Marketing and Nike Essay

Q. N. 1: What have been the key success factors for Nike? Ans. The key success factors for Nike are their exciting marketing strategy, product innovation and staying to the mission which is â€Å"To bring, inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.† These are as follows: * Nike established a strong brand name through designing innovative footwear for serious athletes. * Nike’s management has found most significant celebrity support: the right collaboration between celebrity and product. * Nike stayed focused on being an authentic sports and fitness company serving the athlete and sports minded people. * Nike’s campaign even featured an 80 year old long distance runner with the slogan â€Å"Just Do It† that placed the emphasis on self-empowerment through sports and fitness for all ages. * Making corrections and change of the American style ads in Europe also a key factor for success. Q. N. 2: Where is the Nike vulnerable? What should they watch out for? Ans. Vulnerable points of Nike as well as its solution are as below: * There is one fact, when using celebrity endorsements Nike advertisers need to keep in mind that is to never let the celebrity become your brand. If so, the company will run the risk of killing the brand as soon as celebrity becomes faded. * Selecting a spokesperson whose characteristics are congruent with the brand image. * Nike deals with only one product line that it footwear. In this circumstance, it should watch out for diversification of the products to increase the maker share. Q. N. 3: What recommendations would you make to their senior marketing executives going forward? Ans. For going forward senior marketing executives of Nike can follow the recommendations as below: * Find the right collaboration between celebrity and product. * Promote prospective display that is going global and evaluate current position rate. * Watch out for diversification of product line. * Collecting feedback from customers about the products quality * Customize the advertisement for the customer of different culture in different region. Q. N. 4: What should they be sure to do with their marketing? Ans. They be sure to manage their marketing system in a proper way that it is satisfying the customer needs and wants keeping pace with the time. They can give importance to the following topics: * Be sure that your product performance quality is ok as you advertise. * Ensure innovation on designing the product. * Collect ideas from customers to improve the product * Make aware the customer about the continuous improvement * Establish Customer Relationship Management.

Various Forms of Organizations

YOU DECIDE PAPER 2 Part I:   Discuss the various forms of organization that are available to Penelope, Mark and John The various forms of organization available to Penelope, Mark and John are: GENERAL PARTNERSHIPS: A general partnership is a business organization formed when 2 or more individuals or entities form a business for profit. All partners share in the management and in the profits and decide on matters of ordinary business operations by majority of the partners or by percentage ownership of each partner. Each partner is liable for all business debts and bears responsibility for the actions of the other partners.Each partner reports partnership income on their individual tax return. A partnership dissolves on the death or withdrawal of a partner unless the partnership agreement provides otherwise. Partnerships are relatively easy and inexpensive to form and require few ongoing formalities. LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY: A limited liability company is a new and flexible busines s organization of one or more owners that offers the advantages of liability protection with the simplicity of a partnership, i. e. partners are not liable for business debts.Each partner reports business income on their individual tax return. LLCs may dissolve on the death or withdrawal of an owner depending on state law. An LLC is not appropriate for businesses seeking to become public or raise capital. LLCs require few ongoing formalities but usually require periodic filings with the state and also require annual fees. LLCs are more expensive to form than partnerships. CORPORATIONS: A corporation is a legal entity that has most of the rights and duties of a natural person but with perpetual life and limited liability.Shareholders of a corporation appoint a board of directors and the board of directors appoints the officers for the corporation, who have the authority to manage the day-to-day operations of the corporation. Shareholders are generally liable for the amount of their i nvestment in corporate stock. A corporation pays its own taxes and shareholders pay tax on their dividends. However, in a subchapter S corporation, shareholders report their share of corporate profit or loss in their individual tax return. The corporation is its own legal entity and can survive the death of owners, partners and shareholders.A corporation is the best entity for eventual public companies. Corporations can raise capital through the sale of securities and can transfer ownership through the transfer of securities. Corporations require annual meetings and require owners and directors to observe certain formalities. Corporations are more expensive to form than partnerships and sole proprietorships. Corporations require periodic filings with the state and also require annual fees. (COMMON FORMS OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATION  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ http://www. tulsascore. org/organization. tml) PARTNERSHIPS: Partnerships are unincorporated businesses. Like corporations, partnerships are sepa rate entities from the shareholders. Unlike corporations, partnerships must have at least one General Partner who assumes unlimited liability for the business. Partnerships must have at least two shareholders. Partnerships distribute all profits and losses to their shareholders without regard for any profits retained by the business for cash flow purposes. (LLCs are taxed as partnerships, unless they choose to be taxed as corporations. of   organization you believe will be best and be sure to explain the reasoning for your choice. In my opinion, a Limited Liability Company would be the best choice for them to form as it provides easy management and â€Å"pass-through† taxation (profits and losses are added to the owner(s) personal tax returns) like a Sole Proprietorship/Partnership, with the liability protection of a Corporation. Like a corporation, it is a separate legal entity; unlike a corporation, there is no stock and there are fewer formalities.The owners of an LLC ar e called â€Å"Members† instead of â€Å"Shareholders†. So in essence, it’s a like a corporation, with less complicated taxation and stock formalities. The heart of a Limited Liability Company is known as the â€Å"Operating Agreement†. This document sets the rules for operating the company and can be modified as the business grows and changes. Operating an LLC is less formal than a corporation, usually only requiring an Annual Members’ Meeting and Members’ agreeing to changes of the Operating Agreement and other major company decisions.Provides the liability protection of a corporation without the corporate formalities (Board meetings, Shareholder meetings, minutes, etc. ) and extra levels of management (Shareholders, Directors, Officers). Taxed the same as a sole proprietorship (1 Member LLC) or partnership (2 or more Members). (Which Type of Business Entity to Choose? http://www. mynewcompany. com/entity. htm) Part III:   Discuss the ta x consequences of contributing cash, property and/or services to the new entity. Contributions of appreciated property to an LLC, however, are generally tax free and there is no ownership or control requirement.There are ordinarily no federal income tax consequences when a person contributes property or services to an LLC, but there are some exceptions to this rule that you should keep in mind when planning for contributions by new or existing members of LLCs. Under IRC  §721(a), a contribution of property to an LLC is generally tax free to both the contributor and the LLC. There is no 80 percent control requirement to obtain tax-free treatment for a contribution to an entity taxed as a partnership as there is for a contribution to a corporation under IRC  §351.Therefore, a contribution of property to an LLC will be tax free even if the contributor obtains only a relatively small interest in the LLC in exchange. Part IV:   Discuss, in detail, how this entity is taxed (if at al l) and what filing requirements it has with the IRS Limited liability companies that are subject to the partnership tax rules are not responsible for actually paying the tax on business earnings, but are responsible for preparing annual partnership tax returns on IRS Form 1065.This return is for informational purposes only; all income, deductions and credits are reported by each individual owner. The LLC reports each owner's share of these amounts on a Schedule K-1 at the end of the year. In this situation, if Penelope, Mark and John earn $120,000 and have $60,000 of deductible business expenses, then each of them will receive a Schedule K-1 with $40,000 of earnings and $20,000 of deductions. Each of them must then report these figures on their personal income tax returns.Essentially, the business will increase their personal taxable income by $20,000. (LLC Tax Filing Rules – Tax Basis in LLC Interest: In general, the initial tax basis of a member who acquires an LLC interest from the LLC will be equal to the amount of money and the tax basis of any property that the member contributes to the LLC in exchange for such interest. The tax basis thus determined will be increased by such member's share of the LLC's liabilities, by its share of the LLC's income, and by any subsequent capital contributions.The member's tax basis will be reduced (but not below zero) by the member's share of LLC distributions and losses and also by any decrease in such member's share of the LLC's liabilities. IRC  § 752 embodies the statutory rules for sharing LLC liabilities. That Section provides that any increase in a partner's share of a partnership's liabilities, or any increase in a partner's individual liabilities by reason of assuming a partnership's liabilities, will be considered a contribution of money by such partner to the partnership.Conversely, any decrease in a partner's share of a partnership's liabilities, or any decrease in a partner's individual liabilities by reason of a partnership assuming such liabilities, will be considered a distribution of money to the partner by the partnership. Unfortunately, the statute does not provide for the manner in which a partner's share of liabilities will be determined. Instead, one must look to the Regulations. (Federal Income Taxation of LLC Members – http://www. mmmlaw. com/media-room/publications/articles/federal-income-taxation-of-llc-members)This last exception is the most important. In some circumstances, a court might say that the LLC doesn’t really exist and find that its owners are really doing business as individuals, who are personally liable for their acts (LLC Business Basics – http://articles. bplans. com/small-business-legal-issues/llc-basics/186) Cited Sources: COMMON FORMS OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATION  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ http://www. tulsascore. org/organization. html Types of Business  Organizations: 6 Forms of Business for IRS  Purposes http://taxes. about. com/od/taxp lanning/a/incorporating_2. tm Which Type of Business Entity to Choose? http://www. mynewcompany. com/entity. htm Contributions to LLCs – http://www. alberty. com/newsletter_summer01. html How LLC Members Are Taxed – http://www. nolo. com/legal-encyclopedia/how-llcs-are-taxed-29675. html Tax Implications: LLC Versus S Corporations – http://www. hutchlaw. com/library/tax-implications-llc-versus-s-corporations LLC & Asset Protection – http://www. ehow. com/about_6563015_llc-asset-protection. html LLC Business Basics – http://articles. bplans. com/small-business-legal-issues/llc-basics/186

