Human and Nature

This paper is about nature where I have used different metaphor to define different natural thing and a poem at the end. A metaphor is like a simile because it is a comparison that is made between things. However, the explicit use of the word ‘like' or ‘as' which you see in a simile, is not used in a metaphor which is rather a comparison of two unlike things using the verb â€Å"to be†. Hence, a metaphor sounds more forceful and suggestive, but is still very common in speech.Nature is the beautiful world around us apart from human made phenomena. Nature is beyond the human imagination, every creature has it’s own behavior and responsibility towards nature. We humans think ourselves most superior creature but we are the one not being responsible towards the nature. Nature has such power that we forget our sorrow when we are in it’s lap. â€Å"Nature is wisdom†, it has such a large creation that no human can ever think of it.I think Real wisdom l ies or exists within the greenery of Nature. Nature consist of galaxies, solar systems, planets, vegetation, including plants, grass and trees, Fowls, including birds, chickens and peafowl’s, Animals, including man the masterpiece of Creation nature's brainchild and other mammals, both on land and in the sea, Insects, reptiles, fish, bees and a host of other named and unnamed, known and unknown, species. The beauty of Nature is for all to see.The music of Nature an amazing thing where birds chirp and sing, soft sky has no end it’s like endless tunnel to nowhere, flowers are nature's makeup, thunder is the anger of clouds, volcano is the earth getting angry, mist is floating tear drops, rising sun is the wakeup call where as sunset is bedtime for all, stars are peek holes to heaven, moon is the flash light of god, snow is the cloud's dandruff , trees are apartment buildings for bugs, wind is nature’s breath. I think nature is really great. Nature is smile on our face.Nature has such a power that brings smile in our face. Even in this age of high technology, where many people who live in cities and work full time with computers are still aware of weather and the seasons. We all know that the short, rainy winter days is less pleasant than a warm sunny June day. Most of us cheered at the return of spring, and we mostly have certain pleasant or striking memories we associate with each season. But nature has lots of things beyond seasons which can really pleasant our life and make lots of beautiful memories.Nature is mother she feeds us like a child. We all know that basic things that keep us alive come from nature. But we are so selfish that we think of ourselves rather than thinking of nature. We just take from nature and never think of returning. Humans are greedy beast . We are busy fulfilling our desire rather than remembering our responsibility. We think that we are in the industrialized world and there is nothing that human being cannot a chieve nowadays we have been to the moon, and have invented the Internet.Mesmerized by these fascinating achievements, there is one thing that people should not forget: what we depend on. How long would we be able to live without nature and without technological advancement? We had been living without technology for thousand of year but without nature we have not spend a single moment. Even if we destroy us, plus most of other life form, there will still be nature. The soil, ocean, atmosphere and weather would still interact with solar power to allow some life to exist. Earth cannot be a barren place like the moon with any life.Nature is life. Thus we have to be aware of nature and raise our voice to save nature. Nature Nature is our mother she feeds us like a child. All creatures are our siblings so let’s keep them alive. Flower and plants are her makeup that keeps her like a bride Do plantation to keep the bride pride. Wind is her breath that keeps us alive Say no to pollu tion to have a healthy life.Rivers are blood in her vein Never put harmful chemical that makes her pain. Today everything seem to be modern and computerized But actual thing is that nature is our life Nature is our mother; Nature is our life, Save the nature, and save your life. Reference:- http://www. saidwhatguides. co. uk/metaphors. php http://www. pandorascollective. com/naturemetaphors. html Number of words: 751 Paragraphs: 5

