Death of Marat Essay

I love the story of a conversation that took place at an English country house during a dinner party, where the host had just started up the discussion of death and asked the various guests what will happen to them after they die. Some thought about reincarnation and others though about different plains of being, and others thought that they were going to be annihilated. All of the guests had answered the question except for sir Roderick, who was a military type, a very devout man to the church of England where he was also the church warden, chief of the vestry, in the local county of Parish. The lady said â€Å"sir Roderick you haven’t said a word, what do you think is going to happen to you when you die? † oh he said â€Å"I am certain that I will go to heaven and enjoy everlasting bliss, but I wish you wouldn’t indulge I such a depressing conversation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  The polarity of death; It is talked about with such anguish and fright yet portrayed through art as something that represents relief or enlightenment that all together are emotionally wrenching idea’s that have been both subject for artists and served as an incentive for artistic production throughout history, perhaps as much as, perhaps more than, any other subject since artists have dealt with death, dying, the threat of death, escape from death, thoughts of death, and preparation for death through the centuries. For me, death in neo-classicism was the obvious choice because it so strongly reflects the change that was going through Europe at the time, where plagues, revolution and war scattered the common wasteland. Through the age of enlightenment death began to play a different role amongst artists and scientists where the interest in mortality and old age, the decayed body and the anatomical structure layered in lifelessness took new forms. With death came the peeling back of layers, skin, muscles, organs – embalming and mummification, posing the question on whether there is an immaterial soul or whether the body is only a complicated organ capable of immense things. This is something I felt is strongly expressed in the painting that I have chosen. The Death of Marat, painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1793 is a story that relates to the French Revolution, in which a radical journalist, Marat, is murdered in his bath by Charlotte Corday, who believed that his death would end the violence throughout the country. It has been described by T. J. Clark as the first modernist painting, for â€Å"the way it took the stuff of politics as its material, and did not transmute it†(1). However I believe that the painting also allows a portrayal of a philosophical confrontation on the subject of death. Through this essay I will argue how the painting demonstrates the struggle between the polarizations of death through a neo-classicistic point of view. Analysis The painting Death of Marat depicts the death of a murdered radical journalist during the French revolution. Charlotte Corday, the murderer, was a Girondin(2) from a minor aristocratic family and a political enemy of Marat who blamed him for the September Massacre. She gained entrance to Marat’s rooms with a note promising details of a counter-revolutionary ring in Caen. Marat suffered from a skin condition that caused him to work from his bath. Corday stabbed Marat, who died. She did not attempt to flee, and was later trailed and executed. While the painting is done in a realistic style, it has elements of being idealized, so that Marat’s death is almost graceful. His head is resting peacefully on the edge of the tub, and despite being stabbed in the chest he is still holding a quill in his right hand with which he was writing a letter, which he still holds in his left hand. This along with the dramatic lighting and overall calmness of the scene betrays the actually brutality of the stabbing. In fact, it’s a very peaceful painting. You could almost be forgiven for not thinking him dead. The Death of Marat is designed to commemorate a personable hero. David intended to record more than just the horror of martyrdom. In this sense, for realistic as it is in its details, the painting, as a whole, from its start, is a methodical construction focusing on the victim, a striking set up regarded today by several critics as an â€Å"awful beautiful lie. (3)† To fully understand this artwork there are essentially two aspects to consider: first the style used by David, i. e. Neo-classicism, and secondly the artist’s purpose, i. e. turning Marat into a hero of high moral virtues according to the classical tradition. Neoclassicism as the name says was essentially a rediscovery of classical art from the Greek and Roman time. This style prescribed rigorous contours, sculptured forms, and polished surfaces and was based on ideals of harmony and austerity. By applying such technique, death is glorified and allows further depth for the beholder, which makes the message of the decisive clash of life and death stronger. Marat is dying: his eyelids droop, his head weighs heavily on his shoulder, his right arm slides to the ground. His body, as painted by David, is that of a healthy man, still young. The scene inevitably calls to mind a rendering of the â€Å"Descent from the Cross. (4) The face is marked by suffering, but is also gentle and suffused by a growing peacefulness as the fangs of death loosen their grip. The significance of this is the inference that Marat sacrificed himself for the good of the people, just as Christ is said to have done. Other religious elements are also prominent, the halo like turban around Marat’s head, and the heavenly light shining upon Marat’s angelic face. The portrayal of Marat in this way contrasts with other accounts describing him. Marat up until the moments before his death was a violent man who totally supported the executions of all those who opposed the government. Marat was once known to have said, â€Å"In order to ensure public tranquility 200,000 heads must be cut off. †(5) It was David’s aim to â€Å"construct images of a secular saint. † David believed that Art must have a social mission (appeal to the beholder’s moral sense instead of merely giving him pleasure). â€Å"Art must contribute forcefully to the education of the public. † However in a time when violence was so prevalent â€Å"actuality† was replaced by inaccurate images resulting in historical misrepresentations. This was partly due to the fear people experienced, due to sympathies people held. David supported the Jacobins and so this representation is biased, giving only the Jacobins perspective, not at all representing the views of Corday or the Girondins who particularly hated Marat. All reflections in history are biased documents, but that’s another discussion. My interest with the Death of Marat lies within two philosophical notions, dualism and physicalism, Most religious views have a belief in the afterlife and the continuation of living in some other form after life has been completed. For Christians death leads to heaven, or hell to nonbelievers. For Buddhists death restarts the life cycle in reincarnation, the person becoming another living entity in another shape. Death in this piece of art has the power to confront the viewer with their own mortality, their own livingness, in ways that surpass normal emotions. In most modern countries, death is something that is hidden away from people, separated into cemeteries and funerals. Most would agree that death is an inherently bad thing, that living surpasses death in possible everyway. Death in culture has such wide ranging importance between nations and societies that one simple analysis does little justify the range of connotations. Conclusion The theme of death in art has been around for centuries. Death and the last living hours are present in the passion of the Christ, a subject matter that has been present strongly through art’s history. The dramatic use of neo-classicistic art techniques allowed David to capture not just a painting but also a symbolic gesture that death represents. By taking the fundamental pillars of neoclassicism and romanticizing them he was able to gain entrance to a certain presence. If there’s ever a picture that would make you want to die for a cause, it is †¦ Death of Marat. But that’s to separate it from the appalling moment of its creation, the French Revolution. For David, Marat wasn’t a monster, he was a saint. This was martyrdom, and part of David’s manifesto of the revolutionary virtue. When analyzing representations from the past we must recognize motivating factors behind representations. Subsequently we must question representations of the past, such as Davids â€Å"The Death of Marat† and the validity of opposing views. However death is far from being a radically new idea, it contains a wide range of philosophical concepts, depending and varying on cultural differences. The belief that human beings survive death in some form has profoundly influenced the thoughts, emotions, arts, scripts and actions of mankind. The belief occurs in all religions, past and present, and decisively condition the evaluations of man and his place in the universe.

