Essay on Media Analysis of Coverage of One Event - 1230 Words

Media Analysis of Coverage of One Event In various articles written about Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco’s visit to Cuba, the emphases are placed on different points, as the event is described from various angles. The Cuban newspaper Granma goes into more depth about Blanco and her entourage’s activities during their visit to Cuba, as well as giving a more detailed background of pertinent information about United States-Cuba relations, in the context of the embargo. La Nueva Cuba approaches the event from a different angle by providing more specifics about how this particular transaction will take place. There is also a brief compare and contrast of the ways that the United States and other nations choose to deal with Cuba,†¦show more content†¦The journalist appears to be attempting to create the image that Cuba has the upper-hand and is in control of the situation. A similar depiction of this Cuban dominance is shown by the description of Governor Blanco having signed an agreement with Alimport , as opposed to Alimport and Governor Blanco signing the agreement together. Again, this minor difference in phrasing simultaneously suggests both a vested interest and compliance on the side of the United States. Of course, this image of the US is one that would hardly come across in US domestic papers. Just as a depiction of a strong Cuba boosts Cuban nationalism, so too does the representation of the United States as an omnipotent force. Essentially, especially in conservative domestic sources, it does not pay to weaken one’s own nation—being a paper tiger is better than being no tiger at all. At first glance, â€Å"Cuba planea esquivar reglas de importacià ³n con Estados Unidos,† already shows a marked difference between the articles in Granma and La Nueva Cuba. Instead of the United States proposing the deal between Louisiana and Cuba, the depiction is that Cuba openly accepts and appreciates the new plan. The two articles from Cuban sources share the same statistics—that Louisiana will be providing 10,000 tons of rice and 160 tons of powdered milk—, neitherShow MoreRelatedHow The Autonomy Of Journalists Are Affected During War Times1675 Words   |  7 Pagespower struggle related to media coverage. New technology During the 1990s, the creation of advanced news-gathering equipment, the apparent growth of the 24-hour news channel, the increase of transnational media organizations and the spread of the internet platforms suggests the arrival of a more pluralized public sphere. The overall effect of these technological developments, according to many analysts, was a reduction in government control over information and a news media that was likely to be moreRead MoreThe CNN Effect: The Media and Crime Coverage911 Words   |  4 PagesThe Media and Crime Coverage Introduction The manner in which mainstream media depicts various aspects of American life has a correspond effect on how these events are perceived by the American public. When isolated media events are sensationalized, these depictions can result in misperceptions and fear, especially when they involve issues that have personal implications for viewers such as crime. To gain some fresh insights into these issues, this paper examines how CNN covers crime in itsRead MoreEssay On Nclb1263 Words   |  6 Pageswill collect data on media coverage of the opt out movement from print and digital media sources. I will prioritize local and regional newspapers in order to capture coverage of local SMO activities. I will also collect data from state newspapers, such as the New York Daily News and the New York Post, and one national newspapers, the New York Times. Newspapers are a typical source of social movement data (D. J. Wang Soule, 2012), often providing coverage of movement events and tactics. To supplementRead MoreThe Russian Revolution Of 20131488 Words   |  6 PagesTwitter hashtag. The events of the Ukrainian Revolution turned the world’s attention in Ukraine and media from all over the world started covering the revolution on a daily basis. The Ukrainian Revolution gained big publicity but it seemed that the opinions expressed were differing – especially the ones coming from the Western media between the Russian media. This case study will examine how four different news websites – two western ones and two Russians - framed Ukraine’s Revolution of 2013, byRead MoreAn Investigation Into the Media Representation of Gender in Sport1303 Words   |  6 PagesAn investigation into the media representation of gender in sport. There have been many studies and investigations into the different types and intensity of the media coverage in sport involving both sexes. This investigation will look at previous studies and reports carried out by researchers to discover why different genders receive different media attention in sport, and to see whether this has an adverse effect on other issues such as participation. It is a clear fact that menRead MoreRisk And Politics Of Disaster Coverage1263 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"Risk and Politics of Disaster Coverage in Haiti and Katrina† Introduction and Purpose of the Study The article, â€Å"Risk and Politics of Disaster Coverage in Haiti and Katrina,† by Jennifer Petersen of the University of Virginia, which appeared in the journal Communication, Culture Critique in 2014, provides a comparison and contrast of the media coverage of Hurricane Katrina (2005), which devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast and was the costliest natural disaster in the nation’s historyRead MoreMedia Bias on Women’s Issues700 Words   |  3 PagesMedia Bias on Women’s Issues Detecting bias in news media is a challenge that every person who watches, reads, or listens to the news should accept. Subtle changes in the details of a story can change the entire focus of an event and affect all members of the audience. Applying the gender-based critique analysis process to the media coverage of the 2004 March for Women’s Lives in Washington, D.C. provides an excellent exercise in identifying news bias. The article, â€Å"Muting the Women’s March: MediaRead MoreMedia s Influence On Politics1742 Words   |  7 Pages In the Public Eye: Politics and the Media Much of American life is guided by the influx of information received from the media. This results in the ability of the media to shape or mold the opinions of American society. Media is used in numerous areas concerning politics. â€Å"Without the media’s investigations, citizens would be forced to rely entirely on the information provided by politicians and the government, and would be deprived of an indispensable opportunity to evaluate issues carefully andRead MoreGender Challenges Within The Business Of Sports1507 Words   |  7 Pages Abstract Gender challenges in sports have been around for centuries. Male and female genders are treated differently in more than one way. The research I have gathered show the differences in all aspects of sports related business areas such as, ticket sales, facilities, price of tickets, media coverage, Sports Illustrated covers, and sports reporters. The purpose of this research is to bring attention the disparities that women follow in the business of sports. Women are stereotyped, discriminatedRead MoreAnalysis Of Five Different Media Sources1294 Words   |  6 PagesMedia Report on the Analysis of Five Different Media Sources: The 2015 Nepal Earthquake from April 2015 to May 2015 Introduction Since the drastic 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0, Nepal continued to experience numerous series of earthquakes throughout the years that were of less magnitude and low causalities. However, on 25 April 2015, Nepal once again encountered one of the most severe earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 followed by several aftershocks which resulted in more than

Budgeting Is A Quantitative Expression Of A Proposed Plan...

Budgeting is a quantitative expression of a proposed plan of action by management for a future time period and it’s an aid to the coordination and implementation of the plan. It can be both financial and non-financial aspect of these plans and act as a blue-print for the company to follow in a forthcoming period. (BHIMANI, 2008). While budgeting process has to do with setting goals and objective and developing for revenue, cost, production cash flows and other factors by gathering financial and investment strategy in place which helps to know what investment can be and how investment is been finalised. This means budgeting helps to put together decision making regarding capital budgeting, capital structure and working capital. (Drake and Fabozzi 2010). It is said that budgets sometimes gets a ‘bad press’. Budgets does not only bring ‘bad press’, but they are accused of stifling innovation and learning, it is emphasized that budgets attainment is belie ved to be liable to make many behavioural side effect which sometimes are dysfunctional to organisations. Issues may include data manipulation, Interdepartmental strife, job-related tension, group based ‘anti-management behaviour gaming and last but not the least, short-termism. This essay is going to focus on the role of budgeting and its contributions, and also discuss on dysfunctional behaviour of budgeting, and also, this essay will be discussing on how this behaviour can be minimised or eradicated. And analyse theShow MoreRelatedTerm Papers on Barangay Public Administration4145 Words   |  17 PagesMANAGEMENT PLANNING CONTROL Professor Renato Jorge Tan Nena N. Martinez Student Report on : THE ROLE OF BUDGETING IN MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND CONTROL Review of Management Functions In the study of administrative management or principles of management, as a theory of administration, Henry Fayol stated that there are five tasks of administration which were planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling; and Gulick built upon Fayol’s the famousRead MoreBudgets Are Essential Business Practice2776 Words   |  12 Pagesbe the most powerful tool for management control; they play essential roles in the organization’s political structure as they are used often to increase the power and authority of top management and limit the autonomy of lower-level managers. Despite its ambiguous benefits, traditional budgeting presents organizations with various challenges. In recent times critics of traditional budgeting have increased vastly. The basis of this criticism is that traditional budgeting is a relic of the past. It preventsRead MoreCompare and Contract the Budget Processes and Systems of Fiscal Accountability in Presidential an d Parliamentary Systems of Government.8193 Words   |  33 Pagesidentified in the context of the role of political institutions on fiscal outcomes of the budgetary process. Key challenges to public budgeting systems in presidential and parliamentary systems are examined to discover factors such as how to retain the advantages of strong executive authority required to ensure fiscal discipline and sound public finance management while providing the institutional checks and balances that guarantee accountability, ensure restraint and prevent corruption (SantisoRead MoreManagement Accounting Cost Analysis Summary5399 Words   |  22 Pagesaccountant’s role in the Organization 4 I. Management Accounting, Cost Accounting and Financial Accounting 4 II. Strategic decisions and Management Accounting 4 III. Organization structure and the Management Accountant 6 Topic 2: Introduction to Cost Terms and Purposes 8 I. Costs and Cost Terminology: 8 II. Direct costs and Indirect costs 8 III. Variable and Fixed Costs: 9 IV. Types of Inventory, Inventoriable costs, and Period cots: 9 Topic 3: Cost-Volume-Profit AnalysisRead MoreManagement Control Systems Pdf115000 Words   |  460 PagesPrinciples of Management Control Systems 20 Fo rI B ICFAI UNIVERSITY S U se O nl y C la s s of 09 Principles of Management Control Systems 20 Fo rI B ICFAI Center for Management Research Road # 3, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad – 500 034 S U se O nl y C la s s of 09 ï›™ The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India, January 2006. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, usedRead MoreDoc, Docx, Pdf, Wps, Rtf, Odt6285 Words   |  26 Pagesyou that we are going to submit the study report titled Management Practices in Business Organizations based on the management practices in Taj King Industries (Pvt.) Ltd a reputed melamine wares manufacturer amp; exporter In this study report, we have tried to include all the factors we thought essential for previously mentioned title. We have analyzed the factors based on managerial theories amp; managerial key functions with the proposed options amp; the events though few things might be omittedRead MoreTerm Paper on Project Risk Management14904 Words   |  60 PagesCHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project. Project risk management includes the processes concerned with identifying, analyzing, and responding to project risk. It includes maximizing the results of positive events and minimizing the consequences of adverse events. Generally, risk is a choice in an environment ratherRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesCenter Management Recent Titles in Library and Information Science Text Series Library and Information Center Management, Sixth Edition Robert D. Stueart and Barbara B. Moran United States Government Information: Policies and Sources Peter Hernon, Harold C. Relyea, Robert E. Dugan, and Joan F. Cheverie Library Information Systems: From Library Automation to Distributed Information Access Solutions Thomas R. Kochtanek and Joseph R. Matthews The Complete Guide to Acquisitions Management FrancesRead MoreRole of Project Planning in Improving Construction Project Delivery15796 Words   |  64 Pages 20011144146 PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE B. TECH. DEGREE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY OWERRI, IMO STATE NIGERIA. OCTOBER 2006. CERTIFICATION This is to certify that this research project was carried out by Egwim Ikenna O. of the Department of Project Management Technology, Federal University of Technology Owerri, under theRead MoreNotes: The Accountants Role in the Organization10418 Words   |  42 PagesObjective 1.1 1) Management accounting: A) focuses on estimating future revenues, costs, and other measures to forecast activities and their results B) provides information about the company as a whole C) reports information that has occurred in the past that is verifiable and reliable D) provides information that is generally available only on a quarterly or annual basis Answer: A Diff: 2 Terms: treasury Objective: 1 AACSB: Reflective thinking 2) Managers use management accounting information

