(par.3). The position of the subordinates in his office is also preeminently safe. His permanent staff of scriveners consists of a uniquely eccentric trio called Turkey, Nippers and Ginger Nut. Their idiosyncrasies may have led a less phlegmatic employer to dismiss them, but the narrator merely consoles himself with the thought that " I never had to do with their eccentricities at one time. Their fits relieved each other like guards. When Nippers' was on, Turkey's was off; and vice versa. This was a good natural arrangement under the circumstances" (par. 13). As for Ginger Nut, "to this quick-witted youth the whole noble science of the law was contained in a nut-shell" (par. 14), says the narrator with an almost paternal indulgent irony. The point is that this was the state of affairs in the narrator's office before Bartleby joined them to fill a temporary position. What of Bartleby at this time At least, he shows sufficient initiative to apply for the position and seems to have possessed enough enterprise to impress his employer. As the narrator remarks, "I engaged him, glad to have among my corps of copyists a man of so singularly sedate an aspect, which I thought might operate beneficially upon the flighty temper of Turkey, and the fiery one of Nippers" (par.16). And what of his first days at work The narrator describes it thus: As if long famishing for something to copy, he seemed to gorge himself on my documents. There was no pause for digestion. He ran a day and night line, copying by sun-light and by candle-light. I should have been quite delighted with his application, had be been cheerfully industrious. But he wrote on silently, palely, mechanically. (par. 18) Although, or perhaps, because, he had done an extraordinary quantity of work, Bartleby politely refuses to have anything to do with the checking of the documents for mistakes-he 'prefers' not to. No explanation is given by Bartleby, or by the narrator. Was it a supreme confidence in the infallibility of his written work No, because he also refuses all other kind of work such as reviewing the writing of others, running simple errands, or anything of the sort. Later, he declares that he has "decided upon doing no more writing"(par. 126) and he finally informs his employer "he had permanently given up copying" (par. 133). What is the cause of this change in Bartleby Is Bartleby perhaps the narrator's alter ego, providentially chosen to reveal to him his own essential inner self When he realizes that Bartleby had nowhere to go after office hours, "a feeling of overpowering stinging melancholy" overwhelms the narrator: "The bond of a common humanity now drew me irresistibly to gloom. A fraternal melancholy! For both I and Bartleby were sons of Adam" (par.89). After

Political Correctness Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Political Correctness - Assignment Example Protecting the rights of minorities is important due to external factors such as gender and race in relation to the use of offensive words. Moreover, not everyone reacts to situations, in the same way. Some people are more irritable than others (Uelmen 1). Sometimes, things get out of hand leading to dangerous fights or bitterness that leads to revenge. Choice of words should be based on the relationship between individuals and the situation at hand. While some people might entertain jokes, some may interpret them as being offensive. The dynamics of choosing words vary depending on the situation. It is better to avoid offensive words because the mood in which people might be in is sometimes unpredictable. On the other hand, maintaining a stand in terms of being able to say yes or no is usually the right thing to do. Saying no can and should be accompanied by the right choice of words. Disagreeing with something does not imply that people should offend others. Being fearful on the choice of words is not a sign of weakness as some may interpret. It is an implication that besides being mindful and respectful, people regard others with high

The Economic Impacts of Major Sporting Events Essay

The Economic Impacts of Major Sporting Events - Essay Example There are disagreements as well about the relevant economic factors that should be included in the measurements. This paper presents three extensively criticised, but widely used, models of economic impact analysis, namely, (1) social value, (2) economic multipliers, and (3) input-output paradigm. In order to explain the arguments more clearly the discussion includes research findings or case studies on previous sporting events, such as the World Cup and Olympics. Introduction Several economists observe sizeable economic gains from events occurring from the incentives they confer to businesses. State funding of sporting events, though they are unstable, is usually rationalised by the argument that the events generate economic gains for the areas, where in they are held, but that these gains are not completely supported by the economic feasibility of the event itself (Hall 1994). The financial evaluation of the effect of sporting events on the economy is at the root of contentious dis agreements among economists. According to Dwyer and colleagues (2005), arguments put emphasis at the same time on what should be assessed or calculated, and on the best technique for analysing the economic impacts of large-scale sporting events on the community that hosted it. It appears that there is frequently uncertainty between the economic productivity and economic effect of major sporting events. ... The Nature and Economy of Sporting Events Sporting event as a sector of the economy is huge. In the United States, sport was one of its biggest industries in 1995. Moreover, in 1996, the sport sector was measured to be around $100 billion annually, and forecasted to be worth $139 billion by 2000. In 1997, soccer was measured to be $10 billion in Europe (Forster & Pope 2004, 1). This appears likely to be a stark miscalculation when very few associations separately yield roughly $100 million yearly. In 1995, the British Sports Council calculated that it comprises 2.5% of global trade. This number comprises intangibles like royalties and revenues and physical commodities like facilities. There are additional statistics, all inherently incongruent (Forster & Pope 2004, 1). Sporting events yield roughly 1% of local ‘value-added’ and around 1 ?% of employment in the UK. The US Tennis Open in 2000 produced $699 million to the economy of New York (Forster & Pope 2004, 2). Howeve r, the dilemma is that these statistics merely provide peeks of different components of sport. According to Statistics Canada (Forster & Pope 2004, 2): ... the amount of sport data currently available is insufficient to provide a comprehensive profile of the nature, benefits and value of sport... the data that are available are difficult to compare due to conceptual and definitional differences. Sporting events are a branch of what is termed the ‘weightless economy’. For several grounds that are in conflict material physical production has dropped substantially as GDP percentage across the globe—thus the concept of ‘weightless economy’ (Shin 2010, 105). Alan Greenspan focused on the IT sector but a broad transition from

Greek Shipping Competition

Greek Shipping Competition Introduction: During the 20th century Greek shipping eventually developed as one of the most competitive players globally. Greek shipowners managed to establish their reputation as dominant players based on a well-structured positioning mix that has supported their efforts throughout the years. A variety of studies has been developed aiming to define what precisely supported Greek owners to build this successful entrepreneurial structure and which factor allowed them to obtain and sustain the competitiveness of the Greek shipping. According to M. Porter ‘’competitiveness†¦.’’ The definition for the competitiveness of Greek shipping has been studied by a respectful number of mostly Greek academics. The majority of the studies, focused mainly in specific sectors (e.g. dry bulks) or factors (e.g. Greek shipping network) as to analyse the competitive advantage of the Greek fleet. However, the aim of this paper is to evaluate if Greek shipping can sustain its competitive character. Thus, from the point of view of the writer, it will be more realistic to analyse a range of factors and sectors that contribute to the success of Greek shipping. It would not be simplistic to say that at the end of the day the competitiveness is defined by profitability. (2) From the referred range of studies and publishes, the writer believes that the competitive strength Greek shipping companies is summarised into careful selection of Business (cost control) and investment (timing) strategies. (1) Thus, in this paper we are going to investigate to what extent Greek shipowners will be able to sustain their competitiveness in the long-run based on the above principles. Specifically, the paper is about to concentrate on analysing the fleet on the basis of: Managerial Structure (business strategy) and Investment (timing) strategy. Once again, the aim will be the overall evaluation of the long-term prospects of Greek shipping to sustain its competitiveness. Fleet Analysis: General Information: Historically, shipping has played crucial role for Greek people and it has characterised some of the most important moments of their history: during the Persian Wars and the battleship of Salamina, in the Greek revolution against Ottoman Empire in 