Last Sacrifice Chapter Thirty-three

CRIES AND SCREAMS FROM THE audience told me my disguise was gone. Many eyes also went to Dimitri. Adrian had dropped that illusion too, once I'd shed mine. And, as we'd been expecting, the guardians who had been gradually taking up position around us surged forward, armed with handguns. I still thought that was cheating. Fortunately, my mother and Mikhail moved quickly into place to block our attackers and deter any gunshots. â€Å"Don't,' I snapped at Dimitri, who I knew was probably about to join our two defenders. It was crucial he and I stay perfectly still, so we weren't taken as threats. I even went as far as to hold up my arms, and–reluctantly, I suspected–Dimitri did too. â€Å"Wait. Please listen to us first.' The guardian circle was tight, with no gaps. I was pretty sure my mom and Mikhail were the only thing keeping them from shooting us then and there. Guardians would always avoid fighting other guardians if possible. Two blockers were easy to take down, though, and these guardians wouldn't wait forever. Jill and Abe suddenly moved forward, taking positions next to us. More shields. I saw one of the looming guardians grimace. Civilians complicated things. Adrian had not moved, but the fact that he was enclosed in the circle at all still made him an obstacle. â€Å"Haul us off later if you want,' I said. â€Å"We won't resist. But you have to let us talk first. We know who killed the queen.' â€Å"So do we,' said one of the guardians. â€Å"Now, the rest of you †¦ back away before you're hurt. These are dangerous fugitives.' â€Å"They need to talk,' said Abe. â€Å"They have evidence.' Again, he pushed forward with his case, acting confidently about things he had no clue about. He was staking it all on me. I was starting to like him. It was kind of unfortunate that our evidence wasn't as 100 percent solid as I'd hoped, but as I'd said earlier †¦ technicalities. â€Å"Let them talk.' It was a new voice, but a voice I knew by heart. Lissa pushed her way through two of the guardians. They held their tight position, the immediate concern being that we not escape. This allowed her to slip through–but only so one could grab her arm and stop her from reaching us. â€Å"They've come this far. They were right about †¦ Jill.' Boy, that was not easy for her to say with a straight face, seeing as she hadn't entirely come to terms with the issue. My imminent death was probably the only thing distracting her from the earth shattering experience of learning she had a potential sibling. She too was taking a lot on faith here, confident I was telling the truth. â€Å"You've got them. They can't go anywhere. Just let them talk. I've got evidence to support their case too.' â€Å"I'd hold off on sharing that, Liss,' I said in a low voice. Lissa still believed Daniella was the killer and wasn't going to like hearing the truth. Lissa flashed me a confused look but didn't protest. â€Å"Let's hear them,' said one of the guardians–and not just any: Hans. â€Å"After an escape like they pulled, I'd really like to know what brought them back.' Hans was helping us? â€Å"But,' he continued, â€Å"I'm sure you two will understand we'll have to restrain you before you make your great reveal.' I looked at Dimitri who had already turned to me. We'd both known what we were getting ourselves into, and honestly, this was a better scenario than I'd envisioned. â€Å"Okay,' said Dimitri. He glanced at our noble protectors. â€Å"It's okay. Let them get through.' My mom and the others didn't move right away. â€Å"Do it,' I said. â€Å"Don't end up as our cellmates.' I thought for sure those loveable fools wouldn't listen to me. But Mikhail backed off first, and then the others did too, practically in sync. In a flash, guardians seized them all, leading them away. Dimitri and I stayed put, and four guardians moved in, two for Dimitri and two for me. Adrian had retreated with the others, but Lissa still stood a few feet away from us, all her trust in me. â€Å"Get on with it,' said Hans. He gripped my right arm tightly. I met Lissa's eyes, hating what I had to say. But, no. She wasn't the one I was worried about hurting the most. Looking out into the audience, I found Christian, who was understandably watching this drama with avid attention. I had to turn away and stare at the crowd as a whole, refusing to see individual faces. Just a blur. â€Å"I didn't kill Tatiana Ivashkov,' I said. Several people grumbled doubtfully. â€Å"I didn't like her. But I didn't kill her.' I glanced at Hans. â€Å"You've questioned the janitor who testified about where I was during the murder, right? And he ID'd the man who attacked Lissa as the one who paid him off to lie about where I was?' I'd learned from Mikhail that Joe had eventually admitted to taking money from the mystery Moroi, once the guardians had cornered him with the picture. Hans frowned, hesitated, and then nodded for me to continue. â€Å"There's no record of his existence–at least not with the guardians. But the Alchemists know who he is. They saw him at one of their facilities–acting as someone's bodyguard.' My eyes fell on Ethan Moore, who stood with the guardians near the door. â€Å"A bodyguard for someone who was let in to see Tatiana the night she died: Tasha Ozera.' There was no need for any uproar from the audience this time because Tasha more than made up for it on her own. She'd been sitting next to Christian and sprang up from her chair. â€Å"What on earth are you saying, Rose?' she exclaimed. â€Å"Are you out of your mind?' When I'd stood there defiantly, ready to face the crowd and demand justice, I'd been full of triumph and power. Now †¦ now I was just sad as I stared at someone I'd always trusted, someone who was staring back at me with so much shock and hurt. â€Å"I wish I was †¦ but it's true. We both know it is. You killed Tatiana.' Tasha's disbelief grew, tinged now with a little anger, though she still seemed to be giving me the benefit of the doubt. â€Å"I never, never believed you killed her–and I've fought for you on that. Why are you doing this? Are you playing on the Strigoi taint in our family? I thought you were above that kind of prejudice.' I swallowed. I'd thought getting evidence would be the hard part. It was nothing compared to revealing it. â€Å"What I'm saying has nothing to do with Strigoi. I almost wish it did. You hated Tatiana for her age law and refusal to let Moroi fight.' Another memory came to me, when Tasha had learned about the secret training sessions. Tasha had been aghast with what I now suspected might have been guilt at misjudging the queen. The crowd was riveted and stunned, but one person came to life: an Ozera I didn't know but who apparently had family solidarity on his mind. He stood up, crossing his arms defiantly. â€Å"Half this Court hated Tatiana for that law. You among them.' â€Å"I didn't have my bodyguard bribe a witness or attack Lis–Princess Dragomir. And don't pretend you didn't know the guy,' I warned her. â€Å"He was your bodyguard. You were seen together.' Ian's description of her when she visited St. Louis had been perfectly clear: long black hair, pale blue eyes, and scarring on one side of her face. â€Å"Rose, I can't even believe this is happening, but if James–that was his name–did whatever you're talking about, then he acted alone. He always had radical ideas. I knew that when I hired him as outside protection, but I never thought he was capable of murder.' She glanced around, looking for someone in charge, and finally settled on the Council. â€Å"I've always believed Rose was innocent. If James is the one responsible for this, then I'm more than happy to tell you whatever I know to clear Rose's name.' So, so easy. The mystery Moroi–James–was almost everywhere Tasha had been. He'd also been spotted in suspicious situations where she hadn't been–like Joe's bribery and Lissa's attack. I could save Tasha and just blame it all on him. He was already dead. Tasha and I could stay friends. She'd acted on principle, right? What was wrong with that? Christian stood up beside her, looking at me like I was a stranger. â€Å"Rose, how can you say any of this? You know her. You know she wouldn't do it. Stop making a scene and let us figure out how that James guy killed the queen.' So, so easy. Blame the dead man. â€Å"James couldn't have staked Tatiana,' I said. â€Å"He had an injured hand. It takes both hands for a Moroi to stake someone. I've seen it happen twice now. And I bet if you can get a straight answer out of Ethan Moore †¦' I glanced over at the guardian who had gone pale. He could probably jump into a fight and kill without hesitation. But this kind of scrutiny? And eventual interrogation by his peers? I didn't think he'd hold up. It was probably the reason Tasha had been able to manipulate him. â€Å"James wasn't there the night Tatiana died, was he? And I don't think Daniella Ivashkov was either, despite what Princess Dragomir was told earlier. But Tasha was. She was in the queen's chambers–and you didn't report it.' Ethan looked like he wanted to bolt, but his odds of escape were about as good as mine and Dimitri's. He slowly shook his head. â€Å"Tasha wouldn't kill anyone.' Not exactly the confirmation of her location I wanted–but close. The guardians would get more out of him later. â€Å"Rose!' Christian was pissed off now. Seeing him look at me with such outrage hurt even more than Tasha's expression. â€Å"Stop it!' Lissa took a few hesitant steps forward. I could feel in her mind that she didn't want to believe what I was saying either †¦ yet she still trusted me. She thought of a controversial solution. â€Å"I know it's wrong †¦ but if we used compulsion on the suspects †¦' â€Å"Don't even suggest that!' exclaimed Tasha, turning her sharp eyes on Lissa. â€Å"Stay out of this. Your future's on the line here. A future that could make you great and achieve the things our people need.' â€Å"A future you could manipulate,' I realized. â€Å"Lissa believes in a lot of the reforms you do †¦ and you think you could convince her of ones she doesn't. Especially if she's with your nephew. That's why you've fought so hard to change the quorum law. You wanted her to be queen.' Christian started to step forward, but Tasha laid a restraining hand on his shoulder. It didn't stop him from speaking. â€Å"That's idiotic. If she wanted Lissa to be queen, why make that James guy attack her?' That was a mystery for me too, one of the holes I hadn't quite figured out. But Dimitri had. Conscious of his two guards, he shifted closer to me. â€Å"Because no one was supposed to die.' Dimitri's low, resonant voice sounded wonderful with the room's acoustics. He needed no microphone as he directed his words to Tasha. â€Å"You didn't expect a guardian to be with her.' He was right, I realized. Eddie had been drafted that night under weird circumstances and only barely made it back in time to see Ambrose with Lissa. â€Å"James was probably going to fake an attack and run †¦ enough to generate sympathy and more support for Vasilisa. Which it certainly did–just a little more severely.' The outrage on Tasha's face transformed to something I couldn't entirely gauge right away. She'd seemed offended at my accusations, but from Dimitri–it was more. She looked legitimately hurt. Crushed. I knew that look. I'd seen it on Adrian's face a couple hours ago. â€Å"Dimka, not you too,' she said. Through Lissa's eyes, I watched the colors of Tasha's aura shift, burn a little brighter as she gazed at Dimitri. I could see exactly what Sonya had explained to me, how the aura showed affection. â€Å"And that's why I took the fall,' I murmured softly. No one but Dimitri and our guardians heard me. â€Å"Hmm?' Dimitri asked. I just shook my head. All this time, Tasha had still loved Dimitri. I knew she had last year, when she'd made him an offer to hook up and have kids–not something a lot of dhampir men had the chance to get. He'd refused, and I thought she had accepted simply being friends with him. She hadn't. She'd still loved him. When Lissa had revealed my relationship with Dimitri to Hans, Tasha had already known. But for how long? I wasn't sure. She'd obviously known about the relationship before killing Tatiana, and putting the murder on me left Tasha free and clear and opened back up her chances with Dimitri. There was no point in bringing up her personal motives for blaming me. Tatiana's murder was the real issue at stake. I just looked at Hans. â€Å"You can take me into custody, I meant it. But don't you think you've got enough to take her–and Ethan–in too?' Hans's face was unreadable. His feelings toward me had always gone back and forth, since the day we met. Sometimes I was a troublemaker without a future. Other times I had the potential to be a leader. He'd believed I was a murderer, yet he'd still allowed me to address the crowd. He didn't really like my friends either. What would he do now? He lifted his eyes from my face and looked to where several guardians were stationed in the audience, ready for any action. He gave a curt nod. â€Å"Take Lady Ozera. And Moore. We'll question them.' Seeing as Tasha was seated amidst other people, there was a bit of fear and panic when four guardians moved toward her. They avoided injuring other audience members as much as possible, but there was still plenty of pushing and shoving. What came as a total surprise was how fiercely Tasha fought back. She was trained, I remembered. Not in the same way guardians were, but enough to make it hard to get a hold of her. She could kick and punch–and stake queens–and even managed to knock one guardian down. She might actually try to fight her way out of here, I realized–though I didn't believe for an instant she could. It was too crowded and chaotic. Guardians were heading toward the fray. Terrified Moroi were trying to get away from the fight. Everybody seemed to be getting in everyone else's way. Suddenly, a loudcrack echoed through the room. A gunshot. Most of the Moroi dropped to the floor, though guardians kept coming. Holding a handgun she must have seized from the guardian she'd knocked over, Tasha grabbed the first Moroi she could with her free hand. So help me, it was Mia Rinaldi. She'd been sitting near Christian. I didn't think Tasha even noticed her hostage choice. â€Å"Don't move!' Tasha yelled at the encroaching guardians. The gun was at Mia's head, and I felt my heart stop. How had things escalated to this point? I'd never foreseen this. My task was supposed to be neat and tidy. Reveal Tasha. Put her away. Done. The guardians froze, less because of her command and more because they were sizing up how to deal with the total threat. Meanwhile, Tasha began to slowly–very slowly–make her way toward the exit, dragging Mia along. Her progress was slow and unwieldy, thanks to all the chairs and people in the way. The delay gave the guardians time to solve this ugly dilemma. They come first. Mia's life–a Moroi life–was on the line. The guardians didn't want Mia killed, but a gun-toting warrior Moroi also couldn't be allowed to go free. The thing was, Tasha wasn't the only warrior Moroi in the room. She had probably picked the worst hostage possible, and I could tell by the glint in Mia's eyes that she was not going to go quietly. Lissa realized this too. One or both of them were going to get killed, and Lissa couldn't let that happen. If she could get Tasha to look at her, she could compel her into submission. No, no, no, I thought. I didn't need another friend involved. Both Lissa and I saw Mia tensing to break her way out of Tasha's hold. Lissa realized she had to act now. I could feel it through the bond. I could feel her thoughts, the decision, even the way her body's muscles and nerves moved forward to get Tasha's attention. I felt it all so clearly, as if we shared the same body. I knew where Lissa would move before she even did. â€Å"Tasha, please don't–‘ Lissa sprang forward, her plaintive cry interrupted as Mia kicked back at Tasha and broke away, slipping down out of the gun's reach. Tasha, startled on two fronts, still had her gun pointed out. With Mia out of her grasp and everything happening so fast, Tasha frantically fired off a couple shots at the first threat moving toward her–which wasn't the rapidly approaching guardians. It was a slim figure in white who had shouted at Tasha. Or, well, it would have been. Like I said, I'd known exactly where Lissa would step and what she would do. And in those precious seconds before she acted, I broke out of my captors' hold and threw myself before Lissa. Someone leapt after me, but they were too late. That was when Tasha's gun had gone off. I felt a biting and burning in my chest, and then there was nothing but pain–a pain so complete and so intense it was almost beyond comprehension. I felt myself falling, felt Lissa catching me and yelling something–maybe to me, maybe to someone else. There was so much commotion in the room that I didn't know what had happened with Tasha. There was just me and the pain that my mind was trying to block out. The world seemed to grow quieter and quieter. I saw Lissa looking down on me, shouting something I couldn't hear. She was beautiful. Brilliant. Crowned in light †¦ but there was darkness closing in around her. And in that darkness, I saw the faces †¦ the ghosts and spirits that always followed me. Thicker they grew, closing in. Beckoning. A gun. I had been brought down by a gun. It was practically comical. Cheaters, I thought. I'd spent my life focusing on hand-to-hand combat, learning to dodge fangs and powerful hands that could snap my neck. A gun? It was so †¦ well, easy. Should I be insulted? I didn't know. Did it matter? I didn't know that either. All I knew in that moment was that I was going to die, regardless. My vision was growing dimmer, the blackness and ghosts closing in, and I swore, it was like I could hear Robert whispering in my ear: The world of the dead won't give you up a second time. Just before the light completely vanished, I saw Dimitri's face join Lissa's. I wanted to smile. I decided then that if the two people I loved most were safe, I could leave this world. The dead could finally have me. And I'd fulfilled my purpose, right? To protect? I'd done it. I'd saved Lissa, just like I'd sworn I'd always do. I was dying in battle. No appointment books for me. Lissa's face shone with tears, and I hoped that mine conveyed how much I loved her. With the last spark of life I had left, I tried to speak, tried to let Dimitri know I loved him too and that he had to protect her now. I don't think he understood, but the words of the guardian mantra were my last conscious thought. They come first.

