Advantages of Brands

A strong brand offers many advantages for marketers including: Brands provide multiple sensory stimuli to enhance customer recognition. For example, a brand can be visually recognizable from its packaging, logo, shape, etc. It can also be recognizable via sound, such as hearing the name on a radio advertisement or talking with someone who mentions the product. Customers who are frequent and enthusiastic purchasers of a particular brand are likely to become Brand Loyal. Cultivating brand loyalty among customers is the ultimate reward for successful marketers since these customers are far less likely to be enticed to switch to other brands compared to non-loyal customers. Well-developed and promoted brands make product positioning efforts more effective. The result is that upon exposure to a brand (e. g. , hearing it, seeing it) customers conjure up mental images or feelings of the benefits they receive from using that brand. The reverse is even better. When customers associate benefits with a particular brand, the brand may have attained a significant competitive advantage. In these situations the customer who recognizes he needs a solution to a problem (e. g. , needs to bleach clothes) may automatically think of one brand that offers the solution to the problem (e. g. , Clorox). This â€Å"benefit = brand† association provides a significant advantage for the brand that the customer associates with the benefit sought. Firms that establish a successful brand can extend the brand by adding new products under the same â€Å"family† brand. Such branding may allow companies to introduce new products more easily since the brand is already recognized within the market. Strong brands can lead to financial advantages through the concept of Brand Equity in which the brand itself becomes valuable. Such gains can be realized through the out-right sale of a brand or through licensing arrangements. For example, Company A may have a well-recognized brand (Brand X) within a market but for some reason they are looking to concentrate their efforts in other markets. Company B is looking to enter the same market as Brand X. If circumstances are right Company A could sell to Company B the rights to use the Brand X name without selling any other part of the company. That is, Company A simply sells the legal rights to the Brand X name but retains all other parts of Brand X, such as the production facilities and employees. In cases of well developed brands such a transaction may carry a very large price tag. Thus, through strong branding efforts Company A achieves a large financial gain by simply signing over the rights to the name. But why would Company B seek to purchase a brand for such a high price tag? Because by buying the brand Company B has already achieved an important marketing goal – building awareness within the target market. The fact the market is already be familiar with the brand allows the Company B to concentrate on other marketing decisions. We provide more detail on branding in the Managing Products tutorial with a special emphasis on the strategies marketers follow in order to build a strong brand.