1821, the Balkan Wars and the World War I the Greek ships played significant role and affected the citizens of the Greece and (in some occasions) the global status quo as well. Figure 1, Source: BCG Impact assessment of Greek shipping on Economy and Society However, in our days when we refer to the Greek shipping we mean the great presence of the Greek shipowners to the global market. This presence was firstly established in dry bulk and the tanker (oil, products) sectors but lately we have strong signs of diversification into more sectors such as the container ships and the gas tankers. Statistical Analysis: It is better to set clear, in this paper when we refer to the term of ‘’Greek shipping’’ we actually discuss the Greek-controlled ships irrespectively of the company’s headquarters and the flag under the ships sail. (3) The reason of this choice reflects on the following table which describes the attitude of the owners to flag out their ships. Figure 2, The 35 countries and territories with the largest owned fleets, as of 31st January 2013 (DWT) Thus, according to the UNCTAD (2013 Report), only the 22.3% of Greek ships sail under the national flag when the remaining 77.7% sail under international flags. Hence, for the aim of the paper we will analyse the wider Greek-owned fleet instead of only focusing to the ship that are registered in Greece. Under that basis we can present the following statistical figures (which will be commented on the following part of this paper): The Greek-owned fleet is consisted of 4573 vessels and managed by 690 companies. Figure 3, Number of Greek-owned vessels, SOURCE: 2013 Petrofin research by Ted Petropoulos, October 2013 The 65.07% of the companies possess less than 5 ships while fleets with 25+ ships represent the 5.07% of the total. Figure 4, Fleet distribution of Greek Companies, SOURCE: 2013 Petrofin research by Ted Petropoulos, October 2013 The average age of the fleet has declined recently and at the end of 2013 was about 14.05 years. Figure 5, Average age of Greek fleet, SOURCE: 2013 Petrofin research by Ted Petropoulos, October 2013 Greek Orderbook (end of 02/2014) corresponds to 496 vessels (approximately 11% of existing fleet) of several types. Figure 6, Type of Orders by type, SOURCE: SIN database The majority of the new buildings have been ordered in Chinese shipyards while Republic of Korea follows with a slight difference: Figure 7, Greek Orderbook by country of builder, SOURCE: SIN database Greek shipping status Analysis: Management structure: Company Structure: As it has been referred, there are 690 shipping companies (Petrofin) mainly under tight family management. In Figure 4 we observe that the majority of the Greek companies possess a small fleet of ships. This can be a result of taxation strategy or mainly can be driven by the attitude of shipowners globally to not risk the viability of their whole business if one of their ships faces problems with regulation or capital cost. In the case of Greek shipping, the fragmentation of the market probably takes place for an extra reason: the majority of Greek shipping companies are family companies. Thus, there is a tendency that, after some years of experience in the family business, some members decide to build their own start-up business. This effort is supported by the knowledge gained previously and to the available capital. However, this attitude may contribute to the pluralism of the market and to promote Greek entrepreneurship but at the same time may trigger problems for the new companies which sometimes struggle to survive due to market reasons. More importantly, however, the new firms may be treated as undermining efforts against the family operations (4 Theotokas). Furthermore, it should be mentioned that small firms may be forced out of the business if they cannot attract sufficient financing.(5) The most significant advantage of the traditional form of Greek shipping companies is the philosophy of cutting costs passed from one generation to other.(6) However, family members ought to be quite qualified to perform their duties and not placed in businesses exclusively for reasons of heredity. (7) Another significant factor which has come under intense debate is the listing of Greek Companies to exchange markets. At the moment only the 6% of the total is listed, mainly in foreign exchanges (8,Petrofin).Listing can be used as a way of financing. However, Greek companies seek to find the ideal chemistry between a family-run company and a public outlet (9,Tsakos). As a third-generation shipowner A. Martinos quotes â€Å"a stock listed company has no head but a family company can move quickly with decision and authority† indicating a factor of flexibility for the Greek companies. People (human resources) The positioning of the Greek shipowners has been outstanding throughout the years. The reason behind this success can amongst others be the human factor. The fact that the first generation shipowners had been in the sea gave the sophisticated know-how to the industry which has been transferred throughout years and generations.(Theotokas). The referred know-how enables the ability to minimise costs and the dare to invest when the market is low. Particularly, the ability of achieving good timing and good choices has allowed the Greeks to perform excellent the asset play, to turn negative momentum into fleet expansion and to obtain market share and huge capital.(A fleet for the†¦THAN 10) Investment Strategy: Orderbook: The Greek Orderbook is one of the largest at the moment and as it is illustrated in Figure 6, there have been investments to multiple sectors. Specifically, we comment on the most interesting investments: Dry Bulks: Gas Tankers: Containers: Financing: What is the propeller for a ship is finance for a shipping company.(Petropoulos 11) Greek shipping has been significantly affected by the debt crisis which hurt violently the credit system and especially Greek banks which has been funding shipping business for decades. However, Greek shipowners managed to finance the modernisation of the Greek fleet (Navigating the financing storm 12) as it is presented in Figure 5. Obviously, once again Greek shipowners followed their tradition into anti-cyclical investing. During the period we are going through, investments in shipping have been mitigated. While investors around the world were selling vessels, Greeks were buying second-hand ships and they were placing orders to renew the fleet cheaply.(John Psychas 12). Probably, Greek owners took advantage by the capital gathered from previous successful years. Moreover, the recent years they have been using a combination of traditional and latest methods of financing, following sometimes hybrid solutions. (Syriopoulos 13) Another way of financing is listing. The majority of Greek shipowners realise the advantages of listing but seem reluctant to dare the change. It seems that this attitude is at last another point of strength for Greek shipping as traditional companies are based in their own capital to invest instead of raising financing in stocks market.( John Psychas 12) It is important to be highlighted that during crisis Greek shipping created a ‘’major ally’’ which is the Chinese Banks which they gave financial motivation for construction of ships in Chinese shipyards.(Petropoulos Shipping and ship finance 14). Chinese lenders decided to promote local shipping industry and Greek shipowners took advantage of a $10 billion fund for funding Greek orders in Chinese shipyards under competitive terms and interest (Bardounias 15). This trend is also illustrated in Figure 7. Conclusions and Recommendations: It seems that once again Greek shipping followed the traditional attitude of anti-cyclical investment which can probably guarantee long-term competitiveness in terms of capital cost. Specifically, in the dry bulk sector Greeks will be able to play the asset game which has supported their success so far. The renewal of the whole fleet is a strong signal of an operationally healthy industry for the years to come. However, the exposure of the owners to the container ship and gas tanker sector is a question mark which is not easy to be answered. If the market in these sectors will follow an upward in the near future then it is possible that in a few years we will discuss the diversification of the Greeks as another one outstanding strategic positioning. If not it is possible that this decision will be a very costly one and the diversification strategy will probably be abandoned in the future. The human factor will continue to be on the forefront of the Greek fleet as the heritage of the market sense seems to have been successfully developed by the third generation of the shipowners’ families. On the contrary, what has been built throughout all these years has to be protected. Hence, the new generations have unavoidably to be well-educated and strict evaluated as to be able to manage the business. Nepotism has to be scrutinised I order to guarantee evolution and success. The long-term competitiveness of the Greek shipping can be a reality under the optimum proportion of low-cost operation, sustainable management of traditional family businesses, targeted strategy towards financing and repeating of asset play. The diversification into new sectors can be the next competitive advantage of Greek shipping under the condition that the shipowners monitor the market closely and are adequately flexible and adoptable as to realise the different function of the multiple sectors.