Sum 41 - Chuck free essay sample

Kids are often drawn to edgier music, whether it is Eminem preaching about the injustices of the world or the provocative Britney Spears. Teens like music if it’s something their parents wouldn’t approve of. While Sum 41 tried to produce a good third album, they failed for many reasons. Normally, I would say they bring up interesting political and religious points, but this time they fall short. Lyrically, the CD is difficult to digest because it seems that Sum 41 doesn’t know what they are singing about and the music is driven by heavy guitar riffs which are only there to pump you up, and it falls short of giving you that energetic feeling. Sum 41 is notorious for confusing fans with their lyrics and â€Å"Chuck† doesn’t fail to do so. They don’t describe what they are singing about except for their first single, â€Å"We’re All to Blame,† which is clearly a political song that brings up a lot of truth. We will write a custom essay sample on Sum 41 Chuck or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The other songs try to allude to something possibly political, but fail. It seems forced in a direction that may lead the listener to believe it’s about a girl. Also, they use ideas from other bands. They blatantly copy Linkin Park’s â€Å"Hybrid Theory† and another sounds curiously like a Good Charlotte song. I also think that Sum 41 loses sight of making music for themselves and instead takes the path that makes them the most money. You can hear the pop in their music with songs like â€Å"Some Say† and â€Å"Pieces.† To me, that type of music gets tired fast because it’s the same in all the songs. There are tracks with grit, but you can tell they are holding back, which is a letdown since, on their last album, they seemed more inclined to make their own sort of thing rather than please the masses. In conclusion, if you want that grit and rawness usually found on a Sum 41 CD, don’t look for it in â€Å"Chuck.† I’m still a loyal fan and although they try to be taken more seriously with this album, they fail because they didn’t come up with anything original. If you buy this CD, you will be let down.

Matsu the Samurai Essay Example

Matsu the Samurai Essay The Samurai’s Garden Stephen was sent from China to Japan to recover from tuberculosis. He goes and stays in the small town of Tarumi with his family’s servant Matsu. During his stay with Matsu, Stephen discovers that there is more to Matsu than meets the eyes. Throughout the story, Stephen begins to see Matsu showing characteristics of a Samurai. One of the first characteristics we see in Matsu is his loyalty to Stephen’s family. Matsu’s parents had served Stephen’s grandfather in that house before him, and even after his parents had passed away, instead of moving away like his sister Fumiko did, he stayed and took care of the house and Stephen’s grandfather. In a sense, Matsu is the bodyguard and watcher of the house and family, just like how a samurai is to his lord. Throughout the story Matsu seems to be a much respected man to everyone in Tarumi. Stephen even told Matsu that â€Å"You have a strong face. A face someone doesn’t forget. Like a samurai† (30). Matsu and Stephen are perfect examples, in it that Matsu is the samurai who must watch over his wealthier master which happens to be Stephen, who indeed is wealthy. Although Matsu is only a servant, Stephen shows great respect for him. Matsu’s silence also brings out the samurai in him. His silence occurs in many parts of the book. At first, Stephen assumed that Matsu just didn’t like to engage in conversations, but Sachi explains how his silence is powerful when she told Stephen that â€Å"with Matsu, everything is in what he does not say† (59). We will write a custom essay sample on Matsu the Samurai specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Matsu the Samurai specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Matsu the Samurai specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer His strength in silence guided him through his childhood to the present day. Because Matsu wasn’t the best looking guy when he was younger, he kept to himself and always stayed back at the house to help out his parents. I guess you can say he was born to become and samurai, unlike his sisters. Even when his younger sister Tomoko took her life, Matsu showed no emotions. He knew what she planned on doing the night that she did it, and he kept quiet. Another event that shows how his actions speak louder than words is during Kenzo’s burial. At the Kenzo’s burial, â€Å"Matsu was silent throughout the entire procession, simply bowing his head to those who showed their sympathy at the loss of his good friend† (109). His silence showed how strong he was holding up. Furthermore, other than his messages through silence, Matsu also shows great inner strength within these two events. Much like how a samurai who never grieves over a comrade’s death, Matsu’s inner strength allowed him to remain calm and prevent an emotional breakdown first after seeing the suicide of his sister, and seeing the death of his best friend Kenzo. When Sachi came down to visit after the storm, she told Stephen that â€Å"Matsu once told me the bridge represented a samurai’s difficult path from this world to the afterlife. When you reach the top of the bridge, you can see your way to paradise† (58). I believe that Matsu has reached the top of this bridge already and saw his way to paradise. While this bridge represents a link between this world and the afterlife, Matsu acted similarly. The people of Yamaguchi are considered dead to those in the city. Matsu acts as the link between the two, delivering to the people of Yamaguchi. On a side note, a person who acts as a link between this world and the next is called a shaman. Matsu once said that the people of Yamaguchi are basically dead to their family, and the only one who knew of their existence until Stephen was introduced to them was Matsu. In their early stages of development, Matsu served as a shaman who helped out the â€Å"dead† people of Yamaguchi. He brought building equipment from the city up to Yamaguchi, and helped them build houses. Furthermore, Matsu has shown great bravery throughout the novel. One specific example of his bravery was shown when they were on their way to visit Sachi in Yamaguchi and they saw that one of the villagers house was on fire. Like a true samurai, Matsu ran to help put out the fire without even considering his own safety first. Like Sachi said, â€Å"bravery is when you step in to help when you have nothing to lose. Matsu-san and you, Stephen san are the brave ones† (123). In addition, Matsu is very a nonjudgmental guy. He never jumps to conclusion about a person and never judge a person by the way they look, or what has happened in their past. Instead he acts as a samurai does what he believes is right and sticks to it. For example, Matsu never judged any of the lepers in Yamaguchi for how they looked, and got to know all of them very well. The way Matsu is portrayed in the novel, sometimes he almost seems like a middle aged man instead of a man in his seventies. But because he is at such an age, we can say that he is a man with much wisdom and experience. Samurai’s grow through each battle and with each battle, win or lose, come strength and wisdom. Every day is a battle for Matsu, and with it he has gained from it. With his wisdom he always knows what to say or do when there is a situation in front of him. For example, after Keiko had told Stephen that they can no longer see each other, Matsu passes down his wisdom to Stephen when he told Stephen â€Å" get quote from book† (). Matsu, the man with undying bravery and wisdom, gentle and loving is the samurai in The Samurai’s Garden. But his garden didn’t stop in just his backyard, no; his garden was also all of Yamaguchi. And as most great samurais, the last thing Matsu does is leaves behind his legacy within Stephen.

Properties essays

Properties essays Chemical reactions are the heart of chemistry. People have always known that they exist. The Ancient Greeks were the firsts to speculate on the composition of matter. They thought that it was possible that individual particles made up matter. Later, in the Seventeenth Century, a German chemist named Georg Ernst Stahl was the first to postulate on chemical reaction, specifically, combustion. He said that a substance called phlogiston escaped into the air from all substances during combustion. He explained that a burning candle would go out if a candle snuffer was put over it because the air inside the snuffer became saturated with phlogiston. According to his ideas, wood is made up of phlogiston and ash, because only ash is left after combustion. His ideas soon came upon some contradiction. When metal is burned, its ash has a greater mass than the original substance. Stahl tried to cover himself by saying that phlogiston will take away from a substance's mass or that it had a negative mass, which contradicted his original theories. In the Eighteenth Century Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, in France, discovered an important detail in the understanding of the chemical reaction combustion, oxigine (oxygen). He said that combustion was a chemical reaction involving oxygen and another combustible substance, such as wood. John Dalton, in the early Nineteenth Century, discovered the atom. It gave way to the idea that a chemical reaction was actually the rearrangement of groups of atoms called molecules. Dalton also said that the appearance and disappearance of properties meant that the atomic composition dictated the appearance of different properties. He also came up with idea that a molecule of one substance is exactly the same as any other People like Joseph-Lois Gay-Lussac added to Dalton's concepts with the postulate that the volumes of gasses tha...

Free Essays on The Use Of Plot In The Play Uncle Vanya

The use of plot in Uncle Vanya In every play there is a plot, the plot acts a sort of box that holds all the other elements in it. The plot helps to hold together the characters, the spectacle and the language of the play. There are three main types of plots, climatic, episodic and absurd. In his play Uncle Vanya, Chekhov chooses to combine the climatic and episodic plot types together to tell his story. There are many characteristics of a climactic plot in Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. One of the most important is that Unlce Vanya has a late point of attack, meaning that in order to understand the more significant parts of the play the audience needs a little background information early on. In the opening act of Uncle Vanya we learn about Astrov’s connection to the family, that life on the Serebryakov estate has been â€Å"topsy-turvy† ever since the arrival of the professor and his wife and most importantly about Vonitsky’s feelings of contempt and â€Å"envy† toward the professor. Without this information the audience may not have understood many of the conflicts taking place during the play. For example, the background information helps to explain the shaky relationship between the professor and the doctor. We can assume that Astrov was also the doctor to the professor’s late wife, and that the professor may blame the doctor for her death. Voinitsky’s speech in the opening act about the professor’s waste of twenty five years helps the audience realize why he has no love lost for the professor and that is why he tries to kill him later on in the play. A climactic plot is usually also a linear plot. Meaning that each of the scenes in the play only move forward in time. There are no instances in Uncle Vanya where we are taken back to relive first hand any experiences from any of the charaters pasts. The climatic play typically only covers a short amount of time. Although some parts of the character’s pasts are revealed ... Free Essays on The Use Of Plot In The Play Uncle Vanya Free Essays on The Use Of Plot In The Play Uncle Vanya The use of plot in Uncle Vanya In every play there is a plot, the plot acts a sort of box that holds all the other elements in it. The plot helps to hold together the characters, the spectacle and the language of the play. There are three main types of plots, climatic, episodic and absurd. In his play Uncle Vanya, Chekhov chooses to combine the climatic and episodic plot types together to tell his story. There are many characteristics of a climactic plot in Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. One of the most important is that Unlce Vanya has a late point of attack, meaning that in order to understand the more significant parts of the play the audience needs a little background information early on. In the opening act of Uncle Vanya we learn about Astrov’s connection to the family, that life on the Serebryakov estate has been â€Å"topsy-turvy† ever since the arrival of the professor and his wife and most importantly about Vonitsky’s feelings of contempt and â€Å"envy† toward the professor. Without this information the audience may not have understood many of the conflicts taking place during the play. For example, the background information helps to explain the shaky relationship between the professor and the doctor. We can assume that Astrov was also the doctor to the professor’s late wife, and that the professor may blame the doctor for her death. Voinitsky’s speech in the opening act about the professor’s waste of twenty five years helps the audience realize why he has no love lost for the professor and that is why he tries to kill him later on in the play. A climactic plot is usually also a linear plot. Meaning that each of the scenes in the play only move forward in time. There are no instances in Uncle Vanya where we are taken back to relive first hand any experiences from any of the charaters pasts. The climatic play typically only covers a short amount of time. Although some parts of the character’s pasts are revealed ...