Cloud Computing Research Paper Essay

Introduction Cloud computing is the answer for â€Å"affordable† business technology platforms. It is a more affordable solution for media content than any other medium, and this is why Netflix, Amazon.com, and Apple are among the leaders in cloud usage and development. Ultimately cloud computing will be the primary way data services are accessed by businesses and consumers alike. Marston, Li, Bandyopadhyay, Zhang, and Ghalsasi 2009 conclude cloud computing offers companies the opportunity to deploy cutting edge IT services without the enormous upfront costs that deter so many organizations from making the investment in infrastructure. Now that affordable solutions are becoming more readily available it is likely that more small and medium sized businesses will try and streamline their IT services. Small and medium sized businesses will likely be attracted to billing features that only charge for actual usage, as opposed to a flat fee. This format of doing business seems confusing on its surface, which led Kamra, Sonawane, and Alappanavar 2012, to compare Cloud Computing to Municipal Water Departments. Cloud Computing can be explained using a simple example. Many decades ago people used to go to their well to get the water needed to live their lives, nowadays things are different. Municipalities have placed water taps at every door step, so you can turn on and use the service as needed. Cloud computing is the same concept. You do not need to build a Water Plant to have water in your home, and now businesses do not need a massive computer lab to run their IT Services. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon provide a cloud to their customers, business partners and employees that allows services to be provided on a 24/7 basis. Discussion A perfect example of cloud computing would be Yahoo.Com and Gmail.Com e-mail addresses. As recently as seven years ago Microsoft Outlook was a program installed on the hard drive of your computer that helped to facilitate your incoming and outgoing e-mails. Now â€Å"web-based† or â€Å"cloud mail† is what 99% of the people using computers use for e-mail services. A company will be able to use cloud services on a per usage, or metered basis. This is the future of computing and the majority of new services in the future will be based around this type of technology, which leads us to the importance of network uptime and availability. Ambrust et, al 2010, suggest that just as large ISPs use multiple network providers so that failure by a single company will not take them off the air, we believe the only plausible solution to very high network availability is multiple cloud computing providers used simultaneously. I agree wholeheartedly with this concept and this is how Facebook became the powerhouse of a company that it is today. In both the movie â€Å"The Social Network†, and the book â€Å"The Accidental Billionaires†; Mark Zuckerberg, is described as â€Å"convinced† that a network outage as short as one day could irreversibly unravel the entire company. Facebook is revered as an incredibly stable platform. While I do not have inside information with regard to Facebook’s cloud computing strategy, I believe it is a very easy assumption to make that they have multiple ISP and Cloud sources to ensure platform availability. As another example a company like Amazon.Com which has no retail presence, depends entirely on the uptime of their network and website, a disruption of a few hours in service could cost the company millions of dollars in lost sales opportunities. Multiple back up Internet Service Providers is a must. Conclusion Aljabre 2012, suggests the concept of cloud computing in business may sound ideal and easy to implement, but like all new technology being introduced in to a business with an IT system already in place has both negative and positive aspects. Aljabre uses Amazon.com as his example of a company that has successfully utilized this technology. Amazon has 80 million customers, and 17 thousand employees, and has a need for cloud access at the highest possible level. Amazon has a mission critical need for many different people, both employees and customers alike to be able to access the internal network for employees and the website itself for both sellers and buyers. Aljabre considers Amazon to be the number one company on the planet with regard to cloud utilization and the success of the company and high regard for its network stability is a testament to how much cloud computing has advanced in the short time it has been implemented. Virginia Watson Ross 2010 believes today’s organizations are being tasked with finding ways to minimize costs, while their computing and data needs grow, cloud computing is a viable option to consider. With its economy of scale and high performance assets, it has the potential for meeting increased organizational computing and data management needs., and surges in demand, while minimizing costs. The challenge is to determine what factors drive a company’s decision makers to choose or not to choose to employ cloud computing to meet organizational needs. The advantages of cloud computing include cost savings, meeting computing needs, reliability, and centralized security functions. This will lead to overall lower costs, improved information handling, and greater convenience for end users. All of these advantages make cloud computing worth considering. References Marston, Sean R., Li, Zhi, Bandyopadhyay, Subhajyoti, Ghalsasi, Anand and Zhang, Juheng, Cloud Computing: The Business Perspective (November 23, 2009). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1413545 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1413545 Armburts, Michael. â€Å"A View of Cloud Computing.† Communications of the ACM 53.4 (2010):50. Aljabre, Abdulaziz. â€Å"Cloud Computing for Increased Business Value.† International journal of business and social science 3.1 (2012):234. References Ross, Virginia W. â€Å"Factors influencing the adoption of cloud computing by decision making managers.† Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms, (2010). :2021. Kamra, Varun. â€Å"CLOUD COMPUTING AND ITS PRICING SCHEMES.† International Journal on Computer Science and Engineering 4.4 (2012):577.