How do leaders develop

How do leaders develop? Given the large amount of different facets leaders posses in order to perform effectively in their respective domains, it is hard to specifically define leadership- however, it can be merely presented as an influencing process between a leader and the people who follow. Furthermore, leadership development is essential in carrying an individual through from the stages of emergence all the way to leadership effectiveness, and was defined by Day (2012) as â€Å"the expansion of an individual's capacity to be effective in leadership roles and processes†.According to Contracts (2010) and Murphy (201 1), there are major developmental stages in leadership; starting in early childhood, those years playing a major role in the upbringing of future self-regulation and leadership identity. Studies by Viola and Possessing (2011) have also demonstrated that many skills acquired at a young age during â€Å"sensitive periods†, when learning has proven to be easi er and happens faster, often have an impact on leadership development in later stages; therefore an adequate early environment may reveal itself as helpful in developing future effective leaders.Furthermore, research from Arrive et al (2006) argues that many leader personality traits are partly genetically inherited, and that parents contribute to many characteristics shown in their children; which helps demonstrate that there are a considerable amount of factors in leadership development that are, at least for the early years, beyond the control of the individual concerned and will most likely have consequences (positive or negative) on leadership development in the person's future years.However, initiative is arguably the main driver for self-regulation and a moon trait in leaders, according to Larson (2000). In addition, Caldwell (2008) states in his findings that practice is the main method for obtaining desired leadership skills, leading us to think that anyone with enough init iative and the right set of goals could potentially become an effective leader. Considering the impact of an individual's environment on their personal traits and attributes, most noticeably from the early years, how much control do we really have over our leadership development?Based on a research conducted by Arrive et al (2006), at least 30% of personality heartsickness in relation to transformational leadership is attributed through genetics; which is an indication that genes play a large role in determining leadership attributes in individuals, whether it is leader emergence or leader effectiveness. However, 70% of leadership traits stem from other sources; it is therefore important to analyses all the other factors influencing the development of the individual's leadership skills.Acting as the main role-models, parents are a vital influence in their children's developments and play a major role in their relation to adhering: â€Å"Parents contribute to their children's religi ous beliefs, intellectual and occupational interests, feelings of self-esteem or inadequacy, adherence to traditional or modern notions of masculinity and femininity, helpfulness to others, skills, and values† (Wade & Atavist,2008) A research conducted by Contracts (2010) concluded that there are four different types of parenting styles; these are: authoritative, neglectful, authoritarian and indulgent.Each one of the four is argued to have varying effects on children's leadership development. It is believed that authoritative parents are the most likely to raise children to be effective leaders, by educating them with strict discipline and monitoring; but also supportive and encouraging of them to think and act independently as they become more mature (Murphy, 2011).On the other hand, according to Banding (1991) authoritarian parents tend to exert control and punishment based on firm rules; which is a parenting method that is not usually prone to leadership skill development in children, generally resulting in teenagers with a lack of social and communication skills.Furthermore, neglectful parents are absent or play very minor roles in their children's lives; as a result they tend to raise teenagers with poor social skills and low self control. However, indulgent parents, who will be present without ever enforcing many household rules, tend to raise children with generally higher creativity levels; but will also lead to lower social skills and self-control due to a lack of firmness in regards to their education from their parents.Another phenomenon instigated by parenting, which can be observed from infancy and acts as an indicator for future adhering outcomes, is the attachment or bond that infants have with their guardians; Insinuators et al (1978) determined three different types of attachments a child can have: Secure, avoiding and ambivalent- these will influence the individual's future social behavior.According to Insinuators et all's findings, in dividuals who benefited from secure attachment to their guardians in their formative years are generally more socially adaptable as adults and have the confidence resources to take on leadership roles; whereas individuals who suffered from insecure attachments (avoiding or ambivalent) tend to comparatively lack social confidence due to the absence of a sense of security from a guardian as a child and, in contrast, will not seek out leadership.This goes to show that parents have a considerable impact on the outcome of their children, which ultimately will affect them in regards to their leadership development, abilities and capabilities. It is quite obvious that early influences and genetics have an impact on leadership development in adulthood, those early years being a delicate, sensitive and an important period of development.However, as long as individuals keep on learning new skills and behaviors, development will continue (Bernstein, 1989). An individual's background, environme nt and early upbringing are not the only factors in successful effective leadership development; although those elements are strong enablers, with many demonstrated correlations, they are not everything needed to be a leader .Caldwell (2008) underlined the crucial importance of training and practice through his analysis of notable leaders such as Bill Gates or the Beetles, and included that it requires 10 000 hours of work to become an expert in any field; and this can be achieved by anyone with the initiative to do so. Although practice may yield more results in skill development and mastery if performed at a young age during the â€Å"sensitive period† of learning, it does not however mean that it will instigate zero form of leadership development if practicing occurs later in lifetime (Viola and Possessing 2011).Another important concept explained through a model developed by Lord and Hall (2005), which encompasses the development of leadership identity and self- exultatio n in relevance with the lifespan approach to leader development, is that our notion of leadership evolves through time; for example the way leadership is demonstrated and perceived as a child in primary school will be completely different to the way in which it is viewed by adults with different motifs and sets of personal goals.Leadership identity plays a vital part in leadership development, acting in correlation with self regulation; as individual goals and motivations progress through time, we tend to re-develop new updated leadership identities and adapt our goal researchers accordingly, in order to eventually achieve effectiveness and have control over our own leadership development. Previous findings demonstrate a clear correlation between early influences and leadership development.Furthermore, the presence of a sensitive period in regards to learning and developing core characteristics found in early years of childhood is an indicator of the limited amount of control we hav e over our own leadership development, given that most main decisions regarding young children's upbringing and social environments are made by the parents, and ultimately become defining eaters for the individuals.This emphasizes the fact that individuals placed in a favorable environment for developing leadership skills, self-efficacy and regulation at a young age have a considerable advantage over those that aren't, and consequently greater chances of becoming leaders in the long-run; this can be used as an encouragement for parents and schools to focus on those crucial character- building and defining years in order to enable individuals with the best opportunities for effective leadership from early on.It is still however possible for individuals to hang their leadership development trajectory and develop a different leadership identity at any given time after reaching maturity, if they posses the urge to become an effective leader or differ from a current leadership position; it is only their original circumstances as a young child which they have no control over, which is a major part of leadership development.

Individual Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual - Assignment Example The company cannot achieve its mission with engaging adequately strategies to ensure development and maintenance of superior quality products and services, maintaining affordable prices for the products, ensuring consumer have adequate knowledge about the products, strategies to outcompete the rivals, etc. (Steers et al., 34). Improving the productivity of workers can help the company to reduce the cost of production, increase quality of products and improve productivity of the company (Schreck 24). I recommend Starbucks to focus on streamlining the workforce in order to ensure the competent workforce. Furthermore, the company should motivate employees by giving them better remunerations and other benefits in order to reduce workers turnover and cost of replacing the employees who have already left the organization. Well-motivated employees are more productive and will take more time to improve the quality of services and products offered by the organization (Wetherly & Otter 253). One of the core objectives of Starbucks is to produce quality products and services to the consumers (Ahlstrom & Bruton 9). The company should obtain feedback from the customers regarding what users need in order to devise strategies that can lead to better products and services. In the recent, the company has increased its presence in the society through social media (Bicky & Kwok 201). Therefore, the Starbuck management should ensure consider the consumers information and engage them in providing accurate information that can increase product improvement. The company should research on various product designs needed by consumers through effective communication and ensure they offer innovative products to the customers in order to provide increase client’s satisfaction (Wetherly & Otter 267). Starbucks experience stiff competition from other companies

Tesla Motors Combate Air Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tesla Motors Combate Air Pollution - Essay Example The big question is, will Tesla motors and their electric cars save the world? Since an emission free engine was required, electricity was the appropriate fuel to be used in the car (Simioni, 2012). Many companies have in the past only managed to get hybrid engines of electricity and organic fuel. However, this does not solve the emission issue as organic fuels are still involved. However, based on Harvard Business School (2008) Tesla motors have found the solution by producing a fully electric engine for vehicles. Their engines only use motors that re driven by magnetic fields generated by electric coils thus driving the car, and in the end an emission free engine is achieved. One only needs to plug the car into a normal electrical socket and the vehicle will get charged. Jupp & Sapsford, (2011) have it that in order to fully discuss this issue, it is pertinent that appropriate data collection through qualitative method be done. This is the best choice for the expected data should be in figures and pictures. In the analysis of the data. The content analysis method will be employed, so that the full picture of the adverse effects of air pollution be captured and how electric vehicles from Tesla motors will help do away with air

4580 MKTG PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

4580 MKTG - PowerPoint Presentation Example This of paramount importance of any logistic support undertaking wishing to be successful. Flexibility. Concerns the continuous efforts of adjusting logistic support to changing conditions in the environment that is changing missions, developing concepts of operations, and the dynamic conditions that characterize naval operations. Economy. This is the utilization of logistic support assets both efficiently and effectively due to their availability limitations and cost. This principle ensures that logistical support is available at the most optimal time and place. It is important to understand that if principle of economy fails then flexibility fails to. Sustainability.. This is availing logistic support for the entire duration of an operation which requires effective planning based on flexibility, economy and responsiveness. This is the greatest challenge in logistics. Supply Function: This is mandated to receive, store, issue, and resupply materials for conducting naval operations. It generally equips and sustains naval in service forces from pre-deployment during combat operations and consequent redeployment. Transportation Function. Involves movement of units, personnel, equipment, and supplies from the point of origin to the final destination –operation sites etc. It also involves offload, medical evacuation, operational control of the ports, and management of the throughput Other Services meant to provide administrative and workforce support to maintain combatant forces completely equipped in naval logistics include Administration, Billeting, Disbursing, Exchange Services, Food Services and Legal Services amongst others. Acquisition. Is the process which provides new or improved logistic support over the long-term, through proper planning, programming, and budgeting and involves purchase of weapons and support systems, end items, commodities, facilities, and weapons. It ensures operational

