Mr. Bittering Changes free essay sample

He is turning into a Martian mentally. Harry starts out uneasy being on Mars, resists the changes happening to him, mentally, and physically, but in the end he must accept. What he shall become. As soon as the Earthmen arrive, the viral infection, which will transform them into Martians, takes hold of their human form as they breathe the air. Harry is immediately uneasy when he steps foot on the red planet. â€Å"Lets get back on the rocket †¦ he felt submerged in a chemical that could dissolve his intellect and burn away his past†(235). This proves that he is uneasy about getting on Mars, and wants to go back to Earth. Harry is starting to rethink his decisions about Mars. This shows that he is aware of a change on Mars. He notices things changing and there is something different in the air. Now that Harry and all the humans are infected, he will try to be resistance to the change of becoming a Martian. We will write a custom essay sample on Mr. Bittering Changes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Harry Bittering senses the changes and tries to resist the metamorphosis that is occurring all around him. To show his seriousness about his decision, Mr. Bittering says, â€Å"I’ll eat only food from our Deep freeze†(244). Determined and Intent, Harry tries to stop the change by noting eating anything grown on Mars. Mr. Bittering is trying to do everything he can to try and resist the change, and not become a Martian. Unable to stop the change, Harry will finally accept the change to becoming a Martian. Finally, Mr. Bittering and all the humans have succumbed to the virus and will live out their days as Martians. He is unable to do anything about the change, â€Å"Mr. Bittering stood, very dark now, very golden-eyed, upon the slope above his villa, looking at the valley†(253). This is important because the change is final. Mr. Bittering accepted the change at last. He is now a Martian. Harry is now going to be a Martian forever. The change is complete, and he is not crazy about Earth anymore, and not trying to still build a rocket. Accepting of the change, Mr. Bittering is now not human, only a Martian. Changing throughout the story, Mr. Bittering progressively transforms from human to a Martian. Through the tale, Ray Bradbury hoped to portray how new things caused people to change. Expressed in the story is a clear display of how change is an inevitable part of everyone’s life and that sometimes change is for the better. If Harry did not adapt, he would of gone crazy or possibly even died. Much like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, it was absolutely necessary for Scrooge and Mr. Bittering to change. Only through acceptance can one ride the winds of change, and most of the time, it is for the better.

Exceptions for Hyphenating Compound Adjectives

Exceptions for Hyphenating Compound Adjectives Exceptions for Hyphenating Compound Adjectives Exceptions for Hyphenating Compound Adjectives By Maeve Maddox Sometimes readers ask for posts that would require superhuman powers on my part: Kindly produce an article containing all the exceptions for hyphenating compound adjectives, with examples. Hyphenation is not an exact science, and not all style guides agree on the rules. The chief purpose of hyphenating compound adjectives is to avoid ambiguity. Most modern usage authorities opt for what The Chicago Manual of Style calls â€Å"a spare hyphenation style†: 7. Spelling, Distinctive Treatment of Words, and Compounds In general, Chicago prefers a spare hyphenation style: if no suitable example or analogy can be found either in this section or in the dictionary, hyphenate only if doing so will aid readability. When Grammar Girl was chided for writing â€Å"noise canceling headphones† instead of â€Å"noise-canceling headphones,† she pointed out that leaving out the hyphen in that phrase â€Å"causes no ambiguity.† When one of my own readers called my attention to the unhyphenated phrase â€Å"19th century standardization of time† in a recent post, I decided to change it to â€Å"nineteenth-century standardization of time†- not because I think it ambiguous without a hyphen, but because Chicago is the style guide I’ve chosen for these posts. I failed to note that Chicago offers an analogy for hyphenating nineteenth-century before a noun: fourteenth-century monastery (7.85). Note: Chicago recommends spelling out numerals below 100, so I must also change 19th to nineteenth. The AP Stylebook, on the other hand, requires the spelling out of numerals ten and below. For AP, 19th century is correct. Still another stylebook, The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation) offers this advice about hyphenating constructions like â€Å"nineteenth century standardization†: As important as hyphens are to clear writing, they can become an annoyance if overused. Avoid adding hyphens when the meaning is clear. Many phrases are so familiar (e.g.,  high school, twentieth century, one hundred percent) that they can go before a noun without risk of confusing the reader. Examples: a high school senior a twentieth century throwback one hundred percent correct Because practice varies, I wouldn’t begin to attempt to list â€Å"all the exceptions for hyphenating compound adjectives.† The best advice I can offer the reader who asked for such a list is this: Choose a style guide and follow its recommendations- advice I shall try to follow more carefully in future posts. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Awoken or Awakened?Empathic or Empathetic?

(Can the writer help me decide) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

(Can the writer help me decide) - Essay Example In â€Å"Bad Weather: Planetary Crisis,† Masco (2010) studies the development of and competition between two kinds of planetary crises- the nuclear war and climate change. The security state is linked to the concept of the planetary crisis because, on the one hand, it uses the latter when it advances the former’s development and growth in reach and control; on the other hand, it disregards the latter if it contradicts or hinders its ends. Ironically, another important link is that the security state, in its desire to control planetary crises, is only creating more of them, which can potentially lead to new planetary crises with long-term negative impacts on living things and the biosphere. The security state exploits the planetary crisis for its own gains and disregards it if it hinders its overarching goal of a â€Å"U.S.-centric world† (Masco 2014: 1). The security state uses the planetary crisis if it can be a platform for greater control over and outside its national boundaries. Masco (2014) explains that the first kinds of planetary crises that were of interest to the security state were usually threats to national security, such as the Cold War and national and global terrorists. He argues that the state uses these threats to magnify imagined horrific futures, in order to generate fear and terror that could justify what Cheney (2001) called as the â€Å"new normalcy† (qtd. in Masco 2014: 8). This new normalcy refers to the public’s acceptance of the state’s ever increasing incursions on civil rights and freedoms. These are changes that have â€Å"institutional, technological, and affective levels, reordering domestic politics and geo politics in a startlingly economical gesture† (Masco 2014: 8). They include scientific studies that expand military technology, covert operations that collect intelligence about national and other