Developing Supply Chain to Deliver WOW Essay

Zappos.com is a privately held online retailer with an extensive product category mainly including apparel, footwear, handbags, and watches. Headquartered in Nevada, it primarily operates in the US with about 1,300 employees and revenues mounting to $635M in 2008. Thanks to its strength in offering an outstanding customer shopping experience and strong corporate cultures and values related to customer service, it was the largest online shoe retailer in 2008, with a positive growth outlook. However, in the face of possible economic downturn, its underlying insufficiencies in supply chain management and operations may pose a threat to the company’s long term profitability. Nevertheless, the opportunity of possible international expansion may well be exploited to improve sales and expand the business, but such decision still needs critical evaluation and feasibility assessment in whether Zappos can sustain its focus on outstanding customer service levels in such scenario. The online-retail industry in which Zappos operates is one in which the rivalry among existing competitors is high, as it is competing with both click-n-brick stores like Amazon, as well as traditional retail stores such as Footwear Inc which also have a strong focus on the shoe segment. However, the threat of new entrants is very low as a result of the high initial capitalization required for the start of business. There are a large number of buyers in the market. However, high price sensitivity and low switching cost strengthen the buyer`s position; continuing to attract such customers becomes one of the main challenges for Zappos during a likely scenario of economic downturn. Zappos will need to adopt strategies such as importing directly from foreign suppliers, committing to 5 day delivery through ground shipping as opposed to next-day air shipping, offering its own private label, and expanding its Powered by Zappos initiative. Company Value Chain: Problem Analysis External Analysis Porter’s 5 Forces The following is an evaluation of the external forces acting upon Zappos’ operations and their possible impact in the immediate and future performance of the company: Degree of Rivalry – HIGH: While Zappos is a pioneer player in the online retail segment, in practice it is not only competing with other online retailers, but with brick-and-mortar stores in the traditional retail sector which have substantial experience in the market. Many other players offer similar products to those carried by Zappos’. Bargaining Power of Buyers – MODERATE to HIGH: Given the many alternatives in the market, the switching cost for a customer to other retailers is very low. Consumers are becoming increasingly price-conscious, and with the small potential for differentiation in the non-fashion elite segment, the customer can easily find other similar product options, forcing retailers to offer lower pricing to remain competitive. Threat of New Entrants – MODERATE TO LOW: The barriers to entry in the industry are extremely high, based on the large capital investment required. However the online retail business is still on its growth stages, which may attract new players and investors looking to capture potential markets. Bargaining Power of Suppliers – LOW: Competition for both wholesaler / importer suppliers and direct manufacturers is intense and well established; therefore, the market itself drives the power of the many suppliers down. As discussed, there are many alternatives in the market such that no single supplier is dominant. Threat of Substitutes – LOW: There are no substitute products available for most of the products which Zappos may offer to the public, so such threat is unlikely. SWOT Analysis Strengths – Customer-Oriented Culture and Services – Zappos has strong company culture and values, which have a large influence on all aspects of the business, including the supply chain. Zappos is always looking for new ways to WOW every customer and always treat every employee like family. The employees consider Zappos a fun place to work. In addition, Zappos` commitment to customer service satisfaction is clearly demonstrated by their value propositions and represents their core differentiation strategy. These are free shipping, guaranteed 5 day delivery (WOWing the customer, where 49% of customers will receive their product within 2 days), a 365 day return policy and 24/7 customer service. Unique Products and Innovation – The core products that Zappos offers are designed to be distinctly different from the traditional shoes available in brick-and mortar stores. Zappos provides customizable product models and extensive product information to customers. For example, Zappos` site has a detailed discussion of gait that helps customers to determine which type of shoe is appropriate for them. Weaknesses – Presence Limited to Online Market – Although there are many online shoppers today and the number is still growing, Zappos is unable to reach the majority of retail shoppers by only having the online outlet channel. Relatively Low Profit Margin – The revenue of Zappos in 2008 is $635 million, but the company policy on product returns makes up 35% of gross sales. This is definitely crippling Zappos profits. High Dependency on UPS – Until 2008, Zappos has only one call center in Las Vegas and one distribution center in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The distribution center is less than 30 minutes from the UPS hub in Louisville. This will make Zappos delivery highly dependent on UPS. Opportunities – Rapid Growth of Online Shopping – Online purchasing has grown consistently year after year; the opportunity lies in capturing new online customers and retaining them. Technology Innovation – In 2008, Zappos added more automation to its warehouse operations by installing a robotic system in which robots picked up shelves that contained the items to be picked, and brought the shelves to the workers. These new robots allow Zappos to ship a pair of shoes in as little as eight minutes. Technology advances will allow Zappos to increase the capacity and efficiency of its distribution centers, without having to build new centers. Build Strategic Alliances with Complementary Retailers – Zappos could build synergies with similar-size online retailers which offer complementary products in an effort to broaden its customer base and target audience. Threats – Economic Downturn – Customers will become more price-conscious in difficult economic times, which will ultimately drive Zappos strategy in order to remain competitive in such scenario. Competitive Rivalry – While Zappos is one of the pioneer players specialized in shoe-retailing, the trend is for established brick-and-mortar companies to start offering their products online, which may generate additional competitive pressures. Possible Security Breach for Online Retailer – Zappos must address possible security breaches to its servers. Problem Statement Based upon the previous analysis, Zappos faces two major problems which may be detrimental to the company’s long-term success. Our aim here is to synthesize them in order to formulate a series of recommendations that the company could implement to solve the mentioned problems. Problem 1: Supply Chain Management The first problem that the company faces within its organization is related to supply chain management. We have identified three different sub-issues within this topic in which Zappos has room for improvement: Imports from wholesalers as an intermediary between Zappos and the manufacturers – Due to the highly uncertain demand in the sector, having a wholesaler between Zappos and the brands that manufactures the product is a strategic problem for the company. When Zappos places an order, it is relying on the inventory that the wholesaler keeps in order to fulfill its need of supply. Furthermore, Zappos may find it difficult to secure its supply as the company grows, having no control over wholesaler import decisions. This is especially critical in a sector with unstable demand faced with global economic uncertainty. Zappos must devise supply chain-related strategies which provide the company with more flexibility in terms of profit margins in order to deal with more price-conscious customers in the future. Delivery to Zappos’ distribution centers from suppliers – The company faces a problem in relation to inefficiency of partially loaded trucks arriving to unload to Zappos’ inventory facilities. As the case highlights, significant numbers of partially loaded trucks (LTL) arrive to unload products generating unnecessary traffic in the distribution center, subsequently slowing down the unloading process. There’s a need for Zappos to address this issue, ultimately affecting its whole operation’s efficiency. Inventory Management – At this point, the company uses manual scanners to register incoming and outgoing stock from its distribution center. This may lead to inventory inaccuracies due to the high probability of human error to occur in the handling of the incoming and outgoing merchandise. It is of the utmost importance for Zappos to have accurate inventory information, not only in terms of its supply chain management, but also in maintaining customer service levels because of the potential of having inaccurate information on the website such that a customer may order a product which is actually out of stock. Problem 2: Growing the business Throughout the case it is been said that the company plans to expand. It is possible to grow the business in a national scale as well as internationally. The following issues need to be addressed by Zappos when evaluating company expansion: determining strategic locations for new facilities to store its inventory and achieve a good balance between supplier lead times and delivery times to the final customer. In addition, the company faces the decision of whether to continue having its distribution centralized in Kentucky. Moreover, Zappos needs to evaluate whether or not it is still feasible to use UPS ground shipping in the long-term. The company would also face a problem not only when trying to maintain its customer service levels and an efficient delivery, but also when trying to get new employees to share its corporate culture. Recommendations: Start Importing Directly from Foreign Manufacturers: Zappos should begin developing direct relationships with foreign manufacturers, especially with Chinese suppliers, starting by importing some products directly, instead of buying from North American wholesalers. This strategy has the following benefits: * Cost savings from purchasing the same products at lower prices, providing the company with more pricing flexibility at dealing with cost-conscious consumers in a difficult economy. * Distribution channel efficiency is increased by eliminating middlemen in the supply chain. In this sense, there is no need for products to be shipped from foreign suppliers to a wholesale distributor and from there to Zappos; Zappos can receive the product directly at their distribution center, reducing freight costs across the value chain as well as lead times. * A closer relationship with manufacturers might enable Zappos to obtain information regarding inventory levels, product availability, and or der status and timing. It is worth noting that even in cases where Zappos is still purchasing from a wholesaler (who in-turn imports from the manufacturer), the wholesaler can request the manufacturer to deliver directly to the Zappos distribution center, earning the lead time and cost benefits. Opt for Ground Shipping as Opposed to Next Day Air Shipping: Given the risk of failing to meet the next day delivery standards because of external factors, Zappos should only guarantee 5-day delivery. In this manner, the company will consistently overdeliver, with 99% of customers receiving their orders within 4 days. This strategy not only makes sense from a cost perspective, but it also goes hand-in-hand with Zappos’ culture of outstanding customer service. However, the option of next day air delivery should be made available to the customer for a premium rate. Sign a Contract with a Selected Trucking Company Specialized in Consolidation: In order to minimize LTL shipments to its distribution centers and mitigate the economic inefficiencies that LTL implies, Zappos should sign a contract with a major transportation and logistics company specialized in consolidation in order to handle Zappos order pick-ups from some of its remaining local suppliers, optimizing cargo capacity and delivering such products to the distribution center. This contract strategy would only be possible to implement in areas with high supplier concentration such as Southern California and Ontario. It is granted that such a strategy would require a long and difficult negotiation process between suppliers, the logistics company and Zappos; however, economies of scale benefits could be obtained from the large volumes to be handled and the cost savings distributed across the industry value chain. Search for Additional Partners and Expand â€Å"Powered by Zappos†: Powered by Zappos partners act as distributors of the products carried by Zappos. In this sense, finding new partners will generate additional revenues from both the fees of developing and running distributor websites and operations and from an expanded market base deriving from multiple websites offering Zappos products. Offer its own Zappos Private Label: Zappos could expand the business by offering its own private label; private labels offer the advantage of not purchasing from a third-party wholesaler which in itself is making a profit from the merchandise, allowing for more flexibility in terms of pricing and profit margins. Overall, by commercializing its own brand, Zappos can offer its private label merchandise at lower prices than the industry standards, while maintaining its profit margin. This strategy would be effective at dealing with price elastic customers in uncertain economic times. It must be noted that to achieve this, however, the company would need to develop internal design capabilities and source its private label through selected manufactures which meet their needs. In order to achieve the lowest supplier prices, supplier relationships would need to be developed through established contracts which may include exclusivity agreements. Based on the large volumes that Zappos handles through its established customer base, the strategy could also earn benefits from economies of scale and increased brand awareness. Do not Expand Internationally in the Short-Term: The huge capital investment required and the risk of affecting customer service levels makes international expansion undesirable in the short run. The company’s financial base must be strengthened further before pursuing such expansion, maintaining the focus on customer service that the company has been known for. Customer service is core to company values and culture and therefore cannot be compromised by any strategic decision. International expansion must be accompanied by the same training standards, staffing levels and passion for customer service at company call centers and order delivery must meet Zappos promise. This last factor could pose a special challenge, given that Zappos would be relying on couriers operating in different countries which may introduce a factor of uncertainty beyond Zappos control as to what levels of delivery performance can be met. Invest in an Automatic Scanning System for Inventory Control: In an environment where such accurate inventory information is required, the current manual scanning of goods entering and leaving the distribution center is inadequate. Errors in inventory control will inevitably have a negative effect on customer satisfaction in that the system may allow a customer to purchase a product that is in fact out of stock. A system which automatically scans incoming and exiting products (magnetic doorways or similar) guarantees inventory accuracy and goes hand-in hand with the core values of the company, making it a worthwhile and even necessary investment. Limitations * The capacity of the existing distribution center in Kentucky is unknown; therefore we are assuming that the current infrastructure will be enough to sustain the operations of the company to meet an increasing demand and market share in the short-term. * Suppliers which have their own fleet might be reluctant to agree to let Zappos do order pick-ups and deliver their products; however, our recommendation assumes that the suppliers are flexible in this sense. * A break-up of the company`s operational costs would be required in order to make better-informed strategy recommendations. The performed analysis is based on purely qualitative information. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. MGSC 602 Strategic Management of Operations Coursepack, Zappos.com: Developing a supply chain to deliver WOW, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case GS-65, 02/13/09, page 276 [ 2 ]. MGSC 602 Strategic Management of Operations Coursepack, Zappos.com: Developing a supply chain to deliver WOW, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case GS-65, 02/13/09, page 296 [ 3 ]. MGSC 602 Strategic Management of Operations Coursepack, Zappos.com: Developing a supply chain to deliver WOW, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case GS-65, 02/13/09, page 273 [ 4 ]. MGSC 602 Strategic Management of Operations Coursepack, Zappos.com: Developing a supply chain to deliver WOW, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case GS-65, 02/13/09, page 280 [ 5 ]. MGSC 602 Strategic Management of Operations Coursepack, Zappos.com: Developing a supply chain to deliver WOW, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case GS-65, 02/13/09, page 276

What are the main origins of the Cold War and why? Essay

The Origins of the Cold War are widely regarded to the relationships between the Soviet Union and the allies (the United States, Great Britain and France) during the period of 1945–1947. Those events led to the Cold War which lasted for over half century. The first origin must be the beginning of Russian Revolution. In WWI, the US, Britain, and Russia had been allies until the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in November 1917. Then, Russia withdrew the WWI and turned into communism. Later, Soviet Russia found it was isolated in international diplomacy as what said by Leader Lenin that ‘the Soviet Union was surrounded by a â€Å"hostile capitalist encirclement’. Moreover, the ideologies of the USA and the USSR are opposite since that time. The Soviet Russia sought to establish a socialist economy, in which the market economy would be abolished. It placed the interests of Soviet Russia ahead of those of any person or group of persons. And, the working class was the only one class ruled the basis of the Soviet state. By the contrast, the USA, like other capitalist countries, believed in the free market system and industries were owned by the individuals. Because they against each other’s policies, the seed of hostil e was planted and grew up overtime. After the WWII, the USA and the USSR are the only two superpowers left in the world. The other European powers were weaken a lot during the war. Although the USSR’s economy was not as strong as USA’s, its Red Army was the most powerful one with the largest scale in the world. The tendency of polarization was always regarded as the basic condition to form the Cold War by experts. Another important factor that led to the formation of the Cold War was the policy of balance. For example, the pattern of direct opposition, the USSR introduced the Warsaw Treaty Organization after the USA became the leader of NATO, both of them were military organizations against each other. Besides these, in the 1940s, there were several events could be known as the origins of the Cold War. In February 1946, George F. Kennan’s Long Telegram from Moscow helped articulate the growing hard line against the Soviets. The telegram argued that the Soviet Union was motivated by both traditional  Russian imperialism and by Marxist ideology; Soviet behavior was expansionist, posing a threat to the United States and its allies. Later writing as â€Å"Mr. X† in his article â€Å"The Sources of Soviet Conduct† in Foreign Affairs (July 1947), Kennan drafted the classic argument for adopting a policy of â€Å"containment† toward the Soviet Union. On March 5, 1946, the ‘iron curtain’ speech that given by the Churchill stated that the world was divided into two groups, leading by the USA and the USSR. Nowadays, many historians regarded this speech as the beginning of the Cold War. In summary, the ideology was the core reason for the start of the Cold War. The USA and the USSR untrusted and fear the power of each other, so they used policies to maintain their own statuses and gain more interest for themselves.