In line with China's economic reform, the Chinese judiciary has Essay

In line with China's economic reform, the Chinese judiciary has undergone formalization and institutionalization. What are the - Essay Example It is necessary to mention that China has experienced numerous transformations during the past two decades. An important trigger of judicial system transformation was the upheaval of China’s economics. China’s reform in the judiciary system is triggered by two main factors. The first factor is protecting China’s nation and proving to Chinese people that they are in safety; thus a social stability is guaranteed. The second factor is a market economy would experience a better development under the influence of a credible legal system. Therefore there is a strong background of judiciary system development in China. Nevertheless there are advantages and disadvantages that occurred in the result of the reform introduction. An intention of China to hold a world’s leading position enabled its people to have more contacts with the international society. As a result, a social dislocation instead of a reserved social system occurred in China (Chow, 2009). The matter of human rights is often neglected in different countries because of imperfection of a judiciary system. ... A brief overview of China's Judicial System In historical context, Chinese judicial system has experienced four main periods of changes. During the period of the Communist Party governing (1949 -1956) the main goal was to create a â€Å"socialist legal system† (Kamis, 1997). Further on, in 1954, â€Å"the Organic Law of the People's Courts of the People's Republic of China† was introduced in China. After this period, the people’s courts consisted from: â€Å"the Supreme People's Court, the higher people's courts, the intermediate people's courts, and the basic people's courts† (China’s Judicial Reform, 2001). During the next 10 years (1956 -1966) the legal system in China couldn’t develop properly due to the activities of representatives of the 'Anti-Rightist Movement' and the like organizations. The next decade (1966 – 1976) was marked by a Cultural Revolution in China and has essentially broken under the influence of the revolutionar y processes. Starting from 1979 China has experienced a rapid growth of marketing sector because of high-speed economic development. There was a gradual development of a judiciary system and different people courts were established in China. Therefore, it is clearly seen that judiciary system of China has no options for self-perfection because of historical processes in this country. Therefore there is an urgent need in the reform of judiciary system in order to ‘smooth the sharp corners’. People's courts were wide-spread at different levels and gave hearings to criminal and civil cases. The SPC and the courts of the higher level deal with various cases (both criminal and civil ones). The main role of SPC is to supervise the compliance with the

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Business law - Essay Example In well known case Donogue VS Stevenson * the Court decided that the manufacturer is liable for the act done because everybody owes a duty of reasonable care to their neighbour.In this case Mrs. Donogue made a valid claim that her continuous illness is due to the consumption of drink in which the decomposed snail was found and it was due to the negligence of manufacturer Mr. Stevenson. Now let’s discuss how the above said principles are applicable to the given cases and also we‘ll advise the parties to the case that how can they resort to these principles to get the benefit of the Law. Since the maintaining the activities of the park in a proper manner are the first and foremost duty of the local council as the maintainer of the park, it owes some duty towards others. The local council must take reasonable standard of care regarding the activities of the park so that it should not cause any harm to the passersby. In the famous case Boulton VS Stone** it was held that defendant should take reasonable care to avoid injuries. here also. The gardner had to take reasonable care in arranging the flower pot in the right side of the path so that harm to the others should be avoided .Here it is obvious that the gardner has done the breach of duty by arranging the pots in the wrong side, hence Mrs.Marple can file a case against the gardner as defendant and entitled to get compensation from him for the injury caused to her. It is apparent from above discussions that Mrs. Turtle can sue the Local council and the doctor as defendants and they are liable to pay off the damages. As said before the local council had to exercise due cares regarding the maintenance of those play amenities in the park as same way in the activities of the park. Mrs. Turtle can sue the doctor as there was a breach of duty on the part of doctor. If he attended Gemma in appropriate manner,

Written report on Macdonalds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Written report on Macdonalds - Essay Example From a strategic perspective, McDonald’s is currently perusing an aggressive sales based strategy in new and emergent markets such as China, India, Russia and parts of South America. While McDonald’s traditional markets such as the UK and US may be seen as saturated, the company has still managed to increase sales through organic growth with sales in 2010 increasing by 3.9% in the US and 4.4% in Europe compared to 6% figure seen in new and emergent markets for the company (McDonald’s, 2010). In generating continued growth over the past eight years, the annual report (McDonald’s, 2010) highlights the fact that a clear strategy has been set in the adaptation of a globalised marketing mix template to meet the needs of localised customer groups (Brassington and Pettit, 2006, Kottler et al, 2009). As such, for McDonald’s this results in a business model with limited complexity and the associated costs of complexity, yet the ability to benefit from a localised marketing strategy. In addition the business has in recent years developed a clear model of communication in which three key stakeholders are included so as to ensure success of the businesses strategy at the aggregate level. Here the annual report (McDonald’s, 2010) highlights franchisees, suppliers and employees as the key stakeholders of the business in carrying out the overall strategy of the business. A standard tool for analysing the key factors within the general level or macro environment is to use a PESTLE analysis (Jones and George, 2010, Johnson et al, 2008). The PESTLE analysis considers six key factors within the external macro level environment which may have an impact upon how a business later seeks to create a competitive advantage. Political factors in recent decades may be seen as aiding the McDonald’s business model for large international expansion. Key political reforms

Report on the Film “Black Cat, White Cat” by Emir Custurica Essay Example for Free

Report on the Film â€Å"Black Cat, White Cat† by Emir Custurica Essay have chosen to watch and report on the film â€Å"Black Cat, White Cat† by Emir Custurica for several reasons. Firstly, Custurica is a globally famous filmmaker, known in the US for his â€Å"Arizona Dream†. Secondly, Custurica does pay much attention to matters of culture in his films, so his works are very informative. Thirdly the characters of â€Å"Black Cat, White Cat† belong to different peoples and cultures, including Serbians, Gypsies and Bulgarians. So the film tells enough about cultural and cross-cultural communications. Produced in 1998, the film is a kind of romantic comedy telling a story of several young people in search of their love in the world of gangsters and smugglers. One of those smugglers named Matko Destanov owes money to a gangster named Dadan. Dadan is eager to find a husband for Afrodita – his midget sister and he proposes to settle the debt by marriage of Matko’s son Zare with his sister. However, Zare is in love with another girl named Ida, and Afrodita dreams o another man. After numerous funny and dangerous adventures all of the young people find their happiness, and Dadan finds himself in manure both in metaphorical and ordinary sense. The film is very ironic and easy to watch as a family comedy. As I have already noticed, the film tells much about cultural communications. Firstly these are family and friendship. The characters seem to be very family-oriented and â€Å"beautiful friendship† is one of the core motifs of the story. Young people dream of a family and stable relationships, older people desire to make their children happy as Zare’s grandfather and even such a savage man as Dadan wishes to do the will of his parents even though through violence. Personal relations are basic forces driving the characters in life, business and even crime. They rely upon help of their pals and relatives in virtually every action they take, thusly playing a tricky party game – each for own purposes but considering the will of the others. This can be illustrated by relations of Zare with his grandfather. Zare loves his grandfather and helps him to escape from hospital to return to his bacchanalian lifestyle, and the thankful grandfather gives all his money to Zare. Such approach to personal relations is full of traditionalism and is pretty different from the present situation in this country. Another cultural aspect, which might seem rather evil in this country is attitude of characters towards law. Throughout the film it may seem that there is no law and legal formalities at all. Customers are easily bribed, medical personnel is unable to control the patients, gangsters behave as actual rulers and an official solemnizing a marriages passively does everything what he is ordered to do, even knowing that marriage between Zare and Afrodita is forcible. However, the characters actually do not feel any discomfort from absence of formalities. Law is replaced by aforementioned personal relations, and perhaps they would feel unhappy from presence of legal obligations rather from absence of such obligations. There are many interesting minor cultural details in the film such as marriage customs, costumes, language features and other which, being combined together, create a fascinating impression of involvement in other culture. Films like â€Å"Black Cat, White Cat† cause spectators to become interested in strange lifestyles and habits forming an idea of global cultural diversity.

Journal Entry for Stephen Crane’s, An Episode of War Essay Example for Free

Journal Entry for Stephen Crane’s, An Episode of War Essay This short piece of American literature is a descriptive prose depicting a scene in the American Civil War. An unnamed lieutenant is wounded at his right arm while resting with the rest of his troops during an active battle. The story enables the readers to take part on the lieutenant’s perceptions on what is happening and how the battle was shaped and he is a participant or a victim of a battle unknown to him. The battle is fierce and tumultuous; it was able to take the innocent lives and anything on its way. All of this thinking happened while the lieutenant passed the line of the battle, while he was in search of the field hospital.  At the hospital, the wounded officer had a brief and unpleasant encounter with a surgeon who is rude and lied to him, saying that his arm will not be amputated. The story was able to envelop the soft and meek side of an army officer in a few lines of dialogue of having his right arm amputated. In the end, the lieutenant went along with the surgeon for a medical procedure but end up losing his arm. The army officer felt ashamed when he got home to his family and showing an empty sleeve. He was a victim of a war that could have been avoided and he will not have to lose his arm.

