Company †Strengths and weaknesses Analysis Essay

Application Assignment †¢Application Assignment on Situational Analysis and SWOT common to all themespgs MM-112 to MM-122 PART B and C (to be submitted together) (15+ 5 Marks) Company –Strengths and weaknesses Analysis Remember this assignment is in continuity to the previous marketing assignment. Here we do a strength and weakness analysis for our company vis -a- vis competitors. We need to know: A. What special strength/ competence or assets company has to satisfy the needs of customers? B. Who competes with us in meeting those needs and what is their competence, strength or asset? Can we scale our own firm and the major competitors on those competencies and strengths? This kind of an analysis follows a 3-step process. 1Identification of all our Competitors. Competition does not stem only from products or firms that compete directly for your market share but also from any company that satisfies the same customer need. (Refer to the ‘Market concept of competition’ at the end of the assignment ) 2List the areas in which your organization or the competitor has the competence. Needless to say that these areas should be industry relevant. An indicative list of the areas in which a firm can have strength / competence is listed below. Innovation ?Ability to develop innovative products ?Amount of Rs. spent on R&D ?Patents that a company has to its credit ?Technical product or service superiority Manufacturing ?Favorable Cost Structure ?Flexible production operations ?Access to Raw materials ?Quality of work force ?Capacity ?Outsourcing Finance- Access to capital ?Ability to generate funds in the short and long run ?Ability to use debt and equity financing ?Parent firms willingness to finance Management ?Quality of top and middle management ?Knowledge of business ?Culture ?Strategic goals and plans ?Entrepreneurial thrust ?Planning or operation system ?Loyalty ?Quality of strategic decision making. Marketing ?Product quality reputation ?Product differentiation ?Brand name recognition ?Customer orientation ?Breadth of the product line ?Segmentation ?Distribution ?Retailer relationship ?Advertising / Promotional skills ?Sales force ?Service Customer base ?Size and loyalty ?Market share ?Growth of segments served This list is only indicative to serve as a guide to the major areas in which a firm can have strength/ competence. You can add on or delete items to suit to your company and industry. 3Scaling your organization vis – a – vis the competitors on the parameters listed above-The Competitive strength Grid *(Please refer exhibit at the end of the assignment) Once the strengths / assets relevant to the industry have been identified, one has to scale one’s own firm and the major competitors on those strengths. One such grid has been done for the Luxury car market. The left side of the grid identifies the areas in which a luxury car maker can have strengths/ competencies namely product quality, product differentiation etc. On the right side various brands have been scaled with either less than average, average or above average position with respect to the strength/ competence identified. For ex. Cadillac has above average position in product quality, average when it comes to product differentiation and less than average on dealer satisfaction, all 3 areas being key to success in a car market. Assignment questions 1. Identify all the major competitors to your product. (Already done in part A of the assignment) †¢ICICI bank †¢HDFC †¢SBI †¢Deutsche Bank †¢Citibank †¢Goldman Sachs 2. Identify and list all the major strengths/assets/ competencies relevant to your industry. Core competencies: †¢Customer service †¢Risk management & Compliance †¢Strategy & Development †¢Strong leadership and management †¢Sales, marketing and Operations †¢Client base and brand 3. Scale your firm and any two other competitors on these strengths in a Competitive Strength Grid as is shown in the example. HSBCICICI bank Deutsche Bank †¢Customer service †¢Reach to the customer is good †¢Good relationship management †¢Premier clients focused cells †¢Reach to the customer is good †¢Premier clients focused cells †¢Reach to the customer is good †¢Good relationship management †¢Premier clients focused cells †¢Risk management & Compliance †¢Credit Risk †¢Operational Risk †¢Market Risk †¢Credit Risk †¢Operational Risk †¢Market Risk †¢Credit Risk †¢Operational Risk †¢Market Risk †¢Strategy & Development †¢Reach to global markets †¢Presence in emerging economies †¢Specific to one country †¢Reach to global markets Strong leadership and management †¢Business expansions & Leadership support †¢Culture of developing and retaining leaders †¢Strong international management and leadership †¢Business expansions regionally †¢Strong management presence †¢Business expansions & Leadership support †¢Strong international management and leadership †¢Sales, marketing and Operations †¢Consumer / Transactional Sales †¢Advisory / Relationship Management Sales †¢Consumer / Transactional Sales †¢Advisory / Relationship Management Sales †¢Consumer / Transactional Sales †¢Advisory / Relationship Management Sales Client base and brand †¢History and strong brand †¢Your local banker approach †¢Internationally renowned brand †¢Strong regional brand †¢History and strong brand †¢Internationally renowned brand 4. Do you have a competitive advantage superior to that of the competitor in any or more area? Do you see major areas for improvement in any competitive area? The areas of competitive advantage are: †¢Strategy & Development †¢Reach to global markets †¢Presence in emerging economies †¢Strong leadership and management †¢Culture of developing and retaining leaders Strong international management and leadership †¢Client base and brand †¢History and strong brand †¢Your local banker approach †¢Internationally renowned brand Areas for improvement: †¢Larger presence in retail operations in emerging economies †¢Leveraging technology to increase efficiency, access to markets and risk management †¢Innovation by providing weekend banking and banking in non official hours PART C Assignment question 1. Based upon PART A and Part B of the assignment, consolidate the Strengths , Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for your organization into a SWOT Grid.