Financial Crisis in Greece (2010-2013) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial Crisis in Greece (2010-2013) - Essay Example Public borrowing was undertaken heavily but grossly underreported leading to a debt-to-GDP ratio much above the 3% target. By 2009-2010 it became clear to investors that Greece would not be able to pay its creditors because of a huge fiscal deficit and government debt. The ongoing global financial crisis worsened the economic outlook for the country and it appeared that the country would default on its loan payments. Causes of the Greek Financial Crisis According to Dellas and Tavlas (2013), one of the main causes of the Greek debt crisis was the absence of an adjusting mechanism between money growth and credit growth. Historically, Greece has been running high public debts compared to its GDP which went largely ignored by foreign investors. As a result, there was little incentive for the country to reduce current and fiscal account deficits. Dellas and Tavlas (2013) explain that part of the reason was the fact that Greece did not use the gold standard and its currency was pegged to the Euro. There was an over-reliance by investing and financing countries on the willingness and enthusiasm by Eurozone core countries including Germany to bailout the Greek economy in case of a debt crisis. Throughout this period, the Greek economy continued to charge low interest rates in order to stimulate investment in the economy. As a result, the public borrowing continued to increase pacing the way for a sovereign debt crisis. In a paper presented at the Bank of Greece workshop, Manessiotis (2011) explains that poor fiscal discipline and lack of competitiveness in the economy were major factors that contributed to the crisis. These aspects of the economy should have received urgent priority following Greece’s entry into the Eurozone. Fiscal deficit ran up to 5.3% of GDP after 2006 whereas the target was 3.0%. Moreover, in 2008 the situation worsened with revenue falling by 1.3% compared to GDP while expenditures exceeded GDP by 1.2%. These problems were further exacerb ated by the international financial crisis that began in 2008. Conditions Imposed by IMF on Greece In 2010, it became nearly certain that Greece could not meet its sovereign debt payments and would inevitably default. The implications for the entire Eurozone region would have been severe. Hence, in May 2010, the Eurozone in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) prepared a bailout package worth â‚ ¬110 billion of which the IMF was to contribute â‚ ¬30 billion to enable Greece to improve its economy and avoid defaulting on its debts (Financial Post, 2013). This bailout package was subject to certain conditions. Mainly, the conditions required Greece to improve its fiscal performance and make the economy more competitive and open. The first condition imposed by the IMF required Greece to implement austerity measures in order to control the fiscal deficit. It was required that Greece reduce its public spending in order to narrow the fiscal deficit. Secondly, the fiscal debt problem was to be controlled by a policy of privatization of public assets. This measure would prevent the government from incurring additional debts to finance public organizations. By the end of 2015, the IMF required â‚ ¬50 billion worth of public assets to be privatized. Finally, the IMF required Greece to implement structural reforms in the economy to make it more business-friendly and competitive. This would stimulate business activity and help to strengthen the economy. However, the conditions have not been met satisfactorily

Unit 10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 10 - Essay Example It is also possible for women to make it to the professional level of the game thus breaking the stereotype that being a woman you can only be a spectator. Through a broader focus as well as access to quality education, these stereotypes are being broken. Thus through focusing on higher education, significant stereotypes can be done away with. Stereotypes are not mutable and therefore stereotypes applied to particular groups do not alter over time. This therefore means that we rarely change our stereotypes frequently. This is so even in the wake of disconfirming information; people often tend to cling to their obviously-wrong convictions If at all people can change their stereotypes, then they do so in 3 ways; Bookkeeping model-as people learn more contradictory information, they incrementally change the stereotype to align with the new information. Thus individuals usually need a lot of information for every incremental change. Secondly is the conversion model whereby individuals throw away old stereotypes and start all over again, frequently used when there is important disconfirming evidence. Thirdly is sub typing model which creates a stereotype that is new, mostly a sub-classification of the current stereotype (Rupert, 2010). Yes I have had an experience where someone applied a stereotype due to their interpretation of my skin color. I was on a tour in Africa and someone thought I am a Mexican and therefore asked much about Mexico. I had to kindly explain myself before they finally understood me and apologized profusely. Some of the authors discuss areas of misconception such as being mistaken for a waitress or a whore, for instance, in The Myth of the Latin Woman/Just Met a Girl Named Maria by Judith Ortiz Cofer gives several instances where she has been taken to be a waitress simply because she is Puerto Rican. She recounts another incident where a man blocked their way