The Great Ireland Potato Famine Effects Essay -- Essays Papers

The Great Ireland Potato Famine Effects The Great Ireland Potato Famine was a horrible event that had many lasting effects. Some of these effects were starvation, disease, poverty, emigration, and lost traits. These effects plagued mostly western Ireland, but had an overall effect on all of Ireland. Many of the traditional ways of economics and society changed drastically because of the famine. Many people also blamed the British for letting the famine get so bad. These effects will be discussed throughout the paper. Starvation was one of the main effects of the Great Potato Famine, which was â€Å"unlike other subsistence crises† (Crawford, 114). The Irish people were very dependant on potatoes as a source of food. â€Å"The majority of the Irish peasants did not have access to the type of land or amount of land required for wheat (grain) production, and thus the potato became the crucial staple crop† (Braa 200). When the blight struck, the Irish people lost this source of food and had nothing else to turn to. For this reason, the people starved to death. Some people were so hungry that â€Å"they ate dogs and rats, often dogs and rats that had already eaten human corpses† (Leo, 16). The Irish people had no other knowledge of farming other crops because they had become so use to growing potatoes. They also did not have the stomach to eat different foods, like seafood, which resulted in a poor nutrition that led to many more deaths not from starvation, but from diseases. Diseases played a big part in the fatalities of the Irish people. Some of these diseases were â€Å"typhus and relapsing fevers, small pox, tuberculosis, dysentery, marasmus (starvation) and other famine disorders† (Crawford 135). These diseases did not just occu... ...ttle between the Irish and the British. The Irish people were ready to get out of their slavery from the British, and were ready to start a new life. They blamed the British, so they went after them. Soon enough, the Irish would get want they have been long wanting for. Works Cited Abbot, Patrick. Ireland’s Great Famine 1845-1849. Apr. 2000. 16 Jan. 2004 . Braa, Dean M. â€Å"The Great Potato Famine and the Transformation of Irish Peasant Society.† Science & Society 61.2 (1997) : 193-215. Crawford, E. Margaret. Famine: The Irish Experience. Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers LTD, 1989. Daly, Douglas C. â€Å"Famine's ghost.† Natural History 105.1 (1996) : 6 Kinealy, Christine. The Great Irish Famine. New York, NY: Palgrave, 2002. Leo, John. â€Å"Of Famine and Green Beer.† U.S. News & World Report 122.11 (1997) : 16

Ultimate Pets: How an Independent Pet Shop Competes with Giant Pet Stor

This essay explains how I intend to open an independent pet store, Ultimate Pets. Although there are already several pet stores in my community which are owned and operated by the giant pet super-store chains, I will position Ultimate Pets in the market so that it can successfully compete with the established pet super-store chains. As a business in the pet industry, an exotic pet shop offers many products that a large corporation would, but differentiates in a way with the wide range of animals it actually carries in stock. Our store does not carry just any products for the care of your exotic pet. Here at Ultimate Pets we only feature the top brands and products for optimal care. With a helpful and knowledgeable staff to assist you with every question you have about animal care, they will point you in the direction of what is needed to solve your problem. There are many advantages of shopping with us. Most importantly, we will not sell you something that is not needed for optimal care, or sell you an animal that could possibly be sick. All of our pets are quarantined for multiple days before they are put out for sale. This is to prevent transmitting diseases, relieve stress, or mites to other animals they can be displayed with. We also make sure all animals are eating on their own before they are sold. Unlike large corporations, we do not buy from just any ordinary Joe selling animals in large quantities. All of our animals are either bred in store, or are from a private breeder. This decreases the chance of stress and disease. The benefits of shopping with Ultimate Pets, is that you will never leave disappointed or unsure. To ensure customers know what it takes to care for their animals, each de... ...n amount of base and live rock that is recommended for that size. Sometimes this is a more appropriate tactic. We will also this for reptile/amphibian as well as bird cages and products. Many of our customers, want all the essentials right away, this is our way of doing so. References Miller, Gilson. 2012. 10 Ways Retailers Can Leverage Bundling of Products to Drive Sales. Retrieved from: http://upstreamcommerce.com/blog/2012/04/03/10-ways-retailers-leverage-bundling-products-drive-sales Ehmke, Cole. Fulton, Joan. Lusk, Jayson. 2014. Marketing’s Four P’s: First Steps for New Entrepeneurs. Retrieved from: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/EC/EC-730.pdf Rodriguez, John. 2014. Owner of Pet Super Center Segrestfarms.com Royalpetsupplies.com Industry. 2009. Pet Shops. Retrieved from: http://www.immediate.com/images/Pet%20Shops.pdf

Case Study on Motivating Partners at Starbucks

TABLE OF CONTENT CASE STUDY ON MOTIVATING PARTNERS AT STARBUCKS2 Question 1: Given Starbuck’s training approach, benefits, package, work/life program, and partner relations mechanisms, what insights have you gained about its approach to employee motivation? Explain your answer. 2 Introduction2 Motivation2 Expectancy- Probability (E to P)4 Instrumentality- Probability (P to O)4 Valence- V(R)5 Conclusions6 Question 2 : What needs does Starbucks appeal to through its training approach, benefits package, work/life program and partner relations mechanisms? 7 Employees’ inner satisfaction. 7 Equal treatment8 Listen to employees8 Question 3: What is important to you in terms of your personal work motivation? How does that which motivates you fit with Starbuck’s approach to motivating partners? 10 CASE STUDY ON MOTIVATING PARTNERS AT STARBUCKS Question 1: Given Starbuck’s training approach, benefits, package, work/life program, and partner relations mechanisms, what insights have you gained about its approach to employee motivation? Explain your answer. Introduction Starbucks Corporation, the most famous chain of retail coffee shops in the world, mainly benefits from roasting, selling special coffee beans and various kinds of coffee or tea drinks. It owns about 4000 branches in the whole world. The reasons of why Starbucks is worldwide popular are not only the quality of coffee, but also its customer service and cosy environment. Besides, it is also famous for its satisfaction of employees. The turnover rate of employees at Starbucks was 65% and the rate of managers was 25% a year However, the rates of other national chain retailers are 150% to 400% and 50% respectively. Compared with them, the turnover rate of Starbucks is much lower than other industries on averagely. As a result, Starbucks would be one of the optimal business models for the strategies of employee motivation, customer satisfaction and cooperation of teamwork. Motivation Motivation refers to forces within an individual that account for the level, direction and persistence of effort expended at work[1]. People have basic needs such as food, secure or achievement, that translate into an internal tension that motivates specific behaviours with which to fulfil the need. If the behavior leads to ones success, the person will fall in the state of satisfaction or we can call it reward[2]. Rewards are two types; intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards refer to satisfaction occurs in the process of performing an action. Such as a salesperson that sold encyclopaedias for intrinsic reward of helping children read well. Extrinsic refers to a reward given by another person such as promotion and bonuses. The understand that I had on Starbuck’s approach to its employee motivation is best by explaining the case based on the Vroom’s Expectancy Theory of Motivation; is based on an idea that work effort is directed toward behaviors that people believe will lead to desired outcomes. The Expectancy Theory of Motivation explains the behavioral process of why individuals choose one behavioral option over another. It also explains how they make decisions to achieve the end they value. Vroom introduces three variables within the expectancy theory which are valence (V), expectancy (E) and instrumentality (I). The three elements are important behind choosing one element over another because they are clearly defined: effort-performance expectancy (E to P expectancy), performance-outcome expectancy (P to O expectancy). Three components of Expectancy theory: Expectancy, Instrumentality, and Valence. 