Essay on Irony in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness

Irony in Heart of Darkness The use of irony within the ‘The Heart of Darkness’ by Conrad is an important notion. Irony in this novella helps to bring about encapsulating self-discovery and enlightenment of the self. Furthermore the use of characters and what they represent also brings about communicating what it means to be civilised. Thus these two facets shall be the focus within my essay. Firstly each of the main characters in Heart of Darkness plays a significant role in the overall theme of the novel, as mentioned above. The central character is a thirty two year old sailor, Charlie Marlow. He is a dynamic character who essentially controls the development of the theme. Through Marlows experiences and revelations,†¦show more content†¦When the two come face to face, each man sees a reflection of what he might have become in the other. In Kurtz, Marlow sees the potential for his dark self to emerge if he were to continue to survive in the savage soils of Africa. In Marlow, Kurtz sees himself as he once was: a man of innocence and civilization. Thus, Marlow and Kurtz symbolize both the light and dark forces of a single soul. Like Marlow, Kurtz came to the Congo in hopes to bring light and civilization to a backwards society. He is a highly educated, refined gentleman; yet, in the end, the brutal nature of the Congo forces him to resort to the life of a murderer and pilferer. The irony remains steeped in the notion that these people do not need help from these self defined. With his eventual physical and mental demise, he dies unknowing of the dismay held within his life. Conrad supplies an opinion before we are introduced to his actions, with the name Kurtz itself having a symbolic meaning. The physical shortness in Kurtz implies a shortness of character and spirit (Heart of Darkness: A systematic evaluation). Perhaps this shortness in character, some inferiority ingrained within him aids his eventual downfall. Moreover the sense of irony is held both within the characters and the disparity that one can find between them. For example Conrad greatly contrasts between Kurtzs two mistresses. HeShow MoreRelated Symbols, Setting, and Ironies of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1201 Words   |  5 PagesSymbols, Setting, and Ironies of Heart of Darkness   Ã‚   Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness, is about many things: seafaring, riverboating, trade and exploration, imperialism and colonialism, race relations, the attempt to find meaning in the universe while trying to get at the mysteries of the subconscious mind. Heart of Darkness is a vivid portrayal of European imperialism.   The book in other words is a story about European acts of imperial mastery (1503)-its methods, and the effectsRead MoreTheme Of Racism In Joseph Conrads Heart Of Darkness1008 Words   |  5 Pagesthose who are racist have just gotten better at hiding their thoughts and changing their words so that they seem like normal comments. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the main character, Marlow, journeys the Congo and describes what he sees. In a response to Heart of Darkness, Chinua Achebe wrote â€Å"‘An Image of Africa’: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness†. Here, he explains his views on what Conrad wrote and wha t he thinks it means. One of Achebe’s famous novels was Things Fall Apart, basedRead More Prejudice and Racism - No Racism in Heart of Darkness Essay1108 Words   |  5 PagesNo Racism in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   Chinua Achebe challenges Joseph Conrads novella depicting the looting of Africa, Heart of Darkness (1902) in his essay An Image of Africa (1975). Achebes is an indignant yet solidly rooted argument that brings the perspective of a celebrated African writer who chips away at the almost universal acceptance of the work as classic, and proclaims that Conrad had written a bloody racist book (Achebe 319). In her introduction in the Signet 1997 editionRead MoreHeart of Darkness on the Flaws of Imperial Authority1024 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Heart of Darkness† on the Flaws of Imperial Authority Throughout Joseph Conrad’s â€Å"Heart of Darkness† despite the many conditions of the described Africa most if not all the characters agree that these conditions indeed differ from the conditions found in Europe. In working through conversations with Chinua Achebe’s Colonialist Criticism and An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrads Heart of Darkness it can be brought to light that not only is Conrad’s â€Å"Heart of Darkness† a novel that criticizesRead MoreEssay on Joseph Conrad: An Innovator in British Literature1765 Words   |  8 PagesJoseph Conrad: An Innovator in British Literature      Ã‚  Ã‚   Joseph Conrad’s innovative literature is influenced by his experiences in traveling to foreign countries around the world. Conrad’s literature consists of the various styles of techniques he uses to display his well-recognized work as British literature. His prose style, varying from eloquently sensuous to bare and astringent, keeps the reader in constant touch with a mature, truth-seeking, creative mind (Hutchinson 1). Conrad’s novelsRead MoreEssay on Heart of Darkness1208 Words   |  5 PagesJoseph Conrads The Heart of Darkness is a dark and haunting tale about the search for a substantial and mysteriously powerful man named Mr. Kurtz. Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow, a sailor and also narrator of the novella. Throughout the work, Conrad uses an array of literary devices to suggest his style of writing. The title of the work itself, The Heart of Darkness, is an example of the use of metaphor. Darkness is a significant part of the books title conceptually. However, it isRead MoreEssay about Racism Exposed in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness1059 Words   |  5 PagesJoseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, effectively exposed the racism that was common during his lifetime. Through the harsh behavior and word choice of the characters and narrator, Conrad displays the uncivilized treatment of nonwhites that occurred during the period of colonization. Edward Garnett, an English writer and critic, summarized the plot of Heart of Darkness as being â€Å"an impression†¦ of the civilizing methods of a certain great European Trading Company face to face with the â€Å"nigger†Read MoreAnalysis Of Marlow s Heart Of Darkness Essay2381 Words   |  10 Pagesâ€Å"And this also, said Marlow suddenly, ``has been one of the dark places of the Earth. (Conrad) Are the first words spoken aloud by Marlow in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Marlow goes on the say that he was thinking about the Roman conquerors who came to England 1900 years ago. This comparison that Marlow divulges into in the beginnings of his story frames this story and what it intends to cover in its subject matter. Marlow begins here his only overt characterization of imperialism.Read More Comparing Colonialism and Imperialism in Heart of Darkness and Kiplings Poetry1515 Words   |  7 PagesImperialism in Heart of Darkness and Kiplings Poetry   Ã‚  Ã‚   Imperialism sprung from an altruistic and unselfish aim to take up the white mans burden1 and â€Å"wean [the] ignorant millions from their horrid ways.†2 These two citations are, of course, from Kipling’s â€Å"White Man’s Burden† and Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, respectively, and they splendidly encompass what British and European imperialism was about – at least seen from the late-nineteenth century point of view. This essay seeks to exploreRead MoreThe Importance Of Imperialism In Joseph Conrads Heart Of Darkness1174 Words   |  5 PagesOn the surface, Conrad’s work seems to simply stress, â€Å"Humanity is important; fidelity is the highest virtue† (Moser, 1966, pg 11) but is both more subtle and complex. Even in the title of the book, Heart of Darkness, has significance. Africa’s Victorian era nickname was the ‘dark continent’, which â€Å"referred to the fact that little was known in the West about the interior of the continent† (yourdictionary.com, 2017). Therefore, Congo is the interior or ‘heart’ of Africa. This title also alludes to

American Dream in Great Gatsby Free Essays

The American Dream was an important theme in the book, The Great Gatsby. Every single character was somewhat involved or motivated by the American Dream vision. In the Great Gatsby, American Dream symbolized the â€Å"freedom and opportunity to better yourself and your situation. We will write a custom essay sample on American Dream in Great Gatsby or any similar topic only for you Order Now Characters had different ideas of going through the American Dream. Gatsby loved money, reinvention, and the American Dream. He planned to reinvent himself for a woman that was put on such a igh pedestal, that when brought down, his world had become something of an illusion. Daisy became a sort of goal, a symbol for wealth, that he basically makes her lose her humanity in his eyes. A sort of paradigm in which she was an object, when he won her it meant he was what he always wanted to be. By the end, the real shocker that brought him back to earth, that made him realize Daisy was an actual human, was seeing Patricia, Daisy’s daughter. Another character that symbolized the American Dream was Myrtle. Her only goal was to better her situation, such as being very materialistic and greedy. She decided to have an affair with one of the most unavailable and wealthiest men in the city. She was in the â€Å"relationship† not because of love or lust, but because of money. Someone that symbolized the American Dream in a positive way was Nick. He was from a family of old money yet he was willing to give up his family money and work hard. Nick wanted to build up his old name. Money was never very important to him as it was for the others. He actually understands how the American Dream corrupts the minds of all trying to achieve it. Nick was disillusioned with the American Dream by seeing how it immorally unethical it was. Yellow (such as silver and gold) that means corruption wealth and dishonest and white that means fapde and pure are colors that represent an egg which is a major symbol in the Great Gatsby. A theme of Self-Discovery and Intolerance was directly directed to Nick. He knew he wanted to find himself and create his name not live off of what his family has. The theme of the green light represented Gatsbys hope, renewal and rebirth of this new relationship with Daisy. Gatsbys motivation to move forward and better his situation Just to be with Daisy starts with that green light. It basically Just means plain wealth to him. Red was a symbol connected to Nick because he is the only one that does not think corruptly. Red symbolizes death in which Nick has seen people’s true self die out because of the American Dream. How to cite American Dream in Great Gatsby, Papers