HCS

How to control: Several engineering measures and work practices are recommended to control ergonomic hazards during garment transfer, pressing and bagging activities. Include modifying equipment, making changes in work practices and purchasing new tools or other devices to assist in the production process. By making these changes, it has reduced physical demands, and eliminated unnecessary movements and lowered injuries. Personal protective equipment: Watch what's happening around you, don't work in confined spaces, have good posture and don't be lazy.Use all the safety requirements when using heavy or dangerous equipment. Physical Hazards How to control: Some strategies to controlling a physical hazard includes. Effective detection and elimination systems. Effective facility maintenance. On-line visual inspection, Detection methods include metal detectors, x-ray machines, optical systems. Good manufacturing practices, End product screening etc. PEE: Wear your hard hats, use all the WHAMS symbols too help you. All your basic safety equipment; gloves, glasses, etc. Psychosocial How to control: Don't work with heavy or dangerous material when you are stressed, over tired or under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Personal protective equipment: Put signs to help you such as † Any form of abuse will not be tolerated her†. Stress relieving activities such as massages, face masks, or even try changing your diet. Chemical Hazards How to control: Remove the hazard from the work place. Control any injuries in a way that is necessary. Such as eyes, if you get chemicals in your eyes there are equipment to wash out your eyes as fast as possible.Personal protective equipment: Equipment worn by individuals to reduce exposure such as contact with chemicals or exposure to noise. Biological How to control: Controlling Biological is quit impel and common sense. If you have the flu, you take all the medication that is necessary, and stay out of public too avoid spre ading germs. If medication doesn't do the trick, going to see a doctor is your second most effective Way Of getting well again. Doctors will supply you with the proper medication or treatment that is required Personal Protective Equipment: wearing surgical masks when needed.Fire safety Examining and justifying the need for fire safety legislation/standards. The main reason why we have the need for safety and legislation standards for fire safety is so we all know how to handle a fire in he most safe and effective way. By exciting the safest ways etc. Before starting a new job, you must make sure you are aware of where all fire equipment lays in the area. Elements of fire include qualities of brightness, thinness, and motion. Fire we use the warm our homes, too cook our food, side around it to ward the night an active element which is contrary to water.Fire is the converter of the energy of other objects into other forms such as, heat, light, ash and smoke. Addressing fire hazards & fire prevention Messy crowded building, such as pulp mills have multiple fire hazards, to keep things safe and orderly notations, you can make signs, to notify people to the dangers that they might face. Or if you find an unsafe condition that you are unsure how too handle, report it! Tell the manager/coordinator. Fire prevention: Take cooking for example, to avoid fire caused by cooking; ;Don't leave cooking food/grills unattended. Keep things that can burn (think dishtowels, paper or plastic bags) at least three feet away from the stove top ; Loose-fitting clothes can catch on fire, so be sure to roll up long sleeves. Fire classifications and comparing the appropriate extinguishers Class A: Fires involving ordinary combustible materials, such as paper, wood, and textile fibers, where a cooling, blanketing, or wetting extinguishing agent is needed. Class B: Fires involving flammable liquids such as gasoline, thinners, lullabies paints and greases. Extinguishers for this type of fir e include carbon dioxide, dry chemical* and halogenated agent types.Class C: Fires involving energize electrical equipment, where a no conducting gaseous clean agent or smothering agent is needed. The most common type of extinguisher for this class is a carbon dioxide extinguisher. Class D: Fires involving combustible metals such as magnesium, sodium, potassium, titanium, and aluminum. Special dry powder* extinguishing agents are required for this class of fire, and must be tailored to the specific hazardous metal. Class K: Fires involving commercial cooking appliances with vegetable oils, animal oils, or fats at high temperatures. A wet potassium acetate, low pH- based agent is used for this class of fire.Electrical Safety/Hazards At home; Frayed or worn electric cords, Electrical appliances such as radios, hairdryers, or radiators used near showers, baths or swimming pools. Wet floors are resent where electricity is used. At School; The Smart Board wiring Ordinary outlets near wat er sources, faulty equipment. At work; Overloading electrical circuits and extension cords, Electrically operated office equipment such as computers, printers, scanners and shredders should also be checked regularly to ensure their power cords are not defective, frayed or improperly installed.Address these fire hazards by always having the proper equipment. Keep fire preventable materials locked up, never throw water of your fires in the kitchen, always salt or soda. Don't overload circuits by putting to many plugs into one. Electrical Safety Your own safety plan for establishing a safe work conditions are keep informed on how to be safe, do your research on electrical safety and let others know what you know. Lockout/tag out procedures; lockout is the isolation of energy from the system (a machine or equipment) which physically locks the system in a safe mode.The energy-isolating device can be a manually operated disconnect switch, a circuit breaker, or a line valve. Tag out is a l abeling process that is always used when lockout is required. The process of tagging out a system involves attaching or using an indicator Ladder Safety Step ladders are often used both for inside and outside electrical connections. Extension ladders allow the user to reach heights that step ladders cannot reach. Plat form ladders allows you to work on any project that requires you to use two hands as safely as if you were on the ground itself.Being able to rotate around and work in which ever direction you need helps you to work safer and faster. Folding ladders are normally used for smaller inside tasks. These ladders have the ability to fold up when not in use for extremely easy storage. Know The Climbing Limits. Look Around For Hidden Dangers Before Climbing A Ladder Tie Off Ladders For Safety Use Proper Ladder Angles What to inspect? Missing or loose steps or rungs, damaged or worn non-slip feet, loose nails, screws, bolts or nuts, rot, decay or warped rails in wooden ladders. Etc. Proper storage; where they are protected from the weather, horizontally on racks.Ensure that storage areas are easy to reach, tie ladders to each support point to reduce damage. Etc. Confined Space Safety TO find Out whether a space is confined or not, ask yourself, Is the space fully or partially enclosed? Is the space not both designed and constructed for continuous human occupancy? Confined space† means a fully or partially enclosed space, that is not both designed and constructed for continuous human occupancy, and in which atmospheric hazards may occur because of its construction, location or contents or because of work that is done in it.Confined Space Associated Dangers in confined spaces can include: ;Poor air quality: There may be an insufficient amount of oxygen for the worker to breathe. ;Chemical exposures due to skin contact or ingestion as well as inhalation of ‘bad' air. ;Safety hazards such as moving parts of equipment, structural hazards, entangleme nt, slips, falls. Uncontrolled energy including electrical shock. Before entering a confined space/Creating your own plan you should test the quality of the air, care should be taken to ensure that air is tested throughout the confined space – side-to-side and top to bottom.Always ensure the testing equipment is properly calibrated and maintained Rescue Plan Training requirements; address the following: the company's policy and confined space program limiting the employees' access to confined spaces and their hazards, they must recognize the confined space warning and identification signs; changes in use or configuration f non-permit spaces that could require the space to be reclassified as a permit-required space; and, finally, procedures that address employees of other companies who enter and work in the prerequisites confined spaces of the employer.WHIMS Why WHIMS? WHIMS is a System is a proper safety compliance system designed for workers involved in handling different ki nds of hazardous materials. Classes of WHIMS Class A – Compressed gas WHIMS Class DO. SVGA Class B -Flammable and combustible material Class C – Oxidize material Class D-l – Materials causing immediate and serious toxic effects Class D-2 – Materials causing other toxic effects Class D-3 – Bio hazardous infectious Labels on controlled products label is one of the ways health hazard information is made available to anyone using the material.

Unit Length Mix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unit Length Mix - Essay Example Furthermore, more and more studies were conducted to find out the effectiveness of the :15s in comparison to the :30s. This situation resulted from the rumors in 1983 as an effect of the Burke Research report that said 15-seconder commercials are 91% as effective as the 30-seconder ads. (Pre-Testing Co., 2004) Industries are continuously considering the use of :15s for introducing new products. According to the ARS Group's integrated database, 18% of the top 50 new product ads of 2000 were :15s, and had risen to 24% in 2001. (Better Practices in Advertising, 2002) And recently, according to the Media IQ evaluation, :15s now account for more than 36% of all commercial inventory sold by the broadcast networks for which the range increases to nearly two-thirds of all units sold in some dayparts - particularly the daytime. (Bergantini-Grillo, 2005) However, 15-seconder advertisements are not yet the shortest of commercials aired over the television. Ten-seconder, as well as 5-seconder ads are at the same time attracting the attention of the advertisers and the industries, such that of the General Motors Corporation's Cadillac. But along with these changes in the pod length, pod position is also considered as it is found significant in attaining the goals of the advertisers - an increase in the product recall and especially an increase in the product sales. (Steinberg, 2005) Automotive indus... are becoming more involved in developing the most effective advertising techniques in increasing recall and revenue such that the products they sell are not as easily purchased as other products. Moreover, other industries follow suit which includes even the fast foods and restaurants, retail and wireless that were as well attracted to considering shorter pod length and the use of cable televisions as advertising medium in order to reach more of its target audience. (Bergantini-Grillo, 2005) Studies showed that there is an expected 60% of televiewers fast-forward commercials with DVRs. (Haugsted, 2005) Resulting from this technological shift among the viewers and attitudes toward pre-recorded programs, advertisers are becoming more interested in producing and sponsoring mini-movies and cable programs. (Stanley, 2004; Bergantini-Grillo, 2005 & "Media Firm") The rising prices for the traditional 30-second ads led companies in looking for other alternatives in producing equally effective TV commercials as the :30s. (Friedman, 2005) Thus, researches and studies are conducted concerning the effectiveness of pods - its length and its proper positioning. Results showed that the effectiveness of advertisements decreases as the number of commercials in the break increases. (Pre-Testing Co., Inc., 2004) The recent result of the CAB/Nielsen study that showed a recall of :15s having half that of :30s, with the same difference in price had set industries into an inclination in shorter ads considering the big difference in its expenditures in producing and airing of the commercial. (Ephron, n.d.) Moreover, as this trend continues to develop, ten-second commercials has become more attractive for the advertising agencies. But the hope is for a more long-lasting business. The current