A Critical Analysis of N.T. Wright New Perspective of Paul on Research Paper

A Critical Analysis of N.T. Wright New Perspective of Paul on Covenantal Justification - Research Paper Example Being a self admitted proponent of a number of aspects that result from the New Perspectives put forward by Paul, Wright distinctly shares a number of similarities with fellow advocates E.P Sanders and James Dunn however, Wrights arguments carry their own weight and unique undertone. In recent times however, Wright has received a large amount of criticism especially with regard to the doctrine of justification2. This is the issue which will be examined in this discussion and will be addressed by examining the origin and development of the New Perspective of Paul,2) Justification in N.T. Wright and its Relation with the Adamic, Abrahamic and New Covenant and 3) Carry out a Critical Analysis on NT Wright Covenantal Justification from Reformed Scholars. By the end of this paper, it is hoped that the reader will have a clear understanding of the weakness of the covenantal view approach to justification by contrasting strengths within the disputed justification. In recent years, there has been a distinct change in the views touching on Pauline Theology with a growing number of evangelicals endorsing what is being referred to as the New Perspective on Paul which makes a significant departure from the Reformation focus on justification based on faith alone3. Some of the most popular spokesmen for this new view are E.P Sanders and James D.G Dunn. While having slight differences in the manner in which they defend the New Perspective, all of these scholars have seemingly adopted an argument referred to as covenantal nominism which essentially provides a role to salvation to the works of Moses’ law4. Among the numerous contributions to Pauline theology E. P Sanders stands as one of the most distinct. Heavily influenced by historical-Critical ideologies, Sanders argued that Paul’s Christology is distinctly unclear and conflicting. For instance on Rom 1:3-4 Sanders argues that while the reader of the passage might be led to believe

I will upload the instruction Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

I will upload the instruction - Coursework Example Our mentorship program led us to do some socially responsible work with the program focusing primarily on hand hygiene. Mentorship programs serve several purposes. Some mentorship programs are designed to develop new skills and nurture existing skill prowess. Additionally, mentorship programs play a variety of roles in introducing new nurses to the field. Mentorship programs can also be designed to build the confidence levels of mentees as well as offering the much needed guidance and direction to novice nurses. The mentor is usually the expert and his or her primary role is to give the nurses a new and exciting outlook on their career. Mentorship programs have been recurrently seen as definers of a mentees success in the field. Mentorship programs, for instance, focuses on several goals. The major goal of mentorship is to achieve the expected goals or anticipation from the mentorship program. For instance, if a mentorship program seeks to build on registered nurses confidence levels, the primary goal or objective for such a program would be more confident mentees. Other goals of mentorship include teaching, skill improvement, firsthand experience and establishing various role models for the nurses (Grossman, 2013). As such, mentorship also centers on creating solid foundations for the nurses, creating a better opportunity for them to derive satisfaction from their careers. The main objective of our mentorship project was to contribute to the society by helping them reduce cases and incidences of contracting ailments. The mentorship program was designed to enable mentees to mentor other children as well. This is part of the social responsibility of the hospital, proactive measures towards health restoration. The program was designed to reinforce the need for washing hands recurrently to avoid germs and bacteria that cause diseases. The project gave all nurses a chance to interact with the children and mentor them into achieving good health.

CRJ 565 AL 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CRJ 565 AL 6 - Essay Example Management allocates resources that are required to develop new products, and therefore it is important for it to be (DuBrin, pp.1-10). The students recommend that the management of Rapid Cash Store should review its business activities. In the recommendation, the student proposes that the store should diversify its operations and move away from the business of lending money. He cites the previous financial performance of the company indicates that the store is on the verge of collapsing. Although the student’s suggestion is a noble idea, the decision can be made as a last resort. In a market where retailers are making a kill by offering discounts, all Sam has to do it to provide competitive interest rates. Sam has to reconsider the decision of offering high-interest rates. All he has to do is to reduce the interest rates and monitor the effect to the performance of the store (DuBrin, pp.330-340). The third students provide an interesting discussion on the importance of having strategic plans. The students suggest that Manchester Foods should have a clear mission and vision on what they intend to achieve in terms of new product development. Equally, like the first student Kim has a very noble idea. For any project to succeed, proper planning has to be made. Resources are in nature, and, therefore, appropriate mechanism has to be laid on how to utilize them and attain the desired results. Furthermore, the students encourage the firm to acquire other subsidiary businesses that are in the same industry but offer different products. In doing so, Manchester Foods could have succeeded in developing new products. In addition, the student proposes that the Manchester Foods should conduct a market research before developing a new product. A market will help the firm to establish the needs of customers so that they can be into the new product. Lastly, Riggans

Scope statement of the Provision Healthcare Technologies Essay

Scope statement of the Provision Healthcare Technologies - Essay Example In this project, the authors are going to upgrade a new system for the better functionality of system and enhancement to the governmental standards. New government regulations have just been issued regarding patient safety. PROVISION must modify the wand software to incorporate this new functionality within six months or face steep fines. PROVISION has decided to move up its next wand release to meet the government deadlines. It has also decided to incorporate some new functionality and make some software fixes as part of this release. The scope of the PROVISION project is to modify the required software to incorporate this new functionality within six months will be defined. In this section, the authors will outline the main objectives that they have to achieve throughout the project lifecycle. This project will involve the following stockholders: Sales & Marketing department Product Distribution department Product manufacturing department Product Development Department PROVISION Healthcare Technologies manufactures Ltd. Governmental health care department Project manager General public Through this project implementation, the authors will be able to have more ways of doing the work regarding public health. Hereafter the modification of the old system they would have a government-established standard of public health care. This will also provide them a competitive edge in this market.  

An Analysis of Gish Jen's use of the American Dream in her novel Essay

An Analysis of Gish Jen's use of the American Dream in her novel Typical American - Essay Example The latter abstract phenomenon reveals the secret of American success: immolation of morals in the name of prosperity. Gish Jen's characters, Chinese immigrants, are between two cultures as between the devil and the deep sea, between familial dreams and their own thirst for self-definition, between the Old World traditions and shiny, new dreams of the New World. Chang family are perpetual outsiders, connoisseurs of the strange, sometimes mysterious aspects of the world around them and the odd, surprising ways in which race and discrimination and family history can confuse their sense of individuality. Chang family seems to be stumbling on the edge of American phenomenon, the identity crisis (Kakutani). As newcomers to America, they take this country's chance seriously, a prospect that would cause both liberating freedom and discord. Ralph is the main character, whose ideals were being changed in the process of the novel. He left for America to earn an engineering degree, but he wanted to preserve all the seeds of Chinese way of life. In his mind Ralph surely discarded all tempts available for 'typical Americans' (food, women, entertainments etc) and he thought that he would never be involved into this vicious circle. Chang family mocks at American typicality of living; they make fun of Americans, who have more freedom and liberation, and 'typicality' becomes a kind of 'plague' for them. Nevertheless in the course of time, Ralph gets married, earns his doctorate in engineering, buys his first home, has two daughtersand becomes 'typical American'. Thus it's no wonder that his ambitions need release and Ralph becomes seduced in order to reach an American Dream. Ralph thinks that in America if "you have money, you can do anything. You have no money, you are nobody. You are Chinaman!" (Gish, 66). Suddenly Ralph gets 'a shot I the arm', finds an American-born con-man Grover Ding, who disrupts the harmony of Chang family lives and unties their relationships and provokes them to become "typical Americans". This man instills Chang's gluttonous materialism, marital betrayal, and personal fraudulence. Ralph is highly motivated by Ding's ideas and launches a fast-food restaurant, called Chicken Palace, which eventually fails. Fortunately, Chang family becomes united at the end of the novel and able to restore their initial morals, principles and traditions. A struggle between values In the characters of Ralph, Theresa, and Helen, Jen shows lives of immigrants as a struggle between old-world and new-world values; between good and evil. At first the main characters sacrificed their self-identities, got lost in the New World. In the U.S. immigrants run into changes of their Old World circumscribed roles. They have a subconscious responsibility to preserve at least some

In what ways can interprofessional working improve the quality of the Essay

In what ways can interprofessional working improve the quality of the health care - Essay Example When accredited, the professional is recognised as having expertise to the particular field, such as in the medical profession, and is bound by a code of ethics. Set against the backdrop of the twenty-first century, with all the globalisation and information technology (IT) complexities – which can be turned into helpful aids instead of barriers – collaboration is seen as a powerful force by public and private sectors in service delivery especially in the health sector. The health care profession is challenged by various sectors in society to deliver quality care. The NHS Plan requires more interprofessional working as a result of demands from discriminating public and demanding patients. (Leathard, 2003, p. 69) The NHS Plan demands more time or flexibility in working which is to the patient’s interests. Ethical standards have to be explained further since the patient has to have trust to the physician who, because of his/her knowledge in the profession, is at an advantage over the patient who needs to understand his/her health situation. Distrust has developed between the medical profession and the general public, particularly the individuals needing care. Promoting interprofessional working between government and private agencies requires a whole lot of political will and backing. For example, the government has seen and made it clear that there is a national imperative for an interprofessional knowledge sharing programmes of health and social care providers (Department of Health, 2001 cited in Spence, 2007, p. 121). Along this line of policies should be a series of legislation and activities by the government to promote interprofessional collaboration. The mental health care professions need this political backing but interprofessional working is seen as passing along various barriers. Setting the scene for

Humans versus Nature-- which selects better for human survival, from a Essay - 2

Humans versus Nature-- which selects better for human survival, from a biological point of view - Essay Example ground concepts of natural selection, gene inheritance and anomalies, and adaptation will be important in trying to understand some of the decisions human beings have made. The paper will also assess how the contemporary society has responded to health and adaptation challenges in the bio environment from the perspective of nature and genetics. Human adaptation to natural environment is under constant challenge, prompting a continuous process of biological evolution. Human being’s capability for adaptation shaped his life on a number of ways. Man evolved to an upright posture, enlarged of brain, ability to make and use tools, emergence of sophisticated mental and social behavior. Human beings later developed technology to change his environment and improve their health. Therefore, nature seems to be having great influence on human survival decisions (BBC 1). Natural selection as one of the biological factors for human survival was based on the fact that the environment selected the most adaptable organisms to pass on their genetic materials. Natural selection means that organisms that were best adapted survived the harsh conditions of the environment whereas those that were poorly adapted died. Organisms that survived were able to interbreed and therefore, pass on their good genetic traits to their young ones. As organisms that had survived interbred, the crossing over genetic materials ensured genetic variation and genetic inheritance. Resulting organisms were those ones that constantly evolved and adapted to the environment. This does not mean that environmentally acquired traits were inherited, but that the environment naturally selected organism that were best adapted. It is said that human evolution took the same process of natural selection where those with good traits survived the harsh environment while those that were poorly adapted died and did not pass their traits to offspring. Inheritance, adaptation and natural selection still matter in the

