Facing the Giants Reaction Paper Essay

The secret of the team’s success is their faith to God. Their coach and the team itself seems to be hopeless and almost to give up, but their coach make a stand and seek God, His revelations and His sovereignty in their situation. Our events team almost has the same situation. We seem to be hopeless in mounting our own event because we are running out of time and we still don’t have an approved title. The good thing is, our professor gave us last chance and our event manager gathered all of us to discuss and vote for our titles proposal. Finally, we were able to hit the mark and get an approval because of our teamwork and perseverance even if there is no hope. This is a very good movie to watch for families and for people who are losing hope in their own situations. I realized that in life, there is nothing we can’t accomplish with faith. We have our own giants, but we cannot face them without God in our side. The movie shows that it is also important that our li ves should be guided by the Word of the Lord because His Words can renew our mindsets and spirits and His Word can light up our journey in this world. I also learned that, wherever God puts me, I must do my best not for myself, not for anybody else, but for His name to be glorified. My life must be a great testimony that will inspire and will encourage others. Giving up is never an option. If we feel like quitting, we must ask ourselves why we started. In everything we will do we must give our best and all that we have, all for our Lord. This movie gives its watchers something to treasure a lifetime. It will move every heart. I was teary eyed in the part where the son was saying sorry to his father after realizing that he really needs to respect his father. It is a good example to follow because nowadays, teenagers don’t have this respect for their parents. Movies nowadays will leave us stunned or give us some laughters but this movie gave us lessons that we can really apply to our families and career life.

Against School Essay

Against School Gattos opinion on school is extremely intense and straight forward. For the most part I agree with his standing point on the subject of schooling. I agree with his arguments of how we have become a society that completely relies on technology to keep us from being bored, and this notion teaches us to be absent minded rather than creative. I also agree that keeping kids â€Å"locked up† in a building for about seven hours a day gives us no room to grow individually and learn from life experiences. Not only are students the ones in jeopardy because of this confined structure, but the teachers are as well. It’s almost like this narrow minded school system we abide by is just a dark cloud that hovers over us and imprints this idea that there is no other way to do things. When you think about it, school closely resembles what prison is made out to be. A bunch of unhappy people who would rather be anywhere but there. This is NOT what education should be about. We should enjoy learning, not think of it as a chore or something to get over with so that we can move on to the next thing in life. Which is what? More work? We need to focus on training our brains to engage in activities, enjoy the moment, be curious, and to discover new wonders, not new worksheets. I remember being a kid, gazing out the window on a car ride home, letting my imagination run wild, as fast as the car was going. Now whenever I drive for long periods of time, I lean over to look at what my little brother is doing. He’s constantly staring at some sort of computer screen. I even attempt having a conversation with him, asking him if he has any homework he needs help with but all I get in return is the same absent- minded response that I receive every day after school, â€Å"Nope, I already did my homework at school. † I’m always worried that he’s not getting an education, but instead is just receiving a â€Å"schooling†. He never seems engaged in his homework, but is more interested in what video game he can play as soon as he’s done. What ever happened to picking up a book and actually exercising the brain to imagine impossible things such as dragons and fairies? Does the board of education honestly think that they are tricking everyone into thinking that you will learn better off of a simple worksheet rather than actually going out and doing hands on interactions? Why do they restrict us? It’s almost like they emphasis conformity. It’s such a contradicting setting, school is. They put so much pressure on us to be individual and be completely yourself, yet they don’t allow us freedom to do so. I think we all stay so indifferent to the subject that it’s only getting worse. And the more we stay indifferent about it, the more the problem will escalate. It’s a vicious cycle that has to be stopped.