Contemporary Risk Management - Climate Change Essay

Contemporary Risk Management - Climate Change - Essay Example Many of these issues have direct implications for the risk management and insurance industry. Global warming refers to the gradual warming of the earth’s atmosphere that has been documented over the last 150 years. Global warming can result from natural fluctuations in climate or can be induced by human causes. There had been considerable debate as to whether human activity in producing increased emissions and concentrations of greenhouse gases has been associated with the global warming trend. Greenhouse gases effectively trap the heat in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, principally CO2, but also ozone, methane, and nitrous oxide, are produced by burning fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. Energy producers, automobile users, manufacturers, and households all burn fossil fuels and produce greenhouse gas emissions. The rising concentrations of CO2 that are causing global warming principally come from energy production, factories, homes, automobiles, and deforestation. Rising CO2 concentrations are a symptom of expanding economies, jobs, and standards of living. Indeed these economic benefits form the most frequently sited argument for resisting the Kyoto Treaty and other control techniques. For instance, President Bush stated in rejecting the Kyoto Treaty that it would â€Å"have a negative economic impact, with layoffs of workers and price increases for consumers† (Sanger, 2005, 24). Some studies have indicated that agriculture and forestry will actually improve from global warming. For instance, the NAST report finds that U.S. crop productivity is very likely to increase over the next few decades because of global warming. While benefiting consumers, falling crop prices and competitive pressures are likely to stress some farmers. The NAST report also found that forest productivity is likely to increase over the next

Normative Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Normative Theory - Essay Example The documentary presented various photographs that revealed the truth about the killings and violation of the human rights. The personal experiences of a U.S. Marine Captain, Brian Steidle were important in contributing towards the film. This example illustrates the importance of the role of media professionals in revealing the truth and how they can be inhibited by local governments who try to exert influence. The assumption of restricted autonomy of the media professionals implies that the government is not always appreciative of the efforts of media and may also feel threatened. This causes them to exert influence on media professionals thereby obstructing the flow of transparent information. But there are other reasons as well why media professionals may not be completely independent. The degree to which a media professional is conscientious various widely and some professionals may be driven by personal motives and interests that can result in deviation from ethical standards. T he case is not new but some media professionals may readily be influenced when given unethical monetary benefits. The influence can be exerted by any institution or individual. However, such cases are common where the government hold is not strong and regulated, and therefore, various other players have immense power to influence. Such governments are characterized by weak relationships between the media and the government due to lack of support and insecurity. The postulate that media professionals possess the right to security and protection in view of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights becomes important when media professionals are threatened due to their profession. Media professionals may be threatened due to various reasons and in most cases is due to the content of their... The assumption of restricted autonomy of the media professionals implies that the government is not always appreciative of the efforts of media and may also feel threatened. This causes them to exert influence on media professionals thereby obstructing the flow of transparent information. But there are other reasons as well why media professionals may not be completely independent. The degree to which a media professional is conscientious various widely and some professionals may be driven by personal motives and interests that can result in deviation from ethical standards. The case is not new but some media professionals may readily be influenced when given unethical monetary benefits. The influence can be exerted by any institution or individual. However, such cases are common where the government hold is not strong and regulated, and therefore, various other players have immense power to influence. Such governments are characterized by weak relationships between the media and the government due to lack of support and insecurity. The postulate that media professionals possess the right to security and protection in view of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights becomes important when media professionals are threatened due to their profession. Media professionals may be threatened due to various reasons and in most cases is due to the content of their work. The matter can sometimes become so serious that a professional threatens his or her life in bringing out the reality.

Auto Insurance Essay Example for Free

Auto Insurance Essay They can serve to insulate you from economic upheaval in the case your car is destroyed or stolen or even from bankruptcy in the event you are sued for damages someone sustained in an accident involving your car. The author guides the reader through several key criteria which should be considered in an analysis of their own policy. A 12 page overview of the world of automobile insurance. Choosing adequate automobile insurance can be one of the most cost effective things an individual can do in this modern age. Not only can automobile insurance This 6 page paper provides an overview of the basic management strategies of the USAA insurance company. This paper considers the management perspective and strategy, as well as the operational function of the company and the increasing importance of restructuring principles for the company. premiums whittle away a sizable chunk from an individual’s take-home pay, they can serve to insulate you from economic upheaval in the case your car is destroyed or stolen or even from bankruptcy in the event you are sued for damages someone sustained in an accident involving your car. The author guides the reader through several key criteria which should be considered in an analysis of their own policy. 6 pages. The BMW M3 has been the subject of many articles and consumer report studies recently. Rating cars is not only just an annual task for automotive journalists but it is also a subject which auto enthusiasts look forward to eagerly each season. Did their favorite car make it to the top? What did the critics have to say about it? And do these opinions agree with those who actually own these cars? This paper focuses on the BMW M3 in the sports car class. For those who own the BMW M3 it is likely they will claim that hands down it is the best sports car they have ever driven. Although not all of the auto magazines rated the BMW M3 as number one, most owners will disagree. The BMW M3 has everything a driver wants in a sporty car. By looking at several magazine articles and talking to drivers of these well-made and handsome cars, it is easy to conduct our own survey. Bibliography lists 12 sources.

Body Mutilation and Adornment :: essays research papers

Body Mutilation and Adornment There are various aspects through which people, especially youth, identify themselves. People are always sending some sort of communication out at all times, whether it is subconscious or not. Images and styles are adopted which communicate meanings about the individual to his/her peers and to society. Styles of dress, language, music, and dance are some of the ways that portray one's own unique symbols, values, and meanings. One other such signifier of identity is through body modification, particularly tattooing and body piercing. In today's society people have adopted the new style or trend of body modification. There are many reasons in which people obtain piercings and tattoos. Those who modify, manipulate and mutilate their bodies do so for many reasons. Some say it's simply exciting and pleasurable, or part of the latest fad. Others place it in the context of art, ritual or self-expression-they say it's an act with cultural and social significance. In contrast, many people can 't understand why someone would choose to put so many holes in her body or cut their skin. They see body modification as self-destructive, much like anorexia or bulimia. I am a prime example of youth urge toward body modification. Below I will talk about why, what, where, and how people modify their body and how people look upon them. Youth and adolescence is one of, if not the most, significant and influential moments in one's life, when youth are seeking their identity of who they are. Tattooing and piercing are one of the many ways through which youth may express their identity, for they are symbolic representations of how the self is conceived or understood. People may also want themselves to be portrayed as someone who they are not. For example, someone gets a tattoo or earrings just to look "tough" or "cool". I remember when I was young; I thought having an earring was the coolest thing and at the age of sixteen I couldn't take it anymore and pierced my ear against my parents will. Getting a piercing or tattoo symbolizes a certain change in ones life. These changes, no matter how miniscule they may seem, have a huge impact on a person's identity. Usually when a youth gets a tattoo or earring, they are symbolizing their maturity by finally being able to make a decision on their own and taking matters into the ir own hands.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Six