Personal Statements on Historical American Events Statement

Statements on Historical American Events - Personal Statement Example The corporations started accumulating large reserves and issuing new stocks and this contributed to the stock market crash. The government has undertaken measures to restructure the corporate world through ensuring corporations are run by hired management and ensuring ordinary citizens have a chance of owning a stake through buying shares in listed companies (Zakim and Kornblith 78). The capitalism influence has been curtailed by organized labor since trade unions bargain for minimum wages and better welfare of workers. This has been occasioned by various laws that govern employment practices and more enlightened workforce. The American capitalism has transformed to cater for all stakeholders in the economy including shareholders, employees, lenders, suppliers, government, and society. The management is responsible for ensuring efficiency and balancing the competing interests of various interested groups such as shareholders and employees. The modern management practices have a sense of responsibility towards the society and general public and companies avoid activities that may harm the environment such as pollution. Accordingly, various laws aim at enhancing perfect competition and limiting the influence of cartels and monopolies. Although the recent financial crisis identified some loopholes in corporate governance, measures have been undertaken to ensure that capitalism promotes ownership of property, good business governance and social responsibility. Capitalism has not hindered the freedoms enjoyed by the citizens. The scope of government is limited in a free market economy and its primary roles include safeguarding private contracts, ensuring law and order and fostering competitive markets. The government is also diversified since state governments provide basic amenities such as schools and sewage disposal depending on their by-laws and thus ensuring

Panasonic- Participation Strategy in Brazil Essay

Panasonic- Participation Strategy in Brazil - Essay Example Organizations have a range of entry modes to choose from when entering a foreign market. The choice of entry mode depends on the specific requirements of the business. Primarily, it depends on the degree of control the business wants over its operations and the risk that the mode implies (Schmidt 2010, p.18). Depending on the level of control, entry modes can be grouped into high/full controls or low/shared controls. There are advantages and disadvantages to each mode of entry, which would be discussed subsequently. 3.1.1. Exporting Exporting is done by businesses who are intending to sell home-produced products in foreign countries. It is one of the most widely used modes of entry because of its simplicity. It saves the business the cost of setting up a production facility in the target country. It is preferable because it allows the business to penetrate the market slowly and steadily, without risking much. Although it gives an insight into future expansion, exporting, however, doe s not allow for a quick feedback to its customers. Exported products have tariffs levied on them and there are a number of logistical obstructions in delivering the product from the producer to the consumer (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt 2011, p.176). 3.1.2. Licensing Licensing is another choice, offering benefits such as lesser capital investment and evasion of trade barriers. It allows a firm operating in the target country to use the company’s intellectual property and resources for introducing the business; albeit under the control of the licensor. Thereby, licensing does not offering autonomy over operations; in fact it makes the licensee rely more on the licensor. Licensing has lesser risks associated with it but it does not promote profitability in the long run nor ensures if the licensor would not exploit the company’s resources, becoming a competitor itself (Ireland et al 2011, p.177). 3.1.3. Strategic alliances Strategic alliances are yet another form of entry mode whereby the business works together with a company based in the local market. On the foremost basis, it allows the firm to gain strategic advantages, bypass trade barriers and to gain economies of scale. However, it requires that a lot of research is undertaken to find a company with which to corroborate with. The consequences of working with a company whose values and core objectives are not aligned with the company expanding abroad can completely undermine the purpose of such a venture. The degree of control can also cause significant ripples (Anonym 2008, p.16). 3.1.4. Foreign Direct Investment Compared to other entry modes, this mode of entry is generally feasible and allows the organisation to gain complete ownership rights of the facility without any share with a partner. It offers the organisation greater control over its operations and allows a deeper insight into consumer behaviour in the target country. Companies which cannot export products due to their characteristi c nature benefit greatly from such direct investment (Cullen and Parboteeah 2008, p.283). However a major drawback of such a venture is that it is time-consuming and not only requires extensive knowledge and skills transfer, but is also demanding in terms of capital and management (Ireland et al 2009, p.159). It is also takes time to establish the brand

English Tort Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 17000 words

English Tort Law - Essay Example The Lister case involves a warden who sexually abused children under his ward whilst he was serving as the supervising head of a boarding house for troubled children in the Wilsic Hall School in Doncaster. His duties included the imposing order in the boarding house, ensuring that children went to school and participated in evening activities, were in bed on time and supervising members of the staff. It was held that the warden’s acts of sexually abusing children were done within the course of his employment because they were closely connected with his official duties. Applying the aforementioned to Gracie’s case, it would seem that the activities by Gracie outside of her actual working hours and during break hours cannot be contemplated as work within the course of her employment at the Call Centre because the employer has no control on what she does during her breaks. Therefore, only Gracie can be made liable for the tort, which in this case is the battery. The tort of trespass of battery has three elements: force; direct application of that force, and; intent to directly apply that force to another. Any touching of another person’s body can amount to the battery if done without the consent of that other party unless the touching was done as a socially acceptable act like the usual jostling that goes on during sales or a hearty slap at the back commonly done by men to congratulate each other (Harpwood 2005 267). Intent does not necessarily refer to intent to harm but intent to apply direct force to another and neither is harm necessary to prove battery.

