Simple Moving Average for a Product Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Simple Moving Average for a Product - Term Paper Example The strategy of the product is mainly based on the product name, store, product store id, sales, promotion, date, three weekly and corresponding four weekly. Moreover, selection of product is based on the long time duration. The forecasting accuracy of the technique relies on the valuable information of the product classes. Step 1 entails observing the 3 and 4 weekly sales volume of the products and make the decision on whether to subject the pattern to the pattern of seasonal alteration or selected necessary historical data2. Step 2: smooth the sales trend with a moving average by 3 weeks and taking the average and 4 weeks. Moreover, the moving average is performed to get the precise centered moving average of the week 3 and 4. Step 3 entails dividing the sales by the CMA in order to attain the ratio that reflects the seasonal influence factor. For instance, the annual ratios of 8a product for 3 weeks are 7.66 and 4 week is 6.0. Product 8b had the forecasting accuracy of 13.67 and 15.5 while that of 8c1 is 4.67 and 3.5 correspondingly. Moreover, product 8d1 had a prediction accuracy of 20.33 and 22.5 while 8e1 was 4.667 and 5.75 respectively. Â  

Reflection paper Essay Example for Free

Reflection paper Essay â€Å"Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! †, after watching Jose Rizal the Movie, these are the words that wanted to find its way out into my mouth. Words that wanted to travel beyond distance and beyond boundaries that would defy ages to finally find a resonating voice that sent earthquake to the stoned floor of the holy temple of God that sheltered fiends who clothed themselves in white and who spoke His words with fluency but undoubtedly knew nothing of His language. I could not say it better, as a realization hit me, but I admire my Motherland. I could not help but think how did she, after everything that was done to her, have found it in her heart to forgive? The film did not only depict the life of Jose Rizal during the gripping of the Spaniards’ iron hands but also the Filipinos during those darkest times before the crack of dawn. The movie did not also just settled for only Rizal and the Filipino people during the Spanish colonization, but it made a sort of movie adaptation of the two notable masterpieces of Rizal; the Noli Me Tangere and the El Filibusterismo. The movie itself was faithful to accuracy that you could see what it wants people to see and that is to see. The movie suggested us to see what had really happened to our motherland. It is to see what she had been through to keep her standing in her place in the map of the world. It is to see how many times our country had lost her identity, her dignity, her freedom, her voice, her rights, and her name. It is to see how many lives she had to remorsefully sacrifice just to keep standing. Watching the movie, I saw her. She took all pain and suffering and given up almost everything she has because she loves her children. She love the Filipinos that she kept standing and resisted the embrace of the god of the sea for us to have our feet on earth to land on. Realizing all she had borne made me proud to be molded from the earth of the Land of the Morning. Jose Rizal the Movie made it crystal cleared to everyone who would watch it how the Filipino people loved our country that they had given up their lives to free her from her iron cage. The movie showed that during the time of Rizal, Filipinos had started stirring from their seemed to be forever slumbering, although the Spaniards oppression continued to darken the skies. During those times, as portrayed, there was social unrest that resulted revolts. Most prominent movements were initiated by the Katipuneros led by Andres Bonifacio. A lot of native eyes had started to see the real faces inside the holy veil worn by the Spaniards that led them to the realization of their own scraped image. Spaniards had continued to use religion, specifically the teachings of the Catholic Church and the words of God to frightened majority of the Filipinos to conform and manipulate them. The film portrayed the Spaniards abuse of power and authority over the Filipinos. Friars shrouded their corruption in the cloak of church contributions and tributes. They collected high imposed taxes from the farmers who till their own soil. They acquired lands by authority and force. Worst of it, Spaniards did not content themselves in getting hold of our country but also our dignity. Filipinos had been treated unfairly. The Spaniards made sure that we had no equal human rights, no parity before the law, no seat for the government, no mercy from the church, and no place for morality. Filipinos became slaves. Our native women were victimized. There was racial discrimination. Only elites were granted to have a formal education and even in school, Filipinos were slandered, mocked and belittled. Even the justice system was in favor of the State. Filipinos who have committed crime in the eyes of their justice were subjected to persecution and death. Spaniards would then scheme any person who go against their regime; that would include the conspiracy they had done to Rizal as he was sentenced by prejudiced to death before his trial was even performed. They stripped our nation’s identity and clothed us in ballooned dresses to conform but even so denied our right-I believe-to baptize our country a name. Those lowest times, people who had finally perceived the truth tried to raise their voices but mostly failed to do so because there was no firmed foundation. Their flares were not enough. When Rizal gave light, flickers were rekindled to a raging fire. Jose Rizal became their source of strength though he did not purposely want to ignite insurgency. Though his writings were double edged sword, he wanted to address his appeal for freedom and equality in a diplomatic manner. Unfortunately, it did not go as planned because not only the Spaniards wanted to bind him for the trouble he had cause to the name of the Spanish government. I really liked the portrayal of those people close to Rizal after he was shot and had fallen on the ground; none of them even shed a tear. They held their ground, Rizal was not a traitor. They were the ones who held his pride when he was deprived to die with dignity. He doesn’t deserve a cry of sympathy because he had done nothing but to love and to be faithful to his country. Because he was not married to a woman; he was married to our country, faithfully. Watching that scene, I felt dignified. He was not a traitor and so were those lives that fought to free our country. They were Filipinos who desired to regain our freedom and identity from the Spaniards. As the movie concluded, I realized I have never been so proud of my country, and never did I really give proper acknowledgement to the many lives that, especially those nameless faces that did not have the chance to have a space in paper. â€Å"Give credit to who is due†, as the saying goes. All of us, we walk in different paths of life. We see strangers every day but I never really consider looking at their faces in a different way. After watching the film, I learned to see the faces of past through the faces of the present. We are all carrying fragments of souls of the people of the past. How we are giving shape to those fragments of souls is the real challenge in us. I have learned from watching the film how embarrassing we have become to cater these fragments in us because we failed and ignored to recognize them and the way we savor the liberty they struggled to regain but tragically did not had the chance to hold. These souls had once fought for freedom. We have to see them in us to fix how we abused our freedom. I still see our motherland in her situation back then because we failed to get the lessons from our past. How many more times does she have to be in same situation she thought she had been freed from? One lesson I clearly got from the movie, we have to carry the past in us like it is our own experience for us to never want to be in that situation again. We should never forget our own history and the importance of it, for the sake of those souls who only had the chance to experience true freedom in us.

Violence in America Essay -- Violent Crime Civil Disorder Society Essa

Violence in America Beginning with the urban drug wars and the Rodney King riot all the way up the spectacular lynchings in Texas and Wyoming, and now the mass murder/terrorist strike by teenagers in their own high school, the 90s is a decade made numb by civil disorder. In between came the incidents at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and Waco, Texas, involving dubious law enforcement assaults on separatists, which led to the terrorist bombing at Oklahoma City — the single worst terrorist act in American history. Since then, law enforcement agencies have thwarted twenty-four major domestic terrorist attacks.   Shootings and bombings at abortion clinics, the slaying of abortion providers by right-wing fanatics and racial disturbances, some of which involved flagrant police brutality, added to the mix. Meanwhile, mass murders and serial killings grew to such a degree they became a part of popular culture, inspiring everything from an Oscar–winning motion picture to trading cards. Violence is our mother's milk. It has given us an incredible breadth of freedom and personal liberty. But it is also our demon rum that threatens the fabric of that freedom and liberty. The epidemic of teenage killings in our cities, black church burnings and abortion clininc violence, Neo-nazi skinheads and white Separatists, home-grown terrorism, and the rise of hate crimes have brought face-to-face with an aspect of our culture most generations have found too unpleasant to contemplate. Not until children began dying in the streets in unprecedented numbers and disgruntled white males begin forming paramilitary organizations did a general concern about violence begin to re-appear. When you consider our high crime rates in conjunction with events such as Oklahoma City, Ruby Ridge, Idaho, the shoot-out in Waco, Texas, the Rodney King beating and riot, the Crown Heights, NY, riot and the lynchings in Bensonhurst and Howard Beach, NY, in 1986 and 89, it's difficult to disagree with the Indianapolis prosecutor who concluded, "Violence is becoming a way of life." Still, kids-as-shooters brings a re-newed strain of violence to the tumultuous American landscape. Prior to the three-year blood-spree of school shootings, enough corpses were already littering the inner city landscape to convince us that we had waded knee-deep into a crisis of violence. In spite of declining crime r... ...violent history of any western nation. We've always been that way, and we show no signs of changing. What has been changing is the nature of the violence, and who's doing it. The fact that young, alienated blacks and young to middle-aged white men commit a sizable chunk of it (and in doing so continue the historical thread of violent solutions) is an inevitable result of our history. Our tradition of rugged individualism, the cult of honor, especially but not exclusively in the South, the untamed frontier, and race and ethnicity are its central features. Violence has become part of our character, threatening at time to subvert it. The reasons for the militia movements, the vehement insistence upon the right to own guns — and those chalky outlines — lie squarely in a past that has turned violent self-assertion into a determinant of social status and aggression into a sign of character. Not all Americans are violent, of course. In fact, most aren't violent at all. And not all violent individuals or groups act that way all the time. But enough people have spilled other peoples' blood enough of the time and in enough regions to create a national heritage of continual bloodshed.   