September 26 Dear Diary, I'm sorry it's been so long, and I can't really explain why I haven't written-except that there are so many things I feel frightened to talk about, even to you. First, the most terrible thing happened. The day that Bonnie and Meredith and I were at the cemetery, an old man was attacked there, and almost killed. The police still haven't found the person who did it. People think the old man was crazy, because when he woke up he started raving about â€Å"eyes in the dark† and oak trees and things. But I remember what happened t us that night, and I wonder. It scares me. Everyone was scared for a while, and all the kids had to stay inside after dark or go out in groups. But it's been about three weeks now, and no more attacks, so the excitement is dying down. Aunt Judith says it must have been another vagrant that did it. Tyler Smallwood's father even suggested that the old man might have done it to himself-though I would like to see somebody bite himself in the throat. But mostly what I've been busy with is Plan B. As far as it goes, it's been going well. I've gotten severalletters and a bouquet of red roses from â€Å"Jean-Claude† (Meredith's uncle is a florist), and everybody seems to have forgotten that I was ever interested in Stefan. So my social position's secure. Even Caroline hasn't been making any trouble. In fact, I don't know what Caroline is doing these days, and I don't care. I never see her at lunch or after school anymore; she seems to have drawn away from her old crowd completely. There's only one thing I docare about right now. Stefan. Even Bonnie and Meredith don't realize how important he is to me. I'm afraid to tell them; I'm afraid they'll think I'm crazy. At school I wear a mask of calm and control, but on the inside- well, every day it just gets worse. Aunt Judith has started to worry about me. She says I don't eat enough these days, and she's right. I can't seem to concentrate on my classes, or even on anything fun like the Haunted House fund-raiser. I can't concentrate on anything but him. And I don't even understand why. He hasn't spoken to me since that horrible afternoon. But I'll tell you something strange. Last week in history class, I glanced up and caught him looking at me. We were sitting a few seats apart, and he was turned completely sideways in his desk, just looking.For a moment I felt almost frightened, and my heart started pounding, and we just stared at each other -and then he looked away. But since then it's happened twice more, and each time I felt his eyes on me before I saw them. This is the literal truth. I know it's not my imagination. He isn't like any boy I've ever known. He seems so isolated, so lonely. Even though it's his own choice. He's made quite a hit on the football team, but he doesn't hang around with any of the guys, except maybe Matt. Matt's the only one he talks to. He doesn't hang around with any girls, either, thatIcan see, so maybe the narc rumor is doing some good. But it's more like he's avoiding other people than they're avoiding him. He disappears in between classes and after football practice, and I've never once seen him in the cafeteria. He's never invited anybody to his room at the boarding house. He never visits the coffee shop after school . So how can I ever get him someplace where he can't run from me? This is the real problem with Plan B. Bonnie says, â€Å"Why not get stuck in a thunderstorm with him, so you have to huddle together to conserve body warmth?† And Meredith suggested that my car could break down in front of the boarding house. But neither of those ideas is practical,and I'm going insane trying to come up with something better . Every day it's getting worse for me. I feel as if I were a clock or something, winding up tighter and tighter. If I don't find something to do soon, I'll- I was going to say â€Å"die.† The solution came to her quite suddenly and simply. She felt sorry about Matt; she knew he'd been hurt by the Jean-Claude rumor. He'd hardly spoken to her since the story had broken, usually passing her with a quick nod. And when she ran into him one day in an empty hall outside of Creative Writing, he wouldn't meet her eyes. â€Å"Matt-† she began. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't true, that she would never have started seeing another boy without telling him first. She wanted to tell him that she'd never meant to hurt him, and that she felt terrible now. But she didn't know how to begin. Finally, she just blurted out, â€Å"I'm sorry!† and turned to go in to class. â€Å"Elena,† he said, and she turned back. He was looking at her now, at least, his eyes lingering on her lips, her hair. Then he shook his head as if to say the joke was on him. â€Å"Is this French guy for real?† he finally demanded. â€Å"No,† said Elena immediately and without hesitation. â€Å"I made him up,† she added simply, â€Å"to show everybody I wasn't upset about-† She broke off. â€Å"About Stefan. I get it.† Matt nodded, looking both grimmer and somewhat more understanding. â€Å"Look, Elena, thatwas pretty lousy of him. But I don't think he meant it personally. He's that way with everybody-† â€Å"Except you.† â€Å"No. He talks to me, sometimes, but not about anything personal. He never says anything about his family or what he does outside of school. It's like-like there's a wall around him that I can't get through. I don't think he'll ever let anybody get through that wall. Which is a damn shame, because I think that behind it he's miserable.† Elena pondered this, fascinated by a view of Stefan she'd never considered before. He always seemed so controlled, so calm and undisturbed. But then, she knew she seemed that way herself to other people. Was it possible that underneath he was as confused and unhappy as she was? It was then that the idea came, and it was ridiculously simple. No complicated schemes, no thunderstorms or cars breaking down. â€Å"Matt,† she said, slowly, â€Å"don't you think it would be a good thing if somebody did get behind that wall? A good thing for Stefan, I mean? Don't you think that would be the best thing that could happen to him?† She looked up at him intensely, willing him to understand. He stared at her a moment, then shut his eyes briefly and shook his head in disbelief. â€Å"Elena,† he said, â€Å"you are incredible. You twist people around your little finger, and I don't think you even know you're doing it. And now you're going to ask me to do something to help you ambush Stefan, and I'm such a dumb sucker I might even agree to do it.† â€Å"You're not dumb, you're a gentleman. And Ido want to ask you a favor, .but only if you think it's right. I don't want to hurt Stefan, and I don't want to hurt you.† â€Å"Don't you?† â€Å"No. I know how that must sound, but it's true. I only want-† She broke off again. How could she explain what she wanted when she didn't even understand it herself? â€Å"You only want everybody and everything revolving around Elena Gilbert,† he said bitterly. â€Å"You only want everything you don't have.† Shocked, she stepped back and looked at him. Her throat swelled, and warmth gathered in her eyes. â€Å"Don't,† he said. â€Å"Elena, don't look like that. I'm sorry.† He sighed. â€Å"All right, what is it I'm supposed to do? Hog-tie him and dump him on your doorstep?† â€Å"No,† said Elena, still trying to make the tears go back where they belonged. â€Å"I only wanted you to get him to come to the Homecoming Dance next week.† Mart's expression was odd. â€Å"You just want him to be at the dance.† Elena nodded. â€Å"All right. I'm pretty sure he'll be there. And, Elena†¦ there really isn't anybody but you I want to take.† â€Å"All right,† said Elena after a moment. â€Å"And, well, thank you.† Matt's expression was still peculiar. â€Å"Don't thank me, Elena. It's nothing†¦ really.† She was puzzling over that when he turned away and walked down the hall. â€Å"Hold still,† said Meredith, giving Elena's hair a reproving twitch. â€Å"I still think,† said Bonnie from the window seat, â€Å"that they were both wonderful.† â€Å"Who?† Elena murmured absently. â€Å"As if you didn't know,† said Bonnie. â€Å"Those two guys of yours who pulled off the last-minute miracle at the game yesterday. When Stefan caught that last pass, I thought I was going to faint. Or throw up.† â€Å"Oh,please ,† said Meredith. â€Å"And Matt-that boy is simply poetry in motion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And neither of them is mine,† Elena said flatly. Under Meredith's expert fingers, her hair was becoming a work of art, a soft mass of twisted gold. And the dress was all right; the iced-violet color brought out the violet in her eyes. But even to herself she looked pale and steely, not softly flushed with excitement but white and determined, like a very young soldier being sent to the front lines. Standing on the football field yesterday when her name was announced as Homecoming Queen, there had been only one thought in her mind. Hecouldn't refuse to dance with her. If he came to the dance at all, he couldn't refuse the Homecoming Queen. And standing in front of the mirror now, she said it to herself again. â€Å"Tonight anyone you want will be yours,† Bonnie was saying soothingly. â€Å"And, listen, when you get rid of Matt, can I take him off and comfort him?† Meredith snorted. â€Å"What's Raymond going to think?† â€Å"Oh,you can comforthim . But, really, Elena, I like Matt. And once you home in on Stefan, your threesome is going to get a little crowded. So†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh, do whatever you want. Matt deserves some consideration.† He's certainly not getting it from me, Elena thought. She still couldn't exactly believe what she was doing to him. But just now she couldn't afford to second-guess herself; she needed all her strength and concentration. â€Å"There.† Meredith put the last pin in Elena's hair. â€Å"Now look at us, the Homecoming Queen and her court-or part of it, anyway. We're beautiful.† â€Å"Is that the royal ‘we'?† Elena said mockingly, but it was true. They were beautiful. Meredith's dress was a pure sweep of burgundy satin, gathered tight at the waist and pouring into folds from the hips. Her dark hair hung loose down her back. And Bonnie, as she stood up and joined the others in front of the mirror, was like a shimmering party favor in pink taffeta and black sequins. As for herself†¦ Elena scanned her image with an experienced eye and thought again, The dress is all right. The only other phrase that came to mind wascrystallized violets . Her grandmother had kept a little jar of them, real flowers dipped in crystallized sugar and frozen. They went downstairs together, as they had for every dance since the seventh grade-except that before, Caroline had always been with them. Elena realized with faint surprise that she didn't even know who Caroline was going with tonight. Aunt Judith and Robert-soon to be Uncle Robert-were in the living room, along with Margaret in her pajamas. â€Å"Oh, you girls all look lovely,† said Aunt Judith, as fluttery and excited as if she were going to the dance herself. She kissed Elena, and Margaret held up her arms for a hug. â€Å"You're pretty,† she said with four-year-old simplicity. Robert was looking at Elena, too. He blinked, opened his mouth, and closed it again. â€Å"What's the matter, Bob?† â€Å"On.† He looked at Aunt Judith, seeming embarrassed. â€Å"Well, actually, it just occurred to me that Elena is a form of the name Helen. And for some reason I was thinking of Helen of Troy.† â€Å"Beautiful and doomed,† said Bonnie happily. â€Å"Well, yes,† said Robert, not looking happy at all. Elena said nothing. The doorbell rang. Matt was on the step, in his familiar blue sports coat. With him were Ed Goff, Meredith's date, and Raymond Hernandez, Bonnie's. Elena looked for Stefan. â€Å"He's probably already there,† said Matt, interpreting her glance. â€Å"Listen, Elena-† But whatever he had been about to say was cut off in the chatter from the other couples. Bonnie and Raymond went with them in Matt's car, and kept up a constant stream of witticisms all the way to the school. Music drifted out the open doors of the auditorium. As Elena stepped out of the car, a curious certainty rushed over her. Something was going to happen, she realized, looking at the square bulk of the school building. The peaceful low gear of the last few weeks was about to slip into high. I'm ready, she thought. And hoped it was true. Inside, it was a kaleidoscope of color and activity. She and Matt were mobbed the instant they came in, and compliments rained down on both of them. Elena's dress†¦ her hair†¦ her flowers. Matt was a legend in the making: another Joe Montana, a sure bet for an athletic scholarship. In the dizzying whirl that should have been life and breath to her, Elena kept searching for one dark head. Tyler Smallwood was breathing heavily on her, smelling of punch and Brut and Doublemint gum. His date was looking murderous. Elena ignored him in the hopes that he would go away. Mr. Tanner passed by with a soggy paper cup, looking as if his collar was strangling him. Sue Carson, the other senior homecoming princess, breezed up and cooed over the violet dress. Bonnie was already out on the dance floor, shimmering under the lights. But nowhere did Elena see Stefan. One more whiff of Doublemint and she was going to be sick. She nudged Matt and they escaped to the refreshment table, where Coach Lyman launched into a critique of the game. Couples and groups came up to them, spending a few minutes and then retreating to make room for the next in line. Just as if we reallywere royalty, thought Elena wildly. She glanced sideways to see if Matt shared her amusement, but he was looking fixedly off to his left. She followed his gaze. And there, half concealed behind a cluster of football players, was the dark head she'd been looking for. Unmistakable, even in this dim light. A thrill went through her, more of pain than anything else. â€Å"Now what?† said Matt, his jaw set. â€Å"The hog-tying?† â€Å"No. I'm going to ask him to dance, that's all. I'll wait until we've danced first, if you want.† He shook his head, and she set out toward Stefan through the crowd. Piece by piece, Elena registered information about him as she approached. His black blazer was of a subtly different cut than the other boys', more elegant, and he wore a white cashmere sweater under it. He stood quite still, not fidgeting, a little apart from the groups around him. And, although she could see him only in profile, she could see he wasn't wearing his glasses. He took them off for football, of course, but she'd never seen him close up without them. It made her feel giddy and excited, as if this were a masquerade and the unmasking time had come. She focused on his shoulder, the line of his jaw, and then he was turning toward her. In that instant, Elena was aware that she was beautiful. It wasn't just the dress, or the way her hair was done. She was beautiful in herself: slender, imperial, a thing made of silk and inner fire. She saw his lips part slightly, reflexively, and then she looked up into his eyes. â€Å"Hello.† Was that her own voice, so quiet and self-assured? His eyes were green. Green as oak leaves in summer. â€Å"Are you having a good time?† she said. I am now . He didn't say it, but she knew it was what he was thinking; she could see it in the way he stared at her. She had never been so sure of her power. Except that actually he didn't look as if he were having a good time; he looked stricken, in pain, as if he couldn't take one more minute of this. The band was starting up, a slow dance. He was still staring at her, drinking her in. Those green eyes darkening, going black with desire. She had the sudden feeling that he might jerk her to him and kiss her hard, without ever saying a word. â€Å"Would you like to dance?† she said softly. I'm playing with fire, with something I don't understand, she thought suddenly. And in that instant she realized that she was frightened. Her heart began to pound violently. It was as if those green eyes spoke to some part of her that was buried deep beneath the surface-and that part was screaming â€Å"danger† at her. Some instinct older than civilization was telling her to run, to flee. She never moved. The same force that was terrifying her was holding her there. This is out of control, she thought suddenly. Whatever was happening here was beyond her understanding, was nothing normal or sane. But there was no stopping it now, and even while frightened she was reveling in it. It was the most intense moment she'd ever experienced with a boy, but nothing at all was happening. He was just gazing at her, as if hypnotized, and she was gazing back, while the energy shimmered between them like heat lightning. She saw his eyes go darker, defeated, and felt the wild leap of her own heart as he slowly stretched out one hand. And then it all shattered. â€Å"Why, Elena, how sweet you look,† said a voice, and Elena's vision was dazzled with gold. It was Caroline, her auburn hair rich and glossy, her skin tanned to a perfect bronze. She was wearing a dress of pure gold lame that showed an incredibly daring amount of that perfect skin. She slipped one bare arm through Stefan's and smiled lazily up at him. They were stunning together, like a couple of international models slumming at a high school dance, far more glamorous and sophisticated than anyone else in the room. â€Å"And that little dress is so pretty ,† continued Caroline, while Elena's mind kept on running on automatic. That casually possessive arm linked with Stefan's told her everything: where Caroline had been at lunch these past weeks, what she had been up to all this time. â€Å"I told Stefan we simply had to stop by for a moment, but we're not going to stay long. So you don't mind if I keep him to myself for the dances, do you?† Elena was strangely calm now, her mind a humming blank. She said no, of course she didn't mind, and watched Caroline move away, a symphony in auburn and gold. Stefan went with her. There was a circle of faces around Elena; she turned from them and came up against Matt. â€Å"You knew he was coming with her.† â€Å"I knew she wanted him to. She's been following him around at lunchtime and after school, and kind of forcing herself on him. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I see.† Still held in that queer, artificial calm, she scanned the crowd and saw Bonnie coming toward her, and Meredith leaving her table. They'd seen, then. Probably everyone had. Without a word to Matt, she moved toward them, heading instinctively for the girls' rest room. It was packed with bodies, and Meredith and Bonnie kept their remarks bright and casual while looking at her with concern. â€Å"Did you see that dress?† said Bonnie, squeezing Elena's fingers secretly. â€Å"The front must be held on with superglue. And what's she going to wear to the next dance? Cellophane?† â€Å"Handiwrap,† said Meredith. She added in a low voice, â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Yes.† Elena could see in the mirror that her eyes were too bright and that there was one spot of color burning on each cheek. She smoothed her hair and turned away. The room emptied, leaving them in privacy. Bonnie was fiddling nervously with the sequined bow at her waist now. â€Å"Maybe it isn't such a bad thing after all,† she said quietly. â€Å"I mean, you haven't thought about anything else but him in weeks. Nearly a month. And so maybe it's just for the best, and you can move on to other things now, instead of†¦ well, chasing him.† Et tu, Brute? thought Elena. â€Å"Thank you so much for your support,† she said aloud. â€Å"Now, Elena, don't be like that,† Meredith put in. â€Å"She isn't trying to hurt you, she just thinks-† â€Å"And I suppose you think so, too? Well, that's fine. I'll just go out and find myself some other things to move on to. Like some other best friends.† She left them both staring after her. Outside, she threw herself into the whirl of color and music. She was brighter than she had ever been at any dance before. She danced with everyone, laughing too loudly, flirting with every boy in her path. They were calling her to come up and be crowned. She stood on the stage, looking down on the butterfly-bright figures below. Someone gave her flowers; someone put a rhinestone tiara on her head. There was clapping. It all passed as if in a dream. She flirted with Tyler because he was closest when she came off the stage. Then she remembered what he and Dick had done to Stefan, and she broke off one of the roses from her bouquet and gave it to him. Matt was looking on from the sidelines, his mouth tight. Tyler's forgotten date was almost in tears. She could smell alcohol along with the mint on Tyler's breath now, and his face was red. His friends were around her, a shouting, laughing crowd, and she saw Dick pour something from a brown paper bag into his glass of punch. She'd never been with this group before. They welcomed her, admiring her, the boys vying for her attention. Jokes flew back and forth, and Elena laughed even when they didn't make sense. Tyler's arm circled her waist, and she just laughed harder. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Matt shake his head and walk away. The girls were getting shrill, the boys rowdy. Tyler was nuzzling moistly at her neck. â€Å"I've got an idea,† he announced to the group, hugging Elena more tightly to him. â€Å"Let's go someplace more fun.† Somebody shouted, â€Å"Like where, Tyler? Your dad's house?† Tyler was grinning, a big, boozy, reckless grin. â€Å"No, I mean someplace where we can leave our mark. Like the cemetery.† The girls squealed. The boys elbowed each other and faked punches. Tyler's date was still standing outside the circle. â€Å"Tyler, that's crazy,† she said, her voice high and thin. â€Å"You know what happened to that old man. I won't go there.† â€Å"Great, then, you stay here.† Tyler fished keys out of his pocket and waved them at the rest of the crowd. â€Å"Whoisn't afraid?† he said. â€Å"Hey, I'm up for it,† said Dick, and there was a chorus of approval. â€Å"Me, too,† said Elena, clear and defiant. She smiled up at Tyler, and he practically swung her off her feet. And then she and Tyler were leading a noisy, roughhousing group out into the parking lot, where they were all piling into cars. And then Tyler was putting the top of his convertible down and she was climbing in, with Dick and a girl named Vickie Bennett squashing into the back seat. â€Å"Elena!† somebody shouted, far away, from the lighted doorway at the school. â€Å"Drive,† she said to Tyler, taking off her tiara, and the engine growled to life. They burned rubber out of the parking lot, and the cool night wind blew into Elena's face.

