Mexico, Central America and the caribbean

The book, Victors and Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico, made use of extracts from an report taken by Bernal Diaz in 1632 regarding the victory of the Spaniards. The book also made use of the statements made by the native Nahua survivors which were collected by Bernardino de Sahagun. The book showed how differences of opinion or biases as well as personal interests could play as a major factor in the interpretation of a particular event. Among the many strong points of the book is the fact that it gave its reader a broad assessment and analysis of the main sources which historians used when describing the events that occurred and the consequences that the conquest of Mexico had entailed.   The fact that Schwartz divided the book into two central sections is proof enough that he considered his readers to be primarily composed of students. The book had been divided into two separate sections, â€Å"Chronology of the Conquest of Tenochtitlan† and a helpful dictionary which tackles terms used by both the Spanish and the Nahua. Mexica is used as a reference to those people who have control of the Tenochititlan before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519. Today’s modern day Mexico had been dominated by the Mexica and that is primarily the reason why the people they have conquered speaks their tongue, Nahuatl thus not all those who speaks the language of Nahuatl can be considered as a Mexica. But there are people living in the South (which we now refer to as Central America) who make use of some Mayan dialects in speaking. The Nahua’s are Native Americans who lives in Central and eastern Mexico. The first part of the book provided us with an introduction of the history of the Mesoamerica during the conquest. It also showed how diverse those Mesoamericans are during that time. Another important thing that the writer of the book considered is how the difference of ethnicity could affect a retelling of a particular history thus the author made use of the primary sources gathered by both Spanish as well as the indigenous people. Schwartz gave an illustration of the coming of the Mexica. He also described how the Mexica build their capital, Tenochtitlan. The book also showed in detail how bitter the relationship of the indigenous people is with their conquerors, the Mexica. It also offered a description of the character of those Spaniards conqueror that inhabited both the Caribbean and the Central America. Schwartz also showed how greatly the Spaniards differ from the Natives especially in recording important events on their history. The latter made use of hieroglyphic texts which are usually accompanied by dance, tales and songs. Schwartz also made it a point to show how different the stories presented by both sides in recounting the events that occurred during the conquest. It is very puzzling how the same event could be recounted differently, dependent on who is the teller of the said event. Schwartz said that the primary reason for this difference is the fact that both sides had their own interests they wish to preserve. Those interests includes a mixture of politics, personal as well as cultural things each side wish to protect. Schwartz analyzed the texts based on the reasons which motivated different writers into writing the event between the indigenous people and the Mexica. He showed some examples on which a particular author made his report not merely because he wants to recount the exact things which happened during that time, but rather because he that author wants to please a certain patron. There are other examples which showed that religion affected the retelling of the said events. It showed that there are people who tried to justify their joining of the conquest in terms of their religion, particularly that of the Roman Catholic Church. On one particular chapter on the book, Schwartz noted that Diaz Del Castillo (one of his primary sources) had made use of other sources on recounting the events which occurred on the massacre of Mexica aristocrats (Things Fall Apart). Another thing Schwartz pointed out is the fact that previous enemies of the Aztecs (Mexica) had written most of the Tlaxacallan accounts and thus these writers had been biased on their retelling because of their yearning for people to view the Mexica as despicable people. I would rather make use of the term conquest in defining the relationship between the Nahua and the Spaniards. I have made use of that particular term because that is exactly what happened between the Spaniards and the Nahua. The Spaniards gained the lands the Nahua previously had by conquering its people and everything that goes within it. I mean they did not acquire the land by buying them, did they? The term cultural exchange may also be appropriate in describing the relationship between the Spaniards and the Nahua because it is very common for the conquerors to make those people they have conquered adapt to their cultures. This is very evident on the fact that the indigenous people have learned the language of their conquerors and they are using it even up to now. This adaptation could occur because of the length of exposure they have had with each other and mostly because of cross-marriages. Also, as conquerors they would want their religion to be known worldwide and thus they have made use of their power in order to make the natives into Christians. One of the primary reasons the Spaniards have in justifying their conquest is to make the word of their God be known to all and thus it is no wonder that they have made use of their power in order to convert the people they have conquered into Christians. However, religion could be just a tactics the conquerors may have employed for some other ulterior motives which could either be gold or glory or a combination of both. As I have said the term conqueror would be more appropriate than the term cultural exchange because the change of culture is more predominant to the conquered rather than to the conquerors. Of course, the native may have had influenced their conquerors in one way or another but most of these conquerors views the indigenous people as inferior and thus they would not want these people to influence them in any way. Thus, it is possible that no real exchange of culture really occurred especially since the change of culture is expected only from the conquered. The Conquest of Mexico City could also be viewed as a war between Spaniards and Spaniards as well as between Natives American and the Native Americans. This is very evident that the recounting of this historical events vary not only between the Spaniards and the Natives, rather the stories of the Spaniards vary even among themselves and same things can be told between the Natives. These differences among themselves may have occurred because of their differences of interests. For the Natives for one, some of them have adapted completely with the terms required by their conquerors and they view their being conquered as a blessing thus they support the Spaniards wherein some Natives do not want the conquerors in their lands and they view the things done by the Spaniards as nothing but abused on the Natives and thus they would recount their tales in such a way that the Spaniards would look like a real villain. To conclude, I think that the book presented both sides of the story well in such a way that the author did his best in order not to pick sides. He recounted the Conquest in a manner which attempted to give his readers a good view to both sides of the parties involved. Thus, all in all, the book is an interesting read and it is very beneficial especially for those who want to gain knowledge about the Conquest of Mexico. Reference: Schwartz, Stuart B. Victors and the Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico (2000). Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000.      

Actual production Essay

The costumes worn by most other characters were further emphasis of the puritan simplicity and attitude that the actors on stage exhibited. â€Å"I felt it was incredibly important that the costumes weren’t too mimsy. Quite often an approach to this play is to go down the puritanical route which is very clean, quite anal and tightly corseted.†. A prime example of this was Elizabeth Proctor, who wore a very plain and tradition grey dress; which in her part was very effective considering the plain and simple manner in which she was presented. Another interesting fact was that both Proctor and Giles were dressed in leather working garments unlike the rest of the onstage characters. This seemed to create a subtle effect that seemed to single them out from everyone else, which was very successful given that both of them shared the common attribute of being two of primary characters who possessed the ‘moral authority’ of the storyline (the other one being Rebecca). One aspect of this production that I genuinely loved was the sheer emphasis of the ‘dramatic irony’ in the storyline. The prime example of this was at the very end of Act One, where the suspicion had reached a maximum and the time had come to try to get to the bottom of things and the interrogation began â€Å"(grasping Abigail) Abigail, it may be that your cousin is dying. Did you call the devil last night?† (p35). This part was the first area which added fuel to the ‘dramatic irony factor’. While Hale was saying these words, he seemed to grasp Abigail in a somewhat ridiculous fashion; as if he was implying something that was almost sexual. Abigail was always presented in this play as a flirtatious character with the typical characteristics of a temptress. â€Å"Give me a word John. A soft word (her concentrated desire destroys his smile)† (p17). However, despite her success in enticing the characters on stage, she was not in any way sexually attractive to any members of the audience. This instantly caused the members of the audience to feel frustrated and ridiculed by the actions of the characters, hence – instantly creating a disapproving impression of Abigail. Most importantly however, it served the function of creating a disagreement between the main characters and the audience and thus distances the spectators from the stage. This in addition to the use of setting mentioned earlier made the audience feel like the ones on the outside. By making us feel like the outsiders, we were almost able to see through the inside. Since generally, outsiders are able to perceive and see through what insiders are too blind and unable to see. Therefore, we all knew exactly what was going on behind the twisted and evil plots of Abigail, while the characters on stage cannot. Ironically enough, this is exactly what Arthur Miller wanted. As mentioned before, we were seeing through his eyes and metaphorically, this was like him seeing through the inhumane regime of McCarthyism while the common citizens of the US were unable to comprehend such things. After the unusual gestures that Hale used, Tituba soon entered the scene. Suddenly, it seemed almost out of nowhere, Abigail appeared to just randomly accuse Tituba of the crimes she herself had probably been guilty of. â€Å"She made me do it! She made Betty do it!† (p35). Even though this type of reaction towards Tituba’s entrance to the scene was already in the stage directions, it was enhanced further by the way Abigail was acted by Sinà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ad Matthews. While she spoke those words, she seemed to choke and stutter through her speech. The audience, who already formed a negative impression of Abigail were obviously highly suspicious of what she was doing and at this point, I felt that she simply was making it up as she went along. I was personally very surprised by the tremendously over exaggerated manner that the actors responded. It created a sense of frustration for the audience when Hale suddenly responded to Abigail’s accusations in the exaggerated way that he did â€Å"Woman, have you enlisted these children for the devil?† (p36). Because Hale was presented so dramatically, it was irritating to see just how gullible and foolish he and other members of the town were. As the scene progressed, the time eventually came where Tituba ‘confessed’ to the charges of witchcraft that were inflicted upon her. â€Å"He say Mr Parris must be kill! Mr Parris no goodly man, and he bid me rise out of my bed and cut your throat!† (p38). As a 21st century audience, we were instantly aware that there was no way that Tituba was telling the truth. While she confessed, Tituba was presented as a frenzied, out-of-control type of character. The way that she overstated her speech made the audience feel that this was like an anticlimax to the huge build-up beforehand (i.e. the constant persuasion Hale used). Once again, Hale’s gullible reaction created a very frustrating feeling for the members of the audience. Eventually, the two ended up on stage in a ridiculous pose that made the audience cringe in disbelief. As ludicrous as the acting was, it created a very positive effect in highlighting the sheer dramatic irony of the play and this was definitely one of the best features of the book that this production managed to achieve. This however also created a somewhat negative effect. Since the dramatic irony was emphasised in a less serious tone, the following event lost the frightening factor to it that Arthur Miller may have wanted to portray. â€Å"I know that its paranoid centre is still pumping out the same darkly attractive warning that it did in the fifties†. I must admit, while reading the text in the very last lines of the first Act â€Å"I saw George Jacobs with the devil, I saw Goody Howe with the devil†¦ etc† (p39-40), I genuinely found the text quite frightening considering how gullible everyone in Salem seemed to be; the idea of all these people possibly being hanged was chilling. However in the actual production of the play, Betty, Abigail and the rest of the cast moved forward towards the front of the platform while it was being pulled back. Their hands were raised in the air while they continued to speak the names of those they accused and they were eventually blanked out from the stage, which appeared almost comedic. On the other hand, the whole striking fear effect is probably not as applicable to the modern day audience as it may have been to an audience of 1953. Arthur Miller’s primary intention for using the fear factor was to relate it to idea that McCarthyism was something to be afraid of. Yet in 2004, McCarthyism is no longer as significant, hence the fear factor within the play was probably eradicated in order to strengthen the effects of other factors.