Customer Relationship Management in Luxury Hair Salon Essay

Customer Relationship Management in Luxury Hair Salon - Essay Example Thus, Nevin submits marketing a bit broader than the CRM, though he does not negate the significance of customer relationship management. Customer relationship management has been the matter of special attention for the organizations, marketers, investors, and retailers. Feinberg et al. have conducted their research with a special concentration on CRM in electronic retails under the title â€Å"The State of Electronic Customer Relationship Management in Retailing† and concluded that it is customers which serve as the pivotal point around which all the activities and schemes of the business environment revolve. â€Å"A business and marketing strategy†, they submit, â€Å"aims to integrate its technology, productivity, and all business activities around the customers of the organization.† (2002: p 473) Hence, they viewed customers and their satisfaction as the asset of the companies, without the help of which no strategic policies could be adopted or implemented. Parvartiyar & Sheth have strived to find out the relationship of marketing with the customer relationship management. â€Å"CRM†, according to them, â€Å"represents an enterprise approach to developing full knowledge about customer behavior and preferences and to developing programmes and strategies that encourage the customers to continuously enhance their business relationship with the company.† (2001: p 2-3) The writers are of the view that customer relationship management is highly supportive in completely understanding the growing needs and requirements of the customers, which is the most important issue for the growth and development of the organization. Hill, in his article, vehemently emphasizes upon the capturing of profitable customers for the enhancement of marketing and sales. â€Å"The most important thing in sales and marketing†, he views, â€Å"is  to attract and retain your most profitable business customers. In order to accomplish this feat, you must devise and implement a customer strategy that builds, fosters, nurtures and extends relationships with your customers. Your company profits only when the earnings from retained customers exceed the costs to acquire and to service customers over time.† (Retrieved from Helium.com)

An Account Plan to pitch the Kmarts product or services to targeted Term Paper

An Account Plan to pitch the Kmarts product or services to targeted clients, and to know how they use the company's service - Term Paper Example The researcher explores six steps to present the Kmart products and services. The first step is to approach the clients in a friendly manner, and introduce the customer to the product and services, and to present the legality of the products. The next step is to demonstrate the products quality and features. After demonstration, the next step is to find solutions acceptable for both the parties to use win-win negotiations strategy. The fifth step is to focus on closing the deal with the clients, using the new method of closing the deal. The last step is concerned with servicing the sales, by regular customer follow-ups. â€Å"Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation, is a mass merchandising company that offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, County Living, Route 66 and Smart Sense†. Most of the Kmart stores are single floor units that carry a wide range of products across many mercha ndise categories. It includes consumer electronics, outdoor living, food and consumables, seasonal merchandise, toys, lawn and garden equipment, and apparels, which includes products sold under renowned brands like Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, and some monopolistic products of sears brand such as Kenmore, Craftsman, and Diehard. Kmart has a layaway program that helps the customers finance their purchases in a cost-effective manner. In addition, Kmart expanded their business in such a manner that the customers can receive their purchases, by applying online and collecting them from stores.... Kmart Super Centers started its operation at first with full-service grocery and general merchandise stores and later on with features like full-scale video rental center and a carryout Chinese menu. Now the current locations are featured by in-house bakeries, seafood and fresh meats, and a full set of delicatessen. Kmart Super Centers size varies from 140,000 to 190,000 sq. ft. The world's largest Kmart store is in Guam. a. What are some of the concerns that need to be addressed with the client? Being an Account Executive of Kmart, the first thing I would like to do is to introduce myself to the customers, and then inform them about the company. We are focusing mainly on the upper class and the upper middle class people. Then I will explain about the changes we have made within the company, the new range of products we are introducing, the various discount offers for the products, the changes that have been made by us in customer service and to solve customers’ complaints. b. Is there any legality that needs to be negotiated? Consumer satisfaction is the basic goal of our company. The customers can return and exchange their purchased items within 90 days of the original date of purchase along with an original receipt or email confirmation. â€Å"Refunds will not be given without a receipt /email confirmation. Price adjustments will be given on prior Kmart purchases within 7 days of purchase† (Kmart, 2012). C. What is the approach? At first, we welcome the customer with warm greetings, which is indeed a friendly approach. I ask them what I have to do for them. Up front, let the customer know that customer service is my top priority. Then we use merchandising approach to talk to the customer. Then we can explain about the product, its uses and

Effect Of Discharge Of Domestic Sewage On Coral Reefs Research Proposal

Effect Of Discharge Of Domestic Sewage On Coral Reefs - Research Proposal Example The Marine environment is constantly faced with threats which can be linked to land-based activities. Such activities are urbanization, development of the coast for example dredge and fill operations, industries dealing with desalinization, power, and refineries. Recreation and tourism facilities, water treatment plants, mining along the coastline and quarry activities, oil bunkering facilities and finally modification of the habitat conversion and filling of the wetlands. A significant number of large coastal development projects in Saudi Arabia which include hotel, restaurants and recreational facilities have increased over the last few years and this has had ripple effects on the marine habitat and environment. The major sewage treatment plants in Jeddah are overloaded and as such, treatment effectiveness is very low leading to low quality of effluent that is emitted into the red sea. To add to the direct destruction of key habitats and marine life, suspended materials that come f rom activities such as dredge and fill are likely to result in rampant marine life destruction. Sedimentation leads to suffocation of benthic communities which has adverse effects on the surrounding ecosystem such as the mangroves, coral reefs, and the seabeds. This leads to less productivity of the sea which can be seen through shrimping grounds and demersal fisheries. Is the discharge of domestic sewage due to increased population in Southern Corniche in Jeddah leading to the erosion of coral reefs?  

Analysis of Advertisements English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis of Advertisements English - Essay Example The Durex Company produced one prominent set of condom advertisements. These advertisements appeal to a wide audience, utilizing an approach that is unique relative to other condom advertisements. In considering the Durex ads, it’s noted that, †because there’s so much potential to make easy, tasteless jokes, condom advertising requires a more delicate touch; great ads should make us think a little bit harder before rewarding us with the punch line† (Rideout). When examining the overriding communication mechanisms of these advertisements, it’s clear they capture this delicate touch. The most overriding persuasive technique these condom advertisements use is humor, with all the Durex ads implementing a subtle form of wit. Within this spectrum, the advertisements then can be divided along lines of whether they promote the condoms based on safety or enjoyment. For instance, one advertisement features a bed with four framed pictures on a nightstand next to it. The individuals in the advertisements are staring at the bed with shocked faces. Below the visual elements the advertisement contains the tagline, â€Å"Have the sex you tell your friends you have† (Rideout) and a picture of Durex condoms. ... While this advertisement is highly minimal in its presentation, it is highly effective; the minimal visual style functions to enhance the power of the textual message, encouraging customers to greatly consider the essential need to purchase Durex condoms over other brands. Another prominent style of condom advertising was made for Doc Morris Pharmacies. Created by the Grey Worldwide Advertising Agency from Dusseldorf, Germany, the advertisements are for extra safe latex condoms. As the advertisements are for extra safe latex condoms, it should be no surprise that the underlining intentions of these advertisements are to promote the reliability and sturdiness of the brand. While the Durex brand had attempted to emphasize safety concerns, it appears that in this instance the advertisement works to create a market-share through the cultivation of this safety concept. Also similar to the Durex advertisements, humor is used as a major element in the persuasive technique. The advertisement s themselves contain cartoon visual depictions of sperm swimming with a white background. In one version the sperm leading the others has a haircut and mustache that clearly depicts it as Hitler. In another version the sperm contains a beard and a Middle Eastern head arrangement, ostensibly depicting it as Osama Bin Laden. The obvious rhetorical technique implemented here is that in not purchasing a condom, or in purchasing a competitor’s condom, the individual runs the risk of having an undesired child that could potentially become a terrorist or dictator. The humorous elements of these advertisements are very high and successful, however one questions if they have perhaps sacrificed reliability and client trust for

Public Finance in the Health Care System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Finance in the Health Care System - Essay Example Progressive reports show that the number of then uninsured in Vermont has been going down. There were 8.4 percent uninsured persons in Vermont in 2000 and 6.8 percent uninsured persons in 2012. Eighty percent of the uninsured Vermonters cited the cost of health insurance as a major reason why they did not take insurance covers. In 2012 it was found that most uninsured Vermonters were unmarried, male, poor, young, working and without a college degree. According to 2012 statistics, there are more Vermonters who are working but are uninsured (75 %) than Vermonters who are working and are insured (65%). The median annual income of uninsured Vermonters was in 2012 was 201% of the federal poverty line (Smith et. al., 2013). In 2010, the Kaiser Family Foundation surveyed the Medicaid Payment per enrolled. The survey showed that Vermont spent $10,550 per every aged person covered under Medicaid. It was also found that the spending per every disabled Medicaid enrollee in Vermont was $17,936. Every adult Medicaid enrollee cost Vermont $3,437 in 2010 whereas the state spent $3,667 on every child Medicaid enrollee. In the same year, Vermont spent $5,099 on every Medicaid medically needy enrollee (Cuckle et. al., 2011). Vermont raises over 95% of its revenue from taxes. The statewide property tax is estimated at $1,035.7 million in Vermont’s state fiscal year 2015 and as such, it is the state’s largest source of revenue. Personal income tax makes up one-third of non-property-tax revenue in Vermont. The sale and use tax is the third largest source of income, followed by rooms and meals taxes. Federal funds represent approximately one-third of Vermont’s funding for state programs. In January 2014, it was estimated that available general fund in Vermont was 76%, available transportation fund was 14% and available education fund was estimated at 10% (Snyder et. al., 2012). In 2010, there were 15.2% Vermonter adults in