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 16~17

Chapter Sixteen Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: Completely Fucked Servant of the Vampyre Flood OMFG-WOOT! I have failed, left my duty undone, like so much dog poop on the gloaming sidewalk of the tragedy that is my life. Even as I sit here at the Metreon Starbucks, writing this, the froth slaves seem to move like silver-eyed zombies and my nonfat, soy Amaretto Mochaccino has gone as bitter as snake bile. (Which is like the bitterest bile you can get.) If there wasn't a totally hot guy two tables away, acting like he doesn't notice me, I would weep – but real tears make your mascara run, so I'm staying chilly in my despair. Your loss, cute guy, for I have been chosen. Suffer, bitch! I had to leave Lord Flood to his own devices last night, but before I left, I confessed my undying love for him. I am a hopeless hose beast. All I had to do was say good-bye, but no, I just barked it out. It's like he has this power over me – like I have an eating disorder and he's a package of Oreo Double Stuff cookies. (I don't have an eating disorder, I'm just skinny because I enjoy eating mass quantities and then yakking it back up. It's not a body-image problem. I think my system has always wanted to live on a liquid diet, and until I'm brought into my Dark Lord's loving embrace, then it's Starbucks for me.) I have been trying to call my Dark Lord and the Countess all day on their cells, but I kept getting voice mail. Well, duh – they're vampires. They won't be answering the phone. I'm such a tard sometimes. So I went to the old loft early this morning, in fact even before dawn. I should be, like, made a Bronte sister for coming up with a story to get out of the house that early, but I wanted to talk to the master before his slumber. Thing was, the scary drunk guy and his huge cat were gone, but so were my master and the Countess. Everything had been moved except the statue of the turtle and the Countess. So I rolled out, headed for the new loft I rented, when I spotted two cops sitting in a POS brown car. I knew they were vampyre hunters right away. It must be the master's dark powers rubbing off on me. There was a big fat gay cop and a sharp-faced Hispano-cop. So I was like, â€Å"Could you guys look any more like cops?† And they were like, â€Å"Move along, little lady.† So I was forced to point out to them that they were not the boss of me and then I proceeded to humiliate them by verbally bitch-slapping them until they cried. What is it about the crusties? Their minds work so slowly that you have to, like, prompt them to stand up so you can slap them again until they faint like the little wuss-bags that they are. I never want to be crusty. And I won't be, because my Lord will bring me into the fold and I shall stalk the night for eternity, my beauty forever preserved as it is, except I'd like a little bigger boobs. Anyway, I wandered around on Market Street and up in Union Square to give the cops enough time to slink off to lick their wounds, then I returned to the master's street to check the new loft. This time there was this Asian guy sitting across the street in a Honda, looking all Manga-cool, but it was obvious that he was watching the loft door. He didn't look like a cop, but he was definitely watching, so I stopped and pretended to watch the sculptors work who have the space under the master's old loft. They are these two crusty biker guys, but they do some amazing shit. They'd left the garage door open so I stepped in. They were putting dead chickens on wires and dipping them in silver paint, then hanging them on sticks by the wires. So I was all, â€Å"What the fuck, biker? What are you doing?† And one of them was like, â€Å"It's almost the year of the cock.† And I was all), â€Å"Don't be gross, you crustacious fuck. You pull that thing out and I'll pepper-spray you until you fry.† (You have to be stern with weenie waggers – I've been exposed to on the bus over seventeen times, so I know.) And he was like, â€Å"No, it's the year of the cock in the Chinese zodiac.† Which I knew, of course. â€Å"We're making statues,† said the bigger biker, who was named Frank. (The other one's name was Monk. He didn't talk much, which might explain the name.) So they showed me how they took real dead roosters they bought in Chinatown, ran wires through them to pose them, then dipped them in a thin metallic paint, then put them in this big tank and attached electric clips to them. They pass some current through the clips and the current attracts bronze molecules or something to the metallic paint. It's like instant bronze rooster. I thought about the statue of the Countess upstairs and got a little creeped out. So I'm all, â€Å"You ever do a person?† And they were like, â€Å"No way, that would be wrong. You'd better go now, because we're behind and don't you have school and stuff?† So walking out, I saw the Asian guy checking me out and I was like, â€Å"Hey, it's almost the year of the cock. Shouldn't you be out shopping for one?† He looked really nervous, but he kinda grinned. Then started his car and drove off, but he wants me, I can tell, so he'll be back. I hope he wants me. He was so cute – in that Final Fantasy Thirty-Seven way. What I'm saying is, the Sex Fu is strong with this one. So there was no sign of my Dark Lord or the Countess at the new place. I wonder if they have crawled under the earth in some park and satisfied their perverse desires with each other among the worms and the tree roots. Eww! Oh well, almost dark. I'd better go back to the loft and wait for them. Addendum: The lice shampoo didn't work on my sister. Looks like we might have to shave her head. I'm going to try to talk her into getting a pentagram tattooed on her scalp. I know a guy in the Haight who will do it for free if you verbally abuse him while he's tattooing. More later. Sundown. Jody awoke to pain and the smell of cooking meat. She rolled away from the source of the pain and went crashing through the acoustical ceiling tiles to land in a commercial sink full of dishes and soapy water. A Mexican guy was backing across the dish room crossing himself and invoking saints in Spanish as Jody climbed out of the sink and brushed suds off her jacket and jeans. When she touched the front of her thighs she nearly leapt back through the ceiling the pain was so sharp. â€Å"Mother-fuck-that-hurts!† she said, hopping around on one foot, because that will generally help all manner of pain, regardless of where it's located on the body. Her boot heel clicking against the tiles sounded like a limping flamenco dancer. The dishwasher turned and bolted out of the dish room into the bakery. The bakery. When the alarm on her watch had threatened dawn she ran down the alley checking doors as she went, and the only one she found unlocked led into the stockroom of a bakery. She needed a place to hide where she'd be undisturbed while she slept, and although she considered hiding under a couple of the fifty-pound bags of flour, she had no way of knowing if the bakers would be using them today. She'd already awakened in a morgue once before (when Tommy had frozen her), and finding a rotund necrophiliac morgue attendant rubbing his hands and other bits over her seminaked body while she thawed had soured her to the whole morgue experience. No, she had to find someplace more secluded. One of the bakers had been coming into the stockroom, she could hear his voice and footfalls outside the door. She looked around for somewhere to hide, then spotted the grimy acoustic ceiling tiles suspended above. She leapt onto the pallet of flour, lifted a tile to see that the ceiling was suspended a full four feet below the structural ceiling. Bless old buildings. She grabbed a water pipe, pulled herself through the ceiling, jackknifed her legs up and around the pipe, then used her free hand to pull the ceiling tile back in place, all in less than two seconds. She listened as the man moved around below her, then scooped up one of the big bags of flour and left the room. That was a good call. She checked her watch. Less than a minute before she'd go out. She spotted four pipes running together parallel to the floor. They were slightly warm, which was why she could see them at all in the darkness, but each was two inches around and braced to the ceiling every few feet. They'd hold her. She scrambled over to the pipes, squirmed out of her leather jacket, and put it across the pipes, then lay facedown on top of it. This way, even if one of her legs slipped off, it wouldn't pull her off the pipes. She was trying to wedge the toes of her boots into the gap between the pipes when she went out. The problem was that the pipes weren't used that early in the morning. As the building awoke, hot water began coursing through them, and Jody had been subjected to the heat all day. Her jacket had protected her face and torso, but her thighs had been slow-cooked inside her jeans. She gritted her teeth and bolted through the dish room door into the back room of the bakery. So now it's deserted. Of course, bakers work in the middle of the night and the early morning. At sundown the dishwasher would be the only guy still in the building. She found her way to the stockroom, then out into the alley. She could see the entries to both of their lofts from the end of the alley, and fortunately, no one appeared to be watching from the street. There were lights on in the new loft and she made her way to the door, her legs burning with every step. She listened at the door – did what she thought of as â€Å"reaching out.† If she focused she could almost hear shapes, depending on the ambient noise. There was someone in the loft – she could hear the heartbeat, industrial music playing in headphones, the shuffling of a body – a light body dancing. It was the kid, Abby Normal. Where in the hell was Tommy? He couldn't be far from the loft – the sun had gone down only five minutes ago. Jody pounded on the door, but the shuffling sounds upstairs didn't change rhythm, and she pounded again, this time leaving a dent in the metal door. Fuck, the kid has the headphones cranked and can't hear a thing. Jody shivered, although not because of the cold, but because the hunger was rising in her. Her body telling her she needed to feed so she could heal. She'd only done it once before, and wasn't sure she could pull it off again, but she needed to get into the loft and leave a lockable door intact. She concentrated as the old vampire had taught her, and gradually, she felt herself fading – going to mist. Monet was no longer dressed as the statue guy, no longer in character – not that character, anyway. Now he was the masta-blasta, gansta-rappa, full-ninja-badass and a bag of mothafuckin' chips, bi-yatch – bent on revenge and whatnot. He'd given up midafternoon on making any money and had gone home to remove his makeup and lick his wounds. He'd taken a vicious ass-whuppin' today, even if it was only to his ego. But now he was rolling with his homies, P.J. and Fly, they would put that bronze muthafucka down – if he was still around. If he didn't run away like a little bitch. â€Å"You strapped?† Fly said, adjusting his do-rag as he drove his ten-year-old Honda Civic with rims worth more than the rest of the car. â€Å"Huh?† Monet inquired. â€Å"Do you have a weapon?† Fly said, enunciating all Royal Shakespeare Company precise. â€Å"Oh, yeah.† Monet pulled the Glock out of his waistband and showed it to Fly. â€Å"Nigga, put that shit down,† said P.J., who was in the backseat, wearing a Phat Pharm tracksuit that was four sizes too big for him. â€Å"Sorry,† Monet said, tucking the gun back into the waistband of his jeans. He'd borrowed the Glock – rented it, really – from a real gangsta in Hunter's Point, who needed it back in two hours or he'd charge another twenty-five bucks. Before he gave Monet the gun, he made him swear that no one would be wearing gang colors, so nothing Monet did could come back on him. Monet had made the assurance, then, after P.J. did a Google search for gang colors, they settled on orange do-rags, since no gang seemed to claim that one. â€Å"Highway Safety Posse, yo,† Monet had said. â€Å"Yo, Stone Tangerine Thugs, yo,† suggested Fly. â€Å"Yo, yo, yo, check it out,† said P.J., with enough hand gestures that any deaf person watching would have thought he had ASL Tourette's syndrome. â€Å"Cheesy Goldfish Crew.† â€Å"Yo, dog, that's so stupid it's not stupid,† Monet said. â€Å"Is that good?† asked Fly. â€Å"Yo, dog, get in character.† Fly was a bad actor. They were all in the same acting class. He should have just hired real gangsters to do this. P.J. was probably going to trip over the legs of his track pants and completely ruin their intimidation. â€Å"This is it,† Fly said, pulling off the street, right up onto the sidewalk of the Embarcadero by the Ferry Building. â€Å"That him?† â€Å"That's him,† Monet said. There was no one around but the occasional passing car, but the new statue guy still stood there. â€Å"Remember,† Fly said. â€Å"Walk. Don't run up. Just walk, like you got all the time in the world. Use your sense memories.† â€Å"Right, right, right,† Monet said. He and P.J. got out of the car and quickstepped across the bricks to where the statue guy was running his game. Damn, he was good, didn't even flinch. As he reached the statue guy, Monet raised the Glock and the barrel connected with the statue's forehead. â€Å"Bi-yatch!† There was a dull clank. â€Å"Whoa,† P.J. said. â€Å"Nigga really is a statue.† Monet tapped the statue, three dull clanks. â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"But he got all that money in his shoes,† P.J. said. â€Å"Well, take it, stupid,† Monet said. â€Å"Yo, step off, Monet. I'm not the one that got upstaged by a statue.† â€Å"Shut up,† Monet said. P.J. was grabbing handfuls of bills out of the Big Gulp cups at the statue's feet and shoving them into his pockets. â€Å"Must be a G here, G.† â€Å"Yo,† Monet said. â€Å"Help me get the statue into the car.† P.J. stood and got one shoulder under the statue and tried to lift it, while Monet tucked the gun in his pants and got under the other. They dragged the statue only a couple of feet before they had to set it down and catch their breath. â€Å"Motherfucker heavy,† P.J. said. â€Å"Would you guys come on!† Fly screamed from the car, totally out of character now. â€Å"Fuck this,† Monet said. This whole thing was just too embarrassing. He'd paid rent on the gun, hadn't he? He drew the Glock from his waistband and squeezed one off at the statue. â€Å"Shit,† P.J. said, ducking. â€Å"Are you crazy?† â€Å"Bi-atch need to learn a – † Monet's comment was choked off. P.J. stood up and looked back. There was smoke streaming out of the bullet hole in the statue, and in the second he watched, it had formed into a hand and grabbed Monet by the throat. P.J. turned to run, but something caught the hood of his tracksuit and yanked him back off his feet. He could hear Monet gagging and choking. Then he felt a sharp pain in the side of his neck and he felt suddenly light-headed. The last thing he saw was Fly peeling away in the Honda. Chapter Seventeen Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: Newly Baptized Minion of the Night Bow before me, skeezy mortals, for now I see you for the pathetic little rodents that you are. Scurry before my dazzling darkness, daysters, for I am your mistress, your queen, your goddess – I have been brought into the fold – I am Abigail Von Normal, NOSFERATU, bitches! Sort of. OMG. It was so fucking cool – like coming twice with Skittles and a Coke. I was in the loft, spacing into my jams on my MP3 player. I had downloaded the latest Dead Can Dub CD (Death Boots Badonka Mix) at the Starbucks and it was totally transcendent. I was transported to an ancient Romanian castle, where everyone had done X and was dancing totally chill and sensuous (with perfect hair). I was grinding a free-form booty dance on the armchair – perfecting my dance gestalt – when I saw some smoke coming in under the door. (I can't wait to dance with Jared to this new CD. He's so going to love this move I do. That's what I love about dancing with gay guys. If they get wood during a booty dance, you can just take it as a compliment, not an agenda. Jared said that if I was a guy, he would totally suck my dick. He can be so sweet.) So I pulled out one of my headphones and I was like, â€Å"Whoa, fire in the staircase – sucks to be me.† There's only one exit, so, you know, blackened Abby coming up. But the smoke formed into a pillar, and then it started growing arms and legs. When I saw it had eyes I ran into the bedroom and shut the door. I wasn't trippin' or anything, just totally calm. But it wasn't like when your friends hold your hair while you puke and tell you it's just the drugs and you'll be okay – so I went for the safe thing of locking the door so I could assess the situation. Then the door just ‘splodes into splinters and there's the Countess, totally naked, standing in the doorway with the knob in her hand. And she was totally hot, except that her legs were all fucked up, like they were burned or rotted or something. So I'm all, â€Å"You totally wrecked your deposit.† And the Countess like grabs my hair and pulls me to her and bites my neck, just like that. It didn't really hurt – it was more surprising – like you woke up from getting a root canal to find your dentist going down on you. Well, not exactly like that – more mystical. But still, surprising. (Okay, it hurt, but not as much as the time Lily tried to pierce our nipples with a compass from geometry class and an ice cube. Youch!) She smelled like burning meat, and I tried to push her away, but it was like my limbs were paralyzed or there was a fat guy sitting on me – like I was buried alive or something, just watching it happen. And then I started to get lightheaded and I thought I was going to pass out. That's when the ho dropped me. She goes, â€Å"Go downstairs and get my clothes off the sidewalk. And make coffee.† And I'm like, Wait a minute, I just lost my mortality virginity, shouldn't I get a cigarette and a fucking towel or something? But I just said, â€Å"Okay,† because where the Countess was all burned was healing while I watched, and it was kind of freaking me out to be looking at her naked, burned-up thighs and her totally red pubes anyway. So I went downstairs and just outside the door there was a homeless guy digging through a pile of clothes. Well, really, he was sniffing her panties. And because I don't feel we always do enough to help the homeless, I was like, â€Å"Take them, and tell no one what you witnessed here tonight.† (I was already feeling the superiority of my Nosferatitude, so it only seemed appropriate that I go all noblesse oblige on his ass.) So off he went to sniff the lacy crotch of the undead while I went back upstairs to find coffee filters. So when I get up there the Countess is dressed and hair brushed and she's all, â€Å"Where is Tommy? Have you seen Tommy? Did you talk to those cops? And where's Tommy?† And I was all, â€Å"Countess, begging your pardon and shit, but you need to chill. The vampyre Flood was gone when I got here this morning, and so was that bronze statue from the other side. I thought you guys went off to sleep in the damp womb of your native soil or something.† â€Å"Yuck!† goes the Countess. Then she tightens down all of sudden. â€Å"Make me a cup of coffee, two sugars, and squeeze one of those vials of blood into it – and call us a cab.† And I was like, â€Å"Hey, step off, Countess. I'm one of you and you are not the boss of me and – â€Å" And she said, â€Å"I said for us, didn't I?† So I did her bidding – well, our bidding, really – and we took a cab over to the Marina Safeway, but why we didn't transform into bats and fly is beyond me. Anyway, we were there in ten minutes. But as we start to pull in, the Countess tells the driver to keep going. She was all, â€Å"It's Rivera and Cavuto. This is not good.† The POS brown cop car was parked in front of the store. I was all, â€Å"Cops? Their shit is weak.† She seemed surprised that I knew the cops, but I told her how I had owned them like the little wussy-boys that they are and I could tell that the Countess was feeling pretty good about bringing me into the dark fold of the coven. Then she was all, â€Å"Fucking Clint – he's telling them about Tommy.† But I couldn't even see what she was looking at beyond the big glass front of the Safeway. I guess my powers will develop as time goes on. Five hundred years is a long time to get your vampyre kung fu down. The Countess had the driver drop us at Fort Mason, so we could still see the front of the Safeway, and we stood in the fog like the creatures of the night that we were while we waited for the cops to leave. Then the Countess put her arm around my shoulders and she was all, â€Å"Abby, I'm sorry I, uh, attacked you like that. I was hurt really badly and to heal I needed fresh blood. I wasn't really in control of myself. It won't happen again.† â€Å"No worries,† I told her. â€Å"I'm honored to be promoted. Besides, it was kind of hot.† Which it was, you know, except for the smell of burning flesh and stuff. And she was all, â€Å"Well, thanks for looking out for us.† And I was all, â€Å"Pardon, Countess, but why are we at the Safeway?† Because it's not like we needed groceries. And she was all, â€Å"These guys used to work with Tommy, and one of them knows that he is, uh, one of the children of the night. I think they might know something about where he is now.† Then, over at the Safeway, we saw this goofy-looking guy with frizzy hair and glasses unlock the front door and let the cops out. They got in their car and the frizzy guy locked the front door behind them. â€Å"Showtime,† said the Countess. She zipped up her leather jacket, took a pair of sunglasses out of her jacket pocket, and put them on. She goes, â€Å"Stay back, Abby. I'll be right back.† Then she started across the parking lot toward the Safeway, taking big strides and looking all angel of vengeance, with her red hair flying out behind her, and the lights shining down on her through the fog. I was like, â€Å"Oh shit!† She didn't even slow down. When she got about ten feet from the front window she snatched up one of the steel-reinforced trash cans like it was made of cardboard and flung it through the window. And she just kept walking! Little cubes of safety glass rained down on her and she just walked through the front of the store like she owned it and everyone in it – which she did. Before I even got in the store, she was coming back around the corner, dragging the frizzy-haired guy by the throat. She threw him up against a rack of wine bottles, which shattered, spilling red all over the floor and splattering the registers and stuff. I was all, â€Å"Oh, dog, Countess gonna crack open a forty of whup-ass on you now. Oh, you in the shit now, wigga!† (I am not inclined to use hip-hop vernacular often, but there are times when, like French, it just better expresses the sentiment of the moment.) Just then the whole crowd of guys I'd seen in the limo came running around the corner. The Countess snatched a wine bottle off the rack, and without a second of hesitation, she threw it and it hit the first guy, a tall, hippie-looking guy, right in the middle of the forehead and he went down like he was shot. She goes, â€Å"Back!† and they all headed back around the corner the way they came, except the hippie-looking guy, who was out cold. Then the Countess picked up the guy with glasses by the throat. And even though he was like a foot taller than her, she whipped him around like a rag doll until he was screaming stuff about Satan and Jesus and telling her to get behind him and shit. And the Countess was all, â€Å"Where is Tommy?† And he was all, â€Å"I don't know. I don't know.† And the Countess grabbed him by the hair and held his head steady against the wine rack. Real chilly, she says, â€Å"Clint, I'm going to take your right eye now. Then if you don't tell me where Tommy is, I'm going to take your left. Ready. On three. One†¦ Two†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then he's all, â€Å"I didn't have anything to do with it. She's the spawn of Satan, I told them that.† â€Å"Three!† goes the Countess. â€Å"He's in Lash's apartment on Northpoint. I don't know the number.† And the Countess just yells â€Å"Number?† out to the whole store. And the black guy pops up from behind a display of Cheerios and is all, â€Å"Six ninety-three Northpoint, Apartment 301.† And one of the other guys pulls him back down. Then the Countess is all, â€Å"Thank you. If he's hurt, I'll be back.† And she throws the Clint guy through a rack of Doritos, which exploded their nacho cheesy goodness all over the place. Then she's all, â€Å"Well, that's a nice surprise.† And I'm all, â€Å"That Lord Flood is in an apartment on Northpoint?† â€Å"I didn't think they would really know. I just didn't know where else to start.† â€Å"Probably your senses attuned to Lord Flood's presence over the eons,† I said, like a total tard. And she's all, â€Å"Let's go, Abby.† And I don't know why, I guess because I had like low blood sugar or something from blood loss, but I was like, â€Å"Can I get some gum?† And she was all, â€Å"Sure. Grab some coffee, too. Whole beans. We're almost out.† So I did. And when I caught up with her, she was halfway across the parking lot, headed back toward Ghirardelli Square, and little pieces of safety glass were still shining in her hair and she smiled at me when I caught up and I just couldn't help myself, because that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. Ever! And I was all, â€Å"Countess, I love you.† And she put her arm around me and kissed me on the forehead and goes, â€Å"Let's get Tommy.† I guess I'll start feeling my vampyre powers tomorrow night, but right now I feel like a total fucking loser. But I am so going to rule when school starts again.