War and Peace and Tolstoys View of History Essay -- Tolstoy War and P

War and Peace and Tolstoy's View of History      Ã‚  Ã‚   Count Lev Tolstoy wrote abundantly on the philosophical issues that he felt were universally important.   One of the most prolific examples of this is his view of history.   This is set out most clearly and most famously in his largest work, War and Peace.   As Tolstoy claimed himself in a public statement on the work, 'War and Peace is what the author wanted and was able to express in that form in which it was expressed.'   Not only do the themes and incidents in the novel reflect his theory of history, Tolstoy iterates this in less narrative terms in the twelve chapters of the Second Epilogue, described as, 'A general discussion on the historians' study of human life, and on the difficulty of defining the forces that move nations.   The problem of freewill and necessity.'   The view of history explored by Tolstoy has had few sympathisers and copious critics.   Tolstoy predicts this disagreement earlier in War and Peace in his description of 'the life of a bee':    A bee settling on a flower has stung a child.   And the child is afraid of bees and declares that bees exist to sting people.   A poet admires the bee sucking from the chalice of a flower, and says it exists to suck the fragrance of flowers.   A beekeeper...The higher the human intellect rises in the discovery of these purposes, the more obvious it becomes that the ultimate purpose is beyond our comprehension.   All that is accessible to man is the relation of life to the bee to other manifestations of life.   And so it is with the purpose of historical characters and nations.    This presupposition of the impossibility of a total, ultimate view of history helps to explain why Tolstoy, in his view of human actio... ...rriere, Tolstoy's Pierre Bezukhov - A Psychoanalytical Study, Melksham: Bristol Classical Press, 1993. Helen Edna Davis, Tolstoy and Nietzsche, New York: Haskell House Publishers Ltd., 1929. I Cannot be Silent - Writings on Politics, Art and Religion by Leo Tolstoy, Chippenham: The Bristol Press, 1989. E. H. Carr, What is History?, St Ives: Penguin Books, 1987. Pauline Marie Rosenau, Post-Modernism and the Social Sciences, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992.    Notes 1 F.F. Seeley, Tolstoy's Philosophy of History, From, Ed. Malcolm Jones, New Essays on Tolstoy, Bristol: Cambridge University Press, 1978, p. 176. 2 Ibid., pp. 178 - 183. 3 Edward Wasiolek, War and Peace: The Theoretical Chapters, From, Ed. Harold Bloom, Modern Critical Interpretations - War and Peace, New York, Chelsea House Publishers, 1988, pp. 92 - 97.   

Process of Business Research Methods

The steps of basic and applied research are the following: 1. OBSERVATION (Broad Area of Research Interest Identified) – Identification of broad problem area through the process of observing and focusing on the situation. Any area/situation that has got identified for improvement can be classified as a broad problem area. 2. PRELIMINARY DATA GATHERING (Interviewing Literature Survey)- Once the broad problem area has got identified, the same can be narrowed down to specific issues for investigation through preliminary data gathering. . PROBLEM DEFINATION (Research Problem Delineated)- It is clear , precise and succinct statement of the question or issue that is to be investigated with the goal of finding an answer or solution. 4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK (Variables clearly identified and labeled)- A theoretical framework is a conceptual model of how one theorizes or makes logical sense of the relationships among the several factors that have been identified as important to the pro blem. It is a logically developed, described and elaborated network of associations among the variables( dependent/criterion , independent/predictor, moderating , intervening) deemed relevant to problem definition. 5. GENERATION OF HYPOTHESIS- After identification of important variables and establishing the relationships amongst them, formulating of testable statements (to test the relationships) is called hypothesis development. The null hypothesis states a definitive, exact relationship between two variables. The hypothesis is tested scientifically through appropriate statistical analyses. 6. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DESIGN – Design of the research in a way that requisite data can be gathered and analyzed to arrive at a solution. Experimental designs need to be done to examine the possible cause and effects on the various variables. 7. DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: For data collection, sources of data (primary or secondary) need to be identified first. If secondary sources, then data is already available for analysis. If primary data is required, sources of data can be focus groups, panels and unobtrusive sources. Next will be the data collection methods, which can be through interviewing, questionnaires, observational studies, projective tests. Various sampling techniques can be used in structuring the samples for example simple random sampling, Stratified random sampling , systematic sampling etc. After the data is gathered, then the data is made ready for analysis by editing, coding, categorizing data and entering data in computer system for further analysis. . Data Analysis – Basic objectives of data analysis is getting the feel of the data, testing the goodness of data for reliability, validity and for hypothesis testing. Once the various statistical tests like t-test, Pearson correlations matrix etc. are done on the data, interpretations are being drawn from the respective tests. Sometimes software like SAS , SPSS are getting used worldwide to do the data analysis. 8. DEDUCTION (Hypothesis substantiated? research questions answered? ) – It is a process of arriving at conclusions by interpreting the meaning of the results of the data analysis. It validates the hypothesis or research questions. 9. REPORT WRITING – After the deduction a detailed report is written with the definite title , table of contents and the various steps with acknowledgements , summary etc. 10. REPORT PRESENTATION:- After the preparation of the report , main summary along with the findings is sometimes required to be presented to some authorized committee. 11. MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING: After the written and oral presentation, managers required to take decisions based on the reports. Though this particular step is not strictly part of the BRM process , however this step is important to complete the cycle which started with the observation of the problem and the problem getting addressed to by the managerial decision.

Frankenstein Summary

'Frankenstein' Summary Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a Gothic horror novel about a man named Victor Frankenstein who discovers the secret to creating life. He uses this knowledge to form a hideous monster, which becomes the source of his misery and demise. The novel is presented as an epistolary nested narrative, following the first-person accounts of Captain Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the monster himself. Part 1: Walton’s Opening Letters The novel opens with Robert Walton’s letters to his sister Margaret Saville. Walton is a sea captain and a failed poet. He is traveling to the North Pole in pursuit of glory and has high hopes for geographical and scientific discoveries. On his journey, he spots what looks like a giant rushing by on a sledge; soon after, his ship passes an emaciated and frozen man floating on a slice of ice. The crew rescues the stranger, who reveals himself to be Victor Frankenstein. Walton is impressed with his wisdom and cultivation; they talk and Walton states that he would sacrifice his own life for the sake of a greater good, and for lasting glory. Frankenstein then launches into his own story as a warning of the dangers of such a life philosophy. Part 2: Frankenstein’s Story Frankenstein begins his tale with his happy upbringing in Geneva. His mother, Caroline Beaufort, is the daughter of a merchant and marries the older, reputable Alphonse Frankenstein. She is graceful and affectionate, and young Frankenstein has a wonderful childhood. He loves reading about the secrets of heaven and earth- natural philosophy, alchemy and the philosopher’s stone. He seeks glory and wishes to uncover the mystery of life. His close childhood friend, Henry Clerval, is his opposite; Clerval is curious about the moral relations of things, and is fascinated by tales of virtue and chivalry. Frankenstein’s parents adopt Elizabeth Lavenza, an orphaned child of Milanese nobility. Frankenstein and Elizabeth call each other cousin and are brought up together under the care of Justine Moritz, another orphan who serves as their nanny. Frankenstein praises Elizabeth much as he does his mother, describing her as saintly, and admiring her grace and beauty. Frankenstein’s mother dies of scarlet fever before he leaves for the University of Ingolstadt. In a state of heavy grief, he throws himself into his studies. He learns about chemistry and modern scientific theories. Eventually he discovers the cause of life- and he becomes capable of animating matter. He works in a feverish excitement to build a being in the likeness of a man, but proportionally larger. His dreams of beauty and fame are crushed when his finished creation is, in fact, monstrous and completely repulsive. Disgusted with what he has created, Frankenstein runs out of his house and happens upon Clerval, who has come to the University as a fellow student. They return to Frankenstein’s place, but the creature has escaped. Utterly overwhelmed, Victor falls into an intense sickness. Clerval nurses him back to health. Frankenstein eventually decides to travel home to Geneva once he recovers. He receives a letter from his father, which relays the tragedy that his younger brother, William, was murdered. Frankenstein and Henry return home, and upon reaching Geneva, Frankenstein goes for a walk to see for himself the place where William was killed. On his walk, he spies the gigantic creature in the distance. He realizes that the creature is responsible for the murder, but he is unable to prove his theory. Justine, who was framed by the monster, is convicted and hanged. Frankenstein is heartbroken. He turns to nature for isolation and perspective, and to forget his human problems. Out in the wilderness, the monster seeks him out to talk. Part 3: The Creature’s Tale The creature takes over the novel’s narrative and tells Frankenstein his life story. Soon after his birth, he realizes that all people are terrified of him and hateful towards him solely because of his appearance. Chased away by villagers throwing stones, he runs to the wilderness where he can hide from civilization. He finds a place to call home close by a cottage. A family of peasants lives there peacefully. The creature observes them daily and grows very fond of them. His empathy for humankind expands and he longs to join them. When they are sad, he is sad, and when they are happy, he is happy. He learns to speak through observation, and calls them by their names: Mr. De Lacey, his son Felix, his daughter Agatha, and Safie, Felixs love and the daughter of a ruined Turkish merchant. The creature teaches himself to read. With literature, he displays a human consciousness, facing the existential questions of who and what he is. He discovers his ugliness, and manages to disturb himself deeply when he spies his own reflection in a pool of water. But the monster still wants to make his presence known to the De Lacey family. He talks with the blind father until the other peasants come home and are terrified. They drive the creature away; he then journeys to Frankenstein’s home, and happens upon William in the wood. He wishes to befriend the boy, believing his youth would make him less prejudiced, but William is just as disgusted and fearful as anyone else. In a rage the monster strangles him and frames Justine for the murder. After completing his story, the creature asks Frankenstein to create a female companion with similar deformities. The creature has come to terms with the fact that he won’t be able to have any relationships with humans. He believes his malicious acts are a result of his isolation and rejection. He gives Frankenstein an ultimatum: the master will either deliver a creature companion or all he holds dear will be destroyed. Part 4: Frankenstein’s Conclusion Frankenstein again picks up the narrative. He and Elizabeth make their mutual love known. Frankenstein then travels to England with Henry, so that he can finish his engagement with the monster away from his family and friends before he marries Elizabeth. They travel together for some time, and then separate in Scotland; Frankenstein begins his work there. He believes the creature is stalking him and is plagued by what he promised to do, as he is convinced that creating a female creature would lead to a race of devils. Ultimately, he fails to deliver his promise, despite the creature confronting him. The creature threatens that he will be with Frankenstein on his wedding night, but Frankenstein will not create another monster. He journeys on to Ireland and is immediately imprisoned. The creature has strangled Clerval, and Frankenstein is believed to be the suspect. In jail, he becomes deathly ill for several months. His father comes to his rescue, and when the grand jury validates the proof that Frankenstein was on the Orkney Islands when Clerval was killed, he is liberated. He and his father travel home. He marries Elizabeth and prepares to battle the creature, remembering the monster’s threat. But while he is readying himself, the monster strangles Elizabeth to death. The creature escapes into the night, and shortly afterwards, Frankenstein’s father dies as well. Frankenstein is devastated, and he vows to find the creature and destroy him. He follows the monster up to the North Pole, where he comes across Walton’s expedition, and thus rejoins his narrative to the present. Part 5: Walton’s Concluding Letters Captain Walton ends the story as he began it. Walton’s ship is trapped in the ice, resulting in the deaths of some of his crewmen. He fears mutiny; many want him to turn southward as soon as the ship is free. He debates whether or not to forge ahead or turn back. Frankenstein urges him to move forward with his journey and tells him that glory comes at the price of sacrifice. Walton ultimately turns the ship around to return home, and Frankenstein passes away. The monster then appears to find his creator dead. He tells Walton of his plan to go as far north as possible and die so that the whole sordid affair can finally end.