Business plan for new clothing company

Business plan for new clothing company The product we are going to distribute is trendy clothing. Clothing must be fashionable so that it can influence on people and it is one of the most important things for people. Particularly, there are two types of clothing: formal and informal. However, the clothing were going to develop is formal clothing. Nowadays, there are a lot of brands, like as ELLE, DAPPER, ARROW and other brands, and they have already got their own customers and they are holding some part of our Myanmar market. We assure that our product is certainly produced with high quality and fashionably designed. Customers will not need to be doubtful and unfulfilled after they bought our product. The target market for our product is concentrated on gender. Besides, we will distribute the other special accessories, such as, sunglasses, purses and wallets, and fancy. Product We have investigated the cloth quality and fashionable design in our factory in Singapore. We will use cotton, which can be adjustable with Myanmar weather, in our clothing. Furthermore, we build the factory and some warehouses in china and the products are separated into many categories _ tops, pants, jackets and coats and others. First, we focused on ladies apparel and accessories such as shoes, bags, belts, scarves and hats. Then, we decided to expand into men wears. We are now starting to introduce our products to market in Myanmar. New trends are always available at our organization for the people who are really into fashion. Benefits We know that all the people want the excellent brand hallmark and the best standard with the best possible price. We have usually coordinated in price and quality effectively that can bring satisfaction to the customers. You can see our new collection for summer, rainy, and winter seasons. We have planned to retail and open stores in some urban areas so that consumers can easily get our goods from their surrounding shopping mall and markets. We are offering diverse categories for both male and female, so both of these customers can obtain their needs from one place our brand. And a lot of people will be delighted with our products. People who pay for our brand will get the feeling of confident, stylish, and smart. Target market We orientate the customers who want to be fabulous and gorgeous. We segment and classify the markets into demographics, geographic, psychographic and behavior. We aim at the adults and youths market _ Generation Y, Generation X and late teens. And they are our core markets. Every religion and ethnic backgrounds can wear our clothing. Our brand will suit with people who are interested in newly fashion designed clothing because we made our products beautifully. And, we have option for clothing expenditures that how much money the customers will spend on the branding product, on average. If you would choose this brand, youll never feel unsatisfied and insecure. You can have a delightful lifestyle. Everyone wont look down upon you when youre wearing them. You will feel like very secure. They can bring pleasure to you. In addition, we have been chosen the most suitable clothing style for Myanmar culture which are simple, but interesting and attracted to people. The chosen collections will be right with Myanmar customs tastes. To consider about the geographic, we do research some inner-urban areas and higher socio-economics regions. Then, we point out not only the cities of Yangon and Mandalay but also the range of some well-known supermarkets and shopping mall. We also make a certain decision for the weather conditions of Myanmar and our selective areas. Generally, we are sure that Myanmar has the finest weather and the climate is not very cold compared with other countries. Thats why we negotiate and make a decision that well share the most convenient and attractive clothes with our Myanmar customers. Head Office location Address : Mortin shopping mall Contact no. : +951501509 Contact mail : [emailprotected], [emailprotected] Customer buying behavior Customers can look around many brands. Theyll have many choices, however when they compare with our brand, they will be persuaded and motivated to buy our products. Although the consumers are passion about it, they will see the quality, color, design and prices. And, it is also crucial that we get the right place. All the people might believe that the items at the shopping malls have security so that they are more willing to buy it. Therefore, we sell our products in better supermarket to attract customer behavior. Consumers make a decision at the shopping centre but it will take some efforts and time to decide carefully. Customer might use and look into the Yellow pages, internet, journals or magazines. So, the data and information put into these papers, but not in details. They can also have a look through our own web page. www.precious.com.sg Our staff will be always on line and we update the data all the times, so you dont have to worry about the fashion is not up-to-date. Product Strategies Product classification Our product can be accepted as shopping goods because people usually compare price, quality and style when they buy the clothes. Distribution channels and promotional strategies shaped on our products and on the customers. We appointed with retailers to sale large quantities. Product life cycle stage The PCL stage is also influenced on our products. We are going to think about the profits and we always need to aware that our price is affordable or not, and we are trying to get knowledge about our competitors fashion trend and the situation of the other markets. Product mix or Product line We have some kinds of sizes for male and female individually. They are small, medium and large for female and S, M, L, XL, and XXL for male. There are several colors for both male and female. Many sorts of types can be obtained. We are giving services, like online shopping and delivery. These are all the items for female: Tops- fashion tops, shirts and tees Jackets and coats- jackets and coats, vests Skirts Pants Shorts Dresses Shoes-flats and scandal, heals and wedges, boots Other accessories The following items are for male customers: Shirts Jackets and coats Suits Pants Shorts Shoes- shoes and socks Brand The name PRECIOUS indicates to our product. This logo will represent our brand. We give the slogan as if you want to be stylish, wear PRECIOUS. Branding strategy We define the producers own brands as branding strategy owing to our products field, the financial background, and the management. Our product field is large, we are well financed, and well managed for our product lines. Packaging We dont have special packaging styles or methods. We just package well to look good and perfect. Distribution Strategies Channel Choice We will use both Direct and Indirect Distribution Channels. In direct distribution channel, we will distribute our product directly to ultimate consumers. We just use our own sales or perhaps telemarketing or online selling directly to consumers. We will perform as manufacturers. In indirect distribution channel, we will distribute our products through retailers such as supermarkets and stores to consumers. And we also use middlemen. Middlemen are important because it is usually not practical for a producer to deal directly with ultimate consumers. We need intermediaries mainly for acting as transport and merchandise agent when we export our products to other places such as Nay Pyee Daw, Mandalay and on. Pricing Strategies Pricing Objectives As we are starting our business, we prefer to have Sales Oriented Goals. We might not look to maximize profit but rather to set a price aimed at increasing sale volume. Price Elasticity As clothing is not only shopping good but also psychogenic need, consumers will usually compare price, quality and style and also buying habits affect distribution and promotion, But the price will be elastic. The price will be change when increasing demand. Market Entry Strategies We will enter the market with by using Market Skimming Pricing Strategy. Because our product is setting a relatively high initial price as our target market is for elite customers. By using this strategy it can help to establish a high-quality image for our new product and provides the firm with pricing flexibility. Another point of view why our product is suitable for that strategy the reasons for that are our product is in the early stages of life cycle and our new product is distinctive. Product cost When we setting up the price. There are two types of cost, variable and fixed. Wages and salaries, tax and insurance, machinery costs and vehicles and equipments are fixed costs. Raw material cost, electricity, delivery and advertising are variable costs. Price Setting Methods We will use Cost-plus pricing method. (Total cost +desire profit) is also call mark up pricing. Evaluation of cost-plus pricing (Budgeted) Planned=10 Cost, Selling price, Profit Budgeted Labour and material costs per cloth $20 Overhead (fixed cost) $25 Total cost per unit = $45 According to the calculation budgeted selling price per unit = $45+$4.5 = $49.5 per unit Break-even analysis It is important to meet break-even point for our company otherwise we cant make profit and also cant imagine for the good will of our company. We wish to find out how many units must be sold to cover all cost. So we used Break-even analysis. The equations for Break-even point is Break-even point, in units= Total fixed cost Selling price per unit average variable cost per unit ($) Promotion strategies We will always inform and remind about our ultimate goods to our usual customers and the other new customers. Well apply the advertising method and sale promotion method to publicize. Well use 10% of annual profit for our products promotion. Advertising Well not use the broadcasting through TV channels. At first, well print in the famous magazines and journals to recognize by the public easily. Then, well emphasize on the outdoors advertisements _ billboards and bus sides so that a lot of people will notice our product now and then. Sale promotion We have prepared some contests to become familiar with some business people and consumers. Well put more stress on trade shows and in-store displays. We have hired the ball room in Traders hotel (Yangon) and Sedona hotel (Mandalay) to make our first trade show in Myanmar. And, we have well organized to start our trade show. After that, we are going to display our latest fashion designed clothes in some big department stores. We also get ready to allow for the member cards if you become our loyalty customer. We have gold, silver and platinum cards for our customers. You will see amazing rewards when you come to our . You can do members at our web page. If you got a profile in our websites, you can see and shop our recent items on line. We make the offering 10% off. Youll see our astonished plus offers and rewards. SWOT Analysis Strengths Well design, best quality and we also use tight quality control strategies. Therefore, our products have better quality than any other competitors. Legally import from china. Well packing to avoid damage by transportations. Only sell qualified products there is no damage items. Weakness Selling price may b a bit problem for ordinary class customers because of our products target market is for elite customers. Distribution direct from manufacturers to the retailer so we arent sure the retailers do their work perfect or not. Our company is newly established. As we are in introduction stage, the awareness of people about our brand may be smaller even though our product is nice. We need lots of promotional strategies than other existing competitors to penetrate the market. Opportunities We allow some opportunities for our customers and also authorized agent too. If a customer buys goods for 200,000ks within a month we give him/her 5%discount card up to two years. For authorized agent if their revenues touch the focus target we allow them to get feedback 5% of their revenues as bonuses for them and also free trips to China. Threats One biggest threat for our product is that there are lots of famous competitors. Delay transportation, for example, when we import out products from China by ship if the weather is terrible our stocks will be delay. We have to sell our products according to the weather if our stocks are delayed we cant sell these delay product on that time. If we are going to sell those products in coming season it is sure that our products are not up to date. Another one is inflation because of that the value of Myanmar Kyat became low so when exchanging money fluctuation is threat for us. Action Plan We will provide our customers with the best quality products. By giving opportunities helps our firm to increase the volume of sales. Make our product well-know and satisfying consumer wants by developing goods and special service. We fight our main competitor by making priority of consumer wants on the other hand their weakness is they only focus on making money by selling men wears whereas we make satisfy our consumers by selling both genders and also accessories for both of them and also discount systems. We will build trust with our consumers and let them know that our product is reliable and qualified in these ways we hope to build strengths and to overcome our weakness. .