Choosing Disability

Exceptionally: Disability and Giftedness Dry. Stuart Sameness's Parents all over the world have one great thing In common, wanting the best for their children and giving them great opportunities to pursue their dreams. Children are considered special blessings from God, especially for couples that were bestowed with this blessing after much patience. Furthermore, women who could not conceive were known to be cursed and inferior to other fertile women.Although, there are still any couples whose attempts to conceive a child naturally go vain, medical science has allowed these problems to be resolved through various interventions, such as; infertility treatments, intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy or even sperm donor clinics. There are many things to be considered when it comes to family planning, before a couple decides to bring a child Into this world. For some, It may to Walt until they are financially well off, moving to a family friendlier neighborhood, or possibly visiting a fertility clan to weigh out their options.Fertility lining are also beneficial If the couple Is Interesting In knowing the probably of passing a disease with a family history or a disability off to their offspring. Moreover, possess preferential characteristics such as; eye color, hair color, height, race, and/or education. As one might say, conceiving through sperm donors is the safest alternative precisely because donors with congenital disabilities are screened out long before they would ever make the catalogue, as the sperm banks are aware that the probability of such a withdrawal is very low.But as strange as deliberately assign a disability to an unborn child may seem, there are many advocating for the allowance of such services. Some parents have taken steps to ensure that they have children with a desired disability. What is meant by ‘disability is subject for considerable debate, however. For many, disability is something undesirable, as it signif icantly reduces the individual's quality of life and social opportunities. This scenario is particularly relevant to the Deaf Culture who consider themselves a part of a minority group.This paper intends to explore the controversy regarding the ethics of deliberately choosing a disability and implementing it on the case study of James Kittle and wife and discussing why they should not be allowed to deliberately select an embryo with a disability via the use of pre-implantation diagnosis. James Kittle is a congenital deaf married to a wife of 5 years. James and wife are both belonging to the Deaf Culture and seem very content with their ‘disability.Their main mode of communication is American Sign Language and do not consider their condition as a defect or a disability, rather a different viewpoint of life that differs only slightly from the norm. Both James and his wife were raised in a typical nuclear family with hearing parents and siblings. Once they learned that they were expecting their first child, they were thrilled. This excitement, however was short-lived as they soon found out that he was born hearing with no signs of partial deafness.They were hoping for a deaf child like themselves so that he could easily be integrated into their culture and so they could set a new generation of the Deaf in the family. As Jimmy, their son, turned four, they started fearing that they would eventually lose their son, o the hearing world. They decided to consult their family doctor who referred them to an ideologist with whom they could discuss the possibility of surgically deafening their son by removing his cochleae from both of his ears.As this was illegal in America, James took it upon himself to take Jimmy to Brazil where this type of surgery is permissible. Jimmy refused once he learned of his parents' intention but was told that he would have no problem adjusting and was not given much of an option. The surgery was successful and James and his wife now co nsider Jimmy a ‘special blessing. They are now ready for their second child, but instead of simply hoping for that child to be deaf, they are considering the possibility of conceiving through pre- implantation diagnosis, since they do not want to take their chances as they did with Jimmy.This case study raises many ethical issues about deliberately choosing deafness over normality and why it should never be permissible to do so on the basis of fundamental human rights. The choice to seek deaf children cuts across the grain of virtually all discussion in bioethics about prenatal interventions involving the traits of children. It is not prenatal interventions regarding producing super kids, with superior qualities not commonly observed in their peers of the same age.These qualities usually exceed their peers and even parents in sight, hearing, intelligence, athletic skills, immunity to disease, strength and many more among the list of desirable traits. If options to select these enhanced traits were available, why would the parents not want these for their children? There seems to be no logical reasoning behind limiting their children of these beneficial traits. In addition, these traits should be equal to everyone and not Just the wealthy that already have the most advantages many people lack.From time to time, bioethics forums are flooded with such debatable issues and concerns when it comes to ‘designing' babies through the use of medical interventions. By contrast, however, parents going through the extra mile to ensure their children are born with a congenital disability, particularly deafness, take the debates and the controversies surrounding these issues in an entirely different direction. Two contrasting views of deafness exist in today's society.Most people insider deafness as a pathological condition resulting in profound hearing loss, followed by the viewpoint that deafness is a sensory deficit. People diagnosed with this condition are se en to be at a great disadvantage and strongly deviant from the norm. Moreover, the minority viewpoint regards deaf people as belonging to a culture paralleling themselves with racial groups such as Blacks, Hispanic and others who are bonded together by shared values, and a common language (Wagner, 2008).Those that belong to this culture consider the property of being deaf to be a highly ascribable characteristic and a unique cultural identity. The couple mentioned above takes great pride in being a part of such a culture and feel their motives of wanting deaf children through various means to be misunderstood. James and his wife wanted children like themselves and did not see their preferences as a moral offence. In addition, James felt so strongly connected with this culture that he wanted to see in his children the deafness that was so central to his identity.While the decision of this couple to want a deaf child grew out of their own moral intuition, Teresa Burke is amongst the m any commentators that as offered a defense of such a practice, as long as certain conditions are met. Teresa Burke (2005) argues that parents may be allowed to have deaf children only if they are deaf themselves and are able to work on offering language or some means of communication to their children. She argues that deafness is compatible with the ability to pursue a rewarding life.Furthermore, she feels that eliminating many environmental issues, such as stigma and discrimination can offset its disadvantages and a society where the deaf and the hearing live alongside one another, coexisting peacefully is not entirely unattainable (Burke, 2011). The counterparts of this argument, which is much more relatable to the norm suggest that parents have an obligation to enhance the capacities of their children to the extent that is within their power.Julian Cupules (2001) feels that there is a certain obligatory force to treat and prevent diseases and that we have an obligation to try to manipulate these characteristics to give an individual the best opportunity of the best life, not the other way around. To fail to treat our children's disease is to harm them. In general, he mental, and psychological capacities. Failing to do so is harming them, Just as it is to elaborately reduce these capacities and limiting them of a state of well being, regardless of how it is done (Cupules, 2001).From a perspective like this, it is evident that prevention of suffering is central to anyone's moral belief. James and his wife were definitely not selfless, as they disregarded Jimmy's refusal and went ahead with the surgery anyway. Despite the fact that deafness does not disable the possibility of a meaningful life, moral considerations suggest that parents should not be choosing this alternative intentionally. All in all, deafness is a disability in the ensue that it represents an inhibition in a major life function and James committed a strong moral transgression by making a choi ce for his son that cannot be undone.Typically, the search for genes that cause or contribute to an undesirable medical condition is followed by the hope of finding a cure for that condition, or eradicating it in general (Wagner, 2008). Deafness differs from most disabilities precisely because it is not universally viewed as an undesirable medical condition, and according to many advocating this point; there is no need to even find a cure, since it is not a problem. This is not to say that deaf people deny their tautological status but it illustrates their importance of culture over pathology.The current popularity of cochlear implant surgery today among hearing parents of deaf children with its post rehabilitation oral skills, has led to a reduction in the number of deaf children attending special residential school for the deaf at an early age. When the FDA announced its proposal in 1990 to provide children with cochlear implants, the members of the deaf community reacted negative ly and even referred to it as ‘cultural genocide' (Sculls, 2011).Now, many years later, the ethical issues of cochlear implant surgery seem to not be a problem anymore because of the advances in genetic engineering that has allowed people from this community to genetically ‘design' their babies to their preferences. Although this technology is meant to eradicate any form of disability altogether, it has recently been used to Just do the opposite. Many of these deaf community members have been shifting their focus to prenatal genetic diagnosis (PIG) in tandem with in vitro fertilization (IVY) for embryo screening.A study released in 2008 found that 3 percent of in vitro fertilization-PIG lining in the United States have provided PIG to select for a disability (Wagner, 2008). In addition to PIG, other technologies may soon be available to people wanting to have deaf children, such as gene replacement therapy. In other words, deafness could be ‘created' by deliberatel y inserting a deaf gene. This goes back to the topic discussed earlier regarding genetically creating a super kid, with extraordinary characteristics.PIG is an expensive procedure currently offered only to couples at risk of having a child suffering from a serious genetic disease, but there is nothing inherent in the technology that limits it to such uses. This means couples wealthy enough to afford such practices will be given full freedom to genetically create babies with preferable qualities whereas their less fortunate counterparts, who will not be able to afford these types of procedures, will always be at a disadvantage (Murphy, 2009). This leads to an entirely broad debate regarding eugenics and why it should not be practiced.Authors such as John Harris (2000) argue that intentionally selecting into this world who has a disability using technology in ways that it was not meant or, it significantly violates the child's right to an open future (Harris, 2000). It is a known fact , which neither the deaf community itself cannot deny, that people suffering from a hearing loss lead more difficult lives than hearing counterparts, partly because there will always be more hearing people in this world than deaf and there will never be enough accommodations.Loss of hearing, therefore, in such a linguistic society can become dangerous when a deaf person is unable to detect nearby hazards thereby affecting their sense of independence and security and limiting social opportunities. Alternative viewpoints proposed by Albany Lucas (2012) contend that selection for a particular disability is as problematic as selection against, since both are based on the assumption that a single genetic characteristic should be the determining factor in the decision to have a child (Lucas, 2012).Opponents of this point assert that although they value the existence of living disabled individuals and believe in giving these individuals equal respect and opportunities as any other human be ing, it is morally wrong to knowingly bring a disabled child into the world and limiting their opportunities. In addition, the harm of genetically harming children can be clearly seen when considering how the same harm without genetics involved would be viewed. Genetics, reproductive technologies and techniques such as PIG are simply tools.Tools are used to accomplish things; whether the use of the tool is ethical depends on what it is that we are trying to accomplish. If something is morally wrong, it does not matter what tools or what method is used to accomplish that, it still remains wrong. In the case of James, who deliberately deafened his first hearing child, by racially removing his cochlea so he could become a part of their culture, now wants to create a second deaf baby using genetic engineering techniques.Preventing a child from hearing harms the child; it limits and disadvantages the child and therefore should not be permissible for medical personnel to carry on with thi s kind of procedure, especially for Jimmy and his wife, who are evidently putting their own happiness ahead of their children's since they disregarded their son's refusal. Jimmy was 4 years old when he was forced into such an irrational decision, which means he ad experienced the hearing world and had therefore chosen to stay in it. All the facts are the same and lets say, via PIG with in vitro fertilization Jimmy and his wife have their congenital deaf child.But now a cure for this deafness is discovered, it is risk free with no side effects, which leads us to think, would the parents, in this case, be right to withhold this cure for deafness from their child? Would the child have any legitimate complaint if they did not cure his deafness? Could this child complain to his parents dismissing him the possibility of being able to listen to music, the sound f trees, the wind, the rain, the waves on the shore, or hearing a spoken word or even learning spoken language?There is no imagini ng to how the child would feel when it discovers that it lacked these experiences only because of his/her parent's deliberate denial. Furthermore, it is not plausible to say that all these things that the child could have had, but because of it's parents decision, are unimportant, so much so that their loss or absence of it is not even considered a disability to them. Different groups. Similarly, deaf community is bonded together via a signed language,American Sign Language (SSL). Although this characteristic is not the sole criterion, it is viewed as a strong distinction between them and the non-deaf community (Singleton & Title, 2000). Furthermore, the deaf community includes members with hearing losses at both levels of extreme, from those who are profoundly deaf to those normal hearing children of the deaf community. There are also people who are hard of hearing individuals that identify themselves as part of the deaf community.Therefore, acceptance and integration into the deaf community is depended upon he attitude and the use of SSL, which means that in order to belong to the deaf community, one does not need to be born deaf. Furthermore, hearing children born to deaf parents are considered bilingual and bicameral since they potentially share the language and culture of their deaf parents and they are inevitably members of the hearing community (Singleton & Title, 2000).Although there has been some concern regarding signs of spoken language delay observed in hearing children of non-hearing parents, there is not much evidence to support this claim. Therefore, elaborately removing Jimmy's cochleae was unnecessary since he did not need to be deaf to belong to the Deaf community. Many deaf parents, occasionally have the misguided notion that they should not sign with their child simply because the child is hearing. Signing with the hearing child, from its birth, not only teaches the hearing child to be fluent in SSL, but also it ensures stronger communicati on between the parents and the child.Moreover, turning normal hearing children to a deaf child overcomes the possibility of having hearing children that are bilingual and bicameral. Shift-Myers (2004) asserts that many hearing children of deaf parents evidently develop speech and language normally provided that they have some exposure to normal hearing speakers and if their family life is otherwise normal. In addition, Jimmy and his wife both belong to hearing families, which means there would be enough exposure to normal hearing from the grandparents, and the child would consequently not develop any language delay.In any case, if a hearing child of deaf parents does show signs of spoken language delay, then an appropriate practical Lana to enhance the child's spoken language input would be in order (Shift-Myers, 2004). James and his wife ought to use the best mode of communication to ensure effective parenting, and to promote natural language acquisition for the child, whether it i s spoken or signed language. â€Å"It is a simple fact that it is better to have five senses than four† Nanette Winters). Who can argue against that? Yet, what Winters calls, a ‘simple fact' may not be so simple for everyone as clearly illustrated in this paper.This is especially not a simple fact when it comes to the Deaf community. Many facts arise from those who live the oaf lives. One such fact is that they believe being Deaf should be viewed as parallel to being Black, or Hispanic. Another fact is that these Deaf community members feel no objection expanding their community by wanting deaf children, whether it may be through prenatal medical interventions or postnatal surgical procedures. This paper explored the question of whether it is morally Justifiable to use genetic technology to here is not about being supportive of people who are deaf or otherwise disabled.The basic issue is whether or not there are ethical limits to what parents can impose on a hill. Pro-c hoice campaigners and reproductive freedom supports argue that it should be the couple's choice or wish on how they want to raise their child, but through negative enhancement and achieving outcomes that are socially not preferred affects everyone in the community in general (Carping, 2008). Morally speaking, parents have a duty to use assisted technology to give their children the best opportunity of the best life, not deliberately reducing the child's welfare.