Efficiency Market Hypothesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Efficiency Market Hypothesis - Essay Example Efficient markets do exist in theory. For example according to financial theory there are efficient stock markets that especially don't permit market manipulation by investors. However the practical scenario negates this proposition very often. For instance the rally of the stock could be attributed partially to the equity issue and not to the efficiency of the markets. The stock market crash of 2008 can be identified as a situation in which a stock market experiences a sudden and major decline in value of its underlying stocks. However crashes can occur mainly due to the rising stock prices and excessive economic optimism (Cuthbertson, 1996). Further it can be caused by the collapse of a speculative bubble, financial crisis or economic crisis. A substantial change in stock markets and price behavior can be caused by psychological influences that often lead to bubbles. Thus EMH is flawed to a certain extent because there is no such grantee that share prices would be solely determined by a pure interplay of market forces, i.e. demand and supply. In fact the crash in 2008 occurred due to structural deficiencies that in turn were characterized by a flurry of activity in which overvalued shares were traded hectically during the immediately preceding period before the crash. Stock market influences on the investors' policy decision making process and corporate strategy have been discussed against backdrop of an evolving environment of change. This is because of the fact that business organizations are becoming more popular because their survival is directly proportional to the size of the market rather than the manageability (Elton, and Martin. 2003). Compact small business organizations have been described as economically unproductive in times of financial recessions because their excessive dependence on internal organizational capabilities leads to poor decisions. Therefore it's essential now to discuss the various theoretical underpinnings of the optimal capital structure in order to determine how efficiently the stock market would be able to function in the absence of the above mentioned shortcomings such as bankruptcy costs and information asymmetry. In addition, there are some highly influential theories. With the help of them it's possible to discuss how best an efficient stock market can be brought into existence (or not) thus rendering both capital structure and dividend policy of the firm irrelevant. However the extent to which those stock market imperfections can be overcome would determine the degree of perfection of the stock market in a given situation.On the other hand the success of big firms has been attributed to their ability to raise both debt and equity capital and the relative size of the market. In the first place financial recessions dependents on the firm's ability to raise capital. Since the market value of the firm is affected by the way in which the capital is structured, managers might prefer to raise debt instead of equity thus bringing down the value of the firm in the eyes of the investor (Copeland, and Fred, 1988). Subsequently shareholders might be compelled to sell their shares at lower prices. In such a scenario big corporate entities are able to survive on pre commitments made by institutional lenders who will not

Country Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Country Analysis - Research Paper Example It was a collaboration of independent study and this Company's own study that we came up with some concrete decisions. Mexico is a good place of destination for tourists. Tourists can come from the USA because it shares a border with that economic power. Brazil also has a stable economic and political background. Both are stable politically and economically, so we have to give a discrete study and analysis on these two. Our study focused on the political, economic and business environments of the two countries touching on areas such as GDP and GNP, political background and stability and economic upturn or downturn during recent surveys. Primary research was provided by an independent think tank, but our very own Company did not waste time in surfing the web for possible clues and more data, from reference books, periodicals and other sources of data. This report analyses the sociopolitical and economic environments of Brazil and Mexico, and a commercial expansion potential for hotel industry. The basis for an expansion of a chain of hotels will be taken out of this study. Brazil and Mexico were chosen as expansion because the two countries showed growth in GDP in recent years. Our hotel business plans to expand by 2008 and has considered Mexico or Brazil to be the two countries where we can expand our business. ... Mexico is our next investment destination for our chain of hotels. 1.0 Introduction This report analyses the sociopolitical and economic environments of Brazil and Mexico, and a commercial expansion potential for hotel industry. The basis for an expansion of a chain of hotels will be taken out of this study. Brazil and Mexico were chosen as expansion because the two countries showed growth in GDP in recent years. 1.1. Product Profile Our hotel business plans to expand by 2008 and has considered Mexico or Brazil to be the two countries where we can expand our business. Our studies revolve around the socio-political, and economic and business environment perspectives of the two countries. We have concluded that it has to be only one country as place for expansion by the year, so that only one will be chosen as a result of this study. It will be either Brazil or Mexico. The studies focused on the cost of travel and tourism inside the country and the influx of tourists, costs of hotel accommodations and travel, international tourists who are the customers, and income expenditures. 2.0 Country Analysis on Mexico 2.1 Socio political environment of Mexico Mexico is an important tourism generator, just outside the top 20 in terms of expenditure, yet it is also a 'one destination' country. Roughly nine out of every ten outbound travelers go to the USA. A quarter of the population live in extreme poverty, while the richest 10% enjoy more than one-third of the total household income and the richest 20% earn more than half. According to the World Bank, Mexico ranks around 75th in the world in terms of GDP per capita, and a market to watch for the future. There was a catastrophe

How P&G Brought the Diaper Revolution to China Essay Example for Free

How PG Brought the Diaper Revolution to China Essay When Procter Gamble set out to sell Pampers in China more than a decade ago, it faced a daunting marketing challenge: PG didn’t just have to persuade parents that its diapers were the best. It had to persuade many of them that they needed diapers at all. The disposable diaper — a throwaway commodity in the West — just wasn’t part of the cultural norm in the Chinese nursery. Babies wore cloth diapers, or in many cases, no diaper at all. And that, says Bruce Brown, who’s in charge of PG’s $2 billion RD budget, is why China presented — and still presents — such a huge opportunity. Today, after years of exhaustive research and plenty of missteps, Pampers is the No. 1-selling diaper in China and the company, in many ways, is just getting started there. The diaper market in China is booming. It stands at $1. 4 billion — roughly a quarter the size of the U. S. market — and is projected to grow 40 percent over the next few years, according to research firm Datamonitor. PG’s success in China has helped CEO Bob McDonald set some bold goals. Last October, he laid out a plan to add one billion customers over the next five years by promoting PG brands throughout some of the poorest corners of the world. How will PG go about doing that? To get a sense, just look at the way it cracked — and to a large degree created — the market for disposable diapers in China. Learning From Failure When PG first launched Pampers in China in 1998, the effort flopped. Instead of developing a unique product for the market, PG made a lower-quality version of U. S. and European diapers, wrongly assuming that parents would buy them if they were cheap enough. â€Å"It just didn’t work,† Brown says. Chinese split-pants, or kaidangku. Photo by The Wus Photo Land on Flickr It didn’t help that Chinese families had always gotten along just fine without disposable diapers. There, potty training often begins as early as six months, and children wear what’s called kaidangku — colorful open-crotch pants that let them squat and relieve themselves in open areas. Pampers’ pitch wasn’t compelling people to try something new — and neither was the product itself. â€Å"We scrimped on the softness in the earlier versions,† says Kelly Anchrum, director of global baby care, external relations, and sustainability. â€Å"It had a more plasticky feel. It took us awhile to figure out that softness was just as important to moms in a developing market. † PG had tried a similarly watered-down approach earlier in the decade, when it launched laundry and hair-care brands in several emerging markets. Those products also failed, Brown says. After these experiences, the company in 2001 came up with a new approach to product development: â€Å"Delight, don’t dilute. † In other words, the diaper needed to be cheap, but it also had to do what other cheap diapers didn’t — keep a baby dry for 10 hours and be as comfortable as cloth. So PG added softness, dialed down the plastic feel, and increased the absorption capability of the diaper. To bring down the cost, the company developed more efficient technology platforms and moved manufacturing operations to China to eliminate shipping costs. The revamped diaper, Pampers Cloth Like Dry, hit retail shelves in China’s largest cities in 2006, selling for the equivalent of 10 cents in local currency, less than half the cost of a Pampers diaper in the United States. The Universal Pitch PG had the right diaper and the right price point. Now it faced the bigger challenge. â€Å"You have to convince someone that they need this thing,† says Ali Dibadj, an analyst who covers PG at Sanford C. Bernstein Co. For Frances Roberts, global brand franchise leader for Pampers, every trip to China was (and still is) an opportunity to learn more about Chinese nursery habits. It’s part of the PG ethos that brand leaders visit consumers in their own homes — something Roberts has done in dozens of countries, including Germany, Russia, and Jakarta. The goal is to uncover the nuances of each market, and early on in its diaper research PG discovered a universal need. â€Å"Moms say the same things over and over,† Roberts says. Their cry: We want more sleep. With the help of the Beijing Children’s Hospital’s Sleep Research Center, PG researchers conducted two exhaustive studies between 2005 and 2006, involving 6,800 home visits, and more than 1,000 babies throughout eight cities in China. Instead of cloth, the research subjects were tucked into bed with Pampers. The results: PG reported that the babies who wore the disposables fell asleep 30 percent faster and slept an extra 30 minutes every night. The study even linked the extra sleep to improved cognitive development, a compelling point in a society obsessed with academic achievement. PG then put its marketing machine into motion. Pampers launched the â€Å"Golden Sleep† campaign in 2007, which included mass carnivals and in-store campaigns in China’s biggest urban areas. A viral campaign on the Pampers Chinese web site asked parents to upload photos of their sleeping babies to drive home the study’s sleep message. The response was impressive: 200,000 photos, which PG used to create a 660-square-meter photomontage at a retail store in Shanghai. The ad campaign boasted â€Å"scientific† results, such as â€Å"Baby Sleeps with 50% Less Disruption† and â€Å"Baby Falls Asleep 30% Faster. No diaper brand, not even rival Kimberly-Clark, maker of Huggies, has come close to spending as much on advertising in China, according to CTR Market Research, the China-based division of American media researcher TNS Media Intelligence. Since 2006, Pampers’ measured media spend topped 3. 2 billion yuan, or about $476 million — more than three times as much as any other brand. In 2009 alone, PG spent $69 million, compared to Kimberly-Clark’s $12 million spend for Huggies. Ruling the Nursery — in China and Around the World Today, Pampers is the top-selling brand in China, a country where about a decade ago the disposable diaper category hardly existed. PG does not release sales figures for specific countries, but Datamonitor estimates that the company has captured more than 30 percent of the $1. 4 billion market. Karl Gerth, an Oxford professor who researches the spread of consumerism in China, says PG’s marketing campaigns strike the right tone. â€Å"You don’t want to come off as paternalistic,† says Gerth, who wrote the book â€Å"China Made: Consumer Culture and the Creation of the Nation. â€Å"The idea that Pampers brings a scientific backing and gives children an edge in their environment — that’s a brilliant way to stand out from the competition. † You could argue that it’s easy being No. 1 when the market is still small. But PG still has a lot of work to do. The company faces challenges from private-label and domestic brands, including the No. 2 market leader, Hengan International Group, which has steadily grown its market share to 20 percent. Local brands, meantime, are catching up with better products, marketing, and distribution. Chinese consumers are going to want to root for the home team,† Gerth says. And there’s still the challenge of making disposables a habit. On average, diaper use still amounts to less than one a day. â€Å"We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface [in China],† Dimitri Panayotopoulos, vice chairman of global household care, told investors in a 2008 analyst meeting. There’s even bigger potential in India, where the birth rate is almost double that of China but the diaper market remains tiny at about $43. 4 million. (Pampers is the top-selling brand there, too. So now, PG plans to take the sleep argument throughout rural and poor areas in India and elsewhere. The company also makes its case by positioning itself as a baby-care educator. Pampers sponsors healthcare-outreach programs such as a rural immunization program in China and mobile medical-care vans in Pakistan and Morocco. In India, there’s a door-to-door program that offers baby-care tips and diaper samples for moms. Of course, PG tweaks the sales pitch to fit different markets; that’s what the company is known for. In India, for instance, the convenience of disposable diapers doesn’t resonate with parents. The company’s consumer research found that many Indian mothers think that only lazy moms put their babies in disposable diapers that last a full night. As Pampers brand manager Vidya Ramachandran reported in an internal video shown to employees, â€Å"We really had to change that mindset and educate [mothers] that using a diaper is not about convenience for you — it’s about your baby’s development. †