Avenida Ninos Heroes

â€Å"Avenida Ninos Heroes† and â€Å"Halls of Montezuma† both pay tribute to the US – Mexico War. Provide a context for each and what they commemorate. During the battle aimed to capture the fortress in Chapultepec Castle, six brave cadets effused to surrender upon the retreat order of General Bravo against the US Forces. These were Juan de la Barrera (lieutenant), Agustin Melgar, Juan Escutia, Vicente Suarez, Francisco Marquez and Fernando Montes de Oca.After the fall his five comrades, Cadet Juan Ecuita wrapped himself with the Mexican flag and jumped off the castle. The US commander in charge paid an honorable salute to the bravery and patriotism portrayed by the soldier. Now, a mural was decorated on the ceiling of the castle showing the patriotism of the six soldiers particularly Ecuita and the Mexican flag, there is also a monument in Chapultepec Park honoring their valor. These cadets are more popularly known in the Mexican history as the as the Los Ninos Heroes or Heroic Cadets.In September 1847, under the command of Army General Winfield Scott, Army Brig. Gen. John Quitman led a pack of 120 handpicked Marines in a historical battle to subdue the Hill of Chapultepec. The Hill of Chapultepec, more popularly referred to as the Halls of Montezuma stood 200 feet high surrounded by a 12-foot wall. The fortress was defended by a total of 400 men, 300 of which were from the Batallon de San Blas under Lieutenant Colonel Felipe Xicotencatl, and roughly 100 more garrison soldiers and the cadets.It took one hour and a half, to suppress the resistance and the American flag fund it way waving up the hill as a sign of victory. Ninety percent of the Marines died in this conquest. And to pay tribute to this distinct heroism, the opening lyrics of the official US Marine’s Hymn, â€Å"†¦. the Halls of Montezuma† was referred her as the Chapultepec Castle. Moreover, the corps included a blood stripe in their blue dress uniform. 2. What is chattel slavery and how was it institutionalized in the British North American colonies?Chattel slavery is the most common type of slavery in the American history. It is characterized by the master’s provision of property and money towards the slave in exchange for service like all sorts of labor and oftentimes sexual servitude. Basically, this social status is inherited to the next cohort, that is, the later generations are expected to do the same, either sold to another master or to serve under the same owner. The history of slavery in America started in 1619 upon the arrival of the Dutch ship, the White Lion in Virginia.It transported African slaves to several British colonies in America. Aside from that it also brought with it indentured servants. Indentured servitude is a form of debt bondage, in this case, in exchange fro the transport of these people across the Atlantic to America, food, clothing, food and other basic necessities; they are to serve a certain em ployer after a period of time usually after 4 to 7 years. The first law enacted towards slavery and established the legality of English slavery in the Caribbean was the Barbadian Slave Code of 1661.Almost 20 years later, South Carolina instituted that a slave is a property, meaning a slave being owned by an individual or group of individual therefore cannot sold from the estate. In 1696t the Barbadian Code was adapted in South Carolina, hence defining the basic guideline for slavery in North America. During this adaptation, the African became chattel slaves from being indentured slaves, giving the enslaver complete ownership of a person.Moreover, in Virginia, government made its own laws against the growing indentured slaves, since some slaves became wealthy farm owners after they are released from servitude. The Virginian Laws, provided that Africans are to be slaves for life and the same status are to be applied to their future progeny. 3. The embryonic federal republic of North A merica was quickly forced to grapple with issues related to citizenship and immigration. Analyze the 1790 Naturalization Act. Naturalization is the procedure wherein people become a citizen of a country they were not born in.On March 26, 1790, the Naturalization Act took affect and it provided several guiding rules on granting natural citizenship for immigrants. Several important highlight of this act was that, citizenship was not to be granted to people who were indentured slaves and to the Indians, in addition to that Blacks are not supposed to be granted citizenship in America. This translates to the notion that every Black who enters American territory was expected to become slaves. This Naturalization Act offered vague definition and translation of the Law.As stated in this Act, every immigrant is required a certain period of time of residence in America before being called a citizen in order to appreciate and evaluate the concept of American Democracy. But this Act itself, pre vented anyone who they termed â€Å"colored† from becoming a citizen adding up to their concept of racial discrimination. This Act therefore became a living example of the racial difference and the wall Law created between the whites and the blacks of African decent. 4.Describe the impact of the invention of the cotton gin on the expansion of American slavery. The cotton gin was devised by Eli Whitney a graduate from Yale University. In his pursuit to pay his debt, he went to Georgia and acquired a job as a private tutor. There, he realized that the southern farmers and farm owners were frantic to find ways to increase their yield and profit in cotton production. The issue on cotton production involved the difficulty to separate the fluffy cotton balls and the seeds which sticks to it much.Catherine Greene, Whitney’s employer persuaded him to find a solution to this problem. Greene provided all possible support needed especially in the financial aspect. The development of the cotton gin doubled the yield for raw cotton every decade after 1800. It also opened the doors for more machinery demands, such as the machines to weave or to spin the cotton, and also for the invention of the steamboat to transport it at an ease. There was a production bloom and massive exportation of cotton occurred between America to England and to New England.Immense cotton production truly brought solution to farmer’s problems and greatly uplifted American economy though trade at that era. But like any other inventions meant to discover resolutions to problems, this also carried changes that worsen the American society. And the most historic is the propagation of slavery. Although the cotton gin, decrease the time and amount of labor needed to separate the cotton and the seed, it extremely increased the need of manpower in the form of slaves t grow and harvest the cotton, especially with the expansion of the area of farmlands.In 1808, approximately 80,000 Africans were imported as slaves and the slave population in the South reached up to an estimated 1/3 of the populace. The invention of the cotton gin therefore required more slaves to work under a more tireless and strict regimen, wherein abuse and mistreatment were hence more common as compared before the rise of production pressures brought about by the cotton gin.