Rising unemployment does not stops the advance of globalisation Essay

Rising unemployment does not stops the advance of globalisation - Essay Example According to Goyal (2006), globalization refers to the integration of the world’s economies through trade, financial flows, and mutual exchanges related to both technology and knowledge. Moreover, it entails free inter- country movement of labour, while, in the developing countries, it entails providing a chance for foreign direct investment through the provision of facilities to foster investment in different economic activities. Prasad, Rogoff, Wei and Kose (2003) contend that globalization has assisted the developing countries to manage the output and consumption volatility in their countries. Therefore, importance of having a diversified global finance offers a chance of offloading their income risk in the world market to develop countries, and the developing counties benefit from international consumption risk sharing, whereby they sell off a stake of domestic output to gain returns from the global output. Unemployment is defined as the situation when people are facing crisis in job opportunities due to the unpredictable nature of economy. This happens despite the fact that people have education background and with eligibility for job they remain being unemployed. There are various types of unemployment, which are differing with the causes in the economy. These different types of unemployment have different effects on people in an economy. Alteration in demand for these goods and services is caused by everyday launching of new products in any particular market; thus, it creates opportunities in certain areas and in the same way reduces job opportunities in other places. The reemployment can only be possible if the workers relocate to other places where there are opportunities and this facilitates globalisation. Unemployment also occurs due to capital-labour substitution, which causes a reduction in demand for labour, and it can also be caused by long run decline in demand in the indust ry; thus, the unemployment increases due to a mismatch between skills and the requirements of the job vacant. Globalization relates to technology, whereby it facilitates the acquisition of technology especially in developing countries. According to UNDP (2007), the significance of technological advancement has a positive influence on the economic growth of developing counties through the increase of productivity of land, labour, capital, reduction of cost of production and improving the quality of outputs. Globalization also offers a chance for developing countries to be internationally competitive depending on the level of technological advancement. In fact, this contributes substantially to the export development and domestic production in the local markets, and it also leads to trade liberalization. However, technological advancement may cause unemployment among developing countries fostered by the globalization, and this becomes a vital element for competitiveness and economic v iability. Increasing unemployment among developing countries has been promoting globalization since people seek employment in other countries leading to interactions that promote globalization. On the other hand, globalization to the developing countries relates to international financing of countercyclical safety net programs that are established in the market economies affected by the crises of global liquidity (Birdsall, 1999). There is a condition that is set out to make the financing appropriate, and it entails solid records of substantial fiscal policy in the countries that are beneficiaries. It also focuses on the political capacity that equates to programs that are free from corruption, hence unwinding them during the crisis and long-run capacity for servicing the resultant external debt. Apparently, all this initiatives are made with a motive of dealing with

What Causes Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What Causes Obesity - Essay Example Some of the major causes for obesity are : Several studies say that environmental factors are among the major factors responsible for obesity. Lifestyle behaviors such as what a person eats, his friends, the people whom the person gets in touch, his surroundings, physical activity etc. are some of the factors. Genetics can also be causes of obesity, but it is not yet sure how much it is affected because the food habits of the family also may be the cause. Even so, science shows that heredity is linked to obesity. Obesity often is viewed as the result of a lack of willpower, weakness, or a lifestyle "choice"--the choice to overeat and under exercise. The belief that persons choose to be obese adds to the hesitation of health professionals and patients to accept the use of long-term appetite-suppressant medication treatment to manage obesity. Obesity, however, is more appropriately considered a chronic disease than a lifestyle choice. Obesity is the net result of an excess of energy consumption over expenditure. Obesity is a condition of excess body fat. Obesity is associated with too many adipose cells (hyperplastic obesity), adipose cells that are too large (hypertrophic obesity), or both. While changes in the size of adipose cells may occur at any age, the number of adult cells are fixed and determined by weight gain during certain periods of childhood development; fat cell numbers are established by late adolescence and, once established, do not decline. Being overweight or obese increases the risk to many diseases and health conditions, like Hypertension, Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides), Type 2 diabetes, Coronary heart disease, Stroke, Gallbladder disease, Osteoarthritis, Sleep apnea, Respiratory problems and some Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon). Factors that must be considered as contributing to causation are: heredity, overeating, altered metabolism of adipose tissue,

Interpret Everyday Use by Alice Walker according to guidlines Essay

Interpret Everyday Use by Alice Walker according to guidlines - Essay Example Moreover, when she mentions the burning down of their previous house, she mentions Dee’s response to the mishap, â€Å"Why don't you do a dance around the ashes? I'd wanted to ask her. She had hated the house that much.† Thus, Dee comes across as rather reckless and selfish while Mama bears the consequences of her daughter’s nature. On the other hand, certain situations mentioned in the story tilt the scale in favor of Dee/Wangero. Mama, while thinking of Dee’s hatred for their house, remembers her response, â€Å"She wrote me once that no matter where we "choose" to live, she will manage to come see us.† Thus, although haughty and tweaked with vanity, Dee cared about her mother, understood her condition and in a way supported her by reassuring her of her support. Another instance shows that Dee, although has grown apart from her mother and sister, missed them and cherished their memories. This is proved by the following lines in the story in which Dee clicks their pictures to take with her. â€Å"She turns, showing white heels through her sandals, and goes back to the car. Out she peeks next with a Polaroid.† However, viewing both sides, the character of Mama is undoubtedly more ‘sympathetic’, and the one which I consider the ‘right one’. The reason for this is that, she comes across as a sad, unfulfilled woman whose dreams remained just that – dreams. ... Maggie and Dee were as far apart as two individuals sharing the same blood line can be. Dee was confident, successful and a vivacious extrovert leading an urban lifestyle. In contrast, Maggie was shy, unsure of her appearance, and didn’t know life outside the realms of her home. In spite of the contrasting nature of their lives, the two girls did care for each other. This is evident in the way Maggie, although angry at first, agrees to give Dee the quilts that were saved for her, â€Å"She can have them, Mama.† Moreover, Dee while going away gives Maggie some heartfelt ‘sisterly’ advice, â€Å"she turned to Maggie, kissed her, and said, you ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie.† Both girls were similar in the way they cared for their mother, in the ways they found suitable in accordance with their demeanor. Also, both had similar choices as both of them found the ancient quilts attractive. Although both saw their value differently, they shared the desire to own the quilts. A first person narrator refers to a person who is himself a character in the story. Such narration can be biased at times because the person is closely involved in the story and thus certain situations can alter his view, thereby altering the overall view of the narration. In this story, Mama is the first person narrator and although she lays down the facts and the events as they occurred, we cannot completely rely on her observance and conclusions, as, at some point of time, her narration is sure to be colored with her personal views, thus altering the course of realization of the reader. As she is the one who narrates, we get to see her side of story the best. Also, we get to know Maggie and Dee through her perspective and her judgment of good or bad is passed