Filmmaking Techniques Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Filmmaking Techniques - Coursework Example The parameters for my discussion of realism in cinema come from theorists like Bazin, Bordwell, and Comolli. As the filmmaker stages an event to be filmed, s/he has to establish first what to put in front of the camera and visualize the conflicts of the story as embodied in the script. The approach and style have to be decided first before starting on the setting, space, acting and choreography. The filmmaker can employ a pool of creative people, aside from the writers and actors and all the crew needed. S/he has to decide on the appearance, gestures, facial expression, what to use whether professional or non-actors. Art and filmmaking, nevertheless, can be performed or made by a team or by one person. The dilemma of the filmmaker or artist is whether his/her message is understood correctly the way s/he wants it to be understood. Some artists do it profoundly, some vaguely, to let the viewer think, or get an instant reaction. These techniques in art and filmmaking, whether digital or in films, are introduced in different ways. A few of these are discussed in this paper. Art, according to Aristotle, is the realisation in external form of a true idea, and is traced back to the natural love of imitation which characterizes humans, and to the pleasure which we feel in recognising likenesses1. There may be contradictions today of his notion on art by various artists because according to him art is limited to mere copying. It idealises nature and completes its deficiencies: it seeks to grasp the universal type in the individual phenomenon2. Such imitation may represent people either as better or as worse than people usually are, or it may neither go beyond nor fall below the average standard. Comedy is the imitation of the worse examples of humanity, understood however not in the sense of absolute badness, but only in so far as what is low and ignoble enters into what is laughable and comic3. When teaching at the Lyceum, Aristotle had a habit of walking about as he discoursed. It was in connection with this that his followers became known in later years as the peripatetics, meaning "to walk about". What has this to do with art and filmmaking Lecturers and speakers in those times used strategies in conveying their message or in relating to their audience. Aristotle and the peripatetics presented their theories, and the Rhetoric, by giving lectures and telling stories in front of a live audience, as if showing a movie without the aid of any technology. "Walking about" in front of a live audience with your mouth uttering words your mind dictates is a form of story-telling, like a film presentation, although what you are doing is live, and the film is recorded. What the peripatetics were doing was art itself. New Digital Cinema: Reinventing the moving image Evolution of contemporary cinema as it intersects with the formerly separate realms of film-making, video art, music video, animation, print design, and live club events to

Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Life - Essay Example This particular speech reverses the pride and confidence that the young black girl had felt about her as the speaker constantly reminds her of her â€Å"unfortunate† place in the hierarchy of things within the white supremacist state of things. However, the speech of Mr Reeds serves to restore this pride as the young girl is made once again to believe in herself (Angelou 74). This poem marks a journey for the young girl from the point of innocence to that of truth. She is confronted by the hard reality of racism as it represents itself in the external world. From this point, the girl is then empowered to appreciate her identity and not accept any systems or discourses that are designed to diminish the girl’s self-identity. As such, the awakening experience helps her to live a better life. Similarly, Malcolm X’s story, â€Å"A Homemade Education† brings out the positive tone of the civil rights movement’s leader who taught himself a great deal about reading while in prison (Malcolm 56). It is a story that narrates the triumph of the human spirit amid the difficult and trying conditions of prison life. The ability to progress in reading and education outside the guidance of the formal system is a task that requires motivation and sacrifice. In essence, this story is meant to motivate the reader in a manner that would make him aspire to the kind of inner drive, which helped Malcolm X ascend to higher levels of knowledge. As such, the main themes of motivation, strength, and will power, which seem to inform the course of this story, are brought out as consequences of ambition and focus. Some qualities enabled Malcolm X to transform his life from that of a miscreant in the society to one of motivation, positive personality, and high levels of influenc e. Zora Hurston’s story â€Å"How it Feels to be Coloured Me† confronts the subject of racism in a forthright and creative manner. This story tells of how a young woman learns to come to terms with

2012 London Olympic Games Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2012 London Olympic Games - Case Study Example Among these broad categories that were considered is the sporting events that will be in and around London, the global appeal of individual sports, local appeal of a particular sport that is influenced by UK’s past success on the sport, and event stages where awards will be issued. In addition, influential teams or athletes that have a lot of influence also impacted on the pricing for particular events they were participating in and lastly, the pricing strategies for past Olympics was also considered during the pricing for London Olympics (Gourville and Bertini, 8). Based on the experience that Williamson had on pricing for events, he knew that it would be easy to sell highly priced tickets during the opening ceremony, finals for particular events, and during the closing ceremony. However, the biggest headache was selling tickets for ‘not-so-popular events’ such as handball, archery, and table tennis, especially during the preliminary rounds. Besides this fact, Williamson was also faced with the challenge of setting prices for individual sports (Gourville and Bertini, 1). However, it is important to note that the severity of the challenge varied with nature of the sport, for example, it was not challenging task to set the prices for swimming events as compared to handball events. For the most popular events, which comprised of swimming, artistic gymnastics, and athletics, the prices of the tickets during the preliminary rounds was expected to remain at a high level during the entire period but they were expected to be at their peak (highest price) during the finals and award ceremony of the sport. Additionally, ticket prices for individual sports also varied depending on the seating arrangement i.e. seats that were close to the playing field were highly priced than seats at the far back end of the playing field. Sports that had influential personalities who were widely known across the World

Project 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Project 2 - Essay Example The adverts attract a large population of women. However, there must be deodorant differentiation in order for the women to have a variety of deodorant product. The variety of sweet flagrances provides the ladies with the assurance of comfort. Conversely, the men suit advertisement target means. In this regard, Men are fond of grooming and the commercial concentrates on the scale, color and the suit designs (Smith, Alan and Chris 34). The factors dictate the age bracket of the suit sales. The young generation is usually obsessed with grooming. Therefore, the men suit adverts target the majority of potential men suit customers. The advertising team has prior knowledge concerning the tastes and preferences of the mens suits. The information can be obtained from past experience of men suit sales, fashion show magazines, newspapers and literal observations. The factors help the advertising team to objectively pursue their target audience. The product adverts never targets the general population given that the old generation category of people is never concerned with grooming. There is something around a man in a suit that enables him look amazing. A man in a suit says; he is working, he is getting things going, and he is fruitful. That may not be the truth, yet it gives that recognition. At the point when individuals see young people sag their jeans, that announcement says much to the world. That look says they are not living up to expectations; they are not being certain and are not being effective. Despite the fact that that may not be genuine, that is the picture it depicts. A great deal of time men dress that way in light of the fact that they have not been taught better or they do not have the intends to learn (Smith, Alan and Chris 47). They are meant to be a piece of changing the society, look, dress and impression of men everywhere. They are needed to be a piece of instructing men to dress better. They are ne eded in order to have the

Improvement measures on Sight Savers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Improvement measures on Sight Savers - Essay Example cult for the organization to exhibit effective governance The organization is also grappling with how to leave their finances to professional outsiders without losing control of the organization’s activities. Sight Savers International can use several key performance indicators to define, as well as measure their progress towards their goals. In order to plan for an uncertain future, one thing that they have to do is improve the level of confidence and trust in the organization from the public. The first KPI here is the overall level of confidence and trust in their charity organization from the public, which they can carry out using an independent survey every two years (Marr, 2012: p22). Their target here should be to improve their ratings continuously over their 2007 baseline. The second KPI would be a survey by stakeholders of the effectiveness of their charity sector’s main regulator, which would also be carried out by an independent survey (Marr, 2012: p22). They should also measure the confidence and trust in their charity as compared with other professions and organizations every two years in order to be informed on their standing. The organization should also seek to achieve service delivery standards that are acceptable to their main clients. Their first KPI under this strategy would be the percentage of their clients who said that they did a commendable job across their area of operation (Molyneaux, 2009: p11). Second would be the average individual or charity rating at initial contact point who said that their services as provided were those that they required. Third would be the increase in use of their services across their area of operations. They should also use the average time that they take to deal with issues brought up by their clients as a key... The first KPI here is the overall level of confidence and trust in their charity organization from the public, which they can carry out using an independent survey every two years (Marr, 2012: p22). Their target here should be to improve their ratings continuously over their 2007 baseline. The second KPI would be a survey by stakeholders of the effectiveness of their charity sector’s main regulator, which would also be carried out by an independent survey (Marr, 2012: p22). They should also measure the confidence and trust in their charity as compared with other professions and organizations every two years in order to be informed on their standing.The organization should also seek to achieve service delivery standards that are acceptable to their main clients. Their first KPI under this strategy would be the percentage of their clients who said that they did a commendable job across their area of operation (Molyneaux, 2009: p11). Second would be the average individual or char ity rating at initial contact point who said that their services as provided were those that they required. Third would be the increase in use of their services across their area of operations. They should also use the average time that they take to deal with issues brought up by their clients as a key performance indicator. Another key performance indicator would be the increase in the publications that they send out directly to their client base on the services that they provide (Molyneaux, 2009: p11).