1. Expectancy: Effort > Performance (E>P); 2. Instrumentality: Performance > Outcome (P>O); 3. Valence – V(R) Expectancy- Probability (E to P) Expectancy is the belief that one's effort (E) will result in attainment of desired performance (P) goals. Factors associated with the individual's Expectancy perception are self efficacy, goal difficulty, and control. Self efficacy is the person’s belief about their ability to successfully perform a particular behavior. Goal difficulty happens when goals are set too high or performance expectations that are made too difficult are most likely to lead to low expectancy  perceptions. Control is one's perceived control over performance. In order for expectancy to be high, individuals must believe that they have some degree of control over the expected outcome. Starbucks had matched employees to the jobs based on their abilities and clear communicating the tasks requires for the job is an important part of this process. This process took place within the 25 hours of classroom training. Instrumentality- Probability (P to O) Instrumentality is the belief that a person will receive a reward if the performance expectation is met. This reward may come in the form of a pay increase, promotion, recognition or sense of accomplishment. In Starbucks, they offer various types of benefits package includes full medical and dental insurance coverage, disability and life insurance, vacation days, a retirement saving plan with match company contributions, discounted stock purchase plans and stock options as part of Starbuck’s BEAN STOCK Program. Instrumentality is low when the reward is given for all performances given. Factors associated with the individual's valence for outcomes are trust, control and policies. If individuals trust their superiors, they are more likely to believe their leaders promises. When there is a lack of trust on leadership, people often attempt to control the reward system. When individuals believe they have some kind of control over how, when, and why rewards are distributed, Instrumentality tends to increase. Formalized written policies impact the individuals' instrumentality perceptions. Instrumentality is increased when formalized policies associates rewards to performance. Valence- V(R) Valence: the value the individual places on the rewards based on their needs, goals, values and Sources of Motivation. Factors associated with the individual's valence for outcomes are values, needs, goals, preferences and Sources of Motivation Strength of an individual’s preference for a particular outcome. Motivation = expectancy x instrumentality x valence Managers should make each factor positive in order to ensure high levels of motivation. Conclusions Referring to this case study, the new Baristas carefully selected and will receive 25 hours classroom training before they start their job. During this training, Baristas will be trained, coached exposed to the company’s goals, diversity awareness, customers, succession planning and career development plan. This would be the E to P Expectancy Concept. The Baristas then exposed to the company’s benefits and rewards; where the P to O Expectancy Concept occurs. The last one is the Valences outcomes. Starbucks distribute rewards that employees’ value. This action can increase the expected value of outcomes resulting from desire performance. Expectancy Theory of Motivation remains ones of the better theories for predicting work effort and motivation, and with one limitation that is, the theory had ignore the role of emotion in employee effort and behavior. Question 2 : What needs does Starbucks appeal to through its training approach, benefits package, work/life program and partner relations mechanisms? From my analysis earlier, Starbucks training approach, benefits package, work/life program and partner mechanism had fall into needs theory of Expectancy Theory. As I have stated earlier that this theory had ignore the emotional factor. As this theory seems using some kind of mathematical method on measuring the level of motivation, the emotional entity was so abstract and difficult to measure. What most important is the positive impact or the outcome occurs. I wanted to conclude that there were several soft impacts happened in Starbucks as the consequences of the implementation of Expectancy Theory. Employees’ inner satisfaction. A pervious researcher, Pugh & Hickson cited Elton Mayo made an investigation called ‘Hawthorne Experiment’. According to the results, if managers provided a suitable working environment considering each personal requirement and their sense of satisfaction rather than a higher salary or bonus, workers were encouraged to be more hard-working and efficient. He also verified that if managers of an organization do not consider about individual works’ needs and wants, then treat them as equal units would â€Å"maximize payment and minimize effort†. As a result, how to use non-financial incentives would be an important issue for nowadays business. The chief executive officer of Starbucks Corporation, Howard Schultz, considers that the tip of success in Starbucks is not coffee but employees. Constantly accumulating the working experience of employees and providing chances of promotion in a company for working partners is the way to operate sustainability. He firmly believes that the spirit of Starbucks is employees and feels honoured about the value of Starbucks employees. For this reason, it is necessary to have a perfect education and training policy for better performance in a company. Starbucks offers an interactive structure that makes personnel instil themselves into their job; hence they can motivate partners to satisfy themselves then achieving a new level of performance. Equal treatment The managers in Starbucks treat each workpeople equally and all of the staffs are called ‘partners’, even the supervisors of each branch are called it as well. In order to narrow the gap between managers and employees, they also co-work with the basic level staffs in the front line. Due to this, they can maintain a well management system and create a much closer and more familiar atmosphere than other place, which makes not only employees can enjoy their job but also customers are affected by their enthusiasm. Listen to employees Starbucks has a well-organized communication channel for employees. It places a great importance on labours. For example, managers plan the working hours per workers and arrange the schedule of time off, according to their wants to meet their requirements. There are interviews weekly to see what employees’ need is. A special survey called ‘Partner View Survey’ is taken off approximate every two years. The managers can receive feedbacks through the event to which part should be improved or what issue should be paid more attention to. The partners have the right to figure out what is the best policy for them, and the directors show a respect for each suggestion. Starbucks even wants every employee to join in making and developing plans, then achieving their goals all together. As a result, the policies and principles are communicated between all staffs, and there is no limitation in employees’ personal opinions. For this reason, business could improve their strategies even innovate by different ideas. Question 3: What is important to you in terms of your personal work motivation? How does that which motivates you fit with Starbuck’s approach to motivating partners? My important personal work motivation would be the physiological, safety and social motivation. If