Zoltan Dienes’ six-stage theory of learning mathematics free essay sample

Most people, when confronted with a situation which they are not sure how to handle, will engage in what is usually described as â€Å"trial and error† activity. What they are doing is to freely interact with the situation presented to them. In trying to solve a puzzle, most people will randomly try this and that and the other until some form of regularity in the situation begins to emerge, after which a more systematic problem solving behaviour becomes possible. This stage is the FREE PLAY, which is or should be, the beginning of all learning. This is how the would-be learner becomes familiar with the situation with which he or she is confronted. Stage 2. After some free experimenting, it usually happens that regularities appear in the situation, which can be formulated as â€Å"rules of a game†. Once it is realized that interesting activities can be brought into play by means of rules, it is a small step towards inventing the rules in order to create a â€Å"game†. Every game has some rules, which need to be observed in order to pass from a starting state of things to the end of the game, which is determined by certain conditions being satisfied. It is an extremely useful educational â€Å"trick† to invent games with rules which match the rules that are inherent in some piece of mathematics which the educator wishes the learners to learn. This can be or should be the essential aspect of this part of the learning cycle. We could call this stage learning to play by the rules, as opposed to the free learning characteristic of stage one. Stage 3. Once we have got children to play a number of mathematical games, there comes a moment when these games can be discussed, compared with each other. It is good to teach several games with very similar rule structures, but using different materials, so that it should become apparent that there is a common core to a number of different looking games, which can later be identified as the mathematical content of those games that are similar to ach other in structure, even though they might be totally different from the point of view of the elements used for playing them. It is even desirable, at one point, to establish â€Å"dictionaries† between games that have the same structure, so to each element and to each operation in one game, should correspond a unique element or operation in the other game. This will encourage learners to realize that the external material used for playing the games is less important than the rule structure which each material embodies. So learners will be encouraged to take the first halting steps towards abstraction, which is of course becoming aware of that which is common to all the games with the same rule structure, while the actual physical â€Å"playthings† can gradually become â€Å"noise†. This stage could be called the comparison stage. Stage 4. There comes a time when the learner has identified the abstract content of a number of different games and is practically crying out for some sort of picture by means of which to represent that which has been gleaned as the common core of the various activities. At this point it is time to suggest some diagrammatic representation such as an arrow diagram, table, a coordinate system or any other vehicle which would help fix in the learner’s mind what this common core is. We cannot ever hope to see an abstraction, as such things do not exist in the real world of objects and events, but we can invent a representation which would in some succinct way give the learner a snapshot of the essence that he has extracted or abstracted through the various game activities. Each one of the learned games can then be â€Å"mapped† on to this representation, which will pinpoint the communality of the games. This stage can be called the representation stage. Stage 5. It will now be possible to study the representation or â€Å"map† and glean some properties that all the games naturally must have. For example it could be checked whether a certain series of operations yields the same result as another series of operations. Such a â€Å"discovery† could then be checked by playing it out in one or more of the games whose representation yielded the â€Å"discovery†. An elementary language can then be developed to described such properties of the map. Such a language can approximate to the conventional symbolic language conventionally used by mathematicians or freedom can be exercised in inventing quite new and different symbol systems. Be it one way or another, a symbol system can now be developed which can be used to describe the properties of the system being learned, as the information is gathered by studying the map. This stage can be called the symbolization stage. Stage 6. The descriptions of the symbolization stage can get very lengthy and often quite redundant. There comes a time when it becomes desirable to establish some order in the maze of descriptions. This is the time to suggest that possibly just a few initial descriptions would suffice, as long as we appended ways of deducing other properties of the map, determining certain definite rules that would be allowed to be used in such â€Å"deductions†. In such a case we are making the first steps towards realizing that the first few descriptions can be our AXIOMS, and the other properties that we have deduced can be our THEOREMS, the ways of getting from the initial axioms to the theorems being the PROOFS. This stage could be called the formalization stage.

Life is Tough free essay sample

Life is Tough As I sat at age eleven with my Nintendo cradled in my left hand and my eyes buried in my right hand saying my goodbyes to my father, I did not quite realize what was truly happening. For the next eighteen months, the only time I would see my father would be in an olive green jumpsuit with his prisoner number plastered over his left chest. Things changed throughout that year and a half. My mother would no longer wait for my brother and I at the bus stop after school, she needed to become the â€Å"man of the house† and that meant getting a job. There were no more walking through the door after school and being welcomed with snacks and a simple, â€Å"How was school today, son?† We moved from our cozy, accustomed home with its large backyard and ordinary setting to a tiny two-bedroom apartment in a large apartment complex. We will write a custom essay sample on Life is Tough or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Fortunately, I was still allowed a bit of familiarity with the chance to graduate with my friends from my same elementary school. Looking back upon those years now and the amount of sacrifice and work my mom had to accomplish without her husband there, makes me want to be the person who she is, someone who will step up and do what is needed when the situation demands it. My mother went from a housewife to the financial provider of two small children in the blink of an eye. I am ashamed to say it, but I was very bitter and selfish during that time. I was angry at the world for the hardships I had to endure, and was completely oblivious to the fact that there were millions of people around the globe who had it ten times worse than myself . Fast forward to spring break of 2012, my parents and I had planned a trip to a relative’s condominium in Florida to spend the vacation week (my brother had work). Unbeknownst to me at that time, we would never end up going to Florida on that trip. What happened still haunts my memories to this day. I was walking into my parent’s bedroom with my North Face backpack filled with my IPod, books, and other necessities for the trip ahead. I see my mother lying on the ground completely inconsolable, tears running down her cheek with her phone glued to her ear. I only hear snippets of the conversation before I was signaled by my father to leave the room. These fragments included â€Å"Lee†¦.in hospital†¦.brain cancer†¦.scared.† It turned out that my mother’s brother, a man who was almost like a father to me, a man that I based my future ambitions off of, was in the hospital after a CAT scan revealed a large tumor on the right side of his brain. The voice of my grandmother on the phone crying and confused as my dad tried breaking the news to her would make anyone break down into tears. After a week in the hospital and an intensive brain operation, my uncle was let out of the hospital with news that the doctors had given him anywhere from twelve to eighteen months to live. Fast forward again to a leadership workshop camp sponsored by the Rotary Club in which I was sent to. There were people from all backgrounds and walks of life, and the stories they told were inspirational and saddening at the same time. There was a sixteen year-old girl with brain tumors that was not expected to live past eighteen. There was a boy born eight weeks premature who was not supposed to have lived. There were people who have lost relatives, parents, and siblings to sickness, violence, drugs, etc. After I was able to muster up the confidence to go up in front of the camp and tell my own story, the looks of understanding and sincerity on the faces of these kids the same age as myself reassured me that things get better, no matter how terrible a time is, it will always get better. Everyone has their own story, everyone has their own struggles in their personal walk of life. What defines them i s what they do after these times have passed. Do they wallow in self-pity until their time runs out, or do they pick themselves up and use those experiences as a source of strength and courage? I know that I will always pick myself up. I know that the tough times I have been through have done nothing more than shape me into the man I am today, and I would never change who I am.

Advice for Finding a Private School Teaching Job

Advice for Finding a Private School Teaching Job Cornelia and Jim Iredell run Independent School Placement, which matches educators with independent schools in New York City, its suburbs, and New Jersey. The company was founded in 1987. We asked Cornelia Iredell her advice for teachers and teacher candidates. Here’s what she had to say: What do private schools look for in teacher applicants? These days, just as much as advanced degrees and familiarity with independent schools, independent schools look for experience in the classroom. It used to be 25 years ago that if you went to a wonderful college, you could walk into an independent school and start teaching. That’s not true these days, except perhaps in the suburbs in Connecticut and New Jersey. In New York City independent schools, the position open to people with that background is the assistant teacher in elementary grades. It’s the easiest entry-level position. You need a strong undergraduate degree and some experience working with children. The more academic schools really look for someone who’s had more professional experience and who’s halfway through a master’s or done some student teaching. Even that is more difficult for someone with a B.A. Schools will make an exception for an alumna or alumnus sometimes. Why is prior teaching experience so important? One of the situations that teachers in independent schools may face is a parent asking why a student isn’t getting an â€Å"A.† Kids will complain too if the teacher doesn’t have experience. The schools want to make sure the teacher is prepared to deal with these types of situations. On the other hand, teacher candidates shouldn’t worry about where they got their degrees. Some schools are known for certain programs, and these schools aren’t necessarily top tier or Ivy League. People will sit up and take notice at all kinds of schools around the country. What is your advice for mid-career people looking to transition? For the mid-career person, these schools have an individualized process. The schools may be looking for someone with professional experience. They may be looking for someone who can do something else, such as development. A career changer can find a job in an independent school. We see an increasing number of career changers who are tired of doing what they are doing. Now, we’re more frequently getting candidates who have done some graduate work in the field. We’ve had people do the New York City Teaching Fellows program even if they’re interested in independent schools, so they can get hands-on training. What is your advice for jobseekers? Get experience in some way. If you are a recent grad, do Teach for America or the NYC Teaching Fellows program. If you can put up with being in a difficult school, it can be an eye-opener. People will take you seriously. You can also try to find a position in a boarding school or another part of the country, where it is more difficult to find the ideal teacher. Boarding schools are more open to intern teachers. They give you a lot of mentoring. It’s a wonderful experience. In addition, write a good cover letter and resume. Some of the cover letters and resumes we see are in poor shape these days. People don’t know how to structure a cover letter introducing themselves. People present themselves badly and praise themselves in the letter and overstate their experience. Instead, keep it brief and factual. Can public school teachers transition to private schools? Yes, they can! Certainly there are lower school teachers who’ve been head teachers in public elementary schools. If it’s someone who’s been tied to testing and a Regents curriculum, it’s harder. If you are coming from a public school, become more familiar with independent schools. Sit in classes, and get an idea of what the expectations are and what the classroom dynamic is. What helps teachers  be successful once in schools? A good mentoring program helps people. Some schools have a more formal one, while some are more informal. Have not only a mentor in your own teaching department, but have someone perhaps in a different area who is not tied in with commenting on how you are teaching your subject and can give you feedback on how you are relating to your students. Being a subject matter expert and a good teacher are both important, particularly in the upper school. Again, that’s part of the importance of the style of the person fitting in with the school. Teachers are always nervous about the demo lesson they have to do as candidates. It’s an artificial situation. What the schools are looking at is the style of the teacher, whether the teacher connects with the class. It’s important to engage the students. Are there any particular areas of growth? Independent schools are always evolving and working to stay at the forefront of learning and education. They are constantly reevaluating their curriculum, even the best schools. Many schools offer a global emphasis in many areas in the curriculum and a greater movement towards interdisciplinary work. There is also a move towards a student-centered approach and modern skills and learning methods. Real world experience is also becoming increasingly important, as are skills in technology, design thinking, entrepreneurship and more, so teachers with life experience might find themselves at the top of the resume pile.