Capital Budgeting Problems Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Capital Budgeting Problems - Article Example Rather than that it is easier to the investment. This is due to the difficulty the future organization face in calculating the future benefits; most organizations normally do not undertake new investments. These judgements can be undertaken if the assets are quantifiable. The benefits attached to the intangibles can only be judged by the educated senior executive of the organizations and investments in such projects can be made on the basis of the beliefs of the organizations heads. The investments in these projects should be formally budgeted on the other hand it is strongly recommended to undertake periodic reviews of the outcomes and benefits attached to these projects. With investment in value delivering projects it is also important to invest in organizational skills and system since they affect the value. Activity Based costing system is used to achieve the organisation's objectives by supporting decision-makers inside the enterprise. Internal decision-makers are employed by the enterprise. These internal decision-makers create and use internal accounting information in order to undertake cost cutting and enhance the business profits (Meigs, Williams, Haka & Bettner, 1999). The development of effective management accounting systems although has played an important part in dealing with the problems discussed above but also it has given rise to the problems of downsizing and cost cutting. There are several factors, which were identified to have influence on the structure of these systems. These include differentiation degree of integration (internal & external) and the configuration of the organisations. Some researchers reveal contextual relationship between the above mentioned factors the management accounting system and information systems. (Daft and Mac intosh 1978; Khandwaila, 1972) Although many theories have been put forward in order to find out the efficient allocation of resources of the organizations but each of them has different drawbacks attached to them. Open theories: Open theories address all the social, psychological and structural factors. According to the open theories organisations are the organisms which take inputs from the environment and give outputs. Open systems undertake the analysis of all the different disciplines and levels. The open theories address all the aspects such as political social and technological extending its scope from other theories, which are confined only at studying the economic consequences. Cybernetics: covers the techniques applications. The cybernetics theories contend goal oriented behaviour and emphasise the change of role of individuals according to the situation. The main drawback of the theory is that it doesn't provide a universal solution and fails to provide specified guidelines for the individuals about their behaviour in different scenarios. (Aney, 1980) Social

Across The Universe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Across The Universe - Essay Example The film is brilliant for its daringness and like the war in Vietnam; the film does not quite stop in the achievement of its goals. It reaches something more powerful in the quest for success. The music that is used in the first part of the film fits well with the story, from a fantastic dancing number, to Lucy when she is gently musing on the potential romance with Jude through singing. At the end of the film, the song morphs into a dance that can be said to be seductive between Jojo and Sadie. This is a brilliant balance of the inherent romance and the song’s darkness (Taymor 1). At the start, of the film, the music that has been used binds well to the situation and what is taking place in the film. Through this, the film highly captures the viewer’s attention. Some may argue that when watching the film, only the actors and the screenplay matter; however, this is not true as proved by this film. Films have to match the message with the background music played to maintain the viewer’s attention and show progress in the movie. A song can also be used to introduce a new theme or emphasize on a current them is a film (Taymor 1). Halfway through this film, the musical numbers get more visually splendid and weirder and the story seems to lose its way. This one effect is attributed to the wrong choice of song. The film writer has to ensure that the theme of the song coincides with the theme that the film is trying to advocate for, if the theme of the song does not correspond with the film’s theme, then the film will lose its way and will not achieve the required goal (Taymor 1). In the film, the actors use songs to emphasize the feelings that they are portraying especially the main casts. At some point when Sadie tells the rest of the band that Lucy is planning on going solo, Jojo intentionally spoils Lucy’s’ opening song.  Ã‚  

Brief report that includes the data, the significance, and the cause Assignment

Brief report that includes the data, the significance, and the cause of the problem - Assignment Example It is clearly shows that there is a high rate of teen pregnancies, about 41%. The rate is very high and alarming and a cause for worry. The data also indicates that most of the teens are not prepared for the pregnancies, as evidenced by the large number of those carrying out abortions. The teens seem not be aware of the dangers of carrying out abortions neither are they informed about ways of preventing teenage pregnancies. The data also displays the general carelessness of the teens. Most of them have had pregnancies before and because they did not want the pregnancy, terminated it. They, however, continue to have risky sexual behaviors and get pregnant again. Some go to the extent of terminating more than one pregnancy. The behavior is sheer carelessness, because they should be able to learn from their previous mistakes. The data also shows there are some who were quite responsible and carried a pregnancy to term. They then have responsible sexual behaviors after that. Majority of teen pregnancies in Canada are a result of socio-economic factors. Most teens while in school put in a lot of effort with hopes of a better future, in either furthering their education or getting good jobs. However, along the way, some get discouraged because they see very few or no opportunities for them in the future and hence see no point in acquiring an education. Such students already have no need for staying in school and therefore opt to get pregnant and eventually drop out of school. They do not see why they should push forward childbearing for school (Bielski, par.10). Another cause of teen pregnancies is little, or no sex education provided to the students. While most of the pregnancies could be because of carelessness, others are purely out of ignorance. Most parents and teachers assume that as the students grow up, they will automatically get the information they need. Acquiring the information is not always the case, as some students are too shy

The Impact of Retail Distribution Review on Aviva Research Paper

The Impact of Retail Distribution Review on Aviva - Research Paper Example As the industry involves customers, financial advisors, and financial service providers, there can be conflicts of interest between customers and financial advisors or company and financial advisors. This is called agency problem which leads failure of customers’ trust on market. Financial regulatory bodies aim to employ certain regulations to resolve these issues. The Financial Services Act had been attempting to realize the retail market of investment and the reason for the failure of customers trust. In order to retain the public confidence and trust the FSA introduced the Retail Distribution Review (Personal Financial Society. 2010). This retail review was launched in June targeting the standard and quality of financial advisory services given to the customer in the financial services industry. Through the RDR, the FAS aims to develop a retail market where customers easily understand the information; the financial firms fairly treat their customers and the customers will have much confidence to invest in the market (CISI. n.d.). The approach has been quite influential to keep the resilience, efficiency and the productivity of the retail investment market. RDR is supposed to modernize the industry by bringing back customer confidence to the market by offering them the best choices to fulfill their pension and savings needs. RDR not only approaches to solve the significant issues influential behind some of the longtime problems, but it also considers the operating procedure of the overall market of retail investments. At the same time, the authority was concerned about the future operational procedures of the retail industry. To maintain a control and authority over the fair operation of the investment retail industry, RDR has considered and modified a number of previous policy initiatives. The modifications and introduction of some new policies have been carried out taking due consideration of all of  the stakeholders’ interests including the practitioners and the consumers’ representatives in this industry.

Age of Enlightenment and How It Affected Art Essay

Age of Enlightenment and How It Affected Art - Essay Example As the paper highlights Painting revolved during this time following the emergence of Rococo art that replaced the then popular baroque art. It was mainly concerned with the emphasis on airy grace and refined pleasures of boudoir and the salon, porcelain and delicate jewelries, artful dances, wooded scenes and women, especially women in the nude. Moreover, rococo painters specialized in other areas like portraiture, displaying aristocratic subjects in their finery, beautified and idealized on their canvas. An example of a rococo painting was that of Watteau Antoine that blended a lot of fantasy with heightened observations of nature. The painting conveyed and portrayed the ease, as well as, the lavishness of French court life. Watteau was succeeded in the painting job by several other Europeans. Jean Fragonard and Francois Boucher were his French successors. There were also Italian painters like Giovanni Tiepolo who also displaying rococo influences. There were some paintings, mainly from England, which lacked rococo frivolity. However, most English painters were influenced by the style; among them were Thomas Gainsborough and Reynolds Joshua. One of the current examples of early painting is the London Street scenes done by one of the English painters, William Hogarth. Another one is Francisco Goyas court portraits existing in Spain. In conclusion, art, as part of science, developed during the enlightenment age. It was facilitated by individuals and the societies which knew the importance artistic works.

Why Steve Jobs was not a leader Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why Steve Jobs was not a leader - Article Example In this case, Jobs did not want to take the personal risk of trusting his staff, and he monitored their every move in the workplace in order to ensure that there were no chances of failure. For Steve Jobs, personal achievements governed the leadership approach that he used. Unlike billionaires like Bill Gates who contribute to numerous charities, Jobs did not have a history of contributing to any charity. In effect, this implies that Jobs looked down on his followers. In addition, Jobs is described as a man who would take credit of other people’s ideas, obsessively controlling, and a tyrant (Williams). This description does not fit a leader who is sensitive to his followers. Finally, Steve Jobs extolled some other behavior that does not qualify him to be an outstanding leader. In this regard, Williams noted that Jobs denied his first daughter paternity in order for his daughter to live on welfare, which is despite his billionaire status. In effect, this indicates that Steve Jobs did not value people more than he valued his money. Simply put, Jobs did not value any other thing in life, but the drive to see his profits and company’s portfolio grow guided his operations, which are not characteristics of an exemplary

Analysis of Global Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysis of Global Governance - Essay Example On the other hand, it has been proved that the decisions of governments on crucial political, social and economic issues may present similarities in countries internationally – a phenomenon observed especially in countries with common social or cultural characteristics. In this way, local political choices may influence the forms of international policies – a trend well developed in areas such as security and governance. The current paper focuses on the critical examination and comparison of two studies focusing on global governance: the study of Held & McGrew (2002) and that of Wilkinson & Hughes (2002); both of these studies refer to the criteria, the characteristics and the implications of global governance. The interpretation of global governance – as given by the above writers – is critically discussed by referring to the actual political and social conditions in the international community. Moreover, the examination of their work led to the assumptio n that global governance can have a long-term impact on various aspects of international political and social framework. In this study, an emphasis is given on the implications of global governance for security – as these implications can be identified in the work of Held et al. (2002) and Wilkinson et al. (2002). It is concluded that the above studies indicate a relationship between global governance and security; however, the level at which this relationship is developed is depended on the grade of acceptance of the relevant schemes by the authorities of each country – which are asked to adopt a specific global governance or security scheme. In order to evaluate the potential differences in the interpretation of global governance as developed by Held et al. (2002) and Wilkinson et al. (2002), it would be necessary to refer primarily to the criteria on which these two studies have been based.  Ã‚  