one organizational can provide this, I would say that I will be there for a period of time. There would be important  leadership implications to  enhance workplace motivation. There are  staff motivation opportunities  by motivating each employee through their style of management, compensation plans, role definition, and company activities. Physiological motivation can be imposed by company by provide ample breaks for lunch and  recuperation and pay  salaries that allow workers to  buy life's essentials. In government sector (where I work for), offers physiological needs, safety needs and also social motivation. Based on my individual view, managers within this sector may become varies in style of leaderships. This happened due to different background of race, culture and political views. If the managers fail to be fair or fail to perform, dissatisfaction among workers may occur. In government sector, most of the organizations within tend to be people orientation than result orientated. This similar to the environment in Starbucks, its employees, including informal personnel, are offered a great deal of welfare policies, for instance, commodities discounts for employees, medical insurance (including health, vision and dental) and vacations. Moreover, the partners who work over 20 hours a week are entitled for benefits. This related to safety needs. Social needs can be generate a feeling of acceptance, belonging, and community by reinforcing team dynamics. Howard Schultz and other Starbucks senior executives worked to instill some key values and guiding principles into the Starbucks culture. The keystone value in the effort â€Å"to build a company with soul† was that the company would never stop pursuing the perfect cup of coffee. Because of this, they have the same goal; in other words, they are motivated to increase the sales to earn more profits. Starbucks just handles personnel with its core value, which is the employees are the most important asset of Starbucks. Showing a respect to employees and well-developed environment have lead Starbucks to produce the best working quality for customers and an increase in profits. Starbucks establishes a well-developed system to keep good relationship between managers and employees. At first, the leaders of a retail shops use the same title â€Å"partner† as a basic level worker to narrow the gap of bureaucracy. Furthermore, they co-work in the first line to eliminate the distance between different statuses. Secondly, the numbers of employees are usually from three to six. Such a small size of a retail shop makes staffs acquaint with each other easily and deeply. In the co-working period, this helps a team to match different personalities and majors quickly to achieve well performance. Next, the suggestions and complaints provided by employees are treated of equal importance. In the same way, they have a right to participate in the process of revising company policies as well as a manager. In that case, each staff thinks that they also play an important role in company operating, and they can join to work out a direction of Starbucks. These give employees not only a respect, but a sense of participation. Yet, this Starbuck’s approach was hardly to be found in government sector. In public sector, they tend to uphold the hierarchy line. There were obvious gap between managers and subordinates. Furthermore, the organizations normally contain numbers of staffs. ———————– [1] Schermerhorn,Hunt,Osborn and Uhl-Bien â€Å"Organizational Behavior 11th edition† John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte. Ltd. 2011 [2] Richard L. Daft â€Å"Management† The Dryden Press 1997

African American Studies

American Literature has come a long way. It dates back as far as the pre-colonization-period America which is contrary to the current belief of almost everyone that English has always been the language in America. Although it was noted that â€Å"some fifty years after the political establishment of the United States, the concept of an American literature barely existed† (Delbanco), American literature did exist and is still existing. Literature as a communication involving some degree of emotional or aesthetic response is both an independent discipline and one of the tools of anthropology.The latter is a description and explanation of social behavior in every possible environment-from the primitive to the sophisticated-in every part of the world. (Dennis and Aycock 41) In this regard, looking at how literature emerged and how it evolved, identifies the kind of society and the kind of people living in a certain era. II. Evolution & Era The discovery and/or development of a cer tain type of literature did not just happen in a flash. American Literature, the different types of it, sprouted in a seasoned manner.This means that there would not be political writings, or none of them would be popular, if there were no political issues looming around the corner. It is quite amusing to know that American writing (in English) started not as a seriously intended literary piece but as a work â€Å"chiefly for the benefit of readers in the mother country. † (â€Å"American Literature†). These were the English travelers and explorers who became Americans during those olden times, circa 1583 to 1763. Following is the timeline of the American Literature (Trent):1. English Travelers and Explorers, 1583-1763 – retaining their own language as they travelled to America and became Americans while chiefly influencing the literature with this language: the heritage of the English race; 2. The Historians, 1607-1783 – this was the period of gentlemen adventurers writing about America’s colonies; 3. The Puritan Divines, 1620-1720 – again, Englishmen who gave their intellects to a strict scheme of doctrinaire theology, and gave up their freedom to the letter of the Hebraic Scriptures; 4.Edwards – was a special time when he, Edwards, inscribed a sequence of reflections, foundation to a great metaphysical discourse of his own; 5. Philosophers and Divines, 1720-1789 -a traditional categorization of the human ability giving reason for the American thought in the eighteenth century, which is believed to have led to the overthrow of high Calvinism: those who went after the intelligence were the rationalists, or deists; those who went after receptivity or sensibility were the â€Å"hot† men, or enthusiasts while those who went after the will were the moral or ethical reformers.6. Colonial Newspapers and Magazines, 1704-1775 – the knowledge of and about Europe had erupted so commonly through colonial new spapers; 7. American Political Writing, 1760-1789 — this was the period of â€Å"storm and stress†, of â€Å"revolution and evolution†, bringing forth a literature dominated by politically-themed content. Most of the topics involved â€Å"the nature of the British constitution, the formulation of colonial rights, and the elaboration of schemes of government and administration†; 8.The Beginnings of Verse, 1610-1808- the beginning covered early colonial verse starting in 1610 while in 1700 it began with transition in purpose, subject, and style and later on during, the beginnings of nationalism that is related to the passage of the Stamp Act in 1765 ending with the publication of Bryant's Embargo in 1808. 9. Travellers and Observers, 1763-1846- this was the literature of travels, brand new, wide-ranging, and sophisticated, taking its magic from the sense of wonder; 10.The Early Drama, 1756-1860 –The American native drama, even though it antedated the novel and the short story, has arrived only during the latter half of the eighteenth century having Androborus in 1714, which was noted to be a satirical embarrassment. 11. Early Essayists-during this period the first essays that were in print in colonial newspapers were written with a cognizant ethical purpose. 