CEO Simon Brocklebank Fowler

Logan McFarland Mrs.. Voss Strachey BAA 366 28 November 2013 CEO – Simon Breakneck Fowler 1 . Simon Breakneck Fowler is a great CEO and an even better leader. He can sell anything. Simon obviously has perfected many organizational behavior concepts as he has grown throughout his lifetime even though he did not elaborate on which ones specifically. Simon went to Cambridge, which is a top level secondary school in the ASK. Simon ended up switching from a history major to finance and ended up working for a bank. Simon also ended up running for Parliament but was unsuccessful, although he did learn a lot wrought that experience.Along with working for a bank, Simon also has worked for a consultant agency and as a price performance salesman. He worked for a failing franchise and had to sell things straight on his credibility alone. Simon stated that he had to do a lot of research to help sell his pitch to his consumers. He ended up being promoted in 3 months because he worked so har d on his pitches and was blowing all of the veterans out of the water. He then ended up going to Castigate, which is a smaller firm, but he actually had people working for him which gave him leverage.Castigate went from 200 o 2,000 people in 4 years in different countries making this company a global company. By making Castigate a global company, their profits grew significantly in size and increased the brand recognition of Castigate. Simon is a great leader in many ways. When he walks into a room, you can feel his presence. Simon does not only look in the presence, but in the future as well. He told our class, â€Å"ask yourself ever year what does success look like in 1 year? How about in 10 years? † Simon knows that the world is always adapting and is telling us we have to adapt with it if we want to be successful.Simon is also always trying to get better. He told us, â€Å"Is what your doing right now making your boat go faster? † This means that whatever your foc us is on today, is it going to help you succeed in life? I believe this bit of advice was awesome because I find myself being unproductive some days and my boat is not going faster but instead staying the same. Simon had led some of the most high profile financial and corporate communications and networking campaigns in Europe over the last decade. He has particularly worked as a CEO or another leader position and has succeeded with his unsurpassed networking ability in he eyes of stakeholders.Overall, I believe Simon is a great CEO and a natural born leader. 2. I believe that the company, Cubit Consulting, Simon is leading right now is successful. Although it has its up and downs, Simon is eager to hire brilliant people and grown his business. One marker that Simony's business is going well is that it grew significantly from 200 to 2,000 people in just 4 years. No business would grow that rapidly without a great demand for the business that they do. I also believe Simon has the abi lity to keep this company on top with his managerial skills along with his banking kills and salesman skills. 3. Eel like I would definitely want to work for this company because I would learn a lot. Simon has had an exponential amount of experience with many different aspects of business and I belief if I took away just 10% of what Simon has learned being in the business world, I will be close to ready to running my own business. Along with the experience would take from the job, would take the ideology of Simon along with me as well. Know no average person can turn a company back around faster than Simon. If could learn Simony's ideology on how he gets things back on track ND deals with conflict, it would do wonders for me.Overall, I believe if I worked for this company, it would prepare me for whatever I wanted to do in the business world. 4. This company does face some challenges in the next five years. The employees that are working for Simon as of now have no alternative to th e best at what they do. The employees might want to work in one aspect of the business but they might be the best at another aspect and Simon believes it is hard to convince his employees of that. Another thing would be building a group of people who challenge each other but share similar ideals within the company.The last challenge would have to be trying to build internal networks and alliances, which is very hard. Some of these challenges seem daunting but I believe Simon help to conquer these challenges in no time. 5. This company does face some opportunities in the next five years. Simon believes that his employees are getting better and better at work and thinks they are adapting and learning from the tasks that are assigned from them. Believe this is very important for a company because if you stay stagnant, you will not learn from previous mistakes.Simon also believes an opportunity he could grasp would to help his employees and himself would be to delegate and train more ra ther than just do. 6. Simon gave our class some great advice for business in the future. Some advice he gave was, â€Å"it doesn't matter how good you are, if the business is going the wrong way, you won't be successful – get into a business or industry that is going the right way and you are more likely to be successful. † I thought this was very reasonable advice. Another piece of advice he gave was, â€Å"to become a successful entrepreneur you have to have the confidence in yourself to believe you can make a difference. Simon also believes in repairing for the worst and said to build in your strategy that something will go wrong. He said, â€Å"10% of life is what happens to you. 90% of life is what you do about it. Always have a plan B, you never know what's going to happen. † I think this advice has really helped me with my thinking in maybe trying to manage conflict in the future. Sometimes I cannot effect what has happened to me but I can do something a bout it and respond positively to the negative things that happen to me in life. Overall, I think his advice and expertise has taught me a ton in this interview.

Governance for Environmental Sustainability - Policy Analysis Essay

Governance for Environmental Sustainability - Policy Analysis - Essay Example The document provides an analysis of the background, aims and objectives of the NAP. It also addresses the implication beyond NAP areas in the consumption/market and health sector. Finally, the government’s accountability in development, implementation and evaluation, how much people are informed on the policy, and policy’s outcome. Keywords: National Agricultural Policy, Indian Government, Agricultural Sustainability, Food Security, Environmental Safety, Resources, Growth rate, Diversification, Farmers, Consumers, GMOs, Production, Bio-technologies, Food Prices, Initiatives, and Credit Institutions, Prior to the introduction of the policy in India, the country had experienced various agrarian reforms since the 80s. When the green revolution period set in agricultural production improved due to the technological breakthrough. This brought diversification in agricultural activities, influenced investment, change in economic policies and growth in output. However, the impact was not the same in regions of dry lands in India. In fact, such parts had not realized the benefits of technological breakthrough, meaning the policies and reforms that existed failed to serve equally the entire country. The Indian government tried to implement policies that sought to change the situation in the dry lands, but instead brought more confusion and challenges/opportunities for the agricultural sector. Chand states there was strong pressure for the Indian government to develop a formal agricultural plan to direct the sector in new and emerging sectors; this yielded the new agricultural policy of 2 000 intended to guide the sector for the next two decades (n.d.). It is a broad policy focused on addressing the challenges in Indian agriculture, one of which is sustainable agriculture and practices that affects environmental concerns. India has high population of people, second after China, which makes the government work on maintaining food security

Literature Review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Literature Review - Research Paper Example In her article, Bardot lists the provision of salary ranges, allowances, incentives and KPIs as ways of improving employee satisfaction. This eventually leads to Emiratisation. Apart from the listed ways, another method includes performance management. Here, UAE nationals can be subjected to different and easier KPIs and objectives. This, however, she does not confer with as she believes that appraisal of performances should be based on same standards as opposed to one’s nationality. The latter option proves to have racial prejudice. In addition, organizations with UAE employees, since they are younger in age compared to other nationalities, should set up similar performance targets but with lower hurdles. This ensures that their performance is recognized at an early stage. Organizations should also prepare referral schemes so that employees refer suitable and qualified people to work in the organization. Retention and recognition schemes must also be considered in an organiza tion or company. Bardot also considers the major challenges of Emiratisation especially in the private sector. Bhattacharya Suryatapa is another author of an article; New Emiratisation scheme targets 15% of private jobs in The National Blog. Here, the author also confers with the perceptions of Bardot concerning the UAE employees’ position in organizations. ... This division will be based on certain criteria, among them timely salary payment, organization’s compliance with labor laws and approach to the diverse labor force. This policy replaced the one that had been in place since 2005 where different sectors of an organization had different percentage expectation of Emirati employees. It brings about many advantages in an organization including upgrade in classification scale of the organization. Any organization that fails to heed this policy would be fined between DH 15000- DH 20000. Emiratisation: The way forward? is an article by Williams Jane which looks at the challenges facing AUE citizens in different nations. This is in contrast to the fact that most of AUE citizens are given financial assistance from the oil funds. However, global recession has seen unemployment rates rise at fourteen percent. This has seen the introduction of Emiratisation to cater for Emiratis welfare, a move that is faced by various challenges. The firs t challenge is the fact that many Emiratis are young and have high expectations which seems unrealistic. Another problem is that it becomes difficult for organizations to offer generous salary packages to Emiratis in an attempt to support Emiratisation. For instance, a graduate Emiratis fresh from university may demand a starting salary of $5,450 per month with rapid promotion. The UAE government is now investing in self reliance as opposed to the previous system that gave out handouts and subsidies. The government has also provided funds, AED444 million, for training and topping up the salaries of UAE citizens in non governmental organizations. Family name and network were the criteria observed when promoting Emiratis before. Today promotion and salary increment totally

E-commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

E-commerce - Essay Example It is also based on the premise that competition is relentless and people are the most important raw materials (Morrison Institute). Today the internet is aggressively used as a channel for businesses both new and established ones; through entrepreneurial start-ups and corporate ventures. E-commerce firms are defined as those that derive a significant or rapidly growing proportion of their revenues from transactions over the internet but organizational and market phenomena have been just as influential as technology developments in the growth of e-commerce (Stace, Holtham & Courtney, 2001). Internet exchanges are beneficial not just for the customers or end users but it helps businesses to exchange and grow together. It is a platform to transact business, known as business-to-business (B2B), business-to-customer (B2C) and customer-to-customer (C2C) and has definite advantages over the traditional way of transacting business (Amit & Zott, 2000). Many firms have failed to harness the benefits of online business even though the retail segment has picked up rapidly in the last few years. The debate continues whether ecommerce complements fixed store retailing or replaces existing channels, namely the clicks and bricks channels. E-retailing has been constantly undergoing a process of innovation which has caused a threat to the established retail and distribution channels. This new form of commerce is laden with information and enables companies to speed up activities and increase their scope. The external and internal factors influence the firm’s behavior and companies can differentially obtain advantage depending upon their ability to conduct business (Burt & Sparks, 2003). A failure to operate would allow competitors to surge ahead. E-commerce can help to transform the traditional tasks and activities and the associated costs within the retain channel. The activities that are affected are the sourcing of products, stoc kholding, inventory

Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concepts - Essay Example According to Office of Government Commerce (2002), Collaboration is the process of sharing tacit knowledge among members in a group they work together in order to accomplish stated goals and objectives (p.95). Collaboration follows strong desire of achieving a particular set of goals. Involving the relevant stakeholders in business and receiving their interests, accepting opinions and running business considering all of their interests have been considered to be the basic activity in the successful organizational culture. Time Warner Company is a good example for collaboration that helped them work across the boundaries. David Straus (2002) finds this concept as fundamental in the success of his business experience. According to him, the power of collaboration comes from inclusion, not exclusion. His experiences of facilitating collaboration taught him the fundamental principle as involving the relevant stakeholders (p. 39). Shared Mindset represents the extent to which employees within an organization have a common focus or agenda. Shared Mindset helps employees to have commitment to how to work together to achieve goals and employer to set an agenda and to ensure that it translates to employee behavior (RS Schuler, 2007, p. 132). Shared Mindset is a broad concept in the way that mindset needs to be shared both inside and outside the organization. It can be applied in both micro and macro levels. According to David Ulrich (1997), a fully shared mindset occurs when employees inside and customers or suppliers outside the organization embrace similar automatic thought about the process and structure of the organization (p. 171). Shared mindset leads to increased business performance because employees are focused. Shared Mindset concept In order to apply shared mindset effectively, managers need to focus on informational and behavioral patterns. Harley Davidson is an illuminating example for

Family Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family Business - Essay Example According to the report there is detailed presentation of three key factors; owner, potential successor and environment, and their effects in family business transfers that guarantees continuity. Wise management of these three factors will ensure elimination of key challenges hence ensuring business continuity. From the study, there is an indication that family businesses in Austria operate on long-term orientation with the objective of passing on the business from one generation to the next within the family lineage. This makes issue on business succession an important process of greater importance to families.  From this discussion it is clear that  the process of business transfers entails various aspects of concern such as emotional elements and occurrences of intergenerational conflicts. The study reveals several initiatives that are required in the process of planning successive transfer process in a timely fashion. Substantial preparation on both owners and successors is c onsidered one of the major success factors in business succession.  Family business transfers require detailed incorporation of intention as well as inclusion of various generational changes. Such changes are crucial in ownership and management processes since they pose considerable challenge to the process.Communication plays a role in overcoming such obstacles especially on the ability to question and translate strategy into profitable action. Such actions are considered superior especially when markets are facing uncertainties.