Children of Illegal Immigrants and Education Research Paper

Children of Illegal Immigrants and Education - Research Paper Example 5). In turn, this has placed them at a disadvantage especially in the job market. A greater percentage of the 62% is of children whose parents are legal immigrants. A survey of five counties in 2004 revealed that 45% of US born children had undocumented parents and the studies further revealed that the education levels of children of legal immigrants were much higher than that of children of illegal immigrants born in US (Caps et al. 6). This has been attributed to the fact that children of illegal immigrants born in US are likely to be faced with higher levels of poverty, which hinders their academic progress as most of them are forced to drop out of school to work. This study seeks to explore medical, psychological, emotional and economic factors contributing to a wide gap in education between children of illegal immigrants born in U.S.A and children of the natives, in order to equip the illegal immigrant parents with a better understanding of what challenges these children are goi ng through so that they can help in bridging the gap in education between their children and those of the natives. ... Sometimes children are forcefully obligated to drop out of school to work in order for them to cater for their basic needs. Undocumented parents may also be reluctant to approach organizations that can aid in financing their children’s education for fear of deportation as opposed to the legal immigrants who can freely ask for financial aid (Capps et al. 12). The other contributory factor is that majority of the illegal immigrant women are less likely to work and because most of them are in the child – bearing age, they are more likely to have more children as opposed to the working class women. As a result, the parents of these immigrant children may find it difficult to finance the education of their many children (Tanakshi 24). Poor educational background of parents of illegal immigrants children Most illegal immigrant parents have less formal education as compared to the native parent. Studies indicate that thirteen percent of parents of immigrant children have less than grade nine educations and a greater percentage lack a high school diploma. The spectrum of higher education also indicates that parents of native children are better educated than the immigrants (Fix and Jeffrey 36). Therefore, this implies that the children of the natives are more likely to be inspired by their parent’s achievements and follow their example or the parents may also be of great assistance especially if the children are having problems with their homework. The studies further indicate that six out of every ten parents of immigrant children are not proficient in English and that a quarter of the immigrant children have at least one of the parents who speaks another language apart from English at

Metaphysics - ontology Essay Example for Free

Metaphysics ontology Essay â€Å"I think therefore I am-Descartes;† â€Å"All noble things are as difficult as they are rare- Spinoza. † Decorates and Spinoza are unique; they are like nothing this class has studied previous. They focus on nature, existence and power as the fundamental building blocks to their unique philosophies. The beauty of these two men’s philosophies is not only in their contrasts but in all the ideas the students can draw from their logically thinking strategies; ultimately creating an individual philosophy and bettering ones own life from it. They both use logic but the use of language is the â€Å"wild card† that allows the real questioning to happen. Spinoza and Decorates are masters at using concrete facts and twisting them in such a way so as to question their existence entirely. Almost like one is pressing the reset button on life and starting fresh. The best example I can give is our day-to-day class discussion. Previously our tangents have been focused and connected. But with Spinoza and Decorates they have been different. They have become sporadic, wide spread, and eye opening. Yes the focus has and will always remain to be on the ideals that these men present; but the beauty in these philosophies are not restricted to just their points. The beauty lies within what the student (since we are all students’ not philosophy kings yet) can question and provide. This paper will discuss all the points crucial to these two men’s philosophies; however, throughout the paper the tangents I will draw will reveal my own conclusions that I have been taking note off from our class discussion in order to shed some light on the impact these philosophies have had to myself and philosophy itself. First thing that this paper will cover, and the biggest topic of debate between the two is the dialectic about the mind and body. Descartes is a substance duelist. He believes substance is divided into two things: mind substance and body substance. They are also independent entities in his eyes. In the second meditation he concludes that doubt is possible about the existence of the body but there can be no doubt as to the existence of the thinking mind; the mind simply cannot doubt the existence of thinking, since even the doubt itself would require thinking to exist (this concept itself is confusing and brilliant at the same time basically embodying who Descartes is in a one thought). Therefore Descartes is able to conclude that since there is doubt about the existence of the body, the mind can think without the use of the body. Thus independence is the only logical result. After all of that, duality in substances is born and realized. On the contrary, Spinoza believes mind and body are the same substance. Mind is dependent of the body and vice versa. The mind is united to the body because the body is the object of the mind (Ethics 2, prop 21). However one does not determine the other: The body cannot determine the mind to think, nor the mind the body to remain in motion or at rest (Ethics 3, 2). † Simply put, it is illogical to believe that one act causes the other act to happen. The mind is in place to insure the survival of the body. He rejects the idea of substances that Descartes suggests. Spinoza believes that there is only infinite substance, and no finite substance; which is a contradiction and a double negative (proving a statement false with false evidence). Each thing, mind and body, is both a thought and an extension. The thought is what is known through ideas and the extension is what exists and is sensed physically. Therefore thought is mental and extension is physical. For Spinoza, the mind and body act as a mirror image of each other; neither has any freedom from the other; dependence is therefore born. Then the role of infinite substance is introduced. Spinoza argues that God is the only infinite substance in nature. There can be only one substance that satisfies the idea difference between the two philosophers and that is that Spinoza views thought and extension as inseparable not having independent extensions. While in Descartes philosophy there are two distinct extensions. The mind substance is further divided into infinite and finite thinking. The infinite is God, the finite is each individual mind and soul. There is only one infinite thinking substance and that is God. Thinking is not a physical action (it is a behavior). It is an individual act that only the individual can control. One doesnt have to think a normal way, Descartes would argue. This connects to his views on education and how it can sometimes â€Å"cloud† individuals from their true passions and loves in life. Thinking with a clear mind is something that goes hand in hand with self-knowledge; learning from experience through one’s own paths and mistakes. Accepting that one cannot control everything (only one’s thoughts and physical actions) and understanding the necessity for an open mind to nature. Only then when this is all applied is it possible to live an active life; living life to the fullest and embracing all it has to offer. This leads into Spinoza’s definition of affect. He defines it as â€Å"the modifications of the body whereby the active power of the said body is increased or diminished, aided or constrained, and also the ideas of such modification (Ethics, prop 130). † Simply put, that which is affected does not exist; meaning the only thing that can possibly exist is God. Everything is dependent on something in order for it to survive; a book, a tree, a person, is dependent on something else for its survival. One could argue (and will now) that the mind has the ability to affect too. The only thing that can affect the mind is the mind itself. But the mind can be deceiving. Overthinking or over analyzing can change our perception of what reality is. Emotions and senses also add to the deception the mind can cause. A smell could lead somebody to not eat a meal; hearing somebody’s voice can be appealing or completely â€Å"turn off† the individual from furthering the conversation. The mind can also cause passive moments. Being passive is a huge part of nonexistence to Spinoza. Although the passive moments in ones life are inevitable, Spinoza suggests that we must attempt to control them in order obtain maximum freedom in life. Freedom is that in which someone lives an active life (living in the moment, embracing all that life can offer). By developing good habits, living actively, one can limit the passive moments and bounce back (not fall too far down the divided line). The goal in life is to live the most active life and experience nature to the fullest. Descartes believes in the exact opposite. He beliefs that mind and body are two separate substances that dont rely on each other. Therefore the mind cannot affect the body and the body cannot affect the mind. Thus all that Spinoza would suggest is a â€Å"waste. † The four cores of life are sadness, joy, weakness and power. Each person will experience one in his or her lifetime (if one does not then their alien [interesting what an alien is or is not]). The key, Spinoza would argue is that one experiences the cores in their own way. The question he would ask is: â€Å"will you live your life or the way others tell you too. † God is the key answer to this question. What does it mean to say that God is substance and that everything else is â€Å"in† God? Spinoza suggests that rocks, tables, chairs, birds, mountains, rivers and human beings are all properties of God. Thus all we are is a creation off God. It’s crazy to think that we are merely just part of an image of some other higher substance. When a person feels pain, sadness and joy; does it follow that all the emotions are ultimately just a property of God, therefore suggesting that God feels it too (chills run down*). This is the gut of Spinoza’s philosophy as he devotes the first 15 proportions to defining God and all that he does. Descartes is similar on his view with God. Gods existence is inferred, simply because of existence. For example, God is not an extended thing but only a thinking thing; God exists in a higher form, and he and only he can cause its existence. The idea of God is the idea of an infinite substance. Since a finite substance is less real than an infinite substance. A finite substance does not have enough reality to be the cause of its own idea. But the idea must have come from something. So that something is God, which must be an infinite substance. Therefore, God exists as the only possible cause of this idea. These comparisons that the two philosophers naturally bring to the table lead the mind to wonder. The possibilities are endless when it comes to questions and conclusions. The beauty lies within these questions. It is up to the individual, as Spinoza would say, to stop living a passive life and â€Å"attack† these philosophers in order to create something beautiful.