Below-the-Line Vs Viral Marketing

Below-the-Line Vs Viral Marketing Marketing has played a central role in business success for decades and is ultimately concerned with the creation and retention of customers who through the purchasing of products generate profits for companies. It has been suggested that the cost of attracting new customers is much higher than maintaining existing ones and thus firms seek to build up efficient and effective retention systems for customers using a marketing mix. While the below-the-line promotional model has established itself as a major component of marketing mixes due to the rapid development of new technologies and globalisation another marketing form, viral marketing, has gained broad attention, (Lanman, 2003). The reason for this attention is that companies have demonstrated their success with minimum marketing budgets in generating millions of profits in using this tool. The International Direct Marketing Network measured the use of different marketing techniques and it found that 84% of firms used some form of below the line marketing (North, 1995). In this way the response of distribution of products and information can be measured immediately. However both organisations and individuals have been subject to an unprecedented rate of change in the way they pursue and are involved in business and commercial opportunities in the 21st century making the case for an expanded role for viral marketing ever more compelling, (Kalakota, 1999). These characteristics include the internationalisation and globalisation of business and the resultant intense competition from these trends which has created new dynamics within marketing structures for all companies, (Chesher Kaura, 1999). One of the most important needs for businesses currently is the need to satisfy increasingly demanding customers who expect immediate responses to their requests both for goods and information. The role of viral marketing in meeting such a need has continued to increase with the expansion of use and users of the Internet. Graham (1999) argues that viral marketing refers to strategies that are absorbed by the people that interact with the messages and then pass them on. Therefore the term viral marketing is often linked with the Internet because it provides a wide range of free channels such as email, website and chatting rooms in which to deliver initial messages. Additionally marketing is not solely about material things but deals with brands, experiences and acts of communication which can be defined as branded, (Moore, 2003). The choice of appropriate marketing model then to a large extent is associated with clear understanding of consumers on the part of organisations. Yet consumer behaviour is complex thus each marketing model has its own advantages and disadvantages in influencing these behaviours. As a result an effective marketing mix should meet key customer requirements in order for the company to succeed in the marketplace and at the same time the usage of any marketing mix strategy will be constrained by the corporate resources and business structures which can be deployed to generate opportunities. Therefore this paper will critically compare viral with below the line marketing models and aim to assess the importance of matching marketing strategies with business structure and characteristics of product through an analysis of Forever Livings usage of viral marketing. Below-the-Line Vs Viral Marketing An important perspective in marketing philosophy is the distinction between efficiency and effectiveness, (Anonymous, 1989). Thus a comparative analysis of below-the-line marketing models and viral marketing ones can be conducted using these twin elements as frameworks. The essential difference between efficiency and effectiveness is that the former is concerned primarily with cost and the latter is customer focused in terms of retention and generation capacities. This framework also corresponds with an understanding based on the core feature of marketing which is to satisfy customer needs in a profitable way by matching services or products with preferences. While above and below-the-line promotion has established itself as a major technique in communicating with customers new challenges facing marketing managers have led to the development of new marketing techniques. Generally speaking above-the-line refers to the usage of all the main advertising media such as TV campaigns and magazine advertisements whereas below-the-line activities are more focused on translating attitudes into sales such as with in store advertisements. Here also public relations become a vital part in the communication process, (Wilmshurst, 1994).However Tauber (1974) argues that a customer orientated marketing strategy easily discourages innovation within organisations such as with the RD process. This is because companies prefer following customers tastes rather than creating new demands avoiding then any risks associated with novel and innovative product development. This can be seen as a negative influence on growth for the whole industry in the long term. Thus viral marketing is argued to be an innovation in marketing which has emerged since 1996 utilising email at first as a global marketing network, (Jurvetson, 2000). The concept of viral marketing is one which is based on word of mouth and its first uses were conceptualised in terms of it being web-based word of mouth marketing. Accompanying further technological development and globalisation viral marketing as such seeks to take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode single messages to thousands at low cost as well as other complex marketing goals at the mature stage. Viral marketing is a method which allows small businesses to grow quickly through the spreading of their marketing message like virus and avoid consequently major entry barriers to the market and exclusionary techniques of competitors, (Jurvetson, 2000). However because of the nature of the Internet Dibb, Simkin and Vancini (1996) point out that all forms of word of mouth to a large extent depend on intangible assets such as brand image, trust and public relations in order to be successful. In this sense a successful viral marketing strategy needs to take advantage of other resources to build up brand image and relationships with customers. In summation different marketing mixes rely on different characteristics of products and industries, organisational competition as well as internal resources including material resources, intangible assets and human resources. Therefore understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each model is vital in helping marketers, whatever their field of business, carry out effective marketing practices. Business Structure An effective implementation of a marketing strategy relies on getting organised for the work and the route a company chooses depends on a variety of factors. However the first step for any type of company is understanding consumer behaviour. This understanding allows a company to position their products or service effectively in relation to the preferences of its target customers. However any customers purchasing decision process is a complex one thus it is useful to bear in mind some key influences on these decisions. First of all the development of technology particularly the Internet has changed both buyers and companies behaviour in various ways. For example research has indicated that the scale of the e-commerce market will reach $7.3 trillion in 2004, from $145 billion in 1999 reflecting its growing importance as means of doing business, (Suh Han, 2003). As a result it is vital that companies exploit the Internet along with other marketing tools such as direct marketing or in store sales to achieve promotional goals while viral in order to create new opportunities for growth in the future. In addition to advertising below-the-line practices play an increasingly important role in communicating and building close relationships with customers. For example Smith and Taylor (2004) argue that each element of the marketing mix communicates so that some major advertising campaigns need to be supported by public relations activities and also at the same time be supported for example by launch leaflets. Combining these elements maximizes the effect of promotions and advertising campaigns for companies. Kitchen Proctor (1991) claim that public relations is a growth area for companies because it is an effective way to generate positive word of mouth for a companys products. A further consideration to take into account when firms make strategic decisions about marketing techniques is the cultural and social effects on consumer behaviour. Web based delivery though can be said to circumvent some of these problems by allowing for easy tailoring to specific contexts due to the absence of any necessity for physical places to conduct marketing operations. Marketing researchers encourage the use of an integrated marketing mix as it is believed to be able to create competitive advantages and boost sales and profits whilst saving time, money and avoids some of the stresses involved in implementing marketing plans, (Harrison, 1995; Smith Taylor, 2004). From this perspective both below-the-line and viral marketing models should utilise different communication tools in relation to customers and developing productive relationships with them. For this reason there are key benefits of an integrated marketing approach yet there are also obstacles due to limited resources in terms of financial, time and personnel factors. In this case inefficiency might occur due to internal competition or unbalanced rationing of resources addressed due to over emphasis on one marketing tool. It can be strongly argued that a web-based viral marketing approach could balance conflicts among different departments as well as with suppliers simply because it seeks t o take advantage of others resources in assisting with the delivery of the companys marketing message, (Wilson, 1999). In considering these two approaches to marketing this work utilises a 4P framework as an analytical guide to their respective strengths and weaknesses. Product It is obvious that no matter what kind of marketing model companies choose the ultimate goal is to sell a product (service) to customers at a competitive price. However the product purchasing decision involves choices regarding brand names, guarantees, packaging and services which accompany the product. Reports suggest that expenditure on below the line marketing in Europe has grown rapidly in recent years due to intense competition, (European Marketing Pocket Book, 2000). Hence one of the most important goals for advertising campaigns is effective positioning of products. Ogilvys (1983) adage is for a business to never sell to a stranger which means it is important to understand the target audience and their purchasing behaviour and also build long term relationships with them. Companies therefore choose different tools in order to segment customers and then position their products in order to sell the right thing to the right people. Below the line marketing strategies often exploit sales people to communicate with customers face to face. This allows an organisation to gain information about customers deeper feelings about products rather than the more impersonal information gathered by web-based questionnaires. Also when companies adopt a viral marketing strategy customers are not able to touch the product or in other words they see tangible assets only portrayed on web pages. This means then that trust plays a major role in delivering the product message to consumers. This is why viral marketing firms use a strategy of giving away free product samples to customers. This is in order to build up trust in the company and brand and then utilise these customers through word of mouth to spread the product message further. Holt (2004) highlights trust as the essential lubricant of web-based business operating successfully with quality products being a critical factor for success in building up trust. Price Price is always used by buyers as an indicator of quality in that higher price tends to send a different message compared to lower pricing. The difficulty for companies is however is hitting the sweet spot in terms of price and quality. Therefore high price product firms prefer adopting differentiation strategies in order to maintain competitive advantages. A typical feature of below-the-line promotions though is an element of price war and price cutting in order to initially entice customers. This has the effect of increasing direct costs to the business and reduces the gross profit accordingly so that sales people have to work harder to earn the same amount as before the price cut. In contrast to below-the-line promotions companies with viral marketing models benefit from the lower cost of not having physical stores, sales people and/or expensive advertising campaigns on TV, radio or magazine and other expensive media forms. As a result viral marketing firms often offer extra disco unts to attract customers and it is suggested that one of the most important reasons for people purchasing online are the lower prices compared to traditional retail stores, (Reedy Schullo, 2004). Reedy and Schullo (2004) also argue as a result that it is vital electronic resources be integrated into marketing mix by both traditional offline as well as online retailers. However an important point worth highlighting is that of strategic versus tactical pricing. Strategic pricing refers to long term pricing which depends on how the company intends to position itself in relation to customers. An example of below-the-line marketing are the practices of the supermarket Tesco which has built a reputation for low prices or the lowest pricing in the town in which it operates. In this case its pricing strategy seeks to generate a competitive advantage while Marks Spenser in contrast utilises an image of better quality food at a higher pricing level in order to differentiate itself and thus avoid a price war with Tescos. Additionally although viral marketing models benefit from lower costs and be able to offer more competitive pricing products like health-related tablets firms tend to not be able to exploit a strong brand name for quality and effectiveness. Rather it is the low pricing which initially attracts customers. Therefore the importance of word of m outh is much more pronounced for the continued success of viral based marketing firms. Promotion As mentioned before researchers and economists have argue that the cost of attracting a new customer is five times that of maintaining an existing one, (Jobber, 2001). Companies attempt then to keep customers satisfaction level high and encourage them to purchase more products through the creation of brand loyalty. Below the line marketing forms by using direct promotion and a human sales force to build a close relationship with customers can be said to do this more efficiently. Examples can be seen from fashion brands like YSL and Christian Dior which deliver their brand images using highly trained and skilled personnel creating strong connections in the minds of customers between brand image and products and form a foundation for brand loyalty. However the cost of sales people as well as training investment is a balancing factor while viral marketing on the other hand is able to take advantage of free internet sources by using tools like email or low cost advertising presences such as banner ads on websites. It is also interesting to note that below the line marketing can be viewed as pushing information to consumers whether it takes the form of communication from sales assistants or leaflets in magazines and so on. In doing so companies attempt to communicate with customers by explaining and giving detailed product or service information