Wrong Trousers Essays

Wrong Trousers Essays Wrong Trousers Paper Wrong Trousers Paper Essay Topic: Film The Wrong Trousers is an animated film using claymation. It is about three characters, Wallace, Gromit and Feathers McGraw. Nick Park has produced it. The film communicates through spoken words, expressions, music and references to other types of entertainment like detective films and circuses. All these different forms make it appeal to different people. Claymation is when the characters are made from clay, and then they are photographed and put onto film. Theyre as many as 24 models for each second of the film. Claymation is an extremely time consuming form of animation. The film is set in a typical northern town, you can tell that it is by looking at the scenery, there are lots of terraced houses, allotments, the music is like brass band, there are dustbins under the bridges and of course Wallaces accent. The relationship between Wallace and Gromit is like husband and wife. Gromit is not really seen as a female but he does knitting, gets the breakfast ready and e is seen with a rolling pin patting against his hand, and that is a traditional image of a wife waiting for her husband to come in after being out. You can see Gromit is much more in charge because he sits at the breakfast table and reads the newspaper whilst Wallace is chattering on about something. He also reads Electronics For Dogs and Platos Republic. He looks like a dog but acts like a human, Wallace seems to treat him like a human but also as a dog, for example when Wallace brought him a collar and lead for his birthday. There is irony here because Gromit is obviously the one in charge but Wallace buys him a collar and lead. They are together also like good friends and look out for each other but Wallace does rely on Gromit much more. A common phrase in the film is Wallace saying Help Gromit! There are a lot of expressions in the film and they are expressed by different things like when Gromit crosses off his birthday from the calendar, he is apprehensive then he dashes up from the tale to go and get the post but he is not pleased about the card from Wallace you can tell this because his ears are dropped and there is no meaning in his face, this is a humorous comment on Wallaces poor taste. Then Wallace drops down from the shoot and starts complaining about the landing and seems to have forgotten about Gromits birthday. Gromit tries to send him hints like he opens his card and it starts to play happy birthday but then the batteries run out. After a while Wallace mentions something about the birthday and Gromits ears pop up excitedly. Wallace grabs something off the train and it is a present for Gromit, he opens it quickly but then his ears drop again, it is a collar and lead. Wallace puts the collar on his neck and taps his head then walks off. There is a sound a sound coming from another room and Gromit goes to investigate then there is a shadow, his ears start to shake and he is pinned against the wall shaking, it is the techno trousers. In this scene there are a lot of expressions and they are shown very well. The music plays quite a large part in the language of the film for example when Gromit leaves home he is holding back the tears in the kennel whilst packing his stuff away. He is angry that the penguin has come along and stolen Wallace away from him and he is determined to go, the music is sad and is being played by string instruments it is raining, as Gromit goes the music gets louder and louder he is sad to leave. The music creates the atmosphere and makes it sadder. The music also plays another big part in the chase on the miniature railway track, it is like the cowboy and western type, it fits in with the sequences of events and then at the end it is like the circus when it goes (da dahhh). There is a lot of unreality in the film once being in the chase, it is being done on a miniature train through their house. Gromit has a lampshade on his head and is chasing a penguin that has a gun. The penguin shoots and the bullets ricochet off the lampshade. Then the penguin unhooks the train and flips a switch and sends Gromit the other way and the track is running out so he grabs the spare track box, and quickly lays the track whilst he is on the train. The ending also is unrealistic because the penguin somehow fits into a milk bottle and they have captured their criminal. In the film Gromit is far more intelligent then Wallace but somehow Wallace thinks, he is much more smarter. Wallace is very casual and never wants or thinks anything is as serious as it is. Wallace also speaks a lot in clichi s in the film, for example Everythings under control when it clearly isnt, Im a respectable citizen, and This is a fine how do you do. He also says thing like Well done we did it and Gromit looks at him as to say things like I did it all and you got in my way. There is a lot of humour in the film, and that could appeal to the younger class of audience and the irony, relationships, music, references to other genre may also appeal to the older class of audiences.