We Should End War in Middle East Essay Example for Free

We Should End War in Middle East Essay â€Å"American soldiers killed in attack. † This is the latest headline out of Iraq, yet stories like these are all too common, even while the armed forces do their best to censor the reality of the war from reaching the home front. The brutal realities of the war in Iraq cannot be sufficiently censored to prevent Americans from finding out the horrible toll our soldiers pay each day, losing their humanity by killing and losing their minds by having to see their friends’ arms or legs blown off. The American public has finally started to voice its opposition to the protracted war in Iraq, as recent polls and presidential approval ratings show that the public is increasingly upset with the direction the war has taken, even though support for the troops continues to remain high. As it stands, opposition to the war also continues to grow and the polarization that marked the early days of the war is diminishing, as citizens, politicians, members of the armed forces, and even those in the Bush administration are realizing the errant decisions that led to and sustained the war have cost far too muchin billions of taxpayers’ dollars, international economic and political status, and most importantly the lives of tens thousands of Americans and many more Iraqis. Few issues have polarized the political community and general population in the United States as the sustained war in Iraq. While most of the country agreed that invading Afghanistan was necessary to combat terrorism, the decision to invade Iraq was met with mixed feelings at best. At the time, the Bush administration used everything in its power to convince the American public and the world of the righteousness in attacking Iraq. The many reasons, with varying degrees of honesty and accuracy, ranged from the threat of weapons of mass destruction to Iraq’s participation in terrorism to the plain fact that Saddam Hussein was a bad man. Unfortunately, many Americans who would normally be in the middle of the road on such issues were blinded by the administration’s continued propaganda about having to support a president during wartime, regardless of the terrible decisions or unexplained actions he takes, and many also believed that Iraq was involved in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. A Washington Post poll of 1,003 adults taken in August of 2003 found that nearly 70% of Americans polled believed that Saddam Hussein was personally involved in Al Qeada’s attacks on the United States; a Time/CNN poll conducted around the same time found Americans more closely split on whether the military action in Iraq was worth the price in America lives, taxpayer dollars and other costs — 49% said yes, 43% no and 8% were unsure (â€Å"Poll: 70% Believe Saddam, 9-11 Link†). With its aims justified in the eyes of the misinformed American public, in March of 2003 the Bush administration got its wish to expand the war in the Middle East to include Iraq. This initial invasion was a showcase for the massive military industrial complex that provided scores of new technological advances in recent years designed to maximize death. Memorable images from the invasion include the â€Å"shock and awe† campaign of large bombs and missiles tearing up Baghdad, the famous toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue by Iraqi civilians, and President George Bush landing in a fighter jet upon an aircraft carrier, only to give a speech in front of a large banner that read â€Å"Mission Accomplished! † The tragically comedic irony of that banner can only be understood in hindsight, and only by those fortunate enough not to have been in Iraq. Over four years later, the mission has not been accomplished, unless the mission was to create the highest possible revenues for international oil companies at the expense of young American lives. Additionally, the Bush administration’s decision to invade Iraq eroded much of the international good will created by the September 11 attacks. Many countries that supported the U. S. invasion of Afghanistan see the invasion of Iraq as unnecessary and nothing more than the act of a bully, the world’s lone superpower. However, most Americans chose to dismiss the loud opinions of the international community as being shortsighted and not relatable. The economic impact of the war in Iraq is felt by all Americans each time they pump gas. In the four years since the U. S. invaded Iraq, Iraqi oilfields and associated infrastructure have sustained 400 attacks, and oil production in the country has fallen from 1. 95 barrels per day during the first quarter of 2007, short of the U. S. goal of 2. 5 million barrels per day and the previous mark of 3. 7 million under Saddam Hussein (Miller). It is also highly reported in the media and amongst citizens that companies like Haliburton, associated with Vice President Dick Cheney, have benefited immensely from the reconstruction contracts in Iraq, leading many to believe that the war is solely for oil. The fact that oil companies are now making record profits seem to reinforce these ideas. But, another consequence of U. S. action in Iraq is that the dollar is losing its international value. The dollar has weakened against the euro, gold, copper, and other assets, and when Bush came in to office, a dollar equated to . 987 euros while now it is at . 5 (Miller). While oil gets more expensive, the dollar weakens, in large part due America’s overwhelming dependence on it and the massive expenditures of oil, resources, and money on the war in Iraq. The business side of the war in Iraq seems to have little benefit for common Americans, who are really the ones paying the most for it in terms of dollars. Top economists estimate that the total costs for the war will exceed $2 trillion. The Bush administration predicted in 2002 that the war would cost between $100 billion and $200 billion, but according to a 2006 study by Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph E.  Stiglitz and Harvard lecturer Linda Bilmes, after factoring in long-term healthcare for wounded US veterans, rebuilding a worn-down military, and accounting for other unforeseen bills and economic losses, the total could reach far above the $700 million it has so far cost for the war effort alone (Bender). With so many domestic issues requiring effort and money to rectify, this extended war does little to provide health care for the millions of Americans without it, or maintain the country’s infrastructure. A former economic advisor to President Bill Clinton, Stiglitz based the study on past conflicts, the current war’s impact on the ballooning federal deficit, its ripple effects on overall economic growth and investment, and losses in productivity (Bender). The increasing economic costs, combined with the economic downturn experienced during Bush’s time in office is borderline catastrophic, but actually compares little to the greatest cost of the war, which is the cost of human lives. As this speech is being written, the war has cost a total of 4,000 U. S. oldiers’ lives according to the latest body counts, and the violence continues to not on maintain its horrible pace, but even shows signs of increasing, as daily reports of not only American casualties but Iraqi civilian casualties roll in. In the same report the daily violence against civilians included a suicide truck bomber in the Sulaiman Bek city hall, a predominantly Sunni area of northern Iraq, which killed at least 16 people and wounded 67; add to this at least 21 other Iraqis that were killed or found dead in attacks nationwide and life in the U. S. -occupied country becomes more apparent (Gamel). While it is impossible to say that Iraq was a peaceful country under the regime of Saddam Hussein, it is easy to say that it is not at all peaceful under the regime of George W. Bush. This has led to a negative view of the United States by many of the Iraqi that are supposed to be helped. According to Iraqi author, Abdul Hadi al-Khalili, who was kidnapped in broad daylight by gunmen and forced to pay $30,000 to be released, this is a product of American occupation: â€Å"Crimes like carjacking, murder, and kidnapping were nearly unheard of during the years of Saddam’s repressive police state. The United States successfully dismantled Saddam’s government but completely failed to bring a sense of law and order to the nation of Iraq† (Al-Marashi and Hadi al-Khalili). It is apparent that the war in Iraq is bad for Americans, Iraqis, and creates a world in which countries are afraid of what the next unilateral action of the U. S. will be. An invasion of Iran, perhaps? There has been discussion along these lines, but one can only hope common sense prevails over fantastical dreams of hawks in the government. One of the quietest statistics from the war is the number of servicemen and women wounded in action. Because the armed forces keep such firm control on media and personal reports by the soldiers, the American public is largely unaware of the sheer numbers of soldiers that come back from Iraq gravely wounded. According to the latest reports by the Department of Defense, the total U. S.  Iraq War casualties stand at over 56,000; this figure includes the nearly 28,000 wounded by hostile action and almost double that amount for soldiers who were evacuated for illness and non-hostile action, a blanket description that also includes soldiers who commit suicide (White). The thing that differentiates the war in Iraq from previous wars is that the fatality rate is misleading and the casualty rate is significantly higher than Vietnam and Korea, which experienced fewer than three people wounded for every death, and the World Wars, in which there were less than two (Bilmes). Some of this can be attributed to better medical technology and the use of body armor, but the overall theme is that there are and will continue to be a large amount of wounded veterans, both physically and psychologically, coming back to the United States needing treatment on an already grossly understaffed and under-funded Veteran Affairs administration. So far, more than 200,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated at VA medical facilities — three times what the VA projected, according to a Government Accountability Office analysis; of these veterans, more than a third have been diagnosed with mental health conditions, and thousands more have crippling disabilities such as brain and spinal injuries (Bilmes). The Veterans Benefits Administration has 400,000 pending claims, some which will never be honored, and of the 1. million service members involved in the war from the beginning, 900,000 are still on active duty, which will only lead to greater problems when their time is up (Bilmes). The conservative estimate of the price wounded veterans will cost the U. S. taxpayers in between $300 billion and $600 billion, not to mention the price the veterans themselves have already paid. No matter what the reasons for fighting the war in Iraq may be it is apparent that those who fought it and those who paid for it will continue to pay for years to come. There is little to suggest that the war in Iraq is justifiable or will have a positive outcome. It has created ill-will towards America from the rest of the world that may last for generations; it has killed possibly hundreds of thousands of humans, and maimed many more; it has left a country in complete shambles with little hope to pull out of it anytime soon; and, it will end up costing far more than it is worth in time, money, and lives. As Americans continue to learn the truths about Iraq and the administration that led us there, it will continue to oppose the poor decisions. As the elections of 2006 showed, Americans are ready for a change. The only thing that remains to be seen is if the American public is ready to initiate that change or blindly maintain the status quo. Their decision is more important than they could ever realize.