Language of the Brochure Essay Example for Free

Language of the Brochure Essay Firstly, the brochure gives the impression that the resort is the best in Tenerife. The holiday resort is described as, ‘the largest, most vibrant, holiday centre in Tenerife†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. This uses super latives to persuade the readers that the Sun Valley Beach Club is the best because if the Sun Valley are describing the resort the largest and most vibrant, they are saying that the resort has lots of availability in order to fulfil customers as the resort is so popular while also being full of life and energy which may also suggest that, again, the resort may be popular with tourists. The word, ‘most’ is a super lative because if you want to be the most at something nothing can be more or beat you at something. For example, if you are the most funniest person in school, no one else in the school can be funnier than you, they can only be less funnier than you. This will cause people to listen because the resort is the largest and most vibrant compared to all the other holiday resorts in Tenerife and you want the best value for money. Therefore, readers would want to book a bargain holiday at the Sun Valley Beach Club. Also, the brochure gives the impression that the resort is in a great location. The brochure tells us there is, ‘low rainfall and year round temperatures of 25-30 °C’. This uses facts to persuade the readers that the Sun Valley Beach Club is in a great location because when you go on holiday, if it is raining, you have to stay inside but everyone wants to make the most of your holiday but if you just stay inside, you can’t get out and go activates. In this case, Tenerife has great beaches so the tourists may want to go to the beach or go swimming. The phrase, ‘25-30 °C’ is factual because it is saying that the temperatures can only be 25-30 degrees in Tenerife. Also, people like hot places like Tenerife because it is easier to relax in a hot place and when you are on holiday, you want to relax and have a good time. This will also cause readers to listen to the Sun Valley Beach Club because facts are more believable because they are true so people will believe the information on the brochure. Therefore, readers would want to book a hot and rainless holiday at the Sun Valley Beach Club. Next, the brochure gives another impression that the resort has a lot of activates on offer for a great price. The brochure explains that the resort offers, ‘a full range of water-sports, tennis, mini golf and riding’. This uses lists to persuade the reader that the resort has a lot of activates because not everyone is the same and likes doing the same activates because different people have different likes and dislikes. If you have a resort with different activates, you would prefer to go to the Sun Valley then another resort that only has one activate on offer, especially if you were a family with children that are all different. The phrase, ‘full range’ is involved in a list because when something has a full range, it has everything to do with that thing. For example, when you have a full range of activates, you have loads of activates. This will cause readers to want to listen to the Sun Valley Beach Club holiday providers because tourists would want to keep active on holiday and the resort contains a lot of activates. Therefore, readers would want to book a fun and active holiday at the Sun Valley Beach Club. Lastly, the brochure gives the impression that the resort will be enjoyable for everyone. The brochure says to the parents, ‘why not relax in the poolside bar area keeping them in sight†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. This uses conversational tone to persuade the reader that the resort is enjoyable because both parents and children has things that they can enjoy. In this case, the children can play in the swimming pool while the parents can drink and chat to other people whilst still being in reach of their children. The phrase, ‘why not’ is conversational because it sounds like advice and a friend give you advice. It also sounds like Sun Valley is letting them have their say whether or not they want to book the holiday. This will cause readers to want to listen to the Sun Valley Beach Club’s advice because they would want to listen to a friend more than a stranger. Therefore, readers would want to book a friendly holiday at the Sun Valley Beach Club.