Answers to Questions in Astronomy Essay Example for Free

Answers to Questions in Astronomy Essay 1. How do astronomers measure the distances to galaxies and how does that allow the sizes, luminosities and masses of galaxies to be determined? A distance indicator is an object within a galaxy that functions as a marker to that galaxy. It may be a Cepheid star, globular cluster, H II region, planetary nebula or supernova. The distance to a galaxy, especially if it is very far away, is approximated by employing the Hubble Law which is expressed as Recession Velocity (Vr) = Hubble’s Constant (H) x distance (d). After obtaining the distance, it is possible to determine diameter through the small angle formula and luminosity from distance and apparent magnitude where both formulas are derived equations (Garber). Meanwhile mass can be estimated in three ways. Rotation curves reveal the calculation of rotational velocities for varying distances from the galactic center so that once distance and velocity are known, mass can be obtained (Garber). Another is through the cluster method which focuses on the motion of a galaxy within a galactic cluster. The size of the galaxy as well as range of velocity determines the total mass of the cluster (Garber). The third is through the velocity dispersion method where the spectra of the galaxy are used to approximate mass. Broad spectral lines indicate high velocity which in turns suggests a large mass (Garber). 2. Discuss how individual stars and the shapes of galaxies are affected by collisions. As a galaxy approaches another in a collision, the gravitational fields of the stars in each of them start to interweave and the resulting powerful tidal forces disturb and radically alter the shape of the galaxy, similar to the manner in which the gravitational pull of the moon causes the tide to rise in regions of the earth nearest to it but magnified a thousand times. A collision initiates the formation of tidal tails, bars or rings and colliding gas clouds produce knots of newly formed blue stars while the nucleus of the galaxy becomes deformed (sciencedaily.com). On the other hand, when stars collide, they merge together as one star that displays unusual brightness and heat relative to age so that they become very prominent in their globular cluster. These stars are referred to as â€Å"blue stragglers†. When stars increase in age and use up their hydrogen, they become cooler, less massive and red in color but through collisions, they obtain extra mass causing them to turn blue (Masters). This permits them to remain longer in the main sequence – the phase in a star’s life where it burns its hydrogen. 3. Explain the differences between the three types of galaxies and what happens to change their shape. An elliptical galaxy is rounded or oval in shape, do not have visible gas and dust or bright, hot stars and consists of population II stars. Elliptical galaxies are also surrounded by globular clusters. A spiral galaxy has a disc component, consists of both populations of stars, exhibits a nucleus and may have arms with differing orientations (Garber). An irregular galaxy does not present a regular pattern and includes new and old stars alike. Galactic interaction, collision and merging, which involve the effects of the gravitational fields of galaxies, are the primary events that change the shape of galaxies. The subsequent structure depends on both the type of the galaxies involved and the directions of their orbits (Keel). Collision, mentioned earlier, may not result in a merger if both galaxies have enough force to continue moving away from each other after the event. Galaxies are said to be interacting when they do not collide but both their gravitational attractions cause distortion and exchange of gas and dust (astro.umd.edu). In interactions that occur at slow speeds and involve galaxies with unequal masses, spiral formations may assume irregular-lenticular shapes (Than). Gases being pulled to the central region, as a result of tidal disturbances, clear away the spiral configuration, leaving behind a disk structure. The most drastic interaction is the merging of two galaxies and occurs when they collide but lose their momentum to slide past one another. Instead, they fall back into each other and unite into one galaxy, losing their original shapes in the process (astro.umd.edu). When a significantly more massive galaxy collides and merges with a smaller one in a type of interaction known as galactic cannibalism, the bigger galaxy does not exhibit a visible change in shape but the less massive galaxy is ripped apart, loses its shape and becomes integrated into the bigger one. Answers to Questions in Astronomy. (2016, Nov 07).

Analyse critically the claim that there is no caste in Sikhism. Draw Essay

Analyse critically the claim that there is no caste in Sikhism. Draw particular reference to the Valmiki and Ravidasi Communi - Essay Example On the other hand, although Guru Nanak emphasized Bhakti or devotion, it was not that of popular Hinduism to a tangible manifestation of the divine, but it was towards a formless God. Similarly, Guru Nanak rejected Hindu beliefs and practices such as the superiority of Brahmins or the Hindu priestly community, and their performance of rituals. Thus, the Sikhs began identifying themselves as a separate and distinctive religious group. Further, the early Sikhs’ requirement for an identity increased with offspring born into the Sikh faith. The Sikh Gurus denounced the practice of Hindu rituals and the prejudice of the Hindu caste system. They readily accepted into their community, the Hindus of lower caste and the â€Å"untouchables†. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the claim that there is no caste system in Sikhism. The Valmiki, Ravidasi and other communities will be examined to determine the truth of the claim. Evolution of the Sikh Religion During the first two hundred years of the evolution of the Sikh religion beginning from the mid-fifteenth century, a line of Gurus or preceptors guided the community. The Mughal empire ruling India at the turn of the seventeenth century perceived the expanding base of the Sikh community as a threat. The consequent tensions between the local administration at Lahore and the Sikhs led to the execution of Guru Arjan (1563-1606), the fifth Sikh Guru. As a result, the Sikh center was moved to the Shivalik hills in the 1630s. The tenth in line, Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), dissolved the position of the personal Guru, and vested the Gurus’ authority both in the Adi Granth or original book of Sikh scripture, as well as in the Panth or community (Mann 2001). An overall, uniform Sikh identity cannot be defined since the Panth has several types of Sikhs including: Punjabi Sikhs, Gora Sikhs, vegetarian/ non-vegetarian Sikhs, Mazhabi Sikhs, Khalsa Sikhs, Non-Khalsa Sikhs, Khalsa Sikhs living with Gurus, and Khalsa Sikhs with particular Sants. According to Takhar (2005: 188), â€Å"the essential core of Sikh identity must be Gurmukh oriented, the characteristics of which would be nam simran or continuously repeating the divine name, and truthful living. These would form the heart of the federal identity of the Panth as a whole, and would not emphasize the Khalsa representation. Thus, Valmikis and Ravidasis â€Å"would not fit into the federation due to their assertion of a non-Sikh identity† (Takhar 2005: 188). The Sikhs meditated on the Name (Nam) or the Truth (Sat) which denoted God’s total being. Through meditation, â€Å"the believer attained unity with God and all notions of duality disappeared as illusory† (Cole & Sambhi 1995: 7). As a result, all differentiation and distinctions based on caste or other concepts were condemned, and idol worship was opposed. Men and women of all social status were taught by Sants who wrote their devotion al poems in the vernacular. Human Gurus were not acknowledged, since God as self-communicating was their Guru. Sikhs express concern at any attempts to associate Guru Nanak with the Sants, because they fear that it would threaten the claim that the message given by God to Guru Nanak was unique. The divine revelation to Guru Nanak was that there is no Hindu and no Muslim; and only the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God was of significance. This reinforced Guru

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example Through the use of good argument construction her position on the energy and environmental needs in America is made clear and consistent with her formal platform stance. Warren’s campaign position where energy and the environment are concerned is based on five different perspectives. Those five perspectives are to improve the economy, to keep families healthy, to protect national security, to address climate change, and to protect and preserve the environment for our children. These arguments are first based upon the emotional aspects of how they relate to the issues of environment and energy. She uses imagery of family, children, and the future to support her beliefs in an attempt to sway her readers about her commitment to family and safety. The ethos that she addresses is the concept of family values in American society as it relates to the issues. Warren has a specific stance on the working class and in her capacity as an advocate for the working class she uses the concept of family values to support her positions on various topics. ... n is for the seat of the Senate that is designated for the state of Massachusetts, it is important to not only address American citizens, but to address the people of the state in which she is running for Senate. Each of her argument points are not only to the American people but also to those in Massachusetts in order to ensure that their specific needs are connected to the greater landscape of the American public. Her role as a Senator will be two-fold as it will be to represent the concerns of the whole nation as well as those of her direct constituency. Creating this connection and speaking to her beliefs as they relate to both entities provides for a convincing argument as to why her beliefs will be beneficial within the context of her role as Senator. The logos that is used in order to create a logic of the discussion is through using examples to prove the claim. Each of the aspects of the reasoning that is used is developed through examples of how her position supports a bette r future in regard to problems that are currently being faced. As an example, she lists under her position of finding clean renewable energy and protecting the environment for the purpose of improving the economy as a means to efficiency, to create jobs, and to protect resources so that they will be sustainable. In addition, she mentions those natural resources that are related to Massachusetts and how her stance supports those resources for the people of the state. A position that supports both the ethos and the logos of her argument in relationship to current expectations in regard to theme, she relates her position on oil production and the need for clean energy to terrorism. Although she does not directly address terrorism, she discusses the issues in relationship to the war in Iraq and