Accounting System Paper Essay

Kudler Fine Foods has done a wonderful job with its current accounting system by manually tracking data and not having a uniform system for providing information about that data. Data is the raw and unorganized version of information while information is categorized and decipherable data that correlates to the business. Kudler Fine Foods is making a transition from the less efficient and more labor intensive accounting methods to a technology based accounting system which saves money being that it is more efficient and more robust. The core features, benefits, and cost will be discussed as you continue to read this paper. As mentioned earlier, Kudler Fine Foods is making a transition to a computerized accounting system which will have the ability to communicate with all branches of the business. Kudler Fine foods will utilize an accounting system which is integral part of the Enterprise resource planning software that is being deployed in the Kudler Fine Foods environment. The ERP software will be able to capture real time data directly from the point of sale (cash registers) and automatically adjust inventory and profit data. See more:Â  Social Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay The accounting software will also use a compliance management feature will provide complete transaction audit trails and rules-based controls and advanced reporting capabilities which are compliant with laws and regulations. More benefits are advanced financial forecasting the can accurately predict and estimate potential profits and pending losses, revenue and cash flow. This gives Kudler Fine Foods the ability to analyze past trends to help make better business decisions in the future. In addition, the accounting software will give Kudler Fine Foods the ability to deep dive into the cash management aspect of their business by more accurately assessing current and future cash needs and track all transactions that directly impact available cash levels. In an ERP environment, Kudler Fine Foods will adopt a client/server system. The Client/Server technology model is the model in which today’s softwares are developed. A Client/Server model is one in which the client computer is identified separately from the server computer. This will require servers with Windows serve 2008 and networking equipment which will allow all workstations to communicate to application servers, shared data drives and communicate with the outside world. With the added benefits of an ERP system in the Kudler Fine Food environment, comes an added expense of support of the system. Currently, Kudler Fine Foods can anticipate an expense of twenty-five thousand dollars with a potential ceiling of two hundred fifty thousand dollars. References Top 10 ERP. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.top10erp.org/sap-erp-software-comparison-technology-140 Technology required for Erp. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.vkinfotek.com/erp/erp-technologies.html

The King essays

The King essays As the events of the French revolution unfolded, Louis XVI soon found himself at its centre when, on December 11, 1792, he was brought to trial and charged with conspiring against the nation. As a defining moment of the French revolution, there is no questioning as to the fundamental nature of the trial in the future political developments of the revolution. The contributing factor of his ultimate demise, however, is often disputed. While the political circumstances surrounding the trial contributed to Louis XVIs downfall, it was ultimately the kings poor character that instigated the fateful deeds responsible for his trial and execution. Despite the fact that the political struggle between radicals and moderates played a role in bringing Louis to trial, it was nevertheless Louis passive personality that brought him to judgement. Within the Convention, the question of Louis accountability and trial was fervently debated amongst the Girondin moderates and Jacobin radicals. The moderates wanted to try the king, whereas the radicals contended that he king had already been judged according to the events of August the 10th, and deserved no trial at all.# Jacobin tactics, however, proved to be less successful than the Girondins as they were unable to successfully convince the Convention otherwise that Louis guilt was not subject for judicial review, it was necessarily a measure of public safety.# Thus, on December 1792, a motion was unanimously passed by the Convention to try the king for his crimes against the nation.# Nevertheless, if not for the kings passive personality, the issue of trial would have never been debated as the kings violability would not have been in question. This is because the kings passive personality lead him to be swayed by the opinions of others; opinions that lead to his trial. This is most evident in his ill-advised flight to Austria, June 21,...