Retamars Caliban Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Retamars Caliban - Essay Example Unlike Rodo who depicts Latin America identified as the spiritually-driven Ariel, Retamar reads into the role of an apparent barbaric, savage Caliban to find Latin American culture as a heroic, rebellious people. "Retamar rereads Caliban's barbarity as the organic revolutionary consciousness of the popular classes" says Maria Josefina Saldaana-Portillo2. The fragment chosen for this essay clearly exemplifies this dichotomy. A word (mambi) imposed by conquerors is re-significated to give identity and to rebel against those same conquerors. As David Kazanjian explains: "Caliban becomes the sign of the possibility of using the language and practices of the colonizer against colonization".3 The problem with defining a solid Latin American culture is that it is in continuous transformation. It has been influenced from the moment Cristobal Colon first encountered the people of Latin America, viewing them in a superficial dualistic fashion, as either the docile, reasonable, European-like Ariel; or the cannibal, irrational, ferocious Caliban. According to Retamar, this moment was defining, since it began the dichotomous interpretation of Latin America.

Methodology paper for PHD research, the proposal is ready but the Essay

Methodology paper for PHD research, the proposal is ready but the methodology needs to be amended - Essay Example As the Gulf countries traded with the world, they have gained both capital and expertise to go beyond the passive investments that have dominated the flow of capital in the region in the past. Legrenzi and Momani have pointed this out, arguing that the profits accumulated from the years of stable and high oil prices have enabled the GCC states to have a wider range of investment choices. (p20) A parallel development is the perception that BITs have or will create a special limb of international customary law. (Dolzer and Schreuer, 2008, p2) It has been argued for the most part that BITs have evolved to such an extent that they have their own unique regulatory laws within the wider scope of international commercial laws. (Dolzer and Schreuer, p2) This expectation led to the favorable attitude on BITs. Sornarajah, however, raised an interesting point warranting further exploration and research. According to him, the fact that there has been an increase in BITs for some time and no lega l standards has been established as yet should already demonstrate how these treaties have not been able to create the â€Å"customary principles of international law† for protecting the movement of foreign capital. ... Oil prices, for its part, has now become relatively impervious of late as the highly integrated international system become more and more strict in addition to how the world is scrambling to tap alternative energy sources. Therefore, the need for BIT regulation is underscored. Aside from intelligent investment decisions, the GCC member-states have used regulatory mechanisms to control international capital movement especially concerning the BITs in a bid to prevent and mitigate risks and threats. This paper will explore this theme. The aim is to outline the current capital movement landscape, identify the regulatory mechanisms that govern it (i.e. statutes, treaties, etc.) and assess their strengths, failures, points of opportunities and challenges. 2. SOURCES AND DATA ANALYSIS This research uses several approaches within the qualitative method of inquiry. The sources of the information, hence, are composed of both primary and secondary data, which will often be referenced in order t o outline specific cases and important statutes that govern BITs. These sources can include academic journals as well as other texts published on the subject (i.e. published dissertations and news reports), Internet sources in addition to data available from corporate websites among other documents released and published by organizations, individuals and documents from the GCC governments and their agencies. Relevant information from international organizations will also be used. In addition, this study will also conduct interviews on selected resource persons, which could be composed of legal luminaries, specializing in the GCC jurisprudence, investors, policymakers and other stakeholders that are authoritative in discussing the GCC BIT subject. The number of these resources would

The Importance of the Arts Essay Example for Free

The Importance of the Arts Essay Math was always my least favorite subject in school. I always had difficulty remembering the formulas and all the different rules. I didn’t do well in all the other core subjects either. With no motivation and no interest, my grades quickly suffered. I was always watching movies and television instead of doing homework. So when I saw that I could take acting class as an elective in high school, it was obviously my first choice. Acting class came a little more naturally than math class did. Memorizing lines to a monologue was much easier for me than formulas to some equation. It made me come out of my shell more and communicate more effectively. I began to look forward to tests, which were usually performances, because I would be adequately prepared from all my practices. After taking acting class, I decided to take more performing art classes. Luckily the high school that I went to was the top public school for performing arts in the state. It allowed me to take chorus and dance along with acting. With so many classes I enjoyed taking and doing well in, my grades improved drastically. Taking all these performing art classes quickly became the salvation I needed and taught me many other important lessons. But towards the end of my high school years, funds were cut from schools again. The performing arts department in my school struggled to keep the program strong with the budget cuts. By the time I graduated, a few classes were cut and the ones that were left couldn’t afford the same things. These cuts affected other schools as well. For most schools across America, art programs were first to be cut. An article written by the Education Fund states that, â€Å"during these difficult economic times, arts programs are the first to be sacrificed. In addition, in many schools where classroom space is limited, art studios are now only contained in a cart that is wheeled by teachers from room to room, severely limiting the arts education students receive. † Although our program had not been cut, I was sad to see some of the classes go at my school among many others who enjoyed the arts. In an article written back in 2011 in the New York Times, Anna M. Phillips states, â€Å"The situation is likely to worsen next year if the city goes through with its plans to layoff 4,100 teachers to save $269 million. Estimates released in February project that 350 of those let go will be arts teachers, which would be a 15 percent drop in art, music and performing arts teachers. † With all the classes being cut, students will be the first to suffer. Why would they cut classes that students enjoyed to come to learn? The Arts have become a vital addition in education to help students become more successful. I was firsthand to witness this. The Arts allow students who don’t grasp the teachings of subjects like math and English to learn in a way that is more easily understandable to them. Not all students are the same nor do they learn the same. In an article from USA Today online, Tamara Henry states, â€Å"Schoolchildren exposed to drama, music and dance may do a better job at mastering reading, writing and math than those who focus solely on academics. † Keeping art programs in school can help students do well in school and lead to successful futures. Though it is said that careers in the arts are limited and that being an artist isn’t a real job, Valerie Strauss disagrees. In article she wrote in the Washington post titled â€Å"Why we love artist but not the arts education† she states, â€Å"Top CEO’s around the world are seeking out new employees who can think creatively, be innovative in business development and marketing strategies and show outstanding leadership qualities that will â€Å"wow† clients. This is what businesses need to compete in the global marketplace. In a 2010 study by IBM, interviews with CEO’s representing 33 industries and 60 countries identified creativity as the most important leadership skill for the future. † Despite counter arguments against the arts, it is proven that it can help. That is why the arts are fundamental in education for improving children’s academic success, communication and social skills, and teaching them discipline. After I began to take performing arts class, my grades improved dramatically. The arts have helped many students across America better achieve higher education standards. Test scores prove this and the organization Arts for LA states that, â€Å" In a national sample of 25,000 students, those students with high levels of arts-learning experiences earned higher grades and scored better on standardized tests than those with little or no involvement in the arts-regardless of socioeconomic status. Learning through the arts also appears to have significant effects on learning in other disciplines, with students consistently involved in theater and music showing higher levels of success in math and reading. After a raise in my GPA from my performing art classes, I soon saw another raise. I noticed that I was beginning to do better in my core classes as well. Memorizing lines of monologues and choreography improved my memorization skills helping me with the different formulas and steps of math. Skills learned in art programs can be used towards learning math and English and help students. Jessica Velasco also states in her blog, â€Å"Studying the lyrics of music can teach students about syllabification, phonics, vocabulary, imagery, history, myths, folktales, geography, and culture. † It’s evident that the Arts can improve student’s grades and test scores. It also can improve students’ attendance records. The Arts for LA also states, students involved in art are three times more likely to win an award for their school attendance. I knew when I went to school that I didn’t want to miss any of my acting classes because I didn’t want to miss out on learning something I enjoyed doing. The arts not only benefit students’ minds, but also their social and communication skills. With all of the performances to the public, it’s no wonder that the Arts can improve these vital skills needed everyday. When I first began performing, I was always nervous about talking in front of people. But the pure joy I found in performing made me more comfortable with public speaking. I remember when I was younger I had a bad habit of speaking really quickly when I got nervous. When I took acting class, my teacher made me very aware of the matter. She was constantly telling me not to rush my lines during practices. Now whenever I’m speaking to anyone, I can hear my acting teacher’s voice in the back of my head yelling at me to slow down! As I became more comfortable being in front of people, I began to more make friends as well. The arts are a great way to bring students together and have them work together in a positive way. Henry also states, â€Å"Multi-arts helps with reading, verbal and math skills; improves the ability to collaborate and higher-order thinking skills. † After taking acting classes, I became much more confident with public speaking. It has also helped me to do well in job interviews as well. The communication skills that can be learned through the arts can help students interact with others. Henry also states, â€Å"Drama helps with understanding social relationships, complex issues and emotions; improves concentrated thought and story comprehension. † In acting classes, the teacher not only teaches you memorizes lines but teaches you to be able to comprehend that which you are reading. You learn to express different emotions and work with other people. Working with a group of people so often, your team working skills improve which is very important to a students’ success. As students learn something they enjoy doing, it becomes less of a chore. This makes it much easier for a student to learn discipline. Despite the lazy artist stereotypes, the arts can help motivate students to do work. When I began to take dance much more seriously, I started going to practices 6 days a week. It taught me that if I worked hard enough at something, I would reap the rewards. Henry had this to say about dance, â€Å"Dance helps with creative thinking, originality, elaboration and flexibility; improves expressive skills, social tolerance, self-confidence and persistence. † Students learn persistence not only in dance but also in other areas of art like music. Velasco states, â€Å"Students who take the time to master a musical instrument learn about hard work, practice, and discipline. While performing in a group – like an orchestra, band, or choir – students learn to work together, appreciate teamwork, strive for a common goal, and develop negotiation skills. † Students who learn discipline through art can then apply that to other fields in their lives.