Pros And Cons Of Organizational Change Management Essay

Pros And Cons Of Organizational Change Management Essay The crux of this report is a discussion on organization change and whether the changes are good or it does damages that are not reparable. Firstly, organisational change is an essential part of todays globalised work life. In moderns economy, teams and organisations face rapid change like never before. Globalisation has not only boost the markets and opportunities for more development and profit, it also provides opportunities for organisational members to process, however, in general, change processes make demands on both employees and management, regardless of the content of the change process. Facing of the tide of globalisation, one of the dominant disputes that human resource professionals face is what method to improve organisational competitive advantage in the hastily changing environment. Organisational change come about multiple reasons, it is undertaken to ameliorate the accomplishment of that particular organization or a portion of the organization, for instance, a proces s or team. For organisations to be able to prosper, it is essential for them to go through a important alteration at different sections during their growth. Significant organisational change occurs when the overall strategy of an organization changes, for instance, in order to achieve appropriate consequences, accumulation or take away a big portion or usual procedure, and/or desire to alter the nature on how it works. Changes always lead to employees Pros of Organizational Change Change can assist a business to keep up with industry trends, making it more appealing to promising consumers as well as maintaining present consumers. For instance, one way to make sure that a business does not fall behind when an opponent established and markets a successful new product is by establishing and advertising a related product of its own. In the process of organization change, employees will be able to acquire new skills, seek new opportunities and exercise their creativity in ways that eventually favors the organization through extra ideas and increased commitment. Knowledge transfer takes place during the process when people have idiosyncratic information that is valuable to other people, and thus learning takes place during the change. In addition, the capability to clasp change can assist employees in a business by developing new opportunities. For instance, a worker who actively applies herself to learning the new office technology can also train others who are more uncertain. This leadership role has caused the employee to position herself as a person who has the ability to guide others and is capable of assuming extra responsibilities, making her a credible candidate for approaching promotion. Furthermore, businesses that are capable at handling or even embracing change can promote an environment that stimulates innovation. Employees will be more willing to think in a more creative manner if their ideas are acknowledge by a manager or business owner. By stimulating employees to think in a more creative manner enable a business grow. Either a good product or a marketing idea will enables a small business to achieve it success. Finally, an erudite or personnel change in an organization can result in employee attitudes and morale being positive. When there is a change in human resources philosophy, it enables a much relaxed work ambience, for instance, dress down day on Friday; this kind of idea will definitely make the employees overjoyed. When an inflexible manager is substitute with one who always listens to employees ideas and feedbacks, employees will feel that their efforts are acknowledged and that they will give in their best regarding their job functions. Cons of Organizational Change When major change takes place, the impact of transformation of an organization can be effective and may frequently create complicated challenges. Change can present a risk and certain level of danger. The end results can be very costly and sometimes beyond recovery in terms of time, money, human resources, or equipments. It is known that human nature oppose change, especially if it is perceived to influence ones lives adversely. When an organization is undergoing organizational change, such as: re-structuring, or merging, it will result in employees going through the feelings of tension, stress, and uncertainty, which results in the impact on employees productivity output, achievement, and engagements toward the organization (Ashford, et. al., 1989). In other words, the aftermath can be out of discipline. The norm prefers foreseeable future but change disrupts it, which cause confusion and potentially an erosion of assurance. When one lose confident and ideas are not supported and acknowledge by the higher management may increase the stress of the employees and this might lead to staff not performing well in their daily work routine. Secondly, during organisational change, staff members might experience loss of attachment. Most of the time, change requires working with new members, such as a new leader, or a new team. Gradually, employees will feel attached and develop a sense of faithfulness to their colleagues. Having to break up this faithfulness, can often be pressurize and make people anxious. Employees feel that the environment is doubtful, low tolerance of ambiguity, less freedom and ideal time for work, thus they will are unwilling to take risk, and thus becoming less motivated and committed to making contributions. Thirdly, organisational changes might lead to staffs having low morale. When staffs disagree a change that is taking place in the workplace, they become less confident and felt hopeless about their professional future with the organisation. This is specifically when there is a deficiency of communication within the organisation regarding the change. Lowered morale can disperse throughout the whole company, which will result in issues with both recruiting and retention. Lastly, organisation change may result in less efficiency in employees. This is due to the employees spending much time focusing on withstanding the changes taking place in the organsation, which results them becoming less attentive in their daily work routine which is affiliate with their jobs. Being less attentive in their work will reduce the level of adeptness and achievement among staff; this can influence the organisations fundamental. In reality, a decreased level of adeptness is the main reason why there is an organisation change, as changes are frequently build to reform a more cogent and productive company. Conclusion Change within an organisation will enable some type of improvement within an organisation. Even though the main intention is to bring out positive effects, but these changes frequently brought about some affection and sensation to those who are affected indirectly and directly. Although change may be a certain portion of handling profession, it is often not welcomed by employees, leaders or owners of the business. Employees are afraid to leave their comfort zone or they are afraid that they are not able to adapt to a different situation. Changes can affect a business success in long run and have a positive impact on it, while on the other hand a change that is short term can be agonizing. In addition, change cannot be avoided. Some types of changes that will tend to affect employees are reducing bonus, reducing monthly salary or even take away their benefits. All this changes might result in employees being devastated, especially those who are the sole breadwinner. It is a challenge for organisations to make adeptness and betterment within its anatomy, while at the same time managing employees self-esteem and support for the organization and its responsibility. If changes are made, especially large-scale reorganisations, it is essential to communicate and associate all of the employees to the extent in which it can ensure a successful development.

Sleeping and Dreaming Essay -- Psychology Sleeping Dreams Essays

Sleeping and Dreaming Despite the large amount of time we spend asleep, surprisingly little is actually known about sleeping and dreaming. Much has been imagined, however. Over history, sleep has been conceived as the space of the soul, as a state of absence akin to death, as a virtual or alternate reality, and more recently, as a form of (sub)consciousness in which memories are built and erased. The significance attributed to dreams has varied widely as well. The Ancient Greeks had surprise dream encounters with their gods. Native Americans turned to their dreams for guidance in life. Shamans dreamed in order to gather information from the spirits. Sleep and dreams have defined eras, cultures, and individuals. Sigmund Freud’s interpretation of dreams revolutionized twentieth-century thought. Historical archives record famous short sleepers and notable insomniacs—some accounts reliable, some not. When Benjamin Franklin counseled, â€Å"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,† he was using sleep habits to symbolize his pragmatism. Important public policy issues have arisen in our modern 24-hour society, where it is crucial to weigh the value of sleep versus wakefulness. Scientific knowledge about sleep is currently insufficient to resolve the political and academic debates raging about how much and when people should sleep. These issues affect almost everybody, from the shift worker to the international traveler, from the physician to the policy maker, from the anthropologist to the student preparing for an exam. In 2004–2005, the Penn Humanities Forum will focus on the topic of â€Å"Sleep and Dreams.† Proposals are invited from researchers in all humanistic fields concerned with representations of sleep, metaphors used to describe sleep, and sleep as a metaphor in itself. In addition, we solicit applications from those who study dreams, visions, and nightmares in art or in life, and the approaches taken to their interpretation. We also welcome proposals about the effects of dreaming on the dreamer, and the resulting emotions, behaviors, and actions taken or foregone in response to dreams. In this Forum on Sleep and Dreams, we will see how the diversity of academic disciplines can help to answer important questions about sleep and dreaming—questions that may touch the basis of human intellect. The Forum is fortunate in... ...stingly, the same type of brain arousal takes place whether people actually do finger tapping or only imagine it. What surprised Sutton most, however, was detection of remarkably similar activity in much larger networks spanning areas of the cortex dealing with both input from the senses and output signals to the muscles. "Patterns of activity in small, more primitive areas of the brain are recapitulated in larger, more advanced parts," Sutton says. "This means that nature did not have to develop new rules of operation for different levels of the brain from small clusters of cells to large systems." In other words, as the brain evolved from a thimbleful of cells in a worm's head to the billions of cells with trillions of connections in humans, many of the same principles of organization were retained. Those similarities make it infinitely easier to make computer models of the brain. "We already have built models which allow us to understand what is going on more quickly," Sutton notes. "Many types of mental illness may result from disorders of this organization. Understanding the details of what is happening will allow us to help real people with real suffering."

Function of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) :: Politics Political Essays

Function of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Functioning as a Palestinian government, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded in 1964 as a political body representing the Palestinians in their efforts to reclaim their country from the Israelis. Originally an umbrella organization of refugee and military groups, it was ultimately joined by professional, labour and student associations and also by some individuals. The purpose of the PLO is to help the Palestinians "to recover their usurped homes" and to replace Israel with a secular Palestinian state. To that end, it has been responsible for commando acts both in Israel and in other countries. The PLO works through three parts: 1.the Executive Committee, a decision-making body 2.the Central Committee, an advisory body 3.the Palestine National Council which is generally viewed as an assembly of the Palestinian people Yasser Arafat has been the head of the PLO since 1968. In 1974 at an Arab summit in Rabat, Morocco, the PLO was recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people". Subsequent to this, Arafat addressed the United Nations where the organization was given official observer status. In 1970 the PLO commandos fought a short but bloody war with the Jordanian army after which they were expelled from that country and settled in Lebanon. Little by little, they became a state within a state, and thus contributed to the disintegration of Lebanon after 1975. The aftermath of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 was to disperse some 12,000 PLO members to Syria and other Arab countries. Those loyal to Arafat made their headquarters in Tunis, where an Israeli bombing raid in 1985 severely damaged their headquarters and other buildings. Palestine is the ancient name of a Middle Eastern country situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Its size has varied greatly throughout its history and its exact borders are even now in dispute. Its location at the junction of trade routes linking three continents has meant that it was a melting pot for religious and cultural influences. It has also, unfortunately, been a natural battleground for the region's powerful states and thus subject to domination by them, the first of these being Egypt in the third millennium BC. Function of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) :: Politics Political Essays Function of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Functioning as a Palestinian government, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded in 1964 as a political body representing the Palestinians in their efforts to reclaim their country from the Israelis. Originally an umbrella organization of refugee and military groups, it was ultimately joined by professional, labour and student associations and also by some individuals. The purpose of the PLO is to help the Palestinians "to recover their usurped homes" and to replace Israel with a secular Palestinian state. To that end, it has been responsible for commando acts both in Israel and in other countries. The PLO works through three parts: 1.the Executive Committee, a decision-making body 2.the Central Committee, an advisory body 3.the Palestine National Council which is generally viewed as an assembly of the Palestinian people Yasser Arafat has been the head of the PLO since 1968. In 1974 at an Arab summit in Rabat, Morocco, the PLO was recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people". Subsequent to this, Arafat addressed the United Nations where the organization was given official observer status. In 1970 the PLO commandos fought a short but bloody war with the Jordanian army after which they were expelled from that country and settled in Lebanon. Little by little, they became a state within a state, and thus contributed to the disintegration of Lebanon after 1975. The aftermath of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 was to disperse some 12,000 PLO members to Syria and other Arab countries. Those loyal to Arafat made their headquarters in Tunis, where an Israeli bombing raid in 1985 severely damaged their headquarters and other buildings. Palestine is the ancient name of a Middle Eastern country situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Its size has varied greatly throughout its history and its exact borders are even now in dispute. Its location at the junction of trade routes linking three continents has meant that it was a melting pot for religious and cultural influences. It has also, unfortunately, been a natural battleground for the region's powerful states and thus subject to domination by them, the first of these being Egypt in the third millennium BC.