12. The time of Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859)-a well-known American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century who authored â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow† and â€Å"Rip Van Winkle†;13. The time of Bryant – an American who has the gift of poetic genius, and writing verses that last; 14. Fiction/Novels-the moment for literary lies;† that they served no virtuous purpose; that they melted rigorous minds; that they crowded out better books; that they painted adventure too romantic and love too vehement, and so unfitted†¦Ã¢â‚¬  III. The Role of Printing Press Taking into consideration th e lack of other means of publication those days, early American literature succeeded with the big help of the printing press.Some Americans even had an undying zeal for literary outputs that they were â€Å"stimulated by a desire to render Washington City as well the seat of literature as of government, a number of gentlemen have formed themselves into a ‘ Printing and Bookselling Company† (McMurtrie 266). It may appear funny but it is true. IV. Current Scenario & Conclusion â€Å"Who in the four corners of the globe reads an American book? † (Edinburgh Review, cited Delbanco) Contrary to this insult, there are still the likes of Twain that many people all over the world know and many hunger for their literary pieces.Another noted American literary figure is Toni Morrison, a Nobel Prize awardee for literature. She is noted to be â€Å"a public intellectual, she's influenced how we think about race and storytelling †¦ how we use language, what we do with lan guage, how we keep language alive and well. â€Å"(â€Å"Toni Morrison Society Honors† 15). Thus, American Literature, no matter how it is being viewed, is sure to be existent, alive and persisting. Works Cited â€Å"American Literature. † The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2009. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. Delbanco, Andrew.â€Å"American Literature: A Vanishing Subject?. † Daedalus 135. 2 (2006): 22+. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. Dennis, Philip A. , and Wendell Aycock, eds. Literature and Anthropology. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University Press, 1989. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. McMurtrie, Douglas C. A History of Printing in the United States: The Story of the Introduction of the Press and of Its History and Influence during the Pioneer Period in Each State of the Union. Vol. 2. New York: R. R. Bowker, 1936. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. â€Å"Toni Morrison Society Honors Nobel Laureate with 70th Birthday Tribute.† Black Issues in Higher Education 29 Mar. 20 01: 15. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. Trent, William Peterfield, John Erskine, Stuart P. Sherman, and Carl Van Doren, eds. The Cambridge History of American Literature. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1917. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. According to Langston life can be equated to a staircase. This can be interpreted to mean that life is not a pain-free experience where people get to walk through with ease. On the contrary, it is a roller-coaster with ups and downs, a long and hard journey which should be viewed as such.Many people in the world have gone through untold suffering and despair and know exactly what a hard life is but none has seen it quite as much as Angel, at least none that I have so far met. Now Angel is not the regular teenager whom you would expect to be fretting about boys, hairstyles, which parties to attend or what to wear. Angel has been to hell and back and such issues would seem petty if you were fortunate enough to meet her. Yes, I say fortunate to meet her beca use most of us trudge through life trifling about very unimportant things which do not matter at all while people go through real problems.Angel is an embodiment of resilience and has proved it by living the life she has and come out triumphant. I met Angel last year while on a volunteer program at a shelter in Chicago, Illinois whose identity will remain undisclosed at the request of those involved. Angel was born 17 years ago to a single mother who was barely a teenager herself. Her father had gone to jail or so she was told whenever she asked. Her mother eked a living by working three jobs to support Angel and her three siblings; two sisters and a mentally challenged brother.The first few years were bliss but she later found out that her mother was shielding her from most of the suffering. By the time she was ten, her mother had been ravaged by the pressure of her jobs and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. To worsen matters she started doing drugs among other vices. A devout Chr istian had given up and Angel and her siblings started witnessing visits from strange men who apparently were her mother’s boyfriends. There was a particular man who was a frequent guest and stayed longer. He was the meanest. He would beat up her mom, regardless of her condition.Then he would turn on Angel and the other kids. Whenever she tried to protect them she would get bruises and broken bones. Her jaw was broken thrice in a span of less than a year and there was nothing she could do about it. As if this was not enough, the man would sneak into her bed every night after her mother had passed out and force himself on her. Angel was forced to leave school and take care of her brother and sister. When she thought things could not get any worse, her mother disappeared for days on end. Her lifeless body was found in a dark alley, stripped naked; apparently it was a drug overdose.Then hell broke loose. Angel was left with two kids to take care of at the tender age of twelve. T hey moved from street to street and foster to foster since no relative would take them in. The things she did to ensure her siblings would live a semblance of a life were too much for a twelve year old. She faces each day at a time. Every morning she wakes up and looks to the sky and asks why her life had to be so rough, so early. Robbed of her childhood and innocence she can only hope for the best and thank the church that runs the shelter.Perhaps she will never know the answers to the several questions she has but you can’t help but admire her courage and hope that someday she will become someone. The system will be forced to eject her once she gets to 18 but she would rather not worry about that now, hope for a better future is all that keeps her going. Essay 2- Original Folk Tale. Since time immemorial, the art of story telling has been used as a source of entertainment and a way of transmitting knowledge and wisdom to the younger generations.Perhaps there is nothing that is as universal as human beings and their ability to stretch their imagination to create stories with so much meaning and entertaining. Folk tales were laden with a group’s culture, tradition and beliefs that were passed on for posterity. From the Americas to Asia and the African continent millions of folk tales abound and though the culture of story telling is fading, most of these tales have been documented for posterity and perhaps someday they will get the attention they deserve.Once upon a time, the little red hen wanted to make bread and so she picked up some wheat grain and headed out. On her way to the farm she met the pig and asked whether she could help plant the wheat. The pig refused to offer any help and so the little red hen decided to plant the wheat by herself and it grew. One day on her way to pick some wheat she met the pig who was rolling in the mud. Once again she asked for her help in picking the wheat to which she refused again. Nobody in the animal kin gdom was willing to help. (Williams, 2009)When the little red hen went to the mill to get flour from her wheat she asked the dog whether he could help and he too refused adamantly. Very tired and weary, the hen climbed the hill and had her wheat ground. On her way back she met the cat and asked her to help her carry the flour to which the cat replied that she was too busy and therefore could not help. When she got home, the little red hen asked the cat and the duck to help her make bread. Both lazy animals refused to help her make the bread. The little red hen had no choice but to bake the bread herself which she did.When the bread was ready, all the animals wanted a piece of it but the hen had it all by herself. (Williams,2009) The story of the little red hen is a very popular folk tale that extols the virtues of hard work and personal initiative. The moral of the story ultimately boils down to the fact that