SDLC methodology for designing a system Essay Example for Free

SDLC methodology for designing a system Essay The primary objective is to evaluate the SDLC methodology for designing a system. Prior to building a system, a set of methodology is essential in keeping the process kicking in right force so that it adheres to entire coverage and successful completion of tasks. It demands professional approach in planning, building and operating a system. SDLC methodology which encompasses several techniques in making the system travel smooth, processing the various steps required in putting together a system successfully. The spiral model which is a flavor of SDLC techniques corresponds in designing a system where business requirements are volatile in nature and communication with external entities is a priority. The spiral model would take into account all the primary steps in building a deliverable every time it completes a circle. Once it is finished with the planning and analysis phase the risk analysis task is taken in the picture. It is followed by engineering, construction and release, customer evaluation and finally customer communication. Once a cycle is covered, it results in a deliverable which is further processed upon customer communication and feedback. The SWOT analysis of the spiral model would contemplate the coverage of whether it can be taken up as a viable option in designing a system. The following is the analysis: Â · Strengths: The business environments are seldom volatile in nature where the requirements are ever changing and are adding every moment to expand their scope and stay competitive in the market. The spiral model would make sure that the proposed system is prone to changes. It provides enough mechanism to take into account the changes in the customers’ environment and act accordingly. Unlike other SDLC methods where the business requirements are completely taken as standstill when taking into account the building of the system. Unlike the waterfall model where the design stages are non-reversible in nature, once the stage is surpassed it cannot be revisited again. Â · Weaknesses: The weaknesses of the spiral model are that it is quite expensive in nature as every deployment is revisited with the spiral cycle once it receives a customer communication and feedback. It demands quite risk assessment expertise. The time taken to build the complete system is considerable high as for every new requirement is cycled all through from planning to implementation. The consumption of resources is substantially large as all the developmental stages are followed for creating a version of the system in every cycle. Â · Opportunities: The opportunities of using the spiral model are relatively high in comparison to the other models in use. The business external environment is fast changing to the requirements and enveloping newer challenges to analyze their market and take risks to prosper. In this situation having a flexible system development strategy would make it easy to design and build a system susceptible to frequent changes with changing business requirements. Taking into account the other methods available in the market, the spiral model would stand out in the crowd. Â · Threats: The other prototyping methods like RAD and Incremental methods of SDLC pose a threat to spiral method. The incremental approach is quite complex in operation but its flexibility is quite high in solving discrepancies. The RAD methodology is quite popular in SDLC but is not prone to taking the frequent changes into consideration which is a drawback.

Marketing Analysis of Adidas

Marketing Analysis of Adidas Introduction Adidas is a 2nd largest sport wear industry in the footwear market. Adidas is largely engaged with the sport industry, offering customers widespread selection of sport equipments. Adidas segmented its market into three main divisions Sport Performance, Sport Heritage and Sport Style. Company has its market extensive increase in Europe, US and Asia with approximately 150 continents (www.adidasgroup.com). Adidas aim to get better their quality, look, feel, and representation of their product in order to surpass consumer expectations and to provide them with the highest value, thereby helping athletes of all kinds to achieve zenith performance in their various fields. Adidas mostly invest in the sport market and increasing its profitability. As a sport giant Adidas should not only invest in the sports market but also it should try the other product related to the sport but in different industry like food (Nutrition and energy) products. Adidas is producing almost all kind of the product for the athletes, boxing, swimming, football, body building, golf etc, making all kind for products to give them comfort and confidence that they are wearing a reliable product. All of these sports consume high level of energy while their every day workout or during training session. As a highly reputed company if Adidas introduce such product then it will increase its market and an addition to it sport industry. New products will also be one of the most important factors in terms of success in the future (Blythe, J. 1998). After an extensive analysis of the environment and the market analysis adidas has develop and launched ‘Adi food Supplement’. Adi food supplement is mainly for the football athletes who consistently move during the game, this requires constant bodily re-adjustment, made possible by immediate starts, stops, jumps, dashes and spins. All of these physical needs can negatively impact the body and make the athlete vulnerable injury, illness or a disease. The athletes must have a well developed skills, complete with enhanced coordination, healthy and flexible joints. The flexibility required for complex and specific soccer manoeuvres, and the ability to create unpredictable power on-demand. Playing soccer well, and at the level required for success and victory. Adi food supplement will be reach in multi mineral vitamins. During the game athletes sweat heavily and lose mineral vitamins from the body. Regular dose of Adi food supplement will recover the lost minerals and the vitamin time to time and keep the athletes fit for the next game. This food supplement can be used in water, milk, juice etc to get the energy and for the taste it will be in different flavours to fulfil the need of the buyer. Market Objectives: Adidas marketing objectives are as follows: Increase its sales and market share Develop and launch a new product Improve its company and brand image Market development Environmental analysis: Every organisation need to analyze the enviourment to know its position in current market and compare the product with the competitors. The model we will use to analyze the market will be PEST. Igor Ansoff, 1965 states that environmental concept should be continuous and should feed all concepts of planning. Marketing environment is made up of three main parts: Internal environment Micro-environment Macro-environment According to the Food and Nutrition Policy 2007-2012 and UKAS, BS EN ISO 17025 law in Europe there are six main policies need to take care while producing a food products and follow the instruction to deploy the product in to any of the country which are under WHO European Action Plan. Biased healthy start Ensuring a secure, vigorous and sustainable food supply Detailed information and guidance to the consumer about the product Taking integrated action to tackle linked determinants such as physical motion, alcohol use, drinking water and the atmosphere Improving nutrition and food safety in health sector Monitoring, estimate and study If we examine the football market than we will come to know that Western Europe specially United kingdom is a very huge market and have a very good economic stability in the market. Now days each person is concern about its health especially all the athletes of any sports, and they spend hugely just on to their training and diet. Adidas as a privileged brand image in the market and any product related to sports will be highly appreciated. Nutrition and health related products have a significant market share. To launch the Adi Food Supplement Adidas required minimum of  £ 130 million of initial investment to launch the product with significant and steady profit. In Europe technology factors are very favourable to ensure the product standards. Growth Objectives: Corporate management’s first course of action should be a review of whether any opportunities exist for improving its existing businesses’ performance. Ansoff has proposed a useful framework for detecting new intensive growth opportunities called a product market expansion grid† (Philip Kotler, 2003). Ansoff states that a company could expand using penetration strategy, market development strategy, product development strategy and diversification. In the current situation, Adidas intention is to develop a new product of potential interest to its current market. It should be noted that Adidas is a global company with market all over the world including Cameroon. The critical factor for success in going down this road is the profitability of the customer group for which the product is being developed. Secondly given the fact that Adidas have a strong brand name that can comfortably applied to its products. Product development: This strategy is used to develop new product for the existing market. Production of Adi Food Supplement in such a well developed market with a good competition will be of great advantage. Due to the competition the company gets chance to improve its product and make the best available for consumers. With the production of such kind of product Adidas will be able to fulfil the market gap and will be increasing its market share by getting an upper hand over the rivals. Kotler, P. (1994) states that â€Å"once a company has successfully segmented the market, chosen its target customers, identified their chosen needs, and determined its market positioning than it is better able to develop new products†. Segmentation of the Market, Targeting and positioning of the Product: Market segmentation is the process of splitting customers, or potential customers, within a market into different groups, or segment, within which customers have the same, or similar, requirement, (McDonald and Dunbbar, 1998). Adidas being a global company was able to segment the UK market on the following bases. Size – the population is 60.6 million of which 80% local community, 10% Welsh and Northern Ireland and rest 10% is rest of world communities. Identity – Adidas was able to identify that more than the 50% of the population between 18 to 30 yrs were more engaged in athletics, which the rest of the youth population was interested in other sports such as volleyball, handball, rugby and others. Another group of the total population 20% of between 34-40years were interested in amateur footing in the morning while another 10% of the population between 41-60years were also running for the sake of keeping fit. Relevance – Adidas found in their market research that their product features were relevant for the segment they were researching as sportsmen and women wanted to run for long time without stopping to drink water. They need any kind of supplement fluid that will sustain in the body for a long time. Accessibility –Adidas can use different adverting strategies to the target audience, such as TV advertising, sport panorama, bill boards and youth magazines or sponsor the football match to tell people about the product. Getting the segmentation of the market, company’s next step is to target the particular segment of the potential customers of the new product. A particular segment is said to be attractive if there is enough potential customers to aim at, it is likely to be profitable and very much accessible. According to Geof, L. and Lester (2006) encompasses the identification of diverse needs for specific groups or segment of customers, deciding which of these groups the organisation should target or serve and designing marketing mix programs so that the needs of these targeted groups are then more closely met. In order to achieve the target market if we implement young and Rubican 4Cs model this can easily explain the segmentation of the market. This model can analyse user observation and help to determine their needs. After conducted common market research conducting interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires. They came to know that there are three main lifestyle groups which are based on cross-cultured buyer characterizations, which are constrained, the middle majority, and the innovators. It most likely found that the Middle Majority and the innovators are more concern about their health and spend some amount of the pay on their health products. Product Positioning Product positioning is always a very important part of any organization to market its product. Adi Food supplement will be rich in vitamins minerals and rich in nutrition for the athletes who do work out most of the day to keep them fit for the game. Footballers keep training and burn a lot of energy and due to sweat they lose vitamin and minerals. The biggest competitor of Adidas will be Maxi Muscles because has they market established but Adidas is the biggest name in the sports market and that brand image is their competitive advantage upon their competitor. Adi Food supplement will be a milk type product just add it in water or any other fluid and drink it with different flavours. It will consist of all necessary multi vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrate and amino Acids to recover energy and stamina quickly. Product positioning took place in the buyers mind and it is very much important to consider the buyers point of view regarding price before position the product in the market. Consumer thinks of every aspect of the product before buying like, taste, price, quality, satisfaction etc and then he or she will buy the product. Adidas as a sport tycoon can ensure the quality and taste and the price of the product but satisfaction still remains with the buyer. TV media and promotion of the product plays a vital role in positioning brand in the minds of the target consumers (Trout et al, 1981). According to the Aaker et. al (1992) we can achieve product position by seven different ways. Product characteristics and customer benefits To keep consumer attention for the product it very much necessary that product should have a very powerful slogan which expresses the product and the consumer demand. Adidas should develop a slogan like ‘Healthy Life with Adi Food Supplement’ and step into a different shade of the market. Competitive Price To contend with the market for this product Adidas should keep the market price competitive with the other products in the market. Product Launch Launch of the product is very important part in the positioning strategy. If we look at the current market in London Olympics are going to be held in 2012. In Olympics, athletes will be coming all around the world and that product can be a big hit as a brand name of Adidas. Consumer Consumer plays an important role in product positioning if product is associated with the consumer. It will be an extra edge if Adidas advertise its product with a well-known personality in the market. Product classification Properly classify the product makes it easies for the consumer to understand and compare it with the different product and can notice the benefit of the product. Logo / Symbol Every product in the market has its special symbols. Adidas being a well known tycoon already have its three strips Logo and can also be set for the new product with minor adjustments. Competition A healthy competition is always beneficial for a new product because competitors like Maximuscles already created a space and position in the market. Adidas can use the same market reference point to launch its product and can easily penetrate in the market. Marketing Mix of the Adi Food Supplement Neil H. Borden, (1964) states that the marketing mix is the set of marketing tools the firm uses to pursue its marketing objectives in the target market. Kotler (1994) says the set of controllable variables and their levels that the firm uses to influence the target market. Marketing mix is based on 4Ps which is the classification of the product Product In marketing mix presentation of a product is a very important that how Adidas present its product for the consumer. It includes product competitive price, an attractive packing, and different flavours for the consumer. As a brand adidas it is very much important for the company to present its new product according to their image so consumer feels privilege when they buy Adi Food Supplement. Price To penetrate in the market with a new product it is very important for adidas price the product with a very competitive price which should be affordable for all kinds of buyers in the market. Price should be determined after review the competitor’s price so the affordability should not be a problem for the product. Promotion Promotion of the product plays a very important part in product marketing strategy. Promoting the Adi Food Supplement can be done via different ways like online marketing, TV ads, Sports Magazines, sponsoring the events, leaflets and more. As much Adidas send the information about the product to the customers will be better for the long run benefits. Place Last but not least part of marketing mix is the place of the product where adidas will launch it, as we discuss before in marketing segmentation about the initial location of distribution is UK. Place involves all distribution channel, location of distribution and the method of the distribution and it is important to fulfil the availability of the product indifferent locations in UK for that Adidas can consult to their organised dealers and retailers for the product selling. Investment cost on Adi Supplement and its Return Before launching the product companies always go through from the cost analysis and the product price, it always a crucial role to determine the right price according to the market and the economic view of the company (Shipley, 1981). Initially company will invest roughly around  £ 130 million pounds to make the product successfully moving in the market. As the product will be something that will be focused on a specific target group the price of the product will be reasonable and affordable, with each box containing 750g Powder based supplement and costing around  £ 25. Cost pricing Year 1 The expected cost for the product is  £ 25 per box and the contribution sales for next five years is as follows Adidas should get return of its investment as follows This product will cover its cost with in 3 years and 7 months. And margin of the product can be increase if the product will be launched before the Olympics games in 2012 in London. References Aaker, D. A., R. Batra and J.G. Myers (1992) Advertising Management, New York: Prentice-Hall. Adidas Group. (2009). leveraging opportunities across our brand portfolio Available: http://www.adidas-group.com/en/overview/strategy/default.asp. Borden, N. H. (1964), â€Å"The Concept of the Marketing Mix†, Journal of Advertising Research, June, Vol. 4, pp. 2–7. Available in Schwartz G. Science in Marketing. John Wiley Sons, NY 386-97. Brown, R (1993). Market Focus. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd. 18,84-85,171. Evans, J and Berman, B (1985). Marketing. 7th Ed. New Jersey: A Simon Schuster Company. 20,32-35,645-79,262,264-74. Igor Ansoff, (1965). Competing Strategy, the Ultimate Strategy Library: The 50 Most Influential Strategic Ideas of All Time. Philip Kotler, 1994, Marketing Management, Analysis, Planning, and Control, 8th edition. Peter R. Dickson and James L. Ginter, (1987). â€Å"Market Segmentation, Product Differentiation, and Marketing Strategy,† Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51. Rick Brown (1993). Market Focus. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd. 31-32. Ries, A. and J. Trout (1981) positioning: The Battle for your Mind, New York: McGraw-Hill. Shipley, D. (1981) Pricing Objectives in British Manufacturing Industry, Journal of Industrial Economics. WHO/Europe. (2009). Nutrition and food security. Available: http://www.euro.who.int/Nutrition.