The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Essay -- psychology, drug

Addiction is the chronic and inappropriate use of a substance or activity that interferes with one’s daily life. Research has shown that addictive substances become engrained in the individual’s coping mechanism. Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective form of addiction’s treatment because it is an integrative approach that consists of multiple stages, views the individual as a whole, more effective than pharmacotherapy, and creates a healthy relationship with the therapist. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that teaches the individual new behavior patterns to break their old ineffective habits. Scientific research on addiction shows that those who suffer from substance dependency do not have the same capabilities as non-substance users. This can include the ability to think of the consequences of their actions, plan ahead and decision-making skill. (Simpson et al., 2011, p. 2). In CBT, a therapist must ensure that the client deve lops these skills and creates a functional concept of self through goals. The type of goals is typically depended on the therapist’s opinion. It is vital for the therapist to have self-awareness to a client’s substance dependency because their response to the substance or client will effect the treatment. The therapist should have supervision to ensure that the cognitive-behavior therapy is helping the client and it is not harming the therapist’s mental state. Psychotherapy is individualized for both therapists and clients, yet there are some clear stages and ideas in CBT. Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on the cycle of the ABC model, which consists of antecedents, behavior and consequences (Ryan, 2013, p.33). The antecedent is the event that takes place to cause ... ...iates Publishers. Hides, L., Samet, S., & Lubman, D. I. (2010). Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for the treatment of co-occurring depression and substance use: Current evidence and directions for future research. Drug & Alcohol Review, 29(5), 508-517. Ryan, F. (2013). Cognitive therapy for addiction: Motivation and change. Wiley-Blackwell. Simpson, D., Joe, G. W., Dansereau, D. F., & Flynn, P. M. (2011). Addiction treatment outcomes, process and change: Texas Institute of Behavioral Research at Texas Christian University. Addiction, 106(10), 1733-1740. Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition) (December 2012). Retrieved November 8, 2013, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/evidence-based-approaches-to-drug-addiction-treatment/behavioral.

Problems in implementing a self-regulation system: the case of a young advertising industry Essay

Advertising can be both beneficial and harmful to the consumers. However, in the perspective of kids, they might think that advertising is good, essentially when they get into contact with something that entices them. Honestly, advertising is bad for kids. The primary objective of the advertisers is to market their products for people to buy. Besides, if we are happy with the way things are, then we develop less interest to buy. This is the secret of the advertisers; they subtly try to make the consumers unhappy so that the chances of buying advertised goods get facilitated. The advertisers develop mechanisms to persuade the consumers to buy the products. In many occasions, most of what the advertisers are selling are images or a lifestyle rather than the product itself. Average Americans gets exposed to 3, 000 advertisement per day, thus, by the time of graduation in high school, and they will have watched 350, 000 television commercials. In the bulletins of the commercials, the con sumers still have to go through the photo-shop besides putting ton makes ups from the advertisers. Therefore, it is an illusion of their real appearance. Advertisement is done on television, radios, internet, billboards, cellphones and magazines. As Higgins, (2008) put it, advertising is a legalized lying. This is standing the truth because some of the products advertised provide different information to the real product. For advertisement targeting at boys, they develop the notion that violence is the answer to making fun among them. However, for girls, they show that dolls and makeup is their interest. According to ZÃŒÅ'abkar & JancÃŒÅ'icÃŒÅ', (2004) as a young girl sees advertisement for makeups, the information derived is to advise them to try the product and that provides comfort for them at young age. Advertising makes kids lose their creativity and imagination. Hence, the more they get exposed to advertisements, the more they develop an addiction and instead of creating time to play and socialize with peers, they rather get glued inside watching television which is unhealthy. According to research evidence, 16 percent of the ki d are overweight and need to play because they are inactive. Televisions continually brainwash many kids with advertising.Advertising is an important institution because it provides the required information and knowledge about the products and services. However, ethical standards in advertisement must be observed. Many ethical concerns have been raised by myriad stakeholders in the company of advertising. Ethics, mostly referred to as the domain of inquiry is a discipline in which matters of wrong and right, virtue and vice, good and evil are systematically examined. Advertisement ethics examines advertising morality and advertising systematically. Advertising of toys, none violent games and sugar loaded focuses on the children who are the highest consumers in the market. Besides, decisions on advertisement are about making morally right decisions. The morality of advertisement includes all parts of sourcing of product quality and pricing. Scholars have viewed ethical behaviour in d issimilar ways; however, it is based on the experiences and personal values (Taylor, 2008). Ethical advertisement forms the marketing strategies of the company. However, it all counts on the company objectives and what they know is expected by the consumers in the product. Theoretical Approach to Ethics in Advertising             The publication of the affluent society provided influential and important critique of advertising. It argues that businesses concentrate on generating rather than focusing on consumer satisfaction. The approach claims that the company system has assumed sufficient power and size to render the consumer on making personal decision such as what and how much is produced. Ideally, this characterizes the revised sequence-a categorical denial of the accepted sequence of the independence of the consumer, which accords the economic system power to the individual. Besides, the modern industrialized countries had an effectively planned economy ruled by large corporations with minimal respect to the interests of the public. Galbraith also observed the massive expenditures for creating a huge scale. Elsewhere, in 1958, Packard’ populist work titled the hidden persuaders brought moral concerns about consumer manipulation.Besides, Bentham on his personal argument would o ppose advertisement. The utilitarianism theory, however do not offer a clear-cut opposition for advertisement. He asserts that he greatest happiness of the greatest number gets determined by the consulting the hedonic calculus. Therefore, it is of fair reasoning that the advertisement is bad for the kids. However, he argues that if greater happiness is achieved through advertisement, then there is no harm. But the consequence is what counts. Based on the utilitarianism advertisement is harmful to kids due to its unhealthy consequences. On the other hand, Kant would declare in no certain terms are advertisement beneficial for the kids. What is wrong is wrong†¦period. The theory argues that it is wrong because it translates to dishonesty. Advertisement on kids is cheating them and treating the kids as end agent. As Kant puts it, this violates the categorical imperative (Kopf, 2009). Besides, the advertising consequences are irrelevant in determining the ethical or unethical of th e advertisements. Dishonesty is dishonesty and advertisement to kids is immoral. The duty of an individual is to tell the truth, to be honest in the information given.Mumel, Pisnik, Horvat & Makovec, (2013) explain the Rand theory by noting that he would oppose advertisement since it compost of dishonesty, however not on deontological grounds. Besides, dishonesty is harmful since it has dire consequences on the lives of the consumers especially the kids. Providing false information in the advertisement is dishonesty because it is a pretense that the product is not what is advertised. Besides, refusal by the industry system to perceive the facts I like shutting the eyes of the consumers to reality. According to the theory, advertising is unethical because advertising to kids operates to destroy and negates the objective and necessary reason for promoting the consumer’s lives. Dishonesty denies the consumers the efficacy to make individual decisions thus depends on other people’s opinions. According to Rawls, he would conclude that advertisement is unjust, period. Advertisement is harmful since it violates the principle of equal liberty of minimal economic and social inequality. Therefore, according to Rawls, it is ethical to raise a person from poverty to security than to provide the individual with an equal amount of wealth or societal well-being. Ethics, he argues, requires financial gain sacrifices in order to hold justice for the consumers who are least advantaged. According to his theoretical work, he insists that what is wrong is wrong. It is wrong due to its dishonesty. Conversely, the advertisement industry is cheating the kids with their advertisements. Conclusion             Advertising is widely bombarded by critics. Besides, it is accused of promoting consumption and materialism, using sex cell, stereotyping, of causing people to buy the product they need, manipulating consumer behaviour or of taking advantage of children and overall it contributes to the downfall of the social system. The advertisement critics abound. Since hardly a week can go without some company or advertisement or the advertising industry being focal point of controversy. Even if the consumer argues it out that they hold the sovereignty of the economy, the industry of advertisement does not provide an ethical justification of the traditional marketing theory. The emergence of ethical concerns in organizations is a complex phenomenon that incorporates social interaction and individual interpretation. Theorizing about ethics needs to reflect and match the complexity References Higgins, N. (August 20, 2008). Advertising ethics. New Scientist, 199, 2670.)Kopf, D. A. (2009). Marketing, information and economic growth.Mumel, D., Pisnik, K. A., Horvat, M., & Makovec, N. (January 01, 2013). What are the characteristics of a good ad for children aged 9 to 12? Creator’s and parents perspective. Marketing Theory Challenges in Emerging Societies.Taylor, G. (August 20, 2008). Advertising ethics. New Scientist, 199, 2670.)ZÃŒÅ'abkar, V., & JancÃŒÅ'icÃŒÅ', Z. (January 01, 2004). Problems in implementing a self-regulation system: the case of a young advertising industry. Economic and Business Review, 6, 2.) Source document