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

Nanobots - Research Paper Example This essay examines the nanobot in terms of its purpose, function, development, as well as the moral and ethical concerns related to its implementation in the contemporary and future world environments. Analysis What is this technology? Nanobots are the product of nanotechnology. This is technology that functions within exceptionally small confines – namely within a nanometer (10?9 meters). The field of nanorobotics implements nanotechnology in the creation and engineering of robotic devices ranging in size from 0.1-10 micrometers. These robots are recognized to also be composed of micro or nano processors or components. When one considers that in the mid-20th century the only computers that existed filled a room, the emergence of such nanotechnology measures only a half-century later is a tremendous technological advance. Nanotechnology is created from a bottom up process where the technology is created one atom at a time, allowing developers to achieve the astoundingly small size requirements. Currently nanorobotic technology is in a proto-stage, as primitive molecular machines have been developed. There are also sensors that measure only 1.5 nanometers that are able to identify specific molecules in a chemical conglomerate. Even while nanobots remain largely in the formative development stages, it’s recognized that in the upcoming decade they will increasingly become a part of our daily lives. Purpose of this technology and its effect on people’s lives There are a great variety of potential implementations for nanorobotic technology. Perhaps the most prominent use of this technology has been potential implications of it in combating cancer cells. Indeed, recent trial procedures have been conducted wherein nanobots were able to enter a human and eliminate cancer cells. Describing the function of these nanobots in combating cancer, researcher Mark Davis notes, â€Å"It sneaks in, evades the immune system, delivers the siRNA, and the disas sembled components exit out† (Gizmodo). Essentially, these nanobots are able to enter the human body and deliver RNAi sequences to cancerous cells; these are ribonucleic acid interferences that attack malignant cancer cells. Professor Sylvain Martel, Director of the Nanorobotics Laboratory at Polytechnique Montreal has also foregrounded significant developments of nanobots for the treatment of cancer. While Professor Martel’s treatment of cancer is much in like with researcher Mark Davis’ there are a number of notable innovative differences. It’s noted that, â€Å"Using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, his team successfully guided microcarriers loaded with a dose of anti-cancer drug through the bloodstream†¦right up to a targeted area in the liver, where the drug was successfully administered† (‘Science Daily’). In these regards, the notable understanding is that this technology is able to improve chemoembolization by tre ating cancerous cells without exposing the unaffected adjacent tissue to the medication’s toxic effects. In addition to specific implications on cancer treatment, nanobots are also believed to have the potential of aiding humans avoid invasive surgery through entering the body and conducting such amendments. Furthermore, the emergent study of nanomedibots is believed to have the potential of developing nanobots that reside in humans to, â€Å"monitor body function; repair damaged tissue at the molecular level; deconstruct pathologic or abnormal material or cells such as cancer or

Dollar General Corporation Essay Example for Free

Dollar General Corporation Essay Abstract Dollar General Corporation is United States largest small-box discount retailer headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee [1]. Dollar General offers both name brand products and generic merchandise [2]. Its competitors include Family Dollar, Dollar Tree which also operate in deep discount segment of US retailing. The following case study discusses about the various political, economic, social and technological forces that Dollar General have faced and their impact on the company. The report also talks about the critical success factors of Dollar General. The report is concluded by summary of key learning’s from the case study. PEST Analysis for Dollar General Political: In the year of 2006, Janet Calvert, a former store manager, filed a complaint that she was paid less than the male storage managers because of her gender, in violation of the Equal Pay Act and title VII of Civil Rights act of 1964. There were other plaintiffs which were added to this case. This case resulted in Dollar General reaching a settlement in principle, by which it would pay $15.5 million to the plaintiffs and their legal charges costing around $3.25 million. The company was expected to receive reimbursement of $15.9 million from its Employment Practices Liability Insurance if these payments were approved by the court. This case did impact Dollar General Approach towards pay setting policies and procedures for new store managers [3]. Economic: During the recession period from 2007-2009, the customers of Dollar stores suffered from unemployment and lower purchasing power. And even the people from higher income brackets started purchasing the dollar store products fo r seeking larger bargains. This led to the increase in the customer traffic and larger sales for Dollar stores. Dollar general  captivated upon this scenario and continually reviewed its merchandise mix, and adjusted it accordingly. It expanded its offerings of consumable goods to serve customers’ needs and increased its sales [3]. Dollar General captured trade-down shoppers who came from middle and higher level of incomes (who generally had not shopped at dollar stores for all these years, but came during the recession to find bargains). Over the time the company adjusted its pricing strategy for items by pricing it from $1 to no more than $10. And managers of this company also believed that the company’s ability to attract customers of varying economic status depends on offering both national and store brands [3]. This way Dollar General was able to satisfy the customers of varying economic status, which resulted in more sales and profit for the company. Social: Consumer psychology during the recession period was to get the products at a lower price and the store to be available at a convenient distance (not too far). During this time Dollar General varied its price from $1 to no more than $10 and offered consumable goods at a very reasonable price. And it has also opened new stores within the reach of 3 to 5 miles, so that every customer is able to get easy access to their neighbourhood store [3]. This resulted in satisfying customer’s need as well as increasing company’s sales. Technology: During the year 2008 when the cost of the fuel increased, the Dollar General’s distribution costs went up and the company’s gross profit was affected. In order to mitigate this problem, the company completed the installation of a voice pick system by the year 2010 in all the distribution centres, so that the employees in the distribution centres can communicate with warehouse software systems by speech recognition [3]. This was a good strategic move by the company as its use is expected to increase rapidly over the next few years with evolving technological advancements. The company also installed new analytical and monitoring tools to assist with inventory shrinkage reduction efforts [3], which was a major part of company’s effort to increase gross margin. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS’s for Dollar General In this case for instance, good leadership and management was a CSF for Dollar General. As we can see that, there was major expansion of business activities and stores with the entry of David Perdue (the company’s new  general manager) in the year 2003. In addition, the company through his leadership also initiated Project Alpha, which was based on extensive analysis of performance of each store and the company’s inventory management model. Few of the structural changes that company undergone during this project include shutting down over 400 underperforming stores and writing off old inventory. These strategic alignments have been the major part of company’s CSF, as it was able to focus more on most viable stores and new inventories which have led the company into high effectiveness in their business activities [4]. Moreover, the company specialized in low, middle and fixed income families as their major customers. This has been used as the company’s CS F, as this group forms the largest proportion in the market. Even though the purchasing power of this category is low when compared to the higher segments in U.S. but their huge population is a contributory factor for success of the company [4]. Dollar General Social responsibility Rick Dreiling, Chairman and CEO of Dollar General, explained the company’s commitment towards literacy through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation program. The company actively engages customers in a way: â€Å"At each and every cash register of a Dollar General store, customers get to learn about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation program through brochures with a postage-paid reply card that can be mailed in for a referral to a local organization that offers exclusively free literacy services. Further, they also have the opportunity to donate money to this worthy cause. In 2012, Dollar General Customers donated more than $10 million to directly benefit the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s efforts in helping people learn how to read, speak English or get their General Education Diploma (GED) [5].† Key learning’s from the case From this case one can clearly understand that Dollar General played its cards right. When there was recession, the company retained its regular customers and attracted new customers by adjusting sales mix in order to drive more customer traffic and larger purchases. It expanded its stores by taking the advantage of weak real estate market to lower its operating costs for future years. Careful management of merchandise categories had allowed  Dollar General to increase its same-store sales. Private label brands during recession helped increase the growth of the company. These all strategic moves which were made under efficient leadership and management transformed the company into a leader in the dollar store retail sector with sales of more than $13 billion by 2011 [3]. References [1] Dollar General, Retrieved October 11 2014, http://www2.dollargeneral.com/About-Us/pages/Index.aspx [2] Dollar General, Retrieved October 11 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollar_General [3] Parnell, John A. (2014). Strategic Management: Theory and Practice. 4th edition. SAGE Publications. [4] Dollar General Case Memo Marketing Essay, Retrieved October 11 2014, http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/dollar-general-case-memo-marketing-essay.php [5] Amway, GM, and Dollar General among corporations making ‘Good’ A Goal, Retrieved October 10 2014, http://www.forbes.com/sites/devinthorpe/2013/08/29/amway-gm-and-dollar-general-among-corporations-making-good-a-goal/2/