Starbucks International Entry Methods and its Global Marketing

Starbucks International Entry Methods and its Global Marketing Introduction In 1971, in Seattle’s Pike Place Market two teachers and a writer opened the first Starbucks retail shop, as a roaster and retailer of bean and ground coffee, tea and spices (Roos, 2010). Today, with over 20,000 stores across the world, from Monaco to Colombia and many in between, Starbucks is a name that stands for innovation beyond its industry and constant growth (Chen, 2014). From ethical sourcing initiatives to the employee stock options and health benefits, Starbucks is a unique company, in a continuous evolution across the world (Hincha-Ownby, 2013). The company is a global marketing phenomenon, reinventing its operations to suit their growth ambitions, but remaining true to the passion of serving coffee in a friendly atmosphere (Thompson Arsel, 2004). Starbucks has been a pioneer in the coffee house industry in many geographical regions, having virtually introduced this concept to various countries in the Asia-Pacific region (Otmazgin, 2008). In addition to this, the company is continuously reinventing itself in European countries where the coffee house culture is more sophisticated (Patterson, Scott, Uncles, 2010). It is mandatory to analyse their strategy for market entry mode selection, as their success suggests they have found the golden middle between adopting distinct tactics and allowing local influences to shape their product, whilst keeping their core business values intact. In addition to using secondary sources to analyse the global expansion of Starbucks, this paper also outlines how the global marketing strategy of the company compromises between standardisation and adaptation to local target audiences’ preferences (Alderman, 2012). From the product-price-place-promotion marketing mix adaptation tactics to the use of loyalty card that reward loyal customers and the encouragement to share Starbucks moments via social media, the company continuously seeks the view of their customers through crowd-sourcing and creating a sense of community (Misener, 2014). However, similarly to their entry mode selection, the coffee house giant manages to preserve their core values in all the regions where it operates. Entry mode of Starbucks Globalisation and technology as the two core macro environmental elements of the 21st century business settings have imposed and aided companies’ international expansion strategies and tactics (Daft, 2010). As such, success beyond the national borders of a corporation is not only an indicator of success, it has ultimately become necessary for survival in a competitive market (Zahra, Ireland, Hitt, 2000). Whether through Joint Ventures (JVs), Exports, Franchises, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), take overs or any other strategies, everyone, from SMEs to large corporations is jumping on the bandwagon of international expansion (Kim Hwang, 1992). However, beyond the need to expand internationally, companies need to carefully evaluate all factors influencing the decision regarding the area of expansion and the entry mode of the company in the new region. A timeline of the geographical evolution of Starbucks over the last decade (Figure 1) shows that the company aims to increase their global presence, becoming the coffee shop of choice of all the coffee aficionados (Starbucks, 2014). Figure 1 Geographical expansion of Starbucks. Authors own, adapted from Starbucks (2014) Root (1994) defines the entry mode as a strategic decision making process in which the company’s products, technology, human skills and all other resources are evaluated in relation to the country of destination where the organisation is planning to extend its operations. In addition to this, the characteristics of the market that a company intends to penetrate are also taken into account for the purpose of selecting the most suitable entry mode (Canabal White III, 2008). The capital and human investment of a corporation towards expansion in new geographical areas is ultimately decided in correlation with profitability potential for the organisation. The factors influencing the entry mode of a corporation in new markets were divided by Chen and Mujtaba (2007) into three categories: firm specific factors, country specific factors and market specific factors. Although their categorisation of factors is valid in the strategic management of internationalisation of firms, it can be argued that market specific factors can be integrated in the country specific factors and another category called industry specific factors can be added to the mix. Figure 2 below presents a new theoretical framework developed by the author of this paper, which presents the changes enumerated, underlining the importance of trends and particularities of the overall industry in which a company operates. Figure 2 Factors influencing Selection of Entry Mode. Authors own, inspired by Chen and Mujtaba (2007) Although not exhaustive, the list of elements presented above indicates the variety of elements involved in the selection of markets where Starbucks can extend its chain of stores and the best strategy to ensure success in the new region. According to Root (1994) and Koch (2001) the factors influencing the entry mode selection can also be divided into external and internal factors. Political, economic and socio cultural dimensions of a foreign country are crucial external elements that determine the profitability of marketing the products offered by a company (Koch, 2001). Starbucks is marketing a social product beyond its coffee offerings, having positioned itself in the industry as a company that offers a great environment where people can enjoy ethically sourced beverages and snacks (Schultz, 2011). As such, it is crucial to evaluate the socio-cultural environment of a target foreign country and the marketability of such an offering within that particular geographical area. The key to success lies within the ability to match the product offerings of a company with the demands of the local foreign market, without compromising the firm’s business model. Partnerships with local firms through a joint venture or penetrating the market through licensing or franchising offer a company low risk solutions (Yoshino Rangan, 1995). However, when Starbucks decides to licence or franchise their product offerings, the extent to which they can monitor the quality of the products or operations of coffee shops that trade under their company name is significantly lower than in the case of joint ventures or wholly-owned subsidiaries. Joint ventures are often necessary due to political reasons, as is the case with some Middle Eastern countries that demand part ownership of local companies or residents within a foreign business (Terblanche, 2009). In addition to this, sharing the risk and costs with a partner in a local region can be advantageous for the company that extends their operations in a foreign market, due to lower capital investments (Root, 1994). However, there are disadvantages to be taken into account when opting for a joint venture, as sharing the technology with a potential competitor in the industry can lead to a conflict of interests and a potential loss of competitive advantage (Doz Hamel, 1998). Although wholly-owned subsidiaries eliminate the risks associated with all other entry modes, offering exclusivity over the profits and technology control, a company runs the risk of misunderstanding the cultural aspects of the country of destination and decreases its chances of succeeding in a new market (Makino Delios, 1996). Successful companies, such as Starbucks, are able to determine the best mix of entry modes specific to the regions where the expansion is taking place in order to become global leaders. The table below (Figure 3) shows that the company’s internationalisation strategy allows flexibility depending on country specific factors in the countries of destination. Figure 3 Starbucks Entry Mode Type and Partners in each region. Authors own, adapted from Starbucks (2014) In May 1998, Starbucks expanded its operations into the first European country, the UK, as part of a long-term internationalisation strategy (Bintliff, 2009). The company acquired sixty-five Seattle Coffee Company stores, a company founded and managed by two Americans (Scott and Ally Svenson) with a similar coffee culture as the American giant Starbucks (Simmons, 2012). The cultural gap between the US and UK attitude to coffee shops and the resistance of British consumers to American products was taken into account by Starbucks, who waited one year before they completely rebranded the existing Seattle Coffee Company stores, therefore allowing the consumers to adapt to the concept and products of Starbucks prior to the rebranding. At present, Starbucks has 549 company operated stores in the UK, with an additional 125 licensed and 57 franchised stores across the country, making it one of the industry leaders in the country (Campbell, 2014). In October 1998, Starbucks extended its operations in New Zealand, through licensing its store concept to Restaurant Brands New Zealand, an authorised licensee of KFC and Pizza Hut brands at the time (Morrison, 2013). Due to its enthusiasm of bringing the Starbucks experience to consumers in the country, Restaurant Brands New Zealand was the ideal partner for Starbucks in positioning itself in the Asia Pacific market in an incipient stage of the coffee industry in this geographical region. The relatively low popularity of the coffee shop industry at the time in the region was a risk that could have deterred the success of a wholly owned market entry (Field, 2011). The leading position and market knowledge of the partner firm that Starbucks licensed its store concept to ensured the minimal risk and lead to the success that the brand is enjoying in New Zealand presently, operating 22 stores in the country, with a $25.1 million sales annually (Morrison, 2013). Global Marketing Strategy Although globalisation has allowed large multinationals to expand across the globe increasing their popularity and profits, this phenomenon has been widely criticised and Starbucks was also the victim of anti-consumerism and anti-globalisation movements (Klein, 2009). The growth experience by the company and its current world dominance has generated many negative discourses, primarily criticising Starbucks’ ascendancy at the expense of local coffee shops. As a multinational brand that aspires to be a recognised global leader, Starbucks’ marketing strategy requires a degree of standardisation. To start with, the company hardly advertises in the traditional sense via TV, radio and print adverts, â€Å"instead relying on their ubiquitous cafà ©s to do the talking† (Kiley, 2006, p. 56). In addition to this, the company has developed and perfected their social media marketing strategy, using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other platforms for competitions and promotional offers for their customers (Moth, 2013). It can be argued that Starbucks’ success in the social media sphere is also highly dependent on the anti-Starbucks movement, as this generates increased coverage of the brand name, allowing the company to counteract the accusations and promote their ethical behaviour even more (Holden, 2012). The involvement of consumers in product development and range (i.e.: new drink flavours) as well as the encouragements to share personal experiences are now an integral part of Starbucks’ international marketing strategy (Shayon, 2013). The company often prides itself on the fact that it creates a community sense amongst individuals from distinct countries through the recognisable brand name Starbucks (Batchelor Krister, 2012). The company uses social media to encourage its consumers to create a sense of belonging to a community and rewards its loyal customers through My Starbucks Reward, using polls to ensure a maximum potential of crowd sourcing (Schoultz, 2013). Through this, the company demonstrates loyalty on its own part to its customers, focusing on transforming their consumers in brand ambassadors, rather than investing time and large budget shares in aggressive marketing tactics aimed at accumulating large shares of new consumers. Levitt (1983) sustains that standardisation of a marketing programme needs to have a positive impact on the performance of the organisation. Being able to maintain a consistency across the marketing strategy and tactics in operations that span across the globe can have a positive impact on a company’s financial performance, as the budget for developing the marketing program is significantly lower (Samiee Roth, 1992). However, the cultural differences between different geographical markets make it difficult to distinguish the profitability and impact on performance of standardised marketing plans (Porter, 2011). Studies suggest that, irrespective of general traits of global marketing for brand recognition purposes, multinational corporations need to take into account any cultural aspects of the countries where their subsidiaries are. As such, Starbucks adapts their food and beverage offerings in their cafà ©s in order to suit their customers’ taste (Bussing-Burks, 2009). Below (Figure 4) is a list of products that are exclusively available in specific geographical areas as evidence of adaptation tactics used by the company. Figure 4 Country Specific products. Adapted from Misener (2014) In China, Starbucks has adapted their product offerings in order to be able to introduce the coffee shops in a market which was loyal to a long-lasting tradition of tea. Despite the concerns expressed by many in regards to the potential success of an American coffee-house chain in a country where other multinational food and beverage brands like Dunkin Donuts and Burger King have failed, Starbucks opened 500 stores across China (Fellner, 2008). The company licensed its brand name to Mei Da Coffee Co. and entered a JV with Shanghai President Coffee Co. (Figure 3). Instead of trying to force the products that appealed to Americans and made the company successful in their mother land, Starbucks launched green-tea flavoured coffee drinks and relied less on takeaway orders due to their lack of popularity in China (Rein, 2012). More importantly, through charging premium prices for their beverages, instead of adopting the general strategy of under-pricing their products in the Asian market, Starbucks cups have become a status symbol in the urban areas of Beijing and Shanghai (Schiavenza, 2013). Unlike many of its competitors, Starbucks prefers investing the money that companies spend on advertising into the benefits and training of their staff members (Kessler, 2012). In line with this philosophy, the company became one of the very few to extend their full health policy to their part-time workers (Schultz Yang, 1997). This philosophy applies even in their overseas stores, and employees in China reported a high level of satisfaction with their job benefits, indicating that this is one of the core values of the company and even through licensing and JV, Starbucks ensures that the contentment of all employees under the Starbucks brand name is indistinguishable across the globe (Rein, 2012). The Chairman of the company, Howard Schulz, believes that the training and satisfaction levels of the Starbucks baristas represent one of the best marketing tactics. He discovered that the attitude and skills of Italian baristas in coffee shops from Rome is what created the atmosphere within a cafà © (Bussing-Burks, 2009). In addition to this, the leadership team that sits in the head offices of Starbucks have a weekly exercise of reading consumers’ feedback, keeping them in touch with the realities of the consumer experience, not allowing them to lose sight of the end user of the services and products of Starbucks (Gulati, Huffman, Neilson, 2002). Although Starbucks has ventured into markets where the coffee culture was in its incipient stages, like countries in the Asia-Pacific area, the most difficult task that the company has had to date is strengthening its market position in nations with a strong coffeehouse culture, like France or the UK (Rudarakanchana, 2013). Their marketing strategies require more creativity in these geographical areas, particularly because Starbucks is up against well established coffee houses that offer a more unique and tailored cultural experience to its customers. However, the company is not oblivious to this issue and Starbucks inaugurated a coffee shop in Amsterdam in 2012 with an avant-garde architecture and a stage for poetry reading (Alderman, 2012). Howard Schultz is planning on expanding the plans for introducing more concept stores across Europe, in order to increase the appeal of the coffee house for consumers beyond the young hip customer, who sees Starbucks as a product that stands for the American lifestyle. Conclusions The company that reinvented the way in which people enjoy their traditional cup of coffee, Starbucks has conquered the globe in less than half a century, since the first store opened. The pace of growth and geographical reach of Starbucks is an undeniable reality that has sparked debates over the past decades. Most of the elements that have contributed to this successful expansion and brand recognition can be associated with the entry mode selection, the marketing mix adaptability and promotional strategies used by the company. Starting with the successful collaborations with local companies in the countries of destination through JVs or licensing through to the slight alterations made to the menu to suit the taste of local consumers, the company displays an exquisite cultural awareness. American giants in the food and beverage industry like Dunkin Donuts or Burger King have attempted to penetrate Asian markets preserving their business model and menu offerings. They encountered resistance from the local consumers, as their culinary and beverage preferences were not met by the menu of the American companies. Whilst it is understandable that MNCs desire to preserve their business model and should avoid making big compromises for each geographical region where they extend, as this would incur additional operational costs for product development and marketing, organisations need to demonstrate a willingness to take into account the culture of the host country. Starbucks’ main philosophy revolves around the atmosphere they can create in their coffee shops and the manner in which the company values its employees, rather than their product offerings, therefore allowing the organisation to expand, adapt and yet, stay true to their core values. Carefully selecting its international partners whose values match the Starbucks passion for great customer focused services, Starbucks seeks the necessary help from well-established local retailers. Although the whole-ownership market entry mode guarantees immediate higher profitability, Starbucks’ focus is on creating long-lasting relationships with consumers in every geographical region, seeking and rewarding the loyalty of the brand’s customers. As such, JVs, licensing or partly-owned subsidiaries are the entry modes of choice for Starbucks in their pursuit to establish themselves as market leaders. The company is clearly not seeking short term goals through aggressive tactics, rather focusing on a well-established strategy that promotes a steady continuous growth, which has so far proved to be a successful approach to internationalisation. References Alderman, L. (2012, March 30). In Europe, Starbucks Adjusts to a Cafe Culture. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/business/starbucks-tailors-its-experience-to-fit-to-european-tastes.html?pagewanted=all_r=0 Batchelor, B., Krister, K. (2012). 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(2014, February 11). Even with ~20,000 stores worldwide, Starbucks has room to grow. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Market Realist: http://marketrealist.com/2014/02/even-with-20000-stores-worldwide-starbucks-has-room-to-grow/ Daft, R. L. (2010). Organization theory and design. Mason, OH: Cengage learning. Doz, Y., Hamel, G. (1998). Alliance advantage: The art of creating value through partnering. Boston: Harvard Business Press. Fellner, K. (2008). Wrestling with Starbucks: Conscience, Capital, Cappuccino. Piscataway: Rutgers University Press. Field, N. (2011, January 25). Kiwi snobs wont stop Starbucks domination. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from The New Zealand Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3objectid=10701767 Gulati, R., Huffman, S., Neilson, G. (2002, July 17). The Barista Principle — Starbucks and the Rise of Relational Capital. 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Inside Starbuckss $35 Million Mission to Make Brand Evangelists of its Front-Line Workers. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/3002023/inside-starbuckss-35-million-mission-make-brand-evangelists-its-front-line-workers Kiley, D. (2006, August 6). Best Global Brands. Business Week, pp. 54-66. Kim, C. W., Hwang, P. (1992). Global strategy and multinationals entry mode choice. Journal of International Business Studies, 23(1), 29-53. Klein, N. (2009). No logo. London: MacMillan. Koch, A. J. (2001). Factors influencing market and entry mode selection: developing the MEMS model. Marketing Intelligence Planning, 19(5), 351-361. Levitt, T. (1983). Globalization of markets. Harvard Business Review, 61, 92-102. Makino, S., Delios, A. (1996). Local Knowledge Transfer and Performance: Implications for Alliance Formation in Asia. Journal of International Business Studies, 27(5), 905-927. Misener, J. 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Strategic alliances: An entrepreneurial approach to globalization. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Zahra, S. A., Ireland, D., Hitt, M. A. (2000). nternational expansion by new venture firms: International diversity, mode of market entry, technological learning, and performance. Academy of Management journal, 43(5), 925-950.