Symbolism in “Country Lovers”

A Forbidden Love: Thebedi and Paulus Jennifer Boozer ENG 125: Introduction to Literature Instructor: Kristina Stutler March 24, 2013 Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer is a short story centered around the theme of forbidden love between the two main characters Paulus and Thebedi. They met when they were kids, as Thebedi used to work on Paulus' father's farm. They used to sneak out and meet at the river bed. After Paulus went off to veterinary school, Thebedi had his baby.When Paulus came back for the summer he heard of her baby being light skinned and killed it so that no one would ever know that it was his baby. The story's theme of forbidden love is strengthened by Gordimer's use of symbolism, imagery, and local color. Symbolism is a key element contributing to the story's theme. One symbol that repeats itself in Country Lovers is the â€Å"gilt hoop ear-rings† that Paulus gives to Thebedi when they were young (as cited in Clugston, 2010). The earrings are a symbol for their love together.Even after Paulus killed their baby girl, Thebedi still wore them when she accused him of â€Å"pouring liquid into the baby's mouth† (as cited in Clugston, 2010). Even in her hysteric situation, she still wore those earring that Paulus gave to her. She wore them again when they went to trial. This leads me to believe that after all was said and done, she still loved Paulus, even though she knew they could never be together. Another symbol that is relevant to the theme is their baby. Their baby was living proof that they were in love with each other.After seeing the baby with his own eyes, Paulus seemed to have panicked; anyone who looked at this child would know that it was not Njabulo's. Njabulo was Thebedi's husband who was the â€Å"opaque coffee-grounds colour that had always been called black [†¦] the same colour of Thebedi's face† (as cited in Clugston, 2010). They would know that the father of this child was a white man. In their culture, it was socially unacceptable to have interracial relationships. Paulus felt he had to get rid of the baby, and he did. Imagery also contributes to the theme of forbidden love.One day Thebedi and Paulus met at the riverbed. Gordimer noted that the girls that Paulus went to school with would swim in bikinis and they never made him feel like Thebedi did â€Å"when [she] came up the bank and sat beside him, the drops of water beading off her dark legs the only points of light in the earth-smelling deep shade† (as cited in Clugston, 2010). The image of Thebedi, a regular African American girl, making Paulus feel like he had never felt before contributes to the theme of forbidden love. Local color is another literary element that strengthens the theme in Country Lovers.Local color is defined as â€Å"unique images, realistic dialog and true-to-life descriptions to fully portray people and life in the region where the story will occur† (Clugston, 2010, ch 6. 1, para 1). In this story, local color is demonstrated in the first paragraph when Gordimer discusses the relationship between the black and white children changes as they grow up. They play together up until they go to school but then after that, the white children do not play with them anymore â€Å"even in the the holidays† (as cited in Clugston, 2010). The white children are apparently oblivious to how society thinks they should act toward black children.It was not until after they went to school did they learn that they are superior to the black race. It is very important to use different literary elements to strengthen a story so that the reader's attention can be grasped. It is beneficial to the reader when the author uses elements such as symbolism, imagery, and local color because it allows the reader to put his or herself inside the story and feel the forbidden love that Paulus and Thebedi experienced. References Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into Literature. Retrieved from: https:// content. ashford. edu/books/AUENG125. 10. 2/sections/ch00

Unilever Strategy for Organising and Structuring Its Global Operations.

Unilever is a complex global organization that has a portfolio of 400 brands, spanning 14 categories in home and personal care and food products. The company has 163,000 employees in the 170 countries within which it operates (Unilever, 2010). Organizations such as Unilever face the challenge of configuring a global structure that â€Å"works well in diverse locations but also brings units together in a coordinated fashion† (Shenkar & Luo, 2007, p. 312). Given its wide range of products and the diversity of countries in which it operates, Unilever has to employ a global organizational strategy that addresses its global complexity and the diversity of its product portfolio. In its portfolio, there are some product lines that can be extended to new markets with little or no modification, while there are others that need to be modified to suit the local preferences. For example, chemical products are highly standardized and require little variation for local markets (Child, 2005, p. 45). Standardization of such products creates economies of scale in production and requires a â€Å"high level of global coordination and integration† (Child, 2005) and centralized R&D. On the other hand, some of Unilever’s products, such as packaged foods, require modification to suit local tastes and cultures. There are no production economies of scale for such categories and product development has to be facilitated locally. These factors present two scenarios for the company – striving for high global integration in the case where products can be introduced to new markets without modification and striving for high local responsiveness where there is need for modification to meet local preferences. Unilever has to therefore adopt a global organizational structure that addresses the two scenarios. The organization employs a transnational strategy, which is best suited for Unilever’s global operations, as it is faced with high pressure for both local responsiveness and global integration (Child, 2005, p. 43; Shenkar & Luo, 2007, p. 312). Unilever also uses the transnational strategy to organize its functions. Its sales, distribution and promotional tasks are locally responsive and are decentralized to suit individual markets, whereas the R&D function is globally integrated to leverage learning in the different markets. The transnational strategy enables Unilever to leverage the advantages of low cost in conjunction with the advantages of differentiation. Unilever adopted the transnational strategy mainly in esponse to competition from Procter and Gamble, which was already pursuing a transnational strategy by 1990 (Child, 2005, p. 247). However Unilever is still lagging behind P&G, in terms of revenues, marketing and innovation, because it has faced difficulty in reorganizing its activities to meet the requirements of a transnational strategy. The transnational strategy is both demanding and expensive to implement. It also requires a â€Å"flat† hierarchy (Child, 2005, p. 249) and Unilever has gone through a process of reorganizing its structure through the â€Å"One Unilever† programme, which was launched in 2005. The programme resulted in â€Å"better allocation of resources, faster decision-making and a lower cost level† (Unilever, 2007) and enables the organization to leverage its scale both globally and locally. References: †¢ Child, J. (2005) Organisation: contemporary principles and practice. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 241-253 †¢ Shenkar, O. & Luo, Y. (2007) International business. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. †¢ Unilever Website. Available from: http://www. unilever. com

Case Study About Southwest Airline Essay

Southwest Airlines was incorporated on June 18, 1971, serving three cities, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. It has been a successful business that has grown into a powerful force in the airline industry. The reason Southwest has remained financially viable is their commitment through point-to-point service with a quick turnaround time. The more planes in the air and the less time on the ground is a profitably business model. Although, there are some areas where Southwest struggled and could improve upon (Kruggel, 2001). In a large competitive Airline industry that has a strong entry barrier, Southwest Airline succeeded on their customer service and quality differentiation distinct any other Airline contributor. The company set them self up for any breakdown what might would happen in the future. Nevertheless, September 11, 2001 attack happened and the Airline could have been better prepared for that event (Anthony & Govindarajan, 2007, p. 114). After 9/11 attack struggling airlines had changed their business strategies and offer lower pricing. Almost every aspect that differentiated Southwest airline from other companies were cut because of having to adapt to new security protocols. These strategies caused Southwest not staying in competitive advantage position, and therefore, they had to slash their pricing lower than average. Of course, loyal customers would continue using Southwest over other airline industries. Analysis: Southwest competitive advantage strategies are as follow: Southwest implemented the first and most simplistic frequent-flier program: purchase eight flights and get one free. Other are their point-to-point services, which are generally targeting the frequent business traveler. With several regular flights per day, if a passenger happens to miss their flight, they will be automatically booked onto another flight. Secondly, secured routes through secondary airports which generally had lower fixed costs for the airlines and less overcrowding of travelers ease? (Koke, 2011). Southwest focal point on fast, dependable turnaround time utilizing only one type of aircraft, make available for staff and passenger to be familiar with the effectiveness of the service. Passengers are not allocating seats, which let the passenger to be guided more efficiently. In addition, Southwest’s point to point system is more dependable because it does not depend on the time arrival of an earlier flight for departure. After Porter’s five competitive forces model, Southwest airline utilizing the differentiation from competition by allowing a friendly, warm flying experience for the travelers with low cost flights undercut the competition, which would fit under the threat of substitutes. Other aspect of preventing the threat of substitutes is the reliability of the airline (Porter, 1987, pp. 28-35). The Southwest airline is determined not only to take care of their stakeholders, but to protect our planet and its natural resources as well. Conserving fuel and water, employing green purchasing practices that meet the leadership in energy and environmental design standards for new construction and building are some of the practices they are determine to retrofit. Gary C.  Kelly Southwest president and chief executive officer said,† Looking Forward As we look to our future in building Southwest Airline, our priority is to maintain the excellence we have built over the past four decades with our brand, culture, customer service, operational excellence, and consecutive annual profits. I am enthusiastic about our 2013 plan and believe our transformation efforts will make us better, stronger, and more competitive. And, the outstanding efforts, commitment, and dedication of our people give me confidence in our ability to successfully execute our plan. We are committed to our purpose to connect people to what’s important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel. That purpose will guide us to go forward on our journey in pursuit of our vision to become the World’s most loved, most flown, and most profitable airline† (Movawad, 2010). The founder of the Southwest Airline Herb Kelleher in his recent interview mentioned, â€Å"We don’t know everything about everything. We know about one thing. I have seen other airlines make mistakes, buying radio stations, hotel chains, rental car businesses, and so forth and so on. And I thought, We do not want to get into thinking that we’re massive and great because we’ve done pretty well. And that is still the policy today† (Reingold, 2013). One of the Southwest airline competitor’s was United airline in terms of new services and prices. It started a program called â€Å"Shuttle by United†. The disadvantage Sout hwest airline had, was how to deal to access the program at hand. The next one was to figure out how to respond to the initiatives. Specify the decision factors while approaching the circumstance, there were some unpredictable conditions that Southwest airline had to deal with (Freiberg & Freiberg, 2006, pp. 65-70). First, it was the determination of the profitability of the flights they were profiting from and losing from competitors such as United airlines. The concern was how many round trips each airline made, how many miles each flight was, and load factor of each flight. Daily profit calculation for each flight showed how much profit they made each city and finally state wide. After some calculation â€Å"Shuttle by United† program was forecasted that it would put the United airline into debt if they do not gain more profit from it. As of now the program costs more to run than it will pay off (Anthony & Govindarajan, 2007, p. 115-116). Conclusion: While the airline industry in the United States has not made flourishing financial headlines, one small company has been able to fulfill its customers and gain a place in Fortune 500 companies in a short period of time. Southwest has adapted to the business traveler who is looking for reliability and less hassles. In addition, it has a fast reward system that is easy to comprehend and helps retain customer loyalty. In addition, Southwest hires the best people and rewards them accordingly, in a fun, enjoyable environment. Management-employee relation, organizational training and strong leadership are identified as the source of employee motivation. Finally, Southwest negotiates fuel prices for their airlines years in advance allowing the company to keep their pricing consistent (Lunsford, 2008).