Information Technology Essay Example for Free

Information Technology Essay Write a 200- to 300-word short-answer response to the following: How is information used in the modern enterprise? How does this use affect IT systems? Information technology has become spreading widely throughout our society. We live in a modern world with Internet access from our home, fast food chains, offices, schools and on our mobile devices, such as iPhones, iPods, Blackberries and Android Phones. Nowadays, the use of internet became essential to communicate distantly and the use of social medias for interactions as well as businesses through online marketing or other called as the e-commerce. The rapid advancement of this system has elevated the importance of the IT function. Information technology in the modern enterprise has developed gradually from a back-office component to a most important operational constituent that could improve businesses performances and increases shareholders value. Enterprises such as marketing, sales and finance are now cooperated by information technology. The core success of an organization is information technology because it serves daily operational support and enables enterprise wide change. Since information technology is essential in a modern enterprise it is sometimes serve as a threat in today’s organization. One of the examples is the personal information which can be sending through the use of systems and it can be a threat if this information consolidated from banks and accounts pertaining to financial aspects. In these cases, applying triad could be helpful that is Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability. The protection of the information from disclosure to unauthorized users is confidentiality while integrity refers to protecting information from being modified by unauthorized users. Ensuring that authorized users are able to access the information when needed is availability.

Effects of Technology on Music

Effects of Technology on Music Effects of Technology on Music Production and Distribution Introduction Technology has brought many advantageous opportunities to the music industry in the area of production and distribution. Besides popular and valuable instruments such as the electric guitar and the synthesizer, technology has brought us new production equipments such as high-fidelity microphones, re-mastering equipments and CD-ROMs that provide us with a crystal clear sound of the recording. The development of these equipments has allowed the audience to experience a higher quality of sound coming from both live concerts and recordings. Easiness of transportation that came along with the technological developments in the sector, has allowed the record labels to distribute music all around the world. During the 1950s turbojet engines were cleared for civilian use, and with new civil jet-engine cargo aircraft distribution of almost any item became easier and faster than ever before. The evolution of the computer and the Internet was also a great distribution advantage for the music industry and should not be underestimated. New sound formats, such as the MP3, have made music distribution easier. Companies could now provide selling licenses to companies that would allow users to download certain songs from the Internet at a very high speed. The music industry also got many opportunities for advertisements since they were now not limited to billboards, TV and radio. Many companies can now promote their records by playing a preview for the user, on certain websites. Music Production Recording equipments were mostly used after the 1920s. These electronic devices were very hard to find and also very expensive. 1950s was when electronic equipment became easier to obtain and also became relatively cheaper. Not only that, they were also better in quality of recording and reproduction when compared to those devices used during the 1920s. By this time there were a lot of studios that were in demand for more electronic recording equipment. With the development of electronic equipments by engineers and inventors (such as Raymond Scott, who was an American composer and inventor who invented recording equipments and electronic instruments), studios started to buy these relatively cheap instruments. With these new equipments, studios were able to re-master previous recordings (mostly classical and jazz) to produce a more crystal-clear sound. However re-mastering was not the only feature of these equipments. Studios (sometimes individual labels) and bigger recording compani es (labels) started to record more and more music using these equipments and then sold them to the audience. Also during this time, along with the development of new instruments, new genres started to form. Consequently more and more label companies were formed and companies were categorized according to the genre they produced and sold. Slowly by slowly, label companies started to compete with each other and signed contracts with artists to record more songs to sell. This competition between labels made popular music a commodity and in time, these music equipments were started to be used for music sampling or element extraction which in some cases led to lawsuits. The developments in music production equipments have led to companies wanting to make more and more profit by recording and distributing their records. With these developments, companies started to look for new ways of distribution that could allow them to distribute their records at a global scale. The general development in technology has worked to their advantage. Music Distribution 1. Transportation Transportation before the evolution of civil aircraft was very hard and took a very long time. Mostly, merchandises were transported with ships and trains. However, during the 1950s, civil aircraft manufacturers were allowed to use turbojet engines for their aircraft. With these engines, new passenger and cargo aircraft were able to travel at a higher speed. New maritime technologies that were developed around the 1950s (such as the bulbous bow, used to decrease drag) allowed transportation ships to travel at (relatively) very high velocities. These developments made air cargo and ship transportation the primary platforms for transporting merchandises. Using these developments, record companies started to use air cargo and ships to distribute their records to all around the world very quickly. 2. Computers and The Internet Recordings were stored mostly in WAV file formats in computers. WAV is a waveform file format and its almost the exact replica of a high-quality CD recording. However, WAV files are very big in size. Transferring these formats over the internet would take a very long time. Even now, when we have access to high-speed internet, downloading a 50MB file takes about a minute. Back in the 90s, most people used the standard dial-up connection (which was very slow, 56 kbps). Downloading a 50MB file with a dial-up connection would take up to 4 hours, considering that the file does not contain any invaluable (overhead) data[1]. The MP3 file format compresses the original sound recording and provides us with a file that is very small in size but high in sound quality. This decrease in file size made the MP3 files very popular amongst internet users because they are very accessible and they can download them very quickly. With these developments, label companies wanted to take advantage of this increase in accessibility and consequently gave (sold) licenses to distributing companies. Currently, iTunes and many other sites allow users to download MP3 music files for a certain price. With this accessibility, both the marketing (distributing companies) and the label companies make profit from selling recordings. Also, besides these, the internet has provided label companies many opportunities to advertise/promote their records. With the increasing number of websites, labels can advertise their records on certain websites, or promote their records in YouTube, etc. Certain websites play previews of records or single recordings for users when they enter the website. Unlike local billboards and TV/Radio commercials/promotions, label companies can extend their range to a global scale. Many local and global popular music groups and labels have official accounts on YouTube, Facebook and MySpace. They can simply promote their records on these sites by providing users with full records or previews. These types of social websites are also a great way for labels and individual groups to promote their items. Therefore, this global increase in label advertising opportunities and thus increase in advertising itself, also allowed the sales to increase in time and bring label companies to a higher position. 3. Technological Accessibility Nowadays, almost everyone owns either an iPod or a portable CD-player. Label companies can distribute records in several different formats. For example, some of these formats may be CD-ROMs, online MP3 files, tapes, etc. With the accessibility to electronic portable CD/Tape players, computers, and MP3 players, many users of these different platforms can buy records from a certain label company. The main label will have a higher rate of sales when they distribute for more than one platform. When we compare today with earlier days, where the gramophone was in use, we can say that the gramophone was the only music reproduction platform and not everyone had access to it. Thus the increase in accessibility and platforms do increase profits for label companies. Conclusion Almost every development in technology, from aircrafts to ships and chips to the internet, has affected the music industry. As usual, these developments may be both in advantage or disadvantage to the music industry or label companies, however I have elaborated on the advantageous side of these developments. Record label companies have brought themselves to a high position using these technological developments that helped them mass produce and distribute their records at a global scale. Unfortunately, popular music labels only use this technology to increase the amount of yearly profits instead of using it to create art. Label companies now use â€Å"template† music, where only certain elements of music can be changed to make it look individual (pseudo-individualization)[2]. Looking at these general actions of record companies, I can say that their sole purpose is to make profit by marketing music. Considering the technological developments and their consequences, these developments have been to the advantage of label companies. Bibliography Allan, David. On Popular Music in Advertising. Popular Musicology Online. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. . Bray, Patrick J. Learning about bulbous bows. Martins Marine Engineering Page. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . Holmes, Thomas B. Electronic and Experimental Music Pioneers in Technology and Composition. New York: Routledge, 2002. Print. The Jet Engine. History Learning Site. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . Raymond Scott: Biography. Official Raymond Scott Website: RaymondScott.com. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . Shuker, Roy. Understanding Popular Music. New York: Routledge, 2001. Print. Tschmuck, Peter. Creativity and Innovation in the Music Industry. New York: Springer, 2006. Print. Ulucay, Tolga. Difference Between .mp3 and .wav. EzineArticles. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . [1] Download time calculator: [2] Allan, David. On Popular Music in Advertising.Popular Musicology Online. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. .