The Spanish-American War :: Spanish-American War Essays

THESIS : â€Å" The United States didn’t want to get involved in the Spanish-American War, but was dragged into it due to yellow journalism, they wanted to control the seas, and wanted complete control over Cuba.† For 113 days during the summer of 1898, the United States was at war with Spain. Neither the president of the United States, nor his cabinet, nor the the queen of Spain, nor her ministers wanted the war wanted the war. It happened eventhough they made their best efforts to prevent it. It happened because of ambition, miscalculation, and stupidity; and it happened because of kindness, wit, and resourcefulness. It also happened because some were indifferent to the suffering of the world’s wretched and others were not (O’Toole 17). By winning the war the United States proved the the rest of the world and to itself that it could and would fight against foreign nations. For many years, world power had been concentrated in the countries in Europe. Nations such as Great Britain, France, Germany, and Spain had the most influence in global affairs. But a shift in power was gradually taking place as the United States matured. The young nation gained wealth and strength. Its popul ation grew immensely, and many people believed it would become a major world power (Bachrach, 11) Spain was one of the many European countries that had territory in the United States. Spain controlled mostly some islands off the coast of Central America. The most important of these were Cuba and Puerto Rico. The United States was led to believe that the Spanish mosgoverned and abused the people of these islands. In fact, Spain did overtax and mistreat the Cubans, who rebelled in 1868 and again in 1895. Thus, the American people felt sympathetic toward the Cuban independence movement. In addition, Spain had frequently interfered with trade between its colonies and the United States. Even though the United States had been a trading partner with Cuba since the seventeenth century, Spain sometimes tried to completely stop their trade with Cuba. In Spain doing so, this sometimes caused damage to U.S. commercial interests. The United States highly disagreed with Spain’s right to in terfere with this trade relationship. (Bachrach, 12) The United States was also concerned that other trading and commercial interests were threatened by the number of ships and soldiers Spain kept in the area. If the United States had to fight a war with Canada or Mexico, these Spanish forces could quickly mobilize against the United States. The Spanish-American War :: Spanish-American War Essays THESIS : â€Å" The United States didn’t want to get involved in the Spanish-American War, but was dragged into it due to yellow journalism, they wanted to control the seas, and wanted complete control over Cuba.† For 113 days during the summer of 1898, the United States was at war with Spain. Neither the president of the United States, nor his cabinet, nor the the queen of Spain, nor her ministers wanted the war wanted the war. It happened eventhough they made their best efforts to prevent it. It happened because of ambition, miscalculation, and stupidity; and it happened because of kindness, wit, and resourcefulness. It also happened because some were indifferent to the suffering of the world’s wretched and others were not (O’Toole 17). By winning the war the United States proved the the rest of the world and to itself that it could and would fight against foreign nations. For many years, world power had been concentrated in the countries in Europe. Nations such as Great Britain, France, Germany, and Spain had the most influence in global affairs. But a shift in power was gradually taking place as the United States matured. The young nation gained wealth and strength. Its popul ation grew immensely, and many people believed it would become a major world power (Bachrach, 11) Spain was one of the many European countries that had territory in the United States. Spain controlled mostly some islands off the coast of Central America. The most important of these were Cuba and Puerto Rico. The United States was led to believe that the Spanish mosgoverned and abused the people of these islands. In fact, Spain did overtax and mistreat the Cubans, who rebelled in 1868 and again in 1895. Thus, the American people felt sympathetic toward the Cuban independence movement. In addition, Spain had frequently interfered with trade between its colonies and the United States. Even though the United States had been a trading partner with Cuba since the seventeenth century, Spain sometimes tried to completely stop their trade with Cuba. In Spain doing so, this sometimes caused damage to U.S. commercial interests. The United States highly disagreed with Spain’s right to in terfere with this trade relationship. (Bachrach, 12) The United States was also concerned that other trading and commercial interests were threatened by the number of ships and soldiers Spain kept in the area. If the United States had to fight a war with Canada or Mexico, these Spanish forces could quickly mobilize against the United States.