You Are an Entrepreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

You Are an Entrepreneur - Essay Example My business will be referred to as Business Post Enterprise. With the increased demand for information relating to formation and running of enterprises, I realized that my writing hobby can be converted to a business that will involve writing business articles on a magazine that is known as Business Post. In this way, I will be in a position to provide the information that is needed by individuals who intend to venture into small and middle level businesses. Additionally, I am focused at creating advertising spaces that will create an opportunity for the existing and new firms to advertise their products. It is worth to note that with the current cut-throat competition, most firms have turned into extensive advertisement in order to create a strong customer awareness thus increasing their sales. In this regard, my objective is to capture that market segment and provide adequate advertising spaces that will meet the needs of my clients. In order to achieve my goals, I will require a w orkforce that is experienced and adequately motivated. Members of staff will include office administrator, advertising manager, sales executives, messengers, writers, information technology expert, receptionist, driver, an accountant and a cleaner. My duty will be to manage the whole business. The office administrator will oversee the general running of the office as well as the evaluation of the other workers. The advertising manager on the other hand will ensure that orders have properly been acquired by the sales executives, advertisement artworks are received on time, leading the sales executives as well as organizing interviews with the customers. The sales executives will be responsible for contacting the potential clients both the one seeking to advertise and those who need to purchase the magazine copies. Messengers will be responsible for taking the magazines to the customers as well as taking correspondents

Fast food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fast food - Essay Example The contemporary world has seen the emergence of a new consumption behavior where the major aspects include up scaling of lifestyle norms, competition for acquiring goods, and disconnect between the consumer desires and incomes. The modern mode of consumption can be referred to as consumer culture where income and wealth determine what people eat. This is because of â€Å"an up-scaling of lifestyle norms, the pervasiveness of conspicuous, status goods and of competition for acquiring them; and the growing disconnect between consumer desires and incomes† (Schor 412). The major reason behind the fast food problem in the U.S is social comparison or competitive consumption. This implies that individuals strain to consume according to the norms of a specific social group with which they identify. In particular, the lifestyles adopted by the rich and the upper middle class individuals have become a prominent point of reference all through the income distribution. From an economic pe rspective, American neighborhoods are homogenous groupings as opposed to the past when individuals used to compare themselves with other individuals of similar income. Such practices reduced the gap between aspirations and means. The opposite of this is usually known as the upscale emulation, which is prevalent in the modern American society. The problems resulting from such lifestyles are magnified further for the low-income households because their income sources are becoming inadequate and erratic. This is because of employment instability and limitations on welfare payments. Research suggests that this can be resolved through psychological independence. However, this might not be the solution since individuals changed due to structural changes that include decline in social connection, growing impact of social media, and intensification of inequality. Therefore, the solution lays both on practical and psychological dimensions. This

Financial Analysis of Netflix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Analysis of Netflix - Essay Example In 1999, monthly subscriptions model was introduced and the reputation of the firm grew as a flat- fee rental with no due dates and late fee. Netflix has to its credit the personalized movie recommendation system which suggests choices to users based on their previous purchases. Also mentionable is the fact that Netflix user base has increased every year from the date its conception by over 50% from past years till 2005. After 2005, the number of subscribers continued to increase but at lower rates. (Netflix, 2012) Netflix also partnered with certain electronics companies to make streaming possible on the PS3, TVs with internet connections, Xbox 360, Apple iPhones, iPads, iPods and other internet connected devices. (Netflix, 2012) Researches showed that in 2011, 61% of the digital video market clintele belongs to Netflix. (Stambar, 2011) in 2011, Netflix is the highest revenue earner in the United States. (Frankel, 2012) This data clearly shows that as of right now, Netflix is a mark et leader. INCOME STATEMENT (Business Week, 2012)    31-Dec-08 31-Dec-09 31-Dec-10 31-Dec-11 Revenues 1,364.70 1,670.30 2,162.60 3,204.60 TOTAL REVENUES 1,364.70 1,670.30 2,162.60 3,204.60 Cost of Goods Sold 910.2 1,079.30 1,357.40 2,039.90 GROSS PROFIT 454.4 591 805.3 1,164.70 Selling General & Admin Expenses 249.4 286.6 358.3 520.6 R&D Expenses 89.9 114.5 163.3 259 Other Operating Expenses -6.3 -- -- -- OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES 332.9 401.2 521.6 779.6 OPERATING INCOME 121.5 189.8 283.6 385.1 Interest Expense -2.5 -6.5 -19.6 -20 Interest and Investment Income 9.2 4.8 2.7 2.8 NET INTEREST EXPENSE 6.7 -1.6 -16.9 -17.2 Other Non-Operating Income 0.1 -- -- -- EBT, EXCLUDING UNUSUAL ITEMS 128.4 188.2 266.7 367.8 Gain (Loss) on Sale of Investments 3.1 1.9 1 0.7 Other Unusual Items, Total -- 2.1 -- -9 Legal Settlements -- 2.1 -- -9 EBT, INCLUDING UNUSUAL ITEMS 131.5 192.2 267.7 359.5 Income Tax Expense 48.5 76.3 106.8 133.4 Earnings from Continuing Operations 83 115.9 160.9 226.1 NET IN COME 83 115.9 160.9 226.1 Talking about the income statement of Netflix, the trend of revenues has certainly taken a great boost since 2006 from 1365 million dollars to 3205 million dollars in 2011. Growth in revenue certainly is a positive sign for any company. Netflix has achieved huge numbers during the four years. The cost of sales has also risen but looking at the overall gross profit margin, we see a rising trend. Expanses look pretty much under control and would not had been a point of concern for Netflix. The change in the income statement which was very obvious was the interest charges which rose by big number from (1.6) in the year 2008 to (16.9) in 2010 and (20) in 2011. This means that Netflix has taken huge amount of loans in 2010 and have retained them in 2011 as well. In the income statement, we can also see that the investment’s income earned has also decreased since 2006. This means that Netflix have taken out all the investments it had made outside its compa ny. Net income also shows a positive growing trend. From the income statement, we can say that Netflix is growing and has profitable numbers. BALANCE SHEET (Business Week, 2012)    31-Dec 31-Dec 31-Dec 31-Dec Currency in Millions of US$ 2008 2009 2010 2011 Assets             Cash and Equivalents 139.9 134.2 194.5 508.1 Short-Term Investments 157.4 186 155.9 289.8 TOTAL CASH AND SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS 297.3 320.2 350.4 797.8 Prepaid Expenses 26.5 26.7 62.2 56 Deferred Tax Assets, Current -- -- 2.2 10 Restricted

Analyze Thyself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze Thyself - Essay Example This essay aims to provide philosophical depth on the fashion industry, notably the ethics incorporated in the trade. The fashion industry has come in handy in adding zest to the lives of human beings and as noted by the iconic Oscar De La Renta, fashion is great, for it routinely looks forward. That notwithstanding, it is imperative for the society to take into consideration some of the ethical concerns that have been raised overtime. Most of the raw materials used in the fashion industry originate from plant and animal textile (Paulins et al 318). The herbicides used in the spraying of cotton for example, are known to cause substantial damage to the environment in terms of air, soil and water pollution. Additionally it affects the health of the workers who take part in the production of cotton as well as those of the families that reside around the plant textile fields. Henry David Thoreau once attested that it is useless to construct a fine house if there is no tolerable planet to put it on. For that reason, it is far-reaching for the industry players to embrace ethical production measures; as s uch an approach would come in handy in making certain that the future generations find their stay on earth interesting. Animal cruelty is another issue that has faced the fashion industry for a considerable duration. In as much as consumers celebrate fur products for their stylishness and their outstanding nature, human and animal activists have raised concerns over the extent to which several animals experience brutality during animal trapping and extraction of fur, leather and wool. Presently, consumer knowledge drives most of the customers to be associated with products that take into consideration most of the factors that matter in an environment (Paulins et al 322). To that effect, the industry players should work towards making sure that they understand the demands of their client base through market

Planning for Emergencies and Disasters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Planning for Emergencies and Disasters - Essay Example There are many protocols which the emergency services use in dealing with an emergency, which usually start with planning before an emergency occurs. The planning phase starts at preparedness, where the group decide on how they will respond to a given incident or set of circumstances. Following an emergency, the groups then move to a response phase, where they execute their plans, and may end up improvising some areas of their response. Groups may then be involved in recovery following the incident, where they assist in the clear up from the incident, or help the people involved overcome their mental trauma. The final phase in the circle is mitigation which involves taking steps to ensure that no re-occurrence is possible, or putting additional plans in place to ensure less damage is done. This should feed back in to the preparedness stage, with updated plans in place to deal with future emergencies, thus completing the circle. In the event of a major incident, such as civil unrest or a major disaster, many governments maintain the right to declare a state of emergency, which gives them extensive powers over the daily lives of their citizens. If this happens, the safety of the people always comes as the first priority of the state. They should ensure the flow of the people from where the disaster has struck and to ensure that proper safekeeping and provisions were given to the inconvenienced parties. In cases wherein difficult decisions are to be made, the state should always follow one rule.