Fate in Medea Essay -- Classics Medea Greek Essays

Observation and Interpretation: Throughout the text, fate and the gods are blamed for the cause of the problems, however subsequent choices made later on by the characters appear to be free will, however are actually influenced by fate and the gods. So what?: This makes the audience blame the gods for the overall out come, but still blame the main character for her choices. Quotes: P48 l. 1014-1015 â€Å"The gods/ And my evil-hearted plots have led to this.† P39 l. 717 â€Å"What good luck chance has brought you.† P61 l. 1416-1419 â€Å"Many matters the gods bring to surprising ends./ The things we thought would happen do not happen;/ The unexpected God makes possible;/ And such is the conclusion of this story.† To an ancient Greek, fate was thought of as the power that determined all of our destinies, although a person could make choices along their life to change small outcomes, which was the extent of free will. In the play Medea, fate is used as a scapegoat to blame some of the problems happening to the characters, despite the fact that most of the characters had free will. In some instances the characters are not even aware of the causes behind the causes of their problems. Therefore, throughout the text, fate and the gods are blamed for the cause of the problems, however subsequent choices made later on by the characters appear to be free will, however are actually influenced by fate and the gods. The characters in the play make many references to...

Cronenberg’s Videodrome and the Post-Modern Condition :: Cronenberg Videodrome Essays

Cronenberg’s Videodrome and the Post-Modern Condition      Ã‚  Ã‚   In past years, when an artist or philosopher critiqued the reality of the world, it was always presumed that there was a reality to be criticized. However, post-modernity has presented those people with a horrifying new challenge -- a world that has literally been so overcome by its technology that the important issues of man's existence no longer consist of finding answers to questions like "Why are we born to suffer and die?" but merely trying to distinguish between the real and the unreal, which to post-modern man is not esoteric philosophical speculation, but a practical day to day issue. The post-modern trajectory is one that leaves humans fighting not to maintain political supremacy or to break the shackles of injustice, but simply to maintain their identities as real beings in the face of technology's blurring of the lines between man and mechanics, humanity and machinery, reality and image. This struggle seems to be a losing battle for mankind, as each day the in ventions that were meant to bring us pleasure and increase our leisure time, instead dehumanize us by taking a piece of our selfhood for their own with every passing moment. The post-modern social theorist Jean Baudrillard posits that the world of today is a never-ending "virtual apocalypse" of reality yielding to the hyperreal--reality defined not as what, in fact is. but rather that which can be simulated, reproduced, or Xeroxed. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and never has this been more true than in the world of the post-modern, where the only viable strategy left is to take technology's weapons and turn them to our advantage, in one final attempt to preserve our humanity by somehow finding meaning in the hallucinatory, cybernetic, hyperreal spectacle that is the post-modern condition. Of all the possible means of gaining the insight into our nature and the nature of the world that is necessary to survive technology's siege on reality, few media are as powerful as cinema (after all, film provides a uniquely accessible and intense vehicle for ideas), and few film-makers are as adept at dissecting the concept of post-modernity as the Canadian author David Cronenberg. In an age where every passing moment constitutes a further obscuring of the boundary between reality and image, this prophetic director clarifies, cuts through, and captures the very essence of post-modernity, through masterfully done pieces of cinematography that bring technology, obsession, and carnality together and pit them against each other in the horrific battlefield of the mind, each fighting for control of the human psyche.