Childs Safety In Mind Children And Young People Essay

Childs Safety In Mind Children And Young People Essay A good early childhood environment meets the childs basic needs and supports and encourages children to engage in activities that implement the programs curriculum. the environment is designed to enable staff to facilitate the optimum learning for their children. the environment makes parents and guardians feel welcome, involved, and empowered. Kids often trip or tumble so the play space should accommodate this with safety precautions. Local building codes for childrens indoor play areas are also important to ensure the area meets all standards during the construction phase. An early childhood environment is many things: Its a safe place where children are protected from the elements and are easily supervised, and its where the important activities of the day take place, such as playing, eating, sleeping, washing hands, and going to the bathroom. The success of an early childhood environment is not dependent upon aesthetics and design alone. Places Children Can Call Their Own. A basi c human need is the need to belong. Children need to feel they belong, too. They need to be close to people they know, have familiar and comfortable objects, and be in a setting that has a personal history for them. Early Childhood Environments Should Be Functional for Both Children and Teachers Accidents- leading cause of death for children. Most deaths could easily be prevented, so it is important to keep your childs safety in mind at all times. Children are most commonly exposed to lead by the ingestion of paint chips or dirt that is contaminated with lead-Those days lead was an ingredient of paint, so children living in older homes with chipping paint are most at risk for lead poisoning- Reviewing your homes risk for causing  lead poisoning- avoid purchasing older toys at yard/garage/rummage sales. Some may have been recalled for lead paint- eating foods that are cooked or stored in imported or glazed pottery. Make sure older buildings contain no lead, asbestos or other toxic materials. Your community health department or child care center licensing agency can put you in contact with experts who can take samples of paint and other materials for official findings. Learning to use  baby products  correctly and according to age appropriate recommendations. Putting  door knob covers  on doors that you dont want your child to open, including the bathroom, rooms that arent childproofed. Checking the floor regularly for small items and toys that younger children can choke on. includes marbles, balls, uninflected or broken  balloons, small magnets, and small toy pieces. Keeping all of the  top household poisons  out of your childs reach and in a childproofed cabinet. Ice pack-angin medicine-kids panadol-first aid-updated regularly. You can prevent falls and/or things falling on them; As with infants, be sure to secure chairs, tables, shelves, lamps. so they cant pull them over on themselves. If you have windows that they can reach, be sure they are screened, open from the top, or keep them closed and locked. If you cant- barricade them. Installing  smoke alarms  and  carbon monoxide detectors.- common sources of carbon monoxide ex posure include:- Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Oil and gas furnaces Motor vehicles Stove/Gas range Placing latches and  locks on cabinets  and  drawers. Installing a  stove guard  in front of the stove to keep your childs hands off the burners. Securing appliances, including the refrigerator, dishwasher, and oven, with an  appliance locking strap. Installing covers on electrical outlets- Take a look around your home at your electrical cords- move them out of reach.   Be sure your stairways (stairs, porches, decks, lofts, etc.) have railings- if possible one that a child can reach. If your steps are prone to being slippery, put tread mats on them or carpeting- something non-skid. If you are using a high chair for toddlers, be sure they have a wide base (so they cant be tipped over) and always use the restraints. Never leave your baby unattended in the bath. Be sure your smoke alarms are working properly. SAFETY SCISSORS-dap equipments! A baby gate should be an important part of every home with children. These items safely block off different parts of the house that are potentially dangerous to toddlers such as staircases. If there are any areas of the house that your toddler should not be going to yet, then you definitely need to find a gate to keep them safe. Ideally, they should be easy to install sturdy and be made of materials that are safe for your toddler. guidelines for buying the best one possible: A frame that connects to a door frame and does not have any gaps for the heads or fingers of children. Be sure there are no sharp edges. Do not use gates with potential foot holds. Do you have toys or objects like marbles, legos, etc that have a diameter of less than 1 1/4 inch (about the size of a half dollar) or have detachable parts? If so they need to be thrown out or put away and NOT USED in your daycare for toddler safety/ Keep all plastic bags and Styrofoam packing out of their reach for toddler safety-Choking/suffocation and Poison hazards Common sense tells us to keep all medications, cleaning supplies, insect poisons, bug spray, weeds killers out of reach or locked up. be sure that all sunscreen, perfumes, and cosmetics, alcoholic beverages, vitamins, and pet supplies are as well. Do not chemically treat your yard, use insect/rat poisons, or weed killer when the kids are present.  Also, can the kids get behind your T.V.? If so, move it so they arent able to. If you have your computer, DVD players, cd players within their reach, move them up high so they cant.  Keep lighters and matches out of reach. Be sure your toilet lids are always closed. Always keep sharp objects out of a toddlers reach. Only takes a couple of seconds for those to become sharp! So are the edges of an aluminum foil/plastic wrapping box! There must be two exits out of each child activity room. One exit must lead directly to the outside. There must be a fire suppression system throughout the facility. Follow guidelines-health/fire departmnt. Th e building will need to have high ceilings to accommodate the main play structure. We recommend between 5 and 6 meters. Insurance?Equipment made of?-high quality. Matainance-carefully evaluated and assessed on an annual basis. If you have a working fireplace, wood stove or space heater, is it safely screened and inaccessible to children? Are privacy locks on bathroom or bedroom doors inaccessible to children? Can the lock be opened quickly from the outside? Does the kitchen meet fire safety standards? Is fire protection available within a short distance of your center? Does the center have adequate hand washing and toileting areas in the rooms occupied by children? The location for the preschool play area is one of the most important decisions- Choosing the location for each piece of play equipment takes some time and consideration. An open space with plenty of room for active preschoolers is essential. The room also needs some degree of security depending on the particular situation. In a child care setting, a room that is easy to monitor and keep secure is more important. Avoid areas with high air pollution/near gas stations where there are underground or above ground gas/oil storage tanks. Survey-surrounding-road-CAR parks. Once the location is established, the foundation of the room begins to take shape. Responsive/Stimulating-Not overwhelming(DAP)(colours). Because so many child care facilities have limited space, it can be challenging to respond to the uniqueness of each child within a collective environment. Young children have unique personalities and needs that require us to respond to them as individuals, not as members of a group. Th e environment must be responsive to this need. Ease of cleaning, maintenance, supervision, cost, and adult aesthetics should not detract from providing spaces children feel are designed for them. Children need to have private areas, secluded corners, lofts, and odd-shaped enclosures. Individual cubbies for each childs clothes and belongings, photographs of home and family, and at least a couple of secluded areas where two or three children can gather allow children opportunities to maintain their individuality and break away from the group to avoid over stimulation. Accurate measurements of the area help with the indoor play equipment selection. It also helps when choosing and purchasing the floor covering. A soft flooring option helps prevent injuries when children fall off of the soft play equipment. Preschool children often fall; soft surfaces such as mats underneath protect the kids. A rubber floor covering is a common option for a childrens indoor play area. It helps absorb the shock when a child falls from short play equipment. Gymnastic mats are another option for the area. These floor mats also help absorb the shock. Foam mats are also used for kids play areas. Local building codes governing childrens play areas might have specific requirements for the floor covering so its always a good idea to check first. A floor plan of the room helps determine the layout of the childrens indoor play area. It should provide a mixture of play equipment that is appropriate for preschool-aged children. The budget will influence the selection of the equi pment. Soft play equipment is a popular option if the budget allows. These special pieces of equipment are designed to prevent injuries as the young children play on them. Evaluate the entire center, including the playground, hallways, and bathrooms. Hire professional-know 1st aid/***- handle young ones-follow RATIO. knowledge and understanding of infant/toddler growth patterns and developmental needs are critical in providing appropriate care and experiences. Creating play zones that separate the different types of play equipment increases the safety of the childrens indoor playground. Consider the amount of space each toy needs, including a buffer area to allow easy movement. The types of activities that go well together are also a factor. Once the arrangement is selected and the soft play equipment and other play areas are set up, a final walk through is needed. This test run checks for a good flow in the indoor play area to make sure the kids wont constantly run into one another. Kids and adults should easily move around all of the play equipment. A clear line of vision for the adults from all vantage points in the room is another key factor to check during the test run. Noise making area separate-quiet ones. Managing noise is important in a classroom. Placing carpet on the floor absorbs noise as absorbent tile on the ceiling. The reading center should be next to a quiet area like the art area. Blocks are loud, and should be located next to other loud areas such as the woodworking bench. Noisy activities can also be placed in transition areas or moved outside in good weather. group size, the developmental stages and the infants/toddlers needs shall determine the amount of space and spatial organization. The environmental needs of non-mobile infants are different from those of mobile infants, as space becomes a crucial consideration for young infants developing gross motor skills such as crawling and walking. The use of appropriate barriers is necessary for the safety and protection of younger infants. Dividers are any physical object that serves to delineate areas within a classroom, create interest areas, control traffic, and distribute children throughout the classroom. Almost anything can be used as a divider, so long as it is safe shelves, couches, fabric hung from a line, streamers attached to the ceiling, folding screens, puppet stages, etc. Safety is obviously a critical issue. Some dividers are easy to push over. The larger and heavier they are at the bottom, the safer. A divider can also be secured by fastening it to the floor or a wall. Several equipment companies have introduced dividers that attach directly to storage units and furniture. Ideally, dividers should be multi-functional for use as storage units, play furniture, and display boards.  Keep in mind that solid dividers or walls of more than 30-40 inches high disrupt the circulation of air in the classroom and limit supervision of children. Less solid dividers, like fabric, avoid this problem. One teacher creatively used colorful fabric streamers attached to the ceiling as effective dividers. Unlike traditional classrooms, early childhood environments need to support both basic functions and learning activities. Look around your classroom from a childs perspective. Are toilets, sinks, windows, faucets, drinking fountains, mirrors, towel racks, chairs and tables, tooth brush containers, and bulletin boards at the childs level and child-sized? Are classrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and eating areas close together so that children can develop self-help skills and important autonomous behaviors? Like children, teachers also need to have spaces that are functional. Teachers need to be able to arrange and rearrange their classrooms for various class activities and supervision purposes. Classrooms that include permanent, built-in features such as lofts, playhouses, tables, benches, alcoves, and cubbies can be problematic. These types of fixed features make it difficult for teachers to create areas for gross motor activities, can cause injury in active children, or prevent inclusion of physical activities altogether. Classrooms built as a basic shell work best. Adaptations must be made carefully for any child with special needs, be they physical challenges, learning disabilities, or emotional issues. Brail and large lettering can be used for children with visual impairments, and sign language can be incorporated into the curriculum for those children with hearing impairments. Reducing distractions, glare, and over stimulation helps accommodate children with ADD and ADHD. Visual images are an important part of developing a feeling of belonging in all children, so it is important to display pictures of single parent families, grandparent families, and homes of every race and ethnicity, including interracial, multiethnic, and adoptive families.  The entire center should also reflect diversity throughout the world race, ethnicity, languages. Storage areas are a little like entrance and exits-they receive lots of traffic and are noisy and congested. For these reasons, storage areas can sometimes foster disruptive behavior and noise. Provide easy access to materials, allowing children to get what they need quietly and easily. The closer materials are to where they will be used, the better. Storage must also be designed so that materials for independent child use are separate from those teachers control. Activity Area Access. Activity areas need to be located next to supplies and be easy to clean up. The classic example is the art area. While providing easy access to paint, easels, paper, and brushes, the art area needs to be close to a water source and on a surface that can withstand a mess. Similarly, the reading area must be close to book shelves, magazine racks, and comfortable places to sit. CHILD SAFETY This is especially true once their children become mobile and start crawling their way into trouble.  Child safety is a very sensitive issue and importance for it is rising in the recent times with the rising cases of child missing, child injuries, child labor and so on. As a social citizen; it is your duty to support child safety awareness and this could be best done by protecting your own child from the world. efforts which you put to save your child from any of the dangers. Saving your child is extremely easy as it mainly includes one precaution which if followed by you can surely make a change. This precaution is that you need to keep a constant eye on your child. The areas for play, diapering, feeding and napping shall be set up to maximize contact between the caregiver and the infant. These areas shall allow the interaction to be unhurried and quiet. Areas (especially play areas) for non-mobile infants shall be separate from those for mobile infants. The napping area shall be physically separate from other activity areas. Partitions or other suitable barricades shall be used to separate the napping area from other areas. The outdoor activity area shall be suitably surfaced and well-drained. The outdoor activity area shall be equipped with a variety of age-and developmentally-appropriate toys and equipment. The outdoor activity area shall also have shaded areas. Cribs/cots shall be of sturdy construction with closely-spaced bars. Each crib/cot shall be occupied by only one infant. Each crib/cot shall have a firm mattress and it shall be covered with vinyl or similar moisture-resistant material. Cribs/cots shall be arranged so as to provide a walkway and work space between the cribs/cots sufficient to permit staff to reach each infant without having to step over or reach over another infant-observable. Separate facilities shall be provided for food preparation. Food preparation utensils and equipment shall not be used for other purposes. Sufficient and suitable facilities shall be provided for the sterilization of milk bottles. Sinks with running water shall be provided near the diaper change area at a ratio of one sink for every 10 infants /toddlers aged 18 months and below. Sufficient potty chairs shall be provided for the infants / toddlers- kept separate from the kitchen/food preparation areas. Sleeping infants shall be placed on their backs rather than on their fronts to ensure that their breathing is not interfered. Any other soft materials that may potentially block the airways such as pillows, blankets, comforters, and bean bag chairs shall be removed. Feeding equipment and all surfaces used for food preparation shall be sterilized after each use. Liquid soap shall be used and hands washed under running water before and after diapering before and after preparation of meals and feeding an infant when in contact with bodily fluids such as mucus, urine, saliva or faecal matter Disposable paper towels shall be used for drying hands. The diapering area shall be disinfected with each diaper change. Soiled diapers shall be placed in plastic bags and disposed of in a covered bin, preferably with a step pedal to reduce the risk of contamination. Log book RECORD-allergies/ diaper changing routines/ feeding times/ injuries/visitors