Are Viruses Alive essays

Are Viruses Alive essays The word virus means poi-son in Latin. Viruses are submicro-scopic intracellular parasites that consist of either RNA or DNA, and a protective coat of protein. It has caused countless diseases in vari-ous organisms. The term virus was first used in the 1890s to describe agents that caused diseases that were smaller than bacteria. The ex-istence of viruses was established in 1892, when Russian scientist Dimity I. Ivanovsky discovered microscopic particles later known as the tobacco mosaic virus. Over the years, scientists have debated whether viruses are alive. Some scientists argue that the virus is lifeless. On the other hand, other scientists argue that viruses are lifeforms and should be classified into a kingdom. However, many sci-entists have agreed that things must have seven characteristics of life to be considered alive. The character-istics of life are all living things are composed of cells, all organisms are organized at cellular and molecular levels, energy use, and response to the environment, growth, reproduc-tion, and adaptation. From research and observa-tion, scientists have found that vi-ruses can perform some of the life processes. They found that viruses have organization, the ability to re-produce, and adaptations. First, they found that viruses are generally organized and composed of a nu-cleic acid core, either RNA or DNA, surrounded by protein. Next, they found that viruses could reproduce. It does not reproduce by sexual or asexual production, but by injecting its genetic material into the nucleus of a living cell. Finally, they found out that viruses have adaptations. They have the ability to mutate into different strains to resist man-made drugs. In short, these are some views and facts about the virus. To this day, scientists are still fiercely debating whether viruses are alive. Should we consider them alive since they perform so ...

Business to Business Marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business to Business Marketing - Term Paper Example The paper tells that the Business to Business marketing is rigidly structured in nature, i.e. it is less flexible in comparison to the Business to Consumer market. As the consumers, in this context, are business people having higher bargaining power, the company who is involved in this section needs to put more effort to attract the customers. To attract the customers, personal selling is more preferable rather than advertisement in this type of marketing, as the organizations rarely pay attention to the advertisement. The customers in this context are mostly organizations themselves and tend to know the very marketing trick which stands as one of the reasons to avoid advertisement. Here, the intermediates have no role to play as it mostly involve with direct selling or direct channels to its customers. It is worth mentioning here that relationship made with the customers is usually long lasting and very complex in nature which plays a significant role in the Business to Business mar keting. Competition level experienced is high in this process due to which the organizations dealing with Business to Business operations attempt in establishing effective and interdependent relationship with its customers so as to secure its position in the market. Goods which are produced for Business to Business marketing are very different from those goods which are produced for general consumers in the market. This is because the need of the goods and the customers themselves are very different in both the cases, but the intention remains same i.e. selling the products and attaining significant customer satisfaction. Various ways are being followed for the purpose of classifying these types of goods (Brennan & et. al., 2010). They are as follows: Entering Goods In this context, finished goods of one organization tend to become raw material of other organization. For instance, aluminum can be used by the company, which is producing electronic products, as raw materials (Brennan & et. al., 2010). Here, finish goods of one company is the raw material of the other which are necessary as the resources used by the later organization to manufacture its product. Foundation Goods Foundation goods are those goods which are used by other organizations (customers) as a support for making their own goods. This includes goods which are installed or used as accessories by the other organization, such as car producing company uses tyre manufactured by other companies (Brennan & et. al., 2010). Here, tyre has not been used as the raw materials but the part of the finished goods as a much necessary substance. Facilitating Goods Goods which are purchased by the company with an intention to achieve its goals and objectives are known as facilitating goods. These goods are not used in manufacturing purpose by the purchasing company. For instance, BPO

Cardiovascular disease Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Cardiovascular disease - Term Paper Example This is usually in the legs. The symptom of the disease is pain in the legs when one is walking. The pain is like cramp that is felt as it comes and goes (Braunwald, 2007). Coronary heart disease occurs in the body of an individual when the flow of blood that is rich in oxygen is reduced or blocked by fatty material in the coronary artery. The coronary arteries are essential for supplying the heart with blood, when they are blocked; it results to the condition of a heart attack. The infection leads to chest pain, a condition referred to as angina (Braunwald, 2007). Aortic disease is a condition that results to weakening of the walls of the aorta and makes the blood vessel to bulge outwards. The condition is then associated to pain in the chest, the back or in the abdomen. The most common disease that is associated to aortic disease is aortic aneurysm. There are risk factors that make one more likely to get the condition. The several risk factors that are associated to cardiovascular disease include high blood pressure, being physical inactive, obesity, and high levels of cholesterol in the blood, diabetes and family history with infection by the disease (Hampton, 2003). With consideration of age, the elderly are likely to develop the condition as compared to the young. Prevalence in sex shows that men are more exposed to develop the condition as compared to women. Men are able to develop the condition at an earlier age as compared to women. Age is a risk factor that is associated to the disease. The risk is estimated to be 82% for those that are older than 65. The risk of stroke is observed from the age of 55. The explanation that is given to the age and risk of cardiovascular disease is relation to serum cholesterol level. In the large population the serum total cholesterol level increases with increase in the age. Cardiovascular disease through research has been considered a being health problem. A

Frederick Douglass Paper Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Frederick Douglass Paper Assignment - Essay Example Douglas demonstrated that his spirited desire and will to be a free man was stronger than slavery. There is a clear difference between slaves and men. Slaves are people whom masters owned. Masters also referred to as slave owners, exercised full control of their slaves’ life. Masters denied slaves any kind of freedom and were constantly at their masters’ mercy. The main difference between slaves and men is that men were people who were guaranteed their rights and freedoms. Slave owners were regarded as men while slaves were regarded as boys (Douglas 64). Douglas states that his master knew what a man or a boy was capable of. He regards his master as a man and themselves as boys (64). Men were accorded respect and referred to as a mister. Douglas refers to his slave owner as Mr. Convey. Douglas used the term mister when talking about his master (65). He has also used the term mister to refer to a certain black man who was not a slave. He referred him as Mr. Samuel Harrison (Douglas 66). This clearly draws the line between men and slaves. Douglas (68) in one of his la mentations refers himself as a boy who is owned by someone else. This shows that slaves were regarded as boys and free men and whites were regarded as men. Boys were owned by men. Boys are generally young people are owned and controlled by their parents. This is why Douglas thinks that slaves are boys because they are treated as kids. Douglas was a great man. However, he was not an exception to the brutal life of slavery. Douglas, in his life, underwent a transition from a man to a slave and from a slave to a man. Douglas wrote in his book, â€Å"You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man (69).† Douglas gives an account of how he became a slave. The reason for giving this account of events was to show the reality with slavery. The quote above appears in chapter ten of his book. He traces

Kite Runner Themes Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Themes Essay Ethnic Pride Baba expresses a great deal of pride and attachment to the afghan culture so the move to America fills Amir and himself with a loss of heritage and identity. The escape from the previous culture however allows Amir to escape the incident of rape upon his best friend Hassan which has left a bad taste on his childhood. In America Amir doesn’t turn away from his Middle Eastern culture, and asks Soraya’s father, the general for permission to marry her even though he spurns it slightly by talking to her privately without consent. Amir towards the end, becomes proud of his blended culture. Although he enjoys visiting Pakistan, eating the traditional food and hearing references to childhood legends, he also likes the feeling of hope and freedom he gained from America. Social Inequality From childhood, Amir recognizes the difference in social standing between himself and best friend Hassan. As a Pashtun, Amir enjoys privileges of being a higher class and his father being a successful man whereas Hassan is poor and he and his father face prejudice from people every day. Despite this, Hassan and Ali are content with their lower class life and are good natured human beings. Hosseini is trying to convey that your social standing in society does not determine what kind of person you are and if you are better than someone else. You can only truly be better than someone else morally and having saint-like characteristics. During Amir and Hassan childhood, they’re differences of social class are conveyed by living standards, Hassan being illiterate and physical appearances. These are individually important but as a whole they all convey irony in the fact that it is Hassan who is content with life and Amir who is not. Later in the novel, Hazara prejudice which is taken to the extreme as they are massacred and abused by Taliban officials, such as Assef. When Sohrab returns with Amir to America, Amir is quick to dispel any mention of class as he believes it is has influenced his and Sohrab’s life too greatly and he perhaps finally sees them as his equals which he was afraid to do so as a child(never referring to Hassan as his friend). Personal Responsibility Many of the actions of the main character stem from personal responsibility. Baba takes on the responsibility of Ali from his father, who took him in when he was a child. He lets Ali and his son work for him, offers them shelter and food; making them feel part employees and part family. Air later realises this ‘personal responsibility’ baba showed for Ali may stem from his guilt of betraying Ali and fathering Hassan. Amir feels responsible for all the bad occurrences which happened to Hassan and his father. He feels many of the events which occurred later in the novel are down to him being too cowardly to prevent Hassan being raped. Though many suffer from the Taliban’s ruthlessness, he believes the events that happened to Hassan’s family are his responsibility/fault. The feeling of responsibility is what drives Amir to return to Afghanistan, to rescue Sohrab. Rahim Khan plants this idea in Amir’s head and suggests this is the way to achieve closure and absolution for the past. After he rescues Sohrab, Amir feels responsible for the boy in a different way and wants to protect him from anymore pain; furthermore, he sees Sohrab as a way to fill the emptiness in the marriage from his and Sorayas infidelity. Identity and Self- discovery Throughout the novel the protagonist struggles to find his true purpose and find his identity through noble actions. Amir’s failure to be loyal to his friend at such a crucial moment defines this conflict. His endeavour to overcome his own weaknesses appear in confronting Assef, returning to a war torn country oppressed by the Taliban and even his carsickness whilst during with Farid. The revelation of baba later in chapter 17, allows Amir to discover who his father really was and how alike they were in terms of betraying people who loved and were loyal to the end to them. The return to Afghanistan allows Amir to find out the type of man he can become and to confront his past which he has so desperately tried to bottle up. Family, Fathers and Fatherhood Family relationships play a great part in this novel but mothers are strikingly absent. Amir and Hassan grow up without their mothers and this is exemplified through the tension of Baba’s treatment of his sons. He makes it clear he is disappointed Amir is bookish, cowardly to protect his social standing and stick up for Hassan whilst on the other hand, he never publically acknowledges Hassan as his own son- although he shows a great deal of affection to Hassan. Likewise, General Taheri is a similar traditional, highly critical father who chafes his daughter for rebellious behaviour. The theme of family is then reintroduced when Amir and Soraya are unsuccessful in starting their own- punishment perhaps for their pasts or that Amir has yet to face up to his. The adoption of the troubled Sohrab however, provides them with the attempt to begin a complete family based on love and honesty. Journey and Quest The novel is mostly based around Amirs departure from Afghanistan as a young teenager and his return as a middle aged man to the war-torn country. At the same time, it is a symbolic quest. Amir makes great sacrifices to pursue his quest to atone for past sins by rescuing his nephew Sohrab in the hands of the Taliban. Symbolised at the beginning of the novel with Amir cutting his fingers with the kite string in order to sacrifice himself for his father’s love, sacrifice plays a big theme also. Amir towards the end of the novel again, willingly cuts his fingers, to revive his spiritually wounded nephew who is suffering from depression. By the end of the novel, this significant symbol of sacrifice shows how much Amir has morally developed as he is willing to sacrifice much in order to save Sohrab from a similar fate and to protect him. The most part of the novel is Amir hiding from his past and by returning to Kabul he is taking that all important journey to have complete redemption. Political power and Abuse The events of the novel occur against the backdrop of political change, the rise of the Taliban government. Assef, Hassans rapist and bully, who becomes a high ranking Taliban officer, embodies the consequence of abuse of power and violence and oppression caused by the Taliban. Assef is a sociopath who thrives in the atmosphere of chaos. Interpersonal violence leads to the split of Hassan and Amir; on a national scale the abuse of power by communist backed soviets results in massacres and Afghanistan forces to go into exile. The abuse of power and abuse is an important reference to how the hazara’s have been treated. From humiliation at the beginning of the novel for their looks to being massacred and horrifically abused. When General Taheri demands an explanation for their adoption of Sohrab, he echoes the discrimination against this entire ethnic minority and in a sense, Baba also condones the attitude towards Hazara’s by not admitting that he fathered a Hazara son. Kites After Hassan gets raped while running his kite, Amir cannot separate kite fighting and running from his own betrayal and cowardice. Therefore, even after all of his injuries and trials on Sohrabs behalf, it is the act of kite running that finally makes him feel redeemed. Beyond their significance to the plot, kites have multiple layers of symbolism in the story. One of these layers involves the class difference between Amir and Hassan, which largely dictates and limits their relationship. In kite fighting, one boy controls the kite while the other assists by feeding the string. Just as Hassan makes Amirs breakfast, folds his clothes, and cleans his room, so does he cater to Amir in kite tournaments. Even though Hassan shares in the excitement of kite fighting, he does not actually have control over the kite. Hassan may help the kite lift-and-dive, but Amir is the one who claims a victory. Hassan may catch a cherished rival kite and hold it in his arms, but always to bring it back to Amir, to whom it then belongs. His joy is vicarious, just like his experience of wealth and privilege while living in Babas household. In order to free himself of selfishness and cowardice, Amir must go from being merely a kite fighter-someone who seeks glory-to a kite runner, someone who genuinely does things for others. The activity of kite fighting is violent by nature. The kites battle and so too do the children flying them. The string, which is covered in ground glass, carves deep gashes into the fliers hands as they try to cut each other down, and once kites fall out of the sky, the kite runners retrieve them with the same furious determination as, say, a hunting dog does a slain bird. In its violence, kite fighting represents the conflicts that rage Afghanistan nearly throughout the course of the novel. When Hosseini paints us a picture of hundreds of kites trying haphazardly and with great determination to cut each other down, he shows us also the warring factions of Afghanistan overthrowing one another. At the same time kite fighting is violent, the mere act of kite flying is innocent and speaks of freedom. Amir and Hassan do not have control over the differences between them; in fact, they are both the victims of a lie, and their relationship would have been different had they known they were brothers. Yet despite their differences and the symbolism of their respective kite-fighting roles, flying kites is an activity that brings the boys together. For a moment, they are part of a team. For many years, Amir feels as though he and Hassan are adversaries for Babas love. After the rape, Hassans very existence infuriates Amir because it reminds him of his cowardice. Despite all this, when the boys fly kites together, they are on the same team. They are more like brothers then than perhaps any other time, because the activity is somewhat mutual. It allows them to momentarily escape their differences and enjoy a shared sense of exhilaration and freedom.