Walt Whitmans Relation to the Romantic Period Essay -- Romanticism an

The time of Romanticism brought upon many trends extending from the idea of individualism as a rebellious separation from the classics, an idealistic outlook and finally to a strong religious base. Most of the writers of the Romantic period followed Pantheism "God is everything and everything is God ... the world is either identical with God or in some way a self-expression of his nature" (Owen 1971: 74). The idea of Pantheism was that everything in the world worked in unity. In some of the works of the Romantic period the expression of nature and humans are not separate entities, but one in the same. Even though in reality it did not work this way Pantheism was the ideal of most these writers and idealism in itself was yet another trend in the Romantic period. Another trend in the Romantic period was religion and the idea of sprits. Many writers of the Romantic Period such as Rousseau, Montaigne and Walt Whitman all shared this idea of being individualistic and in most their works it came out as an ego of self expression. Being an individual at the time was a popular thought of people living in the 19th century; thus, the start of the Civil War after most of poetry from this period was published. During the 19th century Walt Whitman was known as an unconventional writer. His work was rebellious and did not stick to any trends of poetry before his time. However, in this technique or lack of technique Whitman marked a new trend of free-verse. Whitman's anthology Leaves of Grass caused a conservational uproar which was no surprise due to his repetitive use of slang, angry diction and an all around "savage" style, (Matthiessen, 181). This now is too lamentable a face for a man; Some abject louse, asking leave to be-cr... ...rns of the poetry before him. For Whitman he felt he did not need to stick to a pattern, likewise he wanted his poetry to come to him randomly, "like music." For Whitman expression was the only purpose to his poetry and everything else was not important, (Allen, 212). Works Cited Allen, Gay Wilson. The New Walt Whitman Handbook. New York: New York University Press, 1975. Greenspan, Ezra, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Walt Whitman (Cambridge UP, 1995), Matthiessen, F.O. American Renaissance: Art and Expression in the Age of Emerson and Whitman. London, Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1941. Owen, H. P. Concepts of Deity. London: Macmillan, 1971. Saintsbury, George. Review of Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman. Academy 10 (1874) http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pantheism/

The Foundations of Whiteheads Philosophy of Education :: Science Learning Papers

The Foundations of Whitehead's Philosophy of Education The inspiration for this paper comes from the Fiftieth Anniversary of the death of Alfred North Whitehead and the theme of this Congress. In Aims of Education, Whitehead describes the role of freedom and limitation in the educational process. The foundations of these concepts, and important clues to their application, can be found in his general metaphysical framework outlined in Process and Reality. Positive and negative prehensions seem to be the model for freedom and limitation; hence, the latter concept implies the discipline of subjective aim. This analysis supports an interpretation of the mutual complementarity of freedom and discipline, with obvious applications to the educational process. Published initially in 1929, Alfred North Whitehead's The Aims of Education is certainly not a new book. However, since last year marked the 50th anniversary of Whitehead's death as well as my preparations for this World Congress, the general theme of which is "paidaia," it seemed the fitting moment to reread this classic and reflect once more upon its inspiring insights and timeless wisdom. The Aims of Education is really a set of essays first composed as lectures. Whitehead delivered these lectures at Cambridge, England, and at Harvard University between the years 1912 and 1928. His stated purpose was to "protest against dead knowledge." (AE, v) Perhaps these protests ought to continue into our own generation, but I hesitate. I am afraid that one of the casualties of any success in such protests might well be Whitehead himself, for the abstract, general nature of his thought has always been a challenge to professional philosophers and nearly incomprehensible to young philosophy stu dents. Nevertheless, pondering Whitehead's thought has always been, in my opinion, well worth the effort for those who persevere. The third chapter of The Aims of Education, entitled "The Rhythmic Claims of Freedom and Discipline," is where I find the essence of Whitehead's educational philosophy. This philosophy, I shall argue, is simply a reiteration in educational language of the core principles of his general philosophy as stated in Process and Reality and in Science and the Modern World. Let us begin with the term "value." Science and the Modern World provides us with an earlier interpretation of this notion. Here Whitehead explains that "'Value' is the word I use for the intrinsic reality of an event." (SMW, 93) Now an "event" for Whitehead constitutes a fundamental datum of reality.

waves :: essays research papers

INERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE SUBSIDIARY LEVEL WAVES SUMMARY 4.1 Travelling wave characteristics A medium is a material through which a wave passes. When a wave passes, each part of the medium moves away from its normal position and then returns. This is called an oscillation. Oscillations within the medium are slight movements either side of the normal position. The wave motion is the disturbance that passes through the medium. A wave pulse causes the medium to have one oscillation. A continuous travelling wave causes the medium to keep oscillating. Waves transfer energy without transporting matter because each part of the medium oscillates on the spot. A transverse pulse causes the spring to move at right angles to the direction of motion of the pulse. A longitudinal pulse causes the spring to move parallel to the direction of motion of the pulse. The direction of propagation is at right angles to the wavefront. The displacement at a point is how much the medium has been displaced from its normal position. Displacements are given + or - signs depending on the direction of the displacement. Amplitude is the largest distance from the normal position that the medium is displaced. The wavelength l of a wave is the distance from one point to the next corresponding point. The period T of a wave is the time in seconds that it takes one wavelength to pass by. In this time the medium will complete one oscillation. The frequency f of the wave is the number of wavelengths that pass each second. Frequency and period are reciprocals. T = 1/f. The speed of a wave is equal to its frequency times its wavelength. A displacement/position graph shows the displacement of the different sections of a medium. A displacement/time graph shows the displacement of one point of a medium as time elapses. The speed of the particles of a medium is a maximum when their displacement is zero. The speed of the particles of a medium is zero where the medium has maximum displacement. For a longitudinal wave, the medium has a high pressure called a compression where particles are closer than normal. For a longitudinal wave, the medium has a low pressure called a rarefaction where particles are further apart than normal. The particles around a compression move in the same direction as the wave. The particles around a rarefaction move in the opposite direction to the wave. The particles near a compression and rarefaction have small displacements. The particles where the pressure is normal, have large displacements.