The Home Front Letter Essay Example for Free

The Home Front Letter Essay How have you been? This War has everyone really going. The War will be over in a matter of months and our lives will back to normal. However, I am quite annoyed, just like most of my neighbours and colleagues, about the DORA. It has restricted the way we live. For example, we can no longer feed the dog. The news these days is just totally intolerable. Most of the news has to be censored, so how is one supposed to find out what is going on around the country. Those Germans are hated by every single Briton in this country. You should see some of the things they do. There are posters of Germans killing innocent babies and children for fun and raping women. It is just so inhuman. Recently, they have started sending in huge airships and bombing many of the large cities, including London. This has just got to end some time soon! My son, George, has also joined the army. My family and I are so proud of him. I feel that he will make a big difference to the war, just like the many other men that have joined. This whole war will blow over in the next few months. I dont think those Germans will last long at all. Take care of yourself. Yours sincerely, John.

The Glass Menagerie Essay Example for Free

The Glass Menagerie Essay Throughout â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† Tennessee Williams creates an intricate dynamic between the three main characters, as well as symbols and symbolic language in order to exemplify the fragility of livelihood. Without a single one of the members of the Wingfield family the other’s lives would be dramatically different. Much as the collection of glass menagerie would not be the same collection without one of its pieces. As many collectors know the presence or absence of one item can drastically change the value of the whole collection. So also is a family unit, as one member affects the others, they form an identity they become accustomed to and often cling to. Amanda exemplifies how vital it is that a family unit stay loyal. After Mr. Wingfield disappeared her life has become a constant struggle in order to survive, a far cry from the Blue Mountain setting she idolizes in her past. Amanda symbolizes a downfall, but she also symbolizes drive for her children, encouraging Laura to blossom into something that they can both be proud of and encouraging Tom to keep his job and support his family until they can fend for themselves at least. Laura symbolizes fear and instability through the first five acts. She failed out of her class, that was a hope for a better future, because of her fear and doesn’t let herself actually try to engage in social interactions for fear that she will be inadequate in another’s eyes. Without Laura to feel sorry for and take care of Tom most likely would have left Amanda on her own in Mr. Wingfield’s footsteps a long time ago. Tom represents unrest and boredom, but he also provides the money and stability for the family to keep living in its present state. Though Tom is uneasy he still gets up in the morning and performs his duties knowing that he is a key member of their family unit, or the most valuable piece in the collection. When Tom and Amanda’s fight breaks some of the pieces of the Glass menagerie it symbolizes the breaking of a family unit, making it less valuable. As the pieces are easy to break so is the bond that holds the  family together as Mr. Wingfield showed how easy it was to separate this bond. As Tom distances himself the strength of the bond becomes less and less strong and it is only a matter of time before it breaks if it is not mended.

Introduction Of The Smartphone

Introduction Of The Smartphone The first ever cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper on April 3rd, 1973, that was only for two pounds. The height of that phone was 10 inches, depth 3 inches and the width an inch and a half (Motorcity, 2003). At that time it was the only way to communicate with each other. And at that time it was not available to the general population and it was used for the first time only businesses and government. In 1992, the first Smartphone invented by IBM, known as a Simon Smartphone. This was a big breakthrough in the field of technology and for the requirements of people. Because people want to connect with each other with in a small period of time. It becomes possible to send messages and sending email to each other with the help of Smartphone. To understand that one technological device could change culture of customer, style of living and the whole society. After the invention of Smartphone a sudden change came into being in the human life and finds the way to go ahead in the field of technology. It is not possible to find anyone without smart phone. The smart phone is very essential device because of this you can talk to your clients, family members and colleagues. In other words a smart phone is also known as Personal Computer (PC) with advanced capabilities and functionality. The Importance of Smartphone When discussing the topic of new media the importance of networks are very essential. With the help of networks the whole world is connected with each other. And this is the easiest way to connect with your family members, friends and clients. When someone is going to purchase a cell phone he will think about the service of his area, the size of the phone, about the price of the phone then you have to make a decision to purchase a phone. If consumer purchases a smartphone he will be very happy with the functions of smartphone than any other in the market. IT professionals are tasked with developing more applications for smartphones as worldwide consumption continues to grow in 2010 and beyond. When technology professionals design web-based and computer-based applications, they should consider compatibility with smartphones and other mobile devices. Many webmasters already create web content with mobile users in mind. For example, the Internet giant Yahoo! offers a Mobile Web for phones like the Blackberry and iPhone. Role of Social Media Social media is playing a vital role in the success of martphones, because of social media its possible to share data, videos, pictures, and other tasks. Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are the example of social media. Social media and smartphones means to connect more and more people online even on mobile. Operating System of Smartphone In 2010 the market of smartphone operating system changed. For customer and businessmen the impoetance of smartphone is very essential. Because without smartphone its not possible to keep in cotact with each other, with clients and with family members and friends. Key features of Smartphone: Wi-Fi With the help of this feature you can connect wireless internet connection. Using Wi-Fi the speed of internet will be very high. Push Notification By push notification we mean that you can receive messages, emails and you do not need to log in to check your account. Social Networking Social Networking means those websites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter by which we can communicate with each other individually and as well as groups and also can share photos, videos and album. QWERTY Keyboard QWERTY keyboard is the layout and this keyboard allows you to search and browse the internet and send emails and text. One may see a smartphone as one that offers a complete keyboard with internet and email functionality, and some may only view a smart phone as a phone with a full operating system (OS) and applications. A smartphone is a full-featured mobile phone that comes equipped with the personal computer like functionality. So it is the most efficient way of being mobile and carrying your office with you. Most of these phonescome with a camera that supports email capabilities and serves as a complete personal organizer. This is true that the smartphones are the helping hand of the several businessmens. Because of the technological features of mobile phones these are called smart phone. In these days smartphone is a basic demand of every businessman and company. By latest technology it includes to share his idea with their partners and colleagues. With the help of smart phone we can watch live match if you are somewhere else it does not matter, breaking news. We can get help from smart phone like human bodies. In next five years change will take place suddenly in smartphones. If we study last few years about phones we will understand that how quickly changes occurred from time to time, therefore in next few years the improvement in technology will take place. PC Replacements The basic change in smartphones in next few years will occur that it starts working like laptops. It means that in future those people who have smartphones they do not need to buy laptops and personal computers. So smartphones will replace PC in next five years. Joined Devices After long time finally its become possible to connect devices with each other like bluetooth in PC and in laptop can connect with smart phones. In next few years it will be possible to know about you that now where are you and what do you want to do because of smart phones. Smart phones will become a single device in next few years yes it is true because the smart phones are moving in a straight forward direction. There are alot of confusion because of the variety of mobiles phone and competency. If you want to have a great mobile than smartphone is the best choice among all. Smartphone is much better than any other mobile phone. If you have smartphone you can move your office with where you want so than you do not need to buy personal computer or laptop because in smartphone there is an operating system like personal computer and laptop, so nowadays most of smartphones are with their camera. Top ten Smartphone iPhone 3GS The iPhone 3GS continues to bring together three incredible products in one A revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod and a breakthrough Internet device with full web browsing and easy e-mail access. HTC Desire HTC have yet again outdone themselves with another superb smartphone, this time in the form of the HTC Desire! Powered by a monstrous 1GHz Snapdragon processor and displayed through a stunning AMOLED 3.7 inch full touchscreen. Samsung Wave The Samsung Wave mobile phone allows for a brighter, clearer and less reflective view with the Super AMOLED 3.3 inch wide display touchscreen. BlackBerry 9700 The BlackBerry 9700 is jam-packed with all the very best Blackberry features including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, HSDPA, full QWERTY keyboard, 3G technology and Push e-mail! BlackBerry 8520 Smart, sleek and classy the Blackberry 8520 Curve is here to entertain, organise and communicate. Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 The first Android mobile phone from Sony Ericsson, the Xperia X10, has a stunning 4 inch touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor and truly next generation features, such as Timescape and Mediascape. Sony EricssonVivaz The Sony Ericsson Vivaz mobile phone is here to deliver high performance, responsive touch control, multimedia, entertainment and connectivity, just how you want it. Memory Cards You can greatly improve the memory of your Smartphone by purchasing a memory card. This allows you to save and store more applications, music, photos, videos and more. Your Smartphone can become a multimedia entertainment centre! The best thing is, you can pick the size (or capacity) of the memory card to suit your needs or budget! Nearly all Smartphones are compatible with MicroSD memory cards and our memory cards range from 2GB to 8GB. Screen Protectors Protect the most expensive part of your smartphone the display, with a screen protector. This essential purchase is cheap but crucial and will greatly improve the protection from chips and scratches on your Smartphones screen. Screen protectors are extremely easy to attach to your Smartphones, and once fixed in place, are virtually unnoticeable. Bluetooth Headsets With a Bluetooth headset you can make and take calls on the move, wherever you are and keep your hands free! Using the Bluetooth connection on your Smartphone, a Bluetooth headset will allow you to talk without needing to hold your phone. This means your Smartphone can be safely stored in your laptop, purse, bag or pocket! Summary Smartphones are playing very vital role in the world. Without smartphines it is not possible to connect with each other even with members of the same organisation. So it is very clear if you have smartphone then it does not matter you can contact with relatives, friends, clients. And you can move your office any where in the world. As discussed above that smartphones have operating system so then you do not need to buy personal computer and laptop. Because the smartphone gives you that work which personal computer and laptop do. In next five years amazing change will occure in smartphones by the improvement of technology. Smartphone will replace personal computer because it has the complete keyboard and many other functions which personal computer has. So it is true that within the next few years smartphones will become the single most important digital device we own. Role of E-commerce in Ebays and Amazons popularity E-commerce is playing very vital role in the popularity of ebay and amazon. Because it is only possible to buy goods online from ebay and amazon. Without electronic commerce its not possible for ebay and amazon to reach at this top level. By the help of e-commerce everyone can buy things online without any problem. So it means that without e-commerce ebay and amazon can not acheive the goals and objectives. E-commerce or electronic commerce means purchasing and selling of goods and services and exchanges on the Internet. On Internet with a big success of ecommerce commonly we can say that it is shopping at World Wide Web. Simply we can say that when we do online shopping it is called ecommerce. Types of E-commerce B2B (Business-to-Business) Business-to-Business means that when company dealing with each other like wholesalers selling to retailers, and manufacturers selling to distributors. In this kind of business customer or client will not be included. B2C (Business-to-Consumer) In this kind of businesses selling is directly to consumer through cart software. C2B (Consumer-to-Business) In C2B business a consumer put his project online and then different organisation study the consumers needs and then try to get that project. And then consumer selects the company that can do the project. C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer) C2C business means that everyone is free to buy and sell from each other by online payment system. Like Amazone and eBay is alive examples of C2C business where alot of transaction take place everyday. Role of 2.0 technologies in Ebays and Amazons popularity Web 2.0 was introduced in 2004 and know as the second generation of the World Wide Web. It does not relate to a particular type of Web. Examples of 2.0 are listed below: Blogs: Blogs means that users can post and upgrade their profile of life on the Web. Wikis: It enables the users from the whole world to update and add online content. Social networking: MySpace and Facebook are the present examples by which people can interact with their friends and update their own profile. Web application: By the help of variety of new applications users can run programs directly in a browser. 1. Making money Of course. Since the first data-scraping and sniping tools well, wait, make that since eBay first opened its APIs to developers, the eBay development ecosystem has grown with the volume of eBay transactions. eBay sellers sold $60B last year, and the 80,000 developers who helped sellers research, list, and service all those transactions also received their cut. 2. Useful technology eBay has some of the greatest technology and data assets on the web. The technology of eBay and PayPal is useful on a massive scale. PayPal has 70 million users. eBay sees 150 million unique visitors per month, and supports 70 million sellers worldwide. The developer community that provides applications for eBay sellers and buyers uses the eBay APIs to drive as much as 60% of eBay transactions. 3. Accessible technology Mark emphasized the importance of mobile applications.The eBay iPhone application is a strong start. It is clear that he believes eBay should make a powerful effort to enable mobile usage. eBay and its third-party developers still need to make some breakthroughs to enable accessibility. 4. Technology adapted to you Today, your cell phone is a communications device, an entertainment center, a mall, and a social network. Tomorrow, it may also be your wallet. Already you can instantly repay a loan to a friend who has a PayPal account. Soon, In-N-Out Burgers may accept PayPal, and you will be able to pay for your burgers at the counter from your cell phone. PayPal is uniquely adaptable for this kind of use, because it is a single global payment network, with end-to-end transaction visibility, good risk protection and fraud detection, integrated with more than 15k banks. PayPal unifies the worlds disparate money systems to enable payments anywhere. The big news in adaptable technology is that the PayPal Developer Program is opening up later in 2009. Third-party developers will use flexible APIs for sending money to create mobile payments applications that will change the way people pay for things. 5. Open platform eBay released a new developer opportunity today.SM Apps lets developers embed seller applications in ebay.com, just as you can embed applications in Facebook. The difference is that with SM Apps developers can make money, charging a one-time fee or using a subscription model for use of their application. Because the SM Apps platform uses the Gadgets specification, applications built for eBay can also operate elsewhere on the web, including on other portal pages. The Selling Manager tool has 270,000 active, paying businesses operating in the U.S. alone. As Mark said, While other platforms are trying to figure out monetization we are set up for you [the developer] to take a cut, and we hope you will. Summary E-commerce and Web 2.0 technologies are the way of popularity of ebay and amazon. Everyone in the world knows about the role of e-commerce and amazon. So in this essay the importance of e-commerce and amazon are discussed in brief. Ebays and amazons popularities are connected with e-commerce and web 2.0 technologies. So it is not possible without e-commerce and web 2.0 technologies that ebay and amazon get popularity. Everyday there are alot of buying and purchasing occurred in daily life and these transaction are increasing day by day, by this we can say that these two are the key factors in the popularity of ebay and amazon.

Star Traveling To The Millennium :: essays research papers fc

Now as we are rapidly approaching the Millenium many people are getting the blues. This seems absurd because this offers all of us a perfect chance to start again. NASA is embracing this chance to grow and expand their departments. The phrase, â€Å"Space, the final frontier,† expresses the world’s obsession with space travel, that started centuries before it even became popular 30 years ago in Gene Roddenberry’s TV series â€Å"Star Trek.† Science fiction has entertained our culture for years. Movies such as Star Wars and Planet of the Apes have helped fuel our desire to get off the planet earth, find new life forms, and conquer the stars. Science-fiction dreams of worlds beyond our solar system have taken on a more realistic aspect since astronomers discovered that the universe contains planets in surprisingly large numbers. Studying those distant planets might show how special Earth really is and tell us more about our place in the universe (NASA homep age). Finding a planet that can support human life would revolutionize our society into the Jetson’s. These ideas are soon to become our realities. NASA is currently experimenting with many methods to try to explore the outer edges of the galaxy. In order to understand NASA’s excitement about star traveling, we will first fly through current projects concerning space travel, second explore three possible technologies being experimented with for the year 2000, finally take a trip into our future and experience how star traveling will change our lives as we approach the end of the second millenium.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NASA’s goal of faster, better, cheaper has been the motivation for them to develop new mission concepts, and to validate never-before-used technologies in space. The new technologies, if proven to work, will revolutionize space exploration in the next century. According to NASA’s New Millennium Program home page, last updated on September 16,1999, NASA’s current project of Deep Space 1 demonstrates some of their most exotic technologies. One of the most impressive is the testing of an ion engine that is supposed to be 10 times more efficient than liquid or solid rocket engines. Deep Space 1 was launched on October 24, 1998. It is the first mission under NASA’s New Millennium Program, which features flight testing of new technology, rather than science as its main focus (Rayman 4). These new technologies will make spacecraft of the future smaller, more economical, reliable, and closer to the goal of efficient space travel.

To kill a mocking bird :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay -Courage- Harper Lee’s timeless classic of human nature and evils of mankind are well highlighted throughout the plot of â€Å"To Kill a Mocking Bird.† This novel mainly centers on the characters’ lives through racial prejudice at extreme measures. Courage is presented several times throughout the book and is the dominant defense towards vile people and dead-ended circumstances. Justice and equality are two important traits lacking in the town of Maycomb. Tom Robinson, an innocent black man, is under wrongful accusation of raping a young girl, Mayella Ewell. Due to a lack of morality and fairness, black people are naturally sentenced guilty and must suffer with the consequences appointed by the judge. No ordinary lawyer wastes their time on a color coded case, since chances of the black side winning are nearly inexistent. Atticus Finch steps forward and agrees to defend a black man, since he knows Tom’s innocent. This courageous leap costs Mr. Finch his towns respect and changes the outlook on his family. Knowing that he will lose the case, Atticus bravely protects Tom Robinson to all extents and tries to achieve justice. Although his attempts to set racial equality fail, he doesn’t lose confidence in his clients’ survival chances. Mr. Finch’s risk almost cost his children their lives and cause many people to scorn at him. Tom Rob inson knew how dangerous it was getting involved with Mayella would be, but he also understood that she needed a friend in this world. His brave attempts to help her with life cost him his life. Atticus Finch knows his morals, holds to his goals and stands up for what he believes in. As word about such an imposturous task of defending a black man gets out, the town of Maycomb is enraged. A mob of the community’s residents plot to visit the jail to pay a ‘visit’ to Tom Robinson’s cell. The town men arrive late at night, only to find Atticus quietly reading in front of the jail door. Facing 20 armed men in the middle of the night puts Atticus in a tight situation. The men start arguing as Mr. Finch’s safety becomes questionable. His daring personality doesn’t allow him to change his mind and go home. Atticus still has faith in the people of Maycomb. He still believes that good lies deep within their minds. Just as the men begin to heat up and get impatient, Scout runs out of her hiding place, from which she had been secretly spying on her dad.

The Odd Man Out :: essays research papers

The Odd Man Out Fifth Business, by Robertson Davies is a great piece of literature. Though the story was not always interesting to me, it is apparent that the author is talented. The story begins in 1908 in a small fictional Canadian village called Deptford. I think this village is very important to the story. The author describes everything one could possibly need to picture Deptford in his mind. This helped a lot in showing what the main character’s childhood was like. Later in his life, the main character traveled a lot, so many other places were described. I don’t think these places are as important as Deptford. It seems that the author thought this also, for he didn’t use as many details to describe these places as he did with the village. The main character is Dunstable Ramsey, Dunny for short. He is a very real character to me. The whole book is a letter that the old Dunny is writing to someone about his life. The way the author writes as Dunny is great. I can picture an old man sitting at a desk writing the letter. For parts of the story that have lots of detail, I imagine that the old Dunny remembers these parts of his life because they were important to him. For the parts he is vague about, Dunny writes that he would write more if he remembered more clearly. I think those are the times in his life that were not very important to him. A character that stands out a lot for me is Dunny’s mother. She seemed like a very kind and strong woman at the beginning of the story. She kept their neighbors preborn baby alive when the town doctor said he would die. She was committed to that baby with all her heart. Another time, Dunny took an egg from his house so he could try to learn magic tricks with it. His mother noticed it was missing, and when he would not say why he took it, she flipped out. She beat him to pieces with a whip for an hour, screaming the whole time. In my mind she went from being a kind woman to an hysterical fool of a mother. She seems as though she could not be related to this old man reflecting on his life. I think the author is showing how different children can be from their parents. The Odd Man Out :: essays research papers The Odd Man Out Fifth Business, by Robertson Davies is a great piece of literature. Though the story was not always interesting to me, it is apparent that the author is talented. The story begins in 1908 in a small fictional Canadian village called Deptford. I think this village is very important to the story. The author describes everything one could possibly need to picture Deptford in his mind. This helped a lot in showing what the main character’s childhood was like. Later in his life, the main character traveled a lot, so many other places were described. I don’t think these places are as important as Deptford. It seems that the author thought this also, for he didn’t use as many details to describe these places as he did with the village. The main character is Dunstable Ramsey, Dunny for short. He is a very real character to me. The whole book is a letter that the old Dunny is writing to someone about his life. The way the author writes as Dunny is great. I can picture an old man sitting at a desk writing the letter. For parts of the story that have lots of detail, I imagine that the old Dunny remembers these parts of his life because they were important to him. For the parts he is vague about, Dunny writes that he would write more if he remembered more clearly. I think those are the times in his life that were not very important to him. A character that stands out a lot for me is Dunny’s mother. She seemed like a very kind and strong woman at the beginning of the story. She kept their neighbors preborn baby alive when the town doctor said he would die. She was committed to that baby with all her heart. Another time, Dunny took an egg from his house so he could try to learn magic tricks with it. His mother noticed it was missing, and when he would not say why he took it, she flipped out. She beat him to pieces with a whip for an hour, screaming the whole time. In my mind she went from being a kind woman to an hysterical fool of a mother. She seems as though she could not be related to this old man reflecting on his life. I think the author is showing how different children can be from their parents.

Critique of “Woman as Storyteller in Wide Sargasso Sea

Source Roper, Valerie. Woman as Storyteller in Wide Sargasso Sea. Caribbean Quarterly, 34:1/2 (1988:Mar. /June) p. 19 URL: http://pao. chadwyck. com/PDF/1319462795559. pdf Summary In her article, â€Å"Woman as Storyteller in Wide Sargasso Sea† Valerie Roper asserts that Antoinette is much more than just a narrator. Antoinette tells the story of her life but also illuminates the plight and circumstances of women as increasing self awareness dawns. The duality of Antoinette's identity represents the war within women as they struggle to assimilate their own desires, beliefs, and values with those of the paternalistic society in which they live. Roper asserts that Wide Sargasso Sea is an attempt by Antoinette to look back and figure out where things went wrong. When did her downward spiral begin? As Antoinette tells her story, she does so with insight and understanding than can only come from time and reflection. Antoinette does not just recount her life, she also relives it. â€Å"Through her consciousness she retraces with brutal honesty her psychological journey from isolation to disintegration,† (Roper 19). Roper further contends that Antoinette as the storyteller enabled Rhys to use varying degrees of consciousness to illustrate Antoinette's journey and revelations. According to Roper, Antoinette's relationship with her mother is the crux of her illness both genetically and psychologically. Her withdrawal, like her mother's was a catalyst for her mental instability, but other factors existed as well. Roper discusses elements and scenes that Antoinette revisits which were important in her development, and ultimately in her unraveling. The road to insanity was much more insidious for Antoinette than it had been for Annette. There were tragic, life-altering events that obviously impacted Annette's mental condition; the death of her husband, isolation from Creole society, and ultimately Pierre's diagnosis. For Antoinette, her mother and childhood, cultural background, psychological invasion, disorientation, and entrapment all played a pivotal role in Antoinette's insanity. Response Roper provides an interesting context in which to interpret Rhys' novel. Perhaps one of the more striking assertions by Roper was regarding point of view. Roper maintains that the parts of the story told from the male point-of-view are a different level of Antoinette’s consciousness. I had not looked at it that way before and it certainly gives me pause. I had looked at it as a writing technique used by Rhys to deepen meaning and create a more balanced picture. Considering the information provided as revelations made by Antoinette on her search for answers injects a new level of complexity to the story and to Antoinette’s character. As a reader, I immediately picked up on the connection between Antoinette’s relationship with her mother and mental state. Roper, however, dove much deeper. She makes a compelling case that â€Å"the society, and her husband, acting on their assumptions, created conditions which aggravated the existing ones and contributed to her disorientation,† (Roper 30). The genetic predisposition for insanity was there, but it was the environment around Antoinette that pushed her over the edge. Antoinette struggled not only for love and acceptance, but also for psychological independence and her own voice. The more she struggles to claim these, the deeper she drifted into abyss. Roper’s most significant argument, for me, is the purpose of Antoinette as storyteller and the role of Rhys. She writes, â€Å"behind Antoinette’s dramatic re-experiencing is Rhys the producer and director, the puppeteer who manipulates her puppet to tell the tragic story of a woman who was aware of complexity but was unable to realize her real feminine personality† (Roper 33). While there were similarities between the lives of Rhys and the character she created, Roper’s argument made me consider the more universal story Rhys was telling. Through Antoinette, Rhys challenges the impact of patriarchy on women. It reveals far more than simply rule by men; it illuminates the internal struggle to find self. Further Research Since a great deal of Antoinette’s struggle’s deal with her search for identity and acceptance, additional research on Creole society and emancipation add another layer of comprehension to Wide Sargasso Sea. It would further develop the sense of society and the interaction of whites and blacks, but it would also provide context for the journey of discovery and self-awareness that Roper asserts is a vital part of the underlying theme throughout the novel. Historical information would fill in the blanks about the role of England on Jamaican society and the natives’ reaction to it.

‘the Perfect Storm’ Essay

How does the Director create tension in the storm scene of â€Å"The Perfect Storm†? In the storm scene of â€Å"The Perfect Storm†, the director, Wolfgang Petersen, creates a large amount of tension to try to make the film more exciting and realistic. It is important for this film to be quite realistic because it is based on a true story. This is how tension is created in this dramatic, exciting scene using Cinematography and Mise-en-Scene. One of the many tense moments in this scene is when we see a tilt angle in which the crew are sitting silent in their quarters. The tilt angle emphasizes the fact that the boat is rocking dangerously and makes the audience worry that the boat will capsize. This creates tension because it makes the audience fear for the lives of the crew. Another tense part of the scene is at the beginning when we see the small boat struggling against the gigantic waves. The long shot shows how massive the waves are compared to the small fishing boat. This makes the audience feel tense because the boat looks so helpless in the dangerous storm. This is one of my favourite scenes because it shows just how much danger the crew is in. Tension is further built through a close up of one of the crew in the bedroom. He looks very much like he has given up and also very worried, depressed and hoping that that the captain will be able to save them. This creates tension by making the audience fear for the crew, worry about them and creates sympathy towards them. A mid-shot continues to make us feel anxious when we see the captain and his first mate struggling to steer the boat through the huge waves. This shot shows just how much difficulty they are having and how worried and tense they are. It creates tension because it shows the audience how hard it is to control the boat and shows the emotions the captain and his mate are feeling. These emotions are exhaustion and anxiety. Another very intense part of the scene is when there is a high angle of the floor in the bedroom and clothes washing around. This shows how flooded the boat is and emphasizes the fact that this is an extremely dangerous situation. This creates tension because it makes the audience feel that the boat will sink and therefore putting them on the edge of their seat. There is also a low angle in the scene. We see the captain and his mate at the steering wheel. The fact that it is a high angle suggests that the crew is still in control. They have very determined looks on their faces which suggests that they might make it and gives the audience a false sense of hope in the crew. The director uses Mise-en-scene in the film to create more tension. The lighting in the storm scene of â€Å"The Perfect Storm† is quite dark and dramatic. There are also flashes of lightning to emphasize how dangerous and unpredictable the storm is. The dark blue lighting creates tension because it is a cold, dark colour. This makes the audience feel that something very bad is going to happen. The music and sounds are also a very important part of this film. These create tension in the storm scene because there are sounds of massive waves splashing against each other, claps of thunder and dramatic music playing in the background. The splashes are to remind the audience how big the waves are and the thunder is to add to the tension created by the lightning. The trumpets in the background music make the audience feel tense because trumpets can make very dangerous sounding notes. Costumes can also create tension. For example, in this film, the crew are wearing fishermen’s uniforms. These mainly consist of waterproofs, jumpers and gloves. These are to show that they are fishermen and to emphasize how cold and wet it is. They also make the audience think that the crew is feeling uncomfortable. Props also make the audience sit on the edge of their seat in this film. In this scene, there are clothes all over the floor and pictures of family on the wall. This is to show what the crew will lose. The effect on the audience is that it makes them feel sorry for the crew’s family. In conclusion, the director creates tension with angles, shots, music and props. I have learned that Cinematography and Mise-en-scene are very powerful things when trying to build tension. Personally, I found this film quite depressing. But I still feel tense when I see this scene.

Holapersona

PROBLEMA 1 The Maser is a new custom-designed sports car. An analysis of the task of building the Maser reveals the following list of relevant activities, their immediate predecessors, and their duration. Job LetterDescriptionImmediate Predecessor(s)Normal Time (days) AStart — 0 BDesignA8 COrder special accessoriesB0. 1 DBuild frameB1 EBuild doorsB1 FAttach axles, wheels, gas tankD1 GBuild body shellB2 HBuild transmission and drivetrainB3 IFit doors to body shellG, E1 JBuild engine B4 KBench-test engineJ2 LAssemble chassisF, H, K1MRoad-test chassisL0. 5 NPaint bodyI2 OInstall wiringN1 PInstall interiorN1. 5 QAccept delivery of special accessoriesC5 RMount body and accessories on chassisM, O, P, Q1 SRoad test carR0. 5 TAttach exterior trimS1 UFinishT0 a)Draw a network diagram for the project. b)Mark the critical path and state its length. c)If the Maser has to be completed 2 days earlier, would it help to i. Buy preassembled transmissions and drivetrains? ii. Install robots to halve engine-building time? iii. Speed delivery of special accessories by 3 days? )How might resources be borrowed from activities on the non-critical path to speed activities on the critical path? PROBLEMA 2 MANAGING HARD ROCK’S ROCKFEST At the Hard Rock Cafe, like many organizations, project management is a key planning tool. With Hard Rock’s constant growth in hotels and cafes, remodeling of existing cafes, scheduling for Hard Rock Live concert and event venues, and planning the annual Rockfest, managers rely on project management techniques and software to maintain schedule and budget performance. Without Microsoft Project† says Hard Rock Vice-President Chriss Tomasso, â€Å"there is no way to keep so many people on the same page. † Tomasso is in charge of the Rockfest event, which is attended by well over 100,000 enthusiastic fans. The challenge is pulling it off within a tight 9-month planning horizon. As the event approaches, Tomasso devotes greater energy to its activities. For the first 3 months, Tomasso updates his MS Project charts monthly. Then at the 6-month mark, he updates his progress weekly. At the 9-month mark, he checks and corrects his schedule twice a week.Early in the project management process, Tomasso identifies 10 major tasks (called 2 acti vities in a work breakdown structure, or WBS): talent booking, ticketing, marketing/PR, online promotion, television, show production, travel, sponsorships, operations, and merchandising. Using a WBS, each of these is further divided into a series of subtasks. Table 1 identifies 26 of the major activities and subactivities, their immediate predecessors, and time estimates. Tomasso enters all of these into the MS Project software. Tomasso alters the MS Project document and the time line as the project progresses. It’s okay to change it as long as you keep on track. † he states. The day of the rock concert itself is not the end of the project planning. â€Å"It ’s nothing but surprises. A band not being able to get to the venue because of traffic jams is a surprise, but an ‘anticipated’ surprise. We had an helicopter on stand-by ready to fly the band in,† says Tomasso. On completion of Rockfest in July, Tomasso and his team have a 3-month reprieve before starting the project planning process again. Discussion Questions: 1. Identify the critical path and its activities for Rockfest. How long does the project take? . Which activities have a slack time of 8 weeks or more? 3. Identify five major challenges a project manager faces in events such as this one. 4. Why is a work breakdown structure useful in a project such as this? Take the 26 activities and break them into what you think should be level 2, level 3 and level 4 tasks. TABLE 1 Some of the Major Activities and Subactivities in the Rockfest Plan. ActivityDescriptionImmediate Predecessor(s) Time (Weeks) AFinalize site and building contracts —7 BSelect lo cal promoterA3 CHire production managerA3 DDesign promotional Web siteB5 ESet TV dealD6FHire directorE4 GPlan for TV camera placementF2 HTarget headline entertainersB4 ITarget support entertainersH4 JTravel accomodations for talentI10 KSet venue cpacityC2 LTicketmaster contractD, K3 MOn-site ticketingL8 NSound and stagingC6 OPasses and stage credentialsG, R7 PTravel accomodations for staffB20 QHire sponsor coordinatorB4 RFinalize sponsorsQ4 SDefine/place signage for sponsorsR, X3 THire operations managerA4 UDevelop site planT6 VHire security directorT7 WSet police/fire security planV4 XPower, plumbing, AC, toilet servicesU8 YSecure merchandise dealsB6 ZOnline merchadise salesY6

Hamlet †historical and political context Essay

The political and religious upheavals before and after the death of Henry VIII had left their mark on the people of England. The King had done previous un-heard of things: He had divorced two wives and had had two executed. In the brief reigns which followed, persecution, first of the Catholics and then of Protestants, split family allegiances and brought very real danger – of imprisonment, torture, even execution. Claimants for the thrown jockeyed for position. Queen Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558 the first successor to her father, Henry Viii had been his young son Edward, ten years of age. As he was still very much under age, he had to ‘rule’ through Regents. They persisted with the Protestant reforms instituted by his father after his break with the Roman Catholic. Edward died six years after coming to the throne. He was succeeded by his half-sister Mary (Tudor), who died childless after five years as Queen. She had tried to reinstate Roman Catholicism as the state religion. Elizabeth, Mary’s half sister, although not considered a legitimate heir to the throne, became Queen in 1558 and ruled for 45 years. Although she had been brought up as a Protestant she understood that in view of the recent religious upheaval some compromises some compromises had to be made. The country needed stability and a strong ruler. Her life had been in danger before she became Queen and there were the inevitable conspiracies to usurp her position. The tragic figurehead of one of these and the object of Elizabeth’s suspicion and jealousy for many years was Mary, Queen of Scots; Elizabeth at first kept her under arrest but eventually had her executed in 1587. Late in her reign, in 1601, the Earl of Essex, formerly her favorite, made his bid for power. He failed in his attempt to cause a popular up rising, was imprisoned and executed. It is not difficult to trace this atmosphere of suspicion and treachery in Hamlet, nor the reassuring promise to royalty contained in the suggestion at the end of the play that strong and humane rule will be reasserted. There were also serious threats from abroad. In 1588 Phillip II of Spain sent the Armada, a large fleet of ships, sailing up the Channel in an attempt to conquer England by force. Another foreign threat was marriage. Elizabeth constantly resisted attempts by her counselors to contract any politically advantageous marriage and she died unmarried, naming James, her Scottish cousin, already established for many years as King in Scotland, as her successor. Social and Context Elizabeth I built on the foundations laid by her father and grandfather until her power, the power of the Crown, was almost unquestioned. To help achieve the security which she and the country, needed it was important to encourage an articulate and educated aristocracy. Education and in particular classical scholarship assumed a fresh importance. In the grammar schools – it is assumed that Shakespeare attended the Stratford Grammar school- Latin Language and literature were studied; prose and verse, composition, rhetoric, orations and declamations. Much was learnt by heart and in the upper school Greek was added. Shakespeare’s knowledge of the classical theatre, poetry and legend is evident throughout his whole body of work. How does this relate to Hamlet? The Player’s speech, which Hamlet has remembered, is part of the Dido and Aeneas story, the sack of Troy and the slaying of King Priam. Also, Hamlet and Horatio have been fellow-students at the University of Wittenberg. The others, to address the ghost, call upon Horatio. Hamlet clearly wanted to return to Wittenberg, to turn his back on the whole situation at the castle, and possibly to become a perpetual student and scholar – until his father demands the revenge which he is unfitted to deliver. Exploration There was vitality; a fresh interest in foreign countries in the sixteenth century and exploration by sea had led to an increase in foreign trade. European foreign countries hardly seemed far away. Laertes lives very happily in Paris, away from his father’s influence. Hamlet is casually packed off by his uncle to a planned death in England. There was an extension of experience and an opening up to fresh influences, which included a new vocabulary of classical and foreign words. Printed books and pamphlets circulated more widely, so that information was more easily obtained. The Elizabethan age was establishing a feeling of national community and confidence. At the same time an increase in prosperity and a raising standard of living for many. This prosperity was also reflected in the newly built theatres and the audiences who flocked to entertainments of all kinds This is not to say that dissent and uneasiness did not exist. There will still disputes over religion and new ideas can be worrying as well as exciting. Persecution of religious minorities of the mainland caused a large influx of refugees from France and the Netherlands. It is also important to remember that some of the ‘entertainments’ mentioned above were public executions. Bloodthirsty pastimes such as bull- and bear- baiting were popular. The streets were filthy and away from the main thoroughfares, in the poorer parts of the city, they resembled open sewers and rubbish dumps. The plague, spread by black rats, struck in 1592 when it ravaged the city for two years, and again in 1603, wiping out whole families and forcing those Londoners who could afford to do so to flee to the country. Theatres and all public places of entertainment were closed down. This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our AS and A Level Hamlet section.

Difference between Social Anxiety Disorder and Shyness Research Paper

Difference between Social Anxiety Disorder and Shyness - Research Paper Example This fear results in the inability of persons suffering from the condition to function normally in social situations. Social anxiety disorder is the most common mental condition around the world and it is estimated that at least twelve percent of the world’s population of children suffer from the condition which develops into their adulthood (Bandelow, Dan & Stein 2004). Social anxiety disorder is normally categorized into two; that is general and specific. The social anxiety disorder that is generalized is normally characterized by the intense fear of someone being humiliated or embarrassed by their actions and fear of being judged by those surrounding them. Specialized social anxiety disorder is where someone is chronically afraid of specific situations. Social anxiety disorder symptoms appear at an early stage in life. For instance, it is estimated that at least eighty percent of people suffering from the disease usually start experiencing symptoms by the time they attain t he age of 20 years (Bandelow, Dan & Stein, 2004). Symptoms associated with the social anxiety disorder are categories into three categories which are behavioral aspects, physiological aspects, and cognitive aspects. Cognitive symptoms of the disorder are where someone has the fear of how they will be presented to others. Symptoms include high self-attention during any social activity and being self-conscious. Most people who suffer from the disease also set performance standards that are too high for themselves. Behavioral aspects of the social anxiety disorder include fearing to be judged by others the society, feeling humiliated or embarrassed after saying something, being uncomfortable in meeting and interacting with people and being distant when with a large group of people among others. Physiological symptoms include shaking, sweating, difficulty in breathing, palpitations, and nausea especially when in crowds and meeting new people. Shyness is a feeling of awkwardness, lack of comfort and apprehension experienced by a person when in close contact with people especially new people. Shyness is considered a feeling or a personality trait and not a medical condition (Antony, 2010). There are various misconceptions that are associated with shyness. One such common attribution is that shy people normally have high intelligence. This is entirely wrong since research has proven that there is no relation to both negative and positive between shyness and intelligence. Shyness is most common in children and normally progresses into adulthood if it is not dealt with. In different cultures, shyness is perceived differently depending on the values imposed in the cultures. For example, in some cultures, shy people are often assumed to be weak while in other cultures shyness is usually associated with intelligence and thoughtfulness. There are various reasons why people experience shyness. Genetics greatly influence shyness where the traits are found among family member s or relatives. Shyness also results from a learned behavior where a person emulates the behavior of their role model which is common in adults (Antony, 2010). Family relationships also result in shyness, especially where children are not emotionally attached to their parents.  

A Bad Time to Raise Children Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Bad Time to Raise Children - Research Paper Example In the modern day, with the advent of technology and the prevalence of various risk factors, children remain exposed to a multitude of negative influences that hamper their development. Therefore, the present day is a bad time to raise children because there are several factors that could adversely impact the growing teenagers such as media, social environment and parenting deficiencies. With the advent of technology, various media contents are becoming easily accessible to people, due to which these have become very common place. Furthermore, in the present day, the concept of freedom of expression receives high consideration and, therefore, the process of censorship of the media content has become highly liberal. The public is being bombarded with various media content including movies, TV shows, print and web media etc. In this scenario, movies, TV shows, and video games etc contain a lot of sex and violence, which can negatively impact children. Research studies conducted on the topic suggest that â€Å"exposure to violent media early in life is a precursor to increased aggressive behavior later in life† (Kirsh 36). Similarly, video games, which are easily accessible in abundance, have become very popular among children and adolescents. These games also contain a lot of violent materials that excite youngsters. Thus, they remain engaged in this activity f or prolonged hours daily. This habit, apart from provoking violent behavior in children, presents the content that encourages them to remain engrossed in this activity, thus diverting their attention from core areas like studies, project work etc. Besides, the easy and cheap availability of computer and internet expose the children to harmful content. In today’s world, any child can view web content of any kind by using his or her personal computer. Thus, in the present day, parents have to exercise extreme caution to make sure that their children do not over-engage in

Causal Argument Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Causal Argument Paper - Essay Example The deaths have dropped by 1.8 percent in men and 1.6 percent in women each year. Several causes are attributed to the decrease in the rate of cancer in the United States of America. In this paper, I discuss three causes that have led to the decrease of cancer rates in U.S., which include life changes, change in diagnostic and treatment related aspects and sensitization and awareness programs. The most notable cause of decrease in the number of cancer related illnesses in the U.S is the change in lifestyle of Americans. Today, cancer has been attributed to unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise, more consumption of alcohol and smoking. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) asserts that about 300 people out of 100,000 people in America develop cancer each year. (American Cancer Society 3) This means that the U.S ranks as the seventh country with the highest number of cancer diseases in the whole world. These numbers were compiled using the World Health Organization†™s estimates. AICR also indicates that the U.S is the tenth country in terms of cancers in men and eighth in terms of cancers in women. Because of the realization of the fact that cancers occur because of the lifestyle people lead, many have decided to change their lifestyles. MedicineNet states, â€Å"Behavioral, lifestyle, and environmental factors contribute to cancer. Cancer prevention involves modifying these factors to decrease cancer risk† (MedicineNet). Many people in the U.S check into fitness facilities or have fitness equipment in their houses that they use to exercise in the morning or evening, or at their appropriate time. Others choose to run distances in order to keep fit. In addition, it has been reported that the smoking rate among Americans has dropped significantly. In addition to this, most people have started eating healthily for instance by consuming less red meat and more whole grains and vegetables that are high in fiber content that helps in keeping a healthy weight. Consuming more fruits and nuts as well as fish and moderation of alcohol consumption has contributed to the reduction in the rates of cancer in the U.S. All these issues are considered as a manifestation of lifestyle change by Americans and have helped in the decrease of cancer cases. However, this is not to say that all people have changed their lifestyles, but the majority who have, experience less risks (MedicineNet). The second cause of the reduction in the rate of cancer cases in the U.S is the change in diagnostic and treatment related issues. This cause is especially tied to certain types of cancers such as breast cancer. It is noteworthy to indicate that breast cancer has been the leading cause of deaths in women, in the United States, in terms of the deaths caused by cancer. The high cases of breast cancer especially in European countries have been attributed to the high prevalence of reproductive factors that are linked to early menarche, late child bear ing, and use of menopausal hormone therapy, fewer pregnancies and increased screening through mammography. However, DeSantis states, â€Å"Breast cancer incidence rates in the United States have decreased since the early 2000s largely due to reduction in the use of menopausal hormone therapy† (Jemal and DeSantis. 1896). Other factors include reduction in the use of mammography and the decrease in the number of preclinical cases found

Good Things by Groupism in Design Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Good Things by Groupism in Design - Case Study Example During this group, she was able to participate at the level she desired. Each member was assigned a different task. Jee Hye was to code the HTML and JavaScript for the project. It was a group of epic proportions. It was a group on par with excellence. Despite previous negative experiences, Jee Hye believes there are good things about designing by groupism when each person is assigned what they are best able to do, everyone feels a part of project, and the results of project are much better. One good thing about designing by groupism is each person is sometimes able to do what he does best. Some students are better with writing or other artistic work. Others are better with speaking or in leadership positions. Still, others are better with doing or applying what has been learned to create a new product. Jee Hye was better with doing so she did the coding part of the web design project. Mary was better with writing. She kept notes and wrote the paper for the project. Casey was best with speaking, and he presented the project to the class. They all did their part to make the project work. In other groups, Jee Hye noticed some people slack while others did all the work. In this group, it helped to have a good manager. It helped that he was able to direct people to their appropriate tasks. Instead of everyone doing whatever they wanted all hoi polloi, there was an organized method of tackling the design problems they encounter. The divisions of labor and job specialization were the cornerstone of the group's workflow. As the work progressed, it made other benefits of group design become apparent. Another good thing about designing by groupism is that each person feels part of project. In Jee Hye's group, each person made suggestions about the website project. Some of the suggestions were used. Others were not, but some of everyone's made ideas were applied to the project. I was truly a collaborative effort. Mary and Jee Hye constructed the layout together. Mary and Casey formulated the content as a team. All three students worked together to debug the coded portion of the project. In other groups, Jee Hye noticed that some people's voices were heard over others despite logic. Again, this pitfall was avoided by good management. Casey really helped it all go smoothly. His management ability was uncanny. He kept the group focused, and he mitigated disputes. Furthermore his selling ability made the marketing aspects of the design a breeze. Each person played a vital role, and everyone felt part of the group project. At the end of the project, they all felt happy about how everything happened. The website was great, and they were very proud of their work. Along with division of labor and job specialization, group morale is a major aspect of positive experience in working with a group. It is important that each member works to keep a positive attitude if they expect the group to work well. No one wants to attend a group where people are sour-faced. The best thing about designing by groupism is the results of a project are much better than individual projects if people work symbiotically. In other groups, Jee Hye noticed the final product was not as good as this one. Usually, one person takes too much work. Others do not participate, and still others participate too much. It makes the project not really a groupism project. It means some people do nothing. Some do everything. Others tell

Bluebird Office Products LTD Case Analysis Essay

Bluebird Office Products LTD Case Analysis - Essay Example Speed delivery is at the core in this case. The three branded products had a sales figure of in 6,000,000 Euro 2011. The company’s operating costs stands at 5,500,000 Euro. This figure is projected to increase in the either option advocated for. The level of quality stands at 10% of the operational costs i.e. 550,000 Euro. The Company has a lead time of 12 weeks which it meets 80% in a year. The lead time could be modified to meet delivery speed for the customer. The advocated strategies from the marketing team are outlined below: Option 1 – FINBAR Ltd The customer has a colour that is expected to remain consistent although it will be placing orders according to customer specification. An increase in sales of 1,000,000 euro is projected from the sale of 2000 chairs at 500 euro. This sale is expected at one in every three months. Therefore the projected annual sales will increase by 1,000,000 euros. The impact of adopting the quality need specifications will generate an addition operating expenses. This stands at 825,000 euro. The level of quality maintenance cost is 82,500 euros. Earnings Before Investment and Tax of the company is expected to increase by 175,000 euros. Option 2 – Classy Ltd Classy Ltd will be ordering 500 chairs at 1500 euro generating sales of 750,000 euro. The projected operating expenses will increase by 550,000 euros and the level of quality will cost an extra 55,000 euros. An extra investment in this is needed for 50,000 euros. A total cost increase of 600,000 euros is projected. An increase in earnings before investment and tax is expected to be 150,000 euros. Current performance of the company stands at annual sales of 6,000,000 in 2011 and operating expenses of 5,500,000. The level of quality is maintained at a cost of 10% of the operating costs i.e. 550,000. The present earnings before investment and tax are 500,000 euro. An increase of 35% in earnings before investment and tax is projected if option one is adopte d i.e. the Finbar Ltd customer specified products. On the other hand, an increase of 30% in earnings before investment and tax is projected in the coming year if the Classy Ltd strategy of delivery in terms of speed and quality of the products. The company is faced with the situation where it will introduced innovative ideas as well as theme changes in product manufacture process. The time-based delivery aspect for strategy 2 i.e. Classy Ltd will call upon adjusting the lead time of the company to meet the speed at which the customer gets his products. Option 2 has an increase of 55,000 euros in maintaining quality while that of option 1 stands at 82,500 euros. Bluebird is faced with new product development as their case is change in theme but the original product. On the contrary, Classy aims for innovative ideas hence results to new product introduction by the Company. Finbar Ltd might bring a challenge of increasing the product line to meet the increased 2000 chairs production. W ith the consideration that the supervisor and wages expenses are not increased, this implies that the quality may be compromised in either case if care is not observed. Classy Ltd stands to bring an increment of 30% of the company’s EBIT which is less than 5% that of Finbar Ltd. This option however calls for a fewer number of products. The level of quality maintenance is lower by 27,500 euros. To meet the customers’