Celsius to Kelvin Temperature Conversion Example

Celsius to Kelvin Temperature Conversion Example Here is  an example problem  that explains how to convert a temperature from degrees on the Celsius scale to Kelvin. Its a useful conversion to know  because many formulas use Kelvin temperatures, but most thermometers report in Celsius. Celsius to Kelvin Formula To convert between the temperature scales, you need to know the formula. Celsius and Kelvin are based on the same size degree, just with different zero points, so this equation is simple: The formula to convert Celsius to Kelvin is: K  °C 273 or, if you want more significant figures: K  °C 273.15 Celsius to Kelvin Problem #1 Convert 27 ° C to Kelvin. Solution K  °C 273K 27 273K 300300 K Note that the answer is 300 K. Kelvin is not expressed in degrees. Why is this? A scale measured in degrees indicates it references another scale (i.e., Celsius has degrees because its actually based on the Kelvin scale). Kelvin is an absolute scale, with an endpoint that cant move (absolute zero). Degrees dont apply to this type of scale. Celsius to Kelvin Problem #2 Convert 77 ° C to Kelvin. Solution K  °C 273K 77 273K 350350 K More Temperature Conversion Calculators Convert Kelvin to CelsiusConvert Celsius to FahrenheitConvert Kelvin to Fahrenheit

Are Criminals Born or Made Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Are Criminals Born or Made - Essay Example In spite of the efforts in this direction, crimes continue to exist and it can be concluded that the crimes will continue to exist and this problem cannot be solved. In order to solve this problem, it becomes necessary that the cause of the crimes or the reason why people commit crimes need to be analysed. Traditionally crime has been considered as associated with two domains by the specialists. The domains are the nature or the environment of the individuals including the family and the peers of the individuals. However, it must be noted that these specialists belong to different fields of science as the complexity and dynamics of crime extends to different areas, which are difficult to comprehend. Therefore, the statement "Are criminals born, or made" can be considered as When reference is made to the science of criminology automatically, reference is made to different branches of science such as psychology, genetics, sociology etc. The main purpose of criminology is to deal with crimes and criminals and solve this social problem. The main approaches to deal with the problem of crimes and their resolution are the natural approach and the environmental approach. The environmental approach deals with the circumstances that made an individual to commit a crime and it does not consider the hereditary or family background of the criminal. Whereas the natural approach is sure that the nature of the criminal, his or her genes, and heredity are the main reasons that make him/her commit the crimes.

Love biblical narratives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Love biblical narratives - Essay Example In some ways, the teachings in Leviticus seem to equate physical imperfection with spiritual imperfection. Other topics in addition to instruction for the Levites concern how to remain pure by avoiding all sorts of activities and items that are considered unclean. The book of Job is one of the books of the Old Testament that is in the wisdom genre. The book begins by establishing Job as a righteous person. He has a large family, is pious and has been blessed with great wealth. Satan asks permission to tempt Job, accusing God of protecting Job too much. God agrees and Job looses his material wealth and family in a series of mishaps. Job is devastated but stays faithful to God. Three of his friends arrive to comfort him. By this time, Job has been afflicted with boils and other physical ailments. All of Job’s friends agree that Job must have sinned to warrant such treatment from God. Job denies this and stays faithful to God. After much debate, God’s voice can be heard congratulating Job for his faithfulness and scolding Job’s friends for their lack of understanding. The lesson to be learned is that God rules over all of his creations and requires faithfulness even during trials. The book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament is a narrative book. Nehemiah begins the story in the court or Artaxerxes, the ruler in Babylon. He convinces him to allow him to return to Jerusalem with a small group of Jews to reestablish the city walls and temple worship. Nehemiah is granted permission but is immediately opposed by Sanballat and other local leaders who are not pleased to see a return of Jews to Jerusalem. Nehemiah arms his laborers and they complete the construction of the wall and repairs to the temple. Sanballat continues to scheme against Nehemiah, but is thwarted by the righteousness of the people. Many Jews return to Jerusalem to worship. Ezra reads from scripture and Nehemiah

Biomechanical Principles In Basketball Essay Example for Free

Biomechanical Principles In Basketball Essay Basketball is a very competitive and popular sport in our society today. The NBA playoffs are going on right now and it has proved to be a very physical and intense post season. This sport takes an extreme amount of talent, coordination, and athletic ability to become a champion. There are a few biomechanical principles that are present during the game of basketball that help these athletes become great. The first biomechanical principle that is present in basketball is Newton’s Second Law of Motion. This law deal deals with acceleration in the sport. The law states, â€Å"The change in motion of an object is proportional to the force impressed; and is made in the direction of the straight line in which the force is impressed†. Newton’s Second Law is applied to the dunking aspect of basketball. When a player is about to dunk the basketball a certain amount of force must be produced to jump. Also a certain amount of acceleration must be produced to send the player upwards towards the rim. If this does not happen then the player is going to not be able to dunk the basketball. The weight of the athlete also plays a big role in this action as well. A player who is heavier is going to have a harder time jumping as high as a player with less mass. The next biomechanical principle I found that deals with basketball is another Newton law. Newton’s First Law deals with the law of inertia. This law is applied when a player is attempting a pass to his or her teammate. Newton’s First Law states that an object will stay in motion unless acted upon by another force. When a player is passing the ball to their teammate, the ball will stay in a straight line of motion unless a member of the opposing team attempts to steal the ball from its destination. Lastly frictional force is another biomechanical principle that I found present in the game of basketball. The friction between the athlete’s shoes and floor must be very high. Static friction is used when the player wants to push off from the floor to make an athletic move. The type of shoes that the athlete wears is also going to play a huge role in how affective the players’ moves are. Frictional for occurs when the player pushes down and backward on the floor. It is the force that acts forwards on the player and backwards on the floor. If it was not for frictional forces the athlete would not be able to start or stop his or her motion. In conclusion I found this biomechanical breakdown to be very interesting. Now that I have taken this course I look at sports from a greater biomechanical perspective. I feel that taking this course will really pay off as I become a professional in the field. Being able to break down sports into such a perspective is a great attribute to have as a future professional.

Essay --

Country Details Republic of India is situated in South Asia; it is at the 7th position in world by the area. The population as per 2011 census is approx. 1.2 billion, which is the 2nd largest economy in the world after the China in terms of population. India is the democracy country. From the oldest era India is the famous for its civilization and its culture. There are so many different types of people are lived together. The main are Hindu, Muslim, Shikh, Christian. The currency of India is Indian Rupee i.e. INR. As per 2013, India is the third largest economy by purchasing power parity and the 11th largest by nominal gross domestic product. The per capita income of India is approx. $1414 which is estimated in 2013. There are total 28 states and 7 union territories in India. States has its different parliament while the union territory is directly under the President of India. All the states have its divided in different districts also. The official language of India is Hindi and English, because there are more than 500 languages are there in India. The capital of India is Delhi. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee is the 13th and current President of India. The national anthem of India is Jana Gana Mana and the Motto is Satyameva Jayate. There are so many industries in India. India is a developing country. The GDP of the country is 6.1% as per 2011-12. The India is the fastest growing economy in the world. There are 486.6 million workers in the country, so as per labor force India is the second largest country in the world as per 2011. India has the world’s third largest military which is commanded by the President of India. It includes the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The National Stock of Exchange and the Bomba... ...13. India is the most attractive nation in the world in terms of investment. In 2013-14 the India is expected fiscal deficit at 3.4% from the previous year 2012-13. India is also good in export of the product. It has done export worth US$ 303 billion in FY 2012-13. The expected growth in export is about US$ 325 billion in this FY. India's industrial economy is gathering momentum on the back of improved output of eight core sector industries – coal, crude oil, refining, steel, cement, natural gas, fertilizers and electricity – which, at 8 per cent in September 2013, rose at its fastest pace in a year. The US$ 1.2 trillion investment planned in the infrastructure sector will go a long way in boosting export performance of Indian companies and the Indian growth story, according to Mr. Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Government of India. â€Æ'

Modern Gadgets

In the software industry, â€Å"Gadget† refers to computer programs that provide services without needing an independent application to be launched for each one, but instead run in an environment that manages multiple gadgets. There are several implementations based on existing software development techniques, like JavaScript, form input, and various image formats. The origins of the word â€Å"gadget† trace back to the 19th century.According to the Oxford English Dictionary, there is anecdotal evidence for the use of â€Å"gadget† as a placeholder name for a technical item whose precise name one can't remember since the 1850s; with Robert Brown's 1886 book Spunyarn and Spindrift, A sailor boy’s log of a voyage out and home in a China tea-clipper containing the earliest known usage in print. The etymology of the word is disputed.A widely circulated story holds that the word gadget was â€Å"invented† when Gaget, Gauthier & Cie, the company behind th e repousse construction of the Statue of Liberty (1886), made a  small-scale version of the monument and named it after their firm; however this contradicts the evidence that the word was already used before in nautical circles, and the fact that it did not become popular, at least in the USA, until after World War I. Other sources cite a derivation from the French gachette which has been applied to various pieces of a firing mechanism, or the Frenchgagee, a small tool or accessory. There are a lot Using gadget like computer, hand phones, tablet, play station, laptop etc can change us socially