Complete List of Performing Arts Colleges in California

Complete List of Performing Arts Colleges in California SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If the stage calls your name, and you are interested in pursuing a degree in one of the performing arts (theatre/dance/music) in California, this article is for you. I have compiled a comprehensive list of all of the universities and conservatory programs in California that offer performing arts degrees (Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate’s). How to use this article I recommend using this article as a jumping off point to do more research on which performing arts schools are right for you.If you need help with how to identify What College Should You Go To? How to Choose a College, check out our other article.Consider what you are looking for in a performing arts college: Are you looking for a conservatory? Or are you looking at a program at a four-year university with other non-art related majors? Do you want to be in a city or a small town? Do you want a big or small program? Do you want a BA, BM or BFA? MA or MFA? How much can you afford to spend? Will you get financial aid? In this article, I will list every school, location, tuition price, and degree programs offered.I am only including schools that offer Bachelor’s Degrees or higher.I have included the degrees because the schools offered varied performing arts degrees (this way you can find the school that offers the degree you want). Each school offers a slightly different curriculum for their specific performing arts degree, so I encourage you to click on the links for the major to explore the curriculum for that specific program at that school. First, here is the list of schools (scroll further down for the list of schools plus the location, tuition price, and degree information): American Academy of Dramatic Arts American Conservatory Theater California Institute of the Arts CSU, Chico CSU, Fresno CSU, Fullerton CSU, Long Beach CSU, LA CSU, Northridge CSU, Stanislaus Humboldt State University San Diego State University San Francisco State University San Jose State University Stanford University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine UCLA University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of San Diego University of Southern California List of Performing Arts School in California in Alphabetical Order American Academy of Dramatic Arts Location: Los Angeles, CA Tuition: $29,900 per year Degree Programs: Associate of Occupational Studies: Two-Year Program Certificate of Advanced Studies in Acting: For Third Year, after completing Associate BA or BFA Degree: offered in conjunction with these universities St. John's University: students who complete their two-year AOS (Associate in Occupational Studies) degree may transfer up to 60 credits toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Television and Film Studies at St. John’s University. Hunter College: Students entering Hunter with an AOS degree from The Academy will receive 27 credits toward a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre at Hunter College. Antioch University Los Angeles: Academy students can enter Antioch with as much as half of their coursework toward a BA in Acting and Dramatic Arts degree completion. Students who complete one year at The Academy may also transfer their coursework credits of C- or better. The Academy Alumni are also eligible to participate under the terms of this agreement. Oklahoma City University: Students complete the full-time Conservatory Program at The Academy in New York City or Los Angeles and transfer to OCU in Oklahoma City for their last two years to receive a BFA in Acting. American Conservatory Theater Location: San Francisco, CA Tuition: $26,750 per year Degree Programs: MFA in Acting California Institute of the Arts Location: Valencia, CA Tuition: $43,400 per year Degree Programs: BFA in Dance MFA in Choreography BFA, MFA, DMA in Music Performer-Composer BFA and MFA in Music Composition BFA and MFA in Jazz Studies BFA and MFA in Winds BFA and MFA in Brass BFA and MFA in Percussion BFA and MFA in Guitar BFA and MFA in Harp BFA and MFA in Piano/Keyboard BFA and MFA in Strings MFA in African Music and Dance Program MFA in Balinese and Javanese Music and Dance Program MFA in North Indian Music Program MFA in World Percussion Program BFA in World Music Program BFA and MFA in Music Technology Program: Interaction, Intelligence and Design BFA in Musical Arts Program BFA and MFA in Voice Arts BFA and MFA in Acting Program MFA in Directing Program MFA in Writing for Performance Program BFA and MFA in Scene Design Program BFA and MFA in Costume Design Program BFA and MFA in Lighting Design Program BFA and MFA in Sound Design Program BFA and MFA in Technical Direction Program BFA and MFA in Management Program CSU, Chico Location: Chico, CA Tuition: $7,022 per year (an extra $382 per unit for non-California residents) Degree Programs: BA in Theatre BA in Musical Theatre BA in General Music BA in Recording Arts BA in Music Industry CSU, Fresno Location: Fresno, CA Tuition: 0-6 units per semester $4,013 per year, 6.1+ units per semester, $6,3 per year (an extra $372 per unit for non-California residents) Degree Programs: BA in Music MA in Music BA in Theatre Arts BA in Theatre Arts (Dance Option) CSU, Fullerton Location: Fullerton, CA Tuition: $6,436 per year (did not specify non-California resident cost) Degree Programs: BA in Theatre Arts BFA in Theatre Arts MFA in Theatre Arts BA in Dance MFA in Acting MFA in Musical Theatre MFA in Design Technical Production Direction CSU, Long Beach Location: Long Beach, CA Tuition: Undergraduate $5,472, Graduate $6,738 (additional per unit charge for non-California resident) Degree Programs: Bachelor of Arts in Dance Bachelor of Arts in Dance – Option in Dance Science Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Master of Arts in Dance Master of Fine Arts in Dance Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts Information Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts – Option in Acting Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts – Option in Technical Theatre/Design Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts – Option in Theatre Management Master of Business Administration/Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Management Bachelor of Arts in Music Bachelor of Music – Music Education: Instrumental Music and Choral-Vocal Music Options Bachelor of Music – Option in Instrumental Music Bachelor of Music – Option in Choral-Vocal Music Bachelor of Music – Options in Performance, Composition and History Literature Information Bachelor of Music – Option in Performance Bachelor of Music – Option in Composition Bachelor of Music – Option in History and Literature Master of Arts in Music Master of Music Degree CSU, LA Location: LA, CA Tuition: $6,344 per year (Resident), $15,272 per year (Non-California Resident) Degree Programs: BA in Music BA in Theatre Arts and Dance BA in Theatre Arts Option BA in Dance Option BA in Theatre Arts and Dance Minor BM in Composition Option BM in Jazz Studies Option BM in Vocal Performance Option BM in Instrumental Performance Option BM in Keyboard Performance Option BM in Music Education Option BM in Commercial Music Option BM in Credential Program MA in Music MA in Theatre Arts and Dance MFA in Acting MFA in Dramatic Writing CSU, Northridge Location: Northridge, CA Tuition: Undergraduate $5,472, Graduate $6,738 (additional per unit charge for non-California resident) Degree Programs: BA in Music Education BA in Music Industry Studies BA in Music Therapy BA in Breadth Studies in Music BM in Orchestral Strings Performance BM in Classical Guitar Performance BM in Winds Brass Performance BM in Percussion Performance BM in Keyboard Performance (piano and organ) BM in Vocal Arts BM in Composition BM in Commercial and Media Writing BM in Jazz Studies MA in Music Industry Administration MM in Composition MM in Conducting (choral or instrumental) MM in Collaborative Piano MM in Instrumental MM in Organ MM in Piano MM in Voice DMA BA and MA in Theatre CSU, Stanislaus Location: Stanislaus, CA Tuition: Undergraduate $6,704, Graduate $7,970 (most likely more for non-California residents, although the website did not say) Degree Programs: BM in Music Education - Choral BM in Music Education - Instrumental BM in Instrumental Performance BM in Jazz Performance BM in Piano Performance BM in Vocal Performance BM in Composition BA in General Music BA in Music Technology BA in Theatre Humboldt State University Location: Arcata, CA Tuition: $7,152 per year Degree Programs: BA in Composition Option BA in Education Option BA in Music Studies Option BA in Performance – Instrumental Emphasis BA in Performance – Guitar Emphasis BA in Performance – Piano Emphasis BA in Performance – Vocal Emphasis BA in Theatre Arts San Diego State University Location: San Diego, CA Tuition: Undergraduate $6,976 per year (Resident), $,160 per year (non-California Resident), Graduate $8,242 per year (Resident), $13,822 per year (non-California Resident) Degree Programs: BFA in Dance BFA in Dance (BFA) BA in Dance (BA) BM in Composition BM in Jazz Studies BM in Music Education BM in Performance BM in Professional Studies BM in Professional Studies: Music Entrepreneurship and Business BM in Professional Studies: Music Recording Technology and Audio Design Bachelor of Arts in Music MA in Ethnomusicology (currently not accepting applications) MA in Musicology (currently not accepting applications) MA in Music Theory (currently not accepting applications) MA in Piano Pedagogy (currently not accepting applications) MM in Performance MM in Composition MM in Conducting MM in Jazz Studies BA in Theatre Arts MA in Theatre MFA In Design and Technical Theatre MFA In Musical Theatre San Francisco State University Location: San Francisco, CA Tuition: Undergraduate $6,476 per year (Resident), Graduate $7,742 per year (Resident) (an extra $372 per unit for non-California residents) Degree Programs: BM Music BA in Music MA in Music MM Music BA in Dance BA in Drama MA in Drama MFA in Theatre Arts San Jose State University Location: San Jose, CA Tuition: Undergraduate $7,378 per year, Graduate per year $8,644 (an extra $372 per unit for non-California residents) Degree Programs: BA in Music BM in Bachelor of Music, Concentration in Composition BM in Bachelor of Music, Concentration in Performance BM in Bachelor of Music, Concentration in Music Education BA in Creative Arts (Interdepartmental) BA in Dance BFA in Dance MA in Music BA in Theatre Arts BA in Theatre Arts, Preparation for Teaching MA in Theatre Arts Stanford University Location: Stanford, CA Tuition: Undergraduate and Graduate $45,729 per year Degree Programs: BA in Theatre Performance Studies Ph.D. in Theatre Performance Studies BA in Music MA in Music, Science and Technology Ph.D.Musicology Ph.D.Computer-Based Music Theory and Acoustics DMA University of California, Berkeley Location: Berkeley, CA Tuition: Undergraduates and Graduates $13,432 per year (Resident), Non-California Resident Undergraduates $38,140 per year, Non-California Resident Graduates $28,534 per year Degree Programs: BA Music MA/Ph.D. or Ph.D. in composition and scholarship BA Theatre Performance Studies BA Dance Performance Studies MA/Ph.D. in Performance Studies University of California, Davis Location: Davis, CA Tuition: $13,951 per year (Resident), $38,659 per year (Non-California Resident) Degree Programs: BA in Theatre Dance BA in Music Ph.D. in Musicology Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology MA in Conducting Ph.D. in Composition and Theory MA/Ph.D. in Performance Studies MFA in Dramatic Art University of California, Irvine Location: Irvine, CA Tuition: Undergraduate and Graduate $,220.00 per year (Resident) Non-California Resident Undergraduates $35,928 per year, Non-California Resident Graduates $26,322 per year Degree Programs: B.A. Dance B.F.A. Choreography B.F.A. Performance B.A. Drama B.F.A. Music Theatre B.A. Music B.Mus. Performance M.F.A. in Dance M.F.A. in Drama, with emphasis in Acting, Directing, Design or Stage Management Ph.D. in Drama and Theatre M.F.A. in Music with emphasis in Collaborative Piano, Guitar/Lute Performance, Instrumental Performance, Piano Performance, Vocal Arts, Integrated Composition, Improvisation and Technology (ICIT), or Musicology M.A./Ph.D. in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) UCLA Location: Los Angeles, CA Tuition: Undergraduate $13,251 per year (Resident), $37,959 per year (Non-California Resident), Graduate approximately $15,900 per year (Resident - varies by program), approximately $31,000 per year (Non-California Resident) Degree Programs: BA in Theater BA in Music MM and DMA in Performance and Conducting MA and Ph.D. in Composition MFA in Acting MFA in Design for Theatre and Entertainment Media MA in Theatre Ph.D. in Theater and Performance Studies University of California, San Diego Location: San Diego, CA Tuition: Undergraduate $13,557 per year (Resident), $38,265 per year (Non-California Resident), Graduate approximately $16,435 per year (Resident - varies by program), approximately $31,537 per year (Non-California Resident) Degree Programs: BA in Music BA in Music Humanities BA in ICAM (Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts - Music) BA Theatre BA Dance BA Theatre Dance MFA in Acting MFA in Dance Theatre MFA in Design MFA in Directing MFA in Stage Management Ph.D. in Theatre and Drama MA in Music Ph.D. in Music DMA University of California, Santa Barbara Location: Santa Barbara, CA Tuition: Undergraduate and Graduate $12,240 per year (Resident), $36,948 per year (Non-California Resident), Graduate $27,342 per year (Non-California Resident) Degree Programs: BA in Theater BA in Dance BFA in Acting BFA in Dance Ph.D. in Theater Studies MA in Theater Studies BA in Music Studies BM in Keyboard BM in Strings BM in Woodwinds BM in Voice BM in Brass BM in Percussion MA and Ph.D. in Composition, Ethnomusicology, Musicology, and Theory. MM and DMA in Conducting, Keyboard, Piano Accompanying, Strings, Voice, and Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion. University of California, Santa Cruz Location: Santa Cruz, CA Tuition: Undergraduate $13,461 per year (Resident), $38,169 per year (Non-California Resident), Graduate $13,308 per year (Resident - varies by program), approximately $28,410 per year (Non-California Resident) Degree Programs: Music: M.A., D.M.A., Ph.D. Theater Arts: M.A. BA or BM in Music BA in Theater Arts University of San Diego Location: San Diego, CA Tuition: Undergraduate $44,000 per year, Graduate (varies by program, charged per unit) Degree Programs: BA in Music BA in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies MFA in Dramatic Arts University of Southern California Location: Los Angeles, CA Tuition: $49,464 per year Degree Programs: BFA in Dance BA in Theatre BFA in Acting BFA in Design BFA in Sound Design BFA in Stage Management BFA in Technical Direction BA in Visual Performing Arts MFA in Acting MFA in Dramatic Writing BA in Choral Music MM in Choral Music MM in Sacred Music DMA in Choral Music DMA in Sacred Music BA in Music (Guitar) BM in Performance (Guitar) MM in Performance (Guitar) GCRT Performance (Guitar) DMA in Performance (Guitar) BM in Composition MM in Composition DMA in Composition MM Keyboard Performance DMA in Keyboard Performance BA Music – Piano BM in Piano Performance MM in Piano Performance DMA in Piano Performance BA in Organ Music BM in Performance MM in Performance DMA in Performance BA in Strings Music BM in Double Bass Performance BM in Harp Performance BM in Violin, Viola and Cello Performance MM in Strings Performance DMA in Strings Performance BA in Vocal Arts Music BM in Vocal Performance MM in Vocal Performance DMA in Vocal Performance BA in Winds and Percussion Music BM in Winds and Percussion Performance MM in Winds and Percussion Performance DMA in Winds and Percussion Performance BA in Jazz Studies Bachelor of Arts BM in Jazz Studies MM in Jazz Studies DMA in Jazz Studies Performance BA in Popular Music Performance MM in Studio Jazz Guitar Performance DMA in Studio Jazz Guitar Performance MA in Early Music Performance DMA in Performance in Early Music Performance Ph.D. in Musicology What’s next? Learn more about acing the SAT and ACT to help you get into a performing arts college: 15 ACT Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Score 15 SAT Tips to Improve Your SAT Score Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Portfolio Diversification and Markowitz Theory Essay

Portfolio Diversification and Markowitz Theory - Essay Example However, there is a claim from Swisher & Kasten (2005) that a post-modern portfolio theory factoring in the role emotions and subjectivities has emerged but the leading journals do not confirm the claim. Gitman & Joehnk (1996, p. 670) attribute to Harry Markowitz, a trained mathematician, the development of the first set of theories â€Å"that form the basis of modern portfolio.† Modern portfolio theory is â€Å"an approach to portfolio management that uses statistical measures to develop a portfolio plan† (Gitman & Joehnk 1996, p. 670). Other than Markovitz, â€Å"several other scholars and investment experts have contributed to the theory in the intervening years† (Gitman & Joehnk 1996, p. 670). Gitman & Joehnk (1996, p. 671) identified that some of the key concepts used by the theory â€Å"are expected returns and standard deviations of returns for both securities and portfolios and the correlations between returns.† Gitman & Joehnk (1996, p. 673) point ed out that at the theoretical level, the optimal portfolio choice is made by an investor at the point of tangency between the investor’s indifference curve and his or her efficient frontier of investment. The efficient frontiers of investments consist of a set of combination of risks and returns deemed most acceptable to the investor. The investor is assumed to accept higher risks provided returns will be higher. This is shown in Figure 1 where the Is are the indifference curves of the investor associated with the investor’s utility. Figure 1. Indifference curves, efficient frontier, and optimal portfolio. Source: Gitman & Joehnk 1996, p.