Gender Roles

Genders role between men and women are always present through history. During the 1930's the time when this story takes place, men are usually the ones working for the money, and performing all the hard labor, while women are supposed to do all the house work, and behave in a polite manner. In the story â€Å"Boys and girls† by Alice Munro the protagonist struggles with societies ideas of how a girl should be. This story is about a girl who prefers helping her father with chores on the field as opposed to helping her mother in the kitchen. As the story progresses her mentality changes as she starts caring about what she wears, how her hair looks, and doesn't protest being called a girl. The relationship between men and woman in this story conveys how men see woman as inferior based on what roles society places on them. An incident showing how men see woman as inferior was shown when the mother said to the father † Wait till Laird gets a little bigger, then you'll have a real help†. This conveys that men in this society can perform physical labor better than women. The mother tries to plot ways into getting the girl to help her around the house. Even though the girls doesn't like helping around the house the mother believes that is what women should be doing. This relates back to what the mother said to the father, because she believes the girl is incapable of helping in the farm. Also shows how the mother fills the roles set for women in this society, and wants to enforce these roles onto the girl. Another incident was when the girl was thinking to herself. She said â€Å"A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become†. This statement shows how her mentality was changing throughout the story. At first she was confident and happy helping her father out on the farm. The girl then became unsecure because of all the chatter circulated by her mother to other people, and the constant emphasis of what a ‘girl' should be. This shows how woman in this society are inferior from the point of view of not only men, but also woman such as the mother. Another incident was when the girl could have shut the gate on the horse â€Å"Flora†, but instead she let the horse run away. When the father found about her letting the horse go from Laird he was frustrated at first, but then commented â€Å"She’s only a girl†. This further emphasizes the reality of how ‘girls' are seen in this society. The girl felt free from guilt through her father’s tone of voice when he commented about her being only a girl. The girl at this point didn't protest being called a girl, and thought it was possibly true. The father's use of words conveys the overall perception of how men felt women in that society. Furthermore gender roles in this story gives a overall view of what men and woman should perform in society. The men in this story are the one working on the farm, and performing all physical labor. The woman such as the mother in this story performs all the kitchen work. These roles are enforced into the girl and also her brother Laird throughout the story. The emphasis of how male see woman as inferior is present from beginning of the story to end through many incidents. Gender Roles Gender Analysis Essay Gender Roles? What Gender Roles? Throughout the endless generations and societies of the world the idea of gender roles can be found in each and every single one. Every human being, in their own time and own way, has had an image drilled into their head as to how the roles of each gender should be played out. On the outermost surface there are two distinct and recognizable types of gender naturally being male and female. However, that truly is only the surface as there are many types of gender roles either a male or a female may choose to, or be forced into assuming throughout their lives. Society uses whatever image it chooses in order to convey what it thinks the gender roles should be at the time and is very capable of controlling the way people think, act, and behave. However, our generation as well as the last few generations have had the interesting experience of living in a society in which long established gender roles are being challenged more and more everyday. We are deciding as a people that we are far more interested in being individuals then simply going along with the stereotypes set forth by society. My family, in which my father is responsible for the majority of cooking and cleaning while my mother is the main breadwinner and financial overseer, seems to be a perfect example of the new trend along which society is moving and the new opportunities and ideas that are becoming a reality when it comes to gender roles in society. Everyone knows the long and stereotypical list of jobs that guys do and jobs that girls do as well as the different toys that each are supposed to play with when they’re little. We all also know how the boy that plays with dolls and the girl that plays with trucks gets treated when they’re little. Seemingly, neither one of these things has really changed at all up until today, but why then does the idea of gender roles seem to be diminishing every single day? Personally, I believe it has almost everything to do with your family and the people that you are surrounded by at a young age. They’re the ones who dress you, decide what school you go to, what friends you hangout with, even what food you eat. They take the small clay ball that is you as a baby and begin to try and form it into what they (in many cases what society) want it to be. For me, this was not so much the case. Every Sunday morning I would roll over in my bed to the sound of the vacuum cleaner humming up and down the hallway or the mop squeaking along the kitchen floor. Once I finally was able to pull myself out of bed and drag my way up to the kitchen table I was greeted by a plate stocked full of eggs bacon and pancakes all drowned in steaming maple syrup. If you were to ask almost anybody who it was making these noises and preparing this delicious meal they would undoubtedly say it was my mother. But they would be wrong. While my dad was busy cleaning and making breakfast, my mom was in her office starting on her work for the day, or filing taxes or balancing the checkbook. See, in my house, the term gender role was a very confusing one seeing as how it had a different meaning there then almost everywhere else. I would go to all my friends houses and see their dads, coming home all dirty and sweaty from work, cracking open a cold one while their moms would be scurrying around in an apron tidying things up and pulling hot buttery rolls out of the oven right before dinner. It never really dawned on me at such a young age though that the differences between my home and my friend’s home were so significant and that I truly have a different life because of these differences. To be completely honest, I have never really thought about the way in which experiencing gender roles in such a reversed way (thus perhaps not experiencing them at all) has actually affected me and the way in which I act. However, thinking about it now, there are definitely aspects of my life and personality that are different due to the circumstances under which I was raised. Most importantly, I think that growing up in a household in which all the gender rules were broken has allowed me to be much more open to new people, places, and things. Gender is more likely than not the very first thing you notice about someone. You use it as a basis for almost all of the forthcoming judgments you will make about someone based on things such as what they’re wearing, how they talk, where they work, what they eat. A person’s gender decides so much about them in they eyes of an observer, the only problem being many of those things may not even be true. Growing up ith the idea that men and women can fulfill whatever role they choose both within the home and outside of it has caused me to be a much less judgmental person. This is because if you take gender out of the equation it eliminates such a large portion of what you would judge a person on that you don’t judge them at all. Realizing something as simple as the fact that men can stay at home and cook and clean and women can work hard and be in charge of money allows you to realize that you actually have to talk to a person and get to know them before you really known anything about them, you can’t just take things at face value. Had I grown up with the stereotypical patriarchal family I have no doubt that I would be a different person. For every child that does grow up with one of these families, the roles assigned to each gender are becoming more and more solidified. Every parent that buys their little boys baseball gloves and a plastic tool box and their girls an easy-bake oven and doll house is simply placing another brick in the ever growing wall of gender roles and we are still, to this day, witnessing the negative effects these gender roles are having on our society. Men still dominate most higher up positions while women still receive lower wages then men in many cases. It’s a little crazy to think that something as simple as what toys you give your children to play with are contributing to the development and growth of gender discrimination isn’t it? So many people may be asking, what toys should my kids play with? Well, growing up I sure didn’t play with dolls or easy bake ovens, I also played with trucks and superhero action figures and baseball gloves. The difference is in the context in which I was playing with these toys. I was playing with my hot wheels while watching my dad scrub the bathroom floor and hitting baseballs through the window of my mom’s office while she was making major family decisions. It was being able to see the full spectrum of what both males and females could do that allowed me to never get sucked in to the idea of gender-designated roles. I hate to sound as if I’m bragging or over prideful when I say this but I feel as though it is family environments such as the one I was brought up in that are allowing for cracks to be formed in that brick wall of gender roles. Trying to teach people about true gender equality and cooperation when they’re already grown up and have had 30 or so years of â€Å"teaching† from the rest of society is something that is very hard to do. In Amy Truong’s essay, â€Å"Gender Expectations and Familial Roles Within Asian American Culture† she talks about how her ideas of gender roles were also formed at a very young age, â€Å" Within Asian culture, women are raised and taught to be silent and obedient†¦growing up I was told, ‘Do not comment or speak up,’ whenever I wanted to voice my opinion. My opinion was considered unimportant. And for many years of my life I believed that this was true. † It is clear that within our own culture, Asian culture, and more than likely every culture of the world, you are truly taught about gender roles within society as a small child when you don’t have the ability to teach yourself and thus you simply take what is given to you. Thus, I strongly believe that gender roles are specifically established within the first years of each new generation. They are then solidified throughout your childhood and teenage years and by the time you are an adult your beliefs about gender and society are already more than decided. This generation, now grown up, will pass down the exact same beliefs and ideals about gender to their children and the perpetual circle of assigned gender roles and discrimination against the non-conformists continues. Growing up with an alternate view of gender roles has allowed me to understand that we can change the old and out dated idea that because you’re a woman you stay at home with the kids and because you’re a man you bring home the paycheck. In almost all cases, excluding some jobs involving physical labor, women are more than capable of doing the exact same jobs men do, and in many cases a better job. Similarly, men are capable of doing all the same jobs commonly held by women. All it is, is a state of mind that has been so instilled in the heads of society that we have all but lost the will to change it. We are all created equal, it is a statement on which America was founded, but perhaps it should instead become a statement by which America actually lives. Gender Roles Gender Analysis Essay Gender Roles? What Gender Roles? Throughout the endless generations and societies of the world the idea of gender roles can be found in each and every single one. Every human being, in their own time and own way, has had an image drilled into their head as to how the roles of each gender should be played out. On the outermost surface there are two distinct and recognizable types of gender naturally being male and female. However, that truly is only the surface as there are many types of gender roles either a male or a female may choose to, or be forced into assuming throughout their lives. Society uses whatever image it chooses in order to convey what it thinks the gender roles should be at the time and is very capable of controlling the way people think, act, and behave. However, our generation as well as the last few generations have had the interesting experience of living in a society in which long established gender roles are being challenged more and more everyday. We are deciding as a people that we are far more interested in being individuals then simply going along with the stereotypes set forth by society. My family, in which my father is responsible for the majority of cooking and cleaning while my mother is the main breadwinner and financial overseer, seems to be a perfect example of the new trend along which society is moving and the new opportunities and ideas that are becoming a reality when it comes to gender roles in society. Everyone knows the long and stereotypical list of jobs that guys do and jobs that girls do as well as the different toys that each are supposed to play with when they’re little. We all also know how the boy that plays with dolls and the girl that plays with trucks gets treated when they’re little. Seemingly, neither one of these things has really changed at all up until today, but why then does the idea of gender roles seem to be diminishing every single day? Personally, I believe it has almost everything to do with your family and the people that you are surrounded by at a young age. They’re the ones who dress you, decide what school you go to, what friends you hangout with, even what food you eat. They take the small clay ball that is you as a baby and begin to try and form it into what they (in many cases what society) want it to be. For me, this was not so much the case. Every Sunday morning I would roll over in my bed to the sound of the vacuum cleaner humming up and down the hallway or the mop squeaking along the kitchen floor. Once I finally was able to pull myself out of bed and drag my way up to the kitchen table I was greeted by a plate stocked full of eggs bacon and pancakes all drowned in steaming maple syrup. If you were to ask almost anybody who it was making these noises and preparing this delicious meal they would undoubtedly say it was my mother. But they would be wrong. While my dad was busy cleaning and making breakfast, my mom was in her office starting on her work for the day, or filing taxes or balancing the checkbook. See, in my house, the term gender role was a very confusing one seeing as how it had a different meaning there then almost everywhere else. I would go to all my friends houses and see their dads, coming home all dirty and sweaty from work, cracking open a cold one while their moms would be scurrying around in an apron tidying things up and pulling hot buttery rolls out of the oven right before dinner. It never really dawned on me at such a young age though that the differences between my home and my friend’s home were so significant and that I truly have a different life because of these differences. To be completely honest, I have never really thought about the way in which experiencing gender roles in such a reversed way (thus perhaps not experiencing them at all) has actually affected me and the way in which I act. However, thinking about it now, there are definitely aspects of my life and personality that are different due to the circumstances under which I was raised. Most importantly, I think that growing up in a household in which all the gender rules were broken has allowed me to be much more open to new people, places, and things. Gender is more likely than not the very first thing you notice about someone. You use it as a basis for almost all of the forthcoming judgments you will make about someone based on things such as what they’re wearing, how they talk, where they work, what they eat. A person’s gender decides so much about them in they eyes of an observer, the only problem being many