Ritual – wine taralli

Nonna's Wine Taralli In a tiny house surrounded by a forest of fig trees in Rende, Cosenza, Calabria, my great great grandmother taught her little granddaughter how to make â€Å"Nonna's Wine Taralli. † That little girl would eventually become my grandmother and she would also teach me the art of wine taralli-making. Two cups of my grandfather's homemade white wine, fourteen ounces of canola oil and sugar, two teaspoons of baking powder, an envelope of â€Å"Lievito Bartolino,† three and a half pounds of flour and â€Å"un po' di aranzi,† as my Italian grandmother says, which are the licorice-flavoured seeds of the nise.These ingredients combine to make â€Å"Nonna's Wine Taralli† – a cookie-textured, ring shaped and slightly sweetened version of the traditional Italian taralli, whose recipe has been passed on for generations by the women in my southern-Italian family. Come fall and spring, a grandmother makes an abundance of wine taralli in the pre sence of daughters and granddaughters who watch intently and help accordingly.According to Searle's Taxonomy, the making of â€Å"Nonna's Wine Taralli† is regarded as ritualistic behavior as it is collective, formal, performance and formative, trengthens existing social statuses and relationships, and exudes ultimate goals. To begin, the making of â€Å"Nonna's Wine Taralli† is consistent with Searle's Taxonomy as it is collective, meaning there are at least two people (Searle 19) as well as formal since it calls for conformity, cannot be improvised and is not spontaneous (20). The activity is collective. It involves at least two and at most three women: a grandmother, her daughter and her granddaughter in any which combination.The activity is formal. Each and every ingredient is essential. There is not much, if any, room for improvisation. The flavour is entirely dependent on each and every ingredient. If certain ingredients are missing, sacrificed or substituted, the wine taralli will not taste as they are expected to taste and should taste. There is not only an expected taste, but also an expected and fixed order of events. The beating of the oil, sugar and white wine come first, followed by the sifting of the flour, baking powder, â€Å"Lievito Bartolino† and â€Å"aranzi,† then the kneading of the dough, the cutting of the strips and finally, the formation of the rings.Furthermore, the activity is performance. It can be seen as performance as it is bodily and demands its participants submit to a particular role (22). The activity involves the beating and sifting of the essential ingredients and the kneading of the dough through folding, pressing, and stretching, which require steady hand and wrist movements. It also involves roles which are quite fixed and unchanging. I recall standing on top of a chair in order to reach the counter of my grandmother's kitchen at the young age of five.I watched her perform er role which involve d kneading the dough with her strong hands as I waited anxiously for my role to come, which consisted of rolling the soft dough into strips and then forming them into the taralli's distinct ring-like shape. Throughout the years, the roles between my grandmother and I have remained the same. Finally, the making of wine taralli is formative and strengthens existing relationships and social statuses (24). An abundance are made to last several months since we gather only twice a year to make them.Since so many ot them are being produced at one time, he participants, especially young granddaughters like myself, have the opportunity to develop the ability to create and perfect the art of taralli-making. It also allows participants to strengthen existing familial and cultural bonds and social statuses. The familial bond between grandmothers, mothers and daughters and the familial status of being a member of this particular family are present and strengthened. The cultural bond that is shar ed in being members of the Italian heritage is strengthened by the practicing of an age old cultural tradition.The bond of womanhood is trengthened in that the participants are exclusively Italian women from the same family. These bonds are present while not explicitly stated. While there is only a small group of participants, the bonds and social statuses that are shared amongst them are strong and meaningful. A popular Italian saying that is spoken by my grandmother when making wine taralli is, â€Å"one can resolve any argument over a glass of wine and a handful of taralli. † As I get older, it becomes more clear to me what the ultimate goals of this ritual are and how they are achieved.