Understanding ADD and ADHD Essay -- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Di

Understanding ADD and ADHD First, it is important to understand ADD and ADHD and how they can be identified. Within the classroom, a teacher may encounter a student who constantly squirms in their seat, stares out the window, and has a desk that is a complete mess. These are not poor students who do not care about school and learning. Often these students may be undiagnosed cases of Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These students can often be disruptive to themselves and the students around them, which causes serious educational problems. For this reason it is important for these students to be identified and to have their condition treated. Also, if untreated for a long period of time, the student?s self esteem and feeling of competence may be severely damaged (D?Alonzo, 1996). Untreated cases of attention disorders can be spotted through certain symptoms. These symptoms include short attention span, daydreaming, low frustration tolerance, poor planning ability, disorganization, constantly displaying inappropriate behavior, and a multitude of others (Copeland & Love, 1992). If a teacher encounters a student in their classroom and feel that he or she may have an attention disorder, there are certain steps one should follow to initiate effective and appropriate treatment of the student. First, one should take time to organize a list of behaviors and problems of the student that cause concern. Next one should gather information about the student?s behavior by observing them. These observations should be recorded and kept for future reference. Then gather information on the student including previous test scores, medical reports, past teacher?s remarks, and so on. After this... ...ers and how to manage them in the classroom. Dowdy, C., Patton, J., Smith, T., & Polloway, E. (1998). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the classroom. Austin, Texas: PRO-ED, Inc. This book covers a multitude of areas addressing ADD and ADHD, including but not limited to managing the classroom, accommodating instructional needs, and student-regulated strategies. Slavin, R. (2000). Educational Psychology: theory and practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. This book is an educational psychology textbook. I found a section on ADD and ADHD that provided information on the problems the child faces and it also addressed the role of the teacher with ADD or ADHD students. Online Medical Dictionary, (1998). Retrieved from the World Wide Web on September 20, 2014. This source is an online dictionary of medical terms and conditions.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

Novel Review1. PST-T chart PlotGot up to go to bucket Didn't get up at reveille Wondered which guard is on duty Decided he can lie in bed a little while longer Decided to report sick Got 3 days penalty with work for not getting up on time Got dressed Followed Tartar out of room Realised he wasnt being sent to the guardhouse Thanked the guard for letting him off and said he'll never get up late again Picked up pail and with bare hands (because he forgot his gloves) went to the well Put pail down, tucked hands into sleeves and watched some people in interest Ran to well Carried dripping bucket back to guardroom Took boots off and washed floor barefoot Wiped floor boards Eats soup Gets fever examined Returns to hut for body count Hides bread in mattress Thinks about wife's letter Marched off for work at Power Station Admires Alyoshka Tries to keep wind out with tar paper Sneaks an extra helping of food Sees scrap metal in snow and takes it Works and is late to lunch Wants to hide the trowel At body search he pani cs but the guard doesn't find the metal Makes way to hall for supper Awarded 400 grams of bread After body count he prepares to sleep Helps hide Tsezars parcel Gets awarded biscuits and a little bit of sausage Thanks god Alyoshka urges him to pray properly and to pursue the goods of the spirit not the flesh Reflects on this comment Gives him a biscuit MeditatesSubjects/SymbolsBread/foodParcelSpoonPrisoner #MoonColdTechniquesSimileMetaphorImageryPersonificationDiction (informal)ForeshadowingRepetitionTheme StatementsThe little things in life should be appreciated.You cannot understand someone if you are not them.Maintaining your dignity in tough life situations makes life more bearableMeaningful Quotationsâ€Å"Can a man who's warm understand one who's freezing?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Writing letters was like throwing stones into a bottomless pool.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Even a prisoners thoughts aren't free†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"Easy money doesn't weigh anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"Beat a dog once and y ou'll only have to show him the whip.†CharactersIvan – thin, weedy, darkeyed sergeantTyurin – the foreman of gang 104Tetyukor – begs for scrapsAlyoshka – devout baptistPavlo – the deputy of gang 104Kolya – a poetBuyhovsky – the captainGopchik – innocent sixteen year old boyEino – estonianKildigs – talented bricklayerSnub Nose – wardenTsezar – receives regular packagesSymbols/ MotifsBread/food – Is mentioned all throughout the text. The prisoners obsess over the amount of food they get so much, it's clear how mistreated they are. The bread represents survival and that the little things in life should be cherished.Cold – The cold not only represents the weather, but represents the abuse and mistreatment of the prisoners too. Also mentioned all throughout the text, usually along the lines of â€Å"Can a man who's warm understand one who's freezing.† Also representing the theme of: you cannot understand someone if you are not them.Parcel – The parcels represent survival; the inmates who keep them to themselves are healthier like Kildigs. They also represent corruption and bribery in Tsezars case; he bribes inmates to get his way. Which also ties into power because they have more power over the inmates and even some of the guards.Spoon – Shukhov's spoon represents individuality and a struggle to keep humanity and free will. It is his and only his; not controlled by the camp. It's his little secret and his way of trying to keep some freedom and privacy.Moon – The moon represents hope and reminds the inmates of the world beyond their confinement. It gives them something to hold on to and reminds them of home and the people they loved. Which I think ties into appreciation of the small things.SignificanceIvan – We spend the whole day through Ivan and experience what he does. He is vital because the story through his eyes is what mak es the story HIS story. Based on what the author has given us I think Ivan is a good man who just wants to be free.Tsezar – Represents the higher class people having a hard time getting used to the camp. I think he's vital to the story because he's the one who always gets the parcel's and he chooses to share. Based on him getting gifts all the time from his family and him focusing on movies and film making, rather than his own survival, I think he is wealthy and is having a rough time adjusting to the life at camp.Opening scene – The opening scene tells the ways of the camp. Shows that Ivan doesn't feel good and establishes the theme of injustice and oppression by authority with the unfair punishment should've received. Foreshadows to punishments that will be given later on.Closing scene – The closing scene shows how his point of view on happiness has changed; and that he is almost happy. Emphasises how much of a survivor he is by showing us how he always looks on the brightside. And really makes us think back at the end when Alexander tells us that this is only one of his 3,653 day sentence.Scenesâ€Å"Then he took out the piece of bread in the white rag and, holding it under his coat so that not a crumb would be lost, began nibbling and chewing it bit by bit. He'd carried the bread underneath two layers of clothing, warming it with his body, so it wasn't the least bit frozen.† Shows that even the slightest bit of food is treasured so much because they get so little. Ties into the themes of mistreatment and appreciation of what you have.â€Å"Shukhov licked his spoon clean and returned it to his boot, then put on his cap and made for sick bay.† and then â€Å"Shukhov licked his spoon and tucked it inside his boot, crammed his cap on his head, rose, picked up the bread- his own ration and Tsezar's – and left.† These scenes show him trying to gain some individuality and some humanity by having this spoon be his l ittle secret.† Shukhov went to sleep fully content. He'd had so many strokes of luck that day: they hadn't put him in the cells; they hadn't sent his squad to the settlement; he'd swiped a bowl of kasha dinner; the squad leader had fixed the rates well; he'd built a wall and enjoyed doing it; he'd smuggled that bit of the hacksaw blade and through; he'd earned a favor from Tsezar that evening; he'd bought that tobacco. And he hadn't fallen ill. He'd got over it. A day without a dark cloud. Almost a happy day.† Shows how drastically his idea of happiness changed. Ties into the theme of appreciation of the little things. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Novel Review1. PST-T chart PlotGot up to go to bucket Didn't get up at reveille Wondered which guard is on duty Decided he can lie in bed a little while longer Decided to report sick Got 3 days penalty with work for not getting up on time Got dressed Followed Tartar out of room Realised he wasnt being sent to the guardhouse Thanked the guard for letting him off and said he'll never get up late again Picked up pail and with bare hands (because he forgot his gloves) went to the well Put pail down, tucked hands into sleeves and watched some people in interest Ran to well Carried dripping bucket back to guardroom Took boots off and washed floor barefoot Wiped floor boards Eats soup Gets fever examined Returns to hut for body count Hides bread in mattress Thinks about wife's letter Marched off for work at Power Station Admires Alyoshka Tries to keep wind out with tar paper Sneaks an extra helping of food Sees scrap metal in snow and takes it Works and is late to lunch Wants to hide the trowel At body search he pani cs but the guard doesn't find the metal Makes way to hall for supper Awarded 400 grams of bread After body count he prepares to sleep Helps hide Tsezars parcel Gets awarded biscuits and a little bit of sausage Thanks god Alyoshka urges him to pray properly and to pursue the goods of the spirit not the flesh Reflects on this comment Gives him a biscuit MeditatesSubjects/SymbolsBread/foodParcelSpoonPrisoner #MoonColdTechniquesSimileMetaphorImageryPersonificationDiction (informal)ForeshadowingRepetitionTheme StatementsThe little things in life should be appreciated.You cannot understand someone if you are not them.Maintaining your dignity in tough life situations makes life more bearableMeaningful Quotationsâ€Å"Can a man who's warm understand one who's freezing?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Writing letters was like throwing stones into a bottomless pool.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Even a prisoners thoughts aren't free†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"Easy money doesn't weigh anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"Beat a dog once and y ou'll only have to show him the whip.†CharactersIvan – thin, weedy, darkeyed sergeantTyurin – the foreman of gang 104Tetyukor – begs for scrapsAlyoshka – devout baptistPavlo – the deputy of gang 104Kolya – a poetBuyhovsky – the captainGopchik – innocent sixteen year old boyEino – estonianKildigs – talented bricklayerSnub Nose – wardenTsezar – receives regular packagesSymbols/ MotifsBread/food – Is mentioned all throughout the text. The prisoners obsess over the amount of food they get so much, it's clear how mistreated they are. The bread represents survival and that the little things in life should be cherished.Cold – The cold not only represents the weather, but represents the abuse and mistreatment of the prisoners too. Also mentioned all throughout the text, usually along the lines of â€Å"Can a man who's warm understand one who's freezing.† Also representing the theme of: you cannot understand someone if you are not them.Parcel – The parcels represent survival; the inmates who keep them to themselves are healthier like Kildigs. They also represent corruption and bribery in Tsezars case; he bribes inmates to get his way. Which also ties into power because they have more power over the inmates and even some of the guards.Spoon – Shukhov's spoon represents individuality and a struggle to keep humanity and free will. It is his and only his; not controlled by the camp. It's his little secret and his way of trying to keep some freedom and privacy.Moon – The moon represents hope and reminds the inmates of the world beyond their confinement. It gives them something to hold on to and reminds them of home and the people they loved. Which I think ties into appreciation of the small things.SignificanceIvan – We spend the whole day through Ivan and experience what he does. He is vital because the story through his eyes is what mak es the story HIS story. Based on what the author has given us I think Ivan is a good man who just wants to be free.Tsezar – Represents the higher class people having a hard time getting used to the camp. I think he's vital to the story because he's the one who always gets the parcel's and he chooses to share. Based on him getting gifts all the time from his family and him focusing on movies and film making, rather than his own survival, I think he is wealthy and is having a rough time adjusting to the life at camp.Opening scene – The opening scene tells the ways of the camp. Shows that Ivan doesn't feel good and establishes the theme of injustice and oppression by authority with the unfair punishment should've received. Foreshadows to punishments that will be given later on.Closing scene – The closing scene shows how his point of view on happiness has changed; and that he is almost happy. Emphasises how much of a survivor he is by showing us how he always looks on the brightside. And really makes us think back at the end when Alexander tells us that this is only one of his 3,653 day sentence.Scenesâ€Å"Then he took out the piece of bread in the white rag and, holding it under his coat so that not a crumb would be lost, began nibbling and chewing it bit by bit. He'd carried the bread underneath two layers of clothing, warming it with his body, so it wasn't the least bit frozen.† Shows that even the slightest bit of food is treasured so much because they get so little. Ties into the themes of mistreatment and appreciation of what you have.â€Å"Shukhov licked his spoon clean and returned it to his boot, then put on his cap and made for sick bay.† and then â€Å"Shukhov licked his spoon and tucked it inside his boot, crammed his cap on his head, rose, picked up the bread- his own ration and Tsezar's – and left.† These scenes show him trying to gain some individuality and some humanity by having this spoon be his l ittle secret.† Shukhov went to sleep fully content. He'd had so many strokes of luck that day: they hadn't put him in the cells; they hadn't sent his squad to the settlement; he'd swiped a bowl of kasha dinner; the squad leader had fixed the rates well; he'd built a wall and enjoyed doing it; he'd smuggled that bit of the hacksaw blade and through; he'd earned a favor from Tsezar that evening; he'd bought that tobacco. And he hadn't fallen ill. He'd got over it. A day without a dark cloud. Almost a happy day.† Shows how drastically his idea of happiness changed. Ties into the theme of appreciation of the little things.