of those things may not even be true. Growing up ith the idea that men and women can fulfill whatever role they choose both within the home and outside of it has caused me to be a much less judgmental person. This is because if you take gender out of the equation it eliminates such a large portion of what you would judge a person on that you don’t judge them at all. Realizing something as simple as the fact that men can stay at home and cook and clean and women can work hard and be in charge of money allows you to realize that you actually have to talk to a person and get to know them before you really known anything about them, you can’t just take things at face value. Had I grown up with the stereotypical patriarchal family I have no doubt that I would be a different person. For every child that does grow up with one of these families, the roles assigned to each gender are becoming more and more solidified. Every parent that buys their little boys baseball gloves and a plastic tool box and their girls an easy-bake oven and doll house is simply placing another brick in the ever growing wall of gender roles and we are still, to this day, witnessing the negative effects these gender roles are having on our society. Men still dominate most higher up positions while women still receive lower wages then men in many cases. It’s a little crazy to think that something as simple as what toys you give your children to play with are contributing to the development and growth of gender discrimination isn’t it? So many people may be asking, what toys should my kids play with? Well, growing up I sure didn’t play with dolls or easy bake ovens, I also played with trucks and superhero action figures and baseball gloves. The difference is in the context in which I was playing with these toys. I was playing with my hot wheels while watching my dad scrub the bathroom floor and hitting baseballs through the window of my mom’s office while she was making major family decisions. It was being able to see the full spectrum of what both males and females could do that allowed me to never get sucked in to the idea of gender-designated roles. I hate to sound as if I’m bragging or over prideful when I say this but I feel as though it is family environments such as the one I was brought up in that are allowing for cracks to be formed in that brick wall of gender roles. Trying to teach people about true gender equality and cooperation when they’re already grown up and have had 30 or so years of â€Å"teaching† from the rest of society is something that is very hard to do. In Amy Truong’s essay, â€Å"Gender Expectations and Familial Roles Within Asian American Culture† she talks about how her ideas of gender roles were also formed at a very young age, â€Å" Within Asian culture, women are raised and taught to be silent and obedient†¦growing up I was told, ‘Do not comment or speak up,’ whenever I wanted to voice my opinion. My opinion was considered unimportant. And for many years of my life I believed that this was true. † It is clear that within our own culture, Asian culture, and more than likely every culture of the world, you are truly taught about gender roles within society as a small child when you don’t have the ability to teach yourself and thus you simply take what is given to you. Thus, I strongly believe that gender roles are specifically established within the first years of each new generation. They are then solidified throughout your childhood and teenage years and by the time you are an adult your beliefs about gender and society are already more than decided. This generation, now grown up, will pass down the exact same beliefs and ideals about gender to their children and the perpetual circle of assigned gender roles and discrimination against the non-conformists continues. Growing up with an alternate view of gender roles has allowed me to understand that we can change the old and out dated idea that because you’re a woman you stay at home with the kids and because you’re a man you bring home the paycheck. In almost all cases, excluding some jobs involving physical labor, women are more than capable of doing the exact same jobs men do, and in many cases a better job. Similarly, men are capable of doing all the same jobs commonly held by women. All it is, is a state of mind that has been so instilled in the heads of society that we have all but lost the will to change it. We are all created equal, it is a statement on which America was founded, but perhaps it should instead become a statement by which America actually lives. Gender Roles Genders role between men and women are always present through history. During the 1930's the time when this story takes place, men are usually the ones working for the money, and performing all the hard labor, while women are supposed to do all the house work, and behave in a polite manner. In the story â€Å"Boys and girls† by Alice Munro the protagonist struggles with societies ideas of how a girl should be. This story is about a girl who prefers helping her father with chores on the field as opposed to helping her mother in the kitchen. As the story progresses her mentality changes as she starts caring about what she wears, how her hair looks, and doesn't protest being called a girl. The relationship between men and woman in this story conveys how men see woman as inferior based on what roles society places on them. An incident showing how men see woman as inferior was shown when the mother said to the father † Wait till Laird gets a little bigger, then you'll have a real help†. This conveys that men in this society can perform physical labor better than women. The mother tries to plot ways into getting the girl to help her around the house. Even though the girls doesn't like helping around the house the mother believes that is what women should be doing. This relates back to what the mother said to the father, because she believes the girl is incapable of helping in the farm. Also shows how the mother fills the roles set for women in this society, and wants to enforce these roles onto the girl. Another incident was when the girl was thinking to herself. She said â€Å"A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become†. This statement shows how her mentality was changing throughout the story. At first she was confident and happy helping her father out on the farm. The girl then became unsecure because of all the chatter circulated by her mother to other people, and the constant emphasis of what a ‘girl' should be. This shows how woman in this society are inferior from the point of view of not only men, but also woman such as the mother. Another incident was when the girl could have shut the gate on the horse â€Å"Flora†, but instead she let the horse run away. When the father found about her letting the horse go from Laird he was frustrated at first, but then commented â€Å"She’s only a girl†. This further emphasizes the reality of how ‘girls' are seen in this society. The girl felt free from guilt through her father’s tone of voice when he commented about her being only a girl. The girl at this point didn't protest being called a girl, and thought it was possibly true. The father's use of words conveys the overall perception of how men felt women in that society. Furthermore gender roles in this story gives a overall view of what men and woman should perform in society. The men in this story are the one working on the farm, and performing all physical labor. The woman such as the mother in this story performs all the kitchen work. These roles are enforced into the girl and also her brother Laird throughout the story. The emphasis of how male see woman as inferior is present from beginning of the story to end through many incidents. Gender Roles Gender Analysis Essay Gender Roles? What Gender Roles? Throughout the endless generations and societies of the world the idea of gender roles can be found in each and every single one. Every human being, in their own time and own way, has had an image drilled into their head as to how the roles of each gender should be played out. On the outermost surface there are two distinct and recognizable types of gender naturally being male and female. However, that truly is only the surface as there are many types of gender roles either a male or a female may choose to, or be forced into assuming throughout their lives. Society uses whatever image it chooses in order to convey what it thinks the gender roles should be at the time and is very capable of controlling the way people think, act, and behave. However, our generation as well as the last few generations have had the interesting experience of living in a society in which long established gender roles are being challenged more and more everyday. We are deciding as a people that we are far more interested in being individuals then simply going along with the stereotypes set forth by society. My family, in which my father is responsible for the majority of cooking and cleaning while my mother is the main breadwinner and financial overseer, seems to be a perfect example of the new trend along which society is moving and the new opportunities and ideas that are becoming a reality when it comes to gender roles in society. Everyone knows the long and stereotypical list of jobs that guys do and jobs that girls do as well as the different toys that each are supposed to play with when they’re little. We all also know how the boy that plays with dolls and the girl that plays with trucks gets treated when they’re little. Seemingly, neither one of these things has really changed at all up until today, but why then does the idea of gender roles seem to be diminishing every single day? Personally, I believe it has almost everything to do with your family and the people that you are surrounded by at a young age. They’re the ones who dress you, decide what school you go to, what friends you hangout with, even what food you eat. They take the small clay ball that is you as a baby and begin to try and form it into what they (in many cases what society) want it to be. For me, this was not so much the case. Every Sunday morning I would roll over in my bed to the sound of the vacuum cleaner humming up and down the hallway or the mop squeaking along the kitchen floor. Once I finally was able to pull myself out of bed and drag my way up to the kitchen table I was greeted by a plate stocked full of eggs bacon and pancakes all drowned in steaming maple syrup. If you were to ask almost anybody who it was making these noises and preparing this delicious meal they would undoubtedly say it was my mother. But they would be wrong. While my dad was busy cleaning and making breakfast, my mom was in her office starting on her work for the day, or filing taxes or balancing the checkbook. See, in my house, the term gender role was a very confusing one seeing as how it had a different meaning there then almost everywhere else. I would go to all my friends houses and see their dads, coming home all dirty and sweaty from work, cracking open a cold one while their moms would be scurrying around in an apron tidying things up and pulling hot buttery rolls out of the oven right before dinner. It never really dawned on me at such a young age though that the differences between my home and my friend’s home were so significant and that I truly have a different life because of these differences. To be completely honest, I have never really thought about the way in which experiencing gender roles in such a reversed way (thus perhaps not experiencing them at all) has actually affected me and the way in which I act. However, thinking about it now, there are definitely aspects of my life and personality that are different due to the circumstances under which I was raised. Most importantly, I think that growing up in a household in which all the gender rules were broken has allowed me to be much more open to new people, places, and things. Gender is more likely than not the very first thing you notice about someone. You use it as a basis for almost all of the forthcoming judgments you will make about someone based on things such as what they’re wearing, how they talk, where they work, what they eat. A person’s gender decides so much about them in they eyes of an observer, the only problem being many of those things may not even be true. Growing up ith the idea that men and women can fulfill whatever role they choose both within the home and outside of it has caused me to be a much less judgmental person. This is because if you take gender out of the equation it eliminates such a large portion of what you would judge a person on that you don’t judge them at all. Realizing something as simple as the fact that men can stay at home and cook and clean and women can work hard and be in charge of money allows you to realize that you actually have to talk to a person and get to know them before you really known anything about them, you can’t just take things at face value. Had I grown up with the stereotypical patriarchal family I have no doubt that I would be a different person. For every child that does grow up with one of these families, the roles assigned to each gender are becoming more and more solidified. Every parent that buys their little boys baseball gloves and a plastic tool box and their girls an easy-bake oven and doll house is simply placing another brick in the ever growing wall of gender roles and we are still, to this day, witnessing the negative effects these gender roles are having on our society. Men still dominate most higher up positions while women still receive lower wages then men in many cases. It’s a little crazy to think that something as simple as what toys you give your children to play with are contributing to the development and growth of gender discrimination isn’t it? So many people may be asking, what toys should my kids play with? Well, growing up I sure didn’t play with dolls or easy bake ovens, I also played with trucks and superhero action figures and baseball gloves. The difference is in the context in which I was playing with these toys. I was playing with my hot wheels while watching my dad scrub the bathroom floor and hitting baseballs through the window of my mom’s office while she was making major family decisions. It was being able to see the full spectrum of what both males and females could do that allowed me to never get sucked in to the idea of gender-designated roles. I hate to sound as if I’m bragging or over prideful when I say this but I feel as though it is family environments such as the one I was brought up in that are allowing for cracks to be formed in that brick wall of gender roles. Trying to teach people about true gender equality and cooperation when they’re already grown up and have had 30 or so years of â€Å"teaching† from the rest of society is something that is very hard to do. In Amy Truong’s essay, â€Å"Gender Expectations and Familial Roles Within Asian American Culture† she talks about how her ideas of gender roles were also formed at a very young age, â€Å" Within Asian culture, women are raised and taught to be silent and obedient†¦growing up I was told, ‘Do not comment or speak up,’ whenever I wanted to voice my opinion. My opinion was considered unimportant. And for many years of my life I believed that this was true. † It is clear that within our own culture, Asian culture, and more than likely every culture of the world, you are truly taught about gender roles within society as a small child when you don’t have the ability to teach yourself and thus you simply take what is given to you. Thus, I strongly believe that gender roles are specifically established within the first years of each new generation. They are then solidified throughout your childhood and teenage years and by the time you are an adult your beliefs about gender and society are already more than decided. This generation, now grown up, will pass down the exact same beliefs and ideals about gender to their children and the perpetual circle of assigned gender roles and discrimination against the non-conformists continues. Growing up with an alternate view of gender roles has allowed me to understand that we can change the old and out dated idea that because you’re a woman you stay at home with the kids and because you’re a man you bring home the paycheck. In almost all cases, excluding some jobs involving physical labor, women are more than capable of doing the exact same jobs men do, and in many cases a better job. Similarly, men are capable of doing all the same jobs commonly held by women. All it is, is a state of mind that has been so instilled in the heads of society that we have all but lost the will to change it. We are all created equal, it is a statement on which America was founded, but perhaps it should instead become a statement by which America actually lives.