The Unconscious Mind of Mrs. Drover in Bowen’s The Demon Lover :: Demon Lover Essays

The Unconscious Mind of Mrs. Drover in Bowen’s The Demon Lover To some degree, literature is analogous to the human mind: both literature and the thought systems of human beings operate on multifarious levels. The human mind functions both consciously and unconsciously; while the conscious exists superficially, the unconscious governs most human actions. The superficial level of literature is gleaned by rendering a literal interpretation of the words on the pages. Yet, a piece of literature—like the human mind—also contains a recondite element that governs the actions contained within the work. Sigmund Freud suggested that â€Å"like the iceberg, the human mind is structured so that its great weight and density lie beneath the surface† (Guerin et al. 127). Similarly, the â€Å"great weight and density† of Elizabeth Bowen’s â€Å"The Demon Lover† also lies beneath the surface. While a literal interpretation reduces the work to a simple yet disturbing ghost story, trenchant analysis reveals the inward pilgrimage of the protagonist, Kathleen Drover. Although it is unclear whether or not Mrs. Drover’s return to her house in London is a physical journey, it is, with certitude, a psychological one. Mrs. Drover’s journey is one into her battle-scarred psyche, damaged by her failure to achieve a balance between two opposing forces—the Id and Superego. The terms id and superego, along with ego, comprise Freud’s tripartite model. The id is the portion of the psyche that generates â€Å"our instinctual physical, especially libidinal, desires. The id itself is often described as insatiable and pleasure seeking† and it does not consider the consequences or implications of its actions (Murfin and Ray 164). Conversely, the superego â€Å"operates according to morality principal and serves primarily to protect society and us from the id† (Bressler 151). The ego is the â€Å"rational governing agent of the psyche†¦the ego serves as intermediary between the world within and the world without† and it helps â€Å"keep us healthy human beings by maintaining a balance between these two opposing forces† (Guerin et al. 130-1). Externally, Mrs. Drover is described as a â€Å"prosaic† woman whose normal expression was that of â€Å"controlled worry, but of assent† (Bowen 661-2). She was a simple, ordinary woman—perhaps even a bit dull—whose movements were â€Å"circumscribed.† Internally, Mrs.

media :: essays research papers

Malik Pokks Speech 245, 711 May 8, 2005 Professor Greener PAPER 2 Media Effects on governing the mass media has played a major role in American politics since the formation of our country. So much so that it has been called by many, "the fourth branch of government." Originally, media power was only vested in the papers, but today radio and television are the more prominent forms of news. Since the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, presidents have used the media to spread their views to their constituents. FDR brought us the fireside chats in one of which he requested the American people to put their money back into the banks and get our economy moving again. The media informed the nation of Richard Nixon's less then honorable means of governing and the media brought the Vietnam War to our living rooms every evening. There are even those who believe that the media chooses our presidents by deciding whether to air the good or bad things they dig up on the presidential candidates. There are two major ways the mass media affects t he public. These are agenda setting and priming. Agenda setting is the way the media dictates the salience of contemporary issues. An experiment performed by Iyengar et al in 1980 showed that media does effect how important an issue is to the public. In this experiment, Iyengar showed three different groups news clippings weighted on the side of specific issues, then showed a fourth control group undoctored news. He tested these subjects before and after the showings and found that in all but one issue, the subjects had moved in the hypothesized direction. This last issue was inflation and he concluded that people just could not think this issue was more important then they already did. Agenda setting effect is important to the government, especially the president, because it leads to priming. Priming is the use of salient issues by the public to evaluate a public figure. This technique became very useful in the Ford admistration, when secretary of defense Donald Rumfield, prior to this admistration, critized the American media for the outcome the Vietnam War. He felt that the media new too much about the government operation, some TV station were even reporting bombing targets before the army executed. When is comes to voting on a president, priming is second only to partisanship in importance.

Islands As A Narration Of A Yo :: essays research papers

A. Hemon’s Islands is the narrative of a young boys initiation into the adult world. The boy travels to a place he has never been before, far away from all the comforts of his childhood home. The island is full of secrets about the ‘adult world’ and the terrible things that can happen within it. While away, he learns shocking lessons about the world in which he lives, mainly from his Uncle Julius, who tells scary stories that he thinks the boy should know about. The boy is unprotected from everything on the island and everything it contains. Through this unprotected environment, he learns things about the adult world that are not learned anywhere else.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the car on the way to the coast, the boy almost loses his voice by singing â€Å"communist songs the entire journey.† (129) By his singing songs about â€Å"mournful mothers looking through graves for their dead sons† and â€Å"the revolution† the boy demonstrates his naivity. He is, after all, just a young boy. His limited life experience is shown in his singing such songs, without understanding the full meanings and connotations that those songs carry. The boys’ innocence is emphasized here, as these are ‘adult’ songs and it is only, generally, children who sing on car journeys until their voices are gone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even before boarding the boat, the boy begins to notice how ugly age and adulthood can be. He notices the â€Å"gnarled knees , the spreading sweat stains on their shirts and sagging wrinkles of fat on their thighs.† (129) At one point, he sees â€Å"one of the Germans, an old, bony man† get down on his knees and then vomit over the pier edge. The boy sees this, but still relates it back to something he understands. â€Å"The vomit Catherine Henderson hit the surface and then dispersed in different directions, like children running away to hide from the seeker.† (130) Again, by relating something so grotesque to something so childlike and innocent, the boy reminds the reader that he is still just a young child, not yet ready to deal with this kind of adult vision.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once boarded on the boat and sailing to Mljet, the boy loses his hat. It is not just a hat though, it is his hat that shielded him from the grown-ups and the adult way of life. If he wanted to look at them properly, he had to raise his head. The hat was a â€Å"round straw hat with all the seven dwarfs painted on it.† (129) When the gust of