to them. In contrast viral marketing can be seen as an information pulling tool which seeks to spread awareness of the product through popularisation. However marketing emails need to provide greater value for readers such as through being more entertaining, engaging or compelling in order that viral marketing message be more effectively taken up by readers, (Reed, 2005). A common inducement often used by companies is to pay those readers who pass on the message to others or can prove products bought have been done so on their recommendations. This can be problematic though due to fraud or other criminal activities. Related to this is the problem of sec urity features emerging in the use of the Internet whereby viral mail is treated as virus mail or junk mail (or spam) and thus the marketing message may be blocked from reaching its intended audience through the workings of such things as email filters. Distribution Brownlie and Saren (1992) argue that the concept of marketing has assumed many of the features of an ideology of faith which dominates the decisions of many organisations. In other words they believe companies must not only take into account giving customers what they need but also focus on the integration of these demands into other core business functions. This entails then the balancing of the satisfaction of consumers with the performance of other company requirements. Therefore it is particularly important for companies which adopt below-the-line strategies to choose an effective distribution channel which satisfies customers demands efficiently as well as other business participants such as suppliers and retailers. Likewise it is important for suppliers to have a physical in-store presence while manufacturers must show more interest in the basics of selling and displaying in store. In this case a well trained and motivated sales team plays a critical role in improving a company s in-store performance. However the costs associated with physical stores are high as well as the cost of training employees. The usage of internet based viral marketing models are able then arguably to better integrate resources at lower cost and concomitantly allows the building of stronger trading relationship between each partner within the business network. For example viral companies conduct strategies such as allowing each customer who makes a purchase to also act as a wholesaler for the company and in doing so encourage them to use their own network of contacts to sell more products for the company and at the same time profit from their selling. Therefore it is obvious that successful viral marketing companies are those which can successfully exploit customers networks and exploit word of mouth to spread rapidly rather than make use of expensive advertising campaigns or below-the-line promotions. Smith and Taylor (2004) though point out that the place of purchase also communicates within a marketing mix which means an item purchased in Selfridges has a differently perceived value to an item purchased online. In this sense strategic branding seems particularly important for companies who rely on in-store marketing. Adding value to physical places could be used as part of a branding strategy in maintaining competitive advantage over low cost viral marketing stores. Forever Living Reports indicate that viral marketing techniques are growing in popularity in their use among corporations in the US ranging from small businesses to multinational companies, (Bulkeley, 2002). Forever Living Product co. can be viewed as a successful example of the usage of viral marketing strategies which have contributed to its now multinational business network. According to Wilson (2000) successful viral marketing strategies refers to those which are able to take advantage of rapid multiplication in delivering the product or service message to as wide an audience as possible. In other words viral marketing is closely linked with the term and process of word-of-mouth marketing. In particular these methods have sought to take advantage of the rapid increase in internet usage and as a result web-based forms have become the most important resource for viral marketing techniques. For example Forever Living Product has promoted itself as an international firm which seeks to exploit natu ral sources in producing products contributing to peoples health. The company delivers its product information through the use of a website and seeks to recruit existing customers as wholesalers for its products as well as utilising them to deliver the marketing message. These inducements psychologically are an effective means of retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. Linked to this meeting peoples emerging demand for a better quality of life in terms of high health levels is a key factor for the success of Forever Living products. As such along with financial inducements the provision of information supporting the marketing message is a key ingredient for the companys marketing strategy. For this reason the Forever Living website is designed to provide customers with clear information about its products and services as well as information on how customers can join its business model. According to Solomon, Bamossy and Askegaard (2002) people spend a considerable amount of time in searching for information before they decide to purchase high price goods or luxury products. A web-based marketing model enables consumers who are interested in the products and services go to visit websites and acquire information in a convenient and flexible manner. However these advantages are countered by the tendency for viral marketing websites to provide too much information. Reed (2005) argues that efficiency in communicating a marketing message might decrease because of excessive information. Principles of web design then become important considerations to both enhance accessibility and decrease the dangers of information overload. Marketing mix In modern marketing literature the concept of marketing is often expressed as the achievement of corporate goals through meeting and exceeding customer needs better than competitors are able to, (Jobber, 2001). Viral marketing can describe any strategy that encourages customers to pass on a marketing message to others which creates opportunities for potential corporate growth, (Wilson, 2000). Viral marketing consequently as a form of marketing strategy is predicated and based on successfully understanding consumers in terms of what will satisfy them in product and service provision. However as has been mentioned consumer behaviour is both a complex and a dynamic process and therefore understanding this behaviour requires considerable amounts of information. The Internet is widely used as an effective tool in capturing a huge amount of digital data related to consumer behaviour and viral based marketing forms are in a good position to successfully make use of this data and also contri bute means of gathering it. However such information is largely generalised and unspecific given the amount of traffic which the Internet sees in terms of purchasing decisions. Thus Jackson (2000) contends that viral marketing works best only when the key consumer interaction has relatively broad appeal to the target market. Forever Living Product successfully entices people arguably through the opportunity to start their own business and offering the possibility of higher income levels. It is a message therefore with near universal appeal for people. It is also a message which allows for personal emotional investment to be made in products, in that customers will be positive about a product as their interest in selling it is related to their own financial gain. However a key factor for continued success is maintaining the quality of the products as studies indicate that negative word-of-mouth images spread twice as fast as positive images, (Haywood, 1991). In the case of Forever Livings aloe range of products the high quality is based on its International Aloe Science Council Seal of Approval for consistency and purity. Such external confirmations of quali ty add to and enhance the companys internal messages dealing with the quality of its products. Additionally the clear return and guarantee policies offered by Forever Living also contribute to its success since recourse is given to customers should products or the process of purchasing products not meet their expectations. These are considered to be the most important factors affecting customer behaviour in buying online as they enhance significantly customer trust in the product and organisation, (Reedy Schullo, 2004). Managers with communications responsibility must try to deal with complaints as well relate satisfaction dynamically considering the ease of spreading and access to information online. Haywood (1991) believes that people- talking is the best form to communicate but Blythe (2000) argues that the website of a company is principal initial source for the content of such communication. Therefore Forever Living Products website is designed to provide full information about the products as well as the business plan for those who want to get involved. In doing so the firm avoids considerable expense on physical stores and layout, personnel and the possibility of inefficient explanation and communication by sales person dealing with products. Providing contact points for additional customer questions also enhances the effectiveness for this model. Yet a weakness is that if initially the website is not successful in attracting customers it is unlikely they will return. In this sense the persuasive capabilities of below-the-line models with their human elements is missed. Forever Living is a multinational company which runs business in over 105 countries as the words largest grower, manufacturer and distributor of aloe vera, (Forever Living Product, 2005). It is fair to say that during the internationalisation process the Internet has been vital in spreading the business rapidly and easily compared to the opening of physical stores. It has also allowed the offering of an interactive tool tailored for communicating with global consumers in their respective national contexts. Traditionally communication media follow a passive one-to-many model where a firm reaches many current and potential customers through marketing efforts however feedback from customers in such models is limited, (Hoffman Novak, 1996). Forever Living operates a model of distributed computing that facilitates an interactive many-to-many communication tool and model. For example the website is designed to help customers build a solid stable business through professional training meet ings and regular recognition of their efforts. The running of the business online minimises the physical investment necessary and need for large product inventories but requires a motivated and efficient distribution channel. A significant advantage of this model is that full inventory and product control is integrated into supply and distribution as all of these elements from production to sale are realised within the website. This allows for large cost savings and creates a feeling of security for customers and wholesale sellers in the operations of the company. As discussed in the preceding section companies using below and above the line marketing tools view human resource as an important factor in the completion of these forms of marketing strategies successfully. In a positive sense they are able to exploit a skilled workforce in achieving promotional goals but negatively failure might arise from unenthusiastic sales personnel or negative sales manner in the conduct of the promotion. By using a website instead of a sales person along with already satisfied customers Forever Living minimises the risks of negative information provision and capitalises on cheap and effective positive information provision, (Wilson, 2000; Diorio, 2001). In addition to online ordering Forever Living also makes use of more traditional phone call services for those who are not able to access internet increasing its coverage. The online model also allows Forever Living circumvent the considerable entry barriers to participating in the health care market. These b arriers include large investment in physical assets as well as the brand loyalty for other manufacturers or certain retailers concretely established as a result of other marketing strategies. The creative use of the website as both a marketing tool and an intangible shopping space creates competitive advantages for the firm. Although the price of Forever Living products means they are not cheap due to general features of luxury health care goods and compared to pricings and costs associated with other luxury health care products Forever Living is able to compete on very effective grounds with other retailers. Viral branding strategy Over the last few years companies have increasingly moved to incorporate the World Wide Web into their overall marketing strategies. Viral marketing strategy in itself has changed the way to do the business and communicate online by taking advantage of the specific contextual advantages offered by the Internet. However along with internet based marketing the emerging challenge for viral marketing companies is to build up strong brand name in order to compete with below-the-line firms as well as other web-based and offline companies, (Jobber, 2001). The first associations that enter into customers consciousness in relation to a brand name are always those associated with products or product categories, (Franzen and Bouwman, 2001). Thus with Forever Living Product they have sought to link the brand name with superior ranges of aloe vera based products. The corporate research centre creates a professional image of the company matching with images of traditional high-tech pharmaceutical industries but meshes this with an appeal to naturalism and back to nature images associated with its products. The key message then contains both security over the high qualities maintained in the products manufacture but also the manner in which it is a natural product taking advantage of green sentiments among customers. Diorio (2001) argues that one of the obstacles to viral marketing is the difficulty in identifying triggers that can motivate customers to pass along the business message. Beaven and Scotti (1990) claim that consumers develop internal scripts related to their service transactions which they recall for future purchases of that service. Hence a satisfied personalised experience is a key driver in the repeat purchase of products. The tool used by Forever Living Product in this respect is the motivation from self-owned businesses joining satisfied product use with opportunities for personal financial reward. However its branding strategy also contributes to the success of its differentiation from other companies competing in the same market. Web-based branding strategy is able to reach a large amount of customers but the difficulty remains in establishing trust which is the main basis for long term customer relationships using this model. Also there are ethical issues related to viral ma rketing such as those arising from security of investment and personal privacy in providing information online especially financial information. Trust then for Forever Living is not only related to product quality and satisfaction but about providing a completely secure package for customers upon which trusting relationships can be built. Benefits of a website as an integrated marketing tool From an analysis of Forever Living which prefers the use of a website as the core technique and means of achieving marketing goals it is fair to say that the effective design of web sites contributes to whether it will be a success or not to a large extent. First of all the website is able to provide full information