Financial Literacy in the Philippines Essay

Money. That word enough is enough to turn the heads of almost any one in this world today. It’s not a hidden fact or a myth, or an exaggeration that money indeed makes the world go round today. In legal matters, money is the only reasonable way to amend some matters. In a cynical point of view, you could say that money is the law. In these times of corporate international booming, there’s no exaggeration that money holds your life today. Financial literacy is the knowledge that is the answer to these times of finance emphasized earth. But what is financial literacy? Financial literacy is, according to Wikipedia, â€Å"the ability of a person to understand how money works†. It is basically how one is skilled at handling financial matters, and how one is informed of insurances, investing and over-all money management. Knowing this term, then I am asked, Am I financially literate? As a young adult, it is necessary that one knows how to manage money. Especially that I go to school everyday, riding public transportation, eating out; One can say that isn’t everyone financially literate because they know how to budget their money after all? If it’s that easy, then I could say I am, but it isn’t. I’m not financially literate. As far as my money goes, I only know a little about saving. In fact, I don’t even own a real bank account in this age of 20. I know very little about insurances, investments, let alone the stock market. I only save money so I can spend it on going out with my friends, not for, as they say, the rainy days. Bank accounts are the only thing I know about and as far as I’m concerned it’s just about them keeping my money secured. I’m supposed to be a little embarrassed, but then I look around my community and see I’m not the only one. No, in this country, I’m one of the majority that is not. Why am I not? Why are most of us not financially literate in this world where money is a crucial necessity? I’ve read one article in the internet by Randell Tiongson entitled â€Å"Pinoys and Financial Literacy†. The article tackled how us Filipinos are not as financially literate as we think and the fact that most Filipinos give very little attention to actually be more knowledgeable in handling finances. In contrast though, it states that little by little, we are getting better; but still we have a long way to go to being called a financially stable country. I learned that most Filipinos have the same mind set as I have. We think having a bank account is already financial security. I think I am one of the population that is generally very clueless. Looking at other countries, they have these programs where they actually give seminars and lectures on being financially literate; to them the booming money world can only be survived through education. All I see in our country today are seminars about bank accounts and piggy banks. Where is the education that us Filipinos need in this world of financial dependence? We may turn our eyes from it, but money is a concrete fact of living. All my life I’ve been taught that saving money is the best thing you can do to your money; budget and management. But those are all kids stuff. I’m actually now worried that I am not well informed. One of the reasons I am not financially literate is definitely because of poor education on these matters. No one really taught me the words ‘investing’, or ‘insurance’ or ‘the stock market’ in school. Well maybe in definition, but I never came across how-to’s and guide to how to use these terms in the practical world. I think I would be scolded that I’m asking to be spoon-fed but, to be frank, this country never really made me grow up with concerns about financial literacy. And I am even one of those people with a good education†¦ how about our co-citizens with even less? Another reason is probably how our traditions and culture never really had a chance to understand these legal matters formally. Unlike other countries, we are generally the most traditional ones. We held our religions close, believing that everything happens in God’s time, if it’s safe to say, I think we are relying in Him too much. They didn’t talk about life insurances in the bible. We tend to believe that whatever happens, it happens on God’s will. Religion has been our security for ages. And I think that is why my own parents doesn’t have too much of a clue in investments issues. And as their child, how am I supposed to have a grasp in this area. No matter how I am accused of having enough resources because of the internet, it’s still not enough to carry a curiosity on finance matters. Because as tradition was, in this country, if you have a bank account, you’re saved. My family isn’t really one of those homes where everyone’s so money-savvy. I think it’s also because we’re a young family, with me as the eldest child. So I think I should be the one starting, learning about financial literacy. And this goes, with my last reason: Families with low financial status tend to not to be exposed in these opportunities. We’re not exactly in the higher middle class which many people may think because I’m studying in Mapua. We’re extremely in the middle middle class and as I have observed in television and the internet, those who already have the money are the ones only given the chance to be literate financially. It isn’t a theory that you need money for education, though there are other ways to stay informed but this is the truth. Most people in this country are lower middle class and could you even imagine the opportunities given to their level? It’s just concerning. Money-education for only those who already have money, or the promise of it. And I think that should be the one of the main concerns of this country. In conclusion, the main reason is our own country’s lack of financial literacy education. Resources: https://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Financial_literacy , http://www. investopedia. com/terms/f/financial-literacy. asp ,http://www. randelltiongson. com/? s=financial+literacy+in+the+philippines , http://www. getsmarteraboutmoney. ca/en/managing-your-money/planning/investing-basics/Pages/what-is-financial-literacy. aspx.