Artillery Ww1

On Sunday, June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, an 18-year-old Serbian named Gavrilo Princip, shot and killed Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Duchess Sophie while they were driving in a convertible. Princip belonged to a secret terror society, called the Black Hand, that wanted to unite Bosnia with Serbia, and rid itself of Austrian rule. The assassination led to the first World War. This terrible conflict lasted over 4 years, involved over 30 nations, and claimed more than 20,000,000 lives, both military and civilian.It cost billions of dollars, destroyed Europe, and crumbled empires. The biggest cause of death in the war was artillery fire, which accounted for 60% of all deaths on the western front. In the rocky landscape of the desert (where artillery was more effective) they caused almost 75% of all deaths. The Battle of Verdun started on the 21st of February, 1916. In the battle, artillery was used to barrage the enemy lines and force retreat. The Germans were armed with FK16’s (77 mm field artillery) and Morser 10’s (210 mm heavy howitzer’s).While the French retaliated with canon de 75 M1897’s (75 mm field artillery), canon de 155 C M1915 (155 mm field howitzer), and Mortier de 280 M1914 Schneider’s (280 mm siege howitzer). The battle of Verdun was the longest of the entire war and stole countless lives on both sides. The Germans lost 100,000 soldiers, while the French buried close to 165,000 brave men after the battle had come to a close. In total, the battle produced 714,231 casualties. The picture above was taken on February 21,1916, in Verdun, France during the first engagement of the battle.The French had just received a German bombardment to their front most trench. Soon after this picture was taken, the French were forced to retreat, for the Germans had superior man power and artillery count. In the picture, a man sits next to a place where an Artillery shell has detonated inside the trench killing many sol diers. When a shell hits it is unanticipated; a blur of mud and metal. A shell can be anywhere between the size of a man’s arm to his entire body. Imagine that dropping out of the sky loaded with tons of explosives. The scariest thing about them was they could hit anywhere at anytime.This picture is meant to show the brutality of artillery warfare. The angle of the man lying in the mud is depicted gruesomely, and the look on the soldier’s face behind him begs the question â€Å"Why am I here? † Pictures just like this were taken throughout the war and clearly show how much blood was spilled and how many young brave souls were lost. The Battle of Verdun ended with no clear victor on December 13, 1916. The German general said his goal was to â€Å"bleed the French army white. † Indeed he did, but not before suffering 435,000 casualties. A picture is worth a thousand words, but was this conflict worth millions of lives?

“An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge” By Ambrose Bierce Essay

realism is often perceived as a form of writing which is blunt because of the verity that authors used in approaching the subject. However, magic spell naturalism is known to employ precise realism in describing its subjects it necessarily follows that sh arisation becomes a critical process where the commentator is given the benefit of making a conclusion as to how a situation address is reputationized. In effect, naturalism exactly generates the veritable(a)ts for the reader to base his/her conclusion on.In this light, the main character in Ambrose Bierce neat story, An Occurrence at bird of Minerva creek Bridge, Peyton Furquhar is given flesh and communication channel using naturalist elements of exposition, stand, and flash back. explanation is a crook that could be perceived as naturalist because it is through this that the writer is able to give a matter-of-factly range of a function of the character and in the short story, much(prenominal) device knead s to initi whollyy constitute the superficial characteristics of the main character. For instance, in the cables length, Peyton Farquhar was a sanitary-to-do planter, of an old and highly consider Alabama family. (Bierce, 2010) no shape up suppositions discount be made except for what is cosmos stated that the superstar is well to do, is in agriculture, and has integrity in that he is a well respected member of a known family. Obviously, in these lines, the writer does not have any intention of creating another(prenominal) subjective interpretations instead he scarcely states what is superficially app atomic number 18nt. In another line from the story, her husband approached the dusty horseman and inquired eagerly for news from the front. (Bierce, 2010) still referring to the protagonist, the author once again reveals another superficial personality that universe the eagerness of the protagonist for news, in fact this cross characterization is stated in the same line t o avoid further misjudgments. Association is also used in the story to indirectly characterize the character by revealing app bent uncorrelated events or situations. This is consistent with naturalism where the environment and social mountain kitty work to influence a particular character or an event. In the lines, Evidently this was no vulgar assassin.The liberal military commandment makes provision for hanging many kinds of persons, and gentlemen ar not excluded. (Bierce, 2010) succeeding a lengthy description of the physical attributes of the protagonist, the writer, by association, suggests that the protagonist was organism executed un only ifly. Further summary of this line would reveal that another association comes to mind that the character belongs to the middle or the upper class. So, even without the physical descriptions, angiotensin-converting enzyme can easily associate the mitigating circumstances to the actual character of the protagonist.Another such exampl e is found in the lines, To be hanged and drowned, he thought? that is not so bad but I do not wish to be shot. No I will not be shot that is not fair. (Bierce, 2010) here, the author reveals a side to the character of the protagonist unconquerable by his chosen method of conclusion being shot during this period was an inelegant way of dying as it was implicative of the gravity of the fault of the one being executed. Shooting was also done fleck the victim had his back on the shooters which all the to a greater extent makes it quite humiliating and degrading.So, this particular line characterizes the protagonist, through external circumstances, as someone who has a reputation that he protects and would not want to be tarnished. opposite than just association, reminiscing and flash back ar also tools in naturalism that may be employed to characterize a character. Flash back is when the protagonist draws from by experiences or recalls certain social elements that are not in effect at the period the story is being told, and these elements can reveal much about the character and even affirm the actions of the character.So, in the lines, By diving I could evade the bullets and, travel vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and take away away home. My home, thank God, is as as yet outside their lines my wife and little ones are still beyond the invaders farthest advance. (Bierce, 2010) the author paints the character to be someone who is deeply concerned of his family that even in his direst moments, as guards were shooting at him from the riverbank, he still had thoughts of his home intact, which he verily recalled consequently revealing this particular aspect of his personality.Again, this same naturalistic device is used in the lines, He must(prenominal) have traveled the entire night. As he pushes open the gate and passes up the wide white walk, he sees a flutter of female garments his wife, looking knowing and cool and sweet, steps down from the heading to meet him. (Bierce, 2010) where a sexual temperament is revealed in the scenes that the protagonist recalls. here, other than just revealing that the character is a unattractive and family person, the stark description of the garments as well as the scent of the wife are consistent with a subliminal description which points to the sexual desires of the character.In the story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Bierce effectively gives his character life notwithstanding his turn of events up dead in the end, by using certain elements of naturalist and realist literature. Here one sees that through superficial and assailable description, association of environmental and social circumstances, as well as the recall or reminiscing of past circumstances, the personality, attitude, and character of the protagonist becomes more vivid and believable. References Bierce, A. (2010). An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from http//fiction. eserver. org/short/occurrence_at_owl_creek. hypertext mark-up language