Major Component Agencies of the Dhs Essay Example for Free

Major Component Agencies of the Dhs Essay This paper will discuss what are the major component agencies of DHS and their primary functions. Major Component Agencies of the DHS Major agencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are; The Directorate for National Protection and Programs, The Science and Technology Directorate, The Office of Health Affairs, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), The Office of Investigations, The Office of Detention and Removal Operations, The Federal Protective Service, The Office of Intelligence, The Office of Intelligence and Analysis, The Office of Operations Coordination, The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, The Transportation Administration (TSA), The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), The Citizenship and Immigration Services, The Coast Guard, and The Secret Service. Their Primary Functions The Directorate for National Protection and Programs has five divisions that work to advance the DHS’s risk-reduction mission. The primary development and research arm of the department belongs to the Science and Technology Directorate. The Office of Health Affairs coordinates all medical activities to ensure appropriate preparation for the response to incidents having medical significance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, administers the National Flood Insurance Program, and prepares the nation for hazards. The CBP prevents terrorists and their weapons from entering the United States. They are responsible for protecting U. S. borders, while simultaneously facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. The largest investigative arm of DHS is ICE. They are responsible for identifying and shutting down vulnerabilities both in the nation’s borders and in economic, infrastructure security, and transportation. The Office of Investigations investigates a wide range of international and domestic activities that violate customs laws and immigration and threatens national security. The department who is ensures the departure from the United States of all illegal aliens through the fair enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws is the Office of Detention and Removal Operations. The Federal Protective Service is responsible for securing, ensuring a safe environment, and policing in which federal agencies can conduct their business at more than 8,800 federal facilities nationwide. Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating strategic and tactical intelligence data belongs to the Office of Intelligence. The Office of Intelligence and Analysis is responsible for using information and intelligence from multiple sources to identify and assess current and future threats to the U. S. The responsibility for monitoring the security of the U. S. on a daily basis and coordinating activities within the department and with governors, law enforcement partners, DHS advisors, and critical infrastructure operators in all fifty states and more than fifty major urban areas nationwide falls under the Office of Operations Coordination. The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office works to enhance the nuclear detection efforts of federal, tribal, states, territorial, and local governments and the private sector and to ensure a coordinated response to such threats. This department protects the nation’s transportation systems. In addition, agents also inspect air carrier operations to the United States, fly air marshal missions, assess security of airports overseas, and training overseas security personnel is TSA. The FLETC provides career–long training to law enforcement professionals to help them fulfill their responsibilities safely and proficiently. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and the establishment of immigration service’s policies and priorities. This department is also consider a military department, which protects the public, the environment, and U. S. economic interests in the nation’s ports, along the coast, on international waters, on its waterways, or in any maritime region as required to support national security. Finally, we have the Secret Service who protects the president and other high-level officials and investigates counterfeiting and other financial crimes, identity theft, computer fraud, including financial institution fraud, and computer-based attacks on our nation’s financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure. Final Thoughts The Department of Homeland Security was activated in January 2003 from the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to help combat terrorism after the September 11 attacks on the United States. An outline is provided of what happened when the DHS was formed. Our lives in the United States as we knew it, has forever been changed since 9-1-1. We still have a long way to go to become more aware and secure, but it is not impossible. There are still many loopholes to tackle, red tape to cut, and the lack of proper equipment and training which still needs to be addressed on a continuous basis. On March 1, 2003, the DHS absorbed the Immigration and Naturalization Service and assumed its duties. By doing this, it divided the enforcement and services functions into two separate and new agencies: ICE and Citizenship and Immigration Services. The investigative divisions and intelligence gathering units of the INS and Customs Service were merged forming Homeland Security Investigations. Additionally, the border enforcement functions of the INS, including the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Customs Service, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service were consolidated into a new agency under DHS: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Creation of DHS, n.d.). References Creation-department-homeland-security, n.d. Retrieved on 1215/2012 from http://www.dhs.gov/creation-department-homeland-security Peak, K. J., 2012. Policing America challenges and best practices. Retrieved on 12/15/2012 from Chapter Two, Pages 44-48.

Focus on Trash Island, Save Our Life Essay Example for Free

Focus on Trash Island, Save Our Life Essay Ignored by humans for decades of years, garbage floating on the ocean has become a trash island. The island consists of plastic bags, cans, tires and other plastic debris. The worse thing is that the trash island is still growing. The seawater in the center of Subtropical Airflow of pacific flows extremely slowly, with the addition of weather patterns, a large amount of garbage gather in this place. Year after year, a trash island has formed, which was called â€Å"the eighth continent†. It consists of four million tons of pelagic plastics, chemical sludge, and other debris, researchers estimate island area may be twice the size of Texas! (Wikipedia.com) The floating debris can absorb organic pollutants from seawater, and then such debris can be ingested by small fish, which are then eaten by larger fish. Many of these fish are then consumed by humans, resulting in their ingestion of toxic chemicals. (Ballard 2004). Therefore, human life will be threatened by this situation. What should be done to reduce the amount of pollution and garbage building up on trash islands? It is undeniable we should take this problem seriously; otherwise humans will be faced with disaster. After realized how urgent we should clean the trash island, humans did a lot of work, try to diminish it. Once it was a project called â€Å"Project Kaisei†, which devoted to study the ways of cleaning up the trash island. According to the material, in 2009, Project Kaisei embarked on its first expedition to the Pacific Patch. There are two vessels in this trip, one is the â€Å"Kaisei†, and the other is the â€Å"New Horizon†. Each research vessel had a crew of scientists and volunteers on board in order to research the effects that might be occurring as a result of the large amounts of floating debris in this area of ocean. Investigation was carried out for material science, toxicity, invasive species, ecosystem impact and new catch methods to develop ways for removing some of the debris in the future in a larger scale.(projectkaisei.org). Similar projects are taken; scientists and government are trying to find ways to recycle plastic wastes. Project Kaisei drawn out a plan to save the ocean, which will raise about 200 million dollars in the next 18 month, then it will clean up more than 400,000 tons of garbage; those garbage can be decomposed as fuel. The Kaisei Project indeed got a good return, basically it clean up part of the island, however, the island is still growing because those factories never stop dumping plastic waste into the ocean. Take the real situation into consideration, I think the best strategy we should do is to avoid the island growing bigger. Charles Moore, who firstly found â€Å"the eighth continent†, said even cost all the countrys financial resources, and killed a large number of wildlife, it is impossible to clean up the whole trash island in the Pacific Ocean. (Earth Island Journal, 2010). The technology may not be advanced so much that we can’t clean up the whole island at present; moreover, the costs have far exceeded the benefits. I believe we should develop the technology firstly and seek out the most effective and economical process to recycle and resolve the trash. On the other hand, we can take other actions to prevent more debris from inflowing the ocean. And the costs will be much lower than cleaning the island up. Unquestionably the garbage island is a serious issue that worth to think. Prevention may not solve the problem once for all, but it can avoid it getting worse. And it is practical and workable, has a chance to be enacted. Government can encourage entrepreneur to develop green industry; policy can be carried out to close those factories which had high pollution productive process. Research and development department has the ability to improve technology, as a result, the discharge of pollutant will be reduced and eliminated. Communities can contribute by lobbying companies to find environmentally safe alternatives to plastic and formulate reusable packaging. â€Å"International treaties prohibiting dumping at sea must also be enforced, such as prohibiting sewage from being allowed to flow into the ocean, or eliminating the use of plastic bags†(Silverman, 2007). Factories can find a way to reduce the discharge of plastic waste, or they can stop dumping the wasted into the ocean; there must be approach to resolve the waste rather than simply discard them to the sea. With all efforts, the trash island will not bigger any more. Beyond this, our individual should stop dumping plastic wastes into the sea. As an article said, about 80% of the debris comes from land, much of which is plastic bags, bottles and other consumer products as wind â€Å"blows plastic rubbish out of littered streets and landfills where it gets into rivers and storm drains before riding the tides and currents out to sea† (Grant, 2009). Some tourists always think the ocean is â€Å"a big trash dustbin†, they enjoy the scenery as well as drop the trash unconsciously. Environmental protection advertisement, public announcement and collection can be made to wake up the awareness of environmental protection from human. Although it’s hard to persuade those factories to close down their pollution business, the policies still need to be put into effect. It is indeed the most helpful approach to prevent the trash island grow up. At the national level in the United States, authorities like the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 do not specifically mention marine debris, but include standards applicable to the control of land based sources of marine debris (Interagency 2008). The most important thing is, such management can heighten human’s awareness of protecting environmental, constant dropping wears the stone, I believe it will lead a right direction. If we can change our habits, the trash island will not grow. â€Å"Ultimately more plastic recycling and wider use of biodegradable materials is the best hope for controlling these garbage patches† (McLendon, 2010). Without global effort, we cannot successfully control the situation and protect the ocean environment; marine animals and human’s life will be at risk. Changes and actions need to be made, thus we can fix the problem and prevent it from occurring again. In conclusion, reduction of sources and international collaboration for cleanup is the most efficient way to reduce the expansion of the trash island. Work Cited Project Kaisei Capturing the Plastic Vortex. Project Kaisei Capturing the Plastic Vortex. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2012. Ballard, K. ―The importance and conservation of Biomes.â€â€" University of California. (2004) Great Pacific Garbage Patch. â€Å"Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch. Captain Charles Moore. Earth Island Journal, Aug. 2009. Web. 05 Dec. 2012. Silverman,J.(2007,September 19).Why is the Worlds Biggest Land fill in the Pacific Ocean Retrieved February13,2012,from HowStuffWorks: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/greatYpacificYgarbageYpatch3.html Grant, R.(2009,April 24).Drowning in plastic: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of France.TheTelegraph . Interagency Report on Marine Debris Sources, Impacts, Strategies and Recommendations. Interagency marine debris coordinating committee (2008) McLendon,R.(2010,February 24).WhatistheGreatPacificGarbagePatch? Retrieve d February 13, 2012,from Mother Nature Network: http://www.mnn.com/earthYmatters/translatingYuncleYsam/stories/whatYisYtheYgreatYpacificYoceanYgarbageYpatch