those people who have no intention of contributing to the production of a beneficial product should not expect to benefit from it. This folk tale also emphasizes the biblical teaching that he who does not work should not eat. ESSAY 3- Frederick Douglass.Frederick Douglass was blessed with many feathers in his hat including being a statesman, orator and author but he is best known for his profound contributions to civil and women liberties for which he fought for all his life. Born in 1881 near Maryland, Douglass was a firm advocate for the equal treatment of all people regardless of gender, color and whether they were Native American or immigrants. Douglass' turning point as a slave came in the from of fighting back against Edward Covey, a Maryland farmer and renown slave breaker.Douglass' perceived lack of respect had caused his former master Thomas Auld to send him to Covey perhaps in the hope that Covey would be able to break him. After several months of generous labor and repeated beatings, Douglass snapped one day and fought back. Covey was taken aba ck by the 16 year olds reaction, unnerved he was forced to back down. This action reenergized the young lad and a confidence grew in him that he should live free. From then on he knew that he had to disentangle himself from the bondage of slavery and free his fellow slaves. (Blassingame, 1979)Being an American of Haitian origin is in itself a challenge. My grandparents migrated to the US several years ago with the hope of making a life for themselves and pursue the ever elusive ‘American Dream. ’ We live in the ghetto side of town and there is no easy way of telling how hard life is and the kind of things we are exposed to ranging from drugs, prostitution and so many other vices. For most kids on the block, school is really optional and very few ever make it past the eighth grade. The indifference of adults does not help much most of whom do not even care to ask how their children are doing or what they are up to.All they worry about is the payment of bills as they are due, everything else they leave to God and fate. It is against this background that I joined a local gang of six. Our activities ranged from carjacking, drug-peddling and robbing local convenience stores. My best friend, Curtis, was also a member of the gang and we have come a long way and through so much, he is like a blood brother. One day, Curtis and I were ordered to rob an African-American owned grocery store along the highway. When we go there, the proprietor’s wife was manning the counter while her husband was in the back.Curtis whipped out a weapon and ordered the lady to empty the till while I looked around for the police. Suddenly, I heard a gun shot and when I looked back Curtis lay in a pool of blood and the shotgun was aimed at me, I ran. When I got home, I could not believe what had just happened-that my best friend was probably dead and all for a few dollars. Then I heard the sirens and I knew they had come for me, I wondered how fast they had put the pieces to gether. I was whisked away to juvenile detention. No one from the gang ever came to see me not even making an appearance in court.Then it hit me that I had lost my best friend for nothing, courtesy of the choices we had made. We did not have to be members of any gang nor did we have to drop out of school. There is so much more to life. There and then I resolved to make something out of my life at least in memory of my dear friend. I first had to pay my debt to society then get back to school. Whatever the cost and however long it takes I vowed to change my life for the better and I did. I have come thus far and I thank God and the local youth support group for who I have become today, I would not even be here without their love, care and patience.Essay 4- Booker T. Washington. Born in 1856, Booker T. Washington was an African-American political leader, orator, author and educator. Washington’s philosophy was based on the principles of racial solidarity, forgiveness, accommoda tion and self help. He urged the African American community to accept prejudice for the time and concentrate their energies on lifting their standards through hard work and material prosperity. Washington believed in the cultivation of virtues like patience and enterprise among the black community.He believed that such virtues would earn Blacks some respect from the White community and ensure that they are fully integrated into the society as equal members. Undoubtedly, his philosophies put him on a collision course with notable leaders of the Black community especially W. EB. Dubois with whom they differed bitterly. (Bauerlein, 2004) Booker T. Washington’s philosophy can be summed up in the following quote, â€Å"With God's help, I believe that I have completely rid myself of any ill feeling toward the Southern white man for any wrong that he may have inflicted upon my race.I am made to feel just as happy now when I am rendering service to Southern white men as when the ser vice is rendered to a member of my own race. I pity from the bottom of my heart any Individual who is unfortunate as to get into the habit of holding race prejudice. † Washington's philosophy may be applied in the Jena Six case that happened in Jena, Louisiana in 2006. The Jena Six were a group of six teenagers of African American origin who were convicted in the beating of Justin Barker, a white student at Jena High school.The case has often been cited as an illustration of racial injustice because many people believed they were charged with grave offences and had received unfair treatment. The convictions of the six resulted in an escalation of racial tensions in the community. Many Jena residents viewed the arrests and ensuing convictions as racially prejudiced and unwarranted. Protesters argued that white youths involved in other incidents were treated mildly by the authorities. Massive protests were witnessed not only in Jena but in other US cities as well as the case rec eived nationwide attention. Booker T.Washington believed strongly that the African American community needed to address their safety and survival needs before seeking belonging, self esteem and self actualization within the community. In Jena, the Black community felt outnumbered and left out. This is illustrated by the emotional outpour that followed the arrests and convictions of the six teenagers. There were deep seated issues that had not been addressed and the Jena Six situation was actually the boiling point. The African-American community had been able to address their self esteem issues yet Essay 5- Marcus Garvey/Harlem Renaissance Vs W. E.B Dubois/Reconstruction Time. The Harlem Renaissance refers to a period between the 1920s and 30s which experienced the flowering of the intellectual life of the African-American community. Although the revolution was based mainly in Harlem, New York, its influence was felt across the world and more especially the in Paris, France where ma ny French-speaking black writers from Africa and the Caribbean lived. Perhaps, the growth and span of the Harlem Renaissance can be attributed to the changes that had been experienced in the Black American community since the abolition of slavery and the advent of industrialization.World War 1 and the social and cultural changes in the US at the turn of the 20th Century. Many black intellectuals played significant roles in the growth and sustenance of the renaissance including James Weldon Johnson, Alain Locke, Walter White and Jessie Fauset among many other prominent Black intellectuals of the time. The Renaissance did not receive unanimous support from the black intellectual community. In fact it received harsh criticism from black intellectual giants of the time including W. E. B Du bois, William Stanley Braithwaite and Benjamin Brawley.These men did not believe in the nature of the Renaissance literature. (Wintz, 1988, p 130) Marcus Garvey, one of the most influential black lead ers of the time had a strained relationship with the movement. Marcus came out as a critic of the renaissance. He is recorded as having hailed the Harlem Survey Graphic as being irrelevant to the Black cause. For instance he said of the Survey graphic that â€Å"it was not built around the needs of