Amazon Case Study

Amazon Case Study Introduction Amazon is a leading global company in the online bookselling industry. The company has 32 million customers in approximately 150 countries. In addition, there are more than 900,000 sites and associate programmes that links users to Amazon.com (Johnson 2011). Amazon was founded as Amazon.com, Inc. by Jeff Bezos.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Amazon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, Amazon has enjoyed immense growth and at the moment, it is regarded as United States’ leading online retailer. As of January 2010, Amazon.com recorded internet sales revenue that was three times that of Staples, Inc., its runner up (Amazon.com 2010). Upon inception, Amazon.com operated as an online bookstore. However, as time went by, Amazon deemed it necessary to diversify its operations. This is how then that the company got itself involved in the business of selling DVDs, video games, MP3 downloads, and CDs. Other products sold by Amazon include apparel, toys, electronics, food, furniture, and computer software. Amazon also offers international shipping for a number of its products to certain countries. The paper presents a SWOT analysis of Amazon. In addition, a PEST analysis of the company is also provided, along with the Porter’s five forces as they impact on Amazon. Also, the Porter’s value chain of Amazon is addressed as well. The market served by Amazon and the potential challenges that could face the company in these markets is addressed as well. SWOT Analysis Strengths Amazon still remains the leading global online retailer of various educative and entertaining media products and books. Two factors are responsible for the recognition of Amazon as a powerful brand across the globe (Barry 2011). Within a period of 10 years, the company had managed to amass a customer base of 30 million. Amazon pioneered e-commerce technologi es (Hansell 2008). The business strategy for Amazon benefits immensely from sound information technology and customer relationship management that the company practices (Briggs 2008). Amazon utilizes data on the buyer behavior and this has enabled the company to provide them with specific items that they seek, on the basis of their preference. As a result, this has helped to increase customer loyalty (Halkias 2010). The product portfolio for Amazon is quite diverse and includes such products as CD/DVDs and books, among others.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Weaknesses The brand image of Amazon is at risk in as far as the issue of product expansion is concerned. In this case, Amazon product portfolio now includes other products besides books. As the leading online retailer, an increase in products offering could in fact result in a weakened brand owing to poss ible confusion on the part of the consumers. It is important for online retailers to focus more on the issue of technology. In this case, constant system maintenance is necessary so that there are no delays in the provision of customer service. Amazon relies heavily on external companies for the delivery of their products and there is a risk involved here as it could result in uncontained problems in as far as the issue of service delivery is concerned (Stone 2009). Eventually, this may lead to increased costs. Opportunities Amazon could consider entering into a partnership with the public sector. In this regard, Amazon stands to benefit from the services of public libraries so that potential users may benefit from catalog and search option services. This service could also cover the rare and antique books. Amazon may consider forging a relationship with book publishers in order to benefit from exclusive launch authors and exclusive offers. As a result, this would translate into inc reased growth for the company owing to the tendency by consumers to read an author repeatedly. Amazon has the chance to invest more on the expectation of its customers and this shall enable the company to enhance their loyalty towards the company. Amazon could vend its rich human resource expertise to a majority of the book stores. Amazon may forge a partnership with a majority of the retailing firms dealing in e-commerce Threats Competitors are quickly attracted to internet businesses and as such, it becomes rather hard to maintain differentiated products. This also means that differentiating the brand of a given company from that of the competition is also hard. Owing to the expansion of online business, competition is also expected to intensify There has been a rapid increase in the cost of transport owing to the sharp increase in the price of fuel. This often has a direct impact on the overall price of the books sold by Amazon as they have to factor in the cost of transport as w ell, paid to the third party (The New York Times 2010). When considering expanding into other countries, Amazon has to take into account the customs and trends of the country of choice so as to understand the behavior of potential customers.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Amazon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More PEST Analysis Political/Legal Amazon is not a monopoly in the market of operation and with such other players as eBay, Yahoo! and Google, the company is faced with intense competition. Some foreign trade regulations could also hinder the quest by Amazon to expand to other countries. For example, such countries as China are less tolerant to the concept of e-commerce and this may hinder the expansion of Amazon to the lucrative market (Brown 2008). Government policies and issues of taxation could also hamper the growth and expansion of Amazon Economic Factors The world is still reeling from the effects of the recent global financial crisis and as such, the GDP trend of most countries is still on the path to recovery. In addition, for a majority of the countries, the interest rates have gone up and this has had a negative impact on money supply. In addition, the level of employment in most economies is has been on the increase in recent years and as such, this would mean that the disposable income of a majority of the members of the population is low. Consequently, they would not be in a position to partake in the purchase of the products and services that Amazon offers (Wallbank 2011). As a result, this translates into lost business for the company. Socio-cultural factors The level of education impacts greatly on the purchase behavior of consumers. For example, in the case of Amazon, in order for one to participate in the online transactions, there is need to be acquainted with what entails e-commerce transactions and as such, individuals with no background information on e-commerce may be discouraged from taking part. In addition, population demographics also affect the marketing strategies of Amazon (Sage Honan 2009). For example, an increase in the number of peoples within a specific target market that Amazon aims to reach translates into potential increase in sales revenues. Lifestyle changes also affect the sales of products and services. In the case of Amazon, the company has to periodically uptake its technology in order to keep pace with the latest developments. This has seen the company move from its traditional business model of only selling hard copy books to the use of the Kindle technology, whereby using software, one can get to read the book in its softcopy (Steiner 2010).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Technological factors Although there has been a dramatic improvement in internet systems and security, nonetheless, from a global perspective, technology distribution is faced with inequality and this has acted to undermine one of the technologically- focused companies as Amazon. In the case of Amazon, business associated with the company and the customer as well needs to embrace technological education in order to augment socio-political and resolutions and internet penetration. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Entry threat Amazon is faced with a medium to low entry threat. As a pioneer in online book retailing, the company acts as a good example of what is likely to face any amateur firm in the industry. Thanks to continuous service upgrade and the huge amount of capital that Amazon has invested over the past 8 years, the company now has an advantage in the market over other firms. Furthermore, Amazon has managed to forge alliances and acquisitions with other firms. Amazon has also been involved in endless innovation and technology developments (Steiner 2010). Accordingly, in order to imitate Amazon, any rival company would be expected to build a strong relationship in the market and this might prove to be an uphill task because as a pioneer, Amazon has already achieved this. On the other hand, Amazon is faced with the issue of moderate switching costs and this appears to offer respite to such niche players in the market as eBay. Amazon may also anticipate retaliation from such niche competitors as eBay. Supplier power Supplier power is low. Retailers are dwarfed by the industry firms. On the other hand, the presence of internet technology is an indication of untapped global exposure. As a result, firms dealing in E-commerce have remained loyal to their suppliers, and more so those with access to global marketable services/products. Buyer power Buyer power is low. Save for the B2B transactions both pure buyers and merchants that use this industry are geo graphically segregated and independent from one another. As a result, this means that they have an insignificant individual purchase. Threat of substitutes The threat of substitutes in the industry is low. On