Realism Relations Political

Realism Relations Political How is classical realism different to neo-realism? Neo-realism is a school of thought in international relations, which has its origins in classical realism which was advanced by writers such as Hans Morgenthau. He believed that states acted only in the pursuit of their self-interests to promote survival. Kenneth Waltz introduced a new approach, through his book, ‘Theory of International Politics, claiming that neo-realism can strengthen the previous paradigm of realism by looking at international relations in a more structural and methodological perspective and as a result, enhanced conclusions can be obtained. Therefore, in order to assess the differences between realism and neo-realism and whether Waltzs neo-realism is an improvement on classical realism, it is firstly important to define both neo-realism and classical realism. It is also important to consider Waltzs perspective in detail and analyse the elements which could be deemed as improvements. Thus, it will be argued that neo-realism is an improvement on classical realism due to its more rigorous scientific approach to international relations. Morgenthau was an international theorist who advocated the paradigm of realism. His theory consists of many principles which he believed gave a more pragmatic approach to international relations compared to the earlier paradigm of idealism. He considers states to be aggressive and power-seeking and that these specific characteristics stem from the imperfect humans from which they are constructed. Additionally, he deems that states are the key actors in international relations and stresses that national interests dominate state behaviour. This poses the question whether states can have interests, but realists like Morgenthau argue that states not only have interests but also behave in accordance with these interests. He further personifies states adding they will continually pursue their self-interests even though it may be detrimental to others. Central to Morgenthaus theory was the concept of power as the dominant goal in international politics and the definition of national interes t in terms of power. He called for recognition of the nature and limits of power and for the use of traditional methods of diplomacy, including compromise. In, ‘Politics Among Nations, Morgenthau outlines his six principles in international relations, with the first of these being that, ‘politics is governed by objective laws which have their root in human nature. These objective laws cannot be changed nor affected over time and human preferences. Therefore, the laws of human nature, tied with an assumption that actors are rational, provide a good framework for the explanation of international relations. His second principle regards the understanding of international politics through the, ‘concept of interest defined as power, and so sets the realm of international politics as autonomous to other spheres of action such as ethics and religion. The third principle in his doctrine focuses on the premise that state power can change but the concept of interest remains constant. The political and cultural situation determines that state power and this objectivity of interest can provide a general starting point in the analysis of international politics. His fourth and fifth principles centre on the need to differentiate between the morality of the state and the individual. He believes that universal moral principles do not guide state behaviour even though that behaviour may have moral and ethical consequences. States are not moral agents, and their actions should be judged solely on the principle of national interest and survival. His final principle concerns the autonomy of the political sphere and its separation from the other spheres of human concern. Morganthau sees man as being pluralistic in nature and the political nature of man must be abstracted from all other aspects of human nature. He says, ‘A man who has nothing but ‘political man would be a beast, and as he considers the concept of interest defined in terms of power this ‘political man, ‘would be completely lacking moral constraints. The realist interpretation of the political man gives primacy to political considerations by defining interest in terms of power in contrast to the ‘economic man who thinks of interest defined as wealth. In the international structure, Morgenthau characterises states acting in a rational fashion because they carry out a cost-benefit analysis before proceeding with any action. In hypothetical terms country ‘A would only invade country ‘B if the benefits were far superior to the costs. He says ‘†¦a rational foreign policy to be good foreign policy; for only rational foreign policy minimizes risks and maximises benefits. Therefore this emphasises states as being unified and rational actors, with respect to the implementation of foreign policy. Furthermore, an additional concept of the classical realist paradigm is the balance of power between states in the international system. States align themselves with other states to form alliances and to feel more secure against the threat of a superpower. This reiterates the need for states to promote, their pre-eminent goal of survival and forming alliances and thus balancing of power ensures this. Alliances are seen by re alists as the paramount method of gaining power as the likelihood of invasion is reduced. Thus, the potential aggressor will have to attack more than one state, thereby in undertaking a cost-benefit analysis; the cost of an attack would outweigh the benefits. Morgenthau argues that states are the real actors in international politics and there is no supreme power or sovereign authority above them. The lack of governance consequently leads to an anarchic structure to the international system, thus creating the rise of insecurity. Initially, states begin with a defensive motive, but are forced to think and somewhat act inherently offensive because of the anarchic structure of the international system. As states are motivated by power and the pursuit of national interest, normally defined in security or military terms, to ensure their own survival the principle of self-help becomes more significant. It emphasises the need to differentiate between the international and domestic political structure. It surmises the domestic political system to be hierarchical, with the central government superior to local and district governments. In contrast, this clearly defined structure is absent in international politics, and therefore anarchy is dominant . In 1979, Kenneth Waltz published, ‘Theory of International Politics, and from this the neo-realist approach to international relations emerged. He sought to develop a more rigorous theory of international politics than earlier realists, like Morgenthau. Waltzs paradigm argues that, ‘classical realism understood the constraints inherent in anarchy but failed to develop a serious account of its structure. He believes the theory had to be defined precisely and in terms drawn from the thinking of the scientific method. Furthermore, he demonstrated how one can distinguish between the unit level and structural elements and then make connections between them. Waltz not only restricted the kind of theory he was producing but also its scope. He argued that there were patterns in the international system which recurs over time and these were products of the system itself, and not of its subsystems. He used this approach to show that the interdependence theory overstated the relianc e of great powers on other states, military power was extremely useful in preserving stability and that great hegemonic powers had a role in overseeing world affairs. Waltz judged there to be two types of system which were possible, hierarchical and anarchical. In the hierarchical system, different kinds of units are organised under a clear line of authority, whereas, ‘International systems are decentralized and anarchic, leading to units being similar in nature even though they may have different capabilities. The scientific approach by neo-realists is a specific aspect of the theory which distinguishes itself from classical realism. Waltz believes in a more methodological approach to the international system as the path to knowledge must originate from observable data from which an effective hypothesis can be made. Also by producing large data, regularities can be found and therefore hypotheses can be tested against further data. Furthermore no prior assumptions can be made, especially in regards to human nature, which opposes Morgenthaus realist paradigm. The data must also be open and explicit, about how it was gathered allowing modern theories to be rejected. Indeed, Waltz was able to produce three criteria to distinguish between the domestic political system and international system, and the first of these is the ordering principle. In agreement with the classical realist paradigm, the anarchic system has lead to a lack of authority and a self-help system. He says, ‘each unit se eks its own good: the result of a number of units simultaneously doing so transcends the motives and aims of the separate units. States are only able to survive if they increase their military capabilities and therefore enhancing the security of it. It is the ordering principle that Waltz believes, leads to states performing identical primary tasks. This very doctrine assumes that states have to defend themselves but in conjunction to this preparation, a ‘spiral of insecurity gives rise to a security dilemma, in the system. When states increase military spending and build up arms, other neighbouring states may feel undermined and threatened, even though the build up was entirely defensive. In believing that states perform the same primary functions, the neighbouring states start to build up their arms. This leads to an arms race as states continually act to restore the balance of power, a race which Waltz argues stops when equilibrium is reached. This corrective mechanism is seen as part of the nature of the system allowing the removal of human nature when describing the power struggle between states. In Waltzs second principle, he emphasises the anarchic structure of the international system which leads to states being independent, separate yet formally still being equal units in the system. Waltz writes, ‘states†¦are not formally differentiated by the functions they perform, therefore due to the anarchical structure of the system, states remain like units. Since each state performs the same tasks, ‘†¦the ends they aspire to are similar. Furthermore, the states recognise its interests must only count on its own resources as they, ‘all do more business at home than abroad. He stresses that it is their ability to accomplish these tasks, which distinguishes states not the actual functions they accomplish. Indeed, due to states performing the same important primary tasks it signifies the inability to differentiate them from on another, yet it is their actual distribution of capabilities which does distinguish them. Waltz states, ‘The structure of a system changes with changes in the distribution of capabilities across the systems units. The distribution, allows the prediction of the balance of power and the comparative power of the states in the system. Waltz argues that states in anarchy prefer the balance of power, as the power of other states is interpreted as aggressive. Neo-realists see the balance of power between great powers always occurring as it is a natural phenomenon in the anarchic system. The actual balance of power implementation of this balance is not done by diplomats, declare neo-realists, rather it is a spontaneous and corrective mechanism. All forms of realism therefore have a number of characteristics that are in common such as emphasis on the importance of the state and political groups, especially the military, and not the individual. They also advocate the continuity of human condition, for Morgenthaus realism this is embodied within human nature, whereas for neo-realism this is centred on anarchy as the ordering principle. In both approaches, anarchy is paramount in the international system and this creates powerful incentives for aggression. Therefore, due to the lack of constraints on states implies that conflict is the natural state of the system. The role of diplomats in both paradigms is to act competitively, but Morgenthau stresses the personification of states with respect to human nature and the pursuit of self-interest, while Waltzs theory is that policies arise in the need to compete for security to be maintained in the system. ‘Neo-realism stresses continuities but it does not deny the existence o f change, as Waltz concedes that militarily change has occurred in the international system yet the fundamental organising principle has not. Despite their differences over the question of co-operation in the international system, both neo-realists and realists both construct upon assumptions that the main units in the international system, explicitly states, are assumed to be self-interested and rational. Furthermore, both theorists have contrary views on stability of the international system. Morgenthau argues that the balance of power in a system is governed by policies of states. However, Waltz contends that, ‘these balances tend to form whether some or all states consciously aim to establish and maintain balance, or whether some or all states aim for universal domination, therefore, he is more interested in the impact of power on state behaviour rather than the opposite. Neo-realism advocates that whether states consciously pursue a balancing policy or not is irrelevant for explaining the probability of peace or war. Furthermore, another debate in system stability is concentrated up polarity, the number of power centres in the system, on the probability of war. Morgenthau advocated the system stability was achievable only through the effects of a multipolar balance of power. This is more stable international order because of, ‘the plenitude of interacting partners mean s that there is a greatly reduced danger of mutually reinforcing antagonism between both states. Individual states will have associations with a great variety of others; their cross-cutting loyalties will tend to reduce hostility expressed toward one particular state or against one particular cause. However, Waltz dismisses this supposition and develops a theory of bipolar stability in which he argues is more stable because, ‘competition in multipolar systems is more complicated than competition in bipolar ones, and as a result, ‘uncertainties about the comparative capabilities of states multiply as numbers grow. The inclusion of only two leading powers allows fewer grey areas in the system, as interests are clearly defined and produce less opportunity for misperceptions. Furthermore, Waltz deems the bipolar system easier to manage, as change can be monitored closely and therefore, the chance of conflict is significantly reduced. This is in contrast to a multipolar syste m where, ‘there is a highly probability in an increase in the number of international conflicts. A bipolar system can have but one antagonism; multipolarity, on the other hand, may have virtually numberless frictions. However, both theories have defects when applying them to the present international system. They both ignore other important actors which are not states, such as multinational companies. Liberal pluralists highlighted the understanding of non-state actors, undermining the state-centric world of realism. Keohane and Nye claimed that world politics was no longer the exclusive preserve of states and that, ‘the growth of transnational organizations has lead to the state-centric paradigm becoming progressively inadequate, therefore a new theory called complex interdependence was introduced to run as an alternative to realism. Additionally, with both theories overemphasising power being defined as having strength in the military, this therefore, dismisses other means of being powerful such as economic and territorial strengths. It is arguable therefore, that neo-realism as propagated by Waltz, is a doctrine that adds and improves on Morgenthaus realist theory. His ability to apply a more scientific and methodological approach allows the theory to be clearly defined and tested. In addition, it responds more accurately to the question of economic theory as Waltz argues that while the growth of wealth maybe infinite, states must stress security to promote its survival. However, Morgenthaus doctrine should not be completely dismissed as Waltz still agrees that states as pursuing self-interests to promote their own survival. Though, to a greater extent it is arguable that Waltzs obligation to include the concept of a corrective mechanism, when portraying the balance of power and the fact that no prior assumptions are made on human nature, underlines a more rigorous and precise approach to international relations. BIBLIOGRAPHY Burchill, Scott Theories of International Relations (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2001) pp. 70-99 Keohane, Robert O. and Nye, Joseph S. Transnational relations and World Politics (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1973) pp. ix-xxix Linklater, Andrew, ‘Neo-Realism in Theory and Practice, in Booth, Ken and Smith, Steve International Relations Theory Today (Cambridge: Polity, 1995) pp. 241-262 Mearsheimer, John ‘Back to the Future: Instability in Europe after the Cold War, International Security, Vol. 15, No. 1, (Summer, 1990) pp. 5-56 Mearsheimer, John ‘The False Promise of International Institutions, International Security, Vol. 19, No. 3, (Winter, 1994-1995) pp. 5-49 Morgenthau, Hans J. Politics among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1955) pp. 3-13, 320-340 Rosecrance, Richard ‘Bipolarity, Multipolarity, and the Future, The Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 10, No. 3, (Autumn, 1996) pp. 314-327 Waltz, Kenneth Theory of International Politics (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1979) pp. 48-57, 110-120 Waltz, Kenneth ‘Structural Realism after the Cold War, International Security, Vol. 25, No. 1, (Summer, 2000) pp. 5-41