Educating the Exceptional Learner Benchmark Assignment Essay

Abstract This paper reflects on the teacher candidate’s observations of the student â€Å"Junior† and the various accommodations that were made for him in various classroom settings. It also discusses different accommodations that could be made in general education classes and special education classes. The paper discusses the need for high school students to be self-advocating or self-determining and learning to make decisions on his or her own. SPE-226 Educating the Exceptional Learner Benchmark Assignment: Teaching for Exceptionalities Students with exceptionalities are a breed all their own. Each student has individual strengths, weaknesses, and individualized education programs/plans (IEPs) tailored to those needs. There are many resources, accommodations, and settings for these students to help ensure their academic success. One particular student, herein called â€Å"Junior,† is a mixed bag of interesting. Junior’s cognitive abilities are on par with his classmates. However, he needs help with reading, writing, and other social and behavioral skills. He likes to engage in discussion, enjoys music, and is diligent in his work. Observing him, his teachers, and other various special education classrooms has given valuable information to increase my teaching strategies. Inclusive Math Class Junior’s first period class is Algebra 1-2. It is an inclusive class and is co-taught by Meinen and Geigas. Meinen, the special education teacher, is there to help students and provide assistance services to Geigas’s teaching. However, all of Geigas’s classes have some form of inclusion. Consequently, Geigas’s teaching strategies differ from regular education teaching strategies in order to appeal both to the inclusive students and regular students. For instance, Geigas uses different colored pens for different the  different steps of a problem when he is teaching and doing problems with the class. He is also willing to create copies of the class worksheet for any student who needs it, not just special education students. The accommodations for Junior’s quiz were highlighting the directions for him and writing the different formulas, like point-slope form and the equation for finding the slope of a line, on his paper for easier access. Highlighting the directions for Junior’s quiz was successful. He knew what was expected of him, and what he needed to accomplish with the quiz. He did not need to have the directions read to him or explained to him. In addition, writing the formulas on his paper helped keep him on track. He only needed help with one graphing question, which could be a difficult question for any student. Because Junior only missed two questions due to minor mistakes, I believe the accommodations were very successful and do not need to be changed. Furthermore, I would review the minor mistakes with Junior, have him explain where he went wrong, and give him half-credit since he had the major concepts correct. Many other technologies or other instructional supports exist that could enhance the learning for Junior and his classmates. In the math classroom, there are white boards and a document scanner. The document scanner is what Geigas and Meinen use to do the problems together with the students. Two major benefits to having the document scanner are having a hard copy of what work was done in class and being able to go back if necessary. If the class were only using the white board, each problem would have to be erased in order to move on to the next problem. If a student needed to go back, this would create a lot of wasted time redoing work that was previously done. Another good technology tool that students could use is Khan Academy, a website with videos and exercises to help anyone learn skills and concepts at their own pace (Khan Academy, 2013). It also tracks all data inputted and shows the user’s statistics over time. This information is private to the user, but it can be shared with teachers and coaches, so teachers can use the Khan Academy classroom in their own physical classrooms (Khan Academy, 2013). While Khan Academy is a good resource, the classroom only has one teacher computer available, so any type of technology is extremely limited. Self-Advocacy and Self-Determination Junior is just one student of many. There are many other special education students in the inclusive classrooms that could need more help. Because these are high school students, they need to be taught the idea of self-advocacy or self-determination. This is the idea that the student’s ability to â€Å"consider options and make appropriate decisions and to exercise free will, independence, and individual responsibility† (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2009, p. 92). Therefore, many of the special education students in the inclusive classes must ask for the bigger accommodations. For instance, if a student needs to go to a separate room with less people and/or have the directions read and explain to them aloud, they must ask permission to do so (A. Geigas, personal communication, November 4, 2013). â€Å"Since self-determination skills are most effectively learned and developed by practicing them, students with disabilities should be given ample opportunity to use their self-advocacy, decision-making and socialization skills well before they leave high school to prepare themselves for working and living in their community† (PACER Center, 2013). Allowing this type of openness is actually beneficial for the students. It allows the students to become more independent while in the safe, closed environment of the classroom. Additionally, effective self-determination teaching can increase positive transitional outcomes in moving from high school to adult life (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2009, p. 92). For these reasons, many accommodations are not expressly given to students. Self-Contained Special Education Class When it comes to special education classes, there can be more focus on the individual student and his or her needs. In Junior’s special education behavior class period, the class focuses on what is expected of him and his classmates in social situations. They were planning a field trip to a symphony during the week, so the teacher discussed examples of the types of behaviors that would be expected of them and what behaviors would be unexpected in the given situation. As for Junior, he likes to be engaged in class, which leads to him shouting answers. In some classes, it is acceptable, and others it is not. He had to be reminded that he needed to raise his hand, and be acknowledged in order to speak during his turn. Michelle Garcia Winner gives a good accommodation or lesson that can deal with this kind of behavior: I encourage teachers to keep their eyes focused on who they were talking to, hold up the palm of their hand in the direction of the blurter and say to them â€Å"I was looking at this student (say the student’s name), I was talking to this student, I am not talking to you right now.† By doing this, the teacher provides cognitive information about the process of communication that helps the student learn how to avoid blurting. (2012) On the other hand, Junior did well in understanding why certain behaviors would be unexpected, offensive, or rude while at the symphony. Given this observation, one can tell that Junior only has mild or moderate problems with social behaviors. As a result, this self-contained class was geared more towards his classmates in the room. This is a prime example of how the accommodations of special education teachers differ so greatly between room s, classes, and students. Conclusion Observing and talking with Junior’s teachers, special and regular education, has given me a plethora of information that has increased my teaching tools and strategies. Observing a range of classrooms and situations has given me a deeper understanding of the kind of scenarios that may be presented in my future. Overall, Junior is a very bright, engaging student. Spending time with him and observing a multitude of different classrooms has given me valuable insights into the world of teaching students with exceptionalities. References Garcia Winner, Michelle. (2012). Social Thinking at School. Retrieved 13 Nov 2013 from https://www.socialthinking.com/what-is-social-thinking/-social-thinking-at-school Hardman, M. L., Drew, C. J., & Egan, M. W. (2009). Human Exceptionality: School, Community, and Family (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Khan Academy. (2013). A free world-class education for anyone anywhere. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013 from https://www.khanacademy.org/about PACER Center. (2013). SELF DETERMINATION. Retrieved 13 Nov 2013 from http://www.pacer.org/tatra/resources/self.asp

Larry flint essays

Larry flint essays Larry Flynt is a publisher of the "Hustler Magazine," and is known as the Porno King. Some people call him perverted, sick and some have a lot of respect for a man like this. How far will the First Amendment and the freedom of the press go? Larry Flynt was born in Salyersville, KY on November 1, 1942. He dropped out of school in ninth grade. Larry has been married four times. Is a father of five. His last wife, Althea Leasure, died in a bathtub after a heroin overdose in 1987. She also suffered from AIDS. When he was15, Flynt lied about his age to get into the U.S. Army. He was discharged from the Army early, at 17 he forged his age again to join the Navy. He served as a radar technician on an aircraft carrier. Flynt requires that all his employees to a strictly conservative dress code. Larry Flynt Publications Inc. produces 32 monthly and commemorative publications. The groups largest holding is Hustler, a sexually explicit magazine with a large number out of around 75 0,000. He has lived in Los Angles since 1978. He gets around town in a chauffeured limousine or by driving his Bently. He is known to enjoy Cuban an under aged boy. Later in the years, Flynt opened a store in L.A. Hustler Hollywood, that carries mainstream literature, videos, food and drinks, and of course, pornography. Flynts field of dreams was in September of 1998, Flynt expressed an interest in purchasing baseball team owner Marge Shotts shares in the Cincinnati Reds. He later decided against bidding, when he learned his other major league team owners. In 1997 Larry Flynts publishing company took in about $100 million dollars. Flynt believes that the right of the First Amendment and the Freedom of the press can go to all the limits. This man was caught groping and kissing women against their will. He was also caught with his pants down next to a hooker, right before he was arrested. A serial borrower of other men's wive...