Negroes and their grievances but their contributions-around talents still half buried in the napkins of prejudices and underprivileged. † (Helbling, 1999, p60)The Harlem Renaissance declined in numbers and influence in the early 1930s. The dissipation was gradual rather than sudden. The movement failed to attract new recruits and thus there was no injection of new ideas and this led to the stagnation of the once vibrant society. New writers actually strived hard to build and maintain an identity separate from the Renaissance even as older writers were dying or cutting short their productivity. (Wintz, 1988, pg217) The term, Reconstruction, refers to the period that spread from the end of the 1865 American Civil War up till the withdrawal of the Union troops from the South in 1877.It was a defining era in American history and more in particular that of the African Americans because of the end of slavery as an institution. The war had also bequeathed the North and South a considerable amount of anger and mistrust. The African American community met the end of the civil War with hope, joy and anxiety. (Stroud and Schomp, 2007) For a long time, many historians and leaders had viewed the Reconstruction as a colossal failure in US history. They claimed that the leaders of the time especially in the South were corrupt, evil and incompetent.This view was however challenged by one of the most brilliant African American scholar and activist W. EB. Du Bois who portrayed Reconstruction as a brave and fine fight in his book Black Reconstruction in America. He argued that the Reconstruction was a step in the right direction in terms of building a democratic society up from the vestiges of slavery. He acknowledged the existence of the crooked politicians but he adds that the evil of corruption was widespread in the post- Civil War era in both the North and the South among members of both the Republican and Democratic parties.Du Bois goes ahead to support this era as being the time when significant strides were made in the economic and political standing of former slaves. His thoughts compelled many scholars to reshape their ideas on Reconstruction leading to a radically new analysis of one of the most controversial periods in the history of the United States. (Stroud and Schomp, 2007, p65) The Harlem Renaissance and the Reconstruction Era were defining moments in the history of the United States. While both periods received massive criticism they were turning points that brought a lot of change during those respective periods.Marcus Garvey and W, E. B Du Bois were critics of the Harlem Renaissance and did not see what it could contribute to the better ment of America. However, Du Bois comes out strongly to see the brighter side in the Reconstruction, a period that was tainted with a lot of controversy, twists and turns. We live the final judgment of these two eras to posterity. Essay 6- Nikki Giovanni/Black arts Vs Maya Angelou. Nikki Giovanni was born 66 years ago in Knoxville, Tennessee. Since 1987, she has taught writing and literature at Virginia Tech and she is a distinguished professor of English.Nikki is one of the most widely read American poets and she still is committed to the fight for equality and civil rights. Giovanni began writing poetry in the 1960s at a time when she was associated with the Black Arts Movement. Giovanni was one of the most influential figures of the Black Arts movement along with Sonia Sanchez, Jayne Cortez and Johari Amini among so many other leading lights. The Black Arts Movement emphasized the need for Black people to define the world in their own terms. The Black Arts Movement was intrinsica lly tied to the Black Power Movement in more ways than one.It was considered its aesthetic and spiritual sister and envisioned an art that directly spoke to the needs and aspirations of Black America. The credo of the Black Arts Movement was Art is the Arm of the Revolution. † It was also believed that all forms of Black Art were weapons whose sole reason for existence was to overthrow White oppression on all its forms. (Steele, 1998) Giovanni has always displayed profound interest in Black history and black identity. Much of her early poetry was inspired by the civil rights movement and the black power movement.This influence is seen in her first works including Black Feeling, Black Talk and Black Judgment. The themes covered in these books are homogenous but their form, tone and style vary. The poems in these two collections touch upon political events of the time including Martin Luther King Jr's assassination alongside those of Malcolm X and President J. F. Kennedy. (Bloom , 1995) Nikki Giovanni has been described both as an evolutionary and a revolutionary poet. She is also known to speak her mind on prevailing issues that she holds dear ever since her days at the Black Arts Movement.In a magazine article, she points out that the old virus of racism was still rampant in the American society. She goes on to acknowledge the Million Man March where thousands of Black men came together to seek love, oneness, atonement and support from one another. (Giovanni, 1996) Maya Angelou is not much different from Giovanni. Maya is a renown autobiographer and a poet. She has also been very active in the Civil Rights Movement. She has also taught at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.Maya is a recognized and highly respected spokesperson for African American people and women. Her books have traditionally been centered on the themes of identity, racism and family. Maya Angelou was born in 1928 in St Louis, Missouri and she has documented most of her life in her bestselling autobiography, I know why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya has always had a gift of bringing people together and she believes that people are more alike than they are different; Maya also believes that poetry can inspire a whole nation and its strength for the spirit.Her works were inspired from an early age by African American writers like W. E. B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes and also renown European playwright William Shakespeare. Maya Angelou is no stranger to suffering and despair. Her parents had a divorce when she was still a kid forcing them to go live with their grandmother in Stamps. When they moved to Stamps with her brother Bailey, racism was the order of the day and the Blacks were expected to live on a separate side of town. Maya was sexually abused as a child and she had to go through a trial that led to the conviction of Mr.Freeman. (Kite, 2006) Perhaps the differences between these two great women is the fact that there politics are far apart. Where Nikki chooses themes that are sometimes militant and takes strong political stands, Maya is more conciliatory and uses her gift to bring people together. Maybe this is because of the differences in the influences of their formative years. Giovanni was an active member of the Black Arts Movement which was seen to be radical in their approach to solving the issues affecting the African-American community.It is not lost to the eye that both women are exceptionally talented and they have used their unique gifts to bring change to the American society and for that we owe them loads of gratitude. Both women are can actually be described as American living legends. References Bauerlein, M. (2004). Washington, Du Bois and the Black Future. Wilson Quarterly Bloom, H. (1995) Contemporary Black American Poets and Dramatists. Chelsea House, New York, NY Blassingame, J. (1979) The Frederick Douglass papers. New Haven, Conn. : Yale University Press, 1979–. Giovanni, N. (1996) A Million Reasons to Hope. Black Collegian, Vol. 26(3) Helbling, (1999). The Harlem Renaissance: The One and the Many. Greenwood Press. Westport, CT. Kite, L. P (2006) Maya Angelou A Biography Learner Publications Co. Minneapolis, Minnesota Steele, V. (1998) Tom Feelings: A Black Arts Movement. African American Review. Vol 32(1) White, W. F. (2009) The Little Red Hen and other stories. Project Gutenberg, 1914. Stroud, B and Schomp, V. (2007) the Reconstruction Era. Marshall Cavendish. Tarrytown, NY. Wintz, Cary. (1988) the Black Culture and the Harlem Renaissance. Rice University Press. Houston, Tx