Limitations placed on American civil liberties during the Cold War Research Paper

Limitations placed on American civil liberties during the Cold War - Research Paper Example This conflict ranged from mere subtle espionage across in major cities to combat action in places such as the Vietnam. The Cold War was thus pegged on communist fear that ended up curtailing the America’s freedom of speech, altered the foreign policies, and discouraged the voices of dissent. The Cold War period remains one of the most repressive times in the history of the U.S. where the freedom of speech was significantly subjugated. In an effort to bring to light cases of espionage, root out disloyal citizens, and the threat of communist spreading across the world, the U.S. government rolled out a number of programs that instilled so much fear among the Americans. At the centre of the repressive policies was the anticommunist Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy was in charge of House Un-American Activities Committee whose role was to investigate acts of subversion that threatened the U.S. constitution1. This committee inadvertently began looking into suspicious cases of people within the federal government either directly or indirectly supporting communist’s agenda. Those holding public offices were thus required to take loyalty oaths as one of the measures to test or deter Communist sympathizers. The loyalty program later became part and parcel of Presidential E xecutive Orders2. The end result was of this loyalty program is that many Americans became afraid or discouraged of raising their thoughts or debating outside what was regarded as the norm. The â€Å"red scare† and fear of contradicting the norm made many Americans afraid of exercising their Freedom of speech as embodied in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The right to openly and publicly express ones idea were significantly hampered as one could easily be mistaken or linked to communist sympathizer. The Cold War equally affected the American politics to a greater extent. The U.S. presidents under the full backing of the congress set out to revise

Criminal Law - Casey Anthony Trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal Law - Casey Anthony Trial - Essay Example This has caused mix reactions from lawyers and the general public with some arguing that Casey was guilty of the murder. Nevertheless, before any judgment is reached, the jury is required to follow the due process of the law to ascertain whether the defendant is guilty of the charges or not. One such is that the accused must prove beyond doubt that the defendant actually committed the alleged crime and providing evidence to that effect. This paper will explore the facts of the case the evidence provided and ruling. It will also analyze the circumstances of the case to ascertain why the jury acquitted Casey of the charges. Caylee Marie Anthony, a two-year-old girl, was found dead on December 11, 2008, after having been reported missing on 5 July 2008 from their home in Orlando, Florida where she had been staying with her mother. The report was delivered by Cindy Anthony, one of her grandparents through a 9-1-1, who said that Cindy had not been seen for more than a month, and her mother’s car produce a smell as if a decaying body was inside it. In his report, he gave an account of how her mother had provided inconsistent explanations regarding Cindy’s whereabouts an only admitted not having seen her for some weeks. When asked by the detectives, Casey made-up stories, which included informing the detectives that an anonymous nanny had kidnapped her daughter on June 9 and that she had been searching for her. She also told the detectives that she failed to report the matter to the authorities mainly because she was frightened (Turley, 2011). As the search continued for Caylee, her mother Casey was charged with murder, but pleaded not guilty. However, Caylee’s skeletons were found in a wooded area next to their home on December 11. At the time her body was found, there was also a tape found next to the skull just next to the mouth. A medical report indicated that Caylee might have been killed using the tape. The trial continued for six from May to July 5, 2011, when the jury acquitted her of murder charges but convicted of a misdemeanour for lying to the police officers during investigations (Shahani, 2011).  

Democratization in the Third Wave European Countries Essay

Democratization in the Third Wave European Countries - Essay Example There have been three waves of democratization. The first wave started in the 1820’s, as suffrage widened and more citizens in Europe demanded their rights (Huntington 1991, p.3). It started in the US and then spread across the British dominion (Huntington 1984, p.196). However, in 1922 Mussolini came to power, which marked the return to autocracies. By the end of World War II, only 12 democracies were left, in comparison to 29 beforehand (Huntington 1991, p.3). The second wave was supported, and imposed by the Allied Forces after World War II. In 1962, the zenith was reached with 36 democracies (Huntington 1991, p.3). Many of them were also former colonies (Huntington 1991, p. 31 – 108). After 1962, democracy again experienced a decline (Jaggers & Gurr 1995, 477). In 1974, the third wave started. This wave was marked by the shifts to democracy in Portugal, Greece and Spain (Huntington, 1991, p.4). The Catholic Church became an opponent of autocracies in the 1960’s (Huntington 1991, p.77). The European Union (EU), then known as the European Community (EC), conditioned the benefits of access to their markets on democratization. Greece joined EC in 1981, and Spain and Portugal followed. By 1994, according to Jaggers and Gurr (1995, p.479), there were 50 percent democracies and only 18 percent autocracies in the world. However, they also classified countries into incoherent systems, claiming that 19 percent countries were autocracies and 13 percent democracies (Jaggers & Gurr, 1995, p.479).... 31 – 108). After 1962, democracy again experienced a decline (Jaggers & Gurr 1995, 477). In 1974, the third wave started. This wave was marked by the shifts to democracy in Portugal, Greece and Spain (Huntington, 1991, p.4). The Catholic Church became an opponent of autocracies in the 1960’s (Huntington 1991, p.77). The European Union (EU), then known as the European Community (EC), conditioned the benefits of access to their markets on democratization. Greece joined EC in 1981, and Spain and Portugal followed. By 1994, according to Jaggers and Gurr (1995, p.479), there were 50 percent democracies and only 18 percent autocracies in the world. However, they also classified countries into incoherent systems, claiming that 19 percent countries were autocracies and 13 percent democracies (Jaggers & Gurr, 1995, p.479). These are less stable than coherent systems. Papaioannou and Siourounis (2008, p.384) determined that among 174 countries between 1960 and 2005, there were 63 democratic transitions and 3 reverse transitions from relatively stable democracy to autocracy. In the 1990’s, it was questionable whether young democracies were going to survive. According to Shin (1994, p.137), since governments depend on people or demos, democracy can only survive if people support it. However, at the time, newly democratic countries lacked factors that facilitate democratization such as civic organizations and market economies (Shin 1994, p.137). According to Rose and Shin (2001, p.334), â€Å"[w]hile the third wave has increased by 77 per cent the number of countries holding competitive elections, the number of countries recognizing political and civil liberties has increased by only 40 per cent.† As a result, the third wave in many

Templeton debate series Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Templeton debate series - Essay Example ess would mean hiring more workers and that would have the effect of putting money in the pockets of Afrikaans that would better their standard living. A better standard of living will end the cycle of poverty and empower the people of Africa. Iqbal larger global argument is about the promotion of an idea that for Africa to progress, foreign direct investment is necessary to propel the economy of Africa. Pouring money in business has the net effect of empowering its citizens and not government bureaucracy (Iqbal 6-8). He is calling for foreign capital to invest in Africa because the country is ripe for investment with huge available cheap labor and abundant resources just waiting to be used for business. I totally agree with Iqbal Quadir’s global argument of letting business flourish in Africa so that people will have jobs that will better their lives and finally end the cycle of poverty there. I agree with his argument of putting money in business because it would also contribute to ending government initiated violence since less money would mean that despotic governments there will not have enough money to buy

Plant and Fungus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Plant and Fungus - Essay Example Variably, fungi that include mushroom and yeast contribute in the preparation of beverages and are of medical value. Notably, my personal interaction with plants and fungi depicts positive results and their relevance in facilitating individual’s wellbeing. The organisms bear fruits, seeds and other products that are of high value to human life. Most people have been using the yields from the organisms as a source of food, fuel, energy and beverage. It has come into my attention that some seed plants and fungi are good medicinal products that are used in curing certain diseases that affect human development (Jabr, 2011). Secondly, the yields from the items are used in achieving nutritional balance since they provide food rich in diverse nutrients. Similarly, fungi organisms are widely depended on by most farmers as farm fertility boosters as they facilitate decomposition and recycling of organic matter (Reece, Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, Jackson & Campbell, 2014). Farmers use them in ripening Roquefort and other products including blue cheese. From my interactions with the organisms, it is apparent that human welfare and vibrancy is dependent on the kind of food items, products one uses and the freshness of the environment. No one can thrive without consuming healthy food with superior nutritional content and breathing fresh air. It is inevitably true that I am in the business of using various types of plants and fungi, and they are affecting my life positively. In particular, I use maize, rice, wheat, mushroom and potatoes as food in most occasions. The food items constitute my favorite meals ever since, and their preference is based on the nutritional value (Reece et al, 2014). Subsequently, flowering plants such as tea, coffee and cocoa have formed key sources of my beverage. On the other hand, yeast that is a renowned type of fungi remains a vital source of my alcoholic beverage.