The Human Brain :: essays research papers

INTRODUCTION The human body is divided into many different parts called organs. All of the parts are controlled by an organ called the brain, which is located in the head. The brain weighs about 2. 75 pounds, and has a whitish-pink appearance. The brain is made up of many cells, and is the control centre of the body. The brain flashes messages out to all the other parts of the body. The messages travel in very fine threads called nerves. The nerves and the brain make up a system somewhat like telephone poles carrying wires across the city. This is called the nervous system. The nerves in the body don't just send messages from the brain to the organs, but also send messages from the eyes, ears, skin and other organs back to your brain. Some nerves are linked directly to the brain. Others have to reach the brain through a sort of power line down the back, called the spinal cord. The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. The brain doesn't just control your organs, but also can think and remember. That part of the brain is called the mind. PROTECTING THE BRAIN Twenty-eight bones make up the skull. Eight of these bones are interlocking plates. These plates form the cranium. The cranium provides maximum protection with minimum weight, the ideal combination. The other twenty bones make up the face, jaw and other parts of the skull. Another way the brain keeps it self safe is by keeping itself in liquid. Nearly one fifth of the blood pumped by the heart is sent to the brain. The brain then sends the blood through an intricate network of blood vessels to where the blood is needed. Specialized blood vessels called choroid plexuses produce a protective cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid is what the brain literally floats in. A third protective measure taken by the brain is called the blood brain barrier. This barrier consists of a network of unique capillaries. These capillaries are filters for harmful chemicals carried by the blood, but do allow oxygen, water and glucose to enter the brain. THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE BRAIN The brain is divided into three main sections. The area at the front of the brain is the largest. Most of it is known as the cerebrum. It controls all of the movements that you have to think about, thought and memory.

Networking Computers :: Technology Business

There are many kinds of networks, however this paper will be about networking computers. As we move further and further into the paperless society, the need for people to be connected and able to exchange data just as fast as they could by handing a paper to someone increases. This can be accomplished by having a group of computers connected by a network, so that as soon as data is entered into one computer, it can be immediately accessed by someone else on a connected computer, no matter how far away it may be (though usually it is in the same building). There is much work involved in this and it in includes a lot of math, from equations to basic problems. This report will be based around the mathematical aspects of setting up a network.The first mathematical question in setting up a network is very basic. How many computers will be connected to this network and how many guest computers might come on at one time is the question. An example of a guest computer is if someone brought a laptop and connected it for a short while to download or access data. To find the answer to the question, simply count the desktop computers that will be connected and how many guest computers you expect to be connected at one time. The second mathematical problem that occurs is best solved using an algebraic equation. Let x=the amount of desktop computers that will always be connected, y=the amount of guest computers that you expect to be connected at one time. So, the equation is: x+y+1. The one added on the end of the equation is another guest file just to make sure you don't fall short. So, this tells you how many files you need to create. The guest files will all be generically named so that all guests have the same access privileges, and all the permanent computers will have their own named file so they can have more personalized access privileges. These files are put on one main computer, the server. This controls all access privileges and any data put into a computer branching off from it in it's network can be accessed from this all-powerful server computer. The previously stated problems are a large part of networking, although I couldn't possibly tell about all the math involved without going on for another 3 or 4 pages.

Privacy And Security Concerns Regarding Health Information Essay

Case 4.8 – E-mail Goes Astray Primarily, the technician is the one responsible for the breach in confidentiality because he was the one who sent out the e-mails. Moreover, he did not seek instructions from Kaiser Permanente regarding the backlogged e-mails. Kaiser Permanente hired the technician to upgrade their system. Therefore, tasks other than doing upgrades should be consulted to the company. The technician should have asked whether the accumulated e-mails in the system should be sent out, and he should have asked what to do with them. However, Kaiser Permanente is partly responsible for the breach, because first and foremost, since they hold millions of private information, they should have made sure that that information would not be compromised. They should have made their system secure and only accessible to Kaiser Permanente personnel. Yes, situations like this discourage subscribers in using the system of Kaiser Permanente. However, the services that Kaiser Permanente offer is of great value and subscribers will not easily discontinue their subscription. But Kaiser Permanente has to ensure their subscribers that this will not happen in the future by informing them what caused the breach and reassuring them that upgrades are being done to improve the security of the system and the privacy of their information. The most important thing to do here is to be honest and at the same time make great efforts to secure the system of the company. Case 4.17 – Patient’s Files Used for Obscene Calls Definitely, background checks should be conducted before hiring new employees because this would ensure the safety of the clients, especially in the health care industry. Employers should be granted access to criminal records for them to be able to identify the extent of the crime that ex-convicts have committed. Cases such as child rape and indecent assault is a serious crime that should not be disregarded when hiring employees, especially when the job requires dealing with other people, children, etc. such as in the health care institution. Former employees who are given access to system information that are confidential, such as passwords, etc. should be screened out from the system. In other words, once an employee is not connected with the institution anymore, his access to the system should be deleted or reset. In this case, the system of the health care institution is at fault because it failed to keep the information confidential and secure. In this case, the hospital is accountable for the actions of the technician. Primarily because they hired an employee without doing background checks, they do not monitor the system, wherein they could have detected that calls were being made and the information of the clients were being accessed, and the system is not 100 % secure. Case 4.44 – University Tightens Computer Security Because of the wide range of subscribers in university medical centers information systems, it becomes vulnerable to hackers. In this case, they hacked into the system and used it to send hundreds of advertisements in their e-mails. The hackers wanted to target the significant number of subscribers in the system. However, the information within the system is not precisely the target of the breach. It is not entirely the medical center’s fault. This is because hackers do what they do. They find ways to get into the system even if security measures were set-up to avoid breaching the security of an information system. Therefore, even if the system is secure, hackers will really find a way to get into the system. The medical center’s fault was that they were not able to detect that the system was being hacked. They should have upgrades in the system, which will be used in monitoring the system and alarming when hackers breach the system.