Case study of (Starbucks has not paid The UK corporation tax 2012)

Of (Starbucks has not paid The UK corporation tax 2012) - Case Study Example According to this theory, an organisation is part of the society in which it operates (Benoit, 2000). An organisation, therefore, is supposed to adhere to certain, explicit or implicit, norms and values. The voluntary disclosures therefore are seen as biased because they are influenced by the interaction of the firm and that particular society. This theory, therefore, emphasizes that the vehicle for voluntary disclosure and the information disclosed be analyzed in context of the society in which the organisation operates (Benoit, 1995). Closely related to the system oriented theories is the legitimacy theory. This theory states that the organisation derives its legitimacy from the society in which it operates. Therefore, the society has a multitude of implicit and explicit expectations on the organisation which the organisation should not forego. A firm can only be seen as legitimate if its status, condition or operations are in sync with the society’s expectations. The societ y supports legitimate businesses (Islam and Deegan, 2010). One of the ways to legitimize a business is by making voluntary disclosures for the benefit of the society. ... This theory states that when a crisis becomes a threat a reputation-conscious organisation will always respond to save its image, identity or reputation by voluntarily releasing information that directly counters that which is eroding its reputation. This theory proposes a wide variety of measures to be taken including excuses, justification, denial and apologies (Freeman, 1984). The Case Context Starbucks is the second largest restaurant chain globally after McDonalds. It is valued at $40 billion. The company has many units distributed across the globe and the focus of this literature will be the UK unit. In the year ending September 30th 2012 the company’s UK unit recorded a loss in its operations consequently failing to pay the corporate income tax for the third year in a row (Bergin, 2012). The information was first released by Reuters who asserted that even though the company was recording losses, its management was still declaring it as a viable undertaking with lessons to be emulated by other firms and branches. This mixed information to investors and the taxman brewed a crisis with the esteemed customers with the British government accusing Starbucks of tax evasion (Neville, 2012). Data In its 14 years of operations in the UK, Starbucks had never recorded a profit; this is despite making sales of over $4.8 billion (3 billion UK pounds). According to Her Majesty Revenue and Customs authority, Starbucks had failed to declare any profits during its entire period in operation in the UK managing to pay only 8.6 million UK pounds in 14 years. McDonalds, its main rival, managed to pay as corporate income tax of 80 million UK pounds from its 3.6 billion worth of sales in the UK market and the third largest

New Compensation Structure And Customer Service Standards Assignment

New Compensation Structure And Customer Service Standards - Assignment Example As of now, the management is preparing to communicate the newly restructured rules. What are the reasons for the change?The reason for changing the management structure is clear, but the author would like the review to relay constant messages to sale associates throughout all retail outlets. The change increased because of negative feedbacks on Aggresshop customer blog and the hefty compensation payouts.What is the structure of the new compensation?The new commission plan is to comply with the organization standards eliminating the whole Compensation bonus plan. Since we still need our sales associates to contact our customers we have decided to maintain the commission- based compensation to increase our sales.What is the new customer service standard?The suggestion by most of the customers was to improve the how we expected our sales associates to relate to our clients in addition to the new commission plans. We should create awareness to the whole country to treat customers correct ly.How can we articulate the changes?It is challenging to communicate these issues to our associates because we can lose some of our principal allies. However, the company cannot afford to maintain the compensation structure that spoils our image and conflicts with our company missions and goals. I humbly pass my sincere regards to the kind of support you have offered and inform us if there is a way to communicate these messages to our associates, looking forward to hearing your feedback.

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Globalization - Essay Example Globalization, for that matter, is also remarked as Internationalization since the nature of the two terms is on a worldwide scale more than anything else1. However, on the part of the two terms, the one thing common however is the fact that these have identified themselves well with the changing (and growing) trends, where most of these are credited on the shoulders of the World War II, after which there has been a resurgent rat race nonetheless. The movement of commodities, people, information, money, technological developments, organizational infrastructures, legal frameworks and so on and so forth have only proved to all and sundry that globalization is a phenomenon and it is one that is here to stay for long. The world has become a global village due to globalization and it is a good omen if seen in the proper perspectives. Globalization entails within it the changing technological innovations, the improvement in structures and different infrastructures, the advancements in basic thinking mindset of man, his ability to break loose from the ordinary and reach out towards the unknown and in all essence do something which can bring about an ultimate change, for the better. Having said that, we need to understand that globalization is not just a phenomenon, it is the science of human evolution and since man has for long held fast to this belief, there can be no reason as to why he should not comprehend the basis of the phenomenon of globalization2. It is a paradigm shift or a movement as we might call it, one that brings more stability within the ranks (where it is applied) and unison in the efforts and activities of all concerned. More often than not, we have seen improvements within the present day systems owing to globalization and it is because of this very perspective of change that we see world bodie s doing their utmost to reach out to far flung areas and explore hidden markets for the

Operatint a Successful Restaurant Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Operatint a Successful Restaurant - Assignment Example These limits include procedures of delivery, storage and cooking (Alonzo, 2007). Thirdly, critical limits for the critical control points should be determined for every menu item. These limits must be adhered to so as to minimize any possibility of food poisoning. For instance, poultry storage and preparation should meet the appropriate temperature controls. Poultry should be cooked at temperatures above seventy-five degrees Celsius. On the other hand, beef should be cooked at temperatures above one hundred and sixty degree farenheight. Duration of cooking should also be definite so as to ensure appropriate cooking (Dismore, H., & Entrepreneur Press, 2006). Fourthly, the critical control points should regularly be monitored. The restaurant manager should monitor every food handler. They should ensure that appropriate procedures are followed. Fifth, corrective measures for a breach of any steps above shall be recommended. To cater for this, staff members should undergo refresher training on food safety, menu development and ensuring quality service. Corrective action may be necessitated due to various reasons. These reasons include unattractive food, complaints from customer, storage of out of date foods, and sighting of pests and unclean utensils (Alonzo, 2007). Sixth, system verification strategies should be implemented and verified. In adherence to Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCPP) standards, the restaurant should ensure that the plan is developed. Availability of thermometers to ensure appropriate temperatures of food items should be ensured. Finally, appropriate record keeping procedures for the staff members would be necessitated. Daily corrective actions applied should be recorded in flow charts accurately. The HACCP demands that every restaurant keep checklists and time and temperature logs. Record keeping shall be considered for every stage in food handling and preparation (Alonzo, 2007). Guidelines

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Globalization - Essay Example Globalization, for that matter, is also remarked as Internationalization since the nature of the two terms is on a worldwide scale more than anything else1. However, on the part of the two terms, the one thing common however is the fact that these have identified themselves well with the changing (and growing) trends, where most of these are credited on the shoulders of the World War II, after which there has been a resurgent rat race nonetheless. The movement of commodities, people, information, money, technological developments, organizational infrastructures, legal frameworks and so on and so forth have only proved to all and sundry that globalization is a phenomenon and it is one that is here to stay for long. The world has become a global village due to globalization and it is a good omen if seen in the proper perspectives. Globalization entails within it the changing technological innovations, the improvement in structures and different infrastructures, the advancements in basic thinking mindset of man, his ability to break loose from the ordinary and reach out towards the unknown and in all essence do something which can bring about an ultimate change, for the better. Having said that, we need to understand that globalization is not just a phenomenon, it is the science of human evolution and since man has for long held fast to this belief, there can be no reason as to why he should not comprehend the basis of the phenomenon of globalization2. It is a paradigm shift or a movement as we might call it, one that brings more stability within the ranks (where it is applied) and unison in the efforts and activities of all concerned. More often than not, we have seen improvements within the present day systems owing to globalization and it is because of this very perspective of change that we see world bodie s doing their utmost to reach out to far flung areas and explore hidden markets for the

Person with Tattoo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Person with Tattoo - Assignment Example The design that shown to me was a dragon. The face of the dragon was on Michael’s chest and the body was uniquely drawn in the shoulder blades. Likewise, the tail enveloped his entire upper left arm. It was only in black ink and it has no other color. According to Michael, he thought of the placement as the left portion of his chest and to be expanded to his shoulder blade and upper left arm because, it was initially perceived that the heart is likewise situated almost adjacent to the left portion of the chest. Therefore, this placement is an indication that the image represents whatever he believes or hopes to achieve in life, comes from his heart; and to be exhibited through the mighty power of the dragon. Michael indicated that the choice for having a tattoo was not at the spur of the moment. The circumstances surrounding the process evolved through time. He actually thought of having a tattoo since he was very young, say, about 12 to 13 years old. By then, he was already figuring out the design, when he would eventually decide to have one, sometime in the future. When he became friends with a group of teen-agers with motorcycles, they eventually decided to have a tattoo as a symbol of their friendship. Thus, when he was 18 years old, he had the dragon tattoo drawn in the location indicated above. The experience of Michael was far from the experiences of receiving Samoan tatua done by a tufunga. It was learned that â€Å"a tatatau of Samoan origin was considered more esteemed than one completed by a Tongan tufunga. This was largely due to the origins of chiefly lineages in Tonga connecting to Manua and Upolu; and because of a divine birthright bestowed on certain Samoan tattoo families like Sua† (Manulua par. 16). Thus, the design, placement and the person doing the tattoo has different meanings, as well as levels of expertise in the Tongan tradition.  