Franklin electric Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Franklin electric - Research Paper Example Two companies that buy various Franklin Electric products are Pentair and ITT. The company’s is well-known since it offers its products in every continent. In addition, it’s a public traded company, and currently its stock price is up 0.9% according to nasdaq.com. As any other company, Franklin does it have its competitors. Franklin Electric company’s competitors consist of: A.O. Smith Corporation, Baldar Electric Company, Lincoln Electric Company, MagneTek Inc., and Owosso Corporation. The competitors don’t have much of a major advantage as Franklin continues to produced more motors than its competitors On an annual basis. In addition, it was ranked amongst the top 1000 companies by Fortune. The company does primarily focus on creating products such as astewater pumps; sump, sewage, effluent pumps; dewatering and trash pumps. In addition, its secondary focus is on the fueling system such as tanks, pumps, and electronic controls. Undoubtedly, the company has many opportunities to expand. The company has recently acquired 75% of outstanding shares of Vertical company, located in Italy, for cash. The company believes that the transaction will attract more earnings of share. In addition, Vertical Company had the net value of 20 million Euros prior to the acquisition. Clearly, this enables Franklin Electric to increase its share, and dominate in its market. No company can keep up with Franklin Electric since this acquisition allows Franklin Electric to introduce steel pumps that were manufactured by Vertical. The competition although is stiff, has not came up with any new products as it focuses on water heaters and electric heaters. Most of the competition does not branch to fueling systems as Franklin Electric does. Franklin Electric continues to have advantage due to its broad product line and its persistence to acquisitions. Thus, the competition is in disadvantage at this point. Recently, Franklin Electric continues to improve its

Casestudy Deepwater Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Casestudy Deepwater - Essay Example Based on a report by the National Commission regarding the oil spill on 5th January 2011, it was discovered that these three organizations made an attempt to work much more cheaply; this triggered the onset of the explosion and thus ensuing leakage. â€Å"Whether intended or not, majority of the decisions made by BP, Halliburton, and Transocean escalated the threat of the Macondo blowout while simultaneously saving them plenty of time and money.†The government along with many other organizations in charge of the case tried to get to figure out the truth about who is really to blame. All the above mentioned organizations, BP, Halliburton, and Transocean should indeed be held accountable for the Deepwater Oil Spill accident. Supposedly, it was not intentional. However, there were severe consequences as a result and all three had an active role to play in it. Earlier on, BP released a statement stating that, even prior to the completion of the investigation by the commission, BP had incorporated substantial and adequate changes designed to enhance safety as well as risk management. To this, Transocean responded by blaming BP for arriving at decisions before the actual occurrence of the explosion and the government officials for conceding the decisions. According to Halliburton’s report, it was merely executing the orders of BP when it actually injected the cement into the well’s wall. It went further to criticize BP for its undeniable failure to carry out a cement bond log test. Precisely, BP was accused of nine flaws. In my opinion, they should all be held responsible for the incident because each had a role to lay in it. The penalty should vary based on the magnitude of one’s shortcomings though. In my opinion, there is nothing more important than safety. Safety helps to keep individuals alive and healthy. In every organization, each operation or process should only be carried out in the event that safety is ascertained. For business, the issue of safety

Michael Arlen Ode to Thanksgiving Essay Example for Free

Michael Arlen Ode to Thanksgiving Essay Consider the participants, the merrymakers: men and women (also children) who have survived passably well throughout the years, mainly as a result of living at considerable distances from their dear parents and beloved siblings, who on this feast of feasts must apparently forgather (as if beckoned by an aberrant fairy godmother), usually by circuitous routes, through heavy traffic, at a common meeting place, where the very moods, distempers, and obtrusive personal habits that have kept them all happily apart since adulthood are then and there encouraged to slowly ferment beneath the corn husks, and gradually rise with the aid of the terrible wine, and finally burst forth out of control under the stimulus of the cranberry jelly! No, it is a mockery of holiday. For instance: Thank you, O Lord, for what we are about to receive. This is surely not a gala concept. There are no presents, unless one counts Aunt Bertha’s sweet rolls a present, which no one does. There is precious little in the way of costumery: miniature plastic turkeys and those witless Pilgrim hats. There is no sex. Indeed, Thanksgiving is the one day of the year (a fact known to everybody) when all thoughts of sex completely vanish, evaporating from apartments, houses, condominiums, and mobile homes like steam from a bathroom mirror. Consider also the nowhereness of the time of year: the last week or so in November. It is obviously not yet winter: winter, with its death-dealing blizzards and its girls in tiny skirts pirouetting on the ice. On the other hand, it is certainly not much use to anyone as fall: no golden leaves or Oktoberfests, and so forth. Instead, it is a no-man’s land between the seasons. In the cold and sobersides northern half of the country, it is a vaguely unsettling interregnum of long, mournful walks beneath leafless trees: the long, mournful walks following the midday repast with the dread nevitability of pie following turkey, and the leafless trees looming or standing about like eyesores, and the ground either as hard as iron or slightly mushy, and the light snow a lways beginning to fall when one is halfway to the old green gate—flecks of cold, watery stuff plopping between neck and collar, for the reason that, it being not yet winter, one has forgotten or not chosen to bring along a muffler. It is a corollary to the long, mournful Thanksgiving walk that the absence of this muffler is quickly noticed and that four weeks or so later, at Christmastime, instead of the Sony Betamax one had secretly hoped the children might have chipped in to purchase, one receives another muffler: by then the thirty-third. Thirty-three mufflers! Some walk! Of course, things are more fun in the warm and loony southern part of the country . No snow there of any kind. No need of mufflers. Also, no long, mournful walks, because in the warm and loony southern part of the country everybody drives. So everybody drives over to Uncle Jasper’s house to watch the Cougars play the Gators, a not entirely unimportant conflict which will determine whether the Gators get a Bowl bid or must take another postseason exhibition tour of North Korea. But no sooner do the Cougars kick off (an astonishing end-over-end squiggly thing that floats lazily above the arena before plummeting down toward K. C. McCoy and catching him on the helmet) than Auntie Em starts hustling turkey. Soon Cousin May is slamming around the bowls and platters, and Cousin Bernice is oohing and ahing about all the fixin’s, and Uncle Bob is making low, insincere sounds of appreciation: â€Å"Yummy, yummy—Auntie Em, Ill have me some more of these delicious yams! † Delicious yams? Uncle Bob’s eyes roll wildly in his head, Billy Joe Quaglino throws his long bomb in the middle of Grandpa Morris saying grace, Grandpa Morris speaking so low nobody can hear him, which is just as well, since he is reciting what he can remember of his last union contract. And then, just as J. B. Speedy) Snood begins his ninety-two-yard punt return, Auntie Em starts dealing everyone second helpings of her famous stuffing, as if she were pushing a controlled substance, which is well might be, since there are no easily recognizable ingredients visible to the naked eye. Consider for a moment the Thanksgiving me al itself. It has become a sort of refuge for endangered species of starch: cauliflower, turnips, pumpkin, mince (whatever â€Å"mince† is), those blessed yams. Bowls of luridly colored yams, with no taste at all, lying torpid under a lava flow of marshmallow! And then the sacred turkey. One might as well try to construct a holiday repast around a fish—say, a nice piece of haddock. After all, turkey tastes very similar to haddock; same consistency, same quite remarkable absence of flavor. But then, if the Thanksgiving piece de resistance were a nice piece of boiled haddock instead of turkey, there wouldnt be all that fun for Dad when Mom hands him the sterling-silver , bone-handled carving set (a wedding present from her parents and not sharpened since) and then everyone sits around pretending not to watch while he saws and tears away at the bird as if he were trying to burrow his way into or out of some grotesque, fowllike prison. What of the good side to Thanksgiving, you ask. There is always a good side to everything. Not to Thanksgiving. There is only a bad side and then a worse side. For instance, Grandmother’s best linen tablecloth is a bad side: the fact that it is produced each year, in the manner of a red flag being produced before a bull, and then is always spilled upon by whichever child is doing poorest at school that term and so is in need of greatest reassurance. Thus, â€Å"Oh, my God, Veronica, you just spilled grape juice [or plum wine or tar] on Grandmother’s best linen tablecloth! † But now comes worse. For at this point Cousin Bill, the one who lost all Cousin Edwina’s money on the car dealership three years ago and has apparently been drinking steadily since Halloween, bizarrely chooses to say: â€Å"Seems to me those old glasses are always falling over. † To which Auntie Meg is heard to add: â€Å"Somehow I don’t remember receivin’ any of those old glasses. † To which Uncle Fred replies: â€Å"That’s because you and George decided to go on vacation to Hawaii the summer Grandpa Sam was dying. † Now Grandmother is sobbing, though not so uncontrollably that she can refrain from murmuring: â€Å"I think that volcano painting I threw away by mistake got sent me from Hawaii, heaven knows why. But the gods are merciful, even the Pilgrim-hatted god of corn husks and soggy stuffing, and there is an end to everything, even to Thanksgiving. Indeed, there is a grandeur to the feelings of finality and doom which usually settle on a house after the Thanksgiving celebration is over, for with the completion of Thanksgiving Day the year itself has been properly terminated: shot through the cranium with a high-velocity candied yam. At this calendrical nadir, all energy on the planet has gone, all fun has fled, all the terrible wine has been drunk. But then, overnight, life once again begins to stir, emerging, even by the next morning, in the form of Japanese window displays and Taiwanese Christmas lighting, from the primeval ooze of the nation’s department stores. Thus, a new year dawns, bringing with it immediate and cheering possibilities of extended consumer debt, office-party flirtations, good—or, at least, mediocre—wine, and visions of Supersaver excursion fares to Montego Bay. It is worth noting, perhaps, that this true new years always starts with the same mute, powerful mythic ceremony: the surreptitious tossing out, in the early morning, of all those horrid aluminum-foil packages of yams and cauliflowers nd stuffing and red, gummy cranberry substance which have been squeezed into the refrigerator as if a reenactment of the siege of Paris were shortly expected. Soon afterward, the phoenix of Christmas can be observed as it slowly rises, beating its drumsticks, once again goggle-eyed with hope and unrealistic expectations.