Million Dollar Baby Essay examples -- Movie Film Movies Essays

Million Dollar Baby Million Dollar Baby, Clint Eastwood’s latest movie as a director has been getting more and more positive reviews recently and it is even better than Mystic River. At first glance, the film looks like another boxing-movie clichà ©. However, Eastwood has succeeded in creating a compelling and moving story about the intricate world of human relationships, the price of success and the realization of dreams. The movie explores many different subject matters. Million Dollar Baby is about friendship and respect. It is about love and it is about dreams. The main theme of the movie is the boxing career of Maggie Fitzgerald (played by Hilary Swank) - a 30-year old waitress who lives alone and barely gets by. However, she is strongly determined to become a professional boxer and this is why she seeks the help of Frankie Dunn (played by Clint Eastwood), a boxing trainer and an owner of a gym. Initially, Frankie is unwilling to train her because she is female and too old to have any chance of achieving significant accomplishments in professional boxing. However, Frankie’s friend and associate Eddie Dupris (played by Morgan Freeman), really believes in Maggie and lets her train in a corner of the gym. As time passes, Maggie’s persistence and Eddie’s pushiness finally change Frankie’s mind. This is when the true story begins. Maggie’s determination and strong will to fulfill her dream, combined with Frankie’s excellent training skills launch both of them into the professional boxing orbit where the y gloriously win battle after battle. Although the story seems like a big clichà ©, in truth, the world of Million Dollar Baby involves much more than boxing and success. Clint Eastwood treats such subject matters as love, f... ...she is happy. In general, all the actors in the movie make the audience feel what they are feeling and this is essential for the movie as the plot is deeply emotionally charged. As reviewer Sean O’Connell notes in his column at Filmcritic.com, Million Dollar Baby was expected to be â€Å"a half-baked, rushed-into-awards-season castoff by a respected filmmaker still basking in the glow of his last well-received piece†. Fortuitously, the movie has turned out to be one of the best motion pictures of the year. Once again Clint Eastwood surprises us all with his work as a film director. He gives the audience a chance to consider life from another viewpoint. The movie makes one think about what he or she has achieved in life and Maggie shows us that it is never too late to have a dream fulfilled. After all, this is why we are actually born and live: to fulfill our dreams.

Cigarettes And Their Destruction Of The Brain :: essays research papers fc

Cigarettes and Their Destruction of the Brain Smokers generally feel more comfortable after that especially important first cigarette of the day. Within just a few seconds of "lighting up," smoking activates mind-altering changes. Smokers are well aware of the long-term risks of their habit: such as lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and other deadly illnesses. However, smokers are attracted by the immediate effects of smoking: "a stimulant that makes them seem to feel more alert, clearheaded and able to focus on work." Smoking however, does not really have these effects; what the smoker perceives is an illusion. Nicotine begins to act on brain cells within ten seconds of inhalation, fitting into "keyholes" on the surface of the brain; the same "keyholes" as acetylcholine(an important neurotransmitter), and mimicking epinephrine and norepinephrine, giving the smoker a rush, or stimulation. Within 30 minutes, smokers feel their energy begin to decline, as the ingested nicotine is reduced. This process continues, as the smoker's attention becomes increasingly focused on cigarettes. Nicotine causes smokers' brain cells to grow more nicotinic receptors than normal; therefore, the brain may function normally despite the irregular amount of acetylcholine-like chemical acting upon it. The brain is reshaped: the smoker feels normal with nicotine in his system, and abnormal without it. A series of tests were conducted on nonsmokers, "active" smokers, and "deprived" smokers. The "active" smokers were given a cigarette before each test, while the "deprived" smokers were not allowed cigarettes before tests. The tests started simply, and then moved towards more complex problems. In the first test, subjects sat in front of a computer screen and pressed the space bar when a target letter, among 96, was recognized: smokers, deprived smokers, and nonsmokers, performed equally well. The next test involved scanning sequences of 20 identical letters and as one of the letters was transformed into a different one, responding with the space bar. Nonsmokers responded fastest, and active smokers were faster than those who were deprived from smoking. In the third test, subjects were required to memorize a sequence of letters or numbers, and to respond when they observed the sequence among flashed groupings on the screen. The purpose of this experiment was to test short-term memory: nonsmokers again ranked highest, however, deprived smokers defeated the active smokers. Subjects were required to read a passage and then answer questions about it in the fourth test. "Nonsmokers remembered 19 percent more of the most important information than active smokers, and deprived smokers bested their counterparts who had smoked a cigarette just before testing. Active smokers tended not only to have poorer memories but also had trouble

International Copyright Circumvention Essay -- Technology Copyright Es

International Copyright Circumvention A little under three years ago, I heard about a case where a programmer had been arrested for a program that bypassed the copy protection mechanisms in one of Adobe's products1. People who have published information on or performed security circumvention in the past, even when done in a non-destructive manner have faced some legal problems. Specifically, it reminded by of the Kevin Mitnick case2 a few years earlier. In that case, a hacker was detained for two years, without bail, pending a trial, for gaining access to (but not damaging) several corporate networks. This new case however had an different twist - the security circumvention was done only to let people access documents that they already had a right to have, and it was done outside the United States. That raises issues regarding the United States having any right to do what they did, and even if they did have the right, was a wrong even committed. This case is an example of something which a decade earlier would never have even been considered to be illegal. But, it falls into in of the heavily opposed section 12013 of the new Digital Millenium Copyright Act which tries to halt circumvention of anti-piracy measures. There was opposition before the law passed, but it became stronger when the DVD CAA tried to oppress distribution of the DeCSS - code that could bypass the encryption used on DVDs.4 (this was before the Abode case) The intended purpose of DeCSS was to facilitate the development of an open-source DVD player. There were no DVD players for Linux, BeOS, FreeBSD, or any of the other operating systems that now have DVD players thanks to the DeCSS code. However, if the DVD can be decrypted and decompressed, it can also be re-compressed and re-distributed in another medium more practical for bootleggers, such as VideoCDs. (Which could also be done simply by playing the DVD in a normal DVD player, recording the output, just not producing as high quality results.) At the time no such re-encoding tools were available, and such behavior would be protected under traditional fair use for personal backups. Furthermore, the code was released anonymously by someone outside the United States. This lead to an initial attack using trade secret laws (The DMCA's anti-circumvention aren't protected by international treaties on copyright such as the Berne c... ...umvention tools is and has been illegal anyway. And trying to aggressively impose the views of our companies on our countries is certainly uncalled for. Works Cited "Fallout From Def Con: Ebook Hacker Arrested by FBI", Slashdot. July 2001 http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/07/17/130226&mode=thread&tid=93 (for more from Slashdot on the case: http://yro.slashdot.org/search.pl?query=Sklyarov) "Free Kevin Mitnick" http://www.freekevin.com/ "Unintended Consequences: Five Years under the DMCA", Electronic Frontier Foundation, http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/unintended_consequences.php "CSS and DeCSS", DeCSS Central, http://www.lemuria.org/DeCSS/decss.html "Berne Covention for the Protection of Literary and Scientific Works" http://www.law.cornell.edu/treaties/berne/overview.html "Enforcement of DMCA Criminal Penalties Suffers Setback", Copright Corner. March 2003. http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/Copy-corner53.htm Locke, John. "Two Treatise of Government" Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1967. http://www.ecn.bris.ac.uk/het/locke/government.pdf "Constitution for the United States of America" September, 1787. http://www.constitution.org/constit_.htm