Business Model Canvas Analysis Of Travelport L ote - Samples

Travelport L ote is an organization which is simple in operations and provides a travel platform for the corporate travellers. This organization mainly empowers the travel managers so that they can drive the change and further achieve a leap in the program efficiencies. The app does not only provide an online booking platform it further powers the workflow and the features related to a corporate travel. The app provides customised deals for the various levels of officials which can suit their specific needs. Globalisation has caused many expansions in the businesses of various organizations. This has led to the establishment of offices of the organizations in various countries (Ltd, 2018). These changes in the business environment further calls for a lot of travel for the business officials. The app provides travel packages to the officials of various levels according to the costs that are permitted by their organizations. The business travels have b e an important of the business op erations in the modern economic environment. The app helps the business executives in planning their business trips by keeping a control on the costs incurred. The pany offers an intuitive and simple platform which is designed for the new working process of the organizations in the modern environment (Joyce & Paquin, 2016).  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The content creators or the users who write reviews of the hotels are important for the panu.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The hotels, restaurants are major partners of the business activities of Travelport (Dudin et al.,   2015).  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The travel   management panies related to corporate travelers.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The travel experts who provide tips to the customers.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The travel agencies who wish to expand their business related activities.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Enhancing the positive effects of indirect networks by the fresh reviews provided by travelers.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enhancing the experience of the customers.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Providing value to the platform with the help of the technological innovation (Toro-Jarrà ­n, Ponce-Jaramillo & Gà ¼emes-Castorena, 2016).  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Improving the app and increasing the content.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Developing the partners and acquiring platforms.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enhancing the value proposition.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increasing the visibility of the app in various search engines.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Observing the steps taken by the other organizations.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The vision of the pany is to deliver the experience that can redefine travel related to corporate needs.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The pany is driven by the passion to provide best services to the corporate customers.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The value provided to the travelers is related to the reduction of costs related to corporate travel (Vargas, Calva & Camacho 2015).  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The value proposition of the pany to the hotels and other organizations is related to getting listed for corporate travel options.     ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The hotels enlisted in the app have the opportunity to increase their revenue.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The good reviews provided by the corporate travelers improves their reputation.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The hotels can use the app for advertising purposes (Aversa et al., 2015).  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ability to provide special deals with the help of the app.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Increasing the trust of the corporate travelers.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The genuine reviews by travelers in the app helps in creating loyal customers.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The incentive related policies of the app for the hotels who are their partners.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The app serves both the sides, the travelers and the hotels.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The travelers are segmented based on their levels in the organization.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The supply side of customers are segment based on the various levels of hotels (Plenter et al., 2017).  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ratings provided by the travelers are one of the major resources of the app.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The list of the partner hotels.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The major resources of an app or webpage are the customer experience reviews.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The webpages of the pany.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The app of the organization.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The sales team of the organization.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The advertisements in the search engines.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The expenses related to operating of the app.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The costs related to selling of the services and promotional activities of the app.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The costs related to the development of the app.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The costs related to acquisition of the partners of the app.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The first major revenue stream of the app is related to the profits gained from the partner hotels.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The advertising revenue is related to the promotions of the various hotels in the app.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The revenues earned from the subscriptions of the corporate travelers. The key relationships between the nine building blocks of business lie in the ways by which the various areas of the pany support each other. The key activities of the pany support the customer relationships that are developed by Travelport L ote. The promotional activities of the pany help in acquiring customers for Travelport L ote. The resources that are possessed by the pany will also help in improving its goodwill reputation in the market. This will further assist in the expansion related operations of the app. The pany can increase its customer base by providing enhanced services to the present customers (Fritscher & Pigneur, 2014). The customer segments of the pany are related to the revenue streams and the ways by which it operates in the market. The revenues of the app are generated from the partnerships of the various hotels and restaurants and the corporate travellers who book packages in with the help of the Travelport app. The value proposition of the app is related to t he services provided to the customers and packages designed for the corporate travellers. The costs related to various operations of the pany includes the maintenance of the app. These costs are related to the amount of profits that are earned by the app (Gonà §alves & da Silva, 2017). The major factors behind the success of Travelport L ote are the personalized services provided by the app to the various levels of business professionals. The trust that the customers or the travellers have on the pany is a key to the success of the organization in the industry. The ease and outlook of the website of Travelport helps in attracting corporate travellers towards the app. The app provides services which are personalized for the various levels of business professionals. The executives are able to control the costs related to their business trips. The reason behind this offer is the increase of globalization and global offices in the various countries. The costs related to the trips are also scrutinized by the organizations and the Travelport app helps in maintaining the costs (Fritscher & Pigneur, 2015). The flexibility related to various modes of payment provided to the business professionals is another reason related to the success of the pany. The app also aims to man age the quality of the various services that are provided to the corporate travellers. The attractive offers and discounts provided by the app on the packages designed for the business executives also contribute to the success of the pany within a short span of time. The app also provides solutions to the travellers to reduce the travel cost related to business operations. The safety measures related to business operations are also taken by the app (Ghezzi et al., 2015). The major issue that can be faced by Travelport in the market is related to trust that needs to be gained from the customers who are not used internet based services. The security related issues that can occur in the online transactions can be a major issue for the app while providing services to the corporate travellers. The officials belonging to the senior   management levels are dependent on the other employees of the pany or the travel desk for their bookings related to corporate travel. They are however less likely to use to the app to book their travel packages. The quality of services that are required to be provided to the corporate travellers need to be maintained as they have a certain level of travel related preferences. The pany will be required to take special care about the packages that they provide to these corporate travellers (Zolnowski & Bà ¶hmann, 2014). The app is quite new to the market and they need to give a considerable amount of time to establish their operations in the industry, this can be an issue related to the revenues of the pany. The changes that can made in the business model includes, the increase in the number of partners or channel of the pany. Travelport can make alliances with the travel desks of the business organizations so that can direct access to the travel related needs of the executives of the different levels. The app needs to give more importance on the feedback that is gained from the travellers and the reviews that they provide. The reviews can act as major resource of the organization and help in acquiring customers. The pany needs to increase its promotional and advertising related activities so that they can create the awareness of their brand in the minds of the consumers. The revenue streams of the app can be increased with the increase in the number of partners. The customer relationships can be maintained by the app by keeping contact with the customers and maintained their records. This will help Travelport L ote in getting knowledge about their preferences and designing their service s accordingly. Aversa, P., Haefliger, S., Rossi, A., & Baden-Fuller, C. (2015). From business model to business modelling: Modularity and manipulation. In  Business models and modelling  (pp. 151-185). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Dudin, M., Kucuri, G., Fedorova, I., Dzusova, S., & Namitulina, A. (2015). The innovative business model canvas in the system of effective budgeting. Fritscher, B., & Pigneur, Y. (2014, July). Visualizing business model evolution with the business model canvas: Concept and tool. In  Business Informatics (CBI), 2014 IEEE 16th Conference on  (Vol. 1, pp. 151-158). IEEE. Fritscher, B., & Pigneur, Y. (2015, July). Extending the Business Model Canvas: A Dynamic Perspective. In  Proc. International Symposium on Business Modeling and Software Design  (Vol. 5, pp. 86-96). Ghezzi, A., Cavallaro, A., Rangone, A., & Balocco, R. (2015, April). A parative Study on the Impact of Business Model Design & Lean Startup Approach versus Traditional Business Plan on Mobile Startups Performance. In  ICEIS (3)  (pp. 196-203). Gonà §alves, R. F., & da Silva, M. T. (2017, March). System Thinking and Business Model Canvas for Collaborative Business Models Design. In  Advances in Production   Management Systems. Initiatives for a Sustainable World: IFIP WG 5.7 International Conference, APMS 2016, Iguassu Falls, Brazil, September 3-7, 2016, Revised Selected Papers(Vol. 488, p. 461). Springer.   Joyce, A., & Paquin, R. L. (2016). The triple layered business model canvas: A tool to design more sustainable business models.  Journal of Cleaner Production,  135, 1474-1486. Ltd, L. (2018).   Corporate Travel Management - L ote.  L ote . Retrieved 24 March 2018, from https://www.l ote /   Plenter, F., Fielt, E., Hoffen, M., Chasin, F., & Rosemann, M. (2017). Repainting the business model canvas for peer-to-peer sharing and collaborative consumption.   Toro-Jarrà ­n, M. A., Ponce-Jaramillo, I. E., & Gà ¼emes-Castorena, D. (2016). Methodology for the of building process integration of Business Model Canvas and Technological Roadmap.  Technological Forecasting and Social Change,  110, 213-225. Vargas, I. S., Calva, A. L. G., & Camacho, J. H. (2015). Business model canvas.  Ciencia Huasteca Boletà ­n Cientà ­fico de la Escuela Superior de Huejutla,  3(5). Zolnowski, A., & Bà ¶hmann, T. (2014). Formative evaluation of business model representations-The service business model canvas.  

Intermodal Transportation in the US Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intermodal Transportation in the US - Case Study Example Intermodal Transportation in the US Government involvement in the country’s intermodal transportation system, particularly in the cargo sector, would allow for continuous movement of products by a number of modes of transport. Congress approved the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) as a successor of ISTEA. This policy was not as far-reaching as ISTEA even though it continued the campaign for intermodalism and center on the ISTEA chassis (Konings et al., 2008). This regulation guaranteed the consideration of cargo mobility in the course of the planning procedure and offered more profound flexibility to fund intermodal stations that entail key and minor freeways, railway stations, sea terminals, and airports. Until this law was passed, the challenge of connectivity between and amongst intermodal stations was not a primary concern. If the federal government had prioritized efforts to solve this challenge, connectors to the country’s freeway system would have improved intermodal services and lowered freeway congestion. I also agree with the author that in a free market economy, the industry had been limited in their ability to deliver innovations in intermodal transportation. In the past 2 Â ½ decades, the movement of goods has been seamless only because of intermodalism in the cargo industry (Holguin-Veras et al., 2008).The most visible manifestation of intermodalism in a free market such as the United States is the increase in container traffic.

What is Rock Music Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is Rock Music - Research Paper Example The rock music is a different kind of music for anyone to listen, save for those who love it for their own reasons. The genre came into being as ‘rock and roll’ in the United States in the 1950s. It has various styles developed over years worldwide. Rock music has heavy influences from rhythm and blues, country music, folk music, jazz and classical music. More specifically, early origins of rock music can be traced to African American music modes in the Mississippi Delta.1 Rock and roll refers to the first wave of this phenomenon in the 1950s that developed into rock music, and both terms are used interchangeably to refer to the same music genre. Michael Lydon observes that there are a lot of theories about rock music, attempting to define and distinguish it, but all these theories overlook the importance if the rock genre as music2. In this regard, rock music usually features the guitar, a rock group, and a 4/4 time signature in a verse chorus form. There have been several variances from this norm, depending on the kind of theme being enhanced by the particular artist doing a rock music. The music mainly explores themes in the social and political spheres, and is dominant among white youths. Incidentally, rock is hinged on electric live performances, and based on an ideological framework of originality and authenticity. Some have defined rock music as part of the United States tradition3 but Wicke opines that it is a midway between folk music and bourgeois music. This midway is characterized by an emphasis on individuality and distortion of perspective. Rock music is also a midway between the pre mass media explosion and the current age, being the first genre of music commercialized and distributed through media such as television, radio and film as opposed to bourgeois music with its concert hall performances and strict structure. Wicke goes on

Christianity and Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Christianity and Islam - Essay Example One should strongly uphold the values and teachings that Allah has taught them for these will serve as their guide to fulfilling a spiritually-rich life together with Allah. Since monotheism is part of the Islamic faith, Muslims is in continuous contention with the Trinitarian God that Christian faith believes. Islam would not allow anyone or any other being for that matter to be associated with Allah for they trust that Allah is incomparable and solitary. Angels are considered as the messengers of God. The existence of angels is generally acceptable as true among Muslims. Islam agrees that God has numerous angels who are good in nature. Satan is an exception to this generalization for he is the only angel who dared to refuse the fact that God has the Ultimate Power that Satan disobeyed His commands. An analogy is stated in the article to distinguish men from the angels. Angels are made of light while human beings are made out of clay. Jinns are described in this section as well. They are created by fire which is correlated with the power of speech or gift of tongues. Prophets and scriptures was the third doctrine on the article. Mohammad is named as the last descendant of the prophets who were assigned to introduce and disseminate the scriptures to the people.