Essays --

Introduction From any corner in the world you will be surrounded by propaganda: in the streets, in your house, even when you’re driving. Propaganda appears in many forms but I personally believe it to be the shaping of public beliefs, in which communication is used with the intention of manipulating. In short, propaganda is the art of brainwash. This form of art has been going for many centuries and has played an important role in the history of art, especially during the 20th century in which propaganda was used to persuade people to join the military service or to stand for their countries during wartime. At that time the objective was only one, nowadays there is more than one objective; how does propaganda influence the way 21st century society pre-establishes ideas and makes contradictions within taboos such as tattoos, marijuana and sexuality? By focusing on marijuana it can be noticed that there are several public opinions to it. Some believe it should be legalized as a drug, others think it shouldn’t and others think it should only be consumed for medical benefit. Similarly, tattoos are said to be a â€Å"respectable form of artâ€Å" by some while others state that â€Å"they demonstrate a lack of education and classâ€Å" and that â€Å"once you get a tattoo you put yourself in a lower echelon of societyâ€Å". Media and propaganda encourage us to accept all types of sexuality. Propaganda portrays homosexuals and bisexuals as exhibitors of gender-atypical behaviors. Despite the fact that propaganda has become less stereotyped over time, researchers believe that it hasn’t changed that much over the last ten years. Taboo: Tattoos. Social definition. Tattoos are defined to be â€Å"a permanent mark or design made on the skin by a proc... ...d Elisava in Barcelona respectively, and who wish to remain anonymous, I can determine that my conclusion is valid, as all these factors play a role when pre-establishing ideas and making contradictions. I can also state that it is in fact, a form of manipulation, as it makes the audience pre-establish ideas about certain things and then judge others. However, the students stated that, apparently, this was decreasing with the passing of time, as these taboos are becoming more accepted by first world countries. To conclude, I believe this is a vicious cycle; similar to the story of the chicken and the egg. Which came first? Society has a pre-established idea. Media and mass communication want to sell what the audience wants, so they portray these ideologies, so in turn, society is subconsciously affected by the concepts conveyed, as they are stereotyped...But by who?

Did you say Library Anxiety? - Part One :: Essays Papers

Did you say Library Anxiety? - Part One Most people are familiar with the terms test anxiety, math anxiety, performance anxiety, computer anxiety, or even social anxiety. But mention "library anxiety" and you'll likely get a response similar to, "Library what?" Library anxiety is not a well-known phenomenon, even among librarians. The bulk of research on library anxiety has concentrated on the problem as it applies to university students, but it’s not hard to imagine that it manifests itself in library patrons across the board. Where did this idea come from, how can librarians identify it, what steps can be taken to reduce it and what can the library community learn from it? Although it has been cited in the literature as far back as 1972 , the term library anxiety was first identified in 1986 by Constance A. Mellon. Virtually every article or study on the subject since then has referenced Mellon’s work in this area. Her studies showed that most students felt that other students knew more about library searching than they did and that to ask for help would be to reveal their stupidity. She also found that contact with reference librarians was more effective in alleviating library anxiety than the bibliographic instruction sessions conducted by their teachers. There are other names in the field such as Carol C. Kuhlthau, who found that students’ ability to process information from the aspects of mental, creative and physical locating operations is hampered by their feelings, thoughts, and actions. In 1992, Sharon L. Bostick devised a valid and reliable instrument to measure Mellon’s theory of library anxiety. The basis of her doctoral dissertation, she developed a 43 item, 5 point Likert-format test instrument that defines levels of library anxiety. Her instrument showed that it is possible to identify library anxiety and to measure it quantitatively. She identified five factors that contribute to library anxiety: 1) Affective Barriers; 2) Mechanical Barriers; 3) Comfort with the Library; 4) Knowledge of the Library; and 5) Barriers with staff. "Affective barriers" measures the feelings of adequacy when using the library. As we will see, affective barriers come in to play with all of the other factors, each of which will be described in greater detail. Mechanical Barriers: The ability to locate and use library equipment is hampered by the physical barriers libraries present. Students search for copy machines and upon locating them they learn that they need specific change to use them, or must purchase a copy card.

H.R. 6 (110th): Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 Essays

Introduction Climate change has garnered much attention over the past decade.   Similarly, the cost of energy has become a growing debate.   Ultimately, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 was introduced in response to the growing concerns with climate change as well as the increasing amount of greenhouse gas emissions coupled with increased oil price. These factors brought these issues to the general public’s attention and raised questions regarding the United States’ own energy efficiency and reliance on foreign energy. After the United States declined to ratify the Kyoto protocol, which would have helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we fell behind in standards for clean energy and energy independence through clean alternatives (Meade, 2008). The Energy Independence and Security Act was signed into law on December 19th, 2007 by President Bush (United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2013). The law was meant to promote energy independence within the United States, increase U.S. energy security, increase domestic production of clean renewable fuels, protect consumers, increase energy efficiency and promote research for greenhouse gas capture and storage (EPA, 2010). This bill was a part of the Democratic Party's 100 hour Plan, which was a plan   enacted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi after the Democratic Party took control of the Congress in the 2006 midterm elections (Pelosi, 2006). The Energy Independence and Security Act was originally called the Clean Energy Act of 2007 and was introduced to the House of Representatives by Nick Rahall from West Virginia (Sissine, 2007). Interestingly, Rahall was one of four democrats to oppose the final bill. When the bill was introduced to the Senate it was part ... ...S Report RL33831). Retrieved from website 4/21/2013: http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/104292.pdf Strassel, Kimberly "Some Inconvenient Truths", The Wall Street Journal, October 6, 2007. The Washington Post. (2006) President Bush's State of the Union Address. Politics. Retrieved April 18, 2013 from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/01/31/AR2006013101468.html US Department of Energy. Federal Energy Management Program (2010). Accessed April 21, 2013. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/sustainabilitycrosswalk.pdf US Department of Energy. Alternative Fuels Data Center (2010). Accessed April 21, 2013. http://www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/eisa. US Department of Transportation (2011, April) Summary of Fuel Economy Performance. Accessed May 8, 2013 From: http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/rulemaking/pdf/cafe/2011_Summary_Report.pdf