the other hand, customers’ online purchase decisions rely on convenient shopping at discounted options and prices. As such, they are characterized by expensive switching costs. Sometimes, customers have had to experience reduced purchasing ability of the needed items due to delay in decision making. Consequently, the threat of substitutes is an alternative worth of exploration. Competitive Rivalry Amazon is faced with medium to high competitive rivalry. Although the industry has many players, nonetheless, they could be classified as overly diversified (Yahoo!) and niche (eBay) competitors of Amazon, a diversified firm. Consequently, Priceline and Barneys are on a head-to-head competition and the two companies have established a strategic alliance with Amazon (Leeds 2008) . The industry is also faced with high storage and fixed costs because firms are required to undertake stock inventory at the various warehouses in order to facilitate the delivery of orders. In addition, there exists little product differentiation among competitors, meaning that the switching costs of customers are low. Entry Barriers The industry is characterized by low entry barriers. As such, small players are increasingly getting lured into the industry with a view to targeting a given niche in the market. On the other hand, large entrants are more likely to engage in unsolicitated take-over bids for such diversified and established companies as Amazon. Alternatively, they may decide to forge partnership with such other partners firms as Google and Yahoo! in order to increase their market share. Porter’s Value Chain Analysis There is an apparent support of such primary activities of Amazon as the inbound logistics by secondary activities (for example, technological devel opments and selective procurement). This support is capable of filtering the service/product choice from the manufacturers/retailers so that the customers can have access to safe transactions (Steiner 2010). Furthermore, Amazon enjoys firm infrastructure and as such, this enables the firm to compress its marketing and operational activities into a single commission-based scheme that can be accessed by all its 900,000 associate partners (Oswald 2008). Moreover, Amazon’s infrastructure has also enabled the company to reduce tax payments. On the other hand, the outbound logistics of Amazon that are affiliated with its center at Delaware facilitates access to such markets as Japan and other countries in Asia and Europe as well. Consequently, the value chain makes it possible for Amazon to integrate the supportive and comparatively low-cost environment of its Seattle headquarters where the company’s developers are based. At the same time, the value chain also enables Amazon to establish efficient procurement and storage of products. This is in addition to ensuring an efficient delivery of products (Porter 1985) by way of closing warehouses that have provide inefficient and at the same time, helping to open up new warehouses that adds value and are strategically located. Amazon Products The product line of Amazon include books, DVDs, music CDs, consumer electronics, videotapes, tools, toys games, lawn, baby products, sporting goods, baby products, watches, beauty products, groceries, and clothing, among others (Smith 2011). Amazon Kindle is yet another product that the company helped to launch in November 2007. This product is in the form of an e-book reader. With the e-book reader, a user is in a position to download the contents. This is made possible by a wireless network. In the case of the amazons Kindle, the wireless network in use is the Sprint Nextel EV-DO. As part of its product diversification, Amazon was involved in the launching of MP3 ser vices. This was in January 2008. As a result, websites subsidiary to Amazon are now better able to access the MP3 service worldwide. The newest product to be launched by Amazon is Amazon.com exclusives. The product is mainly in the form of a DVD and its availability is restricted to Amaon.com only. On the basis of the products offered by Amazon, the company targets diverse markets. For example, in the case of its music CDs/DVDs, the company mainly targets teenagers and young adults below the age of 40 years, on the other hand, books sold by Amazon targets students, researchers, academic and research institutions, and libraries. Changes and challenges facing markets served by Amazon As an online retailer, Amazon is faced with a number of challenges in their quest to serve target markets without the usual conventional brick and mortar types of businesses. For instance, in case there is a consumer who wish to buy a digital camera, unless the customer in question is very explicit about the nature and specifications of such a camera, the only option left is for you to go to a best buy store for example and sample various cameras in order to find out the exact features that you desire. In the case of Amazon however, since the company is online, one does not have the privilege to sample the actual products (Malik 2008). As such, the main problem facing potential customers in the market is that a lot of the times, some of the items that would have otherwise been purchased from the company o not actually get to be purchased, owing to such technicalities. In addition, the company has on certain occasions experienced a number of technical issues and this means that customers are not in a position to place their orders with the company. If this happens repeatedly, consumers are likely to lose their confidence with the company, and this means lost business for Amazon. In recent years, Amazon has been under political and legal pressure not only from the conventional retaile rs, but also from state governments. This is because the company does not collect sales taxes in those regions where it lacks physical presence. This may clearly hinder the quest for Amazon to expand into various markets because state government would not entertain an investor who is least concerned about the welfare of the surrounding physical environment. In the same way, the traditional retailers would clearly oppose the expansion strategies of Amazon into their neighborhood because this would afford the company an unfair advantage over them (Smith 2011). Conclusion Thanks to an increase in customer base and a powerful global brand, Amazon has enjoyed an unprecedented level of success in the online bookselling industry. However, the Amazon brand is faced with the risk of products expansion. However, Amazon enjoys a rich human resource expertise and the company could benefit from vending them to a majority of the bookstores. Competitors are quickly attracted to internet business a nd for this reason customers may find it hard to differentiate the products offered to the market by Amazon, relative to those of the competitors. Amazon is faced with a medium to low entry threat and the supplier power in the industry is low. The buyer power is also low, along with the threat of substitutes. On the other hand, entry barriers into the online bookselling industry are low. As an operator in the online bookselling industry, Amazon is faced with a number of challenges, such as technical issues. This may prevent customers from placing orders with the company and consumers may lose confidence with the company. It is important therefore for Amazon to fully address all of these issues in order to remain competitive in the industry. Reference List Amazon.com 2010, ‘Amazon.com’, 09 September, amazon.com Barry, H 2011, ‘119 to lose jobs when Amazon closes Texas facility’, American-  Statesman, 11 February, statesman.com/business/119-to-lose-jobs-whe n-amazon-closes-texas- 1248784.html Briggs, B 2008, ‘Amazon weaves fabric.com into its e-commerce quilt’, Internet Retailer, 25 June, internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=26889 Brown, D 2008, ‘Online giant Amazon.co.uk celebrates its 10th anniversary as shoppers use retailer website to buy goods, thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1809903.ece Halkias, M 2010, ‘Texas bills Amazon for millions in sales taxes’, The Dallas Morning  News 23 October. Hansell, S 2008, ‘Amazon sues New York State to void sales tax rules’, The New York  Times, 1 May. Johnson, B 2011 ‘Retailers oppose Amazon sales tax pass’, The Tennessean, 31 January. Leeds, F 2008 ’Amazon to sell Warner Music minus copy protection’, The New York  Times, 28 December, Malik, O 2008, ‘The growing ex-Amazon club and why it’s a good thing’, Gigaom, 21 November, http://gigaom.com/2008/11/21/the-growing-ex-amazon-club-and-why-it s-a-good- thing/ Oswald, D 2008 ‘Borders returns to online sales, drops Amazon’, International Business  Times, 25 May, ibtimes.com/articles/20080527/borders-amazon -barnes-noble-web-online-store-retailer.htm Smith, R 2011, Which stock falls first? Motley Fool, 18 January Steiner, I 2010, ‘Seller’s choice: merchants rate ecommerce marketplaces’,  Auctionbytes.com, 24 January, auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y210/m01/abu0255/s02 Steiner, I 2010, Seller’s choice marketplace ratings:eBay’, Auctionbytes.com, 24 January, auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y210/m01/abu0255/s03 Stone, B 2009, ‘Amazon erases Orwell books from kindle’, The New York Times, 18 July, nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html. Sage, A Honan E 2009, ‘NY Judge tosses amazon.com lawsuit over sales tax’,  Reuters, 13 January. The New York Times 2010 ‘E-books top hardcovers at Amazon’, The New York Times, 19 July, Wallbank, P 2011, ‘ Amazon’s fight with Illinois is a small of a bigger global battle between online retailers and tax authorities’, Business Insider, 18 January.