Play Station 3 Essay

Play Station 3 is the best multimedia console out so far. Such multimedia contents include a Blu- ray player, a HD DVD/ DVD player, a CD, and a Super Audio Cd Player. Some models of the PS3 Have something in them called the EMOTION CHIP, which is a fancy term for being able to play PS2 games, but all models have the ability to play PS1 games. As far as Graphics go the PS3 has the ability to display up to and over 550 MHz. You might be wondering what the hell is MHz( MEGA Hertz), well MEGA Hertz is Graphics card in the hardware of the PS3. MEGA Hertz or ant type of Hertz is a type of processor that gives the system the ability to display hundreds, thousands, or even millions or billions of pixels per second. capable of displaying over 65 HD frames per second. All of this graphics can’t be displayed on even the most recent computers, this is the most MHz’s out in any gaming console EVER!. The Connectivity of this console is outstanding, stellar, excellent! This awesome console can have a blue tooth headset, Six axis controller, and a Dual Shock 3 controller connected to the system wirelessly. Up to 4 Six axis, or Dual Shock 3 controllers connected to the system simultaneously, but that is the hardware speaking: more connectivity includes Cables such as the HDMI cable. Now the HDMI cable is for the best sound, picture, and quality when hooked up to an HD Tv, now if you don’t have an HD Tv but you have a Tv with 480i, or 720, and or 1080p, not 1080i, you can just go to Game stop to purchase a audio/video out with a high quality switch. A regular A/V cable for NSTC Tv s   comes with the product. The PS3’s hardware is very complex with a lot of the newest hardware used in most recent Computers, Hardware include a slot-loading 2x speed Blu- ray Disc drive for Games, DVD, BD DVD, CD’s, PS2/PS1 format games and Super audio CD’s. Plus a new IBM-designed CELL Microprocessor as its CPU. Graphics in hardware handled by the NVIDIA RSX ‘Reality Synthesizer’, which is used to support High Definition. Build in memory: 256 MB of XDR and 256 of GDDR3 video memory for the RSX. The system also has Bluetooth 2.0, Ethernet connectivity port, USB 2.0 and HDMI 1.3a. The PS3’s system hardware has been used for Super computer for High-Performance Computing, and WI-FI networking. PS3 owner will be able to use other operating systems besides XMB because Linux is pre-installed.   And thats why I think the PS3 is much much better than the XBOX 360!

Analysis on “Behind the Veil” Essay

In the short story â€Å"From Behind the Veil,† written by Dhu’l Nun Ayyoub, the author changes how we feel about the main character throughout the sequencing of the plot. We as the readers learn more about how the protagonist really thinks coupled with what her motives are. The author also presents language that clearly expresses how the protagonist feels and uses examples to show an overall theme in the story. In the exposition we meet our protagonist who is a young women of Islam who wears the traditional veil that muslim women are advised to wear under the law of the Quran were it says, â€Å"And tell the believing women to reduce some of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which necessarily appears thereof and to wrap a portion of their head covers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women.(Quran).† Some women are not wearing veils. As readers, we come to the conclusion that the protagonist is a faithful woman of Islam. The veil is a symbol of power to women who wear it because they have the gift of modesty and can show their dedication to Allah. What is interesting is that even though the veil is supposed to cover the body and keep men from giving attention to a woman’s body, men are drawn to the women in veils because they are â€Å"enticing† and have an â€Å"alluring shape, and make the observer yearn to uncover the secrets which lie beneath them (Ayyoub 98).† During the rising action, we continue to have the view about the protagonist that she is a â€Å"good girl† and respectable until she reveals herself to a man she finds enticing and who seems to fancy her. This contradicts what we previously thought about her. We also learn that she wants to have control of their relationship. She won’t allow the man to know her name or have any information that he could use to contact her at any time. This is an interesting exception to the stereotypical and usual relationship between a Muslim man and woman. Usually the man would have the majority of power in the relationship, but the protagonist has made the relationship on her terms  only. We also learn from the narrator that the protagonist has a strong disposition. We can conclude that she seems to exude some power . We also learn that her father thinks highly of her and feels that she is â€Å"intelligent†, â€Å"well brought up†, and â€Å"obviously knows the value of traditions and respects them.† In the climax, we start to have a very different view of our protagonist. We learn that she might not be as genuine as we think she is. The climax is after her father reads the newspaper article a man submitted about a woman who revealed herself to him. She goes to her room and ‘talks’ to her veil stating that she despises the veil, how she uses it only to keep men away from her, she doesn’t care about her veil at all, she feels nothing for it, she defies it, and how she feels that other women say they wear the veil to preserve their virginity, honor, and good morals, but if they were honest about why they wore the veil it would be for no reason but to cover their flaws and scandals. This is extremely surprising to the reader because from what we thought of her before she was a girl who wore the veil as a symbol of good morals when now we learn it isjust a persona that she exudes. This point of view she has toward the veil is very different from what we expect it to be and what most Islamic people’s point of view would be. We as readers now think of her as taking advantage of the veiling tradition for her own purposes instead of for religious ones. It seems as if though she wants everyone to think she wears the veil because she is faithful to Allah, when in all reality it is all staged. The only positive thought she has of her veil is that it creates a sense of anonymity and mystery even though she feels trapped underneath it. The language the author uses to express how the protagonist really feels about the veil give you a sense of the true despise the protagonist has toward it. The author uses words such as â€Å"defy† which mean to challenge the power of, or resist boldly, showing that the protagonist is having an internal conflict with her religion. She also uses the word â€Å"despise† which means disgust. Readers really get the sense now that the protagonist has put on an act to seem like this respectable and honorable Muslim woman when really none of it matters to her. The Theme of the story is that sometimes  we can feel trapped between what we feel and think and what we know is the status-quo or the excepted way of thinking and feeling. This is shown in the example of the protagonist with her father. She acts like she agrees with his thought of the veil because she knows that is what is expected and excepted when really her feelings are that the veil denies her freedom.

Assess the Usefulness of Functionalism for an Understanding of the Family

Assess the usefulness of functionalism for an understanding of the family. Functionalism is a structural theory in that it believes that the social structure of society (social institutions such as economy, education, media, law, religion and family) is responsible for shaping us as individuals. Functionalists are interested in how the family functions for the greater good or society and in particular, how it contributes to maintenance of social order. Functionalist's view of families and households is mainly a positive view. In this essay, I will assess the understanding of families and households through a functionalist view.All over the world family life is differs by huge variation and diversity. But in the UK and according to functionalists who take the more traditional view of family believe it should be a small group of people living together, including the mother father and usually two or three children and are biologically related. The children should be the product of roman tic love. A famous sociologist George Peter Murdock (1949) defines the family as: â€Å"A social group characterised by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction.It should consist of adults of both sexes with at least two who maintain a socially approved relationship, which has created one or more children of their own. Therefore Murdock’s definition is based on the nuclear family – a stereotypical two-generation family made up of a heterosexual couple with dependent offspring. This definition was popular with functionalist sociologists who suggested that this is the ideal type of family which people should aim to have. Murdock’s four key functions are: Stabilisation/regulation of the sex drive (sexual) Reproduction of the next generation (reproductive)Socialisation of the young (educational) Meeting its members’ economic needs, providing food shelter etc (economic) Sociologists criticise Murdocks approach on the family saying it’s t o ‘rose-tinted’, which means it’s all a bit pretty and wonderful and he ignores conflict that happens in the family. Feminists believe women are oppressed in the family and Marxists argue the family meeting the needs of capitalism, not the members and society as a whole. Parsons, there is a clear division of labour. According to his studies, the husbands has an â€Å"instrumental role†, he is armed for success at work so that he can provide for his family.Wives on the other hand have an â€Å"expressive role† where they are expected to emotionally support their husbands and children. The male role is economic breadwinner and head of household, whereas the female role is nurturing and childcare. Lastly, the family members receive nurturing and un-conditional love and care from the mother. This nuclear family type, as mentioned above, is seen as the ideal. We see this in wider parts of society such as the media who portray this in such things as adver tisements, where there will be a family with a mother who is preparing the food, the male getting ready for work and two or three children.This is known as the ‘cereal packet family’. Functionalist see the family as a primary agent of socialisation, it teaches its members its culture by sharing common norms and values. So functionalist believes the family is crucial to order and created consensus. Another Functionalist, Talcott Parsons (1965) believes the family is a ‘personality factory’ who produces children with shared norms and values and has a strong sense of belonging to society.Another key point functionalists believe the family is crucial for is controlling society daily for example with marriage it keeps sexual relationships under control and monogamous. This is seen as socially acceptable when kept in a heterosexual marriage, so it stops chaos and disorder from unregulated sexual relationships. Parsons argues that a function of the family is that of a stress reliever for the male after a hard day of working, this is known as the ‘warm bath theory’ as all the hardships of modern working life is forgotten.Therefore functionalist sees the family as both beneficial for society and for the individual. But other sociologists such as feminists would argue this, as they believe the family is only serving the needs of men and oppresses women. According to Fran Ansley women are ‘takers of shit’ â€Å"When wives play their traditional role as takers of shit, they often absorb their husbands’ legitimate anger and frustration at their own powerlessness. † This would counter the warm bath theory and suggest males take their anger out on women, rather than see the family as a stress relief from their jobs.This could explain domestic violence. Parsons (1955) the family can perform many functions. The functions that it performs will depend on the needs of society. This is known as the ‘functional fit’ theory. Pre-industrial society = extended family (three generations living under one roof) Industrial society = nuclear family (just parents and dependent children). As society changed, the ‘type’ of family that was required to help society function changed.Industrial society has two essential needs which require a nuclear family to work: A geographically mobile workforce and a socially mobile workforce. Loss of functions ,Parsons also argues that the family in modern society has lost many of its functions as it has become a unit of consumption only (rather than also being a unit of production) This means that in modern society the nuclear family has just two essential or ‘irreducible’ functions: Primary socialisation of children Stabilisation of adult personalities.Sociologists such as Young and Willmott (1973) ; Laslett (1972) argue that the pre-industrial family was nuclear, which defeats all points made by Parsons and why a lot of people do n’t believe his argument is very reliable. To conclude I believe that the usefulness of functionalism for understanding the family has become dated, every key point they make can be argued or disproved with actual statistics and fact. I believe it would have been more credible in the mid-1900s where gender roles where a lot more evident and accepted.Also they take the nuclear family as the norm, ideal and most apparent family type in modern society which Is false, and Michael Andersons (1980) research proves Parsons functional fit theory wrong, as the extended family was the structure best equipped to meet the needs of early industrial society, due to the benefits such as older kin looing after children whilst parents worked. Therefore I don’t believe functionalism is very useful to get an overall understanding of every aspect of the family.