Opposition to the break with Rome

In my opinion I feel that the views of B and C regarding the enforcement of the reformation differentiate reasonably. Source B suggests that the enforcement was made majorly rapid and describes a lot of the events to take place on the same day, all described as extreme and significant. The execution of Elizabeth Barton, the Nun of Kent helped Henry show what the consequences may have been if more threatening action arose. Along with the execution of the Nun of Kent along with Friars Observants, monks and a secular priest was the highly significant treason act. This was a radical act which gave Henry exceeding power which only added to his enforcement over the reformation. As well as this came the propaganda campaign urging people to side with the Royal Supremacy. Over all B depicts the enforcement of the reformation to be obtrusive, vicious and swift. It is more or less illustrating Henry to have bombarded the public with executions, acts and oaths to make un till his support for the Royal Supremacy seemed strong enough, however from historical evidence this is far from the case. Source C on the other hand describes the enforcement of the reformation to be subtle and over a long period of time. It appears as though over the years it has slowly grown until it finally reached the status of a reformation. It explains that adjustments were made slowly and progressively as to not cause an up roar or major disturbance. This can be said true as the break with Rome lasted over such a long period and involved the activities of Henry gradually stretching the Pope's patience beginning with simple proposals yet building up to his separation with the English Church, his name being erased from the service books and all memory of him as head of the church being removed. The public â€Å"ate their reformation† as it was disguised in pleasant sweet wrappers. Through propaganda the piecemeal reformation was not seen as significant un till the enforcement was solid and there was no questions left to be made. This differs with the views o B in that B describes the reformation to be majorly rested upon â€Å"This day†. Hasty actions which led to the finalized reformation, the final break with Rome, unlike C where support was first gained and power was enforced, like a slow trickling tap it will eventually fill up the bath although it will go unheard and unnoticed. On a level the two sources are similar in that they still both reflect some resilience, and retaliation to the radical changes being enforced. Source B â€Å"God, if it be his pleasure, have mercy on their souls† suggests that there were people who were taking note of Henrys actions and acquiring an opposing view although their statuses did not allow them to disagree with the King publically. C, â€Å"the Conservative people of England would find a wholesale Reformation distasteful† also suggests that if the public would have been more conscious of Henrys full intentions, the laid back manner of the majority of the public would have been much less common. Both the sources seem to propose that the enforcement of the Reformation was purposeful, it was not only Henrys desire for a divorce, and the break with Rome was in Henrys full intentions. I think that although the two sources agree about the reaction to the reformation and the progressive build up of more radical, noticeable movements, they differ on how they deliver the enforcement of the reformation, B depicting it on quick ferocious accounts whereas C reflecting it more as a slow creeping hold over the public. B) I think that overall Henry and Cromwell were very successful in containing the opposition to the beak with Rome, there was very little opposition that actually raised itself and any major threats were dealt with effectively to conclude in Henry with the aid of Cromwell succeeding with the break with Rome. Source A agrees on the terms that Henry and Cromwell successfully obtained opposition. â€Å"I trust that the blessed King† shows the awareness of Henrys actions against the Catholic Pope however the source still supports Henrys â€Å"malice against the bishop of Rome† ad still describes the belief left in the King. This source implies opposition was successfully obtained as the source still shows full support towards Henry. The use of â€Å"bishop of Rome† instead of Pope also highlights the fact that this source sides with Henry and his path towards the break with Rome and the willingness of the source (and writer) to follow his lead. Source C also shows support towards the statement in question B. â€Å"The meal was more manageable† suggests that any opposition did not arise due to Henry and Cromwell's cleverly schemed tactics of feeding implications towards the break with Rome in â€Å"tiny morsels† so that no opposition took notice as there did not appear to be any radical or extreme movements being made which was also likely to of been disguised even more so by the aid of propaganda so highly favoured by Henry and Cromwell. This too diverted the public's attention away from the slowly growing reformation onto less offensive topics.

Detailed Guidance Essay

The key to doing well on this task is detail. Several sections require that you analyze information. This requires that you read carefully, think deeply and show your insight that you gained from the information provided in the case study. A1. Utah Symphony Strengths and Weaknesses When picking out the strengths and weaknesses of symphony there isn ¿t a list to which you can refer. Rather, you will want to read the case study carefully and to use your insight to discover indications of strengths and weaknesses in the data provided in the case. Be sure to cite examples and to address all four required areas including: financial strengths/financial weaknesses & leadership strengths/leadership weaknesses of the symphony. The key will be to think deeply about the facts of the case and to provide insightful responses. When considering financial strengths and weaknesses some items that you might consider include: profitability, stability, capital availability, reliance on revenue streams, fundraising, endowment sizes, expenses structures, policies that effect finances etc. and anything that you believe would affect the finances of the firm in a positive or negative way. When considering leadership strengths and weaknesses your focus should be on the leaders of the symphony, Keith Lockhart. What his strengths that you can make a case would improve is effectiveness as a leader? What are his weaknesses that would lessen his effectiveness as leader? Another thing to consider would be if there are any vacant key positions that would influence the leadership of the organization. Be sure to expound upon each strength and weakness. For a hypothetical example; if I were to indicate that the opera had a profit I would further indicate whether this was a strength because it was significant or I could as easily support that it the profit was so small in relation to its expense structure that the level of profitability was actual a financial weakness.  Now that I had made a general claim I would bring in the numbers from the case study to support my claim and then move on to the next strength or weakness. The key will be to discuss each strength and weakness enough to establish that it is, in fact, a strength or a weakness. A1a. Steps for Utah Symphony Now you ¿ve provided some really good insight in your discussion about weaknesses for the symphony and in doing so you have identified a number of weaknesses. The evaluators will be looking to see that you ¿ve provide recommendations of key steps that Anne can take for each of the weaknesses that you identified in your discussion. Also, with regard to key steps you will want to identify specific actions that Anne can take. For examples if one of the weaknesses is poor fundraising you might suggest that Anne sets aside a period of time each week during which she can employ her fundraising skills to improve fundraising. The recommendations of steps that she can take can be common-sense, basic steps (nothing fancy) but that would be effective in dealing with the weaknesses. A2. Utah Opera Strengths and Weaknesses Review the case study carefully to find examples of the strengths and weaknesses in the financial and leadership aspects of the symphony. Be sure to cite examples and to address all four required areas including: financial strengths/financial weaknesses & leadership strengths/leadership weaknesses. The key will be to think deeply about the facts of the case and to provide insightful responses. When considering financial strengths and weaknesses some items that you might consider include: profitability, stability, capital, liquidity, revenue streams, fundraising, endowment sizes, expenses structures, policies that effect finances etc. When considering leadership strengths and weaknesses your focus should be on Anne Ewers. What are her leadership strengths? What are her strengths that you can make a case for would assist her ability to lead? What are her leadership weaknesses? Does she have any personal liabilities that would  weaken her ability to lead. Be sure to expound upon each strength and weakness. For a hypothetical example; if I were to indicate that the symphony had a profit I would further indicate whether this was a strength because it was significant or I could as easily support that it the profit was so small in relation to its expense structure that the level of profitability was actual a financial weakness. Now that I had made a general claim I would bring in the numbers from the case study to support my claim and then move on to the next strength or weakness. The key will be to discuss each strength and weakness enough to establish that it is, in fact, a strength or a weakness. A2a. Steps for Utah Opera Now you ¿ve provided some good insight in your discussion about weaknesses for the Opera and in doing so you have identified a number of weaknesses. The evaluators will be looking to see that you ¿ve provide recommendations of key steps that Anne can take for each of the weaknesses that you identified in your discussion. Also, with regard to key steps you will want to identify specific actions that Anne can take. For examples if one of the weaknesses is poor fundraising you might suggest that Anne sets aside a period of time each week during which she can employ her fundraising skills to improve fundraising. The recommendations of steps that she can take can be common-sense, basic steps (nothing fancy) but that would be effective in dealing with the weaknesses. A3. Scorecard Aspects Find and download the Balanced Scorecard document given to you in Task Stream. The balanced scorecard is not covered in your book. Look at the book from SkillPort  ¿ Performance Drivers: A Practical Guide to Using the Balanced Scorecard. This is where the template came from. Read chapter 1, 2 and 3 to best understand it.  ¿Compare the information in the current scorecards for each company to the cultures you can discern from the case study. Do you think the scorecards adequately address the strengths and weaknesses? Why or why not? B. Merged Company Balanced Scorecard (Create a Balanced Scorecard for the merged company using the strategic goals. These goals are given to you in the directions for the task (see information above the questions).  ¿Don ¿t just combine the symphony and opera goals, CSF ¿s and measurement.  ¿Use the strategic goals to develop a goal for each of the four aspects. Now, be creative, what should the critical success factors and measurements be?  ¿Make sure to create and include a vision statement and a business model statement (you can use the ones on the symphony and opera balanced scorecards as a model). When creating the goals for the individual sections of the balanced scorecard you will want to create goals that are specific to the section (finance, customer, internal etc.) but that, if achieved, would help the company to achieve the five first-year strategic goals that are identified at the top of the task. C. Merged Company Strengths and Weaknesses The key here is to analyze the company utilizing the balances scorecard as an analytical tool. In earlier sections you had to analyze strengths and weaknesses as you pull them out of the facts of a case study. However, now you have been introduced to a new analytical tool; the balanced scorecard and you will need to analyze each element of the balanced scorecard. You should analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the merged company addressing each section of the scorecard e.g. financial customer, internal process & learning and growth. D. Issues From reading the case study and after reading about change management in Chapter 18 of the Kreitner and Kinicki, discuss an issue in each of the 3 areas (finance, human resources, and customer satisfaction) then include good mitigating steps that Anne could take to prevent the problem.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨D1. Mitigating Actions This section requires that you identify 3 actions that Anne can immediately take to mitigate the three issues you identified above. (You should provide one recommendation for each of the issues that you identified in part D.) You should not only identify, but should also  explain, exactly what Anne should do for each of the three recommendations that you provide. †¨E. In-Text Citations and References in APA Format Every reference that is listed on the Reference list should have been cited in-text in your response. If you did not cite something in-text it should be taken off of this reference list. However, at minimum you should cite the case study and the course textbook and there should be corresponding in-text citations within your response.