The Baroque Era Essay example -- essays research papers

THE BAROQUE AGE Social and Cultural Background   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baroque is a term borrowed from the visual arts and one that is used in many different senses. The Baroque Era applies to the years between 1600 and 1750. The most famous composers of this time were Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Teleman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Politically it was an age of magnificent absolute Monarch’s. The most magnificent of all was Louis XIV of France. Louis ruled from 1634 until 1713. During this time the need to create a national culture or a regional style that would match or surpass the elsewhere created cultural models was pressed for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When looking at Baroque architecture it is noticeable that the sculptures and paintings are never still: they are twisted, moving, struggling, and dramatically lighted. Paintings of the Baroque Era focused more on dramatic subjects and experimented with dramatic lighting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Baroque Era was concerned with feelings, the stronger the better. This could be seen throughout the churches. In church structure the proportions are grandiose, they are designed to impress and awe the observers. Gold and rich textures and surfaces can be seen all through the churches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All of these themes that I have discussed are also clear in the music of the Baroque period. It paints pictures of vibrant colours and triggers strong emotions. The desire to discover these themes is evident in the invention of the exciting new form music, opera, and in the use of operatic techniques in dramatic music for the church. Important Musical Developments   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Composer-performers would strive at becoming Kapellmeisers in this Era. A Kapellmeister is a music director at one of the great courts. They were responsible for all the music performed in the court. These positions were very unstable though and composer were always on the lookout for new opportunities. The responsibilities of performers during this era was to write music at a furious pace due to the demand. Bach, for example, was responsible for one cantata a week while he was music director at Leipzig. Due to the pace the music was written, the performers of the pieces had to fill in the details. Baroque music can therefore be classified as a type of jazz because the soloists would p... ... satisfying effect: the listener of this piece feels the triumph and joy of the text due to it’s easy to follow material. Antonio Vivaldi, â€Å"Spring† from The Four Seasons   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bach and Handel are not the only great composer of this era. Antonio Vivaldi was another master of music during the Baroque period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vavaldi was born in 1678 in Venice. His father too was a musician, a violinist at St.Marks’s church in Venice. For thirty-six years, from 1704 until 1740, he was music director at the Ospedale della Pieta, a school for illegitimate daughters of the aristocracy. He then left his job to conduct opera in Italian cities. He eventually wrote concertos not only for violin and standard winds-oboe, flute, bassoon-but also for instruments such as the piccolo, mandolin, and guitar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of his best known works is â€Å"the Four Seasons.† It is a set of four concerti grossi which relate to nature during these seasons. The spirit of childlike playfulness can be seen throughout out this piece which is important to Baroque style. It is very easy to see why Vivaldi’s pieces are still played and enjoyed to this day.