An Analysis of Child of the Holocaust by Jack Kuper

There have been many memorable books concerning the holocaust but I dont think any have touched me in the way that Child of the Holocaust did. This book follows the true experiences of the author at 9 years old as he struggles to hide his identity, his faith and everything about his life, in order to survive. He is so resilient and has an amazing way of being filled with hope even when totally consumed by fear. What stays with me the most though, is the authors lack of self-pity through all of it. I found this book impossible to put down and yet at times, the all too vivid images which the author describes were difficult to face. This book is so different from any other that I have read on this subject and I had problems trying to pinpoint why. Perhaps it is the point of view of a child that makes it more tragic and heart-wrenching. Perhaps it is his obvious innocence and the fact that he was often cast aside by those he sought protection from. Perhaps it is that at times, it seems the only person who had compassion and respect for life was the author himself. This is a book that will not soon be forgotten. I can also say it is one of the few books I have ever read, that has made me want to turn back to the beginning and read it again right away. There is a sequel which is titled After the Smoke Cleared but looking around, it is really hard to find. I am hoping though that like Child of the Holocaust it will be printed again. Note: Even if you read this many years ago you might want to read it again as this new edition states it has been substantially revised by the author. For those who are film buffs there was also a televised play by Jack Kuper about his life. It was in 1960, shown by the CBC and was titled Sun in My Eyes. As we learn in the book, the title comes from a polish myth that Jews could not see the sun. Research shows that this is probably the first time the CBC addressed the subject of the holocaust directly. This unique childhood memoir of the Holocaust has been praised as powerful (Cincinnati Enquirer), touching (Jewish Digest), and heartbreaking (Library Journal). A true story of rare beauty and remarkable power, it has become an enduring classic. One day, when Jacob Kuperblum was eight, he came home to his town in Poland. His family and friends were gone, rounded up by the Germans only hours earlier. He would never see them again. Thus begins a journey of survival as a young boy travels from town to town in a desperate search for safety and shelter, growing up in fear, deprived of his home and his people and even his identity. All that survived was his spirit and his indomitable will to live. Child of the Holocaust is the acclaimed account of Jacob Kuperblum an unforgettable and moving tale of adversity and triumph. Jack Kuper was only nine years old when he came home to find everyone in his family gone. The night before, Germans had come to his village in rural Poland and taken away all the Jews. Now alone in the world, he has to change his name, forget his language and abandon his religion in order to survive. Jack wanders through Nazi occupied Poland for four years, with no place to hide and no one to trust. The harrowing true story of how he survives has been hailed as a classic, as powerful as The Diary of Anne Frank. It has been in print in various editions in English and a dozen other languages since 1966. For a new edition released this year in Canada, Jack Kuper revisited the manuscript for the first time since he wrote it more than 40 years ago. He was able to include the correct names of those who helped him and to add new material. Jack Kuper escaped Poland and immigrated to Canada at the age of 15. He spent much of his career in advertising, producing and directing award-winning TV commercials. As a filmmaker he has written and directed several shorts. His film RUN! was honoured at the Venice Film Festival. He is also the author of After the Smoke Cleared, the sequel to this book. He now lives in Toronto with his wife Terrye and speaks often to groups about his experiences during the Holocaust.

A historical and critical analysis of an entrepreneurial venture Essay

A historical and critical analysis of an entrepreneurial venture - Essay Example m, 2010). Entrepreneurship is therefore, the process of identifying business opportunities and gathering the necessary resources to start the business. Historically, in the 20th century, Joseph Schumpeter advanced one of the most used theories. He spearheaded the venturing process and gains credited for making it happen. He claimed that an entrepreneur replaces an existing economy by destroying one and making a better economy. Schumpeter’s first example of entrepreneurship was the combination of steam engines, which used coal and wagons. From this came the horseless carriages. This led to the invention of the car. We can see there was usage of already existing technology, which just got bettered. This came with a significant reduction in cost. Entrepreneurs learn from experience and with time the entrepreneurial culture grows. An example of an entrepreneurial venture is the Starbucks, a leading coffee company in Washington. It is the largest coffee house in the world, having o utlets in most significant world cities. Starbuck commenced its operations in Seattle Washington in March 30 1971. The founders were Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegla and Gordon bowker. It used the following strategies in the venturing process to make it a success story. ... There was a need to start coffee chains in the area and they capitalized on this opportunity. Consumers are mostly the best source of information, as they are the end users. Many other entrepreneurs have been able to identify business opportunities through discussions with retailers, wholesalers, or representatives of the manufacturer. Starbucks was able to carry out thorough market research by means of questionnaires. They sought information from existing consumers and other related businesses. Starbucks invested in modern coffee brewing technologies. It also stood a decent chance against the competitors. It is worth noting that opportunities do not offer financial reward commensurate to the risks that the entrepreneur chooses to take. Starbucks also had a concrete assessment plan which they put to use. It provides a basis explaining why to adopt or not adopt the opportunity. The plan usually defines the product or the service we are interested in, and the entire requirement necessa ry to actualize it and make it a viable venture. It also outlines the financial requirements necessary. The next thing is the development of the business plan. A business plan can only be made after having identified the opportunity. It is unique for that particular business opportunity. The business plan will assist the entrepreneur gauge the resources needed in developing the business opportunity. It also helps identify resources required to achieve the same, and how and where to gather such resources. The business plan also details how to manage the venture once it has come into operation. The Starbuck business plan outlines how they planned to venture into the market and how they planned to raise funds. After coming up with the business plan, one must come up with a

International fashion marketing Research Proposal

International fashion marketing - Research Proposal Example What are the competencies of the business that need outsourcing? Also, what is the importance of aggregation, adaptation, and arbitrage business strategies in the new market? As such, this are some of the questions that this case study seeks to answer. A concise conclusion on the same will also provide an insight on exploring new international markets. International marketing calls for a critical evaluation of the business’ ability to satisfy the customers’ needs. The business need to evaluate how capable it is in ensuring the achievement of this goal. In order to survive in the emerging markets therefore, the business needs to establish a strategic plan, customer strategy, growth strategy, improvement on technology strategy, customer strategy, and source of finance plans (PWC, 2014). In foreign markets for instance, the organization selling cosmetics can establish globalization business strategies to enable it to survive. The strategies include aggregation, adaptation, and arbitrage. Aggregation refers to duplication of domestic business model in the new international market so as to secure cost benefits when handling products in bulk. The strategy tends to focus largely on the economies of scale (Kluyver, n.d.). The technique seeks to achieve efficiency globally by increasing the level of standardization of the product and the production process (Kluyver, n.d.). Therefore, a manager of the firm ensures that the organization obtains economies of scale to enjoy the aggregation process. For the cosmetics, the business can achieve this through using the same distribution channel. Also, the business should use the same marketing mix in each country, have a standard website, and encourage ethnocentrism. Adaptation is a strategy that a business achieves by providing goods or services that are competitive and advantageous in the international markets. The technique enables a business to improve on