Effects of the Change4Life Advertising Campaign

Effects of the Change4Life Advertising Campaign The NHS document will go through the changes that are going to be implemented in the NHS. This will go through what might improve in the NHS due to changes and what will not improve. It will go the criticisms that the proposed changes have received and also the positive points that have been received. The proposed changes in the NHS will mean that the GPs will be getting  £70 billion pounds annually. The purpose of this is to get the GPs to manage most of the NHS budget to buy patient care from the NHS hospitals and clinics. According to the new changes the government is planning to close 151 primary care trusts and have them replaced by GPs, the question that has been put forward by this proposal is that how much money is going to be spent on administration rather than health care? And how much money will the GPs take to pay themselves management fees? (Walayat, 2010) By the government announcing that the primary care trusts are going to be closing it marked the first step towards the NHS becoming privatised. The budget of  £70 million will not increase productivity but will lead to a less productive system instead just as the Labour Government experienced when they doubled the NHS budget. The budget will lead to all the GP surgeries to become part of private companies. (Walayat, 2010) Andrew Lansley the UK health Secretary launched a White Paper which was titled Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS under which every GP will have to join a commissioning group by 2011/12 which will close down the Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities systems. The plans will see the GPs being responsible for  £110 billion of the health care budget, some of the budget  £80 billion of this will be going through to PCTs. (Pharmaletter, 2010) An important aspect of the proposal is that the health care providers will be paid according their performance, reflecting outcomes as well as activity and progress on outcomes will be supported by quality standards which are developed by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). (Pharmaletter, 2010) Some advantages of the proposal have been put forward such as that the white paper shows a move towards greater doctor and patient influence over clinical decisions. It is believed that the expansion of NICEs remit which promotes best practice is a high priority for the future of the NHS than the narrow cost effectiveness calculations on new medicines that it is currently conducting. (Pharmaletter, 2010) There are criticisms of the new proposal it has been stated that the plans could cost the NHS its  £20 billion efficiency savings target. Health director James Gubb stated that the NHS is facing the most difficult financial times in its history and that it is not the time to change structures but its better to get behind the difficult decisions PCTs will have to make. Other criticisms are that the White Paper was a waste of time and a waste of money. They also stated that the GPs do not have enough power to see any changes in the system. (Pharmaletter, 2010) The changes to the NHS will be taking place in 2013, already it has emerged that GPs that are covering half the country have already signed to start piloting the changes. The cost of the programme is  £1.4 billion, most of this will come over the next two years as more than 20,000 people from management and the staff from administration are being made redundant from the health authorities, primary care trusts and the Department of Health. (BBC, 2011) GPs will be expected to publish yearly reports of their performance. There will be a Health Watch network where feedback will be gathered from patients. The new bill will set out a duty to maximise access to a wide range of services. If GPs do under perform they will be financially penalised as a proportion of their income. (BBC, 2011) The British Medical Association believe that the government are taking a big gamble with the changes to the NHS and others have just stated that the health service will not be able to do what they are expected to do and that the new changes have a big risk of failing. (BBC, 2011) With the changes the ministers, including the secretary of state, will no longer be able to intervene when a hospital is threatened to close. Instead there will be a NHS independent board who will oversee the GPs. They will buy the care for their patients from any willing provider meaning from an NHS organisation or a private company. (Channel 4, 2011) Critics have said that this in a way is putting profit before care and that the services will end up closing down as they will not be financially viable even when they are need by the public. The changes in the NHS are complex and are mainly to do with management although Andrew Lansley the health secretary has ensured that patients are at the heart of the changes. (Channel 4, 2011) The changes mean that there will be a loss of 24,500 jobs and approximately 21,000 of them will be going through redundancy. The changes will be in place in 2013 and in the following year all hospitals will be foundation trusts, which will mean that hey will be controlling their own budget and have control. (Channel 4, 2011) The changes that are being made have been labelled as dangerous by the health experts and campaigners who are desperately trying to save the NHS. The changes will be getting rid of the targets that say that operations are performed within 18 weeks and also seeing your doctor within 48 hours. Private firms will now be able to bid for contracts for anything from standard check-ups to complex surgery. Patients will now have to wait longer to get appointments to see the GP, as local surgeries will be part of the financially powerful regional GP groups, as they now have almost  £80 billion of the health budget they could get rid of expensive treatments which in turn will make patients look for a different surgery which meets their needs. (Buckland, 2011) The patients will not see much change to the NHS but if the government does fulfil the aims it has set then the patients will have more control over their care than what they used to. The patients will now have a choice on how they want to be treated and where they want to be treated. Patients already have a choice on what hospital they want to go to but the choice is now extending to GPs. The boundaries that were set for registering with the GP are not in use any more and now they can choose whichever doctor they wish. (BBC (a) 2011) To conclude the NHS document has gone through what the changes are going to take place in the NHS and what this will cause. It has gone through the strengths and the criticisms of the changes. It has also stated that the GPs will now have control over the NHS budget and the changes will take place 2013. This assignment will be going through three health campaigns that are based in the UK to promote healthy lifestyles. The first campaign is change4life campaign it will go through what this campaign promotes, its aims and what it has achieved so far it will then go onto criticising the campaign and explain what has not worked. It will then go through whether enough is being done to promote healthy lifestyles. The second campaign is anti-smoking campaign it will again go the aims, what it has achieved and the criticisms of the campaign. It will then go through whether enough is being done to promote healthy lifestyles. The final campaign is sexual health campaign it will go through its aims, what it has achieved and its criticisms. It will then go through whether enough is being done to promote healthy lifestyles. The conclusion will bring the main points together and summarise what has been said in the portfolio and will also state whether the campaigns have done what they have aimed to do. Change4life is a society-wide movement that has the aims to prevent people from becoming overweight by encouraging them to eat better and move more. The campaign aims to motivate a societal movement in which anyone who has an interest in preventing obesity, they can be businesses, healthcare professionals, charities, schools or families can play their part. (Department of Health, 2010) The Change4Life campaign started in January 2009 and started by targeting young families with children aged 5-11 years. Since then the movement has grown and is now targeting parents of 1-4 year olds (Early Years) and new parents with babies (Start4Life). (Department of Health, 2010) The Change4Life advertising campaign has made the subject of weight and physical activity a hot topic and it urges us to make changes to our diet and levels of activity. The campaign talks about fat in the body rather that fat bodies and makes the link clear between fat and preventable illnesses. Change4life puts the blame of obesity onto modern life, which affects everyone instead of blaming the parents. (Department of Health (a), 2010) The steps that Change4life support will help people to improve health and their diet for example by swapping sugary food for healthier alternatives, cutting down on portion sizes and putting a limit on snacks. But a criticism that has been put forward is that change4life could be flawed from the start. They have been criticised for having partnerships with companies such as Nestle, PepsiCo and Mars. (Watts, 2009) Change4life tried to justify the partnerships by claiming that they want everyone to work together to fight obesity. However the question that has been put forward by critics is the involvement of manufacturers of fatty, sugary snack products going to help reduce obesity? (Watts, 2009) There is not enough evidence to say that social marketing is effective than other methods of improving health, but it seems that the government which is pursuing Change4Life have abandoned pursuing the steps that need to be taken to tackle obesity and focusing on how best to advertise the campaign. It was published in a report that it is urgent to act on the obesity crisis now as it was predicted that 9 out of 10 adults will be obese by 2050. (Watts, 2009) The department of health is now keen on getting corporate partners that the department seems to have forgotten the certain steps that need to be taken that can stop obesity such as protecting children from junk food marketing or forcing companies to use effective nutritional labelling. (Watts, 2009) The UK Public Health Association Chairman, David Hunter has warned that the governments  £75 million Change4Life campaign will fail to stop the rising levels of obesity unless it develops a strategy to change long-term behaviour. He has stated that the evidence that has been found that their campaign can have a positive effect for short term but it cannot be used for long term and so something needs to be done to prove that the campaign is not a waste of money and time. (Clews, 2009) Now it is being said that the new coalition government is taking away the funding from Change4life which was put forward by the Labour government. The new health secretary Andrew Lansley stated that the campaign should be supported by businesses not the government. (Tasker, 2010) Lansley stated that the new government will aim to use more social media to get the message of Change4Life across rather than the traditional advertising campaigns and will make it less of a government campaign but a social movement, by asking charities and local authorities and the commercial sectors to get involved. (Tasker, 2010) Lansley praised the scheme by saying that it has achieved a lot; especially in the way it has bought many people together such as healthcare professionals, teachers, charities, businesses and thousands of volunteers who have their support. (Tasker, 2010) Although there have been criticisms of the campaign there have been achievements. The campaign has worked alongside with a range of colleagues such as GP staff, primary schools and early years settings. In all the work they have encouraged colleagues to register as Local Supporters and to adopt the Change4Life brand in their activities. (Department of health, (b) 2010) A Change4life van is used by the Healthy Lifestyle team to deliver cooking sessions to help at-risk families learn how to cook simple, low-fat meals. Change4Life brand has also been incorporated into Healthy Heroes programme that was developed in primary schools to encourage children to be more active. Sport and physical alliances, School Sports Partnerships and Food Forums have all got the Change4Life sub brands and are using both Bike4Life and Walk4life in their cycling and walking schemes. (Department of health, (b) 2010) Anti-smoking campaigns uses advertising to put out their word to stop people smoking, a lot of different advertisements have been used which are directed to smokers. It has been found that a  £4 million advertising campaign which shows fat oozing out of the smokers artery has been a huge success for the anti-smoking campaign. After seeing the advertisement a total of 10,000 people contacted the British Heart Foundation charity and 62,000 have visited their website. Smoking has been estimated to cause 114,000 deaths in a year in the UK, 30,000 of these due to cardiovascular disease. (BBC, 2004) On the 1st July 2007, England introduced a new law to make all enclosed public places and workplaces smoke free. This will ensure that England has a healthier environment so that everyone can socialise, relax, travel and shop free from second hand smoke. The law also states that smoking is not allowed in public transport or in work vehicles where there is more than one person in the vehicle. Staff smoking rooms and indoor smoking areas are no longer allowed so everyone who wants to smoke will have to go outside the building. (Smokefree, 2007) Local councils are responsible for enforcing the new law in England. There are now penalties and fines for those who do not abide by the law, some of these fines are as follows: if someone is caught smoking in smoke free premises or in work vehicles will have a fixed penalty of  £50 or a maximum of  £200 if they are convicted by court. There is a fixed penalty of  £200 if there is a failure to put up no-smoking signs. There is also a maximum of  £2500 if the person who manages the premises or vehicles fails to prevent smoking. (Smokefree, 2007) The smoking ban has triggered the biggest fall in smoking ever seen in England. It has been found that more than two billion fewer cigarettes were smoked and 400,000 people have quit smoking since the ban was introduced, researchers have said that this will prevent 40,000 deaths over the next 10 years. There is no guarantee that the rates of smoking will not raise again so it is essential that the downward pressure is maintained. (Laurence, 2008) However it has been stated that the ban on smoking in public has failed to increase the number of people quitting. The proportion of men who smoke has risen since the ban while there has been no change among women. It has been hoped that the ban would help reduce the smoking rates among the poor but instead smoking in working-class men has risen. (Martin, 2008) The Health Survey for England, which was carried out by the NHS has raised fears that smokers are now simply smoking at home which is now putting children at risk. The Liberal Democrat Health spokesman Norman Lamb stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦stark figures which demonstrate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the governments strategy on smoking has not been successful. A spokesman from the pro-smoking pressure group stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦figures show that the smoking ban has been an unmitigated failure. (Martin, 2008) However a spokesman from the Department of Health replied to the criticisms by stating that the Smoke free laws were put forward to protect employees and public from secondhand smoke, and that the legislation was never intended to be a measure to reduce smoking. (Martin, 2008) Now in America the district officials have said that the best way to get young people to stop smoking, is to use bar and nightclub scenes and advertisements that show men and women in sexually suggestive poses. They are now planning to spend millions of dollars over the next few years for this plan. The local health authority had determined that to counter methods that tobacco companies have used to lure young people into thinking that smoking is cool, the most effective way to stop people from smoking is to fight fire with fire. (Kanigher, 2010) A criticism of this idea was put forward that the advertisements message of anti-smoking is diluted by the images which promote booze and sex. The complaint was that they are not promoting a healthy lifestyle; they may be telling them not to smoke but instead are promoting drinking and sex. The answer to this criticism was the reason they put on the advertisements of bars and nightclub scenes is because young smokers are drawn to that lifestyle. (Kanigher, 2010) The sexual health campaign is in place to inform people to have safe sex to prevent sexual transmitted diseases (STIs) and unwanted pregnancies. A lot of campaigns are now in place to inform mainly teenagers the importance of safe sex. The campaign aims to create a culture change where stakeholders and consumers are equipped and have the confidence in engaging in conversations about sexual health and relationships. (Everett, 2009) They have stated that they were behind in their target which was to halve the under 18 conception rate by 2010 and also another aim which they need to do is to lower the rates of abortion and repeat abortion as they remain high in people under the age of 25. (Everett, 2009) There are three marketing objectives that the campaign has the first is prevention-building attitudes, knowledge and skills that make safe sex more likely. The second is protection-which encourages protective behaviours that make sex safer and intervention-intensive support for those who are most at risk. Within these three marketing objectives there are six strands of activities which are for prevention-knowledge and education and communication and negotiation skills. For protection-there will be contraceptive choice, carrying condoms or access to condoms. For intervention-there will be integrated education and service delivery. (Waters, 2009) The campaign gets their information across by using the television, radio and the press. They use stories from media to support the campaign and fuel discussions. By doing this they persuade people to find out more information about their campaign through their website which is hosted by the NHS Choices which have details of the services available and how to get in contact with the service providers. (Hadley, 2009) Statistics have shown that teenage pregnancy rates have fallen, according to data collected from the Office of National Statistics there was a fall of 3.9% of pregnancy rates of girls under the age of 18 in 2008 while pregnancy rate for under sixteen year olds fell 7.6%. However, this is far short of the government aim to have it halved. (Bawden, 2010) Victoria Sheard, who is deputy head of police at Terrence Higgins trust, stated that there is a need for young people to be given more information to protect themselves. She also stated that it is not easy for the teenagers to get hold of information and support that they need from schools. (Bawden, 2010) It has been stated that the pregnancy rates will rise unless the government takes renewed action. The Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group (TPIAG) has warned that the budget cuts and the changes in the NHS are going to threaten the current downward trend in teenage pregnancy. The under-18 conception rate has been at the lowest for over twenty years, on the other hand experts have said that the target to halve the teenage pregnancy rate will be missed. (BBC, 2010) The TPIAG is calling on the current government to invest in contraception, sex and relationship education, they have stated that the pregnancy rates will rise again unless there is sustained commitment and investment in contraceptive services, along with better sex education. The local authorities and primary care trusts will be facing bigger bills if the contraceptive services are reduced. (BBC, 2010) In November 2009 a national campaign called sex worth talking about was launched by the Department of Health who had the aim to help young people to become better informed about their sexual health, how to avoid unwanted pregnancies and access treatment for STIs. The first phase of the campaign was focused on contraception and the choices available. The second phase was launched in 2010 which shifted the focus onto Chlamydia with the warning that this has no symptoms and can be passed on without people knowing. Then the third stage which was also launched in 2010 moved the focus back onto contraception again. (Politics, 2011) The factors that are behind the poor sexual health of Britain have been debated and there is no single suggestion. Many have complained that the culture and the increase of sex education promote promiscuity which makes it certain that people will transmit STIs or unwanted pregnancies. (Politics, 2011) Others have put forward that the current education policies are not successful in adequately equipping young people to promote their own sexual health and others argue that Britain need to have an open attitude towards sex to encourage safe sexual behaviour. A lack of resources for sexual health services have been blamed for the rates of infection. (Politics, 2011) The Department of Health does admit that the sexual health services do need to be more modernised and they have set themselves targets to cut the rate of unwanted pregnancies and reduce the spread of STIs however, they also state that they have had achievement in lowering the rate of pregnancies. (Politics, 2011) The British Medical Association (BMA) warned of a sexual health crisis in Britain and called on the government to reduce rates of STIs. The BMA warned that clinics will not be able to cope with the rising rates of STIs without the government support. (Politics, 2011) The three campaigns above are linked by the personal responsibility agenda that is now being put forward by the government. The personal responsibility agenda puts forward that there is the need for people to take charge of changing their own behaviour instead of relying on the interventions that are in place. It has been stated that it will be difficult in shifting the focus this way. However, it is what is needed as it could change behaviour. (BBC, a, 2010) A lot of people have supported this idea by stating that the interventions that were put forward did not work but actually made health inequalities worse. But for this agenda to work there has to be support from the coalition government. (BBC (a) 2010). There have been criticisms of the personal health responsibility agenda, some of which are that the agenda blames the victim, because they ignore the social context in which the individual makes their decisions and health related actions take place. This is more problematic with the poor as it is said that poverty is the main risk factor for illnesses. (Minkler, 2009) Another criticism is that the personal health responsibility agenda is that the government will move the blame from themselves to the individual. The basis of this criticism is that the conservative government have used the personal responsibility agenda to justify the cutbacks needed in health social programmes. (Minkler, 2009) Looking at the criticisms and the strengths of the agenda it has to be put forward that after all the years spent on interventions and other campaigns supporting people to change behaviour will the personal responsibility agenda work? Will people change their behaviour after living in unhealthy lifestyles for so many years? The three campaigns that have been mentioned in the portfolio have given an overview of what the campaign does and the strengths and weaknesses. Overall with the campaigns it has been found that the campaigns have got their strengths but also have a lot of criticisms that they have top work on to improve which they have been doing to prove that they do work. Each campaign has in its own way given information on the health risks and what can prevent them. All three of the campaigns are linked by the personal responsibility agenda which states that the people have to take responsibility for their own health, this has its own strengths and weakness with one of the main criticisms being that the government do not want to take the blame if this does not work instead the blame will be going to the individual who did not take responsibility for their own health. Overall the portfolio went over what the campaigns promote, what they have achieved, their criticisms and what they are aiming for in the future. The campaigns overall do give out a positive message to the public but now need to improve on how they are going to lower the rates of the health risks mainly in those who are living in poverty.