Capstone Project Essay

Apple has been known to be an inherently personal computer company. However, it is also well known that there is no better example of innovative strategic thinking and execution. Apple’s strategy has remained to creating and sustaining value for customers across the world. Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 and the company never looked back since. However, it is also said that Apple lost the pc business because of ignoring the trends in pc industry. Apple’s business strategy is primarily based on innovation for creating differentiated products. It has built products that are cool to use as well as simple and intuitive. Its products are best known for the amazing experience they provide. However, Apple kept taking calculated risks and entered new markets boldly. It was visible in the release of innovative products like iPod, iPhone etc. Inherently it is a pc company and uses its competencies in developing hardware and software for developing effective, efficient and innovati ve products. In fact, its iPad, iPod, iPhone and Mac are all computers. (Harris, 2010) Apple’s success is mainly the result of innovative technology and design innovation. In this way we can see that Apple has enjoyed continued success in the market through innovation and matchless design. Apple’s vision is also based on continuous innovation which is visible in the products it makes. Its mission is also to be the leader in the digital revolution by making revolutionary products. We know that Apple is the market leader in terms of most innovative electronic products and the customers’ choice also. The business environment for Apple Company is highly competitive both domestically and globally. (Harris, 2010) However, its products qualify as global products and are preferred by customers all around the globe. In fact it is through innovation that the company has remained a global leader in terms of technology. Its iPhone took  the world by storm in 2007. Apple has strong capabilities in product design and engineering as well. In fact the smart phone boom was sparked by Apple through its release of iPhone in 2007. Initially, the market was shaped by the customers in US and other developed markets. However, the growth for smart phone market is now coming from the Asian and developing countries mainly. However, if anyone is challenging its position then it is Samsung which has emerged as a competitor for Apple. Till a few years ago, Samsung was just trying to catch up in the smart-phone market. Now, apart from being the world’s largest technology company by revenue, Samsung has set Apple on its back foot. It is now trying to overtake Apple. Samsung’s galaxy series became the customer’s preference soon after entering the market. In fact Samsung is considered to be the best when it comes to learning from its competitors. But they also remain customer centered at the same time. In fact Samsung keenly observes what its competitors are bringing to the market. It keeps a watch over the recent trends and does not take much time to release its own version of the innovation. (Nisen, 2013) Apple also has a huge cash pile, but when it comes to taking risks and putting the money behind it, Samsung appears to be far ahead of Apple. Apart from that Samsung also spends a larg er part of its revenue on research as compared to Apple. It spends 5.7% of its revenue on research as compared to Apple’s 2.4. Actually, Samsung is a diverse business that is made of chips, displays and a variety of other technology. Its main benefit to Samsung comes in the form of the ability to compete on price and offering features which others cannot. However, it is important to note that Samsung is more than just a smart-phone maker. It is a conglomerate, a manufacture as well as the world’s largest chip maker. These factors play in Samsung’s favor. Many of the components of the smart phones are made by Samsung itself which gives it a cost advantage. (Nisen, 2013) When we compare Samsung with Apple we can see that Apple relies on external partners, which sometimes also leads to difficulties and delays. Though Apple has a well-managed and futuristic supply chain, yet it does not have the cost advantage like Samsung. One important factor regarding Samsung is that it has provided many lower end options for the developing world. In case Samsung continues to bring game changing products to the market like its Galaxy series, it can move from a close second to being the market leader. Samsung’s advertising expenditure  is also quite high which has really paid it as well. Samsung has been successful domestically as well as globally. Its most products especially the galaxy series has taken the markets in the developing world by storm. (Nisen, 2013) Apple is considered to be the market leader in the computer software and hardware industry. The main reason behind its growth and success over years are the innovative products it has brought to the market. One of the most important strengths of Apple is its incredible brand loyalty. It has a very high number of brand loyal customers. These customers will even line up before Apple stores at night in freezing cold to be the first to lay their hands on a new released iPhone, iPad or Mac. Strong financial strength is also a major strength off Apple. Apart from these things Apple is also known for its strong brand reputation and strong advertising and marketing teams and its retail stores. We already know of Apple as the leading innovator in the mobile device technology. However, apart from the above mentioned strengths there are some weaknesses also. As analysts have mentioned without Steve Jobs in leadership, the pace of innovation at Apple has slowed down a bit. Recently it also faced problems from its main supplier and producer Foxconn which led to unwanted difficulties and delays. So, its reliance on external suppliers gets to be one of its primary weaknesses. Apart from that Apple operates in a highly competitive industry and the competition sometimes affects its margins also. Its profits are also affected due to similar but low priced offerings from its competitors. Another important weakness which generally goes in the favor of its competitors is that its products are generally high priced. This all has also led to a decline in the market share of the company. However, despite all the above mentioned weaknesses it can certainly not be denied that Apple is a customer focused, futuristic and innovative company and it is certainly due to its focus on design and innovation that the company has a vast array of opportunities ope n before it. Its main opportunity lies in the growth of smart-phone and tablet market. Increased demand for iPhones and iPad also brought new opportunities for Apple. With iPad mini the company has also set its foot in the small tablet market. Despite the innovations it has brought till now to the market, the company has still significant room left to innovate further. In fact its opportunities lie in continuous innovation. Release of the TV is also being  seen as a great opportunity for Apple to amaze its customers which it does like no one else. However, it is not easy to be and remain the market leader and it holds true regarding Apple also. Apart from that its reliance on external suppliers has also proved a threat for it. Competitors like Samsung have the cost advantage since they produce their parts themselves. This is a major threat for Apple which it cannot afford to neglect. The company is increasingly threatened by the price pressure from Samsung over key components. Samsung’s main strength lies in its diversified product portfolio. In fact the company has a really large product portfolio which includes mobile phones, tablets, TV, camera, pc, printers and many more items. In most of these product categories Samsung itself holds a significant market share. It is today the number two in terms of market share in the cell phone industry. Not just this Samsung was able to catch Nokia’s market share by superior innovation in smart phones. Apart from that Samsung has also remained ahead consistently in terms of design and innovation. A very important strength of Samsung is that it has been able to take advantage of the markets of growing economies. In fact it has been able to obtain a large market share in the growing economies because of its low end products. Another key strength of Samsung is that most of its products can easily be integrated with various software’s. It is not so with Apple and its devices are generally not compat ible with different operating systems. Apart from being known for its innovation and design, Samsung is well known for its relatively cheap products. Added to all this is Samsung’s global brand recognition. But apart from its strengths Samsung has some weaknesses also. Firstly, it is not as ahead in terms of software and hardware as Apple. It does not have either its specific operating system or software. It is a very important advantage for Apple and to become the number one in the industry Samsung would need to beat Apple. Apart from it, Samsung is focused on making too many products and its profit margins are also very low. Its competitors like Apple are the largest buyers for its electronic equipment’s also. Still there is a large pool of opportunities lying open before Samsung which is mainly due to increased demand for smart phones in the developing economies. Its galaxy series has been a great hit globally. Apart from that demand for quality products from Samsung has also risen greatly. The expansion of tablet market has also brought new  opportunities for Samsung and the company has also obtained large benefits from it. The main threat before Samsung is the fall in the prices of smart phones. Samsung faces increased threats from Apple because of its innovative technology and design also. Apple’s release of ITV is also being seen as a threat for Samsung. Technological change is happening rapidly and Samsung will also need to innovate consistently to remain at the position it is. Price wars as well as decreased margins also bring additional threats for Samsung. Generally companies have to adapt their business strategies and products to different cultures when they are trying to sell to various countries with different cultures. This is referred to as globalization. However, this thing does not become very important for companies like Apple which sell nothing but innovation. English is a global language and Apple’s designs are generally simple and easy to use. As such Apple does not face great difficulties trying to adapt to various cultures and its strategy roughly remains the same across cultures. As we can see that cultural differences do matter in business. Yet, Apple sells the same iPad in Tokyo as it does in Toronto. (Jacobs, 2010) Instead of competing on localization, Apples competes on the pace of innovation across cultures and countries. It is due to its pace of innovation that today it is a global brand. However, the case is different for Samsung, which is said to design globally but adapt locally for success. Every day it ships millions of products to customers around the world. Samsung believes that it is important t to understand the local culture to meet the local needs. It is necessary to understand the local culture to understand the customers’ preferences. One important example of its globalization strategy is its establishing of Lifestyle research labs in various countries including UK and India as well as Singapore and China. (Samsung, 2013) Apple has some distinct organizational competencies which differentiate it from others. Its competencies include its business model, corporate culture; focus on customer as well as control of the entire ecosystem. Why Apple is generally able to generate lots of buzz is because of its fastidious attention to design like its founder Steve Jobs. Most importantly it is the ability and practice of putting user experience first that keeps Apple ahead of others. Apple is known for being customer focused and it reflects in the success of its pr oducts. Apple is known for its design and ease of use. Its iPhone is  in fact a great example of the same. Apart from innovation and technology there is one other core competency that is the key driver behind Samsung’s success. Samsung believes in building an organizational culture of learning and development. Samsung has also established a work culture that promotes learning and development for its employees. The company has also established a Creative Development Research Institute System to provide its employees with the opportunity to pursue creative ideas. This initiative is aimed at encouraging the employees to develop creative ideas and be more entrepreneurial. Samsung has a highly diversified product portfolio and it is also in more places than Apple. But it sometimes also results in diverted focus. If possible Samsung should try to limit it so that it can focus on specifically important products. Apart from that Samsung would need to invest much more in innovation and desig n to pull customers off iPhones. It will also need to go beyond marketing and just bigger screens. Samsung has been concentrating on offering cheap products for the markets in developing countries. Yet it remains to do more on innovation as the technological market keeps changing rapidly. Samsung will need to specifically concentrate on design and better technological innovation. Apple has been winning due to its focus on innovation and design. However, it is not having a very significant advantage which is of producing the components for its iPhones. It is also relying on external suppliers and it leads to difficulties and delays. Apple should especially concentrate on its suppliers. In this backward integration can be highly helpful for Apple. In this way it will be able to have better control over its suppliers which will minimize delays and other difficulties. Apart from that it will also provide Apple with significant cost advantage. Apple has in fact used forward vertical integration to reach closer to its customers. It has opened Apple stores in multiple countries around the world. Apple is thinking of opening newer Apples stores in the markets it has tapped newly. In fact it does not just bring Apple closer to its customers but is also an example of effective corporate level strategy. The popularity and demand of Apple’s products is high. As a result Apple is trying to reach a larger number of customers through its own stores, since scalpers jack up the prices. However, the strategy that worked in the favor of Apple was that of diversification. Apple diversified itself from computers to consumer digital lifestyle and  entered the mobile phone market also. Since then it also brought a vast range of game changing products to the market which became highly successful. In case of Samsung the backward vertical integration strategy has worked. Many of the components that go into the smart-phones are made by Samsung itself and the company also gains significant cost advantage due to it. Apart from that this strategy also benefits it by allowing it higher flexibility in terms of what and when it produces. In fact Samsung’s business model is based to a great extent on this competency. The corporate governance structure of Apple is designed keeping in mind effective decision making as well as appropriate monitoring of compliance and performance. The board of directors at Apple oversees the CEO and the senior management. This monitoring is done in order to ensure ethical and operation of Apple Inc. In fact it is an efficient method to monitor that the top management is working ethically and properly. Apart from that this method also ensures that there are no frauds or manipulations as well as prevents any problem at the corporate level. Apart from that the board also conducts a self-evaluation to find if the board and its committees are working properly. The compensation committee does an annual review of the executive performance including the CEO. This review is also evaluated by the board to ensure the CEO is providing effective leadership to the company. The board of directors at Samsung is composed of seven members of which four are external directors. This ensures the independence and transparency of the board’s decisions. The board of directors also meets regularly to discuss management issues and other important things. The directors are not allowed to engage in business activities in the same industry without approval from the board. It has been done especially to minimize any risk of conflict of interest or unethical behavior. Samsung is a company considered to be over hierarchical and also to be dominated by its founding family. There has been significant criticism of its governance structure. Firstly, the company should stop its owner centered managing system since due to it the company cannot remain independent of its chairman. The rights of minority shareholders as well as economic justice get eroded in this system. Samsung will need to change this structure. (Kim, 2012) The company should follow a structure where th ere is more transparency related to ownership. Apart from that to improve its profitability and sustain its position, Samsung will need to invest more and  move further in terms of innovation. It will also need to move its focus from products to customers. In case of Apple, it will need to adopt its business strategy to obtain cost advantage like Samsung. One major drawback of Apple is that its products are very costly generally. In this regard Apple should go for backward integration to obtain significant cost advantage. Apart from that the company should continue to focus on innovation and design to remain competitive. Apple has been using forward vertical integration successfully but it also needs to use backward integration for further success and managing costs. Pressure from competitors like Samsung is rising and company will need to be focused on managing the price issue to beat the competition. The smart phone market is currently driven by two factors. These include large screens as well as cheap products. However, Apple currently provides none of these. Despite not being the most attractive segment cheap devices still drive the sales volume. A number of second tier Asian brands have also started eating into Apple’s market share. The fight between Apple and Samsung is going to be really hard. Apart from it both companies will also have to fight hard for their respective positions in the market against the emerging challengers. Apple’s target continues to remain the high end market. It has still held itself from releasing a low cost product since it may eat into its profitability. Currently, Apple and Samsung are the only vendors who have their market shares in double digits. Yet, their combined market share fell in 2013 which denotes that the road ahead is going to be tough. Still, the two are the most dominant players in the global smart phone market. In fact the decline was largely due to inability of Apple to grow according to the broader smart phone market. However, it is still the market leader. (Osawa & Grundberg, 2014) But on the other side it cannot be denied that Samsung has been inching closer through its strategy of innovation and price competition. In fact if Samsung is able to manage its winning spree as it did in case of Galaxy smart phones, it will grow at faster pace than Apple. Apple would have to pay attention to certain other things also apart from differentiation through design and innovation to retain its leadership position. Still, taken together these companies seem to be dominating the smart phone market and will continue to for the coming years. References: Nisen, M. (2013). Samsung Has A Totally Different Strategy From Apple, And It’s Working Great. In Business Insider. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.in/Samsung-Has-A-Totally-Different-Strategy-From-Apple And-Its-Working-Great/articleshow/21250813.cms Jacobs, E. (2010). Navigating cultural differences. In Financial Times. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f3e2f464-937e-11df-bb9a 00144feab49a.html#axzz2w9RbDZqJ Samsung Designs Globally and Adapts Locally for Worldwide Success (2013). In Samsung. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/?p=28148 Osawa, J., & Grundberg, S. (2014). Apple’s Smartphone Market Share Drops as Samsung’s Edges Up. In Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 16, 2014, from http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/01/28/apples-smartphone-market-share-drops-as-samsungs-edges-up/ Harris, M. (2010). New Product Markets†¦create and dominate them Apple style! In Harconllc. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://harconllc.com/wordpress/wp- content/uploads/2013/04/DominateMarketsAppleStyle.pdf Kim, L. (2012). Samsung’s family battles over corporate governance, will it be a risk? In Quamnet. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://www.quamnet.com/newscolumnistcontent.action?articleId=2323716&request_loc le=EN_US