Modernism: A Critical Analysis

T. S. Eliot did not invent modernism in literature, but his poem The Waste Land (1922) expresses more distinctly than anyone else what the modernist endeavor really was. More than a poem, it was an occasion, a cry that defined a moment in time, and which it is not possible to repeat. Eliot himself declared that he had moved on from the style of The Waste Land immediately after. Shortly after its publication he expressed in a private correspondence, â€Å"As for The Waste Land, that is a thing of the past so far as I am concerned and I am now feeling toward a new form and style† (qtd. in Chinitz 69).The Hollow Men (1926) is nothing as fragmentary, chaotic and nihilistic as is the 1922 poem. In The Waste Land we seem he hear an unalloyed expression of despair; the despair that purposeful art in no more possible in â€Å"the immense panorama of futility and anarchy which is contemporary history† (qtd. in Sigg 182). Yet the poem is not a complete negation of art. It manages a sort of coherence towards the end, in which we may read a suggestion that art may still be possible amidst desolate meaninglessness of the modern age.The First World War is the event that finally shattered the cozy certainties of the Victorian age. At a more protean level, it annulled the optimism of the humanist endeavor which gave rise to the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and the scientific world view. It is significant that the major part of this endeavor was carried out in art and literature. In the aftermath to the Great War came disillusionment, because it was widely perceived that progress did not bring peace but war – the most brutal and mindless sort. It was not just corpses and rubble that littered Europe, but the Western psyche too was littered with rubble.The Waste Land is essentially a collection of fragments from the tradition of literature. The ultimate statement made by Eliot is that there is no more meaning in which the artist can take his tradition and f urther it. Yet he cannot abandon the past either, for his identity is still contained within those fragments. â€Å"These fragments I have shored against my ruins,† says the Fisher King, who is not able to redeem the wasteland that stretches before him (Eliot 69). This expresses the core sentiment of the poem, which is in the end a mere collection of literary fragments. It is a demonstration of what the function of the artist has become, for the message of Eliot is that the artist is indeed reduced to gathering debris from his cultural past.Eliot’s poem is not meant to be imitated. Its function is to locate the spirit of the age and give it voice. So successful was it in this latter role that many of its literary features began to be adopted, especially so in the novel form, towards the creation of the modernist novel. The most common feature of this fiction is the dysfunctional and alienated protagonist in an urban setting who struggles against encroaching meaningless ness. Of this fiction Federman says, â€Å"The creatures of the new fiction will be as changeable, as illusory, as nameless, as unnamable, as fraudulent, as unpredictable as the discourse that makes them† (12).To render such a narrative effective novelists were soon employing a device known as â€Å"stream of consciousness†. It sacrifices coherence for an effect which seems to suggest that we are privy to the unexpurgated thoughts and impressions of the protagonist. Ulysses by James Joyce is composed entirely I this mode, and another novelist who use this method effectively is Virginia Woolf. Most often it is used for effect in novels which retain some meaningfulness, therefore are not entirely nihilistic. In such novels we identify the contining search for possibilities in art which Eliot had instigated.The novels of Franz Kafka use the conventional narrative voice, yet depict a world that is fragmented and devoid of meaning. The protagonist in The Trial wakes up one morning to discover that he is under arrest, subject to trial, but free to move about in the meantime. There is no immediate explanation of his wrong-doing, and none is forthcoming as the trial grinds on. Not only self-preservation, the protagonist is also seeking for meaning. But the only meaning that emerges is that ‘the system’ has decided that he is â€Å"the accused†, which has set into motion a process whose eventual and inevitable outcome is a brutal execution.Everybody seems to be helpless before the system, both friend and foe. They cannot effect its course, and neither can they extract meaning from it. The state embodies logic, of which Kafka says, â€Å"Logic is doubtless unshakable, but it cannot withstand a man who wants to go on living† (Kafka 263). Instead of war, Kafka’s focus is on the bureaucratization of the modern state, but evokes the same sense of despair and the helplessness of the individual before greater and inexplicable fo rces, the unmistakable stamp of modernism.The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is also considered a modernist novel. Though more famed for his hard-edged realism, in this last effort before his death Hemingway has created a powerful parable of futility. Santiago is a Cuban fisherman who has met bad luck, having not caught a fish for 84 days. On the 85th day he becomes reckless and ventures further into the sea than anyone else before. He hooks a marlin of such tremendous size that it hauls Santiago and his boat around sea for and entire day.The old fisherman is soon locked in an epic battle of strength, guile and wits with the marlin, and expends every last bit of himself for over three days of struggle. Bloodied and drained, he has his catch in the end, which he begins to drag shoreward. But sharks then fall upon the marlin, and the old man cannot battle them off with his harpoon. Though futile, Hemingway suggests that the old man’s struggle has transcendental value.H e makes frequent comparisons between the old man and Christ, and describes the old man in awe of the nobility of the marlin, even while locked in a life and death battle with it. He is described as musing, â€Å"But it is good that we do not have to try to kill the sun or the moon or the stars. It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers† (Hemingway 75). In its tenor of unremitting futility the novel is modernist. The meaning discovered in the end is transcendental and religious, in which â€Å"the spirit of the individual† is pitched against â€Å"his biological limitations† (Walcutt 275). This is significant when we recall that Eliot too discovered religion later in life.In conclusion, in his poem The Waste Land Eliot expressed a feeling that conventional motivation of the artist was no longer relevant in the modern age, because the aspirations of the previous age, that which had motivated writers and artists in the Victorian era, had been rende red null and void. But at the same time it initiated a new quest in literature, which became a movement known as modernism, and especially employed by novelists. In their novels, which mostly emphasized the meaninglessness of modern existence, the modernist novelist nevertheless tends to dicover transcendental or religious meaning.Works CitedChinitz, David. T.S. Eliot and the Cultural Divide. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.Eliot, Thomas Stearns. The Waste Land and Other Poems. New York: Penguin Classics, 1998.Federman, Raymond. Surfiction: Fiction Now and Tomorrow. Athens OH: Swallow Press, 1975.Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.Kafka, Franz. The Trial. Trans. Willa Muir, Edwin Muir. New York: Schocken Books, 1995.Sigg, Eric Whitman. The American T. S. Eliot: A Study of the Early Writings. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1989.Walcutt, Charles Child. American Literary Naturalism, A Divided Stream. Minneapolis: Universi ty of Minnesota Press, 1974.

A heroic Act

It began to rain as he pitched the last mound of soil onto the boy's grave. He let the shovel slip from his hands and fall on the earth beneath his boots. Picking up the boy's bag which he had found with a clay jar that had been smashed into pieces near the boy, he looked at the contents and stared at them for a while, remembering what had occurred which seemed only moments ago†¦The boy’s name was Kaj. He was an orphan. His parents died at the hands of some forest bandits while delivering baby wolf skins to the Pronteran Marketplace. His father used to hunt for their meals, now only he was left to do the job for himself and his little sister, Chala.A small bag hung across the skinny lad’s shoulder as he walked across the forest clearing. He knelt by the river and opened his bag. A look of sadness showed on his face as he looked at what he would be bringing home for supper, a few small carrots he had found in a rabbit’s hole, some herbs he gathered from plant s, and an apple.He took out the only other item in the bag, a clay jar. He filled up the jar with water from the pool before bending down to take a drink himself. Carrying the jar in one hand while slipping the bag across the other hand’s shoulder, Kaj stood up and proceeded on his way. Preoccupied with his burden both on his hands and in his heart, the boy failed to notice a thin, dry piece of wood that was lying on his path.CRACK!The sound of the branch breaking beneath his bare foot was more audible than what would have been normal. It was a terrifying shout that commanded ancient powers into reality. As the old forest saying went, â€Å"It is bad luck to step on dead branches†.â€Å"The boy is not a match for you, as you are not one for me.† The knight’s voice was calm and stern, â€Å"Come on, I’ve been itching for a fight.†A burst of steam came out of each of the horned figure’s huge, ringed nostrils. With eyes of livid anger it raised its sight above the figure of the frightened child and looked straight in the eyes of the armored warrior on top of a heavily feathered PecoPeco.â€Å"You will die today, insolent meatling!† It growled ferociously, slapping the form of Kaj away with the back of its massive left hand to make room as he slowly walked towards Blueberry.As the distance between them shortened, the minorous charged at the knight. Blueberry stood defiant as the huge creature lunged at him with its great hammer. In a rush of anger and fury, the hammer smashed against the side of the knight, drawing a brief smile from the creature’s face which almost instantly changed to a look of fear and disbelief as it saw Blueberry’s great steel shield holding the blow of it’s hammer without so much as a dent.The sudden shock of the minorous prevented it from seeing its opponents other hand pierce a frost-tipped spear through the armor of its hide and passed its brutish heart. The knig ht’s weapon continued its assault, pushing through every sinew until its tip emerged from the creature’s back, burying the entire arm of its wielder with its shaft deep in minorous flesh.With the minorous hanging lifeless at the length of his ice pike, Blueberry withdrew his weapon from the creature, letting the brute fall heavily on the bloodstained grass. Pandora sat down at her master’s whim, as the knight’s free hand reached for the ring between the dead creature’s nostrils and pulled it out.Blueberry looked at the dull silvered piece of jewelry for an instant before throwing it at the direction of the still prostrate form of the boy.â€Å"You can stand up now. You might want to sell that thing in Prontera.† he called out.

Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Darcy

Reading is my hobby. Even before the movie â€Å"The Jane Austen Book Club† came out in theaters, I was reading all of Austen’s novels! I am all of the characters she portrays in her books, weaving my present life situation into each storyline! My love of reading began when I first picked up one of the Nancy Drew mysteries. I think I have read every one of them, plus a lot of the Hardy Boys books (after all, Ned is Nancy’s boyfriend). I thought Nancy had the best life in the world, and I wanted to be just like her, helping her solve all of those mysteries, and to be fearless, just as Nancy was fearless!If you are as passionate about reading as I am, then you know the excitement it brings when you curl up on the sofa with a good book, especially written by Jane Austen! Can you imagine reading â€Å"Sense and Sensibility† or â€Å"Pride and Prejudice,† bringing characters to life reminiscent of Lizzie, Jane, and Mr. Darcy? What fun it would be for you and I to start our own â€Å"book club† and share the same hobby together! Not only would we get the chance to hear each other’s synopsis on what we were reading at the moment, but we could share each other’s company as well!Socialization and conversation all rolled up into our one hobby; reading. There are so many benefits to reading. Reading expands your thinking, especially if you are someone who lacks the means for anything but the essentials of life. Books can export you anywhere in the space of a chapter, using only your imagination! Did you read â€Å"Mansfield Park† and imagine yourself in the tiny, dirty room that Fanny and her family shared before she was taken to Mansfield Park at the request of her mother?How do you think Fanny felt amidst the richness and beauty of that magnificent mansion? How do you think she felt about her rich, gloating aunt and uncle? Reading can be a real confidence builder, enhancing self-esteem in one’s eyes a s well as the eyes of others. Suppose you were at a dinner party and a subject comes up from a book you just finished? What a boost to your ego to think that you are in a position to take part in this casual conversation because you are well versed. Reading begets knowledge and knowledge begets notice! Reading enhances your ability to focus.You are bending the brain to your will, concentrating on the activities and characters in the chapter at hand. I often find myself daydreaming about my book long after I have put it down. I rehearse in my head the next plot in light of the story I have read so far. Will Lizzie get Mr. Darcy? Will she have Mr. Darcy? We have to wait and see! I think readers can learn diversity and acceptance of other cultures from books. Reading dissolves the fear one might feel from an unknown subject by exposing oneself to another person’s perspective.I work in the International Center at a local college. Three years ago we had a group of ten young Egypti an students come to study on a Fulbright scholarship referred to as the â€Å"Egypt Initiative. † Their culture is so different from ours that I thought it helpful to take a humanities class in world religions. I finished the class before the students arrived, and I was very happy I did. I was in procession of knowledge that I otherwise might not have acquired if not for this event. It proved to be very useful in understanding their behavior.I think we can be inspired to accomplish more in life by reading a brief story line written by the author in the introduction, or just inside the flap of the book cover. There are so many positive reasons for making reading your hobby. Reading brings the satisfaction of accomplishment, knowledge, wisdom, and sometimes spiritual growth, and what more can you ask from a hobby? It is sad how reading is getting lost in today’s technological society. Our world is changing exponentially. There is little chance for conversation out in pub lic.People are so rushed for time they barely notice you walk by! Society is becoming totally disconnected from each other. People are consistently staring at their iPhones, iPads, and Androids; checking their Facebook, text messages, apps, and emails! I am afraid the art of book reading will soon become a myth told only by the few people left on earth who were fortunate to have a grandmother telling them a story about their great grandmother reading them a book as a child. Let’s us be that grandmother!