Freedom of Expression on the Internet Essay -- Freedom of Speech

I.Introduction This paper addresses whether we should censor or block access to websites with controversial material. It looks at the issue from several sides: The relevant US laws that are in place, how censorship is used at the university and corporate levels, how other countries are attempting censorship, and finally what I feel about the topic. Given all that I have read in preparing this paper, I have come to the conclusion that without a set of globally-accepted rules, we should not be censoring the Internet except where these rules are being broken. We could perhaps get agreement for those things that are obviously illegal and unethical (child pornography), but what about other areas such as gambling (is it legal but unethical or visa versa?). There would be very few rules we could agree upon if 100% global agreement is a requirement, and I believe it is. II. America's View A. The Laws The United States government has enacted (or attempted to enact) several laws regarding freedom of speech and the internet. A short overview of these follows. 1.The First Amendment Given how short the First Amendment is, it has caused a surprising amount of controversy and an untold number of new laws and regulations. The text simply states â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.†[i] The First Amendment has been enforced at different levels depending on the type of media itself. Television and radio are both broadcast media and are under strict government regulation as to cont... ...8520&key2=7604425701&coll=portal&dl=ACM&CFID=16081397&CFTOKEN=88949163 [xxxi] Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts, Working Together Towards a Responsible and Vibrant Society, 2003, 08 Feb 2004, http://www.mita.gov.sg/pressroom/press_030908.pdf [xxxii] Amnesty International, People's Republic of China Controls tighten as Internet activism grows, 28 January 2004, 08 Feb 2004, http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA170012004 [xxxiii] Julie Hilden, The First Amendment and the Internet, Why Traditional Legal Doctrines Apply Differently In Cyberspace 2002, 24 Jan 2004, http://writ.findlaw.com/hilden/20020416.html [xxxiv] Tina Inzerilla, â€Å"Re: hello there†, email to the author, Feb 2004 [xxxv] Jennifer Rast, The UN Plan to Take Over the Internet, Contender Ministries, 10 Jan 2004, 11 Feb 2004, http://www.contenderministries.org/UN/wsis.php

Genetically Modified Food and Monsanto Essay

Monsanto is a multinational world leader in the production of the herbicide glyphosate and in the manipulation of genetically modified (GM) seeds. They were a chemical company, which shifted into the new life science area developing numerous patents related to genetic techniques and GM seeds variety. The company entered in the agrobiochemical industry, which is in its growth life cycle based on continuous product improvements and replacement by superior traits. The industry is focused on chemical products used in agriculture and genetically modified crops. There are rivals in the agrobiochemical industry and during the early 2000s; government regulation, public and medical concern about the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods affected its sales and profits. Analysis of the external environment: Economic segment The lack of food experienced by countries and the consequent increase of their costs given the opportunity to private and public companies to invest in appropriate researches in biotechnology to mitigate food security problems and improve food quality. Mergers and acquisitions among agrobiochemical multinationals have been developed in order to improve technologies and promote researches. Global segment The globalization of market provided opportunities for private industry to expand their sales in other countries. The major market for agrobiochemical products is USA and Europe. Developing countries such as Brazil, and India have started to increase their production acreage and to invest in biotechnological products. Political/legal segment Intellectual properties and patents laws are important issues in the agrobiochemical industry; they consent to control all products and process. Many of the agrochemical products and genetically modified foods are influenced by policy environment and government regulations, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union (EU). These limitations could provide a market opportunity for more advanced or higher value replacement products. Socio-cultural segment Strong negative perception of consumer about safety of GM foods threatens the new technologies applied in agrochemical industries especially in Europe and USA. However there is a lack of appropriate research and tests on it. Demographic segment High technically specialized farmers and farming communities producing cotton, soybean and canola. Technological segment Private companies more than public companies developed new complex technologies in the area of genetic. These affected highly the traditional methods of farmers work. For firms with good innovation capabilities this represents an opportunity to target different niche market. Conclusion New developing countries such as Brazil and India offer big opportunity for the industry. The research and development of new biotechnologies applied to the agriculture created many new lucrative possibilities to enterprises however, a negative consumer perception on GM foods, started to threat the industry profits. Analysis of Industry Environment In the agrobiochemical industry, research and development are the main capabilities that produce a competitive advantage. This advantage is difficult to understand and to imitate. Patent laws and intellectual property enable also firms to maintain and extend their leadership. Barriers to entry for new competitors New entrants that want to compete on the fertilizers and GM crops market must have strong financial resources to invest in order to face companies such as Monsanto. New competitors require intellectual property right and patent licenses to market their product. They can choose to obtain them through leader companies, although these are very selective and often base their decisions on economies of scale. Biotechnological products also need governmental approval to enter the market. Generally in the agrobiochemical industry there are low switching costs among products however leaders such as Monsanto tent to â€Å"lock in† their customers with licensing fees and agreements. There are high entry barriers and this constitutes a low threat for the existing companies in the industry Bargaining power of suppliers In the industry the supplier’s goods are critical to buyer marketplace success. There are few major suppliers. Some of them, including Monsanto, have vertically integrated companies for the production of seed and for supply raw materials. It increased their power market. The fact that there are few major suppliers permits them to have a high bargaining power. It constitute a high threat Bargaining power of buyers Highly specialized farmers are the predominant buyers in this industry. They have a greater amount of information about the manufacturer’s products and costs through the Internet. They have a high bargaining power especially in the pesticide sector where switching costs are low. They constitute a high threat. One-reason farmers decrease their power, though, is often the agreements signed with the companies that supplies their products. Threat of substitute products Due the high costs of technology, patents and government regulations there are no competitive substitute in the market. The only substitutes are the traditional pesticides and crops, which are still on the market with a percentage of 53%. They could constitute a high threat if patent and intellectual properties are banned. Rivalry among existing competitors Government regulation and patents laws have a major role in this market. The high cost involved with research and development increased the rivalry among competitors for market share. High exit barriers also increase rivalry. An exiting barrier experienced by the firms is the high fixed cost of technology agreements. The degree of vertical integration in which the firm is involved consists a barrier as well. Conclusion: In the agrobiochemical industry buyers and suppliers have high bargaining power and there are no good products substitutes. The industry is unattractive particularly because patents laws and government requirements increased the monopolies of few companies and the rivalry for market share. The industry also requires high financial resources. Competitor analysis The main competitors in the industry are Monsanto, DuPont, Novartis and American Home Products. Monsanto is the leader in biotechnology on the marketplace. Due their intellectual properties and R&D capabilities Monsanto had the opportunity to gain market share and power. The benefit of being a first mover permitted them to gain the loyalty of the customer. Monsanto’s strategic action often undertaken to maintain competitive advantage is decrease costs of the products due their high margin profits. DuPont is a large company that produces a Monsanto’s product imitation. They however depends on Monsanto’s licenses to access traits. Novartis is pointed out as one of the potential rival of Monsanto and DuPont. It is a company with but has the highest capital-spending budget for research in biotechnology. Due their financial resources Novartis are more likely to launch competitive action when Monsanto’s license will expire. AHP introduced an alternative to Monsanto main product. Strongly focused on market research they posed a significant threat to Monsanto. They invested in marketing survey and developed a quality product that better satisfy the needs of the consumers. Conclusion: In the agrochemical industry the competitive rivalry among the firms is strong due the high cost involved in R&D and the slow growth of the market caused by licenses and intellectual properties. Monsanto supports its first mover position in the marked licensing patents to others firms. However companies such as AHP started to threaten them through competitive actions. Internal analysis of Monsanto Resources: Tangible Intangible Financial resources: Monsanto has the ability to generate internal funds:  ·They generate high profits especially from Roundup’s sales and GM crops.  ·Investment and acquisitions  ·Compliance activities Human Resources:  ·Managerial capacity especially in developing consolidation strategies ·Long term vision ·Communication skill across all level of the organisation in order to retain talent and maximize human synergies. Physical resources:  ·Monsanto create extensive backward integration to access easily to raw materials  ·Plant and equipments for bioengineering researchesInnovation Resources: ·High scientific capabilities  ·Ability to innovate Technological resources:  ·They signed license patent agreements with competitors and customers.  ·Patents and trademarks ·Training system Reputational Resources: ·Good national and international reputation with customers ·Brand name linked to R&D ·Marketing  ·Long-term relation with suppliers.  ·Good relation with governmental entities such as FDA ·Goodwill Organisational resources: ·Distribution channels To create a sustainable competitive advantage Monsanto must focus on their capability and explore those which are rare, valuable, costly to imitate and non substitutable. Valuable capabilities ·Capability to strengthen long-term relation with suppliers and customers ·Capability to develop new technologies in bio-engineering and plant genetic  ·Ability to protect their intellectual property ·Distribution channel and service activities Rare to imitate ·Capacity to create human synergies especially after acquisition and merger strategies ·Capability to develop new technologies ·Ability to protect their intellectual property Costly to imitate  ·Capability to strengthen long-term relation with suppliers and customers ·Capability to develop new technologies ·Ability to protect their intellectual property ·Distribution channel and service activities No substitutable ·Capability to strengthen long-term relation with suppliers and customers ·Capability to develop new technologies ·Ability to protect their intellectual property ·Distribution channel and service activities Conclusion: The ability of Monsanto to innovate due their st rong research and development program and the ability to protect their intellectual property gave them a competitive advantage on the market. Research and Development (R&D) and intellectual properties are core competencies that are impossible to imitate in short and medium term. They are rare, because Monsanto possess them, and valuable. Based on an analysis of the value chain however it is possible to underline that Monsanto has effective marketing and service activities, which permit to maintain a strong connection with the customers. These capabilities, if better explored could become a core competence in the future. SWOT Analysis StrengthWeakness  ·Capability to produce high competitive products ·Strong Research and Development base and quality Human Resources ·Good customer services ·Agreements  ·Economies of scale due to acquisitions  ·Intellectual Proprieties ·Patents ·Strong presence in international market and recognition as market leader ·Good network with universities and laboratories ·Alliance and join ventures ·Missing links between communication and research  ·Lack of market research ·Lack of flexibility due at vertical integration  ·Dependence on government regulation and patents laws Opportunity Threat  ·Expanding to new geographic areas such as India and Brazil ·Vertical integrations ·Merge or Acquisition of rivals ·Opening to explore new technologies due on their well developed R&D  ·Patents expiration ·New products on the markets  ·Adverse public opinion on GM foods ·Shifts in buyer needs for products  ·Costly new governmental regulations ·Difficulty in achieving synergies Strategies Business Level strategy: present and future In order to gain competitive advantage and above average return Monsanto focused on differentiation strategy targeting a group of highly skilled and technologically well-developed farmers. Monsanto offers to their customers, quality, training and a trusted system of distribution. This strong marketing ability, the service and the high quality of the product are the key for differentiation. However, Monsanto’s focus on R&D caused them to miss out on market research narrowing the customer perception of product’s value. It created an opportunity for competitors. They should reorganize their firm infrastructure activities and create value developing an information system to better understand customer’s purchasing preferences. They could outsource agencies to implement marketing surveys and focus more closely on customer’s needs. In the future Monsanto could apply their research to breed animals and explore new industry segments. Corporate level strategy: present and future In order to gain market power and develop economies of scope, Monsanto, used a related constrained diversification strategy. They create value and synergies through operational relatedness, sharing both primary and support activities of the value chain. It is underlined by backwards and forwards vertical integration that they use. Due patent expiration, vertical integration, however in the future, can constitute a threat because decrease their flexibility especially in reducing prices. In the future in order to support the expensive costs of R&D and explore new industry segments, Monsanto could merge with Novartis. They could create value through corporate relatedness using a related linked diversification strategy. It can produce private synergies by sharing resources and capabilities. Based on high financial resources of Novartis and Monsanto R&D they could bring improved products to market faster. New researches on GM food could be developed also to improve the negative perception of the customers. International strategy and Cooperative strategy: present and future Based on their strong basis in biotechnologies Monsanto strengthen relations with governments of new developing countries such as Brazil and India, where there are basic resources but lack biotechnological research. Monsanto’s scope is to extent their leadership and the product life cycle in order to recoup heavy investments in R&D. Monsanto also to consolidate costs and rationalize industry capacity engaged in mergers and acquisition with other companies such as Cargill Seeds Business, which reduced their costs and their time to entry in international market. Based on the slow cycle of the market, due the high costs involved, Monsanto could engage in strategic alliance or franchises in new developing countries markets in order to hold down labor costs and compete more effectively in the global market. It permit them to share costs, resources, and risk and overcome problem of integration. Conclusion The biotechnological products developed by Monsanto have future until they can produce an above-average return and gain economies of scale. Based on their ability to innovate Monsanto have the capacity to explore new markets and new geographical areas however, high R&D costs, negative consumer perception and patents expiration are stated to threaten their leadership position on the market. To recover investments, they should focus more on consumer products demand and engage in strategic alliance that permits to increase the product life cycle and absorb the high costs of R&D. References Hanson D. , Dowling P. J. , Hitt M. A. , Ireland R. D and Hoskisson R. E (2008). Strategic Management. Competitiveness & Globalization. South-Western College