The Effect of Divorce on Sons Aggression essays

The Effect of Divorce on Sons Aggression essays The Effect of Divorce on Sons ¡ Aggression The divorce rate has dramatically and progressively increased in recent years (Bridgeman Lowen Clinical theorists have presented a convincing rationale for these findings. Pieri (1985) has pointed out that the breakdown of the nuclear family and, as is typical, the departure of the father from the family, leads to anger stemming from the change in family status, disruption of secure routines, blame casting, depression, and economic stresses. Boys, who are apt to be more closely identified with the father, are more likely to display anger in the form of aggressive acting-out behavior (Wright, 1984). It is important that these clinical observations and theoretical formulations are subjected to more rigorous scientific assessment. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that boys of divorced parents are prone to anger, thereby providing research support for existing theoretical formulations. This investigation aims to offer experimental confirmation of the idea that anger is a distinguishing characteristic of boys of divorced p...

Annotated Bibliograpgy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Annotated Bibliograpgy - Essay Example (2007)] 7. Healing Emotional and Psychological Trauma [Help Guide (2008)] 8. Strategies to prevent injury [Abernethy L. & Bleakley C. (2007)] 9. Future trends in treatment of sport injuries [Niams.nih (2009)] 10. Conclusion Annotated Bibliography 1. Smith, R.E., Smoll1, F.L. Ptacek1, J. T. (1989). Conjunctive Moderator Variables in Vulnerability and Resiliency Research: Life Stress, Social Support and Coping Skills, and Adolescent Sport Injuries. University of Washington. This source focuses on demonstrating the conjunctive impacts of two psychological factors; psychological coping skills and social support. The source gives a overview of the number of injuries that occur among athletes in the US. The injuries are mainly caused by biomechanical and physical factors and to some level by psychosocial factors. Referring to studies conducted in the past, the authors state that some moderator variables may affect the relationship that exists between vulnerability to injury and life events . The source advocates teaching athletes psychological coping skills and increasing social support with an aim of increasing their resiliency. 2. Birrer,  D.,  Horvath,  S., Meyer,  S.,  Moesch,  K.,  &  Seiler,  R. (2007). ... The source specifically seeks to establish if the stability of various psychological variables impacts rehabilitation. Some of the variables that are investigated include anxiety, social support, self control, internal locus of control and degree of adherence among others. This source is important in establishing the relationship that exists between various factors and how well rehabilitation of athletics who get injured in the course of playing respond to treatment. 3. Glazer,  D.  (2009). â€Å"Development and Preliminary Validation of the Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport (I-PRRS) Scale†.  Journal of Athletic Training,  44(2),  185-189.   This source focuses on the effects of injuries to sports people. The source states that apart from physical injuries, sports people undergo psychological distress in the event that they get hurt in the process of playing. Some of the predisposing factors to athletes’ injuries are psychosocial in nature ac cording to Glazer. The effects of returning to the field before sports people fully recover from psychological effects that result from injury include depression, lower performance, anxiety, fear, re-injury as well as possible injury of other body parts. The source emphasizes that there is need to measure athletes’ confidence levels before they are allowed to return to the playfield after sustaining injuries in order to avoid or mitigate the aforementioned effects. Glazer discusses the scales used to measure how ready or confident sports people are to engage in sporting activities after suffering injuries while playing. 4. Help Guide (2008) Healing Emotional and Psychological Trauma Symptoms, Treatment, and Recovery.

Subcontracting strategy for future SBM offshore projects and its Dissertation

Subcontracting strategy for future SBM offshore projects and its implemetntation - Dissertation Example Subcontractors have increasingly become important players in enhancing the productivity and economic strategies of a company. However, not much empirical studies have been done on these issues. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the process of subcontracting and find options for optimizing the value chain in the oil & gas industry by reviewing and analyzing previously written literature on the chosen topic for the research. In the literature review section, the concepts of subcontracting, risk management, contracts, project management, supply chain management, value chain and transaction cost theory are discussed. A single case study was applied in this thesis. The company chosen for the case study is SBM Offshore and is located in Netherlands. To carry out the research, a qualitative research approach was implemented. Primary data was collected through semi structured interviews. In addition to this, secondary data from different sources such as articles, journals, boo ks and company resources were used to construct or build the theoretical frame of reference for the thesis. The subcontracting philosophy should stipulate that the scope of the work to be subcontracted will be determined by risk assessment and performance of subcontracting companies. Also, contract requirements will meet regulatory compliance of safety and performance along with meeting the company’s standards. Table of Contents Acknowledgements 2 Abstract 3 List of Tables 6 List of Figures 6 CHAPTER ONE 1 1.0 Introduction 1 1.2 Background of the Study 2 1.3 Statement of the Problem 3 1.4 Purpose of the report 3 1.5 Introduction to SBM Offshore 4 1.6 Overview of Operations 4 1.7 Project Aims and Objectives 5 1.8 Project Objectives 5 CHAPTER TWO 7 2.0 Literature Review 7 2.1 Project Management 7 2.2 Subcontracting 8 2.3 Contracts 8 2.3 Risk Management 9 2.4 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework 11 2.4.1 Transaction cost analysis (TCA) 11 2.4.2 Supply chain management theory 14 2.4.3 Porter’s value chain 15 CHAPTER THREE 17 3.0 Research Methodology 17 3.1 Research Design 17 3.3 Research Strategy 18 3.4 Case study Approach 18 3.5 Population 19 3.6 Data Collection and Instrumentation 19 3.7 Data Analysis 20 3.8 Ethical Considerations 21 3.9 Limitations and De-limitations 22 CHAPTER FOUR 23 4.0 Data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation 23 4.1 Quantitative Study 24 4.1.0 Participant Demographics 24 4.1.1 Subcontracted work 25 4.2 Case Study Analysis 26 4.3 Subcontracting Scope of Work 28 4.3.1 Structural topsides 29 4.3.2 Piping 30 4.3.3 Electrical 30 4.3.4 Instrumentation 30 4.4 Subcontracting Strategies 30 4.4.1 Lump sum or reimbursable contract 31 4.4.2 Subcontract strategy 31 4.4.3 Scope control 32 CHAPTER FIVE 35 5.0 Conclusion 35 References 36 Appendix I – Engineering deliverables by design phase 41 List of Tables Table 1: Demographics of the study participants....................