The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds Essay Example for Free

The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds Essay Noble and Prices in-depth article examining the specific technical attributes of the water clock in the Tower of Winds in the Roman Agora of Athens purports to be a virtual reconstruction of the Tower of Winds and, specifically, the water-clock and supporting water-tower within. The article is just that and little else. While steadfastly maintaining through out the article that the water-clock and the Tower of Winds have received too little literary and scientific attention over the centuries and lamenting that such a wonderfully curious structure (which has been maintained and continuously occupied over the many centuries since its construction), the authors do little to dramatize the Towers existence or bring the rich archaeological evidence and information made available by the structure into vivid, documentary realization. True enough, the Tower and the water-clock are generally passed over by scholars. An example is G. J. Whitrows mention of the Tower of Winds in his book Time in History: Views of Time from Prehistory to the Present Day which states simply: there is evidence of more elaborate instrumentation, such as the Tower of the Winds which can still be seen in Athens, north of the Acropolis. Designed and built by the astronomer Andronicus Kyrrhestes of Macedonia in the second quarter of the first century BC, with a wind vane and complicated sundials on each of its eight walls, its most interesting feature is a reservoir in a smaller building that stood next to its south side 1 with the implication that the rest of the structure was, in fact, of little interest. Ironically, the very concept of a water-clock provokes a sense of mystery and interest. The origin of water-clocks is presumed to be Egyptians who developed the water-clock as a method for keeping track of time at night when sun-dials were, obviously, incapable of functioning: To provide a means of measuring time at night the Egyptians also invented the water-clock, or clepsydra as the Greeks later called it Vitruvius, writing about 30 BC, described a number of types 2 so the history of the water-clock is deep and richly extensive. The Noble-Price article hints at this rich history for the technological and cultural significance of the water-clock, but evades any real crystallization of the possible incarnations of water-clocks which preceded the massive example in the Tower of Winds. Before examining the strengths and weaknesses of the articles largely technical explication, it may be useful to summarize in general what a water-clock is and what it is intended to do. Although the Noble-Price article certainly fulfills this need for preliminary information, the Columbia Encyclopedia does a far better job of stating, succinctly, the overall historical evolution of the water-clock: More elaborate clepsydras were later developed. Some were double vessels, the larger one below containing a float that rose with the water and marked the hours on a scale. A form more closely foreshadowing the clock had a cord fastened to the float so that it turned a wheel, whose movement indicated the time. A further step was the use of gear wheels and a turning pointer. 3 Another key point of the Noble-Price article relevant to the history of clepsydras is that which demonstrates the distinction between the two major types of water-clocks (or clepsydras) which were used extensively in ancient times: the outflow model and the in-flow model. The article mentions that The outflow clepsydra was known as early as the third millennium B. C. in Egypt, [ ] In this type water is allowed to escape from a vessel by dripping from an orifice near its base. Time is then calculated by measuring the fall of the water level, or the entire period taken for all the water to drain away with the subsequent negative outcome that the rate of flow through the orifice depends on the head of water above it; therefore as the water drains away the flow becomes slower. 4 By contrast, with the inflow device, the invention of which Vitruvius ascribes to Ktesibios, water was fed into a tank somehow equipped to provide a constant head of water. From a small orifice near the bottom of the tank, water dripped at a constant rate into a cylindrical container provided with a float; the float indicated the change in water level and therefore the time elapsed 5 and this solution si evident in the Tower of Winds where The cylindrical tower section of the Tower of the Winds is perfectly suited to house such an apparatus 6. Such technical distinctions are seemingly minor, but play a key role in the pursuit of the article under discussion. As Noble-Price indicate in the articles opening paragraph, the intention of the article is to fill this long-standing lacuna 7 where the captivating archaeological evidence of The Tower of Winds is at long last brought to the attention of serious observers by way of the authors practical restoration of the mechanism designed by Andronikos of Kyrrhos in Macedonia, probably near the beginning of the second half of the first century 8 and the authors certainly fulfill this promise. The shortcoming of the article is its dry, technical explication of the water-clock and Tower which does little to improve upon the authors own dry observation that At the outset it must be admitted that literary and historical allusions to the Tower of the Winds or its designer give almost no indication that the building was anything more than an elaborate wind-vane. 9 By contrast, Suzanne Youngs study, An Athenian Clepsydra, narrates an engaging technical explication along with a dramatic recreation of the function of the clepsydra in the practice of ancient law: Our earliest authority for the clepsydra is Aristophanes. One of his chorus of old Acharnians grumbles that it is hardly fitting that youngsters should shame an old mans grey hairs by dragging him into litigation to destroy him at the clepsydra. 10 Young breaks up her technical explication with historical anecdote and humor: In a slightly later play he teases a jury-court veteran (his chief Wasp ) who never sleeps a wink11 or if he doze off the least bit his mind goes fluttering in the night about the clepsydra. Such an approach finds the reader far more prepared to absorb the more demanding specifications of the technical and cultural attributes under discussion. Similarly, Henry Robinsons article The Tower of the Winds and the Roman Market-Place adopts a narrative-historical approach to the interpretation of the water-clock and Tower, concluding that The Tower of the Winds served as a public time-piece for the city of Athens. Its interior instruments, then, like those in the horologium of Scipio Xasica at Rome, should have been accessible to the populace of the city at all times, both night and day. The absence of one cutting on each threshold block and of one on the floor of the Tower indicates that this was the case 12 and leading the reader to understand the cultural significance of the architecture. Perhaps the Noble-Price article might have benefited from a bit of personal introspection or commentary from the authors outside of that which pertains to the dearth of active scholarship in relation to their chosen subject for the article. Unfortunately, the authors vividly miss any opportunity to include such material, or even a bit of comic relief as is evident in Carl W. Blegans article Prosymna: Remains of Post-Mycenaean Date which catelogs a tremendous amount of information on a dizzying array of artifacts and manages to compress this information into an entertaining and memorable package. Perhaps it is necessary for the human mind to punctuate its absorption of information with cutaway moments of emotional reflection, humor, and introspection. If so, the Noble-Price article suffers greatly from its lack of such punctuated emotion. The Blegen article, for example, finishes with a bit of humor and mystery, describing an ancient Egyptian artifact: The arcs and the lines are for the most part accurately and carefully drawn. The zodiacal names and the numerals of the hours are written in fairly well formed letters which seem to belong to the end of the second century B. c. , and we may conclude that the sphere was made about that time. The dedicatory inscription, on the other hand, with its crowded, badly shaped letters, regular use of t for Z, EI for 0, and for R,must be a much later addition, perhaps assignable to the second century A. D. whatever its earlier history, the sun-dial was presumably at that time dedicated to Hera and set up in the sanctuary; from which it must subsequently have rolled down the hill to the place where it was found. 13 In conclusion, while the Noble-Price article does an admirable job of presenting technical details, is deeply researched, and honestly intended, the article lacks any narrative or dramatic intensity which and will likely do little to exhume the Tower of the Winds from scholarly or popular obscurity. NOTES 1. G. J. Whitrow, Time in History: Views of Time from Prehistory to the Present Day (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), 50. 2 G. J.Whitrow, Time in History: Views of Time from Prehistory to the Present Day (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), 27. ) 3. The Columbia Encyclopedia 6th ed. , s. v. Clepsydra, 4. Noble Joseph V. ; de Solla Price Derek J. The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 4. (Oct. , 1968), p. 351. 5. Noble Joseph V. ; de Solla Price Derek J. The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 4. (Oct. , 1968), p. 346. 6. Noble Joseph V. ; de Solla Price Derek J. The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 4. (Oct. , 1968), p. 346. 7. Noble Joseph V. ; de Solla Price Derek J. The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 4. (Oct. , 1968), p. 346. 8. Noble Joseph V. ; de Solla Price Derek J. The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 4. (Oct. , 1968), 351. 9. Noble Joseph V. ; de Solla Price Derek J. The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 4. (Oct. , 1968), 352. 10. Young, Suzanne. An Athenian Clepsydra Hesperia, Vol. 8, No. 3, The American Excavations in the Athenian Agora: Sixteenth Report. (Jul. Sep. , 1939), pp. 276. 11. Young, Suzanne. An Athenian Clepsydra Hesperia, Vol. 8, No. 3, The American Excavations in the Athenian Agora: Sixteenth Report. (Jul. Sep. , 1939), pp. 276. 12. Robinson, Henry S. The Tower of the Winds and the Roman Market-Place American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 47, No. 3. (Jul. Sep. , 1943), pp. 295. 13. Blegen, Carl W. Prosymna: Remains of Post-Mycenaean Date American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 43, No. 3. (Jul. Sep. , 1939), pp. 444.

PESTEL and SWOT Analysis: Starbucks in India

PESTEL and SWOT Analysis: Starbucks in India Starbucks is the number one specialty coffee retailer in the world. The company wants to deliver the finest coffee products and offers handcrafted beverages. Starbucks is not only about drinking coffee but about a unique experience. The company follows an international expansion strategy through strategic alliances. Starbucks wants to prevent competitors from having a head start, build upon the growing interest for Western brands and take advantage of the higher coffee consumption rates. After building a successful brand in Japan and China Starbucks wants to enter the Indian market. Starbucks found a local supplier for their coffee, Tata. However, the company has not yet found a partner to enter the Indian market with. In this report we will give an outline of some of the challenges Starbucks might face when entering the Indian market. We will give an analysis of the external environment in India. Later we will describe the strengths and weaknesses of the company and the opportunities and threats the Indian market offers. We will combine the internal and external analysis to propose four possible strategies to target the Indian market. PEST(LE) Analysis The PESTLE analysis is a tool which provides insight of the external environment in which organizations operate or will operate and aids the strategy formulation of those organizations. Considering the fact that Starbucks is planning to enter the market in India, the PESTLE analysis is going to evaluate favorable and unfavorable conditions in the countrys political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental setting. Political factors The political factors have strong influence upon the regulation and controlling of business and the spending power of consumers and other businesses. We must consider those factors as very important and even crucial depending on the political system of the country we are operating in and the political condition of the country as a whole. The Indian economy has been subject to series of positive economic reforms since 1991 which had created a better working environment for foreign companies and has made it possible for foreign investors to operate in the country more easily. The reforms have also resulted in higher growth rates, lower inflation and increase and ease of the foreign investments. The current Indian government United Parties Alliance (UPA), headed by the Indian National Congress party (INC) has shown more tolerance towards foreign countries in general and towards FDI in numerous economic sectors. These reforms have placed India in a favorable position in the world economic stage. Taking into consideration the political environment in India as a whole, the bureaucracy complications and the regulatory FDI controls and regulations, it is safer for Starbucks to enter India via a joint venture or a strategic alliance with an Indian company that can provide a buffer from possible political tension. Furthermore, Starbucks can face some opposition from the existing competitors (CCD, Barista, etc.) through the use of political influence and delaying tactics. Although situations like these are possible to happen, the chance is low taking into account that the Indian market is large enough to hold more companies and the leaders in the Indian gourmet coffee industry will not be strongly affected by Starbucks entry. Economic factors In economic terms India is experiencing growing GDP with levels reaching 7.4% for 2009 and 8.3% for 2010. The GDP per capita has also been estimated to have stable growth in the last few years, reaching $ 3  500 in 2010.  [1]  Additionally, the high levels of inflation, which peaked at 11% in the beginning of 2010, reached stable one digit figures by the end of the year as a result of the Indias central bank interest levels adjustment. Favorable environment for Starbucks entry are provided by the big cities in the country. Mumbai is regarded as the countrys financial center and accommodates many foreign financial organizations as well as many IT companies. Delhi and Bangalore, other major cities with population totaling just below 20 million, are centers of call-center hubs and international IT companies. Apart from that, The Indian Government is still working on improving unfavorable factors such as widespread poverty, inadequate physical and social infrastructure, bureaucracy, limited non-agricultural employment opportunities, regulatory and foreign direct investment controls, insufficient access to quality basic and higher education, and the imbalance of rural-to-urban migration. Furthermore, the government strives to reduce its fiscal deficit in 2011 to 5.5% of GDP from 6.8% in previous years. Socio-Cultural factors As one of the main characteristics of the company, the ethical approach towards internal and external stakeholders is almost a trademark for Starbucks. The company is widely known for its humane approach towards sourcing its coffee and related products and towards converting its employees to skilled baristas and dedicated brand ambassadors. In addition to that the company plays an important role as sustainable leader on the market and conveys all through its consistent business strategy. This positioning as sustainable business player is important facet for the Indian market and its many socio-cultural dimensions. It gives Starbucks position with regard to an important cultural trend that with the growing employment rate of young people, their disposable income also grows and they become a very profitable target audience. According to sources the population of the country consists of more than 60% of the people between the age of 15-59. Also with the westernization of the social trends more and more young people trust western brands and prefer foreign goods. They also go for the same trends and try to mimic the same status of exclusivity young people in the US and Europe look for. This places Starbucks at a very dynamic position, where it has a good opportunity and much possibility to capture quick customers. The only problem is that they will not be the first on the market with specialty coffee offering and their otherwise leadership position could strongly be under mined and only sustained by their brand image. Next to that, the culture and cuisine of India poses a very interesting challenge. The mix of traditional tea-drinking population together with the various differences between Muslim and Hindu and the growing difference among various regions of the country, make it extremely to divide and place is concrete consumer groups. Still the most obvious separation with regard to coffee consumption is visible in the city versus rural areas separation with the urban population having distinctly higher preferences for coffee. Still the numbers of coffee consumers remains low with slow negative growth figure between 2000 and 2005 6.7% and 2.0% respectively. Technological factors In 2004 Starbucks entered into a strategic alliance with Tata Coffee LTD., the largest coffee producer in India. With signing this agreement, Starbucks finally found the partner it needed. A company which met all the conditions and standards followed by Starbucks. Tata proofed its quality standard by winning a gold medal for the best Robusta coffee in the world. The factor of quality is very important at the Indian market as high quality coffee beans are easily available. With this strategic relation with the Tata Group, the company, Starbucks, might be able to succeed with competitive pricing in India. Another important technological factor is the lack of infrastructure in India. However, having such an experienced local partner, Starbucks does not face any problems with this issue. Legal factors The legal environment in India might not be viewed as positive as the one in USA or Europe in the eyes of global business. Corruption in the country is high and it raises concerns. Starbucks has already experienced some drawbacks from the legal environment in India. The case of Starstruck is being mentioned as an example of weak copyright and trademark protection in the country. Even though, the business opportunities still remain attractive since India has shown significant improvement in reforms towards international business and investment. Due to these improvements the countrys has attracted FDIs. Lower tariffs and lower barriers to enter have made the Indian market extremely promising and willing to change. Environmental factors The Starbucks coffee is for a large part dependent on the quality of coffee beans. Several environmental factures must be taking into account for growing coffee. Sufficient water and trees and a diverse flora and fauna are important for growing coffee beans. The rapid growth of the population and economic development will lead to a number of environmental issues like uncontrolled growth, urbanization, industrialization, intensification of the agriculture and destruction of the forest. The growing population has an adverse effect on natural resources and the environment. Therefore, it is very important that India grows in a sustainable way. External factors Opportunities Following Indias economic liberalization in 1990 the country experiences accelerated growth which reaches an average of 7% in the years after 1997. This, alongside with the increasing levels of GDP, results in growing disposable income of consumers. In a country where cultural trends play important role in society growing income and standards of living creates demand for western goods. In recent years there has been a growing number of department stores. They accommodate mainly the high-income and the upper-middle segment, which happens to be the target group of Starbucks. Placing coffee-bars in such places is a big opportunity for achieving high profits and is definitely something that Starbucks has experience with. Another opportunity on the Indian market is the growing size of Starbucks target group. In 2006 the middle class in India was estimated at around 250 million and it is growing in urban areas. All, these factors show that Starbucks has a large enough target group which is willing and able to pay premium price for a high quality western brand. Starbucks has the potential to skim the Indian market, because of its positioning and brand image. Threats The coffee retail market in India consists of mainly homegrown brands. The biggest ones are Coffee Cafà © Day (CCD), followed by Qwikys and Barista Coffee. These companies are considered as threats to Starbucks entry in the Indian market because they are offering similar and sometimes identical products. CCD, for instance, the company which pioneered the concept of specialty coffee in India, has wide range of cafà © formats with almost identical concept used by Starbucks. Besides, CCD has presence all around the India. The same company also sells merchandise and is involved in heavy marketing, such as establishing relations with the Indian movie and television series industry. Furthermore, CCDs best-seller the cold Frappe is a direct competition to Starbucks Frappuccino. It is also mentioned that the infrastructure in India is weakly developed, which might result difficulties or larger amounts of costs incurred in the business operations of Starbucks. In addition the retail environment in India is largely unorganized and dominated by small and individually owned businesses. The threat from substitute goods in India should also be considered. The Indian population is still heavy tea drinkers. The consumption of tea per person in 2000 was reported to 44 liters in comparison to 1.2 liters of coffee. Another good, which is considered a substitute, is the instant coffee. It is reported that 65 % of households bought instant coffee and only 18 % bought filter coffee. Internal factors Strengths Taking into consideration the size and market power of Starbucks as a leader in specialty coffee retailing, the brand equity of the company is one of the most valuable assets they have (Interbrand Top 100 Most Valuable Brands N 97 estimated brand value $ 3.339 m). This strength also has the highest rate in the strengths section because through its consistent and innovative marketing strategy and exclusive product positioning Starbucks managed to maintain throughout the years its brand integrity and kept on its very consistent mission and vision. The strong joint ventures and strategic alliances that the company has establish all over the word made it possible for them to create and develop a sustainable supply chain of high quality.   Moreover, Starbucks has also placed great attention to the well-being and satisfaction of their employees. The company ranks at N 98 Fortune`s 100 Best Companies To Work For. Another very important strength of Starbucks is their financial stability. Taking into account that the company`s total net revenues for 2010 increased 17.2%, compared to 2009, to $2.8 billion, the capital availability that Starbucks has is making it easier for them to manage their expansion in other new markets like India. Weaknesses Because of the high quality exclusive products that Starbucks is offering their price range is also very high compared to their competitors. It is a weakness of the company but at the same time it is not addressed heavily because it is part of their exclusive image. Entering the Indian market, Starbucks are not the first movers in the coffee retail industry; there are already established leaders on the market and thus Starbucks are market followers. Because of this high competition Starbucks is also facing a problem regarding their suppliers. They signed a supply deal with Tata Coffee which is actually co-owner of the main competitor on the market. Strategic factors TOWS Matrix The TOWS matrix, serves as a framework for organizations to assess the combination of external and internal factors. The matrix helps companies to decide on approaches depending on the opportunities and threats the business environment has to offer and how the company is going to take advantage on them depending on their internal capabilities. Maxi-maxi strategy The growing Indian economy provides attractive opportunities for a company such as Starbucks. These favorable economic conditions create an environment in which exclusive and luxury products such as Starbuck coffee will be in growing demand. The international popularity of the Starbucks brand will help the company to position itself on the Indian market. Starbucks in one of the best known American brands in the world and it is also connected with positive affiliations on the market. With its strong and distinctive brand image the company is able to take advantage of the growing demand for branded, western and luxury products. On the other hand, in order to gain market share, Starbucks can reduce the prices, but not below the competitions levels and by maintaining healthy profit margins. This is possible since Starbucks has at its disposal coffee from a local supplier. One way the firm could protect its position involves developing a marketing campaign emphasizing its superior customer service in comparison to its competitors. Maxi-mini strategy The high brand equity and recognition of Starbucks` products is definitely the biggest advantage they have over their competitors. Taking into account the size of their Indian competitors and the size of the market as a whole, Starbucks has to put more emphasis on its marketing strategy and try to stress on the promotion of its exclusiveness and premium product portfolio in order to differentiate its brand in the consumer`s mind. In order to grow and outperform its already existing competitors Starbucks must also emphasize on the company`s points of difference, which include the brand experience as a whole, the brand quality that they are offering and also the convenient access to their locations. Starbucks is well known for its high quality and distinctive products, so substitute products can`t deliver to the customer the same exclusive level of high quality and cannot satisfy the customers` needs and wants as Starbucks does. In order to create and retain a position in the customers` mind Starbucks must extend their product portfolio so that it can match the local preferences. For example, they can offer special Indian tea and other typical for the region herbal mixes. Mini-maxi strategy As a company that offers specialty coffee the limited portfolio of Starbucks, in terms of non-coffee products, can be considered as exclusive offering. Therefore, the company is in a good position to take advantage of the growing opportunity that the cultural westernization is offering and minimize the impact of their weakness. As exclusive product, Starbucks` specialty coffee can give the targeted consumers the desired social status. Mini-mini strategy Starbucks should keep its prices high as the alternative can undermine the exclusivity and top quality image of the coffee. Thus, Starbucks has the ability to minimize the impact of their high price weakness on the India market and deal the pressure from competition which is a definite threat. Even though, the main competitors have similar, and even more extensive product portfolios, Starbucks has the competitive advantage of its exclusive brand image. Moreover, Starbucks should slightly try to extend their product line portfolio in order to answer the consumers` existing demand for instant coffee. Summary The Indian market offers a future entry possibility for Starbucks. The economy and the population are increasing and there is a growing interest for western brands. Some recent government reforms have been undertaken which made investing in India easier for foreign companies. However, India still has some FDI restrictions and there is a lot of bureaucracy. Starbucks has three main competitors in India of which Barista and CCD are the biggest. They offer the same type and quality of products as Starbucks does. Also, India is a tea drinking country which presents a challenge for companies that mostly sell coffee. Furthermore, retailing is unorganized and underdeveloped in India. Looking at external and internal factors various strategies can be identified for possible entry in the Indian market. There will be a growing demand for Western products. Starbucks can use this trend to successfully introduce its product. The company should make use of its strong brand name and recognition as a Western product. The products Starbucks is offering are in line with the growing westernization and coffee culture. Also, growing GDP per capita will lead to the ability to pay more for a premium product. Starbucks should market themselves as a high quality Western brand. The exclusive product Starbucks is offering and the Western brand name is in line with the trend of westernization and a growing coffee culture. Starbucks should use their exclusivity and their brand name to target the specialty coffee market. By keeping prices high Starbucks will keep its image of being an exclusive brand. By slightly altering its product offering Starbucks can serve local preferences.

Meningitis Essay examples -- Health, Diseases

In nineteenth century Geneva, a family came down with a strange disease— one that had never previously been diagnosed. In a short time, many people in their town were infected and thirty-three people were left dead. This strange disease was later determined to be meningitis. In 1806, the United States saw its first outbreak of meningitis in Massachusetts. It was not until 1887, however, that Professor Anton Weichselbaum was able to determine a cause of meningitis: a bacterium called Neisseria meningitides. Penicillin was first used to combat meningitis in 1944, and in 1978, a vaccine became available. The usage of vaccines was detrimental in the battle to gain control over the spread of meningitis (7). Even with these vaccines, however, meningitis continues to infect individuals today. Meningitis is the swelling of the meninges that surround the central nervous system. The tri-layered membrane is composed of the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater, which protect the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is contagious to other people. It can be spread through exchange of saliva, as well as from coughing and sneezing (4). Everyone is at risk for catching meningitis—even people in good health. It is especially common in young people living in close proximity to each other, such as in college dorms (6). Meningitis can be caused by several things. The more common causes include bacteria, viruses, and fungus. Other, less common causes of meningitis can be cancer, brain surgery, drugs, and chemicals (3). Bacterial meningitis is the most severe form and one must seek medical attention immediately (8). Bacterial meningitis is capable of killing a person in just one day (6). At least thirteen strains of such bacteria exist (15). The ... ... causes swelling of the meninges surrounding the spinal cord and the brain. Meningitis can be caused by several things- the most common are bacteria, viruses, and fungus. Symptoms are comparable to that of the flu; therefore people may not initially realize that they have this disease. The earlier a person seeks treatment, the better the outcome. Most people survive their battle again meningitis, but some come away with lasting affects. Meningitis has been around for hundreds of years, and in that time period, there have been many advances made in the handling of the disease. With the invention of modern vaccines, meningitis is under better control and the occurrences of infection are much lower than they were in the past. With continuing research, there is still hope to make more gains in the prevention and treatment of meningitis and potentially save more lives.

John Locke: Human Understanding Essay -- philosophy, knowledge

When considering knowledge, Locke is interested in the ability for us to know something, the capacity of gathering and using information and understanding the limits of what we know. He believes this also leads him to realise what we perhaps, cannot know. [1] He wants to find out about the origin of our ideas. His main stand-point is that we don’t have innate ideas and he aims to get rid of the sceptical doubt about what we know. The innate ideas which Locke sets out to argue against are those which â€Å"the soul receives in its very first being, and brings into the world with it†. [2] â€Å"Let us suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters†. [3] This quote depicts the idea of the â€Å"Tabula Rasa†, that at birth are minds are completely empty like that of a blank slate and it is our experiences which draw on the blank slate, in order to form thoughts and ideas. He has two types of argument against innate ideas; direct and indirect. The indirect argument can be seen as the more positive of the two, and the idea of it is that we are able to explain all knowledge we have without innate ideas but from other sources. The direct argument is the more negative view, and focuses on the problem of universal assent which Locke believes to be an insufficient idea and also necessary and absent. He expands from this by saying that modified universal assent is too inclusive and depends on the order of discovery. So really he is saying that the argument for innate principles doesn’t work, especially with regard to universal assent. He believes that if universal assent existed, it could be explained in other ways and therefore is not innate. However, Locke doesn’t believe that universal assented principles can exist at all and thi... ...t innate epistemic principles – revised December 1996 3. Reading: Ariew & Watkins 270-290 (Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Book I Chapters I and II, Book II Chapters I - VIII) 4. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section3.rhtml 5. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section4.rhtml 6. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section4.rhtml 7. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section3.rhtml 8. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section6.rhtml 9. Reading: Ariew & Watkins 270-290 (Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Book I Chapters I and II, Book II Chapters I - VIII) 10. http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/quotes.html 11. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section1.rhtml 12. http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/terms.html

School as the primary promoter

Developmental assets are the basic life skills and attribute that are critical building blocks for young people’s successful growth and development. They are classified broadly into two: external assets and internal assets. Each further classified into subclasses;External; support, boundaries empowerment and expectationsInternal; constructive use of time, commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies and positive identityThere are modalities in building the above assets and this was divided into 6 ways by the search institute;Everyone can build assets. Building assets requires consistent messages across a community. All adults, youth and children play a role.All young people need assets. While it is crucial to pay attention to those who have the least (economically), nearly all young people need more assets than they have.A relationship is the key. Strong relationships between adults and young people, young people and their peers, and teenagers and children are central to asset building.Asset building is an ongoing process. Building assets starts when a child is born and continues through high school and beyond.Consistent messages are important. Young people need to receive consistent messages about what's important and what's expected from their families, schools, communities, the media and other sources.Intentional redundancy is important. Assets must be continually reinforced across the years and in all areas of a young person's life. (By search institute)The assets that designate school as the primary promoter of are; · Achievement motivation; this is basically done by arousing the child psychology to act toward a desired goal. The motivation is usually achieved by understanding the child and appealing to the mental faculty of the child. These help children to achieve the following;Increase rate of high school completion, more students enrollment in college, student becomes more efficient, have greater expectation of success and achi eve better grades in school, the children have positive perception of their teachers, this also helps the children in knowing how to manage stress and anxiety. The child will also be able to communicate effectively.   All the above can only be achieve if proper technique is used. We should be able to focus on the child developing mind and self esteem which is very important in the child development. · School engagement; a developmental asset that focus mainly on the child’s involvement in the school activities. When a child participate in the school activities both extra-curricular and curricular activities, the child develops a good working relationship with his or her colleague and also with the teachers and it will help the child to develop and achieve the following; the child will want to attend school regularly, he will spend more time on his homework, it will also help the child in learning and use of â€Å"deep† study technique, there’s also greater f eeling of support at school which will affect the child’s ego positively, there’s also less involvement in drug use and less adolescent child bearing. · Homework; helps to achieve higher test scores, greater homework completion and accuracy, improved scientific literacy and fewer conduct problems and less marijuana use. Home work has the same objectives as that of school in general. It s helps by increasing the child's knowlegde and improve the capacity and skills it also help to reinforce what the child has learnt and also help in preparing them for the upcoming complex task.Risk factors that would benefit from strengthening of the assetsØ   Achievement motivation. This developmental asset is very important in building a child’s self esteem. Most human who have inferiority complex tend to lack adequate motivation from childhood. They simply don’t believe in themselves and this will surely affect their productivity.Ø   School engagement. This cant be underestimate when it comes to child’s development because it strongly influence the academic performance of the child and how he or she relates with outsiders. The school can provide activities such as sports, story telling through writing, visual autobiographies, using resources in the community to teach them and teachers can identify their successes which is utmost in boosting their moralsØ   Home-work. The third developmental assets who designate the school as the primary promoter of the child’s development are home works. Home strongly influence the way child learn   by reinforcing what he has learnt before and preventing the child from getting involve in some other activities that could have a negative impact on his life.Developmental assets and my personal philosophyDevelopmental assets are vital keys or tools in child’s development; I strongly believe that it enables parent and child care-givers and teachers to bring out the best in the ch ild so he or she can really make maximum use of his or her potentials.My experience and philosophyWhen I was young my involvement in school activities greatly influenced my life positively. I learnt how write my own stories such as my experience with riding a bicycle. With such experience, I have been able to develop my writing skills.The home works I did then was somehow stressful, because I always want to go and play but I got used to it and know I reinforce all my   classroom works by simply going over it again at home and this gave an edge in all my results.The motivation and teachings I was exposed to earlier in my life, I can manage stress and anxiety easily. So my philosophy in life about education is that â€Å"catch them young† when all is fresh and when all the neural connections are being form to achieve life success.ReferencesSearch institute. (1999). Pass it On! Ready-ta-Use Handouts for Asset Builders. Developmental assets. Retrieved